Nearer

Chapter 10

Rey's POV

"Just do it!" I hiss through my teeth.

Finn smirks.

"Never."

"I am not losing again!"

My focus tunnels around the human in front of me and I struggle against the burn in my eyes to just hold out for just a few more seconds. And then a few more. And then a few more.

"Ahrug!" I fling my hands into the air and finally give my precious orbs wetness the closing of their lids. "I just can't win this stupid game!" I fold my arms and glare at a laughing Finn who didn't look like he struggled through any bit of the dreaded pastime.

"What's it this time?" Ben walks to our table in the mess hall, his tray piled high with hard bread, colorless vegetables, and stringy meat.

I glare at him and Finn just laughs.

"She lo--OW!" he rubs his bicep where I, ever so graciously, elbowed him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It slipped?" I mock, shooting him another pair of daggers

Ben sits on my side of the long rectangle table, opposite Finn, and drapes his arm across my shoulders, nodding sympathetically.

"It'll do that, ya know?" he bites his cheeks, fighting back a grin and I grace him with an elbow to the ribs.

Much to my disappointment, he doesn't even flinch, but grabs my arm and pulls me farther under his arm to the point that my neck is locked in by his arm and can't move to the slightest.

"Bully," I mutter and fold my arms, giving up on loosening the head lock.

"Oh come on," he laughs, letting go, "you love me."

"And a good thing too," I glare at him, again, and then smile and turn distastefully to my colorless meal.

"So what were you playing?" Ben asks, completely deadpan. He just has a deathwish doesn't he?

"Shut up, dweeb," I grumble and spear my carrot.

He laughs and plops a green-bean in his mouth. "Oh, by the way, our presence is requested in a meeting of some sort in little under a half hour."

I gaze wistfully at my near empty tray, wishing that I had more food. "Alright, let's go."

Ben frowns. "We have twenty minutes."

"Better to be early than late. You can eat on the way," I pull him up and he grudgingly picks up his tray and follows me to the conference room. We walk through the halls silently, the sound of our footsteps and Ben's eating disturbing the silence along with the occasional passerby on their way to lunch.

"Do you know what the meeting gonna be for?" I questioned, looking up into Ben's pale face, and he shook his head hair bouncing.

"Nah, but I certainly hear a rumor. Something about kittens."

I snorted.

"Thank you all for coming," General Leia announced, standing at the head of the long cold, bright room, her captains and majors seated on the hard cement in a large circle. Kinda reminds me of young children, gathered around the teacher at school for story time. Only these children have battle scars. "As you know, we seem to have evaded the First Order long enough to recuperate. However, they will find us, and they will attack again with more forces than last time."

An unhappy humm begins to emanate from the circle, the cause clear. We barely managed to defend ourselves last time, and even with combining forces with Savi's crowd, the odds are not in our favor.

"So," Leia went on "we must make the first move this time. We must set them back to give us time to grow stronger, or halt them completely. Does anyone have any ideas how to do that?"

One man hesitantly raises his hand.

Leia nods at him.

"Kill Snoke."

The general smiles proudly and nods in agreement. "But how?"

Another young soldier answers her question. "Send a small assasination group."

Leia purses her lips. "How do you suppose we do that? We cannot even pinpoint his location."

Ben, seat beside me takes a deep breath and gingerly lifts his hand.

"Yes?" General Organa encourages.

"If I were to try to dissolve the First Order, I would take out their leaders. High enough that it is hard to refill, and detrimental, but not an individual who seems to be invincible. If you strip away the invincible's armor, then all he'll have is himself, and Snoke is only one creature in the midst of an army. If we take away all of his talented leadership, he will have to take things into his own hands instead of sitting back with his drinks and sweets, watching his officers do his dirty work for him."

"Precisely. That is exactly what we're gonna do. Thank you Ben."

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

I'MREALLY SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T POSTED SINCE NOVEMBER! WHY AM I STILL IN CAPS LOCK? Anyways, for Christmas I gratefully acquired my own chromebook. This benefits my writing because a) i No longer have to battle for my turn on the computer and b) i now have no choice but to write when i get bord because that's kinda the reason it was given to me.

Anyway, thanks for reading! (Gersh, Sierra, you're such a dweeb)