Reflection of Fire

Part III Chapter 5

"There you are," Mr. Bacca said when she finally found her way out of the building.

She offered him an apologetic smile. "I met the Princess! She wanted me to accompany her for a while."

Helping her into the carriage, he nodded. "Ah. I've known her a long time. She is not the kind of person one says no to," he agreed. "Ready?"

"Yes." He shut the door and she settled back, thinking. The legendary Princess Leia was smaller in stature than expected but her manner certainly matched what Rey had heard about her. Did she go to the assembly every night? Did she have to watch her son oppose her, serving Snoke, every day? Did he still attend now that Snoke was gone?

He must. She had seen him in the building, and Rose had said he caused quite a bit of trouble after... well, after she left him. Why had he been sitting there all alone? What would he do next?

Her heart pounded so she pushed that thought away. Should she have told the Princess the truth about her brother? About the real reason she had taken B.B. away? Ben was right – she had no place in this story and didn't know how to react to any of these important people. It was a relief to go home and sink into her own bed. In the morning, she would teach B.B. and she knew how to do that. Perhaps she should stop helping Master Dameron in the evenings. It would be nice to go back to the way things were, after all.

The next day passed much like many of those before it. B.B. was a delightful student, as always. Rey allowed herself to be involved with the work Master Dameron and Finn did in the afternoon but was glad to see them leave without her. Their proposal had been shot down, which hadn't been a surprise. So they worked on a new approach. She helped where she could and played with B.B. after they had left. Supper was more enjoyable with the girl than it would have been on her own, then she spent the evening reading fairy stories.

A predictable routine was just what she needed to sooth her frazzled nerves. It was easier not to think about Ben or his mother, or what Master Dameron spent his evenings fighting for. Keeping it an intellectual exercise was preferable and she did not think about how what they were doing might be received by people like that man Hux. There was growing unease in the house as Master Dameron and Finn became more and more frustrated with the lack of progress in Parliament, but Rey pretended not to notice. So long as the rioting did not repeat, she was not particularly worried.

Or so she told herself, anyway.

One morning, she rose early to find Master Dameron and Finn still awake, speaking in low tones in the library. Her curiosity overran her good sense and she lingered nearby to listen. But their voices did not carry, so she went inside with the excuse of looking for a book.

"Oh! I'm sorry, good morning," she said in feigned surprise.

"Rey, come look at this." Master Dameron ran his fingers through his hair and looked exhausted, gesturing briefly toward the page in front of him. Finn was, as ever, standing nearby, with a dour look on his face.

She moved toward them quickly and leaned over the table to read the document. It was a proposal not unlike the one they had presented before, but with several changes and addendums. Frowning slightly, she considered these. They seemed to make the reform something that would be more palatable to the other side, without sacrificing the intent of the thing in the first place.

"Where did you get this?" The handwriting was unfamiliar to her, so she knew they had not written it themselves. If their general demeanor hadn't given that away.