Chapter 23

Hux still couldn't believe how lucky he was. His plan had worked perfectly. When he shut off the holocom and turned to Colonel Palkott, the latter stared at him with a completely bewildered look.

"I can't believe what I just saw. These scoundrels have been playing with us this whole time!" the soldier said. "So Kylo Ren murdered Snoke, and then one of his Knights, Elias, betrayed him and took his place!"

"I can assure you that I am as shocked as you, Palkott," Hux had replied, with impeccable acting. "And yet the evidence is there. My men were very lucky to find these recordings. This will allow us to act quickly and expose the entirety of this sham! Snoke was a visionary and a great leader, but he should never have trusted Kylo Ren. Just as that fool should never have counted on his little band of bullies to assist him. These people never did care about the First Order. They thought only of recruiting new disciples to swell the ranks of their sordid Sith sect. Elias Ren has actually spent the past four months hiding behind the mask of Supreme Leader and fooling us all. He fooled the whole galaxy. And I don't give much for our heads if he learns that you and I have discovered the fraud. This is why we must inform everyone and put an end to this masquerade! The chain of command makes it very clear: I am the highest-ranking officer and should take command now."

Hux saw the colonel look down at his boots and start to think. Deveron Palkott was a veteran of the Empire who, after Palpatine's death, had fled to the Unknown Regions and had wisely waited and worked for the rise of the First Order. This fervent admirer of Snoke had always hated Kylo Ren and his dark knights. Armitage also knew very well that the old man did not like him very much, but that he was very attached to discipline and military values. So, as soon as his shuttle had left hyperspace, he had decided to discreetly board the Fellfire in order to first rally the colonel to his cause, and from there, all the other senior officers of the fleet.

Hux had had no choice.

On his way back to Naboo, Hux had been contacted by Lieutenant Mitaka via a secure communications channel and informed of everything that had happened since his departure. Viri Pax had been killed by rebels and the Supreme Leader, also aware of his little escapade on Sato, awaited him aboard the Finalizer.

Elias was going to make him pay for all of this.

Mitaka had also told him that Sylla had gone back to the palace, undoubtedly in order to pick him up there and deal with him as soon as he got off the shuttle.

In short, his future with the Supreme Leader was now compromised.

So Hux had shown Palkott the video of Kylo Ren murdering Snoke and fighting alongside this girl. He had recorded the scene on a data key and made several copies entrusted to Mitaka. But there was also something else on this key. Something he had also shown Palkott. Something that would allow him to get out of the mess he was in by implicating Elias Ren.

For months, he had sought to obtain a means of pressure against him, something that would allow him to remove the darksider from his pedestal ...

Two weeks earlier, just before going to Naboo to take possession of the palace, Armitage had accidentally bumped against a small Z-63 unit cleaning up his quarters. Mad with rage, he had almost kicked the little robot when something suddenly clicked in his head: that day on the Finalizer, while he was crawling painstakingly towards the exit after having narrowly escaped Kylo Ren's attack of Force lightning, he had passed on all fours in front of a unit of the same model, waiting near the door. These little robots were everywhere and usually went unnoticed. True guarantors of cleanliness on board, they were ignored by everyone. The Z-63 units were programmed to stand quietly in a corner, to scan the room and to only start working when the area was clear of any occupant. But this day, amidst the chaos and shattered furniture on the floor, the droid had been activated. Hux remembered very well having seen his audio receiver flashing as he'd passed by him.

The general had dared to hope that the droid had the conversation between Elias and Kylo stored in his memory card.

He'd ordered Mitaka to find the robot and, miraculously, the young lieutenant had succeeded. Sent for servicing due to the overvoltage detected that day in the room by the on-board computers, the Z-63 unit had been put on standby, stored for weeks and practically forgotten in the depths of one of the Finalizer's workshops. The data collected by the droid was that which his subordinate had brought him on Naboo just before he left for Sato.

Hux still couldn't believe he was so lucky as to have trapped Elias just as he had been able to trap Kylo Ren. And all thanks to a ridiculous domestic robot. On the audio message, Elias Ren had revealed his true face but also his links with Snoke and the murder of Jor.

All was working just as Armitage had planned: Colonel Palkott finally put an end to his procrastination and looked up to address the communications manager installed in front of his console, below the bridge:

"Sergeant Elkarr, start a holographic transmission to all the other ships in the fleet," he ordered. "General Hux has a message to address to all the senior officers in charge of First Order vessels."

A slight smile appeared on the redhead's lips when he saw the operator busy at his station. His hands crossed behind his back, the general faced the large picture window of the Fellfire which offered a breathtaking view of the stellar destroyers scattered around the planet. The Finalizer was among them, straight ahead. When Sergeant Elkarr confirmed to him that the line was ready and that he could start speaking, Armitage Hux turned to go to the middle of the bridge, his chest puffed out and his air triumphant.

OoooooO

Sylla descended the ramp of the shuttle with her suitcase in hand. The luggage was rather large but not really heavy. What was inside was fragile and well-packed in an Arkanian polymer shell.

The young woman, hair and cloak fluttering in the wind, crossed the main square of the palace, escorted by a squad of stormtroopers. First Order transports had been flying back and forth constantly for hours, relaying men and equipment to the flagships. The armored vehicles, the M6-TT, and the patrol droids were being loaded into the holds of heavy cargo ships outside the city, while here, battalions of soldiers in white armor marched in quick time to reach their boarding point and take the shuttles or turbo-elevators leading to the spaceport at the bottom of the cliff.

Elias, however, wanted the city to be the last to be abandoned, and several hundred infantrymen were still roaming the deserted streets and guarding every corner of the royal palace.

The small group took the central pathway to arrive at the staircase leading to the interior of the building. At the top of the steps, Sylla ordered the soldiers to wait there, in the forecourt, before entering the hall. The click of her heels on the pink marble floor echoed up into the heights of the cathedral ceiling as she made her way towards the throne room. The Supreme Leader's instructions had been clear. She had to put the device on the royal desk and activate the force field around it. Elias did not want to take any chances. Once the protective system was in place, absolutely nobody could touch or move the bomb anymore.

OoooooO

The doors of the turbo-elevator closed as he tried to catch his breath. He had just run along the endless corridors of the Finalizer to reach the stern of the ship, killing in the process all the stormtroopers he had met. The order had been given to neutralize him, and although his mastery of the Force was exceptional, he could not confront all the soldiers present in the destroyer. The only way he could get out of it was to flee, and that as discreetly as possible.

A deaf fury was igniting every fiber of his being. He was so angry with himself for not having eliminated this far-too-ambitious general from the start. Like Kylo, he too had underestimated this vermin Hux by believing that he could be easily manipulated. He was kicking himself for it today.

He had suddenly gone from the status of Supreme Leader to that of a man with a death sentence on him.

How ironic… It was exactly what he had done to Kylo, four months earlier…

No more masks could be deluded now. Besides, he had left it on his bedroom table the second Hux finished his speech ordering all the troops and officers to put him to death. The redhead had just officially taken control of the First Order armada.

All hangars housing starfighters had been cordoned off. Hux probably expected him to try to force his way to one of the TIEs, using his powers. So he surely had whole squads of infantrymen armed to the teeth to wait for him there.

Reaching level (-5), where the empty shuttles were parked ready to repatriate the troops, was therefore the only chance he had to leave the Finalizer without being spotted. Naboo's evacuation was still underway and the next wave of ships was about to take off.

The doors of the turbolift finally opened and Elias jumped out. The few technicians preparing the freighters jumped together when they saw the blond giant moving towards them, threatening. They had also heard Hux's words via the intercom and immediately understood that the one who had just arrived was none other than the man everyone was looking for. Whether General Hux liked it or not, dying to try to stop him was not really part of their plans. After all, they were just mechanics. So they all ran off to the nearest exit without hesitation.

The knight watched them run away and headed for one of the cargo ships without wasting a second. The console on the side announced the impending takeoff. Everything was automated and in the control of a pilot droid, with a preprogrammed trajectory. He was therefore going to be taken to Naboo. He would have preferred to find a ship with a hyperdrive system, but he really had no choice. At least he had the possibility of rejoining Sylla and especially his command shuttle stationed at Theed.

The young woman was the only one he could count on now.

He had abandoned Tehari in his quarters. Impossible to drag a child behind him as he tried to escape from here, no matter how promising he might be.

Elias tapped on the console screen and the droids finished tearing the mooring cables from the transport shuttle. The knight was about to take the access ramp when suddenly his whole body stiffened. A familiar feeling echoed through the Force. Anger at least equal to his, but which was not directed against General Hux. Elias Ren slowly turned to see the doors of the turbo-elevator close behind the hooded figure of Yehnu.

It almost made him smile.

He and his old sidekick were going to have a final discussion before he left.

The Rattataki advanced towards him and drew his lightsaber.

Elias watched him without moving.

"Where are you planning to go like this?" Yehnu spat.

Elias could see it. Yehnu could barely restrain himself from swooping down on him. Rage and hatred were consuming him entirely.

Well ... Snoke had told him very often: feelings were a weakness that clouded judgment ...

"Well since my days as Supreme Leader seem to be definitively over, I intend to take this shuttle that you see here to meet Sylla on Naboo," replied Elias with the greatest calm.

"And do you really think I'm going to let you run away after what I've just learned?"

"Knowing you, I am convinced that you will, of course, try to stop me."

Yehnu's jaw tightened, as did his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber. He was ready to explode and did not appreciate the provocative attitude of his brother's murderer at all. But Elias looked at him with arrogance and was not in the least impressed.

"I'm going to kill you," the Rattataki announced simply by detaching the clip from his coat and dropping the garment on the floor.

Elias also freed himself from his cloak, grabbing the saber attached to his belt. The fight was inevitable and the blond knight activated his weapon. A scarlet blade materialized in front of him, startling Yehnu into moving backward slightly.

Elias was jubilant.

Until then, in front of the others, he had always used the old lightsaber with the blue blade which he'd built when he was still the padawan of Luke Skywalker. But now everyone knew the truth: he too had been Snoke's apprentice. So he no longer had any reason to hide his real weapon, which contained red Malachor crystals. No unstable beam. No unwanted crackling. Unlike Kylo's, this saber was of perfect design, and the scarlet reflections projected onto Elias' face gave his eyes a demonic aspect.

"Ah, you're going to kill me …" Elias's voice had turned into a howl. "Well, let's see that, my friend."

The soles of his boots anchored firmly to the ground and a predatory smile plastered on his face, Elias Ren prepared to face his opponent.

OooooO

R2-D2 entered the cockpit and headed for the pilot's seat. Rey was busy checking the shields one last time before they left hyperspace near Naboo. Poe had contacted them a few minutes earlier to give them the departure signal. The Resistance was ready to take action. All available vessels were on their way to confront the First Order armada and attempt to stop Elias Ren and Armitage Hux. The little droid beeped to signal his presence and the young woman turned to him.

"Is everything ok, R2?"

The astromech snorted, letting out a series of plaintive chirps. He was worried and wanted to let people know.

"I know," she replied, lovingly placing her hand on his gray and blue metallic head. "You worry about her, and me too."

R2-D2 hissed, flashing his motion sensor, and Rey gave him a sympathetic smile. She understood his dismay. The poor droid had had no luck with his former masters. Both Anakin and Luke had abandoned him, and now they were dead. All he had left was Leia. The attachment of this little robot to members of the Skywalker family was really touching.

"I haven't known her for as long as you, R2, but I know that Leia is an exceptional woman. She is much tougher than all of us put together. Chewie will make sure nothing happens to her and so will we. We'll cover the freighters against possible attacks by the First Order starfighters. As soon as we will leave hyperspace, we will head for the Gungan refuge. Leia and Chewie are supposed to pick everyone up there, including Rose and Finn."

She was no happier than he was to know Leia would be on Naboo. The general wouldn't end up in the middle of the fighting, but the situation would still be risky, especially if Elias Ren triggered his infamous weapon.

"Listen, stay here and come and tell me when we're about to arrive, okay? I'm going to have a chat with Ben."

The droid settled in front of the console while Rey went back to the main hold. When she arrived in the room, Ben was sitting on the bench and inspecting his lightsaber. Ever since she'd found him on Tatooine, and every time she looked at him now, she couldn't help but notice how much he had changed. For one thing, he'd swapped his dismal black outfit for a light shirt with long sleeves, brown pants, a pair of boots, and a tan leather jacket. The similarities with Han's dressing style were obvious, but the young woman had of course refrained from pointing that out to him. And she knew that the metamorphosis was deeper, that Ben was no longer denying his Light Side. She was so proud of him.

Unexpectedly, when Poe had told them that Leia would take part in the rescue mission, Rey had felt him wince. He had remained silent but his discomfort was almost palpable. Like R2, he was worried about her. Another positive point to add to the upheaval that had taken place in him. He still loved his mother, and if the circumstances had not been so bad, Rey would've almost smiled. But right now, she didn't really want to. Ben's face was closed and he was adjusting the hilt of his weapon when she came to take a seat on the bench.

"What are you doing?" she asked to break the silence.

"Correcting the length of the beam. Due to the instability of the crystals, my lightsaber needs to be adjusted regularly."

The nervous tic under his left eye reappeared. Ben was trying to control his emotions, but this time the stakes were quite different, something which Rey was also well aware of. They were going to take part in something epic that would certainly seal the fate of the Rebellion for good, and the young woman's stomach was tied up in knots. She took a deep breath before declaring:

"We'll be arriving soon."

Ben finally put his saber on the dejarik table. Rey noticed the small jaw movement he often made when he was searching for words. She had finally gotten to know each of his micro-expressions and no longer even needed the bond to be open to know what state of mind he was in. She only had to read his face. So before he could answer, she added:

"We'll be outnumbered."

Ben looked up at her. His eyes were shining with a glow she knew well now - a glow saying he was also afraid for her.

"There will inevitably be a lot of casualties, Rey. This Resistance attack on the First Order fleet is madness."

He had avoided talking about his mother, Finn, Rose, Poe, and Chewie. But Rey could feel it: he cared about the outcome of the fight, about what could happen to them, too. He no longer belonged to any camp. Both the rebels and the First Order wanted one thing only: his arrest or his death. However, the fact that he was aboard the Millennium Falcon today, ready to help the Resistance, meant that he had decided to fight for freedom, for the fall of dictatorship and terror, and Rey's heart sank.

"I'm mostly afraid for you," he said finally.

His gaze was too intense, desperate. Rey moved closer to him and gently put her lips on his. He responded to her kiss by stroking her cheek and hair. They didn't have much time left to spend together, alone and safe. They were heading straight for chaos, for their destiny. A fate they both had chosen: to fight side by side. And Ben didn't want to be anywhere other than with her at this precise moment.

Yet he suddenly released his grip. His whole body froze and his gaze focused on an invisible point in front of him. He had just felt something that had escaped Rey, and she was worried now.

"What?"

Ben's jaw tightened and his face took on a strange expression, a mixture of surprise and dismay.

"Tell me." The young woman gripped his arm.

Still in shock, he seemed to emerge from his torpor and turned his head towards her before answering:

"Yehnu is dead."