"What did he say?" Poe's voice echoed in Rey's ear. But all she could hear was Ben's words. And all she could see, was Ben's face. He was looking at her, looking through her, searching for something. Asking something.

Her mind turned back to the monument she had seen when she returned to Jakku. The tall, sandstone pinnacle.

"For the people we lost, or gave away," she murmured to herself, remembering its inscription. Her eyes started to fill with tears.

He built it, she thought. He built it for me. For my parents. For… Han.

"Wha…" she heard Poe start to say, but it was too late. She ripped the helmet from her head, and ran forwards towards him.

"Ben!" she yelled, and she broke into a sprint, pulling her sabre out of her armour as she ran. Behind her, the Stormtroopers bristled, uncertainly.

Hux raised a hand as she saw her burst from the sidelines. His mind was racing as he tried to catch up with what was unravelling before him. Slowly, it dawned on him. He kept his hand up, holding his troops back.

"This isn't about your claim to my throne," he said, menacingly. "This is about your redemption. This is about forgiveness!"

But Ben wasn't listening. He was watching her run toward him, his face a mixture of trepidation and longing. Hux felt a wave of revulsion pass through him.

"You reveal you cards too early, Skywalker. Too early!" he cried.

Suddenly he pushed his arms forward, and two giant lightning bolts leapt from his thin fingers. One glanced Rey, throwing her to the ground. But the other struck Ben squarely in the chest, lifting him up into the air…. and slamming him against his own Brother Knight, Iago.

Iago's lightsaber, still unsheathed, punched through his King's chest, just above the heart. Ben gasped, as the sabre ripped through his chest, and appeared before his eyes.

Rey screamed, and pulled herself back on her feet.

Iago pulled his sabre out, and grabbed Ben as he fell to the ground. But the larger man was too heavy, and Iago cried in frustration as Ben slipped from his grasp, and crashed into the soft earth.

Rey flew towards him, throwing herself to her knees as she reached to touch him. But Ben's eyes told her what she already knew. She was too late. With the last flicker of life in his eyes, he reached a hand towards her and spoke.

She already knew what he was going to say.

"I love you." he said, simply.

"I know." she replied.

"No." he replied. "You don't."

Suddenly she felt a grip on her wrist. She looked down and saw Ben's fingers pressing into her skin, his eyes glowing scarlet. For a moment she was afraid, but then she felt it. His power. He was passing it to her, somehow. She gasped.

His eyes glowed red, then flickered, dimmed. "Now," he whispered, finally. "Kill him."

And Ben Solo closed his eyes for the last time.

Everything stopped for a moment. There was silence.

Rey looked down at his body, and felt a great wave of emotion roar through her, stronger than she had felt. It was greater than pain, greater than rage, greater that loss. It was beyond her comprehension.

She spun around.

Hux too before her, flanked by his remaining four Guards. A thin smile cut across his face.

Rey was aware of so many sensations. She felt the breeze graze her cheek. She could hear Iago's heart, beating hard, behind her as he leant over his Master's body. Beyond, she could smell the Falcon's engines roaring into life, as Poe and Finn readied themselves to join the fray. But the only thing she could see was Hux. And that thin, slice of a grin.

She bared her teeth and roared. Instantly, the grin slid from his face, and then slowly his eyes rose up. She realised, after a moment, his eyes were following her. She looked down at her feet as they pulled away from the grass. She was floating. Her hands were glowing, now red, now blue. Now purple.

She made no decisions. It was as if she was totally at one with the Force within her. Her hands moved and two bolts flew from her fingers. Two Guards burst into flames. Again, she threw another, and another, smashing red armour into smithereens. Hux then stood before her, alone.

His eyes were wide with terror. He opened his mouth to beg.

She tried to speak, but it was as if she was no longer human. She could only act. She brought both hands together, and cried out with a terrible rage. Hux sobbed for the last time, as he melted away in front of her, into his robes, into the grass.

After that, she looked around. She saw Stormtroopers fleeing, scattering before her. She was the Falcon landing, and two men running out. In the distance, she heard a voice. Save him.

Then, she saw a face. Leia. The older woman looked at her. Through her.

Rey turned around and looked down at Ben's body. Iago was kneeling before him, punching his chest in an effort he already knew was futile. Tears streamed down his face, as he repeated, no, no, no...

Finn and Poe now joined the scene, looking first at Ben, and then up at her. They both stared, open mouthed. They were afraid.

She said nothing. She lowered herself down, and stepped lightly onto the grass. Then she walked, slowly, back towards Ben's broken body. Then she knelt before him, and looked at his pale, peaceful face.

He was beautiful. But she had always thought so, from the very first time he had removed his helmet before her.

She knelt and kissed him goodbye.

Everything went black.