"How do you know this Sith lord?" Ackbar asked across the table to the dark sider.
"She used to be a Knight of Ren, one of many who served under me. She left with another Knight and didn't report back. I'm concerned that she may have found a way to become a Sith." Kylo explained, trying to not look to his mother whom was sitting next to the general.
"Do you know where she is?" An officer piped up.
"No, but I have a plan." Kylo announced.
Leia held her hands up to stop any further questions, she then gestured for Ben to continue.
"As I said, once the First Order realizes I'm negotiating a ceasefire, she will swoop in and attempt to wrestle control over from me. We can send a task force to my capital ship, the Supremacy, and wait for her arrival. When she arrives, we swiftly assassinate her, ending the terror before it begins." Kylo explained to the Resistance leadership.
"Are you implying that we should work together? And what happens when she is defeated? Will you just go back to being our enemy and betray us?" Ackbar questioned suspiciously.
Ben looked to Rey momentarily, then back to Ackbar.
"I will not betray you. You have my word." He said, trying to reassure the group. Many scoffed at the ludicrous idea and they began to get themselves worked up.
"Your word?" One yelled.
"Liar! Killer!" Another one screamed.
"Never trust a murderer!" It didn't stop.
Leia had it, and slammed her fist down on the table, jolting everyone to their senses.
"We will let cooler heads prevail. This meeting will reconvene tomorrow. We will decide our next course of action then. Dismissed." Leia ordered, and everyone got up and left the room. However, Rey and Ben stayed seated. Now he really needed Rey more than ever, especially since his mother was about to talk to him directly. He gripped her hand tightly, almost as if he was afraid.
I'm here with you, Ben. Rey said to him through their bond.
"Mom..." Ben choked out, his breathing getting heavier.
Leia smiled at him, shaking her head as she felt the tears welling in her eyes.
"You don't have to say anything, Ben. I know." Leia exclaimed. Ben swiftly stood up and approached where she was sitting. Leia stood as-well and he hugged her tightly, his hands trembling.
"I'm so sorry..." He choked out, and Rey couldn't stop the smile on her face. Ben was just a boy hugging his mother. When he was in the light, she just was infatuated with how kind he could be, how soft and gentle. Then that switch could occur, and he was a completely different person.
"Han would be proud of you." Leia assured her son as she allowed him to softly get his emotions out.
"My lord, the fleet has reported in. Where would you like to send them?" Phasma asked the Sith.
"Tell the fleet to report to the shipyards here. We will outfit them for combat. Tell Hux to move the rest of our forces here while we wait for construction." Mortim ordered.
"My lord... The Resistance will know of our presence if we move our forces here." Phasma warned.
"Precisely." Mortim snickered as the two walked to their ship, followed by the stormtrooper squad.
After about fifteen minutes of emotional turmoil for Ben, embracing his mother, he finally was able to release it all. He eventually let her go and kissed her on the forehead.
"We can talk more tomorrow. I know when my boy is tired." She teased.
Ben nodded and went to make his leave with the scavenger girl.
"Rey." Leia yelled, getting the attention of the Jedi before she was about to exit.
"Thank you." Leia said, giving her a look that Rey knew. She was thanking her for bringing her son back.
Rey nodded and left the room with Ben. Once she was in the corridor, he attacked her, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
She let out a soft giggle as his mouth attacked her neck, giving her soft kisses.
"Ben!" She whispered as she allowed him more access.
"I love you." He whispered against her ear now, nuzzling the Jedi. Rey pulled herself gingerly back, holding the side of his face.
"Later." She told him, leaning up to kiss him lightly.
"What now?" Ben asked.
"I need to explain a lot of things to my friends..." She admitted.
"I will talk some sense into them, don't you worry." Ben exclaimed, immediately to Rey swiftly shaking her head no.
"Why not?" He questioned.
"Well... You're still... Kylo Ren in their eyes. Let me do the talking, I'll show you to my room, I guess. Until we get one for you, you can stay there." She offered, noticing Ben was smirking now.
"Why wouldn't I want to stay in there with you anyway?" He winked, laughing when Rey's face blushed.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go." Rey ended the conversation as she walked down the hallway with Ben following close behind. The looks he received wasn't pleasant, many people muttering under their breath. Kylo could sense the danger around him, so he didn't let his guard down. It would be nice to have his lightsaber in a situation like this...
"General Ackbar!" A soldier frantically yelled as he ran into the war room, causing a lot of the bickering officers to turn around.
"Yes, soldier, what is it?" Ackbar asked, placing a datapad down.
"Sir!" He took a large breath. "Our sources indicate that the entire Trade Federation fleet has been amassed around Cato Neimoidia!"
"And? They're just a trading fleet, not fit for combat." Ackbar explained.
"But Sir! There's reports that a First Order frigate is among them!" He panted out.
Ackbar stared for a few moments, rubbing his chin in thought. Why would a First Order frigate, not even a star destroyer, but a frigate be located with this trading fleet? He then remembered what Kylo Ren said to the group at the negotiation table. A new threat. It seemed suspicious enough.
"Get me Leia." He pointed to the soldier, who saluted and ran.
"I can't believe it." Finn said in an exasperated tone.
Poe nodded to his friend as he leaned back in the chair he was in. They were sitting in some sort of lounge, surrounded by a cloud of smoke. It gave off a scent of fresh flowers.
"Kylo Ren. Rey. Kylo Ren. Rey." Finn said, trying to wrap his mind around it. "Who would've thought?"
"That's like you and Phasma boning." Poe replied, shaking his head.
Finn rolled his eyes to the pilot who snickered from the comment.
"Not funny." Finn groaned.
"Yeah, yeah. Just trying to lighten the mood." Poe waved his hand in annoyance.
"Hey guys..." Rey exclaimed as she entered the lounge, waving some of the smoke away from her face.
Both Poe and Finn looked to Rey, then back to each other awkwardly.
"Hi..."
"Hey..."
Rey bit her lip anxiously as she sat down on a small cushion, almost like a bean bag. She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them.
"So..." Rey eventually spoke, as the two men were dead silent.
"I'm sorry. I should've said something earlier." She apologized, looking to Finn and Poe.
"Yeah, maybe... It would've been nice to have a warning or something." Poe retorted.
"How could you... You know... With Kylo Ren?" Finn blurted out.
Rey rubbed her eyes, trying to come up with a suitable answer. There really wasn't, at least to them. In their point of view, he was just a monster, and she was now with that monster.
"I'm... Not with Kylo Ren, Finn." She explained. "I'm in a relationship with Ben. Ben Solo."
They looked to each other again, then back to the Jedi.
"Yeah, okay." Poe sarcastically muttered.
"That looked like Kylo Ren to me." Finn said, rubbing the back of his head.
Rey sighed, trying to figure out a way to get it across to them.
"Listen guys." She said in a low tone. "I love you guys so much. You're not just my best friends, you're my family."
The two men nodded in agreement, not really knowing where she was going with this.
"Well, I need my family now. I hope you can just... Look past this. He's different, he's changing. I know it's hard to see that, but he isn't just Kylo Ren, not anymore. There's another man in there... Ben Solo. We've been connected by the Force since- Since the beginning!" She pleaded.
"Connected?" Finn asked, confused.
"A bond. We are bonded by the Force. It's... Hard to explain, but what he feels, I can feel. What I feel, he can feel. We're... It's like we're on the same wavelength. Two people, but just... One connection, you get it?" She questioned.
Poe smirked while looking at Finn, then back to Rey.
"Isn't that just love?" He quipped.
Rey smiled back, pleased to see that they weren't lambasting her at the moment.
"Possibly." She snarkily replied, a chuckle coming from both of them.
"So does this mean that we have to hang out with Kylo-" Finn cleared his throat. "... Ben now?"
Rey shrugged, standing up.
"I completely understand if you do not want to. I will not force any of you to be his friend. But I hope we can still be friends." She offered.
Finn stood up too, looking to Poe. He gestured for him to get up. It stirred an exaggerated groan from the pilot, rolling his eyes as he joined the group in standing.
"Of course." Finn answered.
"As long as you keep what you two do at night to yourself, I'm all in." Poe joked.
"Funny." Rey replied, holding her arms out as the two men joined in a group hug.
"Rey, you are needed in the war room." Ackbar announced over their comms.
Rey broke off embrace, frowning in thought. What was the problem now? She was kind of hoping to enjoy being home with Ben now, however that sounded urgent.
"That doesn't sound good..." Finn muttered as the three of them left to the war room.
Kylo sat awkwardly on the foot of her bed, just waiting for her to return. It felt weird to be here, to be Ben Solo. Was he Ben? A part of him was saying yes, but there was still that side of him that didn't want to let go of the dark. It felt powerful compared to the light.
Out of boredom, he decided to look around her room. She had a desk which was a mess. There was mechanical parts and tools strewn about it. Once a scavenger, always a scavenger. He chuckled at his thoughts, lifting up a rusty piece of junk. He then turned to what appeared to be a closet and peered inside to find just robes and the likes. Perhaps there was something under the bed? He peered under there, only to find a staff she liked to use. Hm. He didn't know what to expect, but he thought she would've had something she was hiding. A diary or some toy or something. But no, it was just ordinary stuff in an ordinary room. Maybe he should confront her later, she always made fun of him for wearing black and that kind of stuff. Maybe he should torment her for not having hobbies other than collecting trinkets.
Ben, you may want to come to the war room. Rey exclaimed through their bond.
Where is that? And you sure it'll be fine for me to just go alone? He replied, already leaving the room.
You'll be fine. You're a tough guy. She snarkily replied.
Oh haha. You still didn't tell me where it is. He said.
Use the Force to guide you. I'll see you there. She answered.
"We should have never bargained with the Trade Federation!" An officer yelled.
"It's meaningless, they're probably doing commercial upgrades fleet-wide!" Another added.
"But there's a First Order frigate with them!" One argued.
Leia listened to her advisors and commanding staff as they bickered around a table, which had a hologram displaying the planet of Cato Neimoida. Surrounding the north-western hemisphere of the planet was orbital shipyards.
"I wonder what Kylo Ren has to say about this!"
"It was a trick all along to distract us!"
"Everyone shut up!" Leia yelled out, silencing the crowd. "Ben will explain what is going on, just give him time to get here."
As if on cue, Ben strolled into the war room, eating what appeared to be some sort of fruit. The crowd looked at him, some glaring, as he took his spot next to Rey.
"Really?" She whispered to him.
"What?" He muffled through a bite. "I was hungry."
"Kylo Ren, can you-" Ackbar was elbowed by Leia, and he cleared his throat. "Ben Solo, we need information."
Ben nodded, still nibbling on the fruit.
Ackbar pointed to the hologram as spoke.
"As you can see, the Trade Federation has moved its merchant fleet to Cato Neimoidia to their shipyards. Now, that's odd, but could be forgiven as just peaceful upgrades. However, among the fleet was a First Order frigate, and for it to be that far into the Core is suspicious to say the least."
A First Order frigate amassing with a company in the Core worlds? He never authorized such an endeavor, nor did they ever have operations out there. Who was in that frigate? After a few moments of thought, it smacked him in the face. A frigate escaped their fleet many months ago. Around the same time Rey and him had their falling out...
Hux. That damned traitor, it must've went with that splinter. So what was Hux doing with the Trade Federation? There's no way he could've pulled off such an agreement to get the backing of the Federation. He's too weak. There had to be someone else... Mortim. Kriff!
"Mortim." Kylo growled, staring at the hologram.
Ackbar looked to Leia.
"You mean the new Sith lord?" He asked.
"Yes... She must've joined with that splintered group of First Order personnel. Hux and Phasma." Ben replied.
A murmur went through the crowd.
"You think she's building a fleet?" Ackbar questioned.
"No doubt in my mind." Ben flatly answered. "It's time to end this threat before it even starts. I'll go and destroy her."
"Not by yourself. It's too risky. I'm going with him." Rey quickly added on.
Leia frowned, looking down to her hands.
"No." Leia announced. "No, you'll take everything we got and we'll hit them before they could finish their fleet."
"When?" Rey asked.
"Tomorrow, the first thing in the morning. You'll take a task force to take out Mortim and the other leaders." Leia commanded. "We'll send Poe and the other fighter squadrons to buy you time. Is that understood?"
"Yes, your highness." Ackbar acknowledged for the rest of the staff. "You heard the general! Prepare our forces for attack! We will be ready by tomorrow morning."
The staff swiftly went into overdrive, leaving the table and frantically running about the war room. Orders were relayed and given throughout the base. There was a sense of urgency and unease as the X-Wings, A-Wings, and the other ships refueled and retooled, and were prepared for combat. The maintenance crews made sure of it.
Rey left the room with Ben, who trailed her closely.
"Let me get my saber back." He demanded, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You better behave then." She warned, detaching it from her belt and handing it back to him.
"Oh I'll behave." He scoffed.
"I mean it!" Rey assured as they made their way through the hallways.
"Who is in our... 'Task' force?" Kylo questioned.
"You, Finn, Chewy, the droids, and me!" She quickly stated, as if she knew already who was coming.
"Droids?" Ben seemed annoyed.
"BB-8 and Artoo. They always come in handy, trust me." She confirmed.
They arrived at her room, which Rey let her buns out finally, letting her hair flow down naturally. It got annoying after awhile to leave it up. Kylo sat on the edge of her bed again, fingers idly tracing the wiring on his saber.
"Everything alright?" She asked softly as she sat on her desk, folding her legs.
"I've just got... A funny feeling that something bad is going to happen." He mentioned, his eyes seemed elsewhere. Like they were looking at something she couldn't see.
Rey cocked an eyebrow, pulling an old datapad to her.
"I don't sense anything." She shrugged, pulling apart the junk.
"That's what I'm afraid of..." He mumbled. "The Dark Side is shrouding our vision."
"Well I wouldn't worry. I think we can handle ourselves." She tried to boost his spirits, throwing the scrap metal back on the desk beside her.
"I don't want to lose you." He admitted.
"Not this again. Remember Snoke? We're stronger together. We will defeat this Sith, relax." Rey assured again.
"This isn't Snoke." He argued. "Sia and I go back..."
Rey was intrigued. What did he mean that they go back? How long were they friends for? Were they... Uhm... Ever more than friends?
"I met Sia when I was training to become a Jedi with Skywalker." Usually mentioning his past would irritate him, but for some reason it wasn't. "We used to... Have feelings for each other."
Rey folded her arms now, listening to the story. Did she feel a tad hurt that he did in fact see people before her? Yes, but she knew that was ludicrous.
"What I'm trying to say is that she knows me more than anyone, but you. I'm afraid she will be able to get to me." He confided.
"What do you mean?" Rey questioned.
"I'm afraid that she will hurt me to the point that Kylo Ren will be me... Permanently." He answered.
Rey was taken aback. He was actually afraid of becoming Kylo Ren fully. This was Ben at the strongest she's ever seen him. Did he think she can turn him fully to the dark? She did guess that he was a bit... Fragile at the moment.
"I won't let her." Rey promised. "I will be at your side for this conflict."
Ben offered a nod, but underneath it all he still felt uncertain. Only time will tell, he guessed. Whatever happens, it was time to end not just the new threat to the galaxy, but time to end his old desires. He knew it would be hard, but no longer was he willing to give up this life for the First Order. It was time to end Kylo Ren.