Summary: Two years following the destruction of Starkiller Base, the New Republic has gained ground in their fight against the First Order. With Jedi in training Rey and Finn striking against the dark side user Kylo Ren, they are taking the Resistance to new heights, but this war is far from over. The Force surrounds everything and it has chosen two conduits to restore balance.
PART ELEVEN
It wasn't often that Kylo found himself unsure of what to do. Sure things had caught him off guard, but he was quick to find a response or have a plan or to have a direction at the very least. But having the connection ripped away from him like that, where his uncle appeared and now Rey was gone, he was lost. It wasn't like he could go to her, to see if she was alright, he wasn't even sure where she was which meant all he could do was sit around wait. One way or another, she had to turn up again right?
Worry gnawed at his stomach, worry over Rey, worry over what his traitorous uncle would say to her. And then there was the matter of what he saw when his hand touched her. He'd had Force visions, plenty of times, but this one had been different. Force visions often felt distorted and out of order, something outside of yourself. Where you could be in a place, yet not there at all. The vision he had, it didn't feel like that. Instead, it felt as if he were actually there, apart of it.
He saw Rey standing with him, her gaze set and determined, her lightsaber was red and as unstable as his own. He saw a figure that he didn't recognize, but somehow knew exactly who he was by the cold and dark feeling. If he went to her, or if she came to him, she would turn and stand by his side. The only thing that seemed to contrast that was the faint cries in the background.
A faint echo reached him, her voice saying that she was coming. Kylo jumped onto his feet, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Rey was coming here, coming to him. Did this mean she saw what he had? Was she coming to join him? She had to be, there was no other way around. Kylo slipped on his helmet, wondering how he should go about this. It was only right that he report this to Snoke. With Rey at his side, the two of them together would be unstoppable. Kylo took a heavy breath as he clipped on his cape. Once it was set, he exited his chambers and marched to the Supreme Leader's quarters to inform him of this development.
No sooner had Kylo informed the Supreme Leader of this development did Kylo sense Rey was near. The Resistance cruiser had just stopped out of hyperspace, causing the Supremecy to do so as well. Though the cruiser had done this several times around, it was likely now would be an opening for them to strike, especially when their fuel was at an all time low. The Supreme Leader gave him his orders, he would fulfill them. Kylo made his way down to the hangar where he knew Rey was, how she had gotten in was beyond him, but that didn't matter now. What mattered was that she was here.
He saw the pod just in the corner, hidden in plain sight. As he made his way over to her, he couldn't fight the anxiety that was building in his stomach and he wanted to take his mask off so he could see her better, so she could see him. But he didn't move to remove it. He stood over her as she opened the pod. Her hair was a mess, she had a different shine to her eyes that he couldn't place and when they landed on him, they seemed to shine again. Kylo tried to probe the Force to get a reading, but she was shielding from him. She sat up.
"Can't make it that easy can I," she asked as she climbed out of the pod in response to his probing.
"I suppose not," was all he said as he stared at her.
He couldn't believe she was actually here, she actually came to him. Would she really choose to stand by his side? It seemed far too good to be true, but here she was, in the flesh. A silence settled over them, neither one knowing what in the galaxy they could say to the other. It was Rey who spoke first.
"Take off the mask," she said to him, "You don't need it with me."
Kylo didn't move, he only studied her behind the safety of the mask, "I'm escorting you to Snoke."
Rey visibly swallowed, she had mildly prepared for that, "I figured you'd say that. What are we waiting for?"
Kylo didn't respond. Two stormtroopers came at his side a moment later, handcuffs ready. As they cuffed Rey, Kylo took her hinged lightsaber into his hand. It was lighter than he expected, but he didn't dwell on the construction of the lightsaber for long. No, his attention was back on Rey as she was marched to the nearest elevator beside. Neither of them said a word. Once they were in the white lit elevator, Rey turned around to face him with a determine gaze, similar to look she had in his vision.
"Take off the mask," Rey said to him, her voice stern. Her next word was soft. "Please."
Kylo didn't say anything, While it would have been easy to deny her request, he decided against it. Hesitantly, he took off his mask leaving his face bare for her to see. Her expression didn't change really, she still looked at him as if he weren't the monster of the First Order, the enforcer of Supreme Leader Snoke. It should have unnerved him more, but he found he missed a time when people didn't stare at him as if one wrong move would be the end of their lives.
"Like what you see," he asked her, a bit short.
Rey almost rolled her eyes, "You can't deflect me. Not when I can literally feel the conflict in you, tearing you apart from the inside out."
"You know nothing of me," Kylo argued, but it was a weak protest.
"I'm one of the only people who does know you," Rey protested, her own voice didn't hold any fire, "Ben, when we touched hands I saw a future. The shape of it alone, but solid and clear and real."
Kylo kept his gaze on her, his breathing even, "Is that right?"
"You will not bow before Snoke. You'll turn and I'll help you," Rey said, she sounded so sure as she closed the distance between them.
"I saw something to," Kylo replied quietly, his brown eyes held her own, "And it's because of what I saw, I know you'll be the one to turn. That you'll stand with me Amarey. But that wasn't all. I saw someone else, from your hidden past."
Rey didn't respond to him, but she didn't seem deterred by his words. In fact, she looked even more determined than before which Kylo found interesting. They were both so certain that the other would change, would join their side, their cause. It was only a matter of time to discover who was right or if they would be both be disappointed in the choices to be made. Kylo certainly hoped he wasn't wrong, he couldn't fight the hope that she would join him. The elevator door opened behind her, she turned around ready to face Snoke. Wordlessly, Kylo guided her into the red throne room to stand before the Supreme Leader.
As they made it to the center, Snoke spoke, "Well done my good and faithful apprentice. My faith in you, restored."
Rey hated the way he talked. She barely glanced at Kylo to see him get on one knee behind, showing submission to the Supreme Leader. One way or another, she was going to get him out of here so he would never have to bow to this man or anyone again. Where they would both be free.
"Young Rey," Snoke said, his voice twisted, "Welcome. The scavenger I've heard so much about. I can feel the Force stirring around you, your blood is powerful."
Rey took a sharp breath, but said nothing.
Finn and Rose made it to the hallway where the tracker would be located inside a hidden room, not easily found unless you were looking for it. Once there, BB-8 plugged into the door and started to find his way through the security and into the room. With a hiss, the door opened to reveal the tracker room. Things were going smoothly so far, almost too smoothly if Finn was being completely honest with himself. Not that he was complaining, it was always nice to be given a little bit of a break on these kinds of missions, but that worry reached.
For a moment, he remained in his spot and reached out with the Force, trying to sense if there was anything a miss he should be aware of. He tried to reach out to Rey, but found her shields were tightly bond, she was blocking him harshly. It only took Finn a second to realize why when he sensed Kylo Ren's presence not far from her own.
In all fairness, Finn wasn't surprised that Kylo Ren was on this ship, but he was far from pleased about it. The scar on his back ached slightly at the memory of the Supreme Leader's right hand attacking him nearly two years ago. That was in the past though when he hadn't known how to fight with the weapon that was now his life. He could more clearly feel the weight of his saber on his belt, hidden by the uniform he wore. Finn shook himself from his thoughts, he needed to focus and get ready for their escape. HIs communicator came alive.
Anakin: Tell me something good.
"We just made it to the tracker, contact the cruiser and tell them to get ready to jump," Finn told him.
Anakin: You got it. Be sure to hurry up.
Rose sighed as she started to work on the tracker, disabling it took time, but that was time they really didn't have. Furiously she worked on it, trying to get to turn off so that the Resistance could get away, so that their cruiser and all their friends would be alright. Thoughts of her friends dying out there because she wasn't fast enough filled her mind, she worked quicker.
This was not the moment for her to fail, it was now more than important that she succeed. Finn continued to stand guard, watching out for any stormtroopers who might come their way. Again, it seemed that luck was on their side. However he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. The Force told him nothing though, it was all silent.
Rey was not easily intimidated, never had been. Growing up alone on Jakku, having to face all kinds of nasty and stronger people forced her to grow up and stand tall against them. Now before Snoke, she called on those experiences and would not allow him to make her feel small.
Snoke spoke to her, his tone even and dark as the cuffs fell off her wrists, "So much strength. Darkness rises and light to meet it. I warned my young apprentice as he grew stronger, his equal in the light would rise." Snoke called onto her lightsabers from Ren's side, he inspected them for a moment. "I assumed it would have been Skywalker himself or perhaps one of his offspring, but I assumed wrongly. Come closer."
Rey was a bit proud of herself for not reacting when Snoke Force pulled her forward until she was right in front him, only about three feet of distance kept them apart. His face was worse than Rey had imagined, she had seen some holos of him in the past, but they were grainy and hard to make out. She had attributed the shape she saw due to poor image, now she realized it was just him. How unfortunate.
"You underestimate the Resistance, Skywalker, Ben Solo and me," Rey declared, her tone unwavering, "It will be your downfall Snoke."
The Supreme Leader let out a mocking breath, "Oh have you seen something, a weakness in my apprentice? Is that why you came?" He chuckled lowly at her. "Young fool, it was I who bridged your minds. I stoked Ren's conflicted soul, I knew he had not been strong enough to hide it from you and you not wise enough to resist the bait."
Rey knew she should have been a little worried at those words, that the connection she had with Ben Solo wasn't real, that he had orchestrated it from the start, but she knew that wasn't true. The Force told her it wasn't, so she let out a wide smile. She sputtered out a few laughs at his words. Ever since Rey had been a child she had been able to sense Ben Solo, it was thanks to Jaina that she knew it was a fact, it was because of her talk with Ben that day on Starkiller base she knew it was true. There was no possible way that Snoke could have bridged their minds when they were young, not when he had no idea who she was at the time.
"This is your master," Rey said glancing at Ben with an incredulous laugh before facing Snoke once more, "You're a pitiful liar and think too highly of yourself."
Rey felt anger stir in him at her words, he pulled her closer as he said, "You overestimate your abilities. Now, you will give Skywalker to me and then I will kill you with the cruelest stroke."
The Force tinged her then, at the word kill. Not in warning, but in a lie. Rey knew she should focus more on the matter at hand, but she found she couldn't, not when she needed to know what the Force was trying to say. Obi Wan's words echoed in ears, about the darkness that existed in her from her bloodline wasn't from him, but somewhere else. Kylo's words to her in the elevator, he saw someone behind her. The Force whispered around her, whoever that person was, they were in charge of Snoke.
"No," Rey said sharply, "I won't tell you anything about Skywalker, nor will you kill me."
Snoke gazed at her evenly, "You will tell me what I want to know and then I will dispose of you!"
Rey let out a low chuckle of her own, "I'll tell you nothing. But you know that if you end me, the one you answer to will not be pleased."
There was a jolt in the Force, it spread throughout the room and through the ship, only those connected to the Force could have felt it. Rey called onto the Force with everything she had, the grip Snoke had on her was lost and she fell to the ground, only jump back onto her feet again, she called her lightsaber to her hand and charged at the Supreme Leader, only for him to Force push her to the side.
Finn just barely caught his breath at the jolt that went through him, what was that? He had a sneaking suspicion it involved Rey, but at the same time he couldn't be sure what it was and whether or not it was good or bad. Finn glanced into the room where Rose was still messing with the tracker, it only took her another few seconds to finish. The young woman jumped back with a wide grin, she turned to look at Finn.
"You got it," Finn asked expectant, but still happy.
Rose nodded, she rushed to his side, "We have ten minutes before it comes back on line again. Did Anakin get us a ship?"
Finn turned on his communicator, "Skywalker Jr, you got us a ship yet?"
Anakin: Yes, I got one. The Resistance is getting ready to jump to lightspeed. Now you bozos need to hurry down to the hangar we arrived in.
Finn nodded, "Okay. What about Rey?"
Anakin: What about her? Isn't she with Poe?
Rose answered him, "No, apparently Finn sensed her here on the ship. We need to find her."
Anakin: You're kidding me right? Tell me you're joking.
"I wish I could, but I know it was her," Finn said as he looked around, making sure they weren't in earshot of anyone, "The Resistance can leave without us. We have a ship and can find our way later."
Anakin: Alright, be safe. Call if you guys need anything.
With that, Finn and Rose made their way down the hall, away from the tracker room to avoid any suspicion or unwanted eyes. The sooner they got off this ship, the better, but now on the hunt for Rey was leading them to all kinds of trouble. How were they supposed to get to her when they had no idea where she was? Finn knew where the prisoners would be held, but when he started to head in that direction, he found that her presence seemed to get further away which meant she wasn't there.
After a few minutes of wandering and trying to find Rey, did the ship make a jump to hyperspace. It was hardly noticeable, but Finn and Rose could feel it jump in then jump out moments later. That couldn't be good. Finn felt a disturbance that told him something was wrong with the cruiser, with the Resistance trying to escape. That couldn't be right though. Rose disabled the tracker, they had time to get away and get to safety. His communicator came alive.
Anakin: So we got a problem. The cruiser's been hit.
"What? No we were out of range," Rose protested into the communicator.
Anakin: Yeah well their weapon fired at them in close enough range to mess with their already weak shields.
"So where is the cruiser now," Finn asked, his worry shining through.
Anakin: They got into hyperspace, but had to drop out due to damage.
Rose let out a breath, "Okay, that's not perfect, but that means they got away. We just have to get to them."
Anakin: The chatter I'm picking up in my new little ship says otherwise.
"What do you mean," Finn questioned, brow scrunched.
Anakin: I mean that we are not out of the woods yet. You are right behind them..
Finn shook his head, "No, we had it right, we made it."
Anakin: We were so close, but we didn't make it. The cruiser is making it's descent on the nearest planet, I think it's Crait, but I can't be sure. We're going to need to do something big to help them out.
Finn and Rose exchanged a look with each other, wondering how they should go about this. Their whole plan revolved around them getting the cruiser into lightspeed without being tracked, but they didn't prepare for this. It didn't matter if they couldn't be tracked if their ship was going to crash on the closest planet or just burn up in space. They were really on the clock now. The only good thing was that they were still on this ship and undetected, so they could do something in the engine rooms maybe. That was their only shot, blow up something in the engine room and hope for a chain reaction.
"I know not everything can be solved by blowing something up, but all I can think of is Rose messing with the engines," Finn said after a few moments of silence.
Rose frowned, she gave a single nod, "Sometimes blowing things up is the best solution."
Anakin: I say go for it, plus that'll give you more time to find Rey.
Finn spoke next, "Have you heard anything from Poe? Has he made contact?"
Anakin: No, nothing. I'll try to get in contact with him and Jaina.
Finn nodded, more to himself than Rose, "Alright. We're heading to the engine room, stay put cause I have a feeling we'll need a quick getaway."
Anakin: What are star pilots for?
Finn rolled his eyes as he pocketed the communicator. The engine room was a ways off, so they would need to be real careful with how they got there. Their only advantage was that the First Order didn't know some Resistance fighters were onboard. It was the only thing going for them right now, they would use it to their advantage.
As quick and inconspicuously as they could, Finn lead Rose the engine room. He was a little relieved and surprised to find that he could sense Rey better going this way, but he could also sense Ren and someone else that he didn't know, a twisted presence. That must have been Snoke. Finn internally groaned, what in the galaxy had Rey gotten herself into now?
"Such spirit," Snoke mocked as Rey got onto her feet after being thrown into the wall. He called her lightsaber back to his side. "Look there."
Rey glared at him, but she turned to see the scope that showed her the Resistance cruiser had been hit, the damage extensive. From what she could tell the cruiser was going to crash into the nearby planet.
"If we cannot find your hideout now, we will destroy a good bit of your forces," Snoke told her, "They will all die today, the rest of your rebels will die tomorrow. Soon they will all be gone. For you, all is lost."
Rey wouldn't have it. She called onto Kylo's lightsaber to her hand, he was too surprise to stop her. She held up the angry red lightsaber, ready to fight against the red guards who drew their own weapons. Snoke was not going to win today, she would not let him win today. Anger burned in her chest, this was not how her friends were going to go out, this was not how she was going to go out. While the First Order may not be destroyed today, she would ensure that they wouldn't have victory.
Snoke raised his hand to halt his guards from attacking, "And still that fiery spit of hope. You have the spirit of a true Jedi, but the anger and passion of a Sith."
Rey charged at him, not wanting to hear him say another word. Only once again, he knocked her to the ground with a simple Force push. The impact was harsher than she expected, the lightsaber knocked out of her hand as the air was forced out of her lungs. Kylo could only watch, keeping his own emotions as stable as possible. His eyes fell onto his spinning lightsaber, but he brought them back to Rey a second later. For a moment, their eyes met and that familiar hum echoed in their ears.
It didn't last long, hardly a second, but it was there and they both felt it. However, it seemed Snoke didn't. Kylo would have been lying if he said he wasn't furious with Snoke's words about the bridge in their minds and he wanted to believe that was a lie. Yet, he feared maybe it was true. After all, Snoke had taken an interest in him since he was a child so it was indeed possible.
Except, he couldn't have found Rey. She was from the middle of nowhere, no connections to anyone or anything and it wasn't like her Force presence had been a beacon like it was now. So, that meant Snoke was lying. It didn't surprise Kylo that Snoke was lying, but he couldn't fight the anger that burned in him over this. Especially over the treatment of Rey, the threat to kill her stoked the fire of anger in him more. It was time for him to strike his true enemy.
"Your true enemy isn't any of us," Rey shouted at him.
Kylo only stared at her, "Then who is?"
"You will die," Snoke said to her sharply, he looked to Kylo, "My worthy apprentice, son of darkness, heir apparent to Lord Vader. Where there was conflict I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength. Complete your training, fulfill your destiny."
Kylo brought his gaze to focus on Rey as she forced to her knees before him, The look she gave him still had that shine, something he had yet to give a name to. Not breaking eye contact, he reached down to pick up his own lightsaber, ready to strike once again. Slowly, with purpose, Kylo rose to stand on his feet. Rey continued to watch him, a look of pleading and earnest on his face, of belief.
"I know what I have to do," he said plainly, he could give nothing away.
"Ben," Rey whispered, she took a breath and mouthed to him, 'I'll help.'
Snoke laughed in the background, "You think you can turn him? Pathetic child. I cannot be betrayed, I cannot be beaten. I see his mind, I see his every intent. Yes, I see him turning the lightsaber, to strike true. And now foolish child, he ignites it and kills his true enemy!"
The lightsaber ignited, the Force hold on Rey was lost and she fell to the ground.
"That isn't you," Kylo said to her softly.
Rey reached up her hand as he called her lightsaber back to them, she caught with ease as she looked at him. A smile graced her features as she realized she had been right. In the end, he had chosen to stand with her. However now wasn't the time to talk about it.
"I told you so," Rey said as she climbed onto her feet.
Kylo ignited his lightsaber, "Don't start with me."
Rey didn't hide her smile, that shine still in her eyes. The red guards had all their weapons ready, they closed on on the two force users and were prepared to strike. Kylo and Rey both spun in the same motion, defending against the red clad guards with the lightsabers. Red and blue light spun around, it attacked, it defended. When Kylo moved one way, Rey moved the same. When she attacked in one swing, he did the same. Rey spun around, he ducked like he had seen it coming.
As Rey took out the guard that had nearly attacked him, he swung at their legs effectively cutting them off. Rey's back was to him once again, she fought off a red guard that had lunged for her. Kylo stabbed at the guard in front of him, then force pushed him away. Rey turned and stabbed through the guard nearby, protecting Kylo from an overhead attack. He ducked once again, this time propping her up so she could better attack the two guards that came her way. She decapitated them in one swing. The Force was ringing around the pair of them as they fought off the remaining guards, the hum louder and brighter as they moved around.