Across The Stars // Star Wars (Sequels)

✰Chapter 47✰

"Will we even get off the ground in that old wreck?" I remark, taking in the old space ship that rests on a sandy rock. We climb up the side of the rock and within seconds, my shoes are filled with sand. 

"I guess we'll see," Poe shrugs. "We gotta keep moving. Find someone who can translate that dagger. Like a helpful droid."

"I suggest we return to the Millennium Falcon at once," 3PO calls. I squint my eyes against the brightness of the sun as I look up at the ship. Nothing but dark energy flows from it and one part of me wants to agree with 3PO, but I know we can't turn back now. We're too close to give up.

"They'll be waiting for us at the Falcon, 3PO," I reply. My foot slips to the right as we turn a corner and several bits of rock fall into a canyon. I scrunch my nose at it, choosing to look ahead instead. 

"Yeah, they'll throw us in the pits of Griq," Finn says. 

"And use you as a target droid," Poe adds. He heaves himself onto a higher part of the rock before holding out a hand to help me up, but I stop. "What's wrong?" he asks, but then he sees the haunted look in my eyes. "Ren." 

"Rey?" I call as I spot her standing by the edge, overlooking the seemingly desolate desert.

"What is it?" Finn asks her when she doesn't reply.

She turns around, holding the same look in her eyes as I do, and hands Finn her bag. "I'll be right behind you," she tells him.

"Rey," I repeat. 

"It's okay," she says, looking up to meet my eyes. 

"No, it's not. You're not facing him alone," I say warningly. 

"Then come with me." 

"You know I can't." 

"Then let me do this," she pleads. "I'll be all right." 

I don't reply as I remember what Anakin once told me, "When the time comes, you have to be prepared to let your student go. I had to learn that the hard way." 

I nod curtly before turning around, continuing to climb up the rock. Poe, Finn, 3PO and Chewie follow shortly after. 

We arrive at Ochi's ship not long after and Poe jumpstarts the hatch. It slides open with a high-pitched creak that hurts my ears and it hits the ground with a thud. "Stay close," Poe tells me as we climb up the ramp. I nod softly. The ship is filled with dust, mold and grimy cob webs. I duck my head to avoid them as I follow Poe to the cockpit.

He flips a few switches and presses a couple of buttons and seconds later, the ship comes to life. Lights turn on in the storage compartment and I feel the engine roar to life under my feet. The stench of old fuel reaches my nose as a cloud of dust is blown from the vents.

The window shutters flip up and I peer through, watching Rey as she travels across the plains in front of us, a trail of footsteps tracing behind her. "Rave, can you help you out over here?" Poe calls, snapping me out of my worried thoughts. I turn to the Wookie who is tinkering with something on the other side of the ship.

"Chewie, tell Rey we gotta go," I tell him and he grumbles before exiting the ship to fetch Rey. I jog over to Poe to help him out. Although I'm not overly sure what I'm doing, I follow his instructions and manage to get the ship ready for takeoff. 

"What is she doing?" Poe gruntles, looking out through the front window, but Rey is no longer within sight. "And where the hell's Chewie?" 

Finn glances at me and involuntarily, I ball my fists at my side. My knuckles turn white from clenching. "It's Ren, isn't it?" he asks and even though I don't reply, he jumps to his feet and dashes outside. Seconds go by as I watch Poe continue to tinker with the ship, but when we hear Finn cry out Rey's name, we spring to our feet. 

Without a second thought, I run outside, Lightsaber in hand, to find Finn pointing at a transport in the air. "They got Chewie!" he shouts. "They got him!" 

Rey's eyes flick up to me as I stand on the edge of the rock. Her hand shoots up and she holds back the transport. I follow her suit and feel the ship trying to break free, but the Force holds it back from taking off. 

It starts inching back toward us until it suddenly jolts to the left. I look down and spot Kylo Ren, trying to take control over the ship. His black cloak dances in the wind as his gloved hand holds down the transport with the Force. I can feel the darkness within him, circling, lurking. His eyes linger on Rey before they meet mine. The scar I left on his face has faded slightly, but it's still there. Good.

I can feel Rey's Force energy growing and so is Ren's. The muscles in my arm ache from straining and my hand can't stop shaking. Rey's presence begins to slip from my mind as it grows darker. I fear she is losing control and my predictions are proven correct as a blast of Force-Lightning shoots from the tips of her fingers. 

The lightning strikes the transport and it blows up right before our eyes. I feel a scream escape me and my knees give in. Poe is right on time to pull me back from the edge before I topple over. I am shivering from head to toe and tears stream down my face, but I am completely silent as I watch the wreckage of the ship plummet down and land with a crash. I can feel the heat from the flames. 

"Oh, no," I hear Poe mumble. I look up and through teary eyes I watch a fleet of TIE fighters appear over the horizon. "Rey! Finn! We gotta go!" he exclaims. "They're coming!" 

Rey's eyes are filled with fright as she stares at the remains of the transport, holding up the shaking hand from which the lightning had come. 

Poe pulls me to my feet and drags me onto Ochi's ship. I sink into a corner, wishing to disappear forever as a gawning pain claws at my heart. I close my eyes as I wrap my arms around my legs, hugging them close to my chest. "Be with me and I'll be with you," I mutter under my breath, feeling myself slipping to the Dark Side. "Be with me and I'll be with you. B-Be- Be with m-me, please." I clench my jaw as tears spring to my eyes, threatening to fall.

I can feel the ship take off, leaving Pasaana and Chewie behind.