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She was the first to wake. It took her a moment to remember what had happened. They were... they were on the Falcon. Weren't they? She shakes her head, trying to remember, but the thoughts just aren't coming. Rationalising that it's not really that important right now where they were, she turns her thoughts to where they are.
She casts her gaze around the room. Stone is the predominant feature that she sees. Rough, barely hewn stone. So they're planet-side at least. That's good, that means that the Resistance shouldn't have to chase them down at the very least... though, now that she thinks about it, it also increases the chances that they're held somewhere much more secure than the Finalizer ever could be. The room they're in of a decent size, but as she looks around she realises that at least she's not alone.
She looks over at her companions. Poe is slack against his restraints, hanging half-off the wall. His pilot's suit is ripped in several places, and she can see the scrapes on his skin beneath, but there's nothing that looks immediately life-threatening. At the worst he has a sprained ankle from that landing. Landing?
But Finn... Finn looks much worse somehow, even though she can't see any injuries on his body. His face was normally so full of emotion. Even in sleep it always carried a small grin. Neither she nor Poe has told him that fact. They've agreed that he'd probably try to stop doing it or something since he would think it was keeping them up or some other nonsense. No, his smile was always there, but now his face is... blank is the only word that even somewhat captures it.
No smile, no grin, not even a grimace like the one he playfully puts on whenever she gets roped into cooking dinner for the three of them (even though they all agree that she's gotten much better since her disastrous first attempt at Correllian-style nerf steak). She wants to reach out and brush his brow, like he's always done for Poe during one of his nightmares, but the manacles that bind her to the wall don't have nearly enough give to reach that far. She tugs experimentally with her left arm, but the chain still holds strong, bolted into the wall as it is.
She goes to pull again, but then remembers a very basic fact that she's somewhat embarrassed she's forgotten about up to this point. I'm a Jedi! And more pertinent to their current predicament, I can use the Force!
She struggles to remember the half-there lessons of Master Skywalker. The specifics keep escaping her, Maybe I hit my head in the crash?, but one thing sticks out clear in her muddled memory. It's about giving herself over to the will of the Force. About it guiding her actions. And so she calms her breathing. This part is coming naturally to her, I can do this.
Her heartbeat slows from what she hadn't even realised was a semi-frantic pace, and she can almost feel her essence stepping into the current of the Force. It tugs at her, and she surrenders herself to it.
She lets out the breath she'd been holding deep in her chest. And then leans her head backward as she draws in another lungful of the clean cool air through her nose. She settles into this rhythm. In and out. It's relaxing, it brings her closer to the Force, it's... right.
When she finally opens her eyes, the stones have faded away, to be replaced by the flowers and grasses of a forest glade. Even still, after all these years living here, the green still stirs something deep within her. Something that screams Yes, this is right. Why was I denied this for so many years? Poe and Finn have also disappeared, becoming a small gaggle of younglings. Not only human, but Twi'lek, Mikkian, Devaronian, and others beside.
The younglings are seated in a similar fashion to herself, their legs folded underneath them. As well, all of them too have their eyes closed, and are still conducting their breathing exercises. All, that is, except for the human boy with dark skin and long black hair near the back of the group. His head is cast upwards towards the sky, and Rey can see that his eyes are clearly open and roaming.
She sends a small probe through Force towards the boy and he drops his gaze down to meet hers. Immediately he looks chagrined, but she just gives him a small smile.
She looks over the group of students. That's probably enough. She unclasps her hands from her lap and stands back up. “Okay everyone. I think that's enough for today,” all of them are looking at her now, “Why don't you head off back to the temple for a meal.”
“Yes, Master Dameron,” they all reply... some of them a bit more faintly than others, as they've already taken off running back towards the main complex.
Rey laughs at their young enthusiasm. She calls out though, “Kes! Wait up,” the young boy with the dark hair has lagged behind the main crowd anyways, but at her call, he stops altogether, rocking on his toes as he waited for her to draw even.
“I don't know if Master Skywalker told you, but Aunt Leia's visiting today, so we're all going to have lunch with her. Okay?”
Kes's face had lit up at the mention of his great-aunt, and now his casual rocking has turned into almost full on bouncing, “Really?”
Rey reaches down and ruffles his hair, “Yes, really. Now, why don't you go see if you can go grab your Daddy and sister. They should be in the healing chambers still, so be quiet. Tell them we'll be eating in Grandpa's rooms. Okay?”
“Okay!” he yells back over his shoulder. For a boy who'd only a minute before been in no hurry to get back to the temple, Kes now seems as though he couldn't get back fast enough. Rey smiles as his foot gets caught up in the trail of his robes and he stumbles for half-a-step before regaining his balance and continues running, if anything, even faster than before.
As Kes heads towards the main complex, Rey alters her trajectory slightly to go to the hangar, She takes her time, lackadaisically making her way down the small path towards the shorter structure. She's no longer meditating, but even so she takes deep breaths of the fresh, tree-scented air. It's a rush, to feel the Force so completely and utterly surrounding her here on this planet.
Long before she ducks into the dim environment of the building, she starts hearing the soft strains of song. It's a song she knows well, so she first hums, and then wordlessly sings along with the rhythm as she approaches. She can tell when Poe first hears her, because (like he always does), he starts singing louder.
Rey places a hand on the clean-cut stone that makes up the entrance to the hangar, and looks into the darkness. Poe, crouched next to a T-65 engine pulled from the fighter that looms over him, looks up at her, and gives her a wink.
“Almost done,” he calls out, “Just finishing up this patch.”
Rey rolls her eyes, but can't help grinning, “No you're not. You're just putting bonding strips on a perfectly fine engine.”
Poe adopts a laughably-unrealistic pout, “Finn would have let me keep working.”
Rey walks in and holds out a hand for him, “That's because Finn, as beautiful as he is, knows absolutely nothing about fixing ships.”
Poe laughs and takes her hand, and Rey's heart still flutters, “And here I was, thinking I was the beautiful one.”
She smirks, “Oh no. You're the hard worker. I mean someone has to go out with the General and negotiate all those treaties. Finn and I get to just laze around here on Yavin. It keeps us young.” The two of them make their way out of the dim-building on their way to the main temple.
Poe groans, “Don't remind me. You know how utterly boring it is to be an ambassador during peacetime?”
“No. I haven't heard you complain about this ever before.” He gives her a playful shove.
They fall into a comfortable silence for the rest of the short walk. Words feeling unnecessary. As they approach the grand entrance to the temple – flanked by statues of the great Jedi of the Old Republic, with Grandmaster Yoda and Master Kenobi given special prominence – they see Finn, holding a young girl of around three in his arms, and Kes waiting for them. The girl obviously sees them as well, for she leans almost out of Finn's grip in an attempt to get to Poe.
Poe smiles and takes the girl from Finn, “No, I completely understand, Padmé” he whispers to her, consiprationally, “I'm way better than Daddy Finn.”
Finn pretends to be hurt, but his smile shines through. He looks over to Rey, “Leia's already up in Luke's room, so I figured we could let them catch up a bit and all come up together.”
Kes reaches up and tugs on Finn's hand, “Do you think Aunt Leia's gonna be here a long time?”
Finn looks to Poe, of all of them, he'd know best. Poe thinks for half-a-second, bobbing his daughter in his arms, “I don't think so little buddy. She's probably going to be busy for the next couple weeks. We have a really important meeting with Evaan and the Alderaanians coming up. She's probably just here for today.”
Kes deflates a bit at this, “Oh, okay.”
Rey crouches down in front of him, “It's the way of things. People change, things change-”
“It's why we treasure that which we have now,” the boy finishes somewhat glumly.
Rey ruffles his hair, “Exactly. Now come on, let's go have lunch.”
Rey jolts back to herself. Kes is gone, little Padmé is gone. The temple on Yavin, the trees, the cool crisp air are gone. All that's left is the dark dank stone room.
She looks to her left. No. That's not all that's left. She stretches her fingers out as far as they go. Barely managing to poke Poe's fingertips with her own. He blearily awakens at her touch, then winces as he feels his accumulated injuries.
He notices her though, and he smiles. He smiles one of those great big patented Poe Dameron smiles, and she can't help but smile too.
They manage to lock the very tips of their fingers together, and, even though Finn is still unconscious, Poe manages to connect him with the chain as well. Rey concentrates, and the manacles that bind the three of them to the wall click open.
Finn awakens with a groan when he hits the floor, and Rey grimaces, “Sorry,” she whispers.
He shakes his head, “'Ts fine.” He squints, as though he can't really see her. “Hey, Rey.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know anyone named Kes, or Padmé?”
Poe raises an eyebrow, but Rey beams, “No, not yet.”