"I'm glad your okay Rey." Leia whispered as she stroked her hand. When she awoke the next morning there had been a flurry of activity. Her wound was healed and it was deemed safe for her to leave, but Lady Caster insisted she remained until she completely regained her strength. However, Rey missed her friends and wanted to return to the Resistance as soon as possible. It was decided they would leave before noon in a new heavily armoured crusier.

"How long has it been?" Her body felt lethargic, twitching her legs she felt the weakness in them.

"It has been a week. You were in a coma for a while after we had you submerged in Bacta." Rey gasped. A week. She thought of her dormant quarterstaff, the severed lightsaber waiting for her back on Mirrin Prime. Her yearning for them swelled but she tampered it down turning her attention back to the General.

"And the girl, what happened to her?"

"Right now she is being detained in a secure room here at this estate. We can not hand her over to the authorities just yet, it may provide the opportunity for the opposition to investigate Lady Caster and our allies." Rey's brow furrowed, something felt off.

"Who was she? Was she working for the First Order?" Leia's gaze flickered with unease.

"No, Rey. She's…" Her grip tightened ever so slightly. "She wasn't working for the First Order. Her mother was a technician on Starkiller base. It was a act of pure vengeance and I am so sorry you got hurt in the process."

The thought occurred to her. Oh, gods. How could she be so callous.

"How many people were on Starkiller base?" She looked at her with remorse.

"We don't know exactly but we estimate it to number least three hundred thousand."

Rey squeezed her eyes shut. Three hundred thousand. How many? How many were just people following orders? How many were just trying to make the best of what life had done to them? How many were like Finn? Star killer base had been a planet, it's surface covered in towering trees, centuries older than her. What else was lost in the destruction?

"Rey." She touched her softly. "You know we had to do it, you know it. Billions died in the Hosnian system. Children, loved ones, entire families, they are all gone. I remember when my home, Alderaan was destroyed, it… it almost broke me. We can never allow a weapon that powerful to exist."

It was a logical action. Kill thousands to save billions. She knew what Leia said was true, but her heart wrenched and she breathed deeply to prevent herself from screaming. This was war, survival of the fittest.

"I know," Rey whispered, "I know."

Rey peered out her window, regarding the sprawling city landscape. She had just finished dressing and soon they would leaving for Mirrin Prime.

Her mind prickled.

"Kylo," she turned. He sat on her bed, looking just as tired as she did. He held a hand out to her and she took it sitting on his lap. His hand slid beneath her shirt, his palm against the bare skin of her abdomen. Rey knew he was just reassuring himself yet her body still quivered, she placed her and over his.

"Kylo… I need to know," he turned his head towards hers. "Starkiller base, are you rebuilding it?" His breath stilled. They had never done this before, never crossed this line where they told each other about their respective stances in this War. His gaze dropped from hers.

"It is in the planning stage." Rey shuddered, breathing deeply to compose herself but he felt her anguish. It thundered in his chest as if it were his own pain.

"Did you do it?" Her throat felt hoarse as she forced the words out. "Did you give the command to destroy the Hosnian system?" Kylo held her tightly, burying his face in her neck.

"No. Hux commanded the operation under Snoke's orders." She turned in his grasp, forcing him to look at her.

"And what about you? Did you try and stop them? Did you try to save them?" He shut his eyes, he couldn't bear to look at her. Kylo knew the unasked question in her eyes. Did he think about Leia? He pressed his head to her chest. He knew what it would have done to her. Kylo grew up with his mother telling him stories about her former homeward, about its unsurpassable beauty with a melancholy look on her face. He knew of the constant contact she made with the Alderann Sector, the pain in her eyes whenever she met with a survivor.

"I couldn't. All I thought about was Han, the map, you. It tore me apart, the fear of failing. I… I didn't say anything when Snoke gave the order." Rey turned away from him, looking everywhere as if all that laid before her was horror. He pulled her closer, clutching her desperately.

She threaded her hand through his hair, holding him to her.

"Please. Please don't do it. Don't let it be built. Please Ben," her lips were pressed to his head as she pleaded in desperation.

He stroked her trembling back. "Rey, are you asking me. The Supreme Leader of the First Order to give up the most powerful weapon in the galaxy?" She released a breathe. Did she even have the right to make such a demand? She was a murderer, she had taken life believing it was just. No doubt the First Order believed they were just too. But Rey thought of Corellia, the little girl without her bother, her grieving father without his son.

"I am." There was so much hope and despair in her eyes that he had to turn away.

"The fact that the technology exists can not be changed, but I promise it won't be built," he held her hand to his chest. "I promise."

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Finally it's here!

I was planning on releasing this chapter last week but a lot of stuff happened. The main thing was that I had reached this point in the story where I had established enough plot threads to start weaving. I needed to get a clearer picture of where this was all headed and what I actually wanted the overall message of the story to be.

The basis of it has always been a romance and I started it just for fun. But, it's become more than that. There are aspects of this world that I want to explore and so I will take the time to develop them as well as this relationship.

I watched a lot of vids from Just Write, Wisecrack, and Overly sarcastic Productions. Quite often I'll have an idea yet struggle to articulate it, those channels helped me greatly. Quite frankly when I watched some of the critiques on 'bad' creations, I cringed thinking 'do I do those things?'. It's a struggle to overcome this fear as a writer. I instantly toss between hating and liking my work.

Another thing that happened was that I gave some of my chapters to my Literature teacher to review.

It was a surreal experience, talking about a Star Wars fanfic with a man twice my age, who went to one of the best universities in my country, who taught me Jane Eyre, Frankenstein and Heart of Darkness. It was frightening yet exciting. We talked at length about the morality and politics of Star Wars. He told me he enjoyed reading my chapters which was amazing, I honestly thought it was crap. He recommended me 'On Writing' by Stephen King, and I've been devouring it.

About the frequency of my releases you can expect at least 1 new chapter per month, and at most 4 new chapters per month.