Chapter 4: More to a Heart

Rose Tico remembered when she first met Rey of Jakku, the Last Jedi. She heard tales from Finn whenever he visited her in the medbay while she recovered. How she swooped in to cover them on the old rebel base on Crait. How she was a student of the famous Luke Skywalker and would defeat Kylo Ren and the Jedi would be reborn with her.

They had just settled on Ajan Kloss and began building up their base in ancient ruins left behind.

Rose was happy to finally be allowed to walk around after her injuries. She stretched her muscles and cracked her spine and neck, relieving tension bubbled up in her joints and bones. She made her way to the Falcon to see if it needed any repairs. The old ship still gave as good as it got and it was the savior in the Resistance's darkest hour.

The ramp was down which meant someone was inside. Rose climbed aboard and went straight to the cockpit.

A woman in grey robes of the Jedi was on the floor, tools in her hands as she looked underneath the control panels with a tight brow and pursed lips. She stopped her work when she spotted Rose out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, hello," she greeted, sliding out from under the console and brushing loose strands of hair out of her face. She held out her hand to Rose. "I'm Rey. I haven't seen you much before."

Rose took her hand. "Rose Tico."

"Finn's friend?" Rey said, the edges of her mouth curling up slightly.

"Yes!" Rose nodded.

"I'm glad you're okay and walking around. I'm just working on the Falcon. It took somewhat of a beating on the way here."

"First Order?" Rose pondered, tightening her lips in a line. Just what the Resistance needed.

"No, debris," Rey explained.

Rose's eyes flickered to the console, pieces on the floor. "Do you need help?"

Rey smiled again, but there was something odd about the action coming from her. "Sure. You know stuff about ships right?"

The two women would spend their free time repairing and upgrading the Millennium Falcon when they had a moment to breathe amidst all the setting up and preparing for eventual attacks from the First Order. Rey was the legendary Last Jedi so she spent hours in the woods by herself frequently, training with her stave.

One month passed. No attacks.

Rose found it suspect that the First Order hadn't found them, but she couldn't complain after their near-destruction on Crait.

One evening, Rose stomped over and sat down next to Rey as she worked on tightening the bolts on the ramp of the Falcon.

Rose realized during all her time with Rey, the famous Last Jedi, that her smile never reached her eyes. It was like she was holding something on the inside, but Rey seemed more relaxed around Rose than she was around other Resistance members.

Especially tonight. Rey was tense as she glared at the bolts, furiously working, but when Rose came over and sat down, Rey relaxed the tension in her shoulders.

"Credit for your thoughts?" Rose said, trying to take her mind off of how infuriated she was.

Rey glared at the bolts. "Commander Dameron just prefers to keep me here for whatever reason and won't let me make supply runs."

Ah yes. Rose knew that Rey and Poe butted heads frequently. Rey was impulsive, and while Poe was, he was less impulsive now which led to clashing a lot. Rose didn't blame Rey for wanting to get out once in a while, but of course, Rey was also a huge target for the First Order. The Jedi Killer Kylo Ren would stop at nothing to see her dead.

"I would say go without him but we all know how that would turn out," Rose joked.

Rey moved onto the next bolt. "I might just do it all things considered. We need supplies and the Falcon can handle it best. It's my ship."

Rose laughed and leaned back on her hands, her fury over an insistent mechanic telling her she was wrong was forgotten. "Say, what do you think you'll do when the war is over?"

Rey dropped her tool. "I… I don't know."

Rose tilted her head. "No idea? Nothing you want?"

The Last Jedi reached her hand up to her arm, which had a wrap around her bicep. "I know I needed to help the Resistance but… I haven't thought much about what comes after. Most of my life was just trying to survive alone."

Rose knew she was hiding something but it wasn't her place to pry. "I want to honor my sister when it ends, properly. Paige helped take out one of the dreadnoughts and I owe it to her."

Rey looked at her with a very knowing expression. "I'm so sorry about your sister. Losing family has to be hard."

"Do you have any family?" Rose asked before she could stop herself.

"No," Rey answered, looking down at her hands. "I don't."

Rose felt that same sadness for her. "I'm sorry." She placed a hand on Rey's shoulder.

Rey smiled, but it still never reached her eyes. "It's alright. I… I do want one though. With… Well…"

Rose brightened up. "Like, you want to marry someday?"

Wait, was Rey blushing? Even in the low light of the Falcon Rose couldn't mistake the red flush of Rey's cheeks.

"Yes," Rey said. "It's silly but it's more of… I want someone who understands me, to make me feel like I belong…"

"Sounds like you found someone already," Rose nudged her. "Who is it? Is it a man? Is he cute?"

Rey's entire face was now flustered. "Yes, but it's complicated."

Oh.

"Why is it complicated? I mean men are complicated so I am not surprised," Rose joked.

Rey withdrew into herself. "It just is. It's complicated and I…"

Something in the distance caught Rey's eye, for she was staring at a tree with a mix of horror and anger on her red face.

"Rey?" Rose called to her, trying to snap her out of her reverie. "You alright?"

"I feel like I'm waiting for something that will never happen," Rey said, never taking her eyes off the tree for a good minute.

Finally she tore her attention away from the tree and went back to her work.

Rose was utterly confused, but she let the topic be. It seemed to be a sore one for Rey and whoever the man was, she had to wonder if he hurt her in the past.

Or if Rey hurt him.

Rey had a temper, she was quick to anger and sometimes she would twitch her fingers as if she was itching for a fight, but nothing ever came of it. She seemed to keep herself calm and she would just stalk off into the woods, probably to vent her frustration on some unsuspecting tree.

As the months went by, Rose always noticed that Rey feigned smiling less and less and her temper increased.

Rose stumbled upon her crying and a lightsaber on the floor in the Falcon. "You okay?!" Rose said, running over to the Jedi and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Rey said, looking away to hide her tears. "It's just too much at times."

The pressure of being a Jedi certainly had to take its toll. Everyone looked at her with reverence and as a symbol of hope constantly in the Resistance. Rose didn't envy that at all. The Resistance itself was a symbol, but even so, they couldn't help themselves but to look to the Last Jedi as their hope, it was less burdensome on them that way.

Rey wiped away her tears and looked at Rose with a mischievous glint in her red-rimmed eyes. "I think I need to get out. Supply run?"

Rose smiled. "Poe won't like it. Remember last time?"

"Oh, I know, but it's my ship."

The two managed to sneak off with Chewie on a supply run and took out some supply posts owned by the First Order.

When they returned, Poe was far from happy.

"Again Rey?" he snapped at her. "These runs are too risky for the Last Jedi to get involved in, you know that."

Rey rolled her eyes. "I can do what I want, Commander. You're not my boss. We needed these supplies."

"But the Supreme Leader has a vendetta against you and your ship! Next thing you know his dreadnought will appear and shoot you out of the sky."

Rey opened her mouth to retort but then closed it, opting to stalk off in a huff.

Rose wasn't surprised at the statement. It was certainly true, but still.

Today when Rose woke up in the aftermath of the First Order's attack in the wake of months of nothing, she went to check on Rey meditating in the forest, according to Finn.

And was horrified at the sight of her.

Her movements were rough and precise as she put together metal pieces into a long connected rod. She looked up from her work. Dark circles formed under her cold and unwelcoming glare. Her skin lacked its usual blush from movement or just working. She looked so sickly and awful.

"Did you need something?" she said quietly.

Rose looked at her friend, her stomach sinking. "Just wondering if you're okay? Finn told me you ran off yesterday."

"I'm fine Rose," Rey snapped.

Rose took a step back in surprise and sighed. "We're here for you, you know."

Rey stayed silent.

Who was this girl? What had happened to her? Was it the skirmish? She heard two of the Knights of Ren were there.

Rose turned away and began walking back to the base, scared for her, but she could have sworn she heard Rey say one more thing.

"None of you understand."

Leia looked up from her datapad to see a short orange person standing before her.

"Leia Organa," Maz greeted her. "Took me a bit to find your base but it was surprisingly easy after I saw a certain Falcon fly by in the distance."

Leia smiled at her, a silent greeting to an old friend. "Hello, Maz."

Maz placed a hand on the taller woman's own. "I am so sorry about Han."

That was all Leia really needed at that moment when it came to a painful subject. "Thank you, Maz. But I'm sure that you're not just here for offering your sympathies."

Maz smirked. "You needed help and I finally settled some business. Where's Rey?"

Leia sighed. "She has been off alone in the forest a lot. She cut herself off from the force for a week. But she has now reconnected, though I felt something… Shift."

Maz's small eyes bulged under her goggles. "You're kidding? I felt it too." She tapped a finger on her lip. "Hmm. Did Rey bring anything back from her time with Luke?"

Leia nodded. "Yes. Some old Jedi texts that she's been using to try to repair the lightsaber with."

"A broken lightsaber? I might have to take a look sometime then."

"Rey said that I can look at them in her bunk on the Falcon."

"Do you know how the lightsaber was broken?" Maz asked, lowering her tone so the others in the wide room couldn't hear as well.

Leia nodded. "Both Rey and Ben broke it. It was snapped in half by the force."

Maz rolled her eyes. "Well, that sounds just like them. I remember him being stubborn as a boy, like his father. Rey is no different in that regard."

Leia let out a chuckle as she reached for a glass of water. "Oh yes. Ben is incredibly stubborn still. So am I."

"Well, we know where he gets it from," Maz laughed. "I heard rumors about the First Order's leadership. How do you feel about it?"

The general put down her glass and folded her hands. "I think… Something had changed in him and it's only a matter of time. But, I want my son to come home willingly. It's his choice."

Maz Kanata couldn't argue with that.

Finn walked with Poe to the medical bay and found TZ-1719 resting on a bed with bacta patches on her legs.

She looked vastly different not wearing the typical stark white stormtrooper armor; then again Finn felt the same way about his own appearance.

She sat up. "Commander Dameron?"

Poe raised his hand. "Just Poe will do. You're doing okay?"

TZ-1719 nodded. "Yes."

Finn spoke up. "We'll need to call you something different. You're not TZ-1719 anymore."

Poe nodded in understanding, smiling with enthusiasm at the former trooper. "How about you choose?"

Her eyes widened. "What name would I choose?"

"Umm…" Poe started naming off names. "Sue? Chell? Henna? Jannah?"

Finn looked at him with an incredulous look, almost pouting. "You didn't have that many names for me."

"Jannah," TZ-1719 answered before an argument could break out. "Call me Jannah."

Finn smiled wide. "Jannah. Call me Finn."

Jannah smiled in kind at both of them. "Thanks. Poe. Finn."

Poe nodded, giving her a thumbs up. "So I'd hate to uh, be urgent, but…"

"Need First Order intel? I'm your girl," Jannah said.

A nurse came in and looked Jannah's injuries over, removing the bacta patches. "Be careful of walking too much but you should be fine in a couple of days."

The three left the medbay and walked through the massive Resistance Base. Finn chatted with Jannah behind Poe.

"So why did you leave?" Finn asked, curious as to Jannah's switch of allegiances.

"You fleeing gave me the idea but I needed to wait for the right moment. The Supreme Leader never gave orders—or even allowed orders—to attack the Resistance, so I was just a sitting duck."

Poe's lips pressed into a line. Something wasn't right. "The Supreme Leader? Kylo Ren?"

"Yes. I was originally supposed to guard rations and equipment but suddenly I was pulled off that assignment along with a few of our other comrades," Jannah explained. "I don't think we were ever replaced either."

"That…Doesn't sound like Kylo Ren," Finn said, hot anger returning at the memories on Starkiller base months ago. The scar down his back faded but still lingered. "The Kylo Ren I know almost blew us to bits and tried to kill me and Rey."

Jannah shrugged. "I once saw him arguing with a general in the halls over something while patrolling."

"Yelling at someone definitely sounds like him," Finn said, nodding along with what Jannah said.

"He was yelling at them because he refused to let more troops be abducted to his armies."

That stopped Poe and Finn in their tracks. The dawning realization hit them like a ton of bricks.

Poe ran his fingers over his temple. "Son of a blaster… And now he's no longer in charge?"

Jannah nodded.

Finn caught eyes of Rose sitting on a crate, tinkering with a device in her hands and eyes glistening. He rushed over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Rose you okay?"

Rose sniffled a little. "I'm fine. It's Rey I'm worried about."

"Where is she?" Finn demanded, fear increasing for his friend.

"She's in the forest but I don't think you should go near her alone Finn. She's…" Rose swallowed dryly. "We need to talk to General Leia first."

Poe walked over in time to hear the first sentence. "Well, we're on our way there. Come with us Rose." He offered her his hand and she took it, standing up and walking with Poe, Finn, and Jannah over to the main communications room, where Leia sat chatting with Maz Kanata at a table. Other leaders were looking over strategies and maps.

"Hey, Maz!" Finn waved to his old friend.

Maz and Leia paused in their conversations. "Is this the brave stormtrooper?" Leia asked, looking over at Jannah.

Jannah nodded. "Yes General. My name is Jannah, formerly TZ-1719."

"Can you tell us everything you know about the First Order?"

Jannah relayed what she knew about Supreme Leader Kylo Ren's actions over the past few months and how suddenly she was ordered to join a skirmish attack on the Resistance's main base.

"What was the order even for?" Leia asked.

"It was a test of defenses before they sent in a dreadnought or even two," Jannah explained. Poe pulled up a map of the planet, zooming in on the base hidden underneath foliage.

"And who were those two people in black?" Poe asked.

"Those were the Knights of Ren. They were brought aboard to serve as Kylo Ren's guard."

Finn squinted. "But they're still with the First Order? Kylo Ren isn't leader anymore, why would they still be taking orders for the First Order."

"He has to have been overthrown by his own Knights," Rose said. "But who leads?"

"General Armitage Hux is the Supreme Leader," Jannah stated. Everyone looked at each other while Poe ran a hand down his face in exasperation.

"Right General Hugs; forgot about him," he remarked. "So if Kylo Ren is the less pain-in-the-ass Supreme Leader, then that means…"

"Hux was the one who ordered the destruction of the Hosnian System," Jannah stated. "I was there for his speech."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "And now he's the one in charge."

"Which means he's going to launch a full-scale assault on us soon, and it won't be pretty," Poe said. "And then go on to conquer planet after planet."

Leia stood up from her spot and walked over to the map. "Exactly. We need to get info from our remaining spies on the inside now before this happens, and we need to be prepared for this invasion. Knowing Hux he will want some pomp and flair before destroying the Resistance."

"Got any ideas, Leia?" Finn asked. "Maybe we can also get the troops on our side."

Leia nodded, rolling the idea over in her head. "It's risky with how you're wanted by the First Order for your actions on the Supremacy, but if Jannah deflected, many more will want to."

Threepio, R2, and BB-8 walked in through the open door. "General!" Threepio said. "I regret to inform you our search on the Knights of Ren came up short. All we know is the information on Master Ben."

Poe sighed. "Right. The Knights of Ren are another issue to deal with."

"They're all force-sensitive right?" Finn asked, wary of the fact Threepio called Kylo Ren by his dead name. "That's something Rey can help us with."

Rose was reminded of why she was here. "Right! General Leia, I'm so sorry but… Something is wrong with Rey and I don't know what to do."

Maz, who had been silent and watching the exchange, spoke. "I feel something dark in the force. Rose, what is wrong with Rey exactly?"

Leia placed a comforting hand on Rose's shoulder as Rose explained. "I don't know. She is acting even more odd than usual, like she's… Breaking."

Leia and Maz looked at each other in concern. "Rose, where is the Falcon?" Maz asked. "We need to hurry."

"It's off base to the north under two twin trees," Rose said.

Boom! The ground shook with unsteady tension.

Leia looked over the map. "The First Order are attacking again," she declared.

"General!" Lieutenant Kaydel Connix rushed in, her datapad flickering madly. "The First Order is attacking again."

"How many?"

"Around as many ships as last time."

Leia put her hands on the edge of the map. A second skirmish. "Commander you have the lead."

Poe nodded. "Everyone you know your position. It's a skirmish but we cannot take any chances."

Finn looked at Poe. "What about Rey?"

Maz was already out the door. "Forget the girl for now! You're under attack."

Finn didn't like that. He didn't like how distant Rey was to begin with but he felt he couldn't leave her alone.

Poe grabbed his shoulder. "Finn, if troops are on the ground then we need you and Jannah to hopefully win some of them over."

He was right. The rebellion came first. Gaining an advantage over the First Order came first. Finn knew it was important.

But if they lost the Last Jedi, then hope died with her.

Rey put down the tool in her hand. The kyber was placed inside the long-but-not-quite-staff-like hilt of a lightsaber.

Over the past day she mulled over her force vision. She truly believed that the darkness, the power she refused for so long, was the only answer. It could end the First Order. It could end this war. It could free Ben Solo.

The power that it granted her was like fire in her veins in the force vision. She still felt hollow having attempted to choke away Kylo Ren's air, even in a force vision. No, she refused to use that tactic. She didn't need it.

She wasn't Darth Vader.

She wasn't Kylo Ren.

She was stronger.

Rey lifted the lightsaber up and gave it a test. Two red light beams came out from both ends. She gripped it and fell into her natural fighting stance. The dual-ended lightsaber was vibrating with raw, unstable power. The twin beams were crackling with volatile energy.

Boom! Something shifted in the trees. She whipped around and spotted black in the distance. The force signature alerted her.

It was Ap'lek Ren. "Back again?" Rey said with a glare.

"Ahh, you have shed the lightsaber of Luke Skywalker," the distorted feminine voice spoke from under the helm.

"I have considered your offer," Rey said, not willing to dance around and waste time. "But first, take off your mask."

Ap'lek nodded, taking off her helmet to reveal a pale-skinned, grey-haired woman. She was youthful and sported a painted black swish on her cheek, caressing the corner of her lips.

That was not what Rey was expecting, but then again she didn't expect the dark prince look of Kylo Ren either.

"Satisfied?" Ap'lek said, annoyance laced in each syllable. Her voice was rather high pitched and scathing when not distorted by her helmet.

Rey nodded. "I will not join the First Order. I will not support their activities. I want them broken down and eliminated."

"Ahh, I knew you would say that. We all felt it when the Hosnian System was destroyed."

Rey remembered all too well. The force awakened in her and only a few minutes after that she felt billions of people and planets die. Then immediately she ran into Kylo Ren and was too weak to resist him. Too scared of what awakened within and too terrified of him.

"But," Rey said, picking up from where she left off. She held her crackling saber staff steady. "I will join the Knights of Ren."

Ap'lek smirked. "Perfect. However, you will have to board the First Order's ships for that."

Rey glared. "No. I want to find Kylo Ren."

"For what reason do you want to find our former Master?"

She bit her tongue, thinking of how she wanted to put it. "I have unfinished business with him to deal with first."

Ap'lek inspected her before a grin full of malice formed on her painted lips. "Oh I see it now."

"See what?" Rey furrowed her brows.

"He protected the Resistance because you're his weakness. Don't get any funny ideas now about him now."

Rey felt Ap'lek trying to push into her mind. Rey's knuckles turned white as she shoved Ap'lek back with ease. That had been so much harder against Kylo Ren, but that was obvious. She was his supposed equal.

Ap'lek sneered at her. "You…"

"Stay out of my head."

"Aww, the little Jedi is sensitive about me probing her mind. What? Do you actually care about the bastard?"

Rey couldn't lie. She found it impossible to lie. To deny.

She urged forth the force with hardly any effort and threw Ap'lek Ren up and smacked her against a tree. She collapsed to the ground like a rag doll into the foliage covering the ground.

Rey gasped for air, tears dripping down her cheeks as her first taste of fully utilizing the dark side within left her shaking in fear. The dark side offered the salvation of Ben Solo to her but using it was terrifying and exhilarating. She now understood the complicated man that Kylo Ren was.

No matter how much Ben Solo was gone, Kylo Ren was still a part of him. A darker, monstrous part of Ben, but still Ben in some way. She would have to reach into the darkness and pull the kind-hearted merciful Ben out.

The sounds of weapon fire shook the sky in the distance, pounding her ears. The rush of power from drawing upon the dark side made her dizzy.

She felt it. Kylo Ren's presence in the force, right in front of her.

A/N: Surprise! New update so soon haha. I have many notes on this chapter.

Ap'lek was heavily inspired by Larxene. I have no qualms about that fact lol.

The title in full is this quote:

"Xemnas, there's more to a heart than just anger or hate. It's full of all kinds of feelings. Don't you remember?"

"Unfortunately...I don't."

This was the first time I wrote Rose, Finn, Maz, and Poe. Jannah is someone I'm still playing around with in my head and will probably not resemble the TROS version of her at all.

I want to make a Randy the Intern joke now in a future chapter but I have just enough self-restraint...mostly lol.

Guest: Thank you so much for your reviews! I love hearing your thoughts! Thank you so much!

See ya next time!