After the Millenium Falcon made a short stop on Batuu, allowing Solo picked up the part they needed for the hyperdrive motivator and causing Rey a large amount of frustration that she wasn't allowed to leave the ship to see the fabled markets of that planet, they took off once more to the cold darkness of space. Han Solo and Chewbacca wrangled the part into place, attended closely by the fascinated Rey.
"It'll be two hours before we get to the base," Han Solo said, wiping grease from his hands with a rag and looking satisfied with himself. Chewbacca informed him it was more like an hour and forty-five, which earned him an irritated look from the pilot. "Get your things together, at any rate, so you can get off my ship more quickly," Han advised them, and he and Chewbacca left for the cockpit once more. Rey and Finn looked at each other.
"Does he think we've gotten more 'things' that need gathering since we boarded his ship?" Rey asked, and Finn snorted as they headed for the kitchen.
"He sure has a short temper," he commented, sitting down at the table. Rey seated herself across from him, removing an old, broken communicator she'd found in a box squirreled away in one of the ship's compartments from her pouch. She pulled it open, spilling its innards across the table and beginning the painstaking process of figuring out what had made the thing stop working.
Finn watched her in silence, his growing unease finally snagging her attention from her engrossing project. She looked up at him inquisitively.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Just thinking about when we get to the Resistance base. I…they'll probably want to make sure I'm not a Storm Trooper anymore."
"How would they make sure of that?" Rey asked, frowning.
"Probably by locking me up." He swallowed. "Maybe an interrogation. I don't know."
Rey reached out and laid her hand over his on the table.
"Poe will vouch for you. And for what it's worth, I will too."
Finn's expression lightened a bit.
"It's hard not to worry. I wish we could just get it over with."
Rey went back to fiddling with the pieces of communicator. She hadn't really thought of how she would convince anyone that she wasn't just a scavenger from Jakku. Maybe they wouldn't even take her after all, no matter what Poe said. What would she do then?
"If they don't take you, they won't get me either," she decided. Finn raised his eyes to meet hers.
"And the same if it's the other way around," he said. She smiled at him.
"It'll be all right. Now, could you grab that antenna cable for me? I want to try to fit it in a different orientation in here."
They absorbed themselves in the task of rebuilding the communicator until they felt the high strain of the engines wind down to a lower register. They looked at each other across the table, and Rey clicked the casing back into place on the now-working gadget and set it on the table with an air of finality.
"Here we go," she said, standing up and shouldering her staff. Finn nodded, his dark skin ashen but his expression resolute.
They headed for the ramp and waited, side by side, as it slowly lowered. Han Solo came up behind them.
"I guess you were better cargo than, say, rathtars," he sighed. "Less cleanup. Come on; let's go see the General."
Rey took a deep breath and, touching Finn's shoulder briefly to reassure him, she followed Han Solo down the ramp and towards the large, abandoned-looking bay entrance set into one of the many hills that surrounded them. Rey couldn't help but gaze around at the fields of greenery that stretched on and on. What would it have been like to have grown up here instead of on the desiccated planet of Jakku?
Rey gripped the strap of her staff as Han Solo reached up to the panel beside the small door next to the bay. Rey felt a cool brush of air against her face as it opened. She stepped into the dim interior, followed closely by Finn.
"I'm taking some new recruits to visit the General," Han Solo announced to the large, empty-looking room. There was a pause, then light appeared at the back as a door slid open.
"Welcome back, Captain Solo," a voice said, and Rey's sun-blinded eyes made out a vague movement in the far corner of the space. Lights gradually came on, showing her the two guards on either side of the door.
"I'll escort you, sir," one of them said, eyeing Rey and Finn suspiciously. "They'll need to leave their weapons here."
Rey tensed. She hadn't had her lightsaber long, but she felt her bone-deep loathing to leave it behind. On Jakku, if she didn't keep her most valuable possessions on her person at all times, they were liable to be stolen. And as for her staff, it was as much a part of her as any of her limbs, having been her only defense for many years.
"I'll vouch for them," Han Solo said, to her surprise. The guard flicked her gaze to him before returning it to Rey and Finn.
"We have been given express orders—"
"By my wife, yes," Solo said irritably. "I received a message from her telling me how she wanted to see them as soon as possible once we arrived. And like I said, I'll vouch for them."
Rey stared at Solo. This grizzled old pilot was married to the General of the Resistance?
The guard wavered.
"I will advise the General that they have not yet been relieved of their weapons before she holds audience with them," she decided, and without further ado, stalked through the door. Solo jerked his head after her, and Rey and Finn followed. Rey felt freshly grateful for the weight of the staff on her shoulder and the lightsaber on her belt, having almost lost their comforting presence.
It wasn't long before their guide stopped in front of a large door and activated the intercom.
"General, I have two recruit candidates who have not been required to turn over their weapons," she said.
"Send them in," was the reply. The guard's lips pressed more tightly together, but she opened the door and stood to one side, allowing them to go in first. Rey and Finn walked in together, side by side, and found what was likely the room used for battle briefings, the space largely empty save a large console in the center currently showing a holomap. General Organa would have looked like an ordinary woman in her middle years, her grey-streaked brown hair neatly braided and coiled to create a crownlike appearance. She wore a flowing purple gown cinched tight around the waist. However, most notable was the sense of command that emanated from her. Rey was left with the feeling that if any problem needed solving, this woman would be the one to go to.
"You must be Rey and Finn," the General said, not looking away from the holomap.
"Yes," Rey said, wishing someone had told her how to speak to a general. Leia turned at last to face them, and Rey felt the weight of the woman's gaze as she looked her over before turning her attention to Finn. Oddly, Rey felt as though someone had reached out to her mind via the Force. She turned her attention inward, focusing on the feeling, and realized that the General was conducting a clumsy scan of her mind. Rey, used to Kylo Ren's surgical precision by now, felt as though Leia were attempting to use a sledgehammer, and Rey was more than able to resist such unsubtle efforts at this point. It was more of a surprise that the General could use the Force at all, albeit in a very rudimentary way.
"I'm sure you're tired after your long journey, but there are some things I'd like to ask you before you go get settled. Why do you want to join the Resistance? You first," she said, nodding at Finn.
"I was a Storm Trooper all of my life," Finn said, his voice shaking a tiny bit but his expression determined. "I found that I couldn't do that anymore. They tried to recondition me, but it didn't work. I'd made up my mind by then. I want to fight for the right side...I want to be better than the person they tried to force me to be."
Leia didn't react at all; she merely turned to Rey.
"And you?"
Rey shrugged.
"I have nowhere else to go," she said. It wasn't nearly as good as Finn's reason, but it was the truth. She was certain that Leia could hear that truth with the Force.
Leia watched her for an extra moment before turning her attention to Han Solo, who was leaning against the wall in the back of the room, watching all of this intently. They shared a look that Rey didn't understand.
"I have another question," Leia said. Rey felt Solo's sudden tension and wondered what the General was about to ask. "You spent time with Kylo Ren," she said. "Please tell me about him."
Rey blinked.
"He...I helped him when he crash-landed. And after we found Finn, he seemed...normal. Kind, even, for Jakku's usual standards. He helped with anything we needed. He was quiet, I guess. But I never guessed what he truly was." Even as she said it, she thought about how he'd coached her with the lightsaber in her last dream. Very strange behavior for an enemy. Maybe he'd taught her the wrong thing to sabotage her.
"Did he say anything to you about the Resistance? Or the First Order?" Leia pressed. Rey glanced at Finn, who shook his head.
"He made me think that he was a defector, too. I never guessed who he really was. He didn't act in a way that ever made me think he was anything other than someone who had been used up by the First Order," Finn replied.
"Did he give you anything?" Leia asked.
"What do you mean?" Rey asked.
"Did he leave anything in your care?" Leia asked, her voice even but the Force surrounding her slightly edged with impatience. Rey hadn't been asking what the definition of "give" was, and she wondered at the general's odd question and evasion.
"No," she said. Finn shook his head.
Leia was silent for a moment, and Rey felt the tension drain slowly from Han Solo, replaced by...was that sadness? Yes, sadness and loss. Strange.
"I hear you can use the Force," Leia said, looking from one to the other.
"Only a little," Finn said. "Maz on Takodana said I could."
"Yes, I can feel that about you as well. We will give you proper training to allow your natural skill to develop as much as it can. As for you..." Leia once more affixed Rey with a look, and Rey felt the General's awareness reaching out to hers once more. Rey pushed back with a portion of her full strength, and she felt Leia's surprise before she receded.
"Yes," Leia said speculatively. "You will both go see Luke."
"Who is Luke?" Rey asked.
"Luke Skywalker," Han Solo said from his corner. "The only living Jedi remaining in the galaxy."
"Luke Skywalker? Train us?" Finn asked, sounding shocked.
"If he thinks you have enough potential with the Force, yes."
"When?" Finn asked.
"As soon as we've done rudimentary testing to ensure that you are who you say you are. But before then, we'll see that you are given opportunity to settle a bit. I'm sure all of this is very disorienting for you." Leia glanced over at Han Solo. "Can the Falcon fly within the week? I'd prefer to get them to Luke as soon as possible."
"I've got a couple of tweaks to make on her, but me and Chewy should be able to get her outfitted and space-worthy again in three days."
"Good. Please have the guard take them to the holding room to await processing."
She turned her attention back to the hologram, but Rey felt Leia's awareness follow them out as Han Solo ushered them back into the hallway.
"These two need to go through processing," he told the guard. "Make sure they get extra rations...they've come from Jakku."
The guard said, "Yes, Captain," and saluted. Han Solo rolled his eyes, otherwise ignoring the gesture, and gave Rey and Finn a half-hearted wave before heading back the way they'd come. Rey and Finn followed the guard deeper into the compound, eventually ending up in front of a room that looked suspiciously like a cell.
"You'll stay here for the night," the guard said, hitting the door panel with more force than necessary. Rey eyed her, then cautiously entered the room. The door panel slid shut behind them, and she and Finn shared a glance.
"Well, I guess we're really in it now," Rey commented, looking around. A dim light illuminated the sparse furnishings, telling her that at least there were two cots. She unslung her staff from her shoulder and sat down on one of them.
"It could be worse," Finn said with certainty. Rey nodded.
"They didn't take our weapons," she said.
"Your weapons. I don't have any," Finn pointed out.
"We'll change that as soon as possible. After whatever interrogation they have in mind for us. But it's a good sign that we're being treated with more trust than the average Resistance recruit."
"It's not saying much, as we're still locked in a holding cell," Finn muttered.
"I wonder why they were so interested in whether Kylo Ren gave us anything," Rey mused, going back to what she'd been pondering earlier. Finn shrugged.
"I mean, he's one of the key leaders of the First Order. Maybe they thought he'd planted a bug on us or something."
"Maybe." Rey thought of Han Solo's sorrow. "I think they have a connection with him."
"Of course they do."
Rey looked over at him, surprised.
"What?"
"Kylo Ren…he's the son of General Organa and Captain Solo. His name was Ben Solo before he became Kylo Ren."
Rey was dumbfounded for a moment.
"And this is the first time you thought to mention that?" she demanded.
"I thought you knew. Everyone knows."
"I lived in the middle of a desert planet. What makes you think I know anything about all of this?" She gestured widely, encompassing the entirety of the Resistance and the First Order in the sweep of her hand.
"Sorry. I just thought you knew. He was lured over to the Dark Side by the Supreme Leader when he was in training to be a Jedi. It's said he's extra powerful because he has both Light and Dark training in the Force."
Rey mused over this as she lay down on the cot. It might be just hard enough for her to sleep on.
"That would explain the weirdness of that interview," she said, more to herself than Finn. "She's his mother."
"He betrayed them all," Finn said simply.
Those words were still ringing in her mind as she fell asleep. As had become usual now, she averted her mind from the usual nightmare and entered into a peaceful place, patterned after the greenery on Takodana. She was wandering through the trees, feeling the lush leaves against her skin, when she felt a pull to the side. She looked and found a hill, green vines covering the dark maw of a cave. A chill emanated from it in the warm, humid air. Rey hesitated, then headed towards it.
She pushed aside the vines and entered the darkness, feeling distant pulses of horror coming from within. She almost turned around, back to the peaceful jungle, but she recognized the by-now familiar presence ahead, his fear reaching out, desperate. She ventured deeper into the tunnel.
Eventually she saw dim light ahead, and she put a hand on her lightsaber before approaching the exit. She stepped out into a very different forest than the one from her dream. Smoke hung heavy in the air, and some of the trees soared up and up, higher than she could even see through the tops of the shorter ones at their bases. Ferns grew all around her, brushing against her calves, and as she walked forward, she began to smell the unmistakable odor of fresh blood beneath the heavy scent of smoke.
Blasters were firing around her, and she paused to take note of the combatants. There appeared to be people up in the trees, firing down on white-armored Storm Troopers on the ground. The Troopers didn't seem to be having much luck with their return fire. There was one figure that towered above the others, dressed in chrome armor. That one at least had success with the blaster. As Rey watched, one figure after another fell from the lofty treetop, falling to the ground with horrific sounds of impact.
The fear was coming from the center of the action, and she saw the tall, black-clad figure with the red lightsaber through the hazy smoke. Rey watched him for a moment, trying to decide why he was choosing to be here, in this horrible place. Then she realized.
He wasn't choosing anything.
Small, furred creatures were attacking from the ground, and as she watched, he engaged with one of them, sending it violently backwards with a Force-push, then when it returned, he sliced through its spear. And then she saw him bury his saber into its chest, and another fierce surge of horror emanated from him.
Rey almost did turn around then. Clearly, this was more memory than dream. He'd truly done this, wreaked this destruction upon the beautiful forest, wherever it was, and its inhabitants. Didn't he deserve whatever guilt he'd experience as a result?
She stopped, debating with herself. And in that moment, the black-shrouded figure turned to face her. She felt the intense suffering emanating from him and remembered when he'd taught her how to ease her own nightmares, how to control them so they couldn't harm her anymore.
Rey reached out with the Force, feeling her way through the fabric of the dream and pulling away the smoke from the air, the scent of the blood, the sounds of the blasters firing and the screams. She took away the dead bodies, took away the living ones, until she and Kylo Ren were alone in the middle of the forest of giants, staring at one another.
Kylo Ren glanced around, then walked towards her. For the first time, Rey sensed uncertainty in his step, as though he were caught off-balance. As he neared her, he extinguished his lightsaber and reached up to his helmet, pulling it free. His face looked haggard, his eyes haunted.
What are you doing here? he demanded.
Helping you, she snapped.
I didn't need help, he snarled. Rey narrowed her eyes.
Fine. If you believe that, I'm leaving.
She spun on her heel, turning back to the tunnel she'd come from. Smoke curled around her once more. There was movement behind her, and suddenly she felt a touch on her elbow. She turned to find herself facing Kylo Ren, but without his helmet, her brain insisted that it was Ben, not the monster she now knew him to truly be.
Please. Don't…leave.
Rey hesitated. The distant sounds of blaster fire had started up again.
Why aren't you controlling it, yourself? she demanded. A flash of fear crossed his face before he brought it back under control.
I can't, he said simply.
I should leave you here. You deserve to be punished for this. She gestured to the forest, towards the screams. His control slipped for just a moment, and she felt the pain that underlay the fear. It was bone-deep and genuine.
I know, he said.
She paused, debating with herself.
Please, he said, his voice a whisper. Rey's eyes locked with his once more.
Come with me, she said, holding out her hand. He took it without hesitation, and she led him towards the tunnel, back through the darkness, away from the screams behind them.
In the darkness, she felt his presence like a dark flame, emitting no light but burning fiercely. His suffering was nearly palpable, and she wondered why. Someone who could commit those kinds of atrocities wouldn't be suffering from the guilt of having committed them, would they?
When at last they broke back into the quiet jungle of her original dream, she felt his energy shift gradually, settling on a more peaceful track from the high-tension despair from before.
Did you do those things? she asked. She knew the answer, but she had to hear it from him.
Yes, he said. She released his hand and turned to face him. His appearance had changed markedly. He was no longer wearing the austere uniform from before. Instead, he was wearing the black, long-sleeved shirt and trousers that he'd put on before they'd left Jakku. She didn't comment on the change.
Why would you do things like that if you feel so guilty about them afterwards? Rey demanded.
I must.
She shook her head.
You have a choice, she snapped. You made a choice.
Yes.
I don't understand.
I know.
Rey snorted, but he stepped closer. She looked up and found in his tired eyes genuine gratitude.
Thank you for helping me, he said. Rey, taken aback, didn't know how to respond.
Why couldn't you control your dream? she asked. Kylo Ren turned his back to her, staring off into the jungle.
I don't know, he said, frustration edging into his tone.
Well, if you don't want these nightmares, I suggest you stop murdering people, Rey snapped.
Good advice, he replied, not responding with the aggression she had been expecting.
But you won't, Rey pushed.
No.
Rey considered.
I met your parents, she said casually. His energy grew spikes.
Oh? He was struggling to keep his tone neutral, but she could tell his control was less than solid at the moment.
Your mother asked me if you'd given Finn or me something. Do you know what she might have been expecting you to give me?
Obviously she'd want to know if I gave you a tracker, Kylo Ren said. He was trying to sound bored, but Rey felt the flutter of some emotion rolling beneath. She sensed she might not again have such an opportunity to question him when his defenses were so eroded and pressed on.
Why don't you come home to them? Try to make amends?
I can't, he said firmly.
This guilt…it's coming from someone with a conscience. Someone who thinks they've set fire to every connection they had in their past and that they can't return. But you can, Ben.
You're wrong. His back stiffened.
I know I'm right. If you just chose to—
I told you before, I have no choice.
She'd struck some kind of nerve.
If you just tried— she said, but she was cut off.
Leave it alone, he snapped.
I am helping you right now. You will not be rude to me, Rey said sharply. He turned around.
You are helping, he said grudgingly.
Then stop acting as though I'm your enemy.
Aren't you?
No. Not right now, anyway. Rey found to her surprise that this was absolutely true. She was having trouble rectifying the masked First Order warrior with the shattered human being standing before her.
You've joined the Resistance. That automatically puts us on opposite sides. And I expect that my mother will be sending you for training with Luke soon. You know we'll likely have to face each other on the battlefield at some point.
I know that. And she did.
You should have left me there, in that nightmare. It would be easier on you in the long run.
Probably.
So why help me? Why do you care if I suffer?
Because you were different on Jakku. And I think that person is still inside you.
That was a lie I wanted you to believe so you'd help me, he said flatly.
I didn't feel a lie. And even before I knew I was using the Force, I could tell if someone was lying to me. You weren't.
As I've told you before, I'm a very skilled liar.
And I'm very skilled at detecting lies.
Could we…please not do this right now? He sounded exhausted. Rey wanted to keep pushing him, to see what she could uncover, but his plea reached her. If he'd been having that recurring nightmare for any amount of time, she could see why he'd be tired.
You can rest here for now, she relented. She sensed his immense relief, which he quickly hid. Already he was regaining his usual control.
I appreciate it.
He settled onto a patch of soft, sun-dappled loam, setting his back to the trunk of a tree and leaning back. Rey situated herself nearby, keeping an eye on him. But he didn't seem to want to move from that spot. And after awhile, Rey realized he had fallen into a deeper sleep, safe in her dream from whatever demons were tormenting him. In that moment, she felt oddly protective. She settled in for a long night's watch, as they had taken turns doing on Jakku, before things had gotten so complicated.
They might be on opposite sides with very conflicting goals, but here, now, it was just the two of them in the quiet glade of Rey's own mind, insulated from the external forces that would never have allowed this moment of peace.