My take on the ending of The Rise of Skywalker.

Ben Solo survives after giving Rey his life force because Leia gives up her own life to save her only son, becoming a Force Ghost. (Because why she would die so that Rey could kill her only son, JJ?) Injured, but determined to face his past, Ben convinces Rey to return with him to the Resistance camp where they immediately place him in captivity to await trial. A six-part mini-story. Everything has been already been written. I'm just working on the editing part.

"This is crazy!" Poe said running his fingers through his tangled hair. He glanced back and forth between a still stunned Finn and regretful Rey. They were sitting in the now-empty command area of the Resistance camp. Rey didn't like seeing it empty, but there was no urgent need for command center when the war was over.

It had been a few days since their victory. People celebrated nonstop for three days, but now reality had started to settle back in. The people who could return, return to their old lives before the war, while the others, like them, waited for their orders from the newly reformed New Republic, or how Poe liked to call them the New New Republic.

"I know," Rey said apologetically.

"No!" Poe said turning to face her flailing his arms around. "No, this is a new level of crazy. This is a young Poe Dameron's level of crazy. Rey, you can't be seriously asking us to do this!"

"I know, Poe," she repeated calmly. "I know I'm asking a lot. But-" She paused looking for the right words to say. "I just don't know what else I should do." BB-8 rolled to her side and gave her a few sympathy beeps.

"Leave him to rot," Finn mumbled under his breath. He hadn't looked her in the eyes once in the past few days. Rey felt the pit in her gut deepen. She knew she had hurt him when she had shown up with Ben a few days earlier begging for them to give Ben sanctuary. She knew he didn't understand why she was doing this and, if she was honest with herself, she doubted her intentions on a daily basis.

Rey had wanted Ben to run. She told him that she would tell the others that he died helping her. That she would meet up with him later once everything had settled, and they could start a new life together somewhere far away. It wouldn't be that hard. While many spoke of her brave deeds and the infamous Kylo Ren, very few people actually knew the look of their faces.

But even when she first thought of the plan, she knew it was foolish. She knew in her heart she could never abandon Finn or Poe. Besides, the Republic has become just as apart of her life as they have. She needed to see this page of history through until the end. Ben had felt the same way.

"No," Ben had mumbled weakly. "I'm done running. I need to go home. I need to see my mother." This was, of course, before they knew General Organa's body had become one with the Force. When they were told suddenly the mysteries of those moments were made clear.

Rey was very surprised to wake up in Ben's arms. She didn't remember anything from the time she fell to the time she woke, besides the darkness and the feeling that she didn't want to ever return back there.

Looking into his eyes and through their bond, she had felt everything. He had saved her. She felt his light energy pulse through her all at once. It was pure and unfaltering. He had returned to the light side for good, just like in her vision all those months ago. He had come back for her. He had fought for her. And now he was with her.

In a moment of complete spontaneousness, she had kissed him despite the fact she had never kissed anyone before and wasn't really sure what she was doing. But it was in her mind, perfect. He kissed her back and then in a flash, Rey had felt their bond start to fade. He collapsed to the ground, her hand still cradling his neck. She wanted to cry out, but no sound dare to pass through her lips. She looked at him and willed him to return to her once again, but he did not stir. She tried again and then again. Just when she thought there was no hope, she had felt General Organa's presence and Ben had opened his eyes once again.

Rey sighed looking back at Finn. "I know you believe that he doesn't deserve mercy. If you had asked me a year ago, I probably would have said the same thing, but Finn I'm telling you he has changed. He -"

"Saved your life! We know!" Finn and Poe exclaimed together. They have already had this conversation a hundred times.

"But how did he save you?" Poe asked. "Isn't bring people back from the dead a Sith-y thing?"

"No," Rey said shaking her head. "I awoke from the darkness. It was Light that brought me back."

Poe and Finn shared a doubting look.

"Look!" Rey said firmly. "I would have never had defeated Palpatine without Ben. He gave me the strength to do what I needed to do, and then brought me back when it killed me. I trust Ben Solo, and now I need you to trust me."

"We do trust you, Rey," Finn said calmly. He stood and looked her in the eyes for what felt like the first time in years. "We listened to you when you both first arrived here. We didn't kill him on sight like we wanted to. We gave the orders so that he was taken care of, given medical care, food, and time to heal before he was questioned. We even gave him a private cell so all of his captured First Order buddies wouldn't kill him in his sleep." Rey resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. She knew that wouldn't help her situation. "But Poe and I have responsibilities now. We are the Generals now. The Senate decided to put us on the Trial Counsel because they know that the people trust us to defend their rights. At that trial, we are not there as ourselves. We are representing the Resistance Army and everything we fought for. If I stood up at that trial and ask for mercy for Kylo-"

Rey opened her mouth to correct him, but Finn waved his hand at her. She had been correcting him and Poe relentlessly over the past few days.

"Whatever-His-Name-Is! After witnessing first-hand him giving the orders to wipe out an entire village of innocent people and children, on your home planet, Rey. Well, I just don't think I would be able to live with myself. I'm sorry, Rey." To his credit, he did look very sorry, but Rey couldn't stop herself from feeling disappointed. Since the beginning, Finn had been her partner in all of this, but now she felt that they were on different sides. "I'm really, really sorry but I just can't do it," Finn said firmly before walking away from them.

"Finn's right, Rey," Poe said apologetically. "He may be good now, but that doesn't erase his past."

"We have all done things we regret, Poe," Rey replied quietly.

"Yeah, but none of those things we did include mass genocide and aiding in the collapse of a government system." Poe placed his right hand on her shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. "I won't vote for execution, but that's the best I can do."

Rey felt a lump form in the back of her throat. She was fully aware that the stupid naive part of her mind had been running her actions these past few days, but honestly, the idea of them sentencing Ben to death had never even crossed her mind. The thought of losing Ben again was unbearable for her mind to process."You don't think?"

"Honestly, I don't know what the rest of the Council is going to ask for," Poe replied calmly. "But Rey, you should prepare yourself for anything. This isn't going to be an easy trial and they will ask you to testify."

"I know," she replied weakly.

Poe looked at her curiously. "And are you going to tell the truth?"

"I-" Rey started, but she couldn't find the words. How could she tell the truth? The truth about how she willingly surrendered herself to the Sith? The truth about how she first killed and then saved Ben's life? The truth about her family? About Palpatine? How would you even start to explain all of that? It seemed like a pretty good way to ensure that not only Ben but that she as well, got locked up for good.

"Try to get some sleep. We will try to work it all out tomorrow." Poe gave her one more encouraging smile before he followed the path Finn had taken a few moments ago.

Alone again, Rey collapsed back into her chair. She had never felt so torn before in her life. She honestly didn't feel that she was capable of recognizing between right and wrong anymore. Ben had changed the rules of that game for her, and now she was struggling to find her footing again.

BB-8 turned to look up her. She gave his little orange and white head a little pat. "Do you know what I should do, BB-8?" She asked, but the droid gave no response.

Please review and follow. Like I said earlier, everything has been written I'm just editing the chapters, but reading review makes me go faster. Thank you in advance!