The atmosphere in the throne room became tense as the reality of what had happened began to sink in.
Sofie and Ren were quickly ambushed by Snoke's guards still in the room. Sofie went after the guard holding Lana.
The guard quickly dropped an unconscious Lana and drew their weapon. They stepped towards Sofie with assertive attacks and left her no choice but to step back gradually.
Another guard joined their fight, attempting to attack Sofie from the side. She Force jumped to evade them and landed near Lana.
"Sofie!" She heard a voice yell from across the room. It was from Ben. She found him in the sea of red and watched as he threw another lightsaber towards her. She caught it and recognized it instantly. It was her first lightsaber from the Jedi Academy.
She ignited the old saber in her other hand and began to move offensively on the guards. She chose one to attack aggressively and attempted to stave off the other with the Force.
She could tell that the guard was highly skilled. Sofie focused on defending herself to keep up with their pace. Finally, she disarmed the guard and then injured him.
Sofie finished off the rest of the guards that flocked towards her in a similar fashion. She occasionally eyed Ben across the room who seemed to be taking a more aggressive approach to his opponents. He didn't hesitate to kill them if the opportunity arose.
Finally, they had injured or killed enough guards to easily take the remaining three.
While fighting alongside Ben she noted the distinct ways their fighting styles had evolved. Ben had become more ruthless and reactionary. His swings were driven by emotion and focus was secondary.
Sofie fought to injure, not kill. She still preferred to perform acrobatic maneuvers to evade her enemies and preferred to make defensive over moves focusing on offense.
Their fighting styles complemented each other. Sofie could engage an opponent but then give Ben a chance to launch at them with surprising aggression. This also worked in reverse to their advantage.
Once all guards were incapacitated, Sofie put her lightsabers away and ran to check on Lana. She was asleep still, but definitely alive. Sofie breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sofie," Ben said behind her. Sofie stood up and looked towards Ben with interest. She smiled at him with joy and relief.
"You're free now, Ben. Snoke can't whisper in your ear or tell you what to do anymore. You can come back with us." Sofie moved close to him and reached out to grab his hand.
"Snoke is gone which means I am now the Supreme Leader. Who in their right mind would throw away power like this?" Ben said, gripping Sofie's hand tightly. "Look how we fought together to defeat these guards. Imagine what we could accomplish together on a galaxy-level. Then I will finally travel to Mustafar and find the power that my grandfather was too weak for."
Sofie pulled her hand away. "What? You're speaking nonsense, you've changed. I can tell," she said to him. He scowled at her.
"Sofie, I've never changed. You're creating stories in your head about me." Ben looked at her with intense eyes. "As Supreme Leader, I can finally bring the balance that my grandfather could not. This is the best option. Lana will get the best training, she will always be safe, and you can finally find the rest of your family."
"I've watched you destroy planets and civilizations first-hand, this is wrong and you know it," Sofie told him, her voice rising in volume.
This was the second time she had tried to reach out to him, but she was wrong. Nothing had changed.
"I've been holding out hope for you for so long," she said, holding back her tears.
He knew this because he had also been holding out hope for her, too.
"Nobody asked you to." He shot back, his words betraying his thoughts. His eyes were still filled with passion. He wanted Sofie on his side.
Sofie realized that this conversation was part of a larger cycle. They both held strong convictions. She held her lightsaber hilt tightly.
"Sorry," was all she said before she used one of the hilts to hit him square on the head. He fell to the ground, completely knocked out. She grabbed his comlink.
Sofie gathered Lana quickly and made something similar to what she had carried Lana in earlier. She resolved to leave the ship as quickly as possible.
With the exception of the Senator and the other high ranking officers, the rest of the workers on the ship disregarded Sofie. She easily weaved through the halls, blending in as usual.
Despite her easy passage, nervousness wrecked her as she feared a familiar face around every corner.
Finally, she arrived at Ren's shuttle docked. She loitered in the area and waited until nobody was in sight. She pulled out the comlink taken from Ren.
Driven by pure adrenaline, she left Supremacy and headed to the coordinates she had saved for Leia's ship.
Sofie watched the radar carefully to monitor for any others that could be suspicious of her.
The airspace was silent. Sofie stopped the ship in awe and confusion. She had left easily and expected a surprise at any moment.
She sat, waiting for an ambush. Sofie watched Lana stir in the seat she had put her in. She was getting restless and was cranky after waking up.
"Where are we?" She asked in her toddler-toned voice. Sofie reassured her that they would be going home and began to move them into the other ship.
Sofie bit her lip. Could they go home? Where were they going?
The status of the Resistance was uncertain to Sofie. The First Order had supposedly destroyed the ship that Leia was on. They had also evacuated their previous home.
Sofie also knew it also wasn't the time to go to Nexa. Not yet.
She transferred her and Lana to Leia's ship, noting that it seemed to have been ransacked. She was amazed that it was still where they had left it.
The ship had messages from none other than Leia. Sofie stared at them, unsure if she wanted to hear them quite yet.
Instead, she set the coordinates in the ship and began the flight back to Luke Skywalker.
Sofie carefully landed on Ahch-To. The sun had set and the only light came from the moon.
She picked up Lana and ignited her lightsaber for light. They walked through the greenery as she had done before and eventually appeared before the huts.
Sofie reminded Lana to be quiet and took them into the hut that Luke had previously let Sofie stay in.
She quickly laid Lana down to sleep, and they were both taken by exhaustion.
The next morning, Sofie was awakened by a soft voice.
"I knew someone was here," the voice said, calling her out of her sleep. She gasped and opened her eyes, trying to adjust them to the figure in the door of the hut. It was Luke.
"Master Luke, I-" Sofie began to explain herself in a whispered voice, but Luke put up his hand in understanding. He exited the hut and Sofie carefully got out of the bed without disturbing Lana.
The morning sun and wind hit Sofie as she exited the hut. It felt refreshing, but her stomach still turned as she faced Luke.
"I didn't know where else to go," Sofie told Luke outside of the hut.
"Don't know where to go? Or don't want to go?" Luke asked her. Sofie sighed and hesitated to speak. Luke was catching onto her.
"I don't know where the Resistance is now. They evacuated the original base and then they had a ship called Raddus, but that was destroyed by the First Order." Sofie told Luke. He nodded slowly, still not believing her explanation.
"They've been hitting us hard. It's bad," Sofie bit her lip.
"At least you got what you needed, hm?" He motioned towards the hut. Sofie nodded and smiled. He was right, she had Lana back and it had been her primary goal.
"I did, not without some struggles, but she's safe now." Sofie looked towards the hut and then back towards Luke. "Do you want to meet her? She is your grand-niece!" Sofie said, beaming with joy. Luke couldn't say no.
Sofie went back into the hut to a partially awake Lana. She sat next to her on the bed and gently spoke to her.
"Good morning my Lana, do you want to say hi to your uncle?" Sofie pushed Lana's wispy hairs out of her face.
"Who?" Lana replied back sleepily. Sofie picked her up and took her out of the hut.
Luke's face seemed to soften as Sofie exited the hut with Lana.
Admittedly, when Sofie had arrived at his private sanctuary, he had initially been skeptical. They hadn't left on the right foot at the Jedi Academy, and he could sense her hope for Ben even as they trained. His skepticism was sealed when she suddenly left in the night.
Sofie held Lana and introduced Luke.
"This is Master Luke, he's your uncle but also taught me many things! Can you say hi?" Sofie asked Lana playfully. Lana gave Luke a meek wave. Luke waved back to her and smiled. He couldn't force Sofie to remember his training and hold it in high regard, but he appreciated her acknowledgment.
"Let's go wake up," Luke said to the both of them.
The three of them enjoyed an Ahch-To breakfast consisting of milk and greens from the island. Luke used the opportunity to find Sofie's true reason for returning.
"Sofie, what exactly happened during your rescue mission?" Luke asked her, sipping his milk. Sofie debated lying to save face. Knocking Ren out in the throne room had caused something to click inside her head. She had realized how selfish her actions were in hindsight.
But maybe fixing her selfishness started with being transparent.
"To be honest, the night that I left, Ren and I had an 'encounter'," Sofie told Luke, her eyes shifting nervously. Luke looked at her with curiosity. "Encounter?" He asked her.
"Two years ago, when the Jedi Academy first burned down, Ren tried to probe my mind after they captured me. Ever since then the Force has been connecting us somehow. The night I left we had a chat. We shared a goal, and our connection was so strong that we assumed we would go to each other's side when it was done." Sofie said while glancing at Lana playing with an eating utensil on the other side of the hut. It sounded silly when she said her reasoning out loud.
"We eventually completed our shared goal of killing Supreme Leader Snoke, but of course, neither of us changed our position." Sofie shrugged. Luke looked at her with wide eyes. "I guess we're both disillusioned."
"You feel selfish." Luke started. Sofie looked at him with amazement. He had her pinned. "Why?" He asked.
Sofie frowned and looked down. "I brushed aside important things thinking I could help him. I stood by and was complacent when he killed Voe, his father, and now Leia might be gone, as well." Sofie cleared her throat.
"I should have taken those as signs that he was long gone. I had opportunities to kill him, I should have taken them." Sofie looked at Luke, her eyes watering.
"Sofie," Luke leaned closer towards her, "having hope isn't a fault." Sofie breathed deeply.
"I know, but how many lives could I have saved if I had stopped him right after he left the Jedi Academy? I fought him with Voe and Tai but I didn't fight him to kill him. I was trying to help him." Sofie said to Luke, regret seeping through her voice.
"The people who had friends, family-" Sofie continued until Luke put his hand on her arm to stop her.
"Kylo Ren does not embody the First Order. The First Order does. They would have caused destruction with or without him." Luke told her. Sofie sighed.
"Maybe." She told Luke. "I just- I don't want to feel obligated to help him."
"Then don't, focus on helping the ones you've seen be terrorized by the First Order. He's responsible for destroying numerous planets and ending entire societies." Luke said to Sofie. She thought deeply.
She pulled out her chronometer and turned it on for the first time since Ren took it from her. The same messages from the ship were accessible, and a new message had been received.
She listened to the most recent message and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. It was Leia's voice. Ren's instincts had been wrong.
In the message, Leia described the recent tragedy with the Raddus ship. She told Sofie that with their remaining forces, they were hiding in an old Resistance base on Crait, but planned to leave immediately and keep running from the First Order.
She told Sofie that they would be fragmenting for now, but to be assured that they would rebuild. Sofie was relieved to hear that Leia was safe and that the Resistance had not been wiped out completely. Luke appeared thoughtful as Sofie played the messages.
"Even if they spread out, it's only a matter of time until they catch up to them," Sofie said, her face solemn. "It's like we're starting all over again."
"Don't lose hope yet. Go to her," Luke told Sofie.
"I just got here, I wanted to train with you before going back," Sofie told Luke.
"I think you'll be doing more significant work with Leia than you think," Luke smirked.
After talking directly to Leia, Sofie learned that Leia was going to be coordinating the Resistance on Batuu.
Before leaving Ach-to, Sofie fought tears while preparing for her and Lana to leave. Spending time with her old teacher had reminded her of the ups and downs they had shared. Sofie associated Luke with her youth, which she found herself reminiscing on occasionally.
She gave Luke a hug before boarding Leia's ship and thanked him for the many years that he had helped her. He reassured her that they would be talking again soon. Sofie believed him but knew it wouldn't be the same.
Sofie traveled to the new base, noting the overgrown flora that helped hide the base. She landed and brought herself and Lana inside. The base was mostly empty, but still had the essential technology that Leia and the other members of the crew needed.
Sofie and Leia's reunion on the new Resistance base was also bittersweet. Upon seeing each other their faces lit up with joy and relief. Lana also instantly recognized her grandmother.
"Nana!" Lana exclaimed as soon as she saw Leia. Leia picked up Lana and gave her a tight squeeze.
"My Lana- you're safe. I'm so glad." Leia was relieved to see Lana again, she had feared the worst after their incident with the Senator.
Sofie and Leia shared a brief, sweet hug. Sofie opened her mouth to explain, but couldn't find the words. She felt like she could only apologize.
"I'm sorry, I feel like I could have helped you more." Sofie apologized to Leia, her face showing her pain. She wanted to express how she felt responsible for some of the things that happened, and the guilt she felt for accepting Ren so quickly after Han's death that had impacted Leia significantly.
Leia's face also showed a complicated sadness, but she smiled at Sofie. She could feel her remorse. They both held their regrets.
"You don't need to say anything. I know." She told Sofie.
Both of their opinions of Ren had been altered. Sofie knew she had been manipulated, but she blamed herself for not distancing herself earlier.
Leia wanted to believe that her son still had good in him. This was difficult to do after losing Han. The destruction of Raddus also gave her the impression that her son was truly ruthless.
The Resistance was now struggling to stay strong. The base on Batuu housed about ten of their members. Leia had the challenge of coordinating important moves from multiple locations across the galaxy.
She prioritized obtaining intelligence. They needed a miracle, and she believed that it was out there.
The Resistance continued their minimal operations for years. Leia knew that the Resistance's current forces were no match against the First Order, she focused instead on creating a secret network of support. This tactic did not prevent many of the large atrocities committed by the First Order, but Leia knew that it was their only option to win. They continued this tactic for 5 years, waiting for Leia's plan to finally fall into place.
Leia asked Sofie and others with low-profiles to prioritize minimizing the damage that would inevitably occur on planets targeted by the First Order. They could find more recruits and help those who needed it on a case-by-case basis.
This arrangement worked out well until Leia informed Sofie of a distress call from a small town in Nexa called Choni. Sofie was excited to help, but the idea of visiting her homeworld again made her nervous. She knew she was unlikely to encounter anybody she knew in a small town, but her gut told her to keep her guard up.
Sofie prepared to leave the Resistance base. Thankfully, the base had been exceptionally quiet since the Resistance had shrunk. Sofie knew that Lana was becoming more capable by the day, but she still doubted the 8-year-old's fighting ability. Despite this, she trained Lana to the best of her ability when they had time.
Before each mission, Sofie reminded herself that this was to create a better future for her and others. Letting Lana grow up in a time of genocide and dictatorship was the last thing she wanted.
"Let's train a bit when I get back," Sofie told Lana before she left, placing a peck on her cheek.
"Okay, I'll practice while you're gone," Lana replied. Sofie grinned, she was so serious sometimes.
Sofie boarded a Resistance ship, flew to Nexa, and landed a distance away from the town for safety.
The area was lush with trees which made it hard to land but aesthetically beautiful.
Sofie double-checked her map and continued once she confirmed that he had her lightsaber and blaster. She also carried a pack of items for those who lived there and needed relief. It also included extra food and weapons if Sofie felt confident in those she encountered.
She had never been to Choni but noted that it required at least 10 hours of traveling time to reach from her hometown, Ambury.
Once Sofie saw the town in the distance through the trees, she could immediately see the distress. Buildings were partially burnt down and First Order stormtroopers roamed instead of the people who lived there. She assumed they had burned some structure to intimidate the population. The few people walking around looked frightened. She was surprised that they hadn't completely pillaged the town and that they appeared to be stationed instead.
It wasn't difficult for Sofie to sneak into the town square from the wooded area, but she was eventually interrogated by a stormtrooper in the town.
"Stop! Show your identification." The stormtrooper stepped in front of her. Sofie sighed and reached into her bag, moving carefully to not expose her weapons. She showed the stormtrooper a fake ID, fabricated to make her appear like an inhabitant of the village.
The stormtrooper looked at her card for what seemed to be an abnormally long time. She seemed to be comparing the picture on the card to Sofie continuously.
"One moment, don't move." The stormtrooper said while turning to the side. She seemed to be communicating with someone else and said something that Sofie couldn't hear.
"Is there a problem?" Sofie asked her. Her stomach turned as her nervousness increased. She always got off scot-free with the altered ID cards. The stormtroopers were usually looking for nothing more than verification. This was especially true in a town like Choni, where they were most likely looking for recruits and resources. They didn't want to disturb the peace completely yet.
"It's just an extra verification process." The stormtrooper told Sofie. Sofie bit her lip anxiously, wondering what they could possibly want from her.
"How long is this going to take?" Sofie asked the stormtrooper.
"Not long at all," a familiar voice said behind her. Sofie turned abruptly, putting her hand on her lightsaber under her cloak.
It was Armitage Hux with a few stormtroopers. Sofie froze. Why was he here? This was low-level work.
"Sofie Hulrose," Hux said while walking towards Sofie, "I've been looking for you." Sofie gripped her lightsaber hilt.
"I don't want to kill you," Hux told Sofie, she looked at him, surprised. He instructed the stormtroopers to leave them and continue patrolling. Hux lowered his voice and guided them next to a wall of one of the buildings.
"I know that it was you who helped kill Supreme Leader Snoke with Ren." Hux started. "I initially wanted to kill you, but then realized we may be able to have an alliance against Ren. I'm sure you're not particularly warm towards him right now." Sofie relaxed, she didn't consider Hux to be a significant threat.
"An alliance? Do you know who I'm working for?" Sofie said to him, laughing slightly.
"This is about my power within the First Order. I've been reduced to filth now that Ren is Supreme Leader. I want him gone." Hux stepped close to Sofie, she tried to step back but had little space behind her.
"And why would I help you?" Sofie scowled at him.
"You don't really have a choice," Hux replied.
"What? And yet you said you didn't want to kill me, which is it?" Sofie asked Hux. He said nothing and stepped back from her.
"Do you really think it's a coincidence that you were sent here, to this village, on your home planet?" Hux began to walk away. A pit appeared in Sofie's stomach.
"Prepare for the younglings to be transported," Hux yelled towards the stormtroopers he had turned away.
Hux's casualness was insulting. He wasn't concerned about Sofie because they had the upper-hand. He didn't need to kill her because he could squash her in numerous other ways. He was taunting her.
Sofie wondered if he was hinting towards what she suspected. She followed him as he walked off.
"Where are they? And what exactly are you wanting from me?" Sofie asked him. He smiled at her.
"That's more like it- don't worry, this will be beneficial for both of us," Hux told her.
Hux took Sofie to a house at the edge of the village.
"This one," He pointed towards the house, "And don't try any funny business." He narrowed his eyes at her. Sofie said nothing and knocked on the door. The door opened slowly and with hesitation, a symptom of First Order occupation.
A girl a few years younger than Sofie peeked through a crack in the door.
"Who is it?" The girl asked. Sofie opened her mouth in shock. She knew her sister's eyes even after the many years they had spent apart.
"Leti, it's me!" Sofie spat out. Leti opened the door carefully and looked at Sofie.
"Sofie?" Leti asked in disbelief, "It's really you?" Sofie nodded, an enormous grin appearing on her face.
They shared a hug and both took a moment to acknowledge how much time had passed. Sofie originally left home for the Jedi Academy when she was 8 and Leti was 5.
"You're a real Jedi now, right?" Leti asked her with childlike excitement. Sofie laughed.
"I'm as real of a Jedi as anyone can be right now," Sofie replied.
Leti was dazed but realized the urgency of their situation.
"Come inside, mom's here too," she told Sofie.
With Sofie distracted, Hux began to round up the stormtroopers currently stationed at the town to begin his final preparations.
"Prepare to round up the younglings," He instructed the stormtroopers, but before he could continue his orders, the same stormtrooper that had interrogated Sofie motioned towards Hux urgently.
"Sir, the Supreme Leader has a message for you." She told him. Hux scowled. Ren always knew the worse times to interrupt him. Hux went to the command ship stationed in the town and connected with Ren via hologram.
"You have a message for me?" Hux said to the hologram, wanting to speak quickly.
"Finish your duties on Choni and burn it down, we don't need to waste time there," Ren said. Hux froze, his plan crumbling in front of him. He resisted shouting at Ren in frustration and anger.
"But Sir-" Hux started, Ren dismissed him.
"That's an order," Ren bellowed. A rage stirred inside Hux as Ren continued.
"Once you are finished at Choni, track Sofie's chronometer to the Resistance and execute our planned final order. We will be finalizing the First Order's place in the galaxy."
Hux gulped, realizing the significance of Ren's orders. Ren planned to finish off the Resistance for good. Hux knew this would be a laughably easy task, as their forces had shrunk significantly.
"And what are you planning to do meanwhile?" Hux asked Ren.
"All you need to know is that I will be gone, but when I return I will be much more powerful," Ren stated to Hux. Hux was silent. He agreed with the Supreme Leader and assured him that his order would be carried out.
Hux ended the hologram conversation. He stood in the command ship in silence, a wave of anger boiling underneath.
He wanted the power and influence that Ren had, but he knew that if Ren made it to where he intended to get his power, he would have no chance of gaining any power over him.
On the other hand, if he coddled Sofie too much, he could inadvertently help the Resistance.
If he attacked the Resistance directly, Sofie may become uncooperative or even dead. He weighed his options carefully.
Hux stepped out of the ship and into the town square. He called over the stormtrooper who had told him about Ren's message. Hux stood in front of the stormtrooper silently for a moment, making her uncomfortable.
"Sir?" The stormtrooper asked, confused by his silence.
Finally, Hux spoke, his mouth dry.
"Burn it down. Everything." He told the stormtrooper.