Star Wars: I Am a Slave ✓

Chapter 49 - The Battle in the Forest

As Rey and Finn stumbled through the snowy forest toward the Millennium Falcon, the sound of an erratic lightsaber shattered the silence. The stop, out of breath, knowing that the end is near; but Rey was not going to give up without a fight.

Kylo Ren appeared from the trees, lightsaber held in front of him, challenging Rey, "We're not done yet."

Rey yelled at him, "You're a monster!"

Kylo Ren taunted, "It's just us now. Han Solo can't save you."

Rey pulled her blaster on Kylo Ren. He raised his hand and sent her up 10 meters, careening her against a tree. She fell to the snow, unconscious.

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"Rey, you have to wake up. Rey, wake up!" yelled Ani in her ear. "Wake up, darling!"

No, Granddad, sleep, I need sleep. The sand is so soft right now. I'll go scavenge when the sun goes down.

"Rey, you have to stop him! He's going to kill Finn! Only you can stop him! Wake up!"

But I hurt. My head hurts, my back hurts. Just let me rest.

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Ani moved into her mind and woke her up invasively. She woke to hear Finn screaming, watching him fall to the snow, his back sliced by the red lightsaber. The blue lightsaber extinguished and flew beyond Kylo Ren.

"Rey, he must not get my lightsaber. It's yours. Stretch your hand out and grab it," instructed Ani.

Rey watched as Kylo Ren stretched his out to grab it, but it barely moved. "It will answer to my grandchildren, Rey. It will answer to you. Use the Force and grab it! Do you want that monster to win? Do you want Finn to die?" persuaded Ani.

Rey reached forth her hand, scrunching her forehead in concentration, and pulled. It wiggled at first. She was not sure if it was going to come to her or to Kylo. With more effort she called on the Force within her and PULLED. It sped out of the snow, hitting Kylo Ren in the face, as it came to Rey's hand. Rey looked at it and knew what she had to do. She flicked the activation button and moved the saber to her head.

She charged at Kylo Ren with a staff movement. It's not much different than a staff. That's what this is, a staff. Just don't grab it at the wrong end, she told herself. She swung, she defended, they fought. Her eyes blazed as the Force worked through her.

Kylo Ren chased her throughout the forest, the wounds on his shoulder and his side bothering him. Rey did not have his reach, but she was strong from her years as a scavenger. Her years with the staff stood her in good stead, as well.

As he chased her, she jumped on a boulder and ran across it, jumping over the path, somersaulting and coming up in a defensive position. Try as he might, Kylo Ren could not mark her. She was quick, nimble, strong, and intuitive.

Finally, as the trees collapsed behind them, as the planet collapsed in on itself, he worked Rey back against the cliff. All he had to do was to push her off, but that was not his plan. He pushed against her and held her in a lock, both lightsabers inches from her face in a cross. "You need a teacher!" started Kylo. "I can show you the ways of the Force!"

Rey's memory came back of Vader offering Luke Skywalker the same thing on Cloud City. She remembered the cost, too, his hand. He thought it would be his life. She knew what her decision had to be. She would be untrue to herself if it were any other. Rey remembered, "The Force."

"Rey, become at peace. Passive. Let the Force flow through you. Let it control your actions. Don't think," directed Ani.

Rey calmed herself, closing her eyes, holding the lightsabers in stasis near her face. And then she swung. She did not have to think: the Force showed her what to do next. The Force even moved her muscles directly into the next position. Over and over again, she battled against Kylo Ren, until she had beat him to the ground. She sliced the hilt of his saber, removing it from his hand and whipped her lightsaber against his face, leaving a scar not unlike her granddad's across the right side of his face.

Rey looked at her opponent, filled with the Force, but her anger was welling in her now. It would only take one blow to finish him. Then this would be over.

"Rey, no, there is still good in him. You have felt it. You have seen it. Please, stop," begged Ani. "If you use your anger with the Force, you will be consumed by the dark side. Please, stop."

Rey looked like she was not going to stop at all, and she refused to answer her granddad. Ani sent out his power and urged the ground a bit, causing it to split between his two grandkids. Rey stood there, looking at Kylo Ren, looking at her . . . brother. I almost killed my brother, as he killed our father. Rey backed up, lowering her lightsaber, in shock at what she almost had done in the heat of the moment.

And then she remembered. Finn! Finn! She ran back into the forest to Finn. She held his lifeless body in her arms, tears freezing on her face. Granddad, I don't know what to do. Please, don't let Finn die. Please.

More trees fell around them. Rey felt the end was here. They were both going to die here in just a few minutes when the planet exploded. If that is how my life will end, I will end it holding you.

Lights shown through the trees and the sound of the familiar engines of the Falcon whined above the crash of the trees. In no time at all, Chewbacca had retrieved Finn, and they were on their way home.