The Redemption of Fate ~ A Reylo Story

4

Rey was perplexed. Her thoughts raged. "You felt my pain? How? Through the force?"
"Never mind that," Finn diverted, "what was it all about?"
Rey stood taller, shook her head, squeezed her eyes shut. "No, you answer me--how did you feel my pain?" Something was peculiar, puzzling.
Finn rolled his eyes, shrugged off his own confusion. "I don't know--"
Rey was unfazed by Finn's falsity. "I know that you know."
"Hey," Poe suddenly interjected, BB-8 by his side. "More secrets, Finn?"
"Poe, please, we're busy." Finn waved his companion off dismissively.
"Arguing?" Poe questioned.

"Discussing." Rey answered, eyes diverting back to Finn's. Poe cleared his throat, folded his arms. "Well, when you two are done, Commander D'Acy would like to chat with you, Rey."
She nodded silently, watching as Poe slipped away in confident strides. BB-8 rolling along after him.
"I'm sorry, Finn. It's been difficult. Ever since--"
"I know. . . Since Ben died?" Finn cocked an eyebrow inquisitively. Rey tensed. Shook her head. Floundered with words. "Since I killed Palpatine. . . Since I found out who I was. I just need time."
Finn nodded. His expression grew sympathetic. "Just don't blame yourself for anything you couldn't have stopped." Then he dismissed himself. Rey sucked in a shaky breath.

***

Commander D'Acy, the strategic Resistance commander recruited by Leia Organa, gestured to a barren seat across from her own at the makeshift dingy wooden table. Rey took it, feeling it swing unsteadily like the swaying banyan tree above them.
"My quarters will just have to do. . . for now." Commander D'Acy said, awkwardly sitting down in her own rickety chair. "Well," she sighed ruefully, "at least we are safe. And thanks to you, Rey, the Resistance has won. Moreover, killed the First Order, the Sith. The dark forces as we know it."
Rey couldn't help but shift in her seat. The doleful events within the last weeks of her memory shot back into action. The night she defeated Palpatine, the Sith Lord--her grandfather--was also the night Kylo Ren was redeemed from the possession of the dark side, who then returned to his true identity, Ben Solo. He loved her. He sacrificed his life for her. And now, he was dead.

Rey tensed, buried the memories deep within her brain, bottling them until further reference.
"Yes." Was all she could mutter out. It was a pyrrhic victory to her. And she couldn't blame the Resistance for feeling glee and merriment. It wasn't them who lost their love.
Commander D'Acy folded her arms, nodding with satisfaction. "Peace, because of you, will be restored to our galaxy. It's our reign now. But unfortunately, this peace won't last forever."
Rey tensed. Again. Afraid of what her commander would say.
"I'm sure you're aware of that. You can't have lightness without darkness. Eventually we will all need to take a stand to defeat the darkness, again."
"I'm aware of that, but why are you telling me--"

"While you were away," D'Acy leaned forward, staring Rey straight on, "some troops and I made an agreement that we need a Jedi, like yourself, to train others in this Resistance who are force-sensitive. There aren't many--at least seven, but that would be an additional eight, along with yourself. See, we have ample jets, fuel from surrounding ports, we have fighters. But what we don't have, is people like you. You could create a team. A Jedi power."
Rey was overwhelmed with information. Offended, even, that Commander D'Acy had the nerve to ask of such a thing on her first day back to Ajan Kloss. She struggled to find her words for what seemed the hundredth time that day. Luckily, it was almost over.
"I--I don't know, Commander. This is--"

"I know, Rey." D'Acy bit down on her lip, looking as if she had an ounce of guilt somewhere inside for the traumatized girl across from her. She stood up swiftly, flattening out her stained uniform. "Take your time to think about it. No pressure. It's just—we've all seen your power. Others could greatly benefit from it."
"Alright," Rey nodded halfheartedly. "I'll think about it. Thanks, Commander."
"Surely." D'Acy gestured past the tree they stood underneath. "I'll show you to your tent."
Sleep. That would be nice, Rey exhaled, following along the pathway that led to the various-sized makeshift dwellings.

Up close, the stitches and seams from the mix-matched patchwork were ever-noticeable. Rey's tent was nicely proportioned, nestled against two other tents. At least there were no sandy floors or eopie hair scattered throughout her lumpy mattress. It would do. It had to.
Commander D'Acy excused herself, and Rey fell onto her soft ground-level sleeping bag.
Suddenly, a passionate wave of distress lacerated her heart. The bottled emotions streamed out through her eyes and down her face. Rey wept.