Summary:

The Resistance is in shambles.

Kylo Ren is now the Supreme Leader of the First Order and is working to spread its dominion across the entire galaxy by any means necessary.

Seventeen year old Anya Solo hasn't seen her brother in a decade. When she hears about the dire state of things, the young princess takes it upon herself to find the Supreme Leader and confront him, intent only on bringing her brother home.

While all of her friends worry about rebuilding the Resistance from the ashes of Crait, Rey has only been able to think of one thing, or rather, one person: Ben Solo. She yearns for him more than anything in her whole life and when Anya arrives, Rey sees an ally who also believes that he can be saved.

Together, Anya and Rey devise a plan to get him back once and for all. But even if they succeed, things are always more complicated than they seem. Inevitably, they find themselves fighting against a number of unforeseeable enemies whose very existence threatens them all and the future of the galaxy…

A/N:

Hello all!

This is a reimagining of episode IX, of how I think it should have gone. There will be no Palpatine, plenty of the KOR, and most importantly, Ben Solo lives! ❤️

I've been working on this for a while now, long before TROS came out and in the painful aftermath of the film I think it's time to share with my fellow Reylo's and Ben Solo lovers.

I'm so excited to share this story with everyone and hope that people enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed creating it! I would appreciate any comments! Please give me feedback and let me know how you like it!

Much love,

ArtemisRose727

P.S. Credit to some of the writing in the chapter goes to Robin Goodly, who is no longer writing this with me but still deserves credit none the less.

Prologue

18 ABY, Chandrila

Ben Solo knew that this night was going to change his life forever. Even at the young age of thirteen he knew how much a new baby could alter everything. After all, his whole family had been preparing for months and Ben was no exception. Once his mother had begun to show it had finally resonated with him completely that he was going to be a big brother. And now, after months of waiting and of being equally excited and terrified at the prospect, Ben was going to find out if he had a new baby brother or baby sister.

He really didn't have a preference as to which, just so long as both the baby and his mother were okay in the end.

It was torture, having to sit in his room and pretend to be asleep while he knew very well what was happening down the hall. Despite what his parents thought, he had heard the hushed whispers between his father and the midwife who had arrived several hours prior. Ben turned to glance at his clock.

3:12 in the morning. He sighed and went back to watching the shadows dance on the walls, created by the light streaming in from under his door and the various objects in his room. Ben wanted to be with his mother so badly, but he was afraid of getting in the way. He always felt like he was in the way…out of place. Even with his parents.

Several more minutes passed and then suddenly there was a guttural scream of agony. Ben sat up in his bed with wide eyes. Unable to sit there any longer, he gave in and quietly slipped from his room. Careful not to make a sound, Ben crept down the dimly lighted hall towards his parent's room. The door was slightly ajar and bright light was shining through it, beckoning him. Afraid to be seen, Ben stayed in the shadows when he peered inside.

His mother was lying in a bed with her legs spread and feet planted flat on the mattress. She was sitting up with one hand on her swollen belly and the other tightly gripping his father's hand. Her face was scrunched up in pain and she was taking short, heaving breaths as if the pain was so bad she couldn't draw air into her lungs. His father was whispering something to her that Ben couldn't make out, but she nodded furiously before letting out another scream. The midwife appeared in his view then, going around to sit between his mother's leg. She appeared to check something and then looked up to his parents.

"Nine centimeters dilated. You're doing wonderfully, Leia. Only one more and then you can start pushing."

"Han." His mother gasped out. "Check-" She broke off and seemed to bear down, her whole body clenching. When it passed she continued, "check on Ben. I don't want to wake him."

"He's fine, Leia." His father assured her, taking his free hand and smoothing back the hair from her forehead. "I'm not leaving you."

Ben let out a breath of relief. He wasn't looking forward to having to run back down the hall to his room if his father had agreed to go check on him.

A furry hand came down on his shoulder. Ben barely stopped himself from yelping. He spun around to come face to face with Chewbacca.

"Chewy," he breathed, relieved. "You startled me."

The Wookie gave an apologetic grunt.

"It's alright." Ben assured him, patting his hairy arm. Chewy let out another series of quiet grunts and growls.

"Yes, I should be in bed," Ben answered. "But I couldn't sleep knowing what was going on. Please don't tell on me."

Chewbacca heaved a great sigh of defeat and shrugged his big shoulders. Ben smiled and threw his arms around the Wookie. "Thanks, Chewy. You're the best." A grunt somewhere along the lines of yes, I am. Why do you seem so surprised? was the only reply he received as the Wookie patted his back affectionately. Ben had to hold back a smirk. Chewbacca was many things, but humble was not one of them.

From inside, his mother cried out again.

"Alright, Leia, you can do this. Push!" The midwife instructed firmly.

His mother clenched and let out another scream. Ben couldn't see anything more than that, but he heard the midwife continue to urge her on with encouraging words as she sat at the foot of the bed. "That's it, Leia. Push! Push harder! I see the head."

"You're doing great, sweetheart," he heard his father say. "Almost there."

The screams were almost constant now and Ben couldn't help but be thankful he had been born male. Childbirth sounded agonizing and he silently thought that he must remember to apologize to his mother for putting her through it when she had borne him.

Next to him, Chewy moaned anxiously. Ben reached out and took his hand and gently squeezed. "They'll be okay," he tried to reassure the troubled Wookie. "They have to be."

"Alright Leia, the baby is almost out. I need you to give me one more hard push." The midwife was saying.

There was one final scream of immense effort and then it was over. Ben watched his mother slump down with an exhausted huff and the midwife removed something from the base of the bed. He strained to see, knowing full well it was the baby, but couldn't. The glimpse he caught only showed that it was covered in blood and some thick white globs.

Ew, he thought. Babies were gross.

All thoughts of disgust at the baby's outward appearance evaporated a moment later when Ben watched the midwife frown and turn away from his parents, taking the baby with her. Something was wrong. He could feel it. His chest was tight and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

Why wasn't the baby crying? Ben knew enough to know that babies were supposed to cry right after they were born and took their first breath.

Unless…a horrible thought occurred to Ben and fear seized him. The baby wasn't breathing.

"What is it?" He heard his mother ask, concerned. "Belinda, what's wrong?"

"It's just..." Belinda sounded. "The cord…"

No, Ben thought to himself. They couldn't lose this baby. Panicked, he reached out on instinct, completely unsure of what he was doing, merely wishing he could do something to make the baby breathe. He knew at that moment that he would have given anything for his new sibling to be okay.

"What the hell is going on?" Han demanded. "Is something wrong with our baby?"

Breathe. Ben gasped as something he couldn't identify seemed to break like a wave against a beach. Suddenly he was able to take a full breath again and his chest no longer felt like a Rathtar was sitting on it.

A shrill baby's cry broke the hushed silence that had descended on the room. Ben sucked in another breath and his eyes widened.

There she or he was. They were alive.

It was quite possibly one of the most wonderful sounds he had ever heard.

"Congratulations," the midwife said, coming back into his view and handing the small bundle to his mother. "You have a beautiful baby girl."

Ben caught his breath. A girl. He had a sister. His mother and father's smiles could have lit up the darkest reaches of the galaxy as they gazed down at their daughter. Ben felt his own lips curve up into a smile.

Then his mother frowned and looked directly at him and he stiffened. She must have sensed he was there. "You can come in now." She said.

"What?" His father looked up, clearly confused.

His mom rolled her eyes. "Ben, come in, honey."

Ben tentatively pushed the door open and shuffled into the room with his head hung guiltily and his hands clasped in front of him. "Sorry." He mumbled.

His mother smiled at him. "Don't be sorry, sweetheart. Come here," she reached out a hand and waved him forward. "We want you to meet someone."

Slowly, Ben made his way over to his parents. When he reached them, his father placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him to the side of the bed where his mother was shifting the little bundle so he could see.

And then, Ben Solo gazed upon his sister for the first time.

"This is your new baby sister. Anya." His mother told him. Ben couldn't stop staring at her face. She was so tiny. It was hard to believe anyone could be that tiny. She had the roundest little cheeks with the cutest mouth and button nose. And even though she was just born, her head was covered with thick black hair. Like his own.

Sister. The word kept repeating over and over in his mind.

"Can I- " he started. "Can I hold her?"

His parents exchanged a glance and then looked back at him with smiles on both of their faces. With a nod, his mother moved to transfer Anya into his arms.

"Watch her head." She instructed.

Ben nodded and was careful to brace her head in the crook of his elbow. She was light and surprisingly easy to hold, he noted with a bit of surprise.

"Hi Anya," he whispered as he gazed down at her face and into her eyes, which were also dark like his. Her little lips were pink and shaped like a bow, parting as she let out a small coo. "I'm Ben. Your big brother."

"Now, don't be too disappointed if she doesn't respond." His father joked with a broad smile. His mother laughed, but Ben was completely mesmerized by the little bundle in his arms. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, cradling her close to his body. She was so warm and soft. Ben smiled when he felt her little hand brush his face as she squirmed a bit.

"How precious." He heard his mother say. "And we were worried he might not take well to the new baby initially."

His father grunted in acknowledgement. It was then that Chewy decided to make his entrance, coming to stand beside Han who smiled at his best friend, clapping him on the back.

"Chewy," Leia greeted the Wookie, taking his furry hand in her own and squeezing. Chewbacca grunted softly in response, being careful not to wake Anya.

"Alright, it's time for Anya to nurse." Started Leia. "And it's time for you to go back to bed." She added, looking pointedly at Ben and reaching to take his sister from him.

Ben frowned and held on to her. He didn't want to let her go. "Do I have to go back to bed? It's practically morning anyway."

"Ben." His father said sternly. "Listen to your mother."

"Fine." Ben muttered and gently deposited his sister back into his mother's arms. He bent to give her one more kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you in a few hours, Anya."

Then he leaned over to give his mother a kiss. "Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, love." She replied.

With that, Ben made his way to the door, turning only once to look back at Anya before he left, closing the door behind him. Back in his own room, Ben lay in his bed feeling a strange sense of peace coming over him. It had started the moment he held Anya in his arms for the first time. He had been so nervous about having a sibling but the moment he saw her, Ben knew all his worries had been foolish.

Anya was absolutely precious and he loved her so much already. Such a feeling of protectiveness flooded him then and Ben knew that he would do anything to keep her safe and ensure she never felt lonely or out of place like he had for much of his life.

I swear to you, Anya, he thought. So long as I live you will know nothing but love and affection and I will never let anything happen to you. Ben knew she couldn't hear him and that even if she could she wouldn't understand, but his heart was telling him to make the vow anyway.

"I promise." He whispered into the darkness, before sleep claimed him.

34 ABY, Planet Kymar, Temple of Pax

The Temple of Pax was so old it had no proper landing pads for air ships. The transport touched down in an empty field at the base of the mountain and powered down. The back hatch descended, and a man strode out of the belly of the ship and onto the harsh, rocky ground, flanked by four Stormtroopers. The group was instantly buffeted by a bitter wind, which swept across the barren landscape with a mournful, keening note.

General Armitage Hux wore his customary sour expression, as if something foul smelling lingered beneath his nose. He craned his head back, taking in the sight of the jagged mountain before him, the peaked towers of the Temple of Pax at the top. The shrine was made of dark stone, the same as the mountain from which it had seemingly been carved. Set against the backdrop of pale sky, it was a grim sight.

Hux's mouth thinned. He was not in a good mood. It was about to be made worse by the lone figure that had emerged from the mouth of the temple and was now making its way towards him.

Tall, broad, and dressed in black robes with the hood thrown back, the man walked with a swagger that instantly irked Hux. He had a haughty, handsome face, richly tanned and marred somewhat by his crooked nose. His dark eyes were upturned and nearly black, as was his hair, which had been cut brutally short. At the man's side was a loop of black cord with two metal balls attached to one end.

The man halted before the party. His gaze passed over the general, his guards, ship, and then back to Hux. His face split in a cat-like grin.

Hux clenched his jaw.

"Welcome, general," said the young man. "Did you have a safe flight?"

"Where is he?" Hux replied curtly, interrupting the robed man's mocking inquiries.

The other man's grin only widened. "Our Supreme Leader is expecting you." And with a swirl of robes, he turned and began walking back towards the temple.

Hux motioned for two of the Stormtroopers to stay with the ship before following. As they rounded an outcropping of rocks a set of worn stone steps was revealed, climbing steadily up the edge of the mountain.

Hux caught up to the robed man. "The Knights of Ren have not been idle, I trust, in bringing our glorious new empire to greater heights."

The young man glanced sideways at Hux, smirking faintly. "Oh, we've been having fun. The Rebels have lots of little hideaways for us to…sniff out."

"I am surprised that they have any left," Hux said.

"Indeed. I honestly expected that you would have found them all by now, but I guess even generals make mistakes."

"Watch your tone, Tyran. I still outrank you."

Tyran gave no indication that the threat had touched any cord within him. "This is our temple, general. Inside is our leader. Your rank means nothing to any of the Knights of Ren." He shot a look at the Stormtroopers clattering up the steps behind them. "And neither do your plastic guards."

All talk was rendered impossible at that point as the wall of rock, which had previously been shielding them, came to an end and the ferocious Kymaran wind slammed into them; it would have taken Hux's breath away, had he not already been winded.

Presently, the steps came to an end and the main doors of the Temple of Pax spread huge before them. They were enormous things, made of a kind of wood so thick and ancient that it had become as hard as stone. Carvings decorated the surface, images of the gods and the servants who used to dwell in the Temple of Pax long before it was repurposed by the Knights of Ren; the images were too worn to properly make out now.

The gates stood ajar, and the four men entered the main courtyard. The flagstones beneath their feet were cracked with age and broken by shriveled weeds. A creeping plant had grown thickly upon the walls, the color of its leaves a vivid green which shone faintly.

Tyran led the way through another, slightly smaller wooden door into an entry hall, then through a third door.

Originally, it had probably been the main worship space, but now its religious icons were pushed against the walls and scarlet banners hung from the balcony and the narrow slotted windows at the back of the architrave. In the architrave, an ordinary wooden chair made into a seat of power by the man currently occupying it.

A man wearing black pants and tunic, with a mask made up of cruel silver lines. Flanking him were two men, also robed and masked: one wearing a hood and ghoulish mask, his hand gripping a tall metal staff, the other a broad individual, stocky but clearly powerfully built, who leaned upon a thick-bladed sword.

General Hux halted before Kylo Ren and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Supreme Leader," Hux said stiffly.

Kylo Ren did not lift his head. His attention was focused upon his lap, where his gloved hands were folded.

"Sir, the other generals have arrived and are awaiting you upon our flagship. They wish to know your orders concerning what remains of the Resistance."

A soft click preceded Kylo's first words as the voice box in his mask engaged. "Our flagship?"

Hux didn't even bat an eye. "Our, meaning the First Order, sir."

"My orders as they stand are to hunt down and kill every last member of the Resistance. They have not changed from when I first issued them."

"I understand that, Supreme Leader, but the generals are anxious to meet with you. The change in leadership has…shaken them. They seek reassurance that you will be everything and more than Snoke."

At last, Kylo brought his head up. "I am more," he said simply. "And you may tell the generals that I will gladly demonstrate just how much more I am, should they forget it and dare question my power and authority again."

Behind Hux, Tyran grinned.

Hux paled. "Yes, Supreme Leader," he said.

"Leave me," Kylo said curtly. "I have other matters to attend to."

Once Hux had left, Kylo returned his attention to his lap. He held in his hands his lightsaber. It had not worked properly since that last fight in Snoke's throne room nearly three weeks ago. Had it really been so long? It felt mere moments since he had stood in that room, fire and smoke surrounding them, the smell of sweat, of blood, pungent in the air, and them – only the two of them – the last to remain standing. Two pawns in a game. Well, now they were a king and queen on opposite sides of the board; it was all a matter of who could out-maneuver the other.

And Kylo didn't plan on losing the game.