Ben Solo

XXXIX

The next few he encountered were Anina and Aaron, in the dining hall.  They were standing, on guard in the center of the room.

Ben had hidden his lightsaber.

Anina looked to him as he entered.

"Master Ben," she sighed in relief.

He tensed as she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him.  She thought that he was the good guy, the one who would save them all.

How wrong she was.

"What's going on?" Anina asked, looking up at him.

Her eyes widened and Aaron cried out as the red lightsaber's energy blade protruded out her back.

Ben pulled his lightsaber out and the little girl crumpled to the ground.

Aaron yelled again, and Ben looked up to see the boy running, full speed, at him, ready to tackle him.

About four feet away, the Padawan stopped. He checked himself, and drew his lightsaber.

As the padawan was preparing himself, Ben stepped forward. The boy barely deflected his red saber.

They battled, back and forth.  At one point, Aaron jumped up onto a table.

The Dark Side-driven Ben didn't even hesitate to follow.

He was getting impatient with this boy. His strikes got faster and faster, and Aaron struggled to keep up.

After too long of a battle, Aaron fell.

Just before Ben struck a final time, the young padawan whispered, "Traitor."

Ben walked to the door and took one last look at the two dead padawans.

Then he closed it and typed in the block code.

Now to find Mei, Ilia, and Averann.

Ben closed his eyes to sense them. He couldn't sense where Averann was. Perhaps she had learned to block her Force footprint, when he wasn't there.

But Ilia and Mei were in the council chamber. He went to the chamber.

On the way, C-3PO stepped in front of him.  "Master Ben!  Something terrible has happened!"

Ben rolled his eyes.  "What is it?"

"Someone has murdered all of the children!"

He sliced at the droid, cutting off an arm.  Then he planted a boot in its chest and pushed the droid backwards into the wall.  C-3PO made no more noise.

He continued to where Ilia and Mei were hiding in the council room.

This time, they were both aware of his Darkness.

Ilia shoved Mei behind some furniture, too late, as he rounded the corner.

He pretended he hadn't seen.

"Ben, you've turned to the wrong side," she pleaded, her blue lightsaber igniting.

"I am stronger than Luke could have ever made me," Ben said, walking forward and pulling out his lightsaber.

"No, you're not! It feels like you are, but you aren't."

Ben was tired of his old friends trying to convince him to give up this energy. "I am! I could teach you the ways of the Dark Side!"

"No!" Ilia yelled. That was the loudest he'd ever heard her in the twelve years he'd known her. "I'd rather die."

Ben shrugged. "That could be arranged."

He stepped forward, igniting his lightsaber, and the blades clashed.

As his battles had progressed, the power grew stronger and stronger. Ilia fell quickly, her lightsaber retracting into its hilt as it left her hand to roll towards the door.

He looked to a table nearby, where he noticed a familiar lightsaber. He shook his head at Averann's folly.

He walked over, lifted it into the air with the Force, and sliced it in half. The two crystals burst.

Then he walked towards the door.

Ben heard a light sigh behind him, and turned, quickly. Mei pulled her head back, too late again.

He took a few steps toward her and could sense her holding her breath.  "I know you're there, Mei."

He sensed her take a deep breath, and watched her stand.

"Master Ben."

He nodded.  "And I can continue to be your master, if you will let me teach you these ways."

"What ways?  Killing the ones you grew up with?" Mei's voice shook with rage.

That was the source of the power.  "Good, let the anger flow.  Do you feel the power?"

But instead of letting the power go, he felt her push the anger aside.

He smiled. "Last chance."

"I stand with Ilia. I would rather die."

Ben shrugged, and seemed off guard. He made to turn and leave again, then ignited his lightsaber and whirled around.

Mei let out a small shriek as she blocked the bolt of energy with her own saber.

He felt Averann lift her veil of Force and ran towards the room.

She banged on the door.  Ben kept Mei from crying out again by pulling her mind with the Force.

Averann ran off, he suspected to look for her own lightsaber.  He glanced at the broken saber on the ground, its two broken purple crystals on the ground.

He barely blocked Mei's slice, and admiration for his padawan flashed through his mind.

They battled around the room, and Mei tripped on Ilia's fallen body.  She faltered in her attacks, switching the advantage back to Ben.

She ducked and rolled across the floor, avoiding a high and then low swipe.

She rolled out of the way of his lightsaber as he brought it down to the ground beside her, carving deep, black scars in the metal floor.

Mei stood again, holding her lightsaber in a defensive position.

Ben lashed out, startling her.

She tripped over her own feet, her lightsaber dislodging itself from her hand.

"One final chance," he said, holding the point of his own lightsaber over her her neck.

Mei shook her head, breathless. "Never."

He closed his eyes and pushed his lightsaber down.

When he opened them, she was dead.

His heart broke for a moment. This girl, who he'd trained for three years, was now dead, by his own hands.

But he shook it off quickly. This was his path to power. These were his first steps.

The sound of a blaster came from just outside the door. He paid it no mind.

His eyes were still fastened on Mei.

Then the door slid open and he turned.

There stood Averann, stooping to pick up Ilia's lightsaber.

She seemed to sense his proposition and answered as the lightsaber ignited.

"I will never join you."