Chapter 12

Rey and Ben's departure from the isolated tribe was as unceremonious as their arrival. None of the primitive creatures said a word to them beyond the chieftain. He was generous to provide them with some durable foods as well as two vials of antivenom should they cross paths with another Eilupine. Rey's wound had been dressed with all the care and knowledge of a two-hundred-year-old shaman. The chieftain briefly explained the meanings of the tree carvings, and how each marked the presence of different animals, including what to hunt and what to avoid. Despite the millions of questions and conversations that could have been shared between the two parties, both sides knew Rey and Ben did not belong there. Such a tribe was meant to be untouched and untarnished, which is more than they could say for what the First Order was doing to them. Rey silently promised she would one day return. Even as they left, the young eyes of the chieftains' offspring refused to leave their departing figures. He would remember them and one day when he took up the title of his father, he would tell of the small prophecy that came true in their lonely part of the galaxy.

The familiar character of the forest consumed them in its haze. Thick fog had crept through the trees, where the wind ceased its assault for now. There was little to say between the two, as they both focused on digesting all that they had experienced in the last few hours. Rey tried to recall the time she lost to the venom, seeing snapshots of white fur, and watching her feet trek through the snow. She hoped she would not have nightmares of those gnashing teeth.

As for Ben, he was just glad both of them were alive and relatively unharmed. There was so much that could have gone wrong, he struggled to focus on all that had turned out to be curious or pleasing. In a more controlled environment, he felt he may have enjoyed a long conversation with the chieftain about the history of their tribe, their connection to the Force, and what they knew of the war. He had so many questions, and yet no time to ask them. He knew he would not soon forget them.

"So, did that satisfy your curiosity?" Ben asked, looking over at Rey.

They walked side-by-side, at a slow pace. The forest had proved to be terrifying, but it had yet to stop them from slowly traversing its virgin landscape as though strolling through a park. Hours of idle chatter filled the empty space.

"Meeting that clan?" She asked in return.

"Yes. Did it live up to your expectations?"

Rey shrugged.

"I mean, it did, but the circumstances made it a little, er, underwhelming," she said.

"So, you're saying you'd need to go back to get the full experience?"

"I'd absolutely go back! I have so many questions and the leader seemed like he could talk for hours. I just realized we didn't even ask for his name."

Ben thought for a moment.

"You're right," he paused, "What did you think about the food?"

"It was good. That soup reminded me of a pretty basic dish I used to make on Jakku before I learned to hunt and stuff," she said.

"I'm just glad it tasted like grass and sticks, rather some weird meat or who knows what."

Rey arched a brow.

"Picky eater much?" She asked with some levity.

"I don't get very adventurous with my food. Many non-human species eat things that our bodies can't use," he said.

"Sure, but you should take what you can get. And what does it matter that they aren't humans? For someone of your status, I would think you'd be more cultured than that."

Ben gave a curt laugh and nothing more. He wanted to tell her that she did not know the half of it, after all, he held more titles than just those placed on him by the First Order. But that was not a conversation he wanted to have at this moment; she would learn about his status eventually if she did not already know.

As far as being cultured, she was not wrong, but the truth was complicated. Ben came from a household that was distinct in being the coming together of two very different worlds: royalty and criminality. Culture often took a back seat to caution. And yet, there was a time when other cultures piqued his interest, but that was before the mask. The First Order had no interest in the plight of non-humans, and neither did Kylo Ren.

"So, what do you want to do now that we know there's no chance of fixing the ship?" Rey asked.

Her voice was casual, as if such a fact was not a concerning prospect. Ben was simply surprised she had asked him what he wanted to do regarding the matter.

"What do I want to do? You already know what I want to do," he said.

"Do I?

"I want to start stripping that junk ship down for parts and build a real house. Maybe start a farm; we'd need a pretty serious fence to keep out the nonsense, but it's doable. Who knows? That chief might be willing to lend us a few hands."

Rey smirked but hesitated to roll her eyes. She was confident the Resistance was coming for them, and she had no reason to entertain such fanciful notions of settling down in such a gloomy wasteland. She had missed her friends since the day she left Ajan Kloss and could not wait to see them again. And yet, there was something new that settled in the pit of her stomach.

As they walked, the world seemed to fade into the background as Rey turned inwards. There was a feeling that maybe settling down in the remote wilderness would not be so bad. She had not noticed it, but all of Ben's questioning about the logistics surrounding the Resistance seemed to be chiseling a piece out of her resolve. She knew there was no real plan—neither Poe nor Finn was cut out for the tedious and tactful duties of intergalactic negotiations, establishing trade schedules, drawing up treaties, recruiting politicians and amassing funding. Rey at least knew she was sure as hell not equipped to handle such tasks. Try as she might, but it was not a job that inspired passion or purpose.

She glanced at Ben from the corner of her eye. She had never considered his perspective when it came to the things he said he wanted out of life; she had always assumed their ambitions were similar or at least in the same vicinity. But something as small as the way the dry, cold air brought out the natural lines in his face made her acutely aware that they were not on the same page.

Until their conversation a couple nights ago, Rey had assumed Ben was within a few years of her age, but reality was sinking in. Ben was thirty. He had spent the greater part of two decades under intense stress. He had no time or opportunity to form the relationships that most people would be doing at his age. And now, at every chance he got, he spoke of settling down and forgetting about the rest of the world. He wanted to relax. He wanted to start a family of his own. He wanted to abandon the life that had disillusioned him.

Rey suddenly felt quite guilty. She could not place it, as her free spirit was saddled with conflict. She had dreamed of having the life that he envisioned. Since she was young, she told herself that one day she would create the family she was denied and right all the wrongs of her childhood. She wanted a home of her own. She wanted security, monotony, and predictability. At least, that was what she thought, until she was swept into the front lines of the Resistance. Suddenly, she was given a family to protect and a purpose to fight for, not of her own choosing, but of the greater good. No one day was predictable, but it beat the mind-melting predictability of life on Jakku, and that was good enough. And now, she found herself at a fork in the road. Insecurities she never anticipated began to creep into her thoughts.

Am I stringing him along if I don't want all that right now? Will it take me ten more years before I do want those things? Do I even want to be with him for the next ten years? Should I really be worrying about this after only a few weeks? Wow, Rey, you're starting to sound pathetic, she thought.

She wished she had a friend to vent these questions to and force them to give her some reassurance. She wondered who that might be if and when the Resistance picked them up. It couldn't be Finn, considering he was technically part of this love triangle. Burdening him with the existential issues regarding her relationship with his romantic rival likely would not end in a civil manner let alone a productive one. Poe also seemed like a poor prospect, considering his tendency to talk coupled with his lackluster listening skills. Rose was at least another female perspective, although she and Rey had barely shared a few words let alone the precedent for what was bound to be an intimate conversation.

Rey sighed before she felt Ben grab her hand. They looked at each other before he pulled her close to his side and threw his arm around her shoulder. As if by magic, all those questions seemed to dissolve.

"What was it like to grow up on Jakku?" Ben asked.

Rey raised a brow. She was surprised at his line of questioning, considering her internal thoughts. She had to trust he was not listening in on her own conversations. She also felt the answer should be obvious.

"You've been in my mind, you've seen what it was like, Ben," she replied.

He made a dismissive gesture.

"It's not the same. I want your story," he said.

"Well, what do you want to hear? It's not a cheery subject, you know?" She replied.

"I know that; I never said it was."

"Hey, why is it that when I ask about your past life all I got was the cold shoulder?"

Ben laughed, pulling her close as they continued to walk.

"I told you when we get off this rock, I'd tell you whatever you want to hear, sweetheart," he said.

"Then for your sake, you better hope we do make it out of here. I don't really enjoy talking about my past either, you know? But ask away—what do you want to know?"

Ben thought for a moment.

"Let's start easy. You lived near the Niima Outpost, right? How did you end up there?" He asked.

"As if that's an easy question; I don't know, I was too young to remember."

"So, you had always lived there?"

"For as long as I can remember."

"But" he hesitated to bring up the topic, "your parents surely did not always live there?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Why are you being difficult?"

"I'm not being difficult; you chose a hard question. I really don't have the answers. So much of my childhood was a blur."

"Alright, well, what do you remember?"

Rey tilted her chin upwards, looking to the sky.

"Well, I had told you a lot about Unkar Plutt already, and the trouble I'd get into. I didn't have any friends to speak of. I worked every day. There just isn't much to speak of, Ben," she said with a sigh.

"I read you can speak in Wookie and Droid. Where did you learn those?" Ben asked.

"What? Do you keep files on me or something?"

He was hesitant to admit the scope of files the First Order had kept on Rey—mostly of his own research. On a technical level, he knew more about her than was socially acceptable. Likewise, he was reminded of the Resistance files he had read on himself in the computer of the Falcon. A pang of hurt ran through him, but he quickly pushed the thoughts aside.

"What do you think? We had the finest intelligence in the galaxy," he said.

"Talk about obsessive," Rey muttered, "Well, then you should know that I learned it on my own. In one of the wrecks I lived in there was a functional computer system, and I taught myself Droidspeak. I learned Wookie from those that would pass through Niima. They were always so interesting to me."

"Who? The Wookies?"

"Yeah. The ones I met—their culture is so different. And yet they were always willing to share stories with me."

"They are interesting, that's for sure," Ben said.

Rey turned her head.

"Hey, wait—you knew Chewbacca, right?" She asked.

Ben gave a chuckle, then a heavy sigh. His expression went from cheerful to solemn, and Rey could only guess he would not be willing to speak on the subject.

"Of course I knew him, and he knew me better than my own father," he said.

Rey was intrigued but stopped herself from immediately bombarding him with questions. She glanced at his expression, trying to gauge his willingness to open up to her.

"Are you looking forward to seeing him again?" She asked.

Ben's eyes widened, like that of a surprised child. Rey noticed a twinkle in his eyes, something she had not quite seen before. Yet, as soon as the subtle expression appeared, it was gone.

"He's alive?" Ben asked.

"Yes, of course he's alive." She replied.

"I—I guess I just assumed over the course of the war that he would have been killed. I know he was processed a few times as a prisoner," he paused, "wow, yeah, I guess I haven't thought about what I'd say to him if I saw him again. I imagine he would have some strong words for me—if he doesn't tear my head off first."

Rey gave an awkward giggle.

"So, you'd be happy to see him again? Were you two close?" She asked.

"I mean, it's been a while, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't want to have a real conversation with him again. He was family, after all. He's…all I have now."

Rey thought back to their interaction on Ilum, just after Ben had killed his father. It was a painful memory even for her, being so fresh in her mind. She could not imagine how it haunted Chewbacca; she never had the courage to ask him. She wondered what Chewie would say or do to Ben. She hoped he could find it in his heart to remember the supposedly close relationship they once shared, and not take his anger out on a reformed Ben, even if he deserved it.

"Well, it's probably worth thinking about," Rey said.

She tried her best not to allude too much to the fact that they were going to be with the Resistance sooner than Ben knew.

"Yes…yes. So, back to you: you're good at language learning, what else? How did you learn to pilot so well?" Ben asked.

"Same way I learned to speak Droid, I taught myself. Well, wait, that's not completely accurate. The ship computer had a sort of flight simulator; I put so many hours into that thing. It's not like there's much else to do outside of work."

"Ah, that makes sense. So, did you practice with the junk ships or what?"

"No, not really. The Falcon was the first ship I ever flew outside of the simulator."

"You're kidding."

"It's the truth."

"You really are something, you know that? I'm starting to think if you weren't stuck on that planet, you'd probably have been in high-level engineering or some sort of famous ranger."

Rey smiled.

"Are you saying I can't still be those things?" She asked.

Ben laughed.

"Alright, so much for humility. Sure, be one of those. It beats being a politician," he said.

Rey thought for a moment, suddenly intrigued by the idea of sharing aspirations.

"Well, what would you want to be if you could choose some sort of new life? Other than a farmer, or hermit, or whatever it is that you won't shut up about," Rey asked, lightly teasing.

Ben laughed again.

"Oh, I don't know. Realistically, there isn't much I can do unless I change my identity," he said.

Rey waited for him to say more, but he stopped there.

"That's not an answer! Forget realistic for now, tell me what you'd do if you had no restrictions," Rey said.

Ben thought briefly but did not allow himself to spend much time on the matter. To him, it was a simple exercise in futility. He had no future. Aspirations were a thing of the past. He shrugged.

"I don't know. I'd probably just do what my dad did: wander around and live day by day. Study the Force in my own time. I'd hate to take up political life, which is what my mother would have wanted. I guess it's a good thing I can never again show my face as a public figure," he said.

"Well," Rey paused, "That's not terribly unrealistic. You could live the smuggler lifestyle. No one would have to know who you are, or where you come from. Although, you'd have to shave your head, or wear a mask or something."

"Maybe I'll just have my consciousness put in a droid."

"Okay, that's a little extreme."

They both laughed.

From the fog ahead came the sound of footsteps. At first it sounded like one, then two, then too many for comfort. Ben and Rey stopped, having had no time to hide, as the figures approached with the quietness of shadows. A dozen white silhouettes emerged from the trees like ghosts, and Ben was sure they had come to haunt him. The weapons they carried meant business, having to contend with the strength of the planet's wildlife. Their conversations, held in modulated Standard, fell to the wayside as the troop noticed the two figures caught in their line of sight. Rey was shocked, not believing her own eyes. Ben noticed the grey insignia on the snowtrooper at the front, who pointed at them, her voice deep and heavily modulated.

"Halt! Identify yourselves!" She said.

The rest of the soldiers stopped, their weapons at the ready—F11 heavy rifles burned with anticipation. Two soldiers, painted in yellow, held D72 flame projectors, of which trails of fumes poured from the muzzles. A million thoughts raced through Ben's head as he calculated the best course of action. Some primeval part of him wanted to tear through the troop, giving them no time to react before they were all slaughtered. It would easily solve the issue of how to handle the situation—there would be no situation if they were all dead. But that side of him did not have the power it used to, and it was not a side he wanted Rey to see firsthand. Had he been alone, he might have been convinced by his darker impulses.

Rey had a similarly racing train of thought, but she was not calculated in her decisions. Her hand immediately went to her hip, where her fingers slowly wrapped around the hilt of her lightsaber.

Before any commotion could be made, the lead trooper spoke up again, her voice now sounding surprised and taken back.

"Wait…it can't be…Master Ren?" She asked.

The rest of the troop seemed to sway as one body, with a restless energy arising from them. It immediately put Ben on edge, as his eyes went between them, gauging their reactions. Behind the helmets, their next move would be hard to predict, but he already knew they were not gearing up for some civil diplomacy. He stood tall, setting his jaw. He let a wisp of the darkness in.

"Supreme Leader Ren, captain. Put your weapons down—now," he commanded.

Rey looked at Ben. She was taken by his sudden change in demeanor. Another face of his had taken over, one that made her skin crawl. She looked over each masked trooper, quietly judging their intentions. The troop was still, as even the captain seemed to contemplate his demands. Yet, she held firm to her blaster. She too stood tall, her shoulders lowering. Something in the way she tilted her head made Ben uneasy. Her voice came out like that of a snake, eerily calm and collected.

"I must say, I never imagined I'd see your face again. I can't begin to fathom how you are alive. The news was that you were killed on Exegol, yet here you are. And with the Resistance fugitive, no less. No matter—I'm afraid we don't owe our loyalty to you, Master Ren," she said,

"If you're not taking orders from me, then who do you serve, captain? The First Order is in ruins; there's no one left for you to fight for," Ben said.

The snowtrooper was quiet for a moment. Something dark twisted through the air. Her hidden eyes gave up no secrets.

"You have no idea what's coming. You made it to Supreme Leader, and yet you learned nothing. Grand Marshal Hux was right; you're not a leader, you're a puppet."

Ben gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Old habits took hold. He wanted her dead, he wanted to break her for her insolence. He also wanted answers.

"Your mind betrays you, captain. Hux never made it to Grand Marshal," Ben said.

"Well, seeing as you tarnished the title of 'Supreme Leader'—"

"General Hux was killed, what does it matter? There are no generals left in the First Order," Rey interjected, stepping forward, her voice filled with agitation.

She could not understand why anyone would still want to fight on behalf of the First Order. Ben put his arm out in front of her chest, barring her from approaching any further. The snowtrooper cocked her head, turning her attention towards Rey.

"I've heard much about you, girl, but to see you in the flesh, I must say I'm underwhelmed. I have many questions, but we've squandered enough time as it is. I have orders to kill you on-sight, and as for the Supreme Leader, I'm sure the Grand Marshal will be pleased to have one last talk with you. Kill the girl—we take Ren alive!" The captain ordered.

In unison, the soldiers took aim. Rey immediately jumped, carried by the Force, landing behind the troop, and splitting their attention. She ignited her lightsaber, the golden blade burning at her side. As the first round of shots came at Ben, he stopped them with a quick gesture, returning them back into the crowd of soldiers. Rey narrowly deflected a stray shot that aimed at her shoulder. The troop scrambled as they were split: six on Rey and six on Ben.

Rey fought fiercely with the saber, forgetting much of her form as the fighting intensified. She was not adept at taking on so many blasters at one time, having to constantly dodge and deflect shots. It did not help that hitting small targets was a skill she had yet to master. She made use of the trees, as they protected her from shots and forced the six troopers to further split as she drew them away from the others.

Ben kept her in his peripheral vision for some time, until the rage became too much, and he soon concentrated on one thing: annihilation. While he preferred combat with a lightsaber, he was comfortable using the Force and his fists as well. The anger fed his strength, and he was making short work of the foot soldiers. He focused on one or two at a time, easily deflecting or stopping shots that came from behind him. His senses dialed in, and each move, each shot, each glance, seemed to play in slow motion. With the Force, he grabbed a trooper by the throat, pulling them to him to shield a few shots, then throwing their weight at the trooper who fired. Among the chaos, his eyes searched the scene for the captain. Her distinct insignia came into view briefly before she stepped behind the two flametroopers. Ben quickly put his hands up, as the wall of fire charged towards him. The flames billowed around him as he pressed against the ferocious element. The snow at his feet melted and boiled away. The resistance it put up reminded him of the Eilupine—the pure power to push beyond restraint. His palms burned. He knew those scars would fit in well with the others.

Suddenly, amongst the buckshot of blaster fire, he saw a glimpse of a shot coming towards him, until it was quickly rerouted into one of the flametroopers. The weight of the flames eased up as the trooper's deceased form slumped to the cold ground. Ben looked up, briefly catching Rey's eye. She was pushing blaster shots away left and right, just as he had taught her to do with the stones. She had caught the shot that approached him, and deflected it back towards the flametrooper, sparing Ben a punctured liver. A swell of pride arose from Ben. He now understood —Rey was not always the fastest learner, but when the time came, she could deliver.

The moral boost gave Ben the strength to push the firestorm back until it retaliated on the gunner, and the flametrooper was sent flying backwards in a ball of fire. Ben reached out to grab the captain, but he was suddenly taken back. His eyes widened as he watched the figures emerging from the forest. Dozens and dozens, clad in white and approaching the scene. The captain stared at him from behind her mask, silently pleased, enveloped in the chaos as plumes of dirt and snow fell around her. She did not have a scratch on her. She whispered, her modulated voice etching towards him like venomous talons.

"You can't take all of us, Master Ren. The galaxy has no need for your kind anymore. The true power of the Final Order will soon be unleashed; come with us and witness it for yourself," she said.

Ben turned to look at Rey, some meters away, as she finished off the last trooper. She was breathing hard until she too caught sight of the masses coming towards them, weapons raised. She and Ben exchanged a look, but neither knew what it meant. Uncertainty? Retreat? Surrender?

Pwoo!

A noise broke through the sky, shattering the sound barrier. It was a sound Rey had become quite accustomed to. The troopers stopped their approach, looking to the sky with their guns raised. Among the dark clouds, a massive shadow zipped by, circling them in a wide pattern. In a gust of wind, the ship flew low and fast, using its guns to light up the forest. Explosive shells flew into the mass of soldiers, shattering trees and throwing dirt and ice into the air. The area surrounding Ben and Rey soon became a dusty, deafening mess of gun fire, explosions, and shouting. Some troopers ran from the scene, only to be caught in the edge of a blast radius. In the confusion, Ben caught sight of the captain once more, pulling her towards him and rendering her unconscious at his feet.

The air around them was kicked up into a whirlwind as the modified form of the ARC170 fighter lowered to the ground, spreading suppression fire as it hovered in place. The hold opened with a hiss and a familiar figure making frantic gestures emerged from the fog. Rey's eyes lit up as she saw Poe's frenzied expression beneath the fighter helmet.

"What are you waiting for? An invitation? Let's go!" Poe yelled.

In the chaos, Poe had not recognized Ben's face until he and Rey approached the ship, with Ben carrying the body of the unconscious captain over his shoulder. Poe's eyes nearly popped from his skull as he stepped forward, making a sharp gesture towards Ben.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, what the fuck? Rey, what is he doing here?" Poe yelled.

His voice was partially obscured by the rapid gunfire as volleys of shots flew between them.

"No time!" Rey shouted back.

She quickly shoved past Poe, helping Ben bring the body of the captain on board. Ben made no attempt to acknowledge Poe as he and Rey pulled the body inside the cargo hold.

"Go! Go! Go! Get us out of here!" Rey exclaimed.

She gestured for Poe to get to the cockpit. Poe looked between Rey and Ben, not believing his own eyes. Blaster shots began to fly across the hull of the ship in a flurry of red heat, narrowly missing the three of them. Had the situation not been so chaotic, Poe might have had the sense to throw Ben off the ship, letting him be consumed by the sea of white bodies that approached them from the ground. Against his better judgement, he bit his lip, smashed the activator to raise the hold door, and climbed up into the cockpit. The ship spun around, its engines whirring to full power, before shooting up through the atmosphere.

Yellow clouds obscuring the chaos below grew denser as they reached the edge of space. Pale sunlight broke over the top of the atmosphere, arching in a distant halo. From such an angle, one might believe this world was a peaceful sort.

As they reached for the stars, the lonely planet of Vicondor sailed in their wake, leaving behind an icy rock of turmoil and triumph.