#unkar plutt

[tarzelladraws]

It’s everyone’s favorite foster father/ child labor enthusiast, Unkar!!! *jazz hands*

[pedroam-bang]

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

[chipthekeeper]

Silliest Star Wars name, round one

PLEASE VOTE BASED ON SILLINESS OF NAME ONLY!!!!

[threewinterssnow]

Hottest Star Wars Character (actually hot character edition)

The character with the lowest amount of votes is eliminated until only two remain, and then we'll have a weeklong showdown. If there is a tie, there will be a vote between the tying characters and the loser of that will be gone.

Yes, that is supposed to say Nute Gunray, but I was eating ice cream when making this and not paying attention

[peggsmackdown]

[starwarsfangirl]

[allgirlsareprincesses]

Do you think that Rey's story (excluding episode 9 'cause that was a shitshow) could be interpreted as a Cinderella/Ash girl story?

I hope you realize asking me this is like throwing chum to a shark 😈. But the short answer is yes, to a point.

The long answer is more complicated, so to begin with, let's consult the Cinderella bible:

According to the Aarne Thompson Uther Index, there are five primary motifs to a Cinderella tale:

Persecuted heroine, usually by family

Help or helper, usually magic

Meeting the prince, usually with true identity disguised

Identification or penetration of disguise, usually by means of an object

Marriage to the prince

Rey is abandoned by her family, which is a form of persecution, and harassed by the inhabitants of Jakku like Unkar Plutt. Thus she clearly fulfills the first item.

As for meeting a helper, there are several for her, including Han Solo, Maz, Luke, and Leia. Any or all of these may be considered fairy godparents in the way that they offer her wisdom and material help. Further, except for Maz, they all die in the course of the story, which is consistent with many Cinderella tales in which the helper dies and their bones continue to offer wisdom and comfort to the heroine.

Next, meeting the prince. I mean

To the extent that Rey is "in disguise' here, it would be the extent of her force powers, her destiny as Ben Solo's dyad mate, and her role as the heir apparent to the Jedi (chosen by the Force to wield the legacy saber), all of which are obscured from Kylo Ren when he discovers her in the forest. Further, she is grimy and covered in desert sand, similar to how Cinderella is smeared with ashes that hide her true beauty.

So now an object penetrates the disguise. This is obviously the Skywalker lightsaber, which reveals Rey to be everything listed above, especially when she calls it to her on Starkiller Base, and again when she wields it on Ahch-to.

And lastly, marriage to the prince. As many others have pointed out over the years, Rey and Ben have almost too many symbolic marriages to count in the course of the sequel trilogy. They're extremely married, the Force said so.

BUT WAIT! Go back and look at that list again. Who ELSE fits all those criteria?

It's our boy! Consider:

He is indeed persecuted by family, most notably when Luke momentarily considers killing him.

Ben's helpers are both dark and light, as Snoke/Palpatine guide him in the dark while Luke guides him in the light (poorly). But note again what I said above about the bones of the mentor continuing to offer guidance and comfort after their death. Who should appear at Ben's lowest hour but his departed father, Han Solo? With a message of love, acceptance, and encouragement, Han's memory (because in fairy tales, bones contain memory) encourages Ben to at last cast off his beastly skin and become who he always was.

Next, meeting the prince/ss in disguise. He's wearing a literal mask when he meets Rey, so yeah.

An object penetrates the disguise? Rey slashed his face with the legacy saber, thus symbolically peeling away his mask. And I've argued before that the stabbing in TROS (which I still HATE, btw) is another cutting or burning away of the beastly skin.

And lastly, marriage to the prince/ss. As previously stated, that happened. Many times.

So yes, the Sequel Trilogy can definitely be considered a Cinderella story, with but one glaring issue: Cinderella's husband usually doesn't die at the end. But that's another topic that's been done to death, so let's all just read some more fanfic and forget about it. 👑 Thank you for the ask, this was fun!

[stargazer-liz]

Serendipity (Poe Dameron x Original Female Character) Chapter I: Stranded on Jakku

Chapter I: Stranded on Jakku

Masterlist

The planet Jakku, Inner Rim, 34 ABY

"One quarter portion?! You can't be serious."

Sora's face was consorted in anger, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. Brown eyes glaring him into the ground, she stared at Unkar Plutt, the unspoken ruler of the Niima Outpost. She had only known the merchant for two years and each time she saw him, the young woman had a hard time trying to stop herself from punching him in his face. 

If it wasn't for Rey, her personified voice of reason, she probably would have done so already.

"Does it look like I am joking to you, sweetheart?"

All but snarling at the Crolute, Sora felt her blood boil in her veins. "Listen here you dipshi-"

Once more, the scavenger quickly came to her aid, not wanting for them to get on Unkar's bad side. They needed food and every portion was valuable, no matter the size. "What she meant to say was thank you. We'll take it." 

Rey took the small package of dried meat and stuffed it into her bag. Her other hand quickly grabbed Sora's arm to pull her away from Unkar's hut. She knew her friend would try to negotiate (or well, what her definition of negotiating was) and they couldn't take the risk. 

Sora huffed but followed Rey wordlessly, sending Unkar one last angry glare before she turned around and left the junk boss behind her. She could feel his smug smile which instantly made her want to slap it off his ugly face. 

As if she could read her thoughts, Rey put her arm around Sora's shoulder. "Come on Sora, I'm starving." It was both a friendly gesture and a way to stop the young woman from doing something that would come back to bite them in the ass later. 

Sighing softly, Sora let her shoulders relax. She knew her scavenger friend was right and she was thankful for her intervention. Unfortunately, their survival on Jakku was tied closely to Unkar. They relied on him to avoid starving to death, like everyone else in this damned desert. Moreover, without a way off this planet it was better to not make any enemies here. She had enough of those scattered around the galaxies already, even though she supposed word about her "death" would have gotten around by now.  Still , there was no need to risk anything, at least for the time being. 

Pushing Unkar into the back of her mind, Sora's mood lifted instantly. Somehow, Rey's presence alone had a way of calming her down and lifting her spirits.

With a smile on her face, she bumped her hips into Rey's, causing the latter to stumble slightly. "First to get back home has to wash the dishes."

Rey didn't even have time to comprehend the sentence before Sora ran off laughing, the sand swirling around her feet. The hood of her dark brown jacket flew off her head, leaving her unprotected from the relentless sun which glared down at her pale skin.

"Hey, that's not fair," Rey scolded her friend, yet she couldn't help but laugh at Sora's quick change of mood and her playful antics. The scavenger wasted no time and broke into a run. She knew both of them would regret the race later, when their bodies would be drenched in sweat, the sand clinging to their skin and clothes. 

Yet, carefree moments like these were rare and very much needed. Jakku was a lawless, ruthless place. Despite of the blazing sun illuminating the planet, darkness, hunger and thirst kept it on a tight reign. It was not a place anyone would willingly call home. 

But they had each other. And that was more than enough for them.

*******

Night was slowly approaching as Sora and Rey sat in the shadows of the remnants of a spaceship. It had become a habit for them to spend their dinner time there, with Sora telling Rey stories of her life as a smuggler and of all the planets she had visited.

Rey herself had never left Jakku and was always fascinated by the smugglers tales and adventures. It made it easier for Sora to forget about the slight stab to her heart whenever she thought about her past. She missed her old life, her freedom. She often found herself thinking about Elijah, her former co-pilot, partner in crime and trusted friend. The last time she had seen him, he had been hurt and she had been on the brink of death. In fact, she would have died if it wasn't for the mysterious stranger who had healed her wounds as best as they could and had somehow brought her to Jakku.

It was Rey who had found her broken but healing body laying in an escape pod in the middle of the desert. She had nursed Sora back to full health, had given her a new home and stuck to her ever since.

She knew Elijah was somewhere out there, alive and probably mourning her. Revan had likely reunited with Nyra and her best friend had gotten the credits to repair the Phoenix, their ship. Maybe he was continuing their smuggle business on his own. Maybe he had settled down and gotten a normal job. 

She would never know.

Despite the fact that she was very much alive, her old life was gone and she had no hope of ever returning to it.

Swallowing the last crumbs of her bread, Sora absently played with a strand of long black hair that had escaped her braid. 

"Ready to go?" Rey's voice broke the silence. 

Letting go of the lone strand of hair, Sora locked eyes with her friend. Rey was brushing off sand from her clothes, getting ready to head back to their small hut to call it a night. 

Though, like almost every other night, Sora shook her head and shared a soft smile with the scavenger. "I think I'll stay here a little longer. Don't wait for me."

"Okay." Rey whispered, not questioning her. She knew Sora needed solitude every once in a while. It brought some peace to her mind. "Be careful out here." There was a gentle warning in her eyes. Danger lurked everywhere on Jakku, especially at night. She didn't want anything to happen to her friend. 

"Of course." Sora rolled her eyes jokingly. Warmth spread through her body at the knowledge that she still had someone who deeply cared about her. "You know no one would stand a chance against me." 

Which was only partly true and they both knew it. Although Rey had never actually seen Sora fight, her former job as a smuggler ensured that she had developed certain skills. But without a blaster, she was only half as good as she used to be. 

But Sora wasn't afraid. Jakku was basically harmless compared to some of the planets she had visited before. 

"Good night, Rey." 

"Good night, Sora." Sending her one last smile, Rey broke into a jog and left the young woman behind.

Sora watched her go until she disappeared behind a dune. The sun had already set and the temperature significantly dropped. Shivering, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. The metal from one of the ships parts was still warm underneath her body.

Above her, stars littered the night sky of Jakku. In her head, she named the constellations and thought back to the times she had visited some of them with the Phoenix. 

Sora sighed sadly. Her desire to have her ship back weighed her down heavily. She would love to take Rey for a flight to show her a world beyond the sandy surface of Jakku. To look for Elijah together.

One day she would. 

It was a promise she had made months ago. She would steal one of Unkar's precious spaceships and leave this planet behind. 

As soon as Rey was ready to let go of the thought of her parents ever coming back. Then, they would leave. She didn't want to leave her behind, not after everything the scavenger had done for her.

One day.

A sudden beeping noise alerted Sora's attention. Hastily, she sprang to her feet, eyes moving in every direction. It was hard to see anything in the dark. Thankfully, the natural light of the stars cast a subtle glow across the sand.

Nothing. Maybe she was just tired and imaging things.

Just as she was about to sit back down, another beep echoed in the desert. Only this time, it seemed to be much closer than before. 

Instantly, her heartbeat found a slow, steady rhythm again. 

Sora was fluent in Binary and would recognize it anywhere.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked around the remnants of the spaceship, carefully navigating past rubbles of metal to avoid scaring the little droid with any sudden loud noises. 

"I won't hurt you. You can come out now." Her voice was soft, trying to coax the astromech out of its hiding spot. She was both curious and cautious. It was unlikely that the droid was alone, its master probably not being too far behind. 

Sure enough, a tiny dome head peeked out from behind an old crate right in front of Sora. It kept a single curious eye on her as it slowly rolled towards her. Instead of using legs to move around, the bulk of its body was made up of a ball. Orange and silver elements decorated its mostly white surface.

With its tiny antenna slightly bend at the top of his head, Sora couldn't help but to coo softly. "Awe, what a cute little droid you are." Kneeling down in front of the astromech droid, she slowly raised her hand to fix its antenna. "There you go." 

She received happy chirps in return as the droid spun around her a couple of times. Letting out a laugh, the smuggler decided she already adored the little guy. "What are you doing out here alone?"

Sora had a hard time trying to follow his fast blabbering. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she listened intently. "You were on a mission with your master but unfortunately lost him. Now you have to finish the mission alone."

A wave of sadness swept across her body. Apparently, the First Order had interrupted their very important mission. His master had given the droid vital information before he had sacrificed himself. It sounded vaguely familiar.

"I'm sorry buddy. This must have been terrible," She tried to console it, gently patting its head. The droid leant into her touch, thanking her with a few quiet beeps. "I wish I could have helped your master. What's your name?"

Beebee-Ate.

"Hello Beebee-Ate, I'm Sora." A giggle escaped her when the droid happily rolled around her in circles once again. She couldn't help it, it was simply too adorable. Before she knew it, she had already made up her mind. "You know what, maybe I couldn't help you then, but I can now. I suppose someone is waiting for the data you have. Where is your home?"

At her question, Beebee-Ate only hesitated for a second, letting his eye wander all over her as if in deep thoughts. Then, without further ado, he deemed her trustworthy. "So you're part of the Resistance, huh? And you need to get to the Ileenium System. I've never actually met someone from the Resistance, you know? At least not that I know."

Sora knew she was about to get involved in something very dangerous. The Resistance was fighting a never ending war against the First Order, the same people that had nearly cost her her life. The same General who would no doubt recognize her should he ever see her again. She had stolen from them and hurt Hux in the process. This could end very badly for her, once again.

Still, excitement tingled inside her belly, reminding her of her old job. Only this time, it would all be for a good cause. 

Her brown eyes shone under the lights of a thousand stars as she smiled at Beebee-Ate in mischief. "What do you think about stealing a ship?"

*****

When Sora awoke, it was already past noon. Still half asleep, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. In search for her friend, she looked around the small hut she had grown used to call home. The bed next to her was empty, just like the tiny table next to the door. It wasn't unusual for her to sleep longer than Rey, seeing as she often stayed up well past midnight. The scavenger didn't have it in her heart to wake her up and disturb her dreams. Instead, she would often use the time to scout out possible places to scavenge. After all, they had a job to do if they wanted to fill their bellies. 

"Beebee-Ate? Are you here?" She received no answer, leading her to believe Rey must have taken their new friend with her.

When Sora had closed the door behind her and the little droid just a couple of hours earlier that day, a very surprised Rey had been waiting for them. With the help of Beebee-Ate, it hadn't taken her long to explain her plan to the scavenger. 

In the evening, when there were less people out in the Niima Outpost, they would steal one of Unkar's ship and fly Beebee-Ate to his home where his General was waiting for the map to Luke Skywalker. 

The new information Beebee-Ate had shared with Sora without any second thoughts still shocked her. Obviously, she had heard that name before. The last living Jedi who was supposed to be nothing but a myth. However, now she understood why this map was so important, not only to the Rebellion but the First Order as well. 

If anything, that made her even more determined to help the droid. 

Rey had been hesitant to agree at first, but she too was curious and awestruck by the news of Luke Skywalker being somewhere out there, alive and well. 

In the end, she had agreed under one condition: They would fly back to Jakku right after they succeeded in fulfilling Beebee-Ate's mission. 

Sora had felt her excitement lessen as soon as the words had left Rey's mouth. She didn't want to return to Jakku. She also didn't have it in her heart to tell Rey that Unkar would never allow them to walk on his ground after stealing from him. 

Especially not if they stole the Millennium Falcon. 

Sora wasn't dumb. She knew one of the spaceships the junk boss harbored was Han Solo's beloved spacecraft. As a fellow smuggler, she had obviously seen it before; had even met its rightful owners. She didn't know how it had come into Unkar's possession but she would happily steal it from him. 

After putting on her tight but comfortable dark beige trousers, a black top and her jacket, Sora stuffed some of their leftover bread in her mouth. Her eyes found a note on the table which she picked up eagerly. 

Big boss has an urgent job for me. Decided to take the little droid with me. Didn't want to wake you up. We'll be back by the evening. Prepare for take-off.

"Stay safe, Rey." She mumbled to herself, throwing the note into the bin. Quickly putting her hair up into a bun so they wouldn't stick to the sweat on her neck, Sora grabbed her small bag and tied it around her waist. She needed to fill their water supplies for the long journey ahead of them. 

Water was a rare resource on Jakku. With it being a desert planet, it never rained and most inhabitants had to grab their water from various wells. Most of the time, they were further out in the dunes, like small oases. 

Once a week, it was her job to fill up the tanks of their home. It would take her about two hours to reach the well using the old speeder they had and two hours back. Sora knew she had to hurry now if she wanted to be back home by the evening.

The scorching sun greeted her warmly as soon as the smuggler stepped outside. No matter how long she had been staying on this planet, she would never get used to the unbearable heat. Pulling the hood of her jacket over her head, she made a beeline towards the old, rusty speeder in their backyard. 

They only used it whenever absolutely necessary, out of pure fear it would otherwise fall apart too soon. Rey had build it from scratch herself and it had taken many months to find all the necessary parts.

It took a few times until the engine roared to life and Sora was zooming through the desert, leaving a trail of sand whirling behind her. The wind caressed her face gently, causing her hood to fly off her head once again. This was no comparison to the feeling of sitting in a cockpit, yet it was the closest she would get.

At least until tonight.

Sora couldn't wait to be up in the air again. To see the stars up close. To feel one with the galaxies again. 

And most importantly, she couldn't wait to see the look on Unkar's face when she would steal his spaceship from right unter his fat nose. The thought alone made her smile.

She was nearly at her destination when she saw it. 

There, on a dune in front of her, was what looked to be a deployed parachute. 

At first, Sora thought her eyes were betraying her. But the closer she got, the more details she could make out. It's wasn't just a parachute. There was an ejection seat attached to it and the smuggler had no doubt someone was still strapped into it. Clearly, there had to have been a crash but a ship wreckage was nowhere in sight.

She couldn't just drive by and act like she hadn't seen it. There was a chance whoever had been unfortunate enough to strand on Jakku was still alive, just like her.

With a newly found determination and a healthy dose of curiosity, Sora approached the scene in front of her. When she was close enough, she turned off the speeder's engine and quickly jumped into the sand. 

She didn't waste any time and crossed the remaining distance as fast as possible. 

It was a man. 

Clearly unconscious and still strapped into the ejected seat of his ship, dried blood coated his right temple and cheek. He must have hit his head on the way down. Filled with both curiosity and concern for the stranger, Sora crouched down beside him to take a good look at him. He seemed to be a few years older than her, probably in his early to mid thirties. Black curls stuck to the sweat and blood on his forehead. Specks of grime and sand were smudged to the visible stubble on his undoubtedly handsome face. His beige shirt and dark brown trousers were coated in sand but there were no other visible injuries. 

Gently, she raised two fingers against the soft skin of his neck. A steady thrum beat against her fingers, causing Sora to exhale in relief. He was alive.

Before she had time to process what was happening, a strong hand wrapped around her fingers, keeping them locked in a tight hold. Although it wasn't painful, she flinched in surprise, her body recoiling from the sudden sensation. 

"What do you think you're doing?" His voice was raspy, likely from having been unconscious for a while. A pair of brown eyes stared at her, watching her expectantly. He looked tired and confused but Sora could detect that he was on high alert.

She knew exactly how he was feeling at the moment as flashes from her own crash-landing resurfaced in her mind. "Hey, I'm not trying to hurt you, okay," she tried calming him down, raising her free hand in surrender. "I was just checking to see whether you were alive."

His brows knitted in confusion. "Well, am I?" The grip on her hand loosened as he let his eyes wander over her, as if he was just now truly seeing her. 

Sora suppressed a chuckle. "I'm 99% sure that you are."

"Good." His gaze still fixed on her, he nodded. "That's good."

"You might have a concussion though," she said, freeing her fingers from his warm touch. Sora pointed at his temple, "You must have hit your head during the crash."

Her words seemed to snap him out of his daze as he blinked a couple of times. "Crash?" Then his eyes widened in realisation. "Crash! Finn? Where is he?"

Sora was barely able to jump to her feet and take a step back before the stranger had freed himself from the restraints of his seatbelt and was on his feet again. Like a reflex, her hand went to her belt, the absence of a blaster hitting her once again. 

His legs wobbled a bit as he turned around, frantically searching his surrounding. "Finn! Finn!"

Obviously, he was looking for someone, probably his companion. Sora felt bad that she had to be the bearer of bad news. "Look, I hate to tell you this but you were alone when I found you. No ship, no other human being. Whoever you are looking for is not here." As the stranger turned back towards her with slumped shoulders, she quickly added "I'm sorry."

There was a flash of sadness in his eyes but it was quickly replaced with acceptance. Clearly, this hadn't been his first loss. "Great. This is just great." Sighing, he ran a calloused hand over his face wincing when it came in contact with the small cut on his temple. Then, he composed himself. "You don't happen to have a ship I could borrow?"

"Do you really think I would be here if I had one?" Wanting to prove her point, Sora pointed at the never ending dunes of sands around them with a sad smile. Everything was beige, apart from the glowing sun and the blue sky. "In case you haven't noticed it yet, we are on Jakku."

The stranger winced once again. "Yeah, thanks for the reminder. I really needed that one."

"You're very welcome," the smuggler responded dryly, having recognised the sarcasm in his voice.

A small smile formed on his lips. Once again, his eyes roamed over her face and Sora wasn't sure what to make of it. Although it didn't make her feel uncomfortable, it did make the atmosphere between them a bit awkward. Something which the stranger seemed to notice as well. 

Cautiously stepping closer to her, he stuck out a hand for her to shake. She found herself  accepting it faster than she liked. "I'm Poe. Poe Dameron." His hand was warm in hers. Whilst many callouses littered the skin, it was incredibly soft. Sora almost didn't want to let go.

It didn't help that he was very attractive. 

But she didn't know this man and this was definitely not the time nor the place for such thoughts. 

"Sora Park." Letting go of his hand immediately after their introduction, Sora took an almost unnoticeable step back. A habit caused be her old job.

Poe didn't seem offended by her act of caution. If anything, the smile on his face only grew. "Sora, huh? What is a woman doing out here in the desert all alone?"

The smuggler raised her brows and huffed jokingly. "I guess I could ask you the same."

"You could but I asked first." Poe was grinning now. 

To Sora, it almost seemed as if any worries about his former companion or his space ship had been forgotten already. However, she knew better than that. His eyes and body language portrayed a healthy dose of determination. There was no doubt in her that he was already planning how to leave this planet and do whatever he had to do to get them back. It was like she was looking in the mirror and seeing herself from two years ago.

"Touché." Sora rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. "Unfortunately, I happen to live in this desert. You are just lucky that you landed next to my closest source of water which I was just about to collect."

Peeking at the speeder behind her, Poe whistled lowly. "I guess we were both lucky then because that thing looks like it should not be driving anymore at all."

"Well, now you are hurting me," she joked, pressing a hand against her chest. "This speeder may look like a pile of junk to you but it is my pile of junk. Only I get to talk bad about it."

Raising his hands in mock surrender, Poe let out a small laugh. "You have my deepest apologies, princess."

Sora decided to ignore the nickname and wrote it off as meaningless flirting. "Apologies accepted."

She wanted to help this man. No, she needed to help him in any way she could. She remembered that what had just happened to him here had happened to her not long ago as well. Rey had helped her too even though she had been nothing but a stranded stranger back then. Sora felt obliged to do the same. "Listen, my friend and I plan on temporarily leaving Jakku tonight. If you want to, we can drop you off somewhere on our route."

At her words, Poe perked up, straightening his posture. "Leaving? I thought you didn't have a ship?"

Sora smiled innocently. "Technically no, but we will burrow one."

Poe raised his eyebrows, grinning widely at her. "Borrowing, huh?"

"Well, do you want to leave this planet or not?" Shrugging her shoulders, the smuggler only motioned towards her speeder. She turned around and made her way back to the vehicle, not bothering to wait for him. She was sure he would follow her immediately anyways.

"You don't have to ask me again," Poe mumbled barely audible. "Hey, have you seen a brown leather jacket laying around?" He questioned from next to her, easily keeping up with her pace.

His arm brushed against hers and Sora resisted the urge to put some distance between them. After all, they would cling to each other on the speeder anyways. "No, I haven't. It's probably with what's left of your space ship. If there is anything left, that is. Wherever that may be." 

"Wow, you really know how to brighten someone's mood, don't you?"

"It's what Jakku teaches you." 

Poe only nodded, the smile never leaving his face. "Yeah, I don't like it here either."

They stopped in front of Rey's speeder. Sora could see Poe judging the vehicle, his eyes inspecting every part of it. "Are you sure this is safe to drive, princess? This looks like it's going to fall apart any minute." He couldn't help asking with both humor and a hint of doubt in his voice. 

Sora tilted her head to the side, looking at him with an obviously annoyed smile. "Safe? Probably not but I am still alive and not injured, so you will be just fine, your majesty."

Poe whistled lowly, leaning against the speeder with crossed arms. "Your majesty, huh?" Letting his gaze wander from her toes to her head, Poe grinned smugly. "I like the sound of that. So, does that make me your prince or something?"

Sora could feel her cheeks growing hot under his stare. Annoyance rose within her, threatening to rise to the surface. She had only just met this man and he was already getting under her skin. "You know, I can still leave you out here to fend for yourself. For your sake, I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut until we're on board of that ship."

Zipping his mouth shut with his finger, Peo only nodded, his seemingly omnipresent grin shining brightly. 

Sora rolled her eyes, yet she couldn't prevent letting a small chuckle escape her mouth. She couldn't deny that she liked talking to him. Conversing with him was surprisingly easy. "Good. Now, I'm just gonna fill this small tank with some water and then we will be on our way. Wait here and don't move, okay?" 

Not giving him time to respond, she grabbed their small water tank and was already jogging across the dune ahead of them to do her job.

It didn't take her long to collect the water from the well. Just a few minutes later, she found herself in front of her speeder again. Having patiently waited for her, Poe greeted her with his bright smile, showing her his white teeth. "I could have helped you, you know?"

Strapping the now filled water tank back onto the speeder, Sora shook her head and locked eyes with him again. "It was a one person job anyways." Swinging her leg over one side of the speeder, Sora made herself as comfortable as possible on the seat. Then, she patted the space behind her, looking at Poe expectantly. "Hop on, we need to hurry. We have to be back by evening."

The handsome pilot didn't waste any time. Suddenly, his warm chest pressed against her back as two strong arms wrapped around her waist. Her breath hitched at the sudden feeling of his hands on the thin material covering her stomach, his warm breath hitting her neck with each exhale. Goosebumps traveled all over her body. 

It wasn't everyday that Sora was in proximity of such a beautiful man. Therefore, she allowed herself to enjoy the feeling for one second before reminding herself that he was still just a stranger and merely another mission to complete. "Hold on tight."

"Oh, I definitely will, princess," Poe said, unintentionally (or was it?)  leaning into her even more as the speeder surged forward.

The drive back to Rey's and Sora's hut was uneventful. Poe and her had spent it in silence, enjoying the peace and quiet of Jakku's desert. Just before sunset, Sora stopped the speeder in front of Rey's home and killed the engine. "We're here. You can let go now." Turning her head to lock eyes with him, the smuggler pointed at his arms which were still wrapped around her body. 

Almost teasingly, Poe slowly let go of her, letting his arms fall to his sides before he stood up and stretched his body. "You know, this was a much more comfortable ride than I anticipated. This speeder isn't so bad." Yawning, he covered his mouth with one hand. "I almost fell asleep against your back."

"I'm glad that at least one of us had fun." 

Sora jumped from the vehicle, dusting off sand from her clothes, feeling Poe's eyes on her the whole time. "Follow me. Rey and BeeBee-Ate should be waiting for us inside." 

At the mention of the droids name, Poe's eyes widened as he quickly stepped closer to her. "BeeBee-Ate," putting his hands on her shoulders, Poe's hard gaze locked with hers. "Did you just say BeeBee-Ate is here?"

Oh. Suddenly, it clicked in Sora's brain. It was indeed a weird coincidence that both a droid who had lost his master and a pilot without a ship had stranded on the same planet within a timespan of just a couple of hours. "Wait, are you his master, the Resistance member? The one who had been captured by the First Order?"

Poe's entire face lit up like the sun. He laughed in triumph. "Yes, I knew he would make it!" 

Sora didn't have time to prepare herself for the attack. Two strong arms pulled her into his hard chest. One hand was buried in her hair, another one pressed against her lower back to keep her as close as possible. She could hear his excited heartbeat pounding against her ear. Her whole body shook as he chuckled wholeheartedly. "Oh, I could kiss you right now, princess. But I do want to live, so..."

Gently pushing her back, the hug ended before Sora even had the chance to process what had just happened. "What in the Maker's name...," she mumbled but Poe had already stormed past her straight into her home. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

Quickly following him, the young woman entered Rey's hut to see Poe searching the place. "BeeBee-Ate! Where are you?" But the cute droid was nowhere to be found.

"They should have been back by now," Sora voiced, eyebrows raised in question. Sunset was close and it was extremely unusual for Rey to stay outside this late. Especially now that they had a plan to execute in mere hours. 

Poe whirled around, desperation in his voice. "What? Who?"

"My friend Rey took your droid with her on a job," she explained deep in thoughts. "Rey never takes this long though. I have a bad feeling about this."

Poe exhaled harshly, running a hand though the mess of black curls on his head. "We need to look for them. I need to bring BeeBee-ate back to the Resistance as soon as possible. The First Order can't find him first."

Sora nodded, pushing her worry for Rey into the back of her mind. She knew her friend could take care of both herself and the little droid. However, the smuggler had first-hand experiences with the ruthlessness of the First Order. Rey and BeeBee-Ate alone wouldn't stand a chance against hordes of stormtroopers and possibly Kylo Ren himself. 

Then, anger rose to the surfaces, directed at only one person. "I know exactly where to start looking," she scowled, clenching her jaw.

******

"Open the damn door, Unkar."

Arms crossed over her chest, Sora stood in front of Unkar Plutt's home. Poe kept close to her, his arm brushing hers once again. It was dark and quiet outside, the majority of Jakku's population had retreated for the night already. Only a couple of Unkar's loyal lapdogs were guarding the perimeter, watching them closely.

"Who is that guy again?" Poe whispered in her ear, his warm breath hitting her cheek. 

"Big, ugly fella who thinks he owns the planet," Sora responded just as quietly, sighing softly. "Unfortunately for all of us, he kind of actually does. If anyone knows where Rey and your droid are, it's him."

Poe didn't have time to respond. Loud and angry footsteps echoed from inside the house. The door in front of them opened and a very angry Unkar Plutt stared down at Sora. "Well, well, well. Are you here to pay me back the thousands of credits your friend owns me? You're very brave to even show your face to me again." 

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see his guards stepping closer, hands on the blasters strapped to their belts. Poe must have noticed as well, for he too minimised the distance between them. His chest basically pressed against her back, his body being on high alert. She had a feeling he would have her back in whatever was about to happen. "I don't know what you're talking about," she answered honestly. 

Unkar laughed bitterly. " Oh, I'm sure you don't. Let me help you then. Your friend stole my ship."

Shock traveled through Sora's body. "What!?" 

"Yes. She took off with an astromech and another man in my ship." Realisation flashed in Unkar's eyes. "Oh you really had no idea. Well, sweetheart. She left you, now deal with it."

Rey had left. Without her.

Sora almost couldn't believe it. It didn't sound like something her friend would do at all. She was sure there was more to the story than Unkar had let on. The scavenger probably had no other choice but to leave. Whatever had actually happened, Sora trusted Rey. She trusted her judgement.

Poe wrapped his fingers around her arm, squeezing it gently in reassurance. He must have sensed her inner turmoil. 

Taking slow, threatening steps closer to the duo, Unkar send them a glare full of hatred. "You're either going to pay me back the credits for the ship or I am going to kill you and your new friend."

Quickly using the hand that was still grasping her arm, Poe pulled Sora back, shielding her body with his. "Whoa buddy, I'm sure there is another way to solve this predicament. Why don't we discuss this with a nice drink, huh? Just the three of us. No guards, no weapons."

But the young woman knew Unkar was not the type to sit down and have a chat. No, his threats were never empty. Luckily for them, Sora had a knack for getting out of situations like these. She had lost count of how many times she had to come up with stupid but ultimately successful plans (well, at least most of the time) on the spot. 

Subtly moving her eyes to scan their surroundings, it took her mere seconds to notice that Unkar's four lapdogs, who were now uncomfortably standing close, were concentrating on Poe, obviously (and stupidly) completely overlooking her. They were underestimating her because she was a woman which caused her to let out a barely noticeable scoff. 

A visible object in Unkar's backyard caught her attention next. The Millennium Falcon was nowhere to be seen, meaning Ray had stolen it. However, relief flooded her at the sight of another spaceship. An old Gauntlet Starfighter. Admittedly, it looked to be in very bad shape, even from far away. If Rey's speeder was a pile of junk, this ship was a whole junkyard. Hell, she wasn't even sure it was still functioning. However, it was a chance they would need to take and make do with. 

Slowly, Sora let her fingers brush against Poe's before she took his hand in hers, giving it a quick squeeze. She prayed to the Maker he understood the meaning behind her gesture. 

The squeeze she received back let her known that he was at least aware of her having formed any kind of plan. And that he was ready to go along with it.

"Who do you think I am," Unkar hissed, eyes fully focused now on the pilot as well. "Do you think I am a fool or-"

Sora didn't waste anymore time. Letting go of Poe's hand, she used the element of surprise to kick the guard closest to her where it hurts the most. With a grunt, he fell down to his knees, holding his groin. It gave her enough time to grab the blaster from his belt and shoot him in his chest. 

Quickly whirling around, blaster raised in front of her, she saw Poe had already taken out the second guard. Just as she had anticipated, both the third and fourth guard were now pointing the blasters at the pilot, completely ignoring her. It made her slightly frustrated but she didn't have to time to dwell on it. 

Sora knew (or desperately hoped) that Poe could take care of the guards on his own. Therefore, she opted to focus on Unkar, pointing the blaster straight at his face. It hadn't gone unnoticed by her that the junk boss himself was not carrying his own weapon. A stupid mistake. 

"I have waited two years for this moment," the smuggler said, the corners of her mouth curving into a mischievous smile. 

Keeping the blaster in her left hand, still pointing at Unkar, she drew her right arm back as far as it could go. Putting the strength of her whole body into it, she threw her fist forward. It collided against his jaw with a sickening crunch, causing his head to jerk to the side. He stumbled backwards into his house, his legs hitting some part of furniture. As a result, he fell onto bis back, his head hitting a table. The junk boss was out cold immediately. 

Sora cradled her right arm against her chest. Her knuckles were pulsing in pain but thankfully, nothing seemed to be broken. "This went much better than I could have wished for," she mumbled, staring at Unkar's unconscious body, a grin forming on her lips. "So much better actually."

"That was...impressive, princess."

Poe's voice brought her back to the present. Turning towards where he was now standing next to her, the rest of the guards already felt with, she found him staring at her in wonder. Mouth slightly agape, his eyes wandered from her, to where she cradled her fist, to where the junk boss laid on the ground and back. "No wait. That was hot. I definitely never want to get on your bad side." Smiling widely, he raised his hand to praisingly squeeze her shoulder once. 

Sora rolled her eyes, ignoring the warmth she felt spreading across her cheeks. "Thanks. That asshole had it coming a long time ago. If I had known it was this easy to knock him out I would have done so months ago."

"Oh, I can see that." Letting his hand fall back to his side, he strapped his blaster on his belt. "Since you obviously have a plan which has worked more than fine for us so far: What do we do next?"

Putting her own blaster away, Sora motioned for the pilot to follow her. "We get the hell away from this planet before more of his lapdogs arrive or big boss wakes up again."

Jogging past Unkar's home alongside her, the pilot nodded. "Right, but how do we-"

The words got stuck in his throat when they came to a stop in front of the old Starfighter. "You're kidding me right?" Stemming his hands against his hips, Poe groaned. "This looks even worse than that speeder of yours. Which is saying a lot, by the way."

He was right. The ship looked like it had crashed multiple times and was never repaired. Some parts were obviously missing, others barely hanging on. It didn't look safe at all. Sighing, Sora shrugged her shoulders. "I know. But we don't really have a choice," she admitted, her feet carrying her towards the already lowered ramp. 

"Right," Poe mumbled, reluctantly following her. 

The inside of the Starfighter was bigger than it looked from the outside. The hull of the spaceship contained a tiny refresher next to a small sleeping cabin with a bunk bed. There was a small table in the main area in front of the cockpit. The latter only consisted of two seats, one for the pilot and one for the co-pilot. Lots of sand littered the whole space but it still felt quite clean and was in much better shape than the outside. 

"This is actually not bad," Poe said, using his hands to swipe some sand from the consoles in the cockpit. "Let's hope this thing works." Sitting in the pilot seat, Poe fastened his seatbelts, excitement obvious in each movement. "You might want to sit down for this, princess. I doubt it will be smooth flight." 

Oh no, this would not do. Who did he think he was?

Sora furrowed her eyebrows, arms crossing over her chest. Confused, she stood right next to Poe, staring down at him with blazing brown eyes. "Who told you that you would be the one flying the ship?"

Fingers hovering over various buttons on the console, Poe stilled, tilting his head upwards to lock eyes with her. He chuckled softly. "You're looking at the best pilot in the Resistance. I think that definitely gives me the right to fly us out of here."

Sora scoffed. "And without me, you would still be stranded in the desert," she pointed out, unwilling to miss the opportunity to finally sit in the pilot's seat again. "Besides, I have years of experience in that seat as well. I'm probably even better than you."

"You have?" Clearly, Poe was surprised by the revelation, the argument forgotten for the moment. "What are you doing on Jakku then?"

"Long story. And totally not the point right now."

Poe raised his brow, staring at her wordlessly for a minute. Then, he sighed, expression softening. "Look, I don't doubt you're a good pilot. But do you know the exact location of the Resistance's base?" 

Sora's arms went slack, falling limply against her side. Damn it. He had a point. "Well, no. Beebee-Ate just told me it was in the Ileenium System."

Once again, Poe watched her in surprise. "He told you that? He must really like you then." The pilot almost seemed offended, as if the thought alone made zero sense to him. 

"Your droid is easily likable. Wish I could say the same about you."

"Dito," Poe retorted halfheartedly.

The two equally stubborn individuals were locked in a stare down, each unwilling to give up. Sora was leaning against the cockpit's console, her head and upper body tilted towards where Poe was sitting directly in front of her. There was barely any distance between them, both of their breaths hitting each others face, yet neither dared to move away. 

Coming to her senses, the smuggler felt her resolve fading. This was not the time for childish disputes. They had an important mission which could not wait. Plus, although she hated to admit it, Poe was right. It was the better choice to let him be the pilot. 

Straightening her shoulders, Sora exhaled loudly. "Okay, you've won." Rolling her eyes as Poe smiled smugly at her, the young woman moved to take a seat in the co-pilots chair, strapping herself in tightly. "What are you waiting for? Get us away from this damn planet, pilot."

Poe had the audacity to wink at her. "Your wish is my command, princess." Ignoring her annoyed groan, he quickly began to work, fingers pushing the various buttons with expertise. By some miracle, the engine roared to life, causing Poe to cheer. "Oh yes, baby," looking over his shoulder at Sora, he smiled happily. "Next stop: D'Qar." 

The Starfighter rose above the ground slowly, rattling from side to side unsteadily. Sora held on tight to the arms of her seat and watched as the desert grew smaller and smaller underneath them, until all that she could see were the stars around them. The sight took her breath away instantly. It had been too long since she had last experienced it. 

As they entered hyperspace, a deep longing within her rose to the surface; A longing for her past life, from before she had stranded on Jakku. Up in the stars, she felt free again. Free to go wherever she wanted to. Free to do whatever she wanted to. 

Maybe once this mission was done, she could be herself again.

*****

Hope you liked the first chapter! There are quite some similarities between Poe's and Sora's story. I don't know about you, but I think this will make bonding a little easier:)

[shrinkthisviolet]

talk shop tuesday - what parts of Lucy Kenobi's arc are you looking forward to writing the most?

Oooh I love this question! In chronological order:

—I love ESB, so I'm really enjoying writing Lucy's story here 🥰 and especially since she gets to go to Cloud City with Han and Leia...I'm excited to write that especially!

—The end of ESB and the fallout of that is ofc going to be very emotional 😭 especially since Lucy will be none too kind to Lando in the aftermath for a bit. Her BROTHER got hurt, after all, and no matter how understandable Lando's reasons are...she can't forgive Luke being hurt

—Lucy & Astra get some focus early in the ESB fic, and post-ESB too! Writing their wingman dynamic is so fun 🥰 so excited for y'all to read more of it

—Lucy's Jedi journey post-ESB is gonna be fun to write too! She's actually fully trained before Luke is (since Luke left in the middle of his, while Lucy stays for her full training and finishes before Luke returns to Dagobah)

—On that note, post-ROTJ, she's the one who finishes Luke's training 💞 and they both train Leia (who gets to be fully trained, unlike canon)! Very excited to write that

—Lucy raising Rey on Jakku 🥺 from what little I've written of them, I love them already (and since Lucy has a "British"* accent, that explains how Rey comes to have one too. Ofc Rey in canon probably picked it up from Unkar Plutt, but here, she picks it up from Lucy)

*British by our standards, but probably some form of Coruscanti by theirs? Whatever tf Obi-Wan's accent is classified as in their terms

There are a couple others, but...to give specific details would be spoiling 👀 but for now, these are the parts I most look forward to writing/sharing!

talk shop tuesday!

Taglist (send an ask or DM to be added or removed):

@arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @raith-way @vexic929 @ironverseocs

@thechaoticfanartist @goldheartedchaoticdisaster @negative-speedforce @dream-beyond-the-fantasy @starstruckpurpledragon

@angst-is-love-angst-is-life

[rotzaprachim]

all this joel and ellie discussion is making me remember the fact that the ultimate nongenetic mental illness dynasty star wars COULD have had is cassian and rey. Man With Just So Many Issues About Being Kidnapped And Forcibly Disconnected From His Entire Home Planet meet Girl With Just So Many Issues About Being Abandoned and Left Alone On Planet. equal and opposite traumas baby! they would give each other Issues. cassian is incredibly trepeditious about doing anything to take rey off jakku like shouldn’t we call your parents where are your parents do you want to stay in touch with unkar plutt we can get uknar plutt’s number so you can stay in touch with unkar plutt WHAT IF YOU TOOK SOME SAND AS A SOUVENIER??? and rey’s like oh my gosh he hates me as well! cassian has all the exit signs on his ship floodlit in three languages so she knows how to LEAVE and she takes this as a sign he wants her to LEAVE. he’s like we can turn around and go back to jakku at ANY TIME and rey is like no no no Sir Mister please NO i’ll be good i promise i’ll be useful and earn my keep and he has to pause take a minute forcibly deal with his own memories of maarva and clem and go no uh no that’s not what it’s about. 

in addition acc’d to andor they have both worked in the great family businesss of Scrapping and Reselling old imperial ships and also Staffs. and there is fascinating intergenerational trauma to be had with one of the few worldbuilding details i thought the sequel trilogy did really well, which was showing rey’s life as this person whose grown up in a post war void.... surviving in the literal shadow of imperial machinery, making a living by taking apart what we now know cassian’s generation was forced in death camps to make. she literally lives by taking apart what he made 

[astarionbae]

REVISITED & REVAMPED

Nova Palpatine, more commonly known as Nova Hux, is a human female Force sensitive within the First Order. She was an apprentice of Ben Solo, a human male dark side user who gone by the name of Kylo Ren. They shared a very unique Force-bond which connected their minds across space and time; it was a result of their nature as a dyad in the Force. 

Nova was born on Bracca in 5 ABY which caused a tremor in the Force that was felt by numerous Force sensitives such as Luke Skywalker, and the Sith Eternal. Her father, Cassius, was a genetic engineered son of the Sith Lord who ruled the Galactic Empire as Emperor Palpatine. He and his wife, Miramir, hid their daughter who inherited the Emperor’s connection to the Force from his strandcast brother Avellian. Believing they’d be safer, Cassius parted from his wife and child, leading his brother and his followers astray. Her mother eventually began a relationship with a man named Erik Dathan who was a junk trader on Hyperkarn and the two had a daughter that they named Rey. 

When the Sith occultist Ochi, on orders from Avellian, endeavored to find Nova, her mother and stepfather hired Unkar Plutt to hide the two girls on Jakku within the Niima Outpost until they returned. When they hadn’t, Plutt considered Nova and Rey in debt to him and required the two young girls to work for him to pay it back. During one scrapping mission Nova was taken and was forced to work as a slave, being passed off to other merchants and travelers which led her off world. She ended up on a forested planet where an old Alderaan guard named Bylsma found and raised her as a surrogate daughter for the next few years until a First Order ship crashed and she met General Armitage Hux and the dark warrior Kylo Ren. 

With vigorous training on the First order’s Finalizer and in the icy woods of the hallowed out planet once called Ilum but now a superweapon capable of destroying entire star systems called Starkiller Base, Nova grew exceptionally skilled in martial arts due to muscle memory that been expanded on. Under Kylo’s teaching she learns how to utilize the Force to her full potential and bend it to her will. 

When the map to Luke Skywalker comes a topic of interest for Kylo Ren, Nova is placed on a journey to not only confront her future and what it holds, but her past. 

taglist: @rey-of-luke, @edshopper, @fandomqueenlove, @aliverse, @mmmayflower2016, @seize-the-droid, @maddyperiez, @foxesandmagic, @harleyquinnzelz, @bravelittleflower, @anotherunreadblog, @kendelias, @dreamerwithapen1, @kiara-carrera, @phoebestarks, @rickiisrad, @anqelwiithhxrns, @the-multifandommess-blog, @ocs-supporting-ocs, @luucypevensie, @claryxjackson, @aaronhotchstuff, @susiesamurai, @witchofinterest, @heresthefanfiction, @reysfinn @malice1329, @arrthurpendragon, @margoshansons, @richitozier, @waterloou, @bobfloydsbabe, @decennia, @chrissymunson, @asirensrage, @starcrossedjedis, @zoyazenik, @dyhlanobrien, @eddiesmunsons, @bisexualterror, @squirrelstone, @lucys-chen, @victoriapedrcttis, @starlit-epiphany, @carmens-garden, 

[terriblepersongreatseamonster]

Happy May the Fourth!!!

I know I've posted links to the Reylo fairy tale fic I've been putting up on AO3, but I thought it might be fun to share the first chapter here.

This story is kind of a love letter to all the fairy tales and fantasy films that I love. It's not great literature, not meant to be taken terribly seriously. It's just a bit of fun. The world is stressful and overwhelming and sometimes fun escapism is exactly what's needed.

Beauty and the Creature In A Mask

Chapter One

A long time ago, in a land far, far away…

The second time Rey was sold was on her nineteenth birthday. The first time, she had been five, and Lord Unkar Plutt had paid next to nothing for her.

She was scrubbing the stone stairs when she heard the sound of horses in the courtyard below. She slipped to the window, and cold fingers of dread clutched at her as she recognized the symbol the warriors wore.

The Knights of Ren.

She’d heard stories of them over the years, and while she knew they did, in fact, exist, she assumed that Castle Jakku was far too small and out of the way to ever be taken notice of by them. Clearly, she had been wrong.

Only six knights had arrived. Where was their leader? She’d never heard a story of the knights that didn’t include the presence of Lord Kylo Ren. Would he be arriving later? As terrifying as the knights were, they didn’t hold a candle to Lord Ren, a man as skilled and deadly with his fiery blade as he was with magic.

The knights disappeared into the castle, and Rey returned to her work. It wouldn’t do to be caught standing idly, staring out the window. She’d experienced enough beatings to know that much. Whatever had brought the knights to Castle Jakku had nothing to do with her, and she would do well to remember that.

Several minutes passed, and she continued to work her way down the steps. Her ears picked up the sound of hurried footsteps, and then suddenly, from the base of the stairs, she heard, “Rey!”

Looking down, she met Rose's wide, panicked eyes. The other woman’s face was drained of color. Rey set aside her scrub brush and hurried down to her friend, wiping her hands on her apron. Reaching Rose, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Rose grasped her arm, “The Knights of Ren.”

“I know. I saw them arrive.”

Rose’s grip tightened, “Rey, they’re here for you.”

Rey stared at her friend in confusion, “For me? What…what are you talking about?”

Rose took a few deep breaths and tugged at Rey, “I don’t know.” Her voice was miserable, “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. Lord Plutt ordered me to come get you.”

Rey was wise enough not to ignore the man's summons. With a sigh, she said, “It’s okay. Let’s go.”

When they reached the doors to the audience chamber, Rey hesitated momentarily. She had no idea what awaited her on the other side of the door, no clue as to what the knights could possibly want with her. She turned to Rose, “I’ll be fine.”

Rose chewed at her lip, “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Go.”

Her friend turned and hurried away. Steeling herself, Rey grasped the door handle and pulled it open. She fixed her eyes on the floor as she stepped into the room and walked toward Lord Plutt's seat. Halfway there, she heard him bark, “Stop there.”

Her feet obeyed, and she tried to focus on her breathing. Tried to keep her body still and not let it tremble. She would not let her master or the knights see just how scared she truly was.

“Is this her?” A sharp, male voice asked.

“Course it is,” came Lord Plutt’s annoyed reply.

Heavy, armored footsteps headed toward Rey, and she saw the black armor of the knight who had come to stand before her. “Lift your head, girl,” the command came from the same sharp voice she’d heard moments earlier.

She did as ordered. Towering over her was a knight with a mask that reminded her of a skull. Whatever facial features he had were hidden by both mask and black fabric. Still, she could feel his eyes boring into her. He began to circle her, his head moving just enough so that she knew he was observing her entire body. When he came to stand in front of her again, he asked, “What’s your name, girl?”

Terror had robbed her of her voice momentarily, and it was only Lord Plutt’s bark of, “Damn it, answer him!” that loosed her tongue.

“Rey.”

“Your age?”

“Nineteen.”

The knight continued to stare at her, and it took everything inside not to drop her gaze to the floor. A few seconds passed, and he asked, “Were you born here?”

She shook her head, “No.”

“Where were you born?”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth. Whatever her life had been before Plutt bought her, it was all a blank space in her mind. There were no memories of a life that wasn’t at Castle Jakku.

“Who is your family?” the knight pressed.

Again, “I don’t know.”

The knight turned to her master, ���Have you lied to us, Plutt? Lord Ren will be very displeased if he learns that you have.”

“What I told you is the truth. I may not be the wisest man, but I’m wise enough to know not to bring down the wrath of Lord Ren upon myself and my property. She is the one he’s been searching for.” Lord Plutt replied. Rey was stunned. She’d never heard the man speak so much or so eloquently.

Several seconds passed, and then the knight turned back to her, “Fetch your things. We’re leaving.”

Fear mixed with stubbornness. She planted her feet, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Oh, but you are.” The knight waved at another knight, “Ushar will escort you. You would be wise to do as you’re told and not test his patience.”

She would, she really would. And yet, as Ushar walked toward her, she demanded, “Where am I going?”

Ushar reached her, as the other knight replied, “You will know soon enough. Get your things. Lord Ren does not like to be kept waiting.”

Something about the knight's voice told Rey it would be pointless to question him further. She turned and headed toward the door. As she left the room, she heard Lord Plutt say, “The reward you promised?”

She glanced over her shoulder in time to see the bag of coins dropped onto the floor in front of Lord Plutt’s seat.

Ushar followed her silently all the way back to the small room she shared with Rose. Her friend appeared as Rey hurriedly gathered her meager belongings and placed them in the satchel that Ushar had wordlessly held out to her. Rose took in the scene and demanded, “What happened?”

Rey was nearly finished, “Plutt sold me.”

“Why?”

Rey shook her head, “Hell, if I know.” She closed the satchel and turned to Rose, “I’ll miss you.”

Rose tossed her arms around Rey and pulled her close, her voice choked with tears, “I’ll miss you too.”

Rey could feel her own tears trying to gather and let go of her friend. She wasn’t about to let Ushar or any of his companions see her weep. Turning away from Rose, she held her head high and told the knight, “Lead the way.”

When they reached the courtyard, she found that all the knights, save the one with the skull mask and Ushar were already mounted on their horses. Ushar climbed onto his horse, and skull mask drew near Rey. “Do you know how to ride?”

She shook her head, “Not well.”

“Follow me.”

He led her to a horse, and before she knew what was happening, he’d lifted her up onto the saddle. Then, he climbed up behind her and took hold of the reigns. She grasped the saddle with her fingers as tightly as she could manage as the knights spurred their horses to leave Castle Jakku.

***

It took seven days to reach Castle Silence at the edge of the Mustafar Mountains. During the entire trip, the knights were silent. They offered no explanation of why Lord Plutt had sold her to them. She tried to ask questions but received no reply.

When they neared Castle Silence, she couldn’t help but feel awestruck. It was terrifyingly beautiful. Jagged peaks covered with snow rose high above the imposing castle’s towers. It was far colder than Rey was prepared for. Castle Jakku had been located on the edge of the desert, and though the nights were chilly, she’d never felt cold like this in her life.

The horses came to a stop in front of the castle, and she was placed on the ground. Rey glanced around her surroundings, and her eyes landed on the tiny, wrinkled old woman who was headed toward them from the door. She made her way to Rey and after, after looking her up and down for a few moments, said, “Come along, dear. We must get you ready.”

Rey followed the woman into the castle and asked, “Ready for what?”

“Your wedding, of course.”

Rey froze, “My what?”

The old woman turned back and caught hold of Rey’s hand. Gently, she tugged her forward, “Your wedding. Don’t worry, Lord Ren isn’t much for pomp and circumstance. But a bride should still look like a bride.”

Rey didn’t know how to respond to that. She wanted to break away, run from the castle, from all of this madness, but after seven days in the company of the knights, she knew her escape would be over before it even began.

The old woman opened the door to the most luxurious room Rey had ever seen. There was an immense bed covered with bedding and pillows that looked so soft that she fought the urge to run to it and throw herself upon it. Sunshine poured in through large windows that lined the wall.

“This will be your room, though Lord Ren will likely have you spend your nights with him,” the old woman told her.

Rey’s wonder at the room dissipated as she took in what had been said. “Lord Ren will what?”

“Heavens, dear, did you think your husband wouldn’t want you to share his bed?”

And that was the thing that was finally too much. Rey began to tremble, and her voice grew hoarse, “I don’t…I don’t know what’s happening.”

The woman led Rey to a plush chair and had her sit in it. She studied Rey for a few moments and then asked, “Did they tell you anything?”

Rey shook her head, “Skull Face asked me some questions about myself, and I know they gave Lord Plutt money for me. But they wouldn’t tell me anything.”

The old woman laughed gently, “Skull Face’s name is Ap’lek. Though, I would dearly love to see you call him Skull Face.” She patted Rey’s hand, “What’s your name, dear?”

“Rey.”

“I’m Maz.” She added, “I’m sorry they gave you no warning of what to expect. I should’ve known.”

Rey chewed at her lip, “Can you tell me anything? Why does Lord Ren want to marry me? I’m nobody.”

Maz gazed at her shrewdly, “I don’t know who you are, but I know you’re not nobody. I wish I could tell you who you are, but that is something only Lord Ren knows. As to why he wants to marry you, I’m afraid I don’t know that either. What I do know is that he has been searching for you for years.”

“But why?” Rey pressed.

Maz shook her head, “I don’t know. Truly, I don’t. That is another question that only Lord Ren will be able to answer.”

Rey wanted to cry in frustration. The few answers Maz had provided had given her little to work with. Apparently, Lord Ren was the only one who would be able to give her any satisfactory explanations, and she wasn’t sure that he was likely to do so.

“Now, let’s get you fed and ready. Lord Ren is waiting.”

***

Once dressed, Maz escorted Rey to the castle’s small chapel. As they walked, Rey tugged anxiously at the lace sleeves of her white dress. Her mind swirled with the few things she knew about Lord Ren. All she'd heard were stories, and not a single one had her convinced that she was in for anything other than a life of continued misery. The only thing that was consistent in all the stories was the mask. He never took it off. The general consensus was that he must be terribly disfigured. Why else constantly hide his face from the entire world?

They reached the chapel, and she froze. Standing at the entrance was a tall figure dre ssed in all black. Immense was the only word she could think of as she took in his height and broad chest. His large hands were covered by thick leather gloves, and he was wearing a black mask with harsh silver lines that completely covered his face and head. This was the creature she was being forced to marry. Considering how completely hidden he was from her, she couldn’t even think of him as a man. He stepped forward, offering his arm.

Several seconds passed as she stared at him. He waited, completely silent. From beside her, she heard Maz's soft voice, "Go ahead, dear." Gingerly, she took hold. He led her into the chapel, moving at a pace that, given how tall he was, was far slower than she’d anticipated. They stopped in front of the priest who stood waiting for them.

A week earlier, he had been little more than a story. A week earlier, she had been nothing more than a servant.

“Do you take this woman to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her? Staying with her through sickness and health, through better or worse, richer or poorer, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

She jolted hearing his voice. It was so strange. It was the voice of a human, but it had an odd, almost metallic edge to it.

The priest turned his attention to Rey, “Do you take this man to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish him? Staying with him through sickness and health, through better or worse, richer or poorer, for as long as you both shall live?”

She studied the figure beside her. She couldn’t promise any of that, but the alternative would likely involve the magic sword she’d heard of. Maybe a quick death would be the preferable option.

You won’t be harmed. You will be safe.

She blinked. A voice, eerily similar to the one she’d heard a minute earlier, sans metallic edge, sounded loudly in her mind. The creature beside her made no movement, no indication that he’d been responsible for what she’d heard, and yet she knew that somehow he had been. She inhaled deeply and sealed her fate, “I do.”

“You are man and wife. Remember the vows you have made here today and live in peace.”

With that, the ceremony was over. When they stepped out of the chapel Maz was nowhere to be seen. Rey’s new husband silently walked her back to her room and left her there without a single word.

***

Night fell. She wore a simple nightgown and paced the room anxiously. Uncertainty filled her. What would her husband expect? She’d heard horrifying tales from the other servants at Lord Plutt’s. Stories of husbands doing things that sounded cruel and terrifying. And those servants had known their husbands, or at least they’d known them better than Rey knew hers.

She didn’t even know what her husband actually looked like.

It grew late, and weariness filled her. Her husband had yet to make an appearance, and she wondered if he intended to stay away. It would be a relief if he did. She went to the bed, pulled the curtains to shut out the light, and curled up under the covers. Sleep soon stole over her.

When she woke the next morning, she was still alone in the bed.

[virtie333]

"tired" for the work in progress guessing game?

Thank you for the ask!

Rey was a bit surprised by the change in subject, but she took a deep breath, more comfortable with this question than the last. “I don’t remember my father at all. I barely remember my mother. I was maybe four when she left me in the care of so-called friends. I’m not sure if they got word my mother wasn’t coming back or if they just got tired of waiting, but it was less than a year later when they sold me to Unkar Plutt.”

[kitkatt0430]

A Star Wars Sequel series AU idea

Ben Solo wasn't Han and Leia's only child. They had a daughter too, but around the same time that news broke that Leia was Darth Vader's biological daughter, that little toddler girl was kidnapped. They never found her and it was the first big crack in the foundation of Han and Leia's marriage. When Ben turned to the dark side, they ended up drifting apart. Leia becoming more involved in the political movement opposing the First Order and Han returning to his smuggling roots.

TFA events are largely unchanged, but Rey doesn't immediately head out after Luke. They wait for Finn to recover, then Leia sends Rey with Finn, Chewie, Poe, and R2 to track down Luke.

Now, Luke is not the 'last' of the Jedi. Not only is Leia trained as a Jedi, but there are various others who are members of a new Jedi Order. It's not what the old Order was, but so much of that history was deliberately lost that they couldn't recreate the exact same thing from before. Ben Solo's defection killed off a number of the order, so they're all currently spread across the galaxy. Some searching out new force sensitives to teach, others using their abilities to help people in need...

Luke, specifically, went in search of the origins of the Jedi. He entrusted his flight plan to very few in order to keep the growing First Order off his back... but also to keep his other objective from being found out. He didn't want to give Leia false hope after failing to find her missing daughter all those years ago. But new clues have surfaced recently and there are a handful of planets where they might be able to pick up clues to his missing niece's whereabouts.

One of those worlds was Jakku where Luke's friend - but not a Jedi himself - Lor San Tekka has been scouring for records of a girl matching Breha Solo's description having been taken through one of the many spaceports some sixteen or seventeen years ago. And he's not only found that evidence... he thinks that girl is still on the planet.

He gives this information along with the map to Poe, as the First Order has been taking an interest in Jakku and it's only a matter of time before they show up... a matter of time being mere minutes in this case.

When R2 wakes up and displays the map, he keeps the other information private. it's coded specifically for Luke. But Leia, and even Han before he died, felt a connection the young woman from Jakku.

Leia wonders, if her daughter was still alive, would she be something like Rey? Han wishes he'd been the kind of father who could protect his children, but maybe there's still something he can do to make this girl's life better?

Luke's been setting up his secret enclave Jedi school in a system similar to the Corellian system (as in, it's artificially created and maintained) where he has reason to believe the Jedi originated in the time following the fall of the Rakatan Infinite Empire, long before the rise of the First Republic. The Ancient precursors to the Jedi believed in, and taught, the balance between the light and the dark and the necessity of followers of both paths, something the Jedi eventually lost. For all that they believed in balance, by making the dark side something forbidden and taboo they may have inadvertently created an imbalance of the Force. He still has a lot to learn about the origins of the Jedi, though, so a lot of what he's deciphered is still speculative at best.

This is where Rey and Finn find him, along with R2, Poe, and Chewie. And Luke welcomes them. Though of course he's especially excited to have two more students to learn the ways of the Force. And then R2 delivers his second message from Lor San Tekka.

He found the girl, Breha Solo. He's sure of it. She was brought to Jakku and sold as an indentured servant to one of the local scrapyard owners: Unkar Plutt. She'd earned her freedom at the age of sixteen but was rumored to still be on planet, living as a scavenger. Going by the name Rey, which Tekka suspected was a child's derivation of Breha.

Rey, the girl that Leia just sent to Luke for training...

[threewinterssnow]

Hottest Star Wars Character (actually hot character edition)

Round 2! The character with the lowest amount of votes is eliminated until only two remain, and then we'll have a weeklong showdown. If there is a tie, there will be a vote between the tying characters and the loser of that will be gone.

Our first to be eliminated is Watto, who lost our tiebreaker after not receiving a single vote in the first round.

[pinkrelish]

Tumblr will not let me reblog ch 10!! But I wanted to tell you how "amazing amazing amazing" I thought it was.

(Warning for spoilers I guess?)

The passing notes to ask each other out was super cute and how giddy they both were. Robin's parents are hilarious. The dinner with candles and cooking together while discussing cheesy movie effects was *chef's kiss* pun intended. The kiss!!!! The kiss omg so so so so good!! The way you describe them both pushing to get closer (and eddie's cheeky butt grabs) was really hot. I'm sure you have already heard a lot about the smut part but that man deserves to be appreciated and WOW he was lol. Also how did you know I have wanted mouse to give him a back rub for so long now?? Absolute mind reader! And last but not least poor Adrie, i hope she at least had a good time before the storm started. In conclusion I am in love (and so are they) and I will reblog when it lets me! Mwah!! 💙

ah, i've had that note idea for sooooo long, i'm so happy i finally got to write it! ❤️ (and as a behind the scenes: none of the movies they watched were actually references to real movies, but the effect part was based on the practical effect when Rey in TFA goes inside her rundown ship-home after getting a food portion from Unkar Plutt and "rehydrates" it.)

and i'm really sorry the ending was cut short! the massage was supposed to last for a few paragraphs, and she was going to lay down on his back and sorta drift off the sleep with him, but i ran out of time to write it. but! don't worry, he will get another one in the future to make up for that scene not turning out like i wanted. 😂