THE HUNT

Twenty Four

I sit against the wall in the hospital room, eyes closed.

The man resting in the bed next to me is sleeping silently, hair sprawled across his pillow.

A friend. Of course, he passed out right after he said that.

It's over.

I scoff, shaking my head.

If he wanted a friend, he would have acted like one.

"I don't know how to." He says quietly. I jump, startled. He was awake, reading my mind.

"You don't know how to make a friend?" I ask flatly. "That doesn't seem right. You have the Knights of Ren."

"They are my servants. My brothers and sisters, but not my friends."

"That seems more like a you problem than a me problem." I snap, standing with the intent to leave. He sits up quickly, but falls back down with a grunt.

"Wait." He presses a hand to his abdomen, propping himself up on his elbows. "Why did you save me? The door was unlocked, the thought of escaping must have crossed your mind."

"It was?" I blink. "It was locked all day." I snap. "If I had known-" I roll my hands into fists.

    I still don't think I would have left. I have nowhere to go.

    Realization hits me, a sickening and twisted realization.

    I have nowhere to go.

"Why did you really save me, Hunter?" He asks calmly. I don't think he's in my mind right now, otherwise he'd know. Unless he wants to hear me admit it myself. Hear me admit that the only belonging I've ever felt was abused. Used as a weapon, and abandoned like one as soon as I ran out of shots. "If you seek permission and safe passage away from the Order, you may do so as you wish, but do not for one moment believe that the Resistance will allow you to rejoin their ranks." My heart skips a beat.

    He'd let me leave?

    The temptation pulls at me.

    But where would I go?

"I don't want to go back to the Resistance." I decide, lifting my chin. "They abandoned me."

"So what will you do?" He angles his head. "Go live in the slums of Theed on Naboo?" His voice isn't cruel, but almost holds a genuine curiosity.

"I want to stay." I bite my cheek. "I broke the deal, but now I want to uphold my end of it."

"You broke my trust, Hunter."

    I don't think he ever truly trusted me. He hoped he could, but I let him down.

"Which is why I don't expect you to uphold your end anymore." My heart thunders. "I was a fool, and I see that now."

"You lied. You had no intention of joining me. You vowed to be loyal, but not once did you act upon that."

    "I know." My voice catches. "I didn't r-" I stop myself. "No. No I did realize." I step towards him. "I thought the Resistance would want me back. I thought that Imrie would want me back." I shake my head. "But you were the only one who wanted me, and I-"

    "Hunter that-" He manages to sit up fully. "I want you to join me and be by my side." He holds out a hand, gesturing for me to move closer. I obey, and he grips my arm. "I want to trust you. I want to be your-" He hesitates.

    "Friend?" I finish, and he nods.

    "But I need your sincerity."

    "You have it." I kneel before him as he sits in the bed, swinging his legs over the edge. The doctors were too afraid to change him into a hospital gown, so he's still wearing his thick black pants, though he misses his shirt from where I ripped it off. A large black stripe cuts across his chest, which is already scarred to the point where I could mistake his torso as my own. "The Resistance betrayed me, I have no belonging." He opens his mouth to say something, but I shake my head. "Give me a cause, Supreme Leader, and I will die for it."

    "Hunter-"

    "Please." I bow my head. "I've been too afraid to fulfill my vow, let me do so now." He's silent for a moment, then sighs.

    "Okay." He's still holding my arm, but his grip turns gentle. "Okay." He pulls me to my feet, still sitting up in the bed. His arm doesn't even tremble, despite the pain he must be in.

    Strong.

    "I don't deserve it," I tell him. "But I hope that one day you can grow to trust me." He nods.

    "Me too, Hunter." He flinches. Flinches as the door slides open, and the doctor steps in, studying his clipboard. Ren releases me, and I step back, activating my mask. I hadn't realized how close I was standing to him.

    "Ah, Supreme Leader. You're awake." He looks up. "How are you feeling?" Ren says nothing. He just glares at the doctor, who shifts on his feet. Then he turns his attention to me. "You should be thankful for this young lady here." He extends a slow hand, and my face burns as Ren tenses. "She kept you alive and was insistent on staying here with you."

    "He." Ren snaps. "If you tell anyone about this, it will be your head."

    "Of course, Supreme Leader." The doctor dips his head, the one Ren just threatened to sever. "I understand the reasoning behind the deception." I frown underneath my mask, feeling like the only one who doesn't understand the reasoning behind the deception.

    "Go." Ren waves his hand, voice tight. "Sign the discharge papers and leave us be."

    "Yes, Supreme Leader." He turns to leave, and I deactivate my mask, opening my mouth to ask why I'm meant to be perceived as a man, but he interrupts me.

    "I'm protecting you." He says. "You're not a Knight of Ren. You're not safe walking around here as a woman." He takes my wrist, pulling me closer until I stand between his legs. "And you're my spy, if you still wish that to be the case. Your face will become recognizable the moment you're seen with me. That isn't something you want." He shakes his head. "You'll be a taget, sweetheart."

    "Give me a cause, and I will die for it."