As the last embers of the Rebellion begin to fade, Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) and the brave, budding Jedi Rey continue to wrestle with their mysterious connection. Rey remains disgusted by Kylo Ren's murder and darkness, but holds hope that Ben Solo will e...
The wings ablaze, somehow the cabins of the craft were able to clear the atmosphere without being burned off, but the integrity of what remained was quickly giving way to the effects of the fall. Each time the metal groaned and snapped in various parts of the ship, it threatened to crack the entire hull. Rey and Ben struggled to get a foothold. Rey clung, helpless, to Ben's upper arm as he furiously programmed landing coordinates into the escape pod.
"This way," said Ben, guiding Rey with a palm on her lower back to the egg-shaped pod waiting in the wall around the corner, smooth and black with a curved, glass shield on the front and only one chair--hardly big enough for two. The pod door hissed open. Without hesitation, Ben faced Rey, grabbed and lifted her by the thighs, hoisting her into the seat of the pod on his lap. Rey's body straddling Ben; her legs tightened around his belt, and she tucked her head into his neck. The door sealed and Ben threw a lever with his fist, releasing the pod from the ship. Moments later, Rey glanced back once to see what was left of the shuttle break into chunks and explode. They were hurled by the blast ever closer, at greater speed, toward the forest below.
Ben was steering with both hands. Rey flipped switches and read monitors Ben couldn't see. He couldn't manage to level the craft, and though honing in on the coordinates Ben had programmed, they were spinning out of control. Rey and Ben shared a knowing look, and clung to each other just as the pod whittled through the tree line and finally punctured itself on a massive, broken branch of a tall tree.
Warning sounds filled the cramped cabin. Despite the efforts of all four hands, the door was jammed, and they both knew the impending result of punctured fuel components. With all their struggling, the pod began to slide sideways so the glass door veered toward the ground, over a dozen feet beneath them. Only then did the door begin to give way under Rey's weight, but not fast enough. In a few moments they would both be in pieces if they could not escape.
"Ben," Rey gasped.
Ben took both of her wrists in a firm hold with each hand, then with all his strength, lifted his legs like giant pistons and kicked the door off the craft. Rey fell, and Ben started to slide with her. Not expecting to slip from the craft so fast, Ben had to release one hand to keep them both aloft. Rey dangled by one arm from Ben's desperate grip. Eyes locked again, she nodded, ready to let go.
They fell, and shrapnel from the exploding pod followed them. Halfway down, a huge branch caught Ben at the chest and his grip on Rey was broken.
"No!" coughed Ben, wind gone, gripping to the gnarly bark as Rey hit the forest floor flat-backed with a thud, severely stunned, but alive.
Afar off, coming closer, was the sound of old speeders and familiar voices shouting Rey's name. Rey and Ben stared at each other. Ben tried to muster air from behind his bruised ribs for words, but Rey's eyes and shaking head hushed him, begging him not to give himself away. Ben relented, struggling and finally aligning himself with the branch so that if anyone glanced up, he was hidden.
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When Finn, Poe, and a few others descended with a stretcher and medical droid, Rey couldn't really withhold her genuine relief and happiness. She could have spoken coherently about what had happened, but pretended to be more winded than she was. Poe was telling her not to move, and Finn so ebullient to see her again alive, no one really asked for an explanation.
However, just as she was being harnessed to the back of a speeder, Rose, ever-aware of minute details out-of-place, did note the large, black glove still closed in Rey's grip.
"Whose glove is this?" said Rose.
Rey gave a weak smile to Rose, making eye contact. Rey fanned her fingers in front of Rose's eyes and said, "It's nothing, I'm sure."
Rose blinked as Rey tossed the glove to the grass.
"Oh," said Rose. "It's nothing, I'm sure."
Once they were gone, Ben wasted no time in dropping himself from the tree once all the speeders had fled. Gaining his breath and bearings, he walked over to the glove Rey had dropped for him. He stooped to pick it up, but straightened again with a sudden feeling, wondering. Ben held out his hand to the glove, closed his eyes to focus, and then opened his eyes again. The glove twitched. It wiggled in the grass like a dying animal, but Ben could not yet wield the Force with enough articulation to lift it to his hand. No matter. He retrieved the glove and proceeded to the rebel camp, about a mile away, with all haste.
