Star Wars: A Bond Awakens
Chapter Three: Dear Ora
Dear Ora,
I am writing these two months before your final ball will begin. I am not sure when I will give this to you, but I feel the Force telling me it's soon. As much as I wish a normal life for you, I know that being who you are and entangled with Ben, that won't happen anytime soon. But I do hope you still find the happiness in everything as you do now.
The reason I am writing this is because you need to know, or probably you already know, that you and Ben Solo have a special connection within the Force that I haven't heard of in ages. What you feel, he feels and vise versa. What you see, he can see if you allow it. I recall when you two were younger a stray dog unable to use it's front leg. Somehow, and I really am unsure how, you two together managed to heal the mutt. I truly believe there can be so much more good done with the two of you than I or anyone have seen before.
You know, however, where the problem lies. Or, you will.
Ben is a struggling child. His views are narrow, his temper great, and he only seems to think of one person. Most of the time he doesn't think about what he's doing at all. That is why I ask for something of you. Something that may be harder than you might think.
I need you to be patient with Ben. I need you to put yourself physically at a distance, but stay in connection with him through the Force. Make sure he is okay and when he needs it, love him. I believe that you-if no one else-can bring him back to the light. I fear now he is already gone to the dark. It's just a matter of time before he leaves this temple and you and I for Snoke. I am unsure how but Snoke has tapped into him and manipulated his emotions.
Be cautious, but be loving.
The Jedi council from before me was wrong to tell my father and every other Jedi to stay away from love because right now, that is the only thing that will bring him home.
Luke.
She knew Luke wasn't trying to, but she felt an extremely heavy weight now resting upon her shoulders.
If she wasn't enough the first time around, she wouldn't be for the next.
Ora pushed all thoughts aside and shoved the letter into her pocket.
"What's that?" Rey asked sitting next to her.
"Just a letter from the one and only Luke Skywalker."
Rey lit up again, "Really?"
Ora will gladly admit that she relished being seen so highly. It had been so long since she felt so special. Not that Han and Chewy didn't, but they were simply close family growing up, and sometimes-or most of the time-family forgets that encouragement and celebration is never not needed.
"Yes, really," Ora smiled at Rey with pride.
"What does it say?"
Ora stopped there and changed the subject, "Would you begin teaching me the language of the droid?"
Rey laughed at her funny tone. "Yea, sure."
xxxRey's Point of Viewxxx
It has been a couple days and the lessons were actually going quite great. Ora didn't find it as hard to keep up with BB-8, but sometimes BB-8 was just beeping much too fast for her to understand. Rey could see it in her furrow brows sometimes glaring at him when he wouldn't slow down.
Rey found herself surprised she was such a good teacher for having no one to talk to for so long on Jakku. The two young women both appreciated one another's company for neither had a friend of the female sort. Rey also loved how quickly they became so close as if they were truly family. Same could be said for Finn, though he was a different kind of company altogether.
They were close to Takodana, and Rey and Han were in the pit preparing for the atmosphere break and the landing.
"Why was Ora able to escape but nobody else?" Rey asked.
Han was quiet for a moment. "Luke brought her to me first. It was weird how he spoke to me through my own mind. It was lucky I was in the same system as the temple to even be able to pick her up. I could see her brokenness when Luke brought her to the freighter. There was a fire in her eyes that wanted to turn away from us and go back into the temple. I knew that fire. It was the same fire that burns in my son now and even back then. I know now that she tried her best to listen to Luke when all she wanted was to go back and find Ben." His tone was so solemn.
Rey looked at him and the pain in his face, but he kept his eyes looking out onto Takodana. "Ben is your son. Ben turned into Kylo Ren?"
"Yes."
"Ben was her friend then?"
He chuckled. "A little more than that."
"Now I kind of feel bad for asking so many questions."
He shrugged, "Has to be talked about some time. And Ora will be fine."
"Why her? Why not anyone else?"
Han clenched his jaw. The pain in him seemed much greater now than when he told the first part before. "There was going to be more, but I didn't want to risk it, so I took off. Luke believed if Ora was lost in the destruction, my son would be lost to the dark for good. Something about a Force Bond or other. Not sure that mumbo jumbo is real too. It's still hard for me to believe the Force is." He let out a bitter chuckle. "But the past ten years I've been with her, I can see why he would love her so much. She is a pretty decent kid. Got a good head on her shoulders. Just like you and Finn seem to have."
Rey's eyes went bright as the corner of her mouth slightly lifted into a smile. She looked at Han with adoration.
Finally they were on Takodana. Rey looked out the window in just as much joy as she did at Han. "I've never seen so much green in all my life."
Rey didn't notice, but Han looked at her sadly like he should have done something for her long ago, too.
xxxOraxxx
The scavenger girl was the first one off the ship. She darted outside, feeling the cool breeze on her skin and staring in awe at the waters before her. Ora walked up behind her feeling like she was the one showing her something grand.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Ora asked.
Rey could only smile. She had no words.
Han came up behind them, handing a small pistol to Rey. "You might need this."
"I think I can handle myself," she replied coolly.
"I know you do, that's why I'm giving it to you."
She took the gun happily and pointed it at the lake giving it a pretend shot of sorts. Ora laughed.
"You know how to use one of those?" Ora asked.
She scoffed, "Yea. You pull the trigger."
Ora smirked at Han.
Han chuckled. "There's a little more to it than that. You have a lot to learn. Rey, I've been thinking about bringing on some more crew. A second-mate kind of thing. Someone who can help out when Ora needs to sporadically leave on her Force-driven rendezvous." Ora blushed furiously at this, but Han smirked and simply continued. "You know Chewy, me, and Ora would appreciate some help on the Falcon and-"
Rey turned to him immediately. "Are you offering me a job?"
It was Ora's turn to light up in excitement. "Finally! I won't be the only lady around! How about it, Rey? Can you imagine?"
The smile suddenly left Rey. "I-I have to get back to Jakku. I've been away too long already."
Han sighed, pushing the gun down so she wouldn't accidently shoot someone. "That's too bad. Chewy really likes you."
"And so do I," declared Ora.
Yes, it had been much too long since she had a friend of her age around.
xxx
They walked up the castle stairs.
"Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so I'll do most of the talking." Han laid a hand on the red metal doors. "Oh, and don't stare, you two," he said to Finn and Rey.
"At what?" the fugitives said at the same time.
"Any of it."
He opened the doors to the cantina to reveal a variety of creatures drinking, playing, singing, dancing, and talking. Ora could tell that Rey was having a hard time not staring and looking at everything. Finn, however, looked like he was scared out of his wits to even look up from the back of Han.
"Han Solo!" Maz yelled out. Everything went quiet then.
Everyone looked at them.
"Oh boy," Han whispered. "Hey Maz!"
Ora suddenly felt heat rise in her cheeks. It wasn't that she hadn't seen Maz in years, it was the fact that Finn and Rey and BB-8 were fugitives on the run. The First Order surely had someone in here ready to nark on them.
A shiver ran down her spine. Now she was like Rey, unable to stop looking around.
Maz stalked up to Han. "Where's my boyfriend?"
Ora would have laughed at that. She would have been happy to see the short, old, funny Maz had she not felt something dark in the Force. Rey noticed and gave her an odd look. Ora just shook her head, trying to keep her composure.
"Chewy's working on the Falcon."
"I like that wookie. I assume you need something," she said, "Desperately. Let's get to it then."
They all followed her to a table in the back.
BB-8 started talking to Maz. I've got a map to Luke Skywalker.
"To Skywalker?" She laughed. "Look at you, Han. You are right back in the mess!"
Ora scanned the rest of the castle cantina, searching for suspicious creatures. A giant creature sat on a couch with a woman leaning against his rather large stomach. Two tusks stuck out below his mouth. He was god-awful to look at. The woman got up and went to the other side, taking out a recorder from her pocket and spoke into it.
Uh-oh.
She tried focusing herself on what was in front of her.
"Look at you, Ora. I haven't seen you in quite a few years." She stopped suddenly, adjusting her lenses on her. She crawled onto the table, coming closer and closer to her. Ora was used to it, but still, it was uncomfortable.
"What is she doing?" Finn asked. "Solo, what is she doing?"
Han looked at Ora and then Maz. "Not sure, but it can't be too good."
"You have a certain glow, Ora."
Not possible. Ora was much too paranoid and sweaty to be glowing. Maybe that was the glow: the perspiration on her face. "I'm much too exhausted to be elated about anything, Maz."
She adjusted her lenses once more and looked down at her. "Well, I'll say. Who's the father, child?"
"What?" Ora asked furrowing her brows.
Han registered what she said, and turned to Ora with that fatherly death-glare.
Suddenly Finn spoke up, "Listen, we need to get this droid to the Resistance. There is no fighting the First Order, and we don't have much time before we could get caught here, so I say you take the droid so we can leave."
It was Finn's turn to be examined. "You. I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run."
Finn glared back at her, irritated things weren't picking up pace and going his way. "You don't know a thing about me. Where I'm from. What I've seen. You don't know the First Order like I do. They'll slaughter us. We all need to run."
"Hmm." Maz sat back down in her seat. Rey stopped eating her fruit, no longer enjoying the sensation.
Maz gestured towards a group who transports merchandise and creatures.
"Finn!" Rey exclaimed.
Finn leaned in and whispered, still for everyone to hear. "Come with me, Rey."
"What about BB-8? We aren't done yet. We have to get him back to your base."
"I can't."
And then Finn was gone.
There were tears reaching her eyes now. She felt abandoned. She rushed after him leaving Han and Ora behind.
"Who's the girl?"
"She came to us with him and the droid on Jakku. She's Rey. Luke's daughter."
Ora turned to him, "What? Why didn't you tell me?"
"You, young lady, don't get to ask why I haven't told you anything now." Han turned back to Maz, "Luke left her on Jakku to protect her. I think she was the only other one who survived the destruction of the Jedi academy he set up."
"Why didn't you tell me about her?"
Han looked at her snidely, "Listen here, Ora, I don't-"
"Oh will you two stop. Han, she is nearly thirty now. No use in trying to keep her as a child. She is an adult who has made her own decisions."
"Poor ones," he muttered.
Ora felt angry, and yet tears stung her eyes.
Maz got up and walked away, going down the stairs behind the counter.
Han sighed. The way he sighed, every time, was his way of apologizing. "Ben?"
"Who else?"
He put his head in his hands, unsure what to say or do. "Oh boy, oh boy."
There was a sharp pain in her heart. It pierced through the Force and into her.
Suddenly, there was screaming outside and Han and Ora rushed to see what was the matter. They looked up at the sky and saw the Republic being attacked with a giant ray of red light. Ora fell to her knees feeling the pain too great. She couldn't pinpoint where the pain was coming from. All she knew was that its owner was in brutal torment.