A/N - Welcome back to the story!
"Tell us about Snoke," Leia prompted Ben, as he seemed to do his best not to look awkward under the prying stares of the Resistance leadership.
Rey reached out to him silently, offering him what peace she could.
Just tell the truth, Rey encouraged him. You'll be fine.
"Supreme Leader Snoke is incredibly secretive," Ben started. "And also incredibly paranoid. Rather than establish a permanent base of operations, he prefers governing the First Order in a mobile command post, a ship known as the Supremacy. Its exact location is never known."
"It's difficult to plan an effective attack without knowing where to station our troops," Poe pointed out.
Leia nodded.
"Hence our initial plan to attack the palace, taking out some of the greatest minds of the First Order and giving us the upper hand. Ben?"
"Snoke has crafted a strong military, where nearly everyone is easily replaceable," He told her. "But the generals who reside on that planet are the primary strategists. They are loyal, well educated, and have years of experience. They're harder to replace."
"You think the raid is worth it?" Rose asked curiously.
"Yes," Ben agreed. "But not just because of that. If done correctly, we can time the attack so that it occurs while Snoke is at the palace."
"Why the hell would we do that?" Finn asked. "We can't take Snoke."
"You can't," Luke spoke up, the crowd parting for him as he stepped up beside Ben. "But my nephew can."
"How do we know we can trust him?" Finn scowled.
Luke just smiled.
"Because Ben is a Skywalker. And us Skywalkers always end up on the right side eventually.
Everyone was still watching him, as they had been before, but no longer with fear and skepticism. Instead, they looked to him in admiration.
And they looked to him for answers.
But before he could give them any, he needed to consult his partner.
"Thank you all," He told the crowd of officers, stepping down from the platform.
Sensing his intent, Rey stepped forward. His beautiful eyes were aglow in the dim room. There was something in his gaze, something so vulnerable and yet so strong that she felt her insides melt.
"Ben," She breathed.
"I'm going to keep you safe."
"I know you will," She managed a small nod. "I have absolute faith in that."
"No matter what, Rey," Ben continued. "I am going to keep you safe."
Rey faltered for a moment.
"It's a brutal war to wage," she whispered.
"It is," He agreed. "But the galaxy needs to be set right again."
"They'll follow you, Ben," Leia encouraged him.
Rey shot the general a dark, withering look. She knew what Ben had in mind, knew that she couldn't stop him, but they didn't have to make him feel as if he had to do it, because he didn't.
She would stand by him no matter what he decided. Even if he decided he chose to flee from here and never look back. That may not be her choice, but she would support it because she supported him. She wouldn't force him into this position, into this leadership role that he was no doubt unprepared for.
"Will they, Uncle?" Ben inquired dryly.
Luke swallowed heavily as Ben leveled him with a virulent stare.
"Yes. As long as you maintain the impression that you are a Jedi," He turned to glance at Rey. "Both of you."
Rey felt as though she had been slapped in the face.
"We're not Jedi," she snapped.
"No," Luke agreed. "That is one thing we will have to keep secret."
"Why can't we just tell the truth?"
"The public is fickle, Rey," Leia told her gently. "They know only of good and bad, Jedi and Sith. We can't attempt to break that binary in the midst of a war."
"You mean you want to manipulate that binary to get support," Ben injected sharply. Leia opened her mouth to respond, but he stopped her. "It's fine, I get it."
"When this is all over…" Leia started, but Ben interrupted her.
"When this is all over, the two of us will be going somewhere safe," He insisted. "When this is all over, we will be left alone."
Luke and Leia were hesitant, and Rey could barely look at her friends. They were staring at her with a mixture of confusion and defeat that made her ache for them.
"They'll follow you, Ben," Luke reminded him gently.
"And then they'll follow one of you after, or one of them." Ben waved a hand lazily at Rose, Finn, and Poe.
"Yes, fine. We can work it all out later," Leia assured him quickly. Luke looked about to protest, but Leia rested a hand on his arm and shook her head subtly.
Rey understood that look, understood what it meant. Ben might want to believe that they would be free if they somehow managed to succeed, but they all understood what Ben was trying desperately to deny.
The two of them would never be free.
The coming war was inevitable, and she would be giving up everything to fight it, including Ben. She was acutely aware of the fact that when all of this was over, there would be little left for them. It was the Jedi who would have to restore peace to the galaxy, the Jedi who would have to rule.
There would be no place for them as lovers in this new life.
But she couldn't think about that right now.
There was a war to fight first.
A/N - Hope you enjoyed that chapter!
As always, please leave a review with your thoughts, suggestions, and predictions, and I'll see you in the next chapter!
~ Elizabeth (FanOfDeliciousFlavour)