Thank you all for reading. :-)

XXXXXX

"Don't you mean your end?"

Rey's voice was losing the confidence it had held when she had started her conversation with Kylo Ren, and Poe squeezed her hand gently, trying to offer her support without distracting her.

Rey's attention sharpened as she listened to what Ren was saying, and Poe wished he could hear the other side of the conversation. She tilted her head curiously, and he could tell her thoughts were racing as she replied to whatever Ren had said.

"Knights?" she said. "The Knights of Ren? They are who have been in charge of Exegol while you toy with the galaxy?"

Poe had a feeling she was speaking out loud what she was hearing intentionally, so that he and the others could keep up.

"I thought they, and you, were Snoke's creations. So, this fleet must have been Snoke's idea."

Her chin rose at Ren's response, her eyes hard, but then her lips quirked in a small smile. "So, you trust them with your life?" she asked. "Even if one of them is keeping a secret from you?"

"Rey." Luke's voice was low. A warning.

Rey's smile widened. "Watch your back… cousin."

She brought up her hand, waving it slightly in front of her, then closed her eyes and shuddered. Her shoulders sank and she looked weary. "It's getting harder to close off from him," she explained. "He's learning."

"Sowing distrust in the ranks, I see," Luke said wryly.

Rey opened her eyes and looked at him. "Whatever works," she shrugged. "We are so outnumbered. We need all the advantage we can get."

"I don't understand," Poe said. Why had Rey made Ren believe he couldn't trust his Knights?

Rey turned to him. "My mother is one of his Knights," she told him softly. "Or was. If she's still alive."

Poe nodded. For some reason, this bit of news didn't surprise him. "If she's one of the Knights, but Snoke and Ren and the others didn't know about you…"

"She was protecting Rey," Luke confirmed. "Most likely she's protecting herself now, by not saying anything, but either way, that's a big secret to keep from her superiors."

"Giving away your relationship to Ben will really throw him into turmoil. He'll know that's the secret you spoke of," Leia remarked. "Are there any other women Knights?"

Luke looked at his sister with wide eyes. "I don't know. Not many, if there are."

Suddenly, Rey looked scared. "Did I just give her up, then?" she worried. "What if I put her life in danger?"

"Rey," Poe said, squeezing her hand once more. "Her life has been in danger since she became a Knight."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts, and Poe was the first one to break the silence. "Let's see what Rose and the others have found."

As a group, the four of them turned back toward the camp, making their way to Command. Rose and a couple of her top mechanics were focused on the computers in front of them. R2-D2 was still connected to the main system, observing them quietly. He turned his head and gave a short beep of welcome while BB-8 rolled up to inspect the screen next to the larger droid. Poe couldn't help but smile at his ultra-curious partner.

Rose also looked up, motioning for both Leia and Poe to move next to her. As they did so, Poe took note of the image on the screen in front of their head mech. It was a detailed blueprint of one of the Star Destroyers he had seen at Exegol.

"How did you get that?" he asked, astonished.

"I made it," Rose told him, smirking a bit. "It's a program I designed, that can create a physical profile of a ship or weapon with whatever information I can input into it." She shrugged. "Obviously, this isn't perfect, but it gives us a pretty clear idea what we're dealing with."

"So, nothing we've seen before?" Leia asked.

Rose shook her head. "Nope. It's evident that these ships and the TIEs that attacked Poe are different designs than what the First Order has currently." She cocked her head thoughtfully. "Which makes sense when you know they were hidden and kept secret."

Poe focused on the odd protrusion coming from the ventral side of the ship. "What is that?" he demanded. "A canon of some sort?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, it's a weapon. A powerful weapon. The readings R2 got show a large area surrounding it, indicating the power supply is as large or larger than the hyperdrive." She looked at Poe anxiously. "We're talking something that can take out a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. Possibly even a small planetoid."

"Great," Poe muttered, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"But they're not active, yet?" Leia pushed.

"They look complete," Rose answered. "They could go on-line at any time."

"So, we need to get to them and destroy them before they can become a danger," Luke said softly.

"With our 'tiny little fleet'," Rey added.

Poe looked at her questioningly.

"That's the phrase Ren used," she told him. "I don't think he's aware how much we've grown since Crait."

"We've also been establishing enough connections through the galaxy that if we call for help this time, I'm sure we'll get it," Poe added. He wanted to be positive, but he knew how much the lack of assistance they got after calling for aid on Crait had affected him mentally. Leia, too, he thought as he glanced at her, noticing her serious expression.

"Let's start putting the word out to those contacts, now," Leia said softly. "We need them to know about this threat. If those ships successfully come on-line and leave Exegol's atmosphere," she paused, shaking her head. "I'm not going to say we're done for, but I will concede that it will be a very long time before we can ever hope to defeat them." She looked at everyone around her, focusing on Poe last. "And who knows how many millions will die in the meantime."

Poe nodded. "I'll get Snap and the others on it," he told her. Every one of his pilots had created a network of connections on various worlds, people who were ready and willing to fight when needed. "And Threepio can send out coded signals to his spy crew. A lot of those droids are programed to issue warnings and information among militias and planetary defense organizations."

Leia nodded appreciatively. Those programs had been Poe's idea, and now they would be able to test them. She looked up and around her, and Poe also took note that the light was dimming. How had sunset arrived so quickly? Hadn't he landed this morning?

"Commander, I want you to get started on that. Rey, I don't think I have to tell you to take some time to familiarized yourself with your new weapon. Rose, please keep up with your analysis of those Star Destroyers, and look for any and all weaknesses." She turned toward several of the others who had gathered around curiously. "I want patrols of the system increased. While I believe the Commander made it back without being followed, I'm sure the First Order has upped their own searches since their secret got out. I don't want any surprise visitors." She nodded, her expression fatigued but determined.

"We're on it!" Poe said, clapping his hands and looking about him. Everyone took his cue and headed to their respective positions. Poe then looked at Han, hoping the older pilot could read his expression as Poe glanced at Leia, then back at him.

Han nodded in understanding. He stepped forward to stand behind his wife and place his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Leia turned to him, breathing out an exhausted sounding sigh and nodding. Han led her away toward their quarters in the back of the cave Leia used as an office. Once there, Poe hoped he would insist Leia call it a night; her team could handle things until morning. He glanced at Rey, who was watching him with a soft smile on her face.

"What?"

"You're always taking care of everybody, aren't you?" she answered softly. "Who takes care of you?"

He smirked and leaned in. "You will, as soon as we're both done for the night," he whispered, winking at her. "Now, before I get started on this, tell me about your mother."

XXXXXX

It was well after midnight when Rey finally made her way home to sleep. She was both physically and mentally tired, her 'talk' with Kylo Ren earlier in the day still wearing on her mind and her body aching from her intense practice session with her new lightsaber. While the discussion with her cousin still disturbed her, the saber training had pleased her to no end. The blade was indeed perfect for her, the feel and weight of it comfortable and familiar, despite it being brand new. Once she arrived at her and Poe's little sanctuary, exhaustion filled her, and she fell into a deep slumber as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She woke briefly when Poe joined her, turning to face him and move into his embrace, as had become the norm, falling right back to sleep. She wasn't sure how long she slept before a voice caught her attention.

"Rey?"

She fought it for a moment. She didn't want to wake, yet. She was still so tired.

But the voice was insistent. And familiar.

"Rey?"

She opened her eyes, shocked to find herself standing in an unfamiliar room. She looked about her, trying to determine if this was a dream or a vision. The room was spacious, with a large work table in the center. In one corner was a small bed and what looked like a kitchenette of some sort in the other. The walls were dark, and the lights dim, although there was a large light above the worktable that was currently turned off.

"Rey?" the voice said again, and Rey recognized it, though she hadn't heard it since she was a small child.

"Mama?" she whispered.

She turned as she sensed someone's presence behind her, but the woman that stood there was very different from the one from her memory.

Mara Jade stood just inside the doorway. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun, making her already serious expression even more severe. She wore a black tunic, black trousers and boots, and a black hilted lightsaber on her hip. Her face looked older than it should after fifteen years, and her hazel eyes were dull and expressionless. However, a spark of excitement seemed to flash in her gaze as Rey looked her way.

She smiled slightly. "I've tried many times to connect with you through the years," she said. "But I just wasn't strong enough." She paused. "Your strength, however, is more than adequate for the job." She tilted her head. "You're with your father, I assume?"

Rey nodded, a bit stunned that she was actually talking to her mother after all these years. It was different than how she was able to talk to Ben; she wasn't able to see his surroundings, yet he was as clear as if he actually stood in front of her. This meeting, however, was different. While she was able to see the room Mara must be in, everything was slightly foggy, almost ethereal, as if it was a dream.

Her mother took a deep breath and stepped a bit closer. "I had every intention of coming back for you, Rey," she said, her expression intense. "And when I knew that wasn't going to be possible, that there was no way to escape the Knights, I tried to contact your father to let him know where you were. But I was watched, constantly. We all were." She paused, then shook her head in wonder. "How did he find you?"

Rey licked her lips. "He didn't," she said softly. "I found him."

Mara's brow furrowed, her expression encouraging Rey to explain.

"I was recruited on Jakku, almost two years ago," Rey continued. She smiled as she remembered the day Poe found her. "To be a pilot in the Resistance."

"By Leia?"

Rey shook her head. "By her protégé, Poe Dameron."

"The man who found us?"

Rey tilted her head. "So, you're on Exegol?"

Mara nodded. "This is my home, such as it is," she said, gesturing around the room. "It has been since I left you." She walked over to the work table and leaned her hip against it, looking down. "We leave from time to time to run 'errands' for Snoke, now Kylo, but we always return to this place." She looked back up at Rey, her eyes once more dull and her expression dour. "It sucks the life out of you, this place.

"Kylo says he's been communicating with you. That you hinted one of his Knights couldn't be trusted. And that you called him cousin."

"I was trying to get a rise out of him," Rey responded. "I hope I didn't get you into trouble."

Mara smiled at that. "I honestly don't think he connected the two comments. He was so disturbed by the second one that the first one didn't even phase him."

"He was upset that I called him my cousin?" Rey asked.

"He's been obsessed with you for a long time, Rey," Mara told her. "As was Snoke. He was convinced you and Ben were a Dyad, and that meant you belonged to Ben." She smirked. "He doesn't want to be related to you."

Rey huffed a laugh. "Well, it wouldn't matter if he wasn't," she said with a smile of her own. "I've already found my other half of that equation."

Mara tilted her head questioningly. "Let me guess," she remarked. "A pilot?"

"Worse," Rey said. "My Commanding Officer."

Mara laughed. "This Dameron that recruited you?"

Rey nodded. "Yes."

"That's really going to piss off Kylo."

"Good."

Mara's smile faded as she turned serious once again. "Rey, the Star Destroyers. They're almost ready. They could go on-line in a few weeks or a day, I don't know for sure. What I do know is that until they do, they are vulnerable."

"No shields."

"Yes," Mara nodded. "And the area behind the ventral cannons, where the generators are that supply that excessive firepower, are the place you need to target. Aiming for that area will destroy the whole ship. But if the shields go up, that will be impossible."

Rey thought back to the blueprints Rose had made, trying to envision the area in her mind. "What else do we have to look forward to at Exegol?" she asked, realizing as she did so how much faith she was putting into this woman. A Knight of Ren. A Dark Side user.

"Well, the squadron of TIEs was small, and your pilot destroyed almost half of them," Mara said with another smirk. "But that means Kylo is sending First Order ships to help defend us. Three Destroyers and several squadrons of TIEs." She shrugged. "There are six Knights currently here at the Temple, including myself. We are all Force users, though our abilities are next to nothing compared to Kylo… and you."

"I'm assuming he's coming with his ships?"

Mara nodded. "Of course."

Rey took a deep breath. "And whose side will you choose once this battle commences?"

Mara cocked her head, her eyebrows high. "I think I've already given you the answer to that question. If the Supreme Leader finds out about this little convo, I won't live long enough to leave this cursed planet."

XXXXXX