Author's Note: So, the Great Tree is an actual thing in canon and it does really exist in Poe's yard (cited in Shattered Empire #4). Of course, I've taken liberties to add on to the tree's Force connection here, but that's okay. I have a feeling you all can allow me a few artistic liberties.
Thank you again for your comments, follows, favorites, and every share and recommendation that have helped spread this story to new readers. You guys are awesome. Next update by Thursday 😊
Rey's eyes burned as she tried and failed to keep the tears back. She ached for him still, hours after he'd gone.
But as she sat alone, thinking of his death on Exegol, her parents' murders, the reason for her miserable life on Jakku, the ache was replaced with anger. A white-hot fury in the pit of her stomach feeding on her fear and loneliness. Why was the Force doing this to her? Over and over again, people were taken from her.
"Why?!" The word tore from her throat and she was standing, fists clenched tight with her nails digging into her palms, pulse pounding in her ears.
A wave of Force streaked from her hands, overturning the stools, the table, the carefully cleaned saber parts. Water from the basin sloshed across the floor, dripping down the table legs as she stared, shoulders heaving. It took every ounce of strength she had to keep from unleashing another wave of rage.
Instead, she bit her lip hard enough to distract her from this tidal wave of feeling. Find balance, she needed to find balance. She would not let this happen. She was in control. She closed her eyes, focusing on nothing but the air entering and leaving her lungs, the rise and fall of her chest, until finally, the fury ebbed and she was left with the shame of her outburst on top of the frustration of the situation.
She swallowed hard, ignoring the mess, and sank down on the mattress, staring at the ceiling until the task of keeping her eyes open became too much and she slept.
Far away, the clink of metal and harsh snipping roused her from her dreams.
Rey rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to decide whether it was really Ben sitting with his back to her at the worktable or if he was just a vestige of the dream she'd been having. His outline was much fainter compared with how he normally appeared.
Good morning.
His voice jolted her head from the pillow.
"Why'd you let me sleep? We could have had more time…" She hastily smoothed her hair; it had fallen free of its ties in the night and was likely sticking out every which way. "You should have woken me."
He was still bent over the project at the table. You were snoring and having a good dream by the sound of it.
Heat rose up the back of her neck. "Well, with the way things ended last night…"
I'm sorry. He turned from the worktable to gaze at her. Force, you don't know how sorry I am, how much I wanted to stay.
His dark hair was tousled and falling into his eyes, lending him a boyish charm that was undeniable. He brushed it away with the back of his hand and gave her his heart-stopping Solo smirk. A slight blush came to his cheeks as he spoke again, visible to her despite his ghost-blue pallor. Well, maybe you do know how much I wanted that.
Oh, she knew all right. She wasn't sure she could ever forget how his body had felt pressed against her. How it felt to be wanted by him. She pushed the blankets off and stood to join him at the table before she let her imagination take her any further.
"Don't you dare apologize for that. This is not your fault," she said. "None of this."
He pressed his lips together, eyes darting to where the entire basin of water and all of the saber parts had been scattered last night. Are you, I mean… Are you okay? I saw…
She picked up a diatum power cell he'd managed to salvage, turning it over and over in her hands to avoid looking at him. "I was upset."
His perceptive gaze traveled over her, scrutinizing her head to toe, but he didn't say more about it. Instead, he let his eyes linger on the oversize shirt she still wore. His shirt.
That looks much better on you.
She felt her face redden again and she was back to studying the power cell.
Don't do that. Don't look away.
His voice was a low purr in her ears. That deep timbre had always excited her and the richness of it stirred something primal at her core. He was commanding and she wanted to obey.
So she did, meeting his gaze and locking onto his eyes. Those expressive dark eyes had always spoken to her in a way no one else's could, and now they joined with his voice to orchestrate her complete domination. Stars, what was happening to her? He'd only spoken, looked at her for Force's sake and she was unraveling at the edges. Was this what it was like to be falling for someone?
You have no idea what it did to me, to see you clinging to that shirt on Tatooine, the only piece of me you had. His fingers clenched into fists and his lip wobbled, barely perceptibly. Don't doubt for one minute, that if I could have retained a scrap of anything from you, I would have done the same.
She smiled shyly, pulling the collar of the shirt up so she could breathe in the scent of the fabric. To her surprise it held a trace of him.
"It smells like you again," she admitted, voice still small. Talking of her feelings, urges and desires she'd hidden for so long, it was still… strange.
Well, you were all over me last night. His cheek dimpled with a sly smile and she couldn't help but smile back.
He turned his attention back to the saber parts set out on the table. He'd picked up all the fallen pieces, arranged the parts that were usable on one side and gathered the broken scraps in a bucket, and had already begun adjusting the mounts for the primary crystal.
I was worried I wouldn't be able to heal the crystal at all, he said. I should have been more worried about how to put this wreck back together.
"You did it?" she said, eyes going wide. "You already healed it?"
It didn't take long, almost like the crystal itself appreciated being put back together.
"Will it be blue again?" She'd seen his lightsaber in flashes in his memories and wondered if healing it would restore the kyber crystal to its original color.
You'll have to wait and see. But the glint in his eye promised something unexpected.
Rey glanced at the pile of ruined scrap, pinching a long red wire between two fingers and holding it out in front of her like a dead worm. "I have to admit, I was unimpressed with your previous craftsmanship."
He huffed. Well, we can't all be good at everything, sweetheart. A playful expression danced across his face before he turned his attention back to his task. The modulating circuits are ruined. And for time's sake, I'll have to keep the lateral vents.
Rey reached over to the bin she'd stowed under the table, filled with spare parts from her own lightsaber build. She rifled around, plucked out a few circuits that might be usable, and held them out for Ben.
You've thought of everything.
His form had become more solid now and when he reached to take the parts, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her close.
She sucked in a quick breath, filling her lungs with his scent, and leaned into his embrace. He ran his hands up the back of her neck, raking fingers through her hair, and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.
He pulled away, giving her a look that sent her pulse racing.
"You are getting very good at that, Ben Solo."
Practice makes perfect.
Rey's curiosity got the better of her as she wondered how much practice he'd had. Surely Kylo Ren could have had any woman in the First Order. Even Ben Solo likely had some prospects at the Jedi academy. Either way, it was obvious he'd had more practice than she had.
He was studying her face, one eyebrow raised quizzically. What was that look?
"Nothing," she said, squirming from his arms and scooting her stool next to his.
That wasn't nothing.
When she didn't respond, he focused a reprimanding glare in her felt the brush of his mind against hers, not really trying to get in, mostly testing her reaction. She Force-slammed that door in an instant.
"Don't even think about it," she warned.
He sighed and pouted a little, actually going as far as to stick out his bottom lip.
So far, Ben Solo had maintained one key characteristic from the persona of Kylo Ren – persistence. He did not know how to let something go. Then again, both Han and Leia were incredibly stubborn, so maybe it was genetic.
She dared another glance at him and… oh kriff, he had no right to be so adorable.
It was her turn to sigh. "I was just wondering how many girls you'd kissed before me. Not that it matters, I was just curious." She had to stop herself short to keep from babbling inanely.
One, he said. Just once. It was stupid really, I was fourteen and we were playing this game, and it was more of a dare really.
"A game?" The idea of a young Ben Solo playing a kissing game had her immediate interest.
Spin the lightsaber. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it there to scratch nervously at the back of his head as his ears went as pink as a Zeltron's. You spin it and whoever it points to you have to kiss.
She covered a laugh with her hand. She'd never seen him embarrassed. It pulled at a place in her heart she didn't know existed, and a pleasant warmth spread through her.
I told you it was stupid.
"I think it's cute."
He tried to scowl, daring her to keep teasing him, but the crooked expression he wore instead struck her as the funniest thing she'd seen in a long while, and she was laughing, a full, loud belly-aching laugh that seemed to last forever. Not long ago, he'd been the master of the scowl, the very epitome of rage and now, here, Ben Solo couldn't even manage a proper frown. Just when she'd nearly composed herself, the thought doubled her over a second time, peals of laughter ringing against the walls.
His face strained comically as he tried to remain serious. Then, all at once, his laugh joined hers. It was a surprisingly musical thing, an unexpected sound that only served to enhance her own joy.
When they finally quieted, muscles aching with effort, breaths coming in little gasping hiccups, she leaned in close to him. "You can't even scowl at me properly anymore," she teased.
He put a sturdy arm around her and she was sure this was what she'd been fighting for her whole life. All traces of rage and loneliness were washed away in his company.
The protection of his touch gave her the courage to talk about things she never thought she could. "At least you've had more experience than I have. I'd never kissed anyone before you," she said. "I'm not really sure what I'm doing."
I don't believe that for a second. You know exactly what you are doing to me.
In that moment, she nearly admitted just how much she wanted to know him. In that way. In every way, but this honesty between them was so new. This intimacy with another human being was so unfamiliar, that the thought stayed just that, a thought.
He pulled her in closer, burrowing his nose in the crook of her neck and humming contentedly against her skin.
He jerked away quickly as though he'd been stung by a sand bee. Lifting his head to listen, he stared into nothing.
She felt it too, the Bond contracting into something strained. Even with all of the honesty and laughter of their conversation, it seemed in the light of a new day something was close, threatening to take it all away. It was as though the Force itself was anxious and it bled through into their touch.
An unsettling prickling sensation climbed up the back of her neck, giving her the feeling someone was watching them, and she shifted uncomfortably.
Ben felt it, too, straightening awkwardly before bending to inspect the work at the table. I have a feeling I'm going to need this. Soon.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in!"
Finn poked his head in, saw Ben working at the table and turned back to Rey. "Uh… sorry. Just wanted to let you know there's breakfast, and Poe says we can get an early start. Everyone's all packed."
"Thanks," she said. "I'll be down in a bit."
Finn nodded, darting one last glance between the two of them and ducked out of the room.
Go ahead and eat, I'll stay and see what I can do about this.
"Come with me," she said.
I can't. I… I don't think I'm ready for that.
She appreciated his honesty, but the naive image of him becoming friendly with Finn, Poe, and Rose came crumbling down completely. Her friends were not the only ones hesitant about working together.
"It will just take time," she said, unsure of what else to give in terms of encouragement.
When he didn't respond, Rey was tempted to reach out through the Force to get a hint of how he was feeling. He was keeping his expression frustratingly guarded as he continued to shape his coupler.
I'm not used to this. He slipped the finished coupling over the mount he was working to stabilize and turned it toward the light to inspect his work. I never was that great with people, but now…
He trailed off, not finishing his thought, instead, becoming lost in the work of his hands.
"Do you want me to bring you something from the mess hall? I mean, can you eat?"
I don't think so. And he gave her a sad smile. But you better enjoy your breakfast, last chance for something besides ration packets for a while.
"I don't know," she said, "maybe I can sneak some leftovers into the Falcon's galley, keep it in the conservator for later."
Her thoughts drifted to those drumsticks again.
A worthy use of your scavenging skills. He gifted her a worshipful glance, eyes gleaming as the lights from the workstation reflected in them, revealing flecks of golden brown than she'd never seen before. Then he was hunched over again, turning his attention to the housing brackets.
She grabbed her normal clothes to change into downstairs and walked to breakfast alone. Alone, but warm all over.
The jungle sang with life from either side of the path to the Falcon. Rainwater glistened on the foliage, reflecting the morning light in countless rainbow puddles and prismatic droplets.
"Your throne awaits," Poe said, elbowing her in the side as he passed her along the path to the ship.
She smiled broadly at him. They always fought over the pilot's seat and the fact that he was ready to hand it over just like that… "You go ahead, I want to work on something."
He craned his neck to see what was inside the box she held at her hip. "Working on another lightsaber?"
"For Ben."
To his credit, he kept the disgust from his face, nodding and holding out his hands, offering to carry the box the rest of the way to the Falcon. She was already loaded down with her pack full of belongings, so she graciously took the help.
"How are you feeling about this?" she asked as they walked.
"It'll be strange to see home again, with Mom and Dad gone," his voice had taken on an uncharacteristic softness. "I haven't seen the old place in years."
Rey squeezed his shoulder before they parted ways. He returned the box and headed to the cockpit and she moved toward the main cabin.
Rose, Finn, and Chewie were already inside the Falcon with Chewie goading them into another game of Dejarik. Rey wondered fleetingly if Ben and Chewie used to play together. She added that to the ever-growing list of things she wanted to do with him, cheeks warming as she thought about the other thing that was now number one on that list.
Every touch, every conversation, every moment they could spend together, these were what she was fighting for. Rey wouldn't let herself forget that as she strapped herself in for the jump to lightspeed.
She'd moved to the co-pilot's seat to watch their approach and now sat mesmerized by the endless expanse of green treetops spread out before them. This was not the fresh, sprightly jungle of Ajan Kloss. This forest was aged, imbued with an ancient wisdom, like the trees here seemed to possess the knowledge of nature itself. The Force was alive with this heavy awareness. They'd moved from one jungle to another, but this one couldn't be more different.
Poe was leaning forward slightly in his seat, scanning the horizon eagerly. She felt the pulse of Finn in the Force now, excitement for a new journey, content surrounded by friends. Chewie and Rose leaned in the doorway of the cockpit to look out, too.
And a tug on the Force introduced the missing member of their party.
"Hello, Ben," she said. Announcing him to the rest of the team.
Finn, who was sitting behind Poe, had already turned to lock eyes on him, as Ben had slowly appeared behind where Rey sat.
All four of her friends gave polite, if not tense, greetings as their eyes darted around the cabin uneasily.
Ben's reply was no less stiff, uttering a very forced, hello.
For her though, his greeting was much the opposite. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders, running them over her taut muscles in a gesture of intimate acknowledgement, as he simultaneously sent a wave of relief down the Bond. She reached up, placing her palms on his hands and squeezed gently.
Your pull on me was much stronger when you arrived here. It didn't take me long to find you.
"Maybe there's something to this Uneti Tree after all," she said, trying to hope, despite the unsettled feeling they'd shared this morning.
Poe maneuvered toward an area where the forest had been cleared. A small expanse of open fields, dotted with animal pens and modest stone dwellings – a village by the looks of it. Poe looked wistful as he pulled the controls, urging the Falcon toward the far side of the village.
"I'm sure there's another family here by now, and I don't want to cause a scene. I'm going to set her down in the clearing way out back, then we can walk to the Tree."
They touched down without incident, and Rey stood, lacing her fingers with Ben's.
She didn't miss the way his eyes lingered on every panel as they passed, every closet and hidden compartment. She half expected him to start rifling through a drawer to find something he'd stowed away.
"It should be yours," she said, whispering so the others wouldn't hear.
He actually winced in response to her observation. I don't deserve it. The pilot seems to be handling it just fine.
Rey thought of the lightspeed skipping and decided not to tell Ben. He didn't need another reason to avoid talking to Poe.
"You know, if you called them by their names, it might help break the ice a bit," she teased, elbowing him playfully.
A grunt was his only reply as they followed behind the group.
They approached a small clearing, which was surrounded by the towering jungle canopy on all sides. These trees framing the space seemed to lean in, their branches reaching to shield the precious treasure at the center of the open field. The Great Tree. But the Uneti tree, with its twisting bark, ribbons of browns and golds coiling the length of its trunk, and large, fan-shaped leaves seemed less a tree and more… well, Rey wasn't sure. But if a tree could appear at once regal and sensible, this tree did.
The Force hummed loud in her ears, buzzing along her skin, and she saw Finn snatch a glance in their direction. He felt it too. This tree was alive.
