Outfit changed for Rey! I designed the outfit amidst all my Rey doodles and I'll see if I can include a picture sometime soon. Hopefully I was able to accurately describe it via words.

Also, the more I write Damerey the more I love it. Reylo will always be number one though.

Rey rested her eyes while she lay back against the pilot chair, her mind humming in content. After spending the past day training with her saber, an unusual satisfaction had taken her over—which was not something she was used to. There had been a connection between her and the lightsaber which shifted something—it had sparked something in her heart and renewed the strength that dwelled there.

With a sigh, she forced herself to her legs, soreness overtaking her muscles but not holding her back as she made her way towards the fresher. Rey quickly washed up—relinquishing in the warm water on her biceps—and put on a new set of clothing that Leia had gifted her with. They consisted of a thick, hooded vest covered by another thinner one, that she wrapped a sash around mid-waist. Her previous belts still hung off her torso but the pants had been exchanged for billowy leggings that tucked into her boots. Her arms were now covered in stockings that had come up to where the gauze had before. Even her wrists had improved leather bands.

It was time she regrouped with everyone—reconnect with Rose and Poe, inform Leia of the new occurrence even though Finn had probably already gossiped across the Resistance. A small smile lifted her lips while she attached the saber to her belt—Rey felt proud. Thank you, Anakin…

Her feet took her down into the dim caves, her steps echoing off the caverns around her. Once she was in the heart of the base, her mind buzzed as fellow comrades scurried about with blue prints and spare parts. It seemed as if most the ships had been fixed up and prepared for battle or escape. Off in the distance, she caught site of Poe who was ushering a few people along towards a beaten up ship. Excitement elated in her chest.

"Poe!" she called out to him with a dorky smile. He looked up from what he was doing and excused himself from the other pilots.

"Rey!" he greeted in return, trotting to meet up with her. "How goes the lightsaber training?"

She smiled at his genuine interest. "Better than I thought, honestly." Rey figured it would have taken longer to connect with the lightsaber, to get used to the new weight of the Force within it, but it had felt so incredibly natural in her palm. "How goes ship repairs?"

Poe beamed back at her. "Everything seems to be back into working order, if not better. We've done a lot of upgrades with some spare parts." His eyes lingered intently on hers, the connection holding them both in a trance momentarily.

Rey managed to speak despite the elation of emotions in her chest. "Ah, sorry I forgot to join you guys for dinner last night. I got… Distracted." She felt something special exuding from the pilot in front of her and it stirred warmth that numbed her tongue.

"Don't sweat it—you've got a lot of things going on," Poe reassured, his arm resting on her shoulder to give a firm shake. "Though to make up for it, we all expect to see you in the rest hall tonight. We are all gathering to partake in some festivities. Don't miss it!"

A wry smile formed on her lips. "I wouldn't dream of it. What are we celebrating?"

Poe turned to make way towards a ship, ushering her to join him. She followed suit, her gaze staring inquisitively into his twinkling eyes. "Life."

"Life?" Rey parroted, cocking her head in indication for him to continue.

"You know, amidst all the shitty stuff, we gotta stop and celebrate what we have. What we've accomplished." Poe seemed lost in thought for a second before grounding once more. "Appreciate the people we have around us—and those we've lost."

"That's beautiful," Rey replied instinctively but suddenly felt embarrassed by her comment. Poe sensed it and immediately reassured her.

"It really is…"

She felt that unfamiliar fluttering in her stomach and she couldn't find the right words to say. To help break her out of the stupor, BB-8 rolled on up to them with happy beeps. Falling to her knees, she smiled kindly at the small droid before giving him a pat on the head. "Your antennae is crooked again." Without wasting a moment, Rey fixed it.

"He likes it when you do that," Poe whispered under his breath, giving his droid a knowing glance. BB-8 beeped in defiance before Rey giggled at the interaction.

"Well, I'll fix it for you as many times as you want me to." Standing back up to full height she turned back to Poe. "I need to catch up with the General—care to join me?" It surprised her she had offered the invitation but she didn't want to part with Poe—not quite yet.

"Of course—it would be my honor," he bowed slightly before taking stride with her. "Jedi stuff, I presume?"

Rey nodded, gesturing to her saber. "Even though she's probably learned by word of mouth, I wanted to let her know myself."

"How did you fix it?" Poe asked before reeling. "I mean, if you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all—you've heard of Anakin Skywalker?"

Poe nodded, slight apprehension pooling in his eyes. "Yes…"

"He helped me." She noticed his body stiffen. "I know it's questionable. Finn was on edge too. But…" Her mind wondered back to the phantom that had assisted her thus far and decided it wouldn't be wrong to fill Poe in—he wouldn't use the information against her, Rey was sure. "I think in death he's found peace and balance. He wants to help me."

"In what ways?" Poe inquired, confusion knitting his brow. They duo made their way towards Leia's temporary office where she was probably communicating with possible allies and devising plans to get the Resistance back on their feet.

"I'm not sure… I just know he was adamant about repairing the lightsaber for now." Her gaze shifted to the ground, trying to find a more suitable answer for his question but turning up blank.

"Well as long as he's helping us out." Poe shrugged. "Right BB?" The droid beeped in confirmation. They found themselves outside of the entrance into Leia's quarters. Rey looked at Poe, slightly nervous for some reason, only to receive an gentle elbow to her arm. She knocked quickly before drawing back and waiting.

The door opened fully, revealing Leia in her beautiful garbs. "Rey, I've been expecting you." Her attention diverted to Poe with a motherly look. "Poe."

"General," he saluted in response.

"I've heard the rumors… Is it true?" Leia inquired, a knowing twinkle in her eye. Rey nodded as she stepped before, retracting the saber from her belt and holding it up for the General to witness.

"Anakin Skywalker assisted me." Rey supplied while she placed it delicately in Leia's palms. The General glanced at it briefly before chancing a look back at the young girl.

"I'm glad you were able to get it fixed. I suppose you've been training with it?"

Rey dipped her head in confirmation. "I spent the past day working on the forms I had read about in the Jedi Texts. I feel… More connected to the lightsaber than I had before."

"That is good. I presume it's because you crafted it back together yourself."

"I would imagine."

Silence ensued as Leia moved forward and embraced Rey. The former-scavenger stiffened at the contact but eventually melted into it.

"How are you, Rey?" Leia asked as she pulled away, a deeper implication lacing her words.

"I'm fine," she replied, not really knowing how to voice all the emotions that had been whirling inside of her the past few days. "There's a lot of confusion still—but I'm finding my way. With the Resistance's help that is."

Poe shifted uncomfortably, feeling as if he was intruding on something.

"Did you want a hug too, Poe?" Leia jested, ushering him to come to her.

He shrugged. "I'm a big boy. I don't need—"

The whole room quaked in mockery, effectively destroying the peace. Rey was assaulted by a vision—the First Order descending upon Endor; Kylo Ren growing ever nearer. "The First Order…" she breathed, finding herself back in reality not a second later. There was another blast from above, causing the room to crumble around them. Leia pulled back but it was far too late as the room concaved. Poe instincts were sharp and he managed to pull the General from brunt of the wreckage, but she'd still been caught in it. A large rock had taken her out, enough so that even Poe's pleas did not stir the older lady. "Shit!" he cursed, coughing as he clambered to get out of the room. Rey followed closely behind as she used the Force to ensure they wouldn't be crushed.

The world around her seemed to still as she stared dumbly while Poe clung to Leia's body. Rey could feel that the General was still alive but needed immediate medical assistance. The First Order was here and the thought stirred something dark and festering within her instincts—it seemed to embrace her in a hug that felt just like Leia's arms around her.

They are here to destroy everything you love.

Rey didn't know what was taking ahold of her—there was a fist clenched around her heart, possessing the blood in her body and though she knew she should be weary of it, she accepted it—without hesitation. "Poe. Get to the ships—make sure everyone is safe."

"What about you?" he managed to respond with anguish clawing at his handsome features. His arms coiled tightly around the older lady's form while he lifted her up with him.

"Don't worry about me," Rey stated simply. "I'll find my way back. Go!"

Poe registered her resolve and gave a firm nod before turning and making way towards a ship with Leia's sagging form. Rey left the room and bee-lined for the surface, saber buzzing in her hand. The cave continued to roar and shake has the First Order heavily bombarded it from atop. It wouldn't be long now before it collapsed and killed everyone left behind.

The waves of the Force crashed down on her, reminding her of the raging water she had witnessed on Ahch-To—but this was darker and deeper. Rey could feel Ben nearby but couldn't bring herself to care, too focused on figuring out how they'd found them. The Force spoke to her wordlessly and she knew in her gut, that somehow this was her fault. She knew she'd messed up somewhere along the lines and Ben had managed to take advantage of her naivety. The idea made something crack open inside her heart, spilling something ugly.

Immediately as she had reached the surface, Rey ignited her saber, her breath stilling as she willed her emotions and power to the surface. There was a new energy filling every fiber of her being and though it was unfamiliar, she welcomed it. There was a fleet of stormtrooper marching forward, trying to push past and capture the Resistance before they could escape. While Rey knew her comrades would be able to fend some of them off, she knew it was her responsibility to make it as easy for them as possible.

With a flick of her hand, several Stormtroopers were thrown to the ground like rag dolls before she devoted her power towards the one that was trying to push past her defenses. His weapon immediately fell to the ground as his hands wrenched for his throat. He was only in pain briefly before a crack resonated in the air.

Rey was aware that she had snapped his neck, but didn't care. This wasn't her but at the same time she felt more alive than ever before. Leaping forward, she brought her saber down across another Stormtrooper—then another and another. Deflecting shots with her saber, she grappled out towards the force to instantly kill another enemy. He fell to the ground with a deadly thud and Rey felt it in her bones, the vibration resonating with her core. There was a small part of her that felt gutted that she was taking down these brainwashed men, but it paled to the safety of her friends.

It felt as if something was on fire in the pit of her stomach. It was supposed to hurt, she was aware,but the icy whispers of the Force seemed to make her numb to it.

Kill them—all of them. They deserve this.

Amidst the chaos, Rey found it in herself to laugh. It was short and breathy yet audible and proud. Her saber impaled someone in the head, before it was ripped from his skull to land a blow on one of his friends. If they thought it was a good idea to attack the Resistance, her family, then she was going to make them regret ever coming to Endor.

It was almost like a dance, the way she cut down person after person, deflecting their shots like second nature. This went on for a solid couple of minutes before she sensed an equal force on the battlefield. "Ben," Rey acknowledged with a whisper, turning to face him where she had sensed his presence. She knew he would come.

"Rey," he uttered in return, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You are drawing upon the dark side of the Force."

"Is that all you have to say?" she questioned, her voice remaining monotone while her eyes spoke volumes. Tendrils of hair framed her face while the rest of her locks wavered slightly in the air.

Ben felt the emotions pouring out of Rey—every single one. He could feel how her throat clenched up in despair, feel the burning rage permeate every essence of her being. His betrayal had unleashed something that was entirely unhealthy for her. The overwhelming emotions were consuming her actions.

"You are going to come with me."

"Is that Ben talking or Kylo Ren?" Rey sarcastically bit, her eyes narrowing with the intent to kill. Her grip on her saber tightened as she fell back into her offensive stance. With an unsettling speed she seemed to rip through time before bringing her saber down upon Ben to which he countered with his own. Rey pulled back for only a second before ducking below and bringing it across his ankles but he managed to jump out of the way in a flash.

They clashed their sabers several time, Rey's sheer strength catching him off guard more than once. He barely managed to duck underneath her swing before launching to full height and nailing her in the back of the head with the butt of his saber. A cry emanated from her lips as she staggered forward.

"Your form is sloppy. Did Luke not even show you basic forms?" Kylo mocked, stalking around her and attempting to calculate a means of immobilizing her with causing too much damage. "I would have showed you."

Rey breathed heavily as her mind attempted to process his words. How dare he…

"Don't let this consume you," Ben warned again, keeping his distance as he prepared to defend himself.

"That's the least of my worries." Rey countered. It was true—nothing mattered more than her friends getting away to safety. Not even her own wellbeing. Ben heard her thoughts and snarled.

"Surround her!" he called out vehemently and on cue, she was surrounded by storm troopers with guns ready to shoot. Standing before her, he closed the distance with a smugness she hated. "Surrender, Rey."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Rey asked mockingly. Ben only ripped the lightsaber out of her hands before signaling the troopers to close in and shackle her. Trepidation whelmed in her gut but she tried to appease it with the fact that Poe, Finn, Rose, and a majority of everyone had gotten away. She was scared—terrified—at what was going to happen to her or what could happen to everyone if she wasn't there to help defend them.

It was all a daze, her being escorted across the First Order's destroyer with Kylo Ren leading them towards what she imagined was her cell. Three storm troopers were assigned to ensure she behaved herself. "I hate you," she seethed under her breath, instinctively struggling against her cuffs. Ben pretended to not acknowledge her but she sensed that he words had hurt him in some way. After a ridiculous amount of walking, a single trooper shoved her into a cell. The door was a light that she was easily able to pass through but she for some reason was unable to pass back through. Ben followed in afterward and latched something onto her wrist. Rey jolted away from him but he remained adamant as he proceeded to remove her cuffs. Rubbing her wrists, Rey sat down on the small make-shift bed and glowered back at him.

It seemed as if Ben wanted to say something to her but decided against it, turning to stride away from her. Rey both relished and suffered in the loneliness that followed—her only companion being the dim light that shone overhead.

Rey felt empty as she lie down in her cell—emptier than she'd ever been on Jakku. There was a bracelet around her wrist that which she could only assume restricted her connection to the Force. She couldn't feel anything—no Anakin, no Leia, no light, no dark. Loneliness took root in her gut and it made her want to vomit. She had been teased with the comfort and comradery of the Resistance, the friendship of Finn and Poe, the love of Leia; now that it was gone, Rey was once again reminded of how alone she truly was. The power the darkness had tempted her into now instilled guilt and regret.

"I've told you before, you're not alone."

His voice echoed in the cell and though Rey had previously wanted to rip his head off, she no longer had the energy to even react. She couldn't manage a response—in fact, he didn't deserve one. Her eyes could only stare blankly at the ceiling.

Ben sighed before letting himself approach her, albeit hesitantly. He was prepared if she were to explode though he doubted she was in the mental state to do so. Seconds passed before Rey managed to say anything.

"The Resistance got away…" she figured saying the words out loud would make her feel better, remind her that he had lost.

"They did," he stated simply.

"I thought you'd be throwing a temper tantrum."

His eye twitched in slight annoyance but it soon faded when he assessed the hollowness of her words. Rey hadn't made eye contact with him—she only stared at the ceiling void of emotion. He closed the distance with them and knelt down to her level. "Rey, look at me."

Slowly, her gaze shifted to him. Rey couldn't bring herself to hate him despite her best efforts. There was still that undeniable pull she felt to him and loathing herself for it was the only thing she could manage to feel. Ben—no—Kylo Ren was so close to her, she could feel his breath on her face.

"You are where you belong."

Rey's face twisted in disgust, something fiery bursting in her heart. "You don't get to choose where I belong. That's something I choose for myself."

Ben shook his head in frustration as he reached out and grabbed Rey's hand, giving it a firm squeeze as if it could help her understand. "Rey—you and I are destined to do something greater than the Resistance… Or even the First Order. How can you not see that?"

She ripped her hand out of his. "How can you attempt to assassinate my friends…." she demanded hoarsely. "Then demand we have this greater destiny?" Rey couldn't understand his thought process despite having the mental link and even if he explained himself further, there was no way she could comprehend it.

"I know you can feel it. I can sense it…" He was pleading with her to understand—to open up to what he was saying. "Let me in," he spoke so quietly she almost didn't hear it. "Let me help you understand."

Rey felt him intrude her mind, shoving a vision of the two of them together before her eyes.

They were standing beside each other, hand in hand, overlooking a beautiful city she had never seen before. Her head rested comfortably on his shoulder, the air around them humming with satisfaction.

"We did this…" Ben whispered into the crown of her head, his eyes closing as he indulged in the feeling of her body resting against his. Rey had smiled at his words, her eyes regal but comfortable. She had everything that she could ever want—a belonging that would satiate her for the rest of her life.

Rey ripped herself out of the vision, the excursion robbing her of the air in her lungs. Her gut lurched in disgust at how good the vision had felt. "I don't know what you think our ideal future is," she began through grit teeth as she distanced herself from him, but also trying to get away from the vision that had felt so right. "But I'm not going to give you what you want." Damned if she complied to anything he wanted, after everything he had done—Rey would rather die before joining him at his side within the First Order—it was he whom should be joining her. "You may have me locked away in here now but I'll escape. Get back to the Resistance and the First Order will fall."

Ben pulled away, his face not betraying the emotions she felt brewing in his skull. He didn't know what to say to her—the Resistance would be wiped out before she had the chance to escape, he'd make sure of that. But then what? What about now? For reasons unknown to him, he'd brought the scavenger back with him with no further plan on what to do with her should she deny him. In his ideal world, he'd train her to full potential, teach her the ways of the Force. Clearly, she wasn't going to let that happen.

He had easily picked up on the longing she had felt upon seeing his vision, but knew commenting on it was far from appropriate. "Your fate as of now is entirely up to you," Ben gestured to the room she was contained in. "Ideally, I'd have you at my side, teach you the ways of the Force—help you hone the strength you seem to struggle controlling. I respect that isn't your desire, but given so, you will remain here, unable to help the Resistance." Turning his back to her, he made way for the door of light that held her hostage. "I wish it didn't have to be like this."

Rey glared daggers in his back. "Me too," she whispered, the morose that hung heavy on her words unexpected. Despite the entirety of what was going on, she craved him—Ben Solo, the man hovering underneath the persona that was Kylo Ren.

Without another word, he left her behind in the cell. Rey couldn't help the fear that momentarily washed over her—she was alone… Again. 'I'll get out of here…' she thought to herself, her mind devising possible means for escape. 'I'll get back home to Finn, Poe, Rose, Leia, everyone.' Her thoughts seemed to echo in the room, mocking her determination.

Ben sat in his chambers, his finger tapping his desk in mild anxiety. He could sense the dark cloud whelming inside of her, the same one he had sensed on Starkiller base but now it seemed much stronger. It was obscuring her light and reminded him of himself in ways he didn't care to admit. He'd felt the fear, anguish, and anger exuding from Rey's Force signature and as much as had hated to leave her alone in the small cell, he knew there was nothing more for him to say.

There was uneasiness that bloomed in his gut—stirring up his worries pertaining the scavenger. He wanted to help her understand the dark power that she drew upon so that it wouldn't consume her. If she would allow his help, Ben would ensure she wouldn't teeter into a power than would destroy who she was.

"She will join me…" he muttered to himself, thoughts flitting back to how right he had felt as he had embraced her in his vision. What he had shown her had by no means been a dream—no, it was their future. "It's only a matter of time."