Force Destiny

Chance

Rey had always been good at two things: fixing what was broken and waiting. Lando had given her a job to do, and when she woke up the morning of her first day, she decided to focus her energy into that. Bespin was beautiful, her friends were in no rush to leave, and Rey found herself useful in the hangar.

After a substantial portion of stormtroopers had fled the Finalizer in the rebellion, the Alliance came to possess a fleet of TIE fighters. Poe had been the one to suggest that they be repainted rather than destroyed, as he had found their flying capabilities "remarkable." Rey volunteered alongside Rose to help with repairing them and restructuring them for the needs of the Alliance. It was strange at first, watching TIE fighters and X-Wings land and take off from the same hangar, but she supposed it was no different than watching former Resistance and First Order members working side by side.

That was how she spent her days—underneath TIE fighters. Most nights Rey spent gathered with her friends at the local cantinas, sipping on non-alcoholic concoctions that the Abednedo cantina owner mixed up with fruit juices from all across the galaxy. Even the nights Finn and Rose left early, Rey no longer felt like an outsider, exchanging war stories with former members from either side. A few days a week, she even met with Lando, so he could teach her how to play Sabaac.

It was more than she could have ever dreamed of on Jakku, even if she felt like something was missing. The nights were the hardest, though she never technically slept alone. Lando had been kind enough to find her a room in the mechanic quarters attached to the hangar, ensuring she had access to free meals every day. He told her she could work for her room and board, though he still paid her the full wages at the end of every week. When she asked about it, he would laugh and tell her it was "taken care of."

Though she was happy to have a room of her own, she found every excuse not to stay there. On some occasions, she would stay with Finn and Rose. Her friends introduced her to holodramas. Rey had never sat and just watched something for entertainment, so it was a difficult learning curve, but she did enjoy their company. They would fall asleep on the floor in front of the holovision and take holopics of the amusing positions they found themselves arranged in upon awakening. Rey was able to be herself in their company, even if that meant allowing them to see her tears. She cherished her time with them, but she knew they needed time alone as a couple well.

Lando let her "accidentally" fall asleep in one of his big, comfy chairs whenever she was over for a visit, before he made his way to his upper level with whatever droid or lifeform had suited his fancy that week. The species or gender didn't matter, and though Rey was impressed by the sheer number, she couldn't help wondering if he was just as lonely as she was. There was only one man for her, and she would never settle for anyone else. She wondered if there had been someone like that for Lando, and now he just filled that empty space with someone to warm his bed.

There was always a look in his eyes when he covered her in blankets before he went up to bed—when he thought she was sleeping or she pretended she was—that seemed...sad. At first, she thought it was because he wanted her to leave, but he never made her feel like she was imposing. He seemed grateful to have someone to talk to when he made excuses to feed her in the morning...after he made his important daily holocall that he woke up at an unconscionable hour to receive. She had overheard him once, and it almost sounded like he was speaking to a child. By the time she woke up most days, he had an entire spread ready for them to share between the two of them. Lando always asked her back and always gave her a reason to stay.

Still, Rey knew she couldn't rely on the others forever. Her friends or Lando would ask about her plans for the future or her thoughts for settling down. She imagined making Cloud City her home, but her heart was calling her to the stars. There was a mission she still had to complete. In the meantime, she avoided the room with an empty side of the bed, and her friends were kind enough not to mention it. They did what they could to give her belonging, and she couldn't have been more grateful.