Disclaimers: All right reserved of the originals "Star Wars" Characters, Names, Places, etc., to George Lucas / Disney. I pledge to return all characters after the story is complete.

Warning: Major Spoilers of TRoS.

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

「Act 68: Chancellor's Vicious Command」

Ajan Kloss, 38 ABY

Poe had just stepped out of the Millennium Falcon; it took the group of six to reach the Resistance Base a few months. The command area was no longer as busy as it used to be; the Galaxy was in peace now. " Commander Larma D'Acy, why haven't you sent a transmission." Poe demanded, "and how is this even possible?"

"We tried multiple times to communicate with you, Falcon was transmitting in a different frequency, and we couldn't establish a connection!" D'Acy defended herself, "And it took you three months to reach base, three months!"

True be told, neither Poe nor Ben speeded up Falcon to reach base, as no threat remained throughout the Galaxy. They had given their battles, and their return was slow. After all, those few months were like a gift to Ben; he had a taste of how loved ones could surround his life. They never imagined what was happening meanwhile in the Galaxy.

"What's wrong?" Ben questioned as he walked up next to Poe, Rey, Finn, and Chewie followed.

"Commander D'Acy, you can't be asking us to do this?" Dameron said, astonished.

"It's a direct order, General if we don't obey, there will be consequences," Larma explained.

"No, you don't know!" Poe argued back, "It took us more than a year to accomplish this mission; we lost friends and almost our lives. And upon our return, you are welcome us how?"

"General, you can try to reason with the officers at bay," she suggested, but her facial expression showed that his efforts would be in vain.

Poe took a deep breath, trying to process the news that Commander Larma D'Acy threw at him. He skipped next to Ben, his hand resting on his shoulder, "Listen," Poe exhaled, trying to find the best way to share the news with Ben, "the Republic has sent an order..."

Rey jumped and interrupted Poe at once. "Republic? We have a government?"

"There have been many changes around the Galaxy," Larma said as she turned and walked away, leaving Poe to talk with them.

"They somehow re-established the government?" Ben read through the lines as if he was so tuned to the world about him that he understood the logical conclusion to any course of events innately. It took him a few seconds to connect the points, "The order has to do with me?"

"It's worse!" Poe said and gestured for the group to follow him inside as he went on explaining, "the Galactic Republic was founded again by a new government, with almost a thousand senators and new alliances that reach as far as the Unknown Regions."

Poe had won everyone's attention; Rey leaned against the nearest desk, speechless, "Such accomplishment should take years, not to say decades."

"It did," Poe answered, "The Chancellor was in constant communication with most of the senators, and above her arrival, the plan was set."

"Her?" quizzed Finn. "The ruler is a female? We know her?"

"Yup!" Poe responded, "Dark Rey Palpatine."

There was a long silence after Poe announced the name. Everyone was trying to cope with the new information that exploded into their heads.

"Wait, the Clone became governor?" Finn asked, "How?"

"Senators and new Alliances voted two months ago, and she was chosen as Chancellor; they call her Empress Dark Rey Palpatine," Poe added as the news still hurt his brain.

"You mean we don't have only a new Galactic Republic, but the big boss is Rey's clone?" Finn repeated, "Our arrival couldn't get any better!"

"But how could the majority vote for her? She was trapped in the North Unknown Regions," Rey questioned. And she was right, her clone was supposed to be trapped for years in Eanor, and now she shows up and is already recognized.

"She could!" came Ben's voice steady until now, Ben was gathering all the information that Poe told them, and he was putting together the missing pieces. The group of six gazed at him, waiting for an explanation. "Dark can already project herself through the Galaxy; she did it in Kef Bir, later on, Imperial Palace, even on our way back to the Resistance..."

"She did what?" Rey backfired as she heard that her clone was around Ben. Having her rule the Galaxy, Rey could deal with that. But her being around Ben was making her furious.

Ben sighed as dark eyes met brown, "She showed around the Falcon a couple of times." he admitted, "I didn't understand why back then. But since Poe mentioned that the frequency in the communication panel was altered, I believe it was her doing!"

"So, we wouldn't know her plans and try to stop her," Poe said, and Ben nodded.

"She could meet with everyone she needed over the years and set her plan in motion," Ben said, "It makes sense now why she didn't aid Delkor or Palpatine."

"Ben, she was fighting for them," Rey argued, "or have you lost your mind while meeting with her?"

Ben ignored Rey's jealous statement; he knew things would get worse, as he had figured out one more piece of information the rest hadn't. "I believe she had too; she tricked everyone, her master, Palpatine, and us."

"I agree with Ben; she seems more capable and organized than Palpatine and Delkor," Poe said, casting a glance towards Ben with regret for what would follow.

"But she is a Sith," Finn disagreed. "Are we going to let a Sith rule the Galaxy again? We saw what Palpatine caused last time."

"Technically, Rey is a Sith as well," Ben explained, "And she has proven herself, Dark could succeed equally."

Poe watched Ben understand what he implied "You don't object to her being the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic?"

Ben nodded, "You already said it, the position wasn't offered to her, nor did she claim it via threatening anyone; she became Chancellor fair as the senators voted for her."

"Maybe," Poe agreed, " D'Acy said something about her promising peace all over the Galaxy,"

"We can't be sure," Ben disclose, "But time will prove her true attempts."

"There is more," Poe continued. "A lot of things changed, and I guess we will slowly be notified. But..."

"What do they want, Poe?" Rey interrupted him again.

"Ben," mumbled Poe, unable to form the whole phrase.

"They want Ben?" Rey asked calmly at first, but she almost collapsed against the desk when the realization hit her. "No, Poe, you cannot allow it!"

"Rey, it's a direct order," Poe raised his tone seriously this time. "I cannot disobey. I care about Ben as much as you, but..."

"You do?" Rey asked in a mocking tone.

Poe narrowed his gaze. "Of course, he is my friend. I loathed him two years ago, but now... Ben is family!"

Ben rose his eyes gazing at Poe; he almost felt torn apart; people were arguing about him, claiming to protect him. He had never lived through times like this. He felt lucky, lucky to have friends like Poe, Rey, Chewie, even Finn. "Rey, stop!" his voice came loud and cold "What do they want Poe?"

Poe sighed. "Imprisoning you until the day of your trial,"

"There will be a trial?" Finn repeated, shaking his head, "We have missed a lot."

Ben seemed calm, like he was awaiting a moment like this. Honestly, he believed it would take a few more years, even more, before a government would be established. After the Galactic Empire's downfall, it had been over thirty years, and the Galaxy was still a chaotic mess, and it took Dark Rey only a few years to put it together. He was impressed. Maybe there was hope, and the clone could bring peace over the Galaxy. As for his trial, he could finally face his misdeeds. He knew it would not be enough, but it somehow eased his pain. Of course, he would miss the new life, Rey and his friends. But his priority was to answer for his past.

Ben pulled his lightsaber and Anakin's off his belt and handed it to Rey, who accepted them, confused. Then he stepped in front of Poe, placing his hands together. "General, you should act by the order you received."

Poe skipped next to Ben, pushing his hands down. "Let me first negotiate with them..." Poe offered, gazing worried at Ben.

"No," Ben disagreed. "You will follow the command. I don't want any favors. Poe, please! You know..."

Poe took a deep breath; he hated it when his mind understood reason, he noted with a broken heart. "Ok, Ben!"

Rey jumped in front of Poe and Ben. "You are both out of your minds," she yelled, turning and facing Ben, her fists clenched together, pain and anger rose, "You should fight with any mean possible, not accept it!" Her fists were knocking against Ben's chest, as her eyes were filled with tears.

"Rey," said Ben calmly as he wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her close. "Listen, please..."

"No, I just found you, I cannot," she looked at him with a broken heart. "Ben, I cannot; this isn't right!"

Ben sighed as his fingers reached her jaw and lifted her head to look at him. "Rey, you know this is the only way," he paused as he gave a small gesture to Poe to go and fetch the handcuffs. 'Rey,' his thoughts reached her mind, 'I don't want to run from my past anymore. I want to face the truth. I know the trial will not save me from all my wrongdoings, but it's a start. Please understand.'

Rey gazed at him, shivering inside his arms. She grasped Ben's point of view, but the truth was so painful she couldn't only give him away. "And what if they ..."

Ben placed his finger in front of her lips. "No, ifs," he whispered, "Don't think like that. I need you to be calm; everything will be okay. Whatever the outcome, it's what I want." Ben leaned and gave her a small kiss on her lips and then pulled himself away. He turned and faced Poe, who had already arrived with the handcuffs.

"They sent those," Poe pointed at the metallic handcuffs he was holding, "Those are for Force-users, Ben I don't know what side-effect they might have on you.."

Ben cut him off as he lifted his arms and his hands rested in front of Poe. "Just put them on!" he demanded.

Poe jerked his head at Ben's clarity and calmness; at that moment, he reminded him of Kylo Ren's coldness. Poe unlocked the cuffs, placed them around Ben's hands, and then clasped them together, locking them around Ben's wrists.

At first, nothing happened, and Poe breathed. Then Ben felt the inner parts of the cuffs turning, small needles pinning into his skin, a liquid was released, and his world became a blurred shadow. He felt distant, disconnecting from the Force and Rey, and suddenly dropping on his knees.

"Ben," Rey cried, terrified at the view, and ran towards him, anxious and worried.

Ben lifted his palm and gestured to her to stop. "Poe take me away," he mumbled, almost ready to collapse.

Rey gazed at him in disbelief; she could not understand where Ben took all the strength and remained so reasonable. She turned away angry; if she stayed, she would beat Ben and Poe, those fools who were obeying the damn clone's orders.

Ben dropped his gaze; he lost contact with the real world and felt trapped into an antirealist dim cosmos; though he didn't fight it, he gave in. Poe grabbed him against the shoulders and guided him to the storage unit used as a cell. "I'll talk about those cuffs, and have them as soon as possible removed," Poe promised, "I can understand wanting you to go through a trial, but this... this is..."

Ben followed between reality and the dreaming state he had fallen; he had heard Poe "Take care of Rey, things will get worse." he said and dropped against the metallic bed that was inside the storage unit.

"Don't worry, Buddy," Poe assured him as he locked the door. "I got you!"

「Upcoming Chapter: Act Sixty - Nine」

Okay, guys, that's all. I hope you enjoyed reading the 68th chapter.

Thank you all so much! Stay awesome! Stay sweet!

And be nice to each other, see you soon, in the next chapter!

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