Archive of Our Own

The alarms were blaring and the red lights were on, causing everyone to bring their hands to cover their ears, waiting for the ringing to stop. A small group of people were gathered around a small doorway, looking inside to see the source of the problem. Inside was a table that was sitting on an angle, with cuffs that would be used to hold a person's hands and feet. The only problem: it was empty. The room was slashed and large piles of debris lay scattered along the floor. The terror was evident on the people's faces as they began to realize what had happened. She was gone. She had escaped and he was  not  happy about it. 

As if on cue, he turned the corner of the hallway, coming towards the group of people. His lightsaber wielded, causing even more red to contrast to his pale skin and black clothes. Kylo's helmet was gone, revealing his long scar and his cape was flowing behind him. The group began to disperse, hoping to be ignored by the angry, temperamental man coming down the hallway. Thankfully for them, he stormed right past them, entering the door across the hall. Or, to put it more accurately, destroying the door to the room across the hall. Kylo's face was scrunched up in anger, causing the scar to be even more intimidating than it should have been. General Hux turned towards the direction of the sound, finding himself looking up slightly to meet Kylo's face. The red glow of the saber met with the bottom of Hux's chin to cause an eerie glow on the rest of his face. 

He was fairly good at masking his fear, but Kylo knew how Hux was feeling. He, just like everyone else aboard this ship, was terrified of seeing him angry. This, however, was pushing him over the edge. She wasn't supposed to leave. She was here, and he had her in his hand. He was so close to finding it out. To figuring her out. She couldn't just...  be gone...  Kylo's eyes flashed with sadness before quickly switching back to anger. Kylo took a step back to properly examine Hux in front of him. He was standing with his hands interlocked behind his back, his spine straight. 

Kylo brought his focus back to the saber in his hands, keeping his eyes on Hux, though. It was still glowing, and he found himself getting quite angry with the fact that he had wasted so much time stabbing and slashing instead of just simply coming here to demand the answer out of the one responsible. However, given the anger he felt - and was still feeling - it would have been entirely probable that he would have stabbed Hux. Or maybe even slashed him in half. Taking a shaky breath, he brought his thumb to the activation switch, feeling the saber retract in on itself. Swiftly clicking the handle into his belt, he narrowed his eyes on Hux.

"Yes?" he asked, seemingly nonchalant, causing Kylo's anger to peak, yet again. 

"Where is she?" Kylo got out through gritted teeth. "You were supposed to be watching her." Hux grimaced, knowing where this was going to go.

"Who?" Kylo's hand went to his belt, resting on the saber for a split second before simply clenching his fist.

"You know who I'm talking about," he said. 

Hux took a breath in before saying, "I was needed elsewhere." Feeling the urge to stab and slash once again, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, finding his way to Snoke's throne-room. Passing people through the hallway, he realized the alarm had stopped blaring. He had been so angry he didn't even notice. The hallways, however, were still brightly lit in a reddish hue. The people made a pathway upon seeing the glare on Kylo's face. He wished he could wipe the anger from his mind, but he couldn't help himself. She was supposed to stay here. She was going to like it, and she would join him. Why would she leave?  Rey...

Kylo stopped in front of a large door. It was relatively simple: just a black door with a lock. He grumbled underneath his breath, anger being matched with fear. He was upset enough as is, but his motives with Rey had been different than the motives Snoke had with her. Snoke… he had wanted her dead. He couldn't stand to have a Force user that strong on the other side. Kylo was different. He wouldn't hurt her. He found her fascinating. The reasons she has for using the Force were nothing like he had ever seen. Not to mention the tons of untouched power that she didn't even realize she had. If only she had stayed, he could have convinced her to join him. To overrule Snoke and take over the First Order. Together. If Snoke found out that he hadn't killed her when he had the chance... Kylo shook his head, waiting for the Supreme Leader to open the door. 

The doors slid open, revealing a large room. Eight people stood with their weapons ready to fight, four on either side of a large throne in the center of the room. Snoke was sitting on the throne, resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes narrowing as Kylo walked in, as if he already knew what had happened. Kylo wouldn't be surprised if Snoke did know, but he hoped that the punishment wouldn't be too great. He put a section of his mind to work, blocking out Snoke. He didn't want him to know his plans with Rey. If he found out, he'd kill her himself. 

"The alarms were going off for a reason, Ren. I expect you to explain to me why," he said, his voice like ice, sending shivers down Kylo's back. Kylo nodded and took a subtle step back, trying to distance himself from the Supreme Leader. 

"The girl. She's escaped her restraints," he said, plain and simple. He didn't enjoy using the word 'escaped'. He didn't want to imagine that she escaped from the First Order. She left. Snoke remained indifferent, causing Kylo's palms to start sweating. 

"We've had people escape restraints before, Ren," he hissed, bringing his hand up, gesturing towards himself. Kylo knew what that meant, and wasn't all too surprised when he felt his feet start sliding across the floor towards the throne. " It's never caused alarms before." Kylo grimaced, feeling the energy emanating off of the being in front of him. It took all of his willpower to continue focusing on the mental barrier, so he remained silent, allowing Snoke to continue. "I believe you've yet to master your true gifts. Putting this much Force in such a spoiled child was a waste of power." Kylo ground his teeth, waiting for it to be over. 

"The alarms were my fault; I apologize," he said, bowing his head to show respect. Snoke made a sound resembling that of disgust before sending Kylo flying across the room, laying on his side on the floor, his back against the door. 

"Find her. Find the girl and kill her."

Kylo took off his belt, setting it carefully on the side table next to his bed. Only a few people on the Starkiller were allowed real rooms: Hux, Phasma, and Kylo. Everyone else was stuck with whatever they were unfortunate enough to receive. He collapsed on the bed in relief. He was being given another chance to find her. He wasn't going to mess it up this time. This time, she was going to join him. He looked up at the ceiling of his room, thinking about what the new First Order would look like with Rey at his side. They'd control the galaxy. He sat up with a slight smile on his face. With Rey on his arm, he'd finally kill Snoke.

All of a sudden, his surroundings changed. The darkness of his room was replaced with a certain brightness. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was, or where his mind was. There was a large window in front of him. No, it was different. He was on a ship. The brightness was stars. he remembered this ship. The way he was positioned now was the same way he had sat as a child. He knew where he was. His mind was in the Millennium Falcon. He waited for the sound of Han Solo's voice, so he remained staring out the front window. However, when someone finally said something, he was somewhat surprised to hear the voice of a female. One that he recognized.

"Why?" she asked simply. Kylo looked over at her, noticing a certain beauty in her face with the stars shining on her. Her eyes were bright and her lips were drawn in a tight smile. He kept his face neutral. 

"Why what?" he responded. He was in her mind at this point. He knew what she meant, he just wanted to keep her talking so he could try and determine a location. Rey scoffed. 

"You realize that I'm in your head just as much as you're in mine, right?" He felt a slight blush rise on his cheeks. Part of him wondered if she heard what he thought earlier, but thankfully, she continued before he could avoid the subject himself. "And why must you show up now? I left only a little bit ago." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in a defiant gesture, pushing himself into the back of the seat. 

"It's not like I wanted to be here. I was told to find you. I was focused on where you could be, and here you are," he responded, deciding to leave out what he was really thinking about. She nodded slowly, knowing he was leaving something out, but there was a more important topic she needed answers to. 

"Were you going to kill me there?" Kylo closed his eyes, taking a quiet breath before responding.

"Those were my orders," he said, hoping that she would just land already so he'd know where to go. 

"I won't land while you're in my head. Just answer my question, Ben. Were you going to kill me?" Kylo tensed at the sound of his real name coming out her mouth. He wasn't used to hearing it, but at the same time, he didn't want to hear her call him 'Kylo Ren'. He shook his head, seeing her breathe out a sigh of relief.  Why not?  he heard her wonder. He smirked and looked forward once again, realizing that he may have been looking at her for too long.

"Why would I kill you?" he inquired, waiting to hear her answer.

"Why wouldn't you? From what I've heard, you kill anyone and everyone that gets in your way," she said, accusation obvious in her tone as she turned to look at him. He flinched under her stare, knowing that she was talking about his ordeal with Luke. He wasn't in the mood to explain everything to her... yet. Right now was for something else. 

"Rey," he started, watching her fists clench, wishing he knew if it was from anger or for something else, "I won't kill you. I don't  want  to kill you. But Snoke... he does. He sees you as a threat, and he doesn't want you to ruin what he's planning. I have different ideas for you." Her eyes widened as she glanced out the window. 

"What kind of ideas?" she asked, sounding nervous. He chuckled. 

"Nothing terrible. I just don't want you dead, Rey." Her eyes became determined. 

"I have plans of my own, Ben. They involve taking down the First Order. And as an answer to your question from earlier, yes. I did hear your comment on my beautiful bright eyes." Kylo opened his mouth to talk, but the ship was gone before he could say anything. He was back in his room, sitting on his bed, with his saber on the table next to him. He clenched his fist and slammed it into the bed. Taking a breath in, he thought about the stars he saw before he left. His eyes widened. He knew those stars. Han Solo had taught him how to read stars when he was younger. Rey was heading back to Jakku.

Why would she be going back to Jakku? She had a place to stay on D'Qar with Leia, who no doubt treated her wonderfully. A tinge of jealousy sparked within him as he thought about Leia and Rey, but he took a breath and continued. He focused his mind, trying to get in touch with Rey again, but all he could feel was a mental block. Part of him was frustrated that she had blocked him out of her mind, though he did understand why. He had kidnapped her. He had taken her away from the people she felt comfortable with and taken her to a place that was full of people she had been trying to defeat under the impression that Kylo would kill her. He was a monster in her eyes. Kylo stood, clipping the belt back around his waist, determined to change the way she saw him. He walked over to his door, deciding it was best to put up the mental block just in case Snoke chose to poke around his mind and walked out.

A frown became plastered to his face as he saw Hux walking around the ship. Kylo had words for that man. It was his fault Rey was gone. If it wasn't for him, Kylo might have been able to convince Rey to join him, but now she was on a different planet. Kylo let out a low growl before continuing on towards the training facility. He was looking for something specific. He needed to get to Jakku to find Rey away from the First Order: away from  Supreme Leader  Snoke. No one could know where he was or where he was going-

"What are you doing, sir?" a voice said from behind him, startling him out of his thoughts. Turning on his heel, feeling his cloak wrapped around his feet, he met the eyes of Captain Phasma's silver helmet. He let out a small huff of annoyance. 

"I was looking for you," he said, partially not sure what he was going to say to cover up the true reason he was in the launch bay. At the tilt of Phasma's head, he continued. "You were assigned to be watching the girl alongside the General. She's escaped." Phasma remained unchanged in her posture, so Kylo did his best to match her, standing a couple inches above her. 

"I was never made aware of my duty to watch over the girl. My apologies, sir," she said, bowing her head to Kylo the way he had done to Snoke. "It won't happen again." Kylo nodded and glanced around, trying to find an escape route. 

"Go now. Start your rounds of the troopers" She nodded and swiftly turned to leave. Kylo made sure to see her leave before boarding the ship closest to him: a simple scout vessel. He groaned slightly, not sure he completely knew how to fly one of these ships, but he didn't want to risk being seen by any of the Stormtroopers, so he stayed inside, scanning the buttons and levers on the control panel. Climbing into the pilot's seat, he felt an instinctual tug towards one of the buttons towards the left side of the control panel. Not thinking twice about it, he pressed it, seeing the lights of the ship light up.  Thanks, Han,  he thought, almost sarcastically. Taking a firm grip on the lever closest to him, he pushed it forward, feeling his sense of gravity shift as the vessel began to take off. The gates opened as the ship approached and he pushed further on the lever.

All he wanted was to find Jakku.

Just follow the stars.

He hated this planet. The planet of dirt and dust. Desperate scavengers trying to survive in a barren wasteland. Kylo hated that Rey had to survive here for so long on her own, but there was nothing he could do to change that. She was strong. She'd made a name for herself and gotten the attention of Snoke, the being that wished her dead. Kylo didn't care how much he hated Jakku. The desire he felt towards getting her to join him was too great. He needed to find the Millennium Falcon, and with it, Rey. 

Making a few rounds around the market places, he noticed the Falcon a little bit away, on the ground, the ramp already out, meaning Rey was either still on the planet, or she had boarded a new ship. He felt a small smirk rest on his face as he approached Han's old ship. He remembered being taught how to fly the Falcon. He knew which compartments were busted and needed a good punch to be opened. He knew where every bed was and he knew all the best hiding spots. Kylo had spent hours inside that ship, back when he was still Ben Solo. He was a different person now. Now, he knew who his family was. He knew his potential and he was ready to rule a galaxy. Kylo would be the king. He just needed to find his queen. 

He landed the scout vessel and quickly made his way out of the dilapidated ship. He felt the heat immediately, a sweep of dry, hot air that overcame him as soon as the doors opened to Jakku. He let out a breath and closed the doors again, opting to stay inside the ship to avoid the torment of the sun. He looked around the ship, not sure how he was going to proceed. He had gotten quite used to the coolness of the interior of the ship, his body wasn't ready for the heat of the outside planet. Looking down at his black clothes and saber, he sighed heavily, realizing that it may be in his best interests to change his clothes. Cracking his neck he began looking around in the compartments for any extra sets of clothes. 

Kylo tossed his findings in a pile on the floor, seeing about two to three first-aid sets and any materials that could be used to fix a ship, but he didn't see any clothes. He groaned and slammed his palm against the wall next to one of the many nooks of the ship, hearing a loud muffled thud, but it echoed more than it should have with any other section of the wall. He looked at the section of the wall that he hit, seeing a faint crack that formed a square around the size of a compartment. He brought his head up to look at the ceiling before punching out the cover of the alcove. 

Looking inside the hidden space, he found a set of clothes, causing him to chuckle in relief. Taking the clothes out, he didn't think twice before changing into them, thankful to be wearing anything but his stuffy clothes in what will be the blistering heat of the desert planet. Part of his brain stayed focused on the dread that he would feel if Rey dropped in on his mind in the middle of him changing, but he decided it would be better if he just didn't think about her at all. Looking down at the finished outfit, he felt a tinge of disgust. He was wearing the clothes of a scavenger. A dirty tattered tan shirt that didn't cover much due to all the holes and some knee-length black pants. At least now he understood why the clothes were hidden away. He wished he could find and speak to Rey in something a bit better looking than what he was currently wearing, but he realized he didn't really have a choice.

Kylo took a glance at his saber and realized that he wouldn't be able to wear the belt without drawing attention to it, and therefore himself. He had to find a different weapon while simultaneously keeping the saber safe from the thieves that called themselves scavengers. He took the saber off the belt and hooked it up to the belt he was currently wearing and swiftly making his way out of the scout vessel. Feeling the heat of his back, he rushed towards the Falcon, hoping to find one of Han's hidden blasters. He hopped onto the ramp, making his way onto the ship. 

The air changed immediately. Shivers crept up Kylo's back as he looked around the Falcon. He used to love this ship, but as he walked around searching for Rey and a blaster, he couldn't help but feel anger towards the dirty walls and beds. Rey now owned the ship. he wasn't sure if Han gave it to her or not, but now she owned it and he felt hatred and jealousy. He may not want the ship, but it was his right to own it. He might be able to scrap it for parts for a new helmet, or... he wasn't exactly sure, but he knew he didn't want Rey to have the ship. 

He found his way towards the back of the ship, reaching underneath one of the mattresses. He felt a familiar lump and contained a small chuckle of excitement, surprised at two separate things; the first being that he remembered the exact bed in the entire Falcon, and the second being that Han never moved or used the blaster before then. Nevertheless, he had the blaster. He reached to his belt and replaced the gun with the saber, sure that it was a safe place to keep it while he looked for Rey. 

Smiling a small, subtle smile, Kylo walked away from the bed and out of the Falcon. He almost wished that Chewie would pop out so they could share a little chat, but he knew that if that happened, Chewie would probably try and kill him for taking Rey. The thoughts of his old - now ex - friend were quickly wiped from his mind as the wind began to pick up, pushing sand into his eyes. A small grunt of pain came out of his mouth before his arm came up to block the wind. He heard a laugh to his right and he felt himself start to get hopeful until he looked over to see a Teedo. He narrowed his eyes and walked over to it, silently wishing that it knew where Rey was, or at the very least, had seen her walk in a general direction. The language barrier was difficult, as Kylo wasn't fluent in Teedospeak, but once he said Rey's name a flash of recognition flashed in the Teedo's eyes before it pointed back at the Falcon. Kylo shook his head. 

"No, you futile creature. Where is she now?" he asked, feeling himself getting impatient. The Teedo seemed to be sharing his emotions as he violently gestured towards the ship, making strange foreign gibberish noises. Sighing, he attempted clarification. "She's on that ship?" When he got a quick nod in response, he closed his eyes and turned away. Could the creature be right? Could she be on the Falcon without him even noticing? Had she already seen him in these wretched clothes? However, if the creature was right, and she was as close as it said she was, then that meant that her Force signature would be even more prominent than it would be if she had already taken flight in another ship.

Kylo opened his eyes, scanning the Falcon for something - anything - that could point to a force user on the ship. He knew that she could shield herself from him, it was the reason he was stuck on the scavenger planet instead of with her. She hadn't reached her full power yet, though. She has yet to master the art of shielding herself from him. Kylo, however, had long since learned how to mask himself due to the years he'd spent plotting against Snoke. Masking himself from her, just in case, he searched for her. Losing hope after a couple seconds, he took a quick breath in as he found a flickering figure leaning on something inside the ship. 

He broke into a run towards the ship. Instinct took over as his hand snapped down towards the blaster to keep it from banging against his leg or falling off the belt as he sprinted across the sand. He heard the engine start in the Falcon as he approached, and a huff escaped him before he could stop it. She was trying to leave him behind. After coming all this way for her, too... He grabbed ahold of the ramp as the Falcon got lifted into the air, quickly pulling himself inside before he could let himself get smashed. He lay on his stomach for a minute, panting into the warm metal floor. His left ankle was starting to tingle, letting him know that he'd feel the full pain later on. He probably sprained it trying to run in the sand. He knew he hated that planet for a reason.

He pushed himself onto his knees, taking a breath in as he stood up, feeling his knee buckle. Before he could fall, however, he felt a pair of large furry hands grab his arms. He was overcome with emotions, some positive and some not. At least now he knew that he was right in assuming that the flicker or a figure had been Rey. 

"Hello Chewbacca," he said simply, hearing a growl as a response. He rolled his eyes, being dragged through the inside of the ship, feeling the adrenaline wear off as his sprained ankle was pulled along the floor. "How have you been, old friend?" Kylo asked. Chewbacca's only response was dropping Kylo on the floor as they reached the pilot seat. He winced and stood, trying to ignore the pain on his left side as Chewbacca took his place in the co-pilot seat, giving her the 'okay' to turn around. Kylo found himself trying to find a position that wouldn't make him look like a child ready to be scolded, but when she stood and turned, leaning on her chair, all of it was for nothing. 

Her eyes were narrowed but held something that he couldn't quite place. Was she angry with him? It would make sense if she was, after everything he had done. He had seen her angry, though, and this wasn't it. He quickly rid the thoughts from his mind, instead, focusing on the girl in front of him. He suddenly became all too aware of the clothes he was wearing. 

"Where did you find those?" she asked, looking him up and down. He felt a slight blush creep up on him as he cleared his throat. 

"Hidden on the ship I used to get to that awful planet," he said. Part of him hoped she'd offer different clothes, but he knew that she wouldn't. Not when he was dressed this way. Like a scavenger. Like her. 

"Why are you here, Ben?" He flinched, hearing his name come out of her mouth. He hated the effect it had on him, but he couldn't help it. She was different. 

"To find you," he said. He knew how this would go. Rey was a good person. She would either let him leave, or she'd take him back to Leia. He just hoped he'd had the time to convince her to join him before either of those possibilities became a reality. "I need to talk with you." Rey took a deep breath, looking over to Chewbacca, who growled.

Rey turned to look at Kylo again, this time holding out her hand. Kylo felt his insides knot together for a split second before Rey spoke. "Give me the blaster." Kylo deflated a bit before his hand went to his belt, unclipping the blaster and stepping forward to put it in her hand. He felt their energies clash as he got closer, and judging from the intake of breath on Rey's side, he knew she felt it too. He took a step back, giving her space as she handed the blaster to Chewbacca, who proceeded to sit on it. Probably to keep Kylo from getting it again. 

"May we speak? It's urgent," Kylo said, taking a small step forward, mentally urging her to listen to him. 

"You're hurt," was all she said back. She gave Chewbacca a small pat on the shoulder, whispering something to him that Kylo couldn't quite interpret. Rey took a step towards Kylo, grabbing his arm. "Come with me, I'll find you a place to stay." She turned him around, pulling subconsciously on his arm to keep him close. He smirked, allowing her to help him to one of the beds. She brought him to the bed that he had gotten to earlier, where he had stowed away his saber. He didn't mind all too much. He wouldn't dare use it against her. Not for real. Not when she isn't expecting it. 

She helped him on the bed, his back against the wall. He winced as he brought his legs up onto the bunk. Rey disappeared down the hallway for a split second, probably fetching a splint, and Kylo took the opportunity to feel around for a saber underneath the mattress. Panic rose up in his chest as he didn't feel a bump in the bed. 

"I watched you stow it away earlier," Rey's voice said, causing Kylo to snap his head to look at her. "I was worried you'd return for it, so I took it and put it... somewhere else." She came closer and sat on the opposite side of the bunk, next to his legs as she began working on his ankle. Kylo watched as she worked. She was gentle, wrapping the cloth around his ankle as carefully as she could. 

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his eyes not leaving the girl in front of him. She glanced up at him, meeting his gaze for a second before continuing on with her work. 

"I've sprained my ankles many times running on the sand of Jakku," she said, tying up the cloth as she finished. He figured she'd get up, but instead, she remained sitting, scanning his clothes. "Why exactly are you wearing the clothes of a scavenger?"

Kylo put his head up against the wall, looking up to the ceiling. "The black was suffocating in the heat of Jakku. I understand your choice in clothing now, though. You come from a warm planet, Rey. It's just a little too warm for my taste. I prefer the coldness of space." Rey chuckled and shifted on the bunk. Kylo looked back at her, seeing as she went to get up. He quickly grabbed her wrist, trying to get her to stay. 

"Ben…?" she asked cautiously. He had to warn her about Snoke. About the being that is determined to see her dead. 

"He sent me here to kill you." Rey's eyes widened, trying to pull out of his grip. He shook his head. "You don't understand. He  sent  me here to kill you, but that was never my intention. He doesn't know I'm here." He felt her energy calm down as she relaxed slightly. 

"Then why are you here, Ben?" she asked him, gently pulling her arm away from him. He loosened his grip, his hand falling softly to the mattress, somewhat waiting for her to move her hand away. Instead, she sat back down fully, her hand resting a couple centimeters from his. He smiled softly, allowing his face to relax, feeling any remaining mental barriers he had break away. 

"My hope is for you and me to-" a loud echoing growl came from down the hall, interrupting Kylo's sentence. Rey stood, facing the direction of Chewbacca and the cockpit. She gave Ben a cautious, yet apologetic glance, and he nodded, watching as she sprinted down the hall, hearing the muffled noises of her speaking to Chewbacca. He sighed softly, banging his head against the wall behind him, wishing he had just been able to finish his sentence. His hope was that Rey would join him to kill Snoke, the  Supreme Leader,  that's in the way of him creating a new Order with Rey on his side.

He heard footsteps approaching his bed and he tensed. The ship hadn't landed yet; he would've felt it, but the footsteps were heavier than Rey's, meaning that Chewbacca was on his way towards the bunk. Part of him relaxed, but he remained nervous until Chewbacca reached the bed, simply picking him up and placing him on the ground. Kylo winced slightly as he put pressure on his ankle, but Rey was good with a splint, so it wasn't too bad. Chewbacca shoved the blaster underneath the mattress before grabbing Kylo's arm to pull him a little bit.

"Wwooananoooh scwo," he grunted. Not wishing to be smacked over the head with Chewbacca's large furry hands, he listened to him, following him down the hallway towards the cockpit. They passed the way towards Rey and continued towards the escape pods.

"Why are you taking me to the escape pods?" he asked. Did Rey tell Chewbacca to kick him out?

"Ah anwowa aoacwo cacahak aooo wa'rqrarc. Rcworo ohrawhaoc rooohu aooo caoraro acworcwo." Kylo felt a slight fluttering in his stomach. Rey wanted him to stay? She was willing to hear him out. He shook his head, the rest of the explanation finding its way into his mind.

"D'Qar?" he asked, somewhat panicked. Leia lived on D'Qar... 

"Oaraansc waooohwh. Anwoahra ohoowh'ao wwahwhwa rooohu acworcwo," he said, almost reading Kylo's mind. He felt himself relax from Chewbacca's words. She wouldn't be able to find him. He climbed into the escape pod, pressing himself into the wall for  maximum stealth . 

"Why are you helping me?" Kylo asked as Chewbacca turned to leave. 

"Rcworo aorchucaoc rooohu. Ah aorchucao acworc," he answered before jogging back to the cockpit to help Rey. Kylo felt a smile creep onto his face. Rey trusts him. His mind drifted to his dream of a new Order with Rey as his queen. Maybe it could eventually be more than a dream. 

He didn't know how long it had been since the ship landed. He heard and felt the ramp as Rey and Chewbacca left the ship, but he had lost track of the time of how long they'd been on the ground. As far as he knew, no one had boarded the ship, but he couldn't be sure. He had spent the time trying to find something to do, stuck in the escape pod access area, mostly just twiddling his thumbs. Groaning in frustration, Kylo stood in the pod, leaning a bit outside the small space he was in. If only he could be sure that no one was on the ship so he could get to the crew quarters... At least there he could get into the walk-in closet and change out of the clothes he was wearing.

Kylo backed up slightly, returning to the pod to avoid being spotted by anyone who could've made their way on the ship. He sat down, his back against the floor, and closed his eyes. Trying to expand his mind, like he had done to spot Rey back on Jakku, he searched for anyone making their way down the hallways. As he didn't see or feel anyone in his immediate vicinity, he exited the escape pod, limping slightly on his ankle as he quickened his pace past the boarding ramp and cockpit. He kept his eyes closed, relying solely on the Force and muscle memory to lead him through the ship as he kept his search up for anyone that could enter the Falcon. He slowed his pace down and made his way through the halls, feeling a headache coming on due to the strain on the Force. Getting a final feel throughout the ship, he opened his eyes, letting himself take a short break, allowing for a temporary amount of time without having to use the Force. Kylo limped past the bunk and the bar, walking through the opposite hallway towards the crew quarters and the other clothes. 

Making it to the quarters, he stopped, looking at the refresher across the hall. Part of him wanted to wash up to get rid of the sand and dirt that was most likely stuck to his face, but the sun was going down and the open boarding ramp was causing the rest of the Falcon to become cold and his torn shirt was doing nothing to keep him warm. Kylo found himself wishing he was back on the scout vessel he had left on Jakku. He had left his clothes stashed in one of the compartments, and the warm material would prove useful in the conditions on D'Qar. He turned to the crew quarters and made his way inside, looking wistfully at the bed to his right. He remembered sleeping on that bed on his trips with Han Solo. Everything was different than how it was back then. 

Kylo walked towards the closet, feeling slightly angry as he came to the realization that, while half the clothes were Rey's, the other half belonged to Han. He searched for clothes that matched his signature color, sure that he would have kept at least a small amount of black clothes. There were leather jackets, vests, and white shirts that took over space in the closet, but as he made his way through the rack of clothes he found a dark grey shirt hidden behind the rest. It was smaller than he was used to wearing, but at least it wasn't torn as if it had been attacked. Looking down at his splinted ankle, he thought it better to keep the pants he had on rather than go through the effort of changing them. 

He pulled the scavenger shirt off over his head, deciding that staying in the closet would be better, and quicker, than trying to find another place to change. He unhooked the grey shirt off the rack, looking down at it, debating whether he should actually put it on. He knew what Rey's reaction would be. He knew he wasn't worth enough to be wearing clothes that belonged to Han Solo. He wasn't good enough for that. Just like he wasn't good enough for ownership of the Falcon. They belonged to her. To the person who deserved anything and everything she wanted. She was good enough, just as she always would be. Feeling the cold air in the ship, he pulled the shirt on, hoping that Rey wouldn't be too angry with him. He felt resistance in putting on the shirt, letting out a grunt in anger as he tried to get the shirt over his head. 

As he finished pulling it on, a quiet voice let out a surprised, 'oh' causing Kylo to freeze. He slowly turned around, hoping the voice had not belonged to his mother. He would surely be taken into some sort of interrogation room if that was the case. A breath of relief left him when he saw Rey's wraps snapping around as she turned to face away from him. 

"Sorry!" she yelped. Kylo smiled adoringly, not bothering to rid himself of it as she wasn't facing him. He shrugged before turning around again. 

"I was finished," he said, keeping his tone neutral. It wasn't in their best interest that he scare her away with how he felt about her yet. Right now, he was focused on simply convincing her to join him to kill Snoke. Everything else would follow, including his confession. He heard her turn again and silence followed. Not wanting to rush her into speaking - as she had clearly come back for a reason - he stayed silent, looking at the rest of the clothes on the rack. He reached out to feel one of Han's old leather jackets when Rey's voice snapped him out of any thoughts he had.

"Don't touch that." Kylo winced slightly. So his suspicions had been rightly placed. "Those belong to Han. As long as I'm on this ship, no one will be wearing them…" A warm feeling stretched into his chest. So  no one  is allowed to wear them, not just him. He felt a bit of satisfaction at the knowledge of that and turned to face her once again, bowing his head slightly to let her know he understood.

"It's dark out. Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked her, trying to get to the point of why she was back on the Falcon. It could go one of two ways. She could take him to the cockpit and they would make their way back into space or she came back on to lead Leia to him. He knew that trying to feel for his mother would cause a headache, so he simply hoped for the former option. 

"I came back to hear you out." Rey went over and sat on the large bunk, gesturing for Kylo to do the same. He stayed put where he was, cautious despite the butterflies in his stomach. After thinking a moment, she thoughtfully said, "Well, you aren't armed, for one. You said that you weren't here to kill me. It sounded mostly as if you were trying to warn me of it rather than trying to fulfill his wishes. As if you feel the same way about the First Order as I do. I want to hear you out." Kylo took a moment, appreciating her assessment, before walking over and taking a seat next to her. 

"When I told Snoke that you had left-" he started, avoiding the negativity of the word 'escape', "-he threatened to kill you if I didn't. I came to find you, but I don't plan on killing you. I have something else in mind for you and me." Rey's eyes stayed focused on him while he spoke, making him feel as if she would actually take him up on his idea. "I want you to join me. I want us to take down Snoke." She looked away, only momentarily, before making eye contact with him yet again. Nodding her head. Kylo didn't take it too greatly, though, knowing that she would have said yes to anyone if it meant killing the Supreme Leader of the First Order. 

"What do you want in return?" she asked him, causing his brows to furrow in confusion. Before he could ask for clarification, she continued. "I assume you want something in return. Or is killing Snoke going to settle as your reward?" Kylo shook his head, his brows still furrowed. How did she not understand him?

"No. I wish nothing of you. I only hope that you'll join me, not just to kill him, but to help me create a new Order. One that isn't run by a creature that wishes only for the destruction of those that hold power. Will you join me... Please?" he asked her, his hand outstretched towards her. There was a moment that passed as he waited for her to either turn him down or take his hand. It felt like centuries as he looked into her eyes. He saw that she wanted to say yes and he felt himself wanting to plead with her. All he wanted was for her to take his hand. He saw the hesitation in her eyes but he kept his hand out. 

"Okay," was all she said, taking his hand, and he felt electricity spark from his palm, revitalizing him. He allowed for a smile and stood, holding a little tighter to her hand, leading to the cockpit. At the entrance to the hallway, she pulled him to a stop. At his confused face, she gave a small smile. "I'm only going to get help. If we're going to take down the leader of the First Order, we'll need a pilot." Kylo nodded, letting go of her hand, thinking he felt her hand linger on his, but he decided he imagined it. 

"I'll get the ship ready to launch," he said splitting up from her as she sprinted down the ramp to get their pilot. Kylo made his way to the pilot seat, reaching up to start up the ship, remembering the countless times he watched Han launch and fly the Falcon. He waited for the sound of her footsteps echoing throughout the hallway and the closing of the boarding ramp before he pushed forward on the lever to launch the ship. He heard voices down the hall, and he froze, recognizing one of the voices that Rey was talking to. He had heard the sarcastic comments and the screams come from the mouth of that man.

He slammed his fist against the arm of the chair, keeping his other hand around the lever, keeping the Falcon level. Of course, he was the pilot that Rey was talking about. He heard the footsteps approach and he felt curiosity as he realized that there were three sets of footsteps and three voices. While one belonged to Rey, and another belonged to the man he had... interrogated, he couldn't quite place the third voice. He recognized it but didn't know from where. 

"Why are you here again?" Rey asked one of them, their voices getting clearer the closer they got. There was a scoff and a chuckle before the response. 

"If Poe's coming on some secret mission, I'm coming too," he said, earning a laugh from Poe. Kylo groaned, remembering the name of the man he had captured for information. His name was Poe. Somehow it makes it worse knowing his name. Knowing the name that matched the screams. 

"Speaking of  super-secret missions , why do you need me if you've already got a pilot? And who is your pilot anyways?" Poe asked. Silence followed, and Kylo waited for Rey's response. He didn't know how she'd be able to lie her way out of it, so he anticipated the anger that would soon be coming their way: her for trusting Kylo Ren, and him for being on the ship in the first place. Being on the same planet as Leia for hours and not being caught, held in the safety of the Falcon by Chewbacca and Rey. 

"Ben…" Kylo knew that she was only saying his name as an answer, but his instinct took over him and he turned around, seeing the happy expressions of the two men fade into anger and betrayal. Rey's arm went across Poe's chest almost immediately. She must have thought the same thing as Kylo had. However, the other man, one that looked strangely familiar, took a couple steps forward and in a fluid movement, punched Kylo in the face. He hadn't expected a punch from that man, in particular, so he hadn't prepared properly. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, regaining feeling in his jaw before turning back to the man that punched him. Kylo's fist clenched, seeing the anger in the man's face, but with a swift glance at Rey and her expression, Kylo calmed down, relaxing his fist. 

"Finn!" she yelled, angrily. Neither of the men's eyes left Kylo as she tried to explain herself to them. He felt frustration as they seemed to ignore her. 

"He hurt him, Rey. He's hurt so many people. He made people like me hurt people that didn't deserve it. He deserves much more than just a punch to the face," the man, Finn, said, taking a step towards Kylo once again. Rey, to everyone's surprise, jumped in front of him, pulling her quarterstaff out and pointing it in Finn's direction. Kylo's eyes filled with awe and confusion as he saw Rey, purely protective of him. Or, maybe more accurately, what his plan was for Snoke. Poe took a step forward, pulling Finn behind him and pushed the staff down with some resistance from her. 

"Why is he here, Rey?" he asked, trying to calm everyone down, despite the circumstances. Kylo stood, nudging Rey to let her know that she needed to take over the controls. They traded places, with the two men facing Kylo. Even with him trying to avoid using the Force, he felt their anger. There was another emotion, however, he could feel it. They both felt it, but Poe was overwhelmingly protective of Finn, full of care and emotion that he had always longed for.

"We've joined forces. I can explain it to you if you wish. Would you like the explanation before or after your boyfriend here beats me to death?" he said, standing with his hands interlocked behind his back. He heard an intake of breath behind him, and he tried to calm her down. Poe looked Kylo up and down, turning to Finn and giving him a questioning look. After a second, Finn walked past both of them, sitting in the co-pilot seat, leaving just Poe. 

"It'd be hard to explain a course of action if you're a corpse," was all he said, giving Kylo the go-ahead to start talking. He had never been treated the way these two men were treating him; he'd never had to explain himself this way. Odd as it was, he wasn't hating it. It was different for sure, but it wasn't bothering it as much as he should be. A bit curious, he opened himself up to the Force again, feeling for anything coming from Rey to help keep him calm, but there was nothing. Just apologetic feelings for letting Finn punch him. He turned and looked at her, seeing that she was looking straight back at him. He gave her a tight smile and she turned back around, handing the controls over to Finn as she stood and took her place next to Kylo. 

"We're going to take down the First Order," Rey said, her mind scattered. Kylo took a deep breath in, both waiting for Poe's reaction and reacting to the clash of energies he felt at Rey's closeness to him. Poe looked between the two of them...  multiple times...  before finally nodding. 

"You need a getaway pilot, huh?" he asked, smiling at Rey, trying to intentionally ignore Kylo. She nodded and he walked past the two of them, taking his seat next to Finn. Kylo stayed facing the other direction, somewhat confused with the events that had taken place.  I would've figured he need more information,  he thought, shaking his head slightly. His mind suddenly felt full.  I did too. I'm glad we didn't have to waste time with a longer explanation , Rey thought to him. He looked at her, making eye contact yet again. He smiled before she took his arm and led him to one of the larger rooms, presumably to spar before the fight with Snoke. 

Kylo watched the walls pass him as he let Rey lead him through the halls. He felt his mind wander, wondering if she knew the Falcon just as well as he did. If she learned by watching, the same as he had once done with Han. He wondered if she had known about the spot underneath the mattress where he had found the blaster before he had led her to it. If she knew all the hidden spots where he had long ago kept his beloved trinkets and toy weapons. He wanted to feel anger. To feel resentment towards the girl that now owned everything, but he couldn't. Kylo looked at Rey, who was filled with wonder and excitement, and he felt nothing but warm feelings towards her. 

Rey let go of his arm as they entered the room, leaving him behind as he looked around. This was the forward hold. As long as Kylo had known of the ship, nothing had ever been in here. He had used it as a fun hiding place as a child, playing with his mother before she sent him to Luke. Kylo did a full turn as he looked around the room before finally finding Rey again. He noticed she was holding two sabers, and he raised his eyebrow at her as she gave him a hesitant look before tossing his saber to him. He reached out and caught it, feeling it ignite as soon as it touched his fingers as if it had been waiting for him to use it again. Rey got into a starting position, the blue light immediately showing up behind her. 

"Remember that you asked me to join you, so you can't kill me here," she said, getting comfortable with the feel of the saber. Kylo chuckled, putting his leg back, ready to pounce as soon as she made a move towards him.

"As if I would be able to anyways," he responded, earning a chuckle from the girl across from him. She smiled from the compliment and took a large step forward, swinging her saber over her head in a swift motion, Kylo quickly adapting and matching her speed and strength with his own.

Sparks flew from the connecting blades as they each pushed against each other, both trying to get the other one to cave in. Kylo pushed harder, sending Rey back a few steps, pleased with how quickly she regained her composure. He took the chance while he could, taking a small step forward as he dropped, sticking his leg out to trip her up. She saw his movement and jumped over his leg, swiping diagonally as she came down on him. He saw the blue coming close to him and he rolled out of the way, finding the tight shirt fairly restricting. He felt a slight sting of pain on his ankle and he grunted, trying to figure out a strategy where he didn't have to spend too much time on his foot. Rey allowed for a second of worry, seeing the way he stood, and tried to return to the defense stance she had previously. However, that second was all he needed as he swiped downwards on her hand, barely missing her fingers - thankfully - causing her to drop the saber, with his against her side. She took a breath, not taking her eyes off of him. 

"Ben, you can't fight on that ankle," she said. Kylo brought his saber down, feeling it extinguish. 

"I'm not letting you fight alone, and not to offend you or your friends out there, but I don't trust either of them to fight with you. Not against Snoke." He took a breath, leaning only on his right ankle to avoid showing that he was in too much pain. He knew she was right. He couldn't find on a sprained ankle, but he needed to be there for her. He wouldn't let her fight alone; especially when he had been the one to convince her to make the move in the first place. She shook her head, sitting down in front of him. Confused, he made a move to sit down with her, not sure what she was doing. 

“No! Stay up there. I’m going to try something. I’ve heard about this, but I don’t know if it’ll work.” Kylo furrowed his brow. He knew what she was going to try and do, but he wasn’t sure how she knew that the concept existed. Living on a desolate planet like Jakku, not aware of her abilities with the Force until after meeting the droid and Finn. He found it hard to believe that the people and creatures on Jakku would tell her stories of the “evil Sith Lord” that could heal with the Force. 

Rey closed her eyes, focusing on the injury in his ankle. He felt his muscles moving around as she manipulated them, fixing the pain he had felt from standing on it. A slight pain shot through his leg as she reconnected the ligaments that had torn in the sprain. After the initial pain of the reconnection subsided, he let out a short quiet breath, chuckling as he put weight on his ankle. 

She nodded proudly, looking at Kylo before swaying a bit. Kylo’s hand immediately went out to grab her arm, steadying her, and she smiled appreciatively, regaining her balance. He found himself amazed and awestruck by the girl in front of him. The girl who had yet to unlock her full potential - he could feel it - but was still so capable. She could heal with the Force. Not even Kylo could do that, and he prided himself on his gifts, but he wasn’t envious. He found that he was proud of her. He wanted her to be powerful; it was what she deserved. 

“Thank you,” he said, not sure if he was able to hide the admiration in his tone. Rey smiled.

“Of course. Want to go for another round?” Kylo smirked and pressed the button on his saber, feeling the heat as it was drawn. Rey took a few steps back to reach where her saber had landed. Rey got into her defensive position and Kylo took the offensive as they stared each other down, each waiting for the other to make a move. 

Kylo took the opportunity and lunged forward, swiping his saber across the front of her wraps. She took a step back and brought her blade down on his. Kylo let muscle memory take over, letting himself simply spar with her. Their sabers clashed on every hit, Rey matching his strength with her own. Their fighting styles differed, but fighting against one another was a difficult match, able to defend from the other’s attacks. 

They moved around the room: ducking, rolling, jumping. He felt a strange sensation in his gut and he switched, staying on the defense as he tried to figure it out. He looked for anything out of the ordinary in the room, looking to both Rey and himself as they continued sparring. He started smiling as he found the source of the change. 

Before the sparring, being around Rey had caused a clash of their energies, as if they had been closed off from each other. They were still enemies on opposite sides of the war that had been caused by those in search of power. A war that neither of them had asked for, but dragged into against their will, trained to fight for a side that they didn’t get to choose. Rey had always called him by his true name, but she had always seen ‘Ben’ as the good stuck inside the bad of ‘Kylo Ren’.

Something was different now. Their energies were connected now, moving and working together. It was why he was able to block her attacks so easily now. Why no matter how strong her attacks became, he was able to match it to defend and fight. They were open. She saw him as both the good and the bad. She had accepted who he was and who he had become. His mind became a pile of dough as he looked at her. She didn't think of him as an enemy for the other side. They were on the same side, fighting to make Snoke pay as well as creating a new, more peaceful Order to the Force. 

He smiled and put his focus back on the fight, moving into offensive moves. Rey moved back, regaining composure from the sudden change of fighting style, blocking his attacks and making moves of her own. They locked eyes, sharing a small smile. A plasma bolt interrupted their sparring and the two sabers were extinguished. Kylo turned to look at where it came from, seeing Poe leaning against the wall with his blaster out. 

"Glad to see you two aren't deaf," he said, irritated. Kylo narrowed his eyes, clipping his saber to his belt. He looked over to the girl next to him and smirked as he saw her doing the same. 

"Sorry, were you here long?" Rey asked him. He shrugged.

"A couple minutes, but don't worry, I got your attention eventually." He turned on his heel and gestured for them to follow him. "We're approaching the Supremacy. I figured I should let you know, even if I had to interrupt... whatever was happening in there." Kylo huffed, rolling his eyes at Poe's last comment. Wasn't he aware of the concept of training? He kept his mouth shut though, not in the mood from yet another punch to the face - or a plasma bolt to the chest - and continued walking. 

Kylo knew that Snoke felt them coming, and knowing the Supreme Leader, he would be sending dozens of Stormtroopers to meet them at the docking bay, Phasma in the lead. He wasn't too worried, though. He only hoped that the army would be smart enough to surrender to them before they have to kill too many of them. Kylo looked over to her, seeing a worried expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, keeping their conversation private. She looked down, fiddling with her wraps. 

"You're a leader here," she said. Kylo raised an eyebrow, not sure why that fact was making her so anxious. She sighed and clarified. "Seeing you come out of the Millennium Falcon... Won't you be considered a traitor? We'll die before we reach Snoke." Kylo stopped, grabbing her arm so they could fall a little behind Poe. He brought his hand underneath her chin, bringing her eyes up to meet his. 

"I won't let anything happen to you," he said simply. She looked somewhat surprised, at his statement.

"You were sent out to kill me, not to recruit me to kill him ." He shook his head.

"I don't care what I was sent to do. I had plans of my own and they don't involve seeing you dead. I won't let anything happen to you." A second passed before Kylo realized he was still holding onto her arm. He didn't plan on moving it, though, he simply loosened his grip so she could leave if she wished to, but she didn't. She stayed staring at him as her worried expression faded. He heard a breath of relief come out of his mouth.

"Why are you being so kind?" Rey asked him. He looked over her head, seeing that Poe was across the hall, watching them. He hesitated, wishing he could tell her the truth. That he felt things towards her that he had never felt towards anyone. That he just wanted her to be with him, fighting on the same side. He gave Poe a look of split-second desperation, wishing that he had an answer that wasn't the truth or a lie. He respected Rey too much to lie to her. 

"Hey, you two! We're about to dock," Poe yelled down the hall. Rey gave Kylo one last long look, giving him a look that scared him more than anything: she knew what his answer was. She knew why he was being nice to her. Why he was being kind to her friends, even after the punch. She turned and ran over to Poe, leaving Kylo alone looking up at the ceiling. He unclipped the saber from his belt and walked over to the ramp, meeting up with Rey and Poe. He glanced over at Kylo as he approached. Rey was spinning her quarterstaff, leaning against the wall waiting to land on the Supremacy. 

"Rey, would you mind going to help Finn dock the ship?" he asked her. Kylo raised his eyebrow at him. He didn't want to be alone with Poe. He had done so well at not losing his cool, and he wasn't about to let the one person that calms him down go into the cockpit with the man that punched him in the face. Rey, oblivious to the mental war that was going on inside Kylo's head, nodded, putting her hand on his arm as she passed him. 

Kylo turned to see her go, noticing the way she walked with an authority that she didn't have... yet. She knew that she wasn't in charge of everyone, but the way she behaved and walked could have fooled anyone. Kylo could tell that she wanted to be looked up to more than anything. Living her entire life away from parents that had abandoned her. Finally finding a friend that she could count on only to be dragged into a world of war that she didn't deserve. Finding out things about herself that she didn't know if she could handle. He didn't know how anyone could go through what Rey had gone through, and he felt a surge of respect towards her. 

"So..." Poe said, breaking the silence, causing Kylo to turn back towards him. He was smirking, looking down at the floor. "What exactly was that in the forward hold?" he asked. Kylo rolled his eyes, debating whether or not he should answer. On the one hand, he wasn't about to talk to this man about his feelings towards Rey, but on the other hand... Poe had technically been tortured by Kylo for information. He sighed and took Rey's spot leaning against the wall across from Poe. 

"Sparring. Preparing for the fight against Snoke," he said. He hoped that Poe would just let him leave it at that, but he should have known that cocky and arrogant pilots are usually ones for nosey conversations. 

"Sorry to break it to you,  friend ," he spat out the word 'friend' as if it were poison on his tongue, "I don't look at anyone except Finn the way you two were looking at each other in that room." Kylo's eyes narrowed, not sure if he was liking the implication. He didn't like hoping for things, especially hoping that Rey shared his feelings. It would only end in hurt when she moved on to whoever she was meant for. 

Kylo glared at the ground, feeling the heat in Poe's stare. "She wasn't looking at me like anything. We were sparring." Poe scoffed, turning away from Kylo as he took a step towards the cockpit. 

"Look, I hate you -" he started, causing Kylo to roll his eyes, "- but I won't do anything about it because Rey has hope for you. She believes in the good in you. So if you hurt her in any way, I swear on my X-wing that I will kill you." Kylo smirked as he heard Poe's footsteps leave the hallway. At least he knew that Rey was in good company. She had people in her corner that would protect her at all costs. He turned around and slammed his forehead against the wall, the cold metal stinging against his face.

The doors opened once the ship docked on the Supremacy. Finn, Poe, and Rey all turned the corner, coming to meet Kylo next to the opening doors. He, however, was already making his way onto Snoke's ship, surprised when he wasn't immediately overcome by Stormtroopers ready to fight. He felt Rey come up next to him, wielding her quarterstaff.  Where is everyone?  she asked him. Kylo turned temporarily to see Finn and Poe behind him, already holding out their blasters.  I don't know. Tell them to stay back.  He gestured to the two men behind him. She slightly shook her head.  I tried telling them not to come back in the cockpit. They wouldn't listen. Said if I was going in with you, they would too. They really don't trust you.  Kylo took a deep breath before continuing on into the ship. 

He knew that the men behind him didn't trust Rey with him, but don't they have faith that she can take care of herself? If there was anyone that Kylo believed in, it was Rey. He glanced over to her for a split second before returning his focus to the ship. Good timing, too. A body of silver armor came around the corner. There was hardly enough time for friendly greetings before a plasma bolt shot past his face.

"I was told you were coming. It's in your best interest you come with me to see Supreme Leader Snoke," she said. Kylo opened his mouth to respond but was quickly pushed aside by Finn, Poe right behind him. Phasma tilted her head upon seeing him. 

"Finn… Get back. I know your issues with her, but you can't get hurt," Rey said, gently. Finn shook his head. Kylo pushed down on the button on his saber hilt, feeling it ignite in his hand. Finn had a history with Phasma. He may not have known exactly what that history was, but Rey was worried about Finn, and that's all Kylo needed to know. 

"Hello again, FN-2187." Kylo's eyes widened. That was a Stormtrooper code. That was why he had recognized the voice. Finn was the escaped Stormtrooper. He took a few steps to be next to Finn, his leg back as he prepared his attack. He smiled tightly as he saw Poe and Rey do the same. 

"His name is Finn," Poe said. 

"And it's in your best interest that you let us pass you without a fight," Kylo added. Phasma readied her weapon. 

"I can't let you do that, Ren." Kylo shuddered at the use of 'Ren' and nodded.  Sounds good,  he thought, looking over at Rey. They smiled and diverted from the group, plasma bolts immediately erupting from Phasma's blaster while Finn and Poe both ducked behind a cargo box. Kylo made his way around Phasma, seeing Rey do the same on the other side, circling her. Poe and Finn kept her attention on them as they shot at her. 

Rey moved behind her, but Phasma was quick, swiping her hand across towards the quarterstaff. She missed Rey by an inch as she jumped back. Poe managed to hit Phasma with one of his bolts, but her armor caused it to ricochet. Rey ran back towards her weapon and Kylo watched as Phasma turned her weapon at him. He dodged her shot, kicking her blaster out of her hands, hoping for a short delay so Rey could get her weapon back.

I don't want to kill her, Rey, she's only following orders , he thought to her, blocking attacks, trying his hardest to keep his lightsaber away from Phasma before he got the okay.  I know. I wish there was a way to get her to join us .  Kylo grunted at Phasma landed a punch to his jaw, and he felt something pop.  Can we please kill her?  He kept his eyes on Phasma, ducking and jumping his way over to Rey.

"No, not yet. Let's just see if we can get past her," she said. Kylo groaned and extinguished his lightsaber, landing a kick to Phasma's stomach. She staggered backward a bit, and Rey took it to her advantage bringing her quarterstaff around, knocking Phasma over, her head hitting the ground with a loud clang from her armor. He kneeled down, his knee on her chest to keep her from getting up. Poe and Finn came around the cargo box, meeting up with them next to Phasma. 

Part of Kylo wanted to tear the helmet off and pay her back with a punch to her jaw: a bruise for a bruise. A short look at Finn kept him from doing anything about his urges. The Stormtrooper helmet was a part of who they were. A part of who they became when they joined the First Order. To take the helmet off would be to take a part of their new identity, and as someone who felt as though he had become a new person upon training under Snoke, he felt a sort of sympathy for Phasma. 

He glanced up at Finn, who promptly took Kylo's spot. Finn could do whatever he liked to Phasma. Poe would stay with him and keep him from doing anything too dangerous. Kylo looked at Poe who nodded and knelt down to match with Finn. Kylo turned to Rey and he found her giving him a caring smile. Her expression changed almost as soon as he noticed it, but he knew it was there. 

"Let's go get Snoke," she said. "Poe, Finn, you two got this?" Finn's eyes left Phasma and he looked at Poe. 

"Yeah we're good," Poe answered before grabbing a hold of Phasma and beginning to take her helmet off, most likely for some good punches. Kylo turned away, unable to see what happened next, and he began walking towards Snoke's throne room. He stayed slow so Rey could catch up when she was done. He ignited his saber once again, dragging it along the wall, loving the sound of the Supremacy being destroyed from the inside out: starting with the walls and ending with the Supreme Leader. 

"Ben!" Rey called out, causing Kylo to stop and turn around. She was jogging to meet him before they continued walking again. "You had every chance to kill her. Why didn't you?" she asked him. He scoffed, bringing his saber down, seeing the red fade in and out in front of him as it swung to the beat of his footsteps. 

"You didn't want her dead," he said before he could really think about his answer. He winced slightly when he realized what he had just said, but he continued on, not wanting to put too much attention on it. He caught a glimpse of Rey's smile before she looked at the ground. 

"That's it, then? You didn't kill her because of me? I hardly believe I'm special enough to have 'tamed Kylo Ren'," she held up air quotes to emphasize her point, but Kylo just stopped, staring her in the face, not caring that Snoke could feel them coming. All he cared about was the girl in front of him and his amazement at how she couldn't realize her own magnificence. Using the word 'tamed' wasn't too far off from her effect on him. She was the only one that was able to calm him down in his rage. The only one that he felt anything towards other than hatred and envy. The only one that he wanted to be with, not as a leader, but as a partner.

He felt her in his mind, their energies connected more than ever. She was inside his head. She could hear everything he thought about her, but he didn't care anymore. He wanted her to know her worth. Not to the universe, and not to the parents that had abandoned her on Jakku. To him. He wanted her to know just how special she was to the man that everyone thought was evil. She was so much more than just another girl. Rey was a scavenger. She was a peacekeeper, a pilot, a Jedi. 

Her eyes became determined and she smiled softly at him. Kylo wanted to turn away, to continue on their way to the throne room, but her eyes were mesmerizing. He cleared his throat, and he sensed her withdraw from his mind, leaving him feeling empty and incomplete. She nodded, knowing what he was going to say and simply turned, wielding her quarterstaff as they made their way down the hall. He knew they wouldn't speak about what had happened, but he didn't care. He felt as if a large weight had been lifted off his chest. 

She knew. She knew how he felt about her and she didn't go running to the Falcon. She had smiled at him. Warm and welcoming. He stole a glance in her direction and he saw red along her cheeks causing him to grin. It disappeared quickly, however, when they found themselves outside the dark door leading to Snoke. Kylo took a breath in, looking at Rey. She readied her quarterstaff as she nodded at him. 

Kylo brought his leg up to kick open the door, but it swung open before he could make contact. He brought his leg back down, cautiously making his way into the throne room. Snoke was sitting on the edge of his seat, his eyes narrowed at Kylo and Rey. The eight guards had their weapons drawn, waiting for the signal from Snoke to attack. Kylo felt himself start to worry. He knew that the Praetorian Guard was the best of the best in the First Order. It was the reason he never made an attempt on Snoke.

"Ren. How dare you," he said, his voice echoing inside Kylo's mind. He shivered and looked at Rey, noticing as she ground her teeth upon hearing his voice. "You thought you could challenge me? The conflict you hold in your heart is too great, Ren. You are not Vader's heir. You've chosen the path of a lowlife smuggler." Kylo glared up at him. 

"You're wrong. I'm not a lowlife," he said, causing Snoke to raise an eyebrow. Kylo took one final glance at Rey, her eyes focused on the four guards on the left side of Snoke's throne. He smirked, readying his saber. "And my name isn't Kylo Ren. My name is Ben Solo." He heard a sharp intake of breath come from Rey, but he ignored it, choosing to fixate his gaze on Snoke and his reaction. With a swift move of his hand, the Praetorian Guard ran at them. 

"Feel free to kill these ones," Rey said, causing a smile to appear on his face. They turned towards their corresponding guards, each ready to fight. He swiped low against the first guard, the blade easily slicing through the guard's legs. A scream rang out from the guard, but Ben moved on to the next one. The guard thrust his Vibro-voulge at him and Ben ducked, the blade barely missing his head before he thrust his saber into the guard's chest.

Ben spared a glance at Rey and panic rose in his throat when he saw a guard sneaking up behind her as she was busy with another one. He felt a guard come up behind him and he swiped his arm downward on him before throwing his saber into the guard behind Rey. She yelled out a quick 'thank you' as Ben turned around again. He ducked underneath a swinging weapon and wished he hadn't gotten rid of his saber. Ben resisted punching at the guard, knowing it would only bruise his fist, and relied mostly on trying to trip him up. 

He heard Rey across the room, grunting against attacks. He growled, grabbing onto the guard's weapon, pulling it against his neck, pulling until the guard stopped struggling against his grip. Ben pulled the weapon out of the guard's hands, quickly turning towards Rey and the three guards she was still fighting against. He leaped over to her, landing square on one of the guard's shoulders, bringing the weapon down into his head. Kylo flipped off, landing behind another one of the guards, taking his attention off Rey. 

He glanced over to her, blocking the guard's attacks. She was using his saber, and he smirked, thrusting his weapon into the guard he was fighting. He turned to Snoke momentarily, launching his weapon at him before throwing his arm out, mentally pulling for Rey's saber. The weapon he threw at Snoke clattered to the floor and the saber reached his hand, feeling it immediately ignite in his hand. In a hurried movement, he swiped around behind him, matching up with Rey move perfectly as they both slashed into the guard, turning him into three separate pieces. Rey nodded at Ben before turning to Snoke.

"You can't defeat us, Snoke. We'll take down anything you throw at us... together," she smiled softly at Ben before her determined face took over again. Snoke's mouth twisted into an evil grin, causing Ben to shudder. Snoke focused his attention on Rey, holding his hand out to Ben, leaving him paralyzed. All he could do was watch as Rey's expression contorted, pain and sadness filling every part of her as she dropped the saber. Ben's heart shattered seeing her in pain and he felt rage swell up against the  creature  in the throne. Snoke's hand dropped, his mouth in a horrid smile as he watched Rey in anguish. 

"You son of a-" Ben started, unable to finish his sentence as he launched towards Snoke, his saber out. He expected to be thrown against the wall, so a sort of surprise came over him as he dug the blade into the creature that had once controlled his life. "What did you say to her?" he seethed, the words a hiss coming out of his mouth. 

Snoke chuckled, "You'll find out soon enough, young Solo." Ben ground his teeth, pushing the saber further into Snoke's chest. He watched as what little life Snoke had was drained from him. When he was sure that Snoke was dead, Ben ran back to Rey, sliding down on his knees when he reached her. His hands found her shoulders and he felt her shaking underneath him. He wanted so badly to know what was wrong - to know what lies Snoke had put into her head - but he knew that if he was going to find out, it had to be because Rey told him herself. So he wrapped his arms around her, trying to soothe her, keep her from the panic she was feeling. He wanted to calm her. To tell her that everything would be okay, but he couldn't. He didn't know how to. 

"He's dead, Rey. You don't have to worry about him anymore. He's a liar, and he's gone," he whispered. Rey took a deep breath, looking up at him, tears staining her face. Her eyes were puffy and tears were still cascading down her cheeks. Ben brought his hand up to her face, bringing her into a real embrace, feeling her dig her head into his shirt. Ben reached out his hand, pulling the saber back from Snoke's body, hearing a thump as his lifeless body hit the ground. He softly set the saber down beside him, returning his hand to Rey's back. 

"Are you okay?" he asked her when he felt her breathing start to slow. She shook her head, remaining in her slumped position. Ben, as much as he loved being there for Rey, knew that they had to return to the two men in the docking bay, so he gave her a few more seconds before gently nudging her to stand. 

"I'm sorry, Ben. I should have helped you end him, it's just he..." she trailed off, staring at the lump of skin and rags around the empty throne. Ben smiled, getting her attention away from Snoke. 

"You helped more than you realize. Don't feel pressured to tell me what he said to you; it was most likely a manipulation," Ben said, wiping away a tear from her cheek. Rey nodded at him, looking down at the two sabers on the ground between them. Ben leaned forward, placing a soft, gentle, kiss on her head before taking a step back, bringing his saber into his hand, clipping it to his belt. "I'll meet you out there."

He saw Rey nod, but it took a second of hesitation before he walked past her, giving her arm a squeeze as he left. He walked down the hall, seeing everything in an entirely new light - and it wasn't just because there was an eerie red glow throughout the hallway. He turned the corner, seeing Poe and Finn sitting on the floor, Finn laying his head on Poe's shoulder, Phasma lying dead on the floor off to the side. Ben stood there for a second, not sure he wanted to be there on his own. 

"Hey there," Poe said, turning his head to see him. Ben smiled tightly and gave a small wave before going over to inspect Phasma's body. Her helmet was off, revealing a blonde woman with a torn cheekbone. He furrowed his brows, caught between wanting to know what Poe and Finn had done to her and wishing he hadn't even seen her face, to begin with. 

"In case you were wondering, Phasma sent Hux and the Stormtroopers to the Finalizer. We don't know where the ship is," Finn said, standing up. Ben nodded and sat down, putting his head in his hands. "Where's Rey?" 

"I'm here. Sorry, I insisted on making sure they were all dead before I left," Rey said, bringing Ben's eyes up to see her. Her face was void of tears and her eyes were back to normal, almost as if nothing had happened in the throne-room. She gave Ben a look and he stood, gesturing for her to go to Poe and Finn as he walked over to the Falcon. 

"So... You two did it? Snoke is dead?" Poe asked her. Ben turned around, his foot already inside the Falcon. Rey nodded and was immediately overcome with hugs from her two friends. She giggled and hugged them back, looking at Ben as they shared a warm smile. Ben chuckled before looking down at the ground, crossing his arms as he began to blush. 

"I have a request," Ben said, snapping the three of them out of their trances. Rey walked over to him, meeting him at the entrance to the Falcon. "I want us to go back to D'Qar." Poe cocked his head, taking a step towards him. 

"You're sure? You know that you're a wanted criminal, right?" he asked Ben, causing Ben to smile slightly. 

"Yeah, I know -" he glanced at Rey, happy to see her beaming with pride for him, "- but I think I'm ready to go home." Finn shook his head in disbelief before making his way onto the ship, dragging Poe along behind him. Poe gave him an appreciative pat on the shoulder as he passed, turning the corner to the cockpit. 

"Home, huh?" Rey asked him, taking him by the hand further into the ship to avoid any unwanted  death-by-docking-doors-closing  incidents. He nodded.

"It's time to make peace with my mother," Ben said, worry laced into his tone. Rey smiled, putting her hand up to his face, cupping his cheek. 

"I think she'll really like that. Make sure you open with the fact that you and I killed Snoke and the Captain of the Stormtroopers, though. Just in case." A laugh escaped Ben as he looked at the beauty that was Rey. He felt his eyes soften as he stared at her, and he felt nothing but respect for her. Towards the girl who could take whatever pain and despair that Snoke put in her head and move on, making jokes and laughing with her friends. He knew his face was full of nothing but affection, but he didn't care. She already knew how he felt about her from inside the Supremacy. She could handle a few affectionate looks. 

The doors closed, causing the two of them to jump at the noise. Rey moved backward a bit, looking shy as she brought her hands behind her back. Ben stretched, his arms sore and his back starting to ache from the tight shirt. 

"I... I'm going to go lie down," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling as nervous as Rey looked. She nodded, letting a small laugh escape her throat, causing Ben to raise an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"Nothing, I just know that the shirt is tight and uncomfortable... I just think you should know that raising your arms like that caused it to tear," she said, turning to walk away, a small teasing smile at the corner of her lips. Ben looked down at his shirt to double-check. Sure enough, she was right. There was a large rip along the front of his shirt, and he groaned, making his way into the crew quarters with the intent to find a new shirt.

Ben woke up in the crew quarters, the gravity of the ship changing as they landed on D’Qar. He went to open his eyes before he felt two people coming over to the doorway. He turned on his side, facing the wall. He knew Rey’s energy enough to know that she was one of the two people, but he only vaguely knew the energy of the other.

“I don’t trust Kylo here, Rey,” Finn said. Ben winced. Of course, it was Finn. He heard a groan.

“I do. He killed Snoke,” she said, defending him. 

“I thought -” he started, quickly getting cut off by Rey. 

“No. He killed Snoke. I helped take out the guards. He was the one who wanted Snoke dead.” Rey paused, taking a short breath. “He’s not Kylo Ren anymore. He let the darkness go. I know that what he did to you and the troopers was awful, and I wish that he hadn’t done any of it, but he’s trying. Anyone is worthy of redemption, Finn. No matter what.” Ben smiled softly against his pillow. 

He waited desperately for Finn’s response, finding himself hoping for acceptance from him. He knew that forgiveness would take much longer, and he wasn’t asking for acceptance of what he had done under Snoke. Just acceptance for who he was trying to become again. 

“I don’t know. Just know that if something goes wrong on D’Qar, I’m grabbing you and Poe and we’re leaving,” he said. Ben heard his footsteps leave, most likely going back to the cockpit to help Poe land the ship. Rey sighed and Ben turned back around, facing the doorway. She was looking right at him. He wasn’t surprised. He felt her energy, she must have felt him wake up. 

“How’d you sleep?” she asked him. He shrugged and sat up, leaning his head against the wall next to him. He knew he hadn’t been asleep for long, but any amount of time was welcome after the day that he had. 

“I feel as if Finn is going to kill me,” he said. Rey cocked her head thoughtfully, causing Ben to raise an eyebrow as he waited for a response. After a few seconds, she shook her head, walking over to the closet. 

“I don’t think he’d kill you. Maybe beat you, but not kill you,” she said over her shoulder as she looked for something to change into. He nodded, mimicking her thoughtful expression from moments earlier. 

“Ah, yes. Much better.” Rey chuckled at his statement.   I deserve whatever beating he gives me,   he thought, hiding it from her. He didn’t want her to talk him out of his way of thinking. Ben thought for a minute, debating if he should just give Finn a few minutes to beat him as payback for everything he had done. “Would you like me to leave so you can change?” he asked her, earning him a short nod in return.

“Yes, please. I’ll be out soon,” he heard her say as he left. He walked down the hallway, trying to find something to do as he waited for Rey. He looked to the ceiling, muscle memory helping him navigate as he simply gave himself a minute to think. 

D’Qar... He was really going to see his mother again. After all this time under Snoke, and he was going to see her. He knew he would be in for a rude welcoming, and he sure didn’t expect a welcoming party, but he just hoped she wouldn’t shoot him on the spot.

He didn’t want to go into the cockpit, as that was where Poe and Finn were. There were so many reasons he didn’t want to show up there, number one, of course, being that they both wanted to see him as a corpse. He looked down the hall leading to the two men focused on the ship and decided it would be best if he just waited next to the boarding ramp. 

The ship rattled as it landed, and he smiled, closing his eyes. He loved the feeling of a ship landing. He didn’t, however, love the way Leia was standing with her army as the boarding ramp dropped. His smile disappeared, replaced with a look of pure nervousness. She was staring him down, her eyes a center of the conflict as he saw sadness and joy.

Knowing his mother, he unclipped the saber from his belt, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. He knelt down, slowly rolling it down the ramp to one of her soldiers, who quickly picked it up. She raised her eyebrow, slightly, crossing her arms, and he gave an anxious smile. Leia gave a gesture and two soldiers came up the ramp, grabbing Ben by the arms as they dragged him down in front of her. He tried not to struggle so much, letting them take him. Anything she did to him was deserved. They tossed him to the ground and he locked eyes with his mother. 

"Oh, Ben," she said, shaking her head. He felt a slight stinging in his throat, hating that he had caused his mother this much pain. 

"Hi, Mom." He gave her a small wavering smile. She looked up at the sky, uncrossing her arms as she pulled him up into a hug. His eyes widened, a laugh of surprise nearly escaping his mouth as he hugged her back. She pulled back looking him up and down, sizing him up. He looked down, remembering he was wearing Han's old clothes. Ben bit his lip, nervous of how she'd respond to it, but he let out a breath of relief when she smiled tightly at him. 

"I want you to know that I've missed you, son," she said, taking a step back. Ben nodded, already knowing what she was going to say. "I'm sorry, but I can't trust that you aren't our enemy, yet." He held out his arms, allowing a pair of stun cuffs to be placed on his wrists. He heard footsteps pounding down the ramp and he turned his head as his jaw dropped. 

Rey was staring at the binders, but he was stuck analyzing the way she looked. She was wearing his favorite black leather jacket, one of her white shirts underneath it. She was wearing tight black pants. He wanted so badly to ask her why she was dressed so differently, but Leia beat him to it.

"Rey...?" she started, unable to finish the sentence. Rey's face turned - hesitantly - from Ben to Leia, raising her chin and bringing her hands together behind her back. 

"My wraps were destroyed, and they had been made for Jakku, not D'Qar," she answered, turning her attention back to Ben. "Why is he in binders?" Ben shook his head, both trying to get over what she was wearing as well as trying to get her to drop the subject before she got herself thrown in the cell next to him for defending a known leader of the First Order. 

"Rey, don't do this. I've done terrible things, and the consequences are catching up to me," Ben said, giving her a calming smile. Her lips drew together and Ben took a deep breath, waiting for whatever rant she would go off on.

"But you killed Snoke! That has to count for something!" she exclaimed, taking a step towards Ben. He smiled at her, seeing Leia's eyebrows furrow out of the corner of his eye. 

"That doesn't matter, right now. I also kidnapped one of their best pilots and tortured him for information. I killed Han Solo. I chose Snoke and the power he offered over my family. Let this happen. It'll be okay," he said, his eyes searching Rey's for understanding. She nodded slowly, and Ben found himself hating what he had said, reminding her of the terrible things he had done. She gave him a last look of stubbornness before turning to Leia.

"I'll take him to the holding area," she said, quickly taking Ben's arm and waving away the soldiers. 

"Rey, I don't know if that's such a good idea," she responded, still looking at Rey's new outfit. Rey turned her head over her shoulder, making eye contact with Leia. 

"What do you think I'll do? I promise I won't do anything. He'll be going to the holding cell," she reassured her. Leia's eyes narrowed slightly, probably for the same reason Ben's had. Rey, while staying as respectful as ever towards his mother, had completely changed. He couldn't help but wonder why her behavior shifted, and part of him thought that she would try to break him out of the binders. 

Leia nodded, waving Rey towards the headquarters. She turned back to Ben and immediately started walking him over and inside. He glanced over to her, nervousness almost taking over him. Seeing her in front of Leia confused him beyond belief, but as he looked down at the girl leading him to the holding cell, he relaxed. She hadn't changed at all. The outfit was certainly different, and he wasn't complaining about it, but she hadn't changed much at all. He saw the same good person as he always had. 

"Why are you really wearing Han's jacket? You said you didn't want anyone to wear that," he asked her, looking back in front of him as they approached one of the cells. Her foot caught and she tripped slightly before giving him a sky look. 

"The wraps didn't feel right anymore. I wanted to feel the way a leather jacket felt. Plus those other reasons I told Leia," she said. Ben nodded thoughtfully, knowing what she meant. It had only been a day or two, but he was feeling more and more comfortable in Han's old clothes. He hardly even missed his cloak that he had left on Jakku. 

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw the holding cell. It was nicer than the ones aboard the Supremacy or the Finalizer, but he assumed they would be. It was a small, rectangular room, the walls painted a faint blue. He groaned slightly when he saw that there wasn't a chair, but he gathered himself before sitting on the floor. Rey closed the door behind him, sitting on a chair just on the other side. 

She crossed her arms and stared down the hallway they had walked through. Ben cocked his head at her, wishing he knew what she was thinking, but he knew that it would be wrong to poke around her mind. Plus, she had blocked him out anyways. He placed his head in his hands, sure that it was because of what he had said before. He was angry at himself for doing those things for the First Order. At the time, he had thought that he was right. That the Rebellion was fighting something that they didn't understand, yet. It wasn't until much later that Ben realized that he was the one that didn't understand. 

"Are you okay?" he asked her, not comfortable with how upset she looked sitting in that chair. She didn't answer. Was she ignoring him? It would make sense. Oh, how he wished that she wasn't ignoring him. After all they had done together to defeat Snoke. She had agreed to join him to create a new Order. What if she came to her senses and hated him? "Rey?" he tried again, waving his hands to get her attention. She blinked a few times before turning to him, her posture relaxing a bit. 

"Yeah?" He nodded slightly - mostly to himself - when he realized that she had simply not heard him. Her thoughts had been too loud; they had drowned him out. 

"As much as I enjoy the idea of you staying there all day, you don't need to. I didn't sleep long on the Falcon, and I'm tired," he said, seeing Rey nod as she got the hint. He laid down, his back to the wall as he looked at her, seeing her slowly get up to walk away. He listened to the fading footsteps as he closed his eyes, trying to find the peace of mind to fall asleep. All he could think about, however, was the face Leia made when she saw him on the ship. It felt like hours, but eventually, Ben's mind found peace as he drifted off to sleep. 

Ben was on the ground. His hands were against the cold metal floors and his breath came out like ice in the cold. He knew where he was. Or more accurately, he knew that part of him at least recognized it. He himself didn't really know where he was, it was much too dark. It looked as if his mind had traveled elsewhere, but he couldn't be sure where it was or who he had found. 

He stood up, turning around trying to figure out where he was, but all he could see was darkness. He found a patch of light a little bit away and he followed it, seeing the figure of a body on the ground. As he got closer, Ben noticed very identifiable red hair. He broke into a run, skidding to a stop when he saw the General's face, stuck in an expression of horror. There was a saber stab wound in his chest, but other than that, Ben couldn't see anything wrong with him. Ben ran a hand through his hair, looking around for something, anything, else. 

A bit to his left he saw another patch of light, and with it, another body. Ben took a breath, turning to walk over to it. He had seen corpses before. He had caused the living to become corpses. It wasn't so much the death that bothered him. It was the terror in Hux's face. He reached the other body, recognizing the silver armor. He grimaced, leaning down to find some sort of wound that would indicate a murder, but he didn't see anything. Taking a slow breath, he reached up to the helmet, pulling it off in one swift movement, immediately reeling back at the image before him. A saber wound in the center of Phasma's forehead. 

Ben stood, kicking the body over so as not to see the wound anymore and turned. He let out a small grunt of frustration when the only other thing he saw was Snoke's door. He knelt down once again, grabbing ahold of Phasma's blaster, before running at the door, kicking it open. He stopped when he saw Snoke dead, still in the heap of cloth he had been in when he and Rey had left the Supremacy. In his throne sat another.

He looked dead. His skin a deathly pale and his eyes holding a yellowish tint. Ben shuddered, aiming his weapon at the man sitting on the throne. He had a large hood covering most of his face, but he raised his head, smiling, making eye contact with Ben. 

"Hello, young one," the man said, his voice echoing off the walls of the large room. Ben shivered. "I see you've found me." 

"Who are you?" Ben demanded, taking a step forward. The man in the throne laughed, gesturing upwards.

"Someone's looking for you. Wouldn't want to hold them up, now would you?" he responded, standing upright. Ben looked behind him for a second, listening for whoever the man could have been talking about. It wasn't long before a soft 'Ben?' came through the door. His eyes widened as he sprinted through the door, looking for where Rey's voice was coming from. He heard a drawn-out cackle behind him as he continued his way down a long hallway. He recognized that laugh, but from where?

“Ben? Wake up, Ben!” Rey shouted through the door of Ben’s holding cell, causing him to jump. “Are you okay?” she asked him, looking concerned. He looked around for a second, gathering his surroundings, before nodding at her. She stayed hesitant for a second before opening her mouth to speak. She was cut off, however, by a soldier marching towards his cell. Rey rolled her eyes and sat down, crossing her legs as the soldier got Ben’s attention.

“Hello, Kylo Ren,” the soldier said. Ben brought his lips together, unsure of whether to correct the soldier or not. ‘Kylo Ren’ was technically still apart of him. It was the part of him that wanted to be powerful. It was just being matched with ‘Ben’, the part of him that needed Rey with him. He glanced at her and took a breath before looking back at the man.

The soldier continued, unaware of Ben’s inner struggle. “You have been part of the First Order under the rule of Snoke. I am here to state your crimes.” Ben nodded and stood, his hands still bound in front of him. The soldier straightened his back. “You attempted the murder of Luke Skywalker. You kidnapped Rey and Poe Dameron. You committed torture on Poe Dameron. You killed Han Solo. You aided Snoke in his quests throughout the galaxy. You committed mass murder on the distant planet Jakku. You attempted the murder of Leia Organa. How would you like to plead innocent?” Ben dropped his head, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. 

“I won’t,” he said, simply. He heard Rey’s breath stop for a split second, but he held a hand out to her, telling her he wasn’t done. “But find Poe Dameron and Finn. Bring them, and Rey, to my mother. Have them tell you what they accomplished aboard the Supremacy.” The soldier nodded, turning to Rey. He held a hand out to help her up, and Rey took it, keeping her eyes on Ben.  Are you sure about this? This won’t be enough to clear you of your charges,  she thought to him, beginning to walk away with the soldier.  I know,  he thought,  but I want my mother to hear what we all did. She’ll understand the reason I’m doing this.

He listened as the footsteps faded away and he leaned back against the wall, taking a deep breath. All he needed to do now was wait for Leia to hear their story and make her decision. 

Footsteps came barreling down the hallway, and the sound echoed throughout his cell. Ben sat up, his neck aching from the angle he had been laying at. He felt himself begin to get nervous before a familiar face appeared on the other side of his door. 

“Leia wants to talk. I was sent to retrieve you,” Poe said, out of breath from sprinting. Ben raised an eyebrow, not sure why his mother would wish to speak with him. He stood, walking over to the door as Poe unlocked it. Ben made his way past the door and took a step forward before a hand grabbed his arm. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked Poe, who simply shook his head. 

“Let me catch my breath. I’m a pilot, not a runner.” Ben chuckled and stepped back, letting Poe lead him to Leia. They made their way down the hallway. As much as he didn’t want to, Ben found his mind drifting to what he had done after taking Poe. The stubbornness, loyalty... The screams… 

“I’m sorry, Poe,” Ben said, breaking the silence. Poe flinched a bit but quickly regained his composure. 

“Sorry for poking around my head?” he asked. Ben nodded, grabbing ahold of the other man’s sleeve. 

“No matter what my mother does to me, whether she kills me or sets me free, I do apologize for what I’ve done to you,” Ben paused, “and your boyfriend.” Poe’s face shifted slightly at the mention of Finn, and moved his arm back, away from Ben. 

“You helped us kill Snoke. You let us get revenge on Phasma. You may not be my most favorite person in the galaxy, but I’ve forgiven what you’ve done,” he said, continuing on as they left the holding area. “Plus, Rey is my best friend and she’s got you wrapped around her finger.” Ben’s jaw dropped, somewhat surprised at Poe’s bluntness. 

“She does not,” he said defensively, trying to keep at least a bit of dignity. 

“Come on, dude. You’re whipped. Practically in love with her.” Poe laughed, shaking his head. Ben, on the other hand, started walking significantly slower. Was Poe right? Was he in love with Rey? He shook his head, ignoring the thoughts starting to pop into his mind. He didn’t want to think about that. Even if he did love Rey, it didn’t mean she loved him back. He jogged a bit to catch up to Poe, and they walked the rest of the way in silence. 

Ben and Poe made their way to a large door, and Ben stopped, studying it. The handle was engraved with the initials H.S. + L.O. and he brought his lips together in a tight 'almost' smile. As much as he hated Han, he had always appreciated his parent's relationship. The door itself was white, covered in golden symbols of the Resistance. Poe glanced back at Ben, watching his expressions change. 

"Okay," Ben said, turning the handle. The door opened to reveal a relatively humble set-up: a basic bed with a dresser across the room. Leia was sitting on the edge of the bed, turning her head to see him as he stepped inside. Rey and Finn stood in front of her, both looking anxious. Poe left Ben's side and returned over to his two friends. 

"Hello..." Leia said, standing up. Ben deflated when he heard her trail off, unsure of what she should call him. He would always be Ben to her, but she didn't want to tie the name to his actions. He nodded at her, preferring to stay silent unless it became necessary to speak. He didn't trust himself not to tear up or say something that his mother would take offense to. She took a step forward, searching his face. 

"Is it true?" she asked. 

"I trust that they told you the truth," he said, glancing at Poe and Finn as they looked down. He wasn't lying. He trusted them to do what they thought was best. They could have told her that he was working against them, and he would still let it happen. 

"So you didn't kill Phasma?" Ben shook his head, turning his gaze back at his mother. 

"I left that to Finn and Poe. With everything Captain Phasma had the troopers do, I only thought it right," he said. A sharp intake of breath came from Finn, but Ben kept his eyes trained on Leia. "While Finn and Poe dealt with the Captain, Rey and I killed Snoke and his Praetorian Guard." 

“Who are you?” Leia asked him, her hands at her sides. The question was simple enough, but Ben allowed for a small smile, knowing exactly why she was asking him that question. This was it. This was the moment that he had hoped for. She heard the story of what had happened and she believed it. 

He bowed his head to her before softly saying, “Ben Solo.” He held his breath, waiting for his mother's response, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she walked over to him, embracing him in a hug that said more than words ever could. There was a second of pause as he stood surprised, but he smiled and hugged her back. 

"Welcome home," she whispered to him. He looked over Leia, locking eyes with a smiling Rey. 

"I hate to be the one to break this up, but what do we do now? Everyone on the base still hates him," Finn said, causing Leia to pull back and turn to him. 

"We tell them what happened. We still punish him for what he's done, but killing the Supreme Leader of the First Order counts for something," she responded, giving Ben's arm a squeeze. He knew it was meant to be reassuring, but he had never felt calmer in his life. He had finally chosen something for himself. He was good now. He was back with his mother. He was with Rey. 

"I'm okay with that," Ben said. "But may I return to the Supremacy to get my things?" Leia gave him a hesitant look, and Ben returned her reassuring squeeze. 

"How can we be sure you'll return?" she asked him, taking a step back, her tone backed up with worry. Ben opened his mouth to answer but was quickly cut off. 

"Because I'll go with him. I'll make sure he doesn't leave," Rey said, giving Ben a short smirk, masking it with a smile in Leia's direction. Leia gave her a thankful expression before letting go of Ben and walking over to her. Ben watched as his mother hugged Rey, whispering something in her ear. Rey nodded, smiling, and walked over to Ben's side.  What did she tell you  he asked her, smiling at her to hide his curiosity.  None of your business, nosey   she thought back, raising her eyebrow at him. Poe and Finn groaned.

"Enough with the secret lovey-dovey conversations, just go," Poe exclaimed, putting his forehead on Finn's shoulder in frustration. Finn chuckled and patted Poe's head as he waved Ben and Rey away. Ben nodded and grabbed her arm, giving his mother a quick wave goodbye before they left the room. 

"You know I wouldn't leave, right?" Ben asked Rey as they walked down the hallway. She gave him a look and he chuckled. 

"Of course I know that, but your mother needed to be reassured. She lost you once already," she said. Ben bit his lip, upset at the terminology. He glanced down at her, smiling at her kind expression. He thought back to his conversation with Poe. 

"So... Poe said something to me while he was taking me to my mother," he started, unsure whether or not he should have said anything. Rey raised an eyebrow, her smile never leaving her face. He pursed his lips.

"Oh? What was that?" she asked him, fishing for more information. He had a sneaking suspicion that she already knew.

"He thinks I'm in love with you..." he said, watching her expression, surprised when it didn't change. Instead, she stopped, looking up at him. 

"Okay... Do you think that?" Ben tried to look away from her eyes, but he was practically entranced. 

"Yes." He was slightly taken aback at how quickly the answer came from his mouth. He didn't think he loved anyone. Love was foreign to him. Rey smiled at him, nodding at his confession. As he waited for a rejection or an acceptance, she turned and continued making her way towards the Falcon. Ben sputtered, quickly catching up with her.

"Excuse me?" he started, feigning politeness as he grew more and more confused. "Don't you have anything to say? At all?" Rey chuckled, stopped once again as she looked at him. 

"Would you like to know what your mother told me?" she asked him. Ben's face contorted into puzzlement. Before he could say anything, she continued. "' I know you love him, and I would love to call you an Organa-Solo.'" Ben's eyes widened, his confusion transforming into a smile. 

"What?" he asked her, wanting clarification. 

"I love you. And not just Ben Solo. I love Kylo Ren, too. I love all sides of you," she said, her eyes softening. Ben felt a grin cover the bottom half of his face. He leaned forward, planting a kiss on her forehead. He stepped back, holding her arms as they smiled at each other. It was like time itself had stopped. All that mattered was Rey. He could only see her. 

0He saw her expression change from affection to a scheming look and he raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" She smiled, pulling her arms out from his grip. 

"The last one to the Falcon has to fly it," she exclaimed, turning to sprint away. Ben chuckled, looking up at the sky for a split second.  She loves  me. He looked back to see her running at the ship a little ways away and he smiled, kicking off the ground as he began to run.