First off, hope everyone had a happy 4th despite everything, and I apologize for the wait once more but hope it was worth it. :) I am also on a roll with "Dawn of Wonders", and proud of how it's coming along.

This story is also so far good, though challenging ahead, I'll be honest. But it's nothing I haven't tackled before.

Chapter Three

Yachts, Fantasies, and Heritage

"Caught the chill after all, did you, Miss Kenobi?"

She yelped at the voice which made itself known behind her without so much as a warning. Even R2 was just as startled as she was, for he shrieked and then beeped at random. Rey wound up dropping her cup onto the concrete floor, the porcelain shattering and sloshing the amber liquid about her feet. "What the hell?! Didn't your mother ever teach you to not sneak up?" She then hissed at the little bit of tea on the back of her hand which burned a little, leaving a patch of red that wasn't going to peel, hopefully.

He smirked at one corner of his mouth. "On the contrary, Mother taught me the element of surprise. And are you hurt?" he asked of the burn, reaching into his pocket and offering a handkerchief to her, which she accepted and put on the back of her slightly searing flesh, gratefully - but prior, that damned shock coursed through her nerves again upon her fingers coming into contact with his.

Those mesmerizing eyes didn't help, either.

"Here, let me help you clean this up." It was then that she finally broke the contact and remembered the mess in the form of the amber puddle and broken, many-sized pieces of what used to be her cup. R2 beeped and offered to help them out, hurrying over to the supply closet for the broom and dustpan he latched himself with his extendable "arms" from within his compartments. Rey decided to use the handkerchief to mop up the liquid, just as Solo picked up the big pieces and left the rest to her. They had it all picked up in no time at all. "Could have been worse," he told her with a chuckle, which would have annoyed her if she wasn't already fighting off the embarrassment.

"Lucky me."

"You really did look like you were elsewhere if that speeder was no longer important. I did call for you twice, but you didn't seem to hear me, or even R2," he pointed out. Because I was thinking about YOU. Except why and how the hell could she tell him that?

"The fact your grandfather is waiting for you?" Pitiful, but it had to do, and he saw right through it, laughing again.

"Still have fifteen minutes. You know how he is about a real 'winner' or a draw. I also know it will be just me and him at this little 'meeting' -" Him and those invisible air quotes she knew she heard. "- so I could take a guess this is about something important under construction."

He was...half-right, but she had to pretend and go along with it. There was something that Anakin and his shop were tasked with renovating, commissioned by a very wealthy client outside of Alderaan - including several countries across the world - but her experiences were with the gears, wiring, and electrical systems rather than aesthetics. Only because anyone could get emotionally lost in the details, only for the outside to snap in and ruin the mood.

She headed right for the tall collection of files, pushing a few buttons and opening a drawer so that she pulled out what was now involved in the conversation. She handed it to him so he could take a look at the holographic information, scrolling through every tiny detail to the biggest surface, his brows furrowing. "Renovating the first and only new model of the Luxury 3000," he stated. "These guys fell out of favor by the start of the Clone Wars, all because pirates and Separatists targeted them most. But now they're being brought back to former glory."

And pirate attacks are seldom these days, so they should now be brought back to the highest points since they have the means to protect themselves now. "So I was told," Rey answered. "Your mother found the time to get this info and leave it." Leia Skywalker-Solo might represent this planet, not officially being a part of her family's business, but she was responsible for the bills and permits that had to be gone through.

He nodded, humming once. "What about yourself?" he asked. "Your opinions?"

She wanted to say she agreed on something, but she simply passed it on to her boss and thought her opinions were second to his. "I hadn't fully examined, just passed it on," she said. And of course, he didn't buy it.

"Miss Kenobi, I believe we both know you've seen these designs regardless, even to make sure it was a completed file. Just tell me what you think," he said, softly and encouragingly. "Even if they deny it, everyone's got their own opinion."

So, she'd just give him the truth, huh? R2 seemed to agree, for he beeped from where he was as he continued working without her, knowing his job well. She'd inspect when they were done talking, then see what could be redone. Ben Solo could read her too well, as she truly didn't like the aesthetic design much, but couldn't say it aloud. Its designer was considered the leader in modern methods; according to Anakin and his daughter, they were lucky to have him included. Therefore, since she was inexperienced compared to them, she had no reason to not trust their instincts. "Just that Leia is excited, even if she's not directly involved in business anymore, but has a great eye all the same." He simply looked at her without a hint of impression. He wanted to know her opinion and no one else's. What could she say? "Look, what do you expect? I'm not the one making these decisions, so my part doesn't really matter."

He sniffed. "The fact you dodge what I ask really intrigues me. At least humor me, or is that too much to ask?" He then showed her a hologram of the surface bearing black accents on smoky gray paint, finished with some splashes of blue that could be seen if your eye was sharp.

"...you asked. It's so cold-looking as well as feeling. Vacationers as well as stressed politicians and businessmen would want some form of relaxation - and warmth." Just like your eyes. "But at least the furniture itself remains soft and cozy."

Now he smirked as they were getting somewhere. "What about you - what would you prefer out of anything else?"

"Just a bed, pure and simple. Satisfying and serene at the end of the day."

The smile was gone, replaced by furrowed brows. "A bed - is that it?"

Rey shrugged. "I'm practical. That's where I'd love to spend the brunt of the time at the end of the day anyway. If I stay on a landmark yacht, that's ideal."

"I hate to put a damper on, but if a bed is all you want, then a simple freighter will do for that reason alone. A yacht is for so much more if you want atmosphere. I'm talking about exceeding the client's - or clients' - expectations. I'm talking..." He leaned in closer, enough to nearly touch her nose, and she quickly pulled back, looking down and away only to finally notice his hand which still held the image of the ship. The knuckles were rough as the palms, raw and worked over. A man's hands who did anything he put them on. "...fantasies to act out. This is for those who primarily ask for personal space within a yacht. What about you, Miss Kenobi? Surely you have a fantasy or two of your own."

Too close for her liking! She kept avoiding looking at him, but her heart kept hammering beneath her ribcage. From this angle, his lips threatened to touch the shell of her ear. She had to remind herself that this was nothing of the sort, that this was just a discussion of marketing.

But if marketing was all there was, how would you explain the fact that the hand holding the file was close enough to nearly touch her body? There wasn't any real contact, yet she felt the permeating steam. "I doubt I could think of anything that wasn't considered already. My thoughts are basic and not elaborate."

He snorted with laughter. "Has anyone told you you're too...serious?" Better to be that than idiotic.

"Just simple and easy to please than to be overwhelmed."

~o~

That certainly had been an...interesting conversation with the young lady, but because he intended to get more if he had anything to say about it from her, Ben had no choice but to put it on hold for another time. It was time to see Anakin now.

"Well, how do you take Mistress Rey, Master Ben?" 3PO asked when he left the garage area, where the girl behind him had gotten back to work with R2 and had another ship for repair waiting for her afterward. "She's a sweet angel, but she's also got the fierceness of your mother and grandmother - she might as well be related to your family, if I do say so myself."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that aloud to the protocol droid who, too, had been loyal to his family - having been personally created by Anakin as a young boy to help him and his mother during the hardest times - since the beginning. However...she's very practical and earnest. She's not much different than me; her appearance could be deceiving.

And here he was in the old man's office, where he used to spend time before going off to the prestigious Byron College - before he dropped out and headed off to Uncle Luke's academy - and where he sat next to that desk where his grandfather went over datapad work, new models and ways to expand the horizon. Where he watched him work and listened to his advice, especially this: "Treat every customer as well as anyone else as if they mean something. Don't just meet expectations - EXCEED them."

Yes, Grandfather - that had generally been what he always said. But that was a lifetime ago, and that person was different from how he was now when he actually believed that he was destined for the Skywalker family name. They weren't wealthy, but his grandfather built something for them and everyone else after his entire life of fighting, surviving, and then losing the love of his life in childbirth.

"Oh, boy, you look remarkably fashionable. But if your mother was here, she'd ask if that was proper for a family reunion." And before she took office, Mother used to not care about appearances. Anakin surveyed his appearance, taking in the tight-fitted black shirt, pants, and boots. He gave a slight smile and reached out with one hand, which Ben took and shook, bowing his head in respect just like he used to do when his mother took him to many public gatherings in Coruscant. Then the old man surprised him by rising, going around his desk to stand before his grandson, and taking him into a full embrace. Just like he used to do.

"Well, if she was here, I'd tell her the same thing: the summons was a bit on short notice," Ben stated.

"Short notice?" Anakin snorted and shook his head. "Rey has been back for barely close to a few hours. And since I know you will ask, sending her personally was indeed necessary." He smirked. "I was concerned you might have...lost your way."

Half of him was insulted. "Lose my way - as in my mind or my direction, after being gone a long time?" he snipped.

Anakin casually smoothed the front of his dirty, cream-colored tunic. "With you, both are possible. It was a miracle that Rey managed to see to it that you didn't stray." From the way he spoke of the granddaughter of his late old friend, it might as well be akin to what it used to be between him and his grandson. What did he expect, when he'd been away from home for a decade now?

It was then that, on cue, the assistant herself arrived, telling her boss that she was done with the speeder and was onward to the newest one. Looking her way, Ben once again appreciated what he saw back there: this uniform was a snowy white version of before, but her upper body had previously been covered by the dark jacket in the rain. He enjoyed the fact he could admire how her curves were hugged by the flimsy layers, and how he could see her thin but lightly muscled arms...and there he saw the smooth outlines of her calves, exposed from the fabric. Anakin smiled at the sight of her.

"Thank you very much, dear. Why don't you take your usual break after the hard work? I also see the tea might have worked on you, even while you're still a little peaked," the old man told her with a chuckle. She blushed a little. That sight somewhat riled something in Ben, and when she briefly glanced his way, he would bet that if he could wink, he'd make those cheeks a darker shade than they were now.

Anakin laughed again when she was gone. "She's a nice girl, Ben. She's simple, genuine, and takes everything seriously. Though..." He frowned a little. "...I sometimes wish she'd loosen a little."

You took the words out of my mouth, Grandfather.

If their conversation was anything to go by, he'd say that Rey Kenobi took a load of things TOO seriously. Her practicality? He'd also say it didn't seem right that a young woman like herself with so much drive wouldn't have a fantasy or two of her own. He'd encountered plenty of girls her age and above in jungle and tropical paradises across the world, craving indulgence and finery, but none of it would involve standing in the rain all because she was required to as part of her job. He'd have thought someone like Rey would crave something like that...

...but all she could ever ask for was a comfortable bed of all things.

None of this feels right. She shouldn't have few expectations; this is more along the lines of someone like myself. She, a fresh-faced girl with doe-like eyes, shouldn't be tired and cynical like me.

"Feel like having tea with me?"

Ben mutely agreed, though it felt so strange to act like nothing happened. He'd kept his distance, keeping in touch only through holorecordings - which his grandfather sarcastically called "contact enough" - as well as simply reaching out to merely say happy birthday to his mother and uncle, and of course Anakin who told him that he was avoiding them and that it was high time he came home.

By home, the elderly man meant for good.

"You're the latest - and last, if you keep this up - Skywalker, and it's time you embraced it, Ben. I let you be what you wanted, but now you have to embrace your birthright."

And to quote any fairytale across the globe, once upon a time: those words once meant the universe to him, but now they did nothing but leave a lodge in his fragile heart he put every effort into hardening for protection. "Anakin -" He said the first name as a means to stand his ground. "- I'm not that boy anymore."

The old man expected that, of course. "You're right, but you are still a member of this family. I only want you back of my own will and your help. Two things can't be too much for you." His tone had taken a slightly harder edge that told Ben he could NOT refuse if he wanted to.

Luxury 3000 space yachts (AKA SoroSuub 3000 or Personal Luxury Yacht 3000) were luxury ships manufactured by SoroSuub, primarily used for pleasure travels as well as plain space traveling and diplomacy before they became the favorite targets of the Separatists and pirates during the Clone Wars. They began to arm themselves against these groups with laser canons for protection.

Byron College was a prestigious school, in Aldera the capital, before being destroyed along with Alderaan by the Death Star.

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