Across the Stars (Reylo fanfiction)

Captives and Wardens

Rey saw Ben's form vanish from her sight. What game was the force playing at!? She growled and shook her head. Leaning over to the flashing red light on the dashboard, she flicked a switch under it. The holo of Poe zapped to life before her.

A grim light hovered in the depths of his eyes. "You want the good news or the bad news?"

"Both," she sat down in the pilot's chair.

"My informants have smuggled through security footage of Finn. I thought you'd want any data that came through on him so ..."

"Yes! Yes, anything you gather," she caught her breath. He was alive -- she knew it. She pulled at the fabric of her cloak. "How is he?"

He sighed and ruffled his hair, "Still has all four limbs. But, Rey, what they're doing to him, it's not just physical. They're ... playing with his mind," he swallowed and rubbed his lips together, "it's ... just ... watch." He nodded to his right. The holo flickered and soon Rey saw, in place of the commander, Finn strapped to one of the Kingdom's interrogation chairs. An IV cannula pierced one of the veins in the crook of his elbow. It attached itself via a thin tube to a medical apparatus. His cheeks looked hollow and his eyes bloodshot. A bright light maintained a constant hum above him. Rey stood up and leaned against the control panel, "Finn," she whispered.

A young human man dressed in black robes circled him.

Finn gulped and wet his cracked lips with his tongue. "What do you want this time, Whul?"

The unbound man laughed. It sent a rippling of ice over Rey's skin. Her gut tightened. She glared at the image of the man pacing around her friend like a hyena would a wounded antelope.

"It's Grand Lieutenant to you, rebel scum," he said coming to a standstill in front of his captive. He held out his hand towards the former stormtrooper's face.

Rey gasped.

Finn's muscles tensed and he writhed as much as the restraints would allow him.

The Knight of Ren flicked his wrist; his prisoner slumped against the back board, chest heaving. He sniggered, fluffing his cape out behind him, "What, traitor, no screams for me today? You know how much I enjoy your dulcet tones." He stretched out his hand again.

Rey covered her mouth with her palms. Hot liquid began to pool in her eyes as Finn twisted and then relaxed as his tormentor pulled back his arm.

"I heard something today that might interest you," the cloaked figure curled his gloved hand towards himself as if he were checking his nails. "One of my fellow knights, Lucien, you may remember him, has a highly peculiar force talent. He can sense children just by being in the presence of their parents."

Rey's eyes widened. Not like this. She plonked her butt back in the pilot's seat as her leg muscles became shaky.

"Fascinating isn't it?" the knight continued, "Anyway, I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I would pop by and say congratulations."

"For what?" Finn spat out, still panting.

"Oh," a smile spread across Whul's face. His eyes glinted. "You didn't know? You're going to be a father."

It was Finn's turn for his eyes to bug. "Rose ..." he breathed.

"Yes," the other man chuckled, "somewhere in the vast expanse of space, a poor, defenceless wench is carrying your offspring. Pity the whelp will never know its father. That is, if it even survives long enough to be born," he lowered his voice as his eyes darkened, "Because if its mother is with the Resistance, you can be certain we will hunt her down before long."

Finn narrowed his gaze, "She'll eat you for a midnight snack and then the rest of your nerfherder dung bag pals for breakfast."

The man in black chuckled again, making Rey clench her fists. "We shall see," he said. He walked to the door and then turned, "I'd shake your hand, but ..." he gestured to the restraints before swooshing the door open. It closed behind him, leaving Finn alone in the room. The bound man leaned his head back against the board and closed his eyes.

The transmission wavered and Rey was staring at Poe again. She felt a wetness on her cheek; she hadn't even realised she had been crying.

"I know," the commander said, "it's upsetting to watch."

"I'm not crying because I'm upset," Rey yelled, jumping up, "I mean, I am, but mostly because I'm angry! So angry I can't even ..." she growled unintelligibly. "When I get a hold of that creep ..." she paced back and forth and then punched the wall. The metal crumpled around her fist.

"Easy there..." Poe said.

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM!?"

"You think this is easy for me? I just want to run out of this room, grab BB and my X-Wing and blow up the whole stinking capital. But we can't Rey. The General wouldn't have been so reckless. She would have bided her time, until a solid plan could be made."

"I know," Rey plonked herself down in the chair again. "But she would have used some choice words about this whole messed up situation."

He smiled softly, "Yeah, she would have."

"How's that rescue mission coming along, anyway?"

Poe scratched his chin. "The Knights are scanning the minds of anyone coming near that cell block. I've got people in the palace and we're working on it ..."

"I wish I could help," she sank into the chair and ran her hands through her hair. If only she had been quicker in her duel on Cerebrus -- a second's more force concentration and she would be storming the palace right now baying for that Whul creep's blood. She shook her head. A pain in her side reminded her that there was no point dwelling on what could have been.

"Is that Rey?" a voice said.

Poe turned, "Yeah, one second, Connix, sync her in."

A minute later a figure stood beside the commander. A streak of grease marked her cheek.

"Rose!" Rey said, leaning forward. "I've missed you, how are you ... the footage ... I'm so sorry."

Creases formed between the woman's eyebrows. "I saw it. I wish I could have been the one to tell him." Poe put his arm around her. She rubbed a tear from her cheek. Lifting her chin, a muscle in her jaw clenched. Rivers of steel ran through her gaze, "At least he's alive. And still has the nerve to sass that piece of Ren garbage."

A warm feeling, like that of smelling freshly baked bread, surged through Rey's chest. Her arms ached to hug her friend. "We'll get him back," she said.

Suddenly the world seemed to tilt off balance. Rey fell to the floor. Both of the holo figures called her name. "Heul ... Bryt ..." she murmured. The wave of upheaval passed. She stood. "There's been a disturbance in the force. Someone's landed on the planet. Someone ..." she shivered. "I'm going to have to leave it with you there." She flicked the switch and the images of her friends zapped back to merely air. The jedi ran out of the cockpit and through the corridors. "Captain! Captain!" she sprinted down the ship's ramp to where the Teleri military leader stood with his arms behind his back. He turned to her. Just then, the ground rumbled.