AN: Long time no see. I rarely feel compelled to write these days. Being an exhausted member of the working poor class has got its downfalls. I went to watch the last Star Wars movie and became so obsessed with Reylo that I couldn't stand it. I don't update often and sometimes I don't finish anything. Sorry for that in advance. I know a lot more about the Old Republic than I do these new Star Wars movies that have diverged from the extended universe. Sorry if that shows. Star Wars is really dense. Anyways, here it goes! Enjoy!

Chapter One

He came to her at night. In her dreams, she saw him hidden in shadow, a stray light cast across his face, framing his expressive, haunted eyes that were brimming hatred. He must be torturing her, using the link forged by Snoke to manipulate and control her. Every morning she awoke in a cold sweat, hands shaking and eyes still misty from the visions of Ben's face as he bent closer to whisper in her ear. She could never remember his words the next day, it was infuriating. She felt the link between them grow stronger every day, and every day she meditated and chipped away at it in vain.

The Resistance was weak, weaker than she thought possible, but they were not without hope. Rey forced down another bite of her ration and watched as Finn shared the rest of his protein pack with Rose. All around her, the well looked after the injured. It was a sight that should have filled her with joy, but instead it left a sour taste in her mouth. There was hardly anyone left, and surrounded by her allies and her friends, she felt nothing but mounting loneliness.

"You're still dreaming about him, I see."

Rey's gaze tore away from Finn and focused on General Leia, who had aged another ten years in the past few days. "I don't know what you're talking about," said Rey as she gathered herself and rose to leave. Surely someone on this ship needed her, if not, then she would retreat to the storage area turned cabin and meditate.

"Oh, Rey. You must know that I'm impossible to lie to," Leia replied, her voice had a hard edge to it that beckoned Rey to stay and listen, so she did. "I have lost and gained and lost everything over and over again. I've sacrificed my personal life and the lives of those I loved for the greater good. I have believed since the day my people evacuated Alderaan and they destroyed my planet that I would and could destroy the Empire, but here I am fighting the same old war and the same old ideologies. I'm tired, Rey. I wanted my son back, but I've lost every last shred of hope that might happen." Rey's head fell and her eyes began to water. "But I don't blame you, Rey. I don't blame anyone anymore. If you can bring him back, do it. But if not, I need you to promise me that you will not hesitate."

"I promise, General," Rey answered automatically, but both women heard the hollowness in her voice. This was the same conversation they had had more than once since they had barely escaped with their lives in the Battle of Crait. Same story, different words and different approaches. Leia was wearing her down and trying to make Rey see reason. She was a leader even in the most intimate of conversations. Rey rose again, this time the older woman didn't stop her. As she weaved her way through the Falcon, many people tried to stop her and thank her for saving them, but she could only spare a small smile, and each time it grew smaller until there was nothing left to give.

The makeshift barracks was empty and Rey climbed into her bunk, which she shared with three other people as they had to sleep in shifts. With her back against the wall, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Over the past couple of weeks as the Resistance hunted for a new base, she had grown more capable at sensing the Force.

The hum of the Falcon, the distant voices and beeping machines faded until there was nothing but a silence pressing against her. She felt the Force in an instant. It existed in the space between her fingers as much as it did in her fingertips. Then she felt the now all too familiar tug in her chest, pulling her towards something. With much concentration, she worked at wearing down the chains that tied her Kylo Ren once again, as she did every day. One of these days, she would be successful.

But much to her dismay, the pull between them was too strong. There he sat, in the darkness of her mind. He was reclined, head tilted back, eyes closed. He looked tired, his robes hung open, revealing his bruised upper body dripping with sweat. She saw him jerk slightly before relaxing again, then sitting up to face her.

"What do you want, Young Rey?"

"Don't call me that. I want you to leave me alone. Get out of my dreams," she growled through clenched teeth.

He leaned forward, head titled slightly. "If I were able to penetrate your mind for more than a few moments, you would already be dead from madness. So whatever you're experiencing doesn't have anything to do with me."

Rey tried to suppress the chill of realization that rolled through her limbs. He hadn't been trying to enter her dreams? Was it her subconscious? Her guilt? Or was it something else?

"I will bring you back, Ben Solo," she whispered through shaking breaths. "Or you will die by the Resistance. I don't know why you fight it."

He was on her in a second, the air shifted around her from his quick movement. He placed his hands on the cold metal behind her head and leaned so close that she could feel the heat of his skin, smell the training he had just endured. His lips were just an inch from her ear.

"How many times must I tell you that none of this matters? The Resistance will fall. We both know it. Why do you fight it?"

With her heart hammering in chest, Rey gathered her strength and pushed Kylo away from her, suspending him momentarily in the air. "We still have a chance. So long as you are still ruled by your emotions."

She dropped him, and rather than collapse to his knees, he landed gracefully on his feel and lifted an eyebrow angrily. "You're one to talk about emotions. You'll never be a Jedi with that untamed heart of yours. You'll never be anything until you learn to control your powers."

And just like that he severed their connection momentarily and she jerked out of her trance. The noises of the ship seemed deafening compared to the silence of her meditation. Kylo was right and she fought the anger that settled in her bones at that fact. She had to learn to control her emotions or she would never amount to anything, or worse, she would fall to the dark side.

At least she had learned that he wasn't infiltrating her dreams, although it was not as though she could trust him at his word. But he hadn't been lying. Rey wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew with her entire being that he had been telling her the truth. But why? Why would he not seek to deceive her at every opportunity? Why be so forthright?

Rey sighed deeply and pushed all thoughts of Ben Solo from her head, locking them away to be dealt with another time and instead decided to try to figure out where to go next. They would eventually need to find a place to land or else they were going to run out of rations and fuel.

She got up and stretched her aching limbs. She must have been entranced for a few hours. Feeling anxious, she made her way around the Falcon to locate Leia, whom she found sitting in the cockpit with Poe and Chewie. They were arguing very quietly, so much so that Rey had to listen with the Force to hear their words from just down the corridor where she was hidden in the shadows. Leia would feel her presence, but she didn't acknowledge it.

"We're running low on supplies. We either need to refuel or find a stopping point," Poe said in a strained voice. This obviously wasn't the first time he had said these words.

"Don't you think I know that already?" Leia exasperated. "The whole Galaxy is looking for this ship and listening for our distress call. We have to tread very very carefully. All of the places that I knew to be safe have been compromised. We need a place that's completely off the grid, preferably."

Chewie responded that his people would always welcome the Resistance, but everyone agreed it was too risky.

Round and round they went. Mon Cala, Ryloth, Arkanis, Bith..

"What about about Alzoc III?" Poe suggested meekly, as if he knew he might be wrong.

There was a long silence as Leia considered it. Finally, she spoke, "That's not a bad idea. They have an abandoned Imperial base and the Talz have been sympathetic to the Resistance since Luke and the New Republic made such strides to ensure the safety of their people after they'd been so taken advantage of by the Empire."

Silence fell again as they deliberated. Rey took that moment to enter the room, Chewie and Poe jumped at her silent appearance, Leia failed to react.

"What if they have a Fail-Safe Shield system that notifies the Order when someone enters Alzoc's airspace?" Rey asked knowing that the other woman had already thought of that.

"Unless they installed one recently, which is doubtful, the only security measures have been put in by the New Republic after the Empire first fell. They have the money, but not the support to takeover the planet again. Too many merchants have too many fingers in that economy to hand over those resources to the Order and those resources are dwindling. Soon, no one will care about Alzoc," stated Leia in a tired voice.

"Doesn't that mean that everyone could benefit from turning us in?" Rey asked, feeling Poe's eyes on her as she spoke, she turned to face him and caught a look of suspicion and contempt on his face. What was that about?

Leia interrupted the tension building between the two of them. "Most Imperial military bases operate on their own power grid and away from civilization, unlike political compounds. No one would need to know we were there, and by the time anyone notices, we will have either forged documents or gotten help from allies."

"Technically," Poe started, eyes avoiding Rey's hard stare, "if we are able to access the base and use it as a stronghold, we could scramble any communication going into and out of the planet."

Chewie growled and Leia nodded in agreement. "That would be suspicious in and of itself."

"Do you know if the base has been dismantled or does it still stand, fully weaponized?" Poe asked.

Leia though for a moment then shook her head. "It should still be operational. When the Empire first fell, they fled and left everything behind.. The New Republic seized control of most of the bases, but since the rise of the Order, many of those have since been abandoned for fear they would return. I can't imagine they have returned, though. That planet is reaching uselessness after being mined to the core."

Rey felt a presence coming closer behind her and she turned to see Finn staring at her with tired eyes, Rose leaning against him for support. Rey met his gaze, but turned away immediately to let her eyes wander to the stars darting past them in Hyperspace.

"Most military bases have enough supplies to last a year with a full crew, ten times what we have. This place you're talking about would have enough fuel, rations, medpacs, and weapons to tie us over until help comes."

Although he hadn't said it, everyone heard the huge "if" hanging silently between his words. If help comes.

…

They landed on the helipad of the abandoned base under the cover of darkness, leaving hyperspace just above the base in a reckless move that would have made Han Solo proud. Finn, Rose, General Leia and a couple of droids exited the Falcon to disable any security measures and open the fleet's subterranean entrances for the Falcon. Rey and Chewie piloted the ship down a ravine, ignoring the surprised wails of the passengers who hadn't been prepared for the sudden drop.

They leveled the ship at the closed entrance and she felt his presence again. This time it was like it was before, when Snoke was pulling the strings. Had Ben become strong enough to visit her whenever he pleased? Or had their bond become so strong that they couldn't control it anymore? She glanced nervously at Chewie, wondering if he could feel the change in the air, but he seemed not to notice as he cooed his little Porg friend.

Rey stood and walked into the dark corrider behind the cockpit as all noise faded away and saw Kylo Ren looking at her with a horrified expression that quickly melted into one of rage. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Rey eyed him suspiciously and took in his appearance, her eyes stopping at his navel where he had a towel securely wrapped around him. He was soaking wet and Rey could smell the soft scent of soap and feel the heat radiating from him.

"Speak now!" He roared, taking a step closer, but Rey didn't move. "You're not alone, are you? Are you scared that someone will know what you're up to?"

She tightened her lips and shook her head as she tried to sever the connection, but something was wrong. Her concentration was broken and she couldn't seem to call on the Force. What was happening to her? Her entire body felt like it was on fire suddenly.

Kylo closed the gap between them. "I know you hear me and see me. If this is your doing, I will make your death all the more painful."

The air around her body had stopped moving it seemed, and her lungs burned to breath, but she had lost all function within her body. She felt her face becoming hot with strain as darkness began to encroach on her vision. Kylo's expression softened to the point that Rey could almost make out the lines of worry in his face. He lifted a hand that glowed with energy and pressed it to her chest. Immediately her body sagged to the ground as sweet air entered her lungs.

"Did you bind me?" She demanded almost silently as Kylo sunk to his knees, shaking his head. Rey gathered the last of her strength and severed the connection. The moment he disappeared from view, her vision went black and she crumpled completely to the floor, unconscious.