Force Destiny

Life

"Where is she?"

Finn and Rose were on their knees, their backs to him. Chewbacca's eyes pierced into his. The Wookiee's weapon was leveled at Kylo's chest. His side ached in phantom memory, remembering the impact from that bowcaster on Starkiller. He couldn't sense Rey at all, but he knew she was there somewhere. He knew he was running out of time if it wasn't already too late. The traitor better not stand in my way.

Predictably, the traitor turned and fired his blaster at him, as if he hadn't been witness to the weapon's ineffectiveness against Kylo before. It was disappointing; he thought the former trooper had better sense than that. While Kylo still avoided any danger, his connection to the Force was much weaker than he had anticipated. He froze the blaster bolts just long enough to move out of their path. The traitor's impulsive attempt at an attack only served to further frustrate him. Kylo paralyzed him with a growl, panting from the exertion and blood loss. Rose's hand moved to her blaster, but she didn't raise it. Chewbacca didn't lower his weapon, but he didn't fire upon him, either.

Fools. Wait to ambush me until after I save her!

"I'm here to help her!" he bellowed. "I was shot down...by the new Supreme Leader, trying to get to her...because you brought her to the largest First Order mining camp in the galaxy...and managed to lose her under several meters of snow at the bottom of the largest cavern you could find! So...if you're going to kill me, at least wait until she's safe!" The cavern was spinning. His breaths were shallow, every muscle tensed in his attempt to remain upright. Blinking to maintain consciousness, he knew he couldn't hold the traitor in stasis much longer. He dropped to one knee in exhaustion.

"We don't have time," he gasped. "If you keep fighting me, I could waste more of my energy and her time on holding you there, or I could kill you; I haven't decided yet." It was a lie; he had already decided if the former stormtrooper wasted any more time, standing between him and Rey, he would kill him and let her hate him later. Alive. "Or you move to those boulders in the corner so I can find her. I won't have the energy to save her if you fight me."

His eyes found Rose, appealing to her with a soft entreaty. "Please."

Kylo released the traitor from his grasp, gulping down air in an attempt to regain strength. The crippling pain radiated from the right side of his chest, and his legs quaked as he struggled to stand. Blood dripped from his fingertips onto the snow, the steady stream leading up to a deep laceration on his forehead. To his surprise, when he looked up, he saw that the three blurry figures had backed into the corner. He blinked until they became clearer.

"I shouldn't believe you after everything you've done," the traitor said. "But I do." The look in his eyes was still burning hatred, which was fine; Kylo didn't much care for him either. Stumbling to the center of the cavern, he closed his eyes to concentrate in the Force. He dropped back down to his knees as he realized that standing was draining his strength. As evident as it was that he lacked a satisfactory plan, he knew he would need everything in him to save her, and he wasn't going to waste it trying to stand. Reaching deep into the Force, he was met with the most exhilarating vibrations. It was the energy from the Kyber Crystals, powerful, profound, and all-encompassing. It was unlike any energy he had ever felt before, even stronger than the lake on Chandrila.

Kylo would have been more drawn to the cave's mysteries, had his mind not been singularly focused on his bondmate. The Force was bright as he searched the cavern for her energy, too bright. The feedback from the crystals made it impossible to pinpoint her. His connection to the Force was temporarily disrupted as he growled in frustration. He needed a new tactic; if he couldn't use the Force to find her energy under all of that snow, then he would do the next best thing.