Rey settled back into her normal routine of working with Little Yoda and the Mandalorian, and trying to learn the Caretaker's language. She accumulated a variety of random injuries, including a black eye and a bunch of awful cuts on her feet. The Mandalorian went so far as to ask her if she was engaged in some sort of self-injurious behavior and offered to 'talk it out' if she needed it.

Five days after her failed attempt to bring Ben back to Ahch-To, Poe Dameron arrived with the Falcon. Rey smiled and ran to meet him, glad for a visit. When she saw his face, her smile dropped away. He was as grim as she had ever seen him.

"I need you to come with me," said Poe.

"What happened? Are Finn and Rose OK?"

"Yes. Who punched you?"

"Just an accident. I do train with weapons, you know."

"I think it's best if we talk about it back in Coruscant. Can you leave now?"

"I can't leave. I'm training Little Yoda and working on the Jedi texts."

Poe caught her hands in his and squeezed them together. "Please, Rey. I need you. It's important. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't. I know you're busy. "

She looked at him long and hard. Then she sighed. "Fine. Let me talk to Mando. I can't just disappear."

When she entered the Razor Crest, she found Little Yoda and the Mandalorian eating dinner.

"I need to leave for a little while. You're welcome to come with me. Poe needs me in Coruscant."

"We're not going there," said the Mandalorian. "Too many people."

"OK." She was a little disappointed. It would have been nice to have more friends there. "I'll send word if I'll be gone for longer than a week. I don't know what's happening, and Poe doesn't want to talk about it."

She hugged Little Yoda and nodded a goodbye to the Mandalorian. They would be fine. "I'll leave C-3PO to help you with the locals."

She gathered what few things she had, including two of the Jedi texts, placed them into a sack, and boarded the Falcon. A few porgs had stowed away while Poe was talking to her, and the man was so distracted he didn't even notice. Rey gently lifted them and returned them outside. She waved to Little Yoda, who watched her as the ship closed.

Poe's silence was unnerving. He wasn't usually a talker - that was Finn. But he wasn't this quiet, either. She tried several more times to engage him, but finally gave up and slept the rest of the journey.

Coruscant hadn't changed in the months she'd been gone, except for the weather, which wasn't as hot as it had been. Poe returned her to her rooms, where she enjoyed a hot shower and clean clothes. He waited for her in the hallway, pacing like a caged animal.

"Do I need a weapon for this?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said. When she pulled her lightsaber to her from where she had placed it on the dresser, he shrugged. "Do you need a weapon? You kind of are a weapon."

"That's true. I feel better having it, though, especially if you aren't sure."

He led her to a bank of elevators. They traveled down, deep beneath the building.

"What is this place?" Rey shivered. It was far enough below the surface that there was no trace of natural light. The stone around them was heavy and oppressive.

"Holding cells," said Poe, exiting the elevator and leading her down a corridor. "Mostly used for political prisoners in the past."

"Are we going to see a political prisoner?"

"Yes. Of sorts."

They entered a brightly lit room, where two soldiers stood guard outside of a dark grey door. Was this the prisoner's holding room? Rey had no idea why Poe would insist she returned to Coruscant to see a prisoner.

"No noise, sir," said the first soldier.

"No requests," said the second.

"Good," said Poe. "Rey, I think you should talk to him. He refuses to speak. Very few people know he's here, and the ones who do think he should have been disposed of as soon as he arrived. Just see what you make of it. I want to know if he's safe, and who he is. And how he ended up on Exegol."

"Poe, who is it?"

"Finn said to let you look at him. You tell me."

The locks on the door released with a sharp click, and Rey entered. It was a small sally port. She waited for the door behind her to close, and the one in front of her swung open. She took a deep breath, and entered, hand on her weapon.

A big man sat on a cot, his back to her, face in his hands and hunched over so she could barely make him out.

Rey knocked on the wall to notify him she was there, in case he hadn't heard the door close.

He slowly turned, pulling each finger away from his face as if it had been stuck there with glue.

Rey let out a little squeak, and threw herself at him. Ben stood and caught her, arms folding around her and anchoring her body to his. Warm, and safe, and ALIVE.

"How?" she said, pulling back and running her hands over his face. Over the bluish-yellow bruise around his eye.

She was relieved to see that the scar was missing. She kissed him, not waiting for a reply. She didn't need to know the answers that badly. He ran his hands down her back, down her thighs, and lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his hips, and kissed him like her life depended on it.

The lock on the door clicked, and it swung open. Ben lowered her feet to the floor, but he didn't stop kissing her. Not until Poe coughed.

"I figured that's what would happen," said Poe. Rey and Ben both looked at him, and he shook his head. "What a mess."

"This is Ben," said Rey. "Ben Solo. No longer in Ghost form. And this is not a mess!"

"Not Kylo Ren?" asked Poe.

Rey shook her head. "Ben."

"You do understand that the level of distinction you're drawing isn't likely to convince anyone," said Poe.

"Why does it matter?" asked Rey, not understanding at all.

Ben kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. "I will be tried and executed. This can't end any other way. I am a war criminal. And the good general here won't have any choice in the matter."

Rey's heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach.