Runaway - The Force Awakens

Chapter XXXIX

The air had never tasted sweeter. Nara squinted her eyes as she looked upwards towards the sun, grateful for its warming presence. Judging by the trees, spring was just around the corner. New leafs were beginning to grow and around the park wildflowers were randomly sprouting. The foliage in the park had grown a lot the past years, and she doubted it had ever looked more beautiful than it did now.

Nobody looked at her as she sauntered through the park. It was the first time in a very long time she hadn't caught the attention of the other Resistance fighters, and it felt good. Being invisible was more than she could ever hope for. No more bitter glares. No more insults hurled her way under their breaths. She really was free.

The path led to an ornate fountain, with beams of light shooting up straight in the sky, even during the day time. She could see it had recently been constructed, and when she got closer to read the plaque that covered the side she saw it had been built in honor of the fighters who had killed and wounded during the Battle of Ruusan. As she continued reading the plaque told her it was one of the biggest battles between the Resistance and the First Order, which they apparently had won.

Nara looked at the fountain one more time before continuing her path. The Resistance had developed vastly in the time she had been locked up, and she couldn't deny that she was impressed. Buildings had popped up in places she had never seen them before, and they were solid structures as well, not the temporary air hangars she was used to.

Her cheeks flushed when a woman on the opposite end of the path flashed her a smile. Nara wasn't used to kindness anymore, and every time someone approached her she was expecting a dirty look. This was a very welcome change, a change she had worked hard for.

She made a right turn, down a path that led to one of the newer buildings she had never seen before. Her eyes were glued to the marbled exterior and the two towers that spiraled high into the air. Slowly, but surely, the Resistance was building a new capital to replace the one the First Order had destroyed.

Nara looked ahead again, her gaze catching on something very familiar. Once she realized who is was, she stopped dead in her track. It was like the first time she had ever seen him, all over again. Here he was, Ben Solo, hunched forward on the ground. His long black hair hung in front of his eyes as his fingers fumbled with something she couldn't quite recognize. He hadn't seen her, and she wondered if he had felt her presence.

Nervously, she bit on her lip, unsure what to do. When she was younger she would step forward, asking what he was working on. He intrigued her now like he had intrigued her back then, but this time, she didn't dare to approach him.

Memories of the last time she had spoken to him returned to her. They were in one of the visitation booths, and their conversation hadn't ended well. It was the only time him, or anyone for that matter, had come to see her.

She didn't regret her behavior towards him in that moment. It was quite a bombshell he dropped on her. He betrayed her, and at that moment she had the right to despise him, and be angry. It wasn't until much later when she learned what he had to do to earn the trust of the Resistance, and it was much worse than what she had went through.

Ben was still in front of her, just yards away. Nara couldn't pull her gaze away from him, watching him closely as he continued to work with his fingers. Was that the hilt of a lightsaber?

Nara shook her head ever so slightly. No. She couldn't do this. She couldn't face him yet. What was she going to say? What if he didn't want to see her at all? What if, during all this time, he had found someone else?

She spun on her heel, ready to head the opposite direction. One day she was going to face him, but not today. Not yet.

"Nara!"