Guest and TheBlackPriest, thanks for the reviews. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter too.

Chapter 6 – Reunion

"The corridor is clear!", Finn shouted as he rushed forward, armed with a blaster rifle. Rey and the rest of the troopers followed. Finn activated a hologram projector which showed a map of the ship. Finn pointed the way to the bridge: "We need to turn to the right, follow that corridor all the way up ahead and then we will reach the elevator."

"Understood!", Rey said and she turned to the right slowly and stealthily in order to avoid attention. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here. Most likely the space battle keeps all of them busy."

"Hope so.", Finn whispered and made his way to the right too. "The corridor indeed seems to be clear. But somehow I have a bad feeling about this."

Suddenly one of the troopers shouted, "We have been spotted! I-"

His sentence was interrupted by the deafening sound of explosives and blaster fire. "We should run ahead to the elevator!", Finn said. "The troopers will have to deal with the Stormtroopers themselves."

"We cannot leave them behind!", Rey protested. "They will die."

"We have a mission to accomplish. Those troopers will buy us the time we need to kill Char."

"I do not care! I will not let them die!"

Rey then turned back to the previous corridor, only to see that a squad of about thirty Stormtroopers had already massacred all of her fellow Resistance fighters. Seeing her, the Stormtroopers opened fire with their blasters. Rey quickly ignited her lightsaber and deflected the enemy fire but she was forced to retreat by a few steps due to the heavy enemy fire.

Finn, sighing, rushed to Rey's help. He grabbed a grenade from the hand of one of the dead Resistance troopers and threw it at the Stormtroopers. One of them saw it on time, aimed at it and shot it at midair. The smoke of the explosion made it difficult for the Stormtroopers to see where Rey and Finn were.

"Let's go!", Finn shouted and him and Rey turned right, attempting to make their way to the elevator. To their surprise, another squad of Stormtroopers had rushed to that corridor, most likely due to hearing the sound of the explosion. They immediately fired at the two heroes and Rey was barely able to deflect the enemy fire with her lightsaber.

One of the Stormtroopers, holding a rocket launcher, fired at Rey, but she used the Force to turn back the rocket at the enemy squad. A deafening sound was heard and the enemy troops were sent flying at all directions and many of them were mutilated by the explosion. Rey rushed forward and cut down the few surviving Stormtroopers with her lightsaber.

"We must rush to the elevator before another squad comes here", she said.

"I agree."

Finn and Rey reached the elevator and Finn pressed the button for it to come. Suddenly, three more Stormtroopers rushed towards them. "I've got them!", Finn said and opened fire with his blaster rifle. His shots were accurate and fast. He shot the head of the first Stormtrooper, the chest of the second and the leg of the third. The first two Stormtroopers died instantly while the third was unable to move and pose any danger. At that moment, a ringing sound was heard, indicating that the elevator had arrived. Rey and Finn rushed into it and pressed the button for the elevator to go to Level E. From there, they could reach the bridge.

A beeping sound was heard and Finn said, "It is from my comlink. It is Eric."

"My squad has set explosives in the ammunitions storage.", Eric replied. "Jason's squad has also caused distractions in the docking bays. Hopefully this will allow you to reach the bridge without much trouble."

"Good.", Finn said. "Try to cause more havoc in order to divert more troops to your Level."


In the bridge of the 'Conqueror', Char and Max were gazing at the unfolding space battle and were being notified about its progress. One officer approached them and, after saluting them, said: "Sir, I have two reports. The first has to do with the battle. Our Tie Fighters have gained the momentum and have devastated the enemy X-Wings. Our Star Destroyers have also broken through enemy lines and outflanked the enemy capital ships. We have cut off their retreat route."

"Excellent!", a grinning Char commented. "Most excellent news. It seems that this battle has been another victory."

"I told we would emerge victorious.", Max said.

"There is also a second report.", the officer continued. "It seems that three squads of Resistance troops have boarded the ship and are causing havoc. There was a destructive explosion in the ammunitions room and several other explosions in docking bays while in Level B a squad of Stormtroopers was massacred."

"Damn!", Max shouted.

Char was calmer and had maintained his coolness. "I should have foreseen this. The Resistance fleet was nothing more than an elaborate bait to lure me into their trap and allow the assassins to board my ship. How well armed are those Resistance troops?"

"Very well, sir", the officer replied, "at least according to our reports. It seems that there is a Jedi among them as well."

"Jedi? Are you sure?", Char asked.

"I am pretty sure about it, sir."

"Most interesting. It must be that young Jedi who supposedly defeated Kylo Ren in Starkiller Base. Considering the fact that all Jedi had been killed, I thought this story was a nonsense rumor but it seems that it is true. Put all troops on highest alarm. Organize squads to locate and kill the Resistance troopers."

Char paused for a moment and thought before continuing. "Also, release poison gas in Level E. I am pretty sure that the Resistance troops and the Jedi will be heading there in order to get to the bridge. This gas will kill them for sure."

"But this will also cause the death of hundreds of our own troops on that Level!", Max protested.

"Well, I am sad about it but it is the only way to stop the Jedi.", Char replied. "If that Jedi really defeated Kylo Ren, then a few squads of Stormtroopers will not be able to stop her. The only way to kill her is through poison gas."

"Still, we should try to evacuate some of our troops from that Level."

"No. If we do so, the Jedi and her companions will suspect our scheme. Unfortunately, we will have to sacrifice a few of our troops for the greater good. If those troops are lost, we can replace our losses. If I am lost, we cannot. Genius cannot be replaced."


Still on the elevator, Finn and Rey were silently waiting for it to arrive to Level E. Neither of them spoke about anything and there was complete silence. Finn reluctantly broke that silence and asked, "Will you be able to do it?"

"Do what?", Rey replied.

"Kill Char. I mean, he used to be your friend."

"That belongs to the past."

Finn could sense that there was some doubt in those words. Maybe Rey wanted to believe that she hated Char but she did not, Finn thought. But, considering the situation they were in, this was the least of Finn's concerns and so he dropped the subject. It was then that the elevator arrived to Level E.

Rey and Finn rushed out of the elevator. "The bridge is straight ahead!", Finn said. As they were running forward, they saw a squad of Stormtroopers. Before they could fight them, poison gas was released from vents. Everyone began feeling dizzy and suffocating. As such, the Stormtroopers were not able to attack Rey and Finn and instead they tried to run away. Unfortunately for them, they collapsed to the ground and choked to death.

"It's poison gas!", Rey said.

"Is there anything you can do about it?", Finn asked. He was sweating and he could barely talk as he felt as someone was choking him.

"Luke has taught me a breath control technique. But you will have to go back to the elevator in order to survive."

Before Finn could protest, Rey used the Force to push him back to elevator. "Go to one of the lower levels!", she said.

"Damn!", Finn murmured but he was forced to admit that Rey was right and he pressed the button to take the elevator to the lowest level.

Rey tried to remember the words of her Master back on the island. "Still your breathing, let the trace amounts of air in your lungs hold you. The Force can sustain you... listen to it."

Rey followed her Master's instructions. She numbed her body's instinct to shut itself down after long periods without oxygen and used the Force to reserve the amounts of air in the lungs. Thus she was able to walk forward without breathing the poisonous gas.


Char was patiently waiting for Max to report to him. He had ordered Max to supervise the extermination of the assassins and then report to him. While waiting for Max, Char could not help but think more about this Jedi. According to what he was told from one of his officers, that Jedi came from his home planet of Jakku. 'Could it be….Impossible! Rey is just a scavenger, she could not be a Jedi.', he thought. 'Jakku is a huge planet. It is ridiculous to think that that Jedi is actually Rey.'

"Sir!", Max said.

"What?", Char wondered. "Ah yes, now I remember, the report."

"Sir, no offense, but usually you are not so absent minded. Is something bothering you?"

Char tried to hide his true thoughts. "Except for the fact that assassins, including a Jedi, have boarded my ship, nothing else bothers me. Now, let's leave amateur psychology behind and return to work. I await your report."

"Our troops have located and exterminated the first two enemy squads. However, one Resistance trooper is still alive while the Jedi has somehow managed to survive the poison gas and heads towards the bridge."

"Damn!", Char shouted. "Send more troops to kill her."

"But sir, all troops on Level E have been killed by the poison gas…"

"That means…"

"That no one will be able to save us. There are only three Stormtroopers here."

"Officers!", Char shouted and all officers in the bridge stood up. "Arm yourselves. The Jedi will soon arrive here. We cannot expect any reinforcements soon, so if we are to survive we must rely on ourselves only."

Most officers had mostly technical training, unlike the Stormtroopers, and even in battle they were mostly behind the battle lines and directing the movement of troops. So they were utterly terrified when they heard that a Jedi would break into the bridge. Most had cold sweat on their forehead and a lot were trembling. Seeing this, Char sighed. "I have some of the best staff officers in the galaxy, but they are all lousy warriors."

Suddenly, the bridge's door was blown away by a powerful Force push and Rey rushed inside. A Stormtrooper fired at her with his rifle but she used her lightsaber to deflect the enemy fire and approach him. When she was close enough, she stabbed her lightsaber through the chest of the Stormtrooper, killing him. His blood spilled on the ground. Two more Stormtroopers opened fire but Rey used the Force to push them away and they crushed against a computer panel.

When Char saw the Jedi he was dumbfounded. He could not believe that the Jedi was actually Rey. His face became ashen white and he froze in shock. "Impossible…", he muttered. "Utterly impossible."

"Sir!", Max said. "Sir! Sir, do you hear me?"

Char ignored Max and just stood silent, muttering the word 'impossible'. Max could not understand what Char meant and why he was so astonished and shocked. Usually, even in the worst of times, Char was energetic. He was regularly leading his troops in battle in person and unlike most officers he was putting himself in danger without fear. And yet this one encounter with this Jedi changed everything.

'Does he know her?', Max wondered in his thoughts. But he quickly dismissed that thought.

Most of the officers panicked and attempted to make their way out of the bridge. A few tried to fire with their laser pistols at Rey, but she easily deflected the enemy fire and used the Force to push them away. As she approached Char, Max drew his own pistol and fired repeatedly at her. Unlike most of the officers, Max had been leading troops in person and so his shots were more accurate and fast. But even Max was no match for a Jedi and Rey used the Force to take away from him his pistol. Unarmed, Max ran away and Rey made no effort to stop him from escaping.

"Rey…", Char said.

Rey was about to strike Char but seeing her old friend again made her lower her lightsaber and then deactivate it.

"Why?", she asked.

Char was silent.

"Why did you join the First Order?"

"Because I wanted to accomplish something great.", Char said. "The New Republic and the Resistance offered no chances for rapid promotion and had plenty of officers anyway. The First Order lacked officers and thus rewarded substantially the successful ones. Not to say that since the New Republic has far more resources than the First Order, fighting against it was more challenging than fighting for it."

Before he could continue his explanation, Rey interrupted him. Char could see her disappointment for him in her eyes. "You have changed so much. I cannot believe that you are the Char I knew. If you were him, you would fight for justice and peace, not for your own vanity."

"Glory in the battlefield is for what I live for!", Char retorted. "You may want to pretend that you fight for some greater good, but the New Republic is as corrupt and rotten as the First Order."

"Don't move!", Max shouted.

Rey and Char turned around and saw Max and a few Stormtroopers aiming their guns at Rey. "If you move", Max said, "I will fire."

Rey was about to activate her lightsaber when Char punched her on the face, knocking her out.

"Take her to the detention room!", Char ordered. "Put her in an energy cell."


Char had returned back to his room and was lying on his bed. He could not fall asleep. He was constantly thinking about Rey, remembering the time when they were best friends and spend almost all of their free time together. He could remember her smile, her laughter, the happy times they had together. Now, she had tried to kill him and he punched her and locked her in a cell. Char was sighing and feeling an emotion he hadn't felt since his time back in Jakku; guilt.

"Am I really going to deliver her to Snoke?", he wondered. "If I do, I will get promoted and be rewarded handsomely. I may even become a General like Hux. I will solidify my reputation as a military genius. But I will lose her forever."

This dilemma haunted him. It exhausted him. His entire body seemed to sag with exhaustion. In a frozen state he let out a shaky breath, closing his weary eyes. But he could not ignore the dilemma. He needed to come to a decision. He stood up and walked around his room, thinking. He then noticed the talisman Rey had given to him to symbolize their friendship. It was one of the very few items Rey's parents had left to her. He grabbed the talisman and looked at it persistently. Every second he looked at it, he remembered a different memory of him and Rey.

He quickly rushed out of his room and headed for the detention room. Two Stormtroopers were guarding the door. They saluted him and opened the door. Char closed the door behind him and walked towards Rey's energy cell. Rey had just regained her consciousness and she had a terrible headache.

"What are you going to do?", she asked. "Interrogate me? That would be a waste of time."

"Indeed.", Char replied, smiling.

He walked towards a computer panel and lowered a lever. The energy cell was deactivated and Rey was free.

"What are you doing?", she asked. She was surprised by the fact that Char deactivated the cell, especially after he had changed so much and seemed to care only for himself.

"I'm letting you escape.", Char replied. "Force push me against the wall to make it look like you escaped on your own."

"No. If I am leaving, you will come with me.", Rey insisted. "I will not let you here."

"I cannot abandon my position and my fleet and leave with you!"

Rey sighed. "I thought you had changed and that you would abandon the First Order. Alas…"

"This is no time to argue!"

Suddenly, Max walked into the room, accompanied by five Stormtroopers. "I am sorry. Am I interrupting you from anything?"

"What are you doing here?", Char asked.

"The real question is what you are doing here."

"I am… interrogating the prisoner."

Max laughed. "Nice story. You know, after I saw you reaction upon seeing that Jedi, I searched her and yours background. You come from the same planet. Combining this information with your unusual and shocked reaction, it was easy for me to figure out that you knew each other. Thus I anticipated that you would try to free her. And I waited. Now, I will be in command."

"How dare you disobey your commanding officer?!", Char shouted.

Max grinned. "Didn't you do this first? You gained your first military victory by directly disobeying your superior's command not to engage in battle. Why do you seem surprised? You were the one who taught me that I should take the initiative. With you dead and Rey a prisoner once more, I will become a Grand Admiral or even a General. "

Although he appeared joyous, Max was somewhat sad that he had to kill his old commander and friend, for he considered Char to be a friend of his after all the troubles they had been through together. But the only way to get revenge for his father's death was to get close to Snoke. In order to do so, he had to kill Char and gain command of his fleet, thus rising even more in command and getting closer to Snoke. Only then would he be able to reclaim his family's legacy. As a Palpatine he had the right to rule the First Order. Then he would reveal to the world his true name; Domon Palpatine. And, as his grandfather Sidious had done in the past, he would crush the Republic.

"Too bad you will not be able to capture me!", Rey said and used the Force to push Max and his troopers against the wall, knocking them unconscious.

"Let's go!", she said and rushed out of the room with Char.

"We must head to the escape pods.", Char said. "The docking bays are far too well guarded for us to successfully steal a spaceship."

"This reminds me of old times.", Rey replied and smiled.

Char gave to Rey her lightsaber. "I was keeping it with me. It seems that it came in handy, hasn't it?"

"Indeed."

As they were running, they saw two Stormtroopers ahead of them. The two troopers opened fire but Rey somersaulted, landed behind the two of them and cut them down with her lightsaber.

"Impressive.", Char commented.

Rey and Char, after running frantically for a few minutes, finally reached the escape pods. They entered inside one of the pods. The pod ejected and sped towards the planet below; Tatooine.