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Chapter Text

Rey’s POV

The last thing Rey remembered was the gust of wind created by a strange-looking ship as she was taken out of her mother’s hands and placed into that of a strange man’s. She watched as her mother and father stood outside of the small hut they had the misfortune of calling their home. The look on her father’s face was that of fear. It was as if Rey could sense it in him. 

Rey was confused, to say the least. the day had started out somewhat normal, or as normal as things could be on a backwater desert planet such as Jakku. Her family specialized in junk trading, a very popular occupation on the planet. Their job consisted of trading broken parts with scavengers, fixing them up, and then trading back for a small portion of food. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep food on the table. Food was the most scarce thing on this wasteland of a planet.

Yet, Rey was oblivious to all this. She spent her days digging through the sand to see if she could find buried scraps of metal to add to her collection. One would see the pieces of metal as useless, but Rey knew that they would have their use one day. She tried to craft her own things like her mother and father did. She tried to be helpful but didn’t truly understand the hardships the small family faced.

Her mother would try to teach her how to read and write, as well as many languages. Jakku attracted many different kinds of species that spoke many different languages. Rey knew how to speak basic, teedospeak (the language of the Jakku natives), and knew how to understand some droid and shyriiwook. Rey’s mother was surprised at how fast her daughter picked up languages such as these. It was as if she could read her mind and transfer the knowledge into her own. Whenever the two went into Niima Outpost to trade the parts they had restored, Rey made it her mission to talk to some of the Wookie slaves that had been captured from Kashyyyk during the age of the Empire. Rey was too young to understand slavery and the scars the Empire had left behind. She’d ask her mother why the Wookies were chained up, but her mother would always change the subject. Rey knew not to question it.

Her family had just finished lunch, or what was considered lunch. It was mostly just half of a portion packet and a loaf of bread that rose when you added water to it. Rey’s father heard the ship before he saw it. He turned to his wife, a look of fear in his eyes. There could be only two types of people that had found them. Her father hoped that it was one rather than the other.

“Seela, you know what you have to do.” Her father said, nodding his head towards the entrance to the storage cellar the family had dug in case of emergencies. Seela nodded, taking Rey into her arms and placing her into the dark cellar.

“I’ll be gone for only a few seconds, I promise you,” Seela assured her daughter. She placed a kiss on the young girl’s forehead. “Be brave, Rey.” 

As the cellar door closed, Rey was surrounded by darkness. She felt around for the small satchel that her parents had packed for her and took out the small doll inside. The doll had been crafted out of spare fabric from an old rebellion flight suit. Seela would take whatever spare fabric she could get out of scavenging old New Republic cargo containers leftover from the battle of Jakku. She would use what she could collect to sew clothes for their small family. Rey usually walked around in scraps of fabric sewn together into a sort of tunic that would help protect her from the harsh Jakku sun. Her mother had sewn Rey a small outfit to go along with the doll. 

The young girl looked to her left and saw the old x-wing pilot helmet that she loved to play with. The helmet belonged to Dosmit Ræh, a rebel captain during the Galactic Civil War. Seela had read the name off of the side of the helmet but wasn’t familiar with who the captain was. Rey would make up stories about Dosmit and her adventures, wishing that one day she would be able to fly a ship and leave Jakku. She put the helmet on. It made her feel brave, as her mother had said she needed to be.  

~~~

It felt like she waited for an eternity before the cellar door opened again. The afternoon sun hit Seela as light once again filled Rey’s world. Her mother smiled at her and picked her up, the pilot helmet still on her head. Her mother took it off of her and placed it onto the small table the family ate meals at.

Rey saw her father standing at the entrance to the hut with what seemed like a tall man with blonde hair as well as a boy. She stared at the other kid. She had never seen another human boy before. There were other children around her age that she encountered at Niima Outpost, but they were always of different species. The boy had short black hair with a strange longer braid hanging down just behind his ear. He caught her eye but didn’t smile at her or anything. The two just stared at each other. Rey wondered how he ended up on Jakku, and why he and the strange man were here in the first place...

Ben's POV

“But why must I come, Master?”

Ben was helping his uncle, who just happened to also be his master, with carrying a box of old Jedi relics they had just recovered from an abandoned temple on Dantooine. 

“You’ve been a padawan for almost two years now Ben,” Luke started, “it’s about time you join me in locating other force-sensitive children.” Ben sighed. He was great with a lightsaber and was always the first to pick up on new techniques Luke had taught him and his fellow padawans, but this mission seemed tedious.

“Wouldn’t my time be more well put to use by staying here?” Ben questioned. “Who’s going to watch the other padawans?” Luke let out a small chuckle. 

“I trust Artoo to look after them” The older Jedi responded. 

As if he was summoned, the blue and white astromech droid came out from around the corner, creating beeps that assured Luke that everything would be taken care of. Ben sighed in defeat and Luke looked at him with triumph. 

“There you have it, Ben, everything is under control. Why don’t you go get your things?” 

The young padawan knew he couldn’t protest. He started walking over to the scattered huts that housed the other padawans. There weren’t too many of them, which is exactly why Luke was finally putting the newer Holocrons to use to find more future Jedi. The Sith were long gone, so Luke wasn’t worried about the children being found by them. His grandfather had destroyed the last of the Sith by destroying the emperor. Luke barely spoke of what had happened during the Battle of Endor from his point of view, but his father (Han Solo)  loved to go on and on about how he led the Ewoks to victory on the moon. Ben grew up wanting to be just like his father. No rules, just himself, his ship, and the whole galaxy. That dream was crushed when his mother, Princess Leia of Alderaan, told him he had to leave to train with his uncle on a Yavin 4. 

Ben pulled away the tarp that concealed the padawan dormitories. There were multiple children of Ben's age, but he didn’t usually train with them that much. The padawans Ben did train with under Luke’s guidance were Tai Thorbre, Hennix Lanx, and Voe Broon. Tai was from Chandrila, a planet that had aided greatly in the war against the empire. He, Tai, and Hennix loved to get into all sorts of trouble when they were still younglings. It always ended up with Voe telling Master Skywalker and the other three younglings getting punished. Luke’s version of punishment was usually scrubbing the dirt off of R2. Hennix was from Mon Cala and wasn’t too familiar with the history of the war. He was Quarren and knew more of the civil war his planet had faced over the years. When Luke had found him, he was more than thrilled to serve his planet as a future Jedi.

And then there was Voe. She was from the more unknown moon of Raada. Voe had told the other padawans about the story of a Jedi who wielded two white lightsabers. She said the Jedi had saved her parents from the tyranny of the Empire after they had taken over Raada to grow their crops. Voe wanted to live up to the image of the Jedi she that saved her homeworld, vowing to be just like her. She and Ben got into arguments regularly, probably because the two were so similar with their aspirations. 

“Ben! I thought I sensed you!” Tai exclaimed, polishing his lightsaber. He and the other two padawans had just returned from sparring with each other while Ben was out on his mission. Tai noticed the sour look on his friend’s face as Ben went over to his cot to collect his belongings.

“Master Skywalker wants to go on a mission to some planet. He says that a force-sensitive child lives there.” 

“Why would he bring a padawan?” Tai asked. Ben shrugged, clipping his lightsaber into his belt. He heard Voe scoff. 

“It’s probably some Skywalker family business,” she huffed, “something us regular padawans wouldn’t be included in.” 

There had always been a clear difference between Ben and the other padawans. They all knew he came from the Skywalker line, which they assumed meant he was destined to bring balance to the force like his grandfather once did. There were other padawans who were skeptical of Ben. His grandfather may have been one of the greatest Jedi knights of the history of the Jedi, but he was also one of the most ruthless Sith lords. Ben tried to forget about that last part. He knew he himself would never turn to the dark side.

“Let it go, Voe.” Tai chipped in, coming to Ben’s defense. “Ben’s family name is Solo. And Master Skywalker is probably going to take all of us at some point. Maybe Ben is just the first one to go.” Voe sighed in defeat. Ben flashed Tai a smile of gratitude. 

The young Solo slung his satchel over his shoulder.

“I should probably get going. I bet Master Skywalker is wondering where I am.” 

He gave his farewells to the other padawans and set back out across the main fields of the academy. He saw the other padawan learners working together in their own respective circles. Ben wished he could be training with them. Like a normal padawan, as Voe said.

But I’m not a normal padawan. 

Ben sighed and pushed the thought away. He saw his uncle standing outside of the tandem X-wing the pair would be taking. 

“Master Skywalker, wouldn’t we need a bigger ship if we’re bringing back another child?” Ben asked, a bit confused. Luke smiled

“The child will be no bigger than a small Ewok. They can sit on your lap.”

Ben blushed. He hated children, especially the loud, squirmy type.

It’ll only be one day, and then I can go back to my training and never have to think about this child again. 

Luke turned on the starship’s repulsors and the pair ascended off of the landing pad. Ben looked out as the academy got smaller and smaller as they broke out of the planet’s atmosphere. The two entered into one of the hyperspace lanes that could take them from the Outer Rim to the Inner Rim. That’s where their target planet was located. 

“Ready for the jump, Ben?” Luke asked. His nephew nodded. 

Luke flipped the switch that turned on the hyperdrive and made sure his route was correctly calculated. Ben loved the thrill of entering hyperspace, but usually liked it better when he was the one flying. 

As Luke pulled the lever, the ship flew into pseudomotion as it entered into the hyperspace realm. Ben watched as his uncle pushed a few more buttons and then leaned back in his seat.

“We’ll hopefully be there in less than fifteen parsecs,” Luke said. Ben nodded and looked down at his lightsaber hilt. He was very proud of the weapon he had constructed. It was unique to him and he knew no other padawan had one like it. Luke turned around and saw his nephew admiring the ancient Jedi weapon.

“Master Kenobi once told me that a lightsaber was a weapon for a more ‘civilized age.’” Luke started, he liked to turn moments like these into lessons.

“What do you mean?” Ben asked, looking up at his master.

“The Jedi have been around for many many years. The order has been created, destroyed, and then created again. I chose you to come with me on this mission because I have faith in you to carry on my teachings to a future generation of Jedi. This child we’re going to retrieve is going to be one of those future Jedi.”

Ben nodded. He understood what his uncle was saying, but he couldn’t help asking why he had chosen him instead of one of the other padawans. 

“But why me, master? Why not Voe? Or Hennix? They’re surely better equipped to deal with children than I am.” Luke laughed.

“That is exactly why I brought you, Ben. Because I know that you have the potential to be like them. To carry on the Jedi Order.” Ben couldn’t help but smile. Hearing these words from his master was one thing, but hearing them from his uncle meant the world. Luke nodded his head and turned back around. “We’re exiting hyperspace now, brace yourself.” 

The starship jerked back into the scenery of the stars and Ben saw an unfamiliar desert planet in front of him.

“Is this Tatooine?” He asked. While he had never been to the home planet of his uncle and grandfather, he had seen photos of it and had heard stories of it. Luke shook his head.

“This is Jakku. As in, the battle of Jakku. The Holocron said that a young girl by the name of Rey resides here.” 

Ben was confused. Why would anyone live on such a wasteland of a planet such as Jakku? 

“Everyone is facing their own struggles, and are trying to get away from at least something after the war,” Luke said as if he could read Ben’s mind. “Maybe Jakku is the safest place for this family.” 

Ben nodded. 

“Does she have a family name?” Ben asked. Almost all the names on the Holocrons included a sort of family name. 

Luke hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to answer the question truthfully.

“It’s just Rey.” He said. The tone in his voice meant that this conversation was over.

The starship broke into the planet’s atmosphere. Luke punched in the coordinates the Holocron had given them. They would lead them to the hut that housed Rey. 

Ben looked out of the window. The planet was completely empty, with just some huts scattered around the desert. He saw many fallen ships that must have been leftover from the war-ending battle. Most of the ships had been torn apart for scraps by what Ben assumed were the scavengers of the planet. The ships that laid there now were just empty shells of once fully operational battleships. 

“We’re landing,” Luke said as he opened the landing gears. The ship touched down into the sand in front of a small hut. Ben saw a man standing outside, a look of relief over his face. He probably expected someone entirely different.

The master and apprentice hopped out of the ship. Luke had instructed Ben to follow close behind him but not to say anything. The family they were about to meet was unlike any Luke had met before.

“Master Skywalker!” The man exclaimed, walking over to the Jedi master and shaking his hand. “We’re very thankful that you have come.” 

“We came as soon as we could, Geal.” Luke responded, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. Ben observed that it seemed like the pair had met before and were somewhat acquainted with each other. He wasn’t too surprised, his uncle went on many missions alone that he had no knowledge of. 

“Rey is inside, hidden like you instructed,” Geal responded.
“May I see her?” Luke asked. There was no pressure in his tone. Geal nodded and beckoned for them to follow him into his home. 

The hut was very small and there wasn’t a lot of room for more than three people. Ben saw a blonde woman, who he assumed was Geal’s wife. 

“This is Master Skywalker. He is here to take Rey to train as a Jedi.” Geal explained. A look of relief washed over the woman’s face. She stretched out her hand to Luke. 

“I’m Seela, Rey’s mother.” She said. Luke shook her hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” The Jedi master responded. He put a hand on Ben’s shoulder, “This is my nephew and apprentice, Ben Solo.” Seela bowed her head to him. She wasn’t too sure how to greet a Jedi apprentice. Ben bowed back. Maybe it was a Jakku way of greeting a younger child. 

Geal cleared his throat and nodded his head towards the back corner of the hut. Seela understood and went over to where her husband had beckoned. Ben heard her undo a latch and open a cellar door. She pulled out a young girl, who appeared to be wearing an old X-wing helmet. 

That must be her. Ben thought.

Seela took the helmet off of the girl and placed it on a small table. Ben caught the girl’s eye. She was way smaller than an Ewok. Her hair was a darker shade of brown and was done messily in three buns. She had lots of freckles as well. 

Ben had a strange feeling in his gut. His face remained blank but he couldn’t help but think that this was the start of a journey.

Chapter Text

Seela set her daughter down onto the sandy floor of the hut. Ever since she had been taken out of that cellar, Rey hadn’t taken her eyes off of Ben. Her frozen gaze was starting to make him uncomfortable. He tried to shake her eyes off of him by looking back up towards Luke, but he could still feel her looking at him. 

“It’s not polite to stare, Rey.” Seela scolded the young girl, smacking her on the arm. Seela looked up at Ben. This was the first time he managed to get a good look at the older woman. She had long, matted, blonde hair as well as the same hazel eyes as her daughter. The two had very similar facial features so it was no doubt in the padawan’s mind that they were indeed related. 

Ben thought about his parents and his resemblance to them. His mother had brown hair and brown eyes just as he did. His father looked very similar, aside from his hazel eyes. When he was still living on Chadnrila, his birthplace, Ben was always told by his mother’s fellow Senators that he had his father’s brain and his mother’s heart. He didn’t truly understand what they had meant by that, and maybe he never would. 

Luke walked over to where Rey was standing and knelt down so they were at the same eye level.

“Hello there, little one.” The Jedi master murmured sweetly, extending his hand slowly. Taking his large hand in her small one, Rey shook it. When the shake ended, the young girl looked up to her mother.

“Are they here to take us away? Have we done something wrong?” She asked warily. Seela chuckled and shook her head.

“Master Skywalker is here to take you to train to be a Jedi, like the ones in the stories your father and I have told you.”

Rey’s face lit up. She had heard much about the Jedi, from stories and legends passed down by the other scavengers at Niima Outpost. But she thought they were just that, stories. The young Jakkuan looked back up at Luke. 

“Are you really a Jedi?” She squealed. It was as if a thousand stars were shining in her small hazel eyes.

“I am,” Luke began. He turned and beckoned to Ben so the young girl could see him. “This is my apprentice, Ben Solo. He is training to be a Jedi Knight, just like you will be.” 

Rey’s eyes widened even more and her jaw dropped a little.

“Do you know Han Solo?”

Ben looked at Rey, surprised. Out of all the things that could come out of the young girl’s mouth, he hadn’t expected that . It gave him a sense of pride that out of all the people Rey could have mentioned, she decided to mention his father. Maybe the two would get along better than he thought. 

“Yes, he’s my father,” Ben responded stoically, trying to suppress the smile that was forming on his lips. 

If Rey’s eyes could open any wider than they already were, that was the face she was currently making.

“I know all about him! How he ran the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs! He’s a legend!”

It was 12 parsecs… Ben thought, yet he didn’t have the courage to correct the small girl. If his father had been here, Ben had no doubt the smuggler would be a little offended that his world-shattering record has been hiked up a few parsecs. But... his father wasn’t here.

All of a sudden, a loud clang came from outside the hut where the X-wing was parked. The group’s heads snapped towards the sound. Seela grabbed what Ben assumed was a staff and Geal went to grab a blaster that looked like it had once belonged to a Stormtrooper. Luke took his lightsaber out of his belt and ignited it, it’s blade illuminating the room in a soft green hue. Ben followed his master and did the same, adding a tint of blue to the display of light. 

The group scurried out of the hut and Ben saw what appeared to be a trio of reptilian creatures that were… 

“The ship!” Luke hollered, racing towards the creatures with his weapon drawn. 

“Stay in the hut, Rey!” Geal commanded, stopping his daughter from running towards the fight.

“But I want to help!” Rey protested, trying to escape from her father’s grasp.

“I’ll stay with her, I can keep her safe!” Ben declared, his Jedi training washing over him. Geal nodded and raced off towards the fight. 

Luke leaped into the air and landed on top of the now partially torn apart X-wing. Saber held high, the Jedi master slashed in half the long stick one of the creatures was using to collect parts. Luke extended a hand and, using the force, pushed the creature far across the desert until it dropped into the sand. 

Seela and Geal were working together to fight off the other two creatures, Seela whacking them with a long staff while Geal shot from his blaster with the setting set to stun. They knew the consequences of killing one of these creatures. More would come once they found out about their fallen brethren. 

When the creatures were finally taken care of and Rey was once again safe, Ben turned to her.

“What were those things?” He questioned, clipping his saber back into his belt

“Those are just Teedos,” Rey scoffed, “they’ve got no respect for anyone.” 

Ben nodded, placing his hands on his hips. Rey looked up at him and mimicked what he was doing, thinking it was a sort of Jedi stance. She learned best from watching others. 

The adults walked back over, sweat dripping from their heads due to the harsh Jakku sun as well as the momentum built from the fight. 

“Looks like they stole the hyperdrive motivator,” Luke murmured, trying to maintain his composure. “We’re going to have to go get a new one, or we’re not going to be able to leave the system.”

Ben suppressed a sigh. This meant he was going to have to be stuck on this miserable planet for longer than originally planned. He wondered what R2 was having the other Padawans do back on Yavin 4. 

“They’ll have some at Niima Outpost,” Geal said. “I assume It’ll be quite expensive though. Hyperdrives are hard to come by on this planet.”

“I’ve got the credits.” Luke said, taking out a pouch from the back of his belt and shaking it.” Geal nodded and looked up at the sky. The sun seemed to be setting and when the sun was down, Jakku grew cold and the creatures of the night came out.

“You can stay here for the night if you would like.” Seela offered, looking at the family’s small hut. “I know it’s small, but if we all squish together-“

“I can sleep on the ship.” Luke offered. “I wouldn’t want to take up room.” 

He turned to his padawan. “Ben, what do you think?”

“He can sleep next to me!” Rey butt in, grabbing the boy’s hand and leading him back into the hut. Ben knew he couldn’t protest. 

“Then that settles it,” Luke confirmed. “Ben will stay with you tonight while I figure out what repairs are needed for the ship as well as contact the temple back on Yavin.” 

“He’ll be taken care of,” Seela said, “thank you, Master Jedi.” 

Luke bowed slightly to them and set off back towards the ship. While the trip had diverged from the path it was meant to take, Luke had no doubt that Rey was Jedi material. He just had to calm her eagerness a bit. 

It reminded him of a certain padawan he was currently training.

Chapter Text

Out of everything Ben expected from Jakku, being cold at night wasn’t one of them. Once the sun went down on the boiling hot planet, the temperature dropped sporadically. Ben tried to recall the Force technique Luke had mentioned to him at one point during their training. It was a way a Jedi could regulate their body heat using power from the Force. Since Luke offered to sleep back on the ship, Ben assumed he was using this method to keep himself warm. He made a mental note to ask his master about it later.

As the young Padawan lay on the sleeper that had been made up for him, he couldn’t help but recall the events that had led him to tuck a small girl away into her own cot. Or at least, what looked like a cot. Ben hated younglings, he always had. He thought he had gotten that trait from his father. His mother had told him that once he himself had been born, his father’s hatred for children faded away. Ben was starting to see why the smuggler’s opinion changed.

The young girl, Rey, slept so peacefully that you could barely even hear her breathing. It was a big contrast to how she was when she was awake. Ben thought that he was going to have to use one of his Force mind tricks to get her to settle down. He hadn’t exactly signed up to look after a youngling on this mission, yet here he was.

Once Luke had left the hut, The Jakkuans tried to welcome Ben as best as they could. Their small home wasn’t much, but the family had managed to make it their own. Sort of like Ben and his lightsaber. Every Jedi had one, but the way they built theirs made each of them unique.

He was offered a type of ration pack as a meal. Ben wasn’t unfamiliar with this kind, even though he had eaten his fair share back on Yavin 4. 

Ben watched as Rey quickly ate up her portion, licking the packet to make sure she got everything out. She acted as she had never seen food in her life, which Ben assumed was partially true. Food was very hard to come by on backwater planets.

Offering to help clean the dishes with water from an old jug, Ben put on his cloak and headed towards the tarp that separated the hut from the Jakku weather. Once he got outside, he began rinsing the metal dishes the group had eaten out of. Water was scarce so Ben tried not to use too much of it. He managed to manipulate the Force so that none of the water dripped into the sand. With a wave of his hand, the remaining water droplets found their way back into the canteen. 

As he made his way back towards the entrance, Ben almost didn’t notice Rey sitting in the sand and staring out at the night sky. An old blanket wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm. Setting the plates down onto the rusted workbench that was situated a few feet away, Ben went to sit next to her in the sand. 

“I wonder how many stars there are in the whole entire galaxy,” Rey asked to no one in particular as Ben sat down. She didn’t even hear the Padawan approaching, yet still sensed him. Her Force abilities were already showing. Ben grabbed the other end of the blanket and put it around his shoulders as well.

“Nobody really knows,” He began, “it would take lifetimes to chart them all.”  Rey looked at him, determination in her eyes.

“Then I’m going to be the first one to chart them all,” She declared, “every single one of them! And all the planets too!” 

Ben couldn’t help but chuckle. Luke wasn’t wrong when he had mentioned that Rey was unlike any other force-sensitive child the Holocron had led him to. He probably just meant her determination, but Ben could see something else in her.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a while, just staring up at the stars that made the Jakku night just a little brighter. After a while, Ben felt something against his torso and looked down to see that Rey had fallen asleep. He froze a little, not really knowing what to do. No one had ever fallen asleep on him before, let alone a youngling. slowly lifting her into his arms, Ben carried her back inside. He noted how light she was. Maybe it was the Force that made her this way, or she just weighed nothing. 

Seela and Geal were still sitting at the table, appearing to be discussing something. Their conversation stopped when they saw Ben walk in carrying their sleeping daughter. Smiling, Seela rushed over and took Rey out of Ben’s hand and carried her over to her small cot. 

Geal walked over to Ben, directing him towards where his wife had set Rey down, “We should have an extra blanket somewhere if you don’t mind sleeping on the floor. The sand is quite soft.”

“Thank you,” Ben said softly. He laid out the blanket that had been handed to him and tried to get comfortable. 

And now, as the wind howled and the tarps of the hut rustled, Ben continued to stare at the small girl. She slept so peacefully like she didn’t have a single care in the world. Ben wished he could sleep like that. Not having to lay awake, knowing exactly where his lightsaber was if he were to need it. 

He knew Rey’s childhood innocence wouldn’t last very long once she was thrown into the world of the Jedi. He thought of himself, and how he could never live a normal life as she could have. She wasn’t related to anyone special that would cause others to look at her differently. Ben came from a whole line of Jedi, a whole line he had to live up to. Rey didn’t have to worry about any of that. She was just Rey from Jakku. Rey; who was a nobody. 

But not to me. Ben thought. Not to me.