The moment the Falcon landed inside the docking bay of the MC85 cruiser, Ben rushed off the ship with Finn hurrying behind.
"Mom!" Ben called out as he entered the bridge.
Before him stood his mother Leia Organa Solo Skywalker. Hey mother's full name was a mouthful but she was proud of every family name she had been given. Ben's adopted grandfather, Senator Bail Organa was a hero of the republic during the Galactic Civil War and was responsible for the conception of the Rebel Alliance.
"Mother we need to go after those star destroyers," said Ben, approaching her.
Leia shook her head and cupped Ben's head in her gentle hands. "Your father told me you'd been captured. Are you alright? They hurt you didn't they?"
"That's not important right now," said Ben. "Look they took a friend of mine on one of their ships. We need to chase them! Kylo Ren's been taking force sensitive children, turning them to the dark side. He might be building a Sith empire to match Uncle Luke's Jedi Order."
There were murmurs all around the room. A look of distress flashed in Leia's eyes.
"This is indeed disturbing news but where are they taking them? I'm sorry son but the fleet also needs to prepare before blast off towards battle again."
"I know where they might be taken them," said Finn.
Ben and Leia turned to him sharply.
"Who is this?" Leia asked.
"Stoomtrooper for defected," said Ben, patting Finn on the back. "He helped me escape."
"Then our family will forever be in your debt," said Leia, taking Finn's hands.
"It was a team effort," said Finn, clearly flustered. "Rey helped us out a lot too. Patched up Ben and welcomed us into her home. The First Order has a large base on the planet Ilum. It's where General Hux and Kylo Ren launch most of their operations."
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"We still need time to prepare the fleet," said Leia. "I'm sorry Ben, but we can only trust that the Force will protect your friend."
"The Force never showed me such kindness," Ben muttered, though only Finn seemed to have caught it.
As Ben left the bridge, Finn decided to venture on a sensitive topic.
"For a Skywalker you don't seem that keen on being much like the Jedi," said Finn.
Ben shook his head. "It's always on people's minds when they meet me. Being a Skywalker its hard to ignore. I've tried Finn I mean really tried but my connection with the Force has never been good. Sometimes my mother jokingly says that its a problem I inherited from my dad but Uncle Luke thought it to be something else."
He sighed and stopped walking. "I feel the Force but the relationship isn't quite there. I can move rocks, slowly, but I never got any further from that. I became discouraged, and started training to be a pilot instead."
"Well your a damn good one," said Finn. "I've never seen any First Order pilot maneuver a TIE like that. That was your first time in one too."
Ben seemed to brighten up a little. "They say my grandfather Anakin Skywalker was a prodigy, both as a pilot and a Jedi. I guess I inherited the former half."
"Or you just got it from your dad," Finn pointed out. "Package deal. You get his strengths, but also his weaknesses."
Ben smirked. "I'll never look at a stormtrooper the same way again. Thanks Finn."
Finn nodded. "Now, how do we get Rey back?"
"Let's talk to my dad," said Ben. "Breaking out people is more his line of work."
"Not quite," a voice interrupted. It was Ben's father Han. "Smuggling and jail breaking aren't the same but I did smuggle away escapees in the past."
Han sighed and got up close to Ben, locking eyes. "Look kid your mother may be stubborn but she knows that she can't control you anymore like when you were a little one riding on my knee. If you were to go to the hanger right now and grab a ship? Someone would have to stun you to stop you."
"So you'll help?" Ben asked, unsure how to read between the lines.
"You'd go even if I refused," said Han with sigh. "Which means I don't really have a choice. Your mother still needs to prepare t he fleet though which means we'll get there first, scout out the bases defenses for them."
"Back up back up!" said Finn waving his hands. "You can't just fly a single ship into a First Order base!"
"We will hyperspace right up to the planet's surface," said Han. "It's tricky to pull off and if our timing isn't right we could disintegrate on impact or something. Done right we would slip right under past their sensors."
"We would have to use the Falcon naturally," said Ben. "Expect passengers. I plan on busting Rey and as many kidnapped children as I can."
"Assuming that they've not been turned yet," said Finn nervously.
"One hour," said Han, holding up his finger. "I'll see you two in the hanger."