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Chapter Text

Episode X

THE VEIL OF WORLDS

The galaxy struggles to heal in the aftermath of the FINAL ORDER’s defeat. Worlds scarred by tyranny are slowly restored, as scattered peoples look to a fragile hope.

REY SKYWALKER, last of the Jedi, has devoted herself to rebuilding not only star systems but the spirit of the Force itself. With the aid of FINN, POE DAMERON, and ROSE TICO, she rescues Force-sensitive survivors stolen by the First Order, guiding them toward a new beginning and the foundation of a future Jedi Order.

Among her students is a young Mirialan girl, a war orphan of only sixteen, who carries within her mysterious visions. Haunted by dreams of a forgotten key, she reveals to Rey fragments of lore long dismissed: whispers of the WORLD BETWEEN WORLDS, a hidden plane where the currents of time itself may be touched.

Intrigued, Rey turns to the ancient Jedi texts taken from Ahch-To. Their cryptic passages echo the girl’s visions, speaking of a relic known as the WAYFINDER OF MORTIS. Said to be crafted in the age of myth, the artifact was not merely a key but a vessel of renewal—capable of mending wounds within the Force and restoring balance to what was broken.

Her search brings her to LANDO CALRISSIAN, whose years uncovering Imperial and First Order secrets provide a vital clue: records suggesting that such a relic once crossed into Luke Skywalker’s possession before being lost in the fires of war.

Now, with hope rekindled and destiny uncertain, Rey and her companions follow the trail of shattered myths. But when the Force itself answers their call, the heroes are hurled onto an uncharted path, where past and future entwine…

Chapter Text

As she stared into the dark, empty, starry vastness of space outside of the Falcon’s cockpit, Rey couldn’t help but realize this view was a metaphor for what she felt inside. Hollow, empty … alone. Of course, she had her new family. Chewie, Finn, Poe, Rose and Kaydell, but she still could feel the hole in her soul that was left when the other half of her dyad was ripped away. She sighed and stared into the nothingness, consumed by her thoughts.

“Grr raaawr,” Chewbacca said, sliding into the co-pilot seat.

“Yeah. I’m ready,” Rey smiled up at him. The Wookiee lightly patted her on the shoulder and then turned to the control panel to prepare for landing. “Guys, get ready, we’re landing,” she shouted back at the others.

“Perfect!” Poe exclaimed, standing up and turning off the holochess game Finn was close to winning.

“Oh, how convenient,” Finn smirked with an uplifted eyebrow, shaking his head.

They were approaching Ajan Kloss which had become their home even before the war had ended. It had been over three years since the Battle of Exegol and the remainder of the Resistance decided to stay on the planet and keep the base until they permanently rid the galaxy of the remnants of the First Order. But if she was being honest, she adored the vast amount of vegetation this planet had to offer and was relieved to be able to stay and enjoy it a bit longer. It would most likely take some time to find a location to relocate her students and create a a perfect place for learning and training as opposed to the makeshift camp they put together near the Resistance base.

The vibrant green planet grew larger as they slowly entered its atmosphere. Rey would never grow tired of the beautiful green jungle she had been calling home the past few years. It was overflowing with life. She loved the colors and diversity of the flora, fauna and all the other life forms spread across the planet.

“Grraaarrrrr,” Chewbacca pointed out a familiar second freighter.

“What’s Lando doing back so soon?” Rey asked.

“Rrrrarra.”

“I thought so, too.”

After having landed, Chewbacca and Poe saw to the Falcon while Finn went to find Rose and Kaydell to brief them on their findings. Their mission was once again successful, and they were able to aid in restoring order and stability on planets that had been under the control of the First Order. It would take years for many planets to build or restore a fully functioning government that catered to their local’s needs, cultures, and traditions.

Rey decided to check on some of her foundlings as Poe had lovingly named them, that had found a place on Ajan Kloss with her. The spot she chose for her students' dwellings was close to the training course Leia had provided for her all those years ago when she had been trained by the General herself. The fond memories of her Master came flowing into her mind and she breathed in the crisp breeze, letting those memories lend her strength. A branch nearby crunched, barely noticeable but her sharp awareness that had been honed by experience and training signaled somebody was watching her. Rey let the Force help her sense the familiar presence, hiding up in the trees.

Without looking towards the source, she spoke, “Hiding from the little ones again, are we?”

She could hear a body drop from a larger branch almost ten feet from the ground onto the soft soil beneath it.

“No, just waiting for you,” the young female voice said in an almost bored tone.

“Ah, I take it you need to speak to me?” Rey now turned to Eya, who was brushing off pieces of bark and leaves from herself.

Eya was only sixteen years old, but the war had carved years into her face. Her Mirialan skin was a pale shade of green, almost washed out from hardship, patterned with the dark geometric tattoos traditional to her people — though hers were incomplete, a set of lines trailing down her cheek and jaw as if the story of her life had been interrupted. As she walked up to Rey, the girl’s striking, sharp, onyx eyes focused on her. Eya carried herself like a blade… stiff, cold, distant and she rarely smiled or spoke more than necessary. To others, she seemed detached, sometimes even cruel in her bluntness. But beneath that armor Rey knew the truth: she was a product of war, destruction and tragedy.

“I do, when you can spare me a moment,” she crossed her bare, green arms in front of herself. Her black hair that ended on dark blue tips were in a long braid that reached her ribs. Rey noticed she had opted for her previous darker attire as opposed to the beige garments that the others chose, to resemble traditional Jedi robes. Rey didn’t mind, she herself stuck to her old clothes as well, so she wouldn’t judge.

“Is it urgent?” Rey’s concern grew a bit when she noticed a hint of worry on Eya’s constant stern face.

Eya’s right shoulder shrugged as she regained a bored expression, “Not really.”

“Alright, well, walk with me,” she gestured towards the path to the dwellings made by and for all the force-sensitive children her and her friends had found throughout the galaxy during missions and other adventures.

“I’d rather wait ‘til you have a moment to yourself,” Eya eyed the path leading to the others where they could already hear the laughter and shouting of children.

“Whatever works for you, Eya,” Rey gave her an empathetic smile.

The young Mirialan nodded and turned on her heal, disappearing into the jungle without a sound. Rey watched her for a few breaths, remembering the moment she had met her. Jannah had been the one to find Eya among deserters of the First Order. The girl had been closed off completely, and it had taken months until she even spoke to Rey at all. She had a simmering rage within her and didn’t trust easily, which was understandable after everything they all had been through. The only person Rey believed Eya was somewhat comfortable around or the closest thing to being at ease with, was Lando. Rey had trouble with that herself which didn’t make it easier for them to grow closer, but she reminded herself that that wasn’t her goal. She just wanted to make sure these children were safe and got some kind of guidance when it came to the Force. Rey knew how much she had longed for that herself as a child. And suppressing it was not the answer.

After checking on everyone, Rey found Finn watching her in the main chamber of their makeshift housing as she sorted through her datapad for the training reports and adjustment requests of the last few days during her absence.

“Hey,” Finn’s smile made her forget the burden of her responsibility.

“Settled in already?” She noticed his change of clothes.

“Sort of, Poe wants us to meet at the hangar for a debriefing with everyone before that can happen.”

“Alright, I’ll be right there. Have you seen Rose? I have so many things that need fixing for the kids’ housing –,” she vocalized her mental list.

“Rey,” Finn interrupted. “What’s going on with you?”

She looked up from her datapad at him, “Nothing, I’m just worried about all the things I still need to do for my students."

His brows furrowed and she saw in his expression that she hadn’t convinced him. “No, I mean with you. I’ve noticed something’s off for a few weeks now, but I never had the chance to ask you about it.”

Finn was too attentive to let her get away with a ‘nothing’, so she inhaled deeply and confided in him. “I’ve been having that dream again.”

“You mean…”

“Yes.”

Finn inhaled through his nose and before he could say what he usually said as a response, she quickly added, “actually two dreams.”

He cocked his head at that, waiting for her to continue.

“The first one… you know about,” she closed her eyes, trying to push away the pain, “but for some weeks now I’ve been woken up by one that I don’t quite understand.”

“OK,” she heard him crossing his arms, ready to analyze.

“I’m in a dark place. It feels like nothingness. I can see my breath but it’s not cold. Nor is it warm. It’s like I’m floating, but I’m also grounded. Then I see a blue glow. I can’t see the shape of it, but I know it’s calling for me. Or longing for me. And just when it gets close enough to touch or see, I wake up.”

As she finally looked back at him, his face was crumpled as if he were strained, thinking about the meaning, making her exhale an amused huff.

“Huh, I, uhm, … it’s not coming to me now, but I’m sure we will find out what it means.”

She nodded in agreement, and with that they made their way towards the hangar.

The hangar of the rebuilt Resistance base buzzed with the hum of starfighters, droids, and voices. Long tables had been dragged into a circle beneath the towering rafters, repurposed into a makeshift war room. Rey sat among familiar faces — generals of the Resistance, representatives from newly-liberated worlds, even senators from the restored Core. They spoke with urgency; their voices layered with hope and exhaustion.

“We’ve confirmed,” one Mon Calamari official said, pressing a datachip into the holoprojector. Blue light bloomed into a web of starlanes. “The First Order’s last strongholds remain in the Unknown Regions, fragmented, scattered. Their command structure is broken, but their weapons caches are not. We must strike now, before they rebuild.”

A Corellian representative leaned forward. “Our worlds need supplies; our people need rebuilding. If we divert everything to military campaigns, we’ll be no better than them.”

Murmurs rose. Finn shifted beside Rey, his jaw tight. Poe raised his hand to interject, but the voice that silenced the room belonged to none other than Lando Calrissian.

“Friends,” he said, his tone smooth as polished stone. “We’ve spent our lives fighting wars. But wars aren’t won with blasters alone. They’re won with hope. Stability. A reason for people to believe there’s something worth building after the fighting stops.” The holomap flickered again, reshaping into a lattice of forgotten hyperspace lanes. Lando’s grin widened, his cape sweeping dramatically as he gestured. “These,” he said, “are the routes the Empire thought they erased. Smuggling lanes, backdoors, old Rebel supply chains. I’ve spent the last year chasing their ghosts, and guess what? They’re still there.”

Gasps rippled around the table.

“With these,” Lando continued, “we can move supplies faster than the remnants can move troops. We can rebuild starving systems before the First Order even knows what hit them. And — maybe, just maybe — we can finally outrun the shadows of the past.”

The hangar erupted in applause, senators nodding, generals exchanging relieved looks. It was the best news they’d heard in months. Rey kept her arms crossed in front of her, but her gaze lingered on Lando. He was smiling, basking in the crowd’s relief — but his eyes flicked to hers, just for a heartbeat, something unspoken passing between them. The debriefing had ended, and the hangar buzzed with lingering voices, senators and commanders clustered in groups as Lando wrapped up his report on newly discovered hyperspace lanes. Hope rippled through the crowd, but Rey found herself drifting toward the edge of the gathering, her thoughts elsewhere.

She didn’t notice Jannah until the woman was beside her, arms folded across her chest, soft gaze steady as ever.

“You’re quiet,” Jannah said softly, brushing over her thick dark curls.

Rey gave a small shrug. “There’s a lot to take in.”

“Yeah.” Jannah hesitated, then leaned in closer. “Rey, there’s something you should know. About Eya.”

Rey blinked, caught off guard. “Eya?”

“She’s been… different lately.” Jannah’s voice dropped low. “While you were gone, she told me she’s been having dreams. Strong ones. Not the kind you shake off when you wake up.”

Rey frowned, her curiosity sparking after having had new dreams of her own. She wondered if they could they be the same. “Dreams of what?”

Jannah shook her head firmly. “Not mine to share. If you’re meant to hear it, it has to come from her. But she won’t tell you unless you ask. She thinks you won’t believe her, or that you’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

Rey was silent, processing. “Is that what she wanted to speak to me about? She came to me right after we landed. But she told me it wasn’t too urgent.”

“I told her she should tell you,” Jannah continued. “But she’s stubborn. She seems constantly uncomfortable, as you know. And with you… she keeps her guard up. More than with others.”

Rey exhaled slowly at what should’ve felt like an insult. “Where is she now?”

“Training hall, maybe. Or her quarters. She hides in the quiet places.” Jannah placed a hand on Rey’s arm, her expression unusually gentle. “I know nothing of the Force or… Jedi business. But whatever she’s seeing, I think it matters. Even if she doesn’t think so.”

Rey nodded, her pulse quickening. She glanced across the hangar, where Lando was still surrounded by officials and generals, his easy charm keeping their attention. Soon, she’d visit with him too, after weeks of no contact. But first, she had to find Eya.

The training hall was dark with only its lights dimmed for the night. A hush lingered, broken only by the faint hum of the base’s generators. Rey stepped quietly inside, her boots soft against the floor.

She spotted Eya immediately. The Mirialan girl sat cross-legged near the edge of the room, her back to the wall, tattoos catching the dim light. Her eyes were half-shut, but Rey knew she wasn’t meditating. Her posture was too rigid, her shoulders drawn tight.

Rey approached slowly. “Eya.”

The girl’s dark eyes flicked open. Sharp. Guarded. “You spoke to Jannah.”

Rey hesitated at the reproach, “Well, yes. She told me you’ve been having dreams.”

A dry, humorless smile touched Eya’s lips. “Of course she did. She thinks you’re the answer to everything.” She shifted her gaze away, staring at the floor.

Rey crouched down in front of her, careful not to intrude too close. “She didn’t tell me what the dreams are. Only that they matter. And that you should share them when you are ready.”

Eya scoffed softly, hugging her knees to her chest. “Ready. That’s a word people like to throw around when they want something from you.”

Rey sensed the brittle edge of Eya’s voice. “You came to speak to me right after I arrived. Did you change your mind?”

Finally, Eya let out a sharp breath. “Fine. You want to know? Every night, I see a place. White stone. Arches that go on forever. Corridors that echo with voices I can’t reach. And there’s something there—something I’m supposed to find. A… key. Or maybe not a key. More like… a wound. Something that heals where the Force itself feels broken.”

Her tone was flat, almost clinical, but Rey could hear the strain underneath.

Rey’s chest tightened. “Do you know the place? Or where it could be?”

“No.” Eya’s reply was quick, almost harsh. Then, softer, almost involuntary: “But it feels real. Too real. Like it’s pulling me toward it. And there’s someone—” She cut herself off, jaw clenching. Her gaze hardened. “Forget it.”

Rey leaned forward slightly. “Someone waiting for you?”

Eya’s eyes snapped to hers, a flash of something raw and dangerous in them. Then the shutters slammed down again. “It doesn’t matter. Dreams don’t change anything. They just… remind you of what you’ve already lost.”

The silence stretched. Rey wanted to push, but something in Eya’s expression stopped her. The girl wasn’t ready to name what she’d seen—or who.

Instead, Rey said quietly, “The Force doesn’t waste visions. If you’re seeing this, it matters. It means something. Even if you don’t know how yet.”

Eya looked away, her black lips a thin line. For a moment, Rey thought she wouldn’t answer. But then, so faint it was almost a whisper, “Then I hope it matters to someone. Because it sure as hell doesn’t matter to me.”

She rose abruptly, brushing past Rey without another word, vanishing into the corridor.

Rey sat there a moment longer, the fragments of the vision burning in her thoughts: white stone, arches, a wound in the Force, a key that heals.

And someone waiting.

Chapter Text

After her talk with Eya, Rey sat cross-legged on the floor of her quarters, the Jedi texts spread around her like fragments of a broken map, hoping to find answers to Eya’s dream, and her own. She ran her fingers over the flaking pages, tracing Aurebesh lines written in a hand, centuries old. Her eyes burned from hours of study, but she pressed on. Fragments of Eya’s dream wouldn’t leave her mind. White stone. Endless arches. A wound in the Force. Someone waiting.
She wondered if the place Eya had seen was personal to her or if the Force was showing her something specific. A place of her past or her future. Just like her own dream. 
She turned a brittle page and read:
When the Balance falters, the Veil may open. Through it flows not just time, but the wound and the cure. Seek the Wayfinder, carved by hands that knew both light and shadow. Within its path lies healing—yet only the one who suffers the wound may close it.
She pondered the meaning for a moment, coming up with more than just one theory. None of them truly making any sense. So, Rey decided her lack of sleep was depriving her of logic and common sense, so, she put down the scripts and found her bed.

The next day, the training grounds rang with the crack of wooden training sabers against metal practice orbs and pounding feet against the rainforest floor. The three children and two teenagers ran the training course, some eager, others still wary of their new life under Rey’s care. She moved towards the end of the course, awaiting them. It grounded her. For a while, she forgot about wounds in the Force, or balance, or the ache in her chest whenever she thought of him. That ache would likely never go away. Only time would tell.
“Never thought I’d live to see this again,” a familiar voice drawled.
Rey turned to see Lando leaning against a stone arch, cape draped rakishly and a faint, wistful smile on his lips as he watched the panting students jogging towards the finish line.
“Lando,” Rey smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Did you come to join the class?”
He chuckled, pushing of the arch. “Too old for all that flipping and jumping.”
Rey let out a soft chuckle herself before embracing him. “It’s good to see you.”
“You, too, kid,” his warm smile made his eyes crinkle. His expression then turned serious, almost secretive. “I came because I found something other than the old smuggler routes. And I think it’s meant for you.”
That piked her interest, and she turned to Eya who had finished first again, “Take them to the center of the camp and take over the mediation today.”
Eya stiffly nodded, gave Lando a faint smile after having received a wink from him, and led the group of four to their designated meditation spot. They both watched the kids disappear behind their self-constructed housing, made from parts found all over.
“You’re giving these kids something this galaxy hasn’t had in a long time.” His gaze softened. “Hope.”
Rey studied him for a moment, then her eyes shifted back to her students.
“But lately, for some reason, I can’t see it in your eyes, Rey.”
Her gaze jerked back to him.
“Something’s troubling you. I’ve known you for a couple years now, I’d like to think I can detect when something’s off,” he pushed off the arch.
She had never truly confided in Lando as she did with Finn or Rose, and in some things with Poe. But she felt in this specific case, only Chewbacca or Lando would truly understand.
She let out a long sigh. “I… miss them. Lately, more so than ever.” She knew she didn’t have to say who. He knew.
Lando place a warm hand on her shoulder as he came up beside her. “So, do I. I don’t think there will ever come a day when I don’t.”
Rey nodded in recognition. A breath passed. “And him,” she added.
Lando tilted his head at her, studying her.
“I never truly got to meet Ben Solo,” speaking his name felt like any ice shard in her heart, “but I still miss him. I miss him so much,” she could feel her eyes line with tears, but she quickly sniffed them away.
“Well, from what you’ve told me, being a part of a dyad is stronger than any bond. Of course, it would take its toll on you after losing part of your soul.”
Her mind went back to that moment. The moment when half her soul was ripped in half, leaving her alone in the galaxy. She had been whole for a precious moment. And then it was taken from her, again.
“Come with me, Rey.”
She inhaled sharply and let him lead her toward the Falcon. Han’s ship was quiet, its hum softer than usual, like a ship at rest after too many battles. Rey followed Lando through the narrow corridor, her fingers brushing the familiar durasteel walls. He stopped at a door she recognized instantly. Chewbacca’s quarters. For a moment, neither moved—then Lando keyed it open. The scent of leather and faint engine oil lingered, untouched since Chewie’s last voyage. Lando’s hand trailed along the top shelf above the bunk, pausing with deliberate care. When his fingers closed around something small, he pulled it free. A holocron, weathered from years of use. 
Lando’s smile was soft, tinged with grief. “Chewie carried this holocron for years. I found it among his things before the battle of Exegol.”
He pressed the activator. Blue light spilled across the room, resolving into a moving image. Chewbacca filled the frame, his great arms cradling a small bundle. The bundle squirmed, giggled, tiny hands reaching for the Wookiee’s fur. A baby. His dark hair stuck up in tufts, and his laughter echoed in the space between them like sunlight breaking through cloud. Rey’s breath hitched. Her knees weakened, and she leaned against the bunk, immediately recognizing who that was.
“When I found this, realizing Chewbacca carried this with him all these years, keeping the memory close, that’s when I knew, he never gave up hope. Hope on him. Not once,” he swallowed hard. “And neither did I, if I’m honest. I don’t think any one of us did. Guess I’d buried that truth so deep, I didn’t notice it until then.”
One person gave up on him, Rey thought to herself, but she wasn’t going to interrupt him. The holocron flickered, fading into static. Lando set it aside carefully, like handling something sacred, then reached into his coat. From an inner pocket he drew another. This one activated with a sharper snap, revealing four familiar faces: Leia, radiant and tired but smiling; Luke, awkwardly proud; Han, smirking despite himself; and Chewbacca, leaning down to get into frame, all clustered around Leia as she held her newborn son.
Rey regarded a moment that must have been the happiest in Leia’s life. Looking into their young happy faces, she felt tears slipping free before she could stop them.
“And this one,” Lando said softly, opening a third, smaller holocron. The image shimmered into focus: himself with that same dark-haired child, older now, at a shooting range, guiding the boy’s hands as he lined up a target. Ben’s laugh was sharp, boyish, pure. Lando’s grin in the holo was unguarded, his eyes warm. “You know, he used to call me Unca Wanwo,” he smiled at the fond memory and Rey mirrored him. 
The light of the recordings danced against the walls, wrapping the cramped quarters in memories of a family torn apart and still desperately loved. 
Rey’s voice cracked. “I thought… I thought I was the only one who missed him this way.”
Lando shook his head. “Not even close. I miss him every damn day. I miss Han. I miss Leia. I miss Luke. And I miss my nephew. And so does Chewie,” he thumbed the activator, rendering the room dark once more.
There were so many things Rey didn’t know about Ben. Things she wanted to know. She knew she would never have the chance to truly know him. Only through stories told by the people that he had left behind.
When Rey finally steadied herself after the wave of emotions from the holocrons, Lando shifted in the bunk, lowering his voice. “You’ve been searching the old Jedi texts, right?”
Rey nodded, “More than I’d like to admit.”
“Luke did too. He wasn’t just looking for the first temple. For the longest time he had been on the hunt for ancient Jedi relics. And he came across some very interesting finds. But the texts led him to chasing something older. Something the Jedi wanted to keep buried.”
Rey’s head lifted, heart pounding. “What was it?”
Lando continued, “You know about the Sith Wayfinder. Well, there was a Wayfinder made by the first Jedi. Not just a star map like the ones the Sith used—this one was different. At the time, I didn’t understand, nor did I care, honestly, about the significance of this particular Wayfinder. All I know is that Luke thought it was connected to the World Between Worlds after having spoken to Ahsoka Tano, a great Jedi that had been there.”
Rey had read of the World Between Worlds. And a thought came to mind from the passage she had read about the night before. “The Veil of Worlds…” she whispered.
“Luke found fragments—notes, inscriptions. He told me it wasn’t just a doorway. It was… something that could heal. A bridge between what is broken. He thought if it ever resurfaced, it could restore balance when the galaxy needed it most. But he never found it. And then everything with the temple happened, and…” His voice faltered. “Well, you know what happened after that.”
Her thoughts were racing, and she noticed she was holding her breath as Lando leaned back, looking at her squarely. Slowly the pieces were falling into place. She would have to read the passage again.
“But here’s the thing,” Lando interrupted her thoughts. “Before the battle of Exegol, I uncovered something. Not by accident. I’d been chasing down old smuggling contacts, trying to dig up what little hope we had left. One of them came across a datashard—Imperial, First Order–era, encrypted. Took me months to break it. And when I did…” He let the silence hang.
Rey leaned forward, her anticipation palpable. “What did you find?”
His smile was tired, but there was a spark beneath it. “Records of the Jedi Wayfinder. Hidden deep in the Unknown Regions. The First Order tried to destroy it, thought it was useless—just another relic of the past. But they didn’t know what it really was. Luke did. And now you do.”
He pulled a slim case from his coat and set it down. Inside rested a worn, scorched fragment of metal inscribed with faint glyphs. “This was with the shard. Luke marked it years ago. He believed the Wayfinder wasn’t just a map, but a key. One that could open the path to the Veil itself.”
Rey’s breath caught once more. Images from Eya’s hesitant confession flooded her mind—her visions of doorways in the Force, of shadows lifting, of somebody standing at the edge of light.
Lando must’ve noticed the flicker of realization on Rey’s face. “I don’t know what your dreams are telling you. I don’t pretend to understand the Force. But I do know this: Luke was convinced the Wayfinder could mend what was broken. And if there’s anyone in this galaxy who might be able to use it…” He gestures toward her. “…it’s you.”
Her pulse quickened. She spun on her heel and hurried back toward her quarters. The scripts were waiting — and now, the truth was closer than ever.

Once again Rey sat cross-legged on the floor; the ancient Jedi texts spread around her like a puzzle of half-forgotten truths. The lamplight flickered against faded ink and brittle vellum, words smudged by centuries of hands.
Her fingers traced the familiar lines, the same ones she’d read a dozen times since Eya’s confession. But tonight, something different stirred in her. Lando’s voice, his conviction, still echoed in her mind. “Luke thought it wasn’t just a doorway. He thought it could heal.”
“Hey,” a sweet, female voice came from the doorway. Rose stood in before it with a tray full of food. “I knew you’d miss dinner to pour over the texts again.”
Rey gave her a tired smile, “Thank you, Rose. That’s very sweet.”
Rose set down the tray on the floor after she tiptoed around the scripts. Rey turned the page. A set of runes, faded but legible, caught her eye. She drew in a sharp breath.
“What is it?” Rose asked, crouching next to her.
Rey began to read the passage. “When the Balance is fractured and shadows rise, the Wayfinder shall be the key. But its keeping lies not with the Jedi alone. Entrusted it was to the Witches of the Veil, who dwell where night and mist are one. Their covenant guards the shard, until one worthy comes to unite the path and restore what has been broken.”
Her pulse raced. Witches. Not Sith, not Jedi—something older, hidden. A coven entrusted by the Jedi themselves.
“Witches of the Veil? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them,” Rose admitted. “Maybe Maz knows of them.”
“Maybe,” she flipped through the margins, eyes scanning for annotations. Luke’s handwriting, scrawled in the corner: “Coven rumored near the Tangles of Dathomir. Survivors? Or echoes? Must confirm.”
Rey’s throat tightened. 
“Dathomir…” Rose inhaled sharply.
They all had heard whispers of its haunted forests, its Nightsisters long thought destroyed. But this passage suggested a remnant—keepers of a fragment, guardians of the truth. Her hand hovered over the page, memories aligning in sudden clarity:
Eya’s dream of doorways in mist, shadows parting to reveal light. The shard Lando showed her, scorched but marked in Luke’s script. The word that kept returning in every account she’d read: heal.
“Rose, it’s not just a myth. It’s a map, broken into pieces. Luke almost found one fragment. Another, lost to the First Order’s destruction. And the last was entrusted to this witch coven.”
“So, we need all three to do what exactly?”
Rey closed her eyes, her breath shaking. For the first time, the threads pulled taut into something whole. “Eya’s vision wasn’t just a dream. It’s a call. And the Wayfinder isn’t simply about crossing into the World Between Worlds or Veil of Worlds. It’s about restoring balance to the Force.”
“Alright, well then let’s do that,” Rose jumped up from her crouch. “I’ll tell the others.”
Rey’s fingers curled into the parchment, determination steeling her. She whispered, “Then I’ll find them. I’ll find the coven. I’ll finish what Luke started.”

Chapter Text

The Falcon was being loaded with provisions by Poe and Finn, Rose and Kaydell speaking with Chewbacca as Rey strode up to them, pack full of essentials at her back.
“Ready?” Rose asked with a grin ready for adventure.
“Guess so,” she answered. She looked back at where she had spotted Eya in the trees walking towards the hangar and lifted a hand. She knew Eya wouldn’t let anything happen to the other students. She was distant and hard to get along with, but she protected those in need with everything she had. Rey only saw the glistening of metal, and she knew the girl must’ve raised a bracelet-adorned hand in response.
“Are you sure you don’t wanna join us?” Finn asked Jannah who was waiting next to Lando until they departed.
“Nah, I’ll sit this one out. And don’t worry Rey,” Jannah looked back at the trees. “I’ll take care of things.”
“I know you will,” Rey smiled back with gratitude. Then she turned to Lando who was already approaching her with open arms. “I’ll keep in touch with everything.”
“Good,” he let her go again. “And good luck with finding everything or… everyone you’re looking for,” he winked to which she nodded. And with that, they set off.
The Falcon snapped out of hyperspace with a low groan, its frame rattling from the sudden drag. Before them, Dathomir loomed. The planet turned slowly beneath the viewport—a sphere of shadow and crimson storms. Lightning crawled across its upper atmosphere-like veins of fire, illuminating twisted forests and jagged canyons below.
“Well, that looks welcoming,” Poe’s sarcasm filled the cockpit with some ease.
“Stars above,” Rose whispered, leaning forward in her seat. “It looks… haunted.”
Chewie rumbled a low growl, ears flattening slightly.
“Yeah,” Poe muttered, tightening his grip on the controls, “Chewie’s got the right idea. I’m already regretting this landing.”
Rey didn’t answer. She stood behind Poe and Finn, her eyes fixed on the planet. The closer they came, the stronger the presence pressed against her mind—a dark, thrumming pulse, like a heartbeat beneath the soil. It wasn’t the consuming hunger of the Sith, nor the clarity of the Jedi. Something older. Wilder. Watching.
Finn glanced back at her. “You’re sensing it, aren’t you?”
Rey nodded once. “The Force is… thick here. Like a fog. But it’s not just darkness. There’s something else. Something waiting.”
The ship jolted violently as turbulence struck. Red warning lights flared on the console.
“Great,” Poe muttered, fighting the controls, “the galaxy’s most cursed planet, and we’re about to crash into it.”
Rose steadied herself on the co-pilot’s chair. “There—break in the clouds, two clicks east. Try to set us down near that ridge.”
The Falcon roared through the atmosphere, lightning flashing around them. Below, the forests rose—endless skeletal trees, their branches gnarled like claws against the red haze of the sky. Black rivers cut through valleys choked with mist. Finally, with a bone-rattling shudder, the ship touched down on uneven ground. The engines powered low, leaving only the sound of creaking metal and the hiss of cooling vents. The ramp lowered. The air outside was heavy and damp, filled with the scent of ash and wet earth. Mist curled across the ground, clinging to their boots as they stepped out. Chewie sniffed the air, growling low in his chest. In the distance, through the haze, a formation of stone pillars jutted from the earth like jagged teeth. They glowed faintly in the stormlight, carved with symbols Rey couldn’t yet decipher—but she could feel them, humming in her bones, calling to her.
Poe followed her gaze, his voice dry. “I’m guessing that’s where the creepy witches hang out.”
Rey’s hand tightened around her hilt. “That’s where we need to go.”
The team exchanged uneasy looks. Chewbacca gave a sharp bark of agreement as Rey took the first step toward the stones, mist swirling around her. For a heartbeat, she swore she heard whispers drifting through the air—familiar voices, old and new, echoing across time. She pressed forward. The mist thickened as they drew nearer to the ring of stone pillars. Each one towered several meters high, carved with runes that flickered faintly like dying embers. The air grew colder, charged with unseen energy that prickled their skin.
Finn slowed, hand near his blaster. “Tell me we’re not walking into some kind of trap.”
Rey shook her head, though her voice was quiet. “If they wanted us dead, we’d already be gone.” 
Chewie rumbled low but followed. As they entered the circle, the air shifted. The whispers Rey had heard before sharpened, threads of sound weaving into an eerie harmony. The ground pulsed faintly beneath their boots, as though the stones themselves were alive. Then, without warning, shadows broke from the mist. Figures emerged, cloaked in black and crimson, their movements unnervingly fluid—as if they glided more than walked. Faces were hidden beneath hoods, but their presence was unmistakable: power that was neither Sith nor Jedi.
Rose instinctively stepped closer to Finn. Poe muttered, “Oh, yeah. Totally not ominous.”
The figures fanned out, forming a half-circle around the intruders. At the center, one witch stepped forward, lowering her hood. Her skin was pale as ash, her eyes glowing faintly red against the gloom. Lines of ink spiraled down her arms and neck—sigils that seemed to shift when Rey tried to focus on them.
“You trespass on sacred ground,” the witch intoned, her voice carrying both across the air and inside Rey’s skull. “Why have you come?”
Rey drew a steadying breath. “I seek knowledge. The Jedi once entrusted something to your kind. A path—a shard—that leads to the Wayfinder.”
The witches exchanged faint murmurs, though their lips did not move. The lead witch tilted her head, studying Rey with unsettling calm.
“You carry light… yet it coils around shadow.” Her gaze flicked to Finn, to Poe, to Rose, lingering on each with unnerving precision before returning to Rey. “Your blood hums with destiny. But destiny alone is not enough.”
Finn bristled, stepping forward. “If you know something, just tell us—”
The witch’s gaze snapped to him, and he froze. A faint shudder rippled through the air, rooting him in place until Rey touched his arm and shook her head.
“They’re testing us,” she whispered.
The witch smiled faintly, though there was no warmth in it. “Indeed. Words alone cannot grant what you seek. To walk the path of the Wayfinder, you must first prove your heart. If you are true, the gate of worlds will open. If you are false…” She lifted her hand slightly, and the mist around them seemed to darken. “…you will be devoured by it.”
Poe muttered under his breath, “Why does it always come down to creepy death trials?”
Rose shot him a look, then turned to Rey. “What do we do?”
Rey steadied her breathing. Her eyes met the witch’s, unflinching. “I’ll take your test.”
For a long moment, silence reigned. Then the witch raised her hand higher. The stones around them ignited with crimson fire, the runes glowing bright as the mist pulled inward like a living curtain. The ground shook faintly, and a deep, thrumming heartbeat echoed through the circle.
The witch’s voice layered with the voices of the others, resonant and chilling: “Then step forward, child of light and shadow. Step into the trial and prove your truth.”
Rey glanced back at her friends. Finn’s jaw was tight with worry, Poe gave her a small, reluctant nod, Rose whispered, “We’ve got your back,” and Chewie let out a low roar of encouragement. 
Rey lifted her chin, heart hammering, and stepped into the center of the circle. The mist swallowed her whole. The mist closed around her, thick as stone. Rey could no longer hear the others, only the low thrum of power reverberating in her chest. Shapes moved in the fog. Shadows of herself, dozens of them, stepping forward and circling her like predators. Each wore her face, but twisted—eyes golden, smiles cruel, scars running deep.
“You crave power,” one whispered.
“You crave love,” said another.
“You crave him,” breathed a third, their voice a low hiss that carried the weight of a name. Rey’s pulse quickened. She lifted her saber, its yellow glow slicing through the haze.
“I don’t crave,” she said, though the words shook. “I choose.”
The shadows laughed—an echo of Palpatine’s rasp, Snoke’s sneer, even Kylo’s fury. “Choose wrongly, and balance is shattered. Choose selfishly, and the worlds burn.”
The mist shifted. The shadows melted, reforming into visions: Luke, standing tall, disappointment in his eyes. Leia, weary, turning away. Kylo Ren, reaching for her hand—then pulling it back, his face disappearing into darkness. Rey staggered, her breath shallow. She wanted to scream, to deny what she saw, but the whispers coiled around her like chains. Then the ground beneath her shimmered, and she was standing before a great archway—black stone laced with starlight, the faint shimmer of a doorway that was not a doorway. The World Between Worlds. From the shadows, the lead witch’s voice echoed:
“Will you use it for yourself… or for the galaxy? Speak truth, Rey of no clan. Take the oath or be swallowed by the void.”
Rey lowered her saber. Her voice trembled, but she spoke with clarity: “I swear… if I step through, it won’t be for power. It won’t be for selfishness. It will be for healing—for balance. It won’t just be for me. It will be for all of us. For the galaxy we were meant to protect.”
For a heartbeat, there was only silence. Then the shadows screamed, shriveling into smoke that the mist devoured. The archway blazed brighter, runes along the stone flaring blue. Then Red. Then blue once more. The mist closed around Rey like a tomb. The air was heavy, choking, and the whispers grew sharper, cutting into her thoughts. From the fog, a figure emerged—dark cloak, crossguard saber sparking with crimson light. She blinked, mouth parting, seeing him before her for the first time since Exegol. He ignited the blade with a violent snap-hiss. 
“You can’t save me. You never could.” 
Rey steadied herself as she heard his voice for the first time in three years as clear as the first day she had met him. Her yellow saber hummed to life. “You’re not real.”
He lunged. The impact of his strikes reverberated through her bones, forcing her back step by step. The ground cracked beneath their feet, sparks raining as yellow and red clashed in the mist. He was relentless. He fought as the monster everyone had feared: the cold, unyielding shadow of what Ben Solo once had become.
“Strike me down,” he roared, blade bearing down on hers. “End me and claim your path.” 
Her saber trembled under the pressure. Her instinct screamed to fight harder, to prove herself. But as she stared into the mask, she heard something—a faint, muffled cry beneath the rage. A boy’s voice. Ben. She lowered her weapon. The shadow froze, crimson blade hovering at her throat.
Rey’s voice shook, but she didn’t falter. “I won’t kill you. Not here. Not ever. Because I know you’re more than this.”
The Kylo imitation wavered, flickering like a broken holoprojector. For a moment, his mask fell away—revealing Ben’s face, eyes wide, full of grief. She inhaled sharply at seeing his face. The face of her dyad. The face of the man she had believed to be her last hope. Worthy of saving. A man she knew could be redeemed. A man she had come to love. Then the vision collapsed into mist, dissolving into nothing. The whispers hissed in frustration, but Rey stood tall, saber lowering. The fog shifted again. Two new figures appeared before her: Luke and Leia, cloaked in light. Rey’s breath caught. They looked as she remembered them—Leia regal, calm, eyes both kind and stern, Luke solemn, his expression unreadable.
Luke’s voice carried over the silence. “You feared this moment. That you were never worthy of us. That you were never enough.”
Leia’s eyes softened. “So, prove it. Not with your blade, but with your heart. Show us who you truly are.” 
The ground trembled. The echoes of her past welled up—herself alone in the desert, begging for belonging; her failures, her anger, her fear that she was only ever a scavenger unworthy of their legacy. Tears blurred her vision. She dropped to her knees, saber extinguished.
“I’m not you,” she whispered. “I’ll never be you. But I carry you with me. Both of you. And Ben, too. Not because I deserve it, but because I choose it. I choose to keep hoping. Even when it hurts. Even when I fail. I’ll keep believing that people can come back to the light. That’s who I am.”
The silence stretched. Then Leia stepped forward, laying a hand gently against Rey’s cheek. “That is why you are worthy.”
Luke gave a rare, faint smile. “You’ve already surpassed us, Rey. Not because of your power. Because of your compassion.” Their forms shimmered, dissolving into radiant light that poured into the ground, igniting runes beneath her feet. The mist swirled violently, revealing the great archway of the World Between Worlds, glowing brighter than before. 
From the shadows, the lead witch’s voice echoed: “You have faced darkness. You have faced your fears. And you have chosen hope. Take the shard, true of heart, and step forward.” 
The crystal shard appeared in Rey’s palms, pulsing with silver light. She held it tight, breathing hard, but steady now. The mist parted, and she stumbled back into the clearing where her friends waited. Finn caught her as before; concern etched on his face.
“What happened in there?” he asked. Rey looked down at the shard glowing in her hand, then back at the looming stones.
“I proved to myself that I don’t have to be them,” she whispered. “I just have to be me. And that’s enough.”

Chapter Text

The clearing around the stone circle thrummed with energy, still glowing faintly from Rey’s trial. Her hand tightened around the shard, its silver veins pulsing like a living heartbeat. The eldest witch stepped forward, her movements deliberate, voice resonant with authority. Her sisters remained in shadow, their chants fading into silence as the mist pulled back.
“You have proven true of heart,” the witch intoned. “The shard belongs to you now. But know this, Rey of the new Order—the Wayfinder itself is not here. Not in this age.”
Rey’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
The witch’s gaze cut through her, sharp and certain. “Our coven guarded only a fragment of its key. The true Wayfinder lies with our foremothers, long buried in time. They, and they alone, still hold the full vessel of passage. If you seek it, you must walk between worlds.”
Finn shifted uneasily, glancing at the mist around them. “You’re saying she has to… what, jump into the past?”
The witch ignored him, her eyes fixed on Rey. “You will now step through the Veil Between Ages. The shard is your compass, your tether. But it will not guide your destination. The currents of the Force will decide when, and where, you emerge.”
Poe crossed his arms, voice sharp. “So basically, she’s supposed to throw herself into some cosmic abyss and hope she doesn’t end up stuck in the middle of a black hole?”
Rose stepped closer to the witches, her voice steady despite the tension. “No. It’s more than that. The Wayfinder is tied to balance, right? The Force will send her where she needs to go—not where she wants to.”
Rey swallowed, the shard heavy in her hand. The Force around her was alive, whispering like a current tugging at her sleeves. This was about healing what was broken, mending a thread that had been torn from the galaxy’s weave.
Chewbacca rumbled low in his chest, a questioning growl. The witch turned to him, as though she understood perfectly. “Yes. She will not walk alone. The bond of companionship strengthens the heart against temptation. She may take her circle with her—those she trusts to face what lies beyond. However, to make sure you return to your time, a living being must serve as your anchor. One of you must stay.”
Rey’s eyes flicked to Finn, Poe, Rose, BB-8 and Chewbacca. Her family. Her strength.
BB-8 let out a nervous beep and Finn shook his head in disbelief. “You’re actually considering this.”
Rey looked down at the shard, then back at him. “It’s not about what I want anymore. The Force has been leading me here since the beginning. If there’s even a chance… I have to try. I don’t expect any one of you to endure this, so, I’ll go alone if I must.”
The witch raised her hand, and all the witches began a chant in unison that felt older than life itself. The Force vibrated around and through her and the runes in the stone circle flared once more. A dark void shimmered within the archway – black as space, but rippling with streams of light, like rivers running in every direction. The air vibrated with an otherworldly hum, ancient and alive. The Veil had opened. When she looked into the Veil, she couldn’t see past it. All she saw was herself, and someone walking towards her reflection. She was instantly reminded of what she saw in the cave on Ahch-To and as she reached for the shadow beyond the Veil, it rippled like water, but she felt nothing. She watched the figure stand there, seemingly watching her. She wondered if the others saw the figure as well or it was only visible to her.
The witch’s final words rang out, solemn and sharp:
“Step true of heart, Rey. The path ahead will test you again. But remember this—time is not a gift. It is a burden. Carry it with wisdom or be lost forever.”
Rey tightened her grip on the shard the second in her side pouch. Her heart pounded, but for the first time, she didn’t hesitate.
She turned to her friends, expecting to say farewell. But when she opened her mouth, Rose, Finn and Poe all gave her a knowing look.
“Oh, please,” Rose said coming to her side. 
Finn sighed, exasperated but resolute. “You already know we’re not letting you go alone.”
Poe smirked, shaking his head. “Yeah, plus it wouldn’t be a Resistance mission if it wasn’t half crazy.”
Chewbacca gave them a a soft roar to which Poe answered. “You sure, Chewie?”
“The Wookiee knows what he’s doing,” the oldest witch stated matter of factly. “It’s settled then; he stays with the coven.”
Chewbacca whimpered as he hugged each of them.
“We’ll be back in no time,” Rey reassured him. “No need to worry, we’ve been though worse.”
Poe was already kneeling down for to say farewell to his droid, “Take care of Chewie, alright, buddy?” And BB-8 gave him sad beeps in response.
Rose gave a small nod, holding out her hand to Rey who took it. “Together, then.”
Chewie roared his agreement. Rey drew a deep breath, the shard glowing brighter in her hand as the archway pulsed, beckoning. The mist swirled in, and the hum grew into a roar.
With one last glance at her companions, she stepped forward—and together, they vanished into the void.
The world dissolved. They were weightless, suspended in a void where endless doors and pathways stretched into infinity, luminous threads connecting them like constellations. Shadows of figures — ancient Jedi, nameless wanderers, beings both familiar and strange — flickered at the edges, walking their own unseen roads. Voices whispered, not in words but in memories, brushing against their minds like falling leaves. Rey felt her heart hammer. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw Luke — watching her from afar with sorrowful pride — and beyond him, the flicker of someone she ached to reach. But the vision slipped away before she could call out. Finn’s hand brushed hers, grounding her. His eyes were wide, but steady. “Stay together. No matter what we see.” Then the Veil surged around them, the threads collapsing into a single point of blinding light—
They fell. The crash of reality returned all at once — air, gravity, the taste of dirt and sunlight on their tongues. Rey hit the ground hard, rolling through grass, the shock of impact knocking the breath from her chest. Beside her, Poe cursed as he scrambled upright, brushing leaves from his jacket. They were in a forest clearing. Tall, twisted trees ringed the glade, their branches scarred by old fire. The forest was still, but not dead. Birds called from the canopy, and shafts of golden light fell across the ruins. The wind whistled through the broken stonework, carrying the scent of wild grass and old earth. Strange ruins jutted from the earth nearby — toppled stones, weathered carvings, the skeletal remains of old structures.
Rose turned in a slow circle, scanning with her datapad. “I… don’t recognize this star system. At least not from here.”
Finn knelt, running a hand along one of the blackened stones. “These ruins… they don’t look Imperial, or First Order.”
Rey rose to her feet, her senses thrumming. The Force was strong here, whispering through the roots and stones, heavy with memory. She touched the scarred trunk of a tree and felt echoes — children laughing, training sabers clashing. Her breath caught. 
Poe kicked at a loose shard of rubble, his blaster still drawn just in case. “Another pile of rocks,” he muttered. “We went through a cosmic nightmare for this?”
“Don’t dismiss it,” Rose said, kneeling beside a column half-buried in moss. Her fingers brushed faint etchings. “These are… Jedi symbols. Very old. The kind you’d see on relics in the oldest temples.”
Rey was quiet, her palm pressed against the same column. The Force stirred here like a sleeping giant, every stone soaked in memory. She whispered more to herself than the others: “This place… it’s strong. The Force lingers.”
Finn came up beside her, glancing around at the ruins. “So maybe this was a Jedi world. Long before the Republic.”
“Lando said Luke was on the hunt for the shards,” Rose nodded. “Maybe he came here centuries later to search for answers.”
Poe frowned. “So, you’re saying we were brought here because Luke may have visited this place? The guy visited so many places. Why this one?”
“I’m sure because either the last shard is here, or because the answer for where to find it is here,” Finn stood with his hands on his hips, looking at his surroundings.
“That’s a possibility,” Rose said carefully. “The timelines aren’t clear. This could be thousands of years before Luke or Leia, or anybody even existed.”
Rey’s brow furrowed. Her instincts whispered otherwise, but she didn’t want to speak too soon. “I don’t know. There’s… something familiar in the way the Force moves here.”
Finn studied her face, then the horizon. “Well, either way, we’re definitely not where—or when—we thought we’d be.”
A heavy silence settled between them.
Rey ran her hand along the weathered symbol of the Jedi, half-buried in dirt. “Ancient or not, this place matters. Luke must have felt it too. That’s why he is somehow tied to this place. Let’s figure out what he knew… or what he may have found out.”
They all glanced around the ruins, unease mixing with wonder. They didn’t know if this planet was still inhabited. And if so, by who.
“I say we scan the layout, find higher ground to get a good look at this place,” Finn suggested. They all agreed and made their way to find answers.

The climb wasn’t long, but the slope was steep and tangled with roots. By the time they reached the ridge, Poe was huffing, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Next time,” he grumbled, “we land somewhere with a nice cantina.”
Finn grinned despite himself. “You didn’t complain when we were running from stormtroopers. But a hill? That’s too much?”
“Stormtroopers don’t come with cliffs,” Poe shot back.
Rose ignored them both, unfolding her scanner and slowly sweeping the horizon. From the ridge, the forest stretched out in every direction, broken only by the scattered bones of ruins. Towers toppled into the earth like fallen giants with their surfaces scarred with moss and age. The sunlight turned the stone pale gold.
Rey stepped closer to the edge, her eyes distant. She breathed in, letting the Force rush through her senses. “It’s vast. Empty… but not dead. There’s a hum here. Like a memory that won’t fade.”
Finn joined her, his gaze cautious. “If Luke really came here, then he must’ve felt the same thing. That’s why he chose it.”
Rose glanced up from her scanner. “Which means we need to be careful. If anyone’s here now—locals, settlers, Force users—we can’t risk exposing who we are.”
Poe lowered himself onto a rock, tugging off his gloves. “Right. So, we need a story. Something simple. Believable. Just in case someone asks why four strangers showed up in the middle of nowhere.”
“Travelers,” Finn offered. “Looking for trade routes.”
“Or scholars,” Rose suggested. “Researchers cataloguing ruins. That could explain our gear.”
Poe smirked. “As long as we don’t say ‘time travelers,’ I’m good.”
Despite the tension, Rey smiled faintly. But her voice was steady. “It has to be more than a story. If we’re questioned, we’ll need to stick to it, all of us. Agreed?”
They nodded, the air between them heavy with unspoken worry. 

As the sun dipped lower, they made camp on the ridge. Finn gathered wood while Rose adjusted the scanner for a longer sweep while Poe argued with her over rations until Rey shoved a packet into Poe’s chest with a grin.
It felt almost normal—until Finn returned with something in his hand. He set it down in front of Rey. “I found this while I was looking for firewood. It feels like it could be clue or something.”
A broken piece of stone, no larger than a palm. Its surface bore the faint etching of the Jedi Order’s crest, sharper and less eroded than the others they had seen. Rey’s breath caught. She brushed her fingers over the symbol, the Force stirring at her touch.
Rose leaned closer, frowning. “That’s recent. Not centuries old. Maybe decades.”
Poe blinked. “So… what, we’re not in the distant past? More like… closer?”
Rey didn’t answer immediately. The shard hummed faintly against her skin, familiar in a way that made her chest tighten. She whispered, almost to herself: “Luke was here. Not just long ago. Recently.”
Finn’s eyes searched hers. “How recent?”
Rey’s gaze drifted to the dark horizon, unease curling in her stomach. “I don’t know. But close enough that we’re not as far from his shadow as we thought.”
“Damn, what if we bump into… us?” Poe asked with a grimace. “If this is true, and we’re only decades in the past, we could actually potentially bump into our past selves?”
Rose looked at Rey, and she knew instantly she was thinking of her sister.
“Well, I know where I’d be,” Finn’s pained expression made her cringe. “I doubt I’ll be anywhere near the younger me. And we’re clearly not on Jakku, so Rey’s good too.”
Rey winced thinking about her younger self all alone in the deserts of Jakku. The thought of wanting to see her child-self came like a fleeting dream, but she knew that she couldn’t. And shouldn’t.
“Yeah, I wasn’t anywhere near this place either,” Poe said to himself, clearly thinking out loud.”
“But there is a chance we could bump into a younger Luke. Depending how far back we are.”
The fire popped, sending sparks into the dark. None of them said it aloud, but the silence around the flames told the same truth: whatever this world was, it wasn’t just a relic of the Jedi. It was tied to Luke in ways they hadn’t yet begun to understand.

Chapter Text

The ridge gave them a sweeping view of the land below: forests rolling out like waves, broken only by the jagged silhouettes of stone spires. The ruins weren’t random — they were once structures, maybe towers or temples, long since claimed by time.
Poe shielded his eyes. “Looks deserted. Not exactly the place you’d expect to find a functioning ship.”
“Not deserted,” Rey murmured. The Force whispered around her, tugging her attention to movement at the base of the spires. Shadows shifted against the twilight. “We’re not alone.”
By the time they descended carefully to the ruins, the shapes had revealed themselves: men and women dressed in patched leather and cloth, their skin marked with patterns of ash and paint. Primitive weapons were strapped across their backs — staffs, bows, even blades — yet there was something unmistakable about them. The way they moved. The way the Force coiled around them.
Rose whispered, “They don’t look like smugglers…”
“Ysanna,” Rey said softly. The word tasted strange on her tongue, like it had come from the Force itself. She stepped forward slowly, lowering her white hood. The Ysanna warriors leveled their staffs warily. One of them — a tall man with long braids bound by beads — barked something in a dialect Poe seemingly didn’t recognize, by the look on his face.
Finn raised his hands, palms open. “We mean no harm. We’re travelers. Strangers here.”
The leader narrowed his eyes, studying Rey with sharp intensity. His gaze lingered on her lightsaber, visible at her hip. He spoke again, slower this time, his words halting but clearer: “Jedi?”
Rey hesitated. The word carried weight here. She nodded once. “Yes. Jedi.”
A murmur ran through the Ysanna. Some lowered their weapons; others tensed further. The leader gestured toward the forest behind him, then back at the group. “Raiders. We fight. Always. You help –” he tapped his chest, then pointed to their group – “friends.”
Rose leaned closer to Rey. “I think he’s saying… if we help defend them, they’ll trust us. Maybe they can help us navigate this place.” She whispered the last part.
Rey nodded. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

An hour later, the Ysanna camp glowed faintly beneath the fractured towers, firelight dancing across painted faces and weathered stone. The air was still, heavy with the scent of burning wood and dry earth. Rey sat cross-legged near the fire, trying to reach for calm in the Force — but it thrummed with unease, like the ground itself was holding its breath.
She opened her eyes. “They’re coming.”
The Ysanna leader, Kanar, tightened his grip on his staff. His people stiffened, warriors rising from their seated circles. In the distance, a shrill horn cut through the night, followed by the clatter of boots and the crude roar of engines. Shadows poured from the treeline — raiders, clad in scavenged armor, brandishing vibroblades and blasters. Their war-cries echoed, feral and hungry.
Poe cursed under his breath as he drew his blaster. “Guess negotiations are off the table.”
Finn hefted the staff Kanar had given him, his knuckles white. “Then we stand with them.”
Rey rose, igniting her saber. Its yellow glow lit the ruins, a steady flame against the chaos to come.
The raiders rushed the outer barricade — crude walls of stone and wood. Ysanna warriors met them head-on, shields locking in a defensive line. The clash was deafening – wood splintering, blades scraping, blaster bolts cracking against stone.
Rey vaulted the barricade, saber flashing. She moved not with fury but with precision, deflecting bolts, disarming raiders instead of cutting them down. A vibroblade swung for her neck — she ducked, spun, and cut the weapon’s hilt in half, sending the attacker sprawling.
“Behind you!” Finn shouted.
She turned just in time to see another raider lunging. But Finn intercepted, his staff cracking across the man’s ribs with a thud. He fought with raw instinct, every strike protective, every stance wide — like he was still shielding the only family he’d ever known.
“Not bad for your first staff fight,” Rey called, breathless.
“Don’t get used to it!” Finn grunted, blocking another blow. “I’m more of a blaster man.”
On higher ground, Poe laid down cover fire with sharp precision. Each shot forced the raiders back, scattering their lines. “I’ve flown TIE dogfights in asteroid fields tighter than this,” he muttered, snapping off another clean shot.
Beside him, Rose worked quickly, repurposing the Ysanna’s tools. She overturned a cart, rigging its metal parts into a makeshift shield wall. Sparks flew as she welded plates together. “If you two keep yelling,” she shouted toward Finn and Rey, “maybe they’ll forget about the twenty more charging from the left flank!”
Poe covered her with sharp shots. “Don’t worry — I’ve got her back.”
Rose looked up briefly, sweat streaking her face. “You’d better.”
The raiders pressed harder, forcing the Ysanna line back into the camp. For every one of them driven away, two more emerged.
Kanar barked something guttural, slamming his staff into the ground. The Ysanna rallied, their painted shields glowing faintly as though charged with the Force itself. They slammed forward, shoving the raiders back step by step.
Rey felt it then — their bond to the Force. Raw, untrained, but powerful. She raised her saber high. “With them!”
Together, she and Finn surged forward with the Ysanna. Rey deflected a volley of blaster fire, sending bolts ricocheting harmlessly into the ruins. Finn swung low, knocking a raider flat before striking his weapon away.
Rose triggered her makeshift barrier. A surge of smoke and sparks burst outward, blinding the raiders. “Now!”
Poe whistled low. “That’ll do it.”
The Ysanna charged into the confusion. With Rey at the center, calm and resolute, the raiders broke and scattered. Their cries faded into the forest until only silence and the hiss of Rey’s saber remained.
The camp was still. Fires burned low. The Ysanna stood in a circle, their weapons lowered but their eyes fixed on Rey.
Kanar stepped forward, placing his hand over his chest. “Jedi,” he said firmly. Not a question this time — but recognition.
Rey lowered her saber, deactivating it with a hum. Her chest rose and fell, but her gaze was steady. “We didn’t fight alone. We fought together.”
Kanar looked at his warriors and then at theirs, “We thank. How we give back?”
“Safe passage is enough,” Rey said selflessly.
“Or y’know, if you have a ship or something,” Poe quickly added sarcastically.
The Ysanna murmured among themselves. Then, with solemn nods, they turned and had their group follow them beyond some ruins, revealing what they had hidden: a patched, battered transport ship, its engines humming faintly from recent repairs.
Kanar gestured to it, then looked back to Rey. “You fight with honor. Jedi are friends. This… yours.”
The ship was crude, scarred — but it was flight. It was freedom. Rey glanced at Finn, Poe, and Rose. Relief flickered in their tired smiles. But inside, she felt something deeper. The Force wasn’t just guiding her steps. It was showing her that compassion, unity, and hope could win allies where blades alone never would. 
“Thank you,” Finn said. “We appreciate it.”
Rose already was up the ramp, probably making an analysis of the functionality. She always made everything work again, so Rey had full faith in her. 
As a farewell, the group agreed to join the Ysanna people for a feast as a celebration of the days victory. The Ysanna camp was alive with crackling firelight and the scent of charred roots. Shadows danced across half-collapsed stone walls, etched with spirals and beasts whose meaning was lost to outsiders. Rey, Finn, Poe, and Rose sat low among the warriors and elders, careful to mirror their posture.
Kanar, the elder, spoke in halting Basic, his accent thick as he gestured with a carved staff.
“We… fight. Jedi fight… with us. Long ago. Again.” He tapped the staff twice on the stones, the sound echoing like punctuation.
Rey’s throat tightened. “You knew Jedi?” she asked softly, testing the word.
The younger Ysanna warrior’s eyes lit. “Yes. Jedi. Light sword.” He pointed at her hilt before slashing his hand through the air with a sound effect only half-serious, making the others chuckle. Then, quieter: “Teacher. Sun-hair. Eyes like water-sky.”
Finn and Poe exchanged a glance. Rey stayed still, only her heartbeat betraying her recognition.
Rose spoke carefully, as though simply curious. “You say Jedi fought with you. Where? Here?”
Kanar’s wife answered in a voice deep as earth. “Here. Always here. This is T’kana.” She pronounced the word with a reverence that lingered in the air.
“T’kana,” Rey repeated, letting the syllables settle on her tongue. “Your name for this world?”
The woman nodded. “Yes. T’kana. Our bones in this soil. Old, old.” Her gaze swept toward the distant cliffs where ancient ruins caught the starlight. “The towers remember.”
Rey caught Rose’s eye, revealing she now knew exactly what planet they were on.
Poe leaned closer, casual but probing. “And… the Jedi? Do they still come here? Or is that only story now?”
The younger warrior frowned, his Basic crumbling under the weight of meaning. “Not story. Teacher came. Seasons… not many. He build. Fix walls. Bring small ones. Learners.” He touched the ground with his palm, then lifted it skyward. “New roots.”
Finn tilted his head. “Recently, then?”
The youth shrugged. “Time… flows. Sky moves. For us… not long.”
The ambiguity hung between them. Rey tucked the word away: T’kana. A name older than Basic charts, a name only the Ysanna carried.
Kanar leaned toward Rey suddenly, his eyes sharp. “You… Jedi. Yes.”
She inclined her head with quiet honesty. The elder pressed his hand briefly to hers, rough fingers curling like roots. “Then you walk the song. Same song. Different verse.”
Rey swallowed, her heart thrumming. She wanted to ask—when exactly had Luke been here? Was he still here now?—but the words tangled in her throat.
Instead, she nodded, repeating softly: “T’kana.”
The fire popped. Sparks drifted into the dark. And in that silence, the group pieced it together quietly, wordless between them.

Chapter Text

The firelight of the Ysanna faded behind them as Rey, Finn, Poe, and Rose gathered in the shadow of a crumbled tower. The air was heavy with the scent of dust and charred stone, the stars sharp and cold above them.
Finn ran a hand over his face. “So. T’kana.” He spoke the name slowly, still getting used to its weight. “Not on any charts I know.”
Rose sat cross-legged on a stone block, her eyes thoughtful. “The ruins we saw… they’re old. And if they’ve been guarding this place for generations, maybe the name was lost everywhere else.”
Poe leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. “The way they spoke about Jedi, like legends walking among them—that doesn’t sound recent. Could be we’re standing on something ancient. Long before Luke. Maybe that’s why he came here later. Following trails.”
Rey’s brow furrowed as she traced her hand along the stone beside her, feeling faint grooves of old carvings worn almost smooth. “It does feel… layered. As though the ground itself remembers.” She closed her eyes for a beat, then shook her head. “But it doesn’t feel abandoned. Not completely.”
Finn gave her a sidelong look. “You think Jedi were here… what during the war pre-Empire?”
Rose nodded. “It makes sense. If Luke came here later, he might’ve been searching for the same things. Answers, history, maybe even artifacts.”
Rey hesitated, glancing at the others. “If that’s true, then we’re not ahead of him. We’re walking a much older path. One he only retraced.”
Rose straightened, lowering her voice. “So, if anyone asks, we say we’re here on orders. Lando sent us. He’s tangled with Jedi before, no one would question that.”
Finn gave a sharp nod. “Good. Because until we know more, we can’t afford to tip our hand. Not about who we are, and especially not about why we’re here.”
Poe leaned back with his arms crossed. “If it turns out we’re in some ancient Jedi age, dropping names like Lando or Luke makes us sound insane. So, we need something timeless. Something that works no matter when we are.”
Rose thought for a moment, her brow furrowed. “Pilgrims,” she suggested. “Travelers following the Force. The Jedi were always seen as seekers. We lean into that. Say we’ve been drawn here by dreams or visions.”
Rey nodded slowly. “That’s not a lie.”
Finn gave a wry smile. “Most good covers aren’t. Just… shaped truth.”
Poe snapped his fingers. “Right. Pilgrims, dreamers, vision-followers. Doesn’t matter if we’re in some ancient Republic era, or if Luke’s temple hasn’t been built yet. Nobody’s going to question a group of wanderers seeking the Force. Especially not if Rey’s with us.”
Rose added, “And if it turns out we’re not as far back as we think, if we are in Luke’s time? Then we adjust. Say we were sent by Lando. Say we’re helping rebuild. Keep it vague, but true.”
Rey folded her arms, staring into the dying fire. She didn’t like deception—it always knotted her chest—but the stakes were too high to risk being careless. “So: pilgrims. Travelers led by visions. Jedi and companions.”
Finn nodded. “It’s believable. It’s safe. And it buys us time until we know where—and when—we are.”
For a while, none of them spoke. The night stretched wide and still, the stars unblinking above. Finally, Poe broke the silence, his voice quieter than usual.
“Whatever this place is, whoever’s out there… we need to stick close. No one goes off alone. We move as one.”
Rey’s gaze drifted back to the horizon, where faint ruins shimmered in starlight. The Force tugged at her like a tide. Whatever truth lay hidden here, it would test them before it revealed itself. And for now, they would be pilgrims. Dreamers. Seekers. Until the past itself gave them away. 

Morning broke pale and silver over the ruins. The Ysanna gathered at the edge of the settlement, their weathered faces unreadable in the soft light. One of the elders stepped forward and pressed her palm to Rey’s chest, over her heart. 
“Jedi,” she said in her accented Basic, her tone solemn. “Path… north.” She gestured toward the mountains, jagged silhouettes against the horizon. “There… answer.”
Rey bowed deeply. “Thank you. For your trust. For your fight.”
The elder’s gaze swept across Finn, Rose, and Poe. “Strong together. Care… each other. Not… lose way.”
The group exchanged looks, touched by the quiet gravity of the words. Poe gave the Ysanna a crisp, respectful nod. Finn clasped a warrior’s hand. Rose, ever gentle, whispered a few words of thanks in the Ysanna tongue, halting but earnest. When they finally turned toward the ship they had earned in battle—a weathered freighter, patched and scarred but still functional—the Ysanna stood in silence, watching them go, as though sending pilgrims on a sacred journey. 

The freighter’s ramp hissed as it lowered, and the four of them filed inside. The air smelled faintly of oil and spice, the hum of dormant systems waiting to be awakened.
“Home sweet home,” Poe muttered, running a hand over the pilot’s chair. “Let’s see if she still talks.”
He slid into the seat, flicking a few switches. Lights blinked to life, consoles buzzing with reluctant energy. Finn and Rose took up positions at the co-pilot’s station, checking diagnostics.
Rey lingered near the viewport, her gaze fixed north, where mountains cut the sky. She could feel the pull of the Force like a distant beacon. Then a console chimed. A string of Aurebesh scrolled across the screen. Finn frowned, leaning in.
“…Navicomputer’s still intact,” he said. “Coordinates logged. Star charts…” His voice trailed off.
Rose’s eyes widened as she scanned the data. “This isn’t ancient. These charts—they’re updated to the current Republic system. This is… recent.”
Poe turned sharply. “How recent?”
Finn swallowed, scrolling through the display. “Year… twenty-seven ABY.”
The words hung in the cockpit like a blaster shot. Rey’s breath caught. ABY—After the Battle of Yavin. Not centuries ago. Not even a full decade. Not ancient history. They hadn’t been thrown back into the Old Republic or the time of Jedi myth.
Rose whispered it aloud, as though saying it would make it real. “We’re not in the distant past. We’re in our own age.”
Finn shook his head. “Look—the logs show recent planetary registry. T’kana is Ossus.”
A holomap flickered into existence above the navicomputer, projecting a translucent sphere of the planet. The terrain shimmered with contour lines and faint energy readings.
Finn leaned forward, pointing. “There—north. That must be what the Ysanna meant.”
Rose tapped a few controls, zooming in. The map responded sluggishly but clearly, highlighting a region nestled between mountain ridges. Heat signatures glowed faintly. “These aren’t ruins,” she said softly. “These are active power readings. Structured. Organized.”
Rey said nothing, her eyes locked on the growing cluster of data markers on the map. The Force was surging inside her, tugging her toward that direction like a current pulling a ship.
Finn spoke the words in her head. “This world was charted as part of… Luke Skywalker’s efforts. The Jedi Order.”
Rey’s hands tightened at her sides. The Force surged inside her, heavy and insistent.
Poe exhaled hard, pushing away from the console. “So the Ysanna weren’t pointing us toward some lost ruin. North doesn’t mean history. It means…”
Rey’s voice was quiet, but certain. “…Luke. His temple.”
For a moment, silence filled the ship. Then the engines roared to life beneath them, shaking the hull. Rey turned her gaze north once more. There was no denying it now. The temple wasn’t legend or dust. It was alive. Waiting. And somewhere within its walls… maybe just maybe, him.

The freighter rattled as its old engines groaned to life, lifting the ship above the moss-covered ruins. The view through the cockpit canopy widened, showing endless stretches of forest and craggy peaks bathed in morning light.
Poe glanced at her, then at Rey. “So what’s up there? What are we flying into?”
Before anyone could answer, the ship’s comms crackled to life. “Unidentified vessel,” a calm voice intoned, edged with authority. “You are entering restricted airspace. State your origin and intent.”
The four froze. Finn’s eyes darted to Poe, who looked equally startled.
“That’s… Basic,” Rose whispered. “Fluent. Not Ysanna.”
The voice returned, firmer this time. “Repeat: Unidentified vessel, you are entering restricted Jedi Order space. State your origin and intent.”
Poe slowly removed his hands from the controls, glancing at the others. “Did… did they just say Jedi Order?”
Finn’s throat tightened. “So, we were right.”
But Rey’s breath hitched as her eyes closed, sensing the truth vibrating through the Force. The temple wasn’t a ruin, wasn’t a relic. It was confirmed. And they were at its gates.
“Lando Calrissian sent us,” Poe explained.
“How many passengers? And on what business?” The voice asked.
“Four. And let’s just say Lando said it was confidential and to go straight to a… Luke Skywalker,” Poe answered casually.
“Permission to land,” the voice said before leaving them in complete silence.

Their newly acquired ship gently landed on the grassy surface and Rey felt a slight shudder when the landing gears touched ground. Realization of where she was and who she could potentially encounter slowly washed over her as she looked out onto the tall grass outside of the cockpit. She thought about reaching out to him to see if there was a connection but quickly decided not to. It was probably best to retain as much information as possible about their connection and reason of their visit at a place full of force-sensitive people. 
Finn put a warm hand on her shoulder. “Ready?” He asked with a soft reassuring smile. 
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She said turning towards him with a slightly nervous expression. She put her hand over his and nodded.
“Guys, you coming? We already have a welcoming party,” Poe yelled from the back cabin. Finn and Rey got up and rushed out of the cockpit.
The hatch opened to reveal two young women, one with white shoulder-length hair braided on one side of her head and the other with long dark intricately braided hair with multiple chains woven into the thick braid. “Welcome. I’m Voe and this is Anyah. What is your business here?”
“We would like to speak to Luke Skywalker.” Poe answered her. 
“How did you find our location? We weren’t informed of a visit for Master Skywalker.”
“Lando- ugh, Lando Calrissian sent us,” Poe continued. “He gave us these coordinates and said to find Skywalker.”
“Lando? Hmm.” Anyah and Voe looked at each other and must’ve been satisfied with their explanation. “Master Skywalker isn’t here. He will most likely be gone for another few days or so. But, you are all welcome to stay here if you’d like to wait for him,” Anyah offered. “How urgent is it?”
“That’s very generous,” Rey thanked her. 
“He didn’t say it was too urgent,” Poe chimed in. “Just to get a message to him.”
“Well, we are his students,” Voe raised an eyebrow. “We can pass the message along to him.”
“No, thank you,” Poe quickly said to Rey’s relief. “Lando said it’s confidential.”
Voe nodded and gestured to follow them, “Alright, this way then.”
“Well, that was easy.” Finn whispered to the others with a suspicious look. 
“There’s no official war yet, maybe they’re still a bit more trusting,” Rose shrugged.
Their group followed the two young Jedi towards two hills that covered the settlement revealing only the tip of a tall tower-like building. After a twenty-minute walk, passing the two hills, the settlement revealed itself fully. A large dome shaped structure surrounded by multiple smaller rock huts was placed perfectly between grassy hills and forests to conceal the settlement and avoid unwanted company. Rey inhaled the clean air and took in the view of the small idyllic village which seemed like a serene location to live. She saw some children sitting in circles and working on tools of some sort and other children meditating while an older Quarren stood watching and instructing them. Rey skimmed the settlement hoping to spot anyone familiar. To her disappointment she found nothing. 
The scent of Ksharra bread filled the air and Finn’s stomach growled in response. 
Anyah smiled. “I’ll show you where you can stay and then we can all meet in the dining hall for supper.” She turned to the tower. “It’s right over there but we will show you everything once you’ve settled in.”
“That sounds amazing!” Finn and Poe said simultaneously. 
Rose chuckled in amusement. “Give those two food and you’ll be friends forever!”
“I’ll remember that.” Anyah grinned and gestured to follow her. 
They all walked past the group of meditating padawans and their instructor who gave them a friendly nod in greeting. Rey smiled back and felt very welcome at the temple. They walked up to two huts that were a bit further away from the main building than the rest. “We only have two vacant huts at the moment,” Anyah said apologetically, “we don’t get too many guests.”
“That’s more than enough,” Rose said, “we don’t take up much room and we are very grateful to have an accommodation at all. Thank you.” 
Anyah nodded and pushed her long braid behind her. “Well, if you need anything you can come to me or to one of the other older padawans. Now, go ahead and settle in and then you can all join us in the dining hall, right up there.” She turned and pointed at the large lit vestibule of the main building. The thought of potentially having a long-awaited encounter with her dyad in that hall made her heart beat a little faster. Poe and Finn brought their bags into the second hut. Rose and Rey did the same in their own.
“They all seem very welcoming and hospitable for a place that’s supposed to be secret.” Rose said, putting her bag next to one of the wooden beds. 
“Yes, I also thought they would be a bit more … reserved.” Rey agreed. “Well, we haven’t met everyone yet. I’m sure some will be suspicious. I know I’d be.”
“True. The war hasn’t begun yet… they might not be aware of the First Order and there might not be an immediate threat to worry about. We know what the future holds but they don’t.”
“Hopefully we keep it that way.”
“Yeah… we know what’s coming for them … well, who.” Rose said, clearly, immediately regretting it. Rey looked at Rose with a doleful expression. Rose shook her head slightly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean –“
“It’s alright.” Rey gave her a reassuring smile. “I know what you meant.” She also knew it was probably hard to grasp that Kylo Ren and Ben Solo were not the same person… not really. Maybe they never would understand like she did.

Chapter Text

After some time, they all settled in and decided to meet where Anyah had directed them. Rose opened the large wooden door and to Rey´s surprise the dining hall wasn’t what she expected. Dozens of lanterns and colorful lamps lit up the room with chandeliers throwing interesting shadows onto the ceiling and walls, different colored banners decorated the walls and ceiling. Multiple round tables seating at least 8 people were scattered all across the room. The pleasant chatter of the padawans filled the room with occasional laughter ringing in her ears. The smell of Ksharra bread intensified along with the aroma of other spices unrecognizable to her, making her mouth water. A large soup bowl in hand, Voe and another padawan boy with short blonde hair carrying the Ksharren bread came through a large arch she assumed led to the kitchens. Two boys followed them with two more larger soup bowls. Finn and Poe were already seated at one of the tables reaching for the bread the young blonde boy set in front of them. Rey and Rose joined them and greeted Voe who was already setting soup-filled bowls in front of them. “Hope you like topato stew,” Voe said, “Anyah makes the best.”
“I’ve never had it but it smells and looks delicious.” Rey thanked her.
“I have,” declared Poe, shoveling another spoonful in his mouth, “and I gotta say this is pretty damn good.”
“It’s the best,” Voe agreed, giving her friend a pat on the shoulder.
“Thank you,” Anyah blushed, sitting down next to Rose. “But Ben’s is much better,” she said modestly, turning to Voe. Rey looked up at the mention of Ben.
“Oh, c’mon,” Voe tilted her head, “give yourself some credit! There aren’t any leftovers when you cook…ever!”
“Ben?” Finn asked glancing at Rey.
“Oh, Ben’s one of the older padawans here.” Anyah explained. “He’s part of our training group.” She pointed to Voe and herself. “He’s actually Master Skywalker’s nephew.”
“Yeah… the golden child,” Voe rolled her eyes.
“Oh, stop!” Anyah chided. “You’re just mad because he beat you again at Pazaak yesterday.”
“Whatever,” Voe turned to her stew.
“Really? Pazaak?” Poe asked interested. “I haven’t played that in forever. Maybe I’ll challenge him to a game or two.” Looking around the hall he added, “is he here?” Rey looked to Poe and then to Anyah hoping she’d say ‘yes‘.
“No, you missed him. He left this morning to join Master Skywalker,” her brown eyes glittered as she answered. Poe nodded then glanced at Rey with a slight apologetic shrug. “But we can still play a round of Pazaak one evening. I’m not any good at it but Voe is.”
“Pff, she wishes!” A low rough voice said behind them. They all looked up to the source and recognized the Quarren padawan from earlier. “Hi, I’m Hennix. 5-time Pazaak champion.” He stretched out his suction-tipped fingers with claws to Poe while teasingly looking at Voe.
“Ha! Not in this galaxy,” Voe jokingly pushed back.
Poe shook his finned hand. “Maybe you just found your match. I’m Poe, this is Finn, Rose and Rey.”
“Nice to meet you all. D‘you crash land here or-?” He asked looking at everyone of their group and lastly resting his eyes on Rey.
“No, nothing like that,” Finn spoke. “We were sent by a friend of Luke Skywalker’s to speak to him.”
“Ah, I see.” Hennix said, his gaze still on Rey then glancing at Voe and Anyah. The two girls gave each other a knowing look but then continued eating. “Maybe we can help?” Hennix looked back at Finn.
“He was specific. Speak to Skywalker directly,” Finn stayed stern.
Hennix nodded slowly. “Well, welcome then,” he gestured around him before taking a bowl of stew and taking a seat next to Rey.
The meal was delicious, and everyone enjoyed themselves. The padawans teased each other, laughed, told stories and made them feel genuinely welcome. Although Rey enjoyed socializing and having a delightful dinner, she couldn’t help but wonder where Ben was, what he was doing or when he would come back which let her gaze constantly be directed towards the entrance whenever someone walked in. Now and then, curious young padawans would come up to her or Rose wanting to know everything about them. They were happy to answer the children’s questions and listen to their stories as well. Rey thought how nice it would’ve been to grow up here with all these friendly people as opposed to the lonely childhood she had on Jakku. She thought about all the lonely meals she had had in her fallen AT-AT dwelling and how much she wished to share them with a family. With the Resistance she did find a family, and they did share great meals together but there was a constant tension in the air as if they were still at war. Therefore, she enjoyed every moment of the evening, knowing everyone was enjoying themselves and not in constant fear of an attack.
As the dining hall slowly became emptier and everyone slowly turned in, Hennix and Anyah stood up, wished them all a good night and headed towards the kitchen to clean up. After a while Rey, too, grew tired and stood up to turn in. A loud noise came from the kitchen as if something had shattered. Everyone turned to look but neither Anyah or Hennix could be heard.
“Should we check if everything is alright?” Poe asked but Voe only shook her head.
“No, it’s ok. Hennix is with her,” she said and got up urging everyone else to leave as well. “Ok, it’s getting late, we should all get some rest.”
Poe, Finn and Rose looked at each other and then to Rey who was as clueless as they seemed to be. So, they let Voe lead them outside and wished everyone a good night.
When the gang reached the huts they’d been assigned, Finn and Poe couldn’t hide their exhaustion and quickly retired to their hut with full, happy bellies. Rose opened the door to their own hut and slipped into bed while Rey stood outside for a moment. She heard the sound of an approaching ship and looked up to see a ZH-40 tribune-class light freighter fly overhead and land a bit further from the settlement where they apparently had all their ships and other vehicles.
“Goodness, that’s a loud engine,” Rose sighed, shaking her head. “Doesn’t sound healthy, that’s for sure.”
“Maybe you can look at whoever’s freighter that is. That’ll keep you busy.”
“Yeah, for a month,” Rose giggled sarcastically.
Rey smiled back and slowly took off her boots to join Rose in the twin-sized bed. She lay there for a while, thoughts about everything that had happened and possibly could happen took up her mind. She looked around the hut, the stone walls creating a dome shape dwelling, not unlike the huts she had seen and slept in on Ahch-To. She listened to Rose’s soft snores and closed her own eyes, hoping the nightmares would spare her this night before sleep washed over her.

The black emptiness faded, and Rey’s eyes opened to a dark room full of smoke. The smell of smoke and dust filled her nostrils, and the cold slowly left her body. She felt a warm hand cradling her neck and another resting on her stomach. She looked up to see Ben Solo staring at her with his sad, exhausted, warm eyes. She couldn’t believe who was before her, holding her as if she were made of glass and could break at any moment. Relief and elation made her smile.
“Ben,” she exhaled blissfully, finally being united with her dyad. Relief and longing pushed her to press her lips on his and she could’ve done so for hours. With a concerned look she drew back. She could feel him growing cold. He smiled at her before collapsing to the ground. His empty tunic fell to the ground as an aching emptiness and a sense of loss so sharp and painful took ahold of her, gripping her guts, almost paralyzing her. She had just found him. Her dyad. Her soulmate. Her family. But he was ripped away leaving a hole and unimaginable loneliness behind.
“I will always be with you,” his voice came to her through the Force. She knew he would forever be a part of her. Nevertheless, she felt incomplete.
Rey jerked up and opened her eyes. The pain of grief in her chest. The memory of losing Ben came to her in her nightmares and she had to endure that loss most nights since his passing. Although she had been given hope and was determined to find the last shard, she knew there was a very slim chance of finding him. They probably wouldn’t even cross paths in this timeline. And if she was being honest with herself, she probably shouldn’t cross paths with him altogether. She shook the thought away, knowing she had to focus on the goal at hand – finding the complete Wayfinder.
She looked over to Rose who was still sleeping. Trying not to wake her, Rey got up, tugged her boots on, pulled Rose’s blanket up to her shoulders, making sure she stayed warm, and slipped outside. The morning dew grazed her calves as she walked towards a small pond behind the huts, looking around to see if anyone else was up but found no one. She cupped her hands to gather the cold water and washed her face, neck and arms. She looked over the fog that lingered slightly above the pond and took in the fresh morning air for a while.
“Good morning! You’re up early.” A soft, warm voice said. It was Anyah with a basket of wet fabric in her arms.
Rey got up to face her. “Oh, good morning! I could say the same to you.”
Anyah looked down at the laundry, her hair was open, and a long black strand slid off her shoulder covering her face, that she quickly tucked behind her ear. “Yeah, we have an abundance of chores around here. Someone has to keep this place running.”
Rey admired her long, thick, black hair and wondered if Leia had ever worn her beautiful long hair open like that. In some way Anyah reminded her of Leia a bit. Or maybe she missed Leia so much that she constantly found things that reminded Rey of her former Master. Anyah wore similar garments to the other Jedi, but instead of the crème, beige and brown color palette, she wore yellow fabrics. The significance intrigued her, but she refrained from questions. Her dark lashes shaped her beautiful brown eyes perfectly and Rey wondered what planet she had come from.
“I’m happy to help with anything,” Rey offered.
“Oh, nonsense. You’re our guest,” she paused for a moment, gazed at Rey and said, “but I wouldn’t mind the company.”
“Sure.” Rey followed her back towards the huts and Anyah began hanging up the wet laundry over wooden triangular stands to dry.
“How long have you been here? I’m assuming this isn’t your home planet?” Rey asked carefully.
Without interrupting her chores, she answered with a smile, “No, I’m from Narendiraan,” she pulled her long waves to one side with a thoughtful expression. “I came here when I was sixteen, so, I’ve been here about six years now.”
“That’s a long time,” Rey smiled back.
She gave her a sidelong glance, “For me yes, for others, no. Hennix and Voe have been here since they were ten years old. They were one of the first at the temple.”
“How’d you come to be here? If I may ask,” Rey quickly added.
“My family knows Master Skywalker’s sister. Senator Organa was the one to make the arrangements for me,” Anyah answered carefully but Rey didn’t miss the hint of sadness in the girl’s eye.
She couldn’t quite place the sentiment, so she asked, “Do you miss it? Narendiraan I mean.” She knew nothing of Anyah’s home planet, only that it was a jungle planet and that it was still ruled by a monarchy. She assumed the landscape was similar to this planet.
Anyah picked up the empty basket, resting it on her hip and searching Rey’s eyes for a breath or two with an unreadable expression. “Some things.”
Rey didn’t want to press her anymore, so she nodded silently.
“And you? Where do you call home?”
Rey looked back at the hut Rose was still sleeping in as she answered in thought, “Home is wherever my friends are. But I’m from Jakku.”
“I can understand that sentiment,” Anyah smiled encouragingly. “Alright, let’s head to the dining hall.”
They both made their way to the hall for the next set of Anyah’s chores, with which Rey intended to help. She had wondered before how life at the temple must have been and was looking forward to finding out.

Chapter Text

“I usually make breakfast while the others are out either meditating or getting a head start on their own chores.” Anyah explained. “If you’d like I can show you around a bit after breakfast is prepared.”
“I’d love that,” Rey smiled and moved to find a knife to help cut up the fruit in the basket in front of them. Anyah gave her a look of ‘you’re a guest, stop helping’ but Rey threw her one back of ‘I will help regardless’. She nodded gratefully and they both quickly and routinely prepared everything for breakfast, so Anyah could later solely serve the meal. It was less stressful that way, she explained.
“So, do you do this on your own everyday?” Rey asked, having noticed none of the other Jedi apprentices were helping in the kitchen.
“The majority of the time, yes. I’m usually only alone in the mornings. I can sense your true concerns, Rey, and I can assure you I get all the help I need when I need it,” she winked. “Everybody has their own weight to carry to keep this place running.”
Rey felt caught with her thoughts and lowered her gaze.
“I know what you’re wondering, and no, I’m not a Jedi like the others,” Anyah answered an unspoken question. “I’m not … as strong in the Force and I don’t really intend on becoming one. So, I spend my days finding other helpful tasks to fulfill.”
“I meant no offense,” Rey quickly stated.
Anyah rubbed Rey’s arm. “I know, but I could tell you were struggling to ask. My abilities in the Force are limited, and I’m OK with that. Although I do sense your potential.”
Rey hadn’t thought of a response to such a question. Unspoken or not, it was one, and she didn’t know what an acceptable answer could be.
“It’s alright, you don’t have to tell me anything,” Anyah cut up the last piece of fruit and threw it into a large bowl with the rest.
Rey noticed that Anyah had a unique way of understanding people. She addressed certain unspoken thoughts but never pushed when she felt the conversation counterpart was uncomfortable talking about the things she detected. And Rey was incredibly grateful for that skill Anyah had. The dark-haired beauty was able to render things transparent without pressuring the other person to confrontation.
“So, how did you lot meet?” Rey knew Anyah meant her and her friends.
As Rey told her the story of how their little family came to be, she left out certain details and kept the narrative as ambiguous as possible. Anyah smiled here and there and nodded in understanding when Rey spoke with so much love about her best friends. Rey had the urge to know more about Anyah, something about her was fascinating and she sensed deep wisdom and resolution within this girl. As she spoke, Anyah’s hands moved with such ease and precision that it felt like the preparation of breakfast was like an artwork.
After everything was ready and before everyone began gathering in the dining hall, Anyah showed Rey around the settlement. She gave her a general overview of where the older group meditated, their training grounds, the airdrome and the rest of the temple. As they walked past the few ships in the airdrome, Rey spotted the ZH-40 tribune-class light freighter she had seen and heard the night before.
“I think I heard that freighter coming in last night. Rose said it didn’t sound too great. She really knows her stuff, if you need a helping hand with that,” Rey suggested, knowing Rose’s engineer brain was probably already grinding its gears.
“Thank you. I’ll let him know,” Anyah winked, making Rey wonder who she meant. But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a bell sound. “Well, I guess everyone is ready to eat,” the black-haired beauty chuckled, her waterfall of hair jolting with her movements.
Rey followed her back and saw Rose, Finn and Poe waiting for her to join them for breakfast. She, along with Finn and a young twi’lek padawan, helped Anyah dish out the porridge, fruit and berrries before sitting down to eat as well. Rey, whose back was towards them, heard Voe speaking to someone as they approached their table.
“No, it’s alright. I can get him, I have some business there anyway that I want to sort out before we leave for Chandrila,” Voe answered, grabbing a bowl.
“Oh, I wasn’t aware we had guests,” a deep, melodic voice said. Everyone looked up and Rey turned to see a tall human padawan, or Jedi by the looks of it, standing behind her with his hands on his hips.
“They arrived yesterday. They’re here to meet with Master Skywalker,” Anyah offered him, “Rey said Rose here could help you with your ship.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t hard to overhear that engine last night.” Rose chuckled as she scrunched her nose, probably remembering the assault on her ears.
“Well, that’s what happens when you interrupt a Mon Calamari gang fight,” he chuckled. “I’m Tai!” He introduced himself as he looked at everyone individually, his piercing blue eyes resting on Rey for a millisecond longer than he should have for her not to notice.
“Rose! This is Poe, Finn and Rey,” she introduced herself and the others.
“Why hello! Nice to meet you all! Welcome.” Tai sat down, grabbing a bowl for himself. “By the way, I saw your uncle, Hennix,” he directed his gaze to the Quarren, “he sends many greetings and wants to know when you’ll visit.”
“You were on Mon Cala?” Hennix asked.
“Yeah, Ben found a lead, and it took us to Dac. Speaking of Ben, Voe I don’t want to be pushy but he’s waiting,” Tai urged her with an apologetic look.
“Right. See you later, guys!” Voe stood up and left in a hurry.
“Mi’ra, tell your group to get ready for saber training,” Tai said to a young Mirialan girl walking past them. She nodded and her three dark blue braids bounced as she shuffled off. Rey looked over to Finn who knew exactly what she was thinking and nodded.
“Tai, would it be alright if Finn and I joined you?” Rey looked up to Tai who was now standing, getting ready to leave, bowl in hand and the wooden spoon still in his mouth.
“Sure. Do you have any experience with a saber?” He looked between her and Finn.
“Weeeell, I‘ve held a lightsaber now and then. Hers actually,” Finn added quickly, pointing a thumb towards her, “Rey is the maestro when it comes to that. But we recently started training together.”
“You have a saber?” Tai asked Rey scanning her person, with a raised eyebrow, clearly not finding one, since she had made it a point to not carry it around in order to not raise any suspicions.
“I do, it’s in my hut,” she hadn’t thought of an explanation for why she had a saber. His expression while curious was on the verge of suspicious, so she quickly added. “My friend… somewhat walked the path of the Force, or more, let it accompany her. She taught me some things about the ways of the Force and was able to guide me through assembling a saber of my own. She passed before my path was finished.”
The words were true and the ache of them colored her voice. Tai’s gaze softened, “I’m sorry for your loss. Your master must’ve trusted you deeply, to leave you with that knowledge.”
“She did,” the memory had her inclining her head, “she taught me to listen more than fight.”
She left out the fact that Luke himself was the one to teach her the foundations, but Leia was the one to give her a more wholesome view of it all. With Luke it had been a necessity. A necessity for the Resistance. A necessity for herself to understand. But with Leia, it had made her feel more in tune with herself and the Force. It must’ve been enough. The sincerity in her tone, the simplicity of her phrasing without any evasions or grand claims, satisfied him.
“Alright, the kids will be excited for our guests to join us.” Tai nodded with a faint smile. “New faces are always exciting.”
After they were all done eating, Rose and Poe offered to help Tai with his freighter while he trained to save time, for which Tai was very grateful. Rey thought it would be good for both her and Finn to take part in some of their activities and to learn as much as possible while they were here, since they had to pass their time waiting for Luke anyway. She also couldn’t help but grow excited at the thought of having some insight and part of Luke Skywalker’s temple life.

Poe was thankful he had a task to pass time with. To be completely honest with himself he didn’t have much faith they would find whatever Rey was looking for but he knew it meant a lot to her, so he decided to be supportive even if they were to fail. He knew Rose felt differently, she was a lot more optimistic about these things which he admired but also constantly reminded him of how pessimistic he was. He only hoped nobody would get hurt and Rey wouldn’t be too disappointed if they didn’t succeed in this mission. “Do you really think he’s out there somewhere?”
“Who?” Rose asked, not looking up from her work on the freighter.
“Ben.”
Rose looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“Well, Rey told us he faded or dissolved or became one with the Force or whatever. I don’t quite understand how he could still be alive.”
Rose wiped her hands on a rag Anyah had given them. “Well, she never said alive. He spoke to her through the Force or whatever.”
“Well, yeah. How do you do that if you’re dead?” he handed her a water can.
“I guess it’s more like a ghost-like presence. I think she just wants to find a way to be able to communicate with him. The Jedi of the past spoke to her as well on Exegol. At least that’s what she said.”
“So, every Jedi ever… dead or alive can speak to her?”
“The Force works in wondrous ways, Dameron, there are things we don’t understand and sometimes I feel we don’t have to. My sister always said there are so many miraculous things in the galaxy, we just have to open ourselves to them,” Rose answered, putting down her water and replacing it with a wrench. “I don’t know how the Force works… but Rey does. And she believes she could maybe speak to him.” She looked down at her hands. “But something is keeping him from doing that.”
“Yeah, death,” Poe raised his brow at her. “Death is the reason for that, Rose.”
She gave him a knowing look. “You know Rey can sense things and she has the ability to know things we could never understand or imagine. So, if she thinks there is something out there that could make her grief and pain go away by reaching him somehow, even if it’s just for a moment, then I’ll help her. We all should.”
“That’s why I’m here, Rose. I am helping her. I know the goal is to get the last shard for the Wayfinder-thing. And that seems reasonable, well more reasonable, regardless of whether we succeed or not. But it hurts me to see her hanging on to Ben like that. He’s dead.”
“So, was Palpatine,” she reminded him and he sighed at the memory. “Look, I don’t understand how being a dyad works either… I don’t want to give her any false hope, but I had a sister once… who I loved with everything that I had. It pains me everyday knowing I will never see her face again. So, if there was only a slight chance of- …some sort of way to get her back or just speak to her once… I would do everything in my power to do just that.” She was clearly holding back her tears, as her warm, brown eyes slowly looked into his. “I know how the loss of a loved one can affect someone. No matter the outcome of this mission… we just have to be there for Rey right now.”
“Alright, then that’s exactly what we’ll do,” Poe smiled and put his hand on hers. “But, for now let’s get this freighter back up and running.”
They silently continued repairing the engine and other parts of the ship. He liked working with Rose because there was a mutual understanding and without having to say anything the other always knew what had to be done.
“I wonder what Luke Skywalker is like,” Rose said pensively, cutting a wire and handing one end to Poe. “Especially in this time.”
“Yeah, I only ever heard stories from Leia or Rey but to meet him would be pretty interesting.”
“And Ben,” Rose added, raising an eyebrow. “I mean if we actually see him.”
“Hmph,” Poe let out a sigh. “Yeah. I actually knew him as a kid.”
Rose gave him a surprised look.
“My parents knew Han and Leia and took them on several missions. Last time I saw Ben as - well, Ben - was maybe 15 years ago. I mean as Kylo I saw him plenty of times, but I dont think he really remembered who I was.”
“Really? You never mentioned that before.”
“Yeah, well I had other things on my mind,” he sighed. “Plus, I never wanted to bring it up in front of Leia… I knew she was suffering enough.”
Rose nodded and Poe thought about how hopeful and strong Leia had been. He pictured her and remembered her sad, brown eyes tha reflected all the loss and grief she had endured in her lifetime.
“Poe!” Rose, ripped him out of the memory, as she pointed at a small metal device that was melted by a blaster shot but still recognizable.
“A tracking fob,” Poe took a sharp piece of metal and broke the tracker off. “Looks like someone was following them.”
“We should tell Tai and the others.”
Poe nodded and bolted, makin his way to the main building.

The Jedi Temple of Ossus rose like a crown of light among the trees — glass and stone reflecting the afternoon sun, its curved spires humming faintly with the living Force. The air shimmered with movement: students sparring, meditation circles in the grass, the rhythmic hum of training sabers colliding. Next to Rey, Finn watched as Tai showed the young initiates different combat techniques and answered their questions when they didn’t understand a certain motion or movement. Tai was very patient with everyone around him. Much like Rey, he thought. When they first started training together after the war, he would get upset quickly whenever his movements weren’t as smooth or fluid as they should’ve been. But Rey would explain and demonstrate everything as patient as the first time around. He was very appreciative of her calm and patient presence during training.
Tai invited Rey and him to join in. When all the new techniques were explained and all the children were familiarized, they put the new and already familiar techniques together to make up a choreography. Finn enjoyed how even though this was meant for battle, the motions were strong yet smooth at the same time. Hard but soft. Forceful but tranquil. A balance. Tai made it look so easy but although Finn got the hang of it pretty quickly, it still didn’t come as natural to him as for Rey. He thought about her telling him not to be too hard on himself and to just let mistakes happen in order to learn and improve. His gaze shifted to Rey whose eyes were closed, and he could feel how in tune she was with the Force both mentally and physically. He was happy for her that she had a place to be surrounded by other Force users. A place to relish in ancient knowledge and be able to see others experience the Force as she did. When they finished and their muscles ached from the exercise, they all sat cross-legged in a circle and meditated together. It was a very refreshing experience, Finn thought. When they were finished, the children left to continue on with their chores.
“So, when did you find out you were Force sensitive?” Tai asked them, surprising Finn. He looked to Rey, hoping he wouldn’t blow their cover right away.
“For me, I always had this feeling of something within me that I never quite understood. Only a few years ago, through unexpected circumstances, I found out what it was, that it was the Force. From then on, I tried to learn as much as I could,” Rey explained.
“Yeah, for me it was also only recently,” Finn smiled. “And ever since then Rey has been helping me figure it all out.”
Tai smiled back. “I sense a great power in you, Rey. And a lot of knowledge of the Force. Who was it again that trained you? Maybe I knew your master.”
Rey seemed to be thinking carefully about what she was going to say next. “She wasn’t a Jedi, but she was incredibly knowledgeable. She knew a great deal of the Force. She passed down all she knew to me and was a great mentor,” Finn watched Rey look to the ground.
“Ah,” Tai nodded. “What was her name?”
Finn tensed and saw Rey’s fingers of her clasped hands tighten. “Leia,” she said softly.
“What a coincidence,” Tai’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s Ben’s mother’s name.”
“No kidding,” Finn tried a surprised smile.
“Wow,” Rey’s eyes shifted towards him knowingly. “It really is.”
“Well, I think you could be of great help around here. And Finn, we could teach you all you need to know,” Tai said. “I’m sure Master Skywalker would welcome you both with open arms.”
“Thank you, but we have some unfinished business to deal with first,” Finn said.
“And what would that be exactly?” Tai asked with a suspicious look.
“Uhm-,” Rey started.
“Guys!” Poe shouted. Rose and Poe came jogging towards them and they all turned to look. “Hey, I think you guys might be under investigation or something,” Poe said panting. He held out the tracking fob. “See! This was attached to your ship. It’s damaged but still somebody successfully latched it onto it.”
Tai took the tracker into his hand. “Hmm. I’ll have to tell Master Skywalker… and speak to Ben when he gets here. He might know more about this. Thank you, you two.”
Finn only knew too well what kind of tracking fob that was. If his suspicions were to be confirmed, they would have to tread very lightly.

Chapter Text

A few days had passed and there was no news of Luke’s return. According to Hennix, he had only informed his apprentice that he had to extend his stay. No explanation, no details. So, Rey and her friends found tasks and chores to lend assistance and keep busy. She and Finn spent their time with Tai, training the younger groups, Rose busied herself with helping Anyah wherever she could or assisting Hennix, along with Poe, by fixing anything in need of repair. Finn really enjoyed his new training and soaked up as much knowledge from Tai as he possibly could. Although Rey was enjoying her stay as well, she began to grow restless. She knew they had to find what her and her friends had come for and if Luke wasn’t coming back anytime soon, maybe she had other ways of figuring out where the last shard was. Luke had spent years collecting ancient Jedi artifacts, maybe he had accumulated an archive somewhere in the temple.
Rey looked over at Mi’ra, the young Mirialan, who followed her around every chance she got. The young, curious girl would most likely know if Luke had archives and asking her wouldn’t raise suspicions with the others. Being exposed to the innocent imagination of a child was quite refreshing, and Rey genuinely enjoyed the girl’s company. The child reveled in the fact that someone listened to her stories and took time to answer all her questions, abstract as they may be.
“Mi’ra, does the temple have an archive?” Rey asked after training when she was sure nobody else was in earshot anymore.
“Yeah,” she nodded, as she put her wooden training saber back on its rack. “In the main building.”
“Do you think you could show me?” Rey asked, hoping to sound casual.
“We’re not allowed in there alone,” Mi’ra responded, “just with Master Skywalker or any of the older padawans.”
“Oh,” she answered, “that’s alright. It’s not important.”
Rey didn’t necessarily want anyone to know her reasons for going there or ask questions she didn’t want to answer. So, she had to find another way to get inside without having anyone notice. Before Mi’ra could ask anything else, Rey felt something tug at her, making her look up towards the clouds, from which a loud object entered the atmosphere.
“Oh, look it’s the Verity!” Mi’ra shouted up as Rey followed her gaze. Voe’s ship flew overhead preparing to land. “They’re back!”
Rey felt her body stiffen and a combination of dread and excitement made her stomach flutter. The young girl sprinted towards the landing bay to which the freighter was clearly headed. A familiarity wrapped her senses and Rey looked back to see if she could spot any of her friends for comfort or reassurance. Just as she was nervously heading back down to their huts, she saw Rose walking at a swift pace towards her.
“Rey, good I found you. Anyah is almost finished with dinner but she said we still have time to wash up before then.” Rose must’ve noticed Rey’s unsettled demeanor because she asked, “Are you ok?”
“I just sensed him. He’s here,” Rey explained.
“Luke?” Rose’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean you sensed Luke Skywalker on that ship?”
“No,” Rey inhaled sharply, and held her breath for a moment before continuing. “Ben.”
Rose’s eye’s widened, in shock. “Oh my goodness,” she breathed. Then her face lit up. “Really? That’s wonderful!” Her excitement dwindled once she noticed Rey wasn’t smiling, “isn’t it?”
The question made Rey shake off her stupor. “Yes, no, of course it is,” she said nervously. “It’s just… I don’t know what to expect.”
“Maybe it’s better to not have any expectations,” Rose said, shrugging.
Rey cocked her head, waiting for her friend’s explanation.
“If you have no expectations, you can’t be disappointed. Or be nervous. Just let whatever will happen, happen, y’know?”
“No,” Rey was more confused than before.
“I know you’ve wanted him back since… well, y’know, Exegol. But, this version of Ben isn’t the one you know. He doesn’t know you. And honestly we should keep our cool if we don’t want to blow our cover,” she lowered her voice, glancing over her shoulder. “I know this is an improbable opportunity for you. One you never thought you’d ever get. But don’t let it get to your head. Just be.”
Rey nodded, biting her lip in an attempt to calm her breathing. “Alright.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Rose patted her arm and gently took her hand. “There’s nothing to be scared about. He’s not Kylo Ren yet.”
Whether Rose was trying to lighten the mood or if she was just being… Rose, Rey knew she was right. Rey gave her an agreeing nod, grateful to her positive, optimistic friend to know how to ease her tension.
“C’mon, let’s tell the others to get ready for dinner,” she scrunched her nose at her, to which Rey returned a smile, following her back to the huts.
They let Poe and Finn know about dinner, washed themselves in the river, put on their fresh clothes – thanks to Anyah – and headed towards the dining hall. They arrived in the hall quite early because only a handful of students were sitting at one of the tables. Rose decided to see if Anyah needed further help and Rey joined her, knowing she had to keep her mind occupied in order to not lose the little nerves she had left.
In the kitchen there were multiple pans on a stone cooker isle which was positioned in the middle of the room and a stone oven in the back of the chamber. Different colored roots, herbs and dried flowers hung on the walls and from the ceiling. All sorts of vegetables, fruits and nuts were kept in bowls on the countertops. The smell of baked cushnip and fral filled the air and Rey was excited to enjoy another delicious meal Anyah had prepared.
Rose took in the scent and smiled with her eyes closed, “I haven’t had cushnip in a long time.”
Hennix, who was at the counter putting a stack of plates on a tray, looked back at them and smiled. “I’ve been excited about it all day, too.”
“Where’s Anyah?” Rose asked.
“Oh, she said something about getting some burn salve for a wound or something. Here! Could you take these out and distribute these on the tables,” he handed them a tray. “And tell any one of the littles to get in here and help.”
“Sure,” they said in unison.
Rey grabbed the tray from Hennix and Rose took another stack of plates. More and more students came rushing in for supper and they were met with smiling children telling them about their day. Rey listened to each of their stories and thoughts while constantly looking at the entrance awaiting him. They all sat at their usual table and devoured the delicious meal. When Voe finally walked through the large arch of the main entrance, Rey and her friends’ heads turned in her direction. All four of them anticipating the moment Rey had yearned for since Exegol. A moment she never thought would actually happen. But nobody followed the silver-haired Jedi. Voe sat down with an exhausted thump and wordlessly filled her plate with food. Rey’s disappointment hit her like a brick but she knew it was only a matter of time until she would see him, he was on the same planet as her after all.
“We should have a bonfire later,” Anyah suggested who had joined them by now as well. “It’s a beautiful night and the Aiwahs have mating season, so they’ll be giving us another concert.” She looked at Rose, “I don’t know if you’ve heard them yet, but their song is beautiful.”
Rose smiled, nodding. “Sure! I haven’t heard them, I don’t think.”
After dinner, they all gathered around one of the fire pits outside. Some of the younger children stacked some firewood with Hennix next to the fire Tai had started. The other children stayed behind engaging in games or finishing their chores. When everyone was comfortable by the fire, Voe suggested everyone go around and tell an anecdote or exciting story from their past. Rey welcomed that idea and eagerly listened to everyone’s stories. Rose told them the story of when her and her sister went exploring as children on Konkiv and saw beautiful blue carrier butterflies for the first time. Finn shared the memory of riding a fathier with Rose, and Poe shared a funny story on how he snuck into a casino on Coruscant resulting in him sharing a feast with a very rich business man who mistook him for someone from his past and therefore supplying him with drinks and food all evening and even paying for a room. Rey didn’t want to share anything from her childhood, so she told them all the story of how she met Finn, leaving out certain details of course.
Hennix soon began to tell jokes and other humorous anecdotes from their missions or temple life at which Rey found herself genuinely laughing. Hennix proved himself the funniest one of the group, and she realized she had never seen Poe so at ease with someone. She looked around at the faces of her friends and new acquaintances and took in the lightness of their dynamic. She wondered how her life would have been, had she spent her formative years at Luke’s temple with these wonderful people, learning, growing, and getting to be part of a like-minded community. She knew Jakku shaped her to be who she was today and she wouldn’t want to change that, but she also saw how much potential this life had. She could’ve been happy here, she realized.
Hennix was in the middle of another joke when he looked up, “Hey, look who finally decided to show up!”
“Hey, sorry I’m late!” A low, smoky and familiar voice mumbled from behind her. The voice of her dyad. Rose and Finn tensed as they looked at her in anticipation.
Rey startled, instantly looking over her shoulder to see a tall, broad figure walking towards them from the shadows. She stood up abruptly as her chest tightened and her breathing hitched. All of her surroundings vanished for a moment and all she could see was him.
“It’s alright, we saved you some leftovers,” Tai said, sliding over to make room on the log he and Anyah were sitting on.
“Thanks,” Ben Solo said. “Stars, I’m hungry!”
“When aren’t you hungry?” She registered Voe’s teasing voice.
Ben looked at the new faces in the group.
“Oh, yes, say ‘hello’ to our guests,” Tai stated.
“Voe mentioned we had company,” Ben nodded at everyone and then rested his gaze on Rey. His face slackened and for a few breaths they stared at each other. Rey couldn’t hear or see anything other than him. Those warm eyes he shared with his mother. The long face and tall, broad physique of his father. His dark eyes seemed to latch onto her and they stood there for a moment, neither saying a word, until he stretched out his hand to her. “Ben Solo,” he cleared his throat.
She took his large calloused hand and greeted him with a warm smile, “I’m Rey.” Rey looked into the kind, tender gaze that reminded her so much of Leia and a sense of familiarity and warmth spread through her, relaxing all of her muscles.
Ben must’ve sensed something too as his smile slowly disappeared. He tilted his head, slightly lowered his eyebrows and kept his eyes on her and her hand in his. Whether it was her imagination or not, she couldnt tell but stars above them sparkled much brighter and the earth beneath them felt more grounding. There was a chill in the air, as if the Force itself was a swirling current around them. Around their connection. Their dyad.
“They’ve been a great help around here! And much more pleasant company than our usual guests,” Tai’s comment brought her back from her daze.
Ben nodded towards Tai, still keeping his eyes on her. “Nice to meet you all!”
Rey cleared her throat, slowly backing up to sit back down. Her eyes shifted to Rose who couldn’t contain her huge grin while Ben sat down next to Tai as Anyah handed him a bowl with leftovers. Finn’s expression on the other hand was a bit less amused and Poe also looked a bit cautious as he introduced himself along with Rose and Finn. Rey knew her friends were supportive of her decision to go on this mission but nevertheless stayed apprehensive.
Hennix, Voe, and Tai went back to the conversation as Poe, Finn, Rose and Rey all either shared anxious glances, stared at the fire or shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Ben ate his food silently, watching the others while they told stories and joked around. Slowly, Poe and Rose joined back in on the conversations as well while Rey and Finn silently watched the flames dancing before them. Now and then Rey dared a glance at Ben who now seemed completely unbothered. His long limbs made him have to hunch more than the others on the log. His black strands fell lightly in his face but she was still able to see his angular features. In their past encounters she never had enough time to look at him, truly look at him. On Exegol she had noticed for the first time how much he resembled Han and Leia. His sharp jawline, high cheekbones and long dark lashes made for a handsome face. But all she could see was home. Her dyad. Her Ben.
The fire continued to crackle and the Aiwahs sang their song in beautiful harmony. Rey noticed Rose close her eyes, enjoying the melodious performance which made Anyah smile. Rey couldn’t quite relax and enjoy the moment as Rose did. She had the constant urge to look at her dyad.
In a moment of silence Poe turned to Ben. “So, Ben. I hear you’re unbeatable at Pazaak.”
“Nah, I wouldn’t say that. Decent at most,” he replied with a half shrug.
“Well, I’d like to find out how decent.” Poe said with a smirk.
Ben huffed amused, “Sure, maybe tomorrow evening, I think I’ll just enjoy the fire tonight.” He ate the last bite of his meal and set the bowl behind him.
“Deal.” Poe nodded.

“How’s your mom and dad?” Ben asked him.
Poe looked up in surprise. Ben did remember him, and that his parents knew his own. Poe’s stomach turned at the memory of losing his parents. In this timeline, his father, Kes Dameron, was still alive and his younger self would’ve been on Kijimi.
“Oh, uhm, my mother passed away a few years ago… and dad…” Poe paused, “y’know, he’s here and there… but well.” Poe cleared his throat. Finn looked at him in slight confusion but quickly realized why Poe said what he said.
“Oh, I’m really sorry to hear that,” Ben replied apologetically.
Poe nodded silently in acknowledgement and touched his mother’s wedding band he wore on a thin, gold chain around his neck. He looked over to Rey, Finn and Rose who were all giving him an empathetic look. His friends were the closest thing he had to family now. He was grateful for them but there were still somethings he didn’t like talking about. Even with them.
“What- , uh, what about your parents?” Poe cleared his throat and tried taking the attention off of himself.
“Good I guess,” Ben gazed into the fire. “My mom is running for First Senator at the moment. And dad’s-, well, he’s here and there, too.”
“Are they gunna be at the wedding?” Hennix asked.
“I doubt it,” Ben raised an eyebrow.
“Who’s getting married?” Rose asked.
Anyah sighed. “My cousin.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” Rose replied a bit confused at Anyahs frown.
“Yeah, we’re all invited. Well, Ben and Anyah because they’re royalty,” Hennix gestured air quotes. “And we’re invited, too, because they asked Master Skywalker for extra protection. Royal weddings or royal events in general aren’t welcomed by some folks, so we’re going as a precaution.”
“You two are royalty?” Finn asked.
“No!” Ben shook his head slightly annoyed.
“Technically you are, Ben!” Voe chimed in. And Anyah nodded vehemently in agreement.
“How many times do I have to explain it, that’s not how it works,” Ben quickly said giving Voe a peeved expression. “Anyah’s family is royalty from Narendiraan. Our families know each other and I’m just going to represent House Organa since my mom most likely can’t make it.”
“Which makes you a member of a royal family of Alderaan,” Voe pushed back.
“You can’t be royalty of a place that doesn’t exist anymore, Voe!” He held up his palms. “My mom is royalty but I’m not!”
“You’re her son, Ben! You can’t deny your family.”
“I’m not denying my family, Voe! I’m just stating facts.”
“And the fact is you are royalty by birth, whether the planet exists or not.”
Ben threw his hands up in resignation, shaking his head.
“Ok, give it a rest, you two,” Tai intervened, then looked at him and his friends. “This is a hot topic for those two, as you can see. The point is we are all going to a wedding.”
Poe agreed with Voe’s logic but thought it foolish to voice that and silently stared at the fire. “So, when’s that happening, then?”
“In a few days,” Ben mumbled.
“You should come!” Anyah said. “My family won’t mind! They deem it to be a more successful event when more people attend. Besides Master Skywalker isn’t coming anytime soon, anyway.”
“Oh, uhm,” Poe looked at his friends. Rose and Rey shrugged but Finn loved events like these and nodded innocently when Poe looked at him. “Sure, I guess that would be acceptable.”
“Great!” Anyah’s face lit up and Poe thought he saw Ben swiftly glance at Rey. Whether she noticed Poe couldn’t tell since she continued watching the flames as if it were the most interesting thing shed ever seen.
Anyah stood up, walked around the fire and sat next to Ben who instinctively started to roll up his shirt a bit. He had a bandage around his torso which indicated he had a wound somewhere. Anyah examined it and whispered something to him. Ben nodded softly at her and pulled his shirt back down while Hennix pulled Poe and the rest back to his attention, telling them about the amazing food that was going to be there. Anyah shared some interesting details about Narendiraan and her life growing up there. She also explained that she had been sixteen already when her family sent her to Skywalker’s temple but that she felt at home right away with Voe, Hennix, Tai and Ben. Poe was genuinely interested in their stories and truly felt comfortable with Luke’s jedi students. Even Ben, who was quiet and attentive yet - to his surprise - easily amused, he thought. He didn’t have many memories from when they knew each other as kids but still felt he had somewhat of a connection with him because of it. Poe watched a very stiff Rey who stole a look at Ben ever so often. So, when Poe’s eyes met hers for a brief moment, he gave her a reassuring smile to hopefully ease her mind. Her sigh told him everything he needed to know. Poe hoped she wouldn’t walk into anything that could potentially disappoint her… or worse hurt her.
After a while, they all finished sharing their stories once everyone’s energy began to dwindle and all Poe could think of was the bed in his and Finn’s hut.
“Well, I’ll see you all in the morning.” Ben said and got up. “Have a good night everyone,” he squeezed Anyah and Tai’s shoulders as he left their circle. His eyes shifted to Rey as his mouth slightly curled up into a warm half-smile before lifting his hand a bit towards everyone gesturing ‘good-night’.
Poe decided to also call it a night and retired to his and Finn’s hut. He lay awake in bed for a while looking at his mother’s ring, rubbing it between his finger and thumb as memories of his parents and his childhood flooded his mind. He wondered how his life would’ve turned out had he not joined the crew on Kijimi or even the Resistance. But he was thankful for everything because he had found a family. And with that comforting thought he kissed the ring, put it under his shirt and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

The next day, Finn felt energized and refreshed. He hadn’t slept this well in a long time, he thought. Tai came walking towards him not surprised that Finn was the first to be on the training grounds.
“Wow, you’re early! Did you even eat breakfast yet?” Tai teased.
“I know, yeah, I’m a little early today but Anyah was nice enough to give me some food before everyone else so I could get started right away,” Finn took a wooden saber from the rack.
“Sounds like her,” Tai said, taking a wooden saber as well. “Ok, so today I want to do something a little different. I noticed you’re incredibly well-trained when it comes to combative exercises. You’re very strong and your movements are precise and forceful but here we put a lot of emphasis on balance. When wielding a lightsaber, the same is demanded. The movements are smooth, fluid and elegant… like water. A river can flow gently and be tranquil, but its white water is turbulent, violent and rough.”
Tai started to move in a gracious and gentle manner, each posture flowing into the next without pause. He was in constant motion swinging the saber as if the saber were a part of his anatomy. Finn studied every move and was fascinated by this technique. He found himself mesmerized by Tai’s impeccable performance. Tai showed him the movements and together they practiced every step and transition. Finn noticed himself grow more and more calm and peaceful inside. He closed his eyes, he could feel the wind on his skin, he could hear the chatter of the other students and the rustling sound of the wind whistling through the bamboo forest. The sweet smell of nature all around him calmed him as he felt the life on the planet. He was so at peace with himself in a sort of meditative state that he didn’t even notice Rey sitting on a rock watching him with a pleased expression. Tai motioned Rey to join them. Finn wasn’t surprised that this came so organically to Rey, every move she made was just as elegant and just as harmonious as Tai.
“Wow! You’re a natural!” Tai praised her with an impressed expression. “From what I’ve seen of your combat skills and now this… I sense great potential in you, Rey.” He paused and observed her, “I must say, you’re a remarkable young woman. I’ve only ever seen such dedication and raw strength in one other person.”
Finn and Rey gave each other a knowing look. She smiled and said, “Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say.”
“Well, I mean it,” Tai bowed his head in respect.
Rey let out a modest chuckle and returned to the exercise. Slowly the younger students began to show up, and they helped demonstrate the movements. Finn thought about his own upbringing and training. It was in a much more strict, brutal and emotionally distanced setting and he realized how much he would’ve enjoyed growing up here with these wonderful people. He looked around and had a feeling Rose, Poe and Rey probably felt the same way.
An overwhelming urge to explore the planet a bit came over him and Finn decided to get some exercise in while doing so. Not that training wasn’t draining him already, but he felt good and had enough energy.
“Rey, I’m gunna go for a run. I’ll catch up with you guys later!” Finn put the saber back on the rack, waved back at Mi’ra who was helping another student with an exercise and headed towards the bamboo forest.

Rey watched Finn jog off and and observed the forest and general scenery for a while. She loved planets that were green and harboring lots of life. She looked at some of the green mountains surrounding the temple and decided she wanted to see more of the landscape.
“Tai?” She asked, still looking at the land. “Is there anything beyond the settlement, or anyone?”
“No, just the temple. I mean, there’s a lot of wildlife here and some smaller nature-based locals but we’re the only man-made settlement.”
“Ah.” She nodded. She knew who he meant but decided not to share that little encounter.
“You’re more than welcome to look around. I mean if you plan on taking multiple days then it’d be best if someone comes along. Plus, we leave in a few days for Chandrila, so y’know, if you still wanna come with us, I’d say don’t go out too far.”
“I can handle myself.” She looked to Tai.
“I know. That’s not what I meant. It’s just Master Skywalker is always a bit cautious when strangers come to the planet,” he shrugged. “There are some areas on this planet that are… better to avoid.” He held out his hands to catch the rain drops that started to fall. He gestured for them to walk towards the temple.
Rey nodded. “Alright, I’ll be careful.”
“So, you have a lightsaber of your own. Where’d you get it?” Tai asked.
“I made it,” She answered.
“Ah… huh. And who showed you how to do that? Most jedi perished and this knowledge is only known by a few. That old friend you mentioned before?”
“Yes. She knew a great deal and had many scripts she let me analyze,” Rey lied looking to the ground. Well, it was half a lie.
“Right,” Tai’s eyes narrowed. She could tell he was curious, but she knew he wouldn’t push her. “Well, too bad she isn’t among us anymore. I would have loved to meet her.”
Rey nodded. “Everyone that knew her looked up to her and respected her very much. She was a remarkable woman… a great leader and friend to us all.”
“What was her name if I may ask?”
Rey grew unsure of whether or not she should tell him but decided to tell him as he thought she had since passed. “Leia.”
“Is that so? Wow. What a coincidence.” He stopped walking for a moment. “Ben’s mother’s name is Leia.”
“How about that!” Rey gave him a surprised look.

It started to rain but Finn didn’t mind since he enjoyed the cool rain. Odd grunting and splashing noises reached his ears and he looked over to his right to find boar-like creatures merrily splashing in a pond who were also enjoying the rain, or so it seemed. He stopped to look up at the Aiwahs who were fluttering hysterically and alarming others of his presence, before continuing on the trail. Finn stood there a moment enjoying the natural life of this planet. A buzzing sound coming from somewhere among the bamboo trees piqued his curiosity. His feet carried him towards the source that revealed a blue glowing light. The face wasn’t visible to him, but Finn knew exactly who the tall figure was. A saber was being twirled in the most elegant and organic way he’d ever seen and Finn couldn’t help but stand there and just stare. Ben Solo’s movements were so instinctively aqueous that it almost looked like a dance. He was in perfect harmony with his lightsaber and was completely in sync with his surroundings. Finn was fascinated by this spectacle and thought it to be almost… beautiful. The memory of the last time, or rather first time, he had encountered Ben in a forest popped into his mind. The memory was cut short and he was ripped out of his trance when he realized Ben had stopped and was looking at him with an impassive expression.
“Oh, hey, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Finn quickly said.
“You didn’t,” Ben said in a calm, inexpressive manner.
He deactivated his saber and held it in both hands resting in front of him. His loose shirt was soaking wet and his raven hair was slickened by the rain. A moment of silence passed between them and Finn was unsure of what to do or say next. He felt the rain now drenching him as well, causing a chill to run over his skin.
As if he had read his mind, Ben said, “If you’re not in motion, the rain will cool you down too much. Don’t want to risk getting sick.”
Finn was still unsure of what to do next but knew Ben probably wanted to continue. “Well, I guess I’ll get back to it,” he gestured towards the path, leading deeper into the forest.
Ben nodded and ignited his saber. Finn turned back and ran through the forest for a while thinking about how calm and grounded Ben Solo seemed, as opposed to the reckless and rage-filled Kylo Ren. When Finn’s legs started to burn and he was out of breath, he decided to return to the temple. His stomach must have agreed with him as it made a loud rumbling sound.

The rain began falling harder, and Tai and Rey walked faster towards the building. “You can go inside, I have to get going. Gotta chop some bamboo trees.”
Rey gave him a curious look, wondering what he would use them for.
“Princess Alatra, Anyah’s mother, asked if we could bring some. Not sure what they need them for but Master Skywalker agreed to that as well,” he offered an explaination.
Rey saw something move behind Tai and looked past his shoulder to spot Ben walking out of the forest towards them. She must’ve made it too obvious as Tai looked behind him, to Ben, back to her and then back to Ben again. He raised a dark eyebrow at her and without looking back yelled, “Hey, Ben, come here!”
Rey’s eyes widened a bit but she didn’t want to seem suspicious so she tried to stay as calm as possible.
He came jogging towards them and came to a halt next to Tai. “Hey.”
“Hi,” Rey barely got out, attempting a confident smile.
“I’m gunna go chop some bamboos, you busy?” Tai asked Ben.
“No, I was just gunna eat something and then continue on the course. I can do that later, though. I’ll come with you. Lemme just change and get my cloak,” Ben said in that deep voice of his, looking down and pinching his dripping wet shirt. “Rey, you wanna come too?” His eyes shifted to her before his head did.
“Oh, uhm, su-” Rey was about to agree when Tai chimed in.
“I think Anyah said she might need help with some wedding preparations,” Tai looked at her with a stern expression.
Rey didn’t know how to interpret that statement but had a feeling he didn’t want her to join them.
“Well, I guess I’m needed else where then…,” she frowned.
Her gaze rested on Ben who looked as disappointed as she felt, which she had to admit comforted her.
This time she conjured up a genuine reassuring smile and said, “I’ll see you guys later.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked inside the main hall.

Tai stood next to Ben until the girl that seemed simultaneously familiar and strange was out of earshot.
“Alright, I’ll be right back,” Ben said, turned on his heel and began walking towards his hut.
“Ben, wait!” Tai caught up to him. “I think the rain isn’t gunna stop for a while, maybe we should chop later. But, I did want to speak to you about something.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“Well, what’s your impression of our guests?”
Ben furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… I have a feeling they’re hiding something.”
Ben crossed his arms. “You think so? You think they mean us harm?”
“No, I dont think they mean us any harm… but, I don’t know… I just have a weird feeling.”
“You always have good instincts, Tai. I’ll keep an eye out. But, I don’t think they’re a threat. And everyone has secrets.”
“I know but I think they’re lying about their reason for coming here.”
“If that’s the case, we’ll find out soon enough,” Ben patted Tai’s arm and turned to walk away.
“What do you think of Rey?” Tai shouted at his back and at that Ben stopped. Tai knew Ben and knew he would never reveal anything unless he addressed it directly.
“What do I think? I think she seems nice,” he answered, still turned away.
“You don’t think there’s anything unusual about her?” Tai tilted his head.
“I can’t say,” Ben looked slightly back over his shoulder.
“What about that look you two shared when you first met her,” Tai pushed. Ben looked back at him, staying silent. “I know you sensed… something.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Tai.”
“I don’t mean to be nosy… I’m just looking out for you, Ben.”
“I know,” Ben finally turned enough to look straight into Tai’s eyes. “Thank you,” he gave him a half-smile before quickly walking away again.
Tai knew Ben felt something but he wouldn’t share everything with him. Tai knew he kept a lot of things to himself. And he respected that, but sometimes it was better to address certain things before it caused problems. Tai knew it was hard to pry these things out of Ben. The guy was like a vault, so he figured he would just have to give him some time. If it came down to it, Ben would open up when things could be potentially threatening. Rey didn’t necessarily seem like a threat. But something about her felt… off. He would always protect Ben. Whether he wanted him to or not. Just as Ben would always protect him. Tai sighed and decided to not dwell on it, but stay cautious, for Ben’s sake. Tai headed towards his own hut to change into some dryer clothes before checking on his ship. Cloak in hand, he sprinted towards the freighter.