Rey stuffed a large chocolate pastry in her mouth and savored the sweet flavor on her tongue. Poe claimed this particular pastry was perfectly acceptable for both breakfast and lunch, and she could find no fault in eating pastries at any time of the day. All baked goods found on Coruscant were better than the portioned bread she had eaten for years on Jakku.
The pilot and Finn stood by the sink, whispering quietly to each other. While she could hear their words if she tried hard enough, the conversation seemed private, and she was more concerned with her plans to take Kylo somewhere for his birthday evening. She snatched another pastry and bit into half of it.
"Just because Master Ren favors Form Six doesn't mean we can't develop our own styles. He told us as much," Teela said in a tone that came off as more bossy than she likely meant.
Sonzy rolled his eyes and shrugged, his long fingers playing with a small fruit. "And just because he told us to find our own styles doesn't mean I can't decide that Form Six suits me the best."
Only two chocolate pastries remained on the plate. Rey mildly considered saving them for Kylo and his sweet tooth before she grabbed another. She chewed part of it before speaking, "Why don't you two go spar with your forms? I'm sure Master Ren would be happy to see you working on your lightsaber skills."
The Togruta grinned and popped the fruit in his mouth. "Yeah, let's see how Form Five goes up against Six, hm?"
"You're on." The two Padawans nearly fell over each other as they raced out to Poe's ship bay.
"I'll be out in a minute!" Rey finished the pastry and reached for the last one, turning her attention to Kaydel. The blonde Padawan picked at the food in front of her and stared at her glass of water. "Something on your mind?"
Kaydel shrugged and closed her eyes for a long moment. "It's just… Nothing, Master."
Rey leaned forward and set the pastry back on the plate. "Remember you can tell us anything, Kaydel. I won't tell Master Ren if you don't want me to." The Padawan chewed her lower lip and pushed at the food with her fork. Rey smiled softly and rested a hand on Kaydel's arm, feeling her fear through the Force. "Are you afraid of the Dark Side in Master Ren?"
Kaydel's eyes flicked up to Rey to confirm her fear. "Just… Look what it did to Eeth."
Rey breathed out a slow sigh. "I know. But Master Ren was deeper in the Dark before than he is now. He'll be okay, and he won't hurt you." She squeezed Kaydel's arm reassuringly. "We share a Force Bond. I can barely sense the Dark from him. I don't think it took much of it to take off that cuff."
Kaydel's blonde eyebrows pulled together. "You're Force Bonded with him, but you can barely sense the Dark." She glanced to her side as if she expected Jessika to pipe up before she realized her fellow Padawan had gone with Kylo. "Master – "
She fell silent as the sound of metal rolling on hard floor reached them, and Rey looked around as BB-8 zoomed into the kitchen. The droid flashed a bright red light at Rey in greeting before it rolled to Poe and began a series of beeps about the pilot's communicator.
Poe dropped into a crouch and gave an easygoing smile. "No, buddy, I took it off to charge." He started to the kitchen archway. "All right, all right, I'll go get it. Pushy."
Kaydel watched Poe leave and then lowered her voice as if sharing a secret. "Master, we can all feel the Dark... tainting the Force whenever Master Ren uses it. I don't know why you can't feel it like us."
Rey shook her head slowly and leaned back in the chair. She pulled on the Force within her and reached out to her bond with Kylo. Despite intense training with Luke and several years with Kylo, she did not feel comfortable using the Force over long distances, even just the two klicks that separated Poe's home and the Coruscant prison.
Forcing herself to focus solely on the Force, Rey sensed her husband's presence. She pushed deeper, and the Dark crashed into her like a brutal sandstorm. Kylo's fury exploded across the bond, followed by an intense flash of shock. Terror flooded her mind, and she could not tell if it originated from her or her husband. "Something's wrong."
She sprinted toward the ship bay, her heart hammering in her chest. She kept her focus on the Force bond and did not sense Poe until they crashed into each other. The pilot clutched his communicator, his eyes wide. "Something's going on at the prison. Jess sent me something, but it cut off..."
Rey grabbed the pilot's upper arm and dragged him with her. BB-8's panicked whirrs came behind them in a series of unintelligible beeps. "Your X-Wings running fine?"
"Yeah, but I only have BB-8. We'd need another droid."
Rey passed Teela and Sonzy's spar and veered toward the two ships. "Don't need one. We just need to get there fast."
"Master Solo, where are you…?"
Rey spared a glance over her shoulder to see Teela and Sonzy holding their blue and green lightsabers loosely. "They're in trouble. Stay here and keep the comms on." She climbed into the X-Wing and slammed the canopy shut above her as she initiated the start-up sequences.
She followed Poe's X-Wing into the air and far above the usual traffic of Coruscant. The exhaust ports flared white hot before it shot toward the west side of the city, and Rey punched her own ship to fly as fast as possible without going into hyperspace.
The powerful emotions that usually came from Kylo were quiet, and his presence remained subtle even as she neared the prison. Chewing the inside of her cheek, she focused the Force around their bond again. "Kylo? Kylo, I'm coming." She waited several moments for no response.
Her hands trembled around the controls as adrenaline flooded her system.
Poe's ship slowed, and Rey nearly forgot to slow her own. The closed wings drifted dangerously close to each other, and she heard Poe's shout through the headset that lay across the combat controls. His ship surged ahead to allow them each room to land in front of Coruscant's prison.
The tall, spired building looked nearly the opposite of Agamar's famed penitentiary. The exterior of the building felt eerily calm as Rey jumped out of the X-Wing. Poe shot her a strange look and pulled a blaster pistol from his belt before he rushed toward the prison. Rey followed him and reached over her shoulder to grab her lightsaber, but her hand closed around air.
Kriff.
Her fingers clenched together nervously, and she pulled on the Force to steel herself. She had seen Kylo fight with only the Force. She could feel his presence nearby, but it felt faint, surrounded by the Dark. Jessika's Force signature blazed bright within the building, and Rey could sense the Padawan's fear.
Rey pushed her hands apart to force open the doors. Poe raised the blaster pistol and slipped through the sliding doors. Rey paused by the door and froze as she took in the scene.
A Zabrak guard stood in the middle of the small entrance area next to two human females dressed in similar guard uniforms. Other guards surrounded them in a circle, exchanging fire with a flurry of blaster bolts. Rey caught sight of Jessika's yellow blade flashing behind the Zabrak's broad shoulders, deflecting fire aimed at the small group.
"We're gunna need a full squadron backup. Defected guards and a likely attempted prison break." Poe pressed flat against the wall, his voice quiet as he spoke to his communicator. "Yeah, ASAP. Master Solo is here; Ren is not in sight."
The pilot continued in a jumble of military jargon that Rey did not hear as her eyes locked onto a thin green Twi'lek leaning against a side wall. Kilnetel held a blaster rifle loosely at her side as she watched the turbolifts intently.
Fury that Rey usually associated with Kylo boiled in her chest as she made out the limp form of her husband at the Twi'lek's feet. She sprinted toward Kylo and shoved aside traitorous guards with the Force, ignoring Poe's call for her to stay back.
Her vision seemed to burn red.
Kilnetel's gaze turned lazily to face her, and her dark green lips pulled into a smile. The Twi'lek's hand twitched, and Rey felt the Force pull around her body to immobilize her. "Two Jedi and a youngling for the First Order. This is much better than I could've hoped." She stepped slowly to Rey, seeming to savor her victory. "Ren was surprisingly easy to subdue. All it took was a kiss."
Rey wrenched back control of her body and threw Kilnetel to the floor with the Force. How dare she touch her husband? Kylo belonged to her. She held out her hand, and her fingers closed around Kylo's thick lightsaber hilt. Alarm sparked through the Force from Kilnetel as the purple blade hummed to life.
Rey raised the saber and swung it with both hands. Kilnetel stepped out of the way, and Rey could tell she was trying not to let her fear show on her face. "Now, Master Solo, isn't rage how your husband fell to the Dark Side again?"
"He didn't fall," Rey ground out through gritted teeth. Kylo's saber weighed as much as hers, but the weight was concentrated in a smaller hilt. It was difficult to swing accurately. "But you will."
She adjusted her grip on the crossguarded hilt and pulled whatever experience she could from Kylo's unconscious side of their bond before she swung at the Twi'lek. The blade sizzled as it grazed Kilnetel's arm. The green woman hissed in pain and backed away, lifting her unused blaster rifle to shoot.
The bolt connected with the purple blade and fizzled out. Kilnetel continued to fire as Rey advanced, spinning the blade more comfortably in her hands with each block. Kilnetel's back hit the wall, and Rey threw her hand out to knock the blaster away from the Twi'lek with the Force.
Kilnetel pressed herself against the wall and produced something metal from her pocket. She extended her left arm and tossed it to the side. Rey raised the purple saber and allowed the blade to slice through the green arm before she had a chance to think.
The green Twi'lek let out a loud noise of shock, and she stared at the newly shortened limb. "You…"
"That wasn't very Light of you, Master."
Rey turned and raised Kylo's saber in time to catch Eeth's blue saber blade. She twisted the hilt and stepped backwards, swinging the lightsaber in an upward diagonal. Eeth's lips spread in a sneer, and he smashed his own blade hard against Rey's. She took a step back and darted to the side, feeling one of the small crossguards burn Eeth's side as she ducked under the Zabrak's arm.
Her eyes quickly appraised her surroundings. Reformed Republic reinforcements would arrive soon, but she had no doubt the First Order would, too. They did not know the firearm capabilities of the Order nor how many former Stormtroopers were actually still loyal to their enemies. If she could just wake Kylo, together they could beat back Eeth and the First Order.
Eeth took advantage of her distracted thoughts and stabbed his saber forward. It smashed into the healing wounds around her knee, and Rey buckled to the floor, pain shooting up to her hip. The Zabrak stood in front of Kylo's motionless form and pointed the end of his blue blade at the Jedi's shoulder. "Surrender, Solo, or he loses the arm."
Rey froze as she sensed the sincerity of Eeth's threat. She deactivated Kylo's blade and remained kneeling on the ground. "Eeth, you don't need to do this. You know the First Order only means to cause chaos in the galaxy." The Zabrak snorted and moved his humming blade closer to Kylo's shoulder. Rey raised her hand, shaking her head. "You've grown so much in the past month. Unnaturally so. It must've hurt. We can help you…"
A flicker of doubt crossed Eeth's face, and his lightsaber trembled as he hesitated. Rey sensed a confusion of emotions, and she set the crossguarded lightsaber on the floor before she got to her feet. She took a step toward the former Padawan, her hands raised in a gesture of peace.
Shouts rose up around them. Rey heard something crash, but she kept her attention on Eeth. They had not completely lost the Zabrak to the Dark. "We miss you. It'll be all right, Eeth."
Kylo's gloved hand suddenly grabbed Eeth's leg and wrenched him down to the floor. The Zabrak collapsed in a heap, and Kylo pulled himself up with help from the wall. His hand extended, and Rey felt the Dark Side thicken in the air as he froze Eeth.
Another crash sounded near them, and Rey finally turned to see Reformed Republic soldiers and First Order Stormtroopers had flooded the room. Jessika still fought with the prison guards, protecting one that had fallen. Poe stood shooting next to Finn and the other three Padawans, whose blue and green blades blurred around them. Rey felt absolutely no surprise that they had not followed her order to stay at Poe's home.
The tremble of the wall snapped Rey out of her thoughts, and she leapt away from it as it collapsed inwards. The tumbling debris buried nearby Stormtroopers and Republic soldiers, cutting into the circle surrounding Jessika and the guards. Through the newly made hole, a black shuttle ramp lowered, and officers bearing the sigil of the First Order emerged firing sleek blasters that sent members of the Republic forces flying across the room upon impact.
Several officers moved in a tight unit toward the colorful display of the Padawans' lightsabers near Finn and Poe. Rey threw pieces of the collapsed wall at them with the Force and watched one officer go down. She held her hand out to retrieve Kylo's lightsaber and took a step to help the Padawans, but agony laced up her injured knee.
Kylo raced passed her, and she tossed him the lightsaber as he jumped over the pile of rocks to reach the three Padawans. His purple blade cut through Stormtroopers in his way.
Rey heard movement behind her, and she raised her hands defensively as Eeth stood up. His dark eyes narrowed, and the Dark Side hummed in the air from both the Zabrak and Kylo.
Rey shoved back Eeth with the Force and pulled the Zabrak's lightsaber into her own hand. Eeth backed away, and Rey activated the saber and raised it toward him. Eeth's large hands raised in front of him. "Master – "
"Master Solo!"
Rey tumbled to the floor as Jessika's small frame crashed into hers. Eeth's lightsaber clattered nearby, and Rey looked over her shoulder to see Kilnetel press something over Jessika's face. The Padawan slumped.
Eeth snatched his lightsaber and grabbed Jessika's limp form, pulling her toward the First Order shuttle. Officers surrounded Kilnetel and followed the Zabrak. "Retreat!"
Rey scrambled to her feet. "Jess!"
She ran three steps before her knee gave out. Her eyes locked with Kylo's across the room. His saber ripped through the armor of a Stormtrooper, and they both raised their hands toward Eeth. The Zabrak slowed, but Rey could sense something wrong. Kaydel's earlier words resonated in Rey's mind, and she realized something was wrong with their bond.
Eeth climbed aboard the shuttle with Jessika, and the ramp began to rise as soon as Kilnetel's feet hit the metal. Kylo's shout echoed over the pandemonium of the battle, and Rey raced over the pile of rocks, ignoring the fire that burned up her leg. The shuttle began to lift even as its ramp still closed.
Rey launched herself into the air, using the Force to aid her height. Her fingers grappled the edge of the ramp for several terrifying seconds before she felt the Force steady her. She sensed Kylo's reassurance through their damaged bond. She pulled herself inside the shuttle just moments before the ramp clicked shut.
Rough hands immediately grabbed her arms, and Rey pushed at them with the Force. They let go for a brief moment before she felt something cold lock around her wrist. "Sir, one of them climbed aboard."
Rey felt the floor below her lurch, and the feeling in her stomach told her they had entered hyperspace. She looked up, expecting to see Eeth. Instead, the thin frame of Hux stood over her, obscuring all but a flash of Kilnetel's green skin.
The general's hands clasped behind his back, and a ginger eyebrow rose in amusement. "I didn't think that would work so quickly. But then again, the Jedi have a hero complex." He turned away, his boots clicking against the metal floor. "Knock her out and keep her away from the youngling."
AN: Dear Force this was a hard chapter. Again, sorry.