Ari ✨️ @alleiraa - Tumblr Blog

The Hunter and the Jedi

Part 1

Pairings: Bounty Hunter!Jay x Fem!Reader x Jake!Jedi Summary: It's the era of the Old Republic. The Galaxy brims with the conflict between the Separatists and the Jedi Order, the Sith hovering like a dark cloud in the background, waiting for their opportunity to strike. Jake Sim, a newly named Jedi Knight, is on his first mission, investigating a rumor about a mysterious Force user he's been told is a danger to the Order itself. Jay Park, the notorious bounty hunter, is chasing a bounty, drowning his thoughts in hard punches, credits, and black leather. You are camped out in the Outer Rim, running from the tragedy that haunts your dreams no matter how far you travel. What you do know is that Devon Four isn't such a bad planet to settle; maybe you could hang around for a while. What you don't know is that you're being hunted, and you're about to find out what happens when three meteors destined to burn finally collide. WC: 38k (idk what happened)

PART 1 (18.6k); PART 2 (19.6k) - Forced to split :/ Content/Warnings: MDNI, Multiple POVs, Enemies to Lovers, Polyamory, Hurt/Comfort, Angst With a Happy Ending, Cursing (mostly Jay), Mention of Death/Murder, Violence, Injury, Blood, Alcohol Use, Smut, Daddy Kink, Praise Kink, Biting/Marking, Oral Sex (giving/receiving), Masochism (taser), Power Imbalance, Multiple Orgasms, Freaky Dom Jay, Whiny Sub Jake, Growling, Begging, Unprotected Sex, Blindfold, Sensory Overload A/N: Soo this wasn't supposed to be more than 30k, but here we are! This is the freakiest fic I've ever written, but also my favorite. I am a HUGE Star Wars nerd, and the GM Jay pics were so bounty-hunter-coded I had to write it. I guess Jay became kind of a mix between Han Solo and Cad Bane, while Jake is a true Luke/Anakin boy. Just a disclaimer: you DO NOT need to know about Star Wars to enjoy this fic. I tried to make it as accessible as possible, but if you are confused about anything, feel free to leave a comment or do a quick Google search! I put so much love into this, so if you enjoy, PLEASE give it some love. Comments and reblogs truly make my day <3

JAKE

Jake fiddled with a Republic credit between his fingers, the slight click of his nails against the cool metal blending with the bustling sounds of the cantina.

The place was packed, even though there was a cantina on almost every block on Devon Four. The Outer Rim planet was small, but its main city was dense, bustling with market stalls and bars full of all kinds of people. A loud half-growl-half-laugh sounded from the table behind him, and Jake glanced at the rowdy group of Gamorreans that seemed to be playing some kind of drinking game.

Jake eyed his own drink warily, some sour-tasting beer that the bartender had shoved in front of him, and practically forced him to try. He eyed him now, an older man with an unnerving scar drawn across his eye and down to his throat. Jake picked up his drink and forced down another sip, wincing as the foul flavor tussled with his taste buds.

He pulled his cloak more firmly over his head, doing another scan of the room. The cantina was mostly full of merchants, their shoulders slack as they enjoyed a cold drink after hours of shouting at passersby. When he arrived a couple of days before, he had to dodge a fair amount of them, shooting them apologetic smiles as he brushed past their stalls with his head down. He’d felt their eyes on him as he passed, and the lightsaber at his hip felt heavy.

His first mission as a Jedi Knight. He thought back to a few days before, when he strolled proudly out of the Jedi Temple to his own ship, eager to start the next phase of his journey as a Jedi. He’d imagined tense negotiations with senators, or lightsaber duels with battle droids, the types of things he did with his master when he was a padawan. But instead, here he was, sitting alone at a bar in the Outer Rim, chasing a rumor he didn’t even know was real.

He glanced at the Trandoshan a few seats down from him, its reptilian face looking darkly at its drink. He looked down and saw a blaster holstered at the alien's waist. Maybe a bounty hunter?

Jake closed his eyes, the sounds of the cantina dulling as he used The Force to sense those around him. He focused on the Trandoshan, trying to pick up any hint of a pull, an energy, anything signifying a connection to The Force. He found none.

Jake opened his eyes and stared glumly at his drink. Three days on this planet and he’d found nothing, no “highly dangerous Force-sensitive adult” that the council had briefed him on so thoroughly, no hint of separatist activity, nothing.

He went back to fidgeting with his coin, absently staring at the bartender and wondering how he got such a nasty scar.

“Giddy tonic treating you well?” A girl took the seat next to him, peering past the hood of his cloak curiously.

He stared at her for a second, his brain taking a second to catch up with his mouth. No one had tried to talk to him yet. In fact, they avoided him like the plague. “Uh, not really.” He frowned at his almost full cup, “What even is it?”

She shrugged, “Not sure, and honestly, I’m not sure I want to know, I don’t think anything good can make anything taste like that.”

He smirked, pushing the drink away, “I’m with you there.”

She waved the bartender over, ordering something he’d never heard of. He made a note to remember it, already trusting her taste much more than the scarred bartender's. She looked at him again, her eyes calculating and sharp. Jake resisted the impulse to look away, finding her attention…refreshing. “You’re cute, we don’t get people like you around here often.”

He chuckled nervously, this time looking away. “Just passing through for a few days.”

She tilted her head, hair falling in front of her eyes as she propped her chin on her hand, “You a bounty hunter? I always like talking to them, that is, if they don’t look like they want to kill me. It sounds nice to be able to go anywhere on a whim, be your own boss, all that good stuff.”

He really looked at her then. She wore simple clothes in faded earth tones—the fashion of the locals—with a brown knapsack at her hip. Her boots were worn and torn at the edges, the heels reinforced with steel. She was young, around his age, her face curious, but firm with confidence. He felt oddly small next to her, his anxiety about his mission seeping back into his thoughts with a new force. “Not a bounty hunter, but having your own ship is nice.”

Her eyes widened, “So you do have one? What’s the model? How does she fly?”

He smiled, finding the excited light in her eyes adorable, “It’s called a Vector, and she flies nicely, only a few years old too. She takes turns as smooth as butter.”

She furrowed her eyebrows, “Vector? That sounds familiar…”

Jake hesitated. Usually, he wouldn’t try to hide his Jedi status, but the council had told him to blend in. To cover his lightsaber at all times and wear non-traditional robes…they hadn’t told him why, though.

He shrugged, “I’m sure a lot of ships pass through here, you must have seen one.”

She nodded, staring at the cup that the bartender had placed in front of her just a few seconds before, a slight frown on her face.

“Do you live here?” He asked, trying to change the topic.

“Yeah, I move around every few years, to keep things…fresh.” She looked away again. “I like Devon Four, it’s busy in all the right ways. Work is easy to find; there’s always a room for rent. But it’ll be time for me to move on soon.” She turned to him, “Hey, you think you could give me a lift in your shiny Vector? I’d be no trouble, just drop me off somewhere on your way.” She smirked, her hand drifting closer to his on the bar. “Or I could hang around mystery boy, got a girl waiting for you at home?”

Jake’s eyes widened, and he quickly pulled his hand away. “U-uh, that’s not-”

She pouted, “What? Do you not like me?”

Jake ran a hand through his hair, letting his hood slip off his head and pool around his shoulders. It wasn’t that. She was pretty, really pretty. Her smile was teasing and curious and her eyes were bright but slightly narrowed at the corners, like she had a secret meant just for him. Plus, she had a soft lilt in her voice that made him want to listen to her all day. But romance was a tricky subject among the Jedi…

“Listen, I-just, um-”

She started laughing, interrupting Jake’s stuttering. “It’s ok, I’m just messing with you, no hard feelings.” She shrugged, “I thought I’d try, you’re the best looking guy I’ve seen in like…five years?”

Jake stared at her, a smile creeping onto his lips.

“What’s your name, by the way? Mine’s y/n.”

The smile took over. “Jake.”

“Well, Jake, want me to order you another drink? I think Scarface over there would stop staring daggers at you if you actually drank something.”

Jake looked up at the bartender, who was, in fact, glaring at him coldly. “Is his name actually Scarface?” He whispered.

“No, I think it’s Freddy or something, but Scarface is way more fun.” She said, laughing under her breath.

“Do you know how he got it?”

She took another sip from her cup, “Nope, that, my friend, is one of the biggest mysteries of this city.”

Jake laughed for what felt like the first time in weeks, and she laughed with him, hiding her face when Scarface looked in their direction. He felt the stress from the mission slip off his shoulders, settling into a quiet pressure in the back of his mind. A wave of confidence passed over him. He could do this; he could be a Jedi Knight who helped people and made his master proud, just like he always dreamed.

He was still laughing when he felt a body crash into him from behind. He whirled around, finding a drunk-looking man stumbling away from him, “Sorry, man, my bad.” Jake looked down, sighing at the orange liquid that coated the front of his cloak.

y/n grabbed a towel over the bar, “Here, let me help.” She rubbed the cloth against his cloak, lifting some of it open to get at the inside. She froze.

Jake looked at her, confused. Her eyes were locked on his hip, wide with…fear? He followed her eyes to his lightsaber, the polished silver bright in the dim light of the cantina.

“Vector…a Jedi Vector.” She looked up at him, her voice shaky, “You’re a Jedi.”

Before he could open his mouth, she was stumbling back, turning and running towards the door. Jake shot to his feet, staring after her, his thoughts whirling in a confused mess through his skull. But after a moment, it hit him, and with a focused scan of the bar, he felt it—a pulse of energy—large and unstable, hovering around her receding back with an unsettling hum. He scrambled after her, yelling for people to move as he raced towards the door.

He winced as he burst outside, the sun blinding as he scanned the street. There. She was sprinting down the block, shoving people as she went, leaving a cacophony of angry shouts in her wake.

Jake willed his legs to move, slipping into the crowd as he tried desperately not to lose track of her. “Stop! In the name of the Republic, I command you to stop!”

It didn’t work on y/n, but it did help clear the crowd, most people stepping back as they watched him tear down the street. He got a clearer view and spotted her ahead, ducking around street stalls with surprisingly agile steps. She glanced back at him. There was no trace of the confident girl he had laughed with, no sign she had ever been there at all. Now there was only terror, desperation, and above it all, glaring at him with such an intensity it almost stopped him in his tracks—was hate.

She turned down an alley and was gone.

JAY

Jay stared at the holo image of his target: a Trandoshan, its green, lizard-like face staring back at him. Apparently, he was a slave smuggler for the separatists, a particular breed of shitface. Jay smiled. This would be fun.

He put away the holo and looked at the rows of stalls in front of him. He’d never been to Devon Four before, and he reminded himself never to come back; Too many people, way too many.

He walked slowly, scanning everyone in sight, looking for hunched body language and baggy cloaks, trademarks of bounties in hiding. His black leather jacket felt heavy in the heat, and he put on his shades, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. He thought about the cool interior of his ship, the comforting emptiness of space, and the stars that glowed above his head at night, staring down at him like guardians. Soon. Soon he’d be off this planet.

Merchants beckoned to him as he walked, shoving their wares in his face. Jay never said anything, just brushed his hand against the handle of his blaster, the black glass over his eyes fixed ahead. He assumed word got around, because pretty soon, no one even looked at him.

Jay smiled. Much better.

He spotted a few other hunters as he walked, leaning against buildings, cleaning their weapons, staring out into the crowd. Apparently, this city was a hot spot, not a happy thought after just swearing never to come back.

A few of them nodded at him as he passed. He returned the gesture with the slight upturn of his lips, staying focused on the flow of people around him. Jay Park was a well-known name among bounty hunters, which came with its own set of perks. First pick of bounties, and the right to refuse them, something most hunters couldn’t afford. This Trandoshan was one he picked personally.

Jay slipped a toothpick out of his jacket pocket, slipping it between his teeth. He’d taken his time with this one, letting the lizard gain some ground before he followed. It was always more fun to make them think they had escaped, only to be captured that very same day. He never got tired of seeing the shock on their faces.

He had stopped to look at an antique set of guitars when a bit of movement flickered out of the corner of his eye. He looked up, and spotted a green head disappearing down a side alley.

Jay crossed the street to the alley, taking off his glasses as he stepped into the shade of the buildings around him. He pulled up his sleeve to reveal the slim metal band around his forearm. He pressed a few buttons, readying the capture net. He heard footsteps receding close by and peered around the corner. Sure enough, the Trandoshan walked quickly down the alley, its scaled head reflecting bits of sunlight that shimmered against the wall. Jay quietly followed, walking just fast enough so that he could gain ground without making a sound.

Suddenly, shouts started echoing from the street market. The Trandoshan's head snapped towards the source, and then it was running.

Shit.

Jay sprinted after it, pulling out his blaster and setting it to the stun setting. The lizard cut down another alley. Jay took the same turn, just fast enough to see his target turn again, disappearing down another building. Jay sped up, forcing adrenaline into his legs as he rounded the other corner.

BAM.

A body collided with his, almost knocking him off his feet. He reached out his arms instinctively, grabbing the person to steady himself.

A girl stood grasped in his arms, panting heavily. Her eyes were wide, her hair pasted to her forehead with sweat. She stared at him like she couldn’t quite decide if he was real. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered.

Jay looked around. Three alleys branched off from the one they were in, and Jay realized that he had no clue which one the Trandoshan chose. He lost it.

“God damnit.” He muttered.

The girl glanced behind her, “Listen, I’m sorry, again, but I really have to go.” She tried to step around him, but he tightened his grip on her shoulders, keeping her in place.

“Y-”

He was about to say something when a man’s voice echoed from the end of the alley. “Stop her!”

“Fuck!” Jay felt the girl pull against his hands, and when they didn’t budge, a physical force pushed him away from her. He winced as his back hit the wall, watching as the girl stumbled away from him, tearing down another alleyway. The man who had yelled was getting closer, so without much time to think, Jay ran after her. But as he followed, he noticed that she didn’t seem to have a destination. She ducked down every path she could find, whipping her head around in desperation every time she turned a corner.

Jay called out to her, “Hey, follow me, I know a place!”

He saw her steps falter slightly. She yelled back at him, “Where?”

“Just trust me!”

She slowed, allowing him to catch up to her. “Smart choice.” He said. “This way.”

YOU

You walked tentatively onto his ship. It was on the larger side, with a wide open room past the entrance and three hallways branching off to other parts of the ship. The main room had a circular center console, displaying a detailed holo map of Devon Four. You leaned against its edge, peering at the tiny streets. “Whoa.”

“Try not to touch anything.” Your new companion said, shedding his black leather jacket and hanging it on a nearby rack.

It struck you then how clean everything was. The black gloss of the flooring gleamed, reflecting the soft line of lights built into the walls of the ship. A small bookshelf was attached to the wall, all the covers perfectly arranged and uniform. Under the bookshelf sat a table, with two chairs placed on either side, and in its center, perfectly symmetrical, stood a single, glassy green rock.

Nothing was out of place.

“What was your name again?” You asked, turning back to the stranger.

“I never told you my name.” He said, clicking a button on the console of his arm band until a part of the wall opened, revealing an assortment of weapons and gadgets.

“So you’re a bounty hunter.” You whispered.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He removed the band from his wrist and placed it into a spot on the wall. “Jay.”

“That’s your name?”

“Yes.”

You shifted on your feet. “Well, Jay, thanks for helping me hide, but I should probably head back now.” You turned toward the door of the ship.

“Oh no, you don’t.”

His voice stopped you in your tracks.

“You lost me my bounty today. You know what that means?”

You turned back around, “No?”

He tapped another spot on the wall, an invisible console you couldn’t even see, which closed the hatch over the guns. “It means that I need a replacement.”

Your eyes widened, “Me? Why can’t you just go back out to get them? I’m sure they’re still in the city somewhere. I could even help.”

Jay chuckled, “Usually I would, god knows that piece of shit deserves it, but with you…” He leaned against the wall. “I found something even better.”

You felt a stab of fear in your chest. “What do you mean?”

He started walking towards you, “I mean, sweetheart, that I know what you did in that alley.” He stopped until he was right in front of you, and you were forced to look up to meet his eyes. “That was no freak show of strength. You used The Force, didn’t you?”

You stared at him, schooling every muscle on your face into neutrality. “The Force? What’s that?”

He scoffed, “Don’t play dumb with me. Let me guess, you were running because that guy, whoever he is, knows what you are, knows what you can do.”

You stared at him, cursing yourself for letting your control slip. It was only a second of panic, and it might have cost you everything. “Fine, and what if I am what you think I am?”

He smirked, “Then my problem is solved. I’m sure my client will be happy with a Force user over a run-of-the-mill smuggler.”

You stepped back, feeling something break inside you. After everything, everything you’ve been through, a bounty hunter is what gets you?

“Jay, please, I’ll help you find your target, I-I’ll get you money, I’ll do anything, just please don’t do this.” You searched his eyes for any hint of sympathy—any at all—but you found none, just cold indifference.

He shrugged, “Guess running into me wasn’t so lucky for you after all.”

You felt tears welling in your eyes, “Jay plea-”

“You have two options: either you keep talking, and I freeze you in carbonite, or you shut your mouth like a good girl and enjoy the ride.” His dark eyes pierced into yours, daring you to challenge him. You could tell he was completely serious.

You wiped a stray tear from your cheek, “Ok,” you whispered.

He nodded, “Good choice. Feel free to make yourself at home, then, just don’t try anything, I think I made the consequences clear.”

He turned to hover over the holo map, swiping his hand in the air to change the projection. “Oh, what’s your name?”

“y/n,” you said softly, shoulders slumped as you stared at your feet.

He didn’t look up.

JAKE

Jake paced around his hotel room on Devon Four, his comlink tossed onto his bed as he waited for his meeting with the Jedi Council. He felt like the device was staring at him, mocking him for his failure.

He had her, and he let her slip away.

He ran another hand through his messy hair, replaying his conversation with one of the workers at the shipyard. She had told him that she saw a girl and a man dressed in all black walk onto an expensive-looking freighter. No one had come back out, and the ship had flown off about an hour later.

The girl matched y/n’s description, and the man—the worker said—looked like a bounty hunter.

Jake groaned, falling heavily onto his bed. Losing her was bad enough, but to a bounty hunter? She could be anywhere.

He thought again of the fear and hatred on her face as she ran from him, and then the way she laughed, eyes bright and relaxed as she looked at him. She hardly seemed ‘dangerous.’ Maybe they were looking for someone else? But he remembered the shift in the air as he saw her push away the bounty hunter from afar, the pull. She had used The Force; there was no doubt about it.

He tried not to think of his master, Plo Koon, and the disappointed gaze he leveled at Jake whenever he messed up as a padawan. The Kel Dor had never raised his voice at him; he would just stare at him, and even though his specialized mask covered his eyes, to Jake, it felt a lot worse than anger.

The comlink next to him made a quiet ding before lighting up, revealing the members of the council, sitting in a circle and staring at Jake.

He scrambled up from the bed, smoothing out his hair and bowing slightly, “Masters.”

“Jake, we hear you have an update for us.” His Master, Plo Koon, said, the gridded black goggles piercing.

Jake gulped, “Yes, I found the… ‘highly dangerous Force-sensitive adult’” He said slowly. He wrung his hands, “But she got away from me.”

Mace Windu spoke up, his brows furrowed, “How so?”

“Well, I was talking to her, and I didn’t realize she was Force-sensitive, and then um…” He bit his lip. “Basically, she saw my lightsaber and got spooked and ran.”

“Where she went, do you know?” Yoda spoke up, his green face kind and curious. Jake had always found his presence comforting.

“A worker at the shipyard said she saw her leave with a man. She thought he looked like a bounty hunter.”

“A bounty hunter?” Mace said, leaning forward in his chair. “Was she his target?”

Jake shook his head, avoiding Plo’s masked gaze, “I’m not positive, but no, I don’t think so. I saw her use the Force on him; it took him by surprise.”

“Did you get a good look at the hunter? Any defining features?” Obi-Wan Kenobi’s voice cut through the holo.

“Not really, he was human and wore a lot of black,” Jake said, mentally replaying his blurry image of the man.

“Sounds like every bounty hunter I’ve ever met.” Kit Fisto said, drawing a few scattered chuckles.

Jake grimaced, “How do you suggest I proceed, Master? I’m prepared to rectify my mistake in any way I can.”

“Find her, you must,” Yoda said. “Her count of Midichlorians too high, it is. Because of her past, an interest to the Sith, she will be.”

“And with a bounty hunter, she’s more likely to fall into the wrong hands,” Obi-Wan said.

“Her past?” Jake asked.

Mace leaned back in his chair. “Listen, Jake, all you need to know is that she is a danger to the Jedi Order, and if she continually refuses our aid, she will need to be disposed of.”

Jake’s eyes widened. He thought back to the bar, her wide eyes, and the way her smile lit up her face. “I-I just don’t understand. Is that really necessary? If I could just talk to her-”

“She’s been evading us for years, Jake. She has no interest in the Jedi. A simple ‘talk’ won’t suffice.” Mace said.

He looked at his feet, thinking again about the hatred that hung in her eyes, buried in fear. “Why does she hate us?” He whispered.

A silence settled around his room. He looked at Plo, who watched him passively, tapping his finger against his chair.

“Anything else to report, Jake?” Mace said, his expression firm.

Jake shook his head.

“Then we look forward to your next report,” Mace said. He clicked a button on his chair, and the image of the council room disappeared.

YOU

You lay in the makeshift bed that you had constructed in Jay’s storage closet, absently throwing a small rubber ball up into the air, listening to the engine of the ship rumble beneath you.

It had been less than 24 hours since you had left Devon Four, held hostage in Jay's ship. He hardly spoke to you, just showed you where you could set up a makeshift bed and gave you a pile of blankets. The ship was definitely large enough for extra rooms, but he’d said that they were all occupied, muttering something about tools. You were hardly surprised; you couldn’t imagine Jay ever having guests.

But you didn’t mind the silence, even without his threat; you didn’t want to speak to him anyway. He was cold and mean, nothing like Jake.

Jake.

You thought about the Jedi as you tossed the ball, how nice it was to laugh with someone again, even if that someone was a Jedi. You scowled, and yet a part of you wished he had taken you instead of Mr. All-in-black-leather-jerk-face.

You caught the ball and slipped it into your satchel, exchanging it with your pouch-sized PIP droid. The green and orange droid whirred as it came to life, its two eye-like sockets lighting up as it tilted its head up to your face. Whirrr beep bip. It chirped at you, tilting its head like a puppy.

You smiled, “Well, Pip, it looks like our luck finally ran out.” You sighed, “I guess I couldn’t run from the Jedi forever.”

Pip made a few questioning beeps.

“No, I’m on some stick-in-the-ass bounty hunter’s ship going…I don’t know where, actually, but he said we’d be there sometime tomorrow.” You propped your arm behind your head.

Pip made a whirring sound.

“I can’t escape; there’s no pod on this ship, and he watches me like a hawk. Besides being a pain in my ass, he’s also a clean freak.”

Pip popped out one of its multi-tool limbs, a small screwdriver.

You snorted, “You think I could actually fight him and win? I saw his weapon wall; he has like 20 different gadgets all built for the primary purpose of immobilizing me.”

A knock sounded on the door. “Who are you talking to?” Jay’s voice echoed from behind the door.

You stuffed Pip back in your satchel, “Myself!” You called back.

“Well…be quieter, I’m trying to focus.”

“On what?”

He didn’t answer, and when you got up to open the door, he was gone.

You scoffed. Would it kill him to talk to you?. You decided to explore. He never said you couldn’t walk around; in fact, he said to “make yourself at home.” Besides, this might be the last ship you have free range on for a long time.

You started in the main console chamber. There were three doors, one of which you knew went to the cockpit. The other two were mysteries. You chose a door, the one adjacent to the small table with the green rock, and walked straight through. Behind it was a hallway covered in the same black polished surface as the main room, stretching across the floor and up the walls. Lights lit up at the curves of the ceiling, the hallway a bright tunnel before you.

A door stood on your left, and you pushed it open. Inside was some sort of workshop. Wires, tools, and pieces of metal covered the tables and floor. It was an assortment of older and newer-looking machines, some rusted, others shiny and pristine. Bits of crude-looking armor stood out from the junk, looking like something out of a holovid. It surprised you, not because of the gear, but because it was messy. It was the only place on the whole ship that felt real, like an actual person lived here and not some emotionless droid in the body of a bounty hunter.

You walked around a bit, peering at some of the muddled wires and mysterious gadgets. You saw palm-sized hand grenades, electrified rope, a dart gun the size of your pinky…Something caught your eye. Pushed to the back of one table, partly hidden under a pile of warped metal like an afterthought, was a metal arm brace. It was small, smaller than you estimated Jay’s forearm to be. But even stranger, it was decorated. Colorful swirls adorned the smooth expanse of steel, filling the brace. The paint looked almost fresh, but a few spots gave it away. Tiny chips flaked off at the edges, as if it had been painted and re-painted repeatedly. It was intentional, planned, and stood out jarringly against the shades of grays that dominated every corner of the ship. You wondered who made it, and if Jay made it, why? Who was it for? You put the brace down.

You left the workshop and walked to the next closed door down the hallway. Just like the last one, you opened it without pause, and what you saw stopped you in your tracks.

The room was a gym. An assortment of equipment lay spread out across the room. A mechanized lifting bench, dumbbells that could adjust their own weight, a slightly dangerous-looking treadmill covered in different colored lights and buttons…and Jay stood in the middle, moving around a black punching bag. His shirt was off, his skin flushed and slick with sweat. You took in the curve of his biceps, the firmness of his 6-pack above the waistline of his shorts. His hair was slicked back with the moisture on his scalp, making his dark, spiky hair fall lightly over his forehead. He stepped around the bag with calculated steps, landing focused punches that made the tough fabric shiver. His muscles tensed with every strike, making the veins on his forearms stand out against his tan skin.

Of course you’d noticed that Jay was attractive, in a mysterious, pristine way—the complete opposite of Jake—who pulled you in with his kind eyes and soft features. Where Jake was soft, Jay was sharp, his eyes, his jaw, his words.

He hadn’t noticed you yet, too focused on the precise swing of his arm to process that the door had even opened. Your eyes kept drifting to his neck, studying the way his collarbone shifted under his skin…

You blinked and took a step back, quickly inching towards the door when his voice cut through the room. “Got bored talking to yourself?”

You froze, sighing deeply before turning around, “Yep, thought I’d enjoy my last few hours of semi-freedom.”

“Uh huh.” He caught your eyes drifting back down his chest. He smirked. “Like what you see?”

You felt a wave of heat wash over your face. “No- I mean yes- I mean-” You stopped, glaring at him, “You’re ok.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Really? Just ok? How long were you standing there? Like five minutes?”

“It was definitely not more than 30 seconds.”

“Would you say you enjoyed those 30 seconds?”

You groaned, “God, you’re annoying, no wonder you live alone in your sad, antiseptic heap of black metal.”

He laughed, “Just the way I like it, sweetheart. People are overrated.”

His laugh threw you off, as you realized it was the first time you’d seen him smile. It lit up his face, collapsing the harsh lines and giving life to his usual impassive stare. You found yourself wanting to see it again.

“I have a name, you know.”

He grabbed a towel hanging from the bar of the bench press. “Y/n.” He said it almost like a question, like he was testing the way it sounded in his mouth. His deep voice resounded through your eardrums, and you refused to acknowledge the jolt of pleasure it sent through your brain.

A tense silence settled over the room. You stared at your feet. He unwrapped the tape around his knuckles, the sticky sound of it echoing against the ship's walls. Unlike you, Jay didn’t mind the silence. “So…do you work out often?”

You mentally cursed yourself. What a stupid question. What were you even doing? He’s your captor, y/n, stop looking at his abs and remember how he’s ruining your life!

He shrugged, “Most days. It keeps me relaxed.”

You raised your eyebrows, “You call yourself relaxed? You’re like the most intense person I’ve ever met.”

“Imagine how I’d be if I didn’t work out.”

“I’d probably be dead by now,” you muttered.

And maybe that would have been better.

He looked up at you, his eyes reminded you of a cat as he studied you like a rat. “I’ve been wondering, why haven’t you used The Force on me? Couldn’t you take over my mind, throw me into space, and take my ship? What’s stopping you?”

You didn’t expect that question, although you probably should have. For all he knew, you were a traitorous Jedi being hunted down for crimes against the Republic. You’d never talked about The Force with anyone, except Pip, that is. It was weird hearing the word come from someone else’s lips, directed at you no less.

You hesitated. In a way, it was the last thing you had against Jay, the last bit of power you held over him. But here you were flying towards an uncertain future, likely filled with people who would only see you as a number, a tool. And as Jay looked at you, his eyes full of not malice, but curiosity, you found the words spilling out.

“I don’t know how.”

He frowned, “But you used it earlier. You pushed me hard. It actually kind of hurt.”

“In the current circumstance, I’m not sorry.”

Jay just shrugged, taking a swig of water. You clenched your fists. His nonchalance was really starting to annoy you.

You continued. “I can only use it when my emotions are high. When I’m panicked or angry…” You flexed your hands. “The only way I can describe it is this ball of energy that sits just out of sight, always there, always ready.” You leaned against the wall, “But it’s uncontrolled, too massive for me to even wrap my head around. Every time I tried to use it in the past…someone got hurt.”

“The guy on Devon Four, was he a Jedi?”

You nodded, recalling the bright silver of the lightsaber hilt at Jake’s hip.

His eyes narrowed. “Then why would you run from him? Couldn’t they train you? Show you how to control it?”

You looked away. “I don’t want the Jedi’s help.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t!” You snapped.

Jay stared at your hands that were clasped over your stomach. You looked down and saw that they were shaking. You quickly shoved them in your pockets, looking anywhere but him. “I’ll be in my closet.” You turned and left the room without another word, leaving Jay staring after you, his eyes storming.

An hour later, a knock sounded on the closet door.

“What?” You called out. You were lying with your back to the door, curled up and staring at the wall. The reality of your situation hit you again, this time with greater force. What was going to happen to you? The galaxy had its fair share of kindness, but even more cruelty.

You didn’t want to die.

Jay’s low voice echoed from beyond the door. “I brought you some food. You should eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

You heard him sigh, but he didn’t push. You heard the sound of a bowl hitting the ground and a moment later, footsteps receding down the hall.

You waited five minutes before opening the door, finding a small wooden bowl of what looked like stew, still warm. You brought it back into your tiny room, sighing deeply as you took a bite. It was full of flavor, its warmth flowing down your throat and heating your body from the inside. It helped ground you, the panic from before slipping into the back of your mind like an afterthought.

For just a moment, you allowed yourself to forget.

JAY

Sleep had always been a challenge for Jay.

He’d spent too many years sleeping with one eye open, too many years with his muscles tensed and ready. Even now, completely alone on his own ship, he still felt it: the kernel of fear in the back of his head.

But he wasn’t alone now.

In the next hallway, through the 2nd door on the right, a girl slept, curled in a bundle of blankets, breathing softly. Jay felt like he could feel her, the heat of her body forming a red blob in his mind like a heat signature on a map, sticking out like a beacon among the darkness.

It was strange, but oddly…comforting. More comforting than the nights he’d brought girls on the ship after a few drinks, their warm bodies tangled with his as he stared up at the ceiling, a hand loosely thrown over a bare back.

No, this was different; he just wasn’t sure why.

He sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and putting on a pair of black sweatpants. He didn’t bother with a shirt.

Jay walked to the control console in the main room of the ship, leaning over the panel and flicking through holo-images. He pulled up an image of Vulpter, the planet where he was taking y/n, scanning trade routes and street layouts. He didn’t want to be caught off guard as he had been in the confusing back alleys of Devon Four.

The silence of the ship felt heavy as he swiped, the blue of the holo creating a dim, ghostly glow around the room. He found his thoughts drifting back to his conversation with y/n. He recalled the way her hands shook when he mentioned the Jedi, the fear in her eyes, a fear he knew well.

He sighed and stretched against the console, his muscles flexing as he moved and cracked his neck. He remembered the bowl he left in front of her door. Jay looked at the entrance to the hallway. He worked his jaw and pushed off from the console, making his way to the closet door.

He stopped in front of it and frowned when he saw that it wasn’t closed all the way. He hesitated, but gently touched the cool metal with his hand, pushing it open slightly. His eyes landed on the wooden bowl, empty. A slight smile cracked on his lips.

Jay bent down to pick it up. He stilled on his knees, the sound of her breathing drifting through his ears. He pushed the door open a little wider until he could see her sleeping form curled against the wall. Her face was turned towards the door, and he stared at her relaxed features. He traced over the curve of her lips and the fluttering of her eyelashes, the way she gripped the corner of the blanket under her chin, and held her knees close to her chest. The position of someone used to sleeping in tight spaces.

A strand of hair hung in front of her eyes, and he felt the sudden urge to reach out and tuck it behind her ear. He blinked, grabbed the bowl, and got to his feet. He stood on the threshold, one hand on the small metal handle of the door. Jay looked at her sleeping form one last time, gazing at the slightly open curve of her mouth before quietly shutting the door behind him.

JAKE

Jake stumbled out of the bar, gripping the rail by the stairs as his vision blurred.

Two planets, and five drinks later, he finally had a name: Jay Park. The notorious bounty hunter who famously wore all black, had obnoxiously spiky hair, and a freighter that matched the exact description the woman on Devon Four had given him.

He had passed through all the major bounty hunter clubs and businesses, looking for a contact, a lead, anything. And he had found it, in a small club on Zakuul, where a man named Nox had claimed he had the location of Jay’s ship, and where he was going. Apparently, he was a part of some hunter clan that kept tabs on all the major bounty hunters, but Jake didn’t ask many questions.

Nox had promised to tell him anything he wanted. The price? Have a few drinks with him. He could have refused, could have used a Jedi mind trick to force him to tell him everything. But when he saw the booze, the bright lights of the club pulsing around him, he decided he could use a break from being a Jedi.

Before the drinks, 80% of the thoughts in his head were dominated by Mace’s words: “She will need to be disposed of.” y/n’s face dominated the other 20%. Her smile, her terror, and sometimes…his blue lightsaber through her chest, her body sagging lifelessly in his arms.

Now, his thoughts were heavy mush, drifting in scattered images. It was nice.

He clutched the data chip with the information on Jay’s whereabouts in his hand, almost tripping on a crack in the concrete as he moved toward his hotel.

He’d find them tomorrow. He’d find her tomorrow.

YOU

You stared out of the window of the cockpit, watching the blurring white light of lightspeed flash by. It was strangely relaxing and slightly hypnotizing. You felt another twinge of envy in your gut that some people got to experience this every day, traveling across the galaxy on a whim, never worrying about being followed.

Jay walked into the cockpit, only glancing at you before pressing a few buttons on the control panel.

His hair was wet from the shower, water droplets dripping onto the bare skin of his shoulders, not covered by his black tank top. You stared at the muscles on his back that shifted with every stretch of his arm. You hated yourself for it, but didn’t have the strength to care.

His voice interrupted your thoughts. “We should be there in a few hours.”

“What planet?”

You saw a muscle in his jaw twitch, and he was silent for a moment. “It’s called Vulpter.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s an industrial planet, mostly laborers and businessmen.” He took a seat in the pilot's chair. “My client owns one of the plants.”

“Is he gonna put me to work?” You said, arms crossed, slouching in your chair.

Jay glanced at you, his face unreadable. “I don’t know, he manages a lot of people.”

Silence.

“What will he pay you for me?” You asked, staring back at the flashing lights outside the window.

Jay leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “Does it matter?”

“Not really, but maybe it’ll give me something to think about when they’re torturing me into using The Force.”

Jay scoffed, but you continued.

“I’ll think, ‘hm, I wonder what Jay is doing with his big payout, maybe he bought another treadmill, or maybe he’s gambling it all away on Canto Bight like I never even existed.’”

He laughed harshly, “You really think I’m the devil, don’t you? Even after I saved you from the Jedi? I didn’t lock you up or freeze you like I do to most of my bounties. I gave you a nice place to sleep and a home-cooked meal; you should be thanking me.”

“Thanking you?” You sat up, staring at him with cold fury. “You’re selling me, Jay. I’m not some piece of shit criminal that has a bounty on me; I’m just a person whose life you’re ruining. Just because you give me a nice meal before you do it doesn’t make you blameless.” You stood up, storming out of the small room, “I’m not a fucking animal.”

Jay didn’t move from his chair. You couldn’t see it, but his face was dark, his jaw clenched. He stared ahead, running his tongue over his teeth and clenching his hand into a fist. He pressed a few buttons, bringing the ship out of lightspeed.

You went to the bathroom, his stupid, perfect bathroom that was still humid from his shower. You stared at yourself in the mirror, wanting to shatter it with a hammer. You wondered how he would react to the broken shards—violent anger, or anguished pain. You couldn’t decide which one you liked better, but either was better than his infuriating passivity.

You still had your fingers gripped around the edge of the sink when the ship suddenly jolted.

Your head shot up, staring with wide eyes as the glass trembled and the floor vibrated under your feet. You moved quickly back to the cockpit, fear tightening in your chest as Jay’s voice sounded from ahead.

“What the fuck do you want?”

You made it to the door, staring at Jay, whose face was twisted in annoyance. He leaned over the controls, gaze locked on the transmission dial.

“I know you have her.”

You froze.

Jake’s voice spilled out of the intercom, his voice firmer than the last time you heard it. This wasn’t the cute boy from the cantina; this was the Jedi.

You inhaled sharply.

Jay heard and looked up, his eyes lingering on yours before turning back to the dial. “I don’t appreciate being shot at unprovoked.”

“Unprovoked? You stole my mission; that was payback. Now, I’d like you to hand her over. If not, I’ll be forced to bring you in.”

Jay chuckled darkly, “Bring me in? Who do you think you’re talking to? Your ‘mission’ lost me, my bounty Jedi. Someone’s gotta pay me.”

The voice was silent for a moment, and Jay glanced at you again. You were sitting back in your chair, digging your nails into your knee, eyes glazed over as you stared at nothing. You felt The Force hum around you like a physical presence, building with the tightness in your chest.

Jake’s voice cut back through the space. “Very well, hunter, I’ll pay you double whatever your client was going to give you for her.”

You watched as Jay’s eyes widened. He stared at the dial. “Double?” He lowered his voice, “We’re talking over 300,000 credits.”

“The Republic will make sure it gets to you.”

You studied Jay’s face. He worked his jaw, his whole body tense as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. You felt sick, running through a myriad of scenarios, trying to decide whether being sold off to the Jedi or some random businessman was worse. But when you closed your eyes, you heard the crack of a skull, the hum of a lightsaber, and a cold terror gripped you.

You felt yourself start to panic, “Jay-”

He looked up, and when he saw your face, something shifted. For just a second, his mask fell. The sharpness in his gaze dulled, the muscles in his jaw relaxed, and when you looked into his eyes, you saw it: understanding.

The look was gone before you could blink.

Jay turned back to the dial. “Sorry, Jedi, you can tell your masters to fuck right off.”

He disconnected the transmission and put his hands on the steering lever as the ship lurched forward. You almost fell out of your chair, grabbing the armrests to steady yourself.

“Hang on!” Jay yelled. You felt the ship shake again as Jake raced after you, pelting your shields with his laser cannons. Jay spun the ship, twirling around the shots as he sped forward.

You looked out the window, cursing when you saw what was ahead. “Jay, are you trying to kill us?”

He pressed a few buttons. “We can lose him in the meteor field; his shields aren’t strong enough to get through.”

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes. You hated to admit it, but if anyone was going to be this reckless and get away with it—smug, annoyingly confident Jay—was that person. The ship swerved suddenly, and your eyes snapped open. A meteor whirled by, just barely missing the front of the freighter.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” You tilted your head back against your seat, knuckles white from gripping the armrests.

Jay cursed as a rock clipped the butt of the ship, jolting it to the side. He twirled the lever again, steadying it as you curved around another boulder. “We’re almost through.”

“Great.” You said, eyes still clenched shut.

For another five minutes, the ship served and shook violently, the rattling of the ship only broken by Jay’s focused grunts. You kept your eyes closed, not wanting to see death racing by.

And then, everything was still.

You cracked an eye open and sighed in relief when you saw space stretching before you, black and empty, not a meteor in sight. You hesitantly removed your hands from the armrest and sat up.

Jay leaned back in his chair, breathing deeply. You noticed the glisten of sweat on his neck, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he stared ahead.

It hit you what he had just done. Jay Park, the premier bounty hunter, had just given up a bounty double the size of the original payout, and after that, he had risked his life.

“Did we lose him?” You asked quietly.

He nodded, “Yeah, he didn’t follow.”

The silence hung heavy between you, empty besides the sound of Jay’s breathing. You shifted in your seat, struggling to find the right words. You kept opening your mouth and closing it again, everything sounding wrong after you’d yelled at him earlier.

Jay stood up, cutting you off before you started. “But he’ll be back. The fact that he found us so fast means that he’s got a tracker on us.” He leaned forward and put the ship back into hyperspace.

“Where is it?”

He sighed, “I don’t know, it could be anywhere. If my systems haven’t picked it up, that means it’s tiny, too small for me to find with the tools I have. We’ll have to make a pit stop and have someone scan the ship. Otherwise, he’ll find us again.”

He started to move towards the door, not even glancing at you.

“Jay-” You tried.

“We’re backtracking. He can’t follow us in hyperspace, so we’re making a detour to Koros to buy us some time. We should get there tomorrow morning.” He left the room, leaving you staring helplessly after him.

You sighed, falling back in your chair and running your hands through your hair. You were still his prisoner, so why did you feel so terrible? You thought back to the way his face softened when he looked at you. The way it transformed him from the cold bounty hunter into someone else, someone who you weren’t sure you’d met yet. If he had turned down an offer for 300,000 credits, an amount you could hardly imagine, maybe there was hope he wouldn’t turn you in?

You stared back out the window, watching the lights fly by like sparks from a fire, letting the comforting hope of freedom drift and stray through your mind like an old friend.

You were sitting at the small table across from the holo map, staring absently at the polished green rock in the center. Your reflection stared back at you, the jagged ends distorting your features.

It never occurred to you how boring being a prisoner was. Jay hadn’t talked to you since he left the cockpit that morning; in fact, you hadn’t even seen him. You knew he was in his workshop from the sounds of clanging metal and flying sparks, but he hadn’t come out, and you hadn’t dared to knock.

But even if you were brave enough, you weren’t sure what you’d say. You didn’t want to apologize per say—he was still holding you here after all—but it felt like you had to do something. What do you say to the person who saved your life?

So you wandered around the ship, you talked to Pip, and you stared at the green rock, waiting for something to happen.

Then, a bowl appeared in front of your face.

You shot up, finding Jay staring down at you, his hand leaving the rim of the bowl. You frowned and looked down, seeing that he was barefoot. That explained how you hadn’t heard him walk in. He cradled another bowl in his hands and sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the wall.

You raised your eyebrows, eyeing the empty chair across from you. “There is a chair, you know.”

He took a bite of stew, “I like the floor.”

You stared at him for a second before taking your bowl and sitting down on the floor across from him.

He looked at you like you’d grown two heads.

“What?” You asked.

A smirk ghosted his lips and he shook his head, “Nothing.”

Your eyes glanced down at his figure. He was wearing a tight black shirt and gray work pants, the fabric scattered with oil stains and paint chips. His hair was slicked back from his face, a few strands falling forward and into his eyes. Every time he brought the spoon up to his mouth, you saw the muscles of his bicep flex under the tight fabric. God, why did he have to look like that?

He glanced up and met your eyes. You quickly looked away.

You heard him sigh, “You know, I think today calls for some celebration.”

You watched, surprised, as he got up and clicked something on the hidden panel in the wall. The black surface slid open to reveal a small compartment filled with an array of bottles. Jay took out a tall one with dark brown liquid and two small glasses, pressing a button to close the cubby before sitting back down in front of you. “Ever try Corellian Brandy?”

You shook your head.

“It’s strong, but good, especially with a good stew.” He poured you both a small glass, shoving yours toward you. He picked up his glass and instantly downed it, wincing slightly as the liquid sloshed down his throat.

You smiled slightly and picked up your own. You sniffed it. Its odor was strong with a slight sweetness, like it was mixed with a dash of honey. You took a tiny sip and almost gagged. The smell was deceptive because all you felt was a strong burning as it hit the back of your throat.

Jay chuckled, holding up his newly filled glass, “To not dying.”

You held up yours, coughing, “To life.”

Jay downed his second glass and took another bite of his stew.

You bit your lip and stared at the brown liquid, taking a deep breath before tipping the whole glass into your mouth.

An hour later, you were giggling at something Jay said, half lying on the floor as laughs wracked your body.

Jay watched you with a lazy smile on his face, not as drunk as you, but not too far behind. His head felt light and fuzzy, making your laugh sound brighter and louder.

“And then what did you do?” You got out.

“I showed him my blaster and said, ‘Sorry, but I don’t speak idiot, feel free to take it up with my manager, although I don’t think he speaks it either.’”

Both you and Jay burst out laughing. You clutched your chest as you leaned your head against the floor, feeling tears slip from your eyes. Jay slouched against the wall, his head tilted back against the cool black metal of the ship.

You lay on the floor as your laughter faded into short chuckles, staring at the ceiling as your head buzzed with the same pleasant fuzziness.

You thought you felt Jay’s eyes on you, but you were too dazed to care.

“Why didn’t you let Jake have me?” You said, thoughts drifting back to that morning.

“Is that his name? Jake.” Jay frowned. “You just…seemed so scared, more scared than you ever were here.”

You turned your head to look at him. He stared at you, his features relaxed. You knew he was telling the truth. “I was scared. I…hate the Jedi.” You breathed.

“Why?” He said, taking another swig from the bottle. You’d abandoned the cups ages ago.

“They killed my parents.” You said, staring at the wall next to Jay’s head.

His face twisted in a mix of shock and confusion. “They did? The Jedi?”

You nodded, “Yeah, they came to take me like all the other Force-sensitive children when I was young, around five. They did their little Jedi tests and decided that they had to take me.”

“Don’t the parents have to agree?”

“Normally, yes, but I was different. I heard them say something about a ‘high count,’ and ‘massive potential.’ I think my parents thought that they were going to take me by force, and maybe they were, I don’t know.”

You sat up and took the bottle out of Jay’s hand, taking another swig. He didn’t stop you, just stared, a touch of concern in his eyes. You didn’t notice. “We were living in the Outer Rim in some remote farm world that hardly anyone ever went to. My parents barely knew anything about the Jedi, and they weren’t about to give their only daughter to them.”

You lay back down, the cold floor feeling good against your hot skin. “So they took them by surprise and attacked.” You chuckled, “Tried to do it with dull kitchen knives. The Jedi were so surprised, and the younger one, the padawan, panicked. With the wave of his arm, he threw my mother into the wall.” You waved your hand to demonstrate the gesture. “I heard a horrible crack, and she went still.”

“I’m sorry,” Jay murmured, his eyes dark.

You glanced at him, but kept talking. “My father somehow reacted faster than the Jedi. He got me out and handed me off to one of the local shop owners before going back for my mother. I think he knew she was dead. I knew she was dead. But he didn’t want to accept it, or maybe a part of him didn’t want to live without her.”

You felt the pressure of water in your eyes and were only dimly aware of a drop slipping down your cheek. “Or maybe a part of him blamed me for bringing the Jedi to our door.” You whispered.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Jay said. He leaned forward until his arms rested over his knees, staring at you intently. You saw his hand twitch, like he wanted to reach for you.

His words hit you harder than you expected. It was a thought that’d been running through your head in quiet whispers most of your life. It lingered in your dreams, your body, the eyes of fathers you saw walking down the street with their children in tow. You knew you weren’t the direct cause, the Jedi killed your mother, not you. But you also knew that if you’d never been born, or if you’d been born different…they’d still be alive.

You took a breath, keeping your eyes locked on the ceiling. “I know, but I wonder sometimes. He never came back. Maybe the Jedi got him, maybe they didn’t.” You shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. All I know is that the Jedi are not the golden heroes everyone says they are.”

Jay laughed harshly, “Definitely not, I waited years for them, and they never came.” He stared at his hands, tracing his fingers over calluses you had never noticed before. “They’re just a story they tell to children.”

Somehow, you had gotten closer. Your head lay next to his folded knees, your hands on your chest within reach of his clasped hands. You turned onto your side and let your gaze wander over his face, tracing the hard line of his jaw and the line of his lips. The lights lining the walls were dimmed low, making his skin look smooth and rich. You found yourself wondering if it would be as soft as it looked.

“Why did you wait?”

Jay’s eyes widened slightly, startled, as if he hadn’t meant to say that. But when he looked at you, the expression faded, replaced with a glazed, distant stare. He searched your face for something—you didn’t know what—but maybe he found it, because after a moment, he continued. “My homeworld was overrun by Separatist forces when I was around ten. My father died in the fighting, and my mother was taken away, probably somewhere else on the planet.” He took a breath. “There was a valuable resource in my world called Ilifrium.” He nodded at the green rock on the table, “That’s a sample right there.”

You stared at the rock, studying its curved edges with newfound interest as he continued.

“We would melt it down and use it in our cooking, because it was a powerful natural medicine. It made your muscles stronger, strengthened your immune system, made you less prone to fatigue…” He trailed off. “It was known that it could increase your lifespan by up to 20 years.” He smiled, a gentle, loving curve of his lips. “My people were strong, happy, and when the Separatists realized what Ilifrium could do for their enemies, the Jedi, they launched a planetary takeover.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes a storm of grief and anger. “They forced us to melt down our reserves and strip the planet of everything, working us with barely any food or water-” His voice broke, and your hand instinctively reached up to rest over the one clenched in his lap.

Jay met your eyes, calculating. Slowly, he enclosed your small hand within his large one, squeezing slightly.

You nodded at him to continue.

He took a deep breath. “Every day, I prayed that the Jedi would come to free us from the Separatists. That they would save our planet and my people like they did so many others.” He paused. “But they never did, and the droids stayed and worked us until nothing was left.”

Violent anger rumbled in his voice as he talked, his face hardening into the familiar lines of the bounty hunter. You saw now that the Jedi changed Jay just as much as they changed you, maybe more so. Rage and pain were his fuel, while grief and fear were yours. Neither were sustainable. Both were destined for the crash.

His hand still held yours and you squeezed it slightly, drawing his gaze to your face. “I guess we’re both pretty fucked up then.”

A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched you, eyes tracing your face like he was studying an expensive painting.

You sat up, but you’d been laying down for so long that the shift was disorienting, and your vision blurred. You fell half into Jay’s lap, your hands latching onto his legs. His hands gripped your shoulders, steadying you, just like the first day you met. Except this time you were close, much closer. You looked up and realized his face was only inches away. You were painfully aware of the way his hands felt against your skin, the booze making the loneliness of the past few days feel tense and suffocating. One of your hands rested on his knee, and the other on his thigh, and the firmness of his body under you felt grounding, like nothing could sway you as long as he held you there.

Jay’s eyes roamed over you like an animal, his pupils dark and blown wide. His mouth was slightly parted, his hot breath fanning over your skin as his gaze darted between your eyes and your lips.

No words were spoken, but it felt like a million conversations were passing between the rhythm of his breath and the pressure of his hands. His right hand left your shoulder and floated up to your face. He gently took your chin between his thumb and index finger, as if you were a piece of glass that would shatter under his touch. He traced the skin softly, sending pleasant shivers down your body, only intensified by the buzz in your skull.

Jay looked at you like he was fighting against a demon, his entire body screaming at him to close the distance. The part of his brain, not fogged up by the brandy, told him to stop. But the voice was so quiet, shouting from behind a reinforced wall on another planet. He felt his body move forward. His hand tilted up your chin.

And when the warmth of your lips met his, the voice went silent.

Every thought in your head evaporated the second he leaned in.

There was only the hand that cupped your face and the firm body beneath your fingers, kissing you as if he needed you to breathe.

You melted under him like he was fire, and you were ice, threading one of your hands through his hair and pulling him closer.

Jay made a noise and moved his hand from your shoulder to your waist, pulling you onto his lap. You wrapped your knees around his torso, straddling him. His hands moved to your hips, pulling you so close you could feel the hard length of his erection pressing against your core.

You shifted slightly, sighing as you felt your clit brush against his shaft. Jay growled into your mouth, digging his fingers into your hips to hold you still. The sound sent a jolt of pleasure straight between your legs, and you nipped at his lip, the brandy boosting your confidence.

He hissed and pulled back, looking at you like you were a problem he didn’t sign up for. But he didn’t let go of you, didn’t push you away. Instead he picked you up. Hooked his hands under your ass and pushed his back against the wall until he was on his feet.

You hooked your legs around his waist, your eyes searching his face.

Jay’s eyes were locked on your lips, his pupils wide and unreadable. He leaned in, his nose brushing yours before kissing you again. His mouth moved against yours hungrily, grazing your bottom lip with his teeth. You made a noise halfway between a moan and a whimper and he swallowed all of it, his hands on your thighs tightening. He tried to walk forward a few steps, but stumbled slightly, his hand shooting out to grab the edge of the holo map to stay standing.

He groaned in annoyance, and you laughed softly against his lips. He pulled away and readjusted his hold on your thighs before walking again, this time his eyes facing forward.

You took the opportunity to lean your face into the crook of his neck, gently kissing the sensitive skin.

“Fuck,” he whispered, and you could feel the sound rumble against his chest. You smiled and made your kisses sloppier, using your tongue to swirl wet circles.

You were only half aware of being in a new area of the ship, the hallway spotted with unfamiliar doors. He carried you to the very end, his hands starting to make erratic movements around your thighs as his resolve weakened.

You were still making out with his neck, teasing the skin with your teeth before sucking the area into your mouth.

“y/n” he groaned. Jay had been about to touch the panel on the wall to open the door, but as your teeth sank into his nape, he slammed you against it instead, forcing you to look at him. “If you don’t stop I’m going to fuck you right here.” His eyes were completely black, and you could tell that his self control was hanging by a thread. “I’d much prefer the bed, I can take you better that way, but if you don’t keep your teeth in check and behave, we won’t make it there.”

The intensity of his stare only strengthened the pressure between your legs, and it was all you could do to nod, tongue darting out to collect the excess moisture on your lips.

His eyes flicked down at the movement, and you watched a muscle tighten in his jaw as he reached and touched the console to open the door.

You felt the wall against your back disappear as it met open air, and he wasted no time walking in. You glanced around, getting a brief view of a large bed next to a small kitchenette, an empty pot perched on the stove.

Jay threw you onto the bed, immediately grabbing the bottom of his black shirt and pulling it up and off his head. He tossed it onto the floor like an afterthought, walking to the edge of the bed and staring down at you. You sat with your legs extended and your hands holding you up from behind, raking your eyes down his chest. Somehow, he looked even better now than he did in the gym, the soft light of the lamp on the bedside table casting golden shadows onto the ridges of his muscles.

He smirked as he followed your eyes and put his knee on the mattress, pushing you onto your back as he climbed over you. Jay’s eyes traced your body with the precision of a hunter deciding where to make the first cut, analytic and cold. His hand landed on your waist, drifting up below your shirt as he lifted it to expose your breasts. He wasted no time, reaching under you to unclip your bra with the ease of a pro.

The second your nipples were exposed, he was on you, flicking his tongue against your raised peaks with teasing consistency.

You arched against him, the spikes of pleasure enhanced by the brandy.

Without moving his mouth, he pinned you down, one hand slipping down to your thigh and the other pinning your arm, holding you against the mattress.

You couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping your lips at the situation. At the total absurdity of it. Here you were, being held down by the man who picked you up off the street and locked you in his ship, one of the most notorious bounty hunters in the galaxy.

And you were enjoying it. Really enjoying it.

He stopped at your laugh, looking up at you like you’d gone mad. He migrated to your neck, placing a few soft kisses, “Something funny?”

You laughed again, shrinking against his lips.

You felt him smile against your skin, his chuckle vibrating through his body and against yours. “You’re so…” He trailed off, and when you turned your head to look at him, he attacked your lips, silencing your lingering laughter which quickly turned into desperate whimpers.

His tongue brushed against your teeth, asking for entrance, and when you hesitated, he bit your lip, making you gasp. He slipped his tongue through your open mouth, groaning as it tangled with yours.

You clawed at his back, moaning as you felt his deltoid flex under your hand. You wanted to touch every inch of him, to feel his bodyrespond to your touch.

Jay reached his hand down to tug at your pants. You helped, breaking the kiss to slide them down your hips and onto the floor. Jay kissed you again, flicking up your chin with his finger before kissing down your chest.

You propped yourself up on your elbows, watching with glossy eyes as the pressure in your core built with every glide of his lips.

When he reached the line of your panties he stopped. He looked up at you, a dark smirk on his face. With his teeth, he bit the edge of the fabric, moving his head back as he pulled them down.

The sight alone made you moan, and you bucked your hips in response, begging for him.

The moment the fabric peeled away, exposing your pussy to the open air, his tongue was on you, dipping into your folds, and brushing a deep stroke up to your clit.

You tried to arch again, but his hands held you down, their grip on your thighs firm and commanding.

Jay didn’t stop, he didn’t tease, he attacked, eating you out like he was starving.

Your hands gripped the sheets, the pleasure so intense you knew release was imminent. His tongue was precise, calculated, hitting every spot at just the right speed and pressure. It was like he’d tasted you a thousand times, memorizing your body better than you ever had.

“Jay, oh fuck please!” You cried, your moans turning into desperate pleas.

He didn’t stop, not even for a second. No, instead, he dipped his tongue into your entrance, slipping it in and out, drawing a strangled gasp from your mouth. You reached out one hand to grab his hair, pulling him even closer.

He moaned against you, sending another jolt of pleasure through your body. “I’m close,” you choked, “Jay I’m so close.”

At that, he stopped. He slowly tilted his head up, his mouth coated in your juices, his eyes ruined. “But I’m not done with you.”

You almost came right there.

He stood up, his hand going to the band of his sweatpants. Your eyes widened, and he noticed.

He pulled them down along with his boxers in one fluid motion, his hard length coming free. You licked your lips at the sight, eyes darting up to his face.

Jay’s expression was so intense it almost scared you. He looked like he was in pain, eyes locked on your gleaming pussy like it was his reason for living. He leaned against the edge of the bed and hooked his hands under your knees, pulling you close until his cock hovered outside your entrance.

“Ready to cum for me baby?” His voice was deep, completely wrecked.

You nodded quickly, unable to take your eyes off his length inches from where you needed him.

You felt a hand grab your chin, forcing you to look at him. “Be a good girl and use your words.” He growled.

“Yes,” you breathed, “I want to cum for you.”

He raised his eyebrows, “yes who?”

It slipped out before you could stop yourself, “Yes Daddy.”

Jay’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting that response. But it was quickly followed by a dark smile, his eyes suddenly a shade brighter. His grip on your chin loosened, turning almost loving as he brushed your cheek with his thumb. “Yes, Daddy will take care of you.”

The second the words left his mouth, he slammed into you, the gentle touch on your cheek falling away as he filled you.

You screamed, falling back onto the bed as the stretch made your eyes roll back.

Jay moved fast, pumping into you with a brutal rhythm that made your mouth drop open in a silent scream. He watched your face the whole time, his brows drawn together as he fucked you into oblivion.

You desperately grasped at the bedsheets, needing to hold something as your entire body shook with his thrusts.

Jay put his hand on your breast, kneading the hard peaks. You took the opportunity to grab his arm, digging your fingers into the hard muscle to give you some semblance of reality.

He winced at the strength of your grip, and you could tell by the flicker in his eye that he liked it.

You let your nails press harshly into his flesh, watching his skin go pale around the pressure. Jay groaned, and with his hand still on your hip he dragged you closer, allowing him to thrust even deeper into you.

At the feeling of his dick pounding against your cervix, you bit down on your lip, hard. You felt a warm trail of blood form on the delicate skin, barely registering as it slipped down your chin. Jay saw and leaned forward, tugging your chin towards him and flicking his tongue out to lick up the red line. Then he captured your lips, the metallic tang of your blood mixed with his saliva making you whimper.

“Careful sweetheart,” he said. “Daddy doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

You tried to close the distance again but he dodged your lips, smirking.

You trembled under him, feeling your orgasm building on the brink of release as he continued his deep thrusts. You were past the point of forming words, but Jay didn’t care. He slowed his rhythm, smiling as your face contorted with need. “I’m going to need to hear you y/n, tell me what you need.”

You cursed. “Jay if you don’t start moving right now, I’m gonna-”

He thrust his hand between the space where your bodies met, pressuring your clit firmly. “That’s my girl.” And then he moved, a desperate hungry rhythm as he chased his own release inside you. You arched off the bed with a choked sob as your orgasm finally ripped through you, sending waves of shivering pleasure in spasms down your body. Jay came shortly after, groaning as your walls clenched around him, his seed filling you completely in a sticky mass. You sighed at the warmth in your vagina, feeling your muscles twitch and then relax into the mattress.

Jay stayed inside you for a moment, panting heavily. His forehead glistened with sweat, his expression dazed. Then he slowly pulled out, both of you moaning softly at the separation. He bent down his head and started cleaning you with his tongue, lapping at his cum that dripped down your thighs. You whined at the overstimulation, but lay still, too tired to squirm under him.

When he was done, he crawled on the bed, pulling you onto his chest as he collapsed against the pillows. You curled into him like a loth cat, his warmth radiating into your tired muscles. The fuzzy ache of the brandy had almost worn off, and you could feel your eyes getting heavy. Jay stroked your hair, his breathing steady and comforting against your ear.

You didn’t say anything, and neither did he. You just held each other, basking in the stillness as sleep took you both.

You woke up to the warm embrace of silk sheets and the soothing pressure of a thick pillow under your head.

You groaned, curling into a ball as you started to feel the pressure of a hangover pulsing in your skull. You lay there for a few minutes, half asleep and relaxed.

But then you felt the dull ache between your legs, and the memories from the night before came rushing in.

Your eyes snapped open towards the other side of the bed, half hoping, half dreading seeing another body. But it was empty, and when you reached over to feel the rumpled sheets, they were cold.

You sat up slowly, wincing as the throbbing in your head intensified. You glanced at the bedside table, eyes widening when you found a tall glass of water and a small white pill next to it. Besides the glass was a small note with only one word: Drink

You downed the pill and the water before getting to your feet, groaning as you faced the reality of just how sore your body was. With some difficulty, you eventually got your shirt and pants back on, and took the opportunity to get a closer look at the room.

Just as you remembered, a small kitchenette stood in one corner, clean and tidy beside the large pot on the stove, remnants from last night's dinner. But on the other side of the bed, in a spot you hadn’t noticed, stood an old-looking guitar. It was a typical double-necked model made from dark wood and polished metal strings, but it looked tweaked slightly, like Jay had added to it. There were two extra tuning pegs on each side, slightly brighter than the other ones, connected to strings leading under a covered hood built out of the soundhole. You imagined Jay playing it, tucking the instrument to his chest, his face relaxed and gentle as he played. You smiled.

You stood up and walked back to the door, the pill already kicking in as the pounding in your head lessened to a dull ache. You took a deep breath as you stepped out, not totally sure what to expect from Jay. You replayed the image of his blown pupils boring into you, his desperate thrusts and the way he kissed you like he was starving. You felt a slight swell of heat in your core at the memory. It was…so different from the cold mask you’d faced from that first day. It was the version of him that flew through an asteroid field to save you, the version of him that listened to your story and told you it wasn’t your fault.

The words you didn’t know how badly you needed to hear.

You walked into the main room, the space quiet besides the steady humming of the ship around you. You could tell from the sound that you were still in hyperspace, shooting towards a planet you’d never stepped foot on.

Before you could decide what to do, a door whirred open to your left. You looked up, watching as Jay stepped through, a towel thrown over his shoulder and a fresh layer of sweat slicked over his forehead, clearly straight from the gym.

You ached at the sight of him. God, what had you let him do to you?

“Hi.” You said.

His eyes washed over you, cautious, distant, and you realized with a sinking feeling in your gut that the mask was back, and the Jay that had held you against his chest was gone.

“Hey.” He said. He rubbed the towel through his hair, his eyes flicking to your lips.

You brushed your finger over the cut, wincing gently as the memory of his tongue licking up your blood flashed through your mind.

He looked away and walked past you towards the cockpit, “Did you take the pill?”

You nodded, trying to hide the hurt that blossomed in your chest, “Yeah, thank you, it helped.”

“I have a contact on Naboo for them, no better hangover med in the galaxy.”

You followed him into the small room, saying nothing as you watched him check a few of the bright indicators on the control panel. “We’ll be leaving hyperspace in about an hour and then we’ll head straight down to Koros. We’ll have to be fast since Jake will be on our tail.”

You shifted on your feet. “Jay…”

“What?” His face was hard.

You opened your mouth but no words came out. “...Can we talk?”

He clenched his jaw, his eyes full of something you couldn’t read. Somehow, it was worse, like every bit of familiarity you’d built had been erased by the night before. He had been as physically close to you as anyone, and yet now he seemed like he was lightyears away.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” He squared his shoulders and walked out of the room, keeping his distance as he brushed by you, like your skin was a drug he was scared to touch.

JAKE

Jake woke to the sound of beeping.

He half fell out of his seat as his eyes snapped open, scrambling towards the red indicator on the console. He clicked a few buttons, a relieved laugh slipping from his lips as a dot appeared on the small locator grid.

He had them, there was still a chance.

He immediately put in Jay’s ship coordinates and set his ship to hyperspeed, sighing as the racing white lights arched over him. He never got tired of it.

Jake leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his hair as he tried to wake himself up from the last day of sitting and waiting. He hadn’t told the council about the encounter, even though he probably should have. He kept replaying Jay’s words in his mind, what kind of bounty hunter declined a bounty, especially one that large?

He had no explanation for it, nothing besides the spiteful, childish pride of refusing any sort of help, even when it was desperately needed. He saw it all the time as a padawan, planets full of people that would rather die fighting by themselves than accept the Jedi’s help. He didn’t understand it, that’s what the Jedi were there for.

But mostly, he didn’t tell the council because he couldn’t bear to hear the words again: “if she continually refuses our aid, she will need to be disposed of.”

He didn’t believe them, he didn’t believe that the bright-eyed girl he met in the cantina, who brushed her hand over his, and called the bartender Scarface, could be a danger to the Jedi.

There had to be another way.

YOU

The second Jay opened the door to the ship, you stormed out, shouldering your worn satchel as you clomped down the metal ramp.

“y/n, where are you going?” Jay stood at the entrance, his expression annoyed.

“I’m taking a walk, I need a break from you.”

He sighed, running a hand through his freshly washed hair. “No, Jake could catch up to us at any time, we need to stick together.”

“Oh so now you wanna stay together?”

He let out a harsh laugh, “God I can’t do this right now. You need to follow me, you really think you can fend off a Jedi?”

You scoffed, “I can do a lot of things you don’t know about Jay. I’m a wealth of surprises.”

His face hardened, his mouth making a thin line. “Listen y/n, last night…” he cursed softly, “It was a mistake, ok? I had too much to drink and I got carried away.”

You could do nothing to stop the pain from showing on your face, realizing that his words, the ones that had you crawling into his arms, didn’t mean as much as you thought they did.

You thought you saw his face soften slightly as he looked at you, but it was gone before it was even really there. “If you expected more from it…I’m sorry.”

You turned away before he could finish his sentence, needing to get away from him before he saw you break any more. That was one thing you refused to give him: your tears.

He called after you, but it fell on deaf ears. There was only the roar of blood in your ears and the sounds of the city, drowning out his voice like a repressed memory. You slipped into the crowd, letting it consume you.

You hated him.

You hated the way you couldn’t stop thinking about the way his tongue felt between your thighs. You hated the way he listened to you like he cared. You hated the way he squeezed your hand. You hated the way he looked at you as he told you it was a mistake.

You walked through the crowd like you had a destination, but really you had none. You just needed to create distance, needed to get away from his emotionless stare. But you knew not even the stretch of the city would be enough. You pulled out Pip as you walked, cursing as you talked. The droid's beeps made you feel slightly better, at least one thing in the galaxy seemed to want to talk to you. Even if it was a droid, with no legs.

You walked until the smell of food made your steps slow, and let it lead you to a street stall set up outside what looked like a very fancy restaurant. This planet was the complete opposite of Devon Four: rich, sprawling, and covered with the type of high-class people you had learned to stay away from. These were the types of people who would sell you out to the Jedi without a second thought, but at the moment, you didn’t really care.

You sat at the stall and poured a handful of credits on the counter that you’d stolen from one of Jay’s drawers. You knew he wouldn’t notice you’d taken them, but you wished that he would, just to see the annoyed tick of his jaw.

You decided then that you’d take your chances with the Jedi. You’d survived this long, you could do it again. But Jay’s words flashed through your mind: “You really think you can fend off a Jedi?”

Honestly, you didn’t know, but anything was better than spending another second with him.

You ate eagerly, the food—some kind of noodle dish— heavenly against your empty stomach. Jay had offered you food before you landed, but you’d refused. Half because you were angry, and half because your stomach was always iffy after a night of drinking.

You chattered to Pip as you ate, planning out where you would go next or how you could get off the planet.

And that’s when everything went black.

JAKE

Jake heaved her into his arms after the Force sleep took hold, turning her brain off like a switch. He threw the babbling droid on the table into her sack, not wanting to cause more of a scene than he already was.

People stared at him as he walked, but not as concerned as they were curious. Koros wasn’t very far from Coruscant; the Jedi were common and well-respected here. He had changed into his proper robes after landing and realized he had missed it after the hostile caution of the Outer Rim.

He glanced down at her, taking in the peaceful expression that glossed over her features as her cheek rested against his chest. His eyes narrowed when he spotted the red mark on her lip, a swell of concern roiling in his gut. Had Jay hit her?

When he got to his ship, he gently placed her in the chair behind the pilot's seat, buckling her in and brushing a strand of hair out of her face before taking his own place. Jake started the ship with a gentle hum, the engines roaring to life as he lifted it into the air. He set the coordinates for a planet in the next system, wanting to create distance from the bounty hunter who was surely nearby. But not to Coruscant, not yet.

Jake didn’t care what the council said, he was going to talk to her, and he was going to make her listen.

He had just made the jump into hyperspeed when he felt the air shift.

He turned around, his mouth dropping as he found wide eyes staring back. She was awake. How was she awake? He’d put her in Force sleep, she couldn’t just wake up!

“Jake,” she said between short gasps, “let me out, Jake.” She struggled against the seatstrap, a look of pure panic on her face.

“It’s ok, I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m taking you-”

“Jay!” She yelled, “Jay please, I’m sorry.” A trail of tears slipped down her cheeks. “I should have listened, oh fuck, I should have listened.”

Jake didn’t know how to react to what he was hearing, he tentatively reached a hand towards her arm, wanting to steady her.

This was the wrong move.

She jerked her arm away and the entire ship lurched with her, swerving and causing Jake to lose his balance. He gripped his chair, desperately trying to calm her down as her uncontrolled Force abilities came out.

“y/n listen to me, you’re ok, I just want to talk to you.”

She jerked again, sending the ship spinning in the other direction.

Jake could barely see straight as the ship spun, and as he stared at her features twisted in panic, he knew there was no getting through to her. Not now.

He flung out his hand and used the Force the same way as before, groaning in relief as he watched her face go lax and her body slump into the chair.

He fell back into his seat, quickly righting the ship towards their new destination: a small plains planet called Argos. He glanced back at her every few minutes, making sure she stayed under.

JAY

Jay paid the mechanic and walked away, turning over the miniature tracking device in his hand. It was barely the size of his fingernail, and so thin it was almost transparent. He had no idea how it got there, or how long. He made a note to do more regular checkups on his ship, and have a word with the hunter guild about keeping tabs on him.

He wandered a few blocks of the city, eyeing the luxury boutiques and pristine restaurants. It was a nice place, he could see himself spending time here. He passed a window featuring a glamorous purple and blue dress on a mannequin, the layers of fabric overlapping into what felt like an endless train.

His first thought was how good she’d look wearing it.

His second thought was how hurt she’d looked as she stormed away from him.

Jay clicked his tongue, adjusting the dark shades over his eyes as he walked away from the window. He hadn’t lied to her, it was a mistake. He never should have let his guard down like that. Not to her. Not to anyone.

He was a loner, and he liked that life. No one to worry about, no one to fight with…but right now he was worried, and after that fight, it was only worse. He hated the way his stomach dropped when he thought about her, and hated the way his eyes searched the crowd now, looking for the flutter of brown fabric or the sound of heavy boots.

Yeah, it was definitely a mistake.

He stopped and pulled out his tracker, tired of looking the old-fashioned way. Clearly she had really wanted to get away from him, and hid well. Unbeknownst to her, he had found her PIP droid and installed a tracking program. He did this for most of his bounties in the event they got away from him (something that never happened), and hadn’t thought twice when he’d habitually done the same for her.

Jay flipped open the metal screen, and his heart stopped.

Her dot wasn’t even on the screen. Wasn’t even on the planet.

He zoomed out, swiping his finger frantically until he finally found it, beeping calmly, halfway to the next starsystem.

His feet were moving before his brain could finish processing what he’d seen. Jake got her, he knew it without a shadow of a doubt.

An intense wave of guilt welled up in his gut, and he stumbled slightly. The feeling shocked him—it was like he’d been punched in the gut—and he almost threw up right then, leaning onto a nearby trash chute. Her pained face flashed through his mind for what felt like the thousandth time that day. This was his fault, he’d pushed her away, and left her vulnerable. He knew she was helpless against an experienced Force user, yet he let her go anyway, too much of a coward to actually talk to her.

He felt his hand shake as he raked it through his hair, stumbling slightly toward his ship still parked in the docks.

He thought of the fear on her face when he’d first crashed into her on Devon Four, or when Jake’s voice sounded through the transmitter.

He thought of her story, her parents.

Jay ripped off his shades as he made it to his ship, heading straight for the cockpit. He avoided looking at the spot on the floor where he’d first kissed her. There was only guilt, pain, and anger.

He sat down in the pilot's seat and put his hand on the lever.

YOU

You woke up with a gasp.

Brown sheets, tan walls, dark wood, a man in a chair. You were in a hotel, lying sprawled on a bed as life returned to your limbs. You blinked, memories from the last few hours zipping through your mind like the white flashes of lightspeed.

The man stood as you sat up, his hair messy like he’d run his hand through it too many times, a concerned expression clouding his features.

Jake.

You closed your eyes and leaned your head back against the headboard. God damn it. Jay was right, of course he was right; you hadn’t even heard Jake come up behind you.

“How do you feel?” Jake’s soft voice washed over you. The worried lilt in his voice surprised you.

You kept your eyes closed. “Like I was knocked out by the Force.”

“Technically it was a Force induced sleep, I didn’t ‘knock you out.’”

“Whatever.”

You heard him shift on his feet, the only sound in the silence of the room. “I took you here so we could talk.”

“What do we have to talk about? Just take me to Coruscant and get it over with Jake. Or better yet, kill me now.”

You heard him wince, and you opened your eyes to see him chewing his lip, avoiding your face. “I’m not doing that, I just needed to know why.”

“Why what?”

“Why do the Jedi think you’re dangerous?”

You stared at him.

He continued. “They say that you’ll join the Sith, that you’ll be a danger to the Order itself.”

You snorted, “I’m flattered.”

“y/n, this isn’t a joke, if you don’t listen to them, they’ll kill you!”

You narrowed your eyes, “Maybe that’d be better.”

Jake laughed like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “You sound like the bounty hunter, what’d he do to you, did he give you that mark? Brainwash you into becoming his sidekick?” He gestured to your lip.

You looked away as you felt a prickle of heat on your neck. Your brain betrayed you, the image of Jay’s tongue on your chin replaying like a movie.

Thankfully, Jake didn’t notice the way your thighs clenched.

“No, I bit myself.” You whispered.

His eyes softened, but only slightly. “You were calling his name, you know. On the ship.”

You felt your chest tighten, remembering only a panicked haze from the confines of Jake’s ship. You didn’t remember calling for him, but you knew Jake had no reason to lie.

“I was scared.”

“Are you still scared?”

“Yes.”

He sighed. “Why? Why do you hate us? The Jedi are protectors, guardians, they help people and do good, I just don’t understand wh-”

“Because they took everything from me Jake!” You cut him off, raising your voice into a broken cry.

He froze.

You buried your head in your hands, wanting nothing more than your old life. The one before Jake, before Jay. When you spent every night on a different couch, or tucked in someone else’s bed. It wasn’t perfect, but it was peaceful. It was yours.

Jake carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, “y/n.”

Your name sounded so good on his lips, the word gentle and full of care. The same way Jay said it last night. You felt a tear slip down your cheek.

“y/n, tell me what happened.”

You were exhausted, mentally and physically. Your walls were brittle, weak, and so you did. You told him everything. The night of your parents death, your life growing up as an orphan, your years on the run surviving as a common thief…it spilled out of you in a wave, pent up and brimming after years of keeping it down.

He never took his eyes off you the entire time, his face going through a whirlwind of emotions as he listened. First shock, then confusion, then disbelief. His leg shook, the veins on his arms protruded as he flexed his hand, but he never looked away. Not once.

When you finished, he sighed like he’d been holding his breath, shaking his head as he ran his fingers through his hair. Then he stood up and paced, glancing between you and the wall, as he picked at his plump lips.

You didn’t say anything, just watched as Jake’s entire world changed.

“I-I don’t understand, how could that even happen, the Jedi don’t kill civilians, nor do they take Force-sensitive children against their will.”

“My parents thought they were.”

“Well they were wrong.” He snapped.

A pang of hurt flickered on your face, and Jake noticed, his expression immediately softening. “I’m sorry, I just-” He stopped, sighing deeply, “why wouldn’t they tell us about you? Why didn’t they tell me about what happened?”

“They probably didn’t want to break people’s trust,” you whispered, “It was a mistake, and they covered it up.”

He sat back down on the bed, his back to you. “Do you remember the names of the Jedi who did it?”

You shook your head, “No, I can only remember their faces. Mostly the padawan, he was the one who killed my mother.”

Jake nodded, his face distant.

For a few minutes, you sat in silence, Jake leaning his elbows on his knees as he stared out the hotel room window.

You jumped slightly when he finally spoke. “What if I taught you?”

You tilted your head, “What?”

“The council was right about one thing, you’re powerful, I could barely handle you when you used the Force to move the ship.” He turned his body to face you, “You need to learn how to control it before you hurt someone.”

You stared at your lap, “I have a few times already.”

He tentatively placed his hand on your knee, drawing your eyes back to his. “Not again, I’ll train you.”

“The council wouldn’t let you.”

He smiled, and just like that, he was the boy in the cantina again.

“No, they wouldn’t, but they don’t have to know. I’ll take you somewhere far from here, somewhere they’ll never find you. I’ll tell them that you’re dead, and I’ll visit as often as I can.” Jake moved closer, grabbing your hand, “I’ll teach you everything I know, and before you know it, you’ll be as good as a Jedi.”

His eyes were so bright as he looked at you, so full of hope, and you realized as you looked at him that this was what the Jedi represented. The others were fake, just projections of Jedi. But Jake, he was real. He was the Jedi.

You felt your body relax, and for just a second, you let yourself believe him.

The plan was set.

Jake was going to take you to the most remote planet he could find, far away from Coruscant and the Jedi. Then he would report to the council, and tell them you were dead.

You tried not to think about Jay. Every time his voice played through your mind you pushed it away. You focused on Jake—his voice, his smile—the one who was going to save you from this mess.

You were half asleep on the bed, encouraged by Jake to get some more rest before leaving when a knock sounded on the hotel door.

Jake’s head shot up from the bag he’d been packing, his hand hovering over his lightsaber. “Who’s there?”

“Open the door Jake.”

You watched as Jake’s entire body froze, his face morphing into a look of dread. His eyes were locked on the door, staring at it like a monster was about to walk through.

“Jake?” You whispered.

He turned his head, a pained expression on his face. “y/n, I’m sorry.”

The door slid open, and in walked a dark-skinned man in Jedi robes, two figures in similar uniform behind him. He glanced at Jake before resting his eyes on you, his face unreadable. “y/n l/n, we’re going to need you to come with us.”

You moved back on the bed, the familiar twinge of fear flaring in your gut.

“Either you come willingly, or we take you. You’ve run long enough.”

You looked desperately at Jake but his eyes were glued to his feet, his shoulders slumped.

“Don’t look at him, look at me. He can’t help you.”

“Master Windu…” Jake whispered.

The man’s head whirled towards Jake. “Enough. We told you not to talk to her. Your job was to capture and return. Luckily we have enough spies on this planet that we had a report on your location before you left your ship.”

Jake winced like a kicked puppy, his hands clasped tightly at his sides.

Windu glanced at you one more time before turning towards the door. He nodded to his companions. “Take her, we’ve wasted enough time.”

The other Jedi approached the bed. You tried to run, your instincts the only thing left to rely on. But before you could take a step, a hand gripped your wrist, tugging you against an unfamiliar body while you felt your hands held and locked in stuncuffs behind your back. You squirmed and fought against them, not caring how it made you look. After running from them for a majority of your life, you sure as hell weren’t going to make it easy for them.

They half pulled-half dragged you out of the room. You got one last look at Jake before the door closed behind you. He watched you helplessly, his mouth open in silent protest as you felt an angry tear slip down your cheek.

Somehow, this hurt more. Having the hope ripped out of your chest before it could properly settle. You should have known it was just a dream. A dream created by a boy too blinded by the false light of the Jedi to see.

JAKE

Jake slowly walked out of the hotel, covering his eyes as the sun pierced him.

He felt lost, empty, the cold grip of failure sitting heavy on his chest. He just let it happen. Just watched as Mace commanded them to take her. He couldn’t say anything. Why didn’t he say anything?

It was like every bit of confidence he had built up the last few days had been ripped out of him the second Master Windu stepped into the room. Jake knew he was a Master, someone with vast amounts of wisdom and experience, but it’s like he didn’t even matter. He was a Jedi Knight and yet he still felt like a padawan. Pushed to the side like an ignorant child. And yet, even his master, Plo Koon, had treated him more like an equal.

And then there was y/n’s story.

The Jedi? Killers? His stomach lurched every time he thought of it, the crack of y/n’s mothers skull against the wall playing in his head like he’d seen it himself. They didn’t even tell him.

He grit his teeth as he stalked towards his ship. He asked the council why she was so important, and to his face, they had ignored him. He wondered how many people knew. Just the council? Or was it only him they didn’t trust?

Jake pulled his hood tighter over his head as y/n’s desperate eyes clung to his mind.

He was about 100 yards from his ship when his arm moved, The Force screaming at him to block as a blaster shot zoomed toward his head. The blue glow of his lightsaber whirled in front of him as he deflected it.

He looked up, eyes widening as a figure in all black stocked toward him, his arm raised with a blaster gripped in his hand.

Jay Park.

“Where is she?” He shouted, his footsteps not slowing.

Jake tilted his head, remembering how y/n had called for him. “She’s gone, you should have taken my deal when you had the chance.”

The bounty hunter wore his dark shades, so Jake could only see his jaw clench as he shot the blaster again, this time at Jake’s feet. He jumped back, his lightsaber still humming beside him.

“You gave her up? Didn’t you?”

His voice was low and dangerous, and Jake felt a flicker of fear shiver in his stomach. “In case you forgot, I’m a Jedi. It was my job to give her up.”

Jay smirked, “Oh I know, which is why I’m going to fucking kill you.” He hit a button on the band on his wrist, shooting another shot with his blaster as a net shot out of a device on Jay’s belt, heading straight for Jake.

He dove, hitting the ground hard as he just narrowly dodged the net. Jay shot again, his blaster echoing through the now-empty shipyard as Jake used his lightsaber to deflect each one.

“Jay, wait-” Jake said before being forced to the ground as a small throwing knife whizzed past his neck.

Jay responded by taking a compact metal tube out of his boot, clicking a button so it opened into an electrified whip, its tendrils creating a soft humming sound similar to Jake’s lightsaber.

Jake raised his eyebrows, “Really?”

Jay shrugged, “Jedi aren’t the only ones with cool weapons.” He flung it outward, Jake using The Force to jump around it.

Jay scoffed, “Are you just going to run forever, or are you going to fight?”

“I’m only defending myself, Jedi don’t fight civilians.”

Jay cursed, “God I’m so sick of your stupid rules. All of that crap about controlling your emotions and cutting attachments, it’s not natural”

“Who are you to tell me what’s natural? You hunt people for a living.”

“Your entire mission was to find y/n, it’s the same thing.”

“I don’t get paid.”

“Sucks for you.”

Jake felt his temper flare, and he dug his nails into his palm. He extinguished his lightsaber, putting it back on his belt before turning away. “I’m done with you.”

Jake heard Jay raise his blaster, and he whirled, putting his hand out and throwing

Jay off of his feet with The Force. The hunter groaned on the ground. He raised his head with a smile on his face, wiping a trickle of blood off his lip.“That’s better.”

Jake’s nostrils flared as he stared at him, “Why are you even here? She’s not your target.”

Jay’s smile dropped. He sat up. “I have my reasons.”

“Well you better tell me, because if you still want to find her, you’re going to need my help.”

Jay raised his eyebrows, “Help? Are you saying you’re going to betray the Jedi?”

Jake bit his lip, “It’s not betrayal if I’m saving an innocent life, something the Jedi taught me to do.”

Jay took off his shades, his eyes dark, “So they will kill her?”

“Based on what she told me…yes, I think there’s a high chance.”

“She told you then? About her parents?”

Jake frowned, “She told you?”

The bounty hunter stood up, running a hand through his spiky hair, “Yeah.”

Jake ignored the twinge of jealousy in his gut. “She’s living proof of the Jedi’s mistake, they’ll give her some tests, ask her questions, and if they decide she’s too prone to anger or any other strong emotion…they won’t let her walk free.”

Jay let out a short laugh, “So she’s doomed?”

Jake thought about the way she struggled against the stuncuffs, fighting against her captors like a caged animal. Despite himself, he smiled. “Probably.”

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