Kylo Ren sat at the controls, pushing his command shuttle as fast as it would go through the expanse of space. He had no idea where he was going, or why, but he punched the ship up another notch and kicked it as fast as he could. He felt light headed, dizzy, weak. He held onto the controls so hard his knuckles turned silver beneath his gloves.
His Knights were down below, pulling together their thoughts after the escape. He had no desire to see them, or speak, or to breathe. He had lost everything.
He choked back a wave of emotion as he changed course and set again as false trail for the Now Order's pursuit team. "Snoke is just using you. Once he's used you, he'll kill you," he heard his father's voice in his ears. Solo has lost that battle, but won the war. He had been right.
He closed his eyes, flicked back the autopilot switch, and pushed back. He raised his hands to his face and closed his eyes.
It was then it struck him. She was here.
He turned his head, and through the blackness of the expanse, saw her face appear. Her eyes were closed. She slept. She was fully clothed, and wrapped in what resembled a blanket.
He gazed upon her. Her hair was unkempt, thrown back from her face. She gripped an ancient book against her chest. He moved closer, as slowly more of her appeared to him, first her torso, then arms, then the full length of her lithe, boyish body as she lay, wrapped asleep. The moonlight gleamed on her face.
She glowed.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of rage rise in his throat. The last time he saw that face, she had stared him down from the Falcon, her eyes gleaming in a mask of disappointment. Of resolve. Next time.... her face had promised.
You're dead to me.
But as she laid before him, so still, so quiet, he felt the rage drain from him almost as quickly as it arrived. He knew he wanted to hurt her. He knew wanted to kill her.
But he also wanted her. He needed her. He curled a lip in disgust as he remembered what he said.
Please.
The rage rose again. He raised a hand, and slowly pulled a glove from his hand, finger by finger. He was going to touch her. You know I can take what I want.
His hand moved towards her throat, and hung above her for a moment.
I wonder if I could kill her now, he thought. Maybe she's the last link. Solo, Leia... Skywalker. Maybe if she's gone, everything will be as it should be.
No, said a voice within him. No.
She moved slightly in her slumber, rolling onto her back. Her eyes flickered, and her lips fell slightly apart.
He sat back in surprise.
What was that? Something spoke to me. Words that made him feel more certain of something than he ever had, in his whole life. It terrified him.
He waited for a moment as a jolt of electricity rushed through him, and settled into his centre, like a glowing ember. He felt dizzy, as if he couldn't breathe. But breathe he did - in, out - as he steadied himself. He lowered his head.
Moments passed. He closed his eyes, and listened hard for the familiar whirr of hyperspace, to hold onto something. After some time, he spoke again, in a voice so low it was almost a whisper, that came from somewhere inside him so buried, he could barely remember ever feeling that his own voice.
"Can you only come to me in dreams?"
He opened his eyes, half expecting her to be gone, but if not, for his words to wake her, for her to spring to her feet, close him down, shut him out. But she continued to slumber, save for the slightest sigh. She glowed. He tried again. "Why do you come to me? What do you want?" He felt a tremor rise in his throat.
She turned her head away from him, and then back. Her forehead creased, momentarily. "What disturbs you in your sleep?" he continued. Then, darkly, "Do you wish me dead?"
No, said the voice within him, again. No.
She moved her hand away from the book she gripped in her hand, so it gently dropped to the floor. He hand pushed down, so it lay above the blanket that draped across her torso. Her fingers pulled apart.
He moved closer, then gently lowered a single finger onto her ring finger. She shivered, imperceptibly.
Again, he saw the future. The same vision. Together, they stood. Side by side.
How can this be? he asked himself. What am I seeing if not the truth..?
He leaned in, his face just inches from hers. What is this thing that still links us?
Still, he heard nothing from her. She said nothing. But he watched in amazement as she moved her hand, to gently capture his in her own. He felt another jolt inside himself, but this time it was simply warmth, certainty. Peace. But just as quickly, he felt a surge of confusion, anger. He pulled hand away. His head spun. His insides roiled, like a stormy sea.
Close to tears, he murmured, "But why do I need you..why? Rey. Rey. What am I supposed to do?"
Then he saw it come into his mind, as clear as day, as clear as the voice within him he now recognised as his own.
A map, a route, through the stars. An island. Peace. Violence. Warmth. Cold. Life. Decay, Death.
Ahch - To.
He saw the black hole, opening, closing, opening, closing. Calling to him.
He blinked, and she was gone.