Fear and Sabers | (The Push of a Button #1)

Where on Earth?

  My eyes popped open. It took a moment for me to register where I was,and then I moaned happily, rolling over in the soft bed and snuggling a little further under the covers. I had never slept so good, and that was saying something, cuz I normally hated sleeping in strange places. Also I wanted to keep the extremely comfortable sleepshirt I had borrowed from Rey, who'd stolen it from Kylo. Maybe I could. Were you allowed to take things back from a fictional world? 

A knock sounded on the door, and I grudgingly got up.

"Who is it?" I yelled.

"Breakfast- service- Miss." A modulated voice replied. I froze, images of the robot from last night flashing before my eyes. 

"That's...okay," I stuttered. "I don't- I'm not hungry. You can go away!"

"Madam- Rey- insists."

"Tell her I wasn't hungry!" I yelled. I was not opening that door.

"Very- well-miss." I heard a whirring as the droid left and breathed a sigh of relief. I quickly changed into the green tunic and tan leggings. Surprisingly, they fit pretty well. I paraded in front of the mirror and maybe snapped a couple selfies before remembering I had to use the bathroom. It was...a strange experience.I rifled around in the drawers next and came up with a comb,attacking my shoulder-length brown hair with a vengeance. I was ready when a second knock came on the door, this one followed by a human voice.

"Ready Kenna?"

"Yep!" I exclaimed as the door whooshed open. Rey smiled at my appearance. She too was wearing a tunic and leggings, though she had her traditional arm wraps, loose scarf and belt.

"They fit!"She said, motioning to the clothes I now wore.

"Yep," I said again. "Thanks, by the way."

"No problem. I hope you rested well," Rey spoke as I followed her down the hall.

"I did. The beds are so soft here."

"That they are. I don't use them though."

"Why?" I asked incredulously. Rey shrugged.

"I grew up sleeping on hard surfaces. I can't get used to soft beds now. I usually sleep on the floor," she replied with a careless wave of her hand.

"That sounds....hard."

Rey just laughed. "That's what Ben thought. Most of my habits trouble him in some form. Like eating. I'll eat anything, even things he claims are 'unhealthy,'" she made a face, and I joined in her laughter. Until my stomach growled. Rey turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

"You didn't eat breakfast?"

"No...." I said guiltily.

"I thought I sent-"

"You did, I just....wasn't too hungry then."

Rey eyed me, then she shook her head with a small smile.

"Some droids are dangerous, but not service droids."

"Some service droids are!" I blurted. "Kylo almost got killed by one!"

Rey halted midstep and turned to look at me.

"How do you know that?" She gawked.

"Ah....I heard about it. From someone."

"I'm starting to think you are Force sensitive. You seem to know much about our pasts," Rey mused, eyeing me carefully again. I squirmed under her intense look. She quickly turned brisk again, and I followed her as we wound our way into the-

"Oh my gosh!" I gasped as two double doors whooshed open. We moved out into what I guessed was the command center, if that's what they called it. There were dozens of people working there in little wells below the floor level. I was surprised to see them, though I shouldn't have been. But the only people I'd seen since arriving here were Rey and Kylo, and the trooper who had found me.  Several stormtroopers marched by us now, giving Rey a salute. She nodded back and moved towards a tall figure who was standing near one of the large windows at the far end of the room. I followed, a bit slower, gawking at all the tech. There were dozens of computers, lights and buttons flashing, blue holograms and read outs everywhere. It was quite dizzying. I quickly turned to follow Rey.

Kylo turned towards us. His gaze was surprisingly soft when he looked at Rey, and I would have melted into a puddle then and there, but his gaze snapped to me and hardened instantly. I straightened quickly,feeling suddenly like a small child in the principle's office.

"We've been running diagnostics all night," Kylo said, clasping his gloved hands behind his back. "So far we've found twenty planets that fit your description, but none under the name Earth."

I chewed my lip, glancing from him to Rey.

"Um....okay?"

"Searching the outer rim will take longer, time we do not have."Kylo glanced at Rey, who met his gaze. Rey's face had turned serious,and she nodded. I remembered what they had said about making planetfall in a few days.

"Why?" I asked. "Where are you going?"

Kylo frowned at me, but Rey didn't seem put-off by my question.

"We're on a defensive mission," Rey explained, "to the planet Sidolus. The villagers are under attack."

I looked to the viewport. "It takes days to get there? Also, why are you helping the villagers?"

Kylo's eyes narrowed. "Because it's the right thing to do."

"But I mean...." I bit my tongue. Asking when Kylo had turned from destroying villages to helping them was probably not the best question to be asking at the moment. "So....what do we do about me?" I jabbed a finger at myself.

"Well, maybe, if that button is what got you here, we can fix it,"Rey said brightly. Kylo expelled a frustrated sigh but didn't say anything. "Let's go to the hangar. It's quieter, and I was going to work on Ben's silencer anyway. It got pretty banged up on our last mission." She grinned.

Kylo rolled his eyes.

I quirked an eyebrow but followed Rey obediently, offering Kylo a tentative smile as I passed. He merely frowned.