Training room, Resistance Base, Chandrila

Rey sat cross-legged on the floor with her eyes tightly shut, reaching out through the Force to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Finn held her right hand and Leia her left, and Rey could feel them beside her as well; Leia's presence in the Force as bright as Luke's was, but hers was powerful and inviolable, like a mountain holding Rey up where Luke had always felt like the warmth of the sun shining down on her. Finn felt like a stream that with time and patience would cut a path through the densest forest.

With the three of them together, Rey felt herself being transported across time and space, the stars narrowing to streaks of light around her. Then she was back in the garden hidden deep in the core of the Jedi Temple, the Force tree she had returned to its home already taken root and flowering as if it had never been removed. Rey looked down and saw her booted feet sink into the green grass which carpeted the floor, she put a hand in front of her face and saw it was transparent. Only her spirit was on Coruscant, and she knew that she would not be seen as she walked the halls.

She climbed the spiral staircase to the top of the highest spire - Luke had told her that it had once been the Jedi High Council chamber, and then the Emperor had made it his throne room. Now Snoke had taken up residence, his tall, pale form clad in black robes and reclining in the seat of ultimate power, his deformed face twisted into a smile of satisfaction.

It was Nellith who had given him those injuries so deep that not even thousands of years of stasis had been able to heal. Rey felt empowered by the knowledge, and promised herself that she would finish the job her ancestor started, would find someway to destroy Snoke so that he would never hurt anyone again, never take a child from their family, never unravel their mind from the inside out, never seduce anyone to the dark again.

Kylo Ren was nowhere to be seen, and that made Rey uneasy. Snoke's court was however filled with guards in red robes and helmets, sycophants in expensive clothes and gold jewellry, and stormtroopers by the doors. A tall, red-haired man stood to Snoke's left, a sneer on his face that immediately raised Rey's hackles - Finn had told her about General Hux and there was no mistaking him.

She moved closer, instinctively moving around people although she needn't have bothered, when one attendee moved abruptly they walked right through her. Still, she approached Snoke's throne cautiously, wondering if he might be able to sense her through the Force.

Do not fear, Rey. Nellith's voice in her head. The Force will shield you. She sensed Leia squeezing her hand, and felt strong again.

"I hope you have good news for me, General," Snoke was saying, spindly white fingers tapping on the arm of his throne. "You cannot afford another mistake like Corellia."

Hux visibly bristled. "With all due respect, Supreme Leader, the mistake was not mine. You could have trusted this victory to me."

Snoke waved a hand airily. "Kylo Ren is the man for this mission, surely you trust your fleet to support him?"

"Of course," Hux said quickly, and then checked the datapad he was carrying. "They should be coming out of hyperspace soon."

Where? Rey thought to herself. Were they trying to retake Corellia? The thought made her throat tighten. She moved even closer, trying to get a glimpse of battle plans on his datapad but he held it against his chest as he leaned closer to Snoke.

"Are you sure the source can be trusted?" he asked in a lowered voice. "She's already been compromised, I've seen the readouts."

"The information has been verified with my own eyes," Snoke told him, and then chuckled lightly. "Well, not quite my own eyes but they might as well be. They have orders to target the base?"

"The Finalizer has been equipped with bunker-busters," Hux confirmed, lowering his datapad again and tapping orders into it. Rey glanced at it and saw her worst fears confirmed as the target listed at the top of the screen read: Chandrila.

She pulled back to herself and came out of her trance with a gasp, her eyes snapping open to see Leia and Finn's startled faces.

"What is it?" Leia asked. "What did you see?"

"They're coming," Rey said frantically, fear gripping her heart. "They've found us."


The command centre bustled with activity; Leia barking orders, Admiral Statura in hologram from Corellia, Lt Connix with her communications headset to send warning to the Chandrilan government on the surface.

Rey hung back from them all, she wasn't sure what she could do just yet. Leia had ordered Finn to manage the evacuation and rally what ground troops and pilots they had left for a surface defence, but she'd asked Rey to stay for now and wait for orders.

She wasn't used to standing back and doing nothing, nor waiting for instruction. In an instant Leia's demeanor had changed from loving aunt and mentor to General not to be questioned, so Rey didn't, but kept her hand on the lightsaber which hung from her hip.

"General!" Connix called out, her eyes wide. "First Order ships have emerged from hyperspace."

Rey had held onto a vain hope that she hadn't been right, that what she'd seen through the Force hadn't been true but there was no denying it now. Her hand clenched around her lightsaber - she should find Chewie and go to the Falcon, bring the Finalizer down single-handedly if she had to.

But cold reality stuck her as she remembered Snoke's words - it hadn't been by mere chance that the First Order had found them, they'd had a source. Someone who had told them the Resistance Base was on Chandrila, that they were vulnerable, and exactly how to destroy them.

Rey knew exactly who it was.


Klaxons had been sounding for half an hour, and Valara sat on her bunk, leaning against the cold stone wall, knees drawn up to her chest and her forehead resting on them. Despite herself, she wondered what was happening, whether it was a drill or something more serious. She should hope for the latter, use their distraction to make an escape but couldn't quite bring herself to move.

Her head had been aching for so long she almost didn't remember what it felt like not to have stabs of pain through her temples and a burning behind her eyes. The green stone was clenched in one fist, and every time she squeezed it a fresh wave of agony passed through her. Despite this, she hadn't been able to stop herself from holding on to it, as if the act would impact some clarity.

She did remember when Luke had given it to her; he'd been so young then, all earnest smiles and floppy hair. A unexpected stab of longing hit her in the gut, and Valara tried to push it away. This was what Rey had wanted, for her to remember fond times in order to compromise her, to weaken her resolve. Unfortunately, it was working, Valara was no longer so sure of her own mind and memories.

When she held the stone she thought back to all those nights she'd fallen asleep with it in her hand, thinking of Luke, missing him. That longing had been real, but Valara had dismissed her feelings as fanciful and weak.

However the more she examined those memories, the stronger they became - leaving the stone for him when she'd left for Rakata Prime on a suicide mission, sitting on the sand dunes of Jakku, watching the sun set and rubbing the stone absently as if doing so would carry her worries away, showing it to Luke when they'd reconciled to prove the depth of her love for him.

I can't promise that I'll never hurt you. That's what she'd told him, when she suggest they get married - it had been her idea, she'd forgotten that until now. Then she'd sworn that she'd never hurt him willingly, never run when things got tough as she knew they would. She promised that she would always stay and fight - for him, for them, for the life they would build together.

Had that all been a lie? She'd believed so, in those years in the First Order. But strangely, when she tried to focus on those memories they were scant and dim. They'd told her she'd spent time in the bacta tank after the crash that had killed her daughter, and it had taken years to return to full strength. She remembered the tank but not much else, images flashing before her eyes of her escape from Devaron as she floated in the foul-tasting liquid. She remembered coming out of the darkness, her vision restored and the slow acclimation to the pain of the implants that had allowed it.

She remembered slicing a vibroblade through Brendol Hux's throat, revenge for some slight or another. No...that wasn't right. He'd been trying to stop her from escaping, but why would he have needed to do that if she'd returned to the First Order willingly? She remembered the satisfaction of ending his life on a deep and visceral level that didn't make sense for the mere elimination of a rival. It had been revenge as well, for the childhood he had helped force on her, for his involvement in her separation from Rey…

Pain flooded through her temples again as if to remind her that the elder Hux had not been there when she thought Rey had been killed. It had been Luke chasing her, it was Luke's fault...and yet those other memories broke through again, of being held down by a dozen stormtroopers as Hux lay bleeding out on the floor, the way she'd kicked and fought and bit and screamed as they'd dragged her back to the tank, back to the darkness...

Valara threw down the stone on the bed, hot tears burning in her eyes. It was too terrible to be true, to believe that the last fifteen years of her life had been stolen from her, her mind twisted and controlled without her knowledge. If it were so, how could she live with herself, with what she'd done?

There was a fluttering at the back of her mind as she felt Rey approach - even after so long her daughter's presence was unmistakable. Valara blinked and forced her face into an impassive mask, covering the green stone with the blanket to shield it from view.

The young woman stormed into the room, fists clenched and her mouth in a firm, tight line.

"So what do you have for me today?" Valara forced a smirk, desperate not to telegraph her doubts. "More speeches?"

"Shut up," Rey growled at her, and Valara looked up at her in surprise. "The First Order is here, they're about to attack, but you know that, don't you? You're the one who told them how to find us."

So that was what the alarm signified. She should be relieved, knowing that she would either die in the assault or be rescued, but Valara only felt a sick feeling in her stomach. She was no longer sure that she wanted to go back to the First Order after all.

"I've been here," she spread her hands at the cell that surrounded her. "How could I have possibly have told anyone anything?"

"You know I didn't blame you for any of it," Rey said, her voice cracking as despair cut through her anger. "You were brainwashed, it wasn't your fault. But we told you the truth about what they did to you, and I thought with time, you'd remember, and it would be hard but you'd accept it and come back to us. But this…" Rey shook her head as tears spilled onto her cheeks. "You made the choice to betray us, to lead the First Order here knowing that we all could die. So I was fool for believing that you could be saved, that you ever loved me, that the mother I dreamed of all those years could ever come back like she promised she would."

Rey swiped at her cheeks angrily and the sight of it broke Valara's heart. She felt a sudden urge to take Rey in her arms, soothe the girl's tears and tell her everything was going to be alright.

"I haven't been in contact with them," Valara insisted, it suddenly very important for Rey to understand that. "I haven't left this room."

"So the First Order just happen to show up the day after I let slip we're on Chandrila, that Luke's not here to protect us?" Rey shook her head. "No, I figured it out - your implants. Snoke said that he confirmed the information with eyes that might as well have been his own - he sent you after us deliberately and you've been the best kind of spy for him. Following orders as you've always done because it's too hard to think for yourself." Rey looked her up and down with utter contempt. "I guess that's just who you are."

Valara touched her temples, a wave of pain passing through them as she was urged not to believe it - but even worse was the look in Rey's eyes, disappointment and anger and regret. She opened her mouth to deny the accusation but the room was rocked by an explosion above them.

"Bunker-blasters," Rey spat out the words. "They know we're underground, I let that slip too."

Valara scrambled off the bed and grasped her daughter by the shoulders. "Rey, you have to go," she said desperately as the room was rocked again. "Take a ship and leave, go find your father, run as far as you can so they can't find you."

Rey gave her a disgusted look, shaking off her grip. "And leave everyone to die? My friends, Aunt Leia?" She shook her head, retreating backwards and looking at Valara as if seeing her for the first time.

"You can go," Rey said, her mouth twisting bitterly. "The guards are gone, evacuated, there's no one to stop you. Go back on join the First Order you're so loyal to, that you chose over your own family. I'm staying here, I'm going to fight until there's nothing left in me, because that's who I am and nothing will change that."

Rey stared at her for several moments, eyes blazing, chin held high, and Valara sank back down onto the bunk, cowed and confused. Then Rey stalked from the room, leaving the door open behind her.

Another blast rocked the walls, and a crack formed in the ceiling. Was it true, was she responsible for bring the First Order down upon the Resistance, on her own daughter? Of course she'd had no contact with Snoke since being captured, but Valara touched her temple and pressed her fingers down into the skin. What if he'd been watching anyway, the implants which had restored her sight actually serving a far more sinister purpose, even beyond what Kalonia had tried to explain. The doctor had shown her brain scans and told her that the implants were a form of control, releasing pain stimulus when she was questioning the veracity of her memory, that had caused a seizure when she had found out Rey was still alive.

She had refused to believe it if only because it was too terrible to accept. But what if things were even worse, what if Snoke had been using the implants to keep tabs on her, use her own eyes to spy for him? If that were true, then so was everything else; that it hadn't been Luke chasing her across the skies of Jakku, but the First Order trying to draw her and Rey into their clutches. They'd succeeded with Valara, kept her confined and imprisoned as they reconditioned her, reworking the pathways of her mind and modifying her memories. She'd screamed in agony and tried to fight it for as long as she could but eventually she had succumbed. The first few times her memories had come back and she'd tried to run but they'd always caught her - that was how Brendol Hux had died, the man who had chosen her for Inquisitor training, who'd orchestrated her kidnapping, who'd designed the machine which had broken her. Years had passed and finally, they had made her into what she wanted - into what she'd tried so hard not to be.

Valara could not longer deny it, and despair clung to her as she accepted the terrible truth. She'd been lied to, used, her mind twisted but she couldn't ignore her own culpability. It was her fault Rey was in danger, that she thought her own mother had served her up for death. Agony shot through her temples and down her spine, but she could recognise it now, and worked to keep it at bay - she would no longer be controlled.

She should leave as she'd told Rey to, escape to some far-flung corner of the universe where she couldn't hurt anyone. Where she could be free, finally, from a lifetime of servitude and regret. It would be easier for Rey that way, she already thought the worst of Valara, it would help her move on.

If she survived the attack. Luke wasn't there to save her, and Valara was the one who'd led the might of the First Order right to them. The room was rocked by another explosion, duracrete dust falling from the ceiling - the base might not hold out much longer, but Rey no doubt had headed for the surface where the Resistance was to make a last stand.

Valara threw aside the blanket and retrieved the green stone, tracing the symbol etched into its surface. Home. A flood of memories broke through the pain in her head, voices from the past which she would no longer ignore.

Peace is for other people to enjoy.

Maybe I didn't escape, maybe they let me go, maybe there's still commands in my head waiting to be activated.

No matter what someone's done, they can always come back, they can always make things right.

I want to be your family.

You think your life won't mean anything until it is over, but it means something to me. What? Everything.

This belongs to you. It was a gift. When I thought I'd never see you again, take it, so I know you will someday.

The truth is, I just need you.

Here's to the hard days ahead - may they be worth it.

You, me and baby Skywalker, sound like a good team.

I'll come back for you sweetheart.

I promise I'll stay and fight.

Valara's fingers closed around the stone and she rose to her feet. A wave of pain paralysed her, and she fell to her knees, gasping for breath. This was it, she could feel her limbs begin to shake and the seizure start - her punishment meted out from across the galaxy for daring to accept the truth.

"No," she let out a strangled cry, clutching the stone tighter, willing it to give her strength. Valara refused to give in, refused to let herself be controlled any longer - she'd broken away once before when she'd still been a teenager and grasped for that defiance again.

She reached out through the Force, the first time she had truly done so in years, not to use it as a tool, but to accept the strength of it, to let it work through her. Valara struggled to her feet, pushing away the pain and thinking of her daughter, her sweet Rey who had lived inside her, suckled at her breast, who would give her warm hugs and sloppy kisses, whose laugh never failed to light up her heart. She thought of the woman fully grown, standing before her with strength and purpose and determination, whose pure heart shone through like the warmth of a sunrise after a cold and dark night.

My Rey of light, Luke used to call her, and Valara found the strength she needed to push through the debilitating pain. Every step was agony, lacing through her temples and down her spine to her legs. She held onto the wall of the empty corridor with one hand, forcing herself to put one foot after the other and hoping that she wasn't too late.


Fire rained down from the sky, half of Hanna City decimated by the bunker-busting bombs dropped by the Finalizer which loomed over them like black cloud. First Order stormtroopers were descending to start the ground assault, and a distinctive black shuttle that cut its way through the sky and landed half a kilometre away.

Rey could see Resistance ships above - the Falcon must be among them since it was missing from the hangar. Chewie had not waited for her and she'd been unable to find any other ship to take and join the troops above attempting to take down the Star Destroyer.

Finn was nearby, ordering ground troops into formation as he manned an ion cannon which sent blasts back up to the Destroyer. He let out a whoop as he successfully targeted the bomb deployment shafts - he'd always been a good shot.

Rey's lightsaber was in her hand, she'd intended to attack the first wave of stormtroopers when she'd seen Kylo Ren's shuttle land. She reached out to the Force, quelling the surge of hate she felt at the sight of his black ship, pushing past the guilt and disappointment about the mother who'd failed her. Luke wasn't here to help her either, and Leia was still down in the command room, refusing to evacuate.

She was utterly alone, and yet...Nellith was with her, as were the thousand Skywalkers who had come after her. She would never be alone, Luke had told her, if she had the Force.

Rey began to sprint towards the landing site of Kylo's shuttle. She heard Finn yell her name but she didn't stop running, her feet pounding against the pavement and heart beating wildly. Then she saw him, clad all in black and wearing that ridiculous mask, surrounded by stormtroopers. His presence flooded the back of her mind and made her feel sick, it was dark and acrid and for a moment she was back in that chair as he pushed his way through her mind.

Fresh anger flushed through her and yet again Rey reached for peace - she would prove that she could do this, and would not let herself give in to the pull of the dark side.

Kylo Ren turned his head, and she'd been spotted. She expected him to advance on her, eager for a rematch but instead he turned back and began to walk towards the entrance to the underground bunker. Leia, she realised - he was after his mother.

Stormtroopers began to fire at her and Rey snapped into action, igniting her saber and deflecting the volley of blasts. But she was soon overwhelmed, falling back desperately and losing hope that she would be able to head Kylo off before he reached the bunker entrance. But then blaster fire came from behind her and the stormtroopers began to fall. She turned her head and saw Finn and a few other Resistance troops, firing from behind cover. He nodded to her briefly, and she gave him a smile of thanks before taking off, knowing he had her back.

Kylo Ren was stalking across the battlefield but Rey was faster and more determined. She headed him off before he reached the entrance to the base, holding out the tip of her lightsaber towards him in a challenge. She wouldn't let him do to his mother what he had done to his father, to tear their family even further asunder.

The crackle of his lightsaber was unmistakable and sent a jolt of fear through her - Rey could feel his anger as volatile and dangerous as his blood-red blade, he hated her more than ever, for remembering her past, for bringing Luke back, but most of all for humiliating him on Starkiller. It was a fresh wound for which the only salve was her blood.

"I should have killed you on Jakku the first time," Kylo said, voice distorted and deepened by his helmet. "Do not expect mercy again."

"I don't," she told him, swiping her lightsaber to the side and moving into a defensive stance. Kylo's head tilted, looking at the blade and she felt rage, jealousy, and hate bubble within him. He raised his own blade high and charged.


The pain was getting worse and Valara was reduced to crawling by the time she reached the surface, her limbs seizing and refusing to hold her upright. She took in a lungful of air but found it acrid, as if the barrage of fire had burned most of the oxygen out of the atmosphere.

But the bombing had stopped, and looking up at the Star Destroyer she saw that the mechanisms had been disabled which gave her some relief. Still the laser cannons were firing, destroying what little remained of the air defence and sending a barrage of fire down on the city. In the distance she saw the silver glint of Phasma's armor as she led the ground assault a thousand stormtrooper strong, being held at bay by Resistance and Chandrilian fighters. Finn was taking cover behind a fallen A-Wing, taking out his former comrades one by one with his expert shot but still they advanced.

Her focus, however, was on Rey and Kylo as they dueled nearby. She was her father's daughter, Valara could see it in the way she fought with supreme focus and precision. Kylo, however, was all brute force, favoring tricks and strength over the finer points of combat form he'd never had the patience to learn.

Their blades clashed violently and Kylo pressed his height and weight advantage, pressing down and forcing Rey to bend her knees. Her face distorted with the effort of keeping her blade in front of her and Valara tried to stand but found her legs unwilling to cooperate. But Rey's distress was only a feint, when Kylo pushed on his blade with full strength Rey darted to the side as he overbalanced, whipping around her lightsaber to catch him square in the face. He cried out in pain as he fell to his knees, free hand coming up to remove his helmet and toss it aside.

He was uninjured and launched himself back to his feet to catch Rey's next blow as she brought it down, pure rage on his face. "Not this time," he said through gritted teeth, and Rey's eyes widened as she realised that he'd drawn her in. Kylo stepped up his attack, blows raining down upon her and although she met every one with her blue blade she conceded ground, stepping back each time he came for her.

Valara let out a cry of anguish as Kylo caught her right hand by the wrist, for a terrible moment holding it firm and squeezing until Rey dropped her lightsaber. It fell to the ground and disengaged but Kylo was not satisfied, he swung her forcefully and then brought his own blade down hard, cleaving off her hand just above the wrist. Rey screamed in agony, falling to her knees as Kylo tossed aside the severed appendage and then loomed above her, savoring the moment.

"No," Valara let out in a strangled voice. She forced herself to her feet, willing with every cell in her body and with the aid of the Force for them to work, to push past the agony radiating from behind her eyes. Kylo lifted his lightsaber as Rey lay crumpled on the ground, cradling her severed arm and whimpering in pain and shock.

She almost collapsed again as she took her first step but Valara drew on her last reserves of strength, on the love for Rey so fiercely denied. The Force surged through her, strength and light and hope that she'd not experienced in so long, and yet felt so familiar.

Valara ran and launched herself at Kylo, knocking him bodily to the ground. He cried out in surprise and swung wildly with his lightsaber but Valara rolled out of his reach, holding out her hand and calling Rey's to her. It was only when it hit her palm that she realised it was Luke's, the same lightsaber she'd found the first morning after they'd been together. She'd rejected it then, dropping it like a hot stone when Luke had told her what it was, but now it felt right in her hand, like an ally, like Luke was there, willing her to protect their daughter.

Valara rose to her feet, igniting the lightsaber as Kylo scrambled back up, turning to face her with a sneer.

"Aunt V," he said and gave a bitter laugh. "So I guess you finally figured it out."

Valara felt anger burn within her, remembering her years in the First Order - Kylo must have felt a surge of victory every time he looked at her safe in the knowledge that she didn't know why she hated him, or why he always felt so familiar. She glanced at Rey, still on the ground in obvious pain, looking up at Valara wide-eyed and her mouth hanging open.

"Yes," she said, to her daughter rather than Kylo. "I just hope not too late."

"You think you can win against me?" Kylo taunted her, gesturing down at her legs shaking with the effort of keeping her upright. "You can't even stand."

Another wave of pain ran through her, this time even more powerful. It was Snoke, trying to re-establish control and Valara clung desperately to her own mind which was once again slipping away. Kylo could sense her faltering, and began to advance but to Valara it was almost as if time slowed.

She closed her eyes, reaching out the the Force as she had done when she'd been blind, before Snoke had put those damned implants inside her. The pain receded and the world came into focus again through her Force-sight - she could see Kylo advancing on her, a swirl of dark energy, like an electric storm, she could see Rey, the embodiment of light, and she saw herself, a bright heart within a shell of darkness.

Her movements were instinctive, Valara let the Force guide her as she dueled with Kylo, her eyes kept shut as she moved with precision and grace. He was not match for her with the Force as her ally, he reached desperately for power from the dark but was subdued by the strength of her love for her daughter which guided her hand, which held her firm against Kylo's battery of attacks, which showed her his weakness and how to defeat him.

When Valara opened her eyes again it was over - Kylo pinned to the ground beneath her, his lightsaber sliced in half on the ground by his head as she held hers to his throat. She jammed her knee further into his arm to keep it pinned; he was at her mercy and relief was soon replaced by a burning hate which felt stronger than anything. He was the person who'd taken her daughter away from her, had delivered her to Snoke to be turned inside out and remade into everything she had sworn she'd never been again. He'd caused Luke the agony of believing that she was dead, he'd killed his students, destroyed everything he had valued.

For that he had to pay, but Valara could not do it with Luke's lightsaber. She tossed it aside and saw Kylo's eyes widen in fear. It fueled her, and the first punch to his face felt so satisfying she did it again, feeling the bridge of his nose break under her knuckles. She felt no pain, either in her hand or her temples; the implants were no longer sending out signals.

She took advantage of the relief to hit Kylo again. He tried to resist, to throw her off but she'd wounded him and he was too weak. Blood spilled over her knuckles as her attack became frenzied, the dark urging her on, to extract pain from him until he understood what it felt like, to inflict on him the agony he'd caused her, and then finally finish him.

Rey screamed at her to stop but it felt like a call from far away. She felt a hand on her shoulder, trying to pull her back but Valara shucked it off, too taken in by the way her hand impacted against Kylo's pale face, the way his head knocked back against the ground.

Then she felt one arm encircle her from behind, holding onto one shoulder and a soft cheek pressed into her back. "Mum, please," came Rey's strangled plea. "Stop." The back of her tunic was wet with Rey's tears and it was as if Valara was sucked back into herself. The dark clawed at her again but she recognised it for what it was, releasing Kylo who slumped back against the ground, and let Rey pull her back.

Rey used her own sleeve to wipe the blood from Valara's hands so tenderly it made her weep. Regret flooded her as she glanced over at Kylo, relieved when she saw his chest rise and fall indicating that he was still alive.

"I'm sorry," she whispered through her tears and turned back to her daughter. "Rey, I'm so sorry."

"Are you alright?" Rey asked, looking into her eyes as if to find the answer there. "Are you...back?"

Valara nodded and pulled Rey close, folding her arms around her daughter and kissing the side of her head. "It's me," she assured her, reaching out through the Force so she would know the truth of her words.

They held each other for a few moments, revelling in the reestablished connection. But then Rey pulled away abruptly, looking over Valara's shoulder at the battle that still raged in the distance.

"Finn," she said. "We have to help them."

"Rey," Valara tugged her back. "You need medical attention." Rey's arm was held against her body, and she looked down at it as if she'd forgotten she was missing a hand. "Besides," Valara nodded up at the sky. "It looks like the cavalry's arrived."

A New Republic Star Destroyer had appeared in the atmosphere, firing on the Finalizer. Dozens of other ships of varying shapes and sizes appeared, including an X-Wing Valara knew to be Luke's. The Resistance forces on the ground cheered as he landed near them, emerging from the cockpit with his lightsaber already drawn. The cheering grew louder as the other ships landed and from them emerged more Jedi - perhaps two dozen with lightsabers drawn.

"They came!" Rey said.

"Who are they?" Valara asked.

"Survivors," Rey explained, voice flooded with happiness and relief as she sank down next to Valara. "Dad said that he sent them into hiding, and he called for them to return but it seemed like they'd never show up."

Of course, Valara knew that Luke must have finished training at least some Jedi before his temple was attacked. Most had likely remained on to teach or seek greater learning, but evidently a few had made their own way out into the universe, in turn training others. Valara smiled with surprise and pleasure when she saw a pink and purple skinned togruta, her lekku fully grown. Laisha - Luke's first student and one of the few who Valara had considered a friend.

The battle was over almost as soon as it had begun, Phasma and her troopers no match for the collection of Jedi and the Resistance forces. Valara kept Rey back, holding onto her tightly and not about to let her go.

But once they'd won and Luke started in their direction Rey pulled herself from Valara's grip, barrelling towards her father and throwing herself into his arms. Valara felt a ache in her heart as he smiled and held his daughter, that same loving smile she'd tried to forget for years but now knew she never could, or wanted to.

"Oh, no," Luke said as he took her severed wrist in his hand. "Oh, Rey." He drew her close again, stroking her hair. "I…" His breath hitched in his throat as he spotted Valara, still on the ground.

The pain was back, throbbing through her temples and making it's way down her spine but she forced herself to stand. It was like a thousand needles through her legs but she held firm, her gaze locked on Luke's and it was as if time had melted away and he understood everything, forgave everything.

Tears spilled onto her cheeks and he ran towards her; she felt him in the back of her mind which had been empty for years. But there was something else warring inside her, something dark and bitter, that she'd fought for so long and had lost herself to.

"Stop!" She held out her hand and he stilled. They were just a few feet from each other and she longed to close the distance but didn't trust herself.

"Why?" he asked. His gaze flickered to Kylo Ren still unconscious on the ground and then back up to her, his fingers flexing as if holding himself back from reaching for her was too much.

"Because of these," her hand hovered near her temple. "Because they can still control me."

"No, Mum." Rey staggered up, supported by Finn was bearing a gash to the forehead but looked otherwise unharmed. "You broke free, you saved me."

"But I can still feel him," Valara explained, a crack in her voice. "He'll always be there, watching, causing me pain, trying to twist my thoughts, and eventually I'll break." The agony in her head was already becoming too much to bear, false memories trying to reestablish themselves and urging her to submit, a tingling at the base of her spine indicating a seizure about the be triggered.

There was only one way to stop it. She pressed her hands to either side of her head, reaching behind her eyes to the implants that had restored her vision but taken her life.

"Valara, no." Luke closed the distance between them, taking her by the arms. "There's a kill switch, you'll die."

She looked into his eyes and felt her love for him warring with the urge to close her hands around his throat. "It's the only way," she told him. She'd rather die in the attempt that live one more moment with a mind that was not solely her own.

"At least wait," Luke clutched at her desperately, trying to pull her hands from her head but she held firm. "Let them examine you, see if they can remove them surgically."

But the experts Rey had promised her had already come and she'd known they thought the situation hopeless. Snoke had been too thorough, and the only hope she had was that her will was stronger than his. If not, at least she'd saved her daughter, at least Rey would not be alone, she'd have Luke, and Finn, and Leia. And she'd remember Valara as someone brave, as someone who'd loved her.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she whispered, closing her eyes and reaching into her mind. "I love you."

"Valara, no!" His voice seemed very far away, and she could no longer feel his arms around her even though she knew they were still there. Valara honed in on the implants behind her eyes, to the roots into her brain and the rest of her body. She could feel the connection now, that transmitted everything she saw to Snoke and received commands back, that fed false memories into her mind, a barrage of dark thoughts and constant pain to cloud her true self, that urged her to kill the only man she'd ever loved. She could sense where the implants would destruct when tampered with, the ultimate price for disloyalty.

She thought of Luke, who had told her every day of their marriage that he loved her, she thought of Rey, who was strong and brave and everything Valara had hoped she would be. She thought of the green stone in her pocket, the word home etched into the face and the words she'd shared with Luke so long ago. She thought of her life of struggle, of how hard she'd worked to break free of the Empire's hold, and how difficult it had been after that to accept there was more to life than finding absolution. Like family, like love. Like home.

Valara severed the connection of her implants with a swift thought, trusting the Force help her the rest of the way. For a moment her world inverted, she touched the divide which was endless stars and infinite peace - there were others there, ready to accept her.

Once, that had been all that she longed for, to repay her debt and find peace in death. But Valara pulled back from the abyss, not ready to become one with the Force just yet. She slipped back into her earthly confines, to a mind that was once again her own.

She opened her eyes and found she could still see; Luke's face was close to hers and she reached up to touch his mouth as it split into a smile. Once again she could feel the warmth of his body, the beat of his heart in tandem with hers, the sense of him inside her again, like the sun.

But it was fleeting - Valara felt herself slip away again as she collapsed into Luke's arms.