At first she'd hacked at the thick metal door in anger, but after a few minutes it had become clear that the lightsaber had both strengths and limitations. She'd taken a breath and then began to slowly cut her way through the metal. Her hands and arms had burned from the heat, and she'd gritted her teeth through the pain and weakness that she still felt from being shot only an hour ago. When she'd finally cut an oval large enough for her to step through, she'd kicked the center piece out with a sharp cry of effort, and it had fallen to the ground outside with a loud crash.
She stepped through just as a pair of stormtroopers came running down the hall to investigate the noise. They came to a halt, blasters raised at the sight of her—she must have been a mess at that point. Sweat, blood, and burns all over her body with a melted door on the floor and a sputtering lightsaber at her side.
"Where is Lord Ren?" she asked, her tone brooking no argument from the soldiers.
They looked at each other for a second before one answered her. "He is outside the base, searching for an intruder."
She clenched her jaw. If he'd just waited in the detention block, he'd have already found his intruder, she thought sourly. "Relay to him and to General Hux that the intruder is inside the base. A human male named Han Solo is here with a wookiee, and he has escaped with FN-2187."
They didn't speak, which meant that someone on the bridge had been listening. She waited a few seconds as they received orders.
"General Hux has ordered that you go to hangar 22-A. The deflector shield has dropped over the planet and enemies are inbound."
Rey's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. That shouldn't be possible, she thought, before clenching her fists. Finn had led them to a control room, obviously, and now the Resistance was coming to get him.
"Target?" she asked, intent on stopping the rendezvous.
The trooper hesitated. "The thermal oscillator."
All expression melted from her face. If the oscillator was destroyed, the entire planet would go with it. Finn had signed the death warrants of hundreds of thousands of his brothers and sisters
"Acknowledged," she said, before moving away and running down the long corridors. Rey eventually made it to the correct hangar and she passed by other pilots who were heading out to join the battle. One of them tossed a flight suit her way with a nod and she hastily pulled it up over her clothes. The lightsaber was attached to the utility belt around her waist, and she pulled a helmet and gloves off the rack before running out into the emptying hangar. Pilots ran here and there, jumping into TIE fighters. There weren't any interceptors on Starkiller, only on the Finalizer, she realized with a grimace.
A fighter would have to do. She looked around and finally spotted an empty one and got inside. The controls were just as she remembered from the last time she'd flown one, and the ship came online smoothly. She latched her helmet into place and released the docking clamps. Telemetry readouts and comm unit reports filled her senses. The top of the fighter slid shut over her and she immediately began to take off, flying out into the cold atmosphere of the planet. The enemy was already being engaged by other TIEs, but the X-wings were firing multiple direct hits over the oscillator. She watched as the cannon fire hit its target, but so far none had penetrated the thick roofing of the building.
"Weapon is preparing to fire on their home base in twenty seven minutes," came a report over the comms.
She nodded to herself and was about to join the fray when a secondary order came. "Intruders spotted heading for the oscillator on foot. Suspected sabotage imminent."
Stormtroopers were being deployed and no doubt Kylo Ren was also on his way but they wouldn't get there in time. "Mission leader, this is RY-4209-ISC."
"Go ahead, squad commander."
"Breaking formation to intercept the intruders. Request cover."
"Acknowledged. Red Team, keep them off her back."
"Sir!" came the sound of multiple voices over the comms, and she broke away from the fight. She flew low and dodged a shot from an X-wing before the ship was forced back into the fray by the Red Team. She searched for a place within the snowy forest for a place to land, but there weren't any clearings big enough in the immediate vicinity so she chose a location set a bit further back. The landing was rough due to her speed, but she didn't have time to waste on slowing down for a soft landing.
Rey was jostled a bit but able to pull herself from the cockpit and into the freezing snow. The flight suit provided some protection from the frigid temperature, but that was far from her mind as she plowed through the powdery snow towards the treeline, and then to the oscillator. The foliage was thick in some places, and she was forced to cut through it with her saber, and she was panting with exertion by the time she reached her target. Her eyes darted along the building but there wasn't a clear entrance on that side. She clenched her jaw in frustration and was about to try and make her way around when she spotted a maintenance ladder in the distance. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do.
Rey looked up at the sky towards the air battle that still raged above her. Blaster fire was coming down like rain onto the ground and she needed to get through that. She took in a great lungful of the frigid air, letting the pain in her lungs fuel her anger, and she took strength from that before running into the line of fire.
Blaster bolts hit the snow around her, sending up plumes of the pale powder into the air around her, and she kept her eyes on the sky as she dodged both random fire and what she was certain were shots aimed directly at her from the X-wings. Snow clung to her black suit, numbing her in places, and the air froze the skin of her face. Her lips felt dry and her eyes burned and she was ready to give up by the time she made it to the building. Her hands trembled violently as she cut through the lock with her lightsaber, and she looked up the ladder in dejection for only a second before she began climbing up the three-story chute.
The frigid temperature made her muscles stiff, and she had to stop a couple of times in exhaustion, but she was eventually able to get all the way up. Her breath was coming in harsh, misty pants as she opened the door and staggered inside. The air inside the oscillator was warm and dry and she nearly collapsed in relief from the cold. She gripped the railing of the balcony to keep herself upright until her knuckles were white as she looked around for the traitor and his friends.
Rey's vision was slightly blurry from the sheer physical exhaustion and pain she was experiencing, so she had to blink several times to see what was going on. She spotted movement on the other side and was about climb down from the balcony when across from her, the main door opened.
Her eyes widened as she spotted Lord Ren walking around the building. His hood was down and the light glinted dully off the smooth top of his helmet. He gave out orders before heading towards the breezeway that bisected the oscillator. The Knight was looking towards her and she knew he'd sensed her. Rey breathed a sigh of relief as he got closer.
But suddenly he stopped and stood still on the breezeway. Behind Lord Ren, she spotted the old man from before, Han Solo, walking slowly towards him. Lord Ren knew he was there, but he hadn't turned around to face the old man yet.
"Ben!" the man yelled, and the name echoed through the cavernous chamber. Lord Ren stayed still and silent for a minute before he turned and faced the old man.
"Han Solo," he said calmly, "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
How did Lord Ren know this criminal so intimately? Lord Ren's name was actually Ben? Questions filled her mind and she swallowed as the two stared at one another.
Solo walked closer. "Take off that mask. You don't need it." He sounded tired, like he'd have rather been digesting in a sarlacc pit than talking to the Knight.
"What do you think you'll see if I do?" Lord Ren asked, his mask tilted and Rey wondered why he hadn't run the man through yet. The old smuggler was no match for the master of the Knights of Ren!
"The face of my son," he said. Rey blinked several times as she clutched onto the railing. Kylo Ren's father was attempting to sabotage Starkiller?
Ren was silent before he reached up and hit the release on his helmet. It was lifted away, but Rey could only see a thick mane of dark curls from her vantage point. Just as well, Lord Ren obviously didn't like people seeing his face, or he wouldn't wear a mask. Ren and Han Solo continued to speak below her but she wasn't quite able to hear their words. She did see Solo move even closer and Lord Ren letting him. What was happening? There was still a battle raging above them!
If Lord Ren wouldn't take care of their enemies, then she would. This planet would not be destroyed—not without a fight. Rey sneered at the sight of so many stormtroopers watching the scene unfold and not looking for the saboteurs. The wookiee and Finn were around there somewhere and she planned to find them.
She slid under the railing as Lord Ren and Solo continued their family reunion, and she scanned the various platforms, looking for the hairy beast and her traitorous ex-friend. The warmth of the oscillator had helped with her stiff muscles, and her body was no longer wracked with violent shivering. She was silent as she moved through the darkness, looking for her targets.
There . . . in the shadows.
The wookiee's sheer size made it difficult to hide and it, along with everyone else, was watching. She hopped down as quietly as she could between the support beams and landed on the platform just above Lord Ren. She moved quickly through the darkness, passing stormtroopers who would deserve to die if the place really did blow for their lack of vigilance. She still didn't see Finn but the wookiee would do for now.
Rey saw Kylo hold his lightsaber out to Han Solo in her periphery. "I'm being torn apart," he said almost sadly. "I want to be free of this pain." Her face twitched in disgust but she steeled herself and resolutely ignored what was happening. She had a mission to complete.
"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it," he said softly though it echoed like everything else. "Will you help me?"
She walked quietly towards the wookiee. Its hairy back was to her and she pulled her lightsaber from her belt. The wookiee was so focused on Lord Ren and his father that she was able to get close enough. She ignited the weapon and launched herself at the creature. The massive sentient roared as her lightsaber went through its chest. She was about to yank the saber and cut the creature in half when the blaster fire started and she was hit in the side. Again.
The lightsaber's glow vanished as she let go of the hilt and the wookiee swung around and slammed its massive fists into her, sending her flying to the side and into the floor. She slid a ways before nearly going over the side, her hand catching on the railing. She looked up just in time to see Lord Ren look her way before running his own saber through his father's chest.
She blinked several times even as her hand clenched over the new blaster burn on her side. Lord Ren . . .
"No," she whispered in shock. She knew that face—it had haunted her for years. She . . . she could not be seeing him. Tahre had left and never returned. He hadn't cared about her. He'd lied to her!
"I'll be with you . . . always," Tahre had whispered in the dark on their last night together, and she'd held onto him so tightly—had believed him. Then the modulated voice of Kylo Ren filled her mind: "I keep my promises," he'd told her. "I won't leave you behind."
He . . . he hadn't left her. He'd watched her all those years from behind a mask. But why? Her head shook from side to side as she tried to figure out why he'd done such a thing. Why he hadn't told her.
She swallowed back the bile that rose up as she fought to get herself together. The old man hung there before he fell away, into the abyss of the oscillator. Ren looked back up at her and their eyes met for the first time. Later she would lament that she'd distracted him because one second he was standing there looking at her and the next he was on the ground after being shot.
"No! Tahre!" she screamed, and pulled herself up only to nearly fall over the railing as massive explosions surrounded the structure.
Rey gritted her teeth. She'd failed to stop the sabotage and now the entire planet was going to blow! Fire raged around her and her hands trembled as her fingers clenched with pain and anger. Her entire body was going to be a giant bruise if she survived this. She looked around and spotted her lightsaber lying on the ground behind her. The wookiee was long gone, as was Finn, who must have been the one to shoot her.
"Cowards," she ground out, limping towards the stairs. She had to get to Lord Ren—quickly, before they both died. Rey held tightly to the railing as heat from the fires seared her skin. She made it to the ground level and she shook with rage as a squad of 'troopers ran past her to escape rather than going to the aid of Lord Ren.
Her lightsaber flashed with life and she could not stop herself from slicing the last one down the middle as he ran like a frightened child. The smoke was burning her lungs but she trudged forward, looking for the fallen Knight.
There! She finally spotted him, stumbling and clutching his side as he made his way towards the exit.
"Lord Ren!" she called, and he looked up. She moved closer, as did he, and she couldn't stop herself from wrapping an arm around him as they met. He did the same and buried his face in her hair.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, close to her ear.
"Rescuing you."
He snorted and looked around at the crumbling building. "Yes, that's working out quite well for us both," he said.
As much as she wanted to punch him in the face for his lies . . . "We have to get out of here," she said seriously, and he nodded in agreement. It was only a matter of time before the X-wings finished the job that Lord Ren's father had started.
She pulled out her comm unit and typed in the code for Captain Phasma.
"Yes, commander?" came the captain's voice. It sounded a bit frazzled, but with the planet threatening to explode around them, she could understand that.
"I need emergency evac for Lord Ren. He's been injured and needs immediate medical attention."
"I'm fine," he ground out from beside her, even as he continued to use her as a crutch through the snow.
"Location?" Phasma asked.
"Approximately one point two kilometers south of the oscillator. There is a clearing where my TIE fighter is. We're headed there now."
"Acknowledged. ETA four minutes."
Rey nodded to herself and shoved the comm back into her pocket. She needed to get him out of here.
"4209," he began but she cut him off.
"Shut up and keep walking," she ordered as the two injured people continued through the woods. The planet itself was shaking by that point, and she did her best to keep them both walking. Just as they broke the treeline, she could see the tell-tale wings of her fighter. They paused, and sure enough another ship appeared and set down on the powder-covered ground. Phasma appeared on the lowered ramp.
"Come on!" she called, and Rey hurried to get Kylo Ren aboard. She set him down onto a bench and got up to run back out. Ren was nearly passed out with blood loss but he still tried to stop her.
"Where are you going?" he hissed out, grabbing hold of her.
She yanked at her arm. "They are still attacking, which means they haven't succeeded in destroying the oscillator yet. They can still be stopped."
He shook his head repeatedly and tried to hold onto her, but she pulled away and ran back out into the snow, nodding to Phasma who watched her even as the ramp closed . . . then the ship blasted away. Rey would either succeed and the Resistance would be destroyed once and for all or she would die with this planet and with the hundreds of thousands of 'troopers and officers who were still inside its depths, unable to escape the impending explosion.
But she would take Poe Dameron with her.
Rey ran quickly through the snow, blood staining the ground as she went. Her ship hadn't cooled much since she'd been gone and it powered back on quickly. Her TIE was sailing through the air within seconds and she headed back towards the main battle. She joined in the fight, shooting down X-wing after X-wing, and she saw the exact moment that they noticed the damaged oscillator. Rey got in behind the enemy craft who were providing cover for the one she was sure was piloted by Dameron. She took aim and began picking them off, but she wasn't fast enough and she was forced to pull up at the last second as Dameron's ship went inside the oscillator.
"No!" she yelled, her hand slamming down on her console as the oscillator and everything around it went up in flames. The planet was lost. She'd failed. Her fingers clenched around the controls and she ignored the heightened chatter coming through her comm unit as she went after a particularly crafty X-wing. She shot it down with efficiency and no small amount of satisfaction and was flying back towards the center of the fray when she spotted something in the distance. The Corellian freighter took off and was headed into space. No! The X-wings broke away and headed for it, and the TIEs followed, firing as many shots as they could, but the fighters weren't as fast as the interceptors or the X-wings and she could only watch as they made it out into the dark of space before jumping away.
"Quickly! Get as far from the planet as possible!" came the voice of the mission leader and she, along with the others, flew as far and as fast as they could to escape the blast.
Her vision whited out as the planet finally shook apart and disintegrated. She, along with everyone else, was thrown out into the void. Rey had no control over her ship; she could only hold on as the fighter was tossed like a ragdoll.
Eventually the ship turned enough so she could see the area where the planet used to be. It was practically a dust cloud, catching the light of the neighboring star.
"Mission Leader, team status," she said into her comms but nothing came back, not even static. Her ship had suffered massive damage and she'd lost propulsion, comms, even life support.
Rey could see other TIEs floating nearby, and it looked as though they'd suffered the same fate. Her fingers released the controls and she sat back. She'd expected this and even perhaps welcomed an end to her pain. It was expected, and an accepted part of the lives of 'troopers. The Order did not waste time on search and rescue. They had a military that was large enough that it didn't matter when many died.
Her air would eventually run out and she would die quietly in the dark of space. And as things went, Rey was somehow fine with that. She'd have preferred a quicker death in battle, going out in a blaze of glory in defense of the Order, but this wasn't so bad either. The view was one that few would have, the stars twinkling in the distance behind the remains of Starkiller. Tiny explosions puffed up in the distance every once in awhile as an air pocket was set aflame.
FN-2187 had gotten away, she was sure. He was with that other pilot, Poe Dameron. The one who wasn't Rey. She allowed a smile to cross her features as she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. If she ever saw either of them again, she'd kill them both . . . but hopefully he was happy.
And Tahre . . . Kylo. He was alive. She'd gotten him off the planet in time. Rey smiled a bit into the darkness. After all those years, he hadn't abandoned her. It was she who had run from him. But Rey didn't regret her choices. She didn't regret anything.
The adrenaline of the battle wore off and the air was beginning to thin, so she shut her eyes and let herself fall into oblivion, certain that she'd never wake up again. Rey didn't know exactly how much time had passed before her TIE was abruptly jarred and gravity was reintroduced. It was hard to breathe and she struggled to hit the catch on her helmet. The front of the TIE was practically ripped open just as she caught the release. She took a deep breath and blinked through her hazy, oxygen-deprived vision. A dark shadow fell over her but she was too tired to defend herself as it drew near.
"RY-4902," it—he said.
"Lord Ren," she managed to utter out breathily. Rey felt a hand on her face, tracing the line of her jaw, and slowly her vision was returning to normal.
He'd come back for her? Lord Ren had . . . no one had ever come back for her, not even FN-2187.
"I'll always come for you . . . Rey."
Well that's it for this story. Hope you guys enjoyed it. :)