Stormtroopers were now within sight of the Vehement, attacking in force. Bodies lay across the streets and boulevards. Fire lit the city; whole blocks were already ablaze, venting black smoke.

Kaydel and Rose joined the tide of unarmed crew fleeing for the Vehement. At every turn they passed barricades where the ex-Stormtroopers had dug in. This, they both realised, was an eventuality that the Vehement's crew had known about for a very long time.

The defenders were already hard pressed. Anyone who made it through the training process would be a capable soldier, and they were all blooded, certainly. Their experience had forged a profound loyalty to one another. Moreover the city was their territory, and they exploited it to the hilt, dragging the fight onto their own terms. Kill-zones were designated and traps laid even as the outer lines were given up, each one claiming dozens of attackers.

And this was a well-rehearsed fight. Arron and the other officers had chosen this place precisely because it could be made defensible. They'd shaped the encampment to that end, devised tactics and drilled their people rigorously to carry them out. Above all, they had kept in mind that any defence would need to stall an attacker rather than throw them back. It was all about buying time for the Vehement to be loaded and lift off. Aside from the circumstances, this would all be considered exemplary conduct for a Stormtrooper division.

But all that couldn't put them on par with Legions who, for the last two years, had ground their way from one devastated world to another. They couldn't match that readiness to kill at a moment's notice, the ability to shrug off the deaths of comrades and keep moving inexorably onward.

It was a punishing retreat for the escapees, the simple arithmetic of the offensive forcing them further back with every minute. Only the confines of the city, their familiarity with the environment, and the desperate hate they bore for the First Order, kept the battle from turning into a massacre.

And then came the black-clad ranks of the 66th Legion, the Supreme Leader's favoured killers. Their precision was unmatched, their brutality remorseless. With their entrance, the fighting devolved into slaughter. Every barricade was smashed by their heavy weapons squads, their gunnery outclassed the defenders' utterly, and when their close-combat squads charged in, shields raised, they were led by the Knights.

And Kylo Ren fought at their head. He came into the midst of the defenders like a black thunderbolt and where he struck, the line was instantly sundered. With his saber he hacked through limbs and impaled chests, batting away shots with contemptuous ease. With the Force he reached out to hurl his victims into walls, or even to throttle them and break necks.

The Knights around him did the same. The Ren broke upon its victims as a storm does, all of them feeding on the fear, pain and desperate hatred of their victims. Because already, that was all these people were to Ren. They weren't his enemies, they were prey. They had defied him, cost him time and resources and now, they would pay in full.

And there was other quarry here, among the fleeing deserters. He could almost smell the girl Connix, sniff her out like a hunting-beast. Once he had invaded a mind, he knew the feel of it. And Connix would be useful to him, before he killed her like he would every other rebel.

He was close on her tail now, and even if she made it aboard the Vehement, the enemy didn't have time to ready the ship before he caught them. It would only become their tomb.

Ren was quite happy with that notion.

So very close now…

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\

The crowd pressed in around Kaydel, the stench of sweat and fear suffusing the air. She stumbled, almost going down in the crush, but Rose caught her arm and pulled her back up. Kaydel had no time to thank her, barely enough time to breathe. Jannah was shouting, urging people on, trying to make herself heard. Not just above the sound of hundreds of people moving but the sounds of fighting, getting closer.

They were on the slope now, the Vehement looming ahead. The Star Destroyer's guns were blazing away, targeting the TIE craft which spiralled overheard. That meant it was powering up further, closer to liftoff. Closer to escape…

For a second she dared to hope. And then laser-shots smacked into the crowd, dropping people with screams and groans of pain.

The Stormtroopers were on them. And not just Stormtroopers. Kaydel saw the Death Troopers of the dreaded 66th wading into the crowd with shields and vibro-pikes, slicing and stabbing.

Red light bloomed amid the smoke as Kaydel looked back. It stopped her in her tracks. She heard Jannah's breath catch, heard her protesting "No, no…"

The red glow resolved into several. Blades, in the hands of black figures as they emerged. Even if Kaydel hadn't seen one of their kind just days ago she'd have recognised them. The other Knights of Ren.

And at their head, the silver of his armour awash with firelight, Kylo Ren himself. He saw them. He looked directly at her, levelling his blade with a malice that almost stopped her heart.

The Knights came straight for them, pitilessly disposing of anyone who barred their progress. Arron turned, pushing Kaydel forward and levelling a pistol at the attackers.

He got one shot off, glancing a Death Trooper's helmet, before a sizzling blade cut through his wrist. Arron turned white, collapsing back into Jannah and Rose's arms. And now no one was standing between Kaydel and Ren.

For a moment, the fighting stilled as Ren advanced, eyes on Kaydel. "What did she see in you?" he said, softly. His hand flexed on the hilt of his lightsaber, the blade seeming to crackle more viciously in that moment. "And what will it do to her, when I take you from her?"

Terror stole Kaydel's voice. But then she saw another light in the smog – electric blue, moving fast…

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\

Rey broke into a full charge when she spotted Ren. Stormtroopers barred her path – no matter. She wove her way through them, hammering her staff into chest and visors, hunting the red light ahead of her.

Close – closer – and she was on him. She leapt, only for Ren to spin around. He caught her blow and she tumbled away from the impact, rolling over to get back up. She saw the satisfied look on his face and with a horrible lurch, realised he'd anticipated her.

She turned to Kaydel and screamed a single word. "Run!"

Before she could go on the attack, Ren had closed the distance and was hammering at her defences, striking hard and swiftly. The spell which had seemed to fall over both sides broke, and battle was joined again as Rey and Ren duelled.

They had fought against one another only once before, with Ren badly wounded, but she had seen him fight unhindered on the Supremacy. His speed and skill had been astounding, even amid the frenzy of that battle.

Now, he was something else entirely. He laid into her, ceaselessly attacking, exceeding even Gwaelyn's prowess. Every blow threatened to tear the staff from her hands, his overhead swings almost knocked her to the ground.

She knew how reckless this move was – Finn had been wise to hang back. But she hadn't realised the extent of the danger. Blinded by her own rage, her fear for Kaydel, she'd been drawn straight into Ren's trap. The fight was unfolding on his terms and his alone.

She had to get clear, to use her own speed. But every time she tried to evade him, she found herself confronted by a Knight, hemmed in and losing momentum as Ren moved in again. The sulphurous taint of the Ren filled the air around her, oppressive, beating against her senses. And with every exchange, they herded her towards the precipice.

The Scrappers arrived a moment later, crossing blades with the Knights and the Death Troopers around them. Black-armoured troopers went down, but the Knights were too powerful, too skilful to be felled easily. They rallied and pressed back against the Scrappers. Emboldened, Rey struck back at Ren, locking against his blade and pushing up against it – but Ren twisted and drove his boot hard into her shin. She went down.

Cylarei and Nyzar broke through, slamming one of the Knights to the ground and rushing to Rey's side. As one they went for Ren, but he wheeled and fended off their blows with hateful ease.

The other Scrappers were thrown back, driven down the trail with the escapees. The Knights closed in again – one came against Rey with an axe, and before she could beat him back another came in, cutting the air with a curved sword and repelling her. Behind them, Ren slammed Cylarei's blade down, switched back and stabbed her through the heart.

"Cylarei!" Rey cracked her staff into the leg of one Knight and hurled the other off his feet with a thought, and went for Ren once more. He was blade to blade with Nyzar. She could make it. Together, they could take him. They could –

A hooked blade slashed down and took Nyzar's arm off the elbow. He bellowed and swung at the approaching Knight, but Verix swayed aside with fluid poise and opened Nyzar's chest with a flurry of cuts – once, twice, four times. Rey cried out, but there was nothing she could do. Nyzar crashed to the ground, lifeless.

Ren didn't even spare him a look. He had already turned away, advancing again on Rey. "You can't win this," he told her bluntly. The Knights loomed behind him, weapons ready to intercept if she broke past their leader. Their dark iron masks were pitiless, reflected flames glimmering in their sunken lenses.

Beyond them the Death Troopers had rallied, and Rey couldn't even see the rest of her squad. Her universe had become the cage of enemies around her, and the sting of furious tears on her cheeks.

The saber and staff clashed again. As he had before, Ren jabbed and caught her staff, their weapons locking. Rey pushed back against the blade, but then she felt it. Ren's Force powers, being brought to bear not on her, but on the staff itself. Before her horrified gaze, the metal began to flex. She tried to counter Ren's attack, but straining against his weight, she couldn't match it, and a keening sound rang from the staff, rising in pitch.

"Thought you can match my power?" he hissed. "You're nothing."

The squeal of abused metal reached such a pitch that it was barely audible. Then the staff tore in two and Ren pounced.

Rey fell back, but too late – the saber raked across her stomach.

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\

At the bottom of the gorge, Kaydel froze at the sound of Rey's scream, feeling it like a blade through the heart.

In the Falcon's turret, Finn reeled as he felt sudden, searing pain. He slumped forward in his seat before he caught himself, and Poe and Chewbacca started at his strangled yell.

Far off, Leia stumbled and caught herself against a wall, eyes wide with horror.

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\

Pain exploded in Rey's core, a howl of agony tearing from her throat as she folded over the wound. Her legs gave way, knees hitting the stony ground hard and sending a fresh jolt through her. She could barely see, the pain blotting out her vision, but she could sense Ren's next attack unfolding. The crimson blade descended towards her and she barely caught it with the one half of her staff she'd kept hold of. The impact shuddered down her arms, wringing a sob out of her and almost driving her down into the dirt. Ren came into focus, heaving against her desperate defence, eyes ablaze.

His boot hammered into her ribs. Rey felt something crack, and suddenly she was rolling down the slope towards the precipice. At the very edge she caught hold of an exposed root, halting herself though it almost wrenched her arm from its socket. Heaving on it, she dragged herself back onto the rock, whimpering and groaning at the tearing pain in her torso. A red, wet stain was already spreading over her robes.

Ren emerged out of the smoke, a looming shadow against the flames. His teeth were bared, a wolfish snarl distorting his features. His eyes flashed in the shadows of his helmet as he advanced, with the implacable assurance of a man who knew he had already won. He only stopped when the scream of engines sounded behind him, and he turned to see the Falcon and the last fighters take wing.

Immediately Ren reached out with a grasping hand, and the Falcon's ascent stalled, its momentum suddenly arrested. Rey watched in growing horror, seeing the ship quake and hearing the engines strain. "No," she breathed, and with agonising slowness, she raised a trembling hand. Darkness pressed in at the edge of her vision, but with her fingers clawed she found purchase and pulled. Ren's hand was wrenched back, his hold over the Falcon gone. The ship hurtled away.

Ren didn't hesitate. With a roar he wheeled around, eyes ablaze, and lashed out at Rey with such fury that the shockwave tore up earth and stones, flinging them towards her. The maelstrom caught her and she was hurled high into the air.

Then she knew no more.

/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯\

"NO!" Kaydel wailed. Rey plummeted to earth, landing with a sickening crack of bone on rock. Kaydel raced over, falling to her knees and clutching at Rey's broken, unmoving form, sobbing and imploring her to wake up.

She looked up, and through her tears she saw Kylo Ren up on the ledge, staring back at them.

"Fire!" Jannah cried next to Kaydel, raising her blaster. "Fire, damn you!"

The fighters around her lifted their guns and fired up at the ledge, screaming defiance at their nemesis. Ren and the Knights deflected everything they threw at him, but his soldiers went down around him or were forced into cover. It gave the remaining Scrappers the time they needed to rush down the path and join them.

"Captain!" Olesin breathed as he reached Rey. "Stars, no." He scooped her up in his arms, bellowing hoarsely to the others. "On the ship, now!" Tannel grabbed Kaydel and dragged her with him, shooting at the enemy above. One half of Rey's staff had landed next to her and without realising it, Kaydel had taken hold of it. LM caught hold of Rose, sheltering her as he continued to fire up at the ridge.

Covered by the troopers, they retreated aboard, Jannah yelling for a medpack and stretcher. They were produced from some corner, and Rey was whisked off across the hangar.

Kaydel took a few steps after them before she stumbled, slipping to her knees.

"Rey," she whispered.