Reylo: Scenes from Episode IX
I.
General Hux descends from his shuttle with a mild eye roll. Surely, of all the places to choose for his new palace, Supreme Leader could have gone anywhere else? Why stay here?
His footsteps are crimson as he briskly marches into the abandoned base at Crait. A long line of Praetorian guards awaits him, but he doesn't break his stride as he enters the cavernous throne room.
Supreme Leader Kylo Ren is looking at the far wall, unmoving. Hux clears his throat meaningfully. Kylo Ren's eyes close. "Yes?'
"Supreme Leader," drawls Hux. "You're looking well." It's such an obvious lie that he almost laughs. Kylo Ren seems to have shrunk since he faced his master, and his face is sagging from lack of sleep. Such a pitiful leader. "I bring news of the Resistance. The Republic has been unwilling to hide them – they are to be scattered for their safety. We can pick off the leadership one at a time, and leave the rest to run."
Kylo Ren places one gloved hand on the black glass seat beside him. His lightsaber sits on one arm of the chair, far from its master. A slight crack is visible in the hilt, as though a petulant child had thrown it one time too many. He glances over his shoulder.
"Do we know their destinations?"
"The Outer Rim."
Kylo Ren nods. "Begin with the traitor."
Hux's oily smile falters. "The stormtrooper? Surely it makes more sense to choose a more valuable target." Here he enters dangerous territory, but it needed to be said. "General Organa is the most senior. Or perhaps we should begin with the girl–"
"The girl is mine." Kylo Ren descend the stairs from his dais, stepping onto the blood red carpet that matches the salty ground outside. "And General Organa is the easiest to locate. She will be unable to hide. Begin with the stormtrooper, and give Captain Phasma full control of the operation."
Another wrinkle. "Captain Phasma's recovery is not yet complete." And might never be, though that didn't need to be brought to the Supreme Leader's attention.
"Somehow, I expect she has strength enough for this mission."
"Yes, Supreme Leader. It will be done as you command." Now is not the time to test him. He turns to leave.
"Is there no other news, Hux?" His low tones are slightly choked.
General Hux turns on his heel. "News, Supreme Leader? Were you expecting something?"
For a moment, the Supreme Leader, all towering in his black regalia, seems to waver. His eyes are fixed on the walls again, as though he sees something he cannot quite make out.
"It's nothing," Kylo Ren says softly. "Leave me."
So he does. As he moves into the bright sunlight, General Hux could swear he hears the sound of bells, tinkling like a cascade of falling crystals.
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II.
Rey awakens. She is scheduled to depart, as are all of the Rebels. The two dozen remaining members are being sent to the Outer Rim to make contact with their allies and plead the Resistance case. As she dresses, Rey sees a note pressed under her door. Her name graces the front - in Leia's handwriting. She opens it.
Dear Rey,
I wanted to thank you. You have done much for the Resistance, but even more for my family. Probably more than I ever could.
I know the Force still connects you to my son. Han and I never knew how to be parents. We loved Ben dearly, but we each had so many responsibilities. His home was always changing – he grew up lonely. And when he grew older, and there was anger in his heart, we didn't know how to help him. We hoped Luke could fix him – perhaps we didn't understand what had broken. The truth is, Luke wasn't the one to save him. He needed someone strong enough to feel all of his pain – and love him anyway. Someone who would see the beautiful light inside him no matter how hard he hid it – even from himself. I think, Rey, that Ben needed you.
I know the Force well enough to know that my end is coming. I am not afraid. But I wanted you to know that you were right to trust your feelings. There is always a reason for hope.
May the Force be with You,
Leia
The note is scrabbled in Rey's hand as she rushes down the hall. As she turns the corner to Leia's quarters, she is blocked by a knot of people. All in tears.
"No…"
Across the galaxy, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren feels a glow of warmth upon his cheek and a sigh in his ear. He straightens; freezes. Sends his guards away.
Then Ben Solo crumples under the weight of his failures on his throne room floor, and sobs.
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III.
The weight of the funeral presses heavy in the air. Outside a purple haze fades into indigo, then black. No stars are visible. The air is warm and moist, filtering in from the jungle. Vanilla and cedar sifting through the windows. Soldiers fall into their cots and their fitful dreams.
The halls of the base are silent. Most of the rooms here are empty, the bodies that gave them life burned on the battlefield. Here and there a warm glow from the cell inside – but mostly darkness. At the end of a corridor, far from the others, a childish whimper emanates. At first it is a low tremble, but in the absence of an answer it becomes stronger.
"Ben." Rey rolls over in her sleep, throwing off the thin coverlet. Her skin is pink and pulsing. "Ben." She may have been anywhere. A cave, a forest. Someplace else entirely. "Ben!"
Rey sits bolt upright, almost colliding with the figure of Kylo Ren at the foot of her cot. He is perfectly visible despite the low light, and even with her eyes closed she would have seen him clearly. Her panic halts as confusion sets in.
"What are you doing here?"
"You called me," he responds calmly. He cannot meet her eyes.
Rey becomes dimly aware that his name had been on her lips moments before. She can't remember why.
"And so you came?"
"Apparently."
She rises from her bed and takes a steadying breath before turning back to face him. He shouldn't be here.
"I thought Snoke made the connection."
"As did I."
"But he's gone!" she splutters.
"Yes."
At this Rey becomes angry. He's so difficult. He used to be so mesmerized by this connection, and now he accepts the resurgence without question. Through gritted teeth, she asks, "Then why are you here?"
He rolls his eyes up to look at her and spreads his hands. "I assure you that I had no choice in the matter."
An interesting development. "Nor did I."
Something pleaded in his eyes. "You were screaming for me when I arrived."
Damn. "How long were you sitting there?"
"Long enough." Kylo Ren stands up to join her, his low voice still a whisper. "What did you see?"
What had she seen? She had no idea. A vague impression of fire, of death. It could have been the past, or the present.
"It doesn't matter." And it would be best not to tell him.
"I disagree," he intones. She can feel his eyes burning into her.
Of course he did. Her frustration boiled over. "What difference would it make? You made your choice. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. You threw away the chance to stand together. To create something new."
His eyes widen, and anger clouds on his face. Rey's hand twitches towards her belt where her lightsaber should be.
"That choice was yours," he spat. Kylo Ren's face shone with rage. All she feels from him is sadness. Wave upon wave of despair. She chokes on the tears that rush from her throat as he whips around.
She doesn't know what compels her to ask, but the words tumble out before she can stop them. "Will you be back?"
He looks back at her, small and bright as she fades from view. "I don't think I have a choice."
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IV.
The briefing is complete, the plan agreed. Poe and Finn are discussing military maneuvers as Rey heads to her quarters. On impulse, Rose follows her, shutting the room's door behind them.
"Is everything OK, Rey?"
Rey turns around looking guilty. "Rose…how did you tell Finn you cared for him?"
Rose smiles, "I smashed my speeder into his so he wouldn't die."
Rey giggles. "Somehow I don't think that'll work for me."
Rose is thoughtful. She looks at Rey, who is now removing her armbands and twisting them in her hands. She lays a hand on her friend's arm.
"My sister Paige once told me that you can't tell men anything. They don't hear you. If you need them to know something, you have to show them."
Rey squeezes her eyes shut, her knuckles tight around the fabric. "I don't know if I can." She glances at Rose. "Once that's done, it's real."
Rose meets her eyes. "It's already real, or you wouldn't have asked. Finn could have decided that he didn't care for me. Hey, he still might. Nothing is guaranteed." She puts an arm around Rey. "But in that moment, everything was clear. There was nothing but the two of us and the feelings of our hearts. Even if he had turned from me the next second, it would have been worth it to feel that way, just for that moment."
"I don't know if I have the courage." Rey looks down at Leia's ring, always with her now.
"It's a different kind of courage. And it's there, waiting for you to use it." Rose hugs her close, and Rey breathes deeply. She reaches for her lightsaber.
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V.
They chose Soltan for its bare landscape. Nowhere to hide on this ball of rock. Each comes in a small fighter, for a single hour. A galactic ceasefire that couldn't buy them the time they needed.
Without General Organa, with their forces utterly depleted, the Resistance had nothing to lose in negotiations. Perhaps in that crucial hour reinforcements would arrive, or someone would come up with a plan to save them. In the interim, Rey would speak.
Kylo Ren is here for her.
Two ships sink below the clouds in unison, landing on opposite sides of the plain. A moment's hesitation. And then they each descend, and approach the enemy.
"I am here to represent the Resistance," Rey announces clearly.
Kylo Ren merely stares.
"We wish to negotiate a ceasefire," she insists.
"You wish to run your lightsaber through me," he responds evenly.
Rey swallows and closes her eyes briefly. "I am not here for myself."
He considers her. There is little to be gained here – so few Resistance fighters remain that they could be picked off over the next week and no one would notice. But this hour gives him time for something else.
"What is it you have to offer?"
"Our allegiance." She doesn't attempt to hide her derision.
"And?"
Her eyes flash dangerously at him. "What else do you want?"
"You know what I want."
Rey closes her eyes and swallows.
"You could still join me," Kylo Ren continues. "It's not too late. You could save your friends." Her eyes open. "You could save many of the things you treasure. Think of what we could build."
She has. So many times, Rey questioned her decision. Perhaps she could have saved the Resistance. But she knew what Leia would say about the cost.
"Your mother would be so disappointed."
It's a step too far. His face distorts and he steps back. Somehow, he had been sure she couldn't hurt him again. How blind.
"Then there is nothing left to discuss." Kylo Ren turns to march away.
"How come it's always your choice?" she throws at him. "How come only you issue the ultimatums? Have you never considered that YOU might join ME?"
His eyebrow arches. He turns back. "Me? The Supreme Leader of the First Order? What can you possibly have to offer me?"
On an impulse, she grabs his gloved hand. "You won't be alone."
For a moment time seems to slow, and they are suspended. She had reached for him. And he could have remained there for an eternity.
"Ben." She steadies herself. She takes his hand. "Ben, I…" She cannot get the words out. Instead she reaches up and kisses him, softly. He returns the kiss briefly before stepping back, sputtering.
"You're trying to manipulate me," he spits. "You're trying to use me!"
"Ben, no!" Rey shouts. This isn't how it was supposed to go. "Ben, I care for you! If you don't believe me…" How can she make him believe? She turns her head wildly, looking for an answer. "Ben, look inside my heart. Use the Force, and read my mind. I cannot hide it from you, look!"
It seems like a trap. Something to bring him off balance, to distract him. But her eyes are shining and her face is tilted to him, desperate and open. He removes one glove, and places it on her temple. A rush of images: their hands touching by the fire, his name on her lips as she tosses and turns under bedcovers, the moment of shared breath in Snoke's elevator…his whispered please. Kylo Ren inhales deeply as he removes his hand.
"Don't you see?" Rey whispers. "I don't want to rule the galaxy. I don't want the First Order, I don't want Kylo Ren. I want Ben." Here she places her hands on his chest. "Ben, who was strong enough for his heart to break. Ben, who told me I wasn't alone. Ben, whose eyes still light up when he hears his true name." Her voice was rising to a shout. "Ben, who stood and fought by my side against the darkness. It's you I want, Ben, just you." She pounds one fist on his chest, and he catches it. He looks into her eyes, searching for ulterior motives. He sees none. He pulls her to him, and kisses her deeply.
X
Back on the cruiser an hour later, Rey is greeted by the Rebel leadership.
"So, how did it go?" Poe asks as the shuttle door opens.
Rey emerges looking pink and slightly disheveled.
"I think I made an impression on him," she says briskly. "But it may take time. We should lie low for awhile." She walks down the hallway, and they follow, Rose with a knowing smile.
X
"So, what did she give you?" Hux asks as Kylo Ren deplanes.
The Supreme Leader turns from him and walks in the other direction, his eyes closed. "Nothing I couldn't have taken." He picks up his pace. "Round up our spies in the Outer Rim, we will prepare them for the imminent arrival of the Rebels."
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VI.
Back at the stronghold of the First Order, Kylo Ren finds himself restless. He has taken to pacing the halls at all hours. Stormtroopers assiduously avoid him, though he no longer lashes out. He simply walks, as though looking for something. He can't shake the feeling that something is missing, something he cannot quite place.
Days pass, perhaps weeks. He has stopped tracking time, too distracted to give proper orders or create new battle plans to counter the new Resistance allies that seem to have materialized from nowhere. These he leaves to Hux, whose treachery grows more palpable by the hour. Kylo Ren is only mildly surprised to find himself uninterested in his general's backstabbing.
Early one morning he begins ransacking his own quarters, looking for something to organize his mind, something to touch, something to fix. Briefly, Kylo Ren holds the fragments of his mask, but finds that it brings him an almost physical pain. Behind his vast collection of black cloaks, he sees something else. A small wooden box, secreted away where he had hoped never to find it. With a ragged sigh, he opens it. His Jedi robes, and the lightsaber his Uncle Luke had helped him craft.
At one time these had brought him near to anguish. Now he looks at them with regret. There had been a great many problems with Jedi life, but after a turbulent boyhood, their practices had brought him peace. He had not realized what a treasure that was until it was gone.
He wonders…
Setting down the box, he sits cross-legged on the floor, stiff with injury and ill use. Nevertheless, he lays his palms lightly on his knees, as his uncle had shown him, and breathes deeply. The smell of the sea comes to him immediately, with such strength that he gasps. It was the only place that ever felt like a home, though he had only seen it in his mind. A gift from Rey, unintentional though it had been. Like all of his homes, he was sure it was a figment of his imagination. He closes his eyes and feels the hard stone. There is a smell of wet earth and creeping plants. And when his eyes open, the twin suns are directly overhead, and the music of the waves reverberates below.
Kylo Ren tests a rusty smile. He reaches out with the Force, feels the life trembling around him. He is so small. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he hears Uncle Luke telling the students how large the universe is, and how each life is precious, yet destined to end. That everywhere death and life created balance. A balance that, once upon a time, he had been able to feel in his own body.
He felt her rather than saw her.
"Save me."
Rey would have cried, if she had any tears left. After witnessing so much destruction, she was hollow. This moment was one too many.
"I can't."
It's true – this is beyond her power to heal. Briefly, he had believed her capable of anything, an angel sent to bring him back. But some things cannnot be changed.
"Because it's too late for me." He had known for some time. When he had passed the mark was a matter for debate, but he is surely beyond redemption now.
Rey sits beside him, her legs arranged identically. She puts one hand on his knee, and the energy is nearly enough to break him. It has been a long time since he was touched.
"It's never too late." Rey clasps his hand. "You can come back with me."
But he can't hear her now. Her touch brings back too many memories, crushed under the Dark side. He feels his mother's kiss on his cheek, his uncle's arm around his shoulder. Unbidden, Han Solo's face swims into vision, his father's gruff hugs beneath a smile glowing with pride.
"I have nothing to come back for." Kylo Ren turns to face her. "Do you think they'll welcome me in? With open arms? Forgive the terrors I visited on their friends, their families…their children?"
Rey presses her lips together. She knows he's right. The logistics of it seem impossible, despite what her heart says.
"Not everyone. But enough. And they need you. They need your knowledge."
Kylo Ren scoffs. "I barely know what the First Order is doing anymore."
She brushes that aside. "Not that." She reconsiders. "Though that would help immensely. But Ben, somewhere in this galaxy there are people just like us. Those who can feel the Force. Those who can use it. And others who need their protection." She smiles, that childish smile that melts him. "You can teach them."
"Teach them the Dark side? Teach them murder, and hate, and anger? I don't think they'd thank me for it." Snoke's lessons echo through the back of his mind. Agony, a blistering pain through his body and his heart. Cold everywhere he turned.
"No." Impatient, Rey takes his cheek gently in her hand and stares into his eyes. "Teach them how to feel pain. Teach them how to walk through the fire and come out the other side. Teach them how to hurt without losing themselves." Her eyes plead with him. "Teach them failure."
Pain. Yes. Pain he knows. Pain had brought him to Snoke, led him to the Knights of Ren – had run a sword through his family.
He closes his eyes, and his voice is no more than a whisper. "My father loved me."
Rey gently folds his head into her arms. She was wrong. There were still more tears in her. She nods. "Yes. He did".
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VII.
Rey, BB-8, and Finn are the first to be gathered up. The stormtroopers wrestle them into a nearby room while they prepare to take the ship floor by floor. General Hux walks in with a manic grin.
Back onboard the First Order cruiser, Kylo Ren watches from the window of his throne room.
"The girl with the staff," Hux croons. "So glad we found you first. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren sends his regards, and a gift." He holds out his hand and reveals a necklace. A heavy metal chain holds a large, smooth black stone. "It belonged to the late Supreme Leader Snoke – the stone was forged from the lava at Darth Vader's palace. Kylo Ren wanted it close to your heart." Rey's arms are pinned to her side as Hux slips it onto her neck. "So pretty."
Kylo Ren looks down at the knife in his hand.
Rey feels the icy heaviness of the stone press onto her chest.
Hux's oily smile disappears, and he moves closer to Rey. "I want the location of your commander, girl. Or things could get difficult for you." Rey stands with a straight back and her chin jutting out. She is silent.
Kylo Ren grabs a handful of his hair, and slices through it, just as Hux 's fist meets her cheek.
"Tell me what I need to know," he orders over Finn's screeching protestations. Rey looks at him with hatred and loathing. He hits her again. The knife hacks through more black locks. Rey's breathing becomes labored. "Tell me!" Hux shouts. He knees her in the stomach and she doubles over. Again the knife slashes. Again. Again.
Rey slowly brings herself to a standing position. The look on her face is serene.
In his throne room, surrounded by his past, Kylo Ren closes his eyes and reaches through the Force. Rey's necklace vibrates ever so slightly. She puts her hand over it, just as a small crack opens in the back. A small, round chip falls into her hand.
"Where is your commander?" Hux says. At this he takes out a knife of his own. "Or do you need more persuasion?"
Rey shoots a meaningful look at Finn. He nods imperceptibly.
"Don't touch her!" Finn shouts, breaking lose from the storm troopers and making a break for Hux. In the moment of confusion, Rey places the chip in BB-8 and whispers, "Find Poe." Then she runs to aid Finn – in the chaos, BB-8 exits. He goes away from the stormtrooper perimeter, heads down a set of corridors, and finds his master in a closet.
"Hey buddy," Poe says. "You sit tight, we're gonna think of something."
BB-8 beeps.
"A chip?" Poe frowns. "What kind of chip?"
BB-8 beeps again. Poe's eyebrows shoot up, and a grin spreads over his face. "The command codes for the entire fleet?" BB-8 beeps in affirmation. Poe turns to Lieutenant Connix. "We're gonna stall these guys as long as we can. Get these out to our allies. Have them send their best ships to a central location in every star system, then we'll lock the First Order out of their own computers. They'll be sitting porgs."
No one notices as a single fighter leaves the First Order, and flies away.
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VIII.
Kylo Ren stands on the rock where his uncle once stood, at the highest point of the temple at Ahch-To. His black cloak whips in the wind as the birds shout beneath. He closes his eyes. In his mind he sees the defeat of the First Order slowly carrying on. Their fleet wrecked or disbanded, their buildings seized by Republic guards. Stormtroopers being sent for re-education. The palace on Coruscant made into a parliament, with a new title: "The Leia Organa Senate House." A small smile teases his lips. His help had been valuable, after all. This new world is emerging, as his dies away. It is enough.
He opens his eyes and catches the cord at his throat. The winds ripples his newly shorn hair, and his black cloak sails away into the distance. Ben feels his old Jedi robes embrace him.
Ben Solo sits down to meditate. He feels his uncle's hand squeeze his shoulder, and reaches back to grab it in thanks. He had been taught had been the right lessons, after all.
The twin suns set slowly in front of him, dyeing the sky a phosphorescent pink. His solitude no longer feels empty, but comforting, secure. He feels at home in this place of peace.
Ben doesn't know how long Rey lingered before he felt her presence, so absorbed is he by his new home. But as the sky relinquishes its last glow, he turns to see her waiting for him, a new light in her eyes.
They come to each other, and he kisses her as the stars emerge.