Star Wars: A dyad in the Force Chapter 60: Free Fall, 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 character's death!

「Act 60: Free Fall」

The gap of Celestial Forest, Eanor, 37 ABY

"How long until we reach Blossom forest, Ben?" Poe asked him. Everyone needed to get the journey over as quickly as possible and were willing, tired as they were, to go on marching still for several hours.

"I don't know," came Ben's voice as he was hiking ahead. Ben had read the scripts, but there were not always details added to aid their journey. Like now, as they were passing through the gap, their knowledge was limited.

The path twisted around a few turns and then began to descend. It went steadily down for a long while before it became level once again. The party was walking for hours inside the gap as the air changed slightly; it became colder and heavier as they followed Ben. Most seemed to be bothered by the darkness, though Ben had no issue. The gap of the Celestial Forest was vast and intricate beyond their imagination. It was after nightfall when they had entered more profound into the passage surrounded by large ancient trees, they had been going for several hours with only brief halts, and they decided to take a more extended break.

Hux and Rose didn't wait at all; they went over a tree and found shelter. They sat there, searching for their backpack for food. The droids had issues with the cold, and they were in a low function. Finn and Jannah were into private talks for days now, like they were trying to find the answer to an impossible question. Chewie complained as he didn't like the dark narrow passage between few bushes they were following for a long time. Poe and Zorii were as well talking about old memories and felt nostalgic. Ben and Rey were in a lengthy debate if their decision to follow that route was right, and Ben even mentioned if they should have taken the risk to arrive in the unknown regions to undo the black stone.

The company had rested enough. Now, they were again ready to walk further. For a brief instant, there was a blaze like lightning. Great shadows sprang up and fled; everyone was speechless at the view. They never expected to find such a beautiful sight inside that dark place. That dusty passage seemed like a forgotten place in time, filled with dust and large veins. The company stirred and looked up and began to search for anything that would give them tidings of what had happened there. Ben gazed behind him, sensing a disturbance through the Force. "You can feel it too?" he asked Rey, and she nodded.

"Something or someone is out there!" said Finn as he stepped next to Ben; Finn could feel the Force sometimes, and at that particular moment, he felt like something was there waiting for them.

Suddenly there came a great noise. Like a rolling Boom, like something had fallen into the depths far below, and to tremble in the ground at their feet. The company glanced around uncomfortably. The passage fell into a strange silence; everyone was speechless.

Silence.

Rey's stomach roiled, and tears streamed down her face. She could feel through the force the disturbance something was approaching them, and the feeling it left behind was terrifying. There came an echoing blast. Ben slowly gazed upon his shoulders; there was a hurrying sound of many feet and harsh cries. Both their ways were cut as the unknown enemy was approaching them from both sides.

"They are coming!" cried Ben and pulled his lightsaber and ignited it.

Rey grasped the hilt of the lightsaber tighter "They found us!" she uttered.

Poe noted, "We are trapped from both sides."

A few blasts hissed against the trees near Ben's face. He gazed back at the company, "Get back! Stay alert! Draw your weapons!" he shouted.

Ben and Rey took a step forward, their lightsabers closer to their faces as they were getting ready to defend themselves and their friends. The rest followed and pulled their blasters out and got into position. Feet were coming down the path.

Rey whipped her lightsaber forward, seeking a killing blow and stroke down the first one. Ben followed by placing the first blow cutting in half one and trusting away another by using the force. He observed the fallen bodies of the enemy who weren't human or alien. They had a monstrous appearance terrifying to watch.

A few steps away, Poe leaped forward, his blaster clinching against the head of one of the creatures, and he fired, blowing his head in pieces. Next to him, Finn fired multiple times, injuring and killing a few of the troopers.

The droids retreated to the side, trying to shelter themselves from the blasts that were fired. The carrier droid was forgotten between the two parties and was surrounded by flames. Weapons crashed through splintering spaces. The first attack was placed, and the ground was filled with the bodies of the enemy.

Ben and Rey weren't pulling back; they were clashing their sabers forward towards the enemy. Jumping and landing in the middle as five or six of them surrounded them. Like that chaos was unleashed, blasts were fired all over them, some came from the enemy, and some from them.

Suddenly, Ben's saber crossed in front of her face and hit deeply against a creature's shoulder. The beast crushed against the ground. Rey gazed in his direction, only noticing that he was pressing on with the attack. She leashes against the troopers using her lightsaber and the Force to bring them down. The impacts started shivering into their bodies, but they had to hold their defense.

The passage was rattling all around them; rocks fell as the battle continued. There was no pause; those creatures seemed outnumbered. They weren't strong enough. But they were many. And damn were they ugly and smelly. They smelled worse than Palpatine's rotten body did.

Poe heard him and stepped back, trying to find a way out, "This way," he pointed behind him, "This is our only way out!"

Poe led the company through the small opening behind him; they kept fighting and hurried towards a distant breach as more creatures started scuttling down the rocky gap behind them. Then there was a dull rumble and a heavy thud.

Ben drew from the Force. He used everything he could and leaped forward; he controlled his landings and ended up in the middle, surrounded by more creatures. He gritted his teeth and attacked them. Blow after blow followed, and for a moment, Ben Solo's attacks seemed stable and more vital than Kylo Ren's. This time, he was fighting to save his friends, which gave him a reason to survive.

He was physically more vigorous than the company remembered him. Rey sprang after him aiding his attack; she was a little faster than he was. Their sabers dance in rhythm, killing the enemy, and the rest follow behind them.

The group entered a passageway and ran down, and the forest was disappearing as they ran deeper down the gap. In the end, it was a missing segment, and Poe nearly fell, but Ben pulled him back. His bluster whirled away into the vast underworld beneath.

"Ben!" cried Rey louder as she watched piece after piece of the ground under them to crash into nothingness.

"The way out is near!" Ben ordered this time and pushed everyone to follow Rey as he kept fighting with the creatures in front of him.

"Come on!" called Poe as he was now stepping behind Rey, trying to aid those in need so everyone would make it.

The blasters became more assertive, and the darkness around them grew. A creature aimed towards Hux and fired the blast about to hit against his chest: it would inflict a deadly wound. Suddenly, Ben pushed him, and the explosion knocked him down.

Ben bit his lips, denying to give in to the pain the blast had inflicted against his right side. He stood up, forming his next attack and, with the corner of his eyes, noted Hux looking at him in bewilderment. Ben had just saved his life, and the formal General couldn't cope with the idea.

Ben pushed him forward, "Keep going!"

Rey senses Ben's reaction through the Force. She turned and searched him worried, and she noted him injured but still alive fighting the enemy. 'I'm fine!' sprang his voice into her mind, ensuring her to continue.

The company fled. Ben remained last with Zorii running next to him. Suddenly he turned, looking into the gap and Zorii. The ground rattled again, this time stronger, causing Zorii to lose her balance. Ben sprang behind her, trying to catch her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up until he steadied her on solid ground.

Ben shared a smile with Zorii, glad she didn't fall into the gap. "Let's go!" he told her and faced away from her. Though before he managed to take his first step, one more raddle caused the rest of the ground to shutter. Ben was fast enough and leaped to the next steady rock, but nothing was left behind him when he turned around to check on Zorii.

The Company stood rooted with horror staring into the pit, as they noticed Zorii take the fall with the rest of the remaining passage. Ben gazed at the gap below him in terror as he tried to use the Force and pull Zorii back up. But it was too late; Zorii had fallen with such a speed he could not reach her.

"No, no!" Poe cried out and ran towards the pit. But he was stopped by Ben. There was nothing they could do. Poe struggled as Ben pulled him back. The rest of the company cried out, devastated, venting out their rage and sorrow. They soon managed to find the path towards the Blossom forest. Oddly enough, the enemy didn't fall them there.

"I Fear, we cannot stay here longer," said Ben. He looked towards the gap and deactivated his saber. He could sense darkness gathering slowly. "Farewell, Zorii!" he said and closed his eyes, offering a farewell prayer. It wasn't comfortable losing one of the company; he believed it was his failure to yield Zorii. But now wasn't the time to grief; they had to escape.

The group was up and moving. Soon they crossed icy blue water. They jogged across a grassy field, halting under the leaves of a forest of tall trees. No one was talking; they had fallen in profound silence. They were wounded, weary, and griefing their fallen friend. Their mission to destroy the Sith's Soulstone seemed now more dangerous than ever before.

「Upcoming Chapter: Act Sixty - One」

Okay, guys, that's all. I hope you enjoyed reading the 60th chapter.

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

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

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