Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.
Let's get to it.
Chapter 18- The Map
On the flightline of the Resistance base on D'Qar, Resistance personnel are cheering as the Terran and Resistance fighters come in for a landing. The destruction of Starkiller Base was a massive victory for the Resistance and Terran Alliance. Personnel on the base cheer as they watch the starfighters coming for a landing.
On one end of the flightline, the Millenium Falcon comes to a landing. Very quickly, the boarding ramp lowers. Chewie and Lieutenant Gallo come rushing down the ramp, carrying Finn down as a medical crew races up to the Falcon.
"Easy! Easy!" one of the Resistance medics calls out as Finn is carefully laid down on the speeder they brought over the Falcon.
Another medic checks Finn for a pulse. "We got a pulse! Let's move!" the medic urges, and the medics race back towards the main bunker to try and get Finn into the medical bay as soon as possible.
Most of those who had gathered around the Falcon rush off after Finn. However, Rey and Ben linger behind near the base of the boarding ramp. As the two stand next to each other, watching Finn be taken away, Ben notices Leia slowly walking towards them.
Ben slowly walks towards his aunt, stopping just in front of her. The two stare at each other for a moment before Ben just leans forward to embrace Leia. Leia hughes him tightly in return. As the two embrace, Ben says in a soft voice, "I'm sorry. I could've stopped him. I defeated him after it happened. I should've stopped it from happening at all."
"Ben" Leia says gently as she pulls back a bit so Ben can see her clearly. Leia places a hand on the side of his face to keep his attention focused on her. She looks into his eyes as she says, "Ben, you cannot blame yourself. The only person to blame is me. I could not keep Jacen away the dark side, despite my best efforts as a parent. You did all you could. There was nothing you could have done, either back then or just now. Han would not blame you either."
Leia pauses for a moment, then says simply, "I'm just glad you're alright." She then hugs him tightly again, and Ben allows his guard as he hugs his aunt tightly, the emotions from the last hours threatening to overwhelm him.
(Short time later)
In the main command bunker of the Resistance base, Ben is sitting on a crate, slumped back a bit against the wall. Now that he has allowed himself some time to digest everything, he is feeling a bit overwhelmed, and angry. Angry at himself, and angry at his cousin for everything that he has done since that day on Ossus all those years ago.
Ben hears some footsteps and looks up. As he does, he sees Rey sitting down on the crate next to him. She looks at him for a moment before she says, "Han was your uncle?"
"Yes. Leia is my father's sister," Ben responds.
Rey is quiet for a moment before she says, "My parents left me on Jakku when I was a little girl. Since then, I've mostly lived on my own. When I met him, the way Han treated me…I felt like he might become the father figure I had lacked my whole life. I was devastated enough when I saw Ren kill him." She pauses, then says, "From what I felt, I can't imagine what you felt when you saw that happen."
"I wanted to make my cousin suffer," Ben mutters.
The two sit in silence for a moment before Ben says, "I know this isn't the end. I know the war with the First Order is just beginning, and I'll face my cousin again. But I don't know what the future holds for me…or what direction to go."
"That makes two of us," Rey mutters.
Ben looks at Rey. "Rey, from the moment I met you, I could sense your strength in the Force. Outside my family, I've only known two people with a strength in the Force to equal or surpass yours. You have incredible strength in The Force, and could become incredibly powerful with the Force. But with potential without instruction is nothing. If you wish to, I will help you to learn about your powers and help you get the proper training," Ben says.
Rey is quiet for a moment before she says, "I need someone…to show me my place in all this. I need to know what this is inside me that's finally awakened."
"If you're willing to trust me, I can help you find your place in all this," Ben says in a reassuring tone. Rey looks at him and just nods.
Suddenly, they can hear a beeping noise. The two turn their heads, and to their shock, see 3PO and BB-8 coming around a corner, with R2-D2. R2 had been in low power mode for years after Luke's disappearance.
"R2!" Ben exclaims as he jumps to his feet. He rushes over to the little blue astro droid, a big smile on his face. As he does, R2 begins to beep excitedly and rock back and forth. Ben feels happy and excited to see R2 once more. However, paying attention to what R2 is trying to say, he feels a jolt of emotion he can't explain. "Come on, R2," he says, and rushes off towards Leia, Rey and the other droids tagging along.
As Ben comes up behind Leia, he exclaims, "Aunt Leia!" Leia turns back around to face Ben, who has a face full of excitement, with R2 following close behind him. Ben looks at Leia with excitement and says, "I think that R2 might have just what we need."
"Show me," Leia asks R2.
R2 swivels his head and activates his projector. Above himself, R2 projects a large holographic map of the galaxy, with a golden path illuminated across the galaxy. After a moment, Ben is able to recognize some of the few labelled planets. However, one large chunk of the map, which Ben recognizes is mostly within the Unknown Regions, is missing.
BB-8 rolls up to Poe, beeping incessantly. Poe listens to his droid before he says, "Alright, you got it, buddy." Poe then goes to the main holotable and presses a button, disgorging the datacron given to Poe by Lor San Tekka. Poe hands the device to BB-8, who takes it into a small storage tray. BB-8 then turns towards the BB-8 and uses his own projector to project the data on the device, fitting the map fragment within the map being projected by R2.
Resistance personnel who have gathered around gasp and mutter amongst themselves as they realize that R2 and BB-8 together have the whole map. "Oh, the map it is complete," 3PO voices aloud.
"Luke," Leia mutters in a low voice, hope surging within her. At last, they might be able to bring Luke back.
Everyone is quiet for a moment before Ben turns to Leia. "Aunt Leia, you need to stay here and lead the Resistance and prepare them for evacuation. This is a search for my father. I'm going to go find him and bring him home," Ben insists.
Leia looks at Ben with a proud smile. "Of course, Ben. We will await your return eagerly," she says.
Ben then turns to Rey. "Rey. I told you that I would help you. I would help you find your way. Trust me. My father is the one who can help you find your way in the Force. Come with me," he asks.
"Yes. I'll go with you," Rey responds simply, a smile on her face.
Chewier then barks and howls a few times at Ben. Ben turns to Chewie and smiles brightly. "Of course you can come with us, Chewie," Ben says with a grin.
Ben looks back at Rey. "Let's go," he says.
Ben, Rey, and Chewie head up to the flightline to get the Millenium Falcon ready for the trip. Chewie, Ben, and Rey do some final maintenance and also grab the necessary supplies that they need for the trip.
As they finish, Leia and other Resistance personnel, who had begun preparing for the evacuation of the base, as they know the First Order will show up sooner or later, come to wish them off. As Rey and Chewie board the ship, Ben takes one moment to say goodbye to his aunt. They share one last hug, and Leia says to him, "Ben, may the Force be with you."
"Thank you, auntie. I'll be back with my father," Ben insists. He then turns away and boards the Falcon.
Ben makes his way to the cockpit, where Rey and Chewie are already waiting. Ben settles into the captain's seat. He looks over at Chewie. Chewie looks at him with a bit of a smile before he continues flipping switches and prepping the Falcon for take off while Rey gets to work programming the navicomputer.
Finally, everything is ready to go. Ben fully powers up the engine and lifts the Falcon off the ground as the Resistance personnel cheer them off. Ben throttles up and the Falcon climbs up through the atmosphere.
As they head out of atmosphere, Ben looks at Chewie and says, "Alright, Chewie, standby for lightspeed."
Chewie barks and flips a few switches. Ben then reaches forward, placing his hand on the lightspeed throttles, and pushes them forward. The stars lengthen out, and the Millenium Falcon makes the jump to hyperspace.
In the cockpit of the ship, Ben grins brightly. At last, they are on the way. They are going to find his father.
And, I'll end the chapter there.
With that, we come to the end of the events of The Force Awakens. I hope you liked how i did, and the differences I included.
So, we will actually not see Ben and Rey for three more chapters. The next two ones will focus on the Resistance and the Terran Alliance. This is in part because, based on what we know of hyperspace travel, I think it would take at least a day of travel to reach Ahch-To.
Alright. Next chapter will be up soon. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned!