Ben stood at the table in the empty and dimly lit room, staring down at the blank panel. He was feeling guilty and drained- and ashamed.

Leia had sent Poe after the map, and here he was- not only a pilot but her son, and a Force user, and more qualified for something like this than Dameron. He wanted to say it didn't bother, he wanted to not let it get to him, but it did.

It was hard not to feel like Skywalker had been right about him, that he was too Dark, when he got so angry and hurt from things like this, things that didn't matter. But they added up, and when you factored in the lingering pain from his parents shipping him off to Skywalker's care and being so disappointed when he'd returned before finishing his training, Ben couldn't help but feel like his parents thought he was too Dark, too untrustworthy, too.

But he wasn't. He'd ignored the pull to the Dark, he'd returned to his parents to embrace the Light. He'd done nothing but fight tooth and nail against Snoke, against the First Order. Did his actions really matter so little? Was it really so horrible that Snoke had appealed to him, just a little bit?

He could hear the chatter of the others from the other side of the door, could hear his mother among them. He wanted her to come in, to talk to him, to be with him, but he knew she wouldn't. She never did, not anymore. Wanting it only made him more bitter as he stood there, feeling shoved aside and neglected and alone.

It was a feeling he knew all too well. He'd felt it with a ferocity since he was nine, since his parents sent him away.

The door opened suddenly, pulling him out of his thoughts. Hopefully- desperately, almost- Ben swivelled, but it was only Kaydel. She smiled softly at him and he returned it, though he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He turned back to the blank panel as Kaydel stood beside him.

He liked Kaydel. She was quiet and calm, but passionate and headstrong. He couldn't help but imagine her to be a lot like what Leia must have been like when she was younger.

"Paige and Rose are planning a party tonight," Kaydel said after a long moment of silence. "To replace Poe's usual poker night. You should come."

He liked Paige and Rose, too, but just the thought of being surrounded by people made him tired. "A party?"

"Just something small. Them, me, you, Pammich- a few others. About a dozen all together."

A dozen. He could handle a dozen. He sighed, then shrugged. "Alright." Leia was always telling them- especially the ones their age- that they needed to take breathers, to have fun, to live. It's what would keep them going when things were at their hardest, what would bring them close and keep them determined, and, for some, be the last few nights of fun they'd have before dying for the cause.

She never worded it like that, though.

"Good. You shouldn't spend all your time alone, Jedi." Her voice was lighthearted, but his jaw tensed. He forced a faux smile.

"I'm not a Jedi," he said, keeping the bitterness out of his voice. And I never wanted to be.

Kaydel put a hand on his arm. "See you at their place after dinner?"

"Sure."

Rey sat in the co-pilot seat of the Falcon, watching the strange man- Han Solo, a man she'd heard so much about- as he sat beside her, his jaw tense, his brown eyes steely and impassive. It was almost hard to get a feel of him; he was weathered and hardened, exactly what Rey would expect from a galaxy-known smuggler with a long history of swindling. She'd heard he'd worked for Jabba the Hutt- she'd heard he'd worked side by side with Lando Calrissian- she'd heard so much about him. She wanted to ask all about it all, but she felt that might be rude- and that he wouldn't be very receptive to it, anyway. So, for the past day or so as they made their way forth, she'd just followed him around, watching and helping him, as Finn attended to the wounded Wookiee in the back.

"This 'old friend' of yours," Rey said. "Tell me about her."

"Name's Maz Kanata," he said, glancing at the girl beside him. "She's been around for a thousand or so years- she's, ah," Han made a face that was a mixture of amusement and dismay. "A bit of an acquired taste, but if there's anyone who can get your droid to the Resistance, it's Maz." He leaned forward. "This is our stop."

Soon enough, they were off the ship, and Rey overlooked a vast expanse of blue sea surrounded by lush greenery, the tall, far off mountains, the bustling city, with awe. It was so unlike anything she'd ever seen- the orange of the sand and sunset and rust on Jakku. "I didn't know there was this much green in the whole galaxy," Rey gushed.

"You might need this," Han said after a moment, holding out a blaster. Rey looked down at it for a moment before looking over at him.

"I think I can handle myself," she said.

"I know you do- that's why I'm giving it to you," he all but scoffed, giving her a look. "Take it," he said, and handed it off to her. She did, pointing it out at the horizon and clenching one eye, trying to aim. "You know how to use one of those?" Han sounded disgruntled.

"Yeah, you pull the trigger," she remarked.

"Little bit more to it than that," Han muttered, gently pushing her hand down. She looked over at him again. "You got a lot to learn." She watched him for a moment as he looked out at the sea for a long moment, seeming to mull something over. "I been thinking about bringing on some more crew, Rey," he announced. "A second mate. Someone to help out. Someone who can keep up with Chewie and me… And someone who appreciates the Falcon."

A flood of glee rushed through Rey like a wave and she stepped in front of him, all but gawking. "Are you offering me a job?" She couldn't believe it, really. A chance to work with Han Solo?

"I wouldn't be nice to you," he all but snapped. "Doesn't pay much."

"You're offering me a job," Rey said in awe.

"I'm- thinkin' about it," he said, pointing at her as Finn and Chewie stepped into sight. But the glee faded, the awe subsiding, as the vague and distant memories of her parents whispered their far off voices in her head. She looked down, feeling her smile fade. "Well?"

"If you were I'd be flattered," Rey said softly, the words all but burning her throat. "But I have to get home."

"Where, Jakku?" Han scoffed, but Rey could see him flinch slightly, and it wounded her.

But she could almost hear the dull toon of a lullaby, so far away it hurt to think about. "I've already been away too long."

Han spun. "Chewie? Check out the ship as best you can," he instructed, and the Wookie grunted in return. When Han turned around again, he pushed Rey's hand, and the blaster, down towards the ground again. "S'too, bad," he muttered, impassive once more. "Chewie kinda likes you."

Han walked off as Rey smiled fondly, watching him. She followed him then, along with Finn.

(after the Battle of Takodana)

Rey looked at Han once more from the co-pilot seat, though this time, on an entirely different ship altogether. Maz's words kept replaying in her head.

"Dear child," she had said, sympathy in her soothing voice. "I see your eyes. You already know the truth. Whomever you're waiting for on Jakku… They're never coming back."

And now they were on a new ship- a clean ship- on their way to the Resistance- her, Han, Chewie, Finn, and BB-8.

"Han," Rey breathed. He looked over at her with a frown.

"What's up, kid?"

She looked over at him. His steely eyes had softened once again. "Are you still offering that job?"

His lips quirked into a smirk. "Yeah," he said, and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, I am."

He felt his father arriving long before word of it came. It had been a long time since Ben had felt him- almost two decades. He hurried forth just in time to hear a report of their arrival over the intercom, but he could see in his mother's face that she'd sensed him, too. They locked eyes.

In moments they were walking together away from the base, side by side. Ben was feeling a rush of emotions- an absolute whirlwind of them, all moving too fast to focus on any of them at all.

Then Poe joined them, though, and that anger and jealousy and shame took over. "Han's back?" He said to Leia.

"I guess so," Leia said softly.

Han was an old man now. Ben supposed that he should have expected that, but in his head, he'd always pictured his father looking barely older than the day they'd parted. But his hair was white and grey, his face wrinkled and hardened beyond his years. He had a sour air about him, and Ben got the very strong impression that the years had not been kind to him.

Han studied Ben first, slowly, taking him in before looking at his estranged wife. He barely glanced at Poe, something that made Ben almost swell with proud satisfaction, then almost deflated with shame.

Chewie cried out a greeting as he hugged Leia, then Ben; he still smelled a little unsavory, and his fur was near matted in places. Ben stepped forward towards his father.

He was always unsure of what to say to him- of course, before it was just letters and low quality holograms. Here, in person, it was so much bigger.

"Hey, kid," Han said by way of greeting. Ben glanced as two more people and a droid came off the ship, then looked back at his father. "I've missed you, son."

Ben's breath hitched at the crack in his voice. "I've missed you, too," he said, trying to remain calm, strong. He had never been much of one to cry.

Simultaneously, they moved to hug one another in an awkward but tight way. It unnerved Ben to realize that he was stronger than his father, and he leaned into him for a few moments longer than was probably normal. Han clapped his hand against his son's back a few times, and then they let go in unison. After their eyes met for a brief moment, Han took a few steps towards Leia.

"C'mon," Ben said without looking at anyone. "Let's give them some privacy." He led the five of them back inside the building, then looked over at the strangers again.

One was a man, probably younger than himself, with warm brown skin and short black hair, his jaw tense and eyes determined. He seemed uneasy, however, tense, and he kept looking at Poe. "Poe Dameron," he hissed as soon as they were inside. "You're alive?"

"Buddy," gushed Poe, who rushed him and clapped a hug against him. Ben frowned at the pair. "So are you! What happened to you? What happened, I- I got thrown from the crash. I woke up at night, no you, no ship, nothing." He looked down at the droid that was rolling excitedly around their legs. "You completed my mission, Finn-" As he looked back at the man, he blinked at his chest. "That's my jacket," he remarked, sounding almost surprised.

"Oh," said Finn plainly, moving to remove it.

"No, no, no, no," Poe said hurriedly. He cocked a very Poe Dameron smirk at him. "Keep it, it suits you," he said, then bit his lip. Ben raised both of his brows in a moment of surprise before Poe slapped Finn's arm fondly. He looked over at the other stranger only to see that she had seen it, too, a look of amusement in her pretty eyes. "You're a good man, Finn."

Finn looked touched. "Thank you, Poe. So- so are you."

Ben looked over at the girl again, who was still grinning at the strange pair from ear to ear. She had an air of wonderment about her, and he could sense her excitement plainly- about what, he wasn't sure. He glanced over at the two men. "You two know each other?"

Poe looked over at Ben and grinned, clamping an arm on Finn's shoulder. "This is Finn- formerly known as FN- what was it?"

"2187," Finn said softly, looking down.

"He was a stormtrooper- he helped me escape. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him." Poe looked back at Finn with admiration.

"Well, for the record," Finn said softly. "I wouldn't be here without you, either."

Ben looked over at the girl again, who caught his eye and straightened. He could sense her slight unease as the other men looked over at her as well. "I'm Rey," she said. "I'm just a scavenger."

"She's being modest," said Finn. "She's- great. Great with a lightsaber, great with a blaster- and definitely a great pilot."

The droid beeped in an enthusiastic agreement, assuring them that were it not for Rey, the Resistance likely wouldn't have seen the droid again.

"Well, then," Ben said. "I guess we're lucky she found you."

"This is Ben," Poe said, taking a step to the side to look at both Finn and Rey as he introduced Ben. "He's the best pilot in the Resistance- best pilot I've ever seen."

"Better than Han Solo?" Rey asked almost dismissively. Poe grinned.

"Oh, yeah. Like father, like son."

Almost shocked, Rey looked at Ben anew. "You're Han's son?" Ben gave a curt nod.

"We'd better keep going," Ben said, looking down the hallway. "We need to know what's in the droid."

Rey and the others followed Ben further into the base. She couldn't stop looking at his face, so neutral and pensive. She could see little aspects of Han in him; they were both guarded and seemingly emotionally stunted. But, in general, he was so very different from his father other than those small little things- they way they held themselves, they way they moved, little mannerisms. She was quiet as Poe led Finn off somewhere, and with no knowledge of what she should do, she followed Ben around as he filled in what Rey assumed to be higher-ups and took the droid off to the side to get the map out of him.

Han and the woman approached some time later, and Ben glanced up at them. When no one spoke for several long seconds, he looked back down at what he was doing with almost an air of exasperation. "Rey, this is General Leia Organa. Mom, this is Rey, a scavenger who helped Finn and BB-8."

"Han told me about you," Leia said softly, then offered a hand. Rey shook it with a small smile.

"A pleasure to meet you, General," Rey said.

"You, too. I've heard all good things."

Rey smiled at Han, who looked quickly away- but not before his lips quirked in the hint of a smirk. "What now?" Rey asked. "What do I- where-?"

"First order of business is to take another look at that map," he said. "There's got to be a way to find the rest of it. Luke wouldn't leave just part of a map."

Ben handed the map to his father just as Poe and Finn returned, three women in tow, two of whom looked like sisters. Han handed the map off to Poe, who went to work to open it- other people sprinkled forth as well, until Rey found herself off to the side near the wall in between Ben and Han. They leaned against it in much the same manner.

As Rey kept her head down and generally tried to attract as little attention as possible as one of the two strangers in the room, she noticed another droid enter- suddenly, it cast what appeared to be the rest of the map into the air, revealing the location of Luke Skywalker.

The fact that he was real was still a wonder to Rey.

"But who will go?" someone said.

"Poe-" Leia said. Rey felt Ben shift beside her, and glanced over at him to see his jaw work as he looked at the floor.

"No, not Poe," Han said dismissively. Everyone looked suddenly at him: Leia's gaze was almost deadly. "Ben should go."

"No," Ben said. "I've got no interest in seeing Skywalker. He wouldn't listen to me, anyway."

"Well- someone Force-sensitive, at least."

"Who?" Leia all but snapped.

Han shrugged, then pointed at Finn. "Him? Kid wielded a lightsaber pretty alright."

Everyone looked over at Finn, then, who tensed. "Me? I-"

"I'll take him there," Poe said, clapping a hand on Finn's shoulder. Finn looked over at the man, looking almost afraid. Poe gave him a reassuring grin. "We got this, buddy."

"Alright, then," Leia all but muttered, glancing at Han again before looking over at Rey. "Rey, you're with Han, right?"

With a grin, Rey straightened. "Yes, ma'am."

She nodded. "Good."

Eventually, the room dispersed. Poe waved her over; she glanced at Han, who nodded, and then scurried toward him, Finn, and the girls.

Rose was all smiles, sunny and warm. Paige was more reserved, but still kind and bright. Kaydel, however, was cool and sharp, though she seemed interested enough in both Finn and Rey.

Rey felt overwhelmed and cornered, though, despite how nice they all were. Still, she wanted to share a few more words with Finn before he was off.

"Give us a sec," Finn said when Poe said it was time to go.

"Alright, Finn- I'll meet you outside, okay?" Poe confirmed as the girls walked off.

"Sure thing."

"I can't believe any of this is happening," Rey said softly as she looked into Finn's dark eyes.

"Yeah, neither can I," Finn said. He sounded both worried and excited. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

"Of course I will," Rey said with a smile. She did not remind him that she was generally the one getting them out of trouble. "You do the same."

"I'm not worried," Finn lied, plastering that look on his face, glancing into the distance as he put his hands on his hips. Rey carefully controlled her grin. "I'll be with Poe."

Poe. Yeah, he'd be more than happy with him. "I'll be with Han and Chewie," Rey said brightly, looking over at them. Chewie was sitting with some droids, and Han was talking to Leia, Ben behind them. She blinked as she met eyes with Ben- he was watching her. After a moment, he looked at the pair beside him, and she turned back to Finn. "Don't worry, Finn," she assured him. "We'll see each other again soon enough."

Finn smiled. "Yeah. We better."

They hugged goodbye tightly.

"Where's the Falcon?" Ben asked after Leia had departed. Han turned to look at his son, but Ben was still looking over at the girl- Rey- who was watching Finn leave.

"She's with Maz," Han said. "You know about Maz, right?"

Ben smirked and looked down. "Yeah, I do."

"Yeah, well, she's getting her clean again. After that, I'm off again."

Ben looked at him, meeting his eye. Han looked right back at him. Neither man was willing to let his guard down enough to let the other see, but Ben was flush with that stupid, childish sadness. After a long pause, Ben looked at the girl again, who was now sitting with Chewie and the droids, smiling. "Your crew is growing," he remarked, careful to sound casual.

"Yeah," Han said, looking over at her. "Maz says she's Force-sensitive, too."

"Moreso than Finn?"

"Probably,"

Ben looked over at her again, wondering why Han was so fond of her as to not request she go to Skywalker instead. "I see."

"You should come along, train her."

Ben's heart skipped a beat and he looked back at his father. "I never finished my training."

"Neither did your mother," Han countered. Apparently, Ben couldn't keep the grimace off of his face, because Han tensed, eyeing his son like a hawk and waiting expectantly for an explanation. Ben sighed and looked to the side.

In a brief moment of something resembling vulnerability, Ben said, "She's disappointed in me. I can feel it. And she doesn't trust me."

Han's brow furrowed and he frowned. "She's your mother, kid. What are you on about?"

Ben looked pointedly at the floor and shrugged, ignoring his father's sigh. "You'd think Poe's her son," he allowed himself to breathe.

"Ben," Han said, clutching his son's arm. Ben looked into his father's fierce dark eyes. "She loves you."

"I know," Ben said softly. He didn't, and he hadn't for a long time.

"Come with me," Han said fiercely.

"Alright." He should've asked Leia first. He should've thought about it first. But he wanted nothing more than to feel like he did right now- listened to, seen, reassured. He wanted to lean into his father again, but he didn't.

Han nodded and looked into Ben's eyes for a long moment before letting his hand drop. "I'm… Going to go talk to her."

"That's good," he said. "You don't see each other much."

Han snorted as he walked off again, and Ben leaned against the wall.

God, he'd missed Han more than anything, hadn't he?

He glanced over at Rey again only to catch her looking at him. She blinked as they met eyes, shifting in her seat. She was feeling antsy, out of her element, here in this place full of strangers. Me, too, Rey. Me, too.

She got a small, unsure smile and motioned him over. It was his turn to blink before he walked awkwardly over to them.

"Master Ben!" 3P0 exclaimed delightedly. "It must be so nice to see your parents together again- it is for me."

"Yeah," Ben said, glancing over at them. Almost to Ben's surprise, Leia was laughing, and Han had a wide, devilish grin on his face that almost resembled the ones he used to have so often. His own lips quirked into a small smile. "It is."

"The General is your mother?" Rey asked, surprised. "And- her and Han?"

"An unexpected pairing, indeed," 3P0 said in his strange and whimsical way. "But, I assure you, a delightful one. Oh, how I do wish they saw each other more often…"

Chewie belted out something about him refusing to see her- they always fought nowadays. He didn't want to put her through that.

"Well," said Rey softly. "At least they're getting along right now."

R2 beeped a question at Ben- what are you going to get up to? He always seemed to sense when something was up; sometimes, Ben wondered if a droid could be Force-sensitive.

Ben cleared his throat, looking down at the ground. "Dad asked me to come along with him for a while,"

"What did you say?" Rey asked hurriedly. He looked at her face as she looked back up at him. She was- curious, intrigued, and… Something he couldn't quite place.

"I said yes,"

"That's wonderful news, Master Ben!" 3P0 said delightedly. "Of course, I will miss you terribly- but it is good for you to be with your father again."

"Yes," Ben said quietly. He looked over at his parents again, but their conversation seemed to have grown more solemn. Leia was sitting, looking down at the ground. Ben couldn't see his father's face, but he was tense. He looked over at Chewie and forced an amicable smile. "And I miss you, you big oaf,"

Chewie roared back lightheartedly. They all talked for a while- or, rather, 3P0 babbled on, with Rey and Chewie and R2 piping up every once in a while and Ben pretended to listen. His mind was racing a million miles a minute, thinking about Finn and Poe and Skywalker, his parents, Rey, himself.

"Rey," Ben said suddenly, looking at the floor.

"Yes?"

It took him a moment to speak. "Let's… Ah… Go for a walk," he said.

"O… Kay."

They wandered off silently, outside. Rey studied the planet, looking curious and content, and Ben studied her and the ground in front of his feet. He could sense it now, away from all the people, the commotion- "The Force is strong with you,"

"What?"

"The Force. Have you heard of it?"

"Of course," she said. "In stories. Mostly about Luke Skywalker, and the great Jedi knights."

Ben smiled a wry smile. "There's not a lot of truth in stories- at least, not the ones I've heard."

"Can you use the Force?"

Ben nodded. "I trained with Skywalker for a long time."

Rey froze, and Ben looked over at her. She was grinning in awe and wonder; he frowned. "You trained with Luke Skywalker? The man who stopped the Empire?"

Ben looked away. "Trust me, Luke wouldn't have done much on his own."

He could feel her eyes on him for a long time. "And you say I can use it, too?"

Ben nodded. "It's strong with you," he said.

"Why do you say it like that?"

Ben continued to walk. "The Force- it's just that. A force, an energy, something that surrounds and lives inside of all living things- all of everything, even rocks and minerals and metal. You 'use' it by tapping into it; what you can do with it, what you can achieve, is determined by how… Willing it is to cooperate with you." He frowned at his feet, unsure of how to describe it, where to start. He was never meant to be a teacher.

"What can you do with it?"

Ben inhaled sharply. "Well. Most people, if they try hard enough, can sense and intuit things, small things, usually from other people. But, you know, people always assume things, anyway, and for the average person, it's nearly indistinguishable. But, if you're strong enough- you could do almost anything, probably."

"Almost anything?" Rey said, sounding as if she didn't really believe him.

Ben turned towards her and again they stopped. "What did you do in front of Maz to make her believe you're Force-sensitive?"

Rey's face changed and she looked down. "Nothing," she said. "I just- saw- things."

"Premonitions?"

Rey shrugged. "Some of them had already happened."

"What brought it on?"

"I touched a lightsaber. Luke Skywalker's lightsaber."

Ben mulled that over for a moment before resuming walking. "That's another thing about the Force," he told her. "It- meddles. It wants things. Balance, mostly, between the Light and the Dark. It wants you in this fight, I assume, if that is what happened when you touched the lightsaber."

"Why?" Rey asked, seemingly less to him and more- in general, wondering out loud.

"You can't know the answer to that until it comes to pass."

"You mentioned the Light and the Dark. What does that mean?"

"The two sides of the Force. It's… Complicated to explain, so I'll save that for later. It's pretty self-explanatory, though, with a few important- er, caveats. Some admittedly important nuance."

"Alright," she said. She sounded overwhelmed. He smiled patiently over at her.

"Don't worry," he said. "It probably feels like a lot right now, but it will make sense soon."

She looked up at him, into his eyes, and nodded before looking forward. "It's getting late," she remarked softly. He looked at the fading light.

"You're right," he said. "We should head back."