Confronting Fear

Mother

Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die.
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah.
No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold.
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Bittersweet Symphony- the verve

"Have I told you how much I don't like this?" Complained Poe Dameron as he piloted the Redeemer into Kloss 2's dry atmosphere, steering the sleek skiff to the abandoned mining colony's landing pad.

BB8 beeped his agreement of the situation.

"Only about a hundred times Commander Dameron." Leia admonished, rolling her eyes.

This meeting had been a tough sell to both Poe and Finn, but Finn's objection seemed to stem more that he was being left out of it. Poe however, came up with every single argument and piece of evidence he could think of before finally submitting to Rey and Leia's will.

The moon could be loosely classified as a desert, but without sand. It's terrain consisted mostly of mountains and valleys created by dried up river beds. There were a few scattered natural springs that supported small forests, but nothing very impressive.

Anxiety coursed through Ben's Force, infecting Rey's mood with it through the bond. They stood together in Hangar 24, sharing a moment before separating to each take their own ship to Kloss 2. She had arrived to escort him and while Rey planned on returning with Ben to the Steadfast she wanted to keep her options open in case this did not go as planned.

"I will be right there with you. I promise."

"I know."

Leia felt Rey and Ben's signatures as two black dots blinked into view on the horizon, her stomach clenched in uncharacteristic knots. Whether it was staring down enemies within the Empire, coordinating a battle while under heavy fire, or arguing with politicians on the Senate floor, Leia Organa-Solo had rarely found herself in a situation she could not handle. It appeared a reunion with her son after fifteen years of estrangement was the exception to the rule.

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a vibroknife as the two pairs approached each other and Leia looked upon her son as a grown man for the first time. She knew he was tall, he always had been, but she was unprepared for just how high he would tower over her. His black hair was longer than she ever remembered it to be, but his brown eyes were exactly the same.

Rey was the only thing holding this together, the only person in the galaxy capable of uniting a group of people who held such animosity towards one another. "General, I think we all agreed to meet in the Redeemer?"

The group was silent as they entered the restored lounge area of the star skiff.  Rose had just managed to finish putting the interior back together, though it was far from finished. Rey and Ben sat on one side of the table, Leia and Poe the other.

Before anyone could speak, Threepio arrived in his usual annoying manner. "Why Master Ben, so good to see you. Princess look..."

"Threepio, please make us some tea." Leia interrupted through gritted teeth.

Threepio seemed to get the hint as he left in the direction of the small kitchenette.

Despite himself, Ben couldn't take his eyes off his mother's face. It remained stoic, but he could feel her warmth and love emanating off of her in waves directed straight towards him. Rey hadn't been lying when she said Leia still loved him. One more lie Snoke had told him.