I take one last look at the Homestead. The doors were shut securely, the power had been turned off, and anything remotely of value was stowed away. On me, I carried a pouch which contained some books and sentimental bits. Around my shoulder, I hauled a large duffel bag which contained all the essentials. I reach my hand out, and touch the walls of the domed entrance, closing my eyes. Trying to feel every ounce of history this little burrow held. Trying to show it my gratitude.
I stay there for a few moments. Sighing, I open my eyes, taking in one last look, before turning my back. In the distance, I saw the glimmers of Din's silver armour and ship. I began to walk towards him. I thought walking away from the Homestead would be harder than this, but I felt some sense of freedom as the outline Din's ship grew. As the suns began to slowly set in the distance, the exact outline of the ship was increasingly difficult to make out.
'Oh my god...' I utter, as the ship became more obvious with every step. It was a model I had never seen in person before. Its rusting grey outer-metal revealed its age, with layers of chipped paint failing to conceal it. It looked ancient.
Din stood by the opening, which was in the centre of the ship, the door above his head. As I grew closer, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to hide my disdain.
'Ready?' He asked, as he held his hand out to take my duffel bag.
'Din, how old is this ship?' I ask, passing the bag to him as he threw it inside.
'The Clone Wars,' I felt my eyes widen in shock. 'It's a modified transport ship.' Din stepped inside.
I was speechless.
'What?'
'The Clone Wars, Din?' I stand, looking back and forth from him to the ship repeatedly. 'It's prehistoric.'
Din looked down at me, elevated slightly inside the ship.
'So, are you getting on?'
I scoffed lightly. It wasn't like I had much choice at this point. As I stepped inside, admittedly the interior was a lot nicer than the exterior. There was a degree of homeliness to it. The only way I could describe it was there was a lot of stuff dotted around. Most of it didn't make much sense. But over the metal interior walls were various bits of paper with things on them, like planets, advertisements, even some drawings.
'That one's collection. He's become a bit of hoarder,' Din said, nodding towards Grogu, who sat on one of the chairs in the cockpit. Grogu grinned lightly back at me. 'Right...'
Din pressed a button, and the door shut closed. 'You ready?'
'I guess,' I reply, as Din walked to the front of the ship, sitting in the seat besides Grogu.
'Move him to the back, so you can sit up front,' Din called out, preparing the ship. I walked over, and smiled down at Grogu. He held out his arms, and I picked him up, tucking him under my hip.
Grogu hadn't changed in looks. He was perhaps a little heavier, but not by much. The little guy seemed to radiate comfort. The force connected the two of us in a way that is difficult to describe. I walked back to the end of the ship, placing him in his little den in the back corner. Grogu happily curled up, and began to play with his collection of random collated objects.
I take the seat next to Din.
'You know how to fly yet?' He asks me, flipping some switches.
'Not exactly been ample of opportunity over the past few years. So, no,' I reply. The engine begins to purr. That's when it hits me. 'Din, where are you taking me?
'Takodana,' He replies, flipping one last switch before sitting back and taking hold of the steering wheel. The hum of the engine grows louder as the ship slowly floats above the desert surface.
'Takodana?' I stare at him. He ignores my looks, too preoccupied with driving the ship. I sigh. 'Its like being sixteen all over again...' I comment sarcastically.
'Except you have a lot more to say,' Din snipes back light-heartedly, leaning back in the pilot's seat, gripping onto the steering stick. 'This ship has a decent X1 Hyperdrive, so should only take a few hours to get there.'
I nod, but in my head I realise that's a lot of empty time to be filled with answering questions.
With a sudden push, the ship sways quickly into space, where we are soon surrounded by a sea of stars, moons, suns and planets. Despite travelling in space countless times, it never gets any less mesmerising. Especially if you haven't left a planet in almost three years.
'How much do you remember?' Din interjects the silence.
'What?' I respond.
'From before. When we travelled together.'
It felt as though when Din wears the mask, his confidence to ask more difficult and personal questions grows. It seems to save him from any possible vulnerability.
'All of it. Why would I have forgotten?' I ask confused.
'Just another rumour I heard. Sorry I asked,' Din paused. 'I heard once that Kylo Ren...'
I look at him, raising my eyebrows in curiosity.
'You said you didn't join Kylo Ren voluntarily. I heard once that he brainwashed you. That you forgot everything. That's when you became-'
'Enyo Fidelia,' I cut in. I figured we would start talking about what happened at some point again, just not so early on in the journey. 'It's partly true, I guess. It wasn't brainwashing, but there was a degree of manipulation.'
I stare out into the simplicity of space.
'Do people even see me as a person anymore? Or am I just a rumour. A story,' I wander out loud.
'Depends who you ask,' Din replied. I didn't realise what I had asked was a question. I just hadn't talked through what happened in a long time. I had become accustomed to rambling my thoughts out loud with no answer.
'Am I the villain or the hero in the stories for people?' I pause, and turn to face Din before he could reply. 'Or, god, even worse. Am I victim?'
'Again, it depends who you ask,' Din replies.
'I'm asking you then.'
Din takes a deep breathe.
'The story I've pieced together- based on what I already knew, and stories I had heard- is that your dad got you off Takodona after Maz's castle was torn down. You were there for that -right?'
I nod response.
'Then he took you into the Resistance.'
Din keeps peering at me, as though he needs my approval at the accuracy at his story. I nod again.
'Right. Then you faced Kylo Ren. He killed your dad, took you prisoner and brainwashed you- I know that's not entirely right now, but this is what I thought before okay? Alright, that was when Enyo Fidelia rose up, Ren's righthand man- or woman. Until one of the battleships nearly blew up, you had a change of heart, rejoined the Resistance. But you were different. Final battle. You guys won. The First Order fell,' Din breathes in. 'That's what I know.'
I stare at him. It's a very odd feeling to hear six years of your life concised into just a few sentences. Especially when those sentences were spoken by a man who knew you before all of it.
'Is it correct?'
'Not entirely. There's details missing,' I pause. 'Do most people know who I am?' I ask, knowing it's a conceited question. But I don't mean it in a conceited way.
'Once again, it depends who you ask.'
'Okay. But say people do know who I am, what do they know? Like, do they know my family? Who everyone is?' Din begins nodding.
'They know you're a Skywalker. They know you're a Jedi-'
I go to say something at Din's use of the word Jedi, but choose not to. Noticing my lack of response, he continues.
'Most already knew all that before the rise of the First Order- your name carries a legacy,' Din pauses, as if he's considering something. 'Most know you were a part of the First Order. And most know that Cyra Solo and Enyo Fidelia are the same person.'
Tears of fear began to well in my eyes. A fear began to sink in my stomach as Tatooine stood far behind us.
'I don't go by that anymore,' I sniffle, trying to ignore what Din had said.
'Obviously you don't go by Enyo F-'
'No,' I interrupt. 'I mean Cyra Solo. It's just Cyra now, or my full name.'
'Why? What's wrong with Solo?'
I shrug my shoulders.
'It feels wrong after everything to only include my father's name. It feels wrong to ignore other bits of my family.'
There was also a desire to never use any other names but my own, refuse to carry the legacy of my family. But I didn't tell Din that part.
'So, it's either just Cyra, or Cyra Organa Skywalker Solo.'
Din nods.
'I'll take note,' He paused. 'Can I ask a question now.'
I nod.
'What happened after the battle of Exegol? Why were you on Tatooine, alone?'
'We've got a lot of hours to kill before Takodana. I could just go from the beginning,' I half-joke, laughing slightly.
'If you want. Like you said, there's a lot of hours to kill,' Din urges me slightly. 'A lot has happened since we last saw each other.'
'Right, okay. Um...' I stutter slightly, thinking of where to begin. I wasn't used to someone taking interest like this in me.
'Start from when I dropped you off. The last time.'