Kylo Ren stepped through the main entrance of the massive hexagonal chamber. The equipment hummed quietly as it maintained the stasis field surrounding the dark energy that powered the Starkiller Base. Without it, the planet and the base it housed would turn into a fiery super nova. But he wasn't there for the equipment. Or the dark energy for that matter. Though making sure the equipment was still intact, for once, when he left the room was quite high up on his list of priorities. No, he was here for one reason. He had one task. To find the intruders.

A squad of stormtroopers waited at the entrance and snapped to attention as soon as they saw him. He ignored them. He scanned the many levels within the structure, reaching out with the Force to find the intruders. He could feel their presence.

"They're here," he said. "Find them. I want them alive and unharmed."

The stormtroopers saluted. "Yes, Sir!" Kylo Ren's temper was legendary and no one would question his wishes. Not if they valued their lives. It was an image Kylo Ren had painstakingly cultivated and one that served him well.

The troopers jogged off towards the upper levels, precisely where he had sent them. Ren cocked his head and looked over the railing. He turned and headed towards the lower levels. With every step he took, a mantra had taken up residence in his head. No, he can't be here. He wouldn't be here. No. Please. Let it be a mistake. He cannot be here!

But the further he descended, the more his heart sank. Finding no one, his spirits lifted, but only for a moment. He made his way across the walkway that bisected the great hexagonal structure but he hadn't made it even halfway when a voice shouted out, sounding so loud and out of place over the hum of machinery.

"Ben!"

Kylo Ren, at that point, knew he had no choice. He turned and looked at his father through the slits in his mask.

"Han Solo," he said, "I've been waiting for this day for a long time." I've missed you father.

"Take off that mask," Han demanded. "You don't need it. Not here. Not with me."

"What do you think you'll see if I take it off?" Other than the pain of what I have to do etched on my face.

Suddenly, understanding rolled off Han Solo in waves, almost staggering him. "The face of my son," he whispered.

He wished he could tell his father how much he loved him. How sorry he was for lying to his parents all this time. He wished he could help his father escape. But the fate of the galaxy was at stake. And they had an audience. Not only were the troopers watching intently from above, but he could feel Snoke's oily presence in his mind, watching, seeing, feeling.

But Ulaire had taught him well. "You can show him only what you want him to see. You can make him believe that what he sees is real and that you are an open book. And he will never know the difference because he is so arrogant in his power."

"Your son is gone," he said, his voice hard and unyielding. "He was weak and foolish, like his father. So, I destroyed him. But I can grant such an insignificant request." Though he could shield his true feelings and thoughts from Snoke, his words were another matter.

Kyle Ren removed the mask, allowing his father to look upon the face of the man he had become for the first time.

"That's what Snoke wants you to believe," Han said. "But it's not true. My son is still alive, and I'm looking at him right now."

If only you knew how right you were. But I have to play the game, or everyone dies. Han's eyes widened slightly and he cocked his head.

Kylo Ren looked at him, masking his surprise. His father wasn't Force sensitive. Had he really heard him? "No!" he exclaimed, continuing the charade. "The Supreme Leader is wise. He knows me for who I am, and who I can become. He knows you for what you really are, Han Solo. Not a general, not a hero. Just a small-time thief and a smuggler."

"Can't say he's wrong there," Han said with a grin. "But that makes me just as good at playing games."

Kylo Ren looked down at his father, the anguish plain on his face. His father had heard him. He didn't know by what miracle, but he saw pride in his father's eyes rather than recrimination. "Snoke's using you for your power, manipulating your abilities. When he's gotten everything he wants of out you, he'll crush you. And you know I'm right. You know I have no reason to lie because it gains me nothing."

"It's too late," Kylo said. His father was asking him to leave. Telling him he'd been there long enough. But he couldn't leave. Not yet. It's too soon. More is going on and Snoke isn't the real power. He is a puppet. And he isn't the only one.

"No, it's not. It's never too late for the truth. Come him with me, Ben," his father whispered. "Your mother misses you."

"I'm being torn apart. I want – I want to be free of this pain." His voice almost cracked. I miss you both. Why did you come here, father? Why couldn't you stay away? Snoke is screaming inside my head to kill you and I can't. I can't do it. But if I don't, we're all doomed. Why couldn't you just stay away?

Han stepped closer to him. "I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it." Kylo meant every word. "Will you help me?"

Han nodded. "Yes, anything." His father looked at him with sad eyes. "Anything for you, my son," he said.

Kylo choked down the tears that threatened to spill over his cheeks. He unclipped his lightsaber and stared down at it. Han reached for it, his father's hand covering his own. Han thumbed the switch and the saber crackled to life, the red plasma blade piercing his father through the chest.

Nooooo! Kylo Ren screamed in his mind, though his face remained impassive.

His father cupped his cheek. I am proud of you, son. And I'm sorry I didn't believe in you. This was my choice. My choice to save my son. It is not your fault. You are the hero. Not me.

"Thank you," Kylo Ren whispered. As Han Solo fell from the walkway, Kylo barely repressed the urge to reach for him. One wrong gesture and all the sacrifices he'd made, his father's death, would all be for nothing. Yet, despite his father's words, he felt rage build in him unlike anything he had ever felt before. He was furious at himself, furious at Snoke and furious at whoever was pulling Snoke's strings. He fell to his knees and barely felt the shot of the bowcaster as it slammed into his side.

He looked up into the face of his father's long-time friend and partner. Chewbacca. He didn't blame the Wookie. After all, what he'd seen was Kylo killing Han Solo. Because that's what everyone was meant to believe. He couldn't go to Chewie and beg him to take him out of there. Couldn't tell him that he couldn't stand being alone anymore. Couldn't tell him he missed home. He couldn't do any of that, because trillions of lives depended on him successfully completing his mission.

Blaster fire sounded around him, startling him, so lost had he been in his thoughts. In his grief. The grief no one was allowed to see. Explosions rocked the chamber, the smell of charred metal stinging his airways. He looked around, his vision hazy. It was almost as if he was somewhere else, looking at all the destruction from a distance. Looking at his own kneeling form standing on walkway that was about to collapse. He looked up. Walkways collapsing, columns shuddering, bending, squealing and finally giving in. The chamber was collapsing. Soon, the dark energy would be released and the Starkiller Base would be no more.

Yet, even with all the destruction and chaos surrounding him, Ren could not will himself to move. He knelt, his head bowed. Maybe this is for the best. So many lives lost. I could not stop them firing the weapon. I am a failure. My father… No, this is for the best. It would all be over. The pain would stop. The agony. The loneliness. He was tired. He had gone too far. He had done things that could never be forgiven. It was time. Time for it to all be over.

"Ben, get on your Force-damned feet and move! Now!" The two voices screamed in his head, startling him. He sighed and shook his head.

"I can't."

"Yes, you damn well can! You are not all-powerful. You cannot control everything and everyone. Your actions have already saved countless lives. And yes, you are right. There is no forgiveness for you because none is necessary. Now, you will get on your damned feet and get out of there or I swear to the Force I'm going to haunt your Force-ghost and make your afterlife miserable for the rest of eternity!" Anakin shouted in his head.

"But grandfather, I don't have the strength to go on," he murmured in his head. He was so tired. So very tired of being hated.

"If you die, I die," Ulaire said suddenly.

"What?" both he and Anakin exclaimed through their telepathic connection.

"To keep your mind shielded from whoever is behind Snoke, I transferred part of my spirit into you. So, if you die, I die," she said simply.

"You did what?" Anakin exclaimed.

"Can we argue over this later? Like after Ben is safe?" she snapped.

Ulaire had known what she was doing. Ben would never let her die. She was family. She had saved him. So, he struggled to his feet.

"That's my boy. Now, get the hell out of there!" Anakin hollered at him, helping to clear his mind of the darkness clouding his mind. Blood loss. He touched his side gingerly. Definitely blood loss.

An angry scream rent the air and he looked up. The girl. The scavenger. With the stormtrooper. The traitor. And one of his greatest successes. He had proven the conditioning could be broken. The girl fired at him. He raised his lightsaber to deflect the bolts. Get out of here, fool girl! She was strong in the Force. She could be trained. She could help them. But not if she died on this Force-forsaken rock.

Apparently, the trooper had the same idea as he dragged the girl away. Ren breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could take a step, another voice sounded in his mind.

"Terminate the scavenger. She must not be allowed to live. She must not be allowed to become a threat." Damn Snoke. Damn him to the deepest pits of hell!

Ren thought quickly. "But Master, she could be turned. To the Dark side. To serve us. To serve you."

He could sense Snoke's hesitation. "Master?"

"Bring the girl to me," Snoke acquiesced.

Ren gritted his teeth and stepped forward. Pain. He shook it off and stalked out of the chamber, taking the same path the scavenger and the trooper had taken. After what seemed like hours, but had only been ten minutes at most, he stepped out into the frigid darkness. His boots scrunched in the snow with every step he took. The cold air helped to center him, momentarily pushing back the oblivion clawing at the edges of his mind, threatening to engulf him.

He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. He tried to reach out with the Force but it was like slogging through marshland. His concentration was shot. His focus was nowhere to be found. "Ulaire, help me," he whispered in his mind.

Suddenly, his focus was razor sharp and he could sense them, deep in the forest. They'd stopped. "Thank you." He dragged himself in their direction, every step a study in torture. He didn't know how long it took him to get to the small clearing where they'd stopped to take a breath. He didn't even know how he'd gotten there, truth be told.

"Stop," he managed to get out, his voice sounding strong, even to his own ears.

They froze and turned to look at him. Ren reached for his lightsaber, more out of force of habit than anything else. The scavenger drew her blaster, took a step forward and aimed at him. Really? Can't I get a break? He put a hand up to help him focus his power and froze the scavenger in her tracks. Of course, she had to fight him. If he hadn't been in so much pain, both physical and emotional, he might have cracked a grin. She had spirit.

Still she fought. So, he flung his arm to the side, her blaster flying out of her hands to smash against a tree. Catching a blaster bolt would be harder than just getting rid of the weapon. Because he knew if he left it in her hands, she'd eventually put another hole through him.

The oblivion was threatening to overwhelm him again. He was fighting just to stay upright. He needed to get her out of the way. The moment he let his guard down, she'd try to kill him and she'd likely end up dead in the snow. His survival instincts would push him into a reaction he wouldn't be able to take back later. So, he flung his arm out again, and this time the scavenger went flying.

"Are you trying to kill the girl?" Anakin asked.

Ren growled. He could barely stand. The only reason he hadn't already passed out was because Ulaire was supplementing his power with some of her own. So, forgive him if his control was out of whack.

"Rey!" the trooper shouted, running towards the scavenger. He fell to his knees, picking up Rey's head and cradling it in his lap.

A growl of displeasure bubbled up from Ren's chest, though he didn't understand why. They were clearly friends. Maybe even more. The reaction was normal. Logical. So, why did it displease him so?

"Kill the traitor and bring me the girl," Snoke commanded him.

Ren gritted his teeth. He was too tired to work out how he was going to get out of this one. And he wondered if the trooper really was worth all this. He was supposed to save the galaxy and blowing his cover for a single life wasn't worth it. But he knew that if he allowed himself to become so cavalier with one life, it would be a small step to becoming just as cavalier with the lives of billions.

So, he fired up his lightsaber. The red plasma crackled and sputtered, bathing the forest in a soft, red glow. The former trooper froze, looking at Ren over his shoulder. He laid Rey down gently and got to his feet, turning to face Ren.

The trooper then drew a weapon, startling Ren. It was Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. The same lightsaber his uncle had gifted him with when he'd started his training with Ulaire. The one he hadn't been able to take with him. How had this boy gotten his hands on it?

"That weapon is mine," he said, realizing too late that he'd muttered the world aloud. He really hoped Snoke wasn't paying too much attention.

"Come and get it," the trooper snarled.

"Make it look good," Ulaire whispered in his mind. He barely tamped down the urge to roll his eyes. Since when did his grandfather and Ulaire take up residence in his mind? This was the most he'd heard from them in months.

"Since you tried to commit suicide by Starkiller Base," Anakin snapped.

Ren groaned and shook his head. Well, having their running commentary in his head was certainly better than being alone with Snoke up there. Time to play the game once more. He engulfed his saber's blade in a shield that would reduce its damage so that any blow he landed would not be lethal. He then squared his shoulders and threw the stormtrooper a nasty smile.

"I'm going to kill you for it," he said and rushed forward. His blade slammed hard against the trooper's in a flurry of sparks. What a surprise. Someone else who was determined to kill him. He lunged, tried to strike, but the stormtrooper parried his every strike.

He took a step back. His vision was growing hazy again. "Ulaire, help him!" he heard his grandfather shout.

"What do you want me to do? Drive him like a damned walker?" she snapped.

"If that's what's necessary, then damn well do it!"

Ren really did roll his eyes then and slammed himself hard in the side, the bite of agony clearing his head for a moment. He attacked again, but the trooper kept up a good defense and Ren was having a hard time staying on his feet.

Suddenly, he felt a massive influx of power. Ulaire. He didn't know what she had done, but whatever it was, he was back in full control. Time to end this before it got worse. He advanced relentlessly, slamming against the trooper's blade. He was backing up, slowly but surely. Then the trooper stabbed the lightsaber forward, grazing Ren's arm. He took no notice of the injury, continuing his attack. Finally, he struck a blow, cutting the trooper's chest. Ren took advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction and used the Force to wrench the lightsaber from his hands and throw it as far as he could in his current state. Which apparently wasn't all that far.

Even with Ulaire's injection of power, his body was faltering. The Force could only do so much with a failing body. Ren had to keep the trooper down. Make it look as if he'd killed him. Or at least tried his best. So, he turned to give himself some momentum and swung upwards, his lightsaber slicing up the trooper's back. The blow had done damage. Quite a bit of it. But nothing that wouldn't heal, eventually. And damage was better than death.

Ren switched his weapon off and swayed slightly on his feet. His grandfather's lightsaber. He had to get it. He couldn't let it be destroyed. It was still his. Even if he'd had to abandon it temporarily. He extended his hand, calling out to it with the Force. Unfortunately, he was pathetically weak. Suddenly, the weapon shot out of the snow and flew toward him. Not as weak as I thought. But he had to lean back quickly to avoid getting hit in the face. What the–?

He looked to his right. The girl stood there, staring at the weapon in her hand in amazement. Snoke's words came back to him.

"There has been an awakening in the Force. Have you felt it?"

When he'd delved into her mind to find the map, he'd suspected it could be her, especially when she'd turned his mind probe against him. Now he was certain.

"It is you," he said softly. Apparently, his words unsettled the girl because she looked up at him and anger twisted her features into a determined scowl.

He almost sighed. When is this day going to end? Part of him was elated that she was so powerful. Another Force user on their side was definitely a good thing. But that meant he'd only have to work harder to divert Snoke's attention from her. While he'd already told his so-called master of her power, he'd toned it down as much as he could. But if Snoke was ever in her presence, he'd realize Ren hadn't been perfectly truthful. So, he had to make sure she never fell into Snoke's hands.

He lifted a hand, determined to knock her out once more. Apparently, though, most of his power was being channeled into holding him upright. "Ulaire!" he growled.

"Do you want to fall flat on your face and have your head chopped off?" she asked sweetly.

The scavenger activated the lightsaber she held, the blue beam humming to life. He thumbed the switch on his own lightsaber and the red mixed with the blue to form a purple glow in the space between them. The symbolism wasn't lost on him. Light and dark forming to create balance. Within him. But within her too?

And that's when she charged, almost catching him unprepared. Their sabers clashed against each other, illuminating the forest with that purple glow that had so fascinated him. She was angry. And fierce. She kept lunging and striking at him, while he parried her every move. He didn't go on the offensive. At least, not yet. He hoped she'd tire out before he did. And, in all honesty, he found her fascinating. She had some skill, probably due to her experience with a staff, but it was raw. The ferocity behind her attack, though, was enthralling. It called to both the light and the dark in him. She called to him in a way he couldn't understand.

He took control, pressing her back, curious to see how far he could push her. This was no longer about Snoke. About the Resistance. About the galaxy. It was about them. About him and about Rey. He rolled the name around in his head as he pressed forward. The first time he'd allowed himself to think of her by name. To let her in.

The ground beneath them groaned and a huge chunk of the forest behind the girl – Rey – collapsed. His heart stopped beating. No! He threw whatever power he had left at her, holding her from falling over the edge into the chasm that had formed. Their eyes locked, just as their sabers were locked. He couldn't back away. If he did, he'd probably drop her. The steady and continued blood loss, the fighting, keeping Snoke from seeing too much inside him, his father's death and now the girl – Rey – had whittled his strength to a tiny nub of what it should be. He was amazed he was still upright, let alone able to hold her from falling.

He had to get through to her somehow. To stop this madness. Without Snoke figuring out what was happening. "I could kill you right now," he said to her. "But there is another way."

The look of disgust she gave him was like a punch to the gut. "You're a monster," she hurled the words at him. Their gazes locked. Hers full of righteous fury, his filled with pain. She hesitated for a moment. She tilted her head slightly and bit her lip. Her eyes flickered with… curiosity? Confusion. It rolled off her in waves. No, no, no! He had to distract her. If she was confused, Snoke might wonder why. He might question what the girl had seen in Ren to make her hesitate.

"You need a teacher," he said quickly, his tone a little softer than he might have liked. "I can show you the ways of the Force!" His voice was stronger. More convincing. More certain. Snoke needed to believe he was trying his hardest to tempt her. But part of him wanted her to accept. With Ulaire's help he could guide her. Teach her. And he wouldn't be so alone anymore. He wouldn't have to fight as hard every day not to just give up and give in to Snoke.

She looked at him for a moment longer, then turned her head, gazing into the chasm behind her. She looked back at him and shook her head. "The Force?" she murmured. She closed her eyes and Ren wanted to scream. He didn't know how much longer he could hold her. He was stuck. He couldn't pull back. He wouldn't move forward. She had to do something.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she attacked in a flurry of movement, driving him back. The knot of apprehension in his gut loosened. He tried to focus on defending himself, but apparently the power he'd expended in keeping her from falling had really been the only thing keeping him standing. He went down. Pain.

Another influx of power from Ulaire, but she could only do so much from a distance. He got to his feet with difficulty but he wasn't fast enough to dodge Rey's blow. His saber flew from his hand. Using what little power he had left, he fended off her blows until he had nothing left to give. Another blow. His face and chest burned. He went down once more, barely able to move. Ulaire was channeling everything she had into keeping his heart beating, trying her damndest to stop him bleeding out completely. She couldn't help. He was done.

He looked up at Rey and their gazes locked once more. She stood there, unmoving, her lightsaber raised. One blow and she could end it all. From her point of view, she'd be destroying a monster. She'd be saving countless lives. Yet, she hesitated, her brow furrowed. She reached out her hand towards him, then brought it back to trace along her own face.

The ground started to shake and split, separating them. She kept her gaze trained on him for a moment longer, then shook her head and turned, running to the fallen stormtrooper. To her friend.

Bright lights suddenly shone down on him, amplifying the headache that was threatening to split his skull open. He blinked slowly, trying to clear the blurriness of his vision. He fought back the oblivion threatening to consume him.

She must not die! The exclamation was wrenched from the deepest part of his soul. From the tiny part that was still his own. The only part he hadn't given up for the good of the galaxy. And still, he wasn't certain why it was so important to him that she survive. All he knew was that it was imperative.

Understanding flooded through him from another source. "She will survive. I promise you," Anakin whispered.

"Relax, Ben. I'll keep you both safe," Ulaire said. Ren nodded, finally allowing his body to start shutting down. His grandfather would find a way to save Rey and Ulaire would keep Snoke out of his mind while he was unconscious. Everything would be alright. For now. Gratefully, he finally succumbed to the darkness.