"Coming in for a landing!" Poe shouted from the cockpit, watching the pilot and Chewie safely land near the entrance of the fortress. "How's the General?"
"She's hanging in there," Finn replied from the Falcon's main room. Poe strode into the room.
"Alright, Rose, stay here with the General along with Connix. Finn, Chewie, the rest of the Resistance members, follow me. Who knows what we're getting into...we'll go survey the fortress and see what's up. Rey and Kylo-"
"Ben, his name is Ben," Leia said weakly from her blanket on the floor. She had refused to move to a bunk.
"Right. He should be in there. Rose, Connix, we should be back soon," said Poe.
Poe marched down the Falcon's ramp, his small entourage trailing behind him. "I want to warn you all," he said once they were out of Leia's earshot. "This Kylo guy might be dangerous. He may not want to see his mother. And, uh, Snoke may be in here..."
"You have got to be kidding me," Finn muttered. Everyone had a some sort of weapon on hand, mostly pistols and blasters. Finn gripped his more tightly.
They passed under the stone entrance and trekked down the long hallway. "Halt," Poe said in front of the double doors. "It's strangely quiet in here. Freaky."
The Resistance was reluctant to go in. They listened to the silence, not knowing what was hiding behind the doors. Poe eventually placed his palm on the cold stone door, and pushed.
Poe cracked the door open and peeked in. He was met with a sad scene. The first thing he heard was sniffling. Then he saw Snoke, dead. Snoke's guards, dead. Other guards standing in a corner, not doing anything. We can handle a few men, Poe thought. He started opening the door wider. He found the source of the sniffling.
"Poe, what is it?" Finn hissed. Poe held up a finger, telling Finn to be quiet. "We need to hurry for the General," Finn continued.
Poe saw Rey, hunched over a still body. The door creaked, but Rey didn't budge. He waved a hand for the Resistance to follow him.
Poe walked over to Rey, paying no attention to his magnificent yet menacing surroundings, consisting of stone pillars and gemstones. Finn looked at what Poe was looking at, and, once he saw Rey, ran past Poe, jumping over Snoke's body without so much as a glance. Once he saw Rey more closely he paused in his tracks. Poe caught up to him and laid his hand on Finn's shoulder.
Rey stopped sniffling and carefully laid Kylo's body in a comfortable position. Poe and Finn didn't think she'd notice them, but she did. Rey looked up, her eyes red from crying. "Rey," Finn said.
"He's gone." Rey said. She stood up, shaking with exhuastion. Finn stepped forward and helped her. "How did you get here?" she asked.
Poe was reluctant to answer and tell Rey about Leia. "Leia wants to see him."
Rey was confused. "I was going to bring Ben back for Leia. I thought she trusted me. Why did she come here?"
Finn said gently,"There was no time. Leia told us to come here." Rey sucked her breath in.
"She's hurt," Rey whispered.
"Yes," Poe said.
"Leia's hurt! She's not...she's not..."
"Dying," Finn finished.
Rey was at loss for words.
"Let's get you back to the ship," Finn began to steer her toward the doors.
"Wait. We're not leaving Ben behind. Leia wants to see her son. She will see him," said Rey.
Poe thought for a minute. "Fine." He beckoned the Resistance members, who were still standing by the double doors. They came over solemly, and helped Poe life Kylo's body.
"Another thing." Rey faced the Knights of Ren, who had bravely killed the guards to protect their master. "You served Ben Solo, known as Kylo Ren to you?"
The six of them nodded slightly. "You are free. I hope you have learned from your master how evil the dark side is. Find a new path to follow."
With that she leaned on Finn's arm and led those carrying Kylo's body out of the room she never wanted to return to, leaving the carnage behind.
Back on the Falcon, Leia was still clinging to life, her wound sucking the energy out of her slowly. "Ben, is he coming?" Leia asked, her face pale from pain and exhaustion. Rose looked outside the entrance of the Falcon without leaving Leia's side.
"I don't see him yet, but he will come. Don't worry."
A few minutes later, Rey slowly walked up the ramp with Finn. "Rey..." Leia called from her place on the ground.
"General! Leia!" Rey left Finn's side and knelt down next to Leia, noticing the oozing wound on her side. "General, are you ok?"
Leia waved her hand. "What happened doesn't matter. I will be one with the Force soon. I'm positive an artery was struck when I was hit...is Snoke dead?"
"Yes," Rey said. Leia took shallow breathes. Rey knew she didn't have long to live. Tears came to her eyes for the millionth time that day. She didn't want Leia to ask her the question she was dreading to answer. But she did.
"Ben, where is he?" Leia asked.
"Bring him in," Rey said in an audible whisper, her voice cracking.
A group slowly carried Ben up the Falcon's ramp. Leia gasped. "General..." Poe didn't know what to say. He aided the Resistance in laying Kylo down next to Leia.
Leia reached for his cold hand and held it. Rey watched the mother reuniting with her lost son. "He was just a boy last time I saw him..." Leia sorrowfuly and softly said. "My boy. I see he was injured in the side, just as I was."
Rey, still next to Leia, said, "He killed Snoke. He saved me. He died as Ben Solo, not as Kylo Ren."
Leia teared up. "Now we can be with Han. And Luke." A slow tear fell down her cheek and she turned her head to examine her son. "I thought that Ben would bring hope to the galaxy. But I was wrong."
Rey wanted to do everything she could to comfort Leia, but she didn't know how. "He killed Snoke. He ended up turning, but it was too late to save himself from death. Ben said to tell you he's sorry and he loves you," Rey said. She tried to hold back her tears to not make Leia more upset, but it was no use.
The rest of the Resistance beheld Leia, in her dying breaths, holding the hand of her dead son She laid in glory in her classic grey gown, regal even in her last moments. Her face was still turned in the direction of Kylo's, so she could look at him as she died. Leia must have been thinking of how her son had killed his father, her husband. Of all the evils Kylo had committed. She took one last breath. "I forgive you, Ben." Her eyes closed, and her head dropped. The princess was dead.
"Leia! NO!" Rey was numb. She didn't know what to do. Poe lifted her to her feet, tears shining in his eyes.
"Leia..." She was in disbelief. Ben Solo and Leia were dead. Dead.
"Rey, help me lift them into the bunks," Poe said.
Rey was angry. "They're dead! Don't you care? Leia and Ben are dead."
Poe grabbed Rey's elbow. "I know they're dead." A tear ran down his cheek. "She was like a mother to me. I do care. I've seen a lot of death. A lot."
Keeping busy must distract Poe from the pain. Rey miserably obliged, almost afraid to touch Leia's sacred body. Her robes were so soft. Other Resistance members pitched in, crying silently, placing the bodies in bunks and covering them with sheets.
"We can't bury them here...too rocky." Poe said, holding back tears. "I'll find a suitable planet and we'll give them a small burial, but a proper one."
Rey wanted to be by herself and mourn. "I...I left my Jedi books in the TIE fighter. I'll fly behind you."
Finn shook his head. "Leia just died and all you care about is a bunch of books. I thought better of you, Rey."
Rey was hurt. "I just want to be by myself!" She shouted at Finn and stormed out of the Falcon.
Finn and Poe exchanged a glance. "She's been through a lot," said Connix, standing by Finn.
"Wait!" Poe called.
"What?" Rey snapped, pausing at the bottom of the ramp.
"Your lightsaber, I picked it up for you." Poe extended his hand, offering it to her. Rey walked back in the Falcon, snatching it up.
"I'll tell you where we're heading over the intercom," Poe said. "We should have connection."
Rey avoided peeking at the covered bodies on her way out. She was too upset. Traumatized, even. The TIE fighters weren't too far away. A ten minute walk. Rey noticed Ren's Knights had taken their transport and left. Her TIE fighter was standing next to Kylo's empty one.
Ben, why did you have to die? Not just you, your mother too? What are we going to do without you two?
Rey settled into the seat of the old Imperial TIE fighter and placed her lightsaber in the bag containing the Jedi texts. She took off, trying to control her anger and sadness, and flew over the Falcon. Poe took that as a sign and zoomed in front of her, leading the two ships off of Rengurar.
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