Aboard one of the First Order Dreadnoughts Resistance shuttles full of Resistance fighters landed in one of the hangars. General Ematt led two squadrons and headed towards the bridge, he told his second in command Sergeant Sharp to head in the opposite direction. The corridors were surprisingly quiet as they headed towards the bridge, filling both corridors and elevators with nervous awkward silence. Approaching the entrance door to the main bridge only a few stormtroopers were visible guarding the central control room. On seeing the Resistance on board, a foolish stormtrooper let a few blasts fly in the direction of the resistance squads. A fighter with Ematt immediately took them down; the other stormtroopers quickly surrendered to Ematt's satisfactory and knowing smile.

Ematt walked casually through the control room towards the dark garbed First Order officer that stood with a grimace expression upon their face. This particular officer was a large man, enormous in height, broad and incredibly muscled; his uniform seemed to strain against his every movement. Every feature of the man's face matched his body- large dark eyebrows, a large nose, a tight mouth and square jaw. This man Ematt felt sure could probably knock him to the floor with one well-aimed punch, but this man didn't look as though he'd ever engaged in any form of hand to hand combat, despite his size. His uniform like everyone on this bridge was immaculate, no sign of stubble on his razor-sharp clean-shaven jaw, the skin on his hands was pale and smooth. This man spent his time issuing orders. General Ematt smiled his weather-worn face at the officer and cocked his shaggy white head at him before offering a tanned rough hand, his blaster held firmly in the other.

"General Ematt of the Resistance."

"General Kail," the man responded, taking Ematt's hand cautiously and shaking it.

"Can we take that as your surrender General Kail, I'd like to avoid any more unnecessary deaths if we can," Ematt smiled again.

"My crew will be unharmed?" Kail queried.

"Absolutely."

The General paused but only for a moment.

"Then the bridge is yours General Ematt," Kail motioned his hand to allow Ematt to take control.

"Please stay at your posts," Ematt informed the officers. "If someone could open communication with Admiral Deltan, General Hux, Captain Peavey and General Targo I 'd be very much obliged."

-X-

Finn, Chewie and Jannah crept through the hangar of Admiral Skalick's Dreadnought, behind them another Resistance shuttle with Altor and a squadron of Resistance fighters entered. Chewie had his trusty bowcaster slung over his furry shoulder, Jannah's bow was cocked and ready, Finn carrying his blaster was prepared to fire, his riot control baton hung over his shoulder.

"So your plan is what now?" Jannah asked.

"Get to the bridge and get the commanding officer to surrender," Finn replied.

"Why?" Jannah asked exasperated.

Finn turned to her, a mildly hurt expression in his eyes and she looked at him guiltily.

"The commanding officer is one man. I was a member of these guys remember. If I can save the crew, the countless stormtroopers I'd like to think it's worth doing instead of just blowing them out of the sky."

Jannah nodded, and everyone followed Finn's lead as they continued towards the command hub of the ship- the bridge. Unlike General Ematt's advance, Captain Finn and his squad had a far more cumbersome journey.

Altor was currently sat behind a splintered corner of the corridor as blasts ricocheted off the walls.

"We need more cover or more firepower," he shouted across to Jannah and Finn, as Jannah aimed an explosive arrow from her bow to fly towards the smoke from which the stormtroopers stood behind flagrantly blasting anything that moved from behind the screen of fog.

"Agreed!" Jannah shouted back.

Chewie hollered as he removed an explosive device from his belt around his furry torso and threw it at the shrouded troopers defending their Admiral. The explosion detonated to yells and cries, and a cluster of armoured stormtroopers was flung into the air, and the blaster fire mercifully stopped. The corridors of the Dreadnought were scorched, panels lay shattered upon the floor along with the remaining troopers guarding the doors. Some were attempting to get back to their feet, find their weapons as Altor stepped forward blaster in hand.

"Don't," he said blaster aimed at a stormtroopers masked face. "Open the doors please."

Entering the bridge weapons ready Admiral Skalick turned to greet them, his long face grim at this unpleasant surprise.

"Admiral Skalick, I'm Captain Finn of the Resistance we are here to commandeer your ship."

A disturbing smile etched the corners of Skalick's mouth as he brought his palms and long fingers together at his chest.

"Captain Finn? Commandeer?" They were statements said as questions meant to belittle.

"Your crew, your soldiers they don't need to die, no-one does," Finn attempted to explain.

Skalick simpered at him and raised one long pointed boney finger, and the troops with him aimed their blasters at them. Jannah raised her bow, but Chewie needed no more than the threat to strike; he was incredibly accurate, almost artistic with his handcrafted bowcaster. He blasted Skalick square in the chest and Skalick fell backwards, his gloating simper frozen on his long face permanently. Even his hand remained in its pointed position as he lay dead upon the floor. A few troopers who'd been with Skalick started firing, and a few of the Resistance fighters with Finn fired back in defence.

"Stop," Altor shouted at his soldiers, and they did as commanded as did the troopers opposite. Finn stepped forward, looking to Skalick's troops, he exuberantly greeted them with arms stretched out and a smile on his face.

"We accept your surrender."

-X-

Rey cradled Ben lifeless body in her arms as she sobbed.

"No, Ben, please. I love you, please, please don't leave me."

Her despair threatened to overwhelm her, and she pulled him to her holding his motionless limp body against her chest. Reaching into the Force, she willed him back to her; she tried to heal the wound in his chest that she'd inflicted, but nothing happened.

"Be with me, please. This wasn't the will of the Force. Come back to me, please. Help me. Please." Rey begged the Force, asked all those that were within it to help her and they replied.

The world around her went utterly silent. No roaring of ships above or cannon fire and a sudden familiar feeling rose on the back of his neck; a tremor in the Force but it wasn't Ben. She heard a strange voice break the silence and raising her head; she saw three shimmering blue forms.

"See us she can."

Rey stared at the ethereal shapes one was a man, a man she knew well, the other a woman she loved and the other was a small alien with enormous ears that stuck out from its hairless head absurdly- Yoda.

"Luke? Leia?" She looked at the Leia pleadingly, as she walked forward, placing a gentle hand upon her shoulder. Luke went to her other side, planting his arm on her other shoulder.

"It's ok Rey," Leia said.

Yoda came in front of her and placed a small green hand on Ben.

"Please save him. Please. I tried, but without him, I'm not strong enough. Please." Rey looked from Yoda to Luke to the Leia. Yoda cocked his head and pursed his lips.

"So sure are you? Do, or do not there is no try." Yoda looked at Luke and Leia and nodded. Luke and Yoda closed their eyes seemingly in meditation. Leia crouched at Ben's side, placing her free hand upon her son.

"Close your eyes, Rey, reach out with your feelings."

Then Yoda spoke, "Lost Ben Solo you have not. Life creates it makes it grow; its energy surrounds us and binds us luminous beings are we."

Rey did as commanded closing her eyes and calming her breathing; she focused on those words, her feelings and the Force. To her left, Luke spoke his familiar voice soothing her as she concentrated.

"Through passion, I gain focus. Through knowledge, I gain power. Through serenity, I gain strength. There is only the Force."

Rey breathed deeply, and now Leia spoke again.

"Let it flow. The dark can be generous, but within its heart is one weakness that one lone candle can hold back. Hold on to him. Feel your love for him. Love is more than a candle; love can ignite the stars."

Rey thought of the first moment she'd come across Ben as she'd blasted fire at him in the woods of Takodana, how he'd touched her face and read her mind during his interrogation of her aboard the Supremacy finding how alike they were and how lonely. Their fight in the snow when the Force within her had truly awoken. Touching hands across the galaxies and fighting the Praetorian side by side the beginning of their strength as the Dyad. Their kiss. Ben trembling in her arms in the dark clearing on Yavin Four amongst the trees. Rey could feel the Force within her now penetrating her core as she focused on Ben and on healing his wounds. Within the Force, she could feel his energy so clearly, that undeniable essence like a long shadow powerful and streaked with vast sparks of brilliant light.

"Save him, you can."

Yoda sounded far away, but within the Force, she could feel him again and not just in the Force but in the body beneath her fingertips.

-X-

Ben felt cold, and it was dark, so dark. He felt heavy, as though he was sinking lower and lower, darker and darker as though he was being dragged down. The darkness felt like an undertow it felt peaceful, and he didn't want to resist it. He could hear a strange voice from far away.

"Life creates it makes it grow; its energy surrounds us and binds us luminous beings are we."

What was that? Where was he? He tried to move, but the darkness called him, and he wanted to let go and fall deeper and deeper. Another voice interrupted his dark drifting peace now, one he recognised.

"The dark can be generous, but within its heart is one weakness that one lone candle can hold back. Love is more than a candle; love can ignite the stars."

Love. He remembered his mother, his father. Rey, he loved Rey yes he remembered. Suddenly it wasn't all darkness; there was a far off light above him. Ben fought towards it, but his legs felt heavy he couldn't move; he struggled to reach it, but he kept trying, and then everything changed. Ben stood upon a walkway over a vast open space, and opposite him, he saw his father. The light Ben had been reaching for came from above. Bathed in light was the platform where she had stood watching as Han Solo, his father had fallen into the depths below. This wasn't a dream; this was a nightmare. He closed his eyes, willing himself to wake up. He wasn't on Starkiller Base it had been destroyed, that wasn't his father, he was already dead, he'd killed him. Wake up Ben, wake up.

"Ben," he opened his eyes. His father had walked until he was but an arm's length away, standing close to him, so close. Han Solo raised a hand and touched his face, just as he had after Ben had pierced him with his saber. He could feel the warmth of his father's hand, the calloused skin of his fingers. He could smell engine oil and leather. He looked down anticipating that this was a memory and he was about to relive this murderous moment, but his lightsaber was not in his hand. He looked back to his father.

"Hey, kid. You shouldn't be here; this is not your time."

Ben shook his head, confused. "You're not here I killed you. You're just a memory."

"I'm your memory," Han muttered with a smile.

There was a long moment as Ben's emotions churned as he surveyed his father and admitted what he'd know for so long- this moment had changed everything and though he was glad he'd returned to being Ben Solo he regretted it bitterly. Snoke had been right it had split his soul and he couldn't forgive himself.

"Dad," Ben muttered, reaching out to touch his father, "I'm," he struggled choking on his words before trying again, "I'm sorry."

"I know you are, but I wouldn't change a thing about what happened. It brought you to this moment- defeating Palpatine, loving that girl, coming home. A sacrifice I gladly paid for you to return, and you have; Kylo Ren is gone and my son, my son has come home."

"I don't understand. How are you here? How am I here? Where is here?"

"As I understand it, it's the Force, but you know how well I don't understand the Force," Han shrugged apologetically. "No one is ever really gone. I will always be with you, like your mother."

Ben squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop a flow of tears. He felt his father's arms wrap around him as his father whispered into his ear, "We will always love you. Always."

Then the hands and arms embracing him were gone. Ben opened his eyes to find himself somewhere new but just as dark, the space was empty, the edges looked like the room within the Death Star where he'd been fighting Palpatine but they were blurry and he couldn't focus on anything. He could hear voices, distant and echoing. From the shadows, a young man stepped forward. He had a scar running down the right-hand side of his face across his eye, much like Ben's scar. Unlike Ben, this young man had an easy playful smile, hinting at a devious and willful streak. His dark-blonde hair curled about his handsome face stopping at his shoulders, and his eyes held secrets and a formidable power within the Force.

"Ben Solo, last of the Skywalkers," the man declared as he stepped closer that amused smile on his face.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

The man smiled, "You've begged me for guidance and help for years. Only those with the light can move beyond the physical world into the Force in this way, only those with the light can see us in return."

Realisation dawned on Ben, the man before him, this smiling amicable young man was his grandfather Anakin Skywalker.

"Anakin. Grandfather?"

The man smiled again and stepped closer to him, his long Jedi robes trailing in his wake.

"You are not the last Skywalker. Now rise!"

Anakin touched Ben's chest as he said 'rise' with his palm open and Ben inhaled sharply gasping for air bolting up out of Rey's arms. He sat on the floor of that dim room, the dead bodies of the Sith troopers and Letan Nex lay within sight. Ben breathed heavily, coughing almost choking on the air as he pulled it into his lungs. Looking down, he placed a hand upon his chest, where Anakin had just touched him. His wound was closed, but the hole in his tunic remained where Rey had pierced him with his grandfather's lightsaber.

"Rey?"

He turned to look at her; her eyes welled with tears, and her face bore the trails that previous ones had made across her cheeks. Yet, she looked serene a faint smile touching her lips.

"Ben." She replied.

"I think I died," he exclaimed.

She touched his face in relief before kissing him, overjoyed that he'd returned. He held her to him, his arm wrapped about her waist holding her tightly. As their passionate embrace ended she smiled at him caressing his face with her hand.

"You have arisen."