A/N Yaaaay, another chapter in less than a week! I'm proud of myself ^^

Chapter 21. Path towards Kehoo

Rey woke up, chattering in the morning cold. The AT-AT had cooled during the night so that it became almost impossible to stay inside. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. The other side of the mattress was empty, and somehow it felt uncomfortable.

Rubbing herself with her hands to warm up, Rey got out of the old war machine, screwing her eyes up from the brightness of the morning sun. She looked around and immediately found Ren. He sat with his back to her, hunched over, still looking slightly unrealistic in the dusty smuggler's clothes instead of his usual black robes. His lightsaber lay aside, half thrust into the sand, as if someone had thrown it against the ground in a fit of rage. A large boulder, which was brought to this naked desert by some unknown forces thousands of years ago, was now half melted with traces of a lightsaber on its surface.

She cautiously approached the stooped figure. Ren did not move, still sitting motionless, dropping his head in his hands. She walked around him, expecting to meet his burning gaze staring into nothingness, but his eyes were closed. He slept sitting, seemingly exhausted by a flash of powerless rage. Automatically, she noticed that he hadn't shaved for a couple of days and his patchy bristles made him look a little older. The dark circles around his eyes were prominently marked on his pale face, betraying that he hadn't slept properly.

She knelt beside him, still with mixed feelings after last night. Despite the sympathy she felt for him, Rey could not bring herself to touch him. She was angry with herself for this cowardice, trying to convince herself that she knew what she was going for, that there was no turning back, but the thought of simple touch infused her with fear. She perceived that Ren was the same person she knew and loved, that his confession did not make him a monster, but the thought of the lives that his hand had taken repulsed her. She had the feeling that instead of a warm human hand she would feel the cold hand of a murderer and at that very moment their fragile world would be broken.

Suddenly, she made a careless move, disturbing Ren's sensitive sleep. He jerked, opening his eyes, immediately throwing up his head like a predatory bird. She must have instinctively raised her hands in a defensive gesture, because a trace of pain flashed through his eyes.

"So, you again hate me. Moreover, now you are afraid of me. You didn't fear me even when I interrogated you." His tone was bitter, yet calm. Rey felt the blood flushing to her face. He looked straight at her. The pain burning in his eyes was gone, and now his gaze was cold and distant. He tried to push her away despite his promise not to do it last time when they made love.

They were both broken and each was used to being alone. Each step closer was made with great difficulty. Sometimes, it seemed that here it was, the closeness, trust, warmth of another person. But in the next moment all the distance that they had overcome on the way to each other suddenly came back again between them. It happened over and over and Rey feared that it would never end. Closeness brought such possibilities for pain...

Someone had to stop running. With an effort of will she overcame herself and gently placed her hand on top of his. He slightly shuddered, but did not pull his hand away. Rey exhaled. Ren's hand was warm and human, the same as always, and it calmed her down a little.

For a moment they stayed in silence and then she licked her dry lips and said emphatically, "Kiss me." The stone-calm expression on his face was wiped away and his eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Not a word more," she lifted a finger to his lips, "Just kiss me and we'll go and find the ship and fly away from here to Kehoo. You won't push me away this time."

Rey closed her eyes. She simultaneously expected and feared his kiss, as if this kiss solved everything. She knew that she still did not forgive Ren completely, that she needed time. They needed this step towards each other in order to gain this time and accept the past. They hadn't learned to trust each other yet, but who said that it was easy to love a villain?

For a moment she felt his breath and then his lips covered hers. Ren kissed her carefully, cupping her cheek with his large palm. She opened her mouth, inviting him inside. Their tongues met and danced together, gently at first, but gaining more passion with each moment. But the kiss suddenly stopped and she groaned in disappointment. Ren stood up and now he looked down at her, holding out his hand to help her stand up too. His expression was unreadable, but seemed softer than before. He looked into her eyes for a few more moments, then turned around and headed towards the entrance of AT-AT, leaving her to stand alone.

"You're mine, you know it, right?!" She cried out, not completely sure what she wanted to say with this phrase. His tall figure froze in the opening and Rey immediately regretted her impulse. His mania of possession made her repeat to him that she was his, but they never translated this conversation into the plane of equal relations.

But after a moment he turned around and pointed at the scar on his cheek. The corner of his mouth twitched in a light smirk, "How can I forget? You claimed me yours from the beginning." And then he turned away and disappeared inside the AT-AT.

Rey smiled to herself. At least, his strange sense of humor was back, and that meant that they survived another storm in their strange relationship. She decided to leave the thoughts of his past behind for a while and concentrate on the further path.

-x-

"We can't use the Millennium Falcon anymore." Rey found Ren fumbling inside the AT-AT, collecting all their food and water supplies. He met her gaze and clarified, "We can't return to Niima and even if we could sneak to the ship, we have run out of fuel and we have nowhere to steal it. Every desert rat in town now knows our faces and clothes."

Rey didn't want to leave an old friend (if a ship could be called a friend) to rust in the desert alone. She opened her mouth to protest, but no words came to her, because, to her annoyance, Ren was right. Even if they could somehow reach the ship without attracting the attention of local bloodhounds, they had no fuel to fly to Kehoo. They had no money to buy it and an attempt to steal the fuel in Niima would most probably lead them to imprisonment and, in future perspective, to death in claws of the First Order. Noticing her disappointment, Ren shook his head.

"I don't like the idea either. Despite the fact that this old garbage is still… a garbage, it is fast garbage. And somehow," he paused for a moment and Rey understood that it must have been some memories flashing through his mind, "...Somehow this ship feels like home." Rey was clever enough not to start a conversation about his childhood and his parents, so she just nodded, trying to come to terms with the thought of abandoning the Falcon. She thought that maybe, when they stop running for a while, she would have a chance to send a signal to Luke and her friends on Atollon, and somebody would fly to Jakku and pick up the ship. She found this thought consoling enough and began to help Ren with packing.

"When we tried to buy weapons from that junk dealer in Niima, you mentioned some place, named Cratertown. Is there a chance to get a fueled-up ship there?" asked Ren. Rey shrugged her shoulders and answered, "We should try, especially since Cratertown is the nearest inhabited place. We can reach it in about eleven hours."

Ren sighed, obviously not pleased with the thought of eleven-hours-long trip on the old speeder and blurted, "I already hate this junkyard planet of yours, little scavenger. There is sand everywhere and I feel like it filled my every orific and now I consist of sand too."

"So pray to your dark gods that we won't stay here forever, or scavenging in the sands would become your occupation too, Lord Ren," she retorted. He snorted and then chuckled, "C'mon, let's hit the road, you, sharp-tongued girl."

-x-

They spent almost all day flying through the desert on the speeder trying to reach Cratertown. The desert was hot and the journey seemed endless. Ren insisted on driving the speeder, and now Rey almost hated him for the fact that her only occupation for hours was watching his broad back right before her nose.

When they got to the place, it was almost night. Already at the entrance to the town, which looked more like a ruined village, a hangar belonging to a local junk dealer became noticeable. The only hope for them was that the hangar was not empty.

They crept to the hangar and Ren cut the lock on the doors with his lightsaber. Apparently, it never came to anyone's mind to rob a local dealer, because for miles around there was no buyer of stolen goods, except the junk dealer himself, so the hangar was not equipped with an alarm system. Looking inside, Rey almost yelped out of joy when she saw the old cargo spaceship standing at the far wall. The model was ancient, covered with a thick layer of dust, and she didn't even know if the ship could fly or if it was equipped with a hyperdrive, but at last they had a hope of leaving this kriffed planet.

They quickly approached the ship and Ren hit the button beside the supposed entrance with his fist. The button succumbed with reluctance, but the ship came to life. The entrance platform sank down with a terrible screech and they ran inside, hoping that this movement was not the agony of a dying old machine. Fortunately, no one had yet tried to shoot them, despite the noise they produced.

Ren shot a look onto the control panel and stated, "The universe is supportive of us today. We have the fuel to leave the orbit and make a hyperspace jump to Kehoo. But we'll need to find fuel there, otherwise, it'd be a one way trip."

"Let's think of it later. Now we need to leave Jakku before someone notices us in the hangar." Rey flopped into the pilot's seat and feverishly began preparing the ship for take-off. By some miracle, the old ruin was still alive. Ren found the coordinates of Kehoo in the on-board computer and clicked his tongue. "There are coordinates of this planet in the navigational computer, but there is no other information. It is situated in the Unknown Regions, so we will have to jump through hyperspace almost blindly, not knowing about asteroids or whatever."

"Apparently we have no other choice," stated Rey. She preferred to deal with problems as they appeared.

Soon, the ship rose above the ground, waggling from side to side like a pregnant bantha cow. Rey thought to herself that the ship was ancient garbage even compared to the Millennium Falcon, but in this situation they were glad to have a ship at all. The ship's engine sounded a little strained, but still it was music for her ears. She looked at Ren and to her surprise there was a bright smile on his face. He noticed her watching him and threw his head back and laughed so freely that she couldn't help but laugh back. They both were dirty and tired, yet it was a happy laugh. He looked so young and reckless that for a moment Rey forgot the terrible things she knew about this man.

"Ready to blow up this hangar?" She heard him shouting through the noise of the engines. Of course she was ready.

The shields around the ship turned on with a crack and Rey pulled the steering wheel with all her strength. With the rapidity that no one expected from a bulbous cargo ship, it broke through the roof of the hangar and became a bright dot on the night sky of Jakku.

-x-

Rey switched the controls to autopilot and leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms. With her peripheral vision, she noticed that Ren had left his place and headed somewhere into the depths of the ship. Soon the sound of running water indicated that he had decided to take a shower. She decided to give him some privacy and returned to the controls, but suddenly her routine was interrupted.

Come here.

Ben's voice inside her head was deep and seductive. She hesitated, but felt as her body was betraying her.

I know you want to.

His tone contained a demanding note. Rey cautiously followed the direction where he disappeared. Soon she came across a kind of shower cabin, wide enough for two people to fit.

Remove your clothes and join me.

Rey followed his order and opened the shower cabin door. A wave of hot steam struck her in the face, so that she even lost her orientation for the moment. Two big hands lifted her from the floor like a feather and dragged her into the world of hot water and soap foam.

He was gentle and careful, washing the dust of the desert from her body. One moment his hands touched her easily, as if she were fragile like glass, the other moment they rubbed her body almost painfully, bringing relief to the tired muscles. She gave herself completely to this feeling of warmth and belonging, allowing herself to surrender at the mercy of his strong fingers. She even did not notice how he undid her buns and soaped her hair, gently massaging the scalp. She felt that the fatigue that had accumulated in the last days left her, being replaced with the sense of peace. Rey stood with her eyes closed and wished that this sensation would never end.

He took her from behind by the wall of the cabin, pressing her body into the covering panels, kissing out the drops of water from her neck and shoulders. She could only moan softly, completely covered by his large body, having no intentions to protest. His skilled fingers caressed her most sensitive place and she balanced at the edge of absolute euphoria. She succumbed completely, her body and soul belonged to him and all their problems, past and future, seemed distant and unimportant.

He lifted her, turning her to face him, and kissed her lips greedily, resting her back against the wall. He sucked her lips and tongue, not interrupting the measured pace of their lovemaking. He supported her under the buttocks, so she crossed her legs behind his back, intending to take his whole length. He intensified the pace and she grabbed the wet hair on his nape, unable to hold back the sensation.

Cum for me, my apprentice. Do it for me.

Ren hadn't called her apprentice for a long time, and there was something forbidden and arousing in this. She moved her lips closer to his ear and whispered, "Yes, my master." He exhaled loudly and she heard as he whispered back, "Call me your master again."

"Yes, master. As you wish, sir." He pressed her into the wall hard, inflamed with her words, and growled something indistinguishable into the crook of her neck. As if it was some kind of a signal her body tensed and then exploded with bright release. Through the euphoria she heard his groan and felt his hot seed filling her.

The release exhausted her completely and she even didn't remember how they got out of the shower and found the small quarters, where fell into deep sleep without dreams.

-x-

Rey was awakened by a strange feeling. Something was wrong and her heart sank from a premonition. She looked at Ben. He was sleeping soundly. She slipped to the floor barefoot and quietly walked into the cockpit. They were still in hyperspace. Rey checked the monitors. The flight was proceeding normally but something still bothered her.

She heard a rustle and turned around. She saw Ben, half dressed, barefoot. He squinted in the bright light of the cabin and raised his hand, protecting his eyes. His hair looked disheveled and it made her smile despite the anxiety.

"Why did you get up?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Bad dreams," she answered, deciding not to explain the details. Ben blinked several times and approached the control panel. His long fingers ran confidently over the buttons, checking the coordinates and fuel levels.

"We are near Kehoo, ready to jump out of hyperspace," he yawned and continued, "I suggest we… BLAST IT!"

Their ship suddenly jumped out of hyperspace and an uncontrollable force threw them onto the control panel. Ren was first to jump onto his feet and rush to the controls. They were blinking red, and this was not a good sign.

"We're flying through an asteroid field! Our shields are about to turn off!" She heard him shouting. The ship was vibrating like a feverish animal. Rey understood that disabled shields inside the asteroid belt meant certain death.

"Rey! Grab the controls! I need you to redistribute energy to the front shields while I'm piloting!" Ren's yells reached her through a strange mist. She lifted her hand to her head and passed it over her skin and hair. It felt wet. Rey looked at her palm and saw that it was covered with blood. She must have hurt her head against the panel, but the wound was not very serious.

Rey reached the controls, fighting nausea, and tried to follow Ren's order. But the shields were malfunctioning and soon turned off with a loud crack. At that very moment a powerful blow shook the ship, again throwing her onto the floor. Through the haze of pain and blood that flooded her eyes, she threw a glance towards Ben. He was pale, but determined, trying to pilot the ship, but without the shields they were doomed. Rey tried to stand up, to help him, but when she lifted her head she saw dozens of asteroids on the screen. The alarms were almost choking, wailing loudly. Ben turned his face to her and she saw anxiety in his eyes. The blood was trickling from his nose (he must have hurt himself too), but he didn't seem to pay any attention to it, trying to keep them alive.

Rey didn't feel the fear. In fact, she felt only the dumb pain inside her head and a strong intention to lie down on the floor and pass out. The thought of surviving the battle on Ialia and then dying inside a sluggish cargo ship with malfunctioning systems was surreal. Ben still was inside the pilot chair, trying to pilot the uncontrollable machine. Somehow, he managed to fasten his belts. She forced herself to crawl to the vibrating co-pilot's seat and dragged herself inside. It was a miracle that Ben had managed to avoid big asteroids so far and their ship still could fly. Ironically, they had every chance of perishing like ordinary people, because it was useless to use the Force. Asteroids were too big to try to move them even by their combined efforts.

Rey focused all her concentration to avoid the flying rocks. If they were on Falcon, it would have been easier to pass the asteroids, but now they were inside a large tincan, which had zero maneuverability and no weapons to blast the rocks. They needed to act synchronically, to be a good team.

She lost a sense of time, feeling the every minute could become the last. The asteroid field seemed to be endless and Rey closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, as she frequently did while training with Ren. Breathe. Just… Breathe. What do you see?

It was just another saber training, except they were trapped inside some metal box and their enemies were made of stones. She began to hear Ben's calm voice inside her head. Or was it Luke's?

Dodge left. Dodge right. Fly through the space between two asteroids that are about to collide - imagine that these are two huge crolutes attacking you from both sides. Sink down under that big rock. Dodge again. Good...

Suddenly, the asteroids disappeared from the radars, left somewhere behind. Rey raised her eyes and saw a planet surface that seemed to come out of nowhere. Dozens of asteroids had blocked it from the radars, but now its greenish surface was approaching rapidly. She blinked a few times and released the controls.

"Ben! It's Kehoo! We managed to reach Kehoo!" She felt relief, and started to laugh happily. She turned to Ben, expecting to see his smile, but he was paler than before. He constantly pressed the buttons and rotated the tumblers, but something was wrong. He turned his face to Rey and she understood that they were still in danger.

"One of the asteroids must have damaged the braking systems. We have already entered the gravitational field of the planet." Ren turned his gaze towards the planet surface. Rey froze, unable to avert her gaze from him. They both understood, what that meant - not to have braking systems while being inside the gravitational field.

They were falling down onto the green planet.

A/N We are close to revealing of Rey's origins ;)