Again he felt her. She haunted his dreams and now his waking moments too? This was too much to bear. The enemy invading his mind, he seemed unable to break the connection he had to her. Why must he be tortured by this reminder of his own weakness? The untrained novice who had brought him to his knees in battle. The loss had been bitter sweet. His pride was left severely damaged, his heart even worse so. He had felt disgust for himself but also need and desire. Stronger even than his need for the dark.
His master had warned him the light would rise up against him, but he had never envisioned an opponent such as her. The emotions she stirred within him were confusing and would not be silenced. She called to him again. He had no idea how she was connecting with him, how could she be so strong without any focused training? He clenched his fists. This wouldn't do. He tried to focus his mind. Tried to shut her voice out.
But she would not be ignored and when he turned his head he saw her as he had so many times before. Her keen eyes bore into him, her face was lit by the blaze of a nearby campfire. The flames danced in her eyes, both challenging and tempting him. She looked tired, he had noted she trained ferociously which he admired her for, but it made it harder for her to keep the walls between them in place.
'Why have you come to me?' He tried to keep his voice calm and void of emotion.
'You know I do not control this, I do not come to you willingly.' He could hear the exhausted annoyance in her voice but her tone did not discourage him. He found himself alone so often since the defeat,
'And yet you are here, again. Apparently against your will though I see no evidence of this. So what would you have of me? Do you want to compare dis-functional childhoods again?'
Rey rolled her eyes and he thought he might have detected a hint of a smile.
'No, I want nothing from you. We need not even talk. Perhaps this link we have will just fade away if we ignore it.'
'Very well.' He agreed and started to remove his shirt.
'What are you doing?' She was startled, her eyes were wide but he noted they travelled up and down his bare chest carefully.
'I'm doing exactly as you requested. I'm ignoring you. I was about to take a shower and retire for the evening when you so rudely interrupted me.'
Rey chewed her lip, clearly conflicted,
'Okay. I will simply not look.'
She shrugged her shoulders and turned her eyes to the floor. Kylo smirked. He started to remove his pants and sneaked a glance at her, she was still studying the ground intently. He removed his belt, trousers and underwear. When next he glanced he saw her staring at him, her mouth was wide open and her eyes, her eyes were dilated and hungry just as they had been previously when she had caught his in various states of undress. She swallowed quickly and looked away. Kylo laughed,
'Guess I'm not so easy to ignore.' He smirked wrapping a towel around his waist.
Rey feigned indifference and rolled her eyes, she kept her gaze firmly on his face as she answered,
'I was merely...caught off guard. As if I could ever be interested in a man such as you.'
That was a lie. He felt her attraction to him but anger still rose within him,
'Yes a man such as me, abandoned by my parents, betrayed by my uncle. With a family upbringing such as this how could I have possibly lost my way?'
'So you admit you have lost you way?'
Rey questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Kylo sighed,
'You never give up do you?'
'Never, I see the good in you although you fight hard to hide it. You still care. You couldn't push the button that day, you didn't want to be the one that killed her. That image among others I have seen in your mind gives me hope. I can't break this connection with you no matter how hard I try so I choose to believe there is a reason we are still united and that reason must be so I can win you back.'
She stood before him now with anticipation shining in her eyes. He turned from her, she was often trying to move nearer to him now that he could make out her full form. It felt too...intimate. She had access to his most guarded thoughts now. She was gaining more ground every time they talked. He would have to be more vigilant.
'You are wrong scavenger. Do not pretend to understand me.'
'I am not a scavenger and I do understand you, I know what it feels like to be lost, I know how it feels to be broken by the past.'
'I have no past.'
'You mean you refuse to acknowledge it. That doesn't mean it isn't there. I see your past screaming out in your every thought, crying out in every action you take. You have let go of nothing, you're deluding yourself.'
'Enough!' He growled, turning from her again.
'No! You cannot shut me out, I am the voice in your head now as you are the voice in mine. You will listen to me. The resistance needs you. Why do you fight for them? Why not fight for us? For the Jedi? We could start again we could repair what they built.'
'The Jedi must die out, they were privileged fools. Unable to see their own mistakes before it was too late.'
'Yes.' Rey agreed calmly placing a hand on Kylo's arm,
'Yes they were wrong, yes they were blind but we can change all that. We can repair the past we can rebuild the religion. Light and dark together, there will be more like us out there we can find them help them to find a balance. I believe we are the key. We must work together...'
Kylo pulled his arm away,
'It is impossible.'
His heart thudded in protest. Everything she had said was appealing. He wanted to be accepted, he wanted to be the hero but he knew it was not to be. His crimes had already cemented his fate. He would be executed if the rebels got their hands on him. He felt Rey's disappointment at his words and it pained him. He turned to her,
'If we are going to go down this road again I will repeat the words I have said a thousand times before, join with me. Leave them. What are they to you? Not family. Not friends. They use you for their own selfish wants. I will revere you. I am the only one who can give you what you really need. Acceptance. Belonging. True respect.'
'And what of love Ben? Can you offer me that?' She whispered softly. He felt her energy change, it was disarming. This was territory they hadn't visited before. He felt she was vulnerable, he suspected she was opening up to try and draw him out. Clever he thought and yet a part of him wanted to give in to her and it scared him more than any opponent he had ever faced.
'Go.' He stated coldly.
'No. What of love? I know you can still feel, but do you feel love? Can you give yourself to another? Could you give yourself to someone like me, completely?'
Kylo's mind ran through his familiar images of them together, of soft caresses, lovers whispers, intense sparring partners, and then later their bodies naked and entwined together... he looked at her sharply, he knew she had seen the images too, had felt the same desire that ran through his veins, her cheeks were flushed but her eyes didn't leave his.
'You haven't answered my question,' she pressed carefully.
'No I don't feel love. I feel nothing but hatred.'
'That's just not true and you know it.'
His irritation rose, it was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that he had felt nothing but hate until she had came into his life, that his emotions were so scrambled now he questioned his every move that sometimes he felt her so strongly he wasn't even sure if his thoughts were his own. His head pounded with anger and his heart swelled with feeling and the conflict within him burst out,
'Enough! He roared, 'What do you think is happening here? There is no salvation for me, you cannot rescue me, I am a monster, it would be better for you if I were dead.'
'No!' She cried vehemently banging her fists against his chest as he instinctively seized her wrists, 'I don't believe that... not anymore, that couldn't be true if it were why I would feel...'
She trailed off but it was too late, he had felt her emotions. They starred at each other, breathing rhythmically, searching each other eyes. Neither able to express what they felt in words, both able to understand each other without them.
She was the first to relent, unclenching her fists and placing her palms tentatively on his bare chest. A jolt of electricity ran through him and he grasped her neck and pulled her towards him, he pressed his lips hard against hers, barely aware of his own movements, just knowing that something was drawing her to him and the closeness between them made it impossible to ignore any longer. Then something happened that rocked him to his very core, she opened her mouth and returned his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. His heart hammered in his chest, could it actually be true? Could this be what he had been searching for all the years? Was this the family they both needed so badly? The family she deserved? Rey ran her fingers through his hair; he moaned and guided her to a nearby wall. Pushing her up against the cold surface, he deepened their union and Rey responded by wrapping her legs around his waist. He held her easily as their thoughts and energies mingled. Yes, he thought, this felt right. This felt like home. She sighed and it pulled him from his fantasy.
Was he mad? He was a warlord, a demon, a destroyer of worlds, what use was love to him? He pulled away and placed her on the floor. She was a distraction, nothing but a pretty trinket obstructing him from his true purpose. He sneered down at her and touched his lips,
'That was... tempting, but you shall have to try harder if you want me to join with you dirty scavenger. Go now leave me in peace.' He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Rey's eyes filled with pain, he felt her emerging feelings for him, the purity of them and her confusion over his cruel rejection. His head filled with the truth, Not worthy, not worthy, not worthy of her. He fought hard to keep his mask in place. If he let it slip it would be his undoing. She was better off without him, what could he offer her but death and sorrow? It was all he knew.
The connection abruptly ended and Rey wondered if it would ever join them again. Her head berated her and her heart ached for him. How could it be that she loved this man? The realisation had come to her with startling clarity the moment their lips had touched. There had to be a reason. She had seen good in him, buried yes but it was still there. Was love enough to bring him back? She decided she had to try, for Leia, for the resistance for all their fates. Kylo Ren would be a most valuable ally and the thought of reuniting a mother and a son soothed her own lonely heart. She winced as she remembered his cruel taunt but she had felt his growing attraction for her, greater even than her own for him. Never had she felt so drawn to anyone, the darkness within him nourished her, called out to her as the light seemed to call to him. The light and the dark became more blurred to her each time them met and she became more convinced that the one true way forward was for both of them to unite. She blushed when she thought of what that union might mean for them. Was this really the best thing for everyone? Or was she acting in her own selfish needs? She wasn't sure but time was running out and she knew she had to try and she hoped her reasons were pure.
Kylo showered and as the ice cold water ran over his body, he envisioned it hardening his heart towards Rey. That slip had been unforgivable. This wasn't a fairy tale; he wasn't a damsel in distress waiting for his rescuer. Who was this girl? Were her origins really this un-impressive? How could she be such a worthy challenger and yet come from nowhere? His own lineage should have provided him with the ability to deal with her once and for all. A thought crept into his head,
'Vader betrayed the Jedi because of selfish, possessive love, and in the end, he realised that selfless love was the only thing worth fighting for.'
Kylo snorted, romantic nonsense, probably Rey's influence. Bedtime stories parents of the resistance tell their children as they go off to their deaths no doubt, but still the thought of his grandfather and his turn to the light stayed with him. Could he be guiding him? Could he be trying to tell him that Rey is the answer for him? Kylo's sleep was troubled that night, plagued with nightmares of two paths one black and one white one led to his departed master snoke and the other to Rey. His heart and his head fought tirelessly but he could not choose a road to take. The stench of death filled his nostrils and he crumbled to the floor covering his face in his hands, hearing Snoke laughing and taunting him for being so weak. Then he heard a whisper,
'It doesn't have to be like this.'
He looked up and Rey was crouching before him looking down on him with concern.
'What do you mean? These are the only choices.'
'No it's not, there is another way.'
Suddenly a grey stone path materialised leading away from the other paths. Rey took his hand and tried to tug him towards it but his suspicion grew and he let go of her.
'Is this my dream or have you infiltrated my thoughts here to?'
Rey sighed,
'Why must you always fight me? I only want to help you. Do you think he had your best interests at heart? She stated motioning towards Snoke.
'This is a dream, but I am here. Come. I cannot hurt you here so what harm can it do? Come and see what I am offering.'
Temptation lured him to follow her down the path, they walked for sometime occasionally she turned and smiled at him. Kylo wondered if she was still angry at his earlier rebuff.
'Oh I'm still angry,' she answered his thoughts, 'but I also know you didn't mean a word of it. Ah, we are here.'
Before them was a cliff with waves lapping below them, and in front of them the sky was turning darker, he shielded his eyes as the burning sun was eclipsed by the cold hard edges of the moon.
'The light and the dark together.' She declared.
'And as I predicted the dark has now completely snuffed out the light.' He motioned with his hand to the sky. 'Feel the cold around you now,' he whispered as he circled her, 'there is no place in this world for you unless you embrace the dark.'
'Patience.' She replied simply. The moon passed and the sun returned to the sky.
'And now the sun is back, yes it was temporarily eclipsed by the moon but it is not destroyed, nor damaged. They are not enemies, they are partners.'
Kylo rolled his eyes,
'Yes subtle imagery Rey. I see your intention.'
She was before him in a second,
'Do you? Do you truly see? I don't think you do.'
She looked at him for a moment then puffed out a short burst of air as if exasperated, when she kissed him his mind flooded with images. Their hands entwined, he could feel her soft skin against his rough palm, the sun, a temple, and children wearing robes with a black and white entwined symbol. Peace, love, acceptance. This is what she offered him? No. It was an illusion.
'What a happy little ending.' He breathed breaking the kiss, 'but we can imagine anything in our dreams.'
'It's not a dream, I have seen it. When I kiss you, I see this.' She touched his face, turning his head gently to face her again. 'You can see yourself becoming ruler of the entire galaxy but you can't imagine this could be a reality for you? Are you really so lost?'
'Not lost, just grounded. You seem to have lost your senses. Need I remind you that I am a murderer?'
'Need I remind you that perhaps some parts of the past should stay in the past?'
He was taken aback as she used his own philosophy against him.
'Not everything is black and white, good or bad, light or dark. I see that now. The force wants us to reconnect it. It wants us to bring the balance it so desperately needs. If we don't at least try, this war will never end until it tears this galaxy apart and then there will be nothing left for you to rule over, supreme leader.' She said with an exaggerated bow.
Her defiance prickled at him and his anger rose,
'How can I trust you rebel scum?' He spat but she was not fooled, she felt his fear and his hope.
'The same way I trust you. I feel it.' She breathed as she faded away. 'Remember this isn't my dream Ben it's yours.'
And as Kylo came into consciousness, he could still see her pleading eyes and feel his betraying hopeful heart beating hard in his chest.
Could he do it? Could he renounce the dark? Not to join the light, not to join the rebels, not for his mother. But to join Rey? To carve his own path with her by his side? The idea was tempting. A growl of frustration escaped from his throat. Why now? Why was she here now? If this was his destiny why couldn't he have met her all those years ago?
Hux arrived for a briefing. Kylo half listened as he went through the events of the day and outlined where they were gaining ground and how many rebels had joined the death count. He barely heard him his thoughts were so conflicted now. Rey would never fit into this world but could he fit into hers? One thing was for sure, he couldn't go on like this.
'Leave me.'
Hux was startled but didn't question the request. I knew enough of Kylo's temper to know when to follow orders. He nodded slightly and left the room. Kylo rubbed his face with his hands, grabbed at his hair and growled. He looked in the mirror and ran a finger over the scar she has given him. A very visible reminder of the cracks she had been cutting into his soul since he first met her. He roared at his reflection, picked up his light saber and lunged at the mirror, it cut through like melted butter leaving just a jagged fragment hanging. He saw his eyes shining with anger, anger that needed to be released. No one else disturbed Kylo that day as he destroyed the contents of his chamber wishing all the while that he could destroy the conflict within him instead.
As Rey trained that day she felt his pain like scorch marks on her skin. It made it difficult for her to concentrate. She decided to visit him that night during his dreams, she didn't usually initiate the bond but she could feel him almost screaming in her mind. Something was seriously wrong. When she entered his thoughts it was dark and cold, she squinted and could make out a shape in the corner of the room. She could hear faint sobs. It was a little boy; she knew it was Ben before she saw his face. She tried to call out to him but he didn't respond. She tried to move closer to him but no matter how many steps she took or how fast she ran, she couldn't reach him. Then she heard a voice. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Snoke.
'They abandoned you child. They don't care about you. I care. You are special to me. One day we will be together and we will achieve great things. Be strong child. Don't let them see your pain. I will come for you, when you are ready.'
Suddenly the crying stopped and the child lifted his head and looked right through her. His eyes were vacant and dull and a chill ran up her spine. Did he see her? Something like dust or sand swirled around her in the darkness obstructing her view. She wiped at her eyes and called out,
'Ben!'
When she looked again the figure crouched in the darkness was Kylo. His head down and clothes torn. Through the slashes in his clothes she could see bloody seeping from open wounds.
'Ben!' She screamed. This time he looked up and his eyes were filled with sorrow. She ran to him, fell to her knees, and took his hand. Desperate to ease his pain which was almost suffocating her.
'Please Ben, tell me what to do. Let me help you. I can't stand to see you like this.'
Red rimmed eyes met hers,
'Just stay away from me. Don't you get it? You can't save me. If you come after me I will kill you and that would be more than I can bear.'
Rey's heart bled. He was broken and it was all her fault.
'Please let me fix this,' she whispered.
'Can we ever really escape our past?' He said, looking past her. 'I'm no longer sure. I'm a product of both sides, an apparent failed experiment of the force. Where does that leave me in this world? Was my future supposed to be different? Was I supposed to become the hero? Could I have carried the burden of being a Jedi? I'm not so sure... It's pointless to speculate... I can never be their hero now.'
Tears poured down Rey's face,
'You're important to me; you don't have to live like this.' She pleaded.
He looked at her and smiled,
'Sweet Rey. Still trying to save me.'
'I have to Ben, my soul needs you.'
He looked confused. She took his hand and entwined her fingers with his.
'We are like two sides of the same coin; we're the sun and the moon. Don't you see yet? Don't you see how much I need you?'
Rey climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around him, placing her head on his chest,
'Don't fight for the dark, don't fight for the light. Right not, just fight for me. Fight for us. Please.'
He wrapped his arms tightly around her,
'I want to, I just...'
'Stop thinking.' She commanded.
In answer to her request he wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her slowly, holding her head gently and exploring her mouth with his tongue, seeking out the comfort he so sorely needed. She responded in kind by pressing herself against him and wrapping her arms around him. They whispered words of devotion of understanding of comfort to one another. Slowly they shed their clothes and joined together, their energies dancing around them as they moved in harmony. Kylo had never felt pleasure like it, he ran his hands over her soft skin, he watched her every movement as if she performed them in slow motion. Her eyes closing gently, her head tipping back exposing her slender neck, as she moved upon him. His drew in ragged breaths, each inhale bringing him closer and closer to her.
'Rey' He murmured. 'My Rey.'
'Yes, your Rey.' She said softly.
Holding her gently he turned them so that she was under him. He looked into her eyes with wonder as their release took hold of them simultaneously.
'Ben' Rey panted as she gripped his shoulders, drawing blood. Ben kissed her neck gently then looked into her eyes,
'Rey, my light in the dark.' He said with awe. She smiled up at him pushing back his hair,
'Ben my dark knight. Will you come to me? Soon?' She asked hopefully.
'Will you come to me?' He asked.
'Ben, this is decided now. We will be together. No light. No dark. Just unity. We have to make both sides understands...'
Ben snorted.
'You think your friends will accept me by your side?'
'Yes. They will understand...in time.'
'And you think the order will just accept that I have decided to sign a peace treaty with the rebels? And everyone will just come together because of me and you?'
'There might be some resistance...at first.'
'Some! Rey, storm troopers are created to destroy, they don't understand feelings or...'
'Please tell me that I didn't just give myself to you for nothing.' Rey exclaimed sitting up and gathering her clothes.
'So that's what this was about? A little female manipulation to sway me? I should have known. Clever little Jedi. I think Luke would be proud.'
She slapped him then and it stung a little but it was a mortal wound for his heart.
'Get out of my head. I don't want you here.'
Rey's eyes were filled with anger as she faded from his mind. Then he was alone again with only the memory of her.
Rey sobbed with despair. She ached to be with him but every time she tried to reach him she ended up feeling more confused than ever. Is this how love was supposed to feel? She felt as if she was being torn apart. He was right the rebels wouldn't accept him as he was. They would want to try him for his crimes. If only there was a way she could make them see that Ben Solo and Kylo Ren were two very different people existing in the same body. Like two halves of the same... then it came to her. She just had to make everyone see Ben. Not Kylo. She wiped her tears and shook her head. There wasn't time for pity, she had work to do.
Kylo woke with a start, sweat pouring from his body. He felt the bed around him. She was gone and he had been the one to push her away he remembered. Good. The distraction was getting way out of hand. He needed to focus on his true purpose. There were those who sensed his weakness and would seek to overthrow him. He had to show them he was strong. She accepts you regardless of your flaws came the reply from his heart. Not anymore. He thought sadly.
Rey did not initiate contact with Ben again. She practiced hard to put up walls between them to keep him out of her head though she suspected he wasn't interested in contacting her and had not felt anything from him for many weeks. She was losing him and she had to act fast. She kept herself isolated from her friends. She had to stay focused. Finn was worried about her and Leia being the astute leader that she was suspicious of her though she never voiced her concerns out loud.
She meditated for hours. When she felt she was finally ready she shared her plan with her friends. They pleaded with her, begged her not to do it but they knew they couldn't stop her. She made the call that afternoon. She was alone and shaking with misplaced adrenaline, making sure the message was scrambled so it couldn't be traced back to their hide out she recorded her voice saying the words she never thought she would say,
'This is a message for the first order. I am Rey of the resistance I wish to surrender. I am sending co-ordinates of where I can be found, I will be alone. I want general Hux to take me in and I want him to be alone.'
Rey exhaled. It was done. Time to get to the meeting point. She felt the force pushing her on, eager for resolution. Whatever form it may take.
When he heard the message his blood ran cold. General Hux stood before him a smug expression on his face; he resisted the urge to run him through with his light saber.
'You realise this is a trap, she is baiting you.' Kylo stated.
'Trap or not I shall have to go. She is too valuable to ignore. Besides, I won't go alone. Why on earth would I trust rebel scum to tell me the truth?'
Kylo ran his hands through his hair. What was she doing? No contact for weeks then this?
'I will go.' He stated.
'No. She asked for me. You can accompany me of course but I must be the one to meet with her. Perhaps she is ready to join us. Perhaps she feels more comfortable talking to me, supreme leader.'
Kylo almost laughed out loud at Hux's obtuseness. Instead he gritted his teeth and again resisted the urge to cause Hux bodily harm.
Hux was looking for any opportunity to overthrow Kylo. Kylo had heard the rumours of a coup, knew that Hux was trying to drum up support for his 'new' regime using his father's reputation to inspire confidence. His father's importance to the first order was the only reason Hux wasn't lying on the floor in a unconscious heap at that very moment. He would not want another rival in his battle for control, He would kill Rey. Kylo felt it, so she had to know it too. So what was she doing?
'Very well. It is settled. Set a course.' Kylo ordered, feigning disinterest but feeling as if his whole world hung in the balance.
Once he was alone Kylo tried to sense Rey but he couldn't feel her. It was as if she had disappeared. This had to be a trap. Why would she surrender to Hux and not to him? She knew he would welcome her with open arms. An image of her pledging allegiance to him entered his mind. He swallowed hard and gripped his saber. So this was it, their final showdown. She was going to try to force his hand somehow and one or both of them might end up dead because of it.
When they arrived at her co-ordinates Hux took a small craft to the surface and Kylo remained on a star destroyer that was cloaked to avoid detection. He sensed it was futile, he could feel her presence as if she was standing right beside her and he suspected she felt the same. Hux was honing in on her position and the sense of impending doom that engulfed him at that moment had him reaching for his saber. There was always a chance that she was ready to defect, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it.
Hux found himself at an abandoned trader's outpost. He nervously glanced around him. Straightening up he called out,
'I am General Hux of the first order; I have come to negotiate your surrender Rey of the resistance.'
Rey took a deep breath and stepped out from behind some wooden crates.
'I am here, however I find that my resolve is wavering today. I'm not so sure I'm ready to surrender.'
Hux gritted his teeth in disapproval,
'Is there something I can do to persuade you?'
Rey shrugged,
'You can attempt to prove yourself worthy. Beat me in battle.'
Hux exhaled impatiently,
'Hardly a fair fight, you are a trainee Jedi after all.'
'Scared huh?' Okay we'll just forget the whole thing.'
'No!' Hux exclaimed then checked himself. 'No, I am sure I can rise to the occasion.'
Rey smiled. He knew how big a prize she would be and she had been right that he was willing to risk his life to try and ensnare her.
Hux nodded,
'Very well, I would say good luck but of course I want you to fail.'
'I will wish you luck then.' She said as she force pushed him to the ground and ran for cover. Hux growled and rolled behind some nearby creates.
'Using the force seems like an unfair advantage.' He shouted trying to ascertain her location.
'Just a little push to start us off!' She shouted back as a rain of blaster fire fell on her. She ducked and crawled to a new position. She pin pointed his located and shot her blaster in his direction. When he didn't return fire she looked puzzled, then she realised he had also changed location. She listened carefully, but he was upon her before she knew it. She felt a jab as a blaster was pushed hard into her back,
'Checkmate.' He said smugly. Rey dropped her blaster.
'You win then.' She conceded.
'No not yet.' Hux sneered with venom in his voice. 'Stand up, walk into the centre of these crates and kneel down.' He stated digging his weapon further into her spine. She winced and gritted her teeth but did as he commanded. He hit her roughly on the back of her head. Such a coward's move she thought, the pain throbbed behind her eyes and her vision became blurry. For the first time she wondered if her plan would work. She looked at Hux he was hazy but she could see his eyes were wild; he was drunk with power for sure.
'You watch this Kylo!' He called to the sky. 'You watch me do what you could never achieve.'
He aimed the blaster at Rey's head,
'We don't need another temperamental force brat in our ranks I'm afraid. So this is goodbye but you won't die in vain, I'm sure I will be richly rewarded for disposing of the infamous Jedi hero of the resistance.'
As he finished his sentence his face drained of colour and his eyes bulged from his face, Rey could make out a red flame extruding from his chest. Then he fell and standing before her was Kylo,
'What is the meaning of this?' He was furious. Rey shook her head still trying to clear her hazy vision,
'To let them see...'
She pointed to the crates the faces of Poe, Finn and BB8 popped out.
'See what?' He questioned.
'See you Ben.' She replied before falling unconscious.
Kylo instinctively scooped her up in his arms. Poe and Finn ran out but stopped in front of him,
'Why did you save her?' Finn asked.
'Why didn't you save her?' Kylo shouted with rage.
'She had us pinned back there, we couldn't move, why do you think Hux bettered her? Her senses were dulled. Must have taken a lot of energy to do that.'
'It does,' agreed Kylo studying Rey's face. Poe and Finn exchanged glances.
'So what do we do now?' Poe asked.
'We do nothing, I'm taking the girl.' Kylo stated.
'Over my dead body!' Finn declared.
'Easily arranged, however, I am willing to agree a temporary truce and allow you both to live another day if you let me take her without resistance.'
'She did all this for you, to show us that you had a good side. Risked her life, put herself in harm's way to see if you would save her. She believes in you that much. Doesn't that mean anything to you?' Poe shouted.
'It means everything to me.' Kylo replied without hesitation. 'But I am not about to put my faith in a bunch of renegades who almost got her killed.'
He started towards his ship, Finn and Poe moved to follow but with a swipe of his arm they were rendered motionless.
'I promise you; next time we meet I will not be so lenient.'
Kylo looked at Rey so small in his arms, she was dreaming now and her thoughts tangled up with his. The momentary distraction was enough and Poe took out his blaster and shot him, as he fell he thought only of Rey.
Kylo awoke in restraints. He cursed himself for allowing this situation to come about. He looked around the room then felt a hand gently curve around his arm,
'Easy.' Her voice coaxed him.
'Release me.' He commanded.
Rey looked incredulously at him,
'Really?'
'Is this what you wanted? Me in chains?'
'No! But you can't expect them to welcome you with open arms! You used the force against them and you threatened to kidnap me...again.'
'Not kidnap you, protect you from their incompetence.'
'They are not incompetent! And you can hardly blame them for thinking you posed a danger to me.'
'Need I remind you that I saved your life back there?'
'I know. Thank You.'
'What was the point of this whole charade? To trick me and incarcerate me?'
'To make them see that you have good in you, to make them view you differently and to prove to myself once and for all that you care about me.'
Kylo studied her face and opened his mouth to speak, but the door opened and a guard walked into the room.
'Rey,' he exclaimed, 'excuse me, I was asked to check on the pris...'
'No!' Rey shouted too late.
The guard fell to the ground, gasping for air, clutching at his throat.
'Let him go!' Rey screamed. Kylo's eyes were wild and she realized her words couldn't reach him. She reached out her hand to him,
'Ben. Let. Him. Go.'
She commanded. He blinked and finally focused on her and let the guard go. He scrambled from the room, but the damage had been done. He would speak of his ordeal and undo all the good she had managed to encourage in Ben's favour. It was all for nothing.
'Rey...'
'No! Don't. This was a mistake. All of this was a mistake. We should never have brought you here.'
And with that she left slamming the door behind her.
END (Part 1)
