Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Why are you good at everything?”

“I’m not.”

“But you make it look so easy.”

Ben stirred on his bed, trapped in the sticky cobwebs of a dream both poignant and beautiful.

It was the same one, over and over again. The same words spoken by the same pretty little girl. She had her mother’s floating dark curls and her father’s big amber eyes. Her complexion was perhaps a little too pale, her body a little too thin, her expression a little too strained as she stood on powdery sands surrounded by a tranquil blue ocean. He supposed anyone would look fragile next to him.

“It is easy,” Ben told his dream girl, his voice firm but gentle. “You just have to know what to do.” He clasped his hands together and blew into them, creating a single melodic note.

Frowning, the girl tried to mimic his actions. She folded her fingers and blew with no success.

“Don’t get frustrated,” he counselled.

They stood that way for what seemed like forever, until she was giggling and he was smiling for no other reason than because she was happy.

As always, the dream shifted. She wasn’t laughing anymore. “I know what’s coming… but it’s okay.”

He stared, disturbed by the gravity of her tone. A child shouldn’t sound so serious.

She bit her lower lip. “I know you’re leaving, and-” her words wobbled with tears, “I know it’s because of me.”

He shook his head. “No, sweetheart. I’m not leaving because of you. I’m doing this for you.”

Despite his reassurances, her face grew angry. Accusing.

Every night, he woke up gasping for air, drenched in a cold sweat.

Every night, the same dream. The same nightmare.

It made his cabin onboard a starship feel even smaller than it was.

The funny thing was he loved his job. Loved being a pilot. He was never truly at peace except in the infinity of space, navigating the heavens.

He’d led explorations before, though never for this long. This wasn’t a supply run to Coruscant or a jump to Ceylene and back. He intended to be gone from his home world of Somaris for two whole years.

Ben had been in space for fifteen lunar months, over halfway through his journey, when he was rudely awoken by the shrill bleating of an emergency alarm. This time it wasn’t the distress of his dream girl that startled him awake.

Bleary eyed and fuzzy headed, he stumbled to the cockpit and reviewed the data onscreen. The voice of the AI that assisted in running the ship announced: Unexpected meteor activity. Ship trajectory off course. Location unknown. The soothing female tone at odds with the information just delivered.

Shaking his sleep addled brain, Ben shut off the blaring alarm and ran a diagnostic. He was the captain of the vessel, and his mind ticked through the most important things he needed to verify. Passenger vitals holding steady. Cryostasis capsules undisturbed. And… wait. What? Manual override recommended to execute emergency landing? Like hell he would.

Which was when a meteor the size of a small transporter hit the ship.

The impact threw Ben out of his seat. A section of the control panel exploded and pain lanced through his body. He looked down to see shrapnel embedded in his stomach. He paused only long enough to pull out the thin metal shard, trusting the wound was insignificant enough to allow him to keep going.

He returned to the captain’s chair- his chair- adrenaline pumping as he furiously punched up data from the computer. This time the results were grim. The second hit had literally torn the ship in two, both sections gravitating into the orbit of an unknown planet. He was alive only because he was sealed inside the cockpit.

The passengers. He needed to check on the people he was transporting. He brought up holo camera images and winced at what he saw. Previously stable cryo chambers were badly damaged, torn from their moorings and sliding into full cryogenic failure.

Ben had barely enough time to consider the fifteen lives onboard before every warning light on his console flared red. Gravity shifted as they entered the atmosphere of an alien planet. The ship plunged out of the sky like so much trash being dumped by an unseen hand.

The force of metal hitting earth was catastrophic, wild terrain filling his viewing screen. The ship skidded across the ground like a pebble skimming the surface of a lake, bouncing thrice. He was thrown from his seat once more, and this time the landing had him blacking out.

Ben’s head pounded as he awoke from a dream- the same dream- sprawled on the floor of his cockpit. He tried to sit up and a wrenching pain in his gut made him groan. He looked down to see the wound on his belly still seeping blood. There were smears of the stuff on the floor, a long drip on the hydraulic door.

Priority number one. Can’t help anyone without first helping himself.

He slapped on an oxygen mask before opening the cockpit door and stumbling into the corridor, relieved to find the infirmary still attached to what was left of his ship. Sealing the cut hurt like a bitch, and he hissed as tacky grey microbial fluid hit the open wound. As soon as grinding physical pain reduced to a low throb, he returned to the cockpit, staring out a cracked windscreen.

He winced at his appearance reflected back in crystal. His pitch black hair was two inches too long for polite company, in defiance of whatever corporate bosses had contracted his services, a knee-jerk reaction to the shaved head he was forced to endure for so many years in the military. His face was several days unshaven, covered in dark stubble. His complexion pale and sweaty from his injuries.

He looked past his reflection and what he saw next did little to comfort him. No wonder he’d survived- the front half of the ship had landed in a swamp. It was comparatively soft ground given the circumstances. Had he landed on rocks or some kind of hard mineral composite, he’d be dead.

A strange emotion flickered in his heart. What was that feeling? Was it relief? When had the idea of his own death become a comfort?

His dream girl popped into his head. I know what’s coming- it’s okay.

Ben gritted his teeth. Now was not the time for waking delusions. He had a job to do- he was responsible for fifteen souls who should’ve been enclosed in the back of the starship, safe in a dreamless cryogenic sleep.

He grabbed a spacesuit and helmet. The densely ridged black fabric would keep his body insulated and the helmet pumped oxygen into his lungs. The ship’s armoury was surprisingly well stocked, and he went through its contents now. He didn’t hesitate to grab a plasma rifle, clipping a couple of ion grenades onto a utility belt as an afterthought.

Stepping off the exit ramp and into murky waters jolted whatever wounds and bruises he’d picked up during the crash. He bit back a groan, even though there was no one to hear him. He was a big man, tall and broad shouldered, and still the swamp water came up to his thighs.

It didn’t take long for the visor of his helmet to fog up. In irritation, he checked the air quality and saw that it was breathable. He hesitated. Any mistake in the readings and he’d be dead with his first breath. Again, he experienced that strange sense of relief.

It troubled him. He’d never been a man who looked to death for an answer before.

Ignoring muddled emotions, Ben took off his helmet. He breathed warm, soupy air, but nothing untoward happened. Tense muscles slowly relaxed.

Guilt assailed him as he waded through the swamp. Multiple bodies were strewn across the landscape, their forms resembling broken dolls. He was the captain, and every casualty was on his head. Every single one.

He swallowed hard, forcing down acidic bile. Now was not the time- he had a job to do.

Slowly and methodically, Ben moved from passenger to passenger, checking their vitals. Most had been thrown from their cryotubes, bones mangled and faces smashed. He found thirteen bodies. The other two must have been tossed from the ship at a higher altitude, landing fates knew where.

Emotion overwhelmed him, and he fell to his knees. Reproach and condemnation followed the awareness that he’d failed in his responsibilities.

Something his ex-wife had said to him the day he left echoed in his mind. Broken promises lead to broken hearts. For once, she’d been right.

Ben forced himself to breathe slow and even, sinking his fingers into damp earth in an attempt to use his surroundings to ground his spinning head. It took a moment, but before long his pulse slowed, nausea retreating.

Do your job, Ben.

The return journey to his ship felt significantly shorter. He seated himself in the cockpit and accessed the ship’s computer. The coolly sensual female AI announced, Flight path interrupted. Current location unknown.

Yeah, no kriff.

Ben began a recording to send as an emergency beacon into the far reaches of outer space. His voice sounded unnaturally loud as he spoke his first words on an alien world.

“This is Captain Ben Solo of the Zoic Charter. I’m the only survivor of a long range exploratory mission.” He cleared his throat with difficulty. “My ship was struck by an undocumented asteroid belt. I believe the debris to be a small cluster from a much larger asteroid system, but I can’t be sure. We’ve crash landed on an uncharted celestial body, and my ship has been severed in half. Confirmed thirteen cryo pods destroyed. Two missing. All passengers are presumed dead. Send help.”

Ben sank his head into his hands, his thoughts a roiling dark cloud. Everything in him longed for a way out, and here was an unexpected exit.

He sat up and with a couple of keystrokes deleted the recording. He tried again. “This is Charter 3703. An asteroid struck my ship. All passengers are dead. No reason for recovery. I repeat, do not dispatch a rescue team.” He tapped send before he could reconsider.

The ship’s AI announced, Message transmitted.

Ben left the ship, wanting his final moments to be under open sky. He knelt on soggy ground, surrounded by swamp water and what appeared to be mangrove trees. Picking up the rifle and turning the muzzle on himself, his breathing grew harsh as he prepared himself for the end.

At the last second, he let slip his hold on the rifle stock and reached for the small datapad in his jacket. He accessed archival information and up came the image of his dream girl, smiling and waving into camera. His throat constricted with tears, as painful as shards of glass. Callused fingertips smeared blood and dirt as he stroked the screen goodbye.

Which was when a locator beacon went off.

Ben flinched, nearly dropping his datapad. What the hell?

He accessed new information, heart pounding in his chest. There it was. Another cryo tube, perhaps a hundred feet from where he thought he’d found the last dead body.

Slowly, he got to his feet. Duty overcame melancholy. He needed to check it out.

Overhead, thick black clouds rolled in with startling speed. There was a boom of thunder and a crash of lightning before warm rain began to fall.

Ben walked as far as he could on ground, accidentally stepping on the broken shells of some animal’s eggs. Those shells were twice the size of his head, but whatever creature it had contained was long gone.

Grateful for the beacon in the blurry rain, he found himself being forced back into the swamp. This time, he spotted ripples in murky water as a creature swam past with sinuous grace. It was at least ten feet long.

He tightened his hold on his rifle, acutely aware of his surroundings to an extent he hadn’t been before. Almost dying had a way of changing one’s perspective.

As it turned out, the encroaching darkness only made it easier to spot the cryotube. It flickered and glowed, standing out like a lighthouse in stormy weather. Ben stowed his gun and waded over, astounded to see the liquid crystal screen covered in computronic readings. Blood pressure. Body temperature. Heart rate.

Life. This passenger was alive.

He brushed away leaf litter and was struck by a face as delicate as it was feminine. A young woman lay safely nestled inside the pod.

Just then, the cryotubes’s electrical systems began to spark, triggered by the damp. Ben tried to open the pod door, but it was stuck. Desperate, he shot the lock before the tube could become the girl’s coffin.

He hefted the female passenger into his arms. He had to get her back to the ship with its array of medical equipment. As he moved, her head stirred to settle against his chest more comfortably. A small sigh escaped pink lips. His arms involuntarily tightened around the slender form.

Ben stepped onto muddy ground with his precious cargo. He paused. Even in the dank atmosphere of the storm, he saw the footprint. It was huge, at least two feet across, the three-toed impression pressed deep into mud. In the distance, he heard the snarls of an unknown beast.

The girl in his arms whimpered, as if she heard it too and the sound had become a part of her dream. Little did she know, her nightmare was a reality.

For the first time since he’d awoken on the floor of his damaged starship, Ben felt fear. Not for himself, but for the young woman in his arms. He might be expendable, but she was not.

All thoughts of death vanished. His mission was clear- he needed to get the girl home.

Chapter Text

Rey awoke feeling stiff and sore, her head a fishbowl full of water that sloshed around every time she moved. Her mouth tasted like ashes and she was desperate for a drink. Except her eyelids were so heavy it took a minute before she was finally able to open them.

She blinked at the low sloped ceiling above her head, shifting under utilitarian beige blankets. Her surroundings were dank and grey, as if she lay inside a windowless bunker. She’d been tucked into a narrow bed, its frame extending from the wall, and nothing about the set-up was familiar.

A ship. That’s right- she was on a starship. Shouldn’t she be in cryo sleep still? Or was this how she was supposed to awake before docking on Mustafar? She didn’t really know what to expect having never done an interstellar trip before.

Rey looked for her uncle, but she was alone in the small room. A lived-in room. Strange. If they’d placed her here, why was the table littered with someone else’s belongings? A worn tablet. A box of holodisks. A hand-held projector. A jacket that was obviously too big for her thrown across the back of a chair.

Just then she heard the snuffling breath of another human being.

Rey sat up so quickly her head spun, more liquid sloshing out of the imaginary fishbowl. On the ground beside her lay a man.

For a few seconds, she was too stunned to do anything but stare. What the skrog? Why was there a stranger in the room with her? She might not know cryostasis protocols, but surely this was unorthodox.

He was a big dude, a full head and some shoulders taller than her as they lay side by side. He was dressed in black, his thick hair just as dark as his clothes, chiselled jaw softened by unshaven scruff. His features were interesting, a dominant nose and cheekbones set wide, with a mouth that was unexpectedly lush for a man.

Captain. He was the captain of the transport vessel. She remembered seeing him in the distance, a sombre-eyed individual watching as Rey and the other passengers boarded the starship and were guided to their individual cryotubes.

She now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that something was terribly wrong.

Fear gripped her by the throat, making it hard to breathe. Where was her uncle? It wasn’t that she cared about Unkar very much, or knew him very well, but the fact remained he was her last living relative.

After the death of her parents in a mining accident on Jakku, Rey had gone looking for Unkar Plutt. It took years of searching to track him down, and when she did, she wasn’t sure he’d been worth the effort. He wasn’t a very nice man, though he was decent enough to extend a helping hand to one as destitute as her. He was headed to Mustafar to work on a new terraforming plant, and he’d offered her a job.

Rey didn’t hesitate to say yes. All she’d wanted her whole life was to escape Jakku, it’s gritty desert air and scorching yellow sun. She was tired of finding coarse sand in every orifice of her body, and she was scared by the sight of the old women in town, skin worn tough like leather, stuck doing the same thing every day with no way out. Those women were a haunting prophecy of her own future. She’d heard terraforming was hard work too, but anything was better than being slowly bleached to death by the heat.

Rey hadn’t liked Unkar when they first met, his sneering grin and sweaty posture making her squirm, but she knew she had to take the job. It was impossible for her to save any money with the scavenging work she did on Jakku, and the contract he offered with First Order included free transport off world.

Once she signed her papers, plans fell speedily into place. Her first stop was Somaris, a planet blanketed by pearlescent blue oceans that thrilled her rapidly beating heart. She would’ve stayed there forever if she could, but they were immediately ushered onto a long-haul transporter to their final destination on Mustafar.

Rey had expected to eventually wake up in a bunk bed just like this one, but at a medical facility alongside the others with whom she’d been travelling. Instead, here she was, alone with a strange man.

Self-preservation kicked in and she looked around for a weapon to use to protect herself. There was nothing available, unless she wielded his datapad like a brick.

The man heaved a deep sigh, and long dark lashes flew open.

Karabast! Rey scurried backwards on the bunk, flattening herself against the mattress, wanting the stranger to think she was still asleep. He awoke like a droid, with no apparent disorientation, pretty amber eyes strangely clear.

Wait, she thought his eyes were pretty? What was wrong with her? What if this sleemo had woken her up from cryostasis to be used like a sexbot before killing her? He could claim her cryotube had malfunctioned. No one would care, especially not Uncle Unkar.

The stranger stood slowly, and she watched him through slitted eyes. The floor must’ve been uncomfortable because he lifted his arms and clasped them together, performing a shivery, all-over stretch that had his black t-shirt lifting to reveal sculpted abs.

Well, now. The boys on Jakku definitely didn’t look like that. Except the ship’s captain wasn’t a boy- he was a man. There was a darkness in his expression that told its own story.

He lowered his arms and sniffed the shirt he was wearing, peeling it off over the top of his head. Rey’s lower lip fell open as she surreptitiously ogled the stranger. Goodness.

He was stupidly muscular in a very unnecessary way. Ripped arms that could carry all her burdens. Bulky shoulders that only emphasized the leanness of his waist. Pecs like perfectly cut steaks, and an eight pack. Eight. She didn’t think it was humanly possible to be that defined. There were plenty of muscly men amongst Jakku’s mining community, but they were thin and wiry. This dude was a behemoth.

He opened a wardrobe door, confirming she was in his cabin, and slipped on a fresh shirt. Once he’d covered up his work-of-art upper body and ran a hand through his mess of dark hair, he turned to look at her.

She flinched like an idiot, and knew she was caught. She was slightly comforted by the fact that deep amber eyes with glints of gold in their depths were watching her with too much concern to be predatory.

He held his palms out as if to reassure her that he was safe. Probably because she was glued to the side of his ship like well chewed gum.

When he spoke, his deep, smooth voice sent shivers down her spine… even if she didn’t understand a skrogging word he said.

She bit down on her dry lips and a metallic tang told her she’d drawn blood.

He frowned, noticing the wound, and spoke again.

Still she said nothing. There was no point, was there? Linguistic translators cost a mint, and she suspected a straightforward transport vessel like this one wouldn’t be fitted with that level of tech.

The big man frowned at her and she pouted back at him, finally sitting up. She didn’t feel so good flat on her back now that he knew she was actually awake. Her hand brushed against the hull of the ship and she couldn’t help a pained yelp. She was determined not to appear weak, but tears filled her eyes. She didn’t even know how she’d hurt her arm. Had the captain done it? Was he some kind of sadist?

He moved with the speed of a moriband serpent, long fingers wrapping around her wrist and tugging on her sleeve to stare at… it was a burn, wasn’t it? No wonder it hurt so bad. Scavenging was not for the faint hearted and Rey had learnt long ago how to fix a variety of cuts, scrapes and bruises. Burns, however, were not on the list.

She realised the stranger- the captain- had drawn closer, his face inches away from hers where she sat kneeling on the bunk, his hand holding hers. The warmth of his grip trickled through her body, making her pulse flutter.

No. Nope. No way. She was not lusting after her captor within the first five minutes of meeting him. No one was that stupid.

He saw her staring at his hand and immediately let go. She should have felt relief instead of a frission of disappointment. Rey nursed her stinging lip- she needed to get her act together.

The captain stepped back and the door to his cabin opened with a soft whoosh. He beckoned to her as he exited.

Rey sat still for all of three seconds before following him like a waggy tailed pup. No, that wasn’t true. She was walking with purpose. She needed to know what was going on before she tried to bonk him on the head and run away.

Her heart nearly stopped beating when she saw the corridor she was in ended… in nothing. Something huge had sheered the metal hull of the starship. Half the structure was gone and the gaping hole left behind was buried in trees and dirt. She was no longer in outer space. Good to know.

Oh. Oh no. There must have been an accident. A fairly catastrophic one, based on the evidence. Where was everyone else? Surely they weren't dead?

The captain’s dark head emerged from another doorway, his expression annoyed. He beckoned to her once more.

Ugh. Fine. She didn’t think it was unreasonable that she take a whole ten seconds to understand what was going on. Had they at least landed on Mustafar? She peeked out a broken window and didn’t think so. This planet was lush and green, and as far as she could remember from the mission report she’d been given as part of her work agreement, Mustafar was the opposite of that. Hence the need to terraform its volcanic surface.

Maybe it was a good thing they’d crash landed on a much more habitable land. Had they discovered a new planet to colonise?

The captain’s head poked out and he gave her a glare that would have singed the ends of her hair if she was susceptible to such things. And then the diabolical man made a sound that was nothing short of a growl. He growled at her! Surely that wasn’t any kind of human word he’d spoken. Sleemo.

She reluctantly joined him inside the new room and found herself in the ship’s infirmary. The walls were lined with shelves that held stainless steel instruments, bottles and packs. A padded table with straps sent a chill down her spine.

The captain said something to her, gesticulating expressively.

Rey frowned. This was getting annoying. She had to try harder. She tuned into the sounds his mouth was making.

“What’s your name?” he asked, turning his back on her to rifle through a drawer. “Your name?” He glanced at her and repeated, “Name.”

She tried out the word for herself. “Naaayme?”

The big man huffed as if she was an imbecile and any desire to communicate disappeared.

Before she could deliver a few choice words the likes of which he’d probably never heard before- desert dwellers could curse with the best of them- the captain wrapped huge hands around her little waist, picking her up and depositing her on the examination table.

He’d manhandled her like a skrogging doll! True, she barely reached the top of his biceps and was half his size in every way possible, but what the heck? She tried to ignore the way her skin tingled where he’d touched her, and glowered at him with the heat of a thousand Jakku suns.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. Was that a smirk that made his delicious mouth twitch? This jerkoff was looking to be bitchslapped back to his home planet.

“Let’s find out who you are,” he said, as if she could understand him. Fool.

He logged onto a computer terminal inside the utilitarian room, bringing up a list of names that glowed green. Was that the ship’s manifest?

“You must be Rey. Passenger twelve.”

The sound of her name on his lips was disconcerting. She twitched, readying herself to bolt.

He placed a handful of items on a tray and walked over to her. She shifted uncomfortably and he sighed. “It’s okay, Rey.”

Stop saying my name, she wanted to tell him, except she couldn’t. Also, it was an irrational feeling to have. Shouldn’t she be glad that someone, anyone, knew who she was in this bizarre situation?

“Rey.” He pointed at her and she swallowed a curse word. She’d never felt more exposed in all her life. It was this man- the captain. His clear amber eyes saw too much. “My name,” he placed one big hand on his shirt, “is Ben.” He patted his chest, right where his heart would be. “Ben.”

Like a sulky child, she couldn’t bring herself to say his name back.

He didn’t seem to mind, leaning towards her to examine the burn on her forearm. He tsked softly under his breath and she had to resist the urge to stroke the hair that fell across his forehead.

Damn it, Rey!

Capable fingers opened a sleek silver canister of salve. “Rey, my name is Ben.” She was smart enough to know he was repeating himself. She was good at languages since, thanks to the mines, Jakku attracted all sorts from across the planetary systems. “I’m the pilot of the ship. I was transporting you to Mustafar before we crashed.”

He scooped two fingers of the salve and gently spread it across burned flesh. She winced, snatching away her arm, but seconds later a cool tingling eased the pain. She drew a shaky breath, and he looked at her questioningly. “Better?”

Better. She formed the word with her lips but didn’t make a sound, feeling like a toddler learning to speak. Why the hell wasn’t she trying to teach him her language? Because she was strangely tongue tied around the captain, that’s why.

Ben. His name was Ben.

“You were in cryostasis for a long while. Months.” He continued to speak as he applied a thinskin bandage that adhered to her wound, protecting the burn while her flesh healed. “I have a plan, Rey. There’s an escape vessel we can use to save ourselves. It crashed several miles away from here. High on a mountain.”

She was growing frustrated again and it must have shown on her face.

Ben grabbed a different canister and tipped it onto a shining steel table. She hopped off the padded bench and came closer, wondering what he was up to now.

She watched as he spread some kind of crimson powder evenly over the table’s surface. He drew an X in the powder, and pointed at himself and then at her.

Okay… so X represented them.

He drew a large triangle, with X on the left hand side of its base. He pointed outside the ship, and she bit her lip once more. Considering.

Outside. The planet. It’s land. The triangle was a hill… or mountain?

On top of the mountain, he drew a crude approximation of a starship.

Another ship? Her maligned lower lip fell open.

Ben ran a finger from the X, along the slope of the triangle to the starship at the top. “We need to get you home.”

“Home?” The word slipped out involuntarily.

“Yes,” Ben said, sounding excited. “Home. Back with your parents. Your family.” He drew stick figures of a man, woman and two children. “Family.”

Rey felt unexpected tears sting her eyes. Skrog this, she hadn’t cried over her orphaned status in years. But one thing had become clear- Ben intended to save her, and just for that, she’d follow him to the ends of this unknown world.

Or, at the very least, outside the doors of this damaged starship.

Chapter Text

Ben entered the cockpit of his damaged starship and sank into the pilot’s seat with a ragged sigh. Rey Niima may have saved him from putting a plasma blast through his brain, but she was still liable to kill him.

The young woman- only eighteen years old according to her chart- was as tough as nails but as twitchy as a Somarian saltwater crab. The contradiction both amused and annoyed him.

She was a little thing, though most females seemed to be when compared to him, her body lithe and fit from what he suspected was a hard life. After he’d fixed the burn on her arm, she’d rifled through the ship’s inventory and found a space suit similar to the one he’d worn the previous day. It was white instead of black, meant for a woman rather than a man.

She used the ion shower in his cabin and reappeared dressed in her new clothes. The ribbed jacket fitted her like a glove, displaying the shape of pert breasts, and the snug pants did wonders for slight hips and a surprisingly biteable ass. Though what the kriff he was doing thinking about her ass was outside of Ben’s comprehension.

Rey twisted her long chestnut red hair into three sleek buns, securing them with a steel dowel from the infirmary, which was when he was struck by something else. Rey was beautiful.

Delicate bones and sleek arches and soft lips combined to make her one of the prettiest young women he’d ever met. Maybe the prettiest, since his dream girl was a child and therefore in a league of her own. Despite being in cryo sleep for months, Rey’s skin was sun kissed gold with a scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Those freckles made him want to lick his way across her face.

First the biting and now licking. Maybe he was just hungry.

Ben scowled at the flickering lights of his monitor. He had one job and one job only- to safely escort his lone surviving passenger to the escape vessel at the top of a mountain. He’d tracked the shuttle’s whereabouts using the homing beacon built into its mainframe, grateful the mother ship’s satellite had managed to create a topographical map of the planet. It confirmed that the terrain was mostly swamps and rivers, with no cities or humanoid habitations.

Ben didn’t know what he’d do if the escape vessel was too damaged to fly. He had to believe it was still viable. He had to save the young woman Rey. He wouldn’t accept another death on his conscience.

He tapped the consul to record a new message. “This is Charter 3703. One passenger, Rey Niima, has been found alive and in good health. I’m taking her to the escape vessel roughly thirty klicks from the primary crash site. Send immediate help.” A glowing green light shone in his eye, and this time there was no hesitation. He pressed send.

The ship’s AI sounded unutterably smug as it announced, Message transmitted.

Who knew if the broadcast would be received by anyone? But for Rey’s sake, he had to try.

Ben punched in a different code, one he should have entered as soon as he came to, and again the AI confirmed: Sending distress signal.

It was done. His new course was set. Time to collect Rey and head into the wilds of an unknown planet.

He found her in his cabin, seated on his bunk bed with a rapt expression on her face. Ben’s heart twisted painfully when he realised what she was doing. Rey was watching his holodiscs.

After departing Somaris, he’d received holo letters every week like clockwork. They’d stopped a few months later, just before the ship was out of range. He’d saved each and every one, both on his datapad and on backup disks. Wanting access to the videos at all times.

The holographic projector beamed tiny pixels into the air, creating a three-dimensional image he could reach out and touch. His dream girl gazed at Rey as the disks cycled through dozens of captured messages. Smiling, laughing, painting, playing.

“I miss seeing you because I love you.”

“I met a nice doctor, and he reminded me of you because you’re my best friend.”

“I drew the ocean for you, daddy. I’ll have it framed for when you come home.”

“This is your halfway point celebration dance!”

“I really hate you right now. Why did you have to leave?”

“I- I’m sorry and I want you to know I love you.”

“I’m so tired, daddy… but I’m trying to hold on.”

“Enough,” he growled, slamming shut the projector.

Rey drew back, fear and annoyance mingling on her face.

“It’s time to go,” he said, trying to soften his tone.

Rey pointed at him. “Daddy?”

“What? No, I’m not… that’s not my name.” He swallowed hard. “It’s Ben. My name is Ben.” He abruptly walked away, forcing her to follow him.

He’d already prepared for their departure, and Ben handed Rey the smaller, lighter pack, refusing to look her in the face as he strapped on a multitude of weapons.

What’s wrong, Ben? Don’t want your foundling realising she shouldn’t trust you?

I’m so tired, daddy…

Ben forced himself to focus on the mission. They were about to leave the safety of the starship for an unfamiliar environment and he needed to remain alert.

“Stay close to me, okay?” he said to Rey, unsure if she understood. “We need to be quiet as we move up the mountain.”

She scowled, and he suspected she was still smarting from his rudeness.

He huffed in exasperation. “Quiet.” He placed a finger to his lips.

She mimicked him. “Quiet?”

“And move.” Facing her, he pushed his hand forward.

“Move.” She touched smaller fingertips to his.

He reacted as if burned, snatching back his hand. She stared in confusion, and Ben stifled a groan. Yep, things were going great.

He started walking, setting a steady pace that wouldn’t tire out his recently awakened passenger. A yellow sun sat high in a pale blue sky, ironically making their journey feel like a happy adventure.

The mangrove forest they were in eventually turned into woodlands, the ground beneath soft with grass and mulch. Trees towered overhead, filtering the golden sunshine so it fell in dappled patterns against their skin. They walked in silence, and eventually Rey grew distracted.

At one point, she became so quiet that Ben was forced to look over his shoulder. He froze mid-step. She was gone.

He backtracked immediately, heart hammering against his ribcage. The first thing he spotted was a flock of bejewelled little birds chirruping in the trees, their feathers flashing ruby red, emerald green, and sapphire blue, their beaks a startling citrine yellow. Rey stood beneath them, entranced by the pretty sight.

Ben grabbed her by the utilitarian jacket and pushed her forward, furious that she’d scared him with her disappearance. Rey snapped at him in her language, an incomprehensible series of vowels and consonants he struggled to decipher. He suspected her high-pitched multiple usage of the word sleemo was meant to be an insult.

Their first real obstacle came an hour later. A fallen tree trunk lay in their path, the chunk of wood so mammoth he had to climb over it before hurtling down a shallow ravine.

Ben turned to make sure Rey could manage. She attempted to follow him but hesitated at the top of the tree trunk.

“Let me help you,” he said, reaching out a hand.

Her reluctance turned to mulish determination, and she shook her head.

“Help,” Ben repeated, waving his hand at her.

Rey ignored him. Biting her scabbed lower lip, she perched on the edge of the tree trunk and jumped into the soft morass of mud and leaves below. It was a decent enough plan, but she overbalanced and fell on her face.

Ben choked on a laugh, knowing if it slipped out his little minx might be tempted to sling the same mud coating her chin at his head. She picked herself up, brushing away dirt and twigs, a fierce expression on her face despite burning cheeks.

He didn’t say anything, not even to make sure she was okay.

He heard her at his back after that, every footfall breaking branches and crushing leaves, stomping along so he knew she was angrier than ever. He swallowed a smile. She was strangely adorable.

Several minutes later, something smacked him on the arm.

It was small and light, and he paused to pick it up. He gazed at the shiny purple berry and turned to look at Rey. She quickly hid an entire bunch of berries behind her back, her expression as innocent as a new milk, refusing to acknowledge that she’d just turned a piece of fruit into a projectile.

He arched a brow at her, impressed despite himself. “What do you think you’re doing, Rey?”

Her pretend innocence melted away and she flung another berry at his chest. He deftly caught it, pulling a sensor from the utility belt around his waist. He had the alien fruit scanned in seconds and the sensor lit up red. Kriff.

“Don’t eat this,” he told her.

She blinked, and he was concerned enough to come closer. She stiffened but didn’t back down. Brave girl.

He mimed putting the berry in her mouth. “Don’t eat,” he repeated. “In your mouth down to your stomach.” He pointed at her belly and growled.

A surprised giggle escaped her lips, and it was like sunshine breaking through the clouds.

Ben felt his own lips quirk into a smile, her amusement soothing his soul like precious balm.

You’ve no right to feel anything good, Ben. Rey isn’t Nevine. She won’t be your redemption.

His smile slipped, and Ben turned away from the young woman whose life he was trying to save. Not because he was a good man, but because he was a haunted one.

He kept walking, ignoring Rey’s muttered frustration at his back. He’d disappointed her again, but that was inevitable.

Silence descended between them, but this time it felt like a shroud. Ben ignored dark emotions weighing at his heart, trying to focus on the mission. They’d made good progress. Another little while and they could stop for a meal.

He heard a whining buzz just before something stung the back of his neck. He reflexively swatted the area, earning himself a thick handful of yellowish insect goo for his troubles.

He heard Rey giggle behind him and turned to look at her. She quickly sobered, and the corners of his lips kicked upwards in a smile. Holding out the disgusting handful of insect guts, he pretended to reach for her. She squealed and took off.

Ben chased Rey through the forest, laughter spilling from them both. The last time he’d played like this was with his dream girl. His daughter. Nevine.

His heart bled, but Rey’s joy was an unexpected antidote. Maybe he didn’t deserve to feel better after he’d failed his child, but he wouldn’t punish Rey for his past.

A distressed cry robbed him of his momentary happiness. He ran full tilt toward the sound. “Rey?” he called out, fear tightening his throat. What had he done? He shouldn’t have let her out of his sight. “Rey!”

He found her on the edge of a shallow embankment and restrained himself from yelling at her in sheer relief. “What is it, Rey?” he asked instead.

Stunned eyes met his gaze, and she pointed. He stepped closer.

The stench of decay hit his nose at once, making his nostrils flare. A carcass lay half buried under mud and leaves, surrounded by a thick cloud of flies. The skin of the creature was bloated with gas, and although the animal was large, he noticed there were no birds, rats, or other scavengers feeding on it. Only the dense cloud of flies obscuring its outline.

It was clear this had been a substantial creature, almost as big as a cargo vessel. The animal was hairless, its original colour appearing to be green with darker striations running through it. Its skin was pebbled as if belonging to a lizard, and there were prominent skin folds at the neck and shoulders.

Ben crouched down to get a closer look. The carcass lay on its side, its exposed left ribcage arced toward the sky. Dry skin had cracked in places and peeled upwards, revealing a layer of runny yellow fat. The hind legs of the animal were powerfully muscled, and he wondered if it had walked upright when it was alive.

What kind of creature was this? And why had it died?

Rey tugged on his arm, pulling him away from the carcass. He resisted, curiousity eating him up on the inside. He shifted his position, and this time he saw the creature’s head hidden beneath the bulk of the body. A long pointed snout, rows of sharp predatory teeth, and hollow eye sockets like some kind of fantastical dragon.

“Ben.”

The feminine voice speaking his name broke his fixation. Rey’s lips were pursed, her cheeks flushed.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, but he wasn’t so certain anymore. What the kriff had they stumbled across?

A small, slim hand slipped into his bigger one, startling him. “Ben move,” Rey said earnestly. “Move Ben.”

He squeezed her hand in acknowledgement. “Okay, sweetheart. We can move.”

As they retraced their steps towards the escape vessel, Ben knew one thing for sure; the planet they were on was more dangerous than he’d realised.

Chapter Text

Scanning for escape vessel location.

Rey grew to hate the snooty female voice coming from Ben’s datapad. He clutched the silver tablet to his chest like something precious, and she had to stop herself from grinding her teeth every time she glimpsed his long fingers wrapped around it.

Are you seriously jealous of an inanimate object?

Ridiculous. The entire situation was ridiculous.

On the one hand, she was on a planet filled with lush forests and shining rivers and vibrant wildlife- putting aside a single rotten carcass- which felt like a dream come true. But on the other hand, she was journeying through uncivilised terrain with a man her heart couldn’t decipher while her body reacted to him like a parched Bedouin discovering a crystal clear spring.

She suspected they’d be able to survive quite easily on this planet. It wasn’t as harsh or desolate as Jakku. Ben already knew how to hunt, and she could lay traps. Given enough time and tree branches, she could build them a habitable shelter. The only problem- and it was a big one- was the possibility that there were more animals like the carcass they’d found. Were it alive, the creature would’ve been as big as a caravan, its teeth as sharp as any ripper-raptor’s. Clearly, it had once been a dangerous predator.

But maybe she was already cozying up to the most dangerous predator roaming the planet.

Rey glanced at the man who walked beside her, his face grim with determination, his blaster rifle a comfortable accessory. She found Ben strangely beguiling despite her natural distrust of strangers and that was an enigma in itself.

Maybe it was because he genuinely seemed to want to help her. Or maybe it was because he hadn’t tried to touch her inappropriately like the countless skugholes she had to avoid on Jakku. Or maybe she liked looking at his messy dark hair and rippling biceps. Or maybe, just maybe, his collection of holovids of a young girl with floating curls and sweet brown eyes hinted at a tenderness he’d thus far kept hidden.

The girl in the video had to be Ben’s daughter… or perhaps she was his niece? Whatever the connection, they’d had a real relationship. Love shone from video girl’s face even when she appeared tired or upset.

She must be the reason why Ben was going to all this trouble to get them off planet. It certainly wasn’t for Rey. Her barely knew her, and more often than not seemed annoyed by her presence. He’d tried to play with her that once, chasing her with a hand smeared with icky guts, but even that had ended badly. As if the universe wanted him to know she wasn’t worth his time or effort.

They cut across a thicket of trees and Rey clapped her hands in excitement. Before them lay a river, different to the one near the crash site. There the water had been brown and still. This one frothed and sparkled in the sunshine, flowing over rocks at a great speed.

“We’ll stop here,” Ben announced.

She wrinkled her brow in concentration. “Stop here.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Yes?” she repeated back at him.

He ran a hand through thick hair, making her pulse trip in response. “Let’s eat.”

Eat. She remembered the word. He’d told her not to eat the berries.

Ben removed his rifle and placed it on the ground beside his pack. With a sigh of relief, Rey joined him. She wriggled her shoulders as soon as she was free from canvas straps and ran to the edge of the river. Kneeling on the pebbled bank, she tentatively stuck her hand in the water’s flow, squealing at how cold it was.

Rey heard a sound and looked over her shoulder. Ben was laughing at her, the expression on his face wondrous. His wide smile made him appear ten years younger, no longer dark and broody but charmingly handsome. They already had a language barrier, but she suddenly felt even more tongue-tied.

He crouched down next to her and filled a grey canister with water from the river. After a three second hum, the red filtration light around the canister lid turned green. He drank deep, and she watched his throat work with each pull of water.

Stop leering at the man like a luggabeast in heat, Rey.

Once he was done, he handed her the canister. “Would you like a drink? It’s okay. It’s just water.”

She took it carefully, trying not to think about the fact that his lips had just been on the same spout. She drank every drop, surprised by how thirsty she was.

She tried to return the canister to him, but he shook his head. “You fill it up.” She stared at him, and he waved a hand towards the river. “Water.”

“Wa-ter?” Rey tried the word.

“Water, yes.”

Mumbling water to herself over and over, she lay down on the riverbank and did as asked. When she got back up again, she found him staring strangely at her.

Rey returned the canister to Ben. “Water.”

His good humour was gone, the golden glints in his eyes submerged. “Nevine loved the beach. She used to lie on her belly just like you and draw pictures in the sand.” He sounded sad.

Frustrated by her inability to understand, she said, “Ben?”

He shook his head. Rey wanted to keep talking, or at least try and communicate, but he turned his back on her.

Tears made her eyes prickle. How could she help of she didn’t know what was wrong?

Feeling depressed, she perched on mossy rocks and reluctantly ate the nutrient bar he’d handed her. There was no more conversation, not even when Ben lay on the grass and closed his eyes once he’d finished his lunch.

Rey chose to explore the surrounding area while he napped, fascinated by the abundance of plants and trees. There was nothing like it on Jakku.

When she returned several minutes later, a purply red flower was cradled in her hand. It had silky petals and smelled nice.

Ben looked at it in bemusement. “That’s a flower.”

“Fla-wer,” she carefully repeated.

She drew closer to him. The pretty flower had made her happy, so maybe it would take away some of his sadness as well.

She went to place the blossom in his hair, and he drew back. “No, it’s okay.”

She frowned. “Fla-wer.”

“You keep it,” he mimed.

Her frown deepened to a scowl. “Flawer!”

Ben huffed as she tucked the blossom behind his left ear. Rey couldn’t help but feel a trifle smug as she admired the adornment. It didn’t look ridiculous at all.

Their moment of levity was disrupted by an interloper.

Rey saw movement out the corner of her eye, something brown scurrying across the edge of the riverbank. Ben caught sight of the creature at the same time. He snatched up his blaster rifle and swung it around, his reaction causing the pretty flower to fall out of his hair. The creature that showed itself was about the size of an adolescent womp rat- big enough to cause trouble, but small enough to deal with easily.

Rey stepped forward and peered at the footprints left by the animal. A soft squeak came from somewhere on her right. Looking over, she saw the ferns moving slightly. After a moment, an animal peeked out from among the fronds. It had smooth, hairless skin and large eyes mounted high on its head. On closer inspection, there was a greenish cast to its brown hide, and it made another squeaking sound at her.

She took a step closer, and Ben snapped, “Rey, leave it!”

She ignored him, pushing aside leaves and branches to get to the creature. It wriggled but didn’t run away. It was stuck in a mudhole, fat little legs sunk into black goo.

“Rey…” Ben’s voice held caution.

She wrapped her hands around the creature’s plump midsection and began to pull, trying to release it from the goop. The animal’s squeaks of distress grew higher pitched and more frequent as she struggled.

Grumbling under his breath, Ben joined her, wrapping bigger hands around her smaller ones and adding his strength to her efforts. Eventually, they managed to drag the critter out of the mudhole. By this time their clothes were covered in thick black gunk and Ben was growling more words she couldn’t understand.

Rey didn’t care. She beamed in delight as the animal waddled away. It looked like it might be a baby, and she wondered where its mama had gone.

All at once, several needle beaked creatures jumped out of the bushes, landing on the plump creature. They were no bigger than it, but decidedly more aggressive. The birdlike ones started to attack, ripping chunks of flesh in savage abandon.

Rey screamed in shock. Ben rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, one hand shielding her eyes. “Don’t look,” he told her, and she hid her face in his chest.

As soon as they’d finished their gory feast, half a dozen animals turned to face them, chittering in curiousity. Ben released Rey and went for his gun. For a breathless second, neither side moved.

A roar in the distance broke the stalemate. The needle beaked creatures twitched, turning as one and running back into the forest.

Ben sighed in relief, but Rey was in tears still. He grabbed her by the waist, his expression fierce. “You have to listen to me! You’re going to get yourself killed.”

She tried to push him away, overcome with emotion. He was too close, too big and too real. What did he want from her?

His arms tightened their hold, pinning her flailing hands to her side. He picked her up bodily so they were face to face, noses touching. “Stop,” he said, low and serious.

She stared at him in surprise, taken aback by the depth of emotion on his face. Pain… he was in pain. “Ben?”

He drew her to his chest, one hand cradling the back of her head as her feet dangled in the air. “I can’t lose you, Rey. You understand? Let me protect you. Please.”

She allowed her head to tip forward so her forehead rested against his. She might not understand his words, but she could decipher his actions. Hear his concern. “Kay.”

“Yeah?” he asked, dark gaze flickering like the river in golden sunshine.

Her world tilted on its axis as she realised something. Ben cared about her. Not just the girl in the video, but her. Rey.

Impossible, but true.

“Okay,” she repeated.

He squeezed her tight one last time and put her down gently. Rey tried to ignore the fact that her whole body was tingling with the aftereffects of being held by him.

“Let’s keep moving,” he said.

She nodded. “Move.”

She picked up her backpack and he helped her with the straps. Everywhere he touched left her feeling fizzy.

Ben likes me.

Don’t be stupid, Rey. He’s a good guy who wants to keep you safe.

He cares for me.

If he has a daughter, he probably has a wife. And even if he doesn’t… a man like him will have lovers to warm his lonely nights.

The idea of returning to civilisation to see Ben greeted by his beautiful girlfriend made Rey’s heart ache.

Who’s the sleemo now?

“Okay?” Ben asked, his gaze on her face. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her.

“Yes,” Rey nodded.

She waited while he checked the datapad, making sure of their trajectory. As she paced the riverside, impatient to be on their way, a foul odour invaded her nose.

She stopped and sniffed, brow wrinkling. She heard a heavy rustling in the bushes on the other side of the bank. A soft grunting noise. And more rustling.

Ben heard it too. He tucked the datapad away and grabbed his plasma rifle once more.

Like a faded dream, Rey recalled a biology lesson about off-world carnivores in the wild. They hunted near streambeds, attacking animals when they were vulnerable and distracted as they stopped to drink. But her knowledge had come too late.

She heard a terrifying roar and caught a glimpse of a single large foot, its middle toe bearing a short curving claw. Then the foot pulled back, the bushes continuing to shake.

The air stilled, and the surrounding forest erupted in a cacophony of frightening animal roars. A large creature charged at her.

“Rey, run!” Ben bellowed, blaster rifle at the ready.

There was no need to decipher his words. She turned to flee, feeling the adrenaline surge of pure panic. She ran blind, not knowing where to go, trying to avoid slamming into trees or tripping over roots.

In the midst of her escape, she felt a heavy weight tear at her backpack, forcing her to her knees. Fear gripped her around the throat like a steel fist.

She was about to die.

Chapter Text

Rey was in trouble, and Ben’s one purpose in life was to save her.

He felt his body tapping into years of military training, blaster rifle in hand, grip steady, mind focused.

The creature chasing her down was lizard-like in appearance but as big as a hauler. He recognised the pebbled, muscular legs that held its thick body upright.

The animal stuck out its neck and snapped its jaws at Rey’s jostling backpack. She stumbled and fell. Ben pulled the trigger, and its dragon head exploded like a popped balloon, covering Rey in blood and viscera. Her screams doubled, but she was safe.

Five more creatures appeared in the distant tree line, teeth like needles and long pink tongues licking the air. Ben ran for Rey. Had it been one or two beasts, he might have tried to lead them away from his girl, but five meant the animals could divide and conquer, possibly herding each of them to their deaths. His place was beside Rey.

She was up and running, fear overcoming shock. Good girl. He followed her through the forest, slowly catching up, occasionally turning to shoot at the lizard monsters as they drew closer. He got lucky. By the time he’d wounded the third creature, its friends veered off.

His breathing eased. The pack had decided they were too much trouble for food.

“Rey!” Ben shouted, wanting to let her know they were safe. For now.

She didn’t hear him, stumbling towards a clearing and disappearing into the light.

Kriff. Ben followed her through the bushes and was shocked to find himself on a beach. The sea was the colour of iron, grey and uninviting with foaming waves, the sand was fine like white powder.

Rey had clambered atop a ten-foot boulder and was looking around with a panicked gaze. She’d found higher ground. Smart. He was liking her instincts more and more.

“Rey,” he called, lifting a hand to wave at her.

She caught sight of him and relief flooded her face. His heart swelled as she immediately began climbing down, her desire to be close to him obvious.

Of course she wants to be near you, dumbass. You’re the one holding the gun. But it was the trust on her face that nearly undid him.

That was when everything went wrong.

A creature appeared behind Rey, five feet tall and just as long, thick tail quivering as it grabbed her by the jacket. She yelled, arms reaching for Ben as the animal dragged her away.

He came running, pointing the rifle in the air and letting off a shot. He couldn’t take aim while the creature was moving, its teeth sunk into Rey’s collar. He’d never forgive himself if she was wounded in the crossfire.

Once more he let off a plasma shot, this time smoking the air near the animal’s head. Rey grabbed a rock as she was dragged across the ground, twisting her body to bash the creature’s scaly leg. The beast let go and snapped its jaws at her. Another blaster shot from Ben, and it scampered away.

Rey crawled towards a nearby rock formation for cover, curling into a ball.

“Rey.” Ben ran towards her. “Are you okay? Rey, are you hurt?”

She whimpered, scrambling away from him. The trust he’d seen on her face was gone.

Just when she thought she was safe, she’d been attacked yet again. Self-loathing enveloped Ben’s soul, submerging his heart in inky darkness. Nothing in Rey’s life had made sense since she met him. This was his fault.

He'd failed her just like he'd failed every other female in his life.

He bowed his head, running a hand over his face. Now that the adrenaline of the moment had eased, he felt exhausted.

Remember the mission.

“Rey, we need to go. We need to keep moving.”

She shook her head, turning her back on him. He realised she was crying, tears slipping silently down her face.

He wanted to hold her, but she’d crawled even further away from him.

Ben’s heart was on fire. “Okay,” he said at last. “Okay, Rey. I can wait.”

He startled awake from his dream. The same dream. Nevine was more upset with him than ever.

Ben shook his head to clear it. He must have dozed off. The sun was beginning to set and they needed to get to shelter.

He stood slowly to his feet and glanced at Rey. She sat cross-legged on the sand, her back leant against a rock. Her tears had dried up, but her face was strangely dull. As if she couldn’t find the strength to rally.

He considered what she’d been through, waking up to a crashed ship with burns on her body and a strange man talking gibberish. Being made to walk miles through alien terrain before running into monstrous creatures. Again, his dream attempted to intrude on his reality.

Ben folded his hands together and blew into an opening, just like he’d tried to teach Nevine the last time they visited the beach on Somaris. His whistle was a haunting melody, caught and amplified by the evening wind.

Rey turned her head to look at him, a spark of something in hazel eyes.

He cupped his hands to make the melodic noise once more.

She frowned, and his pulse leapt. He preferred annoyance to the flat look on her face. Twisting her fingers, she pursed her lips and created a lilting whistle of her own.

She’d managed to surprise him, and he laughed. Her lips twitched in response.

They gazed at each other for a long minute, weariness and caution on both their faces.

“I’m sorry I’m all you have,” Ben spoke quietly. “I’m a poor excuse for a hero.”

She whistled into her fingers once more. The sound she made was brighter, more cheerful.

The need to keep Rey safe made his lungs swell until it was hard to breathe. “Move now?” he asked.

She nodded, biting her lower lip. “Okay move.”

They went looking for shelter and eventually came across a damp cave. It smelled funny and the wide mouth dripped with moisture, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. The sky was already slate grey, the moon a rising yellow crescent.

Ben placed his pack in the dryest corner of the cave and Rey followed his example. She watched as he removed a dozen electronic sensors, placing them around the entrance of the cave. It would give them a fighting chance if another beast decided to attack.

He fed her a protein bar, and they drank from the canteen of water.

“Go to sleep,” he said once they were finished with dinner. “We’ll be safe here.” She looked at him and he mimicked laying down his head and closing his eyes. “Sleep.”

“Sleep,” she echoed, but instead she reached for his datapad.

Ben was taken aback when Rey brought up one of his recorded messages from Nevine, hitting play so that a pixelated 3D image of his daughter projected above the surface of the liquid crystal screen.

But he’d had enough, his emotions fraying. “Why are you doing this?” he snapped, snatching the datapad out of her hands. “Go to sleep!”

Her lower lip quivered, but she lay down on dirt and leaves without argument, using her pack like a pillow. Rey turned on her side so she didn’t have to look at him.

Ben instantly regretted his tone, but he didn’t know how to apologise. How to explain the hidden depth of sorrow that was a constant thorn in his side.

With a sigh, he hit play on the video message Rey had chosen. His daughter’s pixelated image came up once more as she painted a picture, her sweet voice describing her choice of colours in detail. “You see the clouds, daddy? They’re not just blue and white, you know. There’s a tinge of yellow too.”

Rey shifted on her side and watched Nevine, a delighted smile curving her lips.

Ben’s heart ached. He placed the datapad on the ground and sat with his back against the cave wall. Tears filled his eyes and he covered his face with trembling hands.

“Ben?” Rey said his name in distress. “Ben okay?”

She ended the recording and came to him, curling up in his lap with lithe grace. Thin fingers stroked his face, brushed his hair. He was startled by her proximity, but hungry for it at the same time, clenching his hands into fists so he didn’t grab her in desperation.

“She loved me so much, and I wasn’t there,” he husked. “Nevine died and I wasn’t even there.”

Rey threw her arms around him, holding tight, and for the first time since he’d received the news of his daughter’s passing away, Ben allowed another human being to comfort him.

“Family?” Rey asked at last, pointing at the datapad and then at Ben.

“Yes,” he said. “Nevine was my daughter.”

He reached for the datapad and brought up her final recording, taken from a hospital bed, machines and tubes surrounding her pale figure. “She died.”

“Oh.” Again, Rey hugged him.

He breathed her in, cradling her close, this strange young woman who was prickly yet somehow still compassionate. Rey’s presence was his saving grace- he’d be dead without her.

Here he was trying to save her life when she’d already saved his.

Time passed, and Ben tapped her on the arm. “Do you have family?”

She took a deep breath and shook her head. “Rey family? Nyeta.”

“No?” he said, realising just how little he knew about her. “Rey doesn’t have a family?” It made more sense now why a girl like her, young and beautiful, had signed up for a terraforming job on a distant planet.

Her hazel eyes grew shiny and sad. Great, Ben, why don’t you make her as depressed as you are?

“I can be your family.” He spoke the words before he could consider their meaning.

Kriff, there he went again, making promises he couldn’t keep. Maybe Rey wouldn’t understand.

But she caught on quick, patting him on the chest. “Ben family?”

He kept talking, as if Rey could understand. “The last time I saw my daughter she was angry because my job was taking me away from her. She was sick and we needed the money for medical expenses, so I justified my decision to leave. And then when I was gone, she became even sicker. She died and I wasn’t there to hold her.” His throat tightened, eyes stinging with tears. “I need to do something right for once. I need to get you home, Rey.”

“Home?”

“Let me take you home.”

His breath caught when she buried her face in his neck. “Kay,” she murmured. “Okay Ben. Home. Family.”

He hugged her back, the embrace healing wounds he thought would always stay raw.

She turned her head, pink lips brushing against his. It could have been an accident, but his body didn’t care. He inhaled sharply… and then they were kissing.

Their lips met in aching need, tongues slipping and sliding together. He tasted her, and she was the sweetest thing he’d had in a long, long time. He hauled her body against his, bending her backwards over his forearm, chasing her mouth like it was oxygen. He was losing control, wanting to get closer even though she was already wrapped in his arms.

He broke contact, softly panting. Rey lay dazed and flushed in his embrace, long lashes fluttering over hazel eyes.

“Rey, sweetheart,” he husked, the endearment falling from his lips so naturally he knew she’d worked her way into his heart. “Are you sure you want this?”

She shot forward, pressing her open mouth to his, hot and hungry. A growl escaped him, as bestial as any creature wandering the planet, and Rey mewled in response.

He unzipped his jacket as she continued to kiss him, reaching for hers at the same time. Before long they were both topless and she couldn’t seem to get enough of his chest, running her palms up and down the broad mass.

His hands traced her curves, squeezing pert breasts and pinching her nipples. She made a sobbing sound, and he suckled tight buds for several heated minutes. Her tits were perfect, small but round, her nipples a delicate rose pink that made his mouth water.

After a while, his little minx grew impatient, grabbing his hand and placing it on the warm flesh between her thighs. So there was no confusion about what she wanted. They were both still wearing pants, but he moulded and squeezed her mound like it was his new favourite toy.

Rey shuddered, eyes rolling to the back of her head. Kriff, she was a hot little thing.

“Did that hurt good, Rey?” he husked, touching her pulse with the tip of his tongue, continuing to manipulate her clothed pussy. “Want me to lick it better?”

A sharp exhale burst from her mouth as if she understood him. “Ben,” she moaned, pleading, begging for more.

He knew what he had to do. He just hoped he had the self-control to do it right.

Chapter Text

Of all the places she’d expected to find herself, naked in a damp cave had not been on the top of Rey’s list.

What courage she’d managed to scrabble together in her desperate attempt to survive an alien planet was decimated by a savage animal attack. After running and screaming and being clawed at and dragged across the ground and covered in blood and guts, she’d collapsed, curling into a ball and holding on to a rock as if it could save her.

In the back of her hysterical mind she knew what would save her- who could save her… if she’d only let him.

What happened next defied belief. Anyone else would have yelled at her to get up and keep moving. It wasn’t safe. They were surrounded by wild beasts capable of eating them alive. But Ben hadn’t done any of that.

Instead, he remained close by, blaster rifle at the ready, and waited. For her.

She didn’t deserve his patience. She was being childish and irrational, and he… he’d looked after her. As if she mattered.

Rey was ashamed of herself. She’d grown up on Jakku, for skrog’s sake. Her whole life, she’d known what it was like to scavenge just to survive. But all it had taken was a bunch of alien critters to melt her steely spine. She was pathetic.

Her behaviour had lost them at least a couple of hours walking time, and now they had to find shelter before the sun set. The cave they were camped out in smelled funny, but at least it was some measure of protection from the elements.

Rey only wanted to watch Ben’s video girl for comfort, but instead she’d upset him with her request. His tears horrified her, because Ben was supposed to be the strong one. If he wasn’t brave enough to face this planet, then she was utterly lost.

She’d crawled into his lap without thinking. Having lived alone for years, physical intimacy didn’t come easy to her. But with Ben, it felt completely natural.

She comforted him, and he told her his story. The holovid helped her understand. A picture really did paint a thousand words, and the frozen image of video girl in a hospital bed had shattered Rey’s heart.

She now knew why Ben looked so sad all the time. He’d lost his daughter. His family.

Rey still wasn’t sure if she’d understood what he said next. Had he really offered to be her family? What did that mean?

Nothing, she told herself. Ben was trying to keep her safe on a savage world. She could expect nothing else from him.

And then he kissed her.

The kiss obliterated all thought, removing all concerns, setting her body on fire. He’d peeled off his jacket and shirt, revealing mouthwatering steel cut muscles, and her clothes began to feel like a burden.

Now they were both naked and she was staring at Ben like she’d never seen him before. His eyes glittered with golden flecks in the dim sensor lights, dark hair fallen across his forehead like frosting on the most decadent dessert. He was intensely masculine. Highly sexual. A real man.

She’d never been with a man before. Only boys. Excitement whipped through her body, pooling at the junction of her thighs with incredible heat. Heat that had teeth.

Ben groaned as he knelt on the ground before her, gripping her knees tight, hands sliding upwards and massaging her thighs. She wasn’t nervous as her legs parted, the blanketing lust that fell over Ben’s face making her vulnerability all worthwhile.

A gruff sound escaped his lips and he shook his head dazedly. “Is that bare little pussy all for me, sweetheart?” She arched her back when he stroked a finger along her glistening slit.

“Ben,” she gasped.

The hardening of his jaw was the only warning she had before he circled her knees with his hands and jerked her even closer. In one move, he shoved her legs open and surged forward. After that, all Rey could comprehend was Ben. Ben’s mouth. Ben’s tongue. Ben’s teeth.

She squealed like a youngling being offered her favourite treat, back bowing until she feared it might snap, head thrown back, staring blindly at the roof of the cave. His mouth pulsed like a wave, smooth and determined, devouring her pussy with wide, open-mouthed kisses that left her gasping.

His upper lip brushed against the swollen bud of her clit and she uttered a yelping cry, jerking upright, hands darting out involuntarily to weave through his hair. The thick, dark locks she’d wanted to stroke from the moment she first saw him. Her fingers tightened their hold, holding him close, hips swivelling as she ground her pussy against his face.

Karabast- she was about to explode! So close already. He hummed and vibrations emanated from his mouth, buzzing over her sensitive nodule with exquisite friction, better than anything she’d done to pleasure herself. She had a secret place on Jakku where she liked to touch herself, astride the throbbing machines of the main engine room, but this… this was so much better. Ben brushed his lips back and forth over her sensitive spot, skilfully teasing the swollen clit.

“Ben. Ben! Ben.” She chanted his name like it was her new favourite word- which it was. Ben.

She tugged harder on dark strands wrapped around her fingers, savouring his growl. He took her ankles in his hands and threw them both over his shoulders, burying his mouth in the wet lips of her pussy. Sharp teeth closed delicately around her tender bud… and she fell. Hips jerking and legs trembling as an earth shattering climax gripped her, the scream that was ripped from her mouth obliterating the primal fear that preceded the moment.

She was brought back to reality by her own voice chanting, “Oh, Ben. Oh! Oh, Ben!”

He lifted his head and pulled her close, close enough that her still pulsing quim encountered the straining erection pointed her way. Ben was breathing heavily, sweat dotting his forehead. His hands slipped under her and gripped her ass with strong fingers. He picked her up easily but there was agony on his face as he walked her backwards, pushing her up against the mossy green wall of the cave.

He claimed her mouth in a ravenous kiss. “Kriff, sweetheart. You came like a plasma grenade.”

Rey didn’t understand the words, but he sounded… smug. Blushing, she gripped his thickly swollen cock in her hand, stroking the biggest dick she’d ever seen. He pushed his hardness towards her, rubbing himself against her soft palm. She let go and braced her hands on his shoulders, angling her hips toward him, inviting him inside.

“Ben, move,” she pleaded.

He chuckled, his pleasure doing things to her insides. “I’m glad you know the word.”

The thick head of his arousal nudged the wet portal between her legs and they moaned raggedly in unison.

“Ben.”

He rammed home at her whimper, pushing fast and hard as if he couldn’t get close enough, deep enough. Couldn’t get inside her enough. She was up on her toes, and all she could think about was more. She wanted more. No one in the history of the galaxy had ever felt this good being penetrated by a cock.

Rey squirmed and whimpered and clawed at Ben’s shoulders, grinding her pussy against his rock hard erection, having no idea that her every movement was driving him to an existential crisis. His body took over, and so did his mouth. Lust flowed through her veins, as bright and hot as lava, lighting fires that burned more ferociously when his hips moved with devastating precision.

It was as if they were designed for one another and no one else.

No one else.

He growled into the crook of her neck as she worked her hips in tight, tempting circles. Pleasure blocked everything but the scintillating moment from her mind. He drove into her snug passage again and again, the wet slap of flesh meeting flesh like an unmatched aphrodisiac. Skrog, yes.

Her pussy tightened up around his shaft and quivered in anticipation. “Ben!” she moaned. Oh, she needed it harder… faster.

It was as if they were connected, two souls becoming one. He read her mind, wrapping an arm around her hips to angle her body, edging her ass higher. Her breath shuddered out in helpless pants. Her pussy clenched around his cock in warning.

“Come for me, Rey,” he husked, planting a kiss on her lips. “Do it, sweetheart.”

There was no slowing down now. He thrust into her fast and rough, demanding she keep up. Ben was always so bossy, and sex with him was no different. She glanced down at where they were joined, licking her lips to see his thickness sliding into her wet sleeve, in and out, in and out. His balls drew up tight until she wondered if they hurt. He was denying himself while she reached her peak.

He reached down between them, huffing and puffing at the friction of their joining, the feel of his cock inside her sheathe like a steel rod. His thumb found her clit, flicking it once, teasing it twice, before rubbing her button nice and hard. Like he knew she needed. How did he know?

Rey climaxed with another soft scream, arms wrapped around Ben’s shoulders, practically giving him a vertical lap dance as her body trembled. Legs spread wide, hips grinding against his cock while she moaned his name. And he came too, lustful eyes fixed on her ecstatic face, long fingers digging into her buttocks as his seed poured out of him, finding sanctuary between her shaking thighs.

Ben hauled Rey against him, crushing her to his chest as he rode out his orgasm. Her eyes were full, her heart double its size as they sank to the ground together, minds blissed out and limbs trembling.

She was stunned to realise it felt just as amazing being held boneless on Ben’s lap as it did to feel him buried deep inside her. Her head lolled against his chest while she continued to take deep, gulping breaths. It was a long time before she could lift her head to gaze at him.

He looked just as debauched as she was, his magnificent body covered in a sheen of sweat, face flushed and hair tousled. Their eyes met and he leant down to kiss her, the gentle touch turning all-consuming in seconds. Rey parted her lips and gave up her tongue, allowing herself to be swept away by Ben’s kiss.

She’d only just climaxed, not once but twice, and still her thighs clenched with renewed heat. She’d never been like this with anyone else. She couldn’t blame the scorching desert heat; sex just hadn’t been her thing. She’d experimented, of course, but no one had made her feel what Ben did.

His face, his body, the messy dark hair and full sensual mouth- it was all very, very good. It didn’t hurt that he seemed hellbent on keeping her safe and getting her back home. It was less than a day since they’d met, but already she trusted him like she hadn’t been able to trust anyone from the mining community where she grew up. Poverty and desperation didn’t make for good companions.

“Where did you go, sweetheart?” Ben murmured, breaking her reverie.

She frowned. What was this ‘sweetheart’ business? It sounded like a pet name of sorts.

His hand brushed against her nipples, still tightly budded, and she whimpered. He smiled, gently kneading one breast, rolling the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She closed her eyes as pleasure beckoned once more.

“Ben?” she moaned quietly.

He chuckled, and she looked down to see his manhood had revived, standing tall and proud. Already? That was fast.

She threw a leg over so that she knelt facing him. His expression was approving as she gripped his cock, placing the slick head at her equally moist opening. She slid down onto his pole inch by inch, slow and steady. Hazel eyes locked onto Ben’s golden ones as Rey rode him at an easy trot.

This time when they came, she felt her heart skate down a brilliant rainbow alongside her humming body. It wasn’t enough that she’d found her pleasure with this man, she’d grown to care for him as well.

Impossible but true.

They made love for hours, breathless and intertwined, until she was sure the dawn would greet them before they had any rest.

After she’d swallowed his fifth orgasm down her throat, Ben draped his jacket over her like a blanket and leant against the cave wall. She rested her head on his chest and they were asleep in seconds.

Rey awoke with a start, mind fuzzy and limbs deliciously sore. The electronic beeping penetrating her consciousness was loud and annoying. She was surprised Ben had set an alarm.

She shook her head to clear it. No, not an alarm. The motion sensors, the ones Ben placed around the entrance to the cave. They’d been triggered.

Skrog.

Rey could only gape as Ben jumped up, scrambling into his clothes and slamming his feet into scuffed boots. He clipped on a utility belt and grabbed the blaster rifle, pushing his hair off his face as he tried to get his bearings.

He caught her staring and pulled her to her feet as well. “Get dressed, Rey.”

She didn’t need to know his language to understand the words. Hands trembling, she reached for her clothes, stumbling about the cave as she put them on.

The motion sensor alarm grew more urgent, the warning beeps sounding closer together. Something was coming.

Ben handed her a pack and she slipped it on. He did the same, and she understood why. If they needed to run, at least they had their supplies.

She wondered what was after them now. Was it the smaller creatures they’d encountered by the river, sharp beaked and aggressive, or one of the bigger animals that tried to take her? She drew a shaky breath, hoping it was a lone critter and not a whole herd.

All at once, there came a roar so loud the cave walls shivered.

Rey stopped breathing.

Chapter Text

A creature stood outside the cave, bigger than anything Ben had seen yet. So big he couldn’t spot its head lost among the tops of the trees. Yet again, he cursed the meteor shower that landed him and Rey on this monster-ridden planet.

He crept towards the mouth of the cave, crouching down for a better look. The animal was immense, the size of a house, its head rising high into the night sky. It appeared agitated, and he could guess why.

He reached for his jacket pocket and tapped a remote, turning off the screeching motion sensors. Pushing Rey behind him, he kept to the shadows. His instinct was to attack first, to attempt a blaster shot at the animal’s head, but he held back. He waited.

What if the creature’s thickly scaled skin was impervious to blaster fire? Letting off a shot would only announce their presence and aggravate the beast.

With the sensors now silent, the animal’s thunderous roar quietened to a low growl. It moved up the trail towards the cave, its powerful body strangely graceful, its hide a mottled reddish brown reminiscent of dried blood. In dappled moonlight, he could clearly see the thick muscles of its haunches.

The beast moved quickly, without any sign of fear or hesitation. Ben could feel its footsteps, the earth shaking beneath his feet, Rey swaying beside him. He raised his rifle in readiness, but in the end the creature ignored them.

Continuing at a rapid pace, it moved swiftly past the cave. They hardly had a chance to register its full presence before the big head and body disappeared into the forest once more. A thick counterbalancing tail followed the departing creature, that tail some seven feet in the air, swinging back and forth with each step the animal took.

“Kriff,” Ben muttered under his breath, wary about making too much noise and drawing the animal’s attention again.

He turned to Rey and was relieved to see her looking pale but determined. Memories of their night together filled his head, and a strange kind of wonderment came over him. Spending time with Rey had eased the weight of guilt that plagued him since the news of Nevine’s passing away. It was quite incredible. Just like the young woman before him.

She caught him staring and blushed. He couldn’t help a teasing grin at the reaction. After everything they’d done, he was surprised she felt shy at all. But their connection was still brand new. Hell, they’d only just met.

She took his hand, and a fierce protectiveness swelled his heart. He had work to do, a mission to complete. They needed to escape this planet.

Already the sky was becoming lighter, and Ben made up his mind. Time to go.

It took another three hours of hard climbing before they reached their destination. The escape vessel lay wedged amongst a copse of trees, so beautiful in his eyes that it might as well have been a priceless jewel nestled in a green velvet case.

Rey squealed when they spotted the small craft, and Ben grabbed her in a hug that she happily reciprocated. They were going home. He’d done it.

No- they’d done it. Together.

It took several attempts before he was able to pry open the shuttle door, but eventually the hydraulics responded. Ben clambered into the cockpit, Rey by his side in the co-pilot’s seat. He turned on the ship’s computer and gave a fist pump of victory when it flickered to life.

Rey beamed at him, his excitement contagious.

He began typing commands and checking gauges. “Life support is working. Navigational charts are up and running.”

Distress signal received, the ship’s AI announced. Interception point coordinate 101356.2.

“Hell yeah!” Ben yelled, turning to face a startled Rey. “Someone out there heard our call. They’re coming to save us.”

She laughed and clapped, and he kissed her on the lips. He couldn’t wait until they had time to learn each other’s languages and really, truly communicate. Their connection was already pretty damn spectacular, but he wanted more.

Down, loverboy. Focus.

Ben entered the coordinates where they’d meet First Order’s rescue ship. He turned to Rey. “Ready to go? Move now?”

She nodded, firming her lips.

Checking launch sequence.

Ben grabbed Rey by the hand and placed it on a prominent silver circle. “That’s the launch button.”

“Launch?”

He made a rumbling engine sound and used his hand to imitate a starship taking off.

“Ah. Launch,” Rey repeated in understanding.

The roar of an animal was their only warning before a monstrous mouth bristling with jagged teeth gripped the escape vessel by its carbon fibre nose.

Ben shouted and Rey screamed as the ship was tipped onto its side, sending it sliding over the edge of a cliff. He smacked his head on the corner of a consul and blacked out.

The next thing he knew, Rey was shaking his arm and yelling his name. He took a second to orient himself and realised they were hanging upside down, their seatbelts the only thing keeping them in place. Another roar shook the hull of their vessel.

“Ben!” Rey gasped.

He punched the silver button, and his heart stuttered when nothing happened.

Launch sequence failure. Vessel orientation inoperable.

“Kriff!” he swore just as the huge rust red beast they’d spotted outside the cave once more grabbed the ship by its teeth and shook it bodily.

Rey cried out, and Ben reached for her. The animal tossed them to the ground when it realised the shuttle wasn’t good for eating.

Ben took a steadying breath, checking to make sure Rey was alright.

He realised he was useless inside the vessel.

Unbuckling himself, he landed unsteadily on his feet. Popping open a window, he fell onto a thicket of bushes, his limbs at an awkward tangle. Rey passed him his blaster rifle, and he gave her a tight grin.

Time to face the beast.

He took off running. The animal spotted him and turned its back on the ship in favour of a more interesting target. As the red beast approached, Ben fired his weapon.

Nothing happened.

He shook the rifle, but it had jammed, damaged in the fall.

Ben backed further away from the escape vessel, away from Rey, drawing the beast with him. He moved slowly, and the animal did the same, huffing curiously as it stalked him.

He could see Rey through the window of the vessel, frantically beckoning at him to come back. He shook his head, his mind made up.

Wait- what was she doing?

Rey popped open the same window he’d used as an exit and dropped something on the ground. A holovid began to play and the monstrous creature froze comically. Multicoloured pixels formed a picture in the air.

“I did it, dad,” Nevine beamed, dressed in her favourite rainbow octopus pyjamas. “I made it work.” She cupped her hands and blew into them, creating a sweet melody. “What d’you think? Am I as good as you?”

Ben watched his daughter in bittersweet gratitude. She’d always been the best of part of him.

Her smile faltered, dark eyes growing serious. “I love you.”

He choked on a sob.

The red beast snapped at the holographic image before turning to attack the ship once more. Grabbing the blaster rifle in desperation, Ben aimed and pressed the trigger.

Bright blue plasma lit up the animal’s side, but its skin was too tough to be seriously wounded. Ben aimed for its leg, and this time he drew blood.

The beast roared and charged.

“Launch the ship!” Ben yelled at Rey.

She shook her head, petrified.

“Go!” he ordered. “Launch!”

Ben turned and ran, intending on drawing the creature away so Rey could escape. His life for hers. It seemed a fair exchanged.

I couldn’t save you, Nevine, but I’ll save Rey.

He led the beast deeper into the forest, occasionally releasing plasma shots at its body. The animal roared and kept coming, not even pausing to take stock of its injuries.

The beast was too big, too quick. A predator in its element. The end was nigh, and Ben tightened his grip on his blaster rifle. This wasn’t a suicide run. He intended on going down fighting.

Out of nowhere, a figure ran screaming into the clearing. Rey.

The animal roared, turning towards her.

“Rey, no!” he shouted. What was she doing?

Ben opened fire, hoping to distract the beast, but it ignored him, making its way towards the slight figure with her resolute face.

Rey held her ground, allowing the creature to draw closer. It gave a deafening roar, and at the very last second, she lobbed a plasma grenade in the air.

The blinking blue sphere detonated near the creature’s head, turning one eye bloody. The creature roared, the sound higher pitched, a scream of pain. This time, miraculously, it began a retreat.

As the animal’s quaking steps disappeared into the forest, Ben stared at Rey in disbelief. What the kriff had just happened?

She ran towards him, throwing her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck. “Ben,” she said breathlessly.

He held her tight, both of them shaking with adrenaline. So close. He’d come so close to losing her.

At long last, he drew back and produced a wondrous smile. “Thank you for saving me, sweetheart.”

She accepted his kiss as her due, but they couldn’t waste any more time.

Clutching Rey’s hand, Ben ran for the escape shuttle. He wasn’t about to tempt fate and wait for something else to attack. Knowing their luck, this time it would be an entire herd of the huge creatures.

Once inside and buckled into the pilot’s seat, Ben did what any good captain would do. He turned the ship’s consul off and on again.

Vessel orientation restored. System reboot initiated.

“Thank kriff,” Ben muttered. “Time to go, sweetheart.”

“Move,” Rey agreed from the co-pilot’s chair.

He hit the launch button, the force of take-off sending them slamming back against their seats. Seconds later, the pressure was gone as they pierced the planet’s atmosphere and entered the uncanny silence of space. The dark expanse with its sprinkling of stars felt like an embrace.

Ben breathed easier as the escape shuttle sped towards pre-set coordinates.

Home. They were going home.

At last.

A small hand gripped his bigger one and he looked over at Rey. His Rey, as gorgeous as she was strong. Courageous to the very end.

What kind of woman risked her life to rescue a man she barely knew? She’d saved him in more ways than one, and he promised himself he’d spend the rest of his life making sure she was safe.

A new mission. He liked the sound of it.

Rey smiled as if she’d read his mind, and Ben wouldn’t be surprised if she had.

Chapter Text

Five years later

Rey loved the ocean. It never failed to give her a thrill knowing she’d escaped the heat and grit of Jakku for a lush and tropical land.

As an added bonus, this was Nevine’s beach. After all, Rey had first seen this particular stretch of pale sand and cool blue waters on video girl’s recordings. It had been a sign that this would be her final destination.

After Rey and Ben were picked up by a First Order rescue ship, they were flown back to Somaris, Ben’s home planet and the location of the company’s head office. It was an eight month journey and they were given the option of cryo sleep, but they chose to remain awake.

After everything they’d been through, neither one of them wanted to waste another precious second.

There were provided guest cabins separated by a narrow corridor, but as soon as they were alone, Rey climbed into Ben’s bed and rode his hard cock to multiple explosive orgasms. Life was meant for the living.

They spent every moment of the next eight months getting to know one another, and by the time they docked on Somaris, Rey had a fair grasp of Ben’s language. He hadn’t learnt much of hers apart from a few choice swear words, but that was because she’d decided she was never going back to Jakku. What was the point?

Once they landed, however, things turned ugly. Like any high powered inter-planetary group, First Order tried to dodge responsibility for the crash by pinning the blame on Ben. The words ‘pilot error’ were thrown around freely. Fortunately, Ben had the foresight to hang on to his datapad, rescuing the item from where Rey had dropped it out the window, and its memory chip included the ship’s black box recordings.

As soon as it became clear Ben had been using a pre-approved flight path under the directive of First Order star cartographers, the company bent over backwards to make sure he didn’t go to the media with the findings of their investigation. Fourteen dead terraformers looked bad by anyone’s standards.

Not only did Ben and Rey receive hefty settlements for their troubles, she was also rewarded death benefits as Unkar Plutt’s only living relative. It was enough money to build a whole new life.

But Rey only wanted Ben.

She felt strangely unsettled when they first landed on Somaris. They’d talked enough on the journey for Ben to reassure her that he had no wife or girlfriend waiting for him. His daughter was the only love of his life, and he was afraid of what the future looked like without her companionship.

Still, Rey had wondered if Ben needed space now that he was home. She certainly hadn’t given him any room to breathe while onboard the rescue ship, following him around like a malfunctioning droid. She was able to excuse her behaviour because neither one of them had much choice in the matter. It wasn’t as if most starships were built big enough to play hide-and-seek in. But now they were on Somaris, a bustling metropolis of twenty billion people, and he might prefer to grieve his daughter alone.

Before Rey could do the polite thing and ask, Ben picked up her one small bag and placed it next to his in an AI controlled silver bullet vehicle organised by the company. The vehicle landed them in front of a double storey house with white coral walls and large picture windows overlooking an ocean view.

Rey fell in love all over again. With the man. With his home. With the life that beckoned. After years of sweating and toiling in garbage heaps created by miners, picking through refuse to find saleable salvage in a dry and dusty place, the roar of ocean waves and the open simplicity of his house felt like a dream.

It was a piece of heaven she never imagined could be hers.

This time it was Ben who moved her into his bedroom, making love to her on an extra large bed built to accommodate his size, her legs wrapped around his back as he claimed her with enthusiasm. The orgasms he supplied were a pleasant chaser to the knowledge that a new life had begun for both of them.

Time slipped by and their family grew.

Her first pregnancy happened by mutual if silent agreement, allowing fate and biology to usher them into the next chapter of their lives. Rey didn’t think Ben could have verbalised a desire for another child, not with Nevine’s memory so deeply entrenched in his heart and soul, so she didn’t push for a baby. Instead, falling pregnant became a simple byproduct of their enthusiastic lovemaking.

The day Kira was born, Ben was almost beside himself with emotion. And then their squalling baby girl was placed in his arms and Rey watched his face settle into an expression of resolve. A new mission, as he liked to put it.

Kira was now a rambunctious three-year-old with energy to burn, and baby Paige had arrived five months prior. Both girls had their dad’s raven black hair and Rey’s hazel green eyes. Both perfect in their own way.

Ben was an amazing father, and Rey showered all the love she wished she’d received on her husband and two daughters. Of course, Ben never forgot Nevine. Every year they camped out on the beach in memory of his oldest child, and it was what they were doing now.

Rey settled a sleeping Paige in a bassinet inside the shelter of a tent and went looking for Ben. He wasn’t far, standing with his toes dug into the sand, a strange look on his face.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Her Somarian had come along in leaps and bounds and she spoke it perfectly, except when they had a fight and she was angry. In those moments, she tended to unleash on him in pidgin Jakku.

She’d broken his reverie with her question, but he said nothing. He remained a man of few words.

Rey sat on warm sand and Ben came around to nuzzle her from behind, his long legs on either side of her body. She leant back against his chest and sighed as his arms wrapped around her waist. Despite the fact Ben’s smile was hard to find on the anniversary of Nevine’s birth- they’d decided to celebrate her birthday rather than mourn the anniversary of her death- Rey could feel his contentment.

“I was thinking,” was all he said.

She nibbled her lower lip, trying not to worry about him. Because while he was a good husband and a great dad, a tough soldier and protector, he also loved deeply and was easily bruised because of it.

“What are you thinking?”

He ducked his head and kissed her neck, making Rey shiver with pleasure. “Full circle moment.”

She frowned, not understanding his meaning.

She followed his gaze and spotted Kira in the shallows, standing upright with her hands clasped to her mouth. She huffed and puffed, and Rey realised the two-year-old was trying to create musical sounds just like her father could.

“You’ve been teaching Kira how to whistle,” Rey said. She’d wondered what they were up to while she fed Paige.

Ben grunted in acknowledgement, amber eyes soft as he watched their child frolic.

All of a sudden, a short, sharp melody pierced the air. Kira’s expression of shock dissolved into pure delight. She squealed and clapped, dancing in the water.

“Daddy, I did it! I did it, daddy! Daddy, daddy, daddy!”

Pressing another kiss to Rey’s cheek, Ben was on his feet and in the water in seconds. He picked up a thrilled Kira and swung her around, the little girl giggling with joy.

As Ben Solo danced a jig with his daughter, Rey thought about another little girl who’d made him the man he was today.

Without Nevine, Ben wouldn’t have protected Rey with fierce determination.

Without Nevine, his brokenness wouldn’t have reached out to her own.

Without Nevine, he would have died at the fanged mouth of a monster as big as a house with skin the colour of old blood.

Without Nevine, Rey wouldn’t have the love of her life and the family of her dreams.

Grief was like the ocean, coming in waves, ebbing and flowing. Grief was the price one paid for love. And grief proved to be the doorway to their future.

Rey couldn’t wait to see what came next.