When the Day Loved the Night (On Temporary Hiatus!)

Slaves to the Soul

Hollow.

Rey toyed with her plate of rations, peering away from Poe and Finn who jibed charismatically with each other among the many other joyful hollers of Resistance members. Her gaze fell empty, and her mind crumbled away from the company of her friends and the bustling dining hall.

You feel so... hollow.

The Jedi clenched her jaw, ignoring the voice lingering in her quiet mind.

Why so silent, scavenger?

A huff escaped Rey's throat as she pushed away Kylo Ren's presence in her conscience. What she wouldn't give if they were not weaved together so vexingly, but the villain weaseled his way still into every opportunity of her weakness.

You know I'm right.

She could hear the sneer in his breathy voice. With gritted teeth, Rey rumbled lowly-

I will not play this game with you, Kylo Ren.

Silence.

A sigh of relief drew Rey's attention back to reality, and she treasured the mere moment of victory. But, the pang of reality that was the truth in his statement haunted her nonetheless.

She paused, awaiting another condescending remark, but Kylo Ren had fallen quiet.

If only he would always shut up so easily...

"Rey!" Finn's hand landed on her shoulder in a fit of chuckles, causing her to jerk back to their conversation, "Rey, did you hear that one-"

"The Maker's sake, Finn, let her eat," Poe mused between laughs, shoving a mouthful of food toward his grinning face.

Rey's eyes darting back to the plate of daunting rations before her, she pushed the unappealing dish forward, "Actually... I think I've lost my appetite..."

"You okay?" Poe chomped on another spoonful of grime, "Not like you to pass up a meal."

"Thanks," Rey rolled her eyes distastefully, though she couldn't quite deny her affinity to savor what rations the Resistance would bestow her. Years of hunger on Jakku had trained her so.

As the duo returned to an unspoken conversation of some unmeasurable humor, Rey stood herself up, adjusting her waistband while she strode away from the unwitting pair until Finn turned back to her, "Hey, where are you headed?"

"I need to think," she shrugged, and neither man dared to challenge that; they didn't comprehend the ways of a Jedi and never felt like questioning her rituals.

At least someone knew wisely to leave her alone.

Unconsciously, her feet led her through the many winding halls of the Resistance base, passing various figures she'd become acquainted with, and Rey smiled meekly at each. The constant occurrence of these greetings, however, bore only another pang of isolation.

The Jedi detested her own dissatisfaction; there lay no reason for such sour feelings as the Resistance offered all she had desired.

But, an unquenchable loneliness plagued her still.

What a failure she must've been, unfit for a Jedi when she could not even manipulate her own emotions. Master Luke surely would frown if she mentioned her unhappiness. How she hated disappointing him.