Hey guys,

I know it's been a while. I know. If you've been waiting since last year, thank you for your patience. If you're new here, welcome, I hope you enjoy reading.

Ben stood across from Han and Leia, his arms crossed. The meeting of the Resistance had been concluded, and a plan finalised. Han and Chewie would get Finn onto Starkiller Base, and take down its shields so Skull Squadron and the Resistance pilots could destroy the base's oscillator and cause the First Order's "Death Planet" to blow itself up. There was just one part of the plan that hadn't been finalised: Ben's involvement in the attack. Because he was going to be involved, whether his aunt and uncle liked it or not.

For the last few minutes, Ben had been arguing with Han and Leia- actually just Leia, as Han was standing off to one side, scowling at them both- as to where Ben would be involved. Ben wanted to be on the planet with Han and the others to provide them with the support they needed. There was no telling how many First Order troops would need to be mind-tricked and cut down for them to even get close to disabling the shields… not to mention Kylo Ren, and maybe even Supreme Leader Snoke were on the planet. Leia, however, wanted Ben in the air, to support their troops in the dogfight that would be taking place against the First Order's own pilots.

'You're one of the best flyers we have' Leia insisted. 'You being in the air might make all the difference between victory and defeat. Han and Chewie can sneak around just fine on their own, you know that. With any luck, they'll rescue Rey as well.'

Ben knew Leia was right, but he also knew that wasn't why she wanted him in the air. She wanted him away from the ground so Han could approach Kylo Ren and try to persuade him to reject the dark side. If he sensed Ben with Han, they would fight, and any last remaining hope of Jacen's return to the light would be eradicated.

Personally, Ben had always preferred clarity to hope, and what his clarity was telling him was that Leia had forgotten the thin line between hope and denial. Simply put, she was not acting like the leader the Resistance needed her to be. But Ben could also sense she wouldn't change her mind about her son. Leia was as much a Skywalker as he was, so Ben supposed her stubbornness shouldn't really be a surprise.

Eventually, Han broke the deadlock.

'We have no real idea what we're walking into, and I'd feel much safer with a Jedi at my side', Han summed up.

'And I'll wear my taozin amulet, so Kylo Ren and Snoke won't know I'm there', Ben added.

Leia was fuming, but she could see there was no stopping Ben. 'Fine', she finally snapped. 'But if you see him…'

'I will give him a chance. I promise' Ben responded.

Of course, Ben knew that even if by some miracle Kylo Ren decided to be Jacen Solo again, the Resistance would demand his death. A death which Ben would be only too happy to provide, for Kara and all the others who had suffered at Kylo's hands. While the Resistance and Ishi's squadron prepared for the upcoming assault, Leia showed Ben to a small bedroom, where he promptly closed the door and sat cross-legged on the floor in meditation. The Skywalker lightsaber ignited in mid-air in front of him as Ben began to float off the ground, calming his mind while reaching out with the Force for Rey.

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As Rey left the interrogation chamber, the guard's blaster in her hand, she felt Ben's presence. I'm coming. Stay alive.

Rey didn't know nearly enough about the Force to reply back, but she was comforted in the fact that help was coming. Now that she'd had time to think about it, she knew that Ben hadn't had much choice in lying to her about who he really was. And she knew she had feelings for him regardless. They hadn't known each other nearly long enough for Rey to start acting like she couldn't live without Ben, but somewhere in the midst of all their frenetic screwing something more had definitely been in development.

Think about that later, Rey told herself. Let's just stay alive for now.

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After being severely reprimanded by the Supreme Leader at his failure to probe the scavenger's mind, Kylo was now being driven into a near panic at the revelation that she had escaped. He knew that Skywalker must be on his way to Starkiller Base by now, and if he rescued the girl without ever making contact with Kylo, it would only be a question of how far Kylo might run before Snoke killed him.

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'Ben?'

As Ben was carrying the crate of explosives they'd need on board the Falcon, he turned to see Leia standing there.

'I know we don't see eye to eye on everything right now, but… I love you. Never forget that.'

'I haven't' Ben said as they hugged, pressing his face into his aunt's hair. 'I love you too'.

'If you see him… please, just… give him a chance. That's all I ask.'

Leia felt Ben stiffen in her arms, but then she felt him soften. 'I will', Ben replied as they broke apart. 'I promise. But I'll do it for you and Han, not him. And if he tries to kill me, or any one of us…'

Ben trailed off, but Leia knew what he was implying. 'Do what you have to do', she said softly, as Ben turned around and walked up the Falcon's ramp while Leia went to talk to Han.

Ben heard his aunt and uncle exchanging their goodbyes as he entered the Falcon and sat in one of the cockpit's passenger seats, reflecting on his plan. He could rescue Rey once all the explosives had been placed, in the short window before they were triggered. But what would happen to him? Even now, Ben could feel the pull to the darkness like a tractor beam, and there was the matter of the vision he'd had of himself as a Sith Lord. But had it been a vision? At the time he'd experienced it he had been unconscious due to exhausting himself with the Force. Had he simply been in a state of delirium at the time, with the "vision" in fact being nothing more than a hallucination?

Ben took out his family's lightsaber and held it in his hand. It was not designed in the way he would have liked, but it had a comforting weight to it, and he could feel the lightside energy flowing through the kyber crystal within. Ben briefly considered the darker history of this weapon, when Darth Vader had used it to strike down his fellow Jedi within the Temple- some of whom had been little more than babies. How could someone who committed such a monstrous crime ever be redeemed for it? Ben buried himself within his thoughts, as Ishi joined him in the cockpit.

'Does Leia think her son can still be saved?' she asked, sitting down. Ben simply nodded.

Ishi sighed in exasperation. 'Do you?'

'I don't know.'

Ishi's eyes widened. 'In case you've forgotten, I was with you at Mustafar-'

'I haven't forgotten.'

'Then how can you even want to-'

'I don't want to. But I owe it to Leia, and to Han, to at least try. Look, in all reality one of us is going to end up killing the other today.'

'I want to go with you.'

'No', Ben replied. 'The Resistance needs you and your squadron in the air. And… I can't let him hurt anyone else I love.'

The siblings stayed silent for a little while longer, until Han, Chewie and Finn started coming up.

Ishi and Ben stood up. 'Good luck, big brother' Ishi said, hugging Ben fiercely. 'Don't die.'

'I appreciate the advice', Ben said, grinning despite the circumstances. As Ishi stepped out, running to join her squadron, Finn looked out at her curiously.

'Is your sister a Jedi like you, or-'

'Ishi? If only', Ben replied. 'We'd have won the war by now if she was.'

A few minutes later, the Falcon had joined the other ships in the sky, and jumped to hyperspace. Ben spent his time in the Falcon's standing area, checking and cleaning his voice-activated blaster that he had brought with him, which he could sense Finn was looking at with no small amount of envy.

'Where'd you even get that weapon?'

'I know a guy.' Ben still didn't entirely trust Finn at this point enough to tell him anything more than that. He knew of course that Finn was genuine in wanting to help out, but Ben knew the former stormtrooper had tried to leave them while they were on Takodana. Ben couldn't blame Finn for being scared, but in his mind, someone who ran once could easily run away again.

Finn found himself a little frustrated by Skywalker. They hadn't known each other for very long, but Finn would have appreciated it if Skywalker stopped treating him like he was still the enemy. 'You know, I'm not with the First Order anymore-'

'Doesn't mean you won't try to run again', Skywalker replied.

'I'm with you guys now. That has to count for something, right?'

'I suppose', Skywalker replied as he finished putting his weapon back together. 'Let's just see what happens next, alright?' he said, walking back into the cockpit.

Feeling a little grim, Finn followed Skywalker. He had no doubt that if he showed any signs of betrayal, the man even Kylo Ren was said to fear would squash him like a bug.

'How are we even getting in?' Finn asked Solo.

'Their shields have a fractional refresh rate. Keeps anything slower than lightspeed from getting through.'

'We're making our landing approach at lightspeed?!' Finn shrieked. Looking around, he saw equally casual expressions on the faces of his three companions. Not for the first time, Finn felt like history had glossed over how crazy the Skywalkers and their companions actually were.

'It's all right', Solo grinned. 'When you have a Jedi with you', he said, gesturing towards Skywalker, 'something crazy becomes something possible. You need anything, kid?'

'Just some room', Skywalker replied, walking out of the cockpit to the standing area. 'Tell me when.'

'Strap yourself in', Solo told Finn. 'Chewie, get ready.'

'And… NOW!' Ben heard Han yell. Feeling the ship drop out of hyperspace, Ben immediately sensed how close they were to the surface. As he had done on Jakku, Ben reached out with the Force to fight the gravitational pull of Starkiller Base. He could feel the Falcon smashing into trees outside.

'Don't pull us above the trees, they'll spot us!' he heard Han yell.

'Understood!' Ben yelled back through gritted teeth, digging deep within and bringing the Falcon to a complete stop just as she cleared the trees.

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'Put every hangar on lockdown', Kylo Ren told the officer he was talking to. 'She's going to try to steal a ship to esc-'

He paused as he sensed Han Solo. And the Wookie. And FN-2187. But he did not sense Skywalker with them. Kylo was confused. How could Skywalker be so careless as to leave his companions unprotected?

But then Kylo remembered the new powers Skywalker had gained once he had taken the mask of Darth Nihilus. If he was able to pull the Dark Lord's lightsaber out of thin air, it was not much of an impossibility that Skywalker had learned to cloak his presence from other Force-wielders. Yes, that must be it. But was Skywalker with Solo, or was Solo merely providing a distraction so Skywalker could rescue his paramour?

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As Chewie transmitted the Falcon's safe landing to the Resistance, Han passed fur-lined jackets to Ben and Finn while slipping on his own. Chewie, of course, wouldn't need one to resist the cold temperatures of Starkiller Base. As the four took cover behind a radio tower, Finn pointed towards the base's main constructions.

'The flooding tunnel's over that ridge. We'll get in that way.'

'What was your job when you were based here?' Han asked, in a curious tone.

'Sanitation', Finn said, almost casually.

'What?!' Ben snapped.

God-fucking-dammit! Ben knew he should have probed more thoroughly through Finn's mind when he had the chance.

Han grabbed Finn. 'Sanitation? Then how do you know how to disable the shields?!'

'Just trust me, okay?' Finn asked. 'We'll figure it out. We'll… we'll use the Force!'

Ben rolled his eyes so hard it hurt.

'People are counting on us. The galaxy is counting on us!' Han yelled at Finn.

'Also, we'll use the Force? I wasn't aware you could use the Force as well', Ben said sarcastically.

Show him how it works, Chewie huffed.

Ben dropped his hands, but kept his blaster levitating in the air. 'Not that we have the time, but this is what people mean by "using the Force!"', Ben snarled at Finn, who seemed almost on the verge of tears from the berating he was getting.

Great, you showed him. Now can we move along? I'm cold, Chewie whined.

'Oh really, you're cold? Han asked.

As they walked through the flooding tunnel, Finn saw Skywalker turn to him.

'Look, mate', Skywalker said softly, 'I'm sorry for yelling at you. And I get that you want to help. But what we're doing here… it's bigger than any one of us. So you need to be honest with me- do you have any idea whatsoever about how to shut down the shields?'

'No', Finn replied, 'but there will be people inside the base who do know'.

'I suppose that'll have to do', Skywalker replied grimly.

As they continued walking, Finn couldn't help but ask, 'What it like? You know… being able to use the Force?'

Skywalker took a few seconds to answer. 'It's incredible. That's really the only way I can describe it- incredible.' He was about to say more, but they were coming to a door at the end of the tunnel.

As the door opened, Chewie blasted the lone stormtrooper standing on the other side, and the four of them moved inside.

'The longer we're here, the less luck we're gonna have', Han commented. 'What about the shields?'

'I have an idea about that', Finn said, directing them down a hallway. Concealing themselves in a passageway, Ben's eyes grew wide as Finn pointed out a giant figure in reflective armour, wearing a black-and-red cloak. Using the Force, Ben yanked the behemoth into their hiding place, immobilising it at a place several inches above the ground.

'Remember me?' Finn grinned.

'FN-2187', the stormtrooper replied in a voice which, Ben was shocked to hear, was distinctly female. What the hell did the First Order feed its officers? Steroids and growth serum?

'The name's Finn, and I'm in charge. I'm in charge now, Phasma', Finn exclaimed gleefully, his grin growing wider.

'Bring it down', Han told him.

'And you', Ben realised Phasma was addressing him. 'The Supreme Leader will be very interested to hear of your presence-'

'Enough', Finn interrupted her. 'Follow me.'

As Ben hauled Phasma along, Finn directed them towards a control room, where after they had killed the guards, he asked that Ben release Phasma so she could work on lowering the shields.

'Try anything, and I'll crush you inside that fancy armour of yours', Ben warned.

'You're making a big mistake', Phasma said. But Ben could sense her fear of him, and he knew that she knew it. She pressed a few buttons, and they saw a display of the shields dropping.

'Okay, that's done. Now, the prisoner you have. Where is she?' Ben asked.

Phasma looked at him. 'She escaped. I have no idea where she is.'

Ben could sense that Phasma was telling the truth. As proud as he was of Rey for taking matters into her own hands, it would be much harder to find her now.

'Don't worry, Ben. We won't leave here without her.' Han reassured Ben.

'You can't be so stupid as to think this will be easy. My troops will storm this block and kill you all', Phasma jeered.

'Wanna bet?' Ben snarled, igniting his lightsaber and driving it through Phasma's heart.

Her armour was made of stronger stuff than the average stormtrooper's, but it was no beskar. Ben used the Force to cushion her fall, so as not to alert any other troopers. As Phasma's corpse dropped to the floor, Ben saw Han and Chewie looking at him oddly.

'What?'

'Just…' Han trailed off.

There was a time when you wouldn't have done that so… casually, Chewie huffed softly.

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Ishi and her squadron dropped out of hyperspace with the Resistance fighters alongside them. Though she had already seen a diagram of the base during the Resistance briefing, Ishi felt her jaw drop at the sheer size of it.

'Hit the target, dead centre: as many runs as we can get', she heard Poe Dameron, callsign Black Leader, over the comms.

'Copy that, Black Leader', Ishi replied, as the X-Wings and Fang Fighters started lighting the oscillator up.

'Direct hit!' she heard a Resistance pilot exclaim.

'But no damage', came another's report.

'Black Leader, Skull Leader, we have incoming', Ishi heard one of her pilots call out. 'Contact right!'

Ishi turned her head to see a small army of TIE Fighters headed their way.

'Black Leader, this is Skull Leader', Ishi said. 'Continue hitting the oscillator, we'll keep them off your backs.'

'Copy that, Skull Leader.'

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Rey, Ben reached out with his mind. Where are you?

He knew she couldn't reply, but he sensed that she could feel his presence. And… he sensed that she wasn't far away. Ben dug deep within… deeper… then ran smack dab into Rey as she turned a corner.

'Oof!' Rey exclaimed as Ben ran into her.

'Oh, thank God', Ben exclaimed as he embraced her in a hold that was so comfortingly warm and gentle, Rey temporarily forgot she was mad at him, where they were and the danger they were all in, and hugged him back, burying her face in his neck and inhaling his scent.

'How did you get away?' she heard him ask her.

'You won't believe it-' she started to say, but Han interrupted them.

'Escape now, hug later. Come on.'

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The battle in the air had quickly become a vicious free-for-all. Despite Ishi's instructions to let Skull Squadron handle the TIEs, the Resistance X-Wings found themselves forced to scatter again and again, abandoning their bombing runs to engage in the dogfight personally.

As Ishi blasted another TIE out of the sky, she saw two Fang fighters go down, their pilots parachuting out.

Hope Ben's having better luck than we are, Ishi thought, as she prepared to engage yet another assailant.

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Han and Chewie piled into one landspeeder, as Ben, Rey and Finn climbed into another. Before long, they had many of the First Order's snowtroopers on their tail, riding both landspeeders and speeder bikes, and all of them firing at the group.

'Finn, step on it!' Ben yelled. 'Rey, start firing back!'

'What are you going to do-' Finn started, then gaped as Ben positioned himself on the end of the speeder, his lightsaber already a blue blur as he deflected everything the snowtroopers were firing at them. Ben deflected one blaster bolt so precisely it flew right back into the barrel of the landspeeder's rotary cannon that was firing at them, blowing it and the two snowtroopers with it up inside one second. Then without warning, another landspeeder came over a snowdrift and fired on them. Ben moved to face it, but was too late. The blaster bolt struck the side of the speeder, rocking it enough for Ben to lose his balance and fall off. Rey, who had unstrapped herself to be in a better firing position, was flipped out too.

Ben was nothing if not adaptable, and he landed on his feet, quickly using the Force to suspend Rey in the air before lowering her to the ground, avoiding what would have been a far less dignified landing. Ben quickly turned towards the oncoming First Order speeders.

Before, he'd had to concentrate on his balance too much to simply flip them with the Force. Not so this time. Ben stretched out his arms and pushed them upward, flipping several speeders over with their riders still inside. The others got the message and dismounted to try and take Ben by foot, but he was simply too fast for them, moving with incredible speed as his lightsaber cut, slashed and stabbed until there were no more snowtroopers in pursuit.

Rey watched in amazement as Ben moved faster than humanely possible, effortlessly slicing through the troopers' weapons and armour alike as though they weren't even there, in a strangely elegant fashion. He looked almost like he was dancing, as he effortlessly cut his way through their pursuers. Rey had seen her fair share of brawls on Jakku, and participated in more than a few of them herself, but she had never seen anything like this. As Ben sliced through the last few snowtroopers, Rey heard their companions pulling up on their speeders.

'Are you alright?' she heard Han call out.

'Yeah, fine', Ben called out, deactivating his lightsaber, 'but we're gonna have a lot more company soon.' He pointed out across the landscape, where Rey saw many more snowtroopers and stormtroopers approaching them on vehicles.

'They'll be on us inside a few minutes', Ben stated.

Blasts of fire directed their attention skyward, as they saw the battle taking place in the air. Rey was not an expert in warfare, but she didn't have to be one to see that not only were the Resistance pilots taking a severe beating, they weren't doing nearly enough damage to the area their bombing runs were targeting.

'They're in trouble', Han said. 'We can't leave. Chewie's got a bag full of explosives- let's use them.'

'Right', Ben said. He promptly turned towards the approaching troopers. 'You go ahead. I'll create a distraction.'

'Wait- what?' Rey asked. The swarm of First Order soldiers was getting closer- not to mention larger.

'Go', Ben said. 'I'll be fine. I'll meet you at the Falcon when it's done.'

A swarm of emotions swept through Rey. Anger at Ben for lying to her, frustration that he felt he had to play the hero, admiration for his bravery. But most of all… despite everything… she just wanted him to be okay. So she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ben gently.

'I'm still mad at you', she mumbled, 'but don't die'.

'Yes, ma'am', Ben grinned, kissing Rey's indescribably soft lips.

Rey hated how Ben's smile always made her want to smile back. But she couldn't help grinning against his mouth.

'Hate to break up the honeymoon, but we really need to go', Han called out. Ben kissed Rey one last time, and she clambered onto the speeder besides Finn.

Right, Ben thought as he ignited his lightsaber once again, turning towards the troopers now a few hundred metres away. Back to business.

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Ishi parachuted out of her damaged Fang Fighter, her ship crashing to the ground as her boots hit the snow with a crunch.

'Commander!' she heard as she saw several of her fellow downed pilots sprinting towards her. Luckily, all of them had had WESTAR-35 blaster pistols attached to thigh holsters for this exact situation, so Ishi quickly laid out a new plan.

'We're gonna head to the nearest hangar, steal some TIEs and get right back into the fight. Any objections?'

Her pilots shook their heads.

'There's a hangar about a click and a half away from here, I was flying over it earlier', one of them commented.

'Perfect', Ishi said. 'Lead the way.'

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Kylo Ren was having a bad day. First the scavenger girl had escaped, then the Resistance had arrived, and all the while he had been completely unable to locate Skywalker. He had had to have a trooper arriving with a message to tell him where Skywalker was, the answer being out on the battlefield, slaughtering the First Order's highly-trained troops like cattle. Then, as Ren started to walk out of the oscillator to confront Skywalker, he felt Han Solo's presence again.

'Find them', he told his troopers. Kylo knew he would not have long to wait. Sure enough, as he moved towards a walkway that crossed a vast open space, he heard the call of a name he had been trying to escape for the past six years.

'Jacen!'

Kylo Ren turned to face Han Solo.

'I've been waiting for this day for a long time', he said.

Kylo watched as the old man stepped out onto the walkway. 'Take off that mask', Solo said, in a voice that sounded like a command.

'What do you think you'll see if I do?'

'The face of my son.'

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Ben stood amidst the carnage he had created. He had drawn the troopers into the woods, where they had been forced to follow on foot. Then for the last few minutes, he had spent his time jumping from the ground to the trees and back again, alternating between using his lightsaber and blaster to pick them off. The flames created by Ben's incendiary blasts still licked the trees and the bodies of several troopers.

As a burnt-through tree crashed to the ground behind him, Ben took a moment to breathe through his fatigue. While he had not been hit by any of the troopers' blaster bolts, he had spent the last few days fighting on the ground and in the air, and muscles all over his body were feeling the strain. Then as Ben continued to try catching his breath, he sensed… Han. Who was with Kylo Ren. Whose plan was to…no. No.

Ben immediately started jogging towards the oscillator, trying to push through his fatigue.

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'It's too late.'

'No, it's not.'

But it was. Kylo did not need the Force to know that.

'Ben wants me dead', he said, surprising himself. He had not said Skywalker's first name in so long, it felt foreign to his tongue.

'No, he doesn't', Solo replied. 'He wants to give you a chance.'

Kylo remembered the warrior who had subdued him on Mustafar. That had not seemed like the type of person who would allow him to be Jacen Solo again. Kylo had truly not meant to kill the woman Skywalker loved, but in his heart of hearts, Ren knew that in that moment, he had sealed their inevitable, final confrontation. And yet…

'I am being torn apart', he choked out. 'I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?'

'Yes. Anything.'

Ren readied himself.

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Ben could do this. He could get there in time. During all his periods of training, all of his mentors had stressed the importance of physical stamina in an extended fight. Ben could feel the Force flowing strongly through him, rejuvenating him.

He could do this-

And then Ben dropped to the ground as he sensed it. He felt the pain of Kylo Ren's jagged lightsaber blade passing through Han's chest as though it was passing through his own.

Han. Ben's uncle. Kylo Ren's father. The man who had always loved the both of them, despite all they had done. The lovable scoundrel, always with a cheeky grin ready, who had risen from common smuggler to one of the greatest heroes of his time, was dead. At the hands of his own son.

Ben wept. He screamed. He pounded the ground with his fist like a child throwing a tantrum, but he knew it was no use.

I'm sorry, Leia. I failed you. I failed Han. I'm so sorry.

And then Ben's grief gave way to anger. Pure, white-hot rage flowed through him, and several trees close by were crushed into splinters as Ben clenched his fists.

Flowing through all, there is balance, Ben managed to think. Even now, he could not afford to fall to the darkness. As Ben finished the mantra of the Grey Jedi, he gripped the lightsaber hanging from his belt, its kyber crystal pulsing with the energy of the light side. Ben did not know if the crystal could sense his pain, but it grounded him, hardening him towards his purpose.

Jacen Solo was dead. There was only Kylo Ren, and he needed to be destroyed. Ben knew Leia would have sensed Han's death as well.

She could not blame him for what was to come next.

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'The Falcon's this way!' Finn called out, Rey following him through the snow-filled woods- until they were stopped cold by the sight of Kylo Ren, his lightsaber glowing red against the dark night.

'We're not done yet', he said, almost casually.

'You're a monster', Rey spat back at him.

'Where is Skywalker?', Kylo asked. 'Tell me, and I promise you will die swiftly-'

Halfway through saying "swiftly", Kylo was suddenly thrown, as if by an invisible hand, into a nearby tree, where he then fell to the ground, groaning softly.

Ben walked up to where Kylo Ren had fallen.

'Go', he motioned towards the direction of the Falcon. 'And take this', he added, giving his blaster to Rey. He would need to be as limber as possible for what was to come next.

'Wait, what about you?', Rey asked.

'I need to finish this', Ben said. 'We don't have time- go!' he yelled as Kylo Ren started getting back to his feet.

He saw Rey hesitate, then follow Finn, stopping only to give Ben a peck on the lips as she ran into the darkness.

Hope that's not the last kiss I have with you, Ben thought, as he turned to face his opponent.

Kylo Ren's nose had been broken when Ben threw him against the tree, and Ben could see blood streaming down his face. And below that… Ben could see more blood running down Kylo's left leg into the snow, from a wound in his torso.

Kylo was wounded. Ben was fatigued. This was going to be close.

As Ben ignited his lightsaber, Kylo Ren's gaze was drawn to it.

'Where- where did you get that?' he asked.

So, he recognised it. Good.

'That's for me to know and you to never find out, Jacen', Ben said, in a mocking tone. Of all his various mentors, it had been Boba who had stressed the importance of psychological warfare.

Ben's attempt at it worked.

'THAT IS NOT MY NAME!' Kylo Ren screamed, as their blades met with a resounding HISS.

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'I need some help here, I need some help!', Poe yelled as he did a nose-dive into the oscillator's trenches.

Help did come- but not from where he expected. More TIEs entered the fight- and began firing on the TIEs tailgating Poe and his squadmates.

'Black Leader, this is Skull Leader', Poe heard Ishale Kryze's voice over his comms. 'We have you covered, over.'

'Copy that, Skull Leader!' Poe shouted joyfully, preparing to enter the oscillator itself from a gap he could see in the trench's end.

I swear to God, if I make it out of this, I'm taking that girl to dinner, he thought.

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In truth, lightsabers were not the best weapon to wield in a forest. The trees were so close together, neither combatant could fully swing their weapons at each other without cutting through wood as well.

Kylo Ren could sense his opponent's cautiousness. Strange. Skywalker was… holding back. He was trying to resist the pull of the dark side at the same time as he was fighting Kylo. So, he was only half-concentrating on the fight, which gave Kylo the advantage. Kylo eagerly pressed his attack, driving Skywalker backwards.

This isn't working, Ben thought, evading and blocking blow after blow from Kylo Ren's red, serrated blade. Try as he might, he simply couldn't defend against Kylo forever while drawing only on the light side of the Force. Ben had been using the dark side as a part of his fighting style for so long now, not using it while trying to resist the pull to the darkness meant he couldn't keep his head in the game much longer. And Ben could sense the oscillator starting to crumble, which meant there were barely minutes left before Starkiller Base exploded.

Time for a different tactic.

Ben deactivated his lightsaber and started jumping from one tree to the next, daring Kylo to follow him, which he did. Then, as he flipped and swerved out of the reach of Kylo's blade, Ben saw it: Kylo's bolt-wound in his torso was impairing him.

Let's impair him some more, Ben thought, changing direction and pushing off the tree towards Kylo, taking the dark warrior by surprise. Ben used the split-second chance he had to drive his fist as fast and hard as he could into Kylo's wound.

Overwhelmed with the pain, Kylo dropped to the ground, stumbling.

Seizing the opportunity, Ben dropped down, ignited his lightsaber and swung it at the foundering darksider's head. Kylo threw his head back, but not fast enough; the blue edge of Ben's blade caught him in his left eye, blinding him there. As Kylo reeled back, roaring in pain, Ben dropped to one knee and swung his lightsaber around in a deadly backhand stroke, cutting Kylo's legs off at the knees.

That's for Han, Ben thought, watching what had once been his cousin flail around helplessly. But as he moved to finally take off Kylo Ren's head, a deep gully formed between the two combatants, separating them.

'NO!' Ben roared. But he knew it was too late to do anything. The planet he was standing on was beginning to shudder and crack, moving too fast to allow Ben to even throw Kylo into the gully with the Force.

Ben could sense Chewie bringing the Millennium Falcon nearby to pick him up. As the ship appeared and dropped its ramp, Ben threw himself onto it using the Force.

'Go, go, go!', he yelled, running inside the Falcon as the ramp closed behind him.

Rey and Finn were waiting for him inside.

'Are you alright?', Rey asked, grasping Ben's arms.

'Is Ren dead?', Finn asked.

'I'm fine. I don't know, we got separated', Ben said. But as he concentrated, he could feel Kylo Ren's presence in the Force. He was still alive; Ben was sure of it.

As Starkiller Base exploded behind them, and the Falcon jumped to hyperspace, and safety, Ben knew he would have to confront Kylo Ren again before long.

And next time, only one of them would survive.