CHAPTER V

- 34 ABY -

Ren turned around as the traitor FN-2187 collapsed to the ground and hung his lightsaber against his belt. He felt his wound from the Wookie's blaster flare up again, but he pushed past the pain, using it to fuel his strength. He reached out with the force towards his grandfather's lightsaber calling for it. At last it would be his. His brows furrowed with confusion when the saber refused to move from the mound of snow. He pushed harder with the force but still it wouldn't move, before out of nowhere it came hurtling out the snow. He dodged to the side, the metal only narrowly missing smashing against his face and he saw it fly into the outstretched palm of Rey. She looked just as shocked as he did, along with uncertain.

Inwardly a flare of pride welled deep inside him, even though he knew this wasn't the time or place. Instinctively she still remembered the basics of the force, even if she had no recollection of ever being trained.

She stared hesitantly at the saber before flicking it to life, the snow around her bathed in a soft blue glow. When he had knocked her out moments earlier, he had hoped it would last longer. He didn't want to fight her. He didn't want to harm her, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't curious. Curious to know how much she instinctively remembered. He was also still annoyed at her earlier outburst when she had called him a monster. Anger burned deep in his skin as he pulled his own lightsaber out and turning it on. How could she choose Han Solo over him? She had looked at him with such revolution and hatred when he had cut them off in the forest.

She dived forward lunging desperately at him with his grandfather's lightsaber. He dodged the attack easily and counted with his own. Their lightsaber's continued to parry against one another, as Rey continued to lunge at him. Her attacks were untrained and undisciplined. She attacked widely and stiffly as she tried to injure him. He returned her attacks with renewed anger that had her defending as she retreated ground back through the snow. Despite the aggressiveness of his attacks, deep down he knew he wasn't fighting her at full strength. Not just because he was still bleeding but also because he didn't want to hurt her. No he wanted her for himself, by his side as she was always meant to be.

He drove her deeper into the forest with his lunges, and deeper towards a large chasm that begun to open up in the earth behind them. He pushed his lightsaber against her, and she brought hers up to defend. Using his physical strength against her, he pushed against her lightsaber making her use every bit of strength to keep him at bay, as she was pressed right up against the ever-growing chasm behind them.

"You need a teacher." He breathed out, the wound making itself more present from the way his body moved offensively and defensively. This time he didn't allow the pain to feed him. Rey was too close to the edge and he was afraid. Afraid that if he used the pain to fuel is anger further, he might loose sight of what he truly wanted and hurt her. He didn't want to her. He hadn't years ago, and didn't want to start now. "I can show you the ways of the force."

At the mention of the word force, her eyes seem to flare in recognition. He hoped that recognition was of her past, that she would join him. She closed her eyes seeming to contemplate before they reopened with renewed determination. With strength she didn't have before she pushed Ren back aggressively, the move shocking him. She lunged at him ferociously again, but with more skill than she had earlier. Ren reached out with the force and sensed her aggression, which brought a smile to his lips.

She was using anger. Anger and hatred at him. Whilst he wasn't pleased it was directed at him, she was still tapping into the power of the dark side and it was making her strong. Attacking again, jolting him from his thoughts, she slammed her lightsaber down, nicking him on the arm. He fell back swinging his own lightsaber out. Rey slammed her lightsaber down once more before kicking him in the chest sending him tumbling down. He jumped back up attacking first this time, but she defended the attack, their lightsaber's clashing against one another. Disconnecting they attacked again, both grabbing hold of the hand each other held their lightsaber in. Rey pushed with all her strength against his right hand, pushing the lightsaber against the snow, whilst simultaneously pushing with her right hand to bring her lightsaber down. Succeeding, using her body's momentum, she brought her lightsaber down against the top of his preventing the crystal within from working. Not wasting an opportunity her anger propelled her forward and she slid her lightsaber back up slicing through part of his face.

Ren fell back on the snow. His face now burning with what he felt was a new scar and surprised that she had bested him. He had not wanted to hurt her but still he was a little surprised, and very pleased. It was the dark side that had given her strength and power. Dark side that he would see her wield again.

A loud deafening crack resonated in the forest. The ground between them split in half separating the two. She stared at him, contemplating finding some way over the chasm to finish the job when she relaxed and turned the lightsaber off. Giving him one final look she turned around and ran off into the forest. He was disappointed that whatever Skywalker had done to her hadn't rubbed off during their battle. But it didn't matter. Rey would soon know too. They had the bond between them once more and he would use that to his advantage. He would seduce her and when she was ready she would come to him voluntarily, Leader Snoke be damned. She was his and his alone. For once he would go against Leader Snoke. She was not for sharing and he didn't want him anywhere near her perfect mind and body. He had already lost her once. He would not let Snoke take her away from him again. Besides Snoke had promised him his father's death would set him free. He was wrong. It hadn't set him free, in fact it seem to condemn him further. Maybe Snoke wasn't as omnipotent has he claimed to be.