Chapter Text
Everything was a little charred around the edges. The entire area was in varying states of disintegration. Finn’s squad had succeeded in pushing the First Order completely off the planet, but it had come at a cost. There was casualties, both rebel and civilian, and the squad had called in for Rey and another squadron to help with the cleanup and recovery.
Rey’s nose curled up at the smell of charred wood and burning smoke. The sounds of dying, crackling flames and settling debris rang out all around her but she was distracted by another noise - a soft, high whimper. Rey moved towards the noise on instinct. She knew that she should have been more cautious, but the sound was so lonely and desperate that she knew that she had to find its source before it was too late.
It was impossible to tell what color the puppy’s fur was, since it was so covered in soot and dirt that it blended in with the chaos and destruction of the rubble around it. His tiny body was shivering despite the heat that surrounded them and Rey’s keen eye immediately focused in on the heavy piece of debris that had fallen across the dog’s hind legs, trapping him. His dark brown eyes stared up at Rey with quiet desperation as he let out another small yelp, begging for help.
“Rey?!” Finn wiped sweat from his brow, looking around for her. They had found a couple of people underneath a burned building and wondered if Rey could lift the rubble off.
Rey’s head snapped up as she heard her name being called, and the puppy’s ears pricked in curiosity as well. In one swift movement Rey bent down and gently lifted the piece of debris that was trapping the small animal. It wasn’t necessarily a very difficult task, but she was careful as she eased the weight off of the dog’s tiny body. She swept the dog up in her arms and ran to meet up with her partner. The rubble trapping the survivors was much more heavy than the small stretch of metal that the dog had been trapped under, and Rey had to reach into the strength of the Force in order to free the captives. She used her abilities to aid Finn and the rest of their group, and in no time the trapped individuals were able to squeeze out through the charred rubble, all of them coughing heavily, their skin turned black.
“It’s a Jedi.” One of the people choked out, staring at Rey. A soldier shushed the old man gently, offering him water.
“What’s that?” Fin asked, nodding at Rey’s arm.
Rey didn’t respond, but held up the small ball of fluff in her arms. The dog was still shivering but his tail was flapping slowly from side to side as he looked up at Finn. Rey couldn’t help the smile that stretched over her face as she looked back up at her companion. “Does the Resistance have any rules against keeping pets?” she asked.
“None at all, if you’re not on a mission.” Finn said, “I mean, they let Poe keep me.” He said, reaching forward to gently rub the little dog’s ears.
Rey laughed despite the grim scenery that still surrounded them. The dog shied from Finn’s large hand for a moment, but his tail was soon swinging once again when he decided that the giant hand wasn’t going to hurt him. Rey knew that taking on a small, largely dependent creature was not going to be easy and, if she had been in her right mind, she would have found the small dog a nice, loving home with one of the survivors that she and Finn had rescued from the rubble. But there was something about this dog’s soft, sweet brown eyes and the way that he rested his entire weight against Rey’s body that made her heart soften. She wanted to see the dog grow up strong and happy away from this smoke-filled place that was filled with death and destruction.
“I’ve never had a dog before…” Rey mused quietly to her friend. Actually, she had never had any kind of pet - let alone any other living creature - to keep her company during her childhood on Jakku. “Are they hard to take care of?” Rey looked down at the tiny creature, wondering how big he would grow to be. What did dogs even eat? Would the puppy be easy to train? Where would she keep it? She looked up at Finn, her bright hazel eyes shadowed by the many questions and doubts that were running through her mind.
“I don’t think this.” Finn said, shrugging, “Never had one. Maybe Solo can help?” He leaned forward a little, his dark eyes bright as he brought his face close to the dog’s. When it licked him, his wide smile reappeared. Growing up as a stormtrooper, Finn took pleasure in the smallest of things. That dog had certainly brightened up his day. “Why don’t we leave it with the soldiers guarding the ships and you can take it back with you after we’ve done some more work?” He asked, turning his gaze on Rey. He watched her carefully, his face reassuring.
Rey smiled and nodded, highly encouraged by Finn’s positive response. She cradled the dog gently in her arms as she walked back towards the ships that they had landed with. She cooed at the tiny animal and grinned as the dog’s tiny ears pricked forward at her voice. She wondered if Ben had ever kept a pet before, and if he knew how to handle puppies. Rey giggled lightly to herself as she imagined the stark contrast between this small ball of fluff and the tall, lanky Ben Solo.
The next day and a half were gruelling. The teams worked for hours, recovering and burying bodies, relocating the wounded to a New Republic refugee center. Finn worked tirelessly, ensuring both that the teams did all they could and that everyone under his case was safe and taking care of themselves.
Rey did what she could for the remaining refugees, but she couldn’t deny the fact that taking on a puppy was much more work than she had first considered. The dog’s injuries were easily remedied at the makeshift med station that the Resistance troops had set up for the survivors of the attack, and the animal was soon up and bounding around as if nothing had ever happened. Rey was happy to see that the dog had no intentions of running away, and he never strayed too far from Rey or Finn’s side. He seemed content with the scrap food that Rey was able to hunt down for him, and many of the survivors and Resistance troops doted on him as well, sneaking him special treats when they thought that no one was looking.
After 36 hours or so, Finn sent the reinforcements home, along with Rey. They were going to pack up the site and move on.
The dog managed the trip surprisingly well, though it was clear that he preferred having his four paws on solid ground rather than than the slippery, cold surface of the ship’s metal floors. Luckily the trip was not long and they were back on D’Qar in no time. The puppy was the first one out of the ship, bounding down the landing ramp and surprising the Resistance troops that had gathered to greet the returning group.
BB8 was part of those waiting to greet Rey. He beeped excitedly at the sight of the dog, heartily confused as to who this new tiny operative was. Ben Solo was not part of the crowd, but that was not surprising. He spent a significant amount of his time alone and avoided large gatherings. Even after a year and a half of working for the Resistance, he still got side glances from people. He was still on the base, but likely in his room, meditating.
The dog skirted anxiously around the small, rotating orange robot - he couldn’t quite decide if it was a game or if it was dangerous. He yipped at BB-8 as he lunged playfully at him, trying to get a better idea of what this mechanical ball was.
BB8 rolled back slightly, then looked at Rey. He was confused as to why she just sat there and let this tiny fluffy operative attack him that way. He turned back to the operative and beeped at it. He decided, after a moment, that it meant no harm. He wiggled around excitedly, watching it.
The dog - satisfied that BB-8 was indeed not a threat - wagged his tail with joy and sniffed at the droid’s antennae and flashing lights. Rey laughed and shook her head at the droid and the puppy as they interacted for the first time. She whistled to her new companion, realizing for the first time that she hadn’t taken the time to name the animal. What was one supposed to name a pet? The dog settled obediently, but he didn’t rush to Rey’s side, preferring to continue his investigation of his new friend instead. The new sights and smells seemed to overwhelm his tiny body and he was practically vibrating in excitement. Rey, satisfied that the dog was not going to cause any trouble, began scanning the edges of the crowd, wondering once more how Ben was going to react to this furry little newcomer.
General Organa walked over quietly. She saw the dog, then lifted it up. She rubbed his ears and walked over to greet Rey, “Hello, Rey.” She said, “Everything went well, I’m assuming.” She said, gesturing to the squirming ball of fluff in her arms.
Rey nodded to the General, smiling as she watched the puppy writhing in the older woman’s grasp, whining with his own pent-up excitement. “We saved as many as we could,” Rey reported. “I just wish we could have gotten there sooner.”
General Organa nodded. “Go and rest, you’ve had a rough day and a half. Take the dog, check in, and take some time to rest. I’ve arranged it so you can’t be shipped out for another two weeks, short of an emergency. Enjoy the time off.”
BB8 let out an excited whistle, wiggling a bit. He loved it when Rey was around.
“And tell my son I expect him for dinner tomorrow night.” General Organa said, waving a hand, “Along with you and Chewbacca.”
Rey nodded and saluted her General out of respect. “Thank you, General Organa. I greatly appreciate it.” She reached forward, carefully extracting the wriggling dog from Leia’s arms. The second that the puppy was on his own four paws again, he was running circles around BB-8, barking for joy.