Chapter 13
Ben and Rey held on to anything they could as the ship jumped to lightspeed. Breathing heavily, they looked at each other, relief and shock equally spread across their faces. Seconds passed, and the ship came to an abrupt halt, violently throwing them to the metal floor. The unconscious body of the First Order captain rocked beside them. They steadied themselves and exchanged another look. Suddenly, Rey's eyes lit up.
"Ben, what about the Falcon?" She asked, urgency filling her voice.
Ben shook his head.
"That's your first concern? There's nothing we can do now," he replied.
"We can't just leave it there! The First Order will find it!"
"Rey, we don't have a choice; there's nothing valuable enough on that ship to risk going back."
"What about all the systems data? All the intel on the Resistance and—"
Ben grabbed her wrist as she made urgent gestures.
"Listen, there's nothing on that ship that they don't already know. Trust me, Rey. It's time to let her go," he said, a sense of finality lingering on his tongue.
Taken back, Rey leaned away from him, a solemn frown plastered on her face. She looked at the floor, unable to retort.
"But…how can you…?" She began.
Ben looked away too.
Heavy footsteps came from above before Poe's figure dropped from the hatch. He looked at Ben, then Rey, before rushing Ben head-on, shoving him against the wall of the cargo bay. He pressed his forearm into the base of Ben's neck, holding him there with all his weight. Ben coughed once as he and Poe glared at each other. Ben made a brief motion, as instinct told him to punch Poe in the ribcage, but he caught himself. Rey's words rang in the back of his skull alongside a dull ache.
No fighting. Period.
Ben let out a heavy breath, shifting uncomfortably against the cold metal wall. He did his best to relax under the choking weight against his throat.
"Rey," Poe seethed through clenched teeth, "what the hell is he doing here?"
Rey approached them, arms outstretched, as she gestured for Poe to settle down.
"Please, Poe, I can explain," she said.
Poe only pressed further into Ben's throat, searching his eyes. Teeth bared, he muttered at Ben, his eyes narrow.
"What did you do to her? Brainwashing? Drugs? Mind tricks? What, huh?" Poe demanded.
Ben swallowed; his voice was gruff as he struggled to speak.
"I didn't," he coughed, "do anything to her, you moron."
"Get off him, Poe! He's telling the truth," Rey said.
With all her might, she pried Poe away from Ben, standing between the two men once Poe stepped back. They continued to glare, with Ben holding himself back. He rubbed the base of his collar bone, where under the thick layers of clothes, a bruise was setting in. Poe removed his helmet and threw it to the ground, letting it roll somewhere behind him. He pointed at Ben but looked to Rey.
"What happened, Rey? You said he was dead, so what's he doing here?" Poe asked, his voice low and his eyes furious.
"You're not going to believe me, but trust me, he's not here to hurt us," Rey explained.
"Hurt us? Are you kidding me? This guy's a mass murderer on a galactic level, we're way beyond hurt. What's wrong with you, Rey? This isn't like you."
"Not like me? You haven't even given me a chance to speak—"
"Rey, we just spent the last nine months trying to take down the First Order and now you've brought it right to our doorstep!"
"There is no First Order," Ben interjected, his voice low, "It's over. I've relinquished my title."
Poe and Rey looked at him. Poe smirked and cocked his head, pointing at Ben with a threatening gaze.
"Yeah, right. What do you take me for? I know a fucking snake when I see one. What kind of game are you playing at?" Poe asked.
"Poe, you must believe us—him. He gave his life for me; without him, I'd be dead," Rey said.
Poe looked at her, searching her face. He noticed her subtle slip of the tongue but was not sure what to make of it. He looked between them, defensive, suddenly feeling as though he was cornered on his own ship.
"One of you better start explaining," he said.
"Can we at least go up so we can sit down and talk?" Rey asked.
"No. You explain here, or I turn this ship around and take you both back to Vicondor."
"Okay, okay," Rey made a placating gesture, "I'll explain."
Rey explained the last few weeks of her and Ben's adventure from Exegol to Vicondor. She told of the sacrifice Ben had made for her during their fight with Palpatine, and the nature of the connection they shared through the Force. She was very careful to leave out any hint of romantic undertones. She explained how they crashed on Vicondor, the struggles they faced, and the mysteries they met on the planet. Poe was surprisingly quiet, judging her actions as well as her words. He searched for any signs of insincerity or manipulation, yet with each passing minute, was more and more convinced she was indeed being truthful. His shoulders lowered and he took a deep breath.
"Is this all true?" Poe asked, his voice hesitant.
Rey held eye contact, speaking softly.
"Yes, Poe. I have no reason to lie to you," she said.
Poe looked between Rey and Ben, unsure what to think or do. The silence of the cargo bay was deafening as the tension failed to be suppressed. The drumming of the engines was like that of a ticking clock. Finally, Poe addressed Ben, making firm eye contact.
"Don't think this means all is well and good for you. What do you have to say for yourself?" Poe asked.
Ben kept his stare, briefly glancing at Rey before speaking in a cool but barely restrained tone.
"I'm not here to apologize to you," he paused, "but I swore to Rey that I would reject conflict. As the acting leader of the Resistance, I'm asking you for amnesty."
Poe raised his brow, nearly bursting out in laughter.
"Amnesty? Are you kidding me? You, of all people? The most despicable person I can think of at the moment. You tortured me, killed my friends, destroyed our organization, and now you think you're just going to walk in and ask for amnesty? You're lucky I didn't put a shot between your eyes the second you stepped foot on this ship—"
"I'd like to see you try," Ben said, unable to resist an easy opportunity to retort.
"Oh, you wanna play the tough guy act? Not so easy when you don't have your little mask to hide behind, now is it?" Poe mocked, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward.
"Ben, don't," Rey interjected.
Poe took another step, bringing him face to face with Ben; he did not seem bothered by Ben being a whole head taller than him. Poe began to size him up like a cage fighter before a match, yet Ben raised his chin in subtle defiance, unwilling to be intimidated into submission.
"You're walking on thin ice for someone looking for amnesty. Like I said before—I know a snake when I see one. Now, want to try that again?" Poe asked.
A thick silence fell between the two men. Ben gave a deep sigh, crossing his arms over his chest.
"So, you're the new leader of the Resistance," Ben said.
He regarded Poe but tried to stay out of his head.
"What of it?" Poe demanded.
Ben shook his head with a small laugh of incredulity.
"I'm just starting to understand why the Resistance performed so poorly at Kijimi and Exegol," Ben said.
Something in Poe's face twitched. His body tensed all at once and his jaw clenched shut. A fiery light caught his eye. He drew back with the swiftness of a viper, and punched Ben in the jaw. Stunned, Ben staggered backward as Poe tried to grab at the collar of his clothes. Rey threw all her strength at him to pull him away and separate the two. Ben simply watched as Poe, barely held back by Rey's small form, muttered curses at him and grabbed for him like a rabid animal. Ben slowly licked a drop of blood from his lip, and could not help but to smirk, satisfied with what ease it took to get under the hot-headed pilot's skin.
This is going to be easier than I thought, Ben told himself.
Rey eventually shoved Poe back and put her arms out to distance them. She threw a nasty look at Ben, before addressing Poe.
"Both of you, stop! Poe, can't you see he's just trying to get under your skin?" She asked.
Poe made a forceful gesture.
"I knew he couldn't be trusted! He's a villain, Rey, stop pretending otherwise!" Poe retorted.
"He's chosen a different path! I need you to believe me! But you two can't be fighting! We'll get nowhere if we don't exercise some damn restraint!" She yelled.
The two men continued to stare each other down, neither willing to back off. The elevated levels of testosterone were subconsciously beginning to make Rey nauseated. She looked at Ben, her frustration clearly displayed across her face.
"And Ben—what's wrong with you? I asked for one thing, no fighting, but you don't have an ounce of self-discipline, do you?" Rey asked.
Ben put a hand to his chest.
"Self-discipline? He hit me!" Ben said.
Poe gritted his teeth and took a step as though he was going to come for Ben again, although not as determined, as Rey easily shoved him away.
"Enough you two! You're acting like children! Ben, stop patronizing him and let's talk this out like rational adults!" She demanded.
Poe made another gesture.
"Rey, why are you even defending this scumbag? He clearly hasn't changed at all; he's the same piece of shit I met a year ago, and he deserves to rot in a slab of carbonite for the rest of time!" Poe exclaimed.
Ben and Rey exchanged a look that lasted a few seconds too long. Rey's eyes pleaded with him to stop being so difficult, and she was clearly disappointed at the situation he created. Ben's gaze softened just before he glanced at the floor, licking another bead of blood from his lip. It was the same subtle language they had come to wield as easily as spoken words. Instead of a silent argument, it was a submission of the domestic kind.
In Ben's eyes, the understanding was clear,
Alright, alright, I had my fun. I'll stop.
Poe looked between the two of them, watching the subtle communication take place. Perplexed, his expression began to drop as he took in the exchange. His posture changed; the defensiveness of his body bled away, his shoulders dropped, and his jaw slackened. He was no stranger to this kind of language: the microscopic gestures, brief glances, and knowing gazes. It was the kind of language only shared by the closest of relationships: siblings, parents, lovers—
"Holy shit…," Poe began, his voice stunned and shallow.
The room cooled as Ben and Rey looked to him.
"You two are sleeping together, aren't you?"
At once, both Ben and Rey's brows raised, their eyes nearly jumping from their skulls. It was the last string of words they expected Poe to utter. They looked at each other, unsure of how to respond. The hesitancy, shocked silence, and simple fact that neither were quick to refute him were enough to confirm Poe's suspicions. He tilted his head back, closing his eyes.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he paused, "Okay, now this makes more sense. Of course, you're defending him, he's your…and you're both…okay. Wow, this is fucked up. Congrats, Rey, way to go for the leader of the pack, I always knew you had great judgement."
Poe nodded and gave a few insincere claps.
"Shut up; you don't know what you're talking about," Rey snapped, turning her attention to Poe.
"Well, do you plan to tell me I'm wrong?"
Rey glanced at the floor. Poe nodded a few times, getting all the confirmation he needed. He sighed, rubbing a heavy hand down his face.
"Listen, I know you hate me—I hate myself too—but I need your help. The Resistance is the only place that's safe for me, at least for now," Ben began.
Poe looked down, as he began to slowly shake his head back and forth, struggling to accept the truth before him. Ben continued.
"I know I'm the reason you've lost people who were close to you. I know I'll never deserve your forgiveness or mercy, but I promise I'm worth more to you than you think. I'm worth more to the Resistance," he said.
Poe continued to shake his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he mulled over the words. It was not an apology, and it wasn't anywhere near enough to warrant compassion or mercy. And yet, Poe's heart remained open—it was his most damning weakness.
"I don't know how I'd explain this to everyone on base, you guys. They'd never accept you," Poe said.
"They don't need to, and I don't expect them to. All I need is your word," Ben said.
Poe peeked one eye out from beneath the hand that covered his face. He looked between Rey and Ben again, personally disgusted but in understanding. He sighed once more and rubbed his temples. The lifeless form of the First Order captain caught his attention, to which he gestured as if he needed another problem on his hands. Changing the subject, he addressed the limp body.
"And who the hell is this?" Poe asked.
Ben furrowed his brow, displeased that Poe would dismiss his attempt at outreach. His shoulders dropped.
"A captain in the First Order. We ran into her troop just before you showed up," Ben replied.
"So, you kidnapped her?" Poe asked.
Ben ran a hand through his hair as he thought.
"I'd say took her as prisoner, but yes, I have questions for her," Ben said.
Poe lightly kicked the captain's gloved hand, drawing no response.
"Well, good luck getting any information from her—she looks dead," Poe said, putting his hands on his hips.
Rey looked from Poe to Ben.
"She's not dead," Ben paused, "she's paralyzed."
Rey thought back to Takodana, when Ben used the same trick on her. She could only remember the odd tingling in her muscles, before the world went dark. Poe gave Ben an odd look, unsure how to respond to such a statement.
"Well, what do you expect us to do with her?" Poe asked.
"Bring her to Ajan Kloss. She has some leads I think you'd want to follow," Ben said.
"She said something about Hux still being alive," Rey added.
"Hux? But multiple sources confirmed he was killed," Poe said, shaking his head.
"I know it sounds crazy, but we've been talking about this for weeks. There's a lot that doesn't add up, and these troopers had sworn their loyalty to Hux," Rey said.
Poe sighed.
"Great. Just when I thought this was all over and done with," he said, scratching the back of his neck.
The cargo bay was silent for a moment, as the tension seemed to slowly dissipate. Poe leaned back on a few heavy shipping crates that were lining the wall. Rey took a step closer to Ben and they exchanged a brief glance. In each other's minds, they could share images of a few words.
I told you he'd come around, Rey thought.
Ben gave the smallest smile with his eyes.
I know, he thought.
Ben returned his attention to Poe, crossing his arms.
"What do you know about the First Order operations in the Vicondor system? Do you have any idea what they might be building down there?" Ben asked.
Poe raised a brow.
"What do I know? You're the head of the First Order. I only know the Vicondor system is 'F-O' occupied," Poe replied.
"I see. I guess," Ben paused, looking to Rey, "I'm just finding out I know less than I thought I did."
Something in Poe's face softened as he recognized the heaviness in the man's tone. He quickly shook away the feelings of empathy, mentally cursing himself for his staunch humanity.
"So, uh, what did that troop think of you guys when you met them down there. Obviously, it turned into a shit-show, but what happened?" Poe asked, making eye contact with Ben.
"I thought they'd still be obedient to me, so I tried to order them down, but I was mistaken," Ben replied.
"What did they think about seeing you both there? Did they even recognize you guys?" Poe asked.
He crossed his arms and leaned further back, appearing genuinely interested in the conversation.
"They definitely recognized us," Rey said, rubbing her arm.
Ben nodded.
"I think they planned to take me alive. I'm not sure they cared much that we were in the same place—"
"And for me they were just going to kill me! I don't even get the prisoner treatment! I kinda assumed we were equally important targets, but I guess not," Rey said, visibly offended.
"What's the matter, sweetheart? Jealous?" Ben asked, leaning towards her.
Rey crossed her arms, giving a frustrated sigh. Poe made a face of disgust and shook his head.
"Okay, new rule, don't ever call each other pet names around me—gives me the fucking chills," Poe said, tightening his arms across his chest.
Ben smirked, unable to hide the tiniest shred of embarrassment.
"That's alright; she hates it too, so you're in good company," Ben said.
Rey rolled her eyes. Poe watched the interactions, astounded by the flow of verbal and non-verbal communication they had built up in such a short time. It made him rethink a lot of preconceptions he had about Rey. It made him rethink a lot of things. He could not help but to sneer uncomfortably as he thought on how to word his next question.
"So, uh, I hate to ask this kinda thing, but I just have so many damn questions. How long have you two been like, an item? Like has this been going on through the whole war because if it has—," Poe began, letting the words fumble out of his mouth as they came.
Rey stopped him, putting her hands up in a negative gesture as she motioned that he was incorrect. She took a step forward.
"No, no, this is, um, a new thing. Well, it's not new-new, but it hasn't been the whole war," Rey said.
"Well, wait; there was something there even before Vicondor," Ben added, turning towards her.
Poe looked between the two of them, mildly horrified. The two continued on, ignoring Poe's presence for the moment.
"Um, yeah, but it was just like subtle, you know, not really here or there," Rey said.
Ben narrowed his eyes, raising his chin.
"I disagree," Ben hummed, "you started that connection early. It was pretty clear from then on."
"I started this connection? Where are you getting that from? I didn't start anything; I was…coerced," Rey said, struggling to find words suitable to defend her pride.
Ben rolled his eyes in the most dramatic display, letting his whole head roll with them.
"Oh, here we go, make me look bad in front of your friends, as if you haven't been barking up my tree for months," Ben said with a smirk.
Rey gave a curt laugh of astonishment.
"Your tree, huh? That's rich. You're delusional," Rey said, shaking her head but unable to stop smiling.
The two turned to each other as they continued to argue over who fell for whom first and at what point. They had completely forgotten Poe, who stood only meters from them. His expression had grown even more bewildered as he watched them bicker over the most trivial subjects. It reminded him of the sort of relationships he had in his teenage years, and not what he expected from either of the people before him. If it were not so strange and inappropriate, given the situation, he might have found it endearing. Yet, he could only take so much flowery, nonsensical babbling until he thought he was going to throw up in his mouth. He made a wide, stern gesture with both hands, pulling their attention away from each other.
"Okay, okay, you two need to stop. I will never ask another question like that again, holy shit," Poe said.
"Sorry, Poe. I think you should at least know we have this thing called a dyad. It might explain some things," Rey said.
"A what now?" Poe replied.
"A Force dyad," Ben gestured to Rey, "she doesn't even know what it is. It's a unique connection through the Force; it really started this whole thing off. It allows us to feel each other's emotions and read each other's thoughts, among other things."
"That sounds awful," Poe said.
"It's pretty annoying, especially when you have a know-it-all on the other end who never stops talking," Rey said.
"You know, you could stand to learn something if you just listened once in a while," Ben added.
Poe yawned. A mild headache was forming from the nonstop chatter of trivial topics he could not care less about. At this rate, he knew he would not make it more than a day or two in their company.
"How about we just agree there's someone for everyone—so glad you both found each other. Now zip it so we can talk shop: what exactly is the plan here? Because the base is kinda expecting us," Poe said, gesturing between himself and Rey.
"Right," Rey agreed, her cheeks still a bit flushed, "well, what's the best way to get Ben accepted onto the base?"
"Rey, there is no best way, are you kidding? Finn is gonna have a heart attack when he hears this. You sure you even want him on base? You two barely get along as it is," Poe said.
Rey and Ben exchanged a look, able to come to a full agreement without a single word. Rey nodded once.
"We're sticking together—that's the way it is," she said, her tone confident.
Poe rubbed his face, not believing what he got himself involved in, wishing he had let someone else take the rescue mission. He threw his head back against the shipping crate behind him, thinking hard about the options and their undoubtably poor outcomes. He just could not fathom success in this plan. And yet, he continued to glance at the small gestures they shared, and the way they looked at each other. The romantic in him could not help but to relax in the presence of such young love, despite the darkness that hung over them. His stupid, soft heart took over.
That's what friends are for, his reluctant mind offered.
Poe gave a heavy sigh before kicking off the back wall, conveying his hesitancy and frustration with quick hand gestures.
"Okay, okay, alright—I'll work something out. Lemme make a call."
The ARC170, called Pyrrhus, was much too small to comfortably accommodate three grown humans in the upper deck. In the confusion of argument, Poe had neglected to even acknowledge their fourth passenger: the unconscious First Order captain, who continued to lay on the cold floor of the cargo bay. It was the least of his worries. One by one, they crawled through the small hatches to get to the upper deck where three seats were evenly spread across the ship's spine. Seat one, the captain's seat, was up front, where Poe went to boot up the communication system. Seat two, separated by a series of computers, was just above seat one, with an additional spot for a droid above it. Seat three, facing backwards, held the spot for a rear gunner.
Rey took seat two, and Ben took seat three. Each put on their respective headsets, in communication with each other by voice only. The ship, now at full capacity, floated in the empty void, bottling the tension as the communication system located the transceiver to Ajan Kloss. Rey looked out her small front window, watching the faint stars in the distance. She was silently impressed they got this far, and that Ben and Poe had not torn each other apart.
Yet, she added to her inner dialogue.
Her headset crackled and she quickly dialed down the volume.
"Can everyone hear me?" Poe's voice came through loud and clear.
"Yep," Rey chimed.
"Yes," Ben replied.
"Okay, so here's what's gonna happen—I'm going to call the tower at base and get Finn on the comms. Rule number one: no one else talks about anything, got it? Just listen in and wait for instructions. Rule number two—" Poe said.
"In the event you ask one of us a question during the conversation, should we answer? Or do you want us to defer to rule number one and submit a written report with our supervising officer?" Ben asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"What?" Poe asked, his voice crackling across the headsets.
"Nothing—ignore him. Poe, go on," Rey interjected.
"You know, statistically speaking, the gunner position is most likely to be blown to bits during mysterious catastrophic ship malfunctions. It would be a real shame if something like that were to happen," Poe stated.
Ben's laugh carried across the headsets, while Rey shook her head, unimpressed with their immature bickering.
Please tell me this isn't going to be a regular thing with them, she thought.
"Alright, so fly-boys' got a sense of humor. What next on your arbitrary list, Captain General Sir?" Ben asked.
"What's next is that seat three is gonna have its cabin depressurized in about 30 seconds. Now shut up and let me make this call," Poe said.
A pause came over the headsets as the signal from Ajan Kloss connected with the ship. The heavy silence was pierced as Finn's distorted voice came through the comm system, eventually stabilizing across the headsets.
"Poe, am I coming in clear? What's your status?" Finn asked, mildly concerned.
"Yeah, you're clear," Poe responded, clearing his throat.
Listening intently, Ben raked his fingers through his hair. Rey chewed her lip in silence.
"What's up? Our trackers show you contacted the planet signal, is everything good? Did you find Rey?" Finn asked.
"Yeah, yeah, everything is fine, Rey is fine, she's here. No need to worry about that, buddy, but, uh, well…," Poe began, his words trailing off in a crackle of static.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you alone, or are there others there with you?"
"Um, I mean there's others around, but no one else is on the call if that's what you mean?"
"Is anyone standing next to you?"
"No. Poe what's going on?"
"I'm just saying you might want to be alone for what I'm about to tell you, or at least sitting down."
"What are you talking about, man? Is everything okay? You're starting to freak me out."
"Well," Poe gave an uneasy sigh, "I picked up Rey, and two others."
"Who are the two others?"
"Um, I think a First Order trooper, who's currently passed out."
"What? How did that happen?"
"I don't really know; I've been a little preoccupied. I, uh, also have Kylo Ren on board."
The line was cold as the ship seemed to collectively hold its breath. Poe tapped his finger on a monitor beside him, unsure why he was so anxious as to hear what Finn might say. Neither Ben nor Rey dared breathe too loudly into their mics, with every muscle in tense anticipation.
"Like…you have his corpse on board?" Finn asked.
His tone was hesitant, but it was clear even he knew the words were simply wishful thinking.
"No, no, like, he's alive and on board," Poe replied.
"As a prisoner?"
"No, not…really."
There was another pause.
"So, you picked Rey and him up together? Like both of them were on Vicondor?" Finn asked.
"Yeah, listen, I don't know the whole story, I'm just—"
"Did he hurt her?"
Finn's voice became forceful.
"I—I don't think so? I don't know," Poe answered.
Ben could not help but to roll his eyes, letting his head hit the back of the chair.
"What has Rey said about this? I mean this is insanity; she told us both he was dead, right?" Finn asked.
"That's what I was told—that's what we were all told. I don't know, man, from what I understand the whole story is kinda insane."
"Well, was she lying to us, or—?"
"I don't know, man! I don't know; I'm still trying to figure that out, too."
"Poe!" Rey's voice interjected.
From the cockpit, Poe threw up his hands in displeasure.
"So much for rule number one," Poe muttered.
"Rey, you've been on this call the whole time? You wanna explain what's going on?" Finn demanded.
"Yes, I do actually, because Poe doesn't even know what he's talking about!" She said.
"You're damn right I don't, and I don't want to. This whole situation is fucked up," Poe added.
"Okay, Rey, just tell me what's going on," Finn said, his voice low and forceful.
Rey began to tell Finn an even briefer version of the events of the past few weeks, leaving out as many details as she can, knowing Finn's proclivity for picking apart a story.
"You didn't think to contact any of us before heading to Exegol? Why would you do that, Rey?" Finn asked, his voice stern and concerned.
Rey thought for a moment, feeling as though she was tiptoeing around eggshells.
"I just didn't want you all to be worried about me. I didn't think anything bad would happen, so it wasn't a big deal," she replied.
"But bad things did happen! You could have died or been seriously injured in that crash, or been captured by the First Order, or who knows what! What were you thinking?" Finn asked with heavy scrutiny.
"Who cares? I'm fine now, and I owe a lot of that to Ben—all the more reason you both should be grateful to him!" Rey said in defiance.
"Grateful? He's the reason you were put in danger in the first place!" Finn said, his voice raising as he grew more agitated.
Ben sat quietly on his end of the line, his arms crossed and foot tapping violently. He shook his head at the squabbling, as Rey made poor arguments and Finn shut down his ability to listen long ago. The conversation was going about as well as he expected.
"Poe, you can't possibly be condoning any of this?" Finn asked, shifting his attention from Rey.
"Are you kidding me? I don't condone any of this! I've been outnumbered until now. I think this is insanity—I should have left their asses on Vicondor!" Poe replied.
"Hey!" Rey yelled.
Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Alright, enough of this!" Ben paused as the line fell silent.
"I've now realized in this short exchange that neither of you have much respect for Rey's opinion in the slightest. Is she not the third arm of the Resistance's leadership? Yet you both want to talk over her, let alone listen to what she thinks. Is this how you expect to run a functional organization?" He asked.
Ben let the words settle for a moment, but quickly continued before Poe or Finn could cut him off simply for insolence.
"Rey went to Exegol on her own accord. She nursed me back to health on her own accord. She could have killed me or left me for dead at any time, and she knows it. I would not have fought back. She could have dumped me somewhere, but she didn't. She chose to bring me into the fold, on her own judgement, and she cares deeply about the Resistance; those are not opposing ideas for her. I don't care what you have to say about me, but at least have the decency as leaders to hear out her ideas. If she had no reason to vouch for me, I wouldn't be here," Ben explained.
The line was cold as the other three mulled over the monologue. For Finn, it only stirred his hatred for Kylo Ren. He did not think he would also be on the call, and Finn wanted to immediately address him, but he could not deny the poor optics of not allowing Rey to follow up. Poe was at least partially receptive to the message, feeling slightly ashamed. Rey cleared her throat.
"We've all been through a lot—I'm sure you don't need me to tell you all that. I fully understand that this is a weird, weird situation, believe me. But the truth is Ben Solo has left the First Order and renounced the dark side. What's in the past cannot be undone, as much as it pains me to say that. No amount of imprisonment or further death will bring back the people we've lost," Rey said, pausing for a moment as the sadness crept across their collective consciousness.
"The things Ben and I have witnessed on Vicondor have proven to us both that the war is not over as we had assumed; there is more to come and instead of pointing fingers we should be rebuilding and preparing for what's next. As much as neither of you want to accept it, Ben is an asset. He has invaluable knowledge of the inner workings of the First Order, the Sith, and the dark side. He has access to abilities that I don't, abilities that we need if we are to keep facing these opponents," she said.
She took a deep breath.
"And for whatever it's worth, he is the only son of Lady Organa; he's an extension of her. The Resistance was her mission and effort. She never let someone's past determine their value when the time came for action. And most importantly, she loved Ben until the last breath; she would have let him come back without a second thought. If we are to take up her mantle, we should abide by the same values that got us this far."
Not a sound, not a breath. For once in her life, Rey felt centered. She felt like a leader. She felt heard. Ben leaned back in the gunner seat and nodded to himself. A small, sincere smile drew across his lip—pride. On the distant planet of Ajan Kloss, Finn rubbed his chin. Brow tense, his jaw set, and he swallowed. He gave a deep sigh and flipped a switch on the transceiver.
Base has disconnected from 170 Pyrrhus.