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Published:
2020-05-11
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2021-03-02
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16,859
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8/?
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Achingly Sweet, Hauntingly Beautiful

Chapter 7: Passion in the Desert 🌴

Notes:

Possible TW, regret, self loathing

Chapter Text

Kira made her way leisurely through the crowds of happy festival goers on Pasaana. Face and form obscured with a dark and heavy cloak, she allowed herself to be amused by the colorful sights and interesting smells wafting in the air around her. Rey and her group were here, about half a mile across the valley, on their wild porg chase for the second wayfinder. Kira rolled her eyes in exasperation. What a waste of time... simply the Rebel’s way of controlling and keeping tabs on the powerful Rey. She knew Leia suspected Rey’s lineage, even though the General Princess had never been sure.

Kira watched as Rey stood there, gazing longingly at the younglings gathered upon the sand, laughing as they listened to the entertaining stories of the elders. Kira sighed bitterly. Rey had been so simple, so naive, so mind bogglingly STUPID. All she’d ever wanted was family, and purpose. The “training” she’d gotten on Rebel base for less than a year was already enough to make her deny all her instincts, to ignore the demands of her own heart. Everything she sought could be found in a heartbeat; the way finder of course, but also belonging, family, romantic love, children! She only had to glance in the direction of Ben Solo, and with one look, he would be hers. He WAS hers... and she had blindly refused to see it. Kira hated Rey in that moment, and she glared at her as she inched her way cautiously closer, making sure to mask her force presence. The force bond was going to happen soon, and Kira didn’t want to miss it.

The force bond opened up then between Rey and Ben, suddenly and temptingly, and Kira was able to see them BOTH, was hardy able to contain herself from killing Rey then and there and possessing Kylo for her very own. SHE didn’t need a redeemed Ben. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren would be enough for HER. Lost in delicious reverie, Kira stared in awe at the desire of her soul, drinking him in, mask and all, mostly ignoring what was spoken of between him and Rey. Just then, Kira leaned in as she heard him say the words, “When I offer you my hand again, you’ll take it!” As Kylo reached forward and snatched away the beaded necklace from Rey’s breast, Kira’s desire had grown so great that for the briefest of seconds she lost control of the bond, and Rey suddenly felt a great wave of passionate lust rolling through her, drowning her, almost knocking her off her feet. She gasped, and Kylo felt it too, the combined emotion of both Rey and Kira, and it stirred something deep within his being; his haste and excitement to find Rey and claim her causing him to quickly close the bond, fortunately before he realized Kira’s additional presence.

Shaking herself mentally, Kira once more closed up her force signature air tight, and quickly left the area, hastening to the decay of Ochi’s ghastly ship to wait for what was to come.

She didn’t have to wait very long. Less than an hour later, “the trio” showed up, after their ordeal in the snake caves. And even before they had arrived, the Knights of Ren had landed in two First Order ships, and were hiding behind the rocky landscape. Kira exerted the force around her, wrapping herself up in full invisibility, and perched herself on a little rock , halfway between Ochi’s ship and the wide expanse of desert.

Kira looked on then with a queer feeling, akin to mortification and embarrassment, at the scene unfolding before her eyes. She watched her past self, Rey, posing in the desert as she mentally prepared herself to cut down Kylo’s ship. She remembered that moment, what had passed through her mind. She could even sense Rey’s thoughts now! How wildly her heart had been beating ever since she sensed HIS presence on Pasaana, coming for HER. How hard she was fighting now against the feelings of desire for him that still coiled and swirled deep through her core. Rey knows she will HAVE to fight him eventually, if only to convince her rebel friends that she was one of THEM. And it would be better to crash his ship NOW, she reasons to herself, than to wait till later and risk the temptation she would feel if she was forced to confront him face to face. So that decided that! She would do this now, by this cowardly action she would endeavor to prove herself to her rebel companions, and try to avoid the difficulties of seeing his own dear face mere feet in front of her own once more.

She leapt up onto the air then, as Kira watched, cutting off the wing of Kylo’s ship and sending him spiraling out of control.... the whole time, both Kira and Rey focusing with laser-like precision on HIM, making sure he was all right, not harmed by her risky move. He was fine, they both felt the same relief, besides a few bruises, and he was... DELIGHTED?! He was actually chuckling to himself, Kira realized, overjoyed that Rey was so deft with her saber, so quick thinking and strong! She was his perfect match. Rey wasn’t strong enough to read Ben’s thoughts, as Kira now could, but she felt enough to know he was alive, well, and in a pretty good mood, which confused her. He was just visible now, emerging through the smoke of the hot wreckage, maskless and glorious. Rey quaked, and Kira turned pale as she silently watched the scene before her. She willed herself to stay hidden, not to reveal herself or make a sound.

Unable to bear it for long, Kira soon pulled her attention away from the two. It was too painful to watch them on opposite sides when they should be one whole. She hated her past self and ignorant decisions with deep hatred. Suddenly though, she realized that Chewbacca was at this moment being arrested in front of her eyes, her position giving her a good vantage point of the scene, and he was actually being led to the first ship.... “no, that’s wrong!” Kira thought, “that’s the ship that gets ripped in two...!” Without thinking, Kira stretched her hand out in the direction of the stormtroopers, willing them to chose the second ship. They stopped for a moment, talked amongst themselves, and then dragged Chewy to the second ship belonging to the Knights of Ren, and Kira breathed a sigh of relief, as the remaining storm troopers boarded the first ship, shut the doors and prepared to take off.

Kira swirled quickly back around to the Dyad pair. The whole issue with Chewbacca had absorbed less than a minute of Kira’s time, and Kylo was at this moment halfway across the desert, walking towards Rey, eyes smoldering.

Almost gasping at the jumble of feelings threatening to split her in two, Rey breathed heavily as Kylo sauntered towards her. But before she could decipher this new puzzle of emotions, her attention was drawn away by the interfering Finn, who cried out to her about the arrest of Chewy. Rey growled in dismay as a ship took off (not the ship containing Chewbacca, thanks to Kira), and she reached out to try and pull it out of the sky, while Ben Solo watched her in deep admiration. He knew that ship did not contain the Uncle Chewy of his childhood. He could still sense him, behind the jutting protrusion of rock on the ground, and so he decided to push Rey a little, to help her see how powerful she was. Maybe if she saw what she was capable of, she would realize she didn’t need her rebel friends, didn’t belong with them. Maybe she would join him, becoming the Empress of his heart and of the galaxy, and would help him to bring about beautiful change and just rule. After all, what did the Oracle know?

They fought and pulled, straining with the force against each other, until the bolts of electric blue erupted from Rey’s outstretched hand, ripping the ship into pieces, utterly decimating it. Rey screamed out in horror, crying and sobbing, while Ben started at her in an paroxysm of admiration and respect. What a woman! But she was rushed away by her idiot friends, forced away from him once more. He knew he would see her again soon though. He could feel it.

“Don’t worry, Ben my darling,” Kira purred sadly to his soul, across the bond, as she stood there watching him stare thoughtfully after Ochi’s retreating ship. “You will find her, dear love. You must go now to seek the planet Kajimi.” He couldn’t hear her words, but he felt the sentiment of it, as an inspiration, and was filled with happy hope. He would earn Rey. He would find her. Oh, and maybe he should head towards Kajimi first? There was a dispute there that needed his attention.

One by one, the Knights of Ren entered the last remaining ship behind their Supreme Leader, and they finally took off, leaving Kira all alone. When they were lost from sight, she turned around, surveying the now empty desert scene. As the smoke from the wreckage of the destroyed ship drifted lazily up into the hazy sky, a blue ribbon of it took the shape of a butterfly for a few seconds, while a red thread of smoke drifted towards the direction of Kira’s hidden X-wing. Her time her was done, it was time to go.... to Kajimi.

******

Kylo Ren was standing in front of Rey, with pleading face and outstretched hand. There were pieces of the Red Guard everywhere, and the top half of Snoke’s body was sprawled at the foot of the Supreme Leader’s Throne, while the lower half sat eerily in place.

“You come from nothing, you’re nothing.... but not to me. Join me. Please.”

A blue butterfly was fluttering above Ben’s large, beautiful, gloveless hand and it’s outstretched, muscled fingers. His eyes begged her, she saw his very soul in his gaze, her own soul, her other half. He was so worried she would say no. He couldn’t bear to be left again! Not by her. He needed her with every fiber in his being.

Rey knew all this. She also knew the rebels had certain.... expectations.... of her. She eyed the saber on the ground, weighing her options. She looked back into Ben’s tense, earnest face, and she knew exactly what to do.

Stepping forward quickly, she thrust both of her little hands inside of his large one. She thrilled at the connection, shivering in heartfelt delight. The pure fountain of joy that sprang to Ben’s face in that moment was worth every drop of hardship she’d ever faced in her whole life. He placed his second hand on top of the two of hers that he held and pulled her flush against his body. “My darling,” his voice trembled with emotion. “I love you.” “And I love you too Ben!” Rey managed to gasp, before Ben leaned in for a deep, savoring kiss. He pulled away then for the briefest of moments, just long enough to bark orders into his Holocron to Hux to stop shooting the rebel ships instantly. Hanging up on Hux’s spluttering protests, Ben threw the device over his shoulder, then he absolutely devoured her with kisses. Perfectly happy, Rey felt the butterfly land on her cheek as Ben’s lips met hers again and again....

Kira woke up from her snooze in the cockpit of the X-Wing, Kajimi looming in front of her. Kira blinked away tears and cracked her neck as she started the preparations to land. It was time to find a larger ship.