Star Wars: Episode IX – Heir to Victory

by GrgBrns

The Final Order regains their strength! Facing total annihilation, the Resistance mount a desperate offensive to end the threat - but Finn believes there is another way to win this war! Meanwhile, Rey and Kylo Ren's desires are intertwined by the sinister Knights of Ren and the prophetic powers of the Oracle - the 'Heir to Victory' will change the future of the galaxy forever!

7. Part II - The Temple

The largest personal quarters aboard the Finalizer belong to Admiral Hux. A large forward facing window fills the space, protected by several layers of glass and shielding. An impressive cabinet and bed are contained within, but remain untouched as Armitage Hux hasn't slept in several days. Since he'd failed to capture the Resistance on Brentaal IV, he'd ordered the entire crew to remain awake til they found a lead. In truth, his life depends on it. He has precious time before his and Ren's confrontation, which he is certain will end in one of their deaths.

Hux smirks to himself. Ren seriously believes he can take his own army away from him? Ludicrous. It isn't the fear of his rival that forces him to stay awake, the reason his crop of orange hair now drapes across his tired eyes as he searches through reports, holoimages, surveillance footage and informants. The reason is that Armitage Hux hates losing. He has been preparing for the culling of Kylo Ren and his crazed followers for some time now, but had been completely blindsided by the miraculous escape of the Resistance. He had control over all variables, all the power - tracking, soldiers, forewarning - yet they had escaped regardless. The audacity of the Resistance to ignore rules, to succeed time and again despite his deliberate pilfering of odds and advantage, is what angers Hux the most. And his anger stings because, as the illegitimate son of a cadet commander and possessing little in the way of talent and luck, their success in the face of certain failure mirrors his own.

He pauses his brooding and gets up from the long sleek desk. A handsome black cabinet behind him houses his personal favourite brand of bitter tarine tea in the top drawer, and a bottle of something a lot stronger in the drawer underneath. Hux is a man of impeccable discipline, and so he pours the instantly heated tea into a cup and drinks. The bottle in the second drawer will remain untouched. For now. A sudden noise almost makes him regret it.

The buzz and steady flash of his desk holocomm fills the room, followed by a dreadful, siren-like noise that Hux loathes. There are only several people and several reasons for it to sound, so Hux smooths his hair back, and checks his white uniform for creases. Setting the tea down, he accepts the incoming call and looks into the grizzled face of Admiral Griss. Hux fills himself with hollow, artificial clam.

"Admiral Hux," greets Griss, gruffly.

"Admiral Griss, to what do I owe this intrusion?"

Though both men are of the same rank, Hux has to keep Griss at bay. Griss had been an officer in the previous imperial army, and it is Hux's opinion that the stink of defeat still clings to his ideals. Hux will not allow anything to contaminate the Final Order. If Griss is annoyed by Hux's rudeness, he hides it well.

"Scouting sweeps have come back negative, Admiral. The Resistance has not fled to any core worlds, previous outposts, or ventured into Final Order controlled space."

Being told things he already knew is probably one of Hux's least favourite past times. Even so, he can now guess the reason for the call. Griss continues.

"Senior Command grows restless," which is Officer lingo for he, Admiral Griss, is growing impatient. "Without any leads on the Resistance we must consider retreating to Othkore."

Hux scoffs loudly, so that it translates well over holoimage.

"Concede defeat? Oh I don't think so, Admiral. The Resistance are on the run with less than a fleet of ships and no bases or allies left. Your failure to see the advantage held over them speaks volumes of your faith in the Final Order, and your tactical reasoning."

Hux allows a moment for his words to land. Griss' cheek bones sharpen, but he says nothing. Hux continues.

"As I have said, we will comb every informer, every shred of surveillance we have until we find them. And that is an order."

Hux disconnects the call on the last syllable to really rub Griss' nose in it. The Admiral is supposedly a tactical genius, but as of late his repertoire consists of strategic retreats and losing soldiers to outdated hit-and-run tactics. After Kylo Ren and his rabble of delinquents are eliminated, Hux decides Griss will be next. He approaches the cabinet once more and drinks hungrily from his bitter tea, trying to summon some genuine calm in place of the façade he currently holds. He is immediately interrupted by the buzz of the comm again.

Hux almost crushes the cup in his gloved hand with pure vexation. The comm was instead coming from the bridge, which means it has to be some lowly officer. Resisting the urge to throw the tea across the room and scream, Hux opens the comm and growls into it.

"What?!"

The responding voice is frantic, but almost excitable.

"Admiral, there's something you should see!"

Fear suddenly floods Hux. He had made several orders through his various lietanants to curate and conceal a number of fail-safe plans. This particular underling he'd tasked with a very important mission regarding his continued control of the Stormtroopers. Jeopardizing that outcome could spell complete disaster when he finally springs his trap on Kylo Ren.

"If I am about to hear a problem with the mission you have already reported to me as a success, know I will be very displeased."

"Absolutely not, Admiral. It's concerning the Resistance. We have a lead."

Glee floods Hux's tired brain as his lip curls into a boyish sneer.

"Come to my quarters at once, Lieutenant. Speak to no one. Stop for no one."

"Yes, Admiral!" And the commlink goes dead. In the privacy of his quarters, Hux clenches a gloved fist. Nothing will get in the way of establishing order to the galaxy, and the Resistance's luck has finally run out.

---

The descent to the Oracle is dark and unpleasant. A foul stench of rotting plant matter wafts up the tunnel that Kylo Ren, Ap'lek, Trudgen, Kuruk and Ushar now traverse. The smell reminds Ren of the rotting garden where he'd first met Snoke. He shakes his head slightly, trying to banish the memories his tangle with the labyrinth had reanimated. But he can't shake his suspicion of the Oracle, mystified as to why he had relieved trying moments in his life for her amusement. As if in answer to his skepticism, the words of the warped vision of Snoke rise to the surface of his mind.

'Kylo Ren' is not your creation, he is mine!

But Snoke was wrong. Kylo Ren is the name he'd chosen, abandoning the shackles of his old identity and reforging himself anew. There isn't any possibility Snoke had used him for his power, because he'd chosen to learn under him, to join the Knights of Ren. These were all things he had chosen.

Weren't they?

Ren's thoughts are interrupted as the descending tunnel ends, revealing a huge atrium. Ren halts, a few steps ahead of his warriors who stop too. The cave ceiling is high, and judging by their descent, directly underneath the labyrinth. Around the walls protrude pale roots, which secrete a slightly purple liquid into a deep pool which takes up most of the room. The surface of the water shimmers with the same mist that had surrounded Ren earlier, and he can sense the Oracle's presence as all five of them approach the bank of the lake. The bubbling liquid is oily and smells of rotting flesh. Trudgen shoulders his cleaver and kneels, unsheathing a vibrodagger and dipping it into the liquid. He brings it up to his helm for closer inspection. He let a drop fall onto the corner of his hide tabard, which immediately turns a toxic green colour and erodes away.

"It's poison, Master." Trudgen says in his gravelly tone. "More potent than I have ever seen."

As the most weapon-enthused member of the Knights of Ren, this says plenty. Ren does not know much of Trudgen's dead life before he remade himself among them, but whispers and jeers of the 'penny-mercenary' are common. Regardless, Ren wants his audience with the Oracle to be as uninterrupted and private as possible, so he takes advantage of Trudgen's fascination.

"Stay here and harvest as much as you can," he orders to all four of his followers. "We will make use of it in the future. I will converse with the Oracle."

Amongst the mist, Ren notices a broken stone walkway ending in a raised cliff facing out onto the bubbling pool. He climbs the mismatched steps, but Kuruk and Ap'lek motion to follow.

"Master, we-"

Ren holds up a hand to silence them, his orders clear. They both bow their heads, and rejoin Ushar and Trudgen in siphoning poison from the pool. Ren watches them go for just a moment before continuing into the mist. Their chatter falls away unnaturally as he ascends the stones, the mist parting before him almost welcomingly. Only the echo of his own footsteps can be heard as Ren reaches the peak. Then, the sound of a large mass wading through the lake greets him, growing louder as a large shape materialises through the mist.

The Oracle's appearance in the smoke and flame made her look more grandiose and elegant than the creature approaching Kylo Ren. The surface of the poison pool is breached by a large head, with red skin and pointed ears. Its short nose bob just above the bubbling liquid, it's eyes closed as if asleep. The rest of its body must be submerged, deep in the pool. Atop the head sits the Oracle. Her flat face, six arms, eight legs and pale wet skin remind Ren of a sea creature, a bottom dwelling crustacean that abandoned its shell long ago. Multiple folds of dark robes layer over her chest and arms, her legs ending in forked fingers that gripped the head she clings atop. A pair of spherical earrings dangle from her face, as pale as the staring eyes that now search the cloaked man before her. Her wrinkled mouth opens to reveal rows of thin teeth.

"Welcome, and congratulations for leaving my labyrinth traversed. I see you have changed since last we conversed."

Ren says nothing. He merely stares up at the creature now towering above him. She cocks her head, amused.

"It seems you resent the truth, why? It can be used to help, if you try."

She intertwines six of her long fingers, matching his defiant stare with her own curiosity. Ren bows his head finally.

"The future you saw, the prophecy. It's not what I want."

"The path of the war will change most radically. What issue do you take with the Knights of Ren dominating the galaxy?"

Ren looks sharply up at her. She isn't talking loud enough for his comrades to hear, but still, his heart beats fast. His manoeuvres counter to the Knights of Ren must not be revealed. Guilt and frustration tinge his words.

"The Knights of Ren wish to destroy, but I wish to rebuild. Nothing is more important."

"Nothing you say? Or is it nobody in the way?"

Ren stares in shock. He had been wrestling with this same question. If it comes down to holding his victory in one hand, and Rey in the other, which will he choose? Deep down, the truth is there. And the Oracle knows it too, but his path of realisation must be walked alone.

"Then speak your question, but be warned. Know that you will get this chance only once, so make sure your query is formed. And before you consider who, what, or when; remember the question and the asker are of equal importance, Master Ren."

The warrior who had entered the labyrinth was named Kylo Ren, but the man who stands before the Oracle now freezes at the name. He is not his Father's foolish son, but he is not Snoke's deluded apprentice either. So who asks the question? He does not know, but he wants to. Beyond that, there is something he yearns to know even more. He gazes into the Oracle's pale eyes and speaks in a mere whisper.

"How do I win the war?"

The Oracle's six arms open outwards, like petals on a flower, and she tilts her head back and stares, wide. Her mouth lulls open for a few moments, then she snaps her neck forward to peer down at Ren before her, her voice echoing loudly around the cavern as she speaks with an ethereal tone.

"The Prophecy I foretold is already in motion. The Temple has been found by the foe of the Knights of Ren, though unaware of this notion."

"The clash between the two factions will culminate the great war, during the coming attack by the Resistance upon Othkore."

"A pair with bonds sealed in blood will reforge a crystal in the molten heart of the Temple. They shall wield power beyond imagining, that will make the galaxy tremble."

"Continue down this path with vigour, and this is how Kylo Ren wins the war..."

Ushar, Ap'lek, Trudgen and Kuruk cheer behind Ren. It is clear that this new information is a near guarantee of their victory. But Ren's blood has turned cold, and his worst fears materialise as the Oracle finishes her answer to his question.

"...Hope will be killed, the Jedi slain, and the Resistance obliterated. This is the victory of Kylo Ren, against all those he once hated."

The Knights of Ren cheer even louder, like barking beasts. Ren grips his hands tight, helpless. The Oracle folds her large arms into her body, and bows her flat head.

"Our exchange is complete. I wish you wisdom in victory and defeat."

The creature she clings to reacts suddenly, moving through the bubbling poison of the pool to retreat. The Oracle is enveloped by the curious mist that permeates her home, and she is gone. Kylo Ren walks slowly back towards the edge of the pool, staring blankly ahead. His Knights greet him with mechanically voiced glee.

"Master, you heard her!" Yells Ap'lek excitedly. "The prophecy is already in motion, our victory draws near!"

"It is as you said Master," chimes in Kuruk. "You bent the prophecy to your will. Now, the Resistance will not stand a chance! All of your enemies will fall!"

Ren gazes down into the blank helmets of his four followers, shocked at how little they understand. Had they not guessed he means to betray them? No, they really believe that he came here to make sure the Resistance will not succeed, that he is content that 'Kylo Ren' will be complicit in killing the last Jedi. All the anger and frustration that once bubbled inside him at the Oracle's prophecy are no longer there. Instead, Ren's insides stir with dull realisation. All this time, even after his death, Snoke has manipulated him. He created the puppet 'Kylo Ren' to do his will, and his sculpting was so phenomenal that Ren himself had not seen his strings. He had thought it was his will, his dream to destroy the Jedi and the Resistance, that these things lead to the galaxy being rebuilt, a new order. It was the goal he'd worked towards for almost ten years. He'd given everything to Snoke, to the dark-side, for this one dream. Hadn't he?

"Yes," come his words, finally. "I have what I need. Prepare the ships."

The four warriors bow in salute and head for the cavern exit. Ren still stands near the raised walkway, surrounded by slowly bubbling liquid. The struggle within himself has only grown more rampant, two bodies of water crashing against each other with deafening force. He had believed he had forged his own path, and drawn confidence in knowing where he was heading towards, but now that assuredness and confidence are gone. And yet again, he feels so alone.

"Rey?"

He stares at his own warped and bubbling reflection, barely even able to look at himself, craving only the company of one other person. His lip trembles as he stares into his own face, knowing that nobody is there to help.

"Yes?"

But there she is. Soot clings to her face and discolours her undershirt and tunic, snowflakes stick to her hair. She stares up at him from the surface of the pool, which is suddenly calm. She searches for him with her eyes narrowed, as though he isn't clear to see.

"Ben?"

Ren chokes on his own breath, feeling as though he is suffocating under the weight of the ordeal he'd just experienced. He kneels by the edge of the pool and looks into Rey's eyes. She gets a sense of how he is feeling just from this movement. Her eyes widen in concern.

"Did you ask your question for yourself?"

Ren doesn't know if he has or not. Rey concedes the question and moves on, still anxious for Ben.

"Did you get what you wanted?"

The shock seems to swell inside him, and he can't answer.

"Ben?"

With a huge effort, he forms the truth and pushes it out into the world.

"No. I couldn't change the prophecy."

Now shock dawns upon Rey's face, and the two simply stare at each other, speechless.

---

Rey stands by the edge of a frozen stream. In the opaque surface of the ice, she gazes into the face of Ben Solo, through the Force, and finds him changed. He has seen a truth, some revelation that has rocked him to his core. Of all her other feelings that rise when thinking of him, a new one emerges; pride. Though he has failed to alter the prophecy, he has faced a horrible fact about himself, and is better for it, though he may not realise it yet. As Ben disappears from her view, Rey clenches her bruised hands into fists. She will not allow the prophecy to pass. Rey stubbornly resolves to do anything she can, summon the Oracle herself, face her own truth if she must, but she will stop that prophecy. She is sure of it. And she knows exactly who to ask.

Rey retreats up the frozen bank and approaches the crowd amassing outside the Final Order prison on the frozen outskirts of Calrim City. Where the prison once held the city citizens against their will, the surrendered Stormtroopers now sit behind bars and ray shields, without their armour, helmets, and weapons. In the cell right at the end lies Captain Garan, still out cold from the stun blast he'd taken not hours before.

In the main control room, Chewie and Rose work at a communications console next to a stack of Stormtrooper armour. Rose's keen understanding of slicing means she is now maintaining a steady flow of outgoing reports. This will place any orbiting Final Order vessel or intrusive officer under the impression Tyjimi is still being maintained by a healthy Stormtrooper occupation. Chewie finishes off the final touches on the broadcast, and Rose signals to Rey the all clear with a thumbs up. Rey then continues her advance into the prison and comes to the final cell, which Lando had once occupied. Now it houses Cardo and Vicrul. They've been stripped of their weapons and padded armour, only their black tunics and helmets remain. Their headgear was created so as to not be removed, and Vicrul's locked up when Rey had tried to prize it from his head - now permanently backwards and with a fresh dent atop it. Rey can't help but enjoy their defeat, but gets straight to the point.

"How did you summon the Oracle?"

The two warriors are positioned cross-legged and back to back upon the stone floor. Their wrists are bound together by a set of strong quadbinders. Vicrul turns his head to look in her direction, scoffing. Rey persists.

"You ignored your orders to find the Temple and instead, hunted me down." Inquirers the young Jedi. "Why?"

Continued silence. Rey decides to poke their pride.

"Deception is necessary to hunting but you've been boldly truthful before, Vicrul. Why stop now?"

Cardo turns his helmeted head to look at Rey.

"We have embraced the truth, and our true selves. This is something you would not understand, pretender."

Rey drops to the ground, sitting cross-legged before the two prisoners.

"Maybe I want to understand?"

She teeters on her next point, stretching out with the Force and baring her feelings to them.

"Maybe we're not so different. Maybe we can learn from each other?"

Vicrul lifts his chin from pointing at the floor just slightly, sizing Rey up. He has no reason to hide, and refuses to do so, as is his way.

"We were outcasts in a system far from here. We embraced the Ren, and discarded our old skins and names to become our true selves."

Cardo listens, then continues Vicrul's words.

"This face I created myself. It is mine, it is 'Cardo'."

The similarities between them complicate Rey's feelings. On the one hand, she needs information they shield from her. On the other, she sits across from two people who've been abandoned by the galaxy, and have forged their own identity regardless. She can't help but feel an eerie kinship with her fellow nobodies.

"How do you embrace your true self?" She asks, genuinely curious. Cardo hesitates, skeptical of her curiosity, but Vicrul senses her openness.

"You embrace the truth you hide. For us? We were dead men walking."

"And then?" Rey feels genuine excitement flood her. But Vicrul is wiser to her manipulations.

"Then you must show your commitment to the hunt, to your new purpose as a Knight of Ren. You must kill a Jedi, and your transformation is complete. We killed apprentices at the burning temple, as did our Master. And he is prophesied to kill you."

Rey jerks backwards in shock, and Vicrul leers menacingly.

"There is no escaping your fate, nobody."

He spits the last word at her like an inescapable insult. Rey's breath is sharp, then her trained reactions kick in. She stretches out a hand; and through the Force she applies pressure to the fatigue beginning to fog the minds of her two prisoners. Almost instantly they drop into a deep dreamless sleep, but her efforts have proven fruitful. She can sense impressions upon the surface of their slumbering minds. The sound of Ap'lek's voice repeating an incantation swims to the surface of Cardo's mind. Rey doesn't fully understand the meaning, but is able to commit the sharp noises to memory. She stands and strides from the cell with clear purpose; she will stop the prophecy.

"Rey, wait up!"

The young Jedi turns to look upon the duo of Rose and Chewie, who greet her with a soft growl and a slight hug. Rey chuckles, squeezing Rose back.

"Are we expecting any Final Order backup?"

Rose shakes her head. "No one is going to be picking up our trail anytime soon, we've made sure of it."

Chewie places his large hairy hand on Rose's shoulder, and growls a short compliment. Rose blushes.

"Thanks Chewie. We should probably get to the square with the others."

Rey's excitement returns, remembering the solid win they'd just gained against the Final Order. More than that, she'd felt they were meant to be here and this only enhances their triumph. As they leave for the square, Rey's doubts subside momentarily as her confidence swells. She has protected the Resistance, and stopped two dark hunters in their tracks. For once, they are winning.

---

The mood in Calrim City's market square has changed drastically. Once a battlefield, now veteran pirates and Resistance soldiers alike work together to clear the debris of war. Poe is coordinating his forces from a large brass statue near the centre of the cobbled space, whilst Baron Calrissian tends to his consorts. Rose, having recovered mostly from her injuries, is teaching Jaytu how to administer aid to the Resistance and Guild wounded, whilst Finn gathers up arms and supplies from fallen and surrendered Stormtroopers. Every time he passes a fallen Stormtrooper, a needle of cold guilt pierces his heart, followed swiftly by a righteous fury. A hand appears on his shoulder.

"You did what you could, Finn."

He turns to grimace at Rey.

"I suppose you're going to tell me not to be angry?"

Rey frowns. "No, why?"

Finn deposits the dozen or so blaster rifles he carries into a crate and scratches at his hair.

"From the stories, I thought Jedi and emotions didn't mix?"

Rey piles the rifles she holds into the crate also and perches herself atop it, looking down at Finn. Her brow furrows as she interlocks her fingers. If her eyes weren't open, Finn would've thought she was meditating.

"I can't tell you the way the Jedi were, but I can tell you what I know. To cut yourself off from your feelings means you become cold, blind, apathetic." She thought of the shell of a man she'd met on Ahch-To over a year ago, wracked with grief and despair.

"But, allowing your feelings to burst forth unchecked means destruction, not just around you, but yourself." She thought of Ben, the blind look of pleading as he stands amongst flames, offering Rey the chance to burn the galaxy to the ground. Pity for him fills her, and she closes her eyes and just breathes.

"But, your feelings can be a guide. You can reach out with them and experience the world around you. Your successes can light the way, and your failures can teach you a better path. Let your feelings guide you, know them. That is balance. That is the Force. I'm also angered by the injustices of the Final Order, and we can do something about it. No, we should."

Rey opens her eyes and looks down at Finn, who stares back in awe.

"You really are a Jedi, aren't you?"

Rey's laugh is deep and genuine. "I'm sure you'll make a great Jedi too, Finn. You've already saved hundreds of those conscripted into this war. Whatever happens, I've got your back."

Rey offers a hand, which Finn takes once again. The two friends look at each other with genuine love and appreciation.

"Thanks," he responds, a little choked up.

BB-8 whistles for attention nearby, and they both look up. With most of the repairs and resupplying completed, members of both factions now gather around the statue where Poe bobs above the crowd of four-hundred.

"Gentlebeings, the Resistance and I wish to thank-you for your hand in the defeat of the Final Order! Now you are free from Stormtroopers!"

A mingled cheer of Resistance soldiers and roars from the various Guild members sounds around the square. Rey and Finn approached the statue, getting a better view of Poe. He continued, his voice deep and genuine.

"The battle may be won, but the war is far from over. Many of you know of the sacrifice of Admiral Holdo and Master Luke Skwalker, who dealt the Final Order a devastating blow and saved us. Now, that sacrifice is threatened! The enemy are amassing a fleet of Star Destroyers for a single purpose; our destruction. We need to locate and hit their base, with as much firepower as we can muster, before they regain naval supremacy, and to that end we need your help."

Poe clenches one of his gloved hands as he looks at the faces before him. "This is our most desperate hour, but with you as allies, we will win this war once and for all!"

It is a fantastic speech, Finn thought. But apparently, not good enough. The groups of veteran Guild members gathered around shift uncomfortably. The large Gigoran named Jnngen grumbles something Finn can't understand, and a murmur of agreement from her veteran pirates and scoundrels gathered. Hurt spreads across Poe's face.

"What do you mean, you 'can't'?"

A tall man standing next to Finn answers.

"General, this city was a haven away from the Final Order," says Lando with grave sincerity. "Most of us have been lucky to make it this far."

"The Baron is right!" Adds a tall bounty hunter, his face obscured but for his monstrously sharp teeth. "We've lost too many. We came to this place to stop fighting, and even then they found us!"

"Then help us!"

Finn breaks ranks with the crowd, stepping forward to stand next to Poe.

"We're trying to win this war! The Final Order is conscripting and training children to fight their battles, and they'll have the strength to wipe us out in a matter of days, and your response is to run and hide?!"

Silence falls upon all those present. Lando stares at Finn with new understanding, his hands shaking as he held himself up on a metal cane, but his various consorts stare down at Finn with faces of stone.

"Many of us are veterans of the Galactic Civil War, and have lost family members to both the old Empire and this one." The sharp-toothed bounty hunter continues. "We've got nothing left to fight for. We're content with just surviving the rest of our days away from this." He gestures a hand at the still smoking buildings and blaster-scorched square. "We've seen enough of war."

Finn breathes heavily, his eyes wide in anger. Rey joins his side, and her cheeks are flush with frustration too as she rounds on the Guild members present.

"An attack on us is an attack on Resistance anywhere. If you think the Final Order will just leave you alone once they've dealt with us, you're more naïve than I ever was."

The bounty hunter's mouth twitches as he leers down at Rey and Finn.

"And just who are you?"

Rey stares defiantly back at him.

"I'm Rey, a Jedi, and I'll stand with the Resistance because it's right, and for no other reason."

The Jedi and the bounty hunter glare at each other for a few seconds, then he turns.

"Well Jedi, may the Force be with you. The Resistance is going to need it."

He shoulders his large blaster rifle and pushes through the crowd. Many of his fellow Guild veterans turned to follow.

"How can you do this!" Shouts Rose at their backs. "Without us, you'd still be locked in cages!"

"Without you, the Stormtroopers wouldn't have come to our city looking for trouble in the first place!" The toothed bounty hunter's voice is deadpan and final.

Chewie growls mournfully, matched only by depressed whistles of BB-8 and R2. Poe has finally had enough, glaring at the sight of their retreating allies.

"Those cowards," he seethes. "How can they-?"

But Leia raises a ringed hand to silence him. "I'm sorry Poe, but those who have lost their faith will not be swayed by us, however righteous our intentions."

Poe looks at her and allows a business-like calm to spread over his anguished face. He nods in acknowledgment, but curses under his breath before addressing the crowd of dwindling Resistance soldiers before him.

"Alright, companies form up. Take any supplies you can carry and start heading back to base."

The mood of the soldiers surrounding Poe has plummeted so far in the last half an hour, that even their response to commands is sluggish. "Come on let's get moving, we'll find no help from these people."

Finn summons the courage to keep going, slinging a fair few blaster rifles over his shoulder. When he looks up, Poe stands before him with a cold expression.

"Don't worry Poe, I'm sure we'll-" Finn begins, but Poe lifts a hand to silence him. He affixes Finn with a warning look.

"Can I trust you'll follow my orders?"

Finn's sympathy turns to shock. Is Poe really doing this now? "Uh-yes, of course. General."

"Good," responds Poe in his business-like tone. "The Resistance certainly can't afford insubordination with the odds we're facing now."

Finn's shock is overthrown by a sudden fury. Is Poe seriously implying that saving those Stormtroopers lives was 'insubordination'? Finn jabs a finger into Poe's chest.

"I won't apologise for remembering who the real enemy is, Poe."

Poe's face suddenly flushed bright red, and he shoves Finn's hand away.

"What are you-!"

But, before he can finish, a pair of hands comes between them and pushes them back.

"Really?" Says Rey, looking at Poe incredulously. "Is now the time?"

Poe looks from Rey to Finn, and makes his decision. He retreats, shouldering several medpacks.

"You have your orders."

He turns with a snap and joins the procession now beginning the long hike back to their base.

Finn looks as though he is ready to hit Poe. Rey holds him steady, knowing why her friend is more worked than usual, even if he hadn't quite figured it out yet.

"He'll come round," she whispers hopefully. "Plus, there's something you should hear."

Finn turns curiously to see Jaytu and Rose, standing side by side behind them. Rose tugs Jaytu forwards with glee.

"She saved me!" Rose squealed. "I was as good as blasted when she ran in and saved me!"

Jaytu's eyes widen with shock as Finn, Rey, and Rose beam at her. She can't string two words together before Finn has pulled her into a hug. She doesn't know it, but this small act of courage is exactly the balm Finn needed. He pulls away.

"Thanks, Jaytu."

Her eyes darted between them, embarrassed. "It's fine, you know. I said I'm with you now, so." She clears her throat. "It's expected."

Finn thumps her on the shoulder in thanks, and the four of them shoulder bags of supplies and scavenged weapons, joining the stragglers at the back of the group. Rey nudges Jaytu and passes her a small blaster pistol.

"Probably more reliable than a shock prod," she says matter-of-factly.

Jaytu takes the weapon in uneasy fingers.

"What I did wasn't really 'brave', I'm sure you guys would have done the same."

"Oh no, it was brave alright," comes a deep, charismatic voice from behind them. "You've got more guts than you know."

The four of them turn to look upon Baron Lando Calrissian, flanked by two tall and ferocious looking gunmen. Finn looks from one to the other, who both bare their golden teeth. Lando notices, and chuckles.

"Lo and Le don't speak much, but I assure you they mean you no harm." He pats Lo's large shoulder. "In fact, quite the opposite. May I speak with you, Commander Finn?"

He offers his arm which Finn takes. They step graciously to one side whilst their companions mingle. Rey's smile warmly as she offers a hand of greeting, and one of the tall twin aliens takes it, flashing a sharp toothed grimace back at the young Jedi. Once just out of earshot, Lando turns and looks Finn up and down. He grins broadly.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Finn. I'd heard rumours of the man who abandoned the First Order, who fought so passionately at the Battle of Crait, and who now stands against throwing away the lives of the conscripted for tactical advantage."

Finn's eyes bulge as he shakes his head in embarrassment.

"No! No, General, it's my pleasure! You flew in the Battle of Endor, you led the attack that destroyed the second Death Star!"

Lando chuckles, waving this praise away as though it were the activities of an average afternoon.

"Please, I'm no General anymore, and it was the Rebellion's unity that day that won us victory, not an old pirate in a borrowed ship."

Finn prepares his argument but Lando continues to wave his words aside. "What I'd like to talk to you about is your proposition."

Finn's excitement turns to dread, reminded of the angry outburst he'd loosened on Lando and his allies earlier. "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that."

Lando's relaxed features suddenly turn serious, and he firmly places his free hand on Finn's shoulder. "Never do that. Never apologize for being angry at the right people, or for making others uncomfortable by saying so."

Finn is stunned, and stares into Lando's eyes with rapt attention.

"What you said and what you did for those Stormtroopers was unlike anything I've ever experienced," the Baron continued. "You'd seen through the war, of the Generals and Admirals, and seen those who were actually suffering, and you stuck up for them."

Lando suddenly breaks his gaze with Finn, a hint of shame tingeing his warm features.

"Some of us tried to work around oppression. Integrate, even work with those who threaten us. But it was all an illusion. I was older and far more advantaged than you when I stood against imperial power, and before then I had sided with the enemy many times."

He shakes his head. "I fear I could have done more, so that you and your brothers and sisters would not have been..."

He pauses but summons the courage to call it what it was.

"...conscripted into war."

There is a moment where they simply look at each other, the truth of this great injustice hanging in the air. Lando places both hands on his cane and straightens his back.

"Commander, I'd like to pledge the allegiance of Lo, Le, and myself to your cause."

Finn stares, breathless. "You'll join the Resistance?" he says, incredulously.

Lando shakes his head once again.

"You're not listening, Finn. My friends, our ship - the Lady Luck - and I will be at your service. I will do what I can to help in your altruistic endeavours."

A grin spreads across Finn's face, sheer joy and gratitude overcoming him. He pulls Lando into a hug, who laughs heartily as he reciprocates.

"I'm sure a couple of tired old gunslingers aren't much, but we'll do what we can!"

"No, it's more than enough!" Says Finn triumphantly. His mind lingers on Jaytu, and all that Lando has said. "In fact, it's given me an idea."

Finn swings the blasters he is carrying over his back and makes his way in the opposite direction of the retreating Resistance troops. He beckons to his friends, who all join him. Lando and the twin bounty hunters watch in confusion as Finn, Rey, Rose, and Jaytu head in the direction of the prison.

"Where are you going Commander?" Inquires Lando.

Finn waves back, his grin still plastered across his face.

"To do what I can," he says triumphantly.

---

"Talon, do you read?"

The Knights of Ren are back aboard their beloved vessel, the Night Buzzard. Kuruk zips through pre-flight checks in the cockpit, whilst Ap'lek continues attempting to hail his comrades across the stars. He impatiently repeats his transmitted message.

"Night Buzzard to Talon. Vicrul? Cardo? Do you read? The Temple has been found by the Jedi, by the Resistance! Find and secure it as soon as possible, find the cracked crystal, find the molten heart of the Temple!"

Ap'lek checks his master is out of earshot before continuing in a slightly hushed tone.

"Seal your bond in blood and bring us victory, do not hesitate. If you can, fulfil the prophecy for all of us."

Ap'lek quickly halts the transmission as Kylo Ren enters the ship. Ren approaches the larger holotable behind the captain's chair, and engages a channel to Othkore. A blue holoimage of General Engell appears, her uniform sharp and her lips pursed. She bows her head respectfully.

"Supreme Leader."

"Engell," greets Ren. "What news of the Resistance?"

General Engell looks around as Trudgen, Ushar, Kuruk and Ap'lek now gather behind Ren to listen as well. Engell, though a woman of both acute scrutiny and resolute integrity, can't help but feel uneasy in their presence.

"Yes, S-Supreme Leader. Admiral Hux led the Finalizer to the Brentaal System, but was incapable of preventing the Resistance from making their escape. He is currently scouring our collective intel to discover a lead on their next location, and has ordered his crew to work overtime until otherwise."

She pauses, knowing her next words mean the death of Hux. But she values her own life more.

"He currently has no leads, Supreme Leader."

Kuruk and Ushar share a dark cackle. All five of them know that Vicrul, with his superior hunting abilities, has tracked down the Jedi and the Resistance in less than twelve hours. All five enjoy the mental image of Hux ripping clumps of hair from his scalp as he attempts to sift through several databanks worth of tips and false sightings that will never lead to the Resistance. Hux has handled the Resistance almost exactly as Ren had predicted. And now, he will suffer the consequences of failure.

"Thank-you, General. Admiral Hux has failed me for the last time. We will proceed as planned."

"As you wish, Supreme Leader." Engell bows her head once more before disappearing. The silence that follows is filled, instantly, by the roars and jeers of the Knights of Ren.

"The white-caped fool!" Sneers Trudgen. "Even with all that firepower, he couldn't even blast a dozen ships away."

The other three knights jeer at Hux's expense. Ren, standing just apart from them, simply stares at the spot where Engell had been. He isn't smiling.

"He's a useless pawn," offers Ap'lek. "He is no wiser to the location of the Resistance than he is their planned ambush on Othkore. Soon it will not matter as all the enemies of Kylo Ren will fall!"

The four brothers of the Ren cheer darkly, but the man named Kylo Ren tenses, his gloved hands curling into fists as he stands with his back to them. What had the Oracle said? 'The Jedi slain, the Resistance obliterated, this is the victory of Kylo Ren, against all those he once hated'? If this is true, then why does he feel like he is surrounded by enemies? Fresh blood wets his glove once again as the cut on his hand opens. He turns to the four men he'd once called followers.

"Make the necessary preparations. We head for the Finalizer in an hour, to finally rid the Final Order of Hux and his incompetence."

He pauses, hesitating on his next words. "Then we will begin the trials."

The Knights bow their helmeted heads solemnly and go to work, completing the pre-flight checks and preparing their weapons for a presumed fight with Hux. The majority, like Ushar and Trudgen, believe there will be no fight, more of a massacre when they board the Finalizer. Ap'lek thumbs his axe affectionately, hoping he will have the pleasure of being the pale Admiral's executioner.

But Kylo Ren remains still. The huge waves of conflict crash against his insides without mercy, and he is surprised his followers cannot sense it. He feels as though he is standing on a precipice, teetering on a tall wall, ready to fall either way. He clutches at his chest with his bleeding gloved hand, struggling to breath. His eyes dart around sharply. None of his four Knights have noticed. With a great effort, he strides from the cockpit area, through the immolation room, and out the docking ramp into the rancid air of Bogar Prax. His own shuttle is parked close and, away from the judgmental gaze of his enemies, he dashes towards the winged ship, desperate for solitude.

Ren stomps aboard the ship and is immediately accosted by FA-17. The pilot droid asks for orders diligently but Ren is sweating, the howling crash of emotions building into a storm inside him. He stumbles past the droid and makes it to his large personal quarters. The door snaps shut behind him and he is finally alone, but for the red glow of the wall lights. Holding out until the last second, Ren gasps for air as he collapses to the floor.

His gloved hand reaches up, grasping the plinth in the centre of the room to pull himself up. Ren has managed to fight it for so long but now he is being torn apart. He looks into the hollow, blank eyes of the charred helmet of Vader. Torrents of memories swirl in his head like a violent sea. Snoke whispering to him through the Force. His Father's hand on his face. His beloved Uncle Luke brandishing a lightsaber at him. His beloved Uncle Luke telling him softly that he'll always be with him. Snoke's cold gaze invading his mind. His mother's look of warmth, her eyes filled with tears.

He opens his mouth to scream at the unbearable pain, and the cry of a wounded animal escapes his chest. He focuses on the helmet before him, trying to banish the storm to no avail.

"Grandfather," he pleads. "Show me, help me, please."

But there's now answer. The wounded animal's roar fills the room, and the helmet is thrown into the far wall by Ren. He clutches his head, feeling as though it might split open, when a sudden orange light fills the room. The helmet he'd thrown has split down the middle, engulfed in flames. Ren stares in shock as the sparks and smoke swirl unnaturally, twisting to shape the form of a tall cloaked man. He is at least fifty, and wears the folded robe, belt, and tunic of a Jedi. Ren gazes into the man's face. A neat crop of short black hair dusted with silver, thick eyebrows and large dark blue eyes. Ren gets to his feet, in awe of the apparition. He has never seen him before, but knows who he is.

"Vader."

The man's eyes narrowed.

"No. That is not my name." The man's voice is low and soft, but commanding.

Ren gulps, saying the name for the first time. "Anakin."

To his surprise, the spectre of the man seems to relax. He smiles wide.

"That's right. And you are Ben."

Ren breathes in sharply. It isn't a question. Anakin watches his reaction attentively.

"So tell me Ben, why am I here?"

Anakin approaches the plinth, and Ren instinctively backs away. He is sweating, scarcely able to believe his eyes.

"I-I brought you here?" Ren asks.

"In a manner of speaking," replies Anakin, softly. "Though it is not your power, you understand that don't you?"

Ren's jaw clenches, and Anakin looks almost amused. "Ah, so you do understand. That is why I am here, isn't it? You finally understand the truth."

"What truth?"

Anakin looks upon his grandson with a remorseful smile.

"The truth of the 'Ren', the 'Dark-Side', the 'shadow'. You have given all you have to it, to your power, to your master, yet still it takes. I was far older than you when I realised that it never gives, it only ever takes."

Ren stares in complete disbelief. Not Snoke, nor the Knights, or anybody has ever spoken of the Force to him as Anakin now does. Ren barely dares to breath as he hangs on every word. Anakin averts his gaze for just a moment, staring at something Ren cannot see.

"It was never the answer, and I learned that too late. My wife was right all along."

He gazes knowingly at Ren now. "As was the one who saved me. My son."

As the second figure forms next to Anakin, fear grips Ren's insides. He looks into the bright blue eyes of his Uncle, grappling with the urge to run, to lash out. Luke simply smiles at him.

"I'm sorry you're hurting Ben." He sighs. "I'm sorry for everything."

Ren teeters before the two spectres, barely able to comprehend what he is seeing. It is at this point he realises that the storm inside him has receded. Anakin places a hand proudly on Luke's shoulder, and Luke straightens slightly, as though readying himself.

"I'm here to ask forgiveness, Ben."

Ren has never seen his Uncle so solemn, staring down at the floor.

"My failure was believing your choice was made." He looks with great effort into his nephew's eyes. "It wasn't."

Ren is trying to take in these words when both Jedi begin to fade. Tears sparkled in Luke's eyes as the ash swirls.

"And it still isn't, not yet."

The ash cloud dissipates, and the Skywalkers are gone. The bludgeoned mask of Vader glows like hot coals for just a moment, then the room is still. Ren is alone. He braces for the return of the storm, of the pain. But none came.

---

"Is everything alright, Commander?"

Finn, Rey, Rose, and Jaytu have reached the prison. The four vanguards left to secure the dark metal complex were packing their blasters and supplies when the four companions approached. Finn nods in response to the vanguard's query.

"Nothing to worry about Lieutenant, carry on with the evacuation."

The vanguard shrugs and takes one last look at the prison. "No point wasting your time on them, sir. The Final Order will pick them up in a few days at the most."

Finn acknowledges this with a salute, and the vanguards make their way into the city, only just won back by the Resistance. Finn approaches the thick double doors, which swing open as Rose enters a code.

"How are you going to do this?" Asks Rey, more curious than intrusive. Finn flashes her his trademark grin.

"I've been watching you, haven't I?" He bops her affectionately on the arm. "And there is something we can do about the Final Order."

Rey isn't sure what he means, but trusts him. She feels a swell of genuine pride at his words, which fight against the nagging doubt that has been resting on her shoulders since the Guild's rejection of their call to arms. Maybe she is making a difference. Maybe, she can succeed.

As Rose and Jaytu check on the communications terminal, Rey retraces he steps to the largest cell, set aside from the rest. She approaches slowly and looks upon the forms of both Vicrul and Cardo, still bound to each other and still unconscious from her machinations. Satisfied, she turners to return to her friends. Which she misses however, is the blinking light inside both helmets, alerting the wearer of a coded message it has received. She also doesn't sense that both warriors are only feigning sleep.

Finn stands before the cell that now holds Captain Garan, who stirs. His chest stings from the stun blast, and he chooses to throw that frustration at the man looking down upon him now.

"Ah, the traitor," he spits. "Come to bargain have you?"

Finn stares, disgust and pity filling him. Garan smirkes.

"Officially you're dead, but the Officer who brings you in will be rewarded with a seat amongst Senior Command." A high chuckle escapes his lips. "Orders from Admiral Hux himself."

At the mention of Hux's name Finn has officially heard enough. He moves to the terminal without acknowledging Garan. The Captain's eyes widen.

"Wait! Wait, no, I can give you credits, anything I have if you just let me-"

A second ray shield appears before Garan's cell, immediately silencing him. Finn runs his fingers over a series of other buttons, and the cells behind him light up one by one. The unarmoured Stormtroopers occupying them look confused as the ray shields disappear, leaving only the physical metal bars. Some get to their feet and peer from between them. They can see and hear Finn at the far end of the narrow corridor, though he's deep in thought. He is having trouble choosing his words. Rose and Jaytu watch him intently, unsure of his motives here. Rey is sure, but still she wishes him luck. Finn approaches the cells, his audience of Stormtroopers watching intently as his footsteps permeate the quiet. He stops in the middle of the corridor and clears his throat.

"Captain Garan has just tried to offer me wealth and power for a quick release, but I'm not here for him. I'm here for you."

He indicates around to his audience.

"You see, the Captain here had a choice. He chose to join the Final Order. But we… we never had that privilege. We, all of us, were taken from families we've never known. Trained. No, reconditioned."

He pauses.

"No, let's call it what it is, torture." Anger rumbles in his voice, and his hands curl into fists.

"We were tortured into following orders. We had a number, and our corps, and that's it. That's us."

Finn lifts his eyes from the ground and instead, looks into the faces of the prisoners. "But not anymore. The Final Order makes your choices for you but, here, away from them, it's in your hands. Before she died, Phasma said that I was a 'bug in the system', well, I say she's wrong!"

His voice is rising now, filled with justified outrage.

"I offer you your first choice now. Once we leave this planet, you'll be released. You can go back to your barracks on your Star Destroyer if you wish, or you can leave this place behind and try your luck in the galaxy alone. Or, you can come with us, the Resistance, and make sure the Final Order will never recondition anyone. Never again."

He softens his tone. "The choice is yours. What'll it be?"

An uncomfortable silence follows. Many of the Stormtroopers look at one another in disbelief, or stare at Finn in apprehension or suspicion. A voice from a far cell pipes up.

"Are you the FN-2187?"

The head of a Stormtrooper no older than nineteen strains to look at Finn, but before he can answer, Jaytu is at his side.

"Yes he is, he took out Phasma."

She perches awkwardly next to Finn, who nods at her thankfully.

"Finn is a man of his word," Jaytu continues. "The Resistance will protect us."

Finn approaches the curious prisoner. "What's your name?"

The young Stormtrooper looks perplexed. "HF-3311, but..." Her head sinks. "I don't want to fight anymore."

Finn smiles wide, and takes her bound hands in his own. "There are alternatives to fighting. There's always other ways of beating the Final Order. We need everyone from pilots to cooks."

"I can still fight!" Says a voice from behind Finn. "And I don't want no Reconditioning anymore."

"Hux said you were dead!" Joins another. Before long, a dozen voices add to the din in agreement. Finn flexes his perception into the Force, and can feel elation, relief, and retribution brewing in the hearts of all who are speaking up. Finn is overcome with joy. A small victory, but a major one.

The four companions weave up and down the corridors, opening cell doors and releasing binders. Though she trusts Finn, Rey's overprotective nature means she is sensing the new recruits as they follow, one by one, out of the prison and into the evening air of Tyjimi. She can sense no insidious or animosity towards them, though plenty for the Final Order. Finn collects a series of crates with weapons in them, moving outside and placing them aboard an abandoned trooper transport near the back of the prison. He beckons his friends and new allies towards it.

"Not like they'll need this!"

Rose scrutinizes some of the crates, noticing some store Stormtrooper armour inside.

"What do you need these for?"

Finn was shaking the hands of the twelve new recruits when he looks over at Rose.

"As I said, alternatives to fighting."

As everybody climbs aboard and straps themselves in, Finn is about ready to court his small success against the Final Order when he notices someone is missing.

"Where's Rey?"

The young Jedi had split off from the group as she'd noticed something. As she reached out through the Force to sense their new allies, she'd disregarded the absence of Cardo and Vicrul as either distance or unconsciousness. But, even those asleep or unconscious can be sensed through the Force. An uneasiness had gripped Rey and she'd dashed to the reverse side of the prison, where her suspicions were confirmed. One of the duresteel plates that secured the prison has been melted away, and she is reminded of the smoking metal of the AT-ST leg from earlier. Two sets of hurried footsteps lead away into the cover of the pine forest. Rey grits her teeth. How had she been so careless?

"What's going on?"

Finn rounds the corner and look from Rey to the metal hole. Rey can't hide her shame and panic as she gazes back.

"The Knights of Ren, they've escaped!"

---

The interior corridors of the Millennium Falcon have seen better days. Slush has been walked in from the Tyjimi surface, the walls of the access tunnels have begun to visibly wear away, and a suspicious gap in the ceiling sparks occasionally. However, it has also never been so full of life. Tiny families of porgs have made all the nooks and crannies of the old freighter their home, some brave enough to venture out of the boarding ramp and investigate the ancient temple walls around them.

The Resistance return to their temporary base, and busy themselves storing gained supplies and counting losses. Leia Organa is careful to steal a few moments away from the bustle, aboard the ship she shares so many memories with. Only 3PO and R2 keep her company, whilst Chewie attends to the rigorous daily maintenance on his beloved ship. Leia is taking the weight off her feet in the Captain's quarters when she hears the footsteps of an uninvited, but welcome guest.

"Well, she's looked worse."

Leia hurries to the common area where she finds Lando struggling to fight off a hug from Chewie, his feet kicking uselessly as he is held aloft. Chewie and Lando both roar with delight.

"Hahaha, it's wonderful to see you too Captain Chewbacca! Now put me down, I'm not as spry as I once was."

Chewbacca does so. As Lando dusts his luxurious coat collar, R2 bumps him on the leg excitedly. He strokes the astromech's domed head with gentlemanly affection.

"Who could forget you, old friend! Seen any fire fights recently?"

R2's whistled response is soon drowned by the pompous introductions of his golden partner, who approaches with open arms.

"Master Calrissian! What a pleasure!"

Lando's enjoyment of his reunion among friends sours visibly as he sets eyes on 3PO. Being a man of boundless charisma however, he maintains a polite smile.

"It's nice to see you too, 3PO," he says rather curtly before clearing his throat. "Now, I'm looking for-"

"Well well, what have we here?"

All four turn to look at Leia, leaning against the wall of the Falcon and enjoying the scene. Lando's calm elation returns, and Leia manages a short chuckle.

"I see you've come to your senses Lando."

Lando crosses the room, perusing an old cabinet set into the Falcon's wall.

"Can't keep a good gambler down, especially with such odds as yours."

The cabinet door yields a decorative blue bottle with some dark liquid inside. Chewie cocks his head in disbelief and Lando uncorks the bottle and inhales the aroma with relish. Leia is amused, but not naïve.

"Tell me what changed you mind."

Lando pours three glasses of the red liquid, offering one to Chewbacca. It appears as a crystal thimble in his large hairy hands. He offers the second glass to Leia, before giving it a cheeky clink with his own.

"Something about that young man struck a chord with me," Lando admits. He swirles his glass thoughtfully. Leia raises an eyebrow.

"You mean Poe?"

"Him too!" Lando raises a glass to the absent Commander and General. "You've certainly curated some bright stars to lead on, Princess."

Leia rolls her eyes at the old title but is flattered just the same. Lando takes a seat at the dejarik table, suddenly wearing a mask of seriousness. He raises his glass once more, this time solemn.

"And here's to Luke Skywalker, a finer man I've never met."

He takes a great gulp. Leia hesitates, before whispering the truth quietly to the room.

"My brother saved us all. Despite everything, he was there when we needed him most." She takes a gentle sip.

Chewie whines slightly as he too pours the crimson liquid into his mouth, drips trickling down his fur. R2 whistles earnestly, and 3PO places an arm of comfort around him. Lando sobers somewhat, choosing to change the subject to that of success.

"Heard about Snoke as well, that he met his end challenging a Jedi, that true?"

Leia's grim expression worsens. A mixture of desperation and longing stirs inside Leia. She settles on telling Lando the truth.

"Not quite. It was Ben."

This revelation taints even Lando's well-curated persona with genuine shock. He runs a hand through his stylish crop of curled hair.

"Karabast," he curses in disbelief. "He always did have a bold streak!"

His attempt at wit fails to sooth Leia's anxiety. Lanso places his glass on the game table and walks over to Leia, placing his hands on hers. Leia's eyes become glazed, watery, but they regain focus when met by Lando's intense gaze.

"Sounds to me like your son still lives, Leia."

Leia can't help but smile. "It's funny, that's what Luke said."

Lando smiles even wider, clasping Leia's hand tight.

"I believed it when I joined your Rebellion, I believed it when I saw young Finn fighting the good fight, and I believe it now. When he needs us, you just call."

Leia opens her mouth, either to spill her gratitude or explain to Lando the danger he faces if he joins her and Rey in their pledge, but she never gets the chance. A nearby explosion aggressively rocks the Falcon. 3PO exclaims as he almost topples over, and Lando's glass falls from the table and shatters on the metal grate floor. Lando himself steadies Leia and looks around at the source of the noise.

"What in Caraya's soul…?"

But Leia has regained her battle-readiness almost instantly as another explosion goes off. She charges forward towards the docking ramp, hand hovering over her blaster grip. "We're under attack!"

A fire rages outside the base, just beyond the lip of the temple cavern. The smoking remains of a Y-Wing starfighter is swarmed by Resistance soldiers, and a gaggle of pilots and technicians attempt to douse the fire now spreading across the cockpit of an X-Wing.

"Spread out! Find them!"

Poe's commanding tone penetrates the blaring of the warning siren as his Scouts investigate the edge of their encampment. The opening in the temple's side the Resistance use as a hangar open onto the rough rocky exterior of the mountainside, surrounded by pine forest. Upon closer inspection, the ancient temple isn't built into the mountainside, but buried by it. Poe shouts more orders when another explosion goes off behind him, a plume of orange smoke followed by the roar of flame. His ferocity increases when he notices what ship it was.

"Deck officers! Put those fires out now!"

Poe rowses two younger technicians, who rush forward to suffocate the flames spreading across the hull of his and Finn's U-Wing. Soldiers search the immediate area, behind crates, under sheets, beneath starfighters… but the culprit remains elusive. Another explosion goes off next to Poe and his mind finally clears.

"The detonations are delayed!" He yells. "Create a perimeter and spread out! Find them!"

The most recent explosion can be seen from the air as Finn, Rey, Jaytu, Rose, and their new recruits soar through the sky above the temple. Finn's eyes widen as he watches the flames through the pilot viewport. As a resistance commander, Finn's worries should be first and foremost with his comrades, his fellow soldiers. But he is also a man, and his first panicked thought concerns only one person.

"Poe…." he whispers.

The transport lands and the four friends and their new recruits charge into the chaos. A deep fear settles in Rey's stomach as she can sense the foul work of the Knights of Ren. Rose momentarily empathizes with their joiners, who gaze around at the trial-by-fire before them anxiously. Finn searches the crowd for Poe, but Rey's eyes meet that of Leia, accompanied by Chewie and Lando. Leia holds her blaster and a wary expression as she reaches for Rey. In the moment of silence before they reach each other, Rey's mind becomes passive, and her sense of the world around her deepens as she connects to the Force. It is then she notices a foreign object lodged underneath a starfighter's landing gear as Lando passes it. Recognising one of Cardo's bombs, Rey reactively reaches out through the Force and pulls Lando towards her as the spot behind him becomes engulfed in flame. Forced by the blast, Lando sprawls violently forward. Rey, managing to keep pace in the face of the blast, is first to his side.

"Rose, I need help!"

Whilst Finn, Chewie, and Leia just about gather what is happening, Rose barges past them, hand searching through her medic satchel for a medpac. She turns to the gaggle of recruits.

"Jaytu! Help me carry him inside!"

Lando moans as Rose and Rey turn him over, revealing a singed coat and the beginnings of a nasty burn. Rey instinctively moves to carry Lando inside but Rose holds her arm tight, fear fluttering her heart.

"They're still out there Rey," she says, trembling slightly. "Stop them."

Rey's instinct to help urges her to hug Rose, to tell her everything will be alright, but Rose is right. Rey nods as Rose and Jaytu shoulder Lando between them and guide him inside the hangar.

With no time to waste, Rey immediately takes off - her senses enveloping the world around her. She can feel the thirst for violence, like a foul stench left behind by a rabid beast. She follows the trail at speed as it dances between starships and finally, over towards the edge of their encampment and into the pillars of pine. Two bodies are being examined by soldiers as Finn hurries to join her.

"What do you see?"

But he can tell from her expression what she's found. Rey looks upon the two fallen soldiers, no older than nineteen. One has been felled by a bladed weapon, the other has suffered a stab wound. They had joined no less than six months before. Her hands shake with rage and guilt. She can't remember their names, but Finn can.

"Knocks and Meex," he says, his voice light with grief. He can sense her shame, her guilt. He knows much about guilt.

"Their lives aren't on you," he says firmly. "Are the hunters still here?"

Rey manages to brush aside her frustrations for now, wiping away the beginnings of angry tears. "No, they've fled into the mountain forest. I'm not sure where."

Finn calls over the team of Scouts before them, indicating to where Rey was looking.

"They headed that way. Proceed with caution, and report back."

"Yes Commander!"

Finn and Rey trudge back through the slush towards the base, when Finn spots something that both fills him with relief and dread. Poe Dameron, standing next to the Stormtrooper transport Finn had piloted into the base and staring at his twelve new recruits. As Finn approaches, they lock eyes. Finn is prepared for the argument, but the look of utter betrayal in Poe's eyes sends an unexpected icy spike through his heart.

"Poe, I-"

"What happened?" Poe is looking directly at Rey, more concerned with the matter at hand.

"Cardo and Vicrul escaped." Rey admits.

Her face is screwed up as she tries not to feel. "I'm sorry Poe, we contacted you as soon as we could."

Poe just shakes his head in disappointment. The forbidden sadness inside Rey stirs.

"Are they gone?"

"I can't sense them anymore, they must have fled." Rey's voice is small, apologetic.

Poe rubs his face with a gloved hand. He is so tired, and hurt. He rounds on Finn.

"I thought I specifically told you-" But Finn interrupts him.

"We need help in this fight, and these are the people we're fighting for!"

Finn's anxiety makes way for anger now. He positions himself between Poe and the recruits, looking up into his face with justified fury.

"They want to help and we are in no position to refuse!"

But Poe has reached his patience limit too, pointing a gloved finger down at Finn.

"We can't afford to waste time and lives on your naïve ideas of revolt, Finn! The Stormtroopers are the enemy, and we have to accept that if we are to win this war!"

The recruits behind Finn exchange hurt looks, and Rey can sense their distress. Finn can sense it too, and his fury bubbles into outrage.

"We can't win this war on our own, we can barely protect ourselves!" Finn rushes forward, he and Poe are millimeters apart. "Even if we blast every last Stormtrooper, then what? Our victory will be held up by the bodies of innocents. You really want that? Do you? General?"

Several Resistance soldiers are looking around at the source of the shouting now. Poe stares into Finn's furious face, breathing heavily.

"Stand down, Commander." Poe's voice rumbles with warning.

"Finn is right, Poe." Rey joins Finn's side. "They need our help, and we need theirs."

Deep down in Poe's mind, he knew she was right. He is beginning to see that they are outmatched, and not only is a call of unity to their enslaved foes the just course to ending this war, it is becoming more clear by the second it is the only course. Unfortunately, Poe has sacrificed too many lives to get them this far, and the weight of those sacrifices threatens to crush him if they don't win. And they must win. He turns his anguished gaze upon Rey.

"And how are we supposed to help them, Rey? You promised to protect us from the Knights, to stop their 'prophecy', but here we are!"

He waves a hand round at the several plumes of smoke still emanating from the hangar.

"We came here because 'the path to victory leads through Tyjimi', isn't that what you said?" P

oe opened his arms expectantly. "Where is it!?"

Words die in Rey's throat. She had been so sure that the shape of the future was right, that the defeat of the Final Order meant coming here, but now she doubts herself even more. She simply stares at Poe, without an answer. At that moment, she wishes she'd just stayed on Jakku and never troubled the Resistance with her presence. Poe turns back to Finn.

"You'll be responsible for these recruits. Anything they do will reflect-"

But Poe's attack on Rey has only stoked the flames of Finn's outrage further.

"You're damn right I'll be responsible."

He glares at Poe with aggressive resolve.

"And any good they do for the cause will only reflect the truth: the only way to truly defeat the Final Order is to end their oppression of ALL, not just some."

Finn pushes past Poe and guides his new recruits towards the temple hangar, but stops to deliver one final word.

"Some never got a chance to escape, to live free. Some were forced into battle, murdered. Like Slip."

The mention of the Stormtrooper he'd shot immediately freezes Poe with acute shock. Finn turns on his heel, unsure if he wants to look at Poe again. Finn's back vanishes into the crowd, as Poe regains his senses. He shots one last look at Rey before beginning the recall of his soldiers, and the evacuation.

And Rey is alone. The skeletal sadness grips her insides with cold hands and fresh strength. She ignores the sting at the corners of her eyes and looks up at the triangular shape of the ancient temple, wishing she knew why the Force had guided her here, wishing she had the strength to stop the prophecy, wishing desperately for help.

---

The large hangar of the Finalizer hasn't seen action for a week, since the battle over Brentaal IV. The guards, technicians, and pilots are astonished and panicked when they look up from their work to see the Supreme Leader's personal shuttle entering the ray-shield, unannounced. As the winged ship settles down, the infamous Night Buzzard just behind it, the scarlet armoured Stormtroopers form up hurriedly to flank the path of their leader. Their conditioning is potent, as Kylo Ren is greeted by a corridor of red soldiers as he descends his docking ramp.

Joined by his four followers, Ren makes his way through the gathered hundred soldiers and crew, but the surge of triumph it used to install in him is gone. The colour of the armour plates, of his saber, of the 'Final Order', was meant to signify the new galaxy he will rebuild from the flames of old. But after all he'd been confronted with; Snoke's hand in the creation of 'Kylo Ren', that 'Kylo Ren's' success meant complete destruction for the galaxy, and the words of his Uncle and Grandfather, a strange calm has taken hold inside Ren. He was so used to fighting inside and out that he remained confused by his newfound passivity. His lax outlook is not shared by his followers, however.

"Master!" Pants Ap'lek as he matches Ren's stride. "What is to be done about Hux?"

"He has made his legacy as a complete failure absolute," Ren replies softly. "Let us finish it."

Ap'lek nods in agreement. Ren's quiet tone seems to confuse Trudgen and Kuruk, who had only heard him communicate in silent gestures, grunts, shouts, or hissed commands. Ren's behavior only heightens Ushar's suspicion. His crude metal arm grinding against his warclub as they ascend the stairs and elevators towards the Finalizer's bridge. Admiral Hux will know they are on the ship by now, and Ren can't help but feel satisfied at being able to take away Hux's power, and imagines how he will plead and hide behind others he'd gotten to do his dirty work before. When they finally arrive at the bridge, the scene that greets them is rather different.

Forty Stormtroopers surround the outer walkway, blasters ready, but they are accompanied by several curious new additions. Ren has seen security droids and infiltration droids before, but not the giants that stand amongst the Stormtroopers, head and shoulders above them in height. They have small cylindrical heads, a gap in the middle bears several blinking photo-receptors. Large antenna protruded atop, and the head is perched on an obtuse torso with large square shoulders, elongated arms ending in pincers, and long thin legs. Each hold FMWB-10 heavy blaster in one hand, which speaks to their strength as a grown Stormtrooper can just about hold it in two. Their armour is painted scarlet to match their trooper allies, and their heads turn to watch Ren and his followers approach the central pathway. At the forward viewport gathers many of Hux's young trustees, including Lieutenant Quonit whose face is glazed in sweat. Facing away from Ren is Hux himself, gazing out of the window in his pristine white officer's uniform and cape. Ren exhales curtly.

"Are these new droids meant to intimidate me, Hux?"

Hux turns to meet Ren's gaze. He is as collected as ever, but Ren knows him well. The red marks around his eyes where he'd indulged in little sleep. The tension around his jawline, and in his gloved hands. Ren doesn't need the Force to know that Hux is scared for his life, and so he should be. He manages to keep the panic in his voice to a minimum.

"Not everything is about you, Supreme Leader."

Ren takes a step forward, curling his hands into fists beneath his long cape and gets straight to the point.

"Tell me Hux; How did you fail to capture the Resistance?"

Hux's micro reaction to Ren's advance is noticed by nobody other than his rival. Hux moves his hand slightly to draw closer to his blaster. The twenty officers, five lieutenants, forty Stormtroopers, five conformity droids and four Knights of Ren watch silently as the two powerful men size each other up. Hux considers his words carefully.

"The Resistance were deliberately diverted by my forces to-"

But Ren scoffs loudly. He lifts a hand almost lazily, and Hux's blaster pistol flies instantly from its holster into his hand. He tosses it into the well to his left where it bonks an unsuspecting officer on the head, who yelps. Ren advances towards Hux and his five lieutenants, the final blow on the tip of his tongue.

"Armitage Hux, I am relieving you of command. You will be executed, and your duties and charges reorganised."

Ren pushes the shaking lieutenants aside and seizes a fist full of Hux's pristine white uniform. He turns and throws Hux to the ground, his polished boots and scarlet lined cape splaying like an injured bird. Hux grunts in pain, blood spluttering from his nose. Ren turns his back on him, instead positioning himself before the central viewport and addressing his new personal army.

"Prepare the Finalizer for lightspeed, set a course of Othkore. We leave immediately."

In truth, for the first time in ten years Ren is unsure of the path ahead. The Oracle had given him certainties; the war will be decided upon the coming attack on Othkore, and that she will be there. Rey. He has only begun to unravel the answer behind this future the Oracle foresaw, that 'Kylo Ren' would bring destruction, but he knows who can help. Who has spoken the most sense since the Oracle had first appeared before him. He needs to get to Rey. It is the only thing he is sure of.

It is a moment or so before Ren realises his orders are not being met. The absence of 'Yes, Supreme Leader!' is telling. Cautiously, Ren turns. The Stormtroopers surrounding him seem to shudder, like branches in the wind. Their fingers grip their blaster rifles with unrelenting force, all forty barrels pointed at Ren. He looks around for an explanation, overlooking the smug expressions of the officers seated below them or the lieutenants now helping Hux to his feet. The Admiral stares unblinking at Ren, wiping blood from his nose with a handsome silk handkerchief. Ren can tell that he Hux is savouring his shock.

"The K-8IX Conformity Droids weren't the only trick up my sleeve, Supreme Leader." His words are dripping with repressed loathing, pulling back his white sleeve to reveal a blinking device attached to his wrist.

"Since I took over the Reconditioning Division from Phasma, I've made so many improvements, but the first was eliminating non-conformity completely."

Hux rises from the ground, proudly dusting his cloak. Ap'lek and Trudgen are only a few feet away, and move to lift their weapons aloft. A blaster bolt lands squarely before Ap'lek's outstretched boot, several Stormtroopers now shakily trailing their weapons on the dark warriors, but their movements are unnatural, tense. Ap'lek turns to them, livid.

"You heard your Supreme Leader!" He shouts at the Stormtroopers. "Arrest him!"

Hux chuckles darkly.

"What foolish brutes you all are. It was obvious you'd try to muscle your way into claiming my army, but there's something none of you understood. You have the power to control people, and you think me weak. But I am not weak. I am patient. And I will outlive you all, I have made sure of it."

He indicates to the device on his wrist. "The power to control one person is insignificant compared to controlling the greatest army the galaxy has ever seen. And this is my army, and there is nothing you or your blasted Force can do about that."

Ren looks from Hux to the shuddering, twitching Stormtroopers. The device is emitting some kind of audio frequency, and Ren remembers the cries through the Force from the Reconditioning Division on Othkore. Hux has found a way to sustain his troops fear through torture at the push of a button. With this sudden realisation, Ren realises the very future of the Final Order and the prophecy now hangs in the balance. He grits his teeth and throws caution to the wind.

"The Resistance are preparing to attack Othkore," he says, quickly. "The fate of the war depends on the outcome."

Hux's laugh is high and cruel.

"So desperate. How do you know this? Did the Force whisper this to you?"

He turns dramatically, his cape whipping around him as he surveys the four Knights of Ren standing frustratingly out of range.

"Or did one of your nameless delinquents divine it from some mossy runes?"

Hux's insults burn away at the little patience the Knights of Ren have. Ap'lek bares his teeth at Hux from beneath his mask. Trudgen bristles his muscles as he massages the hilt of his vibrocleaver. Kuruk trigger finger twitches uncontrollably, and the sound of groaning wood can be heard as Ushar's metal hand squeezes his warclub in rage. Hux apparently can't care less as he continues to address them.

"No, we will not be returning to Othkore, whose location is known by few aboard this ship. We will instead set a course for the Tyjimi system, where I have tracked the Resistance to. Or, more accurately, I have tracked your raggedy companions to."

Ren stares at Hux in utter shock. How did Hux know where Vicrul and Cardo had gone? Hux delights in Ren's indignation.

"I knew you'd use the best of your hunters to find you precious Rey. I knew she was the key to your demise, to your own blindness. You use each other but I hold true loyalty. My men will never betray me."

Ap'lek looks from his master to Hux in confusion. What does Hux mean 'used'? They didn't use each other, did they? Ushar hadn't wanted to hear the truth that Hux speaks, but he feels oddly satisfied. He has been right about Ren, all along.

But Kylo Ren himself pays no mind to the truth in Hux's insults, which will cost him later.

"No," he replies calmly. "All you have done is stretched fear to its breaking point."

Ren looks around at the Stormtroopers trained on him, shaking as they hold their blasters aloft. "I was wrong, Hux. This will be your legacy, your final failure."

Hux admits to himself that he'd hoped for more tantrums, more rage. But Kylo Ren is strangely calm, and it unnerves Hux.

"It's Grand Admiral now, Ren."

And with an indication to fire, Hux ends the rivalry between the two for them once and for all.

But Kylo Ren is not a man easily killed. The room erupts into a barrage of blaster fire. The Knights of Ren turn to run, and Kuruk is faster than these young troopers. With a flick of his fingers, his custom rifle blasts several jerking Stormtroopers away from the exit. Kylo Ren commands the Force with clear purpose. A dozen blaster bolts freeze in mid air before him, and he wastes no time. Darting under the hovering energy needles, drawing his saber hilt and igniting the crackling blade, intending to spear Hux through the chest. The lightsaber stabs through a shoulder, but it is not the face of Armitage Hux that screams in pain. The red-haired coward pulls Lieutenant Quonit between him and Ren at the last second.

"AAAAAAARRRGHHHH!"

As Quonit's body goes limp from the pain, Hux backs into the pit surrounded by Officers. Quonit drops to the floor unconscious as Ren pursues Hux, but the Grand Admiral scrambles away with great speed. Just above Ren, Trudgen and Ap'lek deflects blaster bolts with raw power whilst Ushar dispatches two guards flanking the exit doorway, which springs open automatically. Ren knows the Knights will leave without him, and his window for seizing revenge is mere seconds. He advances, deflecting blaster bolts harmlessly away, and looks into the watery eyes of Armitage Hux. Hate used to pulse through him when he'd done so in the past. But now, in this split second, he sees Hux for who he is; a man who desperately seeks control, and by whatever means necessary. And, with Hux cowering beneath him, Ren has only pity in his heart, where he once desired vengeance.

But his time is up.

A blaster bolt whistles past Ren's face and he dashes, his cape shreds from blaster fire. Ren leaps onto the walkways and sprints for the door, his body low to the ground. His saber cuts the air and deflects two well placed blaster belts, and he feels his feet groan as he runs. A flurry of blaster fire grazing his back, the offending conformity droids giving chase, but Kylo Ren is just too fast. Ren disappears beyond the command bridge door, narrowly avoiding the torrent of gunfire. A pair of flametroopers guard the corridor, and take aim at him. With the dexterity and precision of one trained to wield the Force, Ren ducks underneath the barrel of the incinerator and kicks the flametroopers into the throng of troopers and droids now gathering behind him. Now Ren is running full speed down the corridor, Stormtroopers and conformity droids hot on his heels, his four allies dashing just ahead.

They blast their way into the hangar. Ren follows the trail of bodies and finally catches up with his followers. As they make the final dash for the ships, Ren's spins around to deflect a flurry of blaster bolts into the head of a conformity droid that tails them. It drops to the floor with a surprisingly loud 'CLANG!', soon swarmed by more Stormtroopers and droids. In front of them, a squad of troopers and droids block their access to the shuttle and Night Buzzard.

Kylo Ren pushes past his four allies, who are preparing to take the hangar from cover, and strides out into the storm of blaster bolts. His crossguard saber weaves through their air like a dreadful baton as he interrupts the barrage. Ren can hear the curious signal from Hux's device through the Force, reverberating inside the Stormtroopers helmets, forcing them to act desperately from afar. Ren summons his command of the Force, but instead of drawing on the churn of his frustrations, he is calm and focused. Without his usual emotional fuel, Ren fears the Force may abandon him in this desperate gamble. But he is wrong. The squad of soldiers blocking their escape are repelled backwards, skidding on the hangar floor. Spearheaded by this blast and backed by Kuruk's blaster fire to fend off the faster conformity droids, they quickly cut a path towards their ships.

The winged shuttle extends its wings and the Night Buzzard sputters to life. Swivelling round in the air and taking heavy fire from the trailing Stormtroopers and conformity droids, the two ships zoom out of the hangar, wounded and smoking, and jump to lightspeed. From the command bridge, Grand Admiral Hux watches the two ships disappear without a care in the world. He's done it. Maybe he'd crack that bottle in his drawer afterall. One of his young lieutenants straightens his hat and approaches.

"What are your orders, Grand Admiral?"

Behind him, twitching Stormtroopers drag the unconscious Lieutenant Quonit away, the charred hole just below his shoulder still smoking from Ren's attack. Armitage Hux dusts the shoulders of his impressive white cape and dabs at his bloody nose.

"Now that those cultists have been cut away, we wipe the very notion of Resistance from the galactic consciousness. Set a course for Tyjimi, where the dominion of the Final Order shall begin."

"Right away, Grand Admiral."

As the lieutenant bustles off, Hux lifts the wrist-mounted sonic device to eye level. He can scarcely believe that such a small contraption can reignite such fear that permeates the subconsciousness of his soldiers, and all within a reach at all times. He smirks to himself as he deactivates it and looks through the viewport triumphantly, out at the stars that will soon be his.

A collective gasp reverberates around the room as the Stormtrooper's muscles relax for the first time in half an hour. Most of them regain their posture quickly, as they are in the presence of the Grand Admiral after all. Just outside the command bridge door, one of the two downed flametrooper regains herself. But the other - TN-2729 - has reached her limit.

As the Finalizer jumps to lightspeed, she risks removing her helmet and takes huge gulps of air. What she had just experienced is so horrific, so unspeakable, it makes years of nightmares and Reconditioning seem like mere build-up. Suspended in the horror of her fear for those thirty minutes, she had been reduced to a tense shell of a person, only capable of being ordered to shoot by a voice in her ear. Before she replaces her helmet over her face, she steals a look at Hux's pristine caped back. This time her face contorts, her teeth gnash, her dark brown eyes narrow, and only one emotion fills her soul; pure rage.

---

Under her veneer of calm assuredness, Leia grows anxious. She has ventured away from the bustle of the hangar to find Rey, wandering the corridors of the ancient temple. Usually so eager to help, Rey has been strangely absent from the ongoing evacuation, and Leia's gut tells her that this is no coincidence. The passageways she walks down are roofed by veins of crystal that glow faintly, multiplying in strength as she delves closer to the temple's centre. Leia is about to call out for Rey, but notices a room to her right that is being illuminated by metallic sparks. Leia crosses the threshold and announces herself.

"Rey?"

The room is large and circular, with grooved patterned walls depicting a pictorial language Leia doesn't recognize. Several raised plinths are scattered around the room, one of which Rey has made into a temporary workbench. A large wrap of tools is laid out, and a stand holds Anakin's lightsaber in place. Sparks fly as Rey presses the macrofuser against the hilt.

The sparks cease and Rey removes the material mask and goggles from her sweaty face, and pulls one of the ancient Jedi tomes close to her nose, reading from a lengthy diagram. She tightens some screws around a welded scar were the two halves of the weapon meet, and slides her finger over the activation matrix. The saber gives a brief angry metallic hiss, but no shining blue blade appears. Rey holds the misbehaving weapon for a moment, then screws up her face in an anguished yell, tossing the silver weapon to the floor. It scrapes the dusty stone with a loud clang, settling at Leia's feet. She picks it up. The metal emitter is dented, the pommel scratched, with a copper scar wrapping around the middle. Although the welding is done by experienced hands, over thirty years of wear has begun to take its toll.

"I thought I'd find you tinkering."

Rey looks up suddenly at Leia's words, so focused on mending the saber she hadn't noticed her. She avoids Leia's gaze and spekas firmly to the floor.

"I just wanted to be alone for a while."

"No you don't," replies Leia knowingly. A stream of beeps from behind Leia announces the arrival of BB-8, who rolls excitedly into the room and chirps a greeting at Rey. But the young Jedi is less than enthused.

"I don't need your advice right now, I just need to-"

"Need to what?" Asks Leia, her tone sharp. "To hide away and try and do everything yourself once again?"

"I'm not hiding!" Retorts Rey. "I know what I need to do, I've just gotta figure out-"

"Don't take this on too. They didn't get away because of you. Don't be-"

"Angry?!" Rey yells. "I'm not angry at them! I have the way to stop them, to summon the Oracle, but, I-" She stutters, searching for the words.

Leia closes the gap between them, hand stretching towards the frustrated Jedi.

"What is it? What are you so angry at?"

But Rey has reached her breaking point. All the suffering, all the failure, all the agony and uncertainty that surrounds her closes in like an oppressive void. The deep, secret sadness inside rears its head, snaking skeletal hands around her throat, almost free. A flash of glazing frustration crosses Rey's face as she slaps Leia's hand away.

"I'm angry at myself!"

Leia's reaction is muted. She simply stares as the young Jedi takes long, anguished breathes. Rage fills her blood. And the floodgates open.

"You tell me to be kind but what have I achieved!? I failed to turn ben! I failed to capture the Knights of Ren! I led us here for no good reason! And I can't summon the Oracle because i'm scared, no, terrified of what she'll show me!"

A deep scream escapes her throat as she smashes the stone workbench with her arms and fists. The tools and books crash to the floor, and dust fills the space. BB-8 backs away into the shadows, but Leia stands her ground. Rey's breath escapes in great gasping huffs.

"I can't even fix that lightsaber. I'm still running away from everything. I'm a cowar-"

CRASH!

Rey's eyes bulge in shock as Leia strikes the stone plinth with the lightsaber, interrupting her. The sound echoes around the room. Leia looks more dangerous than any masked warrior as she bares down on Rey like an angry beast.

"Don't you dare say such things." Leia's voice crackles with rage. "Don't. I won't allow you to put everything onto yourself, I've had enough of it."

Rey reels backwards. She has never been spoken to like this in her life. But Leia shows no signs of remorse, prodding a ringed finger sharply into Rey's chest.

"Who aided in the destruction of Starkiller Base? Who bought my brother back from the brink of despair? Who rescued the Resistance from certain defeat?"

With each sentence, Leia jabs her finger into Rey.

"Who stopped the Knights of Ren from destroying us today? Who holds out hope for my son? WHO?"

Rey slumps onto the stone stool, simply too stunned to reply. Leia jabs her finger a final time.

"You did. I have had enough of hearing how you wished you could have done better when you have already achieved so much. If you will not be kind to yourself then I damn well will."

"And this?" She holds up the battered old lightsaber. "This is your problem, right here. You're still clinging to the past. My father built this weapon in a time when good people betrayed their integrity."

She places the saber on the stone workbench and kneels down before Rey, looking at her with genuine reverence.

"But not you. Time and time again you have pushed on, against temptation, amidst all the suffering you've encountered." She chuckles suddenly. "You and Finn are even pushing against the Resistance to be more, to be better."

The Jedi looks down at Leia, tears wetting the edges of her eyes. The snaking sadness inside her is strangled by a small thought, an comforting idea - this is what having a mother would be like. Even just for a moment. The thought is so powerful it seems to fill Rey's entire chest. Leia squeezes Rey's hands.

"I don't know what the answers are; what to do with the Jedi skills you've learned, why the Force brought you here, how to fix the saber, how to stop the prophecy, how to save my son-" Her voice cracks with grief. "But I know that the one person who's pulled through everything that's come before. It's you, Rey. You have everything you need."

The tear finally streaks down Rey's cheek, and an anguished smile crosses her lips.

"Thank-you," she says in a small voice.

BB-8 rolls across the room and leans his domed head against Rey's leg. She wipes away her tears and attempts to shrug off her embarrassment in being so emotionally exposed. She straightens up and attempts to get back to tinkering. Leia stands as well, still affixing her with a sympathetic look. As Rey gathers the pile of tools and books, BB-8 whistles to her.

"What is it BB-8?"

The round droid immediately empties the entire contents of his storage onto the floor with comically little shame. He knows that Rey likes spare parts and has been collecting bits and pieces for her, carrying them around in his mechanical belly. The remains of Rey's trustry staff and blaster are among the spoils, and BB-8 beeps excitedly, hoping to cheer his friend. Rey's eyes glitter with passion.

"Oh BB-8, all for me?! This will definitely help-"

But she stops suddenly. Amongst the scrap metal sits a peculiar rock. Peculiar, as it feels different from other materials. Alive, somehow.

"What is it Rey?" Asks Leia, concerned by Rey's expression.

Rey picks up the rock and realizes where it is from; trapped in the gums of the young, crystal hungry exogrub on Brentaal IV. Rey places the rock at the centre of the workbench. She searches her tools for a small hammer, to break the rock open, but another idea enters her mind. She removes her glove and places her naked hand upon the rock, and reaches into the Force. The rock reacts immediately, splitting abruptly down the middle. As she withdraws her hand, it falls in half to reveal what's inside - a clear shard of crystal. Rey picks it up between her fingers to examine it, and immediately the colour of it changes, as though refracting light. Holding the yellowish-green shard in her hand, further realisation dawns on Rey. She lifts the Jedi text she was studying from and searches the diagram frantically.

"Rey what is it?!" Repeats Leia, but Rey simply beams at her. She picks up Anakin's worn lightsaber from the bench and hands it back to Leia, along with her own words.

"I've got everything I need."

Leia takes the lightsaber tentatively, not really understanding what Rey means. Rey places the diagram on the bench and the crystal before it, and settles onto the stool. Closing her eyes, she stretches her hand and breathes slow and deep. Immediately, the pile of junk pieces float into the air, attempting to fit themselves together like floating jigsaw pieces. The cylindrical shaft of her staff forms a body as circuitry from her blaster is unfolded and restructured. The rings from her staff bend and separate to form an emitter, the powercell of her blaster shrinks and connects to the circuitry, the barrel of her blaster forms a thin neck, and an off cut of material from her wrist guards wrap to form a handgrip. Once the contraption is assembled in mid air, it collapses telescopically to form a recognizable metal hilt. Finally, the crystal floats into the circuitry and disappears beneath the shroud. Rey opens her eyes and gets to her feet, the saber hilt floating into her hand where she slides one of the metal rings. The room is quickly filled by a yellow-green glow as the blade of Rey's lightsaber shimmers in the dusty air.

BB-8 chirps his surprise. The sadness inside Rey retreats fully as she looks from her saber to Leia triumphantly, and to the hilt in Leia's hand. The full scope of what she's just achieved dawns on her: she's not just holding a scavenged Jedi weapon, she is holding her weapon. This knowledge, these skills, can be used for anything. For the first time since taking on the title, she truly feels like a Jedi of the old stories, powerful and free. Her mind pushed for more; what is she going to do with this?

But something brings her crashing back to reality. The memory of That Day breaks the surface of her mind. Just a fragment; a crying child, alone. Wishing for companionship, guidance, love. Rey desperately wants to reach back all those years, hug the child tight, give her all the things she needs. But she grew up alone, into the girl who searched for love amongst the stars, scared of what awakened within her.

That girl found someone who shared her feelings, listened, comforted her, and when finally she was ready to bring him into her life… he couldn't let go. The pain and manipulation he'd gone through had festered, woven itself into his very core. He had sought the Oracle to cure his ills, but her prophecy would instead bring about his worst fear. He had endeavoured alone, and he had failed.

Rey sought a reason why all these memories of her failures and struggles are surfacing all at once as she holds her new shimmering weapon. She couldn't be there for the crying girl all those years ago, but she can be there for Ben Solo, who suffers alone right now. And she finally admits to herself what this feeling is that surrounded her and him. And the great sadness inside her, the loneliness, grief, and despair shrink away. Finally, her realisation plateaued into a crescendo of understanding, as if a pattern has emerged among the trajectory of her life. She feels such joy she could weep, as if she were finally seeing-

"-My place in all this," she finishes out loud.

Rey gazes around and sees Leia and BB-8 looking intrigued. She had forgotten they were there. She attempts to actualize her realisation into words. She thinks of Ben, and then further into all those out in the stars who believe themselves alone, unloved, unwanted.

"It's alright now, I know what I want to do. I can guide others, I can help them now!"

She holds the hilt aloft and clicks the ignition ring, the blade vanishing with a snap-hiss. "I will help them," she resolves.

Rey attaches the lightsaber to her belt and flashes her perky grin at Leia.

"And, I know just who to start with. I'll stop this prophecy, whatever the cost." She stands tall and proud. "I will help him. Because I-"

The word catches in her throat. Though she has come so far in understanding her own feelings in the past few minutes, she has apparently reached the limit. Rey is suddenly flustered by her own emotional stuntedness, but Leia knows exactly the word that she'd choked on. Leia's lip trembles. She takes Rey's arm tight and squeezes it. Rey drops all pretence and pulls Leia into a warm and loving hug. Even Leia's iron resolve cannot stop her eyes from leaking.

"I'll help him, I promise." Rey whispers into Leia's ear. But Leia can only nod as she holds back the sobs.

As they break apart Rey notices something. Though her saber is away, the room still glows with the yellow-green hue of her blade. She stares up at the cavernous ceiling and realises the crystals are reacting strangely. Leia notices too and they examine the wall, where two veins of crystal diverge. Rey fetches her lightsaber hilt and holds it against the crack of glowing minerals. Like blowing on hot coals, the veins illuminate immediately.

BB-8 exclaims a few whistles from behind as a pulse seems to reverberate around the room. Rey holsters her saber and outstretches her hand, her feelings stretching beyond her body to touch the world around her. She realises that the temple walls do not 'feel' like rock; they are alive, breathing, pulsing, like the belly of a living stone beast. The veins of crystal weave through the walls to make an intricate network that pulses with the energy of the Force. The veins stretch all the way to the peak of the pyramid, and down past where the base of the pyramid should be, miles and miles down to reach a second peak deep underground. Rey reels for a moment at these revelations; this is no ancient pyramid, but something far greater; an octahedron temple that pulses with the energy of the Force!

Suddenly excitement grips Rey, a hunch. She had led the Resistance on a nudge from the Force, a feeling of their path to victory leading through Tyjimi. Could this be…?

Rey's mind races as she stares frantically around the room, following the crystal with her fingers and examining the odd symbols on the walls. Leia watches her in complete ignorance of her discoveries.

"Rey? What-"

"The temple!" Exclaims Rey in the throws of childish enthusiasm. "The temple is alive! I can feel it through the Force!"

"It's not a ruin?!" Questions Leia.

BB-8 produces a small flashlight from his body, illuminating Rey and the walls of the stone room. Rey's hands search the glyphs etched into the wall hungrily. She knows them somehow, but how? Rey closes her eyes and searches her mind, thinking of all the different symbols she'd seen, in starship manuals, datapads, hangar signage, books-

"Books!" She exclaims.

Rey scrambles past BB-8 and sifts through the Jedi texts she'd thrown to the floor, until she finds the difficult tome she'd been thumbing through at night - 'Aionomica'. She opens the cover to a symbol cipher at the front, and begins to translate the symbols before her.

"Rey, talk to me!" Pleads a frustrated Leia. "What's going on?"

Completing the last letters of the three verse inscription upon the wall, Rey's eyes are wide in astonishment.

"It's not a ruin at all, it can interact with the Force, like we can!"

She traces the last words of the verse etched into the wall. "And can use it to..."

Leia hangs closer on Rey's words. "To what?"

Rey suddenly charges from the room, beckoning BB-8 and Leia to follow. She can feel the veins of the temple, like a web of threads, leading her where she wants to go. Ascending a flight of stars brings them to a large room, with a sloping far wall forming the outer shell of the temple. The room has several raised stone blocks that curve like control consoles. In the centre, a stone column stands alone with a sphere resting atop it. Rey approaches the sphere with a panting Leia and BB-8 behind her. The room is lit by the faint yellow-green glow, and Rey feels the crystal veins leading to this spot. Inlaid in the sphere are several glyphs, and she translates one that says 'wake'. She places her palm onto it and reaches into the Force.

The effect is immediate. The room rumbles like a gurgling stomach, dust kicking up as though the temple itself shudders. The glyph under Rey's palm glows with the same yellow-green light, and before her eyes the etching changes, the stone seemingly receding and warping to form new glyphs. Another pulse ripples through the place as symbols and drawings in the walls glow with supernatural brightness. The raised stone blocks surrounding her glow as well, and the stone wall before them creak. Great rectangular slabs of the stone wall part to reveal a huge viewport. Rey can just see the tops of the pine forest, the far off peaks of Tyjimi's spiked needle ranges, and up into the stars above. The sudden rush of cold winter wind is halted by a haze that comes over the newly formed viewport, which Rey recognizes as some kind of magnetic shield. She looked down upon the sphere and the newly formed glyphs, and what she reads there makes her heart beat even faster. Leia looks from the young Jedi to the glowing glyphs to the huge viewport in awe.

"What is it?" Leia asks.

"This is the navigation room." Rey replies.

Rey has touched the temple through the Force, and its structure confirms stories she'd read in the Aionomica.

"Piloted by ancient Force-users to cross the stars," she repeats to herself.

BB-8 whistles in surprise. "'Piloted'?" Queries Leia. "A flying temple?"

"It's not a temple!" Replies Rey triumphantly. "It's a starship!"

---

"Well what did she say exactly?!" Demands Rose.

Finn rolls his eyes. He is just ahead of Rose and Jaytu on the second flight of stone steps, following directions relayed to them over comms.

"I told you, she said the temple can fly!"

They approach a large room as Jaytu scoffs.

"On what power is it going to lift off the ground and blast into hyperspace?!"

"The power of the Force," replies Rey.

Their mouths hang open as they examine the navigation room that Leia, BB-8 and Rey now stand in the centre of. The glowing symbols and floating sphere dazzles Finn. But before he can express his surprise –

"What's going on?"

Finn turns as two figures enter the navigation room: Baron Lando Calrissian and General Poe Dameron. Lando's left arm is supported by a makeshift sling, and a look of sheer amazement is etched across his face.

"Oh it's beautiful," Lando mutters.

He crosses the room, staring round at the glowing symbols and coming to a stop next to Leia. "Never in all my years have I seen something like this."

Poe locks eyes with Finn, who turns away. Poe addresses Rey in a business-like tone.

"You said the temple is a starship?"

"Not only that, it's why we're here, on Tyjimi!"

Rey stands proud as she directs her words towards Poe. "You trusted me when I sensed we should come here, I think this is it."

Poe's brow furrows. "What do you mean? This place can fly?"

"And so much more. It can protect us, it's shield is near impenetrable, but the best part-"

Rey runs her hand over the control sphere and presses a sequence of glyphs. A pulse emanates through the veins of glowing crystals around them, and the stone floor beneath them moves. A circular pattern forms across the floor, and the outlines rings elevate, rotating on an axis. Poe steps back in awe at the great rings above him as they turn, and he notices crystals inlaid in them, glyphs to each side. As the centre of the stone astrolabe sits a circular plate, with crystals and symbols that look similar to a holographic star map.

"It's a map of hyperspace lanes." Poe mutters, dumbstruck by the structures before him.

Rose stares from the stone astrolabe to Rey, excitement building in her heart.

"It really flies?"

Rey matches her excitement and beckons Rose over to one of the raised stone terminals. Rose sits and Rey places Rose's hand on a stone shaped like a pyramid, which glows in response. Another pulse goes out and this time, the temple itself begins to wake. Inside the temporary hangar, Resistance personnel - still in the throws of evacuation - look up in astonishment as patterns, symbols and pictures snake their way across the walls of the base, lights dancing off their faces. The temple rumbles like a volcano, sending up clouds of dust and prompting a few porgs nested in its walls to screech in protest. The effect can be felt by the eight companions gathered in the navigation room. Rose's face glows red with apprehension, the temple rumbling at her touch, but Rey knows nothing but elation, turning to Poe.

"This is it, Poe. A mobile fortress to shield and transport us. With this, the Resistance will be protected." She approaches the General close, and holds him by the shoulders. "With this, we've got a chance."

Finn is beside himself, laughing and cheering in dizzy amazement, which Lando and Jaytu join. Rose laughs out of sheer hopefulness, her worries from the battle earlier forgotten completely. Leia simply watches Poe and Rey, feeling she has made some excellent choices for leadership. Poe's shoulders relax as he takes in all this new information.

"Our strategic advantage is just-! We can protect and safely transport the fleet anywhere, even get right up in the Final Order's face!"

He grasps Rey's shoulders too. "This changes everything."

Rey smiles so hard her cheeks hurt. Poe pulls her into a one-armed hug and runs a hand through his tangled hair, looking around at the glowing walls.

"By the stars this is... amazing."

His elation turns to embarrassment as he breaks away from Rey. The things he'd said earlier weigh heavily in the face of such a colossal discovery, and he becomes solemn once more. Rey senses more than he would have liked through the Force.

"Listen Rey, the things I said, these powers you have, I just didn't get-"

But Rey doesn't need nor want these words.

"It's already forgotten, General."

Poe chuckles at the use of the honorific, and his eyes return, for a moment, to where they'd been itching to look. Rey, of course, notices.

"There is someone who could use a good, uh, apology," says Rey quietly so only he can hear her.

"He's right about the real enemy Poe. And you know that, don't you?"

Poe looks at her imploring, loathing that she can penetrate even the staunchest of emotional walls.

"I can see where he's coming from," Poe admits. "I just can't afford to risk anything else."

Rey cannot help but flash him a half concealed grin.

"You are talking about the Resistance, right Poe?"

Poe's cheeks flush and he glares at her sharply. "And what else would I be talking about, Jedi?"

Rey holds back her laughter and shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe you should take some risks?"

Poe shakes his head at her cheek. "And when did you get so wise?"

"I'm getting there!"

With her duty to the Resistance fulfilled, Rey's next task is exceedingly more daunting. She watches as Poe shouts orders to retreat inside the temple into his wrist comm, and Finn, Rose, Jaytu and Lando use the Aionomica to begin to understand how the temple works. Content that the temple is in good hands, she attempts to summon the feeling of power and courage she had felt earlier; holding her new saber aloft. In truth, though she'd come to understand so much in the past hour about herself, she dreads facing the Oracle. Rey knows what 'truth' she'd have to exchange, and the sadness inside her flexes its claws at the prospect. Armed with naught but her saber, Rey turns her back on the room. It's time.

"Sneaking off again?"

Rey turns, and should have guessed she wouldn't have been able to fool Leia. She keeps her inner courage lit as she meets Leia with calm assurance.

"It's time for me to face it."

"I know," replies Leia. "But you won't be going alone."

BB-8 rolls out from behind Leia and joins Rey, making a head start down the stairs. Rey is genuinely touched at how perfect of a companion the little droid is. She turned to leave.

"Rey?"

She turns back to look at Leia. There are no hidden truths between them now, and the two women simply look at each other as equals.

"The Force will be with you, always," says Leia encouragingly.

The Jedi bows her head, then turns and disappears towards the core of the temple. Her senses tell her that the veins meet there, and she can summon the Oracle away from prying eyes. For what she will face there brings her deep shame and hurt. An experience only truly understood by one other person - Ben.