I've got a bad feeling about this...
As they sat opposite one another in the Falcon heading to face Ben's former fighting unit, Ben tried to explain to Rey what they would be up against.
'Rey, this won't be easy.'
Ren snorted.
'Since when has anything ever been easy for me and you?' she replied, as she ran a hand over her tired eyes.
She was right, as usual. Ben smirked at her and took her hand in his. The small bridge between them helped to calm his anxious nerves.
'The knights are ruthless killers, they obey only the shadow.'
'What's the shadow?'
'It's what they call the darkside of the Force. Most of them came to the dark naturally, they started to refer to it as the shadow and now it's sort of their religion.'
'So they can wield the Force too?'
'Yes.'
'Great,' she muttered dryly.
'Hey, I won't lie to you, they're strong. But we're stronger.'
She could sense that he truly believed that and wasn't just trying to alleviate her fears. Her biggest concern still hung over them like a dark cloud. She couldn't hide it from him. There was no hiding now, not when their light shone as one.
'You are worried, I will be... tempted. I won't,' be said firmly.
'How can you be sure?'
'Because of this,' he said holding up their joined hands.
'The dark could never give me the belonging I share with you. The Force made you for me, Rey. You are a gift, and I mean to treasure you always.'
For a scavenger turned Jedi, once thrown away and abandoned, his words were everything she had ever wanted to hear.
'I spent so much time keeping my feelings locked away, Rey. I thought it made me strong, but it kept me weak. No more secrets, no more confusion, no more lies. Going forward, we are one.'
Rey nodded. They looked at each other for a moment. The need to join their lips was there but both were hesitant. There was so much that needed to be resolved between them.
'We're here.' Poe called out, breaking the spell between them.
'Once we're clear, take off. Stay in orbit and we'll contact you as soon as we are ready to leave,' Ben instructed.
Poe nodded.
He brought the Falcon in for landing and Rey and Ben un-boarded. They watched as Poe took off into the dark skies above them. Looking into each other's eyes, they ignited their sabers in unison and began their hunt for the Knights of Ren.
Poe, I need you...
He heard her voice just as he had ascended and knew she was near. Daughter was here? She had left Mortis? That must mean that Son was close by. There was no other reason she would risk leaving her Father.
'Where are you?' He asked aloud.
Son's ship to the north of the planet. You have to come to me on foot, I can mask your energy, I can't mask the ships.
The coordinates of the Sons ship suddenly appeared in his mind.
Poe landed the Falcon and sprinted across the planet's surface to Daughter. She opened the access ramp of Son's ship in order for him to enter. They embraced tightly, their lips crashing together, then quickly pulled apart.
'He is here to retrieve the dagger before they can. For now he is unaware of my presence. I will try to take the dagger from him and get it to you.'
'D, this is dangerous. He could kill-'
'He will kill thousands of people unless you help me stop him,' Daughter interjected.
Poe nodded.
'Go now, wait for my signal, she instructed.
Poe hesitated, then leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She accepted his kiss, hoping it wouldn't be their last.
'Don't die,' Poe ordered before leaving.
Rey and Ben stepped quietly but quickly across the rocky terrain.
They came to a cave.
Rey sighed.
Why is there always a cave?
Ben chuckled at her thoughts.
He indicated with his head that they had to enter the dark hollow.
Naturally, Rey thought sarcastically.
Ben took the lead and Rey followed closely behind. Their sabers acted as torches as they navigated the uneven earth beneath their feet. They walked down a long corridor until they reached what looked like a carved out circular room. There were many rounded doorways leading off from the centralised space. Each one undoubtedly led to another uneven pathway.
How would they know which way to go?
'What now?' Rey whispered.
Ben didn't answer, he's eyes searched the room sharply then he placed Rey behind him and held his saber in front of them defensively. Rey watched with horror as each of the once empty doorways suddenly became filled with very large, menacing looking men wearing makeshift armour made of all sorts of scavenged metallic materials she recognised from her days on Jakku. Rey counted the men. There were six.
'I don't suppose we can just ask them nicely for this dagger?' she said as they moved to the centre of the room and stood back to back.
'I think they are going to need a little more persuasion than that,' Ben answered as the Knights moved towards them.
Rey was afraid but also hungry. Hungry to feel the excitement and adrenaline of being side by side with Ben Solo in battle again. She could feel Ben was anticipating the event just as feverishly as she was.
Drawing confidence from their ever strengthening bond, Rey almost laughed out loud as the Knights stalked towards them. These guys had no idea what they were dealing with.
When Ben bent forward slightly into a bow, a blatant display of open mockery, Rey followed suit before they launched forward in opposing directions and clashed their sabers against the Knights heavy weaponry.
Ben's movements caught her eye and Rey watched as he twirled his saber with ease deflecting three of the soldier's attacks simultaneously. He bent over at the waist, holding his saber flush against his back, effortlessly deflecting yet another attack. He let out a quick breath and winked at her before turning to face his attackers once more. Was he...showing off? Was this for her benefit?
Rey smirked as she lunged forward with her saber mortally wounding one of their assailants. He stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. As another approached her from behind, she turned her saber deftly and drove it through his abdomen. He joined his fellow knight in a heap on the caves stone floor. A third made a run towards her, but she force pushed him into the cave wall and he fell to the ground with a loud thump.
She cocked an eyebrow at Ben and he grinned back at her, accepting her challenge.
Without taking his eyes off hers, he extinguished his saber and used the hilt to knock one of the knights unconscious. Grabbing the man by the neck before he could fall to the floor, Ben used the man's body as a weapon and threw him at the remaining knights, knocking them to the ground.
Ben held his hands out to his sides as he looked at Rey for approval.
His giddy energy was infectious and despite the sombre situation, Rey stifled a laugh. She discovered with delight that where fighting side by side with Kylo had been intense and serious, fighting side by side with Ben was joyous and playful. He continued to surprise her. She felt herself falling harder for him.
The two knights hauled themselves up off the ground, but Ben sent them hurtling back down with a targeted force push. He walked towards Rey intently. She reached for him first, having seen his intention to kiss her within his thoughts. In that place of death, they found a moment of solace within each other's arms.
'Well if it isn't the newfound lightside lovers, come looking for this have we?'
Ben and Rey turned to see the Son holding the very item they had come to retrieve. Rey's heart slumped in her chest. They had allowed arrogance and their feelings for one another to cloud their judgement and they had paid dearly for it. Ben took her hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly.
Mistakes are human, Rey.
Ben offered through their bond.
'My, my, you two really are something special. You toyed with the fearsome knights of Ren like they were nothing but playthings!'
Rey and Ben parted their hands and lit their sabers. They took aim at the Son.
'I am afraid I cannot stay, I have a previous engagement. But do not worry, we will meet again.'
He disappeared before their eyes with the dagger.
Ben growled in frustration and Rey rubbed his back comfortingly.
'Poe come get us,' Rey said into her communicator.
'Rey, without that dagger…'
'Without that dagger, we just have to think of another plan,' Rey said firmly.
Ben nodded but she knew what he was thinking.
They arrived at the rendezvous point but Poe wasn't there.
Rey tried her communicator again.
'Poe? Poe?' There was no answer.
A feeling of dread ran through her. She looked at Ben, concern etched on her face.
The surviving knights of Ren appeared in the cave entrance.
'Well this day just keeps getting better and better,'' Ben muttered as he stamped his foot and ignited his saber once more.
Some of the members of company 77 created a makeshift podium for Finn out of some old cargo boxes.
Rose handed him a communicator.
'What's this for?'
'I'm modified it so it will amplify your voice,' Rose explained.
Finn looked at her in awe. Rose was always there, backing him up, and thinking of the things that others might have overlooked.
'You're a genius,' Finn exclaimed.
'So I've been told,' Rose said with a grin.
Finn climbed up onto the boxes and took a deep breath before addressing the crowd. He held the communicator close to his mouth.
'You're probably all wondering why you are here. You are here to be offered a choice. A choice that has been denied to us for so long. Many of us were taken from our families at a very young age. Most of you have known nothing but a life of servitude and obedience. I'm here to tell you that that can end... today.'
Finn gestured to Bo and the other members of company 77.
'These warriors were once troopers, like you. They were ordered to kill an entire village of innocent civilians but they refused. Instead, they rose up against their oppressors, and now they are free. You can stay here and learn how to live simple lives or you can return to your ships and help me defeat the First Order once and for all. My name was once FN-2187, now I go by Finn. I'm with the Resistance, and we are asking for your help. Will you heed our call?'
Finn swallowed hard and looked out at the crowd.
One of the troopers in the front row removed their helmet to reveal the young freckled face of a teenage boy.
'Are you really FN-2187?' he asked.
'Yes.'
'You're the trooper who fought Kylo Ren and lived?'
'Yes.'
There was a ripple of excited murmurs throughout the crowd.
'I want to fight alongside you,' the boy said with admiration in his eyes.
'Thank you.'
More troopers removed their helmets and joined the cause.
A cheer ran out through the crowd and Finn's heart soared in his chest.
Rose came towards him and they embraced.
'Now all we gotta do is organise the biggest mutiny in the history of the Galaxy,' she joked.
'This is gonna work, Rose. I feel it.'
'I'm so proud of you,' she said passionately.
Finn leaned down and kissed her, then turned back to the troopers.
'Thank you, all of you. Together, we are going to win this war and destroy the First Order!' Finn said punching his fist into the air.
Another cheer erupted from the crowd.
Finn looked out at the sea of hopeful faces and felt a mixture of emotions. He was elated that their plan had worked, but also worried for the troopers. Some of them would die in this fight, and the thought of it broke his heart. He focused on the outcome. Freedom. Freedom for all troopers trapped within the First Order desperately yearning to escape but not knowing how and also freedom for all future children yet to be assimilated into the cruel system.
Finn took Rose's hand and they got down from the podium and walked toward Jannah.
'Okay, now the real work begins,' He said.
Son laughed as he boarded his ship with the dagger. Sheer luck had led him to stumble across his enemies plan. He had reached out to the knights to try and persuade them to join his cause and retrieve the relic he had left in their care. It was serendipitous that Rey and Ben had chosen that very moment to arrive in order to retrieve the dagger for themselves. He had enjoyed allowing them to think they had the upper hand before cruelly dashing their hopes once more.
The Son was momentarily surprised when Daughter appeared before him. She looked angry.
'Give it to me,' she ordered.
He smiled a slow smile.
'Ahhh a stow away. What would Father say about this act of disobedience?'
'Father gave me permission to pursue you. Now, give it to me.'
'I don't know what it is you want, sister, but I'm inclined to refuse regardless.'
'You know exactly what I mean brother, give me the dagger,' Daughter stepped forward.
Son stopped feigning innocence and held the weapon out infront of him.
'This dagger is as dangerous to you as it is to me, Sister,' he threatened.
'That's why I mean to destroy it.'
Son stared at her.
'You want to destroy it?'
'Absolutely. I don't want anything to threaten my family. The weapon is too dangerous to be placed in the hands of mortals,' Daughter held out her hand for the dagger.
Son smiled and held the dagger out towards her, just as she reached for the handle, he grabbed her wrist roughly, and pulled her towards his chest, locking his arm across her slender neck.
'You're a terrible liar, sister,' he hissed into her ear.
'I know you care for that mortal. You would betray me for nothing more than a pair of pretty eyes?'
'He's much more than that,' Daughter said with a smile.
'Oh? Do tell, share with me what other wondrous attributes your chosen one had to offer?' Son sneered, gripping her neck tighter.
'I've got a pretty good ass too,' Poe announced as he appeared on the boarding ramp and shot his blaster at the Son. Son called out in pain as the laser blast grazed his cheek. He let go of Daughter who swiftly used the Force to knock him unconscious. She swiped the dagger as it fell from his hand and threw it to Poe who caught it in his left hand.
'Go!' she ordered him, as she force-pushed him off the ramp. She closed the doors and willed the ship to take off, hoping to get Son as far away as she could before he regained consciousness.
Rey and Ben stood back to back once more as the remaining knights surrounded them.
Suddenly the Falcon appeared above them.
Rey smiled as she looked up. Poe was alive and he had heard their call.
The ships arrival distracted the remaining Knights and gave Ben the chance he needed to cut them down with his mended saber.
Poe landed the Falcon and lowered the ramp. Rey and Ben boarded swiftly and they took off into the air once more.
'So how did it go?' Poe asked as they entered the cockpit.
'Not great. Son has the dagger,' Rey admitted.
'Oh do you mean this dagger?' Poe said holding up the ancient artefact.
Rey looked at him in amazement and Ben smirked.
'How did you get that?' Rey asked.
'It's a looooong story,' Poe replied.
'I knew I liked this one,' Ben murmured.
Poe handed the dagger to Ben.
'Okay, what's our next move?' Poe asked as he flew them back to base camp.
'We kill the Son,' Ben stated plainly.
'With that?' Poe gestured to the knife.
'Exactly.'
'Now tell us how you managed to get this away from him?' Rey demanded.
'I had a little help.'
'From who?'
'From my girl,' Poe said quietly.
Rey and Ben both felt the sadness radiating from Poe.
'You're worried he's going to hurt her, as punishment for helping us,' Rey acknowledged.
Poe nodded.
'Well let's go help her,' Ben urged.
'We can't, she took the ship into hyperspace, I couldn't get back to the Falcon in time to track them. I have no idea where they are right now,' Poe said hopelessly.
Ben put his hand on Poe's shoulder.
'Then we will go back to base and regroup, figure out a plan, and then we go after her.'
'But first, we need to call in the troops,' Rey reminded him.
'Troops?' Poe asked.
Ben smirked, 'Troopers to be more precise.'