The private dining hall had always been off limits to anyone below High General status, but honored was the last thing Quin felt. The long table was covered with a spread of food but she wasn't hungry.
"I'm sorry that happened. Jern is a repulsive Rancor. He prey's on all the pretty women on board." Koraben walked in her face was still expertly painting in strange white markings as usual and Quin glanced at the cup of warm watery-brown liquid she'd handed her. "But maybe take it as a compliment. I mean he only tried to hit on you because he thinks you're pretty."
"What's a Rancor?"
"A Rancor? Oh, it's a huge thick skinned, drooling reptilian beast. They're as disgusting as they are dumb." She gave a small grin and noticed Quin looking down at her drink. "It's tea. Nothing special but it's the only thing I can make."
"Didn't think a Sith master would care about things such as tea." Quin replied taking a small sip.
"I care about a few things." She watched as Koraben's eyes went blank as if she was remembering something.
"Like what?"
"Nothing that matters." The High General sat down. "I was impressed by your reflexes earlier." Koraben complimented, changing the subject quickly.
"You were?"
"Not many people dare kick a High General in the nuts." Koraben grinned at the thought. It was such a childish smile and there was something about it that put Quin at ease. "It took guts to stand up to him. Which is something I wish I could say about half the men on this ship."
"We women must stick together."
Koraben laughed which brought a smile to Quin's face. She'd barely ever seen her happy. So far Koraben had been nothing but a soulless Sith, but it felt like she'd begun to break through her hard outer shell. "True, true. But yes... there's something about you that grabs my attention."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"I'm not sure yet." She replied leaning back in her chair.
Suddenly Quin sat up straight. "I should probably get back to work."
"Yes, sure. But Que." Koraben leaned forward and put her hand on Quin's. "If anyone gives you any trouble please tell me." Quin simply nodded leaving Koraben sitting silently in her chair.
---
"What's going on?" Poe ran forward to the comreaders.
"We're getting a com from an unknown caller."
Poe went silent and glanced at Finn.
"That must be Reuven and Harrison." Finn answered for him. "Answer it." A shivering hologram of Quin appeared, in her hand was a handmade holo-com. "Quin? I thought you were-"
"Back where Reuven abandoned me. Yeah, I had my own plans." Poe smirked at her reply.
"Quin. This is General Poe Dameron. Where are you? And where's Reuven and Harrison?"
Quin was silent. "I'm on the Phantom Fleet. Reuven's in a sticky situation. But Harrison..."
The Rebels all got the message and some bowed their heads sadly. "We understand." Poe sighed.
"I'm undercover and can't talk for very long." Her voice crackled slightly. "The Phantom's whole Fleet are heading to a planet called Tifym in the Mid Rim regions."
"Tifym?" General and Commander again glanced at each other. "Isn't that planet surrounded by a static storm?"
"I've been assigned to strengthen the fleet's shields. I'm attaching a tracker to it along with a kill-code. Once I activate it the shields will permanently deactivate for all the Phantom's ships."
Finn grinned. "Smart. So you and Reuven will escape and deactivate the shields once the ships are in the static storm?"
"Not quite."
"What do you mean 'not quite'?"
---
It'd been hours since Reuven had been thrown into the prison and the father and son had hardly said a word to each other. "What was mum like?" He finally asked and almost seemed to regret it once he said it.
"She was... stubborn and always seemed to see the best in people. Even if they can't see it in themselves." Reuven remembered Finn saying nearly the same thing. "She was brave and selfless."
"Was it an accident. Having us? Or did you decide to?"
"It was an accident at the time. But it was the greatest thing that'd happened to us."
"What about us? Did you ever wonder how we would feel?" Reuven almost spat but Ben didn't even flinch.
"Of course we did. We thought of taking you two and raising you the best way we could. Away from my past and our bloodline. Where we would just be the Solo's. There was an old Jedi temple. Jedi Master Luke used to live there. It was secluded from the rest of the galaxy. But things didn't go our way."
Reuven looked down again. "What happened, the day we were born?"
"I woke up hearing your mother call to me through our force connection. I traveled on foot through a sandstorm to find her and when I did find her. She had already had you two." The memory seemed to hurt as he remembered it as if it had only happened yesterday. "She walked through a sandstorm to protect you and your sister. I remember holding your little hand and telling her how beautiful you were. But then she was gone. She had made me promise to protect you but I failed... instead Finn raised you."
"Finn... he's a like a father to me." Reuven said honestly and Ben nodded slightly. "But then again... I'm open to another one." Their eyes met and Reuven gave a small smile.
"Open it up." A female voice shouted clearly outside Ben and Reuven's cell. Both of them shuffled as close as they could to the door. Outside Quin stood tall in her General uniform, her hands behind her back. "Sorry m'am. I've got orders from High General Jern not to let them out unless he says otherwise."
"I was sent here by High General Jern to bring them to him." He watched his sister intently.
"Sorry. But I can't let them out until I have solid proof." Quin hesitated unsure what to say or do. Rueven saw one of the guard's hand slowly move down to his weapons belt. Quin saw it to but pretended she hadn't. "Let them out." She requested her voice stern.
Neither of the guards replied and Quin repeated her order. This time they walked close to her both unsheathing their blasters slowly. She took a step back and held her hands up in front of her and closed her eyes. "Stop."
Reuven couldn't watched. Her looked away, waiting for the sound of blasters firing and a body falling limply to the ground. He father gave a small sharp breath and when Reuven glanced over in his direction he saw his eyes were wide. But not with fear.
The guard's had paused, their blasters still pointing at the young adult. Quin looked just as surprised. "Alright... open the door."
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