Even Stars Can Die

Spunk Never Dies

Both Ben's and Tenaega's breathing increased dramatically the longer they glared into each other's eyes, the tension between their two bodies creating an uncomfortable heat.

"Are you going to cooperate or do we need to do this the hard way?" Ben said, squeezing Tenaega's chin between his fingers, trying to gain her submission.

She smirked back at him, loving how he was behaving in a way she was used to, the way she remembered him. "Mm, I don't think so."

Ben switched his hold so it was around Tenaega's neck, forcing his body against hers and pushing her harder against the wall. He slowly began to squeeze, infuriated by her smirk and the impish look in her eyes. She almost looked like she was enjoying it.

"How about now, little brat?" he bridged a connection between them, forcing painful memories to the front of Tenaega's mind... images of Tens as a lonely teenager, the pain she went through, the way she felt when Ben left...

She shoved Ben away from her, chest heaving and her brain feeling like it was splitting open. She shut her eyes and hunched over with her head in her hands, trying to control her breathing and push away that old despair, threatening to consume her.

"Same as you always were," Ben said smugly, crossing his arms over his chest and leering at Tenaega, "So easy to break, so willing to let me into your mind."

"Just ask your damn questions," Tenaega refused to look up at him and sank to the floor, spreading her legs out long and leaning her back against the wall. She ignored his footsteps slowly coming towards her, choosing instead to undo her hair from its mangled ponytail and rake through it with her fingers, wincing as she tried to detangle her matted locks.

"You haven't been on your own this whole time, have you? There are more people from the First Order still alive?"

Tenaega nodded sullenly before glancing up at him with a bitter look on her face, hating how easily she gave into his questioning, how weak her mind was and how quickly she let him in.

"You know that one StormTrooper I used to talk to when we weren't training?"

Ben bobbed his head 'yes", tilting his head as he looked at her. "Didn't you call him Hugo?'

Her eyes widened when she looked up at him, surprised he even remembered. "Hugo and I went to Tatooine together after the fall of the Emperor and the First Order," she muttered a soft 'ow' to herself as she ripped through an especially knotted clump of hair. "We've been working odd jobs ever since while we searched for you."

Ben watched her struggle with her hair silently for a second with an amused smile on his face until she stuck out her tongue, behaving a lot like a child. He made a silent note to himself to find a comb and help her with it later. That is, if she behaved.

"Do you know of any others? Anyone else who was in the First Order who might be seeking out the Resistance?"

Tenaega rolled her eyes. "Nope. If I did, I wouldn't have shown up here by myself."

"You could've brought Hugo with you,"

She sighed in response, dropping her hands away from her hair in defeat and looking at the floor. "I asked him to, but he wanted to stay out of it."

The dejected look on Tenaega's face disturbed Ben, noticing her change in energy when she talked about Hugo, the disappointment and slight sense of betrayal that seemed to roll off of her when she was reminded that she faced Ben on her own.

"Any other questions for me, Mr. Asshole? So I can get back to my important work?"

Ben smirked at her, happy to see that her spunk didn't stay away from long. "What 'important work' could you possibly be doing from inside your cell?"

Tenaega hopped to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest, her soft brown eyes blazing. "Planning my escape."

He chuckled slightly before using the Force to put her back in her chair. She tried her best to get away from him as he re-chained her to the seat, not trusting her to 'behave' and not try to escape when she got the chance.

With a satisfied smirk, Ben began to make his way out of the cell, closing and locking the door behind him. "Good luck with that one, Tens. I'm afraid you're stuck with us now."

"Hey!"

Ben stopped in the middle of the corridor at the sound of her voice.

"Just- um, just don't send back those stupid bucketheaded Resistance members you left me with before."

He slowly walked back to the cell door and met Tenaega's eyes through the barred window. "You mean Finn and Poe?"

"The two lovebirds? Yeah, I don't want them back, they're annoying."

Ben chuckled again and meandered through the hall, heading out of the building; he had noticed the chemistry between the two generals, but he had never heard anyone call them 'lovebirds'. "I've put up with your annoying ass for years. I think maybe you deserve to be irritated, especially after what you've done today."

"Ugh!" Tenaega wiggled in her seat, the bottom of the chair scraping against the floor until the whole thing fell over, leaving Tens lying on the ground chained to the uncomfortable chair. "Solo, don't just walk away, you can't leave me in here like this forever!"

Without turning around, Ben raised his hand in a wave, knowing that Tens could still see him. He smiled to himself when he stepped outside into the overcast sunshine, shaking his head.

Despite everything that Tenaega had done that day, despite the fact that she had threatened to kill him, Ben was glad to have her back.