The deep blackness of space stood in contrast with the blue and green planet below. In formation above the planet were four capital ships, with a line of small transport pods in flight that descended to the planet below. The largest ship, floating at the center of the formation, was a massive gray cruiser. Surrounding it were smaller support ships, which included a cargo vessel, a medical frigate and a heavily-armed corvette.
Down on the planet below, the Resistance was frantically trying to evacuate their base. Transports continued to lift off into the air. Crewmen ran back and forth, loading boxes of equipment. Lieutenant Connix and an evacuation officer walked side by side, surveying the progress.
"We're not clear yet. There are still pallets of cannon shells in C bunker!" the officer shouted over the roaring engines of the transports.
"Forget the munitions, there's no time," Connix snapped, "Just get everyone on the transports."
A thunderous boom occurred overhead. Connix's head snapped upwards, observing the sky, the light blue now marred by the presence of a gray arrowhead-shaped ship.
"Oh, no," Connix muttered, fear visible on her face. More First Order destroyers dropped out of hyperspace, getting into attack formation.
On the bridge of the lead destroyer stood two figures clad in black First Order uniforms. One was an older man donning an officer's cap, the other was young with a shock of prominent red hair.
"We've caught them in the middle of their evacuation," the elder officer, Captain Peavy, reported.
The younger man, General Hux, had a smug grin on his face. "Excellent. I have my orders from
Supreme Leader Snoke himself. This is where we end the Resistance once and for all. Tell Captain Canady to prime his dreadnought. Incinerate their base, destroy their transports and obliterate their fleet."
Another First Order ship emerged from hyperspace, this one much larger than the rest. It was a dreadnought, a massive, dark gray flat triangular craft, equipped with two powerful auto-cannons on its underside.
On the bridge of the lead destroyer, Hux continued to observe the transports fleeing from the Resistance base to the fleet orbiting above.
"General, Resistance ship approaching," a female deck officer reported. "Guns and shields in attack mode."
"A single light fighter?" Hux's face scrunched up into a look of confusion.
Facing down the looming First Order fleet was a single X-wing, distinct because of its black paintjob. At the controls was Commander Poe Dameron, ace pilot of the Resistance. He continued to flip switches, folding his fighter's wings together.
In the socket behind the cockpit, Poe's droid BB-8 beeped nervously.
"Happy beeps here, buddy, come on. We've pulled crazier stunts than this."
General Leia's voice interrupted over his comms. "Just for the record, Commander Dameron, I'm with the droid on this one."
"Thank you for your support, General." Poe took a deep breath to calm himself. "Happy beeps." He then flicked a switch to transmit a message to the First Order leadership.
"Attention. This is Commander Poe Dameron of the Republic fleet, I have an urgent communique for General Hux."
Hux glared at the fighter, still just a dot in the distance. "Patch him through." The General cleared his throat. "This is General Hux of the First Order. The Republic is no more. Your fleet are Rebel scumand war criminals. Tell your precious princess there will be no terms, there will be no surrender."
Hux paced along the bridge, awaiting a response. Finally, a static-filled voice ended the silence.
"I'm holding for General Hux."
The General's red eyebrows knitted together in anger. "This is Hux. You and your friends are faced with overwhelming firepower. We will wipe your filth from the galaxy."
"Okay. I'll hold," Poe answered. He looked down at his console. The modified booster engine on his X-wing was almost charged to full capacity. He just had to delay Hux a little longer.
"Can you hear me?" Hux seethed.
"Look, I can't hold forever. If you reach him, tell him Leia has an urgent message for him..."
"I believe he's tooling with you, sir," Captain Peavy whispered to Hux.
"...about his mother," Poe said, finishing his insult.
Hux leaned over to address a gunnery officer. "Open fire!"
In his cockpit, Poe watched the monitor as his booster became fully charged. "BB-8, punch it!"
BB-8 chirped excitedly, triggering the booster engine. Purple flame rushed from the exhaust burner, launching Poe's X-wing forward with tremendous speed. Poe felt the force of acceleration push him back deep into his seat.
"He's going for the dreadnought," Peavy said, a hint of shock in his voice.
"Ha! He's insane," Hux replied smugly.
The black X-wing continued to approach the dreadnought at a rapid pace, until it came up on its bow. Poe hit the brakes, lurching forward from the sudden change in speed. "Woo-hoo! That's got a kick." He opened his s-foil wings and began his attack. "All right, taking out the cannons now."
The four-barreled cannons dotting the hull surface of the dreadnought all began to fire at the X-wing, but the small craft was too nimble for the guns to hit. Poe maneuvered his X-wing into position, blasting the first cannon into molten scrap. He continued to weave in and out of the turrets, taking them out methodically as he flew by.
Poe thumbed the trigger on his joystick and watched another turret explode. He flew his X-wing right through the flaming wreckage, then targeted another cannon.
"Tallie, start your approach," he said.
"Copy that. We'll stay out of range until the last cannon is gone," Tallie said in response.
Captain Cannady, an older, stocky man who commanded the dreadnought, watched from the ship's thin bridge as the cannons across the broad surface exploded in rapid succession.
A hologram of General Hux appeared near the bridge window. "Captain Canady, why aren't you blasting that puny ship?"
"That puny ship is too small and at too close range. We need to scramble our fighters!" Cannady barked back at Hux before turning and muttering, "five bloody minutes ago."
Another officer approached Cannady as he began to storm across the bridge. "He'll never penetrate our armor," she assured him.
"He's not trying to penetrate our armor," Cannady grumbled. "He's clearing out our surface cannons."
Poe swung his X-wing out of a barrel roll, taking down another surface gun. "One cannon left," he reported, before hearing the distinctive scream of a TIE fighter engine behind him. "And here comes the parade."
BB-8 chirped nervously and swiveled his head, watching as three TIE fighters barreled in on Poe's tail. He let loose a series of panicking beeps, wobbling frantically in his socket.
"Yeah! Yeah, I see him!" Poe shouted back, jerking his joystick back and forth. His fighter swung from left to right, green blaster bolts whizzing by his wings. He stared intently out his cockpit, focused on the last cannon ahead of him.
The TIE pilot closest to Poe tracked the Resistance fighter's moves, trying to trace his blaster fire back on target. After a few slight course corrections, one of his bolts grazed the upper right engine of the black X-wing.
"No, no, no. Damn it!" Poe thumbed the trigger of his joystick, but none of his guns fired. "BB-8, my weapons systems are down. We gotta take out that last cannon or our bombers can't make their run. Work your magic, buddy."
BB-8 disappeared into his socket to inspect the fighter's internals. He moved his head around, spotting a sparking mess of circuits. He opened a flap on his round body and extended a thin metal arm, then used it to plug the circuit. The sparks disappeared, but seconds later, a new circuit burst. The droid let out a frustrated beep.
Inside the dreadnought, Cannady was pacing impatiently. He turned to the gunnery officer. "Are the auto-cannons primed?"
"Primed and ready, sir."
"What are we waiting for? Fire on the base!"
The two massive cannons on the underside of the dreadnought rained fire onto the planet below. Heavily-charged orange slugs impacted the Resistance base, turning it into a ball of flame. One last transport was lifting off as the base erupted in a bright red flash.
Inside the cockpit was Lt. Connix, who stood between the two pilots. "Punch it!" she ordered. The pilot threw a lever forward, launching the bulbous transport away from the destroyed base.
"The last transport is in the air," Connix reported. "The evacuation is complete."
Inside the bridge of the main cruiser, Leia smiled with pride. Her mentee had proven once again how courageous and capable he was. "You did it, Poe. Now get your squad back here so we can get out of this place," she said.
Poe continued to maneuver sharply, the three enemy fighters still pursuing him tightly. "No, General…We can do this. We have the chance to take out a dreadnought. These things are fleet killers. We can't let it get away."
The black X-wing folded up its wings and turned sideways, passing through a row of sharp antennae. One of the TIE fighters tried to pull up, but was too late. The fighter's wings were cut clean off, while the cockpit pod continued forward, smashing to a small viewport.
Leia spoke more sternly this time. "Disengage now, Commander. That is an or—"
Poe flicked off his cockpits and refocused on the flight in front of him. Leia wasn't here in the cockpit with him, and he was in charge of the Resistance's flight groups. He knew he was making the right call.
Leia sighed at Poe's rashness. She looked up and saw C-3PO staring at her. "Wipe that nervous expression off your face, Threepio."
"Oh. Well, I will certainly try, General," the protocol droid responded.
"Let's go, BB-8. It's now or never!" Poe grunted. The droid retracted its metal hand from the sparking circuit, then turned his body sideways. His head ejected up from his body, covering the entirety of the sparking circuit board. Poe's targeting system lit up.
"Yes!" the pilot cheered, firing on the last cannon. As it erupted into flame, Poe flew right through it, then hit the breaks and sharply turned his fighter around. The last two TIE pilots watched in disbelief as the X-wing whipped around onto their tails, in perfect position for a kill shot.
Both TIE fighters didn't have time to react as they were disintegrated by a barrage of X-wing cannon fire. BB-8 rolled into upright position, shaking his head as electric current jumped across his body.
"All clear! Bring the bombs," Poe exclaimed.
A First Order officer observed the situation through a macro-periscope. "Captain, Resistance bombers approaching," he warned.
"Of course they are," Cannady muttered bitterly.
Facing off against the dreadnought was a formation of a dozen heavy bombers. Each had a cigar-shaped body, and a long fin on its underside. Stubby wings protruded from each side of the cockpit. Ball-shaped gun turrets provided protection from hostile fighters. Flying alongside the bombers were more X-wings, these with white paintjobs, and small, wedge-shaped A-wing interceptors.
"Bombers, keep that tight formation," Tallie said. She moved her A-wing into a position that overlooked the Resistance formation. "Fighters, protect the bombers. It's not every day we get a shot at a dreadnought, so let's make this count."
"Copy that, Blue Leader," the lead bomber pilot said.
"You get us there, we'll give it to them," the bombardier added.
"Copy. We're on it," an X-wing pilot replied.
A grizzled bomber pilot stared out his cockpit. "Fighters incoming."
A stream of First Order TIE fighters poured from the hangars of the dreadnought. They swarmed in on the formation, going to attack speed.
Tallie whipped her controls forward, a determined look on her face. "Gunners, look alive."
"They're coming in! Form up!" an A-wing pilot shouted over the radio.
The TIE fighters barreled in, cannons blazing. The two fighter formations collided, ships exploding on both sides. A few First Order fighters that approached the bombers were picked off by their turret gunners. Another TIE tried to target a bomber's exposed flank, but was shot from behind by an X-wing, which zoomed past the remains of the destroyed fighter.
"They're everywhere!" an X-wing pilot yelled before his cockpit exploded in a flash of sparks and flames.
"Vector in at attack speed," Tallie commanded. She swerved to avoid an X-wing chasing a TIE fighter, then targeted another TIE. She smashed the fire controls, tearing the fighter to shreds.
Three TIE fighters managed to break through the Resistance fighter defenses, allowing them to target a bomber. They unloaded with their cannons, blaster bolts thudding into the nose of the bomber.
"Mayday! Mayday! We're going down!" the pilot shouted as his bomber dipped downwards, consumed in flame.
Captain Cannady arrogantly surveyed the battle raging before his eyes. "Recharge the auto-cannons. Target their cruiser," he ordered. The underbelly-mounted autocannons begin to point upwards, inching closer to targeting the Resistance fleet.
BB-8 noticed this, and chirped frantically.
"Yeah, I see it," Poe acknowledged. "Tallie, they've targeted the fleet and begun the priming sequence."
"Copy that. We're almost there." Tallie took down another TIE fighter as it flashed by. "Bombardiers, begin your drop sequence."
"I've got a visual on the target," the lead bombardier responded. He picked up a boxy detonator switch and a pressed a red bottom. All the bombs lit up, armed and ready to drop.
"Bombs are armed. We're approaching the sweet spot."
A TIE fighter came up from underneath a bomber, but was hit by the lower fin turret gunner. It spiraled out of control, slamming into the thick fin, which held all of the bombs. The fighter exploding, creating even more destruction due to the armed bombs.
Shrapnel erupted from the bomber, eviscerating bombers to the left and right of it. With the Resistance formation in chaos, some TIE fighters broke through. Green blaster bolts drilled into the remaining bombers.
Only one of the heavy bombers emerged from the barrage intact. It had slight damage on the right side of its fuselage, but nothing critical. It steadied on.
Inside its ball turret, the gunner, Paige Tico, watched the flaming hulks of the rest of the bomber squadron pass by. She was breathing heavily, fear and horror etched across her face.
In the dreadnought, the crew was making the final preparations to fire on the Resistance fleet.
"Auto-cannons aimed," reported an officer.
"Forty seconds to full charge," a lieutenant said. She turned to face Cannady, who was glaring at the remains of the Resistance attack formation.
"Destroy that last bomber!" he barked, jabbing his finger at the bomber outside the bridge window. The Resistance bomber was tiny in comparison to the massive dreadnought, a gray speck among a storm of red and green blaster fire.
Poe was pre-occupied with the battle raging in front of him when he noticed the bomber's bay doors were still closed.
"Paige, come in," he radioed, "we're over the target. Why aren't your bay doors open?"
"I-I…I don't know," Paige stammered.
"You're the only bomber left. It's all down to you!"
Paige rolled her turret back up into the body of the bomber, a determined expression on her sweaty face. She exited her ball turret and climbed a ladder that led to the upper deck.
"Nix!" she shouted, only to see the bombardier's body lying motionless next to a flaming wound in the fuselage.
Poe's voice rang out over the bomber's speaker system. "Paige! Drop the payload now!"
Paige spotted the activator lying several feet from her. She reached over to it, fumbling it with her fingers.
In the bomber's cockpit, the pilot's eyes grew wide in fear as a TIE fighter barreled in straight for him. "Look out!"
The co-pilot looked up to see thin blaster bolts tear into the cockpit. The impact of the blast knocked Paige back through the ladder-hole. As she fell back into the bomb bay, her world became black.
She awoke quickly, her ears ringing. She realized she was lying face-up on a small service bridge. Above her, dangling at the top of the ladder, was the activator switch.
Paige kicked the ladder near the base, and the activator wobbled. She kept kicking it, the activator inching slightly closer to the edge.
Captain Cannady watched as the autocannons reached their full charge. "Fire!"
A black-helmeted First Order gunner began to pull fire control levels and activate switches. The two autocannons began to glow as they heated up.
Paige summoned up all the remaining strength she had and delivered one last kick to the ladder. The detonator teetered over the edge then fell. It ricocheted off the bomb bay racks, falling past Paige's eyes.
Without hesitation, she flipped her body over and grabbed the activator. With it firmly in her hand, she pressed the bright red button.
Hundreds of bombs fell from the racks, their momentum carrying them down onto a prominent indentation in the dreadnought's surface.
Paige lay on the gangway, watching as flames ascended upon her. She closed her eyes and firmly gripped the crescent-shaped golden medallion hanging around her collar.
Tallie witnessed the bombs pouring out from the lone bomber. "Bombs away!" she radioed in, followed by cheers from other pilots.
Alarms blared about the dreadnought bridge as the ship began to rupture. While other officers fled, Cannady stood at the front of the bridge, chin up and chest puffed out. He didn't budge as the flames enveloped him.
Aboard the Resistance cruiser, the bridge crew was celebrating as the holographic display of the dreadnought fractured in thousands of pieces.
"Direct hit! Dreadnought down!"
The cheers continued, but Leia's smile vanished from her face as she looked down at the display in front of her. They had lost a sizeable amount of fighters, but worst of all, their entire bomber squadron had been wiped out.
The Resistance fighters flew back to the main cruiser, where they braked hard upon entered the hangar. As soon as all fighters were aboard, the fleet jumped to lightspeed.
Aboard one the First Order destroyers, Hux watched in horror as the dreadnought crumbled while the Resistance fled. He was then interrupted by a voice from behind him.
"General, Supreme Leader Snoke is making contact from his ship."
"Excellent. I'll take it in my chambers," Hux muttered. He began to exit the bridge when a massive hologram of Snoke's deformed, skeletal-looking face was projected in front of him.
"General Hux," Snoke growled in an ominous voice.
Hux tried to calm himself. "Supreme Leader—" "My disappointment in your performance cannot be overstated," Snoke said.
"They can't get away, Supreme Leader. We have them tied on the end of a string."
The Resistance cruiser glided through the blue-white funnel of hyperspace. In the ship's medical bay lay Finn, encased in a pod and still recovering from his injuries. He was wearing a bubbly bacta suit over his entire except for his head.
Finn awoke with a startled expression on his face. "Rey!" he yelled, slamming his head against the glass of the pod. He reached up and removed the pod cover, before falling off the bed. His suit immediately began to leak, healing liquid spraying everywhere.
Poe and the rest of the pilots were in the main hangar, unloading from their fighters.
"Well done, pal," Poe said to BB-8. The droid beeped happily in response, but followed up with a series of strange noises.
"'Finn naked leaking bag'?" Poe questioned, in disbelief of what he heard. "What? Did you fry a chip?"
BB-8 chirped and swiveled his head towards the hangar entrance. There stood fin, trudging down the hallway as his suit leaked all over the white floors of the cruiser.
"Finn! Finn, buddy," Poe greeted as he ran over to meet his friend "It's so good to see you. We need to get you dressed. Come on. You must have a thousand questions."
Finn stared dully into the distance, only one thought on his mind: "Where's Rey?"
Rey stood at the top of an island cliff on the ancient planet of Ahch-To, staring at the man across from her: legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The seasoned Jedi continued to stare wordlessly, not reacting to Rey holding out the lightsaber. Unsure of what to do, she stepped forward, placing the saber in his hands.
Luke's hands quivered as they traveled over its metal body. He looked deeply at the object, a fury of emotions flashing before his eyes. Visions of love, hate, defeat, victory, suffering and redemption. He moved to the Jedi weapon to his mechanical right hand, which was still shaking. He loosened his grip on the lightsaber and let if fall to the ground below him.
Then, staring ahead and not looking back, Luke Skywalker strode away, ignoring Rey's presence.
The girl was shocked. "Master Skywalker?" she whispered in confusion. This was not the reaction she had anticipated from one of the Galaxy's greatest heroes.
She followed him down to a small village comprised of seven stone bell-shaped huts. One of them had a metal sheet acting as a door, which Rey assumed was a sign that it was Luke's dwelling.
Rey approached the hut, knocking on the door with her staff. "Master Skywalker? I'm from the Resistance. Your sister Leia sent me. We need your help."
She waited, but there was no answer. "Hello?"
Once again, no response came. Rey gestured for Chewbacca to come over to her.
Inside the hut, Luke was folding a set of Jedi robes. He heard a metal screeching sound coming from the door, much to his annoyance.
"Go away," he grumbled, before going back to his folding.
However, this time the door was blown straight off its hinges, followed by a low growl. Chewie stepped into the hut, Rey following behind him.
Luke looked up from his robes. "Chewie, what are you doing here?"
"He said you're coming back with us," Rey said.
"How did you find me?"
"Long story. We'll tell you on the Falcon."
"Falcon?"
Chewie let out a soft, sad moan.
Luke paused, a look of realization and horror on his face. In a shaky voice he asked, "Where's Han?"
Kylo Ren stood inside an elevator lift, dressed in his black robes and cape, with his mask on. The lift's cage-like doors opened up, revealing the personal throne room of the Supreme Leader of the First Order.
Snoke sat in his sleek throne, seated within a chamber clad with blood red walls and shiny black walkways. Red-clad guards in segmented armor stood around the room, wielding a unique set of melee weapon: the Praetorian Guards, tasked with defending the Supreme Leader's life at all costs.
In front of the tall throne stood Hux, arms at his sides, facing his ultimate master.
"Tied on a string indeed, General Hux," Snoke sneered. "Well done. The Resistance will soon be in our grasp."
"Thank you, Supreme Leader." Hux bowed and turned sharply on his heels to exit the throne room. He made sure to smirk at Kylo Ren on his way out.
Snoke chuckled ominously. "You wonder why I keep a rabid cur in such a place of power? A cur's weakness properly manipulated, can be a sharp tool."
The Supreme Leader then looked down at his apprentice, who was kneeling before him. "How's your wound?"
"It's nothing," Kylo whispered, bowing his head in shame.
"The mighty Kylo Ren," Snoke said mockingly, "When I found you, I saw what all masters live to see. Raw, untamed power. And beyond that, something truly special: the potential of your bloodline. A new Vader."
Snoke's mocking expression transformed into one of disgust. "Now I fear I was mistaken."
"I've given everything I have to you," Kylo pleaded. "To the dark side."
"Take that ridiculous thing off," Snoke growled, referring to Kylo's mask.
The helmet hinged as it was unlatched, and Kylo pulled it off his head. Underneath was a dark-haired young man with a look of rejection in his eyes and a scar across his face.
Snoke cracked a wicked smile, enjoying his apprentice's emotional pain. "Yes, there it is. You have too much of your father's heart in you, young Solo."
"I killed Han Solo," Kylo snapped. "When the moment came, I didn't hesitate."
"And look at you, the deed split your spirit to the bone."
"I—" Kylo began to speak but was cut off.
"You were unbalanced, bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber! You failed!" Snoke bellowed.
Upon hearing the words, Kylo threw his cape aside and abruptly jumped to his feet. Snoke stood in response, striking Kylo with blue lightning. The blast hit Kylo's chest, sending him skidding across the glossy black floor.
Three of the red Praetorian Guards snapped out of their statue-like poses and into motion, waving their weapons menacingly as they approach Kylo Ren.
"Prove your worth!" Snoke's voice echoed throughout the chamber as the Guards continued to approach Kylo, spreading out to surround their target from all sides.
Kylo ignited his lightsaber and began to size up his opponents. One Praetorian Guard had a long spear, another was armed with a segmented sword, and the final one carried a staff with a dagger-like blade embedded on each end.
The Praetorian with the double-bladed staff attacked first, twirling his weapon in a downward cutting motion. Kylo blocked the staff with his crimson blade, then pushed back against the Guard, who stumbled. Kylo delivered a kick to the red Guard's abdomen, knocking it over.
Before Kylo could attack further, a second Praetorian charged him from behind. He turned around and got in a defensive stance. His saber clashed with the Praetorian's sword.
The third Guard then rushed Kylo from his exposed side, thrusting his spear. Kylo side-stepped, bringing his saber around to block the attack.
The fallen Praetorian rose back to its feet and rejoined the fight. Kylo had to parry his strike then step back, making sure all the Praetorian Guards were on one side of him, not surrounding him from different angles.
Kylo continued to block strikes from all three Praetorians with his lightsaber. He alternated in going on the offensive, trying to keep all three occupied with his attacks.
He ducked a spear swinging over his head and thrust his lightsaber at the nearest Guard's legs. The blade glanced off the Guard's armored kneepad.
The butt of the spear then collided with Kylo helmet, forcing him back. He was on the retreat, stepping backwards as all three Praetorians tried to break through his defensive parries.
The Praetorian Guard with the double-bladed staff unleashed an intense flurry of strikes, which Kylo frantically countered. The Guard with the spear advanced from the side, hitting Kylo's ribcage with the pole of the weapon.
Kylo grimaced in pain, feebly holding up his lightsaber to block the continued blows of the other two Guards. One of the Praetorians brought his sword down hard against the crossguard of Kylo's lightsaber, knocking the blade from his hand.
Another swept his legs out from under him with its spear. Kylo's back pounded against the floor as he lay sprawled out, defenseless. All three Praetorian Guards held their weapons above his chest.
Snoke had a look of disappointment etched on his gray, deformed face. "Pathetic." He waved his hands, and the Guards retreated back to the corners of the throne room. Kylo stumbled back up to his feet.
"I've had many apprentices over thousands of years. None of them have had your raw potential, yet none have been so weak and broken," Snoke seethed.
The Supreme Leader continued to speak, Kylo bowing his head in shame. "I've strived my whole life to bring about a New Order to the Galaxy. I've witnessed unending conflict between the Jedi and Sith. Each time they try to tip the balance of the Force, only to have it swing back the other way. The Sith were foolish. They pitted master and apprentice against each other. Their strength in the Dark Side could've allow them to prevail, but their personal ambitions always blinded them from fulfilling their main vision. My own apprentice once tried to murder me. I clung to life, regenerating myself slowly and painfully.
"I watched as the Jedi and Republic failed, giving way to an Empire. I've seen the Sith fail, as master and apprentice were once again pitted against each other. With them, the Empire fell. I gathered the remains of their forces and built a new army, a New Order. I learned from the flaws of the Sith and Jedi, flaws I experienced firsthand. I shed the identity of a Sith and created a new breed of master and apprentice, guided only by their determination to achieve their purpose, never distracted by personal interest.
"I've instilled this lesson in you many times, yet you never seem to understand. You've proven weak, emotional, and self-absorbed. Your potential is held back by your personal interests."
"Supreme Leader, I've given all I can," Kylo replied.
Snoke ignored him. "Skywalker lives. The seed of the Jedi Order lives. And as long as it does, hope lives in the galaxy. I thought you would be the one to snuff it out."
Snoke leaned forward in his throne and spoke in a taunting voice. "Alas, you're no Vader. You're just a child in a mask."
An unmasked Kylo stood in a lift, having been dismissed from the Supreme Leader's chamber. He exhaled deeply, staring down at the black mask he held in his hands. Snoke's final words repeated themselves in his mind.
With glassy eyes he continued to look at the mask, running his fingers over the silver lining surrounding the eye-slit.
His feelings of dejection began to disappear, replaced by heated anger. Gripping the mask in hand, Kylo thrust his arm forward, smashing it into the walls of the lift. His anger continued to rise, and he repeatedly slammed his helmet into the lift wall, creating a shower of sparks.
As the lift door opened, two First Order officers watched as Kylo Ren stormed out, seething with anger.
"Prepare my ship," he growled. The two officers quickly nodded in agreement, eyeing the destroyed mask lying on the floor of the lift.
Rey and Chewbacca stood before Luke's ancient hut, facing the Jedi master.
"There's no light left in Kylo Ren," Rey said. "He's only getting stronger. The First Order will control all the major systems within weeks. We need your help. We need the Jedi Order back."
She paused, looking up at the aged Jedi Master standing before her. "We need Luke Skywalker."
"You don't need Luke Skywalker," he retorted.
"Did you hear a word I just said?"
"You think what?" Luke questioned sharply, "I'm gonna walk out with a lightsaber and face down the entirety of the First Order? What did you think was going to happen here? You think that I came to the most unfindable place in the galaxy for no reason at all? Go away."
"I'm not leaving without you!" Rey said desperately.
Luke ignored her, shutting himself away in his hut. He sat down on a wooden bench, holding his face in his hands. Several tears slipped from his eyes as the memories of Han flooded his mind.
Rey stared at the metal door of Luke's hut, the wind blowing loose strands of her hair. Over the sound of the wind she could hear what sounded like faint whispers. She turned her head, but saw no one.
The voices continued. Intrigued, she began to hike towards the center of the island, hoping to discover the sources of the whispers.
As she continued her journey, the voices grew later. She was drawn towards a large, gnarled tree, with broken branches forking out from the base and jutting up towards the sky. The top of the tree was broken, allowing sunlight to enter. An entrance had been carved in the hollow trunk.
The whispers called to Rey, inviting her in. She slowly stepped into the tree, feeling the tension in the air around her. The place emanated a spiritual energy. Its ancient nature was apparent in its shaped wooden walls.
Her eyes were locked onto a stack of books, sitting on a carved shelf at the end of the hollow trunk, illuminated by a beam of sunlight filtering in from above.
The whispers grew more distinct as she approached the ancient manuscripts, their covers detailed with ancient symbols. She reached her hand towards the texts, driven by unknown, instinctual force. As her fingers were about to make contact with the nearest book, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.
Rey turned around to see the figure of Luke silhouetted in the tree entrance.
"Who are you?" Luke questioned, genuine curiosity in his voice.
Rey hesitated before speaking. "I know this place."
"Built a thousand generations ago to keep these," Luke said, holding an ancient manuscript in his gloved hands. "The original Jedi texts. Just like me, they're the last of the Jedi religion."
He turned to Rey. "You've seen this place… You've seen this island."
"Only in dreams," Rey whispered.
"Who are you?" Luke asked, more emphasis on the question this time.
"The Resistance sent me."
"They sent you? What's special about you?"
Rey didn't answer, unsure of what to say.
Luke noticed this and asked, "Where are you from?"
"Nowhere," she replied quickly, examining the inside of tree instead of facing Luke.
"No one's from nowhere," the Jedi Master said.
Rey turned to look directly at Luke. "Jakku."
All right, that is pretty much nowhere," Luke agreed. "Why are you here, Rey, from nowhere?"
"The Resistance sent me. We need your help. The First Order's become unstoppable."
"Why are you here?"
Rey paused, unsure of how to articulate her thoughts. Finally, she spoke up. "Something… inside me… has always been there. But now it's awake. And I'm afraid. I don't know what it is or what to do with it. And I need help."
"You need a teacher," Luke said, then lowered his voice. "I can't teach you."
"Why not? You just sit on this island. You're not busy."
"I will never train another generation of Jedi," Luke said harshly.
Rey couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her face was filled with pure shock. "What? Why?"
Luke grabbed hold of the gnarled wood near the tree entrance. "I came to this island to die." He gazed out at the vast sea. "It's time for the Jedi to end."
"Why?" Rey questioned, flustered by Luke's words. "Leia sent me here with hope. If she was wrong, she deserves to know why. We all do."