This was the most difficult chapter to write. I'm not 100% happy with how it came out, but I am happier with it now than how I was a few days ago. I know how I want to story to end, but the damn points along the way keep changing. Little monsters live inside my head that keep cutting things and putting new things in. Jerks. Well I hope you like it. By the way, I am sorry if Rey seems a like OOC, I try to explain it at the end.

Also Juti: if you are still reading this please feel free to message me to let me know what's wrong. I'm very happy you have stuck with the story up until this point, and I just want to know what made you upset.

Disclaimers: I own nothing except the characters that I create. Disney owns everyone else.

Deals are necessary.

To create a balance.

Good and Bad working together.

For one common goal.

Dealings

Leia, Rey, Finn, Lieutenant Connix, and Poe find themselves standing around the main computer on the bridge.

"What do you mean that we need to go to the Deep Core?" Poe looks at Leia, flabbergasted.

"That's where we need to go," Leia zooms up to the planet of Tython.

"You said the boy told you?" Connix looks more closely at the map.

"He did,"

"But he didn't say anything, Leia! How could he have told you?" Rey looks pointedly at the General.

"The Force is a mysterious thing. Maybe he would have told you if you didn't treat him like he was ticking time bomb. The more you treat him like he is going to turn to the dark side then you're going to find that's going to be the only place he feels like he can turn to," Leia hangs her head.

"Like Ben…"

"Like Ben, so if you are so terrified that he is going to become Kylo Ren stop treating him like he is going to. He has a choice still. You said he was three?" Poe nods.

"Almost four," Poe corrects her and a slight smile forms on both of their faces.

"Almost four," Leia turns to Rey, who mirrors her turn, "he still has time to grow and learn, so don't make the decision for him."

"He said his mom is teaching him about any power that manifests," Finn says as he recalls the earlier conversation they had.

"Probably so he isn't scared when his powers become more powerful and frequent," Leia walks towards the windows looking out into the void of space.

"Back to the issue here though, General," Finn gestures to the map, "our intel has told us that the mid rim and inward are completely overrun by the First Order. Going into that with this ship will kill everyone on it!"

"Do you think I am not aware of that, Finn?" Leia turns back towards the group.

"I'm not…um…"

"I was never taking this cruiser in there," Finn stills his speech.

"Of course, General,"

"Then what's the plan, General?" Connix takes a step forward.

"For now, wait, we have what they need, so we stay vigilant, send patrols, and alert our allies. The ball is in the First Order's court now." Connix nods, and goes back to her station as the crew seems to become more determined.

"What about us, General?" Poe asks.

"Bring me the boy and the orb, let's see what we are dealing with," the last of the three leave the bridge as Leia turns back towards to window.

Twenty minutes later, the bridge doors hiss open again to the sight of Rey, Finn, and Poe all standing behind the little boy who is holding tightly onto a ball wrapped in fabric. Leia dismisses the crew around her and gestures for the group to come forward. The boy hesitates, but with a little encouragement from Poe he moves forward. Poe lifts him up, so he is able to stand on one of the seats around the main table across from Leia.

"So, this is what the First Order wanted from your temple?" The small boy nods. "Can we see it?" The boy looks down at the fabric-covered orb in his hands, and it gets quiet around the table. Poe, Rey, and Finn begin to separate as the latter two join Leia across the table.

"Gotta promise not to touch it,"

"Why can't we touch it?"

"I don't know, but Mama said no touch," the boy's eyes don't leave the orb, "and I won't let you see it if you won't promise,"

"Okay, then we won't touch it," Leia smiles softly.

"Promise?"

"Promise," the boy looks at Poe, who gives him a nod. The boy gently places the orb down in front of him, and lets the fabric fall away. On the table suddenly sits a small orb no more than four inches in diameter. Half of it is a clear crystal while the other half is black, impossible to see through.

"This is what they want? A tiny ball," Rey looks up at the boy.

"Wait and watch." Everyone's eyes are affixed on the orb, as a small group has now formed around the main table. The orb suddenly lets off a small glow, and the two sides seem to come alive. The two colors seem to move with each other. One never overtaking the other.

"They're moving in balance," Finn whispers, as more and more of the conversation that him and the boy shared on the transport ship comes back. The movement is hypnotic, comforting even, pulling everyone around it into a trance.

"It's the balance orb, it has another name, but it's too hard to say,"

"What does it do?" It's Finn's turn to look at the boy.

"Mama says it's like a reset button, it makes everything balanced. She says it gives people a second chance to change their fate,"

"So all is forgiven? Everyone who used the dark side gets to pretend like they didn't do anything wrong because of a silly fairytale?" Rey's voice is dripping with anger.

"It's not a story!"

"It is! None of the Jedi texts that were on Ahch-To talked about these orbs, so they are either a made-up story or they are related to the Sith!"

"No, they aren't! Balancers don't choose sides!"

"Everyone chooses sides! Not choosing a side isn't an option anymore," The boy bundles up the orb as he clutches it tightly to his chest.

"The orbs help Ashla and Bogan…they help both sides…make sure there's balance. Each of them does something different, and this is Mama's orb…and I need to get it back to her," the boy sniffles and tries to get off the chair by himself, but finds it is too high for him to jump. Everyone is looking at Rey as Poe helps the boy down. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he bolts out of the bridge.

"…Rey…" Finn places a hand on her shoulder, and she shrugs it off.

"No one should be forgiven that easily,"

"He's three, Rey, his mom probably didn't tell him the whole story just enough for him to understand." Poe looks at the woman in front of him.

"That's just it, it's a story, and we're chasing something that isn't real,"

"Whether it's just a story or whether it isn't, the First Order is looking for this, but we are under the assumption that it was the only thing in the boy's temple. However, you've scared him off, so I guess we will have to wait to find out," Leia looks up at Rey. Her brown eyes barring into Rey, whose eyes suddenly fall downcast. "Do you remember what I said earlier?"

"That I need to not treat him like he's Kylo Ren,"

"And that outburst was the exact opposite of that," Leia stands up from her chair, and looks at her bridge crew, "back to work everyone." Everyone scurries back to their station as Rey stands at the table looking at the spot where the orb had been, and Finn, Leia, and Poe were looking at her.

"I don't know why I find myself getting worked up by him. He makes me uncomfortable," Rey looks at Leia, "he makes me uneasy,"

"You should reflect on that, and maybe try talking to him like the child that he is rather than the child you think he can become. Plus, he's worried about his mother, and he is somewhere new with new people…he's scared, remember that." Leia smiles and pats her on the shoulder. The three leave the bridge, Poe and Finn whispering to Rey about things that the boy might want to talk about.

Days pass with no word from anyone on the First Order's whereabouts. Leia begins to wonder if the First Order would ever contact her when suddenly…

"General, there's a communication coming in!"

"Put it on my screen," with a few taps on her counsel, the crew member displays the message on the screen. It wasn't a video just a simple message.

Tython. 2 days. Bring the orb and we will give you the girl back. Fail to comply and we kill her.

"Well, its time," Leia turns to the bridge crew, "get my crew together. Get everything. We head out in five hours," Leia turns to a Bothan on the bridge. "The cruiser is yours until I come back, Commander Mikimi," The Bothan male salutes back.

"General, do you think it is wise for you to go?"

"It's something I have to do, but I know if anything happens that the Rebellion will live on without me. May the Force be with You." They nod at each other, and Leia exits the bridge without a single look back.

Hey there! So I know I make Rey a bit of hostile character towards baby boy. It's not that I don't like Rey cause I do, but re-watching the movies has made me come to the conclusion that Rey doesn't like the dark side. She doesn't want to easily forgive people that use it, but she wants to redeem them by making them work for forgiveness. The whole point that I have made with the Orb is that it's a reset button, and I think that Rey would think that this would be an excuse for bad people to get away for doing bad things. However, baby boy is 3, and doesn't quite know how to explain it. One day Evangeline will explain everything! One day…if I don't kill her…or she even sees anyone again. Who knows.

As always, thank you everyone for the review, the favorites, and the follows. It means so much to me! Makes me feel like I am not entirely crazy! Thank you for reading! Please leave a review! I'm really excited for these next few chapters.

May the Force be with You!

-KMA