The Prince and The Scavenger Maiden

Part 3

"Rey, hey, Rey," someone shook her awake. She had fallen asleep on one of the bench seats of the Resistance freighter. She realized it was Finn.

"Yeah," she answered, but didn't want to move. Maybe he would go away. She wanted to sleep.

"They're asking for you," Finn explained, still holding her shoulder. "They can't get Kylo Ren to shut up. He keeps demanding to talk to you. Dunno, if he's going to pull some trick or what."

Rey still didn't want to move. She knew Kylo Ren would want to talk to her, to try to seduce her again. She had purposely blocked him out. Why couldn't he just give up and go to sleep? She perked her ears. Sure enough, she could hear his demands from here, without using the Force. Since she was awake now, it was no use.

Rey got up, but her head was swimming. Finn protectively held her upright. "You okay? Look, I can go in there with you. I'm not afraid of him anymore."

"No," she took a wobbly step, holding fast to Finn's arm, "I guess I just slept funny. I'll be alright. I'm not afraid of him either. He's really a push over when you get to know him."

"Know him?," Finn chuckled awkwardly, as he led Rey to the cell.

She had no idea how to explain it all to Finn. It was pointless really, so she remained vague. Replying, "Yeah, he followed me around for days. Sad, really."

"Look, you sure you want to go in there? You don't look so good. I mean, he'll probably go hoarse eventually."

"I'm okay. I want the others to be able to sleep. Who knows what will happen next. We'll need our strength," she assured him.

"Alright, well, we'll be right outside the door. Just holler if he pulls anything. He's bound up really tight, so he shouldn't be able to move or try anything stupid."

Rey nodded to Finn and the guards posted outside the door. She took a deep breath and stepped inside the cell, the others closing the door carefully behind her.

"Rey," Ren gasped, taking her in from head to toe. Only his eyes moved. His feet and legs were tied, as were his hands behind his back. His kind stare left a sickening feeling in her stomach. She looked back with nothing to say to him.

"I was beginning to think these barbarians you call friends had no knowledge of common courtesy to prisoners." He had intended his words to be amusing, to relieve her of worry. In realty, Rey was unmoved. She wanted to tell him that everyone, including her, just wanted him to shut up. But she knew ignoring him would hurt him more.

Seeing that his words had fallen flat with her, he moved to more pressing matters.

"Listen, I have a plan for us."

"Us?," she repeated. She hadn't meant to speak to him, but it slipped out.

"Yes," his eyes filled with concern, questions. "Do you still have my light saber?"

She willed her mind not to take her back to her stupid mistake in the tiny dwelling. The first time she'd felt him. But the Force failed her somehow, and she still found herself attracted to him. Even now, after his tainted lies.

Rey knew it was best for both of them if she remained honest. End it quick.

"I'm not helping you."

"What? Then why did you use the Jedi mind trick?"

Rey knew it was safer with her, immune to his charms. One of the others could be more easily duped into giving the weapon back to him.

"It's not important," she admitted, "But I'm not helping you. You will face your mother and pay for your crimes."