I am hoping this is going to help set up the rest of the story. I really want to make this one as long as I can. I am so excited to write the next chapter. It will be a good one. Please review. I would love to get at least one! Thanks for reading

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars Story. Just a fan wanting to write.

Chapter 8

I had spent the rest of the afternoon with him. We engaged in nothing but small talk, trying to learn more about who the other person was.

"Tell me about Jakku. What was it like there?" he asked. He had been there before. Its where Finn realized he could no longer be a storm trooper. Surely, he knew it was a vast scorching desert of nothing.

"Hot" I chuckled. Trying to be funny to get him to smile. I see the corner of his lips curl into a small one, eyes shifting to the ground. He looked back up at me and probes me further.

"Well, I knew that. But tell me about your Jakku…" he said. I knew what he was asking. He wants to know how an orphaned girl survived for so long in the desert. I had the odds stacked against me as a young child. I was alone, I had to learn how to survive; to take care of myself. Some of my memories still haunt me. I remember going days without food, struggling to find water. Even trying to keep clean was difficult.

"I learned to get by fairly early on. I was left to a junk boss. He was cruel… But I wasn't left as his slave, but more of a helper. I was thankful for that" I wouldn't look him in the eyes, ashamed of my past. Even though it wasn't my fault of the way I grew up but I still felt embarrassed.

"When I grew to be a little older, I made my way further out to the dunes. I found an old wreckage there. I made it my home. But Jakku hardly had any food. You couldn't grow anything, and the only water source was inside the village. I became a scrapper for valuables to sell for food. I learned to be a mechanic and fix things that I could use to help me survive. But I was alone. No one to talk to. It was rather lonely…" I said softly.

I look up at him after I finish speaking. His eyes were wide with disbelief. He knew about my past. He must have known I didn't have an easy life. "Rey…" I don't let him finish his sentence.

"Don't you dare feel sorry for me. I have struggled yes, but it also helped me become the person I am. I am resourceful, and I don't need to rely on anyone…" I was angry at him. He didn't need to feel sorry for me.

"You wouldn't want to rely on me someday?" This question came out of nowhere. Of course, I had feelings for him. How could I not? We have such a strong connection; I feel his feelings and he can feel mine. We couldn't even have this conversation right now. There are so many loose ends. I can't even feel his touch; he is stuck behind this glass wall.

"I think we have to figure other things out before we think about having that conversation" I tell him. I see his head drop. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings, but I was being realistic. I wanted to rely on him. But I can't right now.

"It's getting late in the afternoon. You should probably get things together" he turned his back away from me. I wasn't going to fight him on this. My eyes felt heavy from the emotional rollercoaster I was on. I was exhausted.

"Your right. I should be getting ready" I tell him. "Can I come see you in the morning?" I ask.

He turns back to face me. Still no smile, just a straight face, similar to the one Kylo Ren used to wear. "You should leave early so that you arrive in good time. But I hope you will still come see me when you come back" he says.

I was upset that he didn't want to see me in the morning. I had hurt his feelings, I could feel the sadness that he felt. I didn't mean to. I turn my back and start to head to the exit of the cave, and I start to tear up "Goodbye Ben"

I hear him behind me as I walk out the cave "Goodbye Rey. Be safe".

I worked the rest of the afternoon and evening getting things together. Although it wasn't a long journey, I still had to get my things gathered. I wanted to bring some vegetables from my farm. It's all I really had to give them, my family that I grew to love and miss.

I left early that morning. I wanted to make my way down to that cave to see him before I left, but he had told me not to. I begrudgingly walked past the entrance. I entered my ship and left the planet of Ahch To.

It took what feels like an eternity to get to the moon base of Ajan Kloss. I was lost in my thoughts the entire trip. Thinking of Ben, our last conversation. Ajan Kloss was the same resistance base that had been set up after the battle at Crait. We had fled here hoping that the first order wouldn't find us. They didn't.

I walk off my ship and marvel at the state of it. It didn't look as run down as it previously did. Poe must have been maintaining and upgrading the place. There is still an abundance of greenery all around the base. Trees and vines everywhere. I hear my name from a distance.

"Rey!" It was Rose. She was running towards me.

"Hi Rose" I say to her. A big smile spreads across my face.

She runs up and embraces me in a hug. I hug her back and squeeze her tight. I realize now how lonely I was on Ahch-To. It was so nice to see a friendly face.

She lets go of me "How are you doing?" she asks.

"I'm doing fine. Happy to be here to see everyone" I tell her.

"Everyone is in the main base building. I think you're the last one to arrive" I start to follow her to where everyone was meeting. I feel awful that I may have held them up. I should have left a little earlier possibly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be the last to arrive" I apologize. She looks back towards me as we are continuing to walk through the brush.

"No No. Zorii only arrived just this morning". I didn't realize that Zorii was coming as well. I didn't really get to know her before I had left. We had only met her shortly before the battle at Exegol.

We walk past the spot I would take to get to the Jedi training run Leia had set up for me. I feel sad thinking about her. She was always caring for me, even after she knew my true heritage. That didn't change the way she treated me. She was a mentor and a motherly figure. I missed her.

I follow Rose further until we get into the main building to where everyone was standing.

"Well look who decided to finally join us…" Poe said. Such a smart ass. He walked around to hug me. I let go from his embrace and I received my next hug from Finn. There were a large group of people in the room. Mostly those heavily involved in the resistance during the war against the first order; Rose, Connix, Maz, just to name a few.

"I told you I needed a few days" I replied.

"A few days? You live all alone in that place. What loose ends would you need to tie up?" he was clearly agitated. Something else must have happened since I had seen him last.

"No need to be a jerk about it, I am here now" I hear him scoff at the sound of my voice.

"Look, it's just… there was another attack. We need to do something" he told everyone.

"But we have no clue where these attacks occur next. They aren't happening in a single region" Connix explained.

"Where was the last attack?" I asked.

"Abafar of the outer rim region" Finn said.

"Why do I recognize that name?" I question.

"It was a planet that was dried up during the old war. It once had a vast amount of fuel source called rhydonium" Poe elucidated.

"If it was dried up then why would they go there?" I was pushing buttons asking a lot of questions.

"We don't know. But same as the last places, whoever they are… slaughtered everyone. Even the children this time" Poe's face dropped. He was struggling to deal with this. Leia had so much experience handling situations, this is one of the first difficult occurrences he needed to deal with.

"Maz, is there anyone you can get information from to figure out who is doing this?" Maz steps forward so everyone could see her better. She raises her hands to express her words.

"I have reached out to most. I have no information to share. I could ask a few other associates of mine… sketchy individuals if you ask me. It will take some time to reach them" she said.

"Yeah.. that's a good start. Zorii what about you? Any information from the spice runners you hung around with?" he was pressing her. He liked to get her blood boiling.

"You would ask me that" she sneered at him "But no. A lot of them disappeared after we defeated the first order. The rest I questioned… but they know nothing" she tells him.

"We need to come up with a plan" his hands move with every word he speaks. Trying so hard to get his point across to everyone. "We need to set up spies in every corner of the galaxy. Try to figure out who is doing this and how we can stop it. I will need volunteers and suggestions of where to place everyone" he says.

"Well, it beats cleaning up the mess that the first order made. I'm in" Zorii says.

"Rose and I can go somewhere" Finn explains. He and Rose looked at each other and smile. I felt happy for them. He had also gone through so much in his lifetime.

"Just tell me where you want me to go Poe" I say.

"No, Rey. I need you close to Ajan Kloss, in case of an attack" he says.

"But we could use her help…" Finn fights back. "She can be a good asset to us out there".

"Everyone knows who she is. No one would give her information" Poe says. He was right. I am Rey Skywalker. I defeated Dark Sidious, my grandfather. Everyone could recognize me. But that shouldn't matter. I could find a way to get information.

"Finn is right. I could be useful" I reply. Poe walked right up to me and got close to my face; his finger stretched out at me. His eyes glaring straight into mine.

"I already said no Rey. Leia trusted me to lead the resistance. This is the call I am making and that is final" My blood was boiling. I was so angry that he couldn't see how useful I could be to the resistance. I could use the force to guide me in the right direction.

"Then why am I here?" I question him back. I was scowling at him.

"So, we can convene and discuss our next steps Rey. Just because I am not sending you out there in the field doesn't mean you aren't a huge part of this" he is just as angry as I am. I was questioning his leadership, in front of everyone no less. He turned away from me and folded his arms behind his back. He is facing everyone else and begins to speak.

"We need to find more volunteers to cover as much ground as possible. Reach out to our allies. Now I know that it will be a struggle to get them to go. It's only been a year since we defeated the first order. Everyone is tired. But we need to try" He tells them.

"Is there anything else that we need to discuss here?" he asks the group. They all shake their head no.

"Good. Come back to me if you find any volunteers". Everyone leaves at the end of his sentence except for Finn and me.

"You need to send me somewhere" I tell him. He shakes his head, and groans. He doesn't turn to look at me.

"Rey. We won't discuss this further" he quietly says. At least he wasn't yelling anymore. He walks out the door following the same route everyone else took.

I turn to face Finn "He is making a mistake you know this right?" I tell him.

He walks towards me and places his hand on my arm and gives it a squeeze. "Rey, maybe he is right. You are the strongest we have. You would be needed here more" he says.

I feel betrayed. Finn didn't agree with me either. "You said so yourself earlier though. Why are you changing your mind now? If anyone was going to be on my side, I thought it would be you" I shout at him.

"Think about it Rey" he tells me.

I exhale trying to calm myself down. I don't understand why this is agitating me so much. I shouldn't be this upset over it. But I feel my skin growing hotter, my teeth clenching down, and my hands become fists. I turn and leave the room striding fast towards my ship.

"Rey! Where are you going?" I hear Finn yell at me.

"Back to Ahch-To" I yell back at him.

Why am I acting like such a child? This wasn't like me. I did have a temper and was emotional, but this seems so out of character. I can't shake these feelings off. I feel my anger trying to claw its way out, I want to scream. Could this be because I have spent so much time in that cave? I had felt the dark side calling me was becoming stronger and stronger.

There are eyes on me as I walk towards my ship. I can hear them whispering. Why is she leaving? I look to my left and see Poe watching me. He just stares, never approaching me; he wants to avoid a confrontation. I am sure I would hear from him in a few days. I turn my gaze away from him and towards my vessel. I should be staying to help find volunteers, but I didn't want to lose my temper. I take off as quickly as I could