Rey entered the control center, which was buzzing with shouts and directions. Pushing through the mess, she placed herself behind Master
Luke, was studying a massive screen showcasing the massive battle that was thousands of feet above them.
The First Order had sent the Finalizer, along with six Star Destroyers. The aerial battle of above was a mixture of space and atmospheric dueling. Rey's eyes followed the Green bleeps of Poe and Finn, holding her breath as they seemed to weave in and out enemy fighters. They stayed strictly in the atmosphere, along the first two squadrons to attempt Space defense.
General Leia observed, giving tactical advice as the battle twisted and turned. What felt like seconds turned into a hour of aerial dueling. Master Luke remained silent, his eyes following his sister's command.
The Resistance was able to fire their heaviest cannons, causing damage to a Star Destroyer. This caused a cheer amongst the command center. General Leia never breaking her composure, shouting for all of them to stay focused.
The Star Destroyer started to slowly descend into the atmosphere. This caused Rey to pause. The cannons of the Resistance were powerful...but it would only freeze the Star Destroyer's capabilities for a momentary amount of time.
The Star Destroyer descended just South of the Base, maybe 50 miles, hovering merely 2,000 feet from the planet's surface. It had managed to hover within a mountainous valley. It would be a struggle to manage such a move. If Rey were to look out of the base, she would probably be able to spot it in the distance of the base.
The Star Destroyer hovered in place. Silence invoked the control room.
Leia and Luke caught one another's eyes. Something was off, Rey felt it too. Her eyes fluttered when she heard Poe's voice come through the command center.
"Echo One to Base, You all spot that lingering Destroyer?"
"Echo One, this is Base, hold back on engaging. It has made no movements on engaging the Base. Establish a perimeter with 6 fighters, but keep eyes on both the Sky and it. Base Out."
"Roger that Base, Echo One out."
Rey watched as 6 Green Bleeps paced just around the Destroyer, away from the sky battle. It circled the Stay Destroyer in a safe distance. Poe and Finn leading the squadron.
The aerial battle suddenly intensified in the atmosphere. The Finalizer released a surge of at least 150 TIE Fighters. But before General Leia could give an order, a massive blast hit the base causing the entire room's staff to be thrown to the floor.
"Where did that come from?"
"Echo One to Base, the Star Destroyer is engaging the Base. Commands?"
General Leia looked at the screen, watching Green Bleeps disappear one after another. "Retreat. Order a retreat. Everyone, We are evacuating."
General Leia shared a look with Master Luke. Rey could feel an old history flow between. This was not their first retreat. Resistance Fighters gathered plans, intel, destroying computers as they moved.
"Rey, We stay until the General is ready to leave." Rey nodded, watching her friends flying back towards the base. Her breath hitching as both had close calls.
Explosions began to slam the base, even though the control room was in the depths of the Mountain.
General Leia grimaced when a nasty bomb took out a portion of the Medical Bay that was closer to the surface. Parts of the base started to flicker away on her screen.
Rey felt a wave of screams pass through her, it gripped her, causing her to grasp her chest.
Master Luke placed his hand on her shoulder, his eyes understanding. Rey shook the feeling, standing tall next to her Master.
You are Strong, Rey. You are Strong. His eyes pushed towards her his thoughts.
The control room, emptied out, while General Leia gave final orders to the droids.
"Follow the Resistance down into tunnels, you two. Escape pods will take you through the planet, out the other side. Ships are waiting there. Hopefully, the First Order has not thought that far ahead."
R2-D2 and C-3PO chirped their goodbyes, leaving the three.
The base shook, the Mountain groaning under the weight of the attack. The screen flooded with Red indicators of TIE Fighters landing.
"Enemy has made its landing. Repeat We have Enemy Boots on-"
The communication link shorted out. Master Luke pulled General Leia away from the control panel. Rey watched the screen as Poe and Finn pulled away from landing in the base, heading to space, in heavy pursuit by TIE Fighters. The screen shorted out as the link was severed.
"It is time to go Leia, most of the base has made it to the pods. We can't wait any longer."
Rey followed behind the General and Master Luke in the hallways of the base. She had never seen them so empty. They made their way down a spiraling stairway, towards a large blaster door. Beyond the doors were the escape pods, long tubes that could send 20 people at a time through the planet to a safety base on the other side. A safety measure the General had ensured would help in this type of situation.
As they approached the blast doors, a rush hit Rey. A darkness creeping into her soul.
She paused in her steps, as did Master Luke. General Leia, who didn't realized that they had stopped, went straight to the blast doors.
"Leia, wait-"
The blast doors opened to Kylo Ren standing mere feet from General Leia. He towered over her, his mask shining against the hallway lights. His hood was up, his lightsaber ignited. A mass of storm troopers behind him were holding most of the Resistance command hostage in the bay. All of them on their knees, hands on their heads. 30 or more stormtroopers with their weapons locked onto the hostages.
The General stumbled back in shock, and fell to the ground looking up at him. She had not sensed him. Her face racked with fear and sadness.
He stood over her, looking down at her as if she were a bug.
"Hello, Mother." his voice gritted out in its robotic fashion. He moved toward her, as she scrambled backwards. Rey raced forward, helping the General to her feet.
The General gripped Rey's forearms tightly, neither one taking their eyes off of Kylo. "Ben-"
"THAT IS NOT MY NAME." He slashed down on the cement wall with his saber, sending out a force that shook the walls.
He stared at them through the mask, unmoving.
"I see that you have found your long lost brother, Mother. How fitting, that with all that momentum, it is futile. Today is the day the First Order will crush your little rebellion."
General Leia began to speak again towards her son.
"Son, please...you know that I lo-" He cut her off short.
"Captain"
A Sliver Stormtrooper stepped forward in the escape pod bay.
"Yes Sir."
Without even looking back, Kylo commanded
"Close the blast doors, kill them all. I have family business to attend to."
"No!"
Master Luke moved to send a force towards the Sliver Stormtrooper, but found himself suspend in the air.
A choking grasp on him, a strong force pull that the Master had never ever felt.
Rey ignited her lightsaber, a shinning purple, and slammed it towards Kylo Ren. She felt her lightsaber stop mid-way, inches from her mark, his waist.
The blaster doors slammed shut and the sounds of screams and blasters echoed beyond the doors. Rey felt the waves of pain hit her again, making her falter. Kylo Ren tilted his head slightly towards her.
With a mere gesture of his hand, Rey watched her light beam bend away from his body, as if the beam were flexible. The action was something neither Master Luke or Rey had experienced.
In a short burst, Rey was thrown into the spiral staircase, her head knocked back. She blinked her eyes, her vision doubling, and tried to stand on her feet. She struggled, using the stairs to push herself up.
Kylo Ren removed his helmet slowly, tossing it to the side. Even through Rey's blurred vision, she could make out a dark red scar running across his face. The one that she had given him. He had Luke suspend in the air still, much higher than ever before. His head grazing the ceiling.
He seemed unfazed by the use of power. Dark waves punished Rey's senses. It made her even more dizzy.
Kylo Ren turned his attention back to his mother. "Mother, I wanted you to see my face. Like father did, before I took his life." General Leia with tears in her eyes, pulled on Kylo's arm, trying to push his power off of Luke.
"Ben, please."
His eyes flashed with fury at the sound of that name. He quickly force pushed a nearly unconscious Luke into the wall. A hard crack sounded as Luke was knocked out.
He physically gripped his mother by the shoulder, closing the gap between them. Rey had seen this face before. Her mind flashed to Han's death. She moved quickly, countering Kylo Ren's lightsaber seconds before he almost stabbed his own mother with it. She used her own force push to create a space between him and the two women. It merely sent Kylo staggering a few steps back.
Rey placed herself in front of the General, lightsaber raised. She felt her hands shaking a bit, but she stilled herself as best she could.
Kylo Ren gurgled out a laugh.
"I have you to thank for all this, you playing Jedi, attempting to be anything has only aided me more. You led me right to them, girl."
Rey kept her composure. Her rage building within her.
"You fear me. Jedi have no fear."
"I don't fear you, monster."
Rey moved in, swinging her lightsaber, bringing all her rage at him. He countered her easily, looking almost bored. He was not the man she fought a year ago. He quickly countered her swinging motion, sending her lightsaber flying across the room. His blade sparking in her face. The heat was overwhelming, but Rey did not move, nor breaking eye contact with Kylo. General Leia spoke again.
"Be-, Kylo...please. The Order will use you, Snoke will use will destroy you, once they have taken all that you can give. We want you back. I want you back. You are my son."
Kylo faltered for a mere moment, when suddenly he moved his saber away from Rey's face. He swiftly sent his sword backwards behind him. Up into Master Luke's chest.
Rey screamed out loud.
Kylo had stabbed Master Luke Skywalker through the chest. Her Master had attempted to surprise his old padawan from behind, use a mind control through touch. A Jedi mind trick that Luke had tried to teach Rey. A way to disable Kylo... but now her Master stood blinking rapidly.
His eyes suddenly glazing over. His eyes met Leia's, who cried out at the sight.
Kylo Ren removed the saber without looking at his victim. Slowly strolling away from his old Master and Uncle. He had a smirk on his face. The conflict the flooded his face after killing his father did not appear for now for his Uncle.
Rey and General Leia rushed forward, catching Master Luke as he slipped to the ground. He was gasping softly for air, but his face had become calm. He cupped Leia's face, mouthing words to her that she seemed to instantly know. She hugged him closer to herself, burying her face in his hair. Rey, felt tears pour down her face. Her second father figure was taken from her, from the same monster.
A storm was brewing within her. Luke's eyes turned to her.
"Rey. There is no passion, there is serenity."
He echoed the code to Rey, who nodded holding his other hand to her face. She sobbed into it. Luke's eyes slowly closed.
Rey heard Kylo's saber re-ignite behind her. She gritted her teeth out, a growl nearly escaping her lips. Turning towards him she stood, a fury boiling. Her hand shot out, sending her thrown lightsaber into her hands.
"That was most disappointing. But you would have found that out eventually. He was an old fool, holding onto old ways. I expected more from him, but then again...disappointing." He shook his head slightly.
"But I can show you the new way. The way to straddle the light...and the dark."
Rey charged him, moving the fastest she ever had. Their sabers crashing with startling noise. She pushed him backwards up the spiral stairs. Leaving Leia behind with Luke.
Rey felt a push within her, making her blows more and more powerful. Kylo countered in a controlled manner, but seemed uninterested in striking back at her. Rey pushed him up the stairs into the main hallway of the base. It had been more destroyed since they had escaped through it. Wires hanging, crackling with electricity, and walls imploding.
Rey used her force to hurtle items at Kylo, but he easily blocked or dodged each item. Rey grunted with all her might sending a power kick to his chest. He merely stumbled backwards, but looked back up at her, smiling.
It infuriated Rey more.
"Monster."
Rey suddenly felt a large beam crash on top of her from behind, pinching her lower body to the ground. She struggled to break free, attempting to use the force to push it up, but a force was keeping it down. Kylo Ren stood silently watching her struggle. His hand merely raised, pushing the beam more so on her. Rey felt a crack in her pelvic bone. A scream of pain tore from her mouth.
"Soon you will understand why I do these things, Rey."
"Rey!"
General Leia had followed them up into the main hallway. She rushed to Rey's side, trying to push up the beam that had fallen on her. Kylo watched the two interact, tilting his head. He seemed fascinated.
"Mother, if only this compassion for me had shown itself in my earlier years. The years I truly needed you. Maybe this would all be different."
The General stood and faced down her son, as Rey struggled with Kylo's force hold on the beam.
"It can be different, son. It can be all different."
She stood brave and steely against his cold stare.
"No, it can't."
Kylo raised his hand over his lightsaber, concentrating on the beam. A small ball of of red light formed floating above his palm, it was pulled out from the lightsaber. Rey's eyes widened. She had never read nor seen the force used in this way.
General Leia suddenly realized what was going to happen. Her eyes glanced at Rey, smiling a sad smile, making Rey squirm in a panic.
"There is still light in you, Ben. Because We will never stop loving you."
Kylo's eyes flashed again and he sent the beam straight into his Mother's heart. The General slowly fell to her knees, barely making a noise, and fell to her side.
She almost sighed as if she had let go of any pain she had ever felt.
Rey's eyes swelled up with tears and felt the beam slowly lift off of her. Her lightsaber was in Kylo's hands. Rey slowly attempted to raise herself up. A crunching noise in her left hip area made her still. S
he called forth her last ounce of strength. The movement was fast, but Rey was punching his face before she could think. On her second attempt to punch, he grasped her hand. Rey could feel a knuckle break.
He pushed her down, placing his foot on her left hip. She screamed out. His lightsaber raised to her face.
"I am under strict orders not to kill you. Do not make me take you in a coma."
Rey glared up at him, tears freely falling.
"You'll have to kill me."
Kylo grinned to himself. Raising his hand, He slowly choked Rey, her eyes becoming blurred and dark. Her head swirled and she slowly lost control. His words rang in her ears said as a whisper.
"Through passion, there is strength."