Chapter 6: Reconnaissance

On the thirty-seventh day after Carrivar, Blue Squadron deployed for a five-day recon mission in the Unknown Regions led by Snap Wexley. Rey expected to feel relieved to have a break from Ben Solo's existence. Instead, there was a knot in her stomach that she couldn't explain. She wondered again if the coordinates that she had plucked from her mind weren't planted there as a trap.

Her anxiety worried Poe and Finn, she could tell. On the fortieth day, Poe pulled her aside.

"Rey, how are you feeling?"

She was still baffled when her friends—she had friends now—showed concern for her. Rey was never sure how to react. "Fine. I'm fine. What's going on, Poe?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you the same question. You were doing so much better in the last couple of weeks, but then I hear about you confronting Solo in the hangar during leave and you've been on edge since Blue Squad left. Is there something happening between the two of you?"

She almost busted out laughing at the preposterousness of the question. "Oh no, not at all. He just bothers me sometimes."

There was a glint in Poe's eye that Rey couldn't quite identify. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah, he's a little odd. Although it must be weird for him, right? Waking up one day and finding out that you've missed the last seven years?" He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "We're here for you, you know that? I'm here for you." Poe lowered his voice. "I'm pretty far from Kylo Ren's biggest fan, but if you ever want to talk about it…just say the word."

Rey's eyes watered and she couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks, Poe. You're a great friend."

Somehow, Poe grinned even wider. "And let me know if the Solo kid gives you any trouble," he said conspiratorially. "I know his commander."


The conversation with Poe left Rey feeling as if she had been a little unfair to Ben. It wasn't his fault, after all, that she was still reeling from Kylo Ren's death. She resolved to be kinder if—that is, when—he returned from recon.

On the forty-first day after Carrivar, Rey polished the same C-Beam lamp three times and reorganized her tool kit twice. She spent an extra hour in the holosimulator and went another round in the training room. By nightfall, she was exhausted and fell asleep watching an old holovid in Poe and Finn's bunk.

She was awakened by a gentle bump from BB-8, who informed her that she was about to sleep through breakfast. Rey followed the talkative droid to the mess, where it quickly sped back to Poe, mission completed. In her grogginess, she found herself bumping into a very tall and solid mass. Ben grabbed her elbow to steady her. She wrenched it away reflexively.

"Oh, you're back." Rey kicked herself for stating the obvious. At least she was awake now. She reminded herself of her new conviction to be friendlier.

Ben smiled wryly. "Yeah, sorry to disappoint."

"Er, no, I'm glad the intel worked out. We didn't run into any trouble, did we?"

He tilted his head at that. "No, not a hint."

She breathed out a sigh of relief. Half-crazed laughter threatened to bubble up from somewhere in Rey's chest as the strange tension of the past few days evaporated. The puzzled expression on Ben's face forced her to swallow her newfound mirth.

"Well, I should get something to eat." He continued to stare at her and she shifted edgily, searching for something else to say. "Bye." She ducked from his gaze and hurried away to grab some fruit. Rey supposed it could have gone worse.


On the forty-third day, Rey and Chewbacca were reprogramming the flight computer when they heard General Organa's voice calling to them from the entry ramp of the Falcon.

"Chewie? Rey? Anyone home?

"We're coming!" Rey dusted herself off and let Chewbacca pull her up from the floor. They met General Organa at the bulkhead door.

"I like what you've done with the place," the General said. "It looks so much less grimy. Rey's doing, I'm sure."

Chewbacca let out a playfully indignant cry.

"Luke should be home soon. Will you two come for dinner when he returns?"

Rey stayed silent even as Chewbacca acquiesced readily. Month ago, she would have happily echoed Chewie's sentiments. After Ahch-To, Rey had joined Luke and Chewbacca for dinner with the General at least once a week. Poe and Finn had even accompanied her on a few occasions. But that was before Kylo Ren came back into their lives. And before Ben.

General Organa was looking at Rey now, her face expectant but kind. "I owe you an apology for not seeking you out earlier. It has been such a tumultuous time with my son back and the Senate rebuilding. But that's no excuse. I should have reached out to you. I've missed you, Rey."

Rey vaguely remembered hearing that the General had been traveling to Eufornis Major on a political mission recently. She tried to shrug and smile, but General Organa would not be fooled and soon Rey was enveloped in the older woman's arms. Tears pricked in Rey's eyes.

"Of course, I'll come to dinner, General."

"You know you can call me Leia."

Rey pulled away with a grin. "Yes, General."


On the morning of the forty-fifth day, Rey felt a ripple in the Force during breakfast. She hurried to the hangar, where Ben and General Organa were already waiting. Ben gave Rey an inscrutable look when she arrived, but the General took her hand and squeezed it gently.

The shuttle door opened and Luke Skywalker stepped out. His eyes flickered over the three figures before him and his smile reached his eyes for what Rey thought might have been the first time.

"Ben, Leia, Rey. It's so good to see you." His sister embraced him and kissed his cheek. She gestured for her son to step forward, which Ben did with some reluctance.

"Uncle. Nice of you to come home." He held out a hand to Luke, who seemed to consider it for a moment before hauling him in for a true hug. "Oof."

"I've missed you, too, Ben." Luke released his nephew and Ben stepped back stiffly.

"What's with the beard, old man?"

"Ben!" Leia scolded, but Luke let out a bark of laughter. Ben's attention drifted to a familiar droid exiting the shuttle.

"Artoo!" He abandoned his uncle and knelt down to meet the astromech. "Threepio has been unbearable without you." R2-D2 let out a string of expletives in Binary and Ben chuckled. "Come on, let's go find him and Chewie. You look terrible. What's Uncle Luke been doing to you?"

Luke watched them leave and exchanged an amused glance with General Organa before turning to Rey. He seemed to sober upon observing her.

"Master Luke." She nodded at him, not sure what else to say.

"Rey. We have much to discuss."


After General Organa and Luke made the rounds to see C-3PO, Chewbacca, and the other Resistance members who were anxious to welcome him back, he asked Rey to join him in the sitting room of his quarters. She felt concern radiating off of her Master even before he spoke.

"You have not meditated." It was not a question. "Rey, when you returned to us, I sensed a familiar Darkness in you. As if some shadow of Kylo Ren remained with you after his demise. Even today, it has not diminished."

"Is it meant to, Master?" She could not imagine losing what little she still had of Kylo, the memories that came to her so clearly.

Luke looked thoughtful. "Two decades ago, I would have said that it must, that a Jedi could not proceed with such emotions and resist succumbing to the temptation of the Dark Side. But that was before I saw what was to come, how vital both Dark and Light could be to restoring balance to the Force." He fixed his eyes on her. "But in your case, there is not yet balance. You are unfocused, Rey, and it weakens you."

She hung her head. "I will try harder."

He sighed and rubbed his left hand over his face. "I fear it will not be enough. We need you, Rey. The Knights of Ren have regrouped and are acting with impunity now that they are not answering to Snoke and their former Master. They are razing whole planets for plunder. And the First Order follows in their wake."

Rey found that she could not speak. She had not felt the new disturbance in the Force until this moment. Bitterness filled her. What good was Kylo's sacrifice when evil would still persist?

"Train me again. I will find focus, Master Luke. We will defeat them."

He nodded. "We begin tomorrow. You and Ben both."

Ben. Of course he would fight as well. She felt a new wave of unease from Luke and was reminded of his nephew's discomfort and caginess around him just an hour earlier. "He distrusts you."

Luke bowed his head. "When Ben was put into my care, I tried everything I could to push out the Darkness in him. Every effort I made resulted in visions of a bleaker future for the galaxy. Yet every step he took toward the Dark Side brightened it. So after five years of futility, I let him go. I may have even directed him along, in a way. I allowed him the opportunity to develop his Dark abilities, to grow stronger. It wasn't until later that I realized Snoke had been guiding him as well, in his head. Ben no longer hears Snoke's voice, but he remembers the treacherous message."

She thought once again about Kylo. "Did you know that we would defeat Snoke together even before you met me?"

"I didn't see exactly who you were in the visions, but I recognized the Light in you when you found me on Ahch-To. It wasn't what I wanted for you, for either of you. I tried everything I could to find an alternative. I consulted my father, Ben Kenobi, and Master Yoda, but none of them could see a better path."

Rey was overcome with a sudden flash of inspiration. "Master Luke, has he come to you? As a Force ghost?" she asked urgently.

"Kylo Ren? No, he hasn't."

"Isn't it possible he's there, though? Like your father after he turned back to the Light. Master Luke, can you ask them?" Her heart was racing at the thought of it.

A strange emotion crossed Luke's face. He paused before reaching out to her, taking her by the shoulder.

"No, Rey. I'm afraid he's not there."


The day passed in a fog, as most of the days since Carrivar had. Before Rey knew it, it was nearly time for dinner at the General's.

She chose her outfit with more care than usual, deciding finally on a bright blue version of the vest that she had worn when she first left for Ahch-To. She let her hair down, remembering preparations for a celebration almost a year ago. General Organa had surprised Rey with a gorgeous gown from her own youth, a delicate little thing of silver satin and gossamer gray. They had spent the afternoon together in front of an old vanity, the General's regal voice evoking the grand balls of Alderaan and imperial galas of Coruscant. Leia had brushed Rey's hair so gently that the memory of it still made her heart ache. This must be what it felt like to have a mother, Rey had thought.

She was running late, probably the last to arrive, and she felt a rush of nervousness as she knocked at the General Organa's quarters. Ben Solo opened the door and stood stock still for a moment before ushering her inside.

"Nice of you to join us," he muttered as she passed him. Rey took the empty seat next to his at the large oval table and surveyed the group. The General was at her right and Chewie across from her. Luke sat opposite General Organa on Ben's left. To her dismay, Jessika Pava was sitting between Chewbacca and Luke, across from Ben. Jessika smiled upon seeing them and Rey could not help feeling a small stab of irritation. She enthusiastically responded to Chewie's offer of emerald wine. It was going to be a long night.


Rey was feeling pleasantly hazy as she finished her dessert. The dinner had been much more enjoyable than she had expected. She had chatted with General Organa about her travels to Eufornis Major, relishing the General's descriptions of its eccentric inhabitants. Chewbacca had recounted his own adventures on the city planet and other nearby Core worlds. Now, the Wookiee and the General were engaged in a spirited debate about the merits of the various Core cuisines.

Luke's attention had been monopolized by Jessika, who seemed to never run out of questions for him. She sat rapt with attention as he explained his search for the first Jedi temple. Ben, who had been largely silent throughout dinner, seemed to roll his eyes with every story. Rey wondered if he was jealous.

"And how did you finally find…what was the planet called?" Jessika was nearly breathless with anticipation, to Ben's clear displeasure.

"It was named Ahch-To," Luke replied.

"Excuse you," Ben sneered under his breath. Rey snorted a little too loudly and he seemed startled to have been overheard. The people around them were too preoccupied with their own conversations to notice. Ben and Rey shared a small smile as Luke droned on. "He'll be insufferable tomorrow. Are you dreading it as much as I am?"

Rey fought the spontaneous reply that the wine seemed to want to release from her. "No, I think it's time. There's so much to be done."

He was quiet again. "Perhaps you're right. The Knights of Ren won't defeat themselves. A rather silly name though, don't you think?"

A snicker escaped her efforts at control. "Absolutely. They'd be better off as the Knights of Convor." She imagined squat warriors covered in bright yellow feathers.

"Knights of Trantor Pigeon," Ben offered, grinning. His eyes glistened in the candlelight.

"Knights of Garbage Snipe!" A warm sense of triumph filled her as he had to stifle a laugh. The feeling stayed with her through the rest of the evening and all the way back to the barracks, until she fell asleep imagining birds in flight.