Rebel

Chapter 19

    The first thing I saw was Kylo Ren's face, looking down into the pod. A scar cut down his face, and then he walked away. I could feel Rey's confusion beside me. Four stormtroopers walked towards, two of them held blasters, and the other held cuffs. "I've got a bad feeling about this." I murmured to Rey. The escape pod door hissed open, and we both were pulled up forcefully by the troopers, "Oh you've got to be kriffing kidding me." Before us, one of the troopers holding a blaster was none other than LS-1212. He put the cuffs on my wrists, tightening them just enough that I gave a wince of pain as they were sure to bruise. As soon as they closed, I felt empty, the Force around me was gone. I gave a smirk to LS-1212, "Hey 12 how ya been? Keepin' up with trash duty?" No sooner had the words left my mouth 12 punched me across the face, my head snapped to the side, and I rotated my jaw, the left side of my face throbbed in pain. 12 then looked at me, taking Leia's lightsaber and the blaster I had. He then patted me down for other weapons, finding nothing he patted me down once more. "Hey. No need to get handsy." I said, glancing over to Rey I saw a second trooper also patting her down for weapons. My attention returned to 12 as he had the audacity to feel me up. Not going to happen. I took a step backwards and spun, kicking him squarely in the crotch. He stumbled back in pain and I heard the powering up of blasters. The second trooper that was checking Rey for hidden weapons grabbed my arm to keep me from launching myself at LS-1212. "And don't you dare try that again you karking disgusting bastard!" I struggled to get out of the trooper's hold, but froze when the muzzle of a blaster was shoved into my back.
    "LS-1212 you are dismissed." Kylo Ren's sharp voice spoke up, I turned my head sharply to look at him, glaring. He looked at me calmly, before walking towards the turbolift, motioning for the stormtroopers to follow him, they did and shoved both Rey and I forwards. At the lift Ren took the lightsabers from the troopers and grabbed both Rey and I's arms. "I'll take them from here." One of the stormtroopers looked like they were about to protest, but decided against it as they all turned away. The lift doors closed and Ren released the hold on our arms. It was quiet for a minute before Rey spoke.
    "You don't have to do this." She said, she then looked over at him, "I feel the conflict in you. It's tearing you apart." I leaned against the wall, watching the interaction, "Ben," he looked over at Rey, "when we touched hands I saw your future. Just the shape of it, but solid and clear." She took a step closer to him, "You will not bow before Snoke. You'll turn." At the name Snoke coldness rippled through me, "I'll help you." She whispered, "I saw it."
    "I saw something too. Because of what I saw, I know when the moment comes, you'll be the one to turn. You'll stand with me." I pushed myself off the wall, narrowing my eyes at Kylo Ren, "Rey, I saw who your parents are." I stepped up behind Rey, glaring at Ren.
    "And I know your parents," I said calmly, Kylo Ren's gaze flicked to me, "and they would be very disappointed in you." I finished vehemently. The turbolift slowed to a halt, Rey turned to me before the doors opened.
    "How's your face?" She murmured, reaching up a hand to gently touch the left side of my face, I winced away, and she drew her hand back. I gave her a reassuring smile, although it probably looked more like a grimace.
    "It's fine, 12 is just a pain in the shebs." I said, and the doors hissed open. We both turned towards the sound, a red throne room was in front of us, red armored guards were around the perimeter of the room with various weapons. Ren grabbed our arms and walked us forwards towards the throne on the back wall of the room, an alien sat on the throne in a gold robe.
    "Well done my good and faithful apprentice. My faith in you is restored." Rey and I continued to walk forwards as Kylo Ren knelt behind us. Rey looked at Snoke with a murderous look on her face. "Young Rey." Snoke drawled, "Welcome."
    "I've gotta say, not loving the gold robes, what are you going for?" I said, stepping forwards so his attention was on me and not Rey. His gaze alighted on me and a flicker of surprise showed on his wrinkled features.
    "The Traitor." Snoke said, "I was not expecting you." I raised an eyebrow.
    "Oh? Well it was a lovely welcome party you put out for us, got to say hello to an old friend." Snoke waved a hand and the binders on our hands fell off with a beep onto the floor. I rubbed my raw wrists, and looked at Snoke. Was his display supposed to show his trust for us? Or his power? It was a power move by giving us back the Force. It showed that he thought of us as no threat. The Force flooded back to me, and I blinked rapidly at the darkness swelling in the room.
    "Come closer, child." Snoke said, beckoning Rey with a hand. She didn't move. I stepped slightly in front of her.
    "I think we are standing an appropriate distance from you, as closer I might be able to smell the filth you surely bathed in." A frown crossed Snoke's face, and with a wave of his hand I was flung across the room into the hold of two of the red armored guards. They gripped my arms tightly as I tried to escape, one finally held a buzzing blade close to my neck and I stilled. Rey's worried gaze met my own, I nodded reassuringly. She needed to focus on Snoke.
    "So much strength." Snoke said, his full attention now on Rey. He raised a hand, "Darkness rises," he raised another hand, "and light to meet it." He clasped his hands together, a sinister smile on his face. "I warned my young apprentice that as he grew stronger, his equal in the light would rise." He gave me a glance, "Or rather, equals." Luke and Leia's lightsabers flew out of Kylo Ren's hands and Snoke caught them, "Skywalker," he chuckled, "I assumed..." he set Luke's saber down, "Wrongly." He looked at the other saber, "What is this though I wonder, another lightsaber? Yours perhaps?" Snoke looked at me, I looked away, it made it seem like it was mine, Snoke couldn't know about Leia. Luckily, Snoke fell for it, "It is!" He gave a laugh, turning back to Rey, "Closer, I said." I watched in horror as Rey's feet lifted off the ground and she was moved closer to Snoke.
    "You underestimate Skywalker, and Ben Solo," she floated up the inclined throne pedestal, "and Alex, and me. It will be your downfall." Her immobilized body halted in front of Snoke who gave a mock look of surprise. Dread filled my stomach.
    "Oh." he whispered, "Have you seen something? A weakness in my apprentice. Is that why you came?" I could see Rey's muscles flexing as she tried to break Snoke's grip. He laughed, "Young fool. It was I who bridged your minds. I stoked Ren's conflicted soul." I saw Ren's gaze rise from the corner of my vision. "I knew he was not strong enough to hide it from you, and you were not wise enough to resist the bait." I could not let Snoke hurt Rey.
    "Then why-" I jerked against the guards grip, "could I hear those conversations?" Snoke's gaze snapped to me. He waved a hand and the guards released me, a force seized my body as I was floated over to Snoke. He reached out a hand, touching my face, I tried to move, move away, fight back. Anything. But I couldn't move. I couldn't even talk.
    "You are interesting. You were not expected. You are expendable." He flicked a hand and my body went flying, I hit a pillar and as I fell to the floor the last thing I heard was Rey's panicked shout.
    "Alex!"
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    My vision flickered and blurred, I laid on my side on the ground. Rey was floating in the middle of the room, screaming out in agony. "No." I whispered, trying to reach out a hand to help her. My vision faded again.
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    Get up.
    You have to get up.
    Fight Alex. Fight!
    Alex's eyes snapped open. The guards above the woman didn't notice she had woken up. Rey was in front of Kylo Ren on her knees. Snoke's speech finally registered in Alex's mind, "Where there was conflict I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength. Complete your training, and fulfill your destiny." Ren picked up the saber, and stood. Alex's brow furrowed in concern, but she sensed no danger to Rey. Ren stopped in front of Rey as she breathed heavily trying to break Snoke's grip.
    "I know what I have to do." Ren's voice said, Alex's mind flashed back to the memory of Han Solo's death, Kylo Ren said those exact words before killing him. The young woman was about to move but Ashoka's voice spoke in her mind.
    Trust in the Force Alex.
    "Ben." Rey whispered, Snoke laughed.
    "You think you can turn him? Pathetic child. I cannot be betrayed, I cannot be beaten. I see his mind, I see his every intent. Yes." Snoke closes his eyes, Ren raises the lightsaber. His hand twitches beside him, "I see him turning the lightsabers to strike true." Luke's saber twitches on the arm of the throne, Alex reaches her hand out slightly, focusing on Leia's saber, it floats slightly off the throne, Alex's gaze flickers slightly to Rey and Kylo Ren, Leia's saber floats behind the throne and the red fabric encasing the room. "And now, foolish child, he ignites it," Leia's saber slips back through the curtains, "and kills his true enemy!" Snoke shouts, his eyes flashing open. In one way, he was right. A lightsaber ignites. Snoke's eyes go wide as Luke's saber goes though his body. Rey's body drops to the floor heavily, she quickly flips herself over, looking at Snoke, who looks down at the lightsaber impaling him, with a flick of Ren's hand, Luke's lightsaber comes flying towards them, Rey sticks her hand up and catches it. At the same time Leia's saber knocks into one of the gaurd's helmets, causing two of the guards to turn, Alex is standing behind them, and calls the saber back to her hand, igniting it. Rey and Kylo Ren- no, Ben- look at each other in the middle of the room, as Snoke's serverd torso falls, the other guards light their weapons. Rushing forwards to meet the pair. Alex twirls her blade and raises it in a fighting stance.
    "Me first." She rushes at the two guards that had noticed her, she strikes out at one, and fluidly parries a blow heading for her back. She steps forwards, parrying blows from the guards, advancing towards Rey and Ben. The first guard falls with their sword-like weapon clattering to the ground. The guard on the right extends the spear they were holding into a whip-like weapon, it cracks against the ground, sparking. Alex lets the Force flow through her as the guard charges her. She rushes forwards letting the Force guide her, as the guard strikes towards her she jumps, using the guards shoulder to vault over, and land behind them. She thrusts the saber forwards, and the guard falls with a burning hole in their chest plate. Alex runs forwards, rolling under a guard's blow and reaches Rey's side, parrying a blow that would have hit the shorter woman. Rey gaze darts to Alex and joy lights up her eyes, as she was about to say something Alex grabbed her spinning her around and protecting Rey against her chest she kicked down the guard that had been behind her. "Fight now, talk later." She said, giving a quick smile to Rey. She nodded, both women stood back to back as four guards advanced on them. "Let's dance." Alex said, as one of the guards staff came crashing down on the humming blue saber. She pushed the guard off with a grunt. As she parried downwards, Rey leaned back, using Alex's back to push off to kick another guard down.  Alex quickly braced herself as another blow came at her, Rey darted in from behind her and took out the guard. Alex spun taking Rey's place, another whip-like weapon cracked through the air and narrowly missed most of Alex's face, but it clipped her cheek and she gave a hiss of pain. Her cheek stung as the whip came for her again, she parried, but the whip was stuck to the saber. She strained to pull it off as the guard pulled her closer. When she was close enough the guard grabbed her throat, she pulled against their grip. "Rey!" Alex gave a choked gasp and she felt the Force push against the guard, who'd grip loosened for a split second and Alex took that opportunity to spin out of the gaurd's hold, she stabbed the guard's back and flung the still stuck whip off, it flew through the air and lit the curtains on fire. She spun to hear Rey give a shout of pain. Rey was back on the other side of the room, facing off a guard that had dual daggers, one of them had glanced against her shoulder leaving an angry red line of blood. Alex rushed forwards leaping over a guards body, she passed one of the guards fighting Ben and took them out with a quick attack to their back, she used the momentum of her attack to push herself forwards and land behind the guard advancing on Rey, she had fallen on the ground after a kick to the chest. Alex made a quick swipe to the guard's arm, but the saber bounced off the protected shoulder. The guard turned, allowing Rey to stand and block the guards oncoming blow, the guard spun their weapon, locking Rey in a choke hold, Alex darted forwards as Rey dropped her saber, catching it again she swiped at the guard, with both Rey and Alex's blows, the guard stood no chance and fell. The throne room burned around them, burning strips of fabric falling to the ground. Both women spun to see Ben struggling against the last guard's grip with his saber gone. Rey threw Luke's saber towards him. Ben caught it and quickly ignited it for a brief second, and the guard fell with a hole through their helmeted head. It was silent for a moment before Rey ran towards the viewport.
    "The fleet. Order them to stop firing." Rey said, stopping at the viewport, Alex came up beside her, eyes widening at the sight, transports were blown up left and right by green lasers fired by the First Order, "There's still time to save the fleet." Rey turned to Ben desperately. Ben walked towards the throne, looking at the creature that had made his life so terrible. But he was dead now. "Ben?" Rey asked softly. Alex stepped forwards, wiping the blood off her face with her hand. The man in front of the throne shook with anger.
    "It's time to let old things die." Kylo Ren's voice echoed out though the throne room, "Snoke, Skywalker." Ren turned to look at Rey, stepping towards her, "The Sith, the Jedi, the Rebels. Let it all die." Ren's gaze turned to Alex and rage flickered across his features. "Her." He said with venom in his voice, he raised a hand, and Alex's eyes widened, an invisible grip around her throat. She choked for air, as her feet raised from the ground, drawn up by an invisible force. Rey looked over, and with a panicked gaze turned back towards Ren.
    "No. Ben, let her go." Ren's gaze hardened, Rey continued to plead for Ren to let Alex go as Alex's breath grew more labored, her eyes drifting closed. Rey started to panic, "Let her go! Please!" She shouted, her hand flickered to her side to reach for Luke's lightsaber but it was not there. "Ben please!" Rey begged, and Ren's angered gaze flickered for just a moment, Alex's limp body fell to the ground. Rey quickly ran over, sighing a breath of relief that the woman was alive. Rey stood in front of Alex, anger flared in her eyes. Rey's feelings for the woman became apparent to Kylo Ren and the rage that he felt was fueled more. He could convince her, he told himself, join him, they would rule. She would forget this traitor.
    "Rey." Kylo Ren raised a hand as an offering to her, like he had in the hut, on Ach-To, but this was different. This wasn't Ben. This was Kylo Ren, "I want you to join me." Rey looked towards him with a broken look on her face, "We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy." Rey shook her head, tears rising to her eyes. She knew she wouldn't leave Alex, and Ren would never leave Alex alive.
    "Don't do this Ben." Her voice broke, "Please don't go this way."
    "No, no. You're still holding on! Let go!" Ren's voice rose to a shout, "Do you want to know the truth about your parents?" Ren's voice had died back down, "Or have you always known?" A tear slipped down Rey's face, "And you've just hidden it away." Ren stepped forwards, "You know the truth. Say it." Rey looked at him with a heartbroken look in her eyes, "Say it."
    "They were nobody." Rey said, tears thick in her voice.
    "They were filthy junk traders who sold you off for drinking money." Rey let out a soft sob, "They're dead in a paupers' grave in the Jakku desert. You have no place in this story. You come from nothing. You're nothing." Ren shook his head, Rey looked away, with tears running down her face, "But not to me." Rey glanced back at him. Ren reached out his hand again, "Join me." It was silent, "Please." A flicker of emotion, of Ben Solo, trapped within Kylo Ren. Rey's hand reached forwards, and called Luke's saber to her hand. It stopped between the two as Ren called it back. They both struggled to call the saber to them, the Force howled around them, pushing them back, Alex stirred behind Rey. The pain of the Force splitting woke her, as her eyes flickered open the saber started to glow. Rey and Ren strained to pull it towards them as the Force cried out beside Alex, the saber split in half and a blinding white light filled the room throwing Rey, and Ren to opposite sides of the room. And then... nothing.
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