Ch 36

Rey

I spent most of the day trying to figure out what to pack. I may have had a new closet, but most of the clothes in it were a little unconventional. I was able to find a few things, a grey-blue cape lined with fur, in case it was cold. Four pairs of pants, they were all grey and dark blue and black colors that came with matching tops. I was also able to find a pair of boots, I tried them on just in case, they were actually very comfortable and were made of black leather.

I was able to find a duffle bag and I packed it all inside. I then went out towards the kitchen where I ran into Sage.

"Good afternoon Miss Rey! Is there something I can do for you?" she asked with a smile.

"Actually, yes Sage! Um… Ben and I are going on an extended trip, so I was looking to pack some food that would last us the trip from here to Coruscant… would you be able to help me with that?"

"Yes, Master Solo already informed me of that. It's a long way from her… about 3-4 days' time. I'll put something together for you both. Is there a cooling unit on your ship? You could pack some perishables there" she suggested.

"Yes, there's one. I didn't know it was so far. I've never been to the core worlds, and this is my first time on Naboo… it's so beautiful. I hope we can come back here." She nodded and smiled at before answering "Yes, I hope you both come back as well. I can see this trip here has done you so well Miss Rey. How… are things with Master Solo?"

Her question was odd, I definitely sensed some hesitation in her asking it, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I tried to search her mind conspicuously, but she was doing a good job at keeping me at bay from her thoughts.

"Well… things have actually been quite amazing. It's felt better than before he… was gone. He even proposed…" I said looking down and grabbing the little japor snippet in my hand.

"I'm so excited for you! Ben was like a brother to me when we were younger… I think he's definitely found his perfect match in you miss."

I smiled and thanked her, and we continued packing for our journey.

Ben

"BB8 I don't want to leave this ship behind but it's too…it's a red flag. It's recognizable everywhere, it used to belong to the resistance. We'd either be chased or shot down eventually. Not everyone out there was a sympathizer. My mother told me there was a ship under the grounds, I think it was my grandmother's. We might be able to use that." BB8 beeped disapprovingly, but followed me around nonetheless.

I knew where the entrance was, I had seen my mother use it when she had to leave for emergency meetings. The little droid followed me around when I came out to fix the ship Rey had flown here and hadn't left my side since. I was a little surprised, but this droid was very… friendly. He was easily attached to humans, even after I was chasing him down to dissect him for not-so-very-good purposes.

Once we found the entrance to the ship we made sure to check it for any issues it may have. I wasn't surprised to find it was ready to go at any moment's notice, no doubt the head of the household had kept it in shape.

I sat in the cockpit of the ship and just thought about… everything. The dream Rey had last night and even mine…

I had a dream of a memory, a memory from when I was ten years old. My mother and father had been arguing because my father wanted to leave again. It was a few days before my birthday and mama was trying to convince him to stay for me. It was all I had wanted, to spend my 11thbirthday with both of my parents.

It didn't happen of course, it was one of many nights that I thought I would cry until I was asleep.

But I remember lying in bed and staring at the ceiling for hours, I had felt anxious, uneasy. I couldn't tell why, but then I felt it, I felt a strange pulse in the Force. It was like an explosion inside of me that turned into a warm fire on a cold night. I ran to the window and looked towards the moon on Chandrilla, I felt like someone was calling me from far away.

In the reflection of the window I saw a face, it was a baby. When I had first seen this, I thought I was hallucinating, I thought it was like the strange cold and dark presence I had often felt, but this one was inviting, and it called to me.

After that, the dark thing in my mind came to me more often and eventually I forgot about the light that had made me feel for a moment that I wasn't really alone.

After the dream I had realized that Rey had always been there, I had felt the warmth many times throughout my life and would see glimpses of her. I would turn a corner and think I'd see a girl, I would be alone in my room and would hear a laugh or a cry. They were whispers here and there but, they all made sense now.

She was always there, and she would always be.

"Hey BB8, I need your help with something else. Wanna come into town with me?" The droid beeped happily and agreed, so we made our way to find Sage before going into town.