"Shit! Shit! Shit! Please make this work! Please make this work! Shit! Shit!" Rey recited her mantra to herself over and over again, reassuring herself that she was going to pull this stunt off with flying colours. Sure, she felt mixed feelings about this. What if Vestara was messing with her? What if this was all a deliberate trap, made to test her allegiance?

No. It's too late for that. Rey had already snuck her way into the hanger bay, hiding behind a cargo and waiting for the platoon of storm troopers to leave. If she was right about the storm troopers' schedule, then she had a five minutes window to get into a nearby TIE Fighter, boot up the system without being detected, get clearance without raising suspicions, and get the hell away from this hellhole!

There was only one thing standing between her and her freedom; the clearance. How was she going to get clearance from the control tower? A Jedi mind trick might work, but she wasn't adept at it. That would mean she must secure the passcode. The only problem was that the passcode changed every four hours. Only a Knight of the First Order could bypass the clearance stage! That's it! An epiphany struck her!

Determined, Rey steeled her gaze, ducked her head out of her hiding, and took a peak. The storm troopers were changing shift! Now was the time! Embracing the Force, she made a dash towards her designated TIE Fighter. Nobody saw her climbing the aircraft and turning on the engine.

"I can do this." Rey took a deep breath and flipped on the switches. A bright smile curled up her lips as the first half of her plan was a success. "Easy! I can do this girl! I can -"

"Alpha, this is Control. Verify ident immediately, over." A buzz was heard over the radio transmission afterwards.

Suddenly, Rey felt her heart racing. Squaring her shoulders, she swallowed down the bile of fear stuck in her throat and imitated Alema's voice. "This is Commander Alema Rar. On my authority, I.D…" Rey prayed that her memory didn't fail her. "I.D 2618. Request permission to takeoff."

A silence intruded. The intercom did not respond for over a minute. For what seemed to be eternity, Rey could hear her heart pounding vigorously. Was the ID she articulated wrong? Did she miss something? Argh! Come on! Don't leave her hanging!

"Roger that! Cleared for takeoff! Standby, over!"

Rey let go of her hitched breath and sighed in relief. As she watched the airtight hangar door opened, she couldn't help but smile at her freedom. All the things that she went through had led to this moment. If she was being honest to herself, it wasn't a horrid experience. She befriended Alema, found out the truth about her parents, and discovered her heritage from the supposedly bleakest part of her life.

There was no room for remorse, she told herself. This was it! Her freedom awaits!

Unbeknownst to Rey, Vestara was in the control tower, watching her flawless manipulation took shape.

-X-o-X-

Luke Skywalker surveyed the combat engineers setting up the old and dusty equipment in Echo Base. This brings back so much memories. Although the Rebellion suffered a crushing defeat during the dreadful Battle of Hoth, the Resistance could pick up the pieces. Scraps and leftover from destroyed AT-AT could be scavenged to rebuild their base.

However, there was a heavy tension in the air. Rumours had circulated amongst the soldiers that the Resistance was depleting finances and resources. Some said this was their last stand! If this didn't work out, it would spell doom for all of them. They had to establish a secured headquarter here before the rest of the Resistance's fleet head over. Time was crucial and the last thing Luke needed was his men demoralised, nervous and in despondence.

"Alright, guys. Gather around. Listen up!" Luke climbed up to a stowaway carrier and raised his voice. "I understand that this is a… definitive moment."

The freedom fighters dropped what they were doing and trudged their way around the Jedi Master. "I know you guys thought my return will spark hope back to the Resistance. I am sorry to disappoint, but I am not a god. I am not impervious to injuries or death. I am but a man. A mortal man who is at the edge of his hope, just like everybody else."

Murmurs were heard amongst the soldiers, but Luke continued, his voice now brimming with vigour. "But, I have a belief! That what we do now matters! Today, we are fighting against tyranny and annihilation. The whole galaxy is waiting for us to make our mark. That's why I want you to take a good look at one and other now!"

The freedom fighters looked at one and other, the will to fight started to blaze in their weary eyes.

"They are the reason why we are here! The spirit of our ancestors who died on this sacred planet for freedom… live on in all of us! None of you stand alone, not today! Today, we make a difference!"

Fire and passion burned in every soldier's body as they raised their fists high up in the air, roaring in unity. "We will not let our brothers and sisters die in vain! We will not give up, no matter how much the odds are stacked against us! Today, we will stand and fight! The First Order shall know that evil does not prevail! The Resistance will bring hope to the galaxy once more!"

Just like that, the enigmatic and legendary Jedi Master lit up the fighting spirit of his troops. Uproarious cheers blared across the hall – the Resistance was ready, now more than ever.

It was then a soldier came and whispered something to Luke's ears.

"W-What? Rey is here? Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir. She came in on a TIE Fighter. Said she wants to speak with you."

Luke couldn't help but smile. T-This was good news! "Bring me to her! Hurry!"

-X-o-X-

Rey was apprehensive and the butterflies in her stomach weren't helping. Somewhat, she felt a sense of foreboding, as if she had missed out something. This was too easy, she thought. No, she squashed down those perilous thoughts. She had to be positive, but it was nerve-wrecking! The Force was warning her and she just couldn't figure out what was wrong.

She escaped from The First Order. Checked.

She had found the Resistance. Checked.

She had ensured nobody had followed her. Double checked.

So, what the hell was missing? Why was she so afraid?

"Rey!"

All of her worries suddenly vanished when she saw Master Skywalker stood at the doorway, his jaw unhinged. Perhaps the exhaustion and paranoia was getting to her, but her instinct had kicked in when she saw the man who she saw as a father figure. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him like a daughter would to her father. Luke blinked, unsure about what to do, but decided to gently and awkwardly stroke her hair.

In truth, Luke had assumed the worst; that Rey had fallen to the Dark Side, but here she was! The Force had told him that Rey was still clean. She might have her doubts now with the Jedi, but her iron-clad will had made her strong enough to withstand the temptation. Luke recognised that Rey had something that Ben didn't; a sense of self that was not easily bewitched by false hopes.

"Rey, what happened?" Luke pushed Rey gently by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "How did you… escape from The First Order?"

"I… just did. It's too complicated. That doesn't matter now!" Rey shook her head. "The Resistance need to evacuate now! The First Order knows you are here! There is a traitor amongst the Resistance! They know you are in Hoth!"

Luke nursed his temples. "Rey, this planet is big. It will take them some time to even track us down. Besides, we're underground. They won't be able to find us so easily!"

"No! You don't understand! Master Skywalker, you must leave! Now!"

"Rey! Enough! This is not up to debate! We are here to make our stand and -"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Rey didn't know what trigger her rage, but Luke was horrified. His horror wasn't stemmed from her outburst, but rather her eyes; they were baleful and yellow, very much like that of a Sith. As she steadied her laboured breath, she averted her gaze. "Y-You don't understand! The First Order is not what the Resistance thinks! There is something more to that! Please, you have to believe me!"

"Snoke is not real, is he?"

Rey's eyes widened like saucer. "H-How did you -"

"The Force told me so." Luke smiled, reassuring his fidgety apprentice. "Do not fear, Rey. We have a plan."

"No! No plan! Please, just listen to me! You have to get out of here!" Rey was borderline hysterical.

No, they couldn't. Even if Luke wanted it, most of the Resistance's force had established themselves on Hoth. If they would to leave Hoth without any accomplishments, no financial institutions in the entire galaxy would fund the Resistance anymore. The war would be over before they could even raise a blaster! "I'm sorry, Rey. We have to -"

Warning!

The siren went off like the doomsday was upon them.

Warning!

Rey's blood went cold. "Oh, no!"

Warning!

"Sir!" A soldier bolted to the Jedi Master and hastily did a salute. "T-The First Order! They're here!"

Luke was confused, but then his peripheral caught sight of the TIE Fighter that Rey had arrived with. Dread coiled in Luke's stomach; this was bad! This was very bad! "Rey, did you shut down the transmitter signal in that aircraft when you came here?"

When Rey put two and two together, terror marred her face. "I… I… didn't."

"You led them here!"

-X-o-X-

Naruto admired the white tundra that enveloped Planet Hoth. Who would have thought such a pure wonder was once a deadly battlefield that almost crushed the Rebellion. As he swirled his glass of vintage rum, he couldn't help but smile. Everything had gone according to plan.

Rey had been a wonderful sport. She was as beautiful as she was naïve. It was her innocence that captivated Naruto. In her desperate desire to save her friends, she had inevitably brought upon their doom. How beautiful and cruel irony could be.

What was funny in this entire operation was that Rey thought she had finally found freedom. Freedom? Safety? That's funny. No, Rey didn't escape him. The cage that he had built for her merely expanded, but it was still a cage nonetheless.

Putting fun aside, it would be too much of a hassle to find the Resistance's hideout. Yes, they knew the Resistance would station on Hoth, but that planet was humongous. They could place satellites all over the globe to try pinpointing the Resistance's coordinates, but that would take months. Maybe years, if they were unlucky. And that's banking on the fact that the Resistance would slip-up and set loose some hint of their activity to them.

When the enemy relaxed, make them toil! Basic art of war strategy. Never give the enemy a chance to settle in. The fatal mistakes the Resistance had made was investing their chances of victory into one basket – they wished to utilise primitive technology their ancestors used to fight against The First Order. It was a tactic without strategy; an obvious route to defeat.

But all that would mean nothing if Rey didn't show up. Naruto knew Rey was capable of tracking down the Resistance. And tracked down she did.

"Thank you, Rey." Naruto downed his alcohol; the taste was as divine as victory. "Darth Talon."

"Master?"

"Go and bring me Luke Skywalker's head."

Darth Talon grinned. "With pleasure."

Today, a new age had begun.

Today, the Resistance would fall.

Naruto couldn't help but let loose a cruel guffaw.

-X-o-X-

"Let me fight for you!"

"No, Rey! You have done enough!"

"But -"

"Look, Rey. The Resistance doesn't trust you." Luke sighed. As much as Luke hated to admit this, he couldn't trust Rey either. "You have been with The First Order for far too long and -"

"So, you don't trust me too?" Rey's voice broke. "You're just like one of them, aren't you?"

The base started to tremble. Thunderous roars of Star Destroyers' onslaught were heard. Hell and fury was raining down on the Resistance's base, much to Luke's chagrin. This wasn't supposed to play out like this! He didn't return just so he could lead the Resistance to its doom! A miracle was bound to happen, it had to! "Earn your place here, Rey. Join the battalion and -"

Rey gritted her teeth. "You're not hearing me! We have to evacuate! This battle is one-sided! You know it! I know it! The First Order knows it! If you send the Resistance to war now, you are fighting under The First Order's terms! I can help you distract them while you -"

"No!" Luke bellowed. "We are on Planet Hoth! This is our territory! And for that, we have the upper hand, not them! Do you understand me? This battle is over when I said it is over! So you can either join the fight or be marked as a traitor!"

T-Traitor? It was as if Rey's world had shattered. She had risked her life for the Resistance! She had betrayed Alema's trust just so she could warn her friends about The First Order's schemes, and yet she was to be branded a traitor if she didn't comply? "I will join the fight."

"Good." Luke narrowed his eyes and turned to the monitor. "We have a long day ahead of us!"

-X-o-X-

Darth Talon's finger was twitching with excitement and anxiety. All of her training had led her to this very moment. Fight a glorious battle and seize victory. This was what her lord had trained her to do. As the Resistance unleashed a barrage of bolts at her aircrafts, she returned the favour with fire and fury. Atop the snowy hill, it gave her the best view in the battlefield.

"Why do they even resist?" Darth Talon shook her head. "No matter. I am here for one thing and only one thing. Now, show yourself, Skywalker."

As if on cue, she saw the gates to the Resistance base opened. Leading the charge was none other than Luke Skywalker. She watched with glee as the Jedi Master ploughed through her army effortlessly. Every swing he took with his green lightsaber, three storm troopers fell. The wind turned into strong gust as Luke tapped into the immense well of his power, firing a blast of shockwave that propelled a platoon of soldiers flying skyward.

Incandescent rage turned her eyes fiery red and she leaped to the sky. Dark clouds blanketed the sky and blotted out the sun. Ominous thunderstorm boomed across the white field. The arctic wind went mad in intensity, something that caught Luke's attention. A streak of hot silver split the sky as Darth Talon became lightning and death.

Luke sensed the looming threat and instinctively glanced up, only to see a thunderbolt pierced through the glacier before him. Darth Talon emerged from the smoke like a goddess of carnage had descended upon them. With her hands thrust forward, she fired a shockwave that pulverised the nearby enemy soldiers into ashes, startling Luke in the process.

She took in a deep breath and let out a deafening roar. A roar so shattering, everybody in the battlefield heard her.

"FOR THE FIRST ORDER!"

That was all it took to raise all of her troop's morale. In a blink of an eye, the tide of the battle shifted. The storm troopers let out a unison of war-cry and charged fearlessly into battle. They didn't care if they were about to die. Those who were injured had all but forgotten the pain and picked up their blasters. Those who were still alive and kicking showed the Resistance why The First Order was feared throughout the galaxy.

Suddenly, the storm troopers became mindless beasts, slaughtering and destroying.

Suddenly, they could fight the blizzard.

As for Darth Talon, she had butchered her way to her prize.

"Luke Skywalker!"

Luke readied his battle stance. "Monster!"

Darth Talon grinned darkly. "Thank you for acknowledging me. Shall we dance?"

"The First Order will fall, Sith."

A psychotic giggle escaped Darth Talon's lips before she swung her sword at Luke.

-X-o-X-

Everything was falling apart.

Rey could only deflect so much plasma bolts with her lightsaber before fatigue took her. Luke had given her explicit order not to wander into the battlefield, thus she was tasked with defending the base.

This was not her day! As she hid behind a boulder, she felt a horrible sense of terror consuming her. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and beads of sweat were forming on her face. Darth Talon wasn't the only Knight of The First Order on the battlefield!

"Hi, excuse me!"

If it wasn't for Rey's hardened composure, she would have screamed her lungs out.

Vestara plopped down beside her, a goofy grin played about her lips as she sucked on her strawberry-flavoured lollipop. "Hey, you like my outfit? I stole it from one of the creeps back there. Now I'm a freedom fighter fighting a lost cause against The First Order! Hooray!"

"You!" Rey growled. This was all Vestara's fault! "You tricked me!"

"Oh, did I?" Vestara giggled. "Did I lie to you about the escape plan? No, I didn't, silly. You have a choice. And you made your choice. So live with it."

"You knew the TIE Fighter has a homing beacon!"

"All TIE Fighter has a homing beacon." Vestara smacked her lips, savouring the sweetness of her candy. "Hell, I bet the X-Wings have them too. Are you not a mechanic? Surely you have seen them before. So, how is this my fault when you weren't vigilant enough to pluck out a couple of wires before you flew for freedom?"

Rey gritted her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that goofy grin off Vestara's cheeky face! Damn her! That devil with the sweet-tooth had deceived her! Now, The First Order was right in front of the Resistance's doorstep! And this was all her fault! In the midst of rage, Rey almost whipped out her lightsaber.

"Don't even think about it."

That voice!

The last person Rey wanted to see had finally showed up.

She glanced up, horror filmed her eyes. "A-Alema."

"Leave us, Vestara." It wasn't a request.

Vestara pouted, sprung up to her feet, and blew Alema a raspberry. "No fun! Oh well, I'm gonna go kill some Resistance scums! Oh jolly! Alright, Resistance scums, ready or not, here I come!"

And then she skipped her way into the Resistance base, her maniacal laughter echoed and ebbed.

When they were alone, Alema clenched her fists and shot vicious dagger at Rey. "You have hurt me this time, Rey. I trusted you. And you stabbed me in the back."

"I'm sorry, Alema. For what it's worth." Rey's sight was downcast, her voice monotonous. "I couldn't turn my back on Master Skywalker. Or my friends."

A long silence intruded. Neither of them talked for a long while. A minute seemed to be like an eternity for them. The chaos and destruction rampaging in the battlefield didn't even faze them.

"I have a little sister. Her name is Numa Rar. She would be at your age by now if she was alive. Very charming and headstrong; you reminded me so much of her. We always butt heads. She was fire and I was ice, but no matter what, we loved each other. But she died in my arms, on a cold, winter night. All because I wasn't strong enough to protect her. All because I wasn't good enough."

The darkness might have cast a shadow over Alema's eyes, but Rey knew her master was crying; somehow, thorns prickled her heart. Rey knew deep down that she had hurt Alema and no explanation could absolve her from treachery. Granted, she was a prisoner, but Alema had never treated her as one. Hearing Alema wept really smothered Rey. "I saw you as my little sister, Rey. I love you, Rey. More than you know."

Rey's frame was trembling.

"You have betrayed me, Rey. You have singlehandedly erased all form of nostalgia and love I have for you." Alema glowered, her voice was colder than the wind of Hoth. "The war will soon be over. Once the Star Destroyers touched down, the Resistance will fall. A few thousand troops can't stand against three Star Destroyers. If you surrender yourself to me now, Lord Naruto is willing to spare any soldiers from the Resistance who surrender themselves. Their lives are in your hands now."

-X-o-X-

Kylo Ren couldn't allow Darth Talon to hog all the fun. If Luke Skywalker were dead, he could finally avenge himself! All those years of hatred festering in the back of his mind had exploded into something more deadly. Now, he finally grasped clarity. Without hesitation, he dove down to the battlefield, slicing and dicing all those Resistance scums!

Hoisting his hand in the air and twitching his fingers in a gripping notion, Kylo Ren drew out the power of the Force and strangled the nearby enemies. Flicking his wrist, a sadistic grin curled at his mouth as he watched his victims' necks twisted to impossible angle. A volley of bolts flashed at his peripheral and he raised his hands, stopping plasma projectiles in mid-air, much to his enemies' shock.

With a snap of his fingers, he launched those plasma bolts back at his enemies. Guttural screams of death rang in the air and Kylo Ren relished in his triumph. More! He wanted to kill more! He needed to massacre all of them! Unsheathing his lightsaber, Kylo Ren bifurcated his enemy in half. Blood and gore splattered on his coat, but he paid it no mind.

More!

He needed to kill more!

MORE!

No! He couldn't afford to be distracted!

Calming his frenetic mind, Kylo Ren steeled his gaze.

There was only one reason he was here.

To cut Luke Skywalker's head off!

-X-o-X-

Luke parried another strike from Darth Talon, sparks and fire spew out from their clashes. Like a wild beast, the Sith Lady was formless, unpredictable, and unorthodox in battle. Her tactic was simple; destroy everything with brute strength. The frightening quality about her was the bloodthirsty grin plastered permanently on her face. She didn't care if his lightsaber grazed her forearm or he buried a fist into her gut. No pain could deter her from her conviction.

Just what kind of monsters were The First Order hiding?

"You fight like a brute. You won't win!"

"Really?" Blue lightning circulated around Darth Talon's fingertips. "I'm still standing though."

"She's right though." A menacing voice intruded.

While Luke was distracted in his battle, he didn't pay attention to the destruction around him. The overwhelming fleet of Star Destroyers, TIE Fighters, and an endless waves of storm troopers had almost wiped out the Resistance's army. Darth Talon's lightsaber retracted in a sharp buzz, signalling the end of their fight. She took a step backwards, allowing her master to take the stage.

"Hello, Luke." Naruto was swathed in his black cape, exuding a vile and nauseating dread that smothered Luke. He resisted his urge to snicker. Seeing the look of terror plastered on Luke's dumbfounded face, watching as the Resistance crumbled before him, all of it were more exhilarating than he could imagine. "I don't believe we have met in person, have we?"

"Swine!" Luke spat. "Ben fell to the Dark Side because of you! And now you have your claws on Rey!"

"I may have let it happened, but I didn't instigate anything. He came to me because of you." Naruto gave Luke a wink, aggravating the Jedi Master in the process. "I recalled you were the one who fell to the Dark Side first and tried to murder your own nephew. Or did I get that wrong?"

Luke grimaced, but he swallowed down that moment of weakness. "I was wrong, but I -"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Naruto waged a finger. "There is a fine line between thinking about murdering your nephew and actually trying to murder your nephew. Only a Sith deals with in absolutes. Sadly, Jedi are no better. You crossed the line of no return. You tried to kill Ben and inevitably give birth to Kylo Ren. Now, tell me, oh great and awesome Luke Skywalker, did you win the best Uncle Award of the Year?"

Luke let loose a roar and charged at Naruto.

"How un-Jedi-like." Naruto shook his head and clicked his tongue in disapproval. With a raised finger, Naruto snickered as Luke froze to his feet, unable to move a single muscle. Struggling with gritted teeth, the Jedi Master tried to resist, but it was like trying to free himself from steel chains that enwrapped him. The more he writhe, the tighter the telekinetic hold. It was like being squashed by a pair of boulders!

"You know what is you greatest mistake, Luke?" Naruto hid his hands behind his back and took a stroll around Luke. "You see yourself in a delusion. I don't blame you. People tend to ennoble themselves in their own stories. To fix what is broken inside them. And through that, you believe you have a choice. To make things right. That's what all Jedi believe. But what you don't know is that choices are not a pyramid to something better, but a maze. Every choice you make bring you to something… or send you spiralling down to madness. Evidently, that's what happened."

Kylo Ren stood beside his master, his hand resting on his lightsaber strapped to his waist. The predatory gleam in his eyes already spoke true of his murderous intention. He had been dreaming about this day for years.

"Anyway, we have to get the show going." Naruto looked behind his shoulder and saw Alema holding Rey captive. Broken and despondent, Rey's eyes were vacant – almost deathlike. With a flick of his fingers, he silenced the howl of the wind and vaporised the thunderclouds; it was starting to bother him. When he took notice of Rey's whimpering, an insidious idea came to him. "Alema. Will you be so kind as to pass Rey her lightsaber?"

Alema nodded and returned Rey her weapon.

"Now, Rey, I want you to do a favour for me. Press that button on your lightsaber and cut Luke's head off." The tone of Naruto's demand was like addressing the weather. It was light and carefree, almost insouciant. Naruto drew out a long sigh when Rey shook her head frantically; she was convulsing on her knees, rocking back and forth.

"Now, I know. This will take some time for you to process. You will have plenty of time after this. If you don't, however, I will kill all of those so-called friends from the Resistance who have surrendered to me. And then I will torture Luke myself. Painfully. Slowly. Believe it, I have tons of experience torturing people. I'll let him live for a year or two. And when he is about to draw his last breath, I'll let Kylo Ren finish him off. And then I will send his head to Leia. Ribbon and all."

"P-Please! No!" Rey cried; her blood thundered in her veins as she gasped for air. "P-Please!"

"Or you kill him yourself and I'll let you bury him here. Your choice."

This was it. Rey's final stage of her training. Whatever decisions she made, it would be a plus to Naruto. Severing her ties with the Light would complete her journey to the Dark. If that meant beheading her former master, then so be it.

"K-Kill me!" Rey pleaded. "Kill me instead!"

"Don't make me count, Rey."

Author Note: Thanks for the support. I have already made my decision for the pairing and I hope you guys like it. Oh, by the way, this story has stretched for far too long, but it is heading the direction that I wanted. This is how I imagine it should be. Love it or hate it, Naruto is a monster. Or else he wouldn't be leading the First Order.

Please continue to show your support and drop a review.