Temptation Of Grey

Chapter 32 - Revelations

Ben had just hidden his face again in the shadows when the door of the quarters opened and Finn stormed into the room, closely followed by Poe. Both men ran up to Rey and gave her a big hug. Ben gritted his teeth but didn't move.

"Rey! Finally you are back! And you are fine! Will you tell us where you have been hanging around for so long and above all - why!" Finn's questions poured down on her like a waterfall while Poe suddenly became very still, because he had already spotted the second guest behind Rey.

"I'll report and explain everything to you immediately, but we don't have much time." Rey replied urgently and then continued, "Not much time to take things carefully, so I ask you now to keep all your trust in me in mind with what I am about to tell you."

At that moment Finn froze too and looked behind Rey's shoulder at the tall man with the hood. Both men froze in silence. Then Finn said horrified: "Rey, what did you do? Who did you bring with you? Please tell me that this is not true!"

Rey raised both hands as if to appease and replied quickly: "Please listen to me! I'll explain everything in peace, just please stay calm! It is important that we stay calm now, we don't have time for big arguments." At that moment she recognized in Finn's shocked face the realization who was her companion. His whole body tensed and his hand went to his weapon belt. Poe noticed Finn's reaction too and did the same.

Finn called: "How could you bring him to us! How could you betray us!" This was the moment when Ben lost patience. He lifted his hood and showed his face. Then he said in a threatening tone, "You shouldn't talk to her like that, Traitor, or I'll have to teach you how to behave." In response to this threat, they both drew their pistols.

"That's enough now!" Rey shouted, "We don't have time for such nonsense!" She concentrated her forces and sent them with all her might on both men. These froze in motion and looked at her in horror when she managed to put both of them out of action with her newly acquired force powers.

Ben gave an ironic smile and said, "Well, it looks like she doesn't need any help from me, she can manage on her own with naughty boys." Thereupon Rey called out sharply: "You also stop with these nonsense! You promised to behave yourself, instead you provoke arguments!" He looked at her and his expression softened immediately. "Sorry, sweetheart, I forgot myself."

Poe and Finn watched this conversation in disbelief. "Rey! What's going on? Why is he here, why are you so familiar?" Finn called and looked at her pained. Rey turned back to the two frozen figures to begin to speak in their heads: "I'm sorry, this will hurt now, but I don't have time to explain everything to you in peace. So I will send it straight into your heads."

With that she stretched out her hands and sent all her memories of the last few weeks, all the experiences that Ben and she had shared, the development of their force skills, the knowledge of their pasts and their common fate, to the two best friends she had. She left out the intimate things. She didn't want to overwhelm the two of them.

On the mines of the two men, a whole flood of emotions was reflected in a split second, while the experience flowed into them like an explosion. When she was done, she sank her hands and closed her eyes exhausted for a moment opened them again and saw the amazement on the faces of her friends.

Finn continued to look suspiciously at Ben but now with an open interest and an open curiosity.

Poe crossed his arms thoughtfully over his chest and looked at Rey seriously but also with admiration and respect: "The information you have given us is amazing! Incredible! Everything is true: the force, the legends! I'm glad that these skills are on our side", then he looked at Ben and said: " I'm happy for you and also for Rey that you have managed to turn your fate in a good direction. However, you have to understand, you have to earn trust first and I'll wait and see whether the leap of faith I give you for Rey's sake by not shooting you will be worth it."

Ben nodded in agreement and replied: "I intend to use this advance payment and to prove myself worthy."

Finn was silent for a long time, staring impenetrably at Ben. The tension in the room was unbearable. After an eternity he opened his mouth and said: "I have a similar past behind me. I know what it is like to be a slave of the First Order. No one can understand better than me what it means to be under this influence. I also have got a second chance when I switched sides and I'll give you that too. But I'm watching you! If you betray us you won't survive."

Ben nodded in agreement and stepped next to Rey. Then he looked at both men seriously and said: "I accept this offer. More was not to be expected and I did not ask for more. In the certainty that the trust that you put in Rey and me was a good investment, and I will put all my efforts into it."

With that, Rey let out a clear breath. "Good," she said, "then I'm glad that has been resolved for now. We're here because time is of the essence. The first order has most likely discovered the rebel base and is on their way here. Hux has the Knights of Ren with him , as his own warriors. We don't know how he did it, because the Knights of Ren have the force too. He got something that gives him the power to do so. He tried to kill Ben and of course he also has the plan to wipe us out. We need to prepare, think about a strategy to counter the attack. Most importantly, we need to sit down to discuss the weaknesses of the First Order. Not only Finn has information here."

Everyone nodded seriously. The tension in the room changed from hostile to tense you could feel the thoughts that were circling around in everyone's head, the urgency the mission got.

Before anyone could say anything more the door opened again and something huge hairy stormed in. Ben looked at the door and froze. Only one word came out of his lips: "Chewie ..." When Chewbacca saw him, he let out a deafening roar of anger and lunged at him, grabbed him roughly and began to shake him. Rey shouted loudly, "Chewie, this is not Kylo Ren, this is Ben Solo! Look closely! Can't you feel it?"

The Wookie continued to shake Ben roughly and ... Ben didn't struggle. He could only stare into the angry face of the Wookie because with him all the memories of his father's death, his past guilt and his mother's death had returned to his head. Rey felt Ben's pain like her own and shouted again: "Chewie! This is Ben!" This time her call got through to Chewbacca.

He stopped in his movements and started in Ben's teary eyes. Then he slowly bent down to him. Ben could just stand there motionless, the guilt holding him completely captive. Chewie bowed his head. Ben reckoning that the Wookie would probably rip his head off the next second, which he deserved, and closed his eyes in anticipation of the pain to come.

However, Chewbacca began to sniff around roughly in his hair then he grabbed Ben's head with both paws and turned his face up to him. A lonely tear ran down Ben's cheek. He couldn't say anything, just stare into the Wookie's big eyes. Chewie sniffed again, their noses almost touching.

Then, after a few infinite seconds, the Wookie let out a loud roar that made everyone in the room flinch and grabbed Ben into his arms. Ben found himself surrounded by a cage of wild hair in a fierce warm embrace and couldn't do anything but hold on tight, close his eyes and let out a sob. He was home again.