The Art of Broken Pieces

The Last Porgs Standing

Ari'Li was glaring back and forth between the two of them, gaging her chances of stealing back her blaster in the event of an altercation.

Rey reached out to give Ari'Li a last hug. "Be good. If you can't be good, be smart. And listen to Poe. He's probably just as bored here as you are." The girl's eyes tracked briefly over Poe's shoulder, then back. There was a curious little smile on her lips.

From the corner of her eye, Rey noticed Vara lifting the blaster from Poe's jacket and making a shushing motion at Ari'Li. Maybe not so boring after all, for the next little while.

More hugs were exchanged with Chewie, Vara, and the two-headed creature that was Finn and a swaddled Paige. "Take care of yourself," Finn said in her ear, his voice low and a little rough. "I miss you all the time now."

She smiled and hugged him harder. "Me too," she said. "I'll keep on the comms with you. Just...try to compose more than one thought per send."

He laughed and she pulled away to hug Rose.

As Rey slowly worked her way through her friends, Ben watched restlessly. He was itching to get back into space, away from all the discomfort of this planet and the memories it now held. Moving closer up beside him, Poe looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"You take good care of her, Solo." He said quietly.

Ben nodded, still not sure how to handle the thread of tension between them. It would take a long time before there was any level of comfort between them, he was sure of that. Too much bad blood, too much history. But maybe someday they could at least build on the uneasy truce they had started.

"Likewise." Ben replied, glancing towards where Ari'Li was now with Sarissa, chasing around Rey's legs as she exchanged words with Rose.

At last, there was no excuse to linger. No one left to say goodbye to. Not unless they wanted to start the whole process over again. Rey firmed up her jaw, swallowing through the tightness in her throat. She shrugged her shoulders, as if displacing the mantle of longing already settling there.

"Okay," she said. "We're off then. You guys keep the galaxy running. We'll work on keeping it safe."

They all stood for a beat, shifting and smiling and debating final hugs and words.

"Who's going to say it?" Finn said. "Am I going to say it? It feels like I should say it."

Rose rolled her eyes. "It takes away the importance of you say you're going to say it."

Shaking his head, Ben simply turned away and strode up the Orphan's long ramp. This was Rey's moment, her resolution with her friends. And the rote farewell had always struck him as empty. He had heard it too many time from those who only meant it if you were using the part of the Force that they approved of.

Maybe things would be different the next time they were on world. Maybe he would have had the time to heal, to grow. Maybe the distance of time would have helped their scars to fade as well.

Heading into the cockpit, Ben flicked his fingers over the ship's start-up sequence, waiting for Rey.

Rey sensed him go, saw the uncertainty and concern in her friends' eyes. She mustered a smile. Ben had his reasons, and she trusted that someday he'd be able to hear the words.

"May the Force be with you," she said, sweeping her gaze over the friends she had assembled. Broken pieces, all coming together to make a single picture—a picture of the one thing she'd longed for her whole life. And now, the final piece was waiting for her inside.

She strode up the gangplank and turned, casting a final wave to the family she left below before closing the hatch and joining Ben. She slid into the pilot's seat beside him, let her hand brush his as she completed the startup sequence and fired up the thrusters.

He had his own picture, still full of cracks and missing shards. Together, they would mend what they could, and shore up the rest. Like a scar or soldered joint, what was broken would be stronger than before. Rey believed that.

The Orphan purred under them, slowly lifting from her berth and turning her nose up towards the sky and the stars beyond.

Ben's restlessness was fading, being replaced by a strange and unfamiliar calm. An unfurling excitement and relief was lifting in his chest and he rested his elbow on the arm of the co-pilot's chair, reaching out and lightly lacing the ends of his fingers through Rey's. They were free, and there was a new hunt and a new adventure waiting for them across the dark of space.

From somewhere behind them, an indignant porgish squeak echoed through the ship's halls. Ben shook his head and smiled. Between Rey and their strange feathered companions,perhaps it wouldn't take so long at all to make the Orphan begin to feel like home. 

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Thank you so much for reading The Art of Broken Pieces!  We loved writing it, and hope you enjoyed it too.

Side scenes and extras for Broken pieces can be found over at Rebel Antics and Porg Tales: https://www.wattpad.com/story/146234069-rebel-antics-and-porg-tales-art-of-broken-pieces

One of our amazing fans is currently writing a sequel to Broken Pieces, titled Postcards From the Galactic Edge.  Check it out! https://archiveofourown.org/works/13706421/chapters/31484769

If you like our writing style, we would love to have you read our original fiction, Templar.  It's another sweeping sci-fi epic, set in a galaxy of telepaths and alien invasions!  We hope to see you there!    https://www.wattpad.com/story/138500883-templar-the-focus-templars-book-one