The Space Between Stars

by VinVenture12

Kylo Ren has been humiliated by the scavenger and is now hunting her for retribution. He delves deeper into the depths of darkness along his journey, while Rey soars closer to the light. Strangers on opposite sides of a war, but bound together through their destinies. Both will do whatever it takes to survive, but who will come out victorious? Slow Reylo. Post TFA, Later M rating

27. Chapter 27

Sooooo I apologize for the long wait! The holidays really pushed things back, but I also needed to take some time to set the foundation for the ending. So I am going to say that each chapter will come out on an average of every two weeks, maybe slightly longer. Please don't get mad! Just know that I will never abandon this story. I will give you and me an ending! I promise.

Now I do deeply appreciate every follower and review. You all give me life and the strength to keep writing! NightElfCrawler: Yeah, I am for sure going to write the sequel to this story before I publish it. Definitely learned my lesson while writing this story. But hey, I am a first time writer, so I don't know everything. lol. Every person in this story is taking baby steps. Even after they reconcile, it still takes time for a friendship dynamic to return, especially between Rey and Finn. Ren and Finn will be an interesting dynamic. There scenes together don't always go as planned. ilovekyloren: While this is a fairytale, it's not at the same time, if that makes sense. I didn't want the family reunion to be happy, since he has done some pretty deplorable things. It is especially hard for Luke to get over that betrayal. Luke is a Skywalker, so he does have some anger and I really wanted to show that. As for Finn and Rey, you will have to read this chapter to find out what happens. Ren and Leia's confrontation is going to be everything you describe, but it wont be till the next chapter or so. I am eager to write that scene! Natalie-S-246: Thanks! I liked the Reylo fluff to, but I'm probably biased. :) As a matter of fact, I love The Last Airbender and do see a lot of comparisons between Zutara and Reylo. Zuko is my favorite character on that show! You'll see what Ren decides to do about Rey's friendship with Finn in this chapter. Guest: I really had to get in the right frame of mind to write his death scene and I am so glad you felt like you were there with him as he died! I really want people to relate to these characters. Thanks! KatMichBow: Yup, Luke still has his own problems to deal with. He is not a monk in this story. I am happy you liked Harter and I do plan on bringing her back throughout the story. She is the only positive thing in Ren's past, so I definitely need her to come back at certain points. You keep hitting the nail on the head when it comes to my intent with this story. You explaining how Ren is being split down the middle is pretty spot on. I love that you recognized how I am using the names Kylo, Ren, and Ben differently. I wondered if anyone was going to pick up on that and holy moley, you did. Good job! Some of your questions are answered in this chapter, but some are not. There is no connection between Rey and Snoke. The connection lies with his sister, who resides in Rey. So Snoke can get to her, but it would be through Kayani. So, I guess, there is a connection between the two, just not a Force connection. We are going to focus on Rey in future chapters and her finding out about her parents. It's coming up really soon, actually. Just gotta set the groundwork. As for Ben helping to deliver Liz's baby? No, he won't be there, but he will keep in touch. Thanks so much for the awesome review! RedIceHorse: Thanks for reading! I am glad you liked the chapter! Guest: I try really hard to make this feel like a book, so your compliment really makes me happy. I am still a beginner when it comes to writing, but thanks for loving the story! Guest 2: Yay for more Reylo moments! While it's tempting to write this whole story only about them falling in love, I wanted there to be a lot more substance in the plot. So I hope the little moments I put in each chapter satiate your need for Reylo. mal496: You know, I totally agree with you. Maybe they will end up getting away for a while. They need some alone time where no one else can bug them! SheLitAFire: REYLO! Yay! Glad to see you are still reading the story and that it still holds your interest. I like to make things unpredictable because human behavior is very much unpredictable. Disney should've hired me! lol Jk. I'm sure whatever story they come up with will be great... as long as there's Reylo :). SolemnSaturn: Wahoo! Thank you so much for loving the story and don't worry, there is more to come!

Anyway, we got multiple pov's happening in this chapter. I swear, every chapter I'm like, "I'm gonna focus on Reylo during this whole chapter. I will not tolerate any other character interruptions!" But other characters start demanding their own time to shine and then I end up giving in and writing it. lol. So for anyone who solely wanted this to be all about a love story, I apologize because you will be disappointed. For those of you who want a love story with other side characters and a gripping plot, then this might just be the story for you! Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Eight thousand, three hundred, forty-seven years, five months, twelve days, two hours, nineteen minutes, and twenty-three seconds...

Time had always been a construct living beings created to count the life they had left to live. Factually, according to the fabrics of the universe, time was infinite, long lasting, and eternal. How to actually combine the two was a mystery man would forever be trying to solve. Some had come close, poking and prodding and pushing the limits of the Force till they died from the consumption of their own failures.

Not him, though.

He had found a way to deviate from the misconception that mortality could not be cheated, could not be beaten by gracious power and the drive for freedom. Life was not a draining loss into the eternities, because it was malleable, not fixed.

Soil, not stone.

Which was something for which he was grateful. If time had been set, he would have died hundreds of lifetimes ago, just like every other pathetic being in this galaxy.

Immortality hadn't been Snoke's goal at the beginning.

He had wondered throughout the galaxy, well into his middle-aged years before fate bestowed upon him an opportunity so ripe, it would have been criminal not to pluck and devour it. The first body he ever stole had been a messy and transformative process, and it had all been accidental.

Not one for getting close to people, he melded into the shadows, keeping to himself like a leper who was too skittish to be seen. Fear was his only familiar friend – fear of him and of others. The powers he possessed terrified even him, leaving that part of himself untrained and hidden.

Foolishly, he lingered too long in a village until the townspeople's anxiety toward his presence went from a soft fizzle and into a full-blown fire. Burly men found him and beat him, awakening an anger inside that was so blindingly pure, he hadn't been aware as to what he was doing. Fixating on a foreign pulse of power, he realized one of the men was sensitive to the powers of the universe, much like him.

Locking eyes with the hefty man in the back of the promenade, his essence swirled among the fabrics of reality, skipping through dimensional colors before resting back into the familiar realm of the galaxy. Callously, he crushed the man's soul and replaced it with his own, because whatever your core was, whether be virtue or sin, you never wanted to meet death.

Which was why Snoke gave in and cheated.

The reddish-blonde, freckled faced body he'd come to associate with himself was dead in the mud as the men triumphed around him with boisterous hollers and hearty laughs. But the only reason his body had transitioned to a corpse was because he had willed it so, not because of anything they'd done.

Snoke slaughtered the men where they stood and then buried his body atop a nearby mountain.

The rapid aging had been alarming, but through cultivating his talents, manipulating the unsuspected, and diving deeper into the well of the Force, he learned how to keep surviving. Quickly, he realized he fed off the deeds of darkness and that he shouldn't shy away from what he was so skilled at enacting upon his enemies.

Learning how the body and soul worked in tandem had been a process, but he perfected the transference of Force energy the more he took on apprentices. Through those experiences, he discovered that the qualities of the soul were not dissimilar to the components of the human body. The physical form had a number of useless parts, such as extra teeth, the appendix, the tailbone – which were at best gratuitous, and at worst capable of malfunctioning and causing havoc unto your health.

Force intelligences were the same. They, too, had useless parts that hindered a being from reaching their true and everlasting potential. Hope, belonging, love… friendship and justice and kindness… all of it an ethereal disease that spread morality into the hearts of the living, interrupting the soul's innate craving for evolution and growth.

Once realizing this, he was able to stay true to his core, letting himself progress in the right direction.

Millenniums passed as he observed all the wars that tore into the galaxy, infecting the population with more crime while people of influence turned away from the suffering. The cesspool of hypocrites did nothing to bridge the gap between the haves and have nots, did nothing to organize life into a well working machine of compliance and like-mindedness. Everyone wanted individuality, art, and freedom, all the things that ruined stability and comfort.

So he watched and waited with a patience that rivaled the beginning of the universe. After Palpatine, he took his chance for greatness, casting his vision for a just and order galaxy into existence. Given how Palpatine made a near perfect society, Snoke took a lot of the brilliant man's ideas and changed the ones that had failed.

Namely, putting too much trust in a Skywalker.

But one of the finest gifts Palpatine ever left behind was the observatory on Jakku. Modifications were being made for Snoke's plans. If the weapon could operate exactly how he theorized, he would no longer need students for survival. He would find true immortality while being able to control the entirety of the Universe.

The soft, gold slippers on his bony feet brushed along the ashen stone as he paced throughout the ancient cavern. Musky air swirled into his shriveling lungs, the hint of burnt flesh tagging along for the journey through his nostrils. The middle of the chamber was where the evidence of his anger lied – unmoving, but still breathing. To kill him would've been a pleasant experience, but certain persons were not expendable at the moment.

Even if they had betrayed him.

The order not to kill Kylo Ren had been clear, and yet jealousy had been the cause of this coup. The knight had learned his lesson and would be given a second chance, because Snoke was a merciful master and could secretly empathize with the petty emotion.

Would he forget the undermining?

Not in the slightest.

General Hux had also been behind this mess, but Snoke had remained mute to knowing that particular fact during their last meeting. The general knew that he knew, and sometimes silence was louder than torture, and a lot more menacing on the psyche.

A ping of pain shot up Snoke's spine, screaming throughout his skull. This body would soon fail, rot and deteriorate. Snoke desperately needed to get his apprentice back. No one, not even that scavenger filth, was going to hide Kylo Ren from his fate. However, he was grateful for that desert rat. Without her, his apprentice would have died, leaving Snoke to his own ruin.

Before he kills her, he'll need to thank her for the selfless act of resurrection she performed on the body that was slated to be his.

And thank her for revealing the whereabouts of his twin.

During his apprentice's resuscitation, his sister's power had pounded against his mind, unwillingly greeting him across their ancient connection. And Snoke obliged by opening his awareness unto her, welcoming her with conniving intent. Kay's energy had pulsed through his being, allowing him to glimpse through her sight and know exactly where she was hidden. It was only a brief moment, which didn't give his sister enough time to gather her faculties and attempt to hurt him, but it did allow Snoke to rifle through her strategy.

In that breath of time, he saw her intentions and was astounded by her unique and imaginative plan. It was clever to attach herself to another being and create a bond between the scavenger and Kylo, whereupon she would then use said connection to find him. He almost respected her resourcefulness.

Almost.

Pacing in the decrepit body, it was hard to put into words what he was feeling. He hadn't expected to feel anything once he finally found his twin, but he was experiencing… something.

Up until this moment, his immortality had been executed flawlessly, making him invincible against the most unbiased of entities: death. There was satisfaction to be had in achieving the improbable, of perverting the natural order of the cosmos. Thinking of such a feat usually brought about a malicious happiness that on occasion made him smile.

Now, he started to feel… emotions he hadn't felt in a very long time. These emotions then produced memories, ones that appalled him.

Snoke hadn't been blessed with being gifted like his sister. Hard work and maximum determination was what it took for him to move even a pebble and his twin knew it. She would flaunt the ease in which she used her abilities, laughing at him when he couldn't match her strength, revving up his temper till he couldn't form words or even breathe correctly.

As the shadows touched the center of his chest from these recollections, he felt empty, but complete. Murdering her had only been a fantasy, but then he had awoken to find her head smashed into the dirt and blood and tissue staining his arms to the elbows. And there he was, holding a rock over her corpse.

He just wanted her to understand his frustrations, wanted her to see that he wasn't weak like she thought.

She'd been so proud of herself for being talented and he wanted some of that pride, because it had been impossible to find it within himself.

They had argued and he'd murdered her out of spite and anger… and some jealousy, too. It ended as quickly as it began and looking back on it, Snoke was always ashamed that he'd held her corpse and cried over what he had done.

The pride he now held for himself would never have allowed such a weakness to surface.

Once cultivating his true self, he searched her, knowing she would try to kill him in the future. Taking control of the galaxy was just one more way of making it harder for her to find him, which was why he needed someone he could control to bring his vision to fruition. That way, he could remain in the shadows while pulling the strings from afar.

Kylo Ren would do battle in a way he could not, weakening the Resistance and the galaxy at large with his violent machinations and lithe figure. Because of that, Snoke wasn't going to let his best warrior go. He'd been sculpting that boy into a weapon since birth, something he'd never done before. And to be of the proper influence, he needed a bond between him and the boy, which was another tool he'd never utilized till now.

It had been surprisingly simple to establish such a connection with a new mind. If the Dark side hadn't already been prevalent in the boy, it wouldn't have been possible. That early connection cemented Snoke's belief that the Dark side was within the hearts and minds of all beings at birth; it didn't just appear as one got older.

Snoke thought back on his many apprentices and how weak they all had been. None of them lasted long, which led him to theorize that having a vessel prominent in the Dark and Light would grant him more longevity. All he'd ever used were Dark side users, and since the transfer method relied purely upon darkness, his one attempt at using a Light side user had failed. Overall, his newfound theory seemed to be sound, and he was very eager to get to work on making the concept legitimate.

His apprentice would return unto the fold, because the blackness of Kylo's heart was only comfortable in the dark. Night had always pushed out day, and once Kylo Ren realized that, he'll beg Snoke to take his body so he could see to it that the Jedi never rise again – and in turn, fulfill his grandfather's destiny.

Albeit, not how the boy thought he would. But Snoke kept that fact to himself, letting his apprentice think he would live to see it through.

Now, Snoke just needed to prioritize who to find first: the boy, or the scavenger? Their bond would no doubt prove to be a weakness, their strong feelings for one another would surely be their downfall. Such emotions sickened Snoke, but it was no surprise that his apprentice had indulged in those superficial compulsions. Kylo Ren had always yearned to be wanted, to be loved, to be desired.

Snoke's knee wobbled and almost buckled from the unexpected feebleness. He still had some strength left in this frame of bones, but would it be enough to last a bit longer?

He was eager to find his apprentice, his grit beginning to thin. But meditation had revealed to him that the boy would somehow to come to him. Searching this feeling, Snoke was reassured that he would have the body he wanted; he just needed to wait.

And as it just so happens, patience was his strongest virtue.

()()()()()

"Again," Hux ordered.

The stormtrooper initiated the electricity to flow through the interrogation chair, causing Carise to tense from the torture. Her teeth tightened and her groaning came out in rasps as blood trickled out of her mouth from where she had bit into her cheek. The beautiful, blue dress was now diminished into rags, her sweat and blood staining the expensive fabric.

Hux nodded and the trooper flipped the switch off, causing Carise to sag and pant out her exhaustion. She looked to be upon the brink of death, but even as her neck lost the strength to hold her head up, she never begged for mercy. Maybe she was stronger than he thought.

"Leave us."

The room cleared, leaving a clean and polished Hux alone with his childhood acquaintance. He walked around the interrogation chair, eyeing her up and down. "You disappoint me, Carise. Your need for revenge has made you into a traitor."

"I… have never… supported… the Resistance," she said through heavy breaths, a drop of blood trailing from her chin, down her neck, and between her cleavage.

"Oh, I know you've never supported their cause, but giving credence to any other group that does not align with the First Order is treason. Even if that group is your own self-interests." Hux thought of his conversation with Supreme Leader from earlier, how he just looked at Hux with those all-knowing eyes. It was a mercy he was still alive, but he knew he was riding the wave of his last chance. Another mishap and Hux was out.

As much as it pained him, he would find Kylo Ren and bring him to the Supreme Leader alive. He just had to find the new Resistance base.

Standing in front of Carise, Hux clasped his hands behind his back. "What to do with you, Carise…. What. To. Do."

He thought upon their childhood together, how they were forced to interact at parties and social events. He deplored attending those get togethers, but his father always dragged him along, even though he was a bastard son. The looks he received, the sneers behind his back, and the jokes about his lanky disposition drove him to seek for greatness, to prove that he was somebody.

Carise's father had been good friends with Brendol since The Clone Wars, so she was expected to accompany him to many of those occasions. Their parents had even gone as far as to plan their marriage, but Hux shot that down with a mouth full of ire.

Him and Carise have always had an interesting relationship, one that comprised of helping each other get what they wanted while having a lot of sex on the side. It had been years since they'd been together, but Hux knew Carise more than got around.

He walked up to her, grabbing her face so she could look at him. "You humiliated me in front of Leader Snoke. I'm close to being replaced, thanks to you. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Fire showed in her eyes as she tried to snarl. Holding her head in place, Hux backhanded her, making her cough and choke on her own blood.

"I said, do you have anything to say for yourself?" he breathed into her beaten face.

She choked out a sob. "I'm… sorry."

Releasing his hold, her chin hit her chest, a moan escaping her weak lungs. Noticing blood on his hand, Hux wiped it clean on the only part of Carise's dress that wasn't already stained.

Hux straightened his uniform and pushed back his red hair. "Because of our history together, I'm giving you one more chance, Carise. One. More. You fail and you're dead. Do you understand?"

Her head rolled and he took that as a yes.

Their shared history was only part of the reason why Hux chose to keep her alive. The other was because The Core Worlds were used to corresponding with her. While those planets had a tendency of ignoring his messages, they responded to Carise with haste. The woman could be charismatic when she wanted to be, which was a good resource for galactic relations.

Allies were important to the winning of a war, as was keeping the most likable players. Having immense resources and recruits gave Hux the tactical advantage that allowed him to meet, engage, and lessen the power and size of the enemy. Allies were a strategic advantage, and the people whose interests aligned with his cause helped with loyalty. Even if the end goals did not exactly intersect. The only problem with allies was that, unlike the recruits, they were harder to control. It was only a matter of time before there was a hiccup in procedure.

Carise just needed to be reminded who her allegiance belonged to.

Hux walked to the stormtrooper posted outside the door. "Get her in a bacta tank and healed up. I don't want any evidence of what happened here on her body."

Carise's charisma wasn't the only thing that got a world leader to listen.

Magnetism only got a woman so far, nowadays.

()()()()()

Leia sat in her office during the early hours of the morning, a mug of hot caf on her organized desk. Her hair was braided in her trademark halo, makeup on her aged face, and her military green jumpsuit not yet wrinkled from the long hours of use that awaited. Surprisingly, the Resistance had stayed organized while she was away. It was hard to admit that Vassena was the reason. The woman had kept the Resistance working efficiently, which irked Leia since she despised her.

Trend had barged in, took control of everything Leia had built, and bossed around the council with enough intimidation that they didn't question her. It was borderline manipulation.

And then there was the fact the woman tried to have her son executed. Such measures had left her feeling indifferent towards Trend, mostly along the lines of Leia imagining grabbing her by the hair and launching her out of an air lock.

Trend had gone after her son. Her only child. Her little Ben.

And yet, his hate for her was rooted deep. Leia could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her. She didn't know how many more of those stares she could take.

She'd been incredibly disturbed with how he'd rammed his head into that mirror, not even batting an eyelash at the pain it undoubtedly caused him. Leia had no idea how to help him heal from the damage Snoke had inflicted. Part of her was too scared to even try. What if Ben never returned? What if there really was too much Vader inside of him?

Could she really look past what he did to Han?

Leia knew that Snoke was responsible for distorting her son's thoughts and for driving him to kill his father, but there was a sliver deep within her heart that hated her son for what he did. As much as she tried to deny it, it was there, waiting to ruin her.

But she couldn't dwell on it. Doing so gave the toxic emotion too much power.

On top of all her duties at the Resistance, Leia needed to find a way to help Ben. But as she sat there, going over all the meetings she had lined up and the remaining senators she needed to speak with, she felt like she was being forced to choose between her son and politics all over again.

A soft knock came from the door. Leia gave permission for her visitor to enter.

Admiral Statura came in hesitantly, his military uniform rustling against his movements. "General, the council will be ready to meet in an hour."

"Good. And thank you for getting that together on such short notice. Do you know if Admiral Trend will be there?"

"I'm not sure. No one has seen her since she went into her quarters yesterday. I knocked at her door, but didn't get a response. I sent everyone a message about the meeting, but kept her out of it. Do you want me to send it to her?"

Leia shook her head. "No. I think she should have a few days off." More like a year. Or forever. "Thank you, Admiral."

Going back to her datapad, Leia resumed reading the reports she'd missed during her captivity. For the most part, the First Order was quiet, which didn't surprise her after they lost such a major weapon. But still, she felt uneasy about the silence. They were plotting, and –

"General?" Leia glanced up as Statura moved forward. "You need to know how sorry I am for everything that happened yesterday. I… I understand if you feel betrayed for what the council tried to do to your son."

"From what I heard, you and Ackbar were the only ones who opposed the order for execution."

"We were, but we should've done more. Maybe I could have persuaded –"

"There was nothing you could've done," she interrupted. "It was a majority vote, and Vassena was the one who brought it to the table." Leia couldn't believe such a decision was based on a majority rule instead of it being unanimous. It was one of many things that slipped into the constitution on the back of another long bill, a method Leia deplored because the Senate needed to be trustworthy, not guileful.

Now that she knew about the addendum, the fix was a priority.

Except, the New Republic was a shadow of what it used to be.

The man shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "Still…."

The sweat on Statura's brow made it evident that her friend and confidant was ridden with guilt. But Leia understood that everything that transpired yesterday was not his fault. "I know what my son has done, and I understand why individuals would be calling for his death."

Statura shook his head slowly. "But the decision happened without your knowledge," he stated quietly.

"Yes, it did."

He searched her composed face. "Are you going to seek any repercussions?"

Leia chuckled, because she had put much thought into punishing those who had wanted her son's head. Most scenarios involved her slapping a bunch of council members, but such toddler reactions wouldn't go over very well. She could fantasize, though. "If we weren't in the middle of a war, I would… but no. I appointed all those people to the council for a reason. They are among the smartest and most strategic minds I know. And that includes you."

"I'm sorry, Leia.

"I know, and I don't blame you for any of it. If anything, I'm proud of you for sticking by me." Statura stood a little straighter. "And I still need you for counsel and advice. I hope you're still up for hearing me air my frustrations from time to time," Leia said as a grin played on her lips.

"Of course I am," Statura stated with pride. "I'd follow you anywhere, general."

()()()()()

Rey shimmied up to where her head could rest on the pillow next to Ben's tranquil face. His arms were heavy bars around her torso, making it difficult to move, but she was eager to study him. This was an important part of her morning routine: wake up, lay close, and wonder why his appeal never looked this young and innocent throughout the day.

Ben's long, narrow face ended with a sharp chin, and Rey was oh so tempted to rub her fingers against his jaw, wanting to feel his morning stubble. Instead, she counted every mole and every line that was etched into his skin, her stare lingering on the scar that bisected his face. He wore it well, the evidence of their violent encounter. It was very much a part of him, blending into his appearance to the point where it wasn't the first thing Rey noticed whenever she saw him.

But in these quiet moments, it always brought up the memory of how it got there.

Lightly, Rey brushed his hair away from his neck, getting a full view of his fanned out ear. She found it endearing how he made an effort to hide them, always making sure his soft curls covered what he believed to be a flaw. Rey liked his ears, though. It made him look more human, and that comforted her.

Resting her hand down between them, Rey thought of how they hadn't seen a lot of each other over the last week. During the last five days, Ben's time had been heavily sequestered by the council, divulging anything and everything he knew about the First Order. The mornings and nights were the only time they were able to see one another. Rey ended up being the one who did most of the talking. She knew he didn't want to go into detail about his day by the way his jaw hardened and shoulders tensed. So Rey rarely asked.

Shifting in bed, Ben rolled around and took the covers with him, wrapping his body in a snug cocoon.

Rey sighed.

Ben had the annoying attribute of being a blanket thief throughout the night. Usually, she would just tug at the sheets and Ben would eventually loosen his grip. But this time, Rey was content with feeling the cool air on her drenched body. Turned out, Ben was a human furnace, rivaling even the hottest days on Jakku. It was a mystery how the man had lived this long without combusting into flame.

No wonder he loved cold climates.

Rey's sweat dried rather quickly against the frigid air, causing her to shiver. She went to work prying a part of the blanket out from under Ben so she could borrow some of his bustling warmth. As she pulled, his shirt wadded up to his shoulder blades, giving her a good view of his creamy back. Ben was careful about keeping himself covered around her, even during the night. There were those few glimpses in which she saw him without a shirt, the most prevalent being in the ocean on Spira.

Mmmmmm…

Come to think of it, she'd never actually received a good view of his back. Not even during all the fighting on Ahch-To. And Ben's back was a very good view. But what were the streaks on his skin?

Through the dim light, Rey could make out faint, white lines. Her curious fingers caressed the marks, knowing by the raised skin that they were scars. Scooting further down, eyes straining, she saw that there were an alarmingly high amount of them. Some were long, some were short, and she couldn't stop her fingers from feeling each one.

Her mind wanted to know the story behind each and every mark.

"Rey," Ben breathed. Rey snatched her hand away, remembering how he told her she needed to keep her roaming hands to a minimum while in bed together.

Rolling back around, he looked down at her with heavy lids, his eyes glazed over by sleep. Or… was it sleep that was making him look at her like that? No… no, it wasn't. She was getting better at deciphering his gazes, and this was one of the I-want-you kind.

But he never did anything about it, and her frustration was growing to the point of desperation.

Rey rubbed her body against him. He closed his eyes and groaned. Something hard pressed against her belly, firing up a heat deep within her core. Rey was inexperienced in life, but she knew enough about basic anatomy to know what was going on below Ben's waist.

He wiggled away from her, melding so close to the wall that if he went any further, he'd be wearing the metal as an extra layer of skin. "You shouldn't do that," he whispered with a whole lot of do-it-again in his eyes.

"You liked it," she teased, closing the margin between them by placing her chest against his.

"That's why you shouldn't do it," he said hoarsely as he pulled her closer, his body disobeying his request.

"But"–she gave him a languid kiss–"I liked it."

In one quick, fluid movement, Ben parted her legs with his knee and positioned himself on top of her, leaving her mind to play catch up as to what was happening. Her body seemed to be aware of the setting, however, as her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, gluing him to her willing frame.

Holding him, Rey briefly thought of the pain he must have gone through while receiving those scars. She wanted to lend him some of her strength, give him shelter in her arms from all the harrowing memories of his past. As she stroked his hair with one hand and his revealed back with the other, he lowered his head to her neck.

In the comforting silence, Rey felt the past and present blend together, but she knew it was all just a mirage; she had witnessed enough of those on Jakku to recognize the false feeling. There was no comforting the boy he once was – nothing could sugar coat a person's experiences. But she had the man that boy had grown into and for a brief moment of fantasy, Rey imagined that she would never let him go.

Nuzzling into her morning hair, Ben's nose trailed up her neck, stopping at her ear before going back down again. "I love waking up next to you," he whispered, his breath warming her skin, his words melting her heart. "You're so beautiful."

Arching her back, she elicited a grunt out of his lips. Rey relished in the knowledge that he could react to her in such a pleasurable way. Around Ben, Rey was a woman – not a scavenger, not an apprentice, not a pawn in a deadly game. She was just a simple woman, who was sincerely wanted by a man.

Pushing his shirt fully up to his shoulders, she tugged forcibly, letting him know she wanted the barrier off. Ben grabbed her arm, making her stop. "Come on," she protested. Well, more like whined. "Is there something wrong with wanting to see more of you?"

Ben chuckled. "I thought we agreed –"

"No, I didn't agree to anything." Ben drew back, resting his weight on his forearms, gazing down at her. "You were the one who set these boundaries."

"Do you know what would happen if they weren't there?" His tone sounded like he was stating the obvious to a child, and Rey didn't like when he treated her like an unsullied little girl.

Even though she kinda was.

Every night she spent with Ben, the more Rey wanted to rectify the situation that was her inexperience. "Yes, I do know what would happen, and that's what I'm kind of going for here."

Ben smirked. "I feel like we've had this conversation before."

"We have. Like, five times already." Rey sighed out her frustration. "Sometimes… I feel like you treat me like I'm a kid or something."

"What?" Ben sat back, resting his rear on his heels as Rey's legs remained sprawled out on the bed. Placing his hands on her calves, he rubbed them up and down in a way he probably wasn't consciously aware of.

Rey rubbed her eyes. "It's just… you make these rules we have to follow and sometimes talk to me like I'm a child. It makes me feel belittled, to be honest."

Ben froze, and then slowly frowned so hard his brows almost came together. "I… uh… I don't mean to make you feel that way. Sometimes, I get so fixated on how young you are –"

"I'm an adult."

"I know, but –"

Rey raised her body slightly with her arms as her annoyance cut him off. "I've been an adult since I was five. I didn't have anyone to take care of me, except me. I had to do –"

"Rey, I know. That's not what I mean." He leaned in. "You've gone through more than most people have in their entire lifetime. What I'm trying to say is… there are things you haven't experienced because of your life of isolation. The galaxy is a big place."

Rey narrowed her lids. "You're alluding to sex, aren't you?"

Ben choked on his own spit, which threw him into a coughing fit.

Rey waited for him to regain his equilibrium.

"Well," Ben smacked his lips, "I appreciate your candor. And yes, that would be one of the things I'm 'alluding' to."

"You know, pointing out how naïve you think I am comes off as patronizing."

Ben scrubbed his face with his palms as he breathed deeply out of his nose. "I am not being patronizing."

"No?"

Ben scrutinized her unyielding stare while licking his lips in thought. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and swooped it off, tossing it onto the floor.

Rey's eyes betrayed her irritation by eating up every curve and valley of his chest, wondering down to his very low waist band that revealed the V of his pelvis. A spark of craving licked up her spine, shooting heat between her legs.

"You're trying to distract me," she said, her voice cracking.

"I'm not trying to distract you," his husky tone vibrated from his chest as he crawled up her body. "I am distracting you." He leaned in and she tilted her head to fit him perfectly against her lips. His kiss was fond, a tether between the two that truly meant something more than just lips meeting. The sweet meld was deep and necessary, making her feel like she was at last coming up for air after an age of living underwater.

Ben's hand weaved into her hair, giving a sweet tug as he dug deeper into her tresses. Sweeping her palms over his back, his skin was criminally smooth – albeit for the scars – as she soothed him into resting his full weight on top of her. Her knees were up and legs cracked wide to accommodate his heft, but all of it felt so natural, so right to do.

Without warning, he grinded against her core. Rey gasped from the sudden roughness. "I'm sorry," he said hoarsely between kisses. "I couldn't help it."

"Keep going."

Ben drew back, looking absolutely dazed, his breathing now full fledged panting. Before he could object, Rey kissed him. She didn't want to think or decide or contemplate, because she couldn't have done those things even if she tried.

Wrapping him in her legs, he moved against her again, trying to hold back his moans as he kept going. She needed that breath he was holding. It belonged to her, and she wanted him to groan so she could have it back.

Lifting her hips and meeting his rhythm, the friction down below gave her pleasure she never knew existed. Passion pulled them closer, transferring his lips to the sensitive flesh at her neck, sucking and biting as the grinding became more intense.

All this contact truly meant more to Rey than what was just going on with her body. She was sharing this moment with a special someone that consumed her thoughts, rocked her being, and awakened her individuality. Every nibble on her ear, every touch of his hand was electric, cosmic. She felt it everywhere as it stirred her emotions, her heart, her very soul.

Ben's hand dipped below her shirt, wondering up her ribcage, zeroing in on its target –

Tap, tap, tap.

They froze, his hand halting at the edge of her chest wrap.

"Master Ben?" Threepio called from the other side of the door.

"Shit," Ben cursed and raised his head to the door. "What?" he yelled out, not hiding his aggravation.

"May I come in?"

Ben sighed and looked down at Rey before peeling himself off of her.

"Hold on," he said to the door, and then eyed her.

"I'll go into the 'fresher and change into the clothes I brought over," Rey said gloomily.

Ben helped her up, both looking at each other longingly. Grabbing her face, he kissed her lightly and then rested his forehead against hers. As they parted, Rey felt the cold of the room, an unappealing feeling compared to the warmth Ben had given, both physically and sensually.

Her head was still dizzy from being so close to him.

Going into the refresher, Rey took her time changing and combing out the knots in her hair. She had no idea what his family droid was doing here, but she wanted to give him privacy to deal with whatever was going on. The murmuring only lasted a short minute before the room fell silent.

Ben knocked on the refresher door and she told him she was decent. Once the barrier slid up, it was revealed that he was still shirtless... which was totally fine with her.

"Is everything okay?" she asked before starting to wash her face.

Ben ground his teeth before speaking. "You know how I've been trying to see the general over the last week?"

Rey splashed her face with water. "Yeah."

"I guess Threepio is now her personal messenger droid. He came to tell me that she's going to be tied up over the next few days."

Rey dried her face and looked over to see Ben's distance stare. "You think she's avoiding you?"

He glanced over. "If she is, I don't blame her." They fell silent as she began brushing her teeth, making sure not to make a mess in Ben's neat and organized space. "You should go soon. Wouldn't want someone to see you leaving my room."

Stars, wasn't that the truth. People were already talking about them, no need to give them fuel for the fire of gossip.

Rey spat and rinsed. "You're lucky you have such a nice room, even if it is among the officers. Mine doesn't have a refresher in it," she said, looking around at the decent sized shower, the roomy counter space next to the sink, and the clean toilet. Rey wasn't complaining by any means. She'd gone her whole life without a washroom. She was merely making an observation to keep Ben's mind off the fact that his mother was ignoring him.

Ben frowned. "It doesn't?"

"Nope. The 'fresher I use is a common one."

His brows flared. "Common. As in males and females share it?"

Uhhhh… "Yeah. That's what 'common' means."

He glanced down at the bag next to her feet. Rey brought it every night when she came to him, that way she didn't have to sneak back to her room in the morning and risk someone seeing her. Jess never asked why she didn't sleep in their room, which she appreciated. Her roommate had to be suspicious of what was going on, but kept it to herself. Poe, on the other hand, knew where Rey was going every night. After all, it was him who told her when to go to Ben's room and which route was less likely to get her caught. Rey had an inkling the guy had dabbled in his fair share of midnight rendezvous.

Poor Jess…. Her infatuation with Poe was so obvious.

"You should use my refresher whenever you need one," Ben suggested. "It would give you more privacy."

Rey started to pack up her clothes and toiletries when she said, "You just don't want me to share a bathroom with other people."

"No, I don't want you sharing a bathroom with other men."

Rey scoffed. "Please. All the other girls have been perfectly fine and I will be, too." She zipped up the duffle, but Ben was the one who picked it up, like she somehow couldn't do it herself.

"You underestimate your appeal. You're the most beautiful girl on this base and trust me when I say I know what men think about when they see you. No need to tempt them more by showering in the stall next to them."

She rolled her eyes. "Nothing has happened –"

"The showers are timed, right?"

Rey looked at him, confused. "Yeah."

"If you came here, you could take as long as you want. I know you love the hot water, and mine seems to be unlimited."

Rey analyzed his insistent face, sensing that he was holding back on being forceful. "You're really good at getting your way, you know that?"

He came closer, hope blooming in his expression. "Does that mean you'll come here?"

Having access to her own private refresher was way too appealing to pass up, Rey realized. Well, it would mostly be private. "Yes, I will. But I have to warn you, I shed a lot of hair. It's not going to be ideal for your drain." She lived for the times she got to take a shower each day, but dealing with all that hair in the drain? Yuck. Not ideal. Not in the slightest.

Ben encroached on her space, his swollen, reddened lips smiling because she'd caved into his demand. "I don't care. And I think you forget how much hair I have, too."

Yeah, he did have a lot of hair. So maybe sharing a washroom wouldn't be too bad…. The only problem was Ben liked to keep everything extremely clean and tidy, while Rey's space always looked unorganized. Guess she'll have to learn to clean up after herself.

Rey followed Ben into the room, getting an uninterrupted view of his back.

"Hey, how did you get those scars on your back?"

Ben stopped halfway to the bed. Rey inwardly scolded herself for not regulating her tongue. It was a waste of time to ask such things. Ben rarely spoke about anything from his past.

Choosing to let it go, she walked passed him and picked up her comms link on the floor by the bedpost.

"When I joined the First Order, I had to be… broken or worn down, as it was put," he stated delicately.

The shock that he answered her stole Rey's voice for a moment, but as she twisted around to face him, her vocal chords rebooted back to life.

"Broken? Like an animal?" she asked, disgusted.

He walked over and placed her brown overnight bag on the bed. "Somewhat."

The Force help her, but Rey needed more details. If Ben was willing to give answers, then she was going to keep asking. "What did the process entail?"

With the bags handle still in hand, he picked at the fabric. "Beatings, torture, mental stuff I don't even know how to describe. It all got the job done."

And to think he had volunteered for all of it.

"Those scars weren't from someone's fists," she pointed out.

He shook his head. "No, they're either from a blade or an electro-whip. I'm not entirely sure; it all just blended together. Sometimes I was allowed to heal myself, other times I wasn't. Hence all the evidence."

The conversation paused, and then Rey asked, "You wanted to go through this?"

His nod broke her heart. "I requested it. I was done being who I was. I wanted to be someone else, and Snoke gave me that." Ben lowered onto the bed, looking down at the floor beneath his feet. "I'm not going to lie, though. I questioned my decision a lot in the beginning, especially during the parts where I felt like I was dying."

"But you stuck with it."

"I had nowhere else to go, so I stayed." His eyes, now lifeless, gave her a view of the void she knew was inside. Kneeling down in front of him, she rested her arms on his knees, her stare drawing his attention.

"That's not true anymore, because now we have each other." Rey went in and kissed him chastely, feeling in that undeniable moment that her soul had found its mate.

Even though Ben's life was more twisted and disturbing then her own, Rey could relate to how Ben had chosen to stay in his predicament based on the belief that there was nothing else out there for him.

Now, he needed help in finding his way back.

()()()()()

Ren sat on the edge of the bed, his sight roaming over his new room on the base. It was plain, like the one on the cruiser, but the walls were a metallic silver rather than white. Poe had acquired him a good amount of clothes, all stuffed in the closet and dresser to his left. Black was the running theme of the attire, which more than satisfied his aversion to light colors.

Rey had left only after Ren convinced her that he was all right. He was sure she didn't believe him. He didn't even believe himself. Drudging up his time with the First Order had brought about conflicting feelings: he missed living as Kylo Ren, and at the same time, he wished he'd never gone through the process to become him.

Ren headed to the refresher, stripping off his loose sweats and leaving them on the tile floor. The air turned thick and humid as he stepped under the hot spray, going through the motions of lathering his hair and body. Placing his hands against the slick wall, he hung his head underneath the water, letting it cascade down his nose and jaw.

Then, after years of discipline, he gave in and touched himself.

Getting that physical with Rey made it impossible to resist the urge to pleasure himself, and he couldn't think of a good reason not to. Ren thought of Rey throughout the whole process. After it was over, guilt tore at him for using her to meet such carnal needs.

Ren was still hard after he came, another release begging to get out, like this suppressed part of himself was trying to make up for lost time. But he withdrew his hand and concentrated on getting his thoughts together. He wasn't the type of person to give into such cravings easily, and he hated himself for being weak.

But… Rey had been so resplendent under his body.

Stop.

Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Ren replayed the last week in his mind in an effort to get his head out from below his waist and onto his shoulders.

Question. Answer. Question. Answer.

Some more questions.

Some more answers, with maybe a snide remark thrown into the narrative. Those five days had been impatiently repetitive: ten hours of being confined to a tight room, taking his meals at the small table he rested his arms upon. At the end of each day, it was a miracle his rear hadn't sustained permanent nerve damage from all the relentless sitting. His request to get up and pace around during the process had been denied – probably because it made him seem more aggressive. Which was maybe one of the reasons why he'd wanted to wear his soles into the steel floor.

All of the lazy stand-still had tested Ren's patience, for he'd always been someone who was constantly on the move. The inactivity and being locked in that room had reminded him too much of the bureaucracy and politicians who were more than worthless at improving the galaxy.

The Resistance already knew most of the First Orders inner workings, with him adding specific planets they got resources from and where the Star Destroyers preferred to dwell. He would keep his answer specifically to the question, never embellishing or going into explicit detail. It did surprise them to hear that the Order had already established a line of contact with the Core Worlds.

Ren wondered how the Resistance was going to handle that piece of worrisome information.

Once he was told he could leave the cruiser and go down to the base, there were things he still hadn't revealed to them. But hey, they didn't ask the right questions.

He expected a summons back to the interrogation room any day now.

The only respite to the sessions was that Ren got to sleep with Rey in his arms and woke the next morning to her snuggling against him.

Ren's arrival on the base had happened well into the night. Most of the day personnel were already well into their slumber, leaving the few night troopers to have a gander at the mythical man. Poe gave him and Rey a tour of the place. Ren had put on a face of interest, but really, he was dispassionate about the whole excursion. His disbelief of actually being on a Resistance base overshadowed the fact that he should be learning the layout, since he was going to be living here for a while.

At the end, Rey and him had to part ways. Ren didn't even try to hide his disapproval. But Rey wanted to see Jess and catch up with her.

Since the two girls were bunking together, wouldn't they have more than enough time to talk later?

But Ren kept those thoughts to himself as they left him in his own private quarters in the officers section. The council hadn't wanted to put him among the mass population of soldiers and at this, Ren didn't put up a fight. His own private quarters with his own refresher? No argument from him.

If they dangled more incentives like this in front of his face, maybe he would be more inclined to be a proper human being while residing here.

Until then, he needed to figure out how to sneak Rey into his room. It went against the no-commingling-after-hours policy on base, but he held close to no respect for the Resistance and their rules.

Like a wish fulfilled from above, Rey came to his room before he fell asleep, pride showing on her face over not being caught.

Ren had meant it when he said he'd meet her for breakfast, but now that reality was just beyond that door, it was hard to get his body to the exit. Not one to ever skirmish from a fight, he found himself now dreading being among the ire of so many people.

With a towel wrapped around his waist, Ren sat on the bed, lost in his thoughts long enough to miss first meal.

He eventually stood, his stomach growling in disapproval at the decision not to feed it. He would have to ignore the protests, because during the last couple of hours of contemplation, Ren decided there was someone he needed to talk to first. As he pulled on his trousers, a sharp rap came from the door. It opened without Ren's approval, allowing Poe to walk into the room like he owned the place.

BB-8 rolled in, saying hello to Ren in a beep that sounded way too chipper.

"Getting dressed?" Poe asked as he watched Ren slide on a shirt. He'd forgotten that the door had been programmed to be unable to lock, and Ren made a mental reminder to get dressed in the refresher from now on.

"You are more observant than usual," he responded dryly, getting into the closet to grab a pair of socks and boots.

"Good thing I didn't let Rey come get you or you two might've been stuck in here for hours."

Ren paused and slowly turned around, boots and socks in hand. His eyes pinched as he said, "It's not like that."

It was almost like that this morning, an inner voice mocked.

Poe didn't believe him. "Uh huh. Sure. From one guy to another, just make sure you don't get caught sneaking around at night. Or I guess I should make sure Rey is still using the route I told her about, since she's the one who always comes here. I doubt you two want to do anything in front of Jess –"

Ren cut him off. "Is there a reason for this unwanted visit?"

"Actually, there is." Poe pointed at BB-8. "Meet your new chauffeur. I can't keep taking you everywhere; I do have a life, you know."

Looking at the duo, Ren almost laughed at the absurdity. "I don't need a babysitter," he said as he moved to the bed. "The chip in my arm is sufficient enough."

"But look at how adorable he is. All the girls on base faun over the little guy."

Ren sat and started to sheath his feet with the socks and boots. "You might use the droid to pick up women, but that is the last thing I want to do here."

Poe set his jaw, his demeanor growing serious and matching his low tone. "Look, there is talk that there's going to be an attempt on your life. Could just be made up, but I can't be sure. Most people here are afraid of you and won't get in your way, but there are some who want to get revenge for what happened to the Hosnian system. I'd feel better if you let BB-8 be with you during the day."

Ren remained seated as the droid looked at him expectantly, silently pleading even though he had no expression to show it. "How is a droid supposed to be useful to me if I get cornered?"

"I helped you in Jorfel's home when you went after those thugs," BB-8 beeped. "I can be useful."

True, the little guy did zap one of them, giving Ren an advantage.

Poe moved closer to the droid. "People underestimate BB-8 because of his size, but he has some tricks in that metal cylinder of his. Also, he can alert us if something is happening."

Ren sighed, running a hand roughly through his mostly dry hair. Considering that he more than anticipated some form of retaliation, having a witness wouldn't be such a horrible idea. As long as he wasn't the one who started the fight.

"I won't try to talk to you, I promise. I remember how you preferred silence." BB-8's binary was fast and anxious and Ren could tell that the droid worried for his safety – just like his owner.

"Fine," Ren relented, thinking that BB-8's company was better than an actual person.

"I knew there was a reasonable person below all that pride," Poe said satirically. "Got any plans today?"

Ren stood and walked into the refresher. "Yes." He grabbed his toothbrush and began scrubbing his teeth like there was an inch of grime coating the enamel. The bristles on the new brush were already flattening, reminding him that he needed to cool it when it came to dental hygiene.

Ren scrubbed harder.

Poe appeared and Ren watched the guy through the mirror as he leaned against the wall. "Are you going to elaborate, or am I supposed to guess?" Poe met his stare in the reflection.

Ren didn't answer.

Poe interpreted his silence as refusal to talk. "Will it get you into trouble?" the pilot asked.

Ren spat, sloshed water in his mouth, and then spat some more. "No," he said before drying off with the hand towel. "I'm just going to go talk to someone."

"Someone, as in…."

Turning and orienting his weight against the sink, Ren said, "The stormtrooper."

Poe blinked. "Sorry, I must've hear you wrong because you couldn't have possibly just said the stormtrooper."

Ren nodded. "No. You heard correctly." He walked past Poe and went to the closet to grab the comm link he'd been issued. The piece of scrap metal couldn't transmit outside of the base, but he could tinker with it to boost its capabilities.

But he wasn't going to. No one out there he wanted to contact.

"Yeah… I'm thinking you should probably outsource that… preferably to someone who is less inclined to murder him," Poe argued, trailing after him.

"I'm tired of seeing Rey sad over someone who's been treating her like bantha shit. So I'm taking care of this myself," Ren said as he went out into the hall, making a hard right.

Poe's footfalls and BB-8's whizzing were close behind. "And you think talking to him is going to fix their relationship?"

Ren stared straight ahead, passing a few officers who wouldn't meet his stare. "Why not? I'm the reason he doesn't talk to her."

Poe sped up to walk by his side. "Okay… I'll go with you."

Ren went left down a corridor, not knowing exactly where the stormtrooper would be, but he was going to start by going in the general direction of the training facility. He didn't want to ask Poe for directions. He needed to appear like he had everything under control. And by the fact that the pilot wasn't correcting his path, Ren deduced he was taking the correct route.

"I thought you have a life to live that doesn't revolve around me?" Ren said offhandedly.

"I can finagle my schedule around," Poe insisted.

As they went through a wide door, Ren's senses immediately heightened from the crowded hallway. Walking into the horde, his scrupulous vision picked up movement all over the place, shooting his paranoia with an extra dose of panic. He hated non-threatening crowds – not just because he picked up their thoughts like a radio frequency, but because he was less capable of sensing an attack.

Loose clothes flapped from fast-footed bodies, their shadows darting around from the blaring lights above, casting shadows that looked like people with blasters. Or grenades. Or all kinds of sharp and shiny things.

Ren preferred a more open setting to fight in. That way, he had a shot at sensing the danger easily. In here, at a base he was unaccustomed to, people had resources he was unfamiliar with and that made him twitchy.

Gods, he missed his lightsaber. He would've even accepted a blaster at this point.

"Nothing is going to happen," Ren assured Poe as they bumped and shuffled through the dense bodies. "I'm not going to do anything stupid."

"You mean stupider."

"Semantics," Ren said impassively.

Grabbing his arm, Poe stopped Ren and yanked him to the side, out of the direct heavy traffic. Ren's first instinct was to lock onto Poe's arm and break the elbow with an upward thrust, but he skipped the idea. He still didn't like to be touched, and it would appear that violent impulses were hard to kick.

Man, when was the last time he beat someone? Like, with his actual fists?

Ren's knuckles ached to be unleashed.

Getting into his personal space, Poe locked onto his eyes. "Swear that you will not hurt him. If he comes at you, you don't fight back."

No self-defense? "I'm just supposed to let him hit me?"

Poe's expression showed a whole lot of "duh". "After everything you've done to him? Yeah. Now swear to me you won't hurt him, or I'm coming with you."

Too many people were catching on to how he cherished keeping his word. Actually, scratch that. Two people were catching on, but that was already two too many. "I promise, alright? I won't hurt the guy."

The pilot gave him a stern stare, the kind a suspecting parent would give to their shifty child. "If you do, I'm comin' after you."

"I do not doubt that."

Taking a deep breath, Poe stepped back, nodding his head slowly. "Okay… good. But keep what you have to say short and try to make it so you two can stand to be in the same room as each other. We all notice the death glares you two exchange. It's rather uncomfortable for the rest of us."

"Wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable."

"You sadistic bastard," Poe said, his mouth seizing as he fought back a grin.

"Actually, I am a legitimate son. But you got the sadistic part right."

"Well, how about you drag your sadistic ass to lunch in a couple hours. Wouldn't want Rey doing it for you."

"I'll be there."

"You better," Poe muttered as he turned and walked the way they came, taking a right to head to one of the hangars. Ren resumed his search with his new little companion, finding it to be a little more complicated than he presumed to find the trooper.

On a part of the base that was far away from his quarters – or sanity – he found FN-2187. It had taken some asking around, and for someone to not shy away from him, to finally be told where the guy was.

Striding up to the door, Ren didn't wait or second guess his decision.

This confrontation wasn't only needed, it was necessary.

()()()()()

Finn flipped through the profiles of his troopers, going over the reports on how they were acclimating to their new jobs among the Resistance. Thanks to the rigorous training brought to them by the First Order, each soldier had a specific skill set and was now putting their knowledge to good use.

In the beginning of the ESC, Finn had basically just been their babysitter. Now, he was officially their superior, helping to place them in jobs that were suitable for everyone.

Everyday, Finn went through the rounds of visiting each individual, following up with their commanding officers to make sure their transitions were going smoothly. On more than one occasion, a fight had broken out and Finn had been called in for damage control. So far, only Resistance soldiers had been the instigators. Finn hoped and prayed the roles never switched. The last thing he needed was for more people to become prejudice against them.

Overseeing the integration of the stormtroopers was taxing and took up the majority of Finn's time, but he found an immense satisfaction in helping those he could relate too. This life was new and different than anything they had ever known, and he wanted all his soldiers to excel at their second chance.

If he could help them with that, Finn would be content.

Well, mostly. Rey still plagued his thoughts.

The steel door slid open without any prelude of a knock. Kylo Ren stood in the entryway. The man's face was cold, with only a hint of hatred behind those dark eyes. It confused Finn to see BB-8 by his side, but he decided to keep the questions to himself.

"Look at you, moving up in the galaxy, getting your own private closet," the man sneered.

Closet was pronounced harshly, the word heightening Finn's aggravation to the ceiling. Or up into space.

"What do you want," Finn all but growled as he placed the datapad on the desk.

Ren arched an eyebrow, amused by Finn's reaction to his presence. Not one to ever act predictably, the guy took a quick stroll around the room, which consisted of two steps to the right and two steps to the left. Kylo hadn't been exaggerating on how small the space was, but Finn was grateful for whatever her could get.

"This place is just as sparse as your loyalty," Ren griped as his calculating eyes moved around the naked walls. Finn ignored the obvious jab, instead choosing to stay seated, waiting for the psycho to reveal his intentions for coming here.

It sure as hell didn't consist of reminiscing about the First Order.

"Mind if I take a seat?"

"Yes."

Ren parked his rear on the rickety chair, annoying the trooper with a flagrant disregard for his answer. BB-8 rolled up next to him, its small domed head whirling between him and Kylo.

"You and I need to talk."

Finn's lips thinned. "And here I thought you came to finish what you did to me on Starkiller."

"Tempting… but no." Kylo sat back, arms crossing over his chest, lounging in a way that made it seem like he was going to be there for a while. "This get together has to do with Rey."

"Get out," Finn snarled.

Ren crossed his legs ankle to knee. "Or what? You'll force me?"

"I'm not talking about this with you."

"Rey misses you and you need to stop being an ass towards her."

Finn was flabbergasted by the accusation. "You're accusing me of being an ass?"

Ren shrugged. "Takes one to know one."

"If Rey wants to talk with me, she knows where to find me."

"Yeah, like she's going to do that with how hard you shut her down the last time."

"So you took it upon yourself to intervene for her?"

"Since I'm the reason you won't even look at her, yes, I chose to intervene."

Finn's stare narrowed. "She doesn't know you're here, does she?"

"No, and I want to keep it that way. So how about you go and apologize and be friends with her again," Kylo said, like it was something so simple to do.

"Why do you even care? You don't even like me."

"True, but I care about her."

"So, what… I'm supposed to hang out with her and ignore you're even there? Am I just supposed to forget who you are? What you've done?" The raw mechanics of how Kylo lived his previous life sickened Finn down to the marrow… probably because he actually had a strong conscience, unlike Ren.

Also, Finn would have never murdered his own father.

Kylo's lips thinned. "I didn't take you to be a pious person. If you recall, you were once a member of the First Order, too."

Finn's eyebrows shot up, wrinkling his forehead and peeling his eyes wide. "I've never murdered anyone, unlike you," he said in a raised tone.

The eyes of the bastard didn't so much as focus on Finn as bore right through to the back of his skull. "You were at that village."

Finn bit back. "You know I never fired my weapon – that that was the first time I was out in the field."

Ren rolled his eyes, a childish gesture that somehow made him seem more human. "And I'm supposed to know everything about your life? You're a stormtrooper, a nobody."

Finn regarded the guy steadily. "I think I'm more than a nobody to you, given the fact that you hate me. You could've killed me so easily during that fight, but you played me instead."

Ren's arms tightened around over his body, like they were the only barriers keeping him from lunging at Finn. "You were a traitor –"

"Traitor?" Finn exclaimed as he leaned forward, resting his weight on the desk. "You still playing that tune? If you haven't noticed, you're a traitor, too." A thought that had been percolating through his brain from watching Ren interact with other people resurfaced. And he couldn't find a reason not to voice it. "Terr, Garreaus, Liz… they're all traitors, but for some reason, you're the most hostile towards me. Why is that?"

Ren's temples protruded and Finn could have sworn a knuckle cracked from how tight the guy's fists curled. "Go apologize to Rey."

Finn tilted his head, feeling satisfied that he somehow got the upper hand during the conversation. "And if I don't?"

"Then I'll make you. You haven't seen how much this rift between the two of you is hurting her. I have to watch her cry over you, and I would prefer that to stop."

That piece of info was as jarring as a slap to the face, but Finn tried not to let it show. "You know, threats won't incline me to be her friend." But sure as fodder his guilt would, cause he really didn't want to be the reason Rey cried.

"I know. But you want to be her friend again, so therefore, you will be. You don't like knowing that you're the cause for her sadness." Finn tensed and Ren grinned unpleasantly. "And yes, I did read your thoughts for that little tidbit of information."

The wicked smile spread wider, an expression that looked more creepy than arrogant. Finn's stare didn't waver. "This doesn't change anything between us," Finn declared as he started to consider if he could handle being around this monster while hanging with Poe and Rey.

"I don't want it to, but I expect us to tolerate each other from here on out. You can go about hating me all you want, I really don't care."

Good, cause that won't ever change.

"Are you and Rey really just friends?" Finn asked before he could sensor his mouth. The answer could either be good, or make him want to vomit.

Ren showed no offense, so either he was a magnificent actor worthy of making it big, or he had already prepared for this particular inquiry. "Is that what she told you?" Finn nodded. Kylo unfurled his arms and rubbed his hands against his thighs before resting them on his knees. He shrugged. "Then that's what we are."

"But you want more, don't you?"

Guiding his elbows onto his knees, Kylo listed forward, watching the trooper below lowered brows. "Talk to Poe and talk to Rey. Fix it." He stood, going for the exit, BB-8 staying close to his heels.

"Watch your back out there," Finn said. Kylo stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "Some people on the base are gunning for you."

"I can take care of myself, but I appreciate the concern," Ren said with contrived gratitude.

"If you die, Rey will be a walking ghost. So actually, the concern is genuine."

It just doesn't originate with you.

Kylo chuckled, like he'd heard what Finn had thought.

Can he –

"Only when you make the thought really clear. See you around, buckethead."

The door shut, leaving Finn alone.

Not only would Finn have to deal with being around that prick, but now he'll have to worry about the man reading his thoughts. But he would have to put up with it, because he couldn't keep living like this. With each passing day, Finn saw the error in how he'd been treating Rey and Poe. Sure, they lied to him, but after trying to deny it, Finn understood why they had.

Finn and Kylo Ren had a tumultuous history… but so had Poe, Rey and Ren and they all somehow looked past it.

Taking a deep breath, he hung his head back, allowing him a clear shot of the matte ceiling above. It wasn't even the afternoon yet, and already his bones felt like they were being weighed down by lead.

()()()()()

The cold, stagnant air of the hallway felt good on Rey's face, her sinuses clearing, her mind relaxing. It had been hot in the training center as she spent hours working through various forms and dueling with Master Skywalker. Thanks to all kinds of heavily forged neuropathways, her agility and reflexes were becoming sharper, her limber body starting to follow her commands with electric speed.

Rey hoofed her way to the mess hall for lunch, trying to ignore the curious glances that shot her way. She could hear the whispers, see the muddled conversations that always started up when she was around. Ignoring the stares had been her first reaction, but the more it happened, the harder it was to do. Information spread throughout this place like wildfire, and everyone was speculating about her and Kylo Ren.

Rey's muscles ached with every step, but the discomfort just reminded her how strong she was becoming. She focused on that piece of knowledge as she neared the dining hall entrance.

"Rey?"

She halted mid stride, causing someone to walk right into. After exchanging apologies, she wheeled to the left to see a timid Finn. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his shoulders slumped in a way that made him look out of place.

He was nervous.

"Finn… hi," she spoke lamely as he closed the chasm between them. Staring at him, he shuffled from side to side, his discomfort becoming more apparent.

"I, uh, was wondering if you had a minute," he said as he motioned her off to the side, both struggling against the tide of hungry soldiers wanting to get to the cafeteria.

"How are you doing?" Finn asked once they found a quiet corner to converse.

"Good. I had training this morning and it went really well. I'm getting a lot better with my lightsaber. So, yeah… I'm doing good," she reiterated awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

Finn glanced around, taking in a drag of air. "Look... I'm sorry. Really, I'm just... really sorry."

It took a few seconds for her brain to catch up with her ears, but once the two connected, Rey's heart rocketed into her throat. "You're… you're apologizing?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I am. I've been thinking of myself throughout all of this and haven't taken into account how complicated this must be for you. I don't understand how you can trust Ren... but I do know I can trust you." He paused before softly adding, "You're a good person."

But she wasn't, not when it came to him. "Finn, I am so sorry for keeping the truth from you. I really am."

"I know and I understand why you did." They fell silent and she watched his throat bob up and down as he swallowed. "You, uh… wanna still be friends? Cause I was hoping–"

"Yes." She gripped his arm firmly, her smile almost cutting her face in half. "Yes, I do. And I'll talk to Ben and sort everything out –"

"No need. Him and I talked."

Rey blanched, then quickly inspected his body for injury. After concluding that Ben didn't try to kill him, her voice came back to her. "You… what? You went and talked to him?"

"Actually, he came and found me. He didn't want you to know that, but I think you should. We… talked a little and came to an understanding, of sorts. We both agreed to tolerate each other. But I have to be honest Rey, I don't think I'll ever like the guy and I hope you don't expect me to."

She shook her head sharply. "I don't; not after everything that happened." There was a lull before she threw her arms around him, smiling into his chest as he returned the welcoming gesture.

"Is this a reunion? Nobody invited me." Poe said from behind, feigning offense.

Rey slid out of Finn's arms and backed away, letting the two men face each other on equal ground. "Hey, buddy," Poe greeted.

"Hey. I was gonna come find you after I talked to Rey," Finn said in a shaky voice. "I want to apologize for punching you –"

"It's okay, man. I get it," Poe said, his eyes full of understanding.

Finn's eyes watered, but he kept his composure. "So…" He cleared his throat. "We good then?"

"Yeah, we're good." Rey beamed as she watched the two men clasp hands and then briefly embrace. Everything was gradually coming together and even though Finn said he was never going to get along with Ben, Rey still had hope for that to change.

"Come eat lunch with us," Finn said as they stepped out of the hug.

"I already ate, but I'll come sit with you guys. I gotta go do something really quick, though. Save me a seat." Poe eyed Rey before heading off in the direction of the kitchen and she grew excited over the little surprise they had planned.

()()()()()

The mess hall was a large, square room, with long metallic tables and benches taking up most of the open space. Even though it was the peak of lunch and people were having a difficult time finding a seat, Ren sat alone at a table fit for twelve. It was like he was nine all over again, all the kids too afraid to get within ten feet of him. Well, BB-8 idled patiently down below, but seeing how he wasn't sentient, the droid didn't count.

In the end, the soldiers standing and eating their food were the ones who were suffering, not him.

Not him.

Focusing on the mound of nourishment on his tray, he began to go through the motions of eating.

Chew. Swallow. Chew. Swallow.

There was no savoring, no acknowledgment of texture. He ate for energy, not for joy.

It had been almost two hours since the conversation with the trooper and as he shoved the calories into his mouth, he couldn't get one particular sentence out of his thoughts.

"Terr, Garreaus, Liz… they're all traitors, but for some reason, you're the most hostile towards me. Why is that?"

Why is that….

As reviling as it was to admit, the guy had a point. On Lothal, when he found out his friends were all deserters, he didn't feel the same amount of anger towards them as he did with FN-2187. He accepted those people rather quickly, actually.

Is it jealousy?

Rey and the trooper had become close over the two weeks Ren was gone, but he didn't sense any sort of underlying attraction between the two. If he was jealous, it was over the fact that the vagrant got to spend a great deal of time with her while he was elbow deep in grease and speeder parts. But the envy over that could only go so far since Ren was the one who left her in the first place.

He'd lived in this body, owned the same mind, and recognized his own narrative over the past thirty years and somehow, he still didn't know why he felt the way he did in certain situations. Was it because his time had always been occupied and wouldn't allow him to internally reflect? Or was it because he'd always been unknowingly naïve and frozen with the emotional grid of a child?

…. Hmmmm… it might be the latter.

Without reason, Ren looked up, seeing Rey and the trooper walking over to him with their own trays of food and drink. Rey's demeanor was glowing, with only a hint of trepidation in her step. The cause was obvious as the stormtrooper walked closely next to her, studying him warily.

Looked like Ren had made the right call to talk to the fucker. Now, he needed to put on a performance that he was actually fine with having the trooper around.

Rey came around to sit next to him as the trooper sat on the other side.

"Is it okay if Finn sits with us?" Rey asked as she settled in.

Ren swallowed the last bite, "Yep."

The two men stared at each other as Rey inspected the silent exchange. Once she deemed them non-threatening, she started chatting about her morning of training.

"Hello, ladies," Poe interrupted as he strolled up. "And I mean you two," he added as he eyed both Ren and Finn.

The pilot was holding a covered plate, but before he revealed what was on it, he threw something at him. Ren caught it before it hit his face and held it up to inspect the grey leather material.

"My jacket…" Ren breathed, flipping it over to see the patch on the back. The leather square was slightly lighter than the dark grey of the jacket, but the hue was close enough to where you wouldn't notice the difference unless you inspected it closely.

"Got it fixed for ya. Happy birthday, man." Poe revealed the plate as he placed it next to Ren's tray.

It was four small chocolate banja cakes.

Twisting his head to the left, he gave Rey a questioning stare. "Poe said he had some pull in the kitchen, so I told him these were your favorite."

She remembered…

Stunned into speechlessness, Ren's heart warmed, swelling almost beyond the capacity of his ribcage. This act of kindness cut through his dim emotions, lighting it with an ambient glow, carving a pure path through the darkness while using the illumination of an uncompromising good deed. This feeling was not something he was familiar with, so he wasn't sure how to react.

On an operating principle, Ren nodded his head, put on the jacket, and said a soft, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. And just to put it out there, my birthday is in three months," Poe said with a cunning smile as he sat across from Ren.

Ren chuckled willingly, his smile more than authentic, making his face relax.

"Happy belated birthday," Rey said by his side, placing her hand on his thigh and giving him a comforting squeeze. He grasped her hand and held it, but couldn't glance at her. This simple gesture of cake and a gift was moving, and adding Rey's soft eyes into the mix would make him too emotional.

Wait… When was Rey's birthday? "It's not for a long time, toward the end of the year," she said.

Apparently he asked that question out loud.

Realizing he was staring intently at the cakes, he offered Poe and Rey a bite, but they both declined. He didn't go as far as to do the same with the trooper. The guy's eyes bounced around as he ate his food, purposefully staying out of the conversation as he tried to get comfortable with being there.

"Are you even going to have any room for dessert?" Poe pointed out, nodding at Ren's mountain of chow. "You have quite a mound of food in front of you."

"He eats the dessert first," Rey said as she took a bite of her sandwich, smiling as she chewed.

"Good thing, cause I doubt he would have room after eating three sandwiches, two maize rolls, and…" Poe leaned in, searching for anything else. "Are those warra nut cookies?" Ren nodded as he took his first bite of cake, savoring the sweet chocolate and velvety texture. "When was the last time you ate anything? A week ago? I've never seen you eat this much."

Ren shrugged and swallowed. "I only had a set amount of food on my freighter. It wouldn't have been wise to eat everything in one sitting."

"So you're going to eat everything on the base?"

The corner of Ren's lips rose as he masticated, remembering how Poe disapproved of his diet of chocolate bars when they were on Spira.

After a few more jabs in his direction, Rey cut the pilot off by resuming what she'd been speaking about before Poe showed up. Before Ren could voice his worry over using actual lightsabers for practice, Poe put in his two credits.

"You beat Skywalker? While dueling?" Poe shook his head in disbelief. "Nah, he definitely let you win."

Rey put her sandwich down. "Girls are just as strong as men, if that's where you're going with this."

"Oh really? You wanna arm wrestle right now?" Rey pursed her lips. "No? Didn't think so."

"I didn't mean we are literally stronger than you."

"So you meant it metaphorically? How does that work?"

"I – oh, there's Jess." They all turned their attention to the entryway, and Ren deduced that the girl with the long, black hair and roaming slanted eyes was Jess, Rey's roommate. Poe swung his legs over the bench, waving to get her attention. She smiled and came their way.

"I'll be right back. I should probably warn her you're here," he glanced at Ren before jogging off and meeting the girl halfway, stopping her as she gave him a confused look.

"Do you think women are weak?" Rey asked. Ren whipped his head around, meeting her inquisitive eyes. Finn stopped eating, no doubt wondering how Ren was going to answer the question.

"Well, physically compared to men, women are at a disadvantage. But that doesn't mean men are always stronger. You've beaten me before, remember?"

"You'd been shot, though," Finn said, looking surprised he even added anything to the conversation.

That made two of them.

"She beat me on Ahch-To as well," Ren stated evenly.

Rey rolled her eyes. "This again? I didn't beat you. All I did was talk to you."

"And is using your intelligence also not another form of strength? I think it is."

"What exactly happened on Ahch-To?" Finn asked. Neither Rey, nor Ren jumped at the opportunity to give him an answer, which only made the trooper come to his own violent conclusions.

Poe cleared his throat, catching their notice. "Ren, this is one of my best pilots, Jess Pava."

Ren locked eyes with the young girl, her brows furrowing before her eyes peeled wide at the sight of him. Ren was rather comfortable when he received these reactions, but this time, he wasn't. Something was... off. "Some of us call her by her nickname Testor, though," Poe added.

The girl remained frozen, her eyes unblinking as she took him in. All the staring made Ren uneasy.

Poe offered her the spot to his left, which sandwiched the pilot between Finn and the girl. Jess's movements were robotic as she sat, never looking away from him. Usually people were shocked to see Ren and they had difficulty meeting his gaze, but not this woman. Ren's pupils bounced around between Rey and Poe as they engaged in their previous discussion, but he kept coming back to Jess, always finding that her sight never wavered.

Her emotional grid increased rapidly, making his heart race from the bombardment of her unusual feelings. Disappointment was at the forefront, which didn't make any sense given the fact he'd never met this girl before. Therefore, her standards of him should be low. Right?

Tired of the staring, Ren mimicked her, hoping to make her too frightened to keep up her disapproving ogling. Her eyes watered and her brows twitched as if to keep from crying, which didn't work. A tear escaped and only Ren noticed the distraught expression etched onto this girl's face. Everyone else was too busy arguing over the differences between men and women.

She probably had family in the Hosnian system. That had to be it.

Taking in the depths of her stare, he noticed how black her eyes were. So black, that it was impossible to tell where her pupils ended and her retinas began. The only time he'd ever seen such dark eyes was –

Ren's face fell at the impossibility that was staring right at him.

"Do you remember me?" Jess asked, her shaky voice cutting through the conversation happening around them.

"Jess?" Poe exclaimed in alarm. "What's wrong?" The pilot noticed how Ren and her were fixated on each other. "You know him? But you told me you never had any dealings with Kylo Ren before."

Ren's mind was transported back in time, back to when he was in those caves, clutching onto iron bars as he fell to the floor. As clear as the ocean waters on Spira, he could still feel that young girl rub away his tears, her black eyes an abyss of torment and sorrow.

Here, now, in this halting moment, his sins were laid out to be inspected, the depraved things he'd ended up doing exposed as a brilliant spotlight shined forth from her eyes and blinded him with unwanted recollection.

His brain throbbed from the memory, and considering how hideous the flashback, it was the gentlest blowback that could've happened to his gray matter. Short of being stabbed in the eye repeatedly with a pole.

Her eyes squinted. "You do remember me. I can tell by the way you're staring," Jess said quietly, ignoring Poe as he attempted to get her attention. With roaming eyes, the girl took in his heft and the scar that ran down his face. "I don't… understand. You're Kylo Ren?"

Rey said his name, but he remained focused on the girl, sweat blooming underneath his dark clothing. "I am," he replied hoarsely.

She was confused as she shook her head. "But… you – you saved me. You freed us. How… why…."

Ren leaned forward, the table digging into his midsection. Even after all these years and having only shared a short moment with this girl, he felt… protective of her. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. "I wasn't Kylo Ren then."

"Then how did you turn into… this?" she asked as her eyes questioned his form.

"It's a very long story, and it wasn't just one thing," he said through a tight throat.

Her stare grew distant, recalling ugly events that Ren had hoped would fade from her mind with time. "You know," she whispered faintly, "every time I go to sleep, I always see your face." His mouth fell open slightly, his heart thundering in his chest. "In a way, it comforted me to know that if a person went to such lengths to save us, then maybe the galaxy wasn't as ugly as everyone thought." Jess's stare suddenly bore into him. "You were my savior, you know that? While everyone was afraid of you for killing all those men, I wasn't. I wanted those bastards to die, and you gave me that. You gave me my life back."

Ren was falling into an abstract hole that led to an alternate dimension, a place where torture didn't even begin to describe the pain that strangled him. Hot coals were being poured into his chest cavity, burning his heart asunder, pumping ash into his veins.

He couldn't breathe.

Jess wiped the tears from her cheeks, her expression finally hardening into disappointing hatred. "I thought you died in that assault on Skywalker's academy, but you've been this monster the whole time." She glanced down at her hands in her lap, and then whispered, "The galaxy really does rob you of hope. Eventually." With that revelation, she clamored to her feet and stumbled to get out of the mess hall as fast as her legs could take her.

Ren didn't remember leaving the table. All he knew was he had to explain himself to this girl, had to make her understand… what? That her beliefs were a lie? That her savior was really a demon that helped kill her friends and aided immensely in starting a war she now fought in?

Poe yelled something, catching the attention of everyone in the dining hall.

Ren grabbed the girl's arm as they neared the exit, but she spun around and slapped him straight across the face. Wrenching herself free, she seethed, "Don't fucking touch me," and then left, Poe running passed him to go after her.

Left with only the sting in his cheek, Ren couldn't move. Thoughts did not form, only his emotions remained. Jess's eyes didn't just break his heart, but also darkened his soul. He'll never forget the anguish in her eyes from those caves, nor how she looked at him at the table only a moment ago. It was a fog that would forever linger in the depths of his mind, growing thicker with time.

He'd trained himself not to care if others were disappointed in him, but now, Ren was that child again, seeking out someone else's approval.

Balling his hands into fists and glancing down, he realized it wasn't his body he was staring at, but a prison. He was stuck under thick skin and tethered to a mind that weighed him down with an infinite supply of gruesome memories. There was no escape. No relief. No end. This was him. From here on out, he was serving a life sentence inside a corpse.

He was suddenly aware that the vast room had gone stone quiet. Everything with a heartbeat was now intently staring at him, which made the rage build inside. Voices began to swirl in his mind, the harrowing thoughts of others overriding his own. As much as he wished, he never could fully turn this side of himself off, never could stop from hearing people think of him as a freak.

A creep.

A monster.

There were many reasons for him to keep a low profile, but the rapid takeover of emotions moved him to seek out a form of cathartic violence. He was powerless to control the burst of energy that came forth from his being. On a quick surge, the serving table to his left flipped into the air, cracking viciously against the wall as the lights flickered and popped up above. Glass and sparks showered everyone in the large chamber, causing people to scream and seek sanctuary underneath the oblong tables.

All this was done without him even twitching.

Rey called out to him, but Ren was already gone.

A/N

I can imagine that most of you probably had to go back to chapter ten and brush up on what happened in that cave. I have been holding onto this reveal about Jess for soooooo long that it feels good to finally get it out there!

And we have some reconciliation going on, but if any of you thought it was short, that's because everything isn't suddenly healed between Poe, Finn and Rey. Finn has to get use to the new dynamic, which will cause bumps in the road. Also, Finn and Poe will talk more in upcoming chapters. In this one, I wanted to show how understanding and accepting Poe is as a character by not dragging out Finn's apology and just getting back to being friends with the guy. Not all men talk deeply about their emotions. Poe likes to keep it simple sometimes.

Anyway, let me know what you thought of the chapter! We had Snoke's pov and saw what happened to Carise, Leia is struggling with her negative feelings toward her son, and Rey and Ben got hot and heavy for a while there before 3PO cock-blocked him. Please leave a review! Thanks for reading!