Star Wars: Rising Force

[KyloGlenn]

@TheSaltiestPotato


Poe Dameron landed on the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine, just in walking distance of the spaceport Mos Eisley. He came with a mission, assigned to him by General Organa. He was to meet an apparent acquaintance of the General, from her times as a Rebel leader during the reign of the Galactic Empire. He supposedly could help them recruit, the Resistance was grossly understaffed at this point.


And with threats steadily growing, they needed all the people they could get.


There was only one problem. The meeting was supposed to happen in a cantina, but the coordinates given led to no specific one. And there seem to be an infinite amount of cantinas in Mos Eisley. Poe was already frustrated before even stepping foot in the sand.


He wasn’t convinced that Tatooine was a place to recruit. It held criminals, people after money. Untrustworthy people. But Leia had said he’d be surprised by the kind of characters he’d find.


Poe unbuckled himself from his seat, lifting the hatch of his X-Wing. He hopped out, kicking up sand as he landed. Already feeling the hit. But he wasn’t about to take his jacket off. “C’mon, BB-8. We gotta start somewhere.” The droid was lowered from its seat to the hot ground, rolling after its owner. 


The pilot wandered into the first cantina he came across, the smell of alcohol and smoke filling his nostrils, loud hollering and cantina music entering his ears. “Stick close, buddy.” He told the BB unit as he began to push through. Poe was hesitant to ask anyone for help but eventually did. All he had was a name and a vague description to relay. Most beings gave him no’s, some ignored him. Some didn’t even speak basic. 


After a good forty-five minutes of searching the place, Poe sighed. BB-8 tried to offer some encouragement. “Thanks, pal. Let’s get moving, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.” Poe had to maneuver his way back to the exit, muttering ‘excuse me’s to move along. The place was so crowded, he only imagined other cantinas would be the same. 


A shove from behind, caused by someone stumbling into him, caused him to propel forward, into a much larger alien species. In turn, that species was pushed into another, the pint of some sort of drink spilling all over the two of them. ‘Oh no…’ was all Poe could think.


“You!” The shout, louder than all others, caused the cantina to silence. Chatter and music. The alien’s skin was gray, it’s head free of hair. Physically ripped. “You got a problem?”


“Uh, a problem? No, no! Just an accident, promise. I wouldn’t pick a fight with someone of your…size.” Poe offered a grin and an awkward chuckle, holding his hands up in defense.


“My size? You callin’ me fat?”


“What? No, pal! Listen, I’ll just—“ But the alien man crushed his glass in his large hands. BB-8 was beeping frantically, but all Poe could hear was the whole place erupting in a chant. ‘Fight’ was repeated over and over, in different languages. ‘Well, this isn’t how I planned for things to go.’


-


Zanna Maris hated the stupid padawan braid she always had to wear. Well, not always. She ripped it out as soon as she was out of sight of others. It made her feel like she was beneath Luke’s other students, even if they all wore a padawan braid, too. Maybe it was because she was older than most of them, having only joined Luke Skywalker’s new Jedi Order only a few years prior, at the age of eighteen. Much later than all the others.


But she was a quick learner.


Luke had once explained why he brought her in. How he had been her age when he first learned of the Force. 


And now, at the age of twenty-two, she stood in front of a mirror, having just brushed her hair out. Sectioning off a tiny bit of hair at the back of her head, towards the right side, she weaved the dark strawberry strands into a small braid. The rest she didn’t bother with, just let it fall loosely down her back. She couldn’t wait for the day she’d officially be free of the braid.


But for now, she had to deal with it. Get on with her day. With Jedi stuff.


The day always started off with meditating, no matter what the plans for the rest of the day were. Usually took place outside of the temple if the weather permitted it. Like today. And so Zanna found herself outside. Some of the other students were already there, lounging about. Chattering away, waiting for Master Skywalker. Some were still eating breakfast. Zanna rarely ever found herself conversing with other padawans, at least not in the morning. 


She just couldn’t bond with them. She had trouble with that.


So, she sat in the grass quietly, boots crossed over each other. As she usually did. Sometimes she just sat, sometimes she’d examine things. Like people, or maybe she’d pull out her lightsaber. She liked her lightsaber. Didn’t love it. She knew she could do better. She just needed a reason to construct a new lightsaber. But as she sat, she simply fiddled with the hem of her tunic. Listened to the breeze, to the talking. It was no wonder why this place was a Jedi temple. It was incredibly peaceful.

 

[TheSaltiestPotato]

“Oi! Algim! Where ya been?”


Calls such as that, along with a few welcome backs, a few grumbles, and a few that seemed in between greeted the woman as she entered the Cantina. Her auburn hair was cropped short, brushing just towards her chin in a shaggy semblance of a bob, and her green eyes were bright as she made her way towards an empty stool at the bar.


“Hey, ya know how it is! Works booming!” She called back, laughter chasing her words and mingling with the mirth of other patrons of the bar. Scavenging, smuggling, fighting, who knew what work she meant. It all paid, after all.


And now her reward was in sight; a tall glass of something good that would burn down her throat but leave her feeling pleasant after. She wasn’t ever sure what alcohol they’d serve her on a given night, but it was all good in her book.


And she was just about to enjoy that first sip when she heard shouting from behind her. A quick glance back and she was able to spot a fight breaking loose. It wouldn’t have been any of her concern, but she recognized one of those men.


Isn’t that one of those Rebel guys?









 





And if he was, that meant he could only be there for one person. And letting him get beaten to hell and back didn’t seem like a good idea, all things considered. So that’s how she found herself reluctantly detaching herself from her barstool and heading over.


“The hell are you doing, you idiot!” She was calling as she made her way through the crowd. Her voice was directed towards Poe, and once she was close enough she grabbed him and pulled him back. “I thought I told you to watch yourself around here!”


“You know this guy, Algim?” The man who had been with the larger one asked, his eyes narrowed. All three of them. “Think you should just stay out of the way.”


“Know him! This is my sister’s brother-in-law! You know how extended family goes!” She said, her laughter nervous. Whoever this guy was, he’d owe her. But she had to get him to her boss before he got his face rearranged. “So we’ll just be goin’-“


“And don’t you owe me about five hundred credits?”


Oh hell.


“You better start runnin’, rebel boy,” She murmured to the man beside her before she took off through the crowd, scattering patrons in her wake.


-


One thing that Ben was eternally grateful for was his uncle not showing him any favoritism. Ever since he’d first arrived at the temple years prior, Luke had always trained him just as harshly and with the same level of discipline as the other students. He had worried for the longest time that his uncle would show him some bit of leniency, but it never came.


On that aspect, the temple was a wonderful experience. But for everything else? It irked him.


The sight of the peaceful students and the quiet atmosphere left Ben feeling empty. Training and sparring were the only times that he could truly feel himself approaching something towards enjoyment, but then those times were too controlled. Too measured.


He’d caught whispers between his mother and uncle a few times. Times when they mentioned words such as blood-lust, anger, frustration. All words that he knew they were using to describe him. And yet, he couldn’t disagree with them.


But he tried. He tried his damndest to keep his head down and keep those darker urges at bay. His uncle always told him that it was the calling of the dark side, during their late night sessions when Luke would wake him from his sleep and have him slip out to meditate more, to train more.


His uncle didn’t go easy on him at all, he thought idly as he made his way out to where they’d be meditating that day, rubbing the bruise he’d acquired from the last nights session on his arm.


His uncle put him through hell and back. The other students were lucky.


“Pointless,” He murmured to himself as he watched the chattering of the other students. His gaze passed over them all, coming to rest briefly on a woman who had secluded herself off from the others. Several times he’d noticed her, and her need for privacy and distance felt relatable. But it was that same understanding that kept him at bay as well.

So like always, he too found himself a spot near the back of the grounds, close enough to hear Luke but far enough away to ignore the other students.

 

[KyloGlenn]

Poe was starstruck by this new, strange woman. At first, he thought she was on the same side as the big guy and his friend, confusion crossing his face for a few moment. But no, she was helping him? In some strange way? He was apparently her sister’s brother-in-law. Whatever the lie, he’d take it. 


And it worked. For a moment. He nodded along with the woman’s half believable, half not lie and nervous laughter until he couldn’t anymore. Until credits were owed.


It all unfolded rapidly, and Poe had barely registered the woman’s words. “Rebel boy?” He mumbled to himself. She knew who he was? He was snapped out of it when BB-8 screeched, following in the auburn-haired woman’s footsteps. Poe barely gave a final glance to the large man as he swung his big arms to grab the smaller man. No, he just ducked and dodged, and quickly sprinted after BB-8 and the woman.


No other patrons made any move to stop them. “Hey! Get back here!” It was the large man that called out, followed by the sound, the feeling of his booming footsteps. Poe could only imagine that the other guy was following too.


Poe broke out of the cantina, into the blinding daylight. He squinted, searching for a glimpse of his droid or the woman—Algim? Was that her name? Either way, he caught sight of the red, the sun reflecting off of it. BB-8 wasn’t far behind. And so he took off after them, his legs moving to catch up as quick as possible.


He gained on them, passing his droid to grab the arm of the woman and pull her into an alley between some sand colored buildings. He didn’t stop there, though, pulling her all the way around, behind a building. To be safe. He pulled her to a stop just around a corner, glancing around to see if they were being followed. He saw the big guy run right past the alley, to which he let out a relieved sigh. 


He turned back to the woman, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. “Thanks for that back there.” She had tried to help, for what reason he didn’t know. “It’s the thought that counts. I’m Poe. Poe Dameron.” He held his hand out for her to shake. BB-8 beeped then, “And that’s my buddy, BB-8.” BB-8 added, telling Poe that they should get back to work. They’d already spent too much time messing around.


“Right. Um, I owe you a drink, I’d say.” Poe offered the woman. It was the least he could do, even if she hadn’t successfully got him off the hook back there. “I need to head to another bar, anyway.” To look for this supposed Resistance ally. ‘Maybe this chick knows something about that?’ His thoughts suggested. ‘Worth a shot.’ He shrugged. 


“This is probably coming out of nowhere, but do you perhaps know a guy? Think his name is Larson? Dark-skinned, gray-haired, got a beard. Probably.” An eye roll followed the word probably.


 That’s what Poe had been told, anyway. Whether he looked like that or not, he really couldn’t say. And in this galaxy, there were probably thousands and thousands of guys named Larson with dark skin and gray hair.


-


Zanna sensed eyes on her, even though it was brief. Her own hazel eyes, gleaming a bit green in the sunlight, searched for the culprit. She believed she found it in the form of Ben Solo. 


She’d never spoken to him, but she knew of him. Everyone did. He was Master Luke’s nephew. Son of war heroes Han Solo and Leia Organa. Quite the names to live up to, all three of them. Some people in the temple had their opinions on how he was accomplishing that—or rather how he wasn’t. She wondered if the words of others were the reason why he never seemed to engage with other students.


But who was she to talk about engaging?


It was then that the man himself, Luke Skywalker, made his presence known. Zanna tore her eyes from Ben as he spoke. “Good morning, everyone.” Luke greeted, a small smile gracing his aging face.


Luke was nice, in Zanna’s experience. He could be strict when it came to training and rules of the Jedi, but he wasn’t cruel. He often seemed to refer to his own experiences of learning the Force when training them. 


Chattering ceased as some echoed back the sentiment, all gathering to sit in front of the man. Zanna caught Luke’s glance to Ben, a nod given to the younger man. Then Luke’s attention returned to the rest of the students. “I’m sure you all know the drill by now, yes?” There were mumbles of agreement, as students began to assume the position. Cross-legged, just like Zanna already was. Eyes closed. “Good. That’s why we’re switching it up today.”


Zanna was prepared to tune out herself until Luke said this. Luke’s pupils all seemed to question the Jedi at once, Luke using a hand gesture to quite them. “Quiet, quiet. Now. You’re all well acquainted with meditating, connecting with the Force in this calm atmosphere. And I still encourage you to practice meditation in these circumstances, but there will be times when you are not in such a peaceful place. Where you need better awareness, to refocus, but don’t have such a luxury of time or quiet.” Luke continued on, and Zanna listened intently, silently wondering where the man was going with this. “So, for this exercise, you all will pair up and take turns distracting one another while the other attempts to find that familiar connection with the Force."


Zanna paled when Luke said ‘pair up’. Did she have to? She quickly counted heads, hoping there’d be an uneven number so she could pair herself with Luke. Unfortunately, there was an even amount of people. 


“I’m sure some fun could be had in this lesson, but not too much. You all must take this seriously. Go on then, pick your partners.” Another small grin was given as he gave the go ahead.

 

[TheSaltiestPotato]

It’s not really how she expected her day to go, but she supposes she can’t complain. She’s the one who dove into the middle of an argument to help some guy out, so if she got some giant, monster of a man chasing after her, she could only blame herself. But that didn’t mean she doesn’t bemoan the loss of her drink and a quiet day of peace and relaxation. Oh well. She prefers action anyway.


The sun beats down heavily on her face as she bursts from the bar and takes off at a dead run through the crowd, and she only hopes that the man she helped can keep up. But soon she realizes he can do better than keeping up as he reaches her and grabs her arm, drawing a surprised yelp from her at first. Soon she realizes who it is though, and she allows herself to be dragged down an alley and around a building, her chest heaving when they finally stop.


It’s about that time that laughter bubbles in her chest, amusement at the strange situation robbing her of what breath she has left. It takes her a few long moments before she can answer him, but when she does she takes his hand in a firm, strong grip.


“Yeah yeah, I know who you are. Poster boy of the rebels, right? Pilot I think?” She asks with a grin. Her boss kept various snippets and files on different rebel leaders and bigshots, just to make sure he knew when one was real or when there was a fake coming to speak with him. It had happened before, according to him. All she knew was that she liked reading about them once in a blue moon. “I’m Rivana Algim. Call me Rivy. Nice to meet you. And you too!” She replies, looking down to BB-8 with a smile.


He mentions owing her a drink and she stashes that tidbit away, fully prepared to take advantage of it when they had more time. She was never one to turn down free food or free booze, after all. But business came first, and the boss would want to know he was there. And speak of that…


“Course I know ‘im!” Rivy replies with a bright smile. “Been workin’ for him for…Hell I dunno. Long time now. S’why I stepped in back there. He said he was expecting one of you guys to show up here soon, so he’s been having all of us keep an eye out for any people stirrin’ up trouble.”


She flashes him a smirk and releases his hand, stepping back to start out of their hiding spot and to where Larson was waiting.


“If you’re in a hurry, I can show you to him now, but it’s a bit of a process. If you got the time to wait, though, I can have him come to us. Less of a pain to do that, an’ it’ll put him in a better mood. Doesn’t like bein’ dropped in on.”


-


His glance stays on her for several long moments, as though glued to her form. He wants to keep staring, despite all urges not to, but she begins to turn her head as though she can feel the stare. The moment her gaze starts to flicker towards his, he finds something else very interesting to stare at. A tree, a blade of grass, a flower. He’s not sure. But he makes himself look as invested in that staring as he was in looking at her, hoping it would keep her from focusing on him for too long.


After all, he was already regarded as rather strange. If he began openly staring at people, there was no telling what rumors would spring up. The thought had his teeth gritting in mild irritation, but he forced it back down as best as he could. No need to focus in on such dull thoughts.


When Luke finally makes his appearance known Ben’s attention is snatched away, his own head inclining at Luke’s nod, though it’s a bit more grudging than he likes to believe. He doesn’t hate his uncle, but there’s tension between them. Has been since Ben got upwards in his teenage years. It’s rather hard to keep that tension from showing around others, though he does try to give his uncle the respect he deserves. His personal thoughts aside, the man is highly adept in the force. That earns him so deference, at least.


Of course, that deference and respect is somewhat shaken when Luke mentions partnering up. He has to be doing this on purpose. Trying to get Ben to interact with others again or some ridiculous thing like that. Doesn’t he know there’s a time and place? And this certainly is not the time nor the place.


The tension in his shoulders doesn’t ease up, especially not when the other students hop to their feet and begin rushing about to snatch themselves a partner. The class is even, so there’s no chance he’ll be partnered up with his uncle instead of someone else. And if he tries to skip the lesson, he knows he’ll get an earful from Luke.


He takes a deep breath and lets his eyes scan over the crowd to see who is left. Most all of the students already have a partner, and he isn’t sure who he’ll wind up paired with. Not until he sees that she’s one of the students left woefully without a partner for the assignment.


He freezes for a moment, unsure of what to do. He hasn’t even moved to stand yet, and now he isn’t sure if he can. He supposes he should be happy that he at least got her as a partner, but at the same time the awkwardness of the situation weighed heavily on him.


After all, getting the object of your interest as a partner on any assignment was always tense. Especially when you really hadn’t done much talking with them beforehand.

 

[KyloGlenn]

“Poster boy of the rebels?” Well, Poe wouldn’t call himself that. Until of course, he thought about it. Okay, maybe he was the poster boy. But there wasn’t anything wrong with that. He’d take it as an honor. He was more surprised that he was so well known, apparently. “Didn’t know I was so popular.”


Well, he was surprised. Until the woman revealed she worked for Larson. He figured that was probably how she knew of him. Honestly, disappointing. Maybe he could be a good selling point for the Resistance.


Her name wasn’t Algim. Or at least it wasn’t her first name. Rivana. Or Rivy. “Nice to meet you, Rivy.” And BB-8 chirped, happy to be acknowledged. If the droid could beam a smile at the woman, it would’ve. “You have no clue how incredibly convenient this all has been.” If only he’d bumped into that big guy about forty-five minutes earlier—he wouldn’t call it stirring up trouble, he didn’t start it—when he was searching for Larson.


Then again, he didn’t think Rivy was there yet.


He almost thought this was maybe too convenient. Larson had people watching for Poe. He still wondered if he could really trust Larson, even if Leia did. He even questioned Rivy. Maybe Larson was trustworthy? But what about her? Did she even work for Larson? Even after they escaped that beast of a man together, he still had some trust issues.


“I’ve got some time,” the day, anyway. “I was more so worried about ticking off your boss. Don’t want to upset the big guy you’re supposed to be working with.” He agreed as he began to follow her lead, out of the alleyway to wherever she was going to take him. Another bar? Or was that just a cover for one of Larson’s employees to spot Poe so this guy wasn’t dropped in on.


Whatever the matter, Poe stayed alert.


“C’mon, BB-8.” Poe gestured a hand for the droid to follow. “So, Rivy. Since you work for Larson, I take it that means you know what this meeting’s all about?”


-


Zanna waited. Waited as long as she could, until all the other students were paired up. Hoping for some miracle that there’d be an odd number. Hoping someone would get sick and have to leave, someone would ditch, someone would show up late. But no, none of that happened. 


She looked around for her partner, the other person who had gone without. And who was it? None other than Ben Solo. Apparently, no one wanted to partner with the ‘weird’ guy. Everyone grabbed their friends instead.


Zanna inhaled, knowing she had to partner with him. It was nothing against him. She didn’t care about the rumors that went around about him. She just would rather not partner with anyone. But she had to. And since it seemed he was making no move to stand up and walk over to her, she did. 


She rose to her full five-foot-eleven height—six foot when you add the extra height her boots gave her; she was among the taller of the students—and sauntered over to the dark-haired man. Wordlessly, she sat across from him, and for a moment simply stared at him. But then she remembered, they were complete strangers. It was common courtesy to introduce herself. 


“Hi,” her voice was husky and quiet as she spoke to someone other than Luke for the first time in a while, her fingers fiddling with her tunic, “Zanna Maris.” She blurted her name. 


And Luke watched on as the woman sat in front of his nephew, a small grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. Maybe he was doing this on purpose, but he’d only admit to it being half the reason for the lesson. It was an important subject he was teaching, after all…


But Luke also figured maybe this would do Ben some good. Someone other than himself to talk to. Luke had more friends on Tatooine than Ben did here, in a school full of beings his age. Or at least around his age. Like Zanna.


“Now that you’re all paired up, decide who does what first. Use the Force to distract the one who meditates in whatever fashion you wish. Then I’ll let you all know when to switch.”

 

[TheSaltiestPotato]

He seems equal parts worried and hesitant. The convince of the situation isn’t lost on her, but she knows there isn’t a whole lot she can do to placate him now. It was the honest truth, and sometimes that was a bit hard to accept. Especially when you come to a foreign planet expecting a long search only to have the target of your venture practically fall into your lap.


Guess you’re just lucky!


She lets him mull it all over while she pops her head out of the alley they’d settled in, checking for any signs of the men who had been chasing them. All seems clear, and that makes things easier for her. The sigh of relief she gives at seeing no obstacles is what Poe can hear before she turns back to face him.


“Yeah, he’s not a man that likes ta be kept waiting, so that much is appreciated,” She answers, letting her eyes trail over his face, seeking out his feelings on the matter. If he’s suspicious he could be dangerous, and though she has a job she doesn’t want to end up getting shot because this guy was nervous about the set up. But seeing that he doesn’t appear to want to cause her any harm, she leads on.


“Assumin’ an awful lot of me,” She says with a laugh. “He’s my boss, but he gives orders. I don’t question ‘em. You’re a rebel, he’s a rebel, so I can only guess as to what it’s all about. As for the details? I’m not clued in on that stuff.”


She reaches a small building across the way, which appears to be a restaurant of sorts. Quiet in atmosphere and lacking in many people.


“This should work til he shows up.”

-







He’s ready to rise to his feet when she beats him to it, and from his position on the ground it gives her even more room to tower above him. Well, when he’s standing he’d be a bit taller than her, sure, but right now she seems to fill the sky with her height. It’s impressive, and at the back of his mind Ben can’t help but find that he admires that about her.


His eyes are fixed on her for several moments as she makes her way over, right before she settles herself down in front of him. She says nothing and stares at him, making him shift uncomfortably as his own fingers go to dig into the grass around him, ready to start pulling it up to ease his nerves if need be.


She breaks the silence first with her name. He thinks he’s heard it once or twice, but he isn’t sure. Right now he can’t really think about that anyway; she’s, in a word, distracting. He thinks she won’t even need the force to steal his attention during this exercise.


“Ben Solo,” He says in reply, his voice also a bit dry from disuse. Maybe that’s something they have in common? He isn’t sure. Doesn’t want to make assumptions, but then again he hasn’t seen her with anyone before this. She usually keeps to herself, much like he does. “Ah, nice to meet you…?”


He doesn’t mean to frame it as a question, but thankfully his awkward blunder is covered by the sound of his uncle giving instructions. He gives a quiet sigh of relief, one that he hopes Luke’s voice will also drown out. With that done he turns to face Zanna again, his eyes fixing on hers. He pauses for only moment before gesturing to her.


“Would you like to go first, or…?”

 

[KyloGlenn]

Well, her answer certainly didn’t help Poe determine if she was actually working for Larson. It didn’t clue him into if she wasn’t, either. That meant Poe would just have to simply trust her. ‘She hasn’t done anything untrustworthy yet.’ He told himself. In fact, she’d done quite the opposite. But the keyword was yet.


“Sorry for assuming.” Poe apologized with his hands up, a small grin on his face. “I can respect the following of blind orders.” He dropped his arms. And he could. He’d done it for Leia many times. And for that reason, he still couldn’t discount her sincerity. But luckily, things were usually explained to him. ‘Give her a chance, Poe. She hasn’t done anything wrong yet.’ He’d gone with her blindly when it came to that big guy.


He followed her into the small building, the restaurant inside proportionate to how the exterior. Small, only a few people. It was dimly lit by a few light fixtures. Like mood lighting. It did seem like a few of the beings in the building were on a date.


He further examined the place. Small, no real place to hide. No obvious alternate exits than the one they came in. Hard to escape. Maybe not from Rivy or Larson, but if the big guy found them. If he could even fit through the door…


Poe slipped past Rivy, into a booth, “Maybe it’s not my place to share this information, but the whole point is to recruit for Resistance. We’re all rebels here, as you know. Working on the same side or whatever."” BB-8 paused right next to the booth, on Poe’s side, as the dark-haired man gestured across from him, for her to take a seat. 


“Want something to eat? Think we’ve got the time? I’ll cover it.” He had a couple credits to throw around. It wasn't the drink he owed her, but that could be thrown in too. If she could drink on the job.


-


Ben Solo. She wanted to say that she already knew his name but didn’t. Instead, she observed. His voice was dry, too. And she wasn’t making any assumptions, she knew he didn’t talk all that much to anyone. They did share that. And she caught that slight pitch that framed the ‘nice to meet you’ as a question.


He was awkward, too. Another thing they shared. Again, probably because neither of them spoke to anyone, really.


His eyes left hers to look at Luke, and she took that time to observe his face. He wasn’t the conventional handsome that she knew others fawned over. His face was full of contradictions. But she wasn’t ashamed to say that he was easy on the eyes. She certainly didn’t mind looking at him.


The when Luke finished he looked back to her and her eyes widened as she was caught staring. But nothing was said, instead, he asked her if she wanted to go first. “Um, sure.” Alright, she could do that.


She shifted, closing her eyes. She felt strange, meditating with someone watching her, but she supposed that was the point of the exercise. Taking a deep breath, she tried her best to follow the same procedure she did every day. His eyes on her were already serving enough of a distraction, her heart seeming to race with anxiety. Here she was, vulnerable, and having to trust Ben not to do something malicious.


And another thing, she had no clue what he was going to do to ‘distract’ her. That made her nervous. Even more so when she finally found some semblance of peace through connection with the Force. Then she could literally sense his presence in front of her and the anticipation was doing her focus no good. She took another deep breath to calm herself. 'Stay focused.'