[Ben bites his lip, looking away for a moment. Even with the most flattering retelling, the truth isn't something he thinks will be easy for her to hear, not after all the time she foolishly spent trying to reach out to her broken son.

He could easily say no, that she shouldn't ask. But maybe that would only lead her to something more painful than an actual answer. Secrets have only ever hurt their family, anyway.]

I fought for what you believed in. Or I—tried to.

[He can't bring himself to say why he had a change of heart. Hopefully that's enough.]

Rey... she died fighting. [He looks down to the dirty floorboards under his feet. He takes a shaky breath, and he thanks the Force that the motionless figure of Rey in his arms isn't the last thing he had to see of her—that he could make it so that wasn't the last of her.] I couldn't let that happen. So—

[He raises his eyes to his mother, a strange mix of pride and shame there. It's not enough to make up for his mistakes, but he wouldn't take it back.]

I finally did something meaningful. My life for hers.