38. Exposed

CHAPTER SUMMARY: A rumor circulating after Bandomeer turns out to be true.

Heads up— This is a "no Kylo/Ben" chapter. There will be three more of these before the story is finished, one for Rey and two for Kylo/Ben.

"Hey, Finn!" Poe calls absently. "You done yet?"

"Give me a minute!"

Poe doesn't look up, eyes fixed on his datapad. He's standing in the center of the training room, surrounded by shipping crates. Normally, it's all open space, just a blue matted floor, but now it's covered in a miscellany of equipment scattered in piles.

Poe reviews the figures on his pad— 36 headsets, 90 commlinks, 40 transceivers, 13 subspace radios, 140 packs of bacta bandages, 6 lightpads, 18 field cauterizers…

His eyes start to glaze over. He tries to concentrate, but the figures seem to run together. He sighs, his lids drooping.

So tedious. He's not cut out for this.

Yet he feels like it's half his life now, managing things. This whole base is like one big list he has to wrangle. Every day, he wakes up and oversees it all, the instructors, the recruits, the weapons, the equipment, the training ops…

Not that he's complaining. It means a lot that Leia trusts him with this kind of responsibility. When she put him in charge of the training base, she told he'd be holding the heart of the organization in his hands. Everyone who joins the Resistance starts right here, under his guidance. It's the greatest privilege, to mold a new generation of heroes, teach them courage, strength, compassion.

It's just… every now and then he misses spending most of his time in a cockpit.

Suddenly, BB8 pops out from behind a stack of crates, chirping.

Poe snaps up.

"No, don't worry about that." He lowers his pad. "We just need the numbers right now."

The droid beeps once, rolling to meet him.

"Alright, buddy." Poe lifts his pad. "Tell me what you got."

BB8 launches into a string of beeps, and Poe follows along, nodding.

"Uh huh." He enters a note. "What about the class fives?"

The droid beeps matter-of-factly.

"Alright…" Poe enters more notes. "And the med droids?"

BB8 answers, bobbing back and forth.

"And how many need some work?"

The droid chirps.

"Really?" Poe balks. "None of them?"

BB8 beeps a confirmation.

"Man…" Poe smiles at his pad. "We're gettin' the good stuff now."

"You're telling me…" Finn walks up, stepping around a pile of headsets. "Someone sent us five bacta tanks, all new."

"Yeah?" Poe grins at him. "What else?"

"Uh…" Finn lifts his datapad. "We've got 6 nanocams, 17 autodocs, 90 field kits, over 800 ration packs, 300 K-18 bars, and…" He squints. "30 bottles of firewater."

"What?" Poe knits his eyebrows. "Who sent us that?"

Finn tsks, glancing at his pad.

"Someone named… Grekh Vizago?" He looks up. "From Canto Bight?"

"No one I know." Poe shrugs.

"Well, the shipment was addressed to Daja but…" Finn narrows his eyes. "I'm just gonna consider it a gift to the Resistance."

"I think that's best." Poe's lips twist wryly. "The last thing that girl needs is 30 bottles of firewater all to herself."

BB8 rolls its head back, beeping a suggestion.

"Good call, buddy." Poe smiles at the droid. "Finn, go ahead and mark the firewater under med supplies. We can use it as a painkiller if we get desperate, which…" He tilts his head. "We probably will at some point."

"Not any time soon. I mean, look at this…" Finn gestures around. "We've gotten more donations in the past week than in the last six months. Who knows when I'll get this training room back."

"Yeah, well…" Poe raises his eyebrows. "Our storerooms are full of drugs and spice at the moment, thanks to Rey."

"Can't be too put out, though." Finn winks. "Considering she's the reason we've got all this."

"It's unbelievable, isn't it?" Poe leans in. "We're literally turning people away right now. Thanks to that holo, people want join us just to get close to the Chainbreaker."

"How many times have you watched it?"

"Oh…" Poe looks at his datapad. "Once or twice."

BB8 chirps, bumping into Poe's boot.

"Yeah, ok." His eyes flit up. "I might have watched it a couple more times than that."

"I've watched it twenty times at least," Finn admits freely. "Never get tired of it, Rey walking between the waters, holding them up just like…" He extends his arms on either side.

"Yeah, it's something else." Poe smiles to himself. "We couldn't have made a better recruitment propo if we tried."

"Have you talked to her since she got back?"

"Barely." He grunts. "How about you?"

"Same." Finn nods. "Every time I see her, she's mobbed. Even Rose hardly gets a second alone with her."

"The perils of fame…" Poe tsks, walking to a stack of crates.

BB8 follows at his heels.

"So…" Finn comes up behind him. "Did you know she'd been doing this? Sneaking out slaves during these invasions?"

"Nope." Poe sets his pad down. "She played that one close to the chest. But you gotta wonder how she knew where to go."

"No shit." Finn widens his eyes. "I've told the General a thousand times. It's impossible to get a spy in the First Order."

"Yeah, well..." Poe turns, smirking. "Rey has a way of making the impossible possible."

"True." Finn tilts his head. "But I'm telling you, the First Order keeps stuff like that buried. Only the highest-ranked officers knew where we were going when we got deployed."

"Maybe she did one of her, you know…" Poe lifts a hand, waving it mysteriously.

"Maybe." Finn crosses his arms. "We'll have to ask her."

"If we ever get the chance." Poe grunts. "We'll be lucky if we get five minutes with her before she's on another rescue." He turns, reaching for his pad. "We're just like everyone else now, guessing at the truth."

"I wouldn't call what's going on out there guessing." Finn snorts. "More like crazy speculation. You wouldn't believe the rumors I heard when I was in town yesterday."

"Oh yeah?" Poe enters a note on his pad. "Like what?"

"Like the one about Rey and Kylo Ren."

"Huh?" Poe looks back.

"Yeah, some people think he's her contact on the inside."

"What?" Poe whips around. "But that makes no sense. Why would Kylo Ren share top secret intel with the Resistance?"

"Beats me." Finn shrugs. "But it's out there. Some of the slaves claim he was there when it happened, even say he and Rey seemed to know each other, acted like…" He purses his lips. "They were, uh… together."

"Together?"

"Yeah, together, you know? Like a couple."

Poe widens his eyes. For a second, he just stares.

Then, he bursts out laughing, dropping his datapad on BB8.

The droid squeals, rolling back.

"Oh, buddy, I'm sorry!" He crouches. "I didn't ding you, did I?"

The droid beeps woefully.

"Well, I don't see anything." He strokes BB8's head, inspecting it.

The droid lets out a low whine.

"I think you're gonna be ok." Poe pats its round body. "Besides, it's his fault." He nods to Finn, grabbing his pad.

"Hey." Finn raises his hands defensively. "I just told you what I heard."

"If I didn't think this galaxy was nuts before…" Poe mutters, rising. "It kills me what people will believe." He turns, tossing his pad on the crates. "But it's just talk. At the end of the day, there's only one thing we know for sure, one thing that matters."

"Oh yeah?" Finn tilts his chin up. "What's that?"

Poe turns, a sly smile on his lips. He leans in, eyes fixed on Finn.

"Our girl's a bad-ass."

"Yeah she is!" Finn flashes a grin. "The First Order better watch out. We've got a legend on our side. Seriously. Rey's the next Skywalker."

"No." Poe shakes his head. "She's something different. Something better. The people in this galaxy don't just look up to her, they love her." He smiles, his eyes shining.

But a second later, the smile fades.

"Of course, they do." He looks down.

The room grows quiet.

For a moment, Poe just stands, staring at the floor. Then he turns, reaching for his pad.

Finn presses his lips together.

"Hey…" He rests a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Poe sinks at his touch.

"I know…" Finn sighs. "You're sick of hearing me and Rose tell you this, but…" He tilts his head. "You have got to talk to her, tell how you feel—"

"No." Poe jerks away. "It's just…" He twitches. "Not worth it. I know what she'd say."

"No, you don't." Finn's hands fly out. "You don't have a clue. For all you know—"

"Finn, listen." Poe whips around. "I'm a pilot. I have a sense about things, and I'm telling you, she doesn't think of me that way. In fact…" He looks away. "She doesn't think of me at all."

"Ok, first off…" Finn blinks. "Being a pilot has nothing to do with this. Secondly, that is completely not true. Of course, she thinks about you." He leans in. "You're one of her closest friends."

"Yeah, we're so close, we hardly see each other."

"Oh, come on," Finn goads. "You're both busy. I hardly see her either, you know."

Poe grumbles, turning away.

"You're not being fair. You're not even giving her a chance."

Poe tenses, snatching his pad.

"You can't know what she'd say until you talk to her."

He scrolls through the menu, just to do something.

"You might be surprised. Trust me. I know her. She keeps a lot bottled up. You can't judge her based on what you see."

"Yeah, but that's just it." Poe swings around. "It's not about seeing. It's about feeling." He flings the pad back on the crates.. "And I'm telling you, I can feel it. I can feel she's not interested. She still just…" He sighs. "She still just sees me as some arrogant flyboy."

Suddenly, both Finn and Poe jerk to the floor.

BB8's going wild, squealing and rolling back and forth, bumping Poe's boot again and again.

"Whoa, buddy." Poe turns to the droid. "Slow down. What's going on?"

BB8 beeps urgently, flashing red and blue.

"What do you mean she thinks I'm a hero?"

BB8 flies back, whipping around and rolling to an open space.

Poe glances at Finn, knitting his eyebrows. They both step to the droid just as a holo shoots out of its body.

An image hovers over the floor, Rey standing in an empty space, her arms crossed.

"You know…" Suddenly the room is full of her voice. "You say Poe's a show-off but the truth is, he doesn't even think of himself as a hero. And in my eyes, that makes him more of a hero."

Poe's jaw drops.

"He doesn't put himself in danger for glory or recognition but because he cares. He cares so much. You have no idea." She turns her back to the recorder. "I feel it in him all the time, how much he cares about everyone." She steps towards someone, just an outline. "The people in his charge, the people he answers to, even random people, people he doesn't even know. He cares about all of them."

Finn starts nodding, a huge grin on his face.

"And when he puts himself against the odds, he doesn't do it because he wants to, he does it because he feels like he has to— for them, for everyone, for all the people too small or too weak to fight for themselves." She stops next to a tall figure.

Suddenly, the holo disappears, the room falling silent.

BB8 turns to Poe, rolling its head back.

Poe gapes.

"See." Finn gives him a nudge. "I told you."

Poe just stares, dumbfounded.

"Arrogant flyboy…" Finn scoffs. "Doesn't think about you…"

Poe blinks, but otherwise can't will himself to move. His face is blank except for a smile tugging his lips.

"You heard her." Finn grabs his shoulder. "She thinks you're a hero. She looks up to you, practically worships you."

"I-I…" Poe sputters. "I wouldn't say that…"

"Oh, come on," Finn goads. "Did you and I just hear the same thing? Everything she just said about you is exactly the kind of person she wants to be."

Poe shakes his head, but he can't stop smiling.

"Alright." Finn drops his hand. "I think we need to hear that again. BB?" He turns to the droid. "Will you?"

BB8 chirps once, then shifts its body to the open space. A second later, the holo shoots out again.

"You say Poe's a show-off but the truth is, he doesn't even think of himself as a hero." Rey's voice fills the room, her image hovering over the floor. "And in my eyes, that makes him more of a hero."

"Hero." Finn nudges his friend.

Poe grows warm, his cheeks turning pink.

"He doesn't put himself in danger for glory or recognition but because he cares. He cares so much. You have no idea."

Poe presses his lips together. He tries to stop smiling, but he just can't help himself.

"I feel it in him all the time, how much he cares about everyone. The people in his charge, the people he answers to, even random people, people he doesn't even know. He cares about all of them."

"It's true." Finn nods. "You've got the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known."

"And when he puts himself against the odds, he doesn't do it because he wants to, he does it because he feels like he has to." Rey approaches someone in the holo.

"Who's that?" Poe leans in.

"For them, for everyone, for all the people too small or too weak to fight for themselves." She stops next to a tall figure, his back turned to the recorder.

"Uh…" Finn lowers to get a better look.

Suddenly, the holo disappears.

"Hey!" Both Finn and Poe snap to BB8.

"Buddy, why'd you do that?" Poe looks at the droid.

BB8 beeps matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean the relevant parts?" He leans over. "There's more?"

The droid launches into a complex string of beeps.

"Ok, ok." Poe crouches, holding up a hand. "Just show me the rest of the holo, and I'll decide what's relevant."

BB8 lowers its head. It bobs back and forth for a moment, then turns to the open space.

"What'd he say?" Finn crouches by Poe.

"I don't know." Poe shrugs. "Something that didn't make sense."

The droid beeps quietly to itself, red and blue lights flashing softly. After a minute, it turns back to Poe, chirping.

"What do you mean you can't find it?" Poe scoots in. "You just played it."

BB8 whines, wiggling from side to side.

"Don't give me that." Poe shakes his head. "Stop being weird. Just play the holo."

The droid droops with a low beep.

"No." Poe rolls his eyes. "Just start where you left off."

BB8 turns, very slowly. Several seconds pass before the holo shoots out of its body.

Finn and Poe scoot in.

Rey stands next to a tall figure, clearly a man. His back is to the recorder, so he's just an outline with dark hair.

"You…" The man speaks. "You really do like him, don't you?" He turns, revealing his face.

Poe leans closer, eyes glued to Rey.

"Well…" She looks up at the man. "Of course, I do. He's my—"

"BB, turn it off!"

In an instant, the holo disappears.

"Whoa. What?" Poe swings to Finn. "Why'd you—?" He stops when he sees his friend's face.

Finn gapes at the floor, eyes wide.

"Hey." Poe knits his eyebrows. "Are you ok?"

Finn doesn't move. He just stares, frozen in a crouched position.

"Finn?" Poe lifts a hand to his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I-I…" Finn trembles a little. "I-I…" He tries to speak but only manages a croak.

Suddenly, he shoots to his feet.

"I have to go."

Finn swings around, charging through a pile of headsets, scattering them all over the floor.

"Whoa!" Poe shoots up. "What's the matter? Where are you going?"

Finn doesn't respond, just weaves around crates and equipment, heading straight for the exit. He slaps a panel, flying into the hall.

"Finn!" Poe follows several paces behind, BB8 on his heels.

Finn pushes through throngs of people, the hall filled with laughter and chatter. It must be around noon, recruits pouring out of morning training ops for lunch.

"Sorry!" Finn shoves through the crowd. "Comin' through." He picks up his pace, quickly scanning the faces.

"Finn!"

He hears Poe behind him but he keeps his eyes forward, searching the crowd. He catches sight of a woman he recognizes on Rey's team, tall with cropped black hair, tattoos etched along her cheek.

"Hey!" Finn lunges towards her, knocking a few people off balance. "Hey!" He keeps his eyes on the woman, trying to remember her name. "Hey, Syl!"

She snaps to him, slowing.

"Where's Rey?" He flies up to her.

"Uh…" She halts. "Conference room twelve, I think." She nods behind her. "There's a mission tomor—"

"Thanks!" Finn bursts past her.

"Sure…" The woman sounds confused.

He races down the hall, dodging people left and right.

"Sorry!" Finn whips around a corner, picking up his pace as the crowd thins. He flies forward, frenzied yet focused. He barrels down a flight of stairs, startling a recruit at the bottom.

"Whoa!" The young man steps back. "Sorry, sir."

Finn nods briefly but doesn't stop, continuing down the narrow hall, looking from side to side.

He skids to a halt in front of a door marked "C-12." He pauses to catch his breath, glancing from side to side.

The hall's empty except for a cleaning droid rolling by.

He waits a few seconds, collecting himself. Then, he presses a panel, the door whirring open.

He steps into a small room, everyone inside snapping up.

Rey, Rose, and Daja are huddled around a circular table, a holo hovering in the center, a map of some sort.

"Finn?" Rose rises from her chair. "What are you doing here? I thought we weren't meeting until 1300?"

"I…" He glances behind him as the door shuts. "I…"

The women stare at him, Daja crossing her arms.

"I need to talk to Rey." He straightens. "Right now. Alone."

Rey stands next to the table, knitting her eyebrows.

"Finn?" She tilts her head. "Can it wait until later? We need to finish planning this rescue."

"No." He shakes his head. "We need to talk now. Just you and me."

"Yeah, well get in line." Daja puts a hand on her hip. "You're not the only person wanting some one-on-one time with the Chainbreaker." She sticks a thumb to Rey.

"Listen. This isn't—" Finn stops, twisting around at the sound of the door.

"Hey!" Poe charges into the room. "What's up with you? Why are you running from me?"

BB8 rolls in, stopping just behind Poe.

Finn sighs, sinking.

"I…" He takes a breath. "I just need to talk to Rey. Alone. It's urgent."

"Uh-uh." Poe shakes his head. "No. You can't just watch a holo that came from my droid." He points to BB8. "Then go nuts and storm out without a word. I wanna know what's going on."

"Holo?" Rose looks to Poe. "You mean the holo?"

"No, another one." Poe waves a hand.

"Which one?" Rey's face goes white.

BB8 backs slowly into the hall. It swings around, rolling briskly away.

"Whoa! Buddy!" Poe steps out of the room. "Where do you think you're going?"

The droid beeps urgently, picking up its pace.

"What!?" Poe charges after it. "No. Get back here."

BB8 slows to a halt, letting out a soft string of beeps.

"Well, it's too late for that now." Poe stops behind it. "You're the one who started this mess. Come on." He turns, walking back to the conference room.

BB8 follows slowly, its head drooping.

Poe strides through the doorway, BB8 rolling in behind him.

"Alright." Poe turns to Finn. "What's going on?"

Finn stands near the door, his face buried in a palm.

"Can you…?" He drops his hand. "Give me and Rey a minute alone? Please."

Poe narrows his eyes.

Finn looks to the others.

Rose stands by the table, concerned and intensely curious. Daja studies Finn warily, her arms crossed. Rey can't take her eyes off BB8 hiding behind Poe's legs.

For a minute, the room is quiet.

"So…" Poe draws out the word. "Does anyone know what's going on here?" He glances around.

Finn sighs, closing his eyes.

"BB…" He shakes his head. "Just play it again, alright? Play it where you left off."

The droid droops. It turns reluctantly, rolling to an open space in the corner. A second later, it projects the holo on the floor.

Everyone moves towards it, gathering behind BB8 to watch an image of Rey standing next to a tall figure, his back to the recorder.

"You…" The man's voice fills the room. "You really do like him, don't you?" He turns, his face in view.

Rose and Poe lean in.

But Rey and Daja freeze.

"Of course, I do." Rey speaks in the holo. "He's my—" Suddenly, she stops. "Oh, Ben. No." She looks up at the man. "No, no, no. I do like him but… not like that, not in the way you think."

Poe's shoulders drop.

"Ben, please. Listen to me." Rey reaches for the man as he turns away. "I do love Poe. But as a friend, a very dear friend. I don't think of him at all the way I think about you."

"Turn it off." Finn sucks in a breath.

In an instant, the holo disappears.

BB8 lowers its head.

The room is dead silent. Everyone stands behind the droid, nearly shoulder to shoulder, yet they all avoid eye contact.

Finn bores holes into the floor where the holo used to be.

Daja's in shock, her mouth hanging open.

Rey stares blankly, like she's expecting to wake up any minute now.

Rose presses her lips together, glancing at Poe.

He looks utterly crestfallen. He's standing still, eyes down.

The silence drags on, everyone lost their own emotions— disbelief, terror, heartache.

"So…" Poe's the first one to speak. He tries to swallow, but his throat's too tight. "Who's Ben?" He looks at Rey.

She closes her eyes, sinking.

Rose turns to her expectantly.

But Rey remains silent.

Rose looks to Finn, searching for an explanation.

But he doesn't move. He just stares at the floor, arms crossed.

"I know who that is." He finally speaks. "I've only seen his face once, but I'll never forget it." His voice is quiet. "That's… That's Kylo Ren."

Rose widens her eyes.

"W-Wha…?" Poe blusters. "What?" He leans in, trying to catch Finn's eye.

Finn keeps his head down.

"Seriously!?" Poe balks. "This is a joke, right?"

Finn doesn't budge.

Poe leans closer, narrowing his eyes.

"Ok, that's it." He straightens. "No more trips to town for you. You're letting gossip get to your head, make you crazy."

"I'm not crazy." Finn snaps up.

"I didn't…" Poe closes his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just meant… Listen, I know you're busy." He steps to Finn, putting a hand on his shoulder. "And I know I put you out, filled half your training rooms with junk, and I promise I'll get it all out by the end of the week. You're just…" He pats his back. "You're just tired."

"No, I'm not," Finn bites. "I'm not tired, and I'm not crazy."

Poe sighs, dropping his hand. He glances at BB8.

"Hey buddy." He crouches.

The droid lets out a low beep.

"Where'd you record that holo you just showed us?"

BB8 chirps quietly.

"Thanks, buddy." Poe pats its round body, then rises. "He said he took it in the basement right here." He points to the floor. "So, you think Kylo Ren's been hanging out in our basement?" He cocks his head.

"I…" Finn pushes out an exhale. "I just know what I saw, man, and I am telling you that—" He points to the floor in front of BB8. "Was Kylo Ren."

"No, it wasn't."

"Yes, it was!" Finn shouts. "But don't take my word for it. Ask Rey!" He flings a hand in her direction.

"I don't have to." Poe crosses his arms. "Because I know Rey. Everyone in this room knows Rey. They know she would never do something like that. Not to mention it's impossible."

"You're the one who said she's makes the impossible possible," Finn mutters.

"That's not the point!" Poe's getting angry now. "The point is that you know Rey. You know who she is, what she stands for. You insult her by even suggesting this!"

Finn looks down.

Poe gapes at him.

"I can't believe you." His eyes darken. "I can't believe that after everything you've seen Rey do, put her heart out there, put her life on the line, that you'd think she's capable of getting mixed up with Kylo Ren." Poe gets in his face.

"Alright, that's enough." Rose charges to Poe, grabbing his arm. "You need to cool it. Maybe if you'd shut up a minute, Rey could speak for herself."

"Fine by me." Poe steps back. "Rey, tell him." He swings to face her.

She's standing by BB8, staring blankly at nothing. Daja's sitting by the table now, her hands in her lap, eyes down.

"Come on." Poe steps to Rey. "I know it's crazy, but apparently, he needs to hear it."

Finn looks up. His face is even except for his eyes, calm yet piercing.

Rey stares at the floor, holding onto herself for dear life.

"Come on," Poe goads. "Just tell him."

Rey gulps.

Poe, Rose, and Finn watch her, waiting.

"It's…" She takes a short breath. "It's… complicated."

Poe knits his eyebrows.

Rey squeezes her eyes shut, fighting back tears. Her throat's so tight she feels like she's suffocating.

"What…?" Poe tilts his head. "What's complicated?"

"It's…" Her lips tremble. "It's the Force." A tear escapes down her cheek. "It keeps bringing us together. I can't control it. Neither of us can."

Poe's jaw drops. He goes white, the color draining from his face.

"I don't understand…" Rose steps in. "The Force is doing what?"

"I know it doesn't make sense." Rey shakes her head. "I don't understand it either. All I know is that it's been happening for over a year. I'll turn around and he's there, or I'm where he is. It's just—"

"Wait a minute." Rose lifts a hand. "Over a year?"

"So, it's true." Finn interrupts, eyes on Rey. "The man in the holo was Kylo Ren."

Rey hangs her head.

"Yes," she answers quietly.

"And the rumors about Bandomeer, the invasions, the people who think you've been working together, that's true?"

"Yes."

Finn lets out an exhale. He looks grim but also validated, everything starting to make sense.

Poe staggers. He stumbles to a chair by the table and lowers absently, nearly missing the seat.

Daja sits not far from him, silent and still.

"So…" Rose purses her lips. "Kylo Ren was in our basement?"

"For..." Rey shrugs weakly. "For all intents and purposes, yes."

Rose squints, trying to process this. Everyone in the room is frozen, working through what they've heard. Only BB8 moves, bobbing lightly next to Rey. It's been following the conversation closely, scanning all the faces, registering the emotions. It's struggles to account for all of them, but there's one thing it knows for sure.

Everyone is absolutely miserable.

The droid droops guiltily.

"So—" Poe struggles to speak. "So—" He licks his lips. "So, let me get this straight." He shoots out of his chair.

His eyes are sharp, fixed on Rey.

"At the same time…" He starts slowly, his hands shaking. "That you've been preaching the value of life and how we need to protect the vulnerable people in this galaxy, you've been—" He blinks. "You've been sneaking behind our backs withthe galaxy's greatest living mass murderer?"

Rey closes her eyes.

"Poe…" She shakes her head. "It's not that simple."

"Yes, it is!" He shoots forward.

She steps back, bumping against the wall.

"It is that simple." Poe gets in her face. "I—" The word gets caught in his throat. "I once watched Kylo Ren cut down an unarmed man, an old, defenseless man." His eyes search hers. "Then, he ordered an entire village to be slaughtered, innocent men and women. You were there!" He flings a hand at Finn. "You saw it!"

Finn looks down.

"Rey, you know." Poe's voice breaks. "You know the things that he's done."

Rey gulps, struggling to maintain eye contact.

"You know how many people out there are missing fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and children, all because of him." His eyes tighten. "You know their pain, their loss." His shoulders drop. "Rey, how could you? How could you just ignore it all?"

"I-I…" She trembles. "I told you. It's complicated."

"How!?" He demands. "How's it complicated?"

She closes her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Poe straightens, hardening. He stands just in front of Rey, her back to the wall.

"Because here's how I see it," Poe starts quietly. "You either resist evil. Fight it. Or…" He leans in. "You're complicit in it."

Rey's eyes snap open.

Poe glares at her, cold and piercing.

"So, which is it?" He bites. "Who's side are you on?"

"Poe." Rey sighs. "You've got it wrong. There are no sides. Just people."

"WHAT!?" He explodes, his hands flying out. ""What galaxy are you living in, Rey!?" Of course there are sides— the people who want to protect life, share resources and the people who want to destroy what they don't like and take the rest for themselves!"

"That's not true." Rey shoves him, stepping forward from the wall. "You think the First Order is full of villains who want to destroy everything, but the reality's more complex. They're just people, some of them good people, people who think they're making the galaxy a better pla—"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Poe roars. "Tell me, how does destroying an entire star system make the galaxy a better place?"

"Poe." Rey sucks in a breath. "You know how I feel about Starkiller, but that is not all the First Order is. Just because they're capable of evil does not mean they're not capable of good. We've seen that. We've—"

"Are you hearing yourself right now?" Poe gapes at her. "You're defending the organization that we're fighting, that we're trying to destroy."

"Well, maybe destruction shouldn't be our goal." Rey crosses her arms. "Maybe we should have a different goal, one that doesn't involve every single person in the First Order, people like Finn, being blown to bits!"

"Finn made a choice." Poe sticks a finger in her face. "When he saw what the First Order really was, he left because that's what good people do in the face of evil."

"Well, not everyone's as brave or perceptive as Finn is." Rey flings a hand in his direction. "When you're vulnerable and caught up in a culture that twists your thinking, it's not always so easy to tell right from wrong. There are plenty in the First Order who don't deserve to die—"

"Stop." Poe lifts a hand. "Just stop. You're just deflecting from the fact you're with someone who has chosen to be evil, who chose to stomp all over this galaxy, who chose to kill his own father, who nearly killed his own mother—"

"No, he didn't." Rey shakes her head. "And he didn't want to kill his father. You have no idea the guilt he carries, the shame he feels—"

"Oh, he feels guilty!" Poe blows up. "Well, that makes it all ok, then! He's practically a hero, feeling guilty for all that murdering!"

Rey leans back, the force of Poe's rage like an explosive blast.

But she can sense what's under it, fury masking the pain. His heart is just breaking…

Her throat tightens, tears pushing at the backs of her eyes.

Finn and Rose watch silently. They're at a loss, not sure who to defend.

Daja's not even looking at them. She's facing the table, gripping the edges of her chair.

The room grows quiet. Poe glares at Rey, eyes like lasers.

"You…" Poe points at her. "You are not the person I thought you were." He scoffs, dropping his hand. "I don't even know who you are anymore." He leans in. "Except for a liar and a hypocrite."

"HEY!"

Suddenly, Daja shoots out of her chair.

"That is not fair!" She charges to Poe. "You're not giving her chance. She can't say two words without you screaming at her!"

"I've heard enough." Poe hardens. He whips around, marching to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Daja demands.

He slaps a panel, charging out the moment the door whirs open.

"Hey, get back here!" Daja flies after him.

Their footsteps fade quickly down the hall.

Rey stares at the open door, her face stricken. She can't move. She can hardly breath.

For a moment, the room is dead silent.

Then, Rey bursts into tears, crumpling to the floor on her hands and knees.

Finn and Rose glance at each other.

Then, they both step forward at once, moving swiftly to Rey. They don't think, don't question, just follow their hearts, falling to the floor, one on either side. They pull her up, wrapping their arms around her.

Rey sobs so hard her whole body's shaking, yet she feels like she can't cry hard enough, the tears only a shadow of her anguish, her despair. She sinks into the warm bodies enveloping her, comforted as all the confusion and disappointment melts away, eclipsed by a stronger emotion.

Compassion.

Finn and Rose tighten their hold, bowing their heads.

BB8 watches silently, not sure what to do. It searches its programming, everything it knows about human emotion, but it finds nothing in its protocol.

The droid droops. It can't help but feel that it must have malfunctioned somehow, got its wires crossed.

It turns, rolling slowly out of the room.