A/N: Thank you for all the favorites and the follows! I haven't written a fic in over five years and I just couldn't resist the temptation to write something about my new favorite ship. I know there isn't a lot that happens in this chapter, but it's slowly gonna happen, I promise you guys! I hope you enjoy it. xo
Ever since his disappearance, Kylo hadn't doubted the reasons for it. When he realized just how much Supreme Leader Snoke was controlling him, and when he realized that no matter how hard he worked and trained, he would never become as powerful as he wanted. He'd disappeared nearly a month after the Star Killer base was destroyed, once he was able to move by himself. He'd refused the medidroid's offer to make the scar Rey had left on his face disappear; it was a constant reminder of his failure and simply fed his power every time he looked at his own reflection. He found himself on Kashyyyk, home planet to the Wookiee species who had been exterminated even before his mother was born. Kylo Ren knew all about it. Chewbacca had spent an evening telling him about Order 66, and how he went back looking for his family only to find death and desolation. It had taken the male a few days to get settled in one of the old huts that hadn't been destroyed by the Galactic Empire, but once he got used to the tropical climate of the planet, he found himself enjoying the solitude.
He knew that solitude was no more as soon as he felt Rey's signature on the planet. The feeling hadn't changed; against Kylo's dark energy, Rey's was pure and gentle. The simple thought of seeing her again after all this time made the former commander nauseous, and he had to take a deep breath before moving outside his hut and towards the source of the disturbance in the Force. Glancing up at the sky, he frowned. Black clouds were rolling in faster than he'd expected and he knew that the storm was coming. Storms on Kashyyyk were a rare occurrence: in the year he'd spent on the planet, he only saw half a dozen of them and knew just how violent they could get. The ripples Rey made in the force were enough to nearly knock the air out of Kylo's lungs. Her sole existence made him uneasy in ways he couldn't explain because unlike Ben Solo, Kylo Ren never loved anyone and wasn't loved by anyone. Lightsaber hooked to his belt, he traveled towards her, feeling her getting closer and closer. He didn't really know what he was going to do once he found her, but he knew he needed to find her before she did. Not doing so was a threat to his safety; he didn't know what her intentions were and it was probably the most stressful situation he'd been ever since his arrival on Kashyyyk. It was only a handful of minutes later that he found her standing in a clearing, an old X-Wing behind her.
"Kylo Ren," she said, her voice soft as she looked at him. She hadn't changed much since the last time, but instead of the scavenger outfit, she was wearing grey robes and pants that stopped at her mid-calf. Her hair was still tied in those three buns, a few wild strands framing her face. He saw her reaching for her lightsaber and made a dismissive movement of his hand, scoffing under his breath. "You won't be needing that," he simply said. He was armed, yes, but he didn't have the intention of using it against her. Kylo wasn't angry like he used to be. On this planet, he was no longer Kylo Ren, master of the Knights of Ren and Commander of the First Order. He was just a man that belonged in the Darkness. "They say you deserted. The First Order is looking for you." Her voice was calm, but he could perceive a small hint of fear in it as he moved closer. He didn't care about the First Order. They could all burn, for what he cared.
"You've grown," he said as he watched her, his hands joined behind his back. He could see that she'd gained muscles from her training, and she wasn't as thin as she was when he'd taken her onto his ship. She really had the body of a woman, he thought. Kylo took a breath, eyes narrowing lightly as he spoke again. "Why have you come, Rey?" The male asked, stopping when he was a few feet from her. She couldn't answer him, her mouth opening but no words coming out.
It was the first time he'd ever said her name and Gods, it felt so strange.
She couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell him the real reason she was here was to bring him back to the Resistance. To his mother and his uncle. Rey didn't know why, but there was something deep inside her that begged her to bring him back. To bring Ben Solo back home. She closed her mouth, biting the inside of her cheek for a moment. He finally looked back up at her and she could see his face more clearly now that he wasn't hidden by the thick shadows of the trees. He was handsome, much like his father before him. The only difference between now and then was the scar that crossed his face. A scar she left. Rey swallowed thickly, taking a deep breath. He spoke again, a strange smirk stretching on his lips.
"Why are you here, little thing?" Kylo Ren asked.
"I want to know why you reached out to me," she replied, her voice more confident, now. "Why did you tell me, of all people, where you were?"
Kylo watched her quietly for a moment. "Because anyone else would've taken me straight to my mother," he replied. "I know that's what you tell yourself. That you're going to bring me back to Leia Organa and that I will be redeemed for all the things that I've done." He laughed, and it felt as if venom was flowing through her veins for a moment. "Oh, Rey. I can't be redeemed."
She bit her bottom lip. Rey knew very well that if his mother hadn't been the leader of the Resistance, he would be executed as soon as she brought him back. Ben Solo was somewhere deep inside Kylo Ren. She just had to find a way to bring him back. "Your mother misses you. She misses Ben Solo." Rey said, clenching her fists lightly. "She believes there's still good in you."
"Leia Organa is old and foolish just like Han Solo before her. Ben Solo is dead."
"Ben Solo isn't dead. He's part of you."
"He might be a part of me, but he's not worthy of being."
Rey sighed softly. She knew that battle was a lost cause. Turning around, she started walking. She knew where she was, and knew that about a mile from where she'd landed, there was an old bunker built into the side of a small mountain. Chewbacca had given her the exact coordinates and she knew that if she walked into a straight line for a mile, she would find the door.
"I hope you know where you're headed. There's a storm coming and once it hits, you won't be able to take off without being blown to bits." Kylo spoke over the howling wind, and she knew that it was only moments before the storm would hit.
Joke's on you, she thought.
"Are you going this to anger me, or are you just stupid, girl?" She heard Kylo's voice over the wind and turned to look at him. His fists were tightly clenched on the sides of his body and she could feel the anger rolling off of him.
"Why in the Galaxy would I care about angering you? You don't own me." Rey scoffed, shaking her head before continuing on her path. She heard him again, but a loud thunderclap covered whatever he said. Without a word, Rey continued towards the bunker, hoping it would keep her safe.
Not only from the storm, but also from him.
