Published January 30, 2020

Spoiler/disclaimer: This chapter ends with information about the fate of a character from Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray.

"Dresses and Dancing"

Light is sweet! and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. However many years a man may live, let him, as he enjoys them all, remember that the days of darkness will be many. ~ Ecclesiastes 11:7-8, New American Bible

There was a visitor at the Organa-Solo apartment when Ben returned. He sensed him, and smelled him, even before C-3PO trotted up to introduce the guest. "Master Ben, may I present—"

"Chewie?" Ben was surprised by how much joy he felt when he saw the wookiee.

Chewbacca roared in delight and tackled him with a hug. Despite how tall and strong Ben had grown, Chewbacca was still taller and stronger, and he seemed intent on rubbing this in as he held Ben in a headlock and mussed his hair.

"Okay, okay—yes—I missed you too!" Ben laughed as he awkwardly patted Chewie's arm.

"He got the party invitation and decided to come early," Han explained. "Then I mentioned that you're shuttling back and forth between here and Takodana. Think you could drop him off there to visit Maz?"

Ben pushed his hair out of his face. "Sure, I guess."

"Which reminds me …" Han took Ben's hand and pressed something into his palm: the golden dice that usually hung from the cockpit of whatever vehicle Han drove. "I cleaned out the Falcon. She's ready when you are."

Ben smiled as he closed his hand around the dice. "Perfect."

Leia and Han were only too happy to cooperate with the plan Ben proposed for Rey's visit, even if it meant meeting at odd hours and sharing family heirlooms. Somehow he was not surprised by how easily they agreed to his requests. He tried not to feel jealous that they were so accommodating for Rey when they rarely went to such pains for him.

He was too anxious to get much sleep in the interval before the visit. He had many hopes for this meeting, some of them almost contradictory. He wanted Rey to get along with his parents, but he also wanted her to see that they were not infallible heroes, just human beings. He wanted to lower her expectations, but he also wanted her to like them enough that she would not mind being connected to them through her relationship with him.

When it was time to go, Ben changed into normal clothes, the kind of practical getup his father wore most of the time. Today, his time with Rey would not be about being Jedi, the original reason they had agreed to meet regularly. Today was about being a Solo—whatever that meant. The name, Ben knew, had been invented by an Empire official when his father applied to the Imperial Academy. But that was the name by which Han and his family were known, and if Rey were to join that family—

Ben stopped himself before his thoughts went too far ahead. Before he could hope for a future with Rey, they had to get through tonight.

He hung the dice up in their customary place before taking the pilot's seat in the Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca took the copilot's seat out of sheer habit. After checking the systems, Ben caught sight of Chewie studying him, ancient eyes soft and knowing. "What?"

The wookiee growled, You look like your parents. It makes this feel familiar.

Ben usually did not like being compared to his parents, but Chewbacca had known his father longer than anyone and had watched Ben grow up. He was also blunt, honest, and did not give compliments often. So Ben knew he meant what he said, and the thought actually—surprisingly—pleased him. Truth be told, at this moment, Ben almost felt like his father—at least, like the person he had once perceived his father to be: capable, confident, adventurous. All he needed was a holster and a blaster, and he would have been able to pass for a smuggler.

Flying the Millennium Falcon was still a thrill, and Ben found himself remembering his conversation with Han at the start of the vacation. Maybe there was a different path he could take. Maybe he really did have a choice about where to go, what to do, who to be.

They had timed this journey so that it was night on both Hosnian Prime and Takodana. Rey, Maz, and BB-8 were waiting outside when they made planetfall. Rey was human and had dressed in her best outfit, wearing her hair down. She was gaping and smiling at the same time, clearly excited but also incredulous at the sight of the legendary ship, which did not look more exceptional than any other freighter.

Ben came down the boarding ramp and stood under the Falcon the way his father often did, with one arm raised up to touch the underbelly of the ship. "What do you think?" he asked with a cocky smile.

Rey almost laughed as she answered, "I can't believe it. This is the Millennium Falcon?"

"Not quite what you expected?"

"I mean, I knew it wouldn't be fancy, but I didn't think …" She trailed off, not wanting to sound rude.

Ben laughed at her nervousness. "You can say it: it's a piece of junk."

"Glad to see she's still up and flying," Maz said with a kind of gruff affection.

Both women's eyes widened—Rey's in surprise, Maz's in delight—when they saw the wookiee descending the ramp. Ben quickly made introductions. "Chewie, this is Rey, and I think you know Maz. Rey, this is Chewbacca, a friend of my family's."

Maz laughed. "How is my boyfriend, Chewie!"

Chewie picked Maz up and hugged her warmly. Ben and Rey exchanged glances. Rey mouthed the word boyfriend, a question in her eyes. Ben shrugged and shook his head in response, indicating that he neither knew nor wanted to know what the situation was.

When Chewie set her down, Maz fixed her eyes on Ben, adjusting her goggle lenses to look more closely at him. "So. I hear you're bringing Rey to a party?"

"I am," Ben said, before remembering to add, "My parents said you're welcome to come too."

"Oh? And what do you say?"

"I say the same." Ben still was not sure whether he liked Maz, but he appreciated her kindness toward Rey, and he respected her for it. In fact, if it had not been for her, he never would have met Rey.

I'll be your escort if you like, Chewbacca offered. Rey giggled, and Ben realized she could understand Wookiee.

BB-8 chirruped, apparently not wanting to be left out.

Ben folded his arms, looking down skeptically at the droid. "Don't you have a master somewhere?"

BB-8 shrank back and lowered its semispherical head, looking dejected. Rey explained, "We've been asking around for BB-8's owner, but we haven't been able to locate him."

"Him?" Ben felt a little paranoid asking, but he could not help being curious, for more than one reason. Neither Rey nor BB-8 had said much about its owner, and the fact that Rey was so close to the droid made Ben wary of this stranger.

Rey looked down at BB-8 and said, "If he finally shows up, maybe we can ask him if you can come too."

Ben hoped this person would not show up until after the party.

Chewbacca growled his thanks to Ben for the ride.

"You're welcome. I'll see you later." Ben held out a hand to Rey, who accepted it gladly and followed him up the ramp. They were almost on board before Ben remembered something and turned around to shout. "Oh—Chewie!"

Chewbacca turned back to look at Ben.

"Don't eat the birds here!" Ben shouted. "In fact, it's probably better not to hunt anything that lives here."

He did not understand all the words that came out of Chewbacca's mouth, but his tone clearly conveyed surprise and protest.

"Just trust me, okay? I'll explain later."

Chewbacca reluctantly assented.

"Thanks!" Ben saluted and quickly ducked into the ship.

Rey was waiting just inside, smiling at his considerateness. But as they walked through the main corridor she voiced a related concern: "Do your parents know about the whole porg thing?"

"Yeah, I explained it to them. I had to, so they'd understand why we have to meet at night."

"How did they take it?"

"Pretty well," Ben said truthfully. "You have to remember, they've seen and heard of much weirder stuff."

"I'm sure that's true."

Ben gave her a quick tour of the ship, pointing out each compartment. It seemed emptier since Han had cleaned out his possessions, though he had left behind some basic furniture and supplies. Rey's interest was almost professional in nature, since she had so much prior experience with old ships.

Finally they went up to the cockpit. After putting in the coordinates for Hosnian Prime, Ben turned to Rey and asked, "How would you like to pilot?"

She looked at him as though she simultaneously could not believe it and was desperate to do it. "Really?"

Ben turned the pilot's chair and gestured for her to sit. Rey's mouth broke into a grin, like a child given free rein in a toy shop. She kissed Ben on the cheek and hopped into the chair.

For a little while they flew within and just beyond Takodana's atmosphere, letting Rey get a feel for the ship. She was delighted by its speed and agility. With Ben's consent and slight encouragement, they flew in weird patterns, loop-de-loops and nosedives that would have seemed like showing off if they had an audience. They kept looking at each other and grinning, feeling mischievous and triumphant and silly and exhilarated.

The actual journey went smoothly, with Ben only occasionally needing to give Rey guidance. He knew all of the ship's quirks and could identify the reasons behind them, while Rey had the intuition to pick up on them and adapt to them. Ben grew increasingly confident that this was the way things should be, that the two of them on this ship would be a perfect arrangement no matter where they went.

"Is this it?" Rey asked when they came out of hyperspace and approached the Hosnian System.

Ben nodded. When they entered the main planet's atmosphere he said, "Welcome to Hosnian Prime."

Rey gaped openly at the cityscape that came into focus as they descended. She had never seen a city, let alone a metropolis like the capital of the New Republic. Even at night, traffic lanes were busy, and beautiful colored lights illuminated the elegant architecture.

"I've never seen vehicles like these," Rey said, staring at the skyways. "Or so many people in one place. Even if there were just one person in each vehicle, each building …"

"The galaxy is a lot bigger than I think you realize," Ben said before he could think better of it.

They docked the Millennium Falcon in its hangar and walked the short distance to Leia's apartment. Holding hands seemed a necessity, since Rey kept glancing around at the tall buildings, the neat walkways, and the cultivated plants, trying to take everything in.

"This is where my mother lives," Ben explained when they reached the building. "My father stays here too when he's not away for work. I just visit during vacations like this one."

"How much time do you have left?"

Ben had to stop and think, counting how many days had passed already. "The last day is the day after my birthday. That's in three days."

"And have you decided if you'll go back to the training temple?"

"Well … I wanted to wait and see what you decide. I want to be wherever you are."

Rey blushed and turned away, trying to hide her smile, but Ben knew his words gave her immense pleasure.

When they entered the apartment, Ben realized he did not sense his parents inside. But C-3PO was there, alone. This was unusual, as the droid usually accompanied Leia or members of her staff when they were working.

"Master Ben." C-3PO stopped and regarded the two of them, registering the arrival of the stranger. "Oh! And you must be Miss Rey." He bowed slightly. "Welcome. I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations."

Rey peered curiously at C-3PO. "You're a protocol droid?"

"Yes, miss. Etiquette is my primary function."

"I've never met such a polite droid before."

"Why, thank you." C-3PO was clearly flattered.

"Where is my mother?" Ben asked.

"Senator Organa was delayed but should be here shortly. She sends her regrets that she cannot be here personally to greet you. However, she arranged to have all the Amidala dresses at your disposal." The droid gestured to the hovering rack in the living room that held the dresses in their containers. Then he turned to Rey and said, "You have the senator's permission to try on as many as you wish."

Rey's eyes widened in disbelief, and she looked from the droid to Ben, as though seeking confirmation. Ben guessed she had never been given such access to a collection of any item, much less a wardrobe fit for a queen.

"And Master Ben, there is a list of guests who have confirmed that they will attend your birthday celebration. Though I will be happy to supply you with any relevant information at that time, your mother wishes you to familiarize yourself with their profiles in preparation to receive them."

Ben's mood sank deeper at this. "Great." He had been hoping his mother, at least, would be there to welcome Rey. Though Leia was not the friendliest person, she was far better at hosting guests than Ben was. But he could at least try to make her feel at home.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked, crossing into the kitchen area. "We have caf, and probably Gatalentan tea."

"Um—tea, thanks." Rey moved slowly through the apartment, taking in the white and gray décor and the bright red painting on the wall. She approached the dress rack in awe. "Whose are these?"

"My mother's. She inherited them from her birth mother, Padme Amidala of Naboo. Do you know who she was?"

"No."

"I guess I wouldn't expect you to. The mark she left on the galaxy was mostly wiped out by the Empire; but she was a renowned politician in her day."

Rey turned to look at him, her brow furrowed. "When you suggested 'borrowing' something for the party … this was not what I had in mind."

"Well, if you don't like any of these, we can go shopping instead." Ben carried two mugs of steeping tea into the living room and set them on the low table. "Go ahead and look. See if you like any."

Rey turned to the rack and put her hand out tentatively, running her fingertips over the fabric of the first dress. It was dark, with many thick layers of fabric. "They're so … fine, and they're not exactly new, if they belonged to your grandmother."

Ben had thought Rey would be excited, as she usually was when trying something new. Instead she looked troubled, almost conflicted.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It … it doesn't feel right."

"Why not? My mom's fine with it. They don't all fit her, and the ones that do, she doesn't wear often. She'll be glad that they're getting some use."

"It's just …" Rey struggled to find the words to explain. "I'm … all my life I've been … nothing. At least nothing important." Ben started to protest—how could she believe such a thing?—but she cut in, "When you work with garbage, that's what you feel like. I'm used to scrounging whatever I could find or buy. And you're saying I can help myself to any of this."

Ben was starting to regret this idea. "I didn't mean for it to be a big deal. I mean, I wanted it to mean something, but—"

"No—I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all that. I don't say this to make you feel bad. I should have said I appreciate this. And I do, truly. It's just strange to me—and your mother doesn't even know me yet. I'm not used to strangers sharing things with me."

"I bet this just feels weird because my mom isn't here to tell you herself that this is okay."

Rey ran her fingers over a brocaded swatch of cloth, then said, "I'll look, but I think I'd like to wait until she's here before trying any on."

Ben nodded. He came up next to Rey and put his hand on her shoulder. When she turned to look at him, he threaded his fingers through her hair. "You aren't nothing, Rey. You never were. Anyone who says so is either a liar or an idiot."

She smiled, and she met him halfway as he bent down to kiss her, wordlessly trying to convince her of the truth, of her innate worth.

They might have carried on longer if C-3PO had not trotted in with the datapad Leia had left for Ben. That was when Ben figured out why the droid had been left here: Leia would not have let him bring a girl home without anyone else around. If they shut the droid down to give themselves some privacy, Leia would find out from the gap in its memory.

As they parted Rey whispered, "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome."

Ben sat on the couch with the datapad and started going through the profiles his mother's intern had compiled. He watched Rey out of the corner of his eye, partly out of boredom and partly out of curiosity. Her face betrayed her reactions to each of the dresses—sometimes amusement, sometimes disdain, and an overall sense of incredulity.

Finally she glanced up at him and said, "Have you actually looked at these?"

"Not closely. Just in pictures and holos of my grandmother, and a few times when my mom wore them."

"Well, no disrespect to her or her culture, but I don't know how women on Naboo could live wearing these kinds of clothes."

"Not everyone on Naboo dressed like that," Ben informed her. "My grandmother was a politician—she was elected queen for two terms, and a senator after that. These were high fashion."

Rey seemed to accept this explanation, but she frowned thoughtfully. "If your grandmother was a queen, and your mother was a princess … then doesn't that make you royalty?"

Ben tried not to bristle at this suggestion. It was not the first time he had heard it, but he did not like hearing it from Rey, who had always treated him like a normal person. "No. First of all, the queenship of Naboo was an elective office. My grandmother was only a senator after that. And my mother was a princess because she was adopted by the queen and viceroy of Alderaan, a planet that doesn't exist anymore. She's only a princess in title, and my father didn't become a prince by marrying her." He glanced distastefully at the datapad, whose list marked which guests were members of the Elder Houses, bearing ancient titles and ceremonial responsibilities that no one cared about anymore. "Some highfaluting politicians might say it's my duty to take up my mother's mantle, whatever that means. But I'll never be the leader that she is, or that my grandparents were."

Rey tilted her head, studying him. "I don't know … I think I could see you as one."

"Hmph." Ben would usually not trust that kind of compliment, but he knew it was sincere coming from Rey. On the other hand, she saw him in a better light than just about anybody else, so she might not be the best judge.

"So where did you grow up?" Rey asked, sitting on the floor near the low table to drink her tea.

"On Chandrila. But my father was from Corellia, and my mother grew up on Alderaan. Her parents were from Naboo and Tatooine. So I have connections to five different planets, not counting this one. But I've never really belonged anywhere."

Rey looked at him wordlessly, trying to understand this. Ben knew she shared his feeling of not belonging, but she had difficulty reconciling that with knowing where one came from. He did not want to seem unappreciative of the thing she so longed for—a family, a history—but he also did not want to seem so different from her. "I guess the Falcon is the closest thing that feels like a home—it's one thing that's been a constant in my life."

"That's nice." Rey smiled crookedly. "It's definitely more homelike that my AT-AT."

Suddenly they heard footsteps coming up to the apartment door. Ben sensed and recognized them: "My parents."

Rey looked as alarmed and nervous as Ben felt, but he tried to be reassuring. "Don't worry. Just act natural."

"What does that even mean?"

He came over and grasped her hands as she stood up. "Just … be yourself."

This only confused her more. "Who else could I be?"

Ben did not have time to explain what he meant, that she was charming without trying to be. Leia and Han were already entering the foyer, both carrying shopping bags and takeout containers. Han's eyes were slightly wider than usual when they saw each other, but he greeted them nonchalantly. "Hey, kids."

"Hey," Ben and Rey said at the same time.

C-3PO came forward as the Solos put down their bags. "Good evening, Senator, Captain. May I introduce—"

"Actually, Threepio, I can introduce," Ben interrupted. He put his hand lightly on Rey's back and led her forward. "Rey, this is Leia Organa and Han Solo. Mom, Dad, this is Rey."

"Hello," Rey managed to say.

Leia smiled warmly and extended her hand. Rey accepted it and immediately felt the strength in the older woman's grip. "I'm very glad to meet you, Rey."

"What she said," Han agreed as he shook Rey's hand.

"Thank you," she said humbly. "It's an honor to meet you both."

"I'm sorry we weren't here sooner," Leia said, addressing Ben now too. "I had to finish a meeting, and then we thought we'd pick up some food. Will you be joining us for dinner, Rey?"

"If that's alright—I don't want to impose."

Ben spoke up, fighting back a smile. "She's just being polite, Mom. She loves a good meal."

It was a pretty informal meal, especially for a senator. Leia and Han had chosen take-out food from an Ivarujari restaurant and buttersweet puffs for dessert. Hearing that Rey had never tried Ivarujari cuisine, Leia warned her, "Ivarujar is a volcanic planet. You can expect most of this to be spicy."

Rey's eyes widened when she took her first bite of noodles, but soon she was eating with as much pleasure as Ben had ever seen. He noticed, though, that her manners had improved since they first met: she used the utensils and her napkin, and was careful not to make a mess.

"Tell us about Jakku," Leia said, as though the desert world was just as interesting and important as any mid-rim planet.

The request caught Rey off guard. "Um … I'm not sure where to start."

"Is there any organized crime? Lately I've had to deal with some cases at work involving cartels."

Rey shook her head. "Not that I know of. Where I lived, around Niima Outpost, everyone's in competition just to get by. I've never seen more than two or three people work together for anything. There aren't enough people who trust each other."

Leia kept the conversation going most of the time, but even Han had a few questions for Rey. "Ben said you're a mechanic. What kinds of ships do you work on?"

"Um … well, I didn't really fix ships. I was a scavenger. There are a lot of star destroyers and other ships left from—well, from the Rebellion."

Leia nodded. "Of course. That was where the final battle against the Empire took place."

"I searched wrecked ships and sold the parts I found. But I am good at fixing things, so Maz gives me odd jobs."

"She's also a great pilot," Ben posited. "She taught herself with a video simulation."

"Really?" Han looked surprised and impressed.

"She flew the Falcon here," Ben added. That was a mark of both Rey's skill and Ben's trust in her.

Han's eyebrows shot up as he looked from Ben to Rey. "You?"

"She's a natural."

Rey was clearly not used to having so much attention on herself. She tried to deflect some onto the others. "Ben showed me how. He's a pretty good teacher. And co-pilot."

"I'm glad to hear that," Leia said, smiling at Ben.

Rey looked between Leia and Han and said, "On Jakku, I heard some stories about you, but I never knew how much was true."

"What would you like to know?" Leia asked.

Rey thought for a moment and ventured, "Did you really slay a Hutt?"

Han almost choked on his drink; he turned aside, snorting and laughing. Ben also had to hold back a smile.

Leia's answer was prim and matter-of-fact. "I've never heard it phrased that way, but yes. I killed Jabba the Hutt."

Rey was wide-eyed. "That's amazing. How did you do it?"

"Well, I was chained to Jabba, and when he was distracted by Han and Chewie and my brother making a break for it, I strangled him with the chain."

"But aren't the Hutts huge?"

"Yes, compared to humans, they are."

"She may be small, but she's stronger than she looks," Han chimed in, just as proud of his wife as Ben was of his girlfriend.

Ben thought this sounded a little too much like the way his father often described the Millennium Falcon. Han's taste in ships was not unlike his taste in women. But that description also sounded fitting for Rey … which meant, in one respect, Ben had the same taste as his father. The thought made him uncomfortable.

For most of the meal Ben sat quietly and watched Rey interact with his parents. One moment he felt included in the conversation, but the next he felt somehow detached, as though he were only observing rather than participating.

What he saw seemed like a vision of an alternate timeline, one in which his parents had a daughter instead of a son. They were so easily pleased with her. Why were they never satisfied with him?

It was clear that Rey belonged in their family. But did Ben?

There had been times throughout his life, particularly in his adolescence, when he had suspected his family would be happier without him. The thought came to him now, but this time he had something to counter it: he was the reason Rey was there. She was there for him, not his parents. He clung to this truth, even as he saw how well she got along with his parents without any help from him.

"Do you know how to play sabacc?" Han asked Rey when they were almost finished eating.

"No," she answered.

"Well, if you want to learn, I'm one of the best."

"That's true," Leia said, "but that might have to wait. We still need to talk about clothes, don't we?"

"Oh—right." Rey had relaxed during the meal, but coming back to this topic made her nervous again. She followed Leia to the rack in the living room, still in earshot of Ben and Han. "So—Ben was saying—these dresses belonged to your mother?"

"Yes. I only know her from the things she owned, and the stories told to me by people who knew her. These gowns were kept on Naboo for many years after her death, and eventually found their way to me." Leia ran her fingers through the tassel of one dress. "These matter to me, very much. I like to think of my granddaughter wearing them—if I ever have one."

Ben felt warm at the implication of those words.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to borrow one of them?" Rey asked.

Leia nodded. "Absolutely. Are there any you want to try on?"

"Um … I saw a few I liked." Rey pointed out the ones she had set at one end of the rack.

"You can change in my room. Ben, why don't you help your father clean up?"

Ben caught Rey glancing back at him and gave her an encouraging nod. She followed Leia, both of them carrying a few dresses.

Rey and Leia stayed in the bedroom for a while, long enough that after they cleared the table Han got out a deck of sabacc cards. "You remember how to play?"

Ben smirked. "If I forgot, Lando wouldn't let me live it down."

"Neither would I."

They played until Leia poked her head out of her bedroom and called down the hallway. "Ben? I think we found the one. Do you want to give input, or be surprised?"

"Uh—whatever Rey wants." Ben did not expect to have much of an opinion, and he wanted Rey to choose whatever made her feel comfortable.

Leia disappeared behind the door, and the men could only hear some hushed tones, followed by an audible, "Come on, dear." Leia held the door open as she coaxed Rey back into the main area. Ben put his cards face-down on the table before standing and turning to look.

Rey walked in slowly, shyly. She wore a yellow and pink halter dress with a metallic collar. Its sleeves hung like drapes from her neck and forearms, leaving her back, shoulders, and upper arms bare.

Ben gaped. He had thought before that Rey was, overall, good-looking, often cute and sometimes quite beautiful. But in Padme Amidala's regal attire, she looked positively stunning. Gorgeous. There might not be adequate or numerous enough words to describe it.

"Nice choice," Han said, sounding appreciative. It was unclear whether he was commending Rey's dress or Ben's partner.

Rey smiled in thanks, but her eyes were inevitably drawn to Ben. "I know it's different," she said softly, lifting one of her arms to look at the fabric. "But I like the colors. It reminds me of sunshine."

Ben approached her slowly. "Rey …" He shook his head, at a loss for words. All he could do was marvel. "You look amazing." If his mother had not been present, he would have said she looked like a princess.

Rey blushed at the compliment, looking down self-consciously. Ben took her hand gently and bowed to kiss it. They lifted their heads at the same time, their eyes meeting in awe.

They did not see the look Leia and Han exchanged, which communicated more than words could express.

"Do you think I'll be able to dance in this?" Rey asked, turning back to practical matters. She turned and indicated a train of fabric that trailed on the floor behind her. "I'm a little worried I might trip."

"That … could be tricky," Ben considered.

"We could pin it up," Leia suggested. "Or …" She looked thoughtfully at Rey. "You know, if you'd like something simpler, I might have just the thing." She walked swiftly to her room, and returned a minute later carrying another dress, one far lighter than the others. "What do you think of this?"

Ben tilted his head. "That's … not one of the Amidala dresses, is it?" The dress was far too simple for a queen or even a senator of Naboo—unless, perhaps, it had been a disguise. It was pale brown with white sleeves, its hemline falling just below the knees. It looked, in Ben's estimation, like something a peasant would wear—someone who lived in a rural community or natural environment. But it seemed to suit Rey, with colors and textures similar to the clothing she usually wore.

"No, that only ever belonged to me. It was a gift from the ewoks on Endor, the night before we destroyed the second Death Star." Leia smiled nostalgically, exchanging a glance with Han. "That dress holds many memories."

Rey looked at the dress with genuine interest. "Can I try it on?"

"By all means."

Rey returned to Leia's room, and came out wearing the dress a few minutes later, beaming with happiness. She looked far more comfortable in the Endor dress than any of Padme Amidala's gowns. She wore her own pants under the skirt, which split at the sides to allow her legs more movement. "I think this is the one," she said.

Ben smiled. "I like it," he said truthfully. Now Rey looked less like a goddess he could worship, more like a girl he could hold in his arms.

C-3PO spoke up. "If I may say so, Miss Rey, that dress was the best available on Endor at the time, but for a party attended by notable military and government officials, one might be somewhat underdressed in such attire."

"By whose standard? Varish Vicly's?" Han asked. "The Jedi kids won't be much fancier. I know I won't be."

Leia shot him a disapproving look.

"This'll be easier to dance in, too," Ben said. He held out a hand to Rey, thinking to spin her around, but she just stood there and looked between his hand and his face.

"I've never danced before," she confessed.

"You've never single-handedly fought a sorcerer before, either."

"Yeah, but this is scary."

Leia scoffed. "Dancing is easy." She turned to Han and said, "Let's show them."

He blinked. "What, now?"

"Better now than at the party, don't you think?"

"I guess that's true."

Leia called out to the droid. "Threepio, put on some music. Something upbeat."

A moment later, music played through the nearest computer. Leia gestured to the others. "Here—Ben, you're with me; Rey, you can borrow my husband."

Han glanced apologetically at the younger couple. "Sorry I'm not much of a dancer," he told Rey.

"I'm not sure I'm much better," Ben said with a shrug.

Leia reached up and put her hands on her son's shoulders. "Don't you remember me teaching you, years ago?"

"Vaguely. I think you ended up carrying me." The memory was almost laughable now that Ben was so much taller than his mother.

"Now he can probably carry you," Han quipped. All four of them laughed at that.

Leia talked them through some basic steps, switching periodically between Rey and Ben.

"It's sort of like a martial art drill, except you work together instead of against each other," she said.

Ben tried to go with that analogy when he finally had Rey in his arms again. "Pretend we're sparring with lightsabers. Or staffs. Whichever you prefer."

Rey's smile was almost coy. "So, to dance, we hold each other, or pretend to fight each other? Or both?"

Ben grinned. "Something like that."

"Sounds right to me," Han said.

The comparison must have worked, because soon Rey was moving more confidently, keeping time with the music and moving in tandem with Ben.

"Maybe we'll practice this instead of dueling," Ben mused.

Rey stopped and gave him a playful shove. "Hey!" he said reflexively, pretending to nurse a wound. "I was kidding!"

She laughed. "I know."

When Leia was satisfied that they could dance reasonably well, Rey changed back into her own clothes. She left the Endor dress with Leia, who insisted that Rey could still change her mind about her outfit if she wished. Rey would have to stop by before coming to the party.

They managed to get in a few rounds of sabacc, with Ben and Rey playing as a team since Rey was just learning the game. There were accusations of cheating on multiple sides, which Rey found hilarious.

When it was time for Ben to drop off Rey and pick up Chewbacca, they were all reluctant to say goodbye.

Han came up to Rey with his hands on his hips. "I've been sitting on a question all night. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, but I'd like to know …" His eyes flickered to Ben, then back to Rey. "Is the whole porg thing true?"

Ben and Leia tensed, but Rey looked back steadily and answered simply, "Yes."

He nodded slowly. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure Ben wasn't hoaxing us."

"I'd show you, but I didn't want to make you stay up until dawn."

"No need. I believe you guys." He smiled and clapped Rey on the shoulder. "Thanks for coming."

"Thank you for having me."

Leia took Rey's hands in her own. "Rey, if you ever need anything, you can call on us. You're welcome here anytime."

Rey was taken aback once again by such generosity, but she managed to answer, "Thank you. Thanks—for everything."

Leia and Han watched from the doorway as Ben and Rey walked out arm in arm. Han put his arm around Leia, and she leaned into him. "That was nice," Han said.

"She's lovely," Leia agreed, sounding wistful. "She seems perfect for him."

Han noticed her tone and glanced down at her. "Something wrong?"

Leia shook her head. "I was just thinking back to when I was like that."

"When were you like that?"

"Before I met you. Before the war really began."

Then Han remembered. Years ago, they had told each other about their histories. Leia had told him about her first love, someone she knew as a teenager. "What was his name again?"

"Kier," Leia said softly. "Kier Domadi of Alderaan." Falling in love with him had been easy. Losing him had been devastating, her first time experiencing grief. It had been all the worse because it was her fault, in more ways than one.

After losing him, and then her parents, her people, and her planet, it had taken a lot of courage for Leia to acknowledge and act on her feelings for Han.

She was glad to see Ben and Rey so happy together, and hoped with all her heart that they would never experience such loss as she had.

Author's Notes

Disclaimer: Various things mentioned in this chapter were drawn from Claudia Gray's novel Bloodline. Leia's lines about Padme's wardrobe are taken from the Poe Dameron #24 comic. Rey's lines about dancing are from Jason Fry's novelization of The Last Jedi.

Thanks Dream Plane and El Droide for your enthusiastic reviews! If you haven't already, I highly recommend you check out the What the Force podcast, especially the episode "Dark vs. Divine Union," which explores the kind of dynamic seen in Swan Lake. allgirlsareprincesses has an excellent meta "Lucas and the Lost Bride: Swan Maidens in Star Wars" on Tumblr. I have a question for El Droide: what parallels are there between Star Wars and other ballets?

I've been trying to update this story every month or two, but it might take longer from now on, since I'm trying to work out how to execute the rising action and climax. These last few chapters have been a kind of peaceful interlude before things get dramatic and suspenseful. I also will probably take a hiatus during Lent. Take care until next time!