Chapter 8

BB-8 rolled down the corridor as fast as his metal body allowed, which was to say that he sent people scattering in his wake. He arrived at Poe's quarters and instead of the door opening with a wsssh at his arrival, he rolled straight into it with a metallic clang.

The droid tilted his domed head to the side quizzically. Poe had never before locked him out. He plugged in to the computer terminal nearby and tried the override, but found that it had been disabled. Perhaps, the droid wondered, Poe thought that he was already in the room and didn't realize that he wasn't charging in the corner like her normally did during the night cycle.

He had been sent with an important message for Poe and instructions to return with him in tow to meet the new arrivals from Naboo. It was a very important job for BB-8 and it had been Rey who had sent him - he would not return empty handed over a locked door.

The droid backed up across the hall and gained speed as he barreled towards the locked door.

Clunk.

His dome went crooked but he shook it off and tried again. He knew that Poe must have turned in early for the evening, but doubted that a loud banging at the door wouldn't wake the human.

Bash.

Finally, after several collisions with the metal panel, the door opened with a hiss and Poe emerged, shirtless and with his hair a mess.

"What is it, buddy? I was trying to get some sleep?" Poe asked, ducking down to his level.

BB-8 let loose a series of beeps and warbles and Poe's eyes widened.

"They're here already? Hey Finn," he called back. "We gotta go!"

Poe ran back into the room, shutting the door and leaving BB-8 in the hall once more. He emerged a moment later, fully clothed this time, and accompanied by Finn.

.

BB-8, Poe, and Finn flew into the conference room where the rest of their leadership had already convened with their guests. Their late arrival drew some glares, but Finn had a feeling that it was due to the fact that it was due to the fact that they ran across the base to be there in a short amount of time.

"Glad you could make it, gentlemen," Lando greeted them. "Generals Dameron and Finn; this is Pooja Naberrie of the Naboo."

Pooja stood and crossed the room to take Poe's hands. "Thank you for calling on us, General Dameron. The Naberrie family and the Naboo are glad to be able to help the reformation of the New Republic in any way that we can."

Poe smiled at her and noticed that there was something in her that reminded him of Leia. "Thank you for answering the call. General Organa left some instructions for me and one of them was to reach out in case your people could be of any assistance. We were well aware that your planet does not have an military force, but with the fighting behind us, there are still other needs that will arise."

He gestured her to her seat and took his own in between Rey and Finn.

"Pooja has granted us access to repair facilities on Naboo, courtesy of the Queen. We will also be given quarters in the family's lake side retreat outside of Theed," Rey told them with a smirk as they joined the table, adding, "and she understands that she and her party have arrived early and excuses your lateness."

"That is very generous," Poe told her. "Thank you."

"My aunt challenged the Senate and fought to preserve the Republic. My cousin fought the Empire and won - twice. Providing space to see that their efforts will not have been in vain is the least that I can do for you." Pooja's eyes were kind as she spoke. "I only wish there could be more that we could have done when other help was needed."

"Nonsense, your worship," Lando chimed in. "Your people have shown support for the Rebellion and the Republic as long as there's been a fight. Not everyone can take up a blaster when the time comes, but knowing that there are people out there who will benefit from the outcome is why we do it."

"Please, Lando," she laughed. "You can just call me Pooja. I hold no office, nor do I warrant any honorifics."

The room chuckled along with her. Poe and Finn had joined Rey, Rose, Lando, Connix, and Admiral D'acy when they arrived.

"I understand that it is quite late for you all and that you have endured a long enough day as it is. Shall we reconvene in the morning to talk specifics and logistics for your move?" Pooja asked the room. "I myself could use some rest now that we're landed."

Poe nodded his understanding. "Of course. Let's meet again at 0800 to discuss. Have you had a tour of the base yet, Pooja?"

"I did have a brief one on our way in from the landing platform. I know where to find food and where my quarters are, so the basics are covered, I believe." She replied.

They may not have known about their familial connection until later on in life, but there was plenty about Pooja Naberrie that reminded Poe of Leia. Her smile was nearly the same and the shade of her greying hair matched the General's. He wondered if Rey had noticed that she wore her hair in a series of buns similar to her own.

Rey grasped his hand under the table as their guests filed out.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Great," he replied. "Just tired. She looks a lot like her, don't you think?"

Rey smiled at Poe's attempt to change the topic. "She does. We're lucky to have her."

"We are." He turned to BB-8. "C'mon Beebee, time for a recharge, buddy."

The droid wheeled off behind Poe and Rey found herself feeling restless.

.

Rey had been inside of the Falcon for the better part of the day and didn't feel the need to rush off to sleep after the meeting adjourned. With the earlier arrivals, she had changed out of the sweater and lounging clothes and back into the light colored tunic, wrap, and leggings that had become her uniform. She knew that retiring to her quarters on the ship would just leave her lying awake until Force knows when. she grabbed her staff and her saber and set off towards the depths of the jungle.

She let her feet guide her, traversing the root strewn paths with ease before coming upon a clearing. She had wanted to run the training course to clear her mind, but Rey kicked off her boots and placed them neatly to the side. She began to breathe in the humid air, filling her lungs with the scents of the jungle before she sat down, legs crossed beneath her. Rain was coming. The earth was calling for her to sit and meditate - training could wait. She sank into the world around her, the damp dirt molded beneath the sides of Rey's bare feet. She dug her fingers down into the soil and reached out through the Force.

Tendrils of her consciousness travelled along roots and followed worms as they inched along, churning through the soil. She felt the decay deep beneath her from species long extinct on this world. Somewhere down below, an aquifer stretched out underground, its cool waters teeming with microbial life.

Be with me, Rey thought, her energy flowing and binding with all that it touched. Be with me.

Rey closed her eyes and began to chant her mantra. She felt herself becoming light as she did. She reached out with her mind and felt the edges of small, smooth stones nearby and allowed her mind to envelope them, lifting them. Small jolts of electricity prickled the hairs on the back of her neck as she felt the storm approaching.

Be with me, she whispered melodically, although she felt that again her words were falling upon deaf ears. She continued to chant until a chill at her back told her that she was no longer alone.

Rey opened her eyes and stretched out her limbs. She had been levitating, but managed to land gracefully back to the forest floor. Before her stood the shimmering blue figure of a woman, a Togruta.

She couldn't tell if the woman was tall or if it was just the added height of her montrals that altered her appearance. She wore a white cloak so long that it reached the ground and held a heavy wooden staff in her hand.

"I know I'm not who you were hoping to find," she said, her voice warm and familiar.

"I've heard your voice. You were there." Rey stated.

The woman took a seat on a fallen tree, her staff leaning against her long legs. "Exegol. I was. My name is Ahsoka Tano."

The name was as familiar as the voice to Rey. "You fought in the Clone Wars and helped the Rebellion. Leia spoke of you."

"Only good things, I hope." Ahsoka replied with a twinkle in her blue eyes. "I came to thank you, Rey. You've been so strong."

Rey averted her eyes. "I don't feel strong anymore."

Ahsoka nodded slowly. "I know. It's why I'm here. I've heard you calling out and I know that you're hurting."

The other woman had stood up and placed her hand on Rey's shoulder. Their eyes met and Rey could tell that Ahsoka understood the depth of her grief. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"The bond that you shared with Ben Solo was something that I didn't even believe existed until I saw it in you both. You feel like your soul has been ripped apart because it has been." Ahsoka told her. "Before, were you able to reach out to him in the Force?"

"Yes. It was like this thread that ran between us." Rey replied.

"Search for the thread, Rey." She told her.

Rey returned to her meditation pose and closed her eyes. She breathed in the humid air and let it fill her lungs, swirling in her the way that the Force moved around in all of the life that surrounded her. Instead of reaching out, Rey turned her meditation inwards.

Kylo Ren had tugged on that thread to break into her mind. They had both used it to reach each other across the vastness of space. Rey knew exactly where the thread connected within her, but feared to reach out for it.

As a young girl on Jakku, Rey had come across the seemingly dead body of a fellow scavenger. From a distance, the form was completely lifeless and Rey knew that she would only be able to confirm it if she took a closer look. Terrified that she'd either come in to close contact with a corpse for the first time or, worse, that it was someone lying in wait to ambush whoever came close, Rey had decided that she must continue on her way. If they had been dead, she surely would have joined them if she returned to Niima Outpost empty handed with nothing to trade for sustenance.

She inhaled deeply and did what she could not do that day under the Jakku suns. Rey reached for the thread. She found it severed, as she had suspected. A tear streaked down her face. Rey knew that he was gone. She hadn't felt Ben's presence since she had watched his body disappear into the Force. She mulled the thoughts over in her mind while still meditating on that thread - the thing that had connected their souls. The thing that had made her whole.

She wondered as she considered it, what might have happened if the thread had been intact. Would she have seen Ben as a ghost like she was seeing Ahsoka now? She had seen Luke and Leia both on Tatooine. If he was gone, why had he not shown himself to her yet?

I need guidance, she pressed her mind into the void. Answers. Anything. If Ben Solo is truly gone I will carry on; I must.

Don't give up, Rey.