Fandom 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕛𝕖𝕕𝕚 (ᴜʟᴠ / ɪɴᴠᴀᴅᴇʀsᴘᴏᴛᴛʏ)

[invaderspotty]

Maybe she was mistaken but the Senator seemed calmly then she imagined he'd be at her callout. Or maybe it did make sense, since meeting him he had only ever presented himself calmly and professionally...apart from the closet thing.

She could sense him tense up, like he didn't quite know what to say or do. Rey wondered if he just believed she would be able to tell whether he was lying. Even if he lied, she knew he had to be. At this point it was unable to be ignored, she felt it radiating from him just sitting here. It was similar to the connection she shared with her master, or any force wielder nearby. They all just, felt each other. She could never truly explain how it felt.

Rey didn't laugh, she was able to see that Ben felt a bit awkward.

And she almost opted to agree that it was the 'incident in the closet', but then with his next words she tensed up a bit too.

She reminded herself that she had never experienced anything like this before, she had no idea if this was simply how it would feel to encounter any other type of force sensitive being that wasn't a Jedi. It was easy to feel settled by a Jedi's presence, but it was easy to feel skeptical with someone else.

Keeping herself concentrated on piloting, even though it was a smooth glide into space, she blinked.

"I felt it. And the closet thing didn't help your case." She mused, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

What could she say really? She couldn't resist pestering him with more questions, he was quite interesting -- especially now. Did he realize just how much power he probably had? He obviously knew of his abilities, so why didn't he use them? Did the Queen know? With his mention of Luke an Anakin, she figured they obviously knew. But then --?

"Can I ask why you didn't...join the Order? Surely my master and your grandfather encouraged it?" There was no judgement in her voice, just plain curiosity and confusion.

But really, could she blame him for not wanting to join the Order? As much as she appreciated the training she had, the people she had, if she had been given a chance at a normal life as well...she might have taken it. She had heard about the past vows as a Jedi, no attachments and such. But things were different now. Still, she served as a peacekeeper and that was fine with her.

That didn't mean something wasn't missing though.

Maybe that was why he didn't want to join, he wanted his normal life without those responsibilities and complications.

 

[ulvjedi]

The senator had lightly ground his teeth together to attempt to relieve the tension that was still surrounding him regarding the topic he talked about so little with anyone. He watched the woman as she responded to his questions with ease, nodding along as he took them in.

He couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at one corner of his mouth as she tried to make light of the situation, practically teasing him for the closet incident. “Yeah, I figured it wouldn’t.” He mused back lightly with a weak snort.

There was some remaining embarrassment for how he instinctively handled the the situation, knowing he should’ve done better at controlling his outburst of power.

Ben turned his focus back onto Rey, able to look at her fully again after having the confirmation completely out of the way. He listened as she questioned her. Of course she did, he should’ve sensed it coming. She was simply full of questions for him.

“You’re right, they both did encourage me to join the Jedi Order when I was young.” He said with a pause as he thought on the why before responding, “The reason is my mother. If I had any younger siblings, I would’ve probably said yes and followed my uncle and grandfather. But where I am an only child, I couldn’t leave my mom like that. Especially not while my dad went back to doing the only work he knew how to do. I didn’t want to leave her alone… so I asked if she and my grandmother would mentor me into becoming a successful senator instead.”

“Now, I’m not entirely untrained, of course. One of the times visited the temple was for them to help me learn how to control my abilities to the extent of my emotions. I’ve always had a temper and one time I was so angry that some of my grandmother’s decorative pots shattered so I had to learn how to control my emotions better. I am untrained when it comes to moving things, but I was able to move out of the way from the first attack on myself just fine.”

 

[invaderspotty]

Rey could tell that this was far from his favorite subject, and she felt a little bad. However, he didn't seem to immediately brush her off and disregard her questions. He was instead opening up, and fully compliant.

She took in every word, not sure whether feel sympathetic for him, or something else. It was simply his life story though, it wasn't of any concern to her really. It didn't change anything in her life.

Maybe it would have...

If Ben had been included, perhaps they would've been trained together? Of course, their ages played a factor and he would've been knighted long before she was. But...she would've really gotten to know him. And she was very intrigued by that, conjuring up the possibilities and how her attachment to him could've been different. This feeling though, that one she felt when they met and touched hands, the one she'd been consistently feeling -- she was relieved to have an answer for it.

It was because he was force sensitive, right?

That's all it was.

Now she could stop wondering.

Rey was starting to suspect that Ben was not a huge fan of his father...so she internally noted to try and stay away from the topic. For more reasons than one, he was obviously closer with his mother and the political side of his family. Not that she knew a ton about him or his reputation as Senator, but surely if he was mentored by his mother and grandmother, he had to be pretty impressive in that arena. But with the temper that he mentioned, she wondered how that affected him. If such a small annoyance could cause disruption in him, wouldn't dealing with a Senate cause a lot more?

She had so many questions, and she finally recognized that that's all she'd been throwing at him. But...what else was there to talk about? They could just sit in silence, but she knew she didn't really want that. Did he?

"I see, so what you're telling me is that you can't lift that HoloComm over there." She gestured behind them with her head, trying to continue to keep the mood light. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel like she was judging him.

"But...I understand having to deal with strong emotions. There's been times I've let mine get the better of me too, more than you might think. That's probably why I consider myself better with a lightsaber than channeling the Force."

She was fortunate that she had been apprenticed to Luke, he had helped her a lot. Especially given her upbringing -- or lack of -- she knew she had a lot anger stuck deep down. It still came out sometimes, her master had taught her that the dark side was in everyone's nature...but she didn't want the dark side. She wanted to stay as far away from it as possible, and obviously Luke trained her as best he could.

What frightened her was that the council has begun to become a bit more...distant. Not with her specifically but with every Jedi. She knew she was missing something, and Luke had given away bits and pieces of things. All she knew was that a threat was rising, whether it was against the Jedi or the entire Republic -- she didn't know.

"Have you ever considered maybe having a foot in both worlds?" Why was she even suggesting this? "You are a Senator, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a bit more training, especially now that you're older and more settled into the role you want."

"I know it's none of my business though." She paused and gave a small laugh to herself. "Force, it sounds like I'm trying to convert you or something. I swear that's not my intention, I'm just curious."

She tried to ignore the feeling of attachment towards him, and even more that she couldn't identify the specifics of it.

 

[ulvjedi]

Ben followed her gaze towards the holocomm and then back to the girl with a soft scoff of a laugh leaving him at her question, "Not likely, no. I'm not sure if I want to even attempt it. You might throw the it's so easy, a youngling could do it on me." The senator didn't exactly expect the girl to say such to him regarding his inability to use the force in that sense, given he told her just how limited his abilities were, but it was still nice to joke around with it.

He listened as the information that she gave him about herself, willingly. He understood what she was doing, expressing that she understood through the means of sharing that she struggled with her emotions as well. Which the senator believed, there was no way that jedi didn't struggle with it t some extent. They were organic beings no matter if they were human or wookie or any other species, and they all dealt with emotions.

"Living is dealing with emotions. It's unrealistic to believe otherwise. But yes, I think I might've been the same way if I had taken the jedi route. Lightsaber use seems to capture my attention more."

As a child he had practically idolized the jedi in his family— mostly his grandfather— imagining what it was like to fight in the Clone Wars beside the clones, use a lightsaber and fly a jedi starfighter. True, the Clone Wars had ended over fifty years ago, but that didn't stop the younger him from pretending he was a Jedi General. Now, he imagined a more realistic what if. He could've been trained by any great Jedi, though he wouldn't have been shocked if he ended up being his uncle's padawan before Rey. Which was another thing, given he and his uncle seemed to butt heads more than any other family member— all the more reason to have never joined the order He loved his uncle, yes, but the idea of being his padawan on top of choosing his mother over being a jedi? No thanks.

Another question left Rey's lips and the man met her gaze, listening to the words with a raised brow. "Becoming a jedi on top of a senator? I don't think that would go over well. Jedi and the senate are separate forms of power in the galaxy. They don't intermix well. Sure, the senate may ask upon the jedi for aid or even seek council regarding topics of peace, but a senator that is also a jedi? The senate would read far too into it and accuse the Jedi Order and myself of trying to overrun the senate. For being a room full of intellectual people, they tend to jump to conclusions more often than not. That's the main reason I keep my abilities hidden. I don't need to be starting any issues with my career."

He listened as the girl spoke, looking to his lap and the ship's controls then back to her, and nodded slowly as he understood her curiosity. His situation was a unique one. He probably would've been interested if it wasn't himself.

"You're alright, I understand you're curious. If I didn't have the senate breathing down my neck to worry about, then I might've considered more training now." He shrugged lightly with slight tug at one of the corners of his lips.

"How was training under my fun uncle, by the way? Was he as serious as usual?"

 

[invaderspotty]

As naturally intimidating and looming as the Senator appeared, he was far nicer than she would've imagined him to be. He was oddly calm and collect, as she recalled from before, but she could tell he was beginning to grow ever-so-slightly more comfortable with her. Or at least, with her questions that seemed to be never-ending.

"I could imagine you'd be quite frightening with a saber." She commented carelessly before looking at him and back-tracking. "Not that you're frightening, you'd just, what I mean is that -- you're very...tall."

Because he was. He towered over her and she realized she was grateful that they weren't enemies, that someone with such a powerful lineage and potential for power had not grown to become something darker. Her thoughts drifted, and she looked through the viewport in thought. And she recalled her vision, and the darkness that surrounded not her, but him. Sometimes it was conflicting to see just how powerful a family the Skywalkers really were.

And who was she?

Originally just a scavenger girl from Jakku.

You're more than that, you have to be.

Being an apprentice to the mighty Luke Skywalker, son of the Chosen One, had made her set unrealistic expectations for herself at times. Especially given the fact that, well, she had no idea who she was -- who she was the daughter of.

As Rey registered Ben's words, she wondered if that was really true. Hadn't Palpatine tried to convince the Senate that the Jedi were trying to take over the Republic? Would that plan have really worked? She found it hard to believe that nobody suspected Ben to be force sensitive, knowing his lineage. Would the Senate really react so badly? Regardless, a little training couldn't hurt him, right?

"Well, maybe not being a Jedi, but receiving a bit more training. So that you could have a bit more control over your abilities."

"I could always help you?" She offered hesitantly and slowly.

If he truly was adamant on his lack of desire to learn more, then she had no desire to push it. His presence was just very prominent in the Force to her, just sitting here beside him she could feel his connection to his surroundings -- and to her. And maybe it was more than that, she couldn't admit that she was overall interested in him and how she had been feeling. The idea of working with him on that connection, maybe even seeing why she felt his presence and emotions so strongly...it was intriguing. The more she thought about it, the more she pictured a bond, their potential, just -- him. Rey looked down at the controls, avoiding his gaze as she felt her cheeks heat just barely.

She felt something with him that she couldn't place.

Rey was grateful for the slight change of topic, and she breathed a sigh of relief mixed with a laugh. A smile spread on her face as she paused to think.

"Your uncle is very cautious. He says I rush too head-first into things sometimes. But he's very wise, I'm truly grateful to have had him as a Master." She told him, reflecting back on her years of training. "Sometimes I wonder how or why he took me on as an apprentice. I was older than usual, and I heard a rumor that Master Tano wanted to take me on as her Padawan. I'm not sure what actually happened to decide things though."

"I think I've always felt weirdly," She narrowed her eyes in thought. "Connected to your family, in a way that I can't explain. It's more than just familiarity."

"I don't know. Your uncle has always told me that the Force works in mysterious ways, and everything happens for a reason."

She was silent for a moment, internally hoping that she wasn't talking too much and just spewing things he didn't really care about. He looked like he'd be weirdly polite enough to not let her think so. But maybe not, she had already seen how annoyed he got quite easily. Maybe he was actually interested in what she had to say. And it was comforting talking to him.

"How was training under your mother and Padme?"

 

[ulvjedi]

The words that left the girl's lips caused Ben to almost freeze in surprise of them. He reared his head back slowly and tipped it to the side with a curious furrow of his brow. He'd be frightening with a lightsaber? Was that an indication that he would've fallen into the darkside like his uncle warned him about many years ago? Back when the old man offered to train him, though warned that he would have to control his anger because he could see the boy him be so tempted with the darkside? He blinked as she quickly backtracked, one brow raising and a corner of his lips twitched in amusement as he listened. "I am," he agreed as she commented on his height.

He thought on it a moment before agreeing that he probably would be intimidating at six-foot-three, given half of that last inch contributed from the height of his boots, with an ignited lightsaber and jedi cloak. It wasn't that bad of a picture to imagine, in the sense of thinking on the what ifs. He knew he would've been a powerful jedi, his family had all told him so at some point in his life.

Ben blinked towards her as she spoke again, pulling him from his imagination to listen to her curious offer to help him in his control. Before he could think it over, his mouth seemed to choose his decision for him as a soft, "Yes," left the man. He couldn't make out the why he would agree to Rey helping him learn more control of the force. He did have assumptions though, and it could be because he felt more... safe with her than say, Luke. She has gotten him out of his shell far faster than anyone else had done in his life before. She was easy to talk to in a less than professional sense and she seemed to truly understand him or take the time to try to.

The other guess he had was because his subconsciousness knew that if they worked together on force-related things, they may find the answers as to what this was between them. The connection that he, even with his limited teachings on the force, could sense was far different than he had with other jedi he had interacted with— within the circle that knew about him, namely being the legacy of masters and padawans within his family. He had never felt this strong and electric pull with them as he did with Rey. And every part of him wanted the why.

He took notice in they way her cheeks pinkened and her eyes downcast towards the controls before he asked about training under his uncle, choosing not to comment on it as it really wasn't his place. Despite the fact he probably could ask her about it where he had answered a sensitive question for himself. But he had already chosen to change the subject and she seemed relieved of such a thing, so he listened with mild curiosity as she answered.

Cautious? Not shocking. Commenting on reckless behavior? Also not shocking, he was sure he could hear what he said to Rey word for word and it would be similar to many things Luke had told him through the years. He nodded slowly as she stated that he was a wise master for her and that she was grateful for him. "He can be when he doesn't have a big head. My uncle had wanted a padawan for a long time before you. But he's picky and likes a challenge." He mumbled before blinking as she continued and raised a brow at the mention of his grandfather's first padawan. "Ahsoka would've been a better option." He commented quickly, "I would've gone with her if it meant not being trained by my uncle." He mused almost teasingly.

As she stated she had felt oddly connected to his family, he arched a brow and wondered silently just how long this connection had been seemingly dormant between them before their meeting. "I see," he said, not wanting to express his questions with her as he knew she didn't know any more about the connection than he did. He chose to make a mental note of it and save it for another time, when they were back on the topic of the electric pull between them. He nodded at the comment on the force and how it work, his lips twitching lightly in a slight smile. "It does." He said, seeing his mother and grandmother seem to believe that saying, too. Which made sense, seeing his grandmother was married to a Jedi Master and his mother was also force sensitive, just not trained nor as strong in the force as her twin brother. She did have an ability to reach out and speak to Luke through the force, though. He tore from his thoughts as she spoke again, this time asking him on his own life experiences.

"It was amazing. I did find some of it boring as a teenager, sitting in political meetings with them and listening to a lot of old people talking about the greater good of the galaxy. But my mother and grandmother both upheld this power to convince others to join in causes to help those that were struggling and it was inspiring to me. I wanted to be a part of that." He said softly. "The older I got, the more focused I grew in the senate meetings, taking in any information I could while my mother took the spotlight of the senate. I would sit back with my grandmother and she would explain what the issues were and what would be the best way to go about it. They are both wonderful women and I am lucky to have been raised by them. Not to mention, I wouldn't look nearly as well dressed as I am without them." He partially joked at the end. No, he probably would look like the other men in his family— jedi robes or some simple smuggler get up.

 

[invaderspotty]

She couldn't fight the smile on her face as he spoke, his voice was somewhat enchanting to listen to with how leveled and smooth he sounded. The Senator didn't seem nervous, just incredibly observation and polite. Rey couldn't tell if she was mistaking it for anything more than professional interaction, she wondered if he was usually this patient and invested in conversations with other strangers.

Well it is his job to present himself fondly to the people.

It didn't deflate her but she decided to keep it in mind.

"Oh of course." She jested back, still staring around at the hyperspace lights. It was true that he was dressed particularly well, more than she had seen other senators and she knew it had to be a mixture of both Naboo's fashion and his influences. And again, the smidge of jealousy rose in her. She had never cared about fashion before, she had admired it but as a Jedi she had never needed to think much about it. Her robes were simple, easily replaceable, practical. Rey had no need for anything else and that suited her just fine.

"About how many outfits would you say you have then?"

Honestly she wasn't quite sure why she continued to make conversation.

"I don't mean to berate you with questions, Senator. I'm just trying to fill the time." She tried to make the excuse, shrugging slightly and looking at him. Despite what she was saying, Rey could tell that he didn't seem to mind. Either way, he was choosing to placate her and she appreciated it. She was incredibly curious about him, and this conversation was...nice.

It was unlike most conversations that she had with others, and it was neat to meet someone else in the family. One that she weirdly hadn't heard much about or seen before.

Perhaps in a memory.

 

[ulvjedi]

The senator blinked lightly as he watched the smile appear on her face and was surprised to learn just how contagious her smiles were as he felt the corners of his own lips tug upwards slightly. It was like she was made of sunlight or something... which was an ironic thought considering her name was Rey. He rose a brow towards the young jedi as one corner of his lips tugged a bit wider as she agreed in an equally playful tone. He tore his gaze away from her and looked back towards the window as well.

Right as he believed they were going into a respectful silence between each other, he was asked yet another question, in which Ben narrowed his eyes slightly in a calculating manner. It was a hard question. He had so many outfits. All were bought by himself or gifts from his mother and grandmother through the years.

His mental count was cut off when she spoke again, blinking back towards Rey as she tried to excuse. The senator offered a shake of his head, adjusting how he relaxed in the copilot seat as he turned to face her more. "Don't worry, I don't mind the questions. I'm quite enjoying our conversations," he assured her softly before returning to his counting.

It was true, Ben was enjoying the conversations that they were sharing together. It was more interpersonal or casual conversation that he traditionally would allow to share. Especially with someone he had literally met that day. But as he had established with himself, she was easy to talk to and he may even go as far as to admit that he enjoyed her company.... to himself, at least. He will never express to enjoying his bodyguard's company to say his uncle or other family members. They would probably take it as him enjoying the guarding itself and he was too stubborn to even appear like he liked the situation. As for Rey, however, maybe someday he would express enjoying her company. Maybe when they know each other more.

He was losing his place of counting within his thoughts. That's when the senator decided enough was enough and to just guess. "As for your question, I think I have about sixty? Less that I still wear, seeing as I might've outgrown a few outfits. This is making me realize that I really need to go through and clean things out." He snorts lightly as he spoke, looking to the controls as a beeping indicated that they were nearing the coordinates for Coruscant and to think about maybe exiting hyperspace soon.

 

[invaderspotty]

She was relieved that he wasn't too bothered by her questions, she realized she normally wasn't this talkative. Curious, yes, but her bombardment of questions was unusual and borderline rude if she were being honest. Still, part of her considered Ben to be different than any other random passenger or Senator given his family.

Rey's lips fought against a more reinforced smile as he recounted his outfits, and even if he had far less than sixty -- it still blew her mind. How could one even need that many outfits? It was beyond her, but she found it amusing.

As the navigator gave a round of beeps, she reached a hand up.

"Watch yourself, we're exiting hyperspace." She informed him, eyes lifting to the lever.

The freighter gave a resistance to the gravitational pull but within seconds they were exiting in Coruscant space as Rey pulled the small lever back. As the blue streams of line disappeared around them, the light shining up from Coruscant provided a different type of view. All around them were ships of different shapes and sizes, different purposes and to anyone else it might be overwhelming but Rey felt fine. They were approaching the atmosphere but it was always surprising how much activity occurred far above the capital planet.

"Home sweet home." She whispered. For her, at least.

Opting for silence, she decided to focus on her piloting and getting them safely through the specifically lanes. There wasn't much left to their journey, and as they got closer to the surface, she couldn't deny the familiar feeling that the Jedi Temple gave her. It was impossible not to feel all the Force sensitive presence here, it was suffocating sometimes.

______________________________

As the sleek starship neared the Senate building, Rey wondered what the point even was of coming here. It was essentially a check-in, for the Senator of course. But also for her. Her master wouldn't be there of course, but she wondered who would be.

There were Senate guards that met the starship as she slowly lowered them to land. It was a soft landing, simple really, and she felt relieved as the ship settled with a satisfying hiss. She could see them out of the viewport, as well as the approaching group of politicians and -- Anakin.

She supposed it made sense, he was her master's father as well as the Senator's grandfather. Rey spared Ben a glance, her attention clearly more focused on the group awaiting them outside the ship. As she rose from her chair, she gestured to him. Lifting a hand, her fingers clicked the small button up top that lowered the exit ramp on the other side of the ship.

"After you, Senator."

 

[ulvjedi]

Ben hadn't needed the warning from his jedi companion as they were exiting hyperspace, already adjusting in his seat to avoid potential sore muscles from the shift in speed. He remained silent as she brought them in through the atmosphere and towards the top surface of the multi-layered city planet. All he could feel was relief now that they were heading to the senate building, the fact that he didn't have to abandon the bill or try to oversee it through holo sinking in and the stress that the queen and his family had put him through gone. He simply nodded as Rey expressed that they were 'home sweet home'.

Watching as she brought them closer to the building, he adjusted to sit on basically the edge of his seat so that a simple stand was the only thing needed to get up and leave the ship. He looked out the window, easily expecting the Senate guards given his life threatening experience... but what caught his eye among the group coming to greet them was a familiar presence and the sight of an old jedi.

Inwardly containing the boy-like excitement of seeing his grandfather, Ben stood as soon as the jedi next to him lowered the ramp door with a switch near her. He didn't need to be told twice as he made his usual long strides with a slight urgency. Reaching the ramp, he immediately shot his grandfather a slight smile, doing his best to remain professional as he stepped down the slate of metal.

Hurrying through the share of greetings with the other politicians, the senator made his way to greet Anakin, smiling softly as he moved to wrap his arms around him in a greeting hug. "Grandfather," he greeted in a slightly warmer tone than he had used for the others he said hello to. He wasn't shocked by the way the old jedi wrapped his arms back around him in a slightly tighter hug. "Hello, Ben," Anakin greeted before his gaze immediately flickered towards the jedi they had assigned to watch after his grandson.

"And hello again, Rey," he greeted with another smile directed to the girl as he gently pulled away from the hug with the boy, though he wasn't really much of a boy anymore. "I trust my grandson didn't put too much of a fight with the assignment?" He asked her in a partial teasing towards the senator.

"I didn't," Ben tried, keeping his tone leveled as they still had other politicians around them that didn't need to listen in on their private affairs. He quickly decided that they best start walking inside as to give the three of them more privacy to speak together. Perhaps in his flat? That might be ideal... He headed for the door, glancing back for them to follow, which Anakin seemed to notice as he turned to follow while still looking to Rey for her response.

 

[invaderspotty]

It wasn't hard to sense nor see the Senator's pleasure at seeing his grandfather, and her eyes widened as she regarded just how quickly he escaped the ship. More slowly, she finished any landing requirements and locked in safety devices before striding to the closet towards the back and retrieving her cloak. She was happy to see that Anakin had decided to greet them, and not too long after Ben left the ship did she appear the the base of the ramp.

Smiling fondly at her master's father, she made her way towards the two while giving a nod of greeting to the Senate guards that stood nearby.

Crossing her arms as she stopped near the two, she glanced between them and focused her attention on Anakin.

"Master," She dipped her head. "It's a nice surprise to be welcomed by you."

At his jokes, she closed her eyes and trapped a laugh within her smile. Looking at the pair of them side by side, she realized Ben was taller than his grandfather which spoke volumes to just how big he was. Blinking at the realization, met Ben's gaze for a moment as he spoke before she turned to Anakin.

"Your grandson has been very kind. Luke believes this mission shouldn't take too long, and I'll be out of your hair soon enough." She directed the last part to Ben.

Looking to her right, she immediately noted the small group of politicians approaching. One in particular drew her attention and she was intrigued to find Chancellor Mothma leading the group. She walked with purpose and it was clear her main focus was her colleague.

"Senator Solo, it is wonderful to see you unharmed." She stopped just a pace or so before him, the others practically latched to her. "I'm quite surprised to have heard that you were returning to Coruscant from Naboo."

Rey took a step back and more towards Master Skywalker, giving Ben and his little posse some room to breathe. Leaning in to whisper to Anakin, she kept her eyes on the others, gauging their interactions.

"Do you believe it's necessary for me to brief the council on how the mission has changed? Or shall I just remain with the Senator?" She whispered softly.

_____

Mon Mothma spared them a glance, looking back to Ben with a more comforted expression. Ben Solo felt like a godson to her, given how familiar she and his mother were. She didn't necessarily favor him, but her care for him and Leia made her more than relieved to see him safe. The presence of the Jedi was also a relief, and she knew that his familial ties to them would prove to be reassuring in these uncertain circumstances.

She had deeper concerns about the severity of this situation. To target someone within the Skywalker lineage...it said something. Things she and others worried about. But it was unclear whether the Senator truly realized this, and she wondered if it was prudent to have a conversation about it with him.

"I have to assume -- or hope -- that you only plan to remain on the planet until the Senate session regarding you bill has finished?" She asked, raising a brow at him as she clasped her hands together. "I'm sure your mother expresses the same hopes."

 

[ulvjedi]

"I couldn't not just come to welcome you both back to Coruscant. Not to mention, I haven't personally seen Ben in quite a while, so naturally I made the decision to show up," The master said with a smile, his wrinkles shifting in a delightful manner as he smiled between the two. Anakin watched as his grandson's expression shift to one of hesitant confusion as she expressed that she would be out of his hair soon enough, if Anakin didn't know any better it would appear that his grandson didn't seem to mind her company... at least enough to not consider it being her in his hair.

"We'll see," he said in response to the mention of his son expressing that it shouldn't take long. He didn't doubt Luke's abilities in finding and solving the assassination, but he did know that things often aren't always as they appear. Looking at his youth, he knew Chancellor Palpatine. He was like a secondary mentor to him growing up, no one would've expected him to be the Sith Lord that they had so desperately been hunting since before the beginning of the Clone Wars.


The senator had stood there, listening as Rey greeted his grandfather before directing a comment to himself. His brows furrowed lightly and his head cocked ever so lightly. Out of his hair? She's been doing nothing to make him annoyed with her to the point of wanting her out of his hair. Quite the opposite, actually. Given she was so easy to talk to. He went to assure her that that wasn't the case but stopped as a familiar voice cut him off. He looked to the old woman as she stepped towards him right as he was trying to herd Rey and his grandfather to his rooms. "Chancellor Mothma," he greeted quickly with a slight bow, stopping in his tacks.

Anakin glanced towards his grandson as the chancellor stepped towards him, beginning their own private conversation. He turned back to Rey as she spoke, listening to her words and smiling softly. "No, I can do that for you." He said. Besides, he was a master on the council anyways, in a way she already was reporting to the council. "I want you to remain with my grandson. He may have some... look I survived one time, I can again attitude, but I personally wouldn't like to take any chances. His grandmother may kill me, herself, if I turned a blind eye on the severity of this situation like that." He partially joked. He knew his wife wouldn't actually kill him, but maker, she could still become angry with him if something happened to Ben.

Off to the side, Ben was speaking with the chancellor, listening to her questions and nodding. "Yes, Chancellor, I am staying on Coruscant until after the bill is finished." He expressed before nodding slowly at the comment regarding his mother. He knew that she would love for him to succeed in passing a bill that would help the galaxy, but he also knew that his mother would also prefer him to be safe. "Of course she does," he said. "Is there an updated time on when the meeting will be held?" The senator asked, simply curious on if his situation had changed anything for the senate.