Dawn of a new Force

Chapter 33 - Awakening.

In the command room of the new rebel base, in front of the hologram table, Rey listened to Poe discuss how to send an emissary to the Supreme Leader. The discussion was lively and heated debate after Rey explained to her prestige audience everything that had happened.

The fact was that no one believed in a possible absolution of Kylo Ren's crimes. And sending an emissary placed the Resistance in a position of weakness, for there was no guarantee that it would not divulge any sensitive information, especially the location of the base. They had actually questioned Rey hard enough to know if she was not traced. But after one night and now a morning without attack, they concluded that indeed Rey had come free and not followed.

Rey was getting impatient. One of her feet tapped the floor regularly as she crossed and uncrossed her arms, not knowing what else to do. She knew that time was running out, that they had to decide quickly. Suddenly, Rey flinched. She had felt a great disturbance in the Force, a cry, a despair. She recognized him. The violence of the tearing she felt made her turn her head. She shook in shock.

- Rey ... Rey ...

She looked up at the caller. She realized then that all eyes were on her, and that everyone was silent now. She realized that she had lost the thread of conversations for several seconds.

Poe approached her gently. She looked scared.

- Rey, what's going on? You are all white ...

She tried to recover, and looked around the room. She stared at Poe to finish.

- No need to argue again. There has just been a coup d'etat.

She heard sighs and murmurs of astonishment around her. Interrogating looks and frowning eyes. Poe approached her again and grabbed her shoulder. He felt that she needed support in the literal sense of the word.

- How do you know? Tyder asked, dubious. We have not received any information letting us think of this ...

- I felt it, Rey said simply. Ben Solo has been seriously injured, but I think he is not dead.

- With all due respect, Rey, I wish I had an official confirmation before believing what you have ... felt.

At this moment, many beeps were heard, and a communication officer stood up and brought a handwritten message to General Tyder. After reading it, Tyder looked up.

- Rey told us the truth. I have just received a message telling me that Kylo Ren has been overthrown, the First Order has just proclaimed Armitage Hux as the new Supreme Leader.

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Rey needed to go out, get some fresh air, be alone. She wandered among the palm trees, the lianas, the trees with huge leaves. She finally stopped on a small white sand beach, and watched the turquoise waters facing her. The tears did not stop flowing on her face, she could not stop them. She felt only pain.

She could not think of anything else, she only felt a gaping hole in her chest.

Finn arrived, breathless.

- Ah finally! I've been looking for you everywhere ...

He came to sit in front of her. Her head was buried in her arms.

- Rey ... I do not know what to tell you ...

- Do not say anything. There is nothing to say.

Finn paused for a moment, then decided to help Rey react. He could not let her sink like this.

- The general decided to maintain the planned attack. It will be tomorrow, he says.

Rey looked up and Finn wiped away the tears still rolling on her cheeks.

- Tomorrow?

- Yes, tomorrow. Rey, you have to pull yourself together. I know it's very hard, but we're all counting on you.

She looked hard at him, and he felt the reproach in her eyes.

- I know, he forestalled her. I know that's not what you want to hear, and I understand you, believe me. But you have to come with us. I know you ... you will not want to stay here.

- You are right. I have to get ready, she says.

She stood up and then she held out her hand to Finn who grabbed it, smiling.

- So we left, as before?

- Friends, forever, she replied.

- We'll have them. And we will save him, Rey.

- I hope.

- So that's perfect, he said, determined. Hope is at the base of all victories.

They went back to the camp, more determined than ever.

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Ben woke up gradually. He felt the cold, the pain and the anger grow in him. He felt his chest burn, and was numb. He turned his head and could have smiled if he was not so bad. He was in a cell, the one that Rey had previously occupied. He knew Hux pervert, but he was reaching highs.

He wondered why he was still alive. Hux could have killed him, but he had chosen to leave him alive. He touched his chest, where he hurt so much. He felt bands under the black shirt. He had been seriously injured, but he had been treated. And his clothes were clean. They had taken care of him.

He tried to get up, but he could not. Clenching his teeth and trying to stifle a groan of pain, he tried to repel the pain as he had learned to do. With all his will he finally succeeded and closed his eyes to feel what surrounded him. No sign of life, he concluded that Hux had kept the security measures he had himself put in place.

But Ben Solo was not anyone. He knew he could go out, which Rey did not know before, and what Hux did not know either. At the price of an immense effort, he entered into meditation. His environment appeared to him then through the Force. He visualized his cell, then his door. He entered the wall, searched for the circuits by controlling the opening. He found them, followed the thread that interested him, and finally found what he wanted. One click, and the door opened silently.

Ben got up with a grimace. He almost immediately thanked Snoke's training, which forbade him to indulge in physical pain. He knew how to endure more than normal. He noticed two Armo droids standing in the hallway. They detected Ben's exit from his cell and activated their shields. They were about to shoot, but Ben decided to use his anger. He needed it at that moment. He thrust both his hands at the droids and he felt their shields shudder. Then he closed his fists and instantly, he heard the ominous crunch of metal hulls. Soon, there were no more droids left than a pile of cables and crumpled sheets, crushed, as having imploded. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath. He still had a long way to go to Hux, and he had all that to get a lightsaber.