A few days had passed since Ben's conversation with Poe Dameron. Though he tried to distract himself with his law books, his thoughts kept returning to the sealed agreement. And the silence buried in those yellowed pages.
He waited, restless. Hoping Poe would call. Hoping what he found would finally make sense of the truth Ben feared was forming.
That evening, the Solo house was unusually quiet. Leia was downtown at a charity gala, and Han was abroad on business. Ben sat alone in his study when his phone buzzed.
Poe Dameron.
He answered immediately.
"Hey, Ben," Poe said, his voice low and rushed. "I've got something. Mind if I stop by?"
"Of course. I'm home."
Fifteen minutes later, Poe stepped into the study with a brown folder under one arm. His usual breezy confidence was shadowed by tension.
He set the folder on the desk. "This is everything I could find. Full records of the settlement between Organa Securities and Shmi Skywalker."
Ben opened the folder slowly. His hands trembled as he flipped through the pages. The original agreement was here. But this copy held more: annotated legal clauses, detailed payment breakdowns, and internal memos from Tano & Associates.
Then something caught his eye.
"'Confrontation in the locker room'?" he muttered, tracing the underlined phrase.
Poe nodded grimly. "After the concert at the Galactic Center Stadium, Vader, Shmi's ex, forced his way into Obi-Wan's dressing room. Armed. Unstable. Multiple witnesses. It got ugly."
Ben's eyes scanned the notes. Security had responded. Fast. Too fast.
"And Vader?" Ben asked, already sensing the answer.
Poe exhaled. "The report's vague. Just says he was 'neutralized.' But the implication is clear, Ben. Organa Securities likely used deadly force. Quickly. Quietly."
Ben's stomach turned.
This wasn't just a scandal. It was a cover-up built on blood.
Poe continued, "Afterward, they focused entirely on keeping Shmi quiet. She got a massive payout in exchange for silence. No lawsuit. No press. Nothing that could trigger deeper investigation."
He flipped a few pages. "But there's no mention of a child. No record of Obi-Wan having children. At least not in the agreement."
Ben stared at the file. The cold legal language couldn't hide what had happened. A musician was murdered. A violent man was shot down. Silence bought with cash. And his family's firm had signed it all into oblivion.
---
The next night, Ben returned to his usual booth at The Lab Gastropub. The beer in front of him sat untouched. His thoughts buzzed like static, waiting for Hux.
Hux arrived ten minutes later, more serious than usual. No preamble. No smirk.
"Solo," he greeted, sliding a manila envelope across the table. "Everything I could find on the Obi-Wan Kenobi case."
Ben opened it. Inside were aged police reports, faded black-and-white photos, and scanned autopsy documents.
"About Vader," Hux said, low and steady. "One shot. Head wound. Clean. Organa Security called it self-defense. Witnesses said he was raving. Came in waving a weapon. After Kenobi was already down."
Ben's throat tightened. He scanned Obi-Wan's autopsy.
"Multiple shots," he murmured. "Chest. Abdomen. Head."
"Vader pulled the trigger," Hux said. "Obsession over Shmi. That's the motive on record."
Ben flipped further through the file.
Then, something fell out.
A faded color Polaroid. Not official evidence. Personal.
A man, must be Obi-Wan, smiling wide — knelt in a grassy field, arms wrapped around a little girl with dark hair and bright brown eyes. She looked no older than five, her gaze curious and trusting.
On the back, written in uneven script:
Rey, my love.
Ben froze. His fingers gripped the photo. His heart thundered.
"Rey," he whispered.
The name struck something deep, familiar, like a song he used to know.
"What is this?" he asked.
Hux leaned back. "Not part of the official record. I found it tucked inside a private evidence envelope. Most cops never saw it."
"Who's the girl?"
"No one knows for sure," Hux replied. "But there were whispers, among the older investigators. That Kenobi had a daughter. Not with Shmi. Someone else. A woman no one's named."
Ben stared at the photo again. Rey's eyes met his, through time, through loss.
His voice was soft. "So this girl… she's gone?"
Hux shrugged. " No follow-up investigation. Nothing about her in Shmi's settlement. The system buried her before it ever named her."
Ben's jaw clenched. "And Shmi?"
"Married a man named Palpatine eight years ago," Hux said. "Oil and mining billionaire. No mention of a daughter in public records. No guardianship claims. Nothing."
Ben nodded slowly, stunned. "She vanished."
Hux didn't answer.
Ben looked at the photo again. The girl's innocent face gazed back at him — bright-eyed, unaware that her father had died, and her name had been erased.
This wasn't a scandal anymore. It was a stolen life.
---
Later that night, back in his study, Ben opened his contacts. His fingers hovered before selecting one:
Lando Calrissian.
He hit the dial.
"Calrissian Investigations," came a voice, warm, slick, confident.
"Lando, it's Ben Solo."
"Well, well. Long time, kid. How's that law degree treating you?"
Ben forced a smile. "It's… complicated. I need your help."
"I figured. You don't call for small stuff." Lando's tone shifted. "What is it?"
"I'm looking for someone. A woman named Rey Kenobi. I believe she's connected to an old case involving Obi-Wan Kenobi. Also, I need everything you can find on Shmi Palpatine."
There was a pause. "Obi-Wan Kenobi... yeah, I remember that name. Messy business. Disappeared from the headlines fast, too fast."
Ben felt his gut twist.
Lando's voice turned thoughtful. "Shmi Palpatine and Rey Kenobi. That's an odd combo of names. You sure you want to dig there?"
"I don't have a choice."
Lando was quiet for a beat. "Alright. I'll pull some strings. But Ben, whatever you're chasing? It's old, buried, and probably dangerous."
"I know."
"Then give me a few days," Lando said. "I'll start with my people in Ventura and the old registry logs. Maybe Rey didn't vanish, maybe someone made her vanish."
Ben stared at the photo again.
"I need to find her," he said quietly. "I have to."
"Then I'll help you," Lando replied. "But remember, Ben. Sometimes, the truth isn't just buried. It's kept buried."
"I'm ready," Ben said, though the words felt heavier than ever.
He ended the call, staring once more at the photograph. Rey's wide, searching eyes looked back at him like a question he wasn't sure he could answer.
But he would try.
Even if it cost him everything.