Epilogue: Master Ben & Master Rey


Today was Ben's 30th birthday.

It was strange to think about. Ben hadn't considered he would ever reach that mark in his life. Nor would he feel the need to celebrate it ever.

One month had passed since the dreadnought Executioner was brought to heel. One month since the events of Exegol.

He had asked Rey to take off with him in the middle of the night to come here, just one day away from it all from the New Order business and all that it entailed. However, it didn't even occur to him that it was his birthday until they landed planet-side on Naboo.

He knew he would get a lecture from his mother and Dameron for taking off with only a note left behind—and a lecture from Chewie for taking the Falcon as well. It was one day, everyone could afford one day without him and Rey. Once when things were more settled Ben would take Rey everywhere in the galaxy.

"Happy birthday, Ben Organa Solo," Rey said from the doorway. He turned around to spot her in a beautiful silver dress. Simple. So much like her.

Ben adjusted his collar, thinking about how great she looked in that dress. His own attire was nothing to sneeze at, a black formal uniform with a cape to match. Something about how the "Prince of Alderaan must look the part" according to the caretakers of the Naberrie estate. "How did you know?"

"You think quite loudly enough through our bond, Ben," she teased.

His heart fluttered every time she spoke his name. He would never get used to hearing it. Hearing her say it made him proud to have that name, just so he could hear it over and over from her lips.

She walked over, glancing at the sunset lowering closer to the horizon. "It's so beautiful out here," she said with an amused smile.

"So are you—beautiful I mean," Ben stammered out.

She turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Ben." She rose on her tiptoes, her arms around his neck and inched up towards his face, pressing a brief kiss to his lips.

This was real. All of it.

"Rey," Ben said, pulling her closer to him, bending down to alleviate the height difference between them. "I want to try something, sweetheart," he muttered in her ear.

Rey nodded, her tilt of her head playing a little coy at his gesture.

Ben pressed his lips against hers, deeply. He kissed her and kissed her, mouths moving in perfect sync. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed impossibly closer. His fingers moved up her back and into her hair, causing a slight moan to escape her lips. She clutched at his shoulders, fingers tantalizingly brushing over the skin on his neck and jaw.

As they were locked in the deep, passionate kissing, Ben projected his memories through their bond. The way he was so dazed after their first kiss. The way he wanted to kiss her in the elevator of the Supremacy. The way he felt for her upon seeing her so depressed from her exploration of the dark side. The way his blood rushed when they were fighting together in the throne room. When he first laid eyes upon her in Takodana. When he first felt her presence in his soul as a child. When he opened her escape pod and laid eyes upon her new appearance.

When Rey caught the legacy lightsaber in his hand, his heart was taken away and he knew—he just knew that he had fallen for the scavenger from nowhere.

Ben pulled away, out of breath and dizzy from projecting his memories so intensely into her mind.

Rey was speechless and not because of lack of air. Her mind turned over each memory carefully.

"You've… Felt this way ever since…" She was awe-struck. She pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, for sharing that."

He returned the hug. "You're welcome, sweetheart."

The two of them pulled back and smiled at each other. Rey released her grip on his shoulders and took his hand. "Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Yes."


"Where the hell is Solo?!" Poe Dameron exclaimed, BB-8 following after him down the hallways. Week 3 of reorganizing the New Order and Poe was about at his wits end with the fact Ben Solo was intimidating to his subordinates and Leia… Well, she just sat back and watched the entire time and now the former Supreme Leader ran off the Finalizer to galaxy-knows-where. "He keeps avoiding signing off on an expansion of the fleet and now he just up and left?"

Poe had barged into the main common area where Leia and Maz had taken to along with never-ending assistance from Threepio and Artoo. Finn had caught his frustrated friend in passing and decided to follow.

Leia seemed unfazed by Poe's rant. "He'll be fine. Let him have this day. It's been stressful for months on end with him."

Poe rubbed his temple. "I get that Leia, but still. We have so much work to finish…"

Lieutenant Mitaka ran in. "Sorry General Organa, but I just got another diplomat who is insisting on marriage for an alliance."

"The what now?" Finn asked with a raised eyebrow before he started laughing rather boisterously. "You mean to tell me people are asking for marriage alliances with Ben Solo? Why?"

Rose walked in right at the perfect time. "Oh, we all know why. When we had that broadcast over the HoloNet weeks ago and everyone saw Ben Solo, Prince of Alderaan, front and center."

Poe sighed. "We don't have time to worry about that, Solo is still missing and I would like to have signature approval on my fleet… Again."

"Whose idea was it to broadcast the fact that a prince was in charge of the New Order?" Leia reminded her hot-shot admiral of the fleet, taking a sip of her tea. "Just tell them he's already married."

"General," Threepio spoke up. "I'm afraid that other governing bodies will require proof of such a union."

Rose laughed. "Have you seen the way Ben and Rey make eyes at each other for long extended periods of time as if they're having a conversation? I think that's proof enough."

Finn nodded. "I think the entire New Order can agree that they might as well be married."

Poe rolled his eyes. "Yes we know they both are madly in love for some strange reason and everyone will gossip about it forever."

Mitaka took notes on his datapad. "General Organa?"

Leia waved her hand. "Tell the Prince of the New Order that he can simply just claim his marital status when he returns."

"If he returns," Poe muttered. "How do we know he didn't just up and ditch entirely?"

"If he did ditch then Rey will give him hell," Rose said. "I mean she gave him that scar…"

Poe sighed again in agitation. "Fine, but if he's not back by the end of tomorrow…"

Leia nodded. "We'll send out search parties. Mitaka?"

"Noted, General Organa," he left with a nod and left.

Rose sat down to Leia and Maz. "Leia, may I ask you something?"

Leia looked at the other woman. "Yes?"

"What was it like after the Empire fell and the war ended?"

That got Finn and Poe's attention. The two leaned in closer to hear more clearly. Before Leia could actually say anything, the door suddenly opened and in came Chewie and Lando.

"Where is my nephew? It's his birthday and he just up and leaves?" Lando said with mock outrage. Chewie spoke in agreement.

"Ben wanted to spend the day alone with his wife didn't you know?" Finn joked.

"Since when were they married? And I wasn't even invited to the wedding!" Lando laughed, sitting down from Leia.

Leia gave a smug smile. "Ben and Rey aren't actually married, not yet anyway. Ben took her planetside somewhere."

"Ahh, sweep her off her feet," Lando chuckled.

Rose leaned on her hands, a dreamy glint in her eyes. "Rey is so lucky. So tell me, you were saying Leia?"

Leia closed her eyes in recollection before speaking. "When the war ended, Han was very wary of everything. Peace was hard-earned and there was so much to do with the establishment of the New Republic. I wondered if he even considered marriage with me at all." She said the last sentence with a laugh. "But, on this day, 30 years ago, our son was born and Han finally proposed.

"Han was an attentive father in those early years. Chewie remembers. He wouldn't leave without taking care of Ben first," Leia smiled fondly at the memory.

"Aww," Rose sighed.

"What I want from this new government and here on out," Leia said, her tone very serious. "Is one where children are valued no matter what. Ben spent most of his life isolated and feeling unloved. Rey spent most of her life all alone and abandoned. I for one, don't want a galaxy who fails its own children again, and neither does Ben."

The sentiment was echoed in everyone's minds.


Rey held the legacy lightsaber—the one that belonged to Anakin Skywalker for Ben as the pair examined the portrait of Padme Amidala hanging in a room below the main floors of the estate.

"She's so beautiful," Rey commented in awe. The table set out below it held a candle that was lit and blown out every day by the caretakers in memoriam. A singular box sat by the candle, halfway open.

"She is," Ben said, preparing the ceremonial cloth. "Ready?"

Rey placed the lightsaber into the cloth and Ben wrapped it around, placing it into the box. He carried the burden outside and towards the final resting place of the once Queen of Naboo. Once it was buried, the dyad stood in silence, paying their respects with a gentle breeze caressing their skin and hair.

The cycle of killing was over. Truly over.

"Ben?" Rey finally broke the silence. "I want to show you something."

Ben nodded, allowing her to take his hand and drag him away.

Rey pulled him to the wide and open courtyard in front of the estate and told him to wait there as she went back inside for something. When she returned, she had changed out of her silver dress into simple grey robes similar to the ones she wore when she went to him. In one hand was a long semi-staff construct, and the other, Ben's own reconstructed lightsaber. She tossed his weapon to him, naturally catching it in his grip.

"You finished it?" Ben asked.

Rey nodded, smiling as she activated her new saber-staff, twin beams of yellow light extending out of both ends. "I challenge you, Ben Organa-Solo, to a duel. For old time's sake?"

He chuckled, activating his own saber, a crossguard with beams of violet. "Of course, Rey."

The two fell into their natural stances.

And clashed, their bond humming with balance.

At some point in their duel, the two felt the fatigue weigh upon them. When Rey knocked Ben's crossguard out of his hand with a knowing smirk, Ben held up his hands in surrender.

"You got me, sweetheart," he said with a cheeky grin.

Rey rolled her eyes and deactivated her saber. "You let me win," she said, sitting down on a bench to cool off.

Ben sat down next to her, his hand reaching for her waist and tugged her close. He brushed a stray hair out of her face. "I will always let you win, Rey."

"Then how am I going to get better hmm?" She said, trailing her finger across his jaw. "If you're going easy on me?"

"Who said I was going easy on you?" He pressed a kiss to her temple, his other hand stroking her hair.

Rey looked up into his eyes. "You're such a flirt, Ben Solo." She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his. "I want to try something if that's alright?"

Ben closed his eyes. "Yes."

Her hand reached up to his chest, the other reaching for his cheek. Her fingertips traced the scar that trailed there down his eye and down his neck. She breathed in and out, concentrating so hard he couldn't help but hear her thoughts in their bond.

Breathe.

Heal.

Love.

Something warm trailed over his chest, his cheek, his neck, his calf, his shoulder. All the places she wounded him were being touched by a soft caress.

Rey gasped out for air softly, leaning against his chest for support. "It… Worked."

Her hand stroked his cheek. The small ridge forming his scar was gone. "It really worked," she whispered.

"Why…" Ben swallowed, wondering what he did to deserve this incredible woman. "Why did you do it?"

Rey smiled. "Because it's the least I could do for you, Ben. You've been hurt by so many in your life, I cannot heal those internal wounds but this? I wanted to try. I hurt you Ben, many times over. I'm surprised that…"

He pressed his thumb to her lips, not willing to let her finish that sentence. "Rey." He brushed his lips over hers.

I love you, Rey. I always have. I always will, he thought through their bond.

I love you too Ben, she thought back. Forever.

As the sunset on them, there was something about the galaxy that felt just right. The past was turned away but not forgotten. The war was over but work was to be done to repair the now-broken cycle of eternal pain and strife.

The dyad blurred together in hues of red and orange, made of two equals. Two that were one.

The End.


A/N: I am considering a mini-sequel showing the rebuilding of the galaxy and other shenanigans (Ap'Lek Ren and Temiri are the obvious threads). But this? This is the ending for me. Thank you for reading.

maushaushase: Thank you! Hope you liked this epilogue. :3