Hello everyone. If you have read Two Parts of a Whole and Star Wars: The Last Hope, then thank you for sticking with me for so long. These stories and I have been through so much that I'm surprised this second book in the main series actually got finished. Between losing my notes for the series including my entire plot and totally losing the motivation to write I'm glad to finally get to this point.

I started The Neo Order in late 2018, right after I finished Two Parts of a Whole and The Last Hope, and I actually finished it at the end of November before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker came out, so any similarities you see between my story and the movie are purely based off of me following the bread crumbs that the movies haphazardly left for us fans to follow.

My third novel will differ wildly from TRoS while also including some of the things I personally wanted to see resolved in the series that didn't in the movies.

Again I would like to thank you for reading this and may the Force be with you, always.

Yours truly,

Nel Blake

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Star Wars or any of the amazing characters

Rey

For the next couple of days, Rey struggled to keep her secret from Kylo. She was sure that he could sense that she was hiding something else from him but with Zoroyais acting as a mental block she didn't have to worry about him invading her mind. Though she was worried that he would grow suspicious when he couldn't reach her mind, nothing ever came of it.

She supposed that was because he was so used to being shut out by her that he rarely ever tried to open the bond now days.

During the time that followed the revelation that the darkness in her head was really Zoroyais, Rey spent more and more of her time in the field that was quickly being destroyed by the darkness growing within Rey.

Rey toughed through the training even though she knew that it was all Sith training, and nothing like the exercises Kylo had put her through all those months ago back on Vader's Vengeance. She could feel herself getting stronger but knew that it was only because Zoroyais had been weakening her connection to the light side of the Force the entire time he'd been pretending to be her inner darkness.

Now she only had her growing connection to the dark side of the Force to provide her with the strength she would need to defeat Zoroyais on her own terms.

It is my duty to protect the ones I care about. Even if I lose myself in the process, I have to trust that Kylo and the others will be able to bring me back, Rey thought to herself as she ran through another practice drill with Zoroyais.

You are distracted today, youngling, Zoroyais taunted as he chased her down with his weird steel sword.

Rey knew better than to let the blade touch her after witnessing Kylo and Zer-o almost die from the poison. Though in the beginning she wasn't always skilled enough to evade Zoroyais' attacks. The few times that the blade had touched her skin had left her scarred and in pain for several days afterward.

"I am not a youngling. I am not a padawan. I am not your apprentice. I am an Ember Master," Rey told him for what seemed like the thousandth time since they'd begun their training.

Rey sighed, she needed to say something so that he didn't get suspicious as to what was going on in her mind.

"I still find it difficult to accept that Anakin Skywalker was born because Darth Sidious implanted a baby into woman thousands of parsecs away on Naboo. Or the fact my father may as well be the Force too," Rey said after a moment.

Rey sighed dropping to one knee to slide under a horizontal slash from the wicked steel blade and brought one end of her gold light saber up to strike out at Zoroyais' side. The blade passed right through him of course but that was beside the point. She actually landed a blow on Zoroyais. After less than 20 days she'd been able to do something that neither Kylo nor Zer-o, who both had years of experience over her, had been able to do when they had fought Zoroyais back on Ilum.

Very good, Rey, Zoroyais said. Again.

He and Rey ran through a few more drills before Rey was allowed to take a break.

You are doing very good, Rey. I think you are ready for the real thing. For our real training to begin you will have to leave your friends behind, Zoroyais told her in a calm voice.

Rey wiped sweat off of her face as she drank water from her cantina. She knew this moment had been coming. She'd made mention of returning to Jakku to look for clues to her parentage. Who knows if or why anyone would believe that but Kylo didn't question her. It was a little scary.

"I don't know about that. I still need to ease Kylo and the others into letting me leave the planet by myself," Rey explained.

That was not the deal, girl. You are to come with me now if you want your little rebellious friends to live to see another fight, Zoroyais said.

Rey sighed.

Only over the last couple of days had Zoroyais become so pushy. She figured that something big must be going on soon for him to want her at his side at once. Before she'd thought they would train through the Force for a few more months at least before he would push her to leave her friends.

This was too soon in Rey's eyes.

She needed to make things right with the people she cared about before she variably betrayed them.

Would they ever forgive her? How could they?

I was afraid what they would do when they learned that I was bonded to Kylo through the Force, something neither of us had a choice about but this…I feel like I've been implicit in this from the very beginning. I was just fooling myself into believing that my own darkness had manifested into a physical form, Rey thought as she looked over the black-clad figure.

"And just how am I supposed to get to you? If I try to take one of the Resistance ships, everyone will just know and they'll end up coming after me," Rey reasoned.

Zoroyais pinned her with a hard look.

Rey didn't know how she could tell just how he was looking at her from under that helmet. She hadn't been able to sense anything from Kylo when he'd been wearing his own helmet and there was no part of her that wanted to admit that she was somehow more connected to Zoroyais than she had been to Kylo… Before Zoroyais had cut their bond off.

Zoroyais cocked his head and then slowly began to disappear right in front of Rey's eyes.

"What's happening? Where are you going," Rey demanded marching over to the spot where the apparition had been standing just seconds before.

"Did you think that I would not come for you myself," a voice came through the trees just beyond the spot.

Rey was suddenly overtaken with a feeling of being surrounded by pure darkness. She'd only felt such a sensation one time before, back on Ilum. That could only mean one thing.

Zoroyais himself was here on Vodran. Rey had led the opposition right to the Resistance's home base. She had to get him out of there before something far worse than the newest threat to the galaxy showing up on their doorstep.

As Zoroyais stepped out of the trees, the light surrounding him seemed to be eaten away by his strange armor.

Rey was more than just a little relieved to see that he had come by himself.

"What… What are you doing here," she asked. "How did you find me?"

Zoroyais laughed.

"I could always find you, Rey. I just chose to wait until you were ready before I showed up. Fret not, Hux and his army of dogs have no idea that the two Knights of Ren stationed here have betrayed their allegiance to the First Order to remain loyal to Kylo Ren. They are still hunting the Resistance all over the galaxy and I will keep them on that wild goose chase until it is time," Zoroyais said, his voice was like loose gravel scraping along concrete walls and nothing like the smooth baritone in projected into her head. "As long as you come with me now," he told her, holding his left hand out to her.

"Essie are you sure you saw a ship land all the way out here," a voice came from behind Rey.

"No," she whispered as she turned just in time to see Kylo emerge through the trees with all of their students behind him.

They all froze as they took in the scene happening directly across the field from them.

Rey's heart started pounding in her chest. She wished she could feel what Kylo was feeling. He was staring at her in a shocked sort of horror that quickly turned to anger as his hand when to the light saber on his belt.

"NO REY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING," Essie screamed.

"Rey, get the hell away from him right now," Kylo called.

Rey looked back to Zoroyais.

"If he touches me, all bets are off Rey of Jakku. I will slaughter them all right here in the field and then I will drag you back to my ship. There is no win here for Ren," Zoroyais promised.

Zer-o, Kylo and Falbell all stepped up like they were all ready to fight Zoroyais. A rainbow of light sabers all seemed to ignite within seconds of each other as the rest of the group moved up to stand with the three males.

"I need to speak to Kylo. Through the bond," Rey told Zoroyais.

He nodded and just like that Rey and Kylo became keenly aware of each other's presences.

You need to take our students and go Kylo, Rey told him through the bond.

What the hell is this Rey? I was right, wasn't I? Zoroyais has been manipulating you this entire time. That's why you've been acting so strangely, Kylo yelled at her through the bond.

You don't get it Kylo. I have to do this. I have to go with him so that the rest of you actually have a chance at defeating the Neo Order, Rey told him.

I get it more than anyone here. You need to back away and let us help you, Kylo told her.

If I let you attack him, he'll just kill you all and take me anyway and I can't have that, Rey said and reignited her light saber, moving to defend Zoroyais against her friends and the man she loved.

…

Kylo

He knew something was wrong with his love but nothing in a million years could have prepared him for having to fight Rey just to get to their enemy.

Kylo turned to the others and said, "Hang back and make sure we aren't being surrounded. Essie, take to the air to make sure the base isn't being attacked while we deal with this foolishness. No one moves on Zoroyais until I have safely secured Rey."

He ignited his purple blade as he stalked toward her.

"You would raise your blade to me," Kylo asked her out loud.

"To protect you from yourself, yes. I love you too much to let you destroy yourself when going with Zoroyais is my choice," she said and Kylo flinched.

Zoroyais had been offering his hand to Rey the same way that Kylo himself had offered his hand to Rey back on Snoke's flagship. Only difference in the scene that had been about to play out before he and the others arrived was that Rey had refused to take his hand back then, but she'd been getting ready to take Zoroyais' hand.

"And joining him is so much of a better choice than when I asked you to join me," he hissed at her.

"I begged you to save the resistance, and you refused, I couldn't join you then. The only reason I'm joining Zoroyais is to save you all. What is one life for many," Rey asked.

Kylo nodded. Of course, he'd made a deal like that; Zoroyais would do anything to get his hands on Rey but he didn't care for her like Kylo did. His eyes traveled over her lovely face for just a second before they flew to Zoroyais.

"I can't let you do this Rey," Kylo said.

She gasped and he could imagine that his eyes had changed again. He was going to kill Zoroyais even if it was the last thing he ever did. At least then everyone he cared about would be safe and Rey would be free. He couldn't let her go through the things that he had under Snoke.

Kylo raised his light saber as he began to stalk toward Rey and the creature who wanted to take her away from Kylo. To his surprise Rey raised her hand and froze him in place with the Force. That bastard Zoroyais had the audacity to nod his head in approval. Kylo's anger rose to a new level as he shook off her half-hearted attempt to hold him. Kylo's first swing was caught with the end of Rey's double bladed light saber but she hadn't expected him to force the blades backward until the cross guard vent was pressed almost to her shoulder.

"No matter how strong his hold on your mind is, I know we are stronger than it," Kylo hissed at her.

Rey gritted her teeth as the pain of the blade bit into her shoulder for a second and then Kylo's lips were pressed to hers, his mind flooding her with every moment they'd shared since meeting.

Kylo pulled away from her, keeping his blade ready so that when Rey was ready, they could go after Zoroyais together. His heart broke a little as Rey just shook her head at him and moved so that once again, she was blocking his path to Zoroyais. Kylo nodded, he would have to break her first. He reached out his hand, dragging Rey toward him by her delicate throat. He hated to hear the sounds she was making, but he didn't let it deter him as he began searching her memories discovering everything that had transpired while their connection had been blocked.

A bellow of rage escaped him saw that Rey knew Zoroyais was the one blocking their Force bond. He'd never felt so betrayed before. His own darkness rose in a wave that felt like it was going to consume his entire being and he wanted to let it. A little part of him did. He backed away from Rey, putting away his purple light saber in favor of his red one. He saw a little fear leak into Rey's eyes, but he wasn't concerned.

"Defend your master, little scavenger girl," he demanded.

He twirled his blade in one hand as he paced back and forth staring at her. Rey shakily got to her feet; he could tell the pain in her shoulder would only slow her down a bit, but it should be enough for him to get her light saber from her. Then it would just be a matter of knocking her out and having one of the others get her back to the base.

Rey got to her feet and moved toward Kylo, striking out with one end of her light saber toward his chest, he dodged backwards and used his red blade to put pressure on the end she was holding with her injured arm. With his free hand he punched toward her midsection, taking her by surprise. She coughed and stumbled backward. Kylo pressed his attack, slipping his blade under the back end of her light saber, trying to flip it out of her grip.

Rey recovered her breath and spun away from him after changing to a one handed grip.

"You are failing me, Rey," Zoroyais said as Kylo froze Rey with the Force before pulling her back toward the others.

"Don't you speak to her," Kylo demanded moving passed Rey to start his assault on his real enemy.

Before Kylo could get there Rey broke his hold and used Force speed to get back in front of Kylo.

"Stop this. Please," she begged. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You've already mortally wounded me. I might as well die physically," he hissed at her.

He brought his blade down, hacking at her raised light saber. Instead of buckling under his strength as she'd done so many times before, she ducked under him, using her small size to slip inside of his defenses. She knocked his blade wide as she came in with a twist. Then she extinguished her blades and dropped the weapon to the ground before she reached up placing both hands on his temples.

I love you and I am doing this for us. Please trust me, she whispered before she brought her knee up while bringing his head down with a strength she hadn't had before.

Kylo's eyes watered as he felt a burst of pain in his face. Rey had just broken his nose. As Kylo staggered backwards Rey kicked out at his legs trying to take him down. Once he recovered enough to straighten, Rey bought her light saber up to strike out at his shoulder, catching it for a second as Kylo maneuvered to get his blade up and in the way. He parried the attack by spinning away from her and then thrusting the blade back under the middle of her light saber. The blade caught Rey in the side making her scream out in pain.

"Enough Rey, you have proven yourself. Let's go," Zoroyais commanded.

Rey nodded and began backing away from Kylo. He moved to go for her but found that he couldn't. Zoroyais was holding him still with the Force. Kylo was forced to watch as Rey leaned on Zoroyais for support from the wounds Kylo had inflicted on her. He could hear blasters going off as the others tried to go for Rey but the great and powerful Zoroyais held them all in place, including the blue tinged yellow blaster bolt and the purple one that was fired shortly after.

Echoes of the same word could be heard throughout the small area as Rey and Zoroyais disappeared through the trees. No more than a minute later a shuttle lifted from the ground and disappeared into hyperspace. Only then did the hold on them all ease.

Rey and Zoroyais were gone.