Chapter 2

7 days after the battle of Crait - The new rebel base on Arbra

"General Organa! General Organa!"

Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix burst into the small living room near the command post where the rebel leader had been resting.

"We got a response! They responded! The Naboos responded!"

Leia's face lit up like that of the bearer of the news. The general was fond of Kaydel, she reminded her of herself in her younger years when she too had been full of passion and inexperience but teemed with devotion to the cause.

The first time the two women had met, the rookie of the Resistance was standing at attention amongst all of her male comrades. Leia couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two golden macaroons that adorned her head. That was back on their first day on D'Qar. A mixture of excitement and apprehension filled their gazes as they had looked to the horizon. At that point the young people had been the future of the Rebellion, hearts of fire and determination to boot.

Today most of them were dead, their fragile lives blown away like dust in the wind by the raging breath of war.

Still, Kaydel remained, standing in front of her with a face full of hope.

"Gather everyone at the command post." Leia ordered.

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"The communication came from the planet of Coruscant on a highly encrypted channel. Naboo's emissary didn't want to take any chances." The young rebel announced.

"Start the broadcast," said Leia with a hard look at Poe facing her from the other side of the holocom.

About ten of them stood gathered around the communication device with bated breath. Rey had greasy streaks across her face. She had left the generator room that she had been working in for three days in a rush. Finn stared at the console; his lips pressed as tightly together as the fists hanging by his sides. Kadel tapped a series of buttons on the keyboard and the hologram appeared in front of them.

"General Organa, allow me to introduce myself, I am Leman Drill, the emissary of Queen Megarana of Naboo."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, emissary." Leia replied.

The man looked to be in his forties and seemed ill at ease. He was dressed in the black and gold tunic that was custom for all representatives of the people of Naboo. His face was tense, and he kept glancing worriedly over his shoulder.

"We picked up your distress signal from Crait seven days ago. But alas, we could not answer. First Order commanders arrived at the palace soon after we received it claiming to want to establish commercial trades with us. The syndicate controls close to eighty percent of all bacta production in the galaxy. Our solar batteries for access to drugs: that was their proposal. They stayed to 'negotiate' for three days but we weren't blind to what they were doing. All they wanted from us was to poke around our stuff. Her majesty could do nothing but welcome them for fear of arousing suspicion, and our communications weren't secure at the time. They've been watching us from afar for several months now. They know that we've shown you support. They took to threatening several of our advisors for proof that we had financed the construction of your bombers. However, Queen Megarana and Miggi Tan, the leader of the Gungans, were able to undermine their investigations and they finally left the planet."

"We understand," Leia sighed. "Just because we're suffering at the hands of the First Order doesn't mean that Naboo should too."

"After the annihilation of the Hosnian Prime system and the New Republic along with it, all of our systems are scrambling to recover from the destabilization. We can't thank you enough for destroying Starkiller base. Without you, we could have been next. Our condolences to you for your losses on Crait, we were devastated to hear the news."

"A lot of good men and women died that day, emissary."

"You can count on our help now. However, I was forced to leave Naboo to get in touch with you on this frequency. Are you safe where you are?"

"We are. But you understand that we cannot reveal the coordinates of our base to you."

"Of course, general. That goes without saying. The news of Crait spread quickly on Coruscant. Kylo Ren is the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, and much like under the rule of the Empire, he has taken control of the holonet. Propaganda messages are already announcing the end of the Resistance and the death of your brother. Is that true? Luke Skywalker, he's really…?"

"Unfortunately, it's true," Leia confirmed, heart breaking a little with the words.

Leman Drill's face grew more somber.

"All of my condolences, general. It's an immense loss for all of us."

Leia cast her eyes down and the emissary continued.

"Garrisons of stormtroopers are crawling all over the place here. I hope that I haven't be followed, but I'd like to propose another meeting, in person this time. I will try to rally together some of our other allies, but I'll need time."

Poe twitched at the suggestion. He cast a wary look at Leia.

"I don't trust this," he whispered, teeth clenched.

Luke's sister looked hard at each of the people around the communication console before she focused her attention back on the emissary. The expressions of her comrades were all taught and suspicious. Poe was right. The position they were in was extremely fragile.

"It could be a trap," Finn said out loud. "Who's to say that the First Order hasn't already invaded Naboo?"

"Your suspicions are valid," Drill exhaled, casting a worried look around for the umpteenth time.

Then, the hologram lifted his right hand and turned it so that his interlocutor could see the back of it. On his little finger he wore a golden ring topped with an oval, midnight blue, stone.

"Megarana gave it to me. She told me that you would understand," the emissary said.

A whisper of a smile crossed the general's face.

"Nine days from now on Endor. Three kilometers south of the Ewok village there's an old rebel facility. We meet there at dawn. Try to bring as many representatives as you can for those who still want to help us fight." Leia proposed.

"General…" Poe protested before he was silenced by a single raised finger from the rebel leader.

"Nine days, emissary Drill," she repeated. "Stay on your guard in the meantime. Thank you for your call. Send all of my regards to the members of the High Council of Naboo, Chief Miggi Tan, and especially Queen Megarana. May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you too, General Organa."

With those words the transmission was cut off. Poe couldn't help but return to his protests amidst the murmurs that arose inside of the command post.

"General! How can you be sure that he wasn't lying? He could be in the First Order's pocket! You don't even know the man!"

"He was wearing my mother's ring."

The muttering stopped and the room quieted immediately.

"Only Megarana could have given it to him. She and I decided that the ring would be a symbol of good faith if ever the situation arose one day. That's why I have confidence in him. The meeting will take place." She said as she gave Poe and imploring look. "But I'm not certain I'll be able to…"

"I'll go," Poe decreed without any hesitation. "I'll go, general. I'll take BB-8 with me and I'll go."

Finn opened his mouth to offer himself up for the mission too when a young, dark-haired woman in a medic suit, burst through the doors of the room.

"Rose is awake!" She announced, out of breath.

Relief flooded the faces of everyone in the room. Every little piece of good news was a miracle on the small base. Finn turned towards Leia who nodded, giving him permission to leave the meeting. Rey's eyes followed him as he left the room and disappeared down the hall. She was elated for her friend. The ex-stormtrooper felt more deeply for the technician than he would have anyone believe and the young woman clenched her teeth to suppress a smile. Things were finally starting to look up after all. Their allies had made contact with them, Rose was out of her coma, and they were all safe for now.

A few minutes later Leia let everyone else go save for Poe and a few other pilots whom she needed in order to plan the trip to Endor. It required a hard look at their depleted fleet and the resources they could spare.

After she was dismissed Rey decided to join Finn in the infirmary to finally introduce herself to the famous Rose. She knew that she should probably just leave the pair alone, but her curiosity overpowered that instinct. When the entrance of the room designated as the medical ward came into view, she slowed her pace cautiously. Snippets of laughter and conversation could be heard from where she was. She peeked her head through the doorway and saw Finn sitting at the bedside of the young woman. Rose sat propped up against two big pillows, pale but radiant. When the technician's eyes spotted her lurking in the doorway she was overcome with embarrassment.

"Oh! You must be Rey! Hi! Come in! It's so good to finally meet you!"

The convalescent's enthusiasm caught Rey a little off guard.

"It's nice to meet you too," Rey said simply as she approached the occupied bed.

"I'm so flattered to be in the presence of a real Jedi!" The young ebony haired woman added, smiling up to her ears. "I so wish I could have seen it! Your escape from the cave and you lifting all of those rocks!"

"Oh, I'm not a Jedi," Rey stammered, "and how did you even know what happened on Crait? I thought you were unconscious when…"

"As soon as I got here she wanted to know how we escaped with our lives. I told her all about your exploits," Finn explained.

Rey couldn't help but look towards the floor, embarrassed. She still struggled with the admiration and complements that her performance on Crait had earned her.

"From what I've heard, I should be the one thanking you. You saved Finn's life back there."

"She stopped me from doing the right thing, there's a distinct difference…" the ex-stormtrooper grumbled.

"Exactly!" Rose retorted. "Unnecessarily sacrificing yourself by flying straight into the mouth of the cannon. Do you seriously think that the First Order wouldn't have been able to force the doors open anyways, despite your insatiable desire to be a hothead?"

Finn opened his mouth to reply.

"I-I," he stammered, struggling to find the right words. Especially since he suddenly remembered in vivid detail what Rose had told him when he had reached the cockpit of her ski-speeder to ask her why she'd done it.

That's how we're going to win. Not by fighting what we hate. But saving what we love.

And he especially remembered the soft, furtive, feeling of her lips against his. That day, for just a few seconds, he had been stunned, unable to move even in the midst of all the chaos that surrounded him. His eyes had been caught on the girl's face, dusty and covered with sweat. He couldn't take his eyes off of her closed eyelids. A terrifying thought had seized him. She couldn't die here, not because of his actions.

"Are you alright Finn?" Rose asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, I…"

Rey's calm voice came to his rescue.

"Thank you again Rose, for saving Finn's life."

"It was actually the second time!" Exclaimed the technician with a triumphant smile. "So, I think that it's only fair that I get his dessert portions for the week."

Rose turned to look inquisitively at Rey.

"We do get dessert here in the refectory, do we not?" Rose asked with an astonishing amount of candor. Her childlike expression was a lot funnier than it should have been.

Finn, lips pursed, shook his head in negation.

Rey couldn't help but laugh a little at the spectacle of the two young people teasing each other like little kids. Rose was irresistible. Her presence was as warm as a pocket sized sun and it was somewhat impossible not to immediately fall under her spell. She understood it now. The reason why Finn had become so attached to her so quickly.

The young technician sighed suddenly, and with a movement as natural as they come, she reached over and squeezed Finn's hand in hers while closing her eyes.

"Oh… my head feels really heavy all of a sudden. I think I need to rest for a little while, I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice much thinner, as she sunk back into the cot.

"Of course, I'll leave you to rest," Rey said, slowly backing away towards the door.

Finn, on the other hand, didn't move a millimeter. Instead, he intertwined his fingers with Rose's before he turned back towards Rey. "I'm going to stay with her a little longer," he said as he prayed that his friend wouldn't give him any curious looks or innuendo filled comments. To his relief Rey simply nodded and gave him a little smile before leaving the room.

OoooooO

7 days after the battle of Crait - On board the Finalizer

Kylo Ren entered his quarters and dropped his cloak on the floor only to have it immediately recovered by a service droid who shuttled it off towards his room before disappearing. He set his saber down on the table before slowly crossing the room to sit heavily on a bench facing the panoramic bay window that offered him a breathtaking view of Crait.

He had just spent the last two hours probing the minds of all of the senior officers on the Finalizer, one after the next, as they reported back on their respective sectors. It was a necessary evil in order to separate the ones who were trustworthy from the ones who had already pledged allegiance to Hux. He had also given the general staff a false update about the new direction he wanted to take the First Order in as a pretext to have them all assembled on the upper deck. The result of his investigation had been surprisingly satisfying. They were all afraid of him. Almost as afraid of him as they had been of Snoke. His hold on the First Order would be solidified as soon as his disciples finally joined him. Even though it was true that Hux had his own followers, many officers were reluctant to regard him as a potential leader.

The effort of the mental intrusions he had performed had drained him of energy. The dish of dried fruit laid out on the table in front of him was appealing and his stomach gurgled unceremoniously. Nevertheless, he ignored it and headed to the bathroom instead. He rid himself of the rest of his clothes and boots before stepping under the hot spray of the shower. The water ran down his face and in between his shoulder blades before it trailed down his thighs, managing to give him a sense of well-being. He washed his hair and let his fingers linger against the still-fresh scar that marred the entirety of his right cheek. He closed his eyes and was almost surprised when he didn't hear the sound of Snoke's mocking reproaches.

From as far back as his memory served him, the old man's voice has always been omnipresent in his thoughts, like white noise, an incessant but somehow reassuring heartbeat. It had always told him how exceptional he was, while at the same time it counseled him not to talk about their bond with anyone, not even his parents, because they wouldn't understand, they would only reject him… The voice had tamed him, it had given him the attention and comfort his parents has unjustly deprived him of.

When his mother had decided to entrust his care to his uncle Luke so that he might follow the training of the Jedi, another injustice in his eyes, the voice had continued to echo through his dreams. It criticized the teachings of Skywalker, contradicted every bit of guidance he received, and undermined every part of the Light Side it could. It had convinced him that the Dark Side was the only way to go, that it would lead him to strength, to power… That his suffering would cease, that he would never feel alone again, and that everyone would finally be forced to see how strong he was.

Kylo closed his eyes and laid both hands flat against the shower wall while the jet of water untied the knot of tension at the back of his neck. Mentally worn out, he couldn't stop the memories of the academy that started to assault him.

"Is it true that you're Master Skywalker's nephew?"

"Yes, it's true."

The blonde kid who had arrived only a day before him had stared at him with a half-intrigued and half-admiring air.

"So, Darth Vader was your grandfather?"

Comments about his illustrious ancestor always managed to resurface within the small group of Padawans, but never in Luke's presence. Darth Vader both fascinated and terrified the young apprentices. However, in the back of Ben's mind, the voice that lived there never failed to extol the merits and omnipotence of the Sith knight.

It didn't take long before the other children detected something in him that they couldn't quite place but that made them unmistakably uncomfortable. Conversations stopped when he approached and looks sent his way were fleeting.

But the blonde boy was different. Unlike the others, he hadn't been reluctant to train with him. His name was Elias and he had said that the only way you could improve was by training with people that were more powerful than yourself. Ben was leagues ahead of Luke's other Padawans and his mastery of the Force was unparalleled at the academy. Over time, a complicity and mutual respect had been established between the two young men. A little while later, Yehnu and Jor, two Rattataki brothers, had joined the pair and they had become an inseparable foursome. Yehnu, the elder, was calm and serious, while Jor took pleasure in almost incessantly teasing others, so much so that he often had to be called to order by Luke. Viri Pax had quickly joined the group upon his arrival at the academy. The Zabrak had endless questions about the ancient texts and always ended up in arguments with Luke about the relevance of Jedi beliefs. After which, Ben's uncle would impose long meditation session upon him as penance. Bram was the youngest of all the Padawans. Like all Arkanians, his pupil-less white eyes and ivory hair accentuated his fine features. He had followed the group of teenagers everywhere, playing the part of a clingy, somewhat irritating, little brother.

And then there was Sylla. She had been one of the few female apprentices at the temple. As a child she had been a tomboy, but as she had grown there hadn't been any denying her breathtaking beauty; what with her long black hair, dark almond eyes, and smooth skin. The girl showed promise of becoming a great Jedi and she was uniquely gifted in mind control, so effortless in her ability to manipulate people's minds that it seemed perfunctory. She was committed, determined, and focused in everything she did, but there was one thing she could never manage to do: hide her interest in Han Solo's son. That had upset Luke at the time. The law of the Jedi couldn't be any clearer. No attachments. And even less between disciples. The languid, poorly hidden, looks from the girl had made Ben's blood boil in the best way. He had tried to suppress his impulses, tried to keep his eyes from lingering on the curves of Sylla's frame, but the curves of? her body, sensual in their femininity, had only grown more pronounced over the years. Desire was proscribed by the Light Side, not the Dark.

At the time Ben had wondered if he was the only one who experienced that kind of attraction. Did his friends feel the same way? Why did the Force allow such sensations to be felt if they were to be ultimately repressed and ignored? Why was it wrong?

Kylo cut the water in the shower and grabbed a towel that he tied around his waist after drying. The bathroom was filled with steam and the thick vapour hung heavily in the air. The wall-length mirror that revealed his entire reflection from head to toe was unaffected though. He remained motionless in front of it for a few moments, taking the time to examine his face and the scar that ran all the way down to his collarbone.

Why was he thinking of all of this now?

He supposed that since Snoke had left his head for good, his memories were filling the void there. Unbidden, he saw himself asking Rey if Luke had told her what had happened that night on Yavin, and he closed his eyes. All of that dark night's events played out for him on the backs of his eyelids.

After he had found himself outside of the demolished hut, panting and stunned by his uncle's betrayal, the other Padawans had come out of their own stone shelters to see what had happened. They had all joined him, sabers in hand. Some of them had shot him accusing looks. Luke was still buried under the rubble. Was he alive?

Ben had tried to tell them the truth; that Luke had attacked him and that he had only defended himself. But he could read the scorn in their eyes. One of them had called him a liar while stalking towards him, lightsaber held aloft in his hand. Surprisingly, against all odds, his six comrades had sided with him. Jor had even advanced to make a bulwark in front of him. Despite his young age, and the fifteen or so other apprentices facing him, Jor had been the first to attack. Yehnu, Elias, and Viri Pax followed him immediately, the latter raising his arms to blow their opponents back with a shock wave. The Zabrak had destabilized the assailants that outnumbered them, catching them all off guard. Then Sylla, Bram, and himself had launched themselves into the fray alongside their friends.

The dancing lightsabers had illuminated the temple square and the other apprentices hadn't stood a chance.

That was the first time that Ben had killed another person. He had withdrawn his blade from the dead body of Moshar, an apprentice that he had trained alongside with for years, and the awful reality sunk in: he had just taken his first real steps down the path to the Dark Side. After the massacre and the burning of the temple the seven renegades had stolen a shuttle and gone straight to Snoke. Thinking that Snoke could end his suffering he had allowed the old wretch access to more of his head, and in doing so, to his most intimate thoughts. But he was wrong. Snoke had no plans of doing that at all. His new master was rough and ruthless, ordering him to kill and kill again. Ben didn't have much trouble convincing himself that it was the right thing to do as long as it brought him peace, so he had obeyed. Year after year he had obeyed, convinced that if he did the raging battle inside of him between the Light and the Dark might finally cease.

And then, out of nowhere, the girl had arrived and tried to kill him on Takodana. She was young and impulsive. Her eyes had held nothing but terror and derision as he had probed her mind to find out where the droid was. The first contact he had with her had intrigued him, but nothing had comparable to what he had felt later during their interrogation on the Finalizer. It troubled him deeply. He had felt her strength, and the dazzling light of a million suns inside of her, but he had also felt her shadows. Her fears, identical to his: abandonment, disappointment, loneliness. The girl was so much like him.

Even then Kylo Ren knew that everything was about to change because of her. Without even trying she had begun to revive the parts of him that he had tried so desperately to keep subdued since his first encountered Snoke. So, he had made a radical decision. In an attempt to permanently bury the Light parts of himself that tortured him to no end, he had committed the most irreparable of crimes: murdering his father, Han Solo. In that singular action he had tried to turn himself into a real monster, one with no hope of redemption.

But again, he had been met with failure. The warring of the Light and Dark inside of him only became worse.

It was as if the Force took pleasure in playing with him.

Rey…

He replayed the memory of the door of the Millennium Falcon closing, slowly coming up to cover the frail silhouette of the scavenger and anger overtook him.

Anger… His most faithful of friends.

His jaw tightened in tandem with his fists. He felt the familiar wave rise up the length of his spine, invade his cortex, spread to each of his nerve fibers, flood his veins, burn his heart, and permeate through his skin with the need to extricate himself from his own body. Like it was being controlled all on its own, his right arm rose and struck his reflection in the face with the full force of his weight. The glass exploded instantaneously under the impact. He leaned against his fist, still impacted against the sharp debris for a moment as he watched his blood run down the wall. After a quick breath he clenched his teeth and ordered his seized muscles to relax. Slowly, he pulled his hand back from the wall to examine the extent of his injuries: several lacerations covered his knuckles and his hand bled profusely. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hand while a couple of domestic droids were already at work around his legs collecting the shards of glass by his feet. He left the bathroom and changed into a pair of loose-fitting pants before laying back on his bed. The dark strands of his still-wet hair were almost invisible as they fanned out against the backdrop of his black pillow case.

The wave of anger ebbed slowly. His breathing went back to its normal rhythm eventually and he forced himself to analyze the situation more lucidly. He would get there eventually. He had to keep going. Snoke was dead. Skywalker was also dead, and the Jedi doctrine with him. The Resistance was nothing but a handful of rebels in distress led by his mother. Like he had said to Hux, he would hunt them down, along with their allies, until they had all been eradicated. And Rey… If she was smart, she would never cross paths with him again. She would hide on one of the planets in the Outer Rim and let him bring peace and order to the galaxy. He had so many projects for the First Order.

He was free of Snoke. His force bond with Rey no longer existed. He could make his own decisions now.

As he closed his eyes, he secretly hoped that he wouldn't dream of Rey anew that night.

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