Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A shuddering breath broke from Luke’s lungs.

 It rose in gentle wisps, pale against the chilling blue of the morning sky. Wind swept the hair from his face, carrying the scent of salt and stone. The oxygen seeped down into his lungs, his blood, his very matter. 

The Force came with it. Warm as the first rays of sunlight stubbornly pushing past the horizon; bright as the rain beading every blade of grass, solid and strong as the stone where he sat, facing the day and everything there was to come. 

Every morning, he awoke, and it was still with him. 

Slowly, he relaxed his muscles from the stiff stance of meditation, held rigid for hours. 

“You ought to bring a blanket with you tonight. I lived long enough to know what the chill does to old bones.” 

Luke managed a laugh, though it came out rough and gritted. “I’ll keep that in mind, Obi-Wan. I’d apologize that you were sent, but I don’t suppose spirits are much bothered by the cold.” 

“No apology needed. It’s always a pleasure to visit an old friend.” Obi-Wan moved forward, settling down on the cliff beside him. His robes shifted, but they made no sound, not as the wind blew through them, nor when he dropped into the mirror image of the stance Luke himself sat in. 

Luke spared a glance over, smirking. “Look who you’re calling old.” He huffed. No matter how many years passed, Old Obi-Wan still looked how he always had; neatly trimmed white hair, creased skin, and clear blue eyes that seemed to have seen it all. Except for the aura around his figure, he hadn’t changed a bit from when Luke had met him. 

“You.” Obi-Wan shot back, dryly. “I’m aware you aren’t in possession of many mirrors, but surely you’ve noticed that you’ve been graying.” 

“It’s hardly been noticeable.” Luke scratched his chin, grinning. 

There were words hovering on Obi-Wan’s tongue. A message from the Light, or perhaps some wisdom he saw fit to bestow. Luke didn’t try to pry it from him. 

The wind was settling from the night, quieting its restless howl through the rocky shores of the island. The suns shone, warm and butter-yellow against the blue. He nearly chuckled to himself. Luke doubted most Jedi Masters pondered breakfast during their morning meditations, but he supposed he wasn’t like most. In his visits, Master Windu reminded him of that, often. 

“You have served the Light well.” 

Luke stiffened at the careful tone in Obi-Wan’s voice. It was soft with care, diplomacy. 

Pity. 

“Your vote of confidence is appreciated.” Luke waved his hand breezily, not caring to move it away from Obi-Wan’s head. His fingers buzzed softly as he moved them through the pure, concentrated Force, but the only thing that changed was Obi-Wan’s tone. 

“Feigned ignorance does not suit a Jedi Master.” 

“If the Light wants me to give in, it will tell me, or withdraw its power to do my duty. Seeing as neither has happened and you are speaking from your own biases, I will choose to remain here. Creaky bones and all.” 

“That isn’t what I mean.” Obi-Wan sighed. “I’m not telling you to stop. I’m reminding you that time is fleeing. And when it comes time to pass on your duty--” 

“It will not fall to her.” Luke spoke, cool and firm. “I will not pass on a legacy of solitude and isolation. I was given the gift of a long life with those I love before this place. She has had little in the way of life, and I will not take the decades she has left.” 

Silence stretched across the hill. For a moment, Luke through the old spirit had left. Then, in tones heavy with regret, Obi-Wan spoke. 

“The galaxy may not have another choice.”

Chapter Text

Her pursuer was gaining ground. 

Rey could hear him; feet hammering into branches, snapping twigs and ripping flurries of leaves from his path. It was all she could do to force more speed into her gait, leaping through the unfamiliar terrain of treetops with as much grace as a newly-fledged bird. 

A slender branch whipped past, snapping across her face remorselessly. Rey winced, but didn’t slow. 

 Running to the end of a sturdy bough, she leapt once more, grabbing at the next tree ahead of her and filling her mouth with foliage for her troubles. 

 Her feet found purchase, then began to slide; decades of built up moss slicking the foothold. Rey lashed out, grasping for anything to hold onto, but only tearing a few leaves free in her scramble. The open air pulled at her back. 

 He was on her in a moment, snatching her from freefall. They landed, the shock of impact slamming through both of their bodies. 

 Rey looked up at her rescuer, trying to catch her breath enough for thanks. His dark hair was strewn over his face in a messy, leaf-adorned tangle. His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, but he was far less winded than she was. For all their training, her stamina had been inching its way forward, barely close to his unstoppable might. 

 “Are you alright?” Ben Solo’s brow tugged into a frown, eyes scanning over her face. 

 Stinging scratches covered her shoulders and elbows; whipped from twigs and branches. Forests were unpredictable in a way deserts and old wreckage wasn’t. Life had a way of growing exactly where it wanted to. It was beautiful, admirable, and a royal pain in her backside to try to leap through. 

 “I’m fine.” Rey reassured. She curled her fingers into the wraps on her hands, but managed to give a smile, albeit a bashful one. “Thank you.” 

 His mouth curved in a smile. “I wouldn’t be a very good teacher if I let you snap your neck from a fall.” 

 “Does this mean I win?” 

 Finn’s tone, flat and unamused, made both of them stare up. 

He leaned against the trunk of a massive oak, still several dozen feet in the air. His deep blue tunic made him look like a songbird, perched up in the branches as if it was his natural home. Rey fought down an envious scowl, especially as he continued. “Seems like the enemy got sidetracked. So the round goes to me.” 

 Ben looked up at him. “It would, if you hadn’t given away your location to the enemy.” he pointed out, mimicking Finn’s flat tone. 

 Finn raised an eyebrow. “Right. And it was necessary to catch Rey in your arms instead of…you know. Using the Force to break her fall. Like how you’re teaching us.” 

 Ben very quickly put Rey down, more of a controlled drop than anything else. Rey found a fascinating pebble to stare at, as opposed to Finn’s judgmentally raised eyebrows. 

An awkward cough roughened Ben’s words. “It was instinct.” 

 “Right.” Finn didn’t sound convinced. “Well, let’s see if your instinct can get you the win.” Without another word, Finn flung himself to the next tree, vanishing with a rapid shake of the leaves.

 Ben didn’t hesitate for a second. 

 He raced to the nearest sturdy trunk, slamming his boots into the base as he defied gravity, pulling himself back up into the mass of thick branches. 

 There were very few things Rey would have found less appealing than launching herself back into the trees. Maybe cleaning out a bantha pen, or scaling a dune with her feet tied together. 

 Her teacher hadn’t insisted she join them, so Rey decided to take whatever advantage his competitive streak gave her. 

The walk back to their landing site wasn’t far, but it was enough to get some work done. Rey pulled her staff from her back and the knife from her belt, and began her trek forward. 

 This new weapon was made of a broken branch; the only fitting substitute they could find on this densely forested planet. There were civilizations, obviously. Towns and markets, ones that sold weaponry. But Rey’s staff had grown so distinctive in her hand, so much an extension of her that she’d need to buy that weapon herself. 

 They had no idea what First Order troops could be on the lookout for them. Poe and Ben, having been covered in helmet and by a ship respectively, had much less chance of being recognized on the spot. 

 That meant no chance of her going into one of the towns to shop. So, the only option for now was a branch. 

 Rey dug the flat of the blade into the wood, a large chunk of bark flaking away under the motion. The wood underneath shone warm and pale yellow in the light, bringing a smile to her face. It wasn’t what she’d prefer. But it certainly was pretty. And there was a scent to it; a warm, rich smell of life. 

 By the time the trees gave way to the clearing, Rey had scraped off most of the remaining pieces of bark, leaving a long, smooth length behind. 

 “Picked up some wood polish for you.” Poe’s voice made her head lift. He stood near the off-ramp of the sleek, black command shuttle they’d been calling home for the last three weeks. “Otherwise, that thing’ll fill your hands with splinters the first fight you’re in.” 

 Rey’s brow furrowed. “Splinters?” 

 “Little fragments of wood that break off.” Poe explained, handing over the little tin. “I was gonna give you this last, as the good news, but hey!” he tossed his hand through his mess of dark curls, shaking them out with a sigh. “I figured you’d like the bad news better with a weapon in your hand.” 

 “Bad news?” 

 Ben’s voice made Rey jump, and Poe awkwardly scramble to hide his own shock. He’d landed behind her with barely a scrape of earth, peering at the bag Poe held. 

 “How did you do that?” Rey blinked up at him. 

 Ben’s eyes shifted, something quiet moving behind them. But all he said was; “Training with the other Knights. One specialized in stealth.” 

 Specialized. Past tense. So either Asryn, or Zyth. 

 Rey searched for something to say; a complement of their skills? A comforting word? But the thundering rustle of foliage saved her from any stammered out responses. 

Finn broke the treeline behind them, huffing out a sigh at the sight of Ben. 

 “Fifteen seconds behind me. You’re getting faster.” Ben said evenly. 

 Finn lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” 

 “And neither have you three,” Poe continued, impatiently pulling the attention back to himself. “Because we have a problem.” 

 Poe pulled out a small hole transmitter, flicking it on to reveal a blurry photo. Poe’s face, hidden by the faceted visor of a Resistance pilot helmet, stared back at them. Written below; “WANTED: ALIVE. POE DAMERON. 30,000 CREDITS

 Rey’s brow furrowed. “Is there a problem? We already suspected this, right?” 

 “There’s two problems.” Poe spun the photo around to glare at it. “First of all, this is a horrible picture of me. My mouth’s halfway open, one of my eyes is almost closed and it’s not even in a roguish, winking kind of way--” 

 “The other problem?” Ben prompted, an unimpressed eyebrow raised. 

 “Careful, Ben.” Some of the light had flickered back into Poe’s gaze, mischief that made Rey’s lips unconsciously curve into a smile. “There’s another problem, but there’s also a bright side to this.” 

 His fingers moved over the holo again, bringing up a second picture to hover beside the first. A boy, maybe thirteen or fourteen, stared back at the camera with an irritated twist of his mouth. His face was studded with acne, but Rey had only a couple of seconds to notice any details before Ben’s hand was slapped over the transmitter, cutting off the holo projection. 

 “Why?” he gritted out. “Why do you have that downloaded on your comm?!” 

 Poe’s grin had spread to cover his face. “See, that’s the thing. I don’t. But it seems like Leia didn’t have any recent pictures of you, so she had to make do.” 

 “Leia?” Finn’s brow furrowed. “Why is your mom sending you pictures of Ben?” 

 “She’s not.” Poe wrangled his wrist free from Ben, letting the images pop up again. “But that’s problem number 2. These bounties were placed by the Resistance.” 

 Ben’s hands, still trying to grasp at the comm, slowly fell away. “...I see.” 

 Finn’s brow furrowed. “Why is the Resistance after us?” 

 “Wellllll, I’d imagine it has something to do with the fact we stole a priceless map to the location of Luke Skywalker.” Poe said, looking pointedly at Finn. “Just a guess, of course.”

 Finn frowned. “But I don’t have a poster.” 

 “Correct! I assume that’s because Mama thought I stole it. Which, is a little insulting! But not completely out of character, so I can’t exactly blame her.” 

 Rey turned the container of wood polish over in her hands, frowning softly. “So what does this mean?” 

 “It means, if we’ve got the First Order and the Resistance and bounty hunters on our tails, we’ll need to find somewhere even more remote to lay low for awhile, at least until Ben whips you two into more of a Jedi fighting shape.” 

 Rey could feel Poe’s eyes cast over her branch-whipped arms, and she very maturely wrinkled her nose at him. He held up his hands in surrender, his grin betraying his insincerity. 

 “Here’s the trick, though. I’ve been hiding some good news all along.” 

 He clicked around on his holo watch again. “If remote and out of the way is the name of the game, we’ve got a perfect candidate. Got a few settlements, but they’re rich elites building resorts and vacation homes near the shores. No chance of them wandering into the woods to come after us. We’ll have time and space to lay low, train, and do a little bit of a…side trip, let’s say.” 

 Poe’s eyes gleamed as he grinned at Finn. “Finn, buddy. How do you feel about a family reunion on the beautiful planet of Canto Byte?”

Chapter Text

“S-h-” 

“Not quite.” Poe’s voice was calm and patient. “Remember? When those two letters are together, they make one sound.” 

“Sh!” Rey leaned forward, gazing down at the little slip of paper. “Sh-i-p. Shi-p. Ship!” Her head shot up, grinning at Poe. “Ship, right?” 

“Exactly!” He raised a hand, and she smacked it in triumph. 

Ben moved his eyes back down to his saber, quietly trying to hide his smile. 

Every time that Rey stumbled over a word or sat back with a harsh sigh, Poe would give her a moment, quietly murmur a word of encouragement, and nudge her back into the task. 

It wasn’t what he was used to, not from Poe’s personality or from his own lessons under Snoke and the elder Knights had taught him. But it was familiar; Shara Dameron’s tones and inflections alive and obvious in Poe’s voice as he taught. Cozy nights spent at her kitchen table, storybooks spread out in front of them and Shara gently guiding them through a phonics lesson. 

Unsurprisingly, Zyth hadn’t kept any Alderannian fairy tales on her ship, so they were being forced to make do with what they had. 

 Parts of Rey’s gun, tools, and a couple pantry items were scattered on the table in front of the pair. Poe would write down their names, hand them to Rey, and help her sound out the word to assign it to the piece. 

Ben kept his mind focused on his own task, taking apart and cleaning his saber, but as they continued, Rey’s irritation was prickled through the Force. 

Without stilling his hands on his task, he reached out in the Force, brushing up against her mind. The bond they’d had was shattered. They hadn’t repaired it. But communication like this was a simple thing. 

Rey gave a soft sigh, nudging back. It was as familiar as a brush of their shoulders now, as comforting as a physical lean. She tugged at him a little, asking for his attention as she opened her senses to him. Ben peered down through her eyes, murmuring to her through the Force. 

Trigger. 

“Tr-i-gg-er.” Rey sounded out, weighing her voice with uncertainty. Poe praised her, and a bit of the tension slid from her shoulders. 

The lesson stretched on, Rey occasionally tugging at him for help while Poe collected more items, scrawled more words on paper. 

Confusion shivered through the Force, and Ben looked without her needing to ask. He gave an audible sigh at the paper Poe had slid across to Rey.

  Kriff off, Ben. 

Poe’s head had lifted, an irritated glare directed at him. “She’s never gonna learn that way!”

The tips of Rey's ears flushed crimson, and Ben was sure his face wasn't faring much better. As always, Poe was irritatingly tuned into communication through the Force, regardless of how he was blind and deaf to it. Ben supposed it was honed from a life full of Force Users, Mama and Uncle Luke and himself, speaking without words, and Poe’s incessant nosiness to know exactly what was being said at all times. 

Finn stepped in from the cockpit at the sudden burst of noise, leaning over to gaze at the little slip of paper. 

"That's an important one for her to learn too," he pointed out "the parts, and the whole phrase.”

Rey slid her hand over the paper, crumpling it in her hands. “How close are we to Cantonica?” 

Finn mercifully let the teasing slide. “If I’m calculating things correctly, a little under fifteen minutes.” 

Poe nodded, his demeanor immediately shifting. “I’ll go check your work. The rest of you, make sure you’ve got everything set and ready to go once we hit the surface. Cantonica’s pretty densely forested, even more than the last planet we were just at. We should be ready to deal with wild animals or other hostiles.” 

With that, Poe ducked out of the room.

Ben finished reassembling his saber, and hooked it onto his new belt. His old clothes had been bloodied, torn, and too distinctly Sith for anyone’s comfort, his own included. His new clothes were still dark, but a blend of deep grays; a long tunic, a wide belt, and dark pants that were nearly as navy blue as they were gray. 

“Oh! That’s ok!” Rey’s voice made him glance up. Both she and Finn’s hands had closed around the hilt of the lightsaber at the same time.

She snatched her hand back, nodding at Finn. “You go ahead.” 

But Finn had stepped back as soon as she had. “Really, Rey, you should carry it.” he offered. “I’ve got my blaster, I have more experience with that, anyways.” 

Rey frowned. “Well, I have my staff! You don’t have any short-range weapons.” 

“My blaster’s lethal, your staff isn’t.” Finn pointed out. Rey opened her mouth to argue, but Ben’s dry tone cut in. 

“Say that after she’s hit you in the head with it.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “You might change your mind.” 

Rey’s face grew hot, and she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “Ben! When are you going to let that go?” 

The exact moment you stop getting so flustered over it. 

The thought was immediate, and he chastised himself. Regardless of the connection they’d made before, he shouldn’t be thinking about that sort of thing, the way the tips of her ears flushed pink, or the way her freckled nose scrunched up, or--

“Oh come on, she didn’t even kill you. Man up.” Poe appeared at the entrance to the living area, leaning against the doorway. “I told you guys we needed to get ready, what’s the hold up?” 

“They’re fighting over the lightsaber.” Ben explained.
“We’re not fighting!” Finn protested. 

“Fine.” Ben replied mildly. “Then you take it.” 

Finn stared at the weapon for a long moment. Rey’s fingers tapped her arms expectantly. 

“But Rey needs it more.” 

Poe’s head tossed back with his laugh, ringing through the cabin. “You know, this was the opposite of the problem I thought we had! You’ve both got equal claim, huh?” 

Rey shook her head. “Not even close! Finn says the saber called to him, it’s never called to me before!” 

“You pulled it out of midair when we were fighting Zyth.” Finn shot back. “And the Force has been calling to you as long as it has to me!” 

“Technically,” Ben didn’t look up, pretending to be engrossed in lacing up his boots. “It’s the Skywalker saber. By birthright, I have the most claim to it.” 

It was like setting off a thermal detonator of indignance. 

“You have one already!” Rey protested, crossing her arms. 

Ben couldn’t keep the grin off his face, and she caught the tease a second too late. She huffed at him, rolling her eyes, but with her agitation quickly retreating. 

“And if that wasn’t enough,” Poe had continued, oblivious to his intentions or just uncaring of them.“ You forsaked…forsook?” 

Rey and Finn blinked at him. 

Poe waved them off. “You abandoned the family lineage, and Mom and Dad adopted me, so really I’m the one with the most claim to it.” 

Finn raised an eyebrow. “And what would you do with a lightsaber?” 

Poe trailed off, everyone turning to listen to his answer. 

 “Stab stuff.” he said finally. 

“I abandoned Mom and Dad,” Ben admitted. “But my mission was for the legacy of Anakin, and it was his to begin with. I still have rights to it.” 

“Great work, team.” Finn leaned back against the wall, running his hands over his hair, which was just starting to grow out from its regulation Stormtrooper cut. “We’ve created two new parts to the problem instead of solving it.” 

The others fell silent, before Poe snapped his fingers and grinned. “Wait! I’ve got the perfect way to decide! We’ll draw lots!” 

“We’re gambling for an ancient Jedi weapon?! ” Rey immediately wrinkled her nose in disgust. 

Ben paused. “It…has precedence.” he admitted. “If the Force wills the lightsaber to be with one of us specifically, it’ll guide the hand of whoever picks a piece of the paper. There were stories of some of the first Jedi using it to make decisions.” 

Rey still didn’t look convinced, but she nodded. “Right…I mean, I guess we can try.” 

“Hey, and we’ll be combining lessons!” Poe pointed out. “Let’s have you practice writing down everyone’s name.” 

A few minutes later, four slips of paper had been placed into a teacup they’d found in the pantry, everyone standing around and waiting. 

“So…who picks the name?” Finn asked. 

“Me, obviously.” Poe sniffed. “The rest of you have the Force, you’ll just use your weird intuition vibes to win.” 

Ben frowned. “Dad taught you sleight of hand and how to cheat when we were kids, I don’t trust you either.” 

Finn dragged his hands over his face. “Can we just--” 

Without waiting for another argument to break out, Rey’s hand reached into the cup, snatching a random piece of paper. “There. We’re done.”

At everyone else’s incredulous looks, she tossed up her hands. “What?! We’re landing in two minutes, we don’t have time to keep squabbling over a piece of paper! I didn’t use the Force, I just grabbed one.” 

Poe sighed. “You’ve…got a point. So, who is it?” 

----

“Alright!” Poe clapped his hands together. “So if we’re done arguing with the Force-ordained lots…” 

Begrudging silence met his words. 

“Great. We’ll need to stick close together. We’re about ten miles away from where those First Order files said Finn’s village was. Now,” 

He gave Finn a quick glance. “Honestly, buddy, it’s pretty unlikely any survivors are there.” 

Finn’s shoulders stiffened, and Ben cut into Poe’s awkward blunder. “He’s not saying there aren’t any survivors. He’s saying the ones who did survive likely relocated to avoid further violence from the First Order.” 

Finn’s eyes cut across to his, and he nodded stiffly. “Understood.” 

“It’ll be a few hours of a hike, especially with how thick this foliage is. Stick close to each other, make sure everyone has a comm, and watch out for wildlife. Let’s move!” 

Ben fell in step as they walked away from the dark shape of Zyth’s ship. He kept his eyes on Poe, leading the charge with a machete in hand to cut through any undergrowth. The cadence of his voice, the way he moved to lead them through the woods…Ben realized he’d never seen Poe lead before. Not from any vantage point except across from a smoke and blood stained battlefield. 

The forest was thick, humid and thrumming with life. But unlike the last planet, these creatures stayed mostly out of sight. Every once in a while, Ben caught the flicker of a plumed tail in the branches or amber eyes in the underbrush. Unlike the other animals, the insects weren’t shy. The sound of a river somewhere to the west was likely the source. Ben smacked at his cheek, and for the first time since it had splintered, wished for his mask, just for some measure of protection. 

Rey was having the most trouble. It wasn’t long before she was a step in front of Ben, hoisting herself over fallen logs and under massive, sweeping branches. Finn was right behind Poe; it seemed that stormtrooper fights had taken him on rough terrain before, and Poe’s face of fearless leadership made him ignore the swarming insects that Ben knew were boiling irritation in his blood. 

“Can’t you just, you know.” Rey tilted her chin to the lightsaber at Ben’s hip. “Hack your way through all this mess?” 

The corner of his mouth twitched, and he had to bite back his smile. “Tempting.” he admitted. 

He held a branch up and out of her way. She ducked under nimbly, keeping a hand clasped over her buns so they didn’t snag in the twigs.

 “But if we’re trying to be subtle,” he continued. “leaving a tunnel of lightsaber burns probably isn’t the best idea.” 

Rey puffed out a sigh. “Fair enough.” 

Soon, even Finn and Poe’s quiet chatter started to fall into silence. The terrain was still rough, and now the ground was rising into a slow incline. Finn ran a hand through his grown-out cut, flicking sweat from his brow. But his face was set, and Poe didn’t slow their pace. 

Finally, drenched in sweat and freckled with bug bites, the ground began to even out. The trees began to grow sparser. The bugs began to retreat as the sound of water faded, and more sunlight spilled through the cracks in the waning branches. 

Poe checked his nav computer, reaching up with his other hand to flick his sweat-drenched hair from his brow. “We’re at the coordinates.” He reported. “Should be around here.” 

Rey scanned the trees, clearly relieved to be out of the thick of the woods. “We could split into groups?” She suggested. “And stay within shouting distance?” 

Poe nodded. “Sure, but let’s not go far. Rey, with me?” 

She nodded, hefting her newly carved staff and heading off behind Poe. 

Ben looked at Finn. “I’m probably not who you want by your side for this.” He admitted flatly. 

Finn shrugged. “You’re the reason we’re even here.” He pointed out. “And it would be stupider to wander around by myself.” 

Well. I guess we can call that progress. 

Ben fell into step behind Finn. “Do you remember any of this?” 

Finn hesitated, then shook his head. “I can only remember…the people, a little. I had parents, and some other family. I don’t…” he shook his head. “003 remembered more than I did, but only a little. Like a lullaby our mothers used to sing.” 

That last part was rushed out, and said in a half-cough. Finn wasn’t looking at him, and Ben could feel the air crackle with embarrassment. 

“Gener--Leia used to sing me lullabies, too. I don’t remember most of them, but there was one from the planet she grew up on, Alderaan.” 

Finn’s brow furrowed. “Where have I heard the name--” His eyes widened suddenly. “The First Victory of the Death Star. We had lessons--” 

Ben nodded. “Peaceful planet. No big weapons, but they supported the Rebellion. Specifically, their princess, Leia, did.” 

Finn’s brow furrowed. “You’re a prince?”

Ben’s foot caught under a root, and he nearly pitched to the ground. It was only a quick burst of the Force that kept him steady. He shrugged. “It’s complicated.” 

“Man.” Finn shook his head. “The more I hear about and meet your family, the more I don’t get why you haven’t just…tried to get them in on this. Your mom was some great spy and politician for the Rebellion, but you can’t let her in on this?” 

“No.” Ben’s throat was tightening, a sharp blend of anger and frustration. 

“Why not?” 

Ben’s shoulders raised, then fell. “Leia is a talented spy, warrior, and leader. She’s a hero and a miracle of a woman. But I know my mother is like me, in one key way. Her brother’s in danger. She couldn’t stand aside while he is, and that’s the only thing we can do to ensure he’s safe.” 

Finn was quiet for a moment. Then, 

“Blaster burns.” 

Ben lifted his head. 

Half of a crumbling stone wall stood before them. What was likely the foundation of a house, now scattered and fallen. Largely, it seemed, by weather and time. But what Finn pointed out was clear as day. A long, dark scorch mark burned across the side of the wall. 

“We’re here.” Finn said quietly. 

------

“So, what sort of things has Ben been teaching you?” 

Rey glanced up from poking through the dirt with her stick. She thought some of the stones looked like they were in an intentional pattern. But the false-casual tone of Poe made her pause. 

“Well, things like jumping and running with the Force enhancing our strength.” she said. “Meditating, a little. Mind tricks, but those are hard to practice if the person knows you’re doing it.” 

Poe hummed. “Got it, got it.” 

Silence stretched out again. 

“So not anything…Dark sided?” 

Rey stood up, planting her staff in the dirt. “Poe.” 

“What?!” He straightened up, tossing his hands indignantly. “It’s worth asking! I don’t know how most of that works, and you’re new to it, too.” 

Rey shrugged, now dragging her staff more aimlessly around. “Well…sort of. I’ve always felt it in some ways. Little warnings about where to put my feet when I was scavenging. Or just…an idea that someone wasn’t being truthful. I used to call it my gut, but…I don’t know. Now that I’m listening closer, I can pick up on things I really shouldn’t be able to know.” 

Poe nodded. “Right…right…” 

Rey didn’t think she wanted to bring up any of the other pulls she’d felt; the Dark creeping in on those freezing, still nights to pace around her like a predator, whispering warm promises in her ears. 

“So you’d know, if he was teaching you Dark stuff.” Poe said finally. 

“Yes.” Rey kept her tone firm, hoping that would cut off this whole conversation. 

“Right…” 

Rey knelt, sifting the dirt a little. The stones she’d found did curve unnaturally, in a near-perfect circle. Digging in the center for a while brought up soot and scorched ground. Someone had built a fire here, though it had clearly been some years since then.

“But how would you know?” 

Rey sighed, pushing herself up and turning fully to him. “Poe--” 

She didn’t have time to speak. She barely had time to lift her staff, as the sun-dappled ground came alive and lunged.

Chapter Text

The third time he heard the sound, Finn jerked his head over to Ky--to Ben. 

He made no sign he’d made any noise, a silent shadow knelt beside the broken wall, tracing his fingers over the scorch mark. “Moss growth. It’s been here for awhile, I’d guess--” 

It was like if wind could sing. Clear and cool, weaving through the trees and through…not his ears. Not his mind, either. Through his…something. 

The song rose and fell. There were “words”, but were they? Not words…impressions? Finn was a finger’s brush away from comprehending it. 

He raised his head to scan through the trees. Nothing. 

“Finn?” 

Ben’s words were quieter than they should have been, that threading song rising higher and sweeter. 

“Finn!” Ben’s hand rose to shake his shoulder, then quickly fell before it could connect. “Are you okay?” 

“It’s beautiful.” Finn turned to him, brow furrowing. The song was running through him, from some point in the trees and then off…somewhere else. It wound around him like silvery thread, but…it didn’t touch Ben. “Can you hear it?” 

“Hear what?” Ben’s eyebrows were furrowed. “Have you had enough water?” 

Irritation quickly rose in his chest. “I’m not dehydrated. I can hear something…someone. It feels like…” 

Like home. 

Finn squeezed his eyes shut, trying to focus on that thread. It was shaking, moving, he couldn’t wrap his comprehension quite around it, but if he kept trying, then--

“Finn!” 

The igniting of a saber snapped Finn’s eyes open. Ben had dropped into a fighting stance, blade out and shivering with energy. And all around them, barely visible against the dapple of leaf shadow and sunlight, were armed warriors. Fabric patterned like the forest floor was wrapped around their bodies and even their faces. What it didn’t completely cover showed armor underneath, though not made out of anything Finn had seen. 

Guns raised, pointed. Waiting. 

The song…it threaded through them. But the source of it, the one who hummed with that strange, silvery music was--

“Weapons down, First Order scum..” Her voice was calm and cold. “Don’t mistake our restraint for hesitation.” 

“We’re not First Order--” Ben started to speak. 

The woman hissed. “We saw the silencer you came down in. Weapons. Down.” 

Ben’s eyes cut across to him, then to the enemy. Making calculations, trying to work out if he could keep himself alive. Finn had no doubt he could. Between the Force and his saber, he’d have no problem getting up into the leaf cover or even just reflecting the blaster bolts back. 

Ben’s eyes fell on him. 

Slowly, carefully, he knelt. He placed his saber on the forest floor, and the blades hissed back in. 

“Now you. I won’t warn you again.” 

An impression brushed Finn’s mind. A hawk, high, rising, poised and waiting. 

Hold but ready, ready to strike. 

It wasn’t music. It was communication. It was…the Force?

Finn reached out with his mind, wrapping onto that thread with a clumsy grip. The melody thrummed through him, a plucked string, trying to shake him loose. 

Finn gritted his teeth. And with what control he had, he grasped that memory. A woman’s voice, barely echoing within his memory. 003, singing it along with him, under his breath, as they did weapons checks. 

Star’s tide, rising bright. 

Come to wash o’r sleepless night. 

Trust the wind child, quiet, sweet,

Sweeping down our village street. 

The figure stiffened. For a single, terrified moment, Finn thought she’d shoot him, right then and there. But then…the song wrapped around him, too. No longer trying to shake him loose. Inviting him in. 

When the darkness has reached her crest,  

Crawl within my arms to rest, 

Find me under the emerald sway, 

Where we’ll sleep till night gives way 

The missing pieces of that lullaby. The parts that 003 and Finn had searched their memories for, tirelessly, over and over again. They rose sweetly and freely from the mind of the woman. Hands shaking, she reached up, pulling her hood loose. 

Finn stared into a face that rose and dipped in every familiar way. A cascade of braids fell over her shoulder, down her back. A small scar touched the side of her lip. But he knew that nose, the chin, the shape of the eyes. It stared back at him from every reflective surface. 

“It’s you.” she whispered. “You’re back.” 

“I’m back.” He echoed, throat dry. She was…young. Barely out of her teen years. And if she knew the lullaby, she was from his village, but the resemblance, the face and even the cadence of her voice--

“Desemi.” One of the other warriors spoke up, gun still raised. “Do you know him?” 

The side of the woman’s mouth lifted. “It’s the first time we’ve met.” She admitted. “But yes. I do. At ease, on him. Keep guns trained on the Dark Sider.” 

As all the guns shifted, Finn threw up his hands. “Wait, woah, hold on. He’s with me.” 

Desemi’s brow furrowed. “I’m grateful to see you. But we don’t take kindly to those who disrupt the song.” 

The song? Does she mean the Force? 

Finn shook his head. “I get it, I understand. Normally, I don’t either. But Ben defected from the First Order to save me and our allies, and he almost died doing it. He stole intel from them to get me here, back to all of you.” 

Desemi was quiet for a long moment. Then, her hand raised. For a brief, paralyzing moment, Finn thought it was an order to fire. 

Then, Ben’s lightsaber flew into her palm. A brief grimace flashed across her face, before she tucked it into her belt. 

“You’re lucky,” She said to Ben. “That we didn’t find you with the other two. They’re not as good at talking.” 

Ben’s eyes flashed. “What did you do to Poe and Rey?!” he snapped. 

“Nothing, yet. They’ve been detained and brought back to our village. Which is where we’re all going, now. Let’s move.” 

Finn gave Ben a sideways glance, uncertainty starting to creep in. But he knew what he felt. And so, emboldened by the song still ringing in his ears, he stepped forward. 

“Desemi.” Her head turned, and she slowed her gait slightly to let him fall in step. 

“Is this…” he swallowed. “The Force is telling me, but…are you really my sister?” 

Her eyes softened, and she grinned. “Mom’s going to be very glad to see you. We’d given up hope on ever seeing you again, and here you are,” her lips twist with soft amusement. “Turning up on our planet with a wise-cracker, a Light-sider who’s deaf to our song, and a First Order runaway. Though…” her eyes trailed over his face. “Something tells me that you have that in common with your dark friend.” 

Finn nearly opened his mouth to tell her that Ben wasn’t his friend, they were barely allies at this point. But he didn’t think that would lead to anything except more guns raised, so he let it drop. 

“Everyone who was taken from our village,” he said quietly. “We were the FN unit.” 

Desemi was quiet for a moment. “What did they call you?” 

“FN-2187. But Poe--the wisecracker, you called him--gave me a new name. Finn. That’s what my allies call me, now.” 

“Finn.” Desemi rolled the syllable around in her mouth. “Poe isn’t a very creative one, is he?” 

The corner of Ben’s mouth twitched, and Finn shook his head a little. “He gave me a name when I didn’t have one.” 

“You did.” Desemi said quietly. “I’m very sorry that you’ve forgotten it.” Then, raising her voice. “Move quiet and swift! Rania, help me wrap them in the song. The traps have extended out, farther than before.”  

Finn gave a quick glance to Ben. The other man’s brow was furrowed, confusion written over his features. But he remained silent as they forged further into the woods, the trees thickening as they went. 

Several times, Desemi ordered them to halt and crouch in the bushes as sleek, silvery crafts moved overhead. Once, Finn caught the shape of a massive, ornate mansion through the trees as their path curved closer towards the beach. 

Hours passed, only short breaks taken for food and water. Several members of the party fanned out behind them on Desemi’s command. 

“They’re hiding.” Ben said quietly, putting down the canteen of water he’d been handed. Finn gave him a quick glance, but it seemed no one else was listening in. 

Finn nodded. “The people she’s sending out are covering our tracks. And the other ships here…what do you know about Cantobana?” 

Ben took a moment, before shaking his head. “Not much. It’s a tourist destination. Most of it isn’t inhabited, but it’s got a lot of natural resources for more comfortable living. If you’re rich enough to have a house made of wood instead of durasteel, it’s probably from here, or a planet like it. Casinos. Vacation homes. The First Order didn’t have…much business here.” 

Except to steal Force sensitive children and anyone around them for soldiers. 

Finn bit back his tongue. In his own way, Ben was taken, too. Getting snippy about it now wasn’t going to help either of them. 

“Whatever the case, we need to get back to Rey and Poe.” Ben said finally, eyes casting out into the woods. 

“Splitting the squ--the group was a bad idea.” Finn agreed. “Let’s hope they’re not making too much of a mess.” 

----

“Hey! We need to speak to whoever’s in charge! We’re on an important mission!” 

Rey would have smacked her forehead if her hand were free to do so. The villagers walking past the shelter didn’t even pause long enough to look at him. Rey wondered if they were used to taking captives like this, or if they just didn’t think enough of Poe to bother responding. 

They seemed to be in some sort of machine shop, scattered with parts and tools. The clusters of durasteel seemed like an odd contrast to Rey, especially against the branch-woven roof and grassy mats they were sitting on. From what she could see, the parts were expensive, too. Luxury shone in the flawless metal and polished plastic, every familiar piece Rey could see rendered almost unrecognizable by the sheer quality. 

It suddenly struck her. She was in a different version of her own AT-AT walker back on Jakku. A scavenger’s outpost. 

I wonder what’s left of home…probably not much. As soon as word got around, Teedo would have swooped down like a sand vulture, and the others wouldn’t be far behind. 

She really should have recognized this place sooner. But the fact that this little place was nestled so cozily into a village, a community… it was barely comprehensible. Scavenging was for someone who didn’t have any other choice but to pick of the carcass of something bigger and greater than them. Even on a lawless place like Jakku, it was sneered at. 

“You know Rey,” Poe’s voice rose a bit higher than necessary. “I don’t have a lot of respect for fighters who hide around and ambush unsuspecting travellers. ” 

Rey sighed, searching for some words to try to halt his. Swiftly, she was beaten to the task. 

“That’s fortunate.” 

A piece of broken scrap was hurled at Poe, striking a few inches from his ear. He stopped wriggling, staring at the owner of the projectile. 

“We’re not looking for respect from First Order scum.” She sniffed. 

She was tawny-skinned and small. Her short-cropped black hair pulled into twin tails and sliced across into blunt bangs. A baggy jumpsuit was tied at her waist, crossed with a utility belt. Her black tank top showed off the sinewey muscle of her arms, and the grease smudged across them. 

“We’re not First Order.” Rey said, trying to keep her voice level, even as irritation prickled at her stomach. “We scavenged one of their ships.” 

The woman paused, lifting an eyebrow. “Your friend’s got the ego of one.” She said bluntly. 

“Don’t hold it against him.” Rey sighed. “He means well.” 

Poe puffed up next to her, eyes sharpening. “Hey, what gives?! Who’s side are you on?” 

Ours, so stop running your mouth for two seconds! 

“I don’t think there is a side here, Poe! These are scavenged parts from First Order ships. Not the kind of things you’d get from Resistance ships.” 

The woman’s expression shifted closer to curiosity. “Huh. You know your way around a set of tools?” 

Rey shrugged a little. “I sold them more than I tinkered with them.” She admitted. “But I’ve got a staff…well, what’s left of one…in my bag.” 

The woman walked over to their stolen sacks, starting to rifle through them. Poe leaned over, whispering in her ear. 

“The map?!” he hissed. 

“Around my neck. They didn’t check under my shirt.” Rey murmured. 

“This?” The woman straightened up, picking up the staff pieces. “What happened to this thing? I’ve never seen burn marks like that before.” She ran her fingers over the charred ends. 

Rey nodded. “Got cleaved in half when we were fighting a Knight of Ren.” She explained. “Her saber cut on an angle; if it were a clean cleave, I could have replaced those parts easily enough. But it threw off the whole balance of the thing.” 

The woman’s eyes widened. “A Knight of Ren ? Come on, there’s only so much I can buy.” she huffed. “But…man, I really haven’t ever seen a cut like this.” 

She sat down at her bench, studying the pieces. “Thrown off balance, huh? I can see that. The damage stretches…” a low whistle. “A good foot on either side. If you’re really telling the truth about this being a Knight of Ren’s…she really wanted you dead.” 

“For good reason. ” Poe cut in. “We’d just rescued Rey from Starkiller Base on Illum and convinced one of their Knights to betray them.” 

“Convinced” was giving both her and Poe a significant amount of credit that they frankly did not deserve. But this wasn’t the time to be arguing that kind of point with Poe. 

The woman laughed, but it wasn’t too mocking. “Man, a Resistance fighter, huh? I think you missed your true calling as a storyteller. I’d read that book. Don’t know how you’re managing to do it, but I’m starting to like you two. The name’s Rose.” 

Rey sat up, a small spark of hope rising in her chest. “I’m Rey, this is--” 

“Poe Dameron, commander of the Resistance and--” 

“Poe Dameron?!” Rose stood, abandoning the staff and walking over to them. She knelt in front of Poe, holding up a holopad. The wanted poster projected up next to Poe’s face. Poe did his best to match the expression. Rose gave a low whistle. “Huh! So you’re not messing with me! D-O!” 

A tiny green and white droid, no more than a cone on a wheel, rolled up with a small whistle. 

“Hello, Miss Rose! What can I do for you?” he chirped out in a twittering string of binary. Rey couldn’t help her grin, even as the sight made her miss BB-8 terribly. 

Cute! 

“Cut our friends loose.” She said with a wide sweep of her hand. “Rey, c’mere. I think I’ve got an idea to fix this thing up.” 

Rey sprang to her feet as soon as the bonds were cut away. She could hardly believe she’d gone from being tied up on the floor to getting her staff fixed, just because Rose knew who Poe was. 

Maybe he’s more impressive than I give him credit for. Even if he’s got no clue how his own ship works…

She crossed to Rose’s side, peering down at her staff. Rose started at it with her wrench, easing the scorched parts loose. “It’s pretty piecemeal.” She commented. “Lots of parts that I probably wouldn’t have used. Good bit of sand stuck in here too.” 

Rey bristled. “Well, I didn’t exactly have the stuff you do. I used what I had. What Jakku had.” 

Rose seemed to either not notice her annoyance, or not care. “Yeah, exactly. So that’s why we’re gonna fix it up now. The parts are crap, so you must have really known what you were doing to keep it useful for this long.” 

Rey blinked. Oh. That was…a compliment? 

“We’re gonna need to do a deep clean to start.” Rose said, grabbing a tub and filling it with a sharp-smelling solution. “We can use the base of it just fine, but all those screws are gunked up with sand and grime. The weight might be a little different after all that’s scrubbed out, but not too much. And there’s less chance something’ll fall off when you smack a stormtrooper with it.” 

Rose was absorbed into the task, so Rey grabbed a screwdriver of her own, starting to ease the screws loose on the opposite end. “So…what am I going to owe you?” She asked warily. 

Poe perked up at that, taking a glance through his bag. He shot her a thumbs up; their captors hadn’t taken their credits. 

Rose shrugged. “Uh…I dunno. I don’t really work for money. We all just help each other out here. Gotta move around a lot, gotta split resources evenly. Cause if someone gets left behind, they’re snatched up by the slavers or the harvesters.” 

“Slavers?” Poe’s eyes had sharpened as he crossed over. “Slavery’s illegal, galaxy wide. Even in unaligned planets.” 

Rose shrugged. “The Republic’s fighting a galaxy-dominating cult right now. Think they’ve got the time to chase down every underhanded deal? The resorts here need labor, and they turn a bigger profit if the labor’s free. Throw up some cover about it being an “orphan relief program” and they get free labor delivered to them. Simple as that.” 

Poe stepped over to Rose’s bench. “There’s all sorts of people here.” He said quietly. “Togruta, wookies, twi’lek, I even spotted a few Kel Dor. But this place doesn’t have a consistent off-planet transportation, except to the resorts. You’re a rebellion, aren’t you? And you rescued the slaves here?” 

Rose rang two parts together. “Nailed it! Give the man a prize!” She snorted, starting to scrub again. “Sure do. The people tried to just lay low and not bother with those resort corporations. But they kept expanding, and expanding. The waters got polluted, the wildlife was being hunted to extinction for “exotic treats”, and then the worst happened.” 

Rose dug into a crevice. Grease spilled, spreading through the water and darkening everything it touched. 

“The First Order showed up. Said they weren’t here for the resorts. Just here to take care of a few villages. And hey, that was just good business; staying safe from the big scary cult and cutting down on your competition for resources.” 

Rose gestured around with her wrench. “So, here we are. The ones left over from the massacres. The villages left over got pushed as far from the resorts as possible, but they’ve only got a few more years before the construction reaches them. So, we’ve got to cut out the rot before it spreads.” 

Rose’s voice was calm and casual, like she was talking about something as normal as what she’d had for breakfast. Rey had never been grateful for Jakku and its barren landscape, but at least she’d never needed to worry about some big, powerful force coming for her home. Anything she needed to scare away could be beaten off by the end of her staff. 

“We don’t have a lot to spare right now.” Poe spoke up. His face was slightly furrowed, but not nearly as thrown as Rey felt. 

This…is normal for him. Isn’t it? 

“But when we’re back to the Resistance, I’ll appeal to General Organa to send you aid.” 

Rose pushed away from her bench, head tilted slightly, almost as if she was listening to something. Then, she turned to Poe. “If you take care of the First Order, like you’ve all been trying to do, our problems are gonna move up on the Republic’s to-do list.” She held up her hands, now even more grease-smudged. “I’m not saying you can’t send aid, but let’s focus on the big guy, m’kay? For now, we’ll keep blowing up these bastard’s sewage pipes and stuff. Slowing them down is something we’re pretty much experts at. And, hey. The chief wants to talk to you.” 

She put down the rest of Rey’s staff, dunking it in the liquid cleaner. “We’ll give this baby a couple hours to soak, then start putting her back together and fixing her up.” 

She tossed Rey a towel, wiping her own hands on her pants. “Let’s not keep the boss lady waiting. Desemi sounded impatient.” 

Rey and Poe exchanged a glance; they hadn’t heard anyone. But Rose was already heading for the exit. 

“Figures.” Poe laughed softly, speaking under his breath to Rey. “I just got to understanding this lady, so she’s gotta throw me off with something new.” 

Rey raised an eyebrow. “You understand ladies?” 

“So well! All the time! You didn’t get to see me back at the base, everyone loves dashing pilots!” 

Rey snorted and stepped ahead, following Rose. 

“Hey!” 

Just when I get to admiring you, you’ve gotta throw me off with something new.