Chapter 1: Separated

Rey ignored the cheers as she walked through the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss, guiding her companion by the hand. The hooded figure at her side was covered in a black cloak - a garment they had found on hand in Luke's old X-Wing when fleeing Exogol.

Through the crowd, Rey saw Finn and Poe spy her, their faces lighting up in relief...

... and then their faces fell, Poe's eyes going wide in disbelief, Finn eyeing something behind Rey with wary mistrust. Glancing back, Rey saw that the hood had fallen away from his face and she winced; she had hoped that he would wait just a little bit longer before revealing himself.

Gasps now went up amidst the crowd, followed by clicks and pitched whines as blasters were suddenly drawn and powered up. Panicking, Rey leapt in front of her lover.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Please." She was still conspicuously holding his hand.

Finn and Poe now strode forward, blasters also aimed at Kylo Ren's head. Behind her, Ben sported a strained smile and awkwardly waved.

"Uh... hi."

"You insolent piece-of-shit!" Finn growled. "You nearly destroy the entire galaxy, and all you can say for yourself is 'Uh, hi'?!" He glanced to Poe. "What do we do, General?"

Poe glared at the cloaked man across from him, over Rey's shoulder, looking Ben up and down. "Take him into custody." Beaumont and several other soldiers moved in, forming a posse ring. Poe cocked his gun threateningly. "Surrender, Supreme Leader. Your reign is at an end."

Watching the posse ring encircle and trap both her and Ben, Rey's brain worked fast. She considered taking out Luke and Leia's lightsabers and beating them back, but she really didn't want to hurt her friends. However, what other choice did she have to protect Ben?

"Rey..." his voice was soothing as he touched her arm. Glancing back, Ben gave a slight shake of his head. He had read her thoughts like an open book.

There was a long, strained tableau of silence. Rey and Ben held each other's stare. Gazing deep into each other's eyes, they seemed to master that unique skill among couples of talking whole conversations with no words. Slowly, Rey nodded, and she dropped Ben's hand. Ben proceeded to reach for the sky.

"I surrender." His voice rang out sure.

Poe's eyes gleamed. "Seize him." Beaumont and several other Resistance fighters proceeded to corner the prisoner and jump him.

"NO!" Rey screamed, lunging for them, but Poe's arms got around her middle and held fast. "BEN! BENNN!" Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"REY!" Ben was doing his level best to keep Rey in his sights, holding only her in his eyes, as the Resistance fighters cuffed him and began to drag him away.

"Wait." Finn suddenly held up a hand and all movement ceased. He glanced to Poe, and his Co-General nodding deferentially.

"Your command."

Finn nodded. "We don't have a place to detain him." His eyes darted around the clearing, trying to find a solution. His eyes at last landed on a very familiar YT class freighter. "Guards, secure the prisoner aboard the Millennium Falcon. There's a storeroom in the back that will do enough for now. There's no door at the moment... but we'll fix that." Glancing back to Poe, Poe nodded, another part of the plan falling into his head. In the interim, the pilot's grip on Rey loosened and she dashed forward. Beaumont tried to hold her back.

"Rey..." Ben gazed deep into her eyes, heart breaking as she wept for him. Whimpering, her mouth pursing into a taut line, Rey shook her head. "Rey, look at me, honey..." And Ben sent her that easy smile that made her stomach do flip-flops. "It's gonna be all right."

Rey whimpered again. Then she launched herself forward and desperately pressed her lips against his. Poe and Finn shouted in deep objection, their raised voices carrying over the others' gasps of horror. Rey and Ben didn't care. They kissed and kissed each other's lips in frantic, terrified pecks, moving to kiss any exposed skin. Rey nuzzled her nose against Ben's before throwing her arms around him.

"I love you!" she whispered in his ear. She felt Ben's happiness.

"I know," he murmured. The Resistance fighters tugged him out of Rey's embrace and slowly dragged him away. All the while, Ben kept his sights on his Jedi princess, until the last.

As Ben disappeared up the gangplank of the Falcon, Rey moved to follow him. Their Bond, their Dyad, was howling in protest, compelling her to be near him. Behind her, she heard a finger snap.

"You stay." Poe's growling voice brokered no room for argument. Rey glowered at him defiantly, but stayed frozen in place. She glanced to Finn, eyes pleading, but he also appeared unmoved, regarding her with something that could only be described as fear. Fear for her.

Rey's heart sank. If she couldn't even keep Finn on her side, she now knew that she and Ben were in for it.