Ben

Ben had no idea how he was going to destroy the First Order.

Ben. It still felt weird referring to himself with that name. The only people that had in years were his parents and Rey.

And then there was Rey herself. His entire life was confusing now because of her. She had managed to get into his head like nobody else. Not even his father. Was it just because of what she was saying? How they were meant to balance the force together, or was it more?

He had no idea. All he knew, all that was clear to him, was that he couldn't bear the thought of her dying, and was willing to do anything to prevent that.

But how? She would charge in battle whether he wanted to or not, so the only way he could keep her safe was to follow her, but how could he ensure that she got out of this alive? How could he destroy the First Order for her?

Ben let out a sigh when he entered his quarters and ran a hand down his face. Another long day of training and listening to Hux ramble on about destroying the 'loathsome' Resistance. Trying to keep his head on his shoulders while he plotted against the man.

He tossed his lightsaber onto a nearby table and turned towards it to start removing his armor. There was a ripple in the force but by now Ben was used to it. He knew what it meant and didn't need to turn to know that Rey was now in the room with him.

It had been a few days since he last saw her, talking to her friends. Nearly a week since he came to his senses and promised himself to her.

There was also them to contend with. Her friends. Finn and Poe. Both had more than enough reason to hate him, but if she planned to stay with them after all of this, they would all have to learn to at least tolerate each other. He knew that he was willing to do anything for her, but Poe, at least, was stubborn enough to hold hatred against him.

He had, after all, managed to resist every form of torture they had used against him until Ben himself had come in to talk to him.

Ben heaved another large sigh and ran a hand down his face. Rey mumbled something softly behind him, and he turned to see her laying on his bed, curled up with her eyes closed. She was sleeping.

He pursed his lips and walked over to her. Their connection had never activated while one of them was asleep before. When he leaned down to brush some hair out of her face, he saw her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pressed together in a grimace. Her entire body was tense. Rey was having a nightmare. No wonder their bond was active now.

He took a deep breath and lowered himself to the floor beside her, fingers playing in her hair as he watched her breathe. She seemed to relax under his touch.

"Seeing the way you look at her really makes me believe she succeeded in saving you."

Ben jumped and turned, staring wide eyed up at the young man who had spoken. Something about him reminded Ben of his own appearance, with the long hair and the eye shape. "Who are you?" He noticed a little belatedly that the man was a bit transparent.

The force ghost smiled and lowered himself to the ground so he could sit cross legged across from Ben. "My name is Anakin Skywalker."

Ben's eyes widened. "Anakin… as in Darth Vader? As in…"

"Your grandfather. Yes."

He closed his eyes and turned away, leaning back on the bed in disbelief. "You… I called to you so many times. I asked for your guidance. Why are you only coming to me now?"

Anakin's smile fell and he folded his hands in his lap. Ben noticed he looked far too young to be Darth Vader. Had his ghost reverted back to before he put on the mask? "I have always been watching you, Ben. I've listened to your words when you spoke to me. But… there was nothing I could have done for you before. I could not have given you the answers you wanted back then."

"What answers would you have given me?" Ben narrowed his eyes. He still couldn't believe this was real. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he would wake up soon.

The man met his eyes and frowned. "You went down the wrong path, Ben. I do not blame you for your actions, but I wish you had been wiser. Watching you follow in my footsteps was… painful."

He pressed his lips into a thin line and glared. "You tell me this now?"

"There was nothing I could have done to save you before."

"You could have stopped me! I've slaughtered entire villages! I've destroyed planets! I have the blood of billions on my hands! I'm a monster!"

Rey's hand brushed against the back of his neck as she shifted in her sleep and Ben snapped his gaze back to her. She was tense again, no doubt a result of his shouting, so he touched her cheek lightly and frowned. "How can I be worthy of her when I've done so many terrible things? If watching was painful, why didn't you stop me?"

There was a pause in which Anakin took a deep breath before speaking. "I wondered that myself. How could I be worthy of the woman I loved? I was unfortunate enough to allow myself to be seduced enough so that she couldn't save me, and that led to her death." Anakin paused again and Ben turned back to see him gazing down at his lap. "I have been where you were, Ben. I understand the powerful hold the darkside can have on you if you let it. Padme… your Grandmother, tried so desperately to bring me back, but in the end I failed her. I didn't want to go back. Months ago, you were the same. You didn't want to go back. If I had tried to convince you, I would have only failed. There was only one person who could hope to save you. Her." He lifted his head and nodded towards Rey.

Everything he was saying made perfect sense, and yet was confusing all the same time. It was a similar feeling to how he felt with Rey. She felt right, and strange all at once.

"I had hoped that history would not repeat itself with the two of you. I am glad it didn't. Perhaps now, finally, the cycle can be broken." Anakin looked directly at Ben now, and smiled once again. "You have heard the stories about me, I presume?"

Ben huffed, but nodded. Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one. Born from nothing to be one of the most powerful force wielders in history. He would save the galaxy and restore balance. If he hadn't gone to the darkside instead.

Anakim gave a soft chuckle and continued. "The Jedi Masters told me that I was so powerful because I was born from the force itself. It created me to balance it, but I failed. Now it is trying again." His eyes shifted over to the sleeping girl and he stared at her so intently that Ben felt a slight rush to protectiveness. "She's like me, Ben. I can feel the power radiating off her. This time we must succeed. If not for the galaxy's sake, than for yours."

"What do you mean?"

Anakin's smile widened. "I mean she is your anchor. She is what will hold the darkness in you at bay. You need her. You fell down the wrong path, but Rey helped you find your way back. Stay on this path, and you will be forgiven. I am proud of you, son."

Ben felt a bit of pride swell up in his chest despite his anger towards the man. He decided to lean on the trust more than the anger, knowing if he fueled the anger, he might fall back to the darkness. His grandfather was proud of him. After everything he had done. After all the times all he had wanted was for someone to look at him with pride, Anakin Skywalker had finally sated that need.

Ben couldn't help it. His eyes welled up a bit. "Thank you."

Rey

Rey wasn't used to having nightmares. For as long as she could remember, she had only dreamt of islands in vast oceans and forests. Places that made her so happy she had wished she could dream all the time to escape the harsh sands of Jakku.

Unfortunately they were all places she had been to now, and so her dreams had faded, leaving her with only nightmares about everything she had witnessed since leaving her sandy rock.

At first she dreamt of things like Kylo Ren killing Han Solo, and the first time she took the life of a Stormtrooper. Now she dreamt of her friends. Losing them or watching them suffer.

Tonight she dreamt of Ben. Young Ben, sleeping in his chambers at what she could only assume had been Master Luke's temple before he destroyed it.

It started off peaceful. Rey sat beside him, her fingers playing with a lock of his hair while she watched him breathe. He looked so calm and innocent. This was before the world had ruined him.

Rey couldn't be sure how long she sat there, staring at him, but it ended when he opened his eyes. So dark and yet so full of light. Luke had been wrong to assume he had been taken by the Dark side. Even though she was dreaming, Rey was still vaguely aware of that fact. She wondered how he could possibly see her, meeting her eyes and staring at her with the same intensity that she recognized from current day Ben.

And then his eyes shifted upwards and behind him. Rey hadn't noticed Luke standing there, but now that she did, it was impossible to ignore him. He had a demanding presence. She saw the determined looked in his eyes as he wielded his lightsaber, but watched his face go soft as Ben turned to grab his own lightsaber to defend himself. He didn't see Luke change his mind.

The force of the betrayal Ben felt pushed her back, and Rey could only watch uselessly as Ben fell into darkness. She heard Luke cry out for him and then the building was collapsing in on them.

Rey woke with a start in her quarters, and pushed herself up to sit, burying her face in her hands. She was only distantly aware of Ben's presence on the other side of the room.

"You're awake?"

Rey grunted in response and nodded.

"What was your nightmare about?"

She didn't want to answer that. "You. And Luke."

There was a pause. "Oh. We've been connected for a while. It's never lasted this long."

Rey opened her eyes and spotted him on the other side of the room, looking very strange. She rubbed her eyes and squinted at him to make sure she was seeing correctly. He turned towards her, and all anxiety fled from Rey's body as she snorted.

Ben was wearing an orange wig, barely covering his dark hair. He had swapped his usual black robes for what appeared to be the uniform of a maintenance worker. He also had wide, framed glasses sitting on his nose. "What are you wearing?"

Ben frowned at her. "It's a disguise. I'm Matt. The radar technician."

Rey snorted again. "Why?"

"I need to find a way to locate the storm troopers who want to defect, without revealing myself as a traitor."

"And that's your plan?"

He huffed and crossed his arms. "Well do you have a better one?"

Rey shook her head and shifted to the edge of the bed. "No. But Ben… you looked ridiculous."

He stared at her for a moment, then huffed again and pulled the wig off his head, allowing the black locks to fall around his face again. "I told him it wouldn't work." Ben grumbled, tossing the wig aside. Rey watched it disappear from her vision, no longer part of their bond.

"Who?"

Ben was in a process of shrugging off the uniform vest when he looked at her, paused as if debating whether or not to tell her, then shook his head and tossed the best aside as well. "It doesn't matter. How am I meant to do this? I can't start rambling on about rebellion without criminalizing myself. And as much as I'd like to boast about my power, I can't take on the entire First Order."

"Not all at once." The blanket fell off her as Rey stood and walked over to him, lifting a hand to brush some hair from his eyes as the force tingled around them. "I like the black more."

For a second, Rey swore she saw a touch of a blush and embarrassment, before Ben regained his composure and stepped away, running a hand through his hair. He may have taken off the vest, but he still wore the button up shirt and pants of the uniform and Rey had to admit, she liked that look on him. Less menacing than the black.

"What about you? How are you going to get the Resistance to stop… I don't know… being the Resistance I guess?"

Rey frowned and leaned against the table that sat in the centre of her room. It was one of the only few pieces of furniture she had. "I've thought about that. But I have no idea. The only way I can see it is to just ask them to stop fighting. Leave destroying the First Order to us, and go back to their families. Leia might go for it but…"

"Poe probably won't."

She nodded when he finished her sentence. "He may have agreed to trust me about you, but to stop fighting completely? Poe is a soldier at heart. He won't like that idea."

There was a pause, before Ben came over to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well we certainly have found ourselves in something big, haven't we?"

Rey smiled up at him. "Well you did this to yourself. I am the only one who ended up here by accident."

"By accident?" Ben raised an eyebrow at her and almost gave her a smile. Almost. "You call destiny an accident?"

"Whatever it is, I'm still glad it happened." She reached up to touch his cheek. "Otherwise I never would have met you."

Now Ben did smile and it was like the stars were shining on him. It was amazing what lifting the corners of one's mouth could do for your appearance. He looked so much better than when he was scowling.

A happy Ben Solo. That was what the galaxy needed.

A/N - I know! I know. I did a thing and if what you're feeling is anything like what I'm feeling, then this is exciting! But I'm sorry to say, this is probaby the only time we will see into Ben's head.

I find us much more immersive to stick with one character, but I thought it would be nice to explore the parallels between Ben and Anakin, and Rey doesn't know much about Anakin beyond the stories about him as Darth Vader.

Also, yes Anakin is the one who suggested the disguise. I figured since he's not Vader anymore, his playful side would start shining again!

-Ash

(Also if you haven't seen SNL's Kylo Ren sketch you definetly should. Matt the Radar Technician is a reference :P)