Chapter 9.

(Edited 04/09/2021)

The following morning, surprisingly, was even more of a headache for Rey. She woke up tangled in her sheets, having broken out in an uncomfortable sweat as her temples pounded away and her stomach turned.

Groggily, Rey rolled out of bed, spotting the beautiful dress she had worn last night now in a puddle on the floor. She sat on the edge of her bed, looking around her empty room as her senses slowly became more and more aware.

Rey sighed.

She would have gladly traded in this awful feeling for Jakku's burning heat as long as it meant she didn't have to feel so sluggish.

Undoubtedly, she had all sorts of fun while she drank the beverages that Poe had brought on, and the dancing was unforgettable, messy, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Even with the excitement last night though, Rey vowed to never drink that punch again, and she remembered making that promise to herself as she stumbled her way back to her room, cursing up a storm the entire journey.

Rubbing her palms along her temples and the back of her neck, Rey began to strip the remainder of her clothing off as she made her way to the shower.

Nude now, Rey stretched her arms above her head and willed her muscles to relax, trying to quiet her thoughts for a single moment, and groaning when it did not work. Instantly, her mind recalled the moments of last night that she had blocked out.

So much had been discovered, and yet so little of her questions were answered. The talk with Maz did provide her some comfort, Rey admitted.

There was a line in between the force, a place of existence that was both neutral and safe... Maybe, a place that she could live in... Or a place that Ben could.

The thought of his name made her cheeks redden as she turned the water on.

During their last force bond, he seemed so... strange. Unashamed and agitated in such a way that he was more open than normal. He was usually honest she knew, but she knew it felt different. Whatever he had been thinking, his mind was set on.

Vividly, his words returned to her in a ghostly whisper. 'You will come to me when you are not overshadowed by immaturity and anger.'

The memory alone made Rey's jaw clench. Who was he to decide that? Rey asked herself. Who was he to come to her and steal her necklace, her kyber crystal at that?

Rey was seething when she stepped into the shower, letting the hot water roll down her spine while her headache continued to beat away.

Still, she questioned herself and her reasoning as to why she still had that small sliver of hope in her chest, why, after everything, she still thought that Ben Solo was worth saving.

Even when Rey had returned to her room last night, that exact question drove her mad.

In her inebriated state, Rey had slammed her door close and immediately went to her work station, grabbing one of the sacred textbooks and flipping through it so intensely that she almost felt the force wince.

Rey had willed the book to reveal something useful to her, anything, at that point, would have satisfied her. But still as silent as ever, the force and the book remained silent.

Again, Rey cursed it all; Luke, the books, the force, Ben...

What annoyed her most of all though, was how she had laid in bed, drifting off into sleep, and all her mind could think of was how Ben looked at her in her dress, even while she danced with Poe.

The look he had in his eye made her skin hot, made her nerves go haywire. Rey didn't know what it could mean, the way he had looked at her, but she felt thrilled and nearly feral...

Had a man ever looked at her that way before? She couldn't be sure. She knew Poe had felt some sort of affection towards her... But, to Rey's knowledge, it wasn't like this.

And sure, Rey thought, Ben had indeed looked at her in his usual bored, predator hunting their prey look, however she saw when his gaze darkened on her, in a way that consumed him entirely... in a way that made her feel as though she were the only one in the room...

Rey ran a palm down her face, covering her mouth as the water poured down on her.

Maybe that is what the dark side was, she thought; Seductive, intrusive and utterly desirable power.

Hadn't Maz warned her of this, though? That very same night? Rey sighed at her own questioning, disappointed with herself for falling for the tricks the force, or Ben, was playing on her.

She had to be stronger than this, Rey told herself. With a roll of her neck, she continued her shower as she tried to mentally prepare for her day.

'Now is not the time to think of him, or any of those troubles. .' Rey thought. 'I have people to train... I have people that are relying on me now. I can't disappoint Leia, too.'

An hour later, a freshly showered and dressed Rey made her way to the training grounds near the base. She didn't exactly like to practice here, being more at peace when she was deep within the greens of the forest and away from everyone at the base.

But she wanted the new members to feel comfortable, and if that meant being here, then she would absolutely do what was necessary for them.

Spotting Leia and Poe speaking with three others at the sidelines, Rey dropped her staff and canteen at her feet and walked towards them, squinting against the bright sunshine.

As Rey approached, Leia spotted her and timidly smiled. "Ah, here she is. Rey, I'd like you to meet Kai, Flora, and Sano." Leia introduced everyone, gesturing to them as she spoke their name.

The girls hesitantly nodded their greeting to Rey after sharing a look, though the male simply stared at her, studying her in a way that put her on edge.

Trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, Rey's gaze returned to Leia, letting the slight unsettling feeling lay on the back of her mind for the moment.

Kai and Flora seemed to be twin sisters, the only difference was the right side of Kai's face badly scarred from the inner corner of her eye, to her cheek and jawline.

Briefly, Rey wondered of the battle that may have left that scar. Either way though, Rey knew this girl was a fighter.

Going back to observing the twins, Rey noticed they shared the same long, black hair with bangs that feel into their silver-colored eyes, and as for their frame, Rey guess they were equally a few inches taller than her though they all had the same slenderness.

Still though, the girls were a couple of years younger than herself, however she was never the best at guessing anyone's age. Glancing towards the taller boy to her right, she could tell he was older than her, maybe by three or four years, but no older than Finn or Poe.

Sano was much different, seemingly unrelated to the girls. His dark brown hair was very short, his features extremely boyish, the only age-telling sign was the dark-haired mustache and beard that lingered around his mouth. He was a tall man, rather bulky and wide.

'Not nearly as tall or wide as Ben.' Rey thought.

Inhaling sharply at the intrusive and frustrating thought, Rey quickly cast the thought aside and cleared her throat. "Hello, wonderful to meet you all." She muttered. Again, the twins nodded, though Sano remained still, bored and unimpressed.