Published October 27, 2020

"Rescue"

she closed her eyes, afraid to look for her
authenticity
but the light insists on itself in the world;
a voice from the nondead past started talking,
she closed her ears and it spelled out in her hand
"you might as well answer the door, my child,
the truth is furiously knocking."

~ "the light that came to lucille clifton" by Lucille Clifton

This got you the Millennium Falcon. Ben kept repeating this in his mind as the hour of the party approached, and was resolved to do so throughout the event itself. If he thought of the Falcon and all that it represented— escape, freedom, possibility, adventure, Rey's company—he could endure a few hours of socializing with his parents' friends.

He still hoped that Rey would come, but he was trying not to count on it. He might have liked to show her off, but there was no need to subject her to so much attention. He had already danced with her and shown her the gardens; they had no need to do so again with other people ogling them.

Leia had found someone to produce formalwear for Ben that blended traditional Alderaanian style with Jedi sensibility. Ben was actually rather pleased with the resulting outfit. It was very much his mother's taste, elegant without being frivolous.

"Does this look right?" he asked as he entered the living room. His parents turned to look at him, and he stopped short when he saw them.

It was the first time he had seen his mother dressed up in years. Outside of work hours, Leia tended to dress simply and practically, usually in pale colors. Now, she wore a dark purple gown and her mother's silver jewelry, and her braids were piled up in a high, towering bun. Han's outfit was similar to his usual attire, but cleaner, his shirt pressed and his shoes polished; the most noticeable change was that his hair had been dyed to hide the gray.

Leia quickly appraised Ben, looking delighted. "Oh—just wait a moment." She strode over to him, reaching out her hand. "Everything's right except the cape. May I?"

"Um—" Ben had to bend his knees so she could adjust the garment. He had tried to put it on both of his shoulders, but she turned it so that it only covered one.

"My father always wore them this way," Leia explained. When she was satisfied, she took a step back to look at Ben, who stood up straight again. "Oh, my." She put a hand over her heart, smiling up at him. "Ben, you do look quite handsome."

Han smiled crookedly. "Not like a gawky teenager anymore."

"No—you look like a prince of Alderaan," Leia said. Her smile was proud, but also sad, as it usually was when she spoke of her home planet. She grasped both of Ben's hands. "I wish my parents could have met you. They would be as proud of you as we are."

Ben blinked at her. "Really?" Leia nodded, and Ben could feel her sincerity. Slowly, he smiled back. "Thanks, Mom."

They moved at the same time to embrace each other. She hugged him tightly—he had forgotten how strong she was despite her small stature. Then she looked at her husband. "Get over here, Han."

Han indulgently came over and joined the hug. As the three of them held each other, Ben wondered when they had last done so, and whether they ever would again. They had been growing apart for years, and even if that stopped, his parents were getting older—particularly Han, who was ten years Leia's senior.

But when they broke apart, Leia seemed as vivacious as ever. "Have you heard from Rey?" she asked Ben.

"No," he admitted. "I don't think she's coming after all. Parties aren't really her thing."

"Well, then, I'm afraid you can't make excuses if anyone asks to dance with you."

Ben groaned. "Do I have to?" Han laughed at how childish that sounded.

C-3PO came in then, escorting Leia's staff: they were two women, one a teenager and one a young adult, neither of whom Ben recognized.

"Right on time, ladies," Leia said. "You look lovely!"

"Thank you, Senator." The elder woman brightened when she saw Han. "It's good to see you, Captain Solo."

"Greer!" Han looked pleased to see her, and shook her hand heartily. "How're you doing? You look good."

"Well enough, thanks."

Leia made the necessary introductions. "Ben, this is my assistant, Greer Sonnel, and my intern, Korr Sella."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Greer said, shaking his hand. "Can I call you Ben, or is it 'Master Jedi'?"

He smiled, appreciating that she asked for his preference. "Ben is fine."

"It's an honor," Korr said, looking up nervously at him. "You're the first real Jedi I've met."

"Well, I'm still training, so I'm not sure I count as 'real.'"

"Does anyone have any questions before we go?" Leia asked, glancing around at everyone.

Ben raised his hand. "How much am I allowed to drink?"

Han had to stifle a laugh, but Leia replied, "Nothing until we're done welcoming people. Then, one drink before the dancing begins." She took her husband's arm, and held the other out for Ben to take. "Come on, all. We have a very special birthday to celebrate."

Mine, or the New Republic's? Ben wondered once again, but he kept the comment to himself.

Greer chauffeured them to the Hanging Gardens. They arrived well before any of the guests, and Leia busied herself with making sure everything was in order. The decorations were minimal but noticeable: strings of lights hung from each of the tiered levels of the building, illuminating the perimeters and creating the illusion of stars among the taller flora.

Ben tried to remember how wonderful it had been to show this place to Rey, in privacy. He decided that when things turned dull tonight, he would replay that memory to get through the present. He noticed that one of the security guards was the one he had mind-tricked the other night, but thankfully the man did not seem to recognize him.

Chewbacca was the first guest to arrive, and his familiar presence and unapologetic personality put Ben somewhat at ease. The wookiee looked as though he belonged among the trees and plants, but he appeared rather out of place next to the distinguished, city-dwelling guests who arrived over the following hour. He was certainly the most wild-looking creature in the assembly, though there were a handful of other nonhuman species.

C-3PO announced each new arrival and presented them to Leia, Han and Ben. The men had never met most of the guests, though some names were familiar to their ears, and apparently many had either heard stories of their family or heard Leia mention them in passing.

Varish Vicly of Lonera and Tai-Lin Garr of Gatalenta were Leia's friends as well as colleagues. Both were delighted to finally meet Han and Ben, though Tai-Lin was calmer about it, while Varish gushed about the beauty of the gardens and the decorations.

Ben vaguely remembered "Auntie" Amilyn Holdo, whom Leia greeted with an affectionate hug. She was Leia's oldest friend, back from their days in the Empire's junior legislature before the Rebellion. Although they had not remained close, they regarded each other with a kind of silent understanding, as though they had shared some significant experience.

Amilyn looked Ben over with undisguised admiration. "What a specimen you've grown up to be," she remarked. "I remember when you were still playing with toy spaceships, saying you'd be as good a pilot as your dad."

Ben's smile was less forced this time, as he actually recalled one or two of Amilyn's visits. "I remember you bringing tea for Mom and windchimes for Uncle Luke."

"It's good to see you again, Ben," Amilyn said sincerely. "Happy birthday." She squeezed his shoulder and nodded to Han before joining the other guests milling around.

To Ben's surprise, one of his classmates from Luke's academy showed up: a human male named Tai. He seemed to be the only Jedi apprentice attending, but that suited Ben fine. Tai was a kind young man, and had occasionally tried to reach out to Ben. The others … Ben was not exactly on friendly terms with them.

"Happy birthday, Ben," Tai said earnestly, shaking his hand.

"Thank you," Ben answered automatically. "I wasn't—um—thanks for coming."

"We're glad you made it, Tai," Leia said.

Tai bowed. "It's good to finally meet you, Senator Organa." He glanced curiously up and down the receiving line. "Is Master Skywalker not here yet?"

"I thought he might be coming with you," Leia said with a slight frown.

An awkward pause followed, but Tai said, "I'm sure he's on his way, or has a good reason for being delayed."

Ben was puzzled, and tried not to feel hurt, by his uncle's absence. But he was distracted by a booming voice that followed C-3PO's announcement of the next guest: "General Lando Calrissian!"

Ben groaned. "Oh, no." Lando was closer to the Solos than most of the other Rebellion veterans, and had been with them through some embarrassing moments, including a few in Ben's childhood that he wished had been forgotten.

"Now the party's here!" Han said with a laugh.

Lando swept toward them wearing a golden cape that somehow complemented the gardens' greenery. He grinned broadly as he called out, "Benny boy!"

Ben grit his teeth. "Please do not call me that."

Lando clapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry, kid. Force of habit. Ah—no disrespect meant."

"What—oh. Force. No offense taken."

"Lando," Leia said fondly, holding out her hands to him. He kissed her hand and then pulled both her and Han into a hug.

Next C-3PO announced, "Senator Ransolm Casterfo of Riosa."

At the sound of this name, the guests' chatter died down. Most of the politicians in the room turned their heads in surprise or even dismay as the young blond man entered.

Leia, however, stepped forward and greeted this guest with genuine happiness. "Ransolm! I'm so glad you came."

The senator smiled back and bowed smoothly. "The pleasure is mine."

Leia took his arm and led him to her family. "Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Ransolm. We've been working together on a special case."

Han shook the man's hand, but Ben noticed the stiffness of the gesture and the distrust in his father's eyes. "Han Solo."

"It's an honor, captain." Ransolm Casterfo turned to Ben. "And you must be the young Jedi."

"Almost," Ben said.

The last esteemed guest to arrive was Lady Carise Sindian, senator of Arkanis. She was a beautiful woman, and seemed quite conscious of it, dressed in robes almost as ostentatious as Varish Vicly's. She looked to be somewhere between Ransolm and Leia's ages. Like Leia, her family was among the Elder Houses, which meant they had a shared heritage that carried little weight anymore.

"My goodness! Aren't you just the picture of nobility?" she marveled as she looked Ben over.

"Am I?" The half-bemused, half-sarcastic words were out of Ben's mouth before he could bite them back. "Er—thank you?"

Lady Carise held out her hand, palm-down, and Ben realized she expected him to kiss it. He did so reluctantly, hoping she did not notice his discomfort; it felt wrong, somehow, a sign of respect that, so far, he had only ever shown to Rey.

When all the expected guests besides Rey and Luke had arrived, the Solos were finally able to eat, drink, and mingle. Leia began working the room the way a good hostess should, while Han and Chewbacca soon were caught up in exchanging stories with Lando and other old friends. But Ben was not sure where to turn, with so many different people around. Everyone had wanted to meet him, but no one seemed to want to be with him. He finally got a drink from the refreshment table, and was still standing nearby when Leia came over to check on him. "Everything alright?"

"I'm fine. Just kind of bored."

Leia smiled sympathetically. Before she could speak, however, Lady Carise came up to her. "Princess Leia, there is something I have been meaning to speak to you about."

"Go ahead, Lady Carise."

"Won't you be going to Birren soon?" When Leia looked at her blankly, she pressed, "For your inauguration?"

Ben usually had no interest in politics, but this caught his attention. What was this lady talking about?

He sensed Leia's weariness, but she tried to sound polite as she answered. "You know, Lady Carise, I'm not actually of the bloodlines of any of the Elder Houses. Bail and Breha Organa adopted me—"

"You were a war orphan." Lady Carise's tone was saccharine, as though the story touched her heart. "And yet they raised you as their own. Through their actions the Organas showed that nobility is not merely a matter of blood."

Leia smiled, as she did whenever anyone paid her late parents a compliment. "My point is, I shouldn't be the person inheriting the governorship of Birren in the first place."

"But of course you should! None of the Elder Houses adjudicates succession through strict bloodline inheritance. You must succeed Lord Mellowyn, just as your son must someday succeed you."

Ben almost choked, halfway between scoffing and bursting into laughter. Leia noticed and looked over at him. "Ben," she admonished, "Lady Carise means well."

"I'm sorry," he said, as much to his mother as to Lady Carise. "I just—I have no plans to go into government."

"There are other ways to help improve the galaxy," Ransolm Casterfo said, stepping up to join their conversation.

Lady Carise frowned in surprise at the sight of the younger senator. "Why, Senator Casterfo! I didn't realize you would be here."

Ransolm bowed graciously. "I'm rather relieved to see you here, Lady Carise. I thought I might be the only Centrist in the room."

Centrist—supporters of a more centralized interplanetary government. Ben remembered Leia's complaints about them, and realized that most of the senators present were Populists like her.

"Yes, well—how fortunate we can keep each other company!" Lady Carise said.

"Indeed. May I get you a drink?" Ransolm offered her his arm, and once Lady Carise's back was turned, he exchanged a look with Leia that seemed to speak more than words. She smiled gratefully, and Ben was satisfied to see that they also regarded the woman with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"I should probably help introduce them to more people," Leia said to Ben.

"Go ahead. I'm fine here."

Leia had only been gone for a moment when Tai came over with a napkin of pastries. Ben was glad for his company, which he found more tolerable and even enjoyable than most people's. Unlike him, Tai was not only sensitive to people's emotions, but also knew how to respond to them tactfully.

"How has your vacation been?" Tai asked him.

"It's been … more pleasant than I expected."

"Hey, kid." Lando approached them and leaned in conspiratorially to speak with Ben. "Rumor has it you're going to pick a girl to marry tonight."

Ben scoffed. "I don't know where you got that, but your source must be misinformed."

"So you're taking the celibate route, like your uncle Luke?"

"Er … well, no. I … I have a girlfriend."

Lando and Tai both looked at him in surprise. "Really?" Lando sounded pleased. "She gonna be here?"

"I … don't know. She lives offworld."

"Ah, I see." It was clear from Lando's humorous tone that he did not believe him. "Well, good luck to you."

Tai looked questioningly at Ben while Lando walked off. "You weren't lying," Tai said. He had sensed that much.

Ben hesitated. "I met someone the day after our vacation started. Someone I can talk to … and open up to."

"Really?" Tai had spoken with Ben before about how closed-off he always was. He knew it was no small thing for Ben to find someone he could connect with and confide in.

"I can't get into it all now, but you'll probably meet her. She might come to train with us."

Tai looked pleased. "I'm really glad to hear that, Ben."

"Thanks." Ben smiled, the first time he had truly smiled that evening.

When Luke heard what had happened, he readily agreed to help. Rey needed a humanoid to accompany her in case she arrived on Jakku or returned to Takodana while the sun was overhead. Turning into a porg would significantly diminish her ability to fight.

"Are you sure you don't want to call the Solos?" Luke asked as she climbed into his X-wing. "Just to let them know what's going on, why we aren't with them."

Rey shook her head. "Ben has enough on his mind tonight. I don't want to worry him unnecessarily. He knew I might not go to the party, so he shouldn't think much of it."

Luke accepted this explanation, and most of their talk during the journey concerned strategy. He asked about Unkar Plutt and the power dynamics of Niima Outpost. "I'm not sure I understand his motive for kidnapping Maz."

Rey shrugged. "His message said he came looking for me. I guess he wants me back, so I can scavenge for him."

"He wants you to trade yourself for her?"

"Something like that."

Luke smiled briefly. "I almost wish Han were here—he's better at these kinds of negotiations."

"I've negotiated with Unkar plenty of times. But that was before I had a lightsaber or knew how to use the Force." Rey turned her lightsaber over in her hands. "If he's expecting a trade-off, he'll be disappointed."

"What puzzles me is that it seems like a lot of effort for one laborer. I sense something bigger is going on—maybe more than we can see."

Rey had a nagging feeling that he was right.

To her great relief, it was nighttime when they arrived on the side of Jakku where she used to live. They made planetfall at Niima Outpost. It was strange to see it at night—Rey had always taken care to be home after sunset. It was also colder than she had expected.

"I forgot how cold it gets in the desert at night," Luke muttered as they landed.

Unkar Plutt's booth was closed, covered by a metal grate; but as soon as the X-wing touched the ground, Rey leapt out and ran toward it. When she reached the counter, she banged on the metal grate with both hands. "Unkar! Open up!"

Luke came up next to her, his gloved hand resting on his belt near his own lightsaber. "Should we break in?"

Rey banged her fist once more, then stopped. "Probably break in. We can blast it or cut through it."

Just then, they heard muffled banging sounds like doors opening and closing, followed by the sound of footsteps. A moment later, Unkar Plutt came out from around the back, flanked by two of his thugs—Rey recognized them from past encounters, the most recent of which had been when she found BB-8.

"Hello, Rey," Unkar growled.

Rey thumbed her lightsaber on and pointed the end at Unkar, illuminating his face with blue light. "What have you done with Maz?" she demanded.

"Where did you get that?" Unkar rasped, his eyes wide with shock.

"None of your business," Rey retorted. "Where is she?"

Unkar glared at her. "You have no idea the trouble you're in."

Rey matched his glare. "Bring us Maz." She drew the lightsaber back, holding it up as though ready to strike. "Now."

Unkar spoke over his shoulder to one of his thugs. "Bring her out." As the man walked around to the back of the booth, Unkar addressed Rey. "If she goes, you stay."

"No." Rey turned off the lightsaber and waved her other hand the way she had seen Ben do. "You will free Maz and let us leave in peace."

"What makes you think that?"

Rey frowned, seeing that the mind-trick had not worked. Before she could try again, Luke stepped forward. "What she means is, it will be much better if you free Maz and let us leave in peace." He moved his hand in the same way as he spoke these last words.

Unkar remained unchanged, but he considered this newcomer thoughtfully. "I can do that, if you pay up."

"Hm." Luke folded his arms, studying the stout crolute. "You want ransom? Is that what this is about?"

"Not ransom; the girl's weight in credits. I paid good money for her, and she just up and leaves one day. Thought she'd been eaten or buried in a wreck, until—"

"What do you mean, you paid for me?" Rey broke in.

Unkar squinted at her; he might have been glaring, as usual, or he might have been genuinely surprised. "Why do you think your parents left you here? Huh?"

Luke glanced at Rey, who was frozen. "You were abandoned?" he asked softly.

Rey could not respond. For over a decade, she had held on to the belief that she had been left behind because of some misunderstanding. Apparently there had been one, but it was entirely on her part. She had assumed that her parents had good intentions and meant to return for her. But if what Unkar said was true …

"They knew what I know: you're only good for scavenging." Unkar grasped Rey's wrist in his meaty hand, a gesture she remembered too well from her childhood. "Small and slim enough to get where others can't." Rey wrested her arm free—she had not been able to do that as a child. Unkar almost smiled. "Smarter than most, too; and stronger now than you were then."

It was the first time Rey had ever heard her junk boss praise her—or anyone, for that matter—but every compliment only made her feel more objectified. She had never liked Unkar, but now she was close to hating him.

Unkar's henchman came around the corner with Maz, whose hands were in binders. In the light from Luke's X-wing, they could see that her glasses were broken, one eye was swollen shut, and she was limping slightly as she was pushed forward.

"Maz—are you alright?" Rey asked, dropping down on one knee.

"Hmph. I've been through worse." Maz looked at Rey with sorrow in her eyes. "I'm sorry I was the reason you came back here."

Rey shook her head, just as regretful. "I'm sorry for causing all this. You've done so much for me—"

"Never mind that, child."

Unkar looked to Luke. "You can take the innkeeper. But the girl stays here unless you bring the credits."

That was unacceptable to Rey. She stood up and faced her former employer—or owner, as he now claimed. "I'm not staying here and neither is Maz."

Luke glanced sideways at Rey. "I can get the money," he said, an implicit offer.

"No. It's the principle of the thing." She looked Unkar in the eye. "I may be a scavenger, but I am not a slave. I'm not anyone's to sell or trade, and neither is Maz."

Maz smiled proudly. Rey expected Unkar to be furious; but, to her surprise, he looked almost indifferent.

"I'd listen to her if I were you," Luke warned, detaching his lightsaber from his belt. "You don't really know who you're dealing with."

Unkar sneered. "Neither do you." He looked off to the side, into the darkness.

That was when Rey and Luke realized that the cold was not just from the night air. There were more people present in Niima Outpost, hiding among the shadows. Now, they emerged from the nearby huts, tents and other hiding places and came closer to the circle of light from the X-wing. Rey and Luke both ignited their lightsabers to see better. They heard the steps of many feet and the soft clink of armor and weapons.

Five humanoids approached, almost invisible until they stepped into the light. They were all dressed in black, but they had different types of clothes and armor. Each wore a unique mask and carried a menacing weapon—Rey did not even recognize all the different types.

"The Knights of Ren," Luke recognized.

"Dunno what you did to get them after you," Unkar sneered, "but there they are."

"That's how you captured Maz," Luke deduced, glancing at Unkar. "She's not that easy to beat."

A tall, male human stepped forward from the circle of knights that had formed around the Jedi and the scavenger. This knight wore a cape, but no shirt underneath; his torso and arms were covered with burns and scars. While the others wore masks of black and silver metals, his mask was white with a strange red insignia on the face; white hair spilled out from underneath it.

"It's Rey, isn't it?" The voice from behind the mask was deep but surprisingly gentle, almost friendly. "I'm called Ren, but that's not my name. I think we have some mutual acquaintances," he said, nodded toward Luke. "Have to admit, we weren't expecting you, Jedi man."

"Nor I you." Luke regarded the knight with suspicion and undisguised contempt. "What do you have to do with all this?"

"Snoke," Rey said through gritted teeth. "He sent you, didn't he? Since he couldn't come for me directly."

"Yeah, he told us about you." Ren bent forward slightly to meet Rey's eye level. "Seems he was right: the Shadow is strong with you."

"Is that what you call the Force?"

"You call it the Dark Side. Your boy Ben has it too."

The mention of Ben kindled Rey's protective instinct. "I told Snoke I'm not joining him, and neither is Ben."

"So we heard. But you know, they aren't the only teachers out there. You could learn from us."

Luke intervened, "You're wasting your time, and ours. We came here for Maz, nothing more and nothing less. I beat you before, and I can do it again."

"We know what you can do, Jedi. But I'm curious about the newbie. Why don't you show us what you can do?"

"I'm not here to perform for you."

"Oh, we're not hoping for a performance. This is the real deal." That was when Ren took out his own weapon, a lightsaber hilt. When he turned it on, it emitted a red blade, like the ones Rey had seen in the future Snoke showed her.

Luke put his hand lightly on Rey's wrist. "Rey, you can let me handle this."

"No, Master. I'm ready." She met his eyes; she was as confident as he was concerned. "I had a good teacher—and he learned from the best."

Ren gave the command: "Knights, you are released."

The fight itself lasted only a few minutes. While Unkar made Maz and his cronies stand back, three of the knights attacked Luke while Ren and one other focused on Rey.

She tried to recall everything Ben had taught her, but she found herself relying just as much on her instincts as on her training. She saw immediately how different the Knights of Ren's fighting style was from hers and Luke's: the Jedi were swift, almost graceful, while the masked knights were harsh and blunt.

Rey blocked as much as she could with her lightsaber, but when multiple attackers came toward her she tried to push at least some of them away with the Force. She grunted and cried out involuntarily with the effort it took just to defend herself, but Luke was silent, even while moving as much as her. He took some practical steps to even the odds: he used the Force to pluck some of the Knights' weapons out of their hands and crush them in midair, forcing them to resort to using their fists and feet.

Ren was the last one standing when the other knights had been disarmed or knocked to the ground. Then he paused long enough to speak to Rey. "You've got spirit, kid. I'm starting to see what Snoke and Ben Solo see in you."

Then he did something unexpected: he turned off his lightsaber, then reached up and removed his helmet. Rey had thought his face might be as badly scarred as his body; but it was unmarred, with just a ghost of a beard. He tilted his head casually, a small, arrogant smile on his lips.

"Things aren't always what they seem," Ren told her. He looked between her and Luke. "You two, of all people, should know that."

He had been standing in front of Maz, Unkar and the junkyard thugs. But now, suddenly, he lit his lightsaber and pivoted. Before anyone knew what was happening, three heads—Unkar and his hired men—fell onto the sand. Maz was just short enough to miss the blade, and crawled out of the way before their bodies fell.

Rey gaped—it was not the most gruesome thing she had ever seen, but it was the last thing she had expected, and seemed all the more horrific for being so uncalled for.

Ren turned off his lightsaber and nodded to Rey. "You're welcome." Then he put his helmet back on and walked away. The other knights also got to their feet and left the circle of light, disappearing into the darkness.

"That … was not what I expected," Luke said, perplexed.

Rey fell to her knees, shock replacing the adrenaline of the fight. She did not understand what had just happened. She regained her wits a little when Maz came up to her, holding out her wrists; Rey quickly unlocked the binders.

Maz looked at her with compassion. "Dear child." She opened her arms, and Rey hugged her. Somehow, Rey felt both older and younger.

"Let's get you two home," Luke said, coming to stand next to them.

The three of them just barely fit into the X-wing, which was designed for two humans. Maz sat on Rey's feet in the seat behind the pilot's.

Rey tried not to think about what they were leaving behind, but the thoughts came to her against her will. The first people to find the now unoccupied dwelling would surely loot it or take it over. Someone would probably take Unkar's place as the local junk dealer. If the corpses were not eaten by animals, there were probably some sentient beings hungry enough that they might try crolute or human flesh.

Luke spoke to the women over his shoulder. "During the fight, I got the feeling they weren't giving it their all. I think they may have been toying with us, or testing us."

"Why would they do that?" Rey asked. "And if that's the case—if they were willing to let us walk away, and even kill our enemy—why did they want to fight us in the first place?"

"I don't know. It can't be because they wanted to track us—they already knew where you lived, and my school's location isn't a secret. But I suppose right now the question is where to go next. I was supposed to meet my sister and her family tonight; I can take you with me to Hosnian Prime."

Part of Rey ached to see Ben and his parents—nothing would be more comforting after being so shaken. But she was pretty sure that showing up at a high-class party covered with sweat and sand and a few new battle scars would not go over well; and if they did that, it might still be a while yet before she could have a private moment with the Solos.

She looked to her newly recovered friend. "What do you want to do, Maz? You're the one who was kidnapped."

Maz answered candidly, "Right now I'd like a strong drink, a hot meal, a mud bath, and a long nap in my own bed."

Rey nodded in agreement. "Luke, can we go to Takodana first?"

"Of course. I'll head to Hosnian Prime after that." After making the jump to lightspeed, he turned around in his seat to look at Rey. "You know, if I had an entrance examination for my school, I would consider this yours."

Rey craned her neck to look at him, curious and hopeful. "Did I pass?"

Luke smiled. "With flying colors."

Author's Notes:

Dear readers: I'm sorry for the long wait between chapters! I owe many thanks to Rapunzella for helping me figure out the next steps for this story. I also apologize for ending this chapter at this point; I feel bad for that, but it was becoming twice as long as some of the others, and taking far too much time and energy to complete. Fortunately, there should be a much shorter wait until next time!

If you think there is too much pointless dialogue in this chapter, just remember all the dancing that takes place in the ballet before the Black Swan arrives.

Disclaimer: Ren and Tai are from the comics The Rise of Kylo Ren. Greer Sonnel, Ransolm Casterfo, Lady Carise, and the conversation about Lord Mellowyn are from Bloodline by Claudia Gray. Korr Sella is a major character in that book, and appears in The Force Awakens in one crowd scene and a deleted scene with Leia.