-xoxo- The Empress of Death, 7 of 10 -oxox-

139 DS Gammalann compressor facility – Int. 139

The labyrinth of large, intertwined rooms is a total warzone. Crownhunters have the momentum everywhere, in one room picking apart the stormtroopers with standard weapons as two Crownhunters shoot drones to walls, planting them in place. In another, seven men start sabotaging the terminals as five ready high-powered fixed-scatter-shot snipers at the hallway.

A showdown in another room: A Prince of Dawn fights ten Crownhunters. Two dead already. He shoves his hand through a new Crownhunter's chest, the crystalline armor lighting a faint blue as it happens. He flees behind cover, using the body to block quantum rifle shots.

The Crownhunter carrying a molten cannon finishes loading just as the prince hides behind a long corridor. He holds his flat hand over the wall, scanning until he sees the faintest glow of blue on the back of the armor.

CANNON HUNTER Clear!

The cannon explodes the entire front shell of the gun, expelling bright orange metal through the wall, wrapping the prince in burning metal.

The prince blocks out the pain, then balls liquid metal off his body and into the air above his hand. A Crownhunter closes in.

His armor flashes blue. Dives under the thrown metal ball, leaving a burning hole behind him. He aims his quantum rifle. The Prince blocks the first two, the third into his head.

The two Crownhunters make the signal for good assist and secure the area.

A new room has Kylo and Luke side by side dispatching stormtroopers, Poe and his men providing backup with standard weapons. Poe receives a signal on his radio. Addresses a Crownhunter behind him.

POE They're done. Lay the drone-mines and fall back.

Kylo and Luke toss the remaining stormtroopers into a closing door, welding it shut. They jump down a level as Crownhunters shoot drones into walls, planting them in place.

POE Don't try any tricks in here. The drones will dive on any mitochlorian shift.

LUKE SKYWALKER Less work for me.

POE Hah! I'd hope so! There's been nothing for us to do with you around!

KYLO I've noticed.

POE Kylo, "search my feelings" for a sign I care. I'd LOVE to check if these things are working.

As he says it, the welded door is thrown forward; the mine-drones fly to the source. The door crushes two Crownhunters as the attacking prince and his surrounding troopers are engulfed in the drone's explosion. A second prince pulls the fire off his brother. Poe seizes the chance, takes out a grenade showing Kylo.

POE Two-step grenade. Step one:

Poe ignites a grenade that flames in his armored hand. He chucks the ball of fire toward the two Princes. Both use the Force to catch it.

POE Step two:

A blinding explosion, the flames follow the source of the one who stopped it. One prince uses his body to shield the other from the fire. Neither can see past the flames. Poe and another Crownhunter shoot their molten cannons. Nothing can be seen beyond the fire, so the soldiers continue until the blue glow on their armor stops.

POE Replace the mine-drones. We're moving on.

Poe collects the crushed Crownhunters' tags.

FOCUSED CROWNHUNTER Where to next, sir?

POE Invading the main hangar could be fun. Now that we control the slicerail we can travel anywhere on the station. Even the secret locations.

KYLO …may I make a recommendation?

POE …go ahead.

KYLO Attack Cassariot.

POE The leader? We only know where the places are, not people.

KYLO I can find him. He's at the command center.

POE Well yeah, when he moves?

KYLO Then I will track him down.

POE The route there is long… but I like the idea. Too bad when we get there, I'll be taking all your revenge.

Kylo stares into Poe past both their masks.

KYLO Do and I'll find a new target.

LUKE SKYWALKER You boys coming?

Luke shouts from an open vent to a slicerail. The Crownhunter men follow the legend inside while the two embarrassed "boys" rush to catch up.

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140 MDS Krannek Storage – Int. 140

Officers walk as stormtroopers act busy.

HUSHED TROOPER Wow, what a day.

NONPLUSSED TROOPER Imperial family gone. Princes are probably better anyways.

HUSHED TROOPER I gotta start thinking that way. Don't want to get caught thinking wrong.

NONPLUSSED TROOPER You're fine. What's going on over at the Gammalann is distracting them.

HUSHED TROOPER Glad to be here instead. Crownhunters, huh? …think we could have become them?

NONPLUSSED TROOPER …don't make me start thinking like that.

HUSHED TROOPER Oh, they not gonna make it, but it is amazing how a bunch of nobodies are—

The door opens behind them to a figure in Jedi robes. Everyone in the hallway freezes. He takes off the hood and turns on his green lightsaber.

FINN Finn Skywalker has returned!

Stormtroopers reach for their weapons, but Finn sticks out a palm. Lightning shoots out, stunning the men.

On the other side, two fire their blaster only to be blocked by his lightsaber, then hit by lightning too.

The rest start to flee. Finn chases —shocks striking the stragglers before taking out the cameras.

FINN No Imperial can outrun Finn Skywalker!

As Finn rushes out, we see a woman wearing light armor and a biometal face mask, wielding a purple lightsaber (Rey's outfit from Escape from Ren!).

Rey sighs as she fires more non-lethal shots through Finn. Eventually, the long hallways end as the troopers hurriedly lock the door behind them.

REY This is humiliating.

BB8 rolls behind her, beeping excitedly.

FINN He likes it enough!

Rey does take a prolonged look at the beaming droid before continuing.

REY The only man in my life who doesn't wedge me into their idiotic plans.

This response perks up BB8's little head. He directly looks at Finn. A little flag pops out, waving it around victoriously.

FINN How could I ever compete with that? You ready?

REY I guess.

Rey joins Finn next to the freight elevator. She pulls the door open as the group enters the massive multidirectional cargo lifter.

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141 MDS Krannek Freight Elevator – Int. 141

Rey fakes Finn destroying the cameras, and then she takes control of the elevator. It begins moving.

REY We need to go through the plaza two after this to get to prison C.

Finn notices.

FINN Above us.

Finn fires a shot from his protonium handgun at the floor ahead. Four Princes of Dawn smash in through the ceiling. One landing right where Finn shot.

Detonated.

The prince can only block so much of the impact, is tossed into the wall. Finn chucks his lightsaber at the other two, Rey behind him shoots through Finn to spin the lightsaber at the princes. She corrals them close together, then stuck by a jolt of energy.

Finn gets his lightsaber back just in time to block the last Prince's burning arm Force-gauntlet. Finn locks him down and stares into the man's soul.

FINN Tell them Finn Skywalker wants a challenge.

Finn "pushes" the intimidated prince away. Fakes using the Force to throw the other unconscious three into the man. Fear dominates the prince's expression as he flees with his brothers.

FINN You trained them well in combat.

REY Hopefully not well enough. This is necessary?

FINN The only path to freeing your remaining family and saving the galaxy is this way. But we can only do so much. Kylo must do his job.

REY He can be very stubborn. What's he need to do?

FINN …die.

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142 DS Gammalann Headquarters – Int. 142

The headquarters is at maximum capacity under high pressure. Officers and princes are pressed to monitors, trying to make sense of increasing chaos. Supplying the ongoing starship battle, tracking the Crownhunters' movements inside their interior, snatching every update about Finn Skywalker's return aboard the MDS Krannek. They have too much to focus on to be freaking out.

Cassariot festers in his command chair. Trying to accept the reality that with all their advantages, defeat is possible —forming the careful mental maneuvers to steer into victory. The frustration of it all.

PRECISE OFFICER Sir, the Jedi inside MDS Krannek has now reached plaza two. We have footage of the event.

CASSARIOT Display it, officer.

The officer nods. A few button-clicks and the central holographic display shows a flat hologram of Finn Skywalker flying his jetpack, using lightning to crush buildings. After initial gasps, only defeated silence. The image freezes on Finn's face.

CASSARIOT That's him. Crownhunters, Jedi, and now Finn Skywalker. His reputation precedes him.

PRINCE HELENA MDS Krannek doesn't have the manpower to stop a man like him.

CASSARIOT Who is one behind him? The woman?

PRUDENT OFFICER A Jedi trainee he apprenticed with before his disappearance. We only have her name, "Shika."

CASSARIOT She is hanging back. He doesn't need help, why bring her? Keep monitoring them both. We will send over reinforcements soon.

PRINCE HELENA Perhaps it's better to leave them. MDS Krannek is useless to us now, and only the Empress was able to defeat Finn Skywalker. No one there stands a chance anyway.

CASSARIOT This is a coordinated effort. He planned all this, just like on Ren. I failed as a Knight to stop him there. If we beat him and his plans now, we will have proven ourselves kings. Keep faith, men! The stars are ours!

EVERYONE Sir!

PRECISE OFFICER Finn Skywalker isn't the only old enemy we have. I have confirmation that Kylo Ren is among the Crownhunters.

Cassariot stops. Retreats inward to consider this.

CASSARIOT So that's how they knew. Prince Helena, this command center has a slicerail escape tunnel, correct?

PRINCE HELENA Yes, it does, sir.

CASSARIOT Brother Eger, brother Jitt, we are going. Prince Helena, you will hold command while I am gone.

PRINCE HELENA Stay alive, brothers.

The men head into the hidden tunnel.

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143 DS Gammalann Tunnel (THE BIG FIGHT) – Int. 143 [lol its between sidecharacters]

Poe's Crownhunters are finishing destroying the slicerail escape train they came in on. This tunnel is unlisted on the posted slicerail routes, instead it is hidden within the ventalization of the cooling tunnels.

The flaming wreckage allows us to see the entrance of the secret escape route: it is the connection point of five more tunnels. Twenty-meter vents violently open and close, moving frigid air through the Death Star. There are stairs leading up to a vault on the opposite side of the slicerail. Thin frost coats the gigantic chamber.

The men are preparing for their equipment for the upcoming fight.

KYLO He's inbound.

POE Great, he's got a surprise if he's trying to escape.

KYLO …he's not trying to run.

POE Typical. We needa tidy up the house for company, Crownhunters!

SLY CROWNHUNTER (pointing to Kylo) It's your wife there's in-laws, sir. Shouldn't you be the one cleaning house?

The soldier starts planting drone-mines into the walls.

POE Demerit, court-martial, and fragged when I have the time, ensign.

SLY CROWNHUNTER I've never felt luckier to be dead in a few minutes.

KYLO All your soldiers really behave like this.

POE All YOUR troopers have ALWAYS been like this.

LUKE SKYWALKER Depressing thought.

SOUL CROWNHUNTER …we understand now, Luke. It was… what had to happen.

LUKE SKYWALKER Thank you, soldier. Kylo, how many do you sense ahead?

KYLO Three Princes of Dawn and maybe ninety stormtroopers.

LUKE SKYWALKER Poor odds. We can thin out and surround the line this way.

Luke heaves the vents off their bindings. Kylo promptly assists.

KYLO They're almost here.

POE Hurry into places, men!

They finish the drone-mines, dividing into five groups as they duck into the vents.

There is a cold pause. The opposing door flies off. As tens of stormtroopers enter the room, they stop when they see the removed vent valves. Prince Eger steps inside after the first twenty-six.

Prince Eger looks around. Which vent?

Prince Eger closes his eyes for guidance. Cassariot notices this and tries to stop him. Two mines trigger and dive. About ten troopers are hit, including the prince.

Molten cannons fire on all sides with standard blaster fire pounding into the troopers. In all the hellfire, Cassariot cannot make it to recover Prince Eger's body.

Cassariot rages but keeps his head. He spots the mines. First, he signals troopers enter the battlefield as a diversion. Next, he points to his sniper troopers. They start picking off the mines. Frustrated, he waits while more of his troopers rush into hell.

Within the closest tunnel, troopers overwhelm the meager numbered Crownhunters in the first segment. However, behind the pumping mouth of the second segment, a crowd of Crownhunters lie in wait. Once the first segment group flees, these second Crownhunters strike.

Poe and Kylo are in another second segment. When the mouth opens, they see the soldiers ahead of them being picked off. Poe despises holding back.

POE How many are still out there?

KYLO Two princes, thirty troopers.

POE Mine?

KYLO Eighteen and Luke.

POE Proud of my boys.

KYLO The real fight is about to start.

The last mine is shot off. Cassariot nods to Prince Jitt. All the Crownhunters armor lights up blue. The two Princes dive into the arena.

Prince Jitt focuses on the furthest tunnel. He takes control of the fallen troopers' EG-8 rifles. Four orbit his hand, eight around his body. He fires shots that curve behind the Crownhunter's cover.

Cassariot picks the closest tunnel. He pulls one Crownhunter from behind cover, but the armor only deforms with the string and breaks off, letting the soldier slip back into protection.

Cassariot uses his other weapons; he ropes five troopers together and lobs them over. He marionettes them into proper formation —they are forced to attack in every direction without cover. All Crownhunters focus on demolishing this unfortunate group.

Cassariot uses this distraction to grab that Crownhunter who escaped. Wraps his string around his neck. The string connects to his other hand and vibrates rapidly. The armor deforms against it, but it begins to blacken and break down.

The still-living Crownhunter tries to hit Cassariot in point-blank range, but the stormtroopers directly behind Cassariot hammer him. Cassariot jumps inside, connecting ten strings to the remaining front Crownhunter and throwing him in the middle of his stormtroopers.

The Crownhunter takes down two before they break through his armor.

The last trooper left that Cassariot threw gets smoked. Cassariot grabs five more and throws them behind the second line of attackers. Now the Crownhunters are pinned.

Cassariot uses eight strings to pull one through the opening just as the mouth closes, cutting the soldier in half. With more of the stormtroopers entering, he leaves them to do the rest.

Back in the center arena, Cassariot sees Prince Jitt cycling through his rifles. As he fires into a tunnel, but a perfect deflection from a lightsaber sends the shot back and destroys the rifle, obstructing Jitt's vision.

The excited Cassariot prays this is Kylo's work and rushes in. He finds Luke, lightsaber drawn. Two Crownhunters behind him, a mass of dead troopers under them Cassariot whips at Luke, who slaps the string away and lunges at his unarmed opponent.

As Luke swings downward, Cassariot outstretches his hands; five string connected between his fingertips, spiraling and oscillating. The beam between his hands catches Luke's saber. Luke backs the blade away and cuts again, countered the same way. Two more exchanges like this, then Cassariot sees an opening. He pulls his hand, and a whip hits Luke's chest.

While Luke controls his own flow of energy to avoid losing a lung, a deep chest wound is cut into him. Cassariot smiles.

CASSARIOT Tired, old legend?

LUKE SKYWALKER Tired of the young throwing their lives away.

SLY CROWNHUNTER LUKE! PITCH!

Luke taps both ears. Sly Crownhunter hits a button on his wrist. A device on his shoulder flips up with a crystal producing this shrieking noise. The pitch shakes and breaks the frost in the tube. The Crownhunter next to him starts counting.

Cassariot can barely focus. He holds both hands to his ears, shooting string to stop his internal ear from moving. It's not enough; the sound ripping through him.

Luke presses the advantage. He swipes at a Cassariot who dives away, back to the cooling center. Stumbling around Cassariot sees a dead Crownhunter without a helmet. Shoots two strings into the corpse's head and rips the plugs out. Jams them in while dodging shots.

The noise crystal breaks, just before it does, the second Crownhunter activates his.

Now protected against the sound weapon, Cassariot can see the battle situation: the remaining stormtroopers clutching their ears – and worse – all of Prince Jitt's EG-8 rifles have fallen to the ground. Holding his ears, trying to Force push Crownhunters away.

It happens too fast: A Crownhunter throws three balls connected by energy. Prince Jitt catches one, but these are programmed to spin erratically when they aren't grabbed equally. The two go forward wildly while the one remains still. They wrap around the prince's torso. Once both arms are down, the last one smashes into his body as well. He collapses.

The Crownhunters hit with him quantum rifles, then start finishing off the stormtroopers. Cassariot can do nothing. Seeing Luke advance, he knows his cause is lost… but he can still take Kylo with him.

Cassariot spots Kylo chopping a cowering trooper in a tunnel opposite him.

Cassariot flips a dislodged vent over the heads of a Crownhunter crowd. Luke uses all his focus to catch. Cassariot takes his chance and rushes for Kylo.

Kylo and Poe see the charging prince.

POE Oh, somebody's angry.

KYLO The easier this is then.

Poe and Kylo hastily retreat backward deeper through the third tunnel segment. Cassariot uses strings to throw this body forward. Poe and Kylo enter the fourth segment. Just as Cassariot enters the third segment, Poe chucks a flaming grenade.

Cassariot is aware these grenades are intimation tactics, designed to detonate when the Force moves them. He dodges to the side, only for Kylo to Force push the grenade just as the vent to the fourth segment closes.

The room is engulfed, Cassariot webbing protection around himself, but still gets singed. He keeps pushing to the next segment.

Cassariot makes it into the fourth, as Poe and Kylo are waiting at the fifth. Next grenade, same plan.

POE Last one.

He tosses it, and the fourth segment is engulfed.

Cassariot has even less of his body protected —his shoulder and entire back on fire. He keeps pushing forward, faster now. He sees Luke Skywalker close behind him.

A desperate Cassariot vaults his burning body, smashing into the wall in front of Kylo and Poe.

Kylo goes for the kill. Poe readies his quantum rifle.

Cassariot counters the blade, whips Kylo's mask off. Poe fires directly at Cassariot, a solid hit to his leg.

Kylo stabs, but only hits wall as Cassariot throws himself again. Now in the sixth tunnel, he chucks Kylo's helmet into Poe's. Poe's visor shatters, his head snaps back into a wall.

With Poe concussed, Cassariot yanks the away rifle and holds it himself. Kylo recognizes the problem.

Cassariot fires, Kylo catches one, two, three, four, but the fifth hits square in his chest. Sends Kylo backward, but he sends back the other four. All hit the prince, the quantum rifle destroyed, Cassariot's right eye blackened, barely stopping the shot from entering his brain.

Both men get to their feet, rush to strike, locking weapons. Poe struggles taking the seals off his helmet to remove it. Cassariot has all the momentum against Kylo until Luke arrives.

Counter Luke, counter Kylo, Kylo combos into hitting Cassariot's chin with the phrick bell. Cassariot staggered into the wall.

Counter Luke, counter Kylo, counter Luke, counter Luke again, and again. Cassariot stretched thin, the limp in his leg growing more pronounced. Kylo and Luke nod.

Both men outstretch their hands, Force binding Cassariot's hands in place. The red and green lightsabers cross just before Cassariot's neck.

LUKE SKYWALKER Surrender with your life.

Cassariot breathes out. Poe takes his mask off just in time to see Cassariot realize defeat.

KYLO …I sense members of the Imperial Family still alive.

CASSARIOT …We imprisoned any who voted to spare a planet.

KYLO …including those in House Galencia?

CASSARIOT Yes.

Conflict across Kylo's face. A decision is made.

Kylo slides the lightsaber down the green blade and slices off Luke's robotic hand. The unready Luke is then Force pushed into a wall, knocking the man out.

POE No!

Poe throws his own three spheres at Kylo. Kylo knows this device, he balances the Force well, but their sudden erratic movement is too difficult to manage perfectly. The device only wraps his arm, bending it backward. Poe flees as Cassariot rips of the top of his ear.

Poe dives through the vent into a new room. Cassariot can see the five remaining Crownhunters in segment two waiting for the fires to die down.

Cassariot whips the control panel of a vent, closing and locking it.

CASSARIOT We need to go out another way.

Kylo is in danger of losing his real arm. He peels off the spheres with his lightsaber. Saved it.

KYLO It is better to deal with one Crownhunter than five.

Kylo jumps into the next room where Poe hides. Cassariot stays sitting and starts bending the tunnel to obstruct the incoming Crownhunters.

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144 Coolant Center (Kylo versus Poe) – Int. 144

Pumps, tanks, and metal pipes occupy the new room. The sounds of liquid moving. It is ice cold inside.

Kylo enters, ready to block a strike from Poe. Nothing. Kylo ponders using the Force to find his target. No, the Crownhunter armor would only give away his location.

Kylo starts searching for signs. He sees the frost disturbed on the floor and on top of the pipes. He follows these. Deeper and deeper they go.

The dread of the unknown fills Kylo. To feel this against a normal man…

A shot fires, coolant explodes behind Kylo. He reacts but holds back, knowing it is a trap. Poe slides in front of him, big gun in one hand, thin black rod in the other.

Kylo projects scattered illusions to sway Poe's aim. One slices at Poe's throat, but the soldier stays stoic, following the blue glow on his hand, waiting for the specter that glows the brightest. There!

Poe fires the shot, a surge of blue energy blasts forward. The wave smashes into Kylo. His projections all stretch and deform. Kylo can barely move from the influx of power.

POE Chloreach grafter. Attracts more mitochlorians to a subject. Happens to every Knight of Ren, 'bout time you got yours.

Kylo lunges at Poe faster than both expect. Kylo smashes into a wall of pipes, pressurized coolant covering him. Poe still waiting for his grafter to charge. Kylo swipes at him. Poe dodges but is now cornered. No other options: Poe cracks the rod in his other hand.

All light is absorbed in the area: total darkness. The blinded Poe dives out of the way, feeling the slight vibrations in his armor to track any Force use. The blinded Kylo strikes wildly, he wants to resist using the Force to track his target -knowing what Poe is planning- but he no longer has any control. Poe fires a second shot into Kylo.

Kylo collapses to the ground. His presence of time and self melt into the surroundings. His body remaking itself into ruin.

The void retracts back into the rod, now snapping completely. Visibility has returned. With Kylo writhing, Poe readies the grafter. Charging for the third fatal shot.

POE It's okay, Kylo. Most Knights of Ren die in the process.

Kylo tries to reach for his lightsaber, slips. Bones bending, blood burning.

POE Still a bit of fight in you. It will only take one more. Last words?

KYLO (murmuring) Fin—F—F—

The grafter is ready. Poe pauses, trying to make sense of that. Was it a final insult? Information?

Poe lowers his weapon slightly.

POE Finn? What about him?

Kylo tries, but the man can't even breathe.

POE …he told me to keep you alive. What did he tell you?

Kylo cannot physically respond.

POE …Finn, you better have seen this far.

Kylo finds a glimmer of control, immediately gone. Poe hears the half-dragged footsteps of Cassariot. Poe readies to ambush. Kylo gains control for another split second; he smashes Poe into a wall.

Poe is down.

Cassariot hears the crashes, enters the scene to see Poe and Kylo both on the floor. Cassariot considers his options. Strings are wrapped around his injured leg, staggering his way over to Kylo.

CASSARIOT The fortune of two great enemies destroying each other. Kylo, thank you for your service to the Empire. Nothing more will be required.

KYLO Plantd—trp—

The words stop Cassariot from killing Kylo.

CASSARIOT What?

KYLO Trap!

Cassariot thinks about this. The Crownhunters' behavior. He wanders over to Kylo.

CASSARIOT Haha, he grafted you, eh? Nostalgic. Empty your thoughts. I can help flush out some.

Kylo accepts Cassariot's help.

KYLO Thank you…

CASSARIOT Your life has a price. What trap?

KYLO The Crownhunters have made a stealth sabotage. I can show you their changes.

CASSARIOT …Interesting.

KYLO I have my own price.

CASSARIOT Pfft, fine. The Galencia slaves are yours.

KYLO Good. We take The Admiral and Jedi Master with us.

CASSARIOT Mercy?

KYLO They are useful against FINN.

CASSARIOT …fair point. Your perception is impressive.

KYLO I can feel him from this distance. We need to avoid the remaining Crownhunters.

CASSARIOT We can make a way back in the ahead tunnel. Never thought I'd be voluntarily working with you, Knight of Ren.

KYLO …who could have predicted it?

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