Well once again I set to write one thing and a completely different thing flows right out of me. I was intending to have more Ben in this chapter but then I got going and next thing you know Im several thousand words in. Anyway. This chapter features an OC of my own. The lack of Twi'leks and other such species in the new trilogy makes me a little sad so here we are. As always, let me know what you think. xo


Over the course of the next several hours many things took place. A loose idea of a galactic senate was formed. Pilots were dispatched to the outer regions to encourage planets to elect delegates to meet in Corellia. There their first order of business would be deciding the fate of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. Many of their friends expressed concerns, shared their fears and some just made blunt declarations. Lando had returned later then expected, he was quiet and watchful but his mouth still held that trademark grin. He watched Rey curiously from his position next to Chewbacca but when he took his leave gave Rey a dashing grin and a nod before simply strolling away. By the end of it all Rey was exhausted and about ready to whack someone with her staff.

She and Maz had sat down and had a good chat about what had happened on Exegol. Rey found that once the information started she couldn't stop it and she was divulging everything. Maz merely listened quietly, punctuating still moments with an "I see" or a slow nod of her rather large head. She didn't ask obscene questions or make blanket statements, she simply, listened and when Rey was done, her tears cried, her eye red and sore Maz said, "Well you'll need to bring balance back to that equation, you can't keep sending crates vibrating across the floor."

By the time Maz had taken her leave they were left with the usual suspects. Finn and Rose had settled into a game of holo chess which Chewie was over seeing with rapt fascination. Every so often he could be heard heckling Finn whose shyriiwook was poor at best and could be bated far too easily. The twi'lek had stayed behind, she was talking to Poe near the cargo hatches close to the forward hold. Their bodies were positioned in such a way that Rey found herself watching curiously. Poe was leaning over the violet skinned woman and she didn't seem to mind the position. Instead she toyed with a wrench she had tucked into the pocket of her coveralls. The body of the suit was undone to the waist, the way x wing pilots often wore them when on down time between flights. The pants hung baggy on her slip frame, secured by the arms which she tied tightly around her middle. She wore a tightly wound breast band that wrapped several times and then moved down around her ribcage in a few passes with a cropped leather jacket. She was poking Poe in the chest when Rey realized they were actually flirting with one another.

A blush crept into Rey's cheeks as she quickly diverted her attention and pretended to be interested in the chess match. Poe was smiling in a strange sort of way, unhindered while the twi'lek looked bored, twirling the wrench through her fingers with skilled ease. She must be a mechanic Rey realized. Her life energy hummed the way a well oiled engine did smooth and easy. She seemed to tame the wild fire that Poe had recently had lit under his backside.

Before realizing what was happening the twi'lek was at her side. Her large eyes were opulent pools of jade as she peered up at Rey cautiously. "The wookiee says you're good with ships," she said, her words softly accented.

Chewbacca raised his head and growled a few quick yips with a steady bob of his head. The twi'lek simply laughed in a rather friendly way, swatting at Chewbacca playfully, "Oh stop it Chewie," she joked before sliding her arms around the wookiee's neck. Rey found herself suddenly very out of place in this moment looking from Chewie then over to Poe as if explanation lie there. Chewie simply chuffed as the young women nuzzled her cheek against his head, "I 'ave't gotten round to the Falcon yet, I'm sorry Chewie. I know you like to do the work yourself but I noticed a few of your sublight engines needed some work and that's a two man job, I'll swing by in a bit and we'll tackle it together yah?" With a pat on his shoulder she drew back and returned her attention to Rey.

"I'm sorry…" Rey started

"Oh, right, we 'aven't met before 'ave we?" After rubbing her hand against her pants, presumably to clean it, she offered it to Rey with a smile, "I'm At-Shae, engineer."

Rey smiled as she shook the offered hand, "Rey," she said realizing that the twi'lek, At-Shae likely already knew that. "I can fly well enough sure," she added offhandedly.

At-Shae crossed her arms against her chest and cast an appraising look at Rey, "You flew that old TIE in, yah?"

Nodding Rey fell into easy step with the twi'lek, curiosity getting the better of her and in all fairness she really did want to get away for a few minutes. They walked the way friends do, chatting about inane things when Rey felt a sudden tug through the force. Stopping suddenly as they found themselves just along the boarding ramp Rey paused looking to her new companion with an apologetic look. "Can you just… give me a minute?"

With a quick inclination of her head At-Shae watched as Rey disappeared back into the ship. Her foot steps carried her along the hallway their soft echo bouncing off the heavy walls. Ben sat on his make shift bed, legs crossed, back straight and eyes closed. He looked calm and almost serene barely moving as Rey approached.

"Don't get too close to the fencing," Ben called out jokingly and Rey's footsteps faltered a few feet from the doorway. He was smiling, his full lips up turned and welcoming.
"Ha-Ha," Rey droned, "You doing ok?" She watched him as he sat there, his breathing easy, the force fluctuating around him in slow undulating waves. His dark hair looked as though he'd run his fingers through it a few hundred times, pulled back in a sweeping wave off his forehead to fall loosely. How he managed to maintain such body to the mop she would never know.

As he opened his eyes treating her to their depthless stare she felt her heart thump against her chest. Her entire life had been about survival, waiting and pondering who she was. She'd never had time for boys or dreaming of a life passed her next meal so this feeling that struck her suddenly was pleasantly foreign. "Uncle Lando came to visit," He seemed to surprise himself with the use of the title but pushed passed it, "It was… odd but pleasant actually," Rising smoothly to his feet Ben paced towards the electrified doorway and stood facing Rey straight on.

"Im so sorry," she said in a rush, "Someone's waiting for me, I can't stay but I'll be back soon." If he was disappointed he didn't show it. Instead Ben nodded quietly, "Can I bring you back anything? Should I sneak you a treat?"

At that Ben laughed, "Sure," When Rey was turning to leave, looking decidedly shy and a little giddy Ben called, "Hey Rey,"

"Hmm?" she responded her body half turned to look at him, a hand on the doorway exiting the engineering bay. Ben however said nothing, he just grinned sheepishly. She felt him however through the force, a ghost of a touch feathered along her forearm up to her shoulder before it caressed her neck and then found itself decadently drawn across her lips. A shiver run along her spine as her cheeks pinked and she reached out, winding her own force energy around his. More then anything she wanted to feel his skin against her own but settled for a flirtatious grin as she called, "Behave in there," and disappeared along the hallway.

Returning to the boarding ramp Rey found At-Shae leaning against one of the hydraulic lifts her hands shoved into the pockets of her leather jacket. There was an ease about her that was simple and natural. Rey found herself almost envious of the way in which At-Shae interacted with the world around her. They walked in companionable silence, both women maintaining a respectable amount of space between the other.

Once they were a fair distance away from the Falcon the twi'lek girl rounded on Rey quickly. "Did you go see 'im?" she asked mischievously, her eyes a light like a child about to get into trouble.

The camp was oddly quiet now, many ships had left but the odd person could be found wandering about. Rey wasn't keen on the idea of gaining more attention then necessary and so looked quite panicked when At-Shae started in on her. "Ben?" she questioned quietly, her voice a low rumble in hopes that At-Shae might get the hint and match her voice level.

Unfazed the twi-lek turned to continue walking. She let a sharp whistle of admiration slide passed her lips as she wandered on, her steps a little slower, "Ben Solo… wow."

Rey was confused, they weren't friends, she didn't even really know this woman and suddenly she was quite interested in Ben. The same Ben that Poe was vehemently trying to keep her away from. It was all rather odd and unsettling but At-Shae carried along as though they had been close their whole lives. When Rey didn't respond the twi'lek tossed Rey a roguish grin, "Look, full disclosure, Poe and I 'ave been intimate."

Well there was that.

"It's not like we're partners or anythin' we just get one another right now."

Rey maneuvered around a pile of crates and pulled away from her a moment, suddenly feeling very at odds, "Why are you telling me this?" she asked softly.

"Cause you need to understand," At-Shae stopped and looked around. They were to the east of the base, closer to where the river ran from the pools where they collected their water. It was a quiet area over grown with lush vegetation that muffled the busy din of base. "'ere," she called, her hand darting out from her jacket to grab Rey's wrist. It was a quick motion which caught Rey off guard and she soon found herself hunched low being tugged along a thin make shift path. The force thrummed around her with life and joy, the leaves of over hanging trees snagged in her hair but still their feet carried them on. She could feel the way At-Shae's heart beat rang in a steady rhythm despite the speed at which her feet carried her.

Soon they came to a stop, the waters edge crisp and bright beneath the afternoon sun. It fell through the leaves leaving dappled patterns of light against the earthy ground. At-Shae was toeing off her work boots and rolling put the legs of her pants before Rey could even register what was going on. "You feel that?" the twi'lek called as she walked into the water leaving Rey at the bank side.

All of this was very strange, Rey simply didn't know how to react, "What? what is happening right now? Are you going to tell me that Poe is right and I'm being selfish? Did you take me here to threaten me or Ben?" Exasperation poured off Rey in waves as she took in the world around her. "What am I suppose to be feeling?"

Cool and collected At-Shae simply responded, "Peace," as she swung her feet thought the water in slow stead motions. Her lekku hung in the sunlight, wrapped in their banded leather. It wasn't an uncommon look for twi'leks not that Rey had much experience with them, but At-Shae's lekku were flecked with a spiralling pattern that under the sunlight Rey realized ventured down the young woman's brow as well. "You can let go anytime now. You're all tightly wound and the force around you is unsteady."

"You're force sensitive," Rey said quickly.

"We make for good mechanics, I can feel it, not wield it," She shrugged, "sometimes I feel it a little more then others. Like when you're with your Ben for example," she gave Rey a knowing look, eyebrow raised in poignant stare, "It's 'ow I know Poe cares for you."

Rey found herself sinking down against a rock, her heels digging into the earth. She worried her feet over and over making ruts in the dirt before filling them in repeating the process again and again. "He wants to kill Ben," Rey said childishly.

At-Shae clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and tossed a cupped handful of water in Rey's direction. " 'e does not!" she cried, "I see 'im, you don't see 'im."

"He's been acting like a laser brain," Rey huffed, flinching as the water splashed against her cheek. Her heels digging deep this time, mud from the ground dirtying her beige boots.

Bent low At-Shae was inspecting the clear surface of the water. Rey could just make out the girls reflection as her lekku tumbled forward over her shoulders, their tips gracing the water surface lightly, " 'E is acting like a man with no idea 'ow to match up to a General like Leia. 'E thinks 'e is alone and 'e is terrified for you," she offered, speaking directly to her imagine peering back at her. "You think telling 'im you died and Ben saved you makes Poe feel better? 'E 'ates that you were down there on your own in the first place. 'E wants to trust Ben too, Poe loved Leia, she saved him,"

When Rey thought to ask, At-Shae simply said, "That is 'is story to tell, not mine. I can just tell you this. I 'ave been intimate with him, 'e as as complex as any man can be. While your 'ostility may be warranted think of the larger picture and who you 'ave been able to trust."

Deep in thought Rey lost herself. She closed her eyes and allowed the events that had unfolded since she left Jakku to flood her mind. Finn and Poe were everywhere, Chewbacca and Rose too. Master Skywalker, his stubborn nature, Leia and her kind smile and determination. Han Solo and his offer for something more then a scavengers life. Her entire life she had been waiting for a family who were never going to come back for her. A family that had given her up in order to save her. It was only when she was forced to leave Jakku that she found what she had truly needed. A place to belong and a people to belong to. With effortless ease Rey fell back against extended arms allowing the warm sunlight to wash over her supine form. She felt the world around her, the ripple of water over rocks, the hum of wildlife, the steady moan of decay as it sung in rapturous tremor the song of this planets balanced state.

Life, death, rebirth, it danced around them on a steady beat weaving through their hulking presence like water through a pebbled river bed. In the grand scheme of things their presence meant nothing here, when they were gone the moon would go back to its steady rhythm. Rey worked her fingers into the mossy ground reaching out through the force. Like a breath, she felt her body exhale her anxieties and trepidations, the earth beneath her fingers leeching away the heavy and dark feelings that had been plaguing her troubled soul and mind.

Be with me, she thought. Be with me. Her arms slipping out from beneath her she lie against the ground and simply let herself feel. She inhaled deep allowing the breath to wash through her filing every corner of her existence. As she exhaled, she blew away that which served no purpose, her fears, her anxieties. She yielded them to the force and gave herself over to the stillness and heart beat of the moon. Voices filled her mind, languages foreign and ancient spanning galaxies and ages. The moon swallowed her, her body at one with the earth and rock at her back.

Slowly Rey felt her breathing, a heavy hand that didn't feel like it belonged to her moved to her middle to rest against the point Maz had indicated her trouble stemmed. She allowed the force to rumble through her, like a steady wave of light washing her body in it's purity. From her toes the sensation sang, a steady unwinding of webs knotted and stuck together. It crept in slow, warm caresses, like the touch of a lover worshiping at the alter of their affection. Along her shins, over her thighs the sensation crawled, loving and graceful, wrapping itself around every aspect of her being until it reached the point where her hand sat. It trembled and spun pulling away over lapping piece by piece like the unwinding of a bandage. Beneath the layers of energy she felt the signature of an energy that didn't belong to her. She followed the motion in weaving patterns until all that was left was a bright blue light, like a handprint against her soul. There, she felt as her energy knit together with Ben's. It was ragged and rudimentary but as she followed along the force she felt as the stitches of it became smooth, connecting it to her in a way that was second nature. Light exploded behind her vision as her body drew an involuntary deep gasp, the heat and light of the force rampaging through her body in a steady flow now no longer damed by the winding of scar tissue. Over her chest, down her arms and up along her neck the sensation inched until she felt alight with the warm glow of the force.

"Now," a voice called, "You feel it."

Whatever 'it' was she surely did. She felt everything, her breath coming in heavy inhalations that fed not only her body but all of those around her. She was connected to the greater heart beat of the planet, like a battery put in place to work as a part of a greater whole. She felt lighter then air, yet heavier then a star destroyer. She was no where and everywhere, reaching out through the world around her on an endless wave of light. This was what it meant to be connected to the force, to be at one with it's energy.

When she finally drew back into herself, it felt like mere minutes had passed but the sky above them was beginning to darken. At-Shae was sitting on the bank with her legs stretched out in front of her basking in the remnants of warmth left from the setting sun. She seemed to hum to herself, a tune eerily soft and melodious that Rey stilled to listen. Feeling the radiance of it she allowed her returning energies to float along on the notes before finally settling back into her being.

" 'Ave fun?" the twi'lek said softly, her eyes closed but mind very present.

Rey hummed contentedly, "Did you actually want to ask me about the TIE?" she inquired lightly.

At-Shae laughed boldly, the sound loud and full of mirth. She had such joy and understanding that Rey couldn't help but find herself curious about the young engineer. "No offence but they 'aven't built a ship yet I couldn't find my way around."

Nodding Rey understood this for what it was, a guided hand offered in way of friendship. At-Shae didn't want anything from her, she simply wanted peace. A novel concept that Rey herself found foreign and strained but one that she was settling into. "Thanks," Rey said sweetly, a small smile tugging at her lips before she cast her gaze skywards. "I really should get back."

"To Ben…" the twi'lek mused lightly, "No, I get it, I do." her tone held no judgement just an odd sort of understanding. This woman had known deep love in her life time. Rey found herself pondering on who might have deserved such feeling when At-Shae said with a sad sort of smile, "No, not Poe. We're too similar. It's fun but will run its course in due time,"

Rey nodded slightly embarrassed. It wasn't that such couplings were a foreign concept she just hadn't had the time to dwell on such a thought in quite some time. Now that her soul found the one with whom it resonated, she didn't think she could ever go back to such visceral couplings again. Or so she assumed, her exploits with Ben physically being no more then an innocent kiss or two. "I appreciate… this," she said as she rose to her feet dusting the dirt off her backside absentmindedly.

Her twi'lek companion followed suit, hastily tucking her small feet back into what Rey now observed were rather large boots., "Any time," she chimed happily, moving to lead Rey out from their secret hideaway.

Emerging back onto the main body of the base, soldiers and pilots a like were milling about. Everyone moved with a relaxed sort of slowness awarded after a great battle won. Heads held higher, shoulders more sure and confident, smiles worn with a quiet knowing that all would be well. No one paid Rey much mind now, she was able to fade into the background prepared to go her separate way from At-Shae when she stopped. "Hey, odd question,"

At-Shae paused, her hands shoved back into the pockets of her short cut bomber style leather coat. She nodded to Rey by way of encouragement standing with one hip cocked to the side lazily.

"You wouldn't happen to know where a girl could get something… I don't know sweet maybe?" Rey asked hopefully remembering her promise to Ben.

Eyes wide the violet skinned woman quickly drew her hands out of her pockets and clapped them together sharply, "Oh love, 'ave I got the thing for you!" she turned quick and started in a sprint across the other side of the base. Her lekku bounced as she jogged mesmerizing Rey as she followed behind at a clipped pace. When they arrived at what Rey assumed to be At-Shae's bunk area Rey looked around in rapt fascination. There were dismantled droids and engine parts everywhere, tools of every kind imaginable littered a table filled with what some might consider junk. It smelt of Pijali soaps sweet and floral masking the heavy under tone of motor oil and grease. At-Shae was busying herself digging through a few drawers which had been pulled out and placed upon what looked like a bedside table. As Rey looked about she noticed a staff in the corner. As her weapon of choice and the one she still felt most comfortable wielding she drew closer noting the odd blade that was rigged to the bottom of the tall weapon. At-Shae, her back to Rey turned quick and threw her arm out interrupting Rey's approach.

"Don't," the twi'lek said with soft assuredness, "please," She looked up over her shoulder almost shy, "It was my fathers…" As her accent thickened Rey thought she noticed At-Shae's lekku jitter at the ends. The moment passed in mere seconds and she was back digging through her drawers with renewed vigour.

Suddenly, At-Shae drew back with a grin. She held her hands a loft, both clutching a small package tightly. Holding it eye level she giggled to herself and cocked a ry eyebrow in Rey's direction. "I give this to you in an offer of friendship," she stated most seriously, her tone bouncing on the air with giddy glee. "You promise me you'll talk to Poe, really talk to 'im?"

Rey nodded suddenly very apprehensive, her skin tingled beneath the girls excitement, she was broadcasting her emotions loud and very clear. Rey decided she liked that about the twi'lek and extended her hand to accept the gift and the promise it held. "I will, but… what is it?"

With a wicked grin At-Shae dropped the package into Rey's waiting grip and cried, "Chocolate!" When Rey didn't respond the twi'lek's eyes widened, "you've 'eard of chocolate right?" Rey shook her head and her companion gasped in scandalous wonderment, "Oh Love," she chirped, "This is rare and utterly delicious. Take it, for Ben." she smiled knowingly, "For you,"

And with an encouraging nod Rey offered the twi'lek girl a quick hug and was off.