After their little walk, everyone returned to the rooms. They had to rest because they were to return to the battlefield. Fight for the peace of the galaxy. Ben and Rey were in the control room of the ship. Chewie wasn't in the cabin because he knew the two of them wanted to be alone for this trip.

- Don't worry, Rey. Our plan will succeed. I'm sure of this.

- I know, but I have that feeling that something is not going to go well ...

"Hey," Ben said and placed his hand on her. Rey turned away from the pilot and looked at him. Everything will be alright.

- I'm afraid, Ben ...

- It's fine. I feel it too.

Rey smiled, but somehow remembered that she had heard those words when she and Kylo Ren first met or, well, they talked like in the interrogation room. At that time it was in another context, in other circumstances. Kylo Ren wanted to know Luke Skywalker's location and nothing more, but Ben ... Ben wanted to be with her.

- Attention! Ben shouted and pulled the handle of the co-pilot who at that time was him.

The ship was about to collide with a meteorite, but Ben had reacted in time. Rey looked at Ben in shock.

- Where did you ...

- ... did I know which lever to use? Well, before I was forced to train with Luke, Dad taught me to fly this ship. He said I would be a very good pilot sometime. Maybe better than him or Luke.

- Your father really loved you, Ben.

"I know," he said briefly.

- We're trapped in a meteor shower. We have to bypass them, Rey said, changing the subject. He knew that Ben would be sad if he remembered his father, so he ended the conversation faster.

- Okay, but let's call Chewie for that. He and Dad have done that before.

- We'll do it too.

Rey takes over the Falcon's command again and concentrates on passing among the meteorites. It was the first time he had done this, but he felt so good when he avoided those meteorites that even surprised Ben.

At the end of the trip, they landed in a hidden spot so they wouldn't be discovered. Only Rey, Ben, Rose, R2D2 and Finn left for the First Order base, the others staying with Poe. It was too dangerous to be involved at all. Rose had prepared a perfect plan and Finn was going to help her as much as Rey and Ben found Hux, and R2D2 opened the door for them.

- The force be with you! Rose shouted.

Rey, Ben and R2 set out in search of Hux, but to their surprise, this was not to be found. But somehow, Ben realized where Hux might have been and started off on his own, leaving Rey on the other side of the base with R2.

- Tell me where Hux is! He ordered a Stormstrooper.

He aimed his blaster at him, but Ben blocked any movement.

- Don't waste my time! Show me where it is!

- Immediately, sir!

The two headed for the long hall leading to the throne room. Hux had proclaimed himself Supreme Leader after Kylo Ren's disappearance and did not expect to see him again ... just on the day of his coronation.

"Kylo Ren," he growled when he saw Ben in the door. What occasion brings you here today? Traitor!

- I'm back to get him back what was taken from me, Hux.

- Naive child! You can't recover your place. Power is mine now. You betrayed the First Order and betrayed everything Snoke learned for ... a garbage man.

Ben growled and prepared to take his sword, but Hux got up from the huge throne and started with slow steps toward him.

- He turned you into Ben Solo and made you weak. First Order doesn't work with weaknesses, Solo!

- You have no power against me, Hux!

- Oh, but that's not entirely true. Maybe I can't use Force, but I have something called manipulative power. That's exactly what Snoke taught me.

- It's time to meet him! Ben growled and activated his sword.

Hux raised his hand, and then a group of Ren knights turned to Ben and hit him, then took his sword.

- Let's see what you do without your little sword, Solo. You're weak in front of me.

Ben closed his eyes and tried to use his last powers to guide Rey into the throne room.

Rey, help me. Find me ...

- Take him to a cell. We'll deal with it later. There are other intruders around here.

Hux exited the throne room and stood unseen in the hall.

Rey had been caught by Stormtrooperi, but had managed to escape with the help of R2D2. What a trusted friend he was! He started in search of Ben because he heard his call, but when he reached the throne room, everyone was gone. Including the.

Ben, where are you? Talk to me!

Ben was at the far end of the throne room, in a cell. He was hurt and unconscious about what was going on around him, but with all this, Rey's voice sounded like a chorus in his head.

Where are you, Ben?

"Your little friend is looking for you," Hux muttered, watching Ben in his agony.

- Please, he whispered. Don't hurt her!

- I'll release her, but you have to do something instead.

Ben didn't pause for a second and answered Hux.

- I'm not doing anything for you!

- Then say goodbye to your girlfriend, Rey!

Hux turned his back and called a guard.

- Take the girl and bring her to me.

- Stay! Ben shouted. I'm doing everything ... but as long as Rey is safe. I can't miss it again.

Hux smiled victoriously.

- This girl really is a weakness for you. Maybe she should be exterminated. Maybe that's how you get back to the real you.

- I'm the real me! I was always and always will be Ben Solo. I'm going to carry on what I inherited from my father and I won't let you destroy that.

- Very well. But on this Rey ... Why do you want to get dirty? Why is it so important to you?

- You can't understand. Now tell me what you want and release it!

- Return to the First Order. Your place is not among the rebels. He was never there. Your power ... is precious.

Rey is precious to me. But I can't betray her, not after what she did to bring me back to reality.

- So? I do not have time to lose.

- Very well. I'll be back.

~ • ~ • ~

Rey exited the throne room and started again in search of Ben. He knew somehow that the fear he had felt when he started on the basis of the First Order was true. What if Ben had laid a trap for him? If he just wanted to manipulate her to bring her to the First Order clutches. They knew how powerful Rey was and would do anything to have her on their side or ... destroy her to have a lesser enemy.

Where are you, Ben? Please do not leave me!

- Rey, where's Ben?

- C-I think they captured him. I can't find him anywhere.

Rey was agitated. R2 whirled chaotically and a toe kick.

- What are you doing?! Oh no! No no!

When he turned to face the place where he was R2, he noticed something terrifying. Ben Solo, along with Hux and Ren knights, approached her and her friends.

- Ben ..., she whispered. What happened?

"You fell into my trap," he said, trying not to be empty. But I decided for the moment that you are free to leave. It would be too easy to finish with you now.

Rey couldn't believe what she heard. He approached her, but Finn stopped her.

- Take care, Rey.

- Ben, why are you doing this? You said you could resist!

Tears began to fall on his cheeks. He hated seeing her crying. Especially because of him. He hated himself because he was hurting her in those moments. But hatred led him to suffering - the last step to the dark side.

- I'm doing what I was meant to do, Rey. To be the Supreme Leader. Take these intruders to the exit. They will find their way back to the Resistance alone.

Ben hadn't made contact with Rey's gaze since she started crying. He couldn't look at her anymore. It made her suffer and that only to release her from Hux's claws. But had he made the right decision? To hurt Rey to free her? Is suffering worth it?

After Rey left Starkiller's base, she sat on the grass.

- How could he do that to me?

"Rey," Rose said calmly, "I think he's influenced by Hux."

- What I don't understand is why he released us if this was a trap?

- It couldn't have been all a lie. Not possible...

But maybe it was?

- Come on, Rey. Let's go back to Poe.

The four returned to the ship, and Rey immediately closed in her cabin. He had to sort out his thoughts.

- What's with her? Where's Ben? Poe asks confused.

"The First Order took him again," Rose replies. Something happened as she and Ben were separated. Ben was fine when I left, so it's a sudden change.

- I told you we couldn't trust Ben so easily! Finn laughed. Now Rey is suffering because of him.

- We'll find out the truth. We're going to save Ben. It's the right thing to do. We get him back, give him a few hands and ask him why he did such stupid thing.

"Good plan," said Poe. But where do we start?

*

The days passed quickly, and Ben didn't stop to think about Rey. He had tried to speak to her through the Force, but Rey closed any connection with him. He didn't want to hear her voice anymore.

- Sir, what do you want us to do about c-

- Nothing.

- But sir ...

- Bring Hux here and stop insisting on these nonsense.

- As you wish, sir.

A few minutes later, Hux appeared in Ben's room. He was looking out the window. Outside there was heavy rain and he remembered the moment he saw Rey feeling the rain for the first time. She was so amazed and happy.

- You called me?

- Yes.

Ben drew his sword and approached Hux. He noticed Ben's gesture and took a few steps back.

- Don't be scared, I won't kill you. But I'm going to destroy the First Order. You manipulated me enough. This place is not for me, Hux. It's time to free the people from wars.

Hux couldn't say a word, being under Ben's whipping force.

- I won't even hear you. Take him to a cell and make sure he doesn't escape! And prepare me a ship, I'm about to make a trip.

I have to fix things because she is the only person that matters to me ...

After long searches, he finally found the location where Rey was hiding. It was time for Ben Solo to return to those he held and held. He had seen Rey with Finn and Rose near the Millennium Falcon. She was more beautiful than she remembered. She had kept her hair on her back, but this time she had a few daisies stuck in her hair like a crown. She looked like a real princess.

After Rey was alone, she approached. She was still on her back and checking something on the ship. Ben put his hand lightly on her shoulder.

- King ...

She shuddered and didn't seem happy to see him. He took his sword and held it in his hand, but did not activate it. He looked at him and waited for his next move. He couldn't hurt him. She loved him. Yes, he loved him. Although he had tried hard to get it out of his mind, he had failed. He loved him enormously and he hated himself for it. Betrayal was more painful than any wound. Ben knelt before her and looked down, unable to look her in the eye. He had hurt her too much when he left her to become Kylo Ren again. He had betrayed her and it took him too long to realize, but he hoped Rey could forgive him ... again.

- The Great Supreme Leader on his knees for no one! She cheered him on. Those words hurt him because he knew they were being spoken only because he had hurt her.

Ben did not dwell too much on his thoughts and looked at him with his own.

- No, just a man on his knees for the woman he loves.