Rey took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dim light. Across the courtyard she could see three men facing Kylo Ren. In the stillness and quietness of the empty place their voices echoed through the chamber.
At first, she thought it must've been some sort of deception or some hallucination of wishful thinking on her own part. Perhaps she had yearned to hear him say those words for so long that her mind created the vision, but when the Knights of Ren ignited their lightsabers and Ben Solo stood alone facing the terrors of the dark side she could not stay hidden in the shadows any longer.
Rey reached out to Ben Solo through the Force with everything inside her. When finally, he looked across the courtyard past the Knights of Ren, there she stood, her brown hair blowing softly in the breeze.
He pressed his lips together in what could have almost been a smile, an expression of relief and gratitude and something else that she felt too.
She had no elegant weapon at her side, Luke's lightsaber having been torn in two in Snoke's throne room. Only a small blaster sat holstered on her belt, practically useless against a dark side Force user.
Their eyes met for just a brief moment before one of the Knights turned to face her. "It's the girl General Hux told us about, the one who killed Snoke." He said, his voice gruff and seething with anger.
Ben's eyes flashed with determination when the man began to walk toward Rey, crossing the courtyard with alarming speed. The other two men closed the gap left by their companion, blocking Ben's path to her, cutting him off and leaving her alone with a Knight of Ren.
Rey grimaced for a second, catching Ben's eye once more. There was so much that she wished she could say to him in that moment but instead she reached for her blaster. Ben gave her a look that she knew would always be with her from that moment on.
Her shot was easily deflected by the knight's ready lightsaber.
"Rey!" Ben shouted, tossing his lightsaber across the expanse. Rey caught it and ignited it instantly. Without another thought she ran to meet her attacker head on, their lightsabers clashing in a flash of red.
Force lightening glowed blue at the other end of the courtyard as Ben caught the knight's blasts with his bare hand, absorbing them and shooting them back. The knights were stunned for only the shortest instant but it gave Ben a chance to slip through them and burst into a powerful run across the courtyard toward Rey.
He slid to a stop, half turned, and concentrated all of his Force power on Timber to hold him frozen while Rey kicked him as hard as she could, throwing him back, and pulled his lightsaber from his hand as she flew over the top of him. She tossed it to Ben who was only a meter away now as she scrambled back up, struggling to get her feet under her. Ben caught the lightsaber in his right hand and reached with his left to Force push the two knight's running up behind him, knocking them off their balance momentarily.
Ben extended his hand down to Rey, easily pulling her to her feet, and causing a pulse in the Force between them as their hands touched. Rey looked into his dark eyes, finding a beauty there she had never seen before. Silently, he released her hand.
Then, moving as one, they turned to face the Knights of Ren.