Transformation: Becoming Ben Solo (A Reylo Fanfic)

Chapter 42 - Corellia

A/N - Hello all of my Reylo Lovelies!  Things are really starting to cook now.... and the pieces will soon start to come together.  I hope you're all still enjoying the story!  There's still a  little bit more to come....  Thank you to all who have kept with me, and for your amazing comments, anecdotes and pleas for hints!  They keep me inspired!  Please continue to send them, and vote, vote, vote!  Thanks again!!  Very, very much!!  Enjoy!!

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Rey sat in the cockpit of the Falcon with Finn and Poe as they made their way to Corellia.  Things were still a bit awkward between the three of them, but both Finn and Poe seemed to be trying extra hard to engage her in light conversation – joking and laughing about all sorts of things as they caught Rey up on everything that had happened on the base while she had been away.  They'd told her how Snap Wexley had almost blown himself up while cleaning a firing canon on one of the X-wings, and made her laugh when telling her how one of the more flamboyant on again/off again couples in the Resistance had broken up in spectacular fashion for the 4th or 5th time.  Both stories made her laugh so hard that she cried.

Little by little she relaxed around Poe, and started to get comfortable with him again.  There were still a few awkward periods of silence where she caught him staring at nothing – somewhere deep in thought – but he'd just smile and shake his head when she tried to coax him into revealing what he was thinking about.

By the time they reached their destination in the city of Coronet, things were starting to feel a bit like old times, and she was happy that she had decided to go along on the mission.   The plan was to meet up with their contact - a man named Bular Ashek - establish what supplies he could provide from the list that Leia had sent along earlier, have them delivered to the Falcon and then head back to Dantooine.

Arriving at Ashek's "office", they were ushered in by a pretty Twi'lek and told to wait.  Ashek finally showed up 5 minutes later.  He was a large, unkempt man who spoke Basic in a loud, booming voice and a strange accent.  "My Resistance friends!  You have found your way back to me!  Commander Dameron, how are you?"

Poe got up and shook Ashek's hand, slapping him on the upper arm.  "I'm well Bular – very well.   You?"

"Couldn't be better!   Business is great!"  He said, with a huge, gap toothed grin.  "Now, what do you need?"

The three of them frowned in unison, but again it was Poe who replied.  "You didn't receive the order from Leia?"

It was Ashek's turn to look confused.   "I'm truly sorry my friend, but I did not!  Perhaps you can contact her and ask her to send it again?   You are welcome to use my comms – they're in the other room."

After a bit of confusion, Ashek finally received the Resistance's order.  He scanned it for a minute and nodded.  "Ok, this won't be a problem.  I can have all of this together by tomorrow afternoon, and have it sent to your ship."

Realizing they'd have to spend the night on Corellia, they thanked Ashek and then decided to find a place to grab a meal and some drinks before either finding someplace to stay, or heading back to the Falcon for the night.   Poe told them he knew of a restaurant not too far away where they could get some good food and local drinks – Corellian whiskey and wine – which were notoriously the strongest in the galaxy.

Rey was excited, as she hadn't had a night out on the town with these friends in awhile, and recognized that it might be her last opportunity for a long time.   "I don't know about you guys but I'm starving!   And I'd love to try some of the Corellian wine!"  She told them with a huge grin.