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chapter four: class reunions
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     LOUD MUSIC BLARES through the walls of the last room at the end of the hallway. From the other side of the door, Indira can hear the sounds of the synthetic rock music and she resists the urge to roll her eyes. She glances over at C-3PO, who had taken her on a tour throughout the entirety of the Resistance base, ending at the room that would henceforth be her living quarters. "This is my stop?" She confirms.

      C-3PO nods. "Yes," he answers. "I do hope these accommodations meet your standard, Miss Beren."

     "I'm sure they will," she replies, not bothering to mention that she'd been living in the bottom of the shittiest of shitty basements for months. "Thanks, Threepio. I really enjoyed the tour."

      "Oh, you're very welcome!" The droid says, waving enthusiastically. "It was my pleasure!"

      EV-1 beeps softly near Indira's head, directing a snarky comment towards the protocol droid. Resisting the urge to laugh, Indira covers her mouth and fakes a cough, whilst C-3PO gasps indignantly in response.

      "You remind me of someone," he says to EV-1 with a huff. "A troublesome astromech droid I used to know — and not in a good way!"

      "Sorry, sorry," Indira apologizes sheepishly for her droid, scratching the back of her head. "Evie's programming makes her a little ... hostile when it comes to meeting other droids. I hope you won't take it personally. It's a bug I haven't quite managed to fix yet."

      A lie, of course, but only a white one. She could easily fix EV's programming if she wanted to, but where would the fun in that be?

     C-3PO gives a sniff of indignation. "Apology accepted," he says. "But, I must be going. Good day, Miss Beren. It was a pleasure to meet you. I'm certain I'll be seeing you around again."

     "Definitely," Indira agrees.

      Finding friendly faces would be difficult until she managed to meet some new people on base. It would be nice to have someone she could call a friend, or at least an acquaintance, even if it is just a protocol droid — and she would absolutely take some time to probe him for information about her mother. Indira hadn't forgotten his earlier remarks and she was eager for answers.

     As C-3PO walks down the hallway in the opposite direction, Indira touches the pendant around her neck for reassurance and takes a deep breath. Squaring her shoulders, she presents her hand to the scanner placed in the wall, waiting for it to identify her. The doors part almost instantly, revealing the small living quarters that would serve as her new home. The furniture is sparse, consisting of only a few items: two twin cots, two identical desks, and a joint closet. At best, it could be described as cozy; at worst, cramped. But, it is a far cry better than the dilapidated basement she had previously bunked in.

     Just as Indira steps further into the room, a girl steps out of the closet. She's tall, with dark hair that's been pulled back into a sleek ponytail and warm brown skin. Her hair swings into her face as she re-enters the room, hiding it from view momentarily, but when she tosses the hair over her shoulder, Indira gasps.

     "Kali?" She asks, hardly believing her eyes.

     Her former roommate's eyes widen as she meets Indira's gaze before a delighted grin spreads across her face. "No way," she says, shaking her head and laughing before tossing her jacket onto the bed. "No fucking way. Indi, is that you?"

     Before she can stop herself, Indira's feet carry her forward and she practically throws herself into the arms of her friend. Kali is quick to hug her back, squeezing tightly and burying her face into the curly mop of Indira's hair. "Oh my gods," she laughs. "I didn't know if I would ever see you again. What are you doing here?"

     Indira pulls back from the hug. "It's a bit of a long story," she admits, scratching the back of her head.

     "Of course," Kali breathes, shaking her head. "You'll have to tell me all about it after dinner."

     Indira's eyes light up. "Dinner?"

     Kali nods as she steps back towards the jacket she'd discarded earlier, picking it up before slipping it on. "You hungry at all? I was just about to head to the mess."

     "Starved," Indira replies before EV-1 beeps something into her ear quietly. Frowning, Indira nods in reluctant agreement. "Actually, I think a shower might be better first."

      It had been at least three days since Indira last showered. She is certain she smells — and probably looks — terrible at this point.

     "Oh," Kali pauses, looking over Indira as if she is seeing her for the first time. Her brow furrows with slight concern. "You know what, a shower sounds like a great idea. Dinner can wait. The food isn't great here, but it'll keep you from starving."

      Indira grimaces. "I can't wait."

      Kali chuckles and shakes her head before pulling a clean towel out of her closet. "There's a joint refresher at the end of the hall," she explains. "Communal bathroom — I know, gross — but it's kept pretty clean."

     Indira takes the towel, grateful to have the chance to scrub herself free of all the grime that had accumulated over her body in the course of the past few days. "Thanks, Kali," she says gratefully. "I'll be quick; I promise!"

      Her roommate snorts at that. "Indi, I lived with you for almost four years. You and shower and quick don't exist in the same universe."

     Indira drops her mouth open in mock offense. "Rude. It's like that, huh?"

      "Yeah, it's like that," Kali laughs. "Now go shower. Evie and I have some catching up to do."

      As if on cue, EV-1 lets out a string of excited beeps, zooming past Indira to flitter around Kali's head. The dark haired girl grins, tweaking the droid's antenna playfully. "Yeah, it's good to see you, too," Kali says. "Of course I missed you!"

      The corner of Indira's lips twitch as she listens to the two of them chattering. She grabs a spare pair of clothes and lumps them together with her towel before leaving the room, unable to fight the smile on her face.

     TRUE TO HER WORD, the food is just as unimpressive as Kali had said it would be. Indira eyes the grayish-brown sludge that was slapped onto her plate with suspicion and Kali laughs when she sees her perturbed expression.

      The two girls had made their way to the mess hall nearly an hour after Indira had first gotten to the room. Her shower had gone a bit longer than anticipated, but the water had been so warm and her hair had been a knotted mess of tangles. Indira hadn't realized just how far she had let herself go — especially her appearance — but she feels much better now; squeaky clean and in good company.

      "It's not much," Kali states about the food with a sigh. She takes a spoonful of the grey goop and sniffs it. "But it keeps us fed and that's about the best we can hope for around these parts."

      Mentally preparing herself, Indira nods before taking her own spoonful of the goop and lifting it up. "Cheers," she says, bumping her spoon against Kali's, before tipping it into her mouth.

     The texture of the substance is less than appetizing, but the flavor isn't terrible, so she chokes it down with relative success. Indira tries not to make too many faces, but Kali laughs anyways when she takes her glass of water and chugs the whole thing in nearly one breath.

      "You'll get used to it; I promise," she says.

      "I certainly hope so," Indira replies drily.

      "So," Kali begins, biting off a piece of her bread roll and chewing loudly, "what, exactly, made you crazy enough to join the Resistance and leave your life of academia behind?"

      Indira frowns, looking down at her plate while pushing her root vegetables around with her fork. She'd forgotten that Kali had absolutely no idea that she had dropped out of school and camped out in the academy basement for the past few months.

     "The flight academy didn't work out for me," Indira admits, avoiding Kali's gaze. "I guess Antilles contacted General Organa about it and since she knew my mother from their days in the senate, she decided to come and pay me a visit."

      Kali raises her eyebrows. "Kriff," she says. "That blows, Indi. I'm sorry. What happened after that? You spoke with the general and she convinced you to join?"

      Indira chews on her lip before shaking her head. "Not exactly," she says. "At first, I told her no."

      Her friend's eyes bulge. "You told her no?" She demands. "General Leia Organa paid you a visit herself and you told her no?"

      "Yeah," Indira sighs. "I just... it's complicated, you know? You remember how all those politicians pounced the second my mom died, don't you?"

      Kali nods slowly, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Yeah, I remember."

      "I wasn't sure if Organa was like that," she admits. "But I got to thinking about my mother — whether or not she would have been proud of me — and after that, the choice was simple. I packed my bags and ran and now here I am."

      "Here you are," Kali agrees. She reaches her hand across the table to take Indira's, squeezing it affectionately. "You don't have to take my word for it, but Organa isn't like the others. She's the real deal, Indira."

      Indira purses her lips. "I guess I'll find out for myself."

      "You will," Kali says confidently before adding, "Regardless, I'm proud of you, Indi. I know that can't have been an easy decision for you. Your mother would be proud, too."

      A sudden lump in Indira's throat makes it hard for her to swallow. "Thank you," she says, averting her gaze.

     The brief moment of softness comes to an end when another person slams their tray onto the table before a dark-haired female figure plops itself down in the seat next to Indira. "Well, well," she says over the din of the cafeteria. "What have we got here? Fresh meat?"

     Indira turns to see a young woman sitting next to her with long black hair that's been pulled into a loose braid at the side of her head and dark brown eyes. Her lips are curled up into a mischievous smirk as she digs into the plate of food before her. Judging by her attire — a standard baggy orange jumpsuit — Indira deduces that she must be another pilot for the Resistance. She glances over at Kali, wanting to gauge her friend's opinion of the new Resistance member, but Kali just rolls her eyes at the other girl before she dips her fingers into her water glass and flicks them at the female pilot.

      "Indi, this is Pava," Kali says by way of introduction, though there's something sly about the way she says it. "A total pain in the ass. Pava, meet Indira; our newest recruit."

      The other girl gasps in mock offense. "Kali, I'm wounded," she claims, bringing a hand to her chest. "I thought we were friends." She turns towards Indira, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Don't listen to anything negative she says about me. It's all lies — the lot of it. My name's Jessika, by the way. Jessika Pava. Nice to meet you."

     "Indira," she replies. "It's nice to meet you as well."

     "So, you two know each other?" Jessika asks, nodding between them.

     "Former roommates at the academy," Kali supplies. "And now, after a bizarre twist of fate, roommates once again."

      "Oh, that's sweet," Jessika says with a sigh before her brow furrows. "Unless you guys didn't like living together before. Then it's just shit luck."

      Both of the girls look at each other before Indira shrugs. "Eh," she says. "Kali is alright, I guess. Snores a lot —"

     "Oh, I know," Jessika agrees in an offhand manner before snapping her mouth shut, eyes widening as she realizes the implication behind her words. Across the table, Kali sends her a death glare.

      Indira looks between the two of them, biting her lip to keep from laughing at their panicked expressions. "Should I just pretend that I didn't hear that?"

      Kali glances over at Jessika then at Indira then at Jessika once more before shrugging. "Fuck it," she mutters, sitting back in her seat. "Indi, I forgot to mention something during our introductions. Jessika is a pain in the ass, but she's my pain in the ass. We've been dating for about two months."

     Indira grins. "That's great!" She says honestly, glancing between the two of them. "I'm happy for you — both of you!"

      "Thank you," Kali says sincerely. "But, please don't say anything about it to anyone yet. The gossip around here is insane and we'd like to keep things private for as long as possible."

     Indira nods quickly. "Understood," she replies. "My lips are sealed."

      "Good," Jessika exhales, "because I know for a fact that when Commander Dameron finds out, he'll give me shit about it for years!"

     "When I find out about what?" A male voice interrupts from behind Jessika and Indira.

     Jessika lets out a loud squeak and Indira spins her head around quickly, catching sight of the pilot she'd met earlier that day on the general's transport. Beside him, his trusty BB unit rolls back and forth as it watches the scene unfold.

     Dameron bumps Jessika's shoulder gently. "C'mon, Testor," he says teasingly. "Since when do we keep secrets from one another?"

     "It's nothing," Jessika coughs, turning to her food to shovel it into her mouth at an alarming rate. "Really, nothing."

     "Jess," he warns.

     "Hm?" She asks innocently through a mouthful of the grey sludge; cheeks full and round.

      Shaking his head in defeat, Dameron glances over at Kali and nods. "And how are you?" He asks. "I heard you were training with the bombers. You think you're gonna join them?"

     Kali beams with pride, straightening up in her seat. "Nothing's set in stone yet," she says, "but I'm thinking about it." She glances at Indira. "Before I forget, Commander Dameron, I'd like to introduce you to my new roommate, Indira."

      The commander's dark eyes fall on Indira and he gives her half a smile. "We've met," he says, tipping his head towards her. "Miss Beren."

      She nods back. "Commander."

     She sees Kali glance between them with a curious expression, eyes full of questions, but she's cut off by Jessika's surprised gasp. "Beren," the dark haired girl whispers as she glances over at Indira with wide eyes. "Like the senator that the First Order —"

      "Yes," Indira interrupts quickly before Jessika can finish the sentence. She reaches up to wrap her fingers around the crystal on her necklace, searching for reassurance of some kind. "She was my mother."

      Jessika's eyes soften. "Oh," she murmurs. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

     "Thank you," Indira replies, feeling herself grow queasy. No longer hungry, she pushes her tray back and stands from her seat. "I actually think that I'm going to turn in early."

      Kali watches her with concern, frowning deeply. "Indi, are you sure? You've hardly touched your food —"

      "I'm fine," she lies. "I'll be fine. Just tired."

      She's quick to lift her tray, maneuvering out of her seat past the commander and his BB unit. The noise of the mess hall drowns out everything else in a suffocating sort of way. As quickly as she can, Indira exits the crowded perimeter, turning down the nearest hallway without thinking. She makes another turn after that, then another, and another, until she winds up totally and completely lost. C-3PO had been thorough in his tour, but Indira had clearly not paid enough attention at the time. Attempting to find her way through the twists and turns of the base was akin to trying to navigate her way through a labyrinth.

      She continues walking down the empty corridors, hoping to see something familiar — or someone to ask for directions, but it is to no avail. Feeling a little hopeless and a lot overwhelmed, Indira takes a seat on the floor, thumping her head against the nearest wall and hugging her knees to her chest. So much had happened in the past day and it'd all happened so fast, but it was finally starting to catch up with her. She'd left her home, abandoned the only life she'd ever known, and joined a revolution without giving any thought to it for some half-assed notion of revenge. Now, feeling anxious and alone, she can't help but overthink it.

      What am I doing here? She asks herself helplessly. Why did I think this was a good idea? She thumps her head against the wall again and the dull ache gives her something else to focus on. You're not your mother and you never have been. It was foolish to ever think you were capable of doing this —

      "Beren," a voice says, completely startling her. "You alright?"

      Immediately, Indira's eyes snap open, meeting the compassionate gaze of General Organa. The older woman gives her an understanding smile; brown eyes soft and full of warmth. She offers Indira a hand that the younger girl takes reluctantly, standing on her feet once more.

      "Fine," she replies stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Organa squints, looking skeptical. "You're not lying to me, are you?"

Indira's shoulders deflate. "How did you know?"

      The former princess offers her a wry smile before tapping the side of her head. "It's a blessing and a curse at times," she says. "But the Force doesn't make mistakes."

      The crystal around Indira's neck pulses at the word Force — almost as if it is being called — and she inhales sharply. Somehow, Indira had forgotten just exactly who General Organa was; the family she came from, the powers they possessed. It all comes rushing back to her.

      "Right," she breathes, nodding her head slowly. "The Force."

     "Come, walk with me, kiddo," General Organa requests. She offers Indira an arm and the younger girl takes it after a few moments of silent deliberation, linking hers through the general's. "It's time we talk about your mother."

EDITED ON:
08.06.19