Days Later, Dantooine
Jeyna sits on the ramp of the Millenium Falcon, letting her legs stretch out onto the grass beneath it. Her pants and boots are dusty with dirt, and Ben's clothes are no better. They've spent the morning on the planet exploring the cave system she'd found when she first came to Dantooine, until they located the cavern of kyber crystals.
Ben is currently in the Falcon's garage, working on rebuilding his saber. So Jeyna enjoys the peace and quiet outside while she waits. From here, Dantooine's plains stretch off in a rolling expanse of green under a bright sun. The landscape is occasionally interrupted with a low tree or rock formation, but the tranquility of nature goes as far as her eyes can see.
Jeyna had liked Dantooine when she'd arrived, before the First Order showed up to hunt her down. She'd had a feeling like there was a lot to be discovered on the sparsely populated farming world. The feeling returns now, making her mind grow more curious by the minute. HK-47 had claimed Revan left a cache of records in the remains of the old Jedi Enclave when asked what his master could have hidden on Dantooine. But she tries to be patient despite her curiosity, and wait for Ben before marching off to find it.
The droid's metal feet clank onto the ramp of the ship as it joins her. "Greetings, Master."
"Greetings, HK," Jeyna replies. She looks up to spot its red eyes focused on her.
"Query: Is there anything you need killed today?" HK asks, and she swears she isn't imagining the hopefulness of its mechanical voice. She eyes the blaster in its grip.
"No, I don't think so, HK…"
The droid's head seems to sag minutely. "Additional query: Perhaps we could find something to use for target practice, Master? I would hate to lose proficiency in my skills."
"You're a droid, HK. I think the only way you can lose proficiency is going too long without a repair job. And Ben just tuned you up," she replies, squinting her eyes as she leans forward a bit. Jeyna can see some sort of creature in the sky, high up amongst the clouds. It flaps massive wings as it soars by the sun.
"Condescending Answer: Ah, yes. The organ sack did a magnificent job," HK says. She wonders why Revan would program a droid with sarcasm, but admits with a small smile that it can be entertaining.
"He got you functioning again," Jeyna points out.
"Rebuttal: I would never have lost functionality if it weren't for the organ sack in the first place," the droid states. "If you would like to explore the Enclave now, I am more than capable of accompanying you."
Jeyna's smile grows. "Yeah, you have a point. But we have to wait for Ben, HK. I need him."
"Yes, Master. I am aware of your hormonal addiction to the organ sack," the droid retorts. "My behavioral analysis of your interactions makes it abundantly clear."
She raises her eyebrows at it before laughing. "I mean, we'll need him in the Enclave. I read that it is infested with laigreks, among other dangers."
"Irritated Explanation: Master, I am a fully functional assault droid, more than capable of any combat skills required," HK argues. She rolls her eyes, hearing footsteps as Ben seems to be emerging from the garage.
Jeyna turns, spotting Ben walking absentmindedly. He's examining his lightsaber, face distracted. She inspects it as he gets closer, starting down the ramp to stop by her. It looks like he's managed to repair the same handle, keeping his previous design.
"How did it go?" she asks hopefully.
Ben sits beside her, his long legs stretching well passed hers. "Alright. The kyber crystals here are strange," he admits.
"Strange how?" Jeyna asks curiously.
"Kyber crystals tend to absorb energy from around them. The ones on Dantooine have been through some sort of struggle… The whole planet echoes with it, but it is most noticeable in them," Ben tries to explain. "This one is very unique."
He holds the lightsaber out to her, and she takes it tentatively. "Is it different from your last one?" she wonders.
Ben nods. "The last crystal I used was very strong, but it fractured under its own power. This one is more resilient, I think."
Jeyna turns the handle over nervously, but Ben gives her an encouraging look. "Go on."
She ignites the lightsaber, stunned to see the color beam that erupts from the handle. At first she thinks it is pure white, but soon realizes it has a faint silver sheen, the beam stable in a way his red had never been. "I didn't know kyber crystals could be this color," she says quietly.
"There are many here that would be considered rare," Ben explains. "Maybe one day, you'll take one to make your own lightsaber."
Jeyna laughs, shaking her head in denial. She turns off the lightsaber, handing him back his weapon. He sits it between them, taking her hand instead. "I don't think so," she says, amused.
"Did you ever think you would use the force to save a man's life?" Ben asks, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze.
She looks up, and his eyes capture her in that familiar magnetic way. She searches their depths, feeling like she's being pulled into his gaze. "Well, no."
"Exactly," he breathes, moving closer. She tilts her face up to meet him as he brushes his lips over hers, in a light tease. She scoots closer to him on the ramp, reaching up to hold his cheek as she tries to steal a deeper kiss.
"Query: Master, should I leave you to press your feeding holes together in privacy, as social customs dictate?" HK speaks up with disgust.
Jeyna pulls back from Ben's lips to roll her eyes in annoyance, vaguely considering that they should have left the droid deactivated. Ben laughs softly at her thoughts.
Afternoon, Jedi Enclave
They manage to find their way to the ruined courtyard of the old Enclave, and pause to take a break there. A lot of the historical structure is damaged, entire hallways collapsed beyond use. Their progress has been slow, winding through a maze of rubble to get further into the structure.
Jeyna turns in a slow circle, spotting the remains of a fountain beneath wildly overgrown plant life. The sun warms her face, lighting the space up in a golden tone as she takes in what used to be gardens. "This would have been very pretty, back in its day," she observes. "It's hard to imagine though, with the state it's in now."
Ben sits on a low stone wall, joining her in looking around. Three of the four walls surrounding the courtyard still stand, but one has crumpled in to leave a pile of rock in its stead. "We've passed a lot of damage from impacts. It looks like this was bombarded from low orbit."
Jeyna stills, trying to feel the force that is pulling at her with gentle currents. There is something to the Enclave within the force, something haunting yet comforting, that wavers in a way she can't pin down. "This place feels… different. It's not dark or light, but it's.. something else," she tries to explain.
Ben nods. "It's the same as the crystals. The unique history has changed it, and you can feel that in how the force flows in this place."
She closes her eyes to focus closer, a peaceful feeling sinking into her muscles the more she tunes in. "I think I like it here," she admits after a moment.
"I think I do too. But it will take a lot of work to rebuild," Ben replies.
Jeyna opens her eyes to give him a surprised look. "Rebuild?" she repeats.
Ben's expression is tentative as he searches her gaze. "The force is well balanced here, and it is relatively safe and private. It would be a good location to train…" He trails off, shrugging one shoulder slightly.
Jeyna gives him a small, cautious smile. "Are you going to do what Revan asked?"
Ben makes a face, and her smile grows at the disgruntled response. "I don't know if I'll make a good teacher…"
"Well, you can practice with me," she offers, wandering closer to where he sits on the garden wall. He grins slowly.
"I'd like that," he admits, reaching out to grab her, pulling her closer. She goes without resistance, giggling slightly when he pulls her tightly into his arms. They both freeze when the moment is interrupted by the sound of a blaster shot.
Jeyna closes her eyes in irritation, waiting for some communication from HK-47. When she hears nothing, she calls out, "HK! I said, no using the laigreks for target practice!"
Ben laughs. "Bet you're regretting asking me to fix it."
"I might ask you to explode it before we're done here," she says dramatically.
He stands, and they venture further into the ruins, leaving the sunlit courtyard behind. They catch up to HK, and press deeper into the underground levels of the ancient Jedi building. Their small lanterns barely cast enough light, but are enough to navigate by. The laigreks are more numerous the farther they get from the surface, but a few shots of HK's blaster seem to push them back effectively.
When they arrive at the Jedi archives, Jeyna is surprised to see the extent of the place. The space has been strangely preserved, though she spots some records that have been damaged by time. But enough is still salvageable that she knows it would take her months to catalogue the discovery. She's never found so many records from the Jedi before, making the archive quite a prize.
"Master Revan's holocrons were placed in a secure archive, so as to be inaccessible to Jedi padawans," HK explains, marching through the rows. Jeyna and Ben follow, arriving at the security door in the back. It looks jammed, refusing to open.
"Can we force it open?" she wonders.
"Suggestion: We might need to blast the door open with a sonic grenade, Master," HK replies.
Ben pushes passed the droid to ignite his saber. "We aren't setting off a grenade down here, it could trigger further collapse." He strikes through the locking mechanism in a single stroke with the new blade of his lightsaber, and it releases immediately.
The door slides open, revealing a dark chamber. Jeyna moves to step forward first, only hesitating when Ben gently holds her back with one arm. He steps in before her, letting his light flood the small space. His arm falls to allow her entry when he's cleared it.
She follows him, eyes widening at the double row of holocrons. "What are all these for?" she asks.
"They were transcribed from the final transmissions of the Ebon Hawk," HK answers.
"The Ebon Hawk? Revan's ship?" Jeyna clarifies.
The droid's red eyes glow from the dark doorway. "Explanation: Yes, Master. While Revan was searching for the Eternal Empire, he recorded numerous hours of his thoughts. These were transmitted back to Bastila Shan, who had them transferred to holocrons for safe keeping. The Jedi agreed to store them here, with the understanding they would be kept away from all but the historians."
Jeyna surveys them, each identical to the ones they'd found on planets all over the galaxy. They remind her of that first holocron she'd reached out to as a girl, hidden away but calling to her eager mind. There had been a time when she would have been overjoyed at a discovery like this.
But for the first time in her life, she longs for something beyond her research. She has other things in mind for the immediate future, things that have nothing to do with holocrons or archives.
And so she steps from the small alcove, and suggests they get out of the ruins before nightfall. Ben looks curious, but agrees, and they retrace their path back to their ship.
Sunset, Millennium Falcon
They lay on the ramp together as the sun sinks lower on Dantooine's horizon. Jeyna shifts, moving her head from Ben's shoulder to rest on his arm. The air is getting a bit cooler, the scenery before them drenched in an orange blaze before night descends.
Ben speaks up softly, interrupting the silence that had stretched between them since making it back to the ship. "I suppose we'll be here a while," he concedes.
Jeyna considers that before shaking her head. "We can come back later," she suggests. Her response must surprise him, because he shifts, propping himself up to look down at her face.
The sunset gives his skin a warm tone, casting his hair into a rich brown color. He surveys her curiously, lips quirking. "A scholar, turning down the chance to pursue her studies? What could be more important?" he asks teasingly.
"Why don't you look and see?" Jeyna offers. He grins at the invitation into her thoughts, his presence blooming in her awareness. Her love for him surges, welcoming him as their minds blend together.
Ben sees what she is picturing, in fragments and images. A vision of white sand, and sparkling rocks jutting out into crystal blue water. Waves rushing up towards an archway of rock, while sand shifts underfoot as she rushes to him.
She imagines the promises they could make there, in that place where they had first realized their love. They had chosen each other there, and it only seems right to exchange their vows in that same spot. They could begin the rest of their lives on that peaceful beach that stretches along the ocean. A break from the mysteries and fighting, from everything else in the universe… Just the two of them, finally together in every way. She doesn't want to wait any longer.
Ben smiles tenderly, before he asks, "Well, what are we waiting for?"
Jeyna can only rise up to meet his lips in response, overcome by passion. Their love wraps around them as they kiss, warm and alive, while their minds are swept away by shared hope for what the future holds. As the sun sinks below the horizon, they are both lost and found in each other's arms.