The Marriage Rites of the Jedi [closed to niteofren]

[girlandherstaff]

There is a level of awareness that Rey has regarding her lack of guilt for stealing the sacred Jedi Texts from their generations old home on the island. That being said, it's often dulled by the knowledge of Master Skywalker's insistence that there was no more need for the Jedi when she knew that there was, or at least was incredibly sure that there was.

She had made an attempt or two to read through the old texts, but they were not exactly what could be called page turners, and the heavy going dry information was made only worse by the fact that age had dulled the appearance of the text, making it hard to make out what was actually written. That was the main reason she was so sure she had gotten it wrong. After all, everyone knew that the Jedi never married, so why would there be mention of marriage rites in theirs texts?

But they were there and that sinking feeling in her stomach made it clear to her that no, she wasn't misreading. If this was right...

Did he know? He had read these, hadn't he? Or, at least the Histories? Could that be why he made that offer?

Rey had thought that reading the texts would help clear her confusion, but now she felt more confused than ever

Comments

[girlandherstaff]

"...What about the Knights?" She was hoping. Please, let him have someone. She needed him to not be alone right now.

[niteofren]

"They're..." He hesitated. "We were friends. They're loyal to me, not Snoke. But I haven't seen them in long time."

[girlandherstaff]

"Where are they?" It felt like a valid question. She had heard - she thinks, maybe she pulled it from his mind - of the Knights of Ren and had yet to see them. It would be interesting, now. If they were loyal to Ben, how would they view her? Positively or otherwise?

[niteofren]

"They're in the Unknown Regions," he said quietly. "Searching for relics of other Force traditions."

[girlandherstaff]

She nodded again, taking this in. He had sent them away. Did that mean he hadn't completely trusted Snoke? Or had he done it under orders from that being? Both were equally possible in this case. She glanced back over.

"What do they know? About... this?"

[niteofren]

"They don't know anything yet," he said. "I am almost certain Hux has people monitoring all communications within the First Order."

[girlandherstaff]

"And he knows nothing about... this. Me." She had a feeling that Hux probably blamed her for the death of Snoke. She wasn't sure if she was quite bothered about that.

[niteofren]

"No. He can never know. He would kill us both."

He couldn't meet her eyes. He had personally told Hux she was responsible for Snoke's death. He didn't think it had convinced the general, at least not completely.

[girlandherstaff]

"If he wants you dead, why do you stay?"

She couldn't help but ask that question.

[niteofren]

"Do you want him to build another Starkiller?"

He shook his head, grimacing. "I won't keep him forever but the troops are used to him for now."

[girlandherstaff]

"Would he?"

It seems unthinkable, but then again, so did the first one. Was it possible that Ben was the only thing keeping them safe from all that?

[niteofren]

"Starkiller was his idea."

He grimaced at the memory. He had argued against the superweapon strenuously and been summarily dismissed. It had led to lessons about why sentiment was bad.

[girlandherstaff]

"You really think he'd make another one?"

[niteofren]

"I am certain it's only a matter of time."

[girlandherstaff]

She looked horrified, and sickened. She had only barely been connected to the Force during the first Starkiller, and even then she felt this nausea come over her. Fully connected... No, but even beyond that, the thought that someone could consider it not once, but want to do it again...

"Ben, you can't stay there. He'll... he'll drain you."

[niteofren]

He shook his head firmly. "I won't give him the chance. How else can I stop him from building another one? If I leave, he'll take over."

[girlandherstaff]

"And if you stay, he won't be plotting against you? It doesn't seem safe." Her concern broke her voice a bit, and she forced herself to look to the side. No, she couldn't be like this. Not now.

[niteofren]

"I know he's already plotting. I don't plan to keep him around long. Once I know what generals and admirals I can trust and are competent, I will probably execute him. And my knights will be here soon."

[girlandherstaff]

She wanted to ask if soon was soon enough, but the words wouldn't come out. There was just this fear, this feeling that it wasn't enough. That something could go wrong. But then again, she'd be living with that since she'd read the texts.

[niteofren]

"Rey..."

He let himself trail off. He could feel her foreboding. He couldn't deny that he shared the same sense that something was about to go wrong. Still, he couldn't think of any better option. Everything else would put them both in greater danger.

[girlandherstaff]

She didn't look back at him, fingering the book on her lap uneasily.

"The galaxy is set against us." She echoed her thoughts from earlier, even if it was even less clear now exactly what she meant.

[niteofren]

"It has always been against my family," he admitted quietly. "I don't know what we did for that but... Even before my grandfather destroyed the Jedi, the galaxy was against us."

[girlandherstaff]

"Maybe it's the trade-off for having the Force," she said, her voice sounding more tired than it had a moment ago. Maybe everything to do with her parents abandoning her was a trade for her to be so powerful in the Force. Ben's equal.

It hurt that she genuinely wasn't sure which she would rather, right now. Bonded and unknowingly married to someone who she was at opposites of a war with, or her parents back.

... It was almost funny that it was even a question.

[niteofren]

"That makes it a pretty lousy relative," Kylo muttered.

[girlandherstaff]

"...Relative?"