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Chapter 13
Ben woke up confused. There were alarms sounding. Rey was by his side. She came to him once more. He could not deny the fact that he slept easier with her by his side.
She was alert as well. They dressed quickly.
The corridors were filled with people. Rey wore her usual get up and it was easier to pretend they had just seen each other.
Ben saw his dad come from his quarters. "Grab your things, we are leaving the planet, Imperial troops are coming this way. Meet me in the shipyards." His father ran in that direction.
Ben looked at Rey. "Go get your things meet me by the Falcon."
"But my assignment is not there. I am to leave with the C group." Rey said carefully.
Ben frowned, "That is a mistake you are my apprentice, you go wherever I go and I am going in the Falcon. Get a move on." He said quickly.
Rey nodded and smiled gently. "I have to find Poe and Finn."
"Go." Ben entered his quarters and grabbed the canvas bag. The resistance was always on the move. The first thing that they told him was to have all his things ready.
Ben put his things and tapes in the bag and then ran to the shipyards. "We have to go now." His mother said.
Rey was by his side. "Poe is in a ship. The Tie fighters are in orbit. We cannot leave yet." She said.
His mother sighed. "They have us locked in place."
Ben ushered her into the Falcon, his father sat by uncle Chewie. "They have us locked. The moment that we go up they will fire." His father echoed.
"Hux needs to see me." Ben replied.
"What are you thinking of doing?" His father asked.
"I will pilot one of the RZ-2 A-wing fighters." Ben answered quickly. "I will send a message to Hux. He will make it his priority to capture me. You will then have time to fight off the TIEs and leave.
His mother looked anxious. "I will come back. I swear." He addressed his mother but he hoped Rey understood too. She had to stay back. The girl understood. Ben nodded at her. "Be safe."
He felt his mother's signature and looked at her. The woman gave him an image of a faraway planet. Ben knew it was an abandoned rebel base, a green planet. It would be safe for a couple of months until the First Order found them again.
Ben rushed out and sat on the wing fighter. He would have to start firing at soon as he took off. The rest of the fighters would follow. Ben sent a transmission to Hux' ship.
"Hux, you have my full attention."
It was enough. Ben had at least three TIEs on his tail. The man dodged and fired as quickly as he could. The rest of the fighters followed and defended him.
Ben destroyed the majority of the fleet by himself. He maneuvered around the First Order fighters and managed to give the resistance ships time to leave off orbit. Hux fired at him and took out three of the wing fighters. He managed to damage Ben's fighter too. Hux had to retreat, another RZ-2 A Wing damaged his ship. Ben could see the smaller escape pods orbiting away. He set the course for the escape pod and hoped that it would be a smooth ride.
It was not; Hux had been punished harshly. Snoke was angry, vexed that Hux failed to capture the resistance ships and that Ben Solo had run away once more.
Ben's splitting headache persisted for hours. There was no music, no room to move and exercise. There was nothing but pain and the constant need to puke. Snoke was not inside his head. Ben would not let him but there was that horrifying physical sickness in his head. He endured but eventually had to puke. There was nothing dignified about the smell or the fact that he puked three times before he landed on the green planet.
He kicked the pod door open when it got stuck. Ben saw his mother rush to him. He needed to sleep and eat. He needed something to alleviate his headache.
His mother tried to get near him. "Don't." He shook his head and reached to her with the force. He smelled and needed to be by himself.
"Walk with me. I will show you our quarters." Leia walked ahead of him.
Ben looked around. There were injured pilots and people around the beach. This was a small green planet with blue sands. Ben had no idea where they were. "Which System is this?"
"Grabana." His mother said.
"Where is dad?" Ben asked as they reached a very small camp of old buildings.
"He is in the Falcon with Rey looking for you." Leia replied as they entered the apartments.
His mother sighed, "Your father was worried sick. He does not listen and your apprentice was just as concerned. It was as if she knew you were in danger. She was convinced you were captured."
"Send a message to the Falcon. I am safe and sound." Ben wanted to remove his soiled clothes and shower. He wanted to sleep for a while.
Leia opened the door. It was a small apartment. "There is not as much space as we had in the other base. You will have to bunk with us." She said and handed him some clothes.
"Go shower." She said and pointed him to the fresher. "Your bedroom is down the hall."
Ben nodded and closed the door. He peeled off his soiled garments and entered the small shower. He let the water rinse away his fatigue. His headache receded some after the cold water hit his head. He concentrated on Rey. "I am back, turn the ship around. I am back." He thought.
He tried for five minutes before he felt her pink signature. "You're hurt." She whispered.
"No." He said, "the usual. Are you far?"
Rey remained quiet. "I cannot see you." He said. "You have to tell me."
"Not that far. I will tell your father to turn the Falcon. I did not tell them about the link. It felt strange." She said a shy voice.
Ben smiled and wiped his face with the towel. "I am glad you kept that to yourself."
The link was closed. Ben put on sweats and a white t-shirt. He went to his new room and hid under the covers. He meditated but the pain was there. He needed the songs; his mother came in a small sound system.
"Your father insisted on having a backup in our old quarters. I am glad he did." She turned on the system. Ben thanked her and concentrated on the lyrics. Sleep. He needed sleep.
Leia came by his side and kissed his forehead. "I wish you would let me help you. This cannot go on like this Bennie." She said carded her fingers over his hair.
Ben frowned, "you are doing enough." He said and moved to the side so she could sit by his side. Ben placed his head on her lap and let her caress his hair. She sang along a song. He felt ridiculous for about a second. He was a grown up, a thirty-year-old man, a killer and yet his mother sang him to sleep. It was pathetic. He felt pathetic. His mother soothed his brow. "You will always be my darling Bennie."
"When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
Oh, I hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I will never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong
I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue
And I'd go crawling down the avenue
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love
The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of this Earth for you
To make you feel my love, oh yes
To make you feel my love."
He rested easy. His mother's voice made him feel sleepy. He was exhausted and concentrated on sleeping and shutting out the world of noise. The man felt comforted; he inhaled lavender and an old smell. It was his mother's perfume; it was home. Ben felt like he was at home.
He woke up hours later to his parents' soft voices. He could hear them outside of his door.
"He's sleeping. Yes, he came back as soon as you left. It' only been five hours. Not yet, let him sleep." His mother said.
Ben sat up. He felt confused and then remembered the past day and a half. He wanted to know where Rey was. Ben walked out of his door and into the tiny living room. "I thought we lost you again." His father said as he hugged him.
"I am fine dad." He said and sat on a chair.
"What is the plan?" He asked his mother who looked tired. He was dying to know where Rey was.
It was his father's turn to speak. "They will not track us here, not for another few weeks but this is the end of the line."
His mother looked weary. "Snoke has control over the Galaxy. The First Order's oppression has expanded out of the core to some planets in the outer rim. The council expects us to take hide and fight undercover." She stated with a defeated voice.
Ben rubbed his face. "How long until everyone takes their assignments?"
"As soon as we take stock of how many were lost and rearrange the rosters." His mother finished.
"I see." He looked at them and understood. They wanted him and Skywalker to end it. It was their plan all along. His mother held out hope that she would have her family once again. That it would be like last time. Luke, her and Han with the added bonus of her child, they would fight and be victorious against the dark side.
His father looked more hesitant. Han Solo understood that the relationship with Skywalker was forever damaged.
"What will my assignment be?" He asked after some time.
"You will stay here at the base and train Rey." His mother said primly. Her hope was still very strong. She was stalling until Skywalker came back and joined the fight. Ben would not disabuse her of the notion. He would bid his time until it was time.
"Fine." He said and then changed the subject to their living conditions.
"It is the best that we have, short of living in the Falcon." His mother frowned.
Ben was keenly aware of the close proximity they would live in. It would be nightmarish. He tried to console himself with the idea that his parents would be busy all day. He retired to his room and opened the link to Rey.
She was in bed, wide awake and smiled at him. They were both lying down. "I want to see you." He said softly. She nodded and walked up to his bed. She was by his side in not time.
She cuddled to his chest and sighed. "The General said that we would keep on training."
"We are. She hopes that Skywalker will return and fight Snoke. She thinks that my uncle and I could end it." He said calmly.
Rey frowned. "What do you think?"
"That I will have to face my old master and so will you Rey. We could end it." Ben said with conviction.
Rey nodded, "So we train."
"We train." He replied with a serious face.