Rey didn't wait to get to the forest but ignited her saber in the middle of the launchpads. Every time she used it she felt more in tune with it. It amplified her power and obeyed her every thought as she danced round Beaumont, moving through a practise drill at top speed. She knew she was showing off a bit but it felt so good to be swinging her saber. She gradually became aware that a small crowd had gathered and were watching her. She ground to a halt, deactivating her saber and looked up, rather embarrassed. To her surprise the crowd started clapping. She picked out Rose and Finn amongst the people watching and gave them an awkward wave. Rose gave her a thumbs-up in return and they both smiled. 

Realising that the show was over the crowd began to disperse, getting on with their respective tasks. Beaumont was suitably impressed. 

"I like the colour. Double-ended too. Do you know who had yellow?" he asked her. 

She nodded, "the Temple guards. Luke told me."

"And you were destined for two crystals." He smiled at her. "Still not going to tell me what you're up to?"

Rey shook her head. "Sorry, not this time. I'll tell you all about it when I get back." As they were speaking Chewie came into view. 

"Sorry to leave abruptly Beaumont but I need a word with Chewie." She jogged across the launchpad. 

"Chewie!" 

The tall figure of the Wookie turned when he heard her call. 

"I need to talk to you about something."

Chewie howled in response. 

"A bit of both I guess. Good or bad first?" she asked him.

Chewie growled. 

"Well the good news is that I'm going on trip and I promised that I would ask you if wanted to come next time." 

"Rrraarrggghhhh."

"Ok, great, but you ought to hear the other part first." She looked around her to check that no-one was near enough to overhear them. 

"So the first bit is that I'm not totally certain where we're going. The directions were a bit vague."

Chewie shrugged. 

Rey took a deep breath. "The other thing is more difficult. There's a chance that I might be able to bring back Ben Solo." 

For a long moment Chewie stared at her. Finally he gave an uncertain growl. 

"Well yes he is kind of dead," she agreed with him sadly. "But Leia told me that he isn't really gone. And they all agreed to let me try to bring him back." 

"Wwwrragghh?" Chewie asked.

"Luke, Leia, Yoda and the others. I have to go and see the Force Priestesses."

"Ggraggh Wragggh!"

Rey laid a hand on Chewie's arm. "I know he killed Han, but it wasn't really him. When he was Kylo Ren the Emperor was controlling him. But he turned back to the light and became Ben again. Believe me when I say that he regrets it every day. " She paused. "We have a Force Bond."

Chewie's face froze. "Rraagghh?" he asked softly.

"Really. I love him. We were a Dyad in the Force." A single tear ran down her cheek. 

Chewie moved forward and enveloped her in a tight hug, patting her gently, and promising to help.

************************************

That night she dreamt of Ben. 

She walked across the now familiar fiery landscape towards the figure in the distance. She had thought he might be waiting for her as before but he was facing the other way. As she reached him she slipped her arms around him revelling in the feeling of being together, even in a dream. 

"Rey!" he turned and smiled. They embraced tightly and she felt as though a weight was lifting from her shoulders. She pulled back slightly so that she could look into his face. 

"Please tell me you aren't still looking for a Sith Holocron?" she asked him, looking concerned. 

Ben looked at her. He didn't want to lie to her but didn't want to upset her either. "If I tell you I haven't found it does that help?" 

Rey raised her eyebrows. "That's not the same as saying you aren't looking," she pointed out. "Anyway I have some news on that front. I'm going to the Wellspring of Life." 

Ben looked at her, frowning. "I'm afraid that doesn't mean anything to me," he replied. 

"There's a chance that I could bring you back." She told him, smiling with excitement. 

"That . . . that would be amazing," Ben said quietly. "I miss being with you. I know it's only been a couple of days - "

Rey interrupted him. "Ben it's been weeks since Exegol," she told him. 

"Really? It's so hard to tell. Without a physical body there's no hunger, no sleep, it's difficult to keep track." 

Rey shook her head. "I don't understand how this all works. Why I can only talk to you in dreams if you are with me all the time? And why aren't you with the others? Luke said you weren't with them?"

"I don't understand it very well either. But I can tell you what I think. To be a Force Ghost I would have to be one with the Force and I'm not, I'm with you, or my Life Force is anyway. If I let go completely and left then I think it would harm you. And I would never hurt you." 

Ben fell silent for a moment, looking into Rey's eyes. "You said it's been weeks?" he asked her gently.  

Rey nodded miserably. "It's been awful. I try not to let people know but  . . . without you . . . " She looked down at the ground. She had no idea how to express to him how much she missed him and what it was like to feel the absence of the bond. 

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry." He pulled her close again. Rey stood with her face pressed to his chest and they remained silent for a moment. 

"Things haven't been great. A bounty hunter turned up at the Base, I guess you know about it? "She asked him. He nodded in response. 

"I wanted to ask you about something Poe said. I froze a blaster bolt and he went nuts, talking about Lor San Tekka and Jakkuu." She held up a hand to stop him interrupting. "We can talk about it another time. What I want to know is could I have learned to freeze bolts through you?" 

"Yes I think so. You poached some lightsaber skills from me on Starkiller and I learned healing from you. The bond allowed us to exchange skills, as well as other things." He grinned at her. "If only I had appreciated the possibilities at the time," he said wistfully. "If only Luke hadn't interrupted . . . " he winked at her. 

Rey couldn't help blushing a little, acknowledging that her own thoughts had strayed that way too. 

Ben caught the blush but said nothing. "How long can you stay?" he asked her. He started to run his hand up and down her back, bending to kiss her neck. Rey's breath caught in her throat. The delicate kisses felt incredible but she had another question for him, and so pulled back again. 

"Did you ever dream of me when you were still on the Dark Side?" she inquired curiously. 

It was Ben's turn to blush. He paused, thinking, and then decided to be honest. "All the time" he murmured eventually. "It drove me crazy, I couldn't sleep half the nights"

"And what sort . . . what kind of . . . erm." She wasn't sure how to tell him about the couple of dreams that she had involving Kylo and didn't know how to phrase the question. 

Ben's embarrassed grin was enough to tell her the answer and before he could say anything the dream faded and she was alone, back in her quarters.