Boxes of crystals and mechanical parts were everywhere, and the rugs that covered the dirt floor were beaten and worn past the point of being able to recognize their colors or patterns. In the back was a hammock, and Nellith spotted two dirty, worn boots peeking out. She approached cautiously, hand on her lightsaber.

As soon as she approached, the hammock swung dramatically, and out tumbled a boy her age. He scrambled to his feet, and grabbed an elegant, old-looking saber-staff off of his belt.

The two stood there a moment, sizing each other up.

"Nice hair," he said snidely.

Nellith reached her hand up to her hair— her braids were losing tendrils— she'd forgotten all about the hairstyle.

Don't play his game— just be firm and to the point.

"Are you Tallis Shan?" Nellith asked. "We need a passport to get off-planet."

He blinked. "Yes."

Nellith removed her hand from her lightsaber. "My mum said the locals recommended you."

He nodded, clipping his lightsaber on the patched belt he wore. "It's the better part of my reputation. I didn't make that lightsaber— where did you get it?"

"I made it," Nellith said with a slight frown. "You make lightsabers?"

"For profit," Tallis said, gesturing to the boxes. "It brings a little more money than the passports and forgeries."

"Then you must have the Force," Nellith said.

Tallis shrugged. "I can do a few tricks. Nothing like a full Jedi, though."

His strange lilac-gray eyes looked at her pointedly.

"I'm not a Jedi yet," Nellith admitted. "But I'm going to be."

"What would bring a Jedi here, to Corellia?" Tallis asked. "Especially one that's what— thirteen?"

"Fourteen," Nellith said softly. "And I have my reasons."

Rey entered the tent, and Tallis did a double-take.

"So you're the guy," Rey said. She glanced from Nellith to Tallis. "I see you've got a knack with lightsabers."

Tallis nodded, speechless.

"Now, I've heard you can write us passports out of this place?" Rey asked.

"Yes," Tallis said. "How many do you need?"

"Three," Rey said. "Chewy's guarding the Falcon again for us."

"I can do that," Tallis said. He hurried over to a drawer and pulled out paper templates.

"How much do you need?" Rey asked, reaching for the pouch on her hip.

Tallis only hesitated for a split second. "Free of charge."

"What?" Nellith cried, glancing from Rey to Tallis. "I thought this was your business—"

"It's free of charge for a galactic hero like Rey Qel-Droma," Tallis said.

Rey's expression softened. "Thank you."

Tallis pulled out a pen. "What names do you want for the papers?"

"Kireya Veila and Tahiri Veila," Rey said without hesitation. She tilted her head. "Are you alone?"

Tallis's skinny body went rigid. "I used to have my mom here. She died a year ago."

Nellith felt a bit of sympathy in her chest for the boy. "You can't be much older than me."

"I'm not," he said, tilting his face away from the two females. "Just a year."

"I'm sorry," Nellith whispered.

"Don't be," he said, his voice rising to a defensive edge. "Sorry doesn't help anyone on Corellia."

"How did the occupation begin?" Rey asked.

Tallis shrugged. "We've always been under the Imperials' thumb. Ever since the end of the Clone Wars. We're just always the first to get conquered when the Empire decides to take another stab at galactic domination. Doesn't even matter if we're a Core planet— we're the worst the Old Republic had to offer. Poverty in the cities, and a bunch of corrupt officials who never cared about any of us."

"How long have you been here?" Rey asked.

"Since I was nine years old," Tallis said. "We crash-landed, right in this sector, same as you. And we never got enough money to get a ship and papers to leave."

"Where would you have gone?" Nellith asked.

"Mom always wanted to find the new Jedi Order," Tallis said. "She saw a vision that I would be a Jedi Knight someday."

"What if we took you with us?" Nellith asked. "You could forge your own papers—"

Tallis shook his head. "Still wouldn't work. I have to pay off a guy— anyone who lives in these slums owes him a huge debt, and he'll make sure to collect, even if it's your life."

"We could—"

Tallis turned so suddenly, it started Nellith. "I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I've almost got it worked out. There's a speeder race tomorrow, with enough prize money to pay off what I currently owe, and then enough to pay my partner."

"Your partner?" Nellith asked.

"Haven't found one yet, but all the speeders for this race are two-seated," he said. "And that's what I managed to salvage."

Nellith didn't even think twice. "I know how to fly. I'll be your co-pilot, and get you enough to pay off your debts. You make the papers, and we'll get you to the Order."

Tallis regarded her with a new respect. "Deal."

He turned back to the papers. "I'll have them done in a few hours."

"Thank you," Rey said. She gently placed her hand on Nellith's arm, and they stepped outside. "What do you think you're doing?"

"We need to help him— didn't you say that a Jedi is supposed to help everybody?" Nellith retorted.

"We need to get you to Chandrila— you'll be safe with Finn and Rose, and nowhere else," Rey said.

"Do you plan on ditching me there?" Nellith demanded.

"Just long enough to get your contact, and track down your father," Rey said. "Something's going on with the First Order, and I don't want you getting involved when you're completely untrained and unprepared."

"Well, I don't see what you're upset about, we'll be getting off-world by tomorrow," Nellith said. "Besides, he's alone. Like you were."

Rey's expression softened again. "Your heart is in the right place, just like your father's."

Nellith blinked, unsure how to rely.

"Stay here, while Chewy and I fix the Falcon up," Rey said. "Don't venture much further— understood?"

"Understood," Nellith agreed. She watched as Rey walked off, before returning to the inside of the tent. She sat atop one of the many crates, watching Tallis for a moment.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I wanted to know more about you," she admitted.

"Like what?" Tallis asked. "I've pretty much told all the major details."

"Did you make the lightsaber on your belt?" Nellith asked.

"No," Tallis said. "Mom gave it to me. It's been in our family for over a thousand generations."

"Wow."

"Look, I really need to focus on these," Tallis said.

"You wouldn't mind, then, if I just sat here?" Nellith asked.

"No," Tallis said. "Though you are a bit distracting."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nellith teased.

"Never mind," Tallis said, turning his face away from her.

"Okay, then," Nellith said, as she sat her backpack down beside her. She pulled out her holopad and began to look through the holonet.

It was nearly sunset when Tallis finished the papers. He turned to see that Nellith was still sitting there, and was startled. She was so quiet, he'd forgotten she was there. He usually was good at sensing others' presences, and yet she blended in so well. . .

She looked up. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he said as she packed away her datapad into her backpack. "Would you like to see the papers?"

"Sure," she said. He offered her a hand, and she accepted it as she hopped down from the crate. She walked over to the crate atop which were the papers, and perused them.

"They're good copies," she said. "You're really good at this."

"Thanks," he said, and he pulled open a drawer, and filed them. "Want to step outside?"

"Sure," she said, and she followed him to outside the tent. Fires were beginning in the pits scattered across the slums, and the sun was setting over the white-capped mountains. The sky was turned blood red by the sunset. The setting sun was a pale gold in comparison. It was threatening, nothing like an Aquilan sunset, or a Tatooinian one.

"Do you like the skies?" Nellith asked.

"Yes," Tallis said. "Especially stars. Mom used to trace out the constellations, and she'd tell me about some story she associated with it, miscellaneous myths and legends from all across the galaxy, or something she or my dad had done."

"The stars remind you of her," Nellith said.

He dipped his head down and placed a hand on his hip. His fingers brushed past the worn cylinder of his mother's lightsaber. "They do. I always think I can see her face in them. I don't know why I'm telling you any of this."

"Do you want to know anything about me?" Nellith asked.

"Who's your dad? It's not Finn Tico, is it?" Tallis asked.

Nellith glanced around her, and relished the idea of telling someone. "Ben Solo."

"Han and Leia's son?" Tallis asked. He looked away, as if haunted, then back to her. "I can see it now, from all the old holos."

Nellith smiled. "Hope it's not a bad resemblance."

"No, no," he said quickly. "No, it's not. It's. . . good. Good."

A little giggle escaped before her hand went to her full lips.

Before Tallis could say anything else, he sensed Rey's presence, and turned to see the Last Jedi strolling through the slums with a gravity only a somebody could have.

"We'd better board the Falcon for the night," Rey said. She then handed Tallis a packet. He turned it over in his hands to see slightly faded cooking instructions.

"Thanks," he sad.

"Thought you might be hungry," Rey said. "We'll come back tomorrow for the race and our papers. And I will take you to Aquilae, and will train you myself in the ways of the Force."

Tallis nodded, not sure what to say or do, except. . .

"Thank you."

A slight curve of a smile appeared on Rey's face. She placed an arm around Nellith, and the two left, leaving Tallis alone. He tossed the packet in the air before catching it again, and sighed to himself before heading over to a fire pit to cook a meal.

Blurry shadows rushed past, and she could feel their hands grabbing at her, clawing at her, trying to rip bits off of the whole— and then she was spinning into a void, a void between stars—with one voice rising above it all: "If the Jedi Queen claims it, then the Sith cannot."

Nellith's eyes flew open, and she sat up. She took a few deep breaths, then looked out the portscreen. There were different constellations over Corellia— she knew that, but it was strange, seeing that now.

Her finger against the window, she traced the constellations her own mind created, since she didn't know most of the ones currently in the sky. She wondered which one was the sun her father was seeing.

"I wish I could tell you about all of this," she murmured. "I love you, Dad. Wherever you are."

The next morning, Nellith appeared outside of Tallis's tent with another packet of food. He stumbled out, slightly confused.

"Let's eat breakfast and take a look at your speeder," Nellith said.

Tallis grinned.

It was a speeder made primarily of rust and bolts and scrap metal, but Rey was impressed. It reminded her of the speeder she had on Jakku.

His resourcefulness would serve him well, Rey thought as he and Nellith climbed into the speeder.

"We'll drive it down to where the race starts," Tallis said.

Rey nodded. "I'll be watching and waiting at the finish line."

Nellith waved from the driver's seat before speeding off, leaving Rey alone. She headed into the tent and grabbed her papers. She smiled to herself, and then walked away to the Falcon.