5. Coming Home

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Kylo Ren gets an opportunity to kill a remnant of his past.

"Eighty Silencers, fresh off the production line," The Vultan man's voice swells with pride. He walks between rows of black TIE fighters, arms extending to the ships on either side.

A masked Kylo Ren strides behind him, hands clasped loosely behind his back.

"Prototype 2, all engineered to your specifications." The Vultan juts his chin up. "And we've added several improvements based on your post-flight reports." The olive-skinned man looks back, ridged folds of flesh lining his forehead. "We do appreciate the detail you put into those. With such thorough feedback from the customer, we can aim for perfection."

"I expect perfection." Kylo Ren's voice is distorted. "Nothing less."

"Of course, your grace, of course." The Vultan looks forward. "Let's take a closer look at one, shall we?" He slows, turning to one of the Silencers. Kylo and the aerial captain beside him follow.

Suddenly, the captain jerks to the side, the sound of footsteps approaching quickly.

"Supreme Leader!" An officer halts before the men, out of breath.

Kylo Ren faces the Silencer, his back to the officer.

"Whatever it is, it can wait." He doesn't turn around.

"But… sir…" The officer stammers. "You said you wished to be informed immediately if we ever came to possess the Millennium Falco—"

"You have it?" Kylo whips around.

The officer shrinks.

"Where did you find it?" He charges to the man, stopping just in front of him. "Where is it now?"

"It…" The man struggles to look at the mask towering over him. "It was abandoned in the outer rim." He tries to sound confident. "On Denash, I believe. We received some reports that Resistance scum were stirring up trouble in the area so we sent a team to investigate."

"Did you take any prisoners?" The mask gets closer.

The officer fights the urge to back away.

"No sir." The man shakes his head. "We combed the area thoroughly but found nothing. We confiscated the ship and secured in the command port with your shuttle."

Kylo straightens.

Then, he steps around the man, striding away.

"Continue the inspection, captain," he calls back. "Report to me when it's done."

Kylo walks swiftly between the TIE fighters, boots clicking against the pristine floor. Each step stokes his anticipation, the images flashing in his mind.

It's been years since he's seen the Falcon, really seen it. It's strange to think about now. It feels like he spent half his life in that piece of junk. He can picture the interior with astonishing detail— the tattered seat in the lounge, stained with sweat, the grimy holoboard that barely works… the scraped-up technical station… Every corner… every crevice…

Kylo smiles inside his mask.

And he sees it being ripped to shreds, destroyed beyond all recognition, reduced to chunks of metal, frayed wires, and ash.

He's imagined it for over a decade, toying with different scenarios. He's seen the ship pulverized with lasers, ripped apart by asteroids, smashed into a thousand pieces against the side of a mountain. And the day has finally come…

He moves quickly through the halls of the dreadnaught, fantasies of destruction playing in his mind. Soon, he rounds the corner to the command port, the Falcon coming into view. He slows as he nears the ship, ignoring the technicians bowing as he approaches.

The ship looms over him, and suddenly he feels sick, a bite in the back of his throat.

This piece of Corellian trash represents everything he hates about his past. It's the last remnant of a long-forgotten version of himself, a weak and angry boy.

The last remnant of Ben Solo.

He hardens, suppressing a complex tide of emotions.

An officer approaches, looking pert and turtle-like with his collared uniform swallowing his fat neck.

"We finally have it sir," he declares proudly, hands clasped behind his back. "What would you like us to do with it?"

Kylo Ren stands silently for a minute, studying the worn freighter.

"I want you to wait five minutes." He walks closer to the ship. "Then release it into space and blast it with the ventral cannons."

He whips around, walking swiftly away.

He'll watch from the observation portal, watch this final piece of his past explode into million pieces and scatter to the stars.

He swells with satisfaction, eager to see it done, a symbolic gesture of control— over himself, his legacy.

Yet now that the moment has arrived, part of him is reluctant, his throat getting tighter the closer he gets to the entrance of the port.

Suddenly, he halts. Without thinking, he turns a heel, striding back to the Falcon.

"Open the ship," he commands. Not a second later, the ramp descends, touching the ground unevenly.

"Stay here." He boards in a kind of daze, not entirely aware of his own actions. He stops at the top of the ramp, a strange feeling descending.

Seeing it again, being here in this space, this exact spot, a spot he's stood many times before…

When he was three. And five. And eight. And eleven. And fifteen.

He still feels all of the anger, all the resentment he did then. But that's not everything. There's something else, something he can't put his finger on. It feels like…

Kylo Ren reaches up to his mask, clicking it and pulling it overhead. He tucks it under his arm and turns right, taking several steps forward. The ramp closes behind him as he enters the lounge.

He halts, scanning the room.

It even smells the same, after all these years.

He stands, staring at the lounge seat. His eyes drift, moving to the curved hall, the technical station, the overhead compartments.

He steps forward, looking down, observing the floor below. His boot clinks against the metal as he drags it along the grated surface.

He steps to the hologame table, placing his mask on it carefully.

Suddenly, he snaps up, peering down the curve of the hallway.

He senses something...

He steps forward, senses heightened.

Is he… not alone on this ship?

The feeling grows, creeping out from his core.

He straightens, relaxing his shoulders. He recognizes the feeling now. It's becoming increasingly familiar. And not altogether unwelcome.

As if melting in from another world, Rey appears before him. She stands tall and ready, eyes sharp.

But soon, she knits her eyebrows, looking up and around. She twists behind her frantically, confused.

Then, her shoulders drop.

"Of course." She shoots him a glare. "Of course you would have it." She crosses her arms. "I don't know why I didn't think of it. I just assumed that filthy Rodian made off with it after selling us out to the First Order." She groans, stepping into the lounge.

"How long have you had it?" She charges up to him.

He returns her gaze, cool and even.

"Had what?" He feigns confusion.

"The Falcon!" She gives him a punch in the shoulder. "What did you think I meant?" She jerks back, narrowing her eyes.

"Are you teasing me?" She demands. "Don't tease me right now." She shakes her head. "Not after the week I've had." She steps around him, surveying the room.

"And it's your fault." She begins rifling through things scattered beside the technical station. "It was your precious troops that chased us out of town. And then they blew up half the town trying to do it. Now me and Chewie are hiding on the side of a mountain, waiting for someone to pick us up in the morning." She whips around and sprints across the room, dropping beside the lounge seat to search behind it.

Kylo watches impassively.

"Yes, I'm sure you weren't doing anything to attract their attention." He steps to her.

She ignores him, continuing to search behind the seat.

He steps closer, reaching out with his Force senses into her mind.

"Hey!" Rey shoots up. "Haven't we talked about this? Don't go where you're not invited." She steps in close, glaring at him. Then, she moves around him, straight to a compartment under the technical station.

"Recruiting? Really?" He asks dryly, turning towards her. "In that shithole of a planet? The Resistance must be truly desperate. You're wasting your time, you know."

Rey shoots up, whipping to face him, a fire in her eyes like she's ready to pounce.

But the fire soon dies. Instead of lashing out, she just shakes her head as if to say he isn't worth her time. She grumbles to herself, moving out past him out of the lounge and down the curved hall.

He follows her with his eyes until she disappears. He waits for a few seconds before stepping after her. He walks down the hall to see one of the doors to the secret compartments in the floor open. He hears Rey moving about inside it.

"What are you doing?" He steps to the edge of the compartment, peering down at her. She's crouching, shifting through miscellaneous items.

"I'm inventorying." She doesn't look up, focusing on what's in front of her. "I'm making sure your pawns didn't steal anything. Anything important, anyways."

"Why bother?" He narrows his eyes. "This ship and everything on it is mine now."

Rey stops cold, stiffening. She crouches silently for a few seconds. Then, she crawls out of the compartment, standing tall just under him. She looks up with a steady gaze.

"Give me back the Falcon," she demands, eyes fixed on his.

"And why would I do that?" He stares down at her, unblinking.

"Because…" She glances to the ceiling, searching her mind. After a second, her eyes snap to his.

"It has a tracking device on board." She juts her chin up. "And it's well hidden. As long as you have this ship, the Resistance will be able track your location wherever you are." She steps in, bumping into his chest.

"The Resistance?" He raises an eyebrow. "Tracking my every move?" He steps forward, bumping her a couple steps back. Her heels grip the edge of the compartment opening.

"I'm terrified." He leans in menacingly.

She leans away and loses her footing, falling back.

In one swift motion, his arm shoots out and pulls her in at the waist.

She looks up, surprised, her body pressed to his. He lingers, longer than he should, before he releases her, turning to stride back to the lounge.

"What would the First Order do if, what? All forty of you? Came knocking at our door." His tone is mocking. "No, perhaps forty-one now. Did you recruit anyone in Denash?" He casts her a snide glance.

He feels her anger rise.

Rey breaks into a run, racing past him and planting herself firmly in his path.

"Give me back the Falcon!" She looks up at him, eyes like lasers.

"No." He returns her fierce gaze with cold detachment. "It's mine now. You abandoned it. My forces found it. I came by it through lawful means. I would say you could barter for it, but you have nothing that I want."

Something flashes across Rey's eyes— a caustic look that seems to challenge him. She starts to say something but instead she shakes her head, moving past him.

She continues to the technical station, stopping before it and letting out a sigh. Then she stoops down and opens one of the lower compartments, rifling through it.

"What are you doing now?" He steps to her.

"Well, clearly I can touch things here through the bond." She's crouching, her back to him. "I'm about to find out if I can take things back with me through it." She removes a few things from the compartment.

He steps in to take a closer look. Is that a stack of books?

He starts to lean over, but she shifts her body to block his view.

"That is, of course…" She glances back at him. "If you'll allow me to take a few of my things, Supreme Leader." She draws out the name.

"It makes no difference to me." He stands, unmoving.

"Well, that's very generous of you," she says sarcastically. "What do you plan to do with the ship, anyways? Lock it away, never to be seen again?"

"No." He turns away, shaking his head. "I have something much better in mind."

"Yeah?" Rey asks absently. "What's that?"

"I'm going to destroy it." He strides to the end of the lounge.

Rey instantly shoots up, whipping around.

"What!?" Her eyes are wide with horror. "You can't do that!" She steps frantically towards him.

"Actually, I can do whatever I want with this ship." He looks down at her coolly.

"B-but…" She sputters, her emotions raging through him, a frenzied fear. "But…" She looks around the room. "This is your family ship!"

"No, it's not!" He barks, louder than he intended.

She flinches, stepping back.

He takes a breath, collecting himself.

"No, it's not," he repeats more calmly.

Her eyes widen in disbelief.

"But…" She searches his face. "You spent half your life on this ship! You practically grew up here. You can't just get rid of it!"

"Yes. I can." He punctuates each word.

"But it's part of you!" Her voice is almost shrill. "It's part of who you are, part of where you came from."

"Rey." He sucks in a breath. "This ship is not part of me. Any part of me that was bound to it, I killed a long time ago."

Her shoulders drop. She turns and walks silently to the lounge seat, sinking into a corner of it. She leans over, propping her elbows on her knees, her eyes tightening.

He stands nearby, watching as she stares into nothing. He tilts his head, curious.

"Why do you care so much about what happens to this piece of junk?" Kylo crosses his arms.

She looks down, rubbing her hands together anxiously.

"I don't know…" Her shoulders are scrunched into her ears. She looks bruised, vulnerable. "I…" She takes a short breath. "I guess… somewhere along the line… without realizing it…" She presses her lips together. "This ship became my home."

"Really?" He snorts. "This is your home?"

She shoots him a look.

"Yes." She shifts a little, defensive. "You know, you might not be able to understand this, but I never really had a home. Or a family. I lived in an old AT-AT walker on Jakku, but it never really felt like home. Not like the Falcon does." She looks down, her voice breaking.

"This was the place where I found myself. Found a family, of sorts. Found a purpose. It just…" Her eyes glisten. "Helps me feel like I belong somewhere." She hunches over, tears spilling over her cheeks.

Kylo watches silently, unsure what to say. He feels a twist in his heart, a long-suppressed emotion that's become much more familiar since he met Rey.

Compassion.

He steps towards her, the click of his boots filling the silence. He pauses, observing her for a moment.

She doesn't look up. She just sits with her arms wrapped tightly around her body, making herself small.

He kneels in front of her.

Her eyes are closed, her smooth skin, pink lips, glistening with tears. He reaches up with a gloved hand to brush them from her cheek.

At this, her eyes fly open.

"Ben." She leans in, her voice is just above a whisper. "Please. Don't destroy this ship. Please." Her lips tremble. "Lock it away somewhere, out of sight. You never have to see it again. Just…" Her voice breaks. "Don't destroy it." Her eyes plead with his.

He stares at her, his gaze steady and even.

But his chest is tight, the aching in her heart spilling right into his. For a split second, the primal overcomes the rational, and he sees it in his mind, what he wants to do.

Remove his gloves. Reach out. Bring her face to his. Kiss the tears from her cheeks. Wrap his arms around her. Whisper that her home is wherever he is.

But he banishes the thought as quickly as it came. He hardens, staring back at her, emotions concealed under a practiced coldness.

Rey gulps, filling with disappointment. She closes her eyes and hangs her head, accepting defeat.

Then she disappears, melting away like she was never here.

He lets out his breath, just realizing he'd been holding it in. He looks to the ceiling, trying to purge his mind, his body, of the bond, her presence. His shoulders relax as he starts to feel normal, slowly regaining his cold self-possession.

He stands, taking a final look around the ship.

Then he sweeps his mask from the table, bringing it overhead and clicking it into place. He turns sharply, striding out of the lounge and pressing a panel to open the landing deck. He begins to descend before it reaches the ground.

The technicians look up as he exits but turn away quickly, returning to their business.

The fat-necked officer approaches with an air of ingratiation. He halts, giving a dramatic bow, then rises swiftly.

"Five minutes, sir." He straightens. "Then we will release this garbage heap into space and blast it to smithereens."

"No," Kylo commands in his distorted voice. "Put it back where you found it. Exactly. Now." He strides away.

"But, sir…" The officer sputters, stepping after him.

Kylo whips around, extending his arm, reaching out with his Force senses to grip the man's throat.

The officer's hands whip up, tugging at his collar as he chokes.

Kylo releases him, and the officer instantly takes a giant gulp of air. He steps forward, black mask bearing down coldly.

"Do I need repeat myself?" He cocks his head.

"Of course not." The officer gulps. "Supreme Leader." He bows.

Kylo turns, striding away.

"And put a tracking device on it," He commands without looking back.

He charges onward, channeling his energy into the tasks ahead. The Silencer inspection. The next phase of testing. An endless regimen of responsibility.

He's had enough distractions for one day.

He needs to lose himself in his work, a rush of focus. He needs fixate on something, anything to keep him from facing the uncomfortable truth.

That there's a part of him, a part he thought he killed long ago… still alive.

And Rey's keeping it that way.

Rey's eyes fly open.

She shoots up from a reclined position, looking around, disoriented.

Faint light from a jagged opening pours in to the space around her. Her eyes adjust as she takes in her surroundings… thick, grey rock stretching overhead, damp earth, a makeshift fire pit to the left.

Then it all comes flooding back…

The recruitment mission. Denash. That sniveling Rodian. The First Order nearly blasting her and Chewie to bits. Racing to hide in the mountains. The Falcon, gone.

Her shoulders drop.

The bond. Him. With her ship. His plan to obliterate it.

Rey gulps, tears pushing at the backs of her eyes.

No.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

He will not make her cry today.

She stands up, looking around, wondering what time it is, where Chewie's gotten off to.

They don't have long. Finn will be here to pick them up before noon.

She walks to the fire pit and begins dismantling it. Perhaps there's no need since they'll be leaving soon, but covering her tracks has become second nature since joining the Resistance.

Suddenly, she hears Chewie's baw frantically, distant but getting closer. Seconds later, he wriggles his way through the small opening, tufts of fur getting caught on jagged rock.

"What's wrong?" Rey shoots to her feet.

He baws a warning.

"A First Order ship!? Are you sure?"

He baws again, nodding.

Rey's heartbeat quickens.

Have they come back to root them out?

She gasps.

Finn. He's on his way. He'll be in danger.

She bites her lip, trying to figure out what to do.

They can't go to the rendezvous point now; they can't be exposed. But she also can't let Finn land here. She'll have to sneak back into town and get a message to him…

Her mind races, plotting out a course of action. But suddenly, her thoughts grind to a halt.

A strange feeling descends, a realization. She doesn't know how she knows but… she knows.

"Chewie, get your things. We're heading out."

He protests, insisting that if they leave the mountain, they'll be First Order target practice.

"No, we won't." She runs to her pouch, shoving a few things inside it. "Now, come on. Hurry."

The Wookie baws in protest.

"Chewie, trust me." She brings the strap of her pouch overhead. "When have I ever lead you astray?"

He cocks his head, then baws that Han would say that exact thing right before they did something stupid.

Rey rolls her eyes.

"Well, I'm not Han. And we're not in danger. Just… trust me, ok?"

The Wookie leans back, clearly reluctant, but after a second, he nods. He turns and begins gathering his things.

They move quickly and within a few minutes, they're both wriggling out of the crevice. Rey leads them forward, moving swiftly down the mountain path and into the forest. They continue through the thick trees, over the small streams, around the valley of boulders that was once a river.

Rey knows exactly where to go. She moves with purpose, looking around for the signs, the little things she took note of when they first landed a week ago.

With every step, her anticipation rises. A part of her worries… maybe she's wrong? But the stronger part of her knows that she's not.

There's the broken tree, ancient and split in half.

They're close.

She picks up her pace, breaking into to run. She leaps over large roots, weaving around branches and mossy overhangs. Finally, she emerges through the brush and sees it just ahead. She halts, a huge grin breaking across her face as she takes in the glorious image.

The Falcon. Right where she left it, perched on a large, flat boulder in an opening in the forest.

Chewie pushes his way through the brush to stand beside her. He baws in confusion, turning to Rey for answers.

She just shrugs.

"Let's not question our luck, aye?" She nudges him. "Come on. We've got to contact Finn, tell him to turn around." She steps to the ship, reaching into her pouch for the remote. She pushes a button and the ramp begins to creak, descending to the earth.

She barrels into the ship, stopping just at the top. She breathes deeply, taking in the smell of the place, her heart full of joy… and gratitude.

Home.

He brought it back to her.