What She's Worth (Reylo)

Chapter 30

He had failed. He'd failed the final trial.

Rey could scarcely believe her ears. Ben Solo, one of the academy's finest students had been the only one to fail the trial. Or at least, been unable to complete it from what she'd heard. That didn't equal failure, she thought, but everyone else seemed to think so, and it was all the padawans could talk about.

The descendant of the great Skywalker lineage. A failure. It was absolutely excruciating to hear others especially the new Jedi Knights whisper and gloat about it, and so Rey had chosen to keep to herself, even shunning Kreio's company. If there was anyone she needed to be with right now, it was Ben, but she wasn't sure how to go about it given their fallout. But when word got out that he had been taken to the infirmary because of shock, she knew she had to see him.

"You can do this, Rey," she told herself as she made her way down the white-walled corridors which led to the infirmary. She paused by the side of the door, put her hand over her rapidly beating heart and took in a deep breath before stepping inside.

She stopped almost the instant she walked in. Ben was lying on a cot, apparently sleeping but that wasn't the reason she stopped. Lennett was there, sitting on a chair beside him.

The very place Rey should be at right now.

Rey felt her fingers involuntarily clench, and in that moment, Lennett raised her head, stared back at her and smiled. It was the same triumphant smile she wore when she was covered in only a sheet a few nights back, and Rey had the greatest urge to run, lest she did something she might regret but she held her ground. She wasn't about to let Lennett chase her away again.

No sooner had she taken her first step when Lennett stood up and walked towards her, stopping her in her tracks. She watched the approach with narrowed eyes until Lennett stood before her, arms crossed over ample breasts.

"So...came to see Ben, did you?"

Rey didn't reply, but continued to glare at Lennett, to which she responded by widening her smile.

"My, you have grown to be a defiant little thing, haven't you?" Lennett crooned then lowered herself to Rey's eye level, propping her hands against her knees. "I don't know what you're trying to accomplish by coming here, Rey, but I would appreciate it if you left. Ben, as you very well know, is my man now."

"Ben doesn't belong to anyone," Rey replied through gritted teeth. "He is his own person. One night with you doesn't make him yours."

Lennett giggled. "You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that!" Rey stomped her feet. No one was allowed to call her that except Ben. No one!

"Oh? Is the little bird angry?" Lennett cooed and smirked. "Do you hate me now, Rey? Do I make you angry? If so...do it. Give in to that anger. You know you want to."

Rey's eyes widened. She had heard those words before. In the nightmares she had been having nonstop. Those words...those taunts...they were not the Jedi way. And the more she stared at Lennett, the more her anger evolved into fright.

Lennett must have seen the change in Rey's expression because her smile suddenly disappeared, and she drew herself up to her full height.

Rey didn't wait for Lennett to say anything more as she turned and ran; ran from her nightmares personified; recoiled from the stranger she had known for years.

Recoiled from the Dark Side.

He had failed. He'd failed the final trial.

But how else could he have gone about it? He had made the choice to kill his father in order to save Rey. Made the choice to end the life of a dying man—given him a swift, merciful death rather than leave him to suffer for more years and at the same time save the life of the girl who meant so much to him. How was that the wrong choice? How was letting the creature—Supreme Leader Snoke as it called itself—take her to the Dark Side the better alternative?