Rey truly felt hope for the first time in a long time. He was beginning to trust her now...just a bit...his walls he had built around himself so many years ago starting to crumble. She could feel it.
It had been about a week since his breakdown and she had rarely left his side. Others may have called her a traitor for what she was doing, but she didn't see it that way at all. She had not joined the darkside and didn't plan to. She was still trying to help Ben find the light, just in their own unique way. She had to take her time and do this gently or he would push her away. Sure, she gave him advice and showed him kindness when he surely didn't deserve it, but that was in her nature. She had to help him. She just knew it.
It had been a fairly calm week to be honest. No attacks by the resistance, all plans running smoothly, no big tantrums by Kylo. Most of the crew ignored her presence, some of them talked to her. But the one person who still hated her was General Pryde. He hated the very sight of her and she found herself avoiding him as much as possible. She had a bad feeling about him in her gut that told her to have as little contact as possible.
Kylo Ren had been, dare she say, nice to her. As nice as he could manage anyway. They shared his room still but he didn't try anything since that night that seemed like so long ago now. In fact he hadn't touched her at all. Rey wasn't complaining about that aspect at all, still a bit unnerved from the last time. But this night was different. Kylo slept very peacefully, laying on his back. But Rey couldn't sleep, she had found herself laying on her side watching him sleep instead. She looked over his face, it was so much more peaceful than she had ever seen it. She thought back to the very first time he had taken his mask off. She had been expecting to see some kind of horrid monster, but when he removed it...she realized he was just human. And not even an ugly one. It had certainly thrown her for a loop.
'Don't be afraid...I feel it too' the memory of what he had said that day echoed through her mind. She had felt it. A weird bond like they had known each other their whole lives as soon as he used the force on her. A pulling towards one another that they didn't understand. They came from completely different backgrounds, planets apart, and yet they knew each other.
She slowly raised a hand, considering using the force to peek into his mind just a bit...but if he awoke the trust she'd built so far would be broken. So she changed her mind and touched his arm instead. He was warm and soft...so human. How she could have thought he was some kind of literal monster made her feel silly now. She quickly removed her hand as he turned to lay on his side facing her now. She waited another minute for him to fall back into a deep sleep, then very quietly scooted just an inch closer to him. Then just a little more. She closed the space between them eventually and buried her head up under his chin into his chest, pressing her body against his as much as she could. Finally warm and comfortable, her breathing matching his own, she began to drift off to sleep.
Kylo opened his eyes sleepily, blinking a few times. He felt unusually warm and looked around to see why. He leaned his head down and his chin bumped into the top of Rey's head. He suddenly realized how close the two of them were. She had burrowed herself right up against him and sometime during the night, he must have placed his arm over her protectively sometime during the night. He quickly removed it and lay there debating on what to do. He decided on quietly rolling over away from her. She immediately scooted up against his back and threw her arm over his side all without waking up.
He was wide awake now, unsure of what to do. Surely she wasn't consciously doing this. It was because she was asleep of course. That was all. She probably just got cold.
He took a deep breath in and out and decided he should probably get up. He wasn't comfortable with kind touch, or any touch for that matter. Not to mention when he and Rey had any contact, his subconscious began pulling him to the light making it hard to concentrate and remain loyal to the dark side.
He sat on the side of the bed and stretched his back out then stood and looked down at Rey. So peaceful...so pure...he envied her so much. He walked away to dress.
"Ben?" He heard her sleepy voice. He turned around. Her eyes were still closed, obviously not quite awake.
"Come back to bed..." She mumbled.
"Go back to sleep." He said turning back around to pull his shirt on.
She must have fallen back to sleep soon after as he didn't hear another word from her as he dressed. He then opened the door, leaving her there asleep while he went to start his rounds.
Rey awoke about an hour later, not remembering much about last night, just knowing she missed the warmth of him. She realized he was gone and got up to shower and dress while she waited for him to come back to get her.
He was gone a good while and Rey started to think she would be left alone the entire day. But finally the door opened back up.
"Where have you been all day?" She said not looking up from the book she was reading on the bed.
"I have orders to escort you to the control center."
That wasn't Kylos voice. She looked up. It was a storm trooper.
"Oh...okay hang on let me get my shoes on," she got up and put her shoes on, throwing her hair in a pony tail.
"Too busy to escort me himself eh?" She said irritatedly to the trooper. He didn't answer. The entire walk to the control center was quiet. She was led through a door and into the control room. She looked around, she's never been allowed in here before... there were important looking people working, things beeping, holograms up with maps of the nearby solar systems. It was all quite exciting to see. But the one thing she didn't see was Ben. A voice up ahead in the room spoke.
"Ah, Rey. Excellent." General Pryde briskly walked over to her where she stood still, very confused now.
"General," she greeted him, trying to stay cordial.
"Won't you follow me?" He said and held him arm out for her. She hesitantly took it and he walked them along with three storm troopers to a room just down the hall and locked the door behind them.
Rey's stomach turned uncomfortably.
"What's the meaning of this?" She asked immediately. "I'm not to be out of the room without Kylo, he gave specific orders and he's going to be angry-" General Pryde interrupted her quickly, standing with his hands behind his back with a crazy look in his eyes.
"Let's get one thing straight, girl. I'm in charge of this ship, Kylo Ren May think he's the supreme leader but he has no idea who he's dealing with!"
"And what makes you think you're in charge here, General?" She said calmly. He replied quickly.
"I've been appointed by the TRUE supreme leader. Fortunately for you, he's been dying to meet you. Unfortunately for me, this means my job and rank is at stake. So I'm going to offer you a deal. I accidentally leave this door unlocked when I leave this room. Maybe you see this as your opportunity to escape." He walked slowly around the room while he talked.
"There's a fighter full of fuel and supplies waiting down in the lower bay. Keys already in and ready to go."
Rey felt numb with disbelief. She couldn't believe what was being offered to her. This was the chance at freedom she so desperately wanted.
"What are your terms," She asked, trying to look professional and not at all surprised. He gave a sly grin and spoke.
"You leave and go back to your home in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to hear from you or see your face ever again on my ship." He walked up to her and looked down at her.
"You may have Kylo Ren under your spell but I see right through you. I will not show this compassion again, you can count on that. Take this offer now or accept the fact that I will stop at nothing to protect my position."
Rey stood there a moment thinking things over. She was getting so close to getting through to Ben...but was it wasted effort? Was she working on a lost cause? She desperately wanted her freedom but now that it was being offered to her, she didn't know what to do.
"Out of curiosity, who do you call your supreme leader if not Kylo Ren?" She talked, trying to bide her time. She could feel Kylo getting close. Their bonds intensity getting stronger as it did the closer in proximity they were. He would realize she was here and she would lose her chance at escape if he did.
"It's of no concern to some worthless scavenger. It has nothing to do with you," he said harshly.
"Ok...ok I accept." She said, not truly knowing if she did or not but he seemed awfully keen on getting her out of here.
"Excellent," he shot her that creepy grin again. "Now as I said, this door will remain unlocked, I've ordered my men not to stop or fire at you. You get down to that bay without Kylo realizing you're gone, and you fly as fast as you can away from here. No funny business and don't try anything stupid. As I said I will not be merciful again."
He walked out of the door, the storm troopers following him. The last one started to leave but stopped in the doorway staring at her. She could feel unease about something but she didn't know what.
"What is it?" She asked quietly. He glanced behind him to the other storm troopers marching along. He shook his helmeted head at her then pointed a finger to his head. She understood at once and lifted her arm to get inside this mans head.
Suddenly she was looking at herself and Kylo Ren arguing in the fighter through this mans eyes. When this stormtrooper had looked at her, she felt the sense of hope she had given him in that moment. No one had ever stuck up for him before...
The scene changed and she saw a flash of General Pryde placing a bomb to the bottom of the fighter he'd prepared, grinning evilly up to his group of men. She broke the connection.
"He's rigged the fighter," she said quietly. He nodded and looked at her a moment longer.
"...Thank you..." she said, head now spinning at the information she'd been given. He nodded once and left quickly, closing the door behind them. This was what Kylo Ren never understood about people. A little kindness means all the difference in the world. She would have gotten on that fighter and no sooner took off than died in a fiery explosion. But now she was faced with another choice. She was unattended, not to be stopped or fired at, and Kylo Ren was growing closer. So what does she do? Does she rat General Pryde out to gain more of Kylo's trust? Or maybe she could make it down to the bay and steal a different ship...maybe she should simply go back to the room and act as if nothing had happened...so many scenarios rushed through her head. None of them feeling quite right. Kylo Ren was closer now, probably just down the hall. She couldn't exactly escape right out from under him when they had this stupid force bond. She knew she had to come out of this room and work out what to say to him. She could deal with Pryde later, but ultimately decided she couldn't leave Ben here when she was so close to getting through to him.