Yay! Here's the update. Since its been over a week and I wasn't able to update, I'm already working on the next chapter. Thanks for all of the comments and reviews! Makes me feel special, and Jackson, I hope you like this chapter. :)
"We need a plan," Finn said, ever stating the obvious. Chewbacca roared in the former stormtroopers general direction. Rey smiled, knowing the Wookiee was insulting her friend, but not caring. It was a bit of a stupid statement. Obviously they needed a plan. The only problem was, what kind of plan? They were on the outskirts of a small trading town, their only mode of transportation the Millennium Falcon. It wasn't like the Millennium Falcon was an unknown ship. It had belonged to Kylo's father Han and it was definitely a big part of the Rebellion, both back when the Empire was in charge and now, with The First Order.
With only the Falcon to get them off of the planet, they were doomed. Rey knew it, and seeing the slumped shoulders of her Wookiee friend, Rey knew Chewy was feeling the same way. There was no way to cause a distraction, and already they could see different Tie Fighters and worse, Kylo Ren's own personal ship coming towards them, offset by the rising sun.
"Okay, definitely need a plan right about now." Finn exclaimed, his eyes widening at all the ships in the sky, coming closer and closer.
"We should hide." Rey announced, although it came out as more of a question. Hide? What was wrong with her? Even if they found the perfect hiding spots, Kylo Ren would still be able to sense their presences enough to pinpoint their general locations. He found was able to find them out of all the planets scattered around them. Did Rey honestly think they would stand a chance hiding like cowards within a few hundred feet of The First Order?
So stupid.
"We could just try and evade them with the Falcon. Do you think we could make it to light speed before we were captured?" Finn pointed out, looking at the pilots in question.
"It's awfully risky." Rey replied, although the fear at seeing so many soldiers of The First Order coming straight for them, Rey felt that perhaps it was their only hope.
"Do we know where Luke went?" Finn asked, looking around.
"I believe he went to scope out the area, see if he could come up with something for us to do other than surrender to The First Order." In truth, Rey wasn't sure where he had gone off to. He had been very cryptic before disappearing. Rey could only assume he was off acquiring a small ship to use in case the Falcon needed to be left behind. The thought of leaving behind Han's legacy made Rey's heart ache, but really, there was only so much she could do and the protection of her child and her friends would always come first. Even if it was the only thing of Han Solo she had.
Well, she supposed that wasn't true anymore, laying her hands on her rounded stomach and rubbing the area soothingly, sending waves of warm energy to the child nestled comfortably inside of her. She was carrying the grandchild of Han Solo, so not all of Han would ever be lost to her.
Finn looked down at Rey's hands, clasped tightly over her ever expanding stomach. Looking back at her, Finn's expression hardened. "We aren't going to surrender. As the self appointed Godfather to this child, there is no way we are handing over the next generation of Jedi to The First Order. We're getting off of this planet, even if I have to sacrifice myself as the distraction to ensure you get away." Rey eye's softened at his declaration, knowing Finn meant every word he was saying.
Rey shook her head furiously. "Not happening. If I'm getting off of this planet, we all are. No one is sacrificing anything. Not today."
"I'd be a lousy distraction anyway," Finn conceded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head and laughing slightly. Chewbacca roared his consent, smacking Finn upside the head before moving towards the Falcon, boarding the vessel. Rey had no doubt he was going to start up the Falcon, ensuring everything was in order for their daring escape.
She looked around for Master Luke, growing more worried as the seconds ticked by and there was no sign of him. She fidgeted with her newly crafted lightsaber, eyes fixing on the ships in the sky coming closer and closer.
"Rey!" Finn shouted, breaking her concentration on the ships and back to their situation. "Chewy says we're ready to go. We need to leave."
Rey shook her head. "We can't leave yet. We don't know where Master Luke is."
"Rey, wherever he is, he's there for a reason. Luke Skywalker never does anything without a reason. If he's not here with us now, it's because where ever he is is more important. We need to leave."
"It doesn't feel right. I don't know if I can leave him behind." Looking up, Rey noticed the ships were beginning to land just a little ways from their location. Her heart picked up a furious beat and dropped into her stomach, all at once. She felt hot and cold, almost as if her body and mind were so at war with each at the thought of actually seeing Kylo Ren descend from his ship and into her life, she couldn't process what she needed to do.
She just stood there, frozen in place.
"Rey!" Finn barked, sounding so unlike himself as he rushed down the ramp, grabbing her upper arm and dragging her back to the Falcon with him, her long hair falling out of its makeshift bun and tumbling down her back, billowing in the breeze as they rushed to safety.
As soon as they were on board, the ramp came up and the Falcon came to life, slightly rocking back and forth as Rey felt the Force holding them in place instead of lifting slowly into the air as they should have been. Rey ran into the cockpit, looking out the window with Chewbacca, eyes landing on the masked figure of Kylo Ren, his hand outstretched and holding them in place.
"Well fuck," Finn groaned, saying exactly what Rey was thinking.
"I can try to block his control, try to push the Force back at him." It might work, Rey thought. But then again, it might not.
Just as she was about to drain herself of energy, she watched as twelve stormtroopers that had flanked around Kylo Ren were thrown through the air like rag dolls, landing in motionless heaps on the ground over twenty feet away.
Then Master Luke came from the right, stepping out into the clearing and facing off with Kylo Ren. Turning his attention from the Millennium Falcon, Kylo Ren ignited his lightsaber, pointing it at his uncle and saying something, as evidenced by the motioning he did with his lightsaber.
Rey watched as Master Luke's lips moved and his hand came to his own light saber. His expression seemed haunted, which made sense as Rey knew they hadn't truly come into contact in so many years.
Transfixed, the Falcon didn't rise into the air and escape as Rey had assumed. Instead, they all stared, mesmerized at the scene unfolding before them.
Without another word, the Jedi Knight launched himself at his nephew, green lightsaber igniting and clashing with red as Kylo flew into the battle, meeting his uncle with equal force, both physically and mentally.
Sparks flew and the noise of the lightsabers made Finn wince and cover his own ears. He was never around when Rey and Master Luke practiced, which made since why he wasn't used to the sound.
Rey winced as Master Luke struck Kylo Ren's thigh, slicing through his robe and pant leg. The Knight flipped backwards, out of range before looking down to inspect the wound momentarily. Then he was throwing himself back into the fight, almost as if his anger alone was enough to beat all of his enemies. Perhaps it was, generally, but Rey had every faith Master Luke could beat his nephew. Whether he would be able to do something so dreadful, Rey was unsure. Master Luke was a man who was pure of heart. He wasn't the kind of cut down family. He hadn't been able to do it with Darth Vader and he had watched Ben Solo be born, had watched him grow into a young man before he descended into darkness.
Was he capable of such a terrible thing?
Finn sucked in a deep breath, drawing Rey out of her own thoughts and on the fight below as Kylo Ren sliced off Master Luke's robotic arm before throwing his hand out and throwing her Master back. The Jedi fell back, landing with an audible thud onto the ground. Rey didn't see him moving. She did see Kylo Ren approaching him at an even pace, lightsaber swinging back and forth with his wrist movements.
He was going to kill the last Jedi Knight. He was going to kill her grandfather Obi Wan's friend. The one person Obi Wan had died to protect, who he had watched over since birth to keep safe.
It wasn't until Rey found herself outside, sprinting with her lightsaber staff in hand, that she realized what she was doing.
Igniting the lightsaber staff, Rey's blade connected with Kylo's as he brought it down forcefully towards her Master's prone form. Rey looked up, registering the shocked feeling that passed through Kylo before she gripped her staff in both hands, flipping the double blade and knocking Kylo Ren's lightsaber from his grip. Master Luke was used to the move during their practices, able to deflect the movement and keep his lightsaber in hand, but Kylo was unused to the move and his blade went flying into the air.
Rey anticipated his next movement, knowing he would try to draw it back to him with the Force. Not giving him the chance, Rey forced her left elbow up sharply, the bone connected with his helmet, snapping his head back and sending him falling to the ground on his back, much like her Master.
"You were going to kill him." Rey snapped the words out, feeling tears filling her eyes. She knew she was pregnant and hormonal, but all she could feel was her anger, burning brighter than she would have expected at coming face to face with the father of her child, determined to murder even more of his family.
"You sound surprised." Kylo's distorted voice came out mockingly.
"Disappointed. How many more of your family will you murder? First your father, now you're after your uncle. Who's next? Your mother? Our young?" In that moment, Rey didn't care if he knew it was his child. He obviously had his suspicions if he hunted them down to this forsaken planet on the outskirts of the Outer Rim, determined to bring her back with him.
"So you don't deny it's mine?" He sat up before jumping to his feet. He took a step towards her, almost as if she could be swayed by his presence to let her defenses down. Instead, Rey focused on all of her anger, changing into a defensive position with her staff, hoping the gentle humming of her double blades would soothe the burning in her heart.
"I won't let you destroy the ones I love." Her words rang out with conviction and Rey felt something come over her. Rey wanted to say it was her resolve settling over her, but it was dark and terrifying. It was something she had been struggling with since she became pregnant. It was what she felt when she worried she wasn't adequate enough to protect her child or herself. It was there, whispering to her every time she felt even a moment of weakness when she thought of Kylo. It folded over her like a blanket, suffocating the peace and light that usually shined from her soul. She didn't care as she felt it come over her, taking her over. In that moment, she hated Kylo Ren with every fiber of her being. He was going to destroy those that mattered to her unless she destroyed him first.
"What do you plan to do?" Kylo Ren lifted his hands, removing the helmet and gazing down at her. Rey smirked at his tactic, letting him use the Force to draw his lightsaber back to. Did he honestly think she was a simpleton? That one look at his face would be enough to sway her to his side? He was pathetic. She was more powerful than he could ever be and she had no problem showing him that. How poetic. The very last thing Kylo Ren would see before death was what actual power looked like.
"I'm going to stop you."
Leave some love,
Mo
