Star Wars Ep VIII : The New Empire

Chapter 8: The Search Continues

Finn and Poe were growing desperate. Rey had now been missing for a full day, and although both of them were increasingly losing hope, neither had been able to bring themselves to contact Luke or Leia, to admit that they'd lost Rey.

"It's time. We have to send for Luke and the others," Finn said, his voice unsteady.

Poe rubbed his eyes frustratedly; neither of them had slept through the night. "Not yet. Contacting them would mean that the entire Star Fleet would be sent over, that could open up a whole new barrel of problems out here. War, even. We keep looking."

"If we don't find her by the end of the day, we're sending for Luke," Finn declared, eyeing Poe angrily.

Poe sighed. "Okay. But we'll find her before then. We will. She may have just gotten lost."

"For an entire day? Do you hear yourself?"

"Listen, Finn, you don't think I'm just as desperate to find her as you are?" Poe exclaimed, rubbing his head, disgruntled. He straightened himself, looking seriously now at his friend. "Finn, I love her."

Finn stared back at him, dumbfounded. "What—you—you what?" He stammered.

"I've known ever since we dropped her and Luke off on that isolated little planet. I hated knowing I probably wouldn't see her again for a long time."

Finn blinked, his heart quickening. How could he not have realized this? He'd seen the way Poe looked at Rey, admired her, just as he himself always did. I've loved her a lot longer than you, Finn thought bitterly, remembering how he'd admired Rey's skill in piloting the Millennium Falcon away from pursuing Tie fighters on Jakku, how grieved he'd been when he'd seen Kylo Ren carrying her through the battle on Takodana to his ship.

Poe noticed Finn's dejected expression. "I know you miss her too, Buddy. But we have to stay positive."

"Are we done here?" The large Trianii grumbled, dropping his cigarette and grinding it into the dirt with his large boot. He folded his large muscular arms as leaned against his ancient-looking landspeeder. For even more Galactic credits, the Trianii, called Tojor, had offered to continue transporting them to various towns and villages in their search for Rey.

Finn nodded somberly, and he and Poe climbed into the back of the speeder, Trojor steering them swiftly down a busy market road through the colorful forest.

...

Rey shook awake in the fading evening light, bolting upright on the couch as she made sense of her surroundings, memories flooding back to her of what had taken place earlier that day. She rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"You're awake."

Rey nearly jumped off of the couch. She looked up with wide eyes and saw Kylo standing behind the counter in the dimly-lit kitchen, watching her intently.

"Would you quit scaring me?" Rey bursted. She studied her adversary-turned-rescuer: he wore the same simple dark clothing as earlier, but now had a thin cloak of some kind around his shoulders, as if he'd been outside. Rey still couldn't bring herself to believe what had happened over the past few days.

Ren broke his gaze from her and turned around to a small fridge, taking out a large liquid canister. He began pouring the dark liquid into a small glass.

After replacing the canister to the fridge, he picked up the glass and carried it over to her. Rey shrunk back against the couch instinctively, watching him anxiously. He stopped a few feet away from her, probably sensing her apprehension. He extended his long arm, holding the cup out to her. "Drink this."