A note from your humble author: Hold onto your butts!
BB-8 was happy to see Rey and R2D2 again. He rolled around excitedly as Rey and R2 made slight adjustments to her X-Wing, which she also called Grey Wolf. As soon as the scouts returned the resistance would plan their next move and she wanted to be ready. She had flown earlier that day with Poe's squadron testing out the controls of her ship. It hadn't felt as initially intuitive as the Falcon, but by the end of their practice Poe was convinced he was going to have some friendly competition for title of "best pilot in the resistance."
BB-8 belonged to Poe and would fly with him when the time came in Black One, but she was thrilled that when she needed a droid R2 had readily beeped and volunteered his services. Of course she had asked Luke if it was all right with him.
"Being in low-power mode for so long and then cooped up on the Flacon this past year, I know he's been bored and itching to see action again. You couldn't ask for a better co-pilot!"
Chewie roared in disagreement.
"Well, I mean in a droid," Luke corrected.
She wore a mechanics jumper over her clothes to keep them clean while she worked under her ship, propped up by a mechanics gurney. Her face and hands already smeared with grease as she adjusted the torque on several bolts. R2 sat inside making adjustments to the computer's navigation system. Suddenly, she heard BB-8 roll up again beeping frantically. One of the scouting ships had returned…only one. She threw down her wrench and joined the gathering crowd at the tarmac. Something had gone wrong.
She watched as the pilot was helped out of his X-Wing. He looked pale, and shaken. The medics wasted no time whisking him away. Once he was seen to there would undoubtedly be a meeting in the war room. She turned and headed for her quarters to clean up.
By the time Rey entered the war room most everyone had already gathered. All senior officers and pilots were expected to attend. Poe and Finn had saved her a seat. There was a hush as Admiral Ackbar made the announcement.
"Captain Roeding has returned safely to us. We regret to report that First Officer Kibet was last seen being captured by the enemy. Knowing the First Order's previous protocol when dealing with our pilots, he is now presumed dead."
Everyone in the room grew uncomfortable. There was one unspoken truth that also went along with the way the First Order conventionally treated their pilots – torture. Most resistance pilots would rather die fighting than allow themselves to be taken alive. Every pilot taken alive would be tortured and interrogated until all their secrets were laid bare. Nobody knew this better than Poe and Rey; they also knew who was behind most of the interrogations. Every time a pilot was taken alive, the base had to be moved - fast. Even if the pilot didn't give up their information, they took no chances when it came to the security of their base.
"We now have reason to suspect that the secured location of our base has been compromised, and that our planned attack on the First Order's salvaging operations around Endor have been revealed. General Organa?"
General Leia Organa, small, but imposing, picked up where the Admiral left off. "Thank you, admiral. The base will immediately be relocating to Takodana, preparations are already underway for our departure. Maz Kanata has kindly offered us intelligence that the planet has since fallen out of the First Order's interest since our last confrontation with them there, and it should only be until we can set up a more permanent location elsewhere. A third of our squadrons will be going out to launch an attack, on a different target. This should help keep the First Order distracted while we move our base."
"What's the target?" asked Poe.
"It's clear we can't make a move on Endor just yet, but we've received intelligence that there is now only one battleship defending their base of operations on Jakku, the bad news, is that it's the Finalizer."
Rey felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew the Finalizer was the First Order's flagship, and that he would be there. The time had come at last. She would find him, and she would make him talk.
"They will probably expect us to divert our attention to Jakku, which is why we can't afford an all-out attack, not yet," continued the General.
"Red squadron will be deployed to serve as a distraction to keep the Finalizer occupied, while Black squadron and Blue squadron make their move on the planet," Admiral Ackbar demonstrated bringing up a projection of the attack points. "There is a long canyon that leads up to their main reclamation facility where the First Order collects the Empire's scrap to be crushed and transported to one of their many foundries off planet. If we can fly the starflighters along the canyon we can throw off the First Order's radar and provide cover for our pilots. Black squadron will go in first and Blue squadron will cover them. Any questions?"
"What about civilian casualties?" cried Rey, as she jumped up. "They're using slave labor for their salvage operations. We can't blow that facility until we're sure everyone is out of there!"
General Organa knew this would be an unfortunate point of contention. They would be under great pressure once the starsfighers reached the planet, and only have a short window of opportunity before the Red squadron would no longer be able to hold back the Finalizer. Sometimes in war, sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. These were the tough calls that a general was expected to have to make.
"Rey is right!" A hush fell over the room, and even the General looked up in surprise as Luke Skywalker stepped forward. "We may not be able to get everyone out before we run out of time, but we need to try. We must try to save as many lives as possible. If Black squadron can clear the path, I can get in with the Falcon and free the slaves."
Legendary Jedi or not, he was her brother, and at about that moment she wanted to strangle him. "We can't blow the facility with you there, and you know it! Once they're in the thick of it, you'll be given a set time to get out of there, based on how long we can hold back the First Order at the time. If you're not out by then…"
"I can do this! I didn't come back to sit idly by. Any volunteers?" he asked.
Chewie roared in volunteer of his services, stating that he would need a copilot for the Falcon. Half a dozen other resistance soldiers raised their hands, secretly thrilled to join a mission with their hero.
"Count me in!" shouted Finn, jumping to his feet.
"What? No, you're not well yet!" argued Poe.
"I'm well enough. I've sat back this whole year and I can hold a blaster in one hand and a cane in the other; just try and stop me!"
Rey could tell by the look on Poe's face that this discussion wasn't over yet, but she had a feeling Finn would get his way.
"Rey?" called Luke, as she was loading R2 into the Grey Wolf.
"Master Luke," she called back to him as she stuffed her cloak behind the pilot's chair. "Thank you for volunteering to get the civilians out. I know the General worries, but if anyone can do it, you can."
"He will be there. One doesn't need the force to foresee that. Are you ready?"
"I need answers. I don't want to fight him, but I have to. I have to know. I'm ready," she said.
"Here, take this communicator in case you need me," he said placing a small round communicator into her hand. "Remember, the force will be with you."
"Grandfather…I feel the pull of her light. Show me the power of the darkside. Help me achieve victory today," he pleaded next to the charred remains of Darth Vader's helmet.
He heard the warning sirens go off in the Finalizer. The attack had begun.
He stalked down to the flight deck, the glorious thrill of impending battle already sending a rush of power through him.
"Captain Phasma, is my tie fighter ready?"
Phasma stood to attention. "Yes, Commander."
Suddenly the Finalizer gave a shake as the resistance fighters began to target their cannons.
One does not grow up the son of Han Solo and not know how to fly, even his grandfather has been a prodigy pilot, Kylo Ren was no exception. Normally he stayed out of the dogfights, but today he was on a special mission.
Red squadron was pelting energy bursts around the Finalizer's cannons and keeping the tie fighters that guarded the battle-cruiser busy.
"Blue squadron, we have incoming at four o'clock, we need cover!" called Black Leader as he dove the formation into the canyon on Jakku. Grey Wolf remained tight in formation behind Black Leader.
"This is Blue Three, artillery spotted. Evasive maneuvers!" she called.
Black Leader, Grey Wolf, and the rest of black squadron sped through the canyon trying to blast out the artillery that had been mounted into the canyon walls in the event of such an attack.
More tie fighters began infiltrating their ranks and sending fire.
"Blue Leader, we need more cover, they're swarming us!"
"I got you covered," called Blue Six as he fired an energy blast that took out the main tie fighter perusing Black Leader.
"Nice shot!" called Black Leader, but in the next moment he heard Blue Six let out a horrible scream over his com-link as he was set upon by two tie fighters and blown from the sky.
The two tie fighters were now bearing down on Black Leader and Grey Wolf. "Keep going, I've got this!" called Grey Wolf, as she pulled up out of the canyon in a great loop, while twisting the ship to avoid the fire of the tie fighters waiting above the canyon. She successfully managed to pull back into the canyon behind the two tie fighters, sending a precise blaster shot into one, which destroyed it on impact. The other ship had a much better pilot, and she was having trouble locking onto it. "Shit," she cursed, as two more tie fighters sprang up behind her.
"Grey Wolf, I have your cover," called Blue Three as she fired into one of the tie fighters that spun viciously in the air and smashed into the canyon wall.
"Thanks Blue Three, see if you can keep the other one off me while I take out this one," called Grey Wolf.
Rey switched off her tracking device, she immediately heard the controller at headquarters over the com-link asking her if she was having a system malfunction. "I'm all right," she replied. She heard R2 beeping something about this all seeming a little familiar, and she smiled. She cleared her mind and focused on the target ahead of her, which was gaining on Black Leader, she could feel the force flowing through her, and fired. The tie fighter exploded into a ball of fire which she passed through unharmed.
"Yeah! Nice shot!" she heard from Blue Three, while also hearing jovial shouts from the rest of the squadron. Her X-Wing performed another elegant spin and took out three cannons, clearing the way for the rest of Blue squadron.
Further in the rear of the formation Luke watched, with no small amount of pride, as Rey cleared the path. "Let's stay in low, Chewie," he advised. "You doing okay back there?" he called to Finn.
Finn was in the gunner's seat, a tie fighter locked on as he fired and decimated the enemy ship. "Oh, I am doing great back here! WOO!"
Then she heard the roar of another tie fighter, just overhead, and she felt through the force, it was him. "I knew you'd show up," she thought to herself. "Grey Wolf to Black Leader. Grey Wolf to Black Leader. Go on without me. The one at twelve o'clock is mine!" she called as she feinted a stall, forcing the tie fighter above her to pull ahead. "You're not going anywhere," she said.
He knew exactly what she was up to, and pulled up sharply out of the canyon, challenging her to pursue him into the mêlée above; she followed, gracefully avoiding energy beams and other ships as she stayed in hot pursuit. She fired an energy blast, but he managed to dodge her in the last moment. She was good, and he would have to rely purely on the force to stay just one step ahead of her.
She wasn't aiming with the intent to destroy his ship; she wanted him alive, for now.
Kylo Ren pulled off a spectacular barrel roll, and suddenly she was forced to evade his fire. "Damnit!" she cursed, hating to lose the upper hand and also being keenly aware that the shots he was firing were meant to disable her. Apparently he wanted her alive too.
Once again, she calmed her mind and focused on what she could feel through the force. They were close to the reclamation facility. She could see Black squadron moving up out of the canyon to circle around the facility and providing cover for the Falcon that was moving in to land. They wouldn't have much time, and they needed her.
"Skywalker, we can give you twenty minutes of cover," called the admiral over the communicator as Luke opened the ramp to the Falcon. Finn had shot out many of the stormtroopers just before they landed, giving them a short window to unload the resistance fighters from the Falcon and to secure the landing area.
"I'm timing it," replied Luke. Chewie followed close behind Luke, his bowcaster ready. They had already breached the facility.
"Rey, twenty minutes – hurry!" he called to her over their shared communicator.
Kylo Ren could sense the presence of Skywalker below, but he had another target to pursue.
Rey heard her master's warning and pulled the Grey Wolf into a spiral and then another loop. With the flow of the force she was able to focus and send a perfect shot into just the right spot on the tie fighter to seize up the controls and send it into a hard landing with a long skid. It had crash landed on the far side of the canyon entrance to the reclamation facility.
Kylo Ren cursed as he leapt from his smoldering ship. Part of him was furious; the other part of him had a raging hard-on. He hadn't been this excited in a long time.
Rey had managed to land the Grey Wolf on the roof of the facility. She grabbed her cloak and looked out to Kylo Ren's wreckage, he was gone.
Inside the facility Luke and his small band of resistance fighters were making short work of the stormstroopers that oversaw the operations of the facility. Many of the enslaved workers were chained to the machines that were used to process the metal scrap. He slashed through another set of manacles with his saber as the workers thanked him profusely. "Run, get out now! There are only a few minutes before the facility blows," he ordered giving them an encouraging shove towards the exits. He could hear Chewie's bowcaster go off and a small band of stormtroopers yelled as they were blown over a railing. Chewie roared for Luke to hurry, they were almost done.
"Skywalker!" he heard the thrum of an igniting light saber.
"Ben Solo," he replied, turning to look at what had become of his nephew.
"Where is she?" he asked through the harsh mechanical voice filter.
"Here!" cried Rey, as she leapt down from an elevated conveyor belt, her saber staff ablaze as she came down hard against Kylo Ren's saber.
Luke watched as the two collided in a barrage of furious blows.
"Get them out!" she cried, as she parried another slash and came down hard against Ren's best defenses.
"Eight minutes!" called Luke, as he was forced to turn and help Chewie get the last of the people outside.
They circled each other, twirling their sabers, waiting for the other to make the next move.
"So what is this? Are you a Jedi now, so soon?" he taunted as he secretly admired her unusual white light saber, then gave her a slow once over. She had changed a little, but it was still her, and she was beautiful. Her fierce eyes staring him down even though his mask. He could see both light and dark burning within her, a strength and confidence beyond what Jedi knew, yet more peaceful than what he had ever known. He would finally have her.
"You might be happy to know that I wasn't cut out to be a Jedi," she said as she made a fierce slash that he narrowly blocked. "Nor will I ever be a part of the darkside. I. Am. Grey!" she shouted, punctuating each word with a barrage of blows that forced Kylo Ren back.
"So you've accepted the darkness. All you need is a little more," he replied, as they dueled each other back and forth, sabers crashing in sparks of white and red, as they pitted against each other with the grace of dancers.
"I will admit, you're so much better than the last time we fought. Your power was so raw, so exhilarating. Tell me, do you think you can kill me?"
He charged again with another volley of strikes that sent her back. She dodged him amongst the machines of the facility.
"I don't want you dead," she called from behind a compactor. "You're going to tell me why you betrayed your family. You're going to tell me why you swallowed Snoke's lies."
She leapt out and nearly caught him off guard but he put up a block just in time; their sabers crackling against each other. "You're going to tell me if you were the one who killed my parents!"
He shoved hard and forced her back with another barrage of blows. He was furious, and she could feel the anger and hatred broiling off him in waves. "Why? Because Skywalker was a failure! Cling to his ideals all you want, but in time he will fail you too! Because darkness is power, and I feel that you have experienced it. You know how glorious it can be!"
The building shook as it began to take energy blasts from the dogfights outside.
He reached up a hand and released the mechanism that sealed his helmet; then pulled it from his head. "Come with me, Rey. You belong with me, not with Skywalker. I can give you power that he never could, power to lay the entire galaxy at your feat. Come with me."
There was an honest need behind his dark eyes, and something inside almost stirred her to reach for him just then, but she snapped out of it and hardened her heart. "My parents died because of the Knights of Ren, were you the one? Did you take them from me?" she demanded.
"Maybe," he replied.
"Maybe?" she shouted back at him.
"When you've destroyed as many errant force users as I have, it's hard to keep track," he confessed.
She could sense him through the bond, for all that he knew, he was telling the truth, but it only made her hate him all the more.
"Good, hate me, become strong, feel it…"
She cut him off with another barrage of blows of her saber staff and a sharp elbow right into his face. He staggered back, sporting a freshly busted lip.
She wanted to crush him; wanted to cut him down, but he was right. She could feel the darkside calling to her. So much hate, and she had nothing to fight it with. She had no love strong enough to save her from its darkness.
She looked at him with his dangerous eyes and his bloody lip, and suddenly she felt a wash of sadness and pity take over her. "You let yourself become this. You let this happen. It didn't have to. You chose. There was once light in you. I felt it, and it's still there. You can't hide it, not from me. I'm in your head just as much as you're in mine. I've felt it. Your pain. Your loneliness. You know it mirrors my own. I know someone like you could never belong to the light, but there is a place between. I have seen it. You once told Han you wanted to be free of this pain. I felt the light in you when you said that. You meant it! Please, let me help you. There is another way."
She watched as he looked at her with hungry eyes. "Rey…I can't. This is who I am now. There is no more Ben Solo. He can never come back."
"Rey, thirty seconds, get out now!" she heard Luke's voice shout from the com-link on her belt.
"Maybe someday you will meet me in the Grey," she said, and with a slash of her saber she cut into the side of his leg. He yelled furiously as he fell to one knee. When he tried to stand again she was already climbing the fire escape back up to the roof.
"Rey!" he shouted as the roar of the X-Wings grew louder overhead.
"R2, fire up the engines now!" she ordered through the com-link that was patched into her ship as she ran to the Grey Wolf.
She was able to pull away just as four X-Wings dove in and blew the entire facility to pieces. But she knew…he was still alive.
A note from your humble author: This chapter was a lot of fun to write. Are you guys enjoying the story? Don't worry, after this chapter we're delving right into the hot and heavy relationship stuff, which I know most of you signed on for, and believe me - It is the meat and potatoes of this story. Big thanks to those who have been following and enjoying the story so far! Extra special thanks to CountessR who has given me the most feedback so far! ^_^