He could feel his presence.
The presence of his father, the father who had not cared. The father who was more concerned with the Wookie than his own son.
Kylo was marching through the underground corridors of the Star Killer Base to reach the oscillator. He strode towards it with a group of Stormtroopers, ignoring Hux's multiple warnings that it was not sensible to go the oscillator with the Resistance so close at hand. Kylo had not given him a second thought.
He could now see the entrance to the great, black, cavernous room which stabilised the charging mechanism of the weapon situated on the planet. He could feel his father's presence; he could also feel the presence of the scavenger girl.
As he closed the distance between himself and the entrance he fleetingly addressed the concern at the back of his brain: maybe seeing his father would take him back to the light side. Maybe that was best for him? He dismissed the thought as soon as it entered his being. He was the leader of the Knights of Ren, he could not… would not be tempted by the inferior light side.
He entered the chamber, he glanced around. He could feel Han Solo's presence playing on the edge of his mind. He could almost taste it.
"Find them." He addressed the Stormtroopers behind him.
The sound of armour and footsteps echoed around the cavernous chamber as the masked figures filed out in front of him. When they split and went their different ways he made his own way into the chamber. He walked straight ahead. He decided that he would check the other side of the facility.
Han stood behind a pillar, waiting for a group of troopers to march past him. He placed an explosive, a touch too haphazardly, beside him. He peered upwards to see Stormtroopers clattering across the walkway above him. He felt an immediate jolt in his stomach as he spied a black clad figure walking over a steel bridge directly in the middle of the oscillator chamber.
He knew that he had done his job planting the explosives. He knew that he could easily get Chewbacca and go back to D'Qar. But Leia's words reiterated in his mind. The words of a mother's love. He stepped out from behind the pillar and began to walk quickly and quietly towards the bridge. He was acting on impulse and he was being reckless, he knew. But he had to do this. He had to do this for whatever remained of his son. He had to.
"Ben!" Han's voice echoed around the room, making it seem that multiple people had yelled the name that Kylo Ren had wanted, and tried so hard, to forget.
Above them, Rey and Finn pushed open the doors of the black building. The scene they saw was one that they had not expected. Han was a small way away from the figure of Kylo Ren and was walking cautiously towards him. Chewbacca stood a couple of levels above the figures. Convoys of Stormtroopers stopped, seemingly forgetting what they had been ordered to do. Everyone seemed to have stopped to watch the peculiar scene unfold.
As she watched, Rey could feel goose bumps rushing up and down her arms, she was shivering, her teeth chattering. She was used to the blistering sun of Jakku, not snow. Her uneven breaths clouded in front of her. The wind furled around her. Finn stood beside her, his chest heaving as he clutched a blaster.
Kylo turned around to face the grey haired man who stood before him. He had not laid eyes on him for years. Not since he had been sent away, sent away to train with the Jedi order.
"Han Solo, I've been waiting for this day for a long time." The distorted voice of his son took Han back for a second. He could not help but be reminded of the infamous Darth Vader.
"Take off that mask. You don't need it. Not here. Not with me." It was more of a command than a request. Han approached his son slowly and cautiously, like a hunter might approach a sleeping lion.
"What do you think you'll see if I take it off?" Kylo countered. He held his hands lazily at his side. He could feel his heart rate growing steadily higher and higher with every footstep that his father took closer to him.
"The face of my son." Han said coolly. Rey and Finn stood in the quickly fading light with their mouths hanging open at the unexpected and shocking revelation.
Kylo stood for a second, pondering whether to take off his silver mask. He looked into the eyes of his father through the dark filtered lenses of his head gear. He reached his hands up and quickly found the two ridges that would remove the mask. He manoeuvred his fingers into them and as he did so there was a faint hiss of air being released from it. He lifted it off his head then he dropped it with a clatter that reiterated around the cavernous room.
"Your son isgone." He put an emphasis on the last word, as if to throw it, to cause physical pain to the old smuggler who stood before him.
"That's what Snoke wants you to believe. But it's not true." He half yelled in frustration. Kylo shook his head slightly.
Finn and Rey still stood at the balcony watching. Rey turned to Finn who looked aghast. It occurred to her that he would have never seen Kylo Ren's face. Only higher ranks would be allowed such an honour. She turned back to the scene unfolding on the bridge. She bit her lip nervously as she watched.
"No, the Supreme Leader is wise." Kylo contradicted him.
He could begin to feel the light at the side of his mind, trying to get in. Trying to consume him. He glanced up to see the Traitor and the Scavenger girl watching. The light that was there was replaced by a rush of anger at the rogue Stormtrooper. He returned his gaze back to the old man, just a shadow of his former self.
"No. Snoke's using you for your power. When he gets everything he wants out of you, he'll crush you. You know it's true." Han stood very close to his son now. Kylo could see every wrinkle and age spot upon the old and worn face of his father.
"It's too late." Kylo said finally. Han saw that he had got through, he gave a small internal sigh of relief.
"No, it's not. Leave here with me, come home." Han said with determination in his voice.
"I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?" Kylo's voice was low now and it cracked slightly. Han took a step closer to his son, he could hear his own heart rate thundering.
"Yes… Anything." Han looked at the face of his son. A sad sort of happiness in his eyes.
Kylo reached down to his belt and unclipped the lightsaber. He looked down at it for a moment, thinking of everything he had been through. He looked at his father who was waiting with baited breath. Han reached out his hand and put his hand around the hilt of the weapon. The sun faded completely, leaving them in dimly lit, red light. Kylo tightened his grip on the hilt of the saber. His eyes hardened. The darkness brought him to his senses. He looked at his father and at that moment, Han knew. He knew what his son was going to do. Hans eyes softened, as if pleading without words for his son not to do this. But he was to be disappointed.
The lightsaber ignited. The red light pierced Han Solo's chest. There was a scream from above him, coming from the balcony, he took no notice, focusing only on his son. He let out a little gasp as the burning, red light hit him. Kylo stood there, watching the life drain slowly out of him. Watching the light leave his eyes. His father, with his remaining strength, caressed his son's cheek softly. Kylo could feel hot tears welling up in his eyes. Hans' eyes went glassy, reflecting the man that was once his son.
"Thank you." Kylo murmured in his father's ear as he fell from the bridge into the depths. His body disappearing from sight.
Kylo stood there for what felt like hours, though it could have only been mere seconds. He could feel his father's life force fade away into nothingness. A moan of sadness and anger came from the Wookie above him. It was a sound of agony. The sound brought him back, too late though, the Wookie had raised his bow blaster, aimed it and fired it at him. It had made its mark.
From high above him Rey could feel tears flowing down her cheeks, anger coursing through her veins. She aimed a shaky hand at the figure on the bridge but Finn pulled her back. Kylo could see the Stormtroopers closing in on the hairy beast. Kylo had a hand pressed against his wound, trying to halt the blood flow. He could feel anger emanating from high above him. The traitor and the girl were there. She wanted to fight but the coward was pulling her back. Kylo, still clutching his red lightsaber, began to stride to the edge of the bridge in pursuit of the pair.
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Finn and Rey were running. Running through the dark trees that stood like sinister figures watching their progress. Rey could feel tears welling up in her eyes. The scene that she had just witnessed kept running through her head. How Han's hand met that monsters face and caressed it. She felt a stray tear run down her cheek as she clutched the blaster in her belt. The blaster he had given her.
"The Falcon is this way." Finn pointed as he said it. His chest was heaving with all the running they had done.
They stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the sound of electrical buzzing that was all too familiar. They began to walk forward cautiously. The red light cast an eerie glow on the snow. The figure stood before them, a brooding figure in the shadows cast by the passing shots from Tie Fighters and X-Wings. His face was set in a grim expression as he looked at them both, his eyes darting from one to the other.
"We're not done yet." He said, putting venom in every syllable, like a cobra spitting poison.
"You're a monster." Rey said, putting as much contempt into the words as she could, like she wanted to cause a physical wound by it.
Hate and loathing radiated off her in waves. Kylo watched her, he watched the fire in her eyes that so many lacked. He glanced over at the traitor and reflected the anger to him that the girl was so emanating. He was why this was all happening. If he had just been a good Stormtrooper and done his duty, they would not be in this situation. He could have been, even now, at the Last Jedi Temple defeating his uncle. But no. It had come to this.
"It's just us now… no Han Solo to save you." Distaste weaved in his voice. He hit himself in the wound that Chewie had inflicted and blood splattered across the floor. The crimson blood standing out dramatically from the snow.
Rey could feel her sadness replaced with burning hate. How dare he say his name. How dare he. Rey began to reach her hand and grab her blaster but before she could Kylo flicked his wrist and she flew into the air eventually hitting a tree. The bark scratched her back as she scraped down the tree. She hit the floor and everything went black.
Finn felt a jolt in his stomach as he rushed over to her, discarding his blaster in his haste. He pushed hair out of her face, he could feel his heart thundering in his chest.
"Rey?! Rey!? Rey?!" He pleaded for her to wake up. He pressed an ear to her chest. There was a faint beating. Faint, but it was there.
Kylo began to walk forward as he did he re-ignited his lightsaber. The coward was clambering all over her, checking for a pulse, but he did not know that his biggest problem was right behind him.
"Traitor!" Kylo Ren's voice reverberated around the trees, anger and hate weaved in his expression, he pointed the red saber at Finn.
Finn stood up and brought a hand to his belt. He quickly ignited the blue lightsaber that had belonged to the infamous Darth Vader and then Luke Skywalker. He drew it up to his face in a battle stance. The blue light lit everything around him. Kylo's face showed surprise before he could stop it but it was quickly replaced with deepest loathing.
"That lightsaber… belongs to me." He gestured at it with his lightsaber.
"Come and get it!" Finn challenged.
Kylo knew that he could have probably used the force and summoned it, but he wanted to erase the stain of the rogue Stormtrooper from the world. From the memory of the First Order. He already had blood on his hands, what would a little more be?
Kylo Ren lunged forward towards the Trooper. Finn, though scared, lunged forward too, he was determined to be the hero. He wanted to avenge the War Hero and the smuggler. Finn stumbled backwards once their lightsabres hit, casting a purple light on them both. He fell to the ground but regained his footing quickly. Kylo hit his side again, trying to keep the blood circulating around his system.
The Ex-Stormtrooper was blocking attacks with vigour that could rival his former leader's skill. Kylo managed to pin Finn against a tree, their lightsabers collided and sent purple sparks in all directions, a faint sizzling noise came from the snow below them where the sparks had landed. Kylo turned the weapon in his hand so the blowtorch like cross guard of the lightsaber seared into his shoulder. Finn let out a loud yell of pain, terror in his eyes. Kylo Ren took pleasure in it. The pleasure was short lived however because Finn had whirled his arm around in pain and his own lightsaber made contact with the Knight of Ren's arm.
Finn could see his pursuers eyes harden as the burning light grazed his shoulder. Kylo had grown tired of the game. He was like a lion going in for the kill, and he took glory in that.
Kylo swung his gloved hand and hit Finn in the face, the man staggered so his back was to his adversary. Ren gave a small smile as he raised his lightsaber and slashed a line down his former employee's spine. The man let out a scream of pain as he fell to the floor, he was still breathing, but just. The heat had immediately cauterized the wound inflicted. Finn lay on the floor, he was breathing shallowly and in short bursts. He turned in time to see this lightsaber fly through the air and wedge itself into the snow. Kylo looked from the fallen trooper to the lightsaber; he knew he could kill the man who lay feebly before him. Probably save him a lifetime of pain. But there were greater personal matters at risk.
He extinguished his own lightsaber and clipped it in his belt. He turned to the saber wedged in the snow. His birth right. He held out an arm and began to beckon it to him with the force. He knew that he could have gone over to it and picked it up, but he felt some satisfaction in taking it this way. He could see it twitching, emerging millimetre by millimetre out of the snow. He waited with bated breath.
The lightsaber eventually flew towards him. He could almost taste the satisfaction it would bring once he held it in his hand. It flew towards him but he had to lean backwards because it soared right past his outstretched arm. He turned to see the almost surprised expression engraved on the young scavenger girls face, she was a no body. Yet she held the weapon that he had long since desired. He watched her as she, somewhat sheepishly, ignited the old weapon and drew herself into a battle stance.
He stood there for a moment in disbelief watching her. Her heaving chest. She could feel something emanating off the man who stood before her. She was not completely sure what it was, or how to explain it. But it made her feel uneasy. He eventually reached down to his belt and ignited his red lightsaber.
She lunged at him. Her technique was sloppy but what she lacked in skill she made up with in ferocity, lunging again and again, trying to get an attack in. Blow after blow they fought, trees collapsed all around them as the two battled.
They eventually came to a ravine in the ground of the collapsing planet. She made a stab at the tall man but he deflected it. He held the lightsaber up to her face as she tried desperately to push back. She could feel beads of sweat begin to trickle down her temples. Her heart was thundering in her ears. His dark eyes met her own. She could feel the heat on her back begin to emanate through her spine.
"You need a teacher! I can show you the ways of the force." The man half yelled over the sound of rock collapsing into the planets core below them. She looked up at him, her eyes began to clear somewhat.
"The Force…" She murmured, she closed her eyes for a moment, as if in thought. Kylo frowned. She opened them again, he could tell that something was different, that something had happened inside of her. Rey could feel a new found strength radiating through her.
She pushed the tall man backwards. He stumbled, his eyes were wide as he looked at her. She struck at him and he only just blocked her with one hand. The next time he was not so lucky. She swung and hit at him which made him stumble. It cut off a segment of his silk robes. He got to his feet shakily. Their lightsabers clashed and illuminated the part of the forest they were situated in. She pushed her hand down on his and his lightsaber sparked as it hit the floor, the snow began to melt from under it. The lightsaber eventually went off, the only light now was from the blue light cast by the Skywalker lightsaber. Using all her strength she swung it and hit his face leaving a deep cut going between his eyes.
He felt pain, un-imaginable pain. He did not cry out. He knew that she was descending into the dark side. That if she finished him, which at that moment in time seemed like she could, that she would make that oh-so-crucial final blow. He could picture it now, the lightsaber piercing his chest. Maybe he deserved it? Maybe he deserved what he was sure he was about to get. She looked at him. She circled him like a shark would its prey.
She stood before him when a rift formed behind her. She turned quickly as the side which housed Finn drifted away from her. She could feel her mouth go dry. Looked out over the ravine. She knew that she would not be able to cross it, but her sudden anxiety for her fallen friend seemed to creep in. It seemed to crush her. She dropped the lightsaber in shock. She had completely forgotten about her fallen opponent behind her.
"Finn! Finn! Finn!" She cupped her hands to her mouth, trying to yell to her friend. Trying to get some kind of response.
Behind her Kylo Ren clambered to his feet and with his remaining strength he used the force and then she passed out. She fell into the snow, the limp figure of the Scavenger. He walked over to her form. He stood over her. Her chest was falling up and down and breath clouded in front of her. He reached down and picked up the lightsaber. He felt power rush through his very being.
There was a cast of white light from behind him as a small shuttle landed. A ramp opened and the figure of General Hux emerged, his red hair practically glowing in the bright light giving him God like presence. Kylo Ren moved towards him.
"Bring the girl." Were the only words he uttered to the general as he walked past clutching his side and the steel saber.
The General nodded and gestured to two of the lucky Stormtroopers who would escape this planet. They moved in front of him and picked up the limp figure of the girl. He looked back at the dark figure of Kylo Ren who was now holding a hand to his face, trying to stem the blood. He would wait to deliver his bad news tomorrow.
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Thank you for reading this instalment! Now it is time for my creative juices to really flow, now that Rey is in the hands of the First Order. What has become of Finn? And how exactly are the Resistance going to cope with the loss of two valuable assets?
I hope that you have enjoyed and I will see you next Sunday!
Days until Rogue One: 320
Days until Episode VIII: 683