Chapter One: Trade

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Cover art note: The current artwork was made by QuinnyIlada on DeviantArt and I received permission to use it here. Her artwork is wonderful so be sure to go give her gallery a visit!

Summary: If there was one thing Rey couldn't do, it was turn her back on her friends when they needed her, even if that meant sacrificing her own freedom. Most would call such compassion a selfless strength, while others would see it as a foolish weakness. Unfortunately for her, Kylo Ren considers it an opportunity to be exploited. Post-TLJ. Full-Throttle-Reylo.Author's Note: I originally posted this story on fanfiction.net, but thought maybe some people don't use that site, so here I am sharing it with Wattpad users too! Enjoy!

Rey let out a nervous breath as the blueish-white lightspeed lane around her suddenly melted into black space and the mammoth dreadnought appeared through her cockpit view port. She quickly flipped a few switches on the control panel as various warning lights and alarms sounded.

The Y-Wing she had "borrowed without permission" from Leia was beyond its last legs, though there really hadn't been much else to pick from, since the Resistance was still pitifully short on ships and manpower after the battle on Crait only two months ago.

The loomed ahead, its massive engines giving off a menacing hum even at a distance. Rey tipped her head at the sound of her astromech companion beeping worriedly. "I don't like this either Artoo," Rey replied with a dismal sigh. "But what else can we do? I can't just leave them to die. I have to do ."

Rey still wasn't sure how Finn, Rose and Poe had managed to get themselves captured by the First Order some twelve standard hours ago. According to Leia, the trio had been tasked with a simple reconnaissance mission on some nameless moon looking for prospective supplies. The mission had obviously gone sour, because not long after their capture the First Order publicly announced over the HoloNet that they were willing to make a trade for the three prisoners.

For former Supreme Leader Snoke's murderer, Resistance fugitive Rey.

It hadn't surprised Rey that they blamed Snoke's death on her. In fact, it made sense that Kylo would blame the killing on her, otherwise he never would have claimed his grand new title. None of that mattered to her though. What mattered was the safety of her friends. Despite Leia's fervent attempt to talk her out of surrendering herself, as it was clearly a trap, Rey was determined to follow through with it.

R2-D2 broke her out of her thoughts with another dubious string of beeps. "A plan?" Rey repeated with a disparaging laugh. "We'll see about that soon, I guess."

The astromech let out a long, plaintive whine, but Rey could only cringe in reply when a telltale rattling suddenly erupted from the starboard engine. "Can you look into that? I've got to concentrate on... not getting shot down." R2-D2 chirped compliance and got to work, but not without a warped grumble.

Switching on what she guessed were the proper channels, Rey dearly hoped the bridge's administrators weren't napping on the job. "Calling Supremacy, this is Y-Wing Sunburst, please respond."

After a few tense seconds of static, a man's voice crackled to life on the comm. "Y-Wing Sunburst confirmed. State your intent or prepare to be fired upon."

Rey rolled her eyes but leaned in again to reply. "This is Resistance fighter Rey. Here to surrender," she spoke clearly but hated the way that last word tasted on her tongue. "I repeat, my intent is surrender. Awaiting extraction."

There was a pregnant pause, and Rey could imagine the administrator scrambling to notify his superiors about this new development. "Copy that Sunburst," the man said, sounding a little more nervous than before. "Tractor beam is locked on. Extraction commencing."

Rey leaned back in her seat and sighed again as the fighter lurched forward from the tractor beam's pull. She couldn't help but wonder how different things might have been had she stayed with the Resistance the past two months. Instead, as soon as the small band of Resistance fighters had established a new base, she and Chewie had taken the into the outer rim, in search of a Kyber crystal to power her new lightsaber.

Granted, she still had Luke's cracked blue crystal, but the ancient Jedi texts Rey had "liberated" from Ahch-To's library made it a point that each aspiring Jedi needed to find their own crystal, the one that called out to them specifically and reflected the same essence of the Force in their heart.

With the help of those same texts, and after about a month of following their vague and cryptic directions, (and almost another month just to find a route back to the inner rim and locate the Resistance) Rey had finally managed to find a suitable crystal for the hilt that still needed work. All of which was safely tucked away in the knapsack on her lap.

Not a lot of good it would do her for all the trouble it was to find when the First Order was about to apprehend her and confiscate her belongings.

Rey suddenly missed Chewbacca's protective presence and encouraging grumbles, but she was firm in her resolve not to endanger him and the needlessly. As it was, she felt bad for bringing Artoo along, but the droid had acquired a funny little habit of following her around after Luke's passing and had been quite adamant about going with her when she went looking for a ship to borrow.

The Supremacy quickly filled her view port as her fighter drew ever closer to the nearest red lit hangar bay. It was both amazing yet discouraging to see the flagship almost completely repaired after the had quite literally ripped the starboard wing clean off some two months ago.

It was a blatant testament just how much the gap had grown between the First Order's wealth of resources and the Resistance's lack thereof.

As her fighter passed through the red magnetic field of the hangar bay, Rey felt a wave of anxiety surge through her arms and legs. Execution most likely awaited her at the end of the day, and whether the First Order would actually hold up their end of the bargain and release her friends was anyone's guess. But as far as Rey was concerned, there was no other alternative. Her friends needed her, and she would not turn her back on them.

Upon setting down in the massive hangar, Rey had expected a squad of troopers ready to swarm around her cockpit, unceremoniously drag her out, cuff her and otherwise manhandle her to a holding cell.

None of which happened at all. As her fighter's view port hatch slid open, Rey stood to see two perfectly symmetrical lines of white armored troopers standing before her, as if forming the path in which she should walk. Her eyes followed the path to its end only to lock onto Kylo Ren's imposing dark clad form.

The silence in the air was eerie as he met her gaze, his arms held behind his back as if he was patiently waiting. Rey wasn't sure how long she hesitated there, standing in her cockpit, expecting the coiled tension in the air to erupt all at once. But it never did.

Kylo raised his head ever so slightly, and if Rey hadn't been so focused on him she would have missed the prompt. She could almost hear his thoughts through the Force. Perhaps she did, though it wouldn't have surprised her, considering the undeniable bond they still shared.