Chapter 5: Up n' Away

Rey was still fighting to catch her breath, as she mounted her Bonneville. Her skin was pricking with an energy affecting the air around her. She felt rattled. In sharp contrast to her sparring with Master Luke, engaging with Ben had been frightening, but not in the traditional sense. No, the fear wasn't due to his constant advances or steel glares. It was something else entirely.

She forced her feet to move, starting up the bike and putting as much distance between herself and her new coworker as she was permitted. Her skin was screaming beneath her clothes from the mat burn she had achieved when she had propelled herself off of him and away. It hadn't been the most graceful move, but it had achieved the distance she needed at the time. She was sure she'd be paying for it over the next few days while her back healed. Making her way into town, Rey found herself mulling over what had just occurred.

When she had come downstairs earlier that morning. Master Luke had been meditating in the garden. Not wishing to disturb him, she had gone into the studio, curious about a selection of stacked notebooks she had noticed the day before. She had been delighted to find the journals contained terms, sketches, and detailed description of moves she would eventually learn. She had spent the morning committing the information to memory, her first step in becoming a dedicated staff member at Ahch-To.

It wasn't until she had heard the low roar of the Vanquish entering the parking lot she realized how long she had been standing on the studio floor. Rey had commanded herself to remain neutral. After promising herself she would not be bullied by an overgrown man child in the form of one, Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo, she had not been about to change positions. If he had mentioned how he didn't want her here again, she'd just brush it off. They were only words, after all.

But there was no way she'd give him a reason to say them.

Quickly, she had begun to wipe away the cobwebs wedged in the corners, organized the notes, and dusted off the chairs in the waiting room. When he had swept in, dressed from head to toe in all black again, she had plastered a smile on her face, greeting him warmly. "Morning!"

Ben had barely looked at her, before retreating to the confinement of his uncle's office. Rey took it in stride. At least he hadn't been a pompous ass, as he had during their initial meeting. It had been a start.

Or so she had thought.

She had felt the rage radiating off of him when he his thundering steps brought him back into the main studio. He had been like a nuclear bomb, ready to explode. Part of her had sensed the change in the room and her brain had sent up red flags, signaling it was time to admit defeat and remove herself from the volatile situation. Another part of her had jeered, content to wait out this latest passing storm. In the end, her stubbornness had kept her in his presence.

He had gone at the bag as if he had a personal vendetta against it. She hadn't found it prudent to interrupt, until his actions had threatened to break both the bag and possibly his hands, which had been growing alarmingly red from his constant stream of punches. She had approached him, to make sure he was alright.

It had been a mistake. The first of many she would make in the minutes to follow.

When he had launched a shot at her, Rey had been too concentrated on avoiding the hit to register any level of fury at him. What coward hit a woman? There had been such an intense smoldering craze in his eyes. Then, upon realizing what he had done, he had hesitated. He had appeared to be waking up, suddenly all too aware of where he had been and who he had tried to hurt.

But in another flash it had disappeared, replaced with a beguiling look in his eyes as he had peered back at her. Before Rey had made a conscious decision on how to proceed, he had attacked her. His proximity had short-circuited her brain, or at least that was what she had told herself, though she doubted the newly earned cut on his cheek felt the same. She was rather proud of the strike she had landed on him. His words, however, were another thing to consider.

Do. That. Again.

Was he some kind of masochist? He did like wearing black and he seemed rather high-strung. Before she could stop her mind from following that particular train of thought, she heard Poe's voice in her head: Boy needs to get laid.

In all fairness, it was Poe's go-to line when he was met with someone who was on edge or unruly. Rey couldn't be blamed if Poe's assessment was typically correct. He could be annoyingly accurate at times, usually times when it was inappropriate, but that was neither here nor there. Because Poe wasn't here. Just Rey.

Her nervous heart beat hadn't settled by the time she stopped her bike in front of Alliance. The storefront wasn't overly impressive. There was a red logo outlined in white on the front door and main window, which reminded Rey of a crescent moon wearing a crown. As with the academy, the store appeared passé. Rey ventured inside.

Cold, white metal shelves of routers, external hard drives, and an assortment of other electronics filled the space. Towards the center was a circular counter, situated amongst the collection of goods. There was a pale girl with black hair flowing over her shoulders, leaning on the counter. She was hunched over her phone, seemingly unaware she had a customer.

Rey decided not to bother her, perusing the aisles in search of the USB cord Luke had asked her to retrieve.

"Big spender, huh?" The cashier teased, with a grin that faded the second Rey pulled out an assortment of crinkled bills from her back pocket.

"It's for my boss," Rey offered.

"Then he should pay for it," the girl snarked, ringing up the purchase. After a slight pause, she asked, "Are you Rey?"

"Yes," Rey responded, hesitantly. She didn't know this girl and she hadn't been in town long enough to meet anyone other than Luke and Ben. Unless... No, she refused to think about it. He wouldn't come after her. He couldn't.

"I'm Jessika Pava," the girl extended her hand. "You met my roommate Rose yesterday at Maz's."

Rey felt a swirl of relief wash over her. "Hi." She shook the girl's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Same. I figured you had to be Rey. I mean how many British girls in their twenties show up here, right?" Jessika spoke with her hands, much to Rey's delight.

She shrugged in response. "Wouldn't know. I grew up in Jakku. I just moved here."

"Jakku!" Jessika's eyes turned into saucers. "Damn, girl, you're a freakin' survivor, huh?"

"I suppose," Rey shrugged, again. As hard as it had been living in Jakku, it had been her place of residence for as long as she could remember. While the rest of the world saw it as a dump, a wasteland of filth and dirt, she had only known it as home.

Jessika saw her discomfort and reached a hand across the counter to lay on Rey's arm. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it. If it makes you feel better, I hail from Dandoran." She laughed at herself. "It's all Hutt space out there."

The Hutts were a famous, or in their case, infamous crime family. Their politics, if one could call them such, were legendary and spanned back decades upon decades to the original monsters of the '20's. Rey had never seen any member of the five families, but she had heard they were not to be trifled with.

Even Unkar Plutt had been scared of the Hutt name. The blob of a caretaker had told her to stay clear of doing any jobs near the Hutt's territories, lest she be taken by one of their associates. It was no secret the Hutt's dealt in all manner of illegal goods — some of the human persuasion. Rey's heart skipped at the thought.

"Were you-."

"No, no," Jessika replied, swiftly. "Nothing like that." Rey let out a breath she had been holding. "But my parents and I were smuggled into the country when I was six," she admitted, nonchalantly, as if she was remarking on the weather. "So they are still there, working off their debt."

Families like Jessika's were the reason the Hutt's continued to be in power. Too poor to enter the country in their own accord, they made deals with the devil in order to live in the land of the free. Their silence was bought and paid for by the gang, who leveraged them as laborers or worse once they were in the country.

"And you?"

Jessika's grin widened, as she gestured to the empty store around them. "Living the dream."

Rey found herself instantly at ease with Jessika. Like her, the girl had suffered through trying ordeals as a child, growing up under circumstances most would have dubbed unfit. Yet, here she was, working a normal job, to pay normal bills, in a normal town with a roommate. It was oddly comforting to Rey.

"So who sends their new employee out on a run for a USB?" Jessika asked, changing the subject to lighter fare.

"Luke Skywalker," Rey snorted.

Rey watched as the girl's eyes filled with an expression similar to shock. "You work for Skywalker?"

"Yeah," Rey nodded, slowly, unsure what land mine she had unearthed with her honesty.

Jessika snapped open the cash register and returned her money to her promptly. "On the House."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's freakin' Luke Skywalker, that's why!"

Rey had to laugh at Jessika's face. It was almost a mirror image of Poe's when he had come face to face with her employer, all adoring and full of youthful innocence. It was clear Jessika shared his fascination with Master Skywalker.

"What's he like?" She questioned, propping her elbows up on the counter to rest her chin on. "Is he is all cryptic and zen or is he just a total badass?"

"A bit of both, really," Rey answered. In the short time she had been with Luke, he had been rather zen, but she couldn't forget how rapid his motions had been during their sparring. There was still some fight left in him.

"Awesome."

The conversation fell into silence. Rey hadn't spent much time around other girls her age...or any age for that matter. She had always assumed the reason she got along so well with Poe and Finn was because she had only worked with men at Plutt's shop. There hadn't been much in the way of maternal guidance or female influence in the mechanics business. She wasn't sure what girls talked about. Hair? Makeup? Boys? It all seemed rather childish to Rey. Those topics were superficial and not of any interest to her.

"You should come hang out with Rose and I some time," Jessika spoke up. "We live just up the street."

"Thanks," Rey flashed her a smile. "I should really get situated first and I need to get a second job." At Jessika's confuses look, Rey added, "To help pay off my student loans."

"I don't envy you those, though I wish I had gone to school," the other girl admitted, somewhat sullenly. "Then I wouldn't be in this dump."

"It's not so bad," Rey commented, taking another glance around.

"Better than hearing people snap out orders for their caffeine fix, anyway," Jessika conceded. "I don't know how Rose puts up with some of her customers."

Rey giggled. "You're in retail."

"Touché." Jessika straightened up, glancing at her phone before inquiring where Rey had applied. "Besides Ahch-To, where are you looking?"

"I don't know," Rey confessed. "The auto body shop is already full, so there isn't anything available there."

Jessika huffed. "Believe me, girl, you do not want to work for Watto. He's as sleazy as they come."

"Any suggestions then?"

"Go talk to Maz," Jessika told her. "She knows everyone and I do mean everyone."

"Ok, thanks."

"And tell Rose I said hi!" Jessika added. "We'll have to plan a girls night to take you around soon!"

She nodded, making a mental note to do just that. After exchanging numbers with Jessika, so they could text, once she was settled, she gave the girl one final wave and walked out. It was a short distance to the cafe, so she took the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air. Rey was still smiling when she stepped into the same coffeehouse as the morning prior. Kanata Kaffeine, as it was called, was more affectionately known Maz's by its patrons. Rey was surprised to find the owner was the same woman she had seen walking her dog when she had first arrived at Ahch-To.

The petite woman wore Coke bottle glasses on her round face and a bandana around her head, keeping her hair off of her face. When she spotted Rey entering, she walked over from her post at the counter to greet her.

"Hello dear."

"Good morning," Rey replied. "Thank you for your help yesterday."

The old woman's eyes glistened. "Did you find the belonging you sought?"

Rey paused for a moment at the strange choice of words Maz had used. "I think so."

"Good," Maz nodded, patting her hand. "Good."

Rey waved at at the girl she had met yesterday, who she now knew as Jessika's roommate Rose. Maz released her to go say hi to her new friend. "Green tea with honey?" Rose asked, as she approached the counter.

"Yes, please," Rey grinned. "I met Jessika this morning. I didn't realize I was such a celebrity."

"Oh," Rose flushed at the light teasing. "Sorry, we don't get a lot of out of towers. Gossip, sure, but none like you standing up to that tree of a man."

"Ben?" Rey rolled her eyes. "I should tell you what i did to him this morning."

Rose's flushed deepened. "Oh!"

It took a moment before Rey understood how her words had sounded. "No," she waved her hands back and forth, wildly. "No, not like that. God, no!"

"Oh," Rose sighed, her face relaxing back into her standard happy smile. "For a moment there….I mean I could see it, but he's just so….so…."

"Childish? Arrogant? Rude?"

"Yes," Rose laughed, nodding. "Yes to all three." Then, inclining her head to the side, she handed Rey her green tea. "Maz wants a word."

"Thanks. Jessika has my number."

"Great, I'll get it from Jess, if that's ok. We are not done with this conversation. I want details, girl," Rose told her, obviously intrigued.

"Sure. Until then," Rey laughed, turning away from the counter to leaving her new friend to speak with the coffeehouse owner.

"You need something," Maz stated matter-of-factly. It was uncanny how easily the woman could see her intentions.

"Not to sound ungrateful, but I need a second job," Rey told her. "Jessika mentioned you could help."

Max nodded, gesturing to a small table in the corner. "Come, child." She led Rey over, taking a seat across from her. "What experience do you have?"

"I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly."

The older woman's eyes widened slightly, but she still wore the knowing smile on her face, as if she was laughing at a joke only she understood. "There's not much need for that around here."

"I noticed," Rey sighed, starting to feel her luck running out.

After yesterday, there was no reason to think she could so effortlessly find another means of supporting herself. It had been risky to come to this town, so far from her only life lines, and attempt to start anew. The weight of her decision was beginning to feel real.

Resting in a sleeping bag on the floor was not the worst condition she had ever had to endure. It wasn't the best either. She wanted more. She wanted to be able to have a mattress with daisy yellow sheets and gray accents. She wanted to decorate the open spaces apartment she had been gifted, make it her home, make it feel lived in and loved.

"What hours are you working at the academy?" Maz asked.

"I'm teaching the padwan level classes, so afternoons and early evening courses." Maz nodded again, thinking over something. "Oh, and I'm co-teaching with Master Luke in the morning for his adult kickboxing courses on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"How early?"

"7:30."

"Hmmm," Maz rubbed her small chin. "Do you mind night shifts?"

Rey raised an eyebrow, unsure what the owner of the coffeehouse was implying. She had worked long shifts at Plutt's, usually eight or ten hours a day on top of her studies. It was a normal work day for most, but it had always felt like a double shift for her. If she was closing up by midnight, she considered herself ahead of schedule.

"No."

"Then you should see Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor in New Jedha," Maz offered. "They are looking for a new bartender for their club. It isn't engineering, but it is," and here Maz shrugged, "mechanical. Make a drink here, take an order there, make sure to not let Kaytoo's sass get to you."

"Kaytoo?"

Maz rolled her eyes. "He's a character, but you'll get used to him," she waved her hand dismissively. "After all, you can hold your own."

"How so?"

Now the older woman leaned forward, peering over the rims of her glasses at Rey. She felt herself shift slightly under the shrewd gaze. "You handled Ben Solo, did you not?"

Rey felt her face redden at the mention of Luke's nephew. "How do you even know about that?"

"Dear child, when you are my age, you tend to notice things, things you young people are too busy to notice."

It wasn't a true answer, but Rey found herself unable to press Maz further. She was eccentric and outspoken and Rey loved her. She was everything Rey wanted to be: self-sufficient, humorous, loyal, worldly, and most importantly confident. Rey decided she would visit the coffeeshop as often as her schedule and budget permitted.

"Where can I find Jyn and Cassian?"

"They run a club called Rogue One on the outskirts of the city. It's only a fifteen minute drive up from the academy," Maz directed her.

"Thank you." Rey reached into her pocket to pay for her tea, as Maz stood up to return to her post at the front of the shop.

"No, dear," Maz's hand on her arm stopped her. "It's on the house."

"But Ms. Kanata-."

"Maz," she insisted.

"Maz," Rey corrected herself. "I couldn't. You already helped me find a place to live and a job. You don't need to-."

"I don't do anything I don't want to," Maz interrupted her again. "It's the perk of being me. No one tells me how to live." She winked at Rey. "But you already knew that."

"Yes," Rey found herself laughing. "I did."

"Finish up and go speak with Jyn and Cassian," Maz advised her. "Luke won't mind."

Rey wasn't sure on that point, so she pulled out her cell to call her boss. At the sound of Luke picking up, she felt the phone rigged out of her hand.

"Skywalker?" Maz barked into the device. Rey felt herself blush again, unable to hide her embarrassment as more than one head turned to stare. There was a muffled response from the other end, before Maz continued. "She's fine. I'm taking care of her. I'm sending her to New Jedha. You have a problem with that?" Another muffled reply. "Good. Then it's settled." Maz clicked off the call and handed Rey her phone back. "Told you," she grinned.

She strolled off, leaving Rey shaking her head and giggling to herself. She was glad Maz was on her side. The woman was not one to take no for an answer.

New Jedha was more built up than Tatooine, but not nearly as exquisite as the city of Corellia. The old city it was constructed over had once been considered a holy place by the natives due to the crystal mines in the mountains. The crystals had since been harvested, leaning the rolling hills as a standing reminder of the wealth they had once provided.

The revival of the city had been started up by a pair of men who had been in Service to the area through their youth. Rey didn't recall their names from her limited study of local history in high school, but she did remember their faces.

One had been a large, bear of a man with long dreads and facial hair. He had the eyes of an old warrior, an old wolf that Rey had always found strangely comforting. His appearance was imposing, as it was meant to be, but to her, it screamed protector. It was no surprise she would idolize him as a child, having desired someone to stand up for her on more than one occasion.

The other man, his compatriot, had a slimmer build and no facial hair. In fact, his grooming was impeccable, which was ironic since he was blind. The blue haze of his eyes was the most memorable feature from his photo. Despite his lack of sight, the way his picture had been taken made Rey believe he could see beyond what the average person did. He seemed to be all-knowing, like Maz.

Rogue One was easy to locate, situated one street off the main drag, with a large metal sign over the repurposed warehouse garage door. Rey parked her bike, staring up at the entrance, feeling slightly nervous. Her interview with Luke had been more of a trial run than an actual review of her skills or how she was the best candidate for the position. She wasn't sure how to proceed with this one. She had only been in a bar a handful of times and had never been a bartender. The boys and her usually stuck to cheap wine and a six-pack of beer they could pick up at the store.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to think on centering herself, her chi, as Master Luke called it, and walked over to the door. For being a nightclub, she was surprised to find the side entrance propped open. She could hear people moving around inside and let herself in.

"Hello?" She called out.

No sooner had she spoken then she saw a gruff looking man appear, from behind a large horse-shoe shaped bar to her left. "We aren't open," he grumbled, wiping his hands on his jeans.

He was much younger than Rey had expected. If she had to guess, she'd say he was about Ben's age, maybe a couple of years older. His eyes were the oldest feature, looking both aged and sad from life and unyielding memories. He had a handsome face, covered in facial hair and his locks were just shaggy enough to cover the tops of his ears. Considering the impressive size of the club, she imagined he was well-off.

"I know," she said quickly, trying to channel Maz's confidence. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Rey Niima. Maz Kanata told me to stop by. She said the owners were looking for a bartender. I was hoping to speak to Mr. Andor and Ms. Erso."

"You can't," he muttered. "He's dead."

Rey felt herself deadpan. If that was his attempt at a joke, she didn't find it funny. She hadn't been expecting Maz's friends to be rude. This guy could give Ben a run for his money.

"Cassian," a woman's voice called out from the bar. "Leave the kid alone."

A slim woman pulled herself up and over the bar, walking over. Like the man Rey now knew was Cassian, she was younger, in her late twenties, early thirties. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a low bun, but her bangs had come loose, framing her round face. Her piercing eyes were green and shared the same haunted look as her partner's eyes.

"I'm Jyn," she introduced herself and shook Rey's still waiting hand. "Don't mind him," she motioned to the man over her shoulder. "He's not a morning person."

"I don't like to be called Mr. Andor," he complained, crossing his arms across his chest. "My father was Mr. Andor."

"Sorry," Rey apologized, extending her hand to him in a second attempt. She noticed the glare Jyn flashed, out of peripherals. Grudgingly, Cassian shook her hand. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just wondering if the bartender position is still open?"

"It is," Cassian replied, coolly, returning to his guarded position.

"Are you applying?" Jyn asked, ignoring his disgruntled behavior.

"Yes," Rey nodded, "but I should warn you, I have no experience."

Cassian scoffed, turning on his heel to walk back to the bar. He obviously didn't care to hear her honesty. Jyn remained, though her face was less pleased at the admission. "So then why should we hire you, Rey?"

Rey had been wondering the same thing since she had spoken to Maz. She had been hoping a good reason would come to her on her drive over. It hadn't. So she remained honest.

"I don't have any experience, but I'm a fast learner and I work hard. I will be here early, if you need help with shipments, I can fix any mechanical problem you come across, and I don't have any commitments keeping me from working nights or weekends."

Jyn's lips pulled into a smile, while Cassian remained unconvinced. "What kind of mechanical training?"

"A Bachelors of Science and thirteen years working in an auto body shop," Rey offered.

"Can you fix that?" Jyn indicates their sound system setup on a stage across the room. "We've been getting some static when it starts up...really annoys the customers."

"Sure. Let me take a look."

Rey was impressed by the setup. All of the equipment was state of the art and in extremely good condition. The person who had organized it, though, didn't appear to know what they were doing. She was exasperated by the mess she found. It annoyed her more than it should have, but she appreciated ordered. Cords were shoved under the base and main control board, the speakers needed to be placed a bit further back, and the power connections should have been on a surge protected line.

Ducking under the controller panel, she started unplugging and replugging in cables, attempting to make order out of the chaos. Once she had the board reworked, she began to address the pattern of cables, until she had them properly hidden under the stage mats and tapped down so there was no longer a tripping hazard. Finally, she turned back to her expectant potential employers.

"Power it up."

Cassian, who had been leaning back against the bar, reached over to a switch. With a flick, the system came to life. Jyn plugged in her phone, selecting a song. When the first notes of the music came through, it was clear. There was no static or residual white noise — just the tune. Jyn's face immediately took on a satisfied look, as she glanced over her shoulder at Cassian. His expression was unreadable. He switched the system back off, turning to his partner.

While they discussed her, Rey jumped down off the stage. Cassian had his back to her, his head ducked down to Jyn's ear. Rey tried not to focus on it, her weak attempt at providing them privacy to make their decision.

After several minutes in which neither spoke to her, only each other, Rey sighed. "Um, I'm going to get out of your hair. Thanks for your time," she waved, as she headed for the exit.

"Wait," Jyn called out after her, "come here." Rey did as she was asked, slipping behind the counter alongside Jyn. "Do you know how to make an Old Fashioned?"

Rey shook her head.

"Here," Jyn handed her a short glass, a container of sugar cubes, and bitters. "You need club soda," she pointed to their drink system by the well, "and bourbon." Rey had never had bourbon before, but she saw a collection of bourbons available on the counter.

"Which one?"

"Depends on the customer. Some prefer the top-shelf brands like those behind you," Jyn motioned to the lit display of high-end liquors on the island in the middle of the bar, "but some will go with something like this." She handed a bottle to Rey

Jyn instructed her on how to craft the drink, demonstrating the correct way to decorate the glass, appropriate amount to pour, and how to serve it.

"Your turn."

Cassian remained where he was, watching. Rey mimicked Jyn's actions, placing a replica drink down beside of the one the club owner had made. Jyn plucked a small black straw from a holder on the bar and sampled the concoction.

"Perfect."

She repeated the process several more times, teaching Rey how to make a whiskey sour, cosmopolitan, Tom Collins, mojito, and finally a Long Island ice tea. By the end, Rey noticed Cassian's arms were no longer crossed over his chest and Jyn was sneaking him a look that said "I-told-you-so."

"Kaytoo won't be happy," Cassian remarked, though Rey wasn't sure if he was saying it to them or himself.

"That's your problem," Jyn snickered. "You hired him."

"So?"

"You're hired," Jyn grinned. "Can you be here tonight? Around nine? The club opens at ten but we don't usually start getting busy until an hour or two later. It will give me time to help get you up to speed and introduce you to the rest of the staff."

"I'll be here," Rey promised, gleefully.

"Don't be late," Cassian warmed, back to his sour mood.

"You got it boss," Rey saluted him. His eyes widened in a form of shocked embarrassment, while Jyn laughed.

As Rey drove back to the academy, she felt whole and complete. She was doing it. She was making it on her own with no help from Plutt, or the boys, or her non-existent parents. She had found a place to live, scores two jobs, and soon she'd be able to make regular payments to her student loans and create a real home.

She wouldn't let anything bring her mood down...not even the dark-eyed, raven haired man who had taken her breath away.

A/N: Shout-outs to my beta myheadsinthegalaxy and galaticpadawan for asking when the update would be posted. It's supporters like you two who keep me writing. Thank you! If you're on tumblr, come say hi wewantreylo