Lord of the Wars

Chapter 6

Early the next morning, Legolas came to her chambers with a proposition: fly her ship to Minas Tirith and hide it within a small forest, shortening the twenty day trip to one. Confident in her fuel level and greatly approving the idea, Rey agreed.

Dressed in a forest-green garb of a long-sleeved tunic, leggings, and knee-high boots, the Jedi and Elf left the Elvenking's Halls for the eastern edge of Eryn Lasgalen before the sun began to lighten the sky.

Legolas spoke cordially with her as they headed for the Dart, but Rey could feel and see the excitement in his eyes. The cool and collected Elven prince looked forward to riding in a spaceship. Knowing he could hear their otherwise private telepathic conversations, Master Luke kept his cheeky remarks to himself.

By the time they had reached the edge of the Greenwood, he had finished telling Rey everything she asked to know about Middle-earth, from Arda's beginning to the ending of the War of the Ring five years ago. There were a lot of names and places, but she was sure it wasn't as confusing for him since he lived here (and for over 2,000 years, at that). She could guarantee that when it became her turn to tell him about the wars in the Galaxy between the Sith and Jedi, Clone Wars, the Empire, and now the First Order, Legolas would be just as lost as she right now.

The two Elves that had stayed behind to watch over the Dart—Aistar and Elenye—practically materialized from the trees' canopy, and reported that no one approached her ship. After thanking them—Rey did too—the Elven prince dismissed the guards before she and he headed toward the gray-and-black parked spaceship.

On nearing it, Rey used the Force to lower the boarding ramp, and she led Legolas inside. There wasn't much to ogle before reaching the small cockpit, but he looked at everything. Rey was astonished he held back his curiosity by not voicing the numerous questions surely filling his head.

"For you to agree to my proposal this morning, you are confident in this... machine's speed," Legolas began after sitting in the co-pilot's chair and watching her flip on switches and press buttons for power. "Approximately, how swift will we travel?"

"Umm..." Rey thought hard, knowing she couldn't tell him the exact rate of speed and believe he would understand, nor was she sure of what she could compare it to that he was familiar with.

Fast, Legolas, Master Luke said. Really fast.

She looked over to see him looking behind her—where the Force Ghost actually stood, since Legolas was in his seat—listening, then nodded.

"Sorry for not being able to say," Rey said.

"It is understandable. Only, will we experience this haste? Must I hold onto something?" His eyes cast around for something to grab.

"No, you don't have to hang on. I'll ease us into a comfortable speed, but it won't be so sudden that you'll feel it."

With the engine re-awakened, the Dart's wings lowered as they rose into the air. Legolas leaned forward, intrigued at them hovering in the air. He also expressed his astonishment at how quiet the 'flying machine' was—only a soft humming and no vibration.

Tilting the handles, the Dart rose into the sky until they were level with the clouds—so Legolas could see the ground to inform her when to land—and Rey put power into the thrusters. Various shades of green passed below them as they flew; the ground briefly disappeared when they flew through a cloud.

Since they wouldn't be in the air for long, Rey kept her hands on the controls—and also to prevent from freaking out the Elf—she began talking about life in her Galaxy. She felt slightly better at having him just as bewildered as she was earlier.