Star Wars: A dyad in the Force Chapter 17: In the aftermath of the night, a star wars fanfic

Warning: Major Spoilers of TRoS.

Note: This is a Reylo FanFiction (slow-burn)

「Act 17: In the aftermath of the night」

Here's to the ones that we got

Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

Of everything, we've been through...

Ajan Kloss, 35 ABY

She had felt connecting with him even before their last embrace. She had felt it during the first moments of his interrogation of her on Starkiller Base. Her encounters with Ben, or when he was known as Kylo Ren, were always overwhelming, yet important. Because he understood her like no one ever had, he pushed her to reach her full potential. Sometimes he acted as her teacher than her enemy. Rey could grasp his point of view. And now, she needed them to understand as well. She knew, and she knew it well, that this possibility had zero chance. Maybe Finn would accept some of her feelings. But Poe and the rest would not. And she could not blame them. She didn't want to explain to them his actions so that Ben would be forgiven. She just needed them to know that Kylo Ren had turned. And Ben Solo gave up his life to aid this cause.

She took a sharp breath and closed her eyes, darting once more to the faces of those she had lost: her parents, Han Solo, Master Skywalker, General Organa, and Ben. 'Right, Ben!' she thought and opened her eyes, gazing at the new Generals; Poe and Finn were waiting for her to speak. Finn and Poe would have little understanding or sympathy for her connection to Ben, who had been - and possible would always be- Kylo Ren to them. She would not bother them with details they would never grasp. After all, it mattered less now, with him gone. She couldn't fault them for seeing him as the villain, given they have witnessed his wrongdoings all these years.

Still, it wasn't easy to forget and ignore the last part of his deeds, even if the others would never understand. It was then when she found some of her strength to explain to them what happened. From the moment Leia called him when he showed up at the most critical time and aided her, to when he brought her back to life. Finn trusted Rey's words. He had felt her die. That meant that someone brought her back to life. Poe didn't argue, but for him, Kylo Ren was still a monster. Even when she explained that he was dead, both looked satisfied with the outcome.

One enemy less.

The celebrations had died, and everyone was sleeping or resting. After Rey narrated Finn and Poe through the events on Exegol, she gave her goodnights and decided to get some rest as well. She walked through the base and found her old room—a small storage unit, where she would hang out and sleep from time to time. There was an old metallic bed. Next to it were her belongings. The textures of the Jedi she got from Luke. Some of her attires in another box. She took off the lightsabers and placed them on top of the wooden desk next to the bed. She sat down. Head resting on her hands. And once more, she was drawn into her memory. It was again Ben's face. Only it was an older memory. The first time she had met Kylo Ren. Only now, the memory didn't scare her.

Rey felt the softness, the quiet, the sense of rest. Her eyes were slowly closing as she was sitting there in the storage unit. Her friends seemed to understand that she needed rest and didn't bother her for now. Ben had saved her earlier today, but her wounds were still fresh and aching. But those didn't matter. What matter was she had lost, Ben? Rey felt a blackness slowly reaching her. Her body relaxed, and she leaned against the bed and lay on her side. Soon her feet followed, and before she knew it, she was resting on top of the bed with her eyes closed. The blackness covered her like a blanket, but not a blanket of warmth but a blanket of coldness, making her shiver. She missed the warm nights of Jakku. Her eyes become heavier and heavier until sleep sent her into a dreamless sleep.

As her consciousness ebbed, her mind went into free fall, swirling with the dark chaos of a new nightmare. But she was too weary of waking up and too broken to react. She remained there trapped in the dark dream. The nightmare started. Paralyzed, naked, cold. The masked man would come closer to her. At first, he seemed unknown. But soon, the mask took a familial form. She tried to reach the mask but couldn't. She tried to speak, but no words appeared. In the darkness of a dream, the man would appear and disappear. And then there was full darkness and cold. She felt so much cold and alone. The pain in her brain got only stronger, and she cried and sobbed in her dream as the man took off the mask and threw it away.

Revealing Ben's face.

His face so strange and unfamiliar, but if she looked closer, it was Ben. She had finally reached deep sleep. Her dream was only a bigger terror causing her to shiver. But she didn't want to wake up. Because now, in that darkness. She could see Ben's face. And it was worth all the pain and agony.

The fear traveled in her veins but never made it to her facial muscles or skin. Only the shivering remained. Her complexion remained pale and matt, her eyes strongly shut. In the dream, she was still looking at Ben. The mask was now shuttered to a thousand small pieces that covered the ground. Rey observed every little piece finding its way, one more and one more followed. Until the rocky ground reminded her of the desert of Jakku. Only, oddly it wasn't warm. She was freezing. Her eyes lifted, and looked again at Ben. Now he looked more familiar. He was wearing the same attire as in Exegol, a black shirt, black pants, and boots. He was wounded and exhausted. Yet, very much alive.

She kept gazing at Ben. Eyes pinned on him. She was still crying; her eyes even closed, were filled with tears. But she fought to remain in the dream. It was only getting colder and colder. As the scenery changed slowly, revealing more details of Jakku, at the same time, the temperature was dropping. The suns were not emitting warm, but cold frozen air. She started panting now, her breath cold fogging in front of her. She could see Ben, but he was slowly pulled afar. But he was still there. She tried once more to call him. But her voice had no sound. She looked at Ben but couldn't see if he was gazing at her back.

Did he even know she was there?

Her heart pounded against her chest. Rey trembled in her sleep. She started calling his name in real, but in the dream, there was no sound. The room was entirely dark. No light anywhere. The remnants of her nightmare still clung to her mind, haunting her. She let out a frightened cry and buried her face into her pillow. Even her breaths trembled. She swallowed and once again turned to see the endless darkness of her room. She couldn't see anything. Everything collapsed. Ben was gone. And she remained still trapped in the same nightmare, finally able to call him "Ben."

Rey awoke a few seconds later with his name still on her lips. She sat up, feeling still cold from the dream. She rubbed her face and slowly returned to reality. Only in this reality, Ben was gone. She sat up only to find that Poe and Finn had stepped into the room. They looked worried, like something bad had happened. Rey blinked, confused, and gazed at them.

Finn softly pulled her chin to face him. "Are you alright?" he asked her and pressed his hand against her forehand only to found out she was freezing. Rey looked at him, still confused.

"You were crying and yelling in your sleep!" Poe uttered in a louder tone trying to get her attention. Rey nodded and didn't say anything. Her body was there. But she still seemed to miss something.

Finn grabbed her arm and softly shook her, waiting for some reaction. "Rey, you are scaring us. Are you hurt?" he quizzed.

Poe pulled him off her. "Get her some water," he said, and Finn was sent away to bring back some water for her.

Rey turned her face watching Finn walking out of the small storage room and then back at her eyes, she was still teary, and she was panting. Poe hated to watch her like that. Rey was always strong, even in her most scary moments. She could face her fears with strength. He sat next to her and looked at her seriously. Rey turned and looked at him. "Rey!" he asked, "What happened? Why were you calling of Kylo Ren?"

"Ben..." she corrected in a lower tone as she seemed to react to his name.

Poe shook his head. "That monster isn't any longer Ben Solo. You already know that."

Rey looked at him in shock." Ben..." she insisted and tried to explain what happened. But again, her words didn't come out. Finn returned with a bottle of water and a first aid kit. He gave her the bottle and slowly helped her clean her wounds and bandage them.

Poe sat casually as Finn was aiding her to clean her wounds. "What was the dream about?" he asked her thoughtfully.

Rey locked up at Poe. "You will not like my answer," she assured him.

Poe gazed at her, annoyed, "Still, you should tell us!"

Rey glared at Poe. Those two were always arguing. Poe's self-centered persona and Rey's strong character would clash and argue until an answer would be found. "I don't remember much; it was about Ben... Jakku... and an odd feeling like the dyad would spring alive one more time." Rey said, dropping her gaze as she admitted that she was missing the connection she shared with Ben. And this time, it was more than ever.

Finn grabbed both of her hands into his hands, "You know we are here for you. We will help you to go through this." he assured her.

"Try to get some more sleep. Tomorrow we have to face the aftermath of the battle. Rey, we need you!" Poe uttered as he stood up. "I understand it's not easy. But we cannot lose you now! And for what? Kylo Ren?"

Rey sighed and decided not to quarrel with Poe any more. "You won't lose me." was her final answer and leaned back. "I will see you two tomorrow." She said and faced away from them.

Poe stepped outside of her room as Finn told her: "Good night, sleep well." and followed Poe outside.

"He can't beat us every time!" Finn said, gazing at him, "Even after death Kylo Ren troubles our best fighter."

Poe sensed some jealously between Finn's words, but it was not his place to judge. Finn was his close friend, his best friend, and he understood that Finn was close to Rey and was worried. Poe was worried as well. Those three had fought battle after battle against the First Order and Kylo Ren. Of course, he would be troubled about Rey. But never about Kylo Ren. He didn't care if he turned to the light. Even if he gave his life to save Rey, that action alone was not enough to atone for all his wrongdoings.

"And yet, he seems to," Poe grumbled.

Finn's eyes narrowed, "How does he do it?"

"I don't know, Finn! You are the one who is supposed to be Force-sensitive, not I!" Poe responded as he tapped his friend on his shoulder. "Let's go get some rest. And forget about Kylo Ren. He will no longer bother us."

「 Upcoming Chapter: Act Eighteen」

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