It was decided that Ben would prepare the palace on Naboo for Rey's arrival, and Rey would go to the Resistance to pack up her things and say goodbye to her old friends. Rey was saddened by this, but understood that it had to be done in order to ensure Ben's safety and survival. Ben's very powerful, Rey thought, But he is very weak now, since much of his life force was drained by Darth Sidious. I must protect him until he can regain his strength. Rey's mapping system led her straight back to the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss. Greeting her excitedly, Finn shouted for Rey. Rey's excitement for her reunion on base was short-lived. She had a mission to keep, a duty to Ben Solo, and a secret to keep; For she knew if anyone in the Resistance knew Ben was alive, they would end him. There was a sense of urgency surrounding Rey, and she tried her best to keep it hidden. Worried, Finn asked, "What are you doing?" "Studying the force on Ach-To, the ancient Jedi Temple planet," Rey lied, convincingly. Although she was convincing, Finn sensed that Rey was hiding something from him, but he couldn't figure out what. So, before Rey left for "Ach-To", Finn placed a tracker on the old X-wing that Rey had claimed. Finn was determined to figure out the truth.
As soon as Rey set off for Naboo, Finn checked the tracker. She lied to me, Finn puzzled, But why? For the greater part of a day, Finn was bemused as to why Rey would lie to him about where she was going. Trying to use his newfound force powers, Finn reached out for Rey in the force. Feeling nothing, Finn gave up. It was fruitless to use the force to find her if she didn't want to be found. Finn decided to tell General Poe Dameron about this incident. He sensed someone eerily familiar; A familiar foe.
Rey gently touched down at the old castle at sunset. The rich colors of the bright Nabooian sky illuminated the delicate features of the planet as it faded into night. Waiting for her, Ben stood across the lawn. His awkward smile made Rey giggle. Truly, Ben Solo had a lot to learn about happiness. Entering the marbled archway to the castle, Rey was amazed by the intricate detail in every architectural detail of the palace. She had never seen such luxury in all her travels. Quietly, Rey asked Ben, "Who did this place belong to?" "Padmé Amidala," Ben replied. "She was my grandmother, a fearless fighter and a practiced politician. So that was the general's mother, Rey thought. It all made sense to her now. That explained where she got her fiery spirit from, and how she was a tactical politician. As Rey continued down the halls of the palace, she could feel the energy of the force encircling its grounds. Reaching the senator's old chambers, Rey noticed something lying on the nightstand. It seemed to be a japor snippet from Tatooine. Anakin must have made it for her, Rey put together. Grasping the snippet, Rey was suddenly whisked into a vision…
"You love me? I thought we had decided not to fall in love. That we'd be forced to live a lie and that it would destroy our lives." "I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway. I truly... deeply... love you and before we die I want you to know."… "Are you an angel?" "What?" "An angel. I've heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the moons of Iego, I think. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe." … "Are you all right? You're trembling. What's going on?" "Something wonderful has happened. Ani, I'm pregnant." … "I'm not going to die in childbirth, Anakin. I promise you." "No, I promise you." Padmé, screaming in agony, is struggling to give birth to her twins, Luke and Leia. Giving a final breath, Padmé dies…
Released from the vision, Rey realized what the vision was showing her. It showed her that Ben and herself were able to save each other from death, thereby finishing what Anakin had failed in doing. She hoped that it would last, so that Ben could learn to forgive himself, and she could continue to learn about the ever-evolving force.
Rushing into the general's office, Finn exclaimed, "There's something wrong with Rey!" Poe questioned, "What's wrong now, hotshot?" Finn explained, "Rey told me she was going to Ach-To to study the force, but I was suspicious, since she'd been acting weird lately. So, I decided to put a long-range tracker on her ship, and it turns out she lied to me. She went to Naboo, and I have no ideas to why." "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Finn," Poe replied, confused as to why Rey suddenly deserted. "I'll send out Captain Connix to Naboo for investigation, and you can stay here and help me manage the surrender of the First Order." "I just hope Rey isn't doing anything too dangerous," Finn said, nervously.
Preparing an X-wing, Connix packed her gear and set off for Naboo. Thinking to herself, Connix wondered, Why would Rey just suddenly leave the Resistance after a major battle? Did something happen on Exogul that no one else noticed? Connix continued on her journey to Naboo, nervous about what secrets she would unearth from Rey. It was so unlike Rey to lie to someone, especially Finn. Finn seemed very disturbed by Rey's disappearance, so Connix suspected the threat level of her mission was high. She hoped for the sake of her dear friend, that nothing was wrong, and that Finn's suspicions were incorrect. She knew deep down that Finn was likely right, to her dismay.
Landing on Naboo at the exact coordinates of her desired location, Connix spotted Rey outside the castle, meditating beside the cool waters of the lake. She seemed so tranquil, unlike how Finn described her to be. Connix suspected that Rey just wanted some peace and quiet after her draining battle on Exogul. As Connix turned to leave, she caught someone else in the corner of her eye.
Kylo Ren.
