Published May 8, 2020

"Universal Music"

"Beg the Lord of heaven that mercy and protection be granted you. Do not be afraid, for she was set apart for you before the world existed. You will save her, and she will go with you." ~ Tobit 6:18, New American Bible

Rey was still humming the music from the apartment as she and Ben walked hand-in-hand through Republic City.

"That went better than I expected," Ben reflected.

She glanced at him curiously. "What did you expect?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I didn't think it would be disastrous, but I didn't expect it to go so well. It felt like … you really belong here with us." As he said this, his earlier thoughts resurfaced in his mind.

Rey fit in with perfectly with his family. Why did he not?

Or was he wrong about that? Ben, Han, and Leia had coexisted peacefully for the past several days. Granted, Ben had been either offworld or asleep most of the time; but when he was present and awake, they had only argued once, and had some rather vulnerable conversations, and his parents had taken him seriously.

"I don't understand," Rey said, pulling him out of his musing.

"What?" Ben looked at her. "What in particular do you not understand?"

"Almost every time you mentioned your parents, it was to complain about them. But they're probably the nicest people I've ever met!"

Ben tried to smile. Of course she would think so. Leia and Han had put their best foot forward tonight—not the way they would have for a politician or a gambler, but for a girl who needed parental figures and a place to belong.

Maybe Rey's presence had helped them get along better tonight. Maybe she was what that had been missing from Ben's life to help the rest of it make sense. Or maybe she just helped him look at things from a different point of view.

Whatever the reason, it was clear that she was a good influence on not only Ben but all the Solos.

"I don't think any of us have had that much fun in a long time," he said, thinking of the takeout, tall tales, dancing and card-playing.

Rey looked at him, a wrinkle between her eyebrows. "Then why do you sound so sad?"

She was perceptive. Or maybe she had become particularly attuned to Ben through the Force.

He tried to find the words to explain without making Rey feel bad or casting his parents in a bad light. "We used to have days like this—spending time together, sometimes with Chewie or my uncle. I don't know when or why we stopped. It just doesn't happen anymore. But they did it for you. I guess … I wish they had kept doing it for me."

Rey did not know what to say to that. Ben wished he had turned the conversation in a better direction. He wanted this night to end on a good note.

An idea occurred to him as they stopped at an intersection for ground-level traffic. He turned to Rey and asked, "Do you mind if we make one more stop?"

"Where?"

"The party venue. I want to see your reaction to it before it's full of people." It would be nice to be able to enjoy the gardens with just Rey, without any of his father's embarrassing friends or his mother's stiff colleagues vying for his attention.

Rey smiled slowly. "Okay."

Ben led the way, not toward the hangar where they had left the Millennium Falcon, but toward the outskirts of Republic City. They never lacked for things to talk about on the way: Ben pointed out the landmarks they passed by, and Rey was full of questions about things like power sources and public transportation. Even at night, when there were less people about, there was still a fair number of vehicles on land and in the air, and the buildings were lit like their own constellations under the sky.

The pyramid was hard to miss, even from a distance, as it was so different from the modern buildings, made of sandstone and covered in greenery. Even in the relative darkness of the night, the different shapes and textures of plants were visible.

"What is this place?" Rey asked.

"The hanging gardens. They're a public garden." Ben walked up confidently to the entrance. A security guard stepped out and blocked his path.

"The gardens are closed after midnight," the guard informed him.

"Is it that late already?" Ben asked, feigning ignorance.

"Ben, what are you doing?" Rey whispered, coming up behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder, smiling, and winked at her. "Watch and learn, padawan."

"Move along," the guard barked.

Ben turned to him and did something he had not done for a long time: he raised his hand and, with a small sweeping gesture, intoned, "It's alright for us to be here."

A blank look fell over the attendant's countenance. "It's alright for you to be here," he repeated.

Ben repeated the gesture. "You will let us in for ten standard minutes."

"I will let you in for ten standard minutes." The guard stepped aside to let them pass.

"Thank you." Ben took Rey by the arm and led her through, then added as an afterthought: "And you will turn on the artificial lights."

"And I will turn on the artificial lights."

When they were about a hundred yards away, Rey made a sound that was something in between scoffing and laughing. "So it's true—you can use the Force to control people?"

"It only works on the weak-minded. Which is why it's important to strengthen your mind through meditation and other disciplines."

There was a loud noise like a crank or a lever, and then the lights came on gradually, increasing slowly enough that their eyes could adjust.

Rey gasped when she saw the boxes of plants lining the ground floor and the towering trees in the center of the pyramid. She was used to the scenic lake and forest on Takodana, but she had never seen such a lush environment as the one inside the hanging gardens.

"This place is gorgeous!" she breathed.

"You should see it—" Ben started, then broke off and amended, "Someday I'll show it to you during the daytime. Or earlier in the evening—there's a café where we could eat."

Rey walked over to the trees, touched the bark and looked at the blue flowers. Then she turned in a circle, taking in the perimeter and the upper floors that overlooked the central area.

"There are more plants on each level," Ben said. "The mind trick wears off fairly quickly, so we can't stay long, but—"

"It's beautiful." Rey turned to him, put her hand over his heart, and stood on her toes to kiss him. "Thank you. Thank you for everything tonight."

Ben kissed her back, briefly, and then hugged her. He wished they could stay that way the rest of the night, alone in this sanctuary. It seemed a thousand times more preferable than a party.

They quickly covered the ground floor, darting between the trees and noticing which plants were still flowering at night. More would be in bloom during the day, Ben promised.

When Rey leaned over to sniff some blue flowers that had closed their petals, she met an unexpected delight: several luminescent insects emerged and flew around her. They had large but thin wings that glowed blue, almost like a lightsaber's hue.

"What are these things?" she asked, enchanted.

The sight brought a nostalgic smile to Ben's face. "They're called butterflies." He held out a hand, his palm facing up, and one of the blue insects landed on it.

"Where do they come from?"

"I'm not sure where they're from originally. But I know where these ones are from. I'll tell you on the way back."

They slipped out before the ten minutes were up, not wanting to test how long the mind trick would hold the guard to his word. On the walk back to the hangar, Ben regaled Rey with the story of finding the butterflies.

"My dad and Chewie found them being … farmed, I guess. They secrete a kind of crystal that's valuable on some planets. I stowed away on the Falcon, so I was still free when Dad and Chewie were captured. I saved the butterflies from the farmers, and they helped us get away."

"How?"

"They look fragile, but they're strong, and when they band together, they can lift heavy weights. They carried me—of course, I was smaller then—"

Rey snorted, apparently having trouble picturing Ben as being small. But she hung on to his words as he told her about the chase, how he took the controls while Han and Chewbacca shot their pursuers, and how satisfying it had been to open the butterflies' cages. She was more enraptured by the story of smugglers than she had been by the Jedi texts.

Maybe she was right to be hesitant about joining the training temple. Maybe she would be happier with the adventurous lifestyle of a smuggler.

"I think I'd better pilot," Ben said when they reached the Millennium Falcon. "It might be daytime on Maz's side of Takodana by the time we get there."

"Oh. Right." Rey sat down in the copilot's seat.

They did not talk as much during the journey. Ben thought fatigue was finally catching up with both of them, after a long, happy night. But he sensed a shift in Rey's mood. She had been cheerful throughout the visit, but now she was pensive, almost brooding.

She did not voice her thoughts until they were approaching the system. "The other night, you said I'm the best part of your life."

"That's true."

This answer seemed to mystify and almost frustrate Rey. "How can you say that when you have so many other good things in your life? You have hundreds of paths you can choose from, and the resources to become whatever you want. You have a family, and yes, they happen to be some of the most legendary people in the galaxy, but they're also just good, decent people. And if you can be that dissatisfied and resentful toward them … how do I know you won't feel that way about me, someday?"

Ben was dumbfounded. "How can you think that?" Did Rey really think herself so unlovable, or did she doubt the strength or sincerity of his feelings?

"Look, it's not that I don't think you mean well. It's just—well, my feelings toward you have already changed since we met. Remember, after you almost shot me?"

Ben winced, realizing how close he had come to killing her, and remembering how cold she had been toward him.

Rey nodded. "You see my point. At that time, I couldn't have imagined falling in love with you. Things change—people, feelings, relationships."

Ben thought about this. "That's true. But we can choose whether to act on our feelings, whether to commit to relationships." He reached out and took her hand. "And right now, I'm choosing this one."

She looked from their hands to his face, softening somewhat. Ben leaned over and kissed her cheek, then her hair, and finally her lips, wordlessly pledging, convincing.

She kissed him back, but it felt like they had already lost some of what they had felt that first night—that innocence, that trust, that willingness to take a risk.

"Trust me," he whispered.

She smiled against his lips. "I do."

It was indeed still day when they approached Maz's side of the planet, though the sun was low in the sky. There might be only an hour left of daylight, perhaps less.

Ben sensed something as they descended. "Do you feel that?"

"I feel something," Rey said, frowning. "It feels …"

"Cold," they said at the same time. They looked at each other, and then Rey looked down at her body just as the transformation began. A moment later she sat in the chair as a porg.

Ben considered reversing course. If that cold feeling was an indication of the sorcerer or someone else of the Dark Side, the last thing he wanted to do was bring Rey there, especially when she was a porg. But he had to pick up Chewbacca, and he still wanted to see if he could talk to this person.

"Let's get you to Maz, alright?" He looked to Rey for permission. She made a short sound like a chirp, which Ben guessed was agreement; disagreement would have elicited a stronger reaction.

He checked his belt for his lightsaber, and then realized he had not seen Rey's that night. "Did you leave your lightsaber behind?"

Rey shrank back sheepishly. Ben fought back the urge to sigh. He supposed he should take it as a compliment that she trusted him to protect her, enough that she left her weapon behind.

He landed the Millennium Falcon as close to the castle as possible. "Wait a moment," Ben told Rey before stepping out of the cockpit. He went to a storage compartment and found just what he needed: a holster and a blaster. He had just enough time to arm himself before Rey flew over. It probably would not do much good against someone skilled with the Force, but it was something he could do to feel more prepared.

He picked up Rey and carried her close to himself as he disembarked. They both scanned the lakeshore and forest as he hurried up the steps to the castle entrance.

As soon as they were inside, Maz and Chewbacca were upon them. Maz confirmed Ben's suspicion that she was Force-sensitive when she asked them, "Do you feel it too?"

"Yes. Do you have Rey's lightsaber?"

"Yes."

Chewbacca interrupted them with a question, indicating Ben's burden.

"That's Rey," Ben informed him.

The Wookiee looked at them in consternation. "This is normal for her," Maz reassured him.

"I need to check on something," Ben said. He set the porg on the closest empty table. "Rey, stay with Maz and Chewie."

Rey squawked in distress.

"I'll be fine," Ben insisted.

Maz slid magnifying lenses into her goggles to peer at him. "I know that look, Ben Solo," she remarked. "Your father has it too."

"What look?"

"The look that says you mean business."

Ben looked between the pirate and the porg. "Do you trust me?"

Maz looked at him skeptically. Chewbacca said something ambivalent. Rey still seemed agitated.

Ben shook his head. "Look, just—keep her safe if anything happens while I'm not around. I'll be back in just a little while."

They did not move or protest as he turned to the doors. He paused to cast a backwards glance at Rey and her temporary guardians before he slipped through.

Twilight was coming upon Takodana. Ben walked slowly but steadily alone the lakeshore, glancing around at the lake, forest, and sky. He could sense the cold more strongly outside, along with a heaviness that made his heart beat harder, as if from exertion.

He had not gone a quarter of the way around the lake when he heard something in the trees. He stopped and waited, his hands hovering over his lightsaber and blaster.

Nothing.

"I'm here," Ben said loudly, trying not to feel foolish. "We didn't finish speaking last time."

Then he did hear something: laughter, quiet and rough. "I'm glad you sought me out."

Something moved that reflected light in the shadows between the trees: a gold-tinted fabric. Then the person wearing the golden robe emerged and stepped out onto the beach.

It was the same person Ben had seen clearly in Rey's dream. He was even taller than Ben, whose height was considerable for a human.

The sorcerer regarded him with a smile, somehow seeming both satisfied and hungry—as though a plate bearing his favorite meal had been placed before him. "Young Solo."

He already had one advantage: he knew who Ben was, while Ben was mystified as to his identity. "Who are you?"

The sorcerer laughed, and when he spoke, his voice was smug. "Soon everyone in the galaxy will know my name. But, since you were obliging enough to grace me with your presence, I will tell you now: I am Snoke."

"I know you, don't I?" Ben pressed.

"Yes, of course. And I've known you, Ben Solo. Since you were a babe in the womb. But now … look at you." Snoke's voice dripped with a mixture of curiosity and disgust as he looked Ben over. "What has happened? You used to be brimming with raw, untamed power. Now, everything that fueled it is … tempered. Ever since you encountered her."

Ben did not need to ask who he meant. He clenched and relaxed his hands at his sides, willing himself not to strike prematurely.

"You have compassion for her." The sorcerer sounded disappointed by this fact.

"So what if I do?" Ben retorted.

"Compassion, sentiment … these are the things that will hold you back."

"From what?"

"The power you could wield. The control you could have."

Ben did not reply, but his mind raced, even as he tried to shield his thoughts in case Snoke tried to probe his mind. Looking back on the past several days, he realized that he had felt more in control of his powers than he had ever been. Training Rey helped him focus, and her presence calmed and amused him in turns.

"Maybe I wouldn't feel so much compassion for her if you hadn't cursed her," Ben suggested.

"Perhaps not." Snoke tilted his head knowingly. "Or perhaps you would. After all … you hesitated to shoot her as a porg. A mere animal."

How could he have known that? Then Ben remembered the voice that had urged him to kill his quarry. Ben felt almost nauseous as he realized what those words meant. He had thought he imagined the voice egging him on. "You wanted me to kill her."

Snoke's tone became derisive, irritated. "One shot with a bowcaster. That's all it would have taken."

Fighting with all his might to control his temper, Ben demanded, "Why do you torment her like this? What did she ever do to you?"

Snoke countered him: "Why do you coddle her? What can she offer you?"

Even as Ben tried to formulate an answer, he realized it would not be wise to share it. He settled for something vague but truthful: "More than you ever could."

Snoke smiled, as though they were playing sabacc and he knew which cards Ben was holding. "She does have a great deal." He stepped to the left, circling Ben, who turned on the spot to keep him in sight. "Her power is enticing, isn't it? Like yours—yet the opposite." He gestured to Ben. "I knew as you grew stronger, your equal in the light would rise. I assumed it would be someone else in your bloodline. It seems I was mistaken."

That made it sound as though Ben was strong in the dark side of the Force, and he and Rey were … intended for each other. Like they needed each other, as though one without the other would be incomplete, unbalanced.

"Yes," Snoke said, confirming his unspoken thoughts. Ben realized, too late, that Snoke could sense his thoughts even without a direct, painful mind probe. Luke and sometimes even Leia had demonstrated such intuition, to varying degrees, but never so clearly. "You have even helped her grow in her own power, and in a short time. You are both truly remarkable."

The compliment did nothing to flatter Ben. "You're a coward, you know that?" he spat. "You hide because you know how powerful my family and I are. You cursed Rey so you'd never have to compete with her power."

He was satisfied to see Snoke's anger pique at this, his nostrils flaring, the Force swirling more darkly around both of them. He reminded Ben of water stirred by a strong wind above or a monster hiding below the surface.

"If I'm wrong, prove it," Ben challenged. "If you're not afraid, undo what you did to Rey."

Snoke stopped and seemed to appraise him once more. Ben tried not to flinch as Snoke stepped closer, his eyes seeming to penetrate deeper than even Maz Kanata's. "And what will you do for me?" he breathed.

Ben's heart had an answer ready: Anything. But his mind knew better than to say so. Han and Leia had taught him one rule of bargaining: do not show how much you truly want or need something.

He tried to imagine how either of his parents would handle this kind of situation. They were both shrewd, but in different ways. Leia would use diplomacy—unless something sparked her temper, in which case she would unashamedly speak her mind. Han might use trickery, making promises he could not keep—until the time came to pull out his blaster, if that was what it took to get out of the situation. Both of his parents would try to convince the other party that their interests were aligned, that what each wanted would benefit the other.

"What is it you want?" Ben asked. "If you want money, I can get it. If you want connections or information from the Senate, I can find a way to get them."

"Oh, I'm well connected," Snoke chuckled.

"Then what do I have to do?"

Snoke looked at him with an intensity that was almost like fury. "Stop fighting your destiny. You know you're not meant to be a Jedi. Your potential is far greater. You can become so much more."

He sounded like every person who had ever told Ben, You have great things ahead of you. But Snoke went on: "You know that Skywalker is holding you back, hiding truths from you and from the world. Do you know why he distrusts you?"

Ben was silent, though his thoughts were in a turmoil.

Snoke extended a shriveled hand. "Join me, and I will show you everything you desire to know."

Truth. Knowledge. Certainty. Those were things Ben had always craved. But what he wanted was beside the point. "This isn't about me, this is about Rey. You've made yourself her enemy. I won't turn against her."

Snoke smiled. "Of course not. You'll turn because of her." Then he looked up over Ben's shoulder. "Here she comes now."

Seized with fear, Ben turned and saw Rey running along the lakeshore, her lightsaber ignited. As she drew closer, he could see the expression of determination and hatred and righteous anger on her face.

"Rey, stay back!" Ben shouted, but Rey gave no notice that she heard him.

"Stay away from him!" Rey shouted. Her words could have been addressed to either man. She came to stand beside Ben, her weapon raised in readiness as she faced the being that had cursed her.

Snoke sneered at her. "You're braver than before. What changed?"

Rey did not take her eyes off him, but Ben felt her conviction, affection and gratitude as she answered, "I'm not alone."

Snoke circled the two of them, so he was closer to Ben. "Yes, you've surrounded yourself with powerful allies. It would be a shame if anything happened to them." Snoke raised his hand, and suddenly Ben's entire body went stiff. His vision tilted, and he realized he had been lifted off the ground. Luke had occasionally lifted him with the Force when he was a small child, but never so roughly, or so high.

"No!" Rey shouted, and she charged at Snoke. Ben jerked through the air as Snoke threw him at Rey, knocking them both onto the sand.

Ben barely had time to get to his feet before facing a new terror: lightning shot out of Snoke's outstretched fingertips toward him, and he barely dodged it.

Snoke was aiming at him again when Rey flung herself between them, holding the lightsaber up before her. To Ben's amazement, the plasma blade seemed to absorb the lightning. Rey strained under the energy, then gave a cry and forced it back outward toward Snoke, who stepped back in surprise, pain evident in his facial expression.

Ben gaped openly, impressed and grateful.

Snoke took a breath and stepped toward Rey. "You can save him," he said, gesturing to Ben. "Come with me, and I'll leave him alone."

That made Ben recover his wits. He pulled the blaster from his belt, flipped off the safety catch and shot it at Snoke. The sorcerer lazily held up a hand, stopping the bolt in the air before him. Ben was shocked; he had seen people deflect blaster bolts with lightsabers, but he had never seen anyone stop a bolt in midair.

Snoke sneered. "You obviously have no idea with whom you're dealing." He stepped aside, and then the bolt continued its course, singeing the trees in its path.

They sensed his unspoken meaning: they would be punished for daring to challenge him.

"Leave us," Rey commanded, brandishing her lightsaber.

Ben ignited his own lightsaber as he stood next to Rey. "We're not going anywhere with you." He held his arm and saber out straight in front of him, both a defense and a threat of attack.

"Not tonight, evidently." With that, Snoke turned his back on them and walked toward the forest. He stopped at the edge and turned to speak to them again. "Enjoy your night together. There's no telling how many you'll have." He looked at Ben. "Think about what I said, young Solo. We'll meet again," he promised. Then he withdrew into the shadows.

Breathing heavily, Ben and Rey stared at the forest, then deactivated their sabers and turned at the same time to look at each other.

"Rey—you shouldn't—I'm—" Ben stopped struggling for words when Rey fell into his arms, hugging him fiercely. They clung to each other, taking long, slow breaths, trying to calm themselves after feeling so much adrenaline.

"Thank you," Ben whispered.

Rey turned her head and kissed Ben's cheek. He responded by turning his face toward hers, and their eyes met just briefly before they brought their lips together. They were both clumsy, still afraid, more than anything just relieved. It was hard to say whether they were seeking or offering reassurance. Perhaps both at once.

After a moment, Rey pulled back and looked at Ben with a stern expression. "You're an idiot," she admonished.

Ben stared at her, then bowed his head sheepishly. "I wondered if you'd realize that."

"I'm not saying you're unintelligent," she clarified. "But he's right. You don't know what you're dealing with."

"Neither do you. That's why I had to talk to him, to find out."

"And did you?"

"I—I learned his name. Snoke."

Rey cocked an eyebrow. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

"No."

"He's not some relative of yours?"

Ben snorted. "Thank goodness, no." He paused. "Were you joking, or—"

"You're connected to him somehow. You turned out to be related to heroes—for all I knew, he could have been another relative."

Suddenly a familiar but startling sound rang out over the forest: some kind of craft lifting off. The sky was too dark for them to see it, clouds obscuring the moon and stars.

"He must have left the planet," Ben said, his arm still around Rey's shoulders.

She leaned into him, slipping her arm behind his back. "This was a warning. You realize that."

"I think … it was a test." Ben had no idea whether they had passed or failed in Snoke's view, or what that meant for their future.

Rey hesitated, then ventured, "I think it might be better if I don't go to your birthday party."

Ben frowned at her in surprise. "Why?"

"You're going to be hosting some of the most high-society people in the galaxy. The last thing you need is … this." She waved her hand, indicating herself and trees where Snoke had disappeared.

Ben scoffed. "I'm a Jedi. I'm already wrapped up in 'this,'" he said, imitating her hand gesture. "It drives my dad crazy. And his friends aren't exactly what you'd call high-society." Rey did not seem moved, so he changed tack: "If you're not there, I'll spend the whole time worrying about you. If he comes after you again …"

"As you just saw, I can handle him on my own," Rey said coolly. "It's you I'm worried about. You're not protected like I am." She held up the lightsaber that Maz had enchanted for that purpose. "If you're not careful, he'll do to you what he did to me. Or worse."

"I'll take that risk."

"And your family? Your classmates?"

Ben faltered for the briefest of moments before brushing off her concern. "My family are heroes. My classmates are Jedi. They're no strangers to risk."

"Well, maybe I don't want them all risking themselves for me."

"Like you wouldn't do the same for someone else?" Ben shot back.

Rey looked frustrated and pained. She turned away, her arms folded, facing the lake.

When she finally spoke, her voice was melancholy. "Being with you, and with your family … it feels too good to be real. It's like finding a treasure, hiding it so you can come back for it later, and worrying someone else will take it."

"Rey." Ben stood next to her and grasped her hand. "No one is going to take me away. Or my parents. Or you. I won't let him get away with this. And if we let him shape our choices, we'll be giving in to him. He'll have won." He turned to face her and held her hand between both of his. "Rey. Please come."

She met his gaze, and then put her free hand on top of his. "I'll think about it. But I can't promise anything."

Ben looked down at their joined hands. "If you're not sure you'll come to the party … I'd like one more dance tonight."

To that request, Rey silently assented.

They danced, not to music they could hear with their ears, but to the rhythm of the Force as they felt it swirl within them, between them, and around them. It was like sparring and meditating at the same time. When they had practiced every step Leia taught them and tried every one they could think of themselves, they ended up simply swaying in a circle as they held each other.

It was only when his face was hidden over her shoulder that Ben felt some measure of guilt for his actions, or fear for the future.

Holding Rey was like holding an entire world—his world, one he could truly call home. Losing her would be like losing his home planet. And if he was responsible for it, as his mother had been partly responsible for the destruction of Alderaan—

No. He would not entertain the thought. It was too much to even imagine. There was no need to do so anyway. He would make sure nothing happened to her.

When they finally returned to the castle, Ben said, "I'm going to rent you a room for the night."

Rey started to protest, but Ben insisted, "You need to sleep, and you'll be safer and more comfortable as a human if you're indoors."

She could not argue with that. "Where will you be?"

"Back on Hosnian Prime." Ben hesitated, thinking over the timeline for the next two days. "I may not be able to visit again before the party, but I can send someone to bring you, if you decide you want to come. You can let me know through the holonet."

"Alright."

"If you have time, while you're human, you can practice forms and meditation."

Rey groaned, but she was smiling. "Are you sure you don't want to be a Jedi master? You're bossy enough to teach others."

Ben smiled, but his humor was a thin veil for his reluctance to leave. "Stay safe, Rey. May the Force be with you."

"You too, Ben."

He was glad to see her human as he left her. He just wished it was not necessary for him to leave.

Author's Notes

Dear readers, I hope you've been alright these past few months! Thank you for your patience in waiting for this update. I hope it gives you some pleasure and hope during these troubling times.

I named this chapter after the term "musica universalis" which means "music of the spheres," or "harmony of the spheres." It was an ancient philosophical concept regarding celestial bodies.

After the Star Wars Roll Out videos "Ben Solo and the Bug Hunters" came out, I had to include a scene about the butterflies. If you haven't seen those shorts yet, what are you waiting for? Go watch parts 1-3! It is the purest young Ben Solo content since his baby scenes in Last Shot.

The clash with Snoke and some of Rey and Ben's argument in this chapter are based on scenes from Barbie in Swan Lake.

If you've seen or listened to the musical Hadestown by Anais Mitchell, you may have noticed some allusions to lyrics in this chapter and in the title of a previous chapter. If you're not familiar with it, I highly recommend it! So many Star Wars characters have commonalities with the Hadestown characters.

Shout out to my personal friend princess-of-the-sandcastle, who took the time to read this and let me bounce ideas off her.