Force Destiny

First Confrontation

Rey sat contentedly next to Finn, their fingers intertwined as she and a few of the younger Resistance members watched Poe animatedly reenact war stories. They all held cups of alcohol in their hands. She had one to match, though she had poured out the vile liquid, replacing it with water. Rey craved desperately to belong, but she wouldn't touch the poison that she had seen seize control over too many people on Jakku, including her own parents.

The alcohol only served to liven Poe's retelling of his story; his body was relaxed but his hands more spirited as he performed for the crowd. He had seen worlds Rey could only imagine and had adventures far more exciting than she could dream of. The other members of the Resistance seemed to gravitate around him, and it was evident why. She found herself admiring him – the strength of his optimism after all he had endured, his intelligence, and his easy smile. Rey found that it was difficult not to mirror that smile, especially when he aimed it at her, which he did often. Poe was nice to her, and she found herself enjoying his company. He seemed so confident and hopeful, he knew who he was and what he was fighting for. He was everything the Resistance stood for and he made her feel like she had value there. He made her feel like somebody. His eyes found hers as he spoke, and her heart skipped a beat as he winked at her.

Maybe I have found my place.

At the moment, Poe was retelling his account of Kylo Ren's interrogation. "...blood is dripping into my eyes, and I'm still not sure that this guy is actually there, but I said, 'You might want to rethink your technique." His story earned him scattered laughs from the other Resistance members. It was a brief moment of peace, but, like everything else in her life, Kylo had to ruin it. A chill shuddered through her as the Force vibrated around her. Poe's warm voice faded away until all she could hear was the steady inhuman breaths and mechanical hiss of his helmet. She found herself releasing Finn's hand in preparation for a fight.

Kylo was there, in the room with her friends, and the fear only served to increase the pounding of her pulse in her ears. Could they see him? There were no terrified cries, no hands at their blasters; no one else looked like their world had been upended. All their lives continued as normal, listening to Poe's recount of being tortured at the hands of the man sitting a few meters away from them. She could feel the intensity of his fixed glare, but she refused to look at him. There was nothing to see anyway, she convinced herself; every detail and expression was hidden behind a mask.

"Everyone out," Kylo hissed, "Now." Though she couldn't see most of his surroundings, she could vaguely see a table in her peripherals. She supposed he had been in one of his meetings, focused on galactic domination, no doubt conjuring up horrifying methods to kill her and her friends. The connection would close on its own soon enough. Until then she did her best to pretend that he didn't exist.

Kylo, however, had no intention of making it simple. "Let me guess, you still want to kill me."

Rey bit her tongue. Everything in her wanted to turn and scream at him. He had tried to pull the lightsaber from her, he had tried to kill her and her friends on Crait. He had no right to make himself out to be the victim. She wanted to tell him those things, but she knew it was better for everyone if she ignored him.

"Or are you just disappointed I'm not dead where you left me?" he continued. "Sorry, you should have known after the last time you left me to die, I'm difficult to get rid of."

As far as she was concerned, he was dead to her. Though if he were truly dead, it would have been easier. She could have enjoyed her time with the others without testing her limited control over her tongue. The galaxy would have been better off if he was dead, but she didn't leave him to die.

"I know you can see me. I know you can feel me."

She could. She could feel his anger permeating the Force around them. It was just another reason why she had to ignore him; the bond had grown strong enough. He could be angry all he wanted. It was his fault; he had nothing to be angry at her for. She had gone to the Supremacy to save him, she had helped him kill the guards, she had thrown him her lightsaber. He had chosen the darkness. Speaking of darkness, it was building in the Force around her as well. He was too predictable.