Kenoma

[adarkergray]

Previously:
Escape From Starkiller Base
At the Monuments of Madness
A Living Weapon



To Jacob's surprise, they made it to Ahch-To's system without incident - but then, it was clear now that the Force was on their side. As per his calculations, they'd dropped out of hyperspace a few hundred thousand kilometers away, just beyond its outermost moon's orbit, and as they headed toward the planet at sublight speeds, he tried to ignore the way his protective instincts were going into overdrive.

However, the closer they got to the planet, the more he couldn't help being aware that everyone there, everyone they were going to see, was someone who'd hurt Kylo terribly, and Force, how could Jacob even begin to justify taking him down there? To put him in that level of danger, in the kind of condition he was in--

He made himself take a deep breath, though the fingers of his free hand were clamped tightly around the hilt of one of his lightsabers. The urge was incredibly strong to tell Kylo that he couldn't in good conscience do this, that there had to be another, better way to defeat Snoke, and they would find it - but, deep down, he knew that if there was, the Force would have shown it to Kylo instead. He had to have faith in his master, and in the Force.

Instead, right now, he had more sympathy than ever for why Snoke wanted to destroy the Force's will - not that he had any sympathy for Snoke himself. That thought was enough to settle his nerves slightly by reminding what they were here for, why it was important, why they could all work together just this once.

Snoke had to die. That was the one thing they all could agree on.

Finally, he calmed his mind enough to push his senses outward through the Force, to see whose presence he could detect. Even this close in, he still couldn't pick up Skywalker, but he could sort out Rey and General Organa from the background energy of the planet. He turned to Kylo. "...Your mom's still here. Do you want me to ask her to leave?"

Comments

[adarkergray]

Through the changes he saw in his master, Jacob was also coming to understand exactly what it meant that the Force was with them. Kylo's new self-assurance was also making it easier to remember the discussion they'd had before they came here, about one aspect of opening oneself to balance in the Force: about not doing, nor seeking, but simply accepting the Force. To master a healing technique derived from that balance, Jacob had a feeling that was going to be the most important thing to keep in mind.

He extended his senses in the Force as he stepped back outside, and noted that the rain had let up just enough for Rey to return to her hut rather than going back to Leia's ship. He made his way down to join her, and found her poring over the text they'd rescued from Luke earlier. "Is it all still there? Luke didn't remove any sections, did he?"

Rey relaxed slightly. "It's fine. He didn't do anything to it."

"Would you mind if we went over it together?" When Rey motioned for him to join her, he sat down next to her on the bed - and while she flinched slightly when their shoulders brushed, he noticed she didn't move to put distance between them.

[forcefullyunstable]

Rey shook her head, and made space for Jacob to sit beside her. The accidental contact simply surprised her, the flinch more instinct than conscious choice.

“The healing techniques, most of the techniques, actually, stem from what they describe as a Force nexus.” She explained what she’e been able to read thus far. That term had changed significantly over the eons - as now, it referred more to a specific place (and usually one tainted with the Dark Side, like the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban). “A state of oneness with the Force. A perfectly balanced state of mind. From that, it’s as if all things are possible.”

The exact rituals were a combination of what Jacob would recognize as variations of different light and dark side techniques. There was an element of Force healing, as it was still commonly practiced. But there was also an element more similar to Force drain, using the energy of the surrounding environment much like Kylo’s Force wound already did, and a bit of what would later be corrupted as essence transfer techniques as well. This was where it all began. And it seemed the Je’daii were conduits just as much as they were active practitioners.

“I don’t think you have to master being a Force Nexus to use the techniques, but it makes a difference in how well they work.”

[adarkergray]

((Somehow I have narrowly survived this week, but not in good enough shape to not post with the wrong journal apparently x_x))

As they sat together and reviewed the text, Jacob managed to relax his mind and body, slowly, by degrees; this time, he didn't so much extend his senses in the Force, as simply fail to contain them. Gradually, it felt like various bits and pieces of their surroundings were creeping out to meet him - first, the pulse of the waves through the maze leading into the temple below them, like the island itself breathing; then, the weight of biomass above it, an inseparable and continuous flow of animal and plant respiration, of life and death; and then, finally, the much more subtle pulse, the ebb and flow, of Kylo's Force wound. The sensations slid against each other, in and out of his grasp, inside Jacob's mind: one moment, all the techniques made perfect sense together, and he was certain he could pull them off, and the next, everything was out of alignment again, the idea of that level of synchronicity seeming impossible.

He sighed softly in relief when Rey explained that everything didn't have to be perfect for the techniques to even work at all. "That's good, because I'm nowhere near close to mastering it." The more he settled himself in the Force, the more he could feel all the imperfections in his methods when they touched on each element of the healing techniques - the disruptions to his state of mind, the striving where results should be simple, and the shades of anxiety that eventually started to creep back in after every time he gently set them aside. "I hope the old saying that perfection is the mortal enemy of functionality really is true."

[forcefullyunstable]

As this was Rey’s first real foray into the Force, she didn’t struggle with preconceived notions and ingrained habits. But she could sense Jacob’s mind going in all sorts of directions at once, comparing this with other things he’d encountered before.

“I don’t know if it’s something you can master, or something you just... accept.” she replied.

She’d come across the term a lot, in a few different contexts. One of them, however, she gravitated toward. Maybe it was because she came from a desert, and the sight of that much water in one place was still something magical to her. Maybe it was more than that.

“One of the other books described it as being like the horizon - a daily reminder that light and dark met on a perfect line. The Je’daii master that wrote that confessed that at first, he believed that meant it was also unobtainable. But his master took a boat from the harbor to prove her student wrong. Together, they sailed for days, eyes on the horizon ahead of them and he lamented that they never got any closer. Then she told him to turn around, and he was shocked to see the same horizon, right on the shore where they once stood. He was chasing something he already had.”

It was probably a parable, and not an actual historical event. But it was a powerful story nonetheless.

[adarkergray]

Control was something that Jacob had struggled with for much of his life, something he'd fought so hard to attain... and now that he had achieved and perfected it, of course he'd find himself in a situation where it was a hindrance. Just accepting, placing his faith in the Force and allowing the knowledge to come at its own pace, was not his strong suit. Right now, it was difficult even to accept the idea that this wasn't going to be something that came naturally to him. Throughout much of his training under Kylo, when he'd first become a Knight, he'd been able to find clever workarounds for the things he couldn't master quickly, but for this, there was no other way of accomplishing the same goal.

He sighed softly, leaning back against the stone wall of the hut. "Rey... honestly, I'm really, really glad you're here. I'm not sure I could even start getting my head around this if you weren't." At least he had experience with accepting his own imperfections, and with relying on others to help him fill in those gaps. And he'd never been egotistical enough that he couldn't bring himself to admit when he needed that help.

[forcefullyunstable]

Rey blushed at the honest compliment. After her duel with Kylo Ren in the forest on Starkiller Base, she hesitated to call a Knight of Ren her teacher. But Jacob had filled that role nonetheless, and helped her take her first steps.

"When I agreed to help you, and you first started teaching me, I was afraid my inexperience would be the reason we failed." she admitted. "Maybe it's because I don't have anything to compare this to, but it makes a lot of sense. The Force isn't either light or dark. People aren't either good or bad. The universe is painted in shades of grey."

That last part was another passage she read, and she flipped back in the book to show it to Jacob.

In the hours that followed, Jacob would soon learn that control played just as big a role as letting go - specifically when beginning and ending a healing technique. Energy transfer needed a conduit, yes. But without someone to instigate it, to connect what would otherwise be separate, a conduit does little good.

It really was an exercise in balance of all things.

[adarkergray]

"Being inexperienced doesn't mean you have nothing to contribute. The Force speaks to you, just the same as it does to the rest of us. Maybe the fact that you don't have any preconceptions about what you're supposed to be hearing means that sometimes, you can understand it a little better." He smiled back at her.

Jacob had always held that light and dark couldn't exist without each other, even within the same heart, and that was why the Jedi abhorrence of the dark side had been their undoing - but what was in the text Rey had discovered went a step further. And, what was more, it made absolute sense; once again, the galaxy was no longer a place where, even through the Force, extremes could gain the kind of traction they once had. All things truly were moving back into balance.

Together, he and Rey walked through the healing technique, until finally, Jacob could simply accept it rather than attempting to exert control by overanalyzing it. Instead, he could begin to apply that control in the ways in which it truly mattered - and it was an intense relief, to realize that was something that was actually within his capabilities. "...I think we might be ready to attempt this technique on something living, just to see if we've got it down." At last, though, he noticed what time it was. "I've got to check back in with the slicer, and then with Kylo, but after that, I'll show you what I mean."

[forcefullyunstable]

Their knowledge of these new techniques was entirely theoretical, but Jacob intended to change that very soon. Rey couldn’t hide her excitement for their progress.

“Surely, we’re not going to test this on Kylo himself...” she insisted when he mentioned going to check on his master. “But... then who?”

What other options were available? No one else on the island was injured or sick, and she certainly wasn’t going to just let him create a test subject.

When Jacob returned to his ship, Kylo was still hard at work. His Force wound was currently in an active state, and Kylo was consciously using it to fuel what should have been a far easier lightsaber pattern. His body was exhausted, so he was relying almost completely on the supplemented strength.

No doubt, Jacob would be able to feel everything the moment he came close enough to be a target of the Force wound. Fortunately, Kylo dod too. But shutting it off was still far more difficult than turning it on.

It would take a good fifteen minutes at the absolute least, given his current rate of improvement. Until then, he barked at Jacob, “stay back... until I have this back... under control...”

[adarkergray]

"I've got extra control samples for an experiment I'm running. Like I said, you'll see." With that, he ducked out of the hut, heading for the master codebreaker's ship.

Already, the progress he had made was incredible, though it wouldn't be until the next day that everything was complete. As the two of them went over the code and discussed it, Jacob realized in what almost felt like an out-of-body experience that the slicer was flirting with him. It was surreal to think about how, only a few months ago, Jacob would've let this go somewhere, because - right now, he recognized it in an abstract sense more than anything else - the master codebreaker was almost exactly his type. Jacob was more than experienced enough to know what he liked, but right now, the idea of getting involved with anyone - however briefly - was about the furthest thing from his mind; he couldn't even envision a time when that was going to change. So, he pretended not to notice.

He made his way back to his own ship, and even before he was halfway up the slope, he could feel the energy of Kylo's Force wound buffeting him and beginning to leech off of him, just a little. Still, he pressed on, and if he wasn't sure Kylo had been able to sense him on his way in, he knew he certainly did once Jacob was back in the ship, even before his master called out to him.

"Yes, sir." Jacob stayed back, keeping his distance, until at last the Force wound's draw subsided; then, he moved in to support Kylo physically. "...What have you discovered?"

[forcefullyunstable]

Kylo answered that question long before he spoke.

He stilled his body first, exhausted limbs shaking as they demanded energy that the Force wound was providing. But Kylo ignored the aches and pains as he had several times already. He steadied his breathing and then stilled his mind. It took conscious effort, but the pull from the Force wound did begin to subside. And the longer he relaxed this way, the faster that it receded until the draw was practically negligible again.

Just when his legs were about to give out, Jacob was there. Kylo put an arm over his apprentice's shoulder, leaning against him rather than beginning the cycle all over again. And it was a choice. That spoke volumes in and of itself.

"Unlike Darth Nihilus... I can control this." he replied through labored breaths. "It doesn't... it doesn't control me..."

At the moment, though, it wasn't the easiest choice. Without the Force wound supplementing his strength, he barely had any left. And without Jacob's support, he probably would have collapsed right then and there. A couple of new bruises on his arms suggested it wouldn't have been the first time.

"You'd think it would be straightforward... The dark side to draw on it... the light side to let it go... But it isn't like that. Not to me." he mused aloud, his words starting to slur a little. "I feel the call to the light just as strongly when maintaining the pull as I do now... And it took the power of the dark side to start and to stop."

It was a breakthrough, certainly. However, Kylo hadn't had any time to ponder the implications of his discoveries yet. Or the possible consequences from testing them in this way.

[adarkergray]

"It does make sense in its own way... the dark side holds the power of creation and destruction, and the light side holds the power of preservation and stability." As soon as Jacob saw the bruises, he wanted to take even those small injuries away from Kylo; the only thing that kept him from insisting on it was that he could sense that the energies of the Force wound weren't completely stable, and it would put them both unnecessarily at risk to try. Instead, he just supported Kylo's weight until he could help him to sit down. "I think we need to get you back into the cabin and on an IV drip." As obviously exhausted as Kylo was, it'd do a better job of perking him back up than trying to get him to eat and drink on his own.

After that, they could compare their findings a little better... and perhaps start talking a little more about what things were going to be like after this was all over. They needed to have a plan not just for how to kill Snoke, but how they were going to proceed after he was dead. With Snoke out of the picture, they alone would be responsible for the lives he had brought into existence, and they needed to figure out exactly what their immediate strategy was going to be for establishing a safe and stable residence for the children - and where that would even be. Jacob's home on Xashiri was only just big enough for two, and there might be other worlds in the Unknown Regions that were better suited to raising a Force sensitive family anyway. And while that was too big a discussion to tackle all at once, at least right now, they could still begin to make inroads on it.

[forcefullyunstable]

Perhaps claiming he had control was a bit of an overstatement. He had enough control Or rather, he had enough control right now. Although neither dared admit it, they both feared that could change at any point. This was uncharted territory on which they were treading, and even the tomes of the Je’daii might not hold all the answers.

It was a tense give and take to get Kylo back up the stairs. And it really did feel like he was tapping into everything at once just to stay at some kind of tenuous equilibrium.

“I could almost feel a point... where the two sides overlapped. Where one gave into the other. I to focus on it, but it was like flying into the horizon.” He commented, completely unaware of Jacob and Rey’s earlier conversation and the metaphors now attached to it. “Always... Just out of reach.”

He knew there was something there, though. He knew he was close to something important, even if he couldn’t grasp it.

[adarkergray]

Jacob smiled briefly, as he told Kylo about the conversation he'd had earlier with Rey. "...True balance isn't all about striving. It's also about non-doing, acceptance, and being aware of what you already have."

He got Kylo settled into the bunk, and changed the sterile dressing over his central line before hooking up the IV bags. "And it's only on the surface that light and darkness are separate. At the heart of all things, the Force is the same - it gives life to all beings when it's their time, and also takes it away when it's their time. Ultimately, the light and dark sides are always working toward the same end." He sat down next to Kylo, and took his hand. "...And it sure as hell isn't your time, but it's long past Snoke's. We're going to destroy him, and all of us will still be here when he's gone." As he spoke the words, he knew them to be the truth, no matter how much he liked the idea of Skywalker or General Organa, or, hell, maybe even Chewbacca making the ultimate heroic sacrifice for the sake of the galaxy. "Which means that, if you can handle it right now, we do need to start thinking about what comes next. Not just for the First Order, but for our family - because you and I are going to be parents soon, and we aren't prepared for the logistics of that."

[forcefullyunstable]

Kylo hummed thoughtfully. “Like that technique...”

There was a part of him that didn’t want to dwell on it, or even attempt to name it, lest he find himself slipping into it. But it was one thing he knew, without a doubt, that he didn’t need to strive for. He could only accept it and go where the Force - not the light or dark, just the Force - led him.

“What’s next..” he almost laughed. It was something so... normal-sounding, especially in the face of what they’d been plotting. “Jacob, I don’t know... I don’t know what’s next. I never thought abut having a family... But I won’t send them away. I can’t. I won’t do to them what my parents did to me.”

Where they could go would probably depend on how many there were. And, dare either of them think it, how many survived. At the moment, they weren’t even sure of that.

[adarkergray]

When Kylo said he wasn't going to send them away, Jacob's expression was undeniably one of relief. "I'm glad." He gave Kylo's hand another gentle squeeze. "Because, honestly, I've thought about this a lot since we first found out, and there's no one we can trust these children to except us. We're going to have to figure out how to be the family they need, and we'll have to do it fast. And I know it's a daunting idea, but you're not what Snoke tried to make you into, anymore." He let go of Kylo's hand, reaching up to stroke his cheek gently instead. "I have every confidence in your ability to be the father that your children need." Even in just the past few days, he'd seen changes in Kylo that convinced Jacob they were both a lot more ready for this than they felt.

He lowered his hand again. "...I think what we need to do first is make a short list of worlds where we can take them to raise them in peace. That, at least, gives us a little more framework for putting together a plan - for example, we know that if we're taking them to Xashiri, the first thing we need to do is commandeer a long-range passenger transport to use as temporary accommodations until sufficient modular housing can be installed." He paused, glancing away for a moment, before continuing, "Not that Xashiri would necessarily make that list. After all the testing associated with retrofitting the Finalizer's weapons array... I don't want them going back if it's a world they only have bad memories of. Besides, the most important thing that children need is stability, and if there were ever an incident at the high energy weapons laboratory, the entire planet might need to be evacuated in a matter of hours." However, that part was unlikely, and his main concern was how the children would feel about returning there. "In some ways, though, it typifies exactly the kind of place that I think it would be beneficial to raise them in. There are plenty of other humans there, but the population is spread out so much that we can socialize the children at their own pace without making them feel overwhelmed." After all, if Snoke saw them only as his weapons, as extensions of his will, the last thing he would've done was try to socialize them. "And... I have friends there, some of whom have families of their own. We would have something almost like a support network."

[forcefullyunstable]

Unfortunately, his master didn't share that confidence. At the compliment, Kylo couldn't help but scoff. "I don't see how. I'm a warrior. You're an assassin. We're fighting for the fate of the Force itself... Neither of us are prepared for this."

His comment sounded bitter, almost angry, but it was clearly laced with the fear that he would be no better than his own ill-suited parents. They were beginning with an undamaged blank slate. Out there among Snoke's arsenal were any number of children at various stages of development, bred solely to be weapons for the First Order, broken and damaged in ways Kylo really didn't want to fathom. And no doubt about it, they were all Force-sensitive, just as powerful as Kylo was, if not moreso. If they weren't, and he hated to even think it, Snoke would have disposed of them long ago.

Despite his fear, Kylo forced himself to listen to Jacob, and to seriously consider their options. While he, personally, wanted to return to Xashiri when this was all over, it wasn't the best place anymore.

"Depending on what Snoke's done, THEY could be the incident at the high-energy weapons laboratory..." Kylo looked away. He knew how volatile his own Force powers were after being rescued, and he had decades of control to help curb them. The children would have to learn that from scratch. "Staying on a Star Destroyer would be out of the question. Same reason, only more intense... If we need total seclusion at first, Darth Vader had a palace on Mustafar. Terrible for raising a family, but there's space... A lot of space. And it's strong enough in the Force to hide them."

At this point, he certainly didn't trust Luke not to try and finish what he started all those years ago. Or anyone else in the Resistance, for that matter.

[adarkergray]

"It doesn't matter how unprepared we are. The bottom line is that failure isn't an option," Jacob said softly. If they didn't somehow manage to raise these children right, they could end up unleashing disaster on the galaxy on an incredible scale - Jacob didn't doubt for a moment that the children were every bit as immensely powerful as their father, and he didn't want to think about what Snoke might have already subjected them to, what kinds of horrible things he might have forced them to do or put into their heads. However, he would have to confront the reality all too soon, and they needed to have plans in place to handle whatever they would be getting.

And besides, Jacob was still convinced Kylo would be a far better parent than Han and Leia had been. He understood the necessity of putting his children above everything else, in a way his own parents never had.

"...Force, I hate Mustafar." It had always made perfect sense to him that Darth Vader, the Sith who shouldn't have survived, had chosen his base of operations to be Mustafar, a world where nothing should live. "But you're right about it being a good place to hole up if we have to. Another option might be Mokivj - there's a military intelligence post out there and basically not a lot else, and while it's still pretty desolate, it's not as bad as Mustafar. It's not as strong in the Force, either, but it's deep enough into the Unknown Regions that it might offer enough protection." There were a few more worlds he might have suggested, but because of the situation with the children, he ended up mentally dismissing them one by one - most were too densely populated, some were too close to Grysk space to risk bringing Force-sensitive children, and a few had unstable Force energies that he didn't want to expose the children to. Eventually, though, he did have the start of that short list, and he began naming them off to Kylo.

[forcefullyunstable]

“It’s better than Dagobah. Or Hoth.”

As much as Jacob detested Mustafar, it was certainly high on Kylo’s list. Darth Vader’s palace was heavily fortified, strong in the Force and was equipped with enough medical technology to keep him alive outside of his suit. Anything that potentially went wrong could be addressed there, at least in theory.

There were other planets with strong Force signatures where they could escape detection. Unfortunately, many were once used as rebel bases during the earlier war. Places like Yavin 4 or Hoth were just not safe. And no one in their right mind would want to hide themselves on that swamp planet.

“I don’t trust distance alone. Any more than I do staying here.” He admitted.

[adarkergray]

"Then... Mustafar might have to be it. The only other place I can think of where we'd be better hidden is Myrkr, but that's sure as hell not happening." Myrkr was home to the ysalamiri, the creatures that the technique for creating a Force-neutral bubble was named after - they used it as a defense mechanism against the world's native predators, but it also affected Force sensitives of other species just the same. If Jacob were alone, it might be an ideal world for him to hide out on; he could deal with being cut off from the Force, might even enjoy it for a time, but he could take a guess at how much it would frighten the children - to say nothing of the fact that right now, Kylo's connection to the Force was the only thing keeping him alive.

He sighed softly. "And it's not like this is a permanent move. It's just somewhere to hole up while we get our bearings as parents - and figure out what they need most. While we're there, I'll probably be so focused on the children that I won't even notice we're on Mustafar." That part wasn't an understatement - they would need to figure out what had been done to the children, what they already knew about their connection to the Force and how to control it, and the best way to teach them what they needed to know so that their presence anywhere other than Mustafar wouldn't put everyone and everything around them at risk. All of that was going to be a major undertaking, and they weren't going to have time for anything else, probably for at least the first several weeks.

[forcefullyunstable]

At the mention of Myrkr, Kylo quickly shook his head. “Absolutely not. After finally understanding what Snoke has in store for the galaxy... the thought of willfully severing connection with the Force, even just... temporarily... and through completely natural means... no. We can’t and we won’t.”

Even if it wasn’t a matter of life or death for Kylo, suppressing the children’s powers would teach them nothing. The last thing he wanted to do was make them believe they were monsters that needed to be fixed. He’d felt like that all his life, and he’d run right into Snoke’s clutches with hardly a second thought.

That abusive cycle was going to stop now.

“Really, Mustafar isn’t... that bad.” He smirked softly, as though they were talking about something as inconsequential as the taste of green milk.

[adarkergray]

Jacob couldn't help smiling when he sensed Kylo's thoughts, and he spoke directly into Kylo's mind, That's just part of why you're going to be so much better a parent than yours ever were.

"Honestly, being on Mustafar does creep me out - but the palace there is already outfitted with everything we could possibly need. And the fact that it's a world that you have some level of personal connection to, might make things easier. For all of us." In the past, Jacob only been there briefly, and never with his master - just as a glorified courier - so, his experience might be different now. And from a utilitarian perspective, it was a suitable location.

After a few long moments, he got back to his feet. "...There's more we'll need to look into later - like the process of how to even identify child psychiatrists who might be of any use to us - but right now, I need to start pulling tissue samples from the field lab, so that Rey and I can figure out how to heal you. Do you want me to make dinner for you first, or do you want to get some rest now, and eat later?"

[forcefullyunstable]

“Just... keep the curtains closed.” He smirked slightly, providing a bit of humor in an otherwise serious conversation.

Kylo let out a long sigh as more immediate choices had to be made. They were simpler than planning for the inevitable realities of parenthood, but surprisingly just as daunting. He’d worked his body and mind to the point of exhaustion and it was definitely beginning to show.

“I know I should eat. But no matter how quickly you prepare it, I’ll be asleep by the time you get back. I’d better... just rest for now.”

Forcing himself to stay awake and alert risked the Force wound doing the same - his body trying to replenish the resources it had used up. Resting, at least, would limit it to a more passive draw. It was less dangerous that way. In fact, it was almost soothing.

[adarkergray]

Jacob couldn't help chuckling at that crack about keeping the curtains closed. "Yes, sir."

At least it wasn't of immediate importance to try to get some food into Kylo - the nutrient drip would be enough, for a couple hours. Once he'd had a chance to nap, and regain some strength, then Jacob could see about getting a full meal into him. "Get some sleep. Three hours is the absolute most I'll be gone, and that will only be if we're making incredible progress - otherwise, it'll be closer to two." The specimens were racked in such a way that it'd only take a couple minutes to get them out and individually sealed for transport outside the ship, meaning he'd have most of the time to work with Rey.

As he worked, he reached out to her telepathically. I'll meet you down at your hut in a few minutes. I think that will be the best place to start practicing this healing technique, since it's well away from the ship, and having a smaller space to work in might make it easier to focus on a single target at a time.

[forcefullyunstable]

By the time Jacob left to gather the samples, Kylo was sound asleep. Labored breathing punctuated the race against Snoke and against time. The ancient techniques had to work. They simply had to. As the disease worsened and his body weakened, they were running out of other options.

Rey jumped, startled out of her conversation with Leia, when she heard Jacob’s voice in her mind. She wasn’t as used to it as he or his master was.

“Is everything...”

“All right.” She answered verbally, before chastising herself softly and then reaching out to answer him through the Force. She turned back to Leia. “Sorry, I need to go. Jacob will be down at my hut in a few minutes with samples to practice on.”

“The healing technique you told me about?” Leia asked.

Rey nodded. Leia was quiet for a moment, eerily contemplative, but then her expression softened. She whispered a simple, “May the Force be with you.” Rey nodded again and took her leave.

[adarkergray]

Jacob had sensed how much the sudden contact startled Rey, and he still felt bad about it when she arrived back at the hut - where he'd set up the first sample, with the others tucked into the one he and Kylo had occupied the night before last. "Hey - sorry about that. I'm so used to being inside Kylo's head and having him in mine that I forget it's a little much for someone who isn't even used to the Force yet." There had been a time before it felt natural to Jacob, too.

"Anyway, the work I was doing for the First Order required having access to technology to grow out small tissue samples into significantly larger ones in a short period of time. The technology was originally developed for pharmaceutical testing, so I just returned it to its roots. I took biopsies from Kylo and used them to create tissue cultures I could use for comparing the effectiveness of different treatments for his cancer against each other - and I created an especially large control group, mostly to make sure the results I was seeing with any of the treatments were real, but also so that if a promising new treatment turned up, I could add it to the trial right away. I guess that's what we're doing now." He motioned to the first specimen in its holding container, where he'd set it up across from the fire pit next to the bed.