"We've got to get everyone out of here," Leia said as she jumped down from the roof. "Gather the troops and get them to the ships."
"Not happening!" Kylo replied, yelling to be heard over the sounds of the battle. "They surrounded your ships, probably destroyed them by now. We're trapped."
Rey's heart sunk. What were they going to do? She looked at all the destruction around her, saw the bodies, heard the screams. The sharp, metallic smell of blood pieced the air. Rey began to feel dizzy. She saw Leia and Kylo's lips moving but couldn't understand what they said. When they ran, she made no move to follow them.
"Rey, come on!" Kylo cried, snapping her out of it. He ran back and grabbed her hand, yanking her forward. Rey forced her legs to move.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Gathering what troops we can."
Rey frowned. "And then what?"
Kylo stopped and gazed at Rey. He reached out and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "We make a last stand," he said.
So this was it. All those lonely nights on Jakku, all the days training with Luke. Her few fleeting weeks with Kylo. It had all been leading up to this, to this day. Today she was going to make a difference, even if she had to die doing it. "All right then, let's go," she said finally.
They followed Leia to a rundown building surrounded by Stormtroopers. Leia drew her blaster, Kylo and Rey their sabers. Rey tried not to think of Finn as she drove her sword into the Stormtroopers chests. She couldn't stand to think of them as human. The trio finally broke through the horde of soldiers and entered the shack, finding a group of Resistance fighters huddled inside.
"Is anyone hurt?" Rey asked the bedraggled group.
"No," one of soldiers replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Just trapped." She sounded weary.
"Do you know where any other units are?" Leia asked. "We need to organize."
"There was a group over by the barracks I think," another solider offered.
"Ok, I'll go with you to find them," Leia said. " B-Kylo, Rey, you go look other survivors. Meet back here in ten."
"Alright." Kylo started out the door.
"Wait!" Leia cried. She reached out, touching Kylo lightly on the shoulder. "Good luck, son. "
Kylo almost smiled. "You too, Mom." He ran out, Rey following close behind.
"Where should we start?" Kylo asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe over by the…oh shit!" Rey exclaimed.
"What is it?" Kylo's eyes were wide with panic. "Are you Ok?"
"Finn! Finn is here somewhere; he went with your mother!" Rey was suddenly frantic. "We've got to find him!"
"Are you sure he's here?"
"Yeah, he wasn't part of the rear guard!"
"We'll find him," Kylo promised.
"But what about gathering troops?" Rey asked.
"We'll do that along the way," Kylo said.
They sprinted off into the chaos of the battle, fighting their way through the crowd of Stormtroopers.
"Over there!" Rey shouted, pointing to a supply station. An X- wing lay smoking near the door. She and Kylo entered the building, searching for survivors in the semi-darkness.
"Rey?" a weak voice called out. "Is that you?"
"Poe!" Rey raced over and knelt by Poe Dameron's side. He lay on the ground, blood pouring from a gash in his forehead.
"It's nothing," the pilot insisted. "Just had kind of a rough landing."
"What happened?" Rey asked as she examined the wound.
"I was supposed to provide cover from the air but they were waiting for us. Plane got shot down before I could even think." Poe sighed. "I managed to get out of the wreckage but I could barely move. I had to drag myself here."
Rey ripped a piece of fabric off her tunic, tying a makeshift bandage around Poe's head. "This should help stop the bleeding," she said.
"My head hurts but it's my leg that's the problem. I think it might be broken."
"Ok, umm, we'll just have to carry you somehow," Rey said. "Kylo, get over here and help me!"
"Forget it, Rey," Poe insisted. "You won't make it ten feet with me slowing you down."
Rey started to tell Poe that she'd rather die than leave him behind, that she'd never be able to live with herself if she did. Shockingly, Kylo beat her to it.
"You forget it, Dameron," he snapped. "If you think we're leaving you here, you're insane."
He pulled Poe into his arms, carrying him like a ragdoll.
"Well, this is more than a little embarrassing," Poe said, chuckling in spite of himself. "Now, where are we going?"
"Gathering survivors to make a last stand," Rey told him. "And to find Finn. Any idea where he could be?"
Poe shook his head. "No idea, but let's get looking."