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Rey

After that day in the practice field Rey felt the need to work on the Ember Order. If they were to bring balance to the Force, they needed to know exactly how they could do that. Rey decided to hold a brainstorming session with her apprentices and the Knights of Ren. She figured if they were there to hear what she and the others had thought up so far it would be easier for them to make the transition from Sith/Dark to Grey.

Kylo was busy with Phasma and the rest of his officers so it was up to Rey to hold the volatile group together all on her own this time. Falbell and Nikhoah were the last to show up to the classroom that they would be using for the meeting. As soon as they sauntered in the chitchat in the room died and all eyes landed on them. Bell smiled and pulled Nik to a pair of seats near the back.

"We don't want any trouble," he said. "Kylo said that you guys could use some help with sorting out the useful information from the dark side, we could help with that."

"Thank you," Rey said. "Since everyone is here, we can begin. When we first came up with the ideal of the Grey Ember Order, we decided that we didn't want to cut ourselves off from our emotions and we did not want to cut ourselves off from the pain and suffering of the world like the Jedi did. Being part of the Resistance means that we are on the front line of the fight for the safety of the galaxy so we can't really be separate, can we," Rey asked. Essie and the others eagerly shook their heads and let Rey continue, "But that doesn't mean that we can just kill without thought or let anger, sadness and hated rule our every move either. Those emotions may lend temporary power but fighting for those you care about and what you care about lends strength that endures and builds."

The group including Falbell and Nik nodded.

"What are some of the main things the Jedi were against," Rey asked going over to a holo board and began writing.

"Storge, as well as Eros," Essie said, only blushing a little.

"Familiar Love and Erotic Love. Obviously not something we are against within the Gray Ember Order. I think it is important to form those bonds. Kylo and I are always stronger when we fight with each other and for each other and all of you, our family," Rey said.

"Having feelings at all," Nik said. "If you are always at peace, you can't be as sharp as you would be if you're worried for those you care about," Nik said taking Bell's hand. Rey smiled as she wrote on the board.

"That is another good one."

"The dark side is not a part of the Force," Zer-o said earning a glance from the newest additions to the group. "We know that's not true. The Force is the balance between the light and the dark. When the Dark side takes power, the light rises to meet it and the reverse, the Force will always correct itself," Zer-o went on.

"And that is our whole purpose, isn't it," Gear asked. "To bring balance back to the Force," he asked.

"If we take out Zoroyais and any other truly dark Force users, he has with him. And we turn all of you Knights to the Ember order, we should bring true balance to the Force. For the first time, like ever," Rey said confidently.

You're so good at selling this dream that you're starting to believe it yourself, the little dark voice in the back of her head said.

Rey shook the thought away. She smiled and wrote down Zer-o's answer. As she did so she pictured pure white light filling her up and waited to feel better, but it didn't happen.

You really think this ragtag band of rejects would be able to defeat Zoroyais, Hux and their armies? You all barely escaped with your lives last time and they've only been getting stronger while you all have been fleeing and scrambling to stay alive. And you as their leader is just as laughable, the voice continued.

"The jedi also thought that fighting against death was unnatural, but we all know that sometimes there is more for us to do when that final door closes on us," Cade said. "Sometimes we need to cheat death just to continue to fight for our cause."

Rey added that to the board too.

She was starting to panic. This darkness inside of her was starting to become smothering. She thought her natural strength with the light side of the Force would afford her some measure of protection from her darkness, but she had been wrong. If anything, her darkness was just as strong as her light. Which was terrifying, but maybe like Kylo and his friends, she would be able to control it if she just allowed herself to embrace it.

"So, we value connections, embrace our emotions, walk the line of light and dark, act for the betterment of the galaxy as a whole, and we do not die until our fight is finished," Rey said, writing on the other side of the board.

The group nodded.

"But how do we cheat death? How do we fight a force that is almost as unstoppable as the Force itself," Asera asked.

"By training more people to heal with the Force," Rey suggested weakly.

"There are techniques, old ones. Ones that the Jedi would have considered forbidden that can bring someone back from the brink of death. If we could learn that skill, even just two or three of us, the Ember Order would be very formidable indeed," Bell said with a small satisfied smile.

"I have some old Jedi books that I can look over to try to find this technique," Rey said.

You can pretend to ignore me, but I am a part of you. I am always with you, Rey. The only way you will be strong enough to lead your team and defeat your enemies. You need more power to compensate for how overwhelmingly weak you are, the voice mocked making Rey's lower lip tremble for a moment as she thought about how terrible a child, she must have been for her parents to abandon her the way they did.

"Did you guys find anything interesting when you were on Mustafar," Taliki asked, breaking Rey out of her dark thoughts.

"Uh, yes. We found several Sith holocrons and some journals that Kylo and Phasma have been working to translate and decode," Rey said.

"What were you guys even looking for on that floating rock of dung," Gear asked.

"Funny you should ask," Kylo said from the doorway.

I didn't even sense you coming, Rey said, relief evident in her voice earning her a curious look from her soon-to-be-husband. My darkness has been messing with me and I'm just feeling a little, I don't know, like I'm drowning, she admitted.

He gave her wide eyes and greeted their students.

You should have come to me sooner Rey. Our darkness is as much a weakness as a strength. You just can't let it rule you, he said.

I know Kylo, she said and even her mental voice trembled.

I'm not scolding you sweetheart; I'm just concerned for you. We can meditate later, he said.

"I've finished decoding the journals that we found on Mustafar. The oldest belonged to Lord Momin, the Sith Lord known for creating works of art and sculptures that were terrifying, who was able to preserve his consciousness past death and later resurrect himself in the Sith Cave under my grandfather's castle. The second was by Darth Sidious, detailing his operation in the factory that Rey and I found the blueprints of. And the last was from my grandfather. The latter two were written during the same time period, each filling in holes from the other," Kylo explained.

"And what did you discover," Rey asked.

"It was a mask that allowed Momin to preserve his consciousness and what allowed himself to come back to life. According to Sidious who conversed with the mask more than Vader; Momin built a weapon with enough power to destroy an entire city with a plan to use it and the Force to freeze time, capturing expressions of horror and pain on the citizens' faces for all of eternity. The Jedi stopped him, and the weapon went off obliterating him completely except for the mask. The exact specifications of Vader's castle, directly over the Sith Cave, allowed Momin, possessing some poor soul, to channel the energy of the cave to open a door to the dark side of the Force and resurrect his original body," Kylo explained in a rush. "All the way up until my grandfather killed Momin for using him."

"Wow, he went through all that just to be killed again immediately. What a waste," Cade said.

"Yeah, that's definitely a desperation only found within the Sith and the dark side," Zer-o said shaking his head in disgust.

"What is that supposed to mean," Bell asked.

"Jedi can come back as Force ghosts. The dark side doesn't allow for that. Once they die, they don't move on to the next part of existence like the Jedi do. It's more final, so they spend energy and time looking for ways to live forever, upsetting the natural balance of life and death," the Zabrak explained.

"We even got to meet Master Skywalker in his Force ghost form," Essie added in.

Nik and Bell looked unimpressed, much to Essie's clear dismay.

Zer-o ignored her and went on.

"This Momin idiot, killed himself with the aid of the Jedi, waited centuries just to be resurrected and was killed almost immediately after he finally was. What purpose did that serve?"

Rey looked to Bell, waiting for him to argue. She was surprised when the male simply shrugged, conceding the point. She sighed in relief.

Rey was sick of them breaking out into arguments already.

"If you two are done," Kylo asked. Both males nodded and Kylo took a seat, pulling Rey into his lap as he went on, "Sidious was particularly curious about this prospect and researched it extensively once Vader confirmed that Momin was able to pull it off. He even tried to imprint the consciousness of several younglings on objects he had them make. All of them failed, killing the younglings. Luckily, the Jedi discovered what he was doing and shut the factory down before he could kill anymore Force sensitives."

"Hey Gear, you think it's possible to replicate what Momin did? Or was it just a fluke. I mean it's not every day that a Sith gains power through creation instead of destruction," Essie asked the scientist of the group.

Gear looked thoughtful for a moment.

Rey leaned into Kylo, taking in his scent and the feel of his body against hers. It was peaceful and calming. She could feel just how much he loved her and how comforted by her presence he was. She was glad he felt that way, because she did too. Being wrapped in Kylo's arms was probably Rey's favorite thing in the world.

"I am not sure. There are too many variables that I cannot replicate to even know where to begin my calculations. I suppose if you had unlimited resources anything is possible," Gear said figuring out the line of Kylo's thinking.

"I am sure you're all curious why any of this is important," Kylo asked.

Everyone in the room nodded except Zer-o and Falbell. They both shrugged even though neither male was looking at the other.

"I don't really care. Just tell me what you need me to kill or upgrade," the Zabrak male said.

"True," Falbell agreed.

"When we were fleeing from Olara, Hux said something about Snoke being an imperfect, unfinished being. I know for a fact that Snoke has been to Mustafar, and to the Sith Cave. I can't imagine he wouldn't know about Momin and the castle," Kylo said.

"Are you saying that Snoke knew about Momin and being able to resurrect yourself through the Sith Cave," Rey asked.

"I am almost 100% certain he did," Kylo said.

"And if he did, then he very well could be alive and helping Zoroyais," Rey said and Kylo nodded.

"Wait, so you two think Snoke is helping Zoroyais," Nik asked in amazement. "I thought Kylo killed him," she said.

"We thought that too but Zoroyais knew an awful lot about the First Order even before Hux joined him. He was working on ways to cripple me that even the Resistance had never even thought of. Plus, his tactics are eerily similar," Kylo explained. "Not to mention his unhealthy obsession with having Rey and I at his side."

Rey nodded in agreement.

"But there is something else. A possibility that Phasma just opened my eyes to," Kylo said.

Form Kylo's ominous tone, Rey got the chills. Something told her that whatever he was about to say next would hold a ring of truth to it. The Force was screaming a warning at her. She didn't know if they would need to tread lightly from now on or if they needed to spring into action immediately.

"She thinks that Snoke is really Darth Sidious," he said. "He had access to powerful younglings to practice on for many years. It's also well-known knowledge that Sidious was somehow prolonging his life. By that fact, it's not too far of a stretch for him to have figured out how to resurrect himself."

Rey nodded. It was their worst nightmare come true.

"It would explain how Snoke knew so much about you and your family. It would also explain how Snoke so easily converted the Empire into the First Order," Rey mused.

"And why Snoke hated Luke Skywalker so much," Cade said.

Rey shuddered.

"Of course, this is all speculation. And I have no idea how we would even go about proving it," Kylo admitted, his strong arms closing around Rey even tighter.

She didn't complain. In fact, she welcomed the squeezing pressure. She felt like it was all that was keeping her from drifting off into this awful nightmare that she had seemed to be trapped in ever since BB-8 and then Finn showed up on Jakku. She wanted to just be lost in Kylo and their dream for the future.

Why can't we skip over all of the hard, scary stuff? She asked Kylo through their bond.

Because then life would be too easy, Kylo said. We have to endure the hardships in order to fully enjoy the good times, he said gently.

Is it wrong that I'd still rather avoid any further confrontations with The Neo Order? At least until we are at full power, she asked.

No, it is not wrong, but it's definitely too much to hope for, he said.

She shook her head. I thought so, she thought back.

"Tomorrow we fall back into full combat training. Most of the time will be spent with Nik and Bell learning to fight with all of you and then they and I will focus on teaching you all the fighting tactics of the Sith and the dark side. That way on the battlefield it will be less of a surprise," Kylo said.

"Good plan," Essie said with an eager smile.

The rest of the group seemed equally excited to be learning new techniques.

"All right, you all are dismissed for the day. I'd like you all to meditate on the ideals we talked about today and the day after tomorrow we will meet again to discuss ways of moving forward with the Grey Ember Order," Rey said in a tired voice.

Let them have another day of peace, a moment to look forward to something. If Kylo had more despairing news, let the two of them work it out together first. Then once they had come to some sort of solution or at least the first ideals of a solution, the information wouldn't be as soul crushing.

She'd felt so hopeful when they were tossing around ideas but Kylo's sobering news had knocked all of the enthusiasm from her.

"Can we go lay down for a while," she whispered to him.

"Of course, sweetheart."

Once the classroom was cleared out, Kylo stood up with Rey in his arms and carried her to their rooms on the other side of the compound.