AWAKEN

43

THE GROUP; Chewie, Poe, Finn, and Amara approached Rey. Rey was stepping away from the Falcon. Speaking of the Falcon, the ship looked to be in better shape than Poe had left it.

Poe has a small smile on his face, "So you got her up and running?" He asks stepping behind her.

Rey glanced at him, "You were right before, Poe."

Poe furrows his eyebrows. He isn't too certain what the young Jedi was claiming he was right about. Sure, he takes pride in being right, but at the moment he isn't too sure what he was right about.

"I'm going to pick up Luke's search for Exegol and start where his trail went cold, in the forbidden desert of Pasaana." Rey tells him.

Rey had walked over to him. She face him down the entire time she spoke to him. She did that as a way to seem respectful to tell him directly.

Poe gives a small smile on his face still, "Yeah. We know, actually. We're coming with you." He tells her.

Poe walks pass her and begins to ask Chewie about the compressor, that left Rey standing in front of Finn and Amara. Rey was stunned by Poe's response.

Rey turns to Finn, "I need to do this alone." She tells him.

Part of her wanted Finn to understand. He was always on her side in these sorts of things. Whenever her Jedi training came in the way of missions, Finn defended her claiming she needed time. He was always there for her.

Finn gives a smile, "Yeah, alone with friends." Finn says.

Amara gives a small smile.

Rey shakes her head, "No. This could be dangerous." She tells them.

Amara reached out and touched Rey's shoulder. Rey's gaze turned to Amara. Rey looks at Amara, she sees Amara gives a small comforting smile.

"We go together," She says, "We're a family."

Rey opens her mouth but Amara stops her.

"Rey," She says, "Nothing you can say will change our minds. We're coming with you."

Rey just nods.

Standing a little afar from the Falcon was Leia. Both Amara and Rey turn to the older woman, both had sensed her presence.

Rey moves from Amara's grasp and walked over to the older woman. Leia held her arms out and pulled the younger woman into her embrace. Rey held onto Leia tightly. Leia was the closest thing she had to a mother.

Amara stood there watching. She watched Leia stroke Rey's hair the same way she'd do for Amara. Amara saw her mother look up at her, the two connected their gaze on each other for a moment before Leia looks away. Leia looks away to pull Rey out of the hug. Amara noticed her mother saying things to Rey, which Amara took that to gesture Finn to move toward the Falcon with her.

Give them space.

Amara walked toward the Falcon but paused once she got on the ramp. Her gaze turned to the older woman again. Leia was still speaking to Rey. Amara saw Leia look back at her. Leia gives Amara a smile and a wave directed for her. Amara returns a wave to her mother and a smile, before following Finn inside the Falcon.

{RISE OF SKYWALKER}

FOR TAKE OFF, Rey and Chewie were in the pilot seats. Chewie in co-pilot and Rey pilot. Finn, Poe, and Amara took seats in the seats behind the pilots seats. They strapped on and ready to go. When they took off, they were in hyperspace for a while. Rey switches to auto-pilot and then turns to Finn, Poe, and Amara.