Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Ben, honey, it's time to wake up."

The boy's eyes slowly opened at his mother's voice. Emotionally exhausted from crying the night before, the tears threatened to form once more. He closed his eyes and turned away from her.

"Oh honey, you can sleep in the Falcon. It's a long trip." Leia softly continued.

"I don't want to go," Ben mumbled sleepily.

"You have no choice. Your uncle will help you. He will teach you the ways of the Force."

"Your mother is sending you away to be trained because, in her eyes, you are no different than a wild dog." Said the voice in his head.

Leia gently removed his comforter, making him curl his body against himself.

"BX-778 made your favorite: pancakes and Feelo eggs."

"I'm not hungry." Young Ben insisted.

"Get up, please." Leia's voice was now firm when her boy refused to cooperate.

"I said I don't want to go !" Ben screamed, tears forming in his eyes, ready to plead how he would be good for them– that he could control his powers.

"We are not giving you a choice. You need help that your father and I cannot give you. Now, I took three days off to make this trip with you-"

"Oh, three full days off. When was the last time your mother took three days off to spend it with you? She has always been too busy wandering around and pushing her political goals to remember that she has a child. Now she has taken three whole days only to get rid of you." The voice intervened again.

The boy growled in frustration, sat up, got off the bed, and walked away from his mother.

"Don't growl at me, Benjamin." Leia snapped.

"I need to change my clothes."

"Oh, I changed that little butt of yours. It's not like I haven't seen it." She joked, trying to make him laugh, but her boy had lost his sense of humor far too young. His once-bright eyes that sparkled with joy have dimmed over the past few years. At ten years old, his eyes bore the weight and sometimes the pain of the entire galaxy.

"The babysitter droid changed my diapers more than you." Ben retaliated as he pulled his remaining tunic out of his closet.

"It's a pity you kept dismantling the nanny droids." 

"Why do you think I kept dismantling them? I was alone because you left me." Ben huffed.

"I'll meet you in the dining room in five minutes." Leia left the bedroom.

Ben summoned the Force, closed the door, and then changed from his nightwear into his travel clothes. His mother always insisted they wear different attire for traveling, even if the trip took more than a day. Wearing sleepwear was considered lazy in her eyes.

With a melancholic sigh, Ben looked around his room, knowing he wouldn't return after this morning. Everyone would long forget his drawings and journals. Short stories accompanied his sketches of Uncle Chewie throwing him into the air. Then, there was a sketch of Ben's uncle Luke, a legend. He could only hope he could be half as strong as his uncle.

The young man also had diaries. When his mother realized that her son loved the art of calligraphy, she gave him his first calligraphy set. Even his father encouraged him. Han would bring different types from the planets he visited when he realized that toy air cruisers no longer interested him.

The truth was that Ben was still interested in cruisers and X Wings, heck, even Imperial Tie fighters; if it flew, he was interested. He wanted to be a pilot like his father. Ben used to run around telling everyone his father was a great pilot– the legendary war general Han Solo, the best pilot in the galaxy. It seemed that his family was full of legends. He used to feel Han's pride in his statements, but the voice warned him that his father's pride was false and that his mother would discourage his ambition. Unfortunately, he found the voice to be correct. His mother greatly discouraged him from being a pilot without any explanation. The voice was his only friend in his miserable existence.

He sulked into the dining room only to be greeted by his father ruffling his hair.

"Good morning, kid. How are you feeling this morning?" Han's eyes twinkled when he looked at Ben.

Ben looked into his father's warm eyes and then sat back in his chair without answering. Han sighed, and his smile disappeared as he looked at Leia. Ben could feel Han's hesitation, almost as if he didn't want to upset Ben.

It was as if his father cared about him and didn't think of him as something to fear. Sadly, he knew his father was afraid of him. He heard his father compare him to someone whose name was not allowed. Snoke's voice told him that his father thought he was a monster.

Chewie sat next to young Ben and greeted him. Ben gave the slightest of smiles at his uncle. He would miss Chewie more than his parents.

They ate breakfast in silence and then loaded the Falcon. Leia exited the cockpit and went to her and Han's quarters to return a message that had come through earlier.

"So much for taking time off from work. Even in Leia Organa's last hours with her son, her only child, her flesh and blood, she chooses to work over quality family time. Family is such a trivial matter. In time, you will learn that you do not need family."

Chewie got up and nodded to Han a few hours later; Han winked in return.

"Okay, Ben, I need you to be my co-pilot for a while. What do you think?" Han looked over his shoulder and gave Ben a half-smile.

"Really?" Ben spread his arms and sat in his chair.

"Yeah, I mean, your mom is probably resting. And Chewie, well, he's old. He probably needs a nap."

Ben chuckled slightly, got up from the chair, and sat in the passenger seat.

"Are you sure? Mom is going to be mad."

Han laughed. 

"Leia'll get mad no matter what happens. Your mom means well. She's overprotective of you, I guess. Go ahead and flip those switches," Han pointed to Ben's left, "and initiate light speed." 

His father smiled as Ben's eyes grew, his little lips moving into a smile before he yanked the control, pushing the Falcon up to the speed of light. 

"You're a natural kid."

Ben stopped smiling. He knew it was a compliment, but he had other natural talents; this is why he would train as a Jedi. Ben was not allowed to make this critical decision. The idea that he would never be able to speak for himself made his stomach turn.

"You know we care about you. You just need help with your powers, and I'm sure you can impress your uncle with your abilities."

Ben's uncle wouldn't be impressed. Luke Skywalker, whose name and reputation became known even in the darkest realms of the galaxy. His entire family was known as rebel heroes. And he was just a kid with abilities that he didn't understand and could barely control.

He will never live up to his family's expectations.

The following morning, they arrived at Luke's training temple; Ben looked around in amazement. His uncle did an outstanding job designing and constructing it. It was only a  few hours later that it was time for Han and Leia to leave. Ben stood in front of his uncle, tears threatening to overflow. Chewie walked over, gave him a big furry hug, and softly mewled his goodbye.

"Oh darling," Leia knelt before her son, lovingly caressing his left cheek. "I need you to be brave. You are stronger than you know. I will miss you." Leia's lip trembled, and her eyes burned as tears began to form.

Han put his hand on Ben's right cheek. "I can't wait to see what this old man teaches you. I certainly can't wait to fly with you again one day."

Ben sobbed and felt his uncle gently pat his shoulder. 

Jedi weren't supposed to cry. They also were not supposed to show or feel emotions. He knew he had to be stronger.

Kill your weakness.

"Alright, guys, it's time. I'll take care of him, I promise. Ben has a lot of potential within him." Luke said softly.

Ben watched his mother, father, and Chewie climb aboard the Falcon. He looked on in agony as the ship left without him. Ben wanted nothing more than to yell for them to come back. He wanted to tell them, promise them he would be good. To once again announce that he didn't want to be a Jedi. Ben dropped to his knees as tears finally spilled over, his hands clenched as he lowered his head in shame.

Luke knelt before him. 

"Everything will be fine, Ben. I know this is hard for you. I don't expect you to get rid of your emotions today. We'll work on it, just like I had to work on myself for years. You'll see them again someday. After all, no one is really gone. I have a few other padawans arriving over the next few weeks. You won't be alone, and you can go through this journey together.

Luke offered his nephew a small but warm smile when Ben lifted his tear-stained face to look at his uncle. 

"Now, let us begin. Follow me," Luke instructed and slowly walked to an open field and sat down. "I want you to close your eyes and tell me what plagues you in your dreams," Luke said when Ben sat.

"What?" Ben blinked in disbelief.

"I can feel your fear, Ben, and it's not over this new situation."

"Well, it started–" 

"No, Ben, not verbally. I want to see your nightmare. Show me."

Ben's head lightly jolted; he didn't want to relive the memory. Luke gave him a nod of encouragement, and Ben shut his eyes and began remembering something most younglings at that age would long forget.

He had been crying for his parents; his only companion was the kitchen droid named BX. T-2LC, his mother's protocol droid, was nowhere to be seen. BX was busy in the kitchen while Ben stared at the door, hoping his mother would come back and pick him up when he heard the sharp ping of metal. Ben spun his little body around to see BX rapidly approaching him. He held his breath in his tiny lungs, not understanding what was happening, and the droid stopped its advance. Ben could feel salty tears stinging his little cheeks, and his cries turned to soft whimpers. BX resheathed the knife back into its arm and returned to the kitchen. 

Ben was only two and didn't realize his mother's kitchen droid nearly killed him. But the image of the blade coming toward him frightened him.

"There's something else, but what is it?" Luke quietly asked.

Ben shrugged, hoping Luke would say something else about the memory, but it didn't phase him that a droid nearly killed his nephew. Perhaps the other thing Luke sensed was Snoke, but Snoke only tried to help him.

After a few minutes, Luke laid out two items: his lightsaber and Han's dice.

"Do you recognize these, Ben?" Luke asked.

Ben nodded, "But why do you have my father's dice?"

"This is a test. Should you point to my lightsaber, I'll teach you how to build your own after we find your kyber crystal. You will follow the path of the Jedi. If you point to your father's dice, you choose attachments. Attachments are forbidden, as they can lead to the dark side."

Ben's eyebrows dipped. How can attachments lead to the dark side? Was he supposed to be void of emotion and affection and become cold like a droid? He looked at his uncle and felt it was true. His eyes then drifted to the lightsaber and then his father's dice. His parents quickly left him behind again. Perhaps it was time to let them go. Han and Leia were never there for him. Ben looked at the lightsaber again. With power, he could help the galaxy. Maybe his parents will finally be proud of him one day. Nervously, Ben pointed to the lightsaber. Luke gave him an approving nod.

"Good choice, Ben."

The dice disappeared into thin air. Ben's jaw slacked in aw.

"Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them."

Ben didn't mind meeting the Padawans when they arrived, but he mostly stayed in the cabin Luke provided. As he lay on his cot one night, he felt overwhelmed by a surge in the force. In his mind, Ben could see the brightest light shining in the entire galaxy. He smiled as the warm light flowed through his body, mind, and heart. 

Ben felt something he lacked for the first time in years: hope.

Ben always wanted to feel that beautiful warmth as if it were a missing piece of his melancholic soul. It felt good, and it felt perfect. It felt more like home than his real home. Once again, he felt tears forming in his eyes, not tears of sadness. His tears were pure happiness, even if he didn't understand why he was feeling happy. The light he felt covered him, shielding him from his insecure thoughts, worries, and shame. Maybe his mother was right; perhaps this was the right path for him. Ben Solo fell asleep without dark thoughts intruding into his young mind that night.

Five years later...

"Focus, Ben. Feel the Force." Luke whispered.

In the years since Ben came to Luke and his new training temple, he felt as unbalanced as ever. His uncle tried to explain that he was fine, that it was expected, even considering his age and his hormones. Deep down, that's what Luke expected. He recalled his frustrations as a teenager. In the last five years, he saw darkness growing in Ben, and Luke could only hope he imagined it. He remembered Han's concerns: there was too much Vader in him. When Han first said it, Luke initially ignored it because Ben was a young boy. But at some point, the thought also crossed Luke's mind. He watched as his nephew struggled to relax as he meditated. Almost as if Ben was fighting an internal battle before his eyes. Ben's eyebrows furrowed and parted, and his upper lip curled.

"I can't," Ben sighed. "This morning, I just. Fu- I mean, just forget it." He grunted and stood up abruptly.

"Ben, tell me what worries you." Luke stood up with his nephew.

"It's nothing."

"Tell me. I want to help you. You've become more distant lately, more aggressive with your training. Instead of meditating, it seemed like you were conversing with yourself. You should tell me if you have questions or anything that bothers you." 

"Uncle Luke," Ben began.

"Ben–" Luke's tone was firm. A gentle reminder of who he was.

"Master Luke," Ben stared straight ahead, not wanting to look back into his uncle's older eyes. "I-I don't know what's wrong with me."

"There is nothing wrong with you, Ben," Luke walked in front of his nephew, "you are my best student. Everything has come naturally to you."

"Not everything has come naturally. Like the light." Ben interrupted. "I know you feel the darkness in me."

"I do. But I also feel your light, your hope. Everyone struggles with that."

"Voe, Tai, and Hennix don't have the same struggles I do."

"Voe is easily enraged by her jealousy. Hennix judges too fast, Tai ... uh, well, yeah, he is more balanced than all of you. However, physically, you are stronger, and your ability to memorize everything just by reading or observing it once is a great skill. I know you don't like discussing how you feel, but I wish you would. Suppressing your emotions is very dangerous, Ben. After all this time, you are still angry and confused about why your parents sent you here. Speak up, even if you may not like or want to hear my response."

"It's more than that." Ben spat and clenched his fists.

"Then tell me," Luke pleaded. He could feel Ben's conflict and couldn't understand why he felt that way.

Ben looked at his uncle; his tearless eyes were beginning to burn.

"It's nothing." 

He quickly walked away from his uncle. Luke would never understand Ben's inner turmoil. 

"Are you well enough to watch over the padawans while Lor San Tekka and I go on our next mission?"

Begrudgingly, Ben stopped walking but refused to turn around. "Yes, Master." He longed to go on the missions as he once did when he was younger before the other padawans were collected.

"You're the only one I trust to oversee the temple while I'm away, Ben. There will be plenty of time for your own adventures and missions later."

"I understand."

"Be proud of who you are and the blood that runs in your veins."

Over the last five years, Luke has expressed that he should be proud of his bloodline several times. Except for Tai, the other padawans seemed to resent Ben for his lineage. Tai was a natural peacekeeper; he always stepped in when arguments became too heated. 

Sure, Ben was proud of his family. Who wouldn't be proud of these heroes? They saved the galaxy, and all he was allowed to do was lift rocks. All because these heroes abandoned him and dropped him off like he was a cursed item. Everyone had given up on him. Luke only tries to communicate with Ben because he is stronger than the other students. It didn't mean Luke trusted him. Luke wanted to control Ben. Snoke was the only one who understood.

But Ben had to try to hide his secrets from Snoke. 

The light he felt the first night at Luke's temple was still there and Ben didn't want to share it.

This light pulsated through Ben's body like an extra heartbeat at times, yet it wasn't his own. The beaming light was something, or rather someone else. Or perhaps he was slowly going insane. He would never know. It was damn near impossible to find whoever this belonged to, though he sometimes thought he saw someone. Sometimes, he saw a tiny girl with her hair pulled into a trio of buns walking nearby, but the image quickly faded. He would see a young woman with the same hair as the child when he meditated or slept. He wondered if he was seeing a future version of the little girl. 

If that was the case, maybe he should tell his uncle. If his dreams were correct, she was another Force-sensitive, but wouldn't his uncle have sensed her by now? His dreams had begun to haunt him. They were so real, and he truly believed they were visions. Why he kept seeing a young child while he was awake and then dreaming of a young woman at night was a mystery to Ben, but something was happening.

Ben didn't sleep well the night before because the warm light he had always felt suddenly felt cold. He almost felt as if he had a panic attack. For some unknown reason, Ben wanted to scream no and come back. To whom, he had no idea. He hadn't felt that way since his parents left him at the temple.

"You are troubled again, my young friend."

"I'm not," Ben whispered.

"I can always tell when you are lying to me. Is it one of the padawans? You know they are not only jealous of your power, but they also fear it. Your uncle also stresses over your natural abilities."

Ben pursed his lips, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Come to me, and I will complete your training."

Ben could only sigh in response. He ran both hands through his hair and tightened his fingers around the roots. He felt just as lost as he always had. When Ben was younger, he held onto the hope that training with his uncle would help him see the light and that he would learn to control his powers and become more balanced. While Ben remained in control of his powers, his emotions fluctuated more than the other padawans. He only learned how to hide his raw anger instead of tame it. Ben Solo didn't know where he stood in his life. The light never accepted him; the dark continuously tempted him, and he didn't know why. He feared the unknown the most until he finally received the answer most unconventionally.

It was an agonizing eight years later; Ben heard the news.

A young man of twenty-three is usually confident, settled down with a partner, a well-established job, and a home. Not for those who trained to be a Jedi. Ben's self-esteem was embarrassingly low, not that he needed to have confidence in anything but his abilities in the Force. He couldn't have a wife, and he couldn't have his own family. The fact Ben wasn't all that attracted to any of the padawans at the training temple made his teen years less awkward. Some of the girls were pretty, but he always compared them to the visions of a woman he had never met. 

Ben had no partner, no family, and his job in life was being a Jedi and going on mundane artifact hunts with Luke. Then, he still had his small hut to call home. Because the Jedi didn't need much, they needed to live a simplistic life.

Luke had chastised the young man when he snuck off-world. Ben never admitted where he traveled for those few days, but he sensed Luke knew. Through his uncle's disappointment, he could feel relief. He was relieved Ben was alive. The recent bombing on Hosnian Prime was believed to have been an assassination attempt on Leia's life. 

But Leia never contacted Luke or her son to inform them she was okay. Ben and Luke learned about it on the holonet. It was fine, really. Luke admonished personal contact and holo calls to prevent his padawans from missing their childhood homes and families. 

Ben never wanted to live like a monk, and here he is, surrounded by padawans he didn't care for, people who didn't trust him. While Ben was old enough to leave, he didn't know where he would go. The voice in his head still beckoned him, but he never wandered past the closest town because Ben wanted to prove to his uncle, his parents, and everyone that he could be a good man and not stray into the dark like they feared he would when he was younger. 

That's why they sent him away, right? At the ripe age of ten, they feared the boy would turn to the dark side and destroy everything they loved.

But why?

Ben had to learn the truth from the holonet and his fellow padawans instead of his family. He discovered not just the truth as to why his father viewed him as a monster but the reality of his lineage. The final puzzle piece slammed down on the table before him. Ben finally received the answers to why he had such violent outbursts and why he always fought the darkness that called to him. 

The dark side was in his nature.

Anakin Skywalker, his grandfather, was Darth Vader. 

Ben grunted and attacked repeatedly before kicking Hennix in the chest and knocking the Quarren down. Hennix rolled to the side in the knick of time as the plasma of Ben's lightsaber slashed toward him.

"Kriff, Ben! Settle down!" Voe hollered to no avail. Both men were relentlessly attacking one another. 

"Look at you, Solo. You're letting your anger control you." Hennix hissed and pushed Ben back a few feet. They both twirled their lightsabers and then circled one another.

"What's going on?" Tai asked.

"Another cock fight. They are both ridiculous, but Ben," Voe shook her head. "He's out for blood."

"No, he's not. Ben's just-" Tai paused when Ben tripped Hennix and swung his lightsaber down just for Hennix to block it inches from his face. "Okay, he's a bit intense today."

"A bit intense? Look at him! Hennix is right; he's just another Vader in the making."

"Why would you say that?" Tai asked.

"Didn't you hear?" Voe looked at Tai as if he had three heads. "It's all over the holo! Leia Organa's father was Darth Vader! Ben is a blood-relative to that monster, and look at him!" Voe gestured. "He is a monster. Hennix confronted Ben about the news, and Solo tried to deny it. He's a liar."

"You're afraid of him," Tai stated with a disapproving shake of his head.

Hennix landed at Voe's and Tai's feet with a grunt.

"Ben, settle down,"

"I am calm, Tai."

"I look forward to the day Skywalker finally banishes you. You're too dangerous. At least Luke doesn't act like Vader." Voe growled.

Before Ben could retort, Tai stood with his hands up between Ben and the others. "Ben, let's talk about this."

"What more can we talk about? They've been against me since the day they arrived. They'll forgive Luke for being the son of Vader, but not me for not knowing he was my grandfather."

"Ben, you're scaring them," Tai implored.

"Good." He pointed his lightsaber at Voe and Hennix. "They should be scared of me."

Luke Skywalker watched from a distance as the training session turned into a sparring session. He had hoped his padawans would settle down. Their emotions were out of control, particularly Ben's. Luke couldn't help but be disappointed in his nephew, his prized pupil in most ways. If only Ben could learn to control his emotions. The darkness that simmered in the young man was threatening to spill over. Luke would peer into his mind that night just to see how far his heart had turned.

That terrible night at the temple felt so long ago yet remained fresh in his memories. Ben did everything he could to stop it, but he could still feel the flames burning the buildings to the ground. 

Some nights, he wakes up choking on the smoke.

On other evenings, he falls into a dark pit and wakes just before he hits the ground. He would open his eyes only to find himself in his dimly-lit quarters.

The dark always consumed him, but he no longer dreams as of late. 

Ben almost felt free but still had to answer to another master.

Kneeling before Darth Sidious was foreign, even three years after Ben joined his side. 

"Rise, Kylo Ren." The older man's voice echoed in the dark throne room. 

Slowly, Kylo stood while looking at the floor until the Emperor spoke.

"Have you found Skywalker?"

"No."

"I must say, with as quickly as you destroyed Snoke, I expected the task of finding and killing your uncle to be easier."

"I convinced myself I had killed Luke that fateful night. In the thirteen years I trained under him, he never mentioned if he had a backup plan if we had to evacuate the temple. I don't know where he fled to."

Sidious tilted his head, "And there are no other distractions?"

"No, my Emperor."

"Continue your search while you resume your diplomacy across the systems. With your father's wit, your mother's intelligence, your iron fist, and other resources, it is no wonder why the First Order is quickly taking over the galaxy." The old Emperor smirked at the young, cloaked figure before him. "Everything is happening as I have foreseen. You may return to your flagship."

"As you wish," Kylo replied, standing up and walking to the lift with three of his Knights of Ren following.

"I must add, almost everything has gone as I have predicted." Sidious paused momentarily. "Do you have any more tricks up your sleeve, Ren?"

"Not yet," Kylo responded. "But it has worked in your favor, hasn't it, Your Excellency?" He could feel the Emperor's amusement.

"Fair enough," Sidious coldly chuckled and leaned back with a sinister sigh before repeating, "Fair enough. You are far more entertaining than Snoke ever was."

While Sidious was amused, Kylo was anything but. He had worked hard to gain control in one part of his miserable life. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't risk surprising the Emperor again. 

Sidious's laugh echoed off the walls as Kylo walked away.

Minutes later, Kylo stood silent as he and his knights returned to the Finalizer. 

Exhausted from several days of little to no sleep, all while hunting for a scrap of information about where his treacherous uncle was hiding, he stormed down the ramp and into the ship's hangar shortly after landing. Lieutenant Mitaka stood by, waiting. Kylo simply walked past him, hoping he would go away if he ignored the little man.

"S-sir, I have new reports for you."

"I'll check my datapad when I get to my quarters."

Ever so grateful for his mask, Kylo rolled his eyes when he heard Mitaka's feet scurry to follow him.

"You'll want to see this, sir," Mitaka stated, surprisingly firm, and handed Kylo a datapad.

With an irritated sigh, Kylo took the datapad from the lieutenant and looked over the report.

"That's impossible. Are you sure it was a rebel fleet trying to intercept the cargo?"

"We have a team trying to confirm that, sir, but I knew you would want to be informed."

Kylo read the report once more before handing the datapad to Mitaka. "They'll stop at nothing."

"Sir, there's more."

Kylo quickly swiped to the next screen. 

"You've got to be fucking kidding." Kylo returned the datapad with an annoyed grunt. "Again?"

"Unfortunately, sir." The lieutenant nervously replied. 

"I'll deal with it immediately."

"Is there anything else, sir?"

"Don't disturb me until tomorrow," Kylo commanded as he continued walking. 

Kylo rolled his shoulders during the elevator ride to his floor. A report of missing droids shouldn't surprise him, but it did. The doors to the lift hissed as they opened, and his footsteps echoed down the empty hallways. He waved his ungloved hand in front of a scanner and opened the durasteel doors to his quarters. Once inside, the doors promptly shut behind him before he removed his heavy mask.

"Hello, husband." Came a quiet voice from across the room.

Kylo looked over to see her stand and straighten the fabric of her clothes. Droid pieces surrounded her feet. Her hands had streaks of grease. Her long hair was pulled back into three messy buns, while a few strands had fallen loose and hung to the sides of her pretty face as they usually did by the end of the day. She'd come a long way since he found her on that miserable backwater planet. This wondrous thing of beauty that stood waiting for him was none other than his wife, Rey.

Chapter Text

Kylo's young, beautiful wife's upbringing made her a diamond in the rough on that backwater planet. He has long believed the challenges Rey faced outweighed his own. 

The Force works in mysterious ways, throwing many obstacles in Kylo's way before finding her. Since his conception, the galaxy was against him, and Kylo did everything possible to prove his worth. 

Ultimately, it was too late, and when a second chance came upon him, he had no choice but to take a new approach.

As Kylo looked at his wife’s freckles, hazel eyes, and loose chestnut tresses he longed to touch, he remembered his long journey to find her. He reflected on how she hesitated before letting him look into her memories of her upbringing, and of course, he recalled the day he proposed to her. He only wished he could have rescued her sooner– or rather, Kylo wished he found Rey earlier in life.

If Rey discovered what Kylo had done to give her a better life, he would lose her forever. Some days, he felt he was worse than the pathetic beings she knew as her parents. Parents who treated their young child like she was nothing more than an object. 

They were meant for one another. If only they could push past the barrier preventing them from meeting their destiny.

Fourteen years ago…

Nothing could have prepared Rey for the massive change in her life. At five years old, she was still too young to understand what was happening. She recently started helping her parents find scrap to turn over for portions. Rey felt like a big girl helping her parents throughout the old, ruined Star Destroyers and finding things to give them. But her parents annoyed huffs and remarks made Rey feel ashamed whenever her stomach growled. She couldn’t help that she was always hungry. 

Hearing phrases like “I need a drink” made Rey feel bad that her parents were so thirsty. 

What else could she do to assist them? She was eager to please them, maybe make them as happy as she felt while looking at spinebarrels and nightbloomers. Plants were rare, let alone flowers! Her parents never cared for those findings and it made her sad. She only wanted to make her parents happy.

Then, one morning, they were late to start their collections, and when they finished, her parents brought Rey into Niima Outpost. Rey had never stepped foot in town before! She usually had to wait outside of the village with her mother while her father received their portions. 

Little Rey watched as people hurriedly brought in their findings and cleaned them before turning them in. 

Oh! Maybe this was a new chore for her to learn– how to clean the dirty and rusted pieces properly. She’ll do anything to help her parents.

“This her?” A Crolute grunted after they paused in front of a tin can of an office.

“Yes,” her father replied.

“Just a scrap of a girl.” The blobfish muttered. “Hey you, girl, turn around.”

“My name is Rey,” she replied. Though she didn’t look at her parents, she could feel their dismay at her response.

“Turn around in a circle.” The Crolute insisted.

Rey turned in a circle and looked up at the being before her.

“Plutt, she can squeeze into the smallest of spaces,” her father said insistently.

“She’ll only grow bigger.”

Her mother stepped forward and chimed, “Restricting portions will keep her skinny.”

What were they talking about and why? 

Despite the hot temperature, Rey’s blood ran cold, and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something wasn’t right. She was in danger, but how? Her mom and dad were standing next to her.

“And when the time is right, you’ll earn more than double your credits back,” her father continued.

What did that mean? Rey looked up at the shadow of a figure of her father. Her parents were covered head to toe in robes and scraps of cloth.

“Can’t argue with you there. Has she learned how to properly clean scrap metal?”

“Not yet, but Rey is a fast learner.”

“Alright, you have yourselves a deal,” Plutt replied after he regarded Rey for a few moments. 

He shuffled his way back into his office and came out with a bag of credits. Her father took the bag and walked away with her mother. Rey began to follow.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Plutt asked, but Rey continued to follow her parents.

They were walking faster than ever and toward the small shipyard. Rey heard Plutt yelling at her, but she continued, trying to catch up to her parents’ long strides. The sand only made it harder for her to run.

“Wait!” Rey called out and began to run as fast as her legs let her. The sand made it harder to run than inside the uneven floors of the Star Destroyers. “Wait!” She repeated.

The large, fat hand of Unkar Plutt grabbed Rey by her skinny arm. “They’re leaving without you.”

“Why? Will they come back soon?” Rey watched as her parents boarded a ship without looking back at her. “Wait!”

“Your parents are not coming back. They sold your services to me. You are now mine, scavenger.”

Rey looked at Plutt in disbelief. Surely her parents didn’t sell her! Plutt must be lying. Rey then heard the hum of the ship’s engine, and fear took over. They were leaving without her! 

“No! Come back!” Rey cried out. “No!” 

“Quiet girl!” Plutt growled.

Rey’s teary eyes looked up at the giant blobfish and then back at the ship as it ascended. She let out one final plea. An energy flowed through her little body as she pled for her parents' return before everything went black.

She was only five years old when her parents sold her. 

Eight years later it felt like a lifetime ago to thirteen-year-old Rey as she traced the scratches she etched into the metal wall. She added a tally at the end of each lonesome day. She remembered the ship that left her behind but could no longer recall what her parents looked like, but that was okay. They would recognize her when they returned. Rey was sure of it. Just like the boy recognized her. Well, not so much a boy as of late. He looked more like a man now. 

She smiled and pulled the top of her hair into a tiny bun. 

The boy was a figment of her imagination. 

The first time she saw him was near her newly acquired AT-AT, which she turned into a home. The AT-AT was a lucky find, and Rey was territorial over her shelter. She felt confused when she saw the gangly teenager with curly black hair next to her home. How did he get past her traps without setting them off? He didn’t look like he knew what he was standing next to. All Rey knew was she had to protect what was hers, and she found that AT-AT fair and square. She lept to her feet, ran across the sand, and swung her quarter-staff toward him. The teenage boy raised his hand to stop her, but her makeshift weapon went through his body as if he weren’t there. Then, like magic, he disappeared.

Though he was a figment of her imagination and they never talked, the boy grew in size just as she had. Sometimes, Rey thought it was odd that she made up a boy who turned into a man, but no one needed to know about it. Besides, she only saw her imaginary friend occasionally over the last eight years. 

Sometimes she could feel his emotions. He was sad and lonely like her. But Rey had more important things to worry about than her made-up companion, such as scavenging to earn portions and water. She knew the boy was a projection of her feelings, but admitting this would be depressing.

Rey wasn’t just busy scavenging; she was surviving. The grown-ups and other children would often attack her for the parts she collected or her portions. The men sometimes had other plans for her, and she had to set up more booby traps around her makeshift home. Rey didn’t understand how she knew who was trustworthy and who wasn’t, but she was happy she was born with such intuition.

Then again, it was Jakku. Rey learned that she couldn’t trust anyone. She wasn’t sure if she could trust herself. More often than not, stealing someone else’s portions crossed her mind, but Rey couldn’t do it. 

Despite her rough upbringing on Jakku, she knew stealing was wrong. 

Rey finished tying two more buns in her hair, grabbed her makeshift bo-staff, and looked at her growing pile of metal, wires, and other old computer chips. She designed a speeder and one day, she’ll build it. Hopefully sooner, rather than later because the parts took up most of her home. Rey needed to stay positive, but something felt off this morning, and she couldn’t shake this dreadful feeling. But no matter, she had to push through it and scavenge what she could for supplies and food. With a small sigh, she began walking to the graveyard of Star Destroyers.

The morning heat was already excruciating when the young teenager reached a Star Destroyer. She passed by the discarded stormtrooper armor. She sometimes wondered who they were or if they had families. Rey knew these were silly thoughts. It was strange to have compassion for fallen soldiers of the Empire. She would remind herself that curiosity killed the loth cat. 

By the time Rey collected more than enough to bring back, the heat was unbearable. Sweat rolled from her wet hairline and down her cheeks and neck. Plutt was walking near the outskirts when she arrived. He met her with a sneer and followed her to the cleaning stations.

The day's heat disappeared. 

It felt as if her heart had stopped. 

Panic, rage, and sadness flowed through her veins briefly. 

Rey stopped walking and breathing; she couldn’t hear anything around her, but in her mind, she only listened to the scream of a man in agony. But from where? 

The shadow that blanketed her soul swiftly passed, and Rey blinked her eyes several times before finally remembering to breathe. Goosebumps danced across her body.

“What’s going on with you?” Plutt demanded.

“Huh. Do you feel that? It feels… cold.” Rey stared into the distance, looking at nothing but feeling a galaxy’s worth of sorrow.

“You better not be having a kriffing heatstroke, scavenger.”

“I’m not.” Rey quietly responded despite feeling disoriented from whatever happened.

“Then get back to work!” Plutt shoved Rey by her shoulder. 

Rey ground her teeth and walked to the cleaning stations. What was that painful feeling? It felt as if something nearly ripped part of her soul apart. For as long as she could remember, a light she could feel felt duller, making her unexplainably glum. She plopped into a makeshift chair and stared at the greasy, dirty water and scrub brushes.

“You’ll find you’ll survive longer if you do as Plutt and Teedo say,” a shaky voice softly called to her. “Or they’ll call Zuvio and his cousins on you.”

Zuvio was a Kyuzo who was in charge of Niima Outpost’s militia. His cousins Drego and Streehn assisted in enforcing the “laws.” Laws they mostly made up, or laws that Plutt wanted the scavengers to follow.

Rey looked up and saw an older woman carefully scrubbing.

“You know Teedo. He wants you working until your fingers bleed.” The woman continued, not bothering to look at Rey.

Rey nodded and scrubbed the piece of metal in her gloved hand. She’ll worry about this strange feeling later. For now, she must work to earn her day’s meal.

Hours later, she was too tired to worry about that strange feeling or that pained scream from earlier when she returned to her AT-AT. Maybe Plutt was right and she almost had a heat stroke. 

After ensuring her traps were still set, she looked at the sky. 

A sandstorm was approaching; she could feel it. Rey closed the door to the AT-AT then freed her hair from three buns and ran her fingers through it. Her skull lightly throbbed with relief from the day’s tension. 

She walked over to the burner and turned it on. Then she used her finger and mixed the bread powder with some water before placing the small piece of veg-meat onto the burner. She watched as the veg-meat cooked and the polystarch portion bread rose. She removed the veg-meat meat, grabbed the bread, and placed them on a plate.

A gust of wind managed to open the hatch of the Hellhound 2, blasting in sheets of sand in its wake.

“No! No!” Rey covered her face and rushed to the hatch to close it. 

The granules stung her face and hands before she finally managed to shut the hatch. Rey turned back around with a heavy sigh to see how much sand flew in this time. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw small piles of granules on her food.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she sighed.

Rey brushed off her face, arms, and chest and returned to her food. Her stomach was now loudly grumbling. She thoroughly studied her one-quarter portion in dismay before blowing as much sand as she could off the bread and then dusted off both food items with her fingers. A little sand wouldn’t hurt her. She grabbed the polystarch bread and took a large bite. This food was all she had to eat until tomorrow night.

Rey’s lip twitched as she quickly chewed the now grainy, tasteless bread. Not that she would know that other types of bread have flavors. But the granular bits of sand made the texture stomach-churning. She grabbed the veg-meat and took a bite. Her body lightly jumped in rejection, but she continued to eat. The sand was part of life on Jakku. There was no escaping that fact.

Were there worlds without sand? What textures would the people of those planets feel beneath their feet? Did they all have hot climates like Jakku? Probably, but Rey would never know.

Six more years had passed, and Rey always made sure the hatch was locked before the sandstorms hit. 

At nineteen, she had gotten used to feeling when the storms approached or when someone had the worst intentions; the latter became more frequent.

Over time, Rey also learned to bind her breasts as flat as possible. She wore a mask, head covering, and goggles to protect her face, eyes, and ears from the sand. Rey also wore the extra fabric and gear in hopes most men didn’t know or suspect she was female. Rey was far too young when she realized what men look for in females and what happens to them when the traffickers lurk. And why it was primarily men who worked at Niima Outpost.

Despite how dangerous things were, Rey continued to hold onto hope. Hope for her family to return and a hidden longing to venture away from Niima. 

Or maybe she could find a better village, or go off-world as her parents did. 

But what would happen if she left the only life she knew?

Rey didn’t allow herself to ponder these questions for long, just as she didn’t let herself think back on the boy or her near heat stroke. She worked hard daily, followed her intuition, and sometimes found where the traffickers transported the women and children. She freed them on more than one occasion, urging them to hide in a nearby village like Taunal. Niima Outpost was too dangerous for them to return, especially if Plutt sold them. He and Teedo controlled everything. They fattened up while the rest of the scavengers starved to death.

Now, at age nineteen, Rey rubbed her stiff knees after a hard day’s work.

She packed all the extra scrap onto her speeder, tightened the ropes, and then hopped onto her seat. She placed her thumb onto a small scanner and then her vehicle’s power came to life. Rey always felt a sense of satisfaction over her speeder’s design and safety measures. It made the trips to and from the graveyard of Imperial ships much easier and faster. While the days usually ended in a blink of an eye, today she stayed inside the Star Destroyer longer than usual as she needed extra parts for other necessities. 

Rey may be able to bind her breasts, but it is much harder to hide her menses without suitable materials. After returning to the outpost, she quietly made her rounds, talking to the few remaining women who had such things for her. These women only remained due to marriage to another scavenger or being on Plutt’s good side, if he had one. 

Once she finished turning in her scrap, Rey tucked in her necessities with her day’s earned one-quarter portion into her bag and turned to leave, but a cold shudder ripped through her body. Transport ships appeared out of nowhere surrounding Niima. Rey looked at the evening sky and could no longer see the stars. She could vaguely see the Star Destroyer floating off-world in the night sky. She glanced around and saw villagers scrambling to their feet and stormtroopers rushing toward them from every direction. Some were on speeder bikes, while most were on foot. The sounds of panicked whimpers, clanking armor, and high-pitched machinery filled the air.

“It’s the First Order,” Plutt mumbled to Teedo. “I was hoping they would come here at some point. Make sure to round up the best.”

“We need to run,” Rey mainly whispered to herself.

“No one can outrun the First Order.” The older woman stated with a shake of her head.

“Hands up!” A stormtrooper shouted from behind them.

The older woman slowly raised her hands, her arms shaking from old age. Rey reached behind her back for her quarter-staff, but the high-pitched sound of the blasters charging made her realize this was a losing battle. She brought her hands to her head, and two stormtroopers rapidly approached her. One held her wrists while the other forcefully removed her weapon and tossed it.

“Go stand with the rest of the sand rats.” The stormtrooper released Rey’s wrists and shoved her forward.

Rey walked with her hands in the air and joined the rest of the group. Her stomach growled, her throat felt parched, and her cracked lips burned. She hoped whatever was happening would be swift, and she could go home. 

The chaotic air was interrupted by an Upsilon Class Shuttle as it landed nearby. Rey watched as more stormtroopers ran down the loading ramp and joined the rest of those already on the ground. Following the stormtroopers was another, what Rey assumed their leader, wearing beskar armor. Behind the leader was a large man donned in black robes frayed at the edges and torn from whatever battles he fought before. 

Whatever the hell was going on, Rey now feared she had more problems than her empty stomach.

“Oi, what’s the meaning of this?” Unkar Plutt called out after he realized stormtroopers aimed their blasters at him as well.

“Do not speak unless spoken to.” A woman’s voice rang through the evening air.

“That will do, Captain Phasma. This Crolute appears to be the one in charge of this outpost.” The man in black stated. His filtered voice sounded more intimidating than the captain’s, but Rey could barely hear what they were saying. With the other villagers crowded around her, she also couldn’t see the captain or the man in charge clearly, but Rey didn’t dare to move. She’d heard of the First Order; making a scene where she was outnumbered and could not escape would prove fatal. The earliest survival tactic she learned was to blend in when she could. 

“That’s right, I am,” Plutt suddenly clutched his throat and tried to gasp for air.

“I did not ask for you to speak.” The man hissed while he held his hand toward Plutt. “We’re looking for a vital piece of information and a fugitive. All of our leads have brought us here to Jakku.”

Despite his lack of air, Plutt grinned.

“What do you find so amusing?” The captain demanded.

“Well,” Plutt huffed when the pressure around his neck lightened. “Jakku ain’t nothing but a planet full of enslaved people and fugitives. You’re going to need to be more specific.”

“An old humanoid named Lor San Tekka is the fugitive we seek.” The man quickly replied.

Rey knew that name. He’d come and gone as he pleased. It's been years since she had last seen the older man. 

The tall man slightly tilted his head and lowered his hand, “you know of him.”

“I’ve heard of him. I can’t say that I know where he is.” Plutt shifted his heavy feet. “However, I can get the information you need for the right price.”

“Why would we pay you when we have a team still tracking his footsteps?” The captain scoffed.

“Why else are you here then?”

“Because Niima outpost is the largest village on this backwater planet. My teams are already searching this sad little village and the surrounding areas. We’ll find what we need.” 

Rey and the others looked around and realized the captain was right. There were several stormtroopers ransacking everything. 

How did Rey and the others not notice? She didn’t feel frightened or intimidated by the man or the captain. If anything, she was amused by how they spoke to Plutt. The blobfish was getting the tiniest taste of his own medicine. 

Something broke nearby, and Rey held her breath. 

What if stormtroopers found her home, got past her traps, and entered the only place she felt somewhat safe? The idea of these soldiers inside of her AT-AT somehow made her feel violated. She felt the edge of her upper lip curl as her anger grew.

The tall man looked at her before snapping his head in the direction of a stormtrooper with an orange shoulder pad approaching the captain.

“What did you find?”

“Nothing, ma’am. Lor San Tekka is not here.”

The female stormtrooper stepped closer to Plutt. “Lor San Tekka, where is he?” Her demand echoed through the village. “Tell us, or we’ll burn the village to the ground.”

“I swear, I don’t know!” Plutt glared in Rey’s direction before snapping his attention back to the stormtrooper’s captain.

As Plutt squabbled with the captain, Rey could feel someone watching her again. She looked up and saw the man in black meet her gaze. 

His terrible mask reminded her of death.

“Bring her to me.” He demanded and pointed in Rey’s direction. 

“What?” Rey’s jaw dropped. “What did I do?”

Two stormtroopers rushed over to Rey and grabbed her arms.

“Oi, get off me!” Rey wretched her arms away and refused to walk with them. The two soldiers seized her arms again. 

The crowd began to step away from her as she continued to fight off the stormtroopers. Rey kicked one in the chest, knocking him off balance, then reached for a nearby piece of metal and swung it toward the other stormtrooper. She didn’t know what the man from the First Order wanted from her, but she knew she couldn’t trust them. Rey could see the imposing man hastily walking over. 

She was in for it now; she should have just let them walk her over to the stranger… but Rey grew tired of compliance. It was time to take control of her destiny, even if she was killed for standing her ground. 

Before she could continue her attack, pressure formed around her body. With each passing second, it became harder for her to move. Something held Rey in place long enough for two stormtroopers to grasp her arms while one seized her makeshift weapon. Rey looked up to see the man in black towering over her. She could tell the surrounding villagers were frightened of him, but he didn’t scare her.

"So afraid to leave."

That distant voice, where did it come from? 

Was it in her head? 

A distant memory?

“You recognized the name Lor San Tekka.” The quiet filtered voice interrupted her thoughts.

Rey furrowed her eyebrows. How could this man possibly know this?

“Does he live near Niima Outpost?” The stranger pressed on.

Rey tried to free her arms from the stormtroopers' hold but couldn’t. 

“No.” Was all Rey could mutter.

The man seemed to ponder her for a moment. Rey almost closed her eyes in anticipation of retaliation, but his head tilted again.

“When was the last time you saw him?”

Although she felt he wasn’t pushing her for an answer, as though the search for Lor San Tekka was a cover, Rey curled her lips and bared her teeth, “Why do you want him?” Surely, the old man didn’t warrant being hunted down like a nightwatcher worm.

The man stepped closer, “I’ve already explained my reasons. Now answer me: when did you last see Lor San Tekka?”

Rey’s nose flared. She wasn’t going to tell this stranger Tekka’s last known location. The man fed her when her parents left her with Plutt. Tekka showed Rey mercy on a hostile planet. She would have starved to death those first few months on Jakku. She had to learn at an early age how to fight, find the right parts Plutt wanted, and how to survive.

“He was an old man.” Rey defiantly replied. “He’s probably dead by now.”

The tall man remained silent until finally, “Release her,” the filtered voice demanded moments later.

“Yes, sir,” the stormtroopers replied, releasing Rey’s arms.

She looked at the man once the pressure around Rey’s body dissipated. Rey could tell the man was studying her and analyzing her pathetic answer. She somehow knew the man didn’t believe her. It was only a matter of time before she was punished or tortured for information. 

That’s how people in power work. It’s how it’s always been. 

Rey stood her ground, waiting for whatever he would order, but nothing happened.

The man turned to Captain Phasma, “I want divisions placed throughout this village and surrounding areas."

"As you wish," the captain replied. 

There was no emotion in the captain’s voice, but Rey could sense the woman was cold-hearted. 

Some days, Rey hated knowing someone's demeanor. On nights like this, she was thankful. She knew the First Order wasn't in a hurry to leave and could only hope Lor San Tekka already died peacefully. The First Order's reputation was one to be feared. 

The man in black turned to Rey once more. Though she could not see his face, she nervously swallowed. His mask didn't frighten her, but something unnerved her. Somehow she felt something familiar about him, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. For some reason, she waited for him to continue. He wanted something. 

“Look, with all due respect, can my people go about their business? They wake up early to scavenge. You can imagine how little scrap they will bring me tomorrow due to the lack of sleep. If I physically punish them too harshly, they move slower. Or if I restrict their rations, some may just drop dead."

Rey continued to glare at the obsidian and chrome mask and watched the man flex his fingers before he clenched his fists. Even after he slowly turned away from her and walked back to his shuttle, she felt almost mesmerized.

"They may go about their business as though we are not here, but I warn you,” the female stormtrooper hissed, “Should any of them interfere with the First Order."

"I can promise no one will give you trouble," Plutt coldly chuckled. "Now, we have other business that may interest you or your soldiers."

Rey curled her lip in disgust while she walked away from the Crolute, the captain, and the man who led this ridiculous expedition. Her heart ached for those sold into humanoid trafficking. She reached for her staff, and once it was in her hand, Rey turned around and looked at the village. She knew what she needed to do. 

A few hours later, Rey managed to sneak past a few stormtroopers. She wasn’t surprised to see members of the local militia as well. She knocked Zuvio’s guards unconscious with a few hard hits of her quarter-staff. After she slipped into the tent Plutt held people for trafficking, she unsheathed her knife and began cutting the ropes that bound the newly trafficked sex slaves.

"What are you doing?" A woman hissed when Rey began to tear her binds.

"I'm giving you a second chance at life. Now is your chance to run to another village."

"They'll only hunt us down and kill you for helping us."

Rey pursed her lips and ignored her rising anger, "If I die for doing what is right, then so be it.”

“You’re a fool.” The woman hastily replied.

“As are you if you allow them to capture you again. Now, let’s go!” Rey stood and pointed to the back of the tent.

With haste, she scurried over to the backside of the tent and stabbed the fabric with her knife. After she pulled the blade down to the sand, she cautiously peered outside. Rey watched two stormtroopers slowly walk by in the distance. She couldn’t hear what they were saying but could tell they weren’t closely paying attention to their duty. Once they were further away, Rey waved the small group of people over.

“Hurry, those two stormtroopers walk from that post over there,” Rey explained while pointing to a nearby hut, “then back to this one over here.”

The small group scurried across the sand. Rey followed behind them, her quart-staff ready to defend herself or one of the women ahead of her. Just as they reached the outskirts of town, they heard a terrible screech from above. 

A Ripper-raptor with its outstretched, leather wings flew toward the group. Its razor-sharp claws opened. Rey’s eyes widened in fear when she realized it would attack the smallest girl. Rey swung her staff when the giant bird got close, making it swerve toward the sky again.

“You’ve led us to our deaths,” the same woman from earlier accused.

“Don’t be dramatic. It must not have found enough Carrion earlier. We just need to feed it something, and it will leave us alone.” Rey sucked in a quick breath and braced herself to swing again as the Ripper-raptor descended, screeching louder than earlier.

“Over there!”

“What’s the meaning of this?”

A group of stormtroopers, Zuvio, and his wannabe militia ran toward them. Before the group could respond, the stormtroopers began shooting their blasters. Red bolts of plasma flew past Rey and the others, burning the sand and transforming the grains into shards of glass from the heat.

“Set your blasters to stun!” 

Phasma’s voice shrilled over the noise of the blasters, the screams of the women and children, and the terrible noise of the Ripper-raptor. One final screech from the large bird echoed across the land before it crash-landed nearby after getting shot before the blasters switched to stun.

A few women and children managed to get ahead, and Rey began to fight off the soldiers who ran toward them. A couple of women fell after being stunned by the blasters. The terrible pain of the butt of a blaster hitting the back of Rey’s head disoriented her, and she stumbled to the ground.

“You again!” Phasma shouted. “What have you done this time?”

“Never you mind about what she’s done aside from losing us money. This scavenger is always trouble,” Zuvio growled.

Rey swung her staff once more before Phasma caught it in her hand.

“Let’s make this hurt.” 

Chapter Text

“Kriff you! Get off of me!” Rey growled and fought the stormtroopers who reached for her.

She could punch them in their faces if only they didn’t wear their stupid, useless masks. 

“Leave this scavenger to us,” Teedo demanded.

“Leave this scavenger to you? When the Crolute claimed no one would give us trouble?” Phasma scoffed. “Why do you think my men responded so swiftly? I trained my stormtroopers to take down any potential threat. You stated that this one is a troublemaker, and here she is disrupting the whole kriffing village and our mission.”

“All the more reason you should hand her over to us.” The militia leader Zuvio menacingly replied. “I promise the punishment will be as painful as possible before we decide what to do with her.”

The captain in the chrome armor looked at Rey as she tried to pull and kick her way away from her captors.

“Should you fail, I’ll skin you alive myself,” Phasma warned Teedo and Zuvio.

Zuvio looked at his men and pulled out a vibroblade, "You heard the lady; make it hurt."

“Fuck-” Rey tried to gasp for air after a knee swiftly landed against her abdomen. 

But Rey couldn’t breathe. She didn’t have time to react when a fist came to her face. Rey felt herself fall forward, but she only landed on her knees before she felt the sting of a slap. Rough hands grasped her arms. She barely noticed the heavy chains that now bound her wrists.

The seconds felt like hours before she finally sucked a short breath through her teeth. Her body had already begun to respond to the back-to-back painful blows she was receiving. Her face felt clammy, and the areas she was punched or kicked throbbed in pain, while the rest of her body already felt numb. But nothing prepared her for how the vibroblades burned and tore her skin. Nothing could have prepared her for smelling her charred flesh. Rey ground her teeth, held her breath, and did everything she could not to cry out in pain. 

“Where the hell is she?!” Unkar Plutt’s voice echoed through the air. “You low-life scavenger scum. Are you trying to make me lose more money?!” His heavy breaths grew closer. “Outta my way.” The Crolute roughly pushed through the crowd.

Rey closed her eyes before she felt the leather and chains of Plutt’s whip strike her now bare back and arms. She almost grinned to herself. Plutt’s punishment no longer felt as severe as it did years ago. Especially now that Zuvio and his militia had attacked her. But Rey knew she was moments away from passing out. She knew she needed to hold on for as long as possible to delay the inevitable. 

But something else caught her attention as she slowly began to lose her sense of hearing due to the ringing in her ears. A new wave of fury had arrived. Everything in her field of vision became fuzzy, and she felt as though she were moving in slow motion. Her eyes fluttered before her face landed in the cool grains of sand below her.

The pathetic band of militia and surrounding stormtroopers flew backward with one angry gesture. The man’s pleated sleeve strained against his muscle as he raised his arm again and focused on the force that surrounded him. Several necks broke within seconds, while others, such as Teedo and Zuvio, tried in vain to gasp for air. 

The man in black loved hearing them suffer. 

The shining armor of Captain Phasma caught his attention. He should have known better than to leave Phasma in charge. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t in his plan.

“Captain Phasma, what is the meaning of all this?”

“From what I gather, the scavenger tried to disrupt their business. Unkar Plutt said he would lose money, thanks to her." Phasma tilted her head to the side. "You know I trained my stormtroopers to take down anyone who causes a fuss. I simply took control of the situation.” The woman’s filtered voice rang with confidence. She had personally trained the division herself. And while this division ran missions, she usually trained their replacements. 

Like a well-oiled machine, the stormtroopers were always in rotation.

Ren and Phasma looked at the battered woman on the ground. Most of her wounds had already cauterized, but medical attention would be necessary for her to survive without lifelong consequences. Phasma looked to the man in charge and then back to the scavenger.

“Sir,” Phasma began but stopped when she watched him wave his leather-clad hand.

Rey’s unconscious body was lifted off the ground, and he walked around her, carefully studying the wounds on her back and arms. The back of her shredded tunic was now stained with blood and smudged with sand. With simple grace, he moved the woman into his arms and carried her to his command shuttle. 

There was a familiarity about her that he hadn’t felt for so long but desperately sought. 

When he interrogated her earlier in the day, he felt the flicker of light within her, but there was also darkness. He knew she lied about Lor San Tekka, just as he did. Not that it mattered. She had met the old man several times when she was younger. Kylo caught brief flashes of her memories while the stormtroopers held the village at bay. Despite being somewhat frightened, the girl stood her ground. She was stronger than she knew.

Furthermore, he watched as she reached for her quarterstaff. Her melee weapon was only a few inches away, but it drifted to her. Kylo was now sure she didn’t realize what she had just done. 

The Force was strong in her but it remained unnoticed by Rey.

With the woman in his arms, Kylo walked up the command shuttle's steep ramp and demanded everyone to leave. The men walked away, both equally confused and afraid. When it came to the dirty work of killing and torturing their enemies, Kylo was very hands-on. When it came to detaining prisoners, he let the stormtroopers handle them. 

But this girl was no prisoner. She was something else.

“The girl I heard so much about.”

The modulated voice echoed in Rey’s dream before she jolted awake. She immediately noticed the cooler, less dusty air surrounding her, and the feel of large leather-clad hands carefully holding her. Her eyes widened when she saw the now too-familiar black and silver mask and she winced in pain when she tried to squirm out of his hold.

“Just relax. You’re free of your restraints.” His modulated voice was quieter than before, but it wasn’t enough to soothe or relax her alert mind.

“What happened?” Rey sucked a deep, painful breath through her teeth when he set her on her feet and released his hold on her back and arms. Every little movement and breath ushered a new wave of pain throughout her body and wounds. Her tattered tunic slid forward; she quickly grasped the fabric and held it in place.

“You’ve suffered lacerations to your back and arms.”

He didn’t exactly answer her question. Rey looked around at the dark durasteel walls around them. “Where am I?”

“You’re my guest.” 

There was a hint of amusement in the man’s voice. 

Frustrated, Rey let out a small sigh, “Who are you?”

The man removed his helmet to reveal raven-black hair and a pale face with a prominent nose and jaw. Constellations of beauty marks decorated his skin. He was quite handsome, unlike anything Rey had witnessed on Jakku. Rey’s lips parted in surprise to see someone so young under the hideous mask. She felt like she knew him, but it couldn’t be true.

“Someone who can help you.” The man’s deep voice was smooth and soothing. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone spoke softly to her.

Rey shook her head and curled her lip in disbelief, “You work for the First Order. You can’t help me.”

“But I can, and I already have.” He countered. “Zuvio, Plutt, and Teedo were hellbent on maiming every inch of your body before they sold you.”

“And why did you stop them?” Rey snapped.

“Why did you release the prisoners?” He countered.

“Why do you think?!” Rey could feel her temper rising again. She fucking hurt all over and wasn’t in the mood for questions.

“Because no one deserves to be treated as property.” The man curtly replied. “That is why I stopped them.”

“But you were going to buy the prisoners!”

The man finally broke eye contact with her when he blinked at Rey’s accusation. “Was I?” 

If Rey didn’t know any better, the man’s lip nearly twitched into an amused smile. How could any of this be funny? Rey grew tired of his games. If only she had a chance to kill him and run away. She watched as he cocked his head just the slightest. His amber-colored eyes bore an intensity like none other.

“You would kill me? Without knowing anything about me?”

Her jaw slacked in surprise. Could he read her thoughts? Just as she thought she could read others?

“Why wouldn’t I kill you?” Rey deflected. “I know all about the First Order.”

“You do?” He stepped closer and studied Rey momentarily, “Ah, you do.”

“What do you want from me? I don’t know where Lor San Tekka is.”

This prompted a brief and simple smirk from the man before her. “If I were you, I wouldn’t bother lying again. I know you are trying to hide his last known whereabouts. But I won’t hold that against you for now. I know he'll eventually return. The fact of the matter is, I need your help with another urgent matter. I planned on discussing the matter with you tomorrow, but now that circumstances have changed.”

It was Rey’s turn to smile in disbelief. The man was either insane or stupid. 

“I’ll never help the First Order.”

“We’ll see,” he promptly replied. “I don’t exactly work for the First Order.”

“Then why did you arrive with Snoke’s stormtroopers?”

“Former Supreme Leader Snoke is dead. I killed him myself.”

Rey’s blood ran cold, and she forgot to breathe for a moment as the truth washed over her. She’d heard of this man before. Someone known as the Jedi killer. No one knew for sure if Supreme Leader Snoke was truly dead, but Rey could not detect any lies from the man before her.

“Now, do you now know who I am?”

Rey paused and finally answered, “Kylo Ren.”

Her voice was quieter than intended. She wouldn’t exactly say she was afraid of him or his reputation. She was raised on a planet full of nightmares and monsters. But Rey decided to tread carefully and listen to what he had to say. Why else would he agree to help her?

“Why do you think I can help you?”

“To make a long story short, as Supreme Leader and next in line to become Emperor, I am now taking charge of systems and their people in the name of the First Order and, therefore, the Emperor. I am tasked to ensure diplomacy-”

“The First Order doesn’t believe in diplomacy,” Rey interrupted with a hiss.

“No more than the thugs who run the villages on Jakku.” He conceded. “But I can take you away from this planet and help you become more than what this environment expects you to be: a slave until the day you die.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Because you keep interrupting.” Kylo paused, waiting for Rey to pipe in again. When it was apparent he had made his point, he continued. “Not many people know this, but my grandfather and great-grandmother were slaves on Tatooine: a planet that is similar to Jakku. I simply wish to end slavery as part of my diplomatic mission from the Emperor. What better way to prove my point when I have someone like you by my side? Someone the people of the galaxy can relate to–”

“And the Emperor will let you- wait,” Rey blinked several times. “The Emperor is back? I thought he died?”

“As did the whole galaxy. From what I understand, this is a clone of the Emperor but just as powerful as the original Sheev Palpatine.”

“But why would he allow someone like me by your side?”

When Kylo Ren’s eyes locked on hers again, she felt an odd mix of warmth and cold flow through her body. Almost as if she could trust him, but she knew this man was dangerous. More so than the company he kept.

“The Emperor has taken over my training to help me control my powers. And to train me as his successor. I mentioned I am on a more diplomatic mission than the First Order-”

“They only know of aggressive negotiations.” Rey once again interrupted what felt like a well-rehearsed speech.

“I guess you can say that. Although, aside from this evening, how much hands-on experience have you had with the First Order?” Kylo waited for the answer he already knew: she had none. “The Emperor trusts my decision to approach things differently and has suggested I find a wife. I’m already in charge of several systems, this planet will be under my control as well, and should you accept, yours. You could help ensure fair treatment to the people of this planet and more.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Rey stifled a laugh and winced in pain. “I must have hit my head. Did you just propose marriage?”

“I unofficially proposed marriage to you.”

Dumbfounded, Rey shook her head. “Aside from knowing I’m a scavenger, you don’t know a thing about me.”

“I think I know more about you than the people who enslaved you.” Kylo took a step toward Rey and then another. “I can feel how strong you are. It wasn’t because Lor San Tekka fed you from time to time or that Plutt barely managed to keep you alive that you survived this long. You lived and survived because of who you are. There’s something special about you that you haven’t realized.” He watched Rey’s eyes widen and lightly shook his head, “Or you’ve realized it and have only denied what's inside of you.”

“How could you possibly know this?” Her whisper was barely audible.

It felt as though time had stopped when he delayed an answer. 

“Because I can feel it. You have the same power as I do. I can show you the ways of the Force and bring you to power in more ways you could imagine.”

“But I don’t want power.”

“You don’t want to continue to live like this, do you? What do you think will happen if I return you to Plutt?” 

Kylo stood less than a foot in front of Rey. He could count the freckles on her face while she contemplated answering him.

“Plutt would sell me to the highest bidder, and I would be on my back for the rest of my days.” Rey nervously swallowed. “How would this,” she gestured between them, “be any different?”

After catching on to her shy hint, Kylo's expression softened just the slightest. “I have no plans on forcing consummation. I have far more important plans that consist of finding Lor San Tekka,” he held up a finger when Rey opened her mouth to protest. The old man wasn’t as important as her. Kylo found what he needed. The hunt for the old hermit would proceed at another time. “I said I’ll let it slide for now. But he holds a vital piece of information that I desperately need. Instead of finding a needle in a haystack, I’ll prioritize teaching you the ways of the Force, but should you join me, under no circumstance can the Emperor know about your training.”

“Why would he care?”

“He will eventually learn of your power and could perceive you as a threat. As for the Emperor, I have other plans for him.” Kylo’s eyebrows dipped as if he were worried about proceeding. “You should know I’m not the most patient man, but I’ll treat you as my equal, and whatever ideas or advice you may have for the planets we will rule over, I’ll listen. I want to help you the way you’ll help me. Or you can go back and live the rest of your days here on Jakku. Waiting for a family that will never return.”

“Oh, well, when you put it like that,” Rey rolled her eyes before flenching in pain again.

“I’ll order a bacta tank to be prepared for you.”

“I haven’t given you my answer.”

Kylo looked at Rey as stoic as ever. If she had the same powers as him, she had trouble reading him. Perhaps it was due to his training, whatever that was. Maybe he could help her.

“Well?” Kylo offered his hand.

Rey looked at the soft yet thick leather that surrounded his fingers. Would it be so wrong to take up his offer? To have a chance of improving her life and maybe helping others? 

Tentatively, she placed her hand in his and held her tunic with the other hand.

“I’m Rey.” She studied Kylo momentarily before adding, “You already knew my name, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“How?”

“The how doesn’t matter,” Kylo replied.

For someone as large and intimidating, he gently tugged on her hand and walked her toward the ramp.

“Now, do you want to see your oppressors and the village burn?” His eyebrows lifted just the slightest when she looked at him. “Let the galaxy know what happens when someone threatens Kylo Ren’s bride. After all, the villagers who called you a fool for helping them don’t deserve to walk away scot-free, don’t you agree?”

Rey looked down the boarding ramp. The morning sun was just beginning to spread across the endless desert. She could see several shadows of stormtroopers below. To Rey, those shadows were more humane than the locals she constantly fought against just to survive. Suddenly, it felt strangely okay to give in to this dark deed just this once. With Plutt and the others finally dead, that’s less vile and scum running around on Jakku. She knew the innocent ones managed to escape when she was beaten senselessly.

“No,” Rey replied a few moments later. “I don’t suppose they do.”

“Captain Phasma, burn down the village. No quarter. No prisoners.”

“Yes, Sir.” Captain Phasmsa robotically replied.

“Lieutenant Tavson, bring the crew back on deck and bring us back to the Finalizer.”

Rey hadn’t noticed Kylo placed his helmet back on until she heard his modulated voice.

“Order my bacta tank to be prepared and tell Captain Peavey our next designation will be Takodana.”

“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Tavson answered.

In the distance, Rey could hear the blaster firings and the screams of the villagers as they tried to run away. The ship hummed to life, and the loading ramp hissed as it closed. As the ship began its ascent, the slight jolt ushered another ripple of pain through Rey’s battered body.

“Rey,” Kylo tilted his head toward the viewport. “Say goodbye to your past.”

Rey looked out the large viewport before her. They were now in the air, facing Niima Outpost. She watched as flames tore through the battered tents as stormtroopers continued their barrage. Her past was dead, and an uncertain future lay ahead.

The flight from Jakku to the Finalizer didn’t take long. Rey followed Kylo down the ramp after the command shuttle landed. Stormtroopers stood on either side as they walked through the hangar bay. Two men stood at attention at the end of the line of stormtroopers. One man was older with grey hair, while the other had a fiery red that matched the temperish scowl that lay on his face.

“Supreme Leader, I have received your orders for Takadona, and we are ready as soon as you wish it.”

“You may proceed, Captain Peavey.”

“Supreme Leader, that doesn’t look like Lor San Tekka.” The ginger-haired man all but spat out. His lip curled when he looked at Rey. “Who the hell–”

“The old man is hard to trace. If you feel you can track him down, you are more than welcome to fly down to Jakku yourself, General Hux.” Kylo replied without looking at the man and continued walking. “You are dismissed.”

The sound of stormtroopers marching grew distant as Rey followed Kylo through an endless maze of hallways. Once they entered a lift, Rey couldn’t take the silence any longer.

“Who was that man?”

“General Hux is nothing more than a thorn in my side. You needn’t mind him, but watch your back. He is a treacherous snake waiting to strike.”

The lift’s doors suddenly opened, and they walked through a nearly empty hallway. Six cloaked figures stood ahead on either side of another set of doors.

“Sir, your bacta tank is ready as ordered.” One of the men declared. It was a miracle the man could see through the tiny visors across his eyes. He then turned to look at Rey, “This one has more light than shadow.” He tightened his grip on his arm canon.

“Cardo, for the time, the light encompasses the shadow.” Kylo coldly explained. “She is mine to train, and now-”

“Yours to train?” Another man said and studied the pair momentarily. Rey could feel the slightest pressure in her mind. “Fiancè? She’s your fiancè? The mighty Kylo Ren is engaged?” A man named Vicrul amusingly exclaimed.

Kylo escorted Rey through the doors that swiftly closed once they were inside the medical room.

“Oh come on! Can’t you give us a show?” Vicrul called through the doors.

The sudden yelp and thud of a body being thrown against the durasteel walls were followed by the deep chuckles of the other men on the other side. Rey looked at Kylo as he brought his hand back down. 

Was this the power he had mentioned earlier? 

“The Knights of Ren are my personal guard and enforcers. They will also help you train in combat. I would suggest that you ignore their crude behavior, but I’m sure you are used to the vulgar men of Jakku.”

“My guess is men across the universe are all the same.”

“Not all men.” Kylo looked at a med droid as it approached.

Rey felt a brief cool wave travel through her body. She knew it wasn’t the filtered air of the Star Destroyer. It was Kylo’s response to seeing the droid.

“This is where I leave you. The knights will not have access to my medbay for the time being.”

“Why does that matter?”

“The show they are referring to is the fact you need to strip down to nothing before entering the tank.”

“Oh,” Rey looked at the tank to avoid the lifeless mask looking at her.

“Before you step inside the tank, the med droid will administer a sleeping aid. Once you're inside, you’ll fall into a state of sleep while healing. The droid will also scan your body for measurements, and fresh clothes and food will be available when you awaken. The med droid will alert me when the time comes.”

Rey watched the tall man walk toward the doors. This whole situation felt strange and unusual. She could sense unease from the man who may have saved her life. She almost thanked him, but such simple words felt more foreign than the new star destroyer they stood in.

After the doors sealed shut and she heard the distinct sound of the locks, Rey peered around the room. She looked at the droid as it waited by the bacta tank. 

“You’re not going to watch me, are you?” Rey eyed the droid suspiciously. 

It only beeped in response. She slowly unbound what remained of her arm wraps and made a small hiss through her teeth when she reached for the material of her tunic behind her neck. Rey held her breath and ripped the remaining piece that stayed stitched together. Most of her breastband was also burned and torn from the attack. Waves of pain ripped across her back as she continued to undress until finally, the dirty rags that she wore daily were a heap of bloody, sandy scraps of cloth on the floor next to her feet.

Rey walked over to the coffin-like fixture and watched as it slid open.

“Now, what do I do?” She asked. 

But as bacta began to fill the tank, Rey looked at the oxygen mask. She knew she needed to lie down inside the tank. 

A small ripple of fear took over. 

She had seen trace amounts of bacta on Jakku before. She always wondered if clean water would resemble the clear liquid used to treat injuries. And now, she was going to be submerged in it? 

What if the mask doesn’t work? Would she drown? Would drowning be less painful than being beaten to death?

Rey felt a small but sharp pain in her arm, followed by a slow burn that flowed through the surrounding flesh. Rey looked at the droid who held a needle in one claw-like hand and gestured to the tank with the other. She climbed into the tank, grabbed the oxygen mask, and slid it over her face before crawling into the bacta tank. After the droid pressed a button she could hear and feel the oxygen flow. The air smelt more sterile than anything she had encountered. Groggily, Rey blinked a few times before her vision blurred. 

The last thing Rey thought of was the hauntingly sorrowful eyes of Kylo Ren. By the time the warm bacta surrounded her aching flesh, she had already fallen asleep.

Chapter Text

Everything surrounding Rey was covered in white. While her skin was cold to the touch, the fluffy flakes floating in the air melted on her cheeks and hands. Her adrenaline rush kept her moving. 

But why was she running? Where was she going? 

Suddenly, the frosted forest disappeared. Rey was now falling into a dark abyss. She could hear nearby ocean waves, much like the ones she had dreamt of. It felt like forever before she plummeted into the lukewarm, salty water. 

Up! 

She needed to make her way back to the surface! 

Rey swung her arms in front of her and tried to kick her legs but couldn't. Her legs refused to move, and her arms kept hitting the rock in front of her. She was desperate to find light, desperate for air, desperate for help.

Repeatedly, she tried to move her body to no avail. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her throat felt tight. She wasn't going to make it.

Rey's eyes snapped open with a large gasp. If it weren't for the ventilator, she would have inhaled the bacta she was submerged in. Robotic movements caught her eye as the medical droid flipped a few switches before looking into the coffin-like structure. She could hear an alarm blaring through the thick glass of the tank. 

The thick liquid around her began to descend and the alarm paused. When the bacta was low enough for Rey to breathe on her own, she reached for the mask to remove it, but fresh water suddenly sprayed her face, hair, and body. Once the slippery film of the bacta was no longer evident the top of the tank slid open. She quickly lifted her head above the glass walls and removed the mask. 

The med droid stood nearby and pointed to black towels and a robe. Rey observed the room as she took several breaths to calm herself. She climbed out of the tank and walked over to the fresh linens.

"What happened to me?" Rey brought the soft fabric to her face and wiped it before running it through her hair.

Surprisingly, it didn't hurt to move her arms and her back. She couldn't feel the dull aches in her knees or hands that she usually woke with. As for the fresh wounds, it felt like they had never happened.

When the droid pressed a button, a report flashed on a screen. Rey quickly wiped down the rest of her body and picked up the robe. She narrowed her eyes in confusion, slid her arms through the sleeves, and pulled the front closed. The fabric was unlike anything she had felt before. It wasn't rough or itchy. Had her lacerations remained, the fabric would have more than likely slid right over without tugging on her skin.

It was comfortable to wear. 

It reminded her of the wraps she wore over her clothes on jakku. 

Once she tied the front of the robe, she walked over to the screen and tried to make sense of the readings.

Another beep across the room claimed her attention, followed by the hiss of the durasteel doors opening. She saw the shadowy figure of Kylo Ren storm into the room before the doors promptly closed behind him. 

Rey's breath turned shallow. 

While he strode over she couldn’t help but feel the way he moved his body seemed familiar. She unconsciously raised her hands and held the top of her robe tight, not that there was much to see or that he was interested. The fact he stated he was in no hurry to consummate their upcoming nuptials confirmed this. But still, Rey wasn't used to having anyone in such proximity to her while she was in such a state.

Kylo removed his mask and locked his eyes on hers before looking at the report.

"Your heart rate spiked, causing the alarms to go off." He quietly explained while scrolling down. "According to the readings, your body has healed and there were no internal injuries. You must have had a nightmare or panic attack before waking."

"Oh." Was all Rey managed to say. 

A strange feeling prickled within Rey’s body when she saw Kylo look at her out of the corner of his eye.

He looked relieved… but why?

"How do you feel? Do you have any pain?"

"I don't feel any pain."

Kylo slightly worked his jaw, "May I look at your back?"

Rey sucked a sharp breath and nervously swallowed.

"If I wanted to, I could have looked at your body while you were unconscious in my arms."

Silently, Rey nodded, then turned around. She could feel his eyes on her. It made her heart beat faster, and she could feel the tips of her ears burning. Carefully, she slid the robe down her back while covering her breasts with what she could of the cloth and her arms. 

Kylo observed Rey’s beautifully toned back. "You look perfect.” He quietly stated after a long, heart-stopping minute. “I can't tell you were injured." 

Her shoulders were decorated with freckles that he could make constellations with. He turned away when he noticed the faint blush on Rey’s cheeks and ears. 

"We'll arrive on Takodana soon. If you want to change your mind, you should do so now."

Rey pulled the robe over her shoulders and tied the front again. "I've made my decision, but," she turned around to face him only to see his broad shoulders. She hadn't noticed he turned away.

"But what?" He asked when she paused for too long.

"I don't know where my clothes are."

"I had the seamstress droids make clothes for you while you slept. Unless you want the bloodied and torn scraps of cloth?"

"No!” She paused, “Thank you.” Rey cleared her throat. “I'm sorry, but this still feels strange."

"I know."

"And by strange, I mean I'm awkward. You've been nothing but generous. I'm not used to it–"

"I'm not generous. You're fine the way you are. Hopefully, things between us will progress more naturally as time passes."

A small smile crossed Rey's lip, "I think it will." She watched as his shoulders rose with a deep breath.

"As I was explaining, your new clothes are over there. Your dress–"

"Dress?"

"It’s nothing too formal, just something for the wedding."

The wedding! kriff! Rey never thought of marriage before.

"As soon as we finish the ceremony, we'll report to Coruscant–"

"Why are we making a trip to Takodana just for the wedding? Wouldn't it make more sense to do it here on the ship or Coruscant? Does Takodana have a special meaning to you?"

Kylo remained silent before slowly turning to face her.

"You like the color green, despite only seeing it on the rare spinebarrels that grew under the rocks surrounding Niima Outpost. And you’ll soon learn that we’ll spend a lot of time on the Star Destroyers, you’ll grow tired of it, as we all have. As for Coruscant, it is an eternal city. It may not be to your liking."

Once more, Rey realized Kylo knew more about her than he admitted. He was going out of his way to bring her to a planet full of her favorite color. A warmth flowed through her body at the thought. Maybe Kylo Ren wasn't a tyrant?

"That's very kind of you, Kylo–"

The slight change in pressure and small jolt interrupted Rey. She felt out of sorts. Kylo grabbed her elbow when she leaned forward and stumbled.

"We just came out of hyperspace; you'll get used to it soon." He withdrew his hand and picked up his helmet. "I'll wait in the hall while you dress."

His footsteps echoed as he walked away. Rey saw the Knights of Ren waiting for him when the durasteel doors slid open. Through their darkness, she could feel the men were slightly amused yet supportive of the one they call master.

Kylo leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and closed his eyes. He knew his men wouldn't be able to stay silent and waited for the inevitable.

"So," Vicrul started. "Today's the day."

The men quietly waited for a response.

"The day our master finally becomes a man?" Cardo joined in. 

Another pause.

"Ah yes. Master, how long will you last?" Ap'lek asked.

"I'm bettin' less than five." Trudgen held up his hand. 

"You're so generous, good sir," Kuruk coldly chuckled. "Have you seen the girl?" He thrust his hips into the air. "Kylo will come as soon as he's inside her–”

The other knights laughed when Kylo used the Force to lift Kuruk into a chokehold.

"Honesty, Kuruk, I think you enjoy punishment." Ushar coldly chuckled.

"I just need to get laid on the next planet we land on." Kuruk cackled after Kylo lessened his hold.

"You lot will keep your mouth shut and not project your thoughts onto the girl," Kylo demanded. "I've worked too hard to find Rey and make her the future Empress for you to fuck it up now."

"But why her? What's special about her?" Trudgen asked. “Out of all the women in the galaxy, you picked a sand rat.”

Kylo released Kuruk. "Are you questioning my orders or my intent?" Kylo's voice dripped with venom.

The knights straightened their backs and shook their heads. The men have grown used to their master’s mood swings, but they never anticipate him being overprotective over a girl from Jakku.

“No, Master. I would never question your orders. I’ve faithfully served you since you killed our last master–”

"And you know I'll destroy you the moment I feel a lapse in loyalty." Kylo knows loyalty is bought; that his knights only truly serve the Emperor.

No one was ever loyal to him.

Cardo shifted. “We've only shown you our loyalty. You’re misunderstanding Kuruk’s intent–”

Kylo immediately turned to his comrade, "Will you be the first to challenge me?"

"No, Master.” Cardo quickly replied. He almost sounded genuine, but Ren knew better. “I do worry. Your search for the girl came out of nowhere.”

"I have a question," Trudgen the fool piped in. 

Kylo slowly turned his head, his agitation growing by the minute.

"How long until she realizes you were not looking for Lor San Tekka? We could have easily found him on that miserable desert planet."

"When Rey comes to the realization, I will handle it."

Trudgen collapsed his hands near his mask and tilted his head. "Spoken like a true husband." He playfully cooed.

The other nights chuckled, then quickly stopped. They could feel the young woman's apprehension as she approached the doors.

"Here comes the bride," Vicrul uttered.

"Not another word," Kylo growled through his mask. 

They waited and waited; the doors never opened. Kylo could feel Rey walking away, regretting her decision. Under his mask, he rolled his lips to restrain a sigh and reentered the room.

The doors opened, and Rey paused in her steps. She clenched and unclenched her fist, not quite meeting what should be Kylo's eyes. He could sense she didn't like the mask, but she would have to get used to it for the time being. He also sensed her panic. 

Thankful he didn’t remove the mask, Kylo felt his lips part while he greedily observed her neatly toned arms and how the cream-colored dress hugged the slight curves of her body. The jeweled beads along her small waist and skirt reflected the low lights of the room with each breath she took. Rey had wrapped a plain piece of sheer fabric over her shoulders and across her breasts, just as she had with her previous outfit. Despite the little faux pas, Rey looked elegant and like an Empress in the making.

His future Empress.

“This was meant to be worn as a veil–" Kylo nonchalantly began to explain but stopped when Rey glowered at him.

Rey crossed her arms, “I look ridiculous.”

“Rey.”

Once more, she began pacing the room. 

“This dress is ridiculous." Rey grasped the beaded material with one hand and glared at Kylo. "Am I a joke to you? And why does it fit me perfectly? How did that happen?”

“Forgive me, I’m failing to understand why you are upset.”

“Is this how people dress?”

“Depending on their class and the planet, yes. As the future Empress–”

“How am I supposed to fight?” She spread her fingers across her chest as if to ensure the fabric covered her. “I feel naked dressed like this.”

"Who are you going to fight?"

"I–" Rey finally paused and looked at him. "Whoever is going to steal my portions or these" –she grabbed a handful of the jeweled fabric trailing across her waist and down the skirts of the dress– "Things. This jewelry."

"Should anyone be foolish enough to attack you, they'll die by my hand before they come near you. And that's if they get past the stormtroopers and my knights."

"No matter how pretty you dress me" –Rey pointed toward the hall– "They will only view me as a scavenger. A sand rat. As will the rest of the galaxy." 

"Is that what this is about? I trust once you grow past your insecurities–"

"I am not insecure."

"Then why have a fit over clothes?" Kylo removed his mask to look at her without the filter of the mask. "Trust me, Rey. The fact that you come from nowhere will be more beneficial for you than you think. You'll get used to your new attire and your new role in the galaxy. You'll never have to worry about your next meal or clean water. I promise to protect you in every way I possibly can." He briefly paused and took a shallow breath. "But I cannot protect you if you do not allow me. You may feel you don’t need help,  but a problem is rising before you. The abilities that lie dormant are awakening. You need a teacher. You'll need to learn how to control your power, or you might destroy yourself." 

Rey knew Kylo was right. Whatever this power was, it had always slept deep within her. But she can feel something awakened in her. Through that very thing, the Force, she could feel it telling her to trust Kylo. She somehow knew this man knew firsthand what would happen if someone didn't get their power under control.

"Okay," Rey conceded and shifted her stance. "The boots are comfortable, but I still feel foolish." She untied the thing cloth from across her chest. Feeling the cooler air immediately made goosebumps rise across the valley of her breasts. The material of the dress did nothing to hide her feminine figure. She shied away from Kylo when he took the fabric from her hands and off her shoulders. 

"While my paternal great-grandmother and my paternal grandfather were slaves on Tatooine, my maternal grandmother was a queen on Naboo," Kylo explained and placed the fabric over her hair. "My mother was also royalty while my father was a spice runner. You'll find your footing in this new world I've placed you in. I hope you find the luxury of your new lifestyle a minor inconvenience." He studied her for a moment, "Let any fool who wishes to believe you are nothing more than a scavenger face me. Though I have no doubt you'll have no trouble putting them in their place."

The corner of Rey's lips twitched into a shy, half smile. She unfolded her arms and lightly touched the fabric that now framed her face. 

Kylo extended his hand toward her, "Rey, it’s time to take control of your fate. Join me and rule by my side."

Rey looked into the man's eyes and then at the leather surrounding his hand. She'd never had reason to trust anyone, but something inside her told her this was somewhat right. There was something more, but she couldn't tell what it was trying to tell her. Rey placed her hand in his and watched as he released the smallest sigh. Kylo looked as though he feared she would reject him.

Kylo was a handsome man. Behind this facade of a mask, he could come across as insecure when it came to women. How often was he refused? 

With his free hand, Kylo placed the mask back over his head and escorted Rey out of the room. One of these days, she’ll ask why he wears it.

The Knights of Ren were silent, the stormtroopers were scarce, the ramp leading to the green grass was steep, and the air of Takodana was the cleanest she'd breathed. Rey took a deep breath through her nose to enjoy it. The air wasn't dry, nor was it filtered like the ship. She scanned the area as she walked with Kylo. Her heart hammered at the multitude of shades of green that surrounded them. 

It wasn't long before a thick forest surrounded them. Dead leaves and twigs snapped beneath their feet. If it weren’t for the birds happily chirping their songs above, she would scowl over the fact that Kylo made her dress up just for a stroll through the woods. Rey's lips nervously twitched into a small smile as she looked at the serenity around them. 

As they walked past large moss-covered stones, Rey thought she heard the low hum of a weapon. A very distinct hiss that cracked every so often. She looked around, but none of the Knights ignited a weapon. 

She found walking up the steep hill covered in dirt and leaves easier than the sand dunes on Jakku. The endless canopy of trees provided plenty of shade from the sweltering sun. 

Kylo suddenly stopped. His men readied their weapons, but he commanded them to stand down. 

Rey's seen this place before. She swears it. Just as she swore, she could feel something hot near the left side of her neck, but there was nothing. 

Captain Peavey came forward and confirmed with the Master of the Knights of Ren that he wanted to continue. 

When Kylo removed his helmet, Rey's lips parted. He looked prettier in natural light. She liked how his small freckles and beauty marks decorated his long, pale face. 

She hoped upon hope he couldn't sense her thoughts.

The vows were simple, and they didn't exchange rings or tokens of “love” as this was a last-minute ceremony, according to the captain. When it came time for Kylo to kiss his bride, Rey felt her cheeks burn when he looked at her. His fierce gaze was softer, but something lay behind his eyes. When he leaned forward, she took a short breath.

Instead of feeling his plush lips on hers, she felt them on her cheek. It almost felt like a rejection, but Kylo appeared to be a very no-nonsense man. Perhaps fake public displays of affection were not his fortitude. 

Rey whispered a thank you when Captain Peavey offered his congratulations to her as Kylo put his mask back on. She didn't know what to think or feel about the situation, aside from the fact she was hungry. 

The walk back to the ship was just as silent as it was to the ceremony. She felt thankful that Kylo took her to the woods. It almost felt like a gift since they would spend most of their time on the ship. She just wished she could pinpoint the odd sensations she felt and heard while they were deep inside the forest.

While walking with Kylo to their quarters, Rey felt a chill ripple through her body and stopped walking.

Just as she did years prior, Rey asked, "Did you feel that?" She looked around at the multiple hallways. "It feels cold."

"Perhaps you just need to get used to the air conditioning?" Cardo suggested.

"Perhaps you are sensing the nearby prisoners," Kylo replied and looked at Rey when she turned to him.

"The prisoner cells are over there?" She pointed to their right.

"Some are, but you needn't worry about that.”

“I can handle myself. But why are they so close to your quarters? A ship of this magnitude should have all their prisoners in one sector.”

“You do remember who you married?” Vicrul asked, then shrugged when Ren looked at him. “What? I’m serious.”

“I don’t understand.” Rey looked at the Knights of Ren.

“Vicrul is referring to the fact I enjoy humiliating and destroying my enemies.”

Another cold wave washed through her, and she turned in the direction of the prisoner ward.

“What did they do?” Rey could feel someone screaming. Not a cry of pain but a howl of anger. The signature felt familiar.

Kylo took Rey by her elbow and continued leading them to his quarters while the Knights of Ren lingered behind. Rey’s heart slowly hammered. She didn’t know what to expect now that she was alone with him. A man she just married. 

Once they were out of sight, Ushar playfully sniffled. "Our master is finally becoming a real man."

"If you were braver, you wouldn't have whispered it." Trudgen chuckled.

Kylo and Rey entered his dark quarters. They were nearly as vacant as her AT-AT on Jakku but cleaner. He didn’t have scraps of cloth for a hammock but a real bed with crisp, clean sheets. He didn’t have knick knacks like the doll she made from an old X-Wing uniform or her dead flowers. His datapad lay on a nearby table; his viewport only offered an endless view of the galaxy. She watched as he removed his helmet and ran a hand through his long hair. She found herself nervously swallowing when Kylo looked at her.

“You can use my meditation chambers to help you relax before your dinner arrives. When we are not at meetings, we should take every opportunity for training." 

"I understand," she quietly replied and walked around his quarters. When she saw the bed again, she felt warmth across her cheeks.

"I can sense your unease."

Rey lightly balled her fists, a nervous habit she developed at a young age. "You only want me to meditate?"

Kylo shifted his stance. He almost looked somewhat amused by her question.

"Did you have something else in mind?" He asked. When she would not meet his gaze, he pursed his lips. He knew her concern. "Rey, I explained to you that I would not force our consummation. I have far more important matters than hurting you by making you do something you're not ready for. We've only just met."

Rey allowed herself a deep sigh of relief and then froze. Kylo’s eyes held a hint of lust. Despite what he had just said, he wanted her, and Rey didn't know what to think about that. 

"Look, it's not that I don't find you attractive," She hastily explained and offered an apologetic smile. "I'm just not ready."

"Again, you should change your attire and try to meditate before your food arrives," Kylo abruptly changed the subject as he crossed the room. A smaller set of durasteel doors opened to another room and swiftly shut behind him.

For some reason, the idea that this stranger, this “dark lord” wanted her intimately made Rey smile, but she quickly snapped out of it. She wasn’t used to such ideas. 

She found her clothes and stripped out of her dress, nervously peering over her shoulder to ensure Kylo wasn't watching her. She bound her breasts and pulled a tunic over her head. Once more, the fabric was soft. She supposed it would take some time to get used to finer materials that weren't shredded, coarse, or full of sand. 

Rey could get used to living in clean quarters with filtered air and fresh clothes. 

A beep at the doors drew her attention. When she walked toward the noise, Kylo swiftly came out of another room, muttering that it was sooner than he anticipated, and opened the doors. A droid had arrived carrying a covered platter. Kylo took the object and then shut the doors. When he walked past Rey, a mouth-watering aroma followed him. It reminded her it had been far too long since her last meal.

"You'll receive three meals daily and may request snacks in between should training become too much and your blood sugar lowers." Kylo quietly stated, placed the platter on a nearby table, and removed the cover. 

Rey's mouth partly opened when she looked at the meal that was delivered. Steam rose above the cooked meats and vegetables, and the delicious scent of whatever it was became stronger. 

"Come sit. You look like you're about to pass out." Kylo gestured to a chair and then opened a canteen. “I was in a hurry earlier and should have made you eat before our nuptials.”

Wordlessly, she listened. Rey was so used to fighting everyone and everything around her it now felt odd to be obedient. She sat on a chair and looked at Kylo while he poured her a drink. Was this man really one of the most feared men in the galaxy?

When Kylo handed her a metal cup, she looked into it. It held the cleanest water she had ever seen. She immediately brought it to her lips and nearly moaned at the crisp, clean taste of the cool liquid. 

"Along with your meals, you'll be able to try a variety of teas, or you may try a cup of caf in the morning."

"I'm sure just water will suffice for me."

"Except for when we attend events in honor of the First Order as we continue to seek diplomacy."

"I still don't agree that controlling the whole galaxy is diplomacy."

Kylo merely grinned before offering her a plate of food. "We'll see.”

Rey couldn’t help but focus on the curve of his lips and how he nearly winked while replying to her. His subtle smile made him even more human and even more handsome. 

Kylo was right. She needed to take every free moment and concentrate on her training. He didn’t need to know she found him, her husband, attractive.

“Things may be completely different than what you've imagined or heard." Kylo paused when Rey brought another sip to her lips. "We'll also introduce a few wines to you. See what you might like."

"That won't be necessary. I'm sure my tastes are simple."

"It is customary to drink during dinners, particularly at events. If you’re not used to alcohol, you’ll more than likely become tipsy all too fast. Not to mention, when a woman refuses a drink, it could lead to rumors."

Rey looked at her food, half-tempted to grab it in her hands and hastily settle the hanger pains, but she watched how Kylo cut his food instead. 

"Why would that cause rumors?"

"Most pregnant women are advised not to drink. So, unless you want your new citizens to believe you are already with child–"

"OH. No, I don't believe I am ready for that, and you clearly stated you weren't either. But won't people suspect we are faking this? We're so–"

"Formal?"

"Yeah… But maybe you're right, things will progress, and this will be easier?"

"Eat."

"I will. And, so that you know. I don't like being told what to do."

"Neither do I, but I know you're hungry, and I'm perplexed as to why I'm the only one enjoying the meal," Kylo replied before bringing another bite to his mouth.

Rey looked at her food again. She tried to cut her meat the way Kylo did but was less graceful, and her slices were bigger.

“What's wrong?” He asked when Rey hesitated bringing the fork to her mouth.

"What if I don't like it? What if I'm so used to the protein ration and this doesn't appeal to me?"

"I'm willing to bet that will not be a problem."

Rey was sure he almost smiled. 

She finally brought a bite to her mouth and had to stop herself from grinning when she bit down on the juicy, tender meat. She inhaled deeply through her nose and bashfully looked at her plate while chewed. The meat and the spices blended perfectly. She couldn't help but bring the next bite before she fully swallowed. 

"Batuuian Hen basted in butter and rosemary," Kylo explained. "After dinner, I'll show you how to turn on the controls for the shower. Then we should go to bed."

"Where do I sleep?"

"With me, of course."

Rey nearly choked on her food. "In the same bed?"

Chapter Text

Although the bed and pillow were the softest objects Rey had ever laid on, finding sleep was difficult. It wasn’t the same restlessness she had before. She felt exhausted from the quick turn of events in her life. One day, she left her booby-trapped home to scavenge parts for food and water, and now she’s in the well-protected quarters of Kylo Ren inside of a Star Destroyer, her body inches from the most feared man across the galaxy.  

But what bothered Rey the most was that she couldn’t get a good read on Kylo despite always being able to do so with the people of Jakku. 

He had told her it was time to take control of her fate, but Rey wasn’t sure if she could. She also wasn’t sure she believed in destiny. The man seemed hellbent that it existed and that she was destined to rule by his side. It was almost as flattering as it was confusing.  

It just meant the man needed someone with power by his side. 

Besides, if Rey needed to take control of anything, it would be the ability to sleep for the time being.  

The light hum of the ship and the slight hiss of the air flowing through the room were unfamiliar. They were a far cry from the animals that hunted at night or the ill-intended scavengers that sometimes lurked nearby while she slept. It was odd feeling safer on a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer than she did in her AT-AT. 

With a deep breath, Rey imagined the place she used to dream of in her few nights of sleep.  

The hum of the ship gave way to the sounds of ocean waves and a light breeze. Her heavy eyes fluttered while she stared at the durasteel wall. Slowly, the wall transformed into an endless ocean.  

It felt as though Rey was in a daze as she walked across an island with large boulders and steep, mountainous terrain. She could feel the cool, salty breeze brushing her skin and playing with her loose-flowing hair. Rey had been here before in previous dreams but didn’t know where it was or how she knew this place. She was looking for something but didn’t know what and grew frustrated. 

“Breathe,” a familiar voice in the wind whispered to her. 

The wind pushed against Rey, forcing her further back. Distant coos and chirps of wild bird-like creatures sang with the unrelenting wind. Rey’s breaths became shallow as her light footsteps grew faster. Her calves burned, her feet slipped against the wet grass, and her heart pounded as she ran up the steep, grassy hill.  

"Rey." The wind softly beseeched.  

Everything started to spin, and Rey grew increasingly dizzy as the island transformed into a forest. She could see her husband approaching, the loud hiss and crackles of a weapon echoed nearby. Kylo's plush lips barely grazed her cheek before she felt herself fall. Images of her recent memories of Takodana now began to swirl into a frozen, snow-covered forest. She whimpered at the feel of the ice and snow. The frozen ground beneath her began to quake in anger, and fear grasped her body. 

"Just breathe, Rey."  

Her body became rigid in the dark vision when she saw a bright flash of vibrating red plasma. Rey opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t. The ground below her shattered, propelling her toward the planet’s hot core. Rey’s body slammed into freezing, cold water instead of molten lava. Now she couldn’t breathe and sank further into the abyss. 

"Rey."  

Something warm enveloped her body and held her trembling body still. Her panicked heart slowed to a soft beat after her lungs filled with a painful gasp, and she finally forced her eyes open and pushed against whatever was holding her. 

Her mouth felt dry as her eyes scanned the dark room, confirming she was, in fact, on Ren's star destroyer. The naked, muscular arms holding her from behind should have been enough of a hint. Against her back, Rey could feel Kylo's chest slowly rise and fall as he slept. Her body tensed at the feel of the tall man's body. She looked at his pale skin.  

Scars and beauty marks decorated his hands and arms, and she couldn't help but wonder if his whole body was the same and how painful it must have been to acquire so many wounds. Her cheeks suddenly blushed at the idea he might be naked. 

There would be no way in hell she would sleep now. 

"It's just my shirt that is missing," Kylo sleepily muttered. 

"Wh- what?" 

"Your thoughts," Kylo sighed. "They run rampant. You might as well be screaming." He let go of her, rolled onto his back, and rubbed his forehead. "You were thrashing around, and I couldn't wake you. So, I held you until you finally calmed down."  

Rey rolled onto her back just enough to look at the tired man. His long locks lay messily across his face. His right foot was planted on the mattress, leg bent at the knee as he lay there momentarily. 

"I guess I should have warned you. I don't sleep well." She quietly offered as an apology. 

"That makes two of us, then." He replied, not bothering to open his eyes. "But you'll have to try to rest. My training is not generous, and I won't take any mercy on you." 

"Good, I like a challenge. Dare I say I think you’re too nice? At least with me." 

Rey watched as a hint of a knowing smile crossed his lips. She rolled back onto her right side before she got sidetracked while looking at her husband's face. 

Husband.  

That was such an odd and foreign term. But Rey looked forward to this training Kylo kept mentioning.  

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He finally responded. His voice was so soothing, it was easy to forget the man was known as the Jedi Killer. 

Rey perched herself on her elbow. “For starters, you had a dress made for me. Someone you've never met. How is that even possible?” 

She watched Kylo’s eyebrows dip before rising as he presented his explanation. 

“The med droid scanned your body while you were unconscious and sent the measurements to the seamstress droid–” 

“Who designed it? You or the droid?” 

“I didn’t expect you to talk so much.” 

“Well, I usually keep to myself because kriff everyone else, but Kylo you made a dress for me–” 

“A droid made the dress–” 

“It was like something I could only dream of–” 

“The First Order has an endless supply of credits. Someone in your position will have to wear such garments–” 

“Don’t keep redirecting the conversation. You rushed us into this marriage, won’t that cause rumors to spread? Forget about our powers, you could have courted me for a bit before deciding I am the person who will become your wife. And Takodana!” 

“Force,” Kylo muttered and turned away from her. 

“I’m sure there are other green planets out there. Something happened on that planet!” 

“A hike in the woods was all that happened.” 

“You know, you shouldn’t begin a marriage with lies.” 

Kylo sighed in defeat. “Tell me what happened on Takodana.” 

“To be honest, I’m not sure what happened. I heard something, and I swear if you tell me it was the birds or some other creature, I will hit you with this pillow.” 

“I have no doubt.” 

“I thought I heard a weapon. For a moment, it felt like something was close to burning my face. As for the planet, I felt like I had been there before.” 

Kylo took a short breath and held it. “I’m afraid I don’t know what to tell you.” 

“Is it possible to see things because of the Force?” 

Kylo finally sat up and looked into Rey’s eyes. The innocent thing tried to divert her gaze. He could have been more of a gentleman, but he found sleeping in robes and tunics confining… especially after that fateful night in his hut all those years ago.  

“Yes. In time you’ll be able to decipher if you’re looking into the past or the future. Places and things you have an unknown connection to are other possibilities.” 

He watched as Rey processed his explanation. An excitement filled her eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt such elation. 

“I guess this can be your first lesson: You must always remember the future is always in motion. No matter how strong you grow in the Force, your vision may not come true, no matter how much you want it.”  

“That’s kind of sad.” 

“That’s reality,” Kylo replied all too robotically. 

“Did something happen to you to make you so melancholic?” 

If only she knew how treacherous the fires of Hell he pushed through were. 

“It's okay. You don’t have to answer.” Rey pursed her lips. “I’m normally not like this. I’m talking too much and prying when we should be resting… but I have another question.” 

Force. If only Rey knew just how much Kylo needed to hear her voice. It was so calming compared to what he had heard for years. 

He nodded for Rey to continue. 

“What happens next?” 

“After Coruscant, we’ll go to a planet named Ilum and find a Kyber crystal for you. The Empire stole most of the planet’s crystals to power the Death Stars, but they didn’t take all of the resources– even after turning the planet into a new base for the First Order.” 

“I’m sure the First Order has a base on multiple planets already,” Rey mumbled. “You do understand that I’m still not entirely onboard with the First Order, right?” She paused when her husband gave her a strange look. Kylo looked at her as though she had missed the point entirely and was still being polite due to her lack of knowledge about the vast galaxy. “Why are you looking at me like that? Was it something I said?” She curled her upper lip and rolled her eyes when Kylo didn’t answer. “Don’t tell me they turned a planet into a base. That would be preposterous.” 

“Your intuition serves you well,” Kylo replied before laying back down. “We arrive at our destination in just a few hours.” 

“Wait, what? Are you kidding me?” She bared her teeth in frustration when Kylo didn’t respond. “There’s no kriffing way they turned the planet into a base!” Goosebumps pricked her arms as horror washed over her. “Why would they turn a whole planet into a base? That sounds positively evil.” 

“Another reason as to why our union is for the better of the Galaxy.” 

“Because of my power?” 

“It’s more than that.”  

Kylo’s tired eyes opened slightly. The Emperor and the First Order were rapidly becoming a large problem, and for the time being, there was nothing Kylo could do but play the part of the Emperor’s puppet. Marrying Rey was not a power move as she suspects. Their union was more than that.  

“Rey, there is much to–” 

“What about the Resistance?” 

The very name of Leia Organa’s band of rebels made Kylo’s stomach churn. Rey’s voice was so pure and innocent as she asked about the Resistance. He knows that in time she would learn how hypocritical that little regime is… Rey would have to learn on her own how selfish Leia Organa truly is. 

“Couldn’t we have gone to them?” Rey carefully proceeded. She had heard rumors about how the Resistance was a thorn in the First Order’s side. 

“Coruscant.” 

“Yeah, but–” 

“You’ll need your rest. I’m afraid nothing can prepare you for the sensory overload that will greet you during your first visit to that particular Core World.” 

“Oh, I didn’t think about that.” Rey rolled onto her back. She knew there was more, but the man was hellbent on keeping her in the dark for now. “Does it ever get easier? Hearing people’s thoughts and whatnot?” 

“It does.” 

Rey smiled in relief and rolled to her side. 

The adrenaline she felt during their conversation quickly faded as her eyes grew heavier and her body reminded Rey that she was exhausted. In the distance, she could faintly see the bright color of her wedding dress. The beads reflected the low lights from a nearby control panel.  

Although the dress did send Rey into a panic earlier, she felt different in the garment. She felt more vulnerable wearing it than she did during the nights in her AT-AT. She then felt foolish for having to wear it because customs be damned! What a waste of resources the dress was. The fabric could have been used for something more reasonable, like a tunic or a blanket. And the jewels! Rey was willing to bet a handful of them could have fed her for a lifetime on Jakku. But then during the peaceful walk on Takodana, she felt something else, something new that she couldn’t figure out what it was.  

Pretty. 

Yes. Rey allowed herself a moment of vanity and felt pretty during her wedding to Kylo. When his lips touched her cheek, it almost felt as though time had stopped. That small kiss felt natural. And while she wasn’t familiar with feeling physically attracted to anyone before, he was quickly awakening something deep within her. Particularly when Kylo looked into her eyes. 

It wasn’t a trick of the mind; Rey knew that much. His intense eyes became soft when nearly every time he gazed at her and then would narrow with fury if he looked at his knights or Captain Peavey. Other times, the nearly emotionless man’s eyes looked sad.  

The way Kylo spoke to her in contrast to everyone else around them also garnered Rey’s attention. He was often patient and soft-spoken with her, while he may as well tell everyone else to fuck off. She could relate to this all too well. She never had a reason to exchange pleasantries with the other scavengers; her trust had been shattered too many times as she grew up. 

But most important of all was the odd sensation that she felt she had met him before. He was far too familiar for someone she had just met and run off into the sunrise and married. 

What the fuck was Rey thinking?  

Taking control of her fate and escaping Jakku, that’s what. 

As she drifted back asleep, instead of an ocean, she remembered the warmth of Kylo’s body. Being in such close proximity to a man was strange, trusting him even more so. But it was oddly satisfying knowing she wasn’t alone. 

~~~ 

“Oh no.” Rey firmly stated with a shake of her head. “Fuck no.” 

“Rey–” 

“You got me to wear a dress yesterday for our wedding. It will not happen again today, thank you.” Rey eyed him up and down. “Where is your fancy suit?” She raised her eyebrows and firmly pressed her lips. “Hm?” 

Kylo raised his eyebrows in surprise and his lips twisted into a half-smile for less than two seconds. He then laid the dark grey dress on a nearby table and showed her a sensible black tunic and pants with a dark red belt to tie around her waist. The long cowl next to the outfit was also black with a Beskar chain that connected in the front. 

Rey looked at the outfit in satisfaction before looking at the others that were all similar. “The First Order doesn’t believe in a large color palette?” she asked as she gingerly touched the tunic. 

“They like to keep everything in uniform. If you wear anything too colorful you’ll be an easier target than a stormtrooper.” 

“Grey is vastly different than wearing all black. Wouldn’t that still make me a target? And what do you mean I’ll be a target?” 

“Grey would blend better than say something like green or blue. And you know how despised the First Order is, and you’ve heard of my reputation. Threats will be made against you in defiance of the First Order. However, we have several staff and droids scanning and listening for such threats so we are prepared for occasions such as today.” 

“Oh.” Rey fidgeted with the tunic. “Will I at least have a weapon on me?” 

“A weapon?” 

“I realize I can’t carry my quarter-staff, but can I carry something else?” 

“You’re a fighter through and through. I have already made plans for your weapon. It will not be ready today.” 

Unsure of how to feel about Kylo planning on what kind of weapon she’ll carry; Rey grabbed the red belt and examined it to refrain from starting an argument. “Are you sure we cannot go to the Resistance?” 

“I'm sure through all the stories you’ve heard of the Resistance, you must take that with a grain of salt. The Rebels and their Leaders are not as pure and trustworthy as they sound.” 

While it was not directed at her, the malice in Kylo’s voice made the baby hairs on the back of Rey’s neck stand and a chill went down her body. 

“So, those, dresses .” Rey curled her lip at the grey dress Kylo originally offered her. It was a beautiful gown, but it wasn’t something she was used to. She wasn’t an Empress yet; formal clothes weren’t necessary. 

“Again, for official events where we attend banquets to sway–” 

Rey held the tunic against her chest and smoothed the material while looking at how it sat against her, “Official events where the First Order forces public opinion?” She then placed the red belt across her waist. 

“Public opinion,” Kylo continued, undeterred by Rey’s interruption, “You’ll have more options to choose from.”  

He nearly smiled at the fact that Rey was already getting comfortable with him by calling out what the First Order was doing. Despite Kylo’s less forceful approach to persuading planets to show their alliance, should one reject him, the First Order would quickly sweep back in and change their minds. Something Kylo was trying to avoid. He knows how hard it is to reverse oppression. 

“Why are we going to Coruscant?”  

“I was already scheduled to report to the Emperor. Now would be a good time to present you to him since finding myself a wife was his idea.” 

Rey studied the man momentarily, “This is driving me insane.” 

“What?” 

“Well,” Rey gestured at Kylo, “You, sort of. Have we met before?” She waited for him to respond and saw something in his amber eyes and lightly gasped. “We have, haven’t we?” Her lips twisted into a small smile. “When were you on Jakku?” 

“Just a few days ago.” 

“Kylo, I’m serious.” 

“As am I.” 

Rey suddenly felt the urge to stomp her foot but didn’t. Childish antics wouldn’t help her now, but he was being stubborn, and for what? “Then why does it feel like I know you? You look like someone I– never mind.” 

“Let’s just say, the Force works in mysterious ways.” 

“I call bantha shit on that.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I still think you’re hiding something.” 

Kylo’s nearby comm beeped, effectively breaking the conversation. Almost too convenient in Rey’s opinion. 

“You should finish getting ready.” 

“Didn’t I already warn you that I don’t it when people tell me what to do? Why don’t you tell me more about why you were on Jakku.” 

Kylo took a short breath and looked at the floor before slowly gazing over her body from her feet to her head. “You are a determined little thing, aren’t you?” 

Rey gave him a fake smile while sarcastically replying, “You already knew that about me, didn’t you?”  

“The First Order is after Lor San Tekka. He knows the location of a man the Emperor wants dead.” 

“And you gave up that little quest for little ol’ me? Because of my powers?” 

“No. It’s because I know Lor San Tekka. There have been no new reports on the old man. More than likely, he remained hidden until the First Order moved out. Just as he lived, he was able to leave Jakku undetected.” 

“But how?” 

“The old hermit had his ways.” 

Kylo’s comm beeped again. With a sigh, he tapped the comm, “We’ll be out in a minute.” 

“Are you sure you only need another minute?” Trudgen asked. 

“I hate to break it to you, Master, but if you’re not making her scream, you’re not doing her right, and you’ll need more than a minute.” Kuruk joined in. 

Rey felt her cheeks flush. One of these days, she would stop blushing at the idea of her and Kylo consummating, but apparently, it was not today. 

“What do you fools want?” 

“Apologies, Sir,” Cardo piped in. “They were supposed to inform you that the Emperor canceled your meeting.” 

“Fuck,” Kylo muttered and tightened his fist.  

“Perhaps news of your wedded bliss was already reported?” 

That was a possibility, but he ordered the ship to remain silent about the matter. 

General Hux. 

That was the only possible explanation. 

“Did the Emperor say he would reschedule?” 

“No, Sir.” 

Rey watched Kylo from across the room. His broad shoulders tensed as the conversation continued. She noticed he rolled his jaw when he was lost in thought, and once more he did it again.  

“Kylo?” 

“Cardo, inform Captain Peevey we are to report to Ilum for a surprise inspection of the base.” 

“Yes, Master Ren.” 

“ Oooooh, the honeymoon continues!” Ap’lek sang. 

Kylo turned off the comm and tossed it to a nearby table. He never anticipated the Emperor to cancel their meeting. He could only hope that the state of the clone’s body was in decline and that he needed something more than a bacta treatment. Just as with all his travels, Palpatine wouldn’t announce a trip to Exegol. 

“Those are the Knights of Ren?” Rey asked to break the silence. “I must say I’m a bit disappointed the myths haven’t lived up to the legends. You and your men are nothing like the rumors spread throughout Jakku.” 

“Disappointed?” Kylo turned to Rey. “You looked appalled when you realized who I was.” 

“It’s just that, I didn’t expect the knights to sound so–” 

“Stupid?” 

“Yes.” Rey smiled in relief. “They’re idiots.” 

“Yes, they are.” 

“Are they always this childish?” 

“More or less.” Kylo’s eyebrows dipped, and he nodded at the tunic and pants in her hands. “Are you going to change?” 

“Now that today’s plans were canceled, what else can we do?” For some reason, she could imagine the knights answering that question with a crude answer. “Will we start my training? I’m used to working all day. Standing idle doesn’t sit well with me.” 

“The sooner you change your clothes, the sooner we will begin.” 

“Perfect.” Rey grabbed the black pants, adding them to the clothes in her arms, and turned to walk to another room but paused. “Did you really kill all of the Jedi?” 

As the seconds passed, Rey could hear her heart pounding in her ears while she waited for an answer. 

“Not all of the Jedi.” 

Though Kylo kept his deep voice quiet, Rey could hear the anger and pain through his answer. She decided that she would not pry any further. For now.  

“How will you begin my training?” 

“You’ll start with meditation.” 

Rey’s shoulders slumped forward with a roll of her eyes. “That sounds boring.” 

“I never promised it would be fun.” 

“Can’t I just go beat up your knights?” 

“Maybe later.” 

~~~ 

Meditation was boring as fuck, just as Rey predicted. But with Kylo’s help, she could feel the energy that surrounded them. She had always felt it, but not like this. This was something else. She also never realized not everyone could harness it. It felt like a small missing piece of an incomplete puzzle. A puzzle that was growing all thanks to her tall husband. 

Sensing the lifeforms on the ship was different from the people she could feel on Jakku. There were thousands of people on board the ship versus the hundreds at Niima Outpost. Rey understood why Kylo was concerned about a “sensory overload.” If she found the people of a somewhat quiet ship “loud” how would a planet that was an endless city feel? 

When they arrived at Ilum, her jaw dropped at the sight outside the viewport.  

“No kriffing way.” She tapped the toe of her snow boots behind her leg a few times. 

“I warned you.” 

“Kylo,” Rey pointed to the blue dwarf planet, “It's a whole fucking planet. I just–” she looked out the viewport. “How? As terrible as it is, I’m interested in the mechanics of it. Like what powers the station, how did they get all the chambers and floors connected.” 

“When the Imperial Army overharvested the planet’s core, the areas surrounding the equator collapsed for lack of better words.” 

“The planet was known for its Kyber crystals?” 

“Yes.” 

“What is the First Order using the planet for?” 

Kylo crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “Starkiller Base is mostly used for hyperspace tunneling, however–” 

“There's something more sinister.” 

“The planet is a weapon.” 

A chill rippled through Rey's body. “There's enough Kyber within the core they could harness the energy?” She looked at Kylo who merely nodded. “I don't understand why you help lead such evil. They're monsters.” 

Kylo couldn’t go into the details of why he was “helping,” but he needed Rey to understand how monstrous the First Order was. “There is someone else to watch aside from the Emperor. General Hux, the man you briefly met the other day, is technically the commander of this station. He wants the galaxy to fear the First Order, and what better way to instill that fear than with a weapon of this magnitude?” 

“Why was he on the ship?” 

“After I killed Snoke and took on Supreme Leader, Hux has become more of a thorn in my side.” 

“He wants to be in a higher position of power?” The thought of someone so desperate to rule made Rey feel uneasy. “Every day I fought for a protein packet and starch bread, and someone like him, who was born into a privileged life, wants more? 

“Armitage Hux is nothing more than a rabid cur and no amount of power will satisfy his hunger.” Kylo’s lip curled. “He knows he can never outrank or overpower me; not without doing something drastic. He thought my betraying Snoke would be my downfall. It’s why he refuses to call me Supreme Leader.” Kylo shook his head with a small, yet cold smile, “Except I acquired more power and gained everything I never wanted nor needed. I have everything he ever wanted and that drives General Hux to madness.” 

“Because of Sidious?” 

“I knew the Emperor was hiding, and I went to him after I became Supreme Leader. I’ve managed to stay a few steps ahead of the Emperor in some respects, but at the same time, I’m far behind.” Kylo closed his eyes and took a shallow breath. “But to answer your question, Hux was on a mission to Jakku because the Emperor ordered it. The man we are after is a threat to the First Order.” He solemnly looked at Rey. “The Emperor hasn’t discovered the other threat.” 

“Me?” Rey’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I’m just a scavenger from Jakku.” 

“You’re more than that, Rey. In time you will come to realize this and what makes you special in the Force.” Kylo paused as he studied the patterns of her hazel irises. “And how you will eventually pose as a threat.” 

“You foresee me as a threat? So, you married me?” 

“Not quite.” 

“Argh, come on!” 

“I hope that in time you'll understand my decisions. Not just my joining the First Order, but also my quest in finding you.” 

“I thought you made it clear that your quest for finding me was for my powers.” 

“If I wanted an easy fix, I could have found another Force-sensitive.” 

“Then tell me.” Her throat burned while tears threatened to form. “You claim you know me, but deny we've met. You also know I would never support such evil like this.” 

“I know.” 

“Sir, your command shuttle is ready.” 

“Convenient.” Rey lowly growled. 

“That’s enough, Rey.” Though Kylo’s voice was still quiet, there was a firmness to it to inform Rey that the conversation was over. “I’m powerful, but I cannot make everything on this ship run as I would like.” 

The young woman was stubborn enough to continue. “Tell me what you’re hiding.” 

Slowly, Kylo walked over to Rey, “If I told you everything, you wouldn’t believe me.” He leaned toward her with a nearly sorrowful expression. “You’re not ready.” When Rey lowered her gaze, Kylo placed his thumb and index finger on her chin. “But soon you will be.” 

Chapter Text

Between Kylo’s gentle hold on Rey’s chin and his warm eyes, Rey felt transfixed. There was something about this supposedly intimidating man that she found comforting. It wasn’t his handsome face or perfectly sculpted body (not that she’d seen him completely naked, but if his abs and arms were any indication, Rey could only imagine how muscular his legs were). 

What she felt was something deeper than appearances. She had never felt a sense of comfort around anyone until Kylo stormed into her life. Rey thought it would be awkward to live with a man she just met, but being around him felt natural. And despite feeling irritated that he held many secrets, she found the mysteries appealing. 

But still, she looked up at the large man with a smidgen of defiance. “I think I’ll decide if I’m ready.”

“If I told you I could feel you through the Force, what then?” 

Kylo’s amber eyes held passion and something more. Rey’s heart suddenly felt heavy. She knew his eyes. 

“How is that possible?”

“I could tell you everything right now, but you'd not believe a word of it.”

“Tell me you’re not the boy I saw when I was younger. Tell me that I’m not crazy.”

Something shifted in his eyes. The intensity faded and they looked softer. 

“If said the Force tied us together, what would you say?” 

The low timbre of his voice made Rey feel warm, and she could hope she wasn’t blushing while he held her chin.

“I would say it explains why you look familiar.”

His index finger lightly trembled under her chin before he moved his hand away. 

“Perhaps you’re more in tune with the Force than both of us have realized.”

“So I was right?”

“In a sense. I believe the Force connected us when we were younger.”

“Like in moments of pain or self-doubt?”

“Yes.”

“Kylo, you were already trained in the ways of the Force by the time the visions started, why didn’t you say anything?”

“I wasn’t sure what to believe. I couldn’t tell if you were real, or a vision, or another calling to the dark side.”

Her heart suddenly felt heavy, “How long had the dark side tempted you?”

“My whole life.”

The pain in his eyes was subtle. Rey’s lips parted as she stared at him.

“You didn’t have a choice? You tried to ignore it, but–”

Kylo tilted his head. As his obsidian locks shifted, Rey was now convinced her heart had stopped beating altogether. 

“It’s time for us to leave.” He quietly stated and stepped back.

“Oh come on,” Rey sighed. “You jerk face, I was finally getting answers.”

As Kylo turned away, she saw a hint of a smile.

“I can’t believe you’re amused by this.” She quickly followed.

“Your fiery spirit is quite amusing. And let's not forget the longer we take the more time my knights will have to come up with new vulgar things to say.”

Rey pressed her lips tightly together. “Fair point.”

~~~

They silently walked down the hallway and entered the lift. When Rey turned around to face the doors, she saw the six faceless masks of the Knights of Ren staring at them before the doors abruptly shut in their faces. She let out a small sigh of relief that they weren’t in the confined area with her and Kylo.

“Your knights don't have to follow us, do they?”

“No. we have enough protection on the planet. The Resistance hasn't discovered this base. Not yet, at least.”

“But you suspect they will? I heard it's a small rebellion that shouldn't have a lot of resources.”

“Resources always come from the most unlikely places.” He unfolded his arms and nodded in the direction of the durasteel doors. “It's time.”

“Are you trying to confuse me on purpose?” She complained as she followed.

“I assure you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

~~~

After dismissing the Knights of Ren, Kylo and Rey boarded the shuttle.

Once the shuttle landed inside the main hangar, Rey and Kylo were greeted by several rows of stormtroopers and officers. The base's captain cautiously approached.

“Lord Ren, we are honored by your presence.” The captain paused and looked at Rey.

But she hardly noticed the captain. Her attention was on the dark energy she could feel. It was depressing. The planet was all but dead. She could feel how the Empire and later the First Order destroyed the planet and its inhabitants. 

Kylo's leather-clad fingers around her hand turned her attention back to him and the First Order captain. The two men were conversing, but Rey didn’t hear anything until:

“Congratulations on your marriage.” The man bowed to Rey. “My apologies for my informality.”

“I'm showing the future Empress the layout of the base. We are not to be disturbed.”

If Rey concentrated enough, she could hear Kylo’s real voice through his mask’s modulator.

“Yes, Supreme Leader. As you wish.”

“As you were,” Kylo stated and escorted Rey throughout the large base. 

The steps of stormtroopers echoed throughout the endless hallways, droids beeped and moved out of their way, and officers quickly stepped to the side and snapped to attention until finally Rey and Kylo were deep enough in an empty hallway they could no longer hear anyone.

“This area is off-limits,” Kylo explained and entered a code into a keypad. “This door leads to one of the many chambers where Kyber crystals still grow.” He peered at Rey and ensured she was still wearing her gloves. “It’s colder in the caves than inside of the base. Depending on the routes we take, we may end up outside. Keep your gloves on.”

“Honestly, I’m not a youngling.”

“I’m just making sure you’re not about to remove and then complain that your hands are cold.”

Rey pursed her lips together because that's exactly what she would have done. While she wore gloves for scavenging and cleaning, she hated the feel of them. Although the pair Kylo gave her felt comfortable instead of coarse and rigid like her work gloves.

Slowly the technology and durasteel walls gave way to walls of rock with divots in them. Instead of using his lightsaber, Kylo held a small light in front of his body so they could see where they were walking. Upon closer examination, Rey could see fragments from the crystals that once grew within the walls.

“There’s so many remnants of what used to grow here.” Rey ran her hand against the wall. Her fingers fell into the jagged holes, bits of shards rubbing against her fingertips before she tried to catch up to Kylo's long strides.

“From what I heard in stories from long ago, there would be caverns covered from the floor to as far as the eye could see with Kyber.” He turned to her, “Some of the caverns remain, but are nothing more than a dark abyss.”

A sudden shift in the air made the pair turn.

“We need to go that way.”

“Because the Kyber is calling you?” She innocently asked.

“No. There’s a breeze.” He watched as the hair danced around her tan cheeks that slowly blushed pink. “We won't find Kyber so close to the halls of the base.”

“That makes sense. I'm surprised there's anything left.”

In the darkness surrounding them, they could see a light in the distance.

“Even with the resources the Empire and First Order has to offer, it would be damn near impossible to recover all the Kyber. This planet will become more unstable if they manage to take all the resources.”

“Is this the only planet where Kyber grows?”

“There are others, but Ilum was the richest in Kyber.” 

The cold air rapidly plummeted as they stepped out of the cave. Rey placed a hand over her eyes and squinted. The morning sun brightly reflected off the frozen ground around them. 

“Now, tell me what you feel.” Kylo instructed while giving her eyes a moment to adjust.

Rey took a short breath and relaxed her shoulders. Her obvious answer would have been cold, but not because of the temperature. 

“Death and decay.” She quietly answered. “There's been a great loss of life on this planet.” She looked around the dead, frozen forest. “It feels so depressing.”

Kylo lightly pressed his hand against her back to urge Rey to keep walking. “You’ll feel the opposite on a planet that wasn’t stripped of life.” He glanced down at the young woman. “You won’t always feel everything around you.”

The snow and ice crunched beneath their feet, the light breeze was just enough to make Rey’s eyes and cheeks sting. She lifted the color of her cowl to cover the lower half of her face and pulled out the shades Kylo handed to her earlier. She placed them over her eyes and smiled in relief. This planet reminded her of a mix of Jakku and Takodana. 

At some point during their walk, Rey began leading the way without realizing it. She felt something gnawing at her for her attention. In the distance, she could see a small opening of a cave.

“Over there!” She pointed toward the cave.

“Excellent job, Rey.” 

Rey frowned at the sound of his voice modulator. She much preferred his real voice. But then again, that was probably the idea of the modulator; making him sound even more intimidating.

“Kylo,” Rey turned in his direction, “Why do you wear that mask?”

“What other reason than to conceal my identity?”

“That’s why I was asking, smart ass.”

Kylo pointed to the cave. “Maybe you should go find your Kyber crystal.”

“As Supreme Leader and next in line as the Emperor, shouldn’t your identity be known?”

“It’s below freezing, Rey.”

“But Jakku–”

“I hate sand. It’s as simple as that.” He then tilted his head at the cave. “Go before your hunger makes you even grumpier.”

Rey placed her hand on her stomach. While she was a little hungry, it’s not like how she felt on Jakku. She already had breakfast with Kylo before they left. There was no need to feel hungry again.

Bashfully, she walked toward the cave. The light breeze whirled around her the closer she got. A loud, angry hiss of a weapon stopped Rey in her tracks. 

If it were possible, Rey felt colder than before. Her breath hitched and she hastily looked for the threat, for the nearby battle, but there was nothing.

“Rey?”

The sounds of clashing and vibrating weapons were unlike anything she’d heard before. And yet, not physically seeing what made the noise frightened her more. The energy around her felt different. She felt fear, desperation, anger, and it wasn't from her or Kylo.

The bright blue sky and sparkling snow disappeared, it was now dark as the ground beneath her shattered. As the solid ground broke apart, Rey suddenly found herself on the edge of a cliff.

Just as her knees buckled, a strong sturdy arm grasped her waist.

When she looked up, instead of the horrible obsidian and chrome mask, she saw her husband's pale, concerned face.

The nighttime sky was now long gone and they sat under the endless rays of sunlight. His mask lay unceremoniously in the snow near their legs.

Kylo carefully removed her shades and pulled the cowl from her face. It was only then Rey realized she was sweating as perspiration trickled down her cheek. Kylo gingerly placed snow along her forehead and cheeks.

“Kriff, that's cold!” She shied away from his touch.

“You looked like you were going into shock, which would be surprising. We were only walking.”

“What was that?” Rey's voice shook as she pointed ahead of them. “What just happened?”

Kylo reached into his pocket, pulled a small canister from it, and offered it to Rey.

“Was that the Force?”

Kylo looked at Rey sympathetically as he offered a packet of food. “Yes.”

“And I'll eventually get used to it?”

“You will.”

Rey’s eyebrows dipped and she shook her head, “But it felt so real.”

“Drink.” 

Rey’s trembling fingers brought the canister to her lips. “This isn’t me,” She stated after a quick drink.

“What?”

“This,” she huffed and gestured to herself, “this fainting nonsense. This isn’t me. I’m not some damsel in distress. I don’t know what's going on with me.”

“Sometimes the visions can be overwhelming. Also, now that you’re eating more food, you’re body is reminding you it needs more.” He offered the food packet.

“You brought me a snack?”

“I did.” Kylo gave her a small nod. “I wasn't sure if you would need it, but the vision was enough to send you into shock.”

“Kylo, there was a battle here or there will be.” Her eyes grew distant. “The planet was falling apart.” 

Kylo opened the food packet and put a small piece in her mouth as she continued talking, for he knew the vision and how frightening and how real it would be.

As soon as Rey tasted the food, she closed her eyes and sat still. It was so strange having someone look after her and care for her. So vastly different than the harassment and beatings she endured while growing up on Jakku.

“Not a patient man, my ass.” She stated after she swallowed. “You've been nothing but patient with me.” Rey took another bite before offering some to the man beside her. She frowned when he quietly declined. “Keeping food on hand for me is an automatic win for the husband of the galaxy.” She firmly held up a finger, “but I am not putting out.”

At this, Kylo lightly chuckled and looked at the cantine. 

Rey smiled at hearing the small, quick laugh she elicited from her husband. She watched a thick wave of locks fall over his eyes while he looked at the cantine.

“Fair enough. How about you beat up my knights instead?” 

“That should be no problem.”

“I have no doubt.”

“Okay,” Rey picked up his mask and dusted the snow and ice off of it before handing it to him “I think I'm ready to go.”

Kylo placed the mask over his head and stood. He quickly offered his hand to Rey. He took a slow, deep breath when Rey placed her hand in his.

She brushed off the snow and ice off her pants and shirt before proceeding into the dark cave.

It wasn’t long before they were enveloped by darkness. Just as he had earlier, Kylo turned on a small flashlight, but just as he did, Rey quickly strode over to a wall. She carefully moved the large rocks that fell long ago and paused when she saw the faintest glimmer through a crack in the stone ground beneath them.

“We didn’t bring any tools.” She complained.

“You don’t need them.”

“Kylo, it’s in the ground.”

“Don’t look with just your eyes, Rey. Feel for the Kyber, take what you want.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “I don’t see how that will help.”

“You’re stronger than you know. You’ve tapped into your powers long before you met me just to survive the hostile living conditions you grew up with. Look at your Kyber, feel it, break through the barrier, and take it.”

“Yeah. Sure. I’ll get right on that.” Rey sarcastically replied.

Kylo folded his arms and quietly watched. He’s seen her raw strength. He knows what she’s capable of.

He let her claw the ground with her hands, listened to her whispered plea to the ground to open and how stupid this felt. He lifted his chin when she finally settled with a deep breath. He felt her tap into her surroundings, feeling the energy around her. Within minutes the broken rocks around them shook before the ground in front of Rey started to split. He quietly walked over just to see her frown give way to a smile. Her eyes were still closed while she concentrated. The small split in the ground broke further apart until her Kyber crystal shifted. Rey finally opened her beautiful eyes and grasped the stone in her hand.

“I don’t believe it.” She whispered.

“You must start believing, or you will fail.”

Rey looked up at her husband. With a nod, she stood and showed him her Kyber crystal. “Now what?”

“You’ll learn how to design and construct your lightsaber.”

“My choice? Not yours?”

“If you’re referring to the weapon I picked out for you that wasn’t ready, you’ll be happy to know it was your quarter-staff. My men had to repair it.”

Rey grinned in satisfaction. 

“Back to your lightsaber, with luck, you’ll complete it before the Emperor summons us.”

“He’ll summon us?”

“The fact that he canceled my meeting with him is due to one of two reasons. One, he’s fucking pissed that I went ahead and married a commoner–”

“But you said it was his suggestion.”

“And are you going to tell me Plutt didn’t tell you to do something then change his mind on it?”

“True. Carry on.”

“The second possibility is that he needed to make an urgent trip to Exegol.”

“Where’s that?”

“It’s where he was cloned.”

Rey pressed her lips together and lifted her eyebrows, “Perhaps Starkiller Base could target this planet that houses such evil.” 

Kylo pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’ll need you to learn how to block your thoughts before you meet the Emperor.”

~~~

It wasn't but a few days later that the Emperor made a surprise visit to the Finalizer and summoned Kylo. Rey stood in the back of the throne room with the Knights while Kylo walked toward the old ruler and knelt before him. Palpatine looked at the young woman and sighed in slight, aggravated disapproval.

"Rise, my young apprentice." Palatine's voice cracked and echoed. Once Kylo stood, the old Sith Lord continued. "That is what you have chosen for a wife?"

Kylo remained silent. He knew Palpatine was assessing Rey's hair, clothes, mind, and reactions between himself and Rey.

With a bored sigh, Palpatine looked at Kylo. "She's just a scrap of a girl from Jakku. I believe compassion is a grave mistake by Sith and Jedi alike."

"I don't have compassion."

Palpatine looked at Rey again. 

Kylo and Rey decided to diminish Sheev’s interest in Rey by dressing her in similar clothes to when she lived in Jakku. Her tunic and pants were loose, the armbands frayed, and her hair loosely pulled into three buns.

"You could have at least had clothes made for her." Palpatine did little to conceal his disappointment in Kylo’s choice.

"The seamstress droid finished Rey’s measurements this morning, and they will deliver proper attire soon." Kylo flawlessly lied.

Palpatine tilted his head to the left. "You're hiding something, Ren."

"I feel in my mission, marrying a commoner would further promote our alliances."

"Strange that I feel I should agree with you. Since your alliance, acquiring territories has become easier, although less fun without the bloodshed.” Palpatine leaned against the back of his throne; his lips twisted into a horrifying hint of a smile. “And what of the dress she wore during your nuptials?" Sheev tilted his head, “I did see security footage after your momentous occasion.”

"Her dress was a lucky find on Takodana."

Thankfully, Palpatine didn't detect Kylo's lies– or he ignored them. 

Kylo worked too hard for everything to blow up in his face now. He told Rey to only think of her upbringing on Jakku and not of her new life on the ship or the clothes he conveniently had already made for her. He needed Rey of Jakku, not the woman he had trained, to block her thoughts and powers. Kylo could only imagine how his dreadful uncle would have disagreed with his methods, how one of the first lessons should have been about how her eyes could deceive her. A lesson Kylo had foolishly forgotten before during a fit of rage.

"Shall I bring her to you?" Kylo offered.

"No. I must say, you have surprised me, young Ren. I did not foresee anyone by your side for quite some time.” Palpatine tapped his old weathered hand against the armrest of his throne. “Now, I cannot remember who she was." The old man let out a small sigh. “Now that my curiosity is satisfied, I shall return to my ship within the hour.”

Kylo was thankful for the mask that covered his face, for he was sure his eyes would have betrayed him.

"You may take your leave now. I trust you'll have this woman ready for the upcoming missions. That she is being thoroughly trained in formal etiquette and of course what I expect the wife of the future Emperor."

"Training began immediately after our nuptials. My wife is a fast learner." 

Just as Kylo turned to leave, a cold feeling washed over his body.

"I sense…” Palpatine paused, “She is a fighter."

Kylo almost forgot to breathe. Beneath the mask, he nervously licked his lips before replying, "To survive on Jakku, one must have the ability to fight."

"Quite right. Perhaps, one day, she'll be strong enough to train with your knights. Life will be easier when you don't worry about the woman on your side."

“Yes, my Emperor.”

“Very well, my young apprentice. You may leave now.”

Once Kylo and Rey were in the busy halls of the Star Destroyer, they made their way to their quarters. They kept their conversation dull until Kylo knew the Emperor wasn't in either of their minds.

"We can breathe easier.” Kylo stated when they entered their quarters. “The Emperor isn't interested in you. The longer we can keep his attention off you, the better."

“I’m surprised by how weak he looks.”

“Remember what I just taught you: Your eyes can deceive you, Rey, don’t trust them.” Kylo quietly replied. “The Emperor’s body is in a weakened state. From what I found out, he has daily transfusions and bacta treatments, but his body is merely a shell for the power he holds.”

“Is he really as powerful as he was during the Imperial reign?”

Kylo slowly nodded. “Unfortunately.”

"Then how do you know he didn't sense my powers when you were able to find me on Jakku?"

The energy in the air surrounding them felt thick. Kylo rolled his lips and remained silent.

"You're hiding something from me," Rey accused.

Kylo would never admit the hunt for Lor San Tekka was a ruse.

"I'm hiding more than you'll ever know." He responded while stepping to the side. 

Rey walked in front of Kylo with a slight huff and looked up at him. 

Kylo knew Rey wasn't satisfied with his answer. Silently, he removed his mask to look at her with his own eyes. Force, she was a thing of beauty, even while upset. Her freckled cheeks were dusted pink, and her lovely eyes were full of determination. He always admired her perseverance, loyalty, and faith in finding the good in the people around her. 

He'll never understand how Jakku didn't take this trait from her. And for that, Kylo Ren envied his wife. 

Rey took a short breath through her nose and opened it to speak but remained silent. He'd heard the question in her mind a million times by now, but she'd never asked it until now.

"How did you know about me? And not only that, how did you know where to find me? You knew about me long before you came to Jakku."

Kylo gave her a small shrug, "It was easy to hear your thoughts."

"Kylo, I don't believe you." Rey nearly shouted. "A man with your reputation for killing gave up his conquest for Lor San Tekka too easily. For what? A beaten-up scavenger who happened to be Force-sensitive? I'm sure you could have found someone else."

Kylo observed his wife briefly, then closed the short distance between them. 

"I’ve already explained myself to you, Rey.”

“No, you didn’t!”

“Believe what you want, Rey. I've grown tired of this conversation." He quickly glanced at Rey's mouth and leaned toward her.

Rey’s heart hammered as Kylo grew closer, his eyes locking with hers again. 

"Let’s not ignore the fact that you're mostly picking an argument with me because you don't want to go to your fitting." He added with a half-grin.

Growing more frustrated, Rey pursed her lips when he pulled back.

"In the last few weeks, I've gotten to know you well enough to know when you are trying to keep me in the dark about something. From why you offered me the galaxy to the lone prisoner that I can sometimes hear."

Kylo tossed his gloves onto a nearby table, “You can’t hear a prisoner if he’s in carbonite.”

“You can’t convince me otherwise.” Rey crossed her arms and bit her lip. “I don’t want to quarrel with you, but I do wish you would tell me the truth… about Jakku and that prisoner. And– never mind.” 

She wanted to know more about him. Kylo wasn’t exactly on a mission for power over the galaxy. He had other plans, but he was stuck posing as Palpatine’s puppet. 

Rey also wanted to know more about Kylo’s past and why it feels like he fears everything he is working for will slip from his fingers. Sometimes, if he drifted to sleep before her, it felt as though he was in mourning for a life he lost. Like 

"You’re upset with me for other reasons.”

Rey took a short breath through her nose and turned away from Kylo. 

He was right, again, just as he almost always was. Rey often wondered why he hadn't made any other moves to further their "relationship." They wouldn't fool anyone into thinking they were husband and wife at the rate they were going. 

Since news broke out that the Emperor's newly appointed Supreme Leader married a commoner, reporters made articles and holos. From the little bit Rey has seen on the holonet, she's willing to bet people would continue to speculate Kylo bought her at an auction or, better yet, stole her from a village just because he could. 

Though Rey hadn't experienced anything further than the soft peck on her cheek, there was no denying the fire in his eyes when he looked at her. 

On most days, like today, she looked forward to the times his mask would come off for training and their evening meal together. 

Something was there. 

Maybe Kylo didn't realize it? Or perhaps he refused to acknowledge it. Either way, why else would she end up in his arms every evening after she fell asleep? On some nights, it felt like he was afraid of losing her, while on other nights, it was more for protection. 

From who?

That damn tiny smile appeared on his typical stoic face. Kriff, did he hear her again?

"I'm sure you're relieved I can't hear or feel every little thing that goes through your mind now that we've trained for so long." Kylo offered in hopes of changing the conversation.

"I'll not deny the joy of making sure you don't know when I need to use the 'fresher or other things."

Or when she thinks about his muscular body. The man was frightening and beautiful to watch while he trained with his knights. Rey made sure she wasn't distracted by how the light reflected off his taut body or how sweat dripped down the endless waves of his hair. 

She almost felt bad that Kylo picked someone like her as a bride. Their age difference gave him more time to mature and not be distracted by someone's body. Rey never had time for such silly luxury at Niima Outpost. She was sure she wouldn't be thinking of him often if she did. 

Maybe.

Rey's eyes fluttered when he placed his hand on the small of her back while walking beside her. 

“The seamstress droid arrived. I’ll be in my meditation chamber while she finishes the alterations.”

Rey barely heard Kylo. 

Had she been so touch-starved that she craved this bit? Perhaps this is why she finds his lack of interest in her increasingly annoying. 

No, she didn't feel bad he picked her. He picked her for a reason, and it was not because of the damn Force.

Something else was happening. Rey couldn't explain it and didn't bother asking her husband about it. Her dreams have become more vivid, like they were when she was younger. But she's someone else in the dreams. Someone else who was abandoned. Rey wonders if it's his dreams or memories. But more than anything, she wonders if he is the boy she used to see in visions.

It would be disappointing to know she'd made a mistake and found that the boy she considered a friend wasn't real. Or worse, she's combining her memory of the young man with what she sees and admires about Kylo. 

~~~

Kylo walked in as the seamstress completed the hemline on Rey's dark blue gown. Rey stared at the mirror, mouth open, forgetting to breathe as she saw how the dress clung to her curves. The neckline plunged well below the valley of her breasts and ended just inches above her belly button. When Kylo looked at her, she closed her mouth and nervously swallowed. 

"Do you approve, Supreme Leader?" The seamstress droid asked. "There are several jewelry options on the table to your left."

"You look the part as my future Empress, Rey. You’ll be a sensation on the eve of your debut."

The soft murmur made Rey’s baby hairs on her neck stand. 

She held her breath as he slowly walked around her. When he paused before her, he tilted his head to the side. He was curious about something.

"I don't like how far the dress plunges." Rey finally stated.

"Why is that?" Kylo stepped closer to her. 

The way Kylo’s eyes roamed over Rey’s body did something to her. At this moment, she was more than thankful for his training in blocking her thoughts as heat pulled beneath her belly. No one's ever looked at her the way Kylo did. He looked like he was starving; she was the first crumb of a meal he'd seen in weeks.

"I don't like the idea of everyone looking at my skin."

His eyes drifted down the front of her dress and before locking eyes with her again. "You'll have to be more specific."

Rey moved her lips, but no words came out. Her throat felt dry when she felt his large fingertips lightly press against the exposed skin of her abdomen skin just below her breasts.

"You don't want the neckline to end here?"

"No." She firmly said, feeling stupidly proud for finding her voice.

Kylo's intense, smoldering gaze made Rey almost feel small. It was almost offensive to feel this way, not after a lifetime of survival. But when he slowly moved his fingers up her body, the feel of his touch made goosebumps travel across her skin.

"What about here?" Kylo stopped in the valley between her breasts. His smoldering gaze became more intense.

"I don't want my dress to be this revealing."

Her body nearly trembled when his fingers moved again. Although he wasn't touching the peaks of her breasts, having someone linger where only she's touched before still felt strange yet exciting. 

His fingertips stopped just above her breasts, “here?”

Rey sucked a short breath, “This should be fine.”

"Fix her hemline. Add a design or jewels to hide the mistake."

The way he uttered the word "mistake" sounded like anything but that. 

That evening, Rey started disassembling droids while Kylo was away. She didn't do it out of malice—mostly boredom- to free herself from anxiety and ignore the strange, unfamiliar tension.

Chapter Text

The night of Rey's "debut" was nothing short of anxiety-inducing. She hated having a crowd of people watching her every move. She could sense her husband's apprehension as well, only he wasn't concerned with how she composed herself; the man simply hated attention. Something she found odd as he was next in line to become Emperor when the time came. But then again, when Kylo takes the throne, he can hide as Palpatine does now. 

Rey read her lines flawlessly at the beginning of the banquet after Kylo made his speech about the First Order and the good they would bring to the galaxy. As he introduced Rey as his wife and future Empress, she pinched herself to see if she was dreaming back on Jakku. But no, it was all real. The sea of people met Rey with generous applause. Her heart thundered deep within her chest as she spoke about her hope for the galaxy and how she believed The First Order could unite the citizens. 

If only that were currently true. 

But once Palpatine finally croaked, Rey did not doubt that Kylo would keep his promise to her. 

As she left the podium, her husband extended his hand to hers. As he helped her step down, he brought her fingers to his lips, his eyes never left hers. Rey’s body simmered under Kylo’s gaze. His soft lips caressed her fingers so gently and as he pulled his head back, she saw a hint of a smile on his handsome face.

Throughout the evening, Rey felt pride emanating from Kylo– especially with his predator-like gaze following her. She even managed to gain an unprompted smile or two from him while they quietly talked during the heavily attended dinner. 

His amber eyes grew brighter with a feeling Rey wasn't familiar with when they took to the dance floor. Feeling his large hand hold her waist awakened something deep inside of her. It almost made her feel embarrassed for not being able to pinpoint what Kylo did to her. 

Perhaps it was due to her ever-growing attraction to him, and while she didn't follow all of the crude jokes that the Knights of Ren heavily boasted, she could guess what they meant. Rey noticed that as time had passed, she wouldn't mind performing her wifely duties. She heard enough talk throughout Niima Outpost, what it meant, and how it should feel. The way his piercing gaze made her feel only encouraged the idea that maybe they could grow more intimate. Perhaps it would cure whatever was simmering within her.

Rey wanted to feel his soft kiss, not just on her cheek but on her lips. 

What would a real kiss feel like? What if he lingered or latched onto her neck like she had seen on a holo? Or even further south from tales she heard at the outpost. 

Rey snapped out of her thoughts as she and Kylo continued their waltz. From what she could tell, he did not sense her thoughts or feelings of want. 

Thank the Force for that. 

Rey wasn’t sure if she could proceed with the evening if she suspected Kylo had an inkling of what she wanted.

Before they left Rey’s debut, Kylo had mentioned they had never had a system join as quickly as the Teth system tonight. In a way, Kylo wasn’t surprised they joined after decades of lawlessness, along with the Old Republic’s refusal to clone troopers to help protect it. When Rey asked if it was such a success and why they were leaving so early, his eyes held the galaxy's weight when he replied there were reports of the Resistance members nearby.

Rey would be lying if she didn't feel slightly excited about the news. She had heard stories of the rebels and found it fascinating that a group so small would challenge the First Order. Rey would never admit this to Kylo, of course. Especially after how she felt seeing the dread, anger, and almost sorrowful look in his beautiful eyes.

That night while they walked to their quarters, Rey heard a man’s screams. She stopped walking and turned in the direction she heard it. Kylo and his knights acted as though they didn’t hear whoever it was. The screams sounded familiar, but Kylo would turn down any questions regarding the prisoner.

After they were in the privacy of their quarters, Kylo warned her that someone complained that she was destroying the droids. Rey argued she did not destroy the droids if she put them back together. His small smile appeared again before he looked away to remove his boots. 

Rey didn't have a chance to take apart a droid that night. She was so exhausted she didn't question Kylo when he extended his hand to her once they were in their sleepwear. She placed her hand in his large, warm palm and followed him to their bed. They fell asleep almost immediately after he wrapped his arms around Rey and pulled her against his chest.

Rey's routines were on a tight schedule as the weeks went by. 

Meditation after breakfast, physical training, learning about the Force, and etiquette training. Kylo would often get called away for meetings, sometimes for missions and Rey would have to stay in their quarters. Some nights, they would attend more galas, but the nights she was by herself, she continued her hobby of disassembling droids. Rey loved learning how they operated; she would reassemble them when she finished. 

If only it were as easy to break through her husband as these silly little service droids were. There was a hint of his smile and a comforting hand on her waist, offering to beat up Trudgen when she tripped while walking in heels. Rey found that while Kylo’s walls were as strong as the durasteel structure of the star destroyers. When Kylo would open up, it would only be a little bit and just for her.

In Rey’s eyes, Kylo wasn’t the feared dark lord she had heard about when she eavesdropped on the gossipers at Niima Outpost. She would sometimes catch glimpses of the hidden monster when he read the evening reports and sometimes during their training. His anger, resentment, and frustrations would burn through his eyes while reading the reports on the datapad. But he would close his eyes, take a breath, finish the reports, and channel the anger the following day while training with his knights. Even then, he looked like he was holding back on his ruthlessness.

At night, while they were in bed if one of them startled awake, Kylo would pull Rey into his arms and hold her tightly while he sighed with what Rey learned was relief.

Kylo must have lost someone he was close to at one point in his life, which made her heart ache for the young man. She knew loss all too well, though hers was on the lines of abandonment.

Rey would never dare ask who he lost as it was none of her business. But she could see herself asking her husband for more from their arrangement. They were husband and wife, and if they were to attend more events, they would have to look like they cared for one another, right?

Learning to live with someone was strange enough after all her time alone. But learning to live with someone she found attractive was something else entirely. She constantly worried if her eyes lingered on his handsome face for too long, or if she continued brushing if he touched her hand, wrist, or waist. She didn't know how to navigate through this strange new emotion of caring about someone, let alone wanting to connect on a more spiritual and physical level. 

Learning how to survive the rough elements of Jakku was much easier. 

All Rey knew was that all these new feelings mixed with the memories of how his bare fingers grazed the valley of her breasts and how he couldn't take his eyes off of her during her debut started to drive her crazy.

And while many saw this man as a tyrant, Kylo was her rescuer and someone completely different in the privacy of their quarters.

His lingering touches, fiery eyes, and subtle changes in his expression while he looked at her like she was a dream come true made Rey nervous with excitement. This new feeling was almost as mysterious as the dreams and one fear she'd sensed from Kylo.

It was a brief glimpse, but Rey swore he worried he would disappear forever.

~~~

Four months after Rey’s debut, the unresolved tension was getting harder for Rey to ignore. She decided Kylo had the right idea and took out her frustrations against him and his knights while they sparred.

Rey and Kylo slammed the plasma of their lightsabers against the others. The beautiful yellow, orange, and red inferno illuminated their faces. The plasma from Rey's lightsaber was still a lovely, vibrant yellow– calm compared to the wicked, angry plasma of Kylo's. She grunted in frustration as she tried to push him back, but the man was a beast. 

A giant, unmoving beast. 

Judging by his frustratingly beautiful, cocky smile, Kylo knew he was the source of her frustration. 

The six Knights of Ren surrounded them, egging them on to either kick each other’s asses or finally fuck it out, as Trudgen bluntly stated minutes earlier. 

In groups of two, the knights randomly attacked the sparring couple. 

Trudgen propelled himself at Kylo with his vibro-cleaver while Vicrul attacked Rey with his vibro-scythe. Rey and Kylo stepped back from one another. Kylo blocked Trudgen’s attack with a grunt as his knight attacked with everything he had. Vicrul expected Rey’s guard to be down and tried to project fear into her mind. Just as her husband taught her, Rey pushed Vicrul from her mind, reached toward Vicrul, clenched her fist, and dragged him against the floor. Ap’lek cackled at his fallen comrade before advancing on Rey next.

“Yeah, fuck you too Ap’lek.” Vicrul groaned.

Kylo grabbed Trudgen by the back of his neck and threw him against Cardo. He turned and watched Rey swing her lightsaber up from the ground, meeting Ap’lek’s vibro-ax. Pride swelled in his chest when Rey didn’t hesitate to kick the larger knight away from her and hold him at bay with the Force. But he didn’t have long to admire his beautiful, feral wife. Kuruk and Ushar were circling him, waiting for his move. But he knew his knights. They were restless and always resorted to attacking first.

With a quick step to the side, Kylo avoided Ushar and slammed his elbow into the man’s back. In the same fluid motion, he quickly lifted his lightsaber to block a blast from Kuruk’s blaster rifle. 

He deeply inhaled through his nose and threw Kuruk into Ap’lek. He had just enough time to dodge Ushar again. The loud whoosh in the air came repeatedly as Ushar continued to try to strike Kylo with his war club. When Kylo finally had enough, he caught the attack with his hand, ripped the weapon from Ushar, and slammed it against the knight’s helmet. He then turned to Rey to see if she was ready to continue or to call it a day. 

The fire in her eyes was unlike anything. With each passing day, Kylo wanted more and more of her. From her little quips when she’s annoyed, her happy laughs, her peaceful face as she slept, her beautiful smiles, and her perfect body. The temptation to move things along in their relationship was growing harder to avoid. Kylo still feared what would happen if she found his deepest secrets. 

He had everything he could have possibly wanted and yet, nothing was truly his.

Rey nodded at her husband and got into position, ready for an attack, Kylo did the same.

Rey could sense he grew worried. Her ability to read him more clearly meant she was growing stronger. Though her physical, emotional, and natural talent with the Force already indicated that. Was it enough? Would she be able to hide her power from the man who struck more fear than her husband across the galaxy?

The Emperor had demanded another meeting with Kylo and his bride. Rey couldn't deny that the idea of seeing the galaxy’s repressor again twisted her stomach into knots. 

In her fleeting moment of wonder, Kylo roughly shoved Rey back. The man was like a predator who knew how to wait for a moment of weakness.

"You let your thoughts distract you," Kylo’s modulated voice echoed off the walls.

"Yes, I know," Rey grunted while finding her footing. 

“Focus.”

“I am. ” 

Rey quickly dodged Kylo’s next attack. Sweat dripped down her temple and neck, her muscles ached, and she barely had time to catch her breath before her dance of evading his advances ended in multiple clashes of their lightsabers. 

“When will we go to him? The Emperor?”

Kylo pushed Rey back a few feet and twirled his lightsaber. “Whenever he decides is the right moment.”

“That’s a bit inconvenient.” Rey swung her lightsaber toward him.

“You should have made your weapon similar to your quarter-staff,” Kylo sighed and slammed his lightsaber onto hers. He watched as Rey gritted her teeth. “You need to continue retraining your body and thoughts. You must look at your lightsaber as an extension of yourself.”

“It’s easier said than done.” Her gasp echoed throughout the training room as Kylo unleashed a fury of fast attacks on her. 

Kylo raised his lightsaber above their heads and slammed it down repeatedly, only giving Rey moments to block every attack. The knights laughed when she tripped and fell with a loud grunt. 

“Do you think she sounds like that in bed?” Kuruk whispered to the other knights from across the training room.

“Yep,” Cardo responded while the others nodded their heads.

“Lucky man,” Vicrul lowly chuckled. “If he ever got it in.”

Kylo walked over to where Rey, stood over her body as she sat up, and aimed his lightsaber at her heart.

Rey panted heavily and looked at the large man towering over her. She assessed their positions. If Rey kicked Kylo, she risked the lightsaber cutting her face. Same if she tried to crawl away. The blade's heat reminded her of the burning sensation she felt near her face on Takodana before the wedding ceremony.

“It is easier said than done, but you’re doing it, even if you don’t realize it.” Kylo quietly replied over the hum of their lightsabers.

Feeling Kylo was being condescending, Rey broke eye contact with him. “Stop being nice to me.”

“I’m not being nice. I’m trying to prevent you from overthinking this. You’re used to having the upper hand. I warned you things would be different from your time on Jakku.”

“I understand that! I’m not completely naive. I’m just frustrated.”

“Look at me,” Kylo instructed.

With a small sigh, Rey finally looked at her husband.

“Take a deep breath.” He continued with an irritating calmness.

“Aren’t you dark siders supposed to use your anger and frustration?”

Under his mask, Kylo’s eyebrows creased. “Are you telling me you want to fall to the dark side?”

“No.”

“Then breathe.”

Rey took a shallow breath through her nose at the same time as Kylo, then slowly let it out. When they each took a second breath, Kylo pulled his weapon back just an inch. Rey fell to her back, turned off her lightsaber, tucked her legs, and rolled away. When Kylo followed, Rey reignited her lightsaber and blocked him as she stood. 

With the blinding red, yellow, orange, and white flashes from their lightsabers striking each other, she could see Kylo’s satisfied grin. Rey couldn’t help but notice how devastatingly handsome he was, while she still felt like the desert rat he picked up not so long ago. Kylo never mistreated her, and Rey never heard a negative thought about her from him, unlike certain Generals and other service members. 

But there was an invisible barrier between them that Kylo had long established but never acknowledged. 

There were moments in the privacy of their quarters when Kylo would look like a man in love. He would hold Rey in the safety of his arms while they slept. When they woke, he would gaze upon her face before pain filled his eyes; he would turn away from her and prepare for the day.

Rey felt slight pressure against her mind and scowled at the man in front of her.

“Stop it.”

“You didn’t hear me and looked lost in thought.” Kylo studied her eyes for a moment. “I was just trying to see what is occupying your mind to the point you put yourself in danger.”

“I’m not in any danger. Not with you.” She sucked a short breath and turned away from him, turning off her lightsaber as she did.

“Rey?”

She heard the distinct sound of his lightsaber powering down.

“It’s nothing. I’ll continue to retrain my thoughts and my fighting technique.” Rey replied robotically. “I’ll eventually get used to the idea of this weapon being a part of me.”

Out of old instinct, Rey nearly slapped Kylo’s hand away when she felt his hand gently pull on her arm—one of many old habits from Jakku that needed to die. Her breath hitched when she felt the soft leather of his glove touch her cheek, turning her to face him.

Before Kylo could speak, they could hear the knights laughing like younglings and making kissing noises, along with lewd remarks about training his wife in bed.

“I think we’ve done enough for today. While I admire your determination to learn everything quickly, it will do you no good to try to perfect your techniques in such a short amount of time.”

“But you said–”

“I don’t expect you to master your training right now, Rey. If I put that pressure on you, then I apologize. That wasn't my intent.”

“I knew it. Kylo has become weak for his little woman.” Trudgen’s voice echoed off the silent room.

Rey felt warmth cross her cheeks when Kylo made no objections. Once more, there was longing and sadness in his amber eyes.

“But the Emperor–”

“Give him no indication you’re Force-sensitive and continue blocking what you can. I don’t hand out compliments, so when I tell you that you are blocking your thoughts, take it as the truth. You’re harder to read now more than when we first met.”

Visions of Takodana Forest flooded her mind, along with the distant hum of Kylo’s lightsaber, even though Kylo turned it off when she walked away. Rey wished she knew why she heard his lightsaber's distinct sound in the forest. She also remembered how it felt like someone was hunting her during their walk to their ceremony.

A simple brush of his leather-clad thumb brought Rey back into the training room.

“I’m exhausted.” She finally whispered.

“Would you like to go to our quarters and rest?”

Rey merely nodded after a moment.

“Say it. Tell me what you want.”

Perplexed, Rey nearly laughed. “You want me to tell you I want to nap? Like I’m a youngling?” 

Ap’lek loudly cleared his throat, “There are other activities you two can do that will lead to sleep.”

Kylo’s passive face turned to a deep frown before he rolled his jaw and his lips. He escorted Rey out of the training room and toward one of the lifts.

“I think you shouldn’t have to worry about training for the rest of the day and take a few days off.”

~~~

There was something else about the man she married that Rey couldn’t figure out what that something was. How he presented himself around her and the calmness and relief she felt from Kylo were strange. The way he looked at her made Rey feel seen. Sometimes, particularly at night, he had a fire in his eyes that would take her breath away. Somehow, it left Rey feeling strange and lonely until one night, during a minor argument, something changed.

Strands of hair fell from the top bun as she began to piece together another BB unit. Instead of using her greasy hands, Rey rubbed her forehead against her arm in an effort to push the strands away from her face. 

“Let's see, this hard drive went into this compartment here.” She whispered.

The hiss of the durasteel doors interrupted Rey’s concentration. Kylo wasn't supposed to return for hours. She placed her tool on the floor and stood. She wiped her hands on her pants then straightened her tunic before flexing her grease-smudged fingers. She had promised Kylo she would stop disassembling the droids after that first time, but she couldn’t help herself. 

“Hello, husband.” Rey watched him remove his mask once the doors closed behind him. 

Her voice was quiet. She watched Kylo’s eyes as he looked at her.

“Rey, the droids.”

“I know. I know you said I need to stop, but,” Rey clasped her hands together and began fidgeting with her fingers.

“But what?”

“I’m bored!”

Kylo silently sighed and placed his mask on a nearby counter.

“You have access to more than you ever did on Jakku. How could you be bored?”

“You leave me for hours at a time. I strongly dislike meditating, and it's all too easy to overpower your knights. I don’t know why you keep them around.”

Kylo smirked.

“Can’t I go on these missions with you?” She was just shy of begging to be free of this durasteel cage.

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Rey huffed and crossed her arms. “But I can go to those boring galas?”

“The galas are easier to secure,” Kylo replied as he removed his gloves.

“Your point?”

“Rey,” he rolled his lips. “I’ve seen several reports with threats made against you.”

“How is that still an issue?” She bared her teeth when Kylo didn’t answer. “Who made the threat?” She stepped closer to her husband, “Kylo I have a right to know!”

“Supposedly it was the Resistance.” His amber eyes looked solemn as he replied.

Her heart felt heavy. She had never met anyone from the Resistance, but always wondered what the heroes from the old war were like. “Why wasn’t I made aware of this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to upset you.”

“Well, I’m a bit pissed about it now. I don’t like being lied to.”

“I didn’t lie to you.”

“You hid this from me. You may as well have lied to me.” Rey rubbed a greasy spot on her hand. “And–” her breath hitched.

“And?” Kylo slowly inhaled. Seeing Rey worry and knowing he was responsible for her stress hurt more than Snoke’s punishments.

Hands clenched at her sides, Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was never good with verbal confrontations or expressing herself. Why was this just as challenging as wearing high heels?

“When we first met, you made it sound like I would be more useful. Instead, you’ve hidden me away until it’s more convenient for you. Like I'm only to be seen, not heard. You treat me like a porcelain doll. You could have found someone prettier for that, Kylo. You know I’m not fragile and yet you act like if I leave the safety of these quarters I’ll fall apart.”

Kylo cocked his head to the side before shaking it. “That’s not true and you know it.” He studied her before continuing, “That's not all that you're upset about.” 

He watched as a light flush dusted Rey's cheeks. When she looked into his unrelenting gaze, she knew he expected an answer.

“I may not know much about marriage, but I don’t feel like a wife lately.” Rey walked away and began to untie her hair from the lowest bun.

Kylo watched as she released her hair, walked over to her when she reached for her hair, and helped her undo the rest of her hair.

“Aside from protecting you, what have I done to make you feel like this?” Kylo asked while he helped with her hair.

When she felt his fingers gingerly loosening her hair, Rey closed her eyes. “Nothing.”

Kylo frowned before moving to the next bun. “Forgive me, but I need you to be more clear.”

“You’ve done nothing. I understand we don’t know one another, but I thought by now, we would be out of this strange, awkward phase that we’re in. You’ve done nothing, and yet you confuse me.”

Kylo rolled his jaw before moving his mouth several times, trying to find something to say. If anyone was confused, it was him. He turned Rey around and looked into her eyes and then at her lips when her hair settled over her shoulders.

His eyebrows dipped in confusion. “You want me to be husbandly?”

“Is that a word?”

“Maybe?” Kylo shook his head, “Rey, answer the question.”

“Yes.” Her breath hitched before she nervously added, “Maybe?”

Kylo slid his hand through her loose hair; his thumb grazed her cheek. “I thought I was treating you as my wife.”

“You’ve done a wonderful job at taking care of me and helping me, but I–” She looked away. She could never admit what she wanted. All the things she read about in the romantic holobooks or the holofilms she watched in her spare time.

“You want more?”

Watching Rey’s hazel eyes widen and her pupils dilate was incredible to Kylo. His breaths grew deep and steady as he looked at her perfect pink lips.

“I-” Rey was at a loss for words. Her jaw trembled until he placed his thumb and index finger on her chin. Despite his physical contact with her and burning eyes, she could feel apprehension from her husband.

Kylo leaned in and paused. He observed Rey before tilting her chin and closing the distance. His lips were so gentle Rey didn't have time to react. For a brief moment, she could feel Kylo's fear.

What did a man like Kylo Ren have to fear? 

Kylo pulled away and waited. But nothing happened. His anxious heart still beat in his chest. The woman he fought so hard for was still in front of him. 

Force, she was beautiful. 

Rey nervously sucked a short breath when they locked eyes after opening them. He then kissed her again and Rey carefully placed her hands on his tunic. Kylo slid his hand from her chin to the back of her neck and angled their heads for easier access. 

They could sense each other’s apprehension when they slightly parted their lips to deepen the kiss. Rey could hear her heart in her ears and feel Kylo's under her hands. 

She felt daring and gently slid her hand up his chest and neck to his jawline and through his thick hair. He responded by pulling her closer to his body. While Kylo’s lips were full of want, his eyes filled with relief. Rey could sense his desire and that ever-so-present fear from earlier. He cared about her, but the sense of dread almost made her feel like she was knocking on death’s door.

The lingering feeling interrupted their first kiss as husband and wife, but Rey couldn’t ignore Kylo’s conflicted feelings over her.

“You’re afraid, why?”

"You ask too many questions." Kylo responded before resealing his lips over hers.

He slid his hand down to her waist and grasped it. His body trembled while he fought the urge to continue exploring hers. The soft scent of her perfume, sweat, and bits of grease on her shirt made him want to devour her. Everything about Rey was perfect, he longed for and yet feared this moment.

But the moment Rey slipped her other hand from his chest to his back, Kylo nearly lost all composure. He tightened his hold on her and backed her against a wall. The way her lips felt as she smiled against his kiss made the rest of his blood rush straight to his dick. He ducked his head and kissed her neck. 

She tightened her grip on his tunic, only encouraging Kylo to continue pursuing her.

The kisses turned into a lick. The taste of her skin and the scent of light perfume made Kylo suckle on her neck. When he heard her little gasp and felt her fingers tighten their hold on his hair. When he roughly kissed her lips again, he felt Rey’s body relax and her spirits soar. His tongue lightly danced against hers. They clumsily learned how to deepen their kiss together. He slid his hand from her waist and cupped her left breast. Even through the cloth barriers, he could tell how soft her flesh was. He grew desperate for more. 

Rey was his for the taking and yet, she wasn’t. 

Because the Force was against him from the moment he was conceived.

Chapter Text

Adrenaline rushed through Rey’s body as their kiss grew more passionate. It felt like two hearts were hammering inside of her chest.  She could feel the warmth of Kylo’s palm when he cupped her breast through her shirt. The sudden, unexpected move made her gasp. 

She didn’t have time to feel embarrassed; Kylo seemed to enjoy the noise she made, and his gentle touch became urgent. He squeezed Rey’s soft flesh and ran his thumb across her pebbling nipple. 

Rey realized she wouldn’t mind if Kylo dared to remove the barrier that was her clothing. Feeling daring, she slid her hands to the front of his tunic. She could feel his muscular pectorals; the heat she once felt across her cheeks was now steadily throbbing deep inside of her. Her body wanted more, and she quite agreed. A small shiver went through her when she boldly unclasped the top of his tunic. 

Rey could feel Kylo’s lust for her. A few months ago, she would have shied away with embarrassment, but now, she feels oddly empowered by this revelation. Not only empowered, but greedy. With each fleeting second, she wanted more.  

Kylo followed her lead, and eagerly unclasped the top of her tunic before she finished unzipping his. She felt the material around her body as he pushed the sleeves down her toned arms. The thin, spaghetti-strapped camisole barely covered her and the cooler air danced across her tanned skin. She shivered in anticipation. Kylo’s warm mouth left her lips and danced across her neck down to her shoulder.  

The movements were simple, delicate, and slow. Studying and mesmerizing every freckle etched across her flesh before reverentially planting his lips on her body. His actions were so foreign and yet felt familiar. As though it was natural to let him explore her untouched body.  

Her shaky breaths grew deep, her hands clutched his strong shoulders, and her eyes focused on the dark durasteel walls across their room before she dared to glance down at her husband. Seeing the lights reflect off his thick, obsidian hair with each small movement reminded her this was real and not a dream. He placed a hand on her shoulder and kissed his way across her clavicle. Rey lifted her chin and closed her eyes as her body fell deeper into ecstasy. Her knees buckled when his tongue slipped against her flesh. Her breaths stilled, her eyes rolled back, her lips twisted into a wanton smile when he lightly suckled the crook of her neck.  

A low moan nearly escaped Kylo’s lips when he tasted Rey’s semi-salty skin. The faint scent of her soap and shampoo reminded him of his earlier summers on Chandrila. Possibly some of the happiest times of his life before he was sent away to his uncle’s temple. Now, he could breathe in the scent, and imagine taking Rey to the gardens, having his way with her there instead of the cold, lifeless cage they called home. But the reality of it was it was their prison.  

But his old home did not matter.  

Rey was his home.  

Hopefully. 

He deeply inhaled when she moved, allowing him further access to explore her tender flesh. He softly kissed the crook of her neck. His pulsating heart and cock tempted him to nip her skin; marking her as his, but he wasn’t sure if Rey would appreciate such a sentiment. Not yet…  

His fingers nervously traced the top of her camisole as he kissed Rey’s jawline. Through the thin material, he could feel the warmth of her perky breasts and longed to grasp them, to envelope them with his lips. He’s waited for her for so long, He couldn’t rush this. He needed to savor every passing second, every small glimpse of her body, the simple taste of her skin. What if she let him taste her? 

At this thought, Kylo let out a small yet guttural, desperate moan. 

Taking her, tasting her, was all he could think about in his free time, and it grew harder to ignore the temptation with his wife in his arms every night. His ever-growing lust for Rey was part of the reason he left on so many missions. Consummating their marriage was supposed to be the next step all married couples took, but Kylo couldn’t risk it. Not that Rey was a delicate flower he was afraid to break. Maker knows that this woman is more than capable of breaking him. He needed Rey to know him as he knew her. To understand him. Until recently, Kylo didn’t realize how hard it was to remove the mask that hid his sins. 

When their lips met again, he lightly nipped her bottom lip. Relieved she was still here in his hands; frightened he would awake in that dark, cold dreary place that he had been lost in for so long. Her hands slipped from his shoulders and down his chest. She was so pure, so innocent, her touches were soft when he knew how powerful her hands could be. How easily she could damage his body and his mind. His heart raced when she returned to the zipper and tugged at it. Her motions were slower than his. His fearless girl was now petrified, yet she continued pulling the zipper down until finally, his restrictive tunic was loose. They smiled against each other’s lips when he removed the now bothersome clothing. 

Rey peered at his right shoulder. She stopped kissing her husband when she saw old, faded scars, large and small over his arm, shoulder, chest, and abdomen. Her eyebrows dipped and Kylo stopped his advances to watch her trembling hand as she traced one of the larger scars with the lightest touch.  Her sympathetic eyes found his. She didn’t need to guess who marked him so terribly and so often that even the bacta tank couldn’t completely heal him. She sucked a short breath before stepping closer and softly kissed one of the scars. 

Stars. Rey's sweet, tender lips were almost enough to make Kylo fall to his knees.  

It was as if a current coursed through his body. 

A familiar tingle he had felt forever ago, but it still felt like yesterday. 

With one look into Rey’s hooded eyes, Kylo knew she felt the connection. Their bond was deep, and it was only beginning to open. 

Rey dug her fingers into his hair just as he bent down just enough to grasp her legs and lift her off the floor. Her back was still firmly pressed to the cool, durasteel wall as their hungry kisses turned desperate. She wrapped her legs around Kylo’s waist, an arm across his back, and her free hand gently touched the right side of his pale, handsome face. Instead of smooth skin, she felt a rough, jagged line bisecting his cheek. But the sensation faded before she opened her eyes. There was nothing on his pale face. Just the constellation of beauty marks. 

Through their lustful actions, there was an invisible barrier. There was no other way to describe what she was feeling. It felt like the Force was telling her this was both right and wrong. It only confused Rey. 

And somehow, she knew he could feel it as well. 

Abruptly, Kylo stopped. Rey blinked a few times as she came out of her bliss. He looked at her now dark pink, swollen lips, wanting to reclaim them and then Kylo’s guilt and shame shadowed his want. He set her on her feet and pulled away as her lustful gaze turned to one of confusion.  

Rey wasn’t his.  

Not in the sense he wanted. 

“What is it?” 

The tremble in Rey’s voice only deepened Kylo’s self-reproach. “Nothing.” 

With an aggravated sigh, Rey's peaceful expression hardened. “Not only do I grow tired of being left alone, but I am sick of your lies.” 

“I know.” 

“Do you?” She watched as he looked at her lips again. “You act like you want things to progress, and yet you hesitate now. What did I do wrong?” 

“Nothing.” He needed the blood to rush back to his head and not his dick so he could think clearly. “You’re perfect.” 

“Then why do I feel such a disconnect from you? I thought it would be different.” She felt her right cheek twitch. “It feels like you’re about to run away.” 

Truth be told, his running away would have probably been best for Rey. Because in Kylo’s eyes, he would continue to fail her. While his plan was running smoothly so far, things between them were not, and it was his fault. 

“You still see me as that pathetic scavenger girl.” 

“Self-pity is not your forte, Rey.” When his little wife glared at him with tears in her eyes, Kylo nervously cleared his throat. “I’m trying to explain myself–” 

“Then do it!” She bared her teeth. 

“I’m trying! Fuck,” Kylo ran a hand through his long hair.  

“Do it! There is no try! That’s the shit you taught me early on, is it not?” Angrily, she jabbed a finger against his stupidly strong chest. “You owe me an explanation. I never thought I would demand one from anyone who rejected me, but you–” 

“You think I led you on–” 

“Don’t interrupt me.” 

“Let me finish.” Kylo’s voice was firm, yet gentle. “I want you as you are. I’ve never cared that you were a scavenger on Jakku. Titles have never meant anything to me.” 

“So says the Supreme Leader.” 

“I’m also a prince. A prince of a dead planet, but royal, nonetheless. Every title is a tremendous burden that is not worth living for. You think I don’t care for you because you’ve come from nothing, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth.” Kylo cupped Rey’s tear-stained face. “I envy you.” 

Envied her? Rey couldn’t believe Kylo had just spouted off such nonsense. Rey grew more agitated by the second. 

“If you presume to deflect me with such a statement, then you are a goddamn coward! If you thought that would make me feel better, it didn’t. You’ve only continued to make me feel unwanted and useless!” She stepped away from Kylo. “Why do I keep disappointing you? How long before you abandon me on a wasteland of a planet?” 

Kylo swallowed the lump in his throat. He truly was a fucking menace and a world-class idiot. He’d stopped his advances on her because he felt like he was betraying– 

“Do you have any idea how foolish I feel? I opened myself up to you. I let myself care for you and want you in ways I never thought possible just for you to make me feel accepted just to turn around and reject me.” 

But he did. Kylo knew all too well what it felt like. 

“I’m not trying to lead you on.” 

“Bantha shit.” 

“I promise I’m not, Rey. I’m not rejecting you. I don’t know what came over me.” He shook his head. “No, that’s a lie. I do know what came over me. I want you. I want you more than anything. I want you and your body in every possible way, and I’ve wanted you longer than you know. I’m on the brink of insanity because of how I want you and how I feel about you. You think this is a political arrangement, but it’s not. I care about you. I–” 

“You don’t–” 

“But I do.” He immediately stepped forward. 

Rey closed her eyes and sighed. “I don't understand how you call this caring.” She sadly smiled and opened her eyes. “You cannot tell me you care for me with how often you keep me from learning the truth.” 

He looked at the high ceiling, closed his eyes, and leaned against the wall. He was a fucking fool for thinking this would work without consequence. If only his conscience didn’t get in the way. 

If only the prisoner would stop screaming in his mind, then the situation would have been easier. 

“Because once you learn the truth, I fear your soul will be damaged.” 

Rey blinked in confusion and shook her head. 

“I've only realized how much I've fucked everything up, Rey.” 

“Shouldn't that be for me to decide?” 

“I can only beg for your forgiveness and ask for a little more time before I reveal everything.” 

“So, we may destroy Palpatine? Because he's a greater threat than my emotions?” 

“Yes.” 

After a long moment, Rey nodded in agreement. Her features hardened and she ignored her unshed tears. “Only if you tell me what you know. Don't leave me in the dark. How did you know where to find me?” 

It was now or never. Rey was a woman who could hold a grudge like no other.  

“Do you remember how I told you I could feel you through the Force? And the reason you knew me when you were younger was because the Force tied us together?” He watched Rey nod. It took everything in his willpower to not reclaim her trembling lip. “It’s because we are a Dyad in the Force, Rey. Two that are one. We’re something special. Something that hasn’t existed in generations.” He took another step toward her. Instinctively, Rey stepped back. “You and I are soulmates in the Force.” 

The constant pull on her heart that she felt since she was a little girl. The visions of him growing from a boy to a man finally became clear. She’d known this since meeting him at Niima Outpost. Her eyebrows dipped as she wondered how they could be two halves of a whole. 

“But you’re so much older than I am.” She firmly pressed her lips together; she didn’t mean to say it out loud. 

Kylo frowned. Their age difference was beside the point. “I’m only ten years older than you.” 

Rey gasped and brought her fingers to her lips. “Are-are we related? Is that why–” 

“No.” 

“Oh, thank fuck for that!” Rey laughed with a sigh of relief and cleared her throat. “You’re not off the hook yet. Proceed.” 

“Spoken like a true Empress.” 

“Flattery will not help you,” Rey smirked. 

“I never expected it to.” Kylo's lips twitched into a hint of a smile. “For the first ten years of my life, I felt hollow. I couldn’t explain the emptiness. Those closest to me disregarded my worries. He only reminded me that my fear would lead to the dark side. They were convinced it was my way of expressing my discontent for their absence in my life. But it wasn’t a grudge I was holding. I felt half alive. Until one day while I was at my uncle’s temple, something flowed through me.” He closed his eyes with a short breath. “I felt relief, warmth, maybe even happiness. It felt like a warm essence flooded my veins.” His amber eyes locked onto Rey’s. “I felt you the day you were born. That moment of pure happiness quickly faded because whatever missing piece disappeared. I didn’t know it belonged to a person, let alone my other half. I didn’t know how to find the light that had swept through my soul. It didn’t help that Snoke was occupying my mind during that time. He clawed his way across the galaxy to shape me into the monster I became.” 

Rey gave him a timid smile. “I don’t see a monster.” 

“I AM the Jedi killer. I am a monster. A monster whose family rejected him. A monster who chose power over trying to win my loved ones back. A monster who could cross lifetimes no matter the consequence to find you because Fate had other plans.” 

Rey’s heart raced; her breaths felt shallow. In her short time of studying the ways of the Force, this was the first time she had heard of such destiny. They were soulmates in the Force. Her illusions of him when she was younger made more sense now. Her eyes widened. 

“I felt your fall.” She whispered and her breath hitched. “Your fall to the dark side. It felt cold and helpless.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Your reluctance, it’s starting to make sense.” She looked at her husband with understanding. “I always assumed you lost a lover.” 

Kylo took a deep breath as she continued. 

“You lost a family,” Rey’s forehead wrinkled in concern, “and my family abandoned me. We’re more alike than I realized.” It was her turn to step closer to him. “You’re afraid of losing me if we grow too close? If I learn of whatever atrocities, you fear I’ll abandon you as your loved ones did. But why would Fate keep us apart?” 

With a sad smile, Kylo quietly responded, “When does the monster ever win?” Cautiously, he cupped Rey's cheeks. His thumbs softly caressed her freckled face. “I can try again.” 

Like a moth to a flame, Rey leaned toward Kylo. She placed her hands on his wrists and looked at his plush lips. 

He bent his head and as his mouth hovered above hers, Rey quipped, “I'm suddenly not in the mood.” 

Kylo placed his hand on her small waist, whispering, “You're a tease.” 

Hearing his near-silent groan as he whispered against her ear once again made Rey feel powerful. Almost like she was in control. Even if it was just for the moment. “I didn't say you couldn't kiss me.” 

“Does this mean you forgive me?” 

“For now.”  

Kylo slid his hand back through her hair and claimed her lips once more. The Force buzzed around them.  

Two that are one. 

“Kylo,” Rey broke the kiss. “Not to ruin our moment, but I have another question.” 

Fuck, this was it. Kylo needed to confess the rest of his story to her. 

“Are you– well, what I mean is, how many people have you slept with? Not that it matters.” 

Not what he anticipated at all, but he felt his cheeks and tips of his ears burn because, at the going rate, he would die a virgin. 

Rey shyly smiled at his physical response and bit her lip. “Dare I say you're just as worried about our first time as I am? It makes sense why you're suddenly more reluctant.” 

Stunned, Kylo didn’t immediately respond. Was she letting him off the hook? He could delay the inevitable a little longer...perhaps until after they destroy Palpatine. 

“We could keep practicing.” He encouraged, which made her giggle. He groaned when she blushed and walked away, muttering that she was tired. He was too and now he would have to excuse himself to his meditation chamber or the ‘fresher to relieve the ache. Why was he such an idiot? 

“I will admit, I am curious what this monster looks like.” Rey turned and leaned against a wall with a beaming smile.  

“Which one?” The one in his pants or his reputation? Force, she was driving him insane. 

“I've not met the highly feared Kylo Ren.” 

His eyes grew distant as he replied, “I hope you never do.” 

~~~~~ 

Chapter Text

Every day there were new reports of threats made to the future Empress, and Kylo became even more obsessed with keeping Rey safe, verging on paranoia. Instead of attending meetings in person, Kylo began taking part via holo in the privacy of their quarters. Instead of two of his knights escorting them around the ship, he had all six plus at least a squadron of stormtroopers. Convinced the assailants would come from within their ranks or possible intruders, he obsessively sought signatures in the Force. Kylo even canceled several of their scheduled appearances. He was acting far differently than the feared dark warrior she had heard so much about. 

It didn’t help his paranoia that anytime they walked the hall toward their quarters, Rey would look in the prisoner’s direction because she thought it sounded like they were calling to her. Kylo would whisper her name before tugging her closer to his protective frame. 

But her curiosity was only growing deeper. 

In turn, Kylo’s hypervigilance was driving her mad.  

Typically, Rey wouldn’t mind forgoing a ball here and there, but being trapped on the Finalizer was far less than ideal. Attending the formals meant she got to leave the ship for hours and experience life, taste different food, meet new people, and see worlds outside the First Order’s militaristic lifestyle. 

With that said, the sad truth was that living within the First Order was still better than surviving on Jakku. 

~~~  

Hours before the gala, Kylo helped tighten the laces along Rey's back. Her lips twisted into a small, satisfied smile when she felt the back of his fingers slowly and deliberately slide against her skin.  

“We can stay right here.” He whispered. He slid his right palm across her torso and pulled her against his body. “The Battuian officials only just received word about our arrival.” His lips hovered near her ear, sending a warm sensation throughout Rey's body. 

“As I recall,” Rey turned her head toward Kylo. Their faces were less than an inch apart. “Batuu is an important territory.”  

His eyes studied her beautiful face. “We can easily obtain their loyalty on another day.” Their cheeks were now touching, his hands around her arms and waist tightened. 

“I cannot sit inside our quarters for another day.” Her throaty whisper trailed off. “I need a break, if even for a couple of hours.” 

“But you are tempted to stay,” Kylo crooned. 

“Of course, I am. I like it when you hold me. But I will not fall for your attempts to distract me. I grow anxious to leave.” 

“I did warn you that we would frequent the Star Destroyers more often than planets.” 

The once light and calm energy between them grew thick with tension.  

“And you’ve canceled several events recently. Even though I detest dressing up and making speeches, my disdain for being trapped on this ship is beginning to rival that.” 

“I know.” Kylo spun Rey to face him. “Continue to exercise caution. Hide your Force signature.” 

Rey rolled her eyes with a small huff. “The Emperor is not actively seeking my Force signature.” 

“Rey, should he discover you–” 

“Then can we just fucking kill him? When will the time come? All we have done lately is hide and train, and for what? Stop forcing my retreat. I'm tired of being locked away like some secret weapon until it's convenient for you!” She stepped back and held up a hand to stop him from interrupting. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to hide who I am? Why are you, the Supreme Leader, dark overlord of the First Order, so afraid?” 

Of course, he knew how difficult it was to hide. It was one of the few consistencies in his pathetic life. Masking his emotions, concealing his darkness, burying the light, pretending to be someone he wasn’t. 

Kylo did everything he was ever asked, and he had never become what he was promised to be. As he stood with Rey in his arms, he no longer knew what was to become of his destiny. He felt they were ready to kill Palpatine, but the nagging feeling of ‘ what if ’ lingered in his soul. Unable to let the past die, he felt frozen in time. He needed to find the strength to move forward.  

“I just have a bad feeling about this.” He watched as the excitement in her eyes began to fade. He didn’t want to quarrel with her, and he certainly didn’t want to crush her spirits. 

“Can’t we just ignore that feeling and go for a few hours?” 

The simple request in her honey-sweet voice made his throat ache. His feral wife was desperate for interaction, to spread her wings and fly, to do everything she was asked, and he was holding her back. Slowly, their eyes relaxed as the Force tingled around them. Kylo nodded his head and his heart soared when she wrapped her arms around his chest.  

Without meaning to he had trapped her in their quarters more than he intended.  

~~~ 

“What do you think the Supreme Leader does all day?” FN-2195 asked after the three Knights of Ren patrolling the hallway passed by the stormtroopers and stomped toward Kylo’s and Rey’s quarters. 

“What do you think?” FN-1824 tilted his head. “The Supreme Leader obtained a wife.” 

FN-2195 shrugged, “Yeah, so?” 

“So, he’s fucking her all day to ensure he has an heir.” FN-1824 gestured in the direction of the Supreme Leader’s quarters.  

“Alright, I might vomit in my helmet.” FN-2187 piped in. 

“I mean, have you all seen the woman?” FN-1824 continued. “I would fuck her all day too.” 

Several stormtroopers nodded in agreement. 

“Maybe she’s already knocked up?” FN-2199 suggested. “Why else would the Supreme Leader be afraid to let his little bird out of the cage?” 

“Ah! Protecting the wife and unborn child? That makes sense.” FN-1824 nodded his head before laughing. “I still say they’re fornicating until they can’t walk.”  

“Protecting his wife and unborn heir is smart. Especially with how much General Hux hates them.” FN-2199 countered. “If Hux tried to mutiny, who would win? General Hux or Supreme Leader Kylo Ren?” 

“We shouldn’t be talking about this.” FN-2187 vehemently shook his head. “They could easily accuse us of treason.” 

“And what are you discussing that could be mistaken for treason?” The female-modulated voice rang behind the small group of stormtroopers. They turned around and snapped to attention as a tall, chrome-armored Captain approached. Her black and red cape swirled behind her. “FN-2187, answer me.” 

The stormtrooper recoiled and straightened his shoulders, “It was nothing, Captain.” 

“It didn’t sound like nothing.” 

“We,” FN-2187’s heart stammered. “We were just curious why the Supreme Leader…” His chest paused. It became hard for him to breathe through his nerves. One wrong word or move, and he would suffer Captain Phasma’s powerful wrath. 

“You were just curious why the Supreme Leader... what?” Phasma stepped closer and loomed. 

“We just noticed the Supreme Leader’s absence, ma’am. That’s all.” FN-2187 stammered, praying she couldn’t hear the fear in his voice. 

“The Supreme Leader’s activities are none of your concern.” Phasma leaned down until her helmet was inches from the stormtrooper’s. “You will do well to remember that.” 

“Yes, Captain.” FN-2187 saluted. 

“Now then,” Phasma stood tall and walked along the squadron assigned to the Supreme Leader. “As you all know, the Supreme Leader has taken extreme measures to protect the future Empress. We have been assigned guard duty for this evening’s mission on Batuu. There are reports of rebel fleets nearby, as well as bounty hunters and gangs. Any of them could be behind the threats toward the future Empress. You must stay vigilant.  If you fail, I’ll make you wish for death.” 

“Yes, Captain.” The group saluted. 

Phasma’s com chimed. 

“They are on their way.  Parade Rest!” 

The squadron snapped their blaster arms across their chests, ready for any potential threat.  

Heavy footsteps announced three Knights of Ren. They strode past the stormtroopers with the Supreme Leader and his wife following behind.  

FN-2187 watched while the tall, broad-shouldered man who ruled them all paid no attention to the stormtroopers, his young wife’s eyes quickly darted between the soldiers who stood waiting. Her arm remained linked with her husband; she shared no emotion. The stormtrooper also noted that the Supreme Leader had not one but two weapons on his belt. His wicked cross guard was now accompanied by a dark hilt bound with old leather. He wondered if the Supreme Leader was now dual-blading or perhaps his wife didn’t need as much protection as they believed. 

"The Supreme Leader trained her well.” FN-2187 thought with a roll of his eyes. Then he swallowed nervously when the Supreme Leader’s bride glared in his direction. For the first time, the young stormtrooper was grateful for the terrible helmet that hid his disrespectful and childish actions. 

Just as quickly as she glared at him, the future Empress turned her attention to the Knights of Ren. As she and her husband passed, the other three knights blocked the stormtrooper’s view as they escorted their leaders.  

Captain Phasma stepped in between the two lines of stormtroopers. 

“You lot,” she growled, pointing to FN-2187's side of the corridor. “Patrol the hallways to ensure the safety of the Supreme Leader and future Empress. The rest of you, follow me.” 

FN-2187 watched the lucky stormtroopers march ahead. He was ready for more missions off the ship. That always meant a chance to escape, but running from the First Order was damn near impossible.
 

~~~ 

It was at the gala that Rey would see a glimpse of her husband’s infamous temper. Although Rey wouldn’t have called it a temper; just the need to protect. 

Rey inhaled the lukewarm air of Batuu and felt refreshed as she and Kylo exited their command shuttle. She glanced at the sky with a small smile but then frowned. The atmosphere would look better without the Finalizer blocking the view of the stars and nearby moons. She turned and gazed at her husband. His skin somehow looked paler in the faint light, but his piercing eyes softened when he looked at her. The tension from earlier had finally faded. Warmth spread through her cheeks and body, the air around them felt positively energetic.  She hoped they could both enjoy the evening. 

The building they entered was rundown compared to some of the previous galas Rey and Kylo attended, but the Batuuians did a remarkable job at masking the venue with silken curtains and multiple varieties of flowers. An upbeat melody echoed off the walls of the grand hallway and grew louder when they entered the beautiful ballroom. Kylo informed Oga they did not want their presence announced so he and his wife could enjoy their evening.   

Rey smiled at the sight around them. The intricate lighting fixtures, the detailed design of the carved crowned edges of the tall walls, the scent of the delicious feast. While the First Order’s meals were far better than the portion packets on Jakku, Rey enjoyed sampling delicacies from each planet. If she were more forthcoming, she would have told Kylo that food was a significant factor in her desire to come to Battu’s gala. Why else would she willingly wear a dress?  Her answer was always food. That and the way Kylo looks at her. Like she’s his next meal. She loved feeling the little butterflies in her stomach when she was on the receiving end of his hungry stare. 

The Batuuian officials hurried over to greet the future Emperor and Empress. Their leader, Oga Garra, cleaned up just as well as Rey did. With small rings encircling her pinkish mouth tentacles, and robes made of the finest silk, it was hard to tell she was more of a crime boss than an elected official. Just as Rey was a scavenger and played the part of future Empress. While Oga was not of noble blood or a government official, she alone ran Batuu’s largest settlement: Black Spire Post. Rey couldn’t help but feel respect for Oga’s dedication to keeping the outpost running smoothly in trade deals and keeping out of the war that was rapidly approaching. Rey could feel Oga’s apprehension; the proud leader knew she would be forced to make a decision before long. 

Oga's stern look softened when Rey offered a sincere smile. Something she had noted at previous events was that her presence calmed those with whom Kylo needed to discuss an alliance.   

“Oga Garra, we humbly thank you for the invitation. I am Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, and this is my wife, Rey.” 

“Welcome to Batuu,” Oga smiled at Rey before offering her hand to Kylo. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to get straight to the point,” she added with a curt smile. 

“I agree, your Grace. Proceed.” Kylo smirked before shaking her hand. 

“Should we align with you, who oversees the planet? You or the First Order?” 

“Specifically,” he brought his hand to Rey. She placed her hand in his palm and looked into his amber eyes. “My wife would oversee the laws and the needs of your people.” 

“My Lady,” Oga bowed. “The rumors are true,” she said as she straightened her back. “Your beauty rivals the rare nightbloomers. Is it true you are from Jakku?” 

“I grew up there.” Rey softly replied. 

“And now you have the fate of the galaxy in your hands.” 

“Thanks to my upbringing, my wish is to ensure no one suffers as I did. Several star systems have it far worse than Jakku, and I desire to help those I can.”  

“Batuu is a far cry from Jakku. No one here suffers as those who live on Jakku. Our trading posts don’t overwork their citizens. We have fresh food and water. It was a rough start all those years ago, but I’ve made sure that the Black Spire post is a trusted source, not to mention my cantina is the best on the planet. It’s only natural the rest of the outposts and villages want to be as successful as I am here. Why would the future Empress need to oversee this planet?” 

“Batuu is very green. My wife loves the forestry and plant life here; I know she would love to visit Batuu more often in the future. Besides,” Kylo offered a cunning smile, “I can’t assign her all the less fortunate planets, can I? But her past has given her the drive to make things better. I know she can help lead us to a better future.” 

“That I have no doubt. To finally meet someone who knows what it's like to make ends meet is very rare nowadays. Most politicians come from wealthy families. And there is something about your eyes that I don’t see with the local traders around here. And never see from the First Order. You have honesty in your eyes, My Lady. I believe I can trust you more than the others who have come for our alliance.” Oga grinned before pointing to the rest of the room. “But we shall discuss terms later. The festivities have just begun, and I have a feeling that you, My Lady, are in for a treat!” 

The moment Oga finished speaking, a deafening explosion surrounded them. Rey instinctively ducked and covered her ears. While the ringing in her ears made it difficult to hear, she watched in horror as men and women screamed and scrambled to evacuate the building. Kylo ignited his lightsaber with an angry beam of plasma and moved his weapon as he scanned for the nearby threat. The Knights of Ren activated their weapons as well and surrounded the couple. Steadily, as the ringing in her ear dissipated, Rey could feel the danger. It was growing closer.  

“Kylo,” Rey stood though her knees shook. It had been far too long since her last battle and none was ever this loud, “Please give me my lightsaber.”  

“Kylo?” Rey was perplexed and slightly panicked when he didn’t respond. It wasn’t like him to ignore her, and Rey hated hand-to-hand combat. She wanted her weapon. Rey looked at her husband. “My weapon?” Her renewed request had more of a bite to it. Now wasn’t the time to feel stunned.  

Instead of complying with his wife’s request, Kylo continued to scan the room. He ground his teeth; adrenalin pumped through his veins. Through the smoke, dust, and haze, he knew the assailants were nearby. 

His gaze landed on a man who seemed far too calm amid the chaos. Instead of leaving their protection to attack him, Kylo used the Force and dragged the man by his throat across the broken room.  

Once the man’s throat was in Kylo’s palm, he slammed his body against a large broken wall.  

“Who the hell are you, and who are you associated with?” Kylo growled, his eyes wide with bloodlust, veins angrily protruding along his temple as he slowly tightened his grip. 

“You’re not fooling anyone, Kylo Ren.” Despite his voice cracking, the attacker smiled. “We know you only want to bring death and destruction to the galaxy.” 

Kylo tightened his grip on the assailant’s neck until gasped for air and dove in with the Force to infiltrate his mind. Slowly, the man’s grin disappeared. The assailant’s forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows furrowed. His face turning a deep red, his lips almost purple and he stared into Kylo’s eyes with confusion,   

“So, the Resistance wanted to send a message,” Kylo coldly muttered before gritting his teeth while he ripped through the stranger’s mind. His body quaked with anger.  “Some things never change.” His whisper sent a terrible chill down Rey’s body. 

With an enraged growl, he released the man and swiftly cut his head off with his lightsaber.  

“Kylo!” Rey gasped.  

Kylo grabbed her by the hand. “You’re not safe here.”  

Rey retrieved her lightsaber off his belt and ignited it with a twirl.  

“Did you forget I know how to fight?”  

“No, I haven’t forgotten.” Kylo scanned the wrecked ballroom as they walked. Hyper-vigilant now and ready to strike any unknown fool who came too close. “But you didn’t bother to read his mind. Be thankful you didn’t see his plan for you.”  

Captain Phasma and the stormtroopers finally arrived seconds later.  Screams filled the air as beams of red plasma from every direction littered the room. Rey and Kylo deflected bolts that came too close with quick swings of their lightsabers. The scene devolved into chaos as the knights went toe to toe with those who tried to infiltrate the once-grand room they battled in. To Rey’s horror, they were surrounded. No longer exercising caution, Rey reached into the Force and cupped her hand when she felt her targets before balling her fist and slamming the foes into the ground. 

Using the Force to defend herself felt riveting. No longer standing idle and bored, adrenaline rushed through Rey’s veins as the battle continued. Not that she wished to harm anyone, but it had been far too long since she was able to show what she was capable of, and she reveled in the opportunity. In Rey’s opinion, these morons who threatened her and her husband deserved to get their asses beaten.  

Knowing they were from the Resistance stung. She had never interacted with any of the rebels before and yet they seemingly want her dead just because she is married to Kylo Ren. They didn’t know anything about her or her husband. 

Kylo grunted as he threw a small group against the wall. Rey watched out of the corner of her eyes as he ran a man through with his lightsaber. His large, muscular body moved with the grace of a Loth cat as he moved on to his next victim. He looked positively feral with his wild dark hair swooping over his angry eyes. She could feel his rage and the need to protect her. Despite insisting she could defend herself, it felt nice knowing someone had her back.  

Blasters, melee weapons, and screams drowned out the voices crackling through various comlinks. 

“Sir, the rebel forces have started their retreat like the cowards they are.” Captain Phasma reported as she caught up with Kylo, Rey, and their knights.  

“That wasn't just Resistance. Who the fuck were they?” Kylo demanded; venom dripping with each word.  

“A mix from a Resistance cargo run and whatever traitors are supplying them.” 

“Inform General Hux as soon as we arrive to follow and destroy that cargo ship.”  

“As you wish.” Phasma lightly bowed her head. 

When they arrived in the hangar bay of the Finalizer, squadrons of Tie fighter pilots and stormtroopers were frantically manning their positions, running checks on the ships before the next round of pilots took off. At the same time, the General stood waiting for Kylo and his wife.  

“Supreme Leader, are you certain it was a rebel attack?”  

“Yes. It appears that we disrupted a cargo run disguised as an attempt to spy on the fleet.” Kylo replied while striding past Hux, who fell into step behind him. “Some rebels noticed that we were scheduled for an appearance and thought to assassinate us to send a message to the Emperor.”  

“How very foolish of them.” Hux nonchalantly replied. He glanced at Rey briefly, then back to Kylo. “You don’t suppose the order came from General Organa?”  

“Nothing would surprise me, General Hux.” Kylo coldly stated but refused to dive further into his bait.  

“Combat stations!” A voice announced overhead. “Fighters penetrated the shields!” 

Rey looked over her shoulder as Tie fighters exited the hangar and squadron upon squadron of stormtroopers ran through the hallways. The sounds of a nearby battle echoed in the corridors.  

“Cardo, take the future Empress back to our quarters–”  

“What? Why?” Rey looked at her husband in disbelief. She just proved she could fight back. 

“For your safety–"  

"No!” Rey stopped walking. “I know how to fight, and you've trained me nonstop since we met."  

"With all due respect, ma'am," Hux interrupted, wanting Ren and his band of Force users out of his sight. "But no one will disobey your husband."  

"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you." Rey seethed. "Kylo, this isn't fair."  

"Who said anything about fair?" Kylo robotically replied.   

Rey scoffed and nearly stomped a foot. "You're just not used to someone telling you no–"  

"Supreme Leader, could you two move your marital affairs to a more private location?" Hux looked down his nose at Rey. "I have an army to command, and this little spat is interfering."  

With a silent huff, Kylo led Rey closer to the lifts.  

"Rey, we just had this discussion. If you saw what those men–"  

"It's nothing I haven't seen before. I grew up on Jakku. It's not the first time I've encountered such threats."  

"You shouldn't have had to.” Kylo sharply replied. He closed his eyes and rolled his jaw before taking a deep breath. He didn’t mean to snap at her. “I’ll not have those fools harm you. We’re so close to achieving our goal. I want you in our quarters for your safety."  

Rey regarded her husband coolly for a moment. Kylo was focused on their goal: killing Palpatine together. Because he wasn’t strong enough on his own. 

"Why do you care?" she drawled with a shrug. "You're not protecting your 'wife,' you're protecting the shell that holds her power."  

This was the one and only occasion that Kylo wished he had taken General Hux's advice.  

Kylo stepped closer to her. "I am protecting you. I am protecting my wife. Not your power."  

Rey looked at Kylo in disbelief. She shook her head slowly from side to side. "No. You don't view me as your wife." Her voice hitched as it escaped her lips. She didn’t know why the fact bothered her as it did. Their marriage was strictly a deal, but she was becoming not only physically attracted to her husband but growing emotionally attached to him as well.  

Stunned, the little color in Kylo’s face drained. He shook his head, "That's not true."  

Rey turned away from Kylo and pressed a button on the lift. Kylo stood next to Rey.  

"Rey–"  

She refused to look at him, leaving him to stare at her back as she stepped onto the lift. "You have sent me to my room like a youngling. You continue to treat me as such, not as your wife. We’ll discuss this later... sir. ”  

Cardo quietly stepped onto the lift and with a final nod to Kylo, he pressed a button. Rey turned as the durasteel doors closed, but her eyes remained glued to the floor, refusing to look at the man she married.  

Chapter Text

Tonight. Kylo must tell her everything tonight.  

The sooner she knows, then perhaps she may find it in herself to forgive him. Or Rey could channel her anger and redirect it from Kylo to Sheev and they can rid the Galaxy of the old cryptic fuck. 

Then and only then can he and Rey finally let the past die.  

Kylo punched the lift’s doors. He was such a goddamn coward. 

“What are your orders, Master?” Vicrul cautiously asked, snapping Kylo back to the situation on hand. 

“Find the intruders and bring them to the detention cells.” Kylo hastily replied. “One of them will have the location of the Rebel’s base. We will finally end this war.” 

His stomach twisted in knots. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. He doesn’t expect Rey to be completely submissive, Force knows she is stronger than that. But ever since he found her and saved her from her shit life on Jakku, he’s become obsessed with keeping her safe. He knows she can survive without him. He knows the chances of Palpatine feeling Rey’s power during the attack were slim, but the lingering ‘what if’ terrified him.  

Perhaps he should have thanked the cowardly rebel who dared attack him and his wife. From a certain point of view, it pushed things further along. Kylo wouldn’t say he was comfortable in their stagnant state, the constant fear over someone harming his wife was almost unbearable. If he lost her after everything he went through to find her, the other half of his soul that he lost, it would have all been for nothing. 

~~~ 

Meanwhile, several stories up, Rey glared at the lift’s door. Her temper was high, and she was ready to destroy something or someone. She could beat the shit out of Cardo and leave his unconscious body on the floor. While Rey figured he would put up a good fight and it would help ease her anger she knew Kylo would only disapprove of that as well.   

When the doors to the lift opened, Rey stormed out into the hallway with Cardo walking feet behind her. The familiar cold tingle drifted through her body again. It wasn’t Cardo’s signature or thoughts; it was something else, something familiar. Rey slowed her steps until she came to a pause to feel where the energy was coming from.   

“My Lady?” Cardo asked, though deep down, he knew what Rey was distracted by.   

“Do you feel that?” Rey asked in a trance-like state.  

“My master demanded I take you back to your quarters.” Cardo reminded Rey as he was determined to complete the task his master assigned to him. 

But Rey didn't listen. Just as she stated years ago, she whispered, “It feels cold.”  

“The Star Destroyers are often cold–” Cardo quickly followed Rey when she changed directions. “Where are you going? Your quarters are that way.” He pointed behind him. 

“I know where my quarters are!” Rey scoffed while hurrying her steps. Now that she noticed Cardo was trying to distract her, she was more determined to find the source beckoning her. “Kylo told me that I was not a prisoner; that I was more than a guest.”  

“Oh shit,” Cardo muttered. He knew women well enough to know that Kylo’s little woman was about to do something brash.  

“He also said that since I will become the Empress, I can do what I want.”  

Cardo ran in front of Rey and stopped her. “You may be the future Empress, but I do know that Kylo does not want you in certain parts of the ship.”  

“I knew it!” Rey could feel the knight's blood pressure rise with frustration. She glared at Cardo, “What is Kylo hiding?” 

“Nothing that concerns you.” He distantly replied. It was a well-rehearsed line he must have stated to himself several times in case of a confrontation such as this.  

“You’re lying!” Rey bared her teeth and pointed toward a dark hall. “Someone is down there–” 

“A prisoner–” 

She looked over her shoulder. “The signature is calling me.” She closed her eyes and muttered, “The Force is guiding me.” 

"Nothing is down there." Whatever hint of courtesy Cardo held before now vanished. The knight was losing this battle of words and knew he wouldn't control the situation for much longer. 

“I can feel the prisoner!” 

“Considering how powerful you are in the Force.” 

“They need help!” Rey insisted. Her heart raced with panic for someone she didn't know. 

“The prisoner is just that: a prisoner. Of course they think they need help.” 

Rey moved around the tall knight, growing more desperate to find the source. Cardo grabbed Rey by the arm.  

“Perhaps I wasn’t clear, My Lady. I know what Kylo has told you, and I know the orders he has given me.”  

“Remove your hand,” Rey hissed. “Or I’ll remove it for you.”  

“My master’s temper is not one I would challenge,” Cardo warned. “Kylo may have trained you well, but I have held back during our sparring matches. I normally have no qualms about hitting a woman who has attacked me, but I’m not stupid enough to strike the wife of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. If you were any other woman, I’d knock your ass out and throw you back into your quarters.”  

Rey raised an eyebrow. The idiotic man gave her an idea—something she had seen in a dream or a vision. As Kylo told her when he first saved her, it was time for her to take control of her fate. The Force was telling her to run to the prisoner. She could not ignore the sense of urgency any longer. 

With a wave of her hand, Cardo's body fell to the floor. She looked at her hand and then at Cardo as he lay limply on the floor and smirked. It felt good to use her power outside the training room. But now wasn’t the time to think about how easy it was to channel the Force. Something or someone was calling for her, she could feel it. With a deep breath, Rey sprinted down another hallway.  

Her heart pounded as she ran faster. She reached into the Force and tried her best to find the source of the beacon that called her. The hall was dimly lit and grew colder with each step.  

A spark!  

Rey's breath hitched. She stopped running as she nearly lost the source. It was an odd feeling in such a dark place. It reminded her of feeling alone on Jakku.  

Why would Kylo hide one prisoner encased in carbonite down here? What did they do?  

“Where are you?” Rey frantically turned around trying to find it again. Sweat trickled down her neck and she slowly walked backward before turning to sprint down another dark hallway. 

Just as she turned a corner, she bumped into someone. Her eyes quickly landed on the stormtrooper's blaster she bounced from. Her urgent curiosity turned into irritation and heightened alert. Only the Knights of Ren patrolled this sector.  

“What are you doing away from your post?” Rey demanded, hoping she sounded firm. She was still getting used to giving orders when Kylo instructed her to. 

But Rey quickly realized she hadn't bumped into a stormtrooper. 

She noted the well-worn boots, dirtied brown trousers, and tattered leather jacket that covered an off-white tunic. The Resistance's faded emblem sat on the shoulder. Her lips parted in surprise, but her anger grew when she looked at the man's slightly curly, dark hair and then his wide brown eyes. Rey wouldn’t say he looked nervous, more like he was perturbed that he was interrupted doing who knows what. He scratched his five o'clock shadow and looked at the stormtrooper next to him. Rey quickly remembered her place in all of this and glared at the stormtrooper. 

“What are you doing? Are you lost?” Rey’s upper lip curled, “If he is the rebel who infiltrated our ship, you are to report to the Supreme Leader!”  

“Good thing I'm not a prisoner then,” the man dared to grin.  

“Who are you then?” Rey held his gaze. 

“Who are you to make so many demands?” The man asked. 

“That's the Supreme Leader’s wife.” The lone stormtrooper hastily replied. 

“Her?” The man whispered and pointed at Rey.  

Her instincts told her the man was now plotting to take her as a captive. She reached for her lightsaber, something she should have done from the beginning, but the man hastily pointed the blaster at her.  

“As I said, I'm not a prisoner, but you're about to be.” 

“You're going to take the future Empress?” The stormtrooper's modulated voice hitched. 

With her mouth agape, Rey scowled at the lone stormtrooper. “Are you letting him threaten me?” No wonder Kylo used the Knights of Ren for her protection instead of the stormtroopers. 

“Yeah, he is.” The man stepped forward. He tilted his head toward the stormtrooper, “And this man, Finn, is going to help me in this task.” 

While Poe calmed Finn, Rey’s mind was flooded with flashes of control panels and viewports that she was not familiar with. 

“Poe! The Supreme Leader will have our heads.” The stormtrooper, Finn, was panicking. 

“My newfound friend,” the man smiled at the stormtrooper, “not if we leave now.” 

Rey could easily disarm both men, kill them if she needed to, but she couldn’t ignore the buzz of excitement rolling through her body. By letting them take her, she would be brought to a Rebel ship. A brief vision from the Force showed her an unfamiliar Command Center. If she could break into their system, she could gain information about the rebel fleet. She was the one with the upper hand, not the rebel pilot or ex-stormtrooper. 

Which prompted another round of questions in Rey’s mind. Would letting these two fools take her captive finally open Kylo’s eyes? Will he realize he cannot hide her or her power forever? Will this push her husband into following through with killing Palpatine? If so, will they finally have what it takes to move this strange relationship forward? To ease the growing physical tension between husband and wife? 

“My husband will only follow.” Rey challenged, hiding her smirk that would give her away. 

“You know what lady?” Poe arched an eyebrow, “I'm counting on it.” 

~~~ 

The traitor, a man named Finn, led Rey and his accomplice Poe through the lesser-traveled hallways. The hallways she and Kylo had frequented so often. The ones that allowed them to remain out of sight. How Finn knew about this area made Rey realize that while he was in the FN unit that reported directly to Captain Phasma, that fact did not prevent him or any of his comrades from cleanup duty including cleaning the floors of the pristine Star Destroyer. Kylo’s paranoia proved to be right. He knew something would happen and had suspected their own crew. 

Rey hoped the rebel named Poe would slip up and say why he was here, because it certainly wasn't to kidnap the future Empress, especially after the failed assassination attempt. No. The rebels were after something else. But the man remained tight-lipped as he walked the hallways pretending to be a prisoner.  

“Okay, from here on out, you will lead us to the hangar.” Poe's voice echoed in the empty hallway. “It makes us look less suspicious.” 

Rey narrowed her eyes. “The fact that I am walking without my knights is suspicious enough.” Perhaps letting herself get kidnapped by this idiot wasn't a good idea after all. She should have just knocked them out and alerted her husband. Now it was too late. If she failed in the mission she gave herself, Kylo wouldn’t trust that she could take care of herself. 

“We have a limited time between the squadrons that walk from here to the hangar. Once the next team walks by, we need to hurry before the next arrives.” Finn explained.  

“Oh? And then what?” Rey pressed. 

The stormtrooper shifted his stance before finally straightening his back. “We fly the hell away from the First Order.” 

Rey opened her mouth to speak, but Poe placed a blaster at her side and placed his finger to his mouth. A demand for her silence as the patterned footsteps of stormtroopers thundered in the hall behind the secret door they hid behind.  

They waited for the sound to fade away before entering the hall. Rey walked ahead of Poe, and Finn stood behind him with his weapon ready to fire as though Poe were the prisoner. 

As they grew closer, alarms blared Throughout the ship. 

“Shit!” Finn frantically looked around. “Poe, they noticed you're not in your cell.” 

“Or they noticed Kylo Ren's little wife was missing,” Poe smirked. “Okay, new plan.” 

“What's that?” 

“Run!” 

Poe grabbed Rey by her arm and rushed them down the hall. They ducked into a nearby storage closet when they heard more troops running their way. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before the men were caught. Rey almost felt bad for what would happen to him, but Finn was a traitor, and Poe was from the very group that just tried to kill her and her husband. 

Once more, Poe pulled Rey down the hallway with Finn following them. She could tell Poe was worried his poorly thought plan wouldn't work. 

“Why the hell did you sneak onto the ship anyway?” Rey scoffed When he roughly yanked her around another corner. 

“I'm afraid that's classified.” Poe huffed. “Not that I would tell you– Oh shit!” 

Anger, resentment, and fear that was not her own suddenly rippled through Rey's body. 

“They have the future Empress!” Vicrul shouted across the corridor. 

Rey looked across the hall and saw Kylo with his men. Weapons immediately ignited on their sides, Kylo raised his hand, and Rey felt a cold barrel against her temple. She held her breath to try to calm her now rapid heart. She knew Poe already had his index finger wrapped around the trigger, ready to pull, or Kylo would have used the Force to free her. 

“I wouldn't try anything dumb, pal!” Poe shouted. 

Kylo and his knights remained still. 

“What the hell? FN-2187, you dare betray the First Order?” Hux hollered. 

“Release her,” Kylo demanded. 

“Yeah,” Poe drawled out. “I only follow General Organa's orders.”  

Rey watched Kylo's passive face as he assessed the situation. She realized that it was him that she felt before Vicrul spotted her.  

More stormtroopers surrounded them. Rey could hear the unasked question from the squadron: Did their comrade just betray the First Order? Was the future Empress betraying them? Was this an attempted coup?  

But the one person she wanted to hear from was silent. Rey knew Kylo didn’t close himself off from the Force, he was just better at not projecting his thoughts. If only some of his knights mastered this technique. She could hear Ap’lek’s thoughts on whether Kylo would take her from behind or not. Of all the things for the knight to focus on, it was once again on her and Kylo’s sex life... or lack thereof... for now. 

“Organa has no power here.” Kylo continued. 

“And neither do you. Or else you would have made a move by now. So that means this little lady here must have something special about her.” Poe shook his head. “You must really want to protect her.” 

Her power. That was all. Rey could only hope she hid her disappointment.  

As Poe pressed the blaster harder against Rey's head, Rey finally noticed something else on her husband's face. A flicker of worry crossed before he pacified his emotions. She then felt his guilt for underestimating her. He knew she let them take her. That feeling was quickly followed by Kylo hoping she would retaliate when the opportunity came. He knew she could overpower the men currently holding her hostage. 

“Now then, your Supremeness, you’ll give us a Tie Fighter, or you'll have to find a new bride.” 

“I didn't sign up for this,” Finn whispered. 

“Relax.” Poe quietly responded.  

“Like we'll take orders from scum like you,” Hux snarled. “You infiltrated my ship–” 

“Technically this ship would belong to your Supreme Leader and his wife, right?” Poe grinned as Hux's pale complexion turned a deep red with anger. 

While Hux and Poe squabbled with one another like a pair of Ripper-raptors, Rey studied her husband's body language. His hands were clenched at his sides, his eyebrows slightly dipped in fury, but his lovely eyes held pain. Almost as though he felt powerless. 

“Come find me.” Rey thought, hoping Kylo heard her. She needed him to know she was not leaving him. That was the one gift she could give him during her little charade. She smirked when his eyes slightly widened, and he tilted his chin toward her. 

Her silent plea nearly relieved Kylo’s stress. He attempted to find out more from her, but Rey blocked him from penetrating her mind.  

What was she up to? Why did she let Organa’s prized pilot take her? And who the hell was this stormtrooper? He felt his upper lip twitch, his mouth wanted to curl with disgust at the idea of a traitor within their ranks. But he should have known better. He should have stopped this from happening. 

“Do it.” Kylo quietly ordered after a tense minute. 

“Supreme Leader! Now is not the time for you to cower before your enemies!” Hux’s voice shrilled like nails on steel.  

“Now is not the time for you to question me!” Kylo growled.  

“We’ll need to check her for trackers.” Finn whispered as he led them to the hangar with the stormtroopers, Knights of Ren, Kylo, and General Hux following immediately behind them.  

“Don't worry, that was part of the plan.” Poe winked at his newfound comrade.  

“No offense, but this plan was terrible.” 

Poe merely shrugged. “I'm just going with the flow. The first plan failed miserably, and I had to adapt.” 

They hastily crossed the hangar to a Tie Fighter that officers and stormtroopers surrounded. 

“Quick work. I like it.” Poe raised his eyebrows, “But we will take that one,” he nodded toward the Tie Fighter next to the prepared ship. 

“Why?” Finn whispered. 

“Less likely to have more trackers than the one in the cockpit. Speaking of,” Poe turned to Rey and quickly swiped a finger along her belt. He showed Finn the small device that was tucked inside of her belt. “We know the First Order officers have trackers on their belts. I figured Ren and the others did too.” He held his palm up. “Hand over your jewelry as well.”  

Rey curled her upper lip, removed the necklace Kylo had given to her hours earlier, and slid a bracelet from her wrist. Poe tossed the little jewels across the floor. 

"The Supreme Leader can’t lose his little prize. Am I right?” Poe gave a knowing smirk at Rey when she remained tight-lipped. “Alright Kylo’s wife, into the ship you go. Squeeze between the two seats.” 

Rey glared at the cocky man. His very presence annoyed her at first, but now the temptation to physically hurt him was stronger than before.  

“Right now, lady.” Poe’s voice became firm as he narrowed his eyes at her.  

Rey feigned reluctance before climbing inside the ship. She couldn’t let on that she was allowing them to kidnap her. Rey was determined to find the Rebel’s base and whatever information she could about the smaller thorn on Kylo’s side.  

She silently cursed as she bumped her elbow on a piece of metal. 

“Finn, man the guns. I'll get us out of here.” 

Finn removed his helmet. He quickly glazed at Rey. His eyes were apologetic, but she could feel his determination to run from the First Order. “Shouldn’t we cuff her?” he asked as they sat in their chairs. 

“Attacking us mid-flight would have severe consequences. So, unless she’s on a suicide mission, she’s fine without them.” Poe replied while powering the Tie Fighter. He looked out the viewport and nervously chuckled when he saw Kylo Ren glowering at them. “Oh, Ren is pissed. Who would have thought the Jedi Killer would have a soft spot for his bride?” The Tie lightly rocked back and forth as it lifted from its station. Poe let out a shriek of excitement when they sped out of the hangar. “Man, this thing is fast!” 

Rey remained silent as the men talked about the mechanics of the Tie Fighter. Poe was right, attacking them would do her no favors. She was stuck lying between two seats and wouldn’t be able to squirm out of her position to take over the cockpit. Besides, she needed them to take her wherever Poe’s fleet was hiding. This was the only way to begin the end of the Resistance. 

She noted Poe was careful when discussing anything related to the Resistance. He more than likely couldn’t say much without the permission of a higher-ranked official. Aside from excelling in talking too much and his piloting skills, the man was an idiot for not realizing Kylo wouldn’t need a tracker to find her. They were bringing her to the Resistance. Thanks to her years on Jakku, she could easily sneak out of whatever detention cell they would place her in, access their computer files, and locate their bases.  

But she also wanted answers. The stories she heard of the Resistance were far different than what she experienced so far. They wanted her dead without knowing anything about her. 

“You would kill me? Without knowing anything about me?” Rey remembered Kylo asking her this very question after he saved her. 

“Why wouldn’t I kill you? I know all about the First Order.” Was her answer. She realized how foolish she sounded.  

But she had watched her husband succeed in accomplishing those changes while hiding the fact that Palpatine was still alive. That dark secret was Kylo’s weakness. She hoped that she could find a way to reunite with him soon so they could kill the old Emperor. Once the Emperor was dead, Kylo would have less to worry about. She knew he was still hiding secrets from her, but whatever those secrets were paled in comparison to knowing Sheev Palpatine was cloned. 

Rey also hoped that she didn’t completely fuck everything over with this little stunt of hers. But she knew an opportunity like this would never come again. Through the Force, Rey saw that the fools would bring her back to a Rebel ship or possibly a base. The vision was quick, but she knew it was the right path. 

If the Resistance wants to kill her and her husband so desperately while they are trying to change things for the better, then so be it. She would relay any information she learned about the Resistance until after they killed Palpatine.  Then after...they can snuff out the Resistance and anyone else who tried to stand in their way. Rey knew this was a cold way of thinking, but they were at war, and the Rebels tried to take something special from her. They tried to kill her and the man who made her feel complete. 

A chill went down her spine when Rey realized it was time to let old things die. Kylo was meant to become someone great. Palpatine and the Resistance stood in his way. 

“You heard that right. I’m flying a Tie Fighter. We will need to jump to lightspeed and head to our next destination as soon as possible.”  

Poe’s authoritative voice snapped Rey out of her thoughts. She held completely still and was oddly comfortable. All her years of scavenging junk and sleeping in the old AT-AT had prepared her body for tight and uncomfortable spaces. 

“Why the hell did you steal a Tie Fighter?” Someone’s voice chimed in. 

“Because I crashed my X-Wing. Why else would I steal a Tie Fighter?” Poe let out an annoyed huff. “Look, just make sure the ship is ready to leave as soon as possible.” 

“Roger that.”  

“Alrighty Your Ladyship, you only need to hold still a little longer, then we’ll escort you to your detention cell.” Poe waited for a response. When Rey didn’t provide one, he looked over his shoulder. “Are you dead or are you just used to people telling you what to do?” 

Rey nearly rolled her eyes. But her husband had tried to teach her to pacify her expressions; to wear her face like a mask. “Obviously I’m alive.”  

“So, how did you end up with a guy like Kylo Ren?” Poe probed. “He doesn’t strike me as the type to find some random, submissive girl.” 

She couldn’t believe how casual he was talking now. Like he wanted to gossip about her marriage and the First Order. “I am not some submissive–” 

“He found her on Jakku.” Finn piped in. 

Poe’s eyebrows shot up in amusement. “Jakku?” He shook his head. “So, was it just a power play to get the Galaxy to look at the First Order in a different light? That’s all? Nothing special?” 

But there was something special between her and Kylo. An established bond before they met. A dyad in the Force. She smiled knowing that nothing could take that away from her.  

“Ah, there they are,” Poe announced. “The Raddus. I’m sure we have a few squadrons of Tie Fighters and Ren’s ghouls following us. So, the hangar may be a bit chaotic after we land.” 

Within minutes, Poe landed the Tie in the Raddus’s hangar. Rey could feel several people nearby. They were running toward the ship. Someone was already scanning the ship for more trackers. Others were scrambling to man their X-Wings in case the First Order caught up to them before the Raddus jumped to lightspeed. Amid the chaos, she felt an older, calmer soul. In some ways, it was familiar, like she had met whoever it belonged to before.  

“Oh shit,” Poe whispered. 

“What’s wrong?” Finn asked. 

“Well, you know that expression if looks could kill?” Poe’s eyes remained locked on the Raddus’s hangar floor. 

“Yeah?” 

“Well, let’s just say, the General’s rivals Ren’s.” Poe ran a hand through his short, curly hair. “Stay here for now. I need to talk to her first.” 

Chapter Text

This cocky pilot was afraid of a woman? Their general must be powerful. Rey wiggled out between the seats in anticipation. Dameron told her to stay on the ship; he didn’t say anything about not looking out of the ship. Besides, she couldn’t wait to look the woman in the eyes and demand to know why she’d earned a death sentence for marrying Kylo. She found it impossible not to be upset over the fact that people hated her for it. 

Rey heard Finn nervously mutter not to move. She almost felt bad for the former stormtrooper. His Force signature felt calm compared to the hustling people nearby. The Force also revealed he was genuine in wanting to leave the First Order. He didn’t mean to mix his escape up with Rey. She just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time while Poe hastily searched for something else. Rey watched as Poe slid down the ladder and jogged over to the general, an older, short woman with mostly grey hair. Her chocolate eyes locked on the pilot and her lips pressed a firm line as he approached.  

Ever the charmer, Poe Dameron flashed a carefree smile as he approached the older woman. “General Leia! What a pleasant surprise!”  

The General never slowed down until she slapped Poe across his face. His head immediately turned to the other side from the decent blow. Rey and Finn both winced in sympathy. 

“I told you,” The grey-haired woman seethed. “And the others to quietly disarm members of the First Order. To steal their uniforms and then sneak onto the ship. At no point did I approve of an attack like that! Of all the terrible ideas–” 

“General,” Poe held his hands in the air, “It was not my idea.” 

“Poe, what were you thinking?” 

“Again, it wasn’t my idea. Yeah, I wanted to blow some shit up, but not start a full-scale attack!” 

“Then what the hell happened?” Leia’s furious tone sent chills down Poe’s back. 

“Beaumont Kin.” 

“Who?” 

“You know... short guy? ...Tacky highlights?” 

“Oh him.” Leia’s expression morphed into barely withheld disgust. “Yes. I know him.” 

“While Oga Garra and her security team watched as she conversed with Ren, I found our contact with the Guavian Death Gang. But Beaumont interrupted our trade deal, insisting he had intel from the First Order and it didn’t take long for Kin to talk the Guavian Death Gang into blowing up that little party at Black Spire Outpost.” 

“So, we didn’t get far into the weapons deal.” Leia ground her teeth and shook her head. “Where is he?” 

“Dead.” 

“Well, I can’t say I’m disappointed.” Silently, the older woman rolled her jaw with a lift of her eyebrows. “Did you find out any information—" 

“Kylo Ren killed him.” Poe hastily continued. 

Leia’s complexion ashened. Her stern expression faded as her mind went to distant memories of the past. “We don’t have much time then, do we?” She pressed her comlink, “Admiral Ackbar, change of plans.” 

“What is the new location?” The admiral replied. 

“Plan Bantha’s Ass for now.” 

Poe couldn’t help but smile at the General’s sense of humor. His admiration for Leia Organa was never stronger. The woman was a hero in the Imperial War who continued her career in the renewed Galactic Senate. Her spirit remained strong even after she was ousted from the Senate when someone revealed her lineage to the Senate and Galaxy. Leia continued working on the sidelines for peace and prosperity after losing everyone and everything she held close to her heart, and now faces the First Order head-on. 

Meanwhile, Rey grew irritated while sitting idly. From where she sat, she could see the Resistance had at least seven new T-70 X Wings along with older model X Wings and RZ A Wing Interceptors. She wanted a closer look at things like what shape the ship was in and whether there was anyone of significance on board. Any detail she could try to relay to Kylo. 

When she tried to move toward the ladder, Finn grasped her arm. 

“Now then, Poe–”  

“Hey, Poe, not to be rude, but she looks like she might gouge my eyes out.” Finn looked over the side of the Tie fighter. 

Leia finally looked at the Tie and noticed Poe didn’t come back alone. “Who is that?” 

Poe softly replied, “Someone who can help us.” 

“Can he be trusted?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” Poe turned around and looked toward the cockpit only to see Finn whisper the word ‘help’ to him. “General Organa, this is Finn.” He climbed up the ladder. “He not only renounced the First Order, but he saved my neck.” 

“A pleasure to meet you, Finn. How very brave of you–” Leia Organa’s welcoming smile faded when the men reached back into the Tie fighter. “What are the two of you doing?” Her eyes widened when a young woman was pulled from the Tie fighter. Leia’s heart hammered in fear as she observed the young woman.  

The fine material of her dress looked wrinkled, probably from being crammed into the Tie fighter. Leia didn’t see any jewelry to match the dress, but she presumed that Poe had her remove any in case the First Order placed trackers on them. The woman’s toned arms showed she wasn’t fragile and had years of training under her. She resembled someone, and Leia needed to confirm.  

“Who's the girl?” Leia prayed it wasn’t who she thought the woman was. 

“Now Finn, we can trust. But the prisoner we brought back, not so much.” Poe grinned at Leia. “Easy does it.” He tugged on one of Rey’s arms.  

Leia rolled her jaw as her anxiety crept in and stepped closer after Poe and Finn helped the prisoner down the ladder. “Who are you?” 

Rey only glared at the woman. She could only hope her voice sounded confident when responding, “And what makes you think I will answer? Your pilot kidnapped me.” 

“General, meet Kylo Ren’s wife.” Poe lightly shoved Rey forward. Finn made a strange noise and shook his head at Poe. “Don’t worry, pal, Ren can’t hurt you. You’re with the Resistance.” 

Leia slowly walked around Rey. “The holos of you at the galas were taken from afar. I wondered if you were real, but here you are after hiding for the last few months. I find it interesting that the First Order would present you as the future Empress and then tuck you away.” 

“The rumor is that the Supreme Leader’s wife is expecting,” Finn quietly explained. 

Rey felt a light blush rush through her cheeks and body. 

Leia’s heart plummeted and fear spiked throughout her body, “Oh shit.” She rushed back around in front of Rey. “Are you pregnant?” 

Rey remained tight-lipped and eyed the hangar of the old ship, studying the layout, and observing the X-Wings and other old technology that she was more familiar with. 

So, this is part of the Resistance fleet. These were the people who had threatened her life. Rey’s time on the Star Destroyer spoiled her indeed, for she was not impressed with what she had seen of the Resistance so far. Battered X-Wings, men and women young and old working at a leisurely pace was far different than the militaristic march and efficient work methods she had grown accustomed to. And while there were a few upgrades in some areas of the hangar Rey knew most of the technology that dominated the ship appeared to be older than her. 

“You may want to get a pair of stun binders on her,” came another voice.  

An older man with shaggy, greying hair walked toward them. 

“The young woman may not be with child, but she’s Force-sensitive.” The man stood next to Leia. “And a rather strong one at that.” He extended a robotic hand toward her. “Your lightsaber please.” 

“No.” Rey firmly replied. Just as she reached for her weapon to keep it by her side, she felt it tug from the sash wrapped around her waist. Rey watched in horror as her lightsaber landed in the older man’s mechanical hand. She glared when he held it up with a nod in her direction. 

“Strong in the Force? Like she knows how to use it like you do Master Skywalker?” Poe asked while Finn looked rather excited and mouthed the words ‘Luke Skywalker.’ The pride in Poe’s eyes vanished when he realized the future Empress had fooled him. “Then why did you let us kidnap you?”  

“Why did you kidnap and bring the Supreme Leader’s wife here ?!” Leia tapped her com, “Admiral, cancel the latest plan. It’s now time for our last resort.” 

“Right away, General.” Admiral Ackbar replied.  

Leia held a hand up in protest when Poe brought out a pair of binders. “No, she won't attack us.” 

Rey lifted an eyebrow. She could easily retaliate, but she’s positive she’s not powerful enough to take on the whole ship if she brought too much attention to herself. “I won't?” 

“No.” Leia firmly replied. “This almost feels like a game to you. There's something more serious in your nature, but we'll get to that later.” 

“You can jump to lightspeed as often as you want,” Rey tilted her chin up. “My husband will find me.” 

While Luke gave Leia a knowing look, she recognized that subtle hint of defiance. She had done the simple gesture herself, as did--  

“I have no doubt.” Leia softly replied. “Why did you let Poe and this ex-stormtroopers take you away from your husband?” 

“I wanted to meet the people behind my death threats.” 

“Ah, that was one lone rebel and he's currently rotting away thanks to your husband.” Leia gestured to a nearby hallway. “Rey, let us take a walk. Get to know each other.” 

“You're not going to lock me in a prison cell?” Rey was astounded by the news. 

“Unless you want me to, which I have a feeling you don’t.” Leia smiled, “I'm afraid you'll find that sneaking around my ship will not be as easy as you planned.” 

Rey's jaw dropped before she smirked. “You're Force-sensitive.” 

“And you should be hiding your powers, shouldn't you?” Leia walked toward a corridor. She looked in Poe’s direction, “I’ll deal with you later, Poe.”

Rey hustled after her, ignoring the old man who suggested she should be cuffed. 

“How did you know that?”  

“While you are a mystery to me,” Leia softly continued, “there are other things that I know. The darkness that lurks in the outer rim, the conflict in Kylo Ren, and the way our fates were recently altered.” 

“Wait, what?” 

Leia paused and looked at Rey. “You have wonderful taste in dresses, but may I offer something more comfortable for you? I'm afraid we're not equipped for royalty and have no plans of hosting a gala.” 

Rey knew there was more to Leia’s story. Perhaps she didn’t want the rebels to hear. Her hands idly grazed her skirt's soft material. “I avoid dressing up as often as possible.” 

“I'm sure your husband is disappointed,” Leia smirked. “Men are absolutely powerless against a woman in a well-fit dress that shows off one’s greatest assets.” 

Except Rey’s husband was a stubborn ass even as she wore the dress. 

“Leia, for crying out loud–”  

“No one told you to eavesdrop, Luke. Meet us in my quarters in twenty minutes.” 

Leia continued walking and Rey hurried to follow. 

“You must excuse my brother, what he lacks in social skills, he makes up for in saving the Galaxy from time to time. And we, my dear, have a lot to catch up on.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“We’ll get to that soon.” Leia paused in front of a door and placed her palm against a scanner.  

Cautiously, Rey followed the older woman into her quarters.  

“You needn't worry.” Leia finally stated after watching Rey carefully observe the room.  

She knew by instinct that Rey was looking for a hidden foe. But now she was interested in the few trinkets she held onto for the last six years. A homing beacon, a comb she held onto since her wedding to Han. Her funeral robes, Senate Robes, and garments hung from a nearby open closet. Leia realized Rey was studying objects that made her more human than an enemy. Not that she could blame the young woman for looking for a sign that she wasn’t with a monster. She held her breath when Rey paused at a powered-down holo that only brought Leia tears due to her guilt and shame when she turned it on. 

Leia walked across the room and pulled an old box from a corner. She opened it and began to pull a few garments out. 

“These are a little old. I always kept clothes on the Falcon in case he decided to come home. He was such a tall boy, but skinny for his age. But they might fit you. Oh, and here is an old little shirt of mine just in case that tunic is too big.” Leia explained as she brought the bundle of clothes to Rey. “We can tighten anything that may be too loose on you. The ‘fresher is over there. Go ahead and use it and change. You must be hungry. I'll have some refreshments delivered.”  

“I don’t understand your hospitality after--” 

“After you received death threats and now the assassination attempt?” Leia continued for Rey. “There are bad Shuura fruits with each group, even in mine. I will find out if there are others who share the same ideals of Beaumont. Now, Kylo is also drunk in paranoia if he believes he can stop all death threats. Everyone in power receives them, including myself when I was in the Senate. But I’m afraid that is all the comfort on the subject I can offer. But we have much to discuss. I imagine my son’s first interactions with you were similar?” 

Force was it a family trait? Rey looked at the clothes in her hands. 

“Kylo is hiding a lot, and we have a piece of the puzzle. You are welcome to this knowledge, or you may turn in for the night.” Leia calmly continued, but her eyes held no room for debate.  

It was weird to hear and see how similar Leia and Kylo were. 

Rey slightly nodded her head. She can never turn down a snack. 

After relieving herself in the ‘fresher, she removed the damaged dress and pulled on a pair of grey pants. They were a little baggy on her, but that was fine. She didn’t like the confined feeling of tight clothes. She then placed a white spaghetti-strapped shirt followed by a dark, quilted, sleeveless tunic over her head. It reminded her of Kylo’s, but softer. The hem of the tunic stopped halfway down her thighs. She closed the tunic as best she could and was thankful for the smaller white shirt that hid her breasts. She tied a brown belt across her waist and sighed. She wished she had her lightsaber. 

Luke arrived with the droid bearing Leia’s favorite tea and a small variety of food. 

Leia poured a red liquid into a small cup, “This is Queen’s Heart–” 

“From Naboo?” Rey asked. “It’s one of my favorites. Kylo introduced it to me. I honestly thought he chose it because of the First Order’s colors.” 

Leia chuckled. “No. You’ll find that Kylo is very familiar with Naboo, Coruscant, and Chandrila. He’s even customary with old Alderaanian traditions.” 

“How would you know this?” Rey asked. 

Luke and Leia looked at one another. Luke took a deep breath and nodded at Leia. 

“Because Kylo Ren is not his real name. He was born as Benjamin Solo but became Kylo Ren–” 

“Kylo said his family gave up on him.” Rey traced the holo’s stand. “That you disregarded his worries.” She watched as Leia's eyes grew lonely and distant. “You ignored your son so much you didn't see a monster groomed him.” 

Leia nodded with a small sniffle, “That I did. And there's nothing I can do to fix that.” Leia sighed, “At least not at this moment.” 

“He turned to the dark side after I failed to stop the darkness rising in him.” Luke handed Rey her lightsaber. “You constructed a perfect weapon. I’m relieved that you haven’t bled your Kyber crystal.” 

“I didn’t want to bleed it. Kylo was fine with it.” Rey looked at her lightsaber in the man’s robotic hand before looking into his eyes. “You’re the uncle that trained him?” She asked as she gingerly took her lightsaber back. She felt relieved to have her weapon again. Not that she was powerless without it, but Kylo trained her to think of it as an extension of her body. She also couldn’t just rely on the Force to help her. 

“I tried. Ben was,” Luke’s smile was sad. With a small shake of his head, he continued. “My most powerful student. His raw talent in the Force was unmatched.” 

Rey narrowed her eyes. “But?” 

“By the time I realized the darkness rising in him was growing stronger it was too late. I may be a master in the ways of the Force, but–” 

“When it comes to children or family , my brother here doesn’t know how to respond. Because he trained himself to free himself of emotion and attachment.” 

“That sounds like such absurd training.” 

“Perhaps, but attachments get in the way. There are reasons why the Jedi trained as they day. I found if I worried about everyone I loved, I risked the dark side taking over me.” 

It was all almost too much too fast for Rey. Her feigned confidence now faltered. “And Kylo, or Ben, fell to the dark side how?” 

Luke’s forehead creased in confusion, “Ben didn’t tell you?”  

Rey wrapped her hands around the warm cup and watched the steam rise from the red liquid. “Well, he told me Snoke infiltrated his mind from the very beginning and that was partly how he became, what he called himself, a monster.” Rey tried to continue but couldn’t. She could only hear his explanation of what happened. How soft his voice was as he explained why he was a monster. 

“I AM the Jedi killer. I am a monster. A monster whose family rejected him. A monster who chose power over trying to win my loved ones back. A monster who could cross lifetimes no matter the consequence to find you because Fate had other plans.”  

“He claimed he killed the Jedi– that his family rejected him because he was a monster. That he chose power to help him in his goals.” 

“My son felt rejected because we took him to Luke when he was just ten years old. Luke was the only one who could properly train him in the ways of the Force.” Leia pursed her lips before she sadly smiled. “I can’t blame him for feeling that way.” 

“Leia, the Jedi usually train their padawans at a much earlier age.” 

“But he was still just a boy. A boy who had frequent night terrors and felt so alone.” 

“Blaming yourself will not change the past.” Luke reminded her. “I know that more than anyone.” 

“Damn right, you do.” Leia huffed. 

“I don’t know what came over me that night.” Luke’s jaw trembled. “I saw what he would become. What Snoke wanted him to be: a new Vader.” 

“What did you do?” Rey probed. She felt her anger rising as Luke, the Galaxy’s hero, muttered his disappointments. 

“I let fear take over and darkness crept over me. I nearly killed my nephew.” Luke’s voice cracked. “I’ve not been tempted by the dark side since I faced my father, Darth Vader, on the Death Star. And in those fleeting moments in my nephew’s hut, I failed him.” 

Rey’s eyes burned with unshed tears. Her body trembled in fury, and her breaths were shallow. “No wonder he said he couldn’t turn to you for help against Palpatine.” She knew Luke was genuine with his apologetic eyes, and she pushed again. “Did he kill the Jedi because of this?” 

“At first, I thought he did. But it wasn’t him that burned my temple to the ground. He was powerful, but not enough to conjure lightning.” 

“How do you know?” 

“I have an R2 unit that does a wonderful, and sometimes terrible job at keeping secrets. The footage was dark, but R2 saw my nephew crawl out of his broken hut before lightning struck from the sky. Ben tried to run to the temple to help those who were trapped, but the building exploded.” Luke looked at the floor. “I supposed that’s when he decided he couldn’t go back. I don’t know what happened to him after he fled the planet.” Luke’s solemn expression faded into one of fear. “All I know is that it wasn’t Ben, and it wasn’t Snoke who conjured the Force lightning.” 

“It was Emperor Palpatine,” Rey whispered. 

“Yes.” Luke nodded his confirmation.  

Her heart ached at the realization, “Ben hasn’t realized this, has he?”  

“I don’t believe he has.” Luke let out a heavy sigh. “And sadly, the old Emperor is not the main threat in this scenario.” 

“Who is the threat?” She looked at Luke and Leia, “Do you still think Ben is a threat? Is that why you had your men try to kill us?” 

“I already explained I didn’t order them to assassinate you. Beaumont Kin was a fool.” Leia hastily explained. Tears spilled over and her lower lip trembled. “I could never order the death of my only child.” 

“But Kylo is in some ways a threat.” Luke continued. 

“What is wrong with you?” Rey hissed. “The Kylo I know isn’t the monster you made him believe he was.” 

“You must understand, there is something different about him.” Luke paced the room. “Through the Force, something happened. I felt it as though a vibro blade pierced through my body despite blocking myself from the Force.” Luke’s steady pace finally stopped. He turned to his sister and Rey. “Kylo Ren must be stopped.” 

“Kylo--Ben wants to kill the Emperor and not so he can become the successor. If I’ve learned anything, he hates power. He’d rather live in the shadows of a planet and not interact with anyone. But he was forced into this position.” 

“From a certain point of view.” Luke countered and pressed a button. A blue holo appeared showing the Galaxy.  

“My nephew hasn’t told you everything, has he? I’m surprised to hear that he omitted the fact that I was the final nail in Ben Solo’s coffin. What else has he hidden from you? Do you know how the two of you are connected?” 

“We’re a Dyad in the Force.” 

“Yes. I had to be careful while reaching into the Force, I couldn’t risk him finding me, but I could feel your energy from time to time. It matched Ben’s. This is something that hasn’t been seen in generations. Soulmates in the Force. Through this rare bond, your powers will be unmatched.” 

“That’s why he wanted to train me. He said he didn’t stand a chance against Palpatine on his own, but with our powers combined–” 

“You’ll be able to destroy the Sheev Palpatine once and for all.” Leia assured, “There’s something else though.” 

“What?” 

“How close are you with my son?” 

Rey let out a small huff, almost like a laugh as her lips twitched. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, I can tell you care for him, that much is obvious. And he must care for you?” 

“He’s overprotective. He worries for my safety, especially as of late.” 

“Since meeting Ben, have you had any strange visions in the Force?” 

“Well, yes. He said it was normal.” 

“Such as?” 

Luke was curious, but tranquil. The Force felt warm... almost inviting. 

“Why do you want to know?” Rey asked. 

“As I am the oldest living survivor of the Jedi, it is my job to try to keep the peace. To find answers when something throws the Force off-balance.” 

“Is it?” 

“Reach into the Force and feel beyond this ship. Let go of your feelings for my nephew and listen to what the Force is telling you.” 

Rey held Luke’s gaze. His eyes were soft and curious. He didn’t look down at her as the Emperor did. A cold feeling went down her spine as she recalled how Palpatine’s corpse-like body looked at her from his throne. Like she was nothing more than garbage.  

With a small nod, Rey closed her eyes and relaxed her body. Lightyears away, she could feel darkness and death that threatened to explode through the galaxy. That was Palpatine. She felt her husband, he was easy to detect. The man would give himself an ulcer at this rate. She felt the life throughout the galaxy: the suffering, the joy, hopes and dreams, natural death and new life. But her attention turned back to her husband. His force-signature, while the same as it was before, felt like it had a veil around it. Something she never noticed before. Her eyebrows dipped as she tried to make sense of it. 

“You’ve noticed it?” 

Rey didn’t answer. 

“Please, tell us about Takodana.” Leia whispered. 

“Well,” Rey nervously licked her lips. “When he took me to Takodana for our wedding ceremony, I heard the sounds of a nearby battle, but–” She stared at the wall and pursed her lips.  She knew she would sound crazy if she finished her sentence. 

“But there wasn’t a battle, was there?” Luke asked. 

“Again, he said it’s normal for the Force to show me things.” 

“And he’s not wrong about that.” Luke gave her a small yet reassuring smile. “Does Takodana have any special meaning to you or Ben?” 

Rey shook her head. “He just said he knew I liked the color green.” 

Luke nodded and brought his hand to his scruffy goatee and drifted off into thought. “Were there other times like this?” 

“Yes.” 

“When and where?” 

“I can’t tell you the location, but it was after we met. It was like what I experienced on Takodana. And I have vivid dreams that feel like memories of things I’ve never seen or experienced.” 

Luke opened his mouth to speak again, but Leia interrupted. “Luke let her go back to my question.” She scoffed with a wave of her hand. 

“How close am I with your son? I-” Rey nervously smiled. “I thought I answered that.” 

“The ex-stormtrooper, what’s his name again… Finn! He said the rumor was you were pregnant. You blushed.” 

“Well, who wouldn’t blush when you realize people are talking about your,” Rey looked away from the twins, “sex life.” She cleared her throat and took a quick sip of her tea. 

“Now dear, I know I have no right to ask this, but I promise you, there is a valid reason for it.” 

“What? It can’t be that bad.” Rey almost laughed at the heightened curiosity she felt from Leia. 

“You’re still a virgin, aren’t you?”  

Rey choked and her eyes widened. She wasn’t expecting that type of question. 

“I’m sorry, but what in the hell?” 

“Leia, I don’t think I need to be a part of this conversation,” Luke groaned. 

“I am the future Empress. I’m to give him an heir. What makes you think that?” Rey could feel her cheeks deepen in color. 

“Oh my, you are,” Leia said in a quiet, yet surprised tone. “But you don’t want to be. And you only want to give yourself to him. No one else. But something is stopping you.” 

Rey could no longer feel the palms of her hands, her heartbeat rampant against her chest, and she wished the floor swallowed her hole. “I’m not here to discuss my personal life.” 

“Ah, I see where you’re going with this, Leia.” Luke cut in. “Rey, I think my sister meant to be more delicate--” 

“When the hell have I ever been delicate?” Leia quipped. 

Luke ignored Leia, “Have you considered why the two of you have not been able to, ahem, proceed with anything? Something was missing? Or felt out of place?” He changed the holo of the galaxy to magnets. 

But Rey didn’t see them, she stood dumbstruck in the middle of the room. This conversation was not happening, this couldn’t be real. 

“The closer you have connected at a spiritual level means you have unwillingly resisted each other on a more physical level, even with simple gestures like an embrace. A hug is momentary.” Luke continued. 

Rey’s embarrassment only deepened. 

“Oh honey, I don’t mean to upset you, but this is very important with what we know.” Leia tried to assure.  

“I imagine with all the work you did on Jakku; you know how magnetic fields work?” Luke asked. 

“Yes.” She muttered, “Opposites attract, and similar poles repel.” 

“In a way,” Luke tried to connect the magnets, “that’s what's happening with you two.” 

“But I thought we were soulmates?” 

“You are.” 

The holo changed from the galaxy to two binary stars revolving around one another.  

“Two that are one. You share the same soul; you are meant to be together in every sense of the way. But the reason you two have not been able to push through the invisible barrier keeping you from, uh, consummating is that–” 

Luke’s voice faded as Rey watched the binary stars encircle one another and then another video where two different stars finally merged. A single, hot tear trickled down her face. 

“I’m afraid from the intel we’ve been able to gather, we believe Kylo Ren is not of this time.” 

Chapter Text

Rey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Kylo was hers, but he wasn’t.  He was not of this time. And Rey couldn’t wrap her head around it. Why would her feelings for Kylo feel so right if what they were saying was true? 

She watched two blue stars circle one another repeatedly without ever touching, her heart suddenly felt empty, her body numb.  

“I had closed myself off from the Force for so long, but the signature, the pain, the desperation, it felt amplified, and so vastly different. I could feel the signatures just as I could feel this Jogan.” Luke’s voice broke as he picked up the small fruit.  

“Why should I believe you?” Rey hissed, but she sounded defeated. She didn’t want to believe them. They had to be lying because the situation was impossible. 

“Because you can feel it,” Luke answered. He watched the pain fill Rey’s eyes. “Now you understand why he kept the answers hidden from you for so long. Now, in his defense, I think Ben was probably waiting for the right moment to tell you, but as long as Palpatine lives, the opportunity will not present itself.” 

“I felt my son fall to the dark side six years ago,” Leia explained, “I never felt so helpless until recently.” She pressed her lips together and took a shallow breath. “Several months ago, I felt him again. The anger, shock, and betrayal rivaled the night he succumbed to Snoke’s grooming. And now, I feel him, but I don’t. I feel the Ben you know, not the Ben Solo I once knew. Whoever he is, he’s more lost than ever. I guess you can say he bit off more than he can chew. Rey,” Leia’s eyes were pleading with the young woman. She needed Rey to understand. “I feel the good in him.” 

“As do I,” Luke added. “But I need to get to the bottom of this.” 

Leia glared at her brother, “Not right now.”  

She looked at Rey again. “The anger and resentment toward me, his father, and Luke is still there, but I can feel his determination to make something right along with his devotion to you. But both of you need to understand–” 

“But it doesn’t seem real. He’s here.” Rey closed her eyes and tried to piece the mysterious puzzle that was her husband together. All the boundaries, the walls he built so she didn’t discover the truth about who he really was. He was Kylo, or Ben Solo, but from another time or place. Her head began to ache as she tried to make sense of it, but then her heart felt heavy as she realized the burden he carried. Rey’s eyes watered. “Something happened to your son, Leia. In whatever life he lived in, something terrible must have happened.” She stifled a gasp.  Her mouth trembled when a tear streamed down her face. She quickly turned away from them in a sad attempt to hide her feelings. Though with two other Force-sensitive beings, that was damn near impossible. 

“Rey,” Leia called in a soothing voice and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. When Rey looked at her, another tear fell. Leia sadly smiled in understanding and pulled the younger woman into a warm embrace. Rey cared for her son. She might already love him. 

Stunned, Rey didn’t immediately hug Leia back. Kylo was the only one to ever hold her in a way that was both gentle and protective. Leia’s embrace was gentle and soothing. Rey’s jaw trembled when she realized this was what a mother’s touch felt like. Although Rey wasn’t her child, Leia was trying to calm her without words. 

“I know things are quite confusing now,” Leia continued. “But everything will be alright. We’ll help fix it. All hope is not lost.” 

“I no longer know what to do or what to think. None of this seems possible.” 

“I think the best course of action is this… For starters, you’re going to get a shower and rest. You went through so much in such a short amount of time. You won’t realize it until you finally sit and try to relax; you’ve been running on pure adrenaline. Surviving an assassination attempt, quarreling with your husband, betraying him by letting Poe take you away–” 

“Leia, that’s not really helping,” Luke chided. 

“What I mean by that is you felt the Force calling to you. You are the key to balancing things out.” 

“I only came here to steal plans and Rebel base locations.” Rey whispered in a dazed state. 

Leia softly laughed at Rey’s eagerness to remain stubborn, “I figured as much.” 

“And you’re still hugging me?”  

“Because I know how much my boy means to you, and how much you mean to him.” 

Rey’s arms lightly wrapped around the older woman’s smaller frame. “But–” 

“No buts. After you rest, we will come up with a plan to reunite you two, and help you take down Palpatine if you need backup. And then you will know what to do.” 

“I’ll know how to fix things?” Rey blinked away her remaining tears. “But how?” 

“You’ll know,” Luke answered. “There’s no other way to describe it, but just as it did with bringing you here, the Force will guide you both.” 

“I’m already tired of hearing the Force will guide me.” 

“It does get old, doesn’t it.” Leia grinned. 

“It sure as hell does,” came a new, scruffy voice. “All that mambo jumbo still doesn’t make sense to me, but it’s real. All of it.” 

Rey turned around to see an older man who resembled Ben. His long nose and prominent jaw, his height. Even the way he swept his gray hair to the right. 

A tall Wookie followed him into the room and softly growled. 

“How was I supposed to know the girl was crying?” The man shrugged. “I thought they would be past all that now.” 

The Wookie growled again, and the man held his hands up, “How’s it my fault?” 

Leia let out a small, but slow sigh, “Rey, may I introduce you to my husband–” 

“Han Solo,” the man walked over and extended a hand. 

“Han Solo?” Excitement lightly fluttered through Rey’s body. She’d heard of him before. He was a legend to most scavengers. “The Han Solo?” 

Han grinned at the recognition. 

“The spice runner?” 

“That’s what I’m remembered for?” Han asked while the Wookie purred a chuckle. “What about Chewie here, what is he known for?” 

“He helped the Rebels deactivate the energy shield around the Death Star.” Rey wiped her tears as Chewie boasted with a proud growl. 

Han frowned and looked at Rey again, “And you must be the girl we heard so much about.” 

“How can you hear so much about me when Leia said she could barely see me in the holos.” 

“Well as soon as word got out that Supreme Leader,” He rolled his eyes, “I can’t believe he took on that role–” 

“Han,” Leia warned. 

“Anyway, once Leia heard Kylo Ren got married, she became so obsessed, I had to stop looking for the Falcon.” Han put his hands on his belt. “She wanted to know everything she could about the girl from Jakku. Except no one knew who you were.” 

“Instead of looking for the Falcon, you should have been looking for our son, or ways to bring him back.” Leia tsked through her teeth. 

Chewie growled again. 

“Yeah, I was getting to that.” Han looked at the Wookie before looking at Rey again. “Then Leia said she could feel flickers of another signature in the Force. So, it had to be the new daughter-in-law.” He gestured toward Rey, “And here you are.” 

“Oh,” Rey said after a long pause. 

“Don’t you just love my husband’s explanations of events?” Leia whispered with a hint of amusement.  

“So… you could feel me in the Force?” As Rey asked, it felt as though time had paused. She heard a distant voice and a vision of red curtains. 

“You underestimate Skywalker, and Ben Solo, and me. It will be your downfall.”  

It was her voice, but she’d never made that statement. Confused, she glanced around the room and found nothing, but the same simple trinkets Leia kept. 

“It felt like a small heartbeat from time to time. Nothing alarming. There are other Force-sensitives out there. 

“But–” Rey nervously licked her lips when she realized there wasn’t anything red in Leia’s quarters. “What if Palpatine felt my signature? He didn’t let on that he knew I was Force-sensitive when I met him.” 

“You met him?” 

“Yes. He came to the Finalizer. His body is old and brittle. Kylo had to explain to him why he married a commoner like me. He also had me dress in rags and keep my head down to prevent Palpatine’s attention.” 

“Ben must have been so worried about you during that meeting.” Leia spoke as softly as if she was reading a lullaby.  

“You think you can turn him?”  

Rey turned around again. 

“Rey?” Leia sounded worried as she watched the younger woman’s eyes frantically scan the room. 

“Did you hear that?” 

Luke’s eyebrows dipped. Han looked at the twins knowing something was happening in the Force but didn’t understand any of it. 

“No dear, we didn’t hear anything. You might be hearing something that’s happened before. Like with what happened on Takodana and–” 

“Ilum.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Ilum. It’s also known as Starkiller Base.” 

“Oh no,” Luke’s face paled. “The Empire cleared out the planet’s Kyber crystals. Now they transformed it into a base?” 

“A weapon.” Rey didn’t know why she was giving them this information, it just felt right to do so.  

She barely registered their panicked faces after dropping such a bombshell. Her eyes grew heavy, her body felt heavy, and her adrenaline was coming down. 

“We’ll have our intelligence unit fly out and get as much information as possible.”  

Rey could hear the worry in Leia’s voice. “General Hux oversees the base from the Finalizer. It’s his project from what I understand.” 

“Thank you, Rey. You didn’t have to tell us about the weapon, but I’m so happy you did.” Leia placed her hand on her back. “Let me show you to your quarters. You look exhausted.” 

Devastated was more like it. 

And now, she just betrayed her husband, but she knew he hated the super weapon just as much as she did. They couldn’t stop Palpatine and a weapon of that magnitude on their own. 

 Kylo watched her go.  

“Come find me.” she’d said. 

He would burn the whole fucking galaxy down to find her again. But now wasn’t the time for dramatics. 

Kylo ran his leather-clad hand through his sweaty locks as he returned to his quarters. He was stunned. He didn’t even have the energy to bicker with Hux when the General demanded to know what he was thinking by letting the future Empress get kidnapped.  

What was he thinking?  

Kylo no longer knew. His plan slipped from his fingers so easily and from the very beginning. His attempts to regain control of his life, his fate, and his love, had failed so fucking miserably. And deep down inside, he’d known this would happen.  

What a goddamn fool he was. 

He and his knights stopped about eight feet away from Cardo. The knight finally regained consciousness with a loud groan. It only took a matter of seconds before he jumped to his feet in panic. 

“Sir! Your wife!” Cardo anxiously spoke. “She–” 

“Knocked your ass unconscious.” Ap’lek snickered.  

“You idiot, you missed the whole ordeal.” Kuruk tsked. 

Cardo’s breathing deepened. “Master, I didn’t mean to–” 

“You didn’t mean to underestimate my wife?” 

“Well, it’s not like I can knock common sense into her,” Cardo pleaded. “She’s as stubborn as you are.” 

“Master, Cardo has a point,” Trudgen cut in. “Perhaps if you had just–” 

“Knock it off already.” Kylo grasped Trudgen by his neck. “What I do with my wife is not of your concern.” 

“That’s fair.” Trudgen quickly nodded. “Now’s not the time for banter. I got it.” 

“General Hux has already sent a search team to try to find the Tie Fighter. When do you want us to find and retrieve the future Empress?” 

“General Hux’s team must not find the Empress. Destroy them.” Kylo took a shallow breath. “I already know where they are taking her.” 

The men he knew in another lifetime, Poe and the ex-stormtrooper would bring the First Order’s future empress to none other than Leia Organa herself. However, Kylo may have had a little luck on his side for his mother was far too predictable, hiding on Ajan Kloss. She must have thought he was too young to remember the old base… unless she hoped he would eventually return– no. She lost hope in him years ago.  

There was no going back. Not again. Especially now that he fucked up the timeline. He should have stayed in the World Between Worlds. 

To Rey’s surprise, she wasn’t led to a jail cell, but to quarters near Leia’s. She walked into the small room and looked around once the doors shut behind her. It was such a contrast compared to her quarters on the Finalizer. The walls were bright grey, and the linens were white. Her viewport was much smaller than the one in her and Kylo’s quarters. She frequently looked out of it to gaze at the planets she and Kylo visited.  

Despite how welcoming General Leia Organa had been, Rey was feeling homesick. Slowly, she walked over to the small viewport and gazed at the endless blue and white streaks as they traveled at Lightspeed. 

Her heart ached for her husband. Hearing the final puzzle pieces was almost too much for her. How Kylo remained strong after the events, she’ll never understand. He realized Snoke was grooming him and killed him almost immediately and knowingly took on the role of a puppet for Sidious. And he did all of it just for her. 

Suddenly, a tingle went through her body, and the hum of the ship faded into silence. She thought she saw Kylo’s large frame in the viewport and turned around. 

“Kylo?” Her jaw dropped at seeing her husband standing across the room from her. He was there but wasn’t. Her heart skipped a beat upon seeing the translucent image of the large man. If he had a blue hue, Rey would think he was a holo. “I don’t understand, how did you–” 

“We’re bound through the Force, Rey. If anyone else tried to connect through the Force like this, the effort would kill them.” He softly replied. His eyes grew concerned, “you’ve been crying.” 

She turned away from his worried gaze. She hated appearing weak and refused to do so due to a man who had been lying to her…  her heart knew it to be true. Why was she so gullible?  

“Rey?” 

“You understand I didn’t leave you?” Rey hastily asked. 

“Yes. But why did you do it?” 

“Maybe I wanted revenge because I didn’t want to sit in my room.” 

“Rey, you’re a little old to be playing these games–” 

“Maybe because I was bored and wanted an adventure. Or the most likely case because my original plan was interrupted by that idiotic pilot. I saw an opportunity and I took it.” 

“Fucking Dameron.” 

Despite his body not physically standing in this room, she heard him walk toward her. “You know him?” 

“I know of him. The Resistance’s best pilot.”   

“I’m surprised he’s lasted this long with such an ego.”  

She felt her husband’s amusement and felt the warmth of his body against her back. “What are you doing?” She asked when he wrapped his arms around her slender frame and placed his chin on her shoulder. 

“Trying to talk to you.” 

Rey’s smile was sad. She was the Rey he needed to talk to. “Ben.” 

His body recoiled just a touch and he sucked in a short breath. 

“So, you are Leia’s son.” She muttered as the weight of the truth threatened to come crashing down over her tired soul. Perhaps more heartbroken than anything. 

“I should have known you’d end up on her ship. The Raddus. It’s where she spent most of her time after the Senate betrayed her. You might be nearby since they delivered you so quickly--” 

“Betrayal seems to go through your family like wildfire.” 

She wanted to confront him. She wanted to demand he tell her the truth. Rey looked down at his translucent hands around her waist and swallowed hard. But most of all, she wanted him to be… real wasn’t the word she was looking for. Because he was a real man, but where was– 

“I don’t know how long this connection will last.” 

“This connection is from our Force Bond?” She repeated his earlier explanation. 

“Yes.” He muttered by her ear. “The connection feels weak.”  

“What?” 

“The connection; it’s so rare.” He corrected himself. “I’m still having trouble finding its history unless it was part of the Jedi texts that burned in the Jedi temple during Order 66. But Palpatine wanted this power; he wanted to learn how to make a dyad.” 

“That’s new information.” She lightly snapped. Rey needed to tread carefully if she wanted to get to eventually get to the bottom of Kylo’s plans. Why he did whatever he did to get here and what he thought would happen. Force, she had so many questions, but needed to wait. 

“Rey, we need to–” 

“Leia would like to rendezvous with you so I can return to the Finalizer She’s been a lovely host. I wasn’t able to sneak around the ship like I originally planned, though nothing is stopping me now.” She turned her body to face him, their noses were mere inches apart. She gazed at his lips before finding his eyes. “We need to kill Sheev Palpatine. He’s only growing stronger with each passing day.” 

“My mother knows about Palpatine?” 

“As does Luke.” 

Anger and fear flickered in his eyes and were smothered the next instant. “I do not wish to speak with them.” 

“Perhaps.” Rey lifted an eyebrow, “After we finish killing Palpatine.” 

“I think I can manage that.” 

Rey lightly hummed and lifted her chin higher, her lips nearly brushing his. Kylo moved to close the distance between them. 

“It’s the least you can do.” She turned away. 

Kylo’s blood ran cold, shame rippled through his body, and the skin under his left eyelid twitched.  Has Rey discovered the truth? No. That was impossible. No one knew what he had done to get here. 

“We need to set up a rendezvous point.” Rey continued. “The First Order and the Resistance have a common enemy.” 

Where was this compliance from Rey in his timeline? No matter, things might be turning for the better… finally.  

“You think the rebels will help?” He asked though he had no reason to trust them. 

With a small nod, Rey replied, “I do, with the exception of that idiot pilot.”  

Chapter Text

As the faint image of her husband disappeared, the eerie silence that lingered during Rey and Kylo’s bond slowly faded and the hum of the ship and random beeps from the droids down the corridor could be heard again.  

Earlier, he stated that the connection felt weak to him. 

But how would he know? Rey thought it was fascinating being able to talk to him as if he were right there beside her. How much stronger could it be? 

Who else could he compare it to if their bond was unique?  

Her lips parted as a shallow breath left her body.   

His Rey.  

The bond must have been stronger with the Rey he knew.  

Suddenly, Rey couldn’t hold onto her anger and resentment against Kylo.  

What happened to him that made this man cross time and space? Was there a Rey in his time?  

What made him so desperate to find her again?  

Was it a lover’s quarrel?   

Did a war break out in their time as well?   

Did the other Rey die?   

 No... Luke and Leia insisted that the Kylo she knew was not their Ben Solo...that would mean…  

Tears stung her eyes. Rey blinked quickly and roughly dried her cheeks with the soft fabric of her sleeve.  

Now wasn’t the time to think of anything else. They had a plan to reunite and, if their luck held out, join forces to take out Palpatine and stop the First Order from using their massive weapon.  

She slowly lowered herself onto the mattress, her eyes staring at nothing as the weight of reality and the seriousness of the situation came crashing down on her in waves.   

Why had they wasted so much time trying to hide her powers from the once-powerful emperor? Before they knew it, it would be now or never. Despite the circumstances, Rey and Kylo would have to decide whether to live or die. Rey wasn't one to back down from a fight, and deep inside she knew at one point the man who was posing as her husband didn't either. He would be ready to fight when the time came.   

Her eyelids felt heavy as she slowly blinked before rolling to her side. Rey knew she would be useless in a fight if she didn't get some rest. She had almost everything she needed: her powers, which had guided her throughout most of her life, her lightsaber, and soon; she would be reunited with the man who rescued her. A man who knew what fate lay ahead. A man who tried everything in his power to prevent history from repeating itself.  

~~~  

Across the stars, Kylo’s amber eyes narrowed as he studied the subject before him. His clenched fists tightened as he mentally chastised himself for allowing his fear to lead him as far as it had. Cowering from Palpatine and attempting to hide the most powerful person he’d ever known was never his plan. But after seeing Rey’s hazel eyes, after what felt like another lifetime trapped in misery, Ben Solo almost felt reborn.   

But now he was stuck in this falsehood—Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leader, second to Emperor Palpatine.   

The old fossil manipulated all the great Jedi long before Ben's pathetic life was conceived, and Palpatine continued toying with the galaxy even after Vader turned back to the light and threw the Sith lord down the reactor shaft to his death on the second Death Star thirty years prior.   

Before he woke in this different lifetime, Ben had tried to find his way back home several times.  Too often he found each reality far different than the one he was attempting to return to. He hadn’t realized this timeline was another divergent until he witnessed Rey getting the absolute shit kicked out of her. But it was too late. This world’s reality was the closest he could get. And he’d selfishly tried to take it. 

“Sir.” Ap’lek’s voice filtered through the comlink.   

“Were you successful?”   

“Yes.”  

“Locate General Hux and Allegiant General Pryde–”  

“Sir,” Ap’lek cautiously began, “you ordered Pryde’s execution immediately after you became Supreme Leader. You said to make it look like an accident.”  

Kylo closed his eyes and dipped his chin. He had ordered General Pryde’s execution in his attempt to keep history from repeating itself. Thanks to this simple command, the Steadfast and the rest of the Final Order’s fleet remained sitting targets on Exegol because the old Sith corpse left Kylo in charge of finding Pryde’s replacement. With everything else going to hell, the task had slipped his mind.  

“Would you like us to do the same with General Hux?” Ap’lek continued.  

“No. The idiot may be of some use still.” Ren huffed in annoyance. “Lock the little spy away for now. The Rebels have already communicated with him and will be on their way to return the future Empress.”  

“As you wish.”  

~~~  

In the hangar bay of the Raddus, Leia nervously waited while a large black command shuttle landed nearby. Dameron was worried this meeting was a trap, but Leia knew it wasn’t. Perhaps she could talk some sense into this version of Ben Solo or negotiate a ceasefire. Something to end this war. 

But then the shuttle’s loading ramp lowered, and she saw the tall man emerge from the shuttle. His large black boots, black trousers and tunic were accompanied by his cross-guard lightsaber at his waist. His stoic expression flinched when he looked at her. 

Leia looked at the Supreme Leader. Kylo Ren, the man who looked so much like her boy. He had the same amber eyes that held the weight of the galaxy in them. The thick raven hair was from her side and the prominent jawline that he’d inherited from Han.   

It was Ben, and yet, it wasn’t. No wonder Rey was so confused by their bond.  

She watched as his eyebrows dipped and he rolled his lips before clenching his jaw. The same mannerisms she displayed when frustrated. Leia knew he wanted to speak but was at a loss for words.  

“Where is he?” Leia finally asked to break the ice while establishing she knew the truth.  

After a long moment, Kylo replied, “He’s safe.”  

“This plan of yours,” She pressed her lips tightly as tears threatened to form, “You know it would have never worked.”  

Over the last several months, he knew this wouldn’t work out.   

He was a fool for believing otherwise.  

“How did you know I wasn’t him?”   

“You may look like my son, and your signatures in the Force are nearly identical.” Leia closed her eyes. “You’re here in front of me, but I can feel my true son is also near, but not close.” She opened her eyes with a soft smile. “You are powerful in the Force, perhaps more so than my son.”  

“Where’s Rey?” He asked instead of responding, choosing to ignore the ache in his heart. No matter what timeline, he would never have his mother’s love.   

A change in subject was something both Leia and Han did when they grew tired of questions or conversations. She shouldn’t have been surprised to see this version of her son using the same mannerisms.  

“She is on her way.” Leia stepped closer. “You should know Rey cares deeply for you, but you must be careful. When the time comes, you’ll need to–”  

“I know what I have to do.” It wasn’t a defiant response nor was it strong.  

It was a truth he needed to face, an action that would be harder than when he first tried to take his life back when he originally killed Snoke.  

He swallowed the painful lump in his throat. “But more importantly, you should know that General Hux wants to test Starkiller’s weapon on Hosnian Prime.”  

Leia’s lips parted in surprise. “We sent reconnaissance, but we couldn't tell if it was complete. And you're saying an attack can happen any time?”  

“It is complete, however, General Hux is in the brig for now. I don’t know how long we can keep him there without an uprising… but there’s more.”  

Leia held his gaze and offered a small smile. “We can help disarm the base and destroy the emperor.”  

“The whole planet is the base. The Empire destroyed Ilum from within. Ever since the end of the Imperial War, Imperial sympathizers and followers constructed this base and the First Order fleet in secret. Palpatine also had his Sith cultists build another fleet in the Unknown Regions.”  

“The old man has been busy indeed. As for Starkiller Base, it’s just a bigger target. I think you know we’re experienced with taking out large bases and weapons from within.”  

“Don’t let him near Starkiller Base.”  

The way he snapped at her, it took a moment for Leia to realize it was a fear-driven demand.  

“Who? The real you or– Leia’s eyes widened. “You mean Han.”  

Kylo could feel his lips begin to quiver but pressed them in a tight line and jerked a nod.  

“Oh Ben,” Leia whispered as an ache filled her heart.  

Hearing his birth name from Leia left him breathless. She was so calm with him when she should have been furious and disappointed in him, and yet, she refused to call him by his adopted name. Would his version of his mother have done the same? He would never know now, but Leia’s warmth gave him hope. Something only Rey had managed to do in his timeline. 

“What happened in your lifetime?”  

Leia’s dark eyes were so similar. Soft and full of ambition with a mix of sternness to show her ability to control the room. After a few heart-stopping moments, Ben finally responded. “The unforgivable.” He shook his head, “I can’t say it because I cannot relive your disappointment again.”  

“I understand.” Leia quietly replied. She felt sorrow for the man who stood before her. His fate and his past life were cruel. “Come here.” The smaller woman didn't wait, moving toward him even as she spoke.   

“I sense the version of me you know had also failed you.”  

“I…” He let out a shallow breath. “What I mean is, she did the best she could. By the time I realized this, it was too late.”  

“Pretend I'm her and forgive yourself for whatever it was you hold all this guilt for. Let it all go.” Tears now threatened to spill over, and Leia cleared her throat. She couldn’t cry. There wasn’t time for tears. “Now, as for your Rey, she'll understand your desperation, but that conversation will have to wait. You can return to your old life.”  

“I died in my old life.”  

Somberly, Leia looked at the floor and nodded her head. This boy was lost in so many ways. She felt bad for this Ben. “And you ended up in the World Between Worlds.” Her forehead wrinkled as she tried to piece together this complicated puzzle and looked at him. “Someone must have tried to help.”  

“I heard someone calling my name, but I never saw him. Once I realized I could choose to live and escape the World Between Worlds, I tried to go back but ended up in a time I did not recognize. After that I–” He couldn’t bring himself to admit how often he suffered the same fate and returned to the World Between Words. “I tried one timeline after another and another until this one.”  

“This timeline was the closest to your reality that you could find?”  

Leia watched as Ben’s eyes glazed over before he nodded. With a melancholic smile, she gently wrapped her arms around him. Cautiously, he wrapped an arm around Leia.   

“Everything will be alright, Ben.” Her throat burned and her voice cracked as she spoke. “You’ll find your way back to your Rey, and your mother.”  

“She’s gone. I failed my mother.”  

“No. You turned back to the light. Even if you didn’t, please believe your mother would have forgiven you. She loved you until the end.” Leia paused; she could see his memories as though she were there the day he lost his real mother. “That’s why she reached out to you with the last of her strength. Never underestimate a mother’s love.” She smiled, “That’s the reason your father came to you...to explain all that...but you understood. You simply need to accept it.”  

“Even after everything I did here?”  

“Yes. And when you get back, stop fucking up.” She half-heartedly joked while pointing a finger at him. “I’m dead serious. Or else, I’ll just have to find my way to you and kick your ass myself. Unless your Rey does it for me.”  

“I’m positive she will. She’s…” His lips twisted into a small smile. “Something else.”   

“Your love for her is unmatched. Unfortunately, you’ll never be able to obtain that same depth in this timeline–”  

“Because that’s not my Rey.” Ben knew this truth long before now but had had trouble accepting it until recently. “She belongs to this timeline’s Ben.”  

“The Force has great plans for you, son. Let the past die. You’ll find the way to make things right… after we defeat Palpatine.”  

“Oh no,” He gingerly placed his hands on Leia’s shoulders and looked into her eyes, “there is no we . If anything, go through with your plans to destroy Starkiller Base… but I need you to get as far away as possible after that. Rey and I must face Palpatine ourselves.”  

“Let us help you–”  

“I can’t.” Ben’s voice shook and he roughly brought his hands to his head; his fingers curled through his thick tresses. “Palpatine,” He grunted. His face twisted in pain, and he hissed through his teeth. It felt as though it was being ripped apart. “He’s screaming in my mind. He’s demanding my return along with Rey.”  

A cold shiver went through Leia’s body. “He’s finally caught onto the fact that she’s Force-sensitive.”  

“I want to send her away with you, but–”  

“Her destiny is to stand beside you. I can see it. I can see the two of you facing him.”  

Leia gave him one last firm hug. If things go wrong, she wanted this Ben to know he is loved. And she could understand his desperation to find his loved one. Afterall, she faced a similar situation over thirty years ago when she and her brother saved Han from Jabba the Hutt. This Ben may be the last chance to hug her son, even if he was from another time.    

“You must face him. I know you have the strength to do it.”  

Ben wanted to say he loved her. He wanted to thank her. But the words remained trapped.  

But Leia, ever all-knowing, grinned. “Now. Clear your mind. Your wife is on her way. Take her and destroy Palpatine. And remember, the Force is always in motion. I believe the rest of your story has yet to be written.”  

Behind Leia, the durasteel doors hissed. Rey entered the corridor with Luke. Kylo’s chin jutted before he took a step back. The image of Luke Skywalker standing over him in his hut will never leave his mind.  

Luke held his hands up as an offering of peace. Kylo could sense that his uncle knew that now wasn’t a moment for reconciliation. He could feel Palpatine’s power. They were running out of time.  

“Ben!” Rey ran to her husband and threw her arms around him. 

Hearing Rey say his birthname was so different from hearing it from Leia and the Rey he longed to return to. The way she shouted his name, with pure excitement and relief, eased his aching heart. She filled him with purpose and determination.  

It was time for him to be Ben Solo again. 

“I missed you.” She exclaimed softly when he hugged her back. 

But those three words hurt almost as much as the fatal stab his Rey landed on him on Kef Bir. When he opened his mouth to confess that he wasn’t hers, he noticed Leia’s eyes widen. She slowly shook her head as a reminder for them to wait to have this conversation.  

This Rey cared for him. And he cared for her.   

But he was keeping her from her true soulmate.  

The time for selfish and foolish dreams was over. Even if he is unable to return to his Rey after the upcoming battle, he could return to the World Between Worlds in peace. While Leia stated she believed his story wasn't finished, he cannot help but think being stuck in the World Between Worlds was his punishment for his heinous crimes during his time in The First Order. 

“The Emperor,” Rey continued with a soft whisper. “He’s demanding our return.”  

“I felt it too.”  

Rey slipped her hand into his and nodded in the direction of his shuttle.  

“Ben!” Leia called, causing them to pause. When they looked at her, she continued. “Thank you for the ceasefire. I don't know how you pulled it off.”  

“I didn't.” He smirked that Solo smirk; the one that always reminds Leia of Han. “Let's just say I know how to disrupt and destroy ships from within as well. After your conversation with Hux, my Knights jammed the coms, all except for mine, to the Raddus . However, that may have tipped the Emperor about my betrayal.”  

“And what will happen after you two defeat Palpatine? Will we be vulnerable to an attack?” Luke asked.  

“Perhaps a true ceasefire will happen in the near future.” Ben replied.   

“We must go.” Rey nodded to Luke and Leia. “As with all dark side users, the Emperor will summon his rage to give him the strength to take us on.”   

“May the Force be with you both.”   

 Leia watched the young couple as they returned to Ben’s shuttle. Her lips quivered after the ship launched, and she took a slow, deep breath before looking at her twin brother. 

“He’s lived without truly living.” 

“Just as your true son has. Some are destined to live through hardships, it is up to that individual to persevere.” Luke replied. 

“Enough of your nonsense and depressing thoughts… Ben and Rey, will they make it?” 

“The fact that we have two versions of Ben in this life defies everything we know. But Leia, I don’t think that version of Ben that you just spoke to will make it in either timeline.” His forehead wrinkled with sympathy as tears trickled down Leia’s cheeks. “Neither can live while the other exists. The balance of the Force will not allow it. I don’t know how he defied the Force and time, but he did it...” 

“And he’ll be punished?” Leia rolled her lips and shook her head. “By the Force? For trying to fix things? That doesn’t feel right.” 

“I don’t know, Leia. I’ve never heard of such a thing. For now, let's hope that young man finds the peace his own timeline never gave him.” 

Leia pointed a finger at her brother’s face. “If you quote your Master Yoda about not mourning him, I swear I’ll make sure they’ll never find your body.” 

Luke huffed a chuckle. “I wasn’t going to.” 

“Damn right, you weren’t.”  

“Hey, what’s going on?” Han asked as he entered the hangar. “I heard some of the crew say Kylo Ren was here.” 

“Kylo Ren is dead. Our son is alive.” 

“Well, where is he?” 

“Gone, for now. But we’ll see him another time. Han, I have an important mission for you.” 

“You have such a way with words,” Han lovingly smirked as his eyes lit in amusement and crossed his arms. “I am at your service, Princess.”  

Leia closed her eyes, took a deep breath through her nose, and wiped her tears. She blew out her breath and looked at them both. “We have a war to prepare for. The end of the war. Let’s finish this.” She tapped her comlink, “All hands on deck!” 

~~~ 

As they approached the Finalizer, Rey sat beside Ben, reached for his hand, and squeezed. When his eyes locked on hers, she watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed; his smile seemed ill at ease. 

No, she didn’t want to believe what Leia and Luke told her. But the look in this man’s eyes… suddenly turned to panic as she watched. 

He jerked his gaze to the viewport. “He’s on the Finalizer.”  

“Well, that saves us the trip to Exegol.” She ran her hand up his muscular arm, the pleats in his sleeve gave little resistance to her assuring gesture. “We’ll kill him, together.” 

Ben had once said this to his Rey but finished it with “And take the throne.”  He pressed his lips together. He’d been such a damn fool for thinking he could turn the First Order and Final Order into something more peaceful than the Empire, but more useful than the Republic. 

Ben looked into Rey’s beautiful hazel eyes and studied the golden specks in her irises. He needed one final good look at his reason for everything he had done. Perhaps through his selfish actions of taking over this timeline, he’ll save more than one life. 

“Together,” he nodded. 

But when he began to stand, Rey tightened her grip on his bicep before he reached his feet.  

“Rey?” He sat back down, looking at her curiously. 

“Ben, I need you to kiss me.” 

“What? I mean, I’m not refusing. It’s just that–” 

“This could be the end of everything. We could die. Please, I-I just need one last kiss to remind me I’m alive. That we’re both alive .” 

Ben needed it as well, even though his soul was riddled with guilt for kissing this timeline’s Rey and not his. 

But still, with the gentlest touch, he slid his fingers along her jawline and cupped the back of Rey’s head. Their eyes never left one another’s as he slowly closed the space between them, savoring this moment for this Rey. He knows he doesn’t belong here with her. Try as he might, he cannot bring his deepest wish and live out the life he imagined for himself and for his Rey. Ben will have to explain himself to this timeline’s Rey after the battle. But he would happily comply with her request in case they don’t survive. Ben wanted to make sure this Rey knew that she was loved. Just as his Rey did for him in his final moments on Exegol. 

Their lips gingerly grazed, Rey started to smile before kissing him back. Her fingers sprawled against his arm while her free hand slid up his back. They pulled one another closer when their tongues lightly danced against each other. Ben’s fingers tangled themselves in Rey’s loose tresses while his grip on her waist tightened. 

For those short, lingering seconds, everything felt right.  

But they knew they couldn’t live in this moment forever. There was a future to fight for.  

Their gentle kiss settled into several small ones before Rey pulled back and caressed his right cheek. Prior to this evening, the action would have reminded Ben of those peaceful moments before his death, but now he was at peace with his fate. Ben knew what he had to do. When Rey cradled her face into the crook of his neck, he took a deep breath and kissed her hair. They clung to each other, stealing just one more moment, before simultaneously pulling apart and standing.  

They didn’t need words. Their silent understanding of the grave situation at hand was met with peace. Hand in hand, they disembarked their shuttle, their knights surrounded them, ready to attack anyone with ill intentions as they walked to Palpatine’s throne room. 

They remained silent in the lift, and once again, when the durasteel doors opened to reveal the decrepit Emperor standing there, looking as frail as ever, Ben knew this trick. He knew that at any moment the old Sith lord would attempt to siphon their energy in order to replenish his power and youth. 

“I must say your betrayal surprised me, young Solo,” Palpatine spat the moment Ben and Rey stepped out of the lift.  

“You believed I had no other tricks up my sleeve?” Ben tossed Darth Sidious a cold smirk, “I must say I find this revelation disappointing.” 

“Your arrogance will be your downfall, just as it was your grandfather’s.”  

Ben couldn’t help but echo the previous Emperor he countered, “I have died before.”  

“And both times will be because of a pathetic girl.”  

Ben and Rey ignited their lightsabers. The dark room was now illuminated with crackling red light along with solid gold as the pair positioned themselves to attack. The Red Guard stood ready to defend the Emperor with their Force pikes; the vibro-edged ends sparked to life and ready to kill. Ben was unphased when he heard the knights ignite their weapons, but surprised when they maintained their stance facing the Emperor and his Red Guards. In his past life, he didn’t have time to be stunned by his knights' betrayal, but in this moment, Ben Solo allowed himself a moment of pride as the Knights prepared to fight to the death for him and Rey. 

The hum of Rey’s lightsaber increased when she twirled it. Ben’s leather glove creaked as he tightened his hold on his own hilt, waiting for the Emperor to make his move. But as soon as the wrinkled hag gave a hint of a wicked smile, Ben’s impulsive wife rushed forward with the knights following as the Red Guard made their charge. 

He should have seen it coming, he really should have. Rey was a force to be reckoned with and unstoppable once she put her mind to it. She, clearly, had had enough. She hated hiding her power, she hated being trapped in a cage, and Ben knew by the end of this, she would hate him for all that he’d done. But he would do everything in his power to protect her and try to make things right in this timeline again. 

The incandescent yellow plasma of Rey’s lightsaber collided with multiple branches of lightning. Ben took that moment to push Sidious back with the Force before launching his own attacks against the once-feared Sith. 

The sounds of vibroblades and Force pikes slamming against each other, the electric energies burning from the weapons, and loud grunts and growls echoed in the small throne room. Rey and Ben relentlessly attacked Sidious with their lightsabers. While the Emperor’s lightning was lethal, Ben and Rey managed to disrupt every attack.  

“It won’t be long now until you tire yourself, young padawan.” Sidious hissed at Rey. 

“Oh, do shut up,” Rey snapped as she balled her fist and punched him in the face, knocking him back several steps. He brought a wrinkled hand to his now bloody nose.  

There was Ben’s feral little scavenger, he smiled grimly. It was a cheap shot, but effective nonetheless. The old man probably couldn’t remember the last time someone struck him. 

“Let’s finish him,” Rey hissed through their bond. 

“If we strike him down, he will take over our bodies.” 

“What? Ew.” 

Across the room, Cardo kicked a Red Guard to the ground and ignited the flamethrower inside his arm cannon and incinerated the fallen guard. 

A dark cloak swiftly flew between Ben and Rey. 

“And he's back.” Ben held his lightsaber in front of his body.  

Sidious’s faux-weakened state was starting to fall apart. With speed that neither Ben nor Rey predicted, he grabbed Rey by the throat. She grabbed his wrist with her free hand and gasped for air. Rey had to stop herself from running her lightsaber through his body. The Sith lord was baiting her and Ben to kill him, just as Ben warned her. 

“Fucking bastard,” Ben growled as he slammed his lightsaber toward Sidious’s arms. 

Sidious barely glanced in Ben’s direction. He motioned his hand and tossed him across the floor.  

Ben’s body skidded across the floor. As soon as he stopped moving, he rolled onto his hands and knees, and then to his feet. He watched Ap’lek pull his vibro-ax from the chest of the Red Guard he’d just killed and with Lothcat-like reflexes, silently charged the Sith Lord with stealth the other knights didn’t have. As Cardo lifted his vibro-ax to slice through Sidious’s back, the old man curled his lips, flicked his fingers, and lightning rippled through Cardo’s body until the knight fell to the ground. His vibro-ax's heavy thud echoed in the chamber. 

“All this fuss over this. Little. Padawan.” Sidious tightened his grip on Rey’s throat and lifted his arm. As he raised her off the floor, Rey kicked her feet wildly and whipped her lightsaber at his arm, but the old man effortlessly blocked her attacks with the Force. He lessened his grip just to hear Rey gasp for air before he gripped her throat and slammed her against a nearby wall. “What makes you so special?” he spat. “A foolish desert rat without a drop of nobility in your veins?” His face contorted into an ugly snarl. 

“What makes you so afraid of nobody like me?” Rey gasped, keeping her eyes locked on the Sith’s yellow ones.  

“You’re greatly mistaken if you think I fear you , ” Sidious growled, offended. 

The knarled hand at her throat suddenly felt warm. Electric sparks seared her skin. 

“No, no, no!” Ben repeatedly attacked Sidious. “Fuck!” He wouldn’t let Sidious kill Rey again. 

Ben’s actions were stilled by Force Stasis. He bared his teeth and snarled as he struggled to free himself. Out of the corner of his eye, Ben saw Trudgen hacking the body of a Red Guard in half and reached out to his knight with the Force. Trudgeon whipped his head in Ben’s direction and hustled over to assist his master. When he got close, he too became trapped in Sidious’ Force Stasis. Ben knew that Trudgen was struggling to breathe. Across the room, Ben watched Vicrul and Ushar finish off the last of the Red Guard and start to approach. 

“Stay back!” He groaned. 

The two knights circled the room, whirling their vibromachete and scythe while they waited for an opening. 

“You foolish children are the ones who should be afraid.” 

Pain rippled through Rey’s throat and neck, causing her to gasp, her body quivering in pain. She started to lose feeling in her face and her eyes filled with tears. They widened when Sidious lifted his wrinkled hand and aimed it at Ben. 

It was pure instinct, reaching out into the Force and grasping the bolts of lightning that left Sidious’s hand. Panic turned to rage as she pushed the Sith’s attack back on him. Surprised by the sudden attack, Sidious released his grip on Rey’s neck and his hold on Ben and stumbled back.  

Rey gave Sidious a cold smile, “Your fears of a nobody like me and the last Skywalker defeating you have become true.”  

Ben bolted toward Palpatine and raised his lightsaber. Bright red embers sparked away from the plasma as he moved his weapon with a shout. When he saw the burn marks on Rey’s neck, all of his suppressed hate and rage was unleashed. It was several timelines ago that he witnessed his other half use Palpatine’s attack in one of the many deserts of Pasaan. He remembered how stunned he felt by Rey’s sudden ability to conjure lightning, but now, the attack felt perfect. He closed his eyes and took a short breath as he extended his free hand and unleashed hell on Sidious. 

The old man’s howls of agony echoed in the room. The smell of charred flesh filtered through their noses as Ben and Rey continued their attack. Sidious stopped summoning lightning, but the dyad refused to give him any possibility of countering their attack. The old man was known for his mind games and tricks. Ben and Rey wouldn’t be satisfied until he was dead.  

Sidious’s flesh was no longer soft and wrinkled, it was now charred and sunken. More mummified than a freshly dead being. Ushar promptly walked over and slammed his vibromachete through the corpse and the other knights joined him, hacking the body apart with all of their rage. 

“Throw his remains in the incinerator.” Ben demanded as he shook his hair out of his eyes. “And then take the Night Buzzard to Exegol, and destroy any remaining clones, labs, and Sith cultists.” 

“It’s already been taken care of, Ben.” Leia’s voice chimed in via comlink, making Ben abruptly look around the room with a panic-stricken face. 

“I thought I told her to stay--” 

Cardo handed Ben the comlink, “It was your wife’s insistence that I carry this for communication with the Resistance… or she would have knocked me out again.” 

“Ah, fuck, my goddamn head.” Ap’lek groaned as he pushed himself off the ground. 

“Leia,” Ben turned away from the others. “How did you know?” 

“Rey explained everything before you arrived and you said to keep Han away from Starkiller Base, not Exegol. You know how he is; he always has to–” 

“Blow something up.” Ben finished for Leia. “Is he?” 

“He’s alive and well. And I must disappoint you with the news that yes, Poe and Finn also survived.” 

“I don’t care about them. Besides, it won’t be long until those two will no longer be my concern.” He looked at the throne, “It’s time to make things right.” He whispered. 

“I’ll leave you to it then. Good luck with everything.” 

Ben’s eyes burned as tears formed, “Mom?” 

“Yes, son. You can say it.” 

How he missed the calming and loving sound of his mother’s voice.  

“I’m sorry, for everything.” 

“Go on, say it.” 

“I love you.” 

“I love you too, son.” 

Ben sucked a short breath. He hadn’t heard those words since before he was dropped off at the Temple.  

“And for what it’s worth,” Leia added. “I’m sorry for everything too.” 

This Leia didn’t need to apologize. She didn’t have to let him apologize and tell her he loved her. She didn’t have to reciprocate that love, but she did. She was acting as a mother and not a General. 

He wanted to whisper his thanks, but he snapped the comlink off. The next part of his mission started now.  

“Rey,” Ben turned around to find that she was gone.  

The knights stopped packing the body parts that were once Sidious and looked around. 

“You need to put a bell on her.” Vicrul stated. “Do you want us to find her? 

“No need.” Ben rushed to the lift. “I know where she’s going.” 

Chapter Text

They won! The war was over! Palpatine was dead!   

But now… now wasn’t the time for celebrations. Not yet. It was time for Rey to face the truth.  

Her breaths grew heavy as she ran faster and faster down the dark corridors.  The pull she had felt time and time again, it was calling to her, begging for her to hurry. Her heart raced as she skidded to a stop when she felt the presence near her.  

Slowly, Rey walked to the cell, her heart hammering faster with each step. She licked her lips, tasting the salt of her sweat from the heated battle. She held her breath and her nerves as she waved a trembling hand in front of the door’s control pad.  The durasteel opened and Rey set her eyes on the face that looked just like her husband, which was frozen in carbonite. She could no longer avoid the truth.   

It felt as though her heart seized for a moment when seeing the man who looked so much like the Ben she knew.  

“Oh Gods, it’s true.” She carefully studied the man’s pained and angry features. “Ben stole this time from you. He altered everything out of desperation.” Her heart rate slowed as she took a deep breath. “It will be alright, Kylo. We’ll fix it. Together.”  

With a renewed sense of urgency, she ran into the small room and studied the control panel to the right of the carbonite slab. As her hands hovered over the controls, through the Force, she knew what to do. Carefully, she adjusted the settings and stepped back as the machine hummed to life and the carbonite slowly disappeared.  

The man with her husband’s face crumbled to the ground gasping for air. Rey knelt next to him and gingerly pulled his quivering body against hers. His dark clothes and hair were wet, and she felt her tunic growing damp as he lay against her. His eyebrows furrowed in pain or anger, and his skin was somehow paler than she anticipated. But when he finally opened his eyes, she found they were the same beautiful amber eyes in which she’d found tremendous comfort and peace.   

“Fuck, I can’t see.” He groaned before blinking a few times and bringing a hand to his eyes.  

“Relax, you’re free of the carbonite.” Rey softly assured while moving strands of hair out of his face. “You have no reason to trust me, but there’s so much I need to tell you.”  

His trembling body momentarily stilled. He covered her hand, pressing it to his cheek as he tried to focus on her face. He squeezed his eyes tightly before reopening and rubbing his fingers across them. The Force tingled around them, she could feel him channeling it, observing her with it. “It is you.” Kylo finally said, breathless with wonder. His body continued to shake and his expression softened.  

“Can you see me?”   

“Barely.” He tilted his head just the slightest. His eyes seemed to focus on her despite his trouble. “But I would recognize your voice anywhere.”  

Rey didn’t notice she was crying until she felt a tear slip down her cheek as she offered him a small smile. “How do you know me?”  

A reluctant groan escaped from him as he heaved himself into a seated position.  “After he took over, I could see everything that asshole did through the Force.” Kylo reached over to touch her face but stopped. “I saw everything he took from me.” He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment and then his eyes narrowed with a heavy sigh. “Speaking of, where is the bastard?”  

Rey shushed him. “He didn’t intend to take anything from you. He’s broken. We need to help him.”  

“Why should I help someone who trapped me in fucking carbonite? Took my place in all of this? And then, then...he found and took the woman I’ve had visions of for most of my life?”  

“I’m here with you now, aren’t I?” Rey cupped his pale face and looked into his strained eyes. “Ben,” her thumb stroked his cheek and he relaxed again. “If you were to love someone as much, wouldn’t you cross the passages of time and space to get to them?”  

“I haven’t heard that name in so long.” He whispered and grasped her hands. “You didn’t call him by that name, but by our, until recently–”  

“I know ‘Kylo’ was the name you both chose to go by when you were compelled to turn to Snoke. How about to make things less confusing, I’ll continue to call you Kylo, for now.” She watched as he pulled her hands from his face and tried to study her palms until their trembling hands wrapped around each other. “You won’t be able to see much, not until the hibernation sickness wears off.”  The heat of his palm on hers increased as his body’s temperature slowly rose, and something about his eyes felt right. “Snoke is dead, the other Ben killed him after he encased you in carbonite.”  

Kylo's forehead wrinkled as he took in this information. “He wanted to protect you.”   

“In a way, he protected us both.” Rey studied the constellations of beauty marks on his face. They were all the same as the man she married. She wondered if the other Ben’s version of Rey looked just like her with all of her freckles and scars from scavenging. “Did you know Darth Sidious was still alive when you were frozen in carbonite?”  

Kylo’s breath stilled. “No. I didn’t know until I saw him meeting Palpatine. The old man shouldn't have been alive. It was damn near impossible.”  

“You say it’s impossible, and yet, a version of you from another time took your place. It's okay now. We killed Sidious–”  

“Where is the other version of me?” Kylo repeated as he moved as if to stand, but Rey placed a hand on his chest.  

“I’m sure Ben is on his way. Kylo, you are not allowed to harm him.”  

The man still felt like Kylo through the Force, with all of his pent-up rage.  

He gestured in the direction he could sense the other Ben coming from. “The fucking bastard froze me in carbonite and stole my life!”   

And yet, as Kylo Ren looked into Rey’s eyes, the rage he’d felt ever since seeing another version of him faded.   

He’d had dreams of this woman when he was younger. And when the ‘other Ben’ took control of his life while he was frozen in carbonite, he could see everything that he did, and it made Kylo feel helpless. He was unable to sleep, unable to talk, unable to channel the Force. While Kylo felt the love that Ben had for Rey, the jealousy that brewed deep within his soul was nearly unbearable until he realized the Ben Solo who took over everything was trying to find his real love lifetimes away. And now that Kylo was free, he could take back what was his; take control of his life.  

After a couple of minutes, Kylo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was time for the persona of Kylo Ren to die. He no longer served a master, and through the Force, he realized that reconciliation with his family was possible… but he wasn't sure if he was ready for that. Yet. He was ready to start anew with Rey… a total stranger in every sense, except she was a stranger he knew everything about.  

“I know I’m asking a lot,” Rey continued in a soothing voice, “and that you shouldn’t listen to me because you don’t know me–”  

“Rey.”  

Rey paused at the sound of her name as it rolled off Kylo’s lips. Although his voice was exactly the same as the man she knew, somehow it was the way this Ben said her name that made her heart flutter.  

“I already know everything about you because I witnessed everything through the Force.”  

“You do?” Rey’s smile grew when his plush lips turned up with a small smile. The energy around them tingled with warmth. This was right. That invisible barrier that constantly stood in the way between her and the other Ben wasn’t there. This was her Ben; he was her missing piece. Through their special bond, her Ben was able to witness everything and learn about her. “Ah, you do.” 

“I guess if I have any hope of having you by my side, I’ll have to explain to you the atrocities I committed before that asshole took over.” Kylo offered. “Since you don’t know the real me.”  

“But I do.” She replied sweetly.   

The durasteel doors hissed open and Kylo tensed, snapping his eyes toward the intruder. Rey watched his dilated pupils as he clenched his fists with an angry scowl. He may not be able to see everything yet, but she knew he didn't need sight. With the help from the Force, her true soulmate was entirely capable of hurting the man who was only trying to find his way home.  

“You weren't supposed to find out like this.” The Ben she’d spent so much time with confessed, defeat clear in his voice.  

“You had so many opportunities to tell me.” Rey replied without turning toward the door. “But I understand your desperation and the reasons why you didn't. I understand how easily things spiraled for you.” She finally turned around to look at the Ben who didn't belong. “But you've run out of time.”  

“I know. I intended to explain everything after we killed Palpatine. I don't know why I thought this plan would work, but–”  

“You were desperate to start over.” Kylo interrupted and roughly ran a hand from his eyes to his chin. “While I was trapped in that frozen hell known as carbonite, I acquired your memories and lived through you through the Force. I know about everything you hoped for. What you were afraid to lose, what you hoped to gain. While I think you took too damn long to realize you don't fucking belong here–”  

“Kylo,” Rey touched her dyad’s shoulder.  

“I'm just glad things aren't messier than they could have been.” Kylo groaned and swiped his fingers over his eyes again. “But if I remain blind,” he pointed in the other Ben’s direction, slightly off until Rey moved his hand an inch to the right. “I will hunt you down and kill you myself.”  

“Your eyesight will return in a few days. Well, that's what my father told me when I was little.” The other Ben offered.  

“My father said the same, when he told me about the time my mother rescued him from the Hutts.” Kylo paused. “Amazing. We led such similar lives, and you still managed to fuck up in this lifetime. Were you always this careless?”  

Rey and Ben could only roll their eyes at Kylo’s hypocrisy. Kylo ran his hand through his hair and puffed his cheeks out while slowly exhaling, controlling his temper. Suddenly, the man from another lifetime grew pale, grabbing for the wall and leaned against it.  

“Ben?” Rey stood, but Kylo grasped her hand. She gave it a soft squeeze. It was odd, feeling the immediate connection with her Ben Solo. The spark between she and the other Ben was just a glimmer compared to the radiating conflagration she felt now that Kylo-- her real Ben--was free.  

“This is why he froze me in carbonite.” Kylo quickly explained. “The Force will not let us coexist in such close proximity. He only overpowered me by luck.”  

“I don’t– I don’t belong here.” Ben whispered. “My knights–”  

“ MY knights.” Kylo bared his teeth before Rey placed her hand over his mouth.  

“Are preparing the Night Buzzard to bring me to Ahch-To.”  

“Ahch-To?” Rey asked. She’s heard the name; whispers of it in dreams.  

“It’s where Skywalker hid–” Ben held up a hand when Kylo’s eyebrows shot up. “I only discovered after sitting in the abyss of the World Between World. My Rey’s memories of the island came to me. I believe it’s my strongest chance–”  

Kylo removed Rey’s hand from his mouth, “You’re not going to make it there. I don’t know how you managed to overpower me when you arrived here all those months ago, but the Force isn’t allowing both of us to exist in this timeline. The Force–”  

“We can’t let him die!”  

“That was always the plan, Rey.” Ben’s smile was sad. “Even if Kylo had remained in carbonite; this— this —me fading back into the World Between Worlds would have happened in the fullness of time. I was selfish. But I swear I had every intention of telling you about your true soulmate and releasing him.”  

Kylo looked into Rey’s eyes. While his pupils were still dilated, she found a calmness within them that made her relax. “We’re going to help him return to the World Between Worlds.” Kylo then looked at his intruder doppelganger. “You! Pathetic version of me. Lay down, and Rey will hold onto your hands just as your Rey did when you when you... passed away–” 

“Oh kriff,” Rey looked at Kylo, “you have all of Ben’s memories?” Rey swallowed the tears that threatened.   

“At the time, Ben was at peace with it.” Her true soulmate explained. “Now, go to him. I wanted to beat the shit out of him earlier, but now that I’ve had time to process it all, I understand everything. Go.”  

Rey walked over to the other Ben and sank down to the floor with him as he slid against the wall. Through the Force, she could feel his rapidly pulsating heart as it weakened and she was also seeing his memories from the day he died on Exegol. She took a shaky breath and grasped his hands.   

“I, um, guess this explains why everything felt right and yet so wrong when we were alone. Your Rey must have been something.”  

“She kicked my ass, but I fell for her before the first fight.” Ben chuckled softly. His humored smile became melancholic. “I miss her.”  

“I know.” Rey croaked, “but now you can return to her.” She swallowed the painful lump in her throat and waved a hand. “You will return to your Rey.”  

“Your Jedi mind tricks won’t work on me.” Ben’s smile was weak.  

“It was worth a try.” Rey felt Kylo’s hand on her shoulder. “It’s time. And for what it’s worth, I can see why your Rey loved you.”  

Ben’s eyes closed and his faint smile lingered on his face. The energy around their bodies grew warm and vibrated around them. She sucked in a short breath when she felt Kylo’s energy travel through her mind and body. Distant memories that didn’t belong to her or Kylo flooded her mind.   

Rey and Kylo knew where Ben needed to go, and focused on his last memory of his Rey. Ben’s grasp on her hand lessened, and he let out a shallow breath before falling limp. Rey’s throat burned and her tear-filled eyes widened as she watched the man she loved fade from this world. When his empty tunic fluttered to the floor, she gasped and turned to find Kylo on his knees behind her. Rey flung herself into his arms.   

“What did we just do?” She cried into his chest.  

Kylo’s lips were soft when he kissed her forehead. “Rey, can’t you feel it in the Force? We saved him.”  

~~~  

Darkness was all he could see.  

“Go on, Ben. Return to your light.” His uncle's voice encouraged. And for once, Ben felt no ill-will toward the man. He trusted the voice.  

“Return to your last hope.” Another male added. It wasn’t his father’s… perhaps, it was the grandfather he never met. The man Snoke and Palpatine had used to twist Ben’s mind before he discovered the truth… that Vader had turned back to the light side and died as Anakin Skywalker.  

“She’s waiting for you, Ben.” His mother’s voice guided him. “My little starfighter.”  

~~~  

“No… No! No, no, no, you can’t!”   

Ben heard an angel—who was crying frantically.  

“We only just found one another– truly found one another. Ben!” The angel howled in pain again. “Please... please don’t leave me!” She sobbed. “I’ve been alone for so long... I don’t want to be alone anymore.”  

Rey.  

All Ben could see was darkness, all he could feel was cold, and all he could hear was Rey’s desperate pleads for him to come back. Then, suddenly, painfully--his chest expanded with a large, searing breath, and he could feel dirt and rocks beneath his battered body. Agony rippled through him– from his fractured ribs to his broken ankle.  

He never felt pain in the World Between Worlds. Pain was his only friend.  

Something tugged at his sweater before he felt something else lay on him with a loud wail of agony.   

His dragged his heavy eyelids open and the dark, lifeless walls of the Sith cathedral sprung to life. And it was falling into shambles.   

Exegol.