Episode IX: A Spark of Hope

by PowerUp123

Summary:

A complete rewrite of Episode 9, taking the best of the cancelled Duel of the Fates and like, two things from Rise of Skywalker.

With the First Order closing in, the Resistance goes on a series of dangerous missions, intent on saving the galaxy before they are silenced forever.

Chapter 1: Crawling to a Start

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

 

STAR WARS

Episode IX

A SPARK OF HOPE

 

The iron grip of the FIRST ORDER has spread to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Only a few scattered planets remain unoccupied. With their forces spread thin, EMPEROR HUX has silenced all communication between neighboring systems, determined to suffocate a growing unrest.

 

Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, embittered by his failure to turn Rey to the dark side, travels the galaxy for any trace of the Sith. He seeks the power to snuff out any light, whether in the galaxy or himself. Intent on finding it alone, he leaves the KNIGHTS OF REN to operate in his stead.

 

Meanwhile, what remains of the Resistance has been left shaken by the sudden passing of LEIA ORGANA. Her final request was to reignite the beacon of hope for the galaxy. And so, guided by ancient Jedi texts, a group of heroes embark on their quest, determined to end the war…

Notes:

The end begins again.

Chapter 2: A New Hope

Summary:

The Resistance goes on a stealth mission to fulfill Leia's last words.

Poe and Rose are crouched behind a massive crystal formation. Below them rises a series of caverns, each one more ominous than the last. Only recently has the Order arrived, as their camp near the largest entrance is barebones. There are only a few tents around to cover supplies. Full-scale kyber mining has yet to begin on Christophsis… a fact our heroes are well aware of.

 

An imperial BB unit rolls past a couple of stormtroopers guarding one of cave entrances. It slows to a stop just in front of them, head swiveling as it eavesdrops. A small scratch cuts through the layer of paint on its front. Underneath is bright orange and white. It's BB-8!

 

He carefully tunes the troopers’ helmets and radios our hidden heroes with a soft beep. The two troopers, now listening to BB-8's false transmissions, take off in pursuit of “a mysterious presence near their fighters.”

 

“Nice job BB-8,” Rose replies. “Now we just have to let Rey do her thing.”

 

~~

 

“Looks like they’re distracted,” says Finn. “You gotta move fast.”

 

Rey is on her feet, ready to go. They are hidden behind another tall crystal, this one much closer to the cave.

 

“Hold on.” Finn hands her Leia's lightsaber, the last thing she entrusted to them.

 

“No. I have a feeling you'll need it. Besides, I'll have my own weapon soon enough.” And with that, she slides down the slope and carefully approaches the opening. A single stormtrooper is tinkering away with a device, analyzing the composition of some samples.

 

While the Resistance lurked in the shadows for the past few months, Rey honed her abilities in the Force. Jedi mind tricks always came easy to her, and she employed a little bit of her talent now. A simple suggestion for the stormtrooper to look the other way was nothing, and she slipped past with ease.

 

Relieved that everything was going well so far, Finn took Leia's lightsaber into his hands. He never trusted himself with one of these, not after his disastrous defeat on Starkiller Base. But now, as he ran his fingers over the panels, something felt different. 

 

~~

 

Back on the top of the hill, Rose gets an idea. She creeps her way towards the guards’ speeders and Poe follows.

 

“What are we doing?” He asks.

“I'm hotwiring them. If things go wrong– and there's a pretty high chance they will– we'll be able to hitch a quick ride back to the Falcon.”

“Not a fan of speeders, but it'll have to do.”

“I thought you could fly anything.”

“Driving a speeder isn't flying. And I can drive them, I just prefer not to.”

 

Rose moves to the next speeder, her work on the first already complete.

“I never thought the great Poe Dameron was afraid of a little machine like this.”

“I'm not. I flew those ones on Crait, didn't I? I just… don't like the way they handle.”

“Uh huh.”

 

She gets up, the job completed. Brushing off her hands, she looks down at the caves.

“Do you think Finn's going to be okay?”

“Finn? I'd be more worried about Rey. She's right in the heart of the First Order's operation. Those caves block all communication signals. And who knows what else is in there?”

 

~~

 

The cavern’s endless tunnels may have been lined with endless crystals, but Rey knew those weren't the ones she needed. They weren't kyber. So she followed her feelings deeper into the darkness. 

 

But the Force provides more than just navigation. Voices echoed out, as if their sources were truly in the cavern with her.

 

“The Force is strong with you…”

“Luminous beings are we...”

“Trust your instincts.”

 

At first, they seemed to be encouraging her, leading her to the future. But then, she felt it. The dark side, tempting her away. The more she tried to deny it, the louder the whispers grew.

 

“We will start with revenge…”

“It is your destiny…”

“Do not fear the dark side…”

 

Rey was being pulled in opposite directions. But instead of following one or the other, she pushed forward.

 

“You're almost there.”

 

She realizes that suddenly, the voices had faded back into the Force and slowly opens her eyes, unsure of when she closed them at all.

 

Floating in front of her outstretched hand was a single kyber crystal, held aloft by her own power. She looked around, feeling much deeper into the caves now.

 

In one quick motion, she drops the crystal into her hand and sits down. From a bag slung over her shoulder, she produces the broken pieces of Luke's lightsaber and an ancient Jedi textbook.

 

It was time for her to assemble her lightsaber.

Chapter 3: Resistance on the Run

Summary:

The element of surprise may be gone, but the mission must be completed.

Notes:

I really wanted to get this done in one chapter before we get into the meat of the adventure, so it took a little longer to finish. Enjoy :)

Finn waits anxiously, knowing that Rey is almost out of time. Looking up the hill, he spots Rose and Poe as they slide back behind their crystal. But his relief is short-lived. BB-8’s concerned beeps fill his ears.

 

“What's going on?” He whispers into the comms.

Poe picks up right as BB-8 stops. “The troopers are on their way back. And they switched frequencies.”

“Meaning…”

Rose chimes in. “BB-8 can’t jam them so easily, and they’ve definitely called for reinforcements now.”

 

Finn peers around the crystal. The troopers are on their way, beelining towards the cave. He watches them rendezvous with the stormtrooper just in the mouth of the entrance. It was now or never.

 

Poe, over comms, gives him one last push. “You’re on, Finn.”

He steps out from behind the crystal, in clear sight of the three guards.

“Hey! I hear you’re looking for someone with this.”

 

He ignites Leia’s saber.

 

~~

 

Rey stands up, admiring her work. The mix of new and old metals has created an entirely new texture. She reaches a finger over to activate it for the first time when she senses something. A presence some distance behind her. 

 

She throws her bag back over her shoulder, dusting herself off. But as she does, a clacking sound echoes through the passageway. The creature nears.

 

Rey whirls around, weapon at the ready… and immediately begins backing away. Several eyes gleamed in the darkness above her. She needed to go. Now.

 

~~

 

“Ready, Poe?” Rose revs her speeder.

“Let’s give our boy some cover.” Poe flies forward. Together they accelerate down towards the caves, firing relentlessly. 

 

On the right of the caves, a few squad carriers land and more stormtroopers pour out, some with their own speeders. 

 

Poe sighs. “Here we go.”

 

He drifts into a hard right, swerving around some low crystal formations and slamming down on the trigger. A few stormtroopers go flying. The Order speeders peel off from the ground troops, in pursuit of their new target.

 

Rose skids around a crystal, blasting out a few shots and nailing one of the speeders. 

“One down.”

“And four to go!” Poe yells, ducking a shot from the two behind him. He doubles back, and one of the troopers, distracted by the cave, crashes into a crystal.

 

Poe, confused, looks over at the cave. Leia’s lightsaber is still bright against the vast opening, but the cavern was trembling.

 

Rose, shouting over the speeder’s engine, sees it too. “We’ve gotta go get Finn.”

 

~~

 

Finn blocked each strike from the three troopers. They had followed him out of the cave, hopefully giving Rey more time. But his time was running short. With reinforcements barrelling down towards him, it would only be a matter of minutes until he was completely outnumbered. Still, he stood his ground. And despite his haphazard swings, he was actually pushing them back.

 

Risking a brief glance up the hill, he saw Rose making little headway towards the entrance, as she and Poe constantly had to swerve away to avoid getting sniped by ground troops. In the short amount of time he spent looking, the troopers regrouped. The one with the blaster shot at him, while a second, armed with a riot baton, closed the distance. Unsure how to deflect bolts with a saber, all Finn could do was dodge.

 

That was when the ground started to shake. Chunks of crystal, shaken loose from the vibrations, crashed down. The three attackers were forced to pull back as the air filled with dust, obscuring the cave’s already dark opening.

 

The dust has barely settled when two golden blades shine through and Rey surges forward, forcing back the assembled troopers with her newly forged double-sided lightsaber. She stops beside Finn.

He pauses. “Yellow. Nice.”

She smiles, but then grabs his hand. “We need to go. There’s a creature-”

 

Out of the cave explodes many heads with many eyes, attached to an insectoid body. The approaching stormtroopers immediately start firing on it, deciding that there are more demanding threats than the Jedi for now. However, the troopers who were just locked in battle with Finn start to push both him and Rey toward the beast.

 

Their coordinated attacks and apparent bond with one another reminded Finn of so much. And all of it he needed to silence. But in each attack, he saw them. 

 

One swings their baton. Nines.

Another shoots blaster bolts that Rey deftly deflects. Zeroes.

The third charges in, but is wide open for a strike. Finn could strike him down, but he hesitates, he can't, not Slip-

 

A bolt hits his leg and he goes down. Rey yells, her lightsaber a blur, impaling the closest trooper. The other two freeze as their squadmate collapses. The creature grows bolder while advancing against the invading Order, empowered by someone tapping into her rage.

 

Finn stumbles to his feet, Rey helping him up. 

“Can you stand?” Her eyes shine with concern.

“Yeah, I’m-” He looks down, seeing that the shot only grazed his leg. “I’m okay.”

Relief fills them both, but Finn sees a flash of something else in Rey. Fear.

 

Before he can ask, Rey notices Poe and Rose, atop their speeders, rushing towards them. Rey waves, but they don’t slow down. Poe’s voice comes in over their radio. “You guys are gonna have to jump. They’re right on us and we can’t slow down.”

 

Finn groans. “I just got shot in the leg.”

“Don’t worry,” says Rey, “I’ll give you a boost.”

 

Just then, the creature gives a monstrous screech, sawing in half a speeder and causing it to explode. It startles Finn, who looks back… right into the eyes of the pair of stormtroopers, who are holding their third member. Their pain sears right through him and he turns back around, facing towards the rapidly-approaching Rose and Poe.

 

They stand knees bent, ready to jump, and Rey reaches through the Force to lift Finn. This time, Rey catches a glimpse of Finn’s inner conflict, sensing the guilt and regret of a past he desperately tries to bury. She just manages to get a full grasp of his presence as they leap.

 

Rey lands on Poe's speeder and Finn on Rose's. Finn grunts as he lands. Rose shouts over the speeder. “You okay?”

“I got shot in the leg.”

 

~~

 

In a matter of minutes, they’ve made it to a crystal forest. Where there were only a few crystals dotting the land near the caves, tall green towers are as populous as trees here. Two speeders remain behind the heroes, firing sporadically. Rey sits backwards on the speeder, deflecting. Finn, however, is having more trouble with the trooper on his tail.

 

“How does she- Agh!” Another bolt flies over his shoulder. “This is impossible.”

Rose interrupts his irritation, “Maybe try a different way of stopping that buckethead.”

Finn takes a deep breath and looks around, an idea coming to him. “Speed up.”

 

As the forest flies by, Finn spins the saber and slashes an upcoming crystal in half. It crumbles, blocking the stormtrooper and forcing him to swerve, launching the soldier off his vehicle.

“Looks like I’m getting better at this.” He grins.

 

Both speeders blast out of the tree-less woods, the Millennium Falcon dead ahead. They slow down and approach the ramp as it opens, but the roar of a ship above causes everyone to stop. A troop carrier lands beside the Falcon, and the heroes draw their weapons.

 

But as the ramp drops, they find a familiar ball droid shocking a stormtrooper, with a few others collapsed around it. 

“Nice job, BB-8!” Poe yells, running up and bringing the droid into the ship.

Rey runs up beside the two of them, instinctively checking BB-8’s antenna. “R2’s gonna love to hear about this one.” 

The droid beeps happily, as the best of the Resistance files into the Falcon.

 

The blue exhaust ports flare as the legendary ship takes off, soaring out of the atmosphere and jumping to hyperspace, leaving the crystalline world behind.

 

~~

 

In front of the yawning cavern, RS-1219 still grasps the arm of her best friend. Her helmet was suffocating, but it gave her the strength to continue. To watch “Finn” and his doomed Resistance family burn. She radios her commander.

 

“Tell the Knights of Ren there are two Jedi now.”

Notes:

Writing updates can be found on my BlueSky!

Chapter 4: The Phantom Menace

Summary:

The First Order is haunted by empires past.

Kylo Ren stalks the endless corridors of a long-forgotten castle. With the heat shields gone, lava rivers are slowly weathering it away. One day, the castle will be indistinguishable from the dark earth of Mustafar. For now though, the oppressive interior wears down any visitor and dark whispers pollute the air. Yet for Kylo, it is not the dark side that torments him.

 

“Ben.”

“Leave me alone.”

 

Luke hovers over his shoulder.

 

“Power can only get you so far.”

“You, Han, and Leia are gone. Power is the reason I’m here. It’s the only way forward.”

“But you’re hollow, empty.”

“You’re nothing. A ghost.”

“Are you sure?”

 

Kylo screams and swings his lightsaber at him, patience running short. But Luke is gone.

 

Haunting words echo in his mind. “I have grown more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”

 

He shakes it off and, for the first time, notices a door to the left. The whispers seem to grow stronger. With the Force he opens the door, and a Sith holocron, glowing a faint red, awaits.

 

Kylo focuses the dark side into the pyramid and it opens, a hologram of Darth Sidious projecting from the top.

He speaks. “Lord Vader, young Skywalker will soon be ours. I have foreseen it. Should he strike me down, you must take him to Remnicore and seek out the ancient Sith master, Tor Valum. He will teach him a power– far beyond what you could hope to command in your damaged state– which will allow the Empire to rule over the galaxy for eternity.” 

 

The holocron closes, leaving Kylo with his goal in sight. But as he returns to the hallway, his communicator beeps. He turns it on and Hattaska Ren answers.

 

“The Resistance raided Christophsis, and there are multiple Jedi among them.”

Kylo growls. “FN-2187.”

“We are tracking them through hyperspace now.”

“Follow them and kill the traitor, but let the girl live. I’ve gotten what I needed from Mustafar. I’ll deal with her.” 

 

He hangs up and walks out to the balcony, staring out into the barren landscape. This place was once a monument to the resilience of the dark side. Now, it is broken, bleeding back into the darkness it came from. Just like the Empire. Kylo turns away, leaving the whispers of the past to die.

 

~~

 

A security ship dips through the layers of the gleaming capital of the galaxy. Coruscant, once a hub for millions of travelers, has now become a prison. Progress can be seen at a glance, as the lower layers are populated with outdated structures from the time of the Republic. Towering above the upper city is the First Order Capitol, a jagged structure standing on a needle, piercing the sky.

In Monument Square, with the Capitol hanging over like a thundercloud, thousands are gathered for another round of executions. The Order has uncovered another group of conspirators, and regardless of their guilt, their lives end today.

 

A street boy fumbles through the crowd, weaving closer to the stage. Emperor Hux’s voice echoes over them.

“Let this day remind the galaxy of the consequences of defying our rule.”

As if this day wasn’t the same as the last, the boy thought.

Three people are locked in place inside laser guillotines.

“No uprising will succeed. No protest will be heard. There will only be peace. Anyone who rejects will be silenced.”

 

One of the prisoners begins to cry out in a dialect strange to the boy’s ears.

“Kova Rebiva! Tora Familia!”

Over and over again he shouts. The stormtrooper guards do not react, simply stepping over to drop the lightblades. Someone tries to cover the boy’s eyes as the prisoner is interrupted mid-cry.

 

In the Capitol, Hux looks down through a window, the people a distant blur. A table of First Order admins are meeting behind him, discussing recent unrest.

“Protests are increasing in every sector. It is clear that the citizens of the galaxy need assurances,” Commander Nult asserts.

“Yes! They need to believe they are safe with us in power,” Admiral Shen says.

“Wrong. What the people need is to truly fear us. As they did the Empire,” Allegiant General Pryde states.

 

Hux hated these meetings. All this discussion and disagreement over what? Could they not see that the fruit of the Order was the ground they were standing on? Reaching the core worlds meant no one could stop them. And being the emperor of Coruscant made him ruler of the galaxy, regardless of Ren’s title. Still, he had to try to be diplomatic.

 

“Enough of this.” The room stilled as Hux finally turned to face the table. “The common folk are nothing. What we should be focusing on is a raid that has just occurred on Christophsis, where members of a certain Resistance have been. Once they are captured-”

“Once?!” Pryde shouts. “Every second they are free is another chance for them to rally an army.”

“They won’t. We have blockades on every planet with previous Rebel activity.”

“...Except Bonadan,” the oft-silent General Sherlid interjects. Hux stares, gaze furious.

 

The general continues. “The people there are quite religious, perhaps even more so than Jedi or Sith. Every forty years, people undergo a mass exodus to a neighbouring planet to pray for salvation. If we stopped them, the blowback would be far worse than any protest we’ve seen.”

The emperor sighs. “Send the Eclipse to watch over them.”

Pryde stands, “You would send away the greatest-”

“Were you not the one who suggested ruling by fear?”

 

Pryde swallows, eyes down as he takes his seat.

Hux steps away from the table. “As I was saying, the Resistance’s execution will be an example to the rest of the galaxy. And the Knights of Ren will prove their worth by capturing the filth.”

The leaders of the Order look satisfied and Hux turns back to the window, signaling the end of the meeting.

 

He observed the buildings that cluttered the horizon, every person within representing another system in their grasp. Much as Palpatine once viewed the stars, the emperor watched over his kingdom, the capital that kneeled under the First Order. Though the executives leaving the room would never see Hux that way.

Chapter 5: Rebel Relations

Summary:

The Resistance wonders where to go next.

The Falcon was in utter chaos as soon as the raid party boarded. Technicians and small maintenance droids raced through narrow hallways, and only Captain Connix stopped to give them entry. Immediately noticing Finn’s limp, she motioned down the hall.

“We’re ready in the medbay.”

Rose supports him as they go, the flow of crew members moving around them.

“The raid?” Connix asks after they’ve gone.

“Successful.” Rey responded, lifting her new lightsaber. “Although the First Order did put up a bit of a fight.”

Poe adds on. “Good thing you got those old books you got from Luke. Now we just have to let the rest of the galaxy know that the Jedi still live.”

 

A shadow falls over Rey’s face for just a moment, before she smiles. 

“I should go check on Finn,” she says, stepping out of the conversation and into the busy hallway.

“Is everyone okay?” Connix looks at Poe with concern.

“We got surrounded by reinforcements and Finn had to fight the guards alone, but he seems to be the same as ever. Rose was with me, so we were fine. But Rey… I don’t know. She was alone in that cave and a massive creature followed her out.”

The captain raised her eyebrows. “And you?”

“I told you, I was–”

“Not that. I mean, you’re going to make sure they’re ready for whatever’s next, right General?”

Poe blinks, as if just remembering his new rank. “Of course. I’m here for the whole Resistance.”

Connix looks at him knowingly. “Remember, you’re not alone in a cockpit anymore.”

Poe stares, momentarily at a loss for words. She leaves him alone as he reels from the weight of responsibility.

 

~~

 

Rose was relieved watching Finn wiggle his leg, mobility restored after treatment from a field nurse. The “medbay” where she sat next to the ex-stormtrooper was more like stacks of medical supplies next to the Falcon ’s beds. The Resistance, however, was more than used to working with next to nothing, so this was actually an improvement over some of the bases Rose had heard of.

 

“Thanks for sticking around,” Finn says to the engineer.

“Of course.” Rose smiled. “Y’know, seeing you out there with a lightsaber… I never thought I’d be so close to anything like a Jedi.”

He scoffs. “Rey’s the one with the Force. And a saber is just a weapon.”

“And here I thought the Force was with all of us.”

They both laugh. When the moment passes, Rose looks up at Finn and speaks softly. “Finn, we make a great team. And maybe-”

She’s cut off by a pipe bursting. A Mirialan scraped his cart against the wall, steam blasting out. 

“Hold on.” She gets up slowly. “I should… probably fix this.”

Finn nods, but he could see Rose was far from telling him everything on her mind. She hurries off and he leans back against the wall. 

 

Running his fingers over the hilt of the saber, still clipped to his belt, he realizes he’s gotten accustomed to its weight. But it isn’t his, it’s Leia’s. This was just temporary… right?

 

~~

 

Rey exhales. She was exhausted, and not just from the mission. She had been stopped no less than five times by various crew members on her trip to the medbay, not counting her pause at the cockpit to check on Chewie. People offered congratulations and some were still amazed by her strength, considering she was one of the rare few who had met Kylo Ren and lived. Finally, she rounded the corner and there was Finn, who grinned when they locked eyes.

 

“That lightsaber is amazing!”

“You really managed to hold off all those troopers on your own!”

Their excitement bubbled over, although neither could truly look the other in the eyes, not after all the inner turmoil they had felt. 

Rey takes her new saber off her belt. “I could help you practice. I need to get used to the dual blades anyway.”

“It couldn’t hurt to get some training in,” Finn says, running a hand down her arm. Rey wants to pull him in closer, ask him why every hug they share leaves her more at peace than any meditation. Finn steps back, hoping Rey didn’t notice how much he wanted to linger. There was a distance between them both, and neither believed they could cross.

 

He continues. “We’ve got some time until… actually, where are we going?”

Right on cue, Poe steps through the bustling traffic. “Alright everyone! The raid was a success.”

Scattered cheers ring out.

“Now our symbol of hope has returned. All we need is a way to show that to the rest of the galaxy. To break the silence.”

Rey’s face lights up, an idea forming in her mind. She darts to a cabinet and pulls out an ancient book. “In the old texts, one of the ways Jedi had to communicate across the galaxy were beacons. These are old, older than the Clone Wars.”

Someone in the crowd of Resistance members mutters, “High Republic.”

Realization sets in for Poe. “So there’s no way for the Order to block the signal. Where’s the closest one?”

That’s the problem,” Rey sighs, “This is just a textbook. There isn’t much information on any specific locations. But I know Luke would have had it. He spent years looking for remnants of the Jedi before starting his temple. So where else would he leave his knowledge?”

 

Poe pushes back. “The Knights of Ren burned down the place. We’re not going to find anything but ash.”

Rey glares at him. “We’re not going to know what’s left until we go. I have a feeling about it.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to risk exposing us to the First Order so soon.”

“We don’t have any better leads!”

 

A series of beeps and trills from a corner of the room break the tension. Threepio follows behind R2, awkwardly shambling around people in an attempt to keep up with the astromech. The golden droid translates for his excited noises. “He says he is already prepared to give the coordinates for Master Luke’s old home of Ossus.”

 

Poe looks up. “Well… what are we waiting for? Let’s go.” He sounds confident, but those who know him best can tell their general is unconvinced. Still, the ship adjusts its trajectory, on its way to their next destination.

Notes:

Dialogue heavy chapters are finally over! Man are they hard to wrtie

Chapter 6: In Transit

Summary:

Rey and Poe get a little advice from their elders.

Chewbacca didn’t have to look behind him to know it was Poe, sitting down with a grunt. Chewie greeted him with a welcoming growl, though Poe’s response was less enthusiastic. The wookiee rumbles inquisitively.

 

“Ossus.” The human answers, “What if we don’t find anything there?”

Chewie roars reassuringly. 

“But we’ve been following the Force and Luke and the Jedi all throughout this war. They could be leading us down the wrong path. And I know I’m not supposed to say that but–”

Chewie tilts his head, barking a reminder.

“Leia could use those words, could believe in them because she knew the Force.”

Chewie finishes Poe’s thought with a whine.

“Yes, like Rey. And she’s headstrong like her too. But Leia was one of us. Rey keeps everyone at a distance. I just hope she knows we’re all in this fight together, regardless of where the Jedi want her to go.”

Chewie lets out a series of growls and grumbles, telling the ace pilot he’s figured out his dilemma on his own. 

Poe chuckles. “You’re right. The Resistance will get through this as a team, regardless of whether we have Luke’s notes… and that’s what I have to remind everyone. Thank you.”

 

The wookiee nods solemnly as Poe departs, leaving him alone in the co-pilot’s seat once more. It had been a long time since he’d advised someone like that. Han had somehow grown more stubborn with age, solving conflicts on his own terms, and Leia was always smart enough to figure out a problem with a solution he never would’ve come up with. He smiles, knowing any of his old friends would leap at the chance to guide this new rebellion into the future.

 

~~

 

Sweat drips down Rey’s brow. She doesn't bother to wipe it as she sits on a storage crate, staring at the door where Finn stood just minutes ago. He was an incredibly fast learner, especially in their practice duels. He had pushed Rey further and further back, until she she wanted him to take control instead. And just thinking about it made her face burn with shame.

 

This wasn’t the way a Jedi was supposed to behave! But she hated constantly staying at a distance from everyone. Was she really meant to avoid getting close to anyone, like how Luke had simply walked away from his friends and family?

 

A cool wind blows across her cheek.

“Rey.”

“Master Skywalker.”

 

“You seem comfortable with your new lightsaber.”

Good. Luke didn't know of her thoughts just now.

“I was trying to fix your kyber crystal and I ended up healing it somehow. It felt different.”

He smiles, sitting down next to her… “It resonates with you now,” and then falters. “but I hope you won’t need to use your training.”

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t felt it? Ben’s quest for power has become something else. Obsession. But you must know. Unless…”

Rey feels him dip into the Force. Luke pulls back. “You’ve cut yourself off from the dyad.”

 

“Dyad?” She asks, but Luke doesn’t hear as he gets up.

“Your connection with Ben is the key to bringing him back. How could you attach yourself to your friends but push away the one person that matters!?”

She scoffs, indignant. Luke felt her thoughts after all. She stands up and fires back. “I tried to save him before and all he did was turn away! This time, I’ll show him the same mercy he showed Han.”

“No. You do that, and only darkness will remain.”

“But every time the Jedi hesitate to strike the final blow, the dark side does it themselves.”

“I know that anger. That impatience. It had it.”

“So says your master. And his master before him. A thousand generations of masters, so eager to tell us how to live.”

“Jedi don’t seek vengeance, Rey.”

“Then maybe I’m not the last Jedi!”

 

Luke bows his head and fades away. It takes his apprentice a second to realize she has broken his heart.

 

~~

Hyperspace warps and slows with the Falcon, a blue planet filling its view. Ossus awaits.

Notes:

OKAY now we're back into the action

Chapter 7: Lost Masters

Summary:

Both hero and villain search for guidance.

Notes:

Slow update? Long chapter B)

Rey steps off the ramp first, with Poe and R2-D2 barrelling past her. Rose, BB-8, and Finn follow close behind. The ship had landed right near the ruins, with only crumbled buildings and charred supports to mark the former temple.

 

But Rey doesn’t continue forward. Her eyes are misty, mind fixated on her last argument. Finn stops beside Poe and whispers, “I should go talk to her.”

R2 beeps and swivels towards Poe. The general shakes his head in response. “Let me.”

Finn looks at R2, curious.

 

Poe steps up to Rey, who shakes away the emotion in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I–” her voice wavers.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened. It’s probably none of my business. I mean, the pressure you’re feeling from both the Resistance and the Jedi, I won’t pretend to understand it.”

She averts his gaze.

“But, I can tell that you’re looking for something. You’re looking to prove you belong here, to know that you can be what the galaxy needs. And you don’t have to because you’re already all of that for us.”

He gestures to Finn and Rose, who give her encouraging looks. BB-8 rolls to Rey, his eye full of hope.

“You can do this, Rey.”

 

She breathes. “Thank you,” she says to Poe, then turns to the others, “now let’s go.”

They catch up to R2-D2, who turns towards the ruins and rumbles forward to his old master’s training grounds.

 

~~

 

Kylo lands in the obsidian fields, the dark atmosphere dimming the sun and painting Remnicore a cold gray. He steps out, an ancient sith temple still standing above the battlefield below. Skeletons litter the floor from some long ago war, and dried out flora form a brittle carpet.

A small black droid follows him out, flying quickly to catch up. Kylo commands, “VX-20, scan for lifeforms.”

It lets out a low whistle and flies upwards, scanning from above. The dark warrior follows, hunting yet another remnant of the dark side.

 

~~

 

“I think I’m beginning to side with Poe,” Finn says, flipping over another wooden beam, “because there’s nothing here.” Fanning out around what could have been classrooms, all they’ve found is rubble. 

“Wait! I think I–” Rose holds up a yellowed piece of paper, but it turns to dust in the sunlight. “...Nevermind.”

R2 beeps some helpful suggestions. Rey nods at him. “There’s two more places we could check. The library, which is up that way–” Toward an especially large collapsed pile, “or Luke’s house, which is that way.” She spins around and in the distance is a much smaller pile, with some supports still standing.

 

Poe gives each direction a good look. “I’ll head to Luke’s house. You said these were notes he made while traveling, so I’ll bet he kept them with him in some kind of journal.”

Rey is deep in thought for a moment before speaking. “I’ll go with you.”

“Then Rose and I will check out the library. We meet back here when we’re done,” Finn says.

“Sounds good,” Rose adds.

BB-8 rolls around Rey’s legs and R2 chugs towards Rose. The two of them boop a quick farewell to the other.

But before Poe can leave, Finn stops him. “Could I have a quick word, general?”

“Sure.”

 

The two of them step away from the others.

“I thought Rey got on your nerves.” Finn says simply.

“Even so, I’m glad she’s coming with me. She’s the most conflicted of any of us right now.”

“You’re worried about her?”

“It’s my duty to make sure the Resistance is ready for any threat.”

“Oh, come on Poe. That’s not the only reason.”

The burdened general hesitates. “It’s what Leia would do. Take care of everyone. You’ve been helping Rey a lot, buddy. It’s time I try to get along with her.”

Finn looks at him with concern. “What Leia would do…” He suddenly noticed the intensity in his eyes, the burden that weighed on his shoulders, and brushes it off. “Alright. But a lot? I’d say I’m with her a pretty normal amount.”

Poe sees right through him, patting him on the back. “Uh huh. Tell that to Rose.”

Finn looks back in confusion, but Poe walks away, a smirk on his face.

 

The group splits up, unaware of those following in their shadows.

 

~~

 

Kylo sweeps the ruined temple, sun shining bright through the hole in the ceiling. Bright enough, in fact, that plants continue to grow. He trudges on, certain he is on the right track. Room after room has held ancient Sith artifacts and broken skeletons of Sith warriors, yet no voices emanate from within them. Whatever war happened here, there were no Jedi fighting it. The silence is absolute, helping Kylo focus. Finally, peace. 

Rounding a corner, he halts. A massive sinkhole lies in front of him. It is dark, but VX-20’s light pierces through. And so does something else, through the Force. A great power that seemed to thrive. A vergence.

 

Kylo leaps, VX following close behind.

 

~~

 

Rose and Finn begin pulling apart the debris, unearthing empty bookcases and even a few scraps of paper.

Finn tries to read one of them. “‘After years… research, the ultimate truth of…’ And the rest is gone.” He drops the page and it flutters away.

Rose crouches down and, squinting through the layers of wood and scrap, spots the cover of a book. “There’s a book in here!” 

R2 rolls over and turns on his flashlight, giving them a better view. They shift some rubble out of the way, only to find a massive wooden beam stretching out of the pile and sitting on everything. The engineer sighs, but Finn has an idea. Whipping out the saber on his belt, he cuts it in half. Then, he and Rose slowly heave it off the pile.

 

But before they can move the other half, the floor rumbles and slowly sinks inwards. They struggle to climb out. R2 beeps in alarm, but doesn’t dare to move closer.

Rose shouts, “Hold on!” And they plummet, although not as far as she expected.

Her eyes sting from the dust kicked up, and she springs up, looking for Finn. He slowly gets up beside her, leg aching once again. 

“How are we going to climb out of this?” He groans as Rose takes in their new surroundings.

“Maybe this is where we need to be.” She says, and the air clears just enough for Finn to see rows of bookcases, still mostly intact.

He dusts himself off. “Now we just have to find that book.”

 

~~

 

This didn’t make sense. He had walked through a whole Sith temple and now, one level below, Kylo was standing in front of the emblem of the Jedi. Stretching the height of the wall, it was faded but still remarkably well preserved. Suddenly, old feelings rose in his heart, eager to remind him of his own past. With them, the realization that the Sith built atop the Jedi to crush the past beneath their feet. This place, he knows, would hold the power he sought.

 

VX continues down the hall and halts at the very last door, beeping that life lies beyond. Kylo slides the door open with the Force. Stepping in, the energy in the room seemed to swirl toward the strange decayed mass in its centre. It could only be the vergence… But no. Not decayed. Alive. Bones and sinew crunched into place, taking shape. Saber in hand, the supreme leader approaches.

 

“I seek Master Tor Valum.”

The being speaks, its voice discordant. “I have not been a master for many thousand years. But I know you seek power, as well. And I have knowledge to provide.”

“And what do I have to do to gain it?”

“What else does a Sith need than a student? I see in your eyes you are not a master. Accept you have much to learn.”

Miraculously, Kylo bows. “Teach me.” 

 

~~

 

Remarkably, the foundation of Luke’s hut still stands. Rey eases open the door to find a ransacked interior, although it appears there was never much within in the first place. Poe shakes his head. “Monks.”

The scavenger seems distant again, which earns a nudge from Poe. She shakes it off. “Never thought I’d be back to scavenging, is all.”

BB-8 checks the scattered objects while Rey moves to the collapsed bed frame in the corner. It doesn’t take much time for Poe and his droid to unearth various odd objects, but Rey, initially mistaking it for some scraps of fabric, finds a journal. “I think this is it!”

 

They regroup and Rey flips through the tattered pages quickly. Spying a familiar shape, she stops, and lands on a section about the beacons they need, including a sketch of them. The two heros look at each other, smiling. Happy beeps come from the droid below.

“I can’t believe that journal’s still intact,” the general says with a chuckle, “now let’s meet up with the others.”

 

But Rey stops. An evil approached the door, the kind she had only felt with Kylo. She motions for Poe to stay back against the wall, and he does so silently. BB-8 rushes underneath the bed frame. She inhales, pocketing the journal and drawing her saber as the door creaks open. A masked man, armed with a vibro-ax, stood. Rey knew who he was. A Knight of Ren.

Chapter 8: Into the Shadows

Summary:

What we fear always finds us.

Kylo raises his hand, honing in on a small gronk lizard, the last of its kind, climbing a sapling. After taking a few turns, they had ended up in a series of rooms where small creatures still roamed and plants grew tall, as if someone was still fostering them. He strains, pushing harder, and the lizard floats into the air. Tor Valum watches intently from behind. All the student had to do now was draw the Force out... But there was something off about his new master. 

 

The temple– both layers of it– had clearly been left unattended for centuries. So how had Valum survived so long? Sensing a flicker of impatience, Kylo hid his thoughts away as he had many times under Snoke and refocused. He slowly pulls the lifeforce of the reptile toward him, gritting his teeth. Its breathing speeds up, eyes darting frantically. Its energy is moments away from reaching him, but he pulls back, the little power it contained slipping through his fingers.

 

Chest heaving, he steps to the side. Valum steps forward without looking at him, his face remaining emotionless. “Conviction. Intention. That is what you lack.”

He raises his hand toward the barely recovered critter. “I can feel the confusion and anger sparking off of you.”

Colour rapidly starts draining from it, bright orange turning to gray as it keels over. “What you need to do is use your emotion...” The ancient one’s voice grows sinister, an edge of anger creeping in.

The last gronk is reduced to a husk. “Direct it.”

 

~~

 

The Knight pushes Rey backwards with Force, sending her crashing into the back wall. He advances, raising his axe high. Two more Knights step through the door, but BB-8 launches his wire grapple across the room, tripping up one of them. Poe has a brief moment to fire a few shots, nicking one of them in the arm. The one in front of Poe swings their cleaver hard, but he manages to scramble out of the way. Landing on the floor, he turns to BB-8. “Tell Rose and Finn! Tell them to go back to the Falcon!”

 

So the little droid spins away, darting through the knights’ legs on his way out. Meanwhile, Rey continues to guard against the ax-wielding knight. With a spin of her blades, she pulls free of his onslaught for a moment and hurls her saber toward the other two, giving Poe the chance to escape too. She dodges another vibro-ax strike and, catching the saber as it spins back, deflects another. 

 

As Rey backs up, she quickly realizes with two knights behind and one in front of her, she’s being surrounded. But this time, they didn’t move. They simply circled, watching her. Trapping her in a cage, she realized. No one could help Rey now but herself.

 

~~

 

“Back, backdrop, backtrack, battlefront…” Finn mutters as he skims the rows. Methodologies of the Force were not what they needed. He pokes his head out of the aisle. “Any luck?”

Rose, searching the row of bookcases closer to where they had landed, shouts back, “Not yet!”

He leans back against the bookshelf he’d just been searching. All this knowledge would take them forever to search. But if he could get Rey and Poe to help, they could be done in a flash. They had to be done with Luke’s house by now.

 

He shouts up to R2, who whistles back and rolls off to find the rest of the party. Turning to the books in front of him, he could feel his worries building up. So Finn takes a breath, remembering something from training, in another life. “If there’s one thing the battlefield is known for, it’s chaos. Focus on the target right in front of you.”

He looks forward and as his eyes pass over the books, one pops out to him: “Communication Using Intergalactic Relays: Combining Technology and the Force”. He yanks it out and rounds the corner, almost running right into Rose in the process.

 

Finn opens his mouth to tell her and is tackled hard, back between the rows. She shushes him silently and points back toward the sinkhole. He peers through the shelves to get a closer look and pulls back, suddenly aware of how loud they both are. Hattaska Ren circles the pit, waiting.

 

~~

 

Kylo exhales, breath shuddering as Force energy swirls into him, power that was once part of a sapling. Valum nods. “You learn quickly.”

He barely acknowledges the ancient Sith’s praise, instead turning down the hall toward the last room. Just before reaching the last doorway, he hesitates. “What’s in there?”

Valum cocks his head. “Strength.”

Kylo lights his saber. He crosses into the room and instead of a plain interior, a staircase stretches upwards, strangely pristine compared to the rest of the temple. The further he ascends, the more oppressive it feels. His saber’s light refracts off the dark walls and with a few steps, he reaches a training room.

 

It is empty, but only at first. A sound emanates from the back. Labored breathing.

A red saber ignites, revealing the helmet that struck fear into every rebel not too long ago. 

 

This is more than just a test. This is Kylo’s past. He needs to crush it. He slashes hard and the lord raises his blade to meet it.

 

~~

 

It had begun to rain and Poe, standing outside of Luke’s house, is stuck. He could go back to help Rey, but he stands no chance against the strange masked men. Instinct tells him to go find Finn and Rose for backup, but it’s some distance to the library, and then another long walk back to the ship. Who knows what could happen to her on the way there? 

 

He sighs and runs back toward the house. He had to do something. Before he can reach the door though, the house explodes with invisible might, sending him flying. Getting back on his feet, he sees the attackers barely able to stay upright while Rey slowly gets up as well. Poe has a chance to buy time. He hurls a thermal detonator as close as he can to them without hitting Rey, and uses his blaster to cover her as she flees toward him. 

 

One of the men, furthest from the explosion, pushes through, holding dual vibroblades as he runs after the heroes. He catches up far too quickly, forcing the scavenger to stop and block. The general can’t fire without possibly hitting Rey, so he shoots at the other two as the man seems to dance around her saber. They still manage to break free easily, and the one with the cleaver reaches out, freezing her with the Force. The ax-wielder pushes down on her saber, and the man with vibroblades grabs the journal. Twisting Rey’s arm, he forces her to drop the saber. Poe can only watch as these wildly powerful men dominate in seconds, slashing the journal in half with a Jedi’s weapon.

 

The pages burn to ash, along with whatever hope the wayward Jedi still had.

 

The fighter pilot racks his brain trying to think of what to do. He can’t let her fight back when they need to escape, but he’s out of options. Suddenly, the familiar beeps of a blue and white droid sound off behind him. He turns around to see R2 shoot a smoke canister, giving him the little bit of cover he needs. He charges into the fray and manages to get ahold of her right before she can ignite her lightsaber and give their position away. She pulls against him, wanting those monsters to feel every bit of pain she does now. Poe stands firm. “This is our last bit of cover! We have to leave. There’s nothing here for us now.”

Rey looks over the ruins of her master’s house and follows him away, wondering why the knights destroy everything in their path– and perhaps why they always bring out the worst in herself.

 

~~

 

Rose sneaks closer to the adjacent column of bookcases, moving away from the man Finn called Hattaska. Beyond those shelves appears to be a way deeper into the underground library, which would hopefully lead to an exit elsewhere. She waits for the villain to look away and then dives across, Finn close behind. He freezes when two more masked men land in the pit. They immediately split up, with the one holding a vibroscythe moving toward them.

Finn whispers, “Now Jaedec and Ott are here. We need to distract them somehow.”

Rose whispers her half-formed plan back, and the game is on.

 

As soon as that blue lightsaber activates, Jaedec gives chase, leaping over a bookcase and following the wielder deep into the shelves. But as he catches up, a girl turns around instead, loosely wearing Finn's jacket. He swings his scythe right up to Rose’s neck, but she stares back unflinchingly. “You’re never going to stop us.”

She throws the lightsaber over the knight’s shoulder and Finn catches it, slamming the hilt into his helmet. He flops over, unconscious for now. The two of them pull Jaedec’s body into one of the rows as fast as they can, but Rose still spies Ott fast approaching. They hurry toward the depths of the temple and slide into the alcove within. 

 

The engineer holds her breath, expecting the knight to pass by any minute… but no one comes. Then, the shadows behind Finn twist, and Ott emerges, swinging his club. The lightsaber-wielder drops to the floor, but Rose is too slow. The club thumps against her head and she is knocked out with a concussive blast. Finn rises up and slashes towards their assailant, but something seizes his whole body before the blow can land.

 

He gets pulled all the way back through the aisle and is spun around to face Hattaska. The knight's voice is low and cool. “Your path ends here, traitor.”

Chapter 9: The Empire Strikes Back

Summary:

Darkness is always easier to embrace.

The chosen one blocks blow after blow, neither tiring nor faltering. Kylo desperately tries to keep up, but his swings are slowing. The more he fights, the more he has to shake the fear that he is outmatched. The echoes of each strike fill the chamber, and the only sources of light are the two swords as they clash.

 

~~

 

Finn squirms in Hattaska’s grasp. Or at least he tries to. Ott drags Rose in front of him and shakes her, waking her up. She squints at Finn, clearly disoriented. The masked man snags the book out of his hand.

“First, her.” Hattaska says into his captive’s ear. “Then, you.”

He responds, turning his head toward him. “Don’t touch her.”

Jaedec rounds the corner and spins his scythe, prepared to enact vengeance. Rose fights to keep her eyes open. Finn tries to shake off the force hold again, to no avail.

 

But the shunk of a steel grapple interrupts them, as an orange-and-white ball droid swings down from the ceiling and slams into Ott. He turns and fires a taser at Jaedec, who barely dodges. Rose dives toward Hattaska, trying to interrupt his power. The knight simply deflects her and BB-8. They tumble to the floor. Hattaska turns back to Finn. “I changed my mind. You first.”

 

~~

 

Rey, standing at the top of the sinkhole, can distantly feel Poe behind her, trying to get her attention. But she can only hear the Force. Light, Dark, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting revenge. But now, to see them attacking Finn, Rose, and BB-8… Rey raises her hand.

 

~~

 

Kylo stumbles just once and he’s done. With a single swipe, his grandfather slashes through his abdomen and sends him flying. Shining black walls blur past him and he falls down, down, down, until he reaches the doorway once more. He feels desperately at his stomach, yet he is unharmed. Tor Valum watches as the knight gets up, glaring at his master all the while.

 

The old being had led him into a trap. He meant to break Kylo down, to force him to submit after such failure. But no. Anger reverberates from the young one, more than Valum had ever felt from him. Kylo raises his hand, focusing all his anger on the Sith, like he had been taught.

 

~

 

Jaedec and Ott fall to the ground, clutching their helmets. Hattaska rises, stopping in front of Rey. Wind whips around her as she stares down the enemy. Something whispers to her, telling her to rip out his soul, give Kylo a taste of what she’ll do to him.

 

Poe grabs her shoulder. Finn and Rose shout from far below. Hattaska, beneath his mask, smiles.

 

~

 

Lifeforce drains from Valum into the Supreme Leader. The sith groans in his discordant voice. “Why? I gave you knowledge…”

“Like you gave the ones who used to live in this temple, right before you drained them all?”

“I taught them. As I told you, all I wanted was a student. A worthy one.”

“You want what all Sith always want. Power.”

Kylo pulls harder, letting his anger scorch his victim to ash. He could feel the years of pain and suffering Valum had inflicted, merging with his own.

 

Every soul he ripped from its host. Every Sith he recruited to his cause. Every war he started in his name.

Tor Valum relaxes, still floating, and a sick smile grows on his face. “Power flows from Sith to Sith,” he chuckles. “What makes you any different from us?”

 

With one last yank, the master goes silent and Kylo can almost feel the abyss touch his hand.

 

Rey feels it too. 

 

She immediately lets go, and Hattaska plummets back into the pit. She spots Finn and Rose climbing up and numbly stumbles back from the edge. She stares off into the horizon, madness and hunger still drifting to her from across the galaxy. Her three friends manage to coax her from the sinkhole and back in the direction of the Falcon, because the rest of the Knights would surely be on their tail. Rey doesn’t say a word, acutely aware of how she failed to escape everything Luke and Leia warned her about.

 

~~

 

Kylo feels a wave of self-doubt and fear, but it is distant and fleeting compared to the rippling power in his veins. Tor Valum’s husk lands in front of him. He looks one last time into the eyes of another who wished to bend his will. And he turns away.

 

He walks back to the rooms where his brief training was held. Reaching the chamber with the gronk lizard, he kneels down, extending a hand toward its corpse. A gentle flow of energy passes into it, and colour returns to the animal. He pulls his hand away and the creature is revived, as if it had never been drained at all. Finally, Kylo takes his leave, with the flora and fauna free to reclaim the lonely planet.

Chapter 10: Ignition

Summary:

Poe and the others make one last move to escape the Knights.

The Falcon is gone. Which made sense to Poe, but it didn’t help that they had even further to go now. R2, after informing the Resistance about the Knights, learned they had flown upriver to avoid being tracked. Whether by stray patrols or the Knights themselves, he was glad they were being cautious. Now, they’re scrambling toward the riverbank, having spotted a couple of sail speeders left by nearby villagers.

 

The general runs up to the first one and ushers BB-8 on board. “Rose, you’re with me. Finn…” He glances at Rey and Finn nods back.

“Come on, Rey.” She blinks, snapping out of her silence.

She looks at the others and steps away, “What are we doing? We just go back to the Falcon empty-handed?”

Poe answers softly. “Just come back with us before things get worse.”

She scoffs, a sound very familiar to the general’s ears. “No. We fight here. They’re coming to us, aren’t they? So we get your book back and…” Finn watches her fist tremble, emotion still wracking her mind.

“Leia would want us to return together.”

She brushes him off. “Of course you’d say that.”

 

They go right to arguing with each other, leaving Finn and Rose to watch. Finn seems subdued. But Rose steadies herself and steps into their bickering. “We still have one. A book about the beacons, I mean.”

From her vest’s inner pocket, she produces a small tome and passes it to Rey. “I found it in the library. I was about to tell Finn when I spotted one of those Knights,” she says as Rey thumbs through the pages.

She stops in the middle of the book and looks up at Rose. “Bonadan. That’s where the nearest beacon is.”

“Sorry I didn’t–” But the engineer is interrupted by a hug. Rey squeezes her just a little, clearly clinging on to any bit of hope she can hold. Then, she steps back, grateful but still somewhat melancholy.

“I’ve been focusing too much on what I hate,” the hero says, “and I’m slowing us down.” Rey hops onto the sailboat and helps Finn onboard as well. “I can’t let it happen again.” Her old look of determination returns.

 

Poe and Rose climb on their boat and begin fastening the lines, working quickly as BB-8 powers up the console. The general moves confidently, and Rose notices. “You don’t seem afraid of this speeder.”

He smirks. “Well, my grandfather used to own one of these. Some early mornings, when the weather was clear, he’d let me sail it as fast as I could.” 

He flicks a switch on the small control panel and the boat wobbles, slowly hovering upward until it’s a few metres above the river’s surface. “I guess you could say…” He hovers his hand over the controls, refamiliarizing himself. “...I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.” He cranks the engine lever and the ship flares to life.

He glances backwards and shoots a thumbs up at the others.

 

Finn and Rey’s boat starts down the river at a brisk pace, following behind Poe and Rose’s. Rey is standing at the just activated console and gives a thumbs up back. However, Finn is still struggling to tie down the sail. She helps him hold the sail in place while he successfully forms a knot. They step back and Finn watches her, a worried look on his face.

“I’ll be alright.”

He softens a bit. “No one will blame you for how you’re feeling.”

“But I don’t know what to do. If I let go, if I let myself feel everything… I’ll never be the same again.”

“Nothing has been the same for a long time.”

They lean towards each other at the same time, and Rey’s lips just barely touch Finn’s.

Then, a distant hum pierces through the natural ambiance and they pull apart as if nothing happened.

 

Far behind them, a sharp, triangular ship is fast approaching. Finn speaks through the comms, “It’s the Knife! The Knights of Ren are coming.”

Rey pushes the lever further and the wind picks up their sails quickly. Finn glances backwards quickly, seeing their pursuers get ever closer. On the other boat, BB-8 gives an excited bloop, plugging into the terminal. A screen flickers on, displaying how far they are from the Falcon , the distance gradually shrinking. So too does the distance from the Knife 9, right on their tail. As they drift around the riverbend, Rey shakes her head. “I know that ship… just like I knew the Knights.”

 

Poe shouts into the comm, “Guys, I’m slowing down. I have an idea.”

So the lightsaber wielders glide past, and Rose panics just a little. “Poe?!”

They fall closer and closer to the Knights’ ship, now able to see through the windshield. The Knights sit in an arc at the controls, staring with their faceless masks. Poe stares back.

“Wait…”

The ship is less than a moment away from collision.

“Now!”

The jets on the sailboat light up, and the flames scorch the windscreen, blacking it out. 

 

They soar away, free and clear, until shots impact the river’s surface. The last thing Poe sees before impact is Rose’s horrified face. In seconds, their boat explodes, sending its occupants flying into the river. The Knife finally decided to open fire. 

 

Poe is distantly aware of more shots whistling in the sky above him. He sinks lower into the water, wishing he never learned how to risk his friends’ lives.

 

…

 

The general wakes up, his memories unwarping. He remembers watching Rose and Finn and Rey sinking into bottomless depths, shadows of his X-Wing falling around them. He hesitates, then opens his eyes. The chaos of the Falcon jolts his senses awake and he frantically looks around. He spots Rose sitting up in the adjoining room too, and several engineers are embracing her. BB-8 sits at his bedside, and Rey, Finn, Connix, too much of the Resistance for the cramped room, watches him rise.

 

“I knew you’d be fine.” Rey says.

Fine. Because that was how he felt. Dull pain throbs in his back. “Well, I…”

But he couldn’t stay upset, not when they had survived the First Order once more. And they did it together. His mood brightens. “Good to know you were worried.”

They may be jabbing at each other, but their smiles are sincere. The room erupts in cheers and relief as people quickly begin shuffling out. He turns to see Rose slipping through the crowd, getting a hug from Finn and Rey as she approaches. Poe gives her a quick hug too as he gets out of bed. “So, what now?” He asks.

Rose answers. “Getting out of that air battle, there’s a few gas leaks being patched up, apparently Chewie swears the steering is off, and I lost the book. The Order definitely knows where we’re going now.”

Finn sighs. “That’s not even the worst part."

“Then what is?” Poe’s mood is already starting to dip.

"See for yourself."

 

He steps out of the way, giving the general a clear view out the window. They're approaching the Bonadan system already, he realizes. Two planets hang in space, with an asteroid belt locked between them. A stream of ships soar from the further one toward the closer one, while collections of the Order's ships guard the planets. In the middle of it all, however, is a Super Star Destroyer, the greatest of the villainous fleet. The Eclipse.

 

“Crap.”

Notes:

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Chapter 11: Restoring Order

Summary:

The First Order prepares for what's to come.

The Knife Nine shudders, rumbles, and finally jumps into hyperspace, out of the system the Knights once called home. They had taken a beating from the Falcon, and the Jedi girl before that. But, they had stayed on their tail for long enough for the hyperspace tracker to lock on, so they are well aware the Resistance is in the Bonadan system. While they are more than ready to enact their vengeance, the ship is not. The only way they could keep up the hunt was to return to the birthplace of the Order. With an enhanced hyperdrive it is only a few moments before the ship slows, entering Kuat.

They drop past the orbital ring into the shipyards, the planet terraformed to make way for additional ports and machinery. Cranes work tirelessly, building everything from small fighters to new destroyers. It was here where they had enacted Snoke’s great plan and built Starkiller Base, revealing the fragility of the New Republic and making the Empire seem like mercy. They float down onto a landing pad, and astromechs and engineers flood outwards. The Knights stomp down the ramp in unison, and an Anzellan in a protocol droid-sized mech welcomes them. 

“HEY HEYYY!!” Babu Frik shouts. “Knights need repairs again?”

They simply regard him. The little guy shuffles left and right, continuing. “No worries, eh? We fix quick!”

So he trudges off to manage his droids and the Knights head inside, left to wait and ruminate on the past. 

 

Jaedec leans against the workbench, tapping his foot impatiently. Lorl walks over and pats him sympathetically on the shoulder. Ap’lek meditates, his axe placed on the floor in front of him. Vicrul sharpens his cleaver beside Ott, as he cleans his club. All of them, in some way or another, are thinking of Luke. He found them, took them in, gave them a home. But he was no father. Ap’lek remembers the day he made it to the end of the obstacle course first, yet the Master gave no praise. Told him that Jedi should not parade around their victories, but encourage their allies. All he felt was jealousy when the other younglings cheered him on, so why should he make them feel that way? Vicrul wonders why he was never allowed to tap into his anger. It didn’t stay with him for long and it always led to success, especially by Master Skywalker’s side. He still couldn’t wrap his head around it now.

 

Hattaska walks in from the communications room, having sent a transmission to inform their leader of their next destination. He senses their reminiscence and is hit with a pulse of emotion, stirring up an old memory. He returns to when they were all assembled on that last day, where he saw Ben become Kylo. He can still feel the determination in the man’s eyes, like a string had finally snapped and now he was unbound. He rallied them together, saying they would make a new order, one where everyone could be free from the old ways. It is a shame they remain fighting for that same goal. 

 

Hattaska quietly sends out a pulse of his own, drawing the Knights’ attention back into the now. The Knife’s repairs are complete and there is a Resistance to catch. They head back to the landing pad and set off once more.

 

The Knights rarely look back but the Anzellan waves goodbye regardless, watching as their ship jumps away.

 

~~

 

The TIE Silencer glides through empty space on autopilot, its driver in deep meditation. With a deep breath, Kylo opens the floodgates, letting the full power of Valum into his veins. Immediately, endless whispers assault him. They mutter and grumble and screech and scream, but he is no stranger to chaos. Yet they did not quiet. Rather, they unify and give him wild advice, intent on sharing every bit of their miserable lives to guide their new host. Thankfully, he is no stranger to people telling him what to do either. He strains, giving them a simple command of his own. “Listen.” 

Finally, the voices subside. Without warning, he feels a sting of sympathy for the lost souls. He could sense the faintest traces of good in them and knows if he just let go, they could pass into the light at last. They could disappear into the Force…

 

The Force. He remembers Luke. His classmates. Leia. Even Snoke, to some extent. If he chooses to release them, they would follow him forever. He needs Valum’s strength to finish his mission, to eliminate them all. 

“Power. Where can I get more?”

The voices murmur amongst themselves.

“Coruscant… the Great Temple,” they say.

Kylo sees. His mind’s eye fills with the lost Jedi temple and goes down into the basement, then beyond. Past the ruins of a Sith temple lies a vein of the Force itself.

“Cosmic power…” He lets the whispers fall away, opening his eyes to see the comm light on his dashboard blinking. He listens to the transmission. And then slams his fist into the dash, because the Resistance had survived. Again.

He turns off the autopilot and prepares for the jump. He has one last pit stop to make.

Notes:

Another shorter chapter this time, but the next arc is going to be a doozy!

Chapter 12: Seeking Passage

Summary:

The Resistance looks for a way to the beacon, and finds new ways to fight back.

God, her arm hurt. She played it off in front of the others, but she was glad to put it into a sling. Rose stretches her legs and gets out from the “medbay”, walking over to the cockpit. So far, they are still orbiting around Bonadan and away from the First Order’s patrols, but they have to make a move eventually. Poking in, she waves with her good arm at Poe sitting in the co-pilot chair. “Spot any entrances?”

“Not yet, but we’re going to have to land at some point. We need to stock up on supplies.” He turns to look at her, eyes landing on the sling. “Is that… It’s not permanent, right?”

“No. I’ll get it off in a few days, I think.”

He sighs, leaning back into the seat. She grabs his shoulder. “One of us was bound to get hurt eventually, General. It’s not your fault.”

He almost winces, but nods anyway. Rose decides to give him time and taps him on the shoulder again, signaling her leave.

 

She wanders for a bit, watching people come and go. It makes her think of the mines, and her sister. Every single person onboard the Falcon is dedicated to freeing the galaxy, including her. She was destined to be here, and it would make Paige proud. She goes down the hallway, stopping at the very last storage room. She almost turns around, but she catches a flicker of movement. Sneaking a glance into the room, she realizes Rey is in there, meditating. Rose still doesn’t know much about her, but she has a feeling the Jedi she used to hear stories about aren’t like her. She remembers hearing Jedi used to live like nomads, stationed across the galaxy. But whenever she was with Rey, she got the sense that she wanted to be around everyone more instead of being isolated. Hopefully, with what happened on Ossus, she would choose to be more open with them. Rey starts talking all of a sudden, startling Rose. There isn’t anyone in there, only herself. She backs away, giving the Jedi her privacy.

 

~~

 

Luke could barely get a word out before Rey starts to speak.

“I’m sorry, Master. You were right, I let the dark side take over and- and I almost lost myself. I want to do better. I need to.”

“We all do. I’d spent so much time in exile, afraid of what I’d done. I forgot that I succeeded because I held on to my family,” he says with a chuckle. “I was harsh the last time we spoke. But you saw and felt what Ben is doing. You need to use the light, bring him back, and end this war. You’re the only one who can.”

“I saw him consumed by darkness and looking for more. I can't do it alone.”

“If you bring them with you, they’ll be in danger. No one can win a battle with their heart divided.”

“They’re my family. I can’t keep pushing my feelings away.”

“I never said you had to. The best Jedi knew their emotions and let them go.”

“Like you?”

He hesitates. “I’m far from the best. Anger has consumed me before. And just because it did, doesn’t mean I couldn’t come back.”

“...Alright. I’ll give him one last chance.” 

Luke starts to say something, but Rey cuts him off again. “But I’m not the same person you are. I can’t go back to believing I’m a Jedi.”

 

The Jedi master studies his student’s eyes. She’s serious. What worries him, however, is that the Force had no objections. She really isn’t the next Jedi. But who is?

He responds, “Then don’t. You can’t be someone you’re not.” She gives him a bewildered look before he continues, “But I meant what I said on Crait. I will not be the end of this religion. There is always another. Rey, trust yourself. Trust the Force. You can still use it for good.”

 

He fades away, leaving her with one less weight on her shoulders but still a mountain of questions.

 

~~

 

The Falcon finally finds a safe port, landing in Bonadan’s remote fields. With enough credits, they convinced the farmers to look the other way as “mysterious raiders” resupplied their ship. After throwing a tarp over the Falcon to conceal it, Poe rallies the Resistance outside. Amidst the growing purple wheat, they work out a plan. 

“We need to make it to the beacon, avoid detection from any of the First Order’s blockades or crossings, and end this war. We need to take the fight to them, to Coruscant.”

Various Resistance members already begin to grumble. “If they were a threat with Starkiller Base, there’s no way we can invade the capital of the galaxy with them in control!”

Poe shakes his head. “When we get the galaxy’s attention, we need to do something with it. Otherwise, the new ‘Emperor’ is going to shut it all down.”

Rose steps forward, bolder than ever despite her injury. “We need to distract the Eclipse, get it to look away somehow. Both it and the beacon are in the middle of both planets.”

Even on the ground, they could see the line of beat-up ships stretching into space. Someone says, “We could draw their attention to the spaceport.”

“No way,” Rose says, “we are not risking these people’s lives.” She turns to Poe but continues talking to the crowd. “The only way we can protect them is to storm the Star Destroyer ourselves.”

 

Much of the crew groans at the terrible plan, but not Poe. He looks at their faces, seeing their hopelessness, something he’d been feeling since Ossus. Then he looks back at Rose. All he sees is resolve. She’d been blown up with him on the skiff and still, she remains strong. It reminds him of… himself. Something finally clicks, something Leia would’ve scolded him for not getting earlier.

A pilot yells, “The old general would let us retreat, as long as we can fight another day.”

“It’s too reckless!” A Mon Calamari cries.

Poe raises his voice. 

 

“Resistance is reckless. All the risks we’ve taken are the reason we survive. Leia and the Rebellion, they fought the Empire and won. They showed us it could be done. We don’t have the same resources they did, nor the reinforcements. No one knows we’re here, which is why we need to fight. The galaxy needs to remember that the impossible has happened before. And it can happen again.”

 

Everyone pauses, before Finn starts clapping and hollering. The general has found his own way to lead.

“R2! What do you think you’re doing?!” 3PO’s loud voice interrupts the gathering and they turn to see BB-8 and the golden droid buzzing around R2-D2. 

The astromech emits several harsh noises as his radar dish spins, while BB-8 bubbles with worry. “Oh dear,” 3PO says as he panics toward the others, “we’ve all got to hide! Oh, why would you contact the First Order now?”

R2 follows and answers with irritated beeps while 3PO moves past the crowd, maneuvering into the wheat. The protocol droid admonishes his friend. “I know it’ll be easier to get to the First Order, but shouldn’t you have given us some warning first?”

 

The Resistance looks to Poe, and he motions toward the wheat. They rush in, staying low. He waits for everyone to enter the fields before moving himself. The stalks still, and Poe could be convinced there is no one here but him. The swoosh of a shuttle high above makes him duck lower. He listens intently, hearing the familiar stomps of stormtroopers. Breathing slowly, he becomes aware of someone sneaking toward him. He relaxes as soon as he realizes it’s Finn. Finn silently moves toward the sound of the shuttle and Poe goes, knowing that overthinking would blow their chances. They approach, as on edge as their last daring escape together. 

 

Eventually, the troopers give up on trying to squeeze information from the farmer. They board their shuttle, oblivious to the rebels crouching in their cargo hold. The ramp closes, and Finn listens to the troopers’ muffled speech as they wait for the right moment.

“I told you that was a waste of time. These farmers are always messing with us. I’d like to teach them a lesson.”

“I doubt they have any reason to lie to us.”

Poe starts counting down, raising his fingers for Finn to follow. On the count of three, they burst out and the stormtroopers stumble back. They are unarmed, having left their blasters near the landing ramp. Poe walks up, his gun prepared. “Move,” he commands, pulling one of them to the exit.

Finn walks up to the other and reaches for his arm, turning him around. Now that they are facing each other, Finn can hear his breathing. The soldier is afraid.

“Who are you?” He asks.

The stormtrooper stutters out, “RX-514.”

“Hey!” The one with Poe shouts. “Don’t let them get into your head. Especially not the traitor.”

Poe shakes her. “Shut up.”

She ignores him. “I’m TZ-1719, and the First Order will crush you like gravel.”

Finn takes a step back, waiting to see RX’s reaction as he says, “We’re not here to hurt you. You know what they’re doing is wrong. There are innocent people on this planet and across the galaxy.”

TZ speaks up again. “Who need to be put in their place!”

Finn stands firm. “I know you don’t believe that, those stories they feed us.”

RX whispers. “I can’t. The First Order controls everything. There’s nothing I can do.”

Finn knows that feeling. “You can stop fighting for them. That doesn’t mean you have to come with us, though. But the only way to break free is to take the risk.”

“You’ll lose everything,” TZ says. “Rank and purpose. You’ll be alone.”

“I lost everything on Jakku,” Finn agrees, “and I found it all again. Away from them.”

Poe nods. “We need help. Their downfall starts with you.”

 

RX straightens. “What do you need?”

TZ bows her head, resigning.

 

~~

 

The rest of the Resistance hid until the shuttle’s ramp closed, then leapt onto the Falcon. They wait anxiously for any transmissions from the stowaways. When the comms crackle, Rose is the first to open the channel. “Finn! Poe! Are you there?”

Finn’s voice cuts through the static. “Yeah, we have control. Follow us into the Eclipse, Poe’s got a plan. Oh, and we made a new friend.”

A new voice bursts from the radio. “I’m RX-514. But my name is Rafe.”

Rose grins. “Welcome to the Resistance.”

Chapter 13: Storming the Stars

Summary:

The Resistance mounts their greatest attack yet, in an attempt to turn the First Order's greatest weapon against them.

The Falcon follows close behind the patrol shuttle, turning heads on the Eclipse. As they enter the docking bay, a whole battalion of stormtroopers awaits. Captain Quazon, Phasma’s replacement, leads them. Rafe steps out of the shuttle, leading a handcuffed Finn and Poe into the conditioned air of the Star Destroyer.

“RX-514, what have you brought us?”

He takes a breath before answering. “Everything that’s left of the Resistance. We found the Falcon and these two hiding in it.”

“The new leader and the traitor. What about the rest of them?”

“They’re long gone. Likely at the spaceport, trying to get off Bonadan.”

“Ground troops, deploy! Burn those rebels out of that farmworld.” Quazon sends the battalion away and they hop into carrier ships. 

“Now hand them over.” The captain waves over stormtroopers to take Finn and Poe. Rafe looks at the rebels, hesitates, and finally pushes them toward his captain.

“No, Rafe…” Finn pleads.

Poe glares at him. “You’re making a mistake!” He shakes away, shouting, “We gave you a chance! The only chance you’ll ever have.”

The troopers behind Quazon run to surround the rebels and Rafe. 

“Come quietly, General,” Quazon says, “For the traitor’s sake.”

All guns turn to Finn. The ex-trooper closes his eyes.

 

And all the lights go out. The assembled soldiers lower their guards for a single moment, and the Falcon lights up the room, firing on them all. Poe, Finn, and Rafe drop to the floor, crawling away from the chaos and upward in the direction of the bridge. Then, the dreaded blades burn through the darkness, as Rey descends from their ship. She comes out swinging, keeping them distracted. At the same time, R2 slices through the Eclipse’s systems from a port in the corner, disabling comms, freezing elevators and giving them every chance he can. Finn leads Poe, Rafe, and a small group of the best Resistance soldiers down the fastest route he knows, stunning any grunts that get in their way.

 

Poe shoots open the door to the bridge and yells, “Hands up!” 

They sprint inside, sticking up every First Order member they find.

“Not so high and mighty now, huh? No more fight left in you?” Finn prods a captain.

He snarls. “You’re nobody.”

Finn growls back. “Keep believing that.”

The general’s voice echoes over the PA system. “The Resistance has control of the bridge. Surrender now!”

The stormtroopers stop fighting in the docking bay and drop their weapons. But the rebels’ work is far from done. They spread out across the Destroyer, using stuns and tasers to knock out and bring crew members to the holding cells. But for every Admiral they capture, the Resistance loses a few more. Heroes die, and it is Poe’s turn to carry that weight with him. By the time they reunite on the bridge, their numbers have dwindled considerably, but they press on.

 

“There’s still a lot to do, so we need to split up. Rey, you go to the beacon. If the Jedi had notes on it, the Force could be the key to activating it.”

She nods to Poe’s command.

“Rose…” He trails off, disturbed by her glare. She knows.

“The people on Bonadan,” she says. “You’re putting them all at risk.”

“We had to distract them, but I’m not done yet. I have an idea to keep the citizens safe.”

“...I just hope it works.”

Poe nods, taking the burden, and refocuses. “Rose, go with Rey. If that old beacon can still interface with the communication tech we have now, there might be something an engineer like you can do.”

Rose looks at Rey in awe for a moment, and then nods as well. Rose heads back to the Falcon to get her tools. “I’ll go get ready.”

As she steps through the door, she bumps into Finn and gives him a long look, tinged with regret.

“What is it?” He asks.

“I should apologize. I walked into what you had with Rey. I should have known you two were together. I’m…” Her voice trembles and she runs off, Finn shouting after her, “Rose, wait!” But she has disappeared down the hall.

 

Rey walks up from behind. “I’ll talk to her,” she says. “You should help out with the Eclipse for now.”

Finn nods. “Stay safe out there.” 

Rey smiles. “You too.” They both have more to say, and both decide it should be left for later. She goes and he turns back to the bridge, wanting to ask Poe if he needs any help. But the general is the next to bump into him as he comes through the door, heading to the docking bay as well.

“Where are you going?”

“To finish my idea. I promised Rose.”

Finn follows him, saying, “I’ll go with you.”

“I have to go alone. We need help and the person I’m going to… Well, Leia wasn’t even sure how trustworthy he is.”

Finn walks with him down the hall and into the lift anyway. As they get off the elevator, a group of stormtroopers passes by, being guided by rebels who have stolen their blasters. Poe notices Finn watching them and nudges him toward them. “I need someone I trust to watch over the Resistance, and anyone who might join.”

Finn draws back, catching on. “Alright, alright. You should bring BB-8 with you, though.”

Poe jogs into the Falcon as its last crate of supplies is unloaded, and BB-8 does indeed follow him. Finn watches him depart and then walks to the barracks. They need an army, and what better than to use the First Order’s against them?

 

He hits the panel and the huge door slides open, revealing a legion of stormtroopers. Rafe and TZ, who is still tied up, are there too. Most are waiting to see what the Resistance will do. Finn grabs a microphone off the wall and tells them.

 

"I was a stormtrooper. Some days, I wake up thinking I still am."

 

Rey flies the shuttle through the asteroid belt, and the beacon reveals itself, its pointed shape standing out from the rocks.

 

"I tell myself I’m not what the First Order made me. That I’m free."

 

A couple of troopers laugh. Others shake their heads. But without their weapons, there’s nothing they can do except listen to his voice on the PA.

 

"I’ve realized that I’m wrong. Every bit of training and conditioning will always be in my head." 

 

Poe, at the helm of the Millenium Falcon, soars onto an isolated dock, parking next to a high-class cantina in the middle of an expansive lake.

 

"But so will everything else I’ve learned since I left. I’m a stormtrooper, and I’m also a person. The same goes for all of you." 

 

Rey, Rose and R2-D2 enter, the beacon doors sealing like an airlock behind them. Machinery, long out of use, lines the walls. They look at each other, a little overwhelmed, and start inspecting.

 

"We are more than what they made us. And we can decide for ourselves what to fight for."

 

Poe strolls into the cabaret club, past the bar and the dining tables to a corner booth. Seated there, counting the day’s earnings, is Lando Calrissian.

 

"I chose to fight for the same thing I always have, even as a trooper. My family."

Notes:

And the third act begins Σｄ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)

Chapter 14: Revenge of the Sith

Summary:

The past casts shadows on us all.

“I heard about Leia. I should have been there at the end. We were family, once.”

“The rebels were her family too. She wasn't alone.”

They quiet as the waiter pours them drinks. Lando takes a sip. “I'm guessing you didn't fly to one of the most heavily guarded planets in the Mid-Rim to reminisce though.” 

“The general told me to come find you. She believed you would join us, and I’m surprised you didn’t earlier. You were a general, you blew up the second Death Star, I mean-”

“I did a lot more than that. There are things the galaxy has forgotten, for the better.” Lando’s face is remorseful.

Poe waves BB-8 over, who had been hastily fitted with his BB-9E disguise before they landed. “It didn’t change what she wanted you to be.”

The droid tilts his eye upwards and projects a holo of Leia. She’s talking with another New Republic councillor, and the sight of her makes Lando swallow.

The councillor says, “Senator, Calrissian abandoned Cloud City. Bringing him on as a councillor, it’s insane. And you know what they think of you.”

She responds with familiar sass. “Not all the senators think I’m insane. Or maybe they do? I don’t really care.”

He chuckles. “If that’s how you feel, I’ll do my best to locate him, then.”

The recording stops and Lando blinks, misty-eyed. “That princess…” he trails off. Poe pats BB-8 on the head. “You’re a good man, Lando. I need your help. Troopers must have just landed at the spaceport, and you have at least a little influence to open a nice place like this. Keep the people out there safe.”

Lando nods slowly, but Poe has more to request. “And we need more leaders to take the fight to Coruscant.”

 

He recoils in shock and glances around the room quickly. “Everyday there are more First Order sympathizers,” he says. “I’ve carved out a living among them.” 

“So?”

Lando gestures for Lobot, his bartender, to come over. “I’ve been a smuggler a lot longer than a hero. There’s nothing tying me to the Resistance, Poe. I’ve already won a war. I’ve done my due for the galaxy.”

Lobot arrives and leans over, preparing to escort Poe out. He asks Lando, “The back?”

Poe ignores him. “It’s not the galaxy we’re fighting for.”

The old man sighs as Lobot waits for an answer. “All the people I fought for are gone. This isn’t my war.”

Poe gets up, begrudgingly. “It shouldn’t be anyone’s.” He turns to Lobot to make his leave.

Lando commands him, “Go.” And they exit out the door with the fewest eyes on it. 

As the general steps out of the building with BB-8, he leaves the bar owner with one last, lingering glare. Lando sits back in his seat, sends a transmission to his contact at the port, and returns to counting his money.

 

~~

 

Rose cranes her head upwards, trying to connect wires and get the beacon working. Rey observes, attempting to find where they should all lead to. R2-D2 analyzes the main dashboard, figuring out where he could plug in and send a message. They work peacefully and Rose is impressed. “I never thought a Jedi would help me fix pipes.”

“I’m happy to help. I’ve been around old machines my whole life. Never this old, though. Try connecting this one with this tube.”

Rose welds the pieces together. “My parents made sure I recognized every part of every vehicle I encountered. That way, my sister could fly it and I could fix it when we escaped.”

“Everyone has people to guide them. I'm glad you had your family for that. Now, you have people like me, Poe, and… Finn.”

Rose shakes her head. “We don’t have to talk about this. I’m not really one of you. I don’t belong in your- rgh” she grunts, tightening the connectors between the last pipes. “-stories.”

 

Rey starts to retort but stops, sensing how the Force wants to connect something to the main console. She reaches out, bridging the gap. The beacon whirs, and lights travel down from the ceiling, into the floor. The buttons on the dashboard light up as well, and the beacon is ready to transmit. R2 beeps happy beeps, and ejects a data card from one of his slots. “What’s this?” Rose asks.

She takes it, inserts it into the console, and a message from Leia begins to play. “To our allies scattered across the galaxy–” But the audio stutters while the holo tries to project. It fizzles, freezes, and ultimately breaks. The drive ejects itself, incompatible.

“Damn it!” Rose groans, “What are we going to do now?”

But Rey’s attention has been drawn elsewhere once again, as she looks beyond the door. “The First Order’s found us. Kylo and the Knights will be here any minute.” She turns back to Rose, sensing her fear. “I’ll stall. You record a new message.”

“What? I can’t! The whole reason you got a lightsaber was for this, because Poe-”

“In the time I was gone, you convinced Finn to stay and fight. You made him believe in the Resistance. I know he isn’t fighting because of me.”

The door whirs, about to open.

“The galaxy needs people like you as much as they need Jedi.” 

Rey leaves Rose, running towards the door. 

 

It hisses, and Kylo steps through. On the outside, he looks much the same, but no Force is required to feel how sinister he’s become on the inside. He stares down Rey. “Still trying to turn me?”

“It’s what Luke wanted. All of them want you to come home.”

“But you know I won’t.”

“I know you’ve thought about it. You’ll never stop thinking about it.”

“Maybe.”

Instead of bringing out his lightsaber like Rey thought he would, the door hisses again and opens. The Knights step through, walking past Kylo and drawing their weapons. Hattaska moves in front of them, finally unclipping his weapon from his belt. Flipping a hidden switch on the hilt, a flat, dark blade with veins of white slides out. A black lightsaber. Rey twists the activator switches on her saber and breathes in.

 

Rose exhales. “Okay, record a message…” R2 turns his head toward the record button. She sighs. “What does the galaxy need to hear?”

Sudden clashing behind her startles both of them, and R2 suddenly starts sliding toward Rey’s battle. One of the Knights is pulling him away, his hand outstretched! She grabs onto the astromech, trying to pull him back. Thankfully, Rey kicks that Knight and breaks his concentration, letting R2-D2 roll back. He plugs into the dashboard immediately, searching for defense measures. He accidentally reveals new windows on the walls of the beacon, and new spotlights turn on, shining onto Rose for her broadcast. “Thanks R2.” She says dryly. The droid responds with an optimistic beep.

 

Rey tries to keep her distance, knowing they could overpower her in seconds. With her free elbow, she knocks down Vicrul as Kylo speaks up.

“I know what you’ve been thinking about,” he says as he orbits the battle. “Your family. And no, not the Resistance. Your parents.” Ticked off, she swings hard into Jaedec’s scythe, slicing it in half. The Knight stumbles back. Kylo’s words float over the battle. “You still wonder why they left you behind.” Jaedec tries to push her back with the Force, but she resists. The other Knights lunge toward her. She throws her blade out and they duck and dodge, unable to move in. 

Kylo continues. “You know your new family will never fill their void. You’ll always be alone.” She catches her saber on the way back and slashes through him, killing Jaedec Ren. She whirls around, back on the defensive, glaring at Kylo. “Shut up.”

 

Rose just catches Kylo’s last words and it dawns on her. She hits record and stares up at the camera.

“Hi… everyone. I’m Rose, from the Resistance.”

Another Knight tries to grab her with the Force to stall her message, but Rey’s assault is too dangerous. His concentration is broken as he blocks another strike. Rose feels a whoosh behind her, but she holds on. “Shutting off communication between systems was the worst decision the First Order ever made. Silence is where we have the most power.”

Rey twists, cutting into Ott’s shoulder. With a spin, she slashes through him again and he collapses, dead. Kylo grits his teeth. If he didn’t talk now, he’d lose the chance. He shouts over Rose and the battle. “I know why you recognize the Knights.”

Rey pauses for a moment and listens. “I hadn't joined them yet, but…” Long enough for Ap’lek to knock her down and Hattaska to move in, Darksaber raised. 

 

“...They were the ones who killed your parents.”

 

She remembers. The memories are fuzzy, but she knows the Knights of Ren were on Jakku. Meeting with her parents. And the next day, her parents... Kylo finishes the thought. “They left to save themselves. It failed.”

She looks at Hattaska, remembering their masks, their ship, and impossibly, remembers (perhaps through the Force) that he was the one to strike them down. Her mind scrabbles for purchase, trying to climb, but the darkness rises up to meet her. She could still hear Rose. “...one whisper can shake the whole galaxy.” She should stop. She thinks of the people who love her, but longs for love from the ones that left her behind. She has a family. But the Knights, they took her parents. That was something she could never get back. 

She extends her hand, eyes burning. Lightning blasts from her fingertips, years of doubt and fear unleashed into Hattaska. He is lifted into the air and thrown through one of the beacon’s upper windows, hurtling into space. Steel shutters close over the broken window, sealing it.

 

Kylo watches, eyes wide. The darkness inside her is too much for him to drain now. He had to defeat her, break her will to fight. He grunts in disappointment, watching Rey flare with power. The Knights back away, unwilling to approach her now.

“All the Force does is remind us of the past. It holds us back, all those connections. I’m going to end it.” Kylo says, walking away.

After the initial blast, her anger swirls away, leaving her hollow. He leaves her one last direction. “I’ll see you at the Grand Temple.” The door opens, and Kylo retreats with his Knights. She remains, panting, unwilling to acknowledge the new power she felt. She can’t fight on, not if hate drives her.

 

Rose looks back, having seen everything since Hattaska was tossed out the beacon. Rey finally turns her head to look at Rose, and Rose understands how isolated she feels. Rose looks into the camera one last time and finishes the announcement.

“The First Order wins by making us think we’re alone. We’re not. There are more of us.”

Chapter 15: Coruscant Calling

Summary:

The Resistance heads to the capital of the galaxy, well aware of the approaching final battle.

Notes:

Concept art comes from Brian Recktenwald on Artstation, from his work on the (also cancelled) Star Wars 1313.

As soon as the landing ramp touches down in the Eclipse, BB-8 rolls out. Poe catches up as soon as he hands off the Falcon to Chewbacca, finding his droid in the barracks. While it catches 3PO up on Lando, Poe finds Finn in a small group of unmasked stormtroopers. 

“You’ve been busy.”

“Yeah, but they only needed a push. Did you get whoever it was?”

He shakes his head. “He won’t be joining us, but he promised to help the citizens of Bonadan at least.”

Finn catches his disappointment. “We don’t need that guy. We have an army right here under their noses.”

Poe looks around. Most of the troopers are still masked and awkwardly standing around. The general looks at him in disbelief. “You mean-?”

“Yep. Everyone in this room, masked or not, is now part of the Resistance.”

Each of the unmasked stormtroopers greets Poe, Rafe among them. Poe laughs. “I always knew you had it in you, buddy.” He pats Finn on the back.

 

Poe makes for the elevator, waving goodbye to those in the barracks. Before hitting the call button, he looks around one more time and spots the shuttle pulling into the ship. Finn sees it too, and they run through the bay, hoping their friends are safe. The landing ramp slowly lowers, revealing Rey and Rose, both slightly banged up, but alive. R2-D2 is the last to come out, beeping happily. Rose speaks first. “We sent a message. Not the one Leia left, but one the galaxy needed.”

Rey smiles. “You don’t need to be so vague. She made her own message.”

Poe chuckles in relief. “I might be out of a job soon.” He guides them over to the elevator, making their way towards the bridge.

 

“I don’t know how she kept her cool,” Rey says, “because Kylo and the Knights were there.”

“Did they track us?” Finn asks.

“They must be. They know we’re going to Coruscant. Or at least, Kylo knows I am. But they don’t seem to know about the Eclipse.”

Poe nods. “So we still have a head start. But don’t tell me you’re thinking of finding Ren.”

“He told me where he’s going and we’re going to the same planet anyway, but...” She shakes her head, changing the subject. “On the beacon, I fought the Knights and killed… three of them, I think.”

“You say that so easily.” Poe comments.

Rey is barely able to stop herself from saying that it was. Her tone doesn’t waver. “The less on their side, the better.”

Spotting the lull in the conversation, Rose gets Finn’s attention. “I’m sorry for storming off. I was jealous of… all of you, really.” Finn tries to cut her off. “You don’t have to-” 

“Finn. Being a hero was all I’ve ever wanted to be. And after meeting you, I thought it was finally my shot. But all those months on the run and… I mean, I helped, but it never seemed like enough.”

Rey chimes in. “You don’t have to fight to be a hero.” 

Finn grins. “You’ve done more for me than most people have. You saved my life on Crait. Showed me there’s a thousand ways to fight back.”

“And I kissed you.” “Yeah, you did.” They chuckle, and he pulls her into a hug. “I love you too, Rose,” he says, “and I’m glad you’re in this family.”

 

The general smiles, but shakes his head. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to rest.” He walks faster down the hall, and the others race to catch up. “We have to get ready for the jump to hyperspace. It’s only a matter of time before someone in the First Order tries to send troops over, thinking they still control this Destroyer.”

The door to the bridge slides open and the four of them walk through, clearly trying to puzzle things out.

“But where are we going to land? There are scout ships all over Coruscant, and they’ll know when something’s up,” Rose asks.

“If I may,” Commander D’Acy offers, “the Republic used to bring up the Depths of the planet all the time.” She pulls up a holo above one of the tables and gestures to what lay underneath the grand skyscrapers.

 

“They wanted to ‘build them up’, put all citizens on equal footing, but they could never make any progress. The lower levels despised their leaders and probably still do, all those broken promises.”

Poe reaches a new realization. “The First Order is just the latest to put their boots on people’s necks. And that’s the perfect cover.” He rotates the planet map and zooms into an access point. “This is a portal, where underworld citizens can travel to the upper layers. The people down there, they’ve been working with outdated tech for ages. So the odds of them seeing the message?”

3PO hobbles up, but shuffles away after a stern look from the general.

“They’ll be rushing through, leaving us to act as enforcers. If we just dock the Destroyer above them, we’ll be clear to head through and find anyone loyal to our cause.”

“And if we can’t?” Rey asks.

“Whether we can or not, we make for the Capitol. No more waiting for them to find us.” He hits a few switches on one of the consoles and grabs onto a lever. “Get ready to jump.”

She takes one last look at her friends, each of them staring out the viewport and waiting for the blue blur of hyperspace. The future feels closer than ever, and what it would hold worries her the most. Rose sighs next to her, feeling the same way. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

 

Poe cranks the lever.

 

~~

 

Kylo stares out the window of his chambers in the Capitol. In this place, the First Order proved it could match its predecessor. Now, he would surpass it. He raises his hand, holding Vader’s burned helmet. To his grandfather, he speaks. “I will succeed where you failed.”

He slides open the window and looks down at the yawning abyss, stretching many layers deep into the planet. He tosses the black mask out and it vanishes from sight, along with any lingering doubt. With the helmet discarded, he spins around. His gaze locks on to Hux, who has been waiting. “You summoned me, Supreme Leader?”

Kylo ignores the ire in his voice. “I need you to execute the Final Order, Emperor.”

Hux almost flinches at the title. “I- I’m afraid I am unfamiliar.”

“Unsurprising. Snoke kept it to his inner circle. It was his last contingency, after all.”

 

Hux sneers as Kylo opens a holomap of the galaxy. He presses a button and many planets are highlighted. “These are the major systems right now. And these…” he says as he hits a different button, “...are the planets with dormant agents.” Most of the major planets turn red, including Coruscant.

He turns back to Hux. “When you initiate the order, the current leadership of the galaxy will be… removed. The agents will ascend to their highest positions and there will be nothing left of the past.”

The leader of Coruscant feels his throat go dry. This couldn’t be the end for his rule. Rage fills him. “And what of the future? The people on these planets will not just let their leaders die.”

“We’re leading now, aren’t we? They’ll listen. You’ve got three hours before the next council meeting.” Kylo says casually as he walks past him and waves a hand, opening the door. Hux clears his throat and the Supreme Leader stops, listening. “We’ve built a new suit for you. Made of the finest mandalorian metal. Would you like the troopers to bring it to you?”

“I don’t need another mask.”

“You’d rather the girl leave another scar?”

 

Kylo whirls, hand out. Hux expects the grip around his neck, but pain cracks through his chest. He keels over, groaning as his heart struggles to pump. 

“What am I?” The force wielder leans in and asks. “Tell me what you really think.” He lets go to give the emperor a break, only to startle him with a shout. “Tell me!”

“You’re still a boy. Unaware of what you’re about to do and far from the man you want to become. Only a child would be afraid of you.”

Kylo pulls away, leaving Hux to recover. He looks over his shoulder at the fallen man and says, “I’ll get the armor myself.”

 

~~

 

The street kid follows the crowd towards the portal. He’d seen the message, they all had. A sign the Resistance still shone, somewhere in the stars. There are more of us, he recites in his head as he gets into the elevator. It’s cramped, but he manages to squeeze himself into the far corner. He pulls in his clothes carefully and ruffles his hair, trying to look small and unnoteworthy. Getting through the spot checks always made him nervous, no matter how flawlessly he’d done it before. He gets one short look at his reflection through the dull, graffiti-stained metal walls before the door opens to the upper levels. It is night on the surface, and the cover of darkness only makes the group bolder. He pushes his way to the front, not stopping to consider why everyone else had froze.

 

It’s not the guards his eyes land on first. It’s the Star Destroyer. Bigger than any he’d ever seen. The guards move towards them, asking for identification, and he finally notices how many more of them there are. He backs up, trying to reenter the group. So this is how he’d get caught.

 

But two more troopers appear and gesture the initial guards to the Destroyer. He can’t make out what they’re saying, but the guards leave. What is going on? One of them approaches with a nudge from another, and removes their helmet. It’s… “Rose. The Rose. F-from the transmission.” He says, words fumbling out of his mouth. The one behind her takes off their helmet, and the face of a brave man emerges. “We’re the Resistance.” 

The crowd surges forward, offering thanks and pleading with them. Rose looks taken aback, and the man chuckles. “Still think you aren’t one of us?" She smirks and looks at all these people, desperate for freedom. This is why they fight. She stops, noticing the boy, standing there, starstruck. He tries to brush his hair back and dust off his clothes. “We need help,” she says, looking at him. Asking him. “Anything you can get us, supplies or anyone underground who’s willing to join.”

He swallows and nods. “I’m Arih. We’ve been waiting for you.”

 

~~

 

“We can handle these boxes.”

Finn looks around the rapidly-emptying cargo bay, and then back at Rafe and the others. “You sure?” He asks. 

Rafe answers with a nod. “Heavy lifting is easy compared to what’s next.”

“Besides,” the woman lifting the other side of the crate says, “your girlfriend’s looking for you.” Finn raises his eyebrows and turns, noticing Rey waiting by the double doors. “She’s not my-” Seeing their expressions, he sighs and waves them off, going after her while they chuckle to themselves.

Rey meets him halfway and says, “I have to go.”

“Go where?”

“Kylo is going to the Great Jedi Temple. And if I don’t stop him…”

“Then we’re going together. I’ll get Rose and Poe and-”

“No. I need to do this myself. Kylo was right about my past. I can’t do anything if loss is all I’m thinking about, like losing you again.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Not anymore.”

“But-” “I’m not afraid, Rey.”

 

She stops, a realization hitting her, and chuckles. Finn looks confused. She takes the lightsaber off his belt and immediately hands it back to him.

“You’re the Jedi.” She says, and Finn is even more confused. She elaborates. “You’ve embraced your fears, moved on from your past… you’re everything Luke wanted for the future.”

He looks at the saber. He is more. He takes his lightsaber. “Thank you.”

Rey smiles softly. “Yeah.” She wants to turn away, but there’s still something left. Finn is thinking the same thing. “I love you,” they say at the same time. For a second, they stare at each other, and then her lips are on his.

 

She takes off after that, leaving those in the cargo bay with hope.

Notes:

The penultimate chapter is coming up next!

Chapter 16: Attack of the Clones

Summary:

Kylo and Rey reflect upon themselves. The war is between the Resistance and First Order is imminent.

Kylo enters the darkened temple’s back entrance, feeling the voices prickle the back of his neck. Even through the helmet, they were loud and insistent. These would be the last ruins he’d ever tread into. Following the voices, he goes down flight after flight of stairs, until another voice calls out. He turns to face a hallway, and listens for its echoes. It is familiar, almost as though he has heard many of the words from a different mouth. It is unnerving, but strangely… comforting too. It leads him to a room overlooking an outdoor training area, where the grass grows in patches of light. A strong gust of wind makes him turn away for a moment, and when he looks back, he is on Ossus.

 

The Falcon sits in front of him and Luke approaches the landing ramp, a younger and happier man. Kylo exhales, the aggravated sound muffled through his filter. He should’ve known that voice was from the Light. Despite their teachings, they never knew when to let go. He starts to walk away when his mother’s voice comes from the false ship in front of him.

“Luke.” She says simply. Kylo walks closer, seeing Leia step down from the ship and nod toward her brother. From the inside of the ship, he hears his father.

“C’mon kid,” he says, bringing a young Ben Solo down the ramp. Kylo should leave, return to his search, but it seems he doesn’t know when to let go either. Han pauses at the bottom of the ramp, looking from Leia to Luke, and cracks a smile. “Look at us rebels, still kicking.” He says to Luke. The Jedi shakes his head. “We’ve still got a lot to do. The future holds heavy burdens for us all.”

“We cannot fail,” Leia agrees, “but do me a personal favour? Be optimistic.” They chuckle, and Han rolls his eyes. She puts a hand on Ben’s shoulder, and Han on his other. “You better come back to us, alright?” The grizzled general says to his son. Ben turns to Leia, and is swept into a crushing hug. Han sighs and joins in, and they embrace for a long moment. Luke watches with sympathy, but also with a pang of longing. Kylo refuses to admit how much he feels the same way.

 

Ben breaks out of the hug and nods to his parents. “I’ll come back stronger.” He slowly walks over to Luke. Leia and Han watch and while her lips don’t move, her voice echoes through the space, “I always hated watching you leave.” Kylo flinches, remembering how they are all still watching him. As Luke guides Ben towards the temple, he gives him his first piece of advice. “You may be my nephew, but your Jedi training will be just as hard as the rest. Should you choose to walk away, the Force will stay with you, never to leave your side.” As he speaks, the wind kicks up again, blowing the past away. Kylo doesn’t move, staring down the grassy field. Would he ever be alone?

 

~~

 

Poe follows Arih through the alleys of lower Coruscant. He’d never seen anything like the species wandering the streets or  so much of the Umate Mountain that the city is built around. But it isn’t all alien. He watches the boy greet almost everyone they walk past and it reminds him of the early days of the New Republic, when everyone wasn’t desperate to keep the peace, wasn’t ignoring the darkness. No, these people faced their fears, are still facing them, and have chosen to stay together. But the future he wants depends on whether they would fight that darkness. He, Arih and the small band of Resistance members come up to the upper entrance of a long, long abandoned spaceport, resting on the mountainside. The building’s landing pads extend from the main structure and climb upwards, the exit to Coruscant's surface still high above.

 

Arih opens a side door and they move inside, finding a moderately-sized office transformed into a living space. There’s a hammock and a few cushions on some old storage boxes, with dusty sheets covering old control consoles. “The First Order would never look twice at a place like this,” he says proudly. He runs his finger over one of the consoles, finding a keypad and punching in a sequence. Then, he moves to the next one, inputting a similar pattern without lifting the sheets. In the distance, a click signals a door unlocking. “We’re almost there.” He says, ushering them deeper into the spaceport. They follow him into the next door, and the space opens up as they step into a sprawling parking bay, the heart of this underground resistance. There are starfighters and ground vehicles, all cobbled together using abandoned Imperial and First Order ships and repainted with bright colours. People mill about, repairing things, and many perk up upon seeing Arih with others.

 

 

A young woman, not that much older than Arih, jogs up and peers at the group. “Is this it?” She says.

“Of course not!” The kid responds. “The rest of them are on their way.”

She raises her eyebrows expectantly. “Then get out there and bring the rest of them in.”

“So you get to talk with the heroes?”

“No, you gashead. To make sure they aren’t being followed.”

Arih groans and runs back out the door. Rose’s brows furrow as she looks at the woman. “You should treat him with more respect. He’s young, and he’s still standing against the First Order with the rest of you.”

Her expression softens upon realizing how she appeared, but her words are still hard. “He’s my brother, and he should know better. Our parents were in the Rebellion and they were heroes of their own back then. Every skill they had, they taught us. But enough of that.” She approaches the group. “This is the Underground.”

Poe extends a hand. “I’m the leader of the Resistance, Poe Dameron. Nice to know we really aren’t the only ones out here.”

“Here I thought Rose was the general. I’m Kanna.”

Rose waves awkwardly. Poe breezes on. “The First Order knows something’s coming for them, though they don’t know it’s us just yet. Assemble your formations. We’re ending this reign.”

“They did announce the doubling of inspections and even greater restrictions on hyperspace lanes an hour ago…” Kanna thinks aloud. The First Order had to be cooking up something worse, and she wouldn’t wait around to find out what. “Let’s go to war.”

 

~~

 

Rey climbs the crumbling steps towards the temple’s entrance. Torn banners from the Sith still hang on the outer walls, and everything is in shambles as she crosses inside. Her head starts to throb, as if the Force is struggling to breathe, and the feeling only gets worse when she recognizes Kylo’s presence somewhere below her. She steels herself and makes after him, falling into a rhythm as she goes down the stairs. As she turns down the endless corridors, trying to keep up with him, it becomes clear just how massive the temple’s interior really is. Pillars only get larger the further she goes, and the emptiness of each hall makes it appear even more cavernous.

 

She passes by another room and freezes upon hearing her parents’ voice. She walks back to the doorway, eyes landing on her younger self, not too long before her parents left. The room has been transformed into a small hut, and through its thin walls she can barely make out the sandy wasteland of Jakku. The child is playing with a small droid, its body made of a wheel with a cone-shaped head. Her parents continue to speak somewhere further away in the room. Rey peers around the entrance, but the room stretches to draw her focus to the child, keeping her parents just out of view. All she can do is watch and see what the Force vision has in store. 

 

The droid’s wheel starts to squeak as the girl rolls it around, and it stutters out an “U-uh o-oh.” She tightens its outer screws, and after a beat of thinking, pushes its head down and rummages around. The droid’s voice changes rapidly and then goes silent as the girl sits back, finished. It rolls forward, then back, free of squeak, and then attempts to speak slowly, without stuttering. 

“Thank you…” Her face brightens, its new voice having far more personality…

“…R-r-rey.” And then her mood flips. She cries out in irritation and throws it, the droid crashing somewhere outside the door frame. Her mother’s voice gets closer. “We told you not to throw your toys!” She shouts.

“Do you know how expensive D-0 was?” Her father groans. “All those portions we traded away, so you could have a stuttering wheel.”

“Sorry.” Rey’s younger self whimpers.

Rey can hear the droid being cleaned up. Seconds later, it rolls back into view. 

“D-don’t worry,” it says, rolling back and forth. The child smiles and starts to chase after D-0, laughing.

 

The sounds of play fade out and now Rey can only hear her parents speak in hushed voices. 

“Mood swings, lashing out… she’s been doing this since she was born.” Her father whispers, “And how did she know what wires to mess with to change its voice?”

“Then they were right.” Her mother says gravely. The sounds of drinks being poured ring out. They take a swig and her father lets out a sigh. “Even if they aren’t, what are we going to do? They’ll be back to collect tomorrow morning.”

“We have to leave.”

“They found us in the middle of nowhere.”

“But is it really all of us they’re after?”

Silence.

“Our daughter, or our lives.” Her mother says.

 

Her father makes up his mind far too quickly. “I’ll talk to Plutt tonight, see what we can get in exchange. She learns quickly.”

Her mother grabs his hand. “We are going to get through this.”

Rey takes a step into the room, desperate to see their expressions. Kylo had to be wrong. They loved her. But sand kicks up, wiping the vision away. She squints, trying to see her parents again and, at the last moment, gets a glimpse of the swirling emotions in their eyes before they vanish forever.

 

She looks down the hallway, hand lingering on the doorframe. Once again, she is separated from everyone she loves, and she can’t be certain whether they’re alive until it's too late. Could she risk being alone again? 

 

~~

 

In the Capitol, Hux prepares for the worst-case scenario. Quazon approaches, looking rightfully unsettled after the Eclipse was lost under his watch.

“The locks are disengaged?” The emperor asks.

“Yes,” Quazon nods. “We can deploy the Marauders if we must.”

“Not while I still have time.”

They walk out to a balcony overlooking the top of the building. Hux grips the railing and Quazon notices his knuckles whitening with tension. The emperor clears his throat. “I want every cannon and laser we have pointing up. The second the Eclipse, or that damned Falcon is spotted, turn them to dust.”

“Yes sir.” Quazon replies. He knows better than to hesitate in the face of his leader’s current state. After all, Hux has yet to accept that he has one hour left to live.

 

~~

 

Kanna, arms crossed, waits at one of the landing pads, where Poe has finally decided to show up.

“Busy writing your speech?”

“Very funny. I’ve been checking on your ships. They’re in good shape, but most of your people… Can they– do they even know how to fly?”

“I talked to Rose, and she said you knew how to lead. You’re the best pilot she’s ever met.”

Poe smiles gratefully, but the memory of his overconfidence on Ossus rises up.

“Never said I was a good teacher though, did she? I’m–”

“Reckless? Heard that too. So I had my own idea.”

Kanna pushes a button and the door to the pad raises slowly, giving Poe ample time to drink in the sight of a freshly painted X-Wing.

 

It is a shiny orange with stripes of black running along the sides. The doors to the astromech droid’s slot are marked with a modified logo of the Resistance, replacing the rising star with the peak of Umate.

“You’ll fly in and lead the people who can pilot from your ship. I’ll have to take the rest for a ground assault.”

Poe gently runs his hand along the hull, bewildered. “I– I… I was only gone for an hour!”

“Your Resistance friends gave me a lot of ideas. You’ve made a big impact on them.”

“How do I thank you?”

“Win the war,” she smirks.

Poe pats the ship. “You got it, general.”

 

Finn runs in, breathing heavily. “Finally! It’s impossible to find people in this place. Everyone’s here and almost ready to ambush, so we should get out there.” He wipes the sweat off his brow and at last, notices the X-Wing. “Nice ship,” he says, still trying to catch his breath.

Kanna nods in thanks.

 

~~

 

“Cannons in position!”

Turbolasers creak upwards and TIEs line the skies. 

 

“Man your ships!” People leap into their fighters, trusty droids being slotted in with them.

 

“Line up!” Troops stand at the ready, preparing for the world to become a battleground.

 

Finn clips on a blaster next to his saber, waiting for the elevator with an army of reformed stormtroopers with him.

 

Rose puts the finishing touches on an A-Wing, before going to join Finn, Kanna, and the other ground troops.

 

Poe sits in his cockpit for what might be the last time, piloting the new Black Zero.

 

Soldiers bow to Hux, the Final Order eating away at the Emperor’s mind.

 

And Rey finds herself ascending out of a dark stairwell into an open room with a sealed pit in its centre. Kylo stands at the opposite end, lightsaber ignited.

Notes:

Writing those flashbacks was a doozy! Totally worth it though. Sorry for the long wait... hopefully the finale chapters won't take so long?

Chapter 17: Burn Them Down

Summary:

The war on Coruscant, and for the whole galaxy, begins.

Notes:

The Battle of Coruscant, now in three parts.

“I thought you changed.”

“You mean the armor.” 

Kylo’s voice is back to the way it was when they first met, hidden behind a filter. “It’s who I am.”

“And wanting to be better than Darth Vader? Is that still your goal?”

He points his lightsaber at the pit in the room’s centre. “I told you. My target is the past.”

She isn’t sure what he means, though whatever power lay there is equal parts hypnotic and oppressive. Rey walks closer, holding her saber tight. “Whatever you’re going to do ends here. I won’t show you mercy. Not anymore.”

 

The mask’s filter scrambles Kylo’s sigh. “You should’ve taken my hand.”

Disappointment cracks through her response. “Not when there was so much you could have been.”

Without warning, he runs at Rey and she unleashes her blades, blocking as their fates collide.

 

~~

 

Waiting in the vast command room feels like a waste of time for the Emperor. But waiting in the conference room would be much worse. Potential words of his final speech turned to mush in his head and he tries to pull it together, but the Order is losing its meaning. At least Coruscant would be protected in his… absence.

 

The bridge officer appears behind him, “Your Eminence, the Eclipse has been found!” 

Hux turns to interrogate the man when the sky turns to fire behind him. By the time he swerves back around, dozens of starships, Resistance fighters, are darting around the meager patrols inside the planetary blockade. He runs to the window, seeing garishly painted AT-ATs roaming the streets, blasting outposts.

 

He fumes. The room bursts to life. The TIE fighters return to protect their home base and cannons are forced to retarget. Today may be the end for him, but his hatred would burn forever.

 

~~

 

The Black Zero curves across the top of the Capitol, turret after turret exploding in its wake. It dives off the edge, and with a firm yank, levels out as its shots take out two more TIEs. BB-8 bloops, impressed.

“Yeah,” Poe chuckles. “And it handles like a dream too.”

The forty other Resistance fighters crest over the Capitol as well, and he hears cheers of success through his headset. “Listen up!” He says, bringing them back to the battle. “Red squadron, support the ground troops and draw the First Order away from civilians.”

“Copy that.” Ten ships peel off.

“Blue squad! Pull those TIEs away from the city centre.”

“You got it, Poe.” Another ten move away.

“Gold and Green teams. The newbies. You guys stay on my tail unless I say otherwise. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.” 

They are a faction of reformed troopers and Underground rebels. Poe hopes he can keep them alive.

 

As he swings around the Capitol again, guiding the squads to aim for its turbolasers, TIEs, looking fresh out of the factory with unique signatures, pop up on his radar behind them. BB-8 sounds out in worry. He grits his teeth. “Here comes the welcome party.”

 

~~

 

As intense as the action is outside, nothing could be more charged than the atmosphere of the duel. Their strength and emotions break against each other’s blades, and again and again they prove to be equals. Impressive, Kylo thought, loathing how Snoke had linked him with someone who was so infuriatingly similar. He parries another blow. At least he could hold his own against her. Unlike… 

Somewhere in his heart, he can almost feel that red blade slicing through him. And it drives him to fight.

 

~~

 

Blaster shots are constantly flying over their heads as they try to keep pace with the repainted AT-ATs rushing toward the Capitol. In the windows, Rose catches innocent civilians peering out, nowhere to go. Running up to Finn, she asks, “These people have no idea what’s happening, do they?”

“All they know is that the war’s here!” He shouts back over the sound of explosions.

To herself, she mutters, “Someone has to tell them.”

R2’s scream from behind startles them as the droid frantically wheels over, narrowly avoiding a concussion grenade. 

She slows down to meet the panicked astromech. “You’re okay?”

He lets out an exhausted moan.

“We’re almost there.” Looking at the droid, she gets an idea. “Hey, do you have a recording of me on the beacon?”

He beeps happily and a tray slides out of his body with the datastick she needs. “Perfect.” She crouches down to retrieve it.

Finn glances back, already far ahead. “Come on!”

As Rose runs after him, R2 sighs in droid. He’s getting too old for this. But there is something he could do, something he hasn’t tried in a long time. And with the maintenance he’d just received from the Underground, it might work. Before he could finish his thought, a sleek purple speeder bike pulls up next to him. Kanna, in the driver’s seat, looks down at him. “Want a boost?” She asks.

 

Another graffiti-covered AT-AT rumbles past, but Rose gives it a second look and spots Rafe with a few others clinging on for a lift.

“Finn!” She gestures to the walker coming up behind them. “Let’s catch a ride.”

 

In mere minutes, they arrive at the frontlines. Monument Square is quickly being reduced to rubble, with every explosion knocking over another structure.

Finn points at a simple comms tower still standing below them, but Rose shakes her head and points upwards at the Capitol. He sighs, unsurprised at her ambition, and nods. They hang on, a few giant steps left from the last stretch of sparse defenses guarding the Capitol, but their AT-AT groans, struggling to take another step. Looking downwards, they spy the three remaining Knights of Ren, hands outstretched toward Rose and Finn. The walker strains again, both heroes now scrambling back to ground level as fast as they can. Finn leaps to the floor first as their ride starts to topple over sideways. Rose dives just behind him and barely stumbles out of the way in time. Finally, the AT-AT smashes to the floor. 

 

As they move away from the wreck and toward the silently waiting Knights, muffled banging comes from behind them. The hatch of the fallen vehicle is stuck. Rose looks down at her injured arm and then at their enemies, weapons brandished and slowly approaching. Finn’s hand lands on his saber. “You need to get to the Capitol.”

 

Rose glares at him. “You are not dealing with this al-.”

“Anyone!” Finn says into his radio. “I need help by the fallen walker.” 

Turning to Rose, he smirks, “And now I won’t be.”

Speeder bikes come roaring up from behind the legs of the collapsed vehicle, and its riders immediately begin firing on the Knights. They begin deflecting, fortunately making no effort to continue moving forward, waiting for a certain someone.

“Stay alive.” Rose implores.

“You too.”

Kanna rides up behind the other Resistance members, R2-D2 tethered to her bike. She unhooks him while Rose approaches. “Are you coming?” The mechanic asks hopefully.

“No. But he will.” The leader nudges R2 forward and he beeps happily.

 

“Take my bike,” she continues, “It’s the fastest one around.”

“Thanks,” Rose says, hopping on. “And may the Force be with all of us.”

She jets off and Kanna shouts out, “Try not to break the thrusters!”

Rose looks around the bike, but there’s no boost mechanism to be found. Then she notices R2 flying past, propelled by newly replaced jets of his own. Could he always fly?

 

Kanna’s eyes snap back to the Knights, noticing how they don’t try to stop Rose. She asks Finn, “Aren’t they going to attack us?”

“No.” He answers. “They want what I want. A rematch.”

Stepping in front of those cutting through the AT-AT’s hatch, he raises up his lightsaber. The Knights walk towards him, still deflecting the occasional blaster fire. Finn knows he would die to protect these people, but some voice deep inside him said, this time, he’s fighting to live.

 

~~

 

Rey and Kylo are moving ever closer to the pit in the room’s centre. She knew he was planning something, and she had a feeling she was about to find out what. Midswing, Kylo deactivates his saber and Rey misses. Badly. Her blade flies outwards and in her moment of disorientation, he Forces her back and leaps behind the well, separating them. With a focused push, the lid and well crack, the released energy slamming into both of them. Clarity hits Rey too; that well isn’t hiding a concentration of the Force, it was a gateway to the Force itself.

Wave after wave of energy tries to knock Kylo down, but he refuses to waver, continuing to push off the lid. Rey wobbles and with everything she has, starts to move towards him. The cracks burst from the centre through the floor. The whole temple threatens to crash down onto them. Rey shouts out to him, “We won’t survive this! You have to stop.”

Maybe the Kylo of a few months ago would have noticed the cracks reaching the walls. Maybe the Rey of a few months ago would have done more to stop him. But as she tentatively strains for their connection, she finds that it is gone. He is no longer someone she could connect with, and he no longer wanted her by his side. 

 

Kylo’s heart was set. And so was hers. As the roof crashes down on them, she waits, trusting the Force to guide her way.

 

~~

 

The X-Wing breaks out of the clouds just above the very peak of the Capitol. BB-8, after linking up with R2 down below, has identified the two TIEs behind them as a brand new Marauder-class. Poe had yet to see what was so unique about them, besides their odd appearance. Each one consists of three pods connected length-wise, with two drivers on the end and one oddly armored and tinted triangular pod in the centre. 

 

“Gold One and Three,” he calls out, “See that tower sticking out of the Capitol on my right?”

Gold team is still loosely trailing him, trying to pick off the TIEs, though their accuracy is somewhat lacking. Gold Three pipes up first, flying a Y-Wing with thunderclouds painted on it, and unfortunately a malfunctioning burner. “I see it. Want us to shoot it?”

“Uh, nope.” Poe says, slowly turning towards said tower, the TIEs still bearing down on him. “I need you two to come down from above, almost like you’re landing on my bogies, right when I pull past it.”

“Raz Dalla!” Gold One shouts. Poe didn’t need a translator to know those weren’t exactly clean words.

 

Gripping the yoke tight, he tries to stay as close to the tower as he can while speeding up. With a cautious look up and behind him, he barely spots the Golds, partially obscured by the clouds. His gaze snaps back to ahead of him. He can spot the First Order panicking through the window of the tower as he soars past, and then the sound of smashing metal as one of the TIEs loses its right pod, the sign of an effective maneuver. Colliding with the tower, it swirls downward, smashing right into the Order’s own ground troops. Gold One cheers. Gold Three repositions and shouts, “Poe! Brake now!” 

“If you say so, rookie.” He says with a chuckle, dropping down just a touch and slowing. They fire upon the lone Marauder, but still they miss repeatedly. He pulls back up when Marauder passes above him, and says, “Watch, you two. Anticipate… Its…”

He targets the space right in front of it, and it ever so slightly nudges into range. “...Moveme-”

Right when he squeezes the trigger, the two side pods detach from the centre, dropping the triangular pod. His shots go wide. On the way down, the sides expand and it begins to glow red. He closes his eyes, cursing his neglect. Again. As it detonates atop Resistance troops, he tells BB-8 to prepare a message for R2 to transmit. Then, he whips the Black Zero around. If he wanted to make things right, it had to be now.

Notes:

Next, "Light the Fire".