To Do the Next Right Thing

Part 10

To Do the Next Right Thing

Chapter 10

They didn't wake up late, per say, but definitely not at the time Rey would have liked. No, she didn't have a headache or anything of the sort that Armitage had warned her about, but she was a little sleepy still.

BB-8 rolled up to her, nudging her arm at her bunk. "Hey, come on. You've been asleep long enough."

Rey groaned, but rolled over to get up. She found herself waking up more as she thought about where they were going, what they were going to do. Nakadia. Quarrow.

His mother.

Armitage didn't seem to be up just yet (or if he was, she didn't know it—but she couldn't hear anything coming from the refresher). She rose, stretching out everything for a moment, before she heard a beeping from the bridge: incoming transmission.

Finn and Poe!

Rey scrambled from her bunk, not bothering to pull on her boots just yet as she stumbled into the pilot seat to answer them on time. "I'm here!" she cried, answering it just in time.

"Whoa," said Poe, coming in a little foggy. "You look like crap."

"Nice to see you, too," she retorted with a little snort.

"I think what he means is—you looked so different in your last transmission," Finn said.

"Oh, that. We, uh... blended in a little. A service droid put makeup on me before I even knew what was going on—didn't I mention that?"

"You did," said Finn. "How are things going out on your front?"

"How's BB-8?" Poe interjected, stepping in front of Finn.

"He's fine," Rey assured. "I told you, he was able to get some R&R at they restaurant we went to last night."

They both raised their brows at that, sharing a look. "What?" she asked.

Finn spoke first. "Do you, um..." But he couldn't find the words.

"You don't like him, do you?" Poe finished.

"No!" Rey exclaimed, her brow furrowing. "Whatever gave you that idea? It's only been a few days!"

"Well—" Finn shrugged. "Your last transmission had us a little worried."

"What? Because I said there was more to him than we originally thought? That's the sentiment you both had when he came to the Resistance base!"

"Well..." Finn repeated. "I mean, we can't just keep him here—he's done some terrible things."

"Yeah, Starkiller Base? Infiltrating our last base and shooting us down?" Rey could have brought up how really, it was Poe who needed to learn a lesson after that, but she let them talk.

"Yes, but also letting us know about Exegol and the Emperor. Saving your lives... Being part of the fleet against the Final Order?" She shrugged. "We might be able to use his input on future decisions."

"Whoa, pump the breaks." Poe held up a hand. "Look, I know we wouldn't be here without the guy—and maybe, if he wanted to switch sides right then and there, I'd consider it. But there's gonna be a lot of us here who think otherwise."

"Yeah," Finn agreed. "He's insanely smart, sure, but Rey... you probably have to leave him behind on Nakadia if you find his mother."

She sighed; they were probably right. And she hated that she couldn't say anything about how she was really only giving him this second chance because of Kylo Ren. Because she felt guilty for always offering him a way out and he kept refusing, and yet Armitage, who suffered far more, had never been given such a break.