Chapter 12: The Resistance
"We will hold together to become the change,
Voice for the voiceless with every common man engaged."
~Anberlin, "The Resistance"
Later that evening, Ben and Rey returned to the festivities down by the caretakers' village to celebrate their last night on Ahch-To. The multi-day Festival of Return was a much-needed reprieve from the seriousness and possibly even perilous journey that lay ahead of them the next morning.
The Lanai heartily welcomed the couple into their party, fully aware of their plans to vacate the island, bringing them drinks along with several unpalatable dishes and playing songs in their honor. Rey even joked that they were probably delighted that the two of them were leaving due to the irreparable damage they had caused during their stay. Hesper, her former dance partner, was beside himself with grief, sobbing quietly in his corner with the other musicians for most of the night. Ben and Rey danced to several songs, both upbeat and slow-tempoed, holding each other close and enjoying their last moments on the island where they fell in love.
Before Ben and Rey returned to their huts for the night, the Lanai presented the couple with a gift, a star compass that had once belonged to Luke Skywalker. Rey marveled at the beautiful silver antiquity adorned with a brilliant-blue lodestone inside its confines. Ben recognized it immediately as he had observed and studied it during his training with Luke before the destruction of the Jedi temple. He explained to Rey that the compass might prove beneficial to their journey as it was attuned to hyperspace vectors and would allow them to find almost any destination they desired.
Thanking the caretakers for their thoughtful gifts and hospitality, Ben and Rey retreated to their side of the island for the remainder of their time on Temple Island. Since neither one of them wanted to sleep alone, they spent the night in Rey's hut, snuggled together in her somewhat cramped bed. Unable to sleep for most of the night, they talked in soft whispers and shared several stolen kisses before the inevitable pull of sleep consumed them both.
~.~
The next morning, Ben and Rey gathered their personal items, some old and some new, and loaded them into the captain's quarters of the Millennium Falcon. Standing on the ledge near their huts, they both embraced and looked out toward the ocean for one final moment of peace and serenity.
"You know what I realized?" Ben asked, his arms snaked around her waist, beginning to sway them both back and forth to the rhythm of the tide below.
"Hmm?" Rey wrapped her arms tighter about his shoulders, peering at the smaller islands off in the distance.
"This is the ocean, the island," Ben said softly, brushing his lips against the flesh of her neck, and looked up at her. "The ones you used to imagine on Jakku, to help you fall asleep at night."
"You mean, the ones you saw when you invaded my mind so rudely?" Rey gave him a leering expression.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," he replied, pulling her closer, and kissed her cheek. "It's almost as if you knew you'd come here one day."
"I know. It's amazing, isn't it?" She added. "And to think these past few nights were possibly the only times I've slept without having nightmares about my past. My mind was longing for these moments here… these moments here with you."
"I've never slept better than with you by my side as well." Ben smiled and took her hands into hers, kissing them sweetly in the old ways of propriety. "I hate to say this, Rey, but I think we should get going. We need all the time we can."
"Okay." Rey frowned. "Can you give me a few minutes? I need to say goodbye to a old friend."
"Sure, sweetheart," he agreed, seeing the image of her porg friend clearly in his mind through their connection. "I'll be waiting in the Falcon."
Ben squeezed her hand and traveled back toward the massive freighter as Rey turned toward the ocean once again.
"Finn!" She cried out toward the sea, the echoes of her calls bouncing off the towering cliffs and back to her ears. "Finn! Come here, boy!"
Within seconds, her sweet little porg friend fluttered down and perched himself on the boulder beside her, his face painted with a quizzical expression. Rey sauntered toward him, stretching out her hand, and gently pet his head one last time.
"I'm sorry, buddy, but I'm leaving today… with Ben," she told him.
Finn cooed and squeaked, almost exasperatedly, flapping his wings rapidly in response.
"I know, and I'm sorry. We need to help some friends out," Rey answered him, cupping her hand around her mouth as if she were divulging a dark secret. Her hazel eyes sparkled. "You know, Jedi stuff."
"Ooooh!" Finn replied and jumped up and down excitedly.
Just then, another porg about the same size as Finn fluttered down beside him on the large stone, startling Rey. Finn waddled closer and protectively wrapped his right wing around the newly-arrived creature. Rey knew from the pattern and colors of its feathers that the porg was female. She then realized that her porg friend had found his mate, someone to share his life with, just as she had.
"So this is your mate, huh?" Rey assumed, turning her attention to the second porg. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Rey and I think I'll call you… Rose."
The newly-named Rose replied with a soft squeak, showing her approval of the monicker. Rey gave the porg couple a broad smile in return and began to ascend the stone steps off of the ledge.
"Goodbye, my little friends. Maybe I'll see you again sometime," she called to them, giving them a brief wave.
Rey looked back, only to see the two creatures embracing just as she and Ben had done only moments before. The sight made her heart swell with overflowing joy that Finn had found a companion after living most of his life as an orphan. The irony of it all was not lost on Rey whose eyes soon flooded with bittersweet tears.
As she stalked back toward the Falcon, Rey reflected on her time on Temple Island on the planet of Ahch-To. She had succeeded in not only mending her saber, rescuing an abandoned porg, and helping Ben Solo return to the Light, but she had also succeeded in discovering her purpose, why she'd been rightfully placed in the universe. It was to find the lost, the forgotten, and the broken things, leading them down the pathway to wholeness and perfect balance.
~.~
Leaving the atmosphere of Ahch-To, the Millennium Falcon prepared to hyperjump through the dark void of space toward the desert planet, Cantonica. Rey's hazel eyes watched through the glass shield of the cockpit as the stars streaked in front of her, the freighter beneath her hurtling through the vastness ahead. Moments later, the dusty-gold orb appeared before them, rising like a dull sun amidst the fading lines of starlight.
Rey held her breath, her heart racing like a landspeeder within her chest. This was it. The moment they'd looked forward to, but also dreaded. She hoped the Resistance still resided in the catacombs underneath the capital city of Canto Bight, perfectly hidden from the First Order. Something inside her stirred as she stared down at the planet before her, calming her anxiety slightly.
"Shields up," Ben said from the captain's seat, quickly flipping the necessary switches on the console. "I'm not detecting any First Order ships, but they shouldn't be able to penetrate the shields if we're ambushed… Rey?"
When she didn't answer, he placed a reassuring hand on top of hers.
"Rey," Ben whispered her name. "We'll get through this, sweetheart. Together."
"I'm just worried, Ben," she replied in confusion, returning her attention to Cantonica. "Something's off, I can feel it. The Force is strong here, but how is it possible?"
"I feel it too," he retorted. "It's definitely the Force and… it seems to be getting stronger as we near the surface."
Before Ben could finish speaking, the needle of the star compass positioned upon the console started to spin wildly as if an invisible magnet was hovering around it. Rey immediately retrieved the silver object and held it out in her palm, watching the needle's rapid motion in awe.
"I think this is where we need to be then." She laughed slightly, placing the compass back on the console.
Ben nodded in agreement, beginning to steer the ship cautiously into the planet's atmosphere.
As the Falcon skimmed over the surface, Rey's expression fell instantaneously, her lungs beginning to fail her. The once bustling city of Canto Bight was completely decimated and left in utter ruins. The massive casino was barely noticeable with only the main structural beams rising like huge steel fingers from the heap of rubble and decaying corpses beneath it. The Sea of Cantonica ran red with the poison of cannon fire and rusted metal that now resided within its depths like a churning, boiling stew. The racetrack was littered with dozens of downed TIE-fighters and the rotting bodies of numerous fathiers. Rey's heart began to ache for the fallen residents and creatures who had been robbed of their lives so prematurely and unnecessarily by the greedy hands of war.
Following the beacon emanating through the compass, Ben circled around the Old Town area of the city over the exact spot where Rey had left the Resistance several months ago.
"It's right here! The base is under the stones right here!" Rey exclaimed, pointing toward the street below. "We'll need to hide the ship though, somewhere out of sight."
After landing the ship under the cover of a nearby bridge, Ben and Rey donned long robes to mask their identities, arming themselves with their lightsabers and blasters. They then exited the Falcon and stealthily scaled the broken walls along stone street toward the entrance to the catacombs. Rey noticed several tattered posters proclaiming "Join the Resistance" were still intact along the crumbling city walls as well as many others with First Order propaganda plastered over them.
Stepping over a myriad of broken stones into the next alleyway, Rey soon found the small, but distinct, Resistance emblem marking the entrance on a stone wall. Pushing on it lightly, Rey stood back as the emblem buzzed with the recognition of her touch and the stones recessed to form an opening in the wall.
"I want one of these," Ben whispered, running his hands along the threshold in awe, and followed Rey into the catacombs. The stones instantly closed behind them, sealing them off from the outside world.
Rey rolled her eyes, mumbling "men" under her breath, as she descended the stairs illuminated by torchlight under the desecrated city. She could feel the Force becoming stronger with every step, humming like a silent song all around them. She shucked off her robe, stepping toward the metal door at the end of the dim staircase.
"Keep your robe on," Rey warned him, placing her hand on the electronic scanner on the right side of the door. "I don't want them to recognize you just yet. They may shoot first and ask questions later."
Ben obeyed, shifting the hood to fully conceal his face, and entered the door behind her once it had lifted high enough for them to walk under.
"Rey!" She recognized Finn's voice immediately as she carefully sauntered into the rotunda. "You're back! We're so glad you're back!"
Glancing around the confines of the Resistance base, Rey saw her friend racing down the corridor to meet her with several other familiar faces in tow. She sighed in relief that Finn and the others had been spared by the First Order ambush.
Finn joyfully swooped her into his arms, twirling her around for a few fleeting seconds, and then set her back down. As he released her, he planted a chaste kiss on her left cheek. Rey heard Ben let out a low growl at Finn's gesture behind her, but she chose to ignore it.
"Rey! It's Rey! Rey's come back to us!" The other voices boomed as Rey greeted them all with gentle hugs.
"What brings you back?" Kaydel Ko Connix asked as Rey hugged her. "Did you find out how to mend your lightsaber?"
"Actually, I did," Rey said and showed them the repaired saber on her belt. The throng of onlookers smiled and whispered amongst themselves as they gazed in wonder at the weapon about her waist. "I heard about the First Order attack on the city and about Leia's passing. I knew I had to come back and rejoin the Resistance. Figured you needed all the help you could get."
"Absolutely," Poe answered, his face beaming with an ear-to-ear grin. He gave her a wink and pulled her into a firm hug. "I'm so glad you're home."
"Rey!" Chewbacca growled in Shyriiwook and pushed Poe aside, heftily burying her in his all-encompassing furry embrace. Rey chuckled against his enormous body, fully taking in the musky scent of his fur coat that she had dearly missed.
BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO flanked closely around the crowd, and Rey made sure to greet her droid friends as well.
"Uh, Rey, who's your friend?" Finn called to her as she endearingly rubbed BB-8's round mechanical belly.
Rey's jovial smile faded as she stood and turned toward the black-hooded figure behind her. BB-8 made an inquisitive chirping sound, rolling back behind Poe, the top of his head peeking out from behind his master. With shaking legs, Rey walked over beside Ben and took a deep breath.
"This is going to come as a shock to you guys, but…" Rey let her voice trail off, searching her mind for the right words to justify his presence. She gulped when her mouth ran completely dry.
Before she could continue, as if he'd sensed Ben's identity, Chewbacca pushed every body in his way carelessly to the side and hoisted Ben up by the neck.
"Chewie, wait! Stop!" Rey begged as Chewbacca plastered Ben forcefully against the opposite wall, holding him tightly in place by the throat. R2-D2 rolled himself over to their position and began ramming his droid body over and over again into Ben's legs, beeping wildly.
"Chewie, please! It's me! I'm not him anymore!" Ben forced the words from his mouth amongst the chokehold about his throat. "R2, ow! It's me - Ben!"
"Ben?" Chewbacca froze and then lowered his head toward Ben's face, using his free hand to remove his hood. He wailed in his native language as he gazed into Ben's brown eyes, "Little Ben?"
"Little Ben," Ben breathlessly replied as the brown, fur-covered hand lowered from his throat and set him back on the ground. R2-D2 halted his assault and whipped around several times, beeping Ben's name over and over again in disbelief.
Chewbacca backed away, moaning in what appeared to be a lament of both sadness and joy. Rey rolled her eyes at the Wookiee and rushed over to Ben to make sure he was all right.
"Ben Solo," C-3PO declared, his golden face pivoting toward Ben, his shiny mechanical arms flailing. "It is you... oh, dear."
"Kylo Ren…" Finn announced in a low voice, his mouth agape in utter shock. He turned toward Rey, who was now holding Ben's face tenderly in her hands. "What in the HELL is he doing here, Rey? And why are you touching him? He's a monster and a murderer!"
"Guards!" Poe exclaimed immediately, pulling his blaster from his belt. "We have an intruder from the First Order!"
"No, no, no! Poe, you don't understand. Let me explain," Rey tried to make them see reason to no avail, holding up her arms in surrender. The guards soon appeared behind her Resistance friends with blasters in hand.
"Cuff this man!" Poe pointed his blaster in Ben's direction. "Search him for weapons and take him to the detention block."
"Poe, please! If you'll just let me explain!" Rey held up her hands, trying to prevent the guards from arresting Ben. Ben stood beside her in silence and grabbed onto her hand secretly out of view.
"Why are you defending him?" Poe inquired, completely perplexed, and motioned for her to step aside, still aiming his weapon at them. "He killed Han Solo and countless other members of the Resistance. He's the reason Luke Skywalker and General Organa are dead!"
"Let them take me, Rey," Ben whispered low in her ear, averting her attention. Rey could feel the anger beginning to surge through his veins. "This may be the only way gain their trust, to go without a fight."
"No, I won't let them touch you." Rey vehemently grit her teeth in defiance and leaned into him. "I can convince them of your goodness, I swear I can."
The guards stepped closer to their position against the wall, one of them revealing black handcuffs similar to the ones Ben had used on her aboard the Supremacy. Rey placed her body in front of Ben, shielding him with her arms.
"Rey, let them take me. It's okay," Ben implored her, his resolve wavering. He held out his arms toward the guards in surrender and spoke loud enough for everyone to here, "I surrender willingly to the Resistance."
"I love you," she spoke so softly that no one else but Ben could hear her, regretfully relenting to his request. Tears began to moisten her cheeks. "I'll get you out, I swear, if it's the last thing I ever do."
Rey reluctantly stepped aside, allowing the guards to fully search and restrain her beloved. The sound of the cuffs trapping his wrists within their grasp made Rey's heart shatter in her chest.
In a moment of desperation, Rey grabbed ahold of Ben's head and kissed him passionately, and he reciprocated in equivalent fervor.
Come to me, she sent him through their bond before letting him go. Ben nodded in response as the guards promptly yanked him away from her.
When the moment subsided, Rey watched in anguish as the guards hauled Ben down the corridor toward the prison cells. She felt her world beginning to crumble all around her, and the immediate sting of his absence was almost crippling.
Wiping away her tears, Rey turned back toward the crowd that had now grown greater in number. She froze. The entire chamber was silent, so eerily silent that you could have heard a pin drop. Rey's disheartened eyes fell upon the stunned throng of Resistance fighters. Every single last one of them stared at her in wide-eyed shock, their mouths hung open in disbelief at what they'd just witnessed.
"What?" Rey's rhetorical question hung in the air. She soon became aware of the confusion and incredulousness her desperate actions had caused.
"Rey, how could you?" Finn gasped and shook his head in disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Rey," Poe said after swallowing the thick lump in his throat. Hints of anger flared in his nostrils as he trained his blaster on her. "But I'm afraid we'll need to cuff you now as well."
~.~
"Okay, now that we're alone, please explain to me why you've brought the Supreme Leader of the First Order here." General Poe Dameron ran his hands quickly through his hair, pacing back and forth. He adjusted the collar of his dark leather jacket. "He's obviously not your prisoner, Rey. I'm trying to have an open mind, but it's becoming extremely difficult right now."
"I'm sorry, Poe, but he's changed. You have to believe me." Rey sat in silver-colored chair in front of a metal table in a small, unoccupied room. Her hands were bound in front of her with electronic restraints. Poe and Finn had taken her to a secluded area to question her privately away from prying eyes. She felt rather naked without her lightsaber and blaster, both of which they had confiscated from her.
"He's changed?" Finn spat out angrily. "It's impossible! That man - that monster - is pure evil, Rey!"
"Look, Finn, Poe." Rey tightened her hands into fists, the cuffs clanking against the metal table. "He came to me, okay? When I went to Skywalker's island on Ahch-To, knowing there was a bounty on my head, to keep you guys from being attacked because of me, he crash landed there. I helped him turn back to the Light. He's not the man he once was."
"You mean, he brainwashed you!" Poe slammed his hands violently on the table in front of her, making her jump. "He seduced you into bringing him here to destroy us from the inside out. Can't you see that?"
"You're wrong. We're… connected… by the Force. I know everything he's thinking and feeling. He didn't brainwash me!" Rey screamed at him, her agitation surmounting. "If he'd tried to do anything, I would've known instantly!"
"You're connected? Oh, come on, Rey, please don't tell me you've slept with him!" Poe leaned over the table toward her.
"That's NOT what I meant and besides, it's NONE of your business if I've slept with him or not!" Rey grit her teeth and stood up to meet him.
"None of my business? You've returned with the Supreme Leader of the First Order as your lover and you expect me to believe that he's denounced his crown and joined the Resistance just like that?" Poe snapped his fingers to further illustrate his point. "It's just not feasible, Rey!"
"Finn changed," Rey explained, motioning to the former stormtrooper beside her, whose presence had almost been forgotten. "He was a soldier with the First Order, brainwashed his entire life to murder for the cause, and yet he deserted them. You even escaped with him, Poe. You trusted him when you were captured to lead you safely away from them. Why can't you trust me now?"
"This is completely different!" Poe shouted at her, his hands firmly on his hips, his brown eyes full of rage. "This is the man who tortured me, Rey! Kylo Ren has murdered dozens of innocent people, Leia Organa being one of them!"
"What?" Rey's expression turned to one of bewilderment. "That was Hux, Poe! He drugged Ben to get to her… right?"
Rey slumped back into her chair, feeling defeated. She tried desperately to inhale the air that was being readily sucked from her lungs.
"Rey, we've been trying to tell you, it was Kylo Ren who killed Leia. I saw him do it with my own eyes," Finn admitted, kneeling down beside her, his eyes not able to meet hers.
"No," Rey whispered dejectedly, her mind racing in disbelief. Ben had told her on Ahch-To that he'd seen Hux's face through his mother's eyes as she died. It wasn't possible; he wouldn't have lied to her. She would have felt it.
"Afraid so," Poe added, letting out a deep breath. "He was wearing the mask and the same black clothes."
"It was Hux! I'm telling you," Rey exasperatedly said. "He disguised himself as Kylo Ren to make Leia think it was him who killed her!"
"Why would Hux do that and not take credit for her murder himself?" Finn spoke the question that hung in the air.
"Because Hux knew it would infuriate Ben that she died knowing it was her son who killed her. It would be the ultimate act of betrayal and revenge. Don't you see that?"
Poe and Finn were quiet for several moments, stealing glances at each other from across the room. Rey could only stare at the faded Resistance emblem on the sleeve of Poe's leather jacket, wishing she could use Jedi mind tricks on him, but that would betray the trust she so badly wished to gain. Crossing his arms over his chest, Poe finally sighed.
"I just don't know about this, Rey," he told her, walking back toward her position. "I'm glad you're back, but I don't think we can trust you just yet. Finn, please take her to her quarters and we'll discuss this further later. I need some time to think through all of this."
Rey determinedly stood up, the force from her sudden movement sending the chair toppling to the floor behind her. Finn draped a hand around her shoulders and began to lead her out of the room.
"Make sure she gets something to eat as well." Poe's final words faded as Finn guided her gently down the corridor to her former quarters.
Rey looked back over her shoulder at Poe, only to see the new General of the Resistance as he furiously slammed his fists into the wall behind her.
"Finn," Rey whispered when they were out of earshot of Poe. "You believe me, don't you?"
"I don't know what to believe, Rey," he replied, unable to look her at her. "He's murdered so many people in the past. He terrifies me still, makes my blood run cold."
"He's not like that anymore, I swear it. He's atoned for those sins," Rey tried to convince her friend, hoping he would see that what she was claiming was the truth.
"I'm happy you're back, Rey." Finn changed the subject, giving her a soft smile. "Before I take you to your room, I need to show you something first."
Glancing around the next corner to see if the coast was clear, Finn turned on his heel and steered her down the opposite corridor toward the medical bay. Rey's eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she realized where he was leading her. They soon entered the massive circular room, the area bustling with medical droids noisily scurrying back and forth. Rey noticed the dozen or more beds with clear covers rising like ominous glass coffins throughout the room. Without saying a word, Finn led her to one bed in particular toward the right. Rey peered into the transparent shield in wonder, her breath catching in her throat as she recognized the female figure beneath the glass. Her body was wrapped in a bacta healing suit.
"Rose." The whisper broke free from her lips. She turned to look back at Finn. "What happened?"
"She was hit with blaster fire during the First Order attack on the city about a week ago. The others here were too," Finn solemnly informed her, his brown eyes filling with imminent tears. "She's stable, but not getting any better. She recovered so quickly after the battle on Crait. I'm not sure why it's taking so long this time."
"I'm so sorry, Finn." Rey raised her restrained hands and placed them on top of the see-through barrier that covered Rose's torso, resting her head against the surface between her arms. She peered down at Rose's sweet face through the screen. Rose's chest elevated slightly as she breathed through the apparatus latched over her mouth. "I know she means a lot to you."
"Yes, very much so, and there's more," Finn began, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, and lowered his voice. "She's pregnant. Only myself and the medical droids know."
"Aw, Finn." Rey pivoted back to her dear friend, lifting her arms to invite him into an embrace. He slipped his head in between her restrained arms and hugged her fiercely, sobbing onto her shoulder. A great sadness fell over Rey and her heart broke for her friend as she held him there. "I want to be happy for you, but I know it must be hard with her like this."
Finn ducked back under her arms to release himself after a few minutes, wiping away the moisture from under his eyes. The sight of Finn in pain made Rey's eyes rim with tears as well.
"Rey, I was hoping that… since you have Force powers and everything…" Finn sniffed and pressed his right palm tenderly to Rose's tan-colored hand. "Maybe you could help… maybe you have some sort of healing powers, you know?"
Rey glanced down at her hands and held them up to the light, frowning. Did she possess the power to heal? Did Ben? She had never thought to ask.
"I don't know, Finn," Rey replied with a sigh, lowering her hands. "Luke Skywalker never mentioned it and I haven't read anything in the Jedi texts that would lead me to believe that I do."
"Oh." Finn's hopeful expression fell in a matter of seconds. He loudly cleared his throat. "Well, I think I better get you to your quarters before Poe finds out I brought you here instead."
"Finn, I'm not saying no. I just don't know for certain," Rey said dejectedly. She wondered briefly if Ben would be able to shed some light on the subject. She made a quick mental note to ask him about it later.
"No, it's okay," Finn answered, his voice downtrodden, guiding her out of the medical bay. "It was worth a shot."
Finn was quiet for the remainder of the journey to her quarters. After opening the door to her room, he said, "I'll send a droid back with some food. I know you have to be famished."
"Yes, thank you," Rey replied, glancing around at the barren room with only a small bunkbed and desk crammed into its confines. It was exactly as she'd left it; besides, she didn't need much anyway.
"Sure. Well, see you later." Finn turned to take his leave.
"Finn?" Rey felt a sudden urge to express her affection for her dear friend before he left, to let him know how deeply she still cared for him. He looked back over his shoulder at her.
"I love you."
"Love you too," Finn said without hesitation. He gave her a genuine smile and closed the door behind him.
Once he was gone, Rey sunk down on the bed and held her head in her bound hands. Then, her head shot bolt upright as an epiphany came unexpectedly into her mind. It was in those fleeting moments that Rey decided she would do all that she could to help the injured Resistance fighters recover from their battle wounds. Somehow, she knew that she possessed the ability to heal them, but she didn't know how to awaken that power just yet. This could be the very chance she and Ben needed to fully convince them of their allegiance.
~.~
Rey stayed in her quarters for the rest of the day, hoping desperately that Ben would come to her. She had picked at the synthetic bread and meat on her plate, longing for the fresh taste of fire-cooked fish on Temple Island. Her only comfort was the blue milk from a frosty glass, which soothed and readily quenched her parched throat.
Later that evening, Rey lay awake in the tiny cramped bed, staring up at the gray-paneled ceiling above her, and counted all the screws that held every edge together to pass the time. The weight of the cuffs about her wrists were uncomfortable to say the least, not to mention the fact that they were keeping her from finding an acceptable sleeping position.
"I'm here, sweetheart." The whisper-like sound made her eyes widen.
The Force bond tore open, and she felt the weight of something solid and warm now resting beside her on the bed.
"Ben!" Rey exclaimed in a soft voice, turning over to face him. Her eyes softened when she saw his beautiful face. "You found me."
"I always do," Ben said sweetly, scooting closer to her. "The guards outside my cell just took their leave for the night or I would've come sooner. There's only one guard there now. He's watching me through the surveillance camera, so I can't make any sudden movements."
"No worries. You're here now." Rey wasted no time before she crushed her lips to his, and he responded in vigor, devouring her mouth with his. It had been too long since they had touched.
"Ah, I've missed you," Ben spoke, breaking apart from her lips after several minutes of much-needed bliss. He placed his hands into hers the best he could given the fact that they were both restrained in cuffs. His jaw tightened in anger at the realization that her hands were bound as well. "So they cuffed you for aligning yourself with me? Those bastards. Some friends they turned out to be."
"Ben, I don't have their trust back just yet, but…" she said and shifted her body, so that she could hook her arms over his head. "I do have some news, I guess you could say."
"What? Are they still planning to execute me tomorrow at noon?" Ben made a bitter attempt at a joke, pressing his nose endearingly to hers, and nestled into her embrace. His anger subsided within seconds once he was in her arms. "That Poe Dameron has daggers for me."
"Not yet, I think." Rey smiled, closing her eyes, and pressed her forehead to his. "It's General Dameron now. He's succeeded your mother and rightfully so, he should be angry with you. You did have him tortured once."
"Not one of my proudest moments, no. I think I'll be atoning for the misdeeds of Kylo Ren for the rest of my life," he sorrowfully lamented. "What did you need to tell me?"
Through their bond, Rey revealed to him the events that had occurred over the course of the day: the interrogation by Poe and Finn, Rose's situation, and the idea she had regarding the injured Resistance fighters. She didn't dare mention the fact that they thought he was the one who murdered General Organa, his mother. She wasn't sure how he would react.
Ben sighed against her, pulling away after the moment had passed.
"Do you think it's possible? To heal using our powers?" Rey asked him, her expression hopeful.
"It's possible," Ben told her. "The Jedi have healed through the Force before, and the Sith have as well. I probably would've tried it on myself on Ahch-To if I hadn't been unconscious when I first arrived."
"Do you think it will work on Rose and the others? It may be our only chance to persuade them that you've changed, that we're here to help them defeat Hux and the First Order."
"It's worth a try," Ben agreed, relaxing against her. "We have nothing left to lose at this point."
"I guess, you're right," Rey spoke the final words of the evening between them. A chill ran down her spine. "Nothing, but each other."
As they both began to feel the lull of sleep, she said a silent prayer, hoping that someone, somewhere, would give them the strength and the courage to carry out their plans. Rey secretly hoped their plans wouldn't backfire, ultimately leaving them at the mercy of the Resistance.
Only time would tell.
A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading! Let me know what you thought in the comments! We're almost to the end of this fic. I think maybe about 3 more chapters. It's been a wild ride. ~Dazzy xxoo
