Chapter 12

General Leia had mobilized the entire army and navy of the Resistance. Every system of the Western Reaches and the neighboring systems of the Outer Rim had given their support, including D'Qar, Sullust, Bespin, Javin, Ryloth, and Atravis. Refugees from Kashyyyk and Mon Calamari had also offered help, their planets having been recently subdued by the First Order.

The skies above Coruscant were filled with Resistance star cruisers, destroyers, and individual fighters pressing their attack into the planet. The First Order star destroyers and TIE fighters engaged them viciously. Although a space battle raged, the objective of the Resistance was to drop soldiers on the ground, and their forces bore down with that desperate intent. Thousands of transports carrying soldiers made their way to the surface, escorted by squadrons of X-Wing, B-Wing, and A-Wing fighters.

TIE fighter fire destroyed transport after transport as they descended, the First Order ships outnumbering the Resistance. At most, thirty percent of the transports pushed through the First Order line, and those barely avoided laser fire and exploding ships. Once in the atmosphere, they were not able to fly closer than a mile north of their desired target, the First Order Palace. The skies surrounding the palace were thick with TIEs, and surface-to-air turbolasers and First Order walkers protected the surface.

The transports found that they had to land deep in the narrow alleys to be protected from the surface fire. X-Wings maneuvered through the alleys and attempted to clear the way for the transports to deploy their soldiers. The transports landed, deployed, and then rose to allow another transport into the alley. Many of the transports and soldiers were easy targets for clone troopers already in the alleys. They gunned down soldiers before they had even exited the transports, firing at them as their door ramps opened. Occasionally an X-Wing dove in to bomb the attacking clones, while other X-Wings were shot down. The few contingents of men, Twi'leks, Wookiees, and other species that survived rushed down the alley toward the palace.

….

Rey charged at Ben, the dark side compelling her.

Seeing that Finn had no weapon, Ben quickly grabbed Anakin's lightsaber and tossed it to Finn. "Finn, catch!" He called out.

Finn caught the lightsaber and lit its blue blade, having wielded it once before. He began swinging wildly at the nearest corpses that approached. Their movement surprised Finn at how agile they were. One dodged Finn's attack, as it cowered in an animal-like crouch. He was able to slice another in half, the upper torso then attempting to walk on its hands. Finn kicked it and then cut it in half again, which seemed to stop its efforts to move. But more approached each moment.

Ben ignited his lightsaber just in time to guard against Rey's attack, but she was fast and used the bottom blade to swing for his knees. Ben leapt into the air with the Force about twenty feet. Rey reacted almost at the same moment to jump after him.

Ben, as he was rising in the jump made a downswing on Rey. She blocked and fell back to the ground, landing on her feet. At the apex of his leap, he jammed his lightsaber into a column, giving him enough resistance to gradually slide down as the lightsaber melted the rock. Rey reached with the Force to shake the column, and Ben released to come down on Rey with another attack.

Rey blocked his powerful blow aptly and angled her blade so that his slid off to her side as he landed. She then returned with a lunge as Ben took a step to regroup. Ben deflected it upward and made a long stride toward her to get a closer advantage. Rey then swung up with the opposite blade, but Ben caught her hand with his left, preventing her from finishing the attempt.

"The dark side makes you powerful," Ben said, tension rising on his face.

Rey gritted her teeth and tried to free her staff from his grip.

"But it also makes you reckless," Ben added.

Rey pushed him forward and vocalized a growl as she did. His hold was broken, and she began to whip her staff in repeated attacks: low, side, side, high, and again.

Ben blocked each attack, having to be twice as fast as Rey in order to defend.

Finn was on the defense as well. Another skeleton armed with a lightsaber made an attack on him, but Finn blocked the swing high and then made a counter-parry across. He cut the skeleton in half adding to a pile of writhing broken bones around him from other corpses he had sliced up.

Two more came from behind and grabbed each of his shoulders, digging their claw-like fingers into each side. Finn cried out in pain as their foul claws sank into his flesh. Another moved in quickly from his front to grapple at his chest, its pale green eyes aimed at him.

Finn kicked out in front of him to keep the approaching one at bay, as he reversed his blade and swung it under his arm to stab the corpse on his right shoulder. It loosened its grip just enough for Finn to swing the blade outward and twist it between two of the attackers. The hot blue blade burned the back of his tactical vest but did not cut into him. The one on his right shoulder fell away; but the corpse on his left arm still had a grip, its contaminated claws getting deeper into his muscle. Finn cried out in pain. He rammed his body into one of the massive columns, sandwiching the skeleton between him and the wall. The dry bones broke and cracked. The skeleton lost its grip and fell to the ground. Finn managed to keep more skeletons off of him, attacking wildly. But there were so many, and he was no Jedi with a lightsaber.

"I wish I had my blaster," Finn said to himself.

Ben had survived the relentless attacks from Rey. He maintained his calm and could sense her attacks coming. Rey's blows were substantial and physically taxed Ben, but he was able to sidestep many, preserving a bit of his strength.

"You are pulled between the dark and the light. I know. Even now, Rey, you can return to the light side." Ben urged her.

Rey continued to press him with beat attacks on his blade, and then lunges at him.

"Let go, Rey," Ben urged again.

That enraged her even more, her attacks becoming wilder, but Ben did not return the anger.

"I will never let go!" Rey yelled with defiant finality.

"Then all is lost. We may all die, but I at least can stop Snoke from using you as his weapon. I am sorry, Rey," Ben said. He parried her last attack, then stepped forward with a riposte, sliding his blade off hers in a lunging attack. Rey swiftly sidestepped with a spin. Ben kept the pressure on and attacked again. Rey stepped back and blocked again.

Ben's attacks became more rapid and precise. Rey struggled to block and continued to retreat. Ben stepped in and landed a glancing cut on her left leg. It was not deep, but Rey cried out at the cauterizing pain.

Rey looked in surprise at Ben's controlled attacks, this not being the same man she had fought in the past. She then turned to retreat and get a moment to regroup her strength. Ben lowered his blade and pursued. She gained half a second, but that was all she needed. Rey could feel the fury mounting again and turned sharply back to Ben, raising her hands, sparks snapping between her fingers for a moment then bursting from her fingertips, violently arching toward Ben.

He held up his lightsaber which then absorbed the lightning, its bright blue-white light disappearing into his yellow lightsaber. She clenched her teeth in anger as she leaned into the lightning trying to overpower him.

Ben, though, still remained calm and focused. He angled the lightsaber slightly toward her, and the lightning began to reflect back onto Rey.

She winced at first, trying to ignore the pain, but finally screamed out. Ben pressed the lightning further. She attempted to escape, but her body would not move.

Ben, focused on Rey, did not sense the impending doom that shuffled toward him. Behind Ben, a skeleton approached dragging one of its legs and having a red lightsaber raised high to slash Ben in the back. It came closer and was only a few steps from being able to make the attack, the ancient blade flickering on and off.

Rey grimaced and struggled to maintain consciousness. She caught a glimpse of the corpse raising its portentous lightsaber behind Ben and managed a smile.

Ben noticed the change in her expression and her gaze behind him. He let go of the lightning which disappeared immediately, and then he spun to meet the new foe.

Once turned to defend but found that he faced not the corpse but the back of Finn, the corpse on the ground cut into pieces.

Rey collapsed on the ground, panting and out of breath, her eyes still filled with the rage of the dark side.

Ben looked in shock at Finn and then at the pile of broken bones scattered around him. No skeletons remaining standing. Finn had defeated them all.

"That's right!" Finn said breathing heavy. "I did that!" He slapped his own chest. "I did that!"

Ben smiled at Finn. Finn nodded back.

Ben then turned his attention back on Rey. "Now we need to finish this."

He held up his yellow lightsaber to strike the death blow, but Finn cried out and stepped in between, holding the blue lightsaber ready to defend.

"Stop. You can't." Finn said.

"You don't understand. She will only cause more death and suffering. She cannot be brought back. She's lost," Ben replied.

"Like you were?" Finn asked. "But Luke let you live. Chewie and I carried you out of that star destroyer. Did you forget that?"

Ben squinted his eyes in thought. "Your hope in her is dangerous. She would just as soon kill you if she had the chance. I know the dark side; and she is under its power, under Snoke's power. The plan has failed, and she is no longer in control."

"All the more reason to give her a chance! She is not the enemy." Finn countered.

Rey managed to stand up behind Finn. She was weak.

Ben saw her and quickly pushed Finn aside with the Force. He raised his lightsaber to strike her, but his muscles tensed and locked. His eyes widened with fear as he realized that he did not have control of his body anymore. Stiff, he was raised up a few feet from the ground.

Snoke had his sickly pale arms stretched out toward him. Both Finn and Ben had forgotten his ever-present gaze.

"You are right, Ben Solo, there is no escape from my power. Not even for you." Snoke's empty eyes looked to Rey. "You have failed, Irata. I will deal with that later. Now kill the stormtrooper, if you can."

"Yes, Master," Rey said. She turned and walked up to Finn, who was just getting up from being thrown.

He looked up to see the black blade of Rey's lightsaber aimed at his neck, red fury still in her eyes. She raised the blade to take off Finn's head.

Finn's shoulders dropped and he took a deep breath in resignation. He threw his lightsaber down and fell to his knees. "Do it," he said. His face filled with compassion toward her.

Rey paused as if frozen. Like Ben, she felt that she couldn't move, another power restraining her. Her dark red eyes were suddenly confused.

"If I must die, then let it be this way," Finn said. "I love you, Rey. You remember that after you have killed me." He raised his voice a little. "Do you hear me?" He pleaded with his eyes. "Don't ever forget that I love you."

Rey's blade remained raised and still. She adjusted her grip and then adjusted it again, tension in her face. The red and yellow rage in her eyes faded for a second then returned. His words had reminded her of someone long ago, of another parting she had long forgotten. She closed her eyes tight and dropped her head. It was evident to Finn that an internal storm was raging; a tempest and a calm. Between waves of rage, there were moments of peace, but Finn was anxious which would consume the other.

Rey lowered her staff and fell to her knees, her teeth clenched; but the tension gradually faded. When she opened her eyes, the red rage was gone. Rey, now level with Finn, raised her head and looked directly at him, her eyes tired but soft.

She whispered, "Thank you. I couldn't come back." She dropped the staff to the ground. "Thank you."

Finn reached out and pulled her into his arms. She returned the embrace.

Snoke yelled out in wrath. "If my enemy, you want to be . . ." He reached out to the frozen Ben and narrowed his eyes on him. "Then I must use someone else." A wave of the dark side overtook Ben, as Snoke tried to bring the rage into him. Ben's head jerked back and his eyes flashed red, but Ben balanced himself with intense effort and pushed the dark side out, his eyes returning to normal. Ben then lowered his head and glared at Snoke with boldness and disapprobation.

"You may control my body, but you cannot control me, Snoke," Ben said triumphantly.

"Very well," Snoke replied. "I have something else for you."

He reached out both his hands, his bony fingers arched. Ben began to struggle more, trying to free himself from Snoke's grip.

"What!" Ben cried. "No! Stop!"

A very fine gray smoke began to come out of his ears. The mist was slight at first; then it started to come out of his eyes, his mouth, and his skin. Soon wisps of smoke were coming out from his entire body. He screamed. His desperate scream echoed through the hall.

"What is he doing?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Rey said, but she got up as quickly as she could and reached with the Force toward one of the four-meter diameter columns. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The massive thirty-meter-tall column shuddered a moment, then tumbled over abruptly breaking into three pieces as it fell decisively on top of Snoke. Then a portion of the cave ceiling gave way. The fractured plaster and rocks crashed down on top of the place where Snoke was, creating a billowing cloud of dust. Snoke's hold on Ben was released.

Limping slightly on her left leg, Rey and Finn rushed to Ben. They crouched beside him. He had fallen and lay face down on the ground motionless. Finn rolled him over to see if he was alive. As he did, Ben moved his arms and grasped his head. He muttered something that Rey and Finn could not understand.

"It's okay, Ben," Finn said. "Are you hurt?"

Ben shook his head. "No," he said, but he was not answering Finn. "No, no, no." He kept shaking his head and speaking louder. He struggled to sit up, and pulled on his own hair with his fists and bent over his knees. "No!" He cried.

"What?" Rey asked. "What did Snoke do to you?"

"It's gone." He replied.

"What's gone?" Rey questioned.

Ben mumbled to himself. "Maz, I know it. I know what it was that you lost."

Finn asked again. "What is it, Ben?"

"The Force!" Ben cried out in despair. "It's gone!"