The Redemption of Fate ~ A Reylo Story

24

"Hey!" Poe yelled viciously, "What the hell are you doing here? Don't you dare touch Rey--"
"Poe--" Finn began, holding up a sheepish pair of hands.
"Did he touch her?" Poe demanded, holding the handgun higher in his right hand, as if to prove its threat. 
"Poe, listen to me--"
"Dammit, I swear I'm not scared of you, Ren. Leave my friends alone! And I swear if you don't, I'll shoot you where it hurts--if that's the last thing I do."

Ben unfroze from his stupor. If he thought Poe's reaction was melodramatic, there was only worse to come. But, truth be told, Poe had always rubbed him wrong--especially as Kylo Ren. Poe's only real defense mechanism was his lethal sarcasm and ballsy big talk. But Ben had to hand it to the man, he was an ace of aces when it came to the cockpit. Stealthy and agile. Ben made a mental reference to one day compete in the airspace with Dameron, and there was no way his smug nature would rebuff Ben--of course, if he ever forgave him. 

Ben shook off his sidetracked thoughts; he stared, unmoved by the barrel of Poe's gun, noticing how his hand remained completely and utterly calm, as if it had been waiting all its life to point a lethal weapon at a murderous monster. 

"Dameron," Ben said calmly, failing at his attempt to soften his naturally intimidating demeanor, "ther--"
"Shut up, bast--"
"Poe!" Finn was yelling now, his voice reverberating off of the serene jungle. Ben could tell he winced in realization of how many sleeping inhabitants he had likely woken up. "Listen. To. Me."
Poe still clutched onto his unwavering handgun. His eyes darted from Finn to Ben, seething with hostility. "What?"
Ben looked to Finn and nodded, as if to encourage his abashed self. Finn swallowed so hard it hurt. His hands shook. It had already been a disconcerting day, and unfortunately it was far from over. "Ky--Ben--Well, h-he's not him anymore. . . He's not harmful--"

"So he brainwashed you?" Poe shook his head, wrapped his finger around the trigger. "Alright, that's it."
Poe's finger fully gripped the trigger and pulled. His arm jolted with momentum as the gun ejected a silvery bullet aimed directly for Ben's chest. But Ben captured it with the Force. The bullet came to a sudden standstill, frozen in levitation. Ben didn't have to lift a finger to control it. It just hovered in the air, revolving in circles as if too bored to stay in place. Finn was incredulous and Poe was furious, though he should have known better; he'd once attempted to shoot Kylo Ren, and it had gone unsuccessfully: he ended up fastened to a vile contraption, stuck in Kylo's tortuous mind games.  

"I don't want to harm you," Ben said, he shook his head, emphasizing his new--his true--identity, "I am no longer Kylo Ren. If I was, you know I would've killed you all long ago, but he isn't me anymore. Give me the opportunity to explain. Please."
Finn nodded quickly, sucking in a breath. "I swear, Poe. I know, remember? I can feel through the Force--he's telling the truth."
Poe held the steady gun in his hand for several seconds. His ego scorching. Finally, reluctantly, Poe dropped the gun, slid it into the holster of his pants. Oh, was he incredibly curious now.
He sauntered over to Finn and Ben, but only peered into Ben's eyes. There was still violent indignation in those dark eyes.

Poe pointed a stern finger at Ben's chest, careful not to touch him, as if he were foul and contaminated. "You damn well better tell me what the hell is going on here. I mean it."
Ben turned, watching as Poe meandered away from the campgrounds, clearly indicating he wanted a very private conversation about a very baffling anomaly. Finn began following his comrade. Ben unfroze the bullet, sent it crashing down into the dewy grass, and met a very impatient Poe underneath a leafy palm tree.

                                                                                          ***

"Listen up, everyone--I'm only explaining this once." Poe yelled over the crowd he had called together inside of the makeshift operation base. The throng consisted of every member the Resistance had on Ajan Kloss: generals, fighters, mechanics, scholars, pilots, force-sensitives--everyone. They were all enforced to wake up and meet for an obligatory gathering. Except Rey, who was still absent in slumber.
The crowd's expressions completely dubious. They feared the broad body and raven hair in front of them, standing at Poe's side. Ben could tangibly feel their concern, their wild anxiety. He knew, of course, that they had every given right to feel trepidation--the man who had sought to massacre every last soul of the Resistance, was standing in reaches of them. But that man had changed, and he hoped they would apprehend the truth. 

"I know you might be frightened. This is all a big shock, trust me. But the man before you, he isn't Kylo Ren." Poe regretted that he hadn't continued speaking after that statement; uprises in the crowd began pouring over his voice, one in particular was Beaumont Kin. That know-it-all historian, Poe rolled his eyes. This all would have been so much better structured if Leia were here. 
"Hey," Poe snapped his fingers, "I was just as shaken as you all are. But let me explain, alright?"
The congregation unwillingly settled and Poe feigned a cordial smile.
"Thank you. Now, as I was saying--Ben here was redeemed. General Organa converted him from the dark side."