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Ben supposes that he could have talked his way into Varykino with the right words to the right people.
But it feels more honest this way--anonymously working the small plot on the plains just outside Theed. The land had been outrageously expensive, and he’d only been able to afford it by accessing accounts that had sat passively accruing interest during the years after he’d abandoned his family. That fact alone makes his heart squeeze. Even after he’d cut his parents off, they’d never cut him off.
Though his guilt is real, he can’t help but think that he’s finally where he should be, doing what he should be doing. Over and over, he feels his mother’s soft lips on his forehead, hears the warm rasp of her whisper, “Don’t kriff this up, kid.”
*******
Leia’s presence had been the last thing he felt before he gasped back to life on the floor of the Sith Temple on Exegol.
By that time, Rey was long gone, and the Temple was being strafed by the Fleet of Just . . . People.
He hadn’t time to contemplate his existence or the mysteries of the Force right then. No, there was only time to run and escape in the minimally-damaged TIE that he’d managed to get into the air and out of atmosphere.
As soon as he could, he ditched the TIE and booked passage to Naboo, pleased to find that “Bail Naberrie” still had the same fingerprints and retinas (and money) as Ben Solo. Thank the Force for Leia’s diplomatic precautions.
*******
Here on Naboo, things fell into place fairly quickly for Ben. He’d arrived without much of a plan but lying low. That all changed one night at the cantina he’d been frequenting to find out about the local scene.
Serendipitously, he’d been seated at the bar next to a friendly man named Yvarsh, who, a few ales in, expressed his desire to give up his small farm and retire to an island with his wife. His yearning was so strong that Ben could see it without even attempting to dip into his thoughts. The man already had his eye on a little seaside cottage and a boat he wanted to name “Lady Lellé” after his wife.
Ben drew Yvarsh into conversation about his farm. No, it wasn’t very big, but the land was good and fertile, and the farmhouse was cozy and might be nice for a little family.
“You know, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for,” Ben said, before he’d even thought about it. He’d been drawn in by the images Yvarsh had been projecting--a comfortable house with a homey kitchen, lovely grounds, a thriving garden, a little pond.
Yvarsh was nearly knocked off his stool. “Really? I haven’t even thought about putting it on the market yet. But if you’re serious, you can come see it tomorrow.” His wide grin was only partially attributable to the ale. Avoiding real-estate headaches was a dream come true and one step closer to the island and Lady Lellé.
“I’d love to.” Ben smiled back, shook Yvarsh’s hand firmly, then asked for the coordinates to be sent to his comm.
*******
The next day, Ben toured Yvarsh Panaka’s farm and was thoroughly charmed. It was even more lovely than Ben had expected. Over caf and warm buns at the kitchen table, he made an offer to Yvarsh and Lellé . The number he named was based on his research and the best-case scenario that the couple seemed to have been thinking, but couldn’t help projecting. The offer was quickly accepted.
*******
Mere weeks later, Ben moved into the farmhouse. Yvarsh and Lellé had opted to leave most of the furniture, on the grounds that it just wouldn’t belong in their airy little cottage by the sea. The furniture was a great gift to Ben; he hadn’t the slightest idea about decorating or anything, and the rooms looked nice to him as they were. He was, however, open to any ideas from anyone who might arrive later.
*******
For now, he’s just grateful that he isn’t really alone. The deal for the house and land had also included JE-N3, a fairly late-model agriculture droid who’s only too happy to instruct Ben regarding the fields, the gardens, the grounds, and really anything around the place, whether or not Ben asks. Yvarsh and Lellé have run the place so well that it’s not too difficult.
JE-N3 has been quite helpful, especially in the early days before Ben is fully comfortable. She’s shown him how to command the small corps of field droids who harvest, plant, and plow. With her assistance, he learns to anticipate and prepare for local weather cycles and growing seasons. He nearly loses track of time as he throws himself into the operation of his little farm.
Soon enough, he’s confident enough to drive to the Theed farmers’ market, his grav-trailer laden with the products of his fields and gardens. He makes some money, but most importantly, he’s able to barter for things his farm doesn’t produce. Ben even finds a small miller who’s willing to grind his grain into flour in exchange for some of his garden vegetables.
The flour and the other items he’s traded for are immensely helpful, not just in bringing variety to his diet, but also in his progress toward a goal of his.
During her whirlwind introductory tour, JE-N3 had directed him toward a datapad in the kitchen. Evidently, Yvarsh and Lellé were kind enough to leave a cache of recipes that showcased the farm’s produce in the best way.
The majority of the ingredients can be found on his farm, but there are a few that he’s been wondering how to acquire. He’s got them now, and he rolls up his sleeves and gets to work in the kitchen.
There’s a good bit of trial and error involved, and many nights, Ben winds up eating mistakes for dinner. He isn’t overly bothered by this--he spent several years living on bland, textureless stormtrooper rations, brainwashed into believing that his body only required fuel from food, not enjoyment in eating. Paradoxically, it’s this that makes his successes that much sweeter, so to speak.
Ben works hardest to perfect one dish in particular. It’s very labor-intensive and requires a whole afternoon to prep and assemble. First, he uses his flour to make a dough, kneads it within an inch of its life--a great workout for his arm muscles--then lets it rest. While the dough rests, he sets a pot full of chopped vegetables to simmer along with some herbs.
After the dough has had its nap, he cuts it into sections and flattens it out with a rolling pin. He runs the pieces through a device that rolls it to a uniform thickness and crinkles the edges, then places them in a pan, layering them with the sauce he’s been simmering and fresh, rich cheese from the dairy farmer he met at the market.
He slides the pan into the oven and hopes that he’s gotten it right this time. While it’s baking, Ben walks out onto his back porch and sits down in his favorite of the comfy chairs. From here, he can see all of his fields and his garden. Closing his eyes, he leans back and just feels everything growing around him.
Seeds, well-fed and watered, send shoots up toward the sun. Stems on established stalks sprout more buds and leaves, flowering into new fruit. Insects buzz around, flitting from plant to plant, fertilizing and fostering life.
Ben is never bored with the feeling of the Living Force, having neglected his sense of it for far too long. After having spent so much time on darkness and destruction, he’s been given a second chance--one that he’s using to propagate growth in the sunlight.
He starts to believe that he might actually not be kriffing this up.
His little bit of hope is encouraged when the timer sounds and he goes back inside to remove his piping hot dish from the oven. It bubbles and steams enticingly, giving off a delicious aroma. This is the best-looking one yet. It actually resembles the holo in the kitchen datapad!
After waiting impatiently for it to cool a bit, he plates a generous serving and sits down to eat. From his first bite, he knows he’s finally gotten it right. The noodles are the perfect texture, the flavors of the vegetables and herbs have blended deliciously, and the cheese has melted creamily over it all.
For the first time, Ben feels exactly right about the little life he’s created here. There had been previous triumphs, of course--his first successful harvest, his first planting, his first day at the farmers’ market--but this brings it all together. He’s made something wonderful solely through his own efforts. Immediately, his mind goes to Han and Leia. All they’d ever really wanted for him was peace. And finally, he’s on his way to finding it.
*******
Almost as soon as Rey arrives on Tatooine, she regrets coming here. It’s a new world to her, but still depressingly familiar. There’s an extra sun, but all that does is make the heat more blisteringly unbearable. Sand stretches to a horizon broken only by the bedraggled silhouettes of beings just trying to make it through another day. This was exactly the kind of existence she’d sworn to leave behind forever.
However, she’s here for a reason, so she double-checks the coordinates of her destination with BB-8 and gets going. The sooner she does that, the sooner she can leave.
*******
Once she reaches the old Lars farm, she’s even more underwhelmed. Long-abandoned and nearly filled with sand, scorch marks visible on the walls, it’s nothing but lonely and desolate. On the spot, she revises her plan. This place is no honor. The Skywalker legacy--Luke’s, Leia’s, Ben’s --deserves far better, and if she left it here, she’d fail as its steward.
Just as she’s leaving, her attention is caught by an old woman, standing with her mount, presumably taking a break on her journey through the bleak desert.
“There’s been no one for so long,” says the woman. “Who are you?”
“I’m Rey,” she answers.
“Rey who?”
“Just . . . Rey.” Rey turns and walks toward the binary sunset, BB-8 rolling along beside her.
*******
As she eats a mediocre cantina meal in Anchorhead, Rey feels a little defeated and wonders what her next move will be. Her idea of burying Luke and Leia’s lightsabers at Luke’s childhood home clearly hadn’t been the right one. If she’d thought harder about it, she might have arrived at that conclusion earlier. The place had no connection to Leia at all, other than Tatooine having been her father’s birthplace. For a moment, Rey considers setting Leia’s saber into orbit among the remains of Alderaan, sending Luke’s saber below the swirling seas of Ahch-To. But that seems wrong, too.
She’s been thinking in circles, but maybe she should be thinking in parabolas or ellipses. Or, hell, any of the conic sections she’s taught herself.
Rey sighs and finishes the last bite on her plate. As disappointing as the food had been, she hates waste. Just as she’s chewing, she’s hit by a sensation she hasn’t felt in quite some time--the molecules around her shift and slow down; her field of vision wavers. She swallows her bite, wondering what she’d see. The bond is dead, after all--there can’t be a dyad with one half gone.
Her nose fills with a delicious aroma--something hot and tasty. Rey can nearly feel steam tickling her face with the smell of cooked vegetables and herbs. Her mouth waters and her stomach rumbles gamely, seeming to have forgotten the meal she’s just consumed.
And then comes the vision, just as the scent fades--a beautiful city whose high-domed towers and spires reach toward the clouds. As she comes back to herself, Rey tries to remember why that place looks so familiar. When her brain finally settles on it, she wonders why she didn’t think of it before-- Naboo .
*******
BB-8 chirps and rolls happily when Rey tells them the new plan. They’d been a bit sad to see Rey looking so dejected on leaving the old Lars farm.
She’s pleased to see BB-8 looking a little more upbeat, but now she’s feeling a growing apprehension as she sets their course. Though she’s already decided she’s never going back to Jakku, though Tatooine was repellent to her, though she knows exactly where she doesn’t want to be, she’s never decided where she actually does want to be. And though all her research tells her of the beauty of Naboo, she isn’t so sure she wants to be that close to her own origins. However, Naboo also holds the origins of Luke and Leia . . . and Ben.
If she was truly looking for a place to honor their legacy, it would be selfish of her to avoid Naboo, wouldn’t it?
*******
When she arrives in Theed, Rey is struck immediately by the sheer beauty of the city. The architecture downtown is even more beautiful than her vision. She’s in a good mood--based on what she’d read during her hyperspace journey here, Emperor Palpatine was far from a favorite son of the city. They hadn’t officially damned his memory, though. Instead, every historical site Rey visits is clearly marked with ample signage describing the horrors of the Empire--both during and immediately after his reign. One monument even mentions Leia Organa’s heroics as a pilot.
Rey smiles, now even more sure that her presence here is the right thing. After her tour, she felt her stomach rumble, and she mentions to BB-8 that she’s getting hungry. The droid beeps--a bit mockingly, to Rey’s ears--wondering what else is new.
She smiles and shakes her head in fond exasperation; just because BB-8 doesn’t need food doesn’t mean it’s not important. BB-8 makes an untranslatable noise at her but still rolls along beside her.
They’re reaching the edge of Theed’s urban area now, where the lovely buildings start to give way to meadows. In a lot next to one of the shorter office towers is what appears to be a market. Tables, stands, and booths are set up in neat rows, and brightly-colored flags and banners flap in the gentle breeze.
Rey goes immediately to the first stand that seems to be selling lunch. Though she’s not at all familiar with the local cuisine, the pictures on the large menu sign look appetizing. All of the dishes appear to be quite portable and very practical for walking around, which Rey likes. She chooses a warm folded flatbread filled with vegetables and cheese.
With BB-8 trailing along behind her, Rey munches her flatbread and wanders the market. The mood is generally cheerful, as are the vendors who are only too pleased to show her their wares. She finds herself charmed.
Naboo--or what she’s seen of it, anyway--is lovely. As much as she rejects whatever part of her came from Sheev Palpatine, she feels like she could embrace this place, which also seems to have repudiated her grandfather. Her genes aside, Rey wouldn’t mind claiming Naboo as a homeworld. The scenery is beautiful, every single citizen she’s interacted with has been kind, and things grow here. The farmers’ stalls offer stacks, baskets, piles of fresh, attractive fruits and vegetables. Sellers here talk and laugh easily with each other and with their customers--a stark contrast to the fear and distrust visible in the expression of every being at Niima Outpost.
She spends a while at a booth selling gorgeous handmade toys. How she would have loved to have owned any one of these items! She lingers over the smooth wood and bright paint of the blocks and play vehicles, can’t stop touching the delicately-sewn bodies and sweet faces of the little soft toys. Mercifully, BB-8 chirps to remind her of the check-in time at the lodgings they’ve booked. Because it’s a low-price hostel, check-in is first-come, first-serve, so it won’t do to get there too late.
Rey agrees that they should get a move on, and makes her way toward the exit. She stops only once, when a table staffed by a Gungan catches her eye. It’s spread with dozens of small orbs. Rey picks one up and finds that it fits perfectly into her palm. It’s a tiny replica of Theed, but when she turns it over in her hand, the liquid inside swirls and becomes a beautiful underwater landscape of Otoh Gunga. She indicates that she wants to buy it, and the shopkeeper scans her thumbprint to complete the transaction, whispering something about home , then wrapping the globe in layers of cushioning material. Rey expresses her thanks as her purchase is slipped into a little box. She tucks the package inside her satchel, then leaves the market with BB-8.
*******
“Bail! Are you all right?!” Ben finally comes back to himself when he feels a light slap on his cheek. He finds that he’s standing behind his table at the farmers’ market where he’s become a weekly fixture. Larene, the woman who runs the bakery stand next to his, is looking up at him with concern.
“I . . . I’m fine,” replies Ben, blinking rapidly.
Larene looks relieved, tension visibly leaving her body. “Oh, good. I had come to ask if you wanted more bread and give you that bun recipe, but you were just still as a statue, and I don’t think you heard me.”
“I’m sorry. Just thought I saw something.” Ben shakes his head to clear it. “If you could, please, maybe a few loaves. And I’d love that recipe. You’re welcome to anything here, of course. Just fill a crate.”
“Thanks, Bail.” Larene smiles and walks away.
Ben attempts to organize his mind quickly. In one of his lazy glances over the market crowd, he thought he’d seen a head with three chestnut buns down the back. His shock had thrown him into a state which left him a little immobile and probably a bit frightening to an onlooker. Larene had brought him out of it fairly quickly, though. She goes back to her booth and Ben sells another bag of produce.
But he can’t help wondering about what he saw. Had he only seen those three buns because he wanted to?
*******
Once he gets home from the market, Ben is too tired to prepare any sort of elaborate dinner, so he sits out on his porch with one of Larene’s delicious loaves of fresh bread, along with some cheese and fruit. His mind keeps replaying the scene in the market, trying to zoom in and enhance it like a holo. Maybe he’d only seen Rey because he wanted to so badly.
He’s wanted her all along. When she’d kissed him on Exegol, one of his last thoughts was that he could die happy. And he had.
Since he’s been here, though, his time is constantly filled by his duties on the farm. He likes keeping busy, because it prevents his brain from having too much idle time. But now that he has everything running at a smooth clip, he has more free moments than he’d like. He’s still proud of everything he’s achieved with the little farm. The farmers’ market has become a comfortable place for him, with beings he looks forward to seeing, beings who would miss him if he didn’t show up one week. Hells, even today, Larene had been concerned when he was looking weird for a couple minutes. Without even trying, he belongs somewhere. Belonging is something that’s evaded him his whole life, and now he has it.
Even though Ben has friends now--both at the market and long-distance, since Yvarsh and Lellé like to send him occasional messages and holos--there’s a noticeable gap in his life. He yearns to share his comfort and success with someone who’d appreciate it, but there’s only one someone on his mind.
Sometimes, he thinks he can hear her in the wind, sometimes he thinks she’s just past the corner of his eye, and sometimes he dreams of her.
*******
Rey and BB-8 make good time to the hostel, which is nearby, on the outskirts of the city. Though the price is low, the place is clean and comfortable, and the staff is friendly. They’re even able to secure one of the few private rooms. Once she’s sitting down on the bed, Rey finally feels the toll of her travel. She goes down the hall to the ‘fresher and takes a long, hot shower, then falls into bed.
She sleeps soundly, but dreams of Ben calling out to her. These dreams are familiar, but she hasn’t had them in quite some time.
*******
The remnants of her dreams leave Rey a little melancholy upon waking the next morning. Her spirits are lifted a bit by the generous breakfast spread in the dining room. Then, determined to keep busy and enjoy the day, she makes some inquiries at the front desk, where the kind young staffbeing informs her that she can rent a speederbike just a few doors down the street. Rey thanks them, then heads out with BB-8.
Soon, Rey is astride a late-model speederbike. BB-8 sits snug in the sidecar, ready to navigate with the maps they’ve just downloaded. Rey wants to get out of the city and explore the plains. Theed is gorgeous, of course, but her visit to the market makes her want to see where things grow. Her fascination with green has never stopped. She’s spent so much time on barren desert land that she’s a little obsessed with life growing from the ground.
The route BB-8 navigates doesn’t disappoint. Once she’s far enough outside the city, the road narrows and she’s flying along with farms on both sides, the rows of crops swaying like waves in the gentle breeze. The air is so clear, and everything smells so fresh. She’s just passed several orchards when she nearly goes off the road. BB-8 squawks in alarm. Rey rights the bike and apologizes immediately to them.
BB-8 asks why, which is a good question, given that they’d always had absolute faith in Rey’s piloting/driving/maneuvering any type of vehicle.
Rey tells them that she doesn’t know, apologizes again, makes sure to pull the bike off the roadway, moves it under a tree, and asks them to stay put.
Rey doesn’t even register BB-8’s beep of concern as she walks away from the bike. She’s following her nose in the direction of the scent that had suddenly hit her and distracted her while she was driving. Something hot and delicious, steaming with the scent of cooked herbs and vegetables--the same thing she’d smelled sitting in the cantina in Anchorhead. It’s here . And she can think of nothing else but finding its source.
She walks and walks--it turns out that it’s not far, only a couple hundred meters or so--guided only by the aroma.
*******
Ben wakes the next morning, still in a bit of an odd mood. Trying to convince himself of his own sanity is, unfortunately, not new to him. He knows he has tasks to complete, so he tries to do his morning on easy mode. He wouldn’t normally, but he pulls out a frozen serving of his favorite meal to have for breakfast, setting it to heat up while he showers and dresses. It might be just the thing to soothe his restless mind, and he looks forward to eating it.
Just as he’s sitting down, though, he can hear movement on his front porch. Great. He hadn’t wanted to deal with anyone this early, but he reminds himself that this is what it’s like to have friends and prepares himself to accept the return of the tools that one neighbor had borrowed, to be ready with the seedlings he’d promised another. He closes his eyes and reaches out with the Force to get an inkling of what will face him when he opens the door.
Ben nearly falls on the floor, saved only by the odd piece of furniture in the front hall, something Lellé had called a “highboy.” He rights himself, now fully sure that he’s suddenly been plagued with dangerous hallucinations. But he opens the door anyway.
*******
Rey has no idea what she’s even about, walking up to a stranger’s house. She’s drawn there, though, not only by the scent, but also by something else. Is it the Force? Her faith is fairly strong, but she also knows herself and how she might be affected by the idea of a tasty meal. She’s just about to slink off the porch of the cozy-looking house when the door opens. Luckily, she thinks fast enough to reach out and grab the railing, because she’d surely have collapsed at the sight.
*******
Rey looks healthy, beautiful, lovely , as she’s caught midway through her attempt to sneak down his stairs. She’s clearly as surprised as he is, breathing quickly, leaning heavily on the bannister for support.
*******
Ben looks so confused and a little afraid as he stands in the doorway, damp hair curling adorably around his shocked face. His mouth opens, then closes, then opens again.
*******
” Ben ,” she breathes.
” Rey ,” he whispers.
“I thought you were--”
“How are you here--”
They both laugh nervously, but delightedly. Rey motions to Ben to proceed, so they can stop talking over each other.
“I think it was my mother,” says Ben. “I . . . wasn’t there, and then I was back.”
Rey smiles a little. If anyone could, it was certainly Leia. She pictures the General grabbing her son and simply yanking him back into existence. Suddenly, she flashes back to Kef Bir. After running Kylo Ren through with his own saber, she’d felt the Force ripple as if Leia stood right beside her. Rey had felt no small measure of guilt in that moment. But she’d also felt a calmness like forgiveness as she watched Ben’s body disappear on Exegol. Even so, she sags against the porch railing, hanging her head.
“Oh, no, Rey, no,” Ben rushes to her, gathering her in his arms and practically carrying her off the porch and into his house. He seats her in a chair at his kitchen table, belatedly realizing that he’s been clutching a spatula this whole time.
With an exasperated sigh for himself, Ben drops the spatula and reaches gently to touch her shoulders, leaning down to look into her eyes.
Rey looks up and meets his gaze. “We saved each other,” she says. “I didn’t know what I felt . . . I went to Tatooine . . . I smelled food . . . I thought you were gone . . . “ she murmurs.
Ben has no idea what she’s talking about, and is trying to figure out how to tell her that when her face suddenly lights up, like she’s had an idea.
Rey has suddenly remembered something very important. She’ll explain the rest later. Right now, though, she reaches into her satchel and pulls out a bundle wrapped in soft, simple cloth.
Ben gasps, wide-eyed, when he sees the two lightsabers laid out on his kitchen table.
“I was going to bury them on Tatooine, at the Lars farm,” Rey begins. “But I got there, and it was all wrong--abandoned and lonely and dreary. And I knew that Leia wouldn’t have liked that, and Luke might not have, either.”
Ben nods. “No, he wouldn’t have.” He still knew his uncle, despite having spent their last moments together hacking desperately at an apparition of the man.
“I went back to town and got dinner,” Rey continues, “and I was trying to figure out what to do next, when I smelled the most delicious cooking, and I saw Theed. I thought I might be able to find a suitable place here. I just got here yesterday--”
“Were you at the farmers’ market?!” Ben interrupts before he thinks.
“I was! I could’ve bought one of everything; it was brilliant!” Rey beams.
Sighing with relief, again reevaluating his idea of his own sanity, he bids her continue.
“Yesterday, I was mostly in the city, but today, I rented a bike-- oh, no! BB-8! ” Rey pauses abruptly, looking worried as she pulls out her comm and jabs at it frantically. “Sorry, I just remembered. Anyway, I rented a bike to take a drive through the countryside when I smelled the same delicious food as I did during my vision, and it was coming from here . I left BB-8 by the road; I just told them to come here.”
“Of course. I’m sure JE-N3 will greet them happily when they arrive.” Ben quickly sends a message with his own comm. “Anyway, was this what you smelled?” He pushes his still-warm plate toward her. She closes her eyes and scrunches her nose adorably to take a deep whiff.
“Yes! This is it! You--you made this?” Rey blinks rapidly at Ben.
“I did. Have a taste.” He hands her a fork and watches her dig in. The expression on her face as she savors her first bite is one he’ll save in his mind and heart, one he’ll treasure for all time.
Rey is simply transported by the flavors and textures of the dish. There’s so much there, just in one bite! The noodles and chunky sauce feel good between her teeth, the cheese is soft and mellow, and the herbs enhance the flavors of all the other ingredients. It tastes even better than it had smelled.
Ben lets her finish the plate. He realizes that he might be a little creepy if he just sits there and watches her eat, so he stands up and moves around the kitchen, dropping his spatula into the sink, taking out a couple more frozen meals to defrost, wiping his counters, getting glasses of water for both of them.
Rey thanks him, then guzzles the water he’s offered.
“Would you like to see my farm?” he asks shyly. “Nearly everything you just ate has been grown here.”
“Of course!” Rey grins again, letting Ben take her arm to lead her out the back door, onto the porch. With no small amount of pride, he takes her on a tour of his gardens, his fields, the little workshop at the back of the property, around to the front door where he’s kept Lellé’s flowerbeds neat and weeded. Off to the side, BB-8 has parked the bike and appears to be deep in conversation with JE-N3.
Rey can’t keep her fascination at bay as they walk around the farm. At one point she stops and closes her eyes, still clutching Ben’s hand. She feels the newness of growth all around; the potential for life is nearly unlimited. She doesn’t notice the tears streaming down her face until Ben reaches toward her to wipe them away.
Suddenly, all awkwardness is gone when he touches her cheek. Gathering her into his arms and whispering an invitation into her ear feels as natural as anything.
So, too, is Rey’s acceptance.
Neither Rey nor Ben notices the translucent, glowing trio standing under a large shade tree, witnessing their moment.