Saving the Monster

Chapter 4

By the time Rey reached the Falcon Poe was in better spirits. They worked alongside each other in harmonious silence. Rey was happy to be busy again, her mind no longer flitting constantly to him, to Ben Solo, to Kylo Ren, to the monster.

"Ok, firing up the deflector shield now" Poe said, reaching above his head and flicking the red switch away from him.  A deep humming noise and then a buzzing as a message appeared on the information screen.

Deflector Sheild Active - generator running 100%

Poe whooped and high fived Rey who laughed happily, this was when she was most comfortable, fixing things. Things, not people she thought darkly as the Supreme Leader of the First Order grudgingly entered her mind again.

That evening Rey ate with the other resistance members, in the mess hall. She sat down next to Rose. Finn was at the other side of her and Poe sat opposite. Rose was telling stories about Paige, her sister who had died on board one of the resistance bombers. She sounded so brave and Rey found herself wishing that she had stories to share. Poe went next, recounting a story of a long lost love who lived in a snowy city called Kijimi. He told how she had mentored him, toughened him up, how he had fallen in love with her. Poe failed to disclose what had become of her and no one asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Poe stopped talking and looked across at his comrades glassy expressions. He rolled his eyes, "Ok, ok enough with the sentiment. Rey you're up".

Rey's eyes flew to Poes and she swallowed hard, "I don't have a story" she said in a small voice. For a moment that seemed eternal to Rey, everyone was silent and then Finn leant forwards in his seat.

"I've only got two stories that I tell" Finn said quietly, turning his gaze firstly to Rose and then to Rey, a smile creeping across his face. "First that Rose saved my life and secondly that Rey did too, albeit not in such a literal way. Thank you both". Rose beamed and reached across to Finn, squeezing his hand. Finns eyes met Rey's and she nodded at him, rising emotions causing tears to fill her eyes. He had no idea, Rey thought as he smiled back at her, he'd saved her too.

The door at the far end of the hall banging open broke the moment in two and they all turned to see Leia walk in slowly, leaning on her stick for support. Although the General was frail she still carried herself like a leader, it was a quality that Rey admired. "Poe, a word?" Leia said, her voice sounding tense.

Poe rose from his seat, nodding in the Generals direction. They spoke for a moment and then Poe walked to the very front of the room and held his hands up, waiting until there was silence before speaking. Rey swivelled in her seat eager to hear what Leia had said. "Ok people listen up. For those of you that don't know, we're short of food. Leia has asked me to gather together a team with the intention of sweeping as many planets as we can for resources. It will be dangerous, it will most certainly bring us into contact with first order troops at the very least...but it's necessary if we want to survive".

Finn stood up, "Count me in"

Rose stood then "Me too".

Finn shook his head quickly as he turned to her. "No way Rose, not you. You aren't right still. Stay here, get better". Rose paused for a moment and then nodded, planting a kiss on Finns cheek. Chewie roared, breaking the moment. He was in too.

Rey sat quietly, her eyes on the table. Ordinarily she would have been the first to put her hand up to help her friends and the resistance but she had promised Leia that she would stay on the base and focus solely on training, on learning how to use the force.

"Rey will join you" came Leias voice.

Rey raised her eyes, her brow creasing in confusion, "No Leia, I made a promise to you that I would stay here, that I would concentrate on learning about the force".

Leia held up her hand, "A break would do you good Rey and besides they'll need you out there far more than we will here. Go"

Rey nodded, "Ok, I'm in". Poe smiled at her and Finn patted her arm. It would do her good she supposed to be busy, away from her thoughts.

******************************************

"Hey Rey!"It was Finns voice and Rey hesitated then, her hand on the door of her hut. 

After Poe  had finished addressing them they had filed out into the muggy air of the evening.  The others had stopped to talk amongst themselves before turning in, but Rey, feeling tired and wanting to be alone, had excused herself, heading off through the trees towards the small stone hut she slept in.

Rey turned to see Finn jogging towards her, his hand raised.  She smiled and raised her own hand, dropping it as he reached her.  "You ok?" He asked.

Rey sighed "I wish people would stop asking me that!  Everyone's asking me that!"

Finn crossed his arms across his chest, "Yeah but I'm not people.  It's me Rey and I'm asking you seriously, are you ok?"

Rey sighed again, irritated now, "I'm fine"

Finn clearly wasn't buying it.  He shook his head, "No, I know you Rey, something is bothering you, something you're not saying"

The force of Rey's reaction startled even her as her hands balled into fists at her side and she stepped closer to her friend.  "Everyone thinks that they know me, but no one actually does!"

As the last stinging word left Rey's mouth and she watched the hurt cross Finns face, she felt a tremor in the air around her and then a voice spoke, deep and low and shamefully seductive.

"I know you Rey"

Rey's head swivelled although Finn didn't react, didn't seem to have heard.  Rey would know that voice anywhere, it was Kylo Ren.