Chapter Eighteen: Acquiescence

Disclaimer: I own nothing here, but we shall watch future with interest.

Rey's mind was whirling as she walked beside Ben down one of the Supremacy's corridor's, presumably to hangar bay eight. So much had transpired since she had woken up earlier that morning, in his arms, after sharing an... intense dream with him. First there was the swimming lesson, which had started out as a chore and ended as a game. Then their tentative debate in the map room had surprisingly resolved in her favor. And just moments ago, the heated exchange with Hux on the bridge was still fresh in her mind.

She began to really wonder if she and Ben actually find and capture the fugitive on the planet below. What if they failed and Hux fired on the city anyway? What if the terrorist ignited the bombs before they could get at him? She suddenly had so many doubts, but Ben seemed to sense that and turned a gentle glance her way. "You're nervous," he commented with an idle tone and a nod. "That's normal, for your first mission."

"First mission?" Rey repeated, suddenly suspicious. "Have you been planning something like this all along?"

Ben smirked at her sidelong but didn't slow his stride. "I anticipated you would volunteer for a just cause at some point."

Rey couldn't suppress a smile of her own as they neared the doors leading into the hangar. She could feel Ben's agitation building like a rising tide inside one of Ahch-To's craggy lagoons. "You didn't expect Poe to come back for me, though."

"He's as reckless as he is foolish," Ben growled as he paced on, hands forming fists at his sides. "We need to make this quick and send him on his way."

Rey frowned, suddenly concerned about his negative mental state. "Hey." She placed a hand on his arm when he halted at the hangar doors, effectively distracting him from accessing the panel. "I know we already sort of discussed it this morning, but," she spoke quietly, conscious of all the personnel passing by in the hallway behind them. She bit her lip in an instant of apprehension. She didn't like his obvious possessive tendency but that didn't mean she had to ignore it either. "Finn and Poe are like my brothers, so you don't need to assert your claim over me or anything."

"I know that." Ben looked at her directly, his brown eyes clear and cognizant. "They both just have a way of pushing the wrong buttons." He turned back to the doors and accessed the panel to open them. "But we still need to hurry. There's no telling what Hux might try at this point."

Rey nodded with a smile, satisfied with his answer. "Right. Just tell me you'll at least and keep things civil this time?"

"No promises," Ben grumbled as he strode into the hangar, his sights lined up on the small shuttle in question; it was parked close to the magnetic field, probably for a hasty retreat if needed.

Rey sighed in defeat but matched his pace, noting the conspicuous orange and white BB-8 loitering at the bottom of the shuttle's ramp. The little droid quickly recognized her approach and sprung into an excited round of beeps, alerting Poe from within the ship.

The rebel pilot emerged a few seconds later, just as Rey came to stand near the astromech. Ben crossed his arms and held back a bit, though he was still close enough to participate in their conversation. "Rey, you came!" Poe greeted and raised his hands as if to embrace her but stopped himself and sent Ben a wary look. "Whoops, almost forgot, hands off, right?"

Ben didn't reply but Rey could practically feel his sneer behind her as she moved to give her friend a hug. "It's ok, Poe."

" it?" Poe asked, skeptical and hesitant to return the gesture as he looked again to a brooding Ben. "You're ok with hugging , then?"

"Kriff off," Ben muttered with a scoff and a scowl as he looked away, finding something much more interesting to stare at on the other side of the hangar.

"Ben!" Rey berated, appalled as she let go of Poe to turn a pointed glare on Ben and sent him an additional, silent rebuke. It wasn't that hearing such cursing bothered her. On the contrary, Jakku had been a nesting ground for much, worse language, and she herself used her own form of expletives from time to time. What bothered her was his stubborn attitude on the matter. He made no move to acknowledge her scolding and Rey found herself sighing once again in defeat.

"No-no," Poe mended with a complacent smirk in place. "This is progress. He isn't trying to throttle me this time." He turned his full attention to her and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Anyway, how did you convince him to release me?"

Rey was unsure how to answer him at first, her mind jumbled by various discussions that had led to the final decision. In the end, she supposed the simplest answer would be the best one. "I gave him a hug?"

Poe blinked at her blankly for a few long seconds, until he apparently realized she was serious. He chuckled lightly and placed both his hands on his hips and tipped his head dubiously. "Is that you gave him?"

Unfortunately, got Ben's attention. " are you suggesting, ?" he snarled and nearly spat the title as if it were the worst insult imaginable.

"Ben," Rey hissed out a warning, frowning. "Take it easy."

"Then tell your friend to control his insolence. He's testing my patience."

Rey rolled her eyes and spoke in the dullest monotone possible. "Poe, please control your insolence. Ben is losing his patience."

"Fine," Poe sighed out dramatically, as if it exacted a huge amount of effort to comply. "Anyway, the reason I didn't hightail it outta here right away is because I want you to take Beebee-Ate. You're in enemy territory, he's sure to come in handy at some point."

Rey blinked at him, then at the droid, then turned to give her roommate a questioning look. "Well? Am I allowed to have a droid?"

"I suppose it won't hurt to have him around," Ben muttered. "I'll have to authorize his presence on the ship though, or he won't make five meters without detainment."

Poe's gaze narrowed suspiciously for a second before his entire expression lit up with obvious mischief. He grinned and gave Rey a proud clap on the shoulder. "Wow, you've really got him whipped, don't you?" He chuckled when his comment elicited an embarrassed sputter from her and a deadly scowl from Ben. "At this rate, how soon can I expect to see Finn and Rose back at the base?"

Rey managed a sheepish smile and tried to ignore the agitation rolling off of Ben like solar flares from a sun. "A few days, maybe?"

"And just what did cost you?" Poe joked and leaned a little closer to her to speak more covertly, his ridiculous grin only seeming to grow wider. "It's ok, I won't tell Leia, whatever it was."

It was puzzling to Rey how her friend could go from enraged reproach a day earlier to suggestive jokes now. Did he just require the chance to blow off steam and say his piece, or had he begun to see that glimmer of hope inside Ben as well?

In the end, Rey decided it didn't matter. Poe was finally letting her take full control over the situation. Trusting her with it.

"He needs to go," Ben cut into her thoughts harshly, his tone urgent. "."

"He's right, Poe," Rey said and sighed with a nod. "Hux really seems to hate you. You'd better go before he finds a way to have you shot."

"Well you tell General Hugs the feeling is mutual. But you have a point. I shouldn't linger in enemy territory any longer than I need to." Poe turned to go but knelt down to give his droid a fond pat on the dome. "Now you take good care of Rey, alright?"

BB-8 beeped out enthusiastically but added with a more dire warble,

"Hey, it's ," Poe said, feigning confidence with a grin as he stood up. "I'm careful, little buddy." BB-8 let out a dubious string of beeps but the pilot ignored him as he gave Rey a silent nod of farewell. She nodded back and Poe turned to head back up the shuttle's ramp, only to pause at the top and pivot to pin Ben with a pointed look. "Hey, Mister Emperor, be sure to look after the princess for me, will you?"

Ben did not reply at first and Rey could only blink at her friend in confusion for a short time. "Um... Poe, I'm not a princess," she replied contrarily.

"Aren't you though?" Poe wondered cryptically with a smirk as he glanced between her and Ben suggestively.

"If she harmed," Ben cut into their debate with a low rumble. "You can be assured the offending party will not live long enough to regret it."

Poe nodded and shrugged before disappearing into the shuttle. "Good enough for me."

Rey watched him go, his suggestion rolling to the back of her mind as the shuttle hummed to life and darted out of the hangar like a hawk-bat out of hell. Somehow, his departure didn't affect her the way she imagined it would, the way it have affected her a week ago.

"It's time we left as well," Ben said, pulling her out of her reverie. "We have a fugitive to find."

She turned to follow him across the hangar, where his large black ship, as well as four TIEs parked nearby, appeared to be prepped and crouched for take off. BB-8 trailed behind her with a few beeps in question. "A terrorist on the planet we're orbiting," Rey answered. "We're deploying to find him and stop him."

The droid trilled incorrigibly, nearly causing Rey to snort with amusement before composing herself at catching her male companion's ire.

"Either shut him up or shut him down," Ben grumbled with a sidelong glare.

BB-8 chirped a string of unrepeatable insults in return even before Rey could so much as open her mouth to intervene. "Oh dear."

"That's it!" Ben spun on the both of them and jabbed a finger at the tiny astromech. "He stays in the shuttle. I'm not putting up with that noise."

BB-8 whined in response, probably somewhat regretting his insolence. Ben didn't answer and marched up the ramp of his shuttle.

Rey sighed and paused to kneel down and give her new metal companion a fond pat. "Don't worry. He rewards good behavior, so you'd better be on your best from here on out."

The little droid whimpered and let his dome slide sadly to one side in submission. Rey couldn't really blame him for his obstinacy, considering who his master was, anyway.