Chapter 47 - Defying Fate
The Unknown Regions
Nebula-Class Star Destroyer Kenobi
The Invincible went up in flames. It had swung around to guard the Dodana as the Karakana was torn in two, followed by the Avenger exploding from combined fire from three capital ships. The Invincible had fought bravely, but even it could not withstand a sustained barrage from a battlecruiser, three Destroyers and potshots from a dreadnought.
There was no time to attempt an extraction as the enemy pressed their attack. Invincible floated like a gutted whale in a Mon Cala sea, the enemy ships slipping in like Manta-Sharks amidst a bleeding. Wedge ordered the fleet to tighten; bringing himself, the Mon Cala Cruisers and their frigates in a better supporting position. The Dodana moved up to seal the gap, and their fighters struggled to maintain their screening action.
Though he didn't say it, they all knew it. They were surrounded by no less than five Destroyers, a Battlecruiser and countless support ships; all the while that Dreadnought prevented any hope of reinforcement and the Interdictor any hope of escape.
It was only a matter of when, not how.
"Sir!" his comms officer reported, "we're being hailed by the Ravager!"
Wedge considered telling him to disregard it, but what he needed more than anything else was time. Time for what, he didn't know. But the longer they talked…
"Put him through."
A moment later, the smiling face of Admiral Ramius Hux appeared. "Commodore Antilles, a pleasure to meet you again. I must say, I am truly impressed. You almost won the day."
"What do you want, Admiral?"
"You have fought gallantly. No doubt, you are entertaining the idea of fighting to the last. However, this is folly. Your deaths will account for nothing and I would prefer not to kill you."
"I dunno," Wedge smiled grimly, "got a reputation to uphold. Rogues never quit."
"But you are not a squadron leader anymore. You hold in your hands thousands of lives. Are you ready to waste them on such a thing as pride?"
"I don't waste lives, Admiral, but I'm not afraid to spend them. And if that means keeping you off the floating key over there, then I will fight you to the end."
"Admirable. It will be a shame to kill you."
The transmission cut, and the enemy closed in. A tight tension took the bridge as many said their final prayers and dreamt their final hopes. Antilles considered going on the horn to give his men a final word.
Before he could, his sensor officer reported, "Commodore, we have multiple signals jumping in!"
"What, more ships to finish us off?" his XO asked dryly.
"No sir, it's…" the man suddenly grinned from ear to ear, "they're New Republic signals, sir! Hell, I'm even picking up Aquillan ones, coming directly at-!"
His words were interrupted as on the southside, two dozen ships of three navies broke through immaterium and appeared in the midst of the fighting. Wedge's eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the sight of them. "How?"
On the far side was the Redeemed, a refitted Lucrehulk-Battleship that belonged to the Naboo Sector Defense Force. It had appeared on the starboard of the Dreadnought, below its engines, and it was already depositing wings of N-3 fighters and NB-2 bombers in a massive wave. Before the First Order could react or reposition, hundreds of fightercraft were swarming over the stern of the dreadnought and onto its support craft.
Opposite them on the Dreadnought's port side, emerged the distinctive weapon shaped forms of a Mandalorian battlegroup. Wedge recognized The Mythosaur, a Keldabe-Class Battleship that served as the flagship of Mandalorian Sector Fleet. Supporting it were three Crusader-Class Corvettes, three Vengeance-Class Frigates, and a hodgepodge of varying gunships, fightercraft and bombers. There were so many of them, each modified to absolute distinctiveness, that it was impossible to make them all out.
They quickly formed into an attack group, supporting the Naboo as they made their own assault on the Dreadnought and its supporting ships. Caught out of position, the flotilla buckled under the onslaught as it was being slowly driven forward towards the Forge.
That left the final group to appear, this time opposite Wedge's own forces. Wedge had never seen Aquillan vessels up close before, and the experience was rather bewildering. To his eyes, they looked more like the rockets of ancient, pre-space travel civilizations; packed with more hull emplacements and defense batteries than seemed sensible.
However, he could not deny the effect they had. The moment they slipped through hyperspace, they engaged the encroaching First Order ships with a massive barrage of mass driver, particle and even laser projected fire. An Imperator caught in the opening volley was immediately crippled, free floating as its comrades tried to come about.
Wedge ordered scans and visuals on the Aquillan fleet, wanting to know exactly who they were dealing with. Leading the attack was a Ballista-Cruiser, easily identifiable with its massive rail-cannon. Flanking it were two Pentacore Frigates, essentially smaller versions of the Ballista. Screening them were four Corvus Corvettes and fifteen Harpago Gunboats, and behind them were Rostra Boarding Barges with long vibration prongs at their prow.
Each were addressed in cobalt decals, Aquillic nomenclatures Wedge guessed were the battles they'd served, and on their sides were stencilled 'XIII.'
"The Warborn?" his XO asked, "What the hell are they doing here? I thought the Segmentum were neutral in all this?"
"Evidently not," he ordered his comms officer to put out a fleet wide open frequency, "this is Commodore Antilles of the New Republic 5th Fleet. All incoming vessels, identify yourselves."
They were immediately hailed in a con-frequency. Joining him were Ackbar and A'bhait, and soon after the commanders of the three fleets. The first to appear wore a Mandalorian helmet bearing the mark of the Protectors.
"Su cuy'gar, ori'vod! This is Al'verde Dala of the Mando'ade Defense Force. The Mand'alor sends her greetings."
After him, a dark skinned man wearing the uniform of the Naboo SDF materialized, "This is Captain Typho of the Redeemer. Naboo stands with you."
"Ave, gregales," said the third, appearing in an enclosed Galic helmet donned with a multicolored plume, "I am Navarch Princeps Gaius Catulus of the Legio XIII, Navis Segmentum."
Wedge shook his head in dismay, "How the hell are you all here?"
"The confusion of your transmission gave us an opening," Dala answered, "so we took it. Managed to slip past our respective blockades and jump."
"And just in time it seems," Typho replied dryly.
"But what are the Aquillans doing here?" Ackbar asked, "You're neutral in this conflict."
"That is no longer the case, Admiral. Our space has been invaded by First Order forces and the Senate is in division of what to do about them. Even our Consuls are in turmoil, but one had the good sense to see the threat this station poses."
"So he sent you here without authorization," A'bhait mused, "that's going to go over well."
"An issue to be resolved tomorrow, Admiral. Today, we spill the blood of our common foe."
"Very well then," Ackbar nodded, "Princeps, arrange your forces to support Antilles and press that dreadnought's support group. Dala and Tycho, see about giving the dreadnought itself some pressure."
"Understood, Admiral," Dala bowed his head, "we will send these di'kutla home in coffins."
The transmission broke, and the battle renewed in earnest.
The opening cacophony was deafening as sapphire met crimson in a massive avalanche of fire. Bolts were exchanged as men cursed, dove for cover or were cut down in a smolder. Movement became confusion as orders were hastily issued to flank or suppress, only for men to die in the attempt or be driven right back to cover.
Detonators and smoke were thrown. Rockets were fired. The air soon became filled with burning plascrete and the screams of the dead or dying. Neither side could give or take the ground they held, and it soon became an exchange of potshots and suppressing fire too frantic to be at all accurate.
Amidst it all, Han Solo still lay unconscious on the connecting bridge, somehow never once hit in the onslaught. Kylo Ren was driven back to a row of terminals as Chewbacca fired bolt after bolt at him, before being forced behind a pillar. Troopers kept firing at the Sith's position to keep him from coming out.
"I'm going to go get Solo," Finn commed, "I need covering fire and smoke!"
"Rogo! On three! One, two, go!"
The bridge was soon blanketed in thick white smog as Finn ran for all he was worth through it. His speed was tremendous compared to before, but he was glad he was wearing armor as he took a bolt to the head that floored. He caught himself before he could go over, putting himself flat as he grabbed Han by his shoulders and tried to draw him away.
The smoke started to clear as crimson bolts flew through it. White Stormtroopers appeared above and spotted Finn below. Before they could engage however, Chewbacca roared and Finn turned to see him charging the bridge with what looked like a plasteel wall panel. The Wookie had ripped it off and was using it as a shield as behind him Republic Troopers followed.
"Flank! Flank!" Avery shouted over the mike as Finn observed the Kuron Sergeant directing his men over to press the left now that the enemy was distracted. Chewbacca came over, dropping the wall in place as Fighting First Troopers poked around to take potshots.
"'Is he alright?'" Chewbacca growled. Finn nodded, signalling he was out cold. No sooner than he did, he sensed something coming at them. He looked up and spotted the approaching spheres of thermal detonators, somehow even through the building smog.
"Cover!" he shouted as he drew his blaster. It was an impossible shot, but he took it. To his own amazement, the plasma bolt struck true. It melted through the explosive's plasteel casing and detonated the primer core some twenty feet above.
The explosion rocked them to the ground, Chewbacca having the good sense to lift the wall to cover them. Despite this, a Trooper went over the edge, screaming all the way out of earshot. Another followed, Finn swinging over to catch him as another man caught him. A platter of footfalls sounded above, followed by the report of the men behind trying to cover them.
A sudden cold presence made him look up. Kylo Ren stood at the foot of the stairs, his blade raised as he deflected incoming fire directed at him with inhuman ease. His arm was a blur of movement, the crimson blade a wave of energy. With a desperate panic, Finn pulled his man up and drew his lightsaber.
He didn't get his chance. Kylo Ren pulled the wall plating from Chewbacca's grasp, threw it at the Troopers across the bridge, and then thrusted his hand forward. Finn and everybody else was thrown back like an invisible tsunami hit them, flying across the wall like a platter of wet fish slapping on the deck plating.
'Now, stay there,' Kylo inwardly said as he fought his way back to the center of the control center. Already, New Republic forces had swung around and were trying to cut them off from where they'd come from. He looked left, and more Troopers were emerging from a side passage and spilling out onto the walkway.
Stormtroopers immediately swung around, repositioning to down several of the enemy before they could take cover or press their advance. However, they were outnumbered and were quickly being surrounded. Even a Lord of Ren could fall under that amount of bodies and fire.
Despite it all, Mechos stood unafraid; his four augmented arms swinging in all directions with their lightsabers ignited. Sapphire and carnelian weaved a deadly dance, swinging bolts back where they came; catching rockets and detonators in mid-air to detonate them or return them. All the while, Kylo could sense the man manically grinning.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he mentally asked.
"Of course I am, my good son!" he replied gleefully as he swung round to deflect a bolt into a Troopers head, "It's been so many years since I have a good bout! I hope they have more than this! So much more!"
He got his wish as Chewbacca took aim and knocked him flat with a tungsten bolt hitting his upward guard. Anybody else would've been cold with rage at the indecency of it, but not Mechos. He just laughed and got right back to his feet, even mounting a terminal just to make himself a bigger target.
"You're gonna get me killed," Kylo swore inwardly as he reached for his comm, "2nd platoon, we're cut off. We need reinforcements."
"Affirmative, Lord Ren. We're just collecting a detachment of Reapers and powering up the lifts. ETA, five minutes."
"Make it faster, Trooper, or you're going to be in for funeral service."
Admiral Hux cursed aloud. Victory had been theirs, but now fate had just prolonged the inevitable. Worse, the arrival of the three fleets from three places they should not have made him worried about the political ramifications, especially with the war going on. Still, the battle could be won, it was just going to take longer.
He soon regretted those words as his comm officer reported, "Sir, the Aquillans are pressing on The Sword of Coruscant's support group. They're trying to cut them off from the rest of the fleet!"
"Bring up the tac!" Hux ordered. A visual display appeared, where their glorified mass drivers with engines were pounding away at the Imperators and Carracks while their gunboats and picket ships charged the line. Peculiarly, they were likewise escorting their boarding barges into the fray. A few were destroyed in the effort, but more had either slammed into their targets using their vibration prongs to penetrate their shields or were firing broadsides of boarding torpedoes.
"What an odd people," Canady muttered, "they fight like pre-space antiquity. I hear they still use shields and slugthrowers. Hell, even swords."
"As did the Gungans, Dressellians and Ewoks," he turned to the helmsman, "press the advance. We'll secure that flank and drive them back to the Dark Ages where they belong."
"Aye aye, sir!"
The Ravager soon made its mark on the field, its bristling batteries tearing a swath through the frigates, corvettes and gunboats harassing the escort fleet. Now the cruisers turned their attention onto them, pounding away at their shields with an unrelenting barrage of projectiles, particle beams and lasers, the latter of which was starting to cause sensors malfunctions and failures.
Hux pursed his lips. The Aquillans, despite being armed with primitive technology, were leveraging them in ways to at least contend with him. Their weapons outranged even the battlecruisers' torpedoes and turbolasers, and their laser batteries-actual lasers, not plasma-were specifically targeting their outbound sensors and cameras in an attempt to blind them.
"Ingenious," was the word that came to mind. No wonder the Lords of Ren recruited from them so much.
"Sir!" his sensor officer reported, "The enemy's raiding fleet is changing course! They're coming straight at us!"
Hux's eyes widened as their hazzy and crackling visual came into view. The motley attacking fleet had turned about, driving their boarding barges on a collision course. Immediately, The Ravager turned its terraces of guns upon them but their shields held under the pressure.
"Brace for impact!" Canady shouted as one charged for the bridge. Concentrated fire blew out its engines and caused it to dive, but not before it brought its broadsides in range. A volley exploded out as tube shape craft were blasted out into the vacuum. Armed with more of the piercing vibration-prongs, they ripped straight through their shields and soon slammed right into the hull plating with a deafening thud that sent several of the bridge crew sprawling.
As Hux picked himself up, he spotted the far wall was turning a bright pink. They were melting their way in!
"Security teams to the Bridge! We are being boarded" Canady called on the intercom as he grabbed the Admiral, "We need to get down to the Auxiliary Bridge!"
Suddenly, there was an explosion in the far wall as the duraplas was blasted outward. The pressure suddenly dropped as the internal atmo was sucked out momentarily before being resettled, causing everyone to sprawl in a faint. Smoke billowed from the hole, obscuring what lay behind as black cylinders were fired through with the report of launchers.
"Stun bombs!" someone shouted and Hux dove to the ground, covering his eyes and ears as they detonated. The noise and flash was deafening and blinding, even for Hux who had moments to prepare. Already, he felt the nautious effects of the grenades taking a toll but he fought past this and rose to his feet.
The moment he did, he felt Canady grab him from behind and drive him behind a terminal deck. The crack of a high caliber round followed, tearing a hole in the wall plating above as the sound of movement and shooting echoed ahead.
"PERCUTE! ORDINEM SERVATE!" A harsh voice bellowed in a language Hux didn't recognize. He chanced a look and took in the carnage at a glance. Through the breached hole and smoke, emerged imposing men adorned in silver segmented armor, blue BDU's and enclosed pressure helmets that reminded Hux greatly of feudal warriors.
That description applied much for their weapons. Advancing in orderly lines that spilled into the bridge, the front rows bore blue rectangular energy shields and bulky looking slugthrowers, with some even carrying vibro-swords. With ruthless efficiency, they tore into the bridge crew; blasting men apart in sprays of blood and sinew while others were barbarically stabbed and slashed to pieces.
"NULLA MISERICORDIA!"
Hux drew his sidearm and rose, firing into the invaders. A Legionnaire dropped from a headshot, his companion swinging around and presenting his shield to cover him. The blaster bolts bounced off of the shield, the damn thing too large for Hux to shoot around. The Legionnaire poked his weapon through the shield, firing off a shot at him.
Hux ducked, the bolt passing overhead and slammed against the stronger support pillar. However, it fragmented in the tight space and shards struck the Admiral in the shoulder. He gasped in pain, dropping his weapon and doubling over. They could hear footfalls approaching. Canady drew his sidearm and plucked up his superiors, firing blindly over the terminal top.
A man cursed harsly, and Canady grunted, "Where the hell is our backup!?"
A door opened with a ding, and white armored Stormtroopers backed up by NavSec Officers and battle droids poured in firing. Screams and shooting became a deafening symphony, and a pair of Troopers peeled off to grab the two senior officers. Ahead, the Aquillans back ranks poured out, wielding auto rifles and heavy weapons that pounded away at the retaliating Stormtroopers.
Though their armor held against the projectiles, the damage was still debilitating and several Troopers were dropped from the sheer trauma of impacting blows. The Stormtroopers held their ground though, taking cover where they could and meeting the enemy with grenades and detonators.
"UIRTUTIS HONOS!"
In the chaos before Hux was pushed through the blast door, he caught sight of the barbarians closing in and engaging the Troopers in close combat. A desperate melee ensued, as the battle hardened Stormtroopers and SecOps met the enemy with a steeled determination. However, they were outmatched and ill-equipped for such an exchange and were being driven back.
The last grizzly sight Hux saw before they rounded the corner was the head of a NavSec officer lobbed clean off, rolling down the rampart with his dead eyes staring on after the retreating senior officers.
The reinforcements made it three minutes. The blast doors swung open and the black armored Reaper Droids marched in, their blaster cannons already picking out targets and layering them in fire. Stormtroopers poured in after them, and the New Republic forces began a stubborn retreat towards the back of the room.
Kylo let out a small sigh of relief that proved premature. Elsewhere, the situation was proving grim. Word of the New Republic's own reinforcements came on the line, followed by a desperate cry from further down the Forge:
"This 5-1 to all forces! We are being driven out of the Reactor Room! Multiple casualties! We cannot hold-gah!"
Another voice came on the line, "I spot combat engineers! They're gonna blow the core!"
Kylo watched as Mechos fumed in silent rage before he hissed out, "Those iconoclastic heathens! They would dare destroy this marvel!?"
"If it means keeping it out of our hands, yes," Kylo deadpanned, "but they won't do it unless they have no other choice. They're not suicidal."
"I will not gamble our lives or this station on assumptions, Lord Kylo! I will hold the command center and work to bring the station's subsystems online. Pray even, the station to our side. Go, and disabuse these fools of their heathen notions!"
Kylo was going to argue against that, but thought better of it. "What's the fastest way there? Back the way we came?"
Mechos gestured to one of his Magi still tooling away at a terminal. The cyborg answered in near garbled transmission, "Take the western passage. It's lifts will take you directly down to the core."
Kylo looked where he indicated and shook his head, "That's where the enemy's reinforcements came from. I'll have to fight my way through."
"Then select men to go with you," Mechos curtly answered, "we do not have time for indecision, Lord Kylo! You must act swiftly and with purpose!"
"Well, when you put it like that," he grumbled as he switched comms, "Fireteam 1-3, I need assistance. Follow me."
The newly arrived five man team appeared, double timing it to his position. Kylo drew his lightsaber, but considered the distance, the enemy fire and the difficulty in actively protecting his escort. Instead, he reached his hand out and ripped away a large section of wall plating and levitated to him.
Mechos hissed at that, but Kylo didn't care. "If it works Chewie, it works for me," he said to himself, "Troopers, stay close and under cover."
He took off at a run, the Stormtroopers in hot pursuit as he held the door between them and the enemy. Heavy bolts struck home, slamming the plating back but Kylo held it steady until they crossed the threshold and were through the door. To Kylo's surprise, there were no enemy soldiers waiting for them on the other side. Just a large empty hallway.
"They must've all been driven back," a Corporal said.
"Maybe. Keep your eyes and sensors primed."
"Oh no," Rey breathed as she felt what was coming; what was about to happen. The panic of it gave her feet flight and she ran for all she was worth.
"Station, where are they?" she asked frantically.
A droid appeared from a side hatch, answering, "One deck up, service juncture #151. 500 meters."
"He's close," Finn quietly commed, "get ready."
Finn could feel him approaching, a warriness to him. He knew something was coming, and it took all the effort the former Stormtrooper had to keep his mind quiet. Though it wasn't himself that he was worried about. He looked across the way at Chewbacca, who anxiously gripped his bowcaster.
He didn't ask, but he knew. This Cale must've been like a nephew to him. He shook his head; family betrayals were becoming a cred a dozen. He felt a shuffle of soft movement, and he turned his head to the other Troopers hiding behind the bannister. Weapons primed, they waited with grim determination… or at least that was the front they were putting up.
"Haggard," one of them asked over the comm, "you put down the field, right?"
"Course, Sarge. Ain't fightin' no redblade without 'em. Do I look suicidal to you?"
"I don't know," another commed, "would you like my medical opinion?"
"Bite me, Doc. At least I ain't like Sweetwater over there, hidin' behind the Wookie."
"Hey! I rather be here than over there! I like having the big furbag here. He's comfy and I'm not gonna be the first to get sta-gah! Okay okay okay, I'm sorry!"
"Quiet," Finn growled, "I sense them coming."
Another moment, a door opened and Kylo Ren followed by a fireteam of Stormtroopers came running in a trot.
"Another couple yards…" Haggard mused, "just a little more…"
Kylo held up a hand and stopped the column cold. He was looking up now, the Stormtroopers pointing their blasters, and everybody ducked out of sight.
"Oh hell," Sarge cursed quietly, "he knows we're here? Haggard, hit the fuse."
"But I need another five feet for the sweet spot!"
"Just do it, fool!"
Haggard hit the clacker, sending the microfiber signal to the mines they'd hidden along the side of the passageway. Then those same mines were suddenly in the air above them all, and they dove for cover as they exploded. Hot shrapnel hit Finn across the chest and helmet, the latter taking a massive chunk the size of his palm. As he recovered, he carefully removed it and found it'd cut through, feeling a slight cut on his forehead.
"No such thing as luck," he breathed, tossing it aside.
"Nice try!" Kylo called from below, "Want to make this easy, or am I gonna have to come and get you?"
"Screw you, you drag wearin' scuta!" Haggard shouted as he rose and started shooting. Everybody else followed suit, Finn switching to stun as he dropped a Stormtrooper that came into view. The exchange only lasted seconds however, as Kylo deflected a bolt, dropped Speedwater with smoke billowing from his helmet and then proceeded to drag them all to his fair.
"Hey, no fair!" Doc shouted as they all hit the deck with a loud plop, sprawled on the floor. Finn drew himself up when he got a boot to his back and a blaster in his face.
"Traitor!" the Trooper hissed, "You're going to pay for what you did to the Captain."
The remark made him angry. Without thought, he struck the man's blaster with his fist and to his surprise, it shattered to pieces. The Trooper staggered back, holding the broken remains before he went for his sidearm. Finn was faster, drawing his lightsaber in a blue flash and left the blaster pistol in sparking halfs.
The rest of the Troopers turned their attention to him, and Finn dove for cover as they opened fire. He grunted in pain as a bolt struck him in his armored back, throwing to the floor as he crawled behind a pillar.
"Hey, forget about us?" Haggard shouted as another firefight ensued, "Oh sure, we ain't got glowsticks! Don't make us any less important!"
"Damnit, Hags, would you shut it for once? Your mouth's gonna get us killed!"
"You ain't got a sense of humor, Doc. That's your problem! You're gonna die alone and miserably!"
Finn took advantage of the distraction, running ahead and reaching for his comm, "Chewbacca, come in!"
His answer was a pain filled roar, followed by a dull thump and Kylo Ren shouting, "Stay down, damnit!"
Finn rounded a corner, finding Kylo Ren standing over a crumpled Chewbacca.
"I don't want to hurt you, Chewie, but you're not giving me much-whoa!"
Chewbacca grabbed the Lord of Ren and threw him against the far wall, Kylo grunting as he hit the floor. Now the Wookie advanced wobbly, slamming his armored head against the wall plating before grabbing him and pinning him there. He started growling in Shyriiwook at him before Kylo headbutt him, pulling him into a knee and tossing across the floor.
Now clear, Finn drew his weapon and fired. Without looking, Kylo held up his hand and stopped the bolts in midair. Before he could send it back, Finn already rolled a detonator at him. Kylo sent the bolts at the explosive, sending it flying away as it exploded. Now Finn moved, firing as he went and Kylo resorted to blocking the attacks amazingly with his hands.
Once he drew close enough, Finn ignited his lightsaber and swung. However, he hit only air and found he wasn't even standing in front of him.
"You think a laser sword and tricks make you a Jedi?" he heard behind him. Finn swung around, hitting air again but this time seeing Kylo duck. He felt the air being punched right out of his gut, his mind going faint as a sharp pain pulsed from his weapon arm followed by him falling to the floor with his jaw blunted.
Ahead, Kylo toyed with the lightsaber. "Curious to find this here. Where'd you get it?"
"It was given to me," Finn coughed, "after you murdered its owner."
"No different than what you did with the villagers, FN 2187. You have no right to judge me."
"I do," Finn hissed as he forced himself to his knees, "because I did something about it. I chose a different way."
"By betraying your own."
"No different than you, Cale Solo. We're both traitors, but I'd say you did worse."
Kylo pointed the sapphire blade right in his face, snarling, "Don't push it."
He threw his arms wide, "Go ahead. What's one more body in your crusade?"
The remark stunned him for a moment, and that was all Chewbacca needed. He tackled him from behind, dropping him to the floor and putting him in a hold. As he started to apply pressure, the Wookie started gagging wildly.
"Get off me," Kylo gurgled, but Chewbacca refused and tightened his hold. Finn went for his lightsaber, but when he turned back he saw the Wookie out cold on the floor and the Lord of Ren struggling to his feet. Finn charged him, Kylo dodging his thrust with inhuman speed as he pulled his own saber to him.
The crimson blade flashed and Finn rolled back as pain hiss from his shoulder. He hadn't even seen the blow.
"Drop it," Kylo ordered, pointing his saber at him, "or I'll take you apart piece by piece."
"You will not pass," Finn retorted, dropping into a stance.
"Okay," and Finn was flying into the wall will dull thud. Were it not for the armor he was wearing, Finn was sure he would've knocked cold. Still, he mind swam for a moment as he saw Kylo close in like a shadow. Desperately, he raised his blade and parried, each blow a thermo-hammer and whirling scythe.
Pain suddenly shot up from his gut as Kylo kneed him, but Finn refused to drop. He pushed himself forward and tackled the Sith to the floor, but he was sent flying by a kick. The moment he got back to his feet, Kylo was on him and it was all Finn could do just to block and parry his ferocious attacks.
The smell of burning flesh and fiber hit him before any pain did, but Finn wouldn't go down. In the midst of a block, he saw his opening and moved into a repost, driving his saber tip right into Kylo's shoulder.
"Gah!" he screamed, backing a step in shock as smoke and the stench of burning metal reared out. Finn pressed his attack, swinging swiftly with an upward hack to cut him across the chest. Then something happened Finn didn't think possible, and the action itself stunned him into stupefied inaction.
Kylo caught the blade with his hand and was holding it.
"You're good, but not good enough." He wrenched the blade to the side, Finn pulled along with it before Kylo punched him in the shoulder with his guard. The pain was so sudden, so fierce that Finn hadn't the time to scream. He stumbled back, clutching at the burning, blackened hole. The smell of charred meat made him gag, and it took all the will power he had not to pass out.
Ahead, Kylo advanced like a feudal demon. Finn attempted to defend himself, but it was no use. Each strike was practiced, honed and powerful. Far more than anything Finn could offer. Soon, the Lord of Ren made good his promise and started taking the former Stormtrooper apart piece by piece. A slash across the shoulder, another at the knee, a third across the calf.
Finn dropped to a knee, his futile thrust caught, swung wide and the crimson plasma racked across his wrist. All the feeling in his hand, hell his arm, went out and he dropped the lightsaber to the floor. One more thrust to the gut, just below the ribcage, and Finn was writhing on the floor.
"I don't normally punish traitors to the First Order," Finn heard Kylo say, distantly, "I don't much care for it. But you… I can't let you live."
Finn looked up to the dark figure, wreathed in bloody hues as he held his blade aloft, "It's nothing personal, Finn, but I know what you're gonna do. This war needs to happen for the good of the galaxy, and I can't let you derail it."
"You're just like them," Finn gasped, "all of the other Sith who would send my brothers to die in your war."
"I am nothing like them!" he snapped
"We are defined by what we've done. You cannot run from it."
"I agree," he replied, raising his blade like an executioner's axe. Before the darkness could claim him, something struck Kylo from behind and he went flying back. He skidded across the ground, bringing himself steady as he stared past Finn.
"I was wondering when you were going to show up."
Finn painfully craned his head back, struggling to stay conscious and there saw Rey descending from the upper level with a leap.
"I told you, Cale. I'm never going to stop coming after you."
Finn turned his body, his breathing hard and his mind faint as he reached behind his back to pull all the pouch on his side. He hadn't the strength left to put the weapon together, but he didn't need to. He pulled the cover free and threw it.
"Rey! Catch!"
The last thing Finn saw before the darkness claimed him was the pieces of her saber pike floating in midair, swiftly assembled with the spark of amber fire.
Authors Notes
Hey everybody, this is JSailer and Squasher coming at you. First, we want to apologize for this very late chapter, and the blame lies entirely with me (JSailer). During Spring Break, I suffered from Eustachian Tube Dysfunction caused by a previous flu (not Winnie the Flu aka Corona aka the reason we're all stuck at home). Basically, I had terrible ear pain and tinnitus to the point that I couldn't sleep at all for several days.
I got better over the last few weeks, with the pain and most of the ringing gone. However, I lost alot of time and was only able to really start working into this chapter a few days back. Plus add in trying to figure out this chapter, and we missed our deadline. Still, we got it up and we hope you enjoy it.
(Squasher) And I've been working at the grocery store these past few weeks. So yeah, I'm going out into the thick of it. Man, why couldn't we have had a funner disease, like zombies or something!?
(Jsailer) Yeah, this is probably the closest we're gonna get to an Apocalypse… and it's boring! Honestly, I've been spending most of my time not writing or doing homework working on trimming a Japanese Oak Tree! It's the only thing that's keeping me from going insane!
(Squasher) We'll work to keep putting out chapters, though we've only got a few more to go before we finish the story.
(JSailer) Afterwards, we'll take a short break while we plan our next projects. As you might guess, it'll be our version of Rogue One and Rebels. Yes, we're rewriting those two, cause dammit they could've been great, not merely just good. Oh, and to give you an idea of what we have in mind:
"Kyle Katarn once threw a thermal detonator and killed 50 Stormtroopers. Then the detonator exploded."
Oh, and we want to thank Terminator-57 and darth Queidus for your reviews.