Last on: Ben and Rey rename their stormtrooper guide, Klive, then send him back to save his girlfriend when things sound bad on the comm. Ben and Rey then get diverted from their path to follow an Uugteen into the catacombs. They then stumble into what appears to be a Jedi temple's trap. Ben is stuck and can't get out.

Trigger Warning: This chapter includes violence at a public event, explosions, and the role of children in the above.

Chapter 37: War

As Hux sat aboard the Finalizer, his flagship, attending a meeting on important business matters, he couldn't help but think how good he was at this. 'Far better than that sorry excuse for an apprentice had,' he thought. 'I was always meant to lead.'

The investigations into the stolen, now missing Star Dreadnought were put on hold when news came about Falleen. Some of his advisers were alarmed at their sudden revolt, but Hux remained calm. "Let them go, That trash pit of a planet was never very valuable to us. When we complete Starkiller 2.0 we will destroy them. Until then, let them think they've had their victory."

"But, Sir." One of his more timid underlings spoke up. "The planet makes twenty percent of our textile orders, and mines fifteen percent of our metals, including those used in starship development."

"Then send an order to our other factories and mines to increase their output." Such simple problems always had simple solutions, according to Hux. His underling quickly noted the decision and avoided eye contact.

"Uh, Supreme General, Sir," came a voice from the intercom.

"I am in a meeting," Hux grumbled.

"Yes, Sir. It's just, we had a message come in just now, from Akiva, Sir. You're gonna want to hear this right away, S-sir," stammered the voice on the intercom.

Hux sighed. "Very well. We are finished here. Send that Comm to my office."

"Yes, Sir. Alright, Sir. Will do, Sir." the squeeks that followed faded from the room.

'This had better be important,' Hux grumbled to himself.


In his office Hux plops down in his desk chair, and pushes the button to play the message.

"Supreme General, This is your loyal follower Commander Boche. I have been stationed on Akiva. When a party of rebels began to talk about overthrowing your power in the region, in favor of the impostor, I took it upon myself to join their ranks, as a spy, and it has proved fortuitous. The impostor is here, on Akiva, Sir. He will be here for three more days, when he plans to hold a Ball. I have several loyal men with me. We will attempt to slay the impostor and retake control. All we ask is that you send men here to back us up when the time comes."

Hux smiled. 'Oh Ren. Looks like the game's finally coming to a close. And I'm gonna win!'

Hux pushed the button to contact the bridge. "Change course immediately. We're headed to Akiva."

"Yes, Supreme General."


Temmin Wexley, usually called "Snap," was wearing brown stormtrooper armor and going under the designation TW-4493. He never thought he'd end up doing this, especially on his own home world, but he understood the mission and the stakes.

He glanced down over the balcony again and surveyed the dancing hall below. "The birds are nesting, all is gold," Snap spoke into his radio. The code for: Ben and Rey are dancing, all is well.

Snap heard a noise from a nearby room. 'Guests shouldn't be up here,' he thought. Snap cocked his head as far as the armor would allow to see through the doorway, until he found a young servant, barely a boy. 'He shouldn't be up here.' Snap knew he could easily report this and have the boy disciplined. Snap looked in his eyes, and the boy's eyes opened wide with fear when he saw him. Snap wondered what led him to take up employment so young. 'Was his father arrested by the First Order? Did his mother leave him to fight in a war, worlds away from home?' Something about the boy reminded him of himself at that age, so he let the moment pass. The boy scurried away in a few seconds and Snap looked back towards the dance hall.

He walked right to the edge of the balcony, fervently scanning the floor. "The Bird has flown. I repeat, the bird has flown." Snap panicked, he couldn't find Ben or Rey.

"The Bird's gone fishing." said Poe over the comm. A code for 'They've gone into the garden.' Whoever invented their code, snap had no idea, but he closed his eyes in relief. "I have eyes."

Very suddenly things changed. An alien woman below screamed. Snap ran for the stairs. Then there was a bang from somewhere nearby. His body was thrown down the stairs in the explosion. As Snap struggled for consciousness he could here a blaster going off a distance away.


Some time later, Snap was roused by another trooper, KL-1771. When they first arrived they started retraining the local troopers. Finn, he remembered, got really invested in the role. The KL unit was the one he chose to stay on in the palace. He felt he could trust them most.

The trooper shook him again. "TW- 4493, we are ordered to reconvene in the downstairs conservatory. PN-8031," that's Poe's designation, "is already waiting for us."

Snap moved to stand up. "Status?"

"The enemy has moved the hostages into the kitchen. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and Lady Rey are being evacuated."

Snap stood in shock, absorbing it all in. The term 'hostages' stuck out in his mind. "Wait. Who's the enemy? And what about the explosion?"

"The enemy is presumed to be Commander Boche. His motives remain unknown. And the explosion, we presume was a distraction. We don't know how it was set yet. It came from behind where you were stationed on the balcony. We thought you were dead, until I saw you start to rouse."

"The Boy." Snap remembered now the child he saw in the hallway moments before the explosion. 'Could he have been caught in it? Could he have been the one setting it?'

"What Boy?" the trooper interrupted.

"Oh, uh. It doesn't matter now. Uh, was anyone injured in the explosion?"

"Only yourself."

"Then lets get to the conservatory," Snap said, testing a few steps to confirm he could still walk.


In the conservatory Poe stood discussing something with Finn. They both stopped their discussion to look at Snap when he walked in. Snap cursed the stormtrooper outfits. He couldn't tell anything about the expressions his friends had when he walked in and it looked creepy the way they stopped talking and turned to him.

"Good, KL-8893 go with KL-1771 here to guard the door. We don't know how far this spreads, and we don't want them to get back-up from their pals outside." The stormtroopers in question marched away. Poe then referred to a hastily created replica of the palace floor plan, which was on one of the tables. "This fern is the kitchen. This box is the dance hall." We are each taking a team and going this way, this way, and this way. We'll have them surrounded."

Snap nodded along with the plan. "Is that droid any good?" He pointed to what looked like an old battle droid on the floor of the conservatory.

"Now, where did that come from?" Poe stepped over to it. He knocked on the side of it and it produced a hollow sound. "Probably an old relic. doesn't sound like there's a hard drive."


Klive rushed back to the Palace. When he got to the dance hall door he heard movement inside, and he stopped to listen.

"All is clear, Supreme General. No sign of Ren, sir."

Klive didn't stay to hear more. He walked round the building to try another entrance. If Hux's men really were here, the situation looked bad, but something inside Klive told him that there was still hope, if he could get inside. Klive found a window near some bushes, and he threw a stone statue he found in the gardens to break it. After several seconds of silence, he was sure no one had heard, and he climbed into the window. He was in a study on the first floor.

In the hallway he heard boots of fellow troopers, followed by the sounds of doors being kicked open. He rushed to hide against the wall, and aimed his blaster at the door. When it opened he shot.

Less than a week ago he would have continued on with his mission, never stopping to think about the trooper he just killed. But in this last week something changed. Perhaps it was the way the new troopers treated him in training, or perhaps it was his new name, given to him by Kylo Ren, himself. But if he could be an individual, why couldn't this man or woman be. He stopped beside the body and he folded the trooper's arms over their chest. Such a funeral is rarely offered to a stormtrooper. He felt it was the least he could do. Then he moved on.

"Status." The voice of another trooper made Klive jump a little.

"Clear." Klive assumed they thought he was the dead trooper. He held his breath.

The trooper didn't notice anything odd, and turned to continue the searches. Klive continued with them until he found his ideal moment.

"Here," shouted one of the troopers. The other troopers quickly marched to surround him, and the commanding officer came in to look at what he saw. Klive was still standing a distance away, pretending to search behind a piece of furniture, when he heard a babies cries. Instead of gathering in formation with the others, he pulled out his blaster and fired at the group. They went down in seconds.

Only after this did he move closer to see what the trooper had found. Another trooper lay there, her helmet was off, and she was clutching an alien infant. It's umbilical cord still fresh.

"KL-8893." He greeted her by stroking her cheek. "What happened?"

"We were sent to guard the entrance against intrusion. Along the way we found a stray Besalisk female who had run from the dance hall in the confusion. She was pregnant, and she was giving birth. I sent KL-1771 ahead to the entrance, while I stayed to help the woman give birth. He was overwhelmed at the door. Hux sent an army. KL-1771 fell. Then a team of troopers came in to search where we were. Her mother told me to take her and hide. She did not have the energy yet to run, and when the troopers found her… they…

Klive lifted his thumb to wipe a tear away from her cheek. "You've done very well. Where are the others? The new troopers?"

"They were going to surround Boche's men in the kitchen. I heard they were threatening to shoot General Dillon if we didn't hand over Kylo Ren immediately. I don't know what happened after that. Several of our men were shot, and the new troopers are on a different wave length. It's been a while since I could get anyone to respond."

"Then we'll have to keep trying." Klive pulled off his helmet and rested it on the arm of an old battle droid, which was decoratively placed in the hallway. He then reached down to examine the infant who was still crying. He wished he knew more about how to care for such young lifeforms, but it was not a part of his training. "What designation are we going to give this little one?"

"Designation, no he needs a name." KL-8893 said.

"You both do." Klive gave her a big smile.


Alright, confessions here, I kind of began writing this chapter without a clear plan, and let the chapter write itself. I think it turned out ok, for a Rey and Ben - less chapter. Don't worry, folks, they'll be back in the next chapter.

And I published a couple chapters of my next fic. If you like my version of the Force Ghost Characters, you might like this one too. Unfortunately the site is not allowing me to link it here, but click on my profile, and It'll be under there, titled "The Skywalker Tale: A Legacy Restored"