Skywalker Rises

Dresses

Rey and Ben left the Mandalorian and Little Yoda in the room Finn had found for them. The Mandalorian wanted them to stay on the Razor Crest, but Rey had convinced him to leave his ship for a night. Little Yoda had been thrilled. 

"Do you remember my visits?" said Rey. "The ones before your death?" 

She opened her door and entered her rooms. Ben followed, closed the door behind him, and proceeded to shove her dresser in front of it. 

"We're safe here," she said, puzzled.

"I'm not worried about safety. I'm worried about privacy."

Oh. He did remember. 

"They happened recently for me, while you were in ghost form. You didn't tell me about them. You were worried that if I knew, it would change my behavior, and change the outcome of the meetings."

She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. 

"How many times did you go backwards?" He leaned against the bathroom door frame, watching her. 

"A handful, not counting the trips back to Exegol. Your ghost form didn't retain the Bond. At least, I don't think it did. Past you was the only thing that could draw me."

"I thought you were a little crazy at the time. You'd spend the night with me one day, and try to kill me the next. The signals were very confusing."

Billows of steam wafted out of the shower. Rey couldn't wait to wash the antiseptic, infirmary soap scent off of her skin. She still marveled at the extravagant access these people had to water. 

Someone knocked on the door. Ben groaned.

"Ignore it," she said.

Again, knocking. Louder this time. 

Rey tugged the dresser back a little, pleased that her belly didn't ache or the stitches pull as she did. She cracked the door open.

"Rey, come on!" said Rose. "We need to get you a dress for tomorrow."

Rey blinked. A dress?

"For the wedding," said Rose. "Or do you have one already?"

"I...no."

Rose tried to open the door, but it banged against the dresser. "Come on, we'll be late. I called ahead to the dress shop. The seamstress will see you now."

Ben had joined her. He sat on the dresser, a frown on his face. 

"What are you wearing?" she asked him.

"This?" Ben was still dressed in the borrowed pants and loose top the hospital had given him.

"Will you move the dresser, please?" 

Ben sighed, stood, and tugged it away from the door. Rose entered, a smile on her face. 

"I really need a shower, Rose," said Rey. "Can it wait for a few minutes?" 

I really need a shower with Ben.

"I'll entertain our guest whilst you shower," said Ben. 

When Rey emerged from the bathroom, Rose and Ben were involved in an animated conversation about...flowers. Flowers. Rey toweled off her hair and tried to figure out what was going on. 

"You could have gone with the black dahlia," said Ben. 

"I thought about it!" said Rose. "I don't like how light the purple undertones are."

"The black callas will be lovely," said Ben. 

"Are you ready?" said Rose.

Rey, Ben, and Rose traveled by shuttle to the dress shop. 

"What's wrong?" asked Ben, when Rose left them to talk to the seamstress. 

Rey was sweating. This shop was like nothing she had ever seen. Everything, every last thing, was brightly colored. "I've never worn a dress."

His eyes widened. "Never?"

"They aren't practical on Jakku. And then I was in the Resistance. Your mother didn't even wear dresses. I didn't need them on Ahch-To. I just never have." This was embarrassing. 

"I prefer it when you wear nothing," said Ben.

Rey was too nervous to respond. 

The seamstress, a short, Rodain woman with dusky blue skin, approached Rey with a measuring tape. Rose smiled her encouragement whilst the woman measured and prodded Rey. The seamstress muttered to herself as she worked, and walked away without a word. 

"Did I do alright?" asked Rey. No one had ever measured her for clothing, either. 

"Perfect," said Rose. "You're going to look amazing."

"Why does it matter what I look like?" Rey whispered to Ben. 

"Haven't you figured out that that's what most of these ridiculous people in Coruscant care about? Did you notice how the Council dressed? Think of it as a kind of armor. Political armor. It projects a certain image. Everyone at this wedding will be looking at everyone else. Judging them based on appearance. You, Master Jedi, will be evaluated before you have a chance to open your mouth, based solely on your appearance."

Rey wrinkled her nose. "That's awful."

"It is. My mother sometimes dragged me along when I was young. The wedding won't be as bad as a full-blown galaxy wide political summit. Finn is only a celebrated Resistance war general and hero. Maybe half the galaxy will be there."

"Why a dress, though?"

"Because you are pretty," said Rose, butting in. "And because you deserve a fancy night. We all do. Finn told me about those huts we'll be living in at your school. He described them as 'rustic.' So while we can, we're going to be fancy. What's taking her?" Rose walked off to find the seamstress.

"I love it that you don't care about any of this," said Ben. He motioned to the multicolored frill explosion hanging on the walls.

"I'll try, for Rose," said Rey. "But I'm fine if this is a rare occasion. It's not even my wedding."

"Oh, fine," said Ben. "I was going to suggest weekly balls at Jedi school, but I guess I can let that dream go."

What followed next was a blur of the seamstress pulling dress after dress onto Rey, Rey modeling it for Ben and Rose, and then everyone conferencing about which one they liked best. Rey gave up. She couldn't keep track of one from the next, let alone study them long enough to have an opinion. According to her critics, some made her look too pale, others too thin, still others were too long or too short or too bright or too tight or too bland. Rose had all kinds of ideas. Ben mostly watched, but once in a while he would wink at her. 

Rose decided on a dress, and Rey agreed without much thought, glad to get out of the stuffy shop. The seamstress boxed up the dress and Rey was the first one out the door, overjoyed to finally escape.

"None of those dresses had a place to secure a lightsaber," said Rey as the made their way back to the Senate Building.

Ben grinned at her, and Rose laughed. Well then. She'd have to get creative. One never knew when one might need a weapon on this viper's nest of a planet.