Chapter Twelve:
Rey stumbles to the floor of the Millennium Falcon, Kylo tumbling from her grasp, but not her sight. As firmly rooted in this place as she is. The ripple of triumph is sharp but not long lasting. She's pulled him through the fabrics of the universe into this space with her, but they aren't safe yet.
"Rose! Get us out of here. Now!"
"On it!" Rose's voice echoes back from the cockpit.
Rey sinks back, taking a deep breath as she senses the distance grow between them and the mad Hux.
Chewbacca roars, startling her. She flinches back, cringes at the damning glower on his face.
"No, Chewie, it's okay," she says urgently, hearing in his rumbling roars all the hatred he possesses for Kylo Ren. And with good reason, of course, but she can't very well have Chewie tear Kylo apart when she's trying to save him. "He's injured. I need to take care of him."
Chewbacca grumbles in protest.
"I know what he's done, but we're no better if we let him die. He's more help to the Resistance alive. Please."
Chewbacca growls low.
"Maybe you should take over for Rose. I could use her help."
Chewbacca huffs, but with a resigned throwing up of his hands, turns on his heel and marches off to follow through on her request.
Once he's gone, Rey turns back to Kylo. He's gone slack, his breathing slower and slower still, but he grimaces and twitches as she turns him onto his stomach and peels away the torn shreds of his shirt.
His flesh is singed and shorn where the lightsaber slashed down near his spine.
Rey averts her gaze, swallowing hard, clapping her hand over her mouth.
"Rey! What's going on? Chewie was—oh my! Is that...?"
"Yes, it is." A blast of relief surges through her to know she isn't alone. "He's badly injured. A shot to his shoulder, and his back..." she swallows again, swallows the rolling nausea. "I don't know what to do."
"Let me see," Rose says, her voice steady. She kneels beside Rey, Rey shifting over to give her space to inspect.
Rose delicately leans in, her face calm, unperturbed by the sight of his damaged skin. When she pulls back again, her expression is still passive. But her eyes, they glitter with concern. "I think there should be a medpac here. Somewhere. Give me a second."
She hurries off. Rey watches her, but her gaze is drawn away at a low mumbling at her knees.
Rey leans in hurriedly, pressing closer to him. "It's okay. You're safe, Ben."
He murmurs something again, but it's all unintelligible.
Rose is back again before Rey can try to pull clear words from him. "Okay. The good news. There's a synthflesh I can use to help his shoulder. The bad news, I won't be able to heal his back. We need to get him to base and a bacta tank to set him straight."
"I can't bring him in like this," Rey says.
"We don't have a choice."
"But..." Rey's words slip from her as her gaze does the same, drawn to Kylo's trembling form. His injuries glower up at her, seem to accuse her. Guilt, that burdensome shame weighs heavily over her. "There has to be something."
She closes her eyes, reaching for an answer in the Force. It's led her well so far, guided her to this moment. Maybe it can guide her a little more. It whispers of life and death, reminds her of that balance Luke taught her about on Ahch-To. Fear surges through her. This can't end with his death. She needs his life if she's to stop this new threat of Hux.
Life, she pleads with her mind, pleads to the Force. His life. Tell me how to save him.
When the reply comes it is reluctant, but she has no heart to wonder why it might be that the Force wouldn't want him alive. She heeds, listens, as it guides her to rest a hand upon his back.
He stiffens beneath her, groans.
She focuses on what is whole, on the life that ebbs and flows with growing weakness through him. It reacts to her, stirring at her touch. A shock sparks through her, wrenching a gasp from her lips.
The gasp is echoed, Rose's.
Rey opens her eyes, but doesn't break the connection she's made, though her shock is redoubled at the sight of Kylo's back knitting closed, layers of skin folding into each other until not even a scar remains to mark the place of his injuries.
Her energy ebbs from her, drawn into him. Balance. What is given must be taken. Is it not worth it?
"By the Maker!" Rose exclaims.
Rey breathes heavily, clutches at her chest as her heart beats a little harder, as her breath comes a little shallower.
"Are you okay?" Rose's hand lands lightly on her shoulder, a gentle squeeze of concern and comfort.
"Takes something out of you," Rey whispers, but there's a smile on her lips. A genuine gesture of happiness. For what was taken has been given. "Help me turn him over."
Together, they flip Kylo onto his back. His shirt hangs off him. A little revealing.
Rose bites her lip, struggling against her crooked grin. "Well. This certainty isn't how I imagined meeting the Supreme Leader of the First Order."
"It's nothing I haven't seen before," Rey says with a shrug.
Rose cocks a curious brow, but the time for revisiting the past is interrupted as Kylo stirs on the ground between them.
His eyes flutter open and Rey notices for the first time that the scar he wore over his face—a scar she gave him a long time ago in a wintry battle—is gone as well.
"What...? Where am I? Hux... What...?"
"It's okay, Ben." Rey presses in closer to him. "You're safe."
"Rey?"
She shivers at the quivering utterance of her name, hearing in it a weight of emotions she cannot decipher.
Kylo jerks upright, and there goes the rest of his shirt.
Rose blinks at him, then quickly averts her gaze.
He slides a hand up and down his back, his eyes widening in shock. "Explain," he demands, eyes narrowed at Rey.
"Rey saved you with the Force," Rose blurts out before Rey can find the right words to bring this situation to life.
"Rose..."
"Well, you did."
"You saved me?"
Rey meets Kylo's incredulous stare with a shrug. "If anyone's going to kill you, it's going to be me."
He smirks at that, then forces his expression severe once more as he surveys Rose. "Who's this?"
"Rose Tico," Rose introduces herself. "It's a... Well, it's not a pleasure or honour... but it's... Never mind."
Kylo squints at her, then glances past her, his eyes catching at last on his surroundings. His breath comes a little heavier, his eyes widening in recognition. "Is this...?"
Rey nods slowly. "The Millennium Falcon."
Kylo clears his throat, swallows hard. "I demand you let me leave at once."
The sudden sharp coolness in his voice rams against Rey, throwing her off-balance. She is suddenly aware of expectations she had, of his gratitude warming him to her, of being a changed man. It seems so naive now to think a single near-death experience could alter him so wholly.
"Well, we're in hyperspace right now, so you won't be going anywhere," Rose says, her tone just as cool.
"Then get us out of hyperspace," Kylo bites back.
"You don't get to order her around like that." Rey's crisp condemnation draws his eyes back to her. She's starting to think saving him might not have been the best idea.
He doesn't balk at her glower. "I am not going to be dragged to your base."
"You're in no position to argue."
"You underestimate—ARGH!"
Chewbacca startles them all when he lurches forward then, wraps Kylo in his arms, tight enough to strangle him, and wrenches him off the floor.
Kylo struggles in his grasp, gasping for breath.
"Chewie! No! Drop him!" Rey cries, leaping to her feet.
Chewbacca growls, a snarl of refusal.
"I know, but, please... Leia wants him alive. Chewie, please. For Leia."
Chewbacca growls resignedly, relinquishes his hold.
Kylo splutters as he hits the ground, his hand twisting reflexively around his throat. "So that's what that feels like," he mutters bemusedly. With his breath back, he adds in a clearer voice, "I do not want to see her."
"Then I'll let Chewie tear you apart."
Chewbacca releases an excited yowl.
"Fine."
Rey fixes Kylo with a disbelieving stare. "You'd rather die than see your mother again?"
"Oh, definitely."
"Seems a bit extreme," Rose says softly.
Kylo chuckles bitterly. "I'm not a fool. You bring me to the Resistance in chains and I'll be dead in a cycle if not sooner. You might as well let Chew—the Wookie kill me now."
Chewbacca barks in agreement.
"No," Rey says. "Leia won't let that happen. I won't let that happen. Trust me."
"Trust you?"
"I've already saved your life twice today. I think I can manage a third."
"And I'll help," Rose pipes up eagerly.
"Why?" Kylo demands, a second away from scratching his head like the truly baffled.
"For your mother," Rey replies without hesitation.
"You care about her that much?"
"Yes. And before you ask, because she's been like a mother to me."
A chime goes off in the distance. "I've got it!" Rose rushes out of the room. "Come on, Chewie."
He growls in protest, but Rose tugs him forcefully after her, leaving Rey alone with Kylo.
She feels a rippling chill to be with him. "So...?"
"So, I guess you'll be cuffing me," Kylo says.
"Does that mean you'll be delaying your death?"
Kylo shrugs.
"If I cuff you, it will only be temporary."
"You should blindfold me too," he suggest calmly. "You wouldn't want me to carry information about your Resistance base back to the First Order."
"And who would you run and tell that's too? The red-eyed guy who tried to kill you?"
Kylo stiffens. "He's still alive?"
"Yes." The panic in his eye sends a shiver down her spine.
"But you said—"
"That I saved you. Not that I killed him."
"Ah, great," Kylo sighs, shoulders sagging. "Then we're all dead."
AN: A bit of a quieter chapter after the last few. Thanks to everyone who's been adding this to their favourites and leaving reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :)