Ben Solo centered himself and studied the two knights running toward him at full pace now. Each step, their weight shifting, the position of their sabers, each detail filtered into his mind. They had fought before, battled and spared for hours at Luke's Jedi training academy but that was controlled, ridged, devoid of emotion. Ben could feel the rage flying out of their bodies into the Force in the space around them. He lifted his lightsaber.

Kozine bent his knees, his fingertips just brushing the ground before exploding into a powerful jump that sent him two meters into the air in an arc that would bring him directly into Ben. The other knight began spinning his ignited lightsaber over his head, still advancing at full speed.

Ben parried the knight's blow with his lightsaber. He side stepped and in one clean slash he slid down the hilt of the attacker's lightsaber, cutting into the knight's hand, causing him to drop his weapon into the dirt of the coliseum floor.

Kozine's boots landed a blow into Ben's shoulder but Ben deflected his lightsaber with a strong Force push with his free hand.

Behind him, Timber pulled the other knight's lightsaber toward him, igniting it and bringing it down in a vertical swing toward Rey. She blocked him easily with his own saber still in her hand and kicked him back. Timber landed on his back and was struggling to gain purchase when Rey brought the lightsaber down on him again, impacting his shoulder and wounding him to his core. He slumped over into the dirt.

Kozine evaded Ben's saber swing by ducking into a squat. He used the opportunity to swing his lightsaber across Ben's stance. Deftly, Ben jumped to avoid him.

The injured knight in front of Ben reached his hand toward Rey, attempting to Force hold her as she turned to fight Kozine. Ben kicked him back, deflecting his hold while Rey brought her lightsaber down on Kozine who had never stood back to his full height.

The injured knight gained a Force grip on his saber and pulled it toward himself, the lightsaber spun and slid across the dirt toward him. Ben caught it with his foot, pinning it down. He looked at the crippled knight lying in the dirt of the Colosseum floor, "Join us, old friend, and break free from the slavery of the dark side."

The man snarled and directed his last energy into Force lightning that Ben caught comfortably with a lightsaber. The knight's hand dropped to his side. It was over.

Ben looked at Rey, her brown hair now streaked with sweat and dirt, standing less than an arm's length from him. Rey studied his face from where she stood; it was the face of the man she'd seen in her dreams since she was a young girl alone in the desert of Jakku.

"The belonging you seek is not behind you, it is ahead." Maz's voice echoed through her mind. Ben's face softened, sensing her thoughts.

Slowly, almost timidly he moved toward her. Rey's eyes never left his deep brown ones, searching for the light, the dark, and all the grey in between that she felt inside herself.

The connection. Crackling and sparking between them seemed to light up brighter as he reached her. Softly, Ben placed a hand on her waist, drawing her closer still. His other hand found her face, his fingertips brushing the stray hair away from her hazel brown eyes. His eyes locked onto hers.

"Rey," he whispered, his face lowering closer to hers but her body tensed and her eyes grew wide and frightened. Ben froze in response.

What had he thought, that she would suddenly feel the things for him that he felt for her? In anguish he pulled away from her, hating himself and every moment he'd spent in the power of the dark side. "I'm so sorry," he whispered gazing into her frightened eyes. Wishing he could take it all back, wishing he'd never drawn close to her, she still saw him as a monster.

"What happened here?" A man's voice called from the other end of the courtyard, no real curiosity touching his tone.

It was only then that he felt it; Rey was caught in a Force hold.

Ben turned to face Teev, the second in command of the Knights of Ren.

"Let her free." Ben commanded.

The man's hands shoulders drew up in an exaggerated shrug. He stopped, nodded at Ben.

"Let's go," he challenged.

Ben ignited his lightsaber and took off in a run across the courtyard. Teev parried Ben's first blow and landed his own into Ben's side, sending him rolling into the wall. Ben was instantly back on his feet and just as Teev was coming in for a second blow Ben pushed him through the Force, sending him into a stone pillar that crumbled around to the ground around him. The strength of the blow seemed to disorient Teev momentarily. Ben looked across the courtyard to Rey but she was still frozen in place, unable to break the hold Teev had on her.

Ben broke into a sprint closing the distance between him and Teev who was back on his feet, holding his lightsaber at ready. With all the strength inside him, Ben brought his saber down. The impact was so strong the ground beneath Teev's body split slightly. He took a breath, backing away from Teev's still form. Ben turned to look at Rey.

Rey stood in courtyard still completely motionless, her eyes scared but full of anger.

Ben looked back at Teev, the other fallen knights.

How is this happening? His mind screamed. Then he heard the footsteps behind him.

Ben turned to see General Hux stepping out of the shadows of the stone pillars, "Well done, Kylo Ren, you've eliminated one of my most difficult factions. I never much appreciated their independence."

Ben spun to see Rey still caught in place and then back to Hux. Something on Hux's hand caught his eye. It was dark but sparkled in the light.

Snoke's black diamond ring.