The Flame (sequel to Kidnapped by Kylo Ren)

Chapter 16

Nira's POV

My eyes flew open. I was gasping for breath and I couldn't see Kylo Ren anymore. I was sitting in my ship, just as I had been moments before I'd been trapped in that freaky dark place with only him and I. 

For several moments during my blackout I had felt warmth and peace -- and I had felt him. 

It's as if I had had this connection with him where I could feel his soul close to mine, and I felt a natural pull towards it, and I was drifting towards him. 

In that moment, I had been ready to been reunited with him again. 

But then I was touched by something cold and my entire body was alight with an icy sensation. 

And then I had seen him, and I was so afraid that he wasn't going to love me that I escaped. 

Immediate self-hatred began running through my veins. Kylo was reaching out to me. I had had the chance to go back to him, but I'd panicked and disappeared on him. And I had no way of reestablishing that Force contact!

And I couldn't go back to the First Order. Or could I? Would I be a distraction to the Legion of Chrome situation because I had betrayed the First Order and couldn't be trusted, or would I be of help in the fight?

I had done all of this for Kylo. No matter what trouble I get into with the First Order, all I want is for him to be able to forgive me. 

The situation was multi-layered and unbelievably complex. Not a decision that could be made in five minutes. 

And that's when I realized there was a ship gently trailing behind me. 

I whipped around in my seat, my eyes widening and my breaths coming in short, choppy inhalations and exhalations. 

Yes. There was a small, single-pilot cruiser bobbing in my wake.

Immediately my mind raced into defensive mode. 

I'm no good in the air, or at piloting at all, really, I desperately thought, facing back to the front but watching them through my tail camera, So I need to get to the ground. 

I swerved my ship to the left and sped towards the closest planet -- looked to be dry and desert. Even as I soared underneath the atmosphere, the ship still rode my tail. I attempted to curve left and right but the ship remained tight on my back. 

Suppose I'll land, I thought, trying to keep the strong internal fear I felt to seep into my actions, I won't be surprised if this is Kylo Ren -- although that doesn't look like his ship. 

I coaxed my ship onto the sandy ground two hundred meters away from the tall, rusty barbed fence that caged in a civilization. 

My pursuer landed right next to me. Whoever this is hasn't tried to shoot me down yet, so I don't think they'll attack when they come out. 

I quickly scaled out of my ship and down to the sandy ground, ignoring the heat wave that immediately encapsulated my body. This planet was even hotter than Tatooine. 

I prepared to encounter whoever had followed me here. My muscles tensed, bracing up to send voltage flying their way. 

The ladder slowly descended of the small cruiser, twenty feet away, and my heart thudded in my chest. The pilot walked down, and of course he was wearing a helmet. 

The person removed the helmet to reveal my follower. 

"Giano?!" I exclaimed, running towards him, "What are you -- Why are you -- Are you turning me in?!"