15 days after the Battle of Crait-New Rebel Base-Planet Arbra:

"I'm sorry," Finn whispered.

"At least I know now. I don't have to wait anymore," Rey sighed.

The two young people were sitting in the former stormtrooper's room. Rey had decided to tell him the whole truth about her parents. She had even shown him the brooch taken from the guy on Jakku, and explained to him how much she wanted to find out the whole story behind how her father had come to have it in his possession. Now she had a sad and resigned face. Finn hated seeing her like that.

"Don't tell anyone right now, okay?" she begged.

"I won't say anything," the young man promised.

Rey nodded in thanks. Finn could see she was shaken even though she was trying to save appearances. He was beginning to know her well. And the story of this brooch, which came from who knows where, was actually very intriguing. The young woman stood up and went to open the door to go out. Finn followed and caught her in the middle of the hallway.

"Hey!" he said, seizing her arm gently to make her turn around.

Rey kept her head down. He suspected she did not want to let him see that she was about to cry. With a tender gesture, he slipped a lock of hair that had escaped from one of her buns behind her ear, and she finally raised her wet eyes to him.

"Come here," he whispered before taking her in his arms.

She returned the hug without a word. This feeling of comfort she felt when she was with him was worth all the words exchanged.

At the end of the corridor, hidden by a large metal pylon, Rose watched without moving. The two rebels separated at last and shared a knowing smile before moving away from each other. The technician swallowed painfully before turning around to go to the shed.

OooooO

"Rose, I think you didn't connect the power cable to the input plug," Jenx pointed out, showing her the red wire protruding from the case.

The brunette sighed. This morning had definitely been very long.

"Sorry," she apologized before fixing her mistake. "I'm a little distracted today."

Jenx gave her a worried look.

"Are you okay? Maybe you should go back to the infirmary to rest."

"No it's good. I'm fine," she retorted a little sharply before immediately regretting it. "Don't worry, I ... I'm just concerned about accumulators. If we don't hurry up and find something to fix them, they won't last long and the base will be vulnerable."

She blamed herself for lying so shamelessly to Jenx. The fate of the accumulators was only a sorry excuse. She knew she should not falter now. But the miners' arrival, five days earlier, had been both a relief and a heartbreaker. She had hoped to find familiar faces. Shiro, Merin, Aluki ... Her companions in suffering when she and her sister Paige had worked deep in the tunnels on Hays Minor. But all the newly arrived survivors belonged to the Western sector, which meant that the others must have been killed by the First Order. She had hoped to see Dykar again. The old man had taken in the two sisters when their parents had died, and he'd taught them everything he knew. He had been an engineer in the service of the New Republic before the annexation of Hays Major by the First Order and his condemnation to end his days in the mines. He had organized their escape and saved their lives.

Early this morning, after spending some time looking after the survivors, she had to rush out of the big room in which they had all been gathered. She was close to tears and she could not in good conscience cry in the midst of all these people. She did not have the right — not after what they had just suffered. She had taken refuge in her room, her heart heavy, trying to regain a minimum of composure. She was missing her parents, Paige, Dykar... even if she knew she was not alone. The Resistance was her new family now. Leia, Poe, Kaydel and Finn ...

Finn.

Why did she want to smile every time she thought of him? She had only known him for a few weeks and yet ...

She then decided to join him to ask him to accompany her to check the communications relay, but she had caught him hugging Rey in the middle of the corridor. The scavenger looked upset and Rose had not wanted to interrupt their moment of intimacy.

Rey and Finn.

They were very close. Finn had met Rey only a few days before he'd met her, but every time he talked about the scavenger, she could read on his face all the admiration he felt for the young woman.

Admiration, yes ... and something else too.

And she understood perfectly. How not to be fascinated by this girl with extraordinary powers?

She was beautiful, strong, and brave. She was the heiress of the Jedi Order. How could Rose ever hope to compete with the apprentice of the great Luke Skywalker? Yet, immediately, Rose blamed herself for feeling such things. Rey had spared them all a certain death on Crait, and Finn was visibly more than friends with her. As for her, Rose Tico, little invisible technician of the Resistance, had finally to face facts. She could no longer deny the feelings she harbored for Finn. That's why for an hour, it was impossible for her to concentrate and get rid of this oppressive sensation in the hollow of her chest.

STOP. She had to focus on her work. The rebellion needed her and it was out of the question that she continue to let her state of mind impact her this way. She took a deep breath and tried to send away all these parasitic thoughts.

OooooO

Finn was worried. He could not drive out of his mind everything Rey had just told him. He understood her so much. What would he not do to find his family, to know what his father and mother looked like?

Were they still alive? If they were, did they still think of him? Did they have any other children?

Until a few weeks ago, the First Order had been his one and only universe. There had been no free time and no place in his daily life for this kind of futile speculation. All he knew was the formation of stormtroopers: rough, ruthless, cold and military. Indoctrination. Trainings. Punishments. Feelings were banished. Friendship too.

He still wondered how he'd managed to keep his humanity after all that. Why had he finally found the courage to revolt, but others had not? Why hadn't all the horrors that these soldiers were forced to perpetrate shaken them as much as they had shaken him? He had not gone on more than two ground missions, unable to obey the order to kill those villagers. He simply could not shoot innocent people. Did he inherit from his parents his empathy, his ability to attach himself so? What part did genetics play in all of this?

Rey had just told him about Tark and Iona, about their tragic destiny and the Naboo jewel, symbol of the Royal Council. He was afraid of what the scavenger might find out if, as he suspected, she was rushing into the gap now open to the search for her origins. But on the other hand, he was jealous. He would give anything to have information about his parents too. He had sworn to tell no one about it, but he already felt the weight of that promise on his conscience. And he was not only worried about Rey.

In the morning he had made a detour to the neighborhoods where the refugees from Hays Minor had been settled. Rose was there and did her best to help. He dared not imagine what she must feel. As usual, she had displayed a kind and reassuring face in front of all those poor people. She had gone to see them one by one, brought them food, clothes. But the ex-stormtrooper could not help noticing a hint of sadness in her eyes, like when she had told him about the sacrifice of her sister, Paige, on the Raddus. Rose must have been so disappointed that the surviving miners were not more numerous, that she could not find people she knew, friends ...

He felt the need to see her, to comfort her, as he had done with Rey.

He went to the shed where he knew she worked. He could not explain it yet, but for a few days, he had been thinking about her more and more often. He wondered what she was doing, where she was. The various chores within the base had left them no respite since their arrival, so moments of relaxation were rare. But he still had two solid hours now before having to return to the command room, so he went to the hangar. On the way, he made a stop in the cafeteria and came out with a roll of dried fruit that Rose would surely appreciate. As soon as he found himself in the midst of the A-wings lined up on both sides of the take-off area, he began to scrutinize each control console to find the little brunette with the two curled locks. He saw her crouching beside one of his fellow technicians.

"Hey, guys!" he said happily as he approached them. "Everything is fine?"

Jenx and Rose turned in concert and Finn twitched a little when he saw that the young woman, whose face usually bore such a bright smile, was looking sullen and unhappy here.

"Yeah uh ... we're almost done," Jenx answered after a few seconds as Rose remained silent and ducked her head under the console.

"OK," Finn retorted, a little taken aback by the attitude of his friend.

Suddenly Rose rose abruptly and put the block back on. The buttons flashed and she sighed with relief.

"It's done, Jenx. I'll go check the outside antenna now. Can you handle the next console by yourself?"

The gray-haired man nodded and left the two young people face to face.

"I brought you this." Finn handed the still-hot roll to Rose.

The brunette took it and whispered a quick "thank you" before moving in front of him to head for the exit.

Finn tried to analyze what had happened, wondering if he had done or said something wrong. He rushed behind her and caught her.

"So, you are going to check the communications antenna?"

"Yes."

Rose stared straight ahead, munching on her pastry.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

The technician continued to walk. They passed in front of the entrance to the command hall, where they could see Rey in heated discussion with Kaydel. The scavenger gave them a small wave of the hand to which Rose nodded briefly before continuing on her way to her quarters, Finn still on her heels.

"No it's OK, I'm going with Korch," she said.

Rose blamed herself for having to lie again in a matter of minutes. Korch was on the other side of the base and had no intention of accompanying her. She just did not want Finn to follow her right now.

"Besides, you probably have a lot of things to do with Rey," she added.

Dumb. Stupid and petty. Why did she just say that?

Finn was now looking at her cautiously. He had to be wondering what fly had stung him, and he was right. What an idiot she was! What was happening to her? She had never been jealous before. Why should she have been? Her sister Paige and she had never owned anything and she had never met anyone like Finn before. Someone her age, who looked at her with big, tender, and compassionate eyes. Someone who made her feel that she was important. Someone she could fall for ...

"Excuse me, I have to hurry," she said before turning sharply into the adjacent corridor, leaving Finn perplexed and his mouth half-open in the middle of the hall.

OooooO

The emissary of Naboo ... What was his name ? Oh yes, Leman Drill. Maybe he could give her answers?

The meeting on Endor was scheduled the next day. She absolutely had to go. Maybe she could show him the pin and ask him some questions about it.

Rey was standing near the north shed door when she saw Poe chatting with Cova Nell. As the two pilots headed in her direction, Rey stepped out into the path directly in front of them.

"Poe, can I talk to you for a moment ?" she asked.

Cova left them after greeting Rey and Dameron proposed that they go talk in the small break room not far from there. He had spent the whole of the early afternoon inspecting weapons with his colleague, and he really needed a strong cup of caff.

The pilot went up to the counter and grabbed the mug handed to him by Ennis, the canteen woman. Poe thanked her with a wink, and Rey, noticing that the plump little woman had become as scarlet as her apron, could not repress an amused smile. Poe went to sit at one of the unoccupied tables and Rey settled in front of him.

"I must come with you to Naboo to meet the emissary," she decreed then, without preamble.

Poe gave her a surprised look.

"And why do you want to come with BB-8 and me?"

Rey hesitated; telling him the whole truth was not a good idea. She knew him to be trustworthy with everything that concerned the Resistance, but she had only known the pilot for two weeks. He was very nice, certainly, but she did not feel ready to reveal what she had discovered about her past to someone other than Finn. Besides, she had more questions than answers for now. She decided to stay rather evasive and especially not to talk about the pin.

"On Jakku, I had access to some information about my past. Some of this information is related to Naboo. Maybe this emissary, Leman Drill, could enlighten me a little bit."

Poe stared at her with mischief and the young woman suddenly felt uncomfortable.

Did she lie so badly?

"OK…"

"So, do you agree?"

Poe focused on sipping his coffee with a bored look.

"Rey, I think you should talk to General Organa. She's the one who runs this base."

"But you, do you agree?"

Poe left with a small laugh.

"Agree with having a Jedi watching my back? Are you kidding me? Of course I agree! I confess that this meeting makes me rather nervous. Leia seems to trust this guy but I still have reservations."

"Perfect, then I will …"

Rey did not have time to finish her sentence.

The shrill sound of a siren sounded in the break room. All the occupants of the room froze and suddenly, bursts of voices invaded the corridor.

"What is that?" Rey asked.

Poe dropped his mug on the table and stood up abruptly to head for the exit. The other rebels did the same. Rey got up to follow him when he began to run, heading for the command room.

"It's the intruder alert!" he shouted over his shoulder to be heard over the din that was now raging throughout the base.

OooooO

Finn was running between the trees. The ground was soft and wet, making progress difficult. Not to mention the thick vegetation and moss-covered stumps on which he had almost tripped several times. His lungs were on fire and he was squeezing his blaster in his hand trying to pick up the pace. He had stormed out of the control room before Leia, Poe or Rey could react.

Shuttles of the First Order had just landed all over the planet. Thousands of lookout droids had come out and were soon to crisscross all the potentially inhabited territories. These humanoid robots were designed to search every last part of the worlds visited in order to flush out the rebels.

Finn was very familiar with these machines and had made a complete report on them to Leia, shortly after their installation on Arbra. Their scanners were infallible and could detect the smallest form of life hundreds of miles away. They would spend several hours inspecting the various islands on the planet. The rebel base had been built in the heart of a mountain, but Finn knew very well that their energy signature could still be detected. These droids, heavily armed and programmed to capture or kill, relayed the recorded information to a light cruiser orbiting the inspected planet. That's why Leia had to trigger the camouflage protocol: it involved closing the exits immediately and redirecting all available energy to the shield, which was the only thing able to fool the scanners and make them invisible.

But Rose was two kilometers away, working on the relay antenna.

At the announcement of the closing of the doors, the former stormtrooper had immediately thought of her. He had warned Leia that she was outside with Korch, but when he saw that the man was busy on one of the computer stations in the room, he understood that Rose had lied to him and that she was alone outside.

He had left without thinking, ignoring his friends' frantic warnings. Leia had shouted that it was too risky and that he was going to get them all killed.

But it was all wasted effort on their part. He had managed to sneak outside and was now heading north.

He could hear the humming of the transports in the distance, carrying the droids to the heart of the jungle, disturbing the usual calm of small animals and sending birds flying away, squealing over the trees.

He prayed that he'd arrive in time.

But once there, what would happen? What would he do with only a blaster in front of two or three lookout droids with laser guns? If they were detected, the First Order would be informed that humanoid life forms were on this planet supposedly inhabited only by Hoojibs and endemic fauna. The search would intensify and the troops would eventually discover the base that everyone now called "Haven."

The beating of his heart echoed in his temples and he was out of breath when he finally reached the foot of the antenna. The sound of the speeders was getting closer and, even worse, he was now hearing them behind him, which meant that droids cut off any possibility of retreating to the base.

"Rose!" he called, trying not to scream too loudly. "Rose! It's me, Finn!"

Suddenly, a small brown head appeared behind a huge tree trunk lying on the ground, a few meters from him.

"I'm here!" she replied, waving him over to join her.

Finn stepped over the trunk and crouched down beside her and her toolbox.

"What's happening?" she asked, panicked.

"Lookouts droids. They inspect all the islands."

"But why are they here? Did they spot the base?"

Rose's voice was starting to get loud and Finn had to put his hand on her mouth to silence her.

"The base went into camouflage mode," he whispered. "We're stuck outside. If these droids discover us, it's over. There are crystal caves two hundred meters from here. Maybe we can get there and hide inside. With luck, the energy signature of the stones will be able to disrupt their scanners."

Finn, who had already got up and took Rose by the hand, froze suddenly. The technician girl seemed determined not to move.

"Hurry up, Rose ! What are you waiting for?" he exclaimed, pulling her arm.

"You came to get me," she whispered, staring at him now with round eyes.

Her fingers squeezed the rebel's hand harder and she stared at him silently. Finn knew that look: on Crait, after saving his life, she had fixed him with her intense gaze and given him a kiss.

"Why didn't you stay in the base? You're crazy, Finn."

The young man swallowed hard. It was really not the time to think of the sweetness of her lips. The droids were not very far away.

"Come with me," he ordered.

"Wait! What about my toolbox?"

Finn let out a grunt before spotting a thicket of bushes nearby. He stuck the blaster in his belt, grabbed the case and slid it under the dense foliage. Then he grabbed Rose's hand again and they both rushed into the trees.

OooooO

"Leia! I have to go help them!" Rey exclaimed, ready to follow her friend who had just left the command room.

Rose was outside. Finn had left to join her. If the droids found them, they were dead and the whole base was compromised. Poe was trying to hold her back the best he could.

"It's too late, Rey!"

"Rey, the batteries won't last long." Leia's grave tone paralyzed her instantly, along with all the rebels gathered at this moment in the command post. The base was closed now. And Poe was right. She could not do anything for Finn and Rose, but maybe she could do something for the accumulators.

"Ok, come with me," she said to the pilot.

OooooO

Rose and Finn finally arrived at the entrance of the little cave partially covered by vegetation. A whole stretch of wall on the left was covered with crystals.

They snuck inside and immediately realized that hiding here was not going to be any fun at all. The place was dark and stank. Finn was holding his breath, and Rose was already covering her nose with her hand to try to minimize the overwhelming stench that was already making her nauseous.

"Damn it! What is that smell?" Finn exclaimed.

The darkness was almost total and the two rebels quickly realized that, alas, they were not alone. Something squeaked a few feet away from them. In fact, they heard small grunts and, as their eyes became accustomed to the dim light, several pairs of shining irises appeared in the darkness.

"I think that there's already something here." Rose was now completely motionless and Finn could feel her body press gently against his.

As they were about to turn around, a frightening growling echoed behind them from the entrance of the cave. Finn and Rose pivoted slowly. The backlight dazzled them, but they could discern the massive silhouette of a huge cat slowly advancing towards them.

"Oh no ..." Rose whispered, looking down at an adorable little ball of fur rubbing against her leg.

The animal began to nibble the bottom of her pants and was quickly joined by two of his siblings.

"Finn …" Rose stammered, still frozen.

The former stormtrooper was breathing hard, staring at the very adult and obviously very angry specimen in front of them.

"I think we just bothered mommy."

OooooO

"The circuits are about to burn!" Rey's hands were plunged into the intertwining of multicolored electric wires in the heart of the accumulator.

Near the control table, Poe and Jenx were trying to keep the flow of energy as stable as possible.

"The shield will lose power in two minutes!" the technician exclaimed.

Leia burst into the room, followed by Kaydel. Rey gave her a panicked look. She had to find a solution. The cave's crystals were no longer going to provide them with energy. They would not be invisible anymore. The droids were going to find them.

Kaydel looked at the tablet she was holding in her hands.

"They are less than a kilometer from here. The range of their scanners is eight hundred meters."

Rey's brain was working at full speed. She needed an idea, quickly. Yet she could not help but think of Finn and Rose, alone in the jungle at the mercy of the robots of the First Order. Maybe they were already in their hands. She swore inside before clenching her fists with exasperation. She had to calm down. She had to think. A dead silence was now reigning in the engine room, only broken by the fateful beep of the accumulators on the verge of failing them.

Suddenly, Rey went to stand in front of the shield console.

"If I can move objects, maybe I can do the same with the flow of energy, using the Force."

Poe stared at her with his mouth open, running out of words. Korch and Kaydel exchanged an aghast look.

"Rey …" The general was struggling to hide her concern. "You will not be able to convert the elemental energy of the crystals into electrical energy and at the same time transport it to the shields. And even if you did, it would be too dangerous for you."

"I know. But this is our only hope. I have to try," the young woman sighed, laying her hands flat on the console.

As she finished her sentence, a dozen scarlet lights from the control panel flashed. The accumulators had just crashed.

OooooO

The humming of the airspeeders, hovering over the cave, was deafening. When they finally landed, the creature's attention instantly shifted to them.

Two droids got out of the vehicles and pointed their blasters and a scanner towards the cave.

"Unit 23 to Command Post - life forms spotted in Sector 15," announced one of the robots with a synthetic voice.

In front of his monitor, aboard the destroyer Subjugator orbiting Arbra, Sergeant Filek began strumming on his keyboard.

"Copy that, DXD45, data analysis is in progress."

On his screen, the image of the entrance to the cave appeared.

"Hostile endemic animal blocking access. Species: naztak. Category: carnivore. Application for authorization to eliminate the threat to proceed with the complete inspection of the site," the droid replied.

The beast did not seem to appreciate the intrusion anymore because, without warning and with a terrifying roar, it jumped on the first humanoid robot and snatched its arm with a paw. On impact, the droid was thrown several meters back while the metal limb landed at the foot of its companion. Then with awesome agility for a creature of her size, the big cat spun, ready to attack the second robot.

Filek was caught off guard by the sudden reaction of the naztak.

"Damn it! Fire at will!"

The droid just had time to shoot before the female reached him. Mowed down in full swing, the animal collapsed a few inches from it on the dusty ground. The gunfire had hit the cat's chest, yet she still had the strength to turn her head slightly to take a last look at the entrance to the cave, where the desperate squeak of one of her babies was now echoing her groans of pain. The little ball of red fur remained frozen, trembling, staring at the bloody, lifeless body of her mother on the ground at the machine's feet.

"Unit 23 to Command Post - target eliminated - DXD44 taken out - Should I proceed to exterminate the rest of the creatures? Six energy signatures detected at the bottom of the cave."

Sergeant Filek let out a swear between his teeth. His colleague Sergeant Monty was giggling stupidly beside him.

"Bad luck, Filek! Your squad hadn't been on Arbra for five minutes before you'd already lost a droid, torn apart by a pissed off big cat. It's so stupid ... You'll go to the bottom of the rankings, my poor friend. You're going to dethrone Bings as the loser of the week!"

"Shut up, Monty!" Sergeant Filek spat before taking a deep breath to defuse his sudden urge to hit his colleague with his keyboard.

But Monty continued heckling him.

"Come on, Filek! Finish the job! I'm sure General Hux will be pleased to hear that you've taken care of a whole family of naztaks!"

The soldier felt a taste of bile back up his throat. He hated that moron next to him. He hated what he was doing right now. He hated sitting behind the screen and ordering these stupid robots. With a furious gesture, he started the communication.

"Negative DXD45 - Disengage. Collect the remains of DXD44 and go to sector 16."

OoooO

Inside the cave, Finn could feel Rose's body shaking with irrepressible sobs. He had pressed his hand to her mouth to try to suppress her cries of rage. The tears running down the technician's cheeks were wetting his fingers while the four naztak babies were huddled on their knees.

Rose grabbed one of the creatures and squeezed it against her heart. The animal did not flinch, and seemed even grateful for this surge of affection. After a few minutes, the airspeeders took off and the silence reigned once again.

Finn gently removed his hand.

The droids were gone.

OooooO

Poe watched the scene, captivated by what was happening right in front of him.

Rey was standing near the console, both hands flat on the control panel. The air vibrated with indescribable energy all around her. All the rebels felt it and held their breath. The young woman was in a trance. The lights had stopped flashing, and the alarms were silent. The pilot could not believe his eyes, nor could anyone else around them. Seeing her use the Force again was really something extraordinary.

She was redirecting the energy flow of the crystals to the shield, bypassing the accumulators. It was incredible. Yet this time, the face of the young woman was tense and she clenched her teeth. The effort seemed titanic and Rey was already showing signs of distress. She'd already been at it for a good fifteen minutes, and Poe cast a desperate look at his comrades. Leia, meanwhile, had her eyes fixed on the young woman.

"It's too hard for her," the general worried. "Kaydel, where are the droids?"

The young rebel typed feverishly on her pad and stammered: "Some squads are still in the perimeter of the base covered by the shields. They are moving away from the area but …"

Suddenly, Rey slumped and kneeled down, her eyes still closed and her features distorted by the extreme effort she was putting outd.

"Oh no, Rey …" Leia murmured, close to tears.

"She will not succeed," Jenx said.

"What can we do to help her?" Poe shouted.

He had his answer when he looked one by one at the helpless faces of the people gathered around him. A groan escaped the lips of the young woman whose face was now covered with sweat. She put a second knee down, her hands still pressed against the console. Her breathing was jerky. A couple of lights had started flashing again.

"They are less than one kilometer from the perimeter exit," Kaydel said, clenching her hands as if to press the droids away faster.

Rey's face had become scarlet. Her whole body was shaking.

"The effort is going to kill her," Poe whispered, still powerless.

Suddenly, he felt Leia pass by him and head for the console.

"General ..." he said, trying to grab her arm, but Luke's sister pulled away before squatting beside Rey.

"Only I can help her." Leia then put both hands on Rey's shoulders and closed her eyes.

OoooooO

On board the Finalizer

The glass he held in his hand fell and broke into pieces on the floor. A flash of pain ran through his chest and compressed each of his muscles, freezing them on the spot. He could not breathe. Suddenly, his brain seemed ready to explode. He was barely able to catch himself on a nearby shelf when he felt his legs give way underneath him.

What was happening to him?

He began to sweat profusely and his vision was dim. He could not help but close his eyes.

The Force.

A kaleidoscope of blurred images appeared before his closed eyelids. Lights. Red, yellow, green. A stream of electricity ran through his hands and the pain made him clench his fists. Voices with incomprehensible words reached his buzzing ears. He was going to collapse, so he sat on the floor and took a deep breath, but he felt as if there was no more oxygen left in the room. Suddenly, a dull and familiar sound invaded his auditory field. The sound he had heard before each connection between him and Rey.

He forced himself to open his eyes and looked all around him. Luckily, he was alone in his training room. Yet he did not see anyone.

"Rey …" he called out.

No answer.

But he heard the sound of heavy breathing. Then a second time. He was no longer alone. A few meters from him, the image of a kneeling figure on the ground gradually appeared. A silhouette he would have recognized among a thousand. A woman's body, thin and muscular, wearing a beige tunic and brown trousers.

"Rey," he repeated, still a little incredulous.

What was happening? Was the connection possible again?

A hint of excitement was born in the pit of his belly when he saw a second female form appear alongside the young woman. Smaller. Kneeling too. She wore a long gray dress whose color imitated the color of her braided hair, tied in a bun at the back of her neck. The feeling of discomfort grew.

Leia.

Her arms were hugging Rey's shoulders, and both seemed to be in just as bad shape as he was. Neither of the women had detected his presence. Could they see him? What were they doing? He wanted to call out to them first, but changed his mind. He saw blood running from Rey's nostrils, and saw his mother's features distorted by pain.

They are both using the Force.

During the other connections shared with Rey, he could not see what was around her. He could not do so this time either. He could only see them slowly weaken and use the last of their energy trying to do God knows what.

And that affected him too. But why?

Suddenly, the voices came back, and he thought he heard someone screaming to stop. Then he saw Rey and his mother crumple to the ground with all their weight, unconscious and paler than dead bodies. Then the image faded instantly. The suffering also stopped.

"Rey ..." Kylo whispered, kneeling on the floor and staring at the empty space in the middle of the room.

OoooooO