"Do they pick them for that?"

"Possibly. I - haven't paid as much attention to that, but the Empire continued to use the infrastructure for testing for Force sensitivity; there's no reason the First Order couldn't have reappropiated it. But the program is under the control of another Knight I have trouble following, Mar Ren."

"Great, more of them. How many are there exactly?"

"Seven Knights and I think around thirteen apprentices. I highly doubt their Supreme Leader isn't trained in the Force, too."

"Especially since they can apparently keep you away. I've been kinda running under the assumption they're a Sith Lord anyway."

She nods. "Though I'm not sure they'd call themselves that. The - political climate, there, seems to have shifted."

"I'm also fairly sure they were never an apprentice of a Sith, but that wouldn't stop someone from using the name."

"Maybe Kylo will tell me next time I sleep. Stranger things have happened."

"You can ask, but - be careful. Please."

"Why am I dreaming about him - with him?

"I don't know. It's - I've never heard of something like that happening, especially not without a preexisting bond."

"Which means you don't know how to get rid of it?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

- She's really, really sad she can't hug Rey. She misses hugging people, and also Rey looks like she needs a hug.

She sits beside her student, offering - love, warmth, concern.

She softens a bit and smiles at Anakin weakly.

"I'm strong, you know? I could have handled it."

"I know. You're the strongest person I've ever met. But - you shouldn't have to handle it. And as long as you're my student - "

"I... Probably should give you room to grow on your own. But I don't want you hurt, and - "

"It's lonely, trying to stand on your own, trying to be strong on your own."

"I don't... Actually know how to handle teaching. Just that the way I was raised fucked me up in the long run. So - "

"I'm probably going to fuck up a lot, now that there's more ways I can."

"I don't want you to give me room to grow. That implies you leaving. I just want. Trust."

She nods, slowly. "Trust is - something we need to work on, I think. Both in each other and ourselves."

"Yeah." She sighs and rubs her face. "I think I need to get some sleep. Are you okay to take over here, want me to grab Sunn?"

"I'm alright. This part of the journey's usually boring. Sleep well."

"Wake me if anything exciting happens," she says as she heads off to the crew quarters.

"I will," she says.

Nothing disrupts them for the rest of their journey to Dorin, where they'll refuel, resupply, rest, and get their next jump - a long one, along the Celanon Spur route to Vinsoth. Vinsoth is firmly First Order space, and they won't be able to stop there except in an emergency; whatever they still need, they need to get now.

Kylo Ren, elsewhere, has arrived at a base nearby enough - towards where Anakin remembers Ilum being, though not on the planet proper - that it has Anakin extremely nervous. As such, she makes sure they get out of hyperspace safely, and don't get attacked while settling in place, then takes off to continue spying on him.

Rey doesn't dream of Kylo Ren - thank the stars - and suits up when they land on the planet.

She mentions to another suit. "That one's yours," she says to Sunn.

She sighs, but suits up. She's already talked to Anakin about hiding her face while they're near the space contested by the First Order.

"Won't have to do this for long. Not when we're with the Resistance."