Disclaimer: Star Wars is the property and creation of Lucas Film and Disney. I own none of the characters and places mentioned in this story.
Special thanks to my beta-reader Chridder (from AO3) for helping me out with this.
"Landa Solo?" Rey asked herself dumbfounded.
Was she Kylo's sister?
Rey knew that Kylo had other siblings. She'd met Jaina and Anakin ,once, after Han died, but not Landa. She'd never even heard anything about her.
Rey didn't know what was about to happen, but she knew she'd do everything in her power to stop the two of them from killing each other.
While this was going on through Rey's mind, Landa considered her next move very carefully. She knew that in normal circumstances, she wouldn't stand a chance against her older half brother.
When it came to midi-chlorians, he had a higher count than her. Even when they were Luke's students, there were feats that he was able to do so easily while she struggled for months or was unable to. But right now she had an advantage.
Kylo was wounded and there was a slim chance she could survive this encounter. Or at least to take him down with her.
"Why are you doing this? You know you don't have a chance against me, so why would you want to throw your life away?" Kylo asked with coldness.
"Because you killed my father and Tai! The man I loved!" Landa replied with venom in her voice.
Her words cut him deep. Even now he was haunted by killing his father. As for Tai, he was his only friend he ever had. His death was the final straw that pushed him to the dark side. Had Tai lived, maybe he wouldn't have become a monster.
"You're right. I killed both of them and I enjoyed it!" Kylo added with glee.
If everyone thought he was a monster, he might as well play the part.
"And I will let you on another secret. After you ran away, Tai found solace pretty fast in Voe's arms. So I doubt that he loved you at all!"
Deflection and derision. To keep at bay and off balance. These were Kylo Ren's tactics.
And he didn't have to wait long for Landa to come straight at him.
In a fit of rage, Landa Force pushed Rey to the side and threw the knife that was at Rey's throat in Kylo's direction to distract him. And with a fierce cry, she activated her purple lightsaber and went straight for him.
Kylo Ren was thrilled at the prospect of a fight. It has been too long since he fought against someone, so anyone would do, even his half younger sister. Even if she wasn't Kira Palpatine.
Soon their fight, which up to that moment was block, pivot and slash attempts, became a game of brute strength,of who will be able to push their lightsabers against the throat of the opponent.
Landa was losing energy fast, so she made a split-second decision to fight dirty. She raised one of her hands from her light saber, seemingly to use a Force push against Kylo Ren with him mimicking her move to counterattack.
And that's when she pulled another knife from her sleeve and slashed him across the chest where the space wolves had wounded him. Then for good measure, she kicked him in the same area and jumped a few feet away.
Kylo staggered for a moment due to the shock of the attack and because some of his wounds reopened and he could feel the blood soaking his bandages.
He had enough of this fight, so he outstretched his hand and used Force choke on Landa. She brought her hands to her throat, clawing at the invisible hands choking her.
Her lightsaber dropped off, sliding across Force knows where.
Then he started taking small, menacing steps towards her until he got in front of her.
"You made a fool out of me long enough. Now you can join Han Solo on the other side!" Kylo added, venom lacing his words as he raised his light saber for the killing blow.
But raising his lightsaber was all he did. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a purple light next to his throat.
Then he turned his head slightly behind and saw Rey holding the purple lightsaber.
"Let her go or I'll chop your head off!" Rey commanded firmly.
To say he felt betrayed at that moment would be an understatement. For a moment, his mind went black with a blinding pain. The very first person in a very long time he thought had his back, the one he almost died for... wanted to kill him.
Rey was watching frozen in fear the fight between Kylo Ren and Landa, waiting for an opening so that she could put a stop to the fight.
When Landa's light saber slided closer to her, she seized the chance. She took the lightsaber and very slowly and silently went behind Kylo, hoping against all the odds that her next move will stop him from killing his sister in cold blood. She had no intention of hurting him.
Unfortunately, her plan didn't work so well.
The moment she used an empty threat against him, all the windows from the hallway shattered and in one swift move Kylo turned around and knocked out the purple lightsaber from her hands using his.
Then she started taking small steps away from him with him coming very slowly towards her.
Rey felt the anger and darkness that were leaking off Kylo in waves. She realized in that moment that he could kill her off for good this time, just like he almost killed Ken a while back.
She was so terrified of him that the moment Kylo got in front of her, only inches away separating their bodies, she passed out in fright.
The moment Rey's body began to slump forward, falling into his chest, his rage cooled and all that remained was shame and emptiness.
He looked back at his sister who was still in the Force choke and used the Force to put her to sleep.
After summoning two stormtroopers to put his sister in a cell, he retrieved the purple lightsaber and carried Rey in his arms in one of the guest rooms.
He knew one thing for fragile trust that was between him and Rey was now fractured.
Rey felt so warm and safe sitting in front of the fireplace with Ken while he was trying to teach her how to read. All was well until the black-clad figure of Kylo Ren came and impaled Ken from behind through the chest with his lightsaber.
Rey awoke with a gasp and noticed she was laying in a bed, a blanket drawn over her and her slippers missing from her feet.
Almost immediately she noticed the form of Kylo Ren slumped in a chair at the bottom of the bed, looking at her as she was asleep.
"Pleasant dreams?" he asked mockingly.
"Not really, no," Rey answered curtly while she pulled her knees to her chest, trying to put distance between herself and her betrothed.
"Why I'm still here?" Rey asked with hesitation, afraid that her question will set him off again.
"Isn't obvious? You passed out and I brought you here waiting for you to wake up, " Kylo replied with disdain, like she was an annoyance for him. Gone was his gentle side that she saw it in the last few days.
In the silence that followed, Rey stared at him, wondering if he understood what she meant by her question or if he was playing dumb, to lull her into a false sense of security and then...
He titled his head in her direction as if she had just spoken aloud. Panic flared in the pit of her stomach at Kylo reading more than just these thoughts.
"If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you already," Kylo added sharply.
"Unlike you, I'm no coward attacking people from behind."
Rey had it. She wasn't about to back down and let Kylo misunderstand her actions.
"I had no intention of harming you, Ben Solo ! I just wanted to stop you from making another mistake. One that could haunt you for life!" Rey shouted, enraged.
But that was the wrong thing to say because as soon as Rey finished her sentence, Kylo was upon her hitting the headboard with his fist strong enough that he left a dent right next to her head.
"I don't know nor care how you know that name but if you ever utter it in my presence again, I will make sure that you will suffer dearly, lady Kenobi!" Kylo bellowed menacingly. His mask only a few centimetres away from her face.
But his threat didn't deter Rey in the slightest. Maybe it was the adrenaline or something else that pushed her forward, but Rey kept her line of questioning while looking where she thought his eyes were.
"What happened to your sister? Did you kill her?" Rey asked in a whisper.
"You really don't know when to shut up, don't you?" Kylo asked, shaking with anger.
Rey smirked as if to mock him.
"Kill me and be done with it," Rey replied calmly.
But instead of falling for her ruse Kylo replied to her.
"She's alive. For now."
Rey let out a breath in relief. Landa was still alive, but she then realized that most probably Landa will be tortured and executed later.
"What will happen to her?" Rey asked concerned.
"That depends on whether you will accept my proposal or not," Kylo added in barely contained anger.
"What proposal?" Rey asked with curiosity.
Author notes:
First of all I want to apologize for taking me so long to update.
I hope you liked the little tidbits about Landa Solo.
So what do you think about this chapter?
Also I want to let you all know that the next chapter will be released somewhere in 2021.
And this being said I want to wish you all: Merry Christmas!
Feel free to leave a review.
Until next time!