Rise

Chapter 24

WARNING: This chapter contains very intense and graphic gore/violence!

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May God have mercy on my enemies,

because I won't.

I take what is mine.

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With a yell, I attack. There's a shadow trooper aiming towards me, and he fires at my face. I raise up my saber, blocking the laser before running forward. I duck as he fires another shot at me and swing at his arm, cutting off his hand. The trooper lets out an agonized scream, but he's silenced once I shove the lightsaber through his chest. His body crumples to the ground and I whip around.

I see Han, struggling against a knife-wielding trooper, and my eyes narrow as a low growl goes past my lips. Within two strides I reach them, and I push the trooper away from Han, stabbing him through the gut and kicking his body away.

Han's momentarily frozen as he sees me, and I can tell that, though I've gotten past my fear, he hasn't. He and Ray are both terrified, whereas I'm too angry to be afraid.

We're looking at each-other and suddenly he lets out a shout; Han lunges forward and pushes me to the floor as blaster lasers go over our heads. Han shoots at someone behind me, and the lasers stop firing in our direction. I stagger to my feet, gripping Han's shoulder for balance. I'd been caught off guard--I should've been watching my back.

"Where's Ramala?" he asks me, and his words send a jolt through me. Ramala. Where was she?

I turn around, panicking, and then relax a bit once I see her, running towards us. She reaches us, and I can see how breathless she is.

Her eyes land on the blood on my hands, though, and she freezes for a moment.

"El..." she murmurs dazedly, staring at the blood on my skin, "Did you k--kill someone?"

I look up at her, and my anger-driven resolve disappears as I realize how truly horrible this is. How truly horrible it is that I can say that I've killed someone.

No words come out of my mouth as I meet her gaze.

Han comes in between us, though, and saves me from having to respond. "Ray, it's kill or be killed out here. We have to kill, do you understand? It's for the greater good...." Han looks at me for a moment, then back at Ramala. "And if you have people to protect, then it's a must. You got me?" his voice isn't stern, or challenging--it's actually rather gentle and sympathetic as he looks at Ramala.

Ramala is quiet for a second, and I can see that she's hesitant. But she takes a deep breath, gulping and nodding quickly. "I understand." she says, and I flinch slightly at how hollow her voice sounds.

Han nods. "Good; now let's try and make it over to Luke and Leia." he jerks his chin at the other side of the room, where I see Luke and Leia, fighting against other troopers. As I observe that side of the room, I notice all the blood that's now spilled everywhere and I feel slightly dizzy.

Don't you dare do it, Ellie, I tell myself. Don't you dare go back to your flashbacks.

Han leads the way and we all start sprinting--it's the quickest, but possibly most dangerous way. It doesn't matter, though. We need to get to Luke and Leia so that our group is together; that's what's most important. We all need to stick together.

I'm running, and I hear Ramala behind me. Despite her reluctance to kill, she's willingly following me and Han, and I'm grateful that she's not being difficult.