Je ne posseder pas le Star Wars et le Percy Jackson. (Thought I'd do it in French to mix it up, hmm? Let me know what I did wrong.)
Percy sat in his room aboard the Finalizer, thinking about what Annabeth had said. Had he made the right decision, joining the First Order? It would save the ones he loved . . . and tear them from him in the same move. Annabeth had called it unnatural. Percy was starting to agree. Cheating death . . . it made him think of Daedalus, living forever in the Labyrinth. The thought made him shudder. He then put Annabeth in that position and . . . oh gods, what was he thinking?
Percy sat up, looked around. He picked up the lightsaber he had been given, and stared at it. So similar to the one Annabeth had clipped to her belt, but so different in countless ways. Percy had never liked igniting it. Something about it had always felt strange, unnatural. He started thinking about Riptide, his real sword. He wondered if it had traveled here with him. Probably, but Kylo Ren must have raided his pockets while he was unconscious.
In a random, impulsive act, Percy ran out of the room, snuck down the halls to the stormtrooper quarters, and stole a blaster.
Just in case, he thought. In case of what?
Suddenly he shuddered. Annabeth . . . she was back? Why would she come back? Percy had probably made it clear he was on the dark side now. There was nothing left for her, right?
She must think there's still good in me, Percy decided. Annabeth had been right. The powers he had been promised were unnatural. He needed to get out of here. But how?
Annabeth's back, he realized. This is my last chance.
Percy made a conscientious decision. He had had conflicting emotions, light and dark. Before, he had always focused on dark. Now he threw everything he had into the light. The mental strain caused him to nearly collapse.
Light, he pushed, light, light, light.
It had always been there. He knew it. But it had been so suppressed that it had grown weak, like a muscle. He hadn't used it in forever, and now he was pushing it to its limits.
C'mon. You've been through Tartarus. You nearly died from gorgon's blood. You had your memory erased, but the one thing that could never go was Annabeth. Do this for her. Even if it breaks you, do this for Annabeth.
In that moment, Percy actually did collapse, staring at the dimly lit ceiling, seeing stars, his vision tinted red at the edges. He managed to stand up, take a few wobbly steps, and pick up the blaster. Annabeth. Annabeth. He braced himself against a table, summoned all his strength, and walked out the door of his chamber, searching for Annabeth.