Response to Magali: Ben's ship...I'd say it's one with a few cabins or so. Might as well be smaller than the Falcon, and as for how many rooms - I'm still thinking about that. Just going with the flow and everything will work out. :)

I know I said it before, but because I am still getting used to Star Wars again, I wish my brain and speed - without the worry of people pointing out things that pressure me - were what they used to be in the early days.

Chapter Six

The Industrial City of Starlight

He had to ask first for the SoroSuub design file, so now that the ship was on autopilot for the duration of the course, alarms and charts alert without worry, they were going over just this but taking it to the kitchen once again, bringing him back to that day.

Never had he felt so at ease despite the reasons for going to Coruscant, but he wished she could do the same. Her and that lovely self of hers - he had his work cut out for him.

"Take a look at them with me," Ben told her when the datapads were laid out, including one of the luxuries in their conversation. "Personal input, remember? Now might be as good as any time to begin. Tell me what exactly makes you think they're so cold."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Your grandfather already approved of this."

Obviously. "Just humor me, like I always say."

She sighed, looking down at the design they zoomed in on together, particularly the main lobby refurbishment. He purposefully inched closer to her, noting how his thigh ended up brushing against hers, and he had a whiff of her bewitching scent yet again. Talk about futile attempts to get away from this. He wondered how much she knew about interior design when his mother was better at this, but Leia wasn't here. "Well, Miss Kenobi?" The longer the silence went on, the more annoyed he got, but he began to assume she struggled with how to answer. Partly, he began to hate himself for not knowing that sooner. He just needed -

"The color - isn't it obvious it's wrong?" She sounded irritable, but was it towards him or what she was seeing? "The blue, especially. It's supposed to be a calm hue, but this here is too sharp, should be more...lush. Kind of like when you look into someone's eyes."

Now, THIS piqued his interest. Looking into someone's eyes, eh? Sound like anyone I know? "Ah, very good. You're accurate: color evokes sensations and emotions."

She looked relieved, those cheeks rosy again. "I thought I was just verbally stunted."

Ben chuckled. She was too modest for her own good, though he found it kind of endearing, in a way. "I highly doubt the stunted part." It was then that he decided to show her something before they continued. Since she made it clear she never flew like him before, he intended to give her a hell of an experience - and this was part of it. "If you would follow me, you should see what it looks like from the air."

Her eyes widened in awe when she followed him to the cockpit, and out of the viewport was a miraculous view of what remained of Alderaan beneath the fluffy white clouds. He admitted that he did a fine job of distracting her from her previous worry. "So, the fact you never flew like this before, aside from your friends?"

"I always wanted to," Rey admitted, not tearing her eyes away from the view. "Grandpa used to take me flying for fun, even if he stopped enjoying it the way he used to when he was younger. It ceased after he died, and then we came to Alderaan. This is the second home I've lived, never once been away for any reason."

She and Obi-Wan were close before he passed on. She didn't always live here in Alderaan.

"...I see." Now a small part of himself was nudging him close to regret dragging her the way he did. It made him wonder how she would perhaps behave in the presence of Cos Palpatine when they both met with him. "You see things with a fresh perspective, Miss Kenobi. It's a benefit you should be proud of."

"Such as cold interior designs and comfortable beds," she replied with low self-value, hitting him in a slightly vulnerable spot.

~o~

That damned smile of his to her response - including him calling her perspective fresh, as well as her pride - just about shorted the circuitry of her system, setting her aflame. She had to change the topic while staying within business. The previous night before heading home, she'd copied last year's correspondence with Cos Palpatine, along with some of the more recent articles on trades and the news. Ben could use them for additional background information.

"Thank you for all of this," he told her, though he wasn't interested at the moment. "However, this can wait. Much as Grandfather thinks otherwise, I have other business to take care of that doesn't involve negotiations and tying tighter support lines."

Anakin did tell her what he knew his grandson did for a living: he was a pilot for hire, as well as doing what she did in the shop. He lived simply but worked to meet and advance others' expectations, so in several ways, he was just like her while not really being active in his family's production. Well, you know what they say about assuming: it's as bad as having fantasies. Nothing good ever comes out of them. After that, it was just working silence between them, though Rey sort of welcomed it - and a part of her missed R2-D2's company. His chipper and sarcastic self was a major highlight...anything but this man who had sat so close to her.

The Grimtaash was still on autopilot, so he didn't have to go back anytime soon to the cockpit; the alarm would let them know when they would approach Coruscant. That meant he remained in here with her, making it impossible to ignore him, but it made her decide she should just grab the datapad of one of her favorite stories, which her grandparents introduced her to when she was a little girl.

All fairytales with cautionary messages and realism, help you deal with life better. The "happily ever after" hardly comes by; more like, it's only "happy for now".

She'd been so obsessed last night with getting everything together, even stressing about the flight, so maybe this could help her relax a little. He didn't seem to mind at all, though anything she'd do would help bury those unhealthy images about him. Damn train of thought.

It was here that she discovered the tale of the poor Little Toniray Girl he told her about. She didn't recall Grandpa and Grandma reading this to her, but maybe it had been so long after all that she forgot. Seeing it made her realize why Ben made the comparison. And speaking of which, looking up at him again, he appeared to be lost in his thoughts and didn't notice her observing him. Then when he chewed lightly on his lower lip, envy surged through her as she thought of how remarkably gorgeous that mouth of his was. Just everything about him.

Not by class or status, but he was a prince - his good looks, this ship of his. And what about her? The Little Toniray Girl herself in his world and heading to the city of industry and stars.

Some time passed before the alarm rang. They were here, and in the cockpit, while they descended to land, the clouds and endless blue were gone, replaced with spirals of silver that shimmered in the sunlight, in all shapes and sizes as well as heights. Several even sparkled like diamonds, those parts no doubt transparisteel glass.

Coruscant was in plain sight, the thrill igniting up her spine now that they were here safely.

However, when they finally arrived at the site of the docked SoroSuub Luxury 3000...Rey could hardly believe her eyes, especially the spectacular view of the city from every angle through the extremely tall transparisteel windows which would no doubt show a broader range if it were in the air, just as she'd been subjected to. You've got to be kidding; Anakin and Leia want to renovate THIS place? Especially with how this is now?

She felt more like a tourist as she and Ben walked through the yacht, blown away to her lungs. Like, everywhere she looked - the molten red carpeting, soft metallic structuring, the crisp and airy atmosphere - she felt like she was in a palace that would tour through the clouds and above the landmasses...complete with a handsome prince next to her.

And unlike past 3000s, there was an exquisite addition, beginning with this area in the lobby.

"Grandfather's idea in putting in Naboo with the architecture in this room and a few other places." His grandmother's memory, and also mine. Above them was a domed, rose-gold ceiling of sandstone made to harmonize with the sleek steel for space travel - and it was centered with a mosaic sun symbol swirling with fiery, crystalline color. "He doesn't mind the appearance of the old versions, but feels that something more ancient could provide -"

Rey had to interrupt him, knowing it because of the feeling in her body. "Warmth."

He grinned at her. "You should share that with Anakin. He'll agree. You really have an eye for design on the outside, rather than inside alone."

She had to turn her face away from him, hoping that he didn't notice the sudden flush on her cheeks. He flattered her more than she wanted to admit. No one's ever...told me that before. I know some things which look good together, but I'm better at putting things together as well as taking them apart. "I'm sure your mother would like that."

His smile faded, though his face was soft - except there was that distance in his eyes. "Indeed."

Leia Skywalker-Solo was once a statuesque beauty especially when she was Rey's age, though she was far from hideous now if putting on a little to her frame. She was a kind woman with a short-lived temperament compared to what it used to be, apparently inheriting that from her father. She treated Rey as though she were her own child, the few times the two women saw each other over the course of the past ten years. But Rey wished she'd known Han Solo, Leia's late husband and Ben's father.

Han Solo, a former smuggler turned war general with a heart of gold - it made her wonder how such a man won the heart of the daughter of Anakin Skywalker. Just as it made her wonder about their son's preference in women before she mentally kicked herself as that was NONE of her business. Not like she'd make it on that list. How could she think to give that idea the time and day?! "I should check on our rooms?" she offered, really wanting to focus on business again. But alas, she was deprived.

"Too late for that; we've already been spotted." And approaching them was an older Togruta female - maybe elderly, based on the gaunt features - with a broad grin that seemed to make her younger than she was...and it was then that her identity dawned on Rey even before the exchange.

"There you are, Wander Boy!" She avoided professionalism and took him into a big hug, him willingly spinning around with her body, the sight adorable in itself. "My goodness, you really are such a man. Like your grandfather in some ways."

"Ahsoka," he replied with a gentle smile of gratitude. "You look good yourself."

She laughed. "You're just humoring me. I know how old I've become, but my job and life make me feel like I used to." Just like Anakin. Then Ahsoka Tano turned her attention to Rey, smile in place. "You must be Rey - Obi-Wan's granddaughter. I see this little rascal didn't talk you into removing your shoes just yet."

Rey inhaled through her nose, since last she checked, they'd only just arrived, unless - "Meaning?" She glanced at Ben again, only to be surprised to see the faint color of his cheeks.

"Ahsoka, that was just one time, and I was ten. Could I help it if the floors had already been polished when Grandfather brought me here? Or when my friends at the time joined?" The woman snorted, folding her arms across her chest.

"You couldn't help a lot of the things you did as a boy. Sky Guy told me that he had no idea what to do with the boy," Ahsoka said to Rey with a one-sided smirk. "Even those fits when he was told not to do something. And not only that, but I really looked forward to seeing you for the first time! You've grown up so much since those holoimages I used to receive."

And I only knew you through Grandpa and Anakin. And those images, too. As well as what you did with them during the war - especially the Second Battle of Geonosis. "It's so good to see you both here, like being reunited with your grandfathers in a way - and Ben, you're home at last." Her face fell at his response.

"I wish I could stay longer, especially in Alderaan. It's a temporary visit."

"Sure it is."

Rey sensed the silent tension and had to break it. "Um, perhaps I should go check out our rooms?"

Twelve minutes later, here they were - actually, she was in hers. She and Ben together had suites of their own. How the hell had it happened when she recalled having a suite for the man himself while SHE had a smaller, standard area? How could she even bring this to Ahsoka Tano's attention without causing a scene?

Of course, Ben changed the reservations, because of this: he wanted her close by, even swearing on his life the bed she'd sleep in was just as comfortable as the standard one she wanted. He just HAD to breathe it into her ear, too, causing the hairs to rise. And that paled in comparison to what was now in front of her, making her threaten to drop her bag to the floor. This room just rivaled Ben's own property - a private suite. What the hell were you thinking, Solo?! Aside from the steel support system and accents that were also throughout the transport, these rooms had jewel tones that she never would have asked for her own home in her wildest dreams. The coffee table was an enchanting woodsy brown, like a forest of trees, right in front of a soft green lounge. The end tables on either side were spectacular: exotic nouveau motifs and water blossoms of stained glass within carved dark metal.

That fireplace which flickered now within grand marble columns complimented the darkening skyline of Coruscant; she was going to officially see why this land earned its name "City of Starlight". And in front of this flickering fire was a dining table perfect for two - dinner with fire and candlelight...and flowers.

Anakin really went above and beyond to use elements of his late wife and Rey's grandmother's homeland.

Between all of this as well as the majestic red wood wet bar, this was fit for an executive relaxing on the trip. Here was everything in three rooms, with two more to go. Again, she asked herself what Ben Solo had been thinking in putting her here.

"Hope you like this, Rey," she heard Ahsoka tell her from behind. "But you need a maid to help you unpack that only baggage you brought with you?" She loved to make jokes whenever she wanted to, especially in dire situations whether it had been back on the battlefields or here in the world of mechanics and trades. No wonder the old man called her "Snips".

Then there was the mention of a MAID - what would she do, hang up Rey's two uniforms and sole sleepwear, and what about the couple pieces of entertainment for the night before departure? "Oh, thank you, but no. I only have a few things, so I'll unpack myself and save the trouble."

"Waste of time anyway." The Togruta laughed, white-and-blue tendrils swishing with her head turning. "Well, anyway, it's great to have the grandkids of my two oldest friends here even for just a short period of time. They both used to talk about you, too, but I wish I met you just like I knew Ben as he grew up." There was just a hint of slight sadness in her eyes. "I feel like I know you through them."

Hearing that made her wish her grandfather was here. Still... "I'm glad to hear that, Ahsoka. But tell me, why did the original reservation have to be changed from me having a standard stay to THIS?" She tried not to sound ungrateful, just curious. Thank any gods that Ahsoka got the message.

"This is Ben, alright. He just gave specific instructions that you be afforded every service. Just to be treated as a special guest like him."

Special guest...

Ben called her special?!

Once more, what the hell? And the damned butterflies in her stomach! Rey still couldn't pinpoint what he was up to, but there was no way she was staying in a private suite due to the fact she was "special"; her mother was more susceptible to falling for that trick. No way the daughter would go far as to call it tempting.

In checking out more of the area, she found herself looking into a mirror and was hardly disbelieving at what she saw: a pale, exhausted girl with her hair a little frizzy. This wasn't someone who fascinated a privileged third generation from a family of war heroes. No, this was someone who needed a well-deserved rest, and that was where she was going. So she found herself in the one place she wanted more than everything else, and one thing was certain as she beheld it from the doorway: the bed was absolutely comfortable, based on its appearance, if its accessories were more than she could ask for. In fact, it looked so decadent in that the mattress was high enough to reach her hips, and the pillows had a bigger preference in numbers.

In spite of herself, Rey flopped down, boots now off, and felt like she was floating on a cloud. Wow...it's easy to get used to this.

The carpeting had been soft on her bared toes and heels, proceeding from the lounge and into here - being warm sand like the beach shores and rimmed with ocean blue, patterned with delicate flora and vines - but now this comforter was even more so, being made of the finest silk and lush with black trims, within being medallions of wine red, dark gold and soft brown, a few of the pillows bearing Nubian motifs centered with red jewels like fruits. Beneath were sheets of soft, flimsy cotton which was also midnight, reminding her of the approaching canvas outside the windows...

...or Ben's eyes.

"Surely you have a fantasy or two of your own..."

Those accursed words and those intense eyes boring into hers as he spoke them were back with a flash, bringing with a hot, desperate shiver. Rey's irises snapped open, and she leaped off the bed as if she'd been burned in a pond of lava. This was her mother's fault for that nerf-faced theory in the first place, and look at her now! All of this is ridiculous - just not realistic and a waste of time. Ben only booked me for business and nothing more.

Yes, this would be one-time only, hopefully. Rey was just tired, that was it. Much-deserved sleep was needed, but first would be a long, hot shower. Which brought her to the fresher itself, in the next room from here on.

This was...very sleek and silvery gray in comparison to the ravishing warmth of the bedroom and lounge. Very calming. The marble white bathtub was rectangular and maybe just as tall as she was. She preferred standing in the shower, but the tub was relaxing for her to lay in. But all in all, she'd spend enough time in both to clean up and not indulge in.

Though she had time now, it seemed. The meeting is tomorrow, so there you go. Ben and Ahsoka might be catching up as I speak. Which brought her to get down to the skin her mother gave her and run the water only to wind up pouring the contents of bubbles into the stream, the aroma of serene, stress-relieving lavender touching the caves of her nostrils. This might be her only chance to enjoy a change, so an opportunity was seized.

However, before she could even dip her feet in, the buzzer to the suite was rung, making her roll her eyes in irritation as she wondered who the hell it could be. Grabbing a fuzzy sand-colored robe she found hanging, Rey went to answer the door...and wished she'd have checked on the security screen before she responded.

"Pardon me, Miss Kenobi. I should have guessed this was a bad time." Ben held up the datapad from beneath his arm, all the while keeping his attention on her form up and down, pausing for some reason at her beltline. He grinned then. "You were expecting no one."

"Yes," was all she could say instead of jumping to the assumption she'd made. "You really want to review the Palpatine correspondence at this time before tomorrow?"

He shrugged. "Why go out there when I could spend tonight going over it with you?" he pointed out. He had a good point, she supposed. She let him in even with the bath on her mind, filled with lavender and slowly growing cold. "Oh, and Miss Kenobi? You should put something underneath that robe. It's a shame it doesn't secure like you want it to."

It was then that Rey realized what he was talking about: the front was partially exposed to show the curves of her breasts and MUCH lower which he never should have seen! With a sharp gasp that made her throat tighten, she closed the robe at the waist and collar, turning to rush back into the fresher where she'd left her clothes.

Bad enough that he partly saw her naked body, but worse that he was laughing his tail off as she hurried to redress.

I feel like this story is gonna flow more smoothly, but pray I'm not pushing my luck. This chapter just HAD to end on a somewhat funny note, and not sure what else to say.

Review! :3