Author Notes:
Hello and Welcome to one of my many works in the fandom. I took a different approach here with the setting and time. I hope you lovelies enjoy it.
Chapter One
Chandrila, 20 ABY
The heat of Chandrila's sun seeped into Ben Solo's skin, through his clothes, warming him, as he lay in the sun-worn field. It was summer, his favorite season of his homeworld. The chill from winter and rain from spring was long gone, allowing him to sit under his favorite tree and breathe the salty ocean air into his lungs. The ends of his hair picked up with the soft breeze, grazing the sides of his youthful face. This was peace. This was what it meant to be content. The fact that when he left this spot he would return to an empty house, was long forgotten, drifting somewhere in a void. The thought of returning to Yavin 4 to continue his Jedi training was just as far away. The fact that he was alone did not bother him at this moment. All that mattered was how the breeze drifted on his skin, or how the grass whispered as the wind blew through the dry and overgrown leaves, lulling his mind.
Uncle Luke was surely back at the house preparing for the long journey back to Yavin 4. Ben had promised his uncle that when the sun went down he would return home. Just a few more minutes until dusk took hold of the sky, darkening it. Just a few more moments under the great oak tree until he left, again. Originally when he and his uncle came here, his mother was supposed to be here, but of course, when they had arrived the Great Leia Organa had been called off to a dispute in the Outer Rim at the last minute. And Han Solo was attached to her hip. In an effort to distract Ben, his uncle and he had trained and meditated the night before. It helped, but for a time. Not even moments like this could stop the feeling of disappointment and that somehow his parent's absence in his life was his fault. Just fifteen and the people he loved were almost never in the same room as him.
With a great sigh, young Ben unfurled his arms from behind his head and cast them into the wooly grass beneath him. He sat up, letting his fingertips drag, not wanting to go, soaking up the last moments of peace. He stared at his earthy brown boots, willing his legs not to move as they made him rise to his feet. The dry summer grass crunched underneath his boots as he turned, looking over the flat plain of tall grass and spotted with trees, and let his feet take him towards the house. It was not a long walk back to his childhood home, just through the field and into a small thicket of trees before he walked into the unfenced backyard.
Ben stood, taking in the monolithic house the Organa-Solo family lived in, a much too ostentatious display of wealth for his taste. It sprawled over the plot, towered over the field, and looked out over the ocean below. The only thing he missed about this place was his secret safe haven under the tree. He walked up the back stairs, entering the house through the back door. He shut it behind him quietly, listening to the silent emptiness. The air was still stale from his parents' absence, smelling unpleasantly of dust and old food. While clean, it was cold with a missing warmth. A warmth he was sure other families had in their homes.
Outside, Ben could hear the low electric rumbling of his uncle's ship. They had only been here a night before it was time to be stuck in the confines of his uncle's ship for another week. Even through hyperspace, travel between systems was long and boring. No fresh air or the heat of a burning sun to lull his mind. But, Ben was happy to go. Another minute in this house, and he would suffocate. At least on Yavin 4, he could focus on lightsaber training, hell he would take translating ancient text over being here. any longer.
Ben took a deep breath, clearing out the stale air as he stepped outside again. From the open ramp, he could see his uncle waiting for him in the lounge area. He walked up the ramp, his gait quietly echoing against the metal made his uncle open his eyes. Wordlessly Ben nodded a hello at him.
"Ready, Ben?" Luke asked with his piercing blue eyes looking into his with all the softness the war hero could manage.
Ben gave a curt nod before he continued through the lounge and straight into the branching hallway that held two humble sleeping quarters. The automatic door to his room opened with a hydraulic hiss and lights skittered on above him. He looked over his neat space, the tucked sheets on the small, boxy bunk, and his lockers. His training saber sat where he had left it, haphazardly thrown in the middle. He picked it up and toyed with the cold metal in his hands, dragging a finger over the ribbed handle, the bolts keeping it together, and the ignition switch. He grasped it securely now, pointing it outward, and flipped the lightsaber on. Blue light shot out with a whir. The blue fit him, showing to others the long hours he put into his sword training. Even though it was only a synthetic kyber crystal, it still resonated with him.
The ship lifted off the ground, shaking slightly as the landing gear retracted. Here goes another week of being stuck in space travel limbo.
When Ben and Luke finally touched down on Yavin 4, Ben practically ran off the ship. He stopped long enough for the ramp to lower itself halfway before he jumped off. His feet hit the earth with a hard impact that reverberated up his legs. The slight pain felt good after a week of little movement. In his uncle's ship, there was no running, no room for training, let alone the ability to leave the ship. The air on Yavin was distinctly different from that of his homeworld. It was wet, humid, and musky. It smelled of rain and the thick jungle that covered the planet. This was home. This is where Ben felt the most at ease, useful even. Here, he could slide right into his element between training, studying ancient Jedi texts, and learning to harness the Force.
The grounds of the school were of humble beauty. Radiant in their simplicity. Small huts made of sand-colored stone littered the outskirts of the common, a garden inside the rainforest used for meditation - and both were a welcome sight. And towering above it all were the crumbling ruins of the Great Temple that made a small clearing in the forest. Though it was once a Sith base and later a rebel hideout, it was still used for classes for the padawans and had a mess hall. As he took it all in, he looked around, waiting for his uncle. Students dressed in the same tan linen robes and brown boots walked the grounds. It teemed with life and the force of the Light surrounded them. Yes, it was good to be back.
When Luke joined him, he touched his nephew's shoulder with the weight a father would, heavy yet with gentleness to it. Ben turned toward his uncle as he gestured for him to take his knapsack, which he took from his uncle's slightly aged hands.
"C'mon, we'll miss lunch if we don't hurry."
The pair walked in comfortable silence as they made their way through the common towards the temple. It seemed like any other day on Yavin 4, bright, warm, and light clouds speckled against a bright blue sky. But what Ben Solo could not account for was the new student waiting for Luke just outside the temple.
It was not every day they had new students, most came here when they were young, let alone a girl roughly the same age as him. She stood tall, stoic, next to one of the Masters, a blue-skinned Twi'lek named Picus. The teacher's tendrils cascaded behind her robed shoulders and a warm smile bloomed on her face when she saw them approaching.
"Master Skywalker, welcome back. A safe journey, yes?" Master Picus asked, her voice pleasant as she spoke.
"Thank you, Master Picus. Yes, it was alright, but I can't speak for Ben here. He practically hid in his room the whole time." His uncle turned to him, nudging him playfully in the shoulder.
Ben grimaced and cast his eye to his feet, embarrassed. Especially when the new girl stood just in front of him. He lifted his head to her. Her boots were dirty and black. The pants she wore were nothing like the ones they wore here at the academy, they were tighter and had utility pockets on the sides. Her belt hung crookedly over small hips and the clasp of it reminded him much of his father's. The holster that strapped to her thigh was empty, the blaster likely taken when she arrived. Her shirt and jacket looked loved, well-worn, with faded colors. Then his eyes made it to her face. There was a softness to the tanned skin stretched over her sharp, yet beautiful features. She was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. It awoke something in his stomach, heating his skin and fluttering like trapped butterflies.
"And who is this, Picus?"
"This is Rey. We picked her up from Kijimi. Master Lagos was there by chance and saw this street urchin," Master Picus sneered, casting a look of disgust at the girl before she continued, "Lagos caught the little girl with a hand down a woman's purse."
"Well, that hardly seems necessary, Valaria. However, it seems unlikely he would have brought her here if she was not with the Force."
"Excuse me, Master Skywalker. Yes, the child is with the Force. While you were away, we tested her midi-chlorians. They were over fourteen thousand. She is quite strong with the Force. But she is extremely feral and undisciplined. She lived on the streets of Thieves Quarter while working for vile spice runners."
Ben's eyebrows raised at the results. While it was not extraordinary, it was surely high enough. It was a shock that Luke had not found her sooner.
"Well, Rey, what do you say? Will you stay with us? It is not easy to become a Jedi, I'll warn you. But it is a very noble, rewarding calling." Luke's voice was warm, pleasant as he spoke to the girl.
Rey turned to his uncle, her facial expression has not changed since they arrived. It seemed like a brave face she wore, a facade presented to these people she did not know yet. Ben understood that having done it countless times even to people he knew, loved, a last-ditch effort to keep some semblance of control. Rey's loose brown hair ran down past her shoulders, her honey-colored eyes shone with determination as she looked into Luke's eyes. For a moment the four of them stood silent. Ben's eyes darted between Master Picus, to the girl, his uncle, and back to the girl.
"Yes." She said shortly with her eyes finally meeting Ben's.
The air in his lungs froze with the gaze she shot him. It hit him like a blaster bolt, but he could not look away. It was as if the honey-colored brown eyes put him into a trance that forced him to look. Truly, he couldn't have looked away, even if he tried. Her stare electrified his skin, shocking him through and through. Ben did not notice his jaw had dropped slightly, letting a soft breeze drift in.
"Ben?"
He turned toward his uncle's voice, snapping his mouth closed as he tried to collect himself and shake off this strange trance.
"Won't you show her around, get her familiar with where she will be staying?"
"Yes," he raised a clenched hand to his lips and cleared his throat, "of course, Master Skywalker."
For the next hour, Ben gave Rey a tour of the school. He showed her the small hut that she would be staying in, not that far from his. The thought made that electricity buzz dully again and the tips of his ears heat up. Luckily, his black neck-length hair covered them, a small reprieve. At least then, Rey would not be able to outwardly tell how nervous she made him. As they passed students, Ben exchanged short hellos, making their way towards the common. The garden was the quietest place the school had to offer. A reflecting pool took up the center, matching the jungle-like garden surrounding it. It did not detract from the natural beauty of the rainforest. The canopy of trees above them cast the garden in shadow, only allowing speckles of the evening sun to stream down through the leaves.
Ben stopped at the small pool, stooping to it. Catching his rippling reflection as he dropped a small pebble in. Rey stood behind him. She had barely spoken since she agreed to stay. She just let Ben blab on, word vomiting really, about the history of the school. But it looked that Rey had been listening, nodding her head for him to continue when he paused to look back at her. She had been so quiet in her steps and silent that he had to make sure Rey was still following him.
"This place really is beautiful. I've never seen so much green. Hardly knew it existed, I thought it was just some myth." Her voice was even, trying to hide the amazement that lurked just behind the surface of her stoic exterior.
Ben looked up from the pool and to her with a puzzled look on his face. Rey looked down at him, catching his eyes.
"How could you not think green was a color? Did they not have trees where you're from?"
Rey looked away from him, lowering herself to the pool. She cast a hand gently to the surface, twirling her fingers in the water. It took her a moment to speak again as if trying to find the right words. Ben was confused. It was a simple question, so why was she having trouble answering it? But then it hit him. Somehow the harmless question had struck something inside of her and suddenly Ben felt like an idiot.
"Originally I'm from Jakku. Not much there but sand."
"But they said you were from Kijimi?"
"No, they said they picked me up from Kijimi. I went there when the Spice Runners took me from Jakku. They said that as a child I would make an inconspicuous runner. I'll have to send word to them to let them know I'm okay and not dead in some alleyway." Rey corrected in a nonchalant manner, still toying with the water.
Ben hummed softly at her response, not knowing what else to say.
"What about you? What's your story, bean pole?" She playfully jabbed at his lanky height. It is not his fault that he was tall for his age and had not filled out yet. Ben furrowed his brow, he supposed it was her time to stroke a sensitive subject.
Ben mulled over how you tell a strange girl how he had come to be here. He had been here since he was ten without much contact from either his mother or father, both too busy to remember that they had a son. He was lost in the rabbit hole that was his life, not noticing that time had stretched between her question to now.
"Well, I am from Chandrila. Grew up there until I was ten when my powers showed themselves and my parents carted me off here to my uncle's school. Been here ever since."
Ben turned from the reflecting pool back to the girl who knelt next to him. Her brown and honey eyes had gone wide with amazement. He studied her face, the light freckles scattered over her cheeks. His eyes followed the wisps of hair dancing with the breeze. Then the way her pink lips parted, forming an O shape.
"Wait. Hold on for a second. You are telling me that Luke Skywalker is your uncle? Which also means that Leia Organa and Han Solo are your parents? They are your family?! What are they like?" The words spilled out of her quickly like an excited child.
Ben cocked an eyebrow at Rey. "They're okay, I guess? They are not as great as they are made out to seem, you know."
Another silence fell between them, as he watched Rey's wonderment dissolve from her face and settle into distinct disappointment. It was like she looked up to them to only find out that they are just people too. Ben half regretted taking that from her with just a few, poorly thought out words.
"Well, come on. We'll go back to the temple for dinner." He said softly as he stood, waiting for Rey to follow.
Dinner was not terribly exciting. Rey and Ben were served dinner and sat in awkward silence at one of the long communal tables that were as old as the Jedi Order itself. Rey ate quickly, shoveling the food down, and left Ben to finish his dinner alone. He was left with the bland food and the chorus of a room full of indistinct chatter. From his seat he studied the groups of his fellow Padawans, talking, laughing, watching them with longing. Even at the academy, he was lonely. He thought that once he came here that he would make friends, but it quickly became apparent to him that the other children were scared of him.
Even from a young age, once his powers grew, he was stronger in the Force than the others. Maybe it was jealousy that kept them away or his silent nature, but Ben Solo was just as alone as ever. But the difference between here and home was that at least here he could pour himself into his mediations and studies. He did not need companionship to ruin his hard work. But then there was Rey. Since he had met her, she had awoken something inside of him.
It threw him off course as soon as he saw her. Ben thought of her between mindless bites of his dinner. Rey is so unlike any girl he had ever met. Different in a good way. Different in the way she stood tall and was unafraid to take the situation head-on. She was not like other girls here at school. All they talked about were the 'cute' older boys, but Rey was a quiet type, like him. She did not need words to fill the sudden silences. She only needed to listen, absorb the information, and understand the words. She had been through hell and back, and he found it to be a strength of her character… that she was still here, standing tall against it all.
Ben's stomach fluttered again at the racing thoughts of this girl he did not entirely know. He stood, taking his empty plate in hand, and placed it in the bins at the entrance. As he made his way through the dark, open-roofed ruined temple, he tried to push Rey from his head. He felt silly that a stupid girl had made him feel so… strange. What was he thinking anyway? That somehow a girl like her would possibly want to be his friend, let alone be interested in him for any other reason than he is related to the great heroes of the galaxy? As if someone like Quiet Ben Solo could ever have a beautiful girl as a friend.
With the sun now set, the common was pitch black as his feet traced the familiar stone path. Loose bits of rock crunched under his heavy boots as walked back towards his hut. Ben was looking forward to sleep, to shut his brain off for the day. Maybe he would read by candlelight before bed, or study a Jedi text that needed to be translated for his history class. Or, on the other hand, he could throw all of that out the window and just go straight to sleep. And since days at the Jedi praxeum start early, Ben leaned towards going to bed.
Ben's hut was identical to everyone else's. Same tan stone, a small one-roomed cabin, complete with a pallet on the floor and a desk. While students were allowed to decorate the inside, Ben had left his as is, well, except for the selves he added for his books. He walked in through the creaking wooden door and shut it behind him. Quickly he kicked off his boots before his hand grasped the belt cinched at his waist. He unclasped the simple buckle, letting it and his training saber clatter to the floor. Ben went to the ties of his outer tan robes and withdrew his limbs from it before he collapsed to his pallet on the floor.
He took up his light blanket and settled it over his body. Ben lay there, listening to the silence, letting his mind drift with the wind. It felt good to be in bed after a long day of travel in a cramped spacecraft. His mind at this point did not care to think of that Rey girl, too preoccupied with the impending sense of sleepiness falling over him.
And as he drifted off to sleep and into a dream, he heard a voice, an unfamiliar voice.
"Yes, my dear boy, soon you will have what you wish for. But sleep now, child."
Ben did not question why a voice other than his own sounded in his mind, too tired to wonder about it. He just let the void of unconsciousness slip further over him as he made his way into another night of bad dreams.