Chapter 13
Elsi felt like she was her old self again. Her old jedi robes stood out among the crowd of resistance fighters who were frantically rushing around to get ready for battle. Luckily they were all so busy preparing that only a handful of people turned to stare at her new look.
Many of the ships in the hanger were preparing for take-off.
Glancing around, Elsi could see Poe rushing past Finn, giving a quick slap to Finns shoulder. Finn was still wearing Poe's jacket. At least they had a good friendship. Poe continued towards his black X-wing nodding towards Elsi when he saw her, then proceeded to his ship as BB-8 was pulled up into his seat.
Spotting Han in the distance, she followed him as he briskly walked over to the falcon to finish preparations. Han was barking orders at Chewie when she was in earshot.
"Chewie, check that donal capitator. Come on. Let's go." Han threw his hands up in frustration. Elsi knew he was just nervous about the mission ahead. "Finn, be careful with those - they're explosives."
"Now you tell me?" Elsi let out a chuckle at Finns response.
Hearing her a short distance behind him, Han turns around to face her. His face pales as he sees Elsi in her old jedi robes. He was reminded of the past, of his son.
"Nice look kid. More like the old you." Han forces out a small smile.
"Yeh well, they were just laying around, decided it was the right time for a change." She smiled up at him, before her look turned serious. "I'm going with you Han."
"What? No, no you're not, you're staying here, with Leia, where its safe."
"This place isn't safe Han and you know it. Besides, I have to do this."
Han placing a hand comfortably on her shoulder. "No you don't. Ill speak to him, make him see reason."
Elsi looked at Han with a stern look, reiterating her point. "I have to do this. My mission is not over."
Han looks down defeated, dropping his arms down by his sides. "There's no changing your mind is there?"
"Nope."
Han sighs but gestures behind himself. "Well then get to work and go help Chewie check the engines."
"Eye eye captain." She mock salutes him, he just ruffles her hair as she walks past.
She could see Leia approaching Han out of the corner of her eye. Hopefully they would make up before they left. Who knew if any of them would survive this.
Elsi approaches Finn who stares at her jedi robes and lightsaber in shock.
"You really are a jedi then? Like Luke Skywalker?"
It took Elsi a moment to respond. It had been so long since she had considered herself a jedi that she almost forgot what it felt like. Having accepted her old role back, she nodded at Finn.
Seeing that she didn't want to talk about it any longer, Finn didn't question her anymore. Instead he asked her what she was doing there and whether she was coming with them.
After providing Finn and Chewie with a vague explanation as to why she was joining their team, it was time to say goodbye to Leia.
"I'll do my absolute best to bring him back Leia. I promise you that."
"I love you Elsi, like you were my own daughter." She brushed her hand gently across Elsi's cheek. "Just make sure you come back to me as well."
Elsi pulled Leia in for a hug.
"I will Leia and thank you – for everything."
It wasn't long before the millennium falcon was shooting across space and into hyperdrive.
Finn, Han, Chewie and Elsi each stare out of the Falcons cockpit window as they approach Starkiller base. Elsi could sense both Rey and Kylo Ren's presence as they got nearer.
"How are we getting in?" Finn questioned.
"Their shields have a fractional refresh rate. Keeps anything traveling slower than lightspeed from getting through." Han's words caused shock to rush through Elsi as she realised what that meant.
"We're gonna make our landing approach at lightspeed?!"
Chewie roars his own agreement that the plan is crazy.
"Alright, Chewie, get ready."
Chewie groans out that he's ready, whilst Han checks the panel indicators.
20 seconds pass by until Han shouts out. "And Now!"
Chewie and Han hit the switches for hyper speed.
The whole environment shifts as the falcon jumps instantly from hyper speed to Starkiller bases' planet. They were flying 100 feet above the snowy, rocky ground heading for the thick forest.
Chewie groans at Han telling him to pull up.
"I am pulling up!" Han retorts.
The falcon rushes through the trees, smashing through branches and shooting towards the sky.
Han tries his best to steer the ship, struggling to keep it from crashing.
Chewie roars for him to go higher.
"I get any higher, they'll see us!" Han makes the ship dive again back down into the trees.
"Hold onto something." Elsi grabs onto the seat in front of her.
The ship passes a forest clearing and hurtles through the treeline, slamming down into the snow. All of them jolt forward as the ship sharply stops, half buried in the snow.
Meanwhile, an imperial officer heads towards Kylo Ren. "Sir, she was not found in hangar 718 but all troops are on alert."
Kylo points his finger at the officer. "Put every hangar on lock-down. She's going to try to steal a ship to—" Ben was cut off as he sensed something familiar enter the planets' atmosphere. "Han Solo." He walks forward but senses another presence as well. "Elsi."
At least she was safe from the weapon that was charged to destroy the rebel base. The question that remained was why was she here?
Only one way to find out.
They all ran across the snowy terrain, rushing as fast as they could to get inside the base undetected and safely. Some stormtroopers appear around the corner so they take cover behind a large structure.
"The flooding tunnels are over that ridge. We'll get in that way." Finn explains.
"What was your job when you were based here?"
Finn looked hesitant when answering. "Sanitation."
"Sanitation? Then how do you know how to disable the shields?!" Han exclaimed.
Elsi wanted to know the same thing.
"I don't. I'm just here to get Rey." Finn tracked the troopers as they disappeared into the base.
Elsi pulled Finn's shoulder so that he turned to look at her.
"Finn! Those shields need to be down, if we don't do this, then people are going to die." Elsi felt bad that she would not be helping them get the shields down either, but at least she didn't lie about it and say that she could. She was here for Ben, but she would not let innocents die over this.
Han cut in "Elsi is right. People are counting on us! The galaxy is counting on us-!"
"Solo, we'll figure it out! We have Elsi, she can use the force!" Finn's answer caused Elsi to scoff.
Han sighed "That's not how the Force works!"
"Yeh did you think I was going to magically use my mind to say hey shields, turn off." Elsi harshly whispered.
"I don't know! All I do know is that we need to get inside and figure it out from there. Now come on!"
They all rush forward through the snow. Chewie roars out a complaint about the weather.
"Oh really, you're cold." Han says back at him.
They each make their way to a side door of the base. Luckily its open and they are able to enter quietly.
Turning around a sharp corner they come face to face with two stormtroopers in front of them. The soldiers raise their blasters at the group of intruders.
"Who are you? State your business." Han moves to raise his blaster in response but Elsi grabs his arm and holds it down.
Raising her other hand in front of the storm troopers face she uses her jedi mind tricks to confuse him. "We are of no importance. We are meant to be here so you are not to mention this to anyone. We are free to go."
Finn stares in disbelief as the stormtrooper lowers his gun and gestures for them to go. "You are of no importance, move along."
Once they are out of sight Han speaks. "Glad you are on our side kid."
"That was awesome!" Finn exclaims.
"The longer we're here, the less awesome this trip is going to be. The shields?" Han questions, looking down the corridor for trouble.
"I have an idea about that." Finn starts leading them down a corridor, Elsi does not follow.
She could sense Kylo Ren nearby. It was now or never.
Han and Chewie start to follow Finn but Han stops when he realises that Elsi was not following them. "Come on kid, we have to be quick about this."
Elsi looks at Han and whispers "He's here."
Han freezes up.
"He's nearby and he's the main reason I'm here."
"What?"
"Look Han, your mission is to get those shields down, Finn's mission is to rescue Rey. Well my mission is to try and rescue Ben."
Han looks at Elsi, conflicted at the situation.
"I need to do this Han. At the very least I will be keeping him off of your trail so that you guys have time to do what you need to." Elsi steps forward to give Han a hug, seeing that he is staring off into space at the thought of his son returning. "I will meet you guys back at the ship."
Han returns her hug, his stiff posture softening.
"Stay safe kiddo."
"You too Han."
They pull away from each other and run off in opposite directions.
Elsi walks calmly into a large room. She could sense Kylo as he enters the room a few minutes later. The door slides closed behind him.
"Why are you here?" Kylo's deep masked voice resonates through Elsi.
"You know why." Elsi turns around to face him. He looked fierce and frightening to anyone who only knew him as Kylo Ren. Elsi knew different. "Thank you. For your warning—about the weapon."
Kylo didn't give any form of acknowledgement of Elsi's words, but it was difficult to tell due to his face still being stuck behind a mask.
He strode towards her, his entire demeanour menacing.
Elsi cautiously took a step back, unstrapping her lightsaber from her belt and holding it ready at her side.
Kylo stops, his stare seemingly stuck on the action.
Slowly, so as not to scare her, he reaches up and lifts his helmet off of his head. He places the helmet gently down on the floor, his eyes meet hers as he stares her down.
"You're here to kill me." Kylo says with no expression in his voice.
"No, I'm here to bring you home. I'm here to bring Ben home." Elsi responded.
"You and I both know that is an impossibility."
"Ben let me go when he was looking for the map. Ben warned me about the weapon." Elsi retorted.
"Ben is dead."
Elsi took a daring step forward. "No. Ben is alive. You are still Ben and we both know it." By this point she was about three steps away from him. "I can see it in your eyes."
"Ben is dead." Kylo replied threateningly unhooking his own saber from his belt and igniting it by his side.
Elsi ignites her own saber. "He's alive, and I will prove it to you."
He looks down at her lightsaber deep in thought. "You really think that you can beat me with a weapon that you haven't used in years."
"I don't have to beat you, I just have to prove to you that you're wrong." Elsi sees Ben trapped in Kylo's eyes as he moves to strike Elsi with his weapon. She swiftly blocks it with her own, expression harsh and piercing as she defends herself.
Light ignites as both weapons clash together, just like they did all those years ago in the jedi training room.
Elsi pushes forward with all of her might, fighting desperately against his brute strength. Blades clash back and forth as both move around the room, fighting in sync almost as though they never stopped their training together. They knew each other well, they knew each others fighting styles even better.
For a moment Ben gets the upper hand and Elsi stumbles back for a second, struggling to catch her footing. He uses her stumble as a distraction and rushes towards her and uses his saber to knock her weapon from her hand. Elsi responds by using the force to knock Ben's own weapon to the floor.
Both of them pause for a moment before Ben rushes forward and pushes her back against the wall. Elsi tries to push him back but he grabs her hands from his shoulders and lifts her wrists, pinning them above her head.
Their sabers both lay forgotten on the floor, his grip harsh on her wrists, both of her hands trapped above her head.
"You are weak." He whispers to her, head leaning forward so that he is only a mere breath away.
"I'm not weak." She retorts. "I'm in love." Her eyes lock on his and something seems to change in his expression.
After all of this time, she still loved him. After all of the fighting, all of the lives lost at his hands; she still loved him. Kylo felt that he didn't deserve her love. He wasn't good enough for her. He never had been but it was made worse when he chose the darkside over her.
Her eyes were wet with tears, yet after everything she still stared at him as though he was still the boy she fell in love with all of those years ago.
Maybe a part of him was.
Maybe there was a part of him that could just be Ben for just a few moments. He was Kylo Ren, he could have whatever he wanted.
What he wanted right now was to steal this moment, to take it for himself and just be Ben.
Kylo moves in closer to her so that Elsi is pressed right up against him. His hands that were tightly gripping her wrists move to cover her hands with his above her head, their fingers interlocking.
"Ben?"
"Elsi."
They whisper each others names under their breath.
They lean towards each other, eyes closed, heads tilted.
Together they close the distance; both lost in the moment.
Authors Note:
Hi everyone, soooooo sorry for the late update. I was away for a week and then got back and my laptop charger broke. I ordered a new one but it just arrived a couple of days ago so I finally managed to charge it again so that I could finish the story and update. Thanks to all those who have reviewed/favourited/followed. I'm so glad to finally get this chapter up. These chapters are the main parts of the story that I wanted to write since the beginning. I love Ben and Elsi being romantic together and I'm really excited for the next chapter. Let me know what you guys think about the chapter. Thanks again. ZV.
