Luke groaned as he leaned over the large, empty hologram desk, his mind swirling with thoughts and memories. It's times like these I wished I had another Jedi to consult, he thought, reflecting on his old masters, Obi-Wan and Yoda. Luke shook his head dejectedly. He rose as he sensed someone approaching, slowly turning around at their entrance into the panel room.

"Leia," he greeted, giving his sister a weary smile. She smiled back, and he embraced her as she approached. He held her in his arms as she began speaking.

"What bothers you now, Luke? I sense it," she said, pulling away from him.

"Isn't something always bothering me? Us?" He asked teasingly, but she looked back at him with marked seriousness. Luke sighed heavily, his gaze drifting away. "It's Rey. She froze up again today, during training. She hasn't had an...an episode for quite some time, I thought maybe she'd finally gotten over it, but…" he trailed, shaking his head.

Leia's mouth became a tight line. "Luke, did you really expect her to get over him so completely? So soon? It's only been a matter of months," she said earnestly.

"Alright, I know, I just...I thought that she would just get over their little—their flirtation, whatever it was. I expected her to be able to look ahead and realize her true destiny, to become a Jedi," Luke said, searching his sister's wise eyes. "I mean, especially with all of the options she has here—" he said, gesturing around him— "If she really wanted a boyfriend, I just don't see how he could even be a distraction for her."

Leia's gaze dropped to the floor, her brows knitting together in evident pain.

"You know what I mean, Leia," Luke said gently.

She met his gaze again, her chin lifting as she spoke. "You forget that he is the son of Han Solo. And if he's anything like his father, which I know he is, you sorely underestimate him. To whatever extent, appeal is in his genes," she said resolutely.

Luke shifted his weight, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, alright. Who am I to doubt the charm of a Solo?"

Leia smiled to herself. It appeared for a moment as if she were about to laugh, though no sound escaped her mouth. Luke sighed as he watched her, wishing he could hear her laugh once again. He couldn't remember the last time she had been carefree enough to laugh.

"Has it been...better, since you've seen him? I mean, besides him hurting you, has it been easier?" Luke asked tenderly.

Leia appeared offended. "Luke, for the last time, I told you Ben didn't hurt me. It was Darth Plagueis, Snoke," she urged, stepping closer to her brother. "I heard his voice in Ben's head. You know he's always been there, has always been poisoning my son's thoughts…" she shivered slightly as her gaze shifted away. She blinked hard, and then looked back up at Luke, warmth returning to her face. "But yes, it has gotten a bit easier. Especially since he showed me the truth of Han's death."

"Of course," Luke said, nodding.

"But, as I've said, Luke, I feel like I can't sense Ben anymore...I know you've said you can't either, and it scares me," she said, shivering again. She looked solemnly into Luke's eyes. "But I have to believe he's alive, that he's out there somewhere...he has to be, since Rey can still sense him through their bond. But oh, Luke, when Ben came to me, I saw...there's so...so much of his father in him. He was so handsome, it took my breath away," Leia said, her voice distant.

She pressed her hands together, as if remembering her son's touch. "Yet there was so much pain in his eyes, such grief, it broke my heart. It still does. I've never seen someone so troubled, so conflicted," she said, shaking her head dejectedly. Her mouth quivered as she continued to reflect, looking down at the ground for a few moments.

Luke saw a small light develop in her eyes as she looked back up at him again. "But there's something I didn't tell you, Luke. There was something else in his eyes. The light, it was there, I saw it in his thoughts, I felt it so strongly when I saw his thoughts in my head," she said, her voice lifting slightly.

Luke leaned forward, listening intently. "What do you mean?" What haven't you told me?"

"Luke, my boy is sick with love. He's infatuated with, completely smitten with Rey," Leia said, her eyes glistening.

Luke stepped back from Leia, furrowing his brows. "Leia, you're mistaken...he was only trying to seduce her to the Dark side. He doesn't love her. Trust me, I've read the tales of the Old Republic, there are all sorts of methods and devious ways to try and persuade Jedi to the side of the Dark—"

"No, Luke, I know what I saw," Leia corrected, shaking her head. "Ben wanted to teach her, yes. But he wanted to let Rey choose her own path with the Force, whether that be on the side of the Dark or the Light. But don't doubt me when I say that he'd do anything for her. Just because you haven't fallen in love with anyone yourself—"

"That doesn't mean I don't know what love is," Luke interrupted, but his voice was not harsh. "I know love. And I would do anything for my family. That now includes Rey."

Leia's face contorted. "Don't forget that your family also includes your nephew, no matter how 'lost' you think he is," she said, pointing a finger at him. "I know you fought with him when he returned here, but when he came to see me, there was so much light in him. He isn't lost from us yet. I know you sensed it too, Brother," she said, searching his eyes. "And from what I've seen, I daresay that Rey is as in love with Ben as he is with her."

Luke frowned, opening his mouth to protest, but he was cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps. He and Leia turned around in the otherwise empty room as a military commander marched in through the wide doorway.

"Luke, Leia," the commander said, bowing slightly, "we have just received word from Zylion 4—it's urgent."

Luke and his sister exchanged solemn glances, knowing they would have to continue the dispute another day.

….

"Hey, guys!"

Rey and Finn turned around on their hands and knees to see Poe Dameron traipsing carefully through the garden toward them. He wore his orange pilot's uniform, the color nearly matching the orangish hues of the evening sky.

"Hey, Poe!" Finn exclaimed, jumping up to embrace his friend. He simultaneously kicked dirt into Rey's face as he lept up, and she sputtered, wiping the dirt from her mouth as she raised up.

"Finn!" She complained.

He turned around, seeing her wiping the dark soot from her face. "Oh, sorry, Rey," he said.

"Good to see you, Buddy! It's been a little while," Poe said, patting Finn's arm with a bright smile. The pilot turned around, his gaze settling on Rey. "And the little desert flower in her garden, as usual," Poe said.

"Hello, Poe," she said, smiling back at him.

He took a step towards her, studying her face with a smile. "What, did Finn try to bury you with the plants?" He asked, chuckling.

Rey wiped at her mouth again, feeling more dirt on her fingers. "Apparently," she said.

Poe smiled again as his gaze lingered. He turned around to face Finn. "I hope you had a good time patrolling out there. But, Buddy, we need you in the panel room ASAP," he said. He placed a hand on Finn's shoulder, seeming to drop his voice to prevent Rey from hearing. "It's important."

"What's important?" Rey asked, leaning towards the two.

Poe looked back at her, his eyes squinting slightly. "There's...it's just a pilot's meeting we need to go to," he said. "Nothing that important, actually."

Rey dusted the dirt off of her pants, looking back at Poe skeptically. "Okay," she said, sensing his lie.

Poe looked between Finn and Rey, and he smiled briefly back at her. "We'll see you later, then," he said.

Rey waved them off as they turned and headed back through her quaint house towards the base. She turned around and got back on her hands and knees, finishing burying the flower seeds in the dimming light of the setting sun as she thought about what their secretive meeting could be about.

A half hour later, Rey sat down at her small kitchen table, placing a tea bag into her cup of hot water. She stared down into the cup, watching as the dark tendrils swirled out from the tea bag, spreading outwards until the liquid was no longer clear. Rey traced her finger along the top of the water, wondering what kind of meeting would be held in the military panel room. It was a place that was usually saved for the most formal of strategizing meetings.

Her eyes raising up from her cup, Rey was sure that this was no ordinary meeting at all. And Poe had wanted to leave her out of it.

Carrying her tea cup with her, Rey sipped from it as she headed out of her house and towards the base.

As she eventually made it to the wide hallway that connected to the panel room, Rey crept quietly along the wall. She began to hear many different voices in the room ahead. She walked silently forward and leaned against the wall by the room. The large doors were only cracked open, and she strained to listen to the voices within.

"So we know they've been shot down?" Rey heard Admiral Ackbar ask.

"I'm sorry to break this to all of you," Rey heard Luke say, his voice grim, "but Snap Wexley's ship crashed on Zylion 4, just outside of the planet's main port city."

There were various murmurs and sighs.

"What about Jess? What happened to her?" Finn asked worriedly.

"Jess's ship was not found," Luke answered.

Rey leaned closer to the door, determined not to miss any of the conversation. She heard more sighs and disappointed moans emanating from various people.

"Then how do we know they have Jess?" Finn asked, his voice raised. "What if she escaped?"

"You know we would have heard from her. The communication with Jess's ship is still functional, as our transmission calls have gone through to it, but there has been no answer from her side," one of the military commanders said. "That, and we can still track the whereabouts of her ship, which appears to still be moving. This leads us to believe that her ship has been taken aboard an enemy vessel."

"This is in line with the reports of TIE fighters and a black transport shuttle spotted by a freight ship in the area," Luke confirmed.

"Then how do we get her back? What's our plan?" Finn asked desperately.

"I am deeply sorry, but she may already be lost to us, Finn," Leia said gently.

"Well, she may be under interrogation," Poe piped up. "But if it's the Empire, which I'm sure it is, they'll only keep you alive as long as they can get information out of you." He paused for a few moments before continuing. "Then again, the reason I'm here with all of you today is because of Finn, he saved me...So, I propose we send out a group to see if we can get her back." There were muffled sounds in agreement.

"No one else need die," Luke said. "It's too dangerous. Poe, you know how risky this would be."

"I do," Poe agreed. "It's a risk I'm willing to take. And I think it's a danger that most of us are willing to face to save our friend."

"I'm in," Finn said forcefully, and various others sounded in agreement.

"I cannot allow it," Luke said, disgruntled.

"I agree with Master Skywalker," Admiral Ackbar acceded. "We cannot risk losing some of our best pilots."

"And Jess is one of them," Poe said. "Listen, if we can manage to catch that shuttle before it meets up with the Finalizer star destroyer, or whatever Empire base it's headed to, we have a big enough fleet here to take it over," he said.

"And if Kylo Ren is aboard?" One of the commanders questioned. "What then?"

Rey heard nervous murmurs and an apprehensive sound emanated from Chewbacca.

"He's just one person, one obstacle in our way," Poe said. "And it's not like he's won all of the battles he's lead against our other bases. With a big enough fleet, I don't see why we couldn't overwhelm him. Besides, maybe he still has BB-8. I want my droid back."

"You seem to have forgotten the rumors we've heard previously, Poe," Luke said darkly. "He's powerful. You have personal experience of what he can do."

"I don't care if he's a Sith," Poe protested. "Hell, he could be Darth Plagueis himself. We've still got to try."

Rey nearly dropped her cup as she heard Poe's words. Ben, a Sith? she thought, taken aback. Ben couldn't be a Sith. The rumors are false. She heard a mix of voices as people began to fall into dispute. After a few minutes, she heard Luke's voice rise above the others.

"No," he said, and everyone grew quiet. "And that is my final answer. It is simply too dangerous."

The people began to talk amongst themselves again, and Rey began tiptoeing backwards as she heard footsteps nearing the door. Rey's eyes widened as the door opened and Leia slipped through, closing the it behind her. Leia's eyebrows rose as she saw Rey, and she stepped towards her.

"I thought I sensed you nearby," she said, giving Rey a small smile. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough," Rey said, watching Leia carefully.

Leia placed a hand on Rey's arm. "Let's leave, before they see you here. Luke didn't want to worry you with all of this," she said, leading Rey out of the hall.

"You mean, he didn't want me to hear about Ben. To be reminded of him," Rey said, her voice dropping.

Leia sighed. "I'm sure that's part of it."

As they entered the front entrance of the base, the moonlight shining through the large entry windows, Rey turned to face Leia. "What do you think they're going to do?" Rey asked.

Leia shrugged, sighing. "You heard Luke," she said. Her eyes then narrowed as she gazed at Rey, a small smile forming on her mouth.

Rey watched Leia carefully. "Do you think Poe, Finn, the other pilots—do you think they'll try to rescue Jess and BB-8 anyways?" She asked.

"You know your friends," Leia said, her smile turning sly. "And I know you."

Rey blinked, surprised at the Leia's keen insight. She was about to smile, but her face dropped as she remembered Poe's words about Ben. "Leia, do you think...do you really believe Ben could have turned completely to the Dark side?" She asked.

Leia stepped closer to Rey, studying her face. "My dear, I don't think I need to answer that question for you. You already know the answer. Don't you still feel him through your bond?" Rey nodded. "As you know, I was never trained as a Jedi. But I've always sensed the Force, and I know you have too. It has guided both of us through our lives. Whatever you feel, whatever you sense through your bond with my son, that is the truth. I wouldn't listen to what anyone else says." She smiled, placing her hand on Rey's cheek in a motherly gesture.

She then turned to head back down the hallway, but stopped, looking back at Rey. "And if you were to decide to go against Luke's decision...well, Maz could perhaps help with supplying you a ship to bring the others home in," she said, and walked away. Rey was left wondering if by 'the others' Leia did not just mean Jess and BB-8, but also Ben himself.

….

The room was empty and dark where Kylo Ren sat, attempting to meditate and focus his Force energy. His mask off, he leaned his head forward into his hands as stared at the ground below. He didn't meditate as often as he once had; now, he usually grew too restless to concentrate for very long. There was always something tugging at the edges of his consciousness, a lingering but distant presence.

Kylo had developed a growing attitude of nihilism over the past months, taking in orders blindly from Grand Admiral Thrawn, some of which were passed down from Snoke. The Supreme Leader himself hadn't bothered to come to Kylo in the flesh again after putting him through the final stage of his training four months ago; now, Snoke only appeared to him through a hologram, and even that was rare.

Kylo knew that he was being used as a weapon again, a mere attack animal, but he went along with it. The "reconditioning" he had been put through months ago, as Thrawn had called it, had consisted mainly of a long series of painful torture methods, psychological oppression, and emotional dissociation from his past, though Kylo didn't consciously remember most of what Thrawn had put him through. Again, Kylo's real name had been banned within the Empire, and he was surprised how difficult it had been to bring himself to pick his false name back up.

But he did remember, deep in the archives of his mind, that this was all for Rey, the girl, the light that he seemed to have last seen so very long ago. Kylo remembered that as long he dissociated from her, and as long as she stayed away from him, she would remain out of reach of Snoke. She would remain where she belonged, protected by the Order of Organa.

In the various small-scale battles he had directed in the past few months against the Order, Kylo was strategic in his maneuvers, in his direction of the ill-fated Stormtroopers: though he sorely hated losing, some battles he purposefully lost, and others he won in order to keep both Thrawn and Snoke under the impression that he was completely reconditioned and molded to their will.

But sometimes while he was completely alone, such as now, Kylo wondered if he actually was. He even wondered at times if that light in his life that had been Rey had merely been a dream, a hallucination he dreamt up as a coping mechanism under Thrawn's torture and mental manipulation. Had she ever actually been real? As time passed, Kylo was increasingly unsure.

He felt so disjointed from his own emotions, from reality, from his own sense of self that he wondered if he were becoming the unfeeling machine that Thrawn and Snoke treated him as. Kylo had little respite from the militant lifestyle he had been forced to lead.

However, there was something that halted his emotional depravity and the nagging idea that Rey had been an invention of his mind.

As he sat in the silent meditation chamber, Kylo suddenly jolted as he heard familiar beeping from the other side of the door. He flicked his hand upward, and the chamber door lifted, revealing BB-8. The droid beeped in greeting as it rolled towards Kylo, the door dropping behind it.

After Kylo's capture six months ago, the Stormtroopers had fruitlessly searched the stubborn droid for information about the Order of Organa. Kylo had ordered them from destroying it, deciding to keep it for his own use after his reconditioning. He kept the droid because it had once been with Rey, and it served as a reminder, a testament to him that Rey wasn't someone he just had made up, that she was real, that the presence he sensed in his very core was her. Kylo had even gotten the droid to tell him some stories of its time with Rey.

Kylo gave BB-8 free reign of the command shuttle, and it ambled about the vessel at its own leisure, usually stirring up trouble. Though the droid had vehemently detested him at first, accusing him of kidnapping and shocking his leg regularly, the droid had slowly grown to tolerate him, as he treated it well.

"What do you want?" Kylo asked the droid as it rolled into his meditation room.

BB-8 beeped in succession.

"That's none of your business," Kylo responded. He watched the droid as its small head dropped. It lifted its head slightly, looking back up at him quickly before dropping its head even lower, releasing a small dejected sound.

"I can't let you talk to her," Kylo said.

BB-8 whined out a response, raising its head.

"That pilot is an enemy to the Empire, so no, we will not let her go," Kylo responded. "She has to be executed."

The droid shook in protest before rolling forward, silently staring up at him as it wavered in place.

"What?" Kylo asked, impatient.

BB-8 tilted its head and bleeped slyly.

Kylo shifted his jaw as he looked away from the droid, not wanting it to read his expression. But the droid knew him well, and it continued to press on in its line of persuasion. Kylo glanced back at BB-8, and the droid tilted its head slightly, waiting for his response.

Kylo sighed heavily, rubbing his temples with his hands. What has my life come to? He thought. His only form of civil social interaction was with a droid, yet as much as he hated admitting it to himself, he had developed a foolish attachment to it. It was the closest thing he had to a friend.

Kylo frowned down at the robot, irked by its consistent ability to manipulate and persuade him. "I'm not going to make any promises," Kylo finally said, and BB-8 beeped happily. From very early on, the droid had been able to figure out his weaknesses. Despite Kylo's indefinite answer, it knew that he had caved.

BB-8 rolled forward and bumped against Kylo's shin, beeping.

"Not now. Later," Kylo said, pushing BB-8 away, and it rolled backwards. He rose from his seat, glancing down at BB-8 as he began making his way out of the room, not bothering to put his mask back on.

Kylo no longer minded if his inferiors saw his face; they still shriveled in fear from him, knowing his power. He felt that he had an imposing enough appearance, especially with the scar that Rey had given him.

The droid rolled after Kylo as he stalked down the hallway of his ship to check in on the pilot's quarters. Despite the fact that there were commanders who manned the vessel, the pilot in him compelled Kylo to remain at the helm and oversee the ship's controls.

Sorry this one took a while to finish! I'll be churning out the next few chapters in a more timely manner. I'm excited to bring more of BB-8 into this story. I mean he's so cute, how could I not? Thanks for reading Padawans, and thanks for your patience!