Rey lunged forward and stabbed her lightsaber into the chest of the storm trooper who was attacking her. He crashed to the ground in front of her, and where he was, another appeared. They were closing in on her, blasters in hand. Her heart ached as she considered that they may be unwilling followers of the first order, just as her dear friend Finn used to be. But she couldn't dwell on that, or her guilt would crush her until there was nothing left but an empty shell. Instead she pressed on, forging her way down the battle field in a blur. Just then, a stab of pain ripped through her, like she was being impaled. Rey feel to her knee's, her breathing ragged and shallow.Her head was swimming rapidly and her shoulders were trembling. She forced herself up in a mad frenzy. Rey was too stubborn to die this way. She had to push on and survive. There was no other alternative. Just then, a strangled male voice entered her mind. The voice was soft. "Rey." It was Ben. Rey's heart leapt. He was alive. Relief slammed into her, ricocheting through her body. "I need you." His tone was labored, like he was injured. The happiness she'd felt faded as fast as it had come. That's when she realized, the pain she was feeling was his. "I'm coming!" She plowed in his direction, zigzagging through the mass of resistance fighters and storm troopers.
Where was she? Ben solo was thinking this as he glared up at General Hux. He'd been stabbed, in the chest. He had collapsed on the ground, unable to fight back. Where was Rey? His thoughts became worried and frantic. "The great, mighty Kylo Ren, crumbled at my feet. How ironic. Snoke always thoughts you'd rise up and become the next leader of the first order, once he was gone. He trusted in you and believed in you. After all, you were his prized apprentice. But I could always tell you were weak and conflicted, that you hadn't let the darkness consume you completely. I could tell you'd never fully given up that sad, broken child you were when I first met you. Ben solo. It shall be your downfall. You shall die for it, here and now. As a traitor and a coward. As someone who turned his back on the organization you once so avidly and loyally supported." A pause. Ben's vision was getting blurry. His dark hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat. And blood. The agony he was in was over whelming, so he tried to distract himself by counting. "You could have had so much power and control. You could have ruled over the whole galaxy with nobody to stop you. But you threw that all away and for what? Your own silly, misguided compassion for that worthless, pathetic scavenger girl. Well answer me this. Where is your precious scavenger girl now? She cannot save you or protect you. She's probably already been slaughtered, like the filthy beast she is. She fancies herself a hero, but in the end she is nothing. Just like you. You will die without any friends or allies to defend you. You will die without finding the family you always longed for." Through his hazy vision, Ben saw Rey charge up behind Hux. "You will die alone, with no one to mourn you or even remember you existed!" Another second and Hux was dead. "Ben!" Rey sank to the ground beside him. A few strands of mousy brown hair had come loose from her braid, framing her concerned face. "Quick, apply pressure to the wound. Don't try to stand. If you do, you'll only make it worse. I'll go get help. I'll be back as fast as I can, I promise." The fear was evident in her voice. "Don't leave." Ben replied. Confusion flashed across Rey's features. "You'll bleed out soon with out medical assistance. I have to hurry." She cried. "If you leave now, you'll be wasting your time. By the time you get back, it will be to late." Rey shook her head frantically. "That's not true. Your wound is making you delirious, that's all." She desperately wanted to believe the words escaping her lips. None the less, she couldn't bring herself to walk away. "That day in the forest...you could have killed me right then and yet you spared me. You showed me mercy. Why? What made me different from Han Solo, who just wanted his son back? You murdered him! What made me unique?" It all came flooding back, all the memories. A flash of blue, snow crunching underneath her feet as she rushed away from Kylo Ren, her burning anger coursing through her veins. The feeling of wrath and adrenaline that had over come her. "I looked at you and I saw a mirror of myself, of who I could have been. Of who I wanted to be. I was being ripped apart internally by the remorse I felt. It started before that duel, though.
It started when I interrogated you. I know it was wrong, but back then you were just another number to me. Another statistic. Another victim of the first order. I saw your memories. I saw a small child begging her parents not to abandon her. She was being held back from them and she was screaming. She had tears flowing down her cheeks. But they didn't care. They just marched away from her like she was nothing. Like she didn't matter. Their coldness and callosness amazed me. I hated them instantly. I was disgusted by their cruelty. That's when I realized the tiny, scared child was the brave, young woman before me. You'd spent years wishing for something that would never come; a happy reunion with those who'd mistreated you. You had been through great pain, but you hadn't allowed it to twist you and corrupt you as I had. You looked to the horizon with joy and hope, not with bitterness. You were so pure. So good. You wanted to do what was right. But there was darkness with in you, too. Rage and loneliness. I also saw the power you possessed. It was like a blazing wildfire inside of you. Raw and untamed. You hadn't learned to reach out and manipulate the force yet. Bend it and harness it at will. I wanted to train you. Teach and show you al that I knew. I couldn't bring myself to harm you. It was only after you attacked I struck back." Rey listened carefully. She said, "I could tell you were broken. Just as shattered as I was. I could tell you had suffered. But I didn't know why. Your parents loved you." She trailed off. "My father, Han Solo, was not an evil man. But he was always off smuggling. I wanted to go with him. I wanted to go on grand adventures. I wanted to be a pilot. I imitated him in every way possible. And my mother...she was a kind woman. Warm and caring and courageous. But she too was often away, leading the resistance. They were both so wrapped up in their own career's and affair's I became neglected. I was harassed and bullied by my peers. That's when it was discovered I was force sensitive. Delighted, my parents immediately shipped me off to my uncle's academy, to hone and develop these skills. They had noble intentions. But I felt betrayed. I felt confused and anxious, like I didn't fit in. That's when I figured the only place I could belong was the order. Snoke offered me a life of luxury. I felt like I'd found my true purpose. I gave into my aggression, my negative feelings." His lips had gone white. Rey clutches his hands and demanded, "Don't close your eyes! Stay awake!" She pleaded. "I can't lose you." Her whole body convulsed as she sobbed.
She put a hand to her mouth to cover her trembling lips. "I spent my entire life crying myself to sleep. I wished that my parents would return to me. I wanted a family and when I met you, I found what I'd been searching for. Someone who understood me. I can't let you go." Rey rasped. "Don't be afraid. Your not alone." He said. She leaned forward and kissed him. "Neither are you. I love you." Ben didn't reply. She crumpled completely. She couldn't go on like this. Her fate had been tied to his and now he was gone, the connection they'd shared severed. It was to much to bear. Finn rushed up to her side. "Rey, we're doing it! We're beating them!" He was estastic. That's when he saw her pained expression. All he could do was comfort her. But she was beyond consolation. She had lost her equal, her opposite, her other half. He hauled her to her feet. "We have to get to shelter. If we stay out in the open like this, we'll be ambushed. Let's go." She kicked and screamed and clawed. He dragged her away from Ben solo. "Ben!" She yelled. She was unhinged by sorrow and terror. A grief so potent Finn couldn't grasp it. He got her to cover an order of her to rest. Ray was never quite the same after that. Well many respected her for your bravery there was a hollow void in her no amount of praise could fill. She was haunted by dreams of a tall, black clad figure. She cherished these dreams, for they were all she had left. She treasured each moment of them. She was left troubled and dazed by days long passed. Images would flash through her mind sometimes. So vivid. So real. Sitting across from a large, dark haired man in a dimly lit hut. Fingers reaching for one another. But she would always awaken, the perfection of these dreams shattered. They were nothing but foggy illusions now. These dreams became less and less clear over the years. Blurred slightly. The exact pitch of his voice and shade of his eyes became lost to her. Faded by time.
