Thank you to everyone who's followed and faved the story! It helps me write faster knowing that there are people out there reading my work. Seriously, thank you! And I just want to remind all of you that I incorporate things from TFA novelization, so if you have not read it, some things might not make sense. Now, with that being said, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Fourteen
Ren walked into the lounge, quickly realizing he still didn't have a shirt on. Feeling exposed, he was about to return to the living quarters when his eyes locked onto something across the lounge table. He ambled forward, his footfalls sounding off in the empty space.
It was tracking devices.
The metal hardware was small, the quality of the material extremely high tech and reliable. There were seven in total, which seemed overzealous given how two or three would have been more than sufficient to get the job done.
Supreme Leader really didn't trust me.
Ren felt a presence enter the room and glanced to his right to see Poe in the galley entryway, observing him. The pilot's posture was tight and anxious. "How's Rey?"
"I healed the puncture wound to her lung, so she's out of any immediate danger." The pilot nodded his head in relief, but the feeling didn't last long since his features twisted into a smirk.
"I think I found all of them." The pilot pointed to the hardware on the table and walked over to Ren, keeping an arms length away. "Looks like the First Order wanted to keep an eye on you. Seven tracking devices is excessive."
Ren's eyes roamed over the small metal parts just as something struck him directly across the face, sending him to the floor. His vision blurred and his left cheekbone throbbed, but he made no gesture to rub the pain away. Craning his head up, Ren saw how Poe's right fist was shaking, his disdainful glare directed straight at him.
It was not a complicated mystery as to who had hit him.
"That's for what you did to Finn," Poe breathed out haughtily.
"You mean FN-2187?" Ren clearly struck a nerve with the pilot, which was his intention. He was pissed that Poe was able to strike him down, making him look weak. On impulse, he wanted to ram the guy into the wall until his bones were crushed from the pressure, but he settled with verbally irritating the bastard.
It probably wouldn't look good if Rey found her friend dead, with Ren being the only possible murderer on board.
"His name is Finn, not the jumble of numbers you people gave him," Poe argued. Ren slowly came to his feet, facing the pilot at his full height. Fear pulsed off of the man, but he was doing a commendable job at hiding it. No doubt, Poe was expecting some sort of retaliation. "I bet you just want to break my neck with those Force abilities of yours, don't ya?"
The pilot didn't let his fear consume him into cowardice.
A sleek grin formed on Ren's lips. "I don't need to use the Force to kill you." Neither one of them moved as they both calculated the risks of getting into a physical altercation. Being more controlled over his emotions out of the two men, Poe backed away, falling back behind the curved lounge bench and coolly placing his hands on the leather.
The air of silence was full of friction, but it didn't stop the pilot from asking his questions. "What's going on between you and Rey?" Ren kept his mouth shut, which made Poe even more suspicious. He was tempted to leave the conversation, but the ship was small, and him and the pilot would just run into each other later on.
Better to just get this over with now.
"I'm not blind, you know," Poe contended. "I was with you two during the battle on the island. She relied on you heavily, and you actually helped her. You." Poe couldn't hide the confusion behind what he was trying to explain. "Kylo Ren. The face of the First Order, charged with killing anyone affiliated with the Resistance. And yet, you act possessive and protective towards Rey. Why? Did your plans of killing her suddenly change? Does Snoke want her now?"
"I would never let Snoke near the girl," Ren objected sharply, conveying just how much he believed in the words. If he had any control over Rey's future, she would never meet his master. The reconditioning the Supreme Leader would force onto Rey would ruin her, just like it had ruined him.
Either that or Snoke would force Ren to kill her, snuffing out his compassion completely.
"You're the one who gave her all those injuries, though. Right?" Poe asked.
Ren clenched his jaw. He'd never been a liar, and he wasn't about to start. "Yes."
The leather creaked under the tightening of Poe's grip as he let out an uneven breath, trying to hold himself back from letting his anger dictate his actions. The control Poe showed was impressive. Ren knew the pilot had immense mental resolve, evidenced from the time Ren had extracted the information about the droid from his mind. For having no Force abilities, Poe had lasted the longest under Ren's mind probe than any one else ever had.
Besides Rey, of course, but she had the Force.
In a controlled tone, Poe said, "When we land, I'm taking Rey with me and we're getting a ship back to the Resistance." The pilot's fierce irises locked onto Ren. "You'll never be able to hurt or see her again."
Ren balled his hands at his sides and the pilot glanced right at them. "I would never hurt her," he countered.
"You already did." Those words felt like a sharp slap in the face, worse than the punch he received a minute ago. The knowledge of what he'd done to her would haunt him for the rest of his days, and he would never get over the guilt of scarring her.
Ren shut his eyes for a moment and felt wretched. His conscience, which had been unplugged for years, was awake and aching. Feeling that way was extremely uncomfortable.
Ren couldn't deny that he wanted Rey to stay, for her light breathed such pure life into his soul that he was already addicted to the feeling. He wasn't going to allow Poe take her from him, but if she made the decision to go, he would let her. "If she desires to leave, she can," Ren said, voicing his thought. "I won't stop her."
"If she desires to leave?" Poe's voice rose in pitch and he leaned slightly over the the chair's back. "Why would she not want to? She's a member of the Resistance, and she wants to become a Jedi. You're a murderous psycho whose allegiance is to the First Order. Honestly, I'm still waiting for you to ignite that saber and kill us both."
Ren opened his mouth to counter the last statement, but Poe cut him off.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You wouldn't hurt her." A light chuckle escaped the pilot's mouth from his own disbelief. "The insane thing is, I'm inclined to believe you when you say that. I saw too much on the island not to believe it. But I think everyone else is free game for your lightsaber."
Poe's perception of him was correct. "You're still alive, are you not?"
"Because if you killed me, we both know Rey would retaliate against you. You're keeping me alive out of your own self-interests, nothing more."
The pilot was proving to be very intuitive, and it was making Ren feel unnerved with how accurate his remarks were.
"Have you really left the First Order?" Poe asked, stare concentrated and serious.
No.
"Yes." Loyalties were hard to break, but he was now officially a traitor and couldn't go back to his life before he'd saved Rey.
Even if a part of him desperately wanted to.
"Come with us then. Back to the Resistance base." Ren's eyebrows shot up. He couldn't believe the best pilot in the Resistance had just asked him to turn himself in.
"No."
"Why not?" Poe shot the question at him.
"All that awaits me there is my execution." Do I really need to explain this to an adult?
"Well, you are a war criminal, but you have so much information on the First Order that you could probably make a deal."
Ren rolled his eyes out of annoyance. "A deal? They would never broker such a thing with me. Your top ranking officials would fast track my execution and make it very public."
Poe's head flinched back slightly. "You think your mother would do that to you?" The conversation went from being ridiculous to dangerous in the span of just one sentence.
Ren twisted with disgust at the mention of the general and at the very idea of seeing her again. "If anyone at the Resistance has even a shred of common sense, she wouldn't have a voice in the matter."
Poe must have sensed the change in mood, for he took a moment to back off and collect his thoughts. "You can't deny that you do deserve to die after everything you've done. You destroyed a whole star system."
Maybe he did deserve death, but he wouldn't be the only one to die at his execution.
"That idea didn't belong to me, but to General Hux. I tried to speak out against the plan, but the Supreme Leader wouldn't listen to me."
"Uh huh. I bet you tried really hard to stop it."
Ren's eye's narrowed at the pilot.
Ultimately, Ren's voice hadn't mattered when he disagreed with Hux's plan. He was surprised he even opened his mouth to speak his opinion, and then felt embarrassed after he'd done so. Honestly, Ren had always known what Starkiller base was underneath, he just never thought the weapon would be used for anything other than a threat.
That was the first time the faith in his master had truly been shaken.
To destroy a whole star system was…. There were no words to describe how heinous of an act it had been. Ren had been too disgusted to even stay on the base, pushing him to retreat to the Finalizer. He'd contemplated not watching the demonstration, but he didn't want to be viewed as weak by his subordinates. Even though he could block the emotions of others from bombarding his own, there was no way to stop from feeling each and every person's desperation and fear before they died.
Billions of people crying out for help, those screams consuming him, almost making him black out on the deck. But he kept his knees locked. Stayed standing. Immediately after feeling the slaughter of so many, he brusquely walked to his quarters, tore off his mask, and vomited on the floor next to his bed; he couldn't even hold it in long enough to make it to the refresher.
After that, his life had started to unravel at an exponential rate. And when the weapon had been targeted on the Illenium system… he just couldn't go through experiencing another star system being annihilated.
Ren felt the pilot's mood change from disgust into a mixture of confusion and curiosity, which struck him as being odd.
"You're curious about something," Ren voiced. Poe scrunched his eyebrows together, looking puzzled. "I can sense your emotions." Ren studied the pilot as he exhaled a heavy sigh.
"I just can't believe I'm talking to you."
"Because of who I am."
"Because of where you come from. It boggles my mind that someone with your upbringing could turn into the person you are." Ren didn't know how to reply to Poe's statement and neither did he want to. He didn't like acknowledging Ben's past life.
"Look man, I'm gonna go find a spare cabin and get some rest. Feel free to search for more tracking devices." Poe moved for the door and left, not looking back at Ren standing in the middle of the room.
Reluctantly, Ren's mind wandered to his childhood. So many people had expected such great things from him, just because of who his parents were. At every turn in his life, he'd been compared to his mother and father and uncle.
He'd absolutely loathed it.
Everyone always pestered him if he were to become a senator, just like the great Princess Leia Organa. Or tutor lost kids and hold charity races for the galaxies youth like Han Solo. And becoming a famous Jedi was always on the table. It got to the point that whenever someone brought any of that up, he would just walk away without an explanation. After that, people started to mark him as being a peculiar and odd boy.
Ren sat down on the cushioned bench, eyes wondering over the chilly room.
He'd just wanted to be left alone, not wanting the pressure of his lineage constantly weighing him down. He had his own dreams of becoming a physician and of leading a normal, happy life. It had been all mapped out. He would attend University where he would graduate at the top of his class. Numerous medical schools would accept him into their programs and he would consider carefully as to which he would attend. Then, close to finishing, he would meet a nice young woman and they would wed once he had a generous paying job. Children would come next and they would have three….
His arm swept across the table, sending the devices hurtling to the other side of the room. Warmth had spread throughout his body from his growing anger and his hand twitched to ignite his lightsaber.
That life had been taken from him.
You can't have something taken from you if you never had it in the first place, he thought. Which, in retrospect, was true. He never got close to having the life he'd dreamed of obtaining. It had been stupid of him to even consider such a future, for nothing about him had ever been normal. His natural abilities in the Force alienated him from others and had pushed him down a path he never wanted to explore.
From the outside looking in, people always thought he had the epitome of a perfect life growing up. That was what the pilot had thought, anyway. But not one person would ever be able to understand just how lonely and suffocating his existence had truly been. With Rey, though, he didn't feel as alone.
Ren rubbed his face as he stood and walked to his personal chambers. Memories of his childhood kept plaguing him more and more as of late. The more he dwelled on the past, the faster his life seemed to be falling apart in his hands, like wet sand suddenly gone dry.
He needed to clean himself off and get some sleep. He would have to trust that the pilot found all the tracking devices, for he felt like his legs would give out if he stood one minute longer than necessary.
Rey was in need of multiple healing sessions, so he would need to wake every few hours to administer them. If he could lessen her suffering, he would willingly give up some of his own sleep to do so.
()()()()()
Luke steered the Falcon, following the X-Wings into Carlac's planetary atmosphere. The beaming sunlight reflected off of the snowy landscape, causing him to squint his eyes to see better. Splashes of pink interrupted the sleet terrain and the closer he flew to the surface, he realized the pink hue belonged to the millions of tiny blossoms hanging from the lanky trees.
A huge, fortified building was coming into view. It jutted out of the side of a wide mountain, making it look deceivingly smaller than it actually was. Luke had never been to Carlac, but Leia had described how the base had been carved into the mountain for extra protection. Luke's stomach twisted into knots at the anticipation of seeing his sister again. They'd talked over the communications channel and had seemed to have left on good terms, but seeing her in person was causing him to sweat.
"Resistance base to Millennium Falcon. You've been cleared to land on platform B2. After landing, Lieutenant Connix will be waiting to take you to the Resistance council." Luke acknowledged the instructions and started his descent to the designated landing platform. He stood once the Falcon was on the ground and made his way over to Chewie in the main hull.
With every step, Luke could feel all the aches and bruises he'd sustained while fighting on Ahch-To. Luckily, he didn't receive any life threatening injuries. Chewie however, needed to be seen by medical professionals. He'd sustained a deep gash across his mid-back when he had tried to help Luke fight off the knight that was a swords master.
Chewie was already standing when Luke entered the lounge, with Artoo waiting beside him. He tried to offer the Wookie assistance, but Chewie waved him off. Slowly, the three of them exited the ship and were greeted by a small, quaint young woman. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled into two buns above her ears, her hands holding a datapad as she stood tall, eyes gleaming once seeing the incoming company.
"Master Skywalker. We're all so very pleased that you've arrived safe and sound. On behalf of the Resistance, I can say we've been waiting for you to join us for a long time." She gawked at him, star struck from being in the presence of a legend. Luke didn't like when people stared at him like that. He never felt like a hero, nor did he want to be worshiped as one.
He internally groaned
"Chewie needs medical attention, if you could just show us the way." Her eyes widened as she scanned the Wookie standing off to Luke's side.
"Of course!" Her eyes roamed over the mayhem of people behind her. "Kara! Kara!" A young woman with jet black hair and small eyes came running up to the Lieutenant. "I need you to take the Wookie to the med bay." The girl nodded, ushering Chewie away from the small group and into the whirlwind of Resistance troopers.
"I should go with him to make sure he'll be fine." Luke took a step after them, but was stopped by the Lieutenant.
"The Resistance council has stressed that your presence is needed in their meeting chambers as soon as you arrive. I'm sorry, but I need you to come with me. Dr. Kalonia has seen Chewie before and she'll be able to take care of him." Luke tried to quail his annoyance and adversely followed the young girl with Artoo in tow. She expertly made a path through the cluster of soldiers toward the main building.
"Luke? Luke Skywalker?" A dark skinned young man stepped in front of them, stopping Lieutenant Connix in her tracks. A walking cane held the man up as he refused to budge from his position. Luke could sense his desperation to talk with him.
"Finn," said Connix. "I need to get Master Skywalker to the Resistance council. There's no time-"
Luke's ear perked up. "Finn? As in Rey's friend? The ex-stormtrooper?" Luke eyed the young man, noticing that he did match Rey's description of him.
"Uh, yeah. I'm Finn." Finn shifted his weight, feeling uncomfortable under the intense stare of the Jedi Master. Luke recalled the story of Finn going to Starkiller base to rescue Rey, and ended up fighting his nephew in an attempt to save them both. The boy had shown extreme bravery, and Rey had told Luke how she trusted Finn with her life.
Luke decided to use that trust. "You're coming with us. Lieutenant Connix, lead the way."
The girl and Finn stood there, flustered. She tried to open her mouth in protest, but the look Luke gave her made her snap her jaw shut.
Finn and Artoo kept up with their fast pace as they entered the base through one of the fighter ship hangars. The hallway walls were sleek and white, the air cold and thin. Random soldiers wandered through the cramped passageways, all of them glancing at the Master Jedi as they passed, but Luke ignored the stares. He was focusing on searching for his sister's Force signature, and was puzzled when he came up with nothing.
An uneasy feeling was taking root in his stomach, and he needed to know what was going on.
"Where's Rey?" Finn had caught up to Luke's side, looking at him anxiously.
Even Luke didn't know how to exactly answer that question. What he'd witnessed back on the island had gone against all logic. He played the scene over in his mind again: his nephew flinging a man onto his shoulder, protecting him and Rey as they ran up the steep hill, and blocking Luke's attempt to Force stun him. Did his nephew somehow turn Rey to the dark side?
He shot that question down for the one-hundredth time. He'd witnessed Ben on top of that transporter, helping a man blow up the generator. His nephew had acted against the First Order, but why? What was going on?
Luke's head was starting to pound with confusion.
Connix lead them to a door at the end of the hallway. Luke could faintly hear voices coming from the other end. Before entering, Luke gave the ex-stormtrooper a convincing smile and said, "She's in a safe place." I hope….
He sensed Finn relax as they stepped inside the long, rectangular room. Holomaps lined the walls and a big, oblong table was situated in the center of the chamber. Someone had installed the room with so many lights, that Luke's eyes pounded from the intense shower of brightness.
He was sure he was at the beginnings of a headache.
The room instantly went quiet as all eyes fell upon him, but he didn't return their stares. Frustration rose inside the Jedi Master when he couldn't find what he was searching for.
"Where's my sister?" Just as fast as they all were to stare at him, now they turned their eyes downward. The tension grew thick in the room as no one made an effort to answer him.
Finally, a short man with slanted eyes and a flat face made his way over. "Master Skywalker. I'm Admiral Statura. We're glad-"
"Cut it with the formalities. Where is Leia?" Luke asked with more force behind his voice.
Admiral Statura cleared his throat, trying to wrangle in his nerves. "The General's whereabouts is one of the reasons why we needed to see you so urgently. You see, when your droid sent us the distress signal that you were in need of assistance, General Organa insisted that she come with the fleet to Ahch-To."
"You let her go to the battle?" Luke was on the verge of shouting at the man, but he was able to fight back the urge.
Admiral Statura stammered, replying with a quick, "No, no. We told her she couldn't. But as time went on and the battle started to become more hectic, she slipped out of here undetected. By the time any of us had noticed, her personal ship and crew were already gone."
"Does her ship have a tracking mechanism?"
"It does, but it was disabled when she reached the outside of the planet. That was the last known place she was at. We can't find her or the ship."
Luke closed his eyes as he pinched the roof of his nose. He took in deep, long breaths to try and center himself. Anger was threatening to take him, and he almost wanted it to.
A feminine voice spoke up. "Where is your apprentice, Master Jedi?"
Luke opened his eyes and glanced across the room to the woman behind the question. She was tall and lean, her blonde hair pulled back into a high bun, accentuating her high cheekbones. She was wearing the same olive green military uniform as everyone else, but Luke sensed that she was not a part of the group.
He looked perplexed at the tall woman.
"I apologize," she said. "Even though it appears you abhor formalities, I should still introduce myself to you. I'm Grand Admiral Trend of the Republic Fleet. Well, what little remains of it anyway."
Luke recognized the surname. "Vassena Trend? Aren't you a Vice Admiral?"
"Well, with the destruction of the Hosnian System, I immediately got a promotion. All of the higher ranking officials were killed, leaving me to take up as the leader." Everyone in the room went out of their way to not look at the middle-aged woman. They were all either intimidated by her, or immensely disliked her. Luke sensed it was the latter. "And this is a closed meeting, Master Jedi. The young man beside you will have to leave."
Luke held the Grand Admiral's cold gaze. "He's my personal assistant. With my growing age, I find it harder to remember certain details. While I'm on this base, he goes where I go."
A polite smile formed on her hard features, making her look off-putting. "I'm sure we can all understand what aging does to a person, but I will have to order you-"
"The Jedi are not a part of the New Republic, so your orders hold no value towards me. The young man stays." Trend's fake grin vanished and the room fell uncomfortably silent. Her eyes glinted with rage at being undermined, but she didn't attempt to talk further on the subject. She knew Luke was right that she couldn't give him orders since the title of Jedi Master separated him from the government.
"Now to answer your earlier question, Rey made it off the planet and is safe. She will contact me when she is able." He wanted to get back to the matter of his sister.
"That doesn't coincide with what Captain Cypress witnessed." Trend turned to the weathered man with the long nose and grey hair. It took a second, but Luke recognized the man from the battle on the island. Luke could sense where this was going, and he was honestly irritated that Trend was veering the meeting in a new direction. "Captain? Can you repeat what you saw?"
The captain cleared his throat and straightened his uniform jacket before speaking. "I was on Ahch-To leading our ground forces against the First Order. We were pushing through their energy shield when I heard an explosion off to my left. Stormtroopers started to fire off to the other side, where I saw Commander Dameron on a transport ship with a missile launcher, trying to destroy the shield generator." The Captain paused, wiping the sweat from his bushy brows. "A man with a red cross guarded lightsaber was blocking the incoming blaster fire from hitting them both." Luke heard Finn gasp softly beside him. "Poe was able to destroy the generator, but then a missile knocked him and the other man off the transporter. After that, I focused on the battle in front of me and didn't see what had happened to them."
Trend took over where the captain left off. "Multiple Resistance troopers reported seeing the man fling an unconscious Commander Dameron over his shoulder and flee the scene with your apprentice, Master Skywalker."
"What?!" Finn's eyes bore into the side of Luke's face, but Luke kept his features void of emotion. He figured he couldn't have been the only one to have seen Ben and Rey, and was expecting an account like this to be made known. He just didn't think it would be talked about this soon after the battle. As much as he worried for his apprentice and was confused by his nephew's actions, he wanted to discuss the disappearance of his sister more.
"I think we can all safely assume that the man with the infamous cross guarded red lightsaber is Kylo Ren, and that your nephew now has Rey and Poe Dameron in his custody." Trend was really running full speed with her assumptions. "It's logical to assume that the disappearance of General Organa is somehow tied to her son."
Luke's voice was low, demanding of attention. "I was also on the island, Vassena, and I saw my nephew protecting Commander Dameron and Rey from harm."
"Well he would want his prisoners alive. They're useless to him if dead."
"Rey went with him willingly, not as a prisoner."
Trend's sickly grin returned to her lips. "Then maybe she's betrayed the Resistance and has joined the First Order."
"No!" Finn angrily shouted, stepping forward. "Rey would never do that. She isn't a traitor." Luke rested his hand on Finn's shoulder, drawing him back. The passionate young man quieted down, but Luke could sense he was still fuming.
"If I may speak." Admiral Ackbar, the only person in the room that Luke actually knew, stepped away from the far corner so everyone could see him. "Maybe Kylo Ren has turned away from the First Order, just like his grand father turned against Palpatine in his final moments. From what I hear, Ren was genuinely trying to help Commander Dameron and Rey get away from danger." Luke gave a soft smile to his old friend, and Ackbar reciprocated with a nod. Not many people knew the whole story of his father, but Gial was one of the few who did since he fought next to Anakin in The Clone Wars. He had remained loyal to his sister, even after learning who Vader truly was six years ago.
And Luke would always respect Ackbar for that.
Trend scoffed at the Mon Calamari's remark. "Kylo Ren is an evil creature responsible for the murders of dozens, probably hundreds of people. For all we know, he was behind the destruction of the Hosnian system. A man like that has no good left in him. And I'm aware of Vader's story, just like the rest of you. He killed the Emperor to save his son." She glanced at Luke, and then turned quickly away. "Kylo Ren doesn't care for two random people. He either took them prisoner or Rey is now a traitor. And none of you can deny that General Organa's disappearance and her son being on that island are not somehow connected."
More people started to join in the discussion, most of them agreeing that Ben had taken Leia prisoner. Luke had nothing else to add, knowing that if he did, Trend would twist his words around. The only other person staying quiet was Ackbar. Luke made a mental note to talk with his friend when the setting was more private.
After learning that the Resistance had all their spies and contacts looking for Leia, Luke made the abrupt move to leave. It's not like anyone noticed since they were all arguing with Trend over how to deal with the First Order. Luke needed to come up with his own plan to find Leia, and he would need Finn's help to do so.
He had Connix lead him to his small living quarters located among the other higher-ranking officials. Finn kept his mouth shut as he walked beside him, no doubt leaving his questions for when they were alone.
Luke examined the room upon arrival. It was very plain, with a small bed, desk, and chair occupying the space. In the left corner was the door that led to the refresher. Luke was so used to living inside a hut, that this little room felt like it was too extravagant.
"So." Finn went to lean against the desk while eyeing Luke. "What the hell is going on?"
What the hell, indeed, Luke thought to himself. Luke didn't mind that Finn was being informal towards him, for it actually made him feel like a normal person again and not some mystical legend people made him out to be.
"Honestly, I'm not sure." He mentally reached out for Leia again, but was blocked. She was alive, that he knew for sure. If she had died, he would have felt her death shattering down upon him. Someone had definitely taken her, but he was sure he could cross Ben off of that list. His nephew had seemed to be too preoccupied with Rey and Commander Dameron on the island. And Ben couldn't possibly have known that his mother would go to the planet in the middle of the battle.
Oh Leia... I know you want to desperately see Ben again, but going to Ahch-To was extremely foolish.
Finn's voice brought Luke away from his thoughts. "I need to know everything you know," the young man demanded. "Now."
()()()()()
Hux's hands clasped behind his back as he walked curtly down the polished corridor. His suit showed no signs of wrinkles, his shoes were buffed, and there was not a single hair out of place. Everything on the outside of him was in order, but on the inside, he was a fuming mess.
Reports were coming in as their ships returned from the battle on that planet with the island. The arrival of the Resistance hadn't been foreseen, but they were able to hold their position on the island for most of the fight. In the end, both sides had ended up retreating as they both realized that throwing an immense amount of resources into one small battle was illogical.
So the fight had ended in a stalemate, but that was not what had Hux furious.
There'd been sightings of Ren helping a Resistance fighter and that desert bitch he was supposed to kill. He always knew Ren never had the stomach to do what needed to be done. If history was a lesson, it taught to never trust a Skywalker. In the end, they always betrayed you.
It irritated Hux that the Supreme Leader had given Kylo Ren so much power and authority in the First Order. He was to treat Ren as an equal? He had studied and worked hard his whole life to become a general and what had Ren done? Killed a bunch of Jedi and forsook his family name. That boy knew nothing of leadership and sacrifice and yet, Ren was the one who was favored by Leader Snoke.
All throughout his youth, Armitage had struggled to be taken seriously. His father sneered down upon him for his sickly looking complexion and lanky body, wishing he had a son built more like a soldier. Hux had never been physically strong, but he always made up for it with his intellect and ruthlessness. Now, he was one of the most powerful persons in the First Order, proving to all his past tormentors that he'd amounted to something great in the end.
Hux had always viewed Ren as one of those asinine kids he'd grown up with, for that boy never knew the true meaning of struggle and earning what you rightfully deserved. Ren hadn't merited a place as Hux's equal, and he never would.
Especially now, seeing how the man was a traitor.
Hux didn't tolerate traitors.
His heels clipped against the onyx floor as he strode into the small atrium, nerves rising, preparing himself to talk with Leader Snoke. After the field reports had been sent to the Supreme Leader, a message had been received that he was to talk with Hux immediately.
A hologram appeared of the esteemed leader, but instead of it being blown up in size like it was on Starkiller, it held the actual dimensions of the eight foot man.
"General. The reports of the events on the island are most unfortunate." Hux stood silent, waiting for Leader Snoke to elaborate. "But it is not impossible to fix the situation. I need Kylo Ren found and brought directly to me."
Hux grimaced. "Supreme Leader, wouldn't it be easier just to kill him? He betrayed the First Order. He can never be trusted again." If only Ren's knights had betrayed him like Hux had told them to, then the bastard would be dead.
"When I finish with him, thoughts of betrayal will never cross his mind again. I'll personally extinguish whatever remains of that weak boy and refine Kylo Ren into a perfect weapon. What have you been doing to locate him?" Leader Snoke eyed the red headed man intently.
"We have hired dozens of bounty hunters and thousands of stormtroopers and spies searching the galaxy." Hux hesitated, swallowing. "However, it might prove to be difficult to find him since we have no holopics of his true face in the archives." At the last statement, Hux couldn't hide his embarrassment. He'd gone to great lengths to have Ren monitored as much as possible, and the guy had still found a way to erase any record of himself without being detected.
"No holopics?"
"It would appear someone went through the archives and erased them." Hux inwardly cursed at Ren. "But we've given everyone his description, and the scar on his face will surely make him stick out." Leader Snoke slammed a hand against his chair, the sound reverberating in the dark atrium. Hux flinched, sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
"Find him and apprehend him alive. By any means necessary. Kylo Ren is essential to my plans." Hux could sense that the Supreme Leader's plans for Ren seemed to be of a more personal nature, which made him curious.
"And what should we do if we find the girl?"
The Supreme Leader's deformed face took on a sinister expression. "Kill her; preferably in front of him. He needs to watch her die. He needs to learn that compassion is only but a weakness."
Hux couldn't agree more.
He bowed his head. "Yes, Supreme Leader."
"Now, about this island. Were there any reports about a sighting of a massive tree? It would have three large branches jutting out from its base."
What does a tree have to do with anything?
"Uh, not that I'm aware of, but I can look into it."
"Find out immediately. And if there is such a tree, I need you to send men back to the island and have it destroyed." Sending men back to the planet would be suicide, but Hux was not one to question orders.
If the Supreme Leader wanted a mere tree destroyed, Hux would make it happen.
()()()()()
Rey watched from the chilly balcony as Han walked out onto the mesh metal bridge. The small amount of light from the outside illuminated the smuggler and the dark figure below. She listened as Han pleaded to see the face of his son, the monster, Kylo Ren, to take off his mask.
He complied.
The scene shifted in a swirl of macabre colors. The chaos formed into a clear picture, but now, she was standing on the bridge, not in her own body.
She was Han.
Her lips started to move, but his voice was the one who spoke.
"My son is alive."
"No. The Supreme leader is wise."
Han walked slowly towards his son, his eyes never leaving the man before him. "Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you." Ben took a step back, looking at his father apprehensively. "You know it's true."
Ben blinked, the mask of defiance shifting to sorrow. "It's too late," his voice cracked.
"No, it's not. Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you."
Ben's bottom lip quivered, his eyes roaming over Han's face. "I'm being torn apart." Tears spilled over onto his cheeks as he spoke. Han's heart broke at seeing the anguish that was so evident in his son's face. "I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it." Ben's voice wavered as he tried to hold back his cries. "Will you help me?"
"Yes. Anything." Han stepped closer to his son, wanting to desperately help him.
Ben glanced down, dropping his helmet to the bridge. He unclasped the saber, holding it out to his father. Excitement coursed through Han; he was going to get his son back. He was going to start being the father he always should've been and save his son from this wicked existence.
Night fell upon the planet and the red lights illuminated Ben's face. Han watched as a vile darkness seeped its way into Ben's eyes, making his son look like a stranger. This man, standing before him, was not his son. He tried to pull the lightsaber to him, but Ben subtly fought him for control. In that moment, the risk Han had taken by stepping out onto the catwalk was about to come true: his son was going to kill him.
The red blade ignited, impaling him just below his heart. The heat and pressure from the blade overwhelmed his senses, but he kept his gaze on his son. He faintly heard Chewie roar in the background, and the reality of him never saying goodbye to his friend tore at his many regrets.
His son jammed the blade further through his chest and he gasped in pain. Ben was breathing hard as he looked into his eyes. "Thank you." The blade was pulled away, and Han just stood there in shock, gazing at his lost son.
His son.
His only child, his legacy.
When he'd been born, Han had been so mesmerized by how faultless and innocent Ben had appeared. He thought back to when Ben would take naps in between him and Leia, how they would watch him sleep peacefully, all curled up and warm. Han would stroke his soft baby skin and marvel that he could love something so small with so much of his heart. With guidance and care, Han planned on showing his son the wonders of the galaxy. He would teach Ben how to fly, never letting him fall or get hurt in the process. They would go on so many adventures together, as father and son, just the two of them.
But his son was truly gone now, and Han could not change the past.
He lifted his hand, stroking his son's emotionless face. The skin was rougher now from age, yet also familiar. But the eyes, those had changed. They were bottomless pools of darkness and even though it was futile, Han still searched for the bottom. There was an abundance of sorrow swimming behind the surface, and he wanted, needed to do something to help him.
But his time was up.
His son would never accept help from anyone. There was too much fierceness and pride in those eyes.
Too much hurt.
Han knew he was equally responsible for creating both the flesh and the monster Ben had been molded into. Fear of his son's abilities had driven him away, and now he'll never be able to right that wrong. He had failed at his duty of protecting his son, and now him and the galaxy were going to pay for it. But in this intimate moment, Han forgave him, and he hoped one day, Ben could forgive himself. Save himself.
Han teetered and fell back, plummeting down into the abyss of light.
Leia….
Rey shot up, hitting her head on the bunk above her. She cursed and rubbed her forehead, trying to alleviate the sharp pain. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit quarters, not recognizing where she was.
Swinging her legs over the bed's edge, she let the limbs hang there as she reviewed the nightmare. Seeing Han's death on Starkiller had been crushing, but living it like she actually was Han terrified her. Han's desperation to save his son had been so overwhelming, his failure to save him so palpable. Her eyes stung with unshed tears, recalling how Han realized that Ben was going to kill him in the end.
Was the dream real?
Initially, Rey had viewed the interaction from high above on the balcony, not hearing much of what was being said between father and son once they got close to each other. Somehow, she could feel that everything that had been said in the dream was what really transpired. Ben had cried on that bridge and had faltered in his resolve, but had killed his father anyway. That last look he'd given Han, that void expression, was going to plague her mind.
How someone could kill their parent and look like that was beyond her comprehension.
The nightmare had really shaken her, and she had this innate feeling to get as far away from this ship as fast as possible. What was she doing? How could she actually be here right now, with that monster on board?
You know there's still good in him. Han would want his son to be saved, and you can help make that happen, she told herself. Her erratic breathing slowed as she rubbed her neck, kneading the tension out of her body.
She should try to give Han the one thing he'd wanted in the end: for his son to come back.
Rey's mind brought up the memories from the beach on Ahch-To. Ben had fallen apart right in front her, sobbing and begging her to not be afraid of him. Every particle in her body felt so connected to him, that she was ashamed for even entertaining the thought of leaving moments ago. Deep down, she could still feel the resentment she was harboring against Ben for taking Han away from her. The intense events on the island had masked her feelings, not letting her have a moment to think over her actions.
Hopefully with time, she could learn to forgive him, just as Han had done.
She glanced down to the floor, her eyes catching something off to the right: A glass of water, a loaf of bread, and some sort of dehydrated meat on a plate. Her body lunged toward the sustenance and she gulped down the huge glass of water. Water spilled from the sides of her mouth as her throat was soothed by the cool liquid. She gasped for air as she proceeded to shove the bread between her teeth, her body quickly absorbing the nutrients, giving her muscles much needed strength.
And then she stopped chewing. Her midsection stung, and she remembered...
She twisted her torso around, feeling mildly sore. Her eyes turned down at her bare stomach, seeing a pink line across the skin. Faint bruising covered her left rib-cage, but the pain that had been there before was mostly gone now. She brought the bread back up to her mouth and took a bite, but none of the enthusiasm from before was in it.
Ben had given her these wounds, and Ben had been the one to heal them before coaxing her to sleep.
Her vision lifted to the nightstand, seeing neatly folded clothes and a note on top. She grabbed the piece of paper and quickly read the short message.
I thought you might want a new pair of clothes. Unfortunately, I only have my attire to offer. I apologize for having nothing in your size on board. I hope these work for you.
A huge grin stretched up to her ears as she read the note again and traced the elegant penmanship with her fingers. Ben had gone out of his way to find her something to wear and bring her food. His consideration made her feel weird, but in a good way that made her giddy. This was the man she wanted to know better and she hoped he would let her.
Will I ever be able to look past all the things he has done, though?
Finishing the snack, she grabbed the clothes and headed to the refresher located between the living quarters. She couldn't contain her excitement at the prospect of taking a shower, for she'd only recently started to experience such a luxury. The hot water soothed her sore muscles and she watched the dark water swirl down into the drain as she cleaned herself off with the aromatic soap.
Once done, she found a brush in the cabinet below the sink and used it to get the many tangles out of her fine hair. A tiny laugh resonated in the small bathroom as she dried her hair further with a fluffy towel. She shouldn't feel this happy and content, not after everything that had happened. But if she didn't take pleasure in the small things, the bigger problems would weigh her down into depression. Jakku taught her that.
Rifling through the drawers some more, she found a toothbrush and proceeded to clean her mouth over the next five minutes, scrubbing her enamel till they glistened. Every single part of her felt so clean, and she loved feeling this new and raw.
It was addicting.
The clothes were indeed big, engulfing her average womanly frame in the short-sleeved, black shirt and black trousers. She rolled up the pants so she could actually walk, and tied the side of the trousers into a knot to tighten around her waist. She then slipped on the socks and walked into the hallway, feeling rejuvenated.
But that dream lingered in the back of her mind, giving her a sense of reality.
The ship was quiet as she walked into the lounge. She scanned the room, seeing no one. A clanging noise came from what she assumed was the galley entrance, and her feet guided her across the silent common area.
Ben faced away from her, looking down at whatever task he was performing on the counter. His hair had that familiar wave to it, the raven locks hitting just at the nape of his neck. The dark grey shirt hung loosely from his body, as did his black pants. Black socks covered his sizable feet, making him look so… normal.
If only he was normal, Rey thought.
"Did you eat the food I left in your room?" He turned around as he brought a mug up to his lips. Her eyes widened when she saw his face. In that moment, appearing so normal and relaxed, he looked so much like his father. Her heart started to race as she remembered the dream, but the man standing before her wasn't the same one from her nightmare. That monster was in there, though, waiting to get out.
What if I get in his way when he does?
"I wouldn't hurt you," he said softly. Her back straightened and Ben set the mug on the counter behind him. She'd forgotten that he could read her quite easily.
"I... had a nightmare," Rey admitted.
Ben sighed, glancing away from her. "I know."
"You do? Then... do you know what it was about?"
He curtly nodded as he leaned back against the counter, hands gripping the edge.
"So... you know how I felt when I woke up?" she asked. Please say no.
Another nod.
Rey twisted her fingers together and chewed at her bottom lip. She felt like she'd been caught lying, and felt guilty for considering to leave.
"Don't feel guilty for thinking that," Ben brusquely instructed, raising his eyes and peering at her through his unkempt hair. "You can leave if that's what you want. I won't keep you here."
"Could you stop reading my thoughts so easily?" she snapped at him. "It feels intrusive." It bothered Rey that she didn't have the privacy of her own mind.
"I apologize." He swept his hair from his face and resumed his open position of keeping his hands on the counter. "It's difficult for me not to read your thoughts. But I'll try to give you the privacy you wish."
"Yeah... why is that? How is it we can feel each others emotions so easily?" She watched as Ben eyed her up and down, probably thinking about how ridiculous she looked in his oversized clothing. But his eyes were not filled with amusement. Something else was there in his gaze, something she was not familiar with. His cheeks started to blush and he crossed his legs while still leaning against the counter.
He cleared his throat and refocused his stare. "Well, have you ever heard of a Force bond before?" Rey shook her head, looking perplexed at the unknown term."So... a Force bond is a connection two Force sensitive people can make between each other. Through that connection, you can feel your counterpart's emotions and draw upon the other person's strength. You can even speak telepathically, if the bond becomes deeply rooted enough."
"...Okay." Rey scrunched her eyebrows together as she thought over what Ben was explaining. "And we have this Force connection thing?"
"Yes."
Jaw slackening, her eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to form a sentence. "When did this happen? How?"
Ben brushed his hair back, fully revealing his adorably big ears. But Rey couldn't dwell on that detail now. Her heart was racing from their current conversation and she needed to focus on the subject at hand.
"I've been trying to figure that out, actually. My best guess would be it happened when I was interrogating you on Starkiller base."
Her eyes pinched. "When you were in my mind, you mean."
Ben shifted, looking uncomfortable that they were talking so openly about that moment. He'd been a completely different person then, overconfident and broody. Rey had feared that man.
"Well, I hit some sort of barrier in your memories and I couldn't get passed it. Then you pushed yourself into my mind, creating this tether between us."
"And you didn't realize what just happened?" Surely, he had to have sensed something. He has so much more training with this stuff than I do!
He shook his head and cleared his throat. "No, but looking back, the signs were there. How do you think I found you and the stormtrooper so quickly in the snow?" Rey had never thought about that… "I somehow just knew where you'd be."
Rey curled a piece of hair behind her ear. "Okay... so how do we get rid of this bond?"
For a short second, he sent her a pained gaze before breaking eye contact. His chin lowered, shoulders slumping as he rolled his jaw. "You can't," he finally said with a hint of bitterness. "Once it's been forged, the only thing that can break it is death."
This was a lot for Rey to take in. She wanted to lash out and argue that they didn't have a connection between the two of them, but she knew she would just be denying the obvious. The dreams they'd shared, the emotions they could sense from one another, it was all starting to make sense. Who would want something like that with someone?
But as she scrutinized Ben, she could see that he did. He wanted a connection; someone to relate to. So did she, but did it have to come at the cost of being so intertwined with someone else's feelings and thoughts? She didn't even know how to properly interact with people.
Rey walked over to Ben, leaning against the counter next to him. "Looks like you're stuck with me then," she said playfully, giving him a small smile to help alleviate the tension. He relaxed somewhat, but was still tense, not matching her smile. "How strong do you think this bond is between us?"
"Honestly? Very strong." He shrugged. "I've never felt this connected to another person before."
Neither had she, but it's not like there were a lot of people in her life.
"What would happen to me if you died. Hypothetically speaking," she added.
Ben hesitated. "Not many Force bonds have been recorded, and out of those that I've read, only a handful seem to be like ours." He was skirting around her question so he wouldn't have to lie, which annoyed her.
"Just spit it out. What would happen to me if, say, you died?" Rey preferred him to get straight to the point.
His eyes lifted to the light above them as he took in a stiff breath. "You would feel like you've lost a part of yourself and, in truth, you would have. The rest of your life would revolve around searching for something you know you'll never find. It'll drive you to the edges of sanity, until you finally take the plunge into the depths of your own madness. Some of the accounts ended with the one still alive killing themselves, just so they could be free from the prison of being half of what they were."
Dear… god.
Rey stared at Ben's sorrowful face, her eyes widening in horror from what he just conveyed to her. To have her mind rely so much on whether or not Ben lived was jarring to contemplate. She didn't like relying on other people, especially for her sanity. Feeling so close to him was going to come at a cost, and she had no choice but to pay it. Maybe she wouldn't mind the connection with Ben as much if she had a choice in the matter, but her inexperience with the Force had unintentionally taken away her free will.
While listening to his lesson about her sanity, something else had caught her notice that had nothing to do with mortality.
She thought herself ridiculous, but she couldn't stop from thinking that Ben was the most articulate person she'd ever met. Comparing her verbalizing skills to his, she must sound like an idiot. The man was clearly highly educated and smart, and here she was, a self-taught desert scavenger who never attended school. For the first time, she felt self-conscious about her level of intelligence.
Don't do that to yourself. You're a strong enough person who had to discipline and motivate yourself into learning everything you could. As she tried to lift her spirits, some part of her still felt small and inadequate.
Stars, she needed to get a grip on her self-worth.
Ben was glancing everywhere except at her, and the silence between them was starting to grate her nerves. "You know," she paused momentarily, her mind grasping for the right words, "has anyone ever told you that you articulate really well?" His eyes bulged outward as he slowly craned his neck, shifting his shocked face down to her. "Your voice... it's very pleasant to listen to."
"I just told you that you'd lose your mind if I died, and you comment on my... voice?" Maybe she'd already gone crazy, cause he sure was looking at her like she had.
Rey shrugged and slyly went after his mug behind him, trying to lighten the depressing mood. "Then how about we both not die anytime soon. Sounds like a good plan to me." Really, she just didn't want to think about it anymore. Her intellect and quick wit were one of the most valuable possessions she had, and she didn't like to ponder over the possibility that she could lose it over something as simple as death. And not even her death – someone else's.
The mug came to her lips and the warm liquid slid over her tongue. A shock-wave went through her body. "Whoa. This isn't t caf. What is this?" Rey had no words to describe what she'd just tasted. It was the most delicious flavor to have ever touched her taste buds and she could feel her insides start to tingle from gratification.
"It's hot chocolate." Ben eyed her curiously. "Have you never tasted it before?"
"This is chocolate?" In her books she'd read about the delectable treat that was chocolate, but her imagination had never done the sweet treat justice. Here, in her hands, was chocolate. Before it could disappear, Rey gulped down the rest of the beverage. She licked her lips when she was done, relishing in the way it made her feel.
A laugh escaped her lips, soon becoming hysterical. The giddiness was abrupt, but she didn't care if Ben thought her strange.
As tears formed at the sides of her eyes, Ben watched her, amused by her reaction. "I feel like I've only just started to live," she admitted, wiping at the moisture. "I recently saw the ocean for the first time, and now I've tasted chocolate! Stars, I need to see what else is out there." Her laughs subsided, the moment coming down into something more serious.
Ben stared at her, and Rey held her hazel eyes against his, feeling herself warming up from the inside.
This time, it wasn't from the hot chocolate.
"I can show you what else is out there," he spoke deeply. "You can live a thousand different lives; see hundreds of setting suns. If you let me, I can take you wherever you want to go." That was the most perfect thing anyone had ever said to her. Rey looked at him, black eyes drilling into hers. She couldn't help but think how she'd never seen such dark eyes that held so much light within them.
This man wanted to show her the galaxy, the very thing she'd always dreamed of doing since she was a little girl.
Her hand moved to rest on top of his, his thumb immediately starting to caress the side of her palm. "I wouldn't want to experience those things with anyone else... but you."
It was a crazy thing to say to a person she barely knew, but in the here and now, she didn't belong to herself. A small part of her belonged to him, just as he belonged to her. She would never be able to take that part of her soul back, and she found herself not wanting to.
Her life was hers for the taking, and she wanted Ben to be in it.
Where oh where is Leia! Of course the Resistance is going to jump to the conclusion that Ren took her, but we know that he has no idea what is going on with his mother. So who do you think snatched her? How do you like the story thus far? And in The Force Awakens novel, Ren does speak up against the destruction of the Hosnian system, he just gives up pretty quickly and stays silent.
Now, up ahead, we have some more Rey and Ren interactions as they get to know each other better. Maybe you will find out about Leia as well... I am trying to update a chapter or two a week so follow and fave the story so you can get the update alerts! Thanks for reading! Please leave a review! I always appreciate hearing from all of you!