3- The Lie

"We don't have enough fuel to make it to D'Qar. Whoever stole this ship almost completely drained the tanks," announced Ben.

"So, what do we do?" asked Finn.

"I changed our course to Takodana. It's a friendly planet where I know someone trustworthy that can get us more. We have just enough to make it there," Ben replied. Finn nodded in response before turning away from the cockpit. Ben turned himself around and leaned against the console with his arms crossed across his chest. "So, what's your story?" he asked him. He'd been waiting for an opportunity to interegate the fake resistance fighter since he had met him. With Rey deeper in the ship cleaning up BB-8, this was the perfect opportunity.

"What do you mean?" Finn asked. "I'm a resistance fighter that just escaped from the first order."

"I believe that your running from the first order. But, your not a resistance fighter," replied Ben. Finn opened his mouth to disagree but Ben intrupted him. "I know every resistace fighter personally. I helped to build it. You are no resistance fighter. Now, I can help you get away from the first order. But, you gotta be honest with me."

Finn gave a long sigh before telling his story. "I'm actually a stormtrooper. Last night was my first field deployment. I was ordered to shoot an entire village of innocent and defenseless people. I didn't fire. I ran before I could be recommissioned. Poe was in custody on the same ship. I took him with me when I escaped. But, our tie-fighter was shot down and Poe didn't survive the crash. I don't mean any harm to you, Rey or the resistance. I just want to get away from the first order."

"I believe you," said Ben. "When we get Takodana, you should be able to find someone that will take you to the outer rim, somewhere you can disappear."

"Thank you," Finn said.

Ben nodded to him before leaving in search on Rey. He found her just finishing up scrubbing all the sand out of BB-8's gears. She looked up and acknowledged him before going back to her work. He sat down beside her on the floor. "So, are we going to talk about it?" he asked her. From her reactions he was sure she had been seeing him as well.

She stopped scrubbing BB-8 and looked up at him. "So, you have been seeing me too?' she asked. When he nodded she continued. "How?" she asked.

"I don't know," he told her. "My uncle and I researched this for years. My best guess is it's a type of force link. In the time of Jedi, there would be links similar to this between master and padawan. But, this is not that. One thing I know for certain is that the force is connecting us. For what purpose or why us, I don't know. However, I'd like to explore this and discover the answers with you."

She smiled at him. "Me too," she replied.

He smiled and nodded before standing up. "Looks like BB-8 is happy," he said watching him roll around and beep happily. He always did hate being dirty. He glanced down at her noticing the grease smears, smoke and sand. "Looks like you could use a shower and a change of clothes. Fresher is right through there and I think there's some clothing in here that would fit you." He walked to a supply closet and placed his hand in the scanner. The closet opened and he pulled out a set of clothes that had been his in his mid-teens. "These should fit you," he told her handing them over.

"How did you do that?" she asked him gesturing to the hand scanner.

He grinned cockily at her before replying. "I told you, this is my ship. More acurratly my father's ship. It was stolen from us about five years ago. My father's been searching for her since then. He's going to be so glad to have her back."

"This piece of junk," replied Rey. "Your father would be better off getting a different ship."

Ben laughed at that before replying, "That may be so. But, can you imagine Han Solo without the Millenium Falcon." He watch the shock wash over her face before she replied.

"Your father is Han Solo? This is the Millenium Falcon?" she asked shocked.

He looked back at her and grinned. "Yeah," he confirmed. He never got tired of that. Seeing someone's reaction when they found out his parentage. It was always the same shocked, awed look. No one had ever heard of him. But, he had yet to meet anyone who didn't know of his parents or uncle.

"This is the Millennium Falcon," she said to herself still awed and looking around. "No wonder you didn't want me piloting. This is your family's ship."

"Like I said," he replied. "We're almost to Takodana ," he told her changing the subject. "We're low on fuel so we need to stop to get some more before reaching D'Qar.

She nodded in response before taking the clothes from him and heading to the fresher. He headed back to the cockpit to check on their progress. Just as he thought, they were close. They would be arriving within the hour.

BB-8 came whirling up to his side and greeted him with a few happy beeps. He smiled at the droid sadly, thinking of Poe. It was a terrible loss to the resistance. Eventhough the two of them had bickered between the two of them as to who was the better Pilot, he never denied that he was talented. A true asset to the resistance. A good man and friend. Ben lost a lot of fighters in this war. Now that he wasn't running for his own life, he could process how much he was going to miss the fellow pilot. But, he knew Poe wouldn't have had it any other way, dying for a cause he believed in so strongly.

Rey came into the cock-pit just as he was getting alerted of their approach to Takodanna. It was time to switch off autopilot and land. She slipped into the co-pilot's seat and started setting up controls on her end. He sat up and did the same.

"So, where on this planet are we going?" Finn asked coming up behind them. "An old friend of my father's owns a tavern here. She'll be able to get us the fuel we need and find passage for you," he replied.

"Your not joining us back to your base," Rey asked Finn.

"Um…no," Finn said looking to Ben for help. Ben just shook his head refusing to help him in his lie.

"Yeah," he told her giving up on Ben. "I've received an important assignment. Classified, I can't tell you about it." Ben turned back to give him a disbelieving look.

"When did you receive these orders?" she asked.

"Ben brought them to me," he told her.

"How did you guys know you would meet up here and I thought you had just met?" she directed toward Ben.

Ben opened, then closed his mouth not knowing what to say. He glared at Finn and made it clear he was on his own here. But, Finn was saved from responding when they were close enough to the planet to make out details. Rey starred out in amazement at the scene. "I didn't know there was so much green in the entire galaxy. It's beautiful," she said.

Ben smiled at that. He hadn't given up on convincing her to stay. "Just wait," he told her. "There are so many more amazing planets out there." When she didn't respond he glanced sideways toward her. But, she was so mesmerized by what she saw that she probably hadn't heard him. He let it go and turned his full attention to landing.