Thank you for your comments! I really do appreciate each one and they are so motivating. My family just recovered from the flu, yikes. Stay healthy everybody.
Warning: this chapter is full of triggers for strong themes of domestic violence, toxic attitudes, sexism, etc. If you've made it this far you know this fic is dark but I always feel the need to emphasize triggers.
I enjoy the wide range of opinions you all share. Many of you hate Kylo Ren and want him dead, some of you want him redeemed, some of you dislike Rey, and some of you dislike both of them. All these opinions are valid. I just write and leave the interpretations up to you. Not gonna lie after this fic is done I can't wait to focus on fluff xD
Last thing! This chapter feels more climax-y than I intended. In a way I suppose it is. But I have a very specific ending in mind for this fic, so hang tight :)
Thx for reading.
Kylo paces aggressively across the command center bridge. Back and forth, back and forth, his gaze unfocused, his heart pounding. He stops mid-stride to peer down as the main hangar opens to reveal a brilliant display of space: a dark eternity dotted with contrasting white and yellow stars. He never tires of looking at it.
It is the precise background he envisioned when marrying Rey.
Marrying Rey.
In the span of his young life he had learned that love brought only pain and betrayal. Loving someone came with the risk of devastating loss. It came with the risk of learning you were nothing more than a tool or second place to a political ideology.
Kylo sniffs. He is nearly rid of the second problem. Soon his mother won't have to wring her hands over his inconvenient existence. How he must tarnish her image.
"Supreme Leader, all of your - guests - are in attendance."
Lieutenant Garan trips over the use of guests and Kylo's eyes flash with dark amusement. Every major ranking official is on board the Flagship for the ceremony. The ones fortunate enough to have survived his on-going purge, that is.
"And the prisoner?" Kylo stares at the raised platform where the nuptials will take place.
"Tico is being retrieved as we speak, sir. Would you prefer -"
"Bring her here. She can wait. And," he raises a finger, "I want her executed first thing tomorrow. Cell 23. Don't make a mess of it, and Rey is not to find out."
"Yes, Supreme Leader."
Kylo does not want Rey or the baby stressed. Tico can quietly disappear to her grave. He wants to rid the First Order of its trash, and she has got to go. She is no good for Rey or their relationship.
"What is the crew status for the fleet?" He asks Garan.
"Manned by skeleton crews, sir. All persons of importance are on board the Flagship and under surveillance."
Kylo nods, mulling over his decision to keep his subordinates close. It is better to err on the side of caution, isn't it? He's heard the disgruntled rumblings in response to his mass executions. The last thing he needs is a third mutiny or rogue general firing on his ship during the ceremony. Or worse, the entire fleet banding together to launch an all-out attack.
His paranoia is at an all time high, and he drums the hilt of his lightsaber. He won't have their wedding day ruined. He won't risk losing Rey.
Kylo turns to the lieutenant and lowers his voice.
"Monitor the movement of every guest in attendance. Anyone who makes a move towards me is to be stunned and put in binders."
He prefers to personally snuff out the lives of those who betray him.
"And anyone who makes a questionable gesture towards Rey is to be killed on sight. Immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, Supreme Leader."
"Good. I want the wedding broadcast on every sector under our control - make it the only channel available on holonet."
"Very good Sir."
"You are dismissed."
Kylo walks past rows of chairs and through the corridors to his quarters. He refuses to leave Rey in the care of anyone else - human, alien, or droid - this close to the wedding. She has been restricted to the bedchamber for close to twenty-four hours and he knows she must be growing restless. This is a woman used to unrestrained freedom and Kylo reminds himself that the leash he intends to keep on her must be held by a gentle hand.
The room is quiet when he enters and Kylo finds Rey curled on her side, fast asleep. She always sleeps in this position and he attributes it to the years she spent in her hammock on Jakku.
The barren planet brings back complicated memories. He recalls how he ordered an entire village to be annihilated and silently thanks the Force that Rey was not an inhabitant, that she did not unintentionally die by his hand.
She is his desert flower. Unpolished and wild, but beautiful. She looks effortlessly seductive in the sheer nightgown she finally traded in for his tunic. Kylo's eyes shine as he scrutinizes her. He can see the tantalizing curves of her figure; the way her perky nipples press against the muslin fabric, he spots the soft dark triangle between her thighs.
It is a delightful sight and his broad chest rises and falls with lust.
Maybe if he fucks her nice and slow, if he really takes his time, she won't bleed. Afterall, doesn't a man have the right to bed his wife after marriage? Kylo bites the inside of his cheek. He needs to watch it. She's scared of sex right now, and he can't be obvious about it.
He will take her somewhere pleasant after the ceremony. Relaxing. Serene. Lots of green, lakes, maybe some mountains. Certainly the First Order occupies a planet that fits the picture in his mind. He will spoil her with food and gifts and he will be exceptionally kind. Romance, isn't that what all women want? Rey makes it difficult for him to be romantic. She doesn't like it when he asserts his dominant position in their relationship, but it is the only way to maintain order.
He has to admit, a part of him likes the pushback from Rey. It makes her submission all the sweeter.
Kylo gazes at the hope that blossoms in her belly and knows that this is the way things ought to be between them. It is the natural order of things.
By the time their honeymoon is over, the fortress on Rhelg will be suitable to live in. He did not sleep a wink last night, and the only practical solution was to keep busy. Rey had done her part to prepare for the baby, and he needed to do his.
In the dead of night, Kylo ordered Doctor Veduta and her medical team transported to Rhelg. Other doctors can attend to Rey on the flagship, but he wants the woman who knows her medical history delivering the baby. It is imperative that Rey gives birth in a safe environment. His little fiance, so used to independence, has ridiculous notions regarding birth. And he will not lose her or the baby to such frivolous female ideas. Rey will birth the baby in a hospital setting, even if he needs to strap her down to the bed.
Kylo frowns at the thought.
Physically restraining a laboring woman is too much. He'll drug her instead. Drugs will take the pain away - he wants her to enjoy birthing his babies.
Rey mumbles and squeezes her eyes shut as she slumbers. There is a wet stain on her pillow, and her mouth hangs open as she snores. Both are recent side effects of the pregnancy. Kylo runs a hand through his hair. She's sacrificed her body, her mental energy, her entire self for this baby.
Rey is the definition of selfless - that he knows beyond a doubt.
Her body is working overtime and she needs the rest. The ability to grow a human being is incredibly special; it is something that makes her sacred in his eyes. He is envious of that kind of power; the ability to grow and nurture life.
Kylo quietly steps around the infant items to examine her wedding gown. The droids have outdone themselves. The dress is artfully displayed on a lifeless mannequin and Kylo circles around it. He notes the lace up closure in the back that allows for easy adjustment, the thick but finely crafted straps to support her breasts, the way the fabric will cascade over her abdomen. The style of it will highlight her pregnancy, and he likes that.
"Kylo?" Rey sits up and winces, one hand braced on her lower back.
He is at her side in seconds.
"Are you alright?" He asks, lifting one hand to cup her cheek. Rey sighs, nuzzling against his palm.
"I'm just tired."
"I know," he kisses the side of her head, "This won't take long."
Kylo just wants to be married to her. He's ready. He is having a hard time keeping still, his body jittery with unspent energy.
Rey yawns and rubs her eyes.
"What won't take long? The wedding? I thought you wanted," she yawns again, "to display our power to the galaxy."
She smacks her mouth together as she finishes waking, a habit Kylo finds adorable. She stares at his belt, and he senses an argument brewing in her mind.
"If you're wearing your lightsaber during the ceremony, I want mine."
An insane request. She nearly wiped out in the shower, she is not fit to wield a saber.
"Absolutely not," Kylo answers, huffing harshly through his nose, "besides, women have no business brandishing weapons. Especially not pregnant women."
The room is silent as Rey looks around for a stunned moment - and then she laughs.
"Are you serious?"
Kylo finds nothing funny about his statement. He doesn't care for the way she disrespects him with her fucking laughter.
"It's not an insult. Women have no place in battle or war. It is beneath your sex. It upsets the natural balance of -"
"Balance of what? I can't believe what I'm hearing," Rey slides off the bed and wraps a robe around her body, "You have female generals in the First Order. I've beaten you in battle more than once. Or have you forgotten?"
Kylo offers a half smile.
"I let you win. I never wanted to hurt or kill you, Rey."
"Mmm. I see."
He catches the grin she's trying to hide and heat boils in the pit of his stomach. She's not taking him seriously. She's brushing him off, her expression smug, and he can't have that.
"I was hunting you," Kylo's tone intensifies as he rounds on her, "And you put up quite the chase. Come on," he watches a gradual blush tint her cheeks, "Don't pretend you didn't know. You enjoyed being pursued."
Rey clears her throat. He senses how averse she is to this topic. But her competitive stubbornness wins out, and she straightens her back.
"I disagree. About women and war. Your mother -"
"General Organa was never a warrior."
"Her title is General."
"A formal title. She's not a warrior, Rey. She's a bureaucrat, a politician."
Rey fumes, but lets the remark go.
"Fine. But Ahsoka Tano was your grandfather's Padawan. She was a spectacular fighter. Sabine Wren, Asajj Ventress, Hera Syndulla, Darth Traya -"
"Traya never existed," Kylo says a little too sharply.
"Oh, I believe she did," Rey counters, "First of all…"
Force, she just keeps talking. Kylo tunes her out.
He knows when she begins with First of all that he is about to endure a never ending lecture. Sure, it's cute that she's made the effort to educate herself. She has studied the history of the galaxy, but he doesn't give a shit. She's twenty-two. What does she know about the intricacies of war and the universe? He has years of higher education on her.
Kylo makes a note to ensure that only appropriate books are available to her on Rhelg. Rey is intelligent, but she only needs to focus on being a good wife and mother.
Kylo politely tries to wait out her argument. He presses his comlink and requests the droids come and style Rey for the wedding. Hurt flashes across her face when she realizes he isn't listening, but miraculously, she keeps going .
She chats away, citing her sources, giving concrete examples, and Kylo's about had enough.
"All of those women were exceptions to the rule," he says loudly, talking over her,"You're pregnant, Rey -"
"I am well aware of how pregnant I am -"
Kylo presses a finger to her mouth and her voice fades. He has her full attention and he thumbs her bottom lip.
"You don't need the protection of a lightsaber when you have me. I won't hesitate to kill anyone who looks at you the wrong way. Please Rey," he says, "no more disagreements on our wedding day."
Rey mumbles something about killing not being necessary, but drops her argument about women and war.
In the end she is always such a good, obedient girl for him.
Rey thinks they are a dysfunctional couple, but Kylo disagrees. They are a passionate couple, and he loves her fiery spirit. He doesn't want her to become docile or meek. He just needs her to know that ultimately, he is in charge.
Kylo checks the chrono and is glad when the droids announce their arrival by beeping outside his quarters. They roll in and he turns to Rey.
"Sit down."
Rey settles herself onto a stool, and Kylo watches.
The droids untangle her hair, brushing it well past her shoulders. The taller one sprays a substance on her head and Kylo grunts in disapproval when it causes Rey to sputter and cough. These robots are supposed to be programmed specifically for grooming, and they can't manage to keep a pregnant woman comfortable?
He adds another item to his ever expanding mental list: permanently retire the droids after they are finished with Rey.
"Not too much," he quips when they begin applying color to her face. Rey needs no artificial enhancement, but she has to be visible over holonet. There will be ambiguity or doubt that Rey is the woman he is marrying.
The droid adds a rosy touch to her cheeks, her lips, and her hair transforms into loose curls that cascade down her back. They help Rey into her gown and he tries not to intervene when she yelps that the dress is too tight. Final touches are added and a few locks of hair are pulled back and held in place by a simple but elegant comb. Kylo continues to stare boldly and unapologetically until the droids retract their tools and retreat to a respectable distance from Rey. She stands and looks at him, fidgeting with the train of her dress. Her eyes meet his, and there is no other word for the sensation Kylo feels: his heart completely melts.
She is the loveliest sight he has ever seen.
For all his power, he feels completely defenseless against her. He feels robbed of his ability to speak, and he clears his throat.
"Are you happy, Rey?" He asks.
She nods, smoothing the front of her dress.
"It's nice, for a dress. I'm not used to wearing -"
"No," he walks towards her, "I asked if you're happy."
He wants to kiss her, but settles for sliding an arm around her waist. His grip is warm. Slightly rough. Masculine. Strong. He is afraid in some way still, that if he lets go she will vanish. Afraid that if he lets go, she will fade into nothingness and he will wake up in the galaxy where she no longer exists. A galaxy that for him is meaningless without her.
The life-force of their child thrums through their bond and he knows he would do anything to keep them.
Rey slants her head upwards to look at him. Her gaze is sincere and she rests one hand on his chest.
"I am happy. I'm not alone anymore, and neither are you."
It is everything he needs to hear from her. Kylo's never been eloquent with words around Rey, so he responds with the only words that matter.
"I love you, Rey."
And with that, he escorts her to the command center.
When they arrive at the command center a hush falls over the crowd. Most people are seated and Kylo surveys his underlings with guarded eyes, his senses heightened to detect any ill intent. A mixture of curiosity and fascination floods the Force. Kylo knows Rey is the source of bewilderment for the First Order, and he smirks. They're staring in wonderment at how well she cleans up, they approve of her good behavior. She's caused a significant amount of trouble for the First Order, and now she is one of them.
Kylo rather likes showing off his young, beautiful, and very pregnant mate. He parades her down the aisle, down the long black runner to the raised platform. The only thing preventing the scene from absolute perfection is Tico's presence. She is tightly buttoned up in a black uniform, but he doesn't miss the way her eyes blow open when she locates Rey. Kylo flicks his wrist and Tico's head snaps down.
He curls a finger and calls over one of his commanders, nodding his head at one of the seated officers. The officer radiates the wrong kind of interest in Rey and Kylo mutters an order to have him removed from the ceremony. Admiring Rey is fine, openly lusting after her is not.
Kylo glances at Rey to see her face covered in a sheen of sweat, her cheeks a little too pink. He takes her by the wrist and feels the way her pulse quickens.
Something about this situation is making her anxious - more anxious than she ought to be. She's not in danger, and he's never known Rey to suffer from stage fright.
Kylo's eyes narrow and he sifts through her emotions. She must sense his attempt to read her, because she offers him a nervous smile.
"I'm still not sure what to expect," Rey says, clasping and unclasping her hands, "do I need to say anything? I haven't -"
Kylo cuts her sentence short.
"All you need to do is sign your name on the marriage license and place the wedding band on my finger. Don't worry," he senses her apprehension, "your ring won't have a tracking device this time."
That bit of information seems to help. Her shoulders drop, her body posture relaxes. Her eyes are bright when she makes her next request.
"I would like to check in with -"
"Tico is off limits."
"Kylo," Rey sets her jaw, "You're overreacting. Killing anyone who looks at me the wrong way? Terminating droids because I sneezed? Yes," she says in a rushed, low tone, "I sensed your intent. Not letting me speak to Rose? You need to calm down."
Under normal circumstances he would be furious at her attempt to undermine him in public. But he can't hide his feelings from her, and he's never wanted to. Rey can sense the way his nerves manifest as aggression and paranoia - at least, that is how she perceives it.
Kylo disagrees. He is overprotective, but for good reason. The lights dim, and he runs his hands down her arms in a way that is meant to be soothing.
"It is time," he looks sideways and Rey follows his gaze. The officiant joins them on the platform, a datapad in his hand. The officiant is an older gentleman who witnessed the glory days of the former Empire, and Kylo thinks it is fitting that he binds them in matrimony.
Lieutenant Garan marches through the audience, shooting severe glances at anyone still standing. He finally makes his way to the front of the command center where Kylo gives him a nod. Garan activates and begins programming the hologram that will link up to holonet.
Stormtroopers line the walls and Kylo waits as Garan steps onto the miniature stage. There is no need for him to clear his throat, his voice is crisp and sharp as he announces the union of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and Rey.
Just Rey.
It's never mattered to Kylo that she has no surname. She's enough.
Lieutenant Garan steps down and Kylo turns to face Rey. He takes her hands in his as the officiant speaks, feeling the immense power of a ceremony like this. The room is silent as the officiant lists numerous reasons why the union is a practical decision, that it will strengthen the First Order. There is no sentimentality, no romance or softness to his words. There are no flowery vows, no mentions of parting until death.
The officiant passes the datapad to Rey, and Kylo watches her tremble as she signs the marriage license. He exhales a breath he did not know he was holding in when she finishes. She passes it to him, and he stares for a moment at her signature before signing his name. Next are the rings, and it all starts to feel real. He slips the smaller band onto Rey's hand, and in turn she slides the much larger ring onto his finger.
Kylo feels the weight of it.
No matter what the future holds, she will always be his legal wife.
The final words are spoken under the high dome of the command center, and the officiant declares them bound together in marriage for eternity.
It is done. Kylo closes his eyes, hardly believing it.
Everything he has ever wanted is right here. The officiant mentions that it would be appropriate to kiss Rey, and Kylo agrees. A wedding should not be too business-like. He steps forward and leans down to kiss her.
The kiss is brief and perfunctory, a duty done, a ritual performed.
It's suddenly not enough.
He should know better. Openly displaying signs of love marks Rey as his weakness. Domination, control, those are fine. She is a trophy that he has rightfully won from the Resistance. A vessel to produce his heirs.
But Kylo's brain is awash in emotion, driven by his inexplicable passion for his wife.
He doesn't care about displays of power or what others think. Not right now. He is overcome by his feelings, and he wants the galaxy to know the depth of his love for Rey. Kylo cradles her head in his hands and pulls her into a fiery kiss. His insistent mouth parts her lips, sending wild tremors through her body - or is it his? Kylo can't tell where she starts and he begins as the Force weaves around them, their bond strong and pulsating. All he knows is that she kisses him back, and the kiss grows deeper, deeper than all the galaxies in the universe.
They pull apart and take shaky, shallow breaths. Their foreheads touch and his fingers caress her face, they gently thread through her hair.
He realizes he's smeared her lipstick, and Rey affectionately brushes a fingertip over his mouth. Kylo gets the message and uses the back of his arm to rid his face of her make up. She stifles a laugh as he does this, and Kylo cracks a smile. He didn't foresee such levity during their wedding, such genuine intimacy.
He still doesn't care what the First Order thinks, and he hopes his mother is watching. He hopes General Organa realizes how much she's lost by anchoring herself to a political cause over her own son.
Ceremonial cannons fire as he glides with Rey down the aisle, relieved and elated that their relationship is official.
Kylo allows no one to shake her hand or congratulate her. His expression turns stony and he keeps Rey close, one arm around her waist. No one dares to challenge him. She will spend a few hours in their bedchamber while he organizes the departure of his fleet. Then he will take her away where they can be alone - or nearly alone. Security will be discreet.
As they walk Kylo notices the way Rey wraps an arm around the bottom of her abdomen and slows her pace, as if she might topple forward. She winces and scrunches her face in pain, and Kylo stops immediately. His dark eyes search hers.
"What is it?"
"My rib cage - the baby, he's always kicking me in -"
She doesn't have a chance to finish her sentence.
A great rustling noise sweeps through the crowd, catching Kylo's attention. People are standing and staring straight past him, and the murmurs turn to shouts.
"Stay close," he says to Rey, vexed by the disruption. Kylo stands to his full height and watches Resistance cruisers manifesting from hyperspace, their massive hulking ships surrounding his fleet. The crowd parts as he and Rey make their way to the end of the bridge. Kylo grips the rail in front of him, trying to focus through his shock.
It is so like his mother to try and upstage him.
He should be issuing orders and taking charge of the situation. Generals and officers flood the room, but Kylo finds himself concerned with only one person's safety.
Rey.
Perhaps he was wrong about his mother. Maybe he has been wrong to credit Organa with having noble morals. This move is aggressive, even for her, and he inwardly snarls that she would risk harming her own grandson.
Then again, when has family ever come first for the aging Resistance general?
"Sir," General Knapp jogs to his side, "General Organa is requesting to be patched through."
A surprise attack and she wants to chat? Bold. Kylo refuses to bend to his mother's will.
"I have no interest in speaking with General Organa."
"Kylo," Rey tugs on his sleeve, her voice a whisper, "I need to talk with you. Alone."
"Not now," he holds her back, and directs a suspicion laden glance across the room at Tico. He can't figure out how the fuck the Resistance timed their arrival so impeccably. How they knew the precise location of his Flagship. If Tico found a way to contact the Resistance - if she has been conspiring with someone in the First Order - he grumbles and turns to General Knapp.
"Dispatch all able pilots. Contact the fleet and fire everything we have on those cruisers."
"No," Rey lunges forward, stepping between Kylo and Garan, "Kylo," she sucks in a short breath, trying to steady herself, "Contact Leia. Request a ceasefire. I know that's what she wants. She doesn't want to fight."
Kylo's blood goes cold at her demand, and he senses Garan's instinct to backhand her for such an insane, treasonous request. But Garan remembers that Rey is no longer a Resistance prisoner: she is Kylo's wife. When it comes to the chain of command, she now outranks him.
Theoretically.
Kylo takes Rey by the arm and drags her away from Garan. Undermining him in public will not stand, but he can excuse her behavior this time. She's pregnant and hormonal. She's not thinking straight.
"Kylo," Rey struggles to keep up with his long strides, "You didn't just make that promise to your mother. You made that promise to me. And our son."
The inner conflict he felt over requesting a ceasefire is now a moot point. His mother has given him another reason not to trust her; she's given him a solid excuse to back out of his agreement for a ceasefire.
Rey never needs to know the chance of him honoring his promise was slim. Besides, General Organa is not stupid, and neither is he. Showing up with a barrage of warships ready for battle does not coincide with peace talks or ceasefires. He knows how the game is played.
"How can you still believe she wants peace, Rey? Look outside. Look at those warcrafts. She is here to kill us."
"You don't know that!"
Kylo sighs. Rey often retreats into denial, into fantasies to help her cope with unwanted realities. She needs to accept that the Resistance is no longer her family - that they'd rather see her dead.
"General Knapp," he shouts, "Fire the dreadnoughts at will. I want torpedoes utilized as soon as possible."
"Yes Supreme Leader. And Sir, our shields are slow to charge -"
"Fix it," Kylo booms. General Knapp's face turns a sickly pale color, but he does not speak again.
Kylo takes a step back. Rey is panicking - really panicking. The chaos around them increases, and Kylo realizes he can't be distracted by Rey's hysterics. Hesitation in battle means certain death, and he knows what he has to do.
"I'm sending you to Rhelg."
"What?" Her brow knits together in confusion, but Kylo is already dragging her down the hall. She digs her heels into the floor, trying to slow him down.
"Kylo stop, stop," she puts the Force behind her actions and frees herself from his grip. He whips around, agitation in his every movement. Rey is equally frustrated, but all Kylo can think is that he doesn't have time for this shit.
Rey finds her voice, and gasps out a plea.
"Just listen to what Leia has to say. Show her you can keep your word. Please."
She sounds absolutely miserable. Her tone is too similar to the one that begged him to come back to the light in Snoke's throne room. It reminds him of the worst decision he ever made, one that he can't come back from.
He hates it.
"No."
Through the nearest window he watches as one of the cruisers destroys a torpedo in flash of blinding light, and the skirmish outside becomes vicious. Squadrons of x-wings zoom out from Resistance hangars, and soon there are too many starfighters to count. Kylo swears under his breath. The Resistance has come prepared.
He shifts to look at Rey when the Flagship sways, and he hears a commander yell that the hangar below has sustained a hit. Kylo smells the burn of gasoline and metal, and a secondary blast is right behind it.
He has to protect the only thing that truly matters to him.
Kylo doesn't think - he instinctively covers Rey as he pulls her to the ground, crouching behind her. He curls his body around hers, shielding her and the baby from the impact of the explosion. Heat warms his back as shrapnel blows around them and he draws her tightly against his chest. Kylo feels the baby move, and finds himself temporarily stunned.
His mother - the Resistance - is not holding back. As the air settles he tries to stand but Rey twists around to face him, fisting his tunic in her hands. She brushes away a dark curl from his cheek, eyes locked with his.
"Talk to Leia. Stop this madness. She would forgive you, Kylo."
He lifts Rey to her feet.
"She started this madness. And her actions communicate anything but forgiveness," Kylo inspects the level of destruction. Through the smoke and debris he can see that the damage is largely artificial; but Knapp's update about the shields gnaws at him.
It reeks of sabotage.
Without a word he picks Rey up and dashes down the corridor towards the escape pods.
"You'll be safe on Rhelg," he sets her down and inputs a code. The Flagship rocks again, and he manhandles her inside of the pod before the door fully opens. He reaches over Rey for the programming pad and types in the exact coordinates for the Sith world.
"I've sent First Order personnel ahead to prepare the fortress. You'll be well cared for. I'll join you as soon as this is over."
"Kylo -"
The last thing he sees is Rey's agonized expression as the door slides shut. With her safely tucked away, it is time to put an end to the Resistance once and for all.
Back at the bridge, he hears the reports from his subordinates. The battle is ongoing, and they've lost one of their biggest docking bays. Fortunately, the Resistance is in bad shape as well. Neither side is pulling through as victorious, and Kylo's mood darkens even deeper.
He's never been one to micromanage tactical decisions, he leaves that to his generals. He barks orders for his interceptor to be prepared for combat. This is personal. He wants to inflict revenge on his mother for ruining what should be the best day of his life.
Kylo passes by the escape pods on his way to the turbolift and pauses. He backs up and mentally replays his actions of shoving Rey inside the pod. Yes, it was this exact one. And yes, it's still here. She hasn't left, and he opens it to find the pod empty. The screen flashes, indicating it has been disabled.
"She's been spotted in bay six, Sir," Garan's voice slither's inside his head from behind, "And she has the prisoner with her. Tico. Did you order Rey to take custody of the prisoner?"
There is a judgmental air to Garan's question. He knows Kylo would not place Tico in Rey's care. But Rey is clever enough to use her new status of wife to take Tico as her charge, and the First Order is too frightened of Kylo's wrath to question it.
Kylo's chest tightens and he averts his gaze so Garan can't witness the extent of his shock. He suddenly feels very far from himself. Rey's defiance must be rooted in her desire to help Tico escape. The other option is unimaginable to him.
Rey couldn't be the one behind this. She wouldn't align her loyalties with Organa. It's impossible. The thought of her conspiring with his mother doesn't make sense. None of it does. Their bond would have given her away. He's felt her love for him.
True, she disapproves of some of his methods, but he never questioned her love.
Something cracks inside of him, and Kylo doesn't understand.
They're having a baby. Her mood during the wedding changed from one of nervous anticipation to happiness. She was downright giddy when he kissed her. She's always been open and honest with him. Rey is not a liar. She doesn't stoop to underhanded maneuvers the way he does. She's always been better than him.
"Would you like us to stop her, Sir?" Garan asks. The lieutenant fucking knows. He has enough experience to sense when something is amiss. Stormtroopers gather behind him, their blasters set to stun. The voltage could kill the baby, and Kylo grits his teeth.
"No. No one is to touch her but me. Get back to the bridge."
Kylo takes the turbolift to the bay where Rey was spotted. Smoke swirls thick and hot from an explosion mere minutes ago, and he catches the flash of white near a TIE fighter. Tico is nowhere to be found, but Kylo does not give a damn.
He moves silently and swiftly through the hangar, his hulking figure slinking around the mangled debris and small ships until he can no longer conceal his approach. She's trying to break into a TIE fighter, and he attempts to control his temper.
It doesn't work.
"Have you lost your mind, " he bellows, blocking her path, "Get back here Rey. Get back here and tell me the truth. What's going on?"
Streaks of dried tears cut through the grime and dirt on her face.
"I didn't believe that you'd call for a ceasefire, and I'm only sorry that you proved me right. You are not fit to raise a child, and I don't want to raise my son in a galaxy where the First Order exists. Leia is right to launch a defensive attack."
Kylo's vision is blurry, his nerves are frayed. The knot of grief inside of him unfurls and he bites his tongue to keep from calling her an ugly name. He glances from the TIE to Rey, and decides he will take her to Rhelg himself.
"You contacted the Resistance," he states, heart wrenching in his chest. Rey stares defiantly.
"I did."
"So you lied. About everything."
A shadow of agony shimmers in his eyes. His saber sparks and burns at his side but Kylo can't remember igniting it. He swings it through the air, spinning it close enough to cast a red glow on Rey's face. He stares at the ring on her finger before raising his eyes to meet hers.
"Did you mean any of it? When you said you loved me?"
Kylo fixes his gaze with hers as she slowly backs up, one step at a time.
"I loved Ben," Rey's voice is raw and pained, her chin wobbling as tears race down it, "Not this monstrous thing you've become. That you are so proud of becoming. You tell nothing but lies."
Kylo's heart twists viciously at the words leaving her mouth. Despair eats at him from the inside and all he feels is a squall of perfect, neon fury.
He remembers her words of love, of forgiveness, her warm touch, her faith in his ability to be a father. To Kylo they are sacred, intimate moments between Rey and him. Moments burned into his mind, moments revealed to be nothing more than lies and deception.
Shame and humiliation pulses through Kylo. Some part of her must be amused, must revel and take pleasure in how easy he was to fool.
And it hurts, it is an all encompassing pain. She is responsible for the destruction of their happy ending. His wife , the mother of his child, has driven a sword through his heart, through the bond he thought they had mended.
Kylo drives his saber through the train of her gown, watching a wispy trail of smoke rise from the fabric. He stabs it a second time, on the verge of losing logical thought altogether.
"No," Kylo shakes his head, his voice a hoarse whisper, "I never lied about loving you," his voice is cracking, breaking, shattering to pieces, because it's not right, not right at all. There are tears blazing down his face, hot and helpless and angry. Heartbreak turns into a rage he cannot suppress, and there is no other target but her.
Kylo raises his lightsaber to her dress and carefully cuts through the layers, higher and higher, until the crackling saber points directly at her belly.
She often wins their duels but not this time. Not when she is heavily pregnant and without a blade. Kylo watches as sweat drenches her skin, he watches as red hives spread across her collarbone and arms.
She is afraid. Good.
"You're coming with me to Rhelg. Go on," he elevates the blade, idling it below her chin, "Get in the TIE. Your little rebellion is over."
Rey is not supposed to be capable of such treachery. She is goodness and honesty and Light, she is his Rey, and her tears infuriate Kylo.
She has no right to tears when she is the one who orchestrated this nightmare.
"Stop it," she hisses, "The Ben I knew would never threaten his pregnant wife. This isn't love."
Kylo recoils as though he's been slapped.
The flagship groans and metal scrapes against metal, the whine of it echoing in his ears. Some large structure is collapsing and sparks explode in all directions. Kylo deactivates his saber and pushes her against the wall, raising one arm to block her from the pellets of fire raining down on them.
"You're coming with me, Rey," his voice cracks mid-sentence and he hates himself for the slip, he hates how desperate and broken he sounds, "You belong to me now."
She is a blur of white as she dives, ducking under his arm in an attempt to escape.
Kylo is faster. Once she could have outrun him, but not anymore.
He catches her by the shoulders and pins her against the wall, hard. She tries to fight back by calling on the Force and he doubles down, digging into his rage to hold her in place. He clasps her jaw in one hand and tightly holds the back of her neck with the other. His breath is hot on her face as he leans forward, his lips brushing against her throat for a brief moment.
"I said you belong to me."
"Stop," she shakes, "You're hurting me. You're going to end up hurting our baby."
"Our baby?" He shouts, spitting mere inches from her face.
It is only our baby, his baby, when she wants to manipulate him. She has no intention of letting him raise this baby.
He can't help but see her as the worst kind of traitor.
Kylo fists her hair and yanks her head back, forcing her neck to remain arched. Rey angles her jaw away from him, nostrils flaring protest. He ignores the way she alternates between scrambling to wrap her arms protectively around her belly and trying to push him away.
Kylo yanks harder and she grimaces in pain.
"Stop fighting me Rey."
"No," her voice is ragged as she punches at his chest, "let go of me," she uses all of her strength to deliver a hard slap to his face.
It doesn't hurt. Not in the slightest.
But she won't be doing it again.
Kylo seizes both of her wrists in one hand. He slams her arms above her head and holds them there.
"Is that really how you want this to go?" His voice deepens to a near growl.
Rey's eyes narrow as she considers his threat.
"Is this what gets you off? Makes you feel powerful? Roughing up the woman carrying your child? Your grandfather would be ashamed of you."
Kylo's vision sparks red as she not only invokes his grandfather's memory, but tries to draw out his sympathy by reminding him that she is pregnant.
Like he isn't fucking aware of that fact.
She thinks she is entitled to destroy his heart without facing the consequences. She thinks she is the victim in all of this, when all he wanted to do was love her.
Kylo towers over her, hovering so close that he can see the actual beads of water clinging to her lashes. Rey flinches as he burrows his mouth and nose against her neck, biting and kissing her softly. He moves to the sweet spot below her ear before whispering a warning.
"Decide what role you're playing, Rey. Are you my pathetic, helpless, pregnant wife? Or my cunning little rebel snake?"
"I'm not yours."
Kylo watches her pretty lips tremble as she speaks.
"I'm not your wife, your scavenger - I'm not something you own . You don't deserve my love or this baby. Your grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, turned back to the light - "
"Stop it, Rey."
"And you've done nothing but dishonor his memory with your atrocious behavior! You really think this is what he wanted? His grandson repeating his mistakes? You're sick."
She's yelling at him - she is actually raising her voice, eyes wide and wild as her cheeks flush with adrenaline, ranting with conviction about things she has no idea about.
All of Kylo's rage, self loathing, and hatred come back full force. His free hand collides dangerously close to her head as he smacks the wall.
"I said stop talking!" He slams the wall again and her head bounces against the metal, startling both of them. Her wrists are slippery with perspiration under his bare hands and her chest heaves as she pants out her next sentence.
"If you're going to hit me - just hit me, not the baby," she says with an eerie calm, eyes fluttering from her stomach to his face, "Don't hurt him."
At first a numbness takes over his entire body. After everything they have been through she thinks he would be the one to take her life - their son's life. His head swims with half formed regrets and he struggles to form words.
"Don't be a fucking martyr Rey," he snarls, "I would never hurt our baby. That is entirely up to you. I'll never forgive myself if you make me hurt you."
Rey looks at him with a new kind of devastation.
"You don't mean that."
"I do."
"You would hurt our baby to stop me from leaving?" She asks, voice barely audible.
Never, Kylo wants to say. She wounds the deepest part of him by assuming he will kill his own flesh and blood. His own son.
But her fear hinders her, it cripples her ability to summon the Force. Kylo wants to lasso that fear, he wants to push Rey over the edge and into submission. He wants her terrified.
So he confirms her worst horror by answering with an unforgivable, evil lie.
"I'll do whatever it takes," he starts slowly, "There will be plenty of other babies in your future."
Kylo rests his palm on her belly, reminding her who gave her this baby in the first place. He senses something inside Rey fall apart as she shudders, her breath hitching in her throat. She fails to maintain control and her face crumples, her body wracked by slow and heavy sobs.
"All your talk of protecting him - of loving him - you never meant any of it," she gasps for air between fragmented sobs, failing to catch her breath.
Kylo's insides twist with something ugly he doesn't want to name, his heart pounds and the lump in his throat makes it almost impossible to swallow. The victory he expects to feel never comes. Instead unwanted remorse washes over him, clawing at the sinews of his heart. He reaches to stroke her cheek, to remind her that he is capable of tenderness.
"Rey, I didn't -"
An instant later he is sliding across the floor, crashing hard against a wall with a sickening thud. He lifts his head only to be slammed against the wall a second time, his left arm throbbing so badly he is sure it is fractured.
Rey stands panting, her arm extended as she wields the Force to keep him on the floor. Her eyes are a maelstrom of savage ferocity he's never seen before, and Kylo realizes his mistake. Rey is proving to be every bit the perfect mother he knew she would be. She will defend and fight to the death for their child.
His lightsaber.
Kylo reaches for the hilt but it is already halfway across the room, flying into the palm of her hand. The image of her in a ruined gown, covered in grime and sweat, teeth bared as she ignites his saber takes his breath away for a third time.
"You're never touching me again," she hisses, anger boiling behind her corneas. She uses the Force to push her rage into him, scraping like talons. Kylo twitches, gasping at the pain that sears through his mind. The pain increases in waves, each peak robbing his ability to speak.
Her actions catch the attention of a few scattered stormtroopers, now unsure of Kylo's orders not to touch her. One of them raises a blaster in her direction and a roar freezes in his throat: restrained by the Force, he is unable to warn her.
But he needn't have worried.
Rey deflects the blast and impales the troopers, one after the other like they are nothing. However often Kylo tells himself that he will not allow her to be his equal, he cannot deny the truth: when it comes to the Force, they are equal in power and ability.
Rey's brief lapse in concentration allows him a sliver of freedom and Kylo takes it. He rises unsteadily to his feet and watches as she sprints, full tilt, for the TIE.
With a sweep of the Force he sends her back - as gently as he can - and she lands with a small cry on her back. The saber spins on its hilt and Kylo calls to it, a dark smile on his face as it returns to him at the same moment Rey rises to face him.
He picks up on the subtle cues that the effort has cost her more energy than she lets on. The way she holds her chest as she crawls to her feet, the winded expression she tries to hide. He knows her joints must hurt, her lower back aches, and her center of gravity isn't what it used to be.
All things a good husband should know about his pregnant wife.
Kylo makes a show of spinning the lightsaber and takes his time walking towards her. Directly attacking her isn't necessary - he only needs to wear her down.
He senses the instinct to protect the baby flaring inside Rey again, and he immediately deactivates the saber, clicking it into his belt. He shows her his hands, empty and open.
"Rey. I won't hurt the baby. I only said it - "
"I don't believe you," she cuts him off and picks up a blaster from the fallen stormtrooper, "I don't trust anything you say."
The barrel of the blaster is aimed at him and Kylo laughs.
"There is no scenario where you escape without me," he says quietly. The only other sounds are the distant echoes of ships firing in space and the frantic scurrying of footsteps to join in the raging battle against the Resistance. The lights flicker, and Kylo's face is cast in shadow as he approaches her.
"You can't run, Rey. Not from me," impatience enters his tone, "Everything you try fails. You failed to convince Skywalker to properly train you. You failed to bring me to the Light. You failed - for an entire year - to sense my true motives. You let me impregnate you on a rebel base ," he chuckles, his laughter cold and cruel, "The Resistance can't be impressed with your performance. You led me straight to Ahch-To. Every single plan you made to evade me has backfired. Why should this be any different?"
Kylo steps into the light to see her lips pressed into a hard line, her small frame quaking from head to toe. The blaster hangs at her side, swinging listlessly.
"Admit it," he softens his stare, "You're not strong enough to stand against me. You're weak. You're just..." he sighs and looks at her with pity, "You're just not smart enough, sweetheart."
He's never used that term of endearment with her before, but it feels appropriate now. The word drips with his condescending attitude, with his patronizing tone. He is spinning lies about her character, he is chipping away at her self esteem. Kylo holds steadfast to his belief that Rey is superior to him on every level, but that she is ultimately a woman made for conquest.
And he would be her conqueror.
Kylo looms over her as the blaster falls to the ground with a satisfying clang. Rey's eyes are downcast, her head bowed in defeat.
"See what I mean?" Kylo's hand weaves through her hair for a moment, twisting the shining half-curls around his fingers, "You claimed I'd never touch you again. Yet another failure."
His hand moves lower to cup her cheek, inviting Rey to raise her head. Her eyes are the warmest shade of honey that he's ever seen, and he exhales from between clenched teeth, desire swelling inside of him.
"I love you, Rey. And even if you don't love me, I want to spend my life taking care of you," Kylo leans down and his mouth descends on hers, his lips searingly hot, plundering, demanding nothing less than her total surrender. He feels her body yield in his arms, soft and giving, and it is so opposite of what he anticipated that he almost drops her.
The change confounds him and he is unable to match her gentleness, her softness. His mouth can only seize and devour, fueled by anger at her betrayal. She may have broken his heart, but she is his.
"Kylo," Rey whispers when they pull apart. He keeps her close, one hand splayed on her back. They're both panting from the extended kiss, the air between them too hot.
"What?" He answers, acutely aware of the way her hand toys with his belt buckle, the way her arm slowly circles around his waist.
"You keep making the same mistake with me."
"Do I?" His hand slides under her chin, dampening with her tears, his eyes never leaving hers.
It is too late when he realizes what she means.
He feels a rough tug at his side as Rey springs back, his lightsaber in her grip. He reaches out to retrieve it but there is no hesitation in her eyes: she screams as the saber slices through the air, setting fire to his shoulder, his ribcage, his leg - she crouches down for a split second, and slashes the saber across his thigh.
He nearly loses his leg, and Kylo falls to one knee, propping himself up with his arms, brain clouded by shock. He absorbs the trauma, he tries to push through the sensation of his body being torn in half.
He mentally recites the training Snoke preached: pain is an illusory sensation that the mind can shut down if need be.
It doesn't help. He underestimated her. He always does.
Red-faced and incoherent with rage, he lifts his head only to be met with a brutal, swift kick to the sternum. It paralyzes his diaphragm and he gasps, doubling over as he blindly pulls the Force inwards, willing it to sustain him.
"I've had enough."
Kylo slowly glances up to see Rey standing over him, her face livid. He can feel the heat of the saber as she points it at the hollow of his throat. He can't muster the strength to speak so he begs, he pleads with her through their bond.
I was wrong, I'm sorry -
There is no forgiveness in her eyes, no trace of tears. The endless pools of compassion he took for granted are gone. Only unbearable sadness and anger remain.
He never should have threatened the baby. It is a mistake he expects to pay for with his life.
Kylo closes his eyes and braces for Rey to deliver the fatal blow. At least if he has to die, he dies as her husband. He dies as her Force-mate, as her soulmate. At least there is that.
He hears the swish of the lightsaber cutting through the air, but the blow never comes. Kylo opens his eyes and squints.
Rey is running, flying across the hangar to the TIE. Kylo automatically tries to stand and falls back to the ground, his vision splintering with pain. Moving only widens the slash on the left side of his body, and he tries to shout her name. He finds his voice and chokes on his words, croaking that she's leaving him to die. He begs, he pleads her for mercy.
She does not acknowledge him. Rey never looks back as she races across the hangar, lightsaber ignited as she blocks the shots from blasters directed at her.
Kylo's heart roars in agony but he refuses to look away. His dark lashes brim heavy with tears; his hands clenching into shaking fists in a desperate battle against grief.
Rey drops something small before she boards the TIE, and it lands with a faint clink on the floor. Her wedding ring.
A lone tear traces down his cheek, and just like that, the floodgates open. Kylo weeps, tears streaming from his eyes, and still he does not look away.
Not until he loses sight of the craft does his determined gaze fall.