Rey startled awake. Her head was pounding and her body ached all over. She opened her eyes and saw the throne room of the Supremacy was in disarray. The first thing she did was look for Ben – no, he was Kylo Ren not Ben she had to remind herself. Kylo was across the room from her and unconscious. She felt a twinge of worry that she tried to push down.
She reached out with the Force for both lightsabers. His lightsaber arrived first, and she felt its unstable power pulsing outwards. She attached it to her belt. Her lightsaber arrived next. She was disappointed to find that it was in pieces. There was nothing around that she could use to carry the pieces, so she improvised; she wrapped them in the loose fabric of her outfit and tucked them beneath her belt, hoping it would hold.
They must have broken the lightsaber when they fought over it. That's what knocked them both out. How long have I been unconscious? she asked herself.
She looked around at the damage in the room and wondered if they caused it all or if something else happened. An alarm was ringing in the distance, so something else must have happened. She hoped the Resistance still survived, and that maybe they found a way to cause some chaos for the First Order. The thought of them being wiped out was nauseating.
No one had entered the throne room, which she took to be a good sign, but she didn't know how long that would last. Something was happening. She needed to get out of here.
Rey hesitated.
She ran over to Kylo and knelt beside him to check his breathing. She was relieved to see the rise and fall of his chest and feel his breath against her face. She was still so angry with him, so disappointed that he hadn't listened, but the idea of leaving him alone and defenseless didn't sit right. He needed a weapon. She went to unhook his lightsaber from her belt, but then her hand stilled.
What if someone finds him before he wakes up? The thought sent a chill down Rey's spine.
She worried that Kylo would be blamed for Snoke's death, which seemed likely because he was the one who killed him. As confident as he seemed about taking power, she doubted that high ranking members of the First Order would automatically give him control of the First Order. He was powerful enough in the Force to make them answer to him, but he looked vulnerable while unconscious. It would be so easy for someone to kill him.
A terrible idea formed in her mind.
...
Kylo was too heavy for her to lift on her own, so she used the Force. It took all of her concentration to keep him floating in front of her.
Lifting rocks, she thought, it's just like lifting rocks.
...
Rey was fortunate to make it to Chewie and the Falcon with minimal disruption. All of the disorder throughout the Supremacy had worked in her favour.
Chewie hadn't been pleased to see her Force carrying an unconscious Kylo Ren. He was even less pleased when she told him the abridged version of what happened. Still, he let them both on board and told Rey that he trusted that she would keep him from destroying the Falcon. Chewie had more faith in her than she did.
...
Consciousness returned to him slowly. Kylo felt like he got into a fight with a bantha and lost. He blinked and saw the familiar crew quarters of the Falcon. This is a strange dream, he thought. It had been years since he last dreamed about the Falcon.
He tried to sit up and heard the familiar sound of a lightsaber igniting. He opened his eyes wide and saw Rey across from him with his lightsaber. She looked beautiful illuminated in its red glow. It wasn't the first time someone held a lightsaber over him while he laid in bed. At least she hadn't ignited it until she knew he was awake. He felt a sudden fury overtake him.
"What do you think you are doing?" he shouted, wincing at the volume of his own voice. His head was throbbing.
"We were both knocked out. When I woke up the Supremacy was falling apart and you were unconscious," she said. He thought he saw colour rising in her cheeks, but it was hard to tell with the flickering of the lightsaber.
"So you took me with you?" he asked, incredulous.
"I couldn't leave you there," she said, letting out an aggravated sigh.
She didn't have the right to be annoyed with him. She wasn't the one with a lightsaber being pointed at her. "Yes, you could have! It would have been easier for both of us." He sat up straighter, not wanting to look defenseless. "So what's your plan? Take me prisoner and turn me over to the Resistance? You know they'll never be able to hold me." While he was confident that was true, he didn't want to risk it. The longer he was away from the First Order, the more precarious his situation became. He imagined the smug look that would be on Hux's face when he was gone – he tried not to imagine what Hux would say if he realized he was taken against his will.
"Maybe not," she allowed, her eyes narrowing, "but it's not like I had time to–"
She was cut off by a loud screech coming from the ship's comm system. It was followed by a voice speaking. He couldn't make out the words, but he heard Chewbacca's surprised roar. At the sound of Chewie's voice, Kylo flinched.
"I need to find out what's happening," she said, biting her bottom lip. She looked between him and the door. "Come with me, and don't try anything." She emphasized her point by gesturing at him with his lightsaber as she spoke.
He let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine," he said, putting his hands up in what he thought would be a calming gesture, but her eyes narrowed in response.
She motioned for him to lead the way.
He tried to suppress his memories of the familiar corridors as they walked to the cockpit. His eyes kept lingering on familiar objects, like the game table he sat at for countless hours watching his dad and Chewie play. The same table where his dad patiently taught him to–
No, he suppressed that thought and tried to ignore the hollow ache he felt in his chest. The past had to die.
As they got closer, the voice got louder, but he still couldn't make out the words. It sounded strangely familiar.
He heard snatches of what was being broadcast. "Rebel scum will–"
Hux.
Of course it was Hux. He would know that irritating voice anywhere.
"Surrender or face the full might of the First Order!"
He looked back at Rey and saw her nose scrunched with confusion in a way that was endearing. He shrugged and they shared a moment of confusion with one another. He stiffened. She was pointing a lightsaber at him, and she had abducted him. He reminded himself that he was angry at him. He wouldn't allow himself to be distracted by her.
He turned around and walked into the cockpit. Chewbacca barely spared him a glance. He was too busy staring at the holovid of Hux who was shaking with anger.
"The bounty for the traitor will be doubled if you provide proof that he suffered before he died! He is dangerous and unstable."
Hux played a video. He saw himself in a familiar elevator, and oh, this was the moment he destroyed his mask. He did look a bit unhinged.
Hux paused the video at a particularly unflattering moment – his face was twisted into a snarl – but he was definitely recognizable. He felt himself flush.
He made eye contact with Rey and she raised her eyebrows at him. He looked away because he didn't need her judgement.
Hux continued. "This is the madman who killed our Supreme Leader!" The man looked positively gleeful as he called him a madman. "Whoever kills Kylo Ren will be offered a position of great honour in addition to our generous bounty! No one can withstand the might of the First Order!"
The holovid cut out.
Rey broke the uncomfortable silence. "It looks like you aren't going back to the First Order after all." She sounded smug.
In his anger he took a step towards her, uncaring about the lightsaber singeing his tunic. He was yanked back by Chewbacca who squeezed his arm so tightly that he knew there would be bruises.
"You won't try that again," Rey said. Her voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of irritation.
"How are you going to stop me?"
"If you try it again, we will throw you out the airlock."
Chewbacca growled his agreement in a way that gave Kylo the impression that he didn't want to wait for him to try something.
"Fine," Kylo spat out.
"You can let go of him," Rey said to Chewbacca. "He's got nowhere to go and he's not stupid enough to test out patience." She stared at Kylo like she was daring him to prove her wrong. Then she did something unexpected. She disengaged his lightsaber and attached it to her belt.
He wondered why she was using his lightsaber. He wondered if he was trying to rub his predicament in his face, but when he looked at her belt he didn't see her lightsaber attached. Where was it? he asked himself.
"I'm not going to let you take me to the Resistance to be a prisoner." He internally cringed at how petulant he sounded.
She huffed. "You could join us. Then we wouldn't need to hold you prisoner."
"I'll never join the Resistance."
"We have a mutual enemy–"
"And whose fault is that?" he asked, raising his voice.
"Please," she said, crossing her arms. "I likely saved your life by taking you with me. If anything, you should be thanking me."
"Thanking you?" he sputtered.
"We should be working together."
"I am not joining your pathetic Resistance."
"How about a temporary truce then?" Her eyebrow quirked up.
"A truce?" he asked, feeling uneasy.
"We work together to escape the First Order and then we go our separate ways," she said.
He hated to admit it, but she had a point. It wasn't like he had many options. "You won't change your mind and hold me prisoner once we get away?"
"You have my word," she said, putting her hand out.
He stared at it.
She shook it. "Well…"
"Fine. A truce," he said. He took his hand in hers to shake on it. He felt a jolt at the contact. Her hand was so warm. The skin was a bit rough from her years scavenging, but it was still soft to his touch.
He didn't let go.
Neither did she.
He found himself caressing her hand with his thumb. He heard a hitch in her breath.
Abruptly, she tore her hand away from his and looked away, her cheeks reddening.
He felt his own face heat up. Chewbacca was staring at him, so he glared back at him until he looked away. Chewbacca's shoulders were shaking in what appeared to be silent laughter.
Ben sat down in one of the passenger seats and crossed his arms.
Rey sat down next to him.
He looked between her and the co-pilot's seat in front of him.
"I'm not turning my back on you," Rey said stiffly.
He wouldn't turn his back on her either if he could help it.
...
Rey was splitting her attention between the viewfinder – looking for any signs of the Resistance – and Kylo. He has been mostly silent since they sat down. The silence left her uneasy. She could tell he was thinking, and she doubted any of his ideas would be good for her or the Resistance.
He was such a frustrating man. Why couldn't he see that they should be working together – that their interests aligned? He had killed Snoke, destabilizing the First Order. This was their chance to finally beat them. Together they could–
"We should get out of here," he said, his deep voice interrupting her thoughts.
"That's what we're trying to do."
"No, you're looking for the Resistance."
He was so stubborn. "We're not leaving without them," she said.
"It's not worth the risk."
"There's still the airlock." Ge gestured at the viewfinder.
Kylo opened his mouth as if to respond, but then closed it like he thought better of it. He was staring outside. While they were no longer in space, they were still pretty far above the ground. She wondered if he was calculating his odds of making the landing. That was only part of his problem though. There was nothing but salt out there. The Falcon was his only way off this planet and she was sure he knew it.
She felt his eyes glancing at her repeatedly. She pretended she didn't notice, trying to ignore the fact that she was doing the same thing. Their eyes met and she quickly looked away. Her face heated up. She had every reason to keep her eyes on him. She didn't trust that he wouldn't do something stupid and impulsive, and then they would need to throw him off the Falcon.
She didn't acknowledge why that thought bothered her so much.
...
Rey tried to keep herself from laughing. A porg was chewing on Kylo's boot. At first he tried to kick it away, but the creature was persistent. It had looked up at Kylo with big sad eyes and he had sighed and just allowed the creature to keep chewing his boot. It was amusing to see how resigned he looked.
Chewie's roar grabbed her attention. He motioned to where these skinny and crystalline dog-like creatures were going.
They had found the Resistance. "I see them, Chewie!"
She moved to the co-pilot's seat and helped Chewie land, looking back at Kylo frequently. When they landed, she grabbed Kylo's arm and dragged him with her as she ran out of the Falcon. Chewie followed behind them.
Once outside, she looked over the huge pile of rocks that Bowes between the Resistance and their escape. "Lifting rocks," she muttered under her breath.
"What?" Kylo asked.
She realized that she was still holding his arm, so she let go and said, "We need to get them out of there. Are you going to help?"
"I don't see why I should help them," he said. Was he pouting?
"The longer it takes, the more likely we are to be found. If the First Order finds us, it will be your fault you stubborn ass!" she yelled at him.
"Then you should stop arguing and get to it," he said calmly, which infuriated her.
But he had a point.
"Besides," he continued, "I'm sure you're capable of moving some rocks on your own."
Was that a compliment?
She remembered how she carried him on the Supremacy with the Force and she did the same thing with the rocks. It was almost easy to float them in the air. She looked at Kylo and saw what looked like awe on his face.
...
"Rey!" Finn shouted, running over to her. They embraced. She was so relieved to see that he was still alive.
"You!" a man yelled.
Finn let go of her and looked back at the man, "Poe, what is it?"
The man took out his blaster and pointed it at Kylo. The rest of the Resistance followed suit. "Kylo Ren," Poe said.
Finn got his blaster out and turned to Kylo. "What is he doing here?" Finn asked.
"We have a truce," Rey said. Finn gave her a betrayed look. "He killed Snoke," she continued.
"We know," Poe said. "We all saw Hux's little video. That doesn't explain why he's here." All his attention was on Kylo.
"I told you that we should have left without them," Kylo said to her, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear him.
She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She knew his silence had been too good to be true. "You're not helping."
"Are you all going to waste time shooting at me?" Kylo asked. "I can stop your blaster bolts from hitting me." He looked smug.
"You want to test that?" Finn asked.
"We don't have time for this," Rey said. She stepped in front of Kylo and put her hands up. "Let's talk about this on the Falcon."
Poe looked like he was going to object, but Leia interrupted him. "Rey's right. We need to get out of here."
"Mom," Kylo said in a soft voice. "You're alive." His eyes were wide.
Voices spoke all at once.
"Did he say mom?"
"What does that–"
"He's crazy."
Leia raised her hands in a calming manner. Everyone got quiet.
"I didn't take the shot," Kylo said in a rush. "I couldn't–"
"We'll talk about this later," Leia said in a sharp voice. "Let's get on the Falcon." She took a deep breath. "And stop pointing blasters at my son." She walked towards the Falcon's ramp, looked back at the stunned crowd, and gestured for everyone to follow.
As if coming out of a daze, the Resistance started to follow. Rey noticed that while not all of them were pointing blasters at Kylo, they were still holding onto them tightly.
Kylo looked frozen. He hadn't moved from where he had stood while he stared at his mom. Rey grabbed his arm again.
He shrugged her off, but started walking in step with her.
...
On the Falcon there was a bustle of activity. Someone must have joined Chewie in the cockpit because they took off as soon as the ramp closed.
Finn and a couple other Resistance members she didn't recognize were helping an injured woman.
"Is this everyone?" Rey asked, stunned by the scale of their losses.
"It is," Leia answered. She was looking at Kylo.
He was looking anywhere but at Leia. He might have been assessing how many blasters were still pointed in his direction.
"You said you have a truce?" Leia asked Rey, still staring at her son. "What are the terms?"
"We escape the First Order together and then we go our separate ways," Rey told Leia.
Leia raised her eyebrows. "That's it?"
Rey shifted uncomfortably. "Someone doesn't think we need to work together."
"I can take care of Hux on my own," Kylo said, scoffing. "A few dozen Resistance members don't stand a chance against–"
Leia cut him off. "Get him out of here," Leia said to Rey, "before he gets himself killed."
More blasters were pointed at Kylo. Rey heard mutterings from Resistance members who wouldn't mind if he got killed, didn't see why he was here, and were angry that they were entertaining this farce.
Kylo shifted uncomfortably.
"Fine," she said to Leia, grabbing Kylo's arm for the third time. He let her drag him out of the room.
...
Rey led Kylo to the crew quarters and closed the door.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" she asked.
"No, of course not." His brow was furrowed.
"Well, you could have fooled me!"
"Why do you care?" he asked.
Her breath caught at his question. "I don't," she said.
"Really," he said, sounding unconvinced.
"Really," she said firmly.
"I think you do care." He took a step towards her.
She refused to back up. "Don't be ridiculous," she said, crossing her arms.
He took another step and was standing directly in front of her. He stared. "I don't think I am being ridiculous. You came to me, remember?"
"I was wrong. I thought I saw something in you that wasn't there."
He flinched at her words. "You'll join me. I saw it."
"Now who is being ridiculous?" she asked, looking up at him. The scar she gave him had faded into a faint line. She wondered what it felt like.
"You're acting childish," he said without a hint of irony.
How dare he, she thought. She grabbed his arms as if to shake him.
Kylo put his hands over hers and gently took them off his arms. Gentle wasn't a word she associated with Kylo Ren – it was a word she associated with Ben – and he had proved to her how foolish she was to ever believe that there was enough of Ben in Kylo Ren to truly matter.
He was still holding her hands.
"I'm not the one who throws temper tantrums when I don't get my way," she said, pulling her hands away from him.
I don't throw temper tantrums!" He was clenching and unclenching his hands like he was struggling not to prove her right.
"You are a child," she said, looking up at him.
"I'm not a child," he said in a low voice. He tilted his head down and leaned towards her. His lips were quivering.
"Then prove it," she said, her voice quiet. She lifted her chin and she felt his breath against her face.
Later she wouldn't be able to say who closed the distance between them. Their lips crashed together and she was surprised by how soft they were. She brought her hands up to his face and felt his arms wrap around her. She shivered at the contact and leaned her body closer into his. It felt right being in his arms.
His lips broke away from hers, and he stared at her with his mouth open. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead he leaned in and their lips met again.
Somewhere in the back of her mind there was a voice telling her that this was a terrible idea. She ignored that voice and sucked on his bottom lip. She heard him moan in response, and she smiled into his lips.