***Author's Note***

Hello, hello! Another chapter for your reading pleasure! Very lemony beginning to this one. Hope you like!

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Ben woke in the middle of the night, uncertain at first why he was awake. He sat up gingerly, wincing slightly at his wounds. He pulled his legs up onto the bed and settled into meditation stance. Sinking into the Force, he sought the disturbance that had woken him. Rey. It was Rey that had woken him. Ben worked his way slowly out of his meditative state and threw his feet over the edge of the bed, standing carefully. Entering the bacta tank room, he found Rey, shirt off, staring at her back. The tanks had not managed to repair the wound to her back without a scar. From her right hip to her left shoulder, there was an angry, jagged, puckered scar. Rey's hands were tracing the scar, a look of sheer horror on her face. "I'm disgusting," he heard her whispering. "He'll never look at me again; how can he?"

Ben walked quietly up to her, understanding in his eyes. Rey's eyes snapped forward and she stared, wide-eyed at Ben. Ben took her gently by the jaw and turned her head so she could see her back in the mirror. Gently, tenderly, he traced her scar with his right hand, feeling the new texture of her skin, and the way the scar seemed nearly as smooth as glass in some places. "Does it hurt?" Ben asked in a whisper. Rey shook her head no. "That's good." Ben took her by the shoulders and slowly turned her so her back was to him. He leaned down to her left shoulder and kissed the scar there, trailing kisses all the way down to her right hip. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her hip. "You could never be anything less than the most beautiful woman in the galaxy," he murmured. Rey stifled a sob. "What can I do, my Light?"

"Touch me. Please, make love to me. Make me forget." Came the broken, whispered reply.

Ben stood and took her carefully in his arms, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at his wound. He carried her into the main medbay and laid her on the bed he'd used. Waving his hand at the door, he made sure it was locked so that they would not be disturbed. Ben slowly removed the underwear she had been wearing in the bacta tank, and lowered himself to taste her warmth. Rey sighed as his tongue entered her, knotting her hands in his hair. Ben lifted his right hand, sliding it deliberately up the scar on her back, and back down again to cup her buttock. Rey arched and moaned softly. Ben stood and removed his clothing slowly while Rey watched him. He felt her need uncurl inside of her, and it awakened his own. There had been so much pain, so much loss, that he needed to forget as badly as she did. Ben put one knee on the bed and gently lifted Rey's left leg to give him a better angle. Slowly, Ben covered her, gazing into her eyes. He searched them for a long moment until he read the assent that was there. Guiding himself smoothly into her entrance, he slid gently into her as he lowered himself to the bed, cradling her gently in his arms. "Rey," he whispered against her neck, as he kissed her softly just below the jawline. Slowly, gently, he worked his hips in a smooth rhythm, being careful not to rush. They savored each touch, each kiss, each movement as they rose slowly. Ben suckled gently on Rey's nipple, tracing the scar on her back. Rey's back arched in response; Ben smiled against her breast. He worked his hips just a bit faster, but being careful to remain gentle. Rey clasped herself to him and buried her face in his thick mane of hair, moaning. He felt her tighten around him, and released his seed into her as they climaxed together. Ben laid them both gently back to the bed, and heard a soft sob come from her. Ben pulled the blankets over them, wrapped her close, and held her as she cried.

A few hours later, they were still laying quietly together, and there came a tap on the door. Ben heard Tyrnia's voice through the door, "I am sorry, but my brother tried to enter, and found the door locked. Is all well?"

"Of course," replied Ben, "Our apologies. We'll be out in a moment." The two of them slipped out of bed and quickly dressed in the robes that had been laid out for them. Ben waved his hand, and the door opened. Rey clasped his hand tightly and pressed herself as tightly into Ben's side as she could. Ben squeezed her hand in response.

"Your mother wishes to see you," Tyrnia said softly. "She has requested of me to lead you to her." She glanced down at Rey, "It is my regret that your back did not heal with no scar."

Rey gave a fragile smile, "I'll be alright, Tyrnia. Thank you." Tyrnia set off at a brisk pace, and Ben follow quickly after. Rey was fascinated by the way Tagorians moved; it was like they were constantly on the verge of violence. She thought they were beautiful creatures, but terrifying.

Tyrnia led them to a large anti-chamber, Rey still clinging uncertainly to Ben's arm. They saw many familiar faces milling about; many were sporting new scars, especially the surviving Force-Users that had been on D'Qar. Ben made straight for his mother.

"Mother. I wanted to ask; Captain Morris...Did he..."

"I'm here, Sir. Thank you for your concern." The Captain now used a cane to walk, and had an eye patch over his left eye. "The cane is temporary; the eye patch, however..." He sighed forlornly. "Well, I suppose I can't complain. At least I can still see. I would like to speak with you privately, Sir, when you have a moment."

"Of course, Captain. I will come find you when I can spare a moment." Ben sighed in relief. "Now. What was it that you needed to see us about, Mother?"

Leia glanced around and gestured for Rey and Ben to follow; Like trailed after them. Ben hadn't even noticed him lurking in the background. Leia looped one arm through her brother's and the other through her son's. The four of them walked in silence for quite some time, enjoying the peaceful moment, until Leia glanced at her brother and sighed.

"Luke and I were discussing something this morning; we need answers, and I think Ben is uniquely suited to be able to get us those answers."

Ben's lips pressed into a thin line, and Rey gasped as she realized just what it was that Leia meant. "No. No way. You're not using Ben like that! I won't let you." Ben stopped suddenly, pulling Rey to a halt.

"Rey," he said quietly, "She's my twin. If anyone can still reach her, I can. Failing that, I will get all the information from her that I can. I would rather my vision not come true. If there is anything at all that I can do to avoid it, I will do it gladly. What do you need of me?"

Luke nodded in satisfaction. "You need to seek her out through the Force, and have a conversation with her, just like when you were at the academy. I know this is difficult for both of you, but it must be done. There may yet be time to return Padme to the Light, if we act quickly, while she is still vulnerable."

Ben nodded, "Very well, Uncle. I will do all I can."

Leia cleared her throat, "Now, there is also the matter of our severely depleted forces. The battle of D'Qar cost us one-third of the brave souls that chose to stay, which is a large chunk of our fighting force. The loss of Force-Sensitives alone is devastating to us. We need to find a way to recruit. I thought perhaps we could use the smuggling trade to spread stories; cause sympathy for the Resistance. Perhaps let it out who Ren really is? Then, I had another thought, but I'm not sure how the two of you will react." Leia looked distinctly nervous. "It might help to solve two distinct problems. First, the recruiting problem, but more importantly, the morale problem."

"Okay, Mother. What's this brilliant idea of yours?" His mother shifted uncomfortably. It crossed Ben's mind that he had never seen his mother quite so nervous. I have a bad feeling about this, he thought.

"Well, I thought a wedding might help." Leia said quietly. Ben blanched, Rey blushed. "Just listen. A declaration of love would improve morale immeasurably; not to mention the celebration thereof. It would also send a message. We are not afraid. We will not be bullied, and we are not going to stop living, just because Ren says we should. It is the ultimate act of defiance, of strength. Just think about it. Please?"

"I think they're both wonderful ideas, Leia," Luke put in, grinning wickedly.

Ben shot a glare at his Uncle. "No. Not on this planet or any other. Not in any lifetime I may..." Rey shifted. "Do you have something to add, my Light?"

Rey looked shyly up at Ben. "Well, I sort of think it's a good idea. And I could use some joy right now. Plus, it would give everyone something to do, and something else to talk about. Right now, all anyone can talk about is the loss of D'Qar." Ben's defense utterly crumbled.

"Is this really what you want, my love?" Rey nodded. Ben smiled, "Alright, then. We agree. We'll leave the preparations to you, Mother."

Just then, Tryga came rushing towards them with a vicious, feline grace that left all who saw it glad he was not their enemy. "Come. This you must see," he said gruffly. He ran off, leaving Luke, Leia, Rey, and Ben to hurry after him as best they could, as half of them were still nursing battle wounds. They finally caught up to him, and found him waiting for them at the landing pads; it was towards these he was pointing.

What looked like a small fleet of shuttles was jockeying for somewhere to land. About a half-dozen had landed already, and it looked like there were at least another fifteen; not to mention the transport ships they could see entering the atmosphere and heading for the larger landing pads. Leia's mouth popped into a silent "O" of surprise. "Well, I take it we're not under attack. Tryga, who are all these people?"

Tryga shrugged, "Refugees. Ren has been attacking with no warning. These have fled. They are wishing to join the Resistance, I believe. No longer do they have homes, so home is what they are seeking. This, I understand."

Leia turned to Rey and Ben, "We'll go over everything we discussed again later. Right now, I need to sort this mess out." With that, the General turned on her heel and waded into the crush of bodies, looking for someone in charge. Ben didn't envy that person when she did find them.

Ben chuckled quietly to himself. "Well, Uncle, I suppose we should get started."

"Agreed," said Luke. Together, they began to make their way back to Luke's quarters. "Rey, you may need to pull him back. Padme has always been like gravity to Ben. You may need to remind him why he needs to return to himself."
Rey nodded. "I understand. I know this needs to be done, but I don't like it."

Ben sighed, and pulled Rey closer, "Neither do I. Seeking out my sister's darkness is the last thing I want to do. But, as you said, it must be done." They entered Luke's chambers and sat in a triangle. The three of them sank into the Force, and Ben reached, seeking his twin.

Everything was white; Ben could see and feel nothing.

"I've been expecting you, brother."

"I know. I'm here to talk, Padme."

Ben sensed her impatience, "Padme Solo is dead. I am Master Ren."

Suddenly, the stark whiteness faded, and Ben recognized the setting of the vision that had haunted him his entire life. His twin sat across from him, in her midnight robes, while Ben sat in his gray ones. Ben shook his head sadly, "You and I know that's not true. If that were the case, I would not have been able to reach you. Mother sent me. She hopes that you are well."

Padme let out a mad giggle, "So, here we come to it, then. The truth of why you are here. Please, continue. I want to hear you beg."

Ben frowned. "Padme, we miss you. We want you back. Iwant you back. I miss my twin." Ben stood and took a confident step forward, hand outstretched. "Take my hand, Padme. Come home to us."

"And, just where would 'home' be these days?"

Ben felt her reach for his mind as she attempted to push further in; he pushed back. "No, Padme. That's not why I'm here. I'm here to bring you home."

"That's not going to happen, and you know it." Padme smiled at him, and there was little sanity left in her eyes.

Ben shuddered, "What happened to you? How did you fall so far?"

Padme's eyes widened with insane amusement as she giggled again, "Don't you know? Haven't you guessed? Oh, what a wonderful game we have here," she lurched to her feet and began to pace like a caged animal. "Think, Ben. Think very, very hard about what may have driven me to this. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Ben thought, and searched his memories. And yet, he could not pinpoint the moment where he thought she had begun to turn.

Padme sighed in frustration. "It was you! It was alwaysyou!" Ben backed away, shaking his head. "Oh, yes, 'beloved' twin. Ever since that night that we first had that vision, I sought ways to keep it from happening. I wanted to save you from that fate. And then the thought came to me, I was so worried about you that I hadn't even begun to consider myself. When that fool of an Uncle of ours took us to the Academy to be trained, I knew I had an opportunity to find a solution. I listened to every word regarding premonitions. I quickly became an expert. When I was finally old enough to gain unlimited access to the Archives, I garnered the help of the old Archivist. Good old Snoke. He was so trusting." Padme grinned her mad grin, "He thought I was so innocent. But even then, it had begun. It was difficult to hide from Luke, but even harder to hide from you. So, I began to push my darkness into you; it was so very convenient. It allowed me to throw him off the scent, and you were so consumed with rage that you had little time to notice anything. I grew obsessed; I had convinced myself that I really was trying to save you. But as time went on and I spent more and more time away from you, closed up in the Archives, I began to see that what I really wanted was to be freeof you. You were always the one they wanted. You were the brilliant one. You were the one that was so highly praised. I was just the quiet one. The extra one. The one nobody expected, nobody wanted. I grew to hateyou, and still I loved you. I knew it had to end. I found that if I tried, I could take over minds. I started it with you. You were always the easiest to control. Force Persuasion has its limits, but not this. This could not be fought. It was like a poison in the blood. You had no choice but to succumb. I relished in it. I began to invade Snoke's mind; I twisted it with great ease. For such an old man, he wasn't very wise. I ordered him to lead me ever further into the Archives, into older and darker knowledge, until at last, I found it. What I had been looking for, without ever knowing what I had been seeking. I found a way to rid myself of you, of your destiny. The Sith were the way. I found that, in order to gain the abilities of the Sith, I had to sacrifice the thing that was most important to me. That, of course, was you. Our Force Bond. It was always...crucial...to me. So, I came up with a plan. I had Snoke take me off-planet, and pushed the vision towards you. I knew you would see, so we put on a nice little show for you. I even let him cut off my arm." Padme wiggled her right hand. "Then, I had him run his light-saber through my chest. At just the right moment, I severed our connection, or at least I thought I had. Perhaps I only damaged it. Hmm. It matters little now. It served its purpose. I was free of you. It pulled you into the darkness with me, though, which was unexpected. I found you very useful, however. For instance, I was able to kill our father through you. That, I enjoyed immensely. Sadly, you turned on me. For some little...scavenger...Your pet. She makes me sick. Both of you do. I willhave her head on a stake, and youwill put it there. You will return to me, and complete your training. Stay, my twin. I know you want to."

Something was wrong. Who was he? Where was he? This wasn't right, was it? He was falling, drowning in Padme's will, sliding again into darkness from which there would be no second escape.

"Come back to me," came the call. "Come home now, Ben. You've done all you can. Take my hand, my love." Ben looked up to see Rey holding her hand out to him.

"No," snarled Padme. "He's mine! Leave him!"

Ben shuddered as he looked into Rey's eyes. He could feel the darkness creeping into his veins; it waslike a poison. He stared pleadingly at Rey, and then back at Padme. For a moment, his resolve wavered. Finally, with a tortured cry, he wrenched his gaze away from his beloved twin, and grabbed on to Rey's hand like it was a lifeline.

Ben jerked awake to find his head in Rey's lap, and tears soaking into his robes. "Padme," he groaned.

"I know, my love. I'm so sorry. Tryga had some quarters set up for us. Come; we should both rest."

Ben nodded numbly and let Rey lead him back to their new room. He did not argue as she stripped him bare and laid him gently in the bed before she stripped bare, herself, and climbed in beside him. She pulled Ben's head into her chest just as he began to weep, heartbroken. They remained in that position until, exhausted, they fell at last into a dreamless sleep.

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***Author's Note***

Okay, so obviously a very plot-heavy chapter. But what is to come? Muahahahaha. You'll just have to tune in tomorrow, hahaha. Hope you enjoyed it; as ever, let me know in the reviews what you thought, and thanks for reading!