--REY--

Finn and I follow Luke and Leia toward the hangar. Flashes of cannon fire light up the sky above us, followed by an ear-shattering explosion. The destroyed TIE Fighter crashes with a force that shakes the ground. We watch as flames engulf the battered fighter, quickly spreading to the area around the crash site.

"We need to get inside!" Finn yells over the roar of the battle. He points up to the sky and I follow his gaze to the six transport ships zooming toward the ground.

"How many stormtroopers can fit in each of those?" I ask Finn.

"Twenty at least. We're looking at well over a hundred about to open a can of whoop-ass on us."

"You two need to hide," I tell Luke and Leia. "It's you they're after."

Leia is about to argue when she suddenly grows still. Her eyes widen and she looks up at the sky with an expression of fear and anticipation.

"Is it Ben?" Luke asks, gazing at the sky. His sister nods. Finn and I look at each other, neither of us knowing what to do or say.

"I have to go help the others get ready," Finn says, squeezing my hand briefly. "We're about to have one hell of a fight on our hands."

"Be safe," I beg him. He nods and tells me to do the same before disappearing into the hangar.

The first we hear is a noise like a massive sandstorm, strong gales of hot wind snapping trees under the belly of the beast.

It's an Upsilon-class shuttle, the same one from the attack on Takodana. Its wings fold inward as it lands in the grass less than two hundred meters away, blowing the growing fire even closer to the base.

"You need to go," I say to Leia, urging her to flee before it's too late.

"I can't," she cries. "He's my son! I need to see him."

Then he's there, walking down his ship's boarding platform, looking to be in no hurry whatsoever.

Leia chokes on a sob when she sees him. I can't imagine the whirlwind of emotions she must be feeling. Here is her only child, who not only betrayed her and the new Republic they were creating, but sent her brother into exile for a decade and a half, and murdered her husband - his own father - in cold blood.

Luke puts his arm protectively around his sister, who drops the lightsaber she was holding. I reach out and slowly summon it with the Force, not wanting Kylo Ren to see it.

When he gets closer than I'm comfortable with, I step between him and his mother and uncle. He stops. I can't see his face, but I have a feeling he's smirking.

"Step aside before I kill you," he growls, metallic voice muffled by the mask. I lift my chin in defiance.

Luke steps up beside me. "You wouldn't kill her, Ben," he says calmly.

Suddenly Ren's unstable blade ignites and he points it at his former Master. "That name and this scavenger mean nothing to me!" He shouts.

"You and I both know you spared her for a reason." Luke stands unfazed, despite the humming lightsaber in his face.

"My intention was for her to remember who did it. By taking away her memories, you made her disposable." He turns the saber on me now and I flinch.

"What are you talking about?" I ask Luke.

"We'll discuss it later," he tells me with a stern look.

"Enough of this! You're wasting my time." I feel his frigid gaze on me through the mask. "Rey, move out of my way."

I stand my ground. A small part of me is fretting over why he called me by my name instead of using one of his favorite nicknames, like "scavenger" or "desert scum".

Behind me I hear Leia crying, and I can sense her fear and heartbreak. "Fine. Have it your way." He raises his lightsaber high in the air and swings it down in a blinding arch. Before I can even think to react, both my lightsaber and Luke's are in my hands, ignited, and clashing with Ren's. The sparks blind me momentarily, but I don't need to see. The difference between this fight and our last is significant already. The sabers feel like an extension of my body, and the Force flows freely through every fiber of my being.

"You're stronger than the last time we met," Kylo Ren growls. "You must be a quick learner. Just as I expected."

I turn my head just enough so that Luke can hear me. "Take Leia inside and hide her. I can handle this."

"Don't do anything foolish. I'll be back soon." Then he's gone, half-carrying his sister toward the hangar and, hopefully, to safety.

"That's sweet," Ren hisses, "that you think you can protect them. I am Master of the Knights of Ren, inheritor of the Galactic Empire. You? You're nothing. Nothing but a means to an end. You think you matter? You think you can defeat me? Pathetic!" His laugh is harsh and mocking.

He pulls his lightsaber back and strikes again, but I deflect it and jump out of the way. "The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because your family believes there's still good in you," I bluff. "I disagree." Another strike, another last-second dodge.

"I have no family. There is only the First Order. Such connections require love. Love is for fools who wish for a weakness that is easy to exploit."

This time I strike and it catches him off-guard. My blade nicks his shoulder, and he sucks in a sharp breath at the sudden burning pain. I learned last time that the pain only makes him angry, and anger makes him stronger. Just as I thought, the rush of adrenaline from the wound propels him forward. Our sabers meet again and again, back and forth, sparks flying everywhere. My body is already growing tired from lack of training for moments such as these. He senses that, and suddenly I'm on my back and he's standing over me.

I look around and spot my lightsaber several feet away. Reaching my hand out, I try to summon it with the Force, but he kicks it farther away from me.

"You thought you could beat me? You're no stronger than a youngling," he sneers. His blade is hovering mere inches above my throat and I don't know what to do.

"I may not be stronger, but I have something worth fighting for," I gasp, out of breath. "You have nothing but an empty mask and regret." I try to push him back with the Force, but he barely stumbles and promptly pins me to the ground without touching me.

"I regret nothing."

He moves faster that my eyes can track and suddenly there's a searing pain from my left hip all the way down to my ankle. I cry out, unable to move that leg at all without agonizing pain shooting through my veins.

Kylo Ren raises his lightsaber again, this time to deliver the fatal blow to my heart. "You should've stayed on Jakku." There's a blur of red and I close my eyes, not wanting to watch my own death. It never comes.

The sound of his blade clashing with another forces my eyes open. Luke is standing protectively over my body, green saber locked with Ren's. The invisible grip on my body loosens and I scramble backwards, trying to ignore the intense pain in my leg. I look down and examine the wound. It's not as deep as I thought it was, but it burns like hell. I can still fight.

"Run!" Luke yells at me, voice more commanding than I've ever heard it.

"I won't leave you!" I reach for my lightsaber and this time it flies into my open palm without hesitation. Luke is now in a full-blown duel with his nephew. His movements are much more lithe and powerful than I thought they'd be, especially after fourteen years without practice.

Gathering my resolve, I grit my teeth and join my Master. Our three sabers collide in a vibrant flash of red, green, and blue fire.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

--FINN--

I've never seen anyone fight with this much determination before.

It's almost mesmerizing the way the Resistance moves, not in the synchronized and fully-planned way the stormtroopers do, but in the way water in a river's rapids flow past a jagged rock: fluid and graceful, strong and precise, in chaotic harmony.

I don't hesitate like I did when I fought for the First Order. I don't question our motives or the validity of our cause.

The roar of a starfighter passes overhead and I look up to see Poe's black X-wing stalking a TIE fighter. Within seconds it's been disintegrated and Poe moves on to his next target.

"Does it feel strange, fighting against guys you trained with?" Asks the young fighter sitting beside me. We're crouched behind a small embankment, waiting for the next wave of stormtroopers.

"I wasn't really close with most of them," I tell him. Blaster fire behind us blows chunks of grass and dirt everywhere. Standing up, I peek over the hill and take out a trooper running toward us.

"So you don't recognize anyone when you're shooting at them?"

I shoot the kid a look. "Not for the most part. Can we talk about this later? I'm kinda--"

Without warning he flies backwards, landing on his back in the dirt. His chest is covered in red and black, and his eyes stare blankly at the sky, unseeing.

Another shot hits the ground less than a foot from me, and I dive for cover. I can't tell where the shot came from, so I sit and wait for the trooper to show himself. Their eagerness is one of their greatest weaknesses.

Sure enough, I hear his footsteps approaching from my left. I turn, crouch, aim, and pull the trigger. And down goes another one.

Just as I'm about to move closer to the action, I see Leia sneaking out of the hangar.

"General!" I call out, sprinting toward her. She looks at me, then at the sky behind me with alarm. The TIE fighter is speeding directly toward us. I open fire at the same time an X-wing does, and the TIE goes straight over our heads, crashing into the hangar.

"Finn! Where are the others? I have to help--"

I grab her arm to keep her from running past me. "You have to stay with me, ma'am. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

She reluctantly agrees, and we jog out to meet up with the rest of the Resistance.

Overhead, the sounds of battle rage on, Poe and his squadron continuing to decimate the enemy. This will be a long day, but we'll come out on top. We have to.