This is it. The end is here. I've had a great time writing this and getting to interact with so many of you. I never fancied myself to be a terribly good writer but it's been such a pleasure to post this and I somehow managed to update pretty much everyday for 22 days and end up with 60k of words. I really can't believe I actually finished this fic. But it's done.

I want to, again, thank my beta, Sarah(aka Firelord65) for editing these chapters and helping me to make them the best possible versions of themselves. This fic would not be what it is without her.

The ground shook again and Rey stumbled a bit as she ran back to Finn's side. He was in bad shape and she looked him over. "How did you even get here, Finn?"

The ex-trooper shook his head. "That's kind of a long story. And if we survive this, I'll tell you all about it."

She raised a brow but nodded and helped him to stand up. He leaned fairly heavily on her and she struggled for a second to maintain her balance. Kylo was looking around at the roof of the throne room as bits of dust and rocks had begun to fall onto the floor.

Rey eyed a particularly large piece that had fallen about ten meters from where she was. She turned back to Kylo. "What's going on?"

Kylo himself looked alarmed which wasn't an expression she was used to and it put her on edge. She tried to ignore that he deliberately kept his voice even. "I don't know. It sounds like explosions."

Finn interjected. "It's the resistance, I know it. They've been building up their fleet to attack but the higher ups never said when they'd do it."

She nodded and helped helped Finn limp to the door. She couldn't help noticing that Kylo was clutching his side but the wound didn't seem too bad. The doors were heavy and Snoke had locked them. They struggled with the large and heavy bolt before getting it clear and pulling the door open. As it swung open on silent hinges, another explosion rocked the complex and the ground shook again.

Kylo turned to them. "We have to get back to our ship before the whole place comes down."

Rey nodded and and Kylo looked at her for a second before coming and putting Finn's other arm over his own shoulders. Between the pair of them, it was easier to move the injured ex-trooper and anyone who tried to stop them was summarily dismissed from the living by Kylo. Rey couldn't help gasping every time a new crack spread across the walls like spider webs with each new explosion. She felt Kylo send feelings of reassurance to her.

We'll make it…

She kept that mantra going again and again through her head, and they didn't stop until they finally saw the sunlight and exited the ancient building. She looked all around and her eyes widened at the sight.

There was a massive aerial firefight above them and shots rained down everywhere, blowing the already fragile and crumbling ruins to bits. The screech of tie-fighters and x-wings as they fought each other filled her senses and she looked down to catch her breath. Rey blinked several times before calming herself. They were going to make it. She looked around and her eyes alighted when she spotted the light transport ship in the distance.

Rey pointed towards it. "There! That ship! If we stay low, we might make it back to the landing pad without drawing attention!"

Kylo looked towards it before nodding and the trio made their way to the ship as quickly as possible. It was a small transport vessel; only a two-seater but that was perfect. The smaller it was, the less likely they were to be spotted. Rey helped Finn into one of the seats and then slid into the pilot's chair. Kylo got the hatch closed and she took off into the sky. She kept to her plan to stay low and maneuvered the craft through the buildings, barely thirty meters above the ground. The ship wasn't built to go into space but it was fast on the surface and not bogged down with the weight of a hyperdrive engine. A few resistance fighters fired on them but the swiftly moving transport was easily able to dodge and move away.

They eventually made it to the landing pad and Rey's jaw dropped as she looked out over the destruction. Kylo opened the hatch before she could say anything. The entire base had been wiped out. Burning, blackened holes and the smoking wreckage of dozens of tie fighters made up the vast majority of the landing pad now.

Kylo didn't say anything but she could hear the string of expletives coursing through his mind. She ignored all that, however and her eyes darted around as she reached out into the force.

After a few seconds, she pointed to a hanger towards the end of the pad. "Our ship is in there."

He looked down at her. "How do you know?"

She grimaced. "I can feel my red crystal."

He eyed her but nodded and they went back into the ship and retrieved Finn. Bodies were strewn everywhere and it appeared the landing pad had been one of the hardest hit areas. They picked their way through the wreckage and occasionally crouched low when an x-wing flew overhead. It took another ten minutes before they finally reached the hanger. Rey breathed a sigh of relief that it was mostly untouched.

Their ship had sustained little damage. One of the landing feet had been blown off so it sat at an angle, but she was sure it would still fly and they boarded the ship. There were no other seats in the cockpit besides the pilot and co-pilot so she helped Finn to sit in one of the chairs in the hallway.

Kylo was already at the controls when she got to the cockpit and slid into her seat. The ship hovered a bit as it righted itself and they looked outside into the sky beyond the hangar which had mostly shielded the ship. Very few of the X-wings still came over the smoking landing pad but they were out there.

Her voice was quiet. "We should stay low until we're away from here and then leave the planet."

He nodded and licked his lips, and they slowly flew out from the hanger. Kylo kept the ship as low as he dared and the ship swung hard around the canyons that dotted the landscape. She breathed a sigh of relief as he began the ascent into the atmosphere. The clouds cleared away, giving way to the blackness of space and the twinkling of the stars.

Kylo began to enter in a code. "Preparing to go to hyperspa-"

The ship lurched to the side as they were hit. She looked at the readouts. "Cargo bay has lost atmosphere. Closing hatches! Get us out here!"

Kylo gritted his teeth, putting the ship thrusters on max as they sped away from the two x-wings that were firing on them.

Rey opened a frequency. "Resistance pilots! Hold your fire! There are allies on board!"

She received no response so she tried again on another frequency, still getting nothing. She shook her head as she looked over at Kylo who was doing his best to keep the ship in one piece.

Finn's voice sounded behind her as he limped in. "Don't bother. The general has your ship code categorized as an enemy combatant. They won't believe you."

Rey opened and closed her mouth several times before answering incredulously. "What? It's not bad enough that she already tried to kill us once?"

Finn shook his head and the ship lurched slightly again as blaster fire grazed the side of the ship. "Let me sit there. I might be able to call for help."

Her brows knitted but she got up and let the injured man sit in her seat. She held on behind him as he entered in a series of codes into the communications bay before speaking into the microphone. "Poe? Poe, if you're there, please respond."

It was silent for a few seconds before an excited voice carried through the cockpit. "Finn? Finn! Oh my stars, you're alive!"

Rey smiled as Finn's eyes slid shut before he answered. "Not for much longer! I've got two x-wings trying to shoot me out of the sky!"

Poe's voice was frantic. "Where are you? Give me your coordinates!"

He sent them and Kylo continued to keep them from being hit by blaster fire while they waited for a response.

Suddenly Poe's ship came over the frequency. "Black 6! Red 9! Cease fire on that vessel, there are friendlies aboard!"

A woman's voice responded. "Their codes match an enemy vessel."

"Our operatives on the ground are using it to escape. Cease Fire."

There was a long pause but the ships stopped firing. "You got it Poe."

The x-wings broke off and headed back to the fire fight. Rey let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, and Kylo began entering in their jump coordinates.

Finn turned to the other man. "Send those to my console so I can send them to him."

Kylo looked up from his console. "He's resistance!"

Finn's voice was almost a hiss. "He just saved us from being blasted into dust. Give me the damn codes! Now!"

Kylo's eye twitched before he looked over at Rey. She nodded in agreement. He grimaced but sent them over. Both ships jumped to hyper-space and the cockpit was quiet as the passengers silently processed what they'd all just gone through. It was over quickly as they dropped from hyper-space, coming around a rather barren looking world.

Rey didn't recognize it until they entered the atmosphere and she clenched her jaw. It was the planet where she'd mowed down a forest only a day ago. She shook her head, brushing the thought aside. They had more important things to deal with right now.

They landed and she could see Poe's x-wing beside them. Finn seemed in more of a hurry than she'd expected so she quickly helped him out of the chair. Kylo opened the hatch to let them go first. As they reached the ground, she saw Poe hopping out of the x-wing and running towards them. She instinctively backed up as the two men embraced. That was...more than she was expecting.

Her eyes nearly bugged out when Poe held Finn's face in his hand before kissing him. deeply. Her jaw dropped and she looked up at Kylo for want of anywhere else to look, but he only seemed amused by the spectacle presented to them.

Poe pulled away first, but he kept their foreheads touching and his arms around Finn. His voice held so much anguish. "I thought you were dead..."

Finn smiled sadly. "I'm alright. Just a little banged up. Could have been a lot worse."

At this Poe finally looked up and spotted Rey and Kylo. His brow furrowed for a minute before he scowled and reached down to unholster his blaster.

Finn quickly stopped him and pulled Poe back. "Poe, don't! He just saved my life. I'd rather you didn't shoot him."

Poe's eyes narrowed and he couldn't keep the disgusted look off his face, but he nodded anyway, putting the blaster away. He turned back to Rey. "So what do we do now?"

Kylo crossed his arms and answered for her. "You two can do whatever you please. Rey and I will be heading back to First Order territory to gather resources."

Rey closed her eyes. "'Rey' will not be doing anything of the sort."

He looked down at her, his eyes furious and he opened his mouth to respond. Before he could, they were interrupted by the roar of an incoming ship. She looked up and recognized it as the winged vessel she's seen Kylo use long ago.

Poe spoke. "He lead us into a trap?"

Rey didn't need to see Kylo to know he was rolling his eyes. "Of course not, idiot."

Kylo looked up to see his private command shuttle coming in for a landing, its great wings coming up to stand vertically as it hit the ground. The Upsilon-class ship was one of a kind and he grimaced at the thought that another had been using it while he'd been away.

Steam poured from its vents as the ramp came down and storm troopers exited and lined up. A few seconds passed before the person who'd commandeered Kylo's ship made himself known. The black-clad person was followed closely by a statuesque figure arrayed in the polished finish of chrome armor.

Kylo smirked. "Hux. I'm not surprised you survived the battle."

General Hux raised a brow as he and Phasma came closer until only a few meters separated their groups. "And I'm not surprised that you finally succeeded in killing the supreme leader."

Kylo's chin came up an inch. "So what if I did. You and I have both known for sometime that he needed to be removed from power."

Hux's head tilted and he pursed his lips. "What exactly did you plan to do after killing him?" Kylo's eye twitched and Hux smiled before continuing. "I suppose it doesn't matter now. As it is, the remainder of the fleet is regrouping and I'm here to bring you to the rendezvous point."

Kylo raised a brow. "And why would you do that?"

Hux looked like he'd rather suck on a lemon than say his next words. "The knights are volatile even on the best of days. Violent and emotional creatures, really. But they are effective at maintaining order within our organization. However, they need a master to function or they will kill each other and everyone around them. Snoke has kept them in line, but without him or you they will seek to remove anyone they see as a threat to their power. A few of them are already causing damage to many of the ships and personnel, trying to consolidate their position. If there isn't already, there will be chaos. And I've worked too hard to let everything fall apart now."

Kylo's mouth twisted. Everything Hux said was true. Moreover, he'd intended to instruct the knights in this new way of the force. Using both the light and the dark in harmony and balance. For too long, he and the others had allowed the darkness to eat away at their sanity and had given up control of their lives to Snoke in exchange for power. But it had all been an illusion. A pretty picture painted before them that was nothing but a lie.

The death of Snoke would free them to a certain extent. Though, they needed to regain control of themselves before he could trust them to make the more important decisions that would come later. If Hux was to be believed—and unfortunately Kylo did—the knights had degenerated down to their more basic instincts as they clawed their way through each other in their thirst for power. By Kylo Ren would show them a different path. The one he now walked. Perhaps that would help to curb some of the more destructive impulses.

He nodded to Hux and turned to Rey. "Come. We're leaving."

Kylo took her hand and began to follow the general back to the ship but he was brought up short with a jarring motion. Or perhaps more specifically, the lack of motion. He looked back and found that she hadn't moved.

The knight halted and turned fully around as his eyes traveled from her face to their joined hands. She wasn't clutching him as she used to, her fingers not entwined with his. He swallowed. "Rey. We're leaving."

"I'm not." her voice was soft as she met his eyes.

Hux's voice called back. "Problem, Ren?"

His words were clipped but his eyes never left hers. "I will join you in a minute."

He heard Hux chuckle but thankfully—for Hux's sake—the man walked away. Kylo whispered to Rey, "Please. I can't do this without you."

She bit her lip before responding. "Of course you can. You're stronger than you realize. And I...I need to be alone for a while."

His head was already shaking in denial of her words. "I'll make up for what I've done. I promise. Everything you've ever wanted will be yours. Just come with me."

She looked away for the first time. "No. What you did to me...it changed me. I was going crazy and I was...in love...and it all almost destroyed me. I need to not be that person for a while. I need to just be Rey."

He...He could work with that. "How much time do you need? A month? A year? I can give you that. I'll come to you then."

She swallowed but still would not look at him. "No-I...Kylo." She seemed to steel her nerves, and he knew he would not like what she said next. "When you've brought peace to your new empire. When there's no more war, I'll return to you."

His jaw trembled as he processed her words. They both knew that could take years, perhaps decades. The wound in his side felt like nothing compared the pain that was radiating through him.

"Rey...I don't want to do this if you're not there."

She smiled but her eyes were watery. "You have to. This was always going to be the outcome. You need to return to the First Order and make things right there. You wanted to bring peace to the galaxy. Prove to me and everyone that you can."

He blinked rapidly and a tear fell. This couldn't be happening. Not after all he'd done. All he'd endured. He deserved her. Kylo questioned his own ability to love but he knew he could learn to. She had loved him before and he'd missed his chance to revel in it. And now it wasn't her love that he felt but her pain. He experienced it as though it was his and it ached within him. Why...why couldn't she just let them be happy. She would forgive him one day so why waste the time?

She pulled him close and whispered. "Because I need to find where you end and I begin, Kylo. How can I love you as myself if I can't figure out which part of me is the part that loves you?"

His words were desperate. "Why does it matter? I don't care about that."

She laughed sadly. "But I do."

It felt like the end, like he'd never see her again but that was a notion he couldn't bear to contemplate. Her touch was soft as she reached out and wiped the tear from his cheek. She held her hand there for a few seconds before letting it fall back to her side.

He passed along one more request to her and she nodded, smiling. His fingers came up and framed her face, and he leaned down and kissed her one last time. She didn't hold him as he'd always wanted her to, but she let him kiss her for as long as he wanted to. It still wasn't enough. It would never be enough. They pulled away but he embraced her and held her close.

His voice was almost broken as he whispered what he knew she wanted to hear. "I'll do it. I'll bring an end to the war. I'll create a new empire and the galaxy will be at peace. And I'll wait for you."

Rey nodded and he stepped away, releasing her. He gave her one last lingering look before turning and walking towards the ship. The pain he felt was not only his own heart breaking but hers as well. Kylo could not stop his hand from reaching up and digging his fingers into the cloth over his heart.

He stepped onto the ramp and the troopers all marched back inside. The last he saw of Rey was her standing there with Poe and Finn, with her own hand clutching at her chest.

He'd finish what he started.

And then he'd come for her.

There you have it. I know it's not the sex scene that a lot of people wanted but it just wasn't right for the characters to embark on that kind of relationship yet. Not after all they'd been through. The sequel will be taking place a few years into the future and Rey will have had a chance to move on a bit and put the trauma she experienced behind her. But it will be a couple of weeks before the sequel is posted.

I have just finished the first full draft of the fic, Her Armor was as Jewels. It was intended to be a one shot, however, I have expanded it to a 20,000 word series of vignettes that takes place simultaniously with Beneath the Façade. This story covers Hux and Phasma's forbidden romance and explains a few things that happen towards the end of Beneath the Façade. Also, a character who will play a major role in the sequel, Beneath the Veil, will make his debut in Her Armor was as Jewels. I hope to begin posting this fic in a few days and it will also be posted one chapter per day.

I am also currently working on the outline for the Poe/Finn fic, Disguised Reality, which will cover what is going on with the resistence and with Leia. It will also help explain how the heck, Finn ended up on Koriban. After that, I will be re-working Beneath the Façade. To be perfectly honest, the ending that you just read is not the ending I had initially written and the sequel that has come from it is not the sequel that I'd originally intended. As a result some of the things in this fic don't quite line up. Also, I just flat think I can do better, especially with the help of Sarah and Rebel Yell(another great reader who has offered to look over the fic) as well as some of the critiques I received as the story went on. There will not be any massive changes to the fic, just tweaks and expansions here and there that will hopefully improve the story and make certain elements more clear. After the re-write is done, I will be working on the sequel.

If any of these interest you, please consider following me as an author and not just this fic. You can also follow me on Tumblr sophiascribbling. I post work updates on there as I move through the writing stages along with a few other bits and bobs.

I'm sorry to be so long winded but I did want to thank all of you for sticking with me through this fic. Your reviews helped to keep me motivated to stick with my goal of a chapter a day. Thank you for your support and I'll see you in the sequel.

~Sophie D.