Rey POV

"Hey kids," cried Han from the cockpit of the Falcon, "we are here."

I went into the cockpit and crouched behind Han's chair. He slowly pulled us out of lightspeed, and a large blue planet, with flecks of green all across its belly. As we neared the planet and broke the atmosphere, I realized that the blue was some crystal clear waters, and the green was tall trees that would tower over the buildings back on Jakku.

"Oh my God," I breathed.

"You like Rey?" asked Toby beside me.

"It's gorgeous. I never knew there was this much green in the whole galaxy," I whispered.

No one said anything for a minute. Han gave me a knowing look, as if he understood what it meant to be trapped on a planet.

"You should see Endor. Where I grew up. It's got these massive trees, and a forest that seems to go on forever."

"A forest," I echoed in reverence.

"Lets go to Endor, Dad," said Toby.

"You are part of the Resistance, Son," said Han, laughing. "How about we get this droid to your mother and then we can go wherever you want."

Han landed the Falcon and we all got out of our seats.

"Chewie," said Han, "check the falcon, and fuel it up, check the hyperdrive, and run through diagnostics."

Chewie roared in protest.

"I know you want to see Maz, but Toby is blind, Rey has never been on a planet with trees before, and Finn doesn't know what he is doing."

Chewie huffed something flippant.

"Because I am the captain! You can see Maz when you get done."

Chewie roared in surrender.

"Thank you," he said, and led us down the gangplank and towards the city.

"I can stay and help Chewie," I said.

Han shook his head and grinned. "I am joking with him. Nothing is worse than having to wait. That won't take him more than fifteen, twenty minutes tops."

Finn came up to us. "Hey Solo, I am not sure what we are walking into and-"

Han wheeled around, and looked at him with a look of shock and humor. "Kid, did you just call me Solo?"

I laughed. They were so not there yet. I started heading towards the impressive city, and soon Toby was by my side. We were walking close, Toby careful not to touch me. I looked around and saw the lake and walking in the city, and suddenly I was aware of the fact that we were almost on a date. Almost. The thought made me blush.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your breathing hitched. I could hear it."

"I saw something pretty," I lied.

"Yes, this is a beautiful place. I am glad you got to see it."

In a minute, Han and Finn came up behind us, and the moment was gone. Toby walked away from me giving me some space, and his father walked past him, to lead the way to Maz's palace. When Han passed, Toby got closer to me, but we were not as close as we were, and he still did not touch me. We walked through the street, and Han lead us toward an impressive fortress on the lake in the center of the city.

"So, what can you tell me about Maz?" I asked.

"Her name is Maz Kanata," said Han. "She has a smuggler's hold here, and she has protected it for the last thousand years. There are two rules here: you cannot bring your politics, and you can not bring your war. That does not mean that they do not have a contingency plan. Maz is a brilliant fighter, but she avoids war around her home, and she usually gets roped into a fight and does not volunteer for one."

"You say she has been around for a thousand years. Was she friendly with the Jedi or the Sith?" I asked as we entered the gate.

"There was a battle that took place here during the war between the Jedi and the Sith. The Jedi free the castle from the Sith and gave it back to Maz to rule. She is friendly towards the Jedi, but does not get involved in their war so she does not bring ruin upon her people. During the civil war when the Sith took over and killed the Jedi, Maz stayed out of the way, and kept her castle safe."

"Who stays here?" asked Finn.

"It depends. Mostly smugglers. Sometimes the weary traveler if they can pay Maz's fee. She will let us crash for a few days for free, but to stay longer, she charges rent and you must play by her rules."

We came upon the palace, and Han stopped. He reached into his boots, and handed me something. It was a blaster, a short black handle, a fat silver armored body, and two barrels one on top of the other.

"Here, you might need this?" Han said.

"I think I can handle myself," I said.

"I know that is why I am giving it to you."

I grabbed the gun and held it in my hands.

"The safety is here," he said, pointing at a switch. "This is on, this is off. Point, and shoot."

"I don't think I can kill anybody," I said looking at him.

He looked me dead in the eyes. "Yes, you can. You were raised on Jakku. You had to fight for things all of your life. One day, you might have to fight against someone who wants to hurt you, and you need to kill them."

"I can't shoot straight!" I yelled.

"Toby will help you practice," he said over his shoulder, dismissing the subject.

I glanced at the foreign weapon in my hand. Could I ever kill someone?

"My uncle Luke taught me alternatives to taking a life as part of my Jedi training. I can teach you some if you want," said Toby.

I smiled, and nodded. I tucked the gun in my belt and grabbed his hand, telling myself I was guiding him to the castle, although he could see with the Force perfectly well.