A/N: The epilogue will post on Friday as well as the first chapter of my new fic, 'Thwarted'. Thank you all for stickin' with me!
The base is a riot of activity. Pilots are running every which way, gathering last minute supplies as they race to their X-wings.
"Mother, we're going," Ben says forcefully.
"You don't need to; you've done your part," Leia pleads.
"Not until the First Order has fallen. I helped build them and I need to have a hand in destroying them. I have to do this, don't you understand?"
Leia looks frustrated and sad. "I just don't want you or Rey to be hurt … I can't lose you now."
"Mother, please, we'll be alright. We have each other, there are no other Force-users on the Finalizer. I know you're worried, but we are going."
His mother looks away, taking a moment. "You won't do anything foolish? You'll keep each other safe?"
Rey steps towards Leia and says, "I promise I'll keep him from doing anything stupid. We'll come home."
Leia finally nods and Ben breathes a sigh of relief. He does not want to go into battle at odds with his mother – or his General.
Just then Luke comes up to them and says, "I'm coming, too. I know it's hard for you, Leia, having to hear it all unfold, listening from the command center. I know you'd rather be with us, just like old times." Han's absence is so keenly felt with those final words. Ben aches to have his father back.
Leia smiles up at her brother and says, "I never get used to it. But we all have our roles to play. Come back to me. Just ... come back to me, all of you."
~BR~
They're on the Falcon. Rey and Chewie are flying them behind a squad of X-Wings. He's sitting behind Rey and Luke is to his right. They hear Poe over the comms.
"This is Black Leader, the shields are down, I repeat the shields are down. " The advance team has incapacitated the Finalizer; now comes the hard part.
"The first transport is landing in the hangar now. Commence boarding the target," Poe's voice floats over the comm. Luke and Ben catch each other's eyes and nod, acknowledging that this is it.
Ben watches Rey's hands fly over the controls and he smiles to himself. She always amazes him.
Soon they're angling into the hangar and Rey deftly lands the Falcon on the gleaming black flight deck. Chewie howls. It's very strange, coming back to the Finalizer, his home for so long. He's filled with memories, not all of them painful. These had been his comrades, once. He thinks of Hux, of what this must be doing to him. They'd never been friends, but you cannot work side by side with someone for so long and not feel some sort of kinship. He knows this is the right – the only – course of action, but he finds he's still conflicted.
~BR~
The fighting is thick. As far as Ben can tell, most of the Stormtrooper force is protecting the hangar. It's a sound strategy, but it leaves the Finalizer very vulnerable if they can break through the line. The Resistance is holding its own, but casualties are mounting on both sides and something has to change.
"We must get past the Stormtroopers; make our way to the bridge. The Stormtroopers will stand down once we have control of the ship," Ben says. They start to move together but then Ben sees a gleam of chrome and remembers how Captain Phasma saved him on Coruscant. Perhaps she too has doubts? He finds he wants to help her if he can. He breaks away from Rey, heading towards the imposing captain.
"Ben, what are you doing?!" Rey demands through the Bond.
"I have to try and save Phasma; I owe her."
"You better know what you're doing," Rey sends. And then her attention is taken by three Stormtroopers firing at her. She leaps in the air over them, turning as she sails over their heads. She lands gracefully on her feet behind them and puts them in a Force sleep.
He makes his way to the edge where fighting is light, deflecting blaster bolts. He stands behind a wall of crates and reaches out to pull Phasma to him. She scrabbles along the flight deck until she's right in front of him.
"You!" she growls.
"Yes, me. Phasma, you don't want this, there's a way out for you. Stand down, surrender, and I'll try and get you a deal."
"Oh no, Ben Solo, there's no 'way out' of this for me. I'm too far up the chain of command. You know how this will play out. I go down fighting." She lifts her blaster then but Ben holds her firmly with the Force.
"It doesn't have to be that way. The Resistance doesn't want to eradicate everyone; there will be opportunities." He's speaking quickly. Just then a blue beam of energy comes straight at them. He raises his other hand and freezes it inches from Phasma's head. He releases her from his hold.
"I never did get used to seeing that," Phasma says.
"Please, you can end this right now." He sees Rey Force push through a line of Stormtroopers; she's making good headway. A Stormtrooper is about to bludgeon her with a vibro-blade when she turns and thrusts her saber into his chest. He feels a ripple of "Finn …" course through the Bond.
The battle is changing; another transport has arrived and more Resistance soldiers flood the hangar. Ben knows he's running out of time to convince Phasma. He has a flash of inspiration.
"The Stormtroopers – do you have access to their records; where they come from?"
"Yes, of course."
"Come with us, pull that data. You can leverage it for your life and maybe your freedom."
The tall woman thinks for a moment then nods her helmeted head sharply. "This better work. I won't die in front of a firing squad."
"It will work. Trust me, I know these people." He hopes he's right.
Luke is whirling through a group of Stormtroopers, making his way to Rey's side. He's elegant and assured, his blade slicing through enemy after enemy. Ben has never seen his uncle kill; he didn't know he had it in him. He'd always known his uncle had destroyed the Death Star, but somehow he'd never connected the young warrior from the stories with his uncle. He sees him now, strong and unwavering, and he knows he's never truly known him.
Soon, Luke and Rey are back to back, doing what they can to minimize the loss of life. She's so beautiful, focused and certain in her movements. He sees how she's grown from an almost feral creature into a true warrior. She's almost glowing. He shifts his attention back to his own situation.
The fighting is growing closer to where he and Phasma stand. She strides forward, making sure that she can be seen. The troopers hesitate and she bellows, "Stand down!"
They're all so conditioned to yield to her that nearly all of them stop firing at once. Confusion is moving throughout the crowd of white-armored soldiers.
"Put down your weapons; it is time to surrender," Phasma commands.
There are a few who refuse. They keep fighting but they are so outnumbered that it doesn't take long to subdue them.
Ben steps forward then. "You all knew me once; I used to go by the name Kylo Ren." A ripple of fear and awe moves through the confused troopers. "You also know that I defected from the First Order eight months ago. I've been with the Resistance since then and things are going to be very different soon. Better. We're going to help you, and make sure you have a place. You won't be abandoned. Just don't fight any longer and the Resistance will see you cared for. We have to secure you now, but it's only temporary."
The Stormtroopers, for the most part, just seem a bit lost. A future without the First Order is both terrifying and glorious. They're unsure and cautious. Resistance soldiers approach them almost gently and take their weapons. There are a few tense moments, but Ben is hopeful.
~BR~
They're moving through the corridors of the Finalizer. Ben and Rey in the front, trailed by Luke, Chewie and Phasma. Chewie growls at Phasma periodically.
Ben is experiencing an almost dual vision with memories of stalking these very corridors coming to him. Everything is so very different now. He remembers the man he was; so volatile, barely contained. Kylo Ren had been one step away from completely breaking down for years and hadn't even realized it. He sees how it was his will alone that kept him from flying apart, the division in his soul so profound and unnatural. He had bound himself up so tightly, nothing getting in, nothing getting out. He can't quite believe he'd survived.
He glances over at Rey, thinking how she'd consumed him during those months of hiding in the Bond. How he hadn't been able to even conceive of the life they are building now. He wishes he could go back in time and do it all differently. But then perhaps he would not be hers. Perhaps it all happened as it should.
A squad of Stormtroopers comes around the corner and starts firing immediately. Ben is able to deflect most of the bolts, but one gets through and Ben feels as Rey's flesh is torn asunder by the fiery energy. She calls out as she falls to her knees. He must deal with the troopers but she's injured. Luke is working furiously to deflect the blasters and Chewie is shooting back.
Phasma is shouting, "Put down your weapons, that is an order!" But they refuse her and keep fighting. They've clearly been informed by the bridge to disregard Captain Phasma's directions.
He needs to go to Rey; he can't bear not knowing the extent of the damage to his love. She's blocking him from feeling the pain so he can't tell how hurt she is. He's filled with all of his fears. Losing her now, today, like this. He remembers their promise to his mother and the future he sees.
He feels no danger from the Bond, though. Her Light is strong and he senses that she's not in mortal peril. But there is still a primal need to be by her side. He knows she's relatively safe, that Luke and Chewie are protecting them, but the fighting must stop. He's frantic to get to her.
Ben reaches out with the Force, anger coursing through him. They have hurt his Rey. He's using the Dark, but it isn't using him. He gathers his power and sweeps the weapons from the Stormtrooper's hands then Force pushes them violently against the wall. The threat temporarily dispatched, he turns and goes to Rey. She's holding her arm and her face is closed. She's obviously feeling the pain of the wound intensely. He feels her frustration at being incapacitated and her worry that she's just become a burden. He's helping her to lean against the wall and inspects the wound. It's deep; she can't use the arm, not like this. He snarls in frustration.
Luke is speaking with the troopers. "We don't want to hurt you; your ship is all but lost. We can help you, help you make real lives, maybe find your families. Just don't fight and the Resistance will help you. You have my word as a Jedi."
The Stormtroopers look around warily, weighing the truth of Luke's words.
Captain Phasma speaks then. "I'm en route to recover the data that will allow us to find where you come from. He speaks the truth." She reaches up and takes off her helmet then. Cautiously they do the same. They're young … very young. One of them pulls himself to his feet and says "We're new recruits. We know where we come from."
"Then we'll make sure you get home safely. The First Order won't last the day. This is happening on all of their ships throughout the galaxy. Just don't fight any more and you will be allowed to go home," Luke says.
The young men and women look at each other and then they're all nodding slightly. "Alright," Luke breathes, "Alright."
Ben says to Rey, "We need to heal this. I … I haven't healed anyone in a long time. I don't know how the Bond healed you before; I wasn't thinking anything other than how I needed you whole and alive."
He's ready to try it anyway when Luke comes over to them and inhales sharply when he sees Rey's injury. He comes closer to Rey and looks at her, asking permission with his eyes. Rey nods and Luke lifts his hands over her wound. Gentle blue light is covering her as Luke's eyes close. Ben can sense the Force pulsing and he feels Rey's arm knitting back together. Soon, her skin is smooth and pink. Luke opens his eyes and drops his hands. Ben sees then that his uncle truly is a Jedi Master, not simply his odd, quiet uncle.
~BR~
The entrance to the bridge is sealed and Phasma is trying her access codes but getting nowhere. Clearly word of her defection has spread.
Luke grins and looks like the boy he once was. "I've always wanted to try this. Ben, help me." Ben isn't sure what he intends until his uncle takes out his saber and starts to cut into the thick metal. Ben ignites his saber and starts on the other side. Soon they've made a circle and step back. Chewie holds his bowcaster and with a triumphant howl, kicks in the melted metal. Blaster bolts are coming at them immediately and Rey and Ben freeze them before they can reach Chewie. They're all through the doors and another volley is coming at them. Luke is deflecting and Chewie and Phasma are firing back.
Ben sees officers have taken defensive positions, hiding behind consoles and firing at will. He sees a flash of ginger hair and he yells out, "Hux!"
They've found cover behind a large bank of monitors, and Ben shouts, "Hux, you've lost the ship, surrender."
"Kylo Ren, I hoped I would see you again!"
"You know you've lost, Snoke is dead. The First Order is finished."
"I won't let you take my ship!" Ben almost laughs at Hux's dig. He never had liked sharing the Finalizer with Kylo Ren.
"Hux, think, damn it. Do you want to die for nothing?"
"The First Order will rise again!"
"No, Hux, not this time."
Ben sees an officer slinking along the edge of the bridge and reaches out with the Force, pulling him out into the open. Chewie shoots him in the leg and he goes down howling.
"It's just you and your officers now. None of you are trained for combat, or at least it has been a very long time. Surrender," Ben says.
"Never, Ren. You know me better than that."
Ben is frustrated. He can sense how frightened the officers are. They don't want to fight, but they don't think they have any choice.
"We will not simply yield; we'll fight to the last." Hux turns to his crew and orders them to fire. They hesitate, as if to see who will win this contest of wills.
"I said fire!" Hux screams. A handful make half-hearted attempts while most remain still.
"Ben," floats through the Bond.
"Yes?"
"They're so afraid, they don't want to die."
"I know, I feel it. But if they don't stand down we're going to have to do this the hard way."
"I have an idea. I want to try to use the Bond to put them to sleep."
He pauses, thinking. They've been able to use the Bond to operate on the mind with great success, but is what she's suggesting even possible?
"We'll be vulnerable while we're in the Bond."
"I know, but the others will protect us," Rey responds.
Ben quickly informs his uncle and then he and Rey are moving to a corner that's well-defended. Luke and Chewie stand between them and the rest of the bridge. Hux is gathering the few officers still fighting and they're firing at them. Luke is able to protect them easily.
Ben and Rey face each other and lace their fingers together.
"Ren, what are you doing?! Ren! Kylo Ren, you will not ignore me!" Hux screams.
Ben ignores him, they're deep in the Bond within seconds.
Ben feels Rey's intense power build and they're reaching out, feeling the consciousness of the First Order personnel. Holding them all in their mind, they gently press against their awareness and one by one they all fall into a deep Force sleep.
Phasma moves quickly to a console and begins pulling data. Her face is intense and focused.
Rey moves over to where Hux has fallen. "So this is General Hux? The man responsible for the Hosnian System?"
"Yes, that's Hux. He's fanatical and loyal to a fault. I don't like him, but he was my closest colleague for many years."
"You know there's nothing you can do for him; he's going to have to be held accountable for his crimes."
Ben thinks of his own actions and wonders if there's any way for Hux to come back, to have a life. He finds he doesn't like to think of the irritating man imprisoned or executed. He realizes he's not sure what his mother thinks about such things? He knows the Hosnian System is too close to what happened to Alderaan, and that perhaps she'll be out for blood. He hopes not.
Soon the bridge is filled with Resistance soldiers working quickly to secure the prisoners. Hux is rousing. Ben goes over to him.
"Hux, you've lost. We have control of the Finalizer. I don't know what happens next."
"Oh, don't you? Haven't you read your history? I will be executed." Hux is sitting on the floor, his hands bound in front of him. He seems almost amused, distancing himself from the reality of his situation.
"You don't know that."
Hux scoffs. "They'd be fools to let the Generals live."
"Perhaps. But I'll see what I can do," Ben says quietly.
"Why would you do that, Kylo Ren?" Hux says incredulously.
"It's Ben Solo now, and because, while we've never been friends, we served together for a long time."
"Why did you do it? Why did you betray us?" Hux sounds hurt.
"I didn't betray you, Hux. I just went home."
"I see that scavenger girl – you were working with her. You seem … close." Hux sounds speculative.
"Yes, she was part of it." Hux snorts at this.
"The First Order came undone because Kylo Ren fell in love?" Hux asks in disbelief.
"If that's what you want to think. I prefer to think that the First Order was always wrong."
"How is it wrong to want to see peace throughout the galaxy?" Hux asks.
"It wasn't peace you were seeking. It was control."
"One follows the other."
"No, the First Order, you … you were trying to capture a river. People cannot be controlled for long. You … we were always destined to fail. We're going to find a better way, now."
"Listen to you, falling for all that Resistance propaganda. I used to forget that General Organa is your mother, but that was clearly quite foolish of me." Hux seems resigned to his fate.
"Well it's lucky for you that she is. She'll have more say than anyone on what happens next, and I will do what I can."
Hux looks away then. He looks back, his piercing blue eyes staring into Ben's. There is a long silence between them now, and Ben almost leaves Hux to his thoughts.
"Thank you," he finally says. Ben is surprised but hopeful. If Hux's pride has allowed gratitude, perhaps he can find a way to appeal to the erstwhile General.
Ben nods sharply and moves away.
He walks over the viewscreen, looking out on the stars, standing with his hands clasped behind his back as he had so many times before. He feels Rey come to stand beside him. She threads her arm through his and rests her head on his shoulder. They stand watching the stars for a long time.
~BR~
They're coming down the ramp of the Falcon and he sees his mother waiting for them. She's looking them all over, ensuring to herself that her family has returned to her unharmed. Luke walks to her first, taking her by the shoulders as they simply look at each other. Then Ben and Rey join them, followed by Chewie.
Soon they're all embracing, a tangle of limbs and Chewie's fur.
"I can't believe it's over," Rey says as they step back from each other.
"Oh it's far from over, but for now the worst of the fighting is done," Leia reminds them. "We lost an entire battalion when we attempted to board the Terminus; General Jehan was able to destroy the ship with all hands. She won't be the last fanatic, but we have control of the vast majority of the First Order. It's only a matter of time, now."
Leia turns to Ben and says, "You have faced your past and put it behind you. I am so proud of you, Son."
"I'm not sure I would say I've put it behind me, but I think that may be possible, now."
~BR~
He and Rey are walking in the forest, taking time away from the chaos of the celebrations. They'd come across an extremely drunk Finn and Poe, singing songs from the Old Republic. They'd promised to return and join them, but for now they need the peace of each other. Nothing feels as right as being alone, together.
They're holding hands and energy is flowing between them; that feeling he's only ever felt when touching her.
"You're alright, after being on your old ship, facing your former allies?" Rey asks.
"Yes, yes, I'm alright. It was strange, but also fitting. It was something I needed to do."
"I can understand that."
He stops them and turns to face her. He reaches out with his free hand and cups her face. He pulls her to him and grazes her lips with his, just a whisper at first. Then he delves into her mouth, kissing her so deeply. The Bond is open and they're feeling each other's feelings. She's full of hope and he's full of gratitude. He pulls back and gazes into her sparkling hazel eyes and says, "Thank you. Thank you for letting me in. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for seeing something in me that was worthy."
"Oh Ben … we could only have ever been each other's. I see that now. I'm sorry I fought so hard against this."
"No, it was right that you did. I needed to learn … I needed to learn so many things." She smiles and turns her cheek into his hand.
"I did, too."
He needs her in his arms and he pulls her to him, then. He's feeling all his love and devotion for her; he's filled up with everything that's happened, everything she's given to him. He knows that she is his compass and his home.
"Promise me something. Promise me that you will always grow with me, learn with me?" Ben asks.
"Yes, Ben. Always."
THE END
Well Meaghan M/Juulna, Empress Beta, we're just about done. Can you believe it? Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do for me. You are an amazing human being and I thank my lucky stars for having met you. And thank you for the inspiration for having them attack Snoke through the Bond!
Thank you to everyone who is reading, following, favoriting, or reviewing. You are why I keep writing, thank you!
