I'm back! Happy New Year! So seeing Rogue One got me back into the Star Wars mood and thus this chapter was (finally!) finished.

"My son?" Leia balked.

"Yes, Madam Chancellor," Poe repeated with a respectful nod. He looked down and tapped his fingers against the metal of the table's edge. "We need to plan a course of action. Since we've still had no word from Luke or Rey, we have to assume that Kylo Ren is the cause of their disappearance from Storia," he said.

"No, no, hold on, Mr. Dameron. I just talked to Luke and Rey—and Ben," Leia declared, stepping up to the table and meeting the many eyes around her. "Luke and Rey are fine. They're all fine."

To her side, she heard BB-8 chirp and Finn release a relieved sigh.

"'Fine?'" Admiral Ackbar repeated. "We have not heard from them in several days, how did you manage to finally hear from them?"

"I just talked with them through my Holo tablet," she said. "They're headed—" she paused, catching herself; she didn't want to reveal their location lest the word somehow reach a tapped device or Empire spy. "They're going away for now to remain hidden from Snoke," she amended.

"But we need Luke and Rey—they're Jedi, the only ones on our side that have the Force!" one of the officers blurted. He paused and tipped his hat towards her. "Besides you, of course, Madam Chancellor," he added hastily.

"Where exactly are they going, then?" Poe asked, raising an eyebrow.

Darting her eyes to the pilot, Leia shook her head. "I can't tell you that, I'm afraid. That would put them into too much danger. Their location must remain secret."

Low murmurs sounded from around the table.

"But what if Luke and Rey are being held against their will?" Poe pressed. "Isn't Kylo Ren a danger to them? We should go after them."

Most of the officers and pilots around the table nodded and buzzed in agreement.

Leia stiffened as she watched the men and women around her, all so eager to fight. But this was the wrong fight. She had to convince them—but how?

She looked back across at Poe, letting out a breath to compose herself again amidst the side chatter. "My son is not the villain you're looking for, Poe Dameron," she declared, and the room again grew silent.

"Yes, my son has fought for the Empire. Ben has committed war crimes. He has aided in the chaos currently ensuing in the galaxy. But this was a result of brainwashing and misguided thinking. I assure you Ben does not have malicious intentions, nor has he ever—I know my son." Leia took in a breath, pausing for emphasis. "I am not going to excuse any of Ben's wrongdoings, nor do I expect anyone to excuse them just because he is Han and I's son. He shall answer for his crimes when it is the appropriate time. But now is not that time. He is not a threat to us—For now, we need him as our ally."

"An ally? You're sure of this?" An officer prodded.

"He turned against his own father, and against you, Leia. I can't trust him. I don't think any of us should," Poe said, looking down at the table and shaking his head.

"I've already told you all before that Ben did not kill his father. But Ben turned against Han and I because we weren't there for him," Leia divulged, her lower lip quivering. "We weren't there for him when he was young, when he was just figuring out himself and his powers...when he needed us most.

"He felt abandoned by us, neglected. So he ended up falling victim to Snoke's manipulation, because Snoke turned out to be the only one who was even willing to listen to him," she explained, her voice rising with emotion. She let out a long breath and gripped the edge of the table for support. "Snoke is our enemy. Not my son...And though he turned away from his parents because he found us lacking, believe me when I say that he would not now betray his uncle, nor Rey."

Poe looked up and was apparently about to disagree when Finn stepped closer to Leia's side and cleared his throat.

"She's right," he said, and several pilots around the table whispered in surprise. "Ben wouldn't go against them. He would especially never harm Rey."

Poe's mouth dropped open. "Finn, what are you talking about?" he asked.

Finn swallowed, meeting the questioning eyes around the table. He felt like he was back in the Resistance bunker about to disclose what he knew about Starkiller Base. But this time, the information he was going to share was something more personal. Something that he knew might just break his best friend's heart.

"Ben loves Rey," Finn announced, and averted his gaze from Poe before continuing. "And I know that Rey loves him too." The pilots and officers in the room emitted low chatter. "Ben's on our side, I know that we can trust him now," Finn added with a nod. "I'm sure of it."

Leia turned to Finn and gave him an encouraging smile. 'Thank you,' she mouthed.

"I believe Finn," Jessika declared, moving closer to Finn's side. "When Ben interrogated me, I saw how much he cares about Rey, and his mother," she said, glancing over to Leia. "I saw glimpses of what he's been through, his pain. Ben's troubled, but I don't think he's evil or bad."

"Kylo Ren is tricking us," Poe uttered, and everyone turned towards him. Leia shot him a disappointed look. "He's managed to deceive Rey. And...apparently you too, Finn," he added sadly. "He sliced up your spine, put you into a coma for weeks. And now you think that he's suddenly turned good? Finn, buddy...think about what you're saying," he urged, his eyes troubled.

Everyone turned back towards Finn.

"I know it sounds crazy," Finn began, "but you have to believe me. You have to believe Rey," he said, looking directly at Poe. "We all love and trust her. She's been a great friend to all of us here."

Everyone in the room nodded and murmured in agreement.

"And if she trusts Ben Solo, if she sees good in him, then—kriff, I've got to believe her," he contended, pressing a hand to the edge of the table.

People began talking over other each other. Leia was anxious as she overheard the many opinions resounding throughout the room. Some people were still siding with Poe, some agreed with Finn, while others still seemed on the fence.

If only there were some way to truly convince them all, she thought. We need everyone united and on the same page, or we run the risk of everyone breaking into different factions. If that happens, then the Empire will prevail.

Leia jolted as BB-8 brushed past her legs and began beeping energetically.

"What is it, BB-8?" Finn asked, leaning over to peer down at the droid.

BB-8 beeped and wobbled agitatedly in place.

"Shh, everybody," Finn urged, and gradually, the room began to quiet down as BB-8 spoke.

"Is that BB-8? What's he got to say?" Poe asked, leaning over the table to listen.

"Here—" Finn grunted as he struggled to lift BB-8 from the ground. Jessika stepped quickly beside him to help him lift the heavy spherical droid onto the planning table.

"You've got the stage, buddy," Poe said to his droid.

"But I don't speak droid," one of the pilots murmured.

"I don't either," Finn shrugged.

BB-8 began to chirp as it rolled towards Poe, facing him.

"I know, you already told me he kept you as his droid," Poe said, lowering his brows.

BB-8 shook and signalled in response.

As he listened, Poe's expression grew increasingly somber.

"What's he saying?" Finn asked.

Jessika spoke up. "He's saying that Ben was a friend to him. That he believes Ben is, ultimately, good." A smile crept upon her mouth as she glanced at Finn.

"The droid's just been with the Empire for too long, it's been messed with," one of the officers said dismissively. "He's forgotten that he's your droid, Dameron."

Poe folded his arms across his chest and shook his head slowly, his eyes still focused on BB-8. "No," he said, pausing. "His loyalty subprogram can't be rewritten."

"Meaning?" The pilot asked.

"Meaning…" Poe began, his arms lowering to his sides, "BB-8's telling the truth."

….

"Finally," Ben huffed under his breath as he, Luke, and Rey slowed to a stop before an array of stone huts.

"We made it," Rey concurred, smiling up at him. Her cheeks were flushed red from their long trek up the mountain. Ben watched as she bent her knees, sensing that her legs—like his—were aching from the climb.

"Good thing we made it up here before nightfall," Luke said, rubbing his face. "That climb's awfully risky when you can't see where you're stepping.

"I can imagine," Ben mused dryly, lifting an eyebrow.

Luke lead them closer to the huts and gestured towards the rocky structures. "You two can take your pick, these huts are pretty much all the same. I mean—" he paused, catching himself. "I expect you two will, uh, be sharing one." He turned and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hm. I can't remember which one of these I left the old journals in..."

"I think I remember...I'll look," Rey offered, setting down her armful of pillows and blankets. Luke followed her as she ventured through the line of huts.

Ben set his bundle next to Rey's, sighing with exhaustion as he rose. He peered at the line of ocean beyond, the churning waters cast in the violent orange glow of the setting sun. The scattered islands in the distance looked like rocks jutting from lava. Lava that gave off no heat, but an icy, bitter wind.

As Ben stood observing, the full reality of their situation crept back into his mind, filling him with cold dread. He was aware of how far the three of them were from any familiar planetary system. How alone.

"Found them," Rey called from a hut near Ben, pulling him out of his reverie. Ben watched as Luke and Rey ducked out of a hut nearby.

"Ben and I can just stay in this one for the night," she said to Luke. "I'm tired, but I'd like to look through some of the journals before I sleep."

She yawned as she walked back to Ben's side, and Luke and Ben found themselves doing the same.

"Alright, well, since we're all tired, let's just reconvene in the morning," Luke decided. "From what I remember, those journals are pretty cryptic, so I'm not sure how much progress you'll make tonight...I'm sure we'll find something useful in them," he said, sounding genuinely hopeful.

"I'm sure we will," Rey agreed, nodding drowsily at Luke. She flashed a smile to Ben, who returned it, but his heart wasn't in it. He knew Rey sensed this.

Rey scooped up her pile of pillows and headed back towards her chosen hut.

"Goodnight," Ben said to Luke, gathering up his blankets. He began following Rey until his uncle spoke up behind him.

"Ben, wait, another thing," Luke addressed, lowering his voice. Ben turned and moved closer to hear him.

"These huts? They're very close together," Luke noted, gesturing towards the structures around them. "And very old, as you can see. They're not very stable. Not very...thick." He paused for effect, raising his eyebrows. "And I'll probably be able to hear anything that happens to go on. Not that anything would, just...I thought it would only be fair that you knew."

Ben's heart sunk in his chest, but he kept his expression composed. At least, he hoped he had. "Understood," he said.

Luke patted Ben's shoulder and smiled. "Alright. I know you're your father's son, but…for the sake of everyone getting a good night's sleep, and—"

"I got it," Ben nodded, sidling back from from his uncle. "Goodnight, Luke."

Luke held up a hand. "Oh, hold on, I'll bring you two some food, I forgot to grab some…" he trailed, turning away.

"What did Luke have to say?" Rey asked as Ben ducked through the hut's low entrance. She was sprawled upon the stone ground near a glowing lantern, arranging pillows.

Ben shook his head, avoiding her gaze as he dropped his own bundle to the ground. "He said he's going to bring us food," he stated. He crouched down and together they unfolded the blankets and formed what would be their makeshift bed.

"I have a feeling we're going to be waking up with sore backs," Rey smiled, rubbing her fingers along the uneven stone floor. "Luke had cots here last time, but I think he brought them back to Trora." She shivered once and hugged her knees to her chest.

"At least we'll have each other to keep warm," Ben assured, settling down and wrapping an arm snugly around her shoulders. He smiled as Rey sighed in contentment, nestling her head into his chest.

They were quiet for a time as they clung to each other, staying warm, their breath escaping in visible white wisps.

"You know, if we had to stay here forever...if it was just us...I wouldn't really mind," Ben said, breaking the silence. Rey leaned back to look up at his face.

"Really?" she asked, surprised. "But there's so many other places to go, there's so much of the galaxy I still haven't seen," she said, her eyes distant and bright. "I can't imagine staying in one place forever...even if it was with you. No offense," she added with a giggle.

Ben smiled, understanding. Of course she wouldn't be content to stay on one planet, that's what she'd done for most of her life already.

"I for one am tired of constantly travelling, of never staying in one place," Ben said, sliding his knuckles down Rey's arm. "My parents and Luke were always taking me everywhere around the galaxy when I was young...I never really felt like I had much of a home. But if you wanted to traverse the galaxy, I'd be happy to be your travelling partner." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her, but just before their lips met he paused at the sound of boots padding towards their hut.

"Alright, dinner's here," Luke announced, stepping into their tiny abode with a wooden tray.

Ben helped pull Rey to her feet before inspecting what Luke had to offer them. He immediately curled his lip at the sight of the shrivelled green strands in the tray before him.

"What...are they?" Ben asked, scrunching his face. He watched in horror as Rey snatched a handful of the food pieces and popped them into her mouth without hesitation.

"Seaweed," Luke chimed pridefully. "I picked it myself from the shoreline last time I was here and dried it. It keeps well in the cold, so it's good to eat. And it's good for you."

"Seaweed," Ben repeated blankly. He stared in repulsion as Rey grabbed more of the long green strands. Who in their right mind would eat seaweed? he thought. There's no way she could actually like it...

But Rey was always full of surprises. "Try some, Ben," she said between smiling mouthfuls. "It's really good." He narrowed his eyes at her, sensing her amusement at his distaste.

"Go on," Luke said, extending the tray towards him. "You've got to eat. This is all we have for now, anyway."

Ben reluctantly took a handful of the dried-out pieces and stared at them in his palm.

"Okay, well. Goodnight, kids," Luke said, ducking out of the hut. "I'll close the door, it looks like the wind's picking up. Once the sun's gone down all the way, that wind can feel like icicles."

"That's nice," Ben muttered tartly.

"Ben, why aren't you eating?" Rey asked after Luke had shut the wooden door behind him.

"I'm not hungry," he lied, settling down onto the blankets. He looked up as Rey stood over him, hands on her hips like a scolding mother.

"Food is food, Ben," Rey chided. "We should be grateful to have any at all in this desolate place. We can't be picky."

Ben knew that she'd grown up eating the same food portions every day on Jakku, so she'd grown accustomed to being content with whatever form of nutrition she came across. He hoped to one day change that. He wanted to spoil her with all kinds of delicious foods.

Maker, had she not even yet tried cake?

He felt a flood of sympathy as she sat down in front of him, finishing the last strand of her seaweed. She tilted her face and pinched her brows together as she chewed.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly, reaching out to stroke her fingers down his sleeve.

Ben smiled adoringly at her. "I should be asking you. You're the one who thinks this stuff is good to eat," he teased, looking down at the seaweed in his hand. Sucking in a quick breath, he shut his eyes tight and shoved the food into his mouth.

His tongue was bombarded with a stinging saltiness and he clasped his hand over his mouth. He stared at Rey with wide eyes as he forcibly swallowed.

Rey rocked backwards with laughter. "Oh come on, it's not bad at all! You're acting like a baby!" she mocked.

Ben coughed down the rest of the bits of the food in his throat as her laughter subsided. He brought his hand to his mouth again and cleared his throat. "That was the worst thing I've ever tasted," he grumbled.

"And you're the strangest person I've ever met," Rey chuckled, and began to shiver. "I forgot how freezing it gets here at night," she said, rubbing her arms.

"Come here, you poor baby," he teased, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him. "Jakku scavengers don't do well in the cold, do they?"

"N-no," she stammered, her teeth clacking together. "B-but you lived on S-starkiller Base. I'll bet you're no good in the heat."

"Weather doesn't faze me," he declared heroically. He pressed his lips to her cheek. "Nothing can."

"N-nothing?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Nothing but you, he pressed into her mind, and he gently kissed her. He studied the freckles dotting her nose and cheeks and tucked her hair behind her ear. It was windblown and wavy and nothing short of lovely.

Rey closed her eyes and smiled, letting out a long breath as he peppered kisses all over her face. "Mm, shouldn't we start flipping through those journals?" she breathed with a smile, holding onto his arm wrapped around her middle.

Ben paused at her temple, bringing himself back to reality. "The journals," he uttered. "Hm. Yes. You're right." He sat back from her and extended a palm, bringing one of the stacked leather-bound books flying into his hand.

Rey scooted close to his side as he flipped open the large blank cover. On the first page was written, in faded ink, Jedha under Imperial Rule.

"Hmm, Jedha...I've heard of that place," Ben said. "Wasn't it destroyed by the original Empire?"

Rey nodded. "I think so. If the tales that circulated around Niima Outpost can be trusted, that is."

Ben flipped through the pages, skimming a few sentences: There were many accounts of the Empire looting Kyber crystals from the temples of the city. The Empire seemed to have an insatiable need for Kyber. Now it is known that this material was needed to construct the Death Star.

Ben lifted his eyes, pausing. "If this book is about Imperial rule...maybe all of these books aren't so old after all," he postulated, setting the book aside. He called a new book into his grasp.

But the next few volumes that he and Rey flipped through would be of decidedly older origin, bearing stained, torn pages and ancient titles to prove it, bearing such names as The Jedi Code, Emblems of the Jedi Order, Collection of Accounts of the Old Republic. Another book they came across seemed a sort of sketchbook, full of drawings of what appeared to be early lightsaber designs.

"Look!" Rey exclaimed, pressing her finger to a sketch of a saber with a crossguard vent. "It's like yours."

"I based my saber off of these early designs I'd heard of," he said, cracking a smile. "Although, I'll admit I had to do it that way because the kyber crystal in my lightsaber is cracked, as you know. So I needed to figure out a way to vent out the extra energy, to stabilize it."

"Why was the crystal cracked?" she asked.

Ben flashed another smile. "Well, I was very young when I forged my saber, too young for Luke to have taught me how to properly build one. I'd only just begun training with Snoke, and he didn't show me how to do it. So I really just made it out of a process of trial-and-error, and the crystal broke because I got frustrated and tried to rush building it."

"That sounds like you, Short Temper," she teased, poking his cheek.

Ben frowned. "I don't have a short temper," he dissented.

"Don't lie to yourself, Kylo Ren," she smiled.

Ben's brows furrowed and he was about to retort, but he caught himself. Instead, his mouth pulled into a sly smile and he grabbed Rey, flipping her over onto the blankets to their side. He kept an arm around her back, keeping her middle lifted from the ground.

Rey smiled as she stared up at him, giggling once before he lowered and kissed her into the pillows. She hummed out a sigh as he kissed the warm curve of her neck, her fingers tracing up into his hair.

"I love you so much," Ben mumbled into her ear. He was lost in her scent, her warmth, his affection for her as he mouthed her. But as the draft creeping in under the door reached him, bringing with it a reminder of his uncle's words, Ben broke from Rey's mouth and froze. He stared down at her. "We should...get some sleep," he breathed.

Rey scowled as he slipped his arm from underneath her and settled next to her onto the ground. "That's...very unlike you," she remarked, lifting a brow.

Ben smiled and rolled towards her to kiss her forehead. "I'm afraid this old hut will come crumbling apart if we go any further," he murmured, and she let out a soft giggle.

Ben brushed his fingers through the length of her hair, and he watched as Rey's smile began to fade. He sensed her growing anxious.

"What's bothering you, Love?" he breathed, drawing a circle on her cheek with his fingertip.

"I just...I hope we're not wasting our time here, instead of being with the Order. I just hope we find what we need from those books," she said.

"We will, Rey," he assured, cupping her cheek. "I know we will." He was surprised to realize that he believed what he said.

After a pause, Rey spoke again. "Ben."

"Mm?"

"Could you...show me the island again?" she asked, turning her face to meet his eyes.

Ben smiled and rested a palm against her forehead. He focused his mind and watched as Rey's eyes closed, a smile creeping back upon her mouth.

He shut his own eyes, feeling a puerile tremor of excitement as he focused on the vision of the island: the warmth of the sand, the salty breeze coursing through his hair, the sparkling expanse of the sea. The beckoning calls of the orange and yellow birds, the gently swaying trees, the small footprints in the sand before him.

The altogether unexplainable yet comforting sense that this place he'd never before been to was...home.

….

As the panel room attendants began to disperse, Leia turned to Finn.

"Thank you, Finn, for standing up for my son. That was brave of you to do, to speak out against your friend and of all of the other pilots," she said, smiling warmly.

"It was nothing. It was BB-8 that did most of the persuading, after all," Finn said, watching the droid as it rolled out of the room with a group of officers and pilots.

Leia was about to speak again when Poe approached them. He looked solemnly from Finn to Leia.

"Princess—er, Chancellor...I'm truly sorry that I didn't believe you," he said. "You, Finn, and BB-8 are all right. And Rey...I realize now that I was wrong."

"That's quite alright, Poe, don't feel bad about yourself," Leia said, giving his arm a reassuring pat. "I know that your heart is always in the right place, and you were merely standing up for what you felt was right." She met his pensive eyes. "You just wanted to keep Rey and everyone safe. There's no shame in that."

Poe sighed. "Thank you, Chancellor."

"Chancellor!" an officer barked from the hallway. "Chancellor!"

The three turned around as the officer ran in through the doorway. The man was nearly panting as he slid to a stop before them and tipped his cap to Leia.

"Madam Chancellor, we've received an urgent warning from a nearby system: a large fleet of Empire ships has been spotted, and they believe they're headed our way," he rasped.

Poe and Finn turned to Leia expectantly, each of the men waiting for her response as she paused to consider.

"Poe, Finn, rally all of our fleets," she instructed, turning determinedly back towards the officer. "It's time we put an end to this war."

Nothing exciting in this chapter, I know, but there will be action and drama-filled chapters coming soon! Thanks for reading.