Rid Of Him For Good (A Reylo Story)

Chapter One

CHAPTER 1

Poe and Finn were worried, and for good reason.

It had been almost three weeks since what people were starting to call, "The Battle of Exegol", and the liberation of the outer rim from the clutches of the evil Kylo Ren and his sinister First Order. Despite heavy losses, the rebels were recovering well, and negotiations for the new galactic law had begun almost the moment the Falcon had touched the ground back on Ajan Kloss. News of the death of Kylo Ren, along with Hux, and most of the upper-ranking officers spread like wildfire through the galaxy, bringing a large mix of relief, and curiosity as to how the masked menace had finally met the same fate as his master; dying mysteriously without a trace.

While Poe was disappointed that he was not the one who got to kill the evil bastard himself, he was at least grateful that he was gone and posed no threat to the galaxy anymore. Rey had confirmed it when she returned from Exegol in Luke's ancient, decrepit old X-wing, its age and wear evident in the rust building on the underside of the hull. Rebels all across the base gawked as the fabled ship of the great Jedi Master soared over their heads, before landing precariously in an empty corner of the landing platform. Poe had been celebrating with Finn on one of the landing pads with a large flask of Corellian whiskey, when Rey had come running up to them—Luke's X-wing parked in the distance.

Poe was instantly frightened by the numerous cuts and bruises blossoming across her dirt-ridden skin, but it was her hysterical emotional state that truly concerned him. Her robes were stained filthy with rubble and blood, and she was stumbling slightly as she sprinted the last couple of feet up to them. Poe saw the desperation in her eyes, and quickly threw his glass down, not caring to see where it landed, and ran to meet her halfway, Finn right behind him.

As Rey drew level with them, she embraced Poe and Finn in a crushing hug, her body trembling like a leaf. They exchanged worried looks with each other behind her back while she struggled to stay on her feet, her legs shaking as she tried desperately to keep herself upright. After a moment, Rey pulled back from the hug just long enough to whisper in a horace, fragile voice, "Kylo Ren is dead". Then she sank to her knees, overcome by grief, and started to weep into her hands.

Poe was torn. On the one hand, he wanted to erupt into celebration, to shout and dance in triumph that the man who had antagonized them for so long was finally gone, but the other, stronger side of him, the one that longed to reach into her soul and fix whatever was hurting her so greatly, compelled him to sink beside her and engulf her in another, gentler hug. He held her tight, feeling her body shudder with sobs, and let her tears soak the shoulder of his flight suit.

Poe was perplexed by such a visceral reaction to what should have been a source of great joy for Rey. He would have expected that she would have been the happiest out of anybody, given Kylo Ren's relentless pursuit of her, and his endless efforts to track her down ever since he had suspected her of seeing that damned map to Luke Skywalker. Why was she so distraught about the death of her greatest enemy? Perhaps it was a Jedi code thing? Had Kylo Ren died in a dishonorable way, and she mourned the loss of a worthy adversary? Or maybe he was simply overreacting to the news. Rey was probably just tired. And to be honest, he was tired too.

"Come on Rey. You've had a long day. Let's get you to bed, and we'll talk about this tomorrow." Poe said, offering gentle words of comfort. He softly reached for her arm to lift her up, but she swiftly snatched it out of his grasp, cradling something to her chest. It was then that Poe realized that she was holding something tightly against her body, her gaze fixed on it with a mixture of sadness and longing.

"What's that?" Poe asked, his curiosity piqued as he tried to get a better look at the object in her arms.

Rey's eyes widened in alarm, and she snatched the object from view, scrambling to her feet. "You're right, Poe. I-I'm tired. I have to get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." She stammered before hastening out of the landing platform and towards the barracks.