Steady On.

Chapter 36.

One hundred guardsmen circled her, inching closer after their attempt to charge her failed, the men stopping in their tracks the second her attention landed on them.

Rey turned to each one, gauging who would attack first.

Behind her, she heard boots shuffling as one of them ran to her, a spear in his hands, raised above his head. Instead of watching him, she eyed his weapon the moment she turned, quickly taking a step back as he swung towards her, missing.

With her attention elsewhere, another guardsmen with a large axe stepped forward.

Hands still cuffed at her front, Rey took another step back, missing the swing from the axe just barely. She watched as both guardsmen pulled their weapons free from the ground, leaving large gashes in the floor as they marched to her again, everyone else simply watching. The rest of the guards moved aside, eager for the outcome.

The one with the spear moved to stab her, his whole body stepping into the push just as Rey grabbed the neck of the spear, yanking him towards her as she extended her foot outwards, tripping the man and causing him to turn his back to her, which Rey then grasped the opportunity and hugged his back, turning them both so that the guard took the full force of the axe when the other guard swung again.

Rey huffed as the impact shook the breath out of her, shoving the now dead guard away from her and grasping the spear he left behind.

From the platform, she heard the young man next to Kylo chuckle.

Her eyes on the other guard, they circled one another, anticipating the others first move.

Just then, another guard had snuck up behind her, trapping her back to his chest and making her lose the grip she had on the spear, hearing it fall to the ground. In her front, the other guard raised his axe, and making sure to time it right, Rey jutted her right hip back, her leg extending behind them both, and tossed the man to her front, taking the full blow of the axe as his last breath gave out.

Turning, she eyed each guard again, this time every single one felt a surge of doubt run through them, she forced that emotion through every nerve they had. Having to regrip each of their weapons, they shuffled around.

When Rey moved towards them, they took a step back.

From the platform, Vicar shot up from his throne. "She is cuffed! Kill her! NOW!" he yelled, his voice bouncing from every wall.

The guardsmen looked up to their master, each giving a simple nod of compliance, just as they were trained.

Moving their attention back to Rey, several of them charged again.

Rey waited, and just before the closest got to her, she channeled the force and call the spear to her hand, flipping it and moved it out just in time for the guard to run straight into the point, killing him.

Behind her, another moved upon her just as one was running up to her front. Quickly, Rey shot her elbow out behind her, knocking the man to the ground and shifted to her side, dodging the blade of a guardsmen in front of her.

Rey stepped out behind him and swiftly placed her back to his own, shooting her cuffed arms above her and over his head, grunting as she used all her power to squeeze the life out of him using the chains from her cuffs. She felt him struggle against her back, and abruptly stop as his body went limp.

Shrugging him away, Rey stepped aside, dodging another attack.

It felt like days passed as she fought like this, her energy depleting with every hit and attack she delivered, and then her energy coming right back as she successfully killed another guard. In the back of her mind, she found it almost thrilling, this tug and pull that she felt coursing inside of her.