"I don't have time to listen to your babble, kid. Scram!"
Who even still uses that word? Rey winces as she carries a steaming coffee cup back to her desk. The scent of pumpkin spice wafts up to her nose. She'll need all the caffeine and sugar she can get to muddle through her afternoon of paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. Once upon a time, she thought being a cop would be exciting—protecting people, upholding the law, keeping the peace. But the only peace she's been struggling to keep since Jakku hired her is her peace of mind.
"But I'm telling you something's up with him! You might be able to find Luke Skywalker," protests another voice, younger and earnest.
Rey's ears perk up. "Luke Skywalker?" she blurts out before she can help it. The missing businessman?
Oh, well. She's already dipped her voice in it. Might as well make her face known. Rey rounds the corner to find Chief Plutt glaring at her. A man with a handsome and determined face glares right back at the chief.
Rey crosses her arms.
"Are you on the case?" the young man asks.
"I am on the case," Chief Plutt snarls. "All cold missing persons cases go to me." He waves his thick hand. "She's a rookie."
"But she's interested in it," protests the man.
"Don't speak for me," Rey interjects.
The man's jaw drops. "But—if you're not, then why did you come over here?"
"I am interested," Rey retorts. "Just don't speak for me."
"Officer Kenobi, can I speak with you in my office?" demands Chief Plutt.
Rey nods. She follows the man who looks like a blowfish into his office, decorated with rusted trinkets and other things that look like he scavenged them from a three hundred year old shipwreck. It reminds Rey of her tiny studio apartment, where she keeps all the seashells and pebbles she's collected and magazine photos of exotic places—rain-forests and tropical lagoons and deserts and far-off galaxies. She kept whatever made her smile when she was a girl, and can't bear to throw any of it out now.
When she first saw Chief Plutt's office, she thought they could be friends. Maybe he, too, was lonely. Maybe he'd mentor her.
Instead, he always looks at her the same way he's looking at her now: like a tool to do his paperwork, a pretty trinket he can caress and do unholy things to. Not that Rey will ever let him touch her. Not that he'd try. He is, after all, a cop, even if a lazy one.
"You," seethes Plutt. "What are you doing?"
"I remember reading about the case," Rey answers. "I thought it interesting." No one's seen Luke Skywalker, or heard from him, in almost ten years. His sister, Leia Organa, is the politician, the senator Plutt loathes and Rey likes for her plucky persistence in advocating for people like Rey. Forgotten people, on the edges of society.
"Interesting, yes. But we don't have time to pursue a vengeful, angry kid's idiotic way of getting back at his employer."
"What?" Rey's pretty sure that sentence isn't even grammatically correct.
"He was just fired from an employer and came in here to tell me that he thinks his employer knows something about the case."
"Why does he think that?" Rey asks.
"Didn't ask, because he isn't a reliable source."
"Why not?"
"Because!" Plutt shouts, leaning across his desk. "He's not."
"Based on what evidence?" Rey presses.
"You know what, Officer Kenobi? You're pissing me off. Go escort that kid out of here and do your paperwork." He waves his hand too close to her face. Rey wrinkles his nose at the pungent odor of onions.
"Fine." She schlepps out of the office, closing the glass doors behind her. The man turns to her with a bright smile. He's got to be about her age, maybe a little older, and his eyes—he looks anxious.
Are you really blackmailing your employer? But of course she can't ask that. Ex-employer. "Let's go."
"I'm not crazy," the man insists, angry. His boot clomp against the tiled floor as she leads him past her desk.
Be back soon, pumpkin latté.
"I know what I heard," he continues.
"And what did you hear?" Rey asks.
"My old boss, a man named Armitage Hux—he was saying that no one would ever find Luke Skywalker. That Kylo Ren made sure of it."
Rey scoffs. "And you just happened to overhear this?"
"Yes." He throws his hands in the air. "So I quit."
"Quit, or were fired?"
"Quit." He glares at her. "I don't appreciate being—"
"Where did you work?" She peers out the windows behind him. Dark clouds broil overhead. Winter's arriving. Soon she'll have to replace her pumpkin lattés with peppermint ones. Or eggnog.
"First Order Inc."
Rey winces. She hasn't heard anything good about that greedy company. "Well, good for you for getting out."
"Thanks," he mutters. "What's your name?"
Rey blinks. Usually people don't bother to ask. "Rey Kenobi. Officer Kenobi."
"I'm Finn." He holds out his hand, and she shakes it.
"My boss says you have to leave."
Finn's face crumples. "So you're not looking into it?"
Rey hesitates. "Can you meet me for coffee at five-thirty?"
It's a good thing she arranged to meet Finn for coffee. Her pumpkin spice latté was cold by the time she got back to her desk. Besides, Rey wants to drink all the pumpkin spice she can before peppermint moves in.
She spent the afternoon researching the case. Nothing's known. No immediately suspicious family members or friends, plus a bank account hat was completely withdrawn by Mr. Skywalker himself. Bank footage to prove it, even.
What were you planning on doing with that money? Rey wonders.
"So can you tell me more about your boss?" Rey asks, sipping her coffee. And eating a donut. Screw stereotypes. It's her dinner so it's fine.
"Hux." Finn fidgets, sipping his iced coffee. He's wearing a puffy parka despite the cold drink. "He's an angry man. Smart, though, in a business sense. And he was talking about Kylo Ren—"
"Who's he?" Rey asks.
"He loosely works with us. See, First Order's overseen by Hux, but also answers to Snoke, who runs all these companies—"
"Heard the name," Rey says, scribbling on her notepad.
"And Kylo Ren works for him."
"Okay." Rey plans on running this weird name through her computer when she gets to work tomorrow. In-between paperwork, of course. "Did you ever meet Luke Skywalker?"
Finn shakes his head. "No."
"Maybe we should talk to someone who did," Rey muses.
"We?"
"Well, me. You're not a cop."
"Did that Plutt guy give you permission to open the case?"
Rey bites her lip. "No. So it'll have to be on the side."
"Well, if you need any help," Finn offers. "As a friend."
You're lonely too, aren't you? Rey nods. "Thanks. I—I might."
The next day, Rey picks herself out of bed. Her heat's turned off again. Dammit. She hobbles to get ready and runs to work to search for Kylo Ren.
Nothing.
Not a trace of this human being.
An alias? Rey's pulse picks up pace.
By the end of the day, she has another name. Ben Solo.
Luke's nephew. Leia Organa's son.
Rey calls Finn when she leaves the building. "How about some hot chocolate this time? And a drive?"
"I don't have a car," he says, uncertainly.
"It's okay. I do." Sort of. It's more like a hunk of junk, but it works most days, except the ones when mice crawl into the engine.
Orange sunlight glows on the edge of the horizon as she picks up Finn by the address he gives her. The car in front of her has a Christmas tree strapped to the top. "I always wanted to have one," she blurts out.
"A Christmas tree?" Finn questions as he gets into the car. "Geez. You have heat in this thing?"
"It works when it wants to," Rey answers. "Yes, a tree. They always look so pretty in the stores, and in the movies."
"I never had one either," Finn admits.
"Really?" Rey glances at him. "Were you a foster kid?"
"Yep." Finn drops his eyes as if he'd rather not discuss the subject further.
"Does the name Ben Solo mean anything to you?" Rey asks as she drives, passing the car with the tree. A couple sits inside, beaming. Well, she's imagining the beaming part.
"Is it someone who was once single?" Finn jokes.
Rey snickers. "No. It's Kylo Ren's real name."
"Never heard of it. Unless… is he related to Han Solo?" Finn gapes at her. "If they're related—that would maybe explain it!"
"So it makes sense that people whoa re related would kill one another?" Rey questions. "Maybe it's a good thing I don't have anyone."
"No. Just that… it makes more sense," Finn explains. "I didn't know they were linked at all, before."
"I'll call them," Rey says, pulling to the side of the road and fiddling with her phone. "See if I can interview Leia or Han." Leia's website lists a contact number, though obviously it isn't her personal number."
"About their son?" Finn questions.
"And Luke." Rey dials, listening to it ring and ring.
"Hello?" answers a cheerful, male voice. "This is Poe Dameron. May I ask who—"
"My name is Rey Kenobi. Officer Rey Kenobi," she adds. It feels good to add that extra validation to the front of her name, a name given to her by the state and not by anyone who really cared. "I'm calling to ask if I could come by and interview Leia Organa and Han Solo."
A pause. "What is this regarding?" Poe asks carefully.
"The disappearance of Luke Skywalker."
"Is there new information?" Poe asks eagerly.
"Well—no," Rey answers, watching Finn's face fall. "Not exactly. We have a tip. But we'd like to talk to Ms. Organa and Mr. Solo, see if they remember anything new about the days leading up to—"
"Ms. Organa's very busy, but she's always got time if it can help find her brother," Poe says. "Man, can I ask what the new lead is? She's going to be so hopeful. Han's hired so many private investigators and it's all led to nada, and good God, this will be like the best early Christmas present to her."
Maybe not. Rey cringes. What if he's dead? "I can't give you any information yet."
"Sure, I understand."
"When is she available?" Rey imagines her schedule in her mind. "Say, over the weekend?"
"Saturday," Poe confirms. "All day. Any time. Your pick."
"Three?" Rey looks to Finn. Can he—does it even matter—
Finn gives her a thumbs-up, and damn, Rey likes having a partner. Finn would be a good cop.
"Sounds great! Entering it in her calendar right now. I can ask Mr. Solo and get back to you on that?"
"That works," Rey agrees.
"Perfect. Happy Holidays."
"Happy Holidays," Rey echoes before she hangs up.
But before she meets with Ms. Organa… Kylo Ren. Ben Solo.
The stars are all sparkling by the time Kylo Ren shows up outside his place. Rey expected a mansion. Instead, it's a small ranch-style house with peeling paint. Her fingers are practically numb from staking it out, and Finn almost fell asleep twice. He did manage to apply for two jobs from her car, though.
"Hey!" Rey calls, jumping out of her hunk of junk. She's still in her uniform. The cold air smacks her bare neck. "Can I—"
"Who the blast are you?" A tall man, wrapped in a thick black coat and with a black scarf wrapped around his neck and—huge—shoulders, whirls around to face her.
Oh. Rey blinks. She wasn't sure what she was expecting—a monster? A man with beady eyes in a sunken face that looks suspiciously like Unkar Plutt, or like the petty thieves and druggies she sees booked into custody every day?
Instead, the face staring back at her is soft despite its angular shape. His eyes, though dark in color, are nothing like she'd expect a potential murderer's to be. His hair flows around his face, thick and curling slightly, almost like a child's or a college student's. "I'm—"
"Sorry," the man stammers. "I didn't mean to make you afraid." His words come punctuated with little frost balls as his breath freezes in the air.
You didn't, Rey wants to snap, but it's not true. He did. "I'm Officer Rey Kenobi," she says.
Kylo cranes his neck. Rey turns to see Finn getting out of the car, watching with a concerned look on his face. Concerned for her? "Is that your partner?"
"Of sorts," Rey responds. "I'm here to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."
Kylo's face stiffens. Even in the dark, she can see a variety of moles dotting his face. It's not unattractive. "About what?"
"Your uncle," Rey answers. "Luke Skywalker."
"He's not my uncle."
"Aren't you Ben Solo?"
Kylo's eyes pop. "How did you find me?"
"I'm a cop. Are you really—"
"Get off my property," Kylo seethes. Gone is the sensitivity from his voice. He looks at her like a man who has something terrible, something rotting, to hide.
Rey takes a step back. Her heart hammers in her throat. "Don't you want to help find him? We have a new lead, and—"
"I said get out! Please!" He clutches his skull.
"Well, that's your right," Rey tells him. "I can always get a warrant, though."
"A warrant for what?"
"Searching your property." She narrows her eyes. "You're acting pretty suspicious."
Kylo's jaw drops. "I—what? You suspect me? My uncle's—fine. He doesn't want to be found!"
"Convenient," Finn comments. Another car drives up the street without slowing down.
"It's the truth. And everyone's better off for it."
"Are you so sure?" Rey asks. "What makes you so sure? Because, really, Kylo, I'd like to know. I'm sure your mother would like to—"
"Don't call her that!" Kylo shouts. "I'm serious—get off my property! I don't have to answer any of your questions. You and that loser too."
"What did you call him?" Rey demands. She can't cite him—Finn's not an officer. She focuses on his car. "Fine." She marches off towards the black, shiny vehicle that in no way looks as if it should belong to the owner of this dilapidated house.
"That counts as my property!" Kylo shouts, dashing over to her. Rey jumps back, her hand on her tazer.
"I wasn't going to hurt you," he snaps, holding up his hands.
Rey rips off an orange ticket. "Here you go."
"For what?" Kylo yelps, his face swelling purple.
"Parking in front of a fire hydrant."
Kylo's face drains. Finn chuckles. "Where else am I supposed to park when you're here?"
"If you want to challenge, you can always take me to court," Rey tells him, her hands on her hips. "Merry Christmas. Ho ho ho."
"I hope you get a lump of coal!" Kylo yells after her.
"Happy New Year!" Rey flips him off as she drives away.
Thanks for reading! This story has 4 chapters total, and it will be updated on Tuesdays.