Sulit [ Ben Solo ]

XIX.

CHAPTER NINETEEN
[ the final battle! ]

"Asteria," Ben replied, stopping in his tracks. He faced her, breathless, chest heaving.

"You came."

"I'll always come for you, sweetheart."

She turned off one side of her lightsaber and held it out for him to take. "You'll need this. I see you've misplaced yours."

"I threw it into the ocean on Kef Bir."

"Oh?"

"I didn't need it anymore." He watched a smile pull at her lips, and couldn't help but return it.

"Hurry. I'm a little outnumbered."

He disappeared then, but she felt stronger. He was here, he was coming. She wasn't alone.

She turned to face the guards with a small smirk.

It was then, as she fought off the guards, that she truly knew that the Jedi had been wrong. When you had someone you loved, someone you were attached to, you were better. Stronger.

She'd never felt more in touch with the light as she did then.

And when she saw him round the corner and run over to help her with the last of the guards, she knew that had the Jedi allowed this, they would have been better for it.

With the guards lying on the ground, lifeless, Asteria and Ben turned to face Palpatine, lightsabers raised.

"Stand together, die together," Palpatine growled, and she felt herself being pulled forward. Her saber clattered to the ground. Then she was on her knees beside Ben, staring up at Palpatine.

"A connection like this has not been seen for centuries. The life force of your bond will restore my power."

She felt the life being drained from her and sucked into Palpatine. He was doing the same to Ben. She tried, stars, she tried to break away, but it was impossible. He had his claws in them, and he was taking everything they had.

Her body gave out for lack of energy. She gasped as she hit the ground, feeling everything inside of her ache. Ben was unconscious beside her.

It was up to her.

She hauled herself to her feet and pulled both halves of her lightsaber to her just as Palpatine decided to try out his new strength. He sent a stream of lightning up into the air toward— toward Resistance fighters. They'd come. They'd come, and she had lead them into a death trap.