Two Sides

And A Bit Too High

"Why doesn't he just tell us what he's after?" says Rey. 

"If he wanted the answer out of you, all he'd have to do is turn off the hot water." 

Her hair is still damp from the last shower she took. We spar, hiding our conversations in strikes and grunts. I have no doubt she'll call it quits soon enough and return to the water. 

"So we know it's not the vitamins," she says, landing flat on her back for the fifth time because she won't keep herself balanced. "We can't do anything about the air," she huffs, as she works to slow her breathing. 

I drop down beside her and press my lips to her ear. "Time to eliminate some of the essentials."

She groans and shakes her head. We've been through this. Carias is drugging us, though he's somehow managed to adjust the dosage so we're able to function. We just can't access the Force. The first thing we eliminated was the vitamin tablets the med droid brings twice a day. Apparently, living off of rabbit meat and weeds for weeks didn't do much for our health. Another mystery - he wants us healthy. In just the few days we've been here, meals have come five times a day, and neither of us waste the opportunity.

"I'll do the water fast," he says. "Then in a few days, if that doesn't work, I'll stop eating and see if it's the food. Easy enough." 

She heaves herself up and heads for the bathroom, motioning me to follow. "I'll do both," she murmurs. 

We've been through this. "You know, I am capable of going without food for a few days." 

She's visibly paled every time we've discussed this plan. Since we don't know how long we'll be kept in this particular prison, or what we're headed for, it's hard to think about giving up food. 

"The food isn't the part that scares me," she says. "I just . . . I can't imagine choosing not to drink when there's water. It's abhorrent." 

I reach forward and swipe the tears from her face. "Then let me do it! You don't have to do any of this." 

Her eyes widen in horror. "I can't let you. I can't. On Jakku, I sometimes went too long without water. Describing it doesn't capture the horror. Being hungry is one thing. I've been starving on many occasions, and hungry more often than not. But the lack of water is the worst kind of misery. I cannot watch you go through it." 

Her lips press into a firm line, one I am now able to reliably recognize as a lost cause. Stubborn. 

"And you don't care that you're going to make me watch you suffer? This isn't the scorching hot desert of Jakku. A water fast will be horrible, but it won't be like that. I'll start with food, and we'll talk about the water in a few days." 

She nods, and both of our attentions are drawn to the slight tremor of the ship as it drops from hyperspace once again. There are no windows, not that we'd have much hope of orienting ourselves anyway, but the routine drops in and out of hyperspace are strange. There's a knock on the glass door leading out of our rooms, and I follow Rey out of the bathroom. 

A small boy stands in the center of the double set of doors, dressed like a miniature version of Carias. His hair is slicked to the side and he stands with his hands behind his back, at attention like a Storm Trooper. I give myself a mental shake. I haven't thought about the First Order in weeks. 

"Master Carias wishes me to inform you that you will disembark within the hour. Make yourselves ready." 

Rey starts to speak, but the boy turns and marches away.

"Alright then," I say, hoping my nervousness doesn't bleed into my voice. "I guess we don't need to worry about fighting over who gets to deprive themselves of basic necessities." 

"How reassuring. Do you think he'll keep us drugged?"

"If he wants to live while I'm around, he better." 

Carias has provided a closet full of functional clothing. We both change and wait. Rey keeps herself in constant contact with me. Sometimes her shoulder, sometimes her fingers tracing along my back. I haven't felt this powerless since I was a child. 

A droid comes into the room and nods a greeting. "Master. Mistress. Right this way, please." 

It turns and walks out of the door, and for the first time since we entered the room, we're free of our pretty prison. All along the corridors of the ship are dark clad men with blasters trained on us. Rey's hand comes up and wraps around my arm, and she gives me a sharp look. I will be patient, but not forever. Maybe when we're not in such a bad tactical position. I nod. 

"I'm not the impulsive idiot you believe me to be," I murmur. 

"You are brilliant," she whispers back. "And I'd say more vengeful than impulsive. But this is not the time for revenge." 

We walk down the ship's ramp. We're on a planet with a warm sun and lots of greenery. We step onto a small balcony on the side of sheer cliff face and the ship immediately retracts and lifts away. The droid waits as we watch it depart. 

"Sir," says the droid as I step closer to the edge of the balcony. There's no railing. The drop to the bottom is easily 300 meters, and there's no evidence of an escape this way. It's too high.  "When the wind gusts, you risk blowing over the edge. Please step away." 

We follow the droid into a little flat, with a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen. I'll come back and study the lay of the land when it's gone. Rey moves to the opposite side of the flat from the balcony, and pulls open a set of thick curtains to reveal floor to ceiling windows. Below, at least a hundred meters down, is a vast, oval shaped arena. It takes me a few breaths for my eyes to fully adjust and to comprehend what I'm seeing. 

"Aw, shit."