A/N - Sorry for the late update! Things have been crazy!

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Rey glanced up at Finn as he stepped closer to the hologram projected over the table. His eyes were dark and intense as he stared down at it, his eyebrows drawn sharply together. Poe stood beside him, his arms crossed over his chest as he bit thoughtfully on his bottom lip.

Leia was talking in hushed tones with some of the higher ranking officers, their heads bent over the hologram. Rose Tico hovered nearby, having apparently become far more involved in Resistance operations since Rey had saved her life.

Rey was exhausted, thoroughly drained, but she couldn't move away from the holographic map. She was far too fascinated, and horrified, by it.

She swallowed heavily as Leia gestured and a holographic image of the palace appeared, with entrance points labeled. She'd always had the rudimentary knowledge necessary to read a map, but Ben had taught her how to read so much more.

Rey didn't share this revelation with the people surrounding her; she didn't think they would appreciate it much, and no matter what she said or did, they would continue to believe that she had been manipulated by Ben.

She was tired of trying to convince them that they were wrong. It was wearing on her, beating her down, making her everyday struggle to survive even more tiresome.

There was only one person in the room who might understand, and Rey hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her - to tell her that she was in love with her son.

"Is this how you remember it?"

Rey didn't realize Leia was talking to her until she noticed that they were all staring questioningly at her. She swallowed heavily, trying to wet her suddenly parched throat.

"I guess… I didn't really pay much attention. I didn't get out much either," she finished on a whisper.

Though it wasn't memories of being kept as a prisoner that made her tremble, Leia seemed to think it was. The older woman gave her a sympathetic look before resting her hand on Rey's shoulder.

"Finn?"

Finn was standing off to the side, his arms folded over his chest as he stared at the far wall. His jaw was locked, his forehead furrowed. She hadn't been abused, but he had, and now Leia was talking about going back in there.

"From what I remember, yeah."

Rey's heart hammered and flipped, and she could barely breathe through the terror constricting her chest.

"You can't do this," she whispered. "It's slaughter to go in there, we can't."

Leia patted her shoulder again before moving around the table. She had to know it was a bad idea, but she seemed determined to do it anyway.

A victory in a battle like this would give them legitimacy. They would have seized the First Order's stronghold, and with it nearly all of their commanding officers. And, if they timed the attack right, Snoke as well.

But a victory was unlikely, and Leia had to know that was the case.

"We'll send in a small scouting team first, have them canvas the area. They will be able to discover the weakest areas, and the best places in which to establish our soldiers."

"I want to go in," Finn volunteered.

Rey's mouth dropped, and she spun on her friend.

"No Finn," she breathed. "You can't go in there."

"Yes, I can."

"No! They'll recognize you in an instant. Tell him, Poe. Tell him!" She was practically begging as she turned frantically to Poe. "Tell him about Hux, and what kind of monster he is. Tell him what Hux would do to him if he discovered him in there!"

"Rey, enough," Finn said sharply.

"Who is Hux?" Rose piped up.

"A general," Poe answered.

"The most important general that there is," Finn elaborated. "Hux is Snoke's main enforcer, aside from Kylo Ren."

"I thought you were held by Ren, not Hux." Rose said.

Rey was shaking as she tried to regain control of herself. Acting crazed and wild wouldn't get them to listen to her. It would do none of them any good if she was a raving lunatic. She must remain calm and collected if she was going to talk them out of this crazy suicide mission.

"I was," she said. "Ben is a good man…"

"He's not a man," Finn interrupted.

Rey glanced at him, hating the betrayal and abhorrence that radiated from him as his scathing gaze landed upon her. She looked to Leia, but she couldn't read the older woman's expression.

"Okay, so Finn can't go in. I can." Poe said.

"Poe," Rey moaned, and she dropped her head into her hands as her mind spun. She had to think of something, anything that would stop this. "You don't know what you're doing."

"Yes, I do."

"Rey," Leia said gently. "We won't act until you return with Luke. Then we will have the advantage."

Rey could barely breathe through the lump in her throat, could barely see through the tears burning her eyes. She had to stop this, but she didn't know how; she didn't know when Ben would be back, didn't know how to reach out through their bond, didn't know if she should even tell him what they had in mind.

She would be betraying the Resistance if she did.

But if she remained silent and something happened to Ben, or someone she cared for in the Resistance…

She shut the thought down. She couldn't live with herself if something happened and she could have stopped it. Her legs gave out and she slid to the ground, her mind spinning as they continued with the plans that were slowly tearing her in two.

A/N - I know this was a short chapter, and I hope to have more up soon!

As always, please leave a review with your thoughts, suggestions, and predictions, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

~ Elizabeth (FanOfDeliciousFlavour)