Chapter Text
✷✷ ☀️ ✷✷
Shafts of sunlight broke through the swaying canopy, lighting her body as she flitted between the densely packed trees. Rey didn't know how she got here but she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
He's here
She didn't need to see the growing shadow behind her to know who it was. She could sense his presence as he relentlessly pursued her through the tangled undergrowth. Verdant tendrils began to snake up and snag her every step, as if they were somehow in league with him. Each laboured breath was sharp and brought searing pain to her chest.
An instinctive fear compelled her to flee and she dared not look back at the masked terror who burned with malice and ill intent behind her.
Despite her efforts, any hopes of escape now seemed increasingly futile as he matched her every manoeuvre with intuitive fluidity and closed on her with each long stride. She could feel his force pulling at her and an inexplicable temptation to stop and surrender crept into her heart.
I must have a death wish???
To her horror, her feet began to feel like they were wrapped in phrik and after a few more laboured steps she was rooted to the spot.
With her back to him...
totally vulnerable ...
and stricken with dread
The sounds of snapping vines and rustling vegetation got louder as he closed the final gap. With every ounce of willpower in her possession, she overcame her immobility and slowly turned to face him, lighting her saber for the inevitable attack. She expected him to be upon her already, so when she dared lift her eyes she was confused to see him saunter to a stop just a stone's throw away and tilt his head.
He's taunting me, like a predator toying with it's prey
She realised that he was now looking to her left and right, as if measuring something up and curiosity steered her head to follow his gaze.
Her heart leapt when she saw her friends running towards her through the trees and relief coursed through her body. She looked back at Kylo Ren with a new resolve, gripping the shaft of her saber tightly.
I will be the one to kill him!
But something started to gnaw at her, something wasn't right here. Looking at her friends again as they closed in around her, she realised they weren’t looking at Kylo Ren as they lifted their weapons, they were pointing them straight towards Rey!!!
Just as they approached, she felt a warmth and movement at her back. It was Kylo Ren and for some reason he had his back to her and blazing red saber pointed at her friends. A wall of thrumming dark energy burst forth from him, causing her friends to grimace and stop in their tracks just a few feet away - some even flew backwards, repelled by the blast.
A terrible dilemma presented itself as her comrades recovered and continued their deadly advance, now aided by a counterattack from Finn. She really didn't want to kill them but they seemed intent on killing her! Their familiar faces were contorted with fear and murderous hate, making them almost unrecognisable.
Using her hesitance to his advantage, Finn's mouth formed a nasty smirk as he force pushed her light saber out of her hands and into a nearby knot of vines. He then lifted his own glowing weapon, swinging it to and fro with relish. Unwilling to fight back, she braced herself for their weapons to strike down...
...
Just at that crucial moment a mysterious sound filled her ears, it was a steady, soothing rhythm that resonated through the air. Then she felt cool raindrops gently kiss her face as her friends sank from view.
No - wait!
They weren't sinking ...
She and Kylo were floating!!??
As they drifted gently upwards and away from the diminishing circle of resistance fighters, she realised that Kylo had turned to face her and now had his arms around her waist. He remained silent as she stared quizzically at his mask which was now dripping with rain. It gave no clue as to the man within.
Then, tightening his grip on her with one arm, he grabbed her hand and laced his glove bound fingers with hers.
Why did that feel so good...?
✷✷ ☾ ✷✷
Rey opened her eyes to see a moonlit waterfall splashing down just a foot or so away and she felt the rise and fall of a warm body beneath her. Memories of where she was and what she’d done returned in delicious flashes, it was Ben's naked body under hers! They had drifted to sleep together and her fevered mind must have been trying to make sense of recent events in the form a dream.
Her head was resting on Ben's chest and her ear felt the pulsing drum beat of his precious heart. A gentle breeze had dried the perspiration of their passionate exertions away but sweat still glued them together wherever their bodies touched. Small stray splats of spray occasionally escaped the cascading waters and dotted her skin with it's cool promise.
He was snoring gently with one weighty arm across her back, and splayed fingers spanning her entire left buttock (which felt weirdly reassuring). Her right hand, which was draped around the edge of his taut waist reached down and planted itself on the cool stone beneath them to lever herself up and off him until they separated like wet velcro.
His eyes opened and his hand squeezed her buttock slightly (was that on purpose?) as he took in a deep breath before sighing with a smile. "My favourite scavenger" he teased with a grin as he tensed his arm on her back, thus preventing her from sitting up "where do you think you're going?"
"We need to head back, poor Threepio is probably still standing guard in the cargo area!" she leant back down and planted a slow sensual kiss on his lips, hoping he might relinquish his hold.
He didn't.
Instead he adjusted himself so he could wrap the other arm around her and pull her back down onto him, her belly felt a firm prod which stirred up a fresh and powerful temptation between her legs but she resolutely ignored it "No seriously Ben, we should get back!"
He reluctantly released her and got up, reaching out for the cloak which was draped on a nearby branch. "I suppose you're right, they may have thought it rude of us to just slope off". He hung the dark flowing cloth around her shoulders and fastened it at her throat, taking the opportunity to pull her in for another kiss. This time he licked into her mouth a little as she felt his hands slip beneath the cloak and encompass her derriere, drawing her up against his stiff, proud cock.
Pulling away from him with eyebrows raised at his persistent attempts to detain her, she knelt down and absently stretched a leg backwards to find a foothold below the ledge. Burgeoning lust and an inability to avert her gaze to the task in hand caused her to accidentally lean on the edge of her cloak as she lowered herself, sending her off balance. She slipped and lunged at the rock to stop herself falling backwards, but in so doing, her naked thigh brushed a jutting shard of stone which pierced the soft skin.
"Ouch!"
Ben looked on with concern as she climbed back up "What have you done? Let me see that!" he enquired, gesturing to the leg that she was now hugging to her body. "It's ok, I just caught it on the stone" It stung a little but Rey figured it was just a small scrape, she touched it gingerly and her hand came away darkly stained. She winced as she began once again, to lower herself into the water. It was a small cut and a bandage would sort it out when they returned to base, she assured herself.
The water seemed to ease the stinging a little as she glided towards her clothes but about a third of the way across she felt something slide past her leg. It immediately returned and wound it's way tightly around her thigh before latching onto the site of her scrape. Sinking it's way in like a sucking grapple hook, the excruciating pain caused her to scream out.
"oooowwwww!!!"
"What's happened?" exclaimed Ben. "I think I've been bitten" she wailed and reached down to grab what felt like a snake. Sending a shockwave of force energy into it, the creature detached itself (which hurt almost as much as the bite itself). As she pulled it up out of the water to see what it was, however, it was quickly replaced by another hungry mouth. Once again, she screamed out in surprise and pain.
Nooooooooo!!!!
Looking at what she'd lifted out of the water, she regarded the limp snake with disgust and flung it as far away as she could. But as it landed in some plants at the water's edge she noticed there was now a seething swarm in the water surrounding her. She would have to wade to the bank and climb out to remove it or it would just be replaced by another one.
Ben had also jumped in and was making his way towards her, completely unhindered by the snakes that seemed only interested in Rey's wound. The wound itself strangely felt a little better now, as if anaesthetised but with each step she felt weaker and was now a little light headed. "Get me out of the water" she slurred as he reached her.
***
He lifted her out of the water and effortlessly held her above his head as he strode towards the water's edge. He looked up to see that the snake had wrapped itself around her leg and to his horror it seemed to be swelling as it fed, it’s greedy suckling motion made him want to wretch.
Once at the water's edge, he laid her down and immediately sent a force blast into the snake, causing it to open it’s jaws and writhe on the ground beside her leg, it was now bloated and it’s hideous mouth was dripping with Rey's blood. He tried not to panic as he assessed her wound. Blood continued to ooze from the wound at an alarming rate so he used her nearby breast bindings to wrap around the injured leg and hopefully stem the blood flow. He hastily pulled on his trousers and boots.
Unable to dress her without wasting valuable time, he simply draped her cloak over her front and lifted her up into his arms.
The surrounding forest was pitch dark, even the silvery light of Ajan Kloss' twin moons was unable to penetrate the thick mesh of its interwoven branches. Unfamiliar with the winding path which lead back to the Base, he tried to walk as quickly as possible, listening to the sound of dirt crunching beneath his feet to guide him along the path.
A cacophony of strange animal calls filled the oppressive air which would, he supposed, instil fear in most people. The path had seemed alot shorter when they'd followed it here but now it just seemed to go on forever! After what seemed like a monumental trek, his foot caught on the tree roots that they had climbed over earlier, he would have to take care not to fall now.
The pool's water that had soaked them quickly evaporated in the heat but Rey's head was now lolling in the crook of his arm. “Stay with me Rey, after all we've been through, you will not be beaten by some goddamned snakes!!!” he ordered. Her feeble response was a barely audible moan.
As he was making his way carefully over the roots, he heard a guttural snarl behind him. He turned to see a pair of menacing eyes shine reflectively from the path he'd just walked along as the creature approached without hesitation or fear. At approximately half Ben's height, it posed a definite threat. He heard it sniffing at the air and path as it braced itself to pounce.
It smells her blood!
Ben rearranges his precious human cargo so he can direct a sharp twist of force at the opportunistic predator. There is a gristly snap and the eyes go out.
Ben feels that all too familiar rush of power, it flows through him like an old friend. How can he ever be truly good when the power for destruction still feeds a deep part of him so deliciously? He took in a deep breath, despairing at himself and questioning Rey's unwavering faith in him.
Perhaps she was wrong to believe in me?
He hoisted Rey back up into his arms and continued towards the distant lights twinkling through the leaves.
When he finally emerged from the trees and hurried towards the dimly lit cargo area, Threepio wasn’t where they'd left him.
“Is anyone there, I need help urgently!!!” he shouted, desperately hoping someone would hear his call for help.