Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars

All it took was a split second for their minds to connect. Kylo Ren could no longer see the dark hallway he had been walking down and momentarily lost his bearings. A rough wind blew his hair across his face, the water from the ocean spraying up at him. It was a colourless scene, the sun obscured by the rolling grey clouds.

He saw her almost immediately. Rey was sitting on a nearby rock, meditating, eyes closed to everything around her. Kylo could sense through the force what she was trying to accomplish. She was the reason their minds were connected, even after all this time.

When Rey felt his presence, she slowly let go of her hold on the force. It settled inside of her before disappearing entirely. It had worked. She felt proud of herself for having pulled it off without any training. But her confidence instantly shifted to something else when she saw Kylo Ren standing before her. Unease filled every inch of her body, along with something else: fear.

Kylo sneered at the girl on the rock. 'Why did you bring me here?'

'I didn't even know if it would work,' she murmured to herself. Once standing, she had to look up to meet his dark eyes. 'It's been a long time, Ben.'

Ignoring the use of his name, Kylo took an intimidating step towards her, pulling his lightsaber from his belt. 'I've been trying to find the last remaining resistance base for over a year. By using the force to connect us and bring me here, you could be putting them all in danger. What is the reasoning behind all this?.'

'I'm not here to fight you,' she told him, a gentler note entering her voice. 'There is something I need to tell you. I don't know if you even care, but I know you're not a monster. Not entirely anyway.'

He took a moment to take in her expression and use of words. The air around her had shifted, and he could feel through the force that her fear had completely vanished. Kylo's hold on his lightsaber loosened.

Rey didn't know how to continue. This was the man who had torn everything apart in his fall to the dark side. He was someone who cared about nothing and no-one. Kylo Ren had killed his own father without a second thought. And yet, there was something within him. Rey sensed that the dark hadn't completely overtaken him, and that Ben Solo was trapped inside. Fear gave way to compassion within her heart.

'Your mother has passed away.' There was a pause. 'It happened two days ago. I've been trying to contact you since that day. I'm sorry for your loss.'

Much to her bewilderment, Kylo Ren gave a short laugh. It was devoid of any emotion and sent chills down her spine. He didn't feel anything towards what he had just been told. Ben Solo would have cared, but Kylo Ren was different.

'General Organa was your mother,' Rey stated, anger boiling in her chest. 'How could you laugh about this? She was like a-.'

'A mother to you?' His voice was deep and strong, carrying his hostility in every word he spoke. 'I can see through you; into your mind. Tell me, was she a loving mother? She never did anything to care for me. I was sent far away where she never had to see me again.'

Her walls instantly shot up around her mind, using the force to protect her thoughts from him. Kylo's hand gripped his lightsaber even tighter than before. The situation had taken a turn Rey hadn't prepared herself for. She could feel the anger radiating from him and knew she needed to break the connection between their minds.

Wide eyes, fearful eyes, met Kylo's fury filled stare when she realised something. Her heart began pounding in her chest. She had tried to break their connection using the force, but their minds remained tethered together. A much darker, stronger force was pressed against their minds. How had she not felt it sooner? During their conversation Kylo had slowly crept into her mind, learning what he needed to do in order to connect their thoughts. It wasn't Rey keeping them here, it was Kylo.

He gave a cruel smile when he felt the fear creep back into her. 'Now you can't escape me.'

And then he vanished, breaking their connection.

The hold on her mind had caused a massive headache to flare at the bottom of her neck. Rey stumbled a few steps back, falling onto the rock she had been meditating on. What did he mean by that last part? Rey felt like something wasn't right. Was there a way he could use their connection to find the resistance? Had he been able to read deep into her thoughts in the split second it had taken her to block him out?

Rey glanced out across the ocean, praying that he wasn't able to mimic how she manipulated the force to connect their minds. But in the off chance that he managed to see something he wasn't supposed to Rey needed to warn the others.

It took three hours to reach the resistance strong hold. It was an unmarked planet within a solar system that had once belonged to the Federation. The First Order would have a hard time tracking them from 30 light years away, but thanks to Rey, it might be easier to locate them.

Finn, Poe and everyone else who had survived the attack on Crait listened carefully as she explained to them what had happened.

Finn began pacing back and forth, unable to stop himself from fidgeting. 'Are you sure he can trace us back to here using the force? I mean, he can't read minds right? The force doesn't work like that... Does it?'

Rey watched him walk back and forth. 'He can glimpse certain things. If I can manage to connect my mind with his, then he is defiantly strong enough to return the favour. Believe me, this is not what I had intended.'

'Alright everyone, we need a plan.' Poe gathered everyone's attention by standing on a weapons crater. 'I don't know how long we have until the First Order manages to find us. Rey, I need you to try and find out what Kylo Ren is planning. I don't exactly know how this...thing with your minds work, but do you think you can get us something like a time limit?'

Rey only nodded, not sure if she could do what he asked.

He nodded back. 'I need everyone to gather our supplies on transporter shuttles. Those who know how to fly a sharp shooter are with me when we depart. We need to protect the shuttles and the remaining resistance fighters with our lives. Everyone understand?'

While everyone rushed around, getting ready to leave their home for the past one year, Rey went to find a quiet spot. It had only been a few hours since speaking with Kylo, and she didn't know if it would work again.

Once comfortable on the bottom of a bunk bed, she opened up her senses to the force. It swirled around her chest, warm and reassuring, before expanding into her whole body. Rey felt the whole universe around her, pin pointing where Kylo was in a heart beat. He was too easy for her to find, like he had been waiting for her. Their minds connected within seconds of her meditation.

This time when she opened her eyes she didn't know where she was. Rey felt the darkness trying to enter her mind, but was quick to shield her thoughts. It was clear in an instant that Kylo was controlling the link between their minds. Was she really so weak against his use of the dark force?

'You need a teacher,' he stated from the other side of the cockpit.

Rey glanced around at the control panels and the vast open space visible through the ships glass screen. What solar system was Kylo Ren in? It wasn't one she recognised. There was nothing to give away his location.

'You're trying to find out if I've located your strong hold,' he said matter-of-fact.

'Stop doing that.'

An evil smirk played at the edges of his lips. 'None of you will leave alive. I will end the resistance once and for all.'

'Answer one question for me,' she started, changing the topic of their conversation. 'If it causes you this much pain, then why do you continue to follow the dark side?'

His perfectly practiced façade faltered long enough for Rey to know that she had hit a nerve. She could feel it within him whenever she connected their minds. A battle, long since waged, within his mind and soul. Neither side has won yet, but it was clear which one held power over him. Kylo was struggling to control his rage and insecurities.

He stretched out his arm, using the force to cut off her air supply. Rey dropped to her knees, struggling for even a small breath of air. Luke's lightsaber made it's way into her hand and she clicked the button, hearing the familiar sound of the plasma beam coming to life. Kylo instantly let go of the force; allowing her air. He drew his own lightsaber, the bright red flashing into view.

'It's only fair,' Rey managed to gasp between breaths of air, stumbling to her feet. 'You read my thoughts and I read yours. If you want me to stop, tell me one thing; what do you plan to do once you find our location?'

All he did was crouch into a defensive stance, glaring at her in pure hatred and anger, ready for their second battle.

Rey took a stance as well, raising her lightsaber with strong, capable hands.

'Remember how this ended last time for you.' She gestured to the thin scar running down the right side of his face. 'Tell me what you plan to do once you find the location of our resistance base.'

'It's too late for you,' was all he said before he lunged towards her.

Rey broke their connection immediately. She had to use the force to forcibly shove him from her mind moments before his saber would have sliced her in two. It took so much energy from her that when she tried to get off the bed her head swirled and she fell against the frame of the bunks.

'Finn,' she whispered, unable to go further. Rey sunk to the floor, sweat soaking through her shirt.

Conjuring up the last remaining strength she had, Rey used the force to push herself into Finn's mind.

Finn

It wasn't something she had tried on anyone other than Kylo. Could someone who wasn't connected to the force hear her? With her body in the state it was there was no other way. With every heart beat she could feel her connection with the force growing weaker. Her eyes began to close against her will. Rey had used too much of the force in such a short amount of time, something she wasn't trained to do.

Finn, you need to go now. Tell Poe... Everyone... Tell everyone it's too late. Leave everything behind; leave me behind. Go.

It was faint, but she felt something shove back, a fleeting thought. It was a familiar and comforting voice.

We aren't leaving without you, Rey.

In between the ringing in her ears, Rey heard the distant sounds of fighter jets. They had closed in on their location. It was too late...

Go!

With her last ounce of energy, she manipulated the force around her, screaming the command into everyone's minds who was within a one mile radius. It was the last thing she could do for them.

Rey's body hit the floor long after her mind had completely shut down.