Bonded in the Silence: A Reylo Fanfiction

Chapter 26: Reunite

"We have much to discuss, young Solo." Maz's voice was steady and unreadible, almost on the edge of scolding. Rey noticed Kylo did not correct how she addressed him.

The hue of her orange skin was amplified in the light of the sunrise. She gave a slight smile to Rey, before taking a sharp look with Kylo. "Come with me" she motioned to them as she turned to walk down the hill. Rey caught a glimpse of emotion on Ren's face as he forced himself upright and relaxed his shoulders back before marching forward with dignified steps.

Following close behind, there was a moment of confusion for Rey as she analyzed his reaction to Maz calling him by his given name.

But of course...she must have known him as a boy.

Rey imagined a young Ben Solo, travelling with his father, a famous smuggler aboard the Millenium Falcon. All the things he must have seen while he travelled with Han on missions or tasks, and he would have perhaps even piloted the Millenium Falcon at some point. How many times did they have to see Maz or approach her for a favour? Had he ever been to Jakku in her time? There was a flutter in her stomach as she imagined how she may get to hear some of his past, how everything was connected in his life for him. She wanted to understand him better, the path of his choices beyond the event with Luke Skywalker.

"And Han Solo, you feel like he's the father you've never had. He would have disappointed you."

She keenly remembered the words he'd spoken so close to her ear in the interrogation chair aboard the First Order vessel where he had awakened the force inside her, forcing her to access her connection with it. 

They crested the hill and descended the other side, having arrived at the former castle of Maz, still a ruined fortress in the middle of a rubble clearing. Rey hardly spent time on the surface of Takodana once the rebels quietly stole away to hide here, in a protected and covered underground base. There were so few times that she made it up to the castle, and it was brief when it did happen, as they had to jump aboard an approved freighter to leave on any recruiting missions from here without being tracked.

Rey had a feeling this was going to be a very serious conversation, as they walked among the remnants of the castle, and walked up the steps inside. The interior was mostly untouched in the main foyer and cleaned out of broken pieces of the ceiling. It was well kept, but damaged. Maz had meant to keep it this way and not rebuild so that the First Order would not suspect old operations were continuing here.

Maz waited for them at a simple round table in the foyer, plenty of empty seats were still left around them, and it pained Rey's heart to remember how busy things were here in the past for Maz. It was good business in those times.

Ren moved to take a seat at the table, pulling one out slightly for Rey. Maz took  seat herself across from Ren, leaning forward on her elbows, arms crossed one over another as she peered through her thick goggles at Kylo Ren.

"You're taller" she said flatly.

"And older" Ren said in return.

A slight smile again on her face "But not wiser".

"You can't be so sure of that" Ren said mildly.

"You've certainly grown into manhood well, and handsome as ever" she stated with raised eyebrows. "There's something else about you I can't quite ascertain either."

Rey was surprised. Was Maz teasing Kylo? His face showed just the slightest blush of pink for a moment, but Rey detected that it was mostly due to Rey's presence during this conversation.

"We're here to discuss the universal problem we are all about to face." He was right to the point.

Maz waited for him to say more.