Before the Wedding

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"Your mom wants you to look over the guest list," Finn says to me over the hum of our desert speeders.

"Why?" I ask. "I won't know anyone on it." I look ahead, across the hot desert. ."Are you sure this is where the Jedi worshippers are?" I stop my speeder and jump off. As I start to walk I notice that the sand drops down into canyons below. We're standing on a mesa, the southern Buttes of Jakku.

Finn stops his speeder too and gets off. He removes his head covering, looking a lot more overheated than I am. "I think your mom is hoping you won't recognize any of the names on the list, from the First Order at least," Finn says, pulling out his small port reader. "RSVP is through military identification passport codes only." He wipes his forehead. "News of your wedding is getting around fast and people are flying in from all over, wanting to attend."

I sigh. "I thought it was supposed to be a small event."

"It is." Finn hands me the port reader. "Here's the short list."

I remove my head covering and glance at the names,

Chewbacca, Connor, Raidraiar, Zaczy, MJ Pereson, Lexy Treece, Chiharu Okabe, Ica, Alexa, Wen Shuang, Viva, Sara, Taylor Sweet, Peparuiz, Lisipadme, Peggy R, Korvescence, Hagane, Mary, Amaris

Even the droids are listed, R2D2, BB-8, C-3P0, Kanzieb77, Bella7, dms1121.

"Looks fine to me." I hand Finn back his reader and take off my desert Robe to let my skin breathe. The jump down to the bottom of the Buttes is a bit far, but I can slow my fall using the Force. I turn to Finn.

"I'll wait up here," he says, looking down.

I nod and then jump, slowing my fall before I hit the bottom.

The air is instantly cooler in the shade of the mesa, and the ground is sticky like clay. The sound of trickling water bounces off the sand stone walls around me. I take a deep breath of air, there's no sand blowing here and it's quite refreshing. The skin on my arms feels tight with too much sun exposure and the cool air soothes it. Finn warned me to cover up this morning but it wasn't hot out when we started heading to the Southern regions to find the Jakku church of the Force. Mom asked us to come here and find a Jedi Master to preside at our ceremony.

"We've been expecting you." A man in a Jedi robe stands in the shadows watching me. He removes his hood revealing a head of silver grey hair. He reminds me of Dukath and I frown.

"I came to ask for a Jedi Master that could preside at a wedding ceremony," I say.

"We at the church of the Force don't seal marriages," the man replies.

I had already guessed as much, but mom wanted us to come, likely to keep us busy while her and Rey are away at Ogem, a neighbouring planet with a busy trading outpost that has fabrics and tents and other such things that Mom wanted for the wedding. Although none of that really matters, the trip is mostly to keep Rey away while her parents recuperate and regain their strength at the infirmary where they are being treated for prolonged exposure to the dark blue crystal. I haven't even seen them yet. Not that I've made an effort to. Snoke's words still haunt me from the grave, that I've spoiled Rey's heritage as a princess somehow, by just being who I am, or who I once was.

"Thank you for your time," I say to the Jedi Master. It was a full half-day's trip here and I'll request a shuttle to be sent for our return because I don't think Finn will make it back. Plus we're out of water already.

"We will, however..." the Jedi Master says, "make an exception for the Keepers of the Peace."

I look at him. Is he talking about Rey and me? "I'm aware of the Jedi code forbidding two Force Sensitive-" I start to say.

"In your case, the union has been written in the stars, for those who can understand it to see. The one who destroys the Supreme Leader of the First Order and, the other who rises from death once the Dark Lord Snoke is destroyed, these two together will be the new Keepers of the Peace in the galaxy. I've seen the visions myself. Your great deeds proceed you and I am well aware of who you are Master Ben Solo."

My shoulders relax as his words fill me with peace. "Then you will come?"

The Jedi Master nods. "I will."

"The wedding will be in a few days. We will send a shuttle-"

"No need. I will start my pilgrimage to the celebration soon. I have waited long for this day. A privilege and an honour it is to me. You have fought great battles, faced great dangers and won victories both in the galaxy and within your own soul. You will continue to uphold the balance that is needed. You've proven your worth as a Jedi and a Lord worthy of the one who is soon to rise to her destiny."

I have no words to say. I can only stand there and watch the Jedi Master walk slowly away, back into the shadows from where he came. This is really going to happen. I've known for weeks but the reality of it is only now hitting me. Rey and I are going to be married, and we will also be the targets of many throughout the Galaxy including the First Order, but also the hope of many. In a few short days, I will be Rey's and she will be mine.

* * *

I loosen the collar of my uniform and peek out from the curtains of the Preparations Tent to the setup outside. The sun is already beginning to go down and it isn't the heat that is making me sweat, it's the thought of our wedding night tonight, as well as meeting Rey's parents for the first time, her seeing them again, the crowd of people out there, sitting beneath the flowing tents of silk fabric all dressed in the fine clothes of their cultures, watching us.

This would be easier if I was allowed to see Rey. I haven't seen her in over a week. When she returned I was told I couldn't see her until the wedding day. I'd been eagerly awaiting for her to get back so I could finally lay down with her in her quarters, if only just to remind myself that she really does love me, that I really did have the courage to touch her body not too long ago and she actually did want me to. Because after a week of her being away I'm beginning to doubt the reality of any of this. It all seems too good to be true, like I'll wake up and find out none of it has happened.

I grind my teeth and pace the small area inside the tent. An irrational fear grips me, Rey flying off with Finn on a small spacecraft, instead of going through with the wedding ceremony, having had a week away from me to clear her head and think about it and change her mind.

"Master T'hakud is finally here." Mom storms into the tent almost running into me. "Oh, Ben. Why are you standing right at the entrance?" She smiles. "You won't see Rey out there, not until everyone is in their places and seated. Are you ready?"

"Where's Finn?" I ask.

"He's making sure everything is in order with the security fleet that's in orbit outside Jakku. Had I known you were going to ask him to be your Best Man I would have appointed someone else as the Commander of Security Operations."

"No one else would have been more fitting for the title of Best Man, than Finn," I say. "He saved my life more than once."

Mom pats my arm. "You look wonderful Ben. And very nervous. Are you going to be alright?"

I nod.

"Do you have the ring?"

I nod again.

Mom puts her arms around me and gives me a hug. She's even shorter than Rey and her hugs are so humbling.

"I'm proud of you," she whispers. "And of Rey too, with all you've been through." She pulls away. "We traded a Combat Cloud Car and an old B-Wing Starfighter for a luxury shuttlecraft for you and Rey."

"Why? We can stay on the Starship."

"This is for travelling," Mom says. "You two can go have a little time to enjoy being married, before Hux regathers his forces and shoots that damn Meth Star at some other planet, or who knows what else he'll think of next."

"He's powerless without Snoke."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that... But it's your wedding day and I hope you'll enjoy your union for as long as you have time away to enjoy it."

I close my eyes for a second, imagining the sheer wonder of spending even one entire day in bed relaxing with Rey.

"She'll want to stay with her parents," I say, the image of us on a vacation island quickly slipping away.

"Perhaps for a bit. But they will have to sleep at night and you can at least have the luxury of a comfortable spacecraft for a little privacy."

"Thanks Mom."

A flute begins to play a lively melody outside the tent and my heart speeds up.

"That's our cue!" Mom takes a hold of my arm. "Are you ready?"

I don't answer as she opens the tent curtain and we step out.