Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the recognisable characters of the franchise. This story is purely for entertainment.

A/N: As you may have noticed my schedule went completely out of the window. I honestly didn't realise how gruesome moving houses can be. I'm so grateful to those of you who follow my story so faithfully. Thank you so much all you lovely people for your comments. Especially now, each of them means a lot :))

Chapter 30

'Your…so called friends, sold you out…just like that... They traded you for the girl.' – Hux wasn't even waiting for Solo's response. He continued, – 'How does it feel?' – He lifted Solo's chin with his gloved hand. Solo still looked groggy. The rebels told him Solo was under the influence of strong drugs which was confirmed by his med droids. – 'Remember it. This feeling. This is one of the last things you will feel.'

He pushed Solo's head away. So weak. So pitiful. Hux's face was expressing all the hatred and contempt he felt for this miserable ex-apprentice, who was now handcuffed and barely standing in front of him. He decided to have him stay on the bridge so that he could admire, before he dies, the show he prepared for him. – 'But don't worry. We are going to repay them. Them and the girl.'

Some of the officers in the room sniggered so he kept bragging. – 'You should have died on your ship back then. Just like the rest of your knights. You know…the captain should go down with his crew…' – Finally, he could see some reaction to his words. Ben's fists tightened visibly. It was time. - 'Watch closely.'

He turned his head to his left. - 'Commander Galus, is everything ready for the attack?'

'We are just waiting for your orders, Supreme Leader.'

He was just about to say 'Fire' when he felt something clutching his throat and an invisible force started dragging him across the floor and threw him at the wall. The impact of the crash sent him to the floor. He dropped down onto his knees. The pain in his back was excruciating. He was gasping for air and watched what was happening on the bridge with disbelief.

Ben Solo's unsteadiness was gone. Somehow his handcuffs opened up and he was now holding his lightsaber – only instead of a bright red, it was purple now. Both doors leading to the bridge shut down with a crushing noise imprisoning them all in. Ben Solo looked possessed deflecting with his lightsaber some of the blaster bolts coming his way and freezing others mid-air. The purple light was buzzing, vibrating and twirling relentlessly as Solo was killing his people one by one.

Hux forced himself up from the floor. He reached for his gun. He didn't have time to pull the trigger though. His hand was twisted by the same invisible force and he had to drop the blaster with a groan. He looked around. The bodies were spread all around and floor was covered in blood. It was silent apart from the banging coming from the doors. He gulped noisily, fear slowly coursing through his body. There was only him and Ben Solo left on the bridge.

...

Ben was watching how the understanding was reaching Hux's eyes. And he could see fear.

'How does it feel now? Try to remember this feeling.' – His voice was full of venom. He didn't try to hide his hatred for the man standing in front of him. He was watching as Hux tried to find a way out. He was so easy to read.

'It is now between you and me, Hux. It has always been.' – He pointed his lightsaber towards his chest.

And then he paused because suddenly he could feel Rey's presence. She managed! He looked directly at her to see her just this last time. She seemed to hesitate so without paying attention to Hux, he addressed her. – 'Don't get distracted. You know what you have to do.' – She nodded her head and closed her eyes. She disappeared and he turned back to the confused Hux.

He didn't have much time. The doors would soon reopen and he was getting weaker and weaker. He looked straight into Hux's eyes which were widened with horror.

'The captain should go down with ship.' – Ben's voice was calm, almost detached. He clenched his jaw as he raised his lightsaber and with one move Hux's fearful and confused eyes went blank as his body was slumping to the floor.

There was no time to lose. Ben rushed to the console and looked at the cruiser which was under the constant fire since he overtook the bridge. He could see its shields were beginning to fail. He knew their fuel level was critical. Fortunately, the First Order's TIE fighters weren't out. His tactic worked. He contacted Dameron. – 'Evacuate now!'

He couldn't wait to see if the x-wings started moving towards the planet.

He reached out to Rey. He managed to find her presence not too far from the hyperdrive but she started panicking. Feeling his presence, she calmed down immediately. He gently guided her towards the biggest source of power on the ship. She found it. He reluctantly left her presence.

He reached out towards the ion engines. He knew he didn't have much time left. He focused on the highly charged particles starting extra fusion reactions too powerful for the engines to contain. He could feel the Force rising. Everything around him shook violently once…and then for the second time. The ramming on the doors ceased. The doors and everything around him started disintegrating. He could hear distant explosions. They had done it! Now he had to find the escape pod.

...

Poe barely left his fighter when Rey's voice reached him. – 'Poe! BB-8!' – Rey was running towards them. – 'Where is Ben?'

Poe shook his head. – 'I don't know.'

She stopped short.

He put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. – 'Don't worry. Our fighters are faster than escape pods. We landed nearby just for the time being. My men are still in their fighters. We will start looking for them as soon as the debris from the ships will pass us. As you know we are safe here on the planet, protected by its atmosphere.'– He looked at the clear sky above their heads. – 'Otherwise it could be too dangerous for us. We don't want to lose any more people. I came here to check up on you guys.'

BB-8 was welcoming her excitedly so she kneeled down to pat him and adjust the little antenna on his rounded head. She must have noticed Poe was looking toward the Millennium Falcon because she suggested, – 'You are probably exhausted… We can wait inside the Falcon.' – She rose up and led the way.

They were welcomed by the boy Poe heard about from Finn and Rey, but never met personally. He shook his tiny hand. – 'Nice to meet you Temini. I heard you saved Rey and Chewbacca. You are a real hero.' – He could see how the boy straightened up proudly. – 'Thank you, Commander.' – The boy addressed him formally.

'Call me Poe.' – He smiled at him to put him at ease. – 'We're friends now. '– The boy's face lightened up and he smiled back. – 'Thank you, Sir. I mean, Poe.'

Poe laughed and sat down. – 'Can I get some water? I'm so thirsty.'

Temini immediately run towards the crew quarters. – 'Great kid.' – Poe said to Rey.

'Yes, he is.' – Rey sat down next to him behind the dejarik table.

The boy reappeared with a metal mug full of water and Poe thanked him with a smile.

Chewbacca was apparently still in bed in the crew quarters. Rey explained that he was still unconscious. They needed a medic. He promised to try to get someone in as soon as his crew members land safely on the planet. Both Tem and Rey looked anxiously at him.

Poe decided to lighten up the mood by praising what she had done.

'It was nothing, at least nothing next to what Ben has done.' – She waved her hand dismissively. - 'But how did you even manage to put such a plan together? Ben didn't have time to give me all the details.'

Poe smiled. – 'It's a long story.'

'Don't make me beg. Besides it will make time go by faster.' – Rey was insistent. The boy was also looking at him with eyes that seemed to beg for a story.

He cleared his voice. – 'Ok. But no questions until I finish'. They both nodded their heads in agreement.

'So, I guess you were aware of how Ben kept you away from major fights to protect you and all. No wonder, you ran away and Ben just felt that something bad was going to happen. We were actually on our way to meet with D'Acy when he forced us...'- Poe made a face remembering the whole thing. – '… to drop out of the lightspeed to check up on you. This was when Alik told us you disappeared and Ben immediately guessed you came here to get some holy books. We notified Larma that we would need help on Ahch-To as we were not ready for this journey…and we tried to contact you like crazy. We somehow, miraculously, came here shortly after you. It was good that Ben could confirm you were on the planet. He said he could sense your presence. We would come here to get you but soon after we arrived, the welcome committee from the First order arrived as well and we were trapped. It was good they didn't notice us at first. The cloaking worked. But we had a problem…you know…the usual stuff…Not enough fuel and ships to fight. Thanks to Ben, we knew Hux was there. We didn't want to let the opportunity to pass us by so Ben came up with this idea of setting up a trap. But he said he needed you and this is when Ben contacted you - although I still don't understand how. He was saying something about the Force.' – Poe made a face and continued his story.

'This is how we learned about you and Chewie being drugged and how it didn't work for you even though Chewbacca was affected big time. So far, Ben thought that it was only alcohol his body dealt with pretty quickly but then he remembered how we tried to drug him on Dantooine. It didn't really work for any longer period of time. Only, he wasn't bothered back then to show us it wasn't working as we felt safer thinking he was drugged. Quan apparently suspected it but kept quiet. You not being influenced by such strong drugs as they gave you – to knock out Chewie like that – was additional confirmation that whatever he would be given, it wouldn't work. So, this is what we used to prepare the snare. Ben swallowed the strongest stuff Quan could find – apparently it would be able to kill a normal person – so that Hux and his medical droids would believe he was under influence and not dangerous for them anymore. It worked. We had all our fighters on the cruiser hoping they would keep theirs inside as well. Only… our fighters and all escape pods were ready to leave before the star destroyer exploded. Plus, we were protected by the shields during their initial attack when the enemy realised what Ben was doing on their bridge. We could do with a little more time to carry the whole evacuation properly but Ben gave us as much time as he could. And I believe it all went well. Although it was weird to command the whole action from the fighter parked inside the cruiser. Ben forced me. He wanted to be sure that even if the plan didn't work and they just attacked us straight away, I would be able to get to you and help you somehow. You did great as well. I almost can't believe we managed to pull it off. '– He tried to sound convincing for Rey's sake. Did they really manage to pull it off? Did Solo manage to survive? Did all the escape pods survive?

Temini listened to this story with his mouth opened. Rey who looked as if she was dizzy, was silent for a long time after he finished. Her mind almost visibly digesting what he told them. She then suddenly looked at him with a weird expression. – 'Wait, Poe…Wait a moment. Did you say that Ben kept me away from big battles on purpose?'

Poe's brain went blank for a moment. Didn't she know it by now? Wasn't it why she moaned she was useless? Wasn't it why she ran away?

BB-8 standing next to Rey chirped nervously. Dammit. – 'Nnnoooo.' – Poe carefully said, shaking his head. He knew he was on dangerous waters. And so was Ben.

Rey looked furious. – 'Oh, I think you did.'