Chapter 1

The day had been full of surprises, he thought to himself. His eyes darted around, surveying the flurry of movement within the loading dock of some far off Rebellion base. Kylo Ren lie prone, strapped down to a gurney, a medical droid putting work in on his various injuries from the battle. He was much, much calmer than he had expected himself to be, given the situation; Perhaps the exhaustion and pain had lulled him. Perhaps it is shock.

Either way, he lie, and the pain his body felt slowly resided. Kylo absently rubed his wrist against the bonds he was secured by. They chafed him; between the bonds that the wretched girl had put on him in the Millennium Falcon, moments after the spacecraft had cleared the implosion of Starkiller Base, and the decidedly nicer ones he is trapped in now, he was certain his wrists had been rubbed raw. Kylo's brain was too exhausted to attempt to reason out why the girl saved him- the look of hatred she had given him prior to the ship jumping to hyper speed had seemed to only equal his own. His body had been nearly too much for her, he knew. He'd been drifting through consciousness, but he had still been capable of feeling her tired body struggle beneath his weight. He had lost consciousness fully once the ship's captain, the pilot who had begun ruining his plans, had begun incessantly shouting at the girl for dragging him on. Kylo was glad of that, to say the least.

The med droid finished, and moments later it's counterpart appeared to take him to MedBay to rest. Prior to his departure, the med droid issueed him an anesthetic to subdue him. His eyes drifted shut, and he does not wake for many hours. His dreams were dotted with half remembered screams and flashes of blinding blue.

"Rey, why the hell is that piece of wannabe Sith scum on my base?" Commander Statura, asked, his voice an octave from shouting. Rey looked out from the window of the commander's office, her tired mind struggling to piece together the logic of her spur of the moment decision. Dalastine's singular moon was rising, it's reflection in the nearby sea illuminating the sky ever so slightly.

"Commander Statura, I know my actions were hasty, and dangerous.. And I guess they still are dangerous, but when I reached the Falcon I looked back, and Kylo Ren was lying there, but his energy had changed… I can't put it into words, but it wasn't him I saved."

"Oh, wonderful. You do realise that you've brought on the eye of the First Order, right? You do realise that right now, they are out there, regrouping, and they will very shortly want back their knight of Ren. And then, they will come for us. Who knows how long it will take them to find this base!" The Commander looked at her, his eyes full of stress. She sighed inwardly, her guilt and worry tangible but hidden beneath a desperate need for a shower, some food, and a cozy barrack. She had had too much today. She had fought the hardest battle of her life, she had watched as her first friend in her memory had been struck down, had dragged his unresponsive body back to safety. And then, for some reason she could not understand, she had saved the life of a man who had caused her nothing but trouble. A man who had killed the father figure she had dreamt after her since her own family had disappeared all those years ago.

In short, Rey had had enough.

"Commander, I apologise. I swear that we will sort this problem out as soon as possible. However, We blew up the First Order's biggest command base and devastated their numbers, without a doubt. I cannot see them being able to regroup and locate us within the next several hours. I understand your concern, sir, but I have to sleep." She stared him down, her eyes exhausted, her face and body covered in every type of filth imaginable. Commander Statura paused, a resigned look passing over his face as he nodded.

"Alright. Report to my office tomorrow at noon. The General should arrive by then."

Rey made her way to the mess hall, collecting a tray full of the planet's fresh produce and a package of protein, much like the ones she had collected from the junker's office on Jakku. As she ate, she couldn't help but think about how radically her life had been altered, all in what felt like a moment's time. Days ago, she had been watching time pass on the steel wall in her makeshift home, collecting synapses and other scraps from the wreckage of machines whose stories she did not know. Now, she sat, in a system she had never heard the name of, on a planet with oceans, and only one moon, and food that didn't always come in plastic. Her nerves were frayed, her body ached. She felt the unwelcome push of tears, and willed them away. Not now.

She finished her meal, took herself to the women's quarters, and cleaned up in a bathroom with a clean, white shower, where a droid provided her with a fresh change of clothes, taking her soiled ones away for mending and cleaning. She lingered in the shower, taking full advantage of both the MedWash setting and the hot, glorious, non-commodity water. Her aches and pains began to dissipate, and she sighed, tenderly stretching her arms.

Once Rey climbed into her bed, a short while later- a real bed, one awarded to her based on her status, a privilege which she eagerly accepted- her body melted into the covers, but her brain would not stop running through it's paces. Finally, the tears she had earlier shoved away, slid down her cheeks, her body wracked with hiccuping sobs.

She thought back to Maz Kanata, to the lightsaber that rested on the table beside her bed. Why her? Who in the universe was she, and why her? Rey tossed and turned until a while later, when the weight of her sheer exhaustion became too much.

Morning came too soon. Rey awoke to a messenger droid rapping on her door, alerting her to the arrival of the General, and reminding her of her meeting. She checked the time- three hours before she was expected. She dressed herself in the sturdy brown pants and grey shirt that were common uniform around the base. Her feet ached as she slipped on her boots; In fact, it would have been hard for her to name a part of her that did not ache. Her arms screamed as she arranged her hair in the three buns she was accustomed to.

She exited the room, her lightsaber attached at her waist. When she walked through the base to the mess hall, she felt the eyes of all she passed, and wondered if perhaps it would have been smarter to leave the weapon behind. She was beginning to understand why Jedi all wore those ridiculous robes.

One pair of eyes fell upon her, and her joy was suddenly incandescent. Poe waved her down in the mess hall, beckoning her to join him. She loaded a tray up, her appetite even more intense than it had been the nght before. When Rey took a seat besides Poe, he tossed an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey there, Jedi," He said, smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, after a bit. Once i made it to bed I was still full of the energy." Poe nodded.

"Yeah, that tends to happen after battle. You'll get used to it."

"You heard about Finn at all? I haven't had time to visit him." Rey asked, her mouth full. She looked at Poe while she chewed. He looked down, unable to meet her eyes for a moment. He shook his head, his worry tangible to her.

"Well, good then. What's you say about us popping down to the MedBay for a visit? I've got some time to kill before I meet with the General and Commander."

"Yeah, I'd like that." Poe smiled. They ate the rest of their meal with only the lightest of conversation. Poe cracked jokes and they discussed flight engines, Poe explaining to her how he'd been trying to figure out what it was that made those TIE fighters go like they did.

As they walked to the MedBay, Rey couldn't help but wonder if she would catch a glimpse of Kylo Ren. She wasn't sure what would happen if she did. The sense of the energy he had had, lying there prone, was so strange. She had always felt the energies of those around her, but had chalked it up as something everyone could do. With him though, she had almost felt as if someone were begging her to rescue him, but she heard no words. She only felt the ghost of intent.

The door to the MedBay rose at their approach, and inside it was a quiet flurry of motion. Many of their fighters had been injured in yesterday's battle, and seeing their bodies lay motionless, surgical droids and med droids hovering about them, was definitely sobering. Rey suddenly felt incredibly lucky that she had not been more injured, that she had slept in her own bed, that she had had breakfast beside her friend. Her eyes darted about eagerly, hoping to catch sight of Finn. Poe beat her to it, grabbing her hand and dragging her through the beds.

"Finn!"He gasped, his voice the loudest sound in the bay. They stopped short of his bed. Finn lay prone, a med droid passing over his ribcage, healing his broken bones slowly. They could mend cuts and replace body parts in moments- typically no more than a matter of hours, even for the hardest of surgeries. Bones took a bit longer to mend.

Rey touched Finn's cheek gingerly, the slight prick of his facial hair rough beneath her palm. Poe grasped Finn's hand, His face shot with worry. They stood in silence, watching the beam pass over Finn with a nearly imperceptible mechanical whirr. After a moment, Rey looked up, smiling slightly at Poe.

"Hey, I'm gonna go have a look around. Wanna stay here and we can meet up later?" Poe nodded, leaving Finn's side to pull up a chair.

"Rey? If I'm still here later, do me a favor and bring some X-Wing schematics from repairs. I have a couple ideas I wanna work on."

"Of course. Be good now." He grinned up at her, and she walked on, surveying the beds as she left the bay. She couldn't help but noticing that Kylo Ren was nowhere to be seen.

Rey decided to take her remaining time outside. She exited the base, and suddenly the warm morning sun washed over her, and she felt normal. The world around her was verdant, the sand the purest white she'd ever seen. She pulled off her boots, making her way across the beach. She stood in the tide, the cold water nipping at her toes.

"it's beautiful, isn't it?" She gasped and whirled about, dropping her boots. General Leia Organa stood behind her, the warmest smile she had seen in ages plastered across the woman's face. Rey grinned, closing the space between her and the general. She reached for a handshake, but the General laughed and pulled her in. Rey was amazed at the General's genial demeanor, in the wake of her loss of Han Solo. The hug lasted a long time, the two women exchanging a million words silently. When they broke apart, Leia held Rey's shoulders, beaming.

"I am so happy to see you, Rey. I am glad you're okay." Her smile faltered, but she continued, "I'm glad Han brought you to me. It's been a long time since we had the pleasure of hosting a female Jedi."

"I'm so sorry for your loss. I am sad to have returned without Han. He was an incredible man." Rey decided now was not the time to tell Leia she only knew about Han through smuggling. "When did you guys train a female Jedi? I thought the academy…"

"Oh, my dear girl. You don't get to have Skywalker blood without Jedi getting mixed in there somewhere. I picked Han over finishing my training, though." Leia smiled fondly.

"Oh, wow- that's, that's brave of you…" Rey fumbled.

"Oh, brave had nothing to do with it. I was head over heels in love! I would have fought a million storm troopers to the death if it meant I got to have the life I did with that stubborn old coot." Leia sighed, threading her arm through Reys. "Come now, we're expected elsewhere."

General Leia Organa Solo easily took control of the situation which Commander Statura had been incapable of handling the day before. He sat behind his desk, his body and face visibly relaxing with every word. His lieutenants stood aside, quietly listening and awaiting orders.

Rey sat as the General explained her plan. She spoke of Kylo Ren without a trace of emotion, which surprised Rey. He was her son, and he was the murderer of her husband. It was more impressive than if she had disassembled the Falcon's hyper speed controls and put it back together in five minutes time.

"Commander, I will be taking Kylo Ren with me to the Sullust System, where I will personally oversee his captivity. Rey with accompany me with a small guard to aid in his safe transportation. From there, we will continue our search for Luke Skywalker. Am I understood?" Statura nodded.

"Yes, General Organa. When do you intend to depart?" Statura stood, making his way around the desk.

"We will depart aboard my ship first thing tomorrow morning. See to it that the ship is supplied by then- and also, please have the Millennium Falcon loaded into the hangar. Rey will be in need of it later."

"General," Rey interrupted, "If it's okay, I'd like to load her myself. She's a bit… tricky."

"Of course." Leia allowed. The meeting broke up, Commander Statura clasping General Organa's hand. Rey waited for her by the office exit.

"You sounded just like Han. He would be happy to know his ship will be cared for well." Leia paused as they walked on. "I am happy to know his ship is cared for. I'm happy it's still going to fly. He deserves know, I wish he had been a Jedi. Their spirits have this habit of showing themselves to you as time goes on."

"Really?" Rey asked.

"Oh yes, I'm sure once we find Luke you'll experience it yourself. When I took my position as commander, I saw my father again. He told me he was proud. I nearly fell of a balcony, I was so surprised."

"But wasn't Darth Vader consumed by the dark side of the Force?"

"Not in death, no. Luke brought him back, moments before he died. He look so young, Rey! So young and fresh, his face so kind. He was Anakin again."

The pair did not speak for a long while, both caught within their own thoughts. Rey wondered about the family she could not remember. Perhaps one day, when she was a real Jedi, she would see them. She hoped that it would not come to that. The world had been too cruel to her to take that family away before she ever got to see them in again in this life. Eventually, the pair reached the bay in which Leia's ship was docked, and Leia embraced her, and gave her direction to alert Chewy that he would be departing in the morning. Rey nodded, slipping away into the crowd of rebels busy loading supplies onto the general's ship.

Rey made her way to repairs, her mind back on food. Her tired body wanted nothing but nourishment and sleep, and she resolved that she would soon have both. As she walked into the repairs bay, something stopped her in her tracks.

Her heart quickened. The presence, the feeling that Kylo Ren had emanated before touched her conscience, and she looked around, frantic. This was not the one she had heard before she pulled him onto the ship. This was the one she had felt when he had ripped into her mind. This was the darkness in him. Rey felt him wash over her, felt his anger and struggle. For a moment, she caught a glimpse of a med droid hovering, injecting into a darkly clad leg. She felt Kylo's Panic and his rage grow… And then it was gone.

Rey pulled back into herself, shaking. She suddenly wished she had not brought him aboard. She hurried to grab the schematic Poe had requested, and hesitantly made her way back to the MedBay. Poe sat in his chair, his head slumped in his arms over the edge of Finn's bed.

"Poe…" She whispered, smoothing her hand over his back. He awoke with a jolt, his body tensing and relaxing once he saw her.

"Oh, hey." His voice was tinged with sleep. If she had to guess, he had crashed shortly after her departure hours earlier. She brandished the schematics in his face, and he grinned at her, his eyes suddenly alive.

"Awesome! I was just telling Finn here all about my idea."

"Oh, did he wake up?"

"Um.." Poe looked embarrassed, and she could hardly keep from smiling. "No. I heard that if you spoke to someone who's comatose they can hear you. Can't have him thinking I abandoned him in his hour of need. We'd never hear the end."

"So true. Well, I'd love to sit and chat with you boys, but I think i'm just going to have some rest. I'm departing with General Leia in the morning, so you better take care of him. Shoot me a holo when he comes to, will you?" Poe smiled and stood, giving her a hug.

"Be safe out there, Jedi." She nodded, and slipped out of the MedBay.

Rey stopped for a quick dinner, spotting Chewy as she did so. He seemed pleased to leave the base for somewhere he was familiar with. As soon as she finished, she made her way to her room, ready to luxuriate in the feeling of soft sheets wrapped around her. She was unsure when she would next have the opportunity. As she stripped down and settled herself in the bed, she found that she was lucky. Sleep took her within moments.

She was running, but she wasn't scared. The world around her was so bright- she had never seen anything like it before. Tall grasses and flowers grew around her, and laughter bubbled out of her. Bliss such as this felt alien, yet she remembered.

"Rey!" A woman's voice called. She turned, and there she stood- a lovely woman in a white frock, rushing towards her. As she drew nearer, her face stayed hazy. Rey knew it was her mother, but she could not remember much but her blur. She ran to her, slamming into her mother's shins, her arms wrapping around them. Her mother laughed.

"Come now, Papa is waiting for you!" Her mother said, sweeping her off her feet. As her mother turned, Rey glimpsed a gleaming white castle in the distance.

Rey awoke, unsure if she had dreamt, or remembered.

Author's Note:

Hi there! If you've read this far, thank you! I've never written a Star Wars fic before, so I'm sorry for the incredible slow burn here. I'm building up a world and a kind of elaborate plot. I've got a lot of ideas! I promise we'll start getting to the fun stuff in the next chapter.

Reviews and suggestions are absolutely appreciated.