Ben hadn't slept a wink that night, after Snoke had congratulated him on finding his bride. Snoke had agreed that her low birth wasn't an issue. She was an Omega and that was the best thing for the realm. Snoke would certainly cast his vote in favour at the Council meeting.

Ben had vacillated between waiting for the Council meeting and riding through the night to Jakku. In the end, the scent of Rey's abandoned trousers and the privacy of his bedroom had held him back for now.

Besides, if he waited for permission, he could turn up at Rey's door and request her hand with the red tape and legalities already tied up. Plus knowing his mother, by the time they returned she would have set up the wedding, ready for Rey to step into her wedding dress and say I do.

Now Ben regretted his choice as he stormed out of the Council Chamber. At the moment there was an even number of Council members (being short a father of the queen/future queen). A tie in votes was decided by going with the option favoured by the king.

Luke had voted against the marriage.

How dare he? This was all his fault! Ben was only heir to the throne because Luke hadn't done his duty by marrying and producing sons. Instead he had fallen for someone connected to Palpatine and refused to marry her. Mara Jade died in suspicious circumstances, some said on Palpatine's orders due to failing in her mission, and others that it was at the hand of Alderaanians who were worried that the king might produce bastards controlled by the Emperor.

Luke had made his choices. And had tied Ben's hands and prevented him from making his own choices.

All because they were worried Palpatine might outlive Luke and state that he had a better claim as father of Queen Padme Amidala than Ben had as nephew of the current king. They worried about the impact of Ben's father being lowborn with a dubious history. (Some said a war hero, others a common criminal.) Again, Ben was the victim of choices made before he was born. He had no control of who his father was.

Don't get him wrong, Ben wanted the throne. Was hungry for it. He had been groomed for it since birth. He was an Alpha. He was built to rule.

But he needed his Omega. Snoke said that Alphas needed Omegas to balance them. Just look at Vader, who fell apart after the death of his Alpha wife in childbirth. Just look at his Alpha mother and his beta father, always at each other's throats.

Palpatine was old, very old, and unable to leave his bed. He had no heirs—having killed his own son for treason and his only daughter, Ben's grandmother, long dead. No one would stand in the way of Ben ascending to the throne.

Only Luke stood in his way.

Ben would marry his Omega, legal or otherwise. And then he would tear Luke down, if he had to, and make the marriage legal after the event. Who would oppose him? There was no one strong enough.

Snoke caught up to him on the way to the stables, reassuring Ben that he would stand with him, that he would secure the support of General Hux and the royal army. Before today Ben would have doubted that, Hux hated him, but as Snoke had predicted last night Hux had voted in favour of the marriage. Snoke was and remained Ben's biggest supporter, more even than his own mother who tried to restrain him and get him to conform.

Snoke knew that Ben's next stop after the stables was Jakku. He advised Ben to take Rey to Lady Phasma's estate—she could be trusted and Rey would be safe there. Snoke worried that attempts may be made to diffuse the situation by taking Rey out of the equation and she should immediately be moved to a secret location to thwart assassination attempts.

As Ben rode his black stallion, Silencer, at speed, he was set on the course of action. See Rey to safety, marry her privately, gather support and kill his Uncle to take the throne for himself. Rey would rule beside him as Queen and Palpatine would fall victim to old age eventually.

That plan crumbled as his route brought him closer to a column of black smoke in the air. Villagers of Niima pointed him in the direction of the plume and that was how Ben found himself at Niima House, the home of Baronet Plutt, which was engulfed in flames and crumbling in on itself.

Luke had gotten to her before Ben could. Once more he had removed his options. Rey, an innocent, was dead.

This was war.