What If...

Chapter 20: Answers

Ben's POV

"Well, this is adorable," a cocky voice said.

I propped myself up on my elbows and rubbed my eyes tiredly. Poe was at the door, smirking.

"Whaddya mean?" I slurred slightly, still half asleep.

He snickered. "You two just fall asleep here? Or...other stuffing here?" He asked mischievously.

I felt my face burn and I knew it had turned a fiery bright red. "No. We just fell asleep."

He laughed at my blushing. "Wow. That was believable. Careful, Solo, we don't need a baby running loose."

My eyes widened. "Seriously, Poe. We. Didn't. Do. Anything."

He paused his laughter and smirked. "Fine. I believe you." He definitely didn't.

"What do you want?" I snapped, mad at him for assuming.

He grinned widely. "Oh, nothing. I was just in the area and thought I drop by."

I rolled my eyes. "In the area? This whole base is one area."

"Exactly."

I flopped face down on my pillow and groaned. "Uggghhh, let me go back to sleep."

He snickered again. "Where's the fun in that? I came just to see you two," he said with false sweetness.

I looked up from my refuge and gave him a death glare. "Don't you dare wake her up."

He gasped fakely. "What? Wake her up? Me? Never. My dear friend, you assume the worst of me! I am wounded." He closed his eyes and put his hand to his chest dramatically.

I growled slightly, grabbed my pillow, and chucked it at him as hard as I could. "Get out."

He caught it. Laughing like a maniac, he ran outside with it under his arm.

"Ugh." I reached out and Force-pulled it back to my hand. Rey turned over in her sleep, completely undisturbed by Poe's intrusion. I sighed. Her heavy sleeper perks.
...........

Rey's POV

"Don't you dare wake her up," I heard Ben say vaguely.

Poe's voice followed. "What? Wake her up? Me? Never. My dear friend, you assume the worst of me! I am wounded."

I smiled and bit my lip to keep from laughing, turning so my face was in my pillow. I hoped desperately the blanket would conceal the way my shoulders shook. I heard a dull thud, a loud laugh, and quick footsteps getting softer, further away. Ben sighed. I heard him lie back down, and I closed my eyes, feigning sleep, and flipped over.

His breathing eventually evened out. I snuck out of bed and left the room as quietly as I could manage. I knew where I was going.

I made my way to the prison, getting past security with no problems. I simply walked in.

"I'm here to see the Sith," I stated simply to the secretary. She didn't even look up from her holopad.

"The prisoner 72047 is in a restricted area and is to have no visitors," the woman deadpanned.

I let a small growl start in the back of my throat. "Let me see her."

She continued to not look at me, and removed her glasses slowly, setting them on her desk. "As I said, 72047 is to have no visitors. She has been classified as extremely dangerous and a high-level security threat, scheduled to be terminated tomorrow morning."

I slammed my hand on the desk, making her jump, startled. "I said. Let. Me. In," I growled threateningly.

She sighed. "Mrs. Solo-"

"That's Ms. And I don't have a family name," I snapped.

She sighed again and stared at me as if looking at a particularly annoying child who needed to be chastised. "Alright, Ms. Rey, I am under strict orders not to let people in to see prisoner 72047. No exceptions, not even for Jedi." As she finished, she looked me up and down in a body scanning type of way, judging every flaw. I self-consciously and automatically crossed my arms over my chest.

"I won't even go in her cell. I just need to talk to her," I tried. She opened her mouth again, but I cut her off. "Please." I put all my desperation into my voice.

She stared at me a few more seconds before turning her attention back to her holopad. "No," she deadpanned.

I huffed. "You will let me see the prisoner," I commanded, using the Force to influence her. I felt her mind fight my control for a moment.

"I-" she spoke through gritted teeth.

I frowned. "You will let me see the prisoner." I said with more authority, pushing more persistence and demanding into my words.

Her fighting ceased, and her eyes glazed over as she relaxed. "I will let you see the prisoner," she said emotionlessly. With droid-like movements, she opened the gate to the detention bay. I bit back a smirk, and strode toward the cell I knew to be Ezaina's.

There was a ray shield preventing her from escaping, but I wondered: Why didn't she just use the Force to deactivate it? It's what any Sith or Jedi would do. Instead she was kneeling, faced away from the wall with her head bowed and hands resting on her thighs. Her shoulders tensed as she sensed me approaching.

"What do you want?" She asked.

I sat down right outside the shield and settled into a relaxed position. "I want to know why you killed my best friend, why you chose the dark side, and why you keep coming after me."

She turned around and plopped down sitting cross-legged and the cold floor. "To the first question, killing him was accidental. I wasn't going for him. He just got in the way. But you already know that," she said with false sympathy.

I glared at her. "It may have been accidental, but that doesn't mean you regret it."

She snorted which turned into a fit of laughter. I watched in disdain and waited for her to calm herself enough to talk. "Has it really taken you this long to figure that out?" She exclaimed rather loudly. "Wow, the Jedi are really going downhill these days, aren't they?" She burst out laughing again. I continued to glare. She noticed my expression and stopped, but continued to try to hold it in, coughing and holding her fist to her lips, shoulders shaking with suppressed giggles.

"Are you done?" I snarled impatiently.

She nodded quickly and cleared her throat. "Yes," she said, voice slightly gravelly. She took a deep breath to discourage any more giggles from escaping. "Your second question, why I chose this life?" She asked. I nodded. She rolled her eyes. "I have a question for you. Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer? It wastes the precious little time I have left."

I stared. "I don't know the answer."

"Yes you do. Think," she insisted.

I scowled. "I don't have time for your games."

She threw up her hands. "You asked. If you want to know, you have to put in some of the effort to receive an answer." She paused. "As for your last question..."

I gestured for her to keep talking. "What about it? Why do you keep coming after me?"

She slowly started to smirk. "You really think it was you I was after?"

I blinked. "Well, excuse me for thinking so. The kidnapping and torture and everything else kind of made that apparent."

She laughed. "Everything I did...was not to get to you."

My mouth opened as I realized... The sickness, the kidnapping, the torture... Even Oliah... It was to hurt someone else.

When I spoke the truth I'd somehow always known, it was a whisper. "You're trying to hurt Ben."
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I'm sorry for the short chapter!! I just wanted to publish on time😭✋ it's also really sucky but I promise I'll write better! Also I hit OVER 1000 VIEWS!! Y'ALL ARE THE BEST I LOVE Y'ALL!!!