Thank you ToughSpirit and to the two Guests who left reviews :) It's always fun reading what you all think. To the 700ish people I see in my statistics who read each chapter, hi! Thanks for reading my guilty pleasure to write. I am not a prolific writer but I'm humbled nonetheless.
On ao3 this chapter is titled Krog's Mistake and is 21/25 chapters.
Rey POV/Kylo POV.
Rey runs from the throne room, trying to ignore the flurry of noise and activity that follows her down the hall. Bile rises in her throat as she soars through the corridors, heart pounding when she sees the hangar enter her line of sight. She briefly touches the handle of her lightsaber - she had accepted she might never see it again.
Her nausea intensifies from witnessing the Knight's bizarre New Order, nausea from kissing Kylo Ren: her horror at how easy it is if she pretends he is Ben. Nausea at the way the force sings when they connect.
She thinks about how it hurts her to deceive him, even when he deserves it. When he more than deserves it.
It never seems to hurt Kylo to betray or lie to her. They operate on completely different moral planes.
Rey tries to fortify herself for the second part of her plan. If she fails to follow through she might as well march right back into Kylo Ren's arms. She might as well become the obedient little pet he wants her to be. The future he wants from her is clear: keeping him warm and satisfied in bed, having his babies, her force abilities utilized only when he needs a boost in power. Dangling off his arm like a pretty, polished jewel.
Kylo insults her for living as a scavenger, but she knows his mind. He gets off on their caste difference, on the power imbalance he perceives exists between them. In the eyes of the Resistance she is equal; with him she is expected to bow down.
He is never going to abandon his pursuit unless one or both of them is dead.
She nearly vomits.
Rey skids into the hangar, gasping and gleaming with perspiration. Kylo's shuttle is easy to spot and she flies up the ramp. She throws herself into performing a series of basic mechanical tasks: closing the hatch, flipping the controls, checking the fuel, preparing to take off. It is only when the engines roar to life that she registers Rose's grunts and muffled screams.
"Rose!"
Rey hurries to remove the gag, the ropes, and binders as quickly as her nimble fingers allow. Her shaking hands slow her down.
Finally, Rose is free.
"Are you hurt?" Rey hugs her tightly. She feels sick all over again at the way Kylo's obsession turns her friends into targets. It serves as a reminder that what she is about to do is the right choice.
"I'm good," Rose says, "Let's get the hell out of here."
Rey nods.
"Can you help me fly this thing?"
"You bet."
Almost everyone in the resistance has experience flying at this point. A wide range of skills is paramount to surviving the mess of war.
Rey feels the baby stir in her belly as the shuttle propels out of the hangar. Yes, she would sacrifice the galaxy for her son - she would sacrifice anything. She takes a deep breath and squares her tired shoulders.
"What are you doing?" Rose asks as Rey pushes the comlink, "We needed to jump to lightspeed five minutes ago Rey!"
Rey brings a finger to her lips.
"Stay quiet for now. Please," she mouths silently as the comlink lights up.
"General Krog speaking."
Rey feels like she is outside of her body.
"This is Rey. Kylo Ren is on board and he is hurt. Badly. He wants me to convey his orders to fire on the Knight's flagship immediately."
She hears Krog's faint panting through the comlink's speakers.
"Message received. I cannot carry out orders unless I hear them from Ren himself."
Rose's eyes are wide, terrified.
Rey leans into the speaker so closely that her lips graze it.
"You need to fire now! He is unconscious and bleeding. Do you understand? We need to get out of here before their guns fire on us!" The last part is real and filled with true panic. She tries to influence the general by weaving the force into her words. He has to believe self preservation is her motivation. It damn well is her motivation.
Rose looks like she might collapse.
Rey is met with continued silence before Krog responds. His words are clipped and tight.
"Understood. Initiating the dreadnought's weapons. The hangar is ready for your arrival and medics await Ren."
Rey slams the comlink off. She cannot watch the Knight's flagship get blown apart. She is blinded by sudden scalding tears as she thinks about the women parading around the throne room, ignorant to what their fate is about to be. She cries for Kylo, even after everything he has done. That his miserable life ends here, that he leaves her with no other way to guarantee her safety.
Her son's safety.
It is happening. Kylo's own Order will fire on him, will kill him. Rey inputs coordinates to the most distant planet she can think of and hits lightspeed.
She needs to fill the stillness of the space, she needs a distraction.
"You're sure you are okay?" She asks Rose again.
"Yeah. His worst offense was to ban me from using the fresher."
Rose tries to lighten the graveness of the situation with some humor. Rey appreciates it, but no amount of humor changes the fact that she kills her child's father. Leia's son.
Force forgive me, she pleads internally. Rey swallows.
"Kylo's like that. He enjoys finding small ways to break you down, to control you."
Rey senses that Rose cannot understand what she ever saw in him.
"Rey...are you all right? I know he's bad but that - ordering Krog - that can't have been easy."
Rey does not tell Rose that she overheard her talking with Finn. That she thinks Rey is so enmeshed with Kylo that she cannot cut her way out.
It's not worth bringing up.
"I'll be fine."
The shuttle leaves hyperspace and a vase expanse of dark water stretches before them. The ragged island peninsula cause Rey's throat to catch. Ahch-To.
The planet holds sacred and painful memories for her. Here, Rey hopes to regroup, to find some space to meditate. To talk with Rose, to figure out what the best move is. To restore some peace, however temporary, into her life. Rey closes her eyes.
She taps into the force, trying to find the pulse of him in it.
She tries to sense if Kylo is dead.
Max sneers.
"How does she manage to outsmart you every time Kylo? Do you not beat her? She behaves as if she has forgotten her place as a woman. She fights like a wild animal. And you, you're weaker than a pint-sized pregnant scavenger." He snorts with a laugh.
No one else laughs. The crowd did not forget how she killed Damien with no hesitation.
Kylo's gaze is deadly.
"Women are not for beating. There are softer ways to break them."
Max never could comprehend that lesson. Kylo keeps talking.
"You had to lower your standards and strike a deal with her. Damien could not hold her and you can't either. So much for your Order. She ended that quickly. A womanended it, Max."
Kylo senses Max's delight at being the last Knight standing flounder. The Knight wavers as his failure to defeat Rey is exposed.
The men behind Max are armed and dangerous, but they are also drunk. Their lust has been interrupted. They are unsure if it is wise to maintain their mutinous stance now that they face their former Supreme Leader.
Kylo knows to survive he has to play the scene carefully. He cannot allow himself the luxury of mourning Rey's betrayal, he cannot ruminate on her kiss.
He does anyway.
The kiss.
There was real passion there, even if her intention was to use it as a distraction. The kind of kiss that cannot be faked. It is tangible proof that she cares, that she is sexually attracted to him. She knows he owns her, that he claimed her.
It must drive her mad.
It provokes the primal beast within Kylo.
She is going to pay for the deception, for her lies. The way she thwart's him, challenges his authority. The way she fucking wins every time.
No more.
Kylo's rage awakens and increases until he can think of nothing else. Something inside him severs and he freezes Max. With a low growl the saber flies from the Knight's hand and spears the man behind him. Kylo calls the bloody saber to him while the force maintains its hold on the Knight.
Max's hands grab at his throat, desperately tearing.
Kylo feels his stormtroopers behind him, the air tense and thick as they await his command to attack.
"Anyone else?" He bellows as Max's windpipe cracks.
Kylo knows firsthand that psychological warfare is an effective tool. A few drunks stagger forward with blasters and Kylo cuts them down, bored that this is the best his Knight's have to offer.
"I said," he raises his voice, "Does anyone else want to challenge me?"
No one speaks. Kylo resolves to have them all killed even if they return their loyalties to him. Traitors do not get second chances.
Kylo presses his comlink.
"General Krog I want you to keep an eye out for any crafts leaving the hangar. Rey has escaped and she knows how to navigate ships."
"Supreme Leader?" Kylo hears the alarm in Krog's voice, "We - we are are firing in sixty seconds. The scavenger relayed your orders. She informed us you were injured. We are in the process of dropping our class-A bombs. I can't buy anymore time, Sir."
Max hits the floor with a thud, dead.
Kylo calls on the force to slam anyone near him against the wall. He leaps into furious action.
Kylo bolts to the hangar to find his shuttle gone. He jumps into a small escape pod, barely able to stuff in his powerful body.
Rey is behind this - she means to kill him.
It is not like her to be so calculating, so dark. Kylo's pod hurls into space and he tells himself Rose is behind this devious plot. Rose poisons Rey's mind.
It is dumb luck that he escapes.
Or, Kylo muses, it is the will of the force.
The pod lands violently in the First Order's hangar and Kylo pounces out. General Krog crosses the hangar, heavy lines drawn around his frowning mouth.
"Supreme Leader…"
"General Krog," Kylo's lightsaber crackles at his side, "You made a mistake."
Krog's forehead lifts.
"Yes, Supreme Leader, please accept my deepest…"
"You fell for a trick. From the scavenger. You are supposed to be experienced."
Krog licks his lips.
"Supreme Leader if I may..."
Kylo does not want to hear it. He rams the saber through Krog's chest, twisting it. Kylo's nose upturns at the smell of burning flesh.
"Never fire without my direct command," Kylo finishes quietly, staring at the body.
"You," he points his saber at Captain Witt. She closes her eyes, sure that she is about to meet the same fate as Krog. The entire hangar is nervous. She scurries over.
"Supreme Leader Ren."
"Witt, you are promoted to General. Meet me in my private chamber in an hour." Kylo turns away from her as he watches the Knight's flagship explode. Shrapnel spreads throughout space.
It goes against Kylo's personal philosophy, but a female General might have insights into Rey that only a woman can uncover. He needs help understanding women. He thought he understood everything about Rey until now.
At least, he soothes himself, Rey and Rose help him destroy his traitors. The Knights are no more. He can rebuild the First Order.
Kylo keeps his fuse under control when he enters his private quarters. He walks the length of the room, willing himself to remain calm for this.
Rey.
He knows she can hear him.
Rey. Answer me. I know you meant to kill me. I'm alive. Unharmed.
Oh yes...a sweet mixture of shock, horror, fear, guilt, and terror permeate the force link. Kylo latches onto her guilt.
That's enough rebelling Rey. Don't worry, I forgive you. I know Rose made you do it.
He is doing well. He is calm. He keeps the rage from his tone.
Rey. You're going to be a mother. It's time to stop fighting and let me take care of you. Rose told me you cry at night. I am sorry I hurt you. I want to be the one to hold you, to comfort you. You do not need to raise the baby alone.
There. How can she reject such a sincere apology?
Nothing.
Kylo's anger simmers. She thinks she can get away with ignoring him?
His anger quells when he remembers she flies his shuttle. Frantic, he swipes his datapad, searching for the ship's tracker.
Oh, Rey.
She is so intelligent, usually so fastidious in her planning. She is also so pregnant and ever-so-slightly-forgetful.
Kylo knows exactly where she is. Rey's little rebellion is over. With General Witt's help, he is going to pick up his little scavenger.
No - Kylo replaces the dirty word.
He is going to pick up the mother of his child. The woman who will be his wife.