Luke
I was still getting used to Force again—to people again. Simple things that I had ceased to notice before my exile now seemed to cost a lot of my attention. Insects busy working, simple flickers in the Force like animals and people dying and giving birth, sometimes even plants were too loud.
On Naboo, however, things felt quiet. As I pulled my ship lower, I felt the people below, especially the two I shared DNA with. Leia, my subdued sister, always present, but always hidden. And my nephew, her son, who was the complete opposite. He had learned to conceal himself at a young age, hiding his true feelings. He was harder to see sometimes, and other times, he was like a blinding light, consuming everything nearby.
As I landed, however, I felt the girl, too. She was neither like Leia, nor like Ben. She was tortured, and I didn't mean by Snoke. He had said she was conflicted, but that was too small a word for the raging battle inside her.
It was, to say the least, concerning.
As I sat and listened later to Han and Kylo discussing Maia, her presence did more than touch my awareness. It caught my attention immediately. The inner turmoil was like a pot that had just begun to simmer, having remained warm for far too long with no sign of boiling.
My eyes shifted to Ben, waiting for him to notice her struggle, but he'd just sat back down from Hux's return. As the simmering bubbles started to grow in size, I got a glimpse of her strength.
I had assumed she simply skimmed the Force, using it only in time for miracles. But I was wrong.
She had hidden it, forgotten it. Was she the strongest force user? Unlikely. But she was no measly squib. She was trying to use the Force on herself, I realized.
Kylo's head shot to the left, the direction Maia and Leia were. Han asked what was wrong at the same time he launched out of his chair, then I heard her scream. It was like a ringing in the ear, so very faint I wasn't sure it was real. But it was, because the others turned as well.
I closed my eyes as my nephew—Kylo or Ben, whatever the hell I was supposed to call him—leapt into the sky with a strength I could feel, his panic palpable. I searched for the women through the Force, finding them quickly. I heard her next scream strongly and tried to connect with her, to calm her.
But instead, I fell into her pain. I felt the concern of one of Kylo's Knights approaching behind me, and heard the words between my friends. But it was her pain that ripped at me, a bottled-up cocktail of the past.
Flickers of the memory that was now a raging boil attacked me, and I worked to remain calm and neutral. It was difficult, as she was consumed with emotion: fear, anger, hate, grief. When her memory subsided, I felt her horror, her shame, her pain. I felt her grow bright in the Force, brighter than Ben had once been, an explosion of pure Force energy. It wasn't dark or light, to my surprise. It simply was.
As she ran, I tried to follow along. I trailed over logs with her, heard the sound of water as she splashed across a creek.
I felt her begin to crumble, and watched Kylo approach. I couldn't hear everything they said, but I felt their feelings. When Kylo shoved himself into Maia's memories, I was overwhelmed by the scene—and Kylo's intense reaction.
But the thing was, it didn't feel like Kylo. Kylo would have never let me tag along like this, and I was no fool, I knew he was aware of my presence. He knew I was connecting to them both, trying to glean what was happening. And he simply ignored it. Maia did too.
But that wasn't Kylo. I was invading the privacy of both of them, he should have pushed me away.
It wasn't until he left Maia's mind that I pulled out, slowly returning to my own body. Leia had returned, and Han was holding ice to her wrist. Hux was pacing—quite anxious, actually—and Chewie was off closer to the field, simply staring in the direction they were. Lando and the Knight must have been behind me, as I could feel them near.
I met Leia's eyes, the only one who noticed mine had opened. My chin dipped in a microscopic nod.
Maybe he was Kylo. Maybe he was Ben. We had been wrong to judge him by the name he chose. Well, Leia and Han had recently seemed to understand that his name did not matter, at least on some level. I had not. All I could think about was Anakin becoming Vader. And the Anakin I saw as he died.
But I suddenly understood. He had been Anakin all along. And he had been Vader all along. I knew this... but it suddenly made much more sense. If the Jedi had recognized his struggles and worked to help him through them, the true Vader may have never come to pass.
Perhaps I should have done the same with Kylo. Like Anakin, Kylo had needed more from me.
"They're okay?" she asked quietly, alerting everyone to her, and then to me.
"Yes. Perhaps better than okay." The relief on Leia's face was visible, her face melting into it. Han's face went to his hands, dropping the ice pack. Hux just stared at me.
"What does that mean?" he finally asked—though I noticed that he was indeed concerned, and not only because he needed them to remain in power. I wasn't sure if any of it was for Kylo, but it was definitely for Maia. It would seem the general believed Maia was the closest thing he had to a friend.
"Maia had a memory surface from her childhood, that apparently, she had blocked out completely. I cannot share any details, other than that I believe the two of them appear to be... bonded." It was so much more than that, but I did not fully understand it yet.
"What?" Han asked, surprised, his brows furrowed.
"I have never seen two Force users in love. But it is as if their signatures have tangled together. Perhaps it's normal," I added with a shrug. "Either way, whatever they worked through, it has brought them solace."
"Solace doesn't win a war," Hux muttered.
"It might win this one," Leia said softly. I met her eyes once more.
So. It would seem we were about to fight a battle we'd already fought. I was glad to be doing it with Leia, Han, Lando, and Chewie once more. But it was the two specks in the distance I was most curious about.
"Is she alright?" Han asked after the silence continued.
"I believe so." They liked Maia, but I didn't think they had any idea what she was. Leia could likely feel her inner conflict, but I doubted she understood the depth. Kylo didn't seem to realize it either. One wrong push from a force outside her control, and I feared she could tumble off the cliff, right into the dark.
Then again, it had been thoughts like that, that almost ended my sister's family. Maia has been presented with opportunity after opportunity to become something dark and evil, and she has not.
By the time they were within shouting distance, Hux surprised me. He stepped into the field and started walking toward them, the grass already sticking to his long black coat. Trying to understand why the general had caught me off guard, I frowned at his back.
"Sister," I said quietly. She looked over at me, curious and surprised.
"Yes, Luke?"
"Am I biased?" I asked, mostly joking. I wasn't supposed to be judgmental—and here I had assumed the general didn't care about anyone enough to even step into an uncut, uneven field. Though it was not nearly as severe as judging one's own nephew, it was similar enough to bring the guilt bubbling back, and again, I thought of Maia.
Yoda would tell me I should resolve my issues before I attempt to find Palpatine.
"You can be a bit," she said, not unkindly. "But you have the best intentions."
I met her eyes. The fact of the matter was simple: I would have to resolve my biases and make amends along the way.
"I think there's a saying about good intentions," I grumbled, a smile dancing on my lips.
"It's not positive," she said with a small laugh. We looked back at the kids.
Perhaps he wouldn't ever forgive us. "You know, it isn't the regret that I fear dying with. Or the loneliness. I think that's normal." I shook my head. "No. It's the image of me dying a grumpy, bitter old man that doesn't sit right." She was quiet, and after a moment, I smiled. "You, however, I could see being bitter until the very end."
She laughed, a bold, loud, genuine laugh, her hand reaching out and tapping my arm.
I laughed my own deep chuckle and gripped her hand. "I am not supposed to love, Leia. But I do love you."
"I know, Luke," she said and squeezed my hand. "I love you too."
———
Maia
"Kylo," I whispered. He looked at me, worried at first, until he saw the small smile on my face. "Carry me."
He cocked his head, not unwilling, but curious as to why. When I didn't elaborate, he stopped walking. Once he scooped me up, I rested my head on his collarbone.
"As they can clearly see, I'm quite exhausted."
He chuckled. "But you are," he pointed out, causing my own wave of giggles.
"All the reason to find a bed," I purred.
"A nap before returning home does sound nice." Home.
I looked up at him to see his smile, but then laughter rang out from his family—a genuine belly laugh. It startled me at first, the sound was unexpected.
"Is that your mother?"
"Yeah," he said, sounding just as surprised as me.
"Who made her laugh?"
"Luke."
"How cute."
He snorted, glancing down at me. "They're far too powerful in their own ways to be cute."
"Hmm," I mumbled, trying to bury myself deeper. "You're cute, though. And you're terrifying."
"I'm not cute," he muttered, though I heard the smile.
"Are you saying I'm not cute?" I teased. He didn't answer right away, which made me grin.
"You're more than cute." The response made me laugh, but I felt the little butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I was so deeply grateful for this man.
"Are you alright?" Hux's voice came out.
"She's fine, but she used a lot of energy two days in a row. She needs to rest."
"Why don't you look like that after doing something showy?" he snipped.
"General," I said, trying to drop from Kylo's arms in irritation. He held me firm, frustratingly. I sighed, then turned my head to look at him, Kylo still approaching the courtyard. "Not to brag, but each instance was far above my skill level. Kylo has trained for more than half his life. But I'm fine, sir."
He pursed his lips and fell into step with Kylo as he passed, eying me up and down. I had the feeling he wanted to press me, but finally, he simply shook his head.
"I've spoken with Alaric. He said your fleet is running smoothly, and there's no need to speed back. He seemed to genuinely want you to stay another night."
I narrowed my eyes at him. Alaric wouldn't have given that much away to just anyone—he would have been as collected as I am.
Did... did he like Hux?
"What?" he snapped when he glanced at me after having taken too long to respond.
I grinned, just as Kylo stepped onto the stone patio. "Do you like him?" I whispered. His eyes went wide.
"I do not! And why would you ask that? I'm your superior."
"And I'm fragile and weak right now," I said, leaning my head pathetically against Kylo. I could feel his humor through the Force.
"Oh," he huffed, waving his hand dismissively. "You're fine, clearly. I'm going back to work. I'm going stir crazy here and another day with this many ups and downs should at least be in the command center."
"Have a nice flight," Kylo said. I shook my head. All this time, and he still didn't care for the man.
"Be safe, General. Thank you for the summit and everything."
"Yes, of course," he replied, looking a bit shy all of a sudden. "I do hope you clean up after yourselves."
I grinned, understanding he was referring to the man locked away in his lower levels.
I nodded, and he gave me a curt one back before walking away.
"You're all welcome to stay," Kylo said.
"I'm sure your mother has to be off," Han said. I heard the twinge in his voice, though he sounded mostly normal. It made me wonder how long Kylo and I had before we started disappointing each other.
"I'll stay," Luke said. I lifted my head slightly to look at him. He winked, making me smile. This wasn't the hermit I expected.
"Han is right, but I'd like to stay. We can leave in the morning."
Kylo insisted on the nap, and nobody argued, though I was fairly sure they knew I wasn't quite as tired as I portrayed. Truthfully, I needed to get back to work, too, but I was terrified this would be our last day before all hell broke loose.
How bold of me to assume we would even get that long.
———
I hopped out of his arms as he walked through the doors. We both began undressing, sending me into giggles, and making him laugh too. I watched him take off his pants, feeling like a weight had been lifted.
"Lay on the bed," I said when his eyes met mine. He raised his eyebrows but did as I asked. I felt light and bubbly, desire rushing around inside me. I crawled on after him, putting my hands on either knee as I took my time. When my knees found position, I looked down at his rock-hard erection.
I trailed my hand from his hip to his thigh, then down, cupping his balls gently. When he groaned and shifted eagerly, I leaned down and licked from the base to the tip, gazing up at him. My right hand moved to grasp his cock as I sucked the head into my mouth.
"Fuck, Maia," he groaned, restraining from shoving himself in deeper as I stroked down, twirling my tongue around and enjoying his sounds. I pulled off enough to spit on the very tip before moving my hand up to drag it down. He groaned at the action, but then I took him back into my mouth. His hips bucked up, shoving his large cock further inside. I let my hand flatten against his body and choked as he hit the back of my throat.
But still, he let me keep control as I began my own pace, pulling him in easier each time.
"You take my cock so well, Miss Ren, and, oh," he cut himself off with a long, deep moan as I finally adjusted enough to take him all the way. My cheeks hollowed as I sucked my way up, my tongue dancing roughly and my hands following, then right back down.
"Oh yes," he said when he found his voice again a few thrusts later. "You know exactly how I—fuck—like it." I flicked my eyes up to watch him, but he was already watching me. My legs squeezed together and a moan left my chest; he was so damn sexy.
His eyes burned into me, his black hair messy around his chiseled face. I wanted to sit on it, to feel his teeth nibble my clit unexpectedly, his thumb rubbing my ass...
"Soon, Maia," his dark voice wrapped around me. My eyes widened; had I projected my desires to him?
I saw his face twitch and knew he was close, so I sucked him in harder and as far as possible. He praised the movement and gripped my hair tighter, holding me there for a moment longer. I moaned a long sound, vibrating my throat against the head of his cock. Kylo sucked in a breath and pulled me back before pushing himself back in, and I felt the hot liquid shoot down my throat. I sucked him dry, reveling in his pleasure.
My lips trailed up his abdomen, but stopped before I could kiss him. I gave him a sly smile, and he watched me continue my way up.
"Good girl," he growled, warming me even further. I straddled him as I completed my journey upward, and he tugged me down quickly. His expert mouth covered my clit exactly how I wanted, and his thumb slipped inside me. I moaned, it was everything I wanted.
"Not everything," Kylo said in a low, almost threatening voice. I gasped at his words, then his thumb was rolling around outside my asshole. It felt as good as I remembered, his mouth working my sensitive little nub at the same time.
"Fuck," was all I could manage to say. I trailed my hands through his hair and up my stomach, stopping to squeeze my breasts. I felt his groan of approval against my clit, so I pinched my nipples and ground down.
His thumb began teasing my ass, and the further I fell into euphoria. Just before I peaked, he pulled more of my arousal onto his thumb and pressed it in. I was already a blubbering mess, but I cried out in both surprise and pleasure. My orgasm wrapped around me as Kylo pulled me onto him harder. I rode it out, no longer embarrassed to have my entire pussy on his face, not when it felt so good. I thought I could feel his pleasure too, though.
After I came down and took a few breaths, I moved down. I kissed his chest as I straddled him, his expression dark, trying to hold back his control. I grinned at him, sitting high above his still-hard erection.
"Bend your knees," I purred. He did, a flash of desire crossing his expression. Oh. So he liked me telling him what to do. It was a shame we were not in my bed, then.
I leaned back slightly and widened my legs.
"Touch me." His thumb went to my clit immediately, his other hand gripping the outside of my thigh. Both touches were electric, but there was nothing like the way he praised my clit. He could make me cum in less than a minute, I was sure.
I moaned softly, my hand dropping to his cock behind me. I bucked into his hand and he slid further down, pushing a finger inside.
"Oh, Supreme Leader," I groaned, moving against his finger. I could feel his excitement morphing into a need, so I finally shifted my feet closer to his head and using his knees for balance, slowly slid down onto him. He guided me in, and the angle was... glorious. My legs were wide open, and I pushed his knees down, shifting my hands to his thighs. His hands trailed up my legs, holding my hips as I tested the angle out.
———
Kylo
I watched her bouncing up and down, her hips rolling one way and then another, amazed by her. Not only did the angle and her hips feel like a gift from the gods, but she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Her head was tossed back, her hands constantly moving across her body, as my hands gripped her thighs. I followed along almost effortlessly, completely absorbed. My hand twitched in a desire to reach out and rub her clit, but I didn't want it to end anytime soon.
"Sometimes, I dream about you," she said dreamily, her eyes cracking open.
"Really?" My voice was dark, but the way she was gazing down at me was thrilling. "What am I doing in them?"
When she slipped down until I was as deep as possible, she held there and dropped to her hands. She held her face above mine, her elbows locked. It was the small circles she was making with her enchanting hips that had me stiff underneath her, however, and when she smiled, it took everything in me not to cum.
"Sometimes nothing." I pushed up into her, urging her hips to start moving more. She obliged, barely, pulling her hips up an inch, and still moving in those delicious circles.
One of her hands trailed up to my face, her thighs tightening slightly to make up for the change in balance. She trailed a finger down my cheek and across my jaw, making me feel warm inside.
"Do you want to know my favorite?"
I nodded, not confident my voice would be steady. The corners of her lips turned up, revealing more of her teeth.
"I'm on top of you," she said, her voice quiet and silky. My breath caught when she leaned closer and kissed under my jaw, her teeth skimming my skin.
"But do you know where you're sitting?" The words whispered next to my ear were like a weapon, deceivingly soft, but with an essence that told me exactly what I needed to know.
I paused in my reply long enough for her head to pull back and her eyes met mine.
"A throne." I had just enough time to glimpse her grin before she pressed her lips to mine. I gripped her face, but she pulled back too soon.
"Good," she purred. The one word, somehow both wispy and confident snapped my final thread of patience. Maia either felt the same way or knew what my reaction would be, because as my hands gripped her hips to take control, she was already pulling them up.
"Shall I put it in the Harbinger?" She pushed herself back to her position sitting upright.
"Please," she moaned, and I didn't know if she wanted to cum or if she wanted my throne on her ship. She'd get both.
———
I watched lazily as she dressed, finally climbing to my feet to do the same. She plopped back onto the bed as I pulled my pants on.
"Will you teach me to use the Force?" she asked, sitting cross-legged on the bed and looking up at me.
Finally.
"You wish to be my apprentice?" She laughed, falling back to the bed. "What about that is funny?"
"Apprentice? Are you serious? That suggests I would one day take the position of master, which I have no plan to do. Nor do I have the time to take lessons like a child."
"It isn't something you just dabble in, Maia."
She stood and put a hand on my chest. "Listen. I was only asking you, because you've had training, and would know how to prevent me from hurting myself or someone else. I have no problem teaching myself," she finished, reaching up and tapping my face.
When she turned to leave, I froze her whole body, all but her mouth.
"Kylo," she said, annoyed. I smirked at her back.
"Break my hold."
"Telling me to do something is not telling me how."
I walked around to stand in front of her and cocked my head. Her eyes were unamused, but I enjoyed having her in my grasp.
"The Jedi would tell you to remain calm, find your inner peace—the path to breaking my hold will become clear. The Sith would teach you almost the opposite." I touched her face, my eyes flicking to her lips. "To be passionate, to feel." I trailed my thumb across her cheek, aware that she was feeling plenty of things at that moment. But her feelings did not make her dark any more than her calm made her light.
I felt her thinking on my words for a moment before closing her eyes and trying to connect to the Force. I waited until she was calm, the Force dancing around her like music. When she reached out, prepared to break free, I tightened my grip.
Her eyes flung open, giving me a dark look. "Life isn't fair, Maia."
I expected her to grow irritated, but I had forgotten how well the woman could control herself. Her eyes didn't close again, but they went slightly distant as her face fell into the bored expression she carried when she was on duty.
I watched, fascinated, as she seemed to be searching for something in the Force. Assuming she was searching for me, I opened myself up. The thought of her touching my Force signature was thrilling, my stomach dancing in excitement.
But she never reached me. Instead, I felt what she was going to do an instant too late.
She gripped onto a chair and threw it directly at me. I dropped my hold on her to try to deflect it, which did nothing but destroy the chair further. It crashed around my shoulders, splintering into pieces.
Maia didn't react, other than to grin—which she was still doing when I returned my focus to her.
After a moment, I nodded once. It had been a quick move, and one I hadn't expected. "Good."
Her grin turned more sincere, causing me to smile back. She bowed dramatically.
"Thank you, Master," she said with a sly smile before slipping passed me and out of the bedroom.
Oh. Maybe it's a good thing she doesn't wish to be my apprentice—because if my current reaction to her calling me master was going to be a normal reaction, we would not be getting much done.
I went to the remaining chair by the window and sat down, gazing out onto the grounds.
She was right. There was no need for her to be my apprentice. I was not training her to be a Jedi, nor was I training her to be a Sith. I simply wanted her to know how to properly use the Force because it gave her higher survival odds.
Luke had always been so strict and serious about the Force. It was rarely fun for me. But perhaps, Maia and I could actually have fun learning together.
But first things first, she needed to grasp the basics.