Padme walked in the meadow, searching for Ben. Kylo fought hard not to fall asleep, but he was exhausted from the torture he was put through. One minute, he was lying on the cot. The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree.
Padme saw Ben, and immediately rushed over to him. Kylo would have used Force push to keep her away, but he was drained. He did not even have the strength to stand up and run away from her.
"You shouldn't have come," he gasped, as she knelt next to him. Padme took Ben's hand, and looked him in the eyes. They were so dark, so full of regret.
"Ben, I'm here for you, as long as you need me," Padme told him, touching the side of his face. Hearing the same words he spoke to her three months earlier broke Kylo. She hugged him, and it was his turn to sob uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry!" he kept saying repeatedly. Kylo hated that he was with the First Order, forced to reveal Rebel bases to keep Padme safe from General Hux.
"Tell me what happened," Padme begged him, as she broke the embrace.
"I can't. I'm too ashamed," Kylo replied.
"Ben, please don't keep this a secret from me. I felt them strip you and beat you up. I felt the needles go into your body, and your fury at Hux."
"Oh Maker!" Kylo cried out in guilt. Padme had felt every part of the torture he went through.
"Please tell me what happened. I won't hate you, Ben."
Padme revealed Kylo's biggest worry. He was afraid she would hate him for what he had done. He did not want to tell her, but he knew she would not give up asking.
"I chased a couple of Stormtroopers from a young Twilek boy. Then a legion of them came. I used the Force to kill them. I went back to where I was staying, packed my bag and left. But I was cornered, and they captured me," he began to explain.
"They stripped me naked and took turns beating me up. Then I was taken to an interrogation room. I was restrained to an inclined apparatus. Then General Hux came in." Padme squeezed Kylo's hand in support.
"He stuck a needle in me. It had some sort of truth serum in it. Every time I lied, shocks went through my body." He bowed his head in shame. Padme took her hand and lifted his head to face her.
"He asked me personal questions. He knows things that I haven't even told you. And now..." Kylo paused, overwhelmed with grief.
"Now what?" Padme asked, doing her best to remain calm.
"Now he knows, Padme. I didn't want to tell him. But he stuck another needle in me. The shocks kept getting stronger. Hux asked me for the name of the person I love. I told him there was no one, but I was shocked with every denial."
"You need to cut off the Force bond," Kylo pleaded with her.
"No," Padme responded firmly.
"Please, Padme. I don't want to lose you!"
"You won't lose me. And I am not cutting off the Force bond. Ben, why did he asked that question?"
"Because he is blackmailing me. He said that if I didn't reveal the bases, he would..." Kylo stopped, trying to get the words out. "He would find you..."
"Rape and kill me," Padme said, finishing his statement. He covered his face and wept.
"I'm so sorry, Padme. I had no choice. If anything happens to you..."
"Ben," she whispered, removing his hands so that she could see his face. "It will be all right."
"How can you say that? Hux knows who you are. Padme, if he hurts you, I will never forgive myself."
"You were forced to make a difficult choice. I understand, Ben. More than you know." Padme remembered how she almost joined Vader on the Dark side to protect her family.
"How? I don't even understand myself. Now, in order to protect you, I have to reveal Rebel bases. This is not fair!"
"I know," she sweetly said, as she stroked his hair. "Tell me where you are, Ben. We will come rescue you."
"No. If you try to rescue me, Hux will know that the Rebels know about me. Then he will come and find you. I'm a dead man, Padme. Either Hux will kill me, or the Rebels will kill me once they find out what I have done."
"Please let us try."
"No. If I am condemned to die, so be it. But you need to live, and not join this fight against Hux and the Order."
"I will be fine. I have been taking lightsaber combat lessons from Luke Skywalker."
Hearing Luke's name made Kylo want to vomit, if he had the strength to do so.
"Please don't go and fight them. I can't lose you..." Kylo pleaded with her.
"Ssh," she whispered, wiping his tears away. Padme smiled at him. He was confused. How could she smile at a time like this?
She knew his thought. Padme moved closer to Kylo, so that her knees were on either side of him. She leaned closer to him.
"I am smiling at the man who loves me," Padme explained, her face glowing. Kylo gave a puzzled look.
"You said Hux asked you for the name of the one you love. You gave him my name," she added, reminding Kylo of his own words.
He managed to smile back at her. He loved Padme, with everything he had. That was why he was doing this, to protect her.
"I did. I love you, Padme," Kylo confessed. "I am sorry, about everything. I will understand if you hate me..."
She placed a finger on his lips to silence him. Then she said the words Kylo had been longing to hear.
"I love you too, Ben." She leaned in and kissed him. It felt good to have Ben's lips on hers.
They began to kiss passionately. Kylo was still weak. So it was Padme who caressed his arms, stroked his hair and touched his cheek. He was definitely enjoying her touching him.
"I'm glad I'm pleasing you," she whispered, her own desire for Ben stirred within her.
"I wish I was strong enough..." Padme silenced Kylo with a kiss.
" I know," she replied wistfully. "If I was only there with you..."
"Why? Then you would be in danger!"
"But we would be together, and we... we would be able to make love." Kylo groaned in pleasure when she said this.
"Ben, hold on for me until that day. I promise, I will find a way to rescue you. Then I will be yours, and you will be mine." Padme laid her head on Ben's chest. He was finally able to wrap his arms around her.
"I will hold on, for you. When this war is over, I will take you to your favorite planet, and we will become lovers," Kylo promised her.
"I like the sound of that." Padme wished that this moment with Ben would not end.
Kylo was correct about the Rebel base being on Sullust. The First Order attacked quickly, and captured the base. It did not take long for Sullust to fall under their control. Once the planet was under his control, Hux demanded Kylo to tell him where the next Rebel base was.
Knowing that Ben was forced to work for the First Order made Padme more determined to join the fight against them. She had wanted to help to protect the galaxy before, but now... Now it was personal. Hux was using a Force Sensitive, the man she loved. It was one thing to want to join the Order. But to be forced into it... It went against everything that she and her family stood for. Since Hux was using Ben for his evil intentions, it was time for the Rebellion to counteract with a Force user of their own. It was time for Padme to walk into her destiny.
