Episode IX The Legacy of the Sith

What Rey Lost

The First Order General Mors stood resolutely in her command center at the top of a security tower on the north side of the palace. She watched as the Resistance transports tried to land soldiers in the alleys in front of them. Of the very few transports that were able to land, none survived the retreat.

A colonel scurried up to General Mors, and halted, waiting patiently for Mors to address him.

"Yes, Colonel Crous, give me the status," Mors ordered.

"The Resistance transports have been able to put an estimated three thousand soldiers in the alleys, working their way to the palace. The navy has successfully stopped any further transports from unloading."

"And the space front?" She questioned.

"Our defenses are holding. Only small fighters and the last of the transports have made it into the atmosphere. The surface cannons and our TIEs are keeping those under control. As I said, none of the remaining transports are able to reach the surface."

General Mors understood the situation and was pleased.

"Send AT-ST's, with ground assault and jet clone troopers into the alleys."

"Yes, General," he replied.

Mors picked up a cup of hot caf and took a sip, then placed it back on the console. She always drank caf during routine operations.

A contingent of clone troopers dispatched into each alleyway along with two AT-ST's for each alley. The dual legged AT-ST's, like the larger AT-AT's, were also augmented from their old top-heavy models with two cannon-equipped, lean, forward arms to aid with stabilization and firepower if needed.

Citizens of Coruscant rushed into the bars and pawn shops trying to escape the meteoric fire. Many found shelter in business basements, as they huddled in groups and shivered. However, the blasts from the AT-ST's as they fired down the alleys sometimes caused portions of these structures to collapse on the hiding people, their sanctuaries becoming their tombs.

The Resistance soldiers tried to advance with a desperate effort. If it had just been the ground assault clone troopers, the narrow alley would have nullified the First Order's numbers and evened the odds. However, the Resistance soldiers had to deal with AT-ST fire, which could be fired over the approaching clone troopers. Added to that, the jet troopers flew in above them, giving the First Order another advantage. A few of the transports had been able to drop mobile shield generators, which could protect an area with a radius of fifty feet. The generators aided protection from the AT-ST's and jet troopers, but the soldiers still had to exit the shield to fire.

The Resistance army was weakening quickly.

****

"What do you mean it's gone?" Rey snapped.

"I mean it is gone! I can't feel it!" Ben held out his hand to use the Force on a broken fragment of the column. He strained his muscles, clenched his teeth, and held his breath in the effort, but nothing happened.

"I can't use it!" he cried out, then composed himself. "I can't use it," he said again in a low and defeated voice. "It's the same thing that happened to Maz Kanata, the last time she and Yoda faced Snoke. She didn't say it, but I know."

"What?" Rey asked surprised, not knowing about that history.

"My grandfather mentioned that they had paid a great price, but I didn't think . . . " Ben's voice trailed off. With his thoughts directed to his grandfather, Ben was reminded of the reason they had come.