jedi_librettist | This cat of the slum had a mind, wasn't dumb...

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This cat of the slum had a mind, wasn't dumb...

Ben kept to the least reputable areas of Republic City. It was easier to find the parts he needed there and, more importantly, to avoid notice. It wasn't just that he didn't want to be recognized as Prince Ben Organa-Solo. He needed to avoid notice since he had no money of his own.

He smiled slightly when he saw the power core. It was exactly the kind he needed. It was far too small for a ship but clearly more powerful than any speeder had a right to be. He walked casually over to the shop. "Which model is that?" he asked, easily drawing the dealer into a conversation.

Several minutes later, he picked up the part. "You were already paid for this," he murmured. He waited just long enough for the togruta to repeat the phrase back before he left, prize in hand.

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Rey had to admit that Ben did have a point. For most pod-racers, it was better to just work with what you had to make the best racer you could, rather than to try to plan and find you couldn't get anything you needed. Still...

"... But we've actually got time and enough resources to be able to plan out first? We could make the best pod-racer ever before we know exactly what we're looking for."

He stared at her. He'd never had that kind of luxury before. He thought it was different just being able to pick parts that already worked.

"That... It sounds like fun," he admitted, finally smiling.

Rey is practically bouncing with the excitment of the idea.

"I've never had the chance to be able to do something like that," she admits. "On Jakku, you just... used what you had and were grateful to get hold of anything that worked. But... here? Here we have the chance to actually plan."

"You're from Jakku?" He looked at her more closely. "What part?"

He nodded. "Most of the time, they didn't work when I got them. I had to figure out how to make them work again."

"Wherever Plutt set up," Rey answered. "I... I belonged to him." It wasn't exactly easy to say, but it was the truth. If Plutt moved, so did she. Granted, she would argue it was because she knew how he worked and knew how to get portions from him but... she knew otherwise.

"This time we could get them working!"

"Plutt. As in Unkar Plutt?" Ben made a face. "He used to try to charge me for his trash. He had this broken culinary droid once with a broken actuator. He tried to charge me to take it out so he could replace it."

He pulled out the power core. "I found this. It's the best I've ever seen for a pod."

"That's the guy," Rey said with a tight smile. "Been with him since ... well, for as long as I can remember." Her fingers dug into the strap of her bag, for a moment back on the endless sands and working till her hands bled for whatever measly portion she could get. "Always had a price, for everything. And he'd find a way to get payment in any form he wanted."

She shook her head, glancing at the power core. "Oh, that's in fantastic shape. Just needs a clean up, I've got the stuff for that back at the base."

He returned her smile with a haunted one of his own. The memory nearly triggered one of his own. "We're not there anymore. But maybe we can get him to bet a little too much on a race..."

"He, uh, learned the hard way not to bet on or against or with a Solo," Rey admitted with a soft grin. "Still, there's no reason we can't try?"

"I doubt he knows I'm a Solo."

His time on Jakku had been after the hutts got bored of him. He'd erased his last name almost immediately. He hadn't used one at all when he raced.

"Unless he actually looks at my face."

"He pays more attention to faces than you'd think," Rey said, darkness in her tone. Oh, did Plutt pay attention to faces. Reaching out to touch and to say how much had changed, and how much they'd grown into a lovely example of a female...

She could still feel the clammy touch.

Her memory of Plutt actually did bring a mob of his own memories this time. He almost dropped the power core as he tried to push them back. It didn't help. They just kept coming. His breath came in short, shuddering gasps. He reached his hand out for something to ground him.

"It wasn't my face he liked looking at."

Rey grabbed his hand.

"Not the only one that happened to."

He really, really wasn't.

Ben held her hand like it was the only thing keeping him from falling off a cliff. Her words didn't really help. He could tell she meant well but it didn't put the memories back where they belonged. It felt like he was trapped in a nightmare despite being awake.

"Maybe but... he didn't own me."

Ben had never been a scavenger. He'd often wished he could be one but, even after he started racing, he hadn't been able to get out of his primary job description.

"Be grateful."

She knew Ben had had it bad. But being owned by Plutt would have made it worse.

"There are worse people to be owned by," he said with an overly casual shrug. "And worse jobs than scavenging."

"I know," Rey said, fingers digging into the strap again. No, she wasn't going to explain how she knew. Not here.

He swallowed, not answering. She knew. Not about him or where he'd been. She had no way of knowing that unless she'd seen some of those memories. He didn't think he'd been projecting but it was hard to be sure.

"Let's... You said you know somewhere we can find a good oil tank?"

Rey knew nothing about Ben. What she knew was her own life. She was a scavenger, it was the only thing she'd be willing to admit to.

"Uh, yeah, down here."

He nodded and turned where she pointed. "Do you... What are you going to tell my brother about this?"

"...That we're building a pod." That's all that needed to be said.

He let out a sigh of relief. He really didn't want to have to deal with Bail's reaction if Rey told him he'd been stealing parts.

"I guess we should work on the plans after this."

There's a slow nod, her arms wrapping round herself as uncomfortable memories kept forcing themselves forward.

"Yeah. That... that would be a good idea."

"Do you... I should get back before Ani wakes up. Did you want to come back to Mom's?"

He wondered if being around the toddler would make the memories easier for either of them. Ani could definitely be a distraction some days.

"I've gotten everything I needed," Rey said. "I'll... just follow you."

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