REY (Canto Bight)

I stop to catch my breath, but Poe pulls me forward.

"We have to keep going," he says, his expression serious.

The street is crowded with tourists and we move around them, getting looks of surprise and annoyance as we push our way past. The smell of various perfumes waft by and the sun beats down from above. This section of Canto Bight looks like it could have come straight out of a children's fairy tale. The store fronts are painted in bright colors, blues, yellows and pinks which reflect the sun, stinging my eyes.

I look around for guards patrolling the street, but there aren't any. Tall trees grow out from between the buildings, their large leaves offering some shade down below, but we can't stop long enough to rest under them. We've managed to lose two different groups of guards but they'll catch up to us soon enough. Poe is as quick and stealthy as I am. We duck through the streets and between buildings, like two common thieves.

A hovering tour bus, playing lively music, stops across the street and lowers down to let tourists on. I stop and Poe does too.

"The bus," I say. He nods and we run for it.

The friendly faced bus driver smiles at us as we climb in after two blue skinned tourists with large back packs. He doesn't ask for a transportation fee and when I pass him I notice he has no lower half and is an android.

There is only one seat left unoccupied by the time everyone is on and the bus starts moving again. I want to sit down, but my fighting staff on my back would make it impossible to fit between the two tourists who are staring at me and sitting on either side of the available seat. Poe remains standing beside me and doesn't take the seat either. I turn my back to the curious tourists, looking out the windows on the other side of the bus instead. The temperature inside is regulated and the shade and cool air welcomed luxuries after all the running we just did in the heat of the Canto Bight sun.

"I don't think any guards saw us get onto the bus," I say to Poe, moving in close so he can hear me over the music. "But they know what we look like, so we'll have people looking for us everywhere."

"They think we killed that man in the warehouse," Poe says.

"How close do you think we are to the Quarren Restaurant?"

"Hopefully this bus is headed in that general direction."

The colorful buildings are replaced by more plants and trees on either side of the road as the bus leaves the commercial area. The large leaves of the trees create a canopy above, which the bus drives under. I smile. It's hard to stay stressed in the happy atmosphere of the tour bus, wherever it's going.

Poe makes his way to the front. "Excuse me," he says to the animatronic bus driver.

"Please stay behind the yellow line,' it replies.

Poe steps back. "We're looking to go to the Quarren Restaurant."

"The Quarren restaurant is not a tourist destination."

"Where does this bus go to?"

"The destination of this bus is the Canto Bight Zoo."

Poe looks back at me and I shrug. He returns to my side and I keep my voice low when I ask him, "what's a zoo?"

He gives me a questioning look, and seems to hold back a smile. "It's a place they keep animals caged up for tourists to look at," he says.

I frown, unsure of what he means. Why would tourists want to see caged animals? Are they for sale? Do they perform for them somehow?

"Maybe we can buy a change of clothes there," Poe continues. "If they have a shop." I'm about to object, but he's right. We'd be less conspicuous if we had tourist clothes on.

"Alright," I say, looking down at my desert clothes. "But I'm keeping my staff."

"And I'm keeping my jacket," Poe winks.

***

KYLO REN (Aboard the new First Order cruiser)

The hum of the large cruiser's engine was a welcomed sound to Kylo Ren's ears. He sat in the dimly lit mess hall of his new ship. The force sensitive boy was finally eating and Kylo felt a knot unravel in his stomach. The kid had refused to eat until his fathier was on board and given water. The new ship they'd acquired had a plant and animal deck, as well as a holodeck for entertainment and two dance clubs. It wasn't the ship Kylo would have chosen for their main cruiser, but a new one was in the works. For now, this would have to do, with a few weapons adjustments, of course. The leisure decks may even help recruit new crew for the First Order, which they needed since so many had been lost in the destruction of their last cruiser. Hux would see to the new recruits acquisitions details. Kylo's priority was to go for the heart of the Resistance, Rey.

She was the last hope that held the small group together. And now was the time to bring her over to his side, before they regrouped their forces and recruited new members. Not that they would ever be a true opposition to the First Order.

"Can I go see Star Jumper now?" Temiri said. Kylo had almost forgotten the boy was at the table with him. He wasn't used to sitting and thinking with someone else beside him. The boy seemed to be finished with his food and definitely needed a napkin.

Kylo got up to get one, but then realized he had no idea where they were.

"I'm done my food," Temiri said, getting up as well. He wiped the sauces on his face with his sleeves and Kylo abandoned his search for napkins.

"Can I see Star Jumper?"

"You can do whatever you like," he said to the boy. The comment came out sounding harsh, when he'd meant it honestly. He was just too accustomed to giving orders and speaking things in a pointed way. The boy's eyes went wide.

Kylo got down on one knee in front of him. "I'm not..." he held back a sigh. Why was this so hard to say? It was a simple clarification that the boy wasn't in trouble, for asking to see the fathier again. He clenched his jaw, then tried again. "I'm not angry," he said, his voice sounding angry all the same. "You're welcome to use your time as you please, for now."

The boy's shoulders stayed tensed, but be nodded.

"I'll take you back to the E deck, where the animals are, but first we need to..." Kylo got up, not sure how to explain it. "Stay right there and don't say anything until I'm done talking with someone."

The boy nodded again and looked over at his water glass on the table.

"You can drink your water," Kylo told him. "Just don't go anywhere." He turned his back to the boy and clenched his fists, focusing as hard as he could. Rey could be anywhere. She could be too far to make contact with, but he wanted to try.

The connection came so fast he almost stumbled backwards. She was close, so close that it felt like she was just in the other room. But what he saw behind her were many plants and a bright sun shining through the trees; colorfully paved roads and tourists mulling around. And Rey, dressed in a white long sleeved shirt with an image of a flower on one sleeve and a light blue pair of form-fitting pants that went just past the knee. She looked so different that he hadn't recognized her at first. Her hair was out of its elastics and flowing freely. The only thing that wasn't warm and welcoming about how she looked was the expression on her face.

"What do you want?" she said, between clenched teeth.

Kylo's stomach tightened. She'd once told him about her trip to the looking glass, in the caves of a planet he still couldn't see with his force ability. She'd told him how lonely she felt. When they'd reached out to one another and their hands had touched, he'd seen her joining his side. While she had seen the opposite, him turning to her side. But it was all just Snoke, playing with their minds. Although, some of it felt real, so real that he'd believed Rey would actually join him. She had come to him, of her own free will. And he'd killed Snoke, because he knew he no longer needed Snoke's strength to rule the galaxies anymore. All he needed was her. They were stronger together, than even Smoke.

But after they'd fought Snoke's red guards, side by side, she'd still rejected him. She always fought him, even when they were on the same side. She never gave in. But now he had something that even she couldn't say no to.

"Rey? What is it?" A man with dark hair, wearing a flight jacket over a bright tourist t-shirt stepped beside Rey and set his hand on her shoulder. Kylo tensed. "What do you see?" the pilot said to Rey, staring ahead to where she was looking. For a second it felt like he was looking right at Kylo. He recognized this Resistance pilot, but couldn't remember his name.

A group of tourists walked in front of Rey and she moved silently to a corner. Above her was a sign that said 'Canto Bight Zoo.'

Kylo grinned. "You're on Canto Bight," he said.

"I have nothing to say to you," Rey replied. Her words cut him. The wound on the side of his face throbbed, the one she'd given him on the day he killed his father. He tilted his chin up and looked down at her.

"It appears your entire family is not dead,' he said.

A look of surprise crossed her face for a second but was quickly replaced with distrust.

"Why should I believe you?" she said. "You told me my parents were dead."

"We both know that's true," Kylo said.

"Master Ren," Temiri called behind him. The boy ran up to him and pulled on his cloak. "I've seen her in my dreams," he said, pointing to Rey. "Is she my mother?"

Kylo frowned. "You can see her right now?"

Temiri nodded and looked at Rey.

"She's your sister," Kylo said.

The emotion on Rey's face hit Kylo in the chest.

"You're lying!" she yelled, startling some aliens walking by where she was. Tears filled her eyes.

"Don't listen to him," the pilot said, grasping Rey by the shoulders. "Whatever he's telling you is a lie. Just break the connection."

"You know it's true, Rey," Kylo continued. "You must have felt it the moment you got here, didn't you?" He could sense her thoughts now, her recent memories came forward. She was heading for a rebel group hideout on Canto Bight and they'd been chased by guards for breaking into a weapons facility.

Temiri let go of Kylo's cloak and walked towards the image of Rey in front of them, except now the area behind her was gone and it was just her and Temiri, as though she was in the room with them. She fell to her knees in front of the boy.

Temiri reached his hand out, palm forward and Rey smiled. She set her palm against his.

"I've seen you," she whispered. "You're the boy who takes care of the racing animal. I met him."

"You met Star Jumper?"

Rey nodded. "I think you're the one I've been searching for."

"Temiri!" Kylo yelled, making the boy jump and then quickly step away from Rey. The look she gave Kylo made him feel like the most evil person to ever exist in the Galaxy. Which was fine by him.

Temiri hurried back to Kylo. He'd earned the boy's trust after getting the fathier for him and saving it from a life on the race track.

"You're not going to hurt him," Rey said through clenched teeth.

"Why would I hurt him?"

Kylo's response only seemed to make her more angry.

"I'll kill you if you do," she said in a low voice.

Temiri ducked behind Kylo's cloak.

"Is that any way to talk to your brother's guardian?" Kylo said.

"You're not his guardian." Rey's tears flowed down her cheeks now, despite the angry expression on her face. Kylo clenched his fist.

"Enough!" he yelled. "If you want to see the boy, then come. Alone."

He ended the connection, no longer able to stand the hateful look on Rey's face. He'd intended to give her an invitation to join with him and Temiri, yet somehow her anger towards him made him act just the way she expected, with hate rather than civility.

"Come," he said to Temiri. He walked out of the mess hall and the boy followed behind him.