Chapter 21-

Several moments passed. Ben stared contemplatively into the Jedi pool, eyes fixed on the figure inside. Rey watched him sensing his need to think. Suddenly, he turned to her and said, "I need to see my mother."

Rey was somewhat surprised this was the first thing he had to say, but she took it as an unexpectedly positive sign. She moved in close and placed her hand on his lower back. "Of course," she replied.

"Rey, I've wasted too much time," he started, a hint of desperation in his deep voice, "and I don't want to waste anymore. I need to make things right...or at least try to." He paused and sighed heavily. "Although, she might not want to see me. Not after…" he drifted off, unable to finish the rest.

"You know that's not true," Rey insisted. "And I certainly know that's not true. Ben, Leia loves you. You're her son, no matter what." She felt an undeniable urge to hold him, so she slid her arms around his waist and snuggled in close to his chest. "Trust me. She'll want to see you."

He wrapped his arms around her and laid his cheek on the top of her head. She fit perfectly, and, he had to admit, he was finding the feel of her a wonderful thing...something he could definitely get used to. "Well, she might, but I doubt the rest of the Resistance will be too happy to see me."

She pulled back and looked at him, sensing his uncertainty about these next steps in his new life. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. That's a promise."

A wide smile spread across his face and he cupped her cheek in his large palm, his thumb caressing back forth over her soft skin.

"I mean it," she continued. "I just found you, Ben Solo. I'm not going to lose you."

He marveled at the fierce sincerity of the woman in his arms. No one had ever fought for him like this...believed in him… Ben Solo. He couldn't resist. He kissed her again. Each time was getting better and better, making him want more, and he used the arm still around her waist to pull her right up against him without breaking the kiss. A tiny little moan escaped her and triggered a husky growl of his own in response. He moved his tender assault to her neck, starting at the soft spot behind her ear and then blazed a trail down and back to her lips.

In another few moments, they stopped reluctantly but kept their foreheads pressed together. "We probably shouldn't… here in a temple," she stated breathlessly. He chuckled and pulled away. Rey smiled shyly, running a hand back to straighten her hair. "We should get back to the huts. I'll signal Rose with the tracking beacon to come pick us up. If she leaves right away, she should be here by tonight."

Ben nodded his consent to her plan and they set off back to the Jedi huts. He tried not to focus too much on his growing doubt regarding a reunion with his mother. No, he knew, despite any misgivings the Dark Side might try to throw at him, he needed to see her no matter what.

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As soon as they returned to the huts, Rey activated the beacon. "There. I just hope she can slip away without any trouble. We should probably be ready to go as soon as she gets here." She noticed the slightly nervous expression on his face and could sense it through their bond. "You're sure about this, right? I know you're worried-"

"I'm fine," he interrupted curtly and then instantly apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

She smiled knowingly, "It's okay. We have a bond, remember? I can sense how you're feeling. You can't hide it from me and you don't need to." She stepped close realizing she loved just being close to him.

He exhaled as if releasing some of his pent up tension. Needing the contact, he took her hand. "I know," he said with a tiny smile. "And I am sure it's what I want to do...what I have to do. It's just been a really long time since I last saw my mother."

Rey reached up to gently touch his face, then stood on her tip-toes to place a sweet kiss on his lips.

"We'll face it together. You're not alone anymore."

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It was only early afternoon and they needed to pass the time as they waited for Rose to arrive. Once they had their very sparse belongings packed up in the bags the Caretakers had given them, they decided to take another walk. They headed inland first, stopping to rest on some rocks amidst a field of small white flowers. Several Porgs were flitting about nearby, curious about the two intruders, and Rey could sense his unease around the cute little creatures.

"They won't hurt you, you know," she teased.

He curled his lip and eyed the closest one warily. "I don't care much for birds. They're too unpredictable."

Just then another one of the creatures landed suddenly on a rock right next to Ben. He nearly slid off of the rock in alarm and Rey couldn't help but laugh out loud. He glanced at her sheepishly and righted himself. "See what I mean?" He cautiously looked at the Porg, a young one Rey could tell, which was studying him intently from its rocky perch with its over-sized round eyes. Ben jumped again when it let out an unexpected squawk and flew off over his head.

"I think they sense fear," she added with a glint of mischief.

"Funny," he replied, searching to see if any others were too close for comfort.

Rey looked down at the ground in front of her and grinned in satisfaction. She liked him...Ben Solo. She knew she would, but the reality of it, the reality of being with him without his Kylo Ren 'shell' was somewhat overwhelming in the strength of the emotions he had stirred within her in such a short time.

Moments passed in silence as they both basked in the warm sunshine. She leaned back on her arms, face to the sky, eyes closed, a little smile playing up her lips. Ben couldn't stop looking at her. Was it possible for someone to become more beautiful with every passing moment? He wanted to know everything about her.

"Tell me about your childhood," he said, suddenly breaking the silence.

She opened one eye and looked at him. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Everything," he answered.

"All right," she agreed, straightening up. "I'll tell you about mine, and then you tell me about yours. Deal?"

He offered her a lop-sided grin. "Deal."

And so they passed the time telling stories of their childhoods. Rey began with her earliest memories and continued on until she reached the time of their first meeting in the forest of Takodana. Ben listened intently, never interrupting, awed at her strength of spirit, but saddened by her loneliness. It was something he'd felt too despite having his parents around even though they were often busy. She'd had no one. He didn't want her to ever have to experience that again.

When she finally finished, he began. He was a bit reluctant at first, having never shared this part of himself with anyone before. However, once he started talking, the words burst forth in a flood, and he found himself telling her things he'd long thought forgotten- good and bad. At one point, she reached over and placed her hand on his knee for support.

"That's when I woke up to see Luke standing over me with his lightsaber," he finished quietly. "You know how it ends."

She scooted over to join him on his rocky seat and laid her head on his shoulder. "Neither one of us have had an ideal time of it, have we?" she said.

"I could have made some different choices," he admitted. "I know that now."

She lifted up her head to look at him. "Let the past die. Remember that?"

He scoffed and hung his head. "Tried to forget."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "I think we should remember our past, learn from it, but not be hindered by it. We get to decide what our future will be," she finished hopefully. "Kind of exciting, really." She smiled widely and her dimple appeared.

He breathed in deeply and felt his heart swell with hope.

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Hours passed. It was getting later, the twin suns sinking lower in the sky signalling night was not far away. Rey and Ben left the field and made their way to the beach, intending to visit the Caretakers one last time to thank them for their generosity. Hopefully, Rose would arrive soon and they could be on their way to the Resistance headquarters. When they reached the shore, the suns were just beginning to set, a blaze of colors painting the sky in vibrant purples, pinks and golds. They stopped their leisurely stroll to take it all in, Ben standing behind with his arms wrapped around her.

For this one moment, the first in longer than he could recall, Ben Solo felt completely happy and at peace.

Rey abruptly turned in his arms searching the sky behind them. "Do you hear that? It sounds like a ship. Maybe it's Rose!" A shape passed overhead in the dying light and she realized the outline was not that of the Falcon. "That doesn't look like Rose," she said disappointedly.

"It's not," Ben replied, a hint of anger in his voice. "But I know who it is." Suddenly, he took off running down the beach in the direction of the Lanai village.

"Ben!" Rey called after him, trying to keep up with his long strides. They scurried over the rocky stretch of shoreline between them and the village, calling upon the Force to help keep them from slipping. As they neared their destination, chaotic shouting could be heard. Ben stopped and ducked behind a large boulder, pulling Rey down next to him.

"What is it? Why are we hiding?" she asked, catching her breath. She sensed his dismay and growing anger.

"That was the Night Buzzard we saw. It belongs to the Knights of Ren," he said with a snarl.

She stared at him hard. "Your Knights of Ren? How did they find us? What do they want?"

"I don't know how they found us, but I know what they want."

"What?"

"Me."

More shouts and screams came from the village striking fear into Rey for the well-being of their kind hosts. "You don't think they'd hurt the villagers, do you?"

He didn't reply to her question. He didn't need to. They both knew the answer.

"I need to get closer," he announced, more to himself than to her. He started to take off, but she grabbed his arm to halt him.

"We'll do this together. How many are there?"

"Six."

"Ok. You go that way and I'll go around to the other end. Here, take this," she said, handing him her blaster before taking off up the embankment toward the other end of the village.

He watched until she was out of sight and then started moving closer for a better look. His jaw and fists clenched. No one knew better than he did what these men were capable of. Some of their past murderous exploits sprang to mind. There had been many times when he had tried to tamp down their viciousness, but they cared not a bit for the value of a life. Killing others, causing pain, was a sport for them. They needed no reason to do it. They had no honor...except their twisted code. Now he had broken that code and they were here to mete out judgment upon him. Anyone caught in the middle was destined for destruction.

He glanced down at the blaster, wishing he had his saber. Oh well, he thought. He'd just have to do this Solo-style.

Rey finally made it to the other end, unseen. She found a good vantage point and surveyed the scene in the village below. Most of the Lanai were huddled together in the middle near the communal fire pit, which was lit and provided just enough illumination of the situation. Through the Force she could feel their fear and it only served to intensify her determination to help them. She needed to focus. First, find the knights. Easily enough, she counted three of them towering above the diminutive Caretakers, surrounding the group and keeping them herded together by brandishing their lethal looking weapons. Another one exited a hut pulling the Matron behind him and then forcefully threw her down on the ground in front of the others. Rey snarled and had to hold herself back.

"I'm not going to ask again," the masked villain demanded loudly. "Where is Kylo Ren, that traitorous scum? We traced his escape pod to this worthless hunk of rock, and there's not much else here. So, tell me what I want to know and nobody gets hurt...well, almost nobody." He gave a curt nod to one of the other masked knights, who grabbed one of the nearest Caretakers and pulled her out of the huddle. In his other hand he carried a huge club with a blunted end. In the blink of an eye, he swung the club around and made contact with the much smaller villager sending her flying back to land with a sickening thud. The other Lanai screamed in terror and Rey bit back a scream of her own.

The Caretakers were peaceful people. They didn't deserve this. She had to help them. Taking a deep breath, she unhooked her lightsaber from her belt and prepared to attack. However, she was stopped by the sound of a familiar voice coming from down below.

"Hello, gentlemen. Looking for me?"

It was Ben. He was sauntering casually out of the darkness, looking cool and relaxed, the blaster hanging down at his side.

The leader stepped forward to face him and the others were instantly alert. "Kylo Ren," he spat contemptuously, "the coward himself. Old Huxie-boy showed us what you did to Snoke. Saw the proof with our own eyes. That broke the 'code', and you know what happens when you break the code."

Ben remained calm, taking his time to respond, spinning the blaster in his hand. "Hux, huh?" he finally said. "He's the coward. You know that, right? I mean, any nerfherder with half a brain knows that he can't be trusted. You do have half a brain, don't you, Ap'lek?"

The masked man growled and readied his huge battle ax in an attack position.

Ben smirked. "Sure you want to do this? You know what I'm capable of. You all know," he raised his voice for the others to hear.

Ap'lek chuckled derisively. "Well, all I see is one of you and a bunch of useless natives. And you don't even have your precious lightsaber, do you? Yeah, Hux has it. It's his prized trophy, so you can save us all the time and effort and just give up now."

"That's not going to happen," Ben said firmly.

Ap'lek laughed again and spun his ax from one hand to the other. "I'm glad to hear you say that. Me and the boys need a little workout." He gave a signal and started to approach along with another knight armed with multiple weapons. A third one started toward Ben, the one with the wicked looking club. Ben was going to need her help.

The next minutes passed in a blur. The three surrounding Ben quickly advanced, Ap'lek first to attack. Ben deftly dodged the blow from the ax, but before he could get off a blaster shot, the knight with the club made contact with Ben's side. He stumbled, but quickly righted himself just in time to duck another swing from the ax.

Rey jumped out from behind her hiding place and started on her way to offer assistance. Unfortunately, the one knight left guarding the Lanai spied her and leapt into intercept. He had a very large vibrocleaver, bigger than any blade Rey had ever seen before, and he ran straight at her swinging it violently. She met the wide blade with a slash of her saber and pushed back. It only slowed him down a little, allowing her to take another jab at him. Her blade did make contact, but only singed his armor instead of slicing all the way through.

They continued their mutual attack, each getting in a glancing blow here and there until, from out of nowhere, a blaster bolt whizzed by, narrowly missing her head. In shock, she jerked to look behind her to see a fifth knight poking out from her earlier hiding place. He was readying to let off another shot with his blaster rifle when the Force compelled her to spin back to her current opponent. His lethal blade was already in mid-swing coming right at her, when she ducked back just in time and swung up with her saber as strongly as she could. She felt the slight resistance as her blade sliced through something- his cleaver, she assumed. However, his piercing scream of pain drew her attention to the blade now lying on the sand, his severed hand still gripping the hilt.

"You cut my hand off, you little-"

Another shot streaked by, diverting her attention once again. This time she was a fraction of a second too late in remembering the man closest to her. She shouldn't have turned her back on him, she realized, as she felt the knife blade slice her arm. The pain was searing. She roared in anger, spun around and thrust her blade at him with as much force as she could possibly muster. It sank all the way through his chest and out his back. Even though she couldn't see his face because of the mask, she could feel his shock and surprise. For good measure, she twisted the saber in before pulling it back out and pushing his body to the ground.

Now for the shooter.

Ben had gotten off a few shots with the blaster, but none had been a fatal shot. The knights were vicious, well-trained fighters and he was taking on three at once without his saber. He knew their styles, but they also knew his, which made this uneven match-up surprisingly even. He was dodging Ushar's club and Ap'lek's ax blade, while also side-stepping to avoid Cardo's arm cannon, which had gotten off a couple of close shots. At one point, he used the Force to freeze one of the bolts in mid-air and sent it flying off in another direction, away from the terrified villagers crying and screaming in the middle of the village.

Ushar's club landed another blow, knocking Ben to the ground. Instantly, Cardo came near, his flamethrower already lit and spraying fire in Ben's direction. Knowing he couldn't get out of the way in time, he put up his hands, palms out, and used the Force to push the flames back onto the knight. The man's long coat caught fire and immediately he was engulfed in flames. With his deafening screams filling the air, the two remaining knights paused to witness the fiery death of their comrade, giving Ben just enough time to jump back up and fire off a blaster shot.

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Rey could feel the Force and adrenaline surging through her veins. She met the shooter head on, swinging her saber to deflect his incoming shots. Soon enough, she was face to face, his long-distance sniper rifle no longer of any use. He tossed it to the side and pulled out a long staff that was strapped to his back. They circled and swung, parrying, ducking, deflecting jab after jab. Rey heard a blood-curdling scream, and instantly worried about Ben. She turned to see a man in flames, her stomach clenching in fear of the worst.

"Ben!" she yelled desperately.

Her moment of distraction allowed her attacker to land a blow from his staff to the back of her legs. She crumpled to the ground and her saber went flying off to land out of her reach. In the next instant, he was standing over her, staff raised and ready to deal a deathly blow. She put up her hands and called upon the Force. The staff froze in midair despite the knight's efforts to move it forward. Rey gritted her teeth in concentration and pushed harder. The staff started moving backward behind his head, his arms straining to resist, but he was losing the battle. She held it there and slowly stood up keeping one hand focused on him while the other was outstretched ready to catch the saber she summoned back to her grasp. As soon as it hit her palm, she ignited it and plunged it into his head. She accidentally let the Force hold go too soon, and the staff came swinging back down on her head, knocking her out cold just as the knight's lifeless body collapsed in a heap.

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"Rey!"

Ben had felt her suddenly go silent in the Force. Something was wrong. He felt the fear and anger rise within him and tried to focus it on defeating his two opponents so he could get to Rey. Ap'lek and Ushar were circling him, both tiring just a little, he could tell.

"Is that your little scavenger girlfriend?" Ap'lek taunted. "The one you betrayed Snoke and us for? Is she worth it?"

Ushar chimed in. "She must be one fine piece of -" He never got to finish his sentence. His club immediately clanked to the ground and he clutched his throat gasping for air. Ben held out his hand, pinching his finger and thumb together mimicking what was happening to Ushar's windpipe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ap'lek raising his ax to attack. Without even turning his head, Ben swung his other hand around, the one holding the blaster, and fired off a series of shots. Ap'lek's yelp told him his shot hit its mark and he returned his focus to the choking man in front of him. Using the Force once again, he lifted Ushar off the ground, legs and arms flailing helplessly, and then flung him as hard as he could into the nearest boulder. A loud thud and crunching of bones sounded and another knight was gone.

He spun around to find Ap'lek grasping his arm. The wounded man staggered to his feet, and moved toward the group of petrified villagers. Before Ben could stop him, he grabbed the nearest villager who was unlucky enough to be standing on the edge of their group. The little youngling screamed and tried to evade his grasp, but he managed to hold tight. Ben's heart sank when he recognized his little friend as Ap'lek's hostage, knowing the man had no qualms about killing innocents. He started dragging her backward in retreat. Ben started after them, but Ap'lek's words stopped him.

"Don't come any closer, not unless you want me to snap this little one's neck. And you know I'll do it."

The little girl was crying for her mother, a look of utter terror in her eyes. Ben's nostrils flared and he felt the Dark Side trying to creep back in. He forced it out and tried to concentrate on saving the little one.

Ap'lek noticed the effect his threat had on Ben's approach. "It's true then. You really have gone soft. I should've known. Your heart was never really in it." He kept moving further away and Ben tried to will some calm into the terrified villagers as he slowly followed Ap'lek's path toward the other end of the village.

He noticed the motionless forms of Trudgen and Kuruk lying on the ground and quickly searched for Rey. There she was, lying on her side, not moving. His heart tightened. He wanted to run to her, but knew he needed to ensure the safety of the Lanai first.

Ap'lek climbed clumsily up on a rock that overlooked the waves crashing below, trying to keep hold of the youngling that was his defense. "You're going to let me go," he said. "I'm going to go back to the Buzzard and Vicrul and I are flying out of here. Whether this little one makes out of this alive is totally up to you."

"Let her go, Ap'lek," Ben yelled back in response. "This is between you and me. Only a coward would use a kid as his shield." As he talked, he was devising a plan. He saw Ap'lek say something into his wrist comm, likely directing their sixth member to fire up their ship for take off. He was running out of time.

He stood at the base of the rock, looking up at the unpredictable villain and his hostage. Ben met her frightened little eyes and sent her a sense of calm and assurance. He nodded almost imperceptibly, waiting to see if she understood his message. A tiny little nod from her was all he needed.

Using the Force, Ben caused Ap'lek's foot to slip just enough so that he loosened his grip on the girl. Ben grabbed her with the Force and lifted her through the air to land safely next to him. The instant he was assured she touched down, he smiled at her and then returned his attention to Ap'lek, picking him up with the Force and swinging him out over the waves. He held him there like that, dangling helplessly, as Ben considered his options. Death was almost too good for this sorry excuse for a man… a man who would use a child so carelessly. He could Force choke him...snap his neck...bash him into the rocks...drown him.

But something stopped him. Here was a chance to show mercy, something unique to the Light Side. Maybe he should just let him go, let him run away like the true coward he was.

Suddenly, without warning, a giant beast leaped out of the water, its cavernous, tooth-filled mouth opened wide, and devoured the dangling Ap'lek in one gulp. Before Ben could even blink, the creature dove back under the waves, its long tail last to disappear beneath the sea.

Ben stood frozen in shock until he felt a tug on his pant leg. It was the little girl looking up at him questioningly.

"It wasn't me," he said honestly.

"It might have been me."

Ben spun around at the sound of Rey's voice. She was limping toward him, clearly still in pain, a guilty look on her face. He chuckled and rushed to help her. Then they both heard it at the same time- the sound of a ship powering up to take off. In the moonlight they made out the shape of the Night Buzzard. In a moment it was hovering over the beach, not taking off like they expected. Its quad lasers fired and one of the village huts exploded in a flash. The Caretakers screamed and scattered as the guns fired again. Ben and Rey knew this last knight would not stop until they were all destroyed. All of them were in danger.

They locked gazes, an unspoken plan passing between them. Both of them shot out a hand in the direction of the attacking ship. Ben squeezed his hand together and the quad laser gun crumpled in on itself. Vicrul, the only remaining knight flying solo on the ship, realized too late what was going on and tried to turn the Buzzard around to fly off. However, it was no use. Rey already had it at a standstill. The ship's thrusters groaned and strained against her pull, and she yelled through gritted teeth with the intense effort. Immediately, Ben added his own power to hers, and a back and forth between the two Jedi and the large ship ensued. Rey reached over with her free hand and grabbed Ben's. The contact seemed to amplify their strength, and in the next moment, they flung the ship far out over the ocean before plunging it into the sea. It didn't take long for the massively heavy vessel to sink without a trace.

Their outstretched hands dropped to their sides and they were both breathing heavily from the exertion. Locking eyes, they stared at each other intently, just like after their defeat of the guards on Snoke's ship. But unlike then when Ben had botched the moment with his disastrous offer, this time he simply pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly.