Star Wars: A dyad in the Force Chapter 52: Imperial Palace - Confronting KoR & DR, a star wars fanfic

Warning: Major Spoilers of TRoS.

Note: This is a Reylo FanFiction (slow-burn)

Be Aware: Concepts contained in this chapter include a semi- bleeding scene and some violence-gore.

「Act 52: Imperial Palace」

「Confronting Knights of Ren and Dark Rey」

Imperial Palace, Galactic City, Coruscant 37ABY

Another harsh sound and thrilling cries rang around them. Feet were coming towards them, and the blackness around them got dimmer before it would get brighter. Glamdring shone with pale light and more optimistic at the edges. "Wait," Ben warned them, and a second later, his voice came loud and reliable "Now!" Next, his lightsaber followed as he struck first.

Ben stepped forward and thrust his lightsaber; there was a dazzling flash as his lightsaber collided with a metallic weapon, the area lit around him, and he noted in front of him one of the Knights with his spear ready to strike him down. Ben leaped back, avoiding the hit. Soon the rest of the Knights of Ren made their presence known, and few more guards of the old older of the Sith revealed themselves.

A moment later and the Knights were on them, blades whirling and whining. Ben fell backward, bumping into Rey's back. Her lightsaber rose and met his, wheeling in sweeps as the Knights came at him and Ben from a bewildering variety of angles. Rey shifted her feet; her lightsaber struck the first Knight's arm as he tried to split open her skull. She expected the lightsaber to cleave the weapon apart, but it merely blocked the blow, and the impact sent painful vibrations shooting up her arms and into her shoulders.

Reaching for cover behind collapsed stone walls, Poe, Finn, and Chewie found shelter, and the droids followed them; they took stock of their surroundings, getting ready their blaster to fire at the guards. Taking cover, Poe and Chewbacca returned fire. No one noticed the rest of the guards who had come up behind them, except Finn. Charging, he surprised one guard with his blaster, then another.

Rey fell back and dodged the segmented whip of another Knight. She could hear Ben's lightsaber spitting and crackling behind her and his grunts of effort. The first Knight aimed a slash at her knees, which she turned her block into an arcing slash at his face. It nicked the brim of his helmet, and he stumbled away, regarding her with newfound respect. She dodged again as she sensed another Knight aiming a windmill kick at her face. "They are too strong," Rey said as suddenly one of the Knights brought his weapon to hit her left side; she was fast enough and blocked with the Force sending him to hit the nearest wall.

There were too many attacks to keep track of, but Ben counted that the Knights of Ren were ten. It would take a lot of effort and time to win them. "There is no escape," Ben uttered, "We have to fight them!" Another Knight rushed at him with a double-bladed staff, and he brought his lightsaber crashing down on its middle, and once more approached, it seemed that the Knights were now after Ben. He shifted his feet to redistribute his weight, then brought his lightsaber up in a blur, knocking aside a vicious thrust from a humming voulge and sending the next one crushing against the wall as well.

Rey leaped forward and hewed at the arm who was trying to strike her down; then nearly fell when he yanked the weapon apart, slashing at her with a blade in his hand. Her saber rang, glanced aside, and fell from her shaken hand. The saber was notched but immediately flew back into her hand, as Ben grasped it by using the Force and threw it back at her. To her surprise, she grabbed it and placed the next attack.

There was a crash against the wall, and another smash, as the guards were falling to their deaths with Poe, Chewie, and Finn keeping the defense steady. One guard who had engaged Poe was big, healthy, and agile. Poe realized the fight would be long as more guards were showing up; he fired, but his attack was a bit too slow, and the guard blasted Poe and finally knocked him to the ground and raised his weapon for a killing strike. But suddenly, he fell backward as Ben's saber pierced him, saving Poe's life.

How many guards there were the Company could not count. A quick duck saved C-3PO, who was encouraging Poe, Finn, and Chewie at their defense. "Very Good, Sir!" he repeated a few times, and Poe was not sure if he was paying even attention as he was almost killed a moment before. "C-3PO less cheering," he demanded, "remain in the safe ground with the other droids."

A flurry of chops from the humming lightsaber pushed back the guard with the voulge. Rey exhaled, opening her mind to the Force, and the room seemed to snap into focus. 'Focus and sense their attack before it's delivered.' Ben's thought reached through their connection. She nodded, and around all of them, she perceived the ever-shifting web of the Force. Ben was right; she could sense their attack through the force. She heard a clatter of armor as one more of the Knights went down behind her, felled by Ben.

She sensed Ben's excitement and his hunger as if he were a beast finally freed to confront its tormentors. He reminded her a bit of Kylo Ren as she felt that hunger, but it didn't last, as he sent her one more warning thought. She shook her head; Ben was different. Indeed he was fighting, filled with anger and a strange hunger, but he was paying attention to his surroundings, aiding everyone around him. Even the way he was fighting now was different from Kylo Ren, even more, potent than Kylo.

Rey reached out with her hand and shoved one Knight backward with the Force, then found herself spinning in the other direction. She stumbled, wondering what happened as she was almost pulled at the end of the corridor. She turned to return towards the fight, but there was another sound behind her. At the moment, a new danger appeared, for in the dark she could not see, but she sensed the force around it going stronger.

A reddish blade of a lightsaber sparked from the floor, leaving its wielder's arms outstretched in front of her. She brought the lightsaber down hard on the armored arms, and the blade hacked through them, the vibrations in her arms vanishing as the blow interrupted as the dark cloaked figure appeared in front of her. The figure practically radiated power, and something more sinister, a ravenous hunger. This hunger she had felt before.

A red double lightsaber stroke against her; the dual blades were in perfect balance. Rey blocked the attack with her lightsaber, and finally, the figure's face was shown. Rey gasped, stumbling back as she noted it was her. Cold and dark, wearing a Sith cloak, she saw the clone that looked like her again.

Horrified, she watched her, but Rey swung her blade and formed another attack. Indeed she was scared, but that didn't mean that she would not stand her ground. She offered one episode and then another until both stepped into a dark chamber. The only light illuminating from their lightsabers reveals the Sith's Stone orbiting in the middle of the room.

'This couldn't be real.' Rey yelled through her mind as she fought with herself and noted that the black stone was next to them.

Dark Rey's steps echoed as her heels met the floor, and her lightsaber reeked of. Rey felt the Force around them changing forms as it was trying to find the balance. Her power, dark, but incredible, intoxicating was blending with Rey's and created a new powerful field.

Dark Rey took a step back and observed Rey; then, at the corner of her eyes, she watched the Sith's Soulstone; she didn't yet take action forward to grab it. After all, she couldn't touch it with her bare hands. "Don't be afraid of who you are," Dark Rey told her, "You are a Palpatine, join me!" she offered her breaths deep and her voice darker "Take the stone and follow me!"

"Never!" Rey hissed as she lifted the lightsaber and formed another attack, seeking a killing blow. "Whatever you are, I'm gonna kill you!" Rey added. Their blades clashed, blue and red, sparking and angry the room led up. Rey refused to step back, her attacks became more infuriated, and their blades clashed again and again.

Meanwhile, Ben blasted one attacker, trusting another with the Force, spun to face the third as he sensed Rey through the force. He looked around but didn't see her, though he felt her far away. And it wasn't not only Rey, but there was something else, the darkness he had sensed on their way in.

Ben was about for the next strike, but the awareness through the force cost him some time, as something cracked at the back of the skull, sending him to his knees. Another blow crashed against his chest, making him unable to breathe, and he bent over gasping.

The old Knights of Ren sprang after him, not giving him time to rest; Ben backed away, gaining his feet. Ben sucked in air as they circled for another attack. He brought his lightsaber in front of him, defending himself. Only this time, he was in a hurry, worried about Rey and the darkness she was fighting.

Poe and Finn were interrupted by a dozen guards' sudden appearance, acting in concert and with weapons aimed, atop a nearby mass of debris. Poe started to bring his gun around, hesitated. But he fired ahead, and Finn followed his action. Chewie had enough and stepped forwards, dodging their attack and unleashing himself against them, suddenly lifting in the air and ripping them in two. Poe and Finn looked at each other in terror; they have never seen the Wookiee tearing apart people.

"Remind me never to enrage Chewie," Poe noted as he kept firing against the Guards who slowly were dropping in numbers. Thankfully now their attack blossomed, and it seemed that their defense was holding. Finn agreed with Poe; he would keep in mind what Chewie was capable of doing.

Ben yanked a Knight towards another with the Force, spitting him on his lightsaber blade. He slumped, and Ben shoved his body free with his booted foot. Ben didn't stop now. His formations were faster, and his attack accurate; two of the Knights feet to their death, and two others followed. Ben had downed another Knight, but the other had him in a headlock and was forcing the edge of his weapon closer to his throat.

Suddenly the Knight behind him slumped to the floor, a smoking hole in his chest; Ben turned and found Poe firing the shot and saving him. He was about to thank him as Ben saw one more of the Knights aiming an attack behind Poe. He leaped forward and pushed Poe out of the way; the blade cut through his black shirt and into his flesh.

The cut burned him, and he started bleeding, but Ben didn't stop. He regained his ground and tightened his grip around Anakin's lightsaber in his palm; he knew it belonged to him, and extension of his very own self. But strangely, he felt as if he wasn't alone, as the force surrounding him now was tugging Anakin with him. He raised the saber relishing the feel of it.

'That's my grandson!' he imagined his Grandfather saying, but at the next minute, he noticed Anakin in the corner almost cheering for him. 'What are you doing? Aid us!' Ben asked him as he attacked. Four more Knights were standing, and Ben, the wound against his chest, wasn't helping him, but Ben went on. 'This isn't my fight,' Anakin answered, and Ben couldn't see him any longer. He cursed under his breath and promised that he was right as dead if he ever met his grandfather. A voice reminded him though through the Force: I'm already gone!

The remaining guards surrounded Poe and Finn; they raised their blasters and fired. They deflected one blast after the other as Chewie was tearing apart the remaining guards. The corridor around them was slowly filled with lifeless bodies, and the walls were painted with blood. They stared at the bodies of the falling guards, and finally, they were getting less in number.

Ben did the same; he delivered the last strokes, as the remaining Knights of Ren fall to their death. He stared at the bodies that fell until no one was left alive. Ben dropped his gaze and took his breath; it seemed like he offered a last prayer to the fallen Knights of Ren. He hoped that was the last time he was crossing any paths with them.

Ben spun and faced the final guards and tossed them aside with ease, aiding Poe, Finn, and Chewie. Poe noted the scar that the Knight had inflicted on Ben's chest when he saved him. Poe leaped closer to Ben, trying to thank him, but Ben lifted his hand, telling him to stop.

"Stay here," Ben said in a low voice, "I have to get Rey; she is fighting something too powerful; make sure you remain here." Ben took a fighting stance and slowly approached the dark chamber. He sensed Rey still fighting with that dark creature.

Her stomach roiled, and tears streamed down her face. Fighting against her Dark version was a nightmare, like the ones she had during the journey to reach the Imperial Palace. She was about to be defeated by herself. Her deepest fear made flesh, and now she knew she was real.

Dark Rey cast a glance towards the Sith's Soulstone; Rey figured out that she wanted the Black stone as well. She tried to give a final attack, but dark Rey hisses, and Rey stumbles backward, tripping and falling against Ben's arms. Rey suddenly felt her fears slowly disappear as Ben joined her. He aided her to stand up and slowly pushed her behind him.

His eyes opened widely as he saw one more Rey, Dark Rey, and next to her was the Sith's stone. He gathered his remaining strength and stepped forward. "Don't you dare touch it!" he ordered in a deadly tone, and his voice echoed through the chamber and out of the corridor. Ben slowly gained his ground and was stepping closer towards Dark Rey.

Rey tried to follow him, but two strong hands grabbed her and pulled her back. It was Finn, who had followed Ben with Poe, Chewie, and even the droids. Ben sighed as his words went in vain; staying together as a team seemed more crucial than even dying. But he couldn't complain, he had never fought along with friends. And this type of fighting was worth even if he ended up injured and messed up.

Dark Rey chuckled. "Aw, you brought your boyfriends along," she leaned a bit aside and looked, Rey. "Hmm, a good choice," she said as she stepped back, cycling around the Sith's Soulstone. "The black stone, aw no! I can't touch it! Neither can any of you, any living thing that touches it, it will fall to its doom. Wanna try?" she offered.

True be told, it was confusing to watch Rey's version, a darker version, and talking to her. Ben sensed the darkness she was orbiting; the power was alluring, but Rey was so different. Dark Rey didn't even remind him of his former self as Kylo Ren; no, Dark Rey was something else. There was no conflict in her; she already knew what she was doing. And that scared Ben; their enemy was strong, stronger than he thought she could be.

Finally, Ben had enough and lifted his lightsaber, striking a deadly hit against Dark Rey, but his attempt was canceled, as the lightsaber passed through her slight form, and Dark Rey vanished. It seemed she had already lost all her remaining energy and stamina to reveal herself along the known and unknown galaxy to reach Rey and the Sith's Soulstone.

Everyone watched as the Dark Rey vanished, and they slowly gathered around the Sith's Soulstone. Their attention was fully drawn against the orbiting stone, that somehow was calling to them. Finn stretched his left hand, ready to touch it; it felt so alluring like it was getting his name. Poe had the same feeling, and even Rey and Ben heard it.

"Don't touch it," shouted Ben. "We cannot touch it; let us look around. We might find any instructions on how to take this new devilry." Everyone stepped back, with their gaze still pinned against the Black Stone.

「Upcoming Chapter: Act Fifty - Three」

Okay, guys, that's all. I hope you enjoyed reading the 52nd chapter.

Thank you all so much! Stay awesome! Stay sweet!

And be nice to each other, see you soon, in the next chapter!

Feel free to Review and Follow the story!

Feedback is always appreciated!

amyunder: Poor Ben and Rey, what has the silly author done to them. ^_^

Guest: hehe thankies ^_^

Rainbow-33: Yup, yup, everything for Ben Solo! ^_^

stepankahanusova86: Thank you for noticing the mystery. A chapter like the previous one is hard to write; I hope the following chapter to be as good. As for Kylo Ren, I agree with you; I don't think he ever killed or tortured for fun. Thank you for the review! ^_^

awg-men-tey-shuh: Thank you, as I have said before, it means a lot! I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story as well.

AnemiM: Yup, yup, ^_^