...I feel like I'm using work, as an excuse for my delaying for not updating, my sleep deprive-like state, the constant headache and exhaustion... Yeah. I hate to say it... Work is keeping me from updating, as much as I want to.
...It was Hell...
Monday, July 26th:...6 Checkers... 5 Courtesy Clerks... 2 Supervisors... Called in sick, with the 2 Supervisors ending up leaving early, getting sick on the job! And, the Self Check-Out Checker, leaving an hour early, with no explanation (So, that makes 7 Checkers)!
Sunday, August 1st:...Four Checkers called in, with another leaving early (Due to getting sick, without warning. Thus, Checker #5)! Two or three Courtesy Clerks, also, called in!
...Seriously... WHAT. THE. CUSS?!
...Yeah, not gonna curse out in my notes, right now.. You guys get the idea.
...
...
...Also, be prepare... This chapter contains:...Suicide Attempt.
"Supreme Leader, we're now exiting Hyperspace and are now entering Sarvchi's territory." Pryde announced, as Kylo Ren entered the Command Deck and stood in front to stare at the planet where the Resistance remained hiding... And, where Rey was last seen.
To Pryde's right, Hux remained silent. Glaring at the Supreme Leader with so much hate, but biting his tongue to keep his mouth shut. He was given strict orders to speak answer when given permission to do so and, because he's been placed underneath Pryde's care, he can only talk to him but can't give out any orders and must follow his every command.
Standing to Kylo's right, Vicrul stood.
"Give us the word, Master, and we'll proceed." He informed the thirty year-old, before leaning a bit forward and whispered the next sentence. "And then, we'll find your beloved and the both of you can begin your lives, together."
He waited for too long for that moment to happen. No doubt, if Rey had just taken his hand, they'd been married. Maybe, Rey would've been pregnant with their first child. Or, possibly, children, through his genetics of his mother and uncle being twins.
He wasn't certain if he would've let the Resistance go, as if forgiving them for destroying Starkiller Base, Destroying one of their Dreadnoughts that resulted killing many of their men and the destruction of the Supremacy... But, maybe, for Rey's sake and a part of him that still cares and loves his mother, they might've tried negotiating some form of peace treaty that would put an end to this neverending war that's been going on for far too long.
It may not rectify for the past mistakes and decisions his parents and uncle made... Nor, would it resolve all the sins he committed. But, it would be a step towards something.
...And, of course, Luke would've continued to live on whatever planet he squandered on to hide himself from the rest of the world. And, really, Kylo wouldn't care if he lived out the rest of his days, alone and a coward for turning his back on his mother and father.
...He would probably try to find him, just to yell at him and call him out for all he did... But, it was likely, that he wouldn't kill Luke, like how he tried to kill him in his sleep, seven years ago.
And while he's greatly satisfied that Luke had passed on, there's still a part of Kylo that still misses him. He was family and, before he took the boy away to train, he did bonded with Ben a couple of times whenever he comes to visit his sister and brother-in-law.
But, now, his mother is all he has left by blood. Though, once Rey is by his side, he'll have a family of his own and children to love and raise alongside his Sonellia to continue the family bloodline. Meaning, he and Rey won't be the only ones left in their family.
They'll never be alone, and their children won't have to suffer what their parents endured from their own childhood.
"Supreme Leader?" Pryde questioned, awaiting the orders to be given.
There was no need to waste any more time. It's time to find Rey, and have her back in his arms.
"Proceed, General Pryde. It's time to put an end to this game."
"All right, we got it!" Rose cheered, giving a thumbs-up to Poe to let him know that the engine to his X-Wing isn't making the rattling sound and is sounding exactly like it should.
Given the signal, Poe turned his ship off, as he jumped out of the cockpit and flashed his friends and girlfriend a happy-go-lucky smile.
"That's about does it." He announced, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Our ships are up and running."
"Yeah, but we're still stuck on Sarvchi until the others finish up." Finn pointed out, jerking a thumb towards the ships that Gial and his group are working on. "We may even end up having to help them with their ships, should they take too long to fix the damages on their X-Wings."
"Which wouldn't be surprising, if they're doing it on purpose to spite us." Jessika replied, folding her arms over her chest.
"Guys! Guys!" A voice called out to them, drawing their attention to see Connix running towards them from the Resistance transportation, with Beebee-Ate rolling ahead of her to get to the group first.
The droid beeped frantically at Poe, slightly whimpering.
Poe's eyes widened from his droid's anxious beeping.
"What?!"
Jessika, Rose and Finn, understanding what Beebee just said, turned to Connix, who finally joined and panting.
"Is this true?" Jessika asked, fear hinted in her voice, as Poe ran for his X-Wing.
"We need to leave! Now!" Finn exclaimed, heading for another X-Wing close to Poe.
...When, without warning, red-beams came down and destroyed the X-Wing.
After falling on his back, Finn sees TIE Fighters in the sky and shooting at their X-Wings.
Poe, being ahead of the others and with Beebee-Ate in tow, was able to get into the air and start shooting at some of the TIE Fighters. Also joining him in the air, are Snap, Wedge and Urcos.
Jessika's X-Wing, to her dismay, suffered the same fate as Finn's ship, along with the other seven X-Wings they had... And some of their members lost their lives, after getting the report that the First Order came to Sarvchi and tried to engage combat to at least defend their ship and general.
Saile, who nearly got blown up, screamed.
"Everyone, to the transportation!" He urged, already heading for the Resistance transportation. "We must protect General Orga-!"
A TIE Silencer, out of nowhere, blasted at the ground... Killing Urcos, while damaging the transportation.
"Saile!" Rose cried out. She hated him, but that didn't mean she doesn't value his well-being. Let alone, wanted him or the others to die.
"We need to get to the ship!" Connix cried, covering her face when debris flew near her.
"Finn, come on!" Jessika urged, pulling the still stunned Finn to follow them. "We need to arm ourselves, and protect General Organa!"
Her words brought him out of his state of shock and ran with the girls, grabbing Rose's hand so they wouldn't get separated.
In the air, Poe and Beebee-Ate had their hands full with shooting down the enemy, while also having to dodge.
Beebee-Ate, after they nearly got shot by A TIE Fighter from above, thanks to Snap coming in to the rescue, beeped rapidly and frantic.
"Stay focus, Beebee!" Poe cried, forcing his ship to make a sharp turn and do a helix roll to dodge some of the blasts coming in front of them. "If we get hit, I'm gonna need you to help us land and to keep fighting back!"
Again, the droid beeped, telling them that their likelihood on surviving would be slim to none.
"Happy beeps, Beebee! Happy beeps!"
A few blasts came down, almost getting the left-wing of his ship, promoting him to pull up and fly over the TIE Fighter that nearly got him.
...Then, without warning, a blast made contact with his right-wing, causing fire to cover the metal and pieces of metal to burn and detach from his ship.
As soon as he was hit, Poe had to force himself to drive down for the ground, while keeping his ship straight.
"Beebee, I need you to continue to keep shooti-!"
Another blast made contact. This time, at his gun, jamming it and non-responsive to his command or Beebee-Ate when trying to get it to move.
Instantly, Poe hit the button to communicate with Snap and Urcos.
"I'm hit!" He yelled. "Beebee and I are going to land! You two be care-!"
"They got me, too!" Snap cut him off, as another TIE Fighter shot the back of his X-Wing and setting the back of his ship on fire! "I'm going down!"
"Snap!" Poe cried out, seeing his friend's ship going down to his right and spinning out of control.
"Die, you bastards!" Urcos screamed, charging for the TIE Fighters that shot Poe and Snap.
"Urcos, don't!"
He didn't listen to Poe's warning and, after blindly shooting at the two TIE Fighters, he didn't see a third TIE Fighter coming in from below and shot his ship in three blasts before it imploded into fire.
"Urcos!"
"Poe, we're not gonna make it!" Snap called out. "It's been a literal blast to had fought beside you guys!'
"Snap!"
He couldn't find the words to thank his friend, his fellow brother-in-arms, for fighting alongside him and the Resistance.
Right when he expected to watch Snap to die in an explosion of fire, something unexpected happened.
Two of the TIE Fighters went after the burning ship, as a wing from both ships took hold of a wing... And then, as the two pulled up, taking the wings with it, the X-Wing froze in place in midair.
...And then, to his shock, his ship froze up in the air, a few feet away from the ground.
Immediately, his mind thought that Leia Organa is using the Force to save them... Then, when Beebee-Ate turned to stare behind them, he whimpered and Poe saw that another TIE Fighter hovered behind them.
And though he couldn't see who it was that's inside, his gut told him that it was somebody who can use the Force that's holding his ship over the ground.
And, because of that distraction, he didn't notice two people wearing all black had came up until a Phrik scythe pierced through the window of his cockpit and nearly reached his head of the wielder didn't stop it on time.
Unable to see the face of the figure, made Poe's stomach tie in knots.
"Go for your blaster, and your head will become a trophy for Trudgen's collection."
"Why must this madness take place, when we're here?!" See-Threepio exclaimed, panicking when a blast nearly hit him in the head by a Stormtrooper, if Connix hadn't pulled him down to dodge.
Poe, with perfect aim, shot the soldier, but couldn't celebrate when another Stormtrooper aimed for him and hit him in the shoulder.
"Finn!" Rose cried, as she continued to keep firing her pistol before it imploded by the blaster of another Stormtrooper.
Gail laid on the floor, bleeding from a blast to the chest and leg, as Wedge, whose ship was destroyed from the attack and was left fighting on the ground, stood over his friend, shooting alongside Leia.
"General, we're outnumbered!" He yelled. "We can't keep this up!"
"I know, Wedge!" Leia replied, aiming for a Stormtrooper that tried to enter and ended up falling to the ground. "We can only keep fighting! That's all we can do!"
She knew they're fighting a losing fight. The favor isn't in their hands, and that they're as good as dead.
Still, as her stubborn nature and hope that the Force will give them aid, Leia prays to the Maker that they'll make it out of this fight... That her son, Ben, is still there and, like in space, will spare their lives. Especially, since Rey is part of the Resistance and Ben would know how much they mean to her.
Though, as a blast nearly got her shoulder and left a slight-burn on her clothes, she was starting to consider surrendering.
...Then, as soon as she was thinking to try and lock themselves in to talk about a final stand before she even decides to surrender, all at once, those who still had working blasters all froze in their spots. And, in the middle of the air, their shots froze, too.
As soon as they ceased firing, some of the Stormtroopers entered... Following from behind, a restrained and dazed Poe came in, with one of the Knights of Ren forcing him to obey their order.
"Poe!" Jessika grunted, as the Stormtroopers came and confiscated their weapons and cuffed them.
Phasma, wearing her armor, pointed her blaster at the wounded Gial.
"Take the wounded to our Medical Staff," she ordered some of the Stormtroopers. "And if any try and attack, render them unconscious and taken to the Interrogation Sector, treated or not."
Then, she turned to Finn, who struggled when two of the Stormtroopers grabbed him, as a third Stormtrooper pulled Rose back.
"FN-2187." She said, sounded very please to meet the ex-Stormtrooper and traitor that nearly gotten her killed on the Supremacy. "It's so good to see you, again, after our last encounter."
Finn glared at his ex-captain, wincing from his wound.
"Too bad the feeling isn't neutral, Phasma." He hissed, grunting when one of the Stormtroopers clenched on his injured shoulder. "Though, I have to say, the mark on your helmet is a major improvement to your appearance. I wonder if it helped improved your personality, let alone your ego."
From underneath her helmet, Phasma glared at the traitor.
"Oh, I assure you, FN-2187. It did help me see the cracks that I neglected to overlook, after our last encounter and nearly being burnt alive on the Supremacy." She stated, keeping calm and not let him get to her. "Honestly, the only reason you're still alive and I haven't blasted your head off, is because the Supreme Leader gave strict orders to have prisoners, alive, so we can find the girl."
Again, Finn tried to break free, but winced from his wound and remained in the Stormtroopers' grasps.
She walked towards him, being face-to-face.
"Be glad that it I was that found you first, before my beloved did." She whispered, both taunting him and sounding very threatening to the young-man. "If Kuruk had seen you before I did, he would've blasted you to atoms. However, just because you have Intel on how to find the girl, don't think it'll save you from the wrath of the First Order."
Finn glared at her.
"I'll never tell any of you, especially Kylo Ren, where Rey is." He grunted.
Phasma wasn't fazed, let alone surprised, by his non-compliance to surrender and make their job easier.
"...We'll see. -She turned to the two.- Take him away."
"No, Finn!" Rose screamed, almost breaking free from the Stormtrooper's hold on her as she and the others watches the enemies take Finn, Poe, Gial and the few other of their injured members off the ship.
See-Threepio whimpered in concern, both his hands raised up, as Artoo-Detoo slowly turn and watches a figures slowly walk into the room.
Soon, all turned their heads to the sound of footsteps echoing. And, with many emotion of fear, hatred, admiration and sorrow, watches as the very man, Crossguard and all, along with five of his knights, enter the Command Deck.
Kylo Ren.
Leia wished he wasn't wearing that ridiculous mask, and could see his face. She missed seeing the face of her son. Of the boy she lost, and knows is still alive.
And even with her being held by two Stormtroopers, she wasn't in the least fearful on whispering the one word that brought her so much love... And, so much pain and regret.
"Ben..."
Kylo turned to the elderly-woman, his Crossguard sparking and pulsing with burning passion and rage like its wielder's emotions for his beloved.
"...I finally found you... General."
On Ahch-To...
It rain all day. Pouring, as if the sky is so sad and is crying.
It felt very appropriate for it to pour down.
Rey stood what remains of the Uneti Tree, never minding how soaked her body was getting and how harsh the wind blew against her cloak to make it ruffle rapidly in the wind or causes goosebumps to cover her arms.
She didn't care if she's freezing, being poured on or is starving for both food and sleep.
She doesn't care about anything, anymore. For there was no reason for her to care about... When she'll no longer be part of this world, any longer.
Her empty, cold hazel-eyes stared at the stump. In her left-hand, she held what should be her lightsaber, a lightstaff, but she knows that it'll never truly belong to her.
It was never hers to have, in the very beginning... And it'll never be used by her, or anybody else, ever again.
But, unlike Luke, she isn't going to toss it away, so carelessly. Abandon it... Like garbage.
A deep sigh left her, along with the pulsing of soreness in her lungs and stomach.
'...It has to be done.' She thought, lifting her head and looking at the very-dark sky full of thunderclouds and pouring rain.
She always wanted to see rain, back when she lived on Jakku. To feel it on her skin. She even wanted to dance in a downpour, feet covered in mud and laugh at the refreshing sensation of coolness of water washing away the dirt, blood and grime of what she knows in her life.
Instead, she closed her eyes.
"...It's time..."
On Sarvchi...
Kylo Ren walked towards the very woman who gave birth to him. Who named him after a Jedi that chose to hide like a coward and show Luke a path that made him repeat history.
"You know why I'm here." He said, turning his Crossguard off and putting it away in its holster. "Where is she?"
Before Leia could reply, Wedge made a comment, first.
"Are you kriffing for real?!" He yelled, being held by two Stormtroopers. "We should've shipped her off to some Maker forsaken planet, months ago, if it was going to lead to this!"
"Wedge!" Leia yelled back, turning her head to glare at the angry pilot.
Kylo, also, turned to the pilot. And he wasn't in the least impressed by his choice for words.
"I would advise you to hold your tongue. Otherwise, you'll be the first to have it cut out by my lightsaber." He threatened. "Also-..."
He outstretched a hand towards Wedge, using the Force to grab him by the neck and pull him into his grasp.
"If you dare speak of her as such, let alone of despicable action to turn your back on a wonderful, loyal woman, I won't hold back to have your head on a pike."
The lowe-tone in his voice made him even more intimidating, especially to the old pilot who shivered in pure terror to his threat, as he tried to remove himself from his grasp.
"Oh, my." See-threepio whimpered, as Kylo tossed his victim to the ground and the two Stormtroopers came to take the pilot back into their care.
He turned back to his mother, who gave him a look that was mixed with disappointment, unease and regret.
It made him irritated and sick to his stomach that she didn't do anything to get them to stop speaking so ill-filly and so disrespectful about Rey.
"It be best to not waste my time, General." He suggested. "Now, tell me: Where is Rey?"
"Ben..." Leia said, again.
This time, Kylo cut her off.
"I'm no longer that weak, pathetic boy you feared and abandoned." He hissed.
Her sad look was replaced with pride, stubbornness and determination.
"It doesn't matter which name you choose to go by. You're still my son, Ben." She argued. "And I never thought of you as pathetic. Whatever Snoke had told you, was all a lie."
Kylo groaned to her word.
"...I know that now, days before he was killed. Before then, however, you had me believe his words to being the truth... Especially, after my uncle, your own brother, tried to kill me in my sleep."
The Resistance had mixed responses to his claim.
"Lies!" One yelled.
"It can't be true!" Jessika cried, not wanting to believe he was their general's son more than that Luke Skywalker tried to kill his own blood.
"Luke Skywalker would never do something so heinous, so diabolically evil, that a Sith would do!" Wedge exclaimed. "We know the truth! You turned to the Dark Side when you desired for more power, took some of his students to turn into Sith Worshipers and killed the rest of the innocent children! You're just as evil, as corrupted as Darth Vader!"
Before Kylo could tell him off, Ap'lek walked in. Coming behind him, is Trudgen.
"And how, let alone why, did he became Darth Vader in the first place, when the Jedis could've prevented his turning from happening if they'd did something that they knew would cause him to fall?" He growled, walking over to him and holding up the blade of his Mandalorian Executioner Vibro-Ax to nearly touch the pilot's face. "And don't ever label us as Sith Worshipers, again, or the last thing your friends will hear coming from you are your screams."
"Leave him alone!" Connix yelled, trying to break free and protect her comrade, despite isn't on good terms with for the way he degraded and even discussed about abandoning Rey.
Ap'lek, with his mask on, turned and simply stared at the blonde.
Wanting the conflict to end, Leia spoke out.
"Ben, please, stop this madness!" She begged, slowly getting to her feet to be a close to being eye-level with her son as possible. "You don't have to do this! You can still come back to the Light! Come back home! To-..."
"You?" He cut off.
...Then, to the Resistance's shock, pulled his Crossguard lightsaber out and ignited it, again. He held it out, as if to show her something that she didn't notice that was on it.
"I killed Han Solo, with this very lightsaber." He revealed. "...At least, that's what you were told on what happened, by that traitor you welcomed into your rebellion. What you didn't know, was that it wasn't me that, willingly, ignited it to kill him... Snoke, using the Force, forced me to take his life, the instant it was turned to end his life."
"Lies! More lies!" Wedge yelled, which earned him a punch to the gut by Ap'lek.
"Interrupt or call him as such, again, and I'll make due to my promise." He warned.
"Honestly, since he likes to play innocent and have others forget that he and some of the other Rebel-Scum are pieces of Bantha-shit by calling our leader a title that they, themselves, are, I'd say due him away, already, Ap'lek." Trudgen commented, leaning against the wall with his vibrocleaver resting behind head.
The wincing pilot glared at the Knight of Ren that suggested he should be killed.
"How dare you?" He grunted, spitting out some blood from the punch. "We're trying to bring peace, hope and freedom to the galaxy! All the First Order brings is nothing but chaos, fear, enslavement and, most of all, death and destruction!"
Phasma intervened.
"That may be true, when we were under the former Supreme Leader. But, since Supreme Leader Kylo Ren took over, all we've done is bring a new order to the galaxy and had been making peace with the planets, ever since. -She then turned her blaster towards him.- Though, I can't say the same with you and your group, from the few reports we gained from some of our bases getting ambushed and the attacks on our troops conveying the area."
"We were trying to free our friends, and the few supplies we were able to snag!" A female Resistance member protested.
"Which happened to be our rightful payment and delivery, through trades we initiated with other planets, to help spread their seeds to different planets to help increase the food growths." Phasma stated, not in the least moved by their reason for stealing from them.
Kylo, irritated that they were getting off the subject, again, he turned to his mother.
"You will tell me where Rey is, General, if you truly value the lives of your rebellion, thieving, backstabbing people." He threatened, pointing his lightsaber towards Wedge. "Starting with one of the many that dare label her as a Troq and even suggested on abandoning her on some foreign planet, while he and his companion seek safety on Takodana."
The fifty-three year-old woman looked between her son and the pilot that fought alongside her, Luke, Han, Chewie, Lando and the Old Resistance. She does value his life, just as she values all lives in the Resistance and all across the galaxy. Yet, she knew that whatever choice she makes will have dire consequences.
She only hope that his feelings for Rey will aid them in their survival.
"Even if we were to tell you where she is, you'll take us as your prisoners and Rey will never forgive you if you harm her friends." She told her son. "Not only that, but all droids and ships has had their memory banks erased of any knowledge of the planet she and Chewie went to. But, if you're willing to work alongside us, rather than enslave us, I should be able to contact the Millennium Falco-"
"Rey had informed me of that information, the last time we connected through the Force-Bond." Kylo cut her off, not in the least moved by her bargaining. "And you know, as well as I, that not everyone in the Resistance are viewed as her friends. Even if she does care for them, they don't return the favor and had decided to see her as the cause to their problem. Which, I know is to be true, thanks to our little messenger that informed us of your whereabouts."
"Who, also, happened to record every moment your men would go into town to celebrate her being gone and spend your own credits as if you won the war." Another voice added, who walked into the room and revealed to being Bazine.
She smirked proudly at the stunned Resistance. More so towards Wedge and most of the Resistance, who she knows were just as thrilled that Rey left as the five men that started the blame game did.
"When you care for your own, you're very hard to find when staying hidden under radar. But, have a bunch of self-centered bastards that throws safety and caution in the wind, then you become easy pickings for anybody to get their hands on." She informed them, holding out her watch-like equipment and showing them a holographic wanted poster of Wedge. "Plus, credits do help motivate others to finding you. Although, -Her smug smirk left her face and she turned her equipment away, glaring at the Resistance.- it wasn't just the credits that gave me a very good reason to have you found and taken by the First Order. -She turned her gaze to Leia.- And it's all thanks to your general, because she has to tell you all about the Force-Bond between the Supreme Leader and the girl, that all of you had been put in this position and will be in a worse spot, if you don't tell him where his Sonellia is hiding at."
Leia's eyes widened at the title the mercenary had said. Her brown-eyes turned to her son.
"...I was right," she gasped out. "You-..."
"Whatever you assumed that was going between me and Rey, can't hide the fact that you informing your group of our Force-Bond and having them learn, through those kriffing Jedi Texts your own brother had decided to put his own opinion on the important topic of a Force-Bond and Force-Dyad, had done nothing but brought pain and rejection to her!" He cut her off. "For months, she had pushed me back, blocked me from trying to talk to her. And on the days that I could get through to her, I would find her exhausted, barely conscious to focus, and appearing to be ill! -He turned to the captured group, knowing they won't see his face because of the helmet, but want to make it clear that what he he has to say to them is important.- Not once, during the time the Force would have us see each other, had she ever said anything about the location of your group and had always looked out for your well-beings! And in exchange for her kindness, many of you had chosen to shun her! To blame her for the fall of the Resistance, when she wasn't the very reason why you're now captured and outnumbered!"
"And still doesn't change the fact that it's her that you want, and why you're hunting us down and taking us away as your prisoners!" A Resistance member yelled back. "We kept telling General Organa that we should've sent you the girl, as soon as we learnt that you issued a bounty on all of our heads and had requested that Rey be brought into First Order's custody!"
"Funny that you would say that, since I recorded your many conversations and my recordings tell a different story." Bazine replied, flashing the member a smirk of a smile. "So, if I were you, I wouldn't lie in front of the Supreme Leader, unless you want to be put to work on Geonosis with the many dangerous, wanted criminals working there."
"Ben, please listen!" Leia cried out. "All of our database on Ahch-To are gone, but Chewie should call in, very so-"
"Ahch-To, is it? -Hearing the name of the planet, Kylo turned his lightsaber off and turned to Trudgen.- Inform Alligeiant General Pryde to look for any sign of the planet Ahch-To. Though, if I had to guess which Region it would be on, since Luke would want to stay hidden, it would have to be the Unknown Region."
"Of course, Master." Trudgen replied, and quickly took off.
Kylo turned to Phasma.
"Take them to the holding cells... Have General Organa in an Isolation Cell, one of my knights will go with you to suppress her Force Powers."
"Understood, Supreme Leader." The captain answered, and instructed the Stormtroopers to take their captured prisoners out of the Resistance transportation to their own transpersonal ship.
"Ben!" Leia called out, again. "You can't go rushing on Ahch-To, and expect Rey to join you or to at least listen to what you have to say!"
"You're right, General. I can't expect her to listen to anything I have to say." The thirty year-old confirmed, turning his head to stare at her. "For I had connected with her through the Force, hours ago, and, after she chose to take her frustration out on me until she was too drained to lift her lightstaff, had to hear her call our Bond, the connection that we, not Snoke, made to each other, was a curse and had requested that I be the one to sever our Force-Bond with the Sever-Force!"
Jessika, Connix and Rose's eyes widened at when they heard the seething pain in his tone, especially when he slammed an open-hand on his chest, over his heart.
"It's because of us, all of us, had pushed her to that breaking point and left her to pick up the pieces that we caused! Including you, yourself, Mother, as soon as you learned about our Force-Bond and put Rey on the spotlight to use her to get to me!"
Leia couldn't see his face, but she sense, their the Force, that he was in pain and scared. No, terrified, for Rey.
"...You can still come back home, Ben." She tried. "Just stop this, and I'll be able to talk through to Rey that what she feels for you is rea-"
"Are you even listening to what he just said, General?" Ap'lek hissed, taking a step beside his master. "Your desire to having the boy you tossed aside to come back, is what drove him away when you believed his power is nothing but evil for being the Dark Side of the Force and not the Light Side. And now, you've done it, again! This time, with the girl that trusted you as if you were her own mother and refused to believe that she's the Master's Sonellia! Even now, you preventing him to comense his search for the one who is to be our Empress and not giving us any possible leads as to finding the girl, shows how selfish you and your group are being! And if we don't find he-!"
"AHHHH!"
A yell, so massive. So painful, echoed all around them.
...And, to everyones shock, it came from Kylo Ren, himself, who grasped his helmet with both hands and fell to his knees.
"NOO! NOOOOO!"
Leia called out to her son, trying to break free to get to him.
"Ben!"
Ap'lek kneeled beside his leader.
"Master?" He cried. "What's happening?"
Kylo, as if his mind was being probed, screamed in bloody murder. The modulator made a static sound to his screams, making some wince from the volume of his voice, but none can deny that they can hear the pain in his cry.
"NOOOOO!" He cried out. "...REEEY!"
Underneath his own mask, Ap'lek's eyes widened in horror. He now realizes on what's going on.
He turned to a stop struggling Leia.
"Leia Organa, you must tell us where Ahch-To is, right now!" He yelled. "We must get Kylo to Rey, now!"
"What's going on?!" Jessika yelled. "Why are you so obsessed with getting Rey?! She doesn't have any part with this war! She doesn't even want to keep fighting, anymore! Why do you still go after he-?!"
"Because he loves her!" Bazine yelled, who was talking through her communicator to some friends of her off they knew where Ahch-To is. "Why else do you think he wants her by his side, even after destroying your base on Ajan Kloss and still looking for the lot of you?! And now, because of you fools, she may have already saw the last sunset of her life! Killed herself!"
Kylo screamed her name, again. And, with a hand outstretched, he ripped a good portion of the ship right off and launched it forward. And, shoving past a concerned Ap'lek, launched himself through the hole, landing roughly on his side.
"REEEEEY!"
Leia's eyes flood with tears, both for the cries of anguish, sorrow and terror in her son's voice... And, the news that she didn't want to believe to be true about the girl she came to view as her own daughter.
Rose, openly, bawled into tears, falling to her knees, with her captors by her side.
"Rey!" She cried.
"It can't be true! It can't be!" Jessika yelled, but the anguish and tears on her face showed her distress.
Ap'lek, snarling at nobody listening, matched over to Leia... And, to everyone's disbelief, removed his helmet to show his true face to the fifty-three year-old woman.
"Leia," He hissed. "You must tell us the coordinates to Ahch-To. If you truly care, love your son and truly know what's at stake if we don't reach to her on time, you must tell us."
The middle-aged general shook her head.
"I can't," she answered. "The coordinates are very precise of its location, that one mistake will lead us to another planet. Not only that, I only recall half of its coordinates and nobody else knows the rest of the code. If Rey had taken her Homing Beacon, we would've been able to trace it back to her, but she left it behind. The only way for us to find them, is if Chewie contacts us right no-"
"I have the coordinates."
In the back, Connix, with her head low, spoke out.
He can't feel it. He can't feel anything... Only the numbing sensation of fiery pain, and the void of emptiness.
Kylo's entire body felt caged, claustrophobic and constricted, as he bit his lip to have something to stay focus, as he pushed his TIE Silencer to go faster within Hyperspace to get to Ahch-To faster. His eyes are wild, almost feral-like, as his body shook and his hands grasped tightly to the controls, to the point that they nearly bent to his sheer strength, alone.
His heart slammed heavily against his chest, as if it was trying to break free from the cage that's his body, away from the venom that is the numbing pain coursing through his entire being the longer he remains in the tunnel of the Hyperspace.
"...Reeeey..." He grunted between his teeth, ignoring the few blood that escaped from the wound underneath his teeth.
He didn't want to believe it. He can't believe it. He won't believe it.
...Yet, there was no denying it.
...
...Rey had finally taken that step...
...
...
...And, had taken matter into her own hands, to completely sever herself from him and their bond... Permanently.
Just as his grandfather had warned him, that those final words of warning.
" Death is a slave's freedom."
"Death is a slave's freedom."
"Death is a-..."
" Death..."
" Death..."
"...DEATH!"
"NO!" Ben screamed, pushing his ship to go faster, not caring if he could lose control at any moment and crash into a Sarlacc Pit or into the belly of a Exogorth.
He needs to get to her. He has to be there, and save her.
"Ten-thousand enemies wait at my door. I wait for freedom soon, can't take much more.
I feel the whole Earth shake. Brought to my knees.
Although ten-thousand strong, I shall be free."
What felt like an eternity, Kylo soon found himself out of Hyperspace and flying over a vast ocean, through the pouring rain and heavy lightning flashing down, heading for a large-island that gave him the clear sign where Rey and Chewie are, all thanks to seeing the Millennium Falcon on the bottom of the island.
...In the pouring rain, he could barely make out a large, brown, soaking mass of fur standing in the rain. Its head raised in the air, appearing to be yelling, screaming, howling at the sky.
He knows that it's Chewie... His Uncle Chewie.
"I hear the sweetest sound. Blowing from the north.
It's says, 'Don't panic now'.
What's mine is yours."
Even with his ship pushed to go faster and would result to crash landing, as the Son of the Legendary Han Solo, Kylo Ren is as much of a skilled pilot as the Famous Pilot of Corellia and was quick to angle his ship for landing and slowing it down, all the while dodging lightning from hitting him.
On the ground, Chewie watches the TIE Silencer nearly hit the Falcon and land roughly on the ground. He didn't need to guess as to who it was that's here.
His Porgs, all huddled underneath the ramp to avoid getting wet, with curious black-eyes, watches a stranger jumping out of the ship and making a beeline for a still mourning Chewie.
It was freezing cold, even with his suit covering his entire body. Still, with just his head exposed to the element, the heavy pebble of rain splashing down on him, made his breathing rattle from the cold temperature and his barely contained hold on not to let the empty void swallow him whole and give in to the harsh reality the longer he wastes time to getting to Rey.
"...Chewie...!" He hissed, both from cold and his emotions being forced back.
The Wookiee stared down at him, blinking slowly... A tear, or one of the many raindrops, rolled down the corner of his eye.
A whimper left him, followed by a low rumble.
"...Starfighter..." He whispered, using a name that he used to call Ben, all those years ago.
"I hope ten-thousand times, you tell me the truth.
'Cause now there's much to do.
I trust in you.
I shall be free."
"...Where...?" Kylo choked out, fists shaking.
...Chewie clenched his eyes, his lips quivering from fighting to not scream into the sky, again.
"...She lost-... The way, to stay... She's-"
"Chewie!" Kylo yelled, as lightning struck at the same time he yelled to cut him off. "Where is she?!"
The Wookiee kept whimpering, shaking his head... Then, he lifted his head towards the the staircase, towards the village. Roaring out another rumble of pain and mourning.
"I FAILED TO SAVE HER!" His voiced rumbled. "I FAILED LITTLE LIGHT!"
The cold, heavy grasp of the void clenched tightly to his heart, forcing Kylo to hunch over and grasp to his chest.
He felt his control slipping, and his body was going to give out on him, again.
Many thoughts were going through his mind... Most of which, involves killing most of the Resistance that he captured and forced to work under him, destroying Jakku and learning all who lived on that dustball of a planet that were able to evacuate off the planet to kill them, kill every single prisoners on every planet in the galaxy, destroy all planet that indulge enslavement, with the inhabitants still living on those planets.
...And then, when there's nothing left for him to kill... Allow himself to slip into madness, in complete isolation on Mustafar, in the castle that once belong to his grandfather... Live in the illusion of what might've been, if Rey hadn't been taken from him, until he eventually passes on and rejoins her in the void of the Force, itself.
"We shall be free..."
With all of his strength, he pushed through the pain and started taking off up the steps.
"...Please..." He whispered, eyes frantically searching for anything that could help him find his Bond-Mate.
"Truth be free as the sparrow
Come join me, come join me
Come by all."
He sees a female-Lanai standing outside of a hut, holding and rocking a wailing infant in her arms, as her husband stands beside her. Both appear to be in mourning, as they huddle against each other.
The two sees the trembling human. Clearly, they don't know him, but they knew why he's here.
Kylo didn't want them to be the first to die by his hands.
Before he could force out a word to them, both of the Lanais looked towards a faint trail up the hill to their right.
In his gut, he knew that they were pointing him the way to her.
"Oh, what dreams I've been dreaming
Of a sweet, sweet march to freedom.
Freedom, freedom."
He took off running, pushing himself to keep running. To hurry. To not stop, until he finds her and has her in his arms.
"Sojourn it will be, sojourn it will be."
'Don't take her...! Maker, DON'T TAKE HER FROM ME!'
He soon hears the wailing, croaking sounds of many voices... And, running up the hill, he sees more Lanais coming into view.
Many are kneeling on the ground, wailing... Only a few, being the female-Lanais, are circling over something, underneath a burnt stump of a tree.
Kylo was positive, deep in his soul, he knows what they're circling over.
"Oh, freedom, freedom."
"...No..." He whispered, pushing himself to run.
The Lanais all turned to stare at him.
"...No...!" He grunted, avoiding the natives and reaching the small-group.
...When they backed away, he saw red and his heart might as well stopped.
"NOO!"
"Oh, freedom..."
He fell to his knees, crawling the rest of the few feet to get to the figure on the ground, covered by a dark-brown blanket.
He now hovered over the figure, and immediately pulled them into his arms. Into his lap... He knew that he's sitting in a pool of blood.
With a shaky hand, he pulled the blanket back... The fabric slipped from his gloved-fingers, as he's met with the haunting sight.
"...Freedom."
Rey, with a calm, exhausted... Happy expression on her face. Eyes closed. Hair down. Pale-skin.
...
...
...
...
...In her right-hand, her scavenging-knife... The blade covered in blood... As the left-side of her neck is covered, and overflowing with blood.
TBC
*: There's been a rumor that Han was the one who ignited his lightsaber and committed suicide, in his attempt to get his son to go back to Leia... I like to think that, in another way, that Snoke was the one, with the power of the Dark Side, to make Ben ignite it. Which, actually, could've also happened.
10,000 Enemies, sung by: Emeli Sandé. A song that was sang on Watership Down, the 2018 remake of Watership Down 1978 film, based off of the Watership Down adventure novel back in 1972. You can find the show on Netflix... It's not bad... But, it's not good, either. Honestly, you'd be better off, let alone prefer, watching the original film in 1978 or even the children's television series of Watership Down, than the 2018 remake film... Trust me...
R&R