Another chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited! I haven't really committed to a fanfic beyond a couple of chapters before, but this is a project that I'm willing to see to the end. I already have another four chapters written (school starts soon so there will be times where I can't write and these backup chapters will come in handy). Again, thanks for all the support, and hope this doubly long chapter is enjoyable. I feel like it could be either or.
"Unidentified First Order vehicle, come in. State your status."
Rey lurched from the reclines of her seat and grabbed the communication system.
"This is Rey. Requesting coordinates to land."
There was a brief silence in which she considered whether she would be let through. She had yet to even meet anyone from the Resistance other than Finn, Leia, and Poe, let alone lay a single foot inside their base. Her brisk victory on Starkiller Base had led to a tedious journey to Ahch-To immediately after.
She regretted identifying herself only by name, speaking it as if it held any meaning. Chances are, no one knew her. And when she caught glances of onslaught she had witnessed first-handedly while her escape pod was jettisoning toward The Supremacy…well, it looked like a one-sided battle. She wasn't sure how many survivors remained. And now, behind her, without a doubt, was one of the largest space wreckages to have ever been recorded in any battle. The Raddus, General Organa's ship, was no doubt a monstrosity to be reckoned with, but even it was dwarfed by the obliterated mass of The Supremacy.
She was worried. Were her friends safe? Was Leia safe?
The flashing red panel in front of her caught her eye.
"Permission to land granted. Coordinates sending now."
Rey muttered a quick thanks and then turned off the communication system.
She collapsed back into her seat and then breathed a sigh of relief. Crait was growing bigger by the second—a testimony to how much faster this ship was compared to any other transport vehicle Rey had been in. Luckily, navigation and flight controls were unanimously similar regardless of how high-tier a ship was.
A few minutes of staring off into empty space grew boring, and she turned her attention to the ship. As much as she hated to admit, the First Order ship was much more comfortable than any Resistance ship she had been on, much less the Millennium Falcon. The dark leather that seemed to indent itself to the shape of her figure as soon as it made contact with her skin sent wave after wave of repose so headily that she couldn't help the soft groans leaving her throat and out her lips. Whereas the Resistance salvaged as many parts as they could, which often led to the reuse of technology that was more than a generation old, all of the First Order's equipment was state-of-the-art. The minimization of buttons and endless panels of intricate controls that gave way to sensors that responded to her touch was no doubt a reflection of the mass amount of wealth on the side of the enemy.
Rey wasn't stupid enough to just sit back and completely relax, however. Years of solitude on Jakku had led her to a high affinity for awareness and suspicion. She made sure to take caution by consistently monitoring the scanner pad on her left, making sure that no ships could approach within a certain distance of her before she took notice.
Her fingers flickered toward the communication system again. A sudden urge to talk to whoever was on the receiving end of her transmission flooded through her, but she thought better of it. The Resistance was surely setting up their new base, and the last thing they needed was an annoying Padawan keeping an extra set of hands away from all the organization taking place. Instead, she would twiddle the hilt of her lightsaber in the palm of her hand instead. That always soothed her.
Her hand flew to her lightsaber, but as soon as her fingers touched it, it was like a bucket of ice water doused over her head.
She slid her fingers down the foreign hilt. The usual sleek, shiny texture no longer permeated throughout her sensory nerves. Instead, the hilt felt cold and heartless, the freezing metal scorching her as if it had a life of its own. She moved her fingers up, and abruptly pulled back when she felt the crossguard. And then she looked down.
It was Kylo Ren's lightsaber.
Rey racked her brain. She was confident she had picked up Luke's at the time, but thinking back to it now, she really wasn't paying attention to which lightsaber it was. She had just called out with the Force, and apparently her enemy's weapon flew to her.
She mustered the courage to glance back down. The black weapon, which had claimed a countless number of souls stared back at her, as if it was mocking her. Daring her.
Before she knew what she was doing, she unclipped the lightsaber and held it in her hand. There was a strange feeling that she couldn't place at first, but then she realized that, even though her hand was much smaller than his, the hilt fell in place quite nicely into her grip. She turned it a couple of times over. The structure was simple, but the complex was not.
An overwhelming urge suddenly overtook her, and Rey ignited the saber.
A dark, almost grotesque roar erupted from the blade as it spewed flames, and then the two crossguard blades demonically ignited as well. Unlike Luke's lightsaber, which held a steady beam to it, this was uncontrolled. There was a low hum to its idling, and Rey felt like the sound, in a sense, was almost ethereal; a deep lullaby meant to gradually vibrate the listener's soul to sleep.
It was beautiful.
Rey stepped away from the chair until she was at a safe distance from any imperative controls and then took a swing. She could feel the blade, sizzling hot, cut the air to into pieces. The weapon was so alive that with each swing or thrust the sheer heat of energy generated by it was enough to increase the temperature in the cabin by a few degrees. She took a defensive maneuver, the same that Kylo Ren always did right before he ignited his weapon—where he crouched ever so slightly and thrust the blade toward the ground—and felt how easily it came to her. She took a swing, and pretended to catch an enemy's weapon with one of the crossguards. A simple twist of her wrist to the side would have been enough to disarm the opposer's weapon.
Her hazel eyes reflected the flickering of the blade. Fiery red and light brown swirled together until neither was distinguishable from the other.
Rey allowed a grin to come forth. The red was strikingly alluring, and the arcs and turns from the body that accompanied it made it all the more mesmerizing.
I see you are enjoying yourself.
Rey gasped and dropped the lightsaber. Vaguely, she noticed it shut off and tumble onto the metal floor and roll out of sight. It was hard to focus her senses, because all she could make out was him. He was in his ship as well, examining his lightsaber meticulously, turning it back and forth in his enormous hands.
How did you get into my head? she retorted. She could sense him now, a looming presence in the back of her mind. But unlike Snoke, whose presence augmented reality and crushed her skull with pain, his was oddly genteel and warm. His aura left a tingling sensation that was neither good nor bad. She frowned.
Distractions. You allowed yourself to lose focus at the mere presence of a lightsaber. Slipping into your mind without your notice proved no difficulty. You should have your defenses at the ready. Always.
Rey emerged from her crouch, victorious in locating where his weapon had gone. She stood up and got back into the pilot's chair.
You speak to me as if I am your pupil.
Is that such a bad thing?
Rey growled. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this before it finally sinks in. My answer on Starkiller is the same answer I have for you now. No. You will not be my teacher. Now get out of my head and leave me alone.
Through the eyes of Kylo Ren, she saw him flying into a hangar. He ignored her condemnation, and instead surprised her with his question.
Are you alright?
She swiveled around in her seat. What's it to you?
She could feel his end of the bond harden, and she immediately regretted sounding so hostile.
No, wait, she said.
Rey could feel his prepared, venomous retort come to a pause as his eyebrows lift in surprise. She didn't know why, but she didn't like how she sounded so crude and brash.
Has your injury been treated? she asked.
She saw him looking down at his forearm, the one that she observed to be bleeding in Snoke's throne room. An impromptu bandage, one that hardly reflected any expertise at patching someone up, was loosely draped around his arm. Well, that answered that question.
I'll survive, he responded dryly.
Quit being such a child, Kylo, and let the medical droid look at your arm. Rey took note of Crait and how it was getting closer and closer. It would only be a few more minutes of floating in space before she crossed the atmosphere and landed. Her stomach flew with butterflies at the thought of seeing everyone again.
I have more important manners to attend to.
Like what? What could possibly be of greater importance than your health? Rey found herself shaking her head, amazed at how stubborn he could be.
You have knowledge that I seek. Enemies I swore to find.
Immediately, she clammed up. For a split second, she had almost believed that they were not on opposite sides of the battle, given their light bantering. But when his voice took a darker approach, she knew his desire for his sick idea of vengeance was now at the forefront of his mind. Just like that, their conversation was filled with plagued tension. She would get nowhere with him.
Leave me alone.
Not until you give me what I need. Where is Luke Skywalker?
Rey shook her head. I will never tell you.
She could sense his rage.
Tell me where Luke Skywalker is! I know where the puny Resistance base lies, and I will come for it soon enough. Would you like to hear how many transport ships we gunned down? How few survivors are left? I will wring out everyone and find where the cowardly mongrel is. I guarantee—
Rey ignited the lightsaber.
I cannot believe—you know what, get out of my head!
You will tell me!
Get out of my head! she screamed again. Innately, she could feel her anger boiling to a dangerous surface. It filled the brim and then sludged outward, filling her head with vehement thoughts. She could feel it pushing away Kylo Ren's voice, and she allowed herself to lose a little more control. She entertained herself with the image of Luke's decrepit stature at the hands of Kylo Ren; the image of the Resistance base burning to shambles. This allowed her anger to spike even further, until she could feel his presence being forcefully being pushed until it was no longer there. But right before she evicted him, she heard him one last time, voice void of any fury and holding just the slightest bit of pride.
You are learning.
Rey slumped forward in her chair. That bastard. Always one step ahead of her, manipulating her so that she would learn from him regardless of her will.
Luke had said anger was the path to the dark side. Was he wrong? Look at Kylo. A Force user who lets his anger dictate him, and now he's walking a dark path. But Rey knew she had anger issues too…did that mean…
She shook her head. No. There was no way. A legend himself could teach no wrongs. But was he a legend? Would legends fail like he had toward Kylo? Rey found herself pouring over his teachings, trying to interpret the line that divided good and evil, light and dark, and was so absorbed in her mind that she didn't realize the shuttle was jerking violently due to Crait's atmosphere until the shrill sound of alarms permeated her ears.
"Damn," she cursed to herself, and took control of the sticks. Although she was no Poe Dameron, she could handle her own.
The First Order ship landed in a snowy field of emptiness for as far as the eyes could see. Creatures that resembled wolves with shiny eyes and sheets of ice as fur scurried away at the sharp sound of the ship's engines. She landed with a graceful thud and managed to reconfigure all the controls in the correct order. She took one last glance out the glass pane and shuddered to herself. The clothes she was wearing wouldn't do any good in this freezing weather.
There were signs of life. As soon as she landed, Rey saw a few Resistance members—characterizable by their distinct jackets—jogging from the side over to her ship. She frowned at the blasters that were tucked to their sides, and how easily accessible it would be to their hands.
The platform at the rear of the ship hissed and lowered.
"Rey?!"
"Finn!" Rey bolted out of the ship onto the snow and landed in the arms of her best friend, who was surrounded by unfamiliar members of the Resistance. She hugged him tightly.
"It is you!" he exclaimed, returning her squeeze with equal gusto. "I was worried sick about you."
"About me?" she laughed. "You're the one who was in a coma!"
"We all were. Last we heard, you were training with Luke."
"A lot has happened since, hasn't it?" she rhetorically asked. A sad smile came to her face.
Finn smiled too, but it too didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah. A lot." They broke apart.
He shook his arms out of the Resistance jacket he was wearing and handed it to hear, turning a deaf ear to her protests. With her heart warming to the gesture, Rey accepted it and slipped it on.
The two of them let the other members of the Resistance lead the way back to the new base that loomed in the near background, while they trailed behind.
"Tell me," Finn asked after the two fell into a comfortable pace. He offered her his hand, and Rey eagerly slipped hers in his. "What tricks did the famed Luke Skywalker teach you? Anything to use against the First Order?"
Rey smiled at his enthusiasm, but then it slowly disappeared. Finn saw this. She sighed.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, Finn. It's just—" Rey struggled for words, before finally settling with, "I didn't learn much."
Finn looked confused.
"What do you mean? You were with him for over a month, were you not? Or do the ways of the Jedi require longer than that?"
She felt like he was accusing her, and he noticed this by the way her eyes slanted.
"I'm not pointing fingers of blame, Rey," he backtracked. "I'm just curious."
"It was hard getting to Master Skywalker. For over a week, he refused to train me."
"What, refused? And he didn't say why?"
Rey shook her head. "I tagged along everything he did—when he cooked, when he meditated, even when he milked the Thala-sirens," she shuddered.
"The what? Milking?"
"Never mind," she brushed. "The only time I didn't follow him was when he retired to his hut and went to bed. Even then, he still refused."
"So you didn't learn anything at all."
"No. He agreed to teach me eventually, but even then—" Rey paused. What was she supposed to say? That the legendary Luke Skywalker took one look at her power, got too scared, and then turned cold feet? That wouldn't go well with any of the Resistance, whom she was sure held high hopes toward Luke teaching Rey.
"It was just basics," she finally finished flatly. "But never mind me, what about you?"
She could tell he wanted to hear more about her, but the finality in her voice managed to convince him not to ask any further questions.
Finn launched into a long story on how he and Rose met and took a huge risk and traveled to Canto Bight on Cantoinia and his adventures there, to which Rey interjected with her small bouts of laughter and disbelief.
Conversation flowed with ease, and Rey found herself warming up to these conversations that used to be a part of her life before she had left for Ahch-To. But when Finn got to the part where they were captured by the First Order as a result of DJ's double-cross, the nagging presence in the back of her mind resurfaced and bothered her until she could no longer keep it within herself.
"Crait, huh," Rey pondered, entranced at how the snow beneath her feet turned blood red when she trodded through.
"Yeah. I was just filled in. Apparently it used to be an old Rebel base. Abandoned now, but the base is still fully functional."
Rey's heart dropped. Her fears were affirmed. The fighting was not finished. War would keep raging, until one side emerged victorious.
"H—How many, Finn?"
At her crestfallen tone, Finn's head lowered.
"Hundreds."
"There were only hundreds to begin with, Finn," Rey said, tears climbing to the front of her eyes. "That's not a good enough answer!"
Finn shirked away, and both of their pacing slowed.
"Just a handful," he admitted. "There's only a handful of us that remain."
Rey's heart sank. Hundreds. Hundreds of faceless, and hundreds of people who suffered. Hundreds who believed in the Resistance until their last breath. Hundreds who died, and she did nothing to help prevent it. All the time that was wasted waiting for Luke to teach her on Ahch-To, only to briefly learn the fundamental basics before being shunned.
A firm hand shook her shoulder. "Rey?"
"Sorry," she muttered, realizing they had stopped.
Finn grasped Rey's hand in both of his. For a split second, Rey almost wanted to jerk back. She could see it in his eyes—Finn valued them just as she did, but he desired something more, something that went beyond the realm simple friendship. Even with her lack of experience in the field of relationships, Rey could still identify the signs when they manifested. She didn't feel the same, but she didn't have the heart to tell him off. So she accepted his touch, and she hated herself all the more for it.
Finn smiled, and her heart sank even more. To see someone with so much optimism and hope for the future only fueled her shame for her lack of.
"We'll have to make do with what we have, but it's a good start," he said, before flourishing the space beyond where they stood.
"Welcome to the new Resistance."
She was in the heart of the bunker.
A massive enclosure surrounded her from all sides for as far as the eye could see. The lighting was dim, but even still, she could distinguish how colossal the ceiling rose. Layers upon layers of equipment were stacked on another; some still had the once-white, now-dusty gray coverings on them that served to protect the tools from external decay, while others had already been lifted off by Resistance members hard at work. A cluster of what Rey could only assume to be fighters loomed off to one side. Boots maneuvered around the area crowded by what seemed like crystal foxes, which scurried away from the firm path Resistance members took to reach their next task. Dozens more crystal foxes crowded around her, and she felt their noses sniffing her body, curious at yet another new visitor.
But once Rey saw her, all noise disappeared. The only thing she could focus on was the woman standing strong in front of her, even after everything she had been through. And the next thing Rey knew, she was running forward, straight into her arms.
"Oh, Leia," Rey cried, accepting the woman's embrace. "I'm so sorry." She hugged the lady tightly, and felt her hand awkwardly pat her on the back.
"I know, Rey, I know. But in times like these, we must stay strong," General Organa told her.
"How can you still stand here after everything that's happened? Finn told me the news. Hundreds, Leia. Hundreds."
A wave of pain washed over Leia's face. "I know, Rey. I know. But there's only one path, and that's forward. Snoke won't rest until—"
Rey shook her head. "Supreme Leader Snoke is dead. Kylo Ren killed him."
She felt Leia tense under her arms before pulling away. Rey immediately missed the warmth and contact.
"Ben…My son, killed Snoke?" she asked.
Rey saw the warning signs too soon, and regretted how eagerly she told her the news.
"Leia, it's not like that. As twisted as this sounds, he did it to save me. Snoke was threatening Kylo, commanding him to take my life. But instead—"
"But instead, the dark master's apprentice disobeyed and took the lightsaber to Snoke instead."
Her eyes widened when she heard the unmistakable voice. Rey whirled around. "Luke?"
"I came as soon as I could," he said gruffly, speaking more to Leia instead of Rey. She felt a tinge of annoyance but pinned it down.
"I could lecture you for days on how you should have come earlier," Leia chastised. "But now is not the time for it. All that matters is you came."
"There's a shift in the Force," he said in an undertone. "I can feel it."
Leia hesitated at first, but then nodded. "I can too, and when Rey explained to me how Snoke was dead…I thought it was that at first. But this feeling still looms within me. They're coming. They're coming, Luke. My son."
"Wait a minute."
The two wizened adults turned and both looked at Rey. She couldn't help but soak in her Master's appearance. His facial hair was even wilder now, and there were prominent wrinkles splotched over his skin that were not there when she visited him on Ahch-To. He was old.
Rey turned to back to Leia. "You're Force-sensitive?"
"Well, of course she is!" Luke burst out, stretching his body toward her. "She's my sister! We run from the same line of blood."
"It doesn't matter!" Leia mimicked, and Rey realized that this wasn't Leia anymore, but General Organa. "Right now, the First Order is sending everything they have. We must prepare. So soon…"
Rey turned her head incredulously between the two. "Kylo…" she murmured.
She was not stupid. She knew that, even with the functioning Rebel base at their disposal, they would stand no chance against the wrath of the whole First Order. With Snoke dead, she doubted there was a successor appointed by the power-hungry, evil fiend. He wouldn't have believed that he could be killed. But he was, which meant only one thing: Kylo Ren now led the First Order.
It was worth a try.
Can you hear me? she projected into the abyss. She quietly waited for a response. If she could talk reason into him, maybe he would pull back.
But there was nothing. There was no familiar tingling in the back of her head. She could sense his presence, but it was muted and indistinguishable from the rest of the thriving galaxy. The familiar cord that had linked them when they spoke to each other was now camouflaged in the pitch-black void in her head.
The two of them nodded, an unspoken conversation passing between the pair. This did not go unnoticed by Rey.
"I will deal with him. Rey, Leia, go."
At her protest, he raised his hand.
"This battle must end here and now," he said. "There is no other way."
"But the Resistance needs all the help it can get," she protested. "You cannot stand here and honestly tell me to my face that you can go out there and face the entireFirst Order and Kylo Ren!"
"No, Rey," Leia input. "I agree with my brother on this. This is Luke's fate, and his fight. I must say, I had hoped we'd have more time. It's too dangerous, and we need all the hands we can to safely evacuate everyone."
"No," Rey said.
"No?" Leia questioned. Luke remained silent.
"No," Rey repeated. She took a menacing step forward. "I will not let Luke go out there and face him alone. In no way am I undermining your strength," she said, turning to her Master, "But you are going to need all the help you can get, and I am more than capable enough to hold my own!"
"Rey—"
"No!" Rey repeated, this time louder. "I fought him on Starkiller and won! I fought him again in Snoke's throne room. I can take him. If you will not let me fight him alone, then at least let me join alongside you!" Her vigor began to fizzle. "Please," she swallowed. "Master."
Luke stared at her for what seemed like centuries. He dipped his head, and his action, Rey knew she would not be able to coerce him into letting her fight, no matter what she did.
"You are not ready, Rey," Luke said. "You are not ready."
Rey bristled in anger, but as quickly as it came, it disappeared. She understood the underlying, hidden message Luke conveyed in his rejection. The few lessons she received from him on Ahch-To all emphasized spiritual balance and harmony. To become one with the Force, and not let her emotions cloud her judgement. Luke had said it again and again. Rey's shoulders drooped when she realized that it was not a lesson she had obeyed. Her anger had gotten the best of her multiple times within the last day.
In other words, Luke was terrified.
"You're afraid I'll succumb to him. You're afraid my anger will lead to my downfall," Rey whispered, brushing aside the feeling of betrayal.
Luke shook his head, refusing to acknowledge Rey's words. But both of them, and even General Organa knew, that it was true. "Stay out of this fight, Rey. That's an order."
Although a bitter taste was welling in the back of her mouth, Rey knew that she was wrong to disobey. She knew Luke and Leia's concern was warranted. With a stupendous effort, she gritted, "Yes, Master."
Luke nodded, giving her his approval, before turning to Leia, who had been silent the entire time the exchange had been taking place. He leaned in ever-so-slightly until his the aged wrinkles in his face and his unkempt beard brushed against Leia's nose as he pressed his lips to her forehead.
He gave her a forlorn smile. She saw him slip something inside of Leia's hand. And then he left without even saying goodbye to Rey.
"Ready our defenses," she heard Leia order. "Let's see what this old base can do."
Rey heard Leia giving orders to the remaining few members of the Resistance, and she saw them run over to the junky behemoths hidden beneath their covers, but it was hard for her to go and help. She stood there, trying to dissipate her anger, while Leia continuously barked orders.
Before long, only a trickle of Resistance fighters remained in the operations room. Everyone else—and Rey did a headcount of thirteen individuals—got into the speeders, including Finn, and a few more dozen individuals took to the trenches with loaded weapons. She swallowed. They were on a suicide mission. It was selfish to feel this way, but Rey couldn't help but cross fingers and hope that if one person made it back, it would be Finn.
She wondered if the speeders would even function. They looked like scrap pieces of metal that would fall apart with a single brush of a feather. From the looks of things, a few people's speeders failed to start after an initial throttle, but a few more attempts led to some serious coughing as the hunky pieces of machinery roared to life. A few members turned their head around to Leia and gave her a curt nod, as if they knew this was the last time they would be able to see their beloved General.
From the confines of the bunker, Rey could see a looming mass of First Order. What seemed like giant modified AT-ATs finished their remaining steps and stood sentinel, guarding something what seemed like a disturbingly mammoth cannon. And right above the weapon of mass destruction was a familiar black command shuttle Rey knew all too well from its landing down on Takodana. The Resistance speeders pushed up to meet them, but Rey's heart sank when she saw that they were easily outnumbered and outscaled.
But behind them all stood Luke. He made his way forth, emerging from one of the speeders and walked forward at a slow, deliberate pace. Her head pulsed with fire and Rey winced at the emotional bond that was thriving off Kylo Ren's hate toward the man he could so visibly identify from even his distance.
Rey could sense movement, and then her vision disappeared altogether and was replaced with a black canvas. Kylo Ren was standing in the cockpit of his command shuttle with a few First Order pilots and a ginger man in a command cap. The man tensed even more at the sudden intrusion in his mind, but did not eviscerate her from his confines. Instead, he opened the bond and let her in so she could hear his voice loud and clear.
"Send me down. Open fire at will on the V-4X-D speeders and the Resistance scum hiding in the trenches, but do not launch an attack on the old fool. He is mine to deal with—"
"Supreme Leader, it would be advisable if we opened fire on every fighting member of their force, including Skywalker, while our cannon—"
The general began choking and his hands flew to his throat. His eyes started to protrude out of their sockets, and his tongue dangled out like a dog in summer heat.
"You seem to forget who is leading the First Order, Hux." Rey's mouth fell open. "I am the Supreme Leader. You abide by my rules. Do not disobey my command."
"Stop!" she shouted, but he couldn't hear her.
The man in front of her was beginning to turn blue. His eyes were inexplicably watering and rolling to the back of his head. Rey could do nothing but watch in spectative horror as the life began seeping out of his eyes.
Rey's stomach contorted in disgust and amazement at the interaction between the pair. Disgust at how Kylo Ren was expendably treating his allies, and how little he cared for human life.
And then Kylo let him loose. The disgraced man collapsed to the floor and his hands reflexively began to massage his throat. One of the pilots shot a sympathetic look at the man wheezing beneath him, but under the Supreme Leader's glare, he turned back to the control panel and began pushing buttons.
"Descending. Hangar opening now, Supreme Leader."
"Good."
She saw through the window of the command shuttle that they were descending, and he turned his back to her. She saw the floor, doubling as a door, drop forward, and Kylo Ren leaving the shuttle. She saw the audible sighs of relief coming from the First Order pilots and the clench of General Hux's jaw at their new Supreme Leader's methodologies. But most of all, she could feel the inner torment threatening to tear Kylo Ren apart from inside out.
And then she was pushed out of his mind.
Maker, Kylo Ren was Supreme Leader now. Rey had to shake her head twice before it finally sunk in. The title that burned fear into enemy eyes and held as much spoken power as a god—it was all his to take.
Rey felt herself torn at the new Supreme Leader, and she found herself occupying time by pondering on each Supreme Leader's conduct. From what she had seen and heard in the throne room, Snoke had been a manipulative Force-user and a power-thirsty fiend who would stop at nothing to get what he so selfishly wanted. Kylo, on the other hand…there was good in him. She knew it. She didn't know what the Force bond entitled, and Master Luke had never mentioned anything of it to her, but it was telling her that Kylo Ren was, in a sense, someone she could trust. Someone she—and Maker forbid she admit it—needed.
The General's painful grip on Rey's forearm was what startled her out of her reverie. She lifted her head to view observe the skirmish, and she gasped.
Muddy red trails, which looked like the results of a child's drawing, zigzagged sloppily until their paths led to small swarms of flame burning high, with the charcoal-colored remains of smoke drifting upward until it fully evaporated in the sky. The destruction of all the V-4X-D ski speeders. Rey turned her attention to the grounded Rebel turrets. Every last one of them, from one side of the battlefield to the other, were destroyed, with only the fumes from the loss of innocent lives remaining.
Rey didn't need to use her eyes anymore when she could sense with the Force. The destruction of all of the Resistance speeders led to the First Order's armored weapons gazing shrewdly and unmoving—demonstrative of a new silent stalemate, a product of a quake of high magnitude from within her. There was an inner turmoil raging on inside, and she attributed this to the start of Kylo Ren and Luke's deadly fight.
Rey didn't know what was going to happen, but she knew one thing for sure: there was no way Luke could take care of Kylo Ren and the troops at his disposal. Even if Luke overpowered him, the rest of the First Order would not let his victory go without consequence. She gripped her lightsaber tightly.
"I need to help," she grit.
"Luke always had a bad predilection toward following orders," Leia said from her side. "And it is apparent in you too. However, it is in your best interest to remain where you are."
Rey couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Leia, you are the most rational person I've ever met, but even this is outrageous. He's one man against an army!" At Leia's silence, she continued. "Look at him! He's fighting out there—alone! He needs help, or are you just going to sit and watch as your brother dies?"
She had gone too far. Leia's eyes flashed angrily.
"You will stand down."
Rey puffed, and tried a different, softer approach. "Whatever sentiments you hold toward you son is wrongly construing your decisions. That is Kylo Ren, mad with revenge. Not Ben." She stood up and rolled the balls of her feet back and forth, coming to an ultimatum. "I'm going."
"Rey, no!" Leia protested. She got to her feet as well and stood in front of Rey, blocking her path forward.
"Move out of the way, Leia," Rey warned.
The woman in front of her refused to budge. Now she knew where Kylo Ren got his stubbornness from.
"I can't let you go," she said.
"Let me go."
The mule shook her head. "No."
"Let. Me. Go. This is your last warning."
Leia took a step forward in her direction and waved her hand at a few Resistance members, who had taken a few steps toward the two of them. At her command, they backed off.
"No."
"What, Leia? What? What are you going to do? Stop me?" Rey found her grip on her lightsaber involuntarily tightening.
Leia seemed to sense a stirring inside her. "You can't go, Rey."
"Why not?!"
"Because!"
"Because what?"
"Because!" Leia sighed. "Because Luke has seen this in a vision!"
"So that's what you two were doing, speaking of behind my back?"
"Rey, I—no, we—need you to understand—"
"Force visions aren't guaranteed! They can easily be manipulated," she said, remembering bitterly how Snoke twisted whatever relationship Kylo and herself had. "The future can change on a whim, and just because he saw this in a vision doesn't mean it's going to come true!" she petulantly argued.
"Rey, you listen to me—"
"No, Leia, you listen to me!" Rey hissed, losing control. Her fingers twitched, and before she knew what she was doing, she held out the same hand. She saw Leia's eyes widen for a split second. But it was too late.
Rey Force-pushed Leia. Hard. The General toppled over and her back collided with the cold pavement. A pitiful groan erupted from her throat as she struggled to overcome the pain. There was a reason why she led behind the fighting lines. Years of being at the front had taken its toll on her, and her age had begun to catch up to her.
Seeing Leia in a vulnerable position immediately filled Rey with regret. But the longer she took to let the regret sink in, the longer she would take to reach Luke.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I have to do this."
And with that, she walked out. Past the few remaining dumbfounded Resistance members in charge of guarding the General, and past the broken fort entrance that was bombarded by the First Order's cannon. She passed everything until she was outside, and then her pacing turned into a jog, and then her jogging turned into a sprint. Ahead of her, she could spy blue clashing with blue in a beautiful battle. A deadly battle.
The remaining First Order vehicles–the humongous walkers and TIE fighters, Kylo Ren's command shuttle and the superlaser siege cannon—all stood silent, waiting for their leader to emerge victorious. Rey presumed Kylo Ren wanted all the glory himself.
She was getting closer and closer. She noticed a walker head turning in her direction, but no other measures were taken to acknowledge her presence, so she pressed on. When she was within distance, she yelled, "Stop!"
She could sense through the Force that the two men had heard her. But what surprised her even more was that both finished colliding their lightsabers together one last time before launching themselves backwards. Luke leapt backwards gracefully and landed evenly on both his feet near Rey, while Kylo Ren's finesse was sloppier. He tumbled to one knee before raising himself up.
Jutting her foot out graceful, she skidded to a stop next to her Master, leaving a trail of red mineral debris in her wake.
Rey contemplated for what seemed like a long time on what she was to say. She could hear it playing poorly in her head. Such a sensitive Force user like Luke had to have known if another sensitive Force user—his sister—was injured. Suddenly Rey felt miniscule. She waited for Luke to reprimand her.
"What are you doing here, Rey?" Luke questioned. There was no disappointment in his voice, to her surprise.
"Yes, well, you said goodbye to your sister but not me. Couldn't leave without you biding me a proper farewell."
She was so lame.
"I know you well enough to know you were going to disobey my orders," Luke admitted. "You would not have been stopped, even if I had parted ways with you. If we make it out of this, I will fulfill your requirements."
Rey felt the corner of her lips curl into a small smile. What a shrewd character. Some of her uncertainty shrank, and confidence took its place; confidence bred by Luke's acceptance. They would fight together.
"Kylo Ren!" she shouted at the unmasked man standing a solid distance away from them.
"Scavenger," he scowled back.
It was Rey's turn to scowl. "I have a name."
"Names hold respect. I will only accept you once you prove yourself worthy."
"The more you talk, the greater my boredom grows," Rey responded. She fingered the hilt of her weapon before unstrapping it. She ignited her lightsaber and internally moaned at the low purr of the beast.
"Rey…" Luke warned. She saw his eyes glued to her lightsaber.
"It's a long story," Rey admitted, secretly hoping Luke couldn't read her opinions on her weapon. Then, feeling as if her indirect dismissal was disrespectful, she added, "Master."
Luke nodded. "Padawan."
Rey returned his nod, and then turned to her enemy.
"I came here to fight! To take you down and rip the First Order apart," she announced. "We will defeat you!"
"We shall see," Kylo Ren replied, and that was all he said before he ran towards them.
"Remember what I taught you, Rey," Luke warned, as Kylo approached them. "Remember the Jedi way."
Rey could only think to agree before she was forced to pit her foot to the side and slide away from Kylo's first attack.
The man rushed at them like a feral animal, and even with the combined forces of her and Luke, they still spent more time on the defensive than aggressive.
Luke parried Kylo's side slash. The momentum of Kylo's swing carried the attack into Rey, and she too had to block him with her red lightsaber. Luke went on the offensive, and thrust his elbow up toward the sky before flicking his wrist forward, launching an attack from below. But Kylo easily sidestepped his attempt and then Force-pushed him away. Rey took advantage of this and rushed in with a shout, aiming to disarm the man by using sheer force, but once again, he was too quick.
Rey felt a foot collide with her chest and all the air was knocked out of her as she went soaring backward into Luke. The old Jedi caught her just before she hit the ground.
"Thanks, Luke," Rey grinned. "I mean, Master."
Luke shook his head and frowned. "Restrain yourself, Rey. I know you are eager to fight, but emotions—"
"I know, Master," she panted. "Lecture me after we take him down."
Luke seemed hesitant, but then he agreed. The two prepared their stances and waited until Kylo Ren launched himself at them again.
This time, the two Jedi worked congruently. Both of them dueled with their respective halves—since Rey was standing on Luke's right, she emphasized more of her attacks from the right, and Luke did the same, only from his left. Their combined efforts slowly but surely pushed a common enemy back. Before long, Kylo Ren was pressing dangerously close to one of the AT-M6's feet.
Rey and Luke both managed to trap his lightsaber by keeping it low, parallel to the ground, by aiming high with theirs and then swinging downward. Luke's lightsaber caught the Kylo's near its hilt, and Rey's red lightsaber caught Kylo's toward the tip. The enemy was on the defensive; both of his hands were gripped sweatily around his hilt, and Rey could tell through the bulges of his garment that Kylo was applying as much upward pressure as he could to keep the two Jedis at bay.
Rey steadied herself, and thought back to a few hours ago where she was in the cockpit on the First Order ship, practicing her attacks. She remembered the slight jerk in her wrist that was required for one of the crossguards to twist itself around the enemy's weapon and dislocate it. She brought this action to the forefront of her mind and executed it.
Kylo Ren took advantage of the sudden, slight change in pressure and broke free from their hold. Master and Padawan stumbled back and Kylo took advantage of their disoriented footing by Force-pushing them back with both hands.
The impact was like a large blast of wind from a tornado. Both Rey and Luke went flying, and they landed clumsily on their limbs.
All three of them panted heavily, Kylo Ren more so than Rey or Luke. She knew he was tiring. Two Force users against one? Hardly fair. She was even secretly pleased that he had lasted this long.
Rey stuck out her right arm as long as it would extend, and held the lightsaber in front of her. "I quite like dueling with this," she said, more to Kylo than to herself.
From where he stood, Kylo responded, "Because of its design or because you fraternize more with the symbolism of my blade?"
Rey bristled. "Maybe it's neither. Maybe it's because I can't wait to see you slain by your own weapon." She brought the lightsaber down, and for a second, relished in the sizzle as it burned the ground away. Time to get serious.
"So feisty," Kylo Ren hissed.
Rey opened her eyes. She let out a battle cry, and then dashed forward again.
Rey charged in, harnessing her hate and anger toward her Master's former Padawan—blinded by the anger of a thousand suns, directed at the man who was the reason for millions of deaths and lost families. She leaped off the ground, holding high over her head the crackling red weapon of hate, ready to pounce on Kylo and dish serious harm.
"Rey!" Luke shouted, but it was too late. The girl had let the tight grip he so emphasized on her emotions go. The coil was getting looser and looser, and with each knot that was undone, her anger grew.
And not only that, but the girl's desire for revenge blocked out all her senses. She couldn't sense the upcoming danger, but Luke could.
He was too late.
During their intermittence, Kylo Ren had been secretly channeling the Force, to a terrifying degree that he was able to, on an instinctual level, predict what Rey would do.
The new battle was over faster than it had begun. With a speed so terrifyingly rapid that seemed to go against all reason, Kylo Ren pushed off foot of the AT-M6 and dodged her attack. Instead of leaping away or bringing up the blue lightsaber to meet Rey's, he ducked.
Rey's momentum caused her to miss her attack, and she fell forward, past him.
Right into Kylo Ren's strike.
His lightsaber arched up and over his head and slid by the left side of his temple before he utilized his forearm and pushed backwards. Bypassing her unprepared defenses, Rey's eyes widened just a fraction too late. Her speed carried her forward, but it wasn't quick enough to avoid his faster grace. She turned her head.
Just in time to watch him thrust his lightsaber into the back of her left thigh.
Rey crumpled to the ground and screamed. She had never known pain as substantial as this. Days, even weeks, where she went without portions on Jakku didn't hold a candle to this. This pain was physical. It wasn't mental, like Snoke's intrusion, or spiritual, like the hunger gnawing from the inside out. This pain was blistering.
Rey's yelps turned into desperate whimpering when she tried getting up but lost her balance and tumbled forward onto one knee in a kneeling position directly in front of her injurer. Her lightsaber clicked off and tumbled off uselessly off the snow until it landed in front of him.
"Rey!" Very dimly, she could hear her master shouting for her. But his voice, which always reverberated throughout space, seemed very distant.
"L—Luke," she grit. The Force was lashing, but as soon she felt it do so, it retreated.
Kylo Ren had stuck the palm of his hand out toward Luke.
"Enough. Take one more step and she dies." He emphasized the severity of his statement by calling his lightsaber to his other hand with the Force. The red lightsaber crackled greedily, pleased that it was back in its true master's possession. He prepped the two and placed them in an X formation next to Rey's neck. His red lightsaber's spit of flame was dangerously close to Rey—so close she could feel strands of her hair burn away.
"You coward," Rey snarled, her cheeks stinging from the sparks spewing from the red blade. But the pain was minimal compared to the gaping wound in her thigh.
"You have failed. Anything you say is unavailing," he said, voice uncannily indifferent.
"Ben—"
"Test me. Test me!" he immediately snapped, at Luke. "Test me, Skywalker. Put her life in your hands and we shall see how this sequence of events play out!"
"You're deranged," Rey whispered, trying her hardest to avoid the throbbing.
Kylo Ren turned his attention back to her. His eyes skimmed up and down her figure and at the position she was in. Rey shivered uncomfortably.
"You know," he drawled. "Kneeling suits you." He toed her foot. "My apprentice."
Realizing the position she was in, she got up. Or, at least, tried to. The clean wound had torn through a solid chunk of her hamstring muscle and accompanying nerves, and Rey's renewed efforts at standing only resulted in her toppling back down to the ground at the loss of her leg's motor control.
"Never," she frustratingly uttered.
Kylo Ren's muscles tensed and his grip on the lightsabers tightened. Rey saw this.
"You wouldn't dare," she challenged. If it was one thing she knew for certain, it was that he couldn't harm her. Something about the Force in her hummed with knowledge; knowledge that neither Kylo Ren nor herself could do the other harm. She was confident he wouldn't, and yet, the confidence began to die away as she lifted her head and stared into his eyes. Any shred of salvation she could find was too deep, too far gone. Lost in the darkness.
For the first time, she was truly terrified that Kylo Ren would hurt her.
But her fears were assuaged when she felt the bright hum of Luke's lightsaber noisily surround her. Kylo retreated the executional formation he had placed on Rey's neck, and brought both sabers up to defend himself at the Jedi's attack.
Seeing Rey injured seemed to give the old man renewed vigor, but even he was unprepared for the flurry of strikes his enemy presented. Kylo Ren was difficult to stop with one lightsaber, but he seemed to have a higher affinity with two lightsabers. He was now truly unstoppable, and Rey could do nothing but yell for her Master when Kylo gracefully swept above Luke's bearing.
Red and blue collided in a frenzy of sparks that seemed to ignite the ground beneath them. Luke was trapped, holding his lightsaber awkwardly under Kylo's—his right arm was supinated, and the tip of his lightsaber was buried in the ground. Which meant his body was defenseless. If Rey knew the outcome of this battle, then Kylo definitely would.
The man dressed in black took his other lightsaber, and with no hesitation, cut through Luke's hand—the metallic one—and disarmed him.
"No!" Rey shouted. "No!"
Time seemed to pass in slow-motion. She saw Kylo throw his blue lightsaber to the ground. She saw him twist his grip on the red lightsaber. She saw him lift the lightsaber to his eye level and stare down the length of the blade. He hesitated for the smallest of seconds. She saw him swoop forward.
And in that last moment, Rey's eyes turned to her beloved Master. His wrinkles held a youthful exuberance to them. His eyes were open, but Rey could discern no fear, no sadness. Only calm.
She desperately reached out with her hand, trying to touch, to feel her Master one last time.
But she never made it. With a roar from the blade, Kylo Ren pierced his lightsaber through the heart of Luke Skywalker.
His body toppled uselessly to the ground by Kylo Ren's foot. A few seconds of stunned silence passed.
And then all hell broke loose.
"No!" Rey screamed. The sight of her deceased Master fueled her with an energy she had never felt before—a power that burned like the hottest sun, and filled her with such a high intensity of warmth that her pain was no longer at the forefront of her mind. The Force, lamenting, flowed through her veins like rich blood, so tantalizing that she gave in to the raw strength coursing throughout her entire body.
Rey stood up.
"You—"
Kylo Ren turned around, and Rey saw his face morph into a new emotion: surprise.
Rey didn't even notice the raw tears seeping down her face, nor how blurred her vision was because of it. It was like something else other than her conscious thought was controlling her thought. She took a step forward shakily, but still managed to stand erect. Kylo Ren was staring at her with shock and amazement, not even bothering to bring his lightsaber up to defend himself when Rey called Luke's to her. Rey continued limping toward him.
"Killer!" she screamed. "Murderer! You slaughtered Luke Skywalker!" Another step.
"Silence!" Kylo screamed back, brandishing his lightsaber to her face threateningly. "You will not bring up his name!"
"Do you think I care?!" Rey spit. She lifted up her arm with the lightsaber and weakly attempted to slash at him. A look of apprehensive pity came into his eyes and he raised his lightsaber in a half-hearted attempt at blocking her slow, elementary strike.
"Why?" she asked. "Why did you kill him? Why did you kill my Master? Your—your uncle."
"Scavenger."
"Don't call me that," she said weakly. "I hate you. I hate you."
She swung her arm sloppily over and over again, but her grip was flimsy. Kylo Ren flicked his wrist lazily and caught her hopeless, meager attacks each and every time. He had every opportunity to drive his weapon through her heart, but he refrained from striking back.
Rey thrust her arm forward again and attempted one last time to hit him with her stick. Kylo Ren didn't even have to dodge or move, for her lightsaber never came in contact with him. It slipped out of her hand halfway through her strike and fell on the ground.
Rey unfocusedly gazed at the weapon that lay uselessly below her. "No…"
The hate fizzled out of her, and she found that with the lack of this emotion, her legs buckled beneath her. She tumbled back to the ground and propped herself up with both arms. Her hair, usually tied in a traditional three buns that she had always done her entire life—had become undone in her frenzy and now lay strewn over her face, covering her right eye.
"This isn't fair," she whispered, staring at the weapon who had lost its master. "It—it wasn't supposed to end like this."
Kylo Ren seemed to come to his senses. He began pacing around Rey predatorily. She refused to turn her head and meet his cold, killer stare. She didn't need to. Every single one of her senses, and every single one of her neurons, were honed in on him. There was no environment. There was no one else on the battlefield. All she saw was him.
"Concede defeat," she heard him say. "Concede defeat and I will spare you."
Kylo continued to pace, surrounding Rey slowly. Even with her drooping eyelids, she could see a circle of red from the salty ground appear around her with his every step.
"If that is what you wish, then. The Resistance will see ruin."
"No. Don't harm them."
"Your demand means nothing to me, girl. Have you stopped to consider that your life is at my mercy?"
"Don't talk about life. You know nothing about it, you murdering bastard!" she yelled, glaring daggers at him. A spark was back in her eyes. "I thought there was salvation in you, but you just did the unforgiveable, you loathsome fiend!"
"If there is war, there is pain. Is it so bad to merely restoring peace to the galaxy? Is that how you see me, Rey? An unjust killer?" Kylo threatened, bringing his head down to Rey's ear. He removed the glove from his right hand. She turned her head to the side, refusing his touch—refusing to acknowledge how close they were. Rey caught her breath at how softly his words were spoken.
"Please, Kylo," Rey panted. She saw a flash before his eyes, and she took this as a positive sign. "Please, leave the Resistance out of this. I know this is your vendetta, but let me have this."
Kylo Ren stared at her ominously. Nothing in his face betrayed any emotion. His green eyes were level with her own hazel ones. He had just killed Luke Skywalker. His biggest threat was vanquished. There would be no more fighting when he had the power to slaughter everyone. The Resistance was all but defeated.
"Please," she whimpered, so softly she didn't even know whether Kylo could hear the infinitesimal word leave her lips. "For me. I beg you."
Refusing to break eye contact, Rey did the unthinkable. She leaned in and allowed the tips of Kylo Ren's still-outstretched fingers to gently caress her sweaty cheek.
Rey's eyes widened. Something unrecognizable flitted over his face.
She saw his eyes gaze at her with an intensity beyond the likes of which she had ever seen. Her hazel eyes pooled into his green ones, and she held contact with his until they rolled upwards.
The last thing she saw was the clear sky tainted with the ashes of destruction, and then everything went black.