Rey groaned as she made a hard swing with her double-bladed lightsaber. Luke was just in time to brace against her swift attack. After he slid his weapon from hers, Rey leapt forward and swung her saber overhead to bring it crashing back down onto his. Rey gasped as Luke's saber was knocked cleanly out of his hands at the impact.

Stunned, she slowly lowered her long saber. She stood watching as Luke wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Very good," he said, slowly making his way over to the stray hilt of his saber. "Very, very good." Luke lifted his disengaged weapon and traced a hand up its hilt. The metal shone brilliantly in the morning sunlight. "I wish I could keep up with you," he said, nodding towards Rey with the hint of a smile. "We'll have to work more on things other than lightsaber combat in the future. My age is really starting to show."

Rey shook her head as Luke walked towards her. "No, it's not at all," she insisted. "Besides, you're the best lightsaber wielder in the galaxy—everyone knows that," she said matter-of-factly.

"There isn't exactly a lot of competition," Luke said, attaching his saber at his side. He nodded slowly as if affirming this to himself, and his mouth tightened into a line. "But you're wrong about that, Rey," he went on. "I am not the best anymore. There is another."

Rey disengaged her saber and hooked it at her hip, taking it that her training was over for the day. She shielded her eyes from the sun and squinted at Luke. "Snoke?" She guessed.

Luke shook his head and smiled, seemingly amused. "No, not Snoke. That old ghost probably hasn't wielded a lightsaber for centuries," he flouted. "No, the best is...younger. More human." He cast her an expectant gaze.

"Ben," Rey concluded, nodding.

Luke laughed and slapped his leg. "I was talking about you, Dear!" He hooted.

"Oh," Rey said, her brows pinching together. "Well, that's definitely not true. Ben is better than me."

"Have you seen his lightsaber?" Luke scoffed. He made a hissing sound and imitated Ben's crackling weapon with quick wiggling movements of his fingers. "If only I'd been there to teach him how to properly make one!"

Rey laughed, reflecting on Ben's strange weapon. It was clear that he'd made it at a much younger age.

Luke stared at Rey a moment and let out a long sigh. "But I do see his influence in your fighting style, through that Force bond of yours," he admitted. "You seem to use a mix of two lightsaber combat styles, Ben's and your own." He straightened and turned to make his way out of the forest clearing.

As Rey followed behind him, a particular image of Ben's lightsaber caught in her mind: she remembered seeing its hilt lying here in the courtyard of the Organa base, when Ben had taken Poe's X-wing and left her her behind to keep her safe. Then how does he still have it? She wondered.

"Luke?" Rey addressed, trotting up to his side. "When Ben came here—when you two quarreled, or whatever happened between you two—I thought he left his saber behind. It was lying on the ground when he left the planet...wasn't it?"

Luke nodded, a sly smile spreading across his face. "You're right," he said. "Good thing you were one of the only ones to notice that."

"Well—Ben has the saber, so how'd he get it back?"

"I sent it to him."

Rey furrowed her brows. "What? How?"

"I sent it along with one of our spy droids," Luke said, stepping over a large branch on the ground. "See, the Empire uses droids to service their ships. They buy them in bulk. To get our droids in, we just pay off one of their suppliers to include our droids with one of the shipment orders. So, when Ben left his saber here, I hid it for awhile to keep it from being destroyed, and then I sent it along with one of our spies."

"And...what, the droid just delivered the saber to him?" Rey asked incredulously.

"Mmm, most likely not. I programmed the droid to leave the saber in the ship it was servicing for the Empire. So, wherever it dropped the saber, a stormtrooper or—someone must have found it, and then brought it to Ben," Luke explained.

"So...Ben doesn't know it was you who sent it to him?" Rey probed.

Luke shook his head. "No, I...I don't think so." He looked ahead as they neared the base.

"Well, do you want me to tell him?"

Luke hesitated. "I forgot you guys can communicate all the time."

Earlier in the morning, Rey had asked Luke about how he knew that she had been lying to the Organa base about Ben, and he'd merely said that he knew everything Leia did. This heartened Rey to speak more freely about Ben around him.

Luke sighed and shaded his hand over his eyes, turning his gaze up towards the sky as if Ben were floating right above them.

"Tell him I say 'hi,'" he said. He slowed to face Rey, and he clamped a hand onto her shoulder. "And tell him that if he thinks that fighting on the opposite side will keep you safe, he's got it all wrong. You think he'd know that already from his grandparents."

Rey observed the weariness that overtook Luke's expression. He looked at her a moment before turning away to head towards the base. She watched him until he'd made it to one of the entrances of the base before continuing on to her house, her mind swirling with the stories of Ben's famous grandparents.

Rey had known the story of Padmé and Anakin since childhood, having read about it in books as well as in the occasional tabloid magazine, a rare luxury to be found in the marketplace of tiny Niima Outpost. She'd sometimes even heard the two's story referenced in people's conversations on Jakku. Most spoke of their story with mysticism, as if it were a legend or myth—much like how they'd spoken of Luke Skywalker himself.

But she was well aware that the tale of Padmé and Anakin was one that spiraled into devastation and sorrow. Luke's warning reverberating in her mind, Rey was determined to keep her own story from following down the same sorry path.

….

Ben lowered to the ground in the isolated training room to begin his set of push-ups, a part of his mandatory daily workout routine. He closed his eyes against the dripping sweat on his forehead and concentrated on counting. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen—

Ben, you there?

Fifteen. Yes, Scavenger, Love. Sixteen—

I have something to tell you. From Leia and Luke.

Twenty. Twenty-one. Tell me.

Rey told him that his mother had gotten his letter, and that she said she missed him. She then went on to explain that it was his uncle who had sent his saber back to him through a spy droid. Ben was surprised to hear this; he'd automatically figured it had been his mother who'd devised a way to get his lightsaber back to him.

Forty-three. No, Forty-two. Forty...Kriff.

Ben dropped to the ground and rolled onto his back, having lost count while listening to Rey.

Ben, Luke also said… Rey began.

Yes? What else did he say?

There was a few moments' pause. He said 'hi.'

Ben rested his hand on his heaving chest. He felt a pang inside him at the thought of his uncle, and wondered if his uncle still felt strong resentment for him, in light of the news that he had been the one to send Ben's saber. Memories flashed through his mind of when he had trained under his uncle on Tatooine years ago, alongside the other aspiring Jedi, alongside Nodin.

Unwilling to relive that fateful day when he'd betrayed Luke and the other Padawans, he forced the memories from his mind and concentrated back on Rey.

Oh, Ben, I almost forgot—thank you for the seeds! That was wonderfully thoughtful of you, Rey said. What kind are they?

Ben sat up and smiled. I collected them here, on the base. I did some research through the HoloNet, they're some kind of pink and blue lilies. They can live in all different environments, so they should be able to grow on Trora just as well as they do here.

I planted them yesterday. Ah, I can't wait to see what they look like when they grow and bloom, Rey said. And I can't wait to see you.

Ben got to his feet, his pulse quickening. Rey, I told you, you can't come to Coruscant—it's too dangerous. We'll meet another time.

When and where shall I meet you tomorrow? She asked, ignoring him.

Ben ran his hands through his hair. He missed her badly, and as much as he hated admitting it to himself, he felt conflicted over her present stubbornness. Rey, no...

If you don't tell me, you know I'll just find you through the Force once I get there, she pressed.

He groaned under his breath and began pacing. I don't want you alone there...but I can't pick you up from your ship, I'll be travelling with my own crew…

I'll be fine, just tell me where you'll be.

Ben sighed, his willpower melting at the thought of being able to reunite with her in a matter of hours. We can... I'll meet you in the Spice District, he concluded. It's relatively small, it's a popular place for tourists, it has high security. I think it should be fairly safe. It's not where my meeting will be, but it's close enough.

Why, where's your meeting at? Rey probed.

It's in the Factory District, but that's way too dangerous a place for you to venture, especially alone. Please, please promise me you'll just stay put in the tourist areas, he pleaded.

I will, she said.

Ben shut his eyes and rubbed his temples, hoping she would at least adhere to that.

….

A few hours later, Rey found Leia in her own quarters in the base. Leia had happily invited her into her spacious suite, and they sat across from each other in a large living room area.

"Now, what else was it you wanted to tell me, Dear?" Leia asked, clasping her hands in her lap. Rey had been telling Leia about her training that morning.

"I wanted to ask...well, I was going to tell you that I'm...I'm leaving tomorrow, to Coruscant, but only for a short time," Rey said quickly. She shifted on her chair, feeling nervous.

"Coruscant?" Leia asked, tilting her head in confusion. Her movement reminded Rey of something Ben would do. "Why Coruscant? Are you going there with with your friends? You know, the nightlife there is unmatched."

Rey shook her head and swallowed. "No, I'm not going with them."

"Then...with who?" Leia probed, leaning forward on her couch.

Rey glanced away for a moment, gathering strength before returning to Leia's patient gaze. "I'm meeting Ben there," she finally said.

"Ah," Leia said, smiling and turning her gaze down to her hands. "I see." She looked back up at Rey, who shifted in her seat.

"We're just—we're meeting to discuss the war, is all, Ben is trying to play both sides here, with the Empire and the Order," Rey insisted, speaking quickly. "So it's a diplomatic meeting, really."

"I know he is," Leia said, nodding. She watched Rey closely. "You miss him," she said. It was more a statement than a question.

Rey hesitated, but she suspected her expression betrayed her feelings. "Yes," she declared earnestly.

Leia nodded and sighed. "And I'm sure he misses you." She rose from her couch and moved to a window to her side, facing away from Rey. "I'm not sure when this war will end, whether it will end in the remainder of my lifetime," she mused. "I suspect it won't. But...if you two could find a way...perhaps in joining forces…"

"But Ben won't join our side," Rey asserted. "I've already tried to reason with him, remember, he won't leave the Empire. He fears that will put me in greater danger."

Leia turned to face Rey. "Right, I remember," she said, nodding. She stared at Rey a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "Well, if he's going to continue to play double-agent, he best be careful. But you're clever, like him, you'll be there to guide him." Her face warmed as she moved towards Rey. "Now, if you're going to Coruscant, you'll need to play the part. What area of the planet are you going to?"

"Ben said we'll be meeting at the Spice District," Rey said. She looked up at Leia, puzzled. "What exactly do you mean, 'play the part?'"

Leia plucked at the fabric of Rey's dusty tan shirt. "If you're going there, you can't show up in this," she chuckled. "You'll stand out. You need something to help you blend in. Here, I have...let's see…I still have some clothes from when I was younger..." Leia tugged Rey's reluctant hand and led her into her enormous closet.

Rey's mouth dropped open at the sheer number and variety of clothes in the woman's closet. She herself only owned a few simple outfits, and she generally put little thought into her appearance, as she hardly ever left the base.

Leia began filtering through her long racks of dresses. "I always wanted a daughter to do these things with," she mused. She paused to glance back at Rey, who visibly felt out of place. "Oh, this should be good fun," she said, smiling at the girl.

….

What if she's mugged? Or if she's seen by Empire spies? Ben worried to himself as he rode the elevator up the enormous skyscaper to meet his knights. He hadn't been able to keep his thoughts off of Rey all day as he'd travelled to Coruscant with his command shuttle.

Let me know when you're on-planet, he reminded Rey.

You've told me that at least five times now, she responded.

I know, I'm sorry. I just…

It's okay, Ben. Actually...it's cute, she said. But now you know how I worry about you all the time, since you're in active battles and all. It's only fair.

Then I don't want things to be fair. Ben felt slightly disgruntled at being called 'cute.' He felt that the term was reserved for describing small children and animals.

The evening sunlight suddenly began to stream through the glass elevator as it passed up through the line of buildings that blocked out the reach of the sun beneath. Ben looked outside the glass for a few moments, admiring the view. The elevator dinged and signalled that it had reached the top floor, and Ben tensed as the doors flew open. His gloved hands became fists at his sides as he marched down a long hall towards the meeting room.

As he pushed through the doors, not bothering to knock, he surveyed all of the other knights inside, including Nodin. They'd left him a seat at one head of the long table, across from Nodin, who sat at the other.

"Good to have you, Master Ren," said Hector, one of the knights, and the others chimed in agreement as Ben sat down.

Ben nodded in solemn greeting to all of them and looked expectantly across at Nodin. He wanted nothing more than to be out of the room, and he was fairly sure this was apparent on his face.

"Now that Master Ren is here, we can begin," Nodin said, clearing his throat. "As previously stated, we're all here today to organize plans for the attack on Storia, as well as to discuss other potential methods of attack on the Organa Order." His gaze turned directly to Ben. "How many squadrons of stormtroopers has Admiral Thrawn allocated to the Storia attack, Master Ren?"

"Twenty-three," Ben said flatly. His jaw tightened at the thought of the hordes of troopers storming the base, a base ordained by his own mother. He had already begun planning how he would mislead his own troops in the battle to ensure their demise. Considering the large quantity of military resources the Order of Organa stored at this base, Ben had decided that this was not a battle that he would allow the Empire to win.

The other knights didn't usually have a hand in such large-scale battles, but Leader Snoke had insisted that they join in on this fight alongside Ben to increase the chances of overtaking the base. They usually were assigned to oversee various stormtrooper training camps, to aid in teaching combat tactics and to enforce order over unruly trainees.

Ben and the knights discussed the logistics of the Storia attack for what felt like hours, and all the while Ben was thinking of how he would undo them. Once the other knights felt that all of the plans were in order, they talked casually for a short while to ease the obvious tension, the white elephant in the room: that Ben and Nodin clearly no longer got along, and that Nodin had taken leadership of the group in the other's prolonged absences.

Ben sat silently as the others talked, waiting to hear from Rey. When he finally did, he swore his heart skipped a beat.

Ben, I'm here—I just parked my shuttle in a lot, Rey said. The air traffic here is terrifying.

Good thing you're a capable pilot. Rey, don't wander out of the district, remember. I'll be there soon—I should be, he assured.

Ben placed his palms onto the table before him. "Alright, it seems everything is settled," he piped in, and the others turned in their chairs to face him. "There isn't anything left to discuss, is there?" he asked, hoping that the knights were ready to close the meeting.

"Well, we really should start planning an attack on the Organa base, assuming we overtake Storia," Nodin said, resting his own hands on the table. The knights' heads swivelled between Nodin and Ben, who frowned slightly.

"The Organa Base?" Ben repeated dubiously. He shook his head. "They are too heavily equipped, their main fleet is stationed there..."

"But are they any match for the entire fleet of the Empire?" Nodin questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Ben opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. He wasn't so sure.

Nodin dropped his gaze and sighed, tapping his fingers on the tabletop. "I know...you still have an attachment to your mother," he said, his voice quieting.

Ben tightened his jaw and looked away from the men, not wanting them to see his face and perceive his weakness.

"And the Jakku girl," Nodin added. Ben's eyes flashed back towards his.

"None of that is of your concern," Ben said quickly, his brows lowering. His voice sounded less stable than he'd meant for it to have been.

"Now, Kylo, we must do what is best for Supreme Leader Snoke, for our Empire. As long as the Organa base is functioning as it is now, their fleet will only continue to expand and strengthen," Nodin explained. He slapped a hand down onto the table for effect. "We must begin planning."

"I agree, we can't waste time," one of the other knights said, and Ben shot him a heated look. The other men nodded and muttered in agreement.

"This way, Leader Snoke will surely entrust us with more power," Nodin said, his eyes brightening. "He may one day even give us the right to preside over our own planets, perhaps our own galactic systems, if we are successful in taking down the entire Order of Organa." His eyes moved around the other knights and came to rest on Ben's. "After that, Master Ren, if you really find her such a good lay, you could just keep the Jakku whore as a slave. Although, I doubt the Supreme Leader would want her wasted in such a way, considering her supposed strength in the Force..."

All of the men turned apprehensively towards Ben, who sat rigid and silently fuming. His veins boiled with blind fury as he glared across at Nodin.

Suddenly, he found himself rising from his chair and in the same instant extending his hand out to strangle Nodin with the Force.

Nodin gasped and choked, his hands flailing, desperate to release the invisible hold around his neck. His face was red and pleading as Ben stood watching unflinchingly.

"Master Ren, I'm sure he didn't mean it like that," one of the knights, Farro, insisted, rising from his chair.

"The hell he did," Ben snapped, making a squeezing motion with his hand as he kept it outstretched. "I've seen what's in his mind."

Nodin released a sputtering squeal, clearly on the verge of complete asphyxiation.

"Master Ren!" One of the other knights pleaded, but the others remained silent, clearly to avoid the same fate as the one in his Force grip.

For a moment, Ben was set on strangling Nodin into death, but something soft and familiar came over him. He abruptly opened his hand, and Nodin dropped down into his chair, coughing and gasping.

Ben stared across at Nodin, remembering how the man had once taken him under his wing in their younger years on Tatooine, under Luke's training. Nodin had never been wholly malicious, and Ben sensed that the man still was not, despite his unsavory remarks about Rey. Ben knew from searching Nodin's mind that his distaste over her came from a place of jealousy, of a desire for Ben to return as his close friend, as they once were as children. Just as Ben used to, Nodin did not follow Snoke out of a place of evilness; rather, it was because he believed it was right.

Ben was not sure how he had compelled himself to release Nodin, the man he had come to despise ever since Nodin's part in the destruction of Luke's Jedi school, but he knew why: he still felt compassion for his former friend.

Ben lowered his tensed arm and looked around at the anxious knights as Nodin sat quivering with his head bent over his knees. "Is there anything else left to discuss?" He asked, struggling to keep his voice even. The men quickly shook their heads, and Ben patted his hands down onto the table. "Good," he said with a nod. And with that, he strode from the room, immediately searching for Rey's location through the Force.

….

This place really is in eternal night, as you told me, Rey said to Ben. Her eyes flitted around the impossibly tall buildings and countless neon signs that surrounded the busy street. She'd spent the past hour marveling at the noisy, packed bars and well-dressed passersby all around the Spice District.

I'm on my way—I sense you nearby, Ben said.

Rey smiled but nearly stumbled for the third time as her sandal caught on the hem of her ground-length dress, the one Leia had lent her. The rich charcoal fabric was thin and silky and smooth against her skin. She had never worn anything like it. Looking down at and admiring the dress again, she ran her hands down the fabric, which cinched at her waist and draped down the rest of her body like a dark waterfall. The dress was simple, but when she'd first seen herself in the garment in the mirror of Leia's colossal closet, she'd been taken aback at how elegant it made her appear.

Leia had even enticed Rey to allow her to do her makeup, on the condition that it too would be simple. It was obvious that Leia had enjoyed herself as she'd applied mascara to Rey's eyelashes and rouge to her cheeks and lips. Rey had wondered if the purpose of the makeup had been to match her outfit, or if it had been an excuse for Leia to give a makeup lesson to the daughter she'd never had.

Rey was glad she was wearing the dress and makeup as she gaped at the extravagant women that passed her on the street. They wore all sorts of elaborate designs and ornamentation, their dark makeup exaggerating their features. Rey touched her own mouth curiously as she saw many wearing their lipstick in a single stripe down their lower lip.

Rey felt underdressed as she watched these people pass by, and she pulled her dark coat closer around her. She had never been exposed to such wealth and glamor in all of her life.

As Rey felt Ben nearing, she tore her attention from people-watching. Ben, where are you? I don't see you, she questioned, spinning around to survey the crowds surrounding her.

I see you, he responded. Rey's heart leapt in her chest and she whirled around to see Ben standing from across the crowd, lowering the hood of his coat.

"Ben!" Rey exclaimed unabashedly. She couldn't contain the excited smile that spread across her face as she weaved through the crowd to get to him. Ben likewise began to shove people aside less than carefully as he made his way towards her.

Rey managed to avoid tripping on her dress as she jogged the remaining distance to Ben, disregarding the stares of the people around her. She leapt up and wrapped her arms around Ben's neck, pressing a kiss up to his mouth. Ben gripped her waist and held her up to his level, kissing her back deeply. She could feel Ben's smile against her lips.

As he sat her back down, Ben's eyes flickered wildly over her face. He pressed a hand to her cheek. "Oh, I've missed you," he murmured. Now both of his hands held her face. "Are you alright? You look different."

Rey held tightly onto his arm."I'm fine, I'm just overwhelmed by this place," she said, and Ben nodded quickly. "How are you—How have you been holding up?"

"I'm great, now," he said, his eyes boring down into hers. He stared at her dazedly a moment before his eyes travelled lower. "What is this?" He asked, nodding towards her middle.

"Oh," she said, feeling self-conscious. She tugged her coat closer around her. "It's just—Leia let me borrow a dress and sandals, she said I needed to dress to blend in here."

But Ben was batting her hands away and opening her coat. He took a small step back as he looked her up and down.

"I know, it's silly, but your mother insisted—"

Ben shook his head quickly. "No, Rey, you look...stunning, I can't find the words," he said, dropping his voice and meeting her eyes again. He stepped closer towards her and pulled her coat closed. "We need to get you out of the public eye, before someone tries to steal you away," he purred, pulling her into his side and eyeing the passing people. He leaned down and kissed her. He smiled as he broke from her, and he motioned for her to follow him.

Rey stayed close to Ben's side as he led them through the throngs of people. To Rey's surprise, the shops and bars around them appeared to have gotten even busier.

"Do people here sleep?" She asked.

Ben chuckled. "Well, this district is known for its nightlife."

Rey was in awe at the loud songs pulsing from the various neon-lit club entrances they passed. She longed to go inside one of them.

It's not safe for us, Ben pressed into her mind, following her gaze. Rey looked up to see him giving her a sad smile. We can't draw attention to ourselves.

"I know," Rey said aloud, nodding. "It's okay."

She looked ahead at the groups of people and creatures stumbling out of the bars. Their languid, drunken speech and clumsy gestures amused her.

Rey moved her right hand closer to Ben's side and felt for his hand. She held onto it and was flushed with warmth as she felt Ben's fingers interlacing between her own. He felt tense, and Rey sensed he was definitely on his guard. She glanced up at him, and he looked askance down at her, a smile playing across his mouth.

"Where are we going, by the way?" She asked.

Ben's eyes panned their surroundings ahead. "If I remember correctly, there's a spot up here you might like to see," he said. "It's less busy," he added, pulling her around a group of drunk people.

The further they went, the less people there were galavanting about the streets. Their hands still snugly clasped, Ben led her down an empty side street. Rey could see trees strung with decorative lights ahead.

At the end of the street was a small park-like area, and Ben led her down a narrow path to a gate, a large lake on the other side. Rey let go of Ben's hand and moved under the glowing trees towards the water's edge, feeling as though she were walking through a dream.

"Wow," she breathed, leaning forward against the gate.

Before her the lights of the city reflected and shimmered across the water's surface, dancing with the ripples. Far on the other side of the water was a skyline of skyscrapers and towers, all brilliantly illuminated in window lights and neon signs. The buildings reached up into the sky and, like this side of the lake, blocked out all of the light of the sun and stars.

She turned to Ben as he walked up to her side, his eyes on the view ahead of them.

"It's quite remarkable, isn't it?" He asked, his brows raising. "It's the city's water source, man-made but still a nice view. My parents took me here once as a child...I haven't forgotten it since." He turned and looked down at Rey, his eyes beaming.

"This is amazing, Ben," Rey breathed, placing her hand on his arm. "It seems impossible that something so beautiful could be found in such an unexpected place."

"It does," Ben said, his brows raising slightly as he gazed down at her. "But even Jakku has proven that possible."

Rey looked up at him, her cheeks growing hot in a blush. Ben stepped closer to her and tucked her hair behind her ear, his hand remaining to cup her face. He leaned down and kissed her gently, but with unmistakable fervor. As Rey's eyes closed, a swirling, hypnotizing warmth overcame her, and she gripped Ben's arm tightly, not wanting him to part from her, not wanting to ever let go.

But something knotting in her chest—was it guilt?—compelled Rey to pull gently away from the kiss. She knew Ben sensed this.

"What is it?" He asked softly, tilting her chin up towards him with his fingers. "Tell me, Love."

Rey smiled up at him briefly and opened her mouth, then shied and glanced away. "There's...something else Luke wanted me to tell you," she said, smoothing her dress against her thighs with her hands. "He said that...you should know that being on the Dark side won't keep me safe, that it isn't the answer to all of this, because of what happened between your grandfather and grandmother." She rose her eyes again to his, which had narrowed slightly.

Ben nodded, staring down at her wordlessly.

Rey crossed her arms over her chest. "But...what exactly did Luke mean by that?"

Ben appeared to hesitate. "Don't you know the story?"

Rey shrugged. "Not the details. I know Padmé died after Anakin turned to the Dark side. I know people said she died of a broken heart." She glanced back up at him.

Ben's mouth tugged to one side. "A myth," he said matter-of-factly. "It was Palpatine who killed her. He reached her through the Force."

"That's terrible," Rey said in a quiet voice.

Ben nodded and paced a few steps around her. He paused and turned towards her, his dark eyes searching hers. "But nothing like that would ever happen to you, Rey," he assured. "As long as Snoke knows I'm on his side, as long as you stay with the Order of Organa, you'll be safe."

"But what if Anakin had turned away from the Dark side?" Rey asked, stepping towards him. "Maybe he could have prevented it."

"No," Ben said, shaking his head. "I don't think there was anything he could have done. He joined the Dark side to protect her—just as I will remain with the Empire to protect you." His voice rose slightly.

"But—isn't that just repeating the same story of your grandfather again?" She asked, her brows creasing together.

There was a long pause as Ben stared at her. His shoulders appeared to stiffen.

"Ben, your grandfather realized that what he'd done was wrong, that he'd made the wrong decision," she continued. "He had to have known this, because he was redeemed by Luke before his end."

"I know the story, Rey," Ben said flatly. He looked away from her then, his eyes travelling around the city line behind her. "Maybe you don't understand, but Anakin had purpose in joining the Dark side, dedication to protect who he loved."

"But...wasn't Padmé put into danger because of Anakin's fall to the Dark side in the first place?" Rey asked.

Ben's churning eyes flickered back to hers, and Rey sensed that she'd struck a nerve.

"Ben?" Rey gently prompted, reaching a hand out towards him.

Ben sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know, Rey," he said, shaking his head. His hands flopped back to his sides and his brows rose in the middle. "I don't know what else to do, Rey," he said, his voice wavering. "Either way, you're not safe," he said, holding her upper arms. His eyes were moist and glistening as they searched hers.

"I feel safest with you," she breathed, melting under his gaze.

Ben lowered his face and kissed her. His lips were smooth and soft against hers. Rey let out a sigh as he wrapped an arm around the back of her waist, pulling her tightly into him.

"Tell me what to do," he said against her lips. "Tell me."

Rey shook her head slowly. "I don't know, Ben...either way, you're in danger, too. I don't want you with Snoke, but when you came to Trora last—" She cut herself off, images passing through her mind of the stationed Trora pilots' blasters aimed at Ben's ascending ship. She shook her head and leaned up to kiss him again. "All I know is I'm tired. Tired of it all, of not being able to be with you," she said, searching his eyes.

Ben rose to his full height as he gazed down at her. "I'm tired, too. Perhaps…" He reached out and grasped her hand, his brows raising. "We can find a place to stay...for the night." His eyes stirred as a small smile formed across Rey's mouth.

Ben led Rey back through the streets while the clubs and bars remained as lively as they had been before. He glanced down at her continually, captivated, her hand clasped firmly in his. But his complete mental absorption of her had brought his guard down, had kept him from probing their surroundings with the Force. And so he did not sense the one in the shadows that had stood by, watching.

I'm baaack! I'm very grateful for your patience, Padawans. Our lovers have finally got together again! Good for Rey, forcing Ben to confront the reality of his choices, and the possibility that he's making the same mistakes as Monsieur Vader. But can she keep him from continuing?