#Who up to five minutes ago would have died fighting to protect Anakin too

[acewizardinspace]

We see the attack on the jedi temple in ep 3, the Kenobi show and from Grogu, and they all show how horrific it was, but none of those have shown us the elderly.

It is only logical that during the war most of the people in the temple were those too old or sick to fight, yet, in all of these scenes we are only shown what appears to be mid-life adults.

But I just can't stop thinking about the elderly jedi.

The jedi who haven't picked up their lightsabers in 10 years, let alone actually turned it on, standing up to protect their homes. The jedi who gave themselves one final mission, to save as many of their people's children as they can. The jedi who fought in their hover chairs, who didn't even try to evacuate, who tried to stall the onslaught for just a little while longer.

I get really emotional thinking about the elderly jedi who are typically forgotten in these discussions.

[in-love-with-darth-vader]

Memories of Yesterday

The first time he held the one he loved most in his arms only for them to die, he gained trauma that shaped who he was today. 

The second time that he clutched onto the one he loved most as they died in his arms, he was left with broken pieces of himself, except for the piece that died with her. 

Obi-Wan hadn’t slept in days. His thoughts lingering only on the Duchess and the words she said in her last moments of life.

I’ve always loved you. And I always will. 

The thing he regretted most was never saying it back. At least, never to her face. 

He told her he loved her indirectly in his own ways as often as he said her name. 

If you had said the word, I would have left the Jedi order. 

My dear. 

You look more beautiful than ever.

He hasn’t been to a council meeting since he’s gotten back. Anakin didn’t expect him to. 

The council did. 

Because Obi-Wan Kenobi never missed a meeting. Not unless he wasn’t supposed to be there. Not unless he was off planet and not expected to be there. 

But here he was. Laying in his dark quarters on Coruscant. 

Eyes red and soaked from tears as well as strained from lack of sleep. 

He needed to sleep. Logically, he knew this. 

But every time he closed his eyes he saw her again, taking her last breath in his arms. 

So he couldn’t sleep. No matter how much he wanted to. No matter how much he knew he needed to. 

That’s the thing about Satine. She always defied logic in his mind. 

It was times like these that Obi-Wan began to doubt the Jedi code. 

When fellow Jedi were asked what they knew about Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, the common consensus was that he was a very remarkable and honorable warrior who followed the Jedi code to the letter. 

That’s what they thought, at least. 

Because that’s the front Obi-Wan put up. 

That’s what those who didn’t know him personally thought. 

Obi-Wan respected and followed the code, but he learned from life experience and from his master that there are many contradictions and ridiculous restrictions in the life of a Jedi. 

Qui-Gon always was a troublemaker. Mostly as a child. 

But Master Qui-Gon carried some of that trouble into adulthood. 

Unlike his peers’ masters, Qui-Gon never chastised him for questioning the code. In fact, he encouraged it. 

But he didn’t encourage breaking it. 

Well, at least not completely. 

Qui-Gon advised against him falling in love in order to avoid great pain in his life. 

Obi-Wan tried to listen. 

He failed. 

~~~~

“Master Qui-Gon?”

“Yes, Obi-Wan?”

“Could I ask you something? Something regarding the Jedi Code?”

“Of course, my Padawan.”

“I greatly respect the code, master, but I find there to be some contradictions. Like how we’re supposed to be peacemakers, yet we fight to the death. We’re told to protect and care for everyone, but we cannot form attachments. Why is that, master?”

“Hmm, yes, my Padawan. The Jedi live by a very contradictory code. Someone as smart as you was sure to pick up on that sooner or later.”

“So then how can we follow the code completely if it contradicts itself?”

“That’s a great question. Come, sit. It’s true, Obi-Wan. We are supposed to care for everyone. The difference between attachments and general care is the difference between selfishness and selflessness. To truly be a peacemaker who would protect everyone, we must not attach to anyone. Love doesn’t make us weak, in fact, it makes us strong. However, love makes us put someone else before humanity. And while normally that’s okay, our role makes that impossible to achieve.”

“Master?”

“Yes?”

“What do you do-hypothetically-if you were to start to succumb to these sorts of feelings?”

“A great question. Honestly? It’s very hard to put them aside without causing yourself and someone else pain. But if you wish to become a Jedi Master, then it is what you must do. Hypothetically, of course.”

“Of course. Thank you master.”

~~~~

Obi-Wan awoke suddenly, realizing that he had been asleep. 

He must have finally crashed, he thought, after so long without sleep. 

When he looked at the clock, however, it told a different story. 

It had only been five minutes.

He tried to fall back asleep, but he saw her face on her limp, dead body and forced his eyes open. 

Master Yoda always told him that death wasn’t a bad thing. That death only brought us all closer to the force. 

That death was a peaceful and natural thing. 

Obi-Wan logically knew that death was natural. 

But he also knew that murder shouldn’t be considered a natural way to go. 

She wanted to do so much more. She could have. But one man decided to take that chance away from her. He decided to pull the strings on her life. 

The same man who killed his master. 

Obi-Wan now fully understood why Jedi weren’t supposed to form attachments. 

It had awoken a terrible feeling inside of him. 

Rage. 

And he already knew this. He knew this was the reason. 

But now he had first hand experience. And now a part of him wanted revenge.

~~~~

“Obi-Wan?”

“Yes, Duchess?”

“Could you tell me about the Jedi?”

“What would you like to know?”

“Anything. Everything. Why do you have that braid? What’s the code you live by? And more importantly why do you live by it? Do you ever think of leaving? Do you think it’s morally okay for children to be taken from their families for this?”

“That’s...those are some good questions. This braid represents my status as a Padawan. The Jedi Code is….extremely complicated. And to the rest of your questions, I don’t really know. Those are very hard to think about.”

“Then tell me more about this code of yours, hmm? No more philosophical questions.”

“It’s like a book of rules and morals. We just live by it. I don’t know why, but we do. Most of it is basic stuff that isn’t that different from other societal norms. There’s also a lot about Masters and their Padawans. I guess the weirdest thing is that we’re not allowed to have attachments.”

“At all?”

“At all.”

“So, do you not love Qui-Gon? Does he not love you?”

“I love Qui-Gon in a different way than you think. I care deeply for him, but due to our code, I cannot sacrifice everyone else for him. I cannot be selfish because of how much I care for him.”

“That seems very restrictive.”

“Indeed it is. A lot of people break that one. A lot of my fellow Padawans already have.”

“Tell me, Obi-Wan Kenobi: would you defy the code for the right person?”

“Perhaps, Duchess. For the right person? Perhaps.”

~~~~

This time it had been seven minutes of rest. 

His mind was filled with memories of years ago, and yet he always woke to her lifeless face. 

He wished he had someone to talk to about this. 

He could always go to Anakin, but he did not want this leading to letting Anakin know that he knows about his not-so-secret relationship with Senator Amidala. He’s not quite ready for that conversation yet. 

Especially not now. 

It reminds him too much of days long gone. 

A Jedi and a politician running around in secret, keeping their love only to themselves. Forgetting about the rest of the war-ridden world. 

Having to eventually break each other’s hearts due to a situation that’s uncontrollable to both of them. 

The only difference is that Anakin never had the respect for the code that Obi-Wan did. 

Not that he blames him. 

He’s a stubborn person, and he always has been. 

He was taken away from his mother with no explanation but an ancient code. Of course he would deviate from it. 

Obi-Wan wished that he could have done the same. 

But he loved being a Jedi. 

Not more than her. 

Not less than her. 

But he loved it nonetheless. 

After almost two decades of living life with the Jedi at that point, he couldn’t give up on it. 

Not on his own. Not unless she asked. 

He knew she never would. She cared too much for him to hold him back. 

~~~~

“Obi?”

“Yes, Satine?”

“Do you think I’ll ever be safe again?”

“I don’t know. I want to say yes, but I won’t make you a promise that I can’t guarantee will happen. But I hope so.”

“I hate being on the run, but I might hate not having you around even more.”

“Don’t worry, Satine. I’ll never stop protecting you. Not until the day I die.”

“That’s very sweet of you to say. Do you know if Qui-Gon is coming back yet?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t feel him coming any closer.”

“Good.”

“Good?”

“Yes. When he comes back I’ll have to go back to my room. So, good.”

“You know, I’ll miss having you around too. Will you ever come visit Coruscant?”

“Only if you promise to visit Mandalore.”

~~~~

He did visit Mandalore. He went as often as he could.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t able to happen as often as he wanted it to so as to not raise suspicion. 

She came to Coruscant whenever she could.

They met up and reminisced every time.

He yearned for those days.

He wished he could see her one more time.

~~~~

“I don’t want to leave you, Satine.”

“I don’t either. But we have to.”

“Do we?”

“You’re a Jedi, Obi. It’s what you were born to do. You need to go protect the galaxy.”

“And you need to go and change it for the better.”

“I’ll try my best. Goodbye, Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

“Goodbye, Duchess.”

~~~~

A knock at his door was what interrupted his dreams this time.

He knew it was Anakin.

He pretended he didn’t.

“Master? It’s me. Can I come in?”

No reply.

“I brought you some food from Dex’s.”

Still nothing.

The door opened.

He felt the mattress shift as Anakin sat down next to him.

“I know you probably don’t want to talk right now. I understand why. You have to eat though, okay? I just wanted you to know that I’m here for you, and that I love you.”

Anakin then shifted over and wrapped him in a hug.

And, for the first time, Obi-Wan hugged him back.

Love may have been what led to breaking him, but love was also the only thing that would be able to put him back together. 

[senatorrorgana]

Jedikiller - One

summary: PEACE has returned to the galaxy after a long and hard fought battle against The First Order. Many were lost along the way, but many were gained as well, including the return of Luke Skywalker and redemption of Ben Solo. Those strong with the Force are being trained in the ways of the Gray Jedi and ushered into the galaxy under the wisdom of Luke himself, along with his apprentice - Rey - while the galaxy's future has never looked brighter.      

However, when other Force users around the galaxy begin to go missing and are found either dead or disconnected from the Force, it is undeniable that a new darkness is growing.     

 Despite wanting to charge into action again, things have changed for Rey; including the fact of that she is about to be a mother and is married to the newest Senator in the Republic - Poe Dameron. Knowing the galaxy and new order of Jedi need her, Rey will risk everything to end the darkness threatening her family once and for all. But just how much is Rey willing to lose in order to end the return of the Sith?

pairing: poe dameron x rey (damerey)

a/n: HI! It's been so long, it feels like years even though it's only been months! You might have seen me mention this once or twice that I was working on writing something, and this is what it was! It's been over a month in progress between school and work taking over my life, but I can feel the hype for TLJ building and this is what I got. The chapters will probably be pretty long like this one since I won't get to update as often as I like, but I'll try to keep it regular from here on out, maybe once a week or every other week? We'll see how my life scheduling goes! I hope you guys enjoy this passion project of mine, I'm having fun with it, and comments will always give me fuel to keep on going <3 

ao3: (x)

   Rey hated Coruscant.

   It was people on top of people at all times, it made her feel like she was constantly being smothered, even if she was in a spacious place. Just knowing there were more people on this planet than she had ever met in her life made her throat tighten just a bit at the thought of it. Despite all of this, she found herself on this planet more often than the quiet home she and Poe had built together. Poe was a Senator now, which meant he spent far more time on densely populated planets locked in Senate meetings then flying or at home. She missed him at home by herself, but when she found out she was pregnant. The need to be near him as much as she possibly could only grow, though she wasn’t sure if that was just hormones or her fear of being alone while dealing with something so foreign to her.

   They had an apartment during their time here, too large for Rey’s liking really, it left her feeling so vulnerable, despite all the guards and her apprentice who she was training in the ways of the Gray Jedi - Jade - being there around the clock. She didn’t feel she needed the protection, she could handle herself as she had for years before she met anyone else off of Jakku, but Poe had perhaps become even more protective of her than he already was when they first met. Being a Senator meant Poe could do great things for the galaxy, but it also put a target on his back, and she would be in the line of fire; so the guards stayed if only to keep anymore stress from taking over Poe.

   “You’re late,” Rey said, keeping her gaze fixated on the setting sun through the large windows of the apartment.

   They’d been together for almost four years now and Rey could tell whenever Poe walked into a room because of it, even when he was trying to sneak up on her - she knew.

   “I know,” Poe said with a sigh, “I got held up in a meeting.”

   “You’re always in a meeting anymore, I feel like I have to make an appointment with you just to see you for five minutes,” Rey said.

   She turned her attention away from the sunset and towards Poe. Rey hadn’t seen him in what felt like days, though she felt him crawl into bed at night and wrap his arms around her for the few hours of sleep he could get, leaving sometimes before she was even able to open her eyes. He had a five o’clock shadow and dark circles under his eyes, the Senate had been in discussions for the past two days, about what Rey didn’t know since Poe couldn’t tell her until all was said and done.

   “Well, I’ll have you know you’ve got me all to yourself tomorrow. We’re still in a stalemate and the council thought it’d be best if everyone took a day to themselves to think about it and get out of this deadlock,” Poe said.

   With that, he sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close and press a light kiss to her forehead. Poe rested a hand on Rey’s pregnant belly bump; she was six months into it and finally starting to show some signs of actually being pregnant. She’d been worried at first, especially after seeing how big Rose’s belly had gotten while she was pregnant with hers and Finn’s first child two years ago. Naturally, Poe had worried and had nearly every doctor on Coruscant check her just to tell her that it was natural between being someone of her stature and the life she lived on Jakku for nineteen years before finally leaving.

   “If I see you so much as glance at a datapad tomorrow, I’m throwing that thing off the balcony,” Rey said with a laugh, “You’re not working at all tomorrow in any way.”

   “I won’t, I promise,” Poe said.

   “Mhmm.”

   “Let’s think about dinner or something, what are you craving?” Poe asked.

   The break in the discussions helped no one, Poe still had his mind made up, as did the other members of the Senate. Truth be told, even if Poe wasn’t married to Rey or having a child with her, he still would have made the same choice. All strong with the Force should not be punished for the actions of one person, and even what they were proposing was far too extreme of an action to take against any one person. If Rey wasn’t pregnant and able to be so easily dismissed by the Senate as “emotionally compromised”, he would have had her sit in these discussions with him in a heartbeat, having experienced both sides of the Force, but Luke Skywalker himself was just as wise of a choice, having lived through so much more.

   “What you’re proposing is an extremist act,” Luke said, standing tall before everyone whose attention was locked onto him, “trying to control and confine the Force is not only impossible but suggests that you want to keep those strong with the Force under lock and key like prisoners, just because of how they were born.”

   Senator Prost Maverick watched Luke with a steady glare, the older man’s cold blue gaze showing he was already thinking of a rebuttal. Just like many proposing the idea of controlling Jedi and other Force users, he’d seen only the dark side of the Force and what someone strong with it could take away. The scar on his face and burns on his neck remnants of the Empire’s reign that took his parents, and the deaths of his family he built the remnants of the First Order.

   “Your family is the perfect example of what can happen to those strong with the Force. Your father and nephew being the pillars of what can happen to someone corrupted by the dark side. You and your sister happened to be the exceptions, and from what we’ve been able to tell, your daughter as well,” Maverick said, “but who is to say that the others out there will follow in your footsteps? What happens when someone just as powerful as you Skywalkers turns to the dark side and wants to destroy everything in the galaxy? Your father destroyed a planet, your nephew a system!”

   “The actions of both my father and nephew are unforgivable, yes. Nothing can ever undo the damage that has been done or bring back the lives of those lost, but they were their own actions,” Luke said, “my father died fighting against the Emperor with me, and my nephew is answering for his crimes against the galaxy as you have seen fit, but their actions do not define every person who uses the Force.”

   “You claim your father helped you, no one alive today save for you are alive to witness and attest to this, and as for your nephew, if it were up to me he would be dying a slow and painful death instead of rotting in a fortified cell, but we are civilized people after all,” Maverick said.

   “Senator Maverick, there’s nothing that can be done about the past. Both Anakin Skywalker and Ben Solo have answered for their crimes and nothing else can be done about that,” Poe said, cutting into the conversation and getting to his feet, “but we’re here to talk about the future of the galaxy and how we can handle things from here on out.”

   Maverick’s cold glare landed on him now, the man running a hand through his snow-white hair and taking a deep breath to calm himself. Many people were afraid of facing Maverick and his stubbornness, but not Poe, if Leia taught him anything, it was to stand for what you believed in.

   “If my time fighting the First Order taught me anything, Senator, it’s that only those who have the Force can control it, even then it’s difficult,” Poe said.

   “You’re right,” Maverick said, surprising most of the council, “the Force is uncontrollable, no one person can tame it, especially not someone like myself who doesn’t have even the slightest ounce of it in my veins. What we want is security for the entire galaxy, to prevent someone like Darth Vader or Kylo Ren rising again. Which is why we're disbanding your second attempt at Jedi before it even truly starts again.”

   “It's different this time, we’re not following the old ways that my father and nephew rose from-”

   “Which only makes your kind even more unpredictable than before,” Maverick snapped, cutting off Luke mid-sentence, “whoever you and your apprentice have under your care are to report to this council and surrender their weapons, your family included.”

   “Senator Maverick, the council hasn't reached an agreement yet, it’s a stalemate,” Poe said.

   “As of this morning it was no longer, there are more Senators against the Jedi than with them. This meeting was merely a formality, but I've grown tired of arguing, it's over,” Maverick said, a smug smile on his face, “I except you and your apprentice to set an example for your students by being the first to surrender those archaic weapons you wield, Skywalker.”

   With that, all the Senators rose to their feet and dispersed, murmurs filling the room as Senator Maverick and other fellow Senators dedicated to his cause and decision left with him. Poe felt a wave of dread settle in his gut, he knew this was wrong, all the Senators left knew it was wrong, but they were helpless to stop it.

   “This isn’t good,” Poe said under his breath.

   “No, it’s not,” Luke agreed with a sigh, “but if we want to keep this semblance of peace, it’s something we have to do.”

   “I’ll tell Rey, I’m used to the mood swings she’s been having lately,” Poe said, he knew the minute Rey heard about this she’d want to lash out at anyone in her path even though she didn’t mean any of it.

   He’d dealt with her like this many times even before she was pregnant, back when she wanted to tear the galaxy apart for taking so many people she loved away from her. For a while he thought he lost her back then, and there were times when he’d still see hints of that side of her emerge again, her rage turning into something dark, but she’d been good for a while - since the pregnancy happened at least. This though would surely set her off, and rightfully so, he just hoped he could keep her level-headed for now.

   “Do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?” Jade asked.

   The girl was just a few years younger than Rey, though she lived a drastically different life before she wound up with her and Luke after the First Order was defeated. Daughter of a Senator who lived a soft and pampered childhood, never having to know what it was like to be hungry or be scared and alone. But Rey never envied her for all of that, at first perhaps she did, but she came to know Jade, taught her everything she knew and helped her learn to control the Force as best she could. But the delicate young girl still had much to learn with the callouses just starting to appear on her small pale hands, scars appearing in more numbers on her face, and sense of maturity finally setting in on her.

   “I’m not sure,” Rey said, watching her hands rest on her stomach, she couldn’t tell no matter how hard she tried to figure it out, especially after telling the doctors she wanted to find out for herself.

   “Would you want it to be one or the other more?” Jade asked, tucking a piece of her long blonde hair behind her ear, her green eyes filled with curiosity as she questioned her.

   “No, I just want it to be healthy,” Rey answered truthfully, it was all she ever wanted from the moment she found out she was pregnant.

   “My mom always wanted to have a boy after she had me, I think she was disappointed after she had my two sisters and couldn’t have any more kids,” Jade said.

   Before anything else could be said between the two, Poe entered the room and Rey got to her feet in a matter of seconds with a smile on her face. However, the smile quickly faded when she noticed Luke shortly behind him. No matter how hard she tried and after all, they’d been through together, Rey couldn’t help but continue to associate Luke with something bad happening, and from the grim look on both his and Poe’s faces, she knew it was nothing good.

   “What’s wrong?” Rey asked.

   Jade got to her feet as well, trying her best to stand at attention with Luke in the room, his reputation still preceding him no matter how many times Jade had met him face to face.

   “It’s nothing to worry about right now, I’ll tell you later when things settle down,” Poe said, letting a sigh escape.

   He seemed tired, more so than usual, and if it hadn’t been for Jade being there with a slightly fearful look on her face, Rey would have questioned him until he told her what was going on. Instead, she let it go, for now at least, and rested a hand on Jade’s shoulder, giving her a light squeeze before taking a seat back down on the sofa.

   “Luke, do you think you could take Jade for some meditation? I couldn’t focus earlier today,” Rey said.

   “Sure, I could use some peace and quiet myself,” Luke replied with a gruffness to his tone.

   Wordlessly, Jade followed Luke out of the room, and once the doors shut she could almost feel Poe tense up, knowing her questions were coming.

   “Do you want to sit? I haven’t seen you all day and you look like you’re about to fall over,” Rey said.

   Poe relaxed slightly, Rey felt terrible that he must have been bracing himself for her to pelt him with questions as to why Luke was there and what was going on. He made his way around the sofa before finally taking a seat beside her, Rey resting her head on his shoulder and drawing her lead as close to him as she possibly could, still trying to find a comfortable way to maneuver with her pregnant belly in the way half the time anymore.

   “What's going on?” She asked, keeping a gentle tone to her voice and feeling the exhaustion radiate off of him.

   “The Senate was in a stalemate for over a week discussing the future of how the Galaxy should handle people training with the Force, especially ones who have lightsabers like you and Luke,” Poe said with a sigh, “I called Luke in to make them see that not everyone who had the Force was dangerous, I didn't want to drag you into all of this.”

   “The way you two walked in here, I'm guessing the outcome wasn't good,” Rey said, mumbling her words into his jacket.

   “No, it wasn't,” Poe said, “this morning someone sided with the others and it gave Senator Maverick the authority to set forth his new rule of making everyone who is a practicing Jedi to turn over their lightsabers.”

   Rey felt a flash of anger run up her spine, but she kept it in check. Poe did everything he could while trying to keep her away from those stuffy Senators who knew nothing of the war other than it finally ended.

   “They think taking lightsabers will fix everything?” Rey asked.

   “I think they want to feel safer, and the lightsabers are the symbol of the Jedi, they want to feel some kind of control even though they could never control any of you,” Poe said, “they're afraid.”

   “Fear makes people do stupid things,” Rey said, speaking from her own experience of what fear of losing her friends and Poe made her do to keep them, “it's not a rational emotion.”

   “It's not, but I can understand why they want to do this, even though I don't agree with it,” Poe said.

   “What are they going to do?” Rey asked.

   She felt Poe tense up at this again in her embrace, and she knew whatever he was trying to avoid saying was not something she wanted to hear.

   “They want you and Luke to turn over your lightsabers first thing tomorrow morning, they already made Luke call in the others to start heading here tonight to turn over their lightsabers as well,” Poe said.

   The lightsaber wasn’t something Rey ever wanted at first, in fact, she wanted to be as far away from it as possible after her very first encounter with it so many years ago now it seemed. But she grew fond of it, trained with it, and it became a part of her just as much as it had once been a part of Anakin and Luke before her. At the end of the day, it was just a lightsaber, a symbol of something much greater than what it actually was. She’d learned how to pick her battles over the years, and she knew that this was not the battle to fight. Jedi were more than their weapons, and they’d continue to be Jedi without them.

   “Okay,” Rey said, finally speaking after a moment of silence.

   “You’re taking this better than I thought you would,” Poe said, looking over at her in slight confusion.

   “I’m just tired of fighting,” Rey said, “I just want to go home.”

   “We will, as soon as this is over with tomorrow we’re both going home and staying there until our little girl is born,” Poe said.

   Rey glared up at him, her brows scrunched together and a questioning look in her eye.

   “Or boy,” Poe added.

   “You want a girl, don’t you?” Rey asked with a slight smile.

   “More than anything in the galaxy,” Poe said with a grin, “but if we have a boy I’ll be just as happy.”

   “I want to go home, sleep in our bed, and eat Koyo melons until I’m sick of them,” Rey said, “I haven't had one in ages.”

   “You can have all the Koyo melons you want when we get home,” Poe said, “do you have everything packed up? I want to leave here as soon as this is done.”

   “I’ve been ready to leave for over a month,” Rey said, untangling herself from Poe and getting up slowly, “but I am going to miss the garden upstairs, so I’m going to go for one last walk.”

   “You want me to go with you?” Poe asked.

   If he knew where she was going, Rey knew he wouldn’t have ever asked that question in the first place.

   “No, it’s fine, I’ll probably try to meditate some while up there. I won’t be gone long,” she said.

   “Alright,” Poe said, getting up to his feet as well and pressing a kiss to her cheek, “love you.”

   “Love you too,” Rey replied, trying to push aside the feeling of guilt for not telling him where she was truly going.

   Years ago, Rey had called Ben a monster, and at the time he was one. He chased her across the galaxy and fought many battles against one another. Years ago, he wanted to kill her and she wanted to kill him, even after she discovered they were family. Towards the end rage fueled most of her actions, she was getting to be no better than him. After the First Order was defeated with Ben’s help, things became better between them, though nothing could truly ever be perfect given all they’d done to one another.

   The Senate kept Ben imprisoned, and though he probably could have used the Force to leave many times, he chose to stay to pay for what he’d done. Whenever Rey was on Coruscant, she made it a point to visit him once a week though their conversations were often tense. She would have come to see him to say she was leaving regardless, but now she needed to tell him what was about to happen.

   They kept him in restraints almost all the time, he looked more pale and gaunt than usual, Rey wouldn’t be surprised if they had been especially cruel since these discussions Poe had been a part of began. He looked up at her when he noticed her presence, his eyes especially dark and posture more hunched over than usual.

   “Ben,” Rey said curtly, standing on the other side of the glass.

   “Rey,” Ben replied, his tone weak and the dark circles under his eyes indicating little sleep.

   “Are you alright?” She asked.

   “Them? They’re nothing,” Ben said, catching on to what she was implicating, “it’s the nightmares, haven’t you gotten them too?”

   “No...should I?” Rey asked.

   Ben hesitated. “Maybe not.”

   He shifted in his seat, trying to move his hands only to be stopped by the restraints.

   “The role of a Senator’s wife suits you,” He commented.

   Rey usually opted out of wearing dresses, especially ones that were more on the gown side of things that had a train following behind her, but ever since she started to show more in her pregnancy, it was far easier to deal with.

   “I came here to say goodbye, I won’t be back for a few months probably,” Rey said.

   “Good luck then, you’ll need it,” Ben replied.

   “What’s that supposed to mean?” Rey asked, feeling her anger try to take control at the comment.

   “I heard about what the Senate was doing, they wouldn’t shut up about it down here. I think they thought it would bother me in some way,” Ben said, keeping his calm though she knew he could sense her anger. ‘You still have it though don’t you, hidden away somewhere?’ His voice intruded into her thoughts.

   ‘They won’t find it, they still think it’s destroyed,’ Rey replied.

   ‘It’s better off that way,’ Ben said, “Does Senator Dameron know you’re here?”

   The two never liked each other for obvious reasons, Poe for what Ben had done to him and the nightmares he still had to this day because of his torture; Ben for the simple reason of that he believed Leia had loved Poe more than she ever loved him, despite it being a lie.

   “No, if he knew I came here he wouldn’t have let me leave the room, especially now like this,” Rey rested her hands on her stomach.

   “I wouldn’t hurt you or her, I’ve hurt enough people for one lifetime,” Ben said.

   “...It’s a girl?” Rey asked, smiling as she looked down, she still didn’t know how others could sense it while she couldn’t.

   “I thought you knew,” Ben commented, “but yes. And it’s understandable, if things were different, I wouldn’t have let a family of mine get anywhere near someone like me either.”

   Solitude changed Ben, he had his moments as any other human being did, but he was different from who he used to be.

   “I-I should go,” Rey said, “Poe will start looking for me soon.”

   “Be safe,” Ben said.

   Rey hesitated, “You too...and may the force be with you.”