Chapter 11

Leia Organa made her way down the long corridor leading to the Prometheus's bridge. The ship she would be currently residing in. Her cane clicked in accordance to her light steps, announcing her presence in the hustling hallways. Pilots saluted her in military form and officers bobbed their heads in respect. Leia acknowledged every single one of them even though, she hated to admit, was not familiar with the vast majority of them. A couple of non-combatant members of the crew smiled at her and she gestured back. It was exciting to meet new recruits, but seeing so many of them at the same time reminded her too much of the heavy losses the Resistance had sustained a few months ago.

The double doors slid open allowing her entrance to the simple but elegant bridge of the Resistance's newest ship, a Mon Calamari vessel given in support of their cause by Admiral Ackbar's son. Admiral D'Acy was already posted on the helm of the bridge, smoothing the ship out of Correlia's orbit. The hurried shifting of the stars outside the large main viewport informed Leia that they'd be soon entering hyperspace. She walked to stand before it, eyes trained on the planet's retreating mass and lips set in a thin line of disappointment.

Nothing. All these talks for nothing.

Sometimes she wondered if it was even worth fighting for this galaxy, for unifying it under a democratic regime, when worlds were so willing to let their neighbor get torn apart in order to gain trade routes and better economic deals.

Correlia had refused to help Coruscant, fearing the First Order's retaliation. But Leia had been in this game of power for far too long to recognize poorly veiled benefits when she came across them.

"General we are about to enter hyperspace," Admiral D'Acy said stepping next to her.

"Proceed."

Leia nodded glancing at the officer as she turned her back to the viewport and headed for the desk in the middle of the room to take a look at the latest reports and messages.

"We have a report from Chandrilla," Lieutenant Connix informed her as Leia was taking a seat.

Damn knee.

"Have you read it?"

"You won't like it," she answered back, a tone of bitterness on her sweet voice.

"Why am I not surprised."

Leia brought the said report on screen skimming through its lines.

Chandrilla's government was torn as to whose side it should take during the invasion of Coruscant. A handful of its senators had dispatched a small part of its military fleet sending it in support of the Resistance. But it had raised great objections from the remainder of its Congress, which had gone as far as arresting the senators who had gone rogue.

Great. A civil war is the last thing we need.

She sighed rubbing away at the headache on her temples with her fingers.

Coruscant would be the last stand. And a defining point for the fate of the galaxy.

And the fate of my son.

Leia closed her eyes.

Ben was playing a dangerous game. One that didn't offer him many chances of coming out alive. And even though this past year had brought far more losses than she could bare, she held on to hope. Hope that perhaps her boy would break away from the darkness that was feeding off of him, twisting him into a being she could hardly recognize. And thanks to Rey a path back to the light was no longer as impossible as it once seemed.

But if that path led him to his own death, then she'd rather he didn't take it at all. Because she was selfish like that. Because his death would be the one thing she did not wish to be alive to see.

Leia sighed, touching the wedding ring on her finger. Han would agree.

Maker, I'm getting too old.

A beep from the holopad in front of her startled out of her thoughts and she glanced at the incoming report.

A small smile tugged at the ends of her lips.

That willy old man did it again.

The First Order siege strategies and battle plans for Coruscant were staring at her from the small device in her palm along with the blueprints of the newest Dreadnought.

Her oldest friend had come through once more. Leia shook her head with fondness wishing she could see his eyes gleam, hidden behind those large spectacles.


Rey could sense a shift in the Force, like a low throb reverberating in the air, making her uneasy. But it was impossible to pin point its origin in the middle of the crowded market. She halted causing a man to bump on her back, his basket filled with loafs of bread scattering on the pavement. A string of swears and animated gestures was shot her direction and Nyxx stepped in to make his presence known.

"Watch it," he warned, looming over the owner of the basket.

She swiveled her head, searching for that feeling of Darkness. It reminded her so much of the ones she had intercepted on Leia's side. As if the Force was being slowly distorted, hammered and sharpened into a blade. The intent to kill behind it, unmistakable. She instinctively reached for the pocket of her jacket where the hidden crystal was burning with agreement.

There were too many people. The aggravating yells of merchants and bustling activity surrounding her making it impossible to follow the thread to the shadow she felt was slipping through the crowd.

There.

"Him," she tugged on Nyxx's sleeve pointing her finger to a cloaked figure nearby opening his way amongst a row of colorful scarves.

Nyxx snapped his gaze towards the direction she was pointing at, eyes narrowing into slits.


Finn turned his head from the collection of knick-knacks he was digging through, just in time to catch Nyxx parting his way amongst the humanoids and aliens in a rush, Rey hot on his heels.

"Rose," he called, prying the girl off a stack of microchips. The crowd was too thick and he could see the pair struggling to close the distance to the man in pursuit, but he was slim and agile and easily eluded them.

Finn looked around, his eyes landing on a flight of stairs leading to the roofs of shacks on the side of the market. He leaped on them, easily gaining speed as he ran over the tin roofs. He could see the cloaked man turning swiftly towards a narrow passage at a corner of the main street, an older woman on his side panting to keep up with him. A hovercraft was stationed a little further down the alley.

They're getting away.

There was only one way to stop them.

Finn hurled himself over the edge of the roof aiming for the pair. But the cloaked man sensed him, head snapping towards Finn's direction and he easily evaded him. Finn tumbled on the ground fingers grasping tightly on the fabric of the cloak.

He was quick on his feet, despite his crash on the pavement, but the man was quicker, swiftly jumping on his means of escape along with his companion, gunning the hovercraft and disappearing from sight.


Nyxx turned on the corner leading towards the alley the man had run into, winded from the effort, only to come across a bewildered Finn standing in its middle, a cloak clutched firmly in his hand.

Man, I gotta cut down on them smokes.

He halted, hands grasping his knees out of breath.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked, pointing with his chin towards Finn's hand.

"Did you see him? Did you? I got his cloak, but the moofmilker got away!" Finn yelled, gesturing wildly in the direction the hovercraft had headed.

"Did you see his face?" Rey asked, she and Rose having just turned around the corner as well.

They seemed to be in a much better condition than Nyxx. Barely breaking a sweat.

He frowned.

"Yeah, yeah I did," Finn said dismissively. Obviously, that was not what he was concerned about. "Can we use the Force to chase after them, or find their vehicle?"

Why does everybody think the Force is a tracker?

"That's not how the Force works," Nyxx pointed out straightening his back and filling his lungs with much-needed air. He exhaled slowly and started patting his pockets. Now, if he could only find his smokes.

Ah, there!

"But you saw his face," Rey pressed on, gaze turning to lock on Nyxx, catching his attention. The Jedi was up to something.

"A lot of good that did." Finn rolled his eyes as he fumbled through the fabric of the cloak producing a ration bar and a bunch of wrinkled pieces of parchment "I'm the only one who saw it."

A smile crept on her face.

"Not if you let me use a trick I learned not too long ago."

Finn fixed her with a suspicious stare as he handed the ration bar and parchments over to Rose.

"You're not coming anywhere near my head, you hear?"

Nyxx looked at her curiously.

She's gonna read his mind. That little goody two shoes Jedi is gonna rip the man's face from Finn's mind.

He snickered. This was going to be fun.

Finn had just finished searching the dark cloak when Rey stepped firmly in front of him.

Nyxx felt a tug on his sleeve right when the good part was about to begin and he turned to glance at a very excited Rose all cheeky smiles and brightly lit eyes.

"These are city sketches and codes," she said holding out the things Finn had handed to her. "They might mean nothing at all but it might be a start."

"Lemme see'em," he mumbled, trying to balance the roll of smokes between his lips. He flipped through them impatiently, most of the information not meaning a thing to him, but the last two parchments were maps of the Government district with a few buildings circled on it.

He looked up at Rose in surprise. She was practically jumping out of her skin in excitement.

We finally have a lead.

Chances were the pair wouldn't approach those particular buildings after nearly getting caught, but Nyxx knew Coruscant like the back of his hand and now they had an idea of what they were after.

And Rose was already counting on her fingers the equipment she needed to track down the virus.

"Nyxx," Rey called out asking for his attention. Finn next to her was rubbing at his temples. "I have their faces."

She came up to him stretching her fingers to touch the side of his head and he imitated her movements. The sensation wasn't exactly pleasant as a memory planted itself in his mind.

One of the faces definitely belonged to Clance, but the other…

Fuck.

"Aryn."


He looked up just in time to see the rubble collapsing towards him. A howl of denial pierced his ears, right before his body got crushed under the immense debris. Blinding pain seared his mind and everything went dark.

Kylo Ren had to brace himself on the wall of the starship's corridor in his struggle to breathe. It was that Force vision again. He tugged on his collar ripping part of it open in his effort to alleviate the pressure on his chest.

Neesha walking on his side halted as well, turning towards him in alarm.

"Master?"

He could feel sweat breaking on his brow and his vision was unfocused, but he was determined not to let any further sign of weakness show. Straightening his back he waved at Neesha to retain her position.

"It's nothing," he commented, pulling on the rim of his overcoat and taking a deep breath. He resumed his pace without glancing back at her.

Neesha fixed him with an apprehensive stare, but chose wisely not to say anything else.

Reaching her quarters for the night she stalled for a moment before giving him a nod of invitation.

"Not tonight, Neesha," he declined with a shake of his head.

"It's been a while now, Kylo," she pointed out, taking her helmet off and letting blond hair cascade over black armor. She pinned him with her icy eyes, trying to skim his thoughts, but he shut her down immediately giving her a stern look.

"Don't try that again," he warned in a low voice and a scowl appeared on her face. They weren't steady partners so he knew she would find another company for the night if she really wished. And even though spending a couple of hours with her in bed would let some of the day's tension drain from him, he felt an uneasiness about their arrangement lately. Neesha was loyal to him as a knight and a life-long friend. It no longer felt…appropriate. Not when images of hazel eyes consumed his thoughts and a sunlit smile tangled itself around his dark heart.

Stepping away from her, he turned his back and continued his walk to his own quarters. Assuring himself that no threats lingered close by, he hit the panel to his rooms and staggered inside.

These force visions were appearing fairly often as of late. Perhaps it was only a premonition, a warning. Perhaps it was his fate… It no longer mattered. His course was set and it was too late to change it. Not even for…

Ren ripped his cloak from his shoulders and tugged his gloves off throwing them haphazardly on the floor. No, it no longer mattered he told himself. The girl felt compassion for him but that's as far as it went. The image of Rey and her pilot was engraved in his memory. He did not allude himself about her feelings.

He continued to remove the rest of his clothes on his way to the refresher as if they burned his skin.

Reaching the sink he turned on the cold water splashing his face and hair with it. But even that couldn't wash away the feeling of dread that had taken residence in his heart. He closed the tap and looked up at the reflection in the mirror. The shadow staring back at him looked nothing like Kylo Ren the powerful Dark Lord and Supreme Leader of the First Order. No. The drawn face and terrified eyes did not belong to him. Nor did they belong to Ben Solo. As much as he hated his former self, fear was never associated with him either.

I don't know who I am anymore.

And that was scarier than any eminent death.

Kylo Ren stared long and hard at the stranger in the mirror before rubbing his face in defeat and treading for his bed.

Mere hours remained until the Finalizer dropped out of hyperspace and into orbit around Coruscant. Hours that he did not wish to spend alone. Maybe he shouldn't have turned down Neesha's offer for company after all. He raked his hands through his hair in frustration. Only it wasn't his knight's company that he ached for. Especially tonight.

In a split moment of madness and desperation, he reached through space and systems of stars, grabbing at Rey's essence and pulling himself next to her.

Literally next to her as he found himself curled on a bed, the girl he was searching for turned on her side facing away from him. The room surrounding them was enveloped in darkness. The only source of light was a fluorescent sign which blinked lazily outside a window, illuminating the shape of her face and bare shoulder. It didn't take long for him to recognize the room she was staying in and figure out where she was.

Coruscant. His foolish girl was in Coruscant.

Ren smiled at himself.

She's nuts.

He carefully shifted closer to her, being extremely careful not to wake her. He fingered the blanket over her shoulder trying to cover her, but his movement light as it was startled her out of her sleep.

Rey should have leaped from bed instantly, but instead, she turned her head to regard him before exhaling in what seemed like relief.

"How long have you been here?" she asked, sleep slurring her words.

"Not long," he answered a moment later, as he studied the angles and shadows of her features. Her eyes had dark circles under them. "I didn't mean to wake you."

She shifted her body to face him.

"It doesn't matter. I barely sleep anyway," she admitted, a little smile gracing her lips.

Ren hummed.

Me too.

"You look tired. Why don't you sleep?" he continued, concern surfacing before he could control it. She probably wasn't eating properly either.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said, eyes roaming over his face.

He huffed, looking away. Her gaze was making him feel uncomfortable.

"I told you not to come here," he chastised her, but with no real heat behind his words. "What are you trying to prove?"

"And I promised that you would never be alone again."

"You're evading," a smile tugged on a corner of his lips, which he desperately tried to suppress.

"I learned from the best," she smiled cheekily, her eyes catching the little amount of light invading the room.

Stars, she has a beautiful smile.

It lifted his heart and warmed his soul. How could he ever let go of her? An untamed feeling surged inside him as he snaked his hand under the blanket and around her waist.

"Rey," he whispered in her ear.

He splayed his fingers on her back, enjoying the feeling of her skin under his fingertips. Bringing her body closer, he settled his face in her hair wishing he could inhale her scent. Rey's eyes, lit up by an emotion he couldn't place, searched for his and her breath fanned his face.

His touch on her skin turned into a grip as he stared at her lips, hunger rising deep inside him. Bringing her thigh over him, he nudged her legs apart.

Ben.

Her thought throbbed in his mind.

And his treacherous body bucked in response.

Don't deny me this.

He demanded back as a visceral instinct started enveloping his reason.

It could be easy. So easy to just tear away the layers of fabric between them and sink himself inside her. He wanted to ravish her like the monster he was, brand her and claim her as his because Ren knew he would never see her again after tonight. She threaded her fingers through his hair tugging for him to look up. Her gaze was vulnerable and soft and his chest melted at the sight.

She is too good for me.

Phantom touches across a galaxy would never be enough to sate his need for her. She deserved better than that. She deserved better than a man who turned everything that he touched into ash. Why hadn't he seen it until now?

His grasp slowly turned into a stroke. He trailed his fingers over the jut of her hipbone, down the curve of her waist and up the smoothness of her arm. Dipping into the curve of her neck, he felt her erratic heartbeat thrum its tempo on his fingertips and relished in its warmth. Carefully, he reached for an errant strand of hair and set it reverently behind her ear.

She watched him unmoving. Her warm bright eyes unfolding layers of himself he barely understood, and threatening to shed light on the darkest corners of his heart.

Leaning in, he set a kiss on her forehead, eyes shutting fiercely as he tried to hold back a surge of emotions about to erupt at the injustice of their universe. Or perhaps at the justice he deserved after all.

Her hand inched and touched his scarred cheek.

A crack broke the silence in the room and Rey turned in alarm to look at the fractured window.

Ren let go of the bond.


Author's note: So yeah... Up next is the invasion and a head's up warning that war scenes will be described. To everyone out there reading thank you for sticking with me! Enjoy!