The Redemption of Ben Skywalker

by AngelofTartarus

Reylo AU. While the fight against Palpatine is over, the war is not finished. The First Order has regrouped and its generals have seized power in the absence of Kylo Ren and are continuing their mission to conquer the galaxy. Rey, Ben, Poe, and Finn must overcome their differences to defeat the First Order once and for all. Pairings: Reylo, Poe/Finn

5. What a Shitshow

Chapter 5 – What a Shitshow

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The next few days passed similarly to the first. Ben spent his time doing work around the base, mostly cleaning various items. One day, he scrubbed and fixed comm system parts; the equipment had been taken out of the fleet's ships that had been damaged in previous battles. The parts had been covered in rust and ash, and in some cases, corrosive engine fluid that he had to use special gloves to handle. For the entire shift, he'd had to endure Commander Trodun's intense black-eyed gaze, which made him feel like he was perpetually doing something wrong. Then he'd spent the rest of the day working his fingers raw cleaning another batch of engine parts for Baso. The day after that had been a little better; the medical supply shipments had come in and he'd expended a lot of time adding it to the current stock. For the evening shift in the shipyard, he and Sertali had been assigned to assemble some injector relays. The atmosphere had been tense as the mechanics scrambled to meet the demand for working battleships before the fight at the Venjagga system.

His three shadows remained a constant presence even though he was only supposed to have one guard on him at a time. The other two always showed up on the same shift as him with various excuses; most were reasonable and other explanations made his eyes roll. He learned just to go with it by the third day. It was easier than debating the issue with the obstinate captain.

The Resistance fighters still treated him like an explosive device that might go off if tampered with, yet also as something to poke and jab at to figure out what made it tick. Captain Ivin had to exert his influence on Ben several times a day to keep his temper under control. More than once, they'd made a trip to the lightning tree to take out his runaway emotions on it.

The only thing truly keeping him sane was Rey and their morning runs through the jungle. It was a time when he wasn't surrounded by belligerent Resistance fighters or tortured by the memories of old friends who were now suspicious and fearful of him. He could just be himself and test his agility and endurance... and he could also have some quality time with Rey.

Everything was going relatively smoothly until the fourth day in, when his temper got the better of him.

"What do you mean you want me to fix the latrines?" Ben asked incredulously, his breakfast roll halfway to his mouth.

Poe stood over him, arms crossed and his lips lifted in a half-smirk. Around them, Resistance fighters were eating their meals and casting sly glances at their table, obviously eavesdropping.

"The latrine facilities malfunctioned and it was just reported fifteen minutes ago," Poe said. "The duty rosters have already been made for the day and half the base is departing for the Venjagga system in a few hours. There's no one else to take care of it… and no one else has volunteered their services."

"Of course not," Aarzio muttered under his breath as he hurriedly walked up, catching the tail end of the conversation. He slid into a seat next to Sertali, giving his sleep-mussed hair a quick brush with his fingers. "Anyone in their right mind would run away as fast as they could."

"So I've volunteered you and your guards to take care of the mess," Poe continued, giving Aarzio a questioning glance at his disheveled appearance. "Report there before the situation gets worse."

"Get someone else to do it," Ben retorted. "You have at least thirty droids roaming about the base. Aren't they equipped to deal with broken systems like this?"

"They're busy too," Poe said, waving away his objections. "And this wasn't a request, it was an order. Fix the latrine facilities or I'll revoke your asylum with us."

"You asshole," Ben seethed, crushing the bread roll in his hand. It crumbled under the pressure and the pieces fell to the grassy ground.

"We'll take of it immediately, general," Ivin cut in before Ben could challenge the order some more.

"Mixa!" Aarzio hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Glad to hear it, captain. I want a report before I leave with our fighters," Poe nodded at the captain and left to confer with one of the fighter pilots waving at him.

"We received a direct order from the general," Ivin argued with his subordinate. "We'll carry it out, whether we like it or not."

"You cannot be serious," Ben glared at the Zeltron. "We are not doing it."

Any other time, his words would have carried the full weight of the Force. He would have been able to change the captain's mind and escape having to do the repairs. But hampered by the cuffs, his words rang hollow.

"I'm not any happier about it than you are," Sertali chucked what was left of her breakfast in her bowl and rose to her feet. "Let's just get it over with as quickly as possible."

Ben gnashed his teeth, but couldn't come up with an excuse to avoid the task. His continued presence at the base depended on Poe's goodwill. He disposed of his food scraps and trudged after Ivin towards the latrines. Aarzio yawned as he hurried to keep pace with them.

"You should have just slept in, Aarzio," Sertali grinned at the young man. "Then you would have missed the fun."

Aarzio groaned and rubbed his eyes. "I wish I had."

"You were late today, Tam," Captain Ivin said curtly, not slowing his pace. "The general noticed. I'd like an explanation now."

"I had a late night, Mixa," Aarzio explained as they rounded the medical tent. "Baso and Chewie had all the pilots doing final checks on the starships. Even though I'm staying behind, they wanted all of us there."

"That doesn't explain your tardiness today," Ivin said unbendingly.

"I'm sorry, Mixa," Aarzio said earnestly, falling into step next to the captain. "I really am."

Ivin glanced at Aarzio's repentant face and sighed after a few moments. "Just don't let it happen again, okay?"

"You got it, cap," Aarzio beamed radiantly at him, causing a faint blush to rise on the Zeltron's cheeks.

They passed rows of tents that were the personal quarters of the Resistance fighters and approached the latrine facilities. They could smell it before they saw it. Ben was aghast at the state of the place. Pools of liquid and solid waste had formed and were spreading over the bright green grass. Ben cursed Poe out in his thoughts for making him do this. He was definitely going to vomit.

"Here, put these on," Sertali handed Ben a pair of clear, knee-high waders to put on over his feet.

Ben slid them on and accepted a couple of nose plugs and gloves from Aarzio and passed a pair to Sertali. Evidently, this had happened more than once in the past since the base had a system in place for dealing with it. Once they were equipped with safety gear and repair kits, they stood at the edge of the growing pool, each unwilling to take the first step.

"Come on," Ivin said, his voice a little nasal. He squelched his way toward the facility.

Ben followed him, shuddering in distaste as he waded through the waste. He couldn't let himself think about what he was stepping in or he'd lose control of his stomach. He forced himself to think about more pleasant thoughts, like the morning's run with Rey. They'd tried a new path by leaping on stones to cross the river and they had explored a gorge filled with spiky blue plants. She'd looked radiant in the morning sun, bounding about with quick-footed steps.

"It looks like the leaks are forming near the backup power units," Ivin effectively cut off Ben's attempt to distract himself. He pulled a lever on an outer control panel. "I've cut off the water disposal flow. We need to go inside and figure out where the pipes burst."

They gamely trudged through the sewage in the facilities though they grumbled all the while. Aarzio kept up a steady stream of complaints under his breath. Sertali was wearing a perpetual look of disgust and covering her sensitive nose when she could; she held her tail stiffly upward and flinched every time droplets hit it. Captain Ivin tried to keep their morale up as they suctioned waste through a small vacuum into a container, but his mood was clearly declining too. After the floor became relatively clean, they each took a section of the facility to search, lifting the streaky floor panels to access the pipes below.

"I found a break," Sertali said shortly after a few minutes.

She used a small device to spray a liquid metal substance over the damaged pipe, sealing the breach.

"I have several microfractures here," Ivin said, using his own device to repair the pipes.

An hour passed as they lifted panel after panel, working their way towards the main control panel. Most of the pipes had minor damage in the form of microfractures caused by blockages. Ben lifted yet another section of the paneling and saw something odd. He hadn't encountered this before. One of the cylinders was heavily dented and the other two… had been slashed open. It was a clean cut and hadn't been due to a freak nature accident with the plumbing.

"Sertali, can you check the pressure in line B-2 for me?" Aarzio asked as he bolted down one of his repaired pipes.

"One second," muttered the Selonian as she worked on a conduit that was slowly oozing brown liquid.

Sertali was next to the control panel, but she was busy so Ben got up to go look at the pressure readings. He unlatched the cover and looked for the B-2 line. There were a surprisingly large number of pressure monitors and controls for the facility.

"It's at 27 psi," Ben reported once he found the correct readout.

"It's a little low," Aarzio frowned. "Come here and help me fix it, Ben."

Ben started to close the panel when he noticed a slowly blinking red light reflecting off the cover. He bent down and looked into the box behind the instruments, searching for the odd anomaly. It might be indicative of another problem with the plumbing. The source was a small black device with two cylindrical tubes attached to it. There was a display on the front, counting down.

15… 14… 13…

Ben's heart went into overdrive as he recognized the device. A liquid propellant bomb was old-fashioned, but it would get the job done all the same.

"There's a bomb!" Ben shouted, backing away. He dragged Sertali up, startling the Selonian into hissing at him.

Ivin stood still for a split second before springing into action.

"Get out of here! Go!" he shouted, pushing Aarzio ahead of him.

They were the first out the door with Sertali and Ben on their heels. They'd barely made it a few feet when the facilities exploded and the blast wave shoved them forward and sent them sprawling to the ground. A veritable fountain of sewage was blasted into the air and it rained down on them, covering them from head to toe. Ben tried to heave in some much-needed air, but that's not what entered his mouth. His stomach revolted and he vomited up everything he'd eaten that morning.

When he finally gained control over himself, he wiped sludge from his face, hands, and hair; that didn't help much. He was grateful to see that his guards had fared no better and were busy casting up their accounts. Well, they may be covered in shit and extremely nauseated, but they'd all made it out alive.

"What in Sith hells happened?" Poe demanded as he ran into the area.

He was followed by what seemed like the entire base. Some of them were already in flight suits, ready for the upcoming battle. They all stood at a safe distance, gawking at the sight before them. Ben looked at what was left of the latrines. If possible, it looked worse than before they'd started working on it.

"Someone sabotaged the facilities," Ben said as he stood up and tried to ignore the waste dripping down his jacket and pants and pooling in his boots. "There was a bomb in the control panel."

"Did you see the bomb?" Poe asked Ivin, glaring at Ben suspiciously.

"No, but I'm not inclined to disbelieve him," Ivin cast a glance back at the smoking wreckage. The Zeltron's face had turned an awfully dark shade of red, becoming almost black to reflect his inner mood. "If Ben hadn't warned us, we all would have died."

"The maintenance crews check that control panel every day to make sure the facilities are functioning correctly," Larma said. Her nose twitched as the offensive smells reached her. "They would have noticed a bomb."

"It must have been placed there recently," Rose argued as she gallantly helped Sertali to her feet. "Someone knew Ben would be here this morning."

"Who could have known?" Aarzio asked as he stomped free of the spreading mess. "We didn't know about it until an hour ago."

"This wasn't an accident. The pipes were slashed open," Ben told him as he walked clear of the pools. Anger rose in him unchecked. Someone had deliberately tried to kill him! "They knew the protocols for fixing the latrines-"

"And they figured I would order you to fix it," Poe finished, shock splayed across his face. "The perfect opportunity to get rid of you."

"Too bad it didn't work!" Someone called out from the crowd.

Ben couldn't see who said it. His fists clenched in anger and a growl rose in his throat. He could understand someone having an issue with him, but the bomb wouldn't have killed just him. It would have harmed Ivin, Aarzio, and Sertali, and that didn't sit well with him. He liked them. A deep rage thrummed through him, the energy spilling outward. The pool of waste behind him rippled and the Resistance backed away warily, growing alarmed at his display of power. They needn't have worried though; Ben lost control over the power as quickly as he'd been able to harness it.

"This isn't a trivial matter, people!" Poe was shouting into the crowd. "We are the Resistance! We cannot stoop to this petty behavior. Whoever did this almost killed three of their brothers and sisters! We cannot afford to lose more people. This is completely unacceptable and I want to know who is responsible for this!"

A young, blonde woman with luminous green eyes stepped forward. She was the one who usually served food, whereas the other Resistance people took turns.

"I have a tent close by," She pointed at a larger tent near the perimeter. "I was up early to prepare first meal for the base and I saw three figures enter the latrines. I thought it was odd since I'm usually the only one who is awake at that hour on this side of the base."

"Did you see who they were, Tawna?" Rose's face became pinched as she learned there may be more than one culprit.

"Two of them had their backs to me. I only saw one of their faces," Tawna swallowed heavily. "It was Anzen Tirel."

"Where's Anzen?" Poe asked darkly, looking around.

Everyone muttered to each other as they looked around but no one stepped forward. Ben noticed Winn Bris and the woman next to him fidgeting and trying to hide their anxiety. He narrowed his eyes, knowing somehow that they were the other two people Tawna had seen.

"I have him, Poe," Rey called out as she pushed a man through the crowd of Resistance fighters. They parted ways before the furious woman. "He was stealing aboard his starfighter."

"I was getting ready for the mission!" Anzen defended himself, wrenching himself from Rey's firm grasp. "What's going on?"

"Tawna saw you and two others enter the latrines early this morning," Poe said grimly. "We know you're responsible for-"

"You fucking bitch!" Anzen roared and lunged at Tawna.

Ben shoved the defenseless female behind him and punched Anzen in the face. The man stumbled backward and was seized by Captain Gser.

"I'll take that as confirmation of your involvement," Poe gritted out. "Why, Anzen? You almost killed all four of them."

"What?" Anzen's jaw dropped as he finally noticed the destruction wrought on the latrine facilities.

"The bomb you planted would have killed them if Ben hadn't discovered it in time," Poe continued.

"You think…" Anzen struggled in Daria's grasp. "No! We didn't mean to kill anyone! We just wanted to make their lives miserable."

"Well, mission fucking accomplished," Aarzio spat on the ground.

"Who else was involved?" Poe asked; he looked slightly ill. He clearly didn't want to take Ben's side, but he couldn't let this infraction stand.

"Bris and Aragen," Anzen ratted out his co-conspirators.

People stepped back from Winn and the woman next to him to get out of the line of fire.

"Winn, Ryla?" Poe raised an eyebrow at the duo.

Winn swallowed hard and stepped forward.

"We slashed the pipes, but we didn't plant a bomb," Winn's eyes flicked nervously between the Resistance leaders, who were all wearing various expressions of shock and anger. "No matter how much I hate that traitor's guts, I wouldn't do anything to harm my brothers and sisters."

"It's remarkable how short your memory is," Ivin accused him.

Winn blushed as he recalled how he'd almost busted Rose's head in a few days ago.

"That was a mistake," Winn muttered repentantly.

"He's telling the truth, general," said the black-haired woman beside him. She stepped forward, holding her hands out entreatingly. "We didn't mean any harm."

"I don't care about your reasoning, Ryla," Poe retorted. He waved a hand at the latrine remnants and the disheveled state of Ben and his guards. "Does this look like a harmless prank?"

"No, sir," Ryla dipped her head.

People in the crowd muttered amongst themselves. Ben could hear that the general consensus was that Poe was going too hard on them. The traitor deserved more than some discomfort. Who cares if someone had planted a bomb? They'd be better off without him.

"Stars above, people!" Poe shouted; there was a flash of despair in his eyes before steely resolve took over. "We need Ben in order to defeat the First Order! If I can put aside my grudge with him to focus on the bigger picture, then you can too!"

Everyone watching the proceedings looked away guiltily. When Poe phrased it that way, they couldn't help but feel childish for attacking Ben.

"We're flying out in one hour! Everyone, get back to making the final checks," Poe ordered. "The Venjagga system and our sister bases are counting on us. I will not allow this mission to be jeopardized because of this!"

The Resistance fighters dispersed quickly except for those involved in the incident and the Resistance leadership. The pilots and mechanics fled to the shipyard and the others went to their duty posts for the day.

"Rey, who's telling the truth?" Poe asked, sighing deeply.

"Why are you asking her?" Ryla asked angrily.

"Because she's Force-sensitive and wasn't involved in this whole… mess," Poe said.

"They're all telling the truth," Rey said after a moment of examining them all. "Tawna saw three people enter the facility and Ben discovered slashed piping and the bomb, but Anzen, Winn, and Ryla didn't place the bomb."

"So who would want to murder Ben bad enough to risk killing three members of the Resistance?" Poe was at a loss for answers.

"The question should be who doesn't want to kill me," Ben grumbled, getting frustrated and finding it hard to retain some dignity. He was getting very uncomfortable in his filthy clothing and waste was still trickling down from his hair. He just wanted to clean up and take a run through the jungle, but he had a feeling the latter wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

"We don't have time to solve this now," Poe said finally. He looked to Rey and lowered his voice. "We need to prep for our infiltration of the Vartier."

Ben blinked. The Vartier was an Endurance-class star destroyer that typically was tasked to collect information and cargo. What were Poe and Rey doing, talking about sneaking aboard a First Order vessel that would be nowhere near Venjagga?

"Winn, Anzen, Ryla. I'm taking you off active duty," Poe directed at the pilots, talking louder as they protested. Anger tinged his voice, showing how he really felt. "You're not going on the mission. You're going to spend however long it takes to suction up this mess and rebuild the latrines. Maybe that will make you think twice the next time you waste everyone's time."

"You're taking his side over ours?" Anzen asked incredulously as he jabbed a finger at Ben.

Winn and Ryla remained silent, not wanting to invite Poe's wrath on them any more than they already had. Instead, they glared daggers at Ben.

"He didn't sabotage the facilities," Poe defended his decision. "You did."

Anzen shouted wordlessly in frustration and clenched his fists in frustration. His gaze shifted between Poe and Ben several times. Ben stepped to shield Tawna better from the enraged pilot.

"We'll discuss disciplinary action later. Get to work, you three," Larma ordered, cutting through the tense silence. "Ben, Mixa, Aarzio, Sertali. Go get cleaned up."

"Yes, ma'am," Ivin nodded and motioned for Ben and the others to follow him.

Ben smirked, happy he no longer had to deal with the latrines. Things were looking up.

"Ben, watch out!" Rose warned in a high-pitch tone.

An angry shout of a deeper timbre sounded behind him. Ben turned to see Anzen lunging at him. Aarzio intercepted the enraged man and made to unholster his blaster, but Anzen reacted faster and decked him in the eye. Aarzio fell to the ground, half-conscious.

Ben shifted into a fighting stance, grounding himself as Anzen attacked. He wished Ivin would just give him a blaster; it would make dealing with the constant attacks so much easier. His fist flew forward to jab at Anzen's head but met empty air as Anzen was tackled by a creature covered in dark green scales and sporting a pair of bright white wings.

Ivin and Sertali reached Ben a few seconds later and pulled him back as Anzen and the creature landed with a huge splash in the pool of debris and lifeform refuse. The creature shrieked and viciously slashed at Anzen's throat with its wickedly sharp talons. He barely managed to dodge, fear making his eyes bulge with terror.

"Help!" Anzen pleaded as he kicked out at the creature. He screamed as the long talons shredded up his legs and left deep gouges. "Get her off me!"

"Tawna, stop!" Poe shouted at the creature.

The avian humanoid ignored the order and snapped at Anzen's exposed belly with a curved beak. She missed with all his thrashing and only managed to damage his jacket.

"That's Tawna?" Ben asked faintly. He looked around for the shy, blonde woman but she'd disappeared. Evidently, she'd morphed into the terrifying winged creature who was attacking Anzen Tirel.

"Yes," Ivin nodded, clutching his blaster tightly.

"Tawna, over here!" Rose waved her arms, but Tawna's bright green gaze was firmly locked on her prey.

She was lunging in for the kill when she was suddenly levitated into the air. Tawna snarled viciously and struggled against invisible bonds. Anzen scrambled to his feet and hobbled behind Rey, whose hands were raised and eyebrows were furrowed in concentration.

"You should lock up that Jixiti bitch and her devil daughter!" Anzen screamed in a high octave as he desperately clutched at his wounds. "She could have killed me!"

Tawna hissed viciously and flapped her wings vigorously, sending gusts of putrid air wafting over them. Her eyes promised his death when she got free.

"Captain Gser, cuff him!" Poe ordered after he stopped looking like he was going to hurl.

"What! What did I do?" Anzen struggled as Daria slapped some cuffs on his wrists and dragged him to his feet.

"Aarzio, are you alright?" Ivin helped a dazed Aarzio to his feet as Poe laid into Anzen about attacking a valuable asset of the Resistance.

Aarzio's eye was already starting to swell up. Ivin used a light touch to wipe away fecal matter from the area, trying to gauge the damage done.

"Ouch!" Aarzio hissed but remained still under the captain's hand. "I'll be fine, Mixa."

"You need to see a healer," Ben disagreed.

There was a cut near his eyebrow and it was dripping blood. With all that had happened today, there was a good chance it would become infected if it wasn't seen to.

"I agree with Ben. You're not doing anything else today before you get this healed," Ivin said worriedly as he grabbed a first aid kit from his belt.

Luckily, the kit was wrapped in secure packaging to prevent contamination before usage. The Zeltron wiped Aarzio's face with a clean cloth and gently dabbed bacta gel on the injury. He held Aarzio's chin firmly as he spread the gel evenly, making sure not a spot was missed. He brought his face close to Aarzio to examine his work.

"The swelling is already going down and the cut is closing up," Ivin nodded slightly in satisfaction. "How do you feel?"

"I feel good," Aarzio said with a twinkle in his eye.

The Zeltron noticed their close proximity and blushed a deep red.

"Um, yeah. That's good," Ivin stammered and moved backward. He coughed and tried to regain his professionalism. "You should still see Larma and get a full scan."

"Poe?" Rey called out, her voice strained.

Ben was alarmed to see her turning red in the face and her arms trembling. Tawna was still thrashing in her invisible grip, making it necessary for her to use more energy to keep the Jixiti from breaking free. Poe was still chewing out Anzen and didn't hear her. Ben rushed to her and placed his arms under hers to support her.

"You're expending too much energy. You'll hurt yourself and Tawna trying to keep her in the air," Ben explained as he pressed his front to her back to steady her. "Breathe deeply and ground yourself in the earth."

"Sort of hard to do that right now," Rey protested through shallow breaths, but her muscles shifted and relaxed as she took his advice. Tawna eased her desperate struggle to break free, but her piercing screeches continued and her fierce gaze did not leave Anzen.

"Poe!" Ben hollered, cutting through the noise from Tawna, the general's ranting, and Anzen's cries of denial.

"What!" Poe growled as he turned to them.

"Can you finish up? I can't hold Tawna back forever!" Rey shot back.

"Right. Daria, if you would be so good as to escort Mr. Tirel to the brig?" Poe asked through gritted teeth. "Larma can tend to his wounds there and I'll deal with him when I return."

"Yes, general," Daria would have saluted, but she had her hands full with a resisting Anzen.

"I'll accompany you, captain," Aarzio grabbed one of Anzen's arms. "I need a checkup from Larma to make sure I didn't get a concussion from this asshole."

Daria and Aarzio dragged Anzen away. The man shouted curses and alternated between limping and hopping as he was forced to keep up with them. Winn and Ryla had been watching the proceedings with wide-eyed interest, but when Poe turned his gaze on them, they ran towards the damaged latrines to start the repairs.

Rey lowered Tawna to the ground as Anzen and his escorts disappeared into the crowd of tents. The Jixiti growled as she crouched in a defensive position, ready to spring forward at a moment's notice. The bright white wings were flared and she held a protective hand over her belly. Her glowing green eyes flicked between them all, lingering longer on Ben and the blaster held tightly in Ivin's hand.

"Tawna," Rose took a step forward. The Jixiti clicked her beak in a warning. "Why don't you change back and we'll go see how Ava is doing?"

Tawna's defensive position relaxed and she let out a questioning chirp.

"Sek'min is taking the children on a field trip to explore the plant life he's been covering in class," Rose said soothingly. "Ava is quite excited to go see the miri flowers, remember?"

Tawna lowered her wings and the appendages were sucked into her torso. The sharp talons shortened into small fingernails and the curved beak shrank and became a pair of pink lips. Her dark green scales sank inward and disappeared, though Ben could see green-tinted impressions of scales on her skin. A shock of white-blonde hair sprouted from her head and grew to her waist. Only her luminous green eyes remained the same.

Tawna gasped and swayed on her feet and her transformation was completed. Her clothes hung loose on her body, having been ripped as she morphed into her alternate state. Rose leaped forward to support her, uncaring of the sewage she had to wade through to do it.

"Did I kill him?" Tawna groaned as she clutched her head.

"No, but it was close," Rose chuckled as she guided the young woman to more stable ground.

"I lost control again," Tawna cried in dismay. "General Dameron, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, Tawna. I understand why it happened," Poe took her hands and looked her in the eye. "Anzen will be fine. You didn't cause any permanent damage."

"I'll be more careful, I promise," Tawna said earnestly as a tear rolled down her cheek. "You won't regret letting me stay here."

"I don't have any regrets about that, Tawna," Poe said sternly. "You are an invaluable member of the Resistance and your daughter is a joy to have around. I won't see you turned out."

"Thank you, general!" Tawna beamed up at him. She blinked and turned to Rose as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Did you say something about Ava? Is she alright?"

"Ava is fine," Rose assured her. "She and the other children are excited to go on a scavenger hunt in the jungle."

"I promised Sek'min I would help," Tawna looked in dismay at the sun overhead. "It's almost mid-day. I'm going to be late!"

"Let's get you cleaned up first," Rose stopped Tawna from breaking into a run. "Poe, I'll meet you in the command center in fifteen minutes."

Poe nodded and the two women walked away. He turned to Rey.

"We need to go over the specs before we leave," Poe said. "Finn will be wondering where we are, if he hasn't heard about this whole fiasco already."

He walked off in the direction of the command center and Rey followed. Ben fell into step next to her, not willing to go get clean until he got the information he wanted.

"Why are you infiltrating the Vartier?" Ben asked, easily keeping pace with her.

Poe scowled and marched on ahead, leaving Ben and Rey behind with Ivin and Sertali.

"Poe shouldn't have let that slip," Rey said evasively.

"That star destroyer isn't a fighting vessel," Ben pressed on, unwilling to let it go. "It won't be at the battle today, so why was Poe talking about it?"

Rey sighed in exasperation. "Because we're going to sneak aboard and steal information while the First Order is distracted by the fight in the Venjagga system."

"I don't like it," Ben said immediately.

Logically, he knew Rey would be fine; he knew firsthand how good a fighter she was. But he also knew what a star destroyer was capable of, even one primarily used for cargo and research. Thousands of stormtroopers would be aboard that vessel and it would only take one of them to raise the alarm and the whole ship would be after her.

"We've done it a few times before," Rey shrugged off his concerns. "And we haven't been caught."

"I still don't like it," Ben reiterated, willing her to see reason. "You don't need to be taking those risks."

"We need information on the First Order's movements," Rey countered as they neared the edge of the encampment and stopped. "Without a steady stream of information from Maz's source, we're blind. This is the least risky way we've thought of to regain that information," She cut him off as he opened his mouth to make a counterargument. "I know it's dangerous, but this is the only way to stay ahead of the First Order."

Ben swallowed his words and a heavy lump settled in his chest. She had to take these risks because he hadn't contributed any worthwhile information to the Resistance yet. Damn it! He just couldn't think of anything at the moment.

"Be safe," Ben said instead.

"I'll see you tonight," Rey promised and hesitated for a moment before kissing his cheek.

She walked into the command tent without another word.

Ben gazed after her. Come back to me, he thought worriedly. He didn't like these feelings inside him, the gnawing anxiety or the simmering anger that threatened to rage out of control within him. He shoved the emotions away. Rey would be fine.

"Come on, Ben. She'll be fine," Ivin said.

Ben twitched. He swore the captain could read his mind, but he knew that wasn't possible for an empath.

"Let's get cleaned up," Ivin walked towards the tree line. His arms were full of tin cans Ben hadn't noticed him picking up.

"I second that," Sertali said, her arms holding similar items.

She dumped half of them into Ben's arms. All of the containers were marked the same: 'Ugora's Industrial Strength Soap! Apple-Scented'.

"I can't believe she kissed you. She must really like you," Sertali said as she marched ahead.

"Of course she does. He's covered in shit from head to toe and she still kissed him," Ivin remarked as he picked his way carefully down a dirt trail. The sound of rushing water came from up ahead. "Takes a special person, that does."

"I think you mean that takes a strong stomach," Sertali grinned widely.

Their gentle ribbing did nothing to lighten Ben's mood. His insides were still twisting as scenarios flashed through his mind of the various ways Rey could be harmed on her secret mission. And if she did get hurt or captured, he'd be powerless to help her.

The trees thinned and they walked onto the bank of a rushing river. There was a small grouping of rocks that created a natural bathing area where the water current was slow-moving.

"Last one in is a rotten fish!" Sertali exclaimed as she dumped the items in her arms on the ground and landed with a huge splash in the pool. The water around her turned a murky brown as she shook away the waste clumped in her fur.

Ben smiled and followed suit, though in a more sedate manner. The water was cold and brisk as it swept by him. He used the soap in five of the tins to wipe away the offending mess on his body and clothes. Ivin was doing the same with quick, effective strokes. The soap suds and filth were swept away by the river currents. Instead of using soap, Sertali had elected to brush against the thick pads of moss covering the rocks. Her pelt turned sleek and clean as she happily rubbed away.

"I hope it's not too late to join the party," Aarzio commented as he jumped into the pool with them.

"How is your head?" Ivin peered at Aarzio's wound.

"Larma gave me a clean bill of health and more bacta gel to put on the cut for a few days," Aarzio reported as he accepted a fresh bar of soap. He smiled vindictively. "She says it will take Anzen longer to heal."

"I'm glad you'll be alright," Ivin's hand lingered on the guard's shoulder a moment too long to be merely friendly.

A bell clanged and echoed throughout the trees.

"Aw, shit. We're gonna miss the mid-day meal," Aarzio grumbled as he heard the strident tones.

"We have nutrient bars," Ivin reassured him as he unpackaged another bar of soap and started on his hair.

They spent long minutes scrubbing away. The soap truly did wonders as it ate away the sewage and left their clothes and skin clean and smelling of apples. Ben took off his waterlogged boots and gave them a quick scrub too and put them on the shore to dry. He hopped out of the water and lay on the grass under the bright sun. He took in a breath of clean air and the turmoil inside him lessened. He was still tense but didn't feel the need to bash in someone's head anymore.

Aarzio splashed out of the river and made a racket with the containers before flopping down next to Ben.

"Here."

Something prodded Ben in the shoulder and he opened one eye to glare balefully. Aarzio dropped a nutrient bar on his chest and then tossed another one to Ivin as the Zeltron waded out of the river. Sertali was still happily swimming in the river. She'd ventured out into the stronger currents, but they were no match for an aquatic creature. Ben sighed and opened the packaging and bit into the densely packed gray and brown bar. It tasted worse than a reconstituted bread roll.

The three of them sat on the bank, eating nutrient bars and waiting for the sun to dry their clothes. After a while, a huge commotion reverberated through the jungle with no warning. The sound of many engines firing up blasted through the trees. Starships filled the sky and rose quickly into the atmosphere. Ben recognized the Falcon among them. He watched as the Falcon shrank into a pinpoint in the sky and disappeared with a flash of light as it entered hyperspace. His appetite fled as he was reminded of his worry for Rey's safety. He rewrapped the remaining half of the food bar and shoved it in a pocket of his drying leather jacket.

An annoying beeping noise sounded and Ivin took out his comlink to decline the incoming message. They had a few moments of peace before his comlink beeped again. Ivin sighed and activated the comm.

"IVIN!"

They all jumped and shot into a sitting position as Baso's loud voice washed over them.

"What is it, chief?" Ivin asked, a hint of weariness in his voice.

"You're late! Get your butts to the shipyard before I lose my patience!" The comlink crackled as Baso's volume rose and then cut out entirely.

"We are late," Ivin confirmed as he looked at his timepiece. "By twenty-five minutes."

"Our shift doesn't start until 1500 hours!" Aarzio protested.

"No, it's earlier today," Ivin groaned as he stood up and stretched. "With the battle so soon, Baso had to prioritize refurbishing the spaceships. A lot of other work got pushed to the side and it's piling up. I promised her we would start on it right after the ships left for the battle."

"Well… fuck," Aarzio muttered as he stood and wiped grass from his person.

He offered a hand to help Ben up, but he refused and stood on his own. Ben glared in the direction of the shipyard. It was time to return to his daily torment of being yelled at.

"Sertali!" Ivin called out to the Selonian in the middle of the river. "We need to report to Baso!"

Sertali immediately swam to the shore; her powerful tail let her easily cut through the strong channels. Her jaws were clamped down on a struggling bright pink fish; blood spurted as she chomped down on it and swallowed it. She licked the red droplets off her whiskers as she exited the water and shook the water from her fur.

They all gathered the empty soap containers and trudged back up the dirt path. Ben noticed darkly that Sertali was the only one who seemed re-energized by their dip in the river. They dumped the tins in a trash receptacle and walked to the shipyard. It was odd walking through the base with a quarter of the people there. Some Resistance fighters were milling around. Ben grumbled to himself as they were hard-pressed to hide their smiles and chuckles at Ben and his guard's bedraggled appearances. Ben found himself in an extremely foul mood as he entered the shipyard.

"What sort of time do you call this!" Baso yelled at Ben and his guards as they entered the shipyard. "You're over a half-hour late for your shift. We're already behind and in case you forgot, we're prepping for a war against the First Order!"

"We were unavoidably delayed," Ivin tiredly said.

"Not only are you making excuses for your tardiness but you show up smelling of shit!" Baso shook her head as she berated them.

"We could smell worse," Ben retorted sharply. The soap had done a lot to dissipate the smell in addition to the mess. If she did smell something, it was wafting over from the latrines, not them.

"ARE YOU GIVING ME LIP, SKYWALKER?" Baso shouted, getting in his face. She made a disgusted noise and wrinkled her nose as she backed away to put a few feet of distance between them.

"No," Ben pressed down the urge to rise to the bait. He'd been trying to think before he acted the past few days, but it was so much harder when he was tired and already pissed off. If he were back on his star destroyer, he'd already be slicing into a control panel.

"WELL, YOU CAN SPEND THE NEXT FIVE HOURS FIXING MY ENGINES!" Baso blasted at him, pointing towards a veritable mountain of engine assemblies. Ivin hadn't been kidding when he said the work had been piling up. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR A PEEP FROM YOU UNTIL THEY ALL WORK FLAWLESSLY!"

Ben bit his lip and nodded.

"Ivin! Tam! I want you working on fuselage repairs," Baso directed.

"But we need to stay -" Ivin started to protest while gesturing at Ben.

"I'M NOT A MORON, IVIN!" Baso boomed. "YOU MAY BE UNDER ORDERS TO GUARD SKYWALKER, BUT YOU CAN VERY WELL DO THAT WHILE YOU WORK. YOU'LL ONLY BE TWENTY FEET AWAY FROM THE BOY!"

"Yes, chief," Ivin snapped to attention.

The captain gave Ben an assuring nod, but there was a flicker of worry in his eyes. He tugged Aarzio with him towards the battered groupings of fuselages; the parts were in dire need of repairs. Some had holes from blaster fire and others had wires springing out in every direction.

"HILS, I'M PUTTING YOU ON REASSEMBLY DUTY!" Baso barked at the Selonian. "I DON'T TRUST ANY OF THESE AMATEUR KNUCKLEHEADS TO DO IT WITHOUT SUPERVISION YET!"

"Aye-aye, chief," Sertali glanced between Baso and Ben, as if unsure why they were being split up. But she ultimately pattered off and joined a group of frazzled-looking mechanics working on a half-refurbished X-wing.

"DID I STUTTER, SKYWALKER?" Baso shouted at Ben while he stood still, trying to comprehend the sudden change in their duties. "GET TO WORK!"

Ben tamped down a bitter response and headed towards the engine pile. He stared at it all, at a loss for what to do. He noticed a holoreader placed next to the bucket of tools, labeled 'Engine Schematics'. He activated it and saw hundreds of directories for engines of all makes. He opened one and a 3D image of the selected engine popped up. There was a setting to show the part layer by layer, from the minutest piece parts up to the finished product. There were even instruction bubbles detailing dimension and torque requirements and how to assemble the parts. This should be easy enough. He could follow instructions.

Ben picked the least beat-up engine in the group and punched in its serial number into the holoreader. The engine's design came up and he wondered what to do next. Well, first things first, he had to figure out what was wrong with it. He grabbed the bucket of tools and examined what he'd been given to work with. Ah-ha! He snatched up a conical scanner and plugged the attachment into the holoreader. He'd seen his father use one of these before to determine what was wrong with the Falcon's equipment. All one had to do was point and scan. The device would do the rest and tell him what was wrong so long as the software was compatible.

He fired up the program and pointed it at the engine, but nothing happened. Ben furrowed his eyebrows as he looked over the setup. He'd plugged in everything correctly, so what went wrong? A tiny blinking red light on the side of the scanner caught his attention. Damn it. He'd forgotten to turn it on. He pressed the button and the light turned solid green. Thousands of red lines sprang out from the scanner attachment, ready to scan. He ran the device over the engine part, measuring every nook and cranny. A tiny beep sounded when the software deemed the model complete. The red lines disappeared and a rendering of the engine sprang into the air; the nonconforming areas were highlighted in a pulsing red. He zoomed in on one part in the front and read the analysis. Two of the blades were broken. He needed to remove them and insert new ones.

Ben dragged the tool kit to the front of the engine. He grabbed a socket wrench and went to loosen the bolts holding the broken blades in place. He grunted as he applied pressure to the bolts, but they didn't budge. He needed a longer wrench, but there wasn't one in the kit. His gaze landed on a metal pipe about the length of his arm. That would do. He slid the pipe over the wrench's handle and tried it again. It worked and the bolt loosened; the other bolts came off quickly. The first blade he took out was marginally damaged; the ends were slightly cut up and there were a few dents in the middle. The second blade was completely stuck; it was mangled and bent in different directions. Ben tried to jimmy it out, but it refused to budge. He got a tight grip on the thin piece and pulled with all his might, but the only thing that moved was him. The dirt underneath him gave way and his feet slipped out from beneath him. As he fell backward onto his butt, the edges of the blade sliced up his hands. Ben hissed in pain and shook his hands angrily as the other mechanics sniggered at him. His short fuse blew and he hopped up and turned to face the people who dared to laugh at him. His hands clenched into fists despite the pain it caused him.

The anger left as quickly as it had come. The mechanics were grouped together in their own little bubble, not even looking at him; they were chuckling at a joke or comment one of them had made. Feeling stupid, Ben turned back to his work. He looked at his hands and deemed the injury unimportant; the cuts were shallow and would stop bleeding on their own. Serves him right for not wearing gloves. He snatched up a pair from the toolbox and put them on before kneeling back in front of the engine. He looked at the damaged engine blade, wondering how he was supposed to take it out.

He took a flashlight and pointed the beam into the part, hoping it would give him answers. The light glinted in a curious direction. Ben realized there were metal pieces jammed into the blade's slot. He'd have to pry those out before the blade would move. He grabbed a screwdriver-looking tool with a flat edge and thrust it into the area; it took a few minutes, but the metal pieces finally came out. The blade slid out, screeching as metal scraped against metal. He cleaned the slots, making sure they were free of shavings, and then bolted the new shiny blades in place. Ben picked up the holoreader again and went on to the next damaged section. Over the next fifteen minutes, he repaired one of the valves and patched up part of the hull. He smiled proudly at his first fixed engine, but his victory was diminished as he looked at the rest of the engines he needed to fix. One down, thirty or so to go.

Ben moved on to the next damaged engine and scanned it. It had the same problems as the first, but one of the model cross-sections showed one of the fuel tanks had a puncture. He would need to take apart the engine to get to it. Using a wrench, he removed about fifty rusted bolts from the hull and took off the top outer shell. He pushed bundles of multi-colored wires out of the way and used a hydrospanner to remove the tiny screws securing the damaged fuel tank. Ben muttered to himself in frustration as he tried to navigate his large hands in the enclosed space. He managed to get the screws out and only lost a few; the punctured tank came out easily and Ben lowered a new one in. He double-checked it was placed correctly and the surrounding wires wouldn't get snagged before he reattached the bolts and the hull, even scanning it again. The rest of the damage was easy to repair within a few minutes.

A few hours passed as Ben scanned and fixed the engines. He'd found some complex issues regarding the fuel-intake pipes and wires that would be harder to fix than the others. He flagged those for later and moved on to the damage he could repair, such as bent blades, rusted initiators, and broken switches. Soon, all that was left to fix were the engines he'd set aside. Ben read the instructions on the 3D model detailing how to replace the hundreds of wires and connectors, but it was just a jumble of words to him. Whoever had written the instructions had used shorthand Aurebesh instead of the standard format; the terminology meant nothing to him. Mechanics must rely on tribal knowledge for these repairs and his background was not in mechanics and engineering. Sith hells. What was he supposed to do now?

"Stuck?" Sertali asked as she passed by. The whiskers on her snout flexed as she smiled.

"No," Ben stubbornly replied and turned away from her.

He refused to admit he was having trouble. This was the first time he'd been given a solo project. He'd be damned if he asked for help and proved he couldn't complete a simple task.

"Then I suppose your expression of utter confusion is your way of showing you know what you're doing?" Sertali took a swig from the bottle in her hand and then handed it to him.

"Yes," Ben muttered as he accepted the bottle.

He unscrewed the lid and gulped down the refreshing, cold water.

"It looks like the line series Aurek-Cresh-5 and Leth-24 are damaged on this one," Sertali commented as she examined the model and compared the results with the engine. "You'll also have to strip out the navigation board. It's completely corroded."

"And how was I supposed to discern that?" Ben asked hotly, swiping a hand through the hologram. "The instructions are gibberish."

"It's written in shorthand. Most mechanical terms are shortened or turned into acronyms for simplicity," Sertali explained as she went through the directory and pulled up a huge file. "Here's a library for common terms we mechanics use."

Ben huffed in frustration. The glossary would help with learning what parts the instructions were referring to, but that didn't mean he knew what to do with them.

"Tell you what, I'll stay a few minutes and give you some pointers," Sertali gave him a reassuring smile.

"I don't need-"

"Great, let's start with the wires," Sertali said as she excised the bundles with practiced moves. "It looks complicated, but it's really not. The wires are color-coded and marked with Aurebesh glyphs and numbers; they correspond to matching ports on the boards. It's important to know which glyphs correspond to fuel lines and which label the electrical cables. You don't want to mix those up and you certainly don't want to connect them to the exhaust relays." She pointed at the ports marked with similar glyphs.

Ben grumbled to himself but didn't interrupt her. He set aside the water container and watched carefully so he could replicate her actions with the other engines. Now that she'd explained it, he could see how the lines were set in a certain arrangement. He took over and added in new wires, wrapping the sets together and installing them into a new fuel tank system under Sertali's watchful eye.

"See? You're doing great," Sertali praised him.

Ben grunted in response, though he was secretly pleased he'd caught on so fast.

"I got it from here," he said as he scanned the next engine.

"If you need help again, I'll be over by the Taurian-7," Sertali nodded to a dark green vessel thirty meters away, partially obscured by other starships. She flipped the water thermos in her clawed hands and handed it to him. "Keep hydrated. I don't want you passing out on us."

"Sure thing," Ben said as the Selonian ran off in a quick blur.

He took another chug from the bottle and got back to work. Now armed with new knowledge, he was able to make quick work of the damaged fuel lines in the next few engines. The last engine was not at all the same though. He had to strip the entire hull off in several rusted pieces with a crowbar and then spend several minutes prying out sections of wiring to even understand what they were. He carefully thumbed through each crusty bundle trying to search for the line he knew was damaged, but as he searched, it became clear several bundles were damaged beyond repair. Stars above, this bundle was entirely fused together! No wonder the engine didn't work. He sighed and checked another section of the engine and encountered the same issue. He growled in frustration as he realized the entire engine was faulty. It was going to take forever to fix, if it was even worth it anymore.

Ben girded himself and reasoned that he may as well try to fix it. Baso wasn't going to let him just walk away from it, and his pride also demanded he complete the task he was given.

Ben detached the fuel lines leading into the tank and grabbed the hydrospanner. First things first, he had to get the tank out. He tried to loosen the bolts, but they were sealed in place by rings of grime and what looked like hardened fuel. He applied more force, his muscles flexing hard, but the bolts refused to budge even a little. Futilely, he reached out to the Force, but as always of late, it slipped from his grasp. He took in a deep breath to calm himself before he started raging at the heavens and beating the shit out of the engine. He had a feeling that wouldn't go over well here.

He focused on the task at hand and tried again, pushing all thoughts of violence out of his mind and letting calm persistence take its place. Baso needed the engine fixed today; failure was not an option. Something shifted in him, but he had no time to process it. The bolt squealed as it grated against the fuel tank and caught fire.

"Fuck!" Ben shouted, leaping back as a small fireball sprang out of the small opening, almost singeing his face. Thank goodness his hair had been cut short otherwise the long strands would have caught on fire. He looked around desperately for something to put the blaze out.

The build-up of dried fuel covering the tank had still been flammable. It should have been rendered inert upon contact with air, but something had gone wrong. He unscrewed his water bottle, intending to use the liquid to stymie the flames, but a mechanic shouted for him to stop as they ran up.

"Don't!" The man said, panting hard. "It could react with the fuel!"

He aimed a small device on his wrist at the blaze and pressed a button. A spray of white foam fanned out and covered the fuel tank. The fire sputtered and died out as quickly as it had started.

"Thanks," Ben muttered, brushing speckles of foam off his arm. He'd been standing a little close.

"It happens every now and then," The older man pursed his lips, his brown eyes guarded. "Be more careful," he recommended before walking away.

As he was given the cold shoulder yet again, Ben reasoned that at least the man hadn't cursed him and his lineage. But then, he smirked to himself, his parents were revered here.

"IS THERE SOMETHING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT, SKYWALKER?"

Ben would deny it to his dying day, but he jumped when Baso's irate voice sounded next to him.

"SETTING FIRES IN MY SHIPYARD IS SOMETHING I DO NOT TOLERATE!" Baso put her hands on her sturdy hips and glared at him.

"It's not my fault," Ben returned. "The spilled fuel didn't go inert like it was -"

"DID I ASK FOR EXCUSES?" Baso gestured at the mess before her. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

Ben grimaced. It did look bad. Rusted pieces of the engine hull were scattered about, bundled wires were hanging out in a haphazard fashion, and tiny wisps of smoke were emanating from the foam-covered tank section.

"I - " Ben started to explain.

"IT'S SHODDY WORKMANSHIP IS WHAT IT IS!" Baso exclaimed. "NOW I'LL HAVE TO GET SOMEONE ELSE TO CHECK ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. WHO KNOWS IF YOU DID IT RIGHT!"

"Okay, hold it right there!" Ben demanded, getting angry. "I may have accidentally lit this engine on fire, but the other ones are just fine!"

Baso opened her mouth to yell at him some more, but he cut her off. A tiny spark of something flitted across her dark eyes.

"I've been working on these the whole shift and I know I fixed them correctly!" he roared, jabbing a finger at said engines. "It's just this one that's the problem!"

"Then fix it!" Baso waved at it.

Ben glowered and snatched the hydrospanner from where he'd dropped it on the ground in his hurry to back away from the fire. He brushed the foam that hadn't dissipated after dissolving the tar-like fuel and loosened the bolts in quick succession. He tried to lift the fuel tank out, but no matter which way he turned it, he couldn't take it out. The frame had deformed and wouldn't fit through the small opening.

"Problem?" Baso said over his shoulder.

"No," Ben grumbled as he wiggled the tank, barely keeping the bite from his voice. He heaved in a deep breath, wishing she would go away.

"Do you know what to do?" Baso asked.

"Can you stop hovering?" Ben said brusquely. "You're starting to stress me out!"

"Deal with it, Skywalker," she flippantly said.

"I don't work well under pressure!" Ben shouted and ripped the tank out in frustration, sending foam and metal chips flying into the air.

"You're going to have to work under stressful situations, so you may as well get used to it now!" Baso shot back and he turned to glare at her. "If you think you're under pressure now, you're wrong. This is nothing compared to working during a battle when lives are on the line."

Ben growled under his breath, his grip tightening on the tank in his grasp as she antagonized him. Baso's gaze flicked down to the tank before coming back up; she raised one eyebrow, waiting for his response. Ben forced himself to unclench his hand, letting the irreparable tank crash into the hard-packed dirt before he did something he'd regret.

"If you're quite done with your temper tantrum, would you please get on with fixing my engine?" Baso asked.

"You'd be better off with a new engine," Ben muttered under his breath as he turned back to the thing that wasn't worth calling an engine.

"Why do you say that?" Baso inquired, coming closer to look at the wires he was ripping out.

"Look at it!" Ben waved impatiently at everything. "Almost all of the wires are fused together and the hull isn't worth cleaning and reassembling." He blinked and huffed in disbelief as he noticed yet more damage. "And it looks like fuel spread through the entire assembly when the tank ruptured. Even if I wanted to fix this piece of junk, it would probably explode when it's ignited. You'd be better off lighting this pile of metal scraps on fire!"

Ben panted as he ended his rant. Several days of bottled anger had led up to this outpouring of emotion though granted, it probably would have happened much later if the shitty events of this morning hadn't happened. He stalked over to the bucket of tools and chucked the hydrospanner in it, the scanner, holoreader, and gloves following it. He wasn't touching that engine again. Baso could shout at him all she wanted but he wasn't going to budge.

"Hmmm, you're right," Baso said.

Ben whirled around, opening his mouth to shout that he was right when he processed that the chief had just agreed with him.

"What?" Ben said instead, shock replacing his anger.

"I said you're right," Baso said as she expertly examined the innards of the engine. "It's scrap. We can't use any of this."

The chief smirked at his dumbfounded expression and picked up the engine without trouble. Ben blinked; it had to weigh almost a thousand pounds and she was handling it like it was nothing!

"Follow me," Baso directed him, walking off with the engine.

Ben shuffled after her, wondering why the sudden change of mood. And when had she stopped shouting at him? Now that the red haze of anger and frustration had dropped from his vision, he registered the whispering mechanics around them. They had stopped their work to stare at him and Baso, giving them incredulous glances. Ben narrowed his eyes as he saw credits change hands. Had they been betting on the outcome of their spat?

"Here we are," Baso said as she set the engine down inside a barren clearing set away from the main shipyard.

Five metal spikes were sticking a few inches out of the ground, forming a circle around the engine. She grabbed a large rectangular device from a nearby box and pressed a button; it started beeping and emitting a red glow. She handed the square to him and he looked at it questioningly.

"We're scrapping the engine," Baso explained. "Put that inside it, preferably before it blows up."

The beeping noise increased in tempo and Ben practically chucked the bomb into a battered opening. Baso tugged him away from the engine and flipped a switch on one of the metal spikes; a light humming noise filled the air. The muffled beeping increased to a steady drone and then a fireball exploded into being, contained by a forcefield. When the inferno died down, nothing was left of the engine. Baso calmly flipped the switch again and the humming noise faded away.

"Good work, Skywalker," Baso praised him with a rare half-smile. "Go help Ivin and Tam for the rest of the shift."

"Yes, chief," Ben acknowledged the order as she walked away, still trying to comprehend what was going on. He'd done something right and had been praised for it? The notion was a strange one.

He walked in a daze over to Captain Ivin and Aarzio, who were busily cleaning up their workstation. They were a little too engrossed in their work, Ben thought suspiciously.

"Who won the bet?" Ben asked, narrowing his eyes at their uncharacteristic behavior. He liked to think he knew them well enough by this point to discern they were hiding something from him.

"What do you mean?" Ivin asked while Aarzio tried unsuccessfully to smother his snickering.

"Are you telling me you didn't bet on my confrontation with Baso?" Ben folded his arms and mock-glared at him. "Everyone else appeared to."

"It was the most interesting clash we've seen in months. People usually back down when Baso challenges them. Of course these two bet on the outcome," Sertali laughed as she sauntered up to them. "Don't deny it, captain. I saw you and Aarzio trading credits a few seconds ago."

"I admit nothing," Ivin shrugged innocently.

They got back to work and Ben helped Ivin with a simple repair on a dented ship fuselage. He went stiff when he felt the captain's clenched fist press into his hand and deposit something there. Ben looked in amazement at the small pile of bronze credits. Ivin gave him a wink and grabbed a hydrospanner to continue the repairs. Ben slipped the credits into a pouch at his waist and let a half-smile rise to his lips. He was almost beginning to like it here.

-oOoOoOo-

"What was that?" Rey gasped and grabbed the Falcon's landing strut as a large explosion rang through the shipyard.

"Sounds like the disposal ring activating," Poe said as he dragged the body of a First Order navigation droid down the ramp with Finn's help. "Let's get this droid to the command center. I want to download the information immediately and get a jump on the First Order."

"I'll go get Ben," Rey craned her head towards the commotion.

"I'll send someone to get him," Poe huffed as he readjusted his grip on the inanimate droid.

"I'll be quick," Rey assured him. "You both got the droid?"

"Yeah. Go check on your boyfriend," Finn smirked at her.

"It's not official," Rey sang over her shoulder as she moved towards Ben's life signature.

"Mhmm," One of them said.

Rey weaved through the few ships in the shipyard, walking quickly yet not too concerned as she could feel Ben was unharmed. She was a bit worried about what she was feeling through their bond recently. His current state of mind reminded her of the early days of their acquaintance when he'd felt nothing but rage and hatred. He'd been having trouble adapting these past few days, but he'd seemed to hit his stride until the events of this morning. She couldn't believe Anzen Tirel had been the mastermind of the latrine sabotage. She'd been sure Winn Bris had been behind it until she'd caught Anzen trying to escape via a Zarkan-Poli one-seater starship.

Rey entered the main clearing and immediately sought out Ben working in the fuselage repair area with Mixa and Aarzio. He seemed fine to the outside world; only she could tell he wasn't one-hundred percent happy. Ben looked up as she approached and a slight smile graced his lips. A barrage of happiness crashed over her through the bond, tinged with relief over her return.

"Hello," Ben greeted her.

"Hello," Rey sent a wave of reassurance to him, telling him she was alright; the mission had been a success. "Do you have a moment? We need you in the command center."

"Yes," Ben dropped his tools in a box and jumped to his feet. For such a large man, he was very graceful and fluid in his movements.

"You should ask the chief first, commander," Ivin recommended, giving her a wink. "You know how snippy she gets when someone finishes their shift early without her leave."

"That I do, Ivin," Baso said as she materialized around a stack of containers.

Rey almost smiled as she felt Ben groan in his head. She wondered what else he'd been up to while she'd been sneaking aboard the Vartier.

"Commander," Baso nodded her head politely. "What word do you bring of the battle?"

"At the last transmission, we've managed to heavily damage one of the star destroyers and drive it off. We are steadily picking off their battlecruisers. Our pilots sustained few casualties," Rey reported, her heart heavy with the loss of life. Would it ever stop hurting? "As we speak, General Antilles and Commander Chewbacca are leading the main charge against the remaining star destroyer while General Calrissian attempts to disable it from the rear."

"The fight is going in our favor then," Baso nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, and we've managed to give most of our allies in the system time to evacuate," Rey bobbed her head. "Chief, I need Ben in the command center. Can you spare him for the rest of the shift?"

Baso narrowed her dark eyes at them for a long moment. She nodded. "Go on, then."

"I'll accompany you, commander," Aarzio stood up and wiped his hands on his grease-stained pants.

"No need," Rey waved him back down. "I'll escort Ben to the canteen afterward. You three are relieved until then."

"Yes, ma'am," Aarzio reluctantly sat back down.

Rey led the way out of the shipyard. Ben kept up easily and took her hand, his large hand engulfing hers. Rey blushed but clasped their fingers together. It wasn't often that Ben was willing to display affection in public.

"I'm glad you're safe," Ben said in a low tone.

"I told you I would be," Rey smiled up at him as they walked. "A simple retrieval mission. We get in and we get out without being seen."

"What were you after this time?" Ben inquired.

"A ZT-120 navigation droid that could give us some insight into the First Order's movements," Rey said as she swept back the command center's tent flap and entered the room.

Poe and Finn looked up as they entered and paused in taking apart the ZT-120. Ben dropped her hand as if he'd been burned. Rey tried not to let him feel how that affected her.

"So why am I here?" Ben asked, his voice turning clinical and withdrawn.

"We need to know if the information is accurate," Poe said as he continued to carefully extract the ZT-120's plating to get into its circuitry. BB-8 was on the ground next to him, setting down the droid's severed arm. "With Artoo at General Calrissian's base, I need someone else to look at the intel," He looked up at Ben. "And I only have you."

"We have no intel on the First Order's plans without Maz's source," Rey explained further. "We were hoping we'd be able to extrapolate what systems they're planning to attack with this ZT-120. We need you to tell us if this droid is carrying current data."

Finn hooked up the droid's exposed circuitry to a holoreader and a 3D image of the galaxy's star systems beamed into the air. Hundreds of crisscrossed flight paths overlaid it. Rey was unable to detangle the sheer amount of data in front of her.

"One sec," Finn mumbled as he punched in commands to the holoreader.

The view zoomed into one quadrant of the galaxy and the tangle of lines became clearer. Tiny names hovered over each planet and star, some marked in red.

"The First Order had plans to invade Telzen-3," Ben pointed to one of the planets. "Its moons are rich in a Dedlanite substitute. The Varki asteroids are also host to a mining operation that is favorable to the First Order."

"What do they mine there?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Ben shrugged. "Do you have intel on who's the new Supreme Leader?"

"Why?" Poe narrowed his eyes at him.

"I might be able to tell you which star systems are likely to be attacked next," Ben said as he took the holoreader from Finn and moved the display around.

"We don't know anything definitive yet," Poe admitted bitterly. "They're keeping that information under wraps. We think they were a high-ranking officer under your command."

"That doesn't narrow it down," Ben muttered to himself as he ran through the star systems; the holograms swirled in a dizzying display as he ran through them.

"What can you tell us?" Rey cut in before Poe could release his explosive temper. She could feel him battling with the urge to respond to Ben. Again, she wondered how close they'd used to be. Poe was less hot-headed and impulsive these days as he shouldered more responsibilities, but Ben had a knack for pushing his buttons more than anyone else Rey knew.

"There are only a few people who would have the support to take command of the First Order in such a short time," Ben pressed his lips together. "Jadriel Trem, Ossym Zachsil, and… Rokrisa Kandia."

"I recognize those first two," Finn said grimly. "Zachsil was the admiral on one of the star destroyers I served on. He had a penchant for taking out his frustrations on the crew. Trem is his friend and what he didn't have in the way of intelligence, he made up for with brute strength. He was responsible for the massacre of the Yarli people."

"Who's this Kandia?" Rey was unnerved at the nervousness emanating from Ben when he'd said the name.

"She was a colonel on the Steadfast," Ben supplied, his fingers tapping on the edges of the holoreader. "She was ruthless in carrying out her assignments; that's why we liked her. She was good at getting people to do her bidding."

"The Steadfast was destroyed," Poe said with certainty. "I watched it go down."

"Did you make sure there were no survivors?" Ben asked sarcastically.

"There wasn't time during the battle," Finn shook his head. "He's right, Poe. Some of the people could have survived the crash and escaped."

"So why didn't she make a play for power before now?" Rey asked. "Surely when Snoke died-"

"She wouldn't have dared while I was still there," Ben said, gripping the holoreader so hard his knuckles turned white. "Her mind was an open book. I could see her ambition and what she really thought of the High Command. But I tolerated her because she was useful and I knew I was more than a match for her."

The implication that Ben wouldn't be able to stop Kandia's bid for power was unspoken but clearly hung over all of them. In truth, if any of the people Ben had mentioned ascended to the position of Supreme Leader, it wouldn't bode well for the Resistance's chances. Ben was bothered by who'd likely assumed power and that sent a chill down Rey's spine. She didn't want to find out what these people were capable of. They needed to stop the First Order now.

"Assuming one of them is the new Supreme Leader, where will they strike next?" Finn got back to the point.

"Luckily, all three are driven by similar goals. They all aim to impress their ideology for a perfect galaxy onto everyone and assimilate the galaxy into an empire again," Ben pointed to several star systems in a close cluster. "They'll strike those who've supported the Resistance in the past to send a message."

"You speak as if you differed from them," Poe snarked as he jotted down the names of the systems.

"Okay, let's get something straight. I wanted to destroy the Jedi and everything Luke Skywalker worked for," Ben snapped back and tossed the holoreader onto the table next to the disabled droid. Rey slid herself between Ben and Poe and had to use the Force to hold them both back. "I'll admit I admired my grandfather and aimed to emulate him, but I don't give a fuck about the old empire's flawed ideology or the First Order's attempt to recreate it."

Silence fell as that shocking statement sunk in. It hadn't occurred to Rey that Ben hadn't been a true believer in the First Order's bid to commit mass genocide and subjugate the galaxy. She gazed at Ben with new eyes, wondering why he'd stood by and let it happen. Ben's gaze met hers and read the accusation in them before she could hide it. His dark eyes hardened and his emotions through the bond grew muted as he stepped back.

"You were still their Supreme Leader," Poe pointed out quietly.

"It doesn't matter now though, does it?" Ben gritted out, waving a hand at their surroundings.

"I'd say it does," Poe said relentlessly.

The two men glared at each other, unwilling to be the first to back down.

"We have enough to start planning our next move," Finn cut through the tension-filled air as a bell tolled outside the tent. "Let's eat and look at these maps tomorrow with fresh eyes."

"Fine by me," Ben stormed out of the tent, slapping the fabric flaps aside. BB-8 squealed and rolled out of the way to avoid being trampled.

Poe glared at the still-moving tent flaps. "BB-8, follow him and make sure he goes to the canteen."

The little round droid beeped in agreement and rolled out of the tent.

"Poe," Rey sighed in exasperation.

"You can't be serious, Rey," Poe shot back, slamming his hands on the table and sending small droid parts flying. "He's not innocent in this! He's not an idiot. He knew exactly what they were doing. He stood back and let the First Order destroy entire sectors and thousands of people and did nothing! That makes him as guilty as the generals who gave the commands."

"I know he's not perfect," Rey felt like she was backed into a corner. She wanted to defend Ben, the disillusioned Jedi who'd been let down by every adult in his life, but he wasn't solely that person anymore. "We have to give him a chance to redeem himself! I know he's capable of being good!"

"I know, Rey. But it wouldn't take much for him to turn again," Poe said darkly. "We all thought Ben would carry on Luke's legacy and be the next great Jedi. One day he was, but the next he was Snoke's bitch. Who's to say the next dark influence which comes along won't lure him away?"

"You're wrong," Rey shook her head. "He won't go back to the dark side."

"I hope you're right, but I have a different perspective," Poe clearly didn't believe a word she said.

"It will be different this time," Rey shot back and stormed out of the tent.

She knew everyone had their doubts about Ben's allegiance. His loyalties had been extremely fluid but somehow this time was different; she could sense a change in him. He would stay in the light this time. She would make sure of it.

Rey walked to the canteen and got into the line. Ben was only a few people ahead of her, so she decided to stay where she was. BB-8 was right on Ben's heels and annoying him if Ben's constant glares at the round droid were any indication. Only Tawna Gyba was serving the food, but the line moved quickly since most of the base was at the battle. The young Jixiti made shy conversation with everyone in line as she doled out healthy servings of roasted meat and mashed root vegetable.

"Hello, Tawna," Rey greeted her when it was her turn to be served. "I like the way you styled your hair today," she complimented the intricate mess of braids woven into the young woman's blonde hair.

"Thank you!" Tawna's eyes sparkled as she placed food onto Rey's plate. "Ava found a new braiding style and wanted to try it out. Her hair isn't long enough yet, so I let her and some of her friends use my hair."

"She has great taste," Rey grinned. "Did you both have fun on the field trip into the jungle? That was today, right?" The children's field trip had been planned for today to keep them out of the way during the base preparations for the battle.

"Yes! Sek'min and I took the children into the meadows east of the base to learn about the plants there," Tawna nodded enthusiastically. "We did some flower-picking after and now my tent is practically overflowing with flowers, but Ava had a wonderful time."

"That's wonderful, Tawna," Rey beamed. "I'm glad-"

"Skywalker!" Baso's ringing voice cut in. "Stop standing there like a spare end! Join us."

Rey looked over to see Ben standing awkwardly with BB-8 at his feet and Baso gesturing for him to sit at her partially-filled table. Ben stepped warily toward the table, his expression guarded and obviously expecting the invitation to be rescinded at any moment. Rey said a friendly goodbye to Tawna and moved to join Ben.

"Oh good, you're here too, Commander Rey," Baso nodded her head respectfully. "Join us, please."

Rey and Ben took the remaining seats at the table. The other people at the table, mostly seasoned mechanics and a few people from comms, looked at each other as if to ask if this was actually happening. A couple of people started grumbling under their breath, grabbed their trays, and stood up.

"Wyan, Neri, sit down," Baso ordered them with a pointed glance. "Last meal isn't over yet."

"He's not one of us," Kettplai Neri said plainly. "I will not subject myself to his corrosive presence."

"Chief, you can't be serious. Do you really expect us to eat with him?" Jecob Wyan argued more ferociously and pointed a fork across the table at Ben, disgust etched in his handsome features.

"Yes, I do," Baso said firmly. "Now sit down and let's have a civilized meal."

Wyan and Neri stood stiffly and Rey could feel their confusion when no one else raised similar concerns or tried to leave the table. She wondered what Baso was up to. The chief usually ignored Ben unless he was in the shipyard.

"What the hell is going on? This isn't like you, chief," Wyan muttered darkly. His eyes darted to everyone still seated before finally landing on Ben. He sucked in a sharp breath and tightened his grip on his food tray. "What did you do to them? Did you brainwash them to like you? Isn't it enough that you stole Rey away?" he asked in rising tones of panic.

Rey sighed in exasperation. She knew her relationship with Ben didn't make sense to her new family, but for them to keep thinking she was brainwashed was getting tiresome. However, she kept quiet; this wasn't her fight.

"Don't be ridiculous, Wyan!" Baso rolled her eyes. "He has the inhibitor cuffs on and can't do a damn thing."

"No, he did something!" Jecob insisted, growing agitated as no one leaped to defend him. The commotion was starting to garner attention from the other tables. "I know he did! Why else would you accept him?"

"Perhaps because he's done good work and kept his complaints to a minimum," Baso said drily as she dipped a strip of roasted bird into the mashed roots. "And his actions so far prove he has changed somewhat and is willing to make a life with the Resistance. Poe says we need him and I'm finally ready to believe that and have faith."

"Just like that? Because he won a shouting match with you?" Jecob narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "That doesn't strike you as odd?"

"Are you worried he will steal your job, Jecob?" A Nothoiin sitting next to Baso snarkily cut in.

"Among other things!" Jecob said petulantly. "Aren't you worried, Megyad?"

"Hardly," Megyad flipped her long braid of black hair behind her back and fixed a steely red-eyed gaze on him. "By all accounts, he's a great pilot and fighter, but he'd make a shit mechanic."

"I've done just fine," Ben finally spoke up, his eyes flashing balefully.

"You can do the basics, simple repairs and the like," Baso corrected him. "I suspect you wouldn't know how to reassemble a Troduk transistor or decouple a triple plasma manifold from a fuel injector."

Beside him, Rey could hear Ben gnashing his teeth.

"I wouldn't," Ben finally admitted after a few tense, silent seconds.

"See, Jecob? You have nothing to worry about," Megyad said through a mouthful of food. "Now sit down and eat before your food gets cold."

"You too, Kettplai," Baso directed.

Kettplai had been silent through Jecob's loud outbursts, choosing instead to listen and stare at Ben. Rey could almost hear her thoughts as she pondered what to do. The veteran pilot didn't hate Ben, per se, but she was cautious of him. She wavered between walking away and sitting down for long seconds. Rey hid a smile as Kettplai nodded and took a seat.

"I will stay since you asked it of me," she said gracefully.

Jecob huffed in disbelief and slammed his tray down. He muttered a few choice words under his breath and retook his seat across from Ben. He angrily shoved food into his mouth and chewed hurriedly, eager to get this over with. The table fell silent; only the clinking of utensils against plates broke the silence.

Rey shifted on the bench to press her leg against Ben. He was sitting stiffly and refusing to meet anyone's gaze, his emotions a swirl of disgruntlement and boredom. At her touch, he cast a sideways glance and smiled at her. A faint vibe of thanks came through their bond.

"Ben, where has Poe been assigning you besides my shipyard?" Baso asked point-blank.

Everyone at the table turned their eyes on Ben as they awaited his answer.

"The medical tent… and comms," Ben supplied shortly, using his fork to push around his food.

"Stupid fucking decision if you ask me," Jecob muttered to the person next to him.

"I heard we received a new batch of medical supplies today," Baso spoke a little louder.

Rey nudged Ben when it looked like he wasn't going to respond. Baso was trying to include him in the conversation. No matter how awkward it was, this was a chance for him to build a good relationship with the Resistance fighters.

"Yes," Ben poked holes in the mounds of mashed root vegetables on his plate. "Larma is well-equipped to take care of the base's medical needs."

"Which we'll probably need when you snap and try to kill us all," Jecob quietly added.

"I'll snap your neck right now if you like," Ben growled and raised his eyes to glare at the young mechanic.

"Not at my table," Baso cut them both off. "Save your aggression for the training fields."

"I doubt Poe will let me go there," Ben said.

"Really?" Megyad raised her head sharply to stare at him in confusion. "Aren't you going to be training Rey? Why else would Poe let you stay with us?"

"He's here to give us insider information on the First Order," Rey told them. A questioning emotion came from Ben. "I haven't raised the topic of my training with Poe yet."

Rey nudged Ben, sending a tacit apology through their bond. Ben's presence on this base would be two-fold, supplying crippling information on the First Order and training her in the Jedi arts. But it was going to be a long walk to convince Poe to let Ben handle any weapon, let alone a lightsaber. Her friend bristled every time she tried to raise the subject.

"I'm sure the general will see reason," Baso chuckled to herself and turned to a comms person at the other end of the table. "Tattara, one of the TX-7 battlecruisers in my shipyard is equipped with a new communications system I've never seen before. It's incompatible with the command center's systems."

"Mosla showed it to me today," Tattara nodded in acknowledgment. "All the new starship models are coming off the manufacturing line with those modifications. We'll need to update our comms system or find a way to link the two variations together."

Ben relaxed as the table's attention shifted away from him onto the Vratix. He finally started eating, but kept quiet and chewed his food mechanically. Rey sighed to herself. She guessed she could count the conversation as a win since it hadn't devolved into a total shitstorm.

When the topic turned to the First Order's communication capabilities, Ben turned into a wooden board again. Every line of his body screamed he didn't want to be sitting here. Rey clasped their hands together and gave a comforting smile when he raised his brown eyes to look at her. He'd faced down Snoke and Palpatine. He could survive a conversation with a few Resistance fighters.

"It used to be easy to hack into the First Order's communication systems. The TIE-fighters were their weakest points," Kettplai waved her fork emphatically. "It's only been within the last year we've had a harder time getting the information we need. It must be the security improvements the industry has made with the new starship models. Even Mosla is at a loss for what to do."

"It's not new tech, it's specialized old tech."

Even Rey was surprised by Ben's sudden input. Ben took another bite of his food, looking unaffected by their attention.

"What do you mean?" Kettplai broke the silence cautiously.

"The First Order implemented a more secure communications systems after we detected a possible mole. The comms system is routed through various hyperspace communication nodes throughout the sectors," Ben shrugged nonchalantly as if he wasn't relaying ground-breaking information. "The change was kept quiet and only select technicians and high-level officials know about it."

"Holy shit," Kettplai breathed in disbelief. "That's it. That's what we've been missing!"

"No wonder we couldn't detect their transmissions," Tattara's floppy antennae quivered with excitement. "They're routing them through a different source!"

"We have to tell Mosla," Kettplai shoved the remaining bits of food on her plate into her mouth.

She beckoned to Tattara to follow her as she sped to a few tables over where the Resistance comms commander was sitting with Poe, Finn, and Rose. Rey noticed that BB-8 had rolled away sometime during the last half-hour to join Poe. The droid was on the bench next to him and engaging in the conversation.

"Excuse me," Tattara gathered her tray items and rushed after the Nothoiin.

"This could really help us," Rey beamed at Ben. "Thank you."

"I'd forgotten about those changes until now," Ben ran a hand through his short hair. "We... they did it almost a year ago."

"How do we know he's telling the truth?" Jecob huffed in disbelief. "He could be leading us on a wild anooba chase."

"I don't have a reason to lie," Ben shot back. "The First Order won't take me back. They'd rather kill me."

"How do you know?" Rey asked in alarm. Surely even an evil organization had standards?

Ben smirked. "I didn't make any friends as Snoke's apprentice and I didn't fare any better as Supreme Leader. Even if I wanted to go back, I couldn't. Those bridges are truly burned."

Before Rey could pursue the topic further, there was a commotion from beyond the canteen. Every fighter in the canteen unholstered their weapons and parents shielded their children. Screams and shouts filled the air. Poe was assembling a team to go investigate when Captain Gser stumbled into the grassy area; her arms and hands were covered in dark red blood. Larma let out a petrified scream and rushed to her lover.

"Daria! Where are you hurt?" She ran her hands over the captain, uncaring of getting blood on herself.

"I'm fine, love," Daria said firmly though she clutched at Larma tightly. "It's not mine."

The captain walked to Poe and stood at attention.

"General, I… I regret to report that Anzen Tirel is dead."

Rey gasped. Anzen was dead?

"How?" Poe asked darkly.

"He took his own life with a knife when I brought him food. No one knows how he obtained the weapon. I searched him myself when I escorted him to the brig this morning," Daria took in a shaky breath. "Mixa and I tried to revive him, but..." She held out her blood-covered hands. "There's nothing we could have done."

"I want to speak with the guards who were on duty today," Poe demanded. "I want to know how this happened."

"We don't need an investigation! We already know what happened!" Jecob pointed an accusatory finger at Ben. There were some cheers of encouragement from a couple of Resistance fighters in the canteen. "Anzen tried to avenge our fallen comrades but failed, so Kylo Ren made him kill himself!"

"Krayt shit! How could I have done it?" Ben shoved the table as he stood up. It moved several inches directly into Jecob's gut and sent the other man into sputtering gasps of pain. "I'm surrounded by guards every second of every day! I can't even piss without one of them breathing down my neck!"

"He couldn't have done it, Jecob," Rey said soothingly, trying to diffuse the situation. "We need to focus on finding out how Anzen obtained the knife."

"He's the only one here whose loyalty is in question!" Jecob wheezed as he tried to get his breath back. "No one saw how Anzen got the knife. You Jedi can use your powers to control people's minds. He obviously slipped Anzen a knife and ordered him to use it after he left."

"Ben has inhibitor cuffs on," Baso calmly pointed out the flaw in his logic. "He can't use his abilities."

"Then they're not as fool-proof as we thought," Jecob charged on. He looked at the assembly of fighters and was bolstered by the sight of half of them nodding along with his argument. "I've been watching him since he got here and there have been many red flags. He was able to outrun Sertali, he made that pool of shit ripple this morning, and he's always silently communicating with Rey through their bond! If his abilities were truly locked away, he wouldn't have been able to do any of that!"

"If Rey says he didn't do it, I trust her judgment," Rose spoke up firmly.

"Well, I don't trust Rey!" Jecob snarled viciously. "She shows up out of the blue with Jedi abilities and a so-called defected stormtrooper in tow and we were supposed to accept she's on our side without question? And she just so happens to reform Kylo Ren, the Resistance's greatest enemy?"

Rey's jaw dropped at the sudden jibe at her. She hadn't done anything to warrant this level of mistrust. She'd thought she and Jecob were at least friendly acquaintances.

"Leave her out of this," Ben said slowly, his voice dropping an octave and taking on a dangerous timbre.

"Watch yourself, Jecob Wyan," Poe reached out to Finn reassuringly. "Rey and Finn are invaluable members of the Resistance and have proven their loyalties a thousand times over."

"But how do you explain her falling in love with Kylo Ren of all people? It doesn't make sense!" Jecob refused to back down. "He probably used some mind control voodoo on her when he captured her last year. She's been under his influence ever since!"

"Enough, Jecob!" Rey shouted. Energy tingled under her skin, begging to be used. She resisted the temptation to let loose as this wasn't the place to lose control. The last time she'd given in to the impulse, lightning had shot from her fingers. "My relationship with Ben is complicated and probably always will be, but I am in full control of myself! Get ahold of yourself and help us discover what happened to Anzen."

"You see?" Jecob looked to the nervous grouping of mechanics and comms people. "She defends him even after all he's done." He turned to face Ben fully. "Admit it! Admit you're controlling Rey and that you ordered Anzen to slit his own throat!"

A few of the younger Resistance fighters shouted in support of Jecob.

"I didn't do it," Ben said warningly as they targeted him.

Rey could feel a wealth of dark emotions swirling in him. A full blowout was imminent.

"Liar," Jecob spat. "I knew you would show your true colors eventually. With the blood of Darth Vader - one of the evilest Force users in history - running through your veins, it's no wonder your answer to every problem is murder. I'm just surprised it didn't happen sooner."

"My parents and uncle were as light as they come. My ancestry sure as hell doesn't define who I am," Ben stood tall and proud as he defended himself. Only Rey could feel his unstable mental state and see his discomfort in his stiff frame and clenched fists. "I'm not the only one here who has a contrary family line."

Rey's heart skipped a beat as she realized where he was going with this.

"Ben, wait," she pleaded.

Ben plowed on with impulsive words. "Rey is Palpatine's granddaughter and she fought with the Resistance to destroy him! If you're not going to judge her for that, you damn well shouldn't be looking down your noses at me!"

A heavy pit settled in Rey's stomach as stunned silence filled the canteen. Everyone turned to look at her in a mixture of fear, surprise, and budding anger. Having so many sets of eyes trained on her in such a manner made her skin crawl. How could Ben reveal her secret to the base so callously! She'd been grappling with how to tell Finn and Poe, let alone everyone else. She hadn't wanted them to find out this way. Rey's stomach shifted and she almost hurled her dinner onto the grass.

"Rey?" Poe asked faintly. "Is it true?"

Rey sobbed at the look of betrayal and fear in his eyes.

"Yes," she choked out, her throat tight.

A veritable explosion of shouting filled the air as everyone started talking at once. Rey tried to breathe deeply, but her lungs felt compressed. Poe, Finn, and Ben were suddenly in front of her. They looked extremely worried and their mouths were moving, but their words were nonsensical. An indistinct mental query came through the bond. Ben was trying to ask her what was wrong.

The iron grip the fear and anxiety had on her mind and lungs suddenly evaporated and anger took its place. He had no right to ask her that after what he'd just done! Sound came flooding back and Rey shoved Ben away.

"Don't touch me!" Rey spat at him. "Don't ever talk to me again!"

She turned tail and fled. She had run past the med tents and the food supply store when she was jerked to a halt by someone's firm grip on her arm. She turned and glared up at her captor.

"Rey, what's wrong?" Ben's brow was furrowed in confusion. He honestly had no idea why she was upset.

"What's wrong?" Rey laughed, but there was no joy in it. "You just told the base I'm Palpatine's granddaughter."

"You are."

"I haven't told anyone yet, you asshole!" Rey screamed at him.

Understanding dawned on Ben's face and he grew pale. "Oh."

"Yes, and now I have to figure out what to do. So leave me alone."

"Rey!"

Poe and Finn raced to catch up with them. Ben's guards were following close behind. Captain Ivin's hands and face were still speckled with red droplets from helping Daria try to save Anzen.

"Are you alright?" Finn asked as he engulfed Rey in a warm embrace.

"No," Rey sobbed as she clutched tight at him.

She couldn't help herself from delving into his mind to catch his surface thoughts. She'd promised herself never to invade her friends' privacy this way, but she had to know what Finn thought of her now. She couldn't tell if he was shocked at the revelation, but his faith in her was unwavering as always. She sighed in relief. She couldn't bear to lose her first real friend because she happened to be related to a vengeful psychopath.

"Ben, what were you thinking, saying that to make a point?" Poe hissed.

"I didn't think-"

"No, you didn't think! You never do!" Poe let out a frustrated noise. "That's the problem."

"Come on, Ben," Aarzio said stiffly as he tugged Ben toward the field of tents. "Let's give them some privacy."

"But-"

"Let's go," Ivin said definitively, grabbing Ben's other arm.

Rey watched them drag Ben away, feeling guilty yet grateful for each step he took from her. Sertali gave her a respectful nod before bounding after the men.

"Come on, let's go to the command center," Poe patted her shoulder.

Finn released her from his bear hug and the three of them walked to the huge tent. The scattered pieces of the ZT-120 navigation droid were still on the table. Poe sat her down in one of the comfy chairs and Finn brought her a cup of Deychin tea. Its floral scent soothed her frayed nerves and brought back fond memories of sharing the beverage with Leia.

"I didn't want you guys to find out I'm Palpatine's granddaughter like this," Rey said as tears stung her eyes but didn't fall.

"When did you find out you were related to him?" Finn asked.

"Only a week ago. Ben told me," Rey tried to drink her tea, but her hands were shaking too badly.

Finn's hands steadied her grip on the hot mug and she smiled at him gratefully. She took a sip of the floral brew; the warm drink spread through her icy veins and she felt better.

"It's so out there, I almost can't believe it," Poe shook his head. "How are you holding up?"

"I haven't had a chance to come to terms with it," Rey said. "I've been trying to find the right way to tell you two. That's why I didn't say anything sooner."

"You don't have to explain yourself to us," Poe assured her.

"I... I didn't want you to look at me differently," Rey reluctantly admitted.

"You're Rey to us," Finn said firmly. "And besides, we'd all be hypocritical if we judged each other based on our family and where we came from."

Rey gave a wet chuckle and wiped a tear away.

"You're our friend," Poe said simply, folding her hand in his. "We'll stand by you no matter what."

"I don't know if a standard friendship covers this," Rey smiled.

"No matter what," Finn reiterated firmly.

"You're both amazing," Rey beamed at them. "How can you be so calm?"

"I'm not going to lie," Poe said. "This is pretty shocking news, but we're going to get through this, together."

Finn glanced to the side for a moment, but Rey caught the movement.

"Finn?" Rey asked. She perceived a flash of guilt from him before it vanished.

"I... I kind of already knew," Finn admitted.

"What?" Poe asked, dumbfounded. Rey privately echoed his sentiment.

"Leia and I found out a few months ago during one of our joint meditation sessions," Finn said. "We shared a vision of you battling a dark force. We couldn't see its face, but she knew it was Palpatine; she recognized his life signature energy. It was then that we realized how familiar it felt to your own."

"Leia knew... and she still trained me?" A ray of hope burgeoned in her, but it was slightly dampened by a shadow of doubt. "But why didn't she tell me my grandfather was the emperor? Why didn't you?"

"She cared about you and wanted to help fulfill your potential," Finn said. "In that vision, Leia and I foresaw you knew about your relation to Palpatine... and you lost the final battle at Exogol. She made me promise not to tell you, to give you the best chance to defeat him."

"But I found out before going to face Palpatine," Rey protested; she set down the mug of tea that was starting to burn her hands. "And I won the battle."

"The only conclusion I've been able to come to is you won because you didn't face him alone," Finn shrugged. "You had Ben to help you."

"I guess," Rey shrugged. She didn't want to talk about Ben. She was still so angry with him.

"Huh, today has been crazy, hasn't it?" Poe rubbed his eyes with a long-suffering sigh. "The latrine fiasco this morning, the battle, and now all of this. I don't know how Leia handled it."

"She didn't do it by herself," Finn bumped his shoulder playfully. "And you don't have to either. You have us."

"Thank fuck for that," Poe grinned.

"So how are we going to tell everyone about my lineage?" Rey asked. "We won't be able to bury it."

"No, we won't. People will talk," Poe nodded in agreement. "Once I receive word the battle is over, I'll contact the other generals and tell them. We'll be able to control the fallout and put rumors of your disloyalty to rest. Everyone in Resistance knows and respects you. They won't turn from you for this."

"Don't let Jecob's harsh words get you down," Finn tapped his fingers on the table. "He likes you. He's just angry."

"I hope you're right," Rey said dejectedly.

Fear raced through her veins at the thought the three bases would cast her out for something she couldn't control. It was completely irrational, but she couldn't help it.

Finn and Poe each clutched one of her hands firmly.

"Everything will be fine, Rey," Finn locked eyes with her. "I promise."

"Thank you," Rey whispered.

She was so grateful for her friends' support. She knew she would be falling apart right now without their unwavering friendship.

A mental probe reached through the dyad bond, tingling in the back of her mind. Ben was lingering and wondering if she was okay. Rey pushed him out, not ready to talk with him. She didn't think she could ever forgive him for this.

---

A/N: And so the plot thickens! With angry Resistance fighters inflaming tensions, assassination attempts, and accidental sharing of secrets, will Ben and Rey's budding relationship survive?