The Other Solo

Chapter 34

Lieutenant Mikata rubs his sore neck while standing outside the door to Kylo Ren's private quarters. Why do I always have to be the messenger?  He pulls the collar of his uniform hoping it covers the black and blue finger marks. He raises his fist to knock on the door but stops when he hears someone talking.

"Forgive me... I feel it again... The pull to the light..."

Mikata looks around, he's alone in the hall, the voice is coming from with in. He knows he shouldn't but curiosity overwhelms him and he presses his ear to the door.

"Show me again, the power of the darkness... and I will let nothing stand in our way..."

Mikata furrows his eyebrows, Who is he talking to?

"Show me...Grandfather, and I will finish what you started."

Mikata hears Ren move in the room and quickly backs away from the door. It opens abruptly with Ren standing startled by the Lieutenant's prescence.

"Uh...Forgive me... Sir..." Mikata stammers.

"What is it?" Ren demands.

"We..." Mikata swallows deeply. "We received a transmission from a bounty hunter...Bazine..."

Ren breathes heavily growing more and more impatient with the trembling man before him. This only makes Mikata stutter more.

"SSShe says...well claims...the droid is at a castle, a sort of tavern or trading post on Takodana." He wipes the sweat from his upper lip.

"Takodana..." Ren mulls over this news walking past Mikata. He makes his way to the main control room. Takodana? Why would Han take the droid there?

Suddenly, Ren stops. "Maz Kanata."

_______________________

Takodana

Maz guides her guests to a table in the back of the hall. With a wave of her hand droids bring over dishes of food and drinks. Rey fills her plate, never has she seen so much food in all her life. Finn greedily gulps water, still feeling the dry desert air in his throat. Han tells Maz the story of how he met his young companions.

She glances down at the droid teetering between Rey and herself. BB-8 beeps at her.

"A map to Skywalker himself?" She laughs and looks back at Han. "You're right back in the mess!"

Han leans forward, "I need you to get this droid to Leia."

Maz pouts her lips thinking, "Hmm...No."

Grief washes over Han's face while Rey and Finn look surprised at her answer.

"You have been running away from this fight for too long." Maz continues, "Han, nyakee nago wadda. Go Home!"

Han leans back in the chair. "Leia doesn't want to see me."

"Please, we came here for your help." Finn pleads.

"What fight?" Rey innocently asks.

Maz gently explains, "The only fight: against the dark side. Through the ages, I've seen evil take many forms. The Sith. The Empire. Today it is the First Order. Their shadow is spreading across the galaxy. We must face them." She grows more adamant, "Fight them. All of us."

"There is no fight against the First Order!" Finn outbursts. "Not one we can win."

Rey looks at Finn startled by his negativity.

"Look around. There's no chance we haven't been recognized already. I bet you... " Fear rises in him. "the First Order is on their way right..."

He stops as Maz studies him. She adjusts her goggles inspecting him closer. Both their eyes get larger. Rey stays perfectly still anxiously watching the scene unfold.

"What's this?" Finn shifts uncomfortably. "What are you doing?

Maz climbs onto the table knocking over the food and drinks.

Uneasy, Finn turns to Han. "Solo, what is she doing?"

Han shakes his head, "I don't know...but it ain't good."

"If you live long enough you see the same eyes in different people." Her face is still close to Finn's. He looks at her alarmed. "I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run."

Embarrassed and irritated that she pinpointed him he leans forward, "You don't know a thing about me. Where I'm from. What I've seen. You don't know the First Order like I do. They'll slaughter us. We all need to run."

Maz tilts her head, "Hmmm." She slowly retracts back to her chair. "You see those two? They'll trade trade work for transportation to the Outer Rim." Finn looks at the back corner she points at. "There you can disappear."

Rey can't believe what she's hearing. "Finn!"

"Come with me." He begs.

Rey looks down at BB-8 then back to Finn, "What about BB-8? We're not done yet. We have to get him back to your base!"

"I can't."

She watches as he stands and hands his gun back to Han. How could he turn his back on BB-8, on her? He's with the Resistance, why is he running away? She goes after him, she must understand, convince him to stay.

"Who's the girl?" Maz asks Han once Rey's out of earshot.

___________________________

D'Qar

The pilots head out to their ships making last minute preparations to Takodana. Droids roll around, pilots and engineers grab tools and make inspections. The chaos used to be exciting to Jaina but all she feels now is weighed down. Her heart aches for Korr, Sondiv and all those innocent lives lost on Hosnian Prime. The weight gets heavier when she thinks about seeing her father. It's been so long. Does she even want to see him? Even heavier is the thought of her brother. Am I strong enough to actually reach him? Is he even worth reaching?

Jaina jumps as she feels Poe's arms slowly wrap around her. She longs for the warmth that usually envelops her when he's around but all she feels is cold and heavy.

"It's going to be ok." He kisses the back of her head trying to comfort her but she remains stiff.

She turns around to face him. "We haven't talked much since..." She swallows hoping to force the tears back into her eyes. "Since... you were brought back."

He takes her hand. "I know. There just hasn't been time."

"I need to know.... Did you see Ben?"

Poe looks at her sad pleading eyes. He's not sure how to tell her. Her brother was the one that tortured him. He's not the innocent she thinks. Should I crush her expectation?

Jaina can sense his hesitation. "Poe?"

He still doesn't answer just looks down at their entwined fingers. He can still feel the cold metal table, the constraints around his limbs. Then Ren prying into his mind, the pain of his memories being forced out.

"Jaina..." He lets go of her hand and looks at her upset. "Don't."

"I'm sorry." She tries to hug him but he takes a step back. "I didn't mean to..."

"Yes, you did." He folds his arms across his chest. "Listen, I know you want answers but you have to trust me..."

"I do." She closes the gap between them. "Poe, I trust you with my life, you know that. Sometimes I feel like you hold back though."

"I'm trying to protect you."

"And I love you for that..." She pulls on the sleeves of his jumper. "But you can't protect me from everything or everyone. I have to know what he did."

He knows she just wants to know if Ben is still in him. Poe exhales, "Jaina, I know you desperately want Kylo Ren to be Ben but... I saw him. I watched him kill Lor San Tekka. I heard him order all the villagers be executed. I felt his hate while he was in my mind. I just don't think he's the person you want him to be."

"I know he's not." She admits and he hugs her. "But one day maybe he could be again."

Poe shakes his head inwardly. He know she will get hurt and he won't be able to save her from it.