15. Fate

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Rey learns from the best in in Cloud City.

The old man sits back in his chair, studying the cards in his hand. He looks relaxed, bored even, lids drifting lazily over his eyes.

"I think…" He tilts his chin up. Suddenly, he leans forward, eyes bright with mischief. "I'm gonna raise." He smiles slyly, taking four chips from his stack and throwing them to the center of the table.

Rey watches casually. She reaches for her own stack of chips, her expression neutral.

"I'll see your raise…" Her fingertips slide down a column of chips. "And I'll raise you four more." She gingerly lifts the column and releases it into the pot.

The old man tsks, reaching over for more chips. "Overconfidence is the amateur's bane." He casts a glance at Rey.

She fights a smile. "Ok." She straightens. "Time to call."

"Not so fast, missy," the old man warns. "I haven't had my turn to trade. You're looking too eager. Trust me." He dips his chin. "You never want to look too eager when playing this game."

"Well, excuse me." Rey looks at him evenly. "I just assumed that if you were confident enough to raise, then you wouldn't need to trade." She squints, beckoning him to challenge.

The man stares at her, his face a blank. A few seconds pass in silence.

"Right you are," he finally admits, sitting back in his chair. "Show what you've got, Jedi girl."

"You do know I'm not a Jedi, right?" Her lips turn up as she reaches for her cards.

"My dear, that is how Leia described you when she asked that I look after you and so that is what you are." Lando Calrissian winks.

"Well then, it sure is easy to become a Jedi these days." She turns over her cards.

Lando sits up, peering at her hand. He instantly scoffs, shaking his head.

"You killed me." He turns his cards to reveal a measly total of nine. "You have the best beginner's luck of anyone I've ever seen. And trust me when I tell you…" He raises a knowing eyebrow. "I've seen a lot of Sabacc players in my time."

"Well…" Rey draws out the word. She looks up at Lando with a flash of shame. "I'm Force-sensitive, so I felt you were bluffing." She scrunches her face.

Lando lets out a good-natured laugh, standing from his chair.

"But the lady admits her advantage." He lifts a finger. He chuckles to himself as he walks away, his cape rippling behind him. "And she claims she's not a Jedi," he mutters.

"Being Force-sensitive and being a Jedi aren't the same thing, you know." Rey leans over, watching him rummage through an overhead compartment.

"I wouldn't know about such things." He closes the compartment, then walks back with another deck of cards. "I'm only a humble mining operator."

"Only a mining operator," Rey repeats incredulously. "The great Lando Calrissian? Hero of the Rebellion? The man who fired the shot that destroyed the Death Star at the Battle of Endor? The greatest gambler in the galaxy?"

Lando grunts as he retakes is seat. "Greatest gambler in the galaxy, huh?" He says absently, focusing on the new deck of cards. "People aren't still saying that, are they?"

Rey tilts her head, studying this man, this legend she's heard so much about.

"You know…" She purses her lips. "Based on your reputation, I didn't expect you to be so humble."

Lando laughs softly, gathering cards into a neat stack. "Age has a way of changing a man." There's a heaviness in this response. For a moment, he grows distant, but the look passes quickly. He glances at Rey, eyes crinkling. "Just a little."

She grins as he extends a palm, gesturing for her cards. She hands them over and he quickly adds them to the stack, continuing to clear the table.

"Are we done playing?" Rey looks on curiously. "I didn't scare you off, did I?"

"Oh no." He waves a hand. "But I'm an old man, I'm getting tired, and if tonight is truly your last in Cloud City…?" He looks up with a question in his eyes.

She scrunches her face, nodding. "Chewie's coming in the morning."

Lando hangs his head in feigned disappointment, though Rey senses its partially sincere.

"Then I can't go to bed before I leave you with a parting gift." He places the new deck of cards on the table, then raises a hand with a flair.

"A new game?" Rey scoots forward.

"No." He turns his head sharply. "What I'm about to show you is no game." He leans in with a mysterious glimmer. "No, this particular set of Sabacc cards…" He taps them twice. "Can do much more than win you a new ship. No, these cards…" His face falls serious. "Can reveal your fate."

Rey studies him, trying to sense whether or not he's joking.

"I see you aren't a believer in the art of fortune-telling." He raises an eyebrow, inviting confirmation.

"Well…" She takes a breath. "I don't know anything about it. And…" Her voice trails off. "I'm not sure I believe in fate."

Lando scoffs.

"The Jedi girl doesn't believe in fate!?" He looks her up and down. "Are you telling me that you believe in a Force that binds all life together but not the idea that this same Force has a plan for you, written in the stars?"

Rey parts her lips but says nothing. She looks down for a moment, furrowing her eyebrows.

"No matter," Lando says dismissively. "You don't have to believe in fate for fate to believe in you." In one swift motion, he sweeps a hand over the cards to array them in a straight line across the table.

"Pick one." He nods to the cards.

Rey eyes them warily, but soon shrugs, reaching out. Her hand hovers, eventually stopping to rest an index finger on a card to the right.

"The first card you choose…" Lando speaks as she slides it from the deck. "Represents you." He motions for her to turn it over.

Her fingers linger on the card before she flips it face up.

"Aaah." He brightens, looking impressed. "The Universe," he declares with an air of triumph. "Of course, you would be the Universe."

Rey straightens in her chair, excited in spite of herself.

"What does it mean?" She asks eagerly.

"The Universe is infinite opportunity." He gestures broadly. "Whatever you want to see, you will see it. Whatever you want to do, you will do it."

"Hm." Rey tilts her head, pleased with this result.

Lando nods to the cards again. "Pick another."

Rey reaches out, this time resting her finger on a card to the left. She pulls it out from the others, looking to Lando expectantly.

"The next card you choose…" He reaches out. "Represents your enemy." He flips the card over, then raises his eyebrows.

"What?" Rey tries to conceal her alarm.

"The Satellite," he begins darkly. "Means deceit or betrayal." His eyes drift up. "From someone close to you."

At this, she feels uneasiness in her belly. She stares at the card intently.

"One more."

She snaps up at Lando's voice. He nods to the cards again, and she reaches to the center, touching a few cards before settling on one. She pulls it slowly from the deck.

"The last card…" Lando speaks as she draws it to her. "Represents the outcome of your battle with the enemy."

Rey looks up and is greeted by solemn eyes.

"Go on," he urges softly.

Rey takes a breath then slips a finger under the card, turning it face up. "It's a star." She looks up, eager for Lando's interpretation.

He balks, surprised.

"The Star." He sits up. "Represents the coming together of opposing forces." He folds his arms across his chest. "It's also thought to represent love."

Rey knits her eyebrows. "That's a strange outcome, don't you think?"

Lando grunts softly. "I've seen stranger things." His voice is faraway. "And life has a way of surprising you in the weirdest and most wonderful of ways." He tilts his head back, a smile on his lips. After a moment, he shakes his head, returning to the present. He looks to Rey with twinkle.

"These cards…" He rests a hand on them. "Are yours."

Rey widens her eyes.

Lando lifts a hand, stopping her protest before it begins. "These are my cards to give to whom I wish," he says decisively. "And I wish to give them to you."

Rey shifts in her chair, a bit self-conscious but touched by his generosity. "Thank you."

"My dear, you're simply too good of a Sabacc player not to have your own deck." Lando places his palms on the table, pushing himself up. "Now I want you to take these cards…" He leans over to tap them. "And take some poor sucker for all he's worth," he finishes with mock ferociousness. He sweeps up the other deck, then begins making his way to the elevator.

Rey reaches to the scattered heap of chips on the table, starting to organize them in stacks.

"Good night, my dear," Lando calls to her. "But not goodbye. I'll see you off properly in the morning so I can say hello to an old friend."

"I'm sure Chewie will be glad for it." Rey looks up with a smile.

Lando stops next to the elevator, the door whirring open. "I was referring to the Falcon, but I'll be happy to see that old carpet too," he deadpans before entering.

Rey looks down, smiling to herself. She hears a door whir shut, then the elevator ascend, sweeping Lando up to his quarters. She refocuses on the chips, organizing them into even stacks.

After she finishes, she gathers the deck arrayed across the table, pulling them together neatly. She reaches for the Star and the Satellite card, joining them with the others, then pauses when she takes the Universe card. She means to study it for just a second, maybe two, but she finds herself laying it flat and folding her arms on the table, staring.

Whatever you want to see, you will see it. Whatever you want to do, you will do it.

She can't take her eyes off the card. She rakes over it, memorizing the shapes, the angles, seeming to search for hidden meanings in them. As she does, she thinks about fate… about destiny…

Rey bites her lip.

She wants to believe in this idea. Wouldn't life be simpler, better, if she knew she had a larger purpose to serve? Isn't there a kind of peace in knowing that she's following a predetermined path, that no matter what she does, whatever mistakes she makes, she will accomplish what she's meant to?

The thought makes her swell with impatience, like she can't wait to live out the rest of her life and see what happens…

But a second later, her shoulders sag.

It all sounds so perfect, so right… but wanting something doesn't make it true.

She sighs.

Then, she snaps up with a gasp. She was so lost in herself, it caught her unawares, that warmth creeping from within. It's already stretching to her chest and through her limbs, his presence drawing closer.

She stiffens.

But soon, she forces herself to relax, letting her breath out slowly and focusing on the rising warmth.

She's not fighting the bond anymore. She's trying her best not to get angry or annoyed when it brings them together but instead heighten her awareness of the situation. What is it about right now, this moment? What is it that he needs to see?

She bows, closing her eyes.

And just like that, he's next to her. She waits a few seconds before shifting to face him.

He stands tall, arms at his sides, looking up and around the room. He's confused, like he can't quite place something.

She glances at her surroundings and realizes how strange it must be to find her here. Lando's apartment is lavish with crisp white surfaces, expensive furniture, precious metals carved into sculptures, a glimmering chandelier hanging from the ceiling. He's so used to seeing her outside, grimy and wet, or in a junk-filled room, never in a place like this.

His eyes drift to her, lingering for a moment before moving to the table. The instant he catches sight of the cards, he grunts in recognition.

"Lando." This is a statement, not a question. "Of course, you're with Lando."

"You disapprove?" She tilts her head back.

"No." He shakes his head. "There's no safer place in Cloud City. Though…" He narrows his eyes. "You should know the man has a very loose relationship with the truth." He walks around the table.

"Some would say he has a gift for embellishment." Rey watches him.

He doesn't respond to this, picking up the deck of cards and thumbing through them with casual interest. He sets them back on the table.

"At least he's teaching you how play a real game." His lips tease up.

It's all she can do not to roll her eyes. Instead, she leans forward, resting her forearms on the table.

"Apparently, I'm quite good." There's a challenge in her eyes.

He raises his chin a fraction, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he studies her. Then, he looks away, shaking his head, more to himself than her.

She sits back with a sigh.

"Ah, yes." She folds her hands in her lap. "I forgot. You don't play games." She shrugs. "Just as well. You've probably forgotten how to play."

A chair scrapes on the floor, and he sits, snatching the deck and cutting it in half, beginning to shuffle expertly.

Rey fights a smirk so hard that her face hurts.

He is just too easy. The slightest ding to his pride and he completely caves. She needs to remember this. It could be very useful one day…

He cuts the deck, flipping the cards into each other, then sets them to the side. He reaches for a stack of chip but Rey halts him, holding up a hand.

"No." She leans forward. "Let's not play with chips. I just got finished organizing them."

"Rey." He eyes her dryly. "I'm sure Lando has a droid that's sole purpose is to organize cards and chips." He pulls a few stacks to him. "Besides, betting's half the fun of Sabacc. If there's no betting, there's no bluffing."

"But there's no point in bluffing for us," she protests. "We can sense the other's emotions. It won't take one round before we learn to read each other's bluff."

He stops, his hand halfway over the deck of cards. He slides back in his chair, working his jaw as he thinks.

"How about this," she offers. "Let's skip betting and play three rounds, then call. And instead of winning chips, the one with the better hand wins the opportunity to ask the other a question, and the loser has to answer honestly." She dips her chin.

He stares a moment, considering.

"Fine." He grabs the deck. "It'll go faster that way." He deals a couple cards, then slides them to her.

She takes them with a slight frown.

"I see you've assigned yourself the role of dealer." She flips the cards over to take a look. A five and a three. Not a great start.

"What?" He glances up. "Worried I'm going to cheat?" He raises an eyebrow. "If anyone has to worry about that it's me, considering your teacher." He lifts his cards for a quick look. His expression doesn't change but she can sense he's immensely pleased.

"Lando may have taught me a couple of ways to work the odds in my favor." She places the five card down, sliding it to Ben.

He grunts as he takes the card and gives her another from the deck. "Like hiding cards up your sleeve?"

"No." She reaches for the card and joins it with the other. A four. Not very useful. She notices that Ben didn't trade any of his own cards. "More like simply understanding the deck, being observant, and using logic to better calculate the odds." She takes the dice, shaking them in her palm before tossing them across the table. A two and a four.

"Card counting." He's clearly disapproving. "Don't you dare try that in a casino unless you want to lose a limb."

She rolls her eyes as she places the four card face down, sliding it towards him. "Lando taught me how to be discreet."

He shakes his head as he takes the card then gives her another. "There is no being discreet in a high rolling casino. They're very good at protecting their assets. I wouldn't put that to the test if I were you." His gaze lingers with a warning.

She ignores him, picking up her the card and turning it over. A two. Worse than a four. Her beginner's luck must be running out…

"It's not like I plan on doing any gambling soon." She reaches over to grab the dice. She starts to roll them but stops, looking to Ben. "Have you traded yet?"

He stares evenly. "I don't need to."

Rey raises her eyebrows.

He must have a very good hand.

"You know…" She jostles the dice casually. "If I roll doubles, you'll lose that hand and have to draw another."

His expression doesn't change, but he flinches inwardly.

She tosses the dice with a flair. A five and a three.

"You got lucky." She sweeps up the dice. "But the question is…" She leans in, jostling. "Will you be lucky twice?"

"You do realize the odds are in my favor." His tone is impassive but there's a smile in his eyes.

"Yes, but I've found that in this game, things have a strange tendency to go my way." Rey shakes the dice, preparing to release

"You're sure you don't want to trade?"

"Oh. Right." She drops her shoulders. At this point, she's just holding out hope that she'll roll doubles and cause him to lose his hand. "Give me a card." She puts the dice back on the table and extends a palm.

No harm in adding a card. With only a two and three, it's impossible for her to exceed twenty-three anyway.

He takes a card from the top of the deck and slides it to her. She picks it up, taking a quick look. It's all she can do not to balk. She fights to stay even, though she's sure Ben sensed her reaction. But she doubts he knows exactly how good her hand is…

She quickly adds the cards to her others and grabs the dice, shaking them. This time she's hoping to roll anything but doubles... She tosses them lightly.

A one and a six. Perfect.

Rey smiles, looking to Ben. "Time to show your hand."

He eyes her steadily. He's clearly curious to see what's suddenly made her so confident, but he doesn't seem worried, which makes her equally curious to see what he's been so smug about this whole time.

He reaches nonchalantly, turning one of his cards.

An eight.

He glances at her before turning the next one. Rey sucks in a breath when she sees it.

A fifteen.

Ben leans back, black eyes smirking. Rey gapes at his cards, shaking her head.

He drew perfect Sabacc, in his very first hand, no less. She's learned enough about card playing in the past few days to know how unlikely that is. There's only one hand that can beat it, the rarest in the game…

"What was it that I win, again?" He's gloating. "A question? One you have to answer honestly."

"Yes, that's right." She reaches for her cards. "That is, of course, if you had won." In one swift motion, she turns them over.

He jerks up, leaning over to inspect. His eyes widen when he sees the cards.

"You have got to be kidding me." He looks at her. "The idiot's array? I draw perfect Sabacc on the first round and you just happen to draw the one hand that can beat it?" He narrows his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." She scans him up and down. "You were the one who dealt the cards."

He tilts his head in concession.

"I told you I was good." She wiggles up straight, collecting her cards and the deck to shuffle

"You're lucky."

"Lando says that in Sabacc, being lucky is the best kind of good you can be."

"He's not wrong." He purses his lips. "So, what's your question?"

Rey freezes mid-shuffle. She'd been too preoccupied with her victory to remember the spoils. She has no idea what question to ask…

She sets the deck on the table, then weaves her fingers together. There are so many things she wants to know… things about his childhood, about his training with Skywalker, about his being opposite to his own mother in a galactic war.

Yet, despite her curiosity about his past, the question that first comes to mind has nothing to do with it. There's nothing in it that seems relevant to the bond's purpose, to reminding him who he is, but she can't kick the feeling that this is the right question, the reason why he's here.

She leans in, eyes on his. "Do you believe in fate?"

His lips part in surprise. He searches her face as if seeking a clue, where the question comes from. She catches a flash of vulnerability before he looks down, turning inward to private thoughts.

For a minute, he's quiet. It seems like forever before he glances up, and even then, he looks down again, thinking.

"If you mean…" His face is careful. "That there are certain things that are meant to be, then yes. But if you mean that there are outcomes beyond anyone's control, then no." His eyes drift to the ceiling. After a moment, he nods, approving this answer.

Rey sits up, absently tucking a leg into her chair. She stares at the table, chewing her lip.

"Your turn."

She snaps up.

"To deal." Ben nods to the deck.

Oh, right.

She grabs the deck, shuffling once, then deals two cards, sliding them face down to Ben. She deals herself two, not really paying attention, only glancing at her cards.

"You're not satisfied with my answer." He picks up his cards.

Rey presses her lips together, tucking one card into the deck and dealing herself another.

"I just…" She tsks. "Don't understand it." She takes quick look at her new card. "As far as I know, fate means that there are certain things that a person is meant to accomplish, regardless if they want to or not. By definition, it's something beyond control."

"No." He slides a card to her for trade. "A person can be meant for something, but whether it becomes reality is up to them. There are plenty of destinies that have gone unfulfilled, either because someone lacked the will to make it happen or refused to recognize it."

Rey listens, taking his card and dealing another.

"Take yourself, for example." He adds the card to his hand. "You have a destiny, but you would never have achieved it if you stayed on that desert home world of yours waiting for ghosts."

She bristles. She senses he has more to say but holds back. Probably something about her wasting her time with the Resistance. She sweeps up the dice, tossing them.

A four and a three.

"I understand…" she begins irritably. "That nothing happens unless one chooses to act." She trades one of her cards without looking at the new one. "But isn't fate the idea that there are certain things we do that aren't so much choices as they are…" Her voice trails off.

Suddenly, she leans in, eyes bright. "The product of the perfect alignment of circumstances, designed to guide us to our destiny?" Her voice surprises her— so impassioned, almost desperate. She looks away, a little self-conscious.

Ben sits back, regarding her softly. "Why did you ask me about this?" The question is gentle. "What is the idea of fate so important to you?"

She looks up and is caught by dark eyes. His gaze holds hers in that way that makes her feel drawn in, like she'll become lost there.

Somehow, she recollects herself, looking down.

"If you want an answer to that question…" She turns up her cards for a quick glance— two elevens. "You'll have to win the next call." She winks.

He rolls his eyes, but his lips turn up. He slides one of his cards over for trade.

"Besides…" She takes the card. "You just deflected from my question about actions guided by circumstances beyond your control—"

"There aren't things beyond your control," he cuts her off. "Especially when it comes to one's actions."

She stops cold just as she was sliding him a new card. "You realize that's patently absurd."

"Rey…" He snatches the card from her. "People speak of things out of their control as an excuse for inaction or poor choices. Most things can be in your control if you have the will to make it so."

Rey grunts, reaching for the dice.

"I'm sure it seems that way to you." She tosses them with a flick of her wrist. "You're in a position where everyone around you follows your word as law. Of course, you think everything is in your control."

"I came into that position through my actions, through taking control of my own destiny." He twitches.

Rey sets her jaw, briefly checking her cards. Two elevens, that's right. She should win with that. She looks at Ben with a little fire.

"One of these days." She leans closer. "You're going to run across something that's completely beyond your control, and I can't wait to see it."

He stares at her, his face like a mask.

She snatches the dice, leaning back. "One last chance to trade." She jostles them casually.

He shakes his head, and she tosses the dice. To her surprise, they settle on two threes. She tsks, sitting up.

"Give me your cards." She holds out a palm.

He knits his eyebrows. He hadn't been paying attention.

She nods to the dice, and he nods in recognition. He hands his cards to her and she takes them, adding them to the bottom of the deck with her own before drawing two others.

"Well, this should be interesting." She draws two for herself. "It's time to call." She nods to him.

"You first."

She shrugs, then turns over her cards, revealing a thirteen and a five. Not bad for a newly acquired hand. She tilts her head, pleased, then looks at Ben.

"You now." She nudges her chin at him.

He sighs and sits up, seeming bored. That is, until he turns over his cards.

A twelve and a ten. Definitely the winning hand.

His face comes alive, his features glowing smugly. "Now where were we…" He leans in. "That's right. I asked you why the idea of fate was so important to you." He raises an eyebrow. "So…"

Rey sighs, sitting up straight. She stares into space for a minute, working her jaw.

She knows her answer to the question. It just feels strange to try to say it out loud, especially to him. She takes a breath, folding her hands in her lap.

"When I was on Jakku." She fixes her eyes down. "I had the same dream almost every night. You…" She hesitates. "You saw it." She glances up. "The ocean. The island. The cave." She looks down. "Then I went there, actually saw this place I'd been dreaming about for so long..." Her voice trails off, a sinking in her chest.

For a moment, she's quiet.

"And it was a disaster." She stares at the table. "Nothing went the way I expected. Everything seemed to go wrong." Her shoulders hang heavy. "It was like it was fate for me to be there, to finally figure out where I belong, but when I arrived…" She furrows her brow. "I must…" Her eyes grow distant. "I must have done something wrong."

"No."

Rey snaps up, surprised. He sounds so firm, so utterly confident.

"Your place was never on that forsaken rock with that tired old man and his tired old religion." He leans in, resting a forearm on the table. "Your destiny is so much bigger than that, Rey." His eyes ignite like black flames.

She gazes into them, in a trance. She couldn't look away if she tried.

"Rey." His tone is knowing. "Do you have any idea how powerful you are?" He raises an eyebrow.

She only stares wordlessly.

"I do." He's unwavering. "I feel it more every time the bond brings us together. Your power in the Force is boundless. Skywalker knew it. Snoke knew it. I know it. You've only just begun to unlock what you're capable of."

She's frozen, locked in his eyes. She feels his self-assurance, how utterly he believes what he says.

"This whole galaxy can be yours. Whatever you want, you can have it. You just have to reach out and take it." He leans closer at the last words. Then, he sits back, never looking away. "The universe is at your fingertips."

She instantly swells.

The Universe.

Whatever you want to see, you will see it. Whatever you want to do, you will do it.

His eyes soften, black flames dying to something gentler. She looks at him curiously, a heaviness in her chest. It overwhelms her until she almost brings her hand to her heart, wanting to ease a strange kind of pain. She remembers it from the kyber cave, those final moments before he disappeared. There's so much in the sensation, she doesn't know how to place it. It's like searching for an answer when she doesn't know the question

"Rey," he says her name softly. "You do have a place, somewhere you belong, and you will find it. Soon." The last word sounds like a promise.

"W-what…" She struggles to find her voice. "Makes you so sure?"

He doesn't answer her. Instead he just stares like he knows something she doesn't.

Then, he looks away, reaching for the deck and bringing it to him.

"If you want to know the answer to that question…" He motions for her cards. "You'll have to win the next call." There's a glint in his eye.

She grunts, ejected from her trance. She hands him her cards and watches as he adds them to the deck and begins shuffling. He cuts the deck and combines it several times before stopping abruptly. He brings the cards closer, thumbing through them.

"This is a strange set." He pulls one from the others, setting down the deck. "I've never seen one like this. Did Lando mention where it's from?"

"No." She shakes her head. "But it's mine now."

"Really?" He raises an eyebrow, placing the card face down. "So, the greatest Sabacc player in the galaxy taught you to play and gave you a one-of-a-kind deck?" His lips turn up. "If there is such a thing as fate, it's definitely on your side."

She smiles, drawn in by his eyes. So strange… They can be so cold, like black holes, then sometimes, they're like this, a darkness that shines.

She jerks back, jarred when they suddenly disappear— his eyes, his face, all of him, sitting before her one moment, gone the next. She blinks, shaking her head. There's an abruptness to the way the bond ends that feels like waking mid-dream.

She stares at the empty chair across the table, feeling the loss of his presence.

And her spirits drop.

She bows, pressing her lips together. She takes a moment to acknowledge the change in herself. There's a hollowness where there wasn't before… But there's also something else, something like…

Conviction.

And drive.

She starts nodding without realizing it.

Yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

She does have a destiny, something she's meant to become.

But she can't just wait for it to fall in her lap. She needs to search for it, to look for opportunities to test the limits of what she can do.

You've only just begun to unlock what you're capable of.

She rises, Ben's words echoing in her mind.

Yes, that's it. She needs to grow, challenge herself, maybe even take some leadership responsibilities. Poe's always saying she's too smart to be a foot soldier… Maybe she should talk to him about opportunities for promotion, take a greater role in the Resistance.

She walks to the other side of the table, sweeping up the deck of cards and continuing to the bedroom.

She doubts she'll get much sleep. Her mind is too busy, running through all the ways she can start challenging herself, seeing what she's made of.

She enters the hall but stops, turning around. She makes her way to the table, remembering the card Ben pulled from deck. He hadn't put it back with the others, still lying it face down to the side. She picks it up, glancing down.

She halts, stiffening. She looks at the card for a moment, uneasy.

Then, she shakes her head, smiling at herself. She gets her fortune read one time, and suddenly she's superstitious?

She slips the Satellite card into the deck, then turns to go to bed.