Moments earlier...
The Captain of the Vader's Vengeance tapped in his authorization code then gawked at Ben, "My Lord, are you sure about this?"
"Absolutely." Ben said firmly.
"But, with all due respect, sir, this ship was named after your grandfather." Captain Glissando said with a touch of gentleness in his voice.
A month ago the man never would of questioned the order, but a lot had changed since then. Since his every channel communique the entire crew had warmed up to him quite a bit, none moreso than the Captain. The two of them had even begun to form a tenative friendship.
"It was," he agreed. "But I want my bride to be married on a ship who's name speaks of forgiveness, not vengeance."
"Married?" The Captain gasped.
"You will perform the ceremony." Ben informed him.
"Me?" The flustered man squeaked. "I'm not worthy of such an honor, My Lord!"
"And I'm not worthy of such a bride, we'll both just have to do what we can." Ben said smiling.
"When is the happy event?" Captain Glissando asked, his square face wreathed in smiles.
"In about five minutes." Ben grinned besottedly. "I just have to go and fetch my bride."
"Well, let me be the first to congratulate you!" Captain Glissando said, grabbing Ben's hand and shaking it enthusiastically.
"Thank you!" Ben smiled and started toward the door.
The door to the bridge hissed open and General Hux, accompanied by a dozen men with blaster rifles swept in. The smile faded from Ben's face.
"I am taking command of this ship and the First Order!" Hux said imperiously. "You are not fit to lead, Ren."
Ben felt a momentary shock as Hux marched straight up to him, blaster in hand. "You are a traitor and a rebel sympathizer." Hux spat at him.
Ben reached for his light saber, but it wasn't there, he'd forgotten it in his room! He grabbed Hux's throat in a Force choke. Something hit him hard in the ribs, he glanced down and saw Hux's blaster pressed over his heart. Fear shot through him, if he died now, Rey would be next!
There was a flash of red around the end of the barrel, where it touched his chest. Then searing pain. Then nothing.
Hux scoffed over the fallen body of his former Supreme Leader. "So much for the all-powerful Kylo Ren."
"Captain, I am the Supreme Leader, now." Hux said triumphantly. "When I return from killing the other Jedi scum, I expect to be commanding a ship named the 'Curr's Triumph.'"
"Yes, General." Glissando said with a subtle undertone of disgust in his voice.
"That's Supreme Leader, you insolent dog!" Hux said scathingly.
"Yes, Supreme Leader," Glissando barked loudly, then under his breath added, "you insolent dog."
The Communications Officer, Perez, was standing close enough to hear Glissando's added comment and snickered softly as Hux marched off the bridge.
As soon as the door whooshed closed behind him the mood of the bridge changed from one of professional efficiency to one of stunned disbelief. The crewmen left their posts to gather round their fallen leader.
"How could this happen?" Came a grief-stricken murmur.
"How can the Force allow this?" Asked another voice.
"All he wanted was to restore peace and prosperity to the galaxy!" Perez bleated.
Glissando's eyes welled up. "Hux is a filthy mutineer!" He snarled and glanced around at the circle of nodding heads. "I hope she tears him limb from limb."
A chorus of agreement went around the circle.
"If she doesn't, I say we should." He pressed on.
Shock turned to resolve on every face surround the fallen body of Ben Solo.
"I'm in." Said Perez.
What followed was a unanimous decision to relieve Hux of his command, and relieve the galaxy of Hux.
The bridge crew of the newly christened Redemption conspired quietly, kneeling around their young leader's corpse.
"There she is," General Hux's snarky voice broke through the haze of pain that infused Rey's entire being. "The Jedi whore who brought down the great Kylo Ren."
Rey didn't need to use the Force to sense his murderous intent, it was written all over him… In Ben's blood. Her rage flared to life.
Rey jumped to her feet as a dozen heavily armed men flooded into the room that she'd shared with Ben for the past month. They opened fire, a dozen blaster bolts zinged through the air, covering the distance between her and them in the blink of an eye. She welcomed the bolts, wanting nothing more than to die, right here, right now.
In her mindless pain fueled rage an awesome, raw power burst forth from within her creating a glorious spectacle. Her skin pulsed with blue-white light, like a light saber, and crackled with energy ribbons of pure scarlet as she was completely enveloped in armor made of pure Force energy. The bolts shattered against her skin like eggshells. She held the door closed with her mind as, with a feral snarl, she launched herself at the gunmen.
She tore them apart one by one with her bare hands and pure Force energy. They shot her repeatedly, to no effect as she launched herself from one to the next, ripping off body parts and flinging them away. Her eyes were glowing a bright electric blue with miniature bolts of red lightening roiling around and through them.
When she'd finished with his guards she lifted Hux's body into the air in a tight fist of pure energy. She could feel his terror and it made her shiver in anticipation. She squeezed until his bones shattered and then she kept squeezing until his entire body imploded, leaving behind nothing but a puddle of red, black and grey mush in a pool of blood.
She called her staff into her hand and dashed to the bridge. She screamed at the pain of seeing his ruined body and Force-batted aside the people that were kneeling over it. They flew backwards and landed in a circle around Ben's body, stunned, but alive and unhurt. She could feel their grief, that's the only reason she'd spared their lives.
She dropped to her knees beside him and placed one glowing hand over the charred, gaping wound in his chest. She poured all of her self… her love, her hate, her tenderness, her pain, her hope, her fear… her everything… into the gaping hole where his heart had been. She wept scarlet Force tears and drained her dying soul into his body, determined to share his fate.
For a moment she could feel him as if they were sharing a single conciousness, then everything went black.
