Thank you so much for all of the kind reviews, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!
So, contrary to what I said in the beginning, this is not the final chapter of the story. There will be one, perhaps two more parts before the story is concluded. :)
Rey stood back, trying to keep her tears contained as she watched Ben close up their cabin, sealing all of their possessions inside. They were leaving almost everything behind, taking only a couple changes of clothes, some blankets, and Rey's lightsaber, their way of trying to remain optimistic that they would be allowed to return once Ben's tribunal was concluded.
They had ventured into the city once Anakin had taken his leave the day before, turning in Ben's latest assignments from the bookshop and explaining to the owner that they would be gone for awhile, but would hopefully return in a few weeks.
And to Rey—and Ben's—relief, the owner had only patted them both on the shoulder and wished them good luck in their travels, not even inquiring as to why Ben needed to go.
Which, in a way, almost made it even more difficult to say goodbye. Rey had never felt as at home anywhere else as she had on Naboo. It was almost as though the planet was aware of what she and Ben had done, that it knew that they had finally beaten the most evil being in the galaxy once and for all, and so therefore had welcomed them into its fold without question or prejudice.
She supposed that Ben's grandmother, the woman Anakin had claimed to love, might've had something to do with it as well. As Han had sometimes liked to say, the Force tended to work in pretty mysterious ways.
Finished with the door, Ben turned towards Rey and held out his right hand, which Rey took without hesitation, intertwining their fingers and bringing it to her lips, kissing the back of it.
"Thank you, sweetheart," Ben murmured as he cupped her cheek, his chin quivering. "I don't—I don't know what—"
"Shh," Rey said as she brushed her fingers across his lips. "Please don't thank me. You'll never have to thank me for loving you. Not ever."
"I know, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful," Ben insisted. "There's no way I could do this without you."
Rey merely nodded, moving up onto her tiptoes for a kiss, which Ben quickly obliged. Then he curled his arm around her shoulders, planting a firm kiss to her forehead.
"Ready?"
"Yes," she answered, even as she felt like anything but ready. As much as Anakin had tried to instill them with confidence during their talk the previous day, the reality now seemed to be far less so. Rey couldn't seem to shake the growing sensation that she and Ben were heading straight into a massive trap, one from which there would be no escape.
They walked in silence for awhile, hand-in-hand, with Rey intently studying their surroundings so as to commit the area to memory as best as she could. Their fire pit, set just far enough away from the cabin to be safe but still close enough to be convenient. Their training area, meticulously cleared out by she and Ben shortly after they'd first arrived on Naboo. And the river, where they had spent many a day simply lying in each other's arms and soaking up the sounds of life in the forest, where Ben had taught her how to fish and she'd helped him shave and wash his hair, combing her fingers through the lush, dark strands until they shone like the rare onyx jewels that traders used to lust over back at Niima Outpost.
We're going to be back, she thought firmly as they continued on past the river, the fallen leaves crunching beneath their feet. Both of us.
Someday.
"We will, sweetheart," Ben said, his fingers tightening around hers. "I promise."
Since they had left Master Luke's X-wing a good distance away from the cabin, nearly three days on foot, their pace was steady but not too fast so as to not completely exhaust them. Once the sun had dipped below the treeline they would pause to build a fire, find food, and construct a quick lean-to to sleep under, burrowing down into their blankets as much as they possibly could as Ben told Rey stories about the stars in the sky, connecting them into shapes with his fingers as though they were fallen drops of ink on one of his papers.
Sleep, though, was difficult to come by, both out of dread for what lay ahead and from the fact that neither of them could seem to keep their hands off the other. That sensation of complete and utter wholeness that she and Ben shared during their lovemaking, when their minds and bodies were joined together in the most intimate of ways and there was no space at all between them was indescribable, and something Rey had long ago realised that she could no longer live without.
They were two that were one. Two halves of a whole, their lives now so completely intertwined that any attempt to pull them apart would only cause irreparable damage to them both.
And Rey was absolutely determined to not allow anyone to attempt to do so, no matter the cost.
They arrived at the ship not too long after breakfast on the third day, hidden within a thick clump of trees right where they'd left it. Storing their meagre belongings in the droid's hold, Ben helped Rey climb up into the cockpit, hoisting himself up after her and settling her on his lap. Rey had forgotten—or more likely forcibly pushed from her mind—just how cramped the cockpit space was for two people, and quickly decided that she and Ben would have to find another, larger ship prior to their return.
The fact that she hoped that ship might end up being the Millenium Falcon was something she tried to keep deeply buried, not wanting to upset Ben if it turned out not to be.
Gripping the controls with shaking hands, Rey carefully maneuvered the X-wing out of the forest and through Naboo's atmosphere into space, hesitating only for a few seconds before plotting the course for Ajan Kloss and activating the hyperdrive. Ben's lips brushed across the skin just below her ear as soon as they were underway, his arms wrapped protectively around her.
"I love you," he whispered, and Rey's breath caught in her throat. Ben had said those words, those three simple words to her more times than she could count since they had defeated the Emperor on Exegol, and yet they never failed to cause her heart to flutter, like one of the brightly-winged flying insects on Naboo she had so greatly admired.
"I know," she murmured as she curled her hand around Ben's neck, tugging him down for a kiss. "And it's going to be all right, Ben, you'll see."
I won't accept any alternative.
"I know," Ben said, attempting a smile that wasn't quite able to reach his deep brown eyes. He was once again trying to shield Rey from his dark, tumultuous thoughts, but Rey couldn't bring herself to berate him for it. The last thing Ben needed was to feel even lower.
At Rey's suggestion—or more like insistence—she and Ben had spent some time discussing different possibilities for Ben's tribunal the previous night. Leia had gone over most of the standard military procedures with Rey during the year she had spent with the Resistance on Ajan Kloss, so Rey was at least familiar with the proper proceedings. She had also already decided that she was going to present Ben's defence herself rather than risk the task falling to someone who could potentially be less than sympathetic.
As for who might present the prosecution, Rey knew it could fall to any number of people, including Finn and Poe Dameron, both of whom Rey assumed now held high positions in the Resistance ranks with Leia gone.
If only Leia were still here, she thought, unable to keep it contained, tears pricking her eyes when Ben's lips brushed across her neck again.
"It's going to be all right, sweetheart," he whispered. "You'll see."
"Oh, I sure hope so," she choked past the lump in her throat. She squeezed her eyes closed, inhaling a deep breath through her nose and hoping so badly that Anakin had been right. Rey couldn't imagine why Anakin would have suggested that Ben turn himself in now if he didn't believe that it would eventually turn out okay, but then again, she didn't exactly feel comfortable relying solely on the word of a Force ghost, and especially one who could arguably have some ulterior motives.
Regardless, Rey needed to pull herself together; she wasn't doing Ben any favours by breaking down every single time she thought about it. Ben needed her to be his support system, not the other way around.
The rest of the several-hour trip passed in relative silence. Ben insisted on taking the controls after a couple of hours so Rey could rest, her head tipped back against his broad chest so she could hear his heartbeat thrumming beneath her ear. She had decided way back on Coruscant that Ben's heartbeat was one of the most beautiful sounds that she'd ever heard, strong and steady and ever-present, and Rey hardly ever passed up an opportunity to listen to it.
It had been a harrowing time for them after Exegol, trying to find a place to stay and the necessary supplies to heal Ben's broken leg and ribs that didn't immediately ask for any kind of payment up front. Under anarchy pretty much since the Battle of Endor, Coruscant had become basically a free-for-all, making it a great place to hide if you had the credits to do so, but very dangerous if you didn't.
As it was, once they had finally found a place and Rey managed to get Ben cleaned up and bandaged and somewhat comfortable, he had opened his arms, inviting her to lay down with him on the small bunk, which was so short that Ben couldn't even fully stretch out his legs. Rey had been hesitant at first, not wanting to jostle him too much while he was trying to heal and wary of them both falling asleep in an unfamiliar and untrustworthy place. But, stubborn as he was, Ben had insisted, and as she curled her exhausted body around his and laid her head down on his chest, she was immediately greeted with the sound of Ben's heart, the most comforting sound she had ever heard in her life, and one that then lulled her to sleep in only a matter of minutes.
And this time was no different, with Rey only waking once the ship dropped out of hyperspace on the outskirts of Ajan Kloss.
Rey had no later rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and retaken the controls when a patrol ship appeared on her scope, the pilot demanding to know who she was and where she was going. Rey quickly asked to speak with either Finn or Poe Dameron, hoping that at least one of them would be available.
"And whom may I say is requesting to speak with the Generals?" asked the patrol pilot.
"Tell them it's Rey," answered Rey. "And that it's urgent that I speak to only them."
"Very well, stand by," the pilot said, rather skeptically. Rey tapped her fingertips impatiently on the bulkhead as she waited for what seemed like several minutes, taking note that the patrol ship hadn't budged a single inch.
Finally, in a burst of static, the radio crackled back to life.
"Rey? Is that really you?" came the dumbfounded voice of Finn. "Poe and I were wondering where you've been, we didn't know what had happened to you, and—"
"Yes, it's me," Rey said with a smile. Despite everything, it was nice to hear Finn's voice again, to know for sure that he'd made it. "And I need you to listen to me very carefully."
"Uhh, okay," said Finn. "Why? What's the problem?"
Inhaling a deep breath, Rey gave Ben's knee a light squeeze as she quickly explained that Ben was with her, and that they needed a place to land the X-wing that was outside of the main Resistance camp so as to ensure she and Ben's safety. Finn was dead silent while Rey explained why they had come, and it wasn't until she inquired if he was indeed still there that he cleared his throat.
"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Finn asked quietly. "'Cause I don't think I ever in a million years would've seen this coming, and—"
"I am sure," Rey replied, leaving no room for argument. "Now, can you please tell me where we can land?"
With a heavy sigh, Finn directed her to a set of coordinates about a mile away from the outskirts of the camp, promising to grab Poe and meet them there with a speeder. Dusk was falling across the area as they disembarked the ship, with Rey's heart in her throat as she clung tightly to Ben's hand. Next to her, Ben stood as straight as a bo staff, trembling slightly as the bright headlights of a speeder approached their location.
"Well," said Poe once he and Finn had pulled up next to them, his eyes flicking nervously between Rey and Ben. "I have to say, this is quite a surprise."
"I'd offer that it's quite a surprise for us as well," answered Rey. "And also a gesture of good faith, I hope."
Poe grimaced as he glanced over at Ben, pursing his lips.
"Well, I guess we'll find out." He sighed heavily, regarding Rey as if she'd just dropped another tree on top of BB-8. "You always have to make things difficult, huh?"
"I don't know, it seems pretty simple to me," Rey stated. "Now the Resistance can stop wondering what's become of Kylo Ren, and we can hopefully get on with our lives."
"And what exactly has become of Kylo Ren, hmm?" Poe asked, staring pointedly at Ben. "'Cause I gotta say, you sure as hell still look like him."
"Well, he's not," Rey said firmly as she stepped in front of Ben. "His name is Ben Solo, son of Han and Leia Organa-Solo, and he's come here willingly to submit himself for a fair judgement. So why don't the two of you just show us where we'll be staying and let's get on with it."
Poe shook his head, scrubbing a palm down his face as Finn stepped forward.
"We'll have to hold Kylo—I mean, Ben—in the brig, Rey," he said. "As for you, well, your old quarters are still here. We sealed them up after Exegol, thinking that you might show up again someday."
"And you really feel that that's necessary?" Rey asked, her belly giving a violent swoop at the possibility of being separated from Ben. In all the months since Exegol, she and Ben hadn't spent more than a couple hours apart from each other, and the thought of leaving him alone in an unfamiliar and potentially hostile place made her very uncomfortable.
"Rey, it's all right," Ben said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's what I expected."
"But I still think it's unnecessary," said Rey. "Who's to say that whoever's guarding him won't try to—"
"I promise that nothing will happen before we can arrange for the tribunal, all right?" said Poe. "You have my word."
"C'mon, Rey, try and give us a little credit, okay?" said Finn. "We do things pretty much by the book here."
Rey bit her lip, glancing up at Ben, who gave her a small nod.
"All right. But how long will it be before we can get started?" While Ajan Kloss was a rather pretty planet—or rather, moon—it had never quite felt like home to Rey. Even before she had admitted how she felt about Ben, she had always felt just enough out of place amongst the Resistance that she could never completely settle there, something that even Leia had commented on more than once.
And, knowing how most, if not all, of the base's current population would feel perfectly justified in shooting Ben on sight, she was certain that her uneasy feelings would not likely take their leave until she and Ben did.
Poe and Finn exchanged glances, quirking their eyebrows in some silent communication method that was equal parts intriguing and infuriating.
"Give us a couple of weeks to organise the tribunal," Poe finally said. "That'll give us some time to gather evidence and prepare witnesses."
"And choose someone to give the defence," added Finn. "Because I gotta say, I'm not sure how we're gonna—"
"That won't be necessary," Rey cut in. "I'll be presenting Ben's defence."
"Uhh, I'm not sure that's—" Finn started, slamming his mouth closed when Poe raised his hand.
"That's fine," he said quickly. "Saves us from having to draw straws for it." He reached behind him, pulling out a pair of wrist binders as he eyed Ben suspiciously. "I'm gonna have to put these on you right before we arrive at the brig. It's standard procedure."
"I understand," Ben answered, so clear and strong that tears pricked Rey's eyes. She knew he was afraid, she could sense his profound fear even as he was trying to shield her from it, but no one who didn't know him would be able to tell.
If only Leia were here, Rey thought for likely the millionth time. She'd be able to convince them that he's not dangerous.
"Then I suggest we get moving," said Poe, jerking his head towards the speeder. "Shall we?"
Night had fallen by the time they arrived back at the base, with Poe radioing ahead as they approached, clearing out most of the personnel so that only three guards remained. As soon as he had climbed down from the speeder Ben held out his hands, gulping as Finn locked the binders around his wrists and took his elbow, guiding him inside the brig to where the cellblocks were located.
"When can I see him?" Rey asked as Poe unlocked one of the cells and removed Ben's binders, her lower lip trembling. She caught it between her teeth as she took Ben's hand, biting down hard when his fingers squeezed around hers.
"I'll come and get you in the morning, all right?" said Finn. "We can talk more about it then."
"But I will be allowed to see him, won't I?" Rey asked again, trying to not sound as desperate as she felt. "I don't—"
"Rey, just let us work some things out first, okay?" said Poe. "You kinda just sprang this on all of us, so we're all pretty much flying by the seat of our pants at the moment. We'll hopefully know a lot more in a couple of days, but until then, I'm gonna ask that you just try and be patient."
"But—!"
"Rey, I'll be all right," Ben said softly. He curled his arm around Rey's waist as he regarded Poe with stern eyes. "Do I also have your word that nothing will happen to Rey while I'm in here?"
Poe's eyebrows twitched, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.
"Of course," he said. "You have my personal guarantee."
"Good. Thank you," Ben said with a single nod.
"Yeah, sure," said Poe, gesturing awkwardly towards the open cell. "Um, so…"
Rey held her breath as Ben leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek before backing into the cell, not taking his eyes off of her as the door slid closed and the lock engaged.
It's all right, sweetheart, she heard across the bond as Poe activated a forcefield, likely to avoid any possible Force-tampering. I love you.
"And I love you," Rey whispered as a single tear rolled down her cheek, her heart lurching when Ben pressed his fingers to his lips.
"C'mon, Rey," Finn said a few uneasy seconds later, tugging gently on her arm. "Let me show you to your quarters."
"Good idea," Poe said quickly. "I need to go check on some other things, so…"
With a stuttered inhale, Rey allowed Finn to guide her from the cellblock, hastily brushing the tear from her cheek and trying not to think about the fact that she would've rather been thrown into a pit of angry Gundarks than leave Ben alone in this place.
It's all right, sweetheart, she heard again. I'll be all right.
"I hope so," she murmured, turning away when Finn shot her an odd look.
"What? Did you say something?" he asked.
"No, I didn't."
Finn quirked a skeptical eyebrow but thankfully didn't press her, remaining silent until they arrived at the door to her old quarters. Stepping inside them was like stepping into a time-warp, with everything still in the same place as it'd been before she'd left for Pasaana.
Including, to her relief, all of Master Luke's old books, which Rey was planning to use to hopefully aid in building Ben's defence. She was counting on there being something in them regarding Master Luke's thoughts or concerns about Ben from his time studying at the Jedi temple, as well as information regarding his final duel against Darth Vader and Vader's conversion back to the Light.
If Rey could somehow convince the Resistance of what Anakin had told them, that he had renounced his Sith persona and reclaimed his name right before his death, that information alone would go a long way in swaying the tribunal towards a favourable outcome.
Or at least, she hoped that it would. Rey was already kicking herself for not being able to decode Master Luke's rather cryptic words way back when she'd first arrived on Ahch-To, about his name passing into legend along with the rest of the Jedi. What was it about the Skywalkers and their insistence on talking in riddles most of the time? Even Leia, as much as Rey had adored her, hadn't been completely immune to that particular manner of speaking.
"Rey?" Finn suddenly asked, startling her. She hadn't realised that she'd just been standing still in the middle of the room, which probably wasn't helping her appear as though she knew what she was doing.
"So… um… do you need anything?" he asked, not meeting her eyes. "Something to eat, maybe? I'm pretty sure the mess hall is already closed for the night, but I might be able to —"
"No, thank you," Rey said. She stepped over to the chest containing Master Luke's books sitting at the foot of the bunk, running her palm along the ornately carved wood. "I'm… I think I'm just going to get started on these, so…"
"Well, okay, if you're sure," Finn said warily, shifting on his feet. Rey could sense what he was dying to ask as if the very words were hanging in the air in front of her, but she was too distressed at the moment to feel like making it any easier for him.
"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you."
"Okay…" said Finn as he took a single step towards the exit. "But—"
"I don't suppose that Chewie is here, is he?" Rey asked. "Or General Calrissian?"
"Ah, no, they're on a mission at the moment, trying to scout out some colonies for some of the former Stormtroopers," Finn answered. "Left about a week ago."
"Oh. Well, that's good," said Rey. She wasn't quite sure what Lando or Chewie's reaction would've been at seeing Ben again anyway.
"Yeah."
Once again Finn just stood there, glancing around her room as if he was waiting for her to say something else. Rey kept her back to him, hoping he would take the hint and leave her alone, huffing out a sharp breath when he finally headed for the door only to turn back just as he reached it.
"Look, Rey, I'm sorry if this seems—well… but I just gotta ask," he said in a rush. "Are you absolutely sure that you know what you're doing? I mean, absolutely sure?"
Rey frowned as she slowly pushed herself up to her feet, thinking that the long journey must have tired her out more than she'd realised.
"I am absolutely sure," she said firmly. "And once the tribunal is over, so will be everyone else."
"'Cause… I mean, c'mon, Rey, you gotta understand how this looks, right?" Finn continued, almost as though as if he hadn't even heard her. "I mean, think about it. You just disappeared after the battle, like completely disappeared without a trace, so most of us thought you were dead, right, and then you suddenly show up here almost a year later, and with him? I mean, you do remember that that guy captured Poe and interrogated him, don't you? And almost killed me? And almost killed you? And even killed his own father—?"
"Yes, I know," Rey said, squaring her shoulders. "And believe me, so does he."
"And?" Finn demanded. "And you still think it's just okay for you to show up here all out of the blue, holding the guy's hand and calling him Ben Solo instead of Kylo Ren?"
"Yes, I do!" Rey stated, just barely shy of shouting. "And I don't just call him Ben Solo because I feel like it, I call him that because that was the name given to him by his parents, both of whom you greatly admired. It's who he is, which is exactly what I'll be presenting for his defence. Now, I know you're probably thinking that I've been brainwashed or something, but I can assure that is not at all the case. So now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get started."
Finn gave a sigh, holding up his hands. "All right, all right. If you're so sure about it then I guess there's nothing really left for me to say. I just… don't wanna see you get hurt, is all."
"Well, you don't have to worry about it because Ben would never hurt me," she said. "Of that I am absolutely certain."
"O-kay," Finn said with a shrug. "Then I guess I'll see you in the morning."
"I'd like to know when I'll be able to see Ben," Rey said just as Finn was halfway through the door. "So if you and Poe could figure that out, and quickly, I'd very much appreciate it."
"We'll talk about it, tomorrow, okay?" said Finn. "Goodnight."
As soon as the door slid shut Rey sank to her knees, tipping forward against the chest of books as her shoulders curled in and tears streamed down her cheeks. It had only been a matter of minutes since she'd left Ben alone in the brig, but she already missed him so much that her heart ached like it had been bruised. She had thought that she'd prepared herself for what they'd be facing, but the harsh reality of being separated from the man she loved was far, far worse than anything she had anticipated.
Please don't cry, sweetheart, I'm still here, she heard suddenly across their bond, Ben's kind, gentle voice inside her head only increasing her sobs. He was the one trapped inside a prison cell, and yet he was the one trying to comfort her.
"I know," she said aloud, sniffing as she blotted at her wet face with the hem of her tunic. "I just… I don't know how I'm going to be able to sleep without you. I mean, what if this is all just a huge mistake?" As soon as the words left her mouth she realised how small and pathetic she sounded, but honestly she was so tired and scared that she didn't even care.
It's not a mistake, Rey, Ben replied. Try and think of it as just another trial.
Despite herself, Rey broke into a smile. Only a Solo would compare an actual trial to a Jedi training test.
"That's because it is a trial, Ben."
Well, yeah, I know, and Rey could just picture his face, the slightly crooked smile on his lips as his deep brown eyes bored into hers and his fingers stroked the back of her neck. I'm always with you, sweetheart.
"And I am with you," she murmured. "Will you be able to sleep?"
I'll try. No promises though.
Rey gave a nod; that was about the best she could expect.
"Me too. I love you."
I know.
Despite their best promises to try, neither Rey nor Ben were able to sleep very well that night. Or the next night, or the one after that. For two people who had spent most of their lives more or less in solitude, they had both grown so used to the other's presence that the sudden lack of it was physically painful. To Rey, it felt as though someone had carved out half of her soul, leaving her open and vulnerable, and she knew it was even worse for Ben, whose only companions were the rotating Resistance guards who spent most of their time either glaring at him or attempting to ignore him.
Which, she supposed, was at least better than taunting him.
Rey mainly kept to herself, wanting to avoid as much as possible the whispers and pointed stares that greeted her whenever she ventured out into the main camp, especially after Poe's announcement regarding the upcoming tribunal. It wasn't everyone, as there were still a few people milling about who remembered her from when she was working with Leia and still considered one of them. Finn and Poe were hospitable enough—escorting her to meals and helping her access the base's library—along with a few others, including Rose, who had genuinely squealed in delight the first time she saw Rey, running over to her and throwing her arms around her neck.
"It's so good to see you again, Rey!" she'd exclaimed. "We all wondered what had happened to you!"
And while Rey was relieved to see that not everyone viewed her as a complete pirah, the unease she sensed from the general public was enough to keep her confined to her quarters the majority of the time, poring over Master Luke's texts and scribbling notes as she slowly pieced together what she hoped was a strong defence for Ben. She realised that whatever she was able to come up with would likely have to be altered based on the arguments presented by the prosecution, but she wanted to be as prepared as possible by the time the tribunal began so as to minimise the amount of catch-up work required.
As focused as she was on her work, however, the lack of sleep combined with her worry for Ben, worry that intensified with each day that passed without seeing him, Rey quickly found herself having more and more difficulty keeping her emotions in check, and especially keeping them from Ben. He needed her to be strong for him, not the blubbering mess that she felt like most of the time, and yet nearly every single night she found herself crying into her pillow, her body aching for her beloved's touch as all of her inner defences crumbled into dust, summoning Ben's gentle words to soothe her across their bond.
It's all right, sweetheart. I'm still here with you.
"But you're not!" she cried one particularly bad evening, one that'd had her feeling so sick to her stomach after dinner that she'd nearly lost what little she'd managed to eat. "You're not, and I—" She was able to stop herself before she said it out loud, but Ben must've caught her meaning anyway because it was only a few seconds later that she felt fingertips softly trail across her cheekbone, brushing the tears from her face.
"Open your eyes, Rey," she heard him whisper in her ear, his voice so melodic and beautiful that at first she was reluctant to acquiesce, afraid she would discover that she was only hearing things.
"Rey, I'm here," he said again. "Open your eyes."
Slowly, she blinked her eyes open, all the air whooshing from her lungs in one fell swoop when she saw him sitting next to her on her narrow bunk, his pale face etched in concern.
"Ben!" she cried as she collapsed against him, sobbing into his chest as his arms wrapped tightly around her and his lips caressed her forehead and temple. "Ben, I'm so sorry! You need to be conserving your strength, not wasting it because I can't keep a hold of myself!"
"Shh, sweetheart," Ben murmured, his fingers rubbing soothing circles on her back. "It's not like I've had all that much to do these last couple weeks."
Rey snorted out a laugh, her hands clutching fistfuls of Ben's shirt. "No, I suppose not. But even so—"
"Even so nothing," Ben said. He tilted up Rey's chin, pressing a soft, slow kiss to her lips. "You don't need to be worrying about me, okay? I'm not the one running myself into the ground at the moment."
Sniffing, Rey curled even further into Ben's arms, listening to the strong beat of his heart beneath her ear.
"I've missed you so much," she whispered a few heartbeats later. "These last two weeks have been so awful, I just don't understand why they won't let me see you."
"Well, it's like General Finn said, they're doing things by the book," said Ben. "I doubt my mother would've allowed it either."
A stab of pain pierced Rey's heart at the mention of Leia, and the rather detached tone of Ben's voice at the mention. Rey knew that he still often struggled with the notion that his parents had still loved him despite everything, and she supposed it was even more difficult for him now, surrounded by the very Resistance that his mother used to lead, the very Resistance that would far rather see him dead than their beloved General Organa.
"I wish you could've seen her again before—well, before," Rey murmured. "It's not fair that you didn't."
"Oh, I don't know," Ben said with a shrug, one that Rey had taken to calling the Solo shrug. "If I had, it might've been even harder, you know?"
"Maybe." Rey pressed her lips to Ben's neck and breathed in, trying to immerse herself in the scent of him so she could recall it once he had to leave. "How long can you stay?"
"Probably only a couple more minutes," Ben said sadly. "The guards don't seem to like it too much when I meditate, I think they're afraid I'm going to try and mind-control them or something, so after awhile they always start pounding on the door to break my concentration."
"Well, that's not very nice now, is it," Rey said with a frown, pursing her lips when Ben chuckled and rubbed at the lines between her eyebrows.
"There's my fiery Rey," he murmured as he kissed her again, cupping her cheek to hold her in place. "I knew she was in there somewhere."
"Mmm. I don't feel very fiery lately," Rey muttered as she tucked her head under Ben's chin. "More like a piece of damp wood. Useless for pretty much anything."
"Never," Ben said as he shifted them so they were lying back against Rey's pillow with Rey draped across him. "You just need to rest, sweetheart."
"But, I can't—"
"Shh, just listen, okay?" Ben said softly, pecking her forehead when she nodded. "Now, close your eyes and try and picture our river on Naboo. Pretend that we're there, lying on the riverbank, with the water rushing across the rocks and the birds singing in the trees above us. You're leaning back against my legs while I braid your hair, and your head's tipped up towards the sun, with your eyes closed and that soft smile on your face that I love, your smile of contentment. It's always been my favourite because it's as though you wish you could freeze whatever moment we're in and live in it forever."
"Because I do," Rey whispered, her breath catching as she suddenly heard the familiar sounds of the river and felt the warm sunshine on her face as Ben's long fingers stroked through her hair. "I want that, Ben. I want it so badly."
"Then it will be so," he said, his warm breath against her ear sending tingles down her spine. "We just have to be patient, but we can do it, Rey. We can, because we're not alone. Not anymore. There's two of us now."
"Two that are one," Rey murmured, her limbs so relaxed she felt as though she were floating.
"That's right." She felt her stiff, scratchy blankets being tucked up over her shoulder as Ben's lips brushed across her temple. "Sleep now, okay? I love you."
"No, Ben, please, don't go yet," Rey begged as she clung to him, struggling to open her heavy eyelids even as he began to fade. "Stay with me."
"I can't, sweetheart, I need to go now," Ben said, sounding as though he was speaking from a distance. "I'll see you soon. This will all be over soon."
"But—!"
I'm still here, Rey. Even when you can't see me, I'm still with you.
"And I am with you," she managed just before sleep claimed her. "Always."
As much as Poe tried to reassure Rey that things would move quickly along, it wasn't until two more weeks had passed that the tribunal finally got underway. Finn had tried to explain the delays to Rey as being mainly procedural, telling her that no current Resistance member had ever been involved in a true military tribunal, and so he and Poe had been forced to dig deep into General Organa's archives for information on the trials of many of the former members of the Galactic Empire, which Leia had witnessed. Owing to their promise to share any and all information that they found, Rey was able to examine the archives as well, noting that many of the defences presented for those men and women had fallen under the aspect of simply following the orders they were given by their superiors.
A defence which, while perhaps a bit applicable to Ben prior to Snoke's death, would not exactly fly very far during the year between Snoke's demise and the battle on Exegol, when Ben was for all intents and purposes the Supreme Leader of the First Order.
As such, with that information in hand, Rey set about reconstructing a timeline of sorts, beginning shortly before Ben began his studies under Master Luke and ending with Emperor Palpatine's defeat in the Sith temple. It was painfully slow and frustrating work, mainly due to the scarcity of correspondence between Ben and his mother during the time before the destruction of Master Luke's temple. Rey still couldn't understand how Leia could go so long without contacting her young son, but she supposed that was neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things. The only thing that truly mattered at the moment was ensuring that Ben was able to go free.
The first day of the tribunal dawned overcast and dreary, as though the very weather itself was already in mourning. Rey chose to implicitly ignore it as she rose from her bunk and dressed, forcing herself to eat even as everything she put past her lips seemed to taste exactly like her old portions on Jakku, gritty and bitter.
Following Finn into the large, stately Justice Hall after breakfast, Rey's heart began to thud as she saw that it was already nearly filled to capacity with observers and witnesses, all wanting to take part in what surely was the trial of their lifetimes. Rey avoided making eye contact with anyone as she took her seat at the table set aside for her and Ben, her breath lodging in her throat when someone announced that he was being brought in. He had managed to Force-project himself in to see her a couple more times since that awful night when she'd broken down, but he'd obviously been hiding how terrible he was feeling because it was all Rey could do to keep from bursting into tears once she finally saw him.
Ben appeared as exhausted as Rey felt, with his skin so pale and gaunt it was nearly translucent against the frame of his dark brown hair, which hung limply over his forehead and into his eyes. He had obviously lost weight, making his formerly lean frame appear almost fragile, and was dressed in a stiff canvas shirt and trousers of the most awful dull grey colour that Rey had ever seen, which only emphasised the paleness of his skin and the huge purple circles under his eyes.
But the worst part of it was his wrists, which were so tightly bound with thick, shackle-like binders that he could barely move, and that revealed wide, angry scrapes across his skin once the guard finally removed them.
"Ben!" Rey exclaimed as soon as he sat down, in as hushed of a whisper as she could manage. "Why didn't you tell me you were being mistreated? I can't believe anyone could think that this is acceptable, we need to speak to—!"
"No," Ben interrupted, his jaw clenched so tightly it could have cut glass. "Rey, please, just don't. You don't need to be worrying about me."
Rey immediately opened her mouth to argue, but snapped it closed again as she met Ben's eyes, pleading with her to let it drop as Poe stepped to the front of the room, holding up his hands to silence the murmurs of the assembled crowd.
"This is military tribunal case number one-one-three-eight, The People vs. Ben Solo, also known across the galaxy as Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order," Poe said. "Now, I'm sure I don't have to remind all of you that this is in fact a trial and not a sentencing. There will be arguments and witnesses presented from both sides, after which a verdict will be rendered. If anyone has a problem with this or any other part of these proceedings, then I cordially invite them to exit the room, now."
An eerie silence fell across the crowd, broken only by some shuffling in chairs and a few cleared throats.
"All right," said Poe. "Then let's get started."
And so it began.
As per tradition, the prosecution presented their arguments first, calling nearly fifty witnesses to give various testimonies stretched over a period of ten days. Much of it was similar, the same story told by a few different people, presumably to try and prevent the five-judge panel from developing any sympathy for Ben. Tale after tale told of the "Jedi killer", the title given to Kylo Ren after his assumed destruction of Master Luke's Jedi temple and the presumed death of Master Luke himself, along with the rest of his students. It was all Rey could do to remain calm as Ben sat next to her, his back straight and proud and his shoulders squared, but still with that same haunted look in his eyes that she remembered from the battle on Crait, when she'd closed the hatch of the Falcon in his face.
It was as though each day of testimony was chipping away another small piece of Ben's soul, and Rey was quickly growing more and more exhausted trying to keep him from giving in to his dark thoughts simmering right beneath the surface.
The fact that Rey still hadn't been able to locate anything in Master Luke's texts or the base's archives about the redemption of Anakin Skywalker wasn't helping matters, her frustration mounting exponentially with every passing day. She even became so desperate one particularly bad evening that she asked BB-8 to help her, since C-3PO was off on the same mission as Chewie and Lando. But not even the droid was able to find much of anything that was useful.
Finally, following an entire day of testimony detailing in minute detail the battle shortly after the destruction of Starkiller Base that nearly cost General Organa her life, the prosecution concluded their arguments. After Poe's announcement that the defence arguments would commence in three days' time, Ben was once again shackled and escorted out of the room, looking over his shoulder at Rey just before he was pulled around the corner. Rey had berated both Poe and Finn for the deplorable treatment Ben had received at the hands of his guards, and while things had been a bit better since then, Ben's overall appearance hadn't improved all that much, mainly due to the fact that Ben felt as though he deserved it.
Which, Rey realised, was exactly the tactic that Snoke had always used to keep him in line. Snoke had managed to beat Ben down through years of manipulation and torture to the point where Ben believed without question that he didn't deserve anything even remotely resembling Light in his life. Not friends or comrades that he could trust, not the love of his parents and uncle or any of his extended family, and certainly not Rey.
And it was now up to Rey to prove otherwise, both to the Resistance and to Ben himself.
Rey hadn't realised that she hadn't budged from her uncomfortable chair in the Justice Hall until she felt a hand curl around her shoulder, startling her so badly that she whirled around with her fist clenched and her teeth bared.
"Whoa, Rey, it's just me!" said Finn as he jumped back, his hands raised in surrender. "I was just wondering if you wanted to head down to the mess hall for dinner. You didn't eat much of anything at breakfast, so I figured you've gotta be hungry."
Instinctively, Rey grimaced, the very thought of food causing her stomach to violently churn. Finn was correct, she hadn't eaten all that much at breakfast because she'd felt so dizzy and nauseous that she was afraid it would all come right back up again. She'd been trying to brush it off, thinking that it was just the culmination of all of the stress she and Ben had been under since they'd arrived, but the sinking feeling that something else was going on had been steadily growing stronger, especially since the trial had started.
"Rey, are you okay?" Finn asked in concern when Rey didn't answer. "You kinda don't look so good, do you need me to take you to the Medical Bay?"
"What? No!" Rey protested as she attempted to get to her feet, steeling herself against the wave of dizziness that followed and throwing Finn a sharp look when he reached a hand out to help. "I'm completely fine, I'm just—"
And the next thing she knew she was sprawled out flat on the floor, her head spinning and Ben's frantic voice reverberating in her mind.
Rey? Sweetheart, are you all right?
"Okay, I definitely need to get you to the Medical Bay," Finn said as he hoisted Rey into his arms, carrying her out of the room despite her weak protests.
"I am perfectly capable of walking there myself!" Rey exclaimed as she tried to squirm away, halted immediately by another wave of dizziness that nearly had her gagging. "Okay, actually, maybe not."
Rey? she heard across the bond, her heart nearly cracking in two from Ben's barely-concealed panic. Rey, please tell me what's wrong!
"I don't—I don't know," she mumbled as Finn rounded the corner into the Medical Bay, gesturing to one of the medical droids. "Ben, I don't know—"
"She just collapsed, says she feels dizzy," Finn explained to the droid as he set Rey down on the examining table. He frowned as he tapped his right ear, listening to someone over the base's internal comm system as the droid began running her scanner over the length of Rey's body.
"What?" Finn said. "But that doesn't make any sense, how would Ren know—you know what, nevermind. Just tell him we don't know what's going on with her yet, okay? It might take some time to figure out, so—"
"Actually, General, it is really quite simple," the droid suddenly piped up, her scanner hovering over Rey's abdomen. "The patient is not ill, she is simply with child."
"What?" Rey and Finn exclaimed simultaneously. Finn's jaw dropped open as Rey propped herself up on her elbows, swallowing against the rising bile in the back of her throat as she stared in shock at the scanner.
"Are you sure?" she asked, her lower lip trembling. "You're absolutely positive?"
"I am quite positive," said the droid. She tipped the scanner towards Rey, indicating the tiny blinking dot near the centre. "The heartbeat is strong, there is no doubt."
Rey! Ben practically screamed inside her mind. Are you all right?
"I—I am," Rey whispered, shivering as a cold sweat broke out across her body, pebbling her arms with goosebumps as a vision of a little boy with dark brown hair appeared before her, laughing as he chased after his daddy on his chubby toddler legs.
Their son, she and Ben's little boy, a child who would never know anything but love and acceptance, who would never know the pain of abandonment and loneliness as his parents did.
And he will bring hope to the galaxy… equal parts darkness and light…
A perfect balance…
"Ben," Rey stammered, nearly choking on the word. "Ben, we're—" She broke off as tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she placed her palms over her belly, over the life—their son—that she and Ben had created together.
Two that are one, and soon to be three.
Rey, sweetheart, please!
"Ben, I'm—we're—pregnant!"
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