Rey had been deep in her meditation when Lalae Halo bent down to touch her gently on the shoulder. Blinking, Rey opened her eyes to see the Togruta straighten in the dim lighting of the temple. She looked tired, eyes strained, a furrow in her brow, her robes rumpled with travel, and a small boy clinging to her leg with grubby hands.
"You're back," Rey stated, but her brow creased. Lalae and Tarith weren't due back from Cantonica this soon, and not with a child in tow.
"Tarith wants everyone to come now." Her voice was urgent.
"What happened? Is something wrong?" Rey asked. The boy, who couldn't have been more than six years old, peeked out at Rey cautiously with wide brown eyes. She gave him a quick, hesitant smile and he ducked behind Lalae again, so Rey focused back on the knight. She wasn't really comfortable with kids anyway.
"Haven't you heard?" Lalae brushed her hand over the boy's dark locks fretfully.
"I'm guessing no since I'm not sure what you're talking about."
"Come."
Lalae tucked the boy into a spare bed while Rey waited, leaving R2-D2 to watch over him. The kid, who Lalae said was named Temiri, was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately.
"Tarith found him digging for scraps in the rubbish behind the casino. Tar felt his strong potential, and he was an orphan, so we couldn't leave him. Even when we heard."
"Heard what?" Rey glanced at the boy, taking in his hollow cheeks and ragged clothing before focusing back on Lalae.
Lalae's Force signature was awash with distress, making Rey tingle with anxiety. "Come on, let's find the others."
They went to the dining hall where everyone already sat tense around the table. Rey couldn't escape the feeling of dread that clawed at her as Tarith turned on the holoscreen. Together, they watched the uncut footage of Senator Casterfo's pronouncement. Once it had finished, silence fell over the shocked Jedi.
"Is it true?" Zarr blurted, confusion wrinkling his brow.
"We should contact Master Skywalker," Ryl said, getting to her feet.
Tarith interjected quickly,"I've already was no response from the Grey Kestrel."
"They could be in danger," Lalae said.
"The son and grandson of Darth Vader? Hardly," Tirian scoffed.
"Tirian!" Tarith snapped.
"What, brother? You doubt the good Senator? He may have looked like a madman, but he did not lack confirmation. You heard the words of the elder Senator Organa informing his daughter postmortem of her true heritage. And the truth could also be seen in her expression."
"We should wait for Master Skywalker to explain before we can judge truly," Shul spoke up.
Silyana sat back, raising her eyebrows. "Are you ashamed that your master may be the spawn of a Sith lord? We have been taught by maybe the most powerful Force user alive today. You should be proud. It doesn't matter where he comes from, so long as he teaches us how to use the Force."
"We are Jedi." Ryl declared, brown eyes flashing, "We all belong to the Light.".
"Apparently not all of us," Silyana snarked back, casually tossing her pale blonde braid over her shoulder.
Suddenly Joerian stood up at the head of the table. "Shut up! All of you!" He crossed his arms. "Shul is right. We have to wait for Master Skywalker and Solo to return. Once they hear the news, most likely they'll come straight home. For now, we can all keep up our usual activities."
The group dispersed slowly, wandering out of the dining hall one by one. Rey was the last to leave, moving stiffly, half-dazed. She didn't return to the temple. Instead she drifted towards the speeder shed on the other side of the hill, away from the others and the feeling of their dissonant emotions reverberating through the Force.
Her first feeling was shock, her mind reeling with bewilderment. It seemed as if the whole world had fallen out from under her feet, just like on Eadu, and once again she was left alone and trapped. She slumped against the shed wall, dropping to the ground, the wooden planks scraping along her back. They lied. All of them.
Her second feeling was betrayal, deep and aching. It hurt. The people she trusted most, who took her in, who raised her, had lied about who they were. Her whole life was built on betrayal: her parents had abandoned her when she needed them, leaving her lost and alone. She knew that now. They all kept the truth from her, robbing her of any choice in determining the course of her own life. She had been deceived and manipulated, again and again and again. Tears welled in her eyes.
She looked up when she heard a chirp in binary. R2-D2, released from his babysitting duties, trundled towards her, letting out a mournful whistle.
"Did you know?"
He emitted a guilty beep.
"Of course you did." She picked up a pebble and chucked it far into the dry grass, hesitating before asking her next question. "Did — did Ben know?"
The astromech chirped a negative, and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He didn't know. Then she moaned, and said aloud, "He didn't know. Oh, no. No, no, no."
She leapt to her feet, ready to charge off and go to him, but —
"Argh!" She kicked the wall behind her, causing R2 to squeal with indignation. Ben was off-world with Luke. They were probably already on their way back, but until the two contacted the Academy, she had no way of knowing where they were.
His choice is clear. What is yours?
"His choice is not yet made," she snarled to the air. "You leave him be!"
You cannot change his mind. You only have your own choice to make. Choose to escape these lies, and become what you were meant to be.
"Then fine! I'll choose. Not you – I choose Ben!"
Rey wasn't sure, but she thought she felt the voice growl. And then he was gone.
Rey slumped to the ground in a heap, sobbing. She didn't know what had happened, wasn't sure what she'd meant by choosing Ben, but she knew it was the truth.
"Please, Ben," she whispered. "Hurry back."
Thwap!
Her staff struck the dummy, causing it to wobble slightly. She spun to the side, landing a quick series of blows to its flank, her thighs and calves burning with fatigue, the staff hitting her ribs and bicep hard enough to bruise. She threw her staff to the ground and bent over, chest heaving, to scoop up her water bottle. She collapsed with her back on the floor of the training pavilion, sweat trickling into her hairline and down her sides. She was alone in the open structure except for the New Republic infantryman who stood in the corner watching her warily. When the unit had first arrived, she'd tried to greet them or at least acknowledge them in some way, but that had seemed to frighten them so she'd quickly given up.
It had been a week since the news had broken, and there had been no word from the crew of the Grey Kestrel. The next day, the New Republic Senate had stationed a unit at the Academy. To do what, no one could decide, unclear if they were supposed to be protecting the Jedi from vengeful malcontents or holding the Jedi in custody. Even the commanding officer, Captain Limpan, seemed unsure, apologizing with much discomfort and fear for intruding in their little community. There had been several rumors, each worse than the next. They were going to be sent home, disgraced and monitored. They were going to be questioned and evaluated by a team of experts for disturbing or violent tendencies. They were going to be locked up in a high-security facility equipped with ysalamiri to dampen their powers. The holonet was full of opinions, whipping up frenzied parties from all sides.
The Skywalker siblings' influential careers had left them with both loyal friends and relentless enemies, but despite everything, Senator Organa and her friends had practically built the New Republic after the fall of the Empire, and the worlds who had entered into the new government had staked their hope in her. Leia still held considerable sway in the government of the New Republic despite the seeds of doubt taking root, and she was not easily cowed. Rey had seen the report that told of Leia's appearance in support of Tai-Lin Garr at a rally to take her place as the Populists' choice for First Senator, right before Garr was assassinated in front of thousands by an Imperial sympathizer. The Senate had promptly voted to put the selection of a First Senator on hold indefinitely.
In the meantime, the New Jedi Order was left to deal with a reluctant occupying force. Some, like Shul, maintained a friendly disposition towards the soldiers, offering them the use of the culinary droid along with similar small gestures. Others did nothing to dissuade those who thought the Academy was a front for a Darkside miasma. Silyana was in the leadership of this effort, glaring at every soldier she saw and passing them a little closer than was entirely necessary just so they would back away. When one of their guards had muttered something about the possibility of tracking bracelets, she had fixed her with such a withering stare that Rey thought the woman might faint. The memory of Silyana toying with them made Rey smirk, and she threw an arm over her face. It probably wouldn't help anything if her guard reported her smiling maniacally at nothing. Mostly, though, the soldiers had kept a respectful distance, the mythos of the Jedi Order and Luke Skywalker that was rooted deep into the DNA of the galaxy keeping them from trying to impose anything on the knights and apprentices. Personally, Rey thought that was unwise, but she wasn't going to argue if they let her walk around uninhibited and armed with her weapon.
Rey shivered, the chilly breeze blowing in off the grassy plains cooling the sweat on her skin, reminding her that winter was almost here. Laying on her back, clutching the bottle to her chest, she closed her eyes as she breathed in the cold. Since the galaxy had learned the truth about the Skywalker bloodline, Rey had bounced around from feeling hurt, angry, confused, and lonely, often all within a few seconds. But every time, she circled back to fear – fear for Ben and what he might do.
She could speculate what she might do, coming up with a few dozen scenarios, some of them more positive than others. But as close as she was to him, as much as they'd shared, she wasn't Ben. She couldn't read his mind. And that scared her.
The rest of the Jedi Order had fragmented, each dealing with their emotions in their own way. Most had retreated to their quarters, only emerging to retrieve sustenance from the dining hall before disappearing again. Some, like Ryl, took long walks in the plains around the Academy, trailed, of course, by New Republic agents. Rey had been in the midst of her preparatory studies for knighthood, but now she wasn't sure if there was a point in continuing. Everyone, Jedi and soldiers alike, were biding their time until someone could give them answers and direction.
Rey had needed a more physical outlet for her anxiety, and over the past few years she had grown accustomed to pounding on Ben with a lightsaber for release. Unfortunately, his absence was the cause of most of her distress, and Rey didn't trust she could keep herself in check with anyone else right now. The training remotes sitting in crates at the back of the pavilion would have allowed her to use her lightsaber, but she wanted to feel the reverberations running up her arms and shoulders, to pound out her fury into aching bruises on her arms and sides. Anyway, there was an unspoken understanding that for the sanity of the New Republic soldiers, lightsabers were off limits. Or are they?
Rey groaned and sat up, resting her forearms on her knees. This was the third time she'd visited the training pavilion today. She dropped the water bottle before palming the hilt of her saber. Rey smiled slightly when she noticed the nervous reaction from the guard in the corner. He shuffled his feet, tightening his grip on his weapon. What does he think he can do to me anyway? she scoffed to herself.
Ignoring him, Rey examined the saber hilt, rolling it back and forth in her hand. Then she was up, deep blue leaping from her grasp as she slashed outward, spinning in a circle, ending in a low crouch, watching the ghostly light flicker over the hard-packed dirt of the floor. Slowly, she turned to look, the ignited saber thrumming and casting strange shadows on the underside of the pavilion. The dummy, a simple tarp stuffed with dry straw, lay smoking in two pieces on the ground. The soldier had gone stock still, shock frozen on his face.
She frowned. That wasn't nearly as satisfying as Ben's tantrums had led her to believe. Really, though, she thought, you'd have guessed the son of the Emperor's right hand could afford better equipment for his school. She watched the soldier fumbled for his commlink, her expression detached. Maybe they'll finally decide to just arrest us. The thought actually cheered her, and she smiled grimly.
The distant roar of sublight thrusters interrupted the guard's frantic words into the commlink. Both of them ran out from under the pavilion into the open air, although he skittered away when he noticed her next to him. As she disengaged her lightsaber, Rey craned her neck upwards to peer into the gray sky, squinting to distinguish the pale ship from the hovering ghost of the Alaris gas giant. It was the Grey Kestrel.
Rey sprinted across the Academy grounds, leaving her guard behind, passing the temple, the dining hall, and the individual dwellings, skidding to a halt on the landing field at the bottom of the slope. The other Jedi, followed by the entire New Republic unit with weapons readied, appeared as the Kestrel descended. Even Temiri was there, perched on Lalae's hip. The Jedi came to stand silent behind Rey. Even Captain Limpan, who pushed her way through the crowd that had formed, stood a distance back from her. She may not have been the highest ranked person present, but she had an unspoken seniority when it came to the Skywalker-Solo family.
The grasses bent away from the ship as it landed, the force of the thrusters beating them flat, but Rey stood fast, even as tendrils of hair slipped free from their ties and whipped at her face. The Kestrel came to rest on the ground, the thrusters falling silent except for the occasional pop or creak as they cooled in the chilly air. The hatch decompressed with a hiss, opening to reveal a lone figure.
Luke Skywalker stood at the top of the ramp, his posture weary and old. No one moved for a long time, but then he took the first step towards them, stopping when he was a few meters in front of Rey.
"Where's Ben?" Rey demanded stiffly.
Luke's expression was flat. "I don't know."
"You don't know," she echoed, her voice thick. He merely shook his head. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, nearly choking. "Do you have any idea what you've done to him? To me? To all of us?"
He waited, his expression distant and resigned.
"You deceived us. You thought you knew what was best for us!" She was shouting at Luke Skywalker, the head of the New Jedi Order, and she didn't care. "You don't know everything. You didn't think of the cost!"
"Rey," Joerian said, placing a hand on her arm. She shook him off, taking a step forward, then another. The Jedi tensed their stances and soldiers fingered their weapons.
"You don't know what you've done. What you have created. This will be your legacy, Master Jedi."
Luke finally reacted, flinching away from her advance to stumble and fall back. His face was lit with a chilling dark blue glow, and Rey realized the hilt in her hand, which she had never re-attached to her belt, was ignited again, blazing angrily in her grasp. Rey heard the sound of safeties being disengaged behind her. She lowered her gaze from the midnight plasma beam to Luke's eyes, now hardened with distrust and outrage. Rey shifted back, turning to see the others watching the scene with expressions ranging from fright to awe. The captain moved forward with restraints in one hand, but Joerian put a hand out to stop her, reading the danger in Rey's eyes. She had gone too far this time.
Or maybe not far enough. She had made her choice, it was time to follow through.
Abruptly she switched off the blade in her hand, walking through the crowd which fell back before her. She strode up the hill to her quarters where she hastily threw the necessities into her pack, then stormed back out without another glance.
The scene at the landing pad hadn't changed very much; Lalae and Shul had moved forward to help Luke up to his feet, and Captain Limpan was speaking to him while an orderly ran to the communications tower behind the dining hall. They were startled by her abrupt return, but Rey ignored them all, heading straight towards the T-65B X-wing. R2-D2 was already there next to the trio of soldiers guarding the Academy's starcraft, somehow anticipating her plans before she even knew what she was doing.
"Miss, I'm going to have ask you to turn around."
Rey stopped, bending the power welling up through her towards their minds. "You will disengage your weapon and leave the ships unguarded."
The officer who'd spoken to her relaxed his stance, his eyes unfocused. "I will disengage my weapon and leave the ships unguarded."
The three soldiers moved slowly, but Rey was already passing them, climbing over the side into the cockpit, flipping the ignition and priming the engines. Everything at the Academy was kept ready to go at a moment's notice, so the fuel tank was filled and the thrusters hummed to life without hesitation.
"Rey!" Joerian stood on the ground, a hand outstretched. The small object in his palm flew up and into her hand: a chip containing the code to a private comm channel.
"May the Force be with you!" he shouted over the roar of the engines, stepping back.
Behind him, soldiers were screaming at her, waving their arms and pointing their blasters in a futile attempt to stop her. Two of them grabbed Joerian and roughly pulled him away, although he made no attempt to resist, instead watching her as she prepared to leave. She paused, hand on the rim of the cockpit, ready to vault back down to the ground, but he shook his head. She nodded, giving him one last look before turning her attention back to the take-off sequence. A few of the soldiers ran towards her, signaling her to desist, but she had no plans of turning back now. Let them try to stop me, she snarled to herself. She untied her hair, combing it back into a half ponytail so she could jam the helmet on her head. "Artoo, are you ready?"
The droid chirped his agreement, locked into position behind the cockpit. Rey lifted the ship up, turning it away from the temple before blasting up into the atmosphere. Briefly, her sight focused on her hands holding the controls, Ben's bracelet tied around her wrist.
"You can't leave that easily, Ben."
Rey sat tucked in a corner behind a table, her hood pulled low as she contemplated the drink in front of her. Although it wasn't strictly forbidden, drinking wasn't really encouraged at Luke's academy. Peace was found through other means. But now that she had left she thought she might as well give it a try. She wasn't quite eighteen yet, but each world had different ideas about the acceptable drinking age and of course here at Maz's castle, the rules were a little looser. Taking a tentative sip, Rey made a face. She honestly had no idea what she'd ordered, but the sour astringent taste wasn't nearly as pleasant as the fruity scent had led her to believe. Anyway, something about the rich amber liquid made her uneasy even as it sat innocuously in its glass.
Pushing away her drink, Rey turned her attention back to the chaotic scene in front of her. Every species imaginable filled the stone walls, mingling and conducting business over the music of the band on stage and the cheers of the crowd watching the battlebots. The sights and sounds were almost overwhelming as her eyes roved from person to person, hoping for something that would stand out.
She didn't expect to find Ben here, but she had to start somewhere, and from what she'd heard of Takodana, it was a hive of information and connections waiting to be discovered. She'd thought of approaching Maz Kanata, the owner of the establishment, who reportedly knew everything and everyone, but she didn't feel like charging up to her and demanding to know what had happened to Ben Solo. Rey had managed to slip in relatively unnoticed, landing the X-wing far out along the lakeshore, admonishing R2 to keep an eye on the ship before striking out for the castle. Once inside, she'd ordered a drink before retreating to her corner where she now sat, trying to listen in on her neighbors' conversation.
"The Amaxine warriors aren't the only ones. There's more of them, waiting for the right time," a humanoid growled through the scarf that covered the lower half of his face. "And then there's the kids that disappear."
"That's just talk. The Republic found them out, yeah? They'll take care of anyone else who thinks they're the new Empire," a Twi'lek with twin scars on his cheeks said.
"Don't be stupid. The Republic is a mess. Mark my words, that Vader scandal is going to be their downfall."
"You believe the senator that said Organa is Vader's kid?"
The mask scoffed. "No. That was just desperation to keep her out of power. But the damage's done. The Senate's more of a wreck than it's ever been. When assassination didn't work on Organa, they decided to just mess her up another way. Trust me, someone out there is very happy with the way things have turned out."
"You think they'll find those Jedi that disappeared? Or whatever they are?"
"I don't know. It doesn't matter to me."
"Yeah, not until one of those glow stick wielders is messing in your business for no good reason and there's nobody to stop them."
"Sure, sure."
Rey turned back to where her hands fiddled with the glass in front of her. She heard of the unsuccessful assassination attempt of course – the Napkin Bombing as the media had coined it – prior to the one that took Tai-Lin Garr's life. She was unfamiliar with the Amaxine warriors, but from context she determined that they must have been some secret military group. She didn't doubt that there was more of them hiding from the New Republic, and she was certain they weren't leaderless. There was always a bigger fish in the water, and she had a distinct feeling this one had been in her head for a long time. Even now there was something pressing on the edge of her mind, urgent whispers that had followed her ever since she'd landed on Takodana, but she pushed it away.
She caught sight of Maz again, working her way through the crowd with discrete purpose. Rey decided she might as well go straight to the source; after all, she'd been here for several hours with nothing to show for it. She followed the diminutive proprietor with her eyes, but she disappeared around the bar and Rey berated herself for missing another opportunity to approach her.
"Hey, kid."
Rey's fingers were instantly on the lightsaber hilt hidden under her cloak.
"Whoa, it's just me," Han Solo said, holding up his hands. He looked almost as surprised to find himself there as she was. "Could I sit down?"
Rey nodded cautiously and he slid in across from her.
"Just promise not to skewer me with that thing, alright?"
"How'd you find me?"
Han was looking everywhere but her face. "Maz is an old friend. She commed me a few hours ago to tell me you were here and I was in the area."
"Maz? She doesn't even know who I am."
"You'd be surprised what she knows. Also you kind of look like a Jedi with the whole hood and cloak thing." He gestured vaguely at her attire.
Rey frowned, then slid her hood back.
"You changed your hair," Han blurted.
"Uh, yeah," Rey said, running a hand over the back of her head.
"Looks good."
Rey fiddled with her glass as an awkward silence grew at their table.
Han cleared his throat. "If you're wondering, Leia heard that you'd left the Academy, and Leia told me." Another pause. "I know you're probably still kinda mad about… well, probably all of it."
He still avoided her gaze, settling instead on the drink in her hand.
"Could I?" He pointed at the glass. Rey pushed it towards him and he downed its contents. He sighed. "You're too young for that stuff anyway."
She pursed her lips and sat back against the bench, wondering when Han would get to the point. She was anxious and tired, and she could feel hot tears pricking at the back of her eyes.
"So, uh, you're looking for Ben, huh?"
She nodded again, not trusting herself to respond without some kind of outburst if she opened her mouth. She wasn't sure how she felt toward the retired smuggler right then.
"I'm not here to stop you," he said. "Actually, I've brought you some help."
Rey looked up to see Greer Sonnel and a young man detach themselves from a wall across the room when Han waved them over, crowding into the corner booth, blocking her view of the room and any potential for getting Maz's attention. Rey frowned.
"Greer says you two've already met. She's one of mine." Han said. Greer looked like she did five years ago, just a little more he jabbed a thumb at the blonde-haired man. "This is one's one of Leia's people."
"Joph Seastriker," the man said with a shy smile. "I'm— well, I was a lieutenant for the New Republic. Now, I guess I'm one of Leia's people, like he said." He looked to Greer, who gave him a faint nod. Rey wondered briefly if he knew Poe.
"Leia would've tried to come herself, but she figured you'd probably not wanna see her for a while," Han shrugged. "Also things are a little tricky with all the assassins and angry politicians running around."
Rey still didn't respond, and Han finally cracked, rubbing the scruff on his chin.
"Rey, could you say something? You're kinda freaking me out with all the silent and stony you got going on."
"Did you know?"
"Yeah, kid." His response was quiet but immediate. "Yeah, I did."
He finally met her eyes, and she watched him carefully, trying to discern his thoughts. After a minute she called the now-empty glass into her hand, making Joph flinch, and observed the last drops of liquor clinging stubbornly to the inside.
"Why didn't you tell him?" She didn't say who she was talking about; she didn't have to.
Han sighed, slouching even lower in his seat. "All the reasons seem kind of stupid now. Does it matter? It's too late anyhow."
Rey just nodded. She wanted to be angry, but Han seemed just as devastated as she was, and she had already thrown all her disappointment and hurt at Luke the previous day. She didn't think she had the energy to do it again.
"Why are they here?" She tilted her head towards the two still standing awkwardly next to their table.
"Leia sent us to help you look for her son," Greer answered.
Rey pressed her lips together. "I'm currently not inclined to accept her help, especially if she doesn't feel like showing up personally."
"If she could, she'd be here," Joph spoke up vehemently, taking a step forward, surprising Rey and Greer. Even Han raised an eyebrow. "You have no idea what she's facing right now, what she's going through, what she's trying to do."
"Ok, then, Leia's person," Rey said, her tone causing Han to frown slightly at her. "No need to get so defensive."
"Before you turn us down," Greer said, "we have more."
Outside the castle, Rey found herself standing next to the Mirrorbright, Leia's diplomatic vessel, with Han, Greer, Joph, and R2-D2. The ship, which Rey remembered as being a distinctive glossy white, was now a much drabber gray tone.
"It's not the Mirrorbright anymore," Greer explained. "It was too recognizable, especially after the news came out, so we scrubbed the ship's log and registration. Right now, she's a blank slate."
Rey walked around the ship. She realized that if Ben didn't come home of his own accord, it could take a while to find him. It would certainly be more comfortable to take the former Mirrorbright than live out of an X-wing for a month. And while she was confident in her ability to take care of herself, it would be good to have someone else to rely on and she trusted Greer, who in turn trusted Joph. And, even if she didn't want to admit it, Leia had sent them to help find Ben. Rey didn't want to burn all her bridges yet.
"You realize there's probably a warrant out for me. I didn't leave the Academy in the best way."
"There is," Greer confirmed.
"Sure," Joph said. "But you're like a Jedi, right? You're pretty much untouchable."
"I don't know about that," Rey said with a wry smile. She thought a moment more. "Alright, I accept your offer."
The side of Han's mouth twitched up. "Thanks, kid. You've saved me from having to explain to Leia why I let you go off on your own."
"I think I can handle myself."
"I know you do." He gave her a small crooked smile.
Greer interjected. "Joph and I will prep the ships for departure." Greer disappeared aboard the ship while Joph headed over to the X-wing Rey had commandeered from the Academy. The former Republic pilot's gait was almost bouncing with excitement as he was trailed by the astromech, who whistled something about supervising.
"You might need this." Han pulled a blaster from his belt and handed it to Rey, who raised her eyebrow. He shifted his weight. "I don't know where you're going but you may need to blend in a little more than you would with a lightsaber."
"So I'm going to use a blaster? That's subtle," she said dryly, her arm still half-extended, not really taking it from him.
"Well, I mean try not to use it, but if you have to, then do, but – uh – you do know how to use one of those, right?"
"Yeah, you pull the trigger."
"There's a little more to it than that. But you're a smart kid. I know you can learn."
Rey looked him over again before drawing her hand back, letting the blaster hang by her side.
"Good luck, kid. If anyone can find Ben and drag him home by his ear, it's you. Stars know I can't. You two got something special."
Rey's cheeks heated and she looked away. "I'll keep you posted."
Han nodded and Rey turned, making her way aboard the now-nameless ship as Greer turned the thrusters online. Through the viewport, she caught a glimpse of Han watching them take off from the tree line and felt a pang of jealousy. You have people waiting for you, Ben. I'm going to prove it to you.
~Author's Note:
Aw, poor space babies.
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Many thanks to my beta .com - she's the literal best! And you too - thank you all for reading! Update in two weeks :D