Kylo Ren stood on the brink of the edge alongside his father, Han Solo. The narrow suspended bridge beneath their feet didn't offer much room for extra maneuvers, not that it mattered at the moment. They stood still, facing each other with both their hands clutching the lightsaber Ren had crafted himself.

Ren felt the pull of each side of the Force, clawing and grasping for a foothold within his soul. He brought his gaze up from his weapon to his father's eyes once more. Han's features were transparent and Ren didn't need the Force to sense the hope and yearning emanating from his father's being.

This is it. The moment I've been waiting for all this time. The one that will set me free. Ren thought, as he pictured his grandfather's misshapen helmet that was once a proud relic and symbol of the power of the Dark side. Yes, he could feel himself leaning toward Darth Vader's legacy. He was Vader's legacy. He wanted more than anything to be as great as his grandfather had been. It was what he wanted.

Wasn't it? Small doubts flittered across his subconscious. He asked himself again, what did he want?

Power.

Respect.

Han waited, holding his son's lightsaber while watching the inner struggle of conflict within Ben. Han didn't have this, Force sensitivity, that surrounded his son, but he firmly stood in front of him, silently willing him to come back with him. Come back to his family.

Ren's eyes narrowed slightly as he finally spoke, "I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?"

"Yes. Anything." Han smiled, his face softening as moved closer to Ben, to hug him. In that second Ren felt the eyes of Rey, the scavenger girl, Chewie, and the traitorous stormtrooper watching their exchange with bated breath. He too, took one last intake of air before resting his finger on the trigger that would activate his saber.
What do I really want?

Power, respect, he answered himself again. And…

...and…

It was true. Darth Vader had had those things.

But did he really? What was Vader...but a powerful puppet of the Empire. Forever an apprentice to Darth Sidious. A lapdog.

Is that what he wanted? To be another dog to a new empire?

But if I were to go home, with her...with Rey…

She had great potential, he could feel it. Together they could forge their own path. Maybe this constant pull to the light and dark was how it should be. Neither light nor dark...but a neutral zone. A red side.

He knew that if he killed his father, Rey would turn from him forever and he would be a slave to the dark side, following utterly in Vader's footsteps. Then I would be a step closer to being a Darth...A true Master. But there are no true Masters anymore. But maybe...maybe I could be my own.

Yes. This is what I want. To be my own Master. And perhaps...the girl could be persuaded to join me. As my apprentice. Solace coursed through Ren as he let both aspects of the Force find a place of silence within him. Ren let his hands fall from his weapon and stepped in to embrace his father. Han exhaled a small sigh of relief as he encircled Ben with his arms, tightly hugging his son.

"Father, the First Order. They are about to annihilate the Rebel base. Is...mother...?"

Han's face paled, "Yes. Your mother is there."

"Then we don't have much time. We have to hurry." Ren held out his left hand for his lightsaber. Han reluctantly placed the heavy cylinder back into Ben's outstretched hand. Han squeezed his son's shoulder reassuringly before turning away and racing down the bridge back toward the small pile of blast charges he and Chewie had been placing along the crevices of the large thermal oscillator.

Han bent down to grab the small bombs but Ren said, "Wait, father."

When Han looked back at his son, he was worried for a split second that Ben had changed his mind and had decided to kill him after all. But Ren lifted both hands and carefully used the Force to place the remaining charges along the walls. The explosives now rigged and ready, Han, Chewie, Rey, Finn, and Ren rushed for the exit.

Once everyone was safe outside, Chewie released the trigger causing the bombs to burst. The foundation beneath their feet shook violently. Blazing heat blasted out the door they had just left behind and blew against their backs as they fled for the Millennium Falcon.

"The Starkiller Base is gonna blow! The whole planet is compromised!" Han shouted as they boarded the Falcon.

The outer door of the ship sealed with a sharp hiss. Han fired up the engines and yelled, "Strap in, we're getting outta here!"

Once they were away from the exploding planet and safely in hyper-drive on their way back to the Alliance base, everyone aboard the Millennium Falcon visibly relaxed and congratulated each other on their success. Everyone but Kylo Ren.

Ren sat apart and facing away from any of the other ships inhabitants. He leaned back in his chair with his arms folded and his legs crossed at his ankles, silently brooding. He knew that Snoke, would eventually come for him. His former Master would not let him live after his betrayal. A problem he knew he would have to face sooner or later. Strange emotions surged through him, countering each other, swirling endlessly in his mind.

Jedi. A Knight of Ren. Failure.

He pushed his doubts aside and squelched them with a final thought of, if there was one thing grandfather valued next to power, it was family. I did the right thing.

Kylo Ren's ears picked up the cheerful laughter of Rey which brought him out of his inner thoughts. He turned his head to see her smiling at Finn, who grinned sheepishly back at her. Han and Chewie were busy piloting the ship, leaving the three young adults alone amongst themselves.
Finn reached down by his hip and removed a slim shiny cylinder that he had clipped to his belt. "I think this belongs to you, Rey. You left it, back on Takodana."
Rey extended her hand and gripped the lightsaber which Finn released.
"Thank you...Finn," Rey said softly, and anxiously. As she held the smooth saber in her hand, a strange welcoming feeling reverberated through her. It was a much different reaction than when she had touched the weapon before for the first time. Now it felt like...it belonged in her hand, like it was always meant to be there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars in any capacity. This work is for enjoyment and for zero profit.

Author's Note: Hello readers! Some inside scoops: This is not an incestuous 'Reylo'. As the story unfolds, we will learn something of Rey's past (Under the theory that she does in fact, come from powerful Force User ancestry but not of the Skywalker line.) Keep reading to find out! I intend to update at least once a week. Please enjoy, and reviews/feedback appreciated!