The Light is Coming | Kylo Ren

Chapter XLVII

"Has... Has she been in danger this whole time?" Han asked as he eyed Leia, furrowing his eyebrows in concern. "Leia?"

Breathing in, Leia looked down for a moment before nodding, "I fear so... The signs were there, I should have known... it seems she's only told Ben about this. Maybe Rey... But the trust she has in Ben clearly means more than just a simple fling."

"You don't think they have a fling..." Han arched an eyebrow, earning a sigh from Leia.

"No, of course not... I am saying that Ben is going to have a big part of this. Who knows what he knows, maybe he gave us this information because he's leaving the Order behind. To help Chi... To come home," Leia said as she looked Han in the eyes. "I should have seen this sooner... Ahsoka knew, Chanela knew... they knew so much but had to keep it a secret... I knew, too, but never expected it to go to this extent. I could have avoided this, I could have—"

"Leia, don't blame yourself. None of this, none of this is your fault."

"I— If Chi hadn't joined the Resistance, she wouldn't have opened herself to the Force and to the truth of her bloodline," Leia shook her head.

"Leia—"

"I should have sent her back home, I should have told her parents..." Leia frowned. "Now she's facing something beyond her..."

"Then we have to help," Han suggested. "We need to do something."

Looking back up at him, Leia shook her head again, "I am afraid this is out of our reach... we can only help when the moment reveals itself. Unlike with Rey... this situation with Chi is far different." Breathing in deeply, Leia reached for Han's hand, "go."

Eyeing her, Han squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead, "we will bring them all home."

Watching him slip from her grip, Leia took in a shaky breath, "I hope so..." Suddenly feeling a hand on her shoulder, Leia turned and spotted Kaydel standing there.

"We will get through this," she nodded. "I am joining Finn."

Taking her hand in hers, Leia held it tight, "please come back home safe."

Nodding, Kaydel gave her a warm smile, "he's almost back home."

Now being the one to nod her head, Leia let go of Kaydel's hand before seeing Poe in the distance, giving him an encouraging smile before looking back at the spot where Chi's ship normally was. "You aren't alone in this... No one is." Turning away and entering the cave as her officers scattered around, Leia made her way to a private area where she restricted for herself. Lifting a rock from the ground and spotting a small metal lid, she lifted it up and breathed in deeply. Grabbing what was inside, she untied the bow and unwrapped the cloth.

She hadn't seen it in so long, keeping it hidden under wraps for so long, only ever touching it to hide it when the Resistance moved bases. Eyeing her rose gold and silver hilt, Leia activated her saber and eyed its blade. Shutting it and closing her eyes, Leia whispered, "Luke..." Reaching out into the Force, hoping this time around he'd finally let her in, Leia pleaded, "we need your help, Rey needs you now more than ever."

• • •

The choir of voices sounded as Rey exited the X-Wing. Her heart was racing and her skin was breaking out into a sweat from her bouncing nerves. The air was heavy and the atmosphere was suffocating. The darkness that surrounded her made her instincts kick in stronger. Lightening struck as its echoes vibrated against her bones. Taking cautious steps as she entered the cave-like structure, Rey took in a deep breath as the dark side of the Force lurked about.

Approaching the grand hall as it opened to an arena of voices and figures, Rey turned her head and spotted the throne. Palpatine's voice then echoed as he spoke up, greeting her with his evil grin, "I am so proud of you. You have come all this way without my help..." he began. "It has been so long... so very long. Your parents were wise to hide you. You can either join me or die like the rest."

"How," she finally spoke up. "How are you here?"

"My dear... Rey," he snickered, "it was a process... it took much time... but cloning exists and so does resurrection. I have been in the shadows watching everything. Lurking and haunting... how else do you believe that Solo boy turned? Who do you think was in control of Snoke? Let alone... the First Order?

"Kylo Ren's victory in murdering my shadow was nothing but that... It proved that he still was holding onto the light. Making his way to Supreme Leader was a mere distraction for me, but I saw past it. I know what he was trying to do. He was finding his way back, he was going against all that I had planted in his head. All because of his family, because of you, because of that princess.

"But don't think he was the only one in mind. I have had my failed clones, your father included. I had those little Knights of Ren, but they were a false hope. But then there was you... so lost in her life, unsure of where she belonged. I wouldn't have found you if it wasn't because of your bravery to fight along with those rebels.

"Yet here you are, one simple tap into the mind and having minions infiltrating every corner as one big ploy to lure you in... and it worked. It's a shame you are so full of light. Your father's biggest failure. However, you can change. You've seen it. Empress Rey..."

"I will never change," Rey countered, thinking about her newfound family. "Through darkness, light can be found."

"What a pity," Palpatine frowned. "I guess you will have to die like the rest." Extending his fingers out, a sudden wave of electricity shot out and shocked Rey, sending her to her knees as she screamed out.

• • •

Kylo stood in his throne room before the holo table. His arms were crossed as he eyed the holographic reports of flagships being destroyed, falling apart in the open space. He could hear the officers frantic yells, unsure of what was happening to them. For Kylo, he didn't feel guilty. That morality was nonexistent, if they had been innocent souls unlike himself, then things would have turned out differently.

But they didn't, and there he stood, watching the demise of the organization he once blindly believed in.

Hearing light footsteps, one that shouldn't have been so easily to detect from within his helmet, Kylo sighed. He had forgotten a certain officer existed.

Holding a blaster and aiming it at the back of Kylo, knowing very well he was behind the chaos that had fallen upon the First Order and the murdering of Snoke, Hux spoke up, "I will not let the First Order turn to dust because of our weak, supposed Supreme Leader has found a way out all because of a princess!" Scowling and feeling his hand shake, Hux continued on, "I will destroy you, sell your pathetic princess to those bounty hunters who want her, end the Resistance and finally rule all!" Shouting, Hux pulled the trigger of his blaster.

Quickly turning around and stopping the blast from hitting him, Kylo clenched his fists, "I forgot you even were a threat."

Furious, Hux pulled the trigger again, only for Kylo to deflect it with his blade, igniting it in seconds as he was steps ahead. Pushing the blast that hovered back at the general, striking his shoulder, Hux was sent to the ground.

Walking over and standing before him, Kylo tightened his grip around his saber, growling between his teeth, "you will die like the rest of them, miserable rodent." Aiming his blade to Hux's throat, Kylo hissed, "I would have given you a head start to run..." Reaching over and grabbing Hux by the throat as he writhed in pain, Kylo lifted his blade, "but then you went and threatened my princess." Plunging his blade into Hux's chest, Kylo dropped his limp body before stepping over it and leaving the throne room.

One less threat to worry about.

.・゜゜・　A/N　・゜゜・．

Kylo is very protective of his lady... speaking of her, she's entering her final, major arc for this story!

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