I know, I know, it's a shorter chapter than my normal… It's a transition chapter if nothing else before the big final next week! Two more chapters! Thank you everyone who has been reading all along. Your kudos, likes, follows and comments really do mean a lot to me! I'm going to respond to all of them soon… I promise! Lol…
As soon as they decided it was time to go, they sent out messengers with missives to their neighbors: Hoth, Tatooine, Endor, Coruscant, and Cloud City. King Cassian requested that they meet him in Theed, a town on the way to Exegol. He picks this town because all the roads coming from these places lead here. The two kings would wait two days for their allies, if no one came to join them, they would travel on to Exegol.
It physically hurts Rey to think about no one showing up. She knows the efforts her uncle puts forth to maintain these relationships. She just hopes that they feel the same about them. Busyness is her goal as they wait but she's impatient and even though she's not due for a while, she's starting to feel heavy with her children.
Every time she tries to settle and meditate, they are awake and want to talk to her. So starts the mom guilt. Ben found a waterfall their first evening in town for her to bathe in but when she can see her breath, she would rather wait for warm water.
On the second morning, a missive arrived with the messenger who went to Hoth. If they could wait several weeks, they'd be more than happy to go, but in the light of recent blizzards, they had to stay home.
Then around dinner, another messenger, this one coming back from Endor. There's a mysterious sickness and they don't want to infect everyone.
The third morning, the men who went to Tatooine and Coruscant arrived. They both had flowerful imaginative excuses also. King Han did ask if they could wait until the next morning on Cloud City's response. They had the furthest to travel to ask.
Everyone agreed after the rejection from their allies.
"I don't understand," Cassian grumbles to Jyn that evening in their tent. "We've dropped everything before to go help them."
"I know but you know what? This just means that we're going to defeat them with who we have. After all, Ben and his knights know Snoke. Rey and the others have been learning magic." She walks over to him and wraps him in a hug. His arms circle her and he rests his chin on the top of her head. "I think we'll be alright."
"From your lips to God's ears, mi Ka'rta."
"I love you," she whispers.
"I love you," he echoes before he claims her lips.
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"I can't believe they aren't coming." Han throws his tunic across their tent.
"They've gotten the letters. Who knows, maybe some of them will still show up."
"The spark is out, Princess. The world has lost all its hope," Han whispers.
"Now do you really believe that?" Leia scolds.
"I don't want to," Han admits.
"Then don't." She pats the bed beside her. "Besides, we haven't heard from Lando yet. You know how he likes to show up at the last moment."
"Yeah, he likes to do that," Han mutters as he sits beside his wife. "As long as we protect the babies—"
"And we will. Protecting them is the main goal of all this. And to kill Snoke once and for all."
"You know—it's been a while—" Han purrs as he kisses Leia's cheek.
"It has been." She agrees with him. She even turns her head so he can kiss her neck. "What are you going to do about it?"
"Well for one, I'll kiss my wife here—" he starts by kissing her on the ear. "Then here—" his lips brush against her shoulder. "Then here—" he lifts her hand and kisses the inside of her wrist.
"You know, we do have to many clothes on—"
"Let me help you with that, Princess—"
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"Rey—are you already asleep?" He murmurs as he shakes her shoulder.
"What?" She grumbles as she sits up. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he pauses as he kisses her forehead. "I was just wondering if you were asleep."
"Your children are wearing me out." Her eyes open and she quickly sits up. "I need you."
"I need you too, but since you're tired, we don't have to—"
"Not that, though maybe when we finish. I've been trying to meditate. I need you to distract the kids while I try to find something out." She pauses for a moment, and they both laugh. "That's something I didn't think I'd say."
"What do you need for me to do?" He murmurs as he sits beside her on the pallet.
As graceful as she can, she sits and crosses her legs. "I just need five minutes. You distract them."
He mirrors her pose, and he holds out his hands, palms up. She lays her hands on top of his and their eyes drift shut. Weeks ago, her and Ben worked out a list of things to check off in a way when they are putting the guards around the twins up. Every day when they had a chance they check and reenforce that boundary.
So far it was working but as soon as they close their eyes, it's like a windstorm.
"What happened?" Ben asks.
"The evil one, he approaches." One twin cries.
"He's trying to talk to us. Please don't give us to him. He keeps saying that."
"We're not going to give you away to anyone." Ben fusses. "Stop thinking that."
"Babies—what else happened today?" Rey asks. Ben squeezes her hand and she knows that he'll talk to them while she touches the force.
Her exhale is loud in their tent. She feels the force washing away the tiredness as she focuses on the wave of energy around her. She bends the waves around them and around the children like a warm blanket on a winter's night until she can feel all four of them relax in the protection of the force.
Then her sweet husband reaches out his force signature, embracing her.
"Ben—" she whispers as her eyes flit open. Her green ones meet his amber colored ones and even in the light from the lantern, she can see how much he wants her. "Do you want to?"
"With you? always."
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"It's the next morning, what do you want to do?" Luke asks Han. Most of the camp is still asleep, including their wives, as they stand around Han's campfire outside his tent.
"I just know—let's hang out till noon." Han meet's Luke's stare. "I know Lando hasn't deserted us. We just have to let him get here."
"If it helps, I agree with Solo," Cassian offers as he approaches them.
Luke hands Cassian a cup of tea. "It will probably take that long to get everyone moving and to break camp. Hopefully we'll at least hear from him, even if he meets us in Exegol."
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Noon comes and there's no sign or word of Lando. A sullen mood settles on the people as they prepare to leave. Even the queens have no words of encouragement. They make good time traveling that afternoon, stopping just on the outskirts of the next town. They are still in Naboo, but this is one of the last towns on the border before they pass into Endor.
Once they make camp, some of the villagers come out to see what they are about. As families, they recognize other family members, parts of their camp turn into a family reunion, lifting the mood considerably. What no one counted on, especially the kings, were how many of these family members would march with them. From this stop, they added three hundred more fighting men to their ranks.
This continued to happen all the way through Endor and Tatooine. By the time they arrived in Exegol, they have an extra three thousand men.
Ben and Poe agree to set up camp just as they can see the wastelands and the barren mountains of Exegol. But it is when Ben meets his wife's stare that he knows they camp in the right spot. "Do you feel it too?" she asks as they look over the hills below them.
"That's the evil that Snoke is. How are the babies?"
"They've been asleep but started moving a couple of minutes ago. Do you think they can tell where we are?"
He can see the worry in her face. "Should we connect with them? I just worry Snoke will be able to feel them if we do."
"But if the shields are in place— I just worry that they are scared," she whispers.
"Let's go see if our tent is up yet."
Rey's smile is a welcome relief, even to him. It's not until they are seated on their familiar pallet bed holding each other's hands and they can feel the life forces of their babies and he can breathe easier.
"Daddy!" one of the chirps. "The bad man was back today. We can hear him now."
"It's alright. Mama and Daddy are going to take care of him, right now. Start listening for him, we're going to work on the guards. Tell me when you can't hear him anymore."
Ben can feel Rey still comforting them as he works on blocking his old master. In a way, he has an advantage because he knows how Snoke creeps in. That's where he goes. The cracks in your subconscious, the corners of your heart and mind where the light doesn't go unless you shine it on those places, your will.
Once he seals the last crack, he feels an audible exhale in the force. The voices of his children come to him: "The evil is gone. Thank you, Daddy."
"It's quiet now. Thank you, Daddy."
"You two get some rest. I'm going to feed Mama."
"We want some of Maz's fried bread."
"That does sound good," Rey agrees with the babies.
Ben's chuckle echoes through the connection. "Fried bread it is, then. We love you babies. Go to sleep."
"Bye," one of them yawns followed by the other one. "Goodnight, Daddy."
Then, just as easy as it started, the babies are still there, hovering just below the surface, they are quiet, already asleep.
Their eyes open, and Rey's smiling into his. "Fried bread does sound really good. Do you think Maz is—"
"If she's not, I know she will make you some. Let's go see."
Not only is she frying bread, she greets the newlyweds with a, "How are my babies today?"
Rey tries to play it off, like they just didn't talk to their new children. "They're good. Lots of kicking today."
Maz looks at them in that certain way she does. "You two must think I'm daft. You can talk, talk to your children through the force. How are they?"
"How do you know that we can do that?" Ben whispers.
"Because I could do it with Finn and your own mother could do it with you."
"I didn't know that," he answers.
"There's a lot of things you don't know, Prince. Sit down and let's eat." One of the Skywalkers let Maz use their wagon and she has a table set up just outside by the fire. She already has some porridge and bacon fixed, as if she knew Ben and Rey were coming by.
Maz waits until they have all started to eat before she asks again, "How are they?"
"Alright,' Rey answers. "They're a little afraid. Snoke is trying to talk to them."
"I figured as much. After all this is why we are marching to Exegol, isn't it?"
"It is, but the creature needs to die."
"I agree, it does. You know the creature," she says to Ben. "Is he a simple man who can do magic? Or is he something more? Something more sinister?"
"I know it is," Ben growls. "I've seen him plot and twist reality to his own will forsaking the natural order of things. He's lied to me, to Poe, to Hux, to Bodhi—to all of us. He had us make the fairy water so he could beat us daily and not kill us all in the name of training. Yes, I know the evilness this creature is. For some reason Rey and I both have to face him to destroy him. I just have to ask—is there a way to trap him?"
"You know, there just may be."
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"We're here, what now?" One group of men whines.
"Are we just going to camp here until something happens?" Another group says.
"The kings—I thought they were wise and brave, but they seem as scared as we are. I'm going back to my village if this is all there is."
As Rey and Rose walked through the camp, they couldn't help but to overhear the men complaining. "Should we tell uncle?" Rey whispers.
"They might already know," Rose mutters back as they cross in front of the tents the kings and queens have been sleeping in. Gathered around is the rest of the knights, along with some of the Skywalkers. Naturally, Rey finds herself going to Ben's side and she has to smile when Rose ends up at Hux's.
"What we have decided," Han begins, "is to send in some scouts. Then once they come back, we'll attack."
Even Rey, who doesn't know his parents that well, can tell that something is wrong. She slides her hand into his and he squeezes hers in answer. "Is he waiting to see if Lando still shows up?" she whispers.
"I think so," he murmurs back. "I wish I could just ride into Exegol, and trap Snoke in a kyber crystal."
"It's amazing," Maz pipes up behind them, "that the simplest wishes are the answer to the whole thing."
"But, how?" Rey asks as she turns to face Maz.
"Keep asking, the answer will come."
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"Papa," Ben begins. They sit around his campfire, waiting for supper.
"Yes, son," Anakin Skywalker replies, looking up from the piece of wood he's whittling on.
"How can we defeat Snoke once and for all? How did you defeat Palpatine?"
Anakin is quiet for so long, that Rey starts to think the forgot the question. But then, he begins to talk. "When I first faced Sheev in battle, it was just us fighting. After we both almost killed one another, we retreated." He chuckles, "Ironically enough it was Maz over there who nursed my wounds."
Ben and Rey's eyes meet. She can't help but to whisper, "Maz is that old?"
"I heard that!" The lady in question yells.
Rey hides her face against Ben's shoulder to hide her giggle. "I apologize, this is serious." She doesn't look up until she feels another person sit by her.
"Joy in all things is a true gift." Maz smiles. "Now I'm assuming that we are talking about our problem in the south?"
"The kids need to kill Snoke. We have to trap him in a crystal, don't we?"
"That's how you finally defeated Palpatine, isn't it?" She waits for Anakin to nod. "I think that would be the best idea," Maz says. Rey can tell that her old teacher is deep in thought.
"But how will we do that?"
"Love."
"Love?" Ben asks. "How—"
"Love is the most powerful force anywhere. It's love that propels us to defeat Snoke once and for all, is it not?" Maz asks
"I never thought about it that way," Rey says.
"Love is why we are even here, today. It's the love we have for your children and you and for each other that drives us to Exegol. Now I think in this situation, what's going to work best is the type of crystal we'll be putting him in."
"What do you think will hold him?" Anakin asks.
"Do you still have that crystal from forever ago?" Maz asks Anakin. "The one you brought back from your last battle with Snoke?"
"Padme has it in our wagon."
"Good, good." Maz turns back to Ben and Rey. "Now kids, when it comes time, I think to a certain degree, you will know what to do. All I do know is that you will need each other. Don't let anyone split you up or Snoke will win."
"What about the twins? Do you really mean for her to go into battle too?" Ben murmurs as he wraps his arm around his bride.
"Rey is strong, stronger than you know. You have to trust the force. The same force that brought you two together, the same force that helped the twins while Rey was in that horrible prison, the same force that lets you communicate with your children even now—is the same force that will protect you when you face Snoke."
Rey leans over and kisses his cheek. "See, we're going to win."
"How do you know that?" Ben asks.
"Because whenever Maz gives her you-can-do-it speech, that means that you will do what she's telling you can do."
Ben looks up and meets Maz's stare. "I hope you two are right."