"Thank you," Rey whispers to Ben as they approach landing on D'Qar. Rey and Chewie have been able to fly mostly, while Ben's been entertaining kids for hours. Which is fine, but he's far more tired now than he ever was, even from the trainings Snoke and Luke put him through.
"I'm glad I did it." Ben sighs. "Maybe... when we get back, if they let me, if I can, we can find other training centers, go there, try to help as many escape as possible." But then where will they go?
Ben doesn't know. But any place is better than where they are.
How many of these kids will grow up to resent you when they realize you used to support the First Order? When the reality of what was done to them hits them? Especially for the ones who won't get a family?
I'll deal with it when it happens.
In the meantime, these kids love Kylo Ren, and Ben doesn't want to let them down. Hopefully, they'll love Ben Solo too, once they see that Kylo and Ben are the same person.
He's always been Kylo Ren, and Ben Solo. Maybe he doesn't have to fully exorcise that part, pretend it never existed.
Maybe he can redeem it.
They land on the base, and several pilots—Jess Pava, Snap Wexley, and others—rush over to help gather the stormtroopers. Maz grins at them.
"So, Ben Solo, you did it."
"We did it. I just helped."
"Hm." Maz winks. "Your mother's with Padmé. I'm sure they'd both be delighted to see you."
"Let's go," Rey says quickly, taking Ben's hand. "She's—"
"Fine," Lando confirms. "No problems. Except she doesn't want to sleep without you guys there. Or with her teeth coming in. Or both."
"You're going?" calls out the sandy-haired boy, his face falling.
Ben kneels down. "I'll come back. I promise. I'm just going to get my daughter."
"You have a daughter?"
"Yup," Rey confirms. "She's a baby."
"You can meet her," Ben promises. He rises and hurries away, feeling the glances of the Resistance pilots. Hopefully Luke and Finn and Poe can explain why he's dressed this way, if Maz hasn't already.
Mother's door is open, and Ben remembers all the times Father used to sneak in and scare her, winking at Ben as his signal for Ben to distract his mother, or at the very least not to giggle and give it away.
He puts his finger to his lips and winks at Rey, who scowls.
Oh well. Ben slips into the room and spots Padmé sitting on the floor, reaching for a rattle on a table she'll never be able to reach. He doesn't see his mother.
Better yet... Ben floats the rattle over to his daughter.
Mother shrieks. Padmé clasps the rattle and bursts into a flurry of chortles.
There she is.
Ben can't restrain himself any longer. He rushes over to his daughter, gathering her in his arms. She gurgles and bangs the rattle against his chin. "Ouch!"
"I heard you were back," Mother comments, wrapping her arms around him. She doesn't care that he looks like Kylo Ren. She knows she's hugging her husband's murderer, and she loves him anyways.
Grandfather appears in the corner, with Obi-Wan, both looking at their great-granddaughter and smiling.
"Come here, baby girl," Rey coos, prying Padmé from his arms and kissing her forehead. "Mother missed you."
"Your mother missed you," Mother tells Ben.
Ben embraces her again.
Rey yelps.
Ben and his mother whirl around to see the rattle floating several inches in front of Padmé's face. She giggles. Ben looks at Rey, who shakes her head.
"Well then," Mother says with a sigh.
The rattle starts to drop, and Padmé lets out a cry.
Ben and Rey go to lift it at the same time, raising it back up for Padmé.
"Did he start doing stuff like this when he was this young?" Rey asks.
"Nope." Mother shakes her head. "Maybe two or three, you were?"
"Let me guess." Rey says. "Han screamed."
"Of course."
"Not true," counters Threepio. "I apologize, Princess, but you were the one who screamed."
"Oh really?" Ben turns to his mother, who shrugs.
"The Force isn't something to be afraid of," Rey says.
"No," Ben agrees. Respected, yes. Feared, no.
And he hopes he and Rey will raise his daughter to know the difference.
THE END.
YOU ARE READING
•LEGACY - A Reylo Story•
Fanfiction*WRITTEN PRE-TROS, POST TLJ* When a ship crashes near the Resistance base, Finn and Poe are shocked to discover Kylo Ren. What does he want? And where is Rey? And as for Kylo, he must decide how much he can trust them with what he knows about Snoke...
