Haunting Memories

Chapter XXX

Your POV:
Ben leaned down to kiss me, allowing me to enjoy the sweet taste of his lips upon mine. Each time we kissed, I felt the same energy and pleasure as I had back in the training room of the Finalizer, but now it meant more to me after all of the near death experiences we had gone through. I understood now how easy it would be for one of us to die and never enjoy another kiss together.

"Ben and (y/n), Leia has called," we were interrupted by Rey, whose voice trailed off as she entered the room we were in. Ben and I broke apart to find her looking at us in embarrassment, her cheeks having turned a deep red color.

"Leia has called what?" I asked, both Ben and I finding Rey's embarrassment most amusing. She reacted as though she had walked in on us doing a bit more than kissing.

"Sh-she- she has called a meeting and wants everyone who is fit enough to be there. I-I'm sorry I didn't realize the two of you were-"

"Were what?" Ben inquired, raising his eyebrow slightly, causing her blush to deepen.

"I-I'll just leave you two to get dressed and come down to the main command center when you are ready," Rey replied, quickly leaving our room and going to deliver the message to the other patients in the med bay as well.

"Do we really have to go, (y/n)?" Ben asked, looking over at me like a child who was being dragged outside of the house when he didn't want to.

I laughed lightly at his childlike response and placed my lips against his forehead, "get your shirt back on, unless you want to impress your mother with the muscles you've gained."

While he did that, I changed out of the gown that I was given upon my arrival into the med bay. I offered Ben my hand and we walked down to the main command center, hand in hand. We arrived not long before the meeting commenced, taking seats next to Rey and Luke, Rey refusing to meet our eyes.

I leaned over to her as Leia walked to the center of the room to start her address and informed her, "you do know that we were just kissing, Rey. It wasn't like you walked in on anymore than that so you needn't be so embarrassed."

"I'm not embarrassed," she lied, color returning to her cheeks.

I gave a small laugh and replied, "yeah right, and it was snowing on Tatooine."

She playfully jabbed my side with her elbow as Leia began to speak, capturing our attention. She looked so regal standing before us in her floor length red velvet gown. She wore her hair up in a complex braided style and had a simple gold collar necklace around her neck.

"Today has marked a great victory for the Resistance. The failed attack on our base has completely backfired upon the First Order and their forces have been severely diminished. I will be sending a few squadrons to destroy the last of their troops over the next few days, but today has helped greatly in that effort. To that end, I have to thank the leaders of our X-Wing squadrons: Temmin Wexley, Poe Dameron, and Edon Kappehl. Without your leadership, we could not have wiped out the enemy's TIE fighters as well as the First Order's final two destroyers. I would also like to thank my son, Ben Solo, who used to be part of the First Order and therefore used his knowledge of their spacecraft to bring down the most TIE fighters as well as the two destroyers."

"Although this was a huge victory, it was not won without the loss of many extraordinary members of the Resistance. Many brave soldiers died during this battle, but their lives were not lost in vain. Mourn those that we have lost, but also honor their memory by pushing through this fight until the end. We are so close to restoring peace to the galaxy, we are so close to dismantling this dictatorship that has chained us all. Each and every one of you, as well as those who have died throughout this war, have been instrumental in achieving this triumphant victory. You have all fought valiantly and now we have proved that the galaxy's hope in us has not been misplaced. We are the spark that lit the fire that burned the First Order down," Leia continued, her eyes scanning the crowd throughout her speech.

As she finished speaking, the room erupted into applause, both for Leia's words but also for the victory we had achieved. I took Ben's hand and kissed his cheek, noticing how uncomfortable he had become. I had felt him tense up when his mother called him out individually and now that everyone was celebrating the end of the organization that he had led for so long, I knew that he couldn't stay in the room for much longer.

"I'm just going to go congratulate Poe for his work and then we can leave, how does that sound?" I asked him, having to raise my voice quite a bit so that he could hear me over the noise of the room, despite him being so close to me.

He nodded and we weaved our way through the crowd to get to Poe, who was talking with a crowd of other fighters, Finn at his side. He smiled when he saw the two of us and quickly ended his conversation so that he could talk to us.

"(Y/N), you don't know how thankful I am to see you alive," he smiled, wrapping his arms around me. "You had us all worried there for a few minutes, we thought we had lost you. And then of course, you made Ben go rogue."

I raised my eyebrow at Ben before turning back to Poe and replying, "thank you for your concern for me, but it takes a lot more than a few TIE fighters to bring me down. I actually came over here to congratulate you on the successful attack. You are such a wonderful leader and it was an honor to serve under you."

"And it was an honor to have such a skilled pilot under my command. Let us hope that there will not be another need for us to fight together again for a very long time, the galaxy deserves a bit of peace after all of this fighting."

"Have a good night Poe and don't party too hard," I smiled at him, taking Ben's hand in mine and assuring him that we would be leaving soon.

Poe's eyes flickered down to my hand and a mischievous look flashed across his face as he leaned into my ear and spoke, "two can play at that game, (y/n)."

I gave him a confused look, but was unable to ask him what he meant before he turned back to the crowd he had just left and walked straight up to Finn. He spoke a few words to him that I was unable to hear before crashing his lips against his. I felt shock ripple through my body at their sudden display of affection, but at the same time it warmed my heart to see them finally express their feelings for each other.

...

A/N: I had to get stormpilot in here somewhere, sorry (not really). Also I am sad to say that this story is soon coming to a close, there are only two chapters left. I hope that you have enjoyed it!