Star Wars- In another Life.

Chapter 20- Knights of Ren

"It's the Knights of Ren. Get back to the Falcon," Kylo instructed.

"Already on it," Lando said, heading to the controls of the treadable, Poe tight on his heels with Chewbacca.

The treadable began to lumber forward as Kylo replaced his gloves, collected his helmet, placed it over his head, and headed for the hatch. Rey grabbed his arm, stopping him, and he turned to her.

"Where are you going?"

"To face them and to buy you some time," Kylo replied.

Even behind the black helmet that hid his face, Rey could tell he was holding something back; she could perceive him and his intentions. He was prepared to challenge his Knights without necessarily succeeding or rejoining them afterwards.
"You don't have to do this."

Within his mask, Kylo felt his resolve flounder at the imploring look on her beautiful face; he was surprised that she cared what happened to him after all he'd done. The kiss from his vision flashed before his eyes. He reached a gloved hand up and gently touched her cheek, feeling the world silence and the bond between them flare.

"You're safe now- with the Resistance, with Luke. I don't belong with them, but you do." He lowered his hand and tried to turn from her, but she had his other arm firmly, and he looked down at her hand before looking back at her face. Her expression was no longer soft and imploring but firm.

"We belong together; you heard what Luke said about being a Dyad. Did you see visions when we touched?"

Kylo was glad he had his helmet on and that she couldn't see his temporary turmoil; he squashed it down. The Knights would be drawn to him through the Force; he couldn't be with her if that happened. He shrugged her arm off; it was best to be cruel, to hurt her if it meant saving her.
"Rey, I'm of the dark. I cannot give you what you seek." He opened the hatch and leapt out into the plumes of sand thrown up by the moving tank's path.

"Ben!" Rey shouted after him, grasping the hatch opening and squinting into the sun for the dark figure that had just vacated.

"Let him go, kid," Luke said, pulling her back and closing the hatch, "let him go."

"Why didn't you try to stop him?" Rey said, turning to Luke.

"Because he is right. Facing your fears is the destiny of a Jedi and a lifelong battle. He is doing what he must."

-X-

Kylo landed with a soft thud and walked away from the treadable. He didn't watch it go; instead, he paced slowly and steadily through the soft sand, away from the festivals' gathered crowd and away from the Falcon. Ahead of him, canyon walls began to climb, stony hues in yellow and brown reaching higher and higher a valley similar to the canyon that the others were headed back to, that his father was waiting in. The cold presence in the Force he'd called home for so long was close; his Knights were close. He could feel them. As he entered the valley, he could see the black mass on the horizon- the Night Buzzard, a crudely modified moving dungeon. The Knights of Ren had acquired greater thrust by altering the engines but at a cost to the insulation system, causing a dark trail of smoke to be left in its wake. Kylo could see a whisp of its ashy remnants in the clear blue sky, a lingering trail of dirty grey smog down towards where the transport had landed in the sand. The poorly converted engines' noxious fumes annoyed Kylo, who'd spent much time as a youth with his father and Uncle Chewbacca and Lando working on the Falcon. His father's ship might be a piece of garbage to look at, but nothing about its inner workings and components were in any way substandard or defective. It was a feat of mechanical distinction, the navigation systems, fuel pumps, sublight engine and, of course, the hyperdrive.