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No. No. No. She couldn’t be dead. My heart pattered in my chest as I hobbled towards where Rey lay lifeless on the floor. Her beautiful hazel eyes stared vacantly at the battle still raging above us.
I dropped to the floor and cradled her to me. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. This wasn’t the future I’d seen for us. Not anywhere close. This wasn’t a future I was willing to accept. I could fix this. Force healing was possible. She’d healed me only hours ago.
It was a light side ability. While I wasn’t shrouded in darkness anymore, I wouldn’t exactly call myself surrounded by light. But this was the only chance for it to work. I closed my eyes. Please! I begged the force, pulling all the power that flowed through me and forcing it into her.
I couldn’t let her die. I drew in a shuddering breath and gritted my teeth. This would work. My hand moved to her belly as I continued to pour all my strength into her. I could do this. I had to do this.
The effort was taking its toll, I could feel my life force beginning to slip. It didn’t matter, so long as she lived. I just had to hold on long enough to revive her. It was working, I could feel it.
She moved in my arms, her eyes fluttering. I pulled back to look at her watching as clarity filled her expression. “Ben?”
A smile graced her face as she placed her hand against my cheek. I’d done it, I’d saved her. I drew in a pained breath, realizing for the first time how much everything hurt. My consciousness was beginning to wane.
Rey surged forward, capturing my lips with hers. Her mouth was soft and opened to me, her tongue darting out to dance along mine. She pulled back and I smiled, finding happiness for the first time in too many years.
I wanted to kiss her again, but my vision was starting to tunnel. Her perfect face blurred, and darkness began to close in on me.
“Ben?” I heard her whisper just before I fell under. Peace and warmth greeted me along with a familiar presence.
“Mom?” I said turning. She stood behind me with a sad smile on her face.
“I had a vison of this day when you were just a boy. The day I stopped training with Luke.” She shook her head and sighed. “The future is always in motion he used to say. It seems this vision came to pass, but…” she took a step toward me and grasped my hands, squeezing them tightly. “I failed you so many times. But not this time.” She closed her eyes and I could feel the essence of the force washing over me, giving me new life. “Take care of each other,” she whispered before releasing me.
Her force signature vanished, and the pain flooded into my bones again. I drew in a ragged breath. Something heavy lay across my chest making it that much harder for me to breathe. The pressure receded and Rey peered down at me.
“Ben?” she asked. Tears streamed down her face. “I tried to…” she blubbered the rest of her sentence incoherent as she hugged me.
“My mom. She…” She’d passed. I’d felt her earlier, but she’d waited to become one with the force for this moment. She’d used the last of her strength to save me.
Though with as badly as I hurt, I wasn’t sure how much longer I was going to last. My leg was broken, probably a few ribs. There was probably internal bleeding. I’d caught myself when Palpatine had thrown me, but not before I’d hit the wall, hard.
I coughed; copper flooded my mouth. It dribbled down my chin. Rey’s eyes widened. She put both her hands on my face and closed her eyes.
No. I wasn’t going to let her try to force heal me again. She didn’t have the strength. I shrugged out of her touch. “You don’t have the strength.” We’d just have to hope that my mother had given me enough strength for us to get medical attention.
She drew in a deep breath and nodded before swiping at the tears glistening on her face. “We have to get out of here.” She moved so she was squatting and then maneuvered so that she could put one of my arms over her shoulder before she gently stood up, supporting most of my weight.
My body screamed in protest but, somehow, we managed to take one step and then another. I clenched my jaw and focused on Rey. She was here. She was alive. I had to keep moving. Maybe we had a future after all, if we ever got out of here.
We were both alive. Both moving. There was hope. That was all I could ask for.
***
I parked Luke’s x-wing far enough away from the celebrations that someone wouldn’t see Ben until I was ready for them to. I didn’t know anywhere else to take him. He was too injured to go off on our own. I wouldn’t risk losing him and I knew we could get supplies here.
I wasn’t go to lose Ben now. Never again. While I loved Chewie, Finn, Poe and Rose, Ben and I had a connection. We understood each other in a way that no one else did.
“I’ll be right back.” I brushed a lock of his dark hair out of his face. He’d lost consciousness some time after we’d hit hyperspace.
I jumped down and hurried to the celebrations. My eyes scanned the crowd looking for one of the doctors. They’d know what I needed to grab to treat his injuries.
Finn found me first. He and Poe were standing next to each other. I smiled at them both, relieved that they’d both made it. We embraced, both of them crushing me between them. As glad as I was to see them both alive and well, Ben needed my help.
My heart hammered in my chest as I pulled away. Would they help me help Ben? “I need to find a medic.”
Finn gripped my arm. His eyes darted over me as his brow furrowed. “You’re hurt!” He touched the knot on my forehead.
“Do you know where I can find them?” I asked offering them both a small smile.
“I’ll walk with you there,” Finn said as he put his arm around me.
I leaned into him glad for the support. Weariness had been tugging at me for a while now. I couldn’t stop. Not until Ben was safe.
“So, how’d you beat him?” Poe asked falling into step with us.
“I had the help of all the Jedi,” I told him honestly.
“I thought we’d lost you,” Finn whispered. “I felt it in the force.”
I swallowed hard. I remembered the force ebbing away from me after Palpatine had gone. I’d never felt so weak in my life. “You did,” I said quietly. “I died.”
“But the force brought you back?” Poe said.
“You died?” Finn asked pulling us to a stop.
“That’s why we need to get to the medical droids or a doctor.” Should I tell them what had truly happened. I’d told Finn about me being a Palpatine, but I’d never told anyone about my bond with Ben. It had never felt right. The bond was ours. It was special, even when we didn’t see eye to eye.
“Wait! You died?” Finn said. “I thought I felt your force signature slip away.”
“It’s okay buddy, the force brought her back.” Poe said. “We’ll get her checked out. But look at her, she’s fine. Think of all the incredible things we’ve seen her do.”
I was fine thanks to Ben. He’d nearly died saving me. He was practically still at death’s door. I needed to speed this along.
“You two should go enjoy the party,” I said once we came to the medical tent. “I’ll see you guys soon.” It was a lie. I might not ever see them again. I hugged Finn and then Poe, looking at them one last time. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”
“Come on.” Poe patted Finn on the shoulder. “Let her get checked out. She’ll join us soon.”
I nodded. My heart clenched painfully. They wouldn’t understand. Ben would always be Kylo Ren to them. As soon as they started to walk away, I slipped into the medical tent. There was a droid by the medical supplies, and I hurried over to it.
As I slipped away out the back of the tent, I took one last look at the party. Chewie and Rose were talking animatedly to Maz. And I already knew Poe and Finn were alive and well somewhere. I’d miss them, but Ben was my future. Maybe one day our paths would cross again.