Across the Stars (Reylo fanfiction)

Torn and Bound

Rey laughed and punched the ex-stormtrooper in the arm. "Finn, you're insane!"

He chuckled and slung his arm around the shorter woman who was walking on his other side. "Tell her she's the one who's nuts, Rose. Don't you reckon she could totally do it?"

In the aura of the green electric lamps bolted to the natural tunnel's walls, a playful spark danced in the engineer's eyes. "Somehow I don't think walking up to Lord Kylo Ren and telling him he force chokes like a porg is going to be very successful."

The trio stepped to the side, allowing a woman and two men in orange overalls to pass. A beeping red droid followed them.

"Which is why I suggested she then proceed to demonstrate to him how one actually does it." Finn moved his free hand to his throat and imitated someone gasping for breath. He grinned, "I wonder how old helmet head would like that."

Rey laughed again, but what felt like a needle pricked her heart. She pushed it out of her thoughts, "For one thing, I don't think a jedi is actually supposed to force choke people."

"Ahh, you reckon the force could make one little exception. Besides, you guys are the 'Reformed Jedi Order' right? Who's to say that the ancient masters didn't mean for you to pull that one out of the dark side's bag of tricks?"

"You'd have to reach pretty far into it." Too far, Rey thought.

They stopped at a crossroads.

"You sure you don't want to come get some gruel with us?" Rose asked.

"I'm not hungry," the jedi shook her head. "You guys go on."

Her friends looked at her for a moment more before walking down the left hand passage.

Rey stared after them then turned down the right branch of the tunnel. As she trekked down the underground slope, she passed a room with many computer control boards. In the centre, a large grey holographic displaying a sector of the galaxy spouted from above a glowing blue projector table top. Hunched over the black sides of the table, stood a man with dark hair and a warm tone to his face. Scruff covered his chin and jaw, as he stared into the holographic as if willing it to give him the answers that he sought. Beside him, a fair woman with gold locks pulled into tight buns, one on either side of her head, held a data pad. Other persons huddled around the projector table, or worked on the computers.

The jedi felt something bump against her booted foot. Looking down, she saw a round, white and orange droid staring up at her with its semi-spherical head cocked to the side. She bent down and scratched its belly, "Hello you."

It bleeped a high pitched tone. Then let out a bee boop noise.

"No, I'm ok. You should go back in, they might need you."

The little droid seemed as if to puff out its chest as it nodded and rolled back into the command centre.

Rey kept walking. By the time that she was at her living space, her feet were protesting the day's efforts with a slight burning sensation. Once inside the room's circular rock walls, she plopped down onto her mattress and pulled off her boots. Her eyes flickered to the wooden box next to the volumes on her shelf. Her brows furrowed and she chewed on her bottom lip. Sighing, she clamoured over her bedding and picked up the box. She sat cross-legged as she held it in her lap. Several minutes passed as she just stared at it. Then, she placed it beside her and, very slowly, opened the lid. The hinge affixing it to the cradle of the box creaked.

Inside it sat a mostly silver metal cylinder, broken in two, gleaming back at her. She picked up one half and traced its form. Then, holding that first part in her right hand, she picked up the other in her left. Heartbeats passed.

Suddenly, she dropped both metal pieces into her lap. In a hurry she put them back into the box and shut the lid. Scooting back from it, she took several gulps of air. Then, her fingers tingling, she placed the wooden vessel back on the shelf and turned to face the entrance of the cave.

The opaque draping stood motionless as sentinel over her privacy.

And yet ...

She felt that there was almost a shadow peering through at her, just on the other side.

Standing, she walked over and parted the curtains in a whirl of motion. Coming to the place where she felt the spectre had been, she found herself alone. No, wait. There. Just around the corner of the hallway, she felt it again. Felt him. Her fingers hovered over the hilt of her sabre-staff clipped to her belt. She clenched her fist and then let her hand drop to her side.

Alas, when she reached the spot, there was nothing but air again. She chased the phantom in this manner, as it stayed always just out of sight ahead of her, until she came to the mouth of a passage that was deeper in the cave system than she had ever been before.

She closed her eyes and tried to feel what may be down the unilluminated corridor. Her senses came up blank. Opening her eyes, she let out a growl. "Where are you?" she said into the darkness. "I know you're here."

And then, she felt something in the force nudging her to her left.

Stretching out with her feelings, she saw in her mind a crack in the rock wall. Stepping that way, her hands brushed against the fissure. Closing her eyes again, she took a deep breath and then, shoulder first, squeezed her way through.

Coming out the other side, she blinked. She tilted her head upwards and saw millions of tiny glowing green specks illuminating the high ceiling of what she now saw to be a cavern. Beneath her feet, she felt the squishy sponginess of moss. The splish splashing of a waterfall off to her left drew her attention. It bled into a river, which in turn snaked off into the darkness. And there, standing on the opposite bank, she saw him.