Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the recognisable characters of the franchise. This story is purely for entertainment.

Chapter 31

Help should arrive soon. Their losses were minimal. Considering the whole situation, they were lucky. They found all the escape pods from their cruiser. And several from the star destroyer.

The huts dotted around the islands were turned into their temporary shelters. Female Lanai (Caretakers) tried to help with accommodating them. Rey insisted on staying on Luke's Island so they set up their main base there, on the Millenium Falcon. All rescued First Order officers and troopers were gathered under the guard in a few huts on a nearby island.

Poe had to make sure all wounded were taken care of despite the fact that they had only one med droid. Quan's leg was badly wounded during evacuation from the ship so he himself needed to be treated as well. He was brought to the freighter so that Rey could be with him and near the intercom at the same time.

She was with a still unconscious Chewie and Quan in the crew quarters right now but asked to be informed as soon as Ben was found. Quan, even though he was not well himself, was fighting now to save Chewbacca. When Poe asked about the Wookie, Quan shook his head saying it didn't look good. It was good Rey didn't hear it.

Poe was raking his fingers through his hair. Where was Ben? BB-8's head was dropping forward unhappily whenever any new escape pod landed and they realised it wasn't Solo. Where could he be? Their x-wings were still searching the whole area filled with scattered debris from the explosion (which was getting bigger with each hour) and the nearest area around the planet to make sure they didn't miss out on anything. He owed Ben that much.

Rey entered the cockpit that was turned into his command room. She was pale but smiled bravely.

'Any news?' – She asked.

'Not yet. Don't worry. It's still too early to say anything for sure.' – He tried to convince her even though his hope was dying quickly. He was about to cancel the whole search. His men were tired, they were running out of fuel.

She sat down in the other chair. – 'Poe, he is alive. I know that.'

'How you can be so sure?' – He suddenly burst out. He didn't want… he couldn't let himself to raise his hopes too much.

'I just know I would feel something. When Luke…left us, both Leia and I were immediately aware of what happened.'

He felt a bit more assured. – 'I really hope so.' – Then after a moment of hesitation he asked. – 'Have you tried to contact him…you know…through the Force.'

'I did. I can't reach him. But he's definitely not dead.' – She was stubbornly shaking her head.

'Thanks, Rey.' – He needed to hear that he was not alone hoping against hope.

'Any time.' – She stood up slowly and left the cockpit.

The droid looked at him expectantly.

'I know. We'll try again.' – He pushed the switch of the intercom. – 'Ok. Guys, let's try again. Maybe this time check the bigger debris from up close as well.' – He felt like he should be there rather than sitting here trying to organise everything.

Suddenly intercom went alive. – 'Poe! We got him!' – A feminine voice shouted joyfully.

'Nord? Where are you?' – He hadn't heard from the youngest (and the prettiest) pilot in his squadron for a while.

'We found his escape pod in a pile of remains that hit the moon.'

'Are you sure it's him?'

'Positive!'

Poe knew he could trust her. He smiled at BB-8 with relief. – 'Stop!' – He suddenly shouted to the droid when it tried to sneak out of the cockpit. – 'Don't tell Rey yet.' – BB-8 chirped surprised. – 'Let's see how he is first.'

Suan Nord was updating him over intercom. - 'We're towing him with Trenalli. Solo's pod is badly damaged. I think he's unconscious.'

'Get him straight to the biggest hut that we turned into a surgical room. The med droid is there.'

...

Quan seemed very worried. Despite being wounded himself, he was doing all he could to help Chewbacca. He suspected that the substance used to drug them was in fact a poison for a Wookie. He said to Rey that he wished he had access to his medical equipment and supplies. Rey felt so useless.

'I tried to use the Force but it didn't work.' – Rey's voice was shaky. – 'It's all my fault.'

Quan shook his head. – 'This war is at fault.' – He sighed and looked at her pointedly. – 'Don't you dare blame yourself. Do you hear me?'

Rey nodded slowly. She turned away from Quan, hearing someone's footsteps coming near.

Poe's face when he entered the crew quarters said everything. She knew straight away it was bad news. Ben!

She shook her head not believing. She would know, wouldn't she? She knew she had to see him. – 'Where is he?'

'In the big hut. I'm sorry Rey. His pod was very badly damaged. The med droid pronounced him dead.' – The tears started glistening in his eyes.

She run immediately towards the huts. She hesitated at the entrance of the biggest one. She knew Poe, BB-8 and Temini were behind her but without paying attention to them or the caretakers and a few resistance pilots gathered there, she took a deep breath in and slowly moved towards the middle of the room where Ben was lying on a big wooden table. His chest wasn't moving. His clothes were torn, his body was badly bruised and cut. She could see it even from a distance and despite the weak light. Only his face was untouched, wearing just one scar – the one she gave him. Each step was more difficult to take. She forced herself to move closer to him. She thought she would suffocate. It was not possible. It was not possible! She would know if he died! Something deep inside of her was welling up until she couldn't contain it anymore.

'How dare you leave me alone?!' – She shouted. Tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks. – 'After all we went through! You promised!' – Her voice was breaking up. She shook his arm and started beating his chest with her fist.

'So, you are a monster after all!' – She was sobbing so hard that the rest of her speech got stuck in her throat. She bent over him. Her tears were wetting his cheek. She touched Ben's scarred face with her hands and then her shaking fingers started slowly tracing the whole length of the scar. It ran across his neck, then tried to hide under his short beard after which its deeply chiselled line continued towards the narrow passage between his right eye and his nose where it disappeared completely only to reappear again above his eyebrow – much weaker, less pronounced until it faded away completely in a plain of his forehead.

This journey exhausted her. Her fingertips were burning. She let her eyes fall on his lips. She kissed him once before when she tried to will him to wake up after his crash on Dantooine, when he was betrayed by Hux. Just like then, some instinct made her lower her face towards his. His lips were still warm. After the first touch, she pressed harder…as if she wanted to breathe life back into him.

'Live.' – She whispered into his mouth.

'Live!' – She repeated hopelessly. – 'You're the one I belong with. I love you.' – She sobbed even deeper as this revelation was washing over her. – 'I don't know how to live without you anymore. '– She kissed him again. – 'So live!' – Her voice changed from pleading to commanding.

She rested her forehead on his chest. She felt as if she was floating. She started breathing deeply. In and out. Her head was gently rising and falling, rising and falling…Rising and falling? Her right arm lying across his stomach was going through the similar motion. She slightly leaned away to check if she was not hallucinating. She wasn't. She quickly touched his neck. Was the weak pulse really there?

'Help.' – Her voice was frustratingly weak as she turned towards the entrance with disbelief on her face.

'Help! I think he's alive!' – She shouted.

She saw Quan holding onto a walking stick being helped in. The room filled with people and she, still not understanding, was forced to take a step aside. This is when she realised something was holding her tunic. She looked down only to see Ben's bloodied hand grabbing the grey fabric near her left hand. Through the dark patches dancing in front of her eyes, she saw that Ben's eyes were closed but she was aware now, so painfully aware that he was drawing into the Force in her, probing and using her raw emotions.

'Monster.' – She whispered before the darkness overtook her.