Kylo Ren looked around him curiously until his mask fixed on Rey. 

"Scavenger," he said. "Why have you called me here?" 

"I ... I...I didn't," Rey stammered in reply. 

"Yes you did. You summoned me through the bond. Where are we?" he asked in a detached manner. 

 Rey couldn't think of a lie quick enough and had no idea what was going on so she told the truth. "Erm .... The Wellspring of Life."

"I am unfamilar with it," he replied. 

"I think it's a light side thing . . . " she said to him uncertainly, wary of his temper. He tilted his head and looked at her through the mask. 

"It is incredably strong with the Force," he commented with interest. "Unending raw power."

"I might have known that's what you would be interested in," Rey couldn't help retorting. 

"What else would I be interested in? You?" He said incredulously. "A nobody, a scavenger from a heap of sand?" He was teasing her, trying to get a rise out of her. "I am interested in you, I admit it. Your power is similar to mine, together we could do amazing things."

"We have been through this before. I am not turning to the Dark side." Rey's face was stubborn. 

Kylo started to pace slowly around her. "Even now? Even now Ben is gone? You are already partly there. You could join me, surely he and I are alike enough that you could grow to like me?" He was moving closer to her. "You've thought about me, dreamed of me, dreamed I would touch you . . . " He reached towards her and gently brushed her cheek with his leather glove. "You could be mine. I could protect you, give you the sense of security that you yearn for." He was behind her now and slowly pulled her towards him, enveloping her in his arms. "In time maybe you could even grow to love me. We could have a family," he whispered into her ear. "Isn't that what you've always wanted?"  

Rey wanted to give in so much. To be with Kylo if she couldn't have Ben would be almost as good. To belong, to have a family, to never be alone again. She couldn't deny that she felt a strong pull towards him even when he was Kylo. She could easily just say yes. He had said it himself, surely he was similar enough? But would it be enough? Kylo was definitely on the Dark side of the Force, he was responsible for horrible things. She could not let her personal feelings get in the way, however much it hurt. But what if this was all she would get? What if she rejected his offer again and that was the Wellspring's only help? Maybe she could turn him again? Was that the challenge? Her thoughts raced in a confusing mass of questions. 

Just for a moment she allowed herself to melt into the embrace. It was so similar to Ben she could almost believe it was him. His arms felt the same, his scent was the same, and it made her miss him with a pain that was gut-wrenching. She willed herself to break the embrace but her body betrayed her, wanting just a little bit more, just a few more seconds before she moved. Kylo was starting to stroke her arms. He had his arms crossed around her chest, hands round each shoulder and was caressing her upper arms whilst keeping her pressed to  his chest. 

She could feel him clearly as though he were real. A thought started to build in her mind. What if Ben had discovered the Holocron he was looking for before she got here? If he had accessed the information he had to have used the Dark side and that was what had turned him back. Her mind was still churning, confused thoughts whirling about and making no sense. 

"What if I accepted your offer? What would happen?" she asked needing some clarity. 

"We would rule, side by side. You are my equal, even now you have not explored the extent of your powers. You could be my Empress, never want for anything, spend each night with me, in my bed . . . " He moved one hand to place it gently around her throat. "You want me, I know you do. Say it."

Rey couldn't deny the physical need for him deep within her. "Yes I want you," she finally admitted. "When the bond was active I couldn't help but think about you, fantasise what it might have been like to be with you. What would have happened if I'd taken your hand and stayed . . . " The desire in her voice was clear for him to hear. She projected her dream for him to see, them naked together on black sheets, him thrusting, her face in ecstasy underneath him. Kylo groaned into her ear. He let go of her and she missed his touch instantly. He was raising his hands behind her and she couldn't work out what was going on until she heard the hiss of his mask opening. 

His arms returned to embrace her and she felt his lips on the back of her neck, kissing her gently. She sighed in contentment at the touch of his lips. Would it be so bad to just give in? She turned to face him and brought her lips to his, kissing him deeply and letting her sense of desire be broadcast across the bond. The lust she felt coming back the other way was intoxicating. It was clear that Kylo wanted her more than anything, desired her physically, wanted to know every corner of her mind, wanted her to be his . . . That thought jarred slightly. She pulled away from him to look up into his face. 

"You said I could be yours. What do you mean?" she questioned, searching for a response in his expression. 

"I could protect you," he replied.

"Who from?" 

"We could get rid of the bounty on you for one thing. With me in charge of the First Order and you by my side, who could stop me? Us I mean." He dismissed it as a slip but Rey wasn't fooled. 

"Bring back the First Order? You're joking. You have to be! Why on earth would we do that?!" She was horrified by the idea.

"How will we achieve peace otherwise? You think that the Resistance are capable of ruling?" He laughed unpleasantly, "You're so naïve. And that's exactly why you need protecting." 

Rey stared at him in horror. What had she done? If she refused to join him it risked restarting the war. He would destroy the Resistance. If she joined him she would be giving up on her friends, all she had worked for, betraying the Resistance and Leia's memory. He was back, he was really physically here and it was her fault. 

Kylo picked up on the sudden cooling of her feelings. "You're worried about the thieves and traitors I assume?" He spoke of them in an offhand way as though they weren't even worth bothering with. "How about I promise to leave them alone?"

There was something wrong in this exchange. Rey couldn't quite see what it was but something was off. 

"Maybe," she said. Her mind continued to work as she tried to figure out what was happening at the same time as keeping him out of her mind. She played for time, strolling away slightly before turning, trying to keep her movements casual. 

"You said I could be yours," she repeated. "I am not a possession for you to collect. I am your equal. The first thing I want is an assurance that you will detroy the technology needed for another Starkiller base. I want to be sure that the First Order cannot hold the Galaxy to ransom. Or that it would get into even worse hands." 

"Who are you to give me orders?!" Kylo's temper rose immediately. He took a couple of large strides towards her, invading her space and trying to intimidate her, towering over her. 

"I thought we were equals?" she replied sarcastically, refusing to back down. "I should have known that you wouldn't treat me as your partner." She was starting to accept what needed to be done and it broke her heart to think about it.

Kylo got a grip on himself, smoothing his dark hair away from his face. He said "Yes of course you can make requests. I'll consider it. It was wrong of me to lose my temper." 

"Wow, was that an apology? I guess I should be grateful that you aren't slashing the place to bits."

"How could I do that? That idiot flung my saber into the sea." Kylo scowled at the memory. "MY saber. I could kill him, if he wasn't already dead of course." 

That comment stung. Rey couldn't understand how he could be so dismissive. He seemed to care more about the Saber than himself. Surely he could just build another, what did it matter? Suddenly an idea occurred to her about how to distract him from what she was going to have to do.  

"I built a new saber, want to see?" she asked him. 

"I would love to." He was standing right in front of her. She handed him the hilt of her saber. "You used your staff?" he questioned, recognising the distinctive handle. 

"Yes."

"And you constructed a double blade?" 

"Yes, there were two crystals for me," she explained. 

"You see? You see how special you are? How many Force users get two crystals?" He was smiling at her. It was so unexpected that it almost weakened her resolve. But it had to be done. 

She looked into his eyes and gently took the saber handle back. "I don't know, I don't know enough about this stuff. I need someone to show me . . . "

"I have offered before . . ." Kylo said quietly. "That offer still stands. That and other things," he said seductively. "Forget Ben, take my hand. Be with me." He leaned in to kiss her again. She held his gaze as he drew closer. She was still clasping the handle of her saber between them, diagonally pointing between them both. 

As their lips met she ignited the saber in double mode, stabbing them both through the chest. The pain was sudden and intense and Kylo yelled in anguish as the blade pierced the edge of his heart. He stared at her uncomprehendingly, "Why?" he gasped out as he started to sag forwards. 

Rey collapsed to the ground, struggling to speak. "I can't let you destroy  . . . . the Galaxy again. Not after Exegol, after all the battles, after all the lives lost . . . . And if I didn't include myself . . . " she coughed weakly, "I'd want to heal you." Tears started to roll down her face as she looked at him lying on his side, life clearly ebbing away. 

She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. His eyes met hers and he squeezed her hand back. Her vision started to fade, colours and sounds disappearing until everything went black.