Up On Ahch-To Hill (A D&D AU Fanfic)

Strange Meals And Apologies On Ahch-To

The passing of another day came and went, as did Remii's tolerance to the minuscule meal options on Ahch-To. Food hadn't exactly been at the forefront before the group of them had left for the island so once their rations had depleted, all they were left with were the oddly-textured concoctions offered by Luke's Lanai caretakers. One resembled bread but tasted nothing like it and another seemed to be a strange green-hued gelatin that Grogu ate up with sheer delight (Remii assumed because it reminded him of eggs). Remii couldn't help but wonder what food was like for the other half of their team back on the base. Did they have imposter bread and green jell-o too? 

In her free time (when she wasn't shoulder-checking to see if a certain someone was there), Remii scavenged for food on the island. Miraculously, she'd wandered upon a hidden stash of food Luke must have forgotten about tucked away beside a granite outcropping. Or he remembered and it was no longer his hidden food stash. Remii delightfully boiled it on the old clay stove in her hut. Such a task brought her a strange sense of comfort - it reminded her of preparing pasta at home in the real world. With Grogu eagerly waiting on the bed (if you could even call a big rock slab a bed), Remii closed her eyes and imagined her kitchen - the low light from the stove lamp, the squishy floor mat beneath her feet, the smell of her mom's diffuser spritzing the room in a peppermint-y aroma. She could see the room so clearly that when she peeled her eyes open again, she expected to be standing within it. Such a realization should've brought a tear to her eye and yet, it didn't. 

She exhaled, washing the feeling away as she turned back to the boiling...mashed potato-like substance. It was obvious it was food but of what origins Remii couldn't be sure. Nevertheless, it was better than the gelatin. 

And as Remii stirred, falling out of focus as she did, there came the tears. But...not for the reason she would've expected. Instead of picturing her mom and her real-world home, Remii pictured Han, his hand on her shoulder, wonder and hope dancing across his gaze. Remii's nose tickled as the tears began pushing at her eyes, clouding her vision in an instant. Damnit, she thought, wiping her face with her sleeve. Grogu watched her intently and she could feel his big soulless eyes on her, but she avoided him. She hated crying in front of anyone because once she started, it was near impossible to stop. Stop it.

But for whatever reason, the tears continued to stream down her face. It felt so irregular since she was relatively (on the surface) at peace with Han's death. They'd all known it would happen anyway, so what made it different in this instance? They'd gotten to know him personally, face to face. And for Remii at least, this was the first human death she'd ever witnessed herself. Seeing his lifeless body, trapped forever within a deep sleep...

"Damnit," she hissed audibly now, tossing the wooden spoon to wipe with both sleeves now. Remii placed her hands over her eyes, her muscles tensing as she battled with herself. Somehow, these didn't feel like her tears.

Remii was so distracted with calming herself down, she hadn't yet noticed the presence that had just entered her hut. But Grogu did. The tiny green creature went from singing a constant song of coos and gurgles to deathly silent. He knew the First Order was looking for him. 

Remii had put two and two together by now. In the corner of her gaze, she could see his tall dark form peering at her from the darkness of the far wall. No doubt something to distract her. Remii's breathing immediately became irregular as she stared down at the stovetop, watching the beige pile of mush boil in front of her. She had to fight to not look at him. 

"Remii."

"Ben."

Was that an attempt at a greeting in his tone? It was hard to tell. It surprised both parties that their connection occurred much later in the day this time, they'd become so used to morning and midday ForceTimes. Ben looked at Remii and then at the boiling pot, his body language softening as he familiarized himself within the hut. Remii heard a long exhale leave his nose.