Back in the Resistance base ship, Rey meets with the leaders of the Resistance.

Citho speaks: “Soldiers are reporting that you told them to stand down. Why?”

Rey replies, “General Citho, I- I don’t know. I-” Rey wants to speak, but hesitates, not knowing if it’s the right thing to say.

The leaders chatter. Gnovian puts his hands in a thinking position, and asks, “It is reasonable to have mercy on an enemy leader, as taking them prisoner would prove valuable in extracting information. Let us move on to another matter: A wounded soldier on the ground reported that Kylo Ren abstained from attacking you, despite having clear openings. He heard him shouting that you were ‘mocking’ him. Rey, did you feel anything wrong at that moment? What were your thoughts at that time?”

Rey closes her eyes, then says, “I felt the Force being taken away from me. Like it was suddenly flowing away into a drain.”

The leaders chatter even louder, with fear being tossed around the room. General Citho shouts: “Order! We must address this issue. Rey is an important member of our cause. She has sacrificed much of herself to get us to where we are today. She bears tremendous pressure on her shoulders, and none of us can understand what it is like to be in her position.” He directs his attention to Rey again, and tells her, “But it seems to me that these two events- the stand down and this strange force drain- are related. Could it be that you see something in Kylo Ren? Perhaps... I think... sympathy? A fondness? You think there is still good in him!”

Rey glares at him. “I know what this drain felt like. It wasn’t because of any feelings I had for Kylo Ren. Why are you assuming this. Why are you speaking for me?”

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Citho gets angry, but Gnovian shoots him down, “General Citho, it was not right of you to assert such wild speculations without any prior evidence. Rey, continue describing what you felt.”

Rey continues, “If I do feel sympathy for an enemy, I know that my connection to the Force does not go away. I do not need anyone to tell me how I feel. This time, something felt different. It felt like I was being shunned from the Force.”

The leaders are taken back. But Gnovian speaks up, “That is a cause for alarm. We will investigate this matter. As for now, we must consider all possibilities. General Citho’s proposal, while crude, is one of them. Rey, I am not saying it is true, but if you do have sympathies for Kylo Ren, you must set them aside. You have done so much for us, and we are grateful. Many of us depend on you. You are a savior of the Resistance and without you, we cannot prevail.”

Gnovian addresses the council, “And with that, the meeting is adjourned. We must regroup and re-strategize. May the Force be with you.”

Rey exits the meeting, and heads towards her chambers. She did not want others to pry into how she felt about Ben Solo, and she was absolutely positive that she was speaking the truth about the force drain- it was not because of whatever she felt for Ben. It was something else. But she ponders upon his words: “The Smiling Shadow.” She turns into a corridor, and for a moment, she senses a strong presence just before her. But there’s nothing there. She takes a deep sigh, and forcefully stops herself from thinking about it any further. She turns around and is now heading towards a new destination.

She hates the crowds, the judgmental eyes, and all the pressure. At first, it made her feel like she finally belonged somewhere and was wanted. But in exchange for that, she was pushed to live up to be the ‘savior’ everyone expected her to be. She heads off into a quiet engine room with many tall machinery. She leans on the balcony rails as she stares in the vast expanse below. The hums of the machines are like a lullaby to her. She remembers the aircraft she fixed several years ago on Jakku, when there was no one else but her and the engine for an entire week, and unwinds in her memories. Now that she is alone with her thoughts, she feels more calm. Solitude is an old, familiar friend.