Luke led the way up the path to Maz's enormous reconstructed castle. The trio was silent as they neared the entrance, walking underneath the strings of flags and banners that had survived the destruction of the first castle. All of them had pulled up the hoods of their cloaks in an attempt to conceal their identities from potential Empire spies.

Luke hesitated before the tall double-doors, glancing back at Ben and Rey. "Here goes nothing," he said, and pushed them open.

They stepped into the bustling music-filled cantina, packed with aliens and creatures of all kinds. Rey marveled at the elaborate candelabras hanging from the room's towering ceilings, the miscellaneous decor dotted along on each wall, the wide stage where the band played. She observed that the cantina had doubled in size, at least, and the place was even noisier than she had remembered it being the last time. She turned to Ben, who was wordless, clearly overwhelmed by their rowdy environment.

Following Luke, Ben and Rey began to move forward through rows of congested tables and benches, sliding cautiously around everyone they passed. Rey was well aware of the stares that their hooded forms were attracting, and she avoided eye contact with the beings around her. She felt Ben slide his hand into her own, and for a brief moment their gazes met. His dark eyes were weary.

"Beeen Solo!" The three of them jumped in place as Maz's familiar voice called from the other side of the cantina.

The room quieted, all eyes turning to the cloaked figures near the center of the room. Luke, Rey, and Ben reluctantly lowered their hoods; whatever anonymity they'd hoped to have maintained was now gone.

Kriff, Ben pressed in Rey's mind. Rey noticed his posture stiffen as the small orange woman came scuttling towards them, balancing a tray of empty glasses in one hand. The creatures around them began turning back to their conversations as if nothing had distracted them in the first place.

"Maz, we're trying not to be noticed, here," Luke said gruffly as she approached.

Maz brusquely set her clinking tray onto a bar and turned towards the three. "Oh, come now, no one else knows that Ben is the same person as Kylo Ren, and there's no one here from the Empire. No one loyal, anyway." Luke pressed his lips together, looking doubtful.

Adjusting her glasses, Maz turned to Ben and made a point to look him up and down.

"My, look at you. It's been so long. Look how tall you've grown. You look a lot like your father," she noted. "Are you a Solo or what?"

"Hello, Maz," Ben said, his face stoic, restrained.

"And Rey," Maz said, turning her attention to her. "The Rey of light. How are you, my dear?" Rey thought she caught Maz glancing down at her and Ben's clasped hands.

"I've...been better," she admitted, giving Maz a weak smile. She glanced up at Ben. "We're in deep trouble, Maz," she said, lowering her voice. "We need your help."

"I know. Ben, you have been a very naughty boy, to say the least," Maz said, narrowing her eyes at him. Ben opened his mouth, but Luke stepped up to his side and spoke.

"My naughty nephew, that's what I call him," he said. Ben looked away and frowned.

Maz straightened, focusing up on Luke. "Nevermind that now. You're not here to discuss that. Let's all go sit—" She abruptly turned, motioning for them to follow. She led them to a table in an alcove at the back of the cantina. The walls surrounding the table muffled the rhythmic music and laughs of the drunken customers in the outer room.

Rey slid next to Ben, Maz taking the place next to Luke across from them. Everyone was quiet for a moment until Luke cleared his throat. "Maz, look, I meant to apologize for how—for what happened, back when Rey took off," he began, but Maz waved him off.

"I sat in a cell for a while, so what?" She shrugged. "We all make mistakes. I know you were just worried about her." Rey looked between the two of them confusedly. "Rey's the only one in my good graces, though," Maz added, glancing at Ben. He hunched slightly under her gaze.

"I'm really sorry about your castle, Maz," Ben said. "It's not what I wanted to happen."

To everyone's surprise, Maz smiled. "Thank you for the apology, Ben, but have you seen this place? It's better than ever," she said, gesturing around her. "The old castle needed a remodel. I should be thanking you."

"Maz, we need help figuring out what to do," Rey said, wanting to get straight to the subject. "Ben left the Empire, and now Snoke's after us."

"How about you start with explaining everything that happened on Trora," Luke suggested.

Rey and Ben exchanged glances, unsure of where to start. Rey spoke up first, telling Maz and Luke how Ben was shot down while they were running to his ship, and how he seemed to weaken while she became stronger. Maz's eyes narrowed as Rey grimly went on to explain how she'd felt the Dark force stir within her as she'd been compelled to kill the group of Organa soldiers. Ben ended the story, explaining how he'd killed one of his knights when the man attempted to kill Rey.

"Where are they now?" Maz asked.

"The knights?" Ben asked. "They're on-planet, watching over my ship. They won't cause any trouble."

"After you killed the knight—that's when I showed up?" Luke asked, and Ben nodded.

"Mm," Maz said, her mouth pinching. She took a few moments to consider what she'd just been told. "I see. And now we are left with the question of Darth Plagueis. The one that they say came back to life." She faced Ben, adjusting her goggle lenses to focus on him. "What do you know of this?"

Ben hesitated. "The only thing I know is that Snoke supposedly came back to life after Palpatine killed him," he said, shaking his head. "I don't understand it."

Luke leaned forward. "Of all the ancient books I've read in the Jedi temples on Ach-To, I've never learned of anyone who'd managed to figure out how to reach immortality. This whole story of Snoke returning from the dead—it has to be a myth."

"Some would have said the very same thing about you," Maz said, giving him a cold look. "This is no myth."

Luke sat back and rubbed his chin, his expression betraying his skepticism.

"Wait. He's immortal?" Rey questioned. How could that be possible? She looked to Ben, who mirrored her mystified look. Perhaps Ben had been right in keeping her from fighting Snoke, she thought. Who knew what other powers he possibly had?

"It seems that way," Maz said, looking to Ben again. "You were right to leave him when you did. As I'm sure you know, his power comes in waves. But I've also felt him grow steadily stronger over time. I sense his power in the Force is nearing its strongest yet."

"I sense it, too," Ben said quietly, his mouth shifting to the side. He frowned and focused on Maz. "But why would his power shift like it does? He only seems to have control of me for short instances of time. And of Rey, apparently."

"Well, you've been with him for many years, perhaps you've noticed a pattern of when his powers change," Maz said, raising an eyebrow.

Ben looked down at the tabletop, taking a moment to think. "He's almost always away from the Empire, on some sort of personal base on Mustafar...That's when I feel him most strongly through the Force. That's when he seems to be able to control me, but I'm not sure why."

Maz leaned back slightly. "Ah," she said, nodding. "Then my hypothesis may be correct."

Rey gave a puzzled look. "What hypothesis?"

"I believe Snoke is hiding some sort of power source on Mustafar," Maz said. "I feel a strong presence in the Force in the direction of that planet. Too strong a presence for just any one Force user like Snoke to give off. He has his reasons for setting up a personal base there."

"What sort of power source are we talking about?" Luke asked.

Maz shrugged. "I'm not sure. You're the one who read through all of the ancient Jedi journals, can you think of anything mentioned in them that could be used to control the Force at large?"

Luke frowned and rubbed the stubble on his chin.

"Wait," Ben said. "Going back to Palpatine...why did he kill Snoke? Do you know, Maz?"

"Suppose Palpatine figured out what Snoke was really up to, that he was planning to kill his student," Maz said. "Speaking of which...do you happen to know what happened to Snoke's other apprentices?"

"They all died in battle," he said.

Maz's mouth formed a tight line. "They did not die in battle. That's just what he told you. What he wants you to think."

"Snoke killed them, then?" Rey asked.

Maz sighed. "It appears so. In each case they seemed to have vanished suddenly, without a trace. I've heard many a story from old Empire workers about Snoke having a high turnover rate with his students."

"It doesn't make sense for him to take on so many students over the years, just to kill them in the end," Ben said. "Why wouldn't he just stick with one?"

"That's simply another piece to this puzzle that we do not yet understand," Maz said. "I believe that Snoke is the reason for why the Force has been dormant for so many years. You, Rey, have personal experience of these effects; I understand that the Force had not truly awoken in you until you came into contact with Ben and he triggered it." She leaned back in her seat and sighed. "Snoke has certainly wrung the galaxy dry of Force users."

"Don't you think that's his end goal, to have no opposition in the Force?" Luke asked.

"It appears so," Maz said.

"So he's after Ben and I because he wants to destroy us?" Rey asked, squeezing Ben's hand underneath the table. A shiver ran through her as she remembered facing Snoke's enormous hologram image on the Finalizer, his booming voice resounding in her head. Why have only a Skywalker for the Empire when there is also a Kenobi?

"I believe so, yes," Maz said with a solemn nod. "Although I'm sure the answer is a bit more complex. You two come from two of the most powerful family lines in the galaxy, no doubt you are a great threat to him."

"A threat?" Ben repeated. "We're hardly a threat. Snoke's much more powerful than us in the Force."

Maz narrowed her eyes at him. "I beg to differ."

"What about the Force bond?" Ben pressed, shaking his head. "Snoke forged it between Rey and I. Why?"

"I think it's pretty clear why," Maz said. "As you just found out on Storia, Snoke can reach her through your bond, through you. Forging a bond between you and Rey, from Snoke's perspective, is perhaps killing two birds with one stone."

"Nice analogy," Luke muttered.

"There are many ancient tales of Force bonds, both with the Dark side and the Light. I'm sure you've read all about them," Maz said, nudging Luke. "Bonds forged between masters and students, between siblings, friends, lovers…" she trailed, looking from Ben to Rey. "But there is a lot of evidence out there to support the idea that the strongest Force bond is one based on love."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh, here we go. Romantic love?"

"Any kind of love," Maz answered. "Of course, romantic love included, but also the platonic love between friends, Jedi masters and students, siblings..." She glanced at Luke again, who nodded. "But different types of love still yield different ways for which to measure the strength of the Force bond." She turned her attention back to Ben and Rey, pressing a hand to her mouth. "Have either of you ever noticed a shift in the Force between you, other than when Snoke has manipulated it? Have you ever felt anything...out of the ordinary?"

Rey made fleeting eye contact with Ben. "Um, no," she said quickly.

Maz narrowed her eyes. Rey's heart began to race, her face growing hot as Maz continued to stare at her expectantly.

She knows you're lying, Ben pressed into Rey's mind.

I know! But we can't say anything—I told Luke we haven't had sex! she insisted, squeezing his hand again.

What? Ben asked. How would that have even come up in conversation?

"Ben?" Maz prompted, studying his face. "This is important to know. I need to know how strong the bond is between you and Rey."

Luke's eyes were darting between the two of them. Rey felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Well, whenever we're near each other, the Force generally feels strong between us," Ben said, looking to Rey.

"I think that's just chemistry you're feeling," Maz said with an amused smile. "When would you say the Force feels the strongest? When you've battled each other, laughed together…? I ask because I need to know the nature of your bond."

Luke's in for a rude awakening, Ben said in Rey's mind, peering at her askance. We have to tell Maz everything we know so she can help us.

Rey swallowed and gave a faint nod. You're right.

Ben let out a quick breath, splaying his hands atop the table. "Honestly…" He dropped his gaze to his hands. "The pull of the Force feels the strongest...when we kiss. Well...actually, when we make love," he admitted, his cheeks reddening.

"Ohhkay, I'm checking myself out of this one," Luke said, sliding from his seat. "I didn't expect that to be the answer. I thought you were going to say meditation or something pure."

"Luke—" Rey began to apologize, but he waved her off.

"That's all I needed to know," Maz assured, tugging Luke's arm and urging him to sit. Sighing, he acquiesced. "This is a good thing. A very good thing," she said, a smile crossing her face. "This means that your bond is, indeed, very strong." She reached across the table, extending a hand to both Ben and Rey. Tentatively, they each slid a hand around hers. "If there is any one piece of advice I could give you, it is this: love is stronger than any other force."

"Wait, hold on, can we back up a second?" Luke asked, raising a hand like a child in a classroom. He appeared flustered. "How is learning about my nephew's love life relevant to defeating Snoke?"

Maz released Rey and Ben's hands and sat back in her seat. "It's relevant because it indicates to me that together, Ben and Rey are capable of matching Snoke in the Force," Maz said. "To my knowledge, Snoke has never bonded one of his students to another. He may have thought that the bond he formed between you two gave you a weakness, when it may very well be the cause of his own downfall." A faraway look came into her eyes. "This is, I believe, the way we can defeat Snoke—by utilizing the strength of your bond."

"So...where do we go from here?" Ben asked, after a moment of silence.

"The two of you will have to face him," Maz said, patting a hand to the table. "Fight."

"No, no, no, that's not going to happen. Not on my watch," Luke said. "Maz, you do realize this isn't just some fairytale? This is real, Snoke is a real danger. He's going to try to kill them, just as you said."

"Try as he might, if Ben and Rey face him together, they will find a way to defeat him," she said.

"How?" Luke countered. "Snoke's been alive even longer than you. Ben and Rey don't have the expertise or the knowledge of the Force to kill him."

"I agree," Ben said.

"Ben," Rey protested, frowning. She slid her hand from his and pressed it atop the table. "I think that Maz is right. We have to face him. It's the only way."

"And how do you expect them to defeat him?" Luke asked Maz.

She hesitated. "I don't know how, exactly, but…" she closed her eyes, letting out a long breath. "I know they can do it. I feel it. The Force is on their side." Luke rolled his eyes, and Ben and Rey exchanged conflicted looks. "Since when have you become so cynical, Luke?" Maz questioned, opening her eyes. "You've gotten to train with the both of them, I know you know they're up to the task."

Luke seemed about to speak, then shook his head and patted his hands on the tabletop. "Nope," he said. "I'm not just going to deliver them to Snoke, all boxed up and nice with a bow on top. Nope. I'm taking them far away, someplace Snoke will never find them." He rose from the table, and the others did the same.

"And then what, Skywalker? Leave them to spend their days on that isolated rock of an island, same as you did?" she mocked.

Luke seemed to consider this for a moment. "Actually," he said, "that's exactly what I'm going to do." He made his way back into the cantina. "Come on, you two," he called to Ben and Rey.

"Wait!" Rey called, rising from the table.

"Rey, I think Luke's right," Ben said, following her. He gripped her arm. "Rey, we need to go somewhere safe."

Rey pulled her arm from Ben's and followed Luke and Maz back through the double-doors leading to the outside.

"Nowhere is safe from someone so powerful in the Force, not for long," Maz declared, stepping up to Luke. "You know this, Luke. You can't hide forever. One day, they are going to have to face Snoke and decide the fate of the galaxy." She adjusted the lenses of her goggles. "Your eyes, they aren't the ones of the famed Luke Skywalker that I know. The one who destroyed a Death Star and found redemption in Vader himself. I'm looking into the eyes of a man who has abandoned his faith in the Force."

Luke was silent a few moments before speaking. "By going to Ach-To we can at least buy ourselves some more time to think things over."

"What about your Jedi journals, Luke?" Rey asked, folding her arms. "Isn't there anything in those that can help us?"

"Rey may be right," Maz said, raising her brows. "Perhaps there will be information that will prove useful. Maybe you can get an idea about what Snoke is using as his power source." She straightened and gestured away from the castle. "You all should be on your way. It's best not to stay in a public place like this for long."

"Thank you for all of your help, Maz," Rey said.

"Anytime. I only wish I was able to help you more. Now, why don't you and Ben head back to the ship, I need to talk to Luke for a moment," she said. Rey nodded and turned down the path with Ben.

"Go ahead and start up the ship, guys," Luke called after them. He crouched down to Maz's eye level. "What is it, now?"

"This will be their greatest challenge yet," she said, searching his eyes. "Yours too, Skywalker. You have to protect them by any means necessary."

"Of course I will, Maz," Luke said, furrowing his brows. "I love them like they're my own kids."

"They are the only known remaining Force-sensitives in the galaxy. The only young ones remaining, I should say," she said, raising an eyebrow. "If they die, after you and Leia have gone, only Snoke will remain. Then, the Dark side of the Force will prevail. Without Ben and Rey, the line of Force-sensitives cannot be replenished."

"And to think I just had 'the talk' with Rey not too long ago," Luke chuckled, but he stopped as Maz gripped his arm with her small hand.

"Pay attention to me, Skywalker. The fate of the galaxy lies with them. The very balance of the Force," she said, and let out a sigh. "I didn't want to have to say this, but it's best that you prepare yourself for all possible outcomes. If the situation arises where you cannot save both of them, choose one. The bloodline of the Light side of the Force can still live through one."

Luke scowled. "Maz, you know I could never choose," he asserted, shaking his head. "That's absurd."

"If it comes down to it, you must choose," she pressed, shaking his arm. She held his gaze before releasing hold of him and turning back towards the castle. "May the Force be with you, and them," she called over her shoulder. "You'll need it."

Luke slowly rose from his crouch with a heavy heart. He had a bad feeling that Maz had an idea of what they were about to face.

….

As they passed by the lush green forest on the way to the ship, Ben snuck several cautious glances at Rey. Luke had yet to catch up to them. "Are you upset with me?" he asked.

She shook her head, keeping her eyes on the ground. "No," she said.

"You seem upset."

"Why don't you just read my mind, then, and figure it out for yourself?" she snapped. She let out a sigh, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, I just...I'm still upset over everything that happened yesterday, and—I'm just really stressed. Don't take it personally."

Ben rubbed her shoulder. "It'll be okay, alright? We're going to pull through this...somehow."

"Oh, so now you believe in us?"

"It's not that I don't believe in us, Rey, it's that I know how strong Snoke is. We're strong together in the Force, I know we are, we just…we've never really tested out our powers together. We can't fight Snoke and just wing it."

"Then we can practice," she said.

Ben's mind raced, thinking of a way to change the subject and lift Rey's spirits. "You remember when we first met in these woods?" he asked, slowing to a stop.

Rey turned and faced him, lowering a hand to her hip. "Are you stupid? How could I not? You were kriffing terrifying."

Ben let out a low laugh. "Right away I knew you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen," he said. "I think it was love at first sight. Even though you were trying to kill me."

"For good reason!" she exclaimed. "You came creeping out of those rocks with your lightsaber like a monster!" She imitated the way he'd slashed through the air with his saber.

Monster. The word coming from her lips was all too familiar to him, but it no longer bothered him. "I was just protecting myself from your blasts. And, maybe...maybe I wanted to impress you," he admitted, glancing at her coyly.

"Well, you probing my mind sure didn't impress me," she countered, stepping towards him. "It hurt."

"I'm sorry," he said. She stopped just before him and he brushed her hair from her face. "I can't excuse my monstrous behaviour. I'll admit I was brash. I wasn't really thinking, I...I just had to know everything about you."

Rey's eyes narrowed a moment. "You know what I always wondered?" she asked.

He tilted his head. "Hmm?"

"In the forest, when you put me to sleep—whatever you call that trick—I thought I felt your arms beneath me. Did you pick me up?" she asked.

"I carried you all the way to my ship," he said, smiling. "Like this." Rey giggled as he quickly scooped her up into his arms, holding her bridal style.

"Kylo Ren wouldn't do that," she insisted.

"I did," he insisted, carrying her down the path.

"In the middle of battle?" she pressed, reaching up to poke his cheek playfully.

"In the middle of battle," he returned, looking down at her. "And I was so anxious for you to wake when you were still asleep in the interrogation room. It felt like years before you finally woke up."

"I remember seeing you right in front of me when I first woke up," she said, blinking. "Were you...were you watching me sleep?"

"I was just admiring your beauty," he defended. He smiled and closed his eyes a moment, his cheeks growing warm as Rey lifted to plant a kiss on his neck. But his light hearted feelings began to darken as he spotted the black wings of his ship ahead. Rey remained silent as he carried her the rest of the way to the waiting shuttle.

….

As Luke and Rey stood in the control room of the command shuttle, guiding it up through Takodana's atmosphere, Ben conferred with his knights in the central chamber.

"They're an odd bunch, those knights," Luke commented. "What do you think Ben's telling them?"

"He said that he was just going to explain to them our plan to go to Ach-To," Rey answered. She studied Luke as he managed the ship's controls, hesitant to bring up the topic that had arisen at Maz's. "Luke?"

"Uh huh," he said, his attention focused through the window ahead.

"I just...I'm sorry I lied to you. About Ben and I."

Luke turned in his chair to face her. "Oh, don't worry about that, Rey," he said, shaking his head. "I don't care. I mean, I'll be having a talk with Ben, no doubt, but...Really, I should have assumed anyway. I forget how old you two actually are. When I look at you, I still see tiny Rey Kenobi from the Jedi academy. And when I look at Ben, well…" his gaze drifted away, lost for a moment in memory. A smile formed on his face. "When I look at him, I still see my tiny baby nephew cradled in my arms."

Rey smiled at Luke, warmed by his love for his nephew.

"I remember how much trouble Leia and Han had with him because of his Force sensitivity," Luke continued, chuckling. "He figured out his powers really early on. He was a handful. He'd toss his rattle and stuffed animals from his crib without ever touching them. And when he learned to walk, he'd hurl all sorts of things at his parents and me. I'm talking heavy things. Apparently he thought it was funny, he was little and didn't know any better. He'd leave messes everywhere. I don't think my poor sister ever had a clean house on Hosnian Prime."

They both abruptly turned as Ben strode back into the control room. "What are you talking about?" Ben asked, resting a hand on Luke's chair.

"Luke was just telling me about how you were as a baby," Rey giggled.

Ben frowned at Luke, who smiled back. "I thought she ought to know what a troublemaker you were," he said. "That obviously carried through to adulthood."

Ben sighed. As he turned his gaze to Rey, his eyes softened. Rey stepped closer to him and leaned against his arm.

As the ship pulled out of Takodana's orbit, Luke adjusted the switches on the control screens. "Alright, Ach-To or bust," he announced. Ben wrapped his arm around Rey's shoulders, the stars before them appearing to stretch and lengthen as they made the leap into hyperspace.

I realize last time I'd told you that this chapter would come out in a "few days," and, well, that obviously didn't end up happening. SO this time I'm not going to predict any time frame for when the next chapter will come, but I will do my best to make it timely. Granted I'm not able to devote much time to fic writing anymore but I don't want the quality of this story to be affected because of that, not after I've kept up with this dang thing for so long! Anyways, back to said story...We're on the home stretch now.

What do you make of Maz's opinions? What do you think really happened to Snokes' former apprentices?

I just had to put Rey and Ben in the hot seat when Maz was questioning them. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Do you think Rey & Ben are both going to make it out of all of this a-okay? Or will Luke have to "choose," like Maz said?

Will the Jedi Journals clear up anything more about Snoke, or will the trio remain in the dark about his mysterious plotting?

If you can't tell I enjoy coming up with Book Club-type questions.

Again, thank you all so so much for the feedback, I value all of your responses and love hearing your perspectives/reactions on what goes down in this melodramatic little fic of ours. I wish this site allowed me to respond to each of you individually in the comment section, but alas, so here I am giving you all a collective thank-you for the follows and responses. Fingers crossed the next chapter comes out relatively soon.