Sorry for the delay in updates, I've been quite sick over the holidays. Now that I'm better I'll hopefully be able to update more often. I hope you like this chapter, let me know!
The alarm blared deafeningly overhead as Rey raced down the hall of the falcon. She reached the main bridge in time to see everyone rushing in a panic. She went to Finn immediately.
"What's happening?"
"They found us!" he shouted.
She walked to the control room and found Poe and Chewy behind the controls. "What's going on? How did they find us? I thought if we changed out our temporal navigator they wouldn't be able to find us!"
Poe didn't look around at her as he continued to turn switches on the control panel. "We thought so, but it must not have worked."
"We have to get away. There must be some way for us to escape again!"
Poe turned, and she saw the truth in his eyes. Then, as though in a flash through their front window, she saw them. The Finalizer appeared before them, its massive shape obstructing their view. The front part of the ship faced them, coming right for them. Rey looked to the window of the main bridge, and though they were much to far away for her to see him, she did. Or more, she felt him. This was the closest she had been to him since leaving Crait, and her mind immediately reached out to him without her permission. His emotions were clear and concrete. In that moment she could feel his pride at having outsmarted her, his joy at being near her again, and his resolve to catch her.
"Turn this thing around!" she cried, trying to grab for the controls, but Poe pushed he hands away.
"There's no use! They're much faster than us and they'll be able to follow us where ever we go!"
"You don't understand! They will kill you!"
Even though Kylo had told her he would not hurt her friends, she couldn't help but feel that he wasn't being completely honest. How could he resist wiping out the last opposition he had in the galaxy? Even if he had feelings for her, surely, they would be overpowered by his need for control.
"I do understand that Rey. But there isn't much I can. Do6 They have us."
She reached out to him through the void of space, letting her mind touch his. She felt his surprise at feeling her there with him. Though from this distance she couldn't put direct thoughts into his mind, she could put her feelings. With everything she had, she showed him her fear and panic, her hope and desires. For a moment she felt his resolve shift, as though overwhelmed by the emotions she was showing him. But, a moment later that was gone. His own mind was set. There was no way for them to get out of this. Then, an idea formed. A crazy idea, but one that may work. He would kill her friends, but would he be able to kill her? Would he want to? She turned to Poe.
"Is that X-wing you found still attached to this ship?"
He looked at her with a crease between his brows. "Yes, but I don't see how that could help. It can only seat one."
She nodded, making up her mind. "It only has to."
…
Kylo stood at the front window, looking down on the Millennium Falcon. Finally, he had found her. He had felt her mind reaching out to him, and for a moment it had made him weak. He had felt her fear. Not for herself, but for her friends. She was convinced he would kill them, and honestly he wasn't sure if he would or not. Hux stood beside him, his face twisted with a mixture of glee and wrath. If it were up to him, he would have already blasted them out of the sky. Lucky for Rey, it wasn't.
"When we capture them, bring everyone aboard to the throne room. I will personally decide what to do with each."
Hux's lips twitch slightly. "Of course."
As he watched the ship, it made a sharp turn and began to move away from them. Hux let out a sharp laugh. "What fools. They cannot outrun us."
Kylo frowned. Surely they already knew that. But then he saw something small break away from the whole and begin moving away to the left.
"Supreme leader, it appears as though an X-wing has broken away. What should we do?"
Hux responded for him. "An X-wing can carry only a single person. We can find it later. Capture the Millennium Falcon!"
But as Kylo narrowed in on the X-wing, he felt it. It was her. She was trying to make an escape. He gripped the back of the seat in front of him. "No! Go after the X-wing!"
Hux looked at him as though he had gone mad. "What are you talking about? A single person doesn't matter! We must take out-"
"It's her! The girl! She's on that X-wing. Forget the Falcon, go after her."
His pilots nodded, beginning to call out orders. Hux pivoted where he stood to glare at him. "Are you sure that your personal feelings are not interfering with our task at hand? After what I saw-"
He was cut off abruptly as he grasped at his throat. Kylo didn't even turn to look at him as he spoke. "You would never have questioned Snoke like this. If you will not follow orders, perhaps removing you is the best course of action."
"No… that won't… be necessary." Hux managed to choke out, his eyes beginning to water. Kylo released him and he fell to the floor.
"That girl is the key to destroying the resistance. She is my equal on the light side, and as long as she is free we will not be able to rule as we see fit. She is the only one that matters."
Hux straightened up and spoke from between gritted teeth. "If you insist, Supreme leader Ren."
Their ship made a turn in the direction of the X-wing. Kylo looked out a side window and saw that the Falcon had already begun to pull away in the other direction. He looked back to Rey. They were quickly gaining on her, and she would soon be pulled into the hanger bay. He wanted to be there when they did. He made his way there, several storm troopers flanking him.
The hanger bay was full of storm troopers, all waiting for their orders. Hux came to stand beside him. "We are pulling her into our orbital field now. This was a foolish move on her part. Surely she knew she wouldn't be able to escape?"
Kylo didn't answer. Escape wasn't her motivation. She knew he would fly after her rather than the falcon, and she had been right. Perhaps it was foolish. But the idea of having her here, physically here, with him on the ship was enough to give him hope. Perhaps now, with time and closeness, he could turn her to his cause. Her ship was pulled in then. She didn't try to fight it. She knew she was captured and there was no escape. She set her ship down in front of him. He could sense her in there, so close now. There was fear, but also something else. Something like a hopeful resolve. He reached out with his mind, trying to calm her and assure her that she would not be harmed. She pushed back. She didn't want him in near her mind. The top lifted with a hiss. As she stood, he was able to fully see her. It was the first time he had seen her in person since they had been in the throne room. He enjoyed seeing her through their force bond, but it truly didn't compare to seeing her in the flesh. Knowing she wouldn't disappear at any moment.
She stared down at him from the x-wing, her chin lifted in defiance. He knew he should say something, but he was still enjoying just looking at her. He touched her mind again, trying to gauge her emotions. That was when he felt it. A searing pain shot through his shoulder, but only for a moment. The instant he pulled away from her mind the sensation stopped, and that was when he realized what had happened. One of the storm troopers had opened fire. Rey fell backward out of the x-wing, her eyes wide in shock. Kylo's arm shot out in a flash, catching her before she could hit her head on the floor. There was a commotion from behind him, but he hardly paid that any attention. He rushed to where he had set Rey down. Blood had begun to cover the front of her tan tunic, and it was covering more every second.
Rey grasped at her shoulder as she cried out in pain. Her eyes were confused when they found him. "You… you shot me?"
"No, Rey, I'm sorry. It wasn't me."
But as he finished his sentence, her eyes rolled back and her head went limp. Panic took over his body as he grasped at her face. Was she dying? Had he shot a major artery? He grasped her face. "Rey? Rey!"
"Supreme leader!" someone shouted, somewhere over him as he kneeled beside her. "Supreme leader, if you wish for the captive to live, we must get her to medical now."
He barely realized that he had nodded. A stretcher was put down beside him and two of the medical team tried to reach around him to lift her.
"I will do it!" he screamed, causing them to leap up and stumble backwards.
He lifted her both with his arms and with the force, not wanting to cause anymore damage than had been done. He laid her gently on the stretcher. The medical crew began to lift it, but he put a hand on it, momentarily stopping them. They both looked at him, questioning, and recoiled with they saw the blackness of his eyes. "Save her. If she dies, you die."
Their faces notably paled, but both nodded vigorously. As he watched them carry her away, he looked around. Everyone still stood where they had, though some looked at each other with confusion. He ran both hands threw his hair and straightened up. "Everybody get back to work!"
He walked after the medical crew, a raw fury radiating off him. Nobody would dare approach him in this state. Before he exited the docking bay though, he turned back.
"Hux!" His voice carried loudly enough that every head snapped towards him. Hux rushed forward from where he stood.
"Yes, Supreme leader?"
Kylo was barely able to stop his voice from shaking. "Where is the person who shot her?"
"He was taken away to the cells."
Kylo spoke through bared teeth. "Good."
With that he turned and marched away, intent on making sure Rey was fine.