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It had been years since she had seen him. Both of them looked harder, more refined. His lightsaber still crackled with dangerous ferocity she noted, screaming its instability to any knowledgeable observer. Rey stood with a confidence she had lacked in their last battle, a woman grown into her destiny. Kylo Ren still looked as though he was still the boy who fought his own.
Rey had spent the previous years training, learning about the Force. She had become a formidable opponent with the lightsaber that had been Luke’s, and Anakin’s before him. She had no doubt that Kylo had spent the years similarly, she felt the power radiating off of him in waves. The Resistance and the First Order once again squared off, and it seemed only fitting the champions of both side do the same. The hangar was empty except for Kylo’s ship, the Resistance pilots had already taken off, and guards knew better than to get in their way.
“You know we don’t have to do this, Ben,” Rey said, hoping his given name would get his attention.
“And you know very well that we do. I am going to finish what Darth Vader began,” came his reply, warped by the mask that covered his face. Kylo readied his lightsaber, and began to circle her, looking for an opportunity. She followed suit.
“I can feel that you are still drawn to the light. I remember what I felt in that interrogation room. You wouldn’t have killed your father had you not felt it too. Your mother still wants you home. You don’t need to drown in this pain of being torn apart,” Rey asserted. With that Kylo struck, red lightsaber arcing down in a blow that left land would have cleaved her in two. Rey parried and struck at his flank, but Kylo was too quick, deflecting her blade to the side. They resumed circling, taking stock of either’s strength.
“You’re better with your blade then when we last met. But so am I,” Kylo said, maintaining his predatory motion around her. This time, Rey made the first move, she swung at his neck, his blade came up to block the strike, but he was a hair to slow. The lightsaber glance upwards, slicing off a portion of Kylo’s mask. A gloved hand pried off the mask before Rey could recover and launch another attack. Rey gasped. A thick scar slashed his face, and old one, a scar she recognized.
“Is that…?” Rey asked, gesturing to his face with one hand, the other keeping her lightsaber at the read.
“Why yes it is. Admiring your handiwork?” Kylo answered, his voice much smaller without the mask to obscure his words. His face was twisted with a wry smile.
“I don’t enjoy having to fight you. I don’t want to hurt you, Ben,” Rey said.
“That’s not my name!,” Kylo yelled, launching a savage attack, “Ben. Is. Dead.” Each word was punctuated with a vicious swing, forcing Rey to go on the defensive. She was losing ground quickly. She ducked under his next swing, slashing her lightsaber as she moved behind him, leaving a sizzling gash on his thigh. Kylo yelled his pain, dropping to one knee.
“You know in the end, even your great Vader was drawn back into the light. He redeemed himself,” Rey told him, “You can too.” Kylo struggled to to his feet, his injured leg wobbling.
“You know nothing. Darth Vader brought order to a chaotic universe, the most powerful Sith to ever live,” Kylo gasped, anger giving edge to his words. He lept forward on his good leg and brought his blade to Rey’s, attempting to force her to her knees using his superior weight. Rey dropped and rolled, barely escaping a downward slash. She chose this moment, to try a different sort of offense.
She closed her eyes and thrust her mind into his. Kylo’s mental defenses were weakened, by either the pain in his leg, or he believed her incapable of such an attack she didn’t know. She forced him to freeze. Rey felt his mind fighting hers as she made him see the truth in her words about Darth Vader, about his mother, and about the light within him. She felt him gather his mental strength and force her mind back into her own. Before she could prepare herself for the inevitable attack, he was on her. He Force pushed her into wall, pinning her there, her lightsaber useless on the floor out of reach. He stalked over to where she was struggling against her invisible bonds.
Kylo’s blade crackled as he swung it up to rest an inch from her neck. He leaned in, his dark brown eyes searching her own hazel ones. She saw such sadness and confusion in his eyes, that it seemed to seep into her own.
“What have you done to me?” Kylo rasped, voice small and afraid. His blade clicked off but she remained pinned to the hard concrete wall.
“I’ve have only shone you the truth you have refused to see. Vader’s love for his son overcame his hatred and fear, and he redeemed himself, killing Emperor Palpatine,” Rey said. He stalked away, turning his back to her. He raked long fingers through his dark hair.
“No! You lie! You filthy scavenger. How dare you slander the great Darth Vader with such blatant falsehood?” Kylo wailed, striding back to face her, blade once again red with power.
“Is that what you saw? Look again. I won’t stop you. Look in my mind and see that it is the truth. Master Luke has told me everything,” Rey said. She opened her mind to his, and closed her eyes. Kylo’s presence in her mind felt cold as he picked through her memories. After some time it receded. When she opened her eyes, he was destroying a nearby control panel. How he managed to keep her pinned this long she wished she knew. Kylo eventually calmed himself down, and walked back to where she was with forced serenity, lightsaber at his side.
“Tell me one reason why I should let you live?” Kylo asked, attempting to sound apathetic, but failing when his voice cracked.
Rey swallowed, “Because I’m the only person who can bring you back to the light.”
Kylo leaned in close, venom in his voice, but desperation in his dark eyes, “And what makes you think so highly of yourself?”
“This,” Rey answered before crashing her lips to his. She felt his jolt of surprise, before he responded, kissing her back with fervent need. Rey found she was no longer pinned to the wall, so she carded her fingers through his dark hair as his arms wound around her waist, pulling her tight against him.
When they came up for air, Rey saw Ben was crying. He looked ten years younger just then.
“What have I done?” he gasped, leaning his forehead against hers. Rey cradled his face in her rough hands, running her thumbs against his cheekbones.
“That doesn’t matter just now. What matters is what you do next,” she told him, “Help us. You know what the plan is, what the First Order’s weaknesses are. Come back, trade your information for asylum. Your mother will be so happy to see you. Come home with me, Ben.”
“Do you really think I could, go home I mean?” he asked, voice trembling like a scared child’s.
“I do,” Rey assured him, “Come on. Let me take you to the bridge. General Organa will be there.” She tugged his hand towards a corridor. He turned a took one last look at the ship that had gotten him here. Rey reached up and turned his chin so he was looking at her, she held his gaze for a moment before he kissed her. Then he followed her down the corridor, grasping her hand tightly.
*
*
*
The elevator opened on a room filled with control consoles and worried looking people. When they turned to see who had entered, there was a collective gasp. Half a dozen phasers aimed at Ben’s chest. A grey haired woman in the center of the room looked up. At first, it was fear in her eyes, and incredible pain, but when she saw his hand clasped in Rey’s it was replaced with hope.
“Stand down everyone, that’s my son,” General Leia Organa ordered, “Ben’s come home.”