Hello everyone!

Finally, the chapter so many of you have been waiting for lol. Hopefully, this will explain Ben's reasons for leaving and some of what's been going on! My only worry is that there may be a bit too much exposition- I had to fit a lot of info in this one, so I apologise for that.

As always, thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, favouriting, and following. The response has been amazing so far and your words really motivate me to keep going.

So, whether good or bad, let me know what you think in the reviews. :D

Thank you!

Several days earlier…

It had taken many hours, but Rey had finally fallen asleep, the tears and barely audible words of grief finally driving her to a point of complete exhaustion.

Leaving their son behind had been like leaving a part of themselves, and they were both suffering greatly for it. Any earlier suspicions she'd had about him had disappeared the moment they'd reached the ship, and she'd fallen into him, gripping onto his cloak as though her life depended on it.

The pain flowing out of her had almost destroyed him, but one of them had needed to be strong, and Ben hadn't allowed a single tear to fall as he'd rocked his partner back and forth in his arms.

His movements were careful as he slowly lowered her to the sheets, not wanting to wake her, and he took a moment to look at her.

She was such a strong person; so much of their time together had been a struggle, from their earliest days of mistrust to spending so many years as fugitives to her past difficulties in accepting her role as a mother.

And she'd faced it all with her own unique blend of determination and strength and wisdom. It was something he hadn't managed even half as well.

But it was in these small moments that he loved her most. When her walls were down, and she allowed him to sense just how much she was hurting without the fear of him thinking less of her for it.

The tears had left tracks on her face, her hair had come loose of the bun she'd put it in and dirt from Salis D'aar's dusty roads was painted across her clothing in streaks. He reached out to brush his hand across her forehead, moving some of the stray hairs away from her eyes. She looked so beautiful.

But he knew he didn't have much time left with her.

His only hope was that when this was all over, she'd be able to understand what he'd done and why he'd done it. It was because of his past alone that they'd been chased from one end of the galaxy to the other, and everything he was doing now was so that she and Anakin would at last be safe.

Ben stood from the bed, making his way silently into the cockpit and closing the door between himself and Rey. He walked over to the controls and pushed in the frequency he'd memorised so many years ago. Yet where most voices came out of the comm hollow and filled with static, the voice of Duna Ren rang out as clearly as if she were stood beside him.

'Kylo Ren. Always a pleasure.' She purred down the line.

They had known each other for a long time, going right back to the first days of the Jedi Academy. She'd been one of the first students they'd recruited, and even from their earliest meetings Ben had recognised that her powers would one day be a force to be reckoned with- if she allowed herself to develop them and not be distracted.

Unfortunately, when Skywalker had made it his mission to root out the growing darkness within Ben, he'd overlooked his other students who, over time, had also realised the power to be had away from the light. And she had done just that, growing fearsome and ruthless, revelling in the destruction of her enemies.

She had risen to become his second in command of the Knights of Ren, but Snoke's unforgiving methods had broken her, changed her, just as he'd wanted them to. If anything, her instability only made her more dangerous, and Ben certainly wouldn't be choosing to work with her if he felt he had any other option.

And he didn't have time for her games tonight, not with Rey so close by and the possibility of her waking at any moment.

'Everything's prepared for my arrival. You've sent details of your location to the Resistance?'

It was true that the General had created a formidable spy network for herself, but The First Order had spent too many years hiding in the shadows after the fall of the Empire. It was unlikely the Resistance would stumble across the Finalizer without his help.

'Yes, of course. And they have no idea it was us providing the information. Though I still don't know why you insist on having them involved at all. This would be much easier without all the unnecessary distractions.' She replied.

'You know as well as I that without their 'distractions', it would be nearly impossible to board the Finalizer undetected.'

His voice was final on the matter, and he could almost hear her pouting through the comm.

Neither of them wanted the rest of the Order to know about their meeting and, fortunately for him, Duna had made it quite clear she would not be able to leave the ship without someone finding out. The ship where he was certain they were also keeping the Jedi texts.

'Well, do you at least have some details for me about the attack? I'd hate for any of my men to be caught up in it and hurt. And I've lost too many Knights to you as it is.' Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

'No. The Resistance pilots will make for a good defence if you try something. Besides, I haven't killed that many. You're still here and you have plenty to spare.'

His tone had lowered to match her own, challenging her. She may be a woman who hated to lose, but she was also someone who believed that only the strongest should survive and rise to the top. His skills had earned her grudging respect, and she sighed dramatically down the line as she conceded.

'Very well then, my dearest. I look forward to seeing you again soon.'

The line cut off abruptly, and Ben visibly sagged against the controls. Whilst he'd had a great deal of practice in keeping his secrets locked away under Snoke's tutelage, it was still difficult to juggle so many actors at once. Especially ones that were both force sensitive and already had such intimate knowledge of him.

But the First Order could never know the real reason he'd chosen to involve the Resistance in his plans. He could barely stand to admit the truth to himself and shied away from thinking about it too much.

The truth that, despite how much he hated the woman, he'd included them solely to save his mother.

Present Day…

Ben could feel Rey's energy, sharpened to a fine point, and aimed directly at his own mind. The pain within her flooded through him like a tidal wave, knocking the breath from his lungs and causing a stabbing feeling in his chest that refused to move, even when he closed himself off from her.

With his defences firmly in place, he was safer from her attacks, but he could still feel her hammering her fists against his walls. The darkness within her wanted to be released, and she wanted to make him hurt.

But he didn't have time for her distractions. He'd programmed the ship days ago with the coordinates for the Resistance's main cruiser. It would take her directly there, not allowing for deviations unless they came under attack; hopefully, his previous communications would ensure that wouldn't happen.

His plan had been to conserve his energy on the way from the cells to the hangar, pretending to be working with her but in reality, relying on Rey's abilities alone to keep the troopers away until the perfect moment.

He trusted her to see them safely through the corridors but knew how much it would exhaust her when she was also bearing the weight of half a Wookie on her shoulders. Then, when she'd finally allowed her guard to drop, he'd used his powers to alert the nearby group of storm troopers to their presence.

And now that she was safe and away from the Finalizer, he didn't need to continue with this charade any longer.

Any outward signs of exhaustion disappeared from him immediately, his whole body seeming to grow taller as his lightsaber began swinging faster and more ferociously. It became a blur as he moved, moving closer and closer to the troopers until he was near enough to take them out one by one. He didn't have the same concerns as Rey when it came to killing storm troopers.

And without this added restraint, it didn't take him long to finish the task, bodies surrounding him on every side. He stepped over them to leave but quickly remembered that he had one last thing to do before he could continue.

Ben closed his eyes and opened his thoughts once more, finding the blazing light of her force signature and zeroing in on the only mind in the galaxy he knew would never try and lock him out.

Leia startled when she felt his thoughts brush up against her own. She hadn't been expecting him to make contact again- what had happened to cause him to do so?

Rey is coming to you, along with the Wookie.

What's happened? Are you safe? He could feel her concern, most of it directed towards him, but it was painful to be so close to his mother's thoughts when she was feeling this way. She, like Rey, was another distraction he couldn't afford.

Be prepared with medical assistance for them. And just as suddenly as they had opened, Ben slammed his mind closed once more.

The ship slowly came to land in the hangar bay of the Resistance's lead cruiser and when Rey looked out of the cockpit window, she saw that Leia was already stood there waiting for her. She'd have preferred more time to gather herself and her raging thoughts, but that was always going to be an impossibility here.

She may have once played a small part in the Resistance and saving Chewie would certainly earn her some sympathy here, but with her disappearance three years ago, a warm welcome was not guaranteed from anyone beyond her own close circle of friends.

And so, her footsteps were slow and reluctant as she moved to lower the ramp. It hit the ground silently, yet it was only a matter of seconds before there was a team of Resistance soldiers rushing towards her. But they weren't there for her, their eyes landing immediately on the Wookie lying prone on the bunk behind her.

It was as if she wasn't even there.

It was a difficult task to move him, and it took several medics to lift him and place him on the stretcher, but they were careful and gentle throughout. After everything they'd done, Chewie was finally in safe hands and she didn't need to worry about him anymore.

It had been a long day, and she was both mentally and physically exhausted. She threw herself down on the bunk, wishing in vain that everyone else on board would forget about her, just as the medics had.

'You should let them see to you too.' Leia's voice was calm and controlled as she entered the ship, and at any other time it would have made Rey feel better. But now she barely even had the energy to look up, instead just staring down at her clasped hands.

Leia came forward to sit next to her and placed a reassuring hand on the younger girl's shoulder. She was too polite and too familiar with the aftermath of difficult situations to just straight out ask what had happened, but Rey could still sense the multitude of questions the General had for her.

'Can I just have some time to myself before it all begins again?' She asked quietly.

'I'm sorry, but the council will need to know what happened on that ship.' Leia at least had the decency to look apologetic as she replied. 'Obviously, I never informed them that Ben was involved in all this too, so you won't need to go into detail. Just the basics, then you can rest.'

There was a beat of silence between them, as Rey considered which truths she should tell and which to hide. She could tell her everything and condemn Ben further in the eyes of his mother, or she could lie and save Leia the sadness of knowing her that her son may once again be on a path away from the light.

But when Leia spoke again, her voice was quiet.

'What happened to him? Please, just tell me what happened.'

Rey lifted her head to look into the older woman's eyes, and she could see the tears gathering there. And she realised, that despite Leia's words about the council needing to know, this was really a mother asking about the welfare of her child.

No matter what the two of them had done to one another in the past, they would always be mother and son. And that was a bond Rey could understand completely.

She began to tell the story of what had happened to them between landing on the Finalizer and finally getting Chewie back to the hangar bay, including every detail she could remember in her story. Her head fell forward as she spoke, finding that speaking to the floor was much easier than speaking directly to Leia.

'We were so tired, neither of us noticed the stormtroopers there with us. He told me to get Chewie onboard. I didn't want to leave him there, but…'

A sob caught in her throat. Her mind had been shielding her from the reality of the situation since she'd been forced away from the Finalizer, but now that she was telling her story aloud, it was becoming more real with each passing second. Leia took one of Rey's hands in her own, squeezing it tightly, and giving her the strength to continue.

'The ramp to the ship closed, and it took off. I didn't know what was happening, I tried to get out, but he must have pre-programmed it or something. Then I heard him in my head.' Rey could still hear his voice echoing in her thoughts so clearly. 'He was asking me to forgive him.'

'For what? Has he gone looking for the texts.'

Leia shuffled closer in her seat. Although there was no one else around, some things just felt too dangerous and too important to speak about in a normal voice.

'No. There's something else. The texts were an afterthought- he doesn't want the First Order to have them, but he doesn't want them for himself either. There's something else on that ship he needs.'

Something that she could feel in her heart was dangerous for him.

And whatever it was, it was something he hadn't wanted her to know about, no doubt something she would have disapproved of had he mentioned it to her.

Her hands turned into fists at the thought, the nails digging grooves into the soft skin of her palms. She hated him so much. Hated him for planning all of this behind her back. Hated him for putting her in this position where she had to try and explain his choices to his mother. And hated him for keeping her in the dark, even now.

But she could feel deep within herself that whatever it was he was doing, he would need her help.

'I have to go back to him.' Rey announced, and she leapt to her feet. The exhaustion rushed over her in a wave, causing her to sway a little, and she reached out for one of the straps hanging down from the ceiling.

Leia quickly got to her own feet, holding out a steadying hand so the other woman wouldn't fall to the floor, but she was waved off. She had seen before how stubborn Rey could be, a trait she knew she too possessed, and her voice turned imploring, hoping the words would be able to get through before she did something stupid.

'You can't. We don't even know if he's on that ship anymore, let alone where.'

'I can't just leave him.' Rey's voice burst out in an angry shout.

'We have no choice. We can't save him!'

Rey paused, her mouth opening and closing as she realised what had been said.

We.

She had always known that she was not the only person in the galaxy who cared about what happened to Ben. But it took her much longer to realise that she was the only person who knew exactly how to help him.

And it wasn't by storming in and hoping for the best, but by keeping the things that mattered most to Ben, not Kylo Ren, safe from the First Order. It would be the only way to get him back if her worst fears were realised, and he had turned once more.

'You're right.' She made her way forward to the cockpit on unsteady feet, throwing herself into the pilot's chair and inputting her destination. 'Send me the coordinates for the Resistance base. I'll meet you there.'

'Rey, I've already told you, you can't leave.'

'Well, I am. I don't know what Ben's done, or how long it'll be before the First Order are looking for us again. But I can't just sit around here waiting for them to arrive.'

'You need to rest!' Leia was insistent. As a mother ought to be, Rey thought.

But there was no time for sleep now. She could rest later, on her way to Salis D'aar.

'I need to get my son. I don't care if the council try and shoot this ship out of the sky, I'm going. You know what happened on the Finalizer now, and you know how to handle the Resistance. You can choose what you want to tell them.'

Rey continued with her pre-flight checks as she spoke, but Leia didn't move. She eventually stopped, a sigh escaping her and her fingers hovering over the controls, before she turned in her seat to look directly at the woman still stood behind her. She needed her to believe that, no matter what, she would do what was right, for both herself and Ben.

And if she was to get out of here in one piece, then she also needed the General to greenlight her departure.

'Please, just trust me.'

Within minutes, Leia was stood outside the ship, watching the steam billow out as it slowly lifted from the ground. The small communicator attached to her wrist began to beep frantically as the council received word of Rey's unauthorised departure, but she quickly overrode their concerns with assurances of her own.

Rey would come back to them, she was sure of it. And hopefully this time, she would bring her son and grandson back with her.

Ben navigated his way through the ship once more. It was so much easier this time round without Rey serving as a distraction. She was gifted in the force, and a strong partner, but it didn't mean he could ever stop himself worrying about her.

He stalked through the corridors, and he could feel the familiar pulsing sensation thrumming at the back of his mind. The Jedi texts were calling out to him, just as they had when he was a child and Skywalker had presented them to him for the first time.

It had been their sole purpose for so many months, going through each lesson hidden away inside, every force ability, every ritual, and painstakingly translating them page by page.

Rey had even accused him once before of only agreeing to this mission because he wanted access to the Jedi texts. But he'd never told her that even now, in the rare moments that he could meditate and clear his mind enough to do so, he could still remember so much of what he'd been taught.

He'd spent years suppressing the knowledge, knowing how much more powerful it made him and hiding it from Snoke, so his memories weren't complete. But they were enough that the ancient books were not his priority aboard the ship. He would fetch them after, if only to get them out of the hands of the Knights of Ren.

Kylo… A voice began to sing his name inside his head. Thankfully, a force bond had never been created between him and his former second, despite their lengthy history, but there was certainly enough of a connection that Duna could catch his attention easily over such a short distance.

The chanting continued, getting louder and louder the closer he came to her. When he finally reached the Knight's training room, it was like a drumbeat echoing in his head.

Ben stopped outside, centring himself for a moment before he pulled his lightsaber from his belt, gripping it tightly in his hand. Hopefully he wouldn't need to use it here.

The door slid open smoothly, the room accessible only through the unique powers of force users, and she was on him in an instant.

Her twin blades flew through the air towards his head, and it was only his lightning fast reflexes that spared him being cut clean through. He lifted his leg, kicking her hard in the stomach and forcing her away from him, but her force abilities meant that she didn't travel far.

She leapt at him again, determined not to give him any chance to gather himself after her initial attack, but he didn't need it. This time he was ready.

Her fighting style had always been aggressive; her inability to step back and plan ahead the reason why she had never once beaten him in combat. And now, when her blades swiped once more towards him, he twisted his body round. They hit the end of the blade squarely, so close to his hand he could feel the additional heat prickling at his knuckles.

But the cross guard protected him well, and as he spun, her own blades became trapped by it and were forced from her hands. They clattered noisily to the ground, the red fire searing blackened grooves into the floor, and they both stood for a moment staring at each other.

Duna took several steps back from her former commander but made no move to retrieve her weapons. They both knew that if she suddenly needed them, it would take only a split second for them to once again be in her hands. Besides, for the fight to be over so quickly, she clearly hadn't been trying.

Snoke had taught them well and over time, simply attacking one another on sight had become almost the equivalent of a friendly greeting within the Knights.

His eyes raked her over, as hers did to him in turn. It had been three years, yet it was as if he'd only been gone a day. She was short for a Chiss, but when it came to force sensitivities, size rarely mattered. Her blue skin still gleamed under the low lighting, and her eyes still shone a beautiful ruby red, as piercing as they ever were.

And her grin was almost predatory as she stalked back and forth in a short arc in front of him.

'How I've missed you, Kylo.' Her voice was deep and sultry. He remembered that she'd always had a particular twisted love of drawing her targets in using both it and her body, before taking them down without a hint of mercy.

'I wish I could say the same.'

He knew her too well.

'Oh, you were always such a tease.'

Her smirk hadn't moved an inch, but he refused to allow himself to be drawn in. To give in to his anger and attack her would be to lose the game. 'I'm here to talk.'

'And we will. But first, why don't you tell me all about that lovely woman you were with. Rumour has it that she's rather the fearsome little thing when she gets going.'

Ben's grip on his lightsaber tightened in reaction. There was no way the other Knights didn't already hold a great deal of knowledge about Rey, but it still felt wrong to hear someone who was such a large part of Kylo's, not Ben's, life speak about her.

'She's none of your concern.'

Duna's steps towards him were slow, measured, calculating. She wanted his eyes solely on her, and she certainly had that. But where she thought he was admiring her, in truth he was reluctant to take his eyes from the snake for even a second, knowing the ferocity with which she could strike out at him.

A firm hand on his shoulder encouraged him to bend slightly, and her words were whispered softly into his ear.

'Would you not rather have me instead, darling.'

His mind was screaming at him with how wrong this was, and his rage grew at having someone other than Rey so close to him. He force pushed her away from him, gritting his teeth and trying to tamp down the growing hatred blazing within him.

The smirk on her face only grew. This was all a game to her, as everything in life was, and it was becoming ever more difficult to keep himself in check.

'You don't want me to know more about her, yet you brought her along with you anyway. I wonder what she's been doing to get you to agree to her demands so easily.'

Ben continued to breath deeply, drawing on what he'd learned from both Rey and Skywalker to try and calm down. He reminded himself that for now, she was essential to his plans, repeating the words in his head like a mantra.

But he knew he would derive great pleasure from killing her once she'd outgrown her usefulness.

'We don't have time for this. I'm here with an offer.'

She pouted at him. 'Spoilsport. Go on.'

'I will. But first, I need to know what information Hux has on you and the other Knights? What's keeping you tied to him now that Snoke's dead?'

For the first time, her face looked shocked. The smirk finally died away, and she took an unconscious step back from him.

'Excuse me?'

'I know you Duna, perhaps better than anyone in the galaxy.' He could hear her blades rattling against the ground, as though she was calling to them without even knowing it. She didn't like to be on the back foot, and her reactions had only confirmed all his suspicions. 'And I know that having Hux as Supreme Leader must be eating away at you. He isn't even a force sensitive. He's nothing compared to us.'

Duna noticed her responses to his words and instantly straightened herself, making herself look more confident than Ben knew she was.

'If you truly knew me so well, Kylo, then you would know how much I enjoy taking care of my own problems. If I wanted him dead, then he would already be dead.'

'Then why isn't he?' He took a step towards her, where she now stood unmoving. She was no longer the predator. He had her exactly where he wanted her.

'The Knights would tear themselves apart without something forcing you all together. Your dark side allegiance compels you to rise, to seek out power and fight for it. Snoke had enough control to keep us in one piece before, but now he's gone.'

His voice lowered, and his words were quiet, speaking as though to a wounded animal. 'I'm here to help you to get rid of him.'

'And what do you want in return?'

The one thing that would ensure he had enough power to keep his family safe.

'Once Hux is gone, I will be named the new Supreme Leader.'

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open.

'Why would I agree to that? I already control the Knights of Ren, and as you've already said, I'm not one to share power.'

Just a few more words. Just a little more encouragement and he was certain she would start coming around to his terms. He imbued his words with his powers, lacing the two together and winding them through her mind with a subtlety only a master could achieve. He was so close.

'Exactly. Which is why it's obvious there is something holding you back from going further. You spent years fighting for control of the Knights, and every time you failed against me you just came back stronger and more determined. Your pride wouldn't allow you to be the pawn of someone who isn't even trained in the ways of the force. You need my help.'

There was a beat of silence, and he was certain she would agree to anything he said now. He could feel it, her determination to be free. She would do anything for it now…

And then her smile returned.

'For someone so intelligent Kylo Ren, you truly are a fool.'

He was confused. He'd felt it, he'd felt her acquiescence to his demands. But then right before him her whole demeanour had changed.

And now he could feel her mental walls dropping, only slightly, and her true feelings leached into his mind. She'd been playing him all along. Everything, from when he'd first contacted her up until now, had not been according to his plans at all, but to hers. She'd won, and all he could do in return was to stand there silently.

But she wasn't finished rubbing his nose in his defeat yet.

'Hux is a puppet. He's a distraction. We were recalled after Snoke's death, and of course he tried to have us killed the moment we stepped foot onboard. Yet within hours, the Knights of Ren had taken complete control of the First Order. We kept him in power for the sole reason that he would draw attention away from us.'

She looked directly into his eyes. 'Tell me, when the Resistance first approached you, did they have any knowledge of us?'

She was right. The Resistance had more intelligence on the First Order than just about anyone in the galaxy, and even they hadn't known the Knights were still operating. They'd just naturally assumed the group had died out with Snoke's demise. It had only been his and Rey's assurances that the Knights were still a threat that had convinced them to turn their eyes away from Hux.

But if she didn't need him, then why was he even still alive?

'If that's the case, then why did you even agree to meet me?'

She shrugged. 'You said you had something interesting to share, and I was interested. I must admit though, I'm somewhat underwhelmed. You were much more fun when you were one of us.'

He was almost at the end of his patience with her, and he dropped himself down into a defensive position.

'Then what's to stop me killing you right now?' He lit his blade, the red casting a menacing glow across his features. They both knew who was the better fighter of the two of them, and yet she still didn't appear to be afraid of him.

'In the time it would take you to strike me down, I could have every Knight of Ren on this ship here. You're a formidable warrior Kylo, but do you truly believe you could take down all of us?'

'I've done it before.'

Her smirk turned to a snarl. His arrogance was infuriating. She reached out her arms and turned her head, just for a fraction of a second, to call her blades into her hand.

But it was enough time for Ben to sense her intentions. While he had been holding his anger in check this whole time, it had taken just one comment from him to turn her murderous. And it was why she would never truly win against him.

With her focus distracted by the blades, he threw out one of his hands, flinging her across the room like a doll. She hit the far wall with a sickening thud, and he held her in place for just a moment before dropping her in a pile on the floor. She lay there, motionless.

He had every intention of heading over there with his saber and finishing the job but forced himself to hold back. He didn't know how long he had before the other Knights noticed her consciousness missing from theirs and came to investigate, and he needed to be long gone by then.

He opened his senses, allowing the pulsing of the Jedi texts to fill his mind once more, and walked from the room.

'What happened?'

A tall Nagai man had walked into the room, his footsteps slow. Duna knew he'd felt the exact moment when she'd struck the wall, yet he hadn't rushed to help her. It was the way it had always been in the Knights. Only the strongest would survive and any chance to rise to the top would be taken without mercy.

'Nothing.'

She dragged herself up from the ground, struggling to regain her feet after an attack that would have easily killed a normal person. She could feel something warm and touched a finger to her temple, finding the blood collecting there and flowing freely down the side of her face. Her mouth twisted into a smirk.

'Are you following him on the monitors?'

The man's eyebrow raised minutely, as though surprised she'd even needed to ask him such a question. But she continued, either not noticing his scorn or not caring about it.

'And you left the texts somewhere he can find them?'

His affirmation had the same tone as the few other words he spoke, as though it were bored of the whole situation. But again, she ignored him.

'Good. Then prepare our ships. We must be ready to attack.'