So this chapter is short, but there will definitely be some exciting bits and twists coming soon...oh, the things I have planned for this story...*rubs hands together evilly.* Thank you for reading and commenting!

Ben, Rey pressed, her eyes flickering around the stars outside the shuttle's back window. Ben Solo, answer me.

But ever since Rey had felt his Dark powers surging through his end of the bond, Ben hadn't responded to her, and she had begun to worry. Ben, what's wrong? Why aren't you answering me?

Rey pressed her hands to the window, fiercely wishing she knew where he was and what he was doing right now. Her fingers slid down the glass. Ben, if you don't answer, I'm coming to find you—

No, Rey, I'm fine, Ben finally responded.

Rey sucked in a surprised breath. Ben! Why—what's going on with you?

There was a long pause before he answered. I just had to take care of something.

Something? She repeated. Or someone?

Don't worry about it, Rey, everything's alright.

Rey let out a flustered breath as she stared out at the passing stars. She shook her head slowly. Ben, I don't know what you've been doing, but you can't just decide to ignore me, okay? That's not fair.

I wasn't ignoring you—I heard you the entire time. I just—I needed to center myself.

I felt the Dark side emanating strongly from you… she thought, pausing. You killed someone, didn't you?

Rey waited, but Ben didn't answer.

Who was it? She pressed.

It was necessary, Rey. He—it was a deplorable being. Unworthy of its existence.

Ben. Who was it? She repeated.

Unkar Plutt, Ben said. I saw him in your mind, the way he's treated you, the wretched things he's said to you.

Rey's eyes widened. Ben!...He raised me...he taught me to survive, and...you've killed him?

That doesn't excuse his vulgar threats, Ben returned. He deserved death. I know you've had nightmares about him. Now he can never bother you again.

Rey took in a breath as she rubbed the side of her head. She didn't know what to think, but she felt upset that Ben hadn't discussed Plutt with her before deciding to kill him. Ben, that was rash of you. No one deserves death, she thought wearily. You have to stop killing.

Rey, that's not possible, Ben returned. We're in a war, after all.

Rey sighed as she pushed away from the wall of the shuttle. She paced back and forth in the small loading chamber. Then find some empathy, she said back. Surely you're capable of feeling compassion towards people other than me.

"Rey?"

Rey jolted as she froze in her tracks, looking up to see Finn. She quickly smiled, brushing her loose hair from her face. "Yes?"

"You are okay, aren't you?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

Rey tried to give him a more convincing smile. "Yes," she said. "I'm fine, Finn."

Finn gave her a cheeky half-smile, flashing his teeth. "How do you think Luke's going to react once we get back?" He asked.

"Oh," Rey said, tugging at the ends of her hair. "I forgot."

Finn chuckled. "Well, Maz just contacted him. She told him what was going on, so at least he won't be completely surprised about what happened."

"I can't imagine he'll be too happy with us," Rey muttered. She felt anxiety beginning to twist in her chest.

Finn shrugged. "I don't know, I mean, I wouldn't worry too much. He's a pretty compassionate guy. Maybe he doesn't show it on the outside, but I think inside he's just a big softie."

"You think so?" Rey laughed, squinting her eyes. "I think you're probably right."

….

Ben ground his teeth together as he sped his shuttle back to the Empire base on Quarus. He sorely hoped that General Thrawn hadn't beaten him back to the planet, lest he could pay brutal punishment for his own sudden and unauthorized leave.

As Ben approached the planet, he turned on his transmission and requested clearance through the atmosphere. The trooper on the other end sounded surprised to hear that he was coming back through to the planet.

After he landed the ship onto the tarmac, Ben gathered his mask under his arm and leapt down onto the frozen concrete. He stalked in through the base's hangar where various stormtroopers were milling about. They all turned their heads to stare at him as he passed by.

"What?" Ben snapped, and they swivelled their helmeted heads the other way. He read in their minds that word had spread around the base of his former departure, and that no one had expected him to return.

Ben made his way into the busy central command room and hastily read the officers' minds as they watched him enter. He was relieved to find that General Thrawn had not yet made it to the base.

Ben set his helmet onto a table and sat down at a computer desk. Ignoring the stares of the older officers around him, he logged into the base's planned military operations as if nothing was wrong. As he began flipping through the digital pages, he felt someone approach him at his side, and he turned to see a familiar and perplexed young Lieutenant staring at him.

"Are you going to speak, or should I pull your thoughts from your head?" Ben asked sharply.

Lieutenant Mitaka jolted, straightening himself. "Commander, Sir, we just...you left the base yesterday, there were some concerns that you would not be returning to us," he said.

Ben glared at the man, reading the fear in his eyes. "Are you questioning my service, Lieutenant?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow. He glanced around at the officers in his vicinity. "Surely it was clear to you all that I left the base to go after the escaped prisoner."

Mitaka nodded hastily. "Of course, Sir, yes, that's—we, uh, put that down in our files, we just—we needed confirmation," he stammered.

Ben held back his sneer as he saw the bead of sweat trickling down the Lieutenant's forehead. "Of course," he returned flatly, deciding to go easy on the young Lieutenant. Rey's words about compassion were turning over in his head.

Ben turned and faced the computer before him and continued to flip through files for a few moments, but he grew impatient as Mitaka remained in his peripheral vision. Ben flipped his head back to the Lieutenant, who was at this point visibly trembling.

"Sir, sorry, Sir, but—did you...recapture the prisoner?" He asked, his voice feeble.

Ben shook his head once. "No—an Organa fleet got to her before I did. Perhaps if our base's fleet had been more prompt, we could have responded sooner and reclaimed the prisoner," he said, his voice rising so those around him would hear.

Mitaka's mouth quivered. "Y—yes, Commander, I'll look into it right away—" he stuttered, and he swiftly left the command center.

Ben huffed out a sigh as he turned back to his computer, resting his head in his hands as he stared at the list of Organa bases that the Empire planned to attack.

….

As the shuttle's loading ramp settled down onto the tarmac at the Organa base, Rey swallowed. She saw Luke, Leia, Chewie, and the two other pilot squadrons standing in the opening of the hangar ahead. She lowered her head as she followed Finn down the ramp, Maz keeping up behind her. Poe and Jess were climbing down from their X-wings to the side of the shuttle.

Luke stepped forward from the group of pilots to meet them halfway. "Maz," he said, nodding in greeting to the small orangish woman.

"Luke," Maz acknowledged back.

Luke's gaze rose from Maz to survey Rey and Finn. "You could have been killed," he said, but his gaze was focused on Rey.

"Listen, Luke, we're sorry we didn't listen to you," Finn said, biting the inside of his cheek. "But we had to save our friend," he said, motioning to Jess as she and Poe joined them.

Luke gave Jess a small smile before looking between Poe and Rey. "I'm disappointed in you all, for duping me," he said, and Rey and the others shifted their gazes to the ground. Luke sighed heavily. "But I'm also very proud that you brought Jess back to us."

Poe raised his head and smiled at Luke. "Thank you, Sir," he said.

Luke smiled at Rey, but there was a perceptible sadness in his expression. "And I'm proud of you for facing Kylo Ren."

Rey flushed at Ben's mention, and for a moment she thought her swelling emotions would break through her serious exterior. Her brows pinched together as she realized that Luke had not called his nephew by his real name, as he usually did. She gave Luke a curt nod.

"You've proven yourself a worthy Jedi, facing a Sith on your own," Luke continued. "I'm impressed."

Rey realized that Maz must have told Luke the lie that Rey had told the others, that Ben had transformed into a Sith.

"She's certainly brave," Poe said, smiling brightly down at Rey.

Rey dipped her head as she felt her heart sink in her chest, realizing that Ben was being painted in a progressively darker light for all of them. Will Luke ever come to realize that Ben has not been lost to the Dark side? She wondered to herself. Will he die thinking his only nephew is a monster?

Luke stepped forward, placing a hand on Rey's shoulder, and she blinked up at him. "Rise, young Jedi," he said, and Rey straightened herself. Luke looked at her with earnest, paternal fondness. "You should feel proud of yourself."

Rey gave him a feeble smile, but all she could feel was shame. Shame that she had lied to everyone, shame that she had broken her adherence to the Jedi Code.

….

As Rey lay in her bed that night, she couldn't fall asleep. Staring up at the dark ceiling, her stomach ached with guilty about everything.

She rolled onto her side, outstretching her arm onto the other side of the bed. The bed felt so empty to her, so lonely.

As if on cue, she heard the essence of Ben's voice in her mind. Rey, I miss you, he said. I can't sleep.

I can't, either, Rey answered. I wish you were here with me.

I do too, he returned. I would give anything to be with you right now, Rey.

When will we see each other again? She wondered.

I'll get back to you on that, Ben said, but hopefully very soon.

Rey let out a long breath as she hugged a pillow to her chest. Ben, I feel like a horrible person, she lamented.

Why would you ever think that? He asked.

I've had to lie to everyone about you...I've lied to Luke, your mother, she said. They think you're a true Sith, that you've been lost entirely to the Dark side. She decided not to mention Maz to him.

There was a pause. I figured you would have had to tell them something like that, Ben responded. But that's just the way it has to be.

Rey sighed. And Luke thinks I'm a virtuous Jedi. Ben...I can't stand lying to everyone.

Rey, there are costs you will have to pay, if you want this...us. I'm not exactly having an easy time over here, either, he reminded her. But if you can't stand lying to everyone, if it's not worth it, I understand. If it's too much—

No, Ben, it is worth it...I love you. I hate the lying, but what I definitely cannot stand is to lose you, she urged.

It's only been just over a day, yet I feel as if I've been away from you for far longer, Ben said. I want to kiss you, to make love to you again.

Rey felt a hot flush move through her body at his thoughts, and she shifted in her bed. Ah, Ben, she mused. She lay silently for a while, reminiscing on the night before. As her heartbeat gradually slowed, her lids began to droop over her eyes in the darkness.

Rey, I want to hear you, Ben said.

Rey smiled to herself. Hey, Kylo Ren, I'm trying to sleep now, she teased.

That would be Darth Ren to you, Jedi, Ben responded, and Rey laughed softly against her pillow. Tell me something.

Like what? She asked.

I don't know, a memory, a story...he answered. I just want to hear you for a while longer.

A bedtime story? She teased.

Yes, a bedtime story.

Rey smiled sleepily to herself. Hmm, okay. I'll tell you a fairy tale, one of my favorites when I was younger. It's about a princess named Sarana, and how she falls in love with a boy who rescues her from a wampa.

Sounds perfect, Ben answered.

Alright. Rey paused, running through the storyline in her head. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...