Disclaimers: All right reserved of the originals "Star Wars" Characters, Names, Places, etc., to George Lucas / Disney. I pledge to return all characters after the story is complete.
Warning: Major Spoilers of TRoS.
Note: This is a Reylo FanFiction (slow-burn)
「Act 23: The Doom of the last Star Destroyer 」
The Analyzer, 36 ABY
General Rowan Annix had taken charge of the Analyzer, which was not only the last remaining First Order base; it was the last Star Destroyer.
General Annix stood on the Analyzer's bridge, gazing out into deep space and contemplating his recent encounter with Kylo Ren. It seemed that Ren would never give him the information he wanted, even if his men tortured him. The former Supreme Leader had disappeared for a full planetary cycle, and when he finally did appear, he was a Resistance spy.
What the hell was happening to the Galaxy? General Annix wondered. He was bewildered by Kylo Ren's actions. If that hadn't been enough, Ren wouldn't give him answers. Kylo Ren was obviously no longer the same individual that he had been. He hadn't been angry, and he hadn't attacked Annix. That roused more questions that would be answered when he...they would never be answered if Ren continued behaving the way he was.
The Analyzer's bridge — similar to the Finalizer's — was a model of efficiency, with controls and monitors briskly exchanging information from the ships targeting computers and sensor suits. Annix stood irritatedly as the other officers around him tried to figure out what information had been leaked to the Resistance.
Truth be told, the First Order had been destroyed. In the face of this, Annix promised himself that was merely an unfortunate setback — a major military defeat — but they still could strike back. Those failures made by himself and his superiors during the past few years had taught him caution. He would approach this next attack without making the mistakes of the past.
Annix believed that the First Order could take down the Resistance. That was it right there, General Annix thought, the First Order would triumph, and its power would rise again. The First Order was the fulfillment of what the Empire had struggled to become. It had distilled and perfected its mother's strengths while eliminating its weaknesses. Though perhaps if Annix were honest with himself, he would have admitted that not every weakness had been purged.
"General!" called a monitor from the bridge pit, "You won't believe it. We have a single Resistance X-wing fighter approaching us. It's moving to attack us."
Poe's X-wing's call sign was a Black One befitting its black fuselage and eye-catching orange flares. Those colors were more muted than Poe would have liked. He had opted for the experiment equipment and stuck with that choice even after Rose reminded him that it was somewhere between possible and likely that it would kill him the time it was engaged.
When it came to piloting, Poe usually had fun. He was one of the best pilots in the Resistance, and the main reason was that he loved flying. Not that Poe was having fun at the moment — in fact, hurtling alone through space towards the large First Order capital ship struck him as an excessively bad plan, but one he could not avoid. He had done this once before with the Finalizer, and he was doing it again.
Judging from the mournful beeping of BB-8 in the droid socket behind the X-wing's cockpit, his friend was anxious as well. "Happy beeps here, buddy!" Poe encouraged, "Come on, we've pulled crazier stunts than this." Though BB-8 didn't dignify that with a response, he repeated a few more times, "Happy Beeps!"
"What a single fighter?" Annix queried, disbelievingly peering into deep space. "What is going on with everyone these days?"
Annix looked from one side to the other, trying to spot the fighter. "Why aren't you shooting him?" But before the gunners could be notified to carry out his order, a ship-to-ship transmission crackled over the Analyzer's audio pickups.
"Attention, this is General Poe Dameron of the Republic fleet," he said, "I have an urgent message for General Anus."
Annix felt all eyes turning his way, and a blush threatened to bloom over his cheeks. Of course, he knew who Poe Dameron was. His name was well known to him. Dameron was one who had fired the shot that had destroyed Starkiller Base, the Finalizer, and many of the Final Order's Destroyers. Annix had sworn that he would catch the damn pilot and kill him to keep him from destroying another First Order ship.
"Put him through," he snapped, then to Dameron, "This is General Annix of the First Order. The Republic is no more. Your fleet is nothing more than scammers and criminals."
"Hi, General Anus!" Poe smirked, "How are things up there?"
Annix was furious now. He could hear a few of the officers chuckling as Poe once more mispronounced his name. "This is General Annix. Hello?"
"Yeah, I know. Anus, with an A, right?" Poe asked, "Ugly guy, smelly?"
Annix felt angry enough that for all he knew, smoke could have been pouring through his ears, and his face turned redder. He was opening his mouth to speak when Dameron cut him off, "Look, it was nice talking to you. But it's time for me to say goodbye!"
"Open fire now!" Annix screamed, bringing his fist down on the nearest console. Never in his life had he been so embarrassed. All eyes on the bridge were fixed ahead, searching for the X-wing and its infuriating pilot.
When his energy counter hit full, Poe ordered louder BB-8 to punch it. A moment later, the X-wing leaped forward and grafted to the starfighter's stern. Poe thought he would blackout as he was overcome with the power of the g-force. But thankfully, his acceleration compensators kicked in, and his vision cleared.
"Taking out the cannons now... Bombers, start your approach!" Poe informed his fleet as he weaved between the canons and reduced several to smoking scrap. As Poe wheeled around for another run, the bombers approached the Analyzer. Poe activated his comlink and switched over to the Falcon's channel. "Rey, you can land now with the team. But your time is limited; make sure to escape before the bombs are activated."
Rey successfully landed the Falcon within the Analyzer. Her team quickly took out the troopers in the surrounding open area. Rey used her Force trick, and the now hypnotized stormtroopers guided Finn, Chewie, and her through the old routes down to the old area where the prisoner cellblock was. She ordered the two away after they had identified the correct cell.
Rey stilled as she felt energy gathering as though something was calling to her from within the cell. She didn't know why she could feel the familiar energy, the second part of the dyad she hadn't felt for a year. She yearned to open the connection. But that wasn't possible? Ben was long gone from this life. Oddly there was gladness in remembering their connection, and it offered her some comfort — somehow.
Finn felt her uneasiness but ignored it. Their mission was to save the spy. He could face Rey's anger when they were back at the base. Finn guessed — knew — that Rey wouldn't be pleased when she found out that Ren was alive. He hit the switch, and the door whooshed open to reveal Ben cuffed to the wall.
The man — the spy, was a man — was lying on the floor, his long dark hair hiding his face like a veil. Rey stepped into the cell, following Finn and Chewbacca. At that moment, she realized that the spy she had come to rescue was none other than Ben Solo; it was also the moment that her heart broke. But that break was good, her heart was like a broken limb that had set wrong, and now the medic was rebreaking it so that it could set correctly so that it could heal. She didn't say a word, she had no words to say, and sometimes silence communicated far more than any amount of conversation.
Ben heard the Wookie's growls and moans, but they were too fast for him to understand their meaning. He only caught the words 'escape' and 'Rey,' then the dull background noise ebbed to nothingness, now the silence was as pure as the wintry blanket inside. Ben suddenly sensed the connection attacking him strongly. The dyad had sprung back to life, and he knew it was because Rey had realized that he was alive. Though he was not ready to face her wrath, he could not avoid it even if he understood.
"We have to go now!" Finn suddenly screamed, tearing them both from their thoughts and back to reality. They were still in danger, and they had to escape.
Rey turned away, avoiding even looking at Ben. Truth be told, she didn't need to look at Ben. He could already sense her bitterness and anger through the bond they shared. Chewie grabbed Ben's arm and helped him to stand. Then the ground team hurried out the door and down the corridor to a blast door, and Rey hit release. It whooshed up, revealing a stormtrooper who raised his blaster. In response, Rey raised her hand and sent him crashing against the nearest wall.
"Wrong way!" Finn said and slammed a button; the door slid back down.
They sprinted away in the opposite direction and ran into another stormtrooper, who immediately opened fire. Rey blocked every plasma bolt and used the force again, throwing him away from them. Finn and Chewie paused, momentarily frightened as they realized how angry Rey truly was.
More troopers ran up, their rifles whipped up, and the corridor warmed with the blasters' heat let off. White-clad stormtroopers surrounded the ground team. Ben was too weak to be of any aid to them. It seemed to the rebels, even the ever-optimistic Finn, that they had nothing left to give. Surely they would be captured, but once more, Rey's anger saved them.
Rey cleared the way for the ground team to reach the Falcon. They stormed inside, and Rey vaulted into the pilot's seat and Finn the copilot's. Chewie closed the ramp and carried Ben inside, softly dropping him on the bench-like seat in the main living area. The Falcon rose and hovered in the dusty atmosphere, ready to depart. Rey wheeled the freighter around and hit the accelerator.
Meanwhile, in the air, the bombers and the starfighters were finalizing their attacks. The Resistance was holding their line of distraction and offense well, and the survivors were getting ready for their final attack. "Stay on target," Poe reminded them as he silently noted that the Falcon had escaped. "Beebee-Ate, we need to take out the last cannon," he added privately to his droid.
Every astromech in the Resistance droid pool knew, and if asked, could and would tell, that Black One was a prickly, vainglorious machine. She might be a pain in the ass when docked for frequent repairs, but she always brought results. Poe recklessly flew the X-wing through increasingly dizzy spins as he avoided his pursuers and targeted the last cannon, knowing that his trusty 'girl' could take the beating.
He aimed and fired, his target exploded.
The bombers finally released the bombs, and the Analyzer burst into flame as the bombs were detonated. Fire lanced out from the last Star Destroyer as the Resistance ships leaped to lightspeed, leaving the Analyzer to find its doom.
On the Analyzer's bridge, everyone stood petrified in shocked silence. Annix stared at the empty air space where the Resistance fleet had been a moment earlier, then turned his head to what he knew to be the burning remains of the Analyzer; he had felt the detonation.
"Damn you, Poe Dameron!" He started, but before he could finish his sentence, the Analyzer imploded. The Resistance had managed to shatter the last Star Destroyer of the First Order. There was nothing left of the proud ship but burning debris.
Those that remained Resistance Fleet, Black One, and the Falcon had entered hyperspace, their destination: Ajan Kloss.
Rey flipped on the autopilot and rose from the pilot's seat to her feet. Without a word to Finn, she stalked towards Ben Solo. Her knuckles were white from clenching her fingers too hard, and she gritted teeth with the effort to remain silent. To all she passed, her hunched form exuded an acid like animosity — burning, slicing, potent. Then she was before him 'Traitor. Ben. Traitor. Liar. Scoundrel. Traitor.' Her face was red with suppressed rage; she glowered at Ben. Then she snapped. Her mind, her heart, her restraint, all of them had taken too much strain during the last months, and now, like a cracked and overfilled dam, she snapped.
Chaos was unleashed...
「 Upcoming Chapter: Act Twenty-Four」
More than anything, thank you for taking the time to read this!
Feel free to Review and Follow!
Adelgado28: Indeed, Rey is angrier than ever, and the next chapter will hold her rage. ^_^ Thanks for reading and liking the story!
cookiesmonster: Cannot wait to write more chapters.
amyunder: Thank you ^_^