—Chapter 3: Planetfall—
Rey's chest was tight with urgency as she ran through the forest, into the clearing, and back towards the hangar. As she approached the hangar doors, she knew she must have looked panicked, as she was drawing the attention of some of the Resistance fighters inside. She slowed in her running, but then doubled over and found herself vomiting in the grass outside the hangar, gasping from exertion.
Rose ran up to her. "Rey, jeez, what's the matter? Are you okay? You're absolutely pale!" She crouched beside Rey and placed her palm on Rey's back, gently massaging small circles into the firm muscles underneath.
Rey was beside herself, but the comforting gesture helped her collect herself enough that she could speak. Panting, she lifted her head to Rose, and huffed out the words, "It's Ben, I think he's dying."
"Who's Ben?" Rose asked reflexively, then shook her head like it didn't matter. "Come on, let's get you inside."
Rose helped Rey to her feet, and they walked together into the hangar, Rose's arm around Rey's waist. Rey was still breathing heavily, and her cheeks were wet with tears. As they entered the hangar, heads turned to look them over, people obviously concerned as they glanced and pointed in their direction, speaking in hushed voices to one another.
Finn, Poe, and BB-8 came running up to them from a hallway adjacent to the hangar. Poe went instantly to her side and placed a reassuring hand on her back as he turned to walk beside her. "Rey, are you alright? Did something happen?"
"It's Ben, he's dying, I've got to help," she said as she continued to walk hurriedly into the hallway the three of her friends had just emerged from.
Finn and Poe exchanged a look of confusion. Finn paused to consider what she'd said, then hurriedly caught up to her as he realized who she was talking about. "Ben? You mean Ben Solo?"
Poe's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "No, she means Kylo Ren." BB-8 made a noise of concern.
Rey continued to pull herself through the hallway in her panic, but Poe put himself in front of her. Pressing into his chest, she tried to shove past him as he held her there. After a momentary pause to collect herself, she looked intently at him, "Poe, you have to let me go… he's hurt."
Poe was nonplussed. "Listen Rey, putting aside for a moment what it is that makes you so sure about this, I'm not exactly understanding why we should care. Haven't we established that he's most likely the reason for General Organa's death? Wouldn't his death actually be a good thing for the Resistance? The thing we've all been fighting for for so long now?" His irritation was plain.
"You don't understand..."
"No, you're right, I clearly don't." Poe sighed frustratedly. "Where are you going, anyway?"
"StratComm. They might be able to find him."
"StratComm? Are you nuts? How could they possibly help? Look, Rey, the First Order is all over the place, and as Supreme Leader, he gets to go wherever he wants, whenever he wants. You need to stop this and get a grip!" At these words, Poe took her by both her arms, then pulled her into a fierce hug. "Stop this."
Rey's arms hung limply at her sides, staring over Poe's shoulder at the entrance to StratComm. Finn and Rose stood on either side of them, watching intently.
With a deep breath, Rey gently pushed back against Poe, putting some space between them. "Look, I just... I have to try, okay?" and she stepped around Poe and through the door into StratComm. Poe made eye contact with Finn and Rose, who looked back at him apologetically and then chased after Rey. Sighing, Poe turned to follow them. Rey was already speaking to Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix. "Lieutenant, I need you to do a scan for any First Order craft."
"First Order?" Connix blinked in surprise. "Um, where would you like us to scan? We keep continuous watch over what's in orbit, and right now there's nothing except a handful of Vakbeor-class frigates we keep up there to greet anything that randomly shows up."
"How far out can you scan?"
"Pretty far, but, you know, in space, that's really not far at all. From here, we're limited to this system, so I don't really know what good that does you. We'd have to call our contacts in other systems to see beyond that. What exactly are you looking for?" Connix was willing to entertain Rey's inquiries, but it wasn't clear how long her patience would last.
Poe, pacing in the background, muttered, "I told you, Rey, this is pointless. We're just wasting everyone's time."
Rey let out a frustrated sigh, "Are you sure there are no First Order ships anywhere we know of? I'm looking for one with—Kylo Ren on board…"
And with those words, the atmosphere in the room went instantly cold. Everyone else in StratComm paused in what they were doing to look over at Rey and Lieutenant Connix.
Fixing Rey with a look that was both steadfast and soul-piercing, Connix said cautiously, "What makes you think the Supreme Leader of the First Order would be anywhere near here?"
"I don't actually know that he's near here, I just need to find him."
Poe interjected, "She thinks he's hurt, and that for some reason, that's not only a bad thing, but that it's our problem somehow."
"Poe…" Finn started, in an effort to try to ease some of the pressure on Rey. Poe looked at him, but Finn had no follow up.
Suddenly, one of the navigators spoke up. "Lieutenant, we have an Imperial shuttle incoming!" to which just about everyone besides Rey let out a cry of alarm. Rey closed her eyes, and a fresh tear fell down her cheek.
Rey then hurried to approach the console. "Where? What's its status?" she asked, trying not to sound too desperate for information.
"Just dropped out of hyperspace. It appears to be operating on autopilot, just settling into orbit now." Then there was a long pause, during which the nav operator glanced back and forth between Lieutenant Connix and the others.
Connix then turned to look at Rey. With concern in her hushed voice, Connix said, "This base was supposedly hidden. How did they know we were here?"
Rey had tenuously regained her composure. Ignoring Connix's question, she said calmly, "Please hail them."
From his position at the back of the room, Poe scoffed. Finn and Rose were still silently observing.
The nav operator glanced over to Connix, who nodded her assent. The operator then turned back to his console and executed Rey's request. "Imperial vessel, what is your status?" But there was no reply. The operator repeated his question more aggressively, but again, there was nothing. He looked to Rey.
"Please scan for life signs," she said evenly.
"Life signs detected, but they're weak. The occupant could be unconscious." Again, the operator turned to look at Connix. In a lower voice, he said to her, "How badly do we want to know who this person is?"
Rey understood what was really being implied by that question. If she was going to dissuade them from simply blasting the shuttle right out of orbit, she needed to think quickly.
"If this person came here alone, to the Resistance, undisguised, it stands to reason that they knew they'd be in trouble when they got here, but they came anyway. I think that suggests that they're not here to fight. The fact that he appears to be unconscious says to me that he might be here for help." Poe bristled at her change in pronouns.
"That doesn't explain how they bloody well knew where to find us…" Connix looked hard at Rey. Rey realized this could just look like a trap. Or worse, like Rey was a traitor.
"And wouldn't you like to find out how they did?" She prayed she'd earned enough credibility with the Resistance that they trusted her not to be in cahoots with their visitor.
There was an awkward silence as Connix stared intently at Rey, and the nav operator shifted glances between the two of them. Rey's friends stood silently in the background. From a different console, another operator offered, "Lieutenant, our frigate interceptors have spotted the shuttle and are requesting orders. Should they engage the target?"
Rose seized on this moment to assert her influence. "We need more information, and we won't get it unless we can examine that ship or talk to its occupant. Can we bring the shuttle in remotely?" Rey shivered with pent up urgency, grateful to her friend. She didn't want to appear incautious, but she needed action now. Finn and Poe just looked at Rose. Finn's expression was soft, but Poe still looked irritated by where this was going, though he appeared to have resigned himself to the probable outcome.
The nav operator suggested helpfully, "We can bring it down with a tractor beam, but this is an older Lambda-class Imperial shuttle, and has those stupid wings that come down. I've never tried to remotely operate one of those before, and I won't know if I can get the wings to go up until it's already close to the surface. It could be an awkward landing..."
"I can help you with that," said Rose.
"I'm going to organize a security detail to scour that ship and make sure any threats are neutralized," said Poe. Rey didn't argue with him.
—
Rose had done an excellent job assisting with the handling of the ungainly Imperial shuttle. They were able to get it down upright on the strip outside the hangar. Standing by was a medical team, Poe's security detail, Lieutenant Connix, and Rey and Finn. Rey's heart was beating fast in her chest, knowing that seconds could make the difference between life and death. The door to the shuttle dropped down, and the security detail went in, blasters drawn. After a few seconds, one person ran back to the opening and gestured for the medical team to enter. "No obvious threats, but we have someone badly injured sitting in the pilot's seat, unconscious. He's big. Prepare a gurney to move him or we won't get far."
The medical team scurried inside, and Rey took a step forward, heart in her throat. Rose had come outside and was standing next to Finn, having taken his hand. Moments later, two men from the medical team emerged carrying Kylo Ren. Carefully, they laid him down on the gurney as the others lifted his legs and jerked him into position. They then pulled away, driving the gurney into the hangar towards the medical bay. As they rode past Rey, she couldn't help but take in the state of him. There was blood on his temples, the clothing on his arms and legs was singed and hanging off in places, there were chains dangling from his wrists, and his torso was wet with blood. Rey's mouth went dry. Rose and Finn were watching her with interest, and Rose asked, "Are you alright, Rey?" Poe was watching her too.
Rey subtly extend her hand toward Rose and nodded her head. Rather than follow the medical team inside, she decided she would check out the shuttle first. She knew she couldn't take too long following Ben into the medical bay, but she wanted to make sure she got to see the shuttle before the security team had moved things around too much.
The security detail was busily scanning the outside of the shuttle for any hidden threats, and the woman in charge of overseeing them stopped Rey at the door and cautioned her against entering. "We haven't secured the inside yet—if there are traps or other devices inside, we haven't neutralized them."
"It's okay, I promise not to disturb anything, and I won't take long. I just need a quick look," was all Rey said as she slipped her way inside. She meant it, too—she just needed a cursory scan of the shuttle and its contents.
—
When Rey arrived at the medical bay, the whole place was filled with people. Many were just spectators who had heard a rumor that a First Order ship had landed and assumed this medical emergency was somehow related, but there were at least five doctors or nurses milling around, performing examinations, taking measurements, and preparing equipment. Everything looked very official, but the vibe in the room was weird; she could feel curiosity, confusion, excitement, fear, anger, and detachment all at once. It was clear that when it came to how to feel about what was happening, the crowd was not of one mind. Looking for Ben, she spotted a couple of nurses huddled around an exam table, and upon closer inspection she could see his legs jutting out from between the two nurses. He was lying on the table being examined. The nurses lifted his torso up off the table and proceeded to cut the remains of his shirt away. Rey watched as they tossed the ruined garment aside, next to the broken chains that they had already cut from his wrists. Multiple stab wounds peppered his bloody body, and she had to look away.
She must have made a noise, because people finally seemed to notice her. Finn approached her quickly and said, "Where have you been? I thought you'd be following right behind us into the med bay, but when we got here I looked around and didn't see you."
"I went to check out the shuttle. What's happening here?" Rey asked.
"Well, right now Poe is in talking to the chief doctor, and Rose is just sort of monitoring the crowd of spectators making sure things stay calm. I think word is getting around about who our guest is…"
"I meant what's happening with Ben?"
"Oh, sorry. I'm actually not really sure. After they got him in here they've just sort of been examining him, making sure he wasn't about to die, and getting the bacta tank ready."
Rey was surprised. "He's going into the bacta tank? Why?"
"He has blaster wounds on his back and thighs. Too difficult to stitch up and too big for bacta patches, I guess. The tank will help regenerate the tissue faster," said Finn.
Rey grimaced at this. She looked back to Ben, who had been stripped of more of his clothing and was being moved closer to the bacta tank. More to herself than to Finn, she said, "What happened to him?"
"Someone wasn't very happy with him, clearly," said Finn.
Rey sighed, "Come on, let's see if Poe has learned anything," and she stepped toward the office overlooking the rest of the med bay.
In the office, Poe was having a discussion with the chief medical officer. Both men's faces were creased with concern.
Rey was immediately apprehensive. "What's going on?" she asked.
"We were just discussing the status of our friend there, including the wisdom of our preventing nature from taking its course," said Poe.
Rey gave him a stern look. "Listen, if you were badly injured and hated by the Resistance, why would you decide to show up here anyway? He was in chains, Poe. Don't you think it's possible that maybe the First Order hates him more? Wouldn't you want to find out?" She was getting loud, and people outside the office were looking at her curiously. She took an exasperated breath.
Poe threw up his hands. "Alright fine," he said, frustration evident in his voice, "as soon as that bastard wakes up, you find out. If I have to do it, I might just kill him instead. In fact, I bet half the people in there gawking at him right now are contemplating the same thing. He better have a good reason for being here, because if all he wants is asylum, I don't think he's going to get it."
The doctor seized on a break in the conversation as an opportunity to ask a question of his own. "He's the Supreme Leader, right? How did he even know to come here? I mean, it's not coincidence, right? He knew we were here? How?"
Poe turned to Rey, apparently leaving it up to her to answer that question. Narrowing his eyes at her, he appeared to have realized something. "How did you know he would be injured? You were frantic that he might be dying."
Rey looked at the floor. She wasn't entirely sure where to begin, and even if she was, she wasn't sure she wanted them to know the whole truth anyway. Poe and the doctor held their gaze on her, waiting.
"We have a—connection, sort of. Through the Force…" She looked back up at them, keeping her head angled down. "I had a vision of him dying. Like… I saw him in front of me, bleeding and unconscious. And I knew it wasn't just a dream."
A silence followed that felt interminable. Poe broke it. "Does that mean… he could have been having visions of you, too?" His question was quiet, but then he got significantly louder. "God, Rey, for how long!? Could he have been spying on us this whole time!? I can't believe you wouldn't have told us this sooner!" He was furious with her, completely red-faced.
She held up her arms placatingly. "No, please relax. Whenever we have these visions, we can both see each other, so I would have known if he could see me. This is the first time in years—" she stopped herself from saying any more, but she could tell she was already in trouble.
Poe's eyes grew wide. "This was a thing? That long ago? Rey…" he moved closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He was calmer, but still obviously concerned. "Rey, what is this? I'm so totally confused right now. Is this… connection a good thing or a bad thing? You know I hate him, he's a torturing, murderous bastard. Is this connection good because it means you're in his ear, or bad because it… means he's in yours?"
Rey struggled to decide how far back she wanted to go in her explanation. "Well," she began lamely, "I tried to use it to get him to turn to our side, back before Crait. I failed. Since then we haven't spoken."
For a moment, no one said anything, and tension hung heavy in the air. Steadily, Poe said, "Well, get ready to speak to him now, because as soon as he wakes up I expect answers. Let's leave it there for now. I'll make sure the security detail guarding him knows to let you in," he snapped as he walked out.
Rey didn't move a muscle except to look at the doctor. He looked back for a moment without speaking, then said, "Well, I guess you saved his life then. With those injuries, he certainly would have died if we hadn't gotten to him when we did. It's frankly kind of shocking that he didn't die sooner. Living is a tall order for someone who'd been shot and stabbed that many times. Plus, you know, we almost blew him up..."
Rey offered the doctor a sad smile, then turned and left the office. The medical bay had largely cleared out of people, and Ben was suspended in the bacta tank, naked and covered in injuries. Her sense of modesty stopped her from looking too closely, but she could tell that his back and chest were in horrible shape, and she wasn't sure how he'd managed to walk with both legs shot to bits. There appeared to be other minor cuts and bruises marring his extremities, but evidently, the blood she'd seen on his temple earlier must have originated above his hairline.
Except for the old scar she'd given him, his face showed no injuries. It was just as she remembered it.
