Aboard The Finalizer, General Hux found himself incessantly pacing across the narrow confines of his chambers. Clenching and unclenching his gloved, clammy hands at his sides, Hux's eyes persistently darted towards the digital numbers of the clock on the far wall within his quarters, signifying the slow passage of another cycle. He had been expecting a report from Captain Phasma at any moment, regarding the search and seizure of the scavenger girl from Jakku. For the past week, the Captain's continuous reports of failing her capture were rendering an extensive toll on his nerves. The initial report of Kylo Ren's interference provoked a surprising, yet forceful response from Supreme Leader Snoke; demanding that the General act on whatever he deemed necessary in order to successfully implement Rey's capture.

However, the calm before the storm was rapidly approaching its peak with the continuous failed reports of capturing the measly scavenger. Not only was Hux's life now being held on the line, but something else that he considered far more devastating to lose: the decline in his impeccable reputation as the merciless General of the First Order. His attention was immediately directed towards his desk as the holographic figure of the Captain materialized from the holopad.

"Captain Phasma," he acknowledged. His tone falling rigid with anticipation of hearing her report. Hux hoped that she would bear some good news. "What news do you bring me?"

"My sincerest apologies once again, General," Phasma reported with failure resonating through her distorted tone, "but the scavenger still remains nowhere to be found."

"Your continuous failure is emergently unacceptable, Captain." Hux snapped, heavily asserting the rashness he was no longer accepting her incessant unyielding reports.

"She is just one insignificant desert rat! How can it be so hard to find her?"

"I'm sorry General, but the girl is nowhere to be found," she retorted in vindication of her defense. "Our scanners have failed to pick up the tracker initially placed on the freighter she arrived on. No one has seen her or Ren in days."

Hux considered the captain's resignation momentarily before a palpable notion dawned on him. He knew the scavenger's counterpart, Finn, was a weakness to her high-spirited character. If they couldn't find her – then perhaps they could bring her to them. A smug grin rendered across his taut features at the realization of his newly discovered effectual plan.

"Pull the division out, Captain. I have a new mission for you."
 

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Drifting in and out of sleep, Rey could to see the early morning rays of sunlight sift through her eyelashes. Unwilling to bring herself from the slumber, she could sense the growing impatience of the figure lying with her. Making his presence known, he grazed his fingers over her left shoulder blade over the scars she had earned throughout her scavenging days. He paid each and every one of them attention, recalling her memories of how she'd received each, descending fallen ships in the Goazone Badlands; whether they be from losing her balance and falling against sharp, metal objects, or by being careless enough to miss her footing while rushing through the forage.

Tenderly ghosting the backs of his fingers down her shoulders to her sides, she felt his hands tightly grasp her hips, bringing them flush against his own and gently coaxing her bare back against his chest. Reveling in the warmth of his skin against hers a lazy moan passed through her lips nearly resembling that of a purr. Stretching out, she removed herself from the fetal position she normally slept in, feeling her body wholly melt into his; imprinting the feeling of the firm muscles of his chest, and the strong arm around her, into her memory as he pressed himself closer. Skin against skin, with no perfunctory barrier of cloth between them. A sigh escaped her as plush lips brushed against the shell of her ear then ghosted along her neck.

Ascending his hand in the same gentle sweeping motion, she felt his hand move up towards her mid sternum before his fingers leisurely grazed their way back down her abdomen. "Rey," he whispered softly in supplication, feeling his nose gently nuzzle the nape of her neck. 

"Don't go." She pleaded. Still holding on too tightly to her slumber, her voice heavily fatigued as it came out in more of a whimper.

Combing his fingers through her hair, he gently brushed it aside before she felt his incredibly soft lips place a tender kiss behind her ear.

"I have to," he replied raggedly, clearly hearing the disappointment within its tone. Through every word he spoke, she could feel his warm breath softly graze across her skin. 

Rey moaned faintly in contempt. "But I want to see you," she murmured sluggishly, snubbing the idea of having to awake from her peaceful slumber whilst refusing for this moment to end.

At that, she felt a low chuckle resonate from the back of his throat. "Always so stubborn," he affirmed, delicately pressing another kiss at the back of her neck. "If you want to see me, sweetheart, then you need to wake up," his lips frivolously brushing her skin as he spoke. He trailed his hand further south on her abdomen, heading towards the apex of her thighs.

Rey's eyes fluttered open, rolling onto her stomach heavy with lethargy she turned to face the man who had been so adamant with her waking up. Frowning, her heart sank when her gaze only met that of an empty space in the sheets next to her with no indentation in the mattress of there ever being another person with her. Furrowing her brows, she knowingly ran her hand across the back of her neck. The only evidence of his presence was that of a warming sensation across her skin from where he had breathed on her, kissed, and touched. Not to mention the dull ache she felt between her legs. Assuring her that not only had he been here somehow in physical form, but he was also capable of touching her, impacting her more emotionally now than ever upon awakening from these vivid dreams.

Her heart raced at the recollection of how he touched her. The feeling of his hands freely roaming as if he were intimately acquainted with every inch of her body, touching her in the most affectionate of ways she had ever felt before.

Had she, and he, been – naked?

Her eyes turned to saucers at the realization. Her mouth gaped in shock over the insinuation of what they had done. The concept of sex wasn't necessarily unfamiliar to her. She recalled overhearing the casual talk among men on Jakku, bragging about the number of women they had been with the prior evenings as if the entire notion was merely a game to be won and the physical gain was the prize.

But this – the raw, emotional intensity she felt between the two of them was something on a much higher level of intimacy. Something that was much more personal and delicate: like love.

Bearing in mind not only had she felt his hands on her, but she had been able to feel every muscle of his body pressed against hers. She didn't feel any – different, other than the unfamiliar feeling of a growing pressure between her legs. Her mind couldn't reconcile the reality of her untouched body with the sensations of the dream.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she rolled over onto her back as her heart raced at the newfound electrifying emotions coursing through her. That sweet ache drew her attention more than she'd like to admit. Closing her eyes, she hiked the hem of her nightgown up her hips, and with a trembling hand she leisurely slid her fingers down her abdomen to the damp spot now on her panties. Her breath hitched at the sensitivity within her slick folds. Her breathing becoming more labored as she slid her hand through the top of her panties: inserting one finger, then two inside the folds of her wet pussy. She felt her body shudder at the newfound relief of the forceful emotions and sensations surging through her.

Arching her back ever so slightly, she pumped her fingers in and out of her sex, bringing her other hand down to circle her clit. She bit her lip and mewled softly, imagining the dream lover again. The softness of his skin. The feel of his hands against her hips, drifting between her legs. Her body shook as she moved her fingers faster, the edge of the precipice nearing.

And yet the mental image changed then.

Her subconscious and conscious mind had warred with one victorious but she couldn't figure out which as the hand she imagined between her legs was not the bare hand of her dream lover but the leather gloved hand of another. The sensual undertones in his low, modulated voice resonated within her mind as he spoke her name: coaxing her closer to climax with each stroke of his leathered touch.

At the shift in fantasy her body convulsed finding its peak so effortlessly and quickly it stole her breath and made her heart roar in her ears as she collapsed back against the pillows.

------------------------------------

For the rest of the day Rey avoided the palace's western sector as if it had been infested by mynocks. While she felt relief after satisfying her rush of new found desires, she found herself completely and utterly mortified over the inexplicable thoughts of Kylo Ren. Even more mortifying was the reaction it had provoked from her. It had been nearly a day since Rey last saw him after the intense moment between them in the training room. Initially she couldn't help but harbor a sense of disappointment, and at one point thought he had been purposely avoiding her. But now she couldn't have been more relieved that she didn't have to face him after the awkward tension left hanging in the air between them. Only to add disconcerting thoughts of him relieving her arousal on top of it all seemed to just make things worse.

Praying to the gods that Ren wouldn't be as ambitious in his mobility for the day she hurried to the kitchen for a quick bite of breakfast. Promptly she shoved the biscuits and eggs into her mouth from her plate as she contemplated over areas of the palace to temporarily disappear. Without haste, she downed the glass of orange juice and issued a quick 'goodbye' to Rose before venturing outdoors, knowing full well that Kylo rarely went beyond the palace interior it was the perfect safe haven for her to regain control over her bearings.

Since the confrontation with the First Order in the forest, Chandrila's frigid winter air finally gave way to welcome the warm, overcast days of spring. The melting snow revealed patches of lush, green grass and the newborn heads of flower buds penetrated the soil throughout the assorted garden beds. Closing her eyes, Rey welcomed the warm, gentle breeze against her cheeks; inhaling the sweet smell of rejuvenating life throughout the property. The feeling was invigorating, almost as if her senses were able to connect with the surroundings on a whole new level of spirituality. Something within her felt – different since coming here. As if something had awakened within her that had been dormant her whole life.

A series of friendly growls and grunts in Shyriiwook interrupted her brief moment of silent contemplation, abruptly prompting her to turn and acknowledge the approaching Wookiee.

"Good morning, Chewie." Rey greeted cheerfully, issuing her hairy friend a smile as he joined her side.

The Wookiee carried on, stating that he was heading to the hangar bay to work on the Corellian freighter she road in on. And that some moof-milker had apparently installed a compressor onto the ignition line.

Chuckling at the Wookiee's lighthearted insult, Rey was fully aware of who made the absurd alteration to the vessel's internal circuitry. In the end, all it had done was put a strain on the freighter's hyperdrive system. Seeing it as an open window to get her hands dirty – and a welcoming distraction from the clustered mess of her thoughts – Rey contentedly offered him her mechanical services to fix it. In reply, Chewie issued a short series of friendly groans of acceptance. Together, they made their way towards the vessel in the hangar bay where Rey happily dove into the chaotic web of wiring behind the cockpit's metal paneling.

Diligently focusing on the task at hand, Rey and Chewie remained unaware of the fact that Kylo had also made plans to visit the same vessel in questioning. The freighter's exterior may have resembled the typical hunk of junk wrangled from an outer rim trash heap, but to Kylo it was a symbolic reminder of the atrocious act that rendered him into his current state of misery.  While the pain of the blaster wounds had sent him into near unconsciousness, they were nothing compared to the overall anguish he felt upon seeing the ghost of his father, disguising itself in appearance as the Millennium Falcon. Wounds that not even the luxuriously state of the art medical droid, or infinite amount of bacta patches, could ever mend.

Begrudgingly he found himself ascending the Falcon's boarding ramp, further rubbing salt into the permanently open abrasions in his heart as ghosts from the past came hurling back at him with a vengeance. Behind the mask's visor, Ren's eyes took in every inch of the vessel's circular corridor prompting a wave of painful nostalgia to rush over him. Although the wear and tear had taken its toll from the prior negligent hands for the last several years, it was nothing remotely capable to overshadow the memories of spending hours with his father as a boy.

Apprehensively he made his way through its interior. As he did so, Kylo reminisced over the days when, as a boy, he would follow after Han down the exact same halls towards the cockpit, brimming with such excitement to be away from the pressures of his reality to simply enjoy the rare moments of travel and rapport between father and son. Allowing Ben to sit on his lap in the pilot's seat, Han would occasionally let him take over the controls as they continued towards their set destination.

It's just you and me, kid. Han would say whilst gesturing towards the vast darkness of space, Whole damn galaxy against us, but we'll fly true.

Resolved, the young and naïve Ben would then swear to himself that he'd follow in his dad's footsteps and pursue his dream to become the best pilot in the galaxy. He would picture himself sitting at the controls of his own ship; with no voice of Snoke, lingering in his head or fretting over the inevitable fulfilment of the family legacy. In these moments it was solely him, lost in the empty depths of his thoughts while enjoying the freedom of having the stars within his hand's reach.

Before he passed the narrow corridor leading towards the cockpit, Kylo stopped short in his tracks. Remaining unnoticed by the duo currently occupying its now cramped interior, he watched with amusement as Rey fussed over the solution of the task in questioning. Whatever had been the problem, she must've fixed it: prompting her to flash a toothy grin towards Chewie who groaned in question.

"I bypassed the compressor," she stated as a matter of fact that she had been able to remove the offending modification. And for what seemed longer than a brief moment, seeing a real smile on her face was enough to cast away the melancholy that had consumed his heart.

Sensing that she was being watched Rey shifted her gaze towards the corridor. Her heart skipped a beat the moment her eyes met Kylo's concealed gaze. Feeling a blush creeping over her cheeks, Rey's smile faded into that of a more subdued upturn of her lips as the morning's embarrassment came hurling back at her. Before she had the chance to break the silence between them, Rey watched him disappear past the doorway: the curiosity of his presence onboard prompted her to follow him. In a few quick strides, Rey made it through the corridor in time to see Kylo pass over the threshold of the vessel's main holding quarters. Furrowing her brows, she made her way with purpose down the hall to join him.

Ren turned his head askance as if he sensed her presence drawing near. Without removing his gaze from the room in front of him, Kylo's soft but inquisitive tone finally broke the silence looming in the air. "Where did you find this ship?

The abruptness of the question caught Rey off guard. Aside from the fact that Kylo didn't need to see her to know that she was there, her delayed response rendered from the sudden interest in the same vessel he had shown such distaste towards. Licking her lips, Rey's expression grew concerned, a crease forming between her brows in remembrance as to how she had come across the freighter in question.

"I stole it – from Unkar Plutt," she stated as a matter of fact; hesitating to consider his reaction before continuing. "Who stole it from the Irving Boys, who stole it from Ducain."

A series of agitated growls in Shyriiwook resonated down the opposite end of the corridor. Who stole it from us, Chewie retorted.

"You should've checked the Western reaches," Rey called over her shoulder in response to the Wookiee's irritation, stifling her chuckle at the obscene words he grumbled in reply.

Kylo remained silent. While he was here physically, she couldn't help but wonder if, mentally, he was far off in another time or place. Briefly pondering over Chewie's words, it finally dawned on her that the vessel they were occupying harbored a deeper meaning of value. Cocking her head, Rey considered him in contemplation as Ren absent mindedly grazed a gloved hand over the top of the Djarik table positioned to the right of the lounge room; making it all the more obvious that this was more than some pile of junk he had claimed it to be earlier.

"Kylo," she started softly, whilst approaching him at the table with apprehension. The concerned timbre made it all the more obvious that she was worried about his current state of mind. "How do you know this ship?"

Ren's gaze remained fixated on the table momentarily before finally turning his head in acknowledgement to her inquiry. "It was my father's, Han Solo."

While there had been a hint of pain behind the mentioning of the ship's owner, there was also bitterness behind his words.

Taking a moment to absorb the meaning behind his words, Rey's gaze gave into a look of astonishment at the revelation. "Wait – Han Solo? The smuggler, Han Solo?" she nearly exclaimed, unable to hide the incredulity behind her tone. She briefly recalled the stories regarding the infamous scoundrel in discussion from pilots passing through Niima Outpost.

Kylo snorted in retort, clearly not amused of the history behind his father's legacy. "It was what he was best at," he sneered in retort whilst unnoticeably clenching his fists in remembrance of the years when Han had left him and his mother for lengthy periods during smuggling runs.

Paying no attention his disdain, Rey continued on in her moment of awestruck amazement. "So, this is the Millennium Falcon, the ship that ran the Kessel Run in under 14 parsecs!"

"Twelve," Kylo grumbled in reply.

Sensing his annoyance, Rey was met with a series of new questions that never seemed apparent until now. Furrowing her brows as she thought, her eyes followed Kylo as he began pacing to the opposite side of the quarters. "Then..." she began inquisitively, "why do you call yourself Kylo Ren if your father is Han Solo?"

The question abruptly brought Kylo to a halt. Catching her lower lip between her teeth, Rey was certain now she had brushed over a sensitive subject as she watched his shoulders square up and muscles tense. Wordlessly heeding her question Kylo proceeded to make his way into the corridor, heading towards the cockpit with his fists balled at his sides. Sighing repentantly, Rey quickly trailed after him.

"Kylo, wait..." She called out, catching up to grip his arm so that he'd stop and acknowledge her. It was then Ren abruptly turned on his heel to face her.

"Because Ben Solo was weak and foolish like his father," he snapped. "So, I destroyed him the day his father died. Is that enough for you?"

Rey blinked. Staring into the expressionless gaze of the mask, she couldn't help but acknowledge the pain that laced his tone. Swallowing the heavy lump in her throat, Rey curtly nodded in agreement that the conversation was now over.

Disregarding the concern in her eyes, Kylo held her gaze momentarily before continuing his way down the hall. A heavy tension loomed in the air as Rey still trailed after him. Knowing now that there was more to the story than he was willing to admit, she decided it best those thoughts be expressed at another time. Leaning her shoulder against the doorframe of the cockpit, she studied him carefully as he settled down into the pilot set. Where he had been completely tense, the tranquility behind his posture resembled more to that of being at peace - like he had settled himself at home. Rey hesitated momentarily before claiming the co-pilot's seat beside him as her own. A heavy sigh escaped through her lips, breaking the awkward tension between them.

"So, you're a gifted pilot, you understand Shyriiwook and droid binary," he started coolly, casually commanding a roll of sealant tape on the console to his hand. "And you have a knack for fixing things."

"I did what I had to do in order to survive on Jakku," she responded as a matter of fact, stealing a glance over at him from her peripheral.

As if he had a point to prove, Kylo tossed the roll of tape towards Rey; further confirming his knowledge as she nonchalantly caught it without having to look towards its original direction.

"No," he countered softly, more pensively. "It's something much more than that."

Quirking her brows curiously, Rey finally directed her attention to Kylo. "What are you saying, exactly?" eyeing him with skepticism, her curiosity was now piqued at the bizarre change in topic.

"You can see things before they happen, it's why your reflexes are so sharp – more in tune with your surroundings." Ren spoke tranquilly, as if it were something he knew personally from experience.

Rey scoffed at the cryptic meaning behind his words. She stared with a questioning gaze ensuring him that she wasn't entirely following his logic.

"Like here – you've seen this place before, haven't you?" he gently pressed on, considering the veil of realization crossing her expression.

Rey considered him quizzically, her lips slightly agape at the confounding man before her. He always managed to prove, in some way, that he knew more about her than she knew about herself. "I have..." she admitted while trailing off in her thoughts. "But only in dreams."

Rising from his position in the pilot's chair, Kylo closed the distance between them as he knelt down beside her. From the view of anyone casually passing by they might have considered him to be worshipping her in the likes of a goddess.

"Rey, this palace is concealed by a force shield," he stated resolutely. "Outside, it remains invisible to the naked eye unless one already knows where it is – unless it willingly allows itself to be found by someone of worth in The Force."

Rey blinked. In that moment she realized there were initially two things she could no longer run from: her rising stance within the force and the irrevocably, undeniable feelings she felt towards the man now kneeling next to her. With her mouth subtly agape, she sifted for the right words in response to his ratification before the masculine voice of another within the corridor broke the silence between them.

"My Lord Ren," Poe stated formally, conveying that what he had to say was something of high importance.

Kylo's gaze remained fixated on Rey, but the irritation in his tone proved his displeasure of being interrupted. "What is it, Captain?" he grumbled in acknowledgement.

Poe paused momentarily, carefully considering how he wanted to proceed with the deliverance of his report: a proclamation that would, without a doubt, alter Ren's current amiable frame of mind. "Her majesty is waiting for you – in your chambers."

Kylo abruptly snapped his attention towards the captain in waiting. The blatant discontent of hearing Poe's report remained evident as his shoulders squarely tensed in acknowledgement of his words; prompting him to stand and wordlessly exit the cockpit.

For a brief moment, an unwarranted, ugly feeling rose from the pit of Rey's stomach as she mulled over the possible implications behind Poe's words. Directing his gaze from the abrupt exit of his friend, Poe acknowledged the unmistakable covetous gaze playing across her features. "Queen Leia Organa-Solo is here," he spoke reassuringly, "Ren's mother."

------------------------------------

When Leia initially received word of her son's acute injuries in an altercation with the First Order the worst-case scenario abruptly leapt into her thoughts: had Snoke finally discovered his whereabouts?

Shortly after the curse's enactment Ben had placed the force shield around the citadel in order to prevent Snoke from discovering his location entirely. With Snoke having full knowledge of his fall into darkness, it was only a matter of time when he would be found and brought within the First Order. Even though Ben currently had full capability of taking the throne in Leia's place, being wholly exposed to the First Order and having full supremacy over a planet was a risk that Ben refused to take.

While also residing her role as General of the Resistance, Leia's hopes of making it to Ben's side were delayed as new information had been brought to her attention. Information that, if proven to be correct, would mean that the entire existence of the galaxy was at stake.

Upon her arrival at the palace, Poe had debriefed her of Ben's full recovery and the prior events leading to them acquiring a new tenant within the citadel. Hearing the news of Rey's arrival was enough to ease the fear that had effusively consumed her, replacing that fear of Ben's uncertain future with a spark of hope that she could be the one to deter him from his path of darkness.

From her stance on the West Wing's terrace, Leia watched the steady descent of raindrops; marking the first rainfall of the season as it slowly graduated into an outright heavy downpour. The sound of the chamber's door opening abruptly directed her attention towards its vicinity as she saw Kylo's dark form materialize from the shadows.

"It's a little late for 'get well' wishes, isn't it?" Ren sneered in acknowledgment of her late arrival.

Leia sighed heavily at the foul mood he was infamous for. Her arms crossed over her chest of the tan colored jumpsuit she wore while adorned by a dark burgundy vest as she stood with her knee bent in protest of his allegation.

"I came as soon as I could." She stated whilst eyeing him with that accusatory look she had been so well-known for.

Ren snorted, knowing his mother and her priorities. Politics always seemed to heavily outweigh the importance of family matters. "I'm sure you did," he retorted in a moderately low, composed tone; clearly unconvinced she had exhausted her every means to come in his time of need.

Hands bawled into fists at his sides as Ren approached the balcony, welcoming the rain battering over him as a brief distraction from the unsolicited company in his chambers.

"By the looks of it," Leia started casually, "I see someone has done pretty well with assisting you in my absence." Joining him in a dryer spot on the terrace Leia gave him a knowing glance; one that all mothers issued upon discovering a significant detail in their child's life.

Kylo remained silent. Where the rain had initially been the center of his distraction, his gaze found itself wholly fixated on Rey. Standing with her arms outstretched, she was marveling, laughing with sheer excitement in the torrential downpour wholly indifferent to the drenched attire clinging to her body as it revealed every outline, rise and fall, of her remarkable feminine stature. Had they met under entirely different circumstances - in another time - he would have properly courted her. Perhaps he would have stolen a kiss or two as he escorted her on walks around the acreage of the estate. But now the only reason she even remained was for the sheer fact of upholding her end of the bargain. Getting his hopes up that they could ever be anything more was only setting himself up for another unwanted failure and heartbreak in his life.

Glancing up at her son, Leia followed his gaze as she too began watching the girl who now withheld Ren's complete and undivided attention. "That must be Rey?" she questioned with a smile behind her inquiry.

Kylo felt his muscles tense at her voice breaking the welcomed silence, growling in irritation he turned towards the interior of his chambers.

Leia snorted in amusement, now fully aware of the meaning behind his reaction. "I know that look. You're already a goner with her."

Paused in front of the crystal's delicate enclosure Kylo remained silent: momentarily fixated on the soft glow of its enchantment. "She means nothing to me."

"And how long will you keep telling yourself that crock of bullshit, Ben?" prompting him to snap his attention towards her.

Leia pressed further, finding a need to no longer suppress the diplomat within her. "You know," she continued whilst shaking her head at the confounding man before her, "it was always exhausting watching your father exercise every alternative before coming to terms with the right one,"

"She deserves better," Kylo asserted. Although it pained him to the core to admit Rey couldn't possibly see him as anyone other than the monster he always perceived himself to be.

"Don't you think that should be her decision?" Leia countered, quirking a brow. Judging by the silence on Kylo's end he remained steadfast with her retort. Leia continued to press on in a harsh, yet heartening tone. Setting the diplomat within her aside she approached him this time as any mother would have out of love for her child. "The son I know that is still in there is someone worthy of her."

At her irritating persistence, Kylo finally returned his shielded gaze towards Leia. "And how do you think she'll perceive me if she were to find out the truth?" he spat, putting his initial calm demeanor aside. "That I was the one who killed Han Solo - do you think she could ever consider seeing past that monster?"

Leia went to protest, but a brief strong knock at the chambers' door held her tongue.

Kylo stayed silent, holding his mother's unyielding glare before addressing the foreseen Captain at the door. "What is it, Dameron?" For once he welcomed the interruption.

"My apologies for the interruption," Poe started hesitantly. Biting his lip, he carefully treaded over the words he had come to ask, "I just received word that my mother is gravely ill. I was hoping, with your permission, I could tend to her."

With his attention now focused on Poe, Kylo nodded without haste in approval to the captain's inquiry. "Do what you must, Captain. Take any necessary medical droid to Yavin IV, if needed."

Leia couldn't stifle the knowing smile from playing across her face. If there was ever an ounce of doubt in her son's redemption, it vanished in this moment completely. It couldn't have been any clearer that Rey's presence within the palace had already taken its effect on him. Months ago, the Ben in hiding never would have agreed to such a request. Now, Leia was willing to accept any inch towards the light from him that she could.

------------------------------------

Settled within the hyperbaric chambers, Kylo meditated over the prior events that afternoon. He knew Rey needed a teacher. Someone who could help her understand the Force and to help further hone her nascent but powerful abilities.

Upon her arrival at the palace, Ren had been able to sense the same raw power inside her that also resided within him: a perfect balance in the force of light and dark. For Kylo, he never had the luxury of someone understanding him enough to set him down the right path. And it wasn't until after his failure when he realized the faults within his mistakes. Only now he knew that the force was never intended to be strictly black or white. That somewhere in history the entirety was twisted into fitting the schema beliefs of both Jedi and Sith only to find out there was a fine area of gray.

Taking the initiative upon himself Kylo headed towards the palace's temple to seek out the one person who would be willing to help: at least those were his initial thoughts of how the meeting would go.

"She needs a teacher, Luke," he remarked to his uncle. "She's untrained, but strong and more powerful than she knows."

Luke considered him momentarily before a knowing look flashed in his eyes, "She already has one, Ben."

"I can't teach her. I'm not a Jedi," Ren snarled back in frustration. Fists tightly clenched at his sides all he could do was glare behind the mask at the confounding man before him. The same man who had initially failed him - a Jedi master who was now refusing to help another, struggling to accept their own powers. "I can't give her the help she needs."

Luke smirked, "As a matter of fact you are everything that she needs." Crossing his arms over his chest, Luke pressed on in assertion. "You have compassion for her, don't you?"

For the first time upon mentioning his feelings for the girl in question, Kylo felt his entire demeanor grow lax. He did care for her; immensely as a matter of fact. But for once in his life Kylo felt the need to put his own selfish desires aside and swore that he would never allow Rey to suffer a similar fate. "It doesn't matter what I feel for her. She could never love a monster."

Luke sighed, "Don't underestimate the power of love, Ben. It can do wondrous things."

Kylo stood silent. Disgusted that the Jedi before him had willingly pushed away the only chance of correcting the mistakes he had made with his nephew. Turning abruptly on his heal, Ren stormed across the marbled flooring of the temple before Luke's tranquil voice made him pause.

"I know I failed you, Ben. And for that I am sorry, but failure can also be an incredible teacher. Pass on to Rey what you have learned – including that failure."

For hours after the failed confrontation with his uncle Kylo meditated over Luke's words. After struggling with his own inner conflict for years, the thought of being responsible for the future of another terrified him. The reality was hard enough in keeping his own conflict under control. The irony behind it all was that in the end, Ren begrudgingly found himself standing in front of Rey's chambers in the East Wing. Aware of the fact that it was well into the late hours of the night, he hoped she would still be up while he currently had the strength to approach her with the topic.

Taking the time of night into consideration he knocked gently on the door of her chambers. For a few moments he thought she might have been asleep after hearing the sound of silence from the other side. After waiting a moment longer, Kylo turned to leave before the abrupt fumbling of the doorknob within her quarters made him stop.

"Kylo?" her voice came across as surprised upon seeing him outside her chambers at such a late hour.

For a moment, the sight he took upon turning had rendered him speechless as he was wholly and completely unprepared to see her in the way she was now standing before him. Her attire was an elegant robe woven entirely out of plum-colored silk. The bottom hem stopped just short of her mid-thigh as she stood clutching the front together at her chest; revealing the sensual curvatures of the perfectly toned muscles in her legs. As he swept his gaze up he noted the jut of her collarbone peeking out just shortly above her hands while her hair hung freely in soft waves to her shoulders.

Blinking from his gaping in admiration, Ren finally found his voice, "I'm sorry, I know it's late I hope I didn't wake you."

Rey smiled in reassurance, although the dark circles under her eyes and noticeable bed head was a dead giveaway that she had been asleep. "No, you're fine really."

Opening the door wider Rey gestured by cocking her head that it was okay for him to come in.

Kylo at first hesitated, swallowing down the apparent lump that formed in his throat he finally nodded in acceptance. Upon entering her chambers, the only visible source of lighting he could see was that of the small lamp sitting on her bedside nightstand.  Closing the door quietly behind him, the two of them stood momentarily in an awkward silence.

Clearing her throat, Rey forced herself to finally break the ice. "Is everything okay?" furrowing her brows in query.

At her prompting, Kylo abruptly turned his attention back to her. Too busy marveling over the way the shadows fell across her defined features he momentarily forgot the reason why he initially came here.

"About earlier – I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly. My mother arrived a bit unexpectedly."

Rey smiled in perception of his explanation. "I know, Poe told me. And it's fine, really. You have no need to apologize."

"But I do," he countered assertively, unaware of how seductively low his tone was. "It was very rude of me."

Holding his gaze Rey smiled subtly. Glancing down at her feet to hide the blush creeping across her cheeks Rey forced herself to walk past him to sit on the edge of the bed. Crossing one leg over the other, the lower hems of her robe crept further up her thighs revealing a peak of the nightgown's dainty white lace underneath. "So, is that why you really came here at this late hour?" Rey replied inquisitively, arching an eye brow in piqued curiosity.

Kylo hesitated shortly, getting distracted by her appearance once more. His heartbeat now in a full-scale staccato only added to the discomfort of the hardening erection in his pants, which he silently thanked the gods for dim lighting and his choice in attire to hide it. "No."

Rey scoffed, her eyes following him as he found himself inadvertently pacing across the short distance of her sleeping quarters to stand before her.

"About our conversation earlier..." he started after a brief moment of silence. "I wanted to ask if you would be willing to accept my offer in teaching you the ways of the Force."

Rey blinked, shocked at the sudden offer. If she were to be honest with herself she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do about this – Force – residing in her. The only knowledge she had of the concept was that from Kylo's mentioning of it earlier that day, and those few stories of the Jedi when she was younger. For a brief second, she almost considered denying him before logic told her she needed help. That whatever had awakened inside she didn't have the slightest idea of what to do with it. Biting her lip, Rey considered his offer momentarily longer before nodding in acceptance.

"Okay."

Inside, all Kylo could do was sigh in relief that the daunting trip here hadn't been for nothing. For a short second, he was an anxious little school boy who wasn't rejected by the girl he'd always had a crush on.

"Very well then," he stated in approval. "We'll start first thing in the morning."

Rey smiled subtly at him before following him to the door as he took his leave into the hallway.

"Get plenty of rest. You'll need it."

Nodding her acknowledgment, Rey stared after him as Kylo started down the corridor. Proceeding to retreat inside her chambers the sound of his voice made her pause.

"Rey?"

Turning her gaze back to Kylo's stance down the hall, Rey stared at him quizzically in waiting for his reply.

"You look beautiful."

Rey couldn't suppress the ridiculous smile that flew across her face if she tried. The sincerity in his voice behind the compliment was enough to make her heart swell in sheer bliss. For a moment she longed for him to come back and sweep her off her feet. A burning desire for him to carry her to bed and finish what she started earlier that day. But Rey only found herself, frowning in disappointment as she watched him disappear around the corner.