Chapter summary:

With the Emperor vanquished, Rey and Ben face the aftermath of their victorious battle. The decision about their future now hangs in the air.

Author's note:

I am so excited to embark on a new journey towards the future and this chapter is the first step towards it. I hope you'll enjoy it. :)

Episode IX: Victory of the Dyad

Chapter 10 - Aftermath

The blast separated the dyad as the subsequent shock wave sent them in the air. Flying off in the opposite directions with painful shouts, shrapnel perforated their skin. Rey was silenced immediately when her body hit one of the adorned dilapidated pillars enclosing the large circle, rendering her unconscious. The pillar broke in half with the impact but she kept lifelessly falling down until she disappeared from the visual field of the pyramid's summit.

Heavier Ben wasn't as affected by the shock wave as she was. However, he barely missed a column during his flight, grazing its structure with his feet and eventually collided with a robust mutilated sculpture that formed a balustrade around the summit. The crash sent him into a free fall during which he knocked over a giant fire brazier on the ground that disappeared into the abyss beneath him and his limp body remained hanging over the edge of the pyramid.

How much time had passed until Ben finally regained his consciousness would forever remain a mystery. The concept of time had ceased to exist for him a while ago, so it could have been days, weeks or years and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Unbearable droning inside his head drowned out any other rational thought. Not even a groan he let out to describe his aching situation reached his ears.

But that changed once he opened his eyes and the nauseating vertigo overwhelmed him. At least half of the upper part of his body hung over the edge of the balustrade, his head freely hovering in the air. Despite his blurred vision, he could swear the dark abyss beneath him moved and spun. His bones grew suddenly very heavy and the gravitation was pulling him down as if it was inviting him to a fatal fall down the pyramid's wall to join the others in the oblivion.

However, his will to live was stronger than the deadly alternative. His hands found by touch a solid surface behind him so he could prop himself up and crawl backwards on all four to the safety. Once he strenuously did so, he yielded to the dizziness and began to retch until he finally vomited. His whole body quaked as the drops of sweat flooded his skin to cool down his feverish state.

Ironically, it made him feel better as his mind cleared up and he was able to think straight again. He didn't feel too well physically but considering the amount of injuries he had sustained and their severity, he could say he was surprisingly okay. Regardless the pain he felt, the blood soaking through his clothes from all the lacerated and slash wounds, burn marks and bruises, he was alive.

He looked around in confusion and realized that the sharp grit beneath his palms, scraping his skin, were crushed chips from the keystone that had blown up. The whole summit of the pyramid was covered with this weird substance, including larger fragments that didn't manage to disintegrate. The air felt so lifeless and yet, the eternal rainless storm raging over the planet kept spewing its flashing lightings.

Hesitant to stand up so he wouldn't deepen the seriousness of his injuries, he crawled around blindly in the attempt to find Rey. The last moment he had seen her was when the blast had separated them, but he guessed she couldn't be too far away. Not seeing her, however, was doing nothing for his nerves and panic rose through his throat like the bile had just moments ago.

Testing his choked vocal chords, he wheezed desperately her name multiple times but it seemed she disappeared without a trace. Finding his lightsaber and hers a short way off was a cold comfort for the crippling anxiety her disappearance caused to him. But thanks to it, he could estimate the trajectory of her flight through the air, albeit making him feel even more concerned than before.

Somehow, he managed to shamble at the end of the upper terrace. Moving hand over hand along the massive pedestal in between the two set of stairs and struggling against his imbalance, he stood up and glanced around the lower terrace but there were no signs of Rey, either. All he could see were rocks, fragments and grit but he descended the stairs, anyway, just to check if she wasn't stuck underneath.

The task wasn't as easy as he initially thought, though. Not only the persisting vertigo caused him difficulties with walking but apparently, his ankles had suffered some damage when he had grazed the column during his flight. He kept falling down on the ground, inflicting more scrapes to his skin. Relentless, he nevertheless insisted on dragging himself across the terrace with only one thought in his mind – to find Rey.

But she wasn't on the lower terrace, either, and he began to fall into despair. Praying to the Force, he looked down the pyramid's wall with the sculpted stairs up to the summit and heaved a sigh of momentary relief when he spotted her body lying on the terrace below. Body that appeared to be lifeless for Rey didn't move to get out of the contorted position she had landed in.

Hastily and without a second thought, he slid down more than went down the stairs to her, too anxious about the possibility of losing her forever. He didn't concern himself with checking up on her once he reached her, he simply lifted her body – or at least he attempted so – and when he realized he didn't have enough strength to hold her, he pulled her body up a little bit, moving her away from the unsafe and damaged terrace that could collapse anytime.

Feeling safe again, although that feeling was certainly debatable, he finally started tend to her as he carefully placed her body on the sculpted stairs and bent over her so he could check on her condition. She was as much bruised, wounded, burnt and dirty as he was. Only the gashes on her arms were deeper since she had them uncovered unlike him and a couple of her ribs were probably broken.

Her injuries didn't look fatal and yet, she wasn't moving. He hated that her body was so limp in his arms because he was used to her liveliness and her fidgety nature. Shaking her hopelessly, he tried to shove the life back into her body but she didn't respond. With her eyes closed, she looked almost peaceful as if she was reconciled with her fate for longer than she could remember.

But he was having none of it. Forlorn, helpless but determined, he embraced her immobile body and whispered to her words that perhaps didn't make any sense but kept his hope alive. He slid his hand up her back to her neck to find by touch her carotid artery and check her pulse. To his immense relief he could sense the pulsating movement beneath his fingers, proving that she was alive.

Once again, he had no time or event perception. His concentration was solely directed at her and her increasing pulse as she fitfully but softly breathed, ruffling his sweat-drenched hair. After a while, she coughed softly with a distressing gasp for air as she struggled to take a deep breath because she had really broken at least two ribs during her flight. But once she realized her chest hurt much less when she took short, measured breaths, she opened her eyes and blinked rapidly to get oriented.

She recalled the unwanted takeoff as the keystone had blown up and how everything blacked out after she had hit some structure. With a slight turn of her aching neck, she assessed that they were still in the pyramid and Ben clutched her as if his life depended on it. She lifted her sore arms after several attempts to move with them so she could embrace him back and let him know that she was conscious because he didn't seem to notice it.

As soon as he felt her stir, his own heartbeat quickened instantly and then calmed down to match hers as the relief eased up his apprehension. He pulled away, his left hand moving to the back of her neck to support her. Her stained and bruised face was the most beautiful face he had ever seen and if he could judge from the warm look she gave to him, she felt the same about his.

"Ben." She sighed with a smile because she was happy to see him alive and relatively well.

He didn't say anything because he couldn't find any proper words to describe what he was feeling at the moment. His eyes watered with tears of joy and thankfulness because he had never expected his mission to turn out so well. Not only they had defeated the Emperor and he had liberated himself from yet another tormentor who had haunted his dreams in many forms for so long, but they also survived which was an unlikely outcome he honestly hadn't taken into account.

Although his plan to keep her away as far as possible monumentally failed, he was eventually very grateful that she hadn't let him to discourage her from following him. He had yet to ask her how she had found him and her way to Exegol but one thing was for sure. Without her, this massive victory would have never been possible, let alone thinkable, he knew that now.

Their power as a dyad was a decisive factor. Its manifestation didn't lie in some special superpower or super ability that would overshadow any other Force power, however unique. It lay in the unrivalled connection between them that strengthened their fighting efficiency and their defensive capacity. One thought exchanged through their bond across space and time and the Force responded willingly in their favour, granting them the access to both the Dark and the Light, to the life itself and even to the death itself. A perfect antithesis that couldn't be as easily abused as it might seem.

On top of that, he had the opportunity to confess his feelings for her and guarantee that his love for her was pure and genuine. Having his feelings requited and hear she loved him back then made him feel utterly happy. It filled him with so much warmth and confidence he had lacked in his youth despite all the affection from his family. Only Rey could make him feel so worthy and completed – probably because just as he had accepted her for who she was with everything she entailed, she had accepted him the same way.

She raised her hand and tentatively ran her fingers across his cheek to ensure she wasn't dreaming or didn't become a Force spirit, even though she doubted that someone who had become one with the Force could feel such a pain coursing through a physical body as she did. Her eyes read his as his thoughts flew between them across their bond and she couldn't resist the urge to reward him with a kiss.

When their lips met, he welcomed it with a soft sigh but desperately avoided an open-mouthed version due to the unpleasant aftertaste in his mouth after throwing up. She chuckled when she registered his regret over having no water at hand so he could rinse his mouth and show her how exactly a loving kiss could taste like. Honestly, she couldn't care less even if his mouth was full of blood. They had just overcome the greatest challenge of their lives for Force's sake! All she wanted was a comforting kiss and she took it.

After they parted, Ben smiled widely and released a long, contended sigh that was locked up in his chest for far too long. She smiled with him and nudge his nose with hers playfully, glad that she could let her feelings loose and show them publicly. Tightening their arms around each other and leaning their foreheads against one another, they remained quiet in a peaceful embrace for another while.

But the silence was soon cut through with roaring sounds of departing ships from starfighters to destroyers and other warships. Both Ben and Rey looked up to see the inestimable amount of ships fleeing the planet in an impetuous way as some of them collided with each other, some of them crashed into the rocky formations that were higher than the pilots anticipated, or they just simply blew up in midair.

Their fascination over the phenomenon was interrupted by a curt clearing of someone's throat. Looking over his shoulder, Ben cursed internally when he saw the Knights of Ren gathered on the half-collapsed terrace completely unfazed by the imminent threat. While he had taken them with him to aid him in the battle against the Emperors' forces, he hadn't exactly thought about what to do with them once the battle was over.

One thing was certain – he was no longer their leader, their member or someone they would affiliate themselves with. He hadn't relinquished the Dark side completely but his feelings for Rey had no place in the loose lifestyle the Knights lead. While attachments weren't forbidden and were actually required so the group could rely among themselves on each other completely, romantic love was a feeling too tied to the Light they held in scorn.

Even though he used to see them as brothers and they were equally devoted to him, he was afraid that they would turn against him in this very moment. Despite having barely any strength to fight them, he clumsily stood up to face them. Holding his head high, he brushed his fingers over the two lightsaber hilts attached to his belt to sign that if they desired to kill them for his 'betrayal', so be it. He wouldn't condemn himself and Rey to death without a fight, however short-lived.

Rey behind him also scrambled to her feet in a very gawky way, sensing his concern, determined to provide her aid. But Ben still moved in front of her to play the part of human shield if required, refusing to risk her life and rather offering his own. The Knights were his former comrades and thus, his problem to settle. If he self-confidently confronted them, there was a chance that Rey could be left out of this conflict and allowed to go away freely.

But to the surprise of both, all six Knights went down on their knees in front him and bowed. Although it could seem so, the gesture had nothing to do with inferiority. It was respect the Knights were manifesting, respect towards both Ben and Rey and their mutual achievement. Their dyad was a source of power they admired. It was an honour for them to be able to fight alongside them and participate on such an accomplishment as the defeat of the Emperor.

None of them held against Ben his decision to turn back to the Light, nor they have considered it as treachery or weakness. It was the path their former brother had freely chosen. Albeit not in compliance with their code and their beliefs, they appreciated what Ben had managed, as well as what he had done for them in the past. The time had simply come to split their union and follow their respective, different paths.

"Thank you for the opportunity to fight." The one with the rifle who had directed Rey earlier to find Ben said. "You know how to get in touch with us if you ever need us ever again."

Ben could only nod in acknowledgment, too bewildered with their attitude to form a comprehensible answer. Rey was equally perplexed but nodded out of respect, as well. She had no reason to make them feel threatened as they had never really done anything to her or to feel threatened despite their dangerous and imposing looks since they had helped her before.

The Knights simultaneously stood back up like a well-coordinated shock troop they were and began to leave. "If I were you, I'd leave this place as soon as possible. There will be nothing but rubble within an hour." The one with the vibrocleaver shouted at them before disappearing back inside the pyramid.

Both gave out a sigh of relief once they were alone again, nestling against each other for comfort unwittingly as if it was the most natural thing to do. But knowing they had limited lime to drag their battered bodies back to their ships, they decided to heed the warning of the Knights and follow them slowly and carefully through the corridor illuminated by the pyramid-like torches to the centre of the Sith temple.

The pathways trembled beneath their feet as the explosive materials fastened by the Knights to the barracks and shipyards outside detonated, annihilating all animate and inanimate things within reach of the blast. But they managed to get around the fading current of the red light mixed with the black smoke safely, listening to the wailing sounds coming from beneath the pyramid as if the vergence of the Dark side yowled in pain under all the years of abuse.

Staggering across the spacious laboratory exhausted, hungry and thirsty, Rey decided to rummage through a couple of stations with research equipment. No matter who the scientists worked for, they were still likely humans or other alien species that needed food and beverages to survive. She didn't look for food as much as she looked for water because she had enough supplies of the former on the Falcon while she was short of the latter.

After a while, she came across some water cantinas she immediately opened and sniffed to make sure they truly contained water. Cautiously, she tasted a couple of drops to taste if the water wasn't contaminated with some filth and then deemed it safe for drinking, albeit she was still watchful to observe some after-effects of the consummation but everything seemed to be fine.

Ben rinsed his mouth first before drinking the water with long gulps to get rid of the awful aftertaste of gastric juices mixed with blood. Rey quenched her parched throat, flushing down the unpleasant scratching particles of something inside her mouth, too, and then they continued on their limping way out of the pyramid that was shaking with the explosions that were closer and closer to them.

They could see more and more ships rashly trying to escape the explosive hell on the ground once they finally left the temple through the triangular passageway. With careful, measured steps, they walked across the stony path lined with the huge statues, getting round the fissures as best as they could without the need to jump or performing some acrobatic moves to respect the injuries their bodies had sustained.

Not a word passed between them during the advancement to their ships. For one, they knew what the other intended to do without saying, so they instinctively supported each other whenever it was required from giving a hand to pull the other to propping the other to alleviate the pain in the swollen ankles. Their bond was simply sufficient enough to communicate silently, even without the otherwise essential nonverbal gestures.

Secondly, they could both sense the tension rising between them born from the uncertainty where they stood with each other. Their union, their power, their feelings and their achievements – they were just one, brighter side of the whole picture. The other was filled with 'what now' possibilities and opinions in which they diverged. The silence made it all even worse but they both intentionally tried to postpone the conversation – ignorance was bliss, after all.

Ben believed he knew Rey's vision of the future but he wasn't sure if he entirely identified with it. Her new family was the Resistance where she'd created eternal friendships and unbreakable bonds. They were her people now and it was only natural if she desired to partake in rebuilding the Galaxy and protect it from any threat. However, he couldn't say he felt the same way.

For him, the First Order wasn't a family but a formation of people who shared the same opinions on how the Galaxy should progress and be governed. Albeit these goals were less and less important to him since he had met Rey, he – as its leader – felt certain amount of responsibility and commitment towards the organization although he didn't revel in that role.

People there... feared him for the most part. Some of them even outright despised him despite listening and carrying out his every order. He only knew he didn't wish to be perceived that way anymore and planned to reverse their aggressive strategy to some milder approach while maintaining their dignity. But the war was already under way and going openly against those who waged it would only lead to deepening the inner strife the Order didn't need.

There was also the option to cop out of the organization and follow the two people he loved the most in his life – Rey and his mother. Aside them, however, he barely had anything in common with the Resistance. Not only he would have to conform to their beliefs and adopt their politics if he was to join them, he would also be required to assume the responsibility for his past deeds and renounce his affiliation to both the First Order and the Dark side.

As much as he wanted to atone for his crimes, express his genuine regret over some of his actions and perhaps even earn their fragile trust, he knew that all that effort could be in vain. A merest misstep, however accidental, could lead to his death, his mother's shame and to Rey's disillusionment. He had already hurt himself and both women too much to humiliate them like that.

And while he certainly didn't want to insinuate that he preferred to deny his accountability because it was the right thing to do, he would rather like to run away and make his bygone dreams come true. To travel across the universe, discovering its hidden corners and unexplored nooks with Rey as his only companion, would make him forever happy. She would hopefully appreciate the idea considering her fascination with nature and everything green, blue and colourful.

He was sure his father had once dreamt about the very same thing, too, before he had realized that Leia wouldn't give up her political career to become an adventurous wife of a smuggler. Her natural authority with a heart of a leader couldn't have been wasted, not even to the benefit of the Jedi Order, and becoming a mother had made her political priorities clearer than ever before.

Despite her Force sensitivity, she had chosen not to deepen her knowledge and improve her potential fighting skills just like her brother had. Instead, she was content with the little she already knew and used the Force instinctively to enhance her leadership prowess that was always used wisely and thoughtfully. Han and Luke had never held it against her, respecting her talent and ambitions but not limiting themselves, either.

Meanwhile, Rey contemplated their future very similarly. He had already once offered her to leave everything behind so she had no doubt he considered repeating it, albeit with some slight adjustments. But the idea of a life on a run didn't attract her. She didn't reject the vision of travelling across the Galaxy itself; she just despised the notion of pulling along the emotional baggage that would arise from the unsettled issues.

Ben needed to finish what he had started and complete his redemption for his own sake. Even if it meant to go through the unpleasant process of humility, he had to get over his ego and show that his good deeds were worth of appreciation. Otherwise, he would be forever condemned to live the rest of his life with a label of a merciless murderer and ungrateful son who squandered his only chance to reconcile with his mother.

Sensing his hesitancy, she attempted to decide for them both and began to decisively drag him towards the Millennium Falcon. However, she didn't get too far as his heels dug into the ground stubbornly and his body opposed against boarding the ship that had once belonged to his father. Breaking free from her supporting embrace, he took a couple of painful stumbles back to put some distance between him and the spaceship.

"I... I think I should return back to the First Order." He suggested uncertainly with a disjointed breath as if he begged for her approval. With her blessings, the decision he hadn't made yet would have been way easier.

To his surprise, Rey didn't appear to be hurt or angry but neither did she respond. With her hands on her hips, she narrowed her eyes at him with a look he knew too well – a look of a strong woman who bowed to no man because she could kick their asses if she made up her mind to do so. And she wasn't about to make an exception in his case, quite the contrary.

Her gleaming eyes challenged him to bring forward his arguments so she could evaluate their legitimacy and approve of his intention. Yes, she exploited his indecision but only a well-founded counter-argument could pursue him to do what she had in mind. Outright insistence that she knew what was best for him wasn't the smartest way to nudge him into the direction she wanted.

Despite the noise all around, Ben could only hear the piercing ringing in his ears that had nothing to do with the vertigo from earlier. "I have a reason to suspect that most of the former Imperial generals within the ranks of the First Order... defected after Palpatine's message was broadcasted." He confessed with a distaste glued to his mouth. He hated to acknowledge that he couldn't rely on his own subordinates, casting a shadow of a doubt on him as a leader. "Their fleets vanished and although I ordered to the rest to find them, I had no time to chase them myself."

But he hungered to do so. He wanted to hunt down those impudent officers who dared to mock his leadership and punish them for their betrayal. For once, though, he had chosen a more strategic approach and rather focused on nipping their desertion in the bud by dealing with the Emperor once and for all. It might have not stopped them from forming a well-armed faction that would surely attempt to take over the First Order, but even such a formation was easier to defeat when left leaderless and purposeless.

"We both know who they intended to join, Rey. Sadly, I don't think his death changes anything." He continued and his head jerked in the direction of the pyramid to emphasize who he meant. "If we want to prevent another Contingency from happening, I should return to my duties as a Supreme leader and deal with the problem. It's entirely mine."

Folding her arms across her chest, she bit her bottom lip pensively and scrunched her nose as she contemplated her response. "I understand and I agree." She took his breath away when she eventually concurred with him. "If we want to prevent another Contingency from happening, we must arrest, trial and sentence these defected generals and the Imperial fugitives fleeing this place right over our heads."

She put the emphasis on specific words on purpose because she fully intended to prove her point. While the inner conflict within the First Order was perhaps his problem as he was officially the leader of the organization, the stakes were far higher than that. It was a recurring issue they kept wrestle with for weeks and she would love to arrive at some arrangement convenient for both.

"But we can do so as allies, Ben. You can still come with me to the Resistance base and propose a plan for a joint action or declare a truce, if you will." She suggested shrewdly, avoiding pressuring words such as 'surrender' or 'submission' that could give him a different idea. "It's something your mother planned to negotiate before I left for Endor."

Rey had no idea if Leia went through with the plan in the end because she preferred to stay off radar for as long as she could. It was better not to know what was happening in the meantime while she had chased Ben because it would distract her. The only moment she had used the communication channel was when she had sent a message to Chewie after her encounter with Ben on Kef Bir. Since then, she had maintained strict radio silence.

Anxiety and panic began to burn inside his throat after he heard her argumentation. He agreed with her and knew she offered a logical course of action, but he couldn't quite explain why he dreaded it. "I don't know if—" He weakly attempted to object but fell silent the moment she approached him and took his hand to soothingly rub his palm and ease the agitation she read in his face.

"I don't want you to do it for me. My feelings for you won't change, Ben, whatever you decide to do." She assured him as he stared at their joined hands somewhat ashamed to look her straight in the eyes. "I know that the Force will always bring us together, no matter what happens."

He looked up at her, frightened by the idea that their ways would separate and he would get to see her only occasionally. It was something he didn't take into account; in his mind they were inseparable. He had no intention to allow their love to be limited by their distinct world views. They were a dyad in the Force – two people that were one – they were destined to be together.

"I want you to do it for yourself. You'll never know peace if you don't make a forthcoming gesture, Ben. They'll always see you as a villain." She continued as her second hand landed on his bicep to massage his muscles and help him relax.

She was right, of course, and he knew it. If he returned back to the First Order without a word and let his actions speak for him, they would keep considering him as a villain because he didn't make a simple forthcoming gesture that spoke volumes. If he went with her to the Resistance base and refused to own up to his crimes, they would keep seeing him as a villain because he declined to show any remorse. If he chose to run away, he wouldn't be considered only as a villain but also as a coward, a hunted renegade forever condemned to live in seclusion.

And he would never have the peace he had fought for. He would be constantly plagued by 'what if' scenarios, knowing that he squandered the opportunity to redeem himself fully because the option to make a forthcoming gesture wasn't unlimited and eternal. He would be pursued by his enemies, his guilty conscience, his unfulfilled dreams and wishes.

If there was a good time and place to find inner peace, become a better man and make amends, it was right now. But the apprehension kept seizing him, suffocating him from the inside. The more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that his desire to flee had nothing to do with the reluctance to conform to the beliefs of the Resistance. But it had everything to do with the fear of being confronted by his mother.

"I know you're right but with my mother... It's different." He uttered sadly, catching her hand in his when she slipped it down his arm. He needed to touch her. "I can't... I can't face her. Not after what I've done."

He lowered his eyes but she released his second hand and put her fingers beneath his chin to lift his head up a bit. "I told you already that she still loves you and believes in you and I meant it. I heard her saying with my own ears that it would mean everything to her to have her boy back." She told him and watched his eyes glisten with unshed tears. "All you have to do is to come home."

A sob riddled through his throat and another one followed right after. His lips began to tremble as he tried to keep it together but the emotional strain got the better of him. As if she knew what was coming, she opened her arms and he buried his broad figure in the comforting embrace of her petite body, crying and weeping. The planet around them was shaking with explosions, but in that moment neither of them cared, lost in a quake of their own.

She shed her tears with him, moved beyond comprehension with his frankness because he had just allowed his vulnerability to be seen. Once she sensed he was becoming calmer, catching his breath, she pulled away and cupped his face between her hands. "I know you're scared, Ben. I'm scared too. I'm scared that they will h—" she didn't finish her thought, faltering in the middle due to a sob, "that they will hurt you. But I swear I won't let them."

He grasped her hands and kissed her fingers with boundless gratitude as the silent tears kept falling down his cheeks and she sobbed. However, it didn't seem quite enough, although she melted under his warm gaze. Shifting his weight from one foot to another to get more comfortable, he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss they deserved – passionate, yet tender; lustful, yet loving and fierce, yet gentle.

"I'll go with you." He announced his concession between two thorough kisses because as soon as he had said it, she rewarded him with another one.

A shock wave caused by a nearby blast jiggled their balance and they were forced to pull apart. Rey's inner clock indicated that they didn't have much time left and if they wanted to make the future they had just agreed on happen, they needed to leave this planet as soon as possible. The pyramid was a ticking bomb ready to explode in any moment and for the sake of their lives, they should be as far as they could when it happened.

Tugging at his hand, she tossed her head in the direction of the spaceship they both knew quite well, but he returned her the squeeze and remained standing where he was. "Let's fly with my ship." He suggested more confidently this time. His TIE whisper wasn't as comfortable as Millennium Falcon, but it was faster and fitter to fight if required. And unlike Falcon, it didn't hold any memories of his childhood.

"No, we must fly with the Falcon. Remember, you are making a forthcoming gesture, Ben." She refused to budge and stood fast stubbornly. "I don't personally care which ship we'll fly but it's exactly the gesture everyone will want to see."

She turned around towards the TIE whisper and pointed her finger at it. "This ship says that you are Kylo Ren, the Supreme leader of the First Order." She described the impression the choice of a spaceship could have and turned back towards the other one. "Falcon, on the other hand, says that you are Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia Skywalker Organa Solo."

Ben sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Arguing with her was pointless, he already knew it and as always, she was right. But boarding the legendary spaceship was a huge step for him because it wasn't just part of his childhood or a mean how to leave Exegol. It was part of the legacy that accompanied his family name, the very same legacy he had renounced and learned to hate.

"Rey, I killed—" He warned her against the repercussion that could occur if the gesture was perceived differently, but she didn't let him finish, anticipating his defiance.

"I know what you did. And nothing you will ever say or do will bring him back to life." She told him with a compassionate sparkle in her eyes, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb unwittingly. "But Han wanted you to come home. I think we both know that he would agree."

The moment he had narrated his version of the story in the Death Star ruins, she was more sympathetic to him. Yes, the patricide he had committed was a vile act deserving the contempt it had gotten. But it was also an act of pure desperation to find a solution to the eternal and rending conflict. She could understand how painful and exhausting it had to be for him to constantly struggle against himself, albeit she didn't agree with his methods.

If he was to get accustomed to the burden that would accompany him for the rest of his life, he had to take the first step towards healing. Flying with the Millennium Falcon, the ship his father owned and where he had spent some of his childhood was definitely one of them. It wasn't supposed to be an arrogant display of his insensitivity, but a deed that should help him overcome his own demons.

She caressed his cheek for comfort and offered him her shoulder to lean on to alleviate the pain in his ankles. His steps were tentative but as they walked side by side towards the spaceship, his stride regained its usual vigour deadened by his injuries. She didn't press him to go faster, albeit she was getting worried that they might not leave the planet on time, because his acceptance was just as important.

He stumbled inside the cockpit and flopped down on the chair behind the co-pilot seat, overwhelmed by the feelings of familiarity and the childhood memories that kept residing in him up to this day. Looking around himself with a sentimental expression on his face, all he could think about was how he had used to run through the corridors and rooms of this spacious vessel, playing hide-and-seek and other games for children when he was a little boy.

The ship was like his second home, a sanctuary that had always been in his disposal no matter if his father, Chewie or Uncle Lando had been onboard. It was here where he had been taught the basics of piloting, where he had used to hide from the nightmares that haunted his dreams, where he had felt that his bond with his father was stronger than anywhere else.

Since she considered the trip down the memory lane he was apparently experiencing as a healthy coping mechanism to whatever trauma he had suffered, Rey left him in the chair and settled herself in the pilot's seat. Bringing the ship's system back to life, she punched several buttons on her and co-pilot's side so she could assess the situation before take-off and make sure the ship didn't sustain any damage while she'd been away.

At one point of her automatic and practised routine, she looked up and noticed the gold pair of dice connected with a chain hanging right before her eyes and smiled. In one of her talkative moments, Leia had nostalgically told her how Ben used to play with the lucky charm of his father at all times and the adorable image Rey had conjured up in her mind never left her.

Raising her hand, she touched them lightly and unhooked them. Then she turned around in her seat and beckoned awestruck Ben to extend his arm so she could place the dice on his open palm. "They are yours now." She informed him with a smile while he stared at the object in his hand unbelievingly.

The last time he had held them was back on Crait over a year ago, but it had been their Force projection, not the real thing. Still, he ran his fingers across the edges of the cubes and the engraved symbols on them to make sure they wouldn't disappear just like they had before. Since they hadn't, he rolled his hand into a fist and squeezed them firmly with a silent wish they would bring him at least part of the luck his father used to have.

His ruminations were interrupted by the sudden thrust upwards he wasn't prepared for as the Millennium Falcon began to soar into the sky. Looking out of the viewports, he watched the hovering and falling debris from the exploded ships endangering their safety but remained stoically calm. With completely concentrated Rey steering the ship, he believed that they would get out of there unscathed.

But as she danced with the ship in the air, masterfully but demandingly evading the rubble and explosions, he felt his sense of cooperation kicking in. Before he could give it a second thought, he moved to the co-pilot's chair and pulled the small lever she was trying to unsuccessfully reach. She appreciated it with a wide, brief smile before she executed another acrobatic manoeuvre, disburdening herself with a couple of cheers.

However, the ship began to tremble while the sensors beeped loudly in the midst of a deafening silence. Rey had but a short second to make a decision how to survive the burning hell beneath them as a noise of detonation cut through the ominous quiet. Her commands to Ben made sense to him, but he still looked up at her every single time to make sure that she knew what she was asking of him.

She had no time to doubt her solution, though. No one could predict the consequences the blast might have on the Dark side locus below the planet's surface but she expected the worst. If they were to survive, Falcon had to reach the lightspeed and jump into the hyperspace before the gravitational pull of the planet would become too strong. It would pull them back down and swallowed them for eternity.

The jump manoeuvre was dangerous, insane even, and it risked the destruction of the ship. But with the right vessel, the right co-pilot, the mutual power they shared and with the spirit of Han Solo weaved in every single particle of this freighter, she was confident enough to believe it would work. Her positivity and determination eventually infected Ben as he carried out her orders without a hint of uncertainty.

At her command, he turned off the safety protocols preventing the hyperdrive engines from firing and leaned back to prepare himself for the unpleasant jump. She checked their speed for the last time and with a little prayer on her lips, she punched the corresponding buttons and pulled the necessary levers. The familiar blue-shaped corridor with blurred blots appeared and they entered the hyperspace.

The End of Chapter 11

There's no need to worry that I will leave the First Order or the Emperor's army be. Trust me, everything I put into chapters has its own reason to be there and all the loose ends will be eventually tied.

And we're heading back to the Resistance, yay! Can't wait to show you what the reactions will be. But that will take a while, let's give them some time alone, shall we? ;)

Which means that the title of the next chapter is – TOGETHER AT LAST. Since I'm currently writing the last chapter (18) and have only epilogue to do (19), I'll probably speed up the updating.

See ya!