It was the chill that forced her back inside, a cold that crept up as the sun began to disappear -not hiding away for the night, but truly being sucked into the star killer; the sun would never rise on this planet ever again. She took her time walking back to the warmth that was beckoning her back. Hands extended out, she touched the bark of the trees, looking up through the canopy as the sun faded and the sky darkened. It was a cold world they lived in, Calista learned that a long time ago.

As she made it inside the base, alarms were blaring, Storm Troopers were racing through the halls and more than once Calista had to press herself against the wall to not be plowed down. They were searching, searching for someone. 

Calista didn't need to know who, she had a suspicion, but that was all. 

As she went deeper in the building, she began to have a bad feeling, that something was about to go wrong. Curious, she grabbed the arm of a Storm Trooper rushing by and she asked, "What is going on?"

But the Trooper simply shrugged her off and rushed back into the ranks. Calista watched him disappear down the halls, no answers to ease her mind. 

Suddenly a shake to the base made Calista lose her balance. There was no doubt that an explosion had occurred, and the continual shaking suggested it was not done yet. Her heart hammered in her chest as she got back to her feet, using the walls to support herself and keep her balance steady. Overhearing shouts of an evacuation, Calista realized she needed to get out of the base, and maybe even off the planet. 

But she didn't know how. 

"Where are you?" She asked quietly, wondering where Kylo Ren was. But Calista was resourceful, and she would make it off this planet alive. Following the footsteps of other scurrying people, Calista kept a sharp eye on her surroundings. People plowed past her with no regard to who she was, but she managed to stay upright, she managed to stay in line with the others who were scrambling to get off the planet. 

Suddenly her hand was grabbed and she turned, hoping against hope that it was Kylo Ren, but she was faced with General Hux. Her eyes narrowed, a sense of distrust spreading over her, and she swallowed nervously. 

"You must come with me," he told her. 

"I need to get off this planet," she retorted. 

"Kylo Ren is hurt, if you want him to live, you must come with me," he explained, his voice fast-paced, urgent. He tugged and her but she pulled back.

"Why should I believe you?" she inquired. "I can see the look in your eyes, you despise him, you dislike me just as much, if not more."

Hux sighed, desperate to get her away from the base that was now imploding. "Whom I dislike or not is not the concern. What matters is that Kylo Ren is fighting a battle he won't win; the planet will blow before he succeeds. He is out there right now, wounded."

Calista looked over her shoulder at the dock bay where all the ships were. Many were gone, many were rising and shooting out of the bay at a high speed. 

She eyed him suspiciously, "How can I trust you?"

Hux had his hands clutched into fists. "Look, I won't lie to you; I was told to have you killed. To make it look like an accident; I was also told that should you die, it would be my head on a platter. I'm choosing to help you for my own survival instinct; but after this, you must leave him, or Snoke will have you killed."

The planet shook again, cracks in the ground were drastic, like caverns. The base shuddered and parts of the walls came down. Both Hux and Calista jumped out of the way, crashing to the ground as the rubble came to a clattering halt. Covered in debris, they rose their heads and glanced around to ensure no more would fall near them. That's when Calista realized fighting with Hux wouldn't get her anywhere, she had to trust him this time. 

"Where is he?" 

"On the North side of the base, his communications are down but we can still locate him." 

Together they hustled to a ship, finding one that hadn't been crushed by debris, one that hadn't been taken already. There were few to choose from, and without words they both sprinted towards the obvious choice. Another rumble created a crack in the docking bay, the ground shifting underneath Calista's feet and separating her from Hux. She shouted, reaching her hand out, and Hux reached back.

"Jump!" He shouted.

She waited a split second before she leapt over the cavern that continued to open up like the maw of a monster. Her hand clutched Hux's and she slammed into the opening, dangling over the opening planet. A groan came from her lips, and she looked up pleadingly at Hux. For a moment, she saw a look in his eyes; he was going to let her fall. But then he quickly erased the expression and pulled her up with all his strength. 

"Thank you," she said breathlessly. 

They ran towards the ship, a clear stretch now. 

A beam dislodged from the ceiling, careening down from fifty feet above. In a soundless fall, no one saw it coming. The beam ricocheted off the wall which slowed it's descent ever so slightly, so when it slammed into Calista, she was knocked to the ground. A bleary look crossed her face as she clawed at the ground, trying to move, but then the pain kicked in. She could feel something damp run through her hair, and when it seeped into her sight it was clear that she was bleeding heavily from somewhere. When she tried to move, she was pinned.

Suddenly Hux was beside her, his words soundless, his lips moving but she couldn't read them. The weight was removed from her body and suddenly she was being carried. Consciousness was slipping, and she felt the weightlessness of being aboard a ship, the strange sensation of flying through the air. She groaned in pain, hands moving to her head, the blood everywhere now; she could smell it. 

"Hold on," Hux muttered, but he knew Calista could not hold on to anything physically, he meant for her to hold on to life, to grasp at it a little tighter. 

The ship tore off and Calista's moans subsided, which was not a good sign. He raced to the northern side of the base and scanned through the trees. The ship picked up heat signatures down below, and Hux landed the ship smoothly between the groves of trees. A giant crack in the planet separated Kylo Ren from Rey; he could not get to her. 

Kylo Ren didn't respond when Hux landed near him, he was staring across the great abyss, wishing Rey dead but being unable to reach her now. 

Hux realized Kylo Ren wasn't going to board the ship, so he got out and shouted at the tall man. "Ren!" His voice was mean, sharp. "Get on the ship!"

Kylo Ren snapped his head to the side at lightning speed, then straightened up and glared at Hux. It wasn't his fault that any of this happened, that Kylo Ren killed Han Solo, that the Star Killer Base they worked so hard on was destroyed, that Rey got away. But it was the unfortunate luck of Hux to be in his proximity now; his rage was channeled towards the General. 

But before Kylo Ren could do anything, Hux informed him, "Calista's hurt."

Kylo Ren's demeanour dropped instantly and he darted onto the ship, spotting her right away. Her body limp on the floor, blood everywhere. His heart sunk, what was left of it anyway, as he slammed to the ground to check her vitals. She was breathing, she had a pulse. Kylo Ren didn't even notice as Hux boarded, and brought the ship into the air, leaving the planet behind as it caved it on itself.

Kylo Ren took off his cowl and put pressure on the cut on her head, speaking under his breath words that didn't make sense. The blood soaked through the fabric, and Kylo Ren's hands were now staining even through his gloves. Calista's face was paling, no colour left in those once rosy cheeks. 

"No," he muttered darkly under his breath. "I will not lose you too."

Hux glanced behind him once they were a safe distance from the planet, the ship on autopilot now, going towards the coordinates he punched in. 

"How could you let this happen?" Kylo Ren asked viciously.

"We were heading towards the ship- to find you, I might add- when the ceiling collapsed; there was nothing I could have done," Hux explained. Despite his dislike of Calista, he was realizing that he did not want her dead, there was no need for her death like Snoke believed. 

"I could have stopped it," he muttered, and Hux didn't reply because he knew that Kylo Ren was not blaming Hux, but rather blaming himself for not being there, not being there to protect her. 

"We're coming up on the Star Destroyer convoy," Hux mentioned. "They've located the Rebel base and plan on attacking. We need you now more than ever," he added to boost Kylo Ren's confidence, "and they have medical staff there that can save her."

Kylo Ren knew Hux was right, he couldn't let his mission be deterred or redirected because of his anger at himself. But rather, let it propel him forward -it was the Rebels that caused this, after all. It was his father who caused this. 

He leaned down and pressed his lips to Calista's forehead, blood staining his lips when he kissed her. 

"Stay with me," he whispered. "Stay with me, please."

She stirred.

Just the epilogue left! Will she make it? :O