The Redemption of Fate ~ A Reylo Story

36

The electric streaks of blue and white hyperspace diminished within mere milliseconds, and the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon burst into Coruscant's vibrant, incredibly well-lit atmosphere.
Rey gasped involuntarily, straining her neck from the copilot seat to catch a better glimpse of the world they would soon be inside. She sucked in an audible breath, and a sudden burst of exhilarating anxiety pumped through her veins. This is it, everything you dreamed--
"I don't think the Resistance has ever seen a planet this . . . put-together," Rose breathed. She was stretching over Rey's seat, peering down in shock.

"Beats a sweaty jungle any day." Poe agreed. He stayed seated, but his eyes were wide with amazement.
Ben clicked onto the planet's communication center. "This is Ben Solo speaking from aboard the Millennium Falcon, we have been granted access into your planet from Golo Ancros--"
"Of course, Falcon, we know who you are," a man responded, static accompanied his voice. "Allowing full clearance now. Sending coordinates to your designated landing pad."
The Falcon's flight screen blinked with the man's given directions.
"Affirmative," Ben replied, "following the specifications, thank you."
"Certainly, we are very eager for your arrival." Then the signal went out, and with a newfound excitement, Ben swooped the Millennium Falcon down into Coruscant's busy troposphere.

The Falcon--well beyond the size of the other ships in the airways--soared along, following the directions coming from the heart deep within the nexus of the bustling city. Beaumont Kin may have claimed that Coruscant was less populated than previous years, but to everyone on board, traffic and commotion like that was incredibly out of the ordinary. Faces were agape, amazed beyond belief. Even Chewie let out roars of stupefaction. BB-8 whirred, captivated by the skyscrapers that stuck out on both sides of the ship, like pristine, monstrous teeth, glimmering like crystals in the smoky orange dusk.

It felt to Ben like his past recollections were all pouring back into the front of his memory files, all afresh and more than ready to be acknowledged; his many sojourns to Coruscant as a teenager with his mother were one of those many recollections. He remembered sitting through diplomatic campaigns and meetings with her. Flying through those exact airways as a young man, though they were much more occupied. At night, sitting on the high-rise balcony of all the posh hotels Leia had access into, watching as the planet's trillions of lights dazzled before his eyes. Watching hundreds of ships traveling like rows of tiny, glowing insects. It was all so unforgettable. And Ben was so absorbed, he would have missed the exit if it weren't for C-P30 reciting the directions out loud; he disliked to admit that he was thankful for that pontificating droid.

"Man." Finn sighed, scoping their surroundings. He and Chewie had joined everyone in the cockpit. "Whoa--look!" His finger shot out, nearly poking the back of Ben's neck. A translucent glass-ship passed them on the adjacent airway, soundless as it shifted into the Falcon's lane with such elegance it appeared impossibly more sublime than it already was. Inside, the ship's guests walked around, watching through the completely translucent walls as they sipped what looked to Rey like champagne, and laughed indifferently, as if there was nothing spectacular about an encapsulated glass ship.
"What a beauty," Poe mused, "must be, what--a couple million to afford a ship like that?"
Finn sucked his teeth, eyes glued onto the beautiful ship in front of them. "Gotta be more than that . . . it's probably custom. Definitely custom."

"Guys, look" Rey breathed, pointing a finger in the direction of a striking tower that veered off to the right, nestled between two twin, leveled towers. The tallest tower appeared to stretch high into the hazy orange sky. Rey guessed it was anywhere from twenty to thirty stories high, equally as wide and symmetrical, basking in the glorious ambiance of oncoming nightfall. Absolutely marvelous, Rey thought, flabbergasted.  
"You've got to be kidding," Rose exclaimed, "this is awesome."
"Ben, is this really the right place? I wasn't expecting a full-blown castle." Poe ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head in disbelief.
Ben nodded, overviewing the flight deck to reassure the crew-members, and himself. "This is it. I followed the coordinates precisely."

"I don't miss Ajan Kloss one bit. If this is really our new life--"
"We're damn lucky," Poe finished, just as Ben eased the Falcon lower, lining the ship up with the landing pad that jutted out from the center of the tallest tower.
"Fans--" Finn squeezed himself between Rey and Ben, pointing wildly down below on the balconies of the three immaculate towers --"we have fans!"
Rey's eyes traced Finn's finger, and wonderment laced her loopy smile. She sucked in a quick, overjoyed breath. On all sides, even lining the streets far below the Falcon, were throngs of enthusiasts. Humanoids and non-humans--droids, even, as BB-8 pointed out--packed tightly together, waving, cheering, outstretching their arms as if reaching out to to invite their new leaders and advocates of peace in a galaxy that had been gypped of prosperity for far too long. 

"This is something else," Ben said, pausing to laugh at the unbelievability of it all. Gently, he lowered the Falcon completely onto the tower's landing pad, carefully avoiding what looked to be the officials Golo had first contacted, standing on the edge of the pad, staring eagerly at the freighter. They were dressed in pressed, stark white officer uniforms. Two of the three men were non-humans.
The intercom beeped, filling the cockpit with popping static, followed by a clear, coherent voice. Ben recognized it was the same man who had sent him the coordinates.
"Welcome to Coruscant, Falcon."
Ben and Rey turned to each other, curious grins smeared across each other's faces. Chewie howled with excitement. Finn whistled, "What a wonderful time to be alive."