A/N: Thank you again for your lovely reviews, everyone! I truly do appreciate them. As thanks, here's another early chapter;D

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Ben was left standing alone in his quarters on the Finalizer. But just moments before, she had been standing right there. So close and yet—just out of reach.

Their connection had returned. After a year of silence, it was back—like it had never left. What had caused it? It was not something of his making, for he had never chosen to relinquish it in the first place. Quite the opposite, in fact. He had clung to their bond—clung to her—with a tightly clenched fist.

But she had let go.

She had abandoned him in his darkest hour. When he needed her most. When his own brokenness had driven him to his knees. When he had nothing left but her.

He had slain his master for her—was willing to let it all burn for her. And what had she given him in return? Betrayal. Just like his parents. Just like his uncle. Why he had expected anything different, he did not know.

But despite all of that, despite the fact that she had slammed the door of that battered old freighter in his face, she still cared for him. He could see and feel that much. But she wanted him to be someone he was not. She was looking for a hero, a servant of the light, a loyal follower of the Resistance and of the Jedi teachings.

But he was none of those things. And that caused doubt to gnaw at him. Did she only see him as a lost cause she was meant to save? Something that was broken and needed fixing? Was it all just a game to her, a ploy to gain a valuable asset?

Was he a weapon in her eyes? A tool to be used? That was how Snoke had seen him. That was how Luke had treated him.

Did she really care about him? Just him, and only him? Was it even possible for her to do so? Or was he always going to be viewed as nothing more than a vessel of the mighty Skywalker bloodline?

Rey…

Why did it have to be her? Why was she all that was left of that ancient and misguided order? It was a cruel irony, a terrible fate. That he, the Jedi Killer, could not bring himself to eliminate the last Jedi.

Perhaps there was a way… A way to end the war without further bloodshed. Perhaps they could be made to surrender. If the remainder of those systems who still resisted were brought under his control, the Rebellion would have no choice. But his rule need not be one of violence of terror. What he desired was order and, eventually, peace.

If he could change the First Order from within and subvert the ideology propagated by Snoke and other leaders like Hux, it might prove possible to remove the taint from its name. A new order could be brought to the galaxy.

But he would be embarking on this endeavor alone. For as long as both he and she refused to compromise on their ideas of what was best for the galaxy, they would remain separated.

Walking over to the small viewport embedded in the far wall, Ben looked out upon the vast labyrinth of space. Trillions of stars and planets all joined together by a single, invisible web. When he closed his eyes and reached out, he could feel them. At first, they were like an infinitely intricate network of electrical impulses, varying in frequency, wavelength, and intensity.

But then he honed his focus further. Innumerable presences revealed themselves—humans, aliens, creatures, even plants—all generating and sustaining the Living Force. He sifted through them, seeking one in particular. If he could just have one more glimpse…

There! A vibration, faint and subtle. It might have been easy to miss if he had not committed every aspect of it to memory. He ventured closer, not bothering to conceal the yearning and aching of his dark and lonely soul.

The Force flared, fiercely and suddenly, and the tiny pinprick became a beacon of light that pierced the void and streaked toward him. It was eager and unafraid, and in that moment, he realized that she had been searching for him too.

Rey…

His lips formed her name with reverence, but no sound emerged. He found himself tempted to reach out physically, though he knew that it would be in vain. So instead, he remained still and silent, savoring the warmth that crossed time and space to embrace him.

"You're not alone."

"Neither are you."

They had said those words to each other once, but now they were no longer necessary. The feeling that was passing between them now was beyond words, powerful and profound. Overwhelming but soothing. Wild but tame. Chaotic but…

Balanced.

He never wanted to let her go. But after some time, her presence wavered. Something was drawing her away, distracting her focus. She started to fade.

"No," he whispered with quiet desperation.

Her light was flickering, dimming, fleeing. He chased it. It was not enough—never enough. One last pulse radiated outward, washing over him and reassuring him of her return.

And then there was darkness.

Ben opened his eyes, feeling as if a part of him was missing. But for a moment, just a moment, he had been whole. He was breathing hard, sweat beading on his brow from the effort of finding her.

His return to reality was a cold and harsh one, his chambers black and empty. But now his purpose was clear, his decision made. There was another way to end this conflict, and he was going to do it. This must be what the Force had willed for him all along. As the last of the Skywalker lineage, it was his destiny to burn down the old structures, the old paradigms, and begin anew with his own way. A better way. With the First Order serving as his tool by which to implement it.

There was much to do, and he looked forward to giving Hux the first of many future commands which were sure to cause him the utmost levels of distress and horror.