Force connections

Plenty of company

For the next few days I kept busy, collecting parts from a crashed First Order shuttle that I found inside the mine. I cleaned the parts and then used them to build weapons, using the knowledge passed on to me from my father. I found myself quite enjoying it and even earned the trust of one of the crystal foxes who would come and curl up next to me as I worked. At night I would clear my mind, pushing all thoughts of Rey away.

It was on the forth day that I had visitors again. I had just finished dressing after showering when I heard a noise at the far end of the mine. I stood still listening, my heart pounding, was it her? Or was it danger? Should I be excited or afraid and ready to fight? My hair was still soaking wet as I edged out of the shower room, my blaster held high. More noise and then her voice, echoing around the steep walls of the mine, "Ben?". I moved quickly then, lowering my blaster and moving through the passageways.

When I found her I stopped abruptly. Behind her were at least twenty resistance fighters, including the pilot and the traitor. Both were glaring at me as Rey walked right up to me, just like she had in the lift on the way to Snokes throne room. She didn't kiss me but I knew just by looking in her eyes that she would've had these others not been here. "Ben we have the plan finalised, can we go somewhere and discuss it?". I nodded and then turned slowly and led the crowd into a side room. I stood at the front and Rey came to stand next to me. I glanced at her, realising that I was glad she was here, really here next to me. "Ok, listen up. We sent a drone in to infiltrate the First Orders  training ground. Our findings mean that we have to act tomorrow. "Ben" she said turning to me, "We have our best pilots here in this room. We have managed to acquire enough crafts so each of them has a ship. We are low on weapons though". I turned then and opened a large floor to ceiling cupboard. A gasp went up as everyone saw my stash of newly built weapons. Rey looked at me with wonder, "I built these from parts that I found in this mine. There are blasters and bombs in there that we can take" I finished, coming to stand next to Rey again. I felt her take my hand and lace her fingers with mine before she continued, raising a muttered curse from the traitor.  Rey ignored it, "Ok, so weapons are sorted. We are going to destroy what we can from the air and then attack on the ground, remember our primary goal is to eliminate the main threats to us. This means the troops and also destroy as many weapons and ships as you can. Ben and myself will take out the generals" she said squeezing my hand. I nodded "Where are your ships?" I asked, my eyes roaming over the sea of faces regarding me coldly, " Abafar" the pilot said bluntly, "We all came on the Falcon" Rey said. I nodded and Rey let go of my hand, "So we will all stay here tonight and head out to collect our ships at first light" she said. I watched the crowd disperse, roaming the mine, looking for somewhere to sleep.

Rey turned to me, "We better get some rest", I nodded, and taking her hand, I led her to my usual sleeping area. Tonight the floor was covered in bodies but I didn't care. She was here. We lay down next to each other, keeping a distance apart, very aware of the other's around us. We were facing each other and I pushed my hand out in the fading light, finding her hand and holding it, loving how small it felt. I ran my thumb across it and I saw her smile at me in the dim light. I found myself smiling back as we stared at one another. All around us people were shuffling about but in my mind she was all I saw. I watched her close her eyes. For a moment I stared at her, thinking of when she had closed her eyes during our fight when she defeated me in the forest on starkiller base. That seemed so long ago, I felt sure that I was a different person now. All that had mattered then was making Snoke proud of me and living up to all that Vadar had stood for, but now all that mattered was Rey, the rest had been stripped away. Rey's eyes stayed shut and eventually mine fluttered shut too.