The Stormtrooper grabbed Rey by the arm and dragged her to where Kylo stood, tossing her at his feet. Her head ached where her assailant had hit her with the butt of his gun, her vision was fuzzy. She could have kicked herself. How could she have been so stupid? All this destruction, all those people dead. And it was Kylo who'd led the attack. He was a sick, twisted, coward. She'd given him her heart once and he'd thrown it away. Then, idiot that she was, she'd let him back in. She'd given into her passions and slept with the traitor. Now here he was, ready to kill her. Big surprise. As she lay in the dirt, Rey couldn't help but think that she deserved whatever befell her. Her former lover stared down at her, his mask portraying no emotion.
"Stand back," he ordered. Obediently, the Stormtrooper backed away. "I'll take care of her myself." Kylo drew his saber, the red blade crackled to life. Disarmed and injured, Rey could do nothing. She wouldn't beg, she wouldn't cry. Kylo wasn't worth it. She closed her eyes, hoping for a swift end. The blade swung through the air, Rey waited to feel the impact. It never came. Kylo had plunged the blade into the Stormtrooper's chest. He was dead before he hit the ground. The others didn't seem to know what to do. Kylo pulled Rey to her feet.
"Come on," he said. "Grab your saber and follow me."
Her head still pounding, Rey ran to grab her weapon. The ground seemed to be spinning. This had to be a dream. Had Kylo really betrayed his own men? She knew she had to be crazy to trust him again. Still, she didn't seem to have any other option.
"Rey! Come on!" Kylo yelled. The Stormtroopers had shaken off their confusion and begun to attack their leader. Kylo used the force to send one flying and put his sword through another. A blaster bolt came flying in Rey's direction. She deflected it with her blade before running back to Kylo.
"We've got to go!" he insisted.
"I can't just leave them!" Rey cried. "I won't abandon my friends."
"We have no choice!" Kylo sounded desperate. "We have to warn the others. Snoke knows about the raid. He's sending a huge force to stop them. If we don't get to them first, they'll be destroyed."
A Stormtrooper fired at Kylo, who stopped the bolt just before it hit its mark. "We have to go!" he cried again.
"Why the hell should I trust you?" Rey asked. She used the force to throw the trooper to the ground. "You don't exactly have a great track record."
"You're right. You have no reason to trust me. But I'm going to warn my mother. Either come with me or don't." He ran towards his ship.
Rey groaned, then followed. She entered the ship just behind him and ran to the cockpit, strapping herself into the pilot's chair. Kylo dropped into the seat beside her. The craft was more complicated than any Rey had seen before; she wasn't exactly sure how to fly it. She began to mess with the switches and levers, hoping to get lucky. Nothing.
"Damn fancy ship," she muttered.
"Rey, I don't mean to rush you but…we kind of need to hurry." Kylo had taken his mask off. Despite herself, Rey was relieved to hear his voice. Still, she was irritated.
"I'm doing the best I can," she snapped. Suddenly, the ship roared to life. Rey pushed the throttle and sent them soaring forward, just a few feet off the ground.
"Up, Rey. Pull up!" Kylo shouted, unnecessarily.
"You think I'm not trying!" Rey yelled back.
They continued to fly forward, slamming into trees and rocks at high speed.
"Come on," Rey hissed, pulling another lever. The ship shot into the sky, the force of the sudden takeoff pushed Rey back against her seat.
"Yes! I knew you could do it!" Kylo cheered.
Rey couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, you were a lot of help."
"Hey, you're the pilot here." Kylo grinned. "Now let's catch up to the Resistance."
Rey turned to look at him. "I still don't trust you."
Kylo stopped smiling. "I know."
"Why did you do that? Why are you doing this?"
"I just…I couldn't let them hurt you Rey. I woke up."