Nearly an hour flew by, and finally, Ben began to stir. In the meantime, Chewie had stayed right beside him, fiddling with the ship's dashboard and running diagnostic checks on the systems. He also covered the young Solo in a thick, tan blanket Han bought for Leia on Yavin 4.
At first, Ben's groaned, looking around and squinting. He noticed the blanket, Chewie, and the Falcon's cockpit. For a moment, he forgot where he was and what happened, but before he jumped up and ran out, the memories of the recent past returned. Blinking several times, he woke himself up.
Chewie roared in greeting, getting up and ruffling Ben's hair, just like he always did. For old time's sake, Ben allowed him to do it. Yet now, it was almost calming — like a massage.
"All right, Chewie, thank you," Ben murmured. He pushed off the seat's armrests and briefly embraced the Wookie, patting him on the back. "I'm up. Where's—"
Suddenly, the Force Bond struck like lightning. He saw a nervous Rey speaking with someone, somewhere in the ship. Crazily enough, she was biting at her lip. Her expression was riddled with worry, and, although her words were muffled, she seemed edgy and uneasy. Oddly filled with worry, he raced out of the cockpit and followed his senses until voices reverberated off the walls. He meandered through the brightly lit, circular corridors, and located her inside Han's quarters.
Barging in, he scared Poe, who almost collapsed into Finn. "Rey!" Ben called. She jumped, stepping back. Everyone stared at him. "Oh, uh, what's going on here?"
"Are you OK?" Rey asked. She moved closer. "I saw what happened. I didn't want to interrupt you and Chewie."
Ben nodded in thankfulness and turned his head toward Finn and Poe, who got themselves together after his bulldozer of an entrance. "Sorry."
"Don't mention it, Solo," Poe replied. "We were just discussing, well, you."
"We want you to help us," Rey stated. "I always believed you to be our last hope."
Poe made a face. "'Help me, Ben Solo, you're my only hope!'" he joked, gesturing as if about to faint.
"Ha!" Finn laughed, throwing his head back. "Classic."
Rey's expression went deadpan. Inside her, Ben sensed a fountain of annoyance and anger.
"Good," Ben replied flatly. "When do we begin?"
Everyone's respective jaw dropped. They had imagined Ben to, well, resist the prospect. "That was quick," Poe said. "The First Order is the group you once led. How can you be so fast to betray them? Didn't you have friends there? People you could trust?"
Ben looked down, as if reminiscing. "Look, as long as I am here, I'm home."
"You mean as long as you're with her," Poe suggested. Although Ben did not react, Rey growled, irritated beyond comprehension. She scowled at Poe and stomped out. Poe laughed. "She'll be fine. It's a thing we do."
"I think you should stop doing it, then," Ben retorted.
Finn was about to walk out to understand what Rey was feeling, but Ben grabbed his shoulder. "What are you doing?"
"What I should be," Ben answered. He stormed away, finding her only a short distance down the corridor.
She stopped moving and stood still. "Ben?" she murmured. The Force Bond got exponentially stronger the closer they were to each other. It felt like sliding a puzzle piece into another.
He stepped closer until he was just behind, looming behind her. "What is wrong?"
Turning to face him, she shook her head and sighed. "For so long, I dreamed of you being here, helping us in our fight against the First Order. But now that you're here, I'm in complete agony. The closer you are, the worse it is. But it feels good, too, and I'm afraid of that."
Ben tried to hide a smirk. "I'm here for you, just like you are for me. Whatever is going on, I can help. You're not alone."
"I'm just so afraid now!" she exclaimed. Throwing her arms in frustration. "I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain."
Ben recognized those words, those feelings to be the very same ones he once said and felt. When he killed his father. He shoved the memory away. "I never had anyone to reveal my thoughts to. But you do. You have me."
"I have Poe and Finn too, you know that, right?" Rey replied, slightly annoyed.
He nodded. "Yes, but I know you, Rey. The real you. I know what you're going through. My whole life is a testament to it."
She grinned slightly at his attempt to calm her and looked him dead in the eyes. "I'm terrified." She breathed unevenly, as if about to break down. But she controlled it. "I'm terrified if I give you my heart again . . . you'll be taken away. I can't lose you again. Not like how I lost my parents, or Luke, or Leia, and not like how I lost you."
His eyes widened into bowling balls while his heartrate quickened. When she said her piece, she ran off like a scared bird. Ben was left there, dangling over an emotional abyss he refused to fall into. In that moment, he realized she now needed him to conquer her own fears. And he would do that. Whatever it cost; he would do that.
ONE HOUR LATER
Poe Dameron spoke on a small podium in one of the recently completed buildings on the base. The room was massive, but had no seats. Everyone stood. Politicians, soldiers, Jedi alike. Finn accompanied him, standing like a tree to his right while Rey stood to his left. Both locked their hands behind their backs. On the contrary, Ben listened from all the way in the back, leaning against a wall. He wanted to be as invisible as possible while Poe pronounced the next move. Yet, Chewie stood right by him like a loyal friend, even though Poe wanted Chewie on the podium as well.
"The 501st Resistance Division is, right now, in need of our help!" Poe declared over a loudspeaker. "With Solo now on our side, we can now burn the First Order down! 33rd Division, you're with me, Finn, Rey, and Ben. We're going to arrive on the battlefront and destroy the Order's base there."
"Where is it?" a soldier from the crowd asked.
"Our old ally Takodana, near Maz Kanata's old place. Anything else?" Nobody answered. "OK, then, I would like Ben Solo himself to give a few words."
At the mention of his name, Ben flinched and pushed off the wall with a silent groan. The sea of people parted as he made his way through, not daring to look anyone in the eye. Slowly but surely, he stepped up to the speaker. Moving out of the way, Poe gestured for him to begin.
The atmosphere was rife with tension. Ben gulped and breathed out the anxiety. "Hello everyone," he started. "I know what you're thinking. Kylo Ren is lending a hand. No. Ben Solo is. Even my life, if I have to. Again. I should be on my way to an execution now, but some people here had other plans." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I have to earn your trust, your comradery. I know that. But I will earn it. I'm going to prove to every single one of you that I am something more, someone better. You won't have to be afraid anymore. Because together, we're going to undo everything Palpatine, Snoke, and I did. We're going to create a new galaxy, a new hope. I promise."
It seemed everyone stopped breathing to the point that all sounds vanished. Ben watched their bewildered, cautious faces for any sign of hope. It was so quiet that if a pin dropped, it would be a bomb.
That is, until FN-1759, the young, former stormtrooper, clapped once, then twice, then on an on. Suddenly, more did the same, until a wave of applause possessed the audience. A surge of pride and optimism surged through him.
Loud claps popped into his ear. He turned to see Poe expressing his confidence. Surprisingly, Poe walked over with a bright smile and wrapped an arm around Ben, who stood several inches over the general. Ben froze, not expecting such a move. "Well, let's just say I'm jealous. You're in my sights, Solo."
Ben nervously laughed, but it came out so fake that Rey could not help but chuckle. "I've had practice."
"Oh yeah, I forgot," Poe replied. "Well, I must've had a hangover recently, because I don't remember much of, well, who was it again? Supreme Dick? Huh, don't know him." Poe winked once, flashing another smile before walking away and off the podium, joined by Finn. Stunned, Ben watched him leave. He was being nice. A grin etched itself onto his face.
"Poe is really trying," Rey said with a laugh. Her arms were crossed. "I can tell."
Ben still focused on Poe, who shook hands with officers on the way out to rejoin the fleet. "I know. And I cherish it more than he can ever comprehend."
Rey nodded. She gestured for him to lead the way, but he stayed still, gesturing for her to go instead. "How mannerly," Rey said, rolling her eyes.
"Contrary to popular opinion, I was taught etiquette," Ben replied.
Rey laughed and hopped down onto the floor as the assembly broke up. "Let's get going." Ben followed her, but Chewie waited until he caught up. Once again, Chewie ruffled Ben's hair and made loving noises. Ben hugged his soft, furry side, and continued along.
Together, they walked across the Resistance base. A vast throng of soldiers of the 33rd Division jogged in front of them, flanking Finn and Poe, as dust swirled around them and the clouds parted, freeing the Sun's light. It was kind of odd, though. The actual trained Jedi, Ben and Rey, were left to bring up the rear, along with Chewie.
Just before Rey and the others ascended into the Millennium Falcon, Ben heard a voice call out to him through the Force. He froze. Noticing him stop, Rey looked back. "Ben?"
"Go on ahead of me," he replied. "Both of you. Give me a moment."
"What is it?" she responded, a hint of worry in her tone.
He smirked. "I won't be long. I won't allow them to."
Rey furrowed her brow at the comment. "No, let me stay." She held his arm.
He glanced at it. "No, they are finally reaching out to me, Rey. Let me face this myself." Gulping, she nodded forlornly and gracefully and quietly walked away.
Right on time, the nigh-invisible, blue-tinted Force Ghosts of Luke Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker appeared. Luke wore his classic bright Jedi robes, while Anakin donned dark ones. They both appeared middle-aged, with matching long hair and beards. Luke was clearly his father's son.
Yet, Ben had not expected to see Anakin, the Chosen One. At long last, his grandfather finally revealed himself. The one he basically worshipped. The man underneath the suit of Darth Vader.
"Luke," Ben muttered with a scowl. "And . . . Grandfather?"
"Hello, Ben," Luke replied in greeting.
"Come with us, grandson," Anakin said. His voice was deep and steady. "There is much for us to discuss."