Chapter Twenty-Six
"Drink this." Leia placed a cup of milk in Rey's hands. "Give the baby a shot of calcium." Rey fingered the cup gently, not feeling the urge to drink it. "Your mind is occupied." Leia read.
"Do you know where Luke is?" Rey asked quietly.
"I'll go find him." Leia nodded and left Rey in silence. It was late and the sounds of the night had taken over the base. Sounds of soldiers laughing in their bunking arrangements, the crickets and frogs, the cool breeze that blew through the hut. "So different than nights of Jakku." She mumbled aloud as she sensed Luke approaching her. She watched him come around from behind her and take a seat in a chair across from her. When she saw that Leia was not with him she was relieved.
"She went to bed." Luke assured Rey.
"You can't go through with it." Rey spoke up immediately. Luke sighed in frustration. "You just can't. That's not how we should solve all this. You can't fight them-"
"Rey, yes I can."
"You didn't let me finish. I was going to say you can't fight them…on your own." She replied quietly, not looking him in the eye.
"Not happening."
"I could help!" she insisted. "You and me! We could bring them down. I know we could."
"Look at you." Luke chuckled. "You're eight months pregnant. You're not fighting anyone."
"I need to do…something!" she cried.
"Why?" Luke asked. "Rey, why are you set on being involved in this?"
"Because."
"Rey…."
"Because I feel so…so guilty!" she cried. "You don't know the guilt! And all I have to do is look down and I'm reminded that….I am responsible for all of this. I broke the agreement. I already ruined the life of the child. I gave history a chance to repeat itself."
"History will not-"
"Yes! It will! The dreams. You knew from the beginning, didn't you? You knew my connection to Padme."
"What's done is done." Luke sighed and looked behind him out the window. "Leia found someone to…take the child." Luke spoke, his voice soft, not sure how Rey would react. When she heard him speak the words she couldn't explain what came over her. Her vision faded and blurred with tears, blurring into a night long ago, far away.
"Kiss me." She spoke again, feeling his strong hands envelope her, hold her with tender care, pure love. She watched as the same hands scooped up a child, chestnut brown locks, dark and curly. She was laughing. He held her high above his head, his dark robes gone, his gloves gone, his skin exposed to light, a light he had not tasted for years. She watched as he chased the child in circles, catching her before she could fall, comforting her if she got scared. He looked up, away from the child for the first time and looked right at her. She froze.
"You're awake." He replied, his husky voice circling her in comfort. She didn't know how to respond. She opened her mouth to call to him, but before she could a figure walked out from beside her and went to take his hand. She gasped it was her. Their fingers twined together and she rested her head on his shoulder. She was pregnant again. They walked off into the glowing evening with their daughter dancing in front, leading them wherever she pleased. She felt her cheeks were wet with tears. She heard the friction of fabric, the cold air of the ship.
"Scavenger." He pulled back, breathless, his nickname for her a compliment this time instead of an insult.
"I always felt this way about you." He promised and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
Nothing mattered in that moment except the two of them.
"I want you." She breathed, out loud, her breath gaspy and sweet.
"I want this. I want you." She shook her head and brushed a hand across his cheek. "I need you."
She didn't know about tomorrow or the day before this one, she only knew that right then, he was hers and she was his and for the first time she felt balance in the Force. Complete, whole balance.
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"Rey?" Luke's voice pulled her back to reality. She was shaking and she could feel the tears dripping down her neck, rolling off her cheeks, spilling on the floor.
"I want to feel that again." She gasped, not caring anymore what Luke thought.
"What did you see?"
"You knew there was another child!" she wheeled on him in rage. "You saw that! I know you did! We have a family! We could be happy!"
"At the cost of lives, war, and a galaxy in chaos!" Luke replied, rising to her cries. "I kept it from you, knowing how you would react."
"Of course this is how I'm going to react!" she turned away, trying to gain a sense of control. "I can't even feel him anymore!"
"I thought that's what you wanted!" Luke retorted. "All you wanted was for him to be gone, to leave you alone! The Bond is broken!"
"No!" Rey screamed. "It's not broken! It's dissolved! I still see him. I hear him. It just never is him. I see him in everything. I still smell his room, I still feel his hands on me! God, I love him!"
Luke listened in shock. He had not expected her to come out like that and say it. He watched her convulse into sobs, her body shaking. She went to stand in the open doorway to catch the breeze. Her silk dress blew flawlessly in the wind. Her wet cheeks reflected the light of the moon.
"I love him." He heard her whisper to the night. "I just want him back."
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"I love him." He heard the words quite clearly. "I just want him back." Rey! He sat up in bed, covered in a cold sweat. He swore it was her.
"Rey!" he cried, trying to open a connection, just like he did every day, just like it never worked. "Rey!" He pounded the headboard in frustration as he felt the connection losing life. "I love you!" he yelled in anger. He fell silent, defeated back on the mattress.
"I love you too." He heard a sliver of her whisper brush past his ear. He flinched. He was in pain. So much pain. He stared down at his bloody fists and the wrecked headboard. He couldn't keep on like this.
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"It's time." Hux darkened the doorway to Ren's room. Kylo Ren looked up from downward gaze. "The Resistance troops retreated. It's time to attack the Base."
"Did Snoke give orders?" Ren asked tiredly, suddenly feeling very old.
"An hour ago."
"Ready my troops. I'll be the one to find Skywalker." He stood up, sliding on his gloves as he did.
"No need." Hux smiled evilly. "Skywalker is coming to you."
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"This was a stupid idea." Finn said for about the thousandth time. Luke sighed again. Finn had not been the easiest travel companion. "We should have at least told someone we were going."
"The whole point of us leaving like this was the secrecy." Luke explained for what he felt like was the hundredth time.
"I hate this feeling of waiting." Finn grumbled.
"The long travel can't be helped." Poe added quietly from the back. Luke nodded. At least he had a rational companion. Poe had years of experience and reminded Luke of himself as a young pilot.
"Just get some sleep." Luke advised Finn. "We have at least a few more hours."
"That is, if we don't get shot down first." Finn replied, frowning.
"I know how the Emp-" Luke stopped and corrected himself, "the First Order works. They'll let us come to them. They'll know it's me."
"Well isn't that just a comforting thought." Finn reclined a bit in his seat.
"Well would you rather them not know it's us and shoot us down without questions, thinking we're a merchant ship that accidentally crossed into their region?"
"Touche." Finn replied and closed his eyes.
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"General!" a panicked soldier dashed into the hut. Rey looked up in shock. No one had dared to set a foot in the hut unless specifically asked for. She stood up slowly, her balance faltering every day. The soldier looked at her in surprise for a moment.
"Are you looking for General Organa?" Rey asked, stuttering, hoping that the soldier would not focus on her stomach. Or know who she was.
"Um, yes." He nodded, catching his breath. "It's urgent."
"I'll find her." Rey nodded and went to find Leia the two women returned quickly to find the soldier pacing the floor and joined by a second officer who was looking out the window, back straight, hands balled into fists at his side.
"Officer, lieutenant." Leia announced her presence and acknowledged the men.
"General." They nodded, then looked to Rey. Leia saw the hesitation on their faces.
"What's this about?" she asked, caution lacing her voice.
"We think she should leave." The officer nodded to Rey. Rey frowned indignantly.
"Do you know who I-" Rey began, but Leia cut her off.
"She's fine. Now, tell me. What's wrong?"
"Radar spotted a swarm of ships approaching. Land threat alarms have been sounding warnings. We're under direct attack. It's a war on the base." The officer breathed. Leia sucked in a breath of shock and looked back at Rey.
"Have they declared war?" Rey asked.
"Not five minutes ago." The lieutenant replied, voice shaking.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Leia bellowed and reached for her jacket. "Ready the troops! Have you sounded the attack bell? Where's our weaponry key? Who's in charge of this?" she began firing off orders to the two men.
"We have that all started." The officer assured. "We came to tell you that negotiation communication has been opened and we need you to direct it. We only have one shot at stopping them."
"Did they give a reason for declaring war?" Rey spoke up. The two men looked to her.
"They only sent four words: "history shall not repeat"." The lieutenant frowned. Leia gasped and looked back to Rey. She watched the girl's face grow pale, the color flee from her cheeks, her eyes dilate.
"I'm coming. Peace must be reached!" Leia announced and ushered the two men out the door.
"Leia!" Rey cried, stopping Leia in the doorway. "Let me come with you!"
"No."
"They know. That's the only reason they would send that message. Let me come and negotiate. Let me try to talk to him. Maybe I can…reason with him."
"That's not possible." Leia shook her head. "He can't be reasoned with. Besides, he's probably not even there. Knowing him he'll be leading the last wave, from an inconspicuous spot, undetected by us."
"Leia, let me help! I know how they work! I've seen the ship! I can help!"
"It's too dangerous. This is war, Rey. Now I want you to gather up any soldiers' children and wives and make for the bunkers in the hills. It's our best shot. We won't go down." With that Leia disappeared out into the light of the early morning.