Discovery

2 weeks before the birthday party

That morning, in the sunlit breakfast room of the Solo-Organa estate in Holmby Hills, the quiet was broken only by the soft clink of spoons and the rustle of newspaper pages. Leia Organa sipped her tea and glanced at her son, who sat across from her, frowning slightly at the headlines.

"Ben, honey," she said, setting her cup down gently. "I need to sort through some old Organa Securities contract files. They're stored in the basement vault. I'd like you to review them for me. It'll be good exposure to real contracts. Legal theory in action."

Ben lowered the newspaper and sighed softly. "Sure, Mom."

"Thank you," she smiled. "It really helps."

A few hours later, they arrived at Organa Securities' sleek, glass-clad headquarters in downtown L.A. After dropping Leia off at her office, Ben headed down to the basement. Cold, concrete-walled, lined with tall gray safes and rows of locked cabinets.

A clerk was already at one of the filing units, keys in hand. "We're pulling the older contract records today, Mr. Solo," he said as he swung open a heavy safe door. Inside, cardboard boxes were neatly labeled by year and client.

Ben started sorting through the files, glancing at standard agreements. Celebrity protection clauses, risk waivers, NDAs. The usual.

But then, his eyes caught a brown envelope, thicker than the others. Sealed with cracked red lacquer. No label.

He hesitated.

Inside, he found a contract dated June 5, 2010, a settlement agreement between Organa Securities and a woman named Shmi Skywalker. The file referenced an "incident" at the Galactic Center Stadium. The name Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared multiple times.

Ben's heart slowed.

He knew that name. A musician, once so famous. Died suddenly under murky circumstances.

He skimmed the clause again: Shmi Skywalker, listed as Kenobi's partner, had received an enormous financial settlement in exchange for silence. No lawsuit. No public statements. No blame attributed to Organa Securities.

His hands clenched around the paper.

As a law student trained in ethics and corporate accountability, Ben knew what this was.

A payoff.

A cover-up.

And at the bottom, Leia Organa's signature.

He stared at it, heart pounding.

---

Later, after helping the file clerk wrap up, Ben tracked down one of Organa Securities' junior legal staff, a quiet but competent attorney named Barriss Offee.

"Do you know anything about a settlement with Shmi Skywalker?" he asked, keeping his tone light. "Something connected to the Galactic Center Stadium?"

Barriss frowned, thinking. "That's… really old. I've seen the name somewhere in legacy case files. Let me check."

He typed quickly, but after a moment, shook his head. "Not much. The settlement was handled externally. Notes say it was referred to Tano & Associates."

Ben's eyebrows lifted. "The Solo family firm?"

Barriss nodded. "They're usually brought in for… sensitive matters."

That only made Ben's suspicion deepen.

---

Back at his desk, Ben scrolled through his contacts and tapped on Poe Dameron.

"Poe Dameron here," came the familiar voice, smooth and energetic.

"Hey, it's Ben."

"Ben Solo! Man, you've been off the grid. Everything good?"

"Sort of." Ben hesitated. "Listen, I was helping my mom dig through old Organa files and found something about a case you guys handled. A settlement involving Shmi Skywalker."

There was a pause. "That name… yeah, I think I remember something. Obi-Wan Kenobi's girlfriend, right?"

"That's the one."

More tapping, then Poe returned. "Found a reference. Just a note in the archive index. No details in the system, which means it was handled entirely off-record."

"Is there any way I can see the file?"

"Hmm…" Poe exhaled. "Old archive like that would be a paper file, stored in the back vault. Not easy to access, but I might be able to swing it. I'll check with the archive clerk and get back to you."

"Thanks, Poe. I owe you one."

"Don't sweat it. I'm curious now. I'll text you if I find anything."

---

That evening, Ben sat alone in a dim booth at The Lab Gastropub, a popular USC haunt with exposed brick walls and soft industrial lighting. His beer sat mostly untouched as he stared through it, thoughts racing.

He pulled out his phone and tapped Hux.

Ten minutes later, a tall man with a buzz cut and sharp eyes slid into the booth across from him.

"Solo," Hux greeted, no warmth in his voice, but no hostility either.

"Hux. Appreciate you coming."

Hux smirked. "You only ever call me when there's something interesting. Or illegal."

Ben managed a half-smile. "Not illegal. Just old. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Shmi Skywalker. The Galactic Center Stadium."

Hux raised an eyebrow. "You're digging into that mess?"

"There's something that doesn't sit right. I want to know what happened. I need someone with access to real records."

"Convenient," Hux said. "Because I'm someone who's very nosy and hates unsolved questions. I'll see what I can find. No promises. Stuff that old? Probably sealed tight."

Ben nodded. "Just… anything you can dig up. Especially about Shmi."

Hux drained half of Ben's beer without asking. "Give me a few days. And don't go stirring up trouble before I report back."

He stood, straightened his jacket, and gave Ben a dry smirk. "You look like someone about to jump off a cliff. Don't do it yet."

Ben watched him disappear into the crowd.

---

Back at the table, he stared at his empty glass.

Now he had two leads, Poe and Hux. Two different paths to the truth.

A truth he wasn't sure he was ready to face.

But something deep in his gut told him this wasn't just about a long-dead musician or a buried case.

Somewhere beneath the silence and the signatures…

There was something more.

And the name Rey Kenobi, still unknown to him, would soon become impossible to ignore.