Ben took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was sure to come. As soon as they disembarked, the soldiers were there to surround them. But they had come prepared to apprehend Rey—not the former Supreme Leader of the First Order. He saw them exchange frightened glances, sensed their dread and dismay. But Poe Dameron, the Resistance pilot turned general, stared at him in stunned silence. His dark eyes were wide—first with shock, then with anger.

"Surrender your weapons," he managed finally, "or we will open fire."

"Poe—" Rey began, taking a furious step toward him.

"Now!" he interrupted sternly.

"Rey…" Ben reached out and grasped her arm, causing her to glance back at him. With his other hand, he unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, and his eyes implored her to do the same.

Reluctantly, she followed his example, and his gaze shifted back to Dameron. The rebel's blaster was still aimed at his chest.

"Drop them on the ground," he ordered, "and put your hands behind your head."

They did as they were told, but Rey's glaring gaze never left Poe's face.

He nodded to his comrades. "Arrest them."

Ben remained perfectly still as four rebel soldiers advanced, but his gaze followed them as two circled behind him. Suddenly, a sharp kick drove him to his knees, and he grimaced as a pair of cuffs were roughly clamped around his wrists.

"Leave him alone!" Rey snapped, remaining on her feet while the other two rebels slapped cuffs on her. "I wouldn't have made it here without him!"

"Yeah," said Poe as one of his men handed him their lightsabers, "that's what I'm afraid of."

"Where are you taking us?" she demanded.

"To the queen. She's requested to speak with you personally."

The soldiers reached down to haul Ben to his feet, but he shrugged them off and stood of his own accord. Then they shoved him forward, and he walked beside Rey as Poe and the queen's security forces led them from the hangar and into the palace.

HHHHHHHHHH

Ben had seen few places during his life that rivaled the majestic beauty of Chandrila, but Naboo was one of them. He had only been able to afford a quick glance at its peaceful countryside as they landed, but now he was being given an extended opportunity to admire the splendor of Theed Palace firsthand. Gray marble floors and grand halls lined with towering columns and windows. Rich velvet curtains dyed the deepest and most vibrant shade of scarlet. Monumental statues bathed in golden morning light.

For a brief time, he nearly forgot that he was a prisoner. But then they finally stopped in front of a pair of sealed doors, and Poe turned to face him.

"Try anything," he warned, "and it'll be the last move you ever make."

Ben said nothing in reply, and Rey shifted irritably as one of the security officers entered a code into a nearby access panel. The doors hissed open, and they marched inside, Ben feeling the ever-present nozzle of a blaster pressing into his back. The chamber beyond was bright and open, having a high, vaulted ceiling and an enormous arched window that lay directly ahead of them. He blinked and squinted, temporarily blinded by the intense sunlight pouring through and washing over him. As he carefully climbed the steps of a wide staircase, his eyes began to adjust, and by the time he reached the top, the rest of the room was slowly coming into focus.

Seated behind a substantial desk was the queen herself, and she was flanked by two handmaidens who sat in chairs on her left and her right. Vashti's face was painted according to the tradition of the Naboo royalty, her gleaming copper locks twisted up and around a golden headdress. Ben noted that her features were young but solemn and wise beyond her years. And though she was clearly stunned to see him walking into her throne room, he perceived no threat from her.

"Finn! Rose! You made it!"

Rey's relieved exclamation caused him to look to his right. Standing amongst more of the queen's guards, he saw the former stormtrooper—FN-2187. The traitor.

An old grudge reawakened inside him, his bound hands balling into fists behind his back.

"Rey, what is he doing here?"

Finn was obviously shaken, and Ben saw the woman next to him take hold of his arm.

"He's come to help us," Rey replied, her eyes wide with urgency as they begged not just him—but everyone in the room—to believe her.

"Has he?" Poe challenged. "Or has he used you to infiltrate our ranks and destroy us from the inside?"

"That's not true!" she protested, her voice rising. "You saw the evidence. I saw it on Chandrila. He was changing things for the better—that's why the First Order cast him out!"

"But it could all be a ruse, Rey! That's what you're not getting."

"I understand perfectly well what you're implying," she shot back. "I just don't believe it."

"Oh?" Dameron took a step toward her, causing Ben's muscles to tense. "And how do we know that we can believe you? When we know that you've been conspiring with him since Snoke's death—if not before?"

"You should thank us," she retorted. "We did what you never could."

Poe flinched, his jaw clenching as he drew back and placed his hands on his hips. Rey's eyes fearlessly burned, the slightest of twitches tugging at the corners of her mouth. Ben felt a ripple of satisfaction run through her as she realized that she had successfully wounded the general's pride.

"Enough—please."

The entire room fell silent at the sound of Vashti's composed interjection.

"Let us discuss this matter civilly, or not at all."

Poe glanced back at her, then swallowed and appeared to be ashamed of himself. "Sorry, Your Majesty."

Rey took a deep breath and shifted her gaze to the queen.

"Shortly after you departed for the hangar, General Dameron, I was contacted by Supreme Leader Hux," Vashti said. "He has offered to come to the palace to personally engage in negotiations between the First Order and the Rebellion. He claims to desire an end to this conflict."

Poe shook his head and turned to face her. "With all due respect, Your Highness, it's not much of a negotiation with a dreadnought sitting on our doorstep."

"The dreadnought cannot penetrate our shields," she countered calmly. "For now, we are at a stalemate."

"If there's one thing I know about Hux," Ben intervened before he could stop himself, "it's that he never negotiates."

"My apologies," the queen replied, addressing him for the first time. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced, Kylo Ren."

"My name is Ben Solo," he corrected, politely but assertively. "Son of Han Solo and Leia Organa."

"So it's true then," she mused, making no attempt to disguise the wonder in her voice.

He paused and considered his next words carefully, knowing that if he was going to convince her of the sincerity of his intentions, now was his chance.

"Thirty years ago," he began earnestly, "my mother helped drive the Empire from your planet. She fought to free your people from tyranny and oppression, and I will do the same. I acknowledge that the crimes I've committed are inexcusable, but if you'll allow me, I will atone for them by ending the ruthless regime I once served."

"How dare you?" Poe burst, unable to contain himself any longer. "How dare you come here, to one of the last democratic strongholds in the entire galaxy, and claim that you care about sovereignty? That you care about the people who are suffering?"

Ben clenched his jaw and raised his chin as Dameron stormed toward him, jabbing his finger at his face.

"You've murdered thousands! You—you've murdered my friends! The father that you claim to be so proud of? You killed him too, like the coward that you are!"

It took all of Ben's willpower not to strangle him where he stood, or crush him against the nearest column, or better yet—no. He couldn't give in to his hatred—not anymore.

"General!"

Poe turned sharply on his heel. The queen had risen from her throne, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"If you cannot control yourself, I will have you escorted out of this room. Do you understand?"

The rebel's hands were balled into fists at his sides, his entire body trembling with anger. But finally, he nodded and hung his head, turning his back on Ben and walking away. Vashti inhaled slowly and deeply, and Ben saw her frustration melting away as she exhaled. Her shoulders relaxed, and she met his gaze once more.

"If your offer is indeed genuine, then it is admirable. But as I have stated before, I will avoid violent confrontation if at all possible. Therefore, it is my belief that we should agree to meet with the First Order's representatives, here within the walls of the palace."

"What if the negotiations fall through?" Rey inquired. "What if it's a trap?"

"Then we will have them surrounded," the queen answered with a clever gleam in her eyes, "and we will hold their Supreme Leader hostage until they agree to disband their blockade and leave this planet in peace."

Ben sighed. It wasn't a perfect plan. There were a lot of ways it could go wrong, but at this point, they didn't have many options left. The blockade needed to be dealt with, and even with the aid of the Resistance, the queen's forces would be no match for the military might of the First Order. As much as he hated to admit it, Vashti was right.

They had no choice.