Hey everyone!
I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated this story. I've been visiting Ireland! Tonight is my last night. It's been a quiet night in the hotel, so I thought I'd add the next chapter!
I also wanted to throw out there that I had the chance to visit one of the sites where they shot a couple of scenes in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It was the end of a peninsula where they shot Luke Skywalker milking the Siren and also the spot where he used the force to lift out his X-Wing!
I didn't go to the actual island of Skellig Michael (Ach-to) However, I did see it from a distance! Everything was gorgeous and it gave me so much inspiration!
Anyways, thanks so much for the support and I hope you like this chapter! Again, this was 3 years ago. I've made some revisions, but hopefully, my writing and the story becomes more interesting and cohesive in the next few chapters. I have an idea of where I want it to go. It's exciting!
Enough about me: Enjoy!
Rey came back to Ajan Kloss a day after she had left. It was the middle of the night. The jungle was still and quiet. Everyone had taken shelter and was sleeping before the sounds of the Falcon had woken them. Rey left Chewie to sleep in the bunk on the ship and walked out to take in the fresh oxygen that the planet provided. Finn and Poe were already at the door of the ship. Rey had expected this and smiled sheepishly at them.
In a harsh whisper, Finn scolded Rey "You knocked me out!?"
Poe looked at Rey while trying to match Finn's facial expression, but the effort only caused him to break into laughter. Finn looked at Poe with a slightly higher level of fury. He looked back at Rey and crossed his arms in expectation of an answer as to why she did what she did.
"I'm sorry Finn," Rey said with a guilty smile "You never take no for an answer. What I had to do was personal."
"Why did you take Chewbacca then?" Finn queried.
"I needed a co-pilot, and someone who would stay in the ship while I went to create this." Rey lifted the end of what used to be her staff. She slid her thumb over a button that ignited a golden lightsaber. Finn and Poe both looked it up and down in amazement.
"You made another lightsaber?" Finn asked.
"I did." Rey smiled at it with pride.
"What did you do with that other one you had?" Poe asked.
"Nothing yet." Rey looked at him. "But I had an idea."
"What?" Finn asked.
"I'll get around to it." Rey dodged the question "Right now, I'm more worried about other things." Rey looked behind her friends, towards her target. She retracted her saber and started in that direction. She pushed herself between Finn and Poe who both turned around to see where she was headed. Both of them were not so surprised that she was going to see the dark prisoner.
Rey walked up to the cell to see the guards asleep. Finn and Poe walked up beside her.
"Nice security," Rey commented sarcastically. Finn and Poe each simultaneously woke the guards and relieved them of their duty. The rebels nodded quickly and shuffled away in presumably embarrassment and fogginess.
"They didn't really need to guard anything." Poe said "Rose gave him something that prevented him from using the force. Or any… of his… anything." Poe winced at what he realized was coming.
"Rose did what?!" Rey yelled. She heard a deep voice shush her at her outburst. Everyone was startled and looked towards the cell. It was pitch black. Rey could only make out a white face on the floor closest to the bars.
"Ben?" Rey kneeled at the bars. She could make out his face better at this level. She heard him chuckle. Loud enough for her to hear, but quiet enough to be quickly dismissed by her company.
"Some of us are trying to sleep," Ben said in fake rebuke "You've woken everything but the zymods,"
Rey sensed his happiness; his happiness that she was there. She blushed, grateful that the dark clouded her face. At least… from her friends. She knew Ben most likely felt what she was feeling. Which just made her blush even more. She stood up to look at her friends.
"Let me talk to him." Rey looked at Finn and curtly added "Alone."
"No way!" Finn started, but he was quickly cut off by Poe who put his hand up.
"Are you going to let him out?" Poe asked with mixed curiosity, and as a warning.
"Not tonight…" Rey gave a sly smile then added in seriousness "Please... just give me a chance to figure things out."
"Alright," Poe said.
"Wait… what?!" Finn faced Poe.
"Come on buddy." Poe grabbed Finn's shoulders and lead him away. When Rey felt that they were out of hearing range, she landed back on her knees at the bars of the cell.
"So how was your day?" Rey joked.
"Alone with my thoughts?" Ben asked. He paused and she stayed silent. He started again "Bad… then worse... " Ben hesitated briefly "but then... good."
"What have you been thinking about?" Rey said softly. Her heart beating faster. Her entire body tensed in agony at her restraint. She felt rushed to be embraced by him again. A new, odd development in their relationship.
"My parents…" Ben's chin quivered for a split second "And… you… Rey…" He breathed her name as if he were afraid to clarify… it was her. Rey could feel her heart burn inside her chest. She couldn't handle the emotion any longer. She reached for the lock and it clicked. She opened the door and stepped over Ben. She used the force to close the cell and sat criss-cross on the other side of the dark prince. He looked funny to her. He couldn't move so all he could do was look at her. His head facing the ceiling and his body straight and still. She smiled wide. Ben smirked at her. His eyes shone with relief. She grabbed his hand and brought it to her cheek. It was cold but it felt strong. She kept her eyes glued to his.
"How long will you be like this?" She asked.
Ben just stared at her and then chuckled to himself.
He said "I'm sorry. I tried to shrug… but…" Rey started laughing. Her nose burned with emotion and her eyes started stinging with happy tears. They both continued to laugh. Over something so trivial, but enough for them to finally release all of their pent-up emotions. When they finally composed themselves Rey put his hand down. Her smile softened and Ben could tell she was deep in thought.
"What are you thinking about?" He probed (without the force of course).
"We were fighting. And now…" Rey hesitated.
"I have to figure out who I am now that I'm not Kylo Ren." Ben finished. "You have to figure out who you are now that Palpatine has been destroyed." Ben looked at the ceiling. He had been thinking about this a lot. He had had the time.
"I…" Rey paused and looked down at him. She grabbed his face with one hand and gently tilted it towards her so that he was looking directly at her. "I don't think we can do that without… each other." She finally said.
Ben breathed in and out in relief. "I agree," he said in his deep voice. His eyes filled with warmth and understanding that Rey had always seen underneath what had once been Kylo Ren. Heir apparent to Vader. And now… here he was. Exactly who he should have been all of this time. Rey looked him up and down. He just stared at her.
"How do the clothes fit?" She asked him.
"Well…" Ben tried to look down at his vest. "Perfect. Where did you get them?"
Rey looked confused "Didn't you read the note?"
"What note?" Ben asked equally confused.
Rey carefully reached for the front pocket on the vest and pulled out a slip of paper. "You didn't check the pockets?"
Ben looked at the paper in amazement. "Well, don't keep me waiting. What does it say?"
Rey smiled at Ben and put the paper back in his pocket. "You can read it tomorrow. I already did. I hope you're not mad. It was for you specifically."
Ben looked down at his pocket. "From who?"
"You'll see." Rey smiled sadly at Ben. He looked at her again and they locked eyes. Sudden understanding flooded Ben's face. "Dad…" He looked past Rey, deep in thought and remorse.
Rey was taken aback by the words. She had only ever heard him call his father by his name. Han Solo. It touched her heart to hear him acknowledge Han as his dad.
She gently moved Ben's arm so she could use it to support her as she laid herself down beside Ben. She placed her head on his chest. Ben said nothing and he didn't have to. Both people were content and tired. It had been an emotionally and physically draining week. But they finally felt complete. Rey drifted off to sleep at the sound of Ben's heart slowly... becoming... more... steady...