The throne room was crumbling down to its mere structures; the walls seemed to set a blaze with flecks of fire. The creeks of metal threatening to crash down at any moment were the least of Rey's concerns as her eyes pleaded with him as he held his hand out towards her. A moment ago he had asked her to join him to rebuild the galaxy; restore a new order and rule over it together.
Something in her was almost tempted at the idea. That desperation she so clung to that he could turn was still there. She just had to make him see it. Looking down at his hand, her mind flashed back to when their hands had touched.
The feeling had overwhelmed her very soul. Lightyears away he sat in his chambers as the feared Kylo Ren. The name itself was supposed to strike fear into the hearts of anyone who would say it. But she knew better.
At that moment, Rey knew she had touched hands with Ben Solo. Her vision had been solid and clear: he would turn to the light and help shift the tide of what seemed to be a never-ending war. Now, she stood before him, eyes still glistening with tears, looking down to the extended hand that could change her life forever.
In the back of Ben's mind, he desperately pleaded and hoped she would take his hand. The scavenger girl from Jakku was finally the one to bring his walls down. All he asked was that she take his hand so he could take her far away from all this. He would take her away to a beautiful planet like Naboo and treat her like the queen she deserved to be. She would never feel fear, never feel pain, and they would be together. All she had to do was reach out.
Ben anxiously pushed his hand forward, and before he could stop himself, broke out a croaked, "Please."
At that, Rey looked back up into his dark eyes to see any sign of Ben Solo. In the midst of the anger, pain, and fear she knew would always be with him, she saw the wall that usually blocked out his vulnerable, past self completely down.
She wasn't sure whether it was Kylo Ren or Ben Solo asking to join him in ruling the galaxy.
The thought made her heart clench at either option. Behind her, Rey could still hear the cannons firing down on the fleet, and another strike of guilt broke through her when it met one of its targets.
There was a way to put an end to it all, and Rey knew how. She just needed the right moment.
Raising her hand from her side, she slowly began to extend her hand out towards his, never taking her eyes off of Ben's. For a brief moment, she saw that spark of hope that she would take his hand and would join him side by side to bring the galaxy back to a restored order.
She felt that same pang of guilt she felt for Ben slice through her heart when her fingertips barely brushed against his gloved ones.
Ben didn't even have time to register her next move as Rey ripped it away, her hand now extended to the lightsaber held in his grasp. The force snatched it away and barely brought it into Rey's awaiting hold.
Ben bit back against the Force and held it at arm's reach away from them both. Clenching his teeth, he used all his strength from keeping it away from Rey. That sudden anger he had released among the guards flew back all at once, now directed towards the scavenger girl in front of him.
Rey could see the pain flash across Ben's face before he clenched his teeth and tried with all his might to pull the lightsaber back his way. She was so focused on keeping it towards her, she missed the loud thoughts echoing through his head:
Ben was trying to not only keep the light saber away to save his own skin, but he knew that if Rey got it, she would leave him again. He was fighting now for her to stay, even if it meant on opposite sides.
But opposite sides or not, Ben knew he couldn't strike her down. All his energy and all his strength was concentrated on using the Force to win back the light saber because she couldn't have it. He wouldn't let her take it.
He wouldn't give it to her to use against him.
Because he wouldn't be able to fight her.
Not all the rage in the galaxy could compel him to hurt her now. He saw in her eyes how she still had hope for him; perhaps the last person that really did.
Though she would be his enemy, there would be no striking her down.
If she got that saber, he may as well fall on his knees and beg her to run him through.
Neither Ben or Rey had expected his last thought to be true.
A wave of rumbling and collapsing metal in the lower bridge shook the ship to its core. The light saber, still held tightly in the Force's grasp, dropped to the ground as Ben and Rey lost their footings and were blown back by the sudden lack of tension between the Force.
Ben was thrown towards the throne and landed on the last bottom steps. Rey fell near the watch glass, but was quicker to react than her opponent.
Scrambling as fast as she could to her feet, Rey ran to the space between them and picked up the light saber, igniting it in one quick movement.
Above her, the moans of collapsing metal sounded overhead atop a shower of sparks and fire.
Rey gasped as the ceiling seemed to move in slow motion as it caved in on itself followed by a wall of smoldering metal.
Rey jumped out of the way, barely missing a piece of iron that melted right through the edge of the clear flooring. A shiver went up her spine to think that could have been her skull.
Remembering who she was after, Rey turned her attention towards Ben and strode to his hunched over form beside the steps, the lightsaber in front of her ready to defend or strike.
The ship was now at rest, an eerie quiet that didn't fit right with the position they were in. Even so, he didn't move from his spot. Her brow furrowed. Rey hesitantly lowered the light saber to the ground and de-ignited its power. It was then she heard his soft whimpers.
The notorious and feared Kylo Ren sat hunched beneath her watchful gaze and may have been for the first time willing to produce tears. Rey couldn't stop the shock that passed over her face before it morphed into concern.
She had expected him to be angry and lash out, or ignore her completely and turn her away. But he only sat, hiding his face away from her.
Hesitantly, Rey kneeled down in front of him, though far enough away she could easily make a quick escape or drive her lightsaber through him. Cautiously trying to find the boy she had seen moments before, she quietly murmured his name. "Ben?"
On pure instinct, she reached for her lightsaber when he threw his hand forward and latched onto her wrist holding it in a tight grip. Before she could find the urge to struggle, she met his eyes. Bloodshot and still brimming with tears, his dark charcoaled eyes bore into her very soul and Rey found she couldn't breathe.
Through the force bond, he murmured that same word again. Please. For the briefest moment, his eyes flickered down to the lightsaber still tightly gripped in her opposite hand.
Following his gaze, the sudden realization of what he was asking came to her. ...He would fall on his knees and beg her to run him through.
If it was the only and last thing she did for Ben Solo, he only asked her of this.
He wanted her to kill him.