Bond (Kylo Ren x Rey)

Base

As Chewbacca steered the Millennium Falcon towards the surface of Vrogas Vas, Rey peered out the window of the cockpit. The ground was pock-marked with small craters, evidence that this was once a battleground for a long-forgotten fight. She could see the scraggly sandstone rocks jutting out over every surface. In the distance, a metallic, gray structure was glinting in the light of the midday sun.

Chewie found a roughly level patch of ground and settled the Falcon on it, prompting the rest of the meager fleet to land close by. Eager to see and scout out the site of the impending battle, Rey rushed through the Falcon's corridors, flipped open the hatch, and punched in a code to deploy the ramp.

She squinted in the bright light, the scavenger's eyes adjusting from being cooped up in dark space for so long. A rough wind blew strands of Rey's hair out of her tightly wound buns. She walked down the ramp and surveyed the landscape before her. It was so barren, she thought. Life was nowhere to be seen. The rocky surface did not allow for any plants to flourish, resulting in a dusty, tan planet surface. To her right, she spotted the remains of a temple. The columns that held up what must have been a impressive building were cracked, broken, and strewn on the ground. The eroded forms of statues were visible from where she stood. Faces were weathered, and stone limbs had fallen off either due to the environment or the battle that must have waged here. Rey strode forward towards the rusty refueling towers that would now become the base of the Resistance. She prayed to every deity she could think of that they would make it off this rocky mess of a planet. This was their last chance.

Once the fleet had landed, the hustle and bustle of unloading cargo began. Being the only Force user besides the busy General, Rey helped float large quantities of blasters and other supplies up to the refueling base. Crew members were running to and fro moving equipment into the right places and organizing people into bunks for their brief stay. The ground crew that had been  on Vrogas Vas for the past week set about briefing the general and her commanders on all progress that had been made with the restoration of the once-defunct shields of the base. Rey had thought chaos had reigned on Naboo, but this rush of bodies and equipment was a step above chaos entirely. On her way through the giant metal doors, she was knocked over by a cluster of well-meaning but distracted crew members hauling a large control panel into the main  hall.

General Leia's assignment to Rey had been to assist in any recalibration or repair of equipment in the control room. She wound her way through the throng of people, having to ask for directions in the maze of corridors and passageways. Making her way down a flight of stairs, she found herself facing a set of large steel doors and pushed them open. The room was lit mostly by the fluorescent glow of the control panels and screens. Technicians were scattered across the room, some working in silence and others yelling across the room for various parts or expertise. A middle-aged woman with long silver hair stood in the middle of the pandemonium. Assuming she was the head technician, Rey approached her.

"Hi, General Leia assigned me to assist in the control room?"

"Oh, what's your name?" she replied with a look down at the holopad held close to her chest.

"Rey."

"Ah, okay I see you on my list," the technician replied, the bright lights of the screen illuminating the bags under her eyes. So much work. So many sleepless nights. After introducing herself as Rano, she walked Rey over to a dimly lit panel in the corner of the room.

"Can you set about powering up this system as well as coordinating with the others to help calibrate the shield to set around the base?"

"Most of my experience has been with technology from the old Empire, but I'm sure it can't be that different," Rey replied with a soft smile. Rano returned the expression before she was summoned by a beckoning technician covered in wires.

Rey crouched low to the panel, inspecting every inch before reaching into a spare toolbox, wrenching up the metal face, and diving below the surface. It was a tangle of dusty, multicolored wires, but it brought the scavenger back to her days on Jakku. There were many times she had to dig through sizable pieces of equipment to find just the right part she was looking for. All distractions from the outside world faded as she honed her mind on the task at hand. Rey was in her element, quickly twisting wires and deftly replacing metal cogs. In ten minutes, she had powered up the panel, asking a surprised Rano for yet another task to complete. Rey spent hours tucked into nooks and crannies of the room, efficiently reworking the technology until it sang under her touch. She only stopped when a commander entered the room, announcing a quick break for dinner. Rey stood up from her cramped position, stretching out her aching calves. The work had been a challenge, and it had been uncomfortable, but Rey smiled at her accomplishments. Tinkering would always be her first love.

She followed the weary group of technicians into the improvised mess hall. Rey spotted Poe, Finn, and Rose across the room. She ran over, embracing them.

"Hey hey hey," Poe said stepping back from the hug, "you need a shower. You look like you just rolled around with a couple of banthas!"

Rey brought a hand to her hair, feeling the dust and dirt that she had collected from sifting through the ancient technology downstairs. Rose beamed up at her, brushing away grime from her nose.

"You gotta little something there," she said. Then pointing to several other spots on her tunic and trousers, "and there. And there. And there."

Rey giggled and ruffled Rose's hair, "Come on guys, let's get in line for food. I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

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Hours later, Rey retrieved her pack from the Millennium Falcon and trudged up the spiral staircase of a tower to find a place to sleep. She saw a flash of an orange pilot's suit and a mop of curly hair and followed Poe into the room.

"Welcome to your luxurious suite," Poe drawled, gesturing in a sweeping motion across the room.

It was a cramped space. Empty barrels of fuel lined the walls, and several other crew members had already set up camp in the room. Rey dropped her bed roll in the small empty space between a snoring Twi'lek and Poe. She settled down onto the mat, pulling a threadbare blanket up to her chest to shield her from the night air drafting in through a window in the tower.

"Good luck tomorrow," Poe whispered next to her. His usual cocky voice had been stripped of its pride and replaced with anxiety.

"You too," Rey mumbled before closing her eyes and rolling over onto her side.

The afternoon had been so long and full of work that Rey had not been able to contemplate the day that would come. Tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the do-or-die fight for the Resistance. Tomorrow, she would have to fight for her life. Tomorrow, she would see Ben Solo again. A wave of panic rose in her heart, threatening to break all the calm she was attempting to muster. She hadn't seen him in months. Well, she'd seen him, but not truly physically in person. Tomorrow would be different. Rey could feel it. She would have to fight Ben Solo. What if she couldn't capture him? What if he hadn't turned? What if he tried to kill her? What if someone got to him first? The questions swirling in her mind sent her spiraling into a panic.

But a small voice in her head whispered, "What if you are able to capture him? What if he does turn? What if the light prevails tomorrow? What if Ben Solo comes back to you?"

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Hey y'all!! Not a lot of Reylo at all in this chapter, I hope that's okay...I just needed to set up the base! Also in this chapter: REY BEING A BADASS TECHNICIAN LIKE SHE WAS BORN TO BE!

Let me know what you think!😊