•LEGACY - A Reylo Story•

EPISODE LXXXI - DON'T GET KILLED.

Lights flash red and yellow.

"Shit!" gasps Poe. "Sorry, Sini. What does—"

"Assembly," Finn says quickly. "If it was an alarm, there would be, you know, an alarm blaring." He glances at Sini, who nods.

"It's got to be Ben," Rey says.

"Do we go? See if others want to come?" Luke questions.

"We should," Finn confirms, meeting Poe's eyes. He grabs Sini by the shoulders. "Why don't you go with Poe? He'll take you to our ship. You, and BB-8. R2, Luke, Rey, and I will be right behind you. With B—Kylo Ren. We promise."

"Is Ben his new name? Like Sini's mine?" she asks.

"Kind of. It's also his old name." Finn shrugs. "Poe?"

"Don't take too long." Poe grabs Finn by the back of his head and kisses him, long and deep. In the undercurrents, Finn senses his actual message, the one he doesn't want to speak in front of Sini: don't get killed.

Finn traces Poe's cheek. I won't. "See you soon."

/////

Rey knows Ben spots her the moment she steps out of the corridor and into the large expanse of pavement. Hundreds of children stand in rows too neat, too even. Are they even human?

She glances at Finn and knows the answer.

Ben stands on a stage, clad in black and with his hair whipping about his face. He's looking at her, and she doubts he can make out her features, but she hopes he knows she's proud of him.

"What you're heard about the First Order, about Supreme Leader Snoke's death," Ben begins. "Is true. He was killed by General Hux, who was defending a member of the Resistance. A Jedi."

Me. Rey closes her eyes for the briefest of seconds before remembering that's likely not a wise move in the face of enemies, some of whom are starting to snap out of their stupor, glancing at her with mistrust.

"Let's split up," Luke murmurs. "I'll go towards the center, at the back. Finn, far left. Rey, far right. Don't mix in with the crowd. We might have to make a fast exit."

Ben shouts about how the First Order is certain to fall, how they don't have to become members of the Resistance, but if they want a new future, they're welcome to go with them. Or stay, but they can't guarantee their safety in that case.

Leia would never authorize any sort of attack, Rey knows. But someone, sometime, might. Surely the new New Republic won't want stormtroopers teeming in the galaxy.

Come with us, she wants to beg. Come with us, please.

I know what it's like to be lost. I know what it's like not to have a family. I know what it's like to be scared, so scared, of leaving.

It's not the end. Leave. Please.

Rey spots Chewie approaching her, snuffling.

"Your leaders have given orders than anyone who wishes to leave should not be harmed," Ben adds. "If you do want to leave, there are three Jedi here."

"Four!" Rey hollers.

"Four," Ben amends. "And a Wookiee. Head towards one of us if you want to leave." He steps back, hands clasped.

No one moves. Rey wants to scream.

And then one child, the boy from earlier, with sandy hair, takes a step. Others turn to stare at him, and he scrambles over towards Rey and Chewie, who puts a furry arm over the boy.

A group gathers around them, around Finn, around Luke, around Ben. The largest group gathers around Ben, and he may not notice, but Rey sees the awe with which the kids gape at him. They may not actually want to leave the First Order, but they want to follow him, and maybe that will be a bridge for them, a bridge away from this terrible place.

Kylo Ren isn't evil to everyone. They adore him.

See, you might have a chance to live up to that.