Is it easier to stay? Is it easier to go?

I don't want to know..

But I know that I'm never ever gonna change

And you know you don't want it any other way..

Why do we always gotta run away?

And we wind up in the same place

It's like we're looking for the same thing

Do we really got to do this now?

Right here with all your friends around

In the morning, we can work it out

I love you so much that I hate you right now,

But it's so hard to blame you..

- Easier, 5SOS

Chapter 6

He had been searching for her for what felt like weeks. The large carrier craft felt cramped with his knights crowding the halls. His only solace was found in his personal chambers, which happened to be slightly larger than his subordinates'. That's where he saw her..a flesh colored silhouette behind a glass barrier.

Their bond changed slightly every time they met. At first, he could only see her and sometimes even feel the spray of water from a beach or the grit of sand around her. Then, over time, he was able to see her surroundings along with his own, almost like there was a distinct line between their two locations. Now, he can step into her reality easily, sometimes without meaning to. She did it too, once. They were arguing, both in their own separate chambers before she crossed that line and became fully engulfed in his room. He remembers wanting to roll his eyes at her mind taking in how his quarters looked exactly as she expected it to: "too clean, too white."

He almost happily indulged himself this time; stepping into her refresher was all too easy.

He remembered how their kiss could have possibly felt so familiar yet so different this time. It was definitely more than their first. This one was possessive, hungry even. She had let him into her mind then; completely relinquishing herself to him. He drank her in completely. Moving his hands wherever her heart fluttered at the most.

"In this moment, nothing else mattered."

He felt a small shiver run up his spine at the memory of her thought slipping into his mind. Did she mean to say it? He was overcome by her confession, whether she had meant to have him hear it or not. He wanted nothing more than to have her right then. In that moment, she was right, there was no politics. No arguing. No dark or light. Just them. Just two lost souls. No..two souls, one body. A dyad in the Force. Balance. To hell with everything else.

They should've never left that room.

He understood her reservations. He didn't agree with them, but he complied anyway.

"Come here. Come to Endor."

Kylo's hands shook at the memory of her. He refused to let those feelings bubble back up again as he barked at his knights, "I know where the scavenger is."

…..

Rey's heart thudded loudly in her ears as she threw her white tunic and pants on while attempting to run without finishing putting on her left boot.

He knows where I am.

Where we are.

I told him..

Rey heaved as she ran out into the base camp, eyes searching for her master. How could she be that naive? Was she..was she seduced? Was that his plan? To bring down her defenses to let her reveal where she was? No..that can't be it. She would've sensed it. She would've at least seen some remnant of that plan in his mind. She desperately tried to ignore the heat on the back of the neck as she remembered what could have been..what they almost..

"Master Leia!" Rey yelled before she stopped abruptly. Leia and several other rebels gathered in a large crowd didn't look up; their attention captured by the monitor in front of them. On the older model screen, left over by the war with the Empire, was a written transmission she couldn't quite make out.

Rey breathed, "What's going on?"

It was Finn that noticed her finally, "Rey..it's bad." He turned from the monitor and the small mob to step towards her.

Rey furrowed her brows, "What is it? Is he already here?!"

"No, I don't think he knows where we are. But still..he'll find out eventually if we don't do something about this." Finn brought his hands up to rub his temples.

"I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I told him where we are...He's coming. And not..not only that..but there's something else.."

Finn looked up at her, confusion written all over his face, "What are you talking about? How the hell did you tell him? Why would you even be talking to him?! How even?!"

"Palpatine is not the him she was referring to." General Leia approached them, a stern look coming over her face, "Come with me. We need to speak in private."

…..

"Wait..wait wait WAIT." Finn had his hands up, attempting to take in all the information Leia and Rey just exchanged.

"First of all, YOU'RE a Palpatine?! Does that explain what happened to you earlier when you went all evilly? Did he take over you or something?"

"No..no I think it's just that part of him in me..trying to come out. The Dark Side is a lot stronger in me than in most force sensitive people." Rey tried to speak clearly and calmly, afraid he'd get louder if she patrionized him.

"Second of all!" he put two fingers close to her face, "Poe was right?! You've been sneaking off to Force call Kylo Ren?! How long has that been goin on?!"

"Finn, keep your voice down." Leia chimed in.

Finn paced in the small tent before taking a deep breath, "So not only have you been fraternizing with the enemy, but you TOLD HIM WHERE WE ARE?"

Rey stood, "I told you I didn't mean to! I..it just came out!"

Finn threw her a loud "Are you a masochist? Just because he's some tall dark and handsome guy you're going to fill him in on all your secrets? You think you can change him Rey and you can't. He's playing around with you! Don't you see that? He's probably filling your head with all kinds of bullshit just to watch you squirm. You're better than that, Rey."

She didn't reply. Rey was caught between wanting to beg her friend for forgiveness, or to slap him.

He let out a fake laugh, "Is that where you sneak off to sometimes? Not to train, but to see him? He's seducing you isn't he? If he hasn't yet I bet that's next on his list of 'how to turn Rey to the dark side 101'."

Rey shook with anger, "How dare you! What kind of person do you take me for!"

Her face burned with more blush than fury. Was he right?

Finn backed off, "I told you, you're better than that, Rey. You're flirting with death just by being near him. We can't have that happen. We need you. I need you." he was pleading now, all dramatics drained from his expression.

Rey calmed herself, taking a small breath, "You're just going to have to trust me."

Finn stared wide-eyed at his closest friend, realizing she was far too gone.

"Stop. While you two stand there squabbling my son is speeding towards us. We can deal with Palpatine's announcement later, we have to be ready for when Ben..when Kylo Ren comes." Leia moved around them to exit the tent. Rey sighed as she watched her disappointed master leave.

"Rey."

She turned toward Finn again, praying he'd forgive her for this.

"How were you so comfortable..so comfortable with him that you'd let infomration like that just come out?"

"I'll tell you what I told Poe. Ben Solo can be turned. I can feel it. I've felt it for a while now. I can..I can change him."

Finn closed the space between them to heed her a warning, "He's going to chew you up and spit you back out."

"Enemy ship spotted!"

"Everyone, quick, load up!"

"They're coming!"

Rey and Finn bursted from the supply tent at the sound of their comrades' dismays. There were now so many surrounding them. They were frantic.

Leia was giving orders while Poe attempted to load BB-8 into his small ship.

"Wait!"

Rose waved a hand up at several Rebel officers, attempting to stop them from ascending on the foreign ship. She stared at the old-school monitor's green lettering.

"They aren't going to land." Rose's voice didn't sound hopeful in the least despite her statement.

"What?" Leia stepped through several surprised rebels before she made it to Rose's monitor.

"Look." Rose slowly pointed at the screen, gesturing for the General to read the incoming transmission.

"What does it say? Are they going to blast us from above?" Finn yelled at them when the several moments of silence lasted far too long.

Leia and Rose exchanged a worried glance, ignoring him.

"What did he say?" Rey stepped forward, calmly asking what the transmission asked for. She didn't need to ask. She already knew.

She could sense Kylo in his ship just above them. If he is willing to spare them..to spare the Rebels..she'd do whatever he asked. But then again, could she completely trust him? She wanted to so badly. Something deep in her gut said she could. She reached out to him, to search his emotions. She could sense only one intense emotion….exitement?

Leia spoke, refusing to look at her, "He will not land or blast us into oblivion...if we give him what he wants."

"What could we possibly have to bargain? We have barely any weapons, second-rate ships, old shitty technolog-" Finn's realization hit as he slowly turned to his friend. Almost every Rebel at the base stared at Rey, completely confused.

It's me isn't it.

Rey sent the thought to Leia, knowing she would be listening anyway. She nodded an answer.

"Give me a ship."

…..

Kylo's entire body seemed to tremble in anticipation of her arrival. He felt her resolve before they sent the transmission back to accept his demands.

The small beaten rebel ship slowly crept up before asking to dock.

…..

Large masked men dressed in faded black opened the hatch to greet her in the small ship Leia lended to her. Knights of Ren, she guessed.

They tugged her arms over head to yank her out of her ship before she had time to completely unbuckle the safety harness. She landed on the cold flood of their ship momentarily before quickly being lifted and dragged down the halls.

She could feel him. She could feel his presence all around her. She forgot just how thick it was in person. Through the force, she could touch him and sense him but not like this. It was a slightly muted version of him. This was almost overwhelming.

Two of his knights donned her with wrist shackles and showed her to where she'd be staying.

A maintenance supply closet.

"That asshole." she kicked the wall to her left. It was so small and cramped, filled with cleaning supplies and extra parts. There was only enough room for her to sit cross-legged. She guessed with so many people aboard they had ran out of room. She also guessed he was doing this to punish her for what happened what felt like only minutes ago..

She sat there for what could have been several hours. Where was he? She knew he'd be the one to greet her, to gloat and boast of how he "won." But he never showed.

Rey closed her eyes, "What? Not ready to come claim your prize?"

She meant it in a rude, extremely sarcastic way but immediately read into the connotations of it. She blushed furiously, hoping he was too busy to hear her.

"Don't worry, we have plenty of time to spend together now."

His husky voice echoed in her ears, making her jump a little. There was a twist in her gut as she wondered what he probably had meant by that.

She moved a few spare droid parts and calcinator wires out of the way so she could scoot back to lean on the back wall.

"I did this to save them. I'm still not joining you. If you want to destroy Palpatine with me, then fine. But I'll never join the Dark Side."

She sensed his annoyance and his eyes rolling.

When he didn't answer, she continued, "You can't shake me now. I'm not going anywhere. I will turn you. I'm not leaving until I do."

"You're going to be disappointed then."

She smiled, "You'll get your wish. We'll do it together. I'm going to kill Palpatine, with Ben Solo."

She waited several seconds for a response. She wondered if he was going to answer at all.

"We'll see."