hopedyad:
Rey tilted her head to look at him as he said he admired her. “I only didn’t hear anything because I ran away.” She answered calmly, as if that was a simple thing to do. “Further away from Niima Station and everywhere else. You were there… the only living things were animals and plants…” She didn’t understand how knowing to go away from the loudness was strength. It made sense to a six year old girl to tired to care what happened to her next and promising herself she’d somehow survive. For family that didn’t even care if she existed. “It was always loud at Niima.” She added softly.
“… You are trusted by me, but that is a personal matter, and FN’s job is to worry about the non-personal. I’m certain you can understand why he might put a Solo under guard?” She asked rather pointedly. He wasn’t going to be able to avoid his heritage while here. She did seem annoyed however, in an undercurrent through the force. She was not pleased with FN’s decision, but she was aware of the reasoning. The plant Ben touched responded to the touch through the force, reaching out to touch him with it before settling. Rey came up beside him to look at it. “It’s from a place called Jeddah. It feels for threats with the force. it’s a strange plant. It’s flowers are purple.”
Ben shook his head, “Running from it and doing what you did is still admirable. You tried to keep yourself from losing control while you learned to handle the Force.” He knew she hated when people complimented her, especially when he did it, but that didn’t mean he was going to stop. He wanted her to get used to it. To know that she was amazing, and he thought so. She deserved to know she wasn’t whatever Snoke told her she was.
He fought back a sigh when she mentioned FN’s job. He knew what the Trooper’s job was, that didn’t mean he had to like it. He furrowed his brows and tilted his head to the side. “If I’m trusted by you…then he should trust your judgement enough to know that if you believe I’m not threat to you or personnel, then I’m not,” he shook his head. “I understand not trusting a Solo, but I’ve show I’m not my father…and I’m here now and no one has gotten hurt. You or otherwise..”
He looked at the flower as it moved toward him and touched the tips of his fingers, smiling a little. “Jeddah…” he trailed off, even saying the word seemed to make the Force inside of him and around him shudder. Ben’s smile was small as he reached out for the plant again, letting it feel that he wasn’t a danger. “I thought Jeddah was destroyed…how’d you find it?” he asked.
Rey wasn’t sure what he meant. “I didn’t learn to control anything until Snoke found me. I just knew it was too loud and that I had to leave, to have space so I could breath.” She told him simply. To her it wasn’t so much a need to control the force, as a need for peace and quiet. Which she supposed was close enough. “... That was another compliment, wasn’t it?” She asked, frowning, though it seemed more in relation to her own inability to catch onto simple things than at him.
“FN’s job is to protect me. From myself is he is required to.” She pointed out softly. “But I will speak with him. If I give him a direct order to remove the guards, he will remove them.” She told Ben gently. She knew it was bothering him. “It’s his job to be suspicious. He’s doing it very well, if I do say so myself.” She smiled at Ben brightly. “And would you rather he not be suspicious of everyone and me get hurt?” She pointed out. She’d been hurt before because FN and the rest of his guards were not there, because they weren’t allowed in the party. She’d been told that wasn’t happening ever again.
Rey shrugged. “I found a farmer on Tatooine, who liked strange desert plants. That’s where most of these came from. They had traveled to Jeddah before it was destroyed and collected seeds.” She motioned to the plant that was currently settling back into it’s quiet state in the force, though it did seem to leave a feeling of peace around it. “I paid for it and many of the other plants here. I thought it was worth while to have them around. There are plenty of seeds in storage as well, in case this one dies, or I find a planet I think would suit for my home.” She had yet to feel a connection to any planet in that way, really. Even Jakku felt foreign anymore.
Maybe she was just doomed to live in space the rest of her life.
