42. Trap

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Rey runs into an unexpected complication during a slave rescue.

Rey moves through the crawl space on her hands and knees, keenly aware of every sound she makes— the denting of the metal as she plants one palm, then the other, the rustling of her clothes, even her breath.

Rose is right next to her, moving as carefully as she is, often glancing back.

Rey keeps her eyes forward, seeing just as well through other senses. She feels the nervous energy of the rescues behind her, pictures them moving in twos or threes, shivering.

It's not that cold in here but it is to them, most of them serving slaves who work in the casino. Osean's a temperate planet, balmy days and warm nights, so the casino is open to the air. The rescues have never been in a place like this where the temperature is carefully controlled.

Both Rey and Rose stop dead when they hear a thump behind them, the metal of the crawl space vibrating. They twist back to see the rescues doing the same, everyone looking down the line of people packed tightly in the long, silver tunnel.

Rey hears whispers further down, but she can't see who it is. There are nearly fifty rescues making their way through the space and three more on her team, one in the middle and two at the rear. Someone must've lost their balance, at least she hopes that's what happened.

Rey and Rose keep still, eyes fixed behind them. After a minute, the rescues start to look ahead, a couple of them nodding.

Rey relaxes. She gives a nod, then turns forward, sharing a passing glance with Rose.

They're both on edge, which is good. They should be. They've learned the hard way that a lot can go wrong on a rescue.

They begin moving again, slow and careful, hardly making a sound. They're coming up to a grated section at the top of the crawl space, Rey glancing up as they near it. She can't see much of the facility, but from what she can tell they're currently under a massive laboratory with concrete walls and rows of sleek, cylinder tanks. They've been creeping for nearly ten minutes and haven't heard a sound from above, not a droid, not anything.

What do you know? Rey thinks to herself. That shifty little bugger was right.

Their contact on this planet isn't exactly a man who inspires confidence. He's always nervous, bony fingers tapping incessantly, and he's noncommittal, swearing by one thing then back-tracking a minute later. Even after two of their allies vouched for him, she was still wary.

But here they are, two-thirds of the way through the rescue, and all his information has proved spot on. When he suggested she take the rescues through this facility, she thought he was crazy. This is the most well-guarded place on the planet, a massive processing center that synthesizes spice into some of the most addictive drugs in the galaxy. The slavers employ a veritable army to patrol it, making sure nothing goes in or out that isn't supposed to. She thought they might as well crawl into a death trap.

But so far, their contact was right. The entire facility is empty, shut down until parts come in to fix a problem with the filtration system. The whole place is dead, the machinery laying idle. Supposedly, there are fewer guards at the perimeter, though that has yet to be seen.

Rey continues carefully through the crawl space, trying to be as quiet as possible. The facility may be empty, but they should err on the side of caution. She glances at Rose, catching her turn back from a look at the rescues. Rose squints then raises an eyebrow. Rey can read the expression as easily as if she were speaking— Two thirds of the way through and not a hitch. Since when are they so lucky?

Rey tilts her head, lips twisting wryly. Gotta catch a break sometime, she seems to say.

Rose grunts softly, turning forward. They continue on, bit by bit, pressing one palm down, then another. The rescues follow their lead, careful to make as little sound as possible.

Despite the tenseness of the situation, Rey feels more at peace than she has in days. Slave rescues may be dangerous, but there's sharpness to them, a simplicity of purpose. She has one goal— get these people to freedom— and there is nothing else until that goal is achieved.

It's a welcome contrast to being on base where her problems infinitely more complex, not to mention exhausting. It's like she's living in a never-ending trial, constantly fielding debates, questions, angry accusations, rants about her unfitness for leadership, how she should step down from her position, even leave the Resistance entirely.

Rey holds in a sigh.

Not everyone's been so hostile since she admitted the truth, but the coalition that's formed against her is very powerful and vocal. Her throat tightens when she thinks of Poe…

She shakes her head, trying to clear her mind. She'll have plenty of time dwell on these things later. Right now, she needs to focus on the mission. She forces herself back to her surroundings, the cramped crawl space stretching out ahead. They should be coming up on a right turn soon…

Suddenly, there's a loud clang, followed by footsteps above.

Rey instantly lifts a hand, halting the rescues. She and Rose twist around, pressing an index finger to their lips. The rescues nod, then turn to repeat the movement for those behind them.

Rose and Rey exchange worried glances. They knew this was going too well.

The footsteps continue through the facility, not directly above them but a few meters to the left. It sounds like only one person.

Rey closes her eyes, reaching out through the Force, trying to hone in on the lifeform above. No one should be here. Their contact assured them of this. What reason would anyone have to be in the facility when it's shut down?

Maybe one of the workers left something and has come to retrieve it? Or maybe there's a question about the filtration system, the parts that are needed, and someone was sent to inspect? It could be any number of things…

Rey takes a slow breath.

It's ok, she tells herself. This is unexpected but not dire. They'll just wait until whoever it is leaves.

But she can't quell a sick feeling in her gut. The footsteps are strange, not purposeful but slow like the person is just out for a stroll.

Suddenly, the steps stop. For a minute, there's silence.

Then, the room comes alive, an electric hum filling the air.

Rey goes cold, fear cutting straight to the bone. She turns to Rose and is met with wide eyes. They both recognize that sound.

A lightsaber.

The footsteps continue across the room, heading to the other end of the facility. Rey lifts a trembling hand, pointing to a grated opening not far.

Rose nods but mouths be careful.

Rey starts forward, her movements slow but her mind racing.

A lightsaber? Who would have a lightsaber?

She trembles as she extends one hand then another, pressing her palms down carefully. She stops when she reaches the opening, a grated hatch just above her. She presses her palms against the grate, pushing up. There's a soft rattle when she lifts it, and she instantly freezes.

It's harder to hear the footsteps through the electric hum but from what Rey can tell, the person is on the other end of the facility now. She moves the grate slowly to the side, creating a couple feet of space before setting it down. She shifts, peeking her head through the opening.

The first thing she sees is a row of large, cylinder tanks, twice as tall as she is. They're so close together they create a kind of wall, shielding her from view but also making it impossible for her to see much.

Rey rises slowly, planting her palms on the concrete floor and moving out of the crawl space. She's between the row of cylinders and a wall of control panels, tubes and wires running along the floor, connecting the panels to the silver tanks. She quickly moves to one of the cylinders, crouching and pressing back against it. She looks up to see a labyrinth of grated walkways above, another a few meters above that, the room at least three stories high. She looks right then left, quickly catching sight of a ladder leading to the next floor.

If she gets higher, she'll be able to see who's here…

"Rey, Rey, Rey of the Resistance."

She freezes at the sound of her name.

It's a woman's voice, footsteps approaching from the left.

"Chainbreaker." The saber whips through the air.

Rey instinctively brings her hand to her pouch, feeling the hilt of her saber.

The footsteps are close now, on the other side of the cylinder where she's hiding. They pass by, moving to the back of the building. "You're a hard person to track down, you know that?"

Rey's heart is pounding in her chest now. She moves a trembling hand to her pouch, reaching inside for her weapon.

"But you have a lot of enemies." The footsteps stop. "And anyone who has a lot of enemies…" Rey can tell the woman's turning by her voice. "Can be found." The footsteps start again, the hum of the saber approaching.

Rey's frozen in a crouched position, weapon in hand. She remains still as the footsteps pass by on the other side of the cylinders.

"Slavers in this galaxy do not like you…" The footsteps move away. "They want you gone."

Rey glances to the ladder, debating. Should she move up or stay on the ground floor?

Suddenly, the electric hum stops.

"I bet…" Rey hears the woman turn. "You've been thinking…" The footsteps start her way again. "That this has all been going very well. It's been so convenient, hasn't it? A secret tunnel leading out of the casino, the lab closed for repairs. If you didn't know any better, you might think it was a set up." The woman snorts. "You know…" The footsteps stop just behind the cylinder where Rey crouches. "You really should be careful who you trust."

Rey gulps, closing her eyes. She remains absolutely still, an eerie quiet coming over the facility.

"So…" The woman sounds nonchalant, almost bored. "Are you gonna hide all day or come out and face me?"

Rey lets her breath out slowly. She leans forward, lifting the strap of her pouch overhead and dropping it to the floor. She rises, the hilt of her saber in hand. Then, she steps from behind the cylinder.

There isn't much space between it and the one beside it, but it's enough to see the woman standing on the other side.

She's slim with dark brown hair tousled around her shoulders. She's pale, her face smooth with delicate features and shining black eyes.

"Don't be shy." The woman steps back, her lips curling up.

Rey moves carefully into a spacious walkway between two towering rows of cylinder tanks stretching out in either direction. Part of her wants to look around, catch her bearings, but she can't take her eyes off the woman standing in front of her.

She looks playful, almost giddy, but there's a menace to her.

Rey moves to the center of the walkway, and the woman steps to the side. They begin circling each other, sizing the other up.

The woman is clad in black, from her boots to the tight clothes hugging her body. She looks strong and fit, but she's not tall, an inch shorter than Rey from the looks of it. Her movements are sly, smooth angles curving like a snake.

"Do you know who I am?" The woman cocks her head.

"You're…" Rey hesitates. "You're Alyse?"

The woman stops dead.

"So." She grips her saber. "The rumors are true. Or did J'ia spill her guts?" She waits, searching Rey for an answer.

But Rey says nothing. She just stands there, trying to remain even.

Alyse sets her jaw, glaring. The hatred in her eyes is a living thing, dark and vibrant.

Suddenly, Rey snaps up at the sound of a clang. A second later, she hears a thud and whips around to find a tall man rising, skin black as obsidian. He's smirking, a twinkle in his eyes.

That's when the horrible realization hits.

It's confirmed when another man drops down from the walkways.

Then another.

Then another.

They stand tall, smiles on their lips. They have her surrounded, each one gripping the hilt of a lightsaber. They start circling, Rey in the center, the five of them moving around her.

"If you know me, you must know Aeneas." Alyse nods to the tall, black man. "Maybe Silo." She nods to another man, lithe with pale skin and blue eyes. "Vardus." She nods to a man with a dark beard covering his jaw. "Yuri." She nods to a final man with cropped, blonde hair.

Rey stands frozen as they circle her.

"Not many in the galaxy know our names." Alyse passes in front. "Even fewer can match them to our faces. We like to keep it that way. Which means…" She circles behind her. "If you ever hear us introduce ourselves, it's gonna be a bloody day."

Rey goes cold, thinking of Rose, her team, all the rescues packed inside the crawl space beneath the floor. She hardens, gripping her saber.

The Knights continue circling, all smiles and glinting eyes. They're not in a hurry, moving with casual steps. They remind Rey of something she once heard about hyenas, how they like to play with their food, prolong the chase before they eat.

Rey squares her shoulders.

Fine. They can have their fun. She'll take the opportunity to study them.

Aeneas passes in front, tall and broad-shouldered. Rey remembers what Daja said about him, how he's the Knights' second in command. He has the air of a leader, a calm self-possession the others lack.

His demeanor contrasts sharply with the blonde one. What had Alyse called him? Yuri? He's twitchy, clearly impatient, constantly twisting the hilt of his saber.

The bearded one, Vardus, is harder to read, the only one not smiling. His eyes are a strange yellowish color. They remind Rey of a wolf.

The lithe one, Silo, has a delicate kind of beauty— pale, cut features, graceful movements, icy blue eyes moving up and down her as he passes. "She's so small," he smirks.

Rey catches Alyse roll her eyes. It strikes her that she looks tiny next to the other Knights, yet there's a playfulness to her that makes her twice as unnerving.

"Skinny too." Aeneas sounds disappointed.

"Look at her." Yuri snorts. "She's trembling."

Rey looks down and realizes he's right, her saber shaking in her hands. She tenses, trying to quiet her muscles.

"Aww." Silo makes a mock sad face. "We're not scaring you, are we?"

Vardus furrows his eyebrows. "This is the Chainbreaker?"

"I know." Alyse pouts. "It's disappointing, isn't it? Just a scared little girl."

Aeneas shakes his head. "Looks like you won't be having as much fun today as you thought."

Suddenly, the Knights part, two going to one side, two going to the other, and Alyse staying in the center.

Alyse grips her saber, a smile on her lips. Rey senses a kind of eagerness, a feeling she often senses in slave overseers. It's the feeling of a person who enjoys inflicting pain…

Suddenly, a red blade shoots from Alyse's weapon. She steps back, black eyes shining, whirling her saber right, then left.

"Alright Chainbreaker." Alyse squints. "Let's see what you've got."

Rey swallows. She twists her saber in her hand and realizes, to her dismay, she's still trembling. Slowly, she lifts the weapon and ignites it, purple blade shooting out.

Alyse hardens. "You know who that belonged to, don't you?" She nods to the weapon.

Rey doesn't answer just keeps her eyes fixed forward.

"Mace Windu, Knight of the Republic," Alyse mimics. "Master of Juyo, the only Jedi with any balls. A lot of people would kill to get their hands on that weapon." She darkens, hatred swarming in her eyes. "Let me guess… It was a gift." The words barely leave her mouth before she charges at Rey.

Rey leaps up the instant Alyse moves, landing on the labyrinth of grated walkways above. She doesn't skip a beat, leaping again to the next set of walkways. She's on the highest floor now, Alyse shooting up after her, the other Knights following behind.

Rey races away, metal clanging and shaking under her. She quickly looks around, noticing the floor's practically empty, the interconnected walkways all bare. The only thing up here is silver counters affixed to the walls on both sides, lab equipment scattered across them.

She hears Alyse charging after her, but she senses she's the only Knight on the top floor, all the others remaining on the second. They'll want to watch, though, so they'll follow underneath, which is exactly what Rey's counting on.

Rose will know what she's doing. She's drawing them away, giving the team an opportunity to take the rescues and make a run for it. There's no need for them to move slowly now. Clearly, the slavers know they're here, but this is a trap for her not them. There's a chance they can make it out of here, get to the rendezvous point as planned.

"Hey, Chainbreaker!" Alyse calls behind her. "Why are you running?"

Rey turns sharply, racing down a walkway to the left. Rose will be going right…

"I just wanna have a little chat!" Alyse is gaining on her.

Rey halts, whipping around when she gets to the left corner of the building.

Time to give 'em a show.

Alyse charges straight for her, red blade swinging. It clashes violently with Rey's, electric crackles filling the air. Alyse strikes swift and hard, backing Rey to the wall. Rey lets her for a few seconds, then she somersaults over her, taking the offense.

Alyse whips around, aggressively parrying Rey's blows, pushing against them. She quickly puts Rey on defense with a flurry of swift, hard strikes, backing her down the walkway. The other Knights observe from below, faces turned up.

Alyse hacks and swings, black eyes burning, attacking so relentlessly it's all Rey can do to hold her off. It's so obvious who trained her— Alyse fights like he does, all fire and aggression, wearing her opponent down with her ferocity. But where Ben has a way of being both wild and precise, Alyse is just wild, saber whirling with mad, unfocused strikes.

As Alyse backs her to the wall, slashing and snarling, a memory flashes in Rey's mind, the last time she fought Ben in the training room. She remembers how frustrated he got when she played his aggression to her advantage, forcing him to chase her around the room.

Suddenly, Rey tucks and rolls behind Alyse, the grated pattern of the walkway scraping her back. Alyse whips around, but Rey immediately somersaults over her, landing on a silver counter affixed to the wall. She kicks some lab equipment in her face, then hops down and over the walkway to the second floor. She instantly takes off, the other Knights watching.

The walkway shakes when Alyse lands, racing after her. Rey runs all the way to the other side of the room before whipping around to charge, meeting Alyse with one, two, three precise strikes. When Alyse thrusts back, Rey ducks under the blade, tucking and rolling behind her, then shooting up to the top floor.

Alyse growls, leaping after her.

Rey takes off running the other way now, Alyse following close behind.

"Hey, Chainbreaker!" She yells at Rey. "Come back and fight me!"

Rey halts, whipping around to meet a flurry of hacking and thrashing. She strikes and parries for a few seconds, then somersaults over Alyse, dropping back down to the second floor.

"Bitch!" Alyse's curse reverberates off the walls.

Rey puts her on the chase again, stopping occasionally to attack, but mostly giving Alyse a nice, long tour of the upper floors of the facility, running her over every inch of the walkways, grated metal shaking as the drops down to the second floor then leaps back to the third.

Rey falls easily into what Finn once called her "offensive retreat" strategy where she wears down her opponent physically and psychologically, forcing them to expend energy in a chase and frustrating them by never allowing a sustained attack. It works particularly well with people who are aggressive, who love to fight and hate it when they can't unleash their fury.

Rey's on the third floor now, racing atop the counters affixed to the wall. Alyse follows close behind on the walkway, growling as Rey kicks back lab equipment in her path. Soon, Alyse roars, jumping onto the countertop.

Rey instantly hops off and somersaults to a walkway in the center. She whips around to find Alyse standing next to the counters, red-faced and breathless.

"Need some help up there?" One of the other Knights calls.

Alyse sucks in a breath. For a second, it looks like she's about charge.

But instead, she straightens, setting her jaw. She lowers her blade and begins walking casually. She's on the walkway beside the wall, Rey on one parallel to it, several feet of open space between them.

Alyse passes by, glancing at Rey but not stopping. Rey starts walking beside her, never taking her eyes off her. She halts when Alyse does, the Knight turning sharply when she reaches a path connecting the two walkways. For a few seconds, Alyse stands there, glaring.

Then, her face changes, becoming sly.

"You do realize…" The grated metal clings under her boots as she steps forward. "Why he likes you?" She cocks her head.

Rey says nothing.

Alyse takes another step, a smile teasing her lips. "It's not your pretty eyes." There's mocking in her tone. "It's not that cute little nose. It's not that fit little body or even your hero complex." She stops in front of Rey. "It's your power." She flares her eyes. "That's all he wants, all he cares about."

Rey leans away, keeping a firm grip on her weapon.

Alyse squints knowingly, then passes beside her, heading to the next walkway.

Rey turns, following with her eyes.

"Do you really think…" Alyse's back is to her now. "That he'd give a damn about you if you weren't powerful?" She looks snidely over her shoulder. "You should play a little game with yourself." Alyse starts strolling down another walkway parallel to Rey.

Rey follows beside, watching from across the open space.

"You should imagine…" Alyse glances at her. "What your life would be like if you didn't have the Force."

Rey looks down to see the rest of the Knights watching below.

"Do you think he'd be interested in you at all? Do you think he'd even notice you?" Alyse halts, turning to face her. "You know he wouldn't." She shakes her head. "So, I hope you haven't been telling yourself that he loves you because that would be sad."

Rey just stands, silent and still.

Alyse studies her and for a split second, Rey catches a flash of vulnerability.

But the look fades quickly.

"Take it from someone who knows." Alyse juts her chin up. "He doesn't love you. He doesn't love anyone. He's incapable of it." She whips her saber at her side. "He loves power, and only power, and once he gets what he wants, he'll cast you aside like garbage."

Rey flinches.

"Aww." Alyse pouts. "I didn't hit a soft spot, did I?" In an instant, she leaps over the space between walkways, meeting Rey with a violent strike.

Rey clashes against the blade and whips into a series of counterstrikes, cutting down, up, across, a sudden surge of focus roaring through her. She starts creating a wall around her opponent, and Alyse parries wildly, trying to take the offense, but Rey's saber seems to be everywhere. Alyse grows frenzied, her focus split by blows coming in all directions.

Suddenly, Alyse ducks, dropping to the second floor, but Rey moves as soon as she does, following and continuing her assault as though nothing happened. The other Knights step back, watching as Rey drives Alyse down the central walkway, grated metal rattling and shaking under them.

Alyse grows more and more frustrated, and soon, Rey starts to see openings, a chance to slice off a hand or deliver a killing blow.

But she doesn't take them.

It's partly because that's not her style. She fights to defend, not maim. But it's partly because in spite of Alyse's vitriol, Rey can't help but feel compassion for her. She's getting better at sensing what lies beneath rage, and she knows this woman is hurting, nursing a wound that just won't heal. Killing her would feel wrong, like cutting down scared, injured animal bearing its teeth.

But she needs to end this fight somehow.

Rey sees an opening and takes it, driving her purple blade directly into Alyse's right shoulder. Alyse cries out, whipping her hand to her wound as she stumbles back.

Suddenly, Rey hears an electric hum behind her, and she turns to find Aeneas standing a few feet away, red blade burning hot in his hand.

"Hey!" Alyse barks. "We had an agreement."

"You're taking too long." Aeneas grips his saber, black eyes fixed on Rey.

The next instant, he lunges, and Rey catches a strike so forceful it pushes her back. He starts hacking and slashing with cold precision, and Rey defends the blows, keenly aware of Alyse behind her. Soon, she's sandwiched between walls of red, Alyse on one side, Aeneas on the other. They whirl their blades furiously, and the first chance Rey gets, she hops over the walkway, landing on the concrete floor below.

She starts to run but stops when the bearded Knight drops in front of her, yellow eyes flashing like teeth in a wolf's mouth. He growls, charging at Rey, and she meets his saber with hers, then ducks his second strike, tucking and rolling behind him. She starts to leap to the walkways but is stopped by the blonde Knight crashing down on her.

Rey dodges and before she knows it, she's surrounded, five red blades spitting and crackling on all sides. She whips into a flurry of motion— blocking, dodging, ducking— blades cutting so close their heat sizzles her skin.

That's when she feels it.

It's just a flash, the Force extending an invitation— take it or leave it?

She takes it.

For a few precious seconds, the world around her freezes, faces caught in snarls, blades in mid-air. She pivots and leaps to the walkway above.

"What the—?"

She hears one of the Knights before she leaps to the third floor.

"Up there!"

"Did she just teleport?"

"I told you," Aeneas growls. "She can freeze time. Get her!"

Rey turns and starts racing to the far side of the building, grated metal clanging under her. She feels the walkways shake when the Knights leap onto them, chasing after her.

Rey glances up, eyes on the left corner of the ceiling as she approaches. This place is like a concrete trap, no windows, only two doors, but she caught sight of a hatch to the ventilation system while she was running Alyse around the room. It'll take her to the roof…

Rey reaches out through the Force, sensing the Knights behind her, three on the third floor, two on the second, but it's Rose she's searching for. She feels her and the rescues nearby… Are they out of the facility yet? Best play it safe and buy them a little more time.

Rey halts, closing her eyes. She stands firm on the walkway, the metal rattling as the Knights race up from behind.

For a moment, everything seems to slow— footsteps pounding, Aeneas yelling, her heart beating. She dissolves into it, all of it, becoming the whole world around her. It's like communing with the crystals, being everywhere and everything at once.

Her eyes snap open.

She whips into action, back-flipping over one Knight and swinging around to meet another's strike. Sabers crackle and spit as she fends off blows from two sides then somersaults down to the second floor.

The Knights follow after her, sabers thrashing, and she meets them, fending off some blows and dodging others. They're everywhere— she can't escape one Knight without running into another— but she weaves around them, seeming to move through them. She's speed personified, purple blade like lightening as she parries and thrusts. She's in the air half the time, flipping, leaping, jumping to the third floor then dropping down to the second. Several times, she hops over the walkway only to catch the edge of it and swing back to the top.

The Knights attack ferociously, red blades whipping all around her. They're well-trained and relentless, like fighting five Bens, and several times their strikes nearly land, hot lasers coming dangerously close to slicing through her.

But just before they hit, the Force reaches out, extending an invitation, and she takes it, freezing her environment just long enough to dodge or flip away. To the Knights, she seems to blink from one spot to another, in front of them one instant and behind them the next. They growl, their attacks growing wilder.

But as they grow more frustrated, Rey grows calmer. She moves around them in a beautiful dance, light and graceful. She flows with the Force, her ally, her partner, and they work together seamlessly as though they were one and the same.

She starts to see openings, and sometimes she takes them, her blade puncturing a shoulder or slashing the back of a leg. The Knights cry out, then do as Ben does, beating their wounds to stoke their rage. Their strikes become harder, more precise, Rey staggering back at the force of their blades against hers, but she evades most of them, gliding between them like air.

She continues weakening their bodies with punctures and burns, but she never delivers a killing blow or even a maiming one. Perhaps the wiser approach would be to cut off some limbs or even take their lives, but Rey made a decision when her Force abilities began to develop, giving her the power to strike down her enemies.

She decided mercy is the greater power, and that whenever she fights, no matter how evil her opponents seem to be, she must remember that they're still people. There's a reason why they are the way they are, a combination of bad choices and circumstances beyond their control. It's not her job to punish or judge them. She simply defends herself and others, nothing more.

Rey flips over Alyse as she charges, then drops down to the second floor, metal shaking when she lands. She dodges a strike from Aeneas, flying past him, and whips around, the tip of her blade slicing his face when turns. Aeneas roars, staggering back, his hand over his left eye. The slash is deep and will leave a scar, a mirror of Ben's.

"DAMN IT!" Aeneas's voice booms through the building. "Let's ground this bitch!" With one swift movement, he cuts his saber through the grated walkway, splitting it in two.

In an instant, the room is alive with the sound of searing metal and clanging, all of the Knights slicing through the walkways, chunks of them crashing onto the cylinder tanks below. Rey gasps, leaping to the top floor and racing to the left corner, eyes on the hatch to the ventilation system. She's halfway there when the path falls out from under her and she falls with the severed walkway, catching the edge of another on the second floor. She releases, dropping to the concrete, then bolts between rows of cylinders to the closest door.

She halts when Alyse drops in her path.

"No way." Alyse shakes her head, breathless. "You're not going anywhere."

Rey senses another Knight coming up behind her, and she whips around to fend off a strike from Aeneas. In an instant, she's fighting both him and Alyse, their blades spitting and crackling against hers. Rey thrusts and parries all the while dodging chunks of the grated walkways falling from above.

The other Knights remain up top, slicing through the walkways until all that's left are a few scattered chunks next to the wall, most of the counters smashed on the floor with the rest of the debris. It's all open space now, the hatch to the ventilation system well out of reach.

For the first time, Rey starts to panic, really panic. How is she gonna get out of here?

She hacks and slashes against Aeneas and Alyse, who are soon joined by two of the others. She's surrounded by blurring red blades as they swing at her, creating a wall of electric humming and cracking. She fends off the blows but she's not flowing with the Force like she was, her mind frenzied, running through all the ways she could escape. If only she could do what she did in the forest that time, freeze her environment indefinitely…

As if on cue, she feels it, the Force reaching out, extending an invitation.

But she explodes in pain before she can take it.

Rey falls to her knees, shocked to see the sharp end of a metal bar jutting out beneath her ribs. It looks like an edge of one of the walkways, grated metal seared off the side, the end of it pointed like a spear. She knows the longer part is behind her because she feels the weight pulling her back. Her lightsaber falls out of her hand, and she crumples on her side, head rolling to see the lithe, blue-eyed Knight striding up to meet the others.

"Yes!" Alyse squeals. "Silo, you're a sneaky, deadly little shit, you know that?"

Silo stops next to Aeneas, looking smug.

Rey gasps, fighting to breath, lying sideways on the concrete. She brings a trembling hand just below the metal sticking out of her body.

Suddenly, there's a boot on her shoulder, grinding her to the floor, and in one swift, motion, she feels the metal bar rip out of her. Rey screams, exploding in pain like she's never known it. She takes short, sharp gasps as she covers her wound with a hand, blood gathering quickly and dripping through her fingers.

Heal… She needs to heal…

She rolls onto her stomach, a hand pressed to her injury. The Knights stand over her, snickering and congratulating themselves. She closes her eyes, feeling the Force flow through her. She thinks about Rose, her team, the rescues, Ben, Daja, Leia, Finn, Poe, all the people she loves. She thinks about all the slaves in this galaxy, their strength, their resilience. Warmth begins surging through her, and for a moment, she feels her flesh knitting together.

But it's interrupted by a hard kick to her side.

Rey cries out, curling into a ball. The kicks keep coming, first at her back then moving to her front. She feels a hand grip her shoulder, rolling her on her back.

"Oh, no you don't." Alyse leans over her. "No healing. Pain is useful, you know? Pain fuels rage and rage fuels the Force. Didn't Kylo teach you anything?" She shoots up, delivering another kick.

Rey gasps, then spurts blood. She wheezes, struggling to breathe. She starts crawling away, eyes on a space between the row of cylinders beside her.

"Hey!" Alyse grabs her hair and bashes her head on the floor. "Where do you think you're going?"

Rey whimpers, her skull throbbing. She's blurry now, can barely see anything except blends of grey and silver.

Heal… She must heal…

She slides a trembling hand to her wound, the whole center of her body shrieking in pain.

Suddenly, she feels more explosions at her stomach. She braces herself against the blows, then coughs up another spurt of blood.

"No healing!" Alyse cackles over her.

Rey's whole body is trembling, and she can barely breathe, choking on the metallic bitterness in her throat.

"Aww." Alyse's voice descends. "Poor Chainbreaker."

Rey closes her eyes, her brain pounding against her skull. She starts to feel her consciousness slipping….

NO!

Her eyes snap open.

She must stay awake. She rolls on her back, trying to look up at the Knights looming over her, but their faces run together. She wants to close her eyes so badly, but she forces her lids to stay up.

"Alright, Alyse…" She hears Aeneas say. "You've had your fun, now get on with it. Just kill her."

Fuzzy figures step back until only one is left. It hovers over her a moment then descends, warm breath on her face.

"I've really been looking forward to this, you know?" Alyse runs a finger along her cheek. "I'd like to take some time, make a day of it, but…" She tsks. "You know how men can be, so impatient."

Rey lies on the floor, her breath soft and faint. She tries to focus on the hazy outline above but she feels herself drifting, her mind begging for release. She draws on every inch of will to keep her eyes open, but her lids drift in spite the effort.

"Hey."

Rough fingers grip her jaw.

"Hey." Alyse rattles her then gives her a slap. "Don't you dare close your eyes."

Rey fights to keep her lids up.

"I want you to look at me when I kill you."

Dark and fleshy colors dance above her as fingers slip around her throat. They linger softly for a moment.

Then, they squeeze.

Rey tries to gasp, but no air comes through. She starts flailing as best she can, wrapping her hands around wrists at her throat, but the squeezing gets tighter, blood pounding in her ears. She starts to see black spots, her vision growing dark. Her kicks and twists grow weaker, her consciousness slipping…

Suddenly, the squeezing stops, and Rey gasps for air. It cuts into her side as it enters her lungs, but she doesn't care, so happy for oxygen. The fuzzy figure isn't so close to her now. Alyse must be standing. Why did she stop…?

That's when it washes over her, enveloping her like a warm tide. She doesn't know why she didn't feel it before, but she feels it now. It's unmistakable.

Ben.

Finally, she just lets go, lets her lids drift and her consciousness fall away until there's only blackness.

Rey opens her eyes slowly.

The first thing she sees is bluish light, dim and gentle. She blinks a couple of times, a white ceiling coming into focus. She shifts but instantly stops, a sharp pain flaring in her side.

"Rey?"

She rolls her head to find Ben's face only a few inches from hers. He snaps up, some sort of pattern etched into his cheek like he's been sleeping on it. She tries to shift but hisses.

"Don't move." He jerks his hand away, and it's only then that she realizes he was holding hers. "Stay still." He fiddles with something, and the bed begins to rise to a slight incline. She looks down to see she's covered under a blanket and wearing a white shirt with short sleeves.

She keeps blinking, everything foggy, her vision, her mind...

"It's ok." Ben strokes her hair back. "You're ok." He takes her hand again.

She looks at him, bleary-eyed. For a minute, she's confused— Where is she? Why is he here? Is it through the bond? Is she dreaming?

Then, she gasps.

The Knights. Rose. Her team. The rescues.

"What happened?" She demands. "Where are the rescues? Where's my team?"

Ben opens his mouth but stops, twisting around at the sound of the door.

"Rose!" Rey exclaims, surprised to see her friend enter the room.

"Hey." Rose scurries to meet her. "You're awake. How are you feeling?" She reaches over to press a palm to Rey's forehead.

"I-I…" Rey stammers. "I'm fine. How are you? How's the team, the—"

"They're fine." Rose pulls away. "Everyone's fine. We made it to the rendezvous, and Syl took them on to Beta 4."

Rey relaxes. "Good." She nods. "Good." She brings a hand to her head, rubbing her temple. "Where…?" She feels so fuzzy. "How…?"

"You've been out for two days." Rose leans in, scanning her face clinically. "You spent the first in a bacta tank." She reaches for Rey's chin, tilting up. "You're in a private medical facility on Osean."

Rey knits her eyebrows. "How did I get here? How did you get here?"

"Him." Rose nods to Ben.

Rey looks to him, confused.

"It's…" Rose straightens. "A bit complicated, but the short version is the First Order showed up, and I surrendered myself to demand an audience with the Supreme Leader."

"And…" Rey squints. "You've been here the whole time?"

"Yes." Rose nods softly. "We've been looking after you."

Rey raises her eyebrows. Ben and Rose spent two days together in a med-bay? "So…" She glances between them. "You've been taking shifts?"

"Uh…" Rose's eyes slide to Ben. "Yeah…" She says slowly.

Rey tilts her chin up, studying her friend. She senses the inward grating of a lie…

That's when she realizes… Ben's hardly left this room.

Rey looks down, pressing her lips together.

"Well, I should…" Rose lingers on Ben. "Get a message to the leadership, let them know you're awake." She steps back. "You guys take some time." Before Rey can say anything, Rose turns, exiting the room as quickly as she entered. The door whirs shut behind her.

Rey stares at it blankly. "So…" She blinks a couple times. "You and Rose have been… getting to know each other?" She turns to Ben.

"Something like that."

Rey cocks an eye.

She's gonna need more of an answer than that, but she'll ask about it later. Right now, she needs to deal with the aching in her side. She presses her palms to the mattress and shifts up, hissing.

"Rey, no." Ben puts a hand on her shoulder, pushing down gently. "You need to rest."

"Actually…" She scoots back a little. "I don't." She casts off the blanket to find she's wearing a white shirt and pants, her wound heavily bandaged.

"Rey, you need—"

"To heal myself." She hovers a palm over the bandages. "I would've done it before but—" She cringes at the memory of Alyse. She glides her hand over her wound, just getting a sense of it—the torn muscles, the cracked bones. Then, she closes her eyes, resting her palm gently on the bandages.

She feels Ben watching her, senses his curiosity, his concern. She focuses on him, imagines what he's been doing the past two days— pacing in front of a bacta tank, sitting beside her bed, holding her hand.

She starts to fill with a gentle warmth, lulling from her core. It deepens when she thinks of Rose, her loyalty and bravery— taking care of the rescues, surrendering herself to the First Order. She thinks of the members of her team, the few who were here and the many others back on base. She thinks of Finn, Poe, Daja, Leia, everyone she knows in the Resistance and even those she doesn't. She thinks of how much she loves them, all of them, the whole community, even those who've turned against her.

And as she thinks of these things, warmth surges through her like lifeblood. She begins to dissolve, her body melting away to become pure energy, expanding until it covers the whole galaxy, the whole universe, everything she loves— all people, all life, every blade of grass, every drop of water, seen and unseen.

She comes back to herself slowly, an explosion in reverse. She takes a deep breath, lungs expanding in her chest. Then, she opens her eyes.

She sits up carefully, a hand pressed to her bandages. She takes a few more inhales, testing, but she doesn't hiss or wince. There's no pain. She smiles, turning to Ben.

His eyes dart from her wound to her face, questioning. She answers by swinging her legs over the bed, stretching and arching her back.

"You're…?"

"Good as new." She twists right, then left.

He stares at her, a haze coming over him. "How—?" He furrows his brow. "When you—?"

Suddenly, he throws himself against his chair. "I don't understand it." He shakes his head. "I don't understand how you do it— without training, without anything."

Rey tilts her head, reading him. He's frustrated but also… defeated.

"I…" He looks down. "I tried. To heal you. When I found you. I tried several times." He grits his teeth. "But…"

"Hey." She moves in front of him, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from his face "You saved my life. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you, so please don't beat yourself up." She caresses his cheek. "You'll heal someday, and when you do, it won't be because of training but love."

His eyes flicker. He lifts a hand, covering hers.

"Rey…" He swallows thickly. "I'm so sorry. This never should've happened." He grips her hand. "I should've known Aeneas would use the slavers to get to you. I should've called the Knights back in when I had the chance."

"Ben…" She starts gently. "There's no way you could've known what they were planning."

"I had warning." His eyes sharpen. "You know I did. I knew Aeneas wanted to go after you, and I—"

"Ben." She lifts his hand to her lips, kissing the backs of his fingers. "Please stop blaming yourself. It doesn't help you or me. All that matters is we survived."

He exhales heavily, slipping a hand around the nape of her neck and pulling her forehead to his. They lean into one another, eyes closed, his fingers tangled in her hair, her hands framing his face. They seem to be in prayer, just taking a moment to be grateful they're alive.

After a minute, he lifts up, pressing his lips to hers. He lingers before sliding his cheek along hers, his breath at her ear.

"I could've lost you," he whispers. "If I'd been a minute later—"

"Shh." She strokes his hair. "You didn't lose me."

"But I was that close. I don't know—"

"Stop." She nuzzles him. "Just stop. Focus on the present, not what could've happened."

He nods, but he's still cold with fear. He keeps a tight hold as though he's afraid she'll drift away. He doesn't loosen even when her palm slides to his shoulder, pushing gently. He keeps her close, breathing her in.

She pushes a little harder and he releases, hands sliding to her hips.

"So, tell me..." She straightens. "What happened? How did you find me? Where are the Knights?"

He instantly looks away. He rises, stepping to the center of the room. For the first time, Rey takes a moment to glance around, note the sleek, silver counters, medical instruments arranged on white shelves, an empty bacta tank in the corner.

"The Knights…" He has his back to her. "Have been taken into custody."

"Ok…" Rey studies him. "And what will happen to them?"

"That has yet to be determined."

"Are they all…" She hesitates. "Alive? Did you have to fight them?"

"They're alive." He turns. "There was no need to fight them. They weren't in any condition to take on me and an army." He squints at her. "You'd given them quite the run around."

"Yes, well…." She grunts. "Force freezing came in handy."

"Not handy enough.".

She looks down.

The room grows quiet. She can feel Ben's eyes on her, sense that fear cutting in his heart.

After a moment, she shifts, growing uncomfortable under layers of bandages. She slips a hand under her shirt, starting to peel.

"Rey…" Ben starts carefully. "Tell me something."

She glances up.

"When you were fighting the Knights, did you have the chance to kill any of them?"

She doesn't answer, focusing on her work.

"Rey…" He steps closer.

She rips off the first layer of bandages, casting it on the bed.

"Rey…"

She starts on the second.

"Rey, look at me!"

She snaps up.

Ben's eyes burn into hers. "Tell me the truth— Did you ever have the chance to kill them, any of them?" He cocks his head.

She stares at him a moment.

"Of course, I did." She juts her chin up. "But I didn't need to."

"WHAT!?" He explodes. "Didn't need to? You were half dead and bleeding out on the floor!"

"That was…" She tenses. "A miscalculation on my part. I should've—"

"KILLED THEM! You had no back up whatsoever, precious few options for escape."

"Ben…" She removes the final layer of bandages, dropping them on the bed. "You could've killed them too but—"

"I had them surrounded!" He roars. "They couldn't have killed me if they tried, but trust me when I tell you that if the situation were kill or be killed, I wouldn't have hesitated to cut every single one of them down."

"But it wasn't that kind of situation, for you or me. I had an escape plan—"

"Is that, right?" He spits. "Did it involve you getting run through with a makeshift spear and nearly choked to death?"

She hardens.

"Damn it, Rey!" He whips around, starting to pace the room.

"Ben." She sighs. "I decided a long time ago that I would not kill unless I had to, and this wasn't one of those times."

He scoffs.

"You…" He grips a chunk of his hair. "Are a damn fool. You were attacked by five of the most dangerous people in the galaxy, and you didn't think it necessary to fight to the death?"

"No." She shakes her head. "Because there was another way. I knew there was another way."

"This—" He whips around. "Is exactly why I had to do it. You forced my hand."

"Do what?"

He stiffens. She waits for him to answer, but he just stands, glaring.

"You…" He lifts a finger. "Are too reckless with your own life. You make stupid decisions, put yourself in mortal danger for people you don't even know, or worse, for showing mercy to scum. I…" He shakes his head. "I could not just sit back and watch you do that. I couldn't allow you to get yourself killed."

"What are you talking about?"

He stares coldly.

Then, he turns, walking a few steps to the door. "Before you were attacked…" He pauses. "I was informed that all the Knights had removed their trackers at the same time. I knew what that meant, what they were likely to do, so I went to find you, warn you."

"Ok…" She stares at his back. "But if the Knights removed their trackers, how did you know where to go?"

He doesn't turn.

"Surely, they wouldn't have taken them out on Osean. That would've—" Suddenly, she grows cold. "That would've lead you right to them." She brings a hand to her stomach, starting to feel sick. She can't tell if the feeling is coming from him or her…

Ben stands, his hands clasped behind him.

"So…" She rises shakily. "How did you find me?"

He doesn't move.

"Ben…?"

He hardens.

Then, he turns, his expression unreadable. "I did what was necessary," he says curtly. "If you refuse to take care of yourself, then someone has to."

"B-ben." Rey starts to tremble now. "Just answer the question. How did you know where I was?"

He gulps, and for a split second, she catches a hint of fear.

But the look fades quickly.

"I once found you…" He steps closer. "Stowed away on a First Order transport bleeding to death all because you went on some fool's mission and got yourself trapped. If I hadn't found you, you would've died, and I—" He clenches his jaw. "Could not let that happen again."

Rey's heartbeat quickens, a memory flashing. It's so small, so innocent… The first time she met Sylas. He'd dragged from the bar and stopped outside, desperately searching the tops of buildings.

"They're gonna secure a landing spot." He'd told her.

"How do they know where you are?" She'd asked.

"Tracker." He'd patted his collarbone.

She instantly brings a hand to her neckline, feeling from one side to the other.

"Ben…" Her lips quiver. "P-please… Please tell me you didn't."

His throat constricts.

"Please…" Her eyes grow hot. "Please tell me you didn't disable the tracker on the Falcon only to put one in my body."

"I…" He gulps. "I had to Rey. You gave me no choice. I had to protect you from yourself."

She whimpers, squeezing her eyes shut. They're on fire now, tears pushing their way through. "No," She croaks weakly. "No."

"It doesn't just track your movements. It tracks your vitals so—"

Rey crumples to the floor, her legs like jelly. She plants a palm to steady her, covering her eyes with the other.

"B-but..." She struggles through half breaths. "I trusted you. I trusted you."

"Rey…" He crouches, his tone softening. "I had to. You never would've agreed—"

"Don't touch me!" She jerks away when he puts a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you touch me!" She crawls away from him, her eyes buried in a palm. She drapes her body over her thighs, heaving with sobs. "I trusted you, and you lied."

"Rey… I'm not the only one here who's lied."

She croaks, the tears pouring now, streaming down her cheeks.

"Rey, I hate that I deceived you, but you gave me no choice. I will not apologize for trying to keep you safe."

"You…" She rips her hand from her face. "Are so good at this, aren't you?" She shoots to her feet.

He rises, stepping back.

"Rationalizing," she spits. "Twisting the wrong choices so they look like the right ones. You've been doing it your whole life."

"Rey—"

"SHUT UP!" She sticks a finger at him like a dagger. "You don't talk now. I talk. You…" She trembles with rage. "Drown yourself in lies and illusions of control. You take away people's autonomy, tell yourself you're doing it for their own good, and you know what?" She steps in. "Maybe there's some truth to the things you tell yourself. The best lies always have a bit of truth, don't they?" She cocks her head.

He just stares.

"But that doesn't change the fact that what you're doing is wrong, Ben. It's just wrong. And that's the worst part." She chokes on a sob. "It's not that you lied, but that you don't even understand what you did. You don't understand th-that …" She whimpers. "You violated me. You violated me."

Ben watches, his face drained of color.

"I-I…" She struggles to speak through sobs. "I keep telling myself that you've changed, that you are changing, b-but…" She scrunches her face. "I've been a fool, such a fool. You haven't changed. You don't want to change. You're exactly the way you were when we first met— invading my mind, invading my body. You do what you want, you take what you want, and you never ask permission, and you never apologize."

Ben stands frozen, unable to speak.

"I just…" She shrugs weakly. "I give up. I give up. It's time to stop playing the fool and accept the truth. You…" She lifts a trembling finger. "Will always be Kylo Ren."

He flinches.

"You will always be a monster."

The moment the words leave her mouth, she gasps, clenching her heart. The pain is excruciating, like it was just ripped in two.

Ben gapes at her, shocked. She feels his hurt as if it were her own.

Rey stares, stricken.

Then, she bursts for the door, slapping the panel and stumbling into the hall.

"Hey." Rose is waiting outside. "What's going on? Why—"

"G-get…" Rey can barely speak through her sobs. "Get me out of here. Now."

"Right now?"

"Yes," Rey whimpers. "Please."

"O-ok…" Rose knits her eyebrows. "Come on." She moves her hand to Rey's back. "Finn's on the way." She guides her down the hall.

Rey stumbles forward, choking on tears.

"It's alright." Rose rubs her back. "We're gonna take you home." She continues down the hall, but looks over her shoulder at the med-room.

The door's shut.

Rose glances back as they get further, expecting to see it whir open.

But it never does.