As the ground trembles open ferociously, Rey meets Kylo's looming gaze from across the widening ravine. Her heart pounds and her chest is flooded with a mixture of intense emotion. Kylo's expression is not one of defeat, but of rage, curiosity and determination. Despite the initial relief washing over her, Rey feels an inexplicable pull toward her enemy. They would meet again. This much she knew. For they had unfinished business.
With a single heaving breath, Rey deactivates her lightsaber and calms her nerves enough to begin thinking about escape. She turns and sprints forward through the trees, disheartened by the explosive blasts echoing in the distance.
"You can do this, you can do this, you can do this!" she repeats in her head over and over, fueled by adrenaline.
Just then, the familiar hum of the Millennium Falcon comes to the rescue. "Chewie!" Rey sighs in relief, running faster toward her savior and comrade. The Wookie lands and exits the ship, sensing Rey's distress.
"Finn is injured!" she shouts in desperation, leading Chewie towards his motionless body in the snow.
She checks his pulse again for reassurance. "He's okay," she says, more to herself than anyone else. She nods her head up and down anxiously, trying to maintain composure. "Okay, you grab his arms, I'll grab his feet," Rey instructs, and together they heave Finn towards safety.
"Almost there!" Rey shouts encouragingly as they trudge through the cold and the snow. But the familiar, electrifying buzz of a lightsaber being drawn causes Rey to freeze in her tracks. She is paralyzed with both fear and anticipation.
"You must've known you could not get away that easily…" Kylo taunts, his voice amused, but brimming with a wild fury.
Chewie roars defensively, but Rey immediately protests. "Get Finn on the ship!" she orders. "Go! He needs help. Don't wait for me!"Chewbacca hesitates, but quickly hoists the boy into his arms and follows instructions.
Rey turns to confront her enemy only to find Kylo Ren practically in her face.
"Huhhhh," she gasps, but it's too late. He'd caught her off guard.
"I told you I could teach you," Kylo hisses in her ear through gritted teeth. "Lesson number one. Friends are nothing but a distraction!"
Kylo force-chokes her as he confiscates Luke's saber. Rey puts up a fight, but he was right- she is distracted by worry and by exhaustion. Rey looks into the eyes of her enemy, trying her best to harness the light which had fueled her earlier. Her efforts are noteworthy, but she is unable to overcome him.
"Stop fighting!" Kylo growls, growing impatient.
And she wants to. It pains her to admit it, but Rey just wants it to be over.
She feels her eyelids growing heavy and the suppression of oxygen interrupts her focus.
The sound of the Falcon taking off in the distance is oddly comforting. "Finn..." Rey whispers before slipping into darkness.