She was frightened, but she didn't know why. The torture in Snoke's throne room and the Battle of Crait was six months ago. At the time, the First Order, under the leadership of Kylo Ren, brought complete turmoil to the galaxy. Nowhere was safe, not even the new Resistance base which hid in the lush, tropical jungles of a new planet–Supher. No longer was Rey a scavenger. Now, she was one of the best scouts in all the Resistance, aside from Poe Dameron. She also was a teacher.
During her scouting trips, she brought back Force-sensitive orphans, aliens, and people from planets that had been destroyed and conquered. When Rey was on Ahch-To with Luke Skywalker, she took the ancient Jedi texts from the hollowed-out tree that Luke claimed was the library of the Jedi Academy. In fact, here was Rey now.
She had just returned from Canto Bight on Cantonica, the place where Finn and Rose went when they were looking for a code breaker, and picked up a young boy, who she felt was as Force-sensitive as her–Temiri Blagg. He might've been a slave, but Rey hoped to give him a better life on Supher.
A cute little boy, Temiri had short brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. He wore a leather hat on his head, as well as leather pants, an olive-green shirt, and a tan jacket that was a little too big for him. He and Rey floated in outer space, slowly making their way to Supher. Temiri annoyed the heck out of Rey. He kept asking questions like: "Where are we going?" "Why did you take me instead of my friends?" "Who are you?"
It got so bad that Chewbacca slapped his furry hands over his ears. That caused the Millennium Falcon to spin out of control, until Rey finally saved her.
She peered over her shoulder to the boy. "Will you be quiet? You've been talking nonstop since we left Canto Bight."
"But this is a huge adventure for me! I never thought I would be riding in the Millennium Falcon with the famous Chewbacca and a very pretty girl!"
Rey blushed when Temiri said that. She thought it was just a tiny bit weird for a ten-year-old boy to be hitting on a twenty-year-old girl.
Temiri rushed to the back of her seat and gripped the top of it. "Now that I think about it, you never told me your name. You just landed in Canto Bight, told me that it's time to go, and pulled me aboard."
"It's Rey," Rey quickly stated. "My name is Rey, and I took you because you are just as Force-sensitive as me."
"Really?"
Rey nodded. "Yes. In fact, I want you to attend my academy."
"Academy?"
"A Jedi academy. I promised Master Luke that I would not fail him."
"Whoa! You knew Jedi Master Luke Skywalker?" Temiri's jaw dropped. "So, all the stories I read are true!"
Chuckling, Rey told the boy, "If you say so. It's time that we live our own story and take out the First Order forever."
Just upon hearing the name, Temiri shivered. He sank back down in his chair. "So, I went from slavery to slavery again?"
"I wouldn't say slavery." Rey looked back to him. "It's more like a recruitment of soldiers. Trust me on this, Temiri. I know what I'm doing."
The Falcon dipped down into Supher's green and blue atmosphere, and at once, all of Temiri's worries washed away.
Wow! What a beautiful planet! Supher was chock full of white sand beaches, sparkling water, and lush, green jungles.
"This is where I'm living now?" Temiri questioned Rey.
She nodded her head. "Yes. Look straight ahead." She pointed to the edge of one jungle, where a landing pad jutted out from its point. "That there is the Resistance base."
"So cool!" Temiri leaped out of his seat. He slapped his palms up against one of the Falcon's windows and grinned a stupid grin.
From where he sat, Chewie roared at Rey in a friendly way.
Again, she chuckled. "Yes, Chewie, I'm going to enlist him into the academy today. I have to say, that was quite a successful scouting trip. What do you think?"
Chewie had to think about it for a minute. When he finally made up his mind, he nodded to show he agreed.
The Falcon edged closer to the landing pad. Rey could barely see General Leia Organa standing at the edge of it with a few more Force-sensitive orphan children–three boys and one girl: Akinli, Akon, Beatrice, and shy Shudu. She and Chewie worked together to land the Falcon.
General Leia gripped the children's shoulders. "Here is your new family member. Let's give him a nice, warm welcome. That includes you, Akinli."
"Aw man!" Akinli complained. Still, he complied. He was the oldest orphan of the bunch, so it was not surprising that he liked to play pranks on the younger children.
Chewie and Rey's landing was perfect. They scooped up hardly any dust and did not toss people to the other side of the planet. Finn always did when he tried to land.
Rey shut off the engine. "Here we are. Welcome to paradise, Temiri," she told the new recruit.
"Awesome!" The excitement was too much for the broom boy to bear. He pulled on his boots and hurried outside, with Chewbacca right on his heels.
Rey stayed behind. She wanted a minute to herself. Just sitting in the Millennium Falcon's cockpit made her remember Han Solo. The day Ben Solo/Kylo Ren murdered him still haunted her. Han Solo was just like a father to her, and she sadly lost him so early. There were times when Rey hated Kylo, but also times when she felt pity for him, knowing the guilt he must've had when making his final decision. They were both so alike, Kylo and Rey; it frightened her but she had to let it go. Fear and anger were paths to the Dark side, and Rey most certainly did not want to turn to the Dark side.
General Leia felt her hate, fear, and sadness, so she decided to meet Rey on the Falcon's ramp. The young woman's three buns and tan robes danced in the warm, tropical breeze as she met eyes with the general.
Leia pulled her into a hug. She let her have her cry. "Han Solo is still here," she whispered in her ear. "You just have to believe."
"I know," Rey spoke. A tear ran down her cheek. "I just wish I knew how."
Meanwhile, Temiri hurried over to the group of orphans and waved hello to them. "Hello! I'm Temiri, and I'm from Canto Bight!"
"Canto Bight?" Beatrice questioned. "Isn't that where the richest people in the galaxy resign?"
"Is it really the paradise I've heard it is?" Akon wanted to know.
"Paradise?" Temiri scoffed. "I'd rather be here any day. That place is full of nothing but a bunch of selfish brutes, who think they're too cool for school."
"If you don't like school, then you shouldn't be here," said Beatrice. "General Leia and Master Rey are getting us ready to fight the First Order."
"And with fighting comes training," said Akinli. "Not to worry, little brother. We'll teach you everything you need to know about this place." He patted Temiri's shoulder.
In the meantime, Shudu cut himself off from the group. He was too shy to introduce himself. He slipped away from the landing pad and pushed his way through a cluster of overgrown ferns so he could reach the ocean.
A few minutes later, Leia and Rey returned to the orphans.
"Ah," Rey said with a smile, "I see you guys have already met Temiri."
"We sure have, Master Rey! And we're ready to tell him everything he needs to know about his new life here on Supher," Beatrice laughed.
"That's wonderful," Leia spoke, but then she noticed she and Rey were one orphan short. "Wait. Where's Shudu?"
"He was here just a second ago," Beatrice admitted. She, Temiri, Akinli, and Akon rotated their bodies and searched for him.
That was when Rey felt his presence. The Force. It guided her. She turned her body in the direction of the ferns he disappeared in. "Let me go get him. I know where he is."
"Do you feel the Force?" Leia asked curiously.
"Yes," Rey answered. "It's guiding me. I'll be right back." With that, she stepped forward and made her way to the ferns.
"But, Master Rey," Temiri cried from behind, "what if something awful is over there?"
"Trust me," Rey repeated. "I know what I'm doing." Without another word, she dove into the ferns. She left a very concerned Temiri behind, as well as General Leia Organa, and the small group of Force-sensitive children.
