Spark of Hope

Chapter XVIII

As she ran toward the General's chambers, Rey went over what she would tell her. The only option was to tell Ben's mother the truth.

Getting to her door, Rey knocked urgently. Fortunately, Leia was within and told her to enter. Once she did and closed the door behind her, Rey rushed over to the older woman struggling to rise from her chair. Leia Organa's health had worsened over this past week—she remained in her room most of the time, now. What Rey had to say wouldn't make things better.

After hearing the entire story of Ben disappearing, Rey unable to reach him through their Force Bond, the Force ghosts coming to see her, and her suspicion about the Knights of Ren being involved, Leia sat back in her chair heavily. Despair was written on her face. Her body sagged under the weight of worry and fear.

"Even as bad as I want to, I can't do this alone. Masters Luke, Yoda, and Obi-Wan made me realize that," Rey said.

The General shook her head. "No, you can't."

"How do you suppose we do this? I was told to show everyone about me and Ben instead of telling them."

"They can't be told—their faith in Ben is not as strong as yours or mine." She banged her cane on the floor in finalization of some thought before she looked up at Rey. "Gather the commanders and lieutenants and send them to the War Room. We must launch our attack now."

***

Rey did as General Organa instructed; she also recruited palace guards to spread the word quicker. Before long, she stood in the War Room with all the gathered officers to listen to the General. To explain why they were attacking two days before schedule, Leia made everyone believe Rey had sensed the First Order was aware of their plan. She put Poe in charge of the mission since he was the best at thinking quick on his feet.

Everyone hurried out to prepare the Resistance fleet for the jump to the Sovereign stationed over Ragoon VI and the battle there. Leia stopped Rey before she could leave as well and hugged her.

"Please be careful, Rey," she began. "I've lost so many." Emotion cracked her voice.

"I'll try." Rey couldn't say for certain that she would come back. For some reason, she felt like they would never speak again.

Leia leaned out of the hug and touched her face like a mother would her child. "You've already saved my son—know that."

"Ben has saved me, too, and I'm not talking about just the catacombs."

She smiled. "I know he has. And you both have saved me." She pulled Rey down to kiss her forehead. "May the Force be with you, always."

Rey hugged her again, then turned to leave, knowing that their tender moment felt too much like a goodbye. Intuition choked her up. She didn't look back, scared it would've been the last time.

***

The hangar was alive with movement: pilots hurrying to and from ships; astromech droids rolling here and there; ground-fighters armed with blasters heading up the boarding ramps of the large Nu-class attack shuttles. Outside of his black X-wing, Poe barked out orders and assignments. Rey headed for the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca checking the undercarriage, ensuring it was ready for flight and a probable dogfight.

On her way over, Finn and Rose caught her, asking if they could ride with her instead of being crammed into one of the shuttle crafts like most of the other Resistance members. She agreed, thinking it would just be them three with Chewie and some Porgs, but some ground-fighters joined them too from lack of room on the three shuttles.

With everyone loaded, Rose headed to the cockpit with Chewbacca to help pilot. The fighters mingled in the Main Hold, and Rey and Finn went down the Quad-laser Access Tube to the Gun Well—Finn headed up and she climbed down.

Once she got seated and put on the headset linking her to the cockpit and everyone else, the Falcon lifted; through the window, they turned to the evening light and fly out of the hangar. Myrra grew smaller and smaller as they ascended. Rey spotted Poe Dameron's black X-wing leading a ragged-looking Resistance fleet, compared to what it used to be.

One by one, the ships before them disappeared as they shot into hyperspace. The darkening sky gradually turned to bright blue as stars blurred and the Millennium Falcon jerked as they jumped into lightspeed.

Rey sat back with a heavy sigh, picturing what they were fixing to do.

I'm coming, Ben, she thought. Just hold on a little longer.