Ben stood beside his mother, a large pyre created before them. His father's body lay on top of the wood logs. Someone pushed something into his hand. Ben looked up, meeting the sad eyes of Poe and Finn. They waited on him to take the first step. He walked towards his father's funeral pyre, a spill in his hands. He hesitated, his hand slightly shaking. Ben clenched his jaw, fighting back his emotions, as he moved the spill into the sections of the pyre to light it. Poe and Finn followed suit with their own spills.

When his job was done, Ben went back to stand beside his mother, wrapping an arm around the woman's sobbing body. She turned into his side, hiding her face as the flames grew towards the sky. There was no noise about them, not even a breeze upon the wind. Ben stared at his father's body disappearing behind the large flames. He'd screamed and cried in Rey's arms all night, but today there would be no tears to shed. Today, he would be the man his father told him to be. He would hold his mother up in her grief even as he fought his own.

Somewhere in the distance a loud cry broke through the silence. Ben closed his eyes to the pain, to the suffering, as the cries grew stronger. He'd not seen Chewie since they returned, but the Wookie was somewhere close dealing with his own loss. From the moment Ben could remember, Chewie had been by his father's side. Now, he was alone.

Ben wasn't sure how much time passed them, but when he looked around no one remained. He and Leia were all that was left as the last of the flames burned out… their job done. He took his mother by the arm and led her back inside.

They sat in silence for a while. Ben watched his mother's eyes grow distant, lost in some memory he couldn't see. Her lips twitched. The memory must have been a happy one.

"Thirty years of memories is all that I have left," Leia said, her eyes haunted. "We still had so much time left." Ben remained quiet, his words letting him down. He didn't know what to say to her, or how to heal the hurt. "Ben?" she said, as if coming awake from a deep sleep.

"Yes, mother," he responded, softly. He leaned forward, taking her hand.

"It's time for you and Rey to return to Luke," she said.

Anger seared through his heart, his eyes growing dark. The mention of that man's name sent him into a dark place.

"We aren't going back," he said, angered.

She looked taken aback by his anger. "Why not?"

"He's a coward! He refused to leave the island when the Resistance was in trouble. He refused to leave the island when he found out father was dead! That was his best friend! He hides away," Ben spat.

Leia shook her head slowly, a look of disappointment crossing her features. Ben clamped his mouth shut at the sight. She didn't need his anger at the moment.

"Luke is many things, son, a coward is not one of them. He is more wise than us all."

"Then, why does he hide? Why is he not here helping us rebuild? The Resistance is all but destroyed! We need him… his sister needs him."

"Luke knows all of this. If he stays on that island it is for a good reason. Do not be angry with him. I know my brother better than you do, and something very important is keeping him where he is."

"He can stay there… by himself!" Ben said, jumping from his seat and crossing the room. He closed his eyes, his back to his mother, and took several slow breaths to release the tension.

"You have more than yourself to consider, Ben," Leia said, low.

He turned slowly around to meet his mother's stare. If anyone could reach him it was her. He sighed, walking over to sit beside her. As if he were still a small boy, he placed his head upon her shoulder. Leia rested her cheek upon his head.

"I'm happy that my son has finally found someone," Leia whispered.

"We don't have to talk about this, mom," he responded, not wanting to make her upset.

She kissed his head. "My son's happiness makes the pain feel a little less overwhelming. Now, tell me, how is she?"

"She's better, mom. She's grown stronger over the past month. You'd be proud of her," Ben said, smiling for the first time since his arrival three days ago.

Despite her pain, Leia smiled back. "Hold on to her, son. Life is so short. Tell her each day what she means to you," his mother whispered.

He took his mother's hand, feeling her pain grow with each passing breath. "I'm here, mom. You don't have to do this alone."

Leia wrapped her arms around Ben, taking one long, deep breath. "The Resistance is finished, Ben. We can't win this war with fifty people against Palpatine and his army. I've failed my people."

Ben squeezed his mom, a lump forming in his throat. "People will still fight for you, for Leia Organa Solo. We will finish what we started, and when it's all over Palpatine will be the one that's finished. There are others out there that fight on the side of good. Call out to them and they will answer," Ben whispered.

Leia leaned back, patting her son's cheek softly. "You sound like your father now. He was so proud of you," she said, softly.

Ben leaned towards his mom, kissing the woman's forehead. He did this to hide the tears in his eyes, to hide his own pain. It wouldn't be fair to place his pain upon his mother. She had her own pain to deal with.

Rey found Ben sitting quietly with Leia. Both of them looked up as she walked into the room. She looked between them, sadness evident in her eyes. Leia reached her hand out to the girl, who came to her without hesitation. Leia stood, hugging Rey for several seconds.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm so sorry for everything," Rey whispered.

The two women talked quietly as Ben sat and listened. Leia excused herself, leaving Ben and Rey alone. She sat across from him, her eyes staring at something across the room. He reached out for her mind, but the cut of her eyes back to him made him back away.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

She forced a smile, but it looked wrong. "Just tired."

He remained quiet, watching her. Every move she took was calculated. Every blink of her eyes was done slowly and methodically. She was hiding something from him. She'd resorted back to that scared girl she was a month ago. It scared him, though he wouldn't admit it. They hadn't spent much time together the past few days with everything that happened. Ben stuck close to his mother. Perhaps she was hurt by this, that he hadn't leaned on her for support.

"Why does it feel as though there is a giant wall between us?" he asked.

Her eyes snapped to him, alert one minute and soft the next. She recovered her emotions well, but not well enough. He'd seen the chink in her armor, had seen the fear behind her beautiful eyes. Even as she reached out and took his hand the movement felt robotic.

"There's no wall," she whispered. "I've been giving you space to help your mother. She needs you."

"But I need you," Ben said, being as open as he could.

"I'm here," she said, trying to smile.

"Are you? You've been very distant. You've kept me out of your mind."

Rey raised his hands to her lips, kissing his knuckles softly. When she looked up at him her eyes had cleared of its worry a little bit. She almost looked normal if not for the wall in her head.

"Right now, my head is the last place you want to be. It's a jumbled mess. All I'm doing is protecting you, I swear. You do not need to worry about my state of mind while you're healing your own."

Ben wrapped his arms around Rey, pulling her close to him. He breathed in the scent of her hair, the scent of her skin. It calmed him immediately. "I love you," he whispered.

"I…" she began, but stopped. He heard her voice quiver, and felt her body slightly shake. His hold on her tightened, as if he feared if he let go she would disappear. I…" she started again, but was interrupted.

"Ben."

He looked at the door, seeing that his mother was back, but she wasn't alone. Two men walked in with her, standing at attention. Rey slid from his arms, but he kept a tight hold on her hand.

"Ben, I need you to come with me. Both of you," she said, looking at Rey. "There is someone… someone who insists on speaking with Rey."

Ben and Rey stood, following Leia without asking questions, though several floated through his mind. She took them down the long hallway, turning to the right several times, before coming to an even larger hallway. This place was massive, and he already felt as though he was lost. Every turn looked the same, surrounded by large black rocks. They passed several empty rooms, until they came to the last room down this particular hallway.

Leia turned to him, her eyes worried. "He has invoked his privilege as a Resistance prisoner, and I have granted it. He cannot be harmed until he has had a fair trial, is that clear, Ben?"

Ben's forehead furrowed in confusion. A prisoner? No one had said a word to him about a prisoner. Ben nodded his head, his confusion stealing his tongue. Leia watched him for a few moments, and finally turned to one of her soldiers and nodded her head. The moment the door opened and Ben saw who the prisoner was his anger took over. Beside him, he heard Rey's sharp intake of breath. She should have been the one Leia warned.

Before anyone could move, Rey ran inside the room and straight for the prisoner. The man actually smiled at her, but the moment her fist hit his mouth his smile fell. He fell to his side, crying out in pain. This didn't deter Rey any as she jumped on him and pummeled him with hit after hit.

The two men rushed forward, grabbing her off the prisoner and pulling her away to safety. She fought against them, her angered screams cutting even the rocks around them. Ben finally came to himself and hurried towards her. He pushed the men aside, taking her in his arms and shushing her. It took all of his power to hold her back.

"Murderer!" she screamed.

Behind them, the prisoner began to laugh, spitting out large clumps of blood. "Is this your idea of respecting the old laws, General? Allowing this girl to beat me?"

"I'll rip your heart out!" Rey screamed.

Ben pulled her from the room and down the long hallway. Once he was a good distance away, he grabbed her face. She refused to meet his eyes. Instead, hate burned passed his shoulders towards the prison cell. Her eyes began to turn black.

"Rey, look at me," he hissed. Her black eyes moved to him, hate pouring from every pore on her body. "Come back to me." He couldn't get inside her head, but he hoped just seeing him would work. He held her face still, moving closer until their breaths mingled together.

"B—Ben," she said, the blackness in her eyes beginning to disappear.

He smiled at her, encouraging her to fight against the darkness. When her eyes completely cleared he sighed. "There you are," he whispered.

"Hux," she said, just one word.

Yes, the prisoner the Resistance held was none other than Armitage Hux. Instead of going back to the room with Rey, he turned them around and left the hallway. He wouldn't expose Rey to that man, not after everything he'd done to her. Ben would come back to talk to him on his own.

After several miss turns they finally found their way back to the main part of the base. He took Rey to one the room he'd used as a place to sleep when they first arrived. Sitting on the bed, he gently rubbed her back. With little light in the room a darkness was cast over one side of her face.

Rey stared out at nothing in particular. All Ben could do was watch her… watch and worry. She'd grown so quiet since that night in the hut, as if she'd survived with only half of herself still intact.

"I think I'll take a nap," she said, her eyes growing more distant.

She moved behind him, stretching out on the bed. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but his words were lost to him. He reached out and laid a shaking hand upon her arm, but she didn't respond. Fear grew within him.

"Rey…" he said. No answer.

Ben closed his eyes, letting go of a short breath. He stood from the bed and walked from the room. He hated to do what he did next, but a growing fear ate away at him in the pit of his stomach. There was no room left to doubt. Something was wrong with Rey, and she was hiding it from him.

He waited outside the room for his mother, who walked from the darkness towards him. By her side were the two guards. When she saw his face, her concern grew. "Ben," she called softly.

"I need two men to stand guard by this door. They are to report to me if she leaves this room," he said, softly. Shame burned within him.

"I'll give you three men," she said, turning to give her orders. A few moments later, three men joined them. They took their places beside the doorway, their faces looking ahead. Ben took one final look into the room. Rey hadn't moved.

Ben made his way back to Hux, stepping in slowly. The whole way back, Ben had to gain control of his own anger. He wanted to beat the man to within an inch of his life, but he kept it bottled inside as he stood before him. The two men glared at one another for what seemed like forever.

"I want to talk to her," Hux hissed.

"You aren't going to get near her. Never again," Ben shot back.

Hux laughed, the sound making Ben clench his jaw. His hands balled into fists, his fingernails digging into his skin. He took a step towards the man, but his mother's hand upon his arm stopped him from moving any closer.

"You will talk to me and my son, or you will not talk at all," Leia said, her voice like steel. "And let me remind you, sir, that you have the prisoners rights out of the goodwill of my heart. I can revoke it at any time that I so choose."

The smile slowly fell from Hux's face. Ben found satisfaction in seeing fear pass in his icy, blue eyes. Hux looked away, his mind working. His choice was clear. Either he talked to them, or he would never talk again.

"Choose wisely," Ben added.

Hux raised his eyes to meet Ben. "I know where Palpatine is."

"Where?" Leia asked.

"Exegol."

"Why should we trust you? Why would you help us?"

Hux laughed again. "I do not care about you or your cause. I was betrayed! I want him dead as much as you do," he spat.

Leia whispered something to her men, who left the room in a hurry. She turned back to Hux, staring at him, as if she could read through his reasons for helping them. "You were his general and he betrayed you? Why?"

"Because he's evil… I don't know why!" he said, angrily.

"Or maybe it's a trap," Ben said.

"Believe me or don't believe me, but Palpatine is on Exegol with the entire First Order at his back."

"This is the truth?" Leia asked.

"I swear on my life," Hux answered, low.

Leia grabbed Ben's hand and ushered him out of the room to talk privately in the hallway. Ben felt his heart go out to his mother. She had no time to grieve for her husband, had no time to purge her pain. As General, her duties didn't wait for anything.

"Do you think he is lying?" she asked.

"When you captured him, did it look staged?"

Leia thought for a moment. "No. The man was a crying fool when we found him. He's spoken of nothing but betrayal since."

"Call them, mother," Ben said, his mind made up. "Send a signal to every point of the galaxy. People will fight with us if you only ask it of them. There is still hope and good in this world."

"Boy!" Hux screamed from the cell.

Ben ignored him, continuing to encourage his mother to call for help. There may not be many still out there, but he knew without a doubt they would answer the call. They would rise against this evil.

"Okay," Leia said, strength growing in her eyes. "We will fight till the end!"

She hugged him and hurried off towards the new control center. Ben was about to join her when Hux screamed again. "Boy!" He rattled his chains in a desperate attempt to get Ben's attention. He walked back into the room, keeping a wide space between him and Hux. Without his mother's cool head he worried he'd lose control of his anger.

"Palpatine isn't waiting for what's left of the Resistance. He could have destroyed them when he had the chance. It was a ruse… a diversion from his true plan, and you fell right into his trap you stupid boy!"

"What are you talking about," Ben said, the hair on the back of his neck standing on in.

"He's waiting… for her."

The moment Hux uttered those words Ben felt the world around him tilt. He turned on his heels, running for the room as fast as he could. He slipped, but righted himself before he could fall. Behind him, the sound of Hux's angered screams followed him.

Ben turned the corner, the room coming into view and he cried out in terror. The three men he told to stand guard at her door were now unconscious on the floor. He flew into the room, but it was empty.

"No, no, no, no... " He whispered, turning in every direction.

She was gone.