"Join me. Please."

It was the begging that did it. Rey had no desire to ever make him beg. And he was partially right, it all should end.

But not like this.

"Ben..." She murmured. She strode towards him and grasped his hand. He looked eager but slightly taken aback. She believed he didn't actually think she would do it. She pressed her face to his chest, rubbed her nose slightly along his collarbone, before pulling back to look in his eyes. They held such wonder. "I want to be with you. But not like this. Please, not like this."

Kylo tried to pull away from her, but she only held him tighter. "You are still holding one," he growled instead. "Why are you holding onto this?"

"Because!" she cried. She needed him to hear her. "Because it's one thing to end it all, and another to forget it. Do you want to be another Emperor Palpatine? Do you want a constant war of rebellion, anger, and hatred throughout the galaxy?" Kylo looked at her, his brows pinched. "Or do you want peace? Contentment?"

"We can achieve all of those things- "

"How?" She demanded of him. "Through fear? Tyranny? Have you ever heard the saying 'you capture more flies with honey than vinegar'?"

He was confused. "Why would I be capturing flies?"

Rey sighed exasperatedly. "It's just a metaphor. But Ben- '

"Kylo," he interrupted her. "Ben was a scared, lost little boy who felt unloved. My name is Kylo."

"Ben, Kylo, whoever you are, do you want a world filled with peace? Or constant turmoil?"

They stared at one another. Kylo's hand engulfed Rey's small one. The heat, the electricity, from his touch should have scared her, but it didn't. Everything within her singed with happiness and excitement.

"How would we do this? I've wanted to end this for so long. I don't know anything else."

"I don't know yet. But we can do it together."

"And you'll stay? With me?" Kylo whispered to her.

"As long as you stay with me," she whispered back.

He kissed her then. No thoughts of the fleet outside or the fighting. Just a sensation of right and bright. Neither was aware of the burst of energy that left them. That energy erupted out of them, through the air, through the metal of the ship, and throughout all of space.

It pushed stormtroopers, officers, and generals away from their weapons. The guns on the top side of the Star Destroyer exploded upon contact. Captain Phasma and her executioners went flying violently into the nearest metal walls.

"Rey," Finn said softly. That energy felt like his friend. He looked at Rose, who had tears in her eyes. They knew they were going to be just fine.

Vice Admiral Holdo felt the energy. It was warm and comforting and accompanied by a soft voice. Stop, Holdo. Turn to planetfall. She didn't recognize the voice, but the gun had stopped firing at the small escape pods, so she turned the ship to follow.

The remaining members of the Resistance saw the guns exploding. Before they could question the action, the energy hit them. Poe had never thought much about the Force. His life was about flying and the next mission. But in that moment, he knew that she would never question the existence of the Force again.

Leia did know the Force. She had an idea of what she was feeling. She could sense Ben and could only assume the second signature was Rey. This Force was pure and balanced. Something she knew neither she nor Luke had ever felt before. She cried for the sheer joy of it, but also for her child.

The Force spread throughout the galaxy, reaching to every corner. Everyone, even those who were not Force-sensitive, felt it. Each basked in the few moments of its lingering presence.

Luke had to pause in his steps when it hit him. He would have to rethink his plan of action.

Kylo and Rey separated, breathing heavy. "Guess I don't need to save the fleet after all," he muttered with a smile. She smiled back, and he couldn't help but bask in its brightness. "What now?"

Rey became serious. "Now we figure it out. Together."

"I have done terrible things, Rey. I don't regret most of them." Kylo felt the need to warn her.

She stroked his cheek. His lips tickled her palm. "I know. And I won't ask. Just promise that we will make all decisions together. Don't pull away from me." He nodded in agreement.

The elevator doors opened and Hux strutted through. He abruptly stopped to take in the scene before him. The Supreme Leader cut in half, his guards' bodies lay randomly throughout the room, wiring and debris littered around, and Kylo Ren holding the scavenger girl in the middle of it all.

"What happened here?" he seethed.

Kylo pulled Rey behind him. "The Supreme Leader overstretched his hand."

"You! You…. Traitor!" Hux reached for his blaster, but Kylo was ready. Hux felt his throat constrict. He knew what was happening, had seen Ren do this to others. He never stopped reaching for the blaster, but then it was gone. He watched it fly across the room, and his head began to be woozy. His only condolence was that two of the rebel scum would be coming with him.

"Ben. Please." Hux heard the girl pleading with Ren. Rey had heard Hux's thoughts. She needed to save her friends, but also save Ben from acquiring more blood on his hands.

"He won't stop until we are both dead."

"But you don't need to kill him. We can be better than him."

"I told you I wasn't a good man!"

"I'm not asking you to be good. I'm asking you to be better than him."

Hux was beginning to lose consciousness when the pressure relented, and he pulled the air desperately. When his breathing slowed, he glared at the two Force-users. "I'll see you killed for this."

Kylo dared to scoff at him. "You should thank you to Lady Rey, Hux. She just saved your life."

"Lady?" Hux choked out. "You cannot be serious. The Supreme Leader is dead, and you…" He was cut off again.

"Ben!"

"The Supreme Leader. Is. Dead." Kylo emphasized his words by giving Hux a little shake.

"Long…Live...the…Supreme…Leader…" He was dropped.

Rey waited for him to get his breath back before asking, "Where are my friends?"

"Dead," Hux snapped. She used the force to levitate him upside down.

"Let's try again," Rey said calmly. "Where are my friends?" While Rey would never use the force to hurt someone, she knew that she would need to be harsher towards members of the First Order than she would be towards the Resistance. She could use signs of the Force to scare them. Kylo smirked beside her.

"In the hanger. They were about to be executed for their crimes." Hux stammered out. She placed him gently on the floor and looked at Kylo who nodded in acknowledgment. He marched to the command station, pressed a few buttons, and his voice was amplified throughout the space station.

"Captain Phasma, cease and desist all actions. I repeat, Captain Phasma, cease and desist all actions. Wait for me in the hanger."

The communication clicked off. As he walked towards the elevator, he reached for Rey's hand and found it also questing for his. They entered the elevator, but Rey said to Hux, "Are you coming?"