Rey followed Finn throughout the Lothal base they has settled in. It was a very old base that was used during the Clone Wars. It was in heavy need of repairs because all around her sparks flew from circuits, and smoke rose from machines in use. She watched what little Resistance followers they had left zoom around the base working on various projects.
It was early morning on the green planet, and it was finally starting to feel warm from the bright sun that was peeking up from the horizon. The warmth didn't help Rey feel any better about her meeting with the General, however. Rey had only spoken with the General a few times before, and she had always been as professional and regal as ever. Rey wasn't sure what she was going to tell the General if she asked about her son though. The bond she shared with Ben was one of the few things she would like to keep secret to herself. She was still trying to figure out things for herself with her situation with Ben. She wanted to show Ben how good the light could be for him. She started to imagine what it would've been like if he joined her.
She imagined him following her to the Resistance and sharing in each others light. She thought of them on their way to Crait in the Millennium Falcon. She saw them sitting together, holding each other, and being there for one another. That's when the same warmth she felt early when she was with Ben returned. The thought of Ben holding her in his arms, running his fingers through her hair, and speaking to her in the low, powerful voice he had made her yearn for him. She wanted so badly to just see him again, but she knew that the life she had wanted was about as impossible as the life Ben had wanted from her.
"Are you sure you're okay Rey?" Finn said pulling her from her daydream.
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm just a little nervous about what the General may want with me" Rey said calmly.
"I'm sure it's nothing that bad. She has mostly just been assigning positions to everyone, so we can try to get the resistance back in order. Plus, you have all that force magic you can do, and we could surely use it." He said in a playful tone trying to lighten the mood.
She let a small smile leave her lips as he spoke. She really appreciated Finn's efforts to cheer her up because she severely needed it.
"Thank you Finn, and you know it's not magic." She said laughing as she watched Finn laugh with her.
"I know, I know, I just like to mess with you. Alright, here we are." He said showing her the headquarters of their base.
It was a spacious room with people mulling around and paying them no attention as they walked in. She saw the General talking with a small, blonde girl who looked worried with whatever it was they were talking about. Everyone, in fact, seemed to have a look of worry plastered across their faces. Rey felt awkward coming in at such a time. She wasn't used to being around a lot of people. She had always been by herself and typically hated being around crowds. However, the General was more important than her silly anxiety.
The General looked up and spotted her and Finn waiting at the entrance. She had the same look of worry on her face as everyone else did, but she kept a calm presence around her.
"Rey, I'm so sorry to have to wake you so early in the morning. How are you doing?" She said in a pleasant tone.
"I am well General. Finn said you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I actually wanted to see both of you." She said looking between the both of them and continued with, "You see I have contacted some of my old Resistance allies to try and rebuild our cause. Many are hopeless now when it comes to the Resistance, but one of them may just have the key to overpowering the First Order."
She was starting to look hopeful when she said, "One of Hans old friend's, Rantho Saycoz, has contacted saying he has information that there are many people among the First Order wanting to overthrow it. The only problem is that there is no way for these people to meet without causing suspicion. He said that there is one group that has come close to a meeting, but only do so every six months."
"So, what do you want us to do?" Finn said looking confused as to where the General was going with this.
" Well, their next meeting is in two weeks. It is a mix of stormtroopers, mechanics, and even some high officials. Rantho gave us a list of where they will meet at, and who all is to be trusted. I need you, Rey, and Poe to go and infiltrate their meeting. If we can win them over to the Resistance, not only will that weaken the First Order, but also they could give us vital information on the inner workings of the Order." The General said confidently.
"Why do you need me though?" Rey questioned. She could understand why they needed Finn since he was an ex-stormtrooper himself, and Poe's charm and charisma could persuade anyone to do anything. Rey, however, only had the force with her, and she found it hard to understand how the force was needed in this situation.
"Because there have been talks of other force sensitives on the planet you are going to. The First Order has Kylo Ren as their leader, but he has his Knights of Ren to follow him as well. I need you to try and find these other force sensitives, so we ourselves could hold up better against Kylo Ren's knights." She said calmly.
Rey was taken aback by the proposition. She wasn't even fully trained in the force, and now she had to go out looking for other like her? She felt overwhelmed by idea of it. She didn't have the experience to train other force sensitives. She needed a teacher herself before she could even dream of convincing others to join her. That's when an idea popped into her head.
"I will gladly try my best, General." Rey said nodding her head.
"So, what planet is this meeting going to be on, and when do we leave?" said Finn
"The meeting is going to be held on the core planet, Drall, and you will be leaving as soon as Poe gets back and lets me know everything is good to go."
"Today? We're leaving today?" Finn said frantically, "I can't just leave Rose here all alone without her knowing where I'm at!"
"I know that, Finn, but there is a greater risk out there, and you have the most experience when it comes to rebelling stormtroopers." The General said trying to calm him down, "I promise we will continue to care for Rose and keep you updated on her condition. Now, go help Poe out; I have to talk to Rey privately."
Finn looked at her briefly and mumbled something Rey couldn't hear before he left. Then, it was just Rey and General. Rey thought she lucked out on having to miss a talk about Ben when she was being told her mission, but she knew she was wrong. The General had Rey follow her to a small room with papers strewed about the place, and a desk with a chair right in front of it. Rey guessed this was an office space of sorts. The general closed the door and locked it before sitting down in front of Rey.
"It seems to me that you have been on your own mission lately." She said crossing her legs and looking to Rey.
"I'm sorry General, I'm not sure what you mean?" Rey said quickly.
"Please Rey, call me Leia." She said smiling, " You know Ben was never fond of the force? He hated it when he was little because he felt different than everyone else. I always thought he grow to love it just like his uncle, so I sent him to train with Luke. Did he tell you that?"
Rey's heart was racing. She didn't know if she should be honest with Leia about Ben or try and hide her knowledge of him. She shifted in her seat and said, "He has told about his time with Luke, and that was it."
"Rey, I know there is something more between you two. Ben is so strong in the force, but he has always been plagued with Snoke. So, now from what rumor is saying, Ben has overcome that plague all of a sudden and killed the monster that has been inside his head all these years?" Leia said calmly.
Rey felt the panic rise in her. She didn't even think about how impossible it sounded for Ben to kill Snoke all on his own. She had been too preoccupied in dealing with their bond that hadn't began to think of what people have made of Snoke's death.
"A bond. A force bond. We share a force bond." Rey said quietly as she felt tears prick at her eyes, "It was forged by Snoke. I am able to see him and talk to him anywhere in the galaxy. I can feel his emotions...and his conflict."
"So this 'bond', is it still going on? Can you still talk to him?" Leia asked quickly.
"Yes, even now I can still feel the bond in the back of my mind. It's tearing me apart. I can feel the light in him, Leia. It kills me everytime we speak because I know he could fully experience the light. He wanted me to join him and let go of my past. I couldn't do it, but now I wonder if it was even the right choice." Rey said letting out all of her worries.
"Ben has always been dramatic, Rey. He gets it from my side of the family." Leia joked taking Rey's hands in hers, " You did make the right choice, Rey. I know how hard it is with Ben. Does anyone else know about this bond you two share?"
"No. You are the first to know of this."
"Then this will be our secret, Rey. I was beginning to think there was no hope for Ben anymore, but now I see that there is still a chance for my son." She said in a happy tone.
Rey thought about how hard it must have been for Leia to see Ben go to the darkside. To have her only child whisked away to a cold, darkness in just a matter of a few years. Rey felt grateful to Leia for talking to her. The bond had weighed on her mind, and her heart for so long. She felt a great relief to be able to finally speak about it. Poe's voice tore through her thoughts, however.
"Excuse me General, but we are ready to go." He said looking excited as ever.
Leia got up from her seat and walked over the Poe. She grabbed his face in her hands and said, "You better not do anything stupid or dangerous that could get this team killed."
Poe laughed and said " I promise I won't be stupid or dangerous or get my whole crew killed."
"Alright you better listen because the minute I hear of you doing something, I'll demote you to sanitation." Leia said sternly.
Rey got up and went out to meet Finn in the hangar. She looked back towards the resistance base one last time and prayed she'd see their faces again.
"Ready Rey?" Finn asked loading some packages onto the ship.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
"That's the spirit!" said Poe boarding the ship.
Leia walked up to Rey and whispered quietly, "Please, don't let Ben try to persuade you into anything. He may not seem like it, but he can get anyone to do what he wants even without the force."
She let Rey go and watched as the team descended into the sky.
"May the force be with you" she said and headed inside.