I Know Who I Am Now

Switching sides.

When they finally broke apart both of their eyes shone with tears.  Ben touched Rey's cheek and their foreheads came together.  "What now?" Rey asked quietly, her voice breaking.  Ben kissed her lips again "We go and save what's left of the resistance".

They ran out of the trees, both stopping to pick up blasters from the troops bodies that littered the ground.  Death was everywhere and Rey wept as they made their way from clearing to clearing, finding no life at all. 

"Rey! Rey over here!".  It was Finn, running towards her, his hand waving furiously.  He stopped dead when he saw Ben, causing Rose who had been running behind him to bump into his back.  "What the hell is he doing with you?" Finn shouted.  Rey laced her fingers with Bens black gloved hand and straightened, "He's with us".  Finn threw his hands up in the air, "Come on Rey we've been here before, he's not with us!".  A shout and everyone turned to see an approaching stormtrooper fly through the air and hit a tree, thrown by an invisible force. Rey turned to Ben and watched as he lowered his hand, his eyes on Finn, "I am with you" he said, his deep voice calm.  Finn nodded once and from behind him Roses mouth showed just the hint of a smile.  "Come on we have to end this!" Rey shouted, leading them away through the trees.

A tie fighter swooped low over their heads, raining shots around them. They ducked their heads as they ran. Breathing hard they ducked behind some rocks. "There's an AT - AT, we find it and use that to clear the ground troops" Ben said, his eyes sweeping across the others. Finn nodded, "Come on". They passed through another thicket of trees, taking down troopers as they went and then finally a loud rumble sounded. Ben recognised that sound. "This way!" He shouted, taking off through the trees. In the next clearing stood an AT-AT Walker. It opened fire on them and Ben stopped, holding out his hand to freeze the blasts before the shots hit the earth. Rey could see how under pressure he was and she stepped in next to him, her own hand lifting, taking some of the load. They locked eyes and for a moment they were connected. All of the love, hurt and desire pouring off them as one.

Bens eyes went back to the stricken AT-AT then. Not only were it's guns held still but so were it's metal legs. Rey felt a smile cross her face as she watched Finn, Rose and Chewie climbing up the legs. When they reached the top Chewie ripped the door open and moments later four first order members were tossed to the ground and the three friends disappeared inside.

Ben and Rey glanced at each other and released their hold on the machine and it lumbered off through the trees, firing as it went. "Come on, we need to clear the skies" Ben said, pausing to shoot one of the AT-AT crew who had somehow survived the fall.

Ben headed for the only ship that he was confident would have remained untouched , his shuttle. Although not the fastest ship, it had heavy armour and good fire power. They ran on board, shooting the crew and then Ben closed the door, climbing into the pilots seat, Rey sitting next to him.  He had never flown this before but his years spent in and around such machinery had taught him well and it lifted smoothly into the air.  An x-wing whizzed past them and Rey gasped, "That was Poe and BB8".  Two seconds later at least six tie fighters screamed past in hot pursuit, "Ben we have to help him" Rey said quietly.  Ben paused and then reluctantly nodded.  He could quite happily leave the pilot to his fate.  They followed, tracking the chase as it headed off between some mountains.  Rey accustomed herself with the weaponary on board and a moment later she opened fire, taking two tie fighters down at once.  She smiled triumphantly at Ben who smiled back.  The tie fighter pilots were not expecting such an attack and it took several minutes before the two closest to them spun around, their guns firing rapidly, bouncing off the black body work of the command shuttle.  Ben spun it around and Rey fired.  One of the ties was hit and spun downwards, hitting a tree and bursting into flames.  The other proved harder to hit.  It dodged and fired, only finally allowing Rey a chance to fire at it when it swooped low in front of them.  It exploded and Rey let out a whoop.  Ben and her eyes met for a moment and then he gunned the engines and took off after Poe and the remaining two ties. 

When they finally spotted Poes x-wing Rey gasped.  Smoke billowed from the engine. He had been hit and the tie fighters were still on his tail.  Ben sped up behind them and Rey fired furiously, taking down one.  The other tie didn't retaliate, it kept on Poes tail and Rey watched in horror as it fired on him and his x-wing plummeted to the ground.  "Poe!" Rey screamed in horror, firing furiously at the last tie fighter as her tears fell.