Saving the Monster

Chapter 22

Rey followed Leia into the back room, away from the now bustling base.

Leia sat down, signalling for Rey to do the same. Rey sat down opposite the older woman and suddenly she wanted to cry, to run, to do literally anything rather than tell her how she felt. But it was useless to keep lying to Leia, there were only so many times that you could say that you were just tired before people stopped believing it.

"What is it Rey?" Came Leias soft voice as she reached across to cup Rey's hands in her own.

Rey didn't know where to start. Tears filled her eyes, one escaping and sliding down the side of her nose as she met Leias eyes, "Your son isn't gone" she managed, her voice cracking as she spoke.

Leia clearly hadn't been expecting Rey's sorrow to be linked to her estranged son and she leant back in her seat, although her hand stayed twisted with Rey's, "Go on" Leia mumbled.

Rey inhaled shakily, wondering how much to disclose. "The reason that I was on board the Supremacy when it blew up was because I had a vision of your son"

Leias lips parted, her eyes and hand never leaving Rey's. Rey went on, "I saw him, happy and good, I'm sure he was with us, here. I thought I could turn him, I thought it would help us win, if he was standing with us rather than against us. So I went to him. Leia, he killed Snoke for me". Rey finished, fresh tears welling up at the thought of it, of the lost hope, of his soft words to her. 

Leia straightened, "Rey what is it you're saying?"

Rey swiped at her eyes and took a shuddering breath, "I'm saying that your son is still alive, that if we attack, if we kill Kylo Ren we will also be killing Ben Solo, he's still there, underneath it all, he's still there"

It was Leias turn to wipe at her eyes now, "Luke said that no ones ever really gone, I wanted to believe him, I wanted Ben to come home, I still want Ben to come home, but the resistance, the resistance needs to fight, we need to keep the fire burning"

Rey dropped her eyes and nodded.  She knew that Leia was right, they couldn't pin all of their hopes on Kylo Ren turning.  But still the thought of him dying made Rey feel a panicked feeling deep in the pit of her stomach.  It was a feeling that she knew she shouldn't be having, not about their enemy and it shamed her so much that she just nodded at Leia once more, "You're right, of course you are, I know you'll do what's for the best" and then Rey managed a little smile at the General before turning and walking away,