The little clone girl Rey is calling Freya half sits, half lays on the bottom of the Falcon's shower stall. Freya has clearly been in the tank her whole life and as a result she has very few motor skills and little coordination. But she's smiling and laughing as she flops around in the familiar feel of liquid, waving her little arms and legs excitedly. Rey has the overhead lights turned down, but she can tell that Freya's eyes are not used to much illumination. It's one of many things that her small body will need to adjust to in her new environment.
Freya looks clean enough, but Rey lets her keep rolling around as the shower water gently rains down from overhead. Normally, Rey would be concerned about wasting something as precious as water, but not today. Not seeing how much the sloshing liquid comforts little Freya. Truthfully, the little girl's happy wordless chips and giggles comfort Rey, and she needs comfort right now.
A lot is about to change, and that has Rey on edge with dread. She has been through momentous change before. One day, she was trading scrap at the Nima Outpost and the next day she was captured by the First Order, discovering she has the Force, and dispatched on a quest to find Luke Skywalker. This time, Rey is self-aware enough to see how she handles upheaval: she latches onto the first person who seems like they can provide a constant presence. It was Finn back then, and now it is Freya.
This lost girl needs to be loved and that resonates deeply with Rey. She's well aware that she is projecting far too much upon this little clone waif. It's unhealthy how much Rey wants to care for this kid. The urge to mother Freya is much stronger than for the twin babies she is currently carrying, for Rey is still alarmingly ambivalent about her pregnancy. But perhaps loving Freya will help her learn to love her sons. Most of all, Rey hopes that this chance to be a mother to a little girl will help heal the pain of growing up a little girl without a mother.
She probably should have prepared Ben for Freya, but there wasn't time for discussion. Besides, she's direct by nature. Back on Jakku, social interactions were blunt and transactional. Misunderstandings had a tendency to end in violence, and subtleties left room for error. So, Rey learned long ago to speak plainly. But blunt as she is, she has a hard time asking for what she needs for herself. Those desires tend to come out in mixed messaging, in fits and starts. Rey will never be the sort of girl who reveals herself easily. And so, it was a moment of breakthrough when she told Ben she wanted to raise Freya. When he accepted, Rey fell in love with him all over again.
Say what you will about the sins of Kylo Ren. But there is good in Ben Solo, and always has been. Rey saw it straightaway, and she sees it more and more each day. And now that Lady Abeloth has revealed the role the Force wants Ben to play, it helps to put his actions in perspective. He's supposed to be who he is—the Son of Darkness. There's no point in trying to change him.
Does Ben know that she's thinking of him? He might. The bond reveals the concern written all over his face as he walks up to hover in the doorway. Ben is pensive, like she feels.
"Are we away?"
He nods. "Just made the jump."
"It's a long ride home."
"That might be a good thing."
"Yeah . . . yeah, I think you're right." And now, here comes the discussion about Freya after-the-fact. Rey is sheepishly apologetic, but still firm about the decision. "Look, I couldn't leave her to die . . . I couldn't abandon her like . . . like . . ." Like I was abandoned. Rey can't get the words out. They are too painful. But the bond means Ben knows without her saying.
"It was the right decision," he immediately affirms.
"She just got out of a tank. She can't talk, she can't walk . . . but she will learn. I learned all sorts of things on my own . . . " And there she goes again, projecting on Freya. But Rey can't help it. As her own genetic replica, the little girl is the closest possible thing to herself.
"We'll get her all the help she needs," Ben promises.
"You don't throw children away." She's talking about Jakku. With her, it will always be Jakku.
Ben responds with his own issues in mind: "You don't throw them away and you don't write them off too soon."
"Right." Neither of them is talking about Freya, and they both know it. Still trying to justify this impromptu adoption, Rey starts rambling. "There was nothing to do on that flagship but worry. I worried about you and about the galaxy, but mostly, I worried about her. She's me and she's not me, you know?" This is the crux of the issue for Rey. She can't help but self-identify with the clone daughter she didn't want but still feels responsible for.
"She'll be a good warmup for the twins."
"So you're okay with this?" Rey keeps asking because she needs the reassurance. Is Ben up for this? Because honestly, Rey isn't certain she is, even though she's the reason they're doing it.
Ben locks eyes with her. He is unequivocal. "I am absolutely okay with it. In fact, I insist on it."
Grateful Rey nods as she reaches to pluck Freya from the shower stall. As she envelopes the squirming girl in a towel, Rey softly confesses, "I'm not sure I'm ready for all this motherhood."
"You look like a natural at it."
"Really?"
"Really."
When little Freya is dry and wrapped in a new towel, she starts to yawn and Rey lays her against her chest high on her shoulder. "I think she's tired. This is all very overwhelming for her."
"For me too," Ben grumbles as he runs a hand through his hair.
"Same," she sighs as she stands to her feet. "How anyone had the energy for a big party after Endor, I'll never know. All I want to do is sleep. I feel like I haven't slept in weeks."
"I haven't slept since Sidious stole you," Ben remarks as he moves aside to let her pass through the doorway. He follows her into the Falcon's adjacent captain's quarters, telling her, "We don't have to talk if you're not in the mood."
"Let me just lay her down." Rey busies herself making Freya a nest on the bed. It will have to do until she can find a box or crate to use as a crib. "We can talk as I sit with her. Ben, I don't want her to wake up in a strange place and be alone. Children shouldn't be alone."
"Alright." He flops into a chair across the room as she lies down next to sleepy Freya on the bed.
Rey starts: "What happens when we return?"
"We take out the clones."
"I mean after that." Happily-ever-after is complicated and it won't be easy. Rey knows that there are lots of decisions to be made—both personally and politically.
Ben's casual answer downplays things. "I suppose you and Dameron will need to brief the Senate. People will have a lot of questions. We might need some public affirmation of the peace agreement."
"Do we go public?" she blurts out.
"We? You mean as a couple?" Ben shrugs. "You and I are all over the holonet already. We might as well be transparent."
"No one will understand it."
He smirks. "No one is going to understand half of the stuff we're going to tell people. The romance of Kylo Ren with a Republic Jedi will be the easy part to sell."
He's right. "Do you think people will believe what happened on Mortis?"
"I hope so."
"That's a 'no.'"
"Would you believe us?"
"Good point," she harrumphs. Rey shoots him a reproving look. "I blame your fake news for that." Making a face, she laments, "I guess the problems of the galaxy don't go away just because the Force is in balance."
"No. But it will help . . . I hope." Ben considers for a moment before continuing. "Even with the Final Order gone, I need to ratchet back my hardliners. I hope in time to be able to loosen my grip on power so the Rim can have more localized government. Who knows? Maybe someday, I'll start my own Senate."
"You refused a Senate in the ceasefire negotiations," Rey reminds him.
"True. But it's different if we originate the idea ourselves as opposed to giving in to the Republic's demands."
Rey can see that. Rimmers hate being told what to do by the Core. But being told what to do by Kylo Ren is something different entirely. "Would you consider folding the Empire back into the Republic?"
"No," Ben answers immediately. "Independence matters. The Rim finally controls its own destiny."
"So separate states? Does that mean separate lives too?"
He knows what she's asking, and he has clearly thought about it too. "I want our family together," Ben answers emphatically. "Historically, separations breed conflict and distance for the Skywalkers. I won't risk that for this generation." Ben now proceeds to tell her what she already knows. "For so many reasons, I can't live in the Republic. You're going to have to live in my Empire."
Rey swallows hard and agrees, "I know."
"It will work. Maybe we will even become a model for compromise and tolerance," he jokes.
It won't be that easy, she knows. "A lot of Rimmers are going to hate me and hate that you have a Republic wife."
He shrugs. "We're going to have to pick our battles both personally and politically. But conflict comes with the territory, regardless of where we live." Ben adds, "I'm not my mother. I won't love my job more than I love you and the kids."
Rey digests this promise. "Leia was ruined politically when her father's identity came out . . . "
"That's why we need to be open and notorious. Secrets are simply scandal and betrayal waiting to happen."
"That sounds like Snoke talking."
"It's the other Snoke talking—Sidious taught me that."
"I guess you learned from the best and that's why you're the Son of Darkness."
Ben is unperturbed by the title. "I'm as conflicted as I always was. So are you. Don't feel like you need to be some paragon of virtue now. Just be yourself."
Rey looks down at dozing Freya as she admits, "I'm no role model. I killed a lot of Darth Sidious' clones on that ship. Ben, I murdered them. They were absolutely not a threat."
"We're heading to destroy a lot more clones right now," he points out before he explains her actions away. "Your mother would have destroyed them in time anyway."
"I know. But that doesn't make it right." Rey can feel tears rush to flood her eyes as she remembers the feel of all of that death . . . of losing control and enjoying it. She frets, "I don't think I want to be a One. I don't even know what it means to be the Daughter of Light."
"I'm sure your mother can help us," Ben says gently.
"That's what I'm afraid of. She's . . . she's . . . "
"She's a lot," Ben snorts and portends, "Plagueis is in for it as Mr. Force. Your mother is terrifying."
"He seemed fine with how things ended."
"He's not so bad when you get to know him."
Rey nods and sheepishly admits, "He was sincere all along. I see that now."
"He came to the Maw to get himself killed so I could rescue you. Rey, that's how much he cares."
"I guess . . ." Plagueis had all sorts of motivations, she suspects.
"He's been training me."
"Yeah?"
"I want to teach you what he taught me. Rey, I know how to project in the Force like Luke did. I even know how to resurrect the dead."
She blinks and reacts. "He taught you THAT?"
"He was going on a suicide mission to save you. He didn't want the knowledge to be lost."
"He loves the Force." That much about the Muun has always been sincere. Darth Plagueis reveres the Force that he now serves as Father Abeloth.
"So . . . how bad were things with Sidious?" Ben probes.
She looks away and mutters, "That guy got under my skin."
"Understandable. Did he hurt you?" Ben presses again for information.
Rey shakes her head. "He wouldn't risk the twins. In his mind, I was only a vessel for kids. He was mostly interested in our sons . . . to use and abuse like he did with you." Feeling embarrassed, rueful, and angry at herself, Rey looks away. "I fell for his ruse. I went willingly. I believed that you had sent troops to rescue me once I saw old Milo. I was a fool . . . a gullible fool . . ."
Ben wisely doesn't pursue that topic. He simply concludes, "All's well that ends well. We won."
"I know I should feel elated but I don't. Ben," she gulps as she feels her anxiety build, "I'm scared. I'm really scared." There. She's said it out loud.
"I am too."
He's thinking about keeping the balance of the Force and avoiding another war, but she's thinking about so much more. "I don't think I'm ready for this—being a mom, having babies, being a One, facing treason charges, being your actual wife—it's—it's-" She leaves her sentence hanging, even as her voice has risen in pitch and volume. There is so much to stress about currently. Just talking about it makes her feel panicky. Suddenly, she's blinking back tears.
"It will be okay. You're not alone. We're doing this together."
"I'm so scared," Rey confesses again. "I feel like I should be relieved, but I'm not." Killing Sidious and balancing the Force were supposed to be the hard parts. But now, Rey fears the hard part is yet to come.
"I can't promise this will be easy, but we can do this."
She wipes her eyes and looks up. "Do you really think so?"
"I do."
"Good," she whispers her relief. Ben's confidence doesn't erase her fear, but it helps.
He stands and moves to hover over the bed, looking down at Freya snuggled in her towels. "Is she asleep?"
"I think so."
"I don't think we have anything she can wear."
"No problem. I can rig up something." Rey smiles up at Ben and reminds him of her makeshift past. "I'm the scavenger, remember?" She's creative about problem solving thanks to her upbringing.
"I bet she's hungry. I'll go see if I can find something she can eat when she wakes up."
"Good plan."
Ben now heads to exit the room but lingers momentarily on the threshold. He turns to reassure her again, "We can do this. Rey, the Force hasn't brought us this far to fail."
She tries to be optimistic. "I'm sure that's right."
"Try and get some sleep."
"I will."
Rey does fall asleep. When she stirs to wake, she discovers that Ben has joined her and Freya on the bed. He's snoring softly on her right while Freya is still fast asleep to her left. Between them, Rey is hemmed in. Drowsy Rey can't help but smile at their impromptu slumber party. This is her family, she realizes—she needs these people and they need her. It's the belonging Rey has craved for so long. She found it at last amid very improbable circumstances and with very unlikely people. But it is real and it is good.
It turns out that there is a lot of much needed downtime during the long flight out of the Maw. Rey spends it caring for Freya in between serious conversations with Ben and Poe. She learns what happened after her kidnapping, including how Ben, Plagueis, and Astral reached out unsuccessfully to the Republic. Between Rey's actions and those conversations, Poe was convinced that an alliance was necessary. Finn was not. Others in leadership were open to the idea of a joint mission with the First Order but afraid to admit it publicly. In the end, Poe struck out on his own. He, Ben, and Plagueis planned a suicide mission to rescue her and to confront Darth Sidious and the goddess they believed to be the Sith's sincere ally.
For her part, Rey tells the tale of her captivity. How she fought with her mother and fought with Darth Sidious. How she kept looking for escape opportunities and tried to learn more about the Sith Eternal. In the end, she realized that her life was her true value and thus her only leverage. So, hoping that she would be spared, Rey fled to try to help the Republic. She didn't have a death wish. She simply believed that the only way to escape would be to make a real attempt. The risk was extreme but the reward was big. It worked, thankfully.
"My mission was different from yours, but it was the same," Rey attempts to explain.
"We understand," Poe nods. "We came here prepared to die too."
After all the retrospective talk is exhausted, their trio begins to debate the future. There are a lot of open-ended discussions about what to do after they handle the Final Order clones. Ben bounces ideas off Poe as they play through various political scenarios. It's clear that the two men respect one another. Even more surprising, they each seem to genuinely like the other. Through their joint adventure, they have developed a friendship.
That's a very good thing, Rey decides. For if the past is any indication, the fortunes of the galaxy are shaped as strongly by personal conflicts as they are by political conflicts. Moreover, the unlikely bromance of the First Order Supreme Leader with the Republic Chancellor gives Rey hope. Because if those two archenemies can find common ground, then maybe the fragile peace between the Core and the Rim really will endure. Rey is enough of a realist to know they face long odds. There are many hardliners back at the Republic and the First Order who will need to be coaxed towards acceptance and compromise. One leader in particular—Finn—is a constant source of discussion among their trio. They all recognize that Finn is a problem they need to solve.
One afternoon while Freya is sleeping, Rey goes in search of Poe and finds him in the cockpit with Ben. The two men are talking as she approaches. Rey pauses just outside the threshold to listen a moment. Yep, it's as she suspected. They're talking about Finn.
"He's not a bad guy," she hears Poe tell Ben. "You didn't see him at his best. It's just that he will never forgive what the First Order did to him and the rest of the troopers. It's like how others on our side will never forgive what you did to Hosnia."
Ben is well aware that she's listening thanks to the bond. Still, he replies, "That scene on Coruscant felt more about Rey than anything else."
"Yeah well . . . that's probably true," Poe allows. "Look, Finn had no idea about you and Rey. He was shocked and very hurt. He thinks he loves her."
Ben dismisses that idea. "He doesn't even know her."
"He's figured that out."
And now, Rey learns that the old adage is true: eavesdroppers never hear anything good about themselves. For she listens to Ben remark, "Rey is a very hard person to get to know." That's not criticism exactly, it's more like a neutral observation.
Poe agrees but his words are harsh. "She's totally messed up from Jakku. She hides it on the surface but—"
"It's not her fault!" Ben rushes to her defense. "She's not some emo chick who's broken over petty social insecurities! She's not trapped in immaturity! She has lived a life that someone like you will never relate to!" Ben is practically yelling now as he defends her. It makes Rey smile. Ben's got her back in this and in all things.
Poe has apparently experienced a lot of Ben's raging by this point because he doesn't react. He merely remarks, "I guess Finn thought he could relate to her . . . what with him being an orphan stormtrooper and all . . ."
"Look about the stormtroopers and Hosnia . . . I don't need the Republic's forgiveness, but I won't take all the blame. Darth Sidious is who you should be most angry with."
"I see that," Poe agrees. "But since he's dead, you're the only one left to condemn. Ren, we did great things on Mortis, but killing Sidious and balancing the Force won't be enough to earn you a pass on child slavery and genocide."
Here is Rey's opening. She walks into the cockpit to join the conversation, telling the two men, "Mortis solved our biggest problem. And hopefully, it gives us some goodwill and common ground to build from. Poe, we have to take the focus off the past. We will only win the hearts and minds of our critics by convincing them of the mutually beneficial future our actions have set up."
"Let the past die," Ben urges softly. It's a phrase he told her on the Supremacy for the first time. Rey didn't understand what it meant then, but she does now. At this point, she realizes how important it is to acknowledge the past, to accept it for what it is, and then to move forward. Otherwise, you can get trapped in the past and become unable to move beyond its conflicts. At some point, the blame game has to end.
Ben turns to Poe and asks plainly, "Are you willing to be our advocate? We're going to need you as a public character witness."
"Yes," Poe commits, "so long as you both are willing to do your part to tamp down the hate coming from your side."
"I'm in," Rey immediately volunteers.
"So am I," Ben affirms.
"There will be a lot of people to convince," Poe frets. "A lot of skeptical people . . ."
"We start with your buddy Finn," Ben asserts. "Changing his mind will be a signal to others. He will be a bellwether."
"Changing his mind might be impossible," Poe sighs. "But I'll help you try."
And so, it is with much trepidation that the Millennium Falcon crew makes contact with General Finn upon exit of the Maw. Poe sends a transmission with the truncated news of what happened on Mortis. He requests a private personal meeting with Finn to discuss next steps for how to handle the Final Order clones. Poe sends coordinates for a proposed rendezvous point just inside the system where the cloning operations are located.
Finn sends back a curt response: "I accept. Come alone."
When they arrive at the rendezvous point, the Falcon docks at Finn's cruiser. She and Ben hang back as Poe strides first down the ramp to meet his ranking general. It quickly becomes clear that the rapport between Poe and Finn has cooled markedly during her absence. There is no friendly 'hey bro' high five, no handshake, and no backslap between the two longtime close friends. The body language Rey observes is downright chilly.
Finn appears even more unwelcoming when she and Ben tramp down the ramp. Finn looks back and forth between Poe, Ben, and her as if he can't decide who his most hated enemy is. It doesn't help matters that Finn is flanked by a full squad of security guards. It makes Rey wonder if Finn is expecting an ambush or planning to arrest them.
With a deep breath, Rey resolves to ignore the awkward tension like she ignores her lightsaber that is clutched conspicuously in Finn's right hand. She calls out, "Did you get my message? About Darth Sidious' clones?" as they walk up. It's the kind of casual interaction she and Finn might have had back when they were friends—before anyone stood on ceremony or asserted rank or legal privilege.
Finn nods coolly. "Yes. I handled it."
"Yeah?" Poe comments. He's got his eyebrows raised as he lowkey fishes for more information.
Impatient Ben gets right to the point. "Handled it how, General?"
Finn growls back: "I liberated them."
"You what?" Poe blinks.
"You what?" she echoes.
Finn lifts his chin at their implicit criticism. "I liberated Darth Sidious' slave clone soldiers," he informs them stiffly, as if daring them to disagree with his actions. From that posture, Rey infers that Finn has already received plenty of blowback internally.
Poe exchanges glances with Ben. "Didn't see that coming."
Ben apparently did. The bond tells Rey that he's unsurprised. "How many are there?"
"We estimate about 25,000 in various stages of development. Some are adults, some are still kids."
"And the Sith loyalists in charge?"
"We killed some, some killed themselves, and the rest we arrested."
"I want to interrogate those you arrested," Ben orders, assuming command. "Sidious always has layers of contingency plans. There will be more than just this cloning operation," he warns.
Finn bristles and starts a turf battle. "This is the Republic. We have jurisdiction here, Ren. You're not getting inside any prisoner's head until they see a judge and you get a warrant. Those people—even the clones-have rights."
Finn feels strongly. His curt words are accompanied by intense emotions that resonate in the Force. Rey understands completely: Finn self identifies with the clones just like she does with Freya.
Ben counters, "They're the Sith Eternal. They don't care about civil rights."
"I care!" Finn snaps. He turns to Poe. "I care and you should too. It's what keeps us from becoming him," Finn jabs a jeering finger in Ben's direction.
Ben lets the disdain roll of his back, but he's unwilling to concede the substantive point. "Keep your scruples, General. I'll do the interrogating myself as Kylo Ren of the First Order. I don't give a damn about an illegal search and seizure for Sith loyalists."
Rey purses her lips and remains silent. She sees both sides of this argument, but she is inclined to agree with Ben. Those Sith loyalists present a clear and present danger to the Republic. It's time to bend the rules.
But Finn sees otherwise. He takes three steps forward to get up in Ben's face. "This is the Republic. We have jurisdiction here."
Irritated Ben glares and fumes, "We're wasting time! If we stall too long, the remaining Sith groupies will melt away to hide for another generation. The Sith play the long game and always have, General."
"Yeah, you should know." Finn's response is withering sarcasm.
Poe is persuaded. "Let him do it," he argues to Finn. "Our hands will be clean and we'll get the information we need. Finn, we're almost across the finish line for destroying the Sith. We can't stop now. We have to see it through." As usual, Poe is the far more pragmatic voice of the duo who lead the Republic. Watching this exchange, Rey can begin to see how Ben and Poe forged some common ground during her captivity.
"Listen to him," Ben urges.
Finn frowns, works his jaw a bit, but relents. "Fine. But don't kill those people," he hisses.
Ben smirks. "I'll save them for your Republic justice."
"What about the clones?" she wants to know.
"We seized all the cloning technology," Finn reports. "Transport ships are on their way now to collect the clones. We're taking them to military barracks until we can make a plan for how to deal with them."
Poe nods but probes, "Are we sure there's not a chip in their heads that some surviving Sith can trigger someday and then it's Order 66 all over again?"
"We're not sure," Finn admits.
"Well, we had better be sure," Poe grumbles as Ben nods his agreement.
"We'll have medics check them over," Finn offers weakly. "But who knows what their mental programming truly is? Only time will tell."
"You're not making me happy that you saved them," Poe complains.
And that prompts Rey to weigh in. "It's a risk we have to live with." Turning to Poe and Ben, she endorses Finn's decision. "Clemency for the clones is the right thing to do." For how are they any different from Freya?
"She's right," Ben seconds her sentiment in a surprise move. "We can manage any latent risk the clones represent. Don't forget that the Sith thrive on conflict. They exploit and create divisions. The more unity and harmony between our two governments, the better. It will provide less opportunity for malcontent that can be manipulated—by the clones or anyone else."
"This would be easier if the clones were killed in battle," Poe mutters.
"Too late for that," Finn asserts.
"Is it?" Poe challenges.
"It is!" Finn insists. "I will not slaughter the clones! They are innocent of any crime as of yet. And they are people, not tools of war. They may have been created as slaves to Darth Sidious, but they are people all the same! And like the First Order's stormtroopers, they are capable of their own moral choices. We should allow them the chance to be good."
"I agree," Rey immediately volunteers.
Finn nods his approval even if he doesn't smile. His next words for her are downright scathing. "I knew you would see it my way. There is still good in you, Rey. Ren hasn't driven it completely away."
"Finn!" Rey huffs at his censure.
That's when Ben inserts himself again. He's holding his temper firmly in check as he announces, "You did the right thing, General. Only those who choose with free will to follow Darth Sidious will be condemned. Those who were compelled to follow him deserve our mercy."
If Finn appreciates Ben's support, he doesn't show it. Finn jeers back, "Mercy is a strange word coming from you!"
"There are many victims of Lord Sidious," Ben retorts. "You are one. So am I."
Rey now tries to dampen the escalating argument. She's long known Finn to want to seek the moral high ground, and she honors that goal herself. But she doesn't like the mean-spirited sanctimony that accompanies his principles of late. It's exactly the sort of line drawing that gave the Jedi Order a bad name during the latter days of the Republic. It's also, Rey suspects, an attitude that is the antithesis of balance. So, she begins, "Finn, we have a lot to tell you-"
"Yes, clearly," he interrupts. "And then, you have a lot to tell the Senate and the people of the Republic. You're still a traitor," Finn reminds her. He turns to Poe and accuses, "You too. You went AWOL as Chancellor, running to assist the enemy. Poe, you have been relieved of your position and the Vice Chancellor is now presiding over the Senate."
"Really?" Poe seems surprised, although he shouldn't be. He's always been a 'beg forgiveness' rather than an 'ask permission' kind of guy, Rey knows. But this time, the consequences might stick.
Ben simply chuckles and mutters to Poe under his breath, "I say fuck'em. You can come be the Chancellor of my Imperial Senate whenever I get it up and running."
"You three need to get your story straight, and then you need to hold a press conference and tell it to the galaxy," Finn growls. "Choose your words carefully, Poe, or you may indeed end up living in exile in the First Order. I'm done here," Finn abruptly announces, telling them curtly, "I have work to do," as he stalks off.
Rey sighs as their trio watches him leave. "That could have gone better . . ."
"Yep," Poe commiserates. "Finn's an angry guy, like you, Ren. It just comes out in a different way."
"Yeah, a lot of righteous whining," Ben smirks. "He held that sword like he wanted to light it. He left before he got too tempted because he knew I would kick his ass again."
"Don't do that . . . whatever you do, don't do that," alarmed Rey warns.
Ben nods and muses, "You know, a press conference is not a bad idea. You could bypass the Republic leaders and take your case directly to the people."
Poe sighs. "I guess it's time to lawyer up, Rey."
"No!" Ben is vehement. "Don't make this some court battle. Appeal to your people directly. Tell them what happened, tell them what you saw in your own words, not in some legalistic phrasing designed not to incriminate you. Be your authentic self. You're the real deal, Dameron. My mother saw it. I see it. You're a hero. But don't quote me on it," he adds as an afterthought.
Poe snorts. "Does that mean there's no extradition if I go hang in your Empire when I get indicted?"
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Rey grumbles.
"It might," Poe corrects her glumly. "You heard Finn."
Rey sees the benefits of getting their story out unfiltered to the galaxy. She has learned to trust Ben's political instincts. He's not Senator Leia Organa's son for nothing. Plus, the press conference is Finn's idea. Maybe taking him up on it will help them to persuade him. So, Rey looks to Ben, "I think you're right. A press conference could be a good move."
"You guys go work on the messaging," Ben decides. Then he stalks off after retreating Finn. "General," Ben barks loudly after Finn, "where are those Sith Eternal prisoners?"
While Ben goes to rip into the heads of Darth Sidious' surviving henchmen, she and Poe sit down to hash through a presentation. Once they sketch out a gameplan, Poe requests that Finn join them. They meet in private, without all the guards even if Finn insists on having a droid around to record the conversation. Poe gets nervous about the droid, but Rey overrides him. We want full transparency and accountability, she commits to Finn. She goes so far as to agree that full, unedited transcripts of their private conversations will be released to the public concurrent with the press conference.
The meeting gives her and Poe the chance to tell their friend their version of events under the guise of getting his reaction in advance of the press conference. Rey tells Finn about her duped jailbreak. How she did decide to escape, but she didn't decide to join the Sith. In fact, she believed that escape was her best choice rather than to sit to await capture by Darth Sidious. The irony is, of course, that she unwittingly became his prisoner anyway. But Darth Sidious didn't want her for herself-he wanted her children. And that necessitates an awkward reveal to Finn about her pregnancy.
Rey tells of Sidious' attempt to use the bond to kill Ben. And also, of Darth Sidious' gigantic fleet poised to invade the galaxy when staffed by his clones. It was firepower that neither the Republic nor the First Order would be able to counter. So, Rey picked the information for the whereabouts of the clones from the head of Darth Sidious' personal servant before she fled in an attempt to thwart him. She broadcast the message to Finn in hopes it would get through. Rey tells him how very grateful she is that he received the message, believed it, and acted on it.
Both she and Poe speak of the events on Mortis. Of how Rey's mysterious goddess mother turned out to be double crossing Darth Sidious all along. She was using Palpatine to bring the Light Side-Dark Side conflict to fruition as a means to gather the Skywalkers together, united for balance. Rey explains the history and purpose of the Ones as best she can. She attempts to describe what balancing the Force feels like. Finn asks very few questions, but they're all about the Force bond with Ben that Lady Abeloth created, severed, and then reinvigorated. It helps Finn to understand that her attraction and commitment to Kylo Ren is not her personal choice. And while that's not exactly correct, Rey lets Finn believe that version of events hoping he feels less rejected.
When they're done, Rey asks, "Well . . . do you believe us?"
"I believe that you believe what you're saying," Finn hedges.
"That's not what she asked," Poe gripes.
"Alright," Finn responds testily, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'll tell you both what I believe. I believe that Rey thought Ren was rescuing her but she got caught instead. She was ready to dump us for happily-ever-after in the Rim with Darth Vader 2.0. I believe that you, Poe, got convinced to help Ren and he's using you now. He wants to pivot to being the good guy. It's like I told you all along—Ren won't stop at the Rim, he wants it all. This is how he starts re-branding himself for the Core by latching onto our most popular public figure. I believe that you both had some crazy Force experience in the Maw and that Darth Sidious is dead, for now at least. I believe that he had a fleet because I've seen his clones. I believe that he planned to take over the galaxy and kill us all plus Ren. So, yeah, I guess I believe that you saved the galaxy. I'm not happy about what you did, but I'm glad it worked. And now, my job is to contain the damage."
"What does that mean exactly?" Poe huffs.
"It means that I will publicly confirm that Rey gave us the tip about the clones."
"So you will endorse our story?" she asks hopefully.
"I will confirm that you gave us the tip about the clones."
"So you're helping us, sort of . . . " Rey beams.
Finn phrases it differently. "I'm telling the small sliver of events that I know to be the truth. Because we just got the Republic together and I don't want it to crash and burn because you and Poe tear it apart with infighting over what happened in a black hole in the Kessel system." He glares at her and contends, "Ren is using you both. He just got you to help him defeat Sidious and now he's head Sith."
"That's not it—"
"Yeah? Then what does Son of Darkness mean exactly? He's a Sith by another name."
"The Sith are gone," Rey asserts. But then, she tries another tactic. "Finn, I understand that what we're asking you to believe sounds crazy. I was skeptical myself. How about I take you to Mortis? I want you to meet Mother and Father. Then, you will understand."
"Yeah, alright. I might do that once this gets sorted out," Finn entertains the idea. "But for now, we need to provide answers to the public. Namely, where have you been? What have you done? Why did you do it? Then, we need to reassure everyone that Darth Sidious is not a threat and the ceasefire with the First Order still holds. We haven't been entirely successful keeping our story straight during the leadership crisis you two kicked off," Finn mutters.
That last part turns out to be an understatement. There are rumors swirling on both sides about Poe and Kylo Ren's disappearances. The public has lots of questions and neither the Republic nor the First Order has provided many answers. It is in that context of curiosity that two days later on Coruscant in the briefing room used by the Republic, she and Poe are introduced by Finn for the press conference.
What follows feels like the longest ninety minutes of Rey's life. The media does not give them a pass. As soon as she and Poe finish their prepared statements, the cross-examination questions start firing. Predictably, it's a grilling. The professional press is skeptical by nature and she and Poe don't have great credibility. She was last seen fleeing jail with stormtroopers presumably sent by her First Order hubby and Poe is now confirmed to have gone behind the back of the Senate and Finn to offer his individual support to Kylo Ren in person at the First Order. Basically, that makes her a fugitive traitor and Poe something of a fascist sympathizer and defector.
When asked why he did it, Poe answers emphatically that it was the right thing to do. How did he know that? Because it is what his beloved mentor Leia Organa would do.
One journalist asks dryly, "Did you tell that to Kylo Ren?"
"Actually, I did," Poe confirms, flashing his winning smile. "Ren agreed with me. General Leia wouldn't hesitate to take on Darth Sidious to save the galaxy."
"Yeah? Why isn't Ren here to confirm what you're saying?" another journalist calls out.
"He is here," Ben responds when, in a surprise move, he steps from behind-the-scenes into the spotlight. Ben smiles—Kylo Ren smiles!— before he offers a hand in greeting to Poe. The camera flashbulbs are blinding as they document the first ever public handshake between the Supreme Leader and the Senate Chancellor. Then the flashbulbs light up again as the Dark Side's current champion reaches a supportive arm around the galaxy's last, somewhat disgraced Jedi who turns out to be his secret wife. Everyone is so busy staring at the enemy leader in their midst—the dangerous, unpredictable and still conspicuously armed Kylo Ren—that few catch the dirty look General Finn shoots him.
When it is over, the press is gone, and the cameras are off, Rey tries again with Finn. She corners him for a private moment. Putting aside talk of Sidious and politics, Rey appeals to him as a friend. "Finn, I'm very sorry for how I deceived you about Ben. I was in an impossible situation . . . I hope in time you will come to appreciate that."
"Mostly, I see that you're not the person I thought you were," Finn tells her sourly.
"I probably deserve that comment," Rey admits. "But I think it's more accurate to say that I changed. I'm not the person you met on Jakku. Once I met Ben . . . once I truly got to know Ben . . . I began to see things differently. I wanted something different than you did."
"I don't want to hear more about Ren," Finn rasps, looking away.
But that's the unfortunate moment when Ben himself walks up. He is peeved as he confronts Finn. "Stop with the behind-the-scenes warmongering, General. Don't think I don't know what you're up to stoking fear. The Rim got its independence. I won't be looking to invade the Republic. My focus will be on the Empire. I want to make things better for my people."
"Through fascism?" Finn jeers.
Ben nods coolly. "In time, things will loosen up. I'd like to moderate the First Order. Maybe end up with a center-right government that tempers the goals of peace and order with tolerance and freedom."
Finn rolls his eyes and mutters. "That will never happen."
Ben snaps back, "Do not underestimate us! The Core can remain a liberal thinktank. See I care. But stay out of my government's internal affairs and respect our territorial boundaries. Any aggression on the part of the Republic will be met with overwhelming force. I will hold you to the terms of the ceasefire."
"We will hold you to account as well," Finn hisses.
"Then we understand one another." Ben has the last word before he grabs her hand to stalk off. "Come on, Rey. Let's go home."
"Wait." Finn forestalls them. He reaches into his jacket—it's really Poe's jacket—and produces her lightsaber. "This is yours." Finn hands it over.
Rey accepts the sword. "Thanks." But then, she reconsiders. "Maybe you should keep it . . ."
"It's yours."
"Okay, I'll keep it," Rey agrees. "But how about we get you your own saber?"
"Yeah, alright," Finn nods. "I'd like that."
"Make it green," Ben smirks. "He's the green saber type."
"Shut up." She glares at Ben for ruining the one kinda-sorta-good moment between her and Finn.
They say goodbye to Poe and then she, Ben, and Freya take the Falcon to the Rim. They land at Ben's flagship to be greeted by none other than Lady Vader herself. Astral Sidhu stands regal in the Resurgence hangar bay, leaning heavily on her cane, at the forefront of a phalanx of First Order officers and troopers assembled in neat rows. It's vintage Dark Side military pageantry. The troops perform a deafening salute in unison to herald their Supreme Leader's homecoming.
For her greeting, Astral has curt words for the demise of Darth Sidious: "Thank the Force, he's finally dead." Then, she envelopes them in an impromptu group hug. "Welcome home, welcome home, my dears," the old art professor gushes. "I worried I would never see either of you alive again."
The news of Mortis is public now, but the news of little Freya is not. Astral takes one look at the sweet toddler sleeping on Rey's shoulder and she beams an enormous smile. "Who have we here?" she asks. Ben introduces Freya as their daughter. It's a small but important moment that has Rey's heart ready to burst with pride and gratitude.
"Grandmother," Ben hastens to tell Astral once their family group begins to withdraw from view, "Lord Vader says hello. I finally met him in the Force. He can't wait to see you."
And that news—more than the long-waited victory over Darth Sidious and the happy welcome of their adopted daughter—brings formidable Professor Sidhu to tears. "I miss him too," Astral confesses, wiping at her eyes. "But I'm not dead yet. Tell Ani he'll have to wait. I have to hang around to be a grandmother now," she declares with a fond glance over at sleepy Freya.
As suspected, the press conference on Coruscant doesn't answer all of the galaxy's questions. In fact, it provokes many more. She and Ben end up doing their own version of the press conference in the Rim for a mostly First Order audience. The emphasis is a little different and the criticism of the old Emperor—who is still a revered figure for many—is tempered. Sheev Palpatine is described as a one-time visionary hero who lost his way when he became too focused on his personal leadership role and less focused on his political goals. The Sith Eternal were a cult of personality who strove to maintain the supremacy of Darkness at all costs, Ben asserts. That religious zealotry eclipsed the many needs of the Rim's long-suffering people. It was more about having power than it was about what that power could do to improve the lives of average citizens, Ben argues. He comes close to calling his zombie predecessor's planned triumphant return an ego trip, but doesn't. Still, it doesn't take much imagination to understand what's going on. There was a powerplay on the Dark Side and Kylo Ren won. That's a situation many Rimmers understand, for no one understands power like the powerless who have habitually been on the losing side themselves.
It helps that Kylo Ren is Lord Vader's grandson. The current Supreme Leader has impeccable Dark Side cred plus he won his people independence from the Core. Ben truly is beloved by many, and that has earned him considerable goodwill. Sure, there are ultra-far-right crazies who bemoan Sheev Palpatine as their preferred leader and Kylo Ren as something of an opportunistic usurper. But Rey privately suspects that most Rimmers don't really care who leads them—they would be fine with either Ben or Sheev Palpatine. All they want is a tough guy in a black cape who they trust not to sell them out to the Core and who will deliver on the nostalgia of the law-and-order Imperial era.
After a few weeks' time and lots of media churning and conspiracy theories, galactic politics settles back to the status quo of the ceasefire announcement days. People are distrusting and bitter on both sides and for good reason. Perhaps it's foolish to think that a photo op featuring the Republic's leaders, her, and Kylo Ren will do much to build bridges. The press conferences and feelgood speeches on both sides are merely a start, Rey realizes. Much diplomacy will be needed to keep the peace between the Republic and the New Empire. Still, the recent media blitz is far better optics than the tepid fanfare that accompanied the announcement of the ceasefire agreement. Finally, it appears that a lasting peace is achievable between the Rim and the Core. For if nothing else, both sides reiterate again and again that with Darth Sidious gone the galaxy has escaped yet another civil war. So, whether or not you believe the story of Mortis, the Ones, and the balance of the Force, there is cause for optimism. Rey and Ben privately declare this to be true progress.
Unity does not require unanimity. People don't have to think and act the same. Differences of opinion are fine. In fact, they might even be healthy for the galaxy. But you don't need to deprecate those with opposing views—they're not stupid just because they don't agree with you. You don't need to vilify your ideological opponents either. That strident tribalism—the 'us versus them' political posturing that Darth Sidious stoked is a trap, Rey knows. To get past all that, people need to stop seeing political allegiance in everyday things. Otherwise, even commonplace decisions take on outsized importance and the opportunities for division increase. Simply put, politics ought not be the prism through which you view everything in life.
Rey knows that it will take time for the galaxy to settle down from this most recent conflict. To build on Ben's commitments in the ceasefire agreement, there needs to be more transparency and accountability from the First Order. Ben needs to tamp down his side's misinformation and holonet trolling. He must rein in his flashmob of followers who escalate minor spats so quickly and effectively that it shuts down legitimate political discourse. He can model that tolerance himself by allowing more freedom in his New Empire.
For its part, the high-minded, legalistic Republic needs to stop choosing principles over people. Drawing bright line rules on issues and establishing political purity tests Ben will never meet just impedes compromise. The Core worlds also need to stop extending compassion with heaps of condescension. They need to act on their stated values of equality and opportunity, not just pay lip service to them. Most of all, the Core systems need to recognize that democracy might not be desirable, of even achievable, by all cultures. So rather than attempting to impose democracy on unwilling recipients, the Core might do better to focus on promoting the benefits and values of democracy in non-democratic governments. If you're going to live in a fascist state, Rey reasons, far better to live in one that respects basic civil rights and tolerates some dissent. So rather than rage against Kylo Ren's dictator status, the Core ought to try persuading him to be more moderate—to focus less on promoting the democratic form of government and more on promoting democratic virtues.
But for now, the galaxy settles into a testy, uneasy peace. Maybe sometime in the future the two sides of the galaxy will reunite, but that event appears far in the distance. There is still too much grievance and mistrust on both sides. Time will need to pass—perhaps a generation or more—before leaders emerge who are less personally involved.
Rey wonders at times what exactly was accomplished on Mortis. For the balance of the Force seems far easier to achieve than maintaining that balance. Everywhere, it seems, she and Ben are surrounded by surging special interests and conflict. Navigating through those pitfalls can seem harrowing. But with Ben and Poe—now re-installed as Chancellor—committed to peace, they make incremental progress.
Lady Abeloth shrugs when Rey and Ben lament the political situation to her. The Mother has seen it all and it shows. She's not exactly bored, but more resigned, as she counsels them. "Hard times create strong people, strong people create good times, then good times create weak people, and weak people create hard times. The cycle repeats. That's why progress is slow at best."
"That's not the pep talk we were looking for," Rey harrumphs.
"Free will is a bitch," her mother answers with her tell-it-like-it-is candor. The rueful goddess chuckles, "I fight against it even as I surrender to it." She pouts at Rey. "People think they want an all-powerful, all-knowing Force. But they don't really. They want free will. It makes them happy and it helps them to understand their lives."
Lady Abeloth tosses her head and fluffs her hair, then shrugs and continues. "All of us want things in opposition. We want freedom but we want security. We crave adventure but we need the mundane. We all seek intimacy but we need to roam too. So you see, in our happiness lies the seeds to our misery."
"That is definitely not the pep talk we're looking for," Rey complains.
The goddess just laughs. She laughs a lot.
"What's so funny?" Plagueis wants to know as he wanders over to join them. For his part, the big Muun seems very content to play Father Force on Mortis. Plagueis tells her and Ben that it's like exile but with more interesting houseguests. From what Rey can tell, the Muun spends his days in deep conversation with an endless stream of Force ghosts. He delights in playing sabbaac with dead Sith Lords as the masters of deception each try to out-bluff the others. But Plagueis also remains a steadfast source of guidance to Ben. In the Muun, Ben finds the supportive family member he always wanted growing up. It increasingly endears old Plagueis to Rey. She has to admit that Father Abeloth grows on you in time.
It's amusing to see the mastermind Muun take a back seat to his new wife. Glib Mother Abeloth is very clearly the one running things. The Force is indeed de facto a woman, and she has definite convictions. The goddess and Rey slowly evolve to have an arm's length but acceptable relationship. They respect one another, but as yet there is no true affection. Maybe Rey ought to be thrilled to find a mother who is so strong and in charge. But all girl-power admiration aside, what Rey really longed for in a mother was comfort and love. She would have been perfectly happy had her long-lost mother turned out to be powerless but nice. And Mother Abeloth is many things, but nice is not one of them.
On a personal front, Rey and Ben finally get to be together as Mr. and Mrs. Supreme Leader. It's wonderful even if it's difficult too. Rey is a loner who's not used to sharing her space, let along sharing her life. There are times when she feels claustrophobic from the combined neediness of Ben and Freya. But Rey tells herself that she needs them back equally, if not more. Rey will never be the openly demonstrative, gushy type. She and Ben don't kiss hello and goodbye and there are no pet names and endearments. But there is deep and abiding love that grows stronger by the day. It gets expressed in private at night in each other's arms when Rey can show rather than tell her regard.
Rey soon finds herself struggling with her new role of mother. It's hard to decide how to balance the needs of the galaxy with the needs of her growing family. Rey tends to default towards time with Freya. At least for now, during these early years together, she will prioritize her family. It is, after all, what she wanted for so long. That means Finn and Poe continue to take the lead with the Senate, while Rey fulfills her old role as official Senate advisor minus the title of 'Jedi.' It's basically the same public role she plays as Ben's wife. She's in the middle as a go-between amidst the Republic and the Empire. Rey focuses on building bridges and fostering positive dialogue, meeting behind the scenes with Republic Senators and First Order generals. She's in a position to do and say things that her husband as Supreme Leader cannot.
And while that is important, little Freya remains Rey's priority. The girl improves a little each day. With enough time and professional help, she starts reaching her long delayed milestones. Ben being Ben, he talks the Republic into turning over the surviving Sith Eternal clone scientists to the First Order for punishment. Then, he promptly offers them a deal: go to prison or advise on techniques to remedy Freya's developmental delays caused by her time in a clone tank. All but one of the scientists agrees to help. The holdout who mouths off to Ben about Darth Sidious gets some Dark Side justice. Ben draws his sword and executes him on the spot, thereby reaffirming his title as the reigning Son of Darkness.
That episode notwithstanding, Kylo Ren—the man who the Core of the galaxy views as an unstable, sullen wannabe who teeters on the edge of nihilism—has become Rey's rock. Ben is the cheerleader she needs to get through this extraordinary life she is set to lead. She and Ben don't see eye to eye on everything, but they agree on the important things. That's enough, she hopes, for them and for the galaxy.
Rey was always curious about Ben, but she was a reluctant and slow convert to his cause. Mostly that was because she sought to convert him to her cause. But Ben Solo constantly veered off script as the Dark Side bad guy, whether it was in Snoke's throne room or in the ruins of Exogol. Ben didn't just feel conflicted—he acted on that conflict in moments of startling independence. At time, he could be very Light.
Those moments weren't one-off lapses from Darkness, Rey came to appreciate. Those moments define who Ben is. And, she now knows as she recalls her own analogous lapses into Darkness killing clones and enforcing frontier justice on Jakku, she has those same moments. She and Ben are a matched pair. Each with enough of the other's proclivities to evoke compassion. That shared conflicted nature turned out to be their greatest asset, for it bridged an ideological divide a thousand generations in the making.
Will anyone other than her ever appreciate the altruism of Kylo Ren? Maybe not. But Rey does and the Force does.
On a personal level, Ben gives her the understanding and intimacy no one else can. He believes in her and trusts her. He's also a wily and strategic thinker who is far more politically savvy than she'll ever be, Rey knows. Best of all, he turns out to be a surprisingly patient father. When Rey is frustrated and raising her voice with Freya, Ben keeps his cool. For somewhat shockingly, Kylo Ren has a long fuse when it comes to toddler antics.
Time slips by fast when you're busy. Days becomes weeks, and weeks become months. In Rey's case, that means her pregnancy advances. Still, she warms to the idea of birthing the twins far less than she pretends. Ben knows that, of course, but he never presses her on it. Like Freya, these twin babies weren't planned. If anything, now seems to be a terrible time for their arrival. Rey worries how she will ever divide her attention between three young children when she is already so stretched as it is. How can she possibly be an advisor to the Senate, the First Lady to the First Order, the Daughter of Light, and a mother as well? As it is, she is away from Freya far more than she likes. It's too much, Rey frets.
Ben sees that she's increasingly stressed—and increasingly Dark as a result. He has a solution. Astral Sidhu leaves her professor post at Coruscant University to become something like the Queen Mother of the First Order.
Old Lady Vader, with her grave public dignity, crisply accented Basic, and tragic backstory, takes on the public ceremonial role of First Lady for all but the most important appearances. It's a risky move to put forth a very urbane, highly cultured Core aristocrat as a key face of the First Order. But Astral is wholeheartedly embraced by the Rim—far more so than Rey with her Jedi-Resistance past. It helps that Astral's got the wardrobe and bearing of the Empress she might have been. So, though she's both a nod to the past and a nod to the Core, the Rimmers come to love Astral like their own. And that too helps to promote the cause of peace. For in time, Astral speaks freely about her experience as an Alderaan survivor. She tells of her husband Lord Vader's vehement behind-the-scenes opposition to both Death Stars. It's a version of history few know and it's a viewpoint that many in the Starkiller-championing, Hosnia-gloating First Order need to hear.
Astral's arrival leaves Rey to focus on her family, the Force, and her go-between role with the Republic. And while that's still a lot, it's manageable with help. Soon the day comes when the twins are born. She and Ben compromise on their names. Rey insists on calling the oldest boy Han for his daredevil grandfather. Ben calls the other boy Hego, the given name of Darth Plagueis who has turned out to the father figure Ben has long needed.
Poor little Freya doesn't receive her brothers' arrival well. She is instantly jealous. Thank goodness she doesn't have the Force yet, Ben jokes, or the twins would get the Vader choke for certain. Rey frowns at him and tells him "that's not funny." Because Skywalker versus Skywalker has been known to happen.
But suddenly, this latest generation of Skywalkers are one big, mostly happy family. They are together, which is more than the prior generations got. And they are on the same side—the side of balance—at long last. It's the family life that their patriarch Anakin and his beloved Padme planned but never achieved. How might things have turned out differently had the twins Luke and Leia been raised together by their birth parents? It's impossible to know. But the sad and bizarre history of their family tree has Ben and Rey equally committed to a wholesome normalcy for their brood. They each know how precious and perhaps fleeting this chance at a stable family is.
Truthfully, it's as much for others' sake as it is for themselves. For the Skywalkers are the first family of the Force. And if the past is any indication, their future is as intertwined with the fate of the galaxy as it is with each other. It's taken a lot of suffering and loss to get to this point, Rey thinks, as she cuddles one newborn next to Ben who's holding the other while Grandma Astral is busy playing with Freya.
What will her children's lives like? How will they contribute to the galaxy? Will they be public figures or private citizens? Rey wonders. Will they know war and hardship? Will they live in peace and unity? It's too soon to tell. Will they be able to maintain the balance of the Force? Will they find a personal equilibrium between their own ambitions and their responsibilities to others as Ones? That will be a challenge. But she and Ben are committed to do their part. And with some guidance from the Force ghosts on Mortis and some advice from Mother and Father Abeloth, Rey feels hopeful.
And that optimism in the face of adversity is what makes her the Daughter of Light. It's her hope combined with grit—a perspective Rey learned young on Jakku but continues still today— that will see her through the years ahead. Being the Light Side One isn't about being a perfect Jedi. It's not a commitment to paragon status. It's merely the determination to keep trying to make things better, even if that progress is slow and incremental.
And maybe slow change is the best chance since it gives everyone a chance to participate. Rapid change can leave people behind and stoke conflict, for not everyone is ready for big course corrections. That's how civil wars get started. And then, the Skywalkers will be back in the thick of it again needing to save the galaxy. Rey hopes that won't be necessary. But if it is, she, Ben, and the kids will step up. That's her family's job, after all. Their birthright is the Force, but their calling is balance.
THE END