Attention, Rebels! Whoever reached this far has become a Jedi master. This chapter is little bit like Walking Dead merging with SW, but it's not a crossover. Clone armies hint to zombie armies. I see Snoke as a sort of Nosferatu: he looks the part, and his Praetorians look like Coppola's Dracula from 1992. So for him to make a ghoulish army makes all the sense to me. My brave Mandalorian warrior is killed in this chapter. I didn't plan to, but then I decided to give her the warrior's end she always wanted. Movements of Resistance bother me the most, because the map seems... off. But if GoT could pull it off in its last season, this fanfiction will survive discrepancy as well.
Chapter XIII.
Descend into the underworld.
Synopsis: the Alliance storms the clone facility on Coruscant.
Hux kills Satine. Luke kills Hux, who is already possessed by Snoke. Through Hux, Snoke threatens that he will regain his control over Ben, mocking him for believing that Kylo Ren was killed. The spread of the infection to Coruscant is stopped, but only temporarily. Ben and Rey must go to Korriban to destroy Snoke.
"Why Coruscant?" Poe approached the Old Master's Ghost openly.
"It's most densely populated… it is in the very core of the Universe, both mystically and geographically, with routes spreading to all known sides of the galaxy. And also, it has a long history on the both sides of the Force", Luke replied simply. "And there is more to it".
"More to it – how?" Browne asked half-timidly, half-annoyed. He was fed up with Jedi mysticism and to some extent, with the presence of Luke's ghost. He wasn't the part of the defense on Crait.
"It's still one of the richest planets in the galaxy", Luke replied simply. "The clones were always useful to the Dark Side, but they are impossible to build without serious financial support".
Finn blinked and nodded, looking down at Rose. Remembering Canto Bight, this information had all the sense in the galaxy.
"Why do we know about this only now, Master Skywalker?" Sato asked bluntly. His son died during Holdo's evacuation and he resented Skywalker's off and on appearances among them, this being preceded only by his resentment of Ben Solo's presence.
Ben replied cautiously in his uncle's stead.
"Snoke was extremely powerful. He used his knowledge of the Dark Side to cloud the true purpose of the underground facility. For the most part, it functioned like a regeneration and medical center on the surface, when it was actually financed by the rich elites who harvested the organs of their many clones. Even the Order of Ren wasn't aware of this".
He saw the mistrustful glances and added calmly: "I can assure you, all of you. I didn't know of this until now".
"Demagolka!" Satine exclaimed and shuddered.
"So, Snoke's building another clone army?" Poe asked. "Total irreverence to human life and breaking every single war treaty don't surprise me - that's First Order. But now what? Another Order 66? Clone Wars 2? Damn, those people do suffer from nostalgia".
"No", Luke shook his head. "This is not just any clone army. It's clone army of powerful Force wielders. Jedi, Sith, Ren… the experiment is not over yet, but Snoke's attempt was cut short by the sudden treason of his pupil".
And he looked intently at Ben who averted his gaze.
"He is in haste. Now everything else is discarded. He has the sole purpose of destroying the galaxy", Luke added, confirming Ben's testimony.
"He let his pupil slay him in the Throne Room, as he rightfully predicted he would. He calculated – quite correctly – that the rage and hatred released would only push Kylo Ren further into the Dark Side, making him a more powerful host for him in the end. Rey was of no use to him – he knew that her loyalty to the Light was unwavering and that, once Kylo Ren was lost to her, he'd kill her. And that would be the ultimate victory of the Dark Side. With the last powerful Light out of his way and with Skywalker mighty blood to sustain him, Snoke would rule over galaxy for centuries, if not even longer. He needed the last Jedi – the last Skywalker, or so he thought – to reign and to live practically forever", Luke continued to address the astounded Council. "But one thing he didn't predict – it wasn't Kylo Ren who killed him, but Ben Solo".
He turned again to Ben who now looked back at his uncle as if he was somehow drawn to old man's face.
"It never occurred to you, kid", he asked again. "How strange it was that you managed to wield my saber from that distance: you, the Dark apprentice, you, who were appointed as leader of the Knights of Ren?"
Rey looked at both of them worriedly. Something transpired between the old Master and his former apprentice in that moment – something beyond her reach.
"I managed to grab hold of the dark saber", Rey interfered.
"The rage, Rey", Luke answered exasperated. "The rage and him allowing you to".
Rey didn't know if he referred to Kylo Ren or Snoke, but didn't want to persist any further.
Luke came in front of Ben, looking up at his former apprentice sternly. And to Rey's amazement, Councils dismay and Hera's amusement, Luke waived his hand at him and punched him lightly and swiftly on his forearms.
"Superficial", he scolded openly his former apprentice. "Reckless, impetuous, stubborn and vain my apprentice is – from the first day until the last".
"Master", Rey uttered. "This is hardly even the place or the time…"
She feared Ben might lash out. But Ben stood humbly and let Luke scold and punch him in front of the Council.
Luke only said to Rey: "And you're no better, except for the vanity, so zip it, kid".
Hera openly grinned by this point.
"I told you you'll see me around, kid", Luke added, as serious as anyone can be.
But Luke's whimsies had an unexpected effect on the Council – something in the atmosphere de-coiled and de-tensed. Hera's giggle made Finn, Rose and some younger officers giggle inadvertently as well, the air of this change infecting the rest of the Council. Even Sato took a mental step back.
Luke pierced again his old apprentice with his bright gaze and inspected him for a moment.
"There is nothing but light in you now", he added. "Surely it didn't make you any wiser; it perhaps made you only a bigger fool than you was before".
Ben looked down at him – the difference in height and the disproportion in knowledge and experience were almost comical.
"Thank you, Master Skywalker", Ben uttered and lowered his head.
"Thank her", Luke replied. "If she obeyed you, you'd be either the new ruler of the galaxy or dead – or both".
"The being dead part isn't over yet", Ben added with the hint of dark humor.
"Everyone dies, kid", Luke said slightly annoyed. "Haven't you noticed that by now?"
Luke did a remarkable thing – he made Council accept Ben Solo, giving the final seal of approval on the fact that he was, indeed, turned.
But Coruscant was an open wound in the center of the galaxy that needed to be healed. Luke was very open about it.
The old Jedi went from one hero to the other, examining every single one intently. He allowed Finn and Poe to join the mission.
He approached Poe and said: "Losing Shara Bey was one of the saddest losses this Resistance has ever faced. It was one of the saddest personal losses I ever had, son".
Poe noticed how this strong and vibrant man turned for a moment into a frailer and older version of himself. He knew what Jedi was telling was true.
"She took pride in the fact that she had the opportunity to work with you… Sir", Poe replied, casting aside every single remaining grudge he might've had against the Jedi. Growing up, he was proud that he was the son of Resistance heroes. However, a small part of him resented the fact that the Jedi demanded superhuman sacrifice from ordinary people. Now, that was gone. Poe felt his eyes slowly welling up, so he averted his gaze and rubbed off the tears.
Luke next picked Satine, commenting on her compatriot's Sabine Wren's bravery and her many combat talents, particularly in planting bombs.
Satine grinned. "I knew Sabine", she said. "She taught me everything there is to know about the bombs. She fought and died honorably. A true daughter of Mandalore she was".
Luke smiled at her and responded:
"Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman".
"Elek", Satine grinned again.
Luke approached Hera. They knew one another well since the fall of the Empire, ever since the battle of Endor. Kanan, Hera and Luke shared the same enthusiasm about the incoming new era.
"Hera", he said and embraced the Twi'lek.
"Master Skywalker", she responded and embraced him back.
"This time, we'll finish the work", he said simply.
Hera inspected him for a moment and Rey realized this wasn't just a small comforting talk of wishful thinking. This was all really coming to an end, one way or the other.
"Indeed, we will", Hera said with a hint of melancholy in her voice. "It is long time overdue".
"Time is nothing in the perspective of the Force", Luke said softly and then turned to the Council energetically.
"Council", he said. "You keep your men safe. This is the spark that will set the First Order on fire, but you are the light that will lead the galaxy once enemy is destroyed. Darkness is powerful, but the Light wins. Light wins always, don't you ever forget that. Light shines most brilliantly when darkness is the greatest. This alliance will destroy the clone center in Coruscant. Thus, the spread of this deadly disease to other worlds will be stopped. But there is another target that must be closed forever – it's Korriban".
Council shuddered. No one traveled to Korriban in at least 30 years. It was closed and sealed by the New Republic, and then it was only recently reclaimed by the First Order. In fact, even the First Order avoided the accursed planet, leaving it mostly to Snoke's personal guard of Praetorians and to elite troops from the First Order, hand-picked by the Supreme Leader himself. The planet was full of venomous and cunning life forms and full of dead Sith's energy that made men there feel desperate, aggressive or downright lose their minds.
"Ben Solo knows their ways the best", Luke added, glancing again at his nephew. "He'll lead the small alliance".
And then he added:
"And I'll be with them every step of their way".
"It's settled, then", Sato rose to his feet and sighed, looking at the miniature squadron with sadness and uneasiness but also with gratitude. "God speed, Rebels".
"May the Force be with you", Luke added.
As Council was being disassembled, a swift realization came through Rey's mind. Ben and she were split for a moment because the stream of people filled the narrow space of the exit. She had to struggle for a moment to reach him. And for a moment, she thought, he was oblivious of her calls.
"Ben", she came running after him as he eventually slowed down and turned back to her. He was tired and he was full of melancholy, but he turned to look at her. She felt sorry for pursuing him in this dire moment, but she had to know.
"How long were you two conversing?", she asked openly. "How long have you been seeing Luke Skywalker?"
Ben sighed and smiled sadly.
"It hasn't ceased since Crait, Rey", he replied with a sad voice. "He keeps his promises. He gives few promises, of course, but he keeps every single one of them".
And he looked back at Rey gently as he tried to go back to "Falcon".
"No", Rey persisted this time. "What did he tell you? What did he show you that he didn't show me?"
"At first", Ben sighed. "He showed me nothing. He was just – there. He was annoying me with his very presence, and he's good at that. You know he is".
The slight humor of his words made Rey smile again – indeed; he was a masterful sort of annoyance.
"He'd show himself up amidst the First Order secret council, visible and audible to no one except me, slurping blue milk loudly", Ben said and a short, wild laughter escaped him, "He'd corrupt droid's electric circuits. There were chips falling out, communication disturbances, and sudden power outings… the spirit kind of things. They became so common that the war council thought those were guerilla hacks by the Resistance, but couldn't pinpoint the culprit. It made them mad. It made me mad, but I kept silent. I tried to address him, but he wouldn't communicate. Not until I was dying".
Ben almost staggered. Rey almost forgot how badly injured and exhausted he was.
"To the sick bay", she said immediately.
"No, I'm fine", he said.
"It's out of the question", she said. "I need you on Coruscant".
Ben looked down at her anxiously but didn't contradict any more.
"And what else?", Rey asked him, letting him lean on her.
"I had nightmares of him killing me", he sighed. "On Crait, on Ahch-to, on Tatooine, Jakku, onboard the Starkiller Ship … wherever. The scenery changed, but that fact remained the same. I was dead in every single one of them. You used to appear there too".
She looked up at him but said nothing. He confessed this without a trace of bitterness in his voice. She suspected they had the same dream. But what was the origin of that dream, she didn't care anymore. She felt they were out of the darkness this time for the first time.
"It was only when I was onboard the "Falcon" that he began talking to me", he said. "At first, it was apparent nonsense. Minor memories, things I thought I've long forgotten. I wanted to die only so that I may run away from him. But then…"
He stopped. They were in front of the sick bay and a medical droid came through, requesting their basic data.
Ignoring the little droid for a moment, Rey asked: "What? Then what?"
"Then I heard you. I saw you. You were struggling", he said simply. "You were in pain. It confounded me. I realized immediately who it was and gradually, it dawned on me. Luke was there. He showed me… many things I didn't know. And even if I did, I'd think it a deceit before. But not now – now I knew he wasn't lying. Whatever fault Luke Skywalker had, deceit wasn't one of them".
He looked down at her with sadness.
The droid requested their data again in his flat, metallic tone.
"Let them patch me up", he said and sighed. "Then we'll talk".
There was more to it – she knew that. And she knew there was something that he kept for himself, some essential truth he withheld from her. But Rey thought she might have been pushing him too hard so she let him go. He disappeared in the make-shift military hospital.
"Ben Solo… human male… 30 earth years old… ", the droid was repeating the data mechanically.
His warmth and his weight against her side still lingered on as the rain started falling. She covered herself tighter in her raincoat and turned away from the sick bay.
There he was. Luke Skywalker.
"Come with me, kid", he said softly, but decidedly. "We need to talk".
"There will be great sacrifices, Rey", he said to her in a gentle voice. "You know that. You saw that at Ahch-to already. The Imbalance created is just too great. The rift must be closed now, or never. You do feel that, don't you?"
Rey nodded energetically.
"Never for a moment did I think it would be easy", she concurred. "I sensed something of that at Maz's temple already. Perhaps even much earlier than that – I was aware there was something deeply off with this galaxy, even on Jakku".
She smiled bitterly.
"But you know what that sacrifice entails, don't you?", Luke persisted.
Rey frowned. Her face tensed. She saw the glimpses and shades of future, but actively prohibited herself from dwelling on those visions. She was a born optimist. She didn't ask too much whether something that needs to be done, can be done. She just fought for it.
But in her heart, she understood perfectly what her Master was telling her.
"I know", she whispered and as she did, her heart twitched. "But let the Future come. I fear it not".
She closed her eyes and added, smiling:
"Always in motion it is".
She looked back again at her Master, who was this time sincerely amazed by her growing insights. She had no way of knowing this Yoda's saying. She didn't meet his ghost. Luke didn't mention him that much and she definitely couldn't have read it in the texts, because it was one of Yoda's personal proverbs he didn't write down.
"Good", he smiled at his student. "You're learning fast, Rey. Never give up on that spirit of yours".
They reached Coruscant some time later.
Ben tensed and raised to his feet onboard the "Falcon".
"Hux is there", he said. "That's good. He won't be able to pass this opportunity. He's vain and it will make him overlook… certain discrepancies".
Ben wore his old Knights' of Ren uniform. It was appropriately bloodied, torn and ruined and he had an appearance of a man who was long in hiding and then long persecuted and battered.
Satine's role was to pretend she was a Mandalorian bounty hunter who helped capture the traitor – Hera gave Rey and Finn Stormtrooper uniforms and to Poe, First Order's officer's uniform.
"I told you this junk I collect will have its purpose some time", she grinned at Finn.
"How do I look?" Poe turned to Hera and winked.
"Like every girl's dream, General", she rolled her eyes and laughed with her hoarse voice.
"That I know", Poe grinned. "But I'm wondering if I'm handsome enough for my old friend Hux there".
"You're irresistible on both sides", Hera coughed and laughed. "Of the Force, of course".
Listening to their conversation only superficially, Rey realized Finn was unusually quiet, apart from hyper-ventilating.
"You alright, Finn?" she asked.
"Yeah… oh, yeah", he answered nervously. "I just didn't think I'd wear this garbage ever again. I forgot how claustrophobic it feels, and damn itchy".
"We'll just go in, let Satine do her magic, and then we'll be out, buddy", Poe said, tightening the shoe laces on his boots.
BB-8 twitted quickly and apparently excitedly.
"Oh, not you, BB", Poe replied. "You're Resistance trade-mark face by this point. You stay here, keep an eye on the ship and on Hera, and before you know it, we'll be back".
"What's that supposed to mean, General Dameron?" Hera exclaimed, half-jokingly. "I've been flying this ship since before you wore diapers".
"Just be ready", he smiled again. The imminence of the battle had that effect on him, it always did. And a small part of him still relished in the fact he'll have the honor to handcuff Kylo Ren.
"I'm sorry, Ben", he said, handcuffing him. "It's just the procedure".
"Damn traitor", Ben replied simply.
"What?" Poe raised his eyebrows, confused for a moment.
"You better start practicing now, General", he smirked at Poe. "This has to look realistic".
Poe nodded and grinned.
"May I punch you, then?" he asked brashly.
But it was Rey who punched Poe on his back slightly.
"Don't fool around", she said, her voice distorted by Stormtrooper's mask. "Let's go".
"But I can punch him later?" he asked again sheepishly. "For the authenticity purposes, of course".
"Ghost" undocked the stolen First Order's craft, leaving the small alliance inside. Hera nodded at them like an old trooper that she was. "God speed, Rebels", she said, and quickly disappeared between two abandoned sky-scrappers, justifying her ship's name.
Rey felt the heat and the tension under the armor. Luke disappeared some time before, promising he'll be there and re-appears when the time is right. She felt rising nervousness and the two sabers she carried with her – her own saber and Skywalker's green one – shuddered on her back. Ben turned around and smiled at her. She still couldn't get accustomed to the fact they resonated each other's thoughts and emotions so acutely. Only this time, it made her feel secure and steady.
"Ready?" Poe asked with his face half-covered with black captain's cap.
Everyone nodded.
"Let's go, then".
"Sir?" the logistics officer addressed Hux.
"Yes, officer", Hux replied, nervously turning to him.
"There is an incoming ship requesting dock-in", the officer replied. "It's Supreme Leader's craft, stolen from the "Supremacy"."
"What?!" Hux hissed. "Give me the visual contact now!"
The image on the screen flickered and the greatest sight Hux could ever hoped for appeared before him – the usurper himself, wounded and bruised, handcuffed and escorted by a First Order's officer, a Mandalorian bounty hunter and two Stormtroopers.
"General Hux", the unknown officer addressed him. "This is Captain William Chemnitz of the battleship "Inquisitor". We have captured the usurper, Sir".
Satine growled from behind him and her beskad clashed against her armor, substituted with a helmet stolen long ago from a Saxon warrior.
"With the help of our allies from Mandalore, Sir", Poe played his role perfectly and to his outmost delight.
"Is this for real?" Hux whispered sincerely to his officer, and then cleared his throat and straightened up. "Do their credentials add up, officer?"
"The password's slightly older, but it checks out, Sir", the officer replied with a trembling voice.
Hux thought about this for a split second.
"Pull them in, Officer", he exclaimed. "Send 2 squadrons to take the usurper in. Call in our Mandalorians. Contact Supreme Leader and switch me to him as soon as you can".
Officer nodded.
The small alliance felt the powerful tractor beam from the base.
"The damned fool swallowed this up", Poe grinned with kind of savage joy on his face. "Let's dance".
Hux almost shuddered at the sight of his most hated enemy appearing at the exit of the craft. Two Stormtroopers were the first to come out, but they only annoyed Hux. A tall Mandalorian warrior held the usurper in close range. Captain Chemnitz held his arm on the usurper's shoulder, with his blaster gun pointing in the direction of his heart.
Kylo Ren looked battered and beaten up, his spirit crushed.
He knew he had nowhere else to go.
Hux practically trembled with wild delight. He barely could contain himself.
"And the Jedi girl?" he addressed Captain without any formal introduction.
"The Jedi girl was nowhere to be found", Captain replied sternly. "She left the craft before we could get our hands on her".
"Nevermind", Hux rushed and came inches from Kylo Ren's face. "Remember me, traitor? Snoke will be so pleased to have you back. The things he will do to you, traitor, when we get back to Korriban – it will make you beg for your death".
He grinned viciously and in the next moment, he kicked his former leader in the abdomen violently. Kylo Ren fell to his knees and coughed. Unseen by Hux, one of the Stormtroopers flinched, but just in a blink of an eye.
And unseen by Hux as well, the Mandalorian went couple of steps away. From under her stolen helmet, Satine observed her country-men viciously. Rey felt just an impulse of dread that Satine might lash out against them, so she used the Force to avert Hux's Mandalorians' attention from Satine and to calm Satine's rage down.
"I have waited for this day", Hux hissed, towering triumphantly over Kylo Ren. "Search him".
"That won't be necessary, General", Chemnitz tried to interfere but was interrupted swiftly by Hux.
"I know this serpent better than anyone else", he hissed. "He was a traitor, he was born a traitor and there is not enough caution when traitor of his caliber is around".
Rough and detailed inspection ensued. Rey found it painful to watch. He was healed, but not completely. And she could feel his pain. With peripheral gaze, she anxiously followed Satine who was already strategically implanting small detonators around the squadron.
Captain Chemnitz interfered again.
"Excuse me, Sir, General", he said with a woeful voice. "But my men are tired. We lost a whole squadron trying to capture the usurper. We were cut off from the main supplies. And our Mandalorian friend here is impatient to get paid off".
"Yes, yes, Captain", Hux hissed back at him. "Don't pester me with those banalities. Everything will be secured and in due order".
Only then did he rise his head and sniffed the air around him like a dog.
"And where is your Mandalorian ally anyway?", he asked, nervously.
"Over here", Satine exclaimed from the top of arsenal stacked up high at the dock.
Hux had barely enough time to protect himself with his hands from a powerful set of explosions that ensued, killing or injuring at least half of his squadron.
Satine discarded the despised Saxon helmet and dove into the enemy lines with a violent battle cry. Rey tore off her helmet and with her saber she cut Ben's handcuffs in two with surgical precision. With her other hand, she threw green saber into his hands. He hesitated for just one nanosecond, then activated the saber and clashed against the incoming blasts.
Rey again felt the same unbridled joy of combat she felt alongside him in the Throne Room. In the middle of that chaos, she felt a second of calm and completion. But they had no time.
"Go to the ventilation shaft", Poe screamed as he was fighting his way through the explosions and the incoming Stormtroopers, Finn following him closely. "See you later, rebels!"
Rey and Ben rushed to the corridor leading to the ventilation shaft - a narrow passage, badly secured, that led to the underground clone facilities.
Somehow, the resistance they faced was far below their expectations. Whole squadrons came rushing against them – the whole facility going into total lock-down – but they both felt strange sort of contentment and invincibility.
They were half-way to the underground facilities when Rey detected his thought in her own mind.
"We don't have time".
They reacted as a single mind, focusing on the chambers beneath them. The metal, the reinforced steel and concrete beneath them crackled like glass. A passage opened.
They were inside.
The chamber seemed endless in all four directions and vertigo – inducing. From top to bottom, it was filled with what appeared to be some kind of treatment chambers. Rey felt the life emanating from the chambers, but it was somehow a half-life. Something unnatural was harbored in this vast cave and it made her tremble to her very core.
Ben was keeping her back, the space around them illuminated almost solely by the lights of their sabers. He tensed and recoiled with the same disgust as she.
Rey activated one of the chambers. An unknown face appeared from behind the glass. The body within was alive, but only in crudest of biological terms. The whole facility was in some sort of stasis – thousands and thousands of souls captured in a nightmare – that's how it felt.
"The clones", she murmured.
A clash behind them reminded them this is far from over.
"Hurry", Ben said, and started implanting the hand – grenades down the corridor.
Above them, Finn, Poe and Satine kept the First Order busy. Satine was hit by a blaster gun that tore half of her shoulder armory away. However, she blocked it partially with beskad and now was roaring like a beast against the dumbfounded Stormtroopers and Mandalorians. Their general was mortally wounded and trapped between the two fractions, the whole dock was burning and exploding with delayed explosions, and these three individuals were a bitter and an unrelenting opposition.
Satine was apparently in a state of red because of her damaged armory: she tore the rest of her tattered shoulder plate away and made a bold attempt against the squadron single-handedly.
"What is she doing?", Finn screamed and fired away at the squadron, trying to protect Satine.
"Crazy Mandalorian chick", Poe uttered and grinned, charging his blaster gun again.
Satine raised one of the dead Stormtroopers in her arms and used it as a temporary shield. Her ridiculously muscular shoulder appeared as she straightened up in all her height, her long tribal braids moving like an independent entity. Then she activated another bomb that tore apart yet another half a dozen of troopers.
The effect she had, roaring and howling, holding a dead weight in her arms as if it was nothing, with an explosion that followed, caused a total confusion and disintegration of their defenses. Only a couple of Mandalorians tried to resist her, but her rage was fueled by her content for the auretii – she slashed one man's head and pierced another with the beskad.
Confusion long enough ensued so they could rush to Ben and Rey through the thick smoke and roaring alarms.
Rey and Ben were panting through the corridors of the underground facility, exhausting all the explosives they had until Satine arrived, planting at least a hundred of small, and hand held bombs on the other side. She had a wild expression on her face and seemed oblivious to all Rey's calls.
"I think it's the bombs", Poe said. "She's temporarily deaf".
Satine glided through the hall and implanted the last bomb.
"Ten minutes", she roared and rushed back to the exit. But as she did, another blast hit her directly in her chest. She staggered and fell flat to her face.
"Satine!" Rey screamed but Ben stopped her from helping her.
A small group of Mandalorians and Stormtroopers was coming their way, led by Hux. But there was something very disturbing about him. Everyone in the small alliance saw he was mortally injured and that life was slowly leaving him at the dock. His life was leaving him in that underground chamber still, but somehow – it wasn't Hux anymore.
Flickering lights of the treatment chambers and of the light sabers reflected his face for a moment. It was terribly disfigured, with a large portion of his skull torn away and half of his face bloodied. No man could survive that blow and continue walking, let alone talking or firing the gun like he did.
"You thought you could escape me, boy?" he growled in an inhumane voice. "I was here before time immemorial. I made the Jedi. I made the Ren order. I made you. So I will destroy you, boy".
His growl turned to scream, his scream opening and activating the myriad of treatment chambers with clones in them screaming with ghoulish, disembodied voices. The whole chamber trembled violently. Rey's ears hurt. Ben pushed her away from Hux, raising his Master's saber high above his head in a desperate attempt to stop him. But even with Snoke wounded, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Ben felt he was being dragged down to the ground and deeper, into a black abyss.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed and Hux howled like a wounded animal.
"I don't think so", Luke's voice resonated behind the group. He was standing in the hall's rubbles, illuminated by the phantom light from high above.
"Master Skywalker", Snoke turned to the Jedi and grinned, thick blood dripping down his face profusely. "It is good to have you here – at last. Now you'll witness the demise of your last apprentices".
Luke activated his blue saber – which appeared as new as the day it was created by Anakin.
"Again, I don't think so", Luke said and deflected the violent attacks of Mandalorians and Stormtroopers as if they were nothing more than a light breeze.
Hux cursed in a dead language and tried to face the Jedi master – but his broken body was failing him.
"It is time for you to go now", Skywalker said plainly, looking down at the broken body of Armitage Hux. "You rest now, poor kid".
And with the swift hand gesture, Snoke's spirit was cast away. General Hux fell softly to his knees and drew his last breath.
"Come", Luke gestured at them. "You need to go".
Rey rushed to Satine's side. She was spitting blood but smiled at Rey.
"Ret'urcye mhi", she said and slipped out of this reality into another.
"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum Satine Trosyc", Rey uttered and sobbed.
"Come, Rey", Ben pulled her lightly to her feet.
There was nothing they could do. Finn shuddered and discarded the rest of his Stormtrooper's uniform aside. He felt it was burning around him, smothering him with the grip of death. Poe was crying openly this time.
In a few moments, they rushed to the exit.