The New Normal

The Hall

After what seemed like an endless tour with chastised and grimaced looks from basically everyone in the Supremacy, Rey directed her friends to a long, white corridor which resided away from all the commotion of the vessel. The hall seemed to be placed on an intimate part of the ship with only a few doors decorating the hall, some plants strategically placed here and there, and a, what seemed to be handmade, rug on the floor. The rug was made from different mats sewed together, all with a different shade of blue giving it the appearance of an ocean.

Rey opened one of the doors, "Rose this will be your room for the week." She then pointed at another door, "Finn that one is yours, you don't mind sharing with BB? Chewie, yours is across from mine, right there."

Finn opened his temporary bedroom door and stepped inside. The room was all white, pristine white, with a king bed in the middle, a desk on the right side and some scattered decorations. The appearance said it all, this room had never been used and because of the decorated plants around, Finn assumed Rey did her best to make it homey. Rose's room was no different except her bedsheets were yellow as opposed to Finn's blue ones. Chewie did not mind the emptiness of his room and with a satisfied growl he placed his luggage on the floor.

"Wait, Rey your room is across from Chewie? Will you-know-who mind you spending all your week with us, even at night?" Finn questioned.

Rey gave him a confused look and shook her head, "His name is Ben and my room has always been that one. Ben wanted us to have privacy when I moved in and made sure this corridor remained unused. You guys will be fine here, no one is allowed in this area."

Rose and Finn looked at each other and the same thought was in their minds, they were sharing a close space with the ruler of the First Order. It was an intimidating thought having the supreme leader so close by, would they have time to feel comfortable? Rey assured them it would be alright, and Ben would be on his best behavior.

Speaking of the devil himself, all resistant fighters found themselves faced to faced with the one and only, unmasked, Kylo Ren, in the narrow hallway. Both parties held an awkward silence and the only sound heard was a faint hum coming from the ship. The last time Finn was faced to faced with Kylo, both were trying to kill each other meanwhile, Chewie had shot him with a blaster after witnessing his oldest and dearest friend murdered by Kylo's hand. Rose was meeting him for the first time but that did not render her disillusion of not being intimidated, having heard horror stories of Kylo's temper and murderous tendencies.

Kylo wanted to avoid meeting them like this but Rey insisted it was best to put them up near them. She trusted Ben but not the regime he commanded. Rey wanted to trust them but every day aboard, screamed mistrust. Kylo suggested another part of the ship but Rey would not hear of it.

Rey made her way next to Kylo and gently clutched his arm. "Love," she smiled up at him, "I was showing them their home for the week. You remember Finn and of course Chewie is here, and this is Rose. What are you doing here at this hour? Were you looking for me? Did you get my message about dinner?"

It was strange to see any resistance member be that close to Kylo and holding him so intimately. A month after Rey had decided her fate was with Kylo, she had gone off the ship, without permission, to visit the resistance. She wanted to see her friends one last time, knowing there was a possible chance the peace treaty she had in mind will not suit Kylo's thirst for galaxy conquest. Vice Admiral Holdo was convinced Rey had been brainwashed and reluctantly accepted her back at the base. They did not believe Kylo had any light in him but as a greater threat was hovering in the galaxy, she needed the First Order's help. Resistance along with First Order, traveled to Exegol and destroyed Palpatine and his army. It was there Rey discovered and dismissed her family's origins and argued with the resistance the logic of her having a dark side, but her light was brighter, and Ben's light only needed guidance and love to resurface.

It was a tedious conversation at the resistance base that day but nevertheless, Rey did not care what they thought about Kylo then, only caring of the man he would become. To the resistance, Kylo would only always be a horrible being in the galaxy and only Rey could see Ben was still in there.

Kylo's gaze was straight ahead, eyes moving from Finn to Rose and Chewie, "I can't find my data pad and yes I did get your message."

"You have the habit of leaving that thing everywhere. Here, love, use my mini one, it's connected to yours so it should have any information you're looking for. I'll l keep an eye out for it.

Rey unhinged her mini data pad from her waist and handed it to Ben who was still awkwardly standing. Back in the hanger, Rey was flooded with Ben's anxious feeling in the force and it seemed those feelings were still hovering over him.

"Relax." Rey comforted him. "You are making me anxious and the baby will feel it too."

Ben sighed in the force so only she could hear and feel his vulnerability, "Tell me again why we can't have them somewhere else?"

"Because you love me too much to deny my whims."

"Sweetheart, I do love you, but do I need to come to dinner? I already feel uncomfortable as it is or are you trying to make me miserable for a week?"

Rey's smiled diminished and almost like a child whining, "No, Ben, love, you promised to make me happy this week. You said whatever I wanted, remember."

Ben cheeks turned slightly red as Rey said this out loud and their force conversation was forgotten for a normal one.

The uneasy feeling in the air was once again present and it was a small cough from Finn that open the gates to a small conversation. "So .... What's for dinner?"