Part XXIII

Once inside the shuttle, Ben took the bags from Arlan and let the trooper go take her place in the pilot's seat. "I'm banishing you from the bridge," he told Rey as he directed her towards their quarters. "At lease until we get where we are going," he added when he saw her dejected face.

Ben didn't need to pack for the trip as he had a fully stocked wardrobe on the shuttle for himself, but he set Rey's bag on their bed and then hung the garment bag on her side of the closet.

"How long of a trip is it?" Rey asked sliding out of her red cloak and passing it to Ben to hang up as well.

"About half a day."

"What shall we do with our time?" She paced around their quarters, running her hand along the back of the couch.

Ben smirked at the lust in her eyes and loved his insatiable Empress even more. "I was hoping you would help me rule."

Rey's expression changed to surprise but quickly took a seat on the couch, ready to help in any way she could. While she still didn't want to sit upon a throne, she loved to learn from Ben, loved to have discussions about the interworking of government and different worlds around the galaxy. She also loved that he listened to her, and while her additions were from lessons learned through her hard life and not some Coruscant education, he valued her opinions.

He smiled at how eager she was and went to pick up the datapad that he kept aboard the ship before sitting next to her. While he couldn't get away with such informal meetings with his other staff, he loved her head perched in his lap as they discussed their empire.

"What needs the Empress' attention today?" She smiled up at him.

Starting to run his fingers through her hair, he met her eyes for just a moment, "What do you remember of last night?"

She sighed, "Everything I think. The mission when okay, but Poe shot Cale." She swallowed, "Then I healed him."

"Yes," Ben said still in awe and stroked her forehead, "You, so full of Light, you Force healed."

"I didn't know I could do that," she admitted.

He explained what he had mused about the prior night, "Only someone who has never completely given into the Darkside is able to use the healing powers of the Force."

"So I've never…" her question hung.

"No," Ben reassured. "You may have used the strength of Darkside at times, but you have never steeped in it as I have…as my Knights have."

She considered his statement and almost pitied the Knights. They may have followed Ben thinking that Snoke would allow them to better use and understand the Force, but she doubted any of them truly knew what they were getting themselves into.

Ben's voice broke her thoughts, "What are you going to do about Poe?"

"I'm not sure," she exhaled.

"I saw the altercation in Alister's mind. Poe is still swirling with darkness and you need to be careful around him. All joking aside, he shot an unarmed man for little more than a chuckle. Just think what he would do to you…for this," he laced his hand with hers, indicating their bond, their relationship, their love.

Gripping his hand, she moved it to her lips and placed a kiss on the back of his knuckles, "I'm trying not to think about it. I want my reaction to be genuine when he tells me about it when I get back."

He hummed in reply and she looked up at him again, "Not that I mind, but why are we taking the guards with us on just a day trip to a planet that I assume is friendly to the New Order."

Ben laughed, "Apart from not wanting to ruin the surprise and actually needing to get some work done, Tyris can cook, Cale is entertaining, Davin keeps Cale in line, and Arlan can attend to you."

"I don't need attending to, Ben."

"Fine," he relented. "Arlan is here to be your companion."

Rey accepted his comment with a slight laugh of her own before she asked something she had been wondering for a while. "Why are you letting Cale train as a Knight? I mean, if the others came with you from the academy and are Force sensitive, why bring on someone else?"

He lounged back on the couch, stroking at her hair again, "Well, I don't really see many Force sensitive people lining up to join the Jedi Killer's band of Knights." He looked down at her, knowing that she usually had something to say about his past monikers, but she didn't utter a word, so he continued. "And Kaida is seven months pregnant."

She sat up at his last statement, turning her body to stare at him. He just laughed, "Which part do you find so shocking? The female Knight part or the pregnant part?"

"Both I think…" Rey mused breathlessly.

Ben reached out to her and she settled into the space under his arm and at his side. "Kaida and Volsh were together at the academy, but in secret of course because the Jedi discourage affections. With Snoke, passion was encouraged but love was considered a weakness. Under the New Order, and with a Master so completely smitten with a Lightsider himself, it would have been hypocritical of me to deny them."

"So their child will have the Force?" She had wondered about her own children with Ben since they both were so strong in the Force if their children would be saddled with what at times seemed like a burden, but also could bring about such wonderful change.

"Nothing is guaranteed, but the likelihood of their child having a low midi-chlorian count is slim."

Rey bit her lip and considered what he said and almost wanted to ask what his count was, but also thought it rude, so she asked about the Knight. "Is Kaida planing on returning to her post after the baby is born?"

"I don't believe so and that is why I am allowing Cale to train. He is really an experiment, but don't tell him that," Ben said with a smile. "If non-Force users can be put into the role of Knights, then it opens up more opportunities for not only other troopers but also my current Knights to take on other roles, either within the Order or to have the freewill to settle themselves."

"You're kind of amazing," Rey nudged him with her shoulder and smiled up at him.

"I know," Ben said back with the signature Solo smirk.

They felt the ship shift into hyperdrive and Ben knew that they had entered the Corellian Run hyperspace lane and were well on their way.

The rest of the flight they did attend to business. Ben spoke about his plans for a new delegation, refusing to call it a Senate. "There are too many worlds for each to have a representative, it gets messy and I think this is why the New Republic never accomplished anything. Plus there were two sides of the Senate, the Populist party and the Centrists, and they were always apposing each other, which again meant that nothing got accomplished."

"So what are you proposing?"

"There are one-thousand and twenty-four sectors in the galaxy, and let's say that fifty of those are uninhabited in Wild Space, that leaves under a thousand representatives. That is clearly more manageable than the ten-thousand Senators of the New Republic."

"Ten-thousand?" Rey asked in wonder. She often times couldn't get her group of five or six to agree on a show or movie on holo, let alone get thousands to agree on galactic law.

Ben just nodded, "Now some sectors have more planets than others so that might need to be accounted for."

"Some sectors are poorer than other too."

"Explain," Ben asked, knowing where she was going with her thought process but also encouraging her to engage. Moments like these when she also pointed out the flaws in the designs that he had been considering, was the reason he knew she could rule as his equal.

"You saw what it was like on Jakku and let's say that there was a more populated or affluent world within the same sector." Ben nodded, following what she was saying. "How do we know that aid and resources will be equally distributed? Or what if more populated worlds are asking for laws that don't benefit more remote worlds?"

Ben sat back and rubbed his fingers against his lips, "So what would you propose?"

Rey was thoughtful for a long moment, "I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I think that for a while we need to have the final say. I know your intent is to not rule forever, to not expect our children to assume a throne, but until that point, or until the galaxy is at rest, our connection to the Force will have to guide us.

"With your Core upbringing and my life in the Rim, we should be able to use both aspects to see the benefits or follies of each law." She had been looking down at the floor during her speech, her lack of education still ate at her at times, but when she looked up and saw the beaming smile on his face, her doubts were washed away.

As he leaned over to kiss her senseless and praise her for her insight, they felt the shuttle shift and Ben mused that they must have changed course from the Corellian Run to the Duros Space Run and that meant they would be at their destination within an hour.

He did kiss her though and he pulled her into his lap so that she could help him reply to the many unanswered memos on his datapad.

Arlan slowed the shuttle some to move from the Duros Space Run to the Enarc Run and knew that it would only be a few minutes before they were exited hyperspace. She double checked the systems and coordinates that Ren had provided.

She effortlessly eased the shuttle out of the hyperspace lane and the terrestrial world came into view. "You better go tell Ren that we have arrived. He won't want to miss the Empress' reaction."

Davin stood from the jump seat at the back of the bridge and walked the short distance to the chamber door, hitting the comm button, not wanting to ever walk in on the Emperor and Empress unannounced ever again.

When the comm clicked, Davin relayed, "Sir, we are approaching the planet."

"Thank you, Davin," came the reply and the trooper when to take back up his spot on the bridge.

Arlan broke atmosphere just as Rey and Ren came upon the bridge and the Empress took up her post between the two pilot's seats, looking out through the expansive windscreen.

Rey didn't know where to look first, for stretched before her was rolling hills, deep blue lakes, a city off in the distance that seemed to just appear out of a cloud of mist, and meadows with every color of flower dotting them.

Ben basked in her excitement and light though the bond and he reached out to touch her mind, whispering to her through the Force, "Welcome to Naboo, my love."

The shuttle did a wide sweeping circle around a lake that was cradled between green rolling hills and at the far end of the valley, she could see a home saddled up next to the water. The exterior seemed to glow under the bright Naboo sun and Rey could see expansive gardens surrounding the home.

"Who lives there?" She asked, pointing out the front windscreen.

"We do," Ben said with a smirk.

Rey turned her head slowly to look back at him before she saw the absolute truth in his expression and through the bond. She squealed in delight and she buzzed with excitement as they rounded the home once more and then she heard the wings start to fold as the shuttle was coming to rest on a flat grassy area about a hundred meters from what she could only consider a mansion.

She turned from the console and ran for the bridge door, skidding to a stop just long enough to jump into Ben's arms and kiss him before she was speeding towards the ramp. Her boots were left in the main hold and she ran until she crested a hill, her toes curling into the warm grass and she took in a large inhale of fresh air.

Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and let the warm sun wash over her and there was something peaceful about connecting to the Living Force when it was just her and nature. Beyond Ben and the guards, Rey could tell that there wasn't a soul around for miles and she felt the balance that could only come from nature.

Ben and Davin stood at the base of the ramp watching the girl up on the hill. "She really is something," Davin observed.

"Light personified," Ben confirmed.

Arlan walked down the ramp with Rey's bag and dress in her arms before nodding across the property, "Well don't keep her waiting."

Ben smiled and then like a school boy hopelessly in love, he trotted up the grassy hill. Just as he was coming upon her, she giggled and opened her eyes, throwing herself at him. Ben quickly caught her and spun her in a circle as she wrapped her legs around his middle and kissed him in a frenzy.

"This place is amazing," her smile was just as bright as her Light. "It was your grandmother's right?" She had spoken with him enough times about his grandparents and knew that Padmé was once a Queen and Senator of Naboo.

"The estate has been in the Naberrie family for over two hundred years. When she died and Luke and Leia were presumed to stillborn, it was turned over to the monarchy. I politely asked for it back about a year ago."

She gave him a concerned look, "Did this polite request come at the end of a saber?"

He chucked, "No. It came with the upmost respect and a treaty signing."

"Always so diplomatic," Rey mused.

"Don't let anyone else hear you say that. People might think that I have gone soft in my current blissfully happy state."

"You are ridiculous," Rey laughed and then unhooked her ankles and slid down his body. "Show me the gardens, then the house."

Ben obliged, taking her hand and walking her back down the hill and through a gate set into tall hedge walls. Rey noticed that the gardens needed some tending to and she itched to get her fingers into the rich soil. But she also wanted to see the interior of the home before she completely caked herself in dirt.

They entered the rear of the home from a terrace and Rey had to stop for a good few minutes to take in the breathtaking sight of the lake. Fragrant wisteria hung from ancient vines that created a thick canopy over half the terrace where an intimate seating area was set up.

The house was much grander than the modern apartment in the city, with tall and open rooms and walls of stone and decorated with rich wooden furniture. Ben held her hand and walked her through the many rooms and halls, pointing out the table that was a gift from the Senator from Vandor or the painting done by Rhynna Jormum from Bardotta.

When they had seen each room, Ben walked her back out onto the terrace, "And this is where Anakin and Padmé married in secret." He stood, holding both of her hands in his, looking down at her glowing face and he was reminded of the box Malkolm had delivered to him the week prior.

Rey gazed out beyond the stone banister, the tall evergreens, and the vast gardens to the dark water of the lake. "I want to raise our family here," she said as her eyes slid back to Ben as he looked down at her with an expression somewhere between devotion and pain.

Ben so badly wanted to start his life with Rey at that moment. He would wed her in the same exact spot that his grandparents had many years ago. He would give her children, give her the family she always craved, and he would never leaver her, never abandon her to the harshness of the galaxy. The painful part of all this longing was the fact that he knew that time was still a long ways off.

So he just pulled his lips into a smile and leaned down to kiss her, "Anything you want, my love."

They wrapped around each other for a long moment before he pulled away from her, "We have to head into town in a few hours, so if you want to play in the garden you better go now."

Rey beamed a smile at him again and quickly kissed his lips before turning and trotting down the stairs and set to work in a bed of lavender. The soil was moist and cold under her fingers and the smell of the delicate purple flowers relaxed her mind and body.

In her arm warps and baking under the mid day sun, she almost felt like her old self. Not the Rey that was on the brink of starving or the Rey that was beaten to a pulp by an older boy for her day's pick, but the Rey that would sled down sand dunes and call out with laughter or when she was finally able to master landing a TIE on her simulator.

She felt carefree, as if the ruler of all the galaxy wasn't waiting just inside the house for her. She was able to ignore the fact that Davin stood watch just on the other side of a hedge. There was no Resistance to go back to. There was no more war. As sweat dripped from her brow and she continued to pull weeds, there was peace.

Before Rey knew it, Ben was walking out to collect her. He picked a few sprigs of lavender and tucked them behind her ear and kissed her temple before leading her into the home and to the chambers they were staying in. "Go shower and then I will send in the droid to help you get ready."

"A droid?" Rey asked, thinking she was perfectly capable of dressing herself. She thought back to what Arlan had said to her on Coruscant, that Ben preferred her as she was, in her simple clothes, dirt and engine grease under her nails and all.

Ben blushed a little and looked down at the floor, "We have an audience with the Queen. She has asked us to dine with her."

Rey backtracks and an expression of horrified shock painted her features. "The Queen?" Internally she was trying to think about how long it would take her to run to the shuttle and get off this beautiful planet. Forty-two seconds, she mused to herself.

Holding out his hands as if approaching a scared animal, Ben used his calmest voice. "The gown is just a formality. She will love you as you are."

It wasn't necessarily the fact that she would be dressing up or having a grooming droid primp at her hair more than she had in her entire life, it was her fear of eating in front of the Queen. Back on the Resistance base, she was often the first one done with her meals and she had been teased often about not breathing between bites. But since she grew up not knowing when her next meal would be, she at times ate to excess.

Ben had found her style of eating with her hands and moans of delight and her open lip smacking endearing, but she had studied him when he ate, picking up the right utensil, taking his time to cut up his food, the way he wiped his knife along his fork before slowly moving it to his lips. She watched him chew with his lips pressed together, or how he could elegantly hold a wine glass as he took small sips.

The Queen would have the same superior manners and Rey would just be a fraud in a pretty dress.

Ben's face became pained. "Don't think like that," he begged. He stepped up to her and cupped her cheeks in both of his hands, "You are my Empress, no one will ever be superior to you."

All Rey could do was give him a tight-lipped nod before she turned and entered the fresher, needing to get away from his pitiful gaze. While she stood under the cascades of warm water, she thought about how different she and Ben were. She thought about what it would really mean to stand at his side, to be publicly announced as his Empress.

Once Ben had exposed his face after the attempt on his life, the holorags had a field day picking apart his appearance. They talked about his dull hair that she though shone more beautiful than a raven's feather. His nose was called oversized, imposing, and askew but she thought it perfect and loved the way it pushed into her cheek when he kissed her. They had called his face ugly, deformed, and hollow, his coloring too pale and almost sickly looking.

If all of these harsh observations could be made against the most powerful man in the galaxy, what was in store for her. Would she be called dirty and ignorant due to her Jakku upbringing? Would her figure be scrutinized for being too thin or not having voluptuous curves? Would she be called unworthy of her appointment and worse yet, unworthy of the attentions of the Emperor?

As her mind ran through all of the intimidating and dreadful parts of her future life with Ben, she didn't know if she would ever be ready for any of it. She was powerful within the Force and knew that Ben loved her more than either of them could ever fathom, but for a girl who only wanted to be loved…to have the galaxy pick her apart, to have each of her flaws and insecurities pin pointed and discussed was more than she could bear.

Just as she was about to fall apart, completely crumble in on herself, two strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her back to a warm and firm chest. He lightly shushed in her ear, rocking her back and forth, pouring his love and affections through the bond. "You are so much more than you see in yourself," he whispered into her wet hair.

He pulled her from the shower and dried her off with a soft towel, "I can go to the palace alone, but I do need to make an appearance."

Rey felt even worse now, thinking that she was holding him back from his responsibilities. She knew that Ben saw her as his equal and trusted that he would never push her to do anything that she couldn't handle, so if he had faith that she could make it through one dinner than she would put her conference in his convictions. "No…it will be fine," she said with a smile that was supposed to be reassuring. "Just send in the droid."

Ben gave her one last long look, searching for any hint of doubt before he gave her a tight-lipped smile and kissed her softly on the lips before exited the fresher to dress.

A humanoid looking droid came into the fresher with an unsteady waddle. Rey sat on a low bench in front of the long vanity and looked at her self in the mirror. Her dusting of freckles showed that she spent too much time in the sun when she was younger. Her hair was dull and dry form using ration soap. She thought that the poor droid must think she is hopeless.

But within an hour Rey could hardly recognize the woman looking back at her in the mirror. Her updo had a shine to it that she had to touch to be reassured that it was truly her natural hair. The medium length locks had been twisted and braided into an elegant crown around her head. It reminded her vaguely of a style Leia would wear.

Her makeup was sparse and natural looking with darkened lashes and rosy lips, along with a slight blush on her cheeks. She looked healthy as if she had never been on the verge of being malnourished and like she never had to move out to a decaying AT-AT to avoid being taken against her will.

She looked like a young princess awaiting a dashing Emperor to come and whisk her away to a life of blissful happiness.

A knock on the door pulled her from a fantasy that she had only seen on the sappy holo shows that Rose watches. Arlan peaked her head into the fresher and a wide smile spread on her face, "Rey, you look beautiful."

No extra blush was needed to paint Rey's cheeks under the compliments of someone she was quickly considering a friend. "Thank you," she replied simply.

Arlan stepped further into the fresher with the garment bag in her hand, "Ren has requested that I help you into your dress. "

Rey nodded and thanked the droid that had not uttered a single word during the transformation. She stood in a towel as Arlan suspended the bag on a high hook that a robe was also hung from.

When the guard turned back around after unzipping the bag and fluffing out the gown she saw Rey with extremely pink cheeks, bitting at her lip, and clutching at her towel. Arlan thought that maybe humor would work to ease some of the awkwardness of the Empress needing to undress. "Wouldn't want Davin to have all the fun since he is only one apart from Ren who has seen you naked."

Not being able to help herself, Rey burst out laughing. "You heard about that?"

"Cale won't let the poor guy live it down," Arlan walked forward and handed Rey a pair of dark blue panties, "I'll turn so you can put these on, but you won't be able to wear a breast band with this dress."

Rey nodded and once the trooper turned, she slid the scrap of silk up her legs as Arlan pulled the dress out and unfastened the buttons down the back of the dress. Even under the heavy weave of the guard's tunic and vest, Rey could tell that Arlan was more endowed in the chest and Rey was unsure if she should feel insecure about her modest breast size. But her body was perfectly made for Ben, every piece of her matched flawlessly to his.

So with a calming exhale, she pulled away her towel and stepped into the folds of midnight blue silk being held out for her. Slipping her arms into the lace sleeves, Rey pulled the cool fabric up her body and admired the beading detail over the lace that lay across her upper chest and then half way down her back.

"This color is wonderful against your complexion," Arlan mused as she fastened the buttons to secure the lace-up Rey's back. She pulled at the dark blue sheer cape that was attached at the end of the lace cap sleeves and where the silk met lace across the back of the dress. It flowed out perfectly. "Ren won't know what to do with himself."

Rey laughed to herself, as Ben had never seen her like this and if he was half as shocked as she was, then Arlan and the droid had done their work smashingly. While he saw her in the simple cream dress the day prior, in this moment she actually felt like an Empress, like she could walk into any room and command attention and respect. If only Poe could see her now…

Arlan fluffed the cape once more before saying in a soft voice that it was time to go. Rey checked herself once more in the mirror and then followed the trooper out of the fresher, they paused at the sleeping chamber door, "Do you really think he will like it?" Rey asked in a timid voice.

The guard just gave a knowing smile in return and then opened the door.

Ben was pacing in the main hall and peaking around the corner, Rey took just an extra moment to look at him. He was not in his usual uniform, perhaps the same pants and boots, but his coat only came down to his hips and it's high straight collar was the type of fashion only worn by Senators and Councilmen of the Old Republic.

As he pulled at the crisp white cuffs of his shirt that laid neatly under his gray jacket, he finally sensed her and turned towards the hall to their chambers. "Rey," her name on his lips was a prayer and a command, awe mixed with anticipation.

She stepped away from the wall and into the light of the entry and for a second, Rey was sure that she felt Ben's heart stop within the bond. It was the most thrilling and terrifying second of her life.