I wrote the end of this before I wrote the beginning so Im struggling a little with how it flows. This is my take on how things went post TROS, please let me know what you think, there is more to come I'm just ironing out the kinks. Im trying to keep them close to character nd really love using Chewbacca so you will see lots more of him. Cheers Lovelies xo

The sky was awash with hazy blue light like a water color saturated and opaque. Beyond the horizon of the hulking sith strong hold, light danced across the edge of the world. Over head their fleets ships and cruisers did their final laps. Massive star destroyers careened into one another tumbling from the sky. Metal, heavy and broken fell to the earth like comets trailed by tails of billowing smoke and debris. Lightening ceased as the atmosphere filled with rising plumes of ash and flame. The battle of Exegol had left its mark upon them all, Palpatine was no more, the Final Order nothing more then the dream of bigots and zealots. Still there was the matter of surviving.

The earth shook with a tremendous might, like sleeping giants waking as what was once a great enemy found itself littered in pieces on the desolate planet. It took them some time to find their way out of the Sith temple. Remnants of worshipers littered the ground as once tall and proud statues lie in waste. What was once a seat of great dark power now lie beneath the rubble of a once fierce empire. Clinging to one another Rey and Ben rose on the platform from deep within the earth. Their bodies bruised and bloody, their souls battle weary, they hung onto one another as though their lives depended on it. Ben walked with a limp, Rey was a little better for ware but weakened and unable to help heal him. He clutched his side as she too found her hand pressed against the strong flank, her presence one of support and care.

Ben had saved her life, he had come to her aid and stood against the darkness just as her vision had foretold. And, had almost lost his life in the process but the details on that were too surreal to dwell upon and they needed to get off of this planet. The air screamed with terrifying fury as enemy ships tore apart across the sky.

"We need to get out of here," she breathed heavily against him, looking around their crumbling scenery. Ben stumbled and Rey panicked, looping beneath him to use more of her body mass in order to hold him still. He was large and he was hurt. His form loomed over her like a shadow, broken but oddly at peace. She felt as the force sung around him in a lilting hum.

"You need to leave me here," he gritted out through clenched teeth, his forehead was damp with sweat and caked in dirt. He'd worked so hard, he'd come so far and his body just wanted to rest.

She could feel the pull through the force realizing his peaceful contentment was one of acceptance. He was ready to die, he had been prepared to die and then somehow she had pulled him back. "No… I won't," Rey said with forceful determination as she steadied him and found their ships. He had landed close to her thankfully so the journey wouldn't be a long one. They both however had flown in single pilot cruisers making their escape a little more tricky. "I need you to do something for me," She said as she helped him to the ground next to her x wing, leaning him precariously against one of the landing struts.

He was looking at her, brows furrowed and curious as she desperately groped against his shirt, holding him up. His hand, a shaking mass flecked with blood and dirt came to grasp her arm as Ben awarded her with a sharp nod encouraging her to continue. Breathing hard Rey cast a glance around them, the remnants of a plan beginning as she finally cast her eyes skywards. They didn't have long now, every second mattered, "I need you to live," she rushed out breathlessly, surprising a sob as tears welled against the corners of her dark luminous eyes.

Ben's gaze softened and he smiled at her tenderly, "Ok," was all he said but punctuated it with a sharp nod, awaiting her instructions. Instead, in a quick action charged with more emotion then Rey was able to process at the moment, she pressed her lips against his firmly.

"Ben," she whispered against his flesh, rocking her forehead against his. Their noses feathered against one another, as though neither could bare to be apart much more then a breath. Her force energy swallowed him whole as she allowed her life and light to radiate into him, not giving him of herself but sharing her need for life. "You're going to take the X wing, follow the coorindates back to Ajan Kloss it's where our base has been. I'm going to follow along in the TIE."

He eyed her apprehensively, she could see the doubt rolling off him in waves. He didn't think this was a good idea and was about to voice his concern when Rey cut him off, "I know, it's dangerous," the ground gave a terrible shake as in the distance wells of dust and debris puffed out in clouds. Another large collision, and there were only more coming. "We don't have a choice, where else could we go?"

Ben smiled coyly, "Anywhere…"

He was of course correct but she owed it to her friends to return and she had to hope…
"I'll offer my immediate surrender," he said nodding, his back shifting awkwardly against the x wings struts.

Rey was shaking her head furiously, gasping at the air in attempt to find mental purchase. "No… they'll execute you on the spot." she cried frantically. Her eyes jumped from side to side, staring off at the ground with unseeing eyes. She searched for the answers in the force but soon came to the same conclusion he had.

His hand coming to touch her cheek lightly he brought his lips to hers in another quick kiss. It felt like brushing your skin against a flower petal, soft and round, distracting Rey for the moment from the desperation of their situation. As he pulled back he allowed his fingertips to trace a line along her flesh, as though memorizing the way she felt. "You won't let them," he said with finality.

Rey nodded and helped him to his feet They had defeated Palpatine, how hard could it be to win over a bunch of resistance fighters riding on the high of victory. With steadied resilience Rey pulled Ben to his feet watching as he moved to hoist himself into the cockpit of the x wing. His body strained beneath the effort of his movements but he moved without complaint. Settling into the machine he flicked at a few buttons here and there finding himself at surprising ease within the aged metal framework. As the thrusters flared to life Rey maneuvered quickly over to Ben's TIE and set to work. She loathed the way the rounded cockpit felt in comparison to the sleek x wings navigational control but pushed passed it and in no time the two found themselves exiting the planets atmosphere. Rey reached out through the force and was met with Ben's mottled fear and anxiety. She was going to protect him, she owed him that and so much more.

As they entered the Cademimu sector they were met by an endless black spread littered with a vast assortment of ships. Rey hastily set to transmitting Luke's old Red Five code in an attempt to deter the resistance ships from blowing her from the sky. She watched as Ben pulled back on the x wings throttle and waited for the hulking form of her TIE to scream passed. The ships signature whine roared around her as she guided the ship into the atmosphere of Ajan Kloss and started their descent. Ben was a ragged ball of nerves and in desperate need of rest and a med pack. Rey personally couldn't wait to lay down on her bunk and sleep. First however she needed to make sure her resistance friends didn't try and execute her new found ally.

Ben followed close behind as she brought her TIE fighter to the outskirts of the resistance base where fewer ships had congregated. She could see the soldiers milling about below as they stopped their celebration to watch in apprehensive terror as she navigated the TIE to land. Behind her Ben took a swooping arc with the x wing and landed at her rear.

Bodies pressed together as they approached the two star ships arriving late to the party. There was no one Rey really recognized, a handful of x wing pilots, a few y wing aces and some shuttle runners but anyone she needed to talk to would be closer to the centre of the celebration. She launched herself from the TIE, landing on the ground with sure feet. Around her looks of realization dawned on faces as a rousing cheer erupted from the crowd. This was a good sign, she thought. No one seemed to pay too much attention to the pilot of the x wing. Instead they rallied around her, their voices and praise falling on dumb ears as she turned in a slow loop looking for her friends.

"Commander Dameron?" she called over the voices, holding a hand to her ear in order to muffle their cries. Few seemed to hear her instead taking the time to celebrate a long over due victory but Rey's fight was far from over.

One female y wing pilot pointed over Rey's shoulder with a nod in the direction of command. Beyond the heads of pilots and the trees she could see the Millennium Falcon. That meant Chewie and Lando and more then likely meant Finn and Poe as well. Without realizing it Rey found herself smiling warmly at the thought of being reunited with her friends.

Voices collided all around her as some broke out into song. Others embraced through joy and tears, their arms wrapped around one another and amidst it all she realized someone was talking to her. A tall wire-y pilot approached her pointing to the x wing at her back. He held his helmet in one hand and was nodding towards the x wings dark haired pilot. As Rey turned looking between the new comer and Ben she smiled maybe a little too brightly. "Who's that?" He called over the din and Rey swallowed hard, "No disrespect meant Miss," the pilot continued, he had an accent that Rey couldn't quite place. "I thought, I should say we were told that you were leading us to Exegol, there was no mention of another pilot."

Rey cursed the young mans astute capability to listen to orders and pursed her lips, "He's…" she began but the words faltered on her lips. How did she go about explaining this?Would they even know what Kylo Ren looked like under his mask? "We fought Palpatine together," she said looking to the ground, her mind awash with options before she turned and waved Ben forward.

The cockpit of the x wing slid open and Rey watched as Ben extricated himself. He landed much less smoothly, his knees buckling as his feet hit the earth. Rey winced as she shot forward looping her shoulder beneath his in order to help stabilize his footing. Ben gave her a weak smile and pressed his hand to his side, his energy flickering along the force in waves of exhaustion. A hand pressed to his chest, as the other held firmly at his back she gave him an encouraging nod and the two set off. Those in celebration all around them stopped their whoops and cheers and opted for silent observation instead. Whispers cut through the air like a vibro tech blade, following them with every step they took. Rey listened carefully for any indication of trouble but most seemed hooked on one name alone, Palpatine.

Moving through a sea of soldiers with an injured man who dwarfed your petite stature was much more difficult then Rey had anticipated. One of Ben's feet drug against the dirt every now and again causing him to stumble forward. The lurching motion caused Rey to stop and hold her footing, focusing on the force all around her to prevent them from falling. She half wondered if it wouldn't be easier to find a make shift gurney or sled to pull him on but a deep rooted part of her couldn't bare the thought of separating from his side.

Ben seemed to pick up on the thought, his chest rumbling beneath her hand in what sounded like a chuckle. It was a pleasant sound but stopped abruptly and was replaced with a groan of irritation masked with a smile.

As they drew closer to the Millennium Falcon Rey stopped. They were moving amongst a crowd of happy revilers content to ignore their existence in favour of a good time but soon reality was going to come crashing down around them. "No turning back," Ben said with a tone of cool irony as he bounced on his 'good' foot a moment in order to find some stable purchase. He was attempting it seemed to be supportive but Rey was now beginning to feel a state of panic take hold. She reeled against her self assurance, they should have left, they should have found somewhere safe to lie low. "They would have thought I'd kidnapped you and come after us either way," Ben stated in a low hum.

Rey awarded him a kind smile and secured her resolve before, on sure footing she carried them the rest of the way. She could hear them before she saw them. Finn was laughing loudly as Chewie's bellowing bark rang out over head. The wookie was showing something off to C3P0 and R2-D2. The smaller droid, rocking back and forth on stilted legs as 3P0's lilting tone admonished his smaller friend kindly. Chewie on the other hand chuffed happily patting the golden droid on the shoulder before he turned and was suddenly facing Rey.

A painful moment passed and Ben tensed at her side. Immediately Rey knew this wasn't going to go anyway like how she expected it. Chewie let loose a wild furious bark, his head thrown back, teeth bared as he advanced upon them. He was growling and yipping like Rey had never experienced before, the sounds coming out far too quickly for her to interpret properly. The noise gained Poe and Finn's attention as well as the rest of the company as Rey stumbled back pulling a helpless Ben with her. Her hand thrown out in surrender she called to her friend, "Chewie, Chewie stop!"

Chewie, torn between aggressive assault and complete disbelief waved his arms around frantically pointing at Ben and then back to the base, snarling and chuffing as he did so. His towering height alone made him an intimidating opponent but now on the other end of Chewie's rage Rey felt the pin pricks of tears threaten.

All around her voices mounted, Finn and Poe were hollering and gesticulating in her direction yet all she could do was hold tight to Ben. The force around them bucked and roared, throwing itself in a torrent of fear and disbelief. It was swallowing her whole as she shook her head, eyes wide and darkened by tears. She had never felt so happy and yet utterly distraught at the same time. Her worry mounting as Poe drew his blaster pistol and Finn stood sentinel at his side. Other soldiers seemed to take Poe's lead drawing their own weapons and training them on Ben with confused and apprehensive glances shared.

"STOP," Rey finally cried, Ben's footing slipped and in a moment of sheer panic they went down together colliding with the earth beneath their feet. "Enough, just stop it," she sobbed loudly.

Ben let out a huff of soft air as he teetered forward only to be pulled back by strong female hands. She could feel his mind addled with a mix of pain and fear as she reached out along their bond in attempt at consoling his bucking rage. Instead however it seemed his force signature wound around her own, calming the fury she didn't realize was bubbling over. A hand still at his chest she peered up at him a moment, finding within his stoic face the resolve she needed to stand and fight.

"Lower your weapons," she called, finding strength in her voice she didn't think she had left. "Now! Lower your weapons Now!"

Poe and Finn shared a look of disbelief as Chewie chuffed at her sadly, his head nodding with a punctuated cry.

"I know Chewie… I know," she cried her voice soft but not weak, "But its far more complicated then that."

The wookie watched her in disbelief before dropping to his knees in front of them. He looked first directly into Rey's eyes, his own lined with dark fir but alight with something akin to pleading warmth. When you were this close to him, Chewbacca's eyes were the brightest of blue. His fur a myriad of browns all sweeping back aways from his broad nose. He growled softly, a long rolling sound before he turned to look directly into Ben's face. She could feel him flinch as Chewbacca peered down at him, his head cocking from side to side, his proximity quite intrusive. Still Ben watched back, his brown eyes soft, marred by pain and mottled with anxiety and fear. Rey found herself watching as Chewie sniffed the air between them and chuffed softly. "No, there's not, you're right," Rey said in quieted happiness, relief washing over her as Chewie reached out a tentative paw and rubbed a knuckle against Ben's cheek. It was a action that took everyone by surprise as the wookie rocked back onto his feet and turned to Poe with a chattering growl. He threw his head back and chuffed to the air, leaning in to help Rey hold Ben up and steady. "I know… It will take a lot of time," she agreed but couldn't suppress the happiness that welled from within. Chewie had recognized the light in Ben's soul, he wasn't about to accept the young Solo but he wasn't going to rip him limb from limb either.

"What is happening here?" Poe demanded harshly, his blaster still drawn, finger hovering precariously over the trigger. His warm features were harsh, brown furrowed and hostile as he looked over Rey, then Ben and then finally Chewbacca. "He should be dead…" he said pointing the gun to Ben in a careless fashion.

Finn stood with his arms crossed watching Rey closely as if he were trying to read her, "He tried to kill you, us… all of us." Finn bit out in utter disbelief, waiting for some form of explanation, anything at all.

It was Finn's gaze that shook her heaviest, they had always come at situations together. He beyond anyone else was always a level of support and now he was looking at her as though he didn't really know who she was anymore. "Finn please…" she pleaded, focusing her gaze solely upon her dearest human friend.

"Ohhhh no no," Poe cried before Finn had a chance to respond, "No, this isn't a Finn please situation. We just fought the biggest battle of our lives and you've strolled in with the enemy in toe."

"Did he surrender to you?" Finn asked hopefully.

Ben as quiet, a fact for which Rey was immensely grateful for, "No… he destroyed the Knights of Ren and stood against Palpatine at my side." She offered by way of explanation but when it didn't seem to help she pushed, "He saved my life."

Poe's expression never faulted, Finn on the other hand looked oddly pensive but chose to keep his mouth shut. It was Ben who broke the stalemate. She felt him slip back onto his knees raising his arms with immense difficulty so that his hands rest against the back of his head. "I'll surrender,"

Rey groaned, Chewbacca growled and Poe looked incredibly smug. He kept his blaster trained on Ben but nodded his head to Finn, "Finn buddy, get those cuffs from my x wing before our Supreme Leader here changes his mind. Chewie don't let him move,"

Quickly Rey dropped to her knees sliding in front of him. Ben looked tired and worn, but completely resigned in his decision. He gave her a small knowing smile which he may have meant to be reassuring. It struck a cord within cracking open the damn she had walled off her emotions behind. Tears leaked in a steady stream down and over her cheeks as Finn came to her cuffs in hand.

"It'll be ok," Ben said softly, barely loud enough for the others to hear. He spoke with such finite sincerity that Rey had to bite back a sob. He understood their situation better then she and so was willing to give in in order to grant them any possibility of a future. "I'll be ok," his words this time seemed shaken yet still he offered her a faint smile.

Rey's hands found his face, sweeping over and over as though committing every last inch of it to memory. Down his cheek, back through his hair, across his forehead. Tender fingers trailed feather light kisses across his skin before they found their home around his neck. When she hugged him tight and dear, she could hear Finn and Poe shifting cautiously. Chewie called softly, long and keening as Finn handed him the cuffs. Still Rey paid them no mind, her chest crashed against Ben's and held there intently before she pulled back and pressed a soft kiss to her battered lips. His lips met her's instinctively, head arched into the motion savouring the feel of her.

Poe and Finn both cried loudly in objection but Rey simply slid back, her forehead pressed against his. They spoke without words, their force energy rolling in waves around one another. Like the ebb and flow of a smooth surf it shifted and coursed between them. Chewbacca grumbled and Rey drew back. "Be gentle Chewie, he's hurt." she said with a slight sniffle, turning to face her friends with newly steeled resolve. "He will be treated fairly." When Poe opened his mouth to argue Rey stated again, much more firmly, "He WILL be treated fairly,"

Finn placed a hand on Poe's arm as the General lowered his weapon. The centuries around them shifted uncomfortably but seemed ok with the idea that the wookie could handle his prisoner. "We don't really have facilities to house him, we'll have to take him to one of the free worlds." Poe stated absentmindedly. This clearly hadn't been on his list of things they might have to deal with. "We'll need to convene a temporary senate he'll get a trail."

"Poe I would be dead if it weren't for Ben," Rey pushed but her friend wasn't having it. He had shifted from Poe Dameron pilot and friend to Poe Dameron resistance General. He seemed to ignore her, turning around to issue a few orders here and there. Pilots and soldiers a like scrambled away from them muttering their acceptance of acknowledgement and suddenly the ground was a buzz with action. "Poe…" Rey pleaded.

Her friend wheeled around on her faster then she was prepared for. His eyes were dark and furious. Heavy beneath an emotion Rey couldn't quite pinpoint. He pointed a finger at her aggressively as though prepared to erupt into a tirade but stalled. He took in a steady breath and shook his head ever so slightly before he threw his arms around her in a tight embrace. Finn took that moment to follow suit and the two men embraced her warmly. "I'm glad you're safe," Poe said into Rey's shoulder, pulling back so that the three stood with their arms looped on one another shoulders, "I am. This is all just…" he looked to Chewbacca who was standing with Ben, his hands now bound together, "The Falcon maybe Chewie?"

The wookie nodded and escorted Ben towards the large freighter, "He needs food, and a med pack and rest…" Rey made to argue.

"Don't we all," Finn muttered sardonically.

"Got that Chewie?" Poe called. It was as much as Poe was willing to give, but it was something. Chewie answered by way of grumbling barks as he tugged Ben along. Rey watched as he disappeared into the ship. He was alive, that was what mattered. She could handle everything else as it came at them but now, most importantly he was alive.