There was no time to pay attention to himself. This is the one thing that Kylo had decided on as he stormed through the halls of the base, ignoring Finn yelling at him to come back, back to the medical ward, to get stitched up. There was no need for the attention, the former dark force user decided, knowing that the blood was drying, that it was stopping up the wound. He didn't care how absolutely feral he looked: blood matting his dark hair, his skin pallid but flecked with dirt, his eyes shrieking for his revenge.

The door before him flew open, Kylo not realizing that he had flicked his wrist, bid the metal to spring apart from the doorframe, allowing entry. He swept into the room, interrupting a councilman who stood, reading the minutes of the previous meeting. All eyes were on him, and he could feel his mother's presence, his uncle's energy. Even the pilot and Chewbacca were giving off a signature in the force, and the wrathful Jedi briefly wondered if his emotion was heightening his abilities.

"They took Rey."

One sentence, and that was all it took to throw the room into an uproar. Kylo's eyes found his mother, who had frozen, as if in carbonite, beside her brother, who was bemoaning his dulled senses, regret etching into his limbs.

Leia stood, making her way down to the podium that the councilman had just vacated. She looked at her son evenly, fearful for a moment that he was at fault, that her trust had been misplaced. Then his enraged mask broke, and he stood before the seated crowd, shoulders slumped, unable to turn to see Finn run into the room. The general gripped the podium, managed to whisper: "When did they take her?"

"Just now. Snoke was probably bidding her… she couldn't resist. She wasn't strong enough to resist." Poe, from his seat, could feel the helplessness of the former Stormtrooper as he choked out the words. He glanced at Kylo, saw the darkness perching itself on his brow, the guilt in his eyes. As much as he wanted to hate the former First Order commander, he knew that he couldn't. Not now that he could see how much Rey was to him.

"We need to go after her." Kylo's head snapped up to look at Poe, surprised when the pilot made his way down to the center of the room, clapping a hand down on his shoulder. "Will you lead the rescue?"

"I need a pilot." The words were blurted out, and Poe cracked a small smile at the stunned man. "You have a pilot. But we need a leader. You know the First Order. You're our only hope to get her back."

There was an outcry from a few of the councilmen, one of them screaming, "He's a traitor! This was his plan all along, and you're being taken in! Kylo Ren is…"

"No more." The councilman fell silent, his accusation hanging in the air as Leia stalked towards him. "If you would like to accuse my pardoned son of treason yet again, in front of me, I suggest you watch your tongue. He is the only way that we will get Rey back. There's light in him." She turned to look her son in the eye. "I know it."

Kylo felt his chest tighten, pushing gratitude aside for a moment. "We need volunteers for the mission. At least four, beside myself, and then we need support. If we expect to get Rey back, we should expect a fight." He swallowed, continuing. "They won't give her up, and we need to be prepared to take down Snoke."

He faced all those who doubted him, those who stood behind him in support, his deep voice growing louder, booming in the room. "This ends tonight. Snoke thinks he can steal Rey's light. Even if he does, we can restore her!"

He looked at his mother, smiled. "I was able to be restored. Now it is my turn to pay my debts. Who will follow me?" Kylo saw the hands of many lift, pledging their help.

Poe. Finn. Chewbacca. Jessica Pava. His uncle. His mother. A crushing multitude of officials. Even the councilmen, albeit reluctantly. Very reluctantly, Kylo decided, as the same official who had just accused him of treason pouted, muttering "We're following Kylo Ren to our deaths."

"You're following Ben Solo." Kylo corrected him, not missing the tears that were biting his mother's cheeks, her smile creeping at the edges of her mouth. He felt a surge of pride in his name, his name, as he gestured at his father's copilot. "Chewie, will you fly the Falcon?"

The Wookie let out a roar, and Ben smiled, nodding in agreement to the question. "Yes, I'll be your copilot." Poe, Finn and Jessica were already surging to stand at his side, having picked themselves for the main search and retrieval mission.

Ben felt a flash of pain flit across his temples, knowing that it was Rey's sensation that he just felt. He tried to push the message across, following his team out of the room, preparing himself for the task ahead.

We're coming, Rey. I promise.