Here we go, everyone! Please recall what I said at the beginning, that this story essentially replaces The Rise of Skywalker.
Also, for those that have read past stories of mine, I can finally admit that I 'stole' from my Damerey Week 2022 story 'Lux Vincit Tenebris' for this one.
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Less than thirty minutes later, Rey realized where Poe got his stubbornness from.
Kes argued with his son until he was red in the face, but finally he began to see reason. Poe helped him pack up important holos and data chips, then gave him an emergency commlink that would allow Poe to alert his father immediately that trouble was coming with one push. Kes could notify the authorities, and they in turn could send out a community wide alert. Once he was ready to go, Kes grabbed up his son in a long, hard hug.
When he finally let go, he turned toward Rey. He walked over to her and cupped her face in his work-calloused hands. "Take care of my son," he said softly. Tears already in her eyes after watching their hug, Rey nodded. "And take care of yourself, Filla."
"I will, Papa," she whispered.
Kes kissed her softly on the forehead, then he released her and turned toward his speeder. He didn't look back as he got in and drove away.
Rey and Poe stood watching as he disappeared into the dark jungle. Yavin stood high in the sky to the west, its color a brilliant red as the sun began its slow rise in the east. Finally, without saying a word, they turned and headed toward the maintenance shed on the edge of the orchard. It only took a few minutes for Poe to explain his plan to Rey and for the two of them to organize it. Once everything was ready, Poe asked, "Where do we wait?"
"The tree," Rey said confidently. "He'll be drawn to it, so we might as well start this thing there." She gave Poe a worried look. "I'll do my best to keep him from harming this one."
Poe shrugged. "Papa has cuttings of it in the temple," he told her. "Just in case you can't."
They hiked the short distance to the Uneti tree, the light growing as dawn neared. Once there, Rey turned to face him. She opened her mouth to make him promise once more to stay away from Ren when she felt it. The presence behind her was subtle, as if it was trying to hide itself, but she recognized it all the same. She looked at Poe and his brow furrowed as he read her expression. He nodded ever so slightly.
"You need to go, now," she said, louder than she would normally speak to him, but not so loud as to be obvious.
"Rey, I don't want to leave you," Poe argued.
"Please, Poe. I can't do this if I'm worried about you."
Poe sighed, closed his eyes, and shook his head. He opened his eyes and grasped her shoulders. Looking deep in her eyes, he spoke in a much quieter voice. "I love you."
That wasn't a part of the script. Rey felt tears well up in her eyes again. Damn him. "I love you, too," she whispered.
He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead just as his father had done, squeezing her shoulders slightly. Then he let her go and backed away.
"Go." Rey's voice was demanding.
He turned and walked swiftly from the clearing, heading back toward the house.
For a long moment, the only thing Rey could focus on was the sound of her pounding heart. Even the raucous sounds of the jungle around her couldn't catch her attention.
"How touching."
The deep mechanical voice behind her was sarcastic and sharp.
Rey turned to face Ren, who was once more ensconced inside his helmet, which looked to have been damaged since she last saw it. "Hiding again?" she asked, her own sarcasm shining through the pain. "I thought we were past that."
There was a pause, then Ren reached up and removed the helmet. The scar Rey had given him on Starkiller was stark against his pale cheek, his eyes dark and enigmatic.
He looked past her to where Poe had disappeared. "I'll find him, you know," he said conversationally. "After I'm through with you."
Her heart started racing again, but she controlled her breathing, keeping her panic in check. He was taunting her to get a rise out of her. He wanted her angry. She would be easier to pull to the Dark Side that way. She could give as good as she got.
"Your mother's on the way," she told him. His expression changed, a flash of surprise appearing in his eyes. "Aren't you happy to hear that?" she continued. "Don't you want to show her how you completely destroyed everything she loves? Her husband, her friends, Poe, me." She paused. "Her son."
His expression was troubled for a moment, but then it hardened. "She means nothing to me."
"Liar."
With her comment, he dropped his helmet and pulled his lightsaber off of his belt. He activated it just as Rey reached for Luke's saber. The blue of her blade was a startling contrast to the red of his. It was not the first time these blades had met, she thought. Pray to the Force it would be the last.
Unlike their first duel on Starkiller, Rey let Ren make the first move. He lunged forward, his anger palpable, but his move was controlled. Rey countered it easily, but she allowed herself to fall back. Toward the orchard. They continued like this for a while, Rey making sure she wasn't too quick. Too strong. She wanted him to think she was weaker than she was. But despite the fact that she was holding him off with minimal effort, she could tell he wasn't using his full abilities, either. He was toying with her, and enjoying it.
Rey pretended to get panicked, making herself breathe hard and move more slowly. The smug look on Ren's face intensified. Finally, with a roar of frustration, she turned and ran. Ren followed.
Rey dived through the short stretch of jungle until she reached the koyo orchard. She counted trees until she reached the seventh in the row, then she turned to face Ren once more. His expression was angry, now, and his reaction to her supposed fear was violent. He attacked her with much more force this time, and she felt the strength in his blow tremor through her whole body as she blocked it. She began backing away from him again, barely countering his onslaught. Real fear began to seep into her consciousness. Damn him, she thought. She may have gotten stronger since their last encounter, but he was still stronger than her.
He swung hard and she countered with a backhanded parry, but she felt her balance fail her and she fell backwards. Instead of letting panic overwhelm her, she let herself move on with Poe's plan.
"Conceal!" she shouted.
At her command, a half-dozen droids appeared from behind the trees on either side of Rey. Kes' barely used farm droids, finally being put to good use. As one, they began to emit a smokescreen. Rey scrambled up, just as Ren was about to strike downward. She scurried backwards, out of the smoke, dousing her blade and moving out of Ren's line of sight. She brought up her hand toward one of the trees, grabbing a couple dozen koyo with the Force, and sent them toward Ren with violence. She saw his red blade swing as he tried to fend off whatever was hitting him.
As her adversary once more moved toward her, she reignited her blade and moved forward to strike him, but before she could reach him a blaster bolt came from up above them, hitting the ground near Ren's feet. His forward motion stopped as he focused on this new threat, but then a wave of coldness enveloped her as Ren pushed forward with the Force. As if she was being hit with a wall of darkness, Rey felt the power that exuded from Ren.
It was too strong, she thought. Even distracting him wasn't working. It was just making him angrier. Rey glanced up toward the tree the blaster bolts had come from, annoyed with the man who had fired them. That had not been a part of the plan, either; he wasn't supposed to be near here. But Poe was watching Ren as the tall man strode through the smoke, his eyes blazing red.
Suddenly, Ren stopped, his gaze dropping down to Rey's chest. Rey glanced down, realizing that Poe's ring had slipped out from under her tunic. The absolute rage on Ren's face sent a chill up her spine. She grabbed the ring, instinctively protective of it, and glanced back up at the man who had given it to her. He was watching her now, fear and worry adorning his face.
A warmth began to flow through her, starting from her chest and working its way outward. Without warning, the darkness that had surrounded Rey disappeared, and her skin began to tingle with electricity. The same way it did when she and Poe made love. Rey concentrated and began to pull that power in toward her, feeling it fill her. Strengthen her.
She watched as Ren looked up at Poe, then he lifted his hand as if to sweep his old friend from the branches.
"No!" Rey said firmly, bringing her own hand up, using the Force to block Ren's action. Ren turned to face her, shock evident on his face. Confusion filled his eyes for a moment, but then he let the anger take over once more and he raised his blade, stepping toward her. Rey met him, her confidence in this newfound strength, power that had somehow increased because of her connection to Poe, supporting her. Their blades collided once more, but this time Rey did not give way.
The speed of the strikes increased as they each tried to best each other, the blades moving so fast they became a blur. Ren took a step back. Then another. Rey continued to push. The smoke was clearing now, the sun was starting to shine through the trees, and the light Rey felt flowing through her only increased. Rey advanced without warning, bringing her blade up and around into his, using her momentum to bring both blades down toward the ground. Then she brought hers back up.
Ren screamed as his right hand was severed from his arm. The red blade extinguished as it fell to the ground. Ren stumbled backwards, his left arm gripping his right to his chest, his eyes wide as he stared at Rey, panting. "Impossible," he huffed. He looked up at Poe, who was watching with an expression of awe. Ren looked back at Rey. "He's not a Jedi." Ren knew exactly where Rey was getting her extra power from.
Rey stepped back, trying to control her own breathing. "No," she said softly. "But he still has what you gave up long ago. Empathy, hope," she paused, looking up at the man she had willingly given her heart to. "Love."
Ren's face turned hard and expressionless. His left hand shot out toward her, and Rey once more felt a wave of darkness hit her, reminiscent of the time not so long ago when this man had invaded her mind. She pushed back as hard as she could, but his attack was too swift and powerful. The agony that enveloped her head made her stumble back.
"Rey!" Poe shouted, knowing exactly what was happening, as he had experienced it himself.
His cry pushed her to action. She rushed forward, blade ahead of her, and impaled Ren through the abdomen.
The pain ceased as Kylo Ren collapsed.
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