Keep Him There

Not Fair, Solo

Both Ben and Rey found that their trip into the temple was much easier than getting out of it. Maneuvering around the gorges and statues of the structure was doubly hard now that Ben's leg was broken. Even steadying each other, the two stumbled back and forth across the dark earth as it rolled beneath them.

Knocked back into Ben by a particularly violent tremor, Rey's eyes shot up towards the Resistance fleet. The dark army fought on, regardless of the Emperor's death. Many ships still hung in the sky. She couldn't help but wonder how many friends she had already lost in the black smoke.

Rey bit her lip, eyes wide, "Ben."

"I know." he answered, her worry mirrored in his own look, "Come on."

Finally seeing the lift that would carry them outside the imposing temple walls, the couple picked up their pace and climbed onto it.

Two ships stood outside to greet them, one a symbol of Rebellion and the other of the Order. Instinctively, Rey made for the X-Wing and used the Force to open the hatch. Beside her, Ben opened the hatch for his TIE.

"What are you doing?" she stopped abruptly.

"Rey, I won't be able to fit in that ship with you. We should take the TIE."

"That ship is garbage! We're taking the X-Wing!"

"Fine, you take the Wing. I'll take the TIE."

"Fine," Rey scowled playfully before leaping into her cockpit, "Whoever downs the most fighters wins."

"Deal." Ben smirked and slowly entered his own craft. Flying he could do, broken leg or not.

Almost simultaneously, the two vessels shot into the air, rushing to join the battle. Neither had to fly far to do so, as many ships were engaged below the destroyers.

Rey broke left after two enemy fighters that were pursuing an older freighter, her fingers hovering over the trigger. With the two in sight, she fired. Once. Twice. And the other ship was clear.

As she tore off after another passing vessel, a transmission came in through the comm system.

"Ghost to Red Five, thanks for the assist. Mom would kill me if I scratched it."

Rey laughed, quickly finishing off another mark, "Anytime, Ghost."

The Jedi was an artist in the air, both lethal and beautiful in her maneuvers. Five more TIEs fell at her hand and more retreating quickly. A lone fighter followed after her, spraying her with a barrage of bolts. Though Rey could easily evade the lone fighter itself, it's barrage and that of the battle were making it difficult for her to do so.

No matter if she flipped or spun, the fighter persisted after her. She was quickly running out of options.

Obviously, the TIE pilot was braver than the others to be giving her such a chase. Especially considering its path was intersecting many of the other ships. Indeed just as Rey barely escaped collision with a Bladewing, she found herself directly in the path of another TIE.

Neither her pursuer or the oncoming ship broke off, but accelerated as if to sandwich her between them. Rey swallowed, keeping her eyes alert and fingers ready at the guns. If she waited for the perfect moment, she could destroy the new fighter without slowing for the first one. It flew closer and closer, inches away from within range. Seconds later, Rey saw her angle and moved her fingers to fire. But her fingers did not move. She could not move them.

The Jedi gasped in a moment of sheer terror as she found herself unable to move at all. Her whole body seemed to be held in place.

She would not be firing the cannons, nor would she be surviving this flight.