In total darkness, the soft rattling of chains woke Kylo Ren. There was a distinct aroma, something from his childhood that flooded his mind with buried memories. Kylo's arms felt heavy, his hands hanging in an unnatural position. They were spread away from his body and restrained near shoulder height.
Kylo opened his blurry eyes, adjusting to his surroundings.
The Falcon, he thought, trying to work a stiff knot from his neck. It throbbed there, feeling like someone drilled for hours in the same spot. His vision focused in on Rey. She sat curled in a small chair, with red stained cheeks.
His love had cried herself to sleep.
The Sith Master swallowed hard, trying to find his voice. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but couldn't.
A growl in the corner, made him pause. He noticed a big, shaggy silhouette in the back.
"I thought it smelled like wet dog in here," Kylo muttered, loud enough for Chewbacca to hear.
Chewie took a step forward, but didn't want to wake the Jedi. The Wookiee adored Rey, from the very start. She was the only reason he didn't gut Kylo Ren, the second he was pulled on board.
As if reading his thoughts, Kylo rose slowly to his feet.
"Care to try again?" he said, propping his entire body up by the bindings. Jedi restraints, he sneered, looking at the energy infused locks. Rey had removed his shirt. Maybe she just wanted to see his bare chest and torso again? He wondered.
The Wookiee could see the damage he inflicted on his nephew. The scars had been treated well enough, but Kylo Ren would forever bear physical evidence of killing Han Solo. His torso, chest and face, branded him darkly.
He killed his own father. The thought sickened Chewie, making his lips curl.
Rey stirred, lifting her head up and slowly covering a yawn.
"Kylo," she said sleepily, shifting forward on her seat. Chewie walked away, leaving Rey to say her peace.
The Jedi stood up and stretched. Kylo would be lying if he didn't think she looked as delicious as ever.
She came to him, stepping over a yellow band, taped on the grated floor. Rey wasn't afraid to get within his reach radius. Her sparkling eyes were hypnotic and the Jedi quickly brushed her lips against his.
Carefully cradling the back of his head, Rey deepened the kiss. She moaned softly, granting Kylo access to her mouth. He hungrily sucked her tongue, massaging it. The Sith Master longed to break from the chains and pull her into his lap.
Kylo struggled with the bindings, trying to bring them down.
As if reading his thoughts, Rey pressed on his broad shoulders. Kylo eased back, feeling the strain of the shackles on his wrists. The Jedi climbed into his lap, scooting closer until her stomach rested against his.
The Sith groaned, hardening instantly.
"Ben," she sighed. It was an accidental slip, not meant to be malicious.
Kylo angled his head and bit softly into her neck. He quickly soothed the bite with a kiss.
"I've been so worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay before we took off. I must have been tired."
The Falcon's engines roared to life as she spoke.
He kissed the other side of her neck and she moaned again.
"I had the worst dream," he admitted, in between kisses.
"Me too." She responded, with a whimper. "I felt nothing but darkness."
The Jedi explored Kylo's hair, her fingers wandering in the denseness of it. Force, she loved his hair. It was a dark forest she could lose herself in.
Rey felt his excitement and smiled. He pressed into the right side of her thigh, towards the curve of her ass. It took all her willpower to refrain from grinding down on his erection. She blushed, allowing herself to ease onto his manhood.
Kylo inhaled in response, wishing there were fewer layers between them.
Ugh, we can't do this now, she thought, snapping her brows together.
"Later, I promise," Rey sighed, pouting and trying to lift herself off. He bucked upward, getting the Jedi to settle back down. "Kylo! I have to help fly the Falcon."
Rey's fingers accidentally slipped over the small disc on the back of Kylo's head. He hissed, breathing quickly.
"What...what have you done to me?" he asked, looking suddenly betrayed and fearful.
The Jedi couldn't find the words. She looked away, unable to hold his probing stare. Her arms draped around his shoulders. Rey wished they were like any other couple, sitting in a park or meadow somewhere. Not two warriors on opposite sides of the battlefield.
Kylo's eyes widened, trying to read his love.
"What have you done to me, Rey?" he demanded. Kylo Ren sense something wrong… something off with his abilities. There was power he could no longer tap into.
Rey's eyes silently pleaded, as she swallowed hard.
"Your powers are out of control. They're unrivaled and scary, Kylo." Her bottom lip trembled. Seeing the look on her man's face, made her want to burst into tears. "This is necessary for us to be together—to save you and bring you home." Rey said, trying to keep him calm.
"That's what you want right, for us to be together?"
The Jedi was in his thoughts, feeling his anger rise. She remained in his lap, ignoring her better judgement. Rey couldn't help but ease back, to tease him and rub into his stiff member.
"If you want something from me, you're going to have to take it… Jedi," he said, defiantly.
With that, the Sith Master shut Rey from his mind. Kylo tried to move his hips back, so that the Jedi couldn't feel his arousal.
Rey placed her hands on his chest and climbed off his lap.
"I'm very sorry," she choked, looking down.
"Not as sorry as you're going to be," Kylo hissed, wishing he could grab her. He wanted to hold her down and punish her properly for the betrayal. The thought delighted him, though this time the Jedi had gone too far. Light bondage and rough sex wouldn't suffice.
"You need to be punished. Your friends will be destroyed. I know they had a hand in this."
"You will not harm my friends," Rey countered, getting agitated. "You always threaten my friends and I'm sick of it," she finished, crossing her arms.
The lights overhead flickered, but only Kylo seemed to notice.
"These won't hold me forever," he warned, shaking the restraints. "It's only a matter of time."
His lips curled.
Rey got the feeling that Kylo Ren was talking about much more than his restraints.
"What are you hiding from me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. The lights buzzed and flickered again.
Kylo looked around. Piece of junk, he thought.
"I'm getting you a better ship when this is all over."
"What are you hiding?" she demanded again. An access panel flew off the wall but Rey caught it with the Force. Kylo raised an eyebrow, watching his girlfriend and the floating panel. She gave just a subtle head nod, the panel floated back into place and re-latched.
He paused for a moment.
"Interesting. I'm hiding a lot from you, sweetheart. Care to take a peak?" Kylo Ren leaned back on the chains, unwilling to give her anything more but an arrogant smirk.
The Jedi clenched her jaw, considering walking away from the Sith Master.
"If you ever call me that again—" she stopped herself, knowing this was what he wanted. They would be back on the base soon enough. Rey took a deep breath, trying to remain patient. Hopefully Leia will hold up her end.
Kylo shifted on the uncomfortable bench they gave him.
"You can't go back there," he said, in a low voice. "It's not… I won't let you take me there," Kylo Ren said, sounding evasive.
Rey got closer, pushing into their connection.
"Tell me." She ordered, not wanting to play this game with him.
The Sith Master cranked his neck and smirked.
"Not until you give me some head," he answered.
The lights flickered on the Falcon, as the old gal dropped out of hyperspace. The entire ship rocked violently and Rey whirled around, staring towards the cockpit.
The Jedi thought for a moment, before looking back at Kylo. Rey's anger and frustration was apparent on her face.
"Did you just disable my ship?" Her eyes bored into him. Kylo leaned back, giving her a puzzled look.
"No, Rey. You have me in these blasted Jedi restraints," he answered, carefully. "That was… you. Are you feeling okay?" Kylo smirked at the bewildered look on her face.
Rey rose her hand at Kylo's forehead. "I don't know what's gotten into me," she said, her voice ragged.
Kylo Ren felt his forehead tighten, squeezing like a vice. Rey was using her powers without even realizing it. This wasn't like her; this feeling. He could practically smell it—the Dark Side.
"Stop Rey," he grunted, as she increased the pressure. "I shouldn't have tried to push. You're more upset than usual and I think I know why."
Without warning, the Jedi leapt onto his lap, straddling his waist. He grunted loudly, feeling the chains pull him back.
"You think you know!?" The Jedi grabbed his face with both hands, Forcing the Bond open.
Kylo cried out in pain. "That's better, Rey. Take whatever you want."
The grated floors beneath them began to shake.
Her eyelids pressed tightly shut, unable to control her own emotions. This wasn't like her
"You can blow up whole worlds with the Force and I'm suppose to stand by and do nothing? Do you care for me at all, you selfish Sith dickhead? Tell me every little secret you have left!"
Kylo fought her invasion, but his head was still weak. Several circuits overloaded nearby, sparking.
"The base… you know where it is," she gasped, opening her eyes in shock.
Kylo breathed excitedly, wanting Rey more than ever. He didn't care that she was torturing the information from him.
"What else?" he panted, lowering his forehead into hers. They looked intimate like this, despite the severity of the situation.
Rey gritted her teeth but allowed him to rest his head against hers.
"There's more. What else do you see?" Kylo never felt Rey's power like this before. He wondered how much farther she could go, before realizing the damage she was doing to her own ship.
"You… you've ordered the attack. Kylo, no," she gasped, pulling back, worried about her friends.
The tremors on the ship stopped, as Chewie rounded the corner. The Wookiee called out to Rey in a panic, unable to figure out what was wrong with the Falcon.
"You can't take us there. I'm not letting my pregnant bride anywhere near that system." Kylo said, looking up at the restraints. The Jedi looked around, realizing what she had done. Rey climbed off him without saying another word. She grabbed her toolkit and got to work.
"Rey... get back here!" he yelled.
C-3PO monitored the incoming transmission and gestured towards Leia, "This is a wide band First Order communication. They are asking to speak with any Resistance vessels in the area."
One of Leia's patrols relayed the message to the Resistance base, on Dantooine.
Leia looked at the droid in surprise. "The First Order switched over to Imperial frequencies, when Kylo Ren caught on to us. Why would they be trying to hail us at all?" She looked at Admiral Ackbar who didn't have an answer.
"You can't be thinking about answering this call," Poe interjected, stepping up. He looked around, surprised that no one was backing him up.
General Organa closed her eyes and let her feelings stretch beyond the underground bunker. Maz Kanata stood on her chair and climbed onto the command table. She watched Leia with great interest.
"Yes," Leia said slowly, before inhaling. "Defectors," she breathed.
Maz smiled, coming to the same conclusion.
"Do you remember how they snuck aboard the Thrive?" Poe asked in frustration. Finn moved next to his best friend, waiting to throw his two cents in.
"That seemed like ages ago, who can remember that," murmured Finn, getting Poe to smirk.
Leia overheard and didn't find it funny; she heard everything people tried to whisper. She still hid that faint 'JEDI' scar on her arm, everyday with long sleeves.
The General cleared her throat. "I'm sure of this. Patch it through" She said, folding her arms. An image flickered onto the large holoscreen above their heads. It was General Nujaris, her old rival. Leia's face froze, taking in the grim sight before her.
"General Organa," he said, trying to stand upright. He was bleeding from the top of the head and the bridge of his ship looked like it had been in a firefight. Sparks rained down from the ceiling. Engineers tried to smother the fires that were breaking out in the background.
"Nujaris," Leia said coldly, not trusting him for one moment.
"There's not much time. We've barricaded the bridge, but the clones will be through soon."
Leia glanced at Maz, who looked genuinely concerned for the stranger's safety.
"Kylo Ren has a Clone Army," he stated, trying to stem the loss of blood from his head. A medic rushed to his aid, but he waved them off. Leia kept quiet, not wanting to give him a reaction one way or the other.
"They turned on us, because I wouldn't go along with this suicide invasion," he coughed, breathing deeply. It was when he stood up straight and grimaced that Leia realized the severity of the man's injuries. She sensed he was fading, struggling to remain conscious.
Leia's eyes widened, trying to do her best to mask the sudden, sinking feeling the Force was sending her. This was what Rey warned them about. Her connection with Kylo Ren led her to certain conclusions about the strategies he'd employ. Wasting the First Order to clear the board for the Clones.
"He knows, Leia. Your son." Nujaris was not the typical First Order officer. There were rumors that some First Order officers protested the use of the Starkiller weapon. Leia always dismissed these.
The color drained from Leia's face, as everyone listening in was figuring out the identity of her son.
"That can't be. I have that on good authority..." Leia answered, nodding for her people to standby and cut the transmission.
"Kylo Ren has a bond with your Jedi… the young woman."
"Oh, kriff," Leia cursed, turning away and leaning on the table. That wasn't public knowledge. What in the hell?
"Apparently, the Jedi said something about a clone being on your base. Kylo Ren overheard and passed the information along to the Kaminoans. He's been hiding the cloner race somewhere in the outer reaches."
A loud rumble shook the video feed and Nujaris toppled over.
"General Nujaris!" Leia shouted, feeling like everything was spiraling out of control. She finally had the fleet she needed. She had the Republic's reinforcements. The Resistance had more than a fighting chance against the First Order. But one misstep here and all would be lost.
Poe stepped forward, glaring at the flickering feed on the screen.
"Alena," he said loudly. The pilot refused to see her since she was taken into custody.
"The clones have tracking devices in them. It wouldn't have taken Kylo Ren long to discover which clone was on a former Rebellion base," said Nujaris, trying to will himself upright. He reached for his sidearm, eyeing the blast doors off screen.
The room behind Leia buzzed.
"Start the evacuation," she ordered, looking to Finn. He immediately hit a silent alarm on a console and sprinted for the landing strips.
Poe was on his heels, but veered off for the holding cells.
"Poe!" Finn shouted at his friend in the hallway.
"I didn't sign up to join the Empire," said Nujaris, firing his pistol into the cracked open blast doors. "I joined the First Order because they gave my system resources. My people..."
Sparks shot up near the General as he spoke. The lights flickered on and off.
The clones busted through the blast doors, widening the hole with a chained detonation. Leia watched helpless.
"Where is your ship, General?" she asked, wanting to help the defectors.
A louder explosion jolted the blast doors near Nujaris. The clones re-entered the bridge in a swarm. The transmission cut out, leaving General Organa feeling cold.
She knew too well the shortcomings of the Republic. In the years following the Battle of Endor, systems that were Imperial sympathizers received stringent blockades from the Senate. It was enough to lay the groundwork for something terrible. Something that seduced her son away from the Light.
"He waited," Leia said softly, turning to look at Maz. Her thoughts centered on her son.
"Until Rey was off the planet," replied Maz Kanata, finishing the thought. She pressed her tiny mouth together, clearly chewing on something.
"What is it?" Leia asked, watching her people scramble. She restrained herself from barking out orders. Her council leaders were stepping up—doing their jobs. The Force Sensitive felt her age; she felt tired.
"The galaxy needs the Jedi," Maz said, staring off in the distance. The General shifted her eyes to the stone stairwell leading to the surface.
Leia needed to get her brother.
"Luke has withdrawn again. He's felt Kylo's power and he thinks Rey will fall too."
She hadn't talked to her twin since the meeting in the forest but she could sense he was fighting his own demons once more.
"That's not who I mean," Maz said, giving Leia a mournful smile. "Luke isn't enough. There needed to be more Masters. True Jedi Masters. One Master for one pupil. He cannot train them all," she said softly.
The pair headed up the stone steps, leading to the surface.
"Besides Rey, who else is capable of training the next Jedi?" Leia asked.
Kylo Ren looked at the chains, waiting for Rey to return. He felt something different in her. She was emotional and out of control. They were perfect for each other. The Sith Master would have given anything to see this out of her a few weeks ago. But now...
He lowered his head, feeling conflicted.
"At least she bought us some time," he muttered. The Knight began pulling at the restraints, trying to break them. The lights flickered back on and he cursed. It had only been about half an hour.
"You're pretty good," he called out.
Rey rounded the corner wiping her fingers with a rag.
"I'm very good." She corrected, looking frustrated with him.
"Hyperdrive is still down though?" He smirked. Just as he asked, the Falcon kicked into gear, entering Hyperspace. "Perfect."
Rey dropped the rag and glared at him. "That was all you, Rey. I won't call you that name again… sweetheart," he pointed out. She clenched her jaw, then slowly marched towards him.
Kylo sat down, hoping she'd take advantage of this short time alone. "You know what I want?" he asked, lowering his voice. She ignored his playful tone and wasted no time probing his mind, skimming the surface.
"Come on Jedi. You can do better than that," he challenged, pushing back.
She grunted, feeling his painful mental intrusion. Rey forgot this part of the connection used to hurt. The Jedi countered, moving closer with her hand stretched out. Why am I torturing my man for intel? she asked herself.
"It hasn't hurt like this in awhile, has it Jedi?" he chuckled, trying to slow her down. "Mmm. I wish you would call me, your man, more often."
Rey forced herself back in, making his eyes bulge. He had tracking implants in his back. But she already found and removed those. She gasped, pulling out of Kylo Ren's mind.
"Damn," Kylo said. "I hoped you removed my shirt because you wanted to ride me like this. All tied up and unable to stop you."
Rey glowered in response. "I'm leaving."
"Stay a little longer," he suggested, leaning his forehead closer to hers. Veins in his neck were clearly evident, proof that Rey was causing him just as much pain. I miss being inside you, he sent through their connection.
Rey pulled away, not wanting to indulge him further. She flipped a switch on the aft communications panel. Chewie roared in response over the speaker.
"How much longer until we reach Dantooine?" she called to Chewie. He roared in response.
"It's too late for them," Kylo said.
"Call off the attack!" Rey commanded. She got right back in his face, wanting to strangle him. The Sith Master held her gaze defiantly.
"I am yours," she snapped, searching for the man she loved. His eyes were dark and missing warmth. "Do you know how hard it is for me to say that?"
The feeling weighed on Rey. Her fingertips were burning with a need to lash out. To make him understand.
Kylo looked down, fighting his own anger. "Rey, how the hell could you do this to me?"
"I… I want to marry you," she stammered, fearing his response. "This is what you've always wanted. I think I have too. To have a family."
"I would have never done something like this to you. You've limited my abilities and for what? How can I keep our family safe?" he yelled desperately.
Rey palmed her forehead, feeling like they were replaying the same argument, over and over.
"How can I keep you safe?" his voice cracked.
"It's not your job to keep me safe. I am a Jedi Knight!" she yelled back, getting inches from him.
The bulkheads groaned from the Force, reverberating around them.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you need to keep your emotions in check," he said.
Rey scoffed at that.
"It's been my job to protect you from the moment I rescued you from that Star Destroyer. That's why I brought you to the Jedi Academy," Kylo responded.
"Force, I'm freaking out. And it's like you've known about the pregnancy the whole time. You didn't say anything—not once into our connection."
"I had to be sure. That foolish ghost thought I was killing you. Then there were the trials where you saw our son. We needed to be in the same vicinity. I needed to be able to hold you and put my arms around you. I would have confirmed it then, not that you ever stuck around long enough." Kylo was on the defensive, clenching his jaw and feeling the need to explain.
The Jedi turned away. "We're engaged. I said 'yes.'" She sighed, "please Kylo, we need to get past this."
"I'm the one you have on a leash. And look, chains too," he snarled, wiggling his arms to make a point.
"It's for your own protection," she said, sounding deflated.
"From that?" Kylo flicked his chin in the direction of Chewbacca. It was a blatant diss to the Wookiee copilot. "Uncle Fuzzball," he added sharply.
"From me." Rey said, folding her arms. His eyes drifted to her lightsaber.
Kylo scowled. "I know your friends had a hand in this. Tell me, who knew about the Separatist facility? Who knew where to find plans for Vader's armor? This has cowardly Skywalker all over it."
"This was my decision alone. I made it...for the both of us."
Kylo laughed, his voice echoing throughout the Falcon. "Do you realize you've fought this… us, every step of the way? Every time I get close enough to have you… you intentionally run off. When given a choice between staying and leaving, you never choose me."
A lot of this was Kylo's own damn fault. Which he bitterly acknowledged, going back to the Finalizer's interrogation room.
"I chose you. I will spend the rest of my life with you. But I feel like we're only going to ever be enemies. Do we have to fight each other, forever? Just come home and call off the attack."
"You are my home! I became stronger so we could have a future. There was no future with you and I in Jedi robes. And I sure as hell am not going to let you die in my arms."
Rey swallowed hard. There was the shared vision again. They were never going to agree on what it meant.
She looked away, her voice hoarse. "Tell me about my father…" she hoped to change the subject.
"It's just like that. You using him as an excuse. We're not brother and sister, Rey. That's the Jedi Order hoping to keep their grubby little hands on their savior." Kylo leaned back, reading Rey's confused expression.
"Enough. I'm tired of you verbally attacking everything I care about," she snapped, gesturing her hand towards him. Her fingers brushed over the hilt of her lightsaber.
"You are all that I care about. Forget the Jedi. That manipulative Council, telling you just enough to come to the wrong conclusion. To see the truth from their point of view." Kylo countered; his face starting to turn red.
"What truth?" Rey asked sharply, feeling heat rising to her cheeks as well.
"They need you. For the Jedi to survive, so must their precious Rey. The entire weight of the galaxy on your very small, sexy shoulders. They couldn't bear to lose another Knight to Kylo Ren. We were destined to be together and they know it. And they have lost you. Rey, you belong with me."
Rey closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She wanted to choke him again. Back on Jakku, she'd never allow herself to belong to anyone. But Kylo Ren wasn't just anyone.
"Your father was a Jedi, just like you. Had he survived, maybe the Academy would still be around."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Rey said, wanting to pry into his thoughts. Kylo was shutting her out, forcing her to look him in the eyes and speak aloud.
"He was a realist. He didn't have his head in the clouds, taking advice from cowering specters. Lives could have been spared that day at the academy."
"Lives you took," Rey pointed out, raising her voice.
"He would have joined me...your father. The Jedi Outcast." Kylo said, shaking his restraints.
Rey's eyes widened at the name. It gave her goosebumps and the Force hummed in a knowing, deep-seeded way around the title.
"The Jedi Outcast," she repeated, letting it roll off her lips. "Kyle Katarn," she whispered, pulling the name from Kylo's mind.
"Get me out of these chains, Rey," he said in a low voice, barely acknowledging the revelation this was for her.
She stared at him, trying to push deeper into their connection.
"No," she replied softly. "You can't be trusted, you're a Sith Master."
Kylo growled in response. He rose from his seated position, towering over Rey. "You know, I could tear this ship apart. I can feel every bolt, over-stressed panel, welding job and faulty piece of equipment on this floating relic."
Rey clenched her jaw. "And yet, you're not strong enough to break those chains and do what's right!"
"Then stab me in the heart with your lightsaber, if you're so convinced I haven't done everything in my power to protect you. Go ahead, you already stabbed me in the back. What's this thing called?"
"A restrictor. You should know it, being such a fan of Vader."
"My Light. The mother of my children," he snapped, sitting back down.
She arched her eyebrow at that. "Ah, that's right. You don't know about that part. Go ahead, dig deeper. "
"You're a monster," Rey said, shaking in frustration.
She reached for his neck, applying a Force Choke. Kylo coughed, tensing up.
It felt so wrong and satisfying at the same time, Rey thought.
"I know." He strained, realizing this wasn't Rey. "The Power is...seductive." This isn't her. It's not the woman he fell in love with. "This isn't you, Rey. It's the baby." Kylo choked.
Rey released him, stumbling back. The Jedi clutched at her chest, feeling her heart racing. She worried about the child she was carrying and burst into tears.
Maker, what was their son to become?
Kylo's head sank, cursing himself. "I...I didn't mean that, Rey." He sighed. "It came out wrong. These feelings you have, are because of me. Because of our connection. It's strengthening because of our child. So you are feeling what I feel. The anger I feel every day that we're apart. It tears me apart."
Please look at me. I won't let you fall into the darkness. I know the woman I love. Let me free, while there is still time. He slipped into her thoughts, very gently to deliver the message.
The Jedi picked herself up, turning away from him. She took a few steps toward the cockpit before stopping. Kylo let Re back into his mind, offering a glimpse into his soul. She felt his sincerity. He wouldn't let her or the child be seduced.
"Time for what?" She asked, wanting to hide her face.
"To save your friends."
"How can I trust you?" she asked, turning to face him again.
"You can't. And I can't trust you either." He sat down. There isn't a way we brush past this. There will be bloodshed. He said into their connection. But I will gladly bleed for you, Rey. And I'd rather not risk losing...what we have. Release me and I will save your friends.
Rey got closer to him, wrapping her hand around his restrained wrist. "If you don't keep your word now, you'll lose me forever."
"I believe you," Kylo whispered.
The restraints dropped to the ground. For a few seconds, both Knights simply watched each other. Kylo Ren stood up, towering over her. He pulled Rey into a hug, slowly engulfing her.
"I love you." He said, pulling her tight. Rey smiled, resting her head in his chest.
"Good." She replied.
Kylo slowly stroked the back of her head.
"There's no way our son can be evil with a mother like you."
Rey smiled and both Knights walked towards the cockpit. Chewie turned, looking at them from the copilot's seat. He whined softly, protesting this course of action. Rey broke away from the hug, heading for her seat. Kylo stayed in the back, keeping a close eye on the woman he loved.
"Oh, no," Rey cried out, just before the Falcon exited Hyperspace. Dantooine came into view a second later and the sight before them was a surprising mess.
The planet was swarming with ships from both sides. The First Order and Resistance were fighting for their very existence. Rey started flipping switches on the communications array.
"Kylo, call them off," she yelled back. As she spoke, the antenna got blown off the top of the Falcon. Chewie roared in response.
"I think you're missing part of your ship," Kylo snickered, leaning in to watch the battle unfold. "That dish shaped thing."
"You're not helping," she shouted at him, evading an incoming wave of TIE fighters. The Sith Master smirked, watching Rey work. "Angle the shields," Rey called out. She slipped the Falcon in the tightest openings, trying to make her way to the surface. He was impressed.
"There's a long range communications tower just outside the Resistance Base," she panted. The Falcon broke into the atmosphere, drawing the attention of additional enemy fighters.
"Good plan," Kylo said, watching flashes of green fly past them. The Falcon shook, getting clipped by two shots in a row.
"Do something about them please!" Rey cried to Kylo Ren.
He growled, disappearing into the lower gun array. TIE fighters passed over head, trying to box the Falcon into a kill zone. Rey thought about yelling at Kylo Ren, when suddenly both enemy pilots exited their fighters. She gasped, realizing that they were ripped out of their cockpits but hadn't ejected. Both TIEs corkscrewed into the distance, having no one at the controls.
"Kylo!" she breathed out. The Jedi didn't have time to scold him.
Kylo sat back in the gunner chair, turning it to the aft position. Watch this Rey. He chuckled. The Sith Master stretched out both hands and clapped. The trailing TIEs collided in midair, not standing a chance.
"I'll bet you wish you had that on the Light Side, huh?"
She rolled her eyes, starting the landing cycle. We're not teaching our son that.
Rey landed as close to the Resistance Base as she could. The last of the X-Wings were scrambling for the skies and she gave them plenty of room to take off.
The Jedi sprang out of her chair, gently patting Kylo's torso. "We need to get you to the communications array." Kylo stopped her from moving past, wrapping her in his arms again.
"Tell me," he said, leaning into her ear.
Rey looked at him for a moment. "I love you," she smiled, resting her head against his chest and sighing.
"Good," he breathed, needing to hear that. The Darksider hoped that Rey would understand.
Kylo waved his hand over the Jedi's head, knocking her out. He caught Rey in one arm, as Chewie roared in anger. The Wookiee stood, reaching for his bowcaster—next to the copilot seat.
"Not this time," Kylo shouted, throwing his free hand at Chewie. The Force sent Chewbacca into the cockpit window, tumbling through it.
Kylo Ren gently swooped Rey into his arms and set her into the padded lounger. He looked down at his bride-to-be, appreciating the sleeping beauty before him.
"I'm protecting my babies," he whispered in her ear. Kylo wasn't leaving anything to chance. Rey was what mattered most.
The Sith Master grabbed his lightsaber and mask, which had been stored in one of the smuggler's compartments. He took one last look at Rey, noticing how peacefully she slept. It was better that she stay here, nice and safe.
Kylo Ren stormed out of the Falcon, scanning the horizon. The First Order was everywhere, swarming the Resistance in the skies above. The Sith Master stopped, sensing Luke Skywalker nearby. For a moment, Kylo looked back at the Falcon—feeling torn.
He could call off the attack, like Rey wanted. But he really wanted storm the Resistance Base and kill Luke Skywalker.
Igniting his lightsaber, the Darksider made a choice. "Both it is."