A/N Hello all, I apologize for such a long break in between. I will do my best to upload more often! I hope you all are staying safe!

Chapter Four

The Meeting

POV: Ben

The feeling similar to when he was putting his life force into Rey started in his stomach and worked its way into his shoulders, creating a feeling similar to a tug. He was feeling less and less of his grandfather's presence and more and more of the Starkiller Base. Just the veil began to lift, he heard Anakin in his mind,

"Just so you know, after you died, Rey chose her last name to be Skywalker. Interesting isn't it?"

Ben found himself breathing heavily. He was moving. Fast. Once he was able to focus his vision, he realized he was running in a forest. His lightsaber was drawn and he could hear a battle in the near distance.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of fair skin. He immediately understood that he was in the middle of a chase, he was the hunter - and he knew who he was hunting: The Scavenger.

His legs were feeling that familiar explosive burn he felt during some of his more intense trainings with Snoke… and Skywalker. This girl was fucking fast… but he was, too. He may not be graceful or nimble, but his large stride made speed training immensely easier than it would have been had he been a little shorter.

Ben hurdled himself over roots, logs, and other obstacles, slashing any high rising foliage out of his way to get to her faster. Soon, he was able to catch up with her… not that he exactly knew what he was going to do once he inevitably did.

She quickly turned around to face him. Her knees were slightly bent ready to pounce at her hunter. Every part of her body looked tense but ready to fight at any second. The look in her eyes were nearly animalistic. Her gaze did not shift to look for an escape, as so many cornered animals do. No. They were dead set focused on him. To an outsider, it would have appeared that Rey was the hunter and Ben was the prey.

Ben immediately felt that familiar unbridled power that came off of Rey in waves. The memories of what they had been through in a different life nearly brought him to his knees but he fought off the emotions to continue the task at hand.

They were looking at each other in a near standoff, both heavily breathing and ready for their opponent to dare make a first move.

It wasn't that Ben was expecting a romantic return… or for Rey to even like him. It's not like she was going to see him and run into his arms. He wasn't expecting a smile or her to say "Ben, you came back!" He knew that she wouldn't like him… but what he did not anticipate was the sheer force of fear, anger and… hatred pouring off her.

Ben pushed those thoughts to the side and leapt into action. As soon as he began to move, Rey began to fire a pistol at him with a surprising precision. Even in her first fight (that he knew of) she was a deadly weapon. She could easily take down half a faction of stormtroopers without the help of a saber. Despite her raw skill, Ben was able to maneuver through the several shots she took at him and reached her in a matter of seconds. He mustered as much calming energy as he possibly could and focused it onto Rey as soon as he made contact with her.

Her body soon collapsed as she slipped into unconsciousness. Ben was able to deftly catch her falling form. She lay limp in his arms and he adjusted to pick her up bridal style. Although she was small in stature, he was reminded of the weight her body had due to her muscular form. As he moved to support her lagging head, he was brought back to when he held her lifeless form on Exegol. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked at her face taking in the blessing that Rey was indeed alive.

It was jarring to see her in such a vulnerable state. Her eyes were gently shut and her face was completely relaxed. He wasn't sure if she ever had moments where she allowed herself to be at this level of tranquility. He nearly had to look away for fear of feeling like he was invading her privacy.

Ben began to walk back to his ship. He had to get her out of here - before anyone found them. He took deep breaths and briskly navigated through the foliage towards his personal ship. There was an open area he had to cross between the forest and his end goal. He could hear a battle raging on with gunshots, screams, and explosions. He looked down at Rey for a reason that was unknown to him. He knew she would be unconscious for a while - the force worked that way… but he had to check that nothing from the chaos around them was disturbing her slumber.

He snapped from his worry when he heard that voice rip through the sounds of battle.

"REY!" it screamed.

It was the traitor stormtrooper. That scum. FN-2187. Ben would not give him the satisfaction of turning around for even a second.

"REEEYYY!"

The sad excuse for a soldier was beginning to sound more desperate. Ben took a sick satisfaction in causing him distress. What a piece of shit. Ben's hatred for FN-2187 ran deeper than his betrayal. Honestly, he wasn't the first stormtrooper to stray from the First Order. In a way, Ben had always been secretly impressed with them. He found their choice and their blatant disrespect annoying at most, but having the guts to turn against such a powerful force either indicated great strength… or insanity. Either way, Ben knew what it was like to turn your back on a cause that has been drilled into you since you were a child. Something about this particular stormtrooper didn't sit well with Ben at all. He never figured out why and for now just brushed it aside as a gut feeling to be explored at a different time.

For the time being, he just enjoyed listening to the immense distress of FN-2187 continue to rise as he walked into his command shuttle. He had about eight hours until Rey would awaken… maybe a little less since she is so powerful.

The small loading dock on his ship hissed shut as he walked in with Rey. The heavy metal and space insulator blocked out most of the noise that was happening outside. As always, he was grateful he had this aircraft to himself. Dealing with commanding officers - especially General Hux - was exhausting and usually resulted in Ben destroying some piece of equipment when provoked.

Ben carried Rey to a smaller room on his ship and set her down. He used this small space as a place to rest on his longer missions. There was a small cot in the corner that he would use despite only just being able to fit on it. Although it wasn't the right size for him, it was perfect for Rey. He caught the beginnings of a smile forming on his lips as he set her down on the thin, cheap mattress. Once she was in place he saw goosebumps all up her arms and legs. His ship was not all that cooler than the outside planet they were still on - Takodana… but to a scavenger on Jakku it was probably freezing. It doesn't help that the clothes she's wearing are obviously the same ones she wore on that desert planet.

From what he knew of Rey, she was pretty low maintenance. She wouldn't be the type to complain about being cold. If asked, she would probably deny it to not cause any trouble. Ben bristled. Those idiots with her know how cold space travel is! They couldn't think to give her any other article of clothing? Or even a blanket?! Rey had probably been freezing for weeks without anyone even offering her a change of clothes.

Ben exhaled a frustrated breath out of his helmet and searched for a blanket in the overhead bins across the room. After some significant rummaging, he found an Imperial military grade blanket. This type is given to all Stormtroopers on the Starkiller Base. It matched the interior of his ship and was made of scratchy, thin, wool. It may not be pretty but it certainly keeps whoever is using it warm. He strode over to Rey with the blanket and laid it gently over her making sure to cover everything from her legs up to her neck.

Without wanting to be creepy, he left her to sleep, shut the door behind him, and made his way to the cockpit. It was about a two hour flight back to Starkiller Base and he had to think through exactly how he was going to navigate his feelings and what he knew about Rey as a Palpatine to fly under the radar of Snoke's control. The good news was that Snoke had known about their force connection and Ben's pull towards her… so he didn't have to hide that. Snoke also knew that she was incredibly powerful and gifted with the force. It seemed as though he wouldn't have to hide much from his current master. He would just have to cloud up the specifics.

Ben fired up the ship and quickly ascended through the atmosphere layers on Takodana. He felt the pressure changes click in his cabin as the air got thinner and thinner. Once he passed through what he knew to be the final layer he felt the familiar weightlessness of first entering space. His body pulled ever so slightly on his restraints keeping him in his seat. Then the light hum of the gravity stabilizers kicked in and his body settled back into place. He was barely paying attention as he adjusted the controls to navigate towards Starkiller base. Despite all that had happened, his mind was still on autopilot. He was doing all he could not to think of waking the woman sleeping in the back of his ship. How he longed to speak with her and hear her voice again… but that would have to wait.

Two hours did not go quickly. Ben could swear that it felt like the longest flight he ever had to endure. Eventually they arrived at Starkiller base. Guards in the past learned not to welcome him when he came back from his missions. So he knew he still had time to figure out what to do with Rey. He landed his ship in its proper dock and made his way into the back room where Rey was still sleeping.

The doors opened and she was still in the same position he left her in. This wasn't exactly unexpected. He did knock her unconscious with the force after all. It's not like that would just magically wear off and allow her to be a restless sleeper. Despite this, Ben caught himself wondering what it was like when she did sleep. Honestly, he didn't see Rey as the type to ever take a rest even once. She almost seemed out of place wrapped in a dark blanket on a bed.

As much as he wished they could stay on his ship, Ben knew he had to get her in one of the holding cells. Not doing so would look suspicious and he would not be able to guarantee her safety especially while she is still knocked out… and while Snoke is still alive. Ben knew what that thing wanted from Rey and what it was capable of and he just could not risk Rey's life when he had only just gotten her back.

He removed the blanket off of Rey and immediately felt regret when he saw the goosebumps rise once again across her body. Without wanting to linger, he swept her up into his arms and began to carry her off of his ship. He briskly made his way into the entrance bay area and made a beeline towards the west part of the base where the prisoner holding cells were. His boots clicked on the smooth, solid surface of the floor. He could see glimpses of their reflection on the flawlessly clean ground.

He chose to enter one of the first holding cells that he could find. There was a group of stormtroopers waiting in the room preparing for any potential prisoners. They saw him and immediately straightened their postures. He could feel their fear. No one on this ship liked him. Nobody saw him as a leader… he was just that freak with the force that could really do some damage if you got in his way. But the force was power and not one trooper on this ship would dare cross him if they wanted to live.

"Get. Out." He barked through his mask.

"Right away, sir!" They parroted. And they marched out of the room as quickly as they could.

Ben walked into the cell and went directly to the interrogation table. He made sure to gently lay Rey's body in a way that would be at least somewhat comfortable. He knew it was a waste of time. Interrogation tables were in no way meant to be comfortable. In fact, they were meant for the exact opposite.

Ben began to lock Rey into the table with the various clasps that were attached. First he fastened her arms so her torso wouldn't flop forward. This happened with many of the new First Order recruits. There were even some rumored instances of accidental broken ankles when prisoners were not strapped to the table in the right order. Ben snorted as he finished fastening her arms into the restraints. Rey's head was lolling over to the side.

He gently put his hands on either side of her head and adjusted her so she lay flat. His hands lingered near her hairline. Sweat from her prior excursions of running from him had caked on her skin leaving the slightest chalky residue on his fingertips. He brushed over her forehead to move the disheveled hair out of her face. She still looked so relaxed… but he knew that was going to change any minute when she woke up.

In all honesty, he did not exactly know what he was going to face when she came to. Sure, he had been through all this before… but it was different now. He was different now. His feelings for her would have to stay under wraps for now even towards her. It doesn't feel like it, but technically, this is the first time that they have met in this timeline. He wouldn't be able to tell her anything in case it would scare her off. At this thought a heaviness sat in his chest. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought. It is more than likely that once she wakes up, she is going to hate him. It doesn't matter that the force dyad connection is supposed to link between the two of them in this interaction. He is still her captor.

This sobering thought made Ben snap back into the present and resume fastening Rey into the restraints. He moved on to her legs and made the necessary adjustments to their narrow circumference. While he was securing the final restraint, he noticed some scarring on the back of her exposed calf. At a glance it looked like four deep puncture wounds that had healed over with lighter scar tissue. They looked like tallies but with more width in the middle of each line. Probably from an animal attack. Good stitches would have prevented scarring like that… but what was to be expected of a dumpster planet like Jakku?

Ben looked over Rey one more time to make sure that she was secure in the restraints. He knew that she had not realized her abilities with the force yet… but after seeing what she is capable of before he was able to return - he was not about to take any chances.

He took three paces away from Rey to where there was a chair in the corner of the room. He dragged it close to the table and sat down. He breathed deeply, calming himself as much as he could. He did his best to focus on a small red light that was flashing in the middle of the wall to his left. All he could do now was wait for her to wake up. He was not about to leave her alone. Not until he spoke to her first. Not until he got to know more about her.

She looked so helpless on the table. He could tell that even in her unconsciousness that she was freezing. He wished he could have gotten her more appropriate attire for space travel… at least something with sleeves! This would have been a stupid move though. It would have easily given him away. What captor gives his prisoner clothes so they're more comfortable? That does not happen. So for now, he was stuck with the guilt of Rey being cold.

Just as he was composing himself, he felt a familiar presence in the room. In a panic, he searched his feelings as well as his physical surroundings for what it was. No… it wasn't Snoke, this presence felt different. There was no one who had entered the room. It was not an unwelcome feeling but rather a tug. Like it was announcing itself to him. It took only a few seconds for him to realize that nobody had entered the room. There was no break in. Snoke was not trying to enter his mind. No. Rey was waking up.