Rey followed Poe absently through the crowds milling around the port as they made their way back to the Millenium Falcon. Her mind churned with the things Selvor Noon had told them. What was Be- he doing? What did he hope to gain? Followers? But these people had little power, on a galactic scale. The First Order had the support of the powerful people they had made wealthy. Why alienate them for the sake of a planet full of miners?

She heard Leia's voice in her mind, "Good people can do bad things . . . and vice versa."

Was this a good thing? All those people dead. . . Surely, some of them were innocent.

Rey imagined Selvor Noon's granda, beaten to death in a pitch black tunnel because she was too old to meet quota. Many innocent people had died for this place, Rey felt that in her bones. But-

Poe stopped abruptly and she paused just fast enough to avoid running into him. He glanced back at her and smiled, "You haven't said much," he offered.

"I don't know what to make of all of it," Rey admitted.

He nodded and started to walk again, falling into step beside her, "Yeah, Kylo Ren never struck me as a freedom fighter."

The young woman nodded, her eyes catching on the sight of the Falcon, "I wish we had something more to bring back to the general. Nothing we've learned makes any sense."

He made an indelicate sound, his voice dripping sarcasm, "The Grey Empire- how may empires does the galaxy need?" and tapped his com, "Chewy, we're back. Could you open the door, please?"

The hold doors lowered with a hiss and they climbed aboard. The door was just shutting behind them when Rose came around the bend in the corridor, "There you are! What took you so long?".

"The line for interviews was-"

"Never mind that now!" Rose interrupted, "There's been a message from the general!"

Rey and Poe exchanged a look, their steps quickening toward the cockpit.

"What did she say?" Rey asked.

"I didn't watch it," Rose answered over her shoulder.

"Why not?"

"It's not marked for me. She sent it to you and Poe."

The pilot smiled, "You're a good lieutenant, Rose."

She blinked and then beamed in pleasure, "Thank you, Commander."

While Rey agreed that Rose was a fine officer, she could have done with a little less suspense. A cold sweat had broken out across the back of her neck and she could hear the force whispering, always whispering. Something had happened. Something significant.

Finally, they reached the cockpit and Chewy greeted them loudly. Rey smiled and offered the wookie a conciliatory pat on the shoulder, "I know," She answered his complaint, "The lines were long. Can we see Leia's message, please?"

Rose turned to go and Rey reached out to stop her, "It's fine. Please, stay,".

She was rewarded by the other girls shy smile and nod of agreement. They all turned to the small screen in the dash. The general's face appeared, large in the limited frame of the screen. This close Rey could see how tired and drawn the general looked. It had not been that long since she had been seriously injured, the girl remembered. She should be resting and healing not beating her body into a ruin to keep the resistance going. Again, Rey felt her own inadequacies. She should be doing more to take the burden from Leia. But she had been so caught up trying to close the bond. . .

The general spoke, her voice steady but grave, "I can't be sure when this message will reach you but I send it in the hopes you will see it in time. We've had a communication from," she gave the tiniest of pauses, "the Gray Emperor. He wishes to parlay. He has offered us a meeting to deal peace at a place of our choosing in ten days. I've chosen the old Jedi ruins on Ilum. The Emperor has agreed to meet me with only two attendants, if I will make the same promise," She seemed to look right at Rey, "Rey, he's requested you specifically," The general glanced down, "I'm sorry to ask this of you but I need more information and if this is a trap, you are the only person I know who is a match for him. Poe, I'd like you to stand with me as well," Her eyes steady and grave, seemed to met theirs from across light years, "Get to Ilum as soon as you can. I'll be there."