"What's going on with you Rey?"

She flushed glancing away from the pilot. Her cheeks and lips were still raw. "Nothing's up with me."

Poe huffed, "Really? Because yesterday you were absent during dinner and you never miss a meal. Now today you slept all morning and afternoon."

Rey turned away fiddling with the ship's controls. "I was just tired from training my force abilities, that's all.

"I've known you for months and this is the first time you've acted this way."

"Well… I was testing my boundaries."

"Then I hope you are respectful of your boundaries. You need to be alert during this mission." There was a seriousness in his tone that made her stand straighter.

"Of course Poe," she nodded solemnly to him.

"The supplies have all been loaded," Rose declared, popping her head into the cockpit, "we're good to go."

BB8 rolled by her, the little droid buzzing with excitement at being able to accompany them. Leia had granted them the use of a light freighter, an A-wing was tucked in the hull, Poe felt would have preferred his usual X-wing but it was too eponymous with the Resistance.

"We leave in five, I'll go alert the mission control, come on BB8" Poe strode out, the droid trailing him.

"You okay Rey?" Rose question

"I am, and you? I saw you talking with Finn earlier."

Rose's lips thinned and she turned away from her. Rey couldn't help but poke at their relationship. It had been almost a year since Crait and they were still stuck in a quasi-relationship. Always together and yet not. Sometimes she grew frustrated with them, there was nothing truly stopping them.

"We said goodbye, Finn's was a little anxious about this."

"That's why you got extra muscle with you," Rey flexed her slender arms causing Rose to laugh.

"You know I never asked you about how that dance went with Finn."

An indulgent smile graced her lips, "Apparently stormtroopers don't dance."

"But you had fun?"

Rose's smile grew brighter, "yeah, and you were amazing. Levitating that Starfighter, everyone is talking about it. So many people have asked me about you."

Rey tensed, "and what did you say?"

"Your favourite food is any food, you love rainy days, you're almost as reckless as Poe when flying and you have a talent for drawing."

Rey embraced Rose in a tight grip startling the small woman, she held her tightly, her heart warm.


"You brought enough fuel?"

"Yes."

"Credits?"

"Yes."

"Blasters?"

Poe laughed, "we'll be fine Finn, you were never this concerned when I left for my other missions, I wonder why." His eyes twinkled as he peered at him.

Finn shoved him away, "just being a good friend."

"Hey, Poe!" a voice interrupted them, turning they spotted a young girl. She waved at him from across the hall, Poe waved back, his signature charming smile on his lips.

"Huh, people seem to do that a lot."

"And to you as well Hero."

The back of his neck tingled at the word, not knowing how to respond he deflected, "You know people are going to hammer you guys as soon as you get back. The Jedi and pilot going off on a mission against the First Order, there's an avalanche of interest."

"If it raises morale then I'll recite everything like an opera."

Finn couldn't help but laugh. People always seemed to gravitate to Poe, he was able to charm even the oldest and hardest members of the Resistance. It seemed like everybody was a friend of Poe's. For Rey, their admiration was slightly different. She wasn't used to so much company and was really only comfortable with people she knew well. She came off as more mysterious, almost other-worldly yet her rough edges were certainly endearing. It wasn't uncommon to catch people staring at her with awe.

"You guys better return and… keep them safe for me."

Poe hugged him again, giving Finn firm pats on the back. "Buddy, they'll be keeping me safe."


The galaxy laid before her, they had just left hyperspace and in a few hours they would touch down on Corellia. It had been a while since her mission to Naboo, away from Mirrin Prime she could could finally see the galaxy in all it's glory.

"What has made you so happy?"

She turned to Kylo, beckoning him to her. He wrapped his arms around her without hesitation, pressing his lips to her nape. She opened her mind to him drawing him into her; an image formed, steadily growing clearer. He gasped, a dark expanse filled with thousands of jewels.

"I think our bond grew stronger," her voice was soft as she caressed the arms were wrapped around her torso.

He held her closer nuzzling her neck. He never thought she would trust him like this. He could delve into her mind and draw out any information she had on the Resistance. Never. If a battle truly came he could never use her against them.

Since Crait his approach to the Resistance was Containment, allowing them to exist but not really expand. He justified their existence to the First Order as a convenient rival. They would be the enemy to their narrative, a motive to continue growing and strengthening. Some thought it ridiculous but he was Supreme Leader. Truthfully, a deep part of him was was abhorrent to the idea of actually fighting his mother or confronting Rey.

"It's beautiful," he said after a moment, pressing a kiss beneath her ear, causing her to giggle.

"How are you? Are you all better now?"

"I'm fine Sweetheart, you coming to me was far more terrifying than the actual attack."

Rey turned around in his grip, straddling his lap, "Sweetheart?"

"Do you not like it?"

She noticed his neck and ears were red. It was adorable. She couldn't stop herself from nipping them with her teeth. He gasped, hands flexing as he gripped her hip

"I like it my Love."

"You can just say something like that and expect nothing to happen."

She tilted her head questioningly, in the next moment her vision darkened as his pressed his lips against hers. They were incredibly soft, Rey couldn't help but nibble at them causing Kylo to growl in response. He swiped at her tongue, she jerked in surprise before opening for him.

Kissing was such an odd yet intoxicating experience. They were Force bonded and they had been in each other's minds many times, but this new connection was intimate in an innately carnal way. They pulled apart slowly with reluctance, Rey's cheeks were red and she gave him a shaky smile. She was too much, Kylo shoved his face into her neck laughing. Long ago he remembered spotting a young couple on Chandrila. They kept glancing at each other, gradually daring a few quick touches. Every time they did they blushed and laughed as if it was the most glorious thing in the world. He thought they were fools, he never expected to become a fool.

"Kylo," Rey tugged at his soft locks to get his attention. He sucked in some deep breaths to settle himself. "My Love, I need to know what happened to you?"

He paused for a moment before reciting the attack, he held her close stroking the pulse fluttering in her neck to calm her. A part of him was delighted at her concern and enjoyed how she clung to him. He tucked his face close to hers whispering soothing reassurances that he had fully recovered. As she laid on his chest taking in his strength her eyes began to close.

"When we were in that dark place did you feel another's presence."

His brow furrowed in confusion. He had only felt her spirit, the moment she appeared he reached for her, drawing her in greedily and hating himself for it.

"No, there was only you, did something happen to you?" Fear crept into Kylo's gaze. This time she pressed small kisses along his throat to comfort him.

"Nothing bad happened, well other than that coldness. I just felt this energy touch me, she called herself the One, do you have any idea who that is?."

"I don't, neither Luke or Snoke ever mentioned such a being to me. Did she do anything to you."

She shook her head but the anxiety in his gaze remained. Leaning back Rey opened her mind to him, he dived into her, searching for any malevolence or threats. She shivered, it felt nothing like Starkiller base, Kylo moved inside of her with tenderness, weaving his way through her like he was traversing a well-known path. Satisfied he withdrew, given her conscious a lingering caress.

"Well?"

"Nothing, not a single thing out of place." He pressed his nose to her head, breathing in her scent to reassure himself further.

Rey felt relief but her mind whirled in curiosity. Just what was that? Nothing can tear you two apart. She had felt those words in her very bones.


"You can go now C3PO."

"Are you sure General, I can-"

"I am fine, please shut the door on your way out." Leia's tired body into her chair as the golden droid left the room.

She palmed her chest, a deep place inside her throbbed in pain. An assassination attempt. Her mind scrambled around the thought, Ben- Kylo Ren had been attacked. C3PO delivered the news with a nervous look on his face, it had to have been serious for the news to reach them. So many years had passed since she had last seen him, her boy was surely a man now.

In the years she had run the Resistance there was an occasional proposal to have him killed but she shut them down immediately. She would defeat her son but she could not kill him. Yet, Leia was so preoccupied with trying to outmaneuver the First Order that she hadn't realised someone else would want to harm him. And someone did hurt him, her breath shuddered. No, she had to focus, he was alive. Leia knew some would consider finding the perpetrators and working with them, it would be a good plan. Her wrinkled hands balled; a plan that her old heart which loved to sing lullabies, could not accept.

She reached for that old connection and felt it hum with life. She had seen so much, lived through so much and yet a part of her was still capable of crying.

"General Leia? I'm sorry is this a bad time?" Commander D'Acy shifted by the doorway, nervously clutching at a datapad.

Slowly Leia opened her eyes, she straightened her back and her face settled into a calm and resolute expression.

"I am fine, what is it that you need to tell me."

"Well, the blue squadron returned from their mission on Utapau. They seized control of a First Order freighter carrying tonnes of weapons." D'Acy handed Leia the datapad, detailing the acquired inventory.

"This is great news, I will have to congratulate Captain Wexley."

"That's not all, as soon as the crew was captured they committed suicide."

"What?" she gasped, "all of them?"

"Yes General, there was over a hundred of them, they each carried poison on their person."

It was utterly baffling. She could understand if it were a spy or a high ranking officer protecting information, but a bunch of ordinary soldiers.

"Get me C3PO and R2, I need to make some calls"


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I just made it, I have yet to go a month without posting an update. I'm sorry for the long wait, I hoped to have another update in April but I had a lot of assignments to complete.

The last month has been very stressful both academically and in my personal life, but I've been trying to write as much as possible, even getting in a few sentences on my daily commute. I really want to finish this fanfic before the release of "The Rise of Skywalker."

I also want to do more fanart, I'm gonna lose my skills if too much time passes. Like other Reylos I've been really pumped after the Vanity Fair shoot. My plans have slightly adjusted in accordance to new cannon material which has taken a lot of thought. I hope you liked this chapter, we're entering a more intimate stage of Rey and Kylo's relationship.

Please Review and I will see you soon.