My bad, didn't see that it had messed up. Merry Christmas (still)!
Chapter 26
Ahch-To
Rey's eyes fluttered open, her stomach twisting painfully at the smell of baking bread. Sleepily, she sat up and pushed the blankets off her, the movement making her thighs sore. Ignoring it, she stood and stretched, her shoulders echoing pain. They really needed a proper bed, or leave intercourse for grassy areas where they could be alone.
She dressed quickly and exited the hut, letting her hair fly around her shoulders freely. She needed food now. Ben was right outside the hut, adding another piece of kindling to the fire. He had made a type of stone oven and had insisted on doing his own cooking if they would still be privy to the valuable food supply. The sight of him before the oven, sleeves rolled to his elbows and his hands caked with dough, ingredients to make bread spread around him in small bowls, made Rey feel uneasy.
"Good morning," She called, pulling him from his work.
"Good morning," He grinned at her, his face changing from joy at her arrival, to smug at the sight of her moving stiffly to her designated seat at a flat rock. "How are you?" He asked, managing to keep the tease out of his voice.
"Shouldn't I do that?" Rey asked, gesturing to the oven. "I am the wife."
Ben looked at her and lifted his eyebrows. "Can you?"
She stiffened, her lower half settling down. "No. We never had the ingredients on Jakku. Or, well, someone did, but it wasn't me."
Ben smirked, wiping his hands on a rag. "Dare I ask what you had?"
"In the portions that Unkar Plutt gave us, there was a green… sludge thing, and powder that turned into bread when you put it in water."
"Were either of them any good?"
Rey shook her head, "They weren't supposed to be. They were food."
He shook his head and tossed the rag aside. "You don't have to cook unless you want to, Rey. I can do it."
"Where did you learn to cook?" Rey frowned; she couldn't imagine the wrinkled old Snoke teaching Ben how to boil an egg or bake bread.
"Luke," Ben told her. "It's a survival skill to take with you wherever you go. I can survive in the desert, in the forest, in water systems or mountain ones. So," He looked down at his little oven that radiated heat, "You really don't have to cook if you don't want to. I can do it."
Rey half smiled, "I wouldn't mind learning."
"Alright, then." He smiled, then crossed the distance to sit next to her in his usual spot. "So long as you agree to keep the hut clean."
"I can do that," Rey smiled, turning to him. "Although, I'm… not good at laundry. I hate it! So much water that can be used for drinking and we're making it unusable."
He studied her, his face alight with love and happiness. "You can put out two water collection jugs. Use one for laundry, the other for drinking water. Put them out each night and when you have enough for laundry, do the laundry."
"What if we don't use that much drinking water?"
"Then you'll see how we don't need to ration so much water and that you're not on a desert anymore."
She let out a breathy laugh, and turned away to hide her reddening cheeks. He chuckled beside her and covered her fingertips with his.
"Ben," She told him, turning back to look at him. "I want to live somewhere with trees. A forest with as much green as the eye can see."
"Like Takodana?" He asked, leaning back as though he too was imagining the home she had been longing for.
"Not Takodana," Rey sighed. "Somewhere… I don't know. Hidden. No Resistance, no First Order. A place where we could live… with our family and maybe Jedi students?"
Ben was silent. He caught that word alright.
"Family?"
"And students! We could live in a home we could build together-"
"Family?"
"And in a forest there's more chances of bare knuckle survival-"
"Family?"
"Granted the sentient beings on there will let us live there-"
He gripped her hand, cutting her off. He stared at her face, brown eyes as round as tree trunks.
"Family?"
She hesitated, "The Force. It's been talking to me in a new way. And I feel anxious of… an arrival. I can't explain it, Ben."
"How long have you been feeling it?"
"For… several weeks now. It was small at first, but now, I can't help but start to wonder…"
They sat together in perfect silence, her face cast in growing worry, his in sheer delight.
"Rey," He breathed deeply.
"Ben," She mumbled.
"Rey!" He cried, a smile smacking his face like it would tear.
"Ben," She quivered.
"Captain Kenobi-Solo!"
They both shrunk at the brassy sound of C-3PO's voice anxiously calling to them. Originally a good idea, the protocol droid had lost his novelty especially when Ben and Rey got married and… well, he had a habit of showing up on parts of the island where they thought were private.
"Captain Kenobi-Solo!"
Ben's eyes glittered, "Maybe, if we whisper, he won't-"
"There you are Captain, I was shouting for you."
Rey cast an amused look at Ben before turning to C-3PO. "What can I do for you, Threepio?"
"I received a long distance emergency hyperwave from Commander Dameron. He says the three of us are to be ready to go at a moment's notice. Something about a trap capturing a significant number of ships."
"What?" Rey cried, immediately on her feet. "Where's Finn?"
"And Rose?" Ben's voice asked behind Rey.
"That he did not say. Only that it was an emergency."
Rey turned back to Ben, their gaze saying the same thing: there was only one reason to call for the Masters and that was because the apprentices had failed.
SWSWSW
Rey clutched Ben's hand as the Millennium Falcon soared into Ahch-To's stratosphere. It had been somewhat difficult to bid farewell to the Caretakers, especially for C-3PO who had grown to accustomed to their particular order of things that he might have cried if he had tear ducts.
Rey inhaled, and turned to her husband, admiring him as the wind blew his hair back, and billowed his black cloak behind him.
"I hate this part," She told him, bringing his warm eyes to her.
"Starting over again?" He asked.
She nodded.
"Me too." He lifted their clasped hands and kissed her knuckles. "At least we won't be alone this time. That's sure to be an adventure."
She couldn't help but smile, and turned back to the Millennium Falcon as it landed gently. With her free hand, she reached down and felt her lightsaber firmly attached to her side. I can do this, She thought.
The ship landed, and the boarding ramp lowered with a steamy hiss, the sound of welcome from the interior coming in the form of a wild roar.
Get in!
Ben's nerves flashed hesitant anxiety, but it went away the moment Rey shouldered her bag. Chewie's displeasure would have to wait.
"Oh how good it is to be on the Millennium Falcon again!" C-3PO exclaimed. "Oh, and it looks almost like new! How splendid. Good to see that standards are being kept somewhere. Oh R2-D2! Is that you?"
It most certainly was the blue and white astromech, whistling as he glided from the cockpit to welcome Rey and Ben.
Rey grinned at the sight of him, "Hello Artoo!"
R2-D2 hooted at them, and gave a series of low beeps.
"What do you mean, dire straits?" Rey frowned. "I thought Finn and Rose were with the Resistance?"
Chewbacca roared from the cockpit, the boarding ramp hissing closed.
"Come on, Rey." Ben told her, firmly. "Let's go before we end up slapped against the wall."
The ship grumbled and moaned, hurrying them to the cockpit where Chewbacca waited in the co-pilot's seat, his massive head careening around his shoulder to glare at Rey to hurry up.
"Hey, Chewie!" She grinned, dropping her bag straps over the pilot's seat to secure it whilst Ben silently plopped down in a seat behind her. Rey took the controls in her hands, feeling the thrum and heartbeat of her ship, and smiled. "It's been a while," She told them.
She could see Ben smiling at her in the reflection of the glass.
Chewbacca moaned. Less dreaming, more flying!
At once, Rey clicked buttons and issued commands to Chewbacca, all of which were answered by low grunts and a shivering ship. Through the windshield, the islands of Ahch-To sank beneath them, turning their direction to the billowing grey clouds that promised rain. Rey smiled, feeling the thrill of a thousand butterflies tickling her innards.
"Let's fly," She smiled.
At once, the power of the thrusting engine pushed apart the clouds and propelled them into the stars, leaving behind the grey faced, kind Caretakers and their island speckled planet.
"Right, Chewie," Rey ordered, pushing aside the tender feeling of a chapter closing, "Take us into hyperspace."
Coordinates were set, and before they knew it, the stars stretched into white streaks on a navy blue tunnel and catapulted them into the beyond.
"Right, then," Rey sighed, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning towards the guests in the cockpit. "Will someone tell us what's going on or shall we guess at it?"
Chewbacca gave a lamented wail as he turned his body in his chair.
"Things cannot be as bad as all that," C-3PO contradicted.
"Artoo?" Rey asked, giving a quick glance at Ben. "Please explain."
R2-D2 issued a series of rapid beeps and twitches of his domed head, all of which faded Rey's demeanor until she sat in shock before them all.
"Shocker," Ben grumbled, lifting his eyebrow. "They overplayed their hand. I told Dameron that Hux had the same list."
Rey ignored him and demanded, "Are they alive?"
We think so, R2-D2 chirped. They cannot communicate with us.
Immediately, Rey's eyes snapped shut to feel for him. She was greeted by a flick to the brain that made her flinch.
"Don't," Ben told her, his eyes firm. "If they're in a fight, your feelings could distract him. Your very voice in his mind will draw his attention away from his priorities. Just wait, darling. You'll know soon enough."
There's more, R2-D2 added. It has to do with the Jedi.
Ben and Rey listened quietly, hearing all the astromech had to offer. When he beeped his last, they sat in silence. Ben turned to Rey, seeing her hands grip the seat.
She was out. After everything she had done for the Resistance, after all her strong "relationships," she was out.
"Rey," Ben breathed.
She stood, swaying gently with the movement of the ship, and turned to Chewbacca.
"Chewie, did you fix the high voltage compositor on the third quadrant panels?"
The Wookiee shrugged and whimpered.
"Never mind. I'll do it myself."
The droids watched her go, sputtering slightly with shock as she walked out of the cockpit without a word.
"She's going to fix something?" C-3PO asked Ben. "She was just given big news, and she's going to-"
He cut himself off as they heard a metal flooring grate clatter across the ship followed by a banshee-type wail echoing through the corridors.
SW
Rey grabbed a spare wrench and sent the Force to a grate hiding away the ship's interior, a spot that she knew to be virtually indestructible from repairs made to it some time ago involving painstakingly placed Rbenian steel. At once, she jumped down into it and howled, crashing her wrench across the steel, not leaving a scratch but an annoying plong in it's wake. She whacked away at the steel, hitting until tears blurred her vision and her arms ached.
Then, all at once, she flung the wrench away and fell to the flooring, panting and crying, the bitter taste of salt an unwelcome companion to the heat in her stomach. After all she had done. Her family…
Her family…
Rejected her.
Again.
SWSWSW
Sidious
Hux stared out of the observation deck, savoring the sound of pure silence for once since moving onto this fine, new ship. There had been so much planning, so much protection needing to be executed that this one instance, this smallest moment of solitude was pure bliss. He inhaled, and rubbed his shoulder with his left hand. What he would have given to have-
A BB droid rolled to him, squawking his presence. General Hux, sir, it said, Your wife is contacting you.
Hux turned it, and dropped his hand, the faintest smile coming to his lips. "Patch her through," He commanded.
At once, a small, blue light projected from the droid's domed head, revealing Veela in a comfortable chair wearing a sensible dress as opposed to her voluminous outfits that had become her norm since becoming First Lady. Such dresses revealed more of her frame, showing her to be a willowy, almost skeletal thing. Yet, she still possessed a beauty that called to him even lightyears away.
"Hullo, darling. How are you today?"
"I am unwell, Armitage." She confessed with a sigh, her face perfectly fatigued to match her words.
"Oh? I am sorry to hear that. I shall have the doctor sent to you, immediately."
"I have seen the one who attends you when you are here on Mesumi. He sent me to a specialist in women's medicine and has told me some, rather joyful news."
"Oh?" He asked. She could look a bit more pleased if it is joyful news, He thought, but said nothing.
She smiled, and caressed her middle, instantly sending shivers down Hux's back.
"I am expecting your first child, Armitage."
"Don't you mean our first child, Veela?" He blurted, unable to help himself.
At once, her smile vanished. "Yes, Armitage. Forgive me, I meant to say our. Our first child." She grimaced.
"Well," He half smiled, "That is indeed happy news. Especially after our disappointment in the spring."
She recoiled, but forced her smile to remain. "Yes. As you said, we would conceive again and alas, we have."
"I shall have to make occasion to see you before the birth. I was thinking of travelling towards Mesumi in three months' time, do you think that to be sufficient?"
"Four months," She said quickly. "I should like to be over the first trimester mark before you come. You know how much I care about pleasing you."
"Yes, indeed. I shall arrange my schedule accordingly. Is there anything else?"
Veela shook her head, the blue hologram perfectly animating her body's adjustment out of stiffness. "No, I simply felt you should be made informed by myself rather than some dreary file or calloused officer. Have… you perhaps anything to tell me?"
"No," Hux told her immediately, though she would have been a good opinion for several matters regarding the Sidious. "Nothing you need be bothered with. I shall see you in time, and call you later."
"Farewell, husband," Veela sighed.
SWSWSW
Millennium Falcon
Ben wrapped his arms around Rey's waist, and kissed her spine. Her skin was cold, but her insides were boiling hot. She glared at her handiwork, a full dent in a pipe and several broken gauge glasses. She touched his hand, feeling some of her fire diminish at his touch.
"We can get that house now," He whispered. "The one in the forest."
She swallowed, her fire tempering for a moment. "Surrounded by students and children."
He kissed her shoulder, the sound of his lips on her robe echoing in the crawl chamber.
She lifted herself and continued, "They won't tell us how we are to handle our business. We will do so as we see it."
He stopped kissing her. "As the Force wills it." He corrected. "Our will is changeable. Yesterday, you would have died for the Resistance, now you might just kill a couple because you feel like it."
She couldn't help but smile and lean back into him. "It… just hurts, though." She breathed, her smile fading as her chin began to wobble. "How they…"
"I know. Poe will have another way of explaining it. Another way of giving you hope. But the truth is simple: you and I are on our own, now. We'll help them, sure. But we are not bound to them."
"Only Finn and Rose, though." She told him. "They're ours. Our practice children."
He chuckled into her ear. "That's for sure."
She looked over her shoulder to peer at his face, "Make sure I don't kill Poe, darling."
"No promises, baby."
She laughed as he kissed her.
SWSWSW
Ikher Dawn
Rey proudly held her husband's hand as they disembarked the Millennium Falcon together, her lightsabers tapping her sides like calm assurances. Before them, BB-8 and Poe Dameron waited, watching them as they moved.
Only BB-8 rushed to Rey the moment she cleared the boarding plank in a flurry of beeps and whistles.
"Beebee Ate!" Rey grinned, releasing Ben's hand to kneel before him. "Yes, your antenna's fine. How are you?"
BB-8's hoots halted as the droid rolled back, his domed head peering down at Rey's left hand.
Rey looked down at her star ring and nodded, "Yeah. I'm married now. I have a family."
You were always family to me, BB-8 chirped, twitching his body towards her.
Rey smiled and scratched his head before standing to face Poe. At once, her warmth cooled to a lukewarm-ready-to-boil-at-any-given-moment.
"Poe," She said stiffly.
"Mrs. Solo," He grinned.
"Kenobi-Solo," Ben and Rey corrected together.
He nodded with a look that spelled out "whatever."
"How's Finn and Rose?" Ben asked, his face unreadable.
At once, Poe snapped into Commander mode and gestured for them to follow him. "Officially, we don't know." He told them, walking side-by-side with Ben and Rey. "Unofficially," He looked over his shoulder for a moment, "The ship is running on fumes trying to get out, but the First Order isn't letting up. We have no idea what's going on."
He moved briskly, stepping around saluting crewmen to lead them towards the conference room that Rey had been interrogated in many times. As they moved, crewmen and officers cleared a path for them, halting their work to stare at them as they passed. Some were pleased to see Rey, recognizing her talent for flying and definitely for her skills with a lightsaber. Others sneered at them, aligning her love with treason for the tall man in dark robes who walked beside her. She kept her chin high as they moved; they knew nothing of what she'd gone through whilst away.
The moment the door to the conference room closed, Ben spoke. "Speak plainly, Commander," He told him. "What is happening on the battlefield?"
"We don't know," Poe told him. "We sent in a small squadron of soldiers led by Finn and Rose to steal the dreadnought Tarpeian. To our knowledge, they've secured the ship, but the First Order laid a trap. The transport ship was lost and the Tarpeian is on fumes with barely enough fuel to make a jump to lightspeed. They haven't jumped because we're fairly certain that they've installed trackers on all their new ships. The Sidious just showed up, so we're thinking that one of the dreadnoughts are tracking it. We want to send a unit in, but we're afraid of appearing desperate. This… it's different somehow. How the First Order's attacking. I've never seen them hit so hard on a single battle before."
"That's because the Tarpeian is a disciplinary vessel," Ben told him shifting his weight. "Everyone on there has, in some way, turned against the First Order. Hux must not want to take any chances after the headaches that Finn has caused. And what in your right mind made you go after that ship?"
"It was next on the list," Poe told him, lifting his shoulders. "It was listed as ready for raw manufa-"
"Seriously?" Ben interrupted, lifting his eyebrow. "That's the sole basis of this attack? What part of the First Order has the same list didn't you understand when I gave it to you? The Tarpeian was only recently expanded!"
"Oh, you want to talk about our methods of attack?" Poe spat, "We can play that game all day, buddy. All week if we have to!"
"Enough!" Rey called, standing between the two men. "Shouting will not get Finn and Rose back!" She looked from Poe to her husband, sending the Force to either of them to get them to remain calm. She turned to Poe, "If you want to send a squadron to get them back, we will be pleased to help."
Poe's eyes immediately met hers. "Help?" He asked, lifting his eyebrow.
"Yes," She murmured, "The Jedi consult and lend their swords where it is needed, right?"
He straightened as though a bolt of lightning rammed right through him. By such a look, she could only hope that her face was fierce enough to have earned it. Behind her, Rey could feel Ben's smirk if it was her own.
He cleared his throat,
"I'll need my ship."
SWSWSW
Sidious
Hux marched to the command bridge, his step light. "What is happening, Admiral?"
From the side, Colonel Cutter tore away from an oversight panel to stand by Hux's side, though he stayed silent as Admiral Craig turned to him. "Sir, we have the intruders on the run. We are calculating that they are currently on their last torpedoes and soon won't be able to jump to lightspeed."
"And why are we focusing our efforts on this one ship?" Hux asked, shifting his weight.
"Because the two Rebels we tried to execute on the Finalizer's original ship are on there, sir." Colonel Cutter told him. "They have already appeared to have rallied…"
He trailed off, turning towards the observation window and taking a step away from his leader.
"Rallied what, Colonel?" Hux spat.
"Sir," Admiral Craig gasped, causing Hux to turn to him. The man had gone white as a sheet, and flinched towards the command center. "It's Ren."
The name sent shivers down Hux's spine. That ghost, had not been heard from in a placidly long time, nor his annoying female counterpart. He stepped forward, nearly pressing his nose to the glass, eyes scanning the blooming carnage for the sleek model TIE jet.
"We've seen that ship before," Hux told them. "This is nothing new."
He detested how his last statement twisted into a question.
Colonel Cutter flinched back as parts of a ship exploded in front of them, the pitch black Raven Starr soaring overhead as a barrage of Rebel ships appeared out of lightspeed, weaving expertly around their dreadnoughts.
"Sir, there's only one who flies like that," Colonel Cutter breathed.
SW
Ikher Dawn
Rey watched from the blue holoscreen as Ben wove in and out of Rebel jets as well as TIE fighters, feeling the chaos overpower the dreadnoughts chasing the Tarpeian. Beside her, Kaydel spoke into her intercom, rolling her eyes as Poe lamented his frustrations against Ben's piloting. Apparently, Ben couldn't care less about taking directions and was more focused on an agenda only he knew about.
Not for the first time Rey yearned to be beside him, manning the secondary cannons and keeping another set of eyes on him though he didn't need it. But, as a married couple, they were entitled to their own shared room and so Rey stayed behind to secure it (although she also prepared the Millennium Falcon's sleeping quarters because Ben would not like being in the middle of a hall). But most importantly, she had wanted to visit the medical wing for an internal exam. However, she'd received word that the battle had begun and so the appointment was postponed.
Suddenly, the hull of the leading dreadnought exploded, a bright white bloom appearing before Rey's nose.
"What was that?" Kaydel demanded, her eyes wide.
Rey couldn't keep the smile from her lips. "Ben," She whispered.
Like blood in the water, the Rebel ships turned all cannons onto the bleeding ship, firing a sudden barrage that nearly sawed off the nose, and caused two dreadnoughts to disappear into lightspeed.
At once, Rey closed her eyes, doing her best to contain her emotions so that she might call out to him. Finn reminded Rey of stout oak trees and sweet wine. His was a clean smell dabbled with sweat. She inhaled, feeling as though he were right in front of her, ready to hug her.
"Rey?"
His voice was clear, though she heard it from inside her ears outward rather than the opposite.
"Finn," She whispered, "Come home. You can jump now. Come home."
Her core heated quickly, the warmth stretching over her clenched fingers until she flexed them. He was talking to her, but he couldn't get the words across the galaxy like she could.
Another feeling came to her. A cool, misshapen mass that brought to her mind cloudy day hovering over a rushing river beside a meadow, tumbling over rocks and teeming with hidden life.
"Ben," She whispered.
Her eyes had to open to determine he wasn't really in front of her, kissing her. So powerful was his presence upon her lips that she was tempted to touch her face, but held back, catching Kaydel's quick gaze to her.
"I'm coming to you, Rey," Ben's voice whispered, the position of such words in her ears reminding her of when he lifted his upper body with his arms whilst on top of her, his kisses on her neck.
Rey couldn't stop the blush from erupting on her cheeks. She sent to him the feel of her teeth upon her lower lip, "I'll be here."
A hand touched her shoulder and Rey's focus tore from her husband to Kaydel.
"Sorry," Rey said immediately.
Kaydel shook her head and lifted a headset to her, "It's Poe, he wants to talk."
Rey took the lightweight headset and turned to where Kaydel jutted her chin. If Ben were here, he would tell her to remain calm, to not say anything she might regret. She inhaled and donned the headset whilst making sure there weren't any droids following her.
"This is Captain Kenobi-Solo," She began.
"Rey, can you call Finn?" Poe's voice asked, his voice tense.
"I already did. They should be on their way if ther-"
"Oh, there they go!" Poe exclaimed. "Give me a second, Rey."
Rey waited, admiring the private corner outside of the command bridge. Someone had placed a pillow on the only available sitting surface, and there was even a wrapper from a food pack. So, this is where the Watchers go, Rey thought.
"Alright, I've jumped to lightspeed," Poe told her. "Rey, I wanted to talk to you about separating the Jedi from the Resistance."
Cool slithered through Rey's body, but she swallowed it from bursting from her lips. "Go ahead," She told him.
"We are not separating from you," He replied, stressing each word. "It's just him we don't trust."
She couldn't stop the cold if she wanted to. "He is my husband,"
"I know that-"
Rey continued as though he weren't speaking, "He came to the Resistance of his own volition. He trained two of your best fighters in the ways of the Jedi. But I do agree with you, Poe."
Silence echoed on the other end. "With what?"
"The New Jedi Order cannot function as a branch of the Resistance. As soon as we are able, we will find a suitable home to train students. You won't have to put up with us for much longer, I can promise you that."
The silence was deafening. From this distance, Rey could detect a hint of agony. "If that is what you want…" He trailed off, then added, "I am sorry for how things turned out, Rey."
"You can't control everything," She said quickly, blinking away the stabbing in her eyes. "You can always call upon us for help."
"I'll keep that in mind," He said. "Coming up on the Ikher Dawn, see you in a bit."
SWSWSW
Sidious
Hux watched the tunnel of blue and white whir passed his face, though he couldn't see it to save his life. It had been a while, but it was long overdue that he hissed fuming hatred for Ren and the Resistance. They had been annoying (and worrying though he wouldn't admit it aloud) when they had been taking pivotal ships, but now that Ren had resurfaced now of all times, that was particularly disturbing.
"Sir," Colonel Cutter's voice called.
"What?!" Hux yelled, whirling on his heels. "What is it?"
"We've tracked the Tarpeian," Colonel Cutter told him. "We can launch an assault whenever you're ready, sir."
"Take your time," Hux sneered. "This time I want them completely wiped out! From the pilots to the droids, I want the Resistance obliterated!"