Hi to everyone! I'm "new" (i.e.: I've read a lot of ffs, especially on this fandom, but I never really thought of writing a story myself).
This is an AU Reylo fanfic, in which Rey grew up in an orphanage on Coruscant and Ben is still at the Jedi Academy with Luke. (but he's still bitter and very angry at everyone. I haven't changes their personalities)
I wanted to narrate a story which is both Jedi-ish (Force and lightsabers and stuff) and which is somehow connected to my life. I don't know my birth parents, so I feel connected to Rey. (Which is why I'll really insist on this aspect of her personality, the feeling of abandonment)
I hope you all will enjoy this fic! (P.s.: English isn't my first language, even if I talk/read/listen to it all day bc I want to (?), so if I make some mistakes you can tell me, I'll be glad to correct them!)
A loud noise of a ship wakes me up. Maker, how I hate Coruscant.
I sigh as I lay down on the bed, closing my eyes and lifting my arm on them. Considering that I'll have to wake up early and go to some stupid seminar held by a former pilot of the New Republic, maybe going back to sleep isn't even convenient. Everyone here is excited about that, I'm - or was, since now I'm awake - just annoyed I won't be able to sleep through the morning as I usually do on Benduday. Well, the majority of the orphans here are under the age of twelve - young, always gushing about ships and heroes of the Republic -, and I have already turned sixteen, so maybe I can understand why I'm always so bitter…
Wow, now I feel old. And boring.
Suddenly, I hear someone knocking on my door. I flick the lights on, slowly preparing my eyes for the light, and then I take a glance at the clock on the wall: it's six am. It can't be miss Kris telling me to switch on the light and rise, it's too early. Listlessly, I get rid of the sheets, stand up and walk all the way to the doorway.
«Who's there?» I ask, opening the door before giving the chance to reply to the other person.
A boy, almost frightened, around nine years old. Seriously? Now even the children on the other wing of the building come here to annoy me? I don't close the door only because he seems tired and agry as I am. «Miss Kris told me to tell you that she wants to see you.»
«What in the Universe…» I sigh deeply. «Yeah, thanks, if you see her tell her I'll be there in a sec.» I slam the door on his nose after saying that, sighing once again. When I think it can't get worse, it gets worse. Maybe the Universe holds a grudge against me.
I pick my grey shoes and a grey jacket from the wardrobe, putting them on. I refuse to change my clothes. If my grey pajamas aren't the adequate clothes, then she shouldn't have called me at kriffing six am.
Yawing at every step, I make my way through the endless hallways. There are children litterary everywhere. Aren't they tired? When I was six I used to sleep since someone woke me up…
As I arrive to the responsible's office, I mentally prepare myself from the lecture I'm sure I will be given. Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door and, then, I enter the room.
I find miss Kris and a woman around her fourties talking animately in the middle of the office. Confused and a little bit anxious, I start with a: «A kiddo told me you wanted to see me, Miss. And… good morning to the both of you» I add the second part as I suddenly remember the etiquette you have to respect when you meet someone new.
The unknown woman smiles at me, while miss Kris, despite smiling, snorts a little. «You should've been here minutes ago. General Organa doesn't have time to waste.»
I freeze. General Organa? That General Organa? Did I do something so wrong a general has to bring herself in this forgotten orphanage?
«Oh, don't be hard with her.» She gestures me to come near them. «Anyway, I'm General Leia Organa. You are?»
I'm almost tempted to say "don't you know already?", but I stop myself before I can voice my question. «Er, Rey.»
Awkward silence. Maker, sometimes I wish I wasn't so shy. Maybe then I could hold a simple conversation with the General of the New Republic.
«Well, Rey, I suppose you're confused as to why we called you here. Let me explain. Do you know who are the Jedi?» she continues, always with a warm smile on her lips. I merely nod, struggling as I try to make eye-contact without looking weird. «Well, you can individuate if someone has the potential of becoming a Jedi by observing how much Midhiclorians they have in their blood. It came to my attention that your level of Midhiclorians are so high you could become a powerful Jedi.»
I swallow loudly. «Me? I'm sixteen. Jedi take their apprentices when they're young.» I try not to think about the fact that I could be a kriffing Jedi.
«Well, there are a lot of exceptions, especially if the Force runs strongly in your blood - and let me tell you, it does - and…» She turns to miss Kris with a much less comforting look on her face. «Miss Kris held back this information from us for a lot of time.»
«I didn't know!» she defends herself. «I always thought the results were flawed, she doesn't look like a Jedi and-»
«Well, what is done is done, I'm not angry with you.» She returns to look at me. «Anyway, Rey, what I'm saying to you is that you would be a powerful tool for the Resistance. Would you like to come with me so I can escort you to a Jedi Master, where you'll learn the ways of the Force?»
Me. Like, me, me me, Rey the Orphan, Rey the Brainiac? Really? On so little notice? «Are you sure you're not mistaken? I don't think I can lift something with my thought and I certainly don't have the ability to fight with a lightsaber… I'm rather clumsy.»
She laughs softly, so softly it almost makes me want to laugh too. «Oh, dear, that's up to Luke to decide.»
Who's this Luke, I don't know. The important thing is going away from here. «And… who will I be staying with?» I ask. «I know that since I'm in an orphanage it seems pretty obvious that I don't have parents but… well, I don't have parents. Or relatives, like, at all.»
«With the Jedi Master I'm taking you to. You can trust him: he's the picture of kindness and generosity.»
I feel a rush of electricity travelling down my spine. I turn to miss Kris. «And you'll let me?»
«Of course, child» she kindly replies.
«Then…» I feel a knot in my lungs as I say: «I'll come with you, General.»
§§
I've never thought that my concept of clean wasn't the typical concept of clean. Damn, I've never thought about having a concept of clean before.
Yes, well, seems like I'm going to get used to feel a stupid and rough dirty orphan.
Sounds like fun.
But, as I was saying.
As I step out of the bathroom - a nearly shining white bathroom -, I find some clothes lying on the mattress of my bed. (Yes, I have a bed. General Organa oredered to her men to give me a quarter on the ship we're on. And yes, it's gigantic.) I look around, making sure I'm alone - I'm naked, after all -, and then I go and grab the robes. It's a pair of sandy brown pants and a jumper in the same colour, with a pair of white underwear. They're so soft I almost rub them against my face.
After I'm dressed, I return to the bathroom to watch myself in the mirror. My hair is still soaking wet, and is hanging on my shoulders. I don't really care; I cut it some weeks ago, so they aren't uncomfortable to live with as they're drying off.
As I sit on the white bed, I start rocking back and forth. All this changes… so unexpected changes… they threw me off a little. After being discovered by a pilot while I was four years old on Jakku, I've always lived at the Orphanage on Coruscant. Now I'm in open space, travelling in open space, with new people and a purpose in my life and…
I start to flap my hands, too. It will be okay. I repeat to myself over and over again that it would be okay, no, even better than when I was with miss Kris. And as I start to still, my eyelids become heavy and I fall disgracefully on the bed, finally sleeping.