Chapter 13

Rey awoke feeling uncomfortably warm. The weight of Ben Solo and his added heat made it feel as if she was laying under an engine block.

"Ben, roll over!" She was half muffled by her pillow, having fallen asleep face-first into the pillow in the early hours of the morning. His giant frame was half on top of her, his head nuzzled between her shoulder blades and a long arm draped over and hanging off the edge of the bed, fully pinning her in place.

Blissfully unaware that he was crushing her, Ben let out a soft snore. Rey groaned in playful annoyance, and reached within, emitting a small wave of energy by way of the Force - just enough to allow her to make her escape.

Ben grumbled in his sleep and rolled over, taking the rest of the sheets with him. Now having been released from his clutches, Rey let out a small laugh at the sight of Ben Solo rolled up in blankets.

Rey glanced at the chrono on the opposite wall and realized she had only slept for three hours. She rubbed her eyes and walked into the cabin of the ship. Quietly, she crept to the table and fired up one of the datapads, resuming where she had left off only hours before.

The next recording, Entry 207, was the final entry in the log:

Adix has been scheduled for termination tomorrow. My family is long since dead - the Empire ensured that. I have nothing left to fight for. Adix has found a place in my heart, as if I had a son, and I cannot go through with his execution. By time this entry is discovered, I will likely be dead. Death to the Empire.

Rey was shocked. She had grown used to hearing the calm and measured voice of Rala Tu, but this entry was full of sadness and pain. She placed the first datapad down and moved onto the second.

While the first datapad contained many videos, recordings and other data entries by the Kaminoan scientist, this second one contained more operational information. There were descriptions of all the personnel that had worked in the Emperor's secret cloning operation on Coruscant. Many had their military credentials listed, as well as their family members and planets of origin. It was fascinating, but not what she had been hoping to find.

She scrolled absentmindedly, wanting to be thorough but not feeling the need to read every detail about the Empire's minions. Several pages further, she saw a headshot she recognized, Rala Tu. It seemed that the Kaminoan had been kidnapped from her home planet and forced into service by the Empire after her success in aiding in the creation of the cloned stormtroopers. She had been the one to perfect the accelerated aging process that had later been used for the creation of Rey's father.

Rey read the entirety of the small biography and felt anguish overcome her. The Kaminoans were known to be a peaceful and intelligent race, and the abhorrent task of being forced to create a clone host for the spirit of the Emperor must have been traumatizing.

When she reached the end of the entry, her heart sank. In bold, red lettering, the word EXECUTED was displayed. Her eyes watered and she looked up from the datapad, staring off into one of the blinking electronic arrays on the wall opposite to her. It seemed as if everything surrounding her family history was doused in pain and sadness, and the normally stoic scavenger-turned-Jedi worried about what she might find out next.

Setting down the datapad, Rey took a small break, stretching and making a cup of caf before she sat down again, but this time with the third datapad. She had initially written this one off, seeing as it only contained archived security recordings of the facility.

Now, she looked at it with renewed interest. The video clips with her father had been timestamped, and she searched through the security footage to the latest dates that matched up. Fast forwarding through, she almost missed what she was looking for.

The recording was in a hallway and had an odd angle, but she could easily make out the slender figure of Rala Tu, her tall frame towering over a young adult-aged Adix. The scientist bent down and conspiratorially whispered into the young man's ear. Whatever she had said, it had clearly alarmed Adix, but she touched his shoulder reassuringly before they exited the frame.

Rey searched further and came to a zoomed in, grainy video of what appeared to be a row of cells. She watched as Rala Tu slowly entered the frame, looking around warily.

Then, she turned to the door of one cell and punched in a code before speaking into the rectangular window of the room with a single word that Rey could hear: "Run."

The door to the captain's quarters opened suddenly with a whoosh noise that startled Rey, immersed that she was in the video feed. She looked up, blinking rapidly, a wild expression on her face.

Ben yawned and looked around for a moment before spotting her, sitting on the booth-like seat with her knees drawn up to her chest, the datapad held tightly in her hands in front of her. When he saw the panic-stricken look on her face, he was suddenly wide awake and hurried over to her.

She looked up at him, eyes watering with tears threatening to spill over. He slid into the seat gracefully and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her tight to his side. She pushed her face into his shoulder, but still was curled up in a ball, one hand with a firm grip on the datapad.

With the physical contact, he could feel the full force of her dread seeping deep into his own chest. He pulled away only slightly, just enough to look down into her face. He took his free hand and wiped away a tear that had escaped the dam.

"What did you find?" He asked in a low and calm voice, trying to comfort her as much as possible.

She remained silent in reply, but turned the screen towards him, where he could see she had paused the recording. Rala Tu was frozen on the screen, her back towards the camera and her arms out in front of herself as if shielding from something.

Ben reached over and tapped the screen, pushing the play button. The sound of blaster fire was prominent, and the Kaminoan crumpled to the ground as stormtroopers surrounded her body.

Rey covered her mouth, but a hiccup and more tears could not be stifled. Ben kissed the side of her head, not taking his eyes off of the screen, which had gone fuzzy.

Ben had eased the tablet out of Rey's hands and had successfully convinced her to go back to bed for a little while. He remained at the table, now watching a specific recording for the third time. He watched again as the young Adix managed to flee the facility quickly and quietly thanks to Rala Tu's release and gift of her security card to make his escape. The last image of him was at one of the outside entrances, the last barrier to the vast cities of Coruscant and the galaxy before him. His head was turned in hesitation as Ben imagined he was having one last look at the only place he had ever known in his short and accelerated life.

So now they knew when her father had escaped, but not where he had gone before ending up on Jakku with Rey's mystery mother.

Continuous security recordings continued to play, casting an eerie blue glow on Ben's face as he sat back, arms crossed, thinking. He closed his eyes, not quite meditating, but found an easy peace within himself and the soft, yet powerful, energy signature of the deeply sleeping Rey close by. The recordings were mostly silent, sometimes a crackling noise of comm-link chatter between stormtroopers or scientists.

Nearly an hour had gone by with Ben still in exactly the same position. He was beginning to think he would fall asleep when he heard it. A wretched, rasping voice that broke the silence, causing Ben to flinch, eyes opening wide.

He hunched over the datapad and was shocked by what, or rather, who he saw. The footage showed two men, a scientist in a white coat and some sort of officer standing rigidly next to him. Their backs faced the camera and before them a droid projected a large, blue, translucent figure in hooded robes.

"Your inability to contain a defective clone is a disappointment, Captain," The Emperor spoke and the officer before him stood even more stiffly.

"Yes, my Emperor, I know I have failed you. But, our spies have tracked the experiment and he appears to have sought passage as a crew member for a smuggler. Their next destination is the Corellian shipyards. He can be disposed of at my command," The young captain bowed slightly, not looking up into the projected image. Next to him, the much shorter scientist squirmed and looked at his feet.

"No," The Emperor hissed, "You will have your spies follow him, unharmed. He may yet be useful, am I correct?" The projection turned his unsettling gaze upon the scientist, who shuddered noticeably.

"Y-yes. Experiment AD-6, although having n-no affinity for the Force, may be able to breed and produce the host you need," the old man stuttered and shifted uneasily.

"Good," The evil voice nearly hummed, "I expect a daily report with his whereabouts and activities. Do not disappoint me again," The projection flickered and disappeared, the black droid rolling off out of frame.

Ben replayed the scene again, still baffled.

Forty minutes later, Ben leaned back, tapping a finger on his bottom lip. There had been several more minutes of invaluable information. It seemed that the Emperor's spies were successful in tracking Adix's movements all the way to Corellia where he had managed to get a job in the shipyards hauling junk. Apparently, after several months, he had even begun a relationship with a woman who also worked in the same shipyard, but as a speeder mechanic.

This is where the information stopped. Anything else the datapad had contained was lost, probably forever. So, Ben found himself thinking of what to do next. He couldn't take the disappointment in Rey's face if they hit a dead-end now.

He had to admit, so far their luck had been incredible. To already be in the very city where Rey's father was last seen made his head spin. If his uncle were around, he swore he could hear his voice saying: It is the will of the Force, Ben.

The thought of his uncle's tedious Jedi lessons tumbled through his head several times before he came to an idea. Unlike himself, Rey had not been tutored for a decade on the ways of the Jedi and the Force. Instead, it flowed through her naturally and effortlessly, and she was often steered by the unseen energy without realizing it.

There were nearly a hundred shipyards within the confines of Coronet City and to continue their search, they would have to begin asking questions. Ben had a feeling that if Rey were to unconsciously take the lead, they would find what they were looking for.

"Ben, it's been two days. We've talked to people in 20 shipyards and still nothing," Rey said dejectedly, plopping down on a nearby bench with an exasperated sigh.

Next to her, Chewbacca added a small growl, sounding tired as well.

"Sorry, 22 shipyards," Rey added sarcastically after the wookie corrected her.

Optimism was not Ben's strong suit, but he tried to portray encouragement, "Just one more today, Rey. Don't think, just feel."

Rey sighed again, closing her eyes and tilting her head back to lean against the dusty back of the bench. In her right hand, she held one of the datapads with an image of her father's face. They had been showing it to shipyard workers and passersby for hours with no luck.

"One more," Rey agreed, opening her eyes and standing up slowly. She looked around, deciding which direction to go.

Ben and Chewie followed her closely as she led them past several of the worksites until she stopped suddenly, causing Ben to almost run right into her. She had stopped to stare at a small hangar that appeared to be a sort of repair shop. When Ben turned to look, he felt a tingling sensation travel down his spine. When he reached for Rey's hand, it was like completing an electrical circuit, a frisson of excitement running from her to him.

Rey confidently marched up to an old man who was fiddling with a battery of some sort, his wrinkles deppened by his squinting eyes, "Excuse me?"

The old man looked up curiously, still squinting, "What do you need, missy?"

Rey held up the image of Adix to the man, "Have you ever seen this man before? It would've been about twenty years ago. His name was -"

"You'll be wanting Axel, then," the old man cut her off, pointing behind him, "She's been here for forty years and doesn't forget a face."

The trio looked past the man into the hangar where the man was pointing. A petite woman with short and blindingly white hair was shining a light inside the engine of a speeder that looked to be as old as she was.

Chewie hung back, inspecting a refurbished power converter while Ben and Rey carefully made their way to the woman, trying not to trip over any parts and tools along the way.

"Axel?" Rey asked loudly over the echoing mechanical noises within the hangar.

The woman's head shot up, her eyes magnified by goggles that reminded them both of Maz.

"Call me Ax," The woman said with a raspy voice, inspecting her inquisitors.

"Ax," Rey held the datapad up, "Have you ever seen this man?"

Ax snatched the device out of Rey's hands and held the image close to her face, her grease-marked face turning up in a crooked smile when she handed it back.

"Now there's a face I haven't seen in a millenia. That's Adix."

Rey was nearly vibrating with anticipation as she sat next to Ben in a small office-like room. The walls were covered in schematics of various ships and speeders, and tools lay strewn about on the small table in front of them.

"What do you want to know?" the ancient mechanic asked, her voice creaking like a rusty hinge.

"Anything," Ben replied.

"Everything," Rey added.

Ax turned her eyes to her walls, musing to herself before continuing.

"He came to me about, oh, twenty-one years ago. The boy looked like he had never worked a day in his life. Told me he was a fast learner, though," She glanced at Rey, "And he was. He hauled junk for this hangar, took parts I couldn't salvage to a recycler and had a knack for finding pieces in the junkyards that could be reused."

Rey exchanged a look with Ben, a bashful smile on her face. Scavenging was a family trait, it seemed.

"He was an odd boy, always amazed at the most mundane things, as if he had never seen them in his life before. Smart, helpful, and never had a bad word for anyone. And boy did he have eyes for Betina."

"Betina?" Rey asked, cocking her head and leaning forward, the eagerness coming off of her in waves.

"She was the youngest speeder mechanic I ever took a chance on. And boy, did that pay off. You know, you remind me of her, girl. She wore her hair that exact same way. And the shape of her face - you have the same."

Ben's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as Rey gripped his wrist, looking at him with water welling up in her eyes. Her mother.

The old woman appeared not to notice their emotional reactions and carried on, stopping frequently to clear her throat, "Those two were all googly-eyed for each other from the start. He would make these little trinkets out of junk metal and give them to her. They were good kids, hard workers."

"What happened to them?" Ben asked.

"Now that's the odd thing. About a year after I hired that boy, he and Betina became strangely secretive. Always looking over their shoulders or talking in whispers. I never did bother with asking questions," She shrugged, leaning back into her chair, "None of my business, to each their own. They did their work, and I did mine. To be honest, I think the girl was pregnant. Betina was a skinny thing and that belly sticking out wasn't from no bantha steak. Anyway, one day, they both up and tell me that they took another job, for some junk trader on Jakku. Maker knows why they'd want to go to that backwater planet. They were gone before I could even give them their last day's pay."

The woman finished and finally turned to the couple, and her eyes screwed up in confusion at the looks on Ben and Rey's faces. A few tears had tracked their way down Rey's face and she wiped at them, sniffling slightly, but otherwise remaining silent.

Ben thanked the woman for her time, and outside, it seemed that Chewie had gone and had himself a little shopping spree. Upgrades for the Falcon, the wookie had claimed, furry arms full of dirty parts.

Later that night, Chewie was installing his new purchases while Ben and Rey sat in the cockpit, silent. They both stared out into the night, admiring the twinkling lights of the busy city and wondering what was coming next.

Without speaking, Rey rose from her chair and went to Ben, sitting on his lap and bringing her feet up to her chest, curling into him. He wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his warmth. His lips brushed the crown of her head as he tried to soothe her anxiety. His heart thumped faster, having her so close and so vulnerable. He wondered at how he could still feel so overwhelmed with his feelings for the woman before him. He wished he could voice it properly, out loud. Ben listened to her slow and even breathing, sensing that she was beginning fall asleep as she nuzzled closer to his chest. At least, through the Bond, he knew he could say it.

I love you.

Even thinking the words brought a small splash of color and heat to his face. He knew what she felt, but still, after over a year of being on opposite sides of a war and being rejected by her, he feared her reaction. Abruptly, his internal worrying was interrupted.

I love you, too, Ben Solo.

My longest chapter yet! I probably could have broken this into two chapters, but hey, I was on a roll! If you could please leave a review with what you think - I would be so grateful! Thanks everyone!