Heeeeeelllllloooooo everyone! Sorry for the long wait! Life likes to get in the way sometimes, but I am back with another chapter! Thanks to all the follows, faves, and reviews. They all helped me to keep going!
QwertyStrange: I know, I know. Ben has worked hard on himself, and Rey screwed up big time. I agree with you. But, you might find that she redeems herself. Or you might not. Hoping you do, though. She goes through a lot in this chapter. Thanks for loving my writing! MaelsiC: I messaged you a response to your review a while back. I hope you saw it. But just wanted to say thanks again for leaving a comment! Guest: Muahahahahaha! *rubs hands together evilly* Aleta Wolff: Oh boy, there is a lot of action ahead. As for the fates of the Skywalkers, it's all up in the air! Guest: I hate when I don't check to see if a fic is finished because I hate waiting for updates! Sorry you are now in that boat. But the story is almost finished. Sorry to hear about your rough patch. I started writing this story as a way to cope with everything going on in my life. So to know that enjoying this story has brought some light into your own darkness honestly gets me emotional and makes me happy. And thank you for posting your first review on my story. Whenever I'm in a rut or don't feel like writing, I look back at reviews to help motivate me, and that's what yours has done. I'm glad you love the characters and have enjoyed the journey of this story thus far. Thank you so much for the review! Stuckinsweden: Wow, thank you so much! I look at my writing and think that it's crap, but then I see that you like it and I feel so much better. I can't tell you how many times I got close to just ditching this story because I felt so inadequate. It's hard not to compare yourself to other writers, who are so great and what they do, and not feel down. But I've grown to accept the style in which I write and how I like to characterize the people in my story. I'm so glad you like Ren and how I depict him. I wanted him to be damaged, but to show that he could make a life out of what has happened to him. Ben Solo was just as much of a mask as Kylo Ren, and he now has to figure out who he really is. And that quote you like so much I actually heard one of my college roommates say a long time ago. It's always stuck with me because it's so witty! I don't know if she got it from somewhere or if she made it up, but I just had to use it. Doubt she'll ever read this, but thanks Amanda! While this story revolves around Ren and Rey being together, I wanted it to feel like an epic fantasy at the same time. Glad you think it's epic! Gosh, I know how you feel about episode nine. Like, how in the world could they give Rey and Ben a happy ending? No idea, which makes me think they wont. I really hope they do, because all the love stories in Star Wars have been tragic so far: Jyn/Cassian, Padme/Anakin, Obi-wan/Satine, Quinlinn/Ventress, Leia/Han– like, give us one couple who actually makes it! I beg you Disney! The Perlustrator: I found that puking out an action scene and then editing it works really well. Good thing none of you will ever read my first drafts of a chapter cause they read like it should be in a children's novel. lol. I've done research online how to write out action and create a scene. It all really helped. Thanks for the pointers! alstroemerialover: It's usually the stories that terrify you the most but you just can't quit that are the best. I love when my heart starts pounding and I start to sweat while reading a book. I hope the ending of this story meets your expectations! sweetes forbiden candy apple: Not sure what top ten you are referring to, but sounds like a great compliment! Like top ten Reylo stories? Cause that would be crazy! jules.2136: This story has taken over my idle thoughts and dreams too! My goodness, these last two years has been me daydreaming about the story A LOT. My husband can't wait for this story to be over. lol Thanks for liking the humor. I always fear my humor to be too dry. And I am absolutely biased, but I might like this story line better than TLJ... But I still loved the movie! Rey has a lot of shortcomings from being alone for so long. Like thinking she isn't worth people's time and effort, and that she doesn't completely understand what it means to be a friend and to have friends care about you. And as for Rey killing Kylo turned Snoke, well, guess you'll have to read on to find out! Guest: Thanks for loving chapter fifteen! It's one of my favorites. Guest: Well buckle up, because it's going to be a bumpy ride! Hope you like the chapter! SheLitAFire: I love protective Chewie! And Leia was totally prepared to pull a Holdo, but luckily Luke didn't let that happen. As for Rey and Ben's endings, I wouldn't say one of them has a happy one while the other does not. They are still entwined. We've just only seen glimpses of the future, but not the whole picture yet. More surprises to come!
So this chapter pushes all the characters to the brink of what they think they can handle. There's lots of action and emotion packed into it, so I hope ya'll are prepared.
•WARNING• There is violence in this chapter, especially against Rey. If that makes you uncomfortable to read, you can skip around it.
Chapter Forty-eight
Aboard the shuttle that Rey had taken, Caliiya and Finn stood in the corridor opening to the main hold, watching as Ren rifled through what was left of BB-8. Finn wasn't exactly sure what Ren was looking for; nor did he ask. They had all fell silent when they came upon the droid's remains, both Caliiya and Finn noticing Ren's trembling fists, seeing the rage shading his eyes.
Finn, too, was angry, but neither man made it verbally known to the other.
Ren grabbed something spherical and shoved it in his pants pocket below the black tunic. Then he walked past them, his shoulder bumping into Finn's as he exited the ship.
Finn ground his molars, his grip tightening on the blaster rifle. Caliiya touched his arm, giving him a sympathetic stare before they went to join the others. They trekked further into the valley, Skywalker and Ren leading the group. The mountains became more narrow the closer they got to the canyon, their resemblance taking on more of a pillared shape, like daggers growing out of the reddened soil. It cast long shadows upon the floor as the first signs of dawn graced the barren planet.
Finn had his eyes fixed on Ren's back the entirety of the time, arguing with himself whether he should talk to the guy or not. Finally, no longer able to hold back, he hurried his pace and came to Ren's side. The man ignored his presence.
"I do blame myself for losing Rey, you know," Finn said in a hushed tone. "But how about you shoulder just an ounce of the blame, too."
The comment earned him a vicious glare, one that could melt steel. Finn noticed Skywalker slow his pace so he wasn't near the two men.
"You think Rey ran off to kill Snoke because she was bored?" Finn continued, his voice more on edge. "She did it because she believed that with him gone, you'd stop being such an asshole. Maybe go closer to the light, or however that works."
Ren's lips curled down in distaste. "That's not how it works."
"Well, she must think that somehow, with Snoke dead, you'll be more like Ben and less like Kylo."
Ren was suddenly in his face, stopping him in his tracks. "What the fuck did you just say?"
Finn had not been expecting such a visceral reaction. "Uh… Well, I said–"
Ren took a step back to survey the group, eye twitching. "How is it that everyone thinks I have a personality disorder? I make a mistake, you all blame it on Kylo Ren. I do something that's deemed decent, it's because of Ben Solo. When will any of you understand that neither of those people ever existed. I've accepted it, and so should all of you."
"You're wrong." They all turned toward the feminine voice. Leia stepped out from behind a cluster of rock pillars, shock falling over the whole group. "Kylo Ren is what Snoke created. Ben Solo is who you were born to be." Leia stood there, confident, clinging to the blaster rifle in her hands as she took in the astonished eyes that gazed back at her.
The volatile atmosphere died down quickly, only to be replaced with something similar: frustration.
Skywalker went to her. "What the hell are you doing here, Leia?"
Finn put some distance between him and the family, not wanting to get tangled in whatever argument was sure to happen.
She raised her chin, a satisfied smirk playing along her lips. "Surprised you didn't sense me following you? I did actually listen to some of those Force lessons you taught me years ago."
"Go back to the ship–"
Leia shoved her brother away from her, eyes lit with ire. "Did you really think I would let my only child walk into a trap orchestrated by the very creature who took him from me, and not come to help? If fate has anything left to give me before I die, it's that I'll be the one to kill Snoke."
Skywalker took a steady breath. "You're a liability. I can't watch over you and go after Snoke at the same time."
"I still know how to use a blaster."
"This is Force business."
"Good thing I have the Force."
"You don't know how to use it."
"Pretty sure I just proved you wrong by hiding myself from your radar."
"Mom." Everyone's attention snapped to Ren. His voice had softened, his gaze now tender. He walked up to her openly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Luke's right. You can't be here. You might have the Force, but you haven't trained with it to the extent that we have."
She gripped his arm, voice pleading. "Then come back to the Falcon with me. Let Luke and the others handle this."
His brows furrowed. "I can't."
"You won't."
"I have to help Rey."
"If you go to her–"
"I know what my fate will be," he cut her off. Leia's face fell. "But I still have to try." She shook her head, lips pursed. "If Han were in the same predicament, wouldn't you go after him?" They held each other's gaze before Leia exhaled long and deep, closing her eyes in defeat. Her cheek's glistened, and Ren swept away the moisture with his thumb.
Finn glanced away, feeling like the moment was way too personal for him to watch. It was almost like mother and son were saying goodbye. Then he heard something, movement.
Luke and Ren must have sensed the incoming ambush. They lifted their hands to freeze a barrage of blaster fire just before it poured down upon the group. Elite troopers closed in on their location quickly, pushing them towards the canyon.
"Go!" Ren shouted, saber lit and deflecting bolts. "Find Rey!"
Finn didn't need to be told twice.
He and Caliiya followed Luke and Chewie deeper into the canyon, running from one danger only to be met with another. Canons dropped missiles as they neared the temple entrance, the blast separating him and Caliiya from the others. They stayed close to the rockface, unable to locate Luke and Chewie through all the upturned dirt. He crept forward, his hand gliding against the wall as he held his blaster–
Finn's hand hit open air and he was suddenly falling through the rock wall, landing on cool stone. Caliiya followed, landing nearly on top of him. They'd gone through a secret entrance, one that had the sophisticated technology to blend in with its surroundings. With the firefight outside worsening, they got to their feet and fled through the winding tunnels, hand in hand.
As they rounded a corner, they came to a skidding halt. At the other end of the hallway was a handful of troopers, and standing in front, in her silver armor and intimidating height, was Phasma.
There was a pause as both groups took the other in.
"FN-2187," Phasma's mechanical voice said.
"His name is Finn," Caliiya corrected with a snarl.
Phasma ignored her. "Kill them."
()()()()()
Ren tore through the elite soldiers, going back and forth between slicing through armor and deflecting incoming fire. Leia followed behind him as she popped off one enemy after another with her blaster rifle, proving that she still was a competent marksmen. Having obtained a stun baton, Casterfo was off to the side, fighting two Knights of Ren, holding his own efficiently. If the two Knights had been Force sensitive, Ren would have been more worried for the man. But having seen Casterfo's skill with a melee weapon before, Ren would have to leave him to fend for himself.
Under other circumstances, Ren would've been hoping for Casterfo's demise, but seeing how he was short on allies at the moment, Ren needed all the help he could get.
Out of his periphery, he saw Casterfo take one of them out.
The tall spires were making it difficult for everyone to properly fight in close quarters, providing the enemy with numerous places to hide. But Ren could feel a presence behind the one straight ahead, a presence that was just goading him to come closer.
Cato finally revealed himself, probably sensing that Ren was within range. In his hand was Rey's saberstaff, the citrine blade glimmering from both ends.
Ren froze for only a moment, startled. He thought of how Cato got the weapon, that it was probably him who had subdued Rey – touched her, hurt her.
Possessiveness ignited a sizzle in his blood, drawing his face taut and clouding his heart with vengeance. His lips peeled off his teeth as he growled and ran. Rocks leapt up from the ground and whirled towards him. He slashed some of them in half, Force pushed the rest away. Then the two sabers met in a spark of gold and crimson, Ren neatly sidestepping Cato's attempt at slashing his leg with the opposite end. He swept the blade behind his back to slap aside a thrust to his neck.
The duo was energized, leaping and whirling, raining down blows, slashing at the rocks. But instead of trying to bend the Force to his will, Ren was content with letting it guide him, feeling it take control of his actions.
Ren kicked at Cato's midsection and then sliced right through the middle of the saber staff. The weapon fizzled out, now broken and unusable. Seeing an opening for a killing blow, Ren tweaked his grip and went for it. But Cato was already one step ahead of him.
Ren sensed the Force being manipulated by Cato, but it wasn't directed at him– it was directed at his mother. Cato put a considerable amount of power behind the push, making Ren turn his focus on stopping Leia from crashing into the side of a narrow mountain. It only took a few seconds to ensure her safety, but the distraction served its purpose: Cato fled.
Ren pursued him down into the canyon, catching glimpses of the man as he weaved through boulders and columns. Running into the temple, he took the troopers by surprise by barreling past them, not giving them enough time to shift their focus onto him.
At the back of the cavern, the knight finally came into view just as he was lunging the darksaber right through Chewbacca's back. The Wookie never saw it coming, too focused on aiming his bowcaster at enemy targets.
All Ren's pent up rage came out faster than magma and just as destructive. It consumed all he was, tearing down his control as if it had been built upon twigs. Cato's body slammed into the stone wall, heading snapping back with a sickening crunch. Ren applied more pressure, watching as the man's face contorted in pain as he was slowly crushed, unable to take a breath to even scream. Bones snapped, blood poured from ruptured skin, face falling into itself. Even after the man was dead, Ren still pushed, lost within that part of him that demanded blood.
A soft whine came from the side.
Ren snapped out of the violent stupor, almost collapsing from the energy he'd so carelessly spent. He whirled around and his eyes fell upon Chewie. Panic came for him. It started as a discomfort in his chest, a feeling in his brain like excess adrenaline, making the anger fade.
Then it went deeper.
Ben ran to the Wookie, sliding on his knees as he came to a stop next to him. Chewie was pressing his hands just below his sternum, blood starting to seep through his long fingers.
"No, no, no…" Ben muttered. His panic grew stronger as his mental faculties gave way to emotions, leaking out from his eyes. He tried to move Chewie's hands away, but he wouldn't give. "Chewie, let me try to heal you."
Chewie let out a short, undulation of a rumble, his words sending a jolt through Ben's body. "It'll leave you too weak to look after yourself."
Ben gave the Wookie an incredulous stare before shaking his head and roughly wiping away his tears. "No, I can–" Chewie grabbed Ben's trembling hand and placed his palm against his furry cheek. Images bombarded his mind, some he remembered, and others he didn't.
Chewie throwing an infant Ben into the air, making him laugh.
Chewie finding an adolescent Ben curled beneath a tree, sitting next to the boy as he cried into Chewie's soft embrace.
Chewie sitting across from Ben on a sofa, teaching him Shyriiwook.
Chewie watching as Ben let go of his father, letting the man fall from the bridge and disappearing into the light. He aimed his bowcaster at Ben, a kill shot to the head. There was fraction of a moment where he hesitated before lowering the mark and firing at Ben's abdomen.
Ben didn't realize he was back in the present till his own sobs pounded in his ears. He was that child again, shaking, terrified. The constricted feelings grew, as if he were being strangled by the air surrounding him.
Chewie and Ben held eye contact, his hand stilling on the woolly cheek. He noticed that Chewie's breathing was becoming labored, could sense him slipping away.
"No," Ben said resolutely, surprised by how strong he sounded. "No, fuck this." He pushed Chewie's hand away, noticing the lack of fight against him now. Placing his palms on the wound, Ben concentrated, trying to win the race against time. Strength began to drain from him, Chewie's injured body drinking up–
Rey nearly ripped through his mind, blinding him.
Then Ben lurched forward, catching himself before his hands hit the cool floor. Chewie was no longer beneath his grip. He batted his hands through the empty air, confused, noticing that the lighting was different and the thrums of battle had dulled into background noise.
Ren sensed her.
He looked up through his tousled hair. Rey was standing not too far away, the look of shock at seeing her mirroring his own. It melded into horror. Then he felt it; that gaze. Slowly, his eyes shifted, and there he was.
Snoke.
The cacophony of thoughts took him off guard. He felt the urge to run, escape, hide. But he also felt the urge to kneel, grovel, and beg for forgiveness for being so weak. It was no different than when he was younger, fearing and admiring those whispers in his head, letting it coax his growing ego and comfort his expanding loneliness. Even with the passage of time, Ren still felt like the same person he was then. Just now, he had a scarred face and a broader frame.
Ren reallocated his stare to the golden robes, knowing that he shouldn't look his former master in the eye.
A crackle of lightning shrieked throughout the cavern, hitting Rey with enough energy to stop her heart. Ren went on autopilot; calling the lightning to him and then redirecting it back at Snoke. It knocked Snoke onto the floor, allowing Ren only a few moments of precious time.
He hurried to Rey, hoisting her off the ground, her head lolling and her legs weak as she moaned. "You have to get as far away from here as possible," Ren told her as he went for an exit, not knowing where it lead, but staying put was not an option. "Luke and Finn are here–"
They were violently pulled back with the Force. Ben mentally cut through the tether that hooked them both before pushing Rey down the hallway. He slid across the floor, digging his boots into the stone to find traction. "Run, Rey!" he shouted as he got to his feet. "Run!"
He placed himself between the corridor and his master, his eyes on the ground, not daring to even look up. He could sense Snoke moving about. "I don't want to physically hurt you," Snoke confessed, voice sharp. "Having you injured will only make things more complicated."
Ren didn't move. He sensed Rey going deeper into the temple, her pace painfully slow.
"The girl must die," Snoke said somewhere by the altar. The surroundings began to blacken in Ren's vision as if they were becoming one with the shadows, morphing into dark mists. Ren reached for the center of the spell, dissolving whatever illusion Snoke was trying to thrust upon him. "I've offered you purpose and meaning; guidance and knowledge. And all you've ever given me is disloyalty and failure."
"I killed my father for you," Ren spat out, saliva going with it.
"You killed Han Solo because you wanted to." The words slivered across Ren's mind with ease. Yes… yes, he killed his father because he had starved for it. He needed him gone, needed him to be punished for abandoning him. Family was a weakness. Sentimentality were chains–
Ren shuffled back, gasping, fighting the pull of Snoke's voice, terrified. It was at that moment he realized just how powerful Snoke's persuasion actually was, and just how deep his influence could go.
Had any of his thoughts ever truly been his? Was his mother right– was Kylo Ren completely made by Snoke's hands?
Snoke's voice boomed within his head, sending him to his knees. He could hear that taunting voice; see his worst fears brought to life. He was reminded how unworthy he was to be the descendant of Vader; that he was nothing, a disappointment, weak. Memories were shown of when he was a boy, listening to his parents discuss behind closed doors how they believed their son would turn into a monster, that his anger and propensity for destruction was becoming too much to handle.
His father wished his son were normal. His mother kept saying she didn't have time to deal with his emotional outbursts. In those moments, Ben felt worthless and disposable, wretched and cold. He would curl onto his floor, shaking with a grief that bled from his marrow, praying to be wanted.
All the while the whispers comforted him, pushing him to relish in his power and to forsake his familial ties. Some days, he listened. Others, he fought against the enticement. But in the end, the soft voice was the only one to offer him a thin love, however shallow and brief it was. It proved to be better than the emptiness he had before.
On his hands and knees, Snoke goaded him to commit betrayals against those he currently cared for most, because betrayal of love led to an endless well of power and security. Rey, Leia, Luke, Chewie– Snoke's strong voice of persuasion enticed him to do it, to find them in the temple and take their lives. His master showed him the hundreds of ways in which he had failed, and only one in which he could succeed.
The murmurs lifted, but the promises of imminent power echoed in his bones.
Gaze still upon the floor, jaw clenched and fists balled, Snoke's robes and slippers came into Ren's lowered view. "Your purpose has always been to serve the Force in a capacity that would bring about a new age of enlightenment for the galaxy." Snoke's wide palm rested on the crown of Ren's head, his thumb stroking raven hair. Affectionate. "I've known this since before you were born; that your fate and mine were tied to one another. And in helping me, you'd be exalted to a place beyond death, beyond life." Lowering his hand, the back of his master's knuckles caressed down Ren's cheek. "Do you know what you have to do?"
Ren nodded.
"Then rise, and fulfill your destiny."
Ren went to his feet, head bowed, breathing even. He could hear the ricochets of explosions, hear the firing of blasters in the distance. But in the vast chamber, all was still.
Ren ignited his saber and lanced Snoke through the heart. Except, as Ren was prepared to meet some resistance, he stumbled right through an apparition. He froze, eyes widening, knowing he should've recognized what had been right in front of him. If Snoke was anything, he was a skilled master of trickery.
The illusion evaporated.
Off to the side, hiding in the shadows, Snoke stepped forward into the dim light. "Treachery really does run in your family. Unfortunate that my influence over you has greatly diminished. But no matter. If you won't kill them, then I will."
Snoke pulled at him, and Ren used all the strength he had left to fight against it. He dug in his heels before falling to the floor, hands scraping against the stone, finding nothing to hold onto. He popped off the ground, his neck meeting Snoke's wide hand, legs thrashing in the air. Ren held onto Snoke's wrist, trying to alleviate some of the pressure, but blood still had a hard time making it to his brain. He took in sharp breaths, knowing Snoke could crush his windpipe at any moment.
"Look at me." And Ren almost did, his eyes bouncing across Snoke's face. The persuasion was so potent, that he could feel himself wanting– no, needing to look.
Snoke brought him closer, his repugnant breath blowing across Ren's face. "Look. At. Me."
Dark amber eyes met a pair of light icy blue, and all of Ren's efforts at putting up a defense were flung aside.
There was a silence that crept into his soul, the experience likened unto autumn leaves being covered by an inconspicuous first frost. The chill traveled through his blood, the ice bringing the synapses of his brain to a standstill. Part of it was pain, part of it was enervation – the kind you felt when your body peacefully shut down from being prolonged to the cold, the warmth of false hope leaving your addled brain.
This was Ben's winter, with no promises of spring.
With what little strength and awareness he had left, he pushed as much of his knowledge onto Rey as he possibly could. Such an abrupt intrusion caused her immense pain. It pulled her close to the edge of permanent mental injury, but Ben had to do it. Rey was ill prepared for what was up next, but with his erudition to guide her, she had a chance at surviving.
He was fading now, his last stretch of consciousness falling away as if he were sinking into the confines of a deep sleep. Would he be met with obscurity again? Would everything be black?
Rey.
He didn't have the strength to impress upon her how much he loved her, how much–
()()()()()
Leia ran after Ben, pausing only to pick up the remnant of Rey's saber and clipping them to her belt. She wasn't as fast as her son and lost sight of him quickly, but there was only one place he would go.
Leia kept to the perimeter of the long and vaulted entrance, shooting at anything that came her way. Ransolm had her back as they pressed deeper into the temple. Thankfully, Luke was keeping the troopers busy, allowing her to meet little resistance as she tried to locate where Ben had went.
She stayed low, using the ornamental altars situated between the pillars for added cover. They neared the back, the long grotto opening into a larger room, stairs leading up to a platform. She rushed up the steps and froze.
Chewie was lying on the floor, gasping, holding his hands to his chest. Leia was at his side within seconds, calling out for her brother through the Force. "You're going to be fine, Chewie. You're–"
Chewie let out one word in Shyriiwook. "Ben."
Leia frowned, not knowing what he meant by saying her son's name. Ransolm kept his focus on picking off any troopers that got near.
Luke was suddenly there, pushing her aside as he placed his hands on Chewie's wound. On top of Luke's healing, there was a different kind of power that electrified the air, causing her hairs to stand on end. Whatever it was, it was close, and Leia couldn't ignore it.
"Leia, don't," Luke warned, as if he could read her intentions. But she didn't listen. She bolted off the platform and turned down a hallway, feeling the dark side thickening the more she ran.
"Leia!" Ransolm called out, following her.
She came to a stop once she entered a cavern, breathing heavily. Her son was standing next to a stone slab in the middle of the room, a large body in a golden robe lying at his feet. Her heat stuttered, and for a moment, she believed Ben had killed the monster who had preyed upon his mind all of his life. But then he bent down, removing something from the body's hand and sliding it onto his thumb.
Leia's brows drew in. "Ben?"
He turned, eyeing her from top to bottom. "Huttslayer," his voice mocked.
Leia's lids widened, her breath hitched, heart dropping like a stone.
Every second that passed fueled the fire burning inside her, and the crooked smile Ben made was the gasoline adding to the building inferno. When he took a step toward her, she exploded in anger. With no control, she wailed and fell to her knees, such visceral emotion manifesting in the Force as a torrential shockwave. Leia had no idea the repercussions; she was only consumed by her pain.
The screams faded into sobs.
She glanced up with blurred eyes, seeing Ben– no, Snoke– get to his feet. The rage swelled in her quickly, heating her skin. Leia's breathing deepened through her nose, her teeth bared as she raised her blaster pistol and fired.
It froze halfway across the room.
The blaster flew out of her hand and her body went rigid. She couldn't move. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ransolm out cold on the floor, her meltdown having slammed him into the wall.
On her knees, arms glued to her sides, Leia glanced back at Snoke, surprise forming on his face. "You'd kill your own son?"
She breathed hotly through her nose. "You're not my son."
Snoke moved out of the way of the bolt, letting it finish its trajectory into the wall. "No, I'm not." He came closer to her. "But I at least thought you'd hold a sentimental value toward the body you created."
Nothing prepared Leia for this. For a woman who always thought of every scenario, who had backup plans upon backup plans, and who always knew what to say, she never thought that this would actually happen. She'd never wanted to think it a possibility. The very idea had been too painful.
The reality proved to be far worse.
"I won't allow my son's body to continue living as an abomination."
"You say that like you have a choice in the matter." Snoke's lip curled in mockery. "You don't."
Leia was mid breath when her throat shut. She fought against the constriction, trying to inhale, trying to exhale, trying to get any sliver of oxygen to pass through her collapsed trachea. It was all to no avail.
Then Snoke yelled out in pain, grabbing his head and floundering back. The hold he had on Leia vanished. She gasped and gulped for precious air, her hands massaging her throat. For a moment, she eyed Snoke curiously before attempting to flee. She didn't get far as her body was flung into the wall, her form crumbling to the floor as her vision blurred and her head spun.
Snoke stalked forward only to be brought to his knees, his palms pressing against his temples. For as much as her head pounded and her body ached, Leia had enough brainpower to realize what was happening.
And it filled her with hope.
"You've never had this happen before, have you?" Leia groaned, sitting upright. Snoke fell silent as he gained control, but Leia kept talking. "Where a soul is still fighting you, refusing to give up. You almost look... afraid."
Snoke abruptly stood and stretched his hand out, causing her to fly forward, his fingers curling around her throat, squeezing. In his other hand, he held Ben's lightsaber. "You're son might be holding on, but he'll wane soon, and then you'll both be nothing but a memory."
The crimson blade came to life, and every cell in Leia's body screamed at her to close her eyes, that it was best not to view her death by the physical hands of her only child. But she didn't. She gazed into those corrupt, brown embers that were the genetic copies of her own, the pupils dilated with rage, corneas bloodshot from adrenaline.
He brought the saber up and–
Leia collapsed on the floor, he arms flailing out to catch her fall. Stunned, she looked at the space that was once occupied by Ben's form, frantically searching the cavern to find that he was gone.
Just like that.
Poof.
Blink.
Impossible…
The cavern roared and shuddered as the other side of the room caved in, causing Leia to jump to her feet in a panicked frenzy. On less than confident legs – because hell, she'd been damn sure she was about to die five seconds ago – she went to Ransolm, shaking him and even giving him two slaps to the face in an effort to stir him awake. But still, he remained out cold. Leia hooked her arms under his armpits from behind and dragged him out of the room as fast as her small stature would allow. Straining and grunting, she pulled him into the hallway just as the entire cavern's ceiling conceded to its structural weakness in dramatic defeat. She coughed and spit out the thick cloud of dust that filled the dimmed hall, tripping over an uneven stone in the flooring that sent her ungracefully to her rear.
There was another quake. A warning. Loose pebbles falling from above. The temple wasn't going to last much longer, but as she continued with hauling Ransolm away from the destruction, she could feel her arms and legs burning, her lungs smoldering as it demanded more oxygen to supplement her muscles from over exertion. What had started as a pinch in her back now felt as if she were being beaten with the reminding fists of old age and the years of being physically idle. But hell, she couldn't leave her friend behind.
"Leia!"
"Oh thank the Force," she breathed out. Leia glanced over her shoulder to see Luke running towards them, looking more lithe than his age should allow. She was envious of that. Today she was feeling every second of her fifty-three years of life.
Chewie was close behind her brother, his broad Wookie frame slightly bent forward, his hand holding his furry chest. Leia transferred Ransolm into Luke's arms as she rushed to the giant fur ball and threw her short arms around him, giving him a tight squeeze. He patted her back.
"Leia, what happened?" Luke asked as he mimicked how Leia had been dragging Ransolm.
She got out of Chewie's hold. "Snoke… he got to Ben." Luke stilled, and Chewie gasped. "But Luke, Ben's still alive," she assured him. "He's still–"
Another violent quake ripped through the temple.
Chewie interrupted them with a curt roar, going over to Luke and relieving him of Ransolm. The Wookie swung the man over his shoulder, ignoring Luke's insistence that he wasn't completely healed and shouldn't be carrying extra weight. But then the ground shook, making them dart through the hallways and back to the front entrance, all protestations forgotten.
What had been filled with a lively battle before, were now just barren rooms. Anyone with a functioning brain knew that the sanctuary needed to be evacuated.
Luke held Leia's arm, helping her along. "Where's Rey?" he asked.
Leia jumped over lumps of stone as they entered the vaulted cavern, columns and ritualistic dias now mostly rubble. "I– I don't know."
"I can't sense either of them. They aren't in the temple."
"Ben –Snoke–," Leia corrected, "was about to kill me, but Ben somehow stopped him. And then he just vanished." She swept out her arm dramatically. "But Ben's still holding on. He's still in there."
Leia struggled a little then, not against any outside force, but against herself. She saw how Luke looked at her, with pity. Like she was in denial. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped at him. "My son is alive."
"Leia–"
They came across some troopers. Seeing how Leia was exhausted and Chewie had Ransolm, Luke was the one to engage them. Leia always seemed to forget how efficient her brother was at combat. She watched him, almost mesmerized by his fluidity and precision. He was good at killing if he had to be, even though he hated it.
Chewie and her neared him once the threats were eliminated.
"Caliiya and Finn?" Leia inquired, letting him help her move quicker with a hand on her arm. A huge chunk of the ceiling dislodged, dropping to the spot they'd just been seconds ago. Leia waved her hand about, trying to clear the dust, but her efforts were useless. Her eyes stung and her lungs protested against the outside invasion.
Luke shook his head. "No time."
As much as it panged her to run through the small opening of the high double doors, Leia knew Luke was right.
Sweat dripped down Leia's forehead and off her chin as they ascended out of the canyon and wound through the tall red pillars. The ground rippled, the narrow pointed mountains swaying and breaking. An entire section of desert disappeared, a giant fissure opening and swallowing the ground whole, burping up a cloud of dust. They skidded to a stop so they didn't fall through.
Luke wrenched Leia around and backtracked before veering off in another direction. A ship came into view, the one they'd stopped at before venturing toward the valley. Leia had watched them from afar when she'd been following them, deducing that it was the ship Rey had used to get there.
They boarded quickly, Leia and Luke going to the cockpit as Chewie went to put Ransolm down in the common area. Luke initiated the engines and lifted them off from the surface. The ship hovered as they watched the ground heave and fracture. Leia covered her mouth as she watched the destruction – the destruction she had caused.
Luke hailed the Falcon, telling Harter to leave. The woman refused. She wanted to wait longer in case anyone else was on their way.
They suddenly took on canon fire, and Luke had to veer them further from the valley in order to avoid it. Two Tie fighters stayed close, and Leia had to take control of the front turret as Luke tried to maneuver behind them.
Then Leia felt it, felt him.
Her son.
()()()()()
Rey's throat tightened.
She couldn't breathe.
For a moment, panic threatened to overwhelm her. She wanted to run from this place, run away and never look back. But she found herself crawling at first, then sloppily walking through the corridors, making her way back to where she believed the cavern to be.
She reached out to Ben.
He wasn't there.
A sound, a wail, tore through the air, the power behind it cracking the walls, shaking the temple's infrastructure. There was a pause, then it came again– a cry of utter despair, such visceral emotion causing chunks of the ceiling to fracture and clunk to the floor.
Rey dodged the cascading stones, the falling obstacles pushing her to focus, dissipating the remaining haze that had clouded much of her mind.
The screams stopped, the remains of it echoing through the chambers. But Rey didn't need to hear more of the cries to know to whom they belonged. It wasn't that she recognized the tenor; it was that she could feel a mother's anguish through the air.
A sob made her squeak, lips trembling as she kept going. She had to see for herself; she needed the confirmation that Ben was now gone, and that it was all her fault.
Rey rounded a corner, light filtering in from down the narrow hall. She used the wall to balance herself, dragging her arm and shoulder against the stone as she walked forward. She followed the low hum of voices. Closer, and now she could hear arguing. One voice was feminine, the other deep with masculinity.
Rey stood in the archway, rooted in a nightmare.
Leia was being held up by her throat, Ben snarling something indecipherable into her face, his breath causing her stray hairs to wisp around her cheeks. Leia's skin was turning red as she struggled to breathe, eye's glued to the face that belonged to her son.
But it wasn't her son.
Rey now knew that; she was witnessing the confirmation.
In his right hand, Ben – no, that was Snoke – ignited the the red saber and lifted to strike.
Rey didn't move, didn't even have time to scream or yell or gasp, just felt the sheer desperation scorching her nerves and sending her brain into a tailspin she couldn't control. One moment she was watching in horror as Leia was about to die, and the next, she was standing on the shoreline of a crystal teal ocean, the overhead sun's reflection rippling the water in brilliant waves under the afternoon light.
The warmth hit her face, welcoming.
Rey didn't know what to make of being on Spira when she should be underground in a Sith temple.
Her eye twitched. She blinked. Jaw slackened.
Something stirred in the brush behind her. She turned, her blood running frigid even under the sun's hot rays.
There was a tinge of shock to the way Ben's eyes roamed over the striking view of the landscape, and then to the way he gazed at her. Those black eyes dripped with disdain the longer they held eye contact.
His stare pinched. "How are you doing this?"
Rey's face was grim, her eyes wet, but she didn't answer him. Mostly because speech evaded her, but partly because she didn't actually know how she was doing any of it.
"You don't know, do you," he said meditatively, as if he could read her thoughts. Or her expression. "You use my twin's power, but you have no idea how to handle its purity."
Rey was simultaneously terrified and disgusted as she watched him stalk forward, his movements different from Ben's, but slightly similar. There was an air of intimidation surrounding him, the same Ben could conjure up for those he truly hated.
But the voice… god, it was Ben's voice. Deep. Mature. Male.
"Do you know how long I've searched and tried to achieve atomical transportation?" he asked her. Rey stepped back as he came closer, the soft laps of the waves brushing over her shins, threatening to fill her knee high boots. She was unable to look away, bracing herself for an attack. Snoke eyed her up and down with contempt. "Yet you, a child of the desert, a nobody living amongst trash, can just… do it."
She took calculated steps to the side, trying to stop him from forcing her further out into the water. He stayed parallel to her, seeing her fearful face and body language. "It's tempting to keep you alive long enough to extract the secrets," he admitted, "but as your silence has answered, you're just as clueless to the mechanics as I am."
He stopped and smiled, a disingenuous gesture that corrupted his cheeks. "This spot will be suitable for your final resting place. It is beautiful. Most people aren't even allowed that much… at the end."
Rey glanced at the two lightsabers clipped to his belt, knowing they were out of reach.
Everything stilled.
The air briny; the breeze warm.
Rey sprinted down the shore, slopping up water in her wake. She was flung toward the ocean, only able to dispel the trajectory so she didn't go out into the depths, but instead, fell into the shallows. When she went under the waves, Rey wasn't completely worried; she did know how to swim, and she instinctively lifted herself to break through the surface. The water came up to her waist, but before she could take a complete breath, she was pummeled back under the current.
Rough hands handled her as she fought, desperate for freedom and air.
Those murderous hands grabbed her shoulders and raised her up. Rey coughed and gasped for breath, her eyes stinging from the salt. Through it all, she was able to focus on the contorted face above her.
He plunged her down again, her head beginning to pound, every cell in her body screaming for oxygen. She kicked, punched, twisted, but to no advantage. Ben's body was so much stronger than her own.
Snoke brought her to the surface again. "Why did you have to come back?" he questioned and yelled as he shook her. Rey choked on the residual water in her mouth, catching his crazed eyes in between her fluttering lids. "Why couldn't you let me be? Do you want me to kill you again? Because I will. If that's what you want, I'll do it." The rush of water filled her ears, her legs and arms growing tired from struggling. She used the Force to try to get him off of her, but he swatted her thin attempts away as if inconsequential.
He lifted her up, allowing her to breathe in the humid air. Not out of mercy, but torture. "You always dragged me along to play your stupid games, and I always foolishly followed, hoping that you'd give me just a scrap of the power you coveted above everything else. But you never shared; you never cared to. I had loved you, but you only hated me."
He made her look at him before pushing her under and keeping her there. Her brain was in full panic, and there was no coordination to her desperate movements. No, she couldn't drown a second time; she couldn't go through this again.
But Rey had no choice.
Her brain became fuzzy, thoughts and memories beginning to drift, her rapid heart the only thing she could feel. The oxygen deprivation was becoming too much. Her body kept fighting until her head was about to explode, but she couldn't prolong not taking a breath any longer, all illusions of surviving cemented as just a wishful dream.
Her muscles started to quiet, her grip on Ben's wrists slipping.
Then Rey was suddenly gone.
Her back hit a hard surface, water rushing off of her as she drank in long gulps of precious, sweet air. The red and black splotches in her vision disappeared, and she noticed that Snoke was no longer above her. Rubbing her face and breathing heavily, Rey stayed on her back, shaking, gazing at the backdrop of darkness. The twinkling of millions of stars and the brush strokes of vibrant nebulas broke up the void.
By all accounts, she appeared to be suspended in the very confines of space.
She was alive. And… where was she exactly? It should be quite impossible to breathe inside a vacuum.
Standing on a translucent platform with unsure legs, her eyes followed the thick, white stripes that outlined the long and winding pathways – crisscrossing, dipping down, arching upwards and high above. Ripples of ivory undulated beneath her boots as she ambled forward, mesmerized. She passed circular gateways, looking to be portals of some sort. All of them were surrounded by glowing constellations or some type of writing she couldn't recognize
Halting before one of them, the opening was dark and unknowing and mysterious. She raised her hand, stretching it through, but nothing was there. It didn't react to her touch.
Voices floated around her; some she could identify, some she couldn't. Luke, Leia, Han, Ben…. They were saying things she couldn't place, but she knew their voices almost as well as she knew her own.
"Father…"
She searched for the owner of the voice, her attention gazing down the pathway to a gateway situated in between where the trail forked. Light swirled within the dome, starting in the middle before expanding to the double-lined edges.
"Father…" This voice belonged to a man, that much she could surmise. And the timbre sounded familiar and warm, like it was a part of her somehow.
Rey neared the light in a trance like state, wiping away a wet strand of hair that stuck to her cheek. "Hello?" she called out to it. Cautiously, she brought her hand up like before, her fingers nearing the bright light of the veil.
Harshly, she was tugged back and dragged along the sheer walkway, her hands clawing to find purchase. Projecting her power outward, she was surprised when she suddenly came to a stop. The tendrils pulled at her again, but she brushed the attempts off easily, somehow just knowing how to do so.
She twisted and went to her feet, facing the man she once knew as Ben. But it wasn't him. Ben was gone, she kept reminding herself; replaced with the vile soul that looked at her with disdain.
Snoke lifted his hands and lightning crackled from his fingertips. With a reflex Rey wasn't aware she had, she raised her palms and deflected it back at him, tossing him down the pathway with such force that it dazed him and surprised her.
She watched him groan, hugging his side.
That moment was the breaking point of Rey's hope, the realization that Ben wasn't coming back to her. It blinded her with a five-course serving of rage that tasted bitter and unbeatable. This person had tried to murder her with his own two hands, screaming at her as if she were actually his twin sister.
Rey hadn't known she'd been running to him till she was already straddling and pinning his stunned body to the ground, her knuckles coming in contact with his face and sending him deeper into a stupor. Rey wailed, her fists coming down again and again, unable to shake the aching aftertaste of her loss on the taste buds of her hands. He tried to rise, but she tackled him and continued to beat him so he couldn't fight back.
Part of her felt guilty.
She'd once known so intimately this body she was now viciously attacking, had held this flesh within the confines of her arms, had whispered in these ears the confessions of her love. But she couldn't stop herself. So many years of being alone sunk deep within her mind, reminding her that that was to be her life again. For with Ben gone, her life would now whither away.
And she'd done this to him. For a split second, she imagined herself beneath her fists, taking the beating she so rightfully deserved for being so foolish and naïve and driven.
She should've believed in Ben; should've listened to his plan of letting Snoke rot away.
Snoke caught her fist and Force pushed her back, her flailing body stopping in front of the veil that had been whispering to her only moments ago.
He went to his feet, wiping at his bloodied mouth with the back of his sleeve. "I didn't think you'd have it in you to want to kill me," he wheezed out.
Rey's face hardened as she slowly stood, eye's unblinking. "You underestimate just how far I'll go." Her voice was strong, albeit slightly gravelly from the salt water, making the sound of it close to being feral. Where fear had once occupied her, now there was anger. "You took Ben from me, and now, I have nothing to lose."
He grabbed the silver weapon from his belt. "Just your life."
Rey braced herself for a blow that never came.
Snoke clutched his head between his hands, saber still firmly in his grip as his face twisted in pain and he slumped to his knees. Seeing it as an opening, Rey called Ben's lightsaber to her, the hilt unclipping from his belt and flying decisively into her firm grip. But as Snoke remained distracted, Rey was unable to ignite the saber and make a move, all her focus going to just watching him struggle under some invisible foe.
And then it all clicked, the confusion whisking away.
Rey knew what it would feel like for Ben to die; she had experienced it on Lothal. And yet, here, now, frozen with eyes wide open, she realized she hadn't been feeling that eternal emptiness.
Because Ben was still alive.
A shining light flashed behind her, and as she turned back to the veil, a person leapt through the brightness and slammed right into her, sending them both to the ground. Rey shifted under the weight of a hefty man, pushing at his wide shoulders in order to get a view of his face.
Her heart skipped a beat before pounding back into circulation.
"Ben?" she whispered, shock pulsing through her veins, muddling her thoughts. The man looming above her, with the same angular face, prominent nose, and wavy raven hair as Ben, looked down and frowned.
Rey was momentarily speechless as both of them eyed each other, neither knowing what to make of the other. But upon closer inspection, and as much as this man resembled Ben, it wasn't him. There were none of those familiar moles on his face, the jaw was a bit wider, and his eyes… they were a glimmering color of emerald, as fresh and as beautiful as the waters of Spira.
The light from the veil flickered as a woman hopped through, skittering to a stop next to them. She pushed back her disheveled brown hair as her dark eyes popped wide open, taking in the surroundings.
"Jacen," the woman whispered. "what have you done?"
The man craned his head up to look at her, but caught sight of something down the pathway and froze. Rey sensed that this man had no intention of hurting her, so she wiggled out from beneath him instead of using blunt force. As she stood, she caught the woman's attention.
"Oh no," the woman breathed out, taking a step back, shaking her head as she gazed at Rey. "Jacen, we can't be here–"
An uncertain voice cut her off, coming from the man called Jacen. "Dad?"
Rey and the woman followed his line of vision, settling on Snoke.
Snoke was still struggling on his knees, growls undulating between clenched teeth, saying something she couldn't decipher. But for a moment, Rey couldn't focus on him. She balked away from the uninvited pair, studying Jacen as her mind finally started turning again.
He looked so much like Ben… because he was Ben's son. And there was only one woman in the entire galaxy who could be his mother.
Jacen stood and stepped forward, but the woman grabbed his arm. "Jacen, I know you set out on this journey to meet your father… but that isn't him."
"We need to go," Rey ordered, pulling at Jacen's other arm, trying not to feel overwhelmed. She was forced to accept what was happening, because Snoke wasn't going to be preoccupied for long.
She needed a plan.
But oh, how she wanted to cry as she touched this man, her son.
And then he wrenched himself out of her hold and got in her face. "Did you know I'd be here? Have you lied to me all this time?"
Rey gulped, not knowing what to say. His questions were a bit much, especially since she didn't actually know him.
"No time for a reunion," the woman yelled at him as she tugged him away and back to the portal. But it was no longer glowing.
Jacen waved his hands through it. "Shit." He clasped Rey's hand and ran, the woman following behind. At each gateway he slowed their pace, passing each and every one when he saw that they were all closed.
"You'll have to open one of them," the woman exclaimed through labored breathing.
"That takes time," Jacen argued.
"We don't have time to wait for one of them to open either!"
Jacen relented, stopping in front of the next portal, the drawings surrounding it looking like some type of fish. He gave Rey back her hand as his palms roamed over the constellations, a sudden swell of power emanating from his being. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, light started pulsating through the darkness.
Rey glanced around, realizing they had cascaded one of the pathways that arched upwards, giving her the impression they were upside down. Or were they actually right side up? She didn't have time to ponder how gravity worked in this place, because Snoke was nowhere to be found.
"I don't see him anywhere," the woman said, searching for Snoke alongside Rey. "Hurry, Jacen."
"I'm trying," he grumbled, eyes closed, the portal brightening.
"Why are you two here?" Rey found herself asking, her eyes still trying to find Snoke.
"The less you know, the better," the woman replied. "We're changing history by being here."
"No, we're not," Jacen contested.
The woman shot his back a glare. "Your mother's never mentioned us being here. Therefore–"
"That's not how time works. This is happening because it's already happened. She's just been lying to me about what actually went on here."
The woman blanched. "Why would she do that?"
The portal opened then, showing the glimmering picture of a planet's countryside. Jacen lowered his arms and tilted his head towards Rey, panging her with a hurtful stare. "I don't know."
A chill rose up her spine, causing her to shiver, biding her a warning. Then her insides were in chaos. A mess. She doubled over, grasping her knees. Something was bothering her. Something was hurting her. Something ached and felt so wrong, so invalid, so heavily dipped in the dark side that it burned. As quickly as the torture fell upon her, she was able to brush it away, as could Jacen.
The woman, however, didn't have the power to do so. Her body fell to the platform, spasming uncontrollably as she full-throatedly screamed, the tendons in her neck cording from the effort.
"Anna!" Jacen called out, dropping to his knees beside her.
A vindictive presence made Rey whirl around.
Snoke was nearing the group, lightsaber ignited in one hand as he brought his other palm up. Rey stretched out her arms, meeting his power with her own. Light spread out from her palms, surrounding them with a force field of glimmering tendrils, protecting them from outside darkness.
The girl stopped screaming as Rey shielded them from Snoke's influence.
Snoke's brows drew in tight over the bridge of his nose as he pushed to get through, but yielded no result. With each throttle of darkness, thunder roared in the once muted realm, the use of Snoke's power against Rey's creating a cyclone, air beginning to toss and tumble till it was a formidable gale. While Rey stood firm and fended him off successfully, she knew it wouldn't last forever. As the seconds ticked by, her strength was depleting from putting up such a defensive front.
"Mom!" Jacen called out to her, and Rey glanced back. Jacen had already put Anna through the veil and was now waiting at the opening, beckoning Rey to come with him. He took a few steps toward her. "I can't leave you here!" He lifted his hand to her, pleading, his hair and jacket tossing amongst the strong winds.
Rey recognized that steely jacket.
Poe had given it to Ben.
From an outside perspective, it would've appeared that Rey was reaching out to him, taking him up on his offer to help her. But then the Force pushed him back, Jacen only just barely stopping himself from being fully propelled into the portal. Rey stood with arms wide open; at one end, she fended off the monster that would see her dead, on the other, she protected the man that was her son from aiding her.
"I have to save him," she told Jacen, watching as his face fell. How she would bring Ben back, she still didn't know. But she would trust in the Force. "I'm where I'm meant to be." And truly, she felt that she was.
She studied her son's face, burning it into her memory. So many questions she wanted answered, but there was no time. The only assurance she had that she would survive this was the fact that Jacen was real.
Or was Anna right: Had the two of them changed history by being there? Or has this all already happened? Could it be that she was pregnant at this very moment? Would she fail in saving Ben? Is that why Jacen has never met his father?
She tried to say something, but the increasing pressure of Snoke's power made her incapable of speaking. Her breaths were shallow, teeth clenched, and arms shaking from holding back both men.
Jacen fought against her hold, trying to get to her. She didn't blame him for wanting to help her; if she were in the same position, she wouldn't be able to leave her parents behind either.
Her heart broke as he began to cry. "Mom, I'm sorry for leaving!" Inch by inch, he got closer to the veil, relinquishing his control as he saw how fighting against him was weakening her against Snoke. "I'll come home; I swear it. I lo–" But Rey pushed him through the portal before he could finish, his pleas echoing in her ears as he called out to her. The opening blinked out of existence, and with it, the voice of her son.
She was starting to be pushed back, both the strength behind their power matching the other, neither gaining any ground. The pressure built to an unsustainable level, and Rey screamed from the exertion that was getting her nowhere. She could've sworn she heard Snoke do the same before the light and dark exploded between them, sending them both spiraling in the air.
Rey over shot the portal and fell against an intersecting lane that looped downwards, her momentum making her slide along the pathway. She tried to stop herself, but found that she couldn't. Something was pulling her along, guiding her.
At first she thought it was Snoke, but she saw that he too was fighting against whatever was tugging them. He was flailing, his form not too far in front of her.
Light shot out of an upcoming portal, one that was situated right in the middle of the path.
Snoke disappeared through it first, followed by Rey.
She tumbled and rolled to a stop, her eyes adjusting to the brightness as she glanced around. Tall grass and lavender flowers, flexible in their liveliness, were flattened from the far off boulder to where she now stood. In the boulder, the portal showed the millions of stars that twinkled throughout the backdrop of space. Then it blinked closed, and the boulder was nothing more than a large rock situated in the middle of a meadow.
Rey inhaled deeply. The air swirled lightly, no coordination to the green and purple displays of vegetation, just a free for all at the whims of the wind. But while at first it appeared she was on a random planet, one sweeping look around told her otherwise. Up above and to the sides were large chunks of earth floating in midair, the dark brown dirt covered by the same type of thick grass and vibrant flowers surrounding her. The feeling of this place was evidence enough that she wasn't in the galaxy anymore – not even in the universe. This place was ancient, the flow of the Force thick and unruly, hidden away in this dimension like some sort of conduit that could balance out the power of the Force.
But balance was not what she sensed. This place wanted it; sought it; demanded it, but it had been out of equilibrium for so long, that the tethers binding it all together were about to break.
Rey flinched and winced as she felt Snoke's power try to grab at her. A web of illusions then attempted to encase her mind, but she untangled it with little effort. She turned, facing him full on.
Snoke snarled with frustration.
It was then Rey realized that the last thing Ben had given her was all his knowledge that pertained to the Force. Combine that with the power she had from Kayani and the courage she now felt, and Rey was now a formidable match for Snoke – quite possibly even an equal. At this point, he couldn't use the Force on her any more than she could on him.
Snoke now knew this; it was clearly readable in his soured expression.
He ignited the saber, blue plasma shooting out of the hilt, making Rey glance at his tightening grip. The light of the realm glimmered off of something on his thumb. It was a ring, a thick black crystal situated atop a gold band. A memory in the back of her subconscious came to the surface, a memory of her seeing a drawing of this exact same ring in a book she'd found in the Jedi temple of Ahch-To.
Everything came together at that exact moment. The reason she couldn't talk to Kayani; the reason she couldn't communicate with Ben; the reason their bond was so hard to find– it was all because of that seemingly inconsequential piece of jewelry. It was deeply infused with the dark side, allowing the wearer to control the Cosmic Force, the part of the universal energy that tied Kayani to Rey and had formed the bond she had with Ben.
Destroy the crystal and she could win.
But she couldn't use the Force to do it. She would have to fight him in hand-to-hand combat with a lightsaber. And to add upon the worsening situation, Ben's body was all muscle, a powerhouse of blunt force trauma that could kill.
Rey was pragmatic; she knew she wouldn't last long against him.
She ignited Ben's saber, hearing and feeling the crackling of the unstable crystal as she braced herself.
"You may not be a Jedi like those of old," Snoke sneered and grinned, "but you can die like one." He only seemed to have one smile – a smile full of malice and cruel intent.
Rey took a deep breath and raised the crimson blade as Snoke charged.
DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN! If any of you watch Rebels, you'll recognize the space dimension that Rey was in. I love that show, and couldn't stop myself from using it. I always had Jacen showing up and it was originally in a different way, but this made it much easier to write.
As to Jacen and Anna, I do plan on writing a one-shot from his pov leading up to what happened in this chapter. But I won't post it till after the story is finished, because it would give away certain plot points for the ending.
So Rey had one heck of an emotional journey in this chapter. Going from terrified, confused, angry, courageous– there was a lot going on for her. The next chapter will conclude all the fighting. There are two chapters left and I still can't believe I've gotten this far. Thank you all who have left a review and have helped me to keep going. Now I just need to push through! I'm hoping to get this story wrapped up before the beginning of May. We shall see! Thanks for reading!