Categories > Movies > Star Wars > Love and The Force Know No Bounds
Author's Note: It is the penultimate chapter. My song recommendations are "Don't let me Go" by Raign, "Holding out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler, "Time of Dying" Three Day's Grace and "Far Away" by Nickelback. Things are coming to a close but I have had the greatest time writing this story. This chapter is all about inner struggle, overcoming weakness and the danger of resentment and being scared of the past. For me its a really philosophical chapter that hits on some really important points. I also tried to cut some of the unnecesary exposition as it is clunky and detracts from the narrative. Enjoy!
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The satisfaction that Snoke's foresight provided him into the proceeding events was enough incentive for the skin tight translucent lips of the clay like face to curve into a harrowing smile. The sizable gash that resided on the right side of the creature's countenance plunged even deeper into the pitch maw of Snoke's innards.
Kylo Ren had served his purpose well enough but his benefit to the itinerary of the Supreme Leader had reached its end. A proficient apprentice, loyal enforcer and obsequious subject Ren was now presenting himself as a potential adversary as he shed his dark mystique and sought to amend ties with his fractured family. It was truly wonderful that the Skywalker line was so keen to produce such unhinged and disturbed offspring as they functioned as superb pawns. Ren's naiveté and now Padmé's obsession with retribution bequeathed Snoke a vehicle of progress.
A long time ago in a wasted youth, neophyte adept in training, Snoke proclaimed that the Skywalker line was the ultimate gateway to dominance and would guarantee a perpetual existence of power. The family had proven too volatile and erratic to act as a dependable resource but when employed in a restrained manner their abilities could prove to be a boon.
It wasn't less than 20 years gone by when he learned that Palpatine had left behind the greatest of all prizes: a direct descendant bred to be more powerful than the preceding generations. The fact of the Emperor's continued lineage was significantly less peculiar as was the origin of the child. Snoke had anticipated a perfectly controlled facility where the child was to be trained meticulously in the ways of the Dark Side and educated on her forthcoming responsibilities, but on the contrary, the girl was born and raised in utter seclusion. The most preposterous aspect was the fact that the girl spent the first years of her life as a student of Luke Skywalker himself. These unfavorable conditions may have deterred an inferior strategist but any ill effects were soon reversed as the girl's memories were removed and she was dropped on the dust ball of Jakku.
Now was the time for Snoke to recruit Rey Palpatine as his final and most prodigious apprentice yet. It was not substantiated in the Dark Side to foster a master that would willingly submit to their student, but Snoke was certain that someday Rey would resurrect the Empire and surpass her great grandfather in power. The Galaxy will never have known a more infinite figure of the Force. Before this reality could occur obstacles had to be eliminated and threats neutralized. The first order of business was to rid the Universe of the Skywalker and Solo clan.
Snoke settled his gaze on the broken woman shivering on the med bay table as attendants proved unable to inject a sleeping agent. Snoke dismissed the bumbling morons and knelt before Luke Skywalker's daughter as he commenced the healing ritual. The girl had lost both arms which could hinder her combative viability but it would not prohibit his next objective.
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The fleet was to arrive at the Resistance Base within 2 hours.
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Rey had taken to rattling off gibberish as the ship secured itself on auto-pilot. Ben was already on high alert as he couldn't shake the monster that had inhabited his companion's body only hours earlier. His memories were returning to the fold and his past grew clearer. It was true that Rey had followed him around as if he were a God but he just appreciated that someone was willingly spending time with him.
Padmé had always been the golden child and beings of every race and creed flocked to his cousin. She was arrogant enough to believe her immense following was due to her genuine likability but Ben was the only one who understood that the immense size of her associates was a byproduct of her talent in the Force. She instinctively formed Force Bonds with people in her immediate proximity. Insanity and pride seemed to be an unwanted side effect of such a powerful connection to the Force. He was now scared that the same fate was awaiting the woman currently having a nervous break down in the cockpit.
Ben stood up and proceeded to Rey's shaking figure and was once again taken aback as Rey's features contorted into a snarl. The air around her began to pulsate and her image changed. Within a few seconds Rey was no longer there a haggard ghost of a man took her place. His hood accentuated the umbrakinetic energy that permeated the area and hid the very tip of the man's head.
Where there should have been a hue of light yet liver spotted skin was a putrid display of strangled lilac and indentations of dull auburn that dominated the leathery wrinkles of tissue. The shade's mouth was moving but no words could be discerned. Ben took the liberty of imagining a throaty cackle. The face rotated to observe Ben and the same bronze eyes that Rey greeted Ben with earlier showed their face again. They spoke of terror and tragedy but instead of mourning they explained sadistic glee in the detailed darkness.
The man raised his fingers and froze the, as if to slice through Ben's body as the figure disappeared.
Ben couldn't believe it, he had seen Emperor Palpatine with his own eyes. Ben did mot believe that his deranged cousin was being serious when she declared that Rey was related to most infamous Sith Lord of all. Now that Rey was before his eyes again he couldn't separate the two from each other and it proved that his cousin was speaking the truth.
But if there was anything Ben had learned as of late it was that ancestry does not define a person. Ben trusted Rey as a pilot but anybody near the controls should be in their right state of mind. He tapped Rey on the shoulder and indicated for her to travel to the crew quarters. She started to object but knew Ben had a point. Rey left the chair empty and sluggishly turned to seek refuge in the lumpy and cheap cot stowed away claustrophobically in the crew quarters.
Before she reached the threshold of the door way Rey heard something in her head, "Rey remember that those that came before us even if connected by blood don't determine who we are. My grandfather was more machine than man and a notorious killer but he found the strength to fight and so have I. That bastard has absolutely no hold on you. He only wins if you let him. Be the person we all know and love. No pressure."
Rey smiled and continued forward. Love. What a word. She had never known what it was for the entirety of her life. But now with Ben nearby she was finally beginning to understand it.
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Rey made her best effort to find peace but to no avail. She settled on staring blankly up at the ribbed ceiling. Rey found it hard to articulate a coherent thought. Ben was surprisingly good company for someone who had tried to kill her rather recently but his words held little more than comforting assertions as he was finally able to break free and become who he wanted to be.
Also the cynic side of her mind doubted the sincerity of Ben's words as they were just that: words spoken by a former dark sider. Rey had learned the importance of versatility and independence from the 14 years she spent fending for herself. Relying on Luke's nephew for confidence was a surefire way to an early grave. Rey chose to not dwell on her past because growing up alone on a remote planet riddled with unsavory characters and swaths of fragmented sand stone was not the way she would have chosen to age.
She was little more than an afterthought to those who dumped her. No one approached the little girl as she stumbled through the wasteland with no direction or clue as to what she would do to survive.
The first year she subsisted on boiled sand and womprat fat. She would stay up for hours to catch the womprats and procure the more substantial muscle and meat but the indigenous fauna had other plans and she never escaped with nothing less than bloody scratch marks.
Thankfully she was smart enough to lift her eyes up from her brooding and she watched several scavengers return from their missions with speeder's teeming with random wires and masses of sheet metal and droid parts. Rey decided that her stomach growling was something she could control so she marched up to the scavengers and learned the lay of the land. That day changed her life.
And once again her life had been changed, but this time not for the better. And she had blood on her hands. The rush of adrenaline that surged through Rey's veins when the Mandalorians' fell down like a Pazaak deck. Rey had given into a primal urge to kill and maim. The suffering she was able to inflict as the Mandalorians' lungs were punctured with pillars of ice and as they froze to death was music to her ears. And Rey hated that. She had worked so hard to survive but also maintain her morality and she was weak enough to become a senseless machine when she heard something that she didn't like.
She was the direct descendant of Emperor Palpatine, and within seconds of that discovery she earned the name. She hadn't known that the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance were real; to her they were myths. Now she could no longer deny that history had taken its course as she was living proof that Darth Sidious lived and breathed as she did because she carried a piece of him in every day she carried on. Not only was she an abomination she had been lied to her entire life.
Luke had been her care taker at 5 years old and then when she posed too much of a problem he left her to die. And then he had the audacity to criticize her every decision and motive. She was a game piece for Luke, he withheld her family name and instead of helping her in overcoming the Dark Side and learning to deal with adversity. He erased her memories and forced her to build from the ground up. She loathed the hurt he had caused and she would be his puppet no more. He had friends among the Resistance and owed it to Leia to aid her in whatever way necessary but after this she was leaving to find out who she really was, everyone else be damned.
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Luke wouldn't leave the cockpit for even a moment as time was of the essence.
He had never been face to face with the Supreme Leader and he was under the impression that he would be spared the experience but it seemed the Force had other plans. It had been years since had flown a vessel and racing into danger in the Falcon without Han at his side and reminding him not to get cocky Luke grieved for a time long ago.
They burst out of light speed with a rattling jolt and Luke fell from the chair he had been occupying. Luke made a note to work on his dismount when he got to his feet he was greeted by one of the most brutal dog fights he had ever seen. The only other time that he had been in the midst of such a battle was when he watched his friends fighting for their lives before the Second Death Star.
He had been helpless to prevent any loss of life but now he had the freedom to choose his actions. Knowing his sister she would prefer to be in her own X wing blasting the First Order into smithereens but the rational side would always win out so she was on the planet below protecting the base and coordinating he battle. And D'Qar was dead ahead. Fortunately, Chewbacca had retained his space faring skills and got them through the Fire fight with only a few carbon score marks. They breached the atmosphere with minimal turbulence.
Luke tried his best to speed up their arrival by applying telekinetic force to the back of the freighter. Rings of flame and energy became visible in the viewport as the Millennium Falcon endured significant entry friction and air resistance. Chewbacca ordered Artoo to check the most vital systems and to ensure they were working properly and hadn't been fried. Luke formulated a plan to meet up with his sister and then form a defensive strategy with any and all Resistance officers nearby to ward off Snoke.
Luke assisted in the precarious landing but attributed the success to Chewbacca alone. The pair locked eyes and an unspoken truce to protect Leia at all costs was made. Chewbacca let out a throaty and menacing roar as he lifted his bow caster and thrust it into the air in a Wookie battle cry and ritual of victory. Luke unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and placed it in his dominant hand.
It had been years since he had actively participated in a hand to hand engagement but now was the time to see if he still had what it takes. R2 rolled in and raised his buzz saw and electric pike to proclaim his own intent to battle. With his companions resolute in their participation the crew bolted from the ship and ran in pursuit of General Leia.
Luke used Force Sense to locate his twin sister and he found her within the catacombs of the base monitoring the above space battle with ample concentration. Once she detected her brother's force signature she abandoned her task and embraced Luke. A few tears were shed and she smacked him slightly for having been gone so long.
"I am beyond relieved that you came. Knowing the legendary Luke Skywalker is here to fight alongside us will hopefully rally the troops. We are taking heavy damage and the casualty rate is sky high. We have forced into a corner and are now just trying to stay alive. The possibility of pressing an advantage and taking the offensive is just ridiculous. Maybe with your experience as a pilot you can help devise a sounder strategy."
Luke felt insecurity flood his stomach with a slippery serpent of doubt but he shoved those reservations away.
"Alright lets see what we can do. First tell you fighters to regroup. Have them stay alert but order them to not pursue any direct engagements. If possible conserve any remaining torpedoes or missiles and concentrate them at the Super Star Destroyers. Their laser cannons should be enough to defeat the Tie Fighters. Instruct them to fly in a V shape to make sure that no one gets left behind and that there is a 360-degree view of their surroundings."
An ensign approached as Luke and Leia began to think of misdirection strikes.
"General Leia, Supreme Leader Snoke has entered the stratosphere he is coming directly at us. His estimated arrival time is 10 minutes. Will we evacuate?"
Leia stood in silence as she pondered her options.
"Sound the alarm, any soldiers who wish to leave for safety are welcome to and will not be judged, but those who choose to remain here will assist us in battle against that monstrosity. Chewie, you ready for some action?"
Chewbacca roared a positive response and the group readied themselves for the fight of their lives.
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Rey and Ben had a landing that was definitely unfavorable as they were literally shot out of the sky like hunted Mynock and they spun and flipped uncontrollably as they rapidly fell to the planet surface. Rey truly thought of D'Qar as a serene and beautiful planet and she had looked forward to coming back, but the circumstances of potential death soured the experience.
She had entered into a fugue state while resting in the bunk when the shaking of the ship and the impact of the missile snapped her back to reality. Rey sprinted to the cockpit and saw Ben trying to salvage the situation by a futile attempt to keep them airborne. "Ben what in the blazes are you doing? We are going down. Our engines are fired we need to eject now."
Ben didn't acknowledge Rey's command as he worked even harder to try to save the ship.
"Ben we need to go now."
The authority in Rey's tone informed him that his pride was not the thing at stake now and trying to save a ship that was a lost cause was a dumb idea. Living seemed more attractive. He gathered Rey in a vice grip as they headed to the area of the ship equipped with safety chairs and attached parachutes. The top of the vessel split open and they rose from the ship just in time as it intersected with the ground and met its incendiary end.
"See what did I tell you? Living is definitely not overrated."
Ben rolled his eyes, "Save it smart ass, you know you are right gloating is unbecoming of one so beautiful."
Rey felt like she was run over by an AT-AT as Ben referred to her as attractive. She was not experiencing an absolutely adverse reaction which she deemed to be progress. But with her life in shambles and gambling that they might not live through the next hour, she held her tongue.
The pair landed a few feet apart from each other as they tumbled and rolled violently along the hard ground. Dazed but steady Ben and Rey wasted no time in heading for the base. Ben ditched the rifle a while back which he now registered to be a mistake as he was charging head first into a fire fight without even the smallest weapon to defend himself with.
Ben did what he could as he erected Force Barriers along the silhouette of himself and Rey and trusted her to deflect any blaster bolts that came from the squadron of Stormtroopers that had emerged from the First Order landing shuttle. Ben kept the shields up with as much concentration as possible as both him and Rey realized just who was on that ship.
Not only had his cousin survived, but she was flanked by his former master and she was radiating hatred.
"Rey, new plan. Run like hell. I am sure mother and Luke are close by."
Guided by nothing but blind intuition they hurried into the complex and ducked as they narrowly avoided a grenade launched at their heads. Rey and Ben both augmented their speed with the Force and after several unsuccessful arrivals at empty barracks and recreation rooms they stumbled upon the command center. Rey kept on running until she grew very close to the awaiting group.
Ben on the other hand was relegated to standing and staring. Rey turned back, "You idiot, why are you not moving? Snoke and Padmé will be here any minute. Grab a blaster and pull yourself together Ben."
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Leia was startled at the utterance of her estranged son's name and she too remained rooted to the floor as her child hesitantly edged forward. When he was within arms reach the first thing she did was deck him directly in the face. "How dare you show your face here after what you have done? I should have you executed."
Ben lowered his gaze, "There really are no words to convey my regret. Your anger is understandable and I promise to work every day to make it up to you. I have found it within my to finally leave Snoke and the Dark Side behind. Maybe in time I can become the son that I was once and earn your forgiveness, but I do not expect any such courtesy. I just wanted to come home."
Leia took a step forward and Ben stood defiantly ready to take another blow when he felt his short mother hug him fiercely. He held on so tight as to never let go.
In a raspy and almost inaudible voice Leia stated, "Welcome back. Its been too long."
Rey approached Luke not out of concern or friendship but out of necessity. "Luke your daughter is now the apprentice of Snoke. She has come here to destroy us all. I don't know if I can ever look at you the same way as now I am aware at how you manipulated and used me, but that is a matter for another time, right now we fight."
Rey emphasized the last words with a gleeful lilt. Luke didn't fail to notice the joyful note in Rey's statement and he truly wondered what she had learned. There was one thing that Luke knew for sure and it was that he would help his daughter for once and bring her back from the Dark Side. If Ben could come back to the Light then so could Padmé.
An officer offered Ben a rifle and showed him how to fire as it was a model that Ben was unfamiliar with. Leia gazed in confusion, "What happened to your lightsaber?"
"Long story short it got destroyed. Too many horrendous deeds were committed with that weapon. Keeping it would be a constant anchor back to my past and malevolent side, and I cannot have that in my life."
Leia smiled and nodded in understanding. She was beyond words ecstatic that her son was finally back.
The last few moments of tranquility were smashed as Snoke and Padmé appeared with a force of troopers. Without as much as a single remark Padmé sent a torrent of lightning to Leia, Rey and R2 while Snoke withdrew an amethyst blade from the depths of his cloak and he effortlessly sent it flying in the direction of Ben. The fight had begun.
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Author's Note: It was another super long chapter so more could happen. I could have been lazy and left out the transition scenes but they can have awesome value so I decided to persevere. I decided to be more subtle on the romantic aspects and that will be explored much more in the sequel. There were some moments but its all about the foundation and having them reconnect and bond. Reylo for life. I am so excited for Episode 8! Up Next: The final chapter, one falls completely and the other rises absolutely, Leia and Luke are an awesome fighting team, Snoke goes nuts and the story will draw to a close. Thanks! :)
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The satisfaction that Snoke's foresight provided him into the proceeding events was enough incentive for the skin tight translucent lips of the clay like face to curve into a harrowing smile. The sizable gash that resided on the right side of the creature's countenance plunged even deeper into the pitch maw of Snoke's innards.
Kylo Ren had served his purpose well enough but his benefit to the itinerary of the Supreme Leader had reached its end. A proficient apprentice, loyal enforcer and obsequious subject Ren was now presenting himself as a potential adversary as he shed his dark mystique and sought to amend ties with his fractured family. It was truly wonderful that the Skywalker line was so keen to produce such unhinged and disturbed offspring as they functioned as superb pawns. Ren's naiveté and now Padmé's obsession with retribution bequeathed Snoke a vehicle of progress.
A long time ago in a wasted youth, neophyte adept in training, Snoke proclaimed that the Skywalker line was the ultimate gateway to dominance and would guarantee a perpetual existence of power. The family had proven too volatile and erratic to act as a dependable resource but when employed in a restrained manner their abilities could prove to be a boon.
It wasn't less than 20 years gone by when he learned that Palpatine had left behind the greatest of all prizes: a direct descendant bred to be more powerful than the preceding generations. The fact of the Emperor's continued lineage was significantly less peculiar as was the origin of the child. Snoke had anticipated a perfectly controlled facility where the child was to be trained meticulously in the ways of the Dark Side and educated on her forthcoming responsibilities, but on the contrary, the girl was born and raised in utter seclusion. The most preposterous aspect was the fact that the girl spent the first years of her life as a student of Luke Skywalker himself. These unfavorable conditions may have deterred an inferior strategist but any ill effects were soon reversed as the girl's memories were removed and she was dropped on the dust ball of Jakku.
Now was the time for Snoke to recruit Rey Palpatine as his final and most prodigious apprentice yet. It was not substantiated in the Dark Side to foster a master that would willingly submit to their student, but Snoke was certain that someday Rey would resurrect the Empire and surpass her great grandfather in power. The Galaxy will never have known a more infinite figure of the Force. Before this reality could occur obstacles had to be eliminated and threats neutralized. The first order of business was to rid the Universe of the Skywalker and Solo clan.
Snoke settled his gaze on the broken woman shivering on the med bay table as attendants proved unable to inject a sleeping agent. Snoke dismissed the bumbling morons and knelt before Luke Skywalker's daughter as he commenced the healing ritual. The girl had lost both arms which could hinder her combative viability but it would not prohibit his next objective.
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The fleet was to arrive at the Resistance Base within 2 hours.
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Rey had taken to rattling off gibberish as the ship secured itself on auto-pilot. Ben was already on high alert as he couldn't shake the monster that had inhabited his companion's body only hours earlier. His memories were returning to the fold and his past grew clearer. It was true that Rey had followed him around as if he were a God but he just appreciated that someone was willingly spending time with him.
Padmé had always been the golden child and beings of every race and creed flocked to his cousin. She was arrogant enough to believe her immense following was due to her genuine likability but Ben was the only one who understood that the immense size of her associates was a byproduct of her talent in the Force. She instinctively formed Force Bonds with people in her immediate proximity. Insanity and pride seemed to be an unwanted side effect of such a powerful connection to the Force. He was now scared that the same fate was awaiting the woman currently having a nervous break down in the cockpit.
Ben stood up and proceeded to Rey's shaking figure and was once again taken aback as Rey's features contorted into a snarl. The air around her began to pulsate and her image changed. Within a few seconds Rey was no longer there a haggard ghost of a man took her place. His hood accentuated the umbrakinetic energy that permeated the area and hid the very tip of the man's head.
Where there should have been a hue of light yet liver spotted skin was a putrid display of strangled lilac and indentations of dull auburn that dominated the leathery wrinkles of tissue. The shade's mouth was moving but no words could be discerned. Ben took the liberty of imagining a throaty cackle. The face rotated to observe Ben and the same bronze eyes that Rey greeted Ben with earlier showed their face again. They spoke of terror and tragedy but instead of mourning they explained sadistic glee in the detailed darkness.
The man raised his fingers and froze the, as if to slice through Ben's body as the figure disappeared.
Ben couldn't believe it, he had seen Emperor Palpatine with his own eyes. Ben did mot believe that his deranged cousin was being serious when she declared that Rey was related to most infamous Sith Lord of all. Now that Rey was before his eyes again he couldn't separate the two from each other and it proved that his cousin was speaking the truth.
But if there was anything Ben had learned as of late it was that ancestry does not define a person. Ben trusted Rey as a pilot but anybody near the controls should be in their right state of mind. He tapped Rey on the shoulder and indicated for her to travel to the crew quarters. She started to object but knew Ben had a point. Rey left the chair empty and sluggishly turned to seek refuge in the lumpy and cheap cot stowed away claustrophobically in the crew quarters.
Before she reached the threshold of the door way Rey heard something in her head, "Rey remember that those that came before us even if connected by blood don't determine who we are. My grandfather was more machine than man and a notorious killer but he found the strength to fight and so have I. That bastard has absolutely no hold on you. He only wins if you let him. Be the person we all know and love. No pressure."
Rey smiled and continued forward. Love. What a word. She had never known what it was for the entirety of her life. But now with Ben nearby she was finally beginning to understand it.
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Rey made her best effort to find peace but to no avail. She settled on staring blankly up at the ribbed ceiling. Rey found it hard to articulate a coherent thought. Ben was surprisingly good company for someone who had tried to kill her rather recently but his words held little more than comforting assertions as he was finally able to break free and become who he wanted to be.
Also the cynic side of her mind doubted the sincerity of Ben's words as they were just that: words spoken by a former dark sider. Rey had learned the importance of versatility and independence from the 14 years she spent fending for herself. Relying on Luke's nephew for confidence was a surefire way to an early grave. Rey chose to not dwell on her past because growing up alone on a remote planet riddled with unsavory characters and swaths of fragmented sand stone was not the way she would have chosen to age.
She was little more than an afterthought to those who dumped her. No one approached the little girl as she stumbled through the wasteland with no direction or clue as to what she would do to survive.
The first year she subsisted on boiled sand and womprat fat. She would stay up for hours to catch the womprats and procure the more substantial muscle and meat but the indigenous fauna had other plans and she never escaped with nothing less than bloody scratch marks.
Thankfully she was smart enough to lift her eyes up from her brooding and she watched several scavengers return from their missions with speeder's teeming with random wires and masses of sheet metal and droid parts. Rey decided that her stomach growling was something she could control so she marched up to the scavengers and learned the lay of the land. That day changed her life.
And once again her life had been changed, but this time not for the better. And she had blood on her hands. The rush of adrenaline that surged through Rey's veins when the Mandalorians' fell down like a Pazaak deck. Rey had given into a primal urge to kill and maim. The suffering she was able to inflict as the Mandalorians' lungs were punctured with pillars of ice and as they froze to death was music to her ears. And Rey hated that. She had worked so hard to survive but also maintain her morality and she was weak enough to become a senseless machine when she heard something that she didn't like.
She was the direct descendant of Emperor Palpatine, and within seconds of that discovery she earned the name. She hadn't known that the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance were real; to her they were myths. Now she could no longer deny that history had taken its course as she was living proof that Darth Sidious lived and breathed as she did because she carried a piece of him in every day she carried on. Not only was she an abomination she had been lied to her entire life.
Luke had been her care taker at 5 years old and then when she posed too much of a problem he left her to die. And then he had the audacity to criticize her every decision and motive. She was a game piece for Luke, he withheld her family name and instead of helping her in overcoming the Dark Side and learning to deal with adversity. He erased her memories and forced her to build from the ground up. She loathed the hurt he had caused and she would be his puppet no more. He had friends among the Resistance and owed it to Leia to aid her in whatever way necessary but after this she was leaving to find out who she really was, everyone else be damned.
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Luke wouldn't leave the cockpit for even a moment as time was of the essence.
He had never been face to face with the Supreme Leader and he was under the impression that he would be spared the experience but it seemed the Force had other plans. It had been years since had flown a vessel and racing into danger in the Falcon without Han at his side and reminding him not to get cocky Luke grieved for a time long ago.
They burst out of light speed with a rattling jolt and Luke fell from the chair he had been occupying. Luke made a note to work on his dismount when he got to his feet he was greeted by one of the most brutal dog fights he had ever seen. The only other time that he had been in the midst of such a battle was when he watched his friends fighting for their lives before the Second Death Star.
He had been helpless to prevent any loss of life but now he had the freedom to choose his actions. Knowing his sister she would prefer to be in her own X wing blasting the First Order into smithereens but the rational side would always win out so she was on the planet below protecting the base and coordinating he battle. And D'Qar was dead ahead. Fortunately, Chewbacca had retained his space faring skills and got them through the Fire fight with only a few carbon score marks. They breached the atmosphere with minimal turbulence.
Luke tried his best to speed up their arrival by applying telekinetic force to the back of the freighter. Rings of flame and energy became visible in the viewport as the Millennium Falcon endured significant entry friction and air resistance. Chewbacca ordered Artoo to check the most vital systems and to ensure they were working properly and hadn't been fried. Luke formulated a plan to meet up with his sister and then form a defensive strategy with any and all Resistance officers nearby to ward off Snoke.
Luke assisted in the precarious landing but attributed the success to Chewbacca alone. The pair locked eyes and an unspoken truce to protect Leia at all costs was made. Chewbacca let out a throaty and menacing roar as he lifted his bow caster and thrust it into the air in a Wookie battle cry and ritual of victory. Luke unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and placed it in his dominant hand.
It had been years since he had actively participated in a hand to hand engagement but now was the time to see if he still had what it takes. R2 rolled in and raised his buzz saw and electric pike to proclaim his own intent to battle. With his companions resolute in their participation the crew bolted from the ship and ran in pursuit of General Leia.
Luke used Force Sense to locate his twin sister and he found her within the catacombs of the base monitoring the above space battle with ample concentration. Once she detected her brother's force signature she abandoned her task and embraced Luke. A few tears were shed and she smacked him slightly for having been gone so long.
"I am beyond relieved that you came. Knowing the legendary Luke Skywalker is here to fight alongside us will hopefully rally the troops. We are taking heavy damage and the casualty rate is sky high. We have forced into a corner and are now just trying to stay alive. The possibility of pressing an advantage and taking the offensive is just ridiculous. Maybe with your experience as a pilot you can help devise a sounder strategy."
Luke felt insecurity flood his stomach with a slippery serpent of doubt but he shoved those reservations away.
"Alright lets see what we can do. First tell you fighters to regroup. Have them stay alert but order them to not pursue any direct engagements. If possible conserve any remaining torpedoes or missiles and concentrate them at the Super Star Destroyers. Their laser cannons should be enough to defeat the Tie Fighters. Instruct them to fly in a V shape to make sure that no one gets left behind and that there is a 360-degree view of their surroundings."
An ensign approached as Luke and Leia began to think of misdirection strikes.
"General Leia, Supreme Leader Snoke has entered the stratosphere he is coming directly at us. His estimated arrival time is 10 minutes. Will we evacuate?"
Leia stood in silence as she pondered her options.
"Sound the alarm, any soldiers who wish to leave for safety are welcome to and will not be judged, but those who choose to remain here will assist us in battle against that monstrosity. Chewie, you ready for some action?"
Chewbacca roared a positive response and the group readied themselves for the fight of their lives.
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Rey and Ben had a landing that was definitely unfavorable as they were literally shot out of the sky like hunted Mynock and they spun and flipped uncontrollably as they rapidly fell to the planet surface. Rey truly thought of D'Qar as a serene and beautiful planet and she had looked forward to coming back, but the circumstances of potential death soured the experience.
She had entered into a fugue state while resting in the bunk when the shaking of the ship and the impact of the missile snapped her back to reality. Rey sprinted to the cockpit and saw Ben trying to salvage the situation by a futile attempt to keep them airborne. "Ben what in the blazes are you doing? We are going down. Our engines are fired we need to eject now."
Ben didn't acknowledge Rey's command as he worked even harder to try to save the ship.
"Ben we need to go now."
The authority in Rey's tone informed him that his pride was not the thing at stake now and trying to save a ship that was a lost cause was a dumb idea. Living seemed more attractive. He gathered Rey in a vice grip as they headed to the area of the ship equipped with safety chairs and attached parachutes. The top of the vessel split open and they rose from the ship just in time as it intersected with the ground and met its incendiary end.
"See what did I tell you? Living is definitely not overrated."
Ben rolled his eyes, "Save it smart ass, you know you are right gloating is unbecoming of one so beautiful."
Rey felt like she was run over by an AT-AT as Ben referred to her as attractive. She was not experiencing an absolutely adverse reaction which she deemed to be progress. But with her life in shambles and gambling that they might not live through the next hour, she held her tongue.
The pair landed a few feet apart from each other as they tumbled and rolled violently along the hard ground. Dazed but steady Ben and Rey wasted no time in heading for the base. Ben ditched the rifle a while back which he now registered to be a mistake as he was charging head first into a fire fight without even the smallest weapon to defend himself with.
Ben did what he could as he erected Force Barriers along the silhouette of himself and Rey and trusted her to deflect any blaster bolts that came from the squadron of Stormtroopers that had emerged from the First Order landing shuttle. Ben kept the shields up with as much concentration as possible as both him and Rey realized just who was on that ship.
Not only had his cousin survived, but she was flanked by his former master and she was radiating hatred.
"Rey, new plan. Run like hell. I am sure mother and Luke are close by."
Guided by nothing but blind intuition they hurried into the complex and ducked as they narrowly avoided a grenade launched at their heads. Rey and Ben both augmented their speed with the Force and after several unsuccessful arrivals at empty barracks and recreation rooms they stumbled upon the command center. Rey kept on running until she grew very close to the awaiting group.
Ben on the other hand was relegated to standing and staring. Rey turned back, "You idiot, why are you not moving? Snoke and Padmé will be here any minute. Grab a blaster and pull yourself together Ben."
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Leia was startled at the utterance of her estranged son's name and she too remained rooted to the floor as her child hesitantly edged forward. When he was within arms reach the first thing she did was deck him directly in the face. "How dare you show your face here after what you have done? I should have you executed."
Ben lowered his gaze, "There really are no words to convey my regret. Your anger is understandable and I promise to work every day to make it up to you. I have found it within my to finally leave Snoke and the Dark Side behind. Maybe in time I can become the son that I was once and earn your forgiveness, but I do not expect any such courtesy. I just wanted to come home."
Leia took a step forward and Ben stood defiantly ready to take another blow when he felt his short mother hug him fiercely. He held on so tight as to never let go.
In a raspy and almost inaudible voice Leia stated, "Welcome back. Its been too long."
Rey approached Luke not out of concern or friendship but out of necessity. "Luke your daughter is now the apprentice of Snoke. She has come here to destroy us all. I don't know if I can ever look at you the same way as now I am aware at how you manipulated and used me, but that is a matter for another time, right now we fight."
Rey emphasized the last words with a gleeful lilt. Luke didn't fail to notice the joyful note in Rey's statement and he truly wondered what she had learned. There was one thing that Luke knew for sure and it was that he would help his daughter for once and bring her back from the Dark Side. If Ben could come back to the Light then so could Padmé.
An officer offered Ben a rifle and showed him how to fire as it was a model that Ben was unfamiliar with. Leia gazed in confusion, "What happened to your lightsaber?"
"Long story short it got destroyed. Too many horrendous deeds were committed with that weapon. Keeping it would be a constant anchor back to my past and malevolent side, and I cannot have that in my life."
Leia smiled and nodded in understanding. She was beyond words ecstatic that her son was finally back.
The last few moments of tranquility were smashed as Snoke and Padmé appeared with a force of troopers. Without as much as a single remark Padmé sent a torrent of lightning to Leia, Rey and R2 while Snoke withdrew an amethyst blade from the depths of his cloak and he effortlessly sent it flying in the direction of Ben. The fight had begun.
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Author's Note: It was another super long chapter so more could happen. I could have been lazy and left out the transition scenes but they can have awesome value so I decided to persevere. I decided to be more subtle on the romantic aspects and that will be explored much more in the sequel. There were some moments but its all about the foundation and having them reconnect and bond. Reylo for life. I am so excited for Episode 8! Up Next: The final chapter, one falls completely and the other rises absolutely, Leia and Luke are an awesome fighting team, Snoke goes nuts and the story will draw to a close. Thanks! :)
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