Bloodline

"General…"

Hux raised his head from the latest report in his hands to eye the Commander who had just walked into his glass office. He seemed anxious under the sun's dying rays breaking through leaden cloud. Hux still had trouble getting accustomed to this planet's strange architecture. On top of it all, a splitting headache had been tormenting him practically throughout the day making it impossible for him to concentrate on the news coming from his network of spies stationed in the Core worlds and Outer Rim. And it had just skyrocketed due to his aggravation at being disturbed so late in the evening most probably on some mundane issue.

He huffed tossing his pad on the glass table in front of him, hearing it slide across its surface with satisfaction.

This had better be good.

"I'm listening."

The man shifted feet obviously unnerved and in a hurry to report.

"I don't know how this is possible, sir, but there seems to be a group of foreigners currently on Kuat."

Hux arched a red eyebrow. "Foreigners?"

The Commander cleared his throat. "More like invaders. Sir."

Hux's gaze sharpened on the man across from him and he could feel his face heating up.

"Invaders?" He spat. "What kind of invaders?"

"I'm afraid I don't have much information on them. They registered as a group of missing Stormtroopers. Their serial codes were valid on the initial scan. But as their personal files were being double-checked they opened fire."

Missing Stormtroopers?

Was this whole Order consisted of imbeciles?

"Who is the idiot that allowed these men to enter without apprising me? How did they get here?"

"Unknown sir."

"They must have had a ship. Where is it from?"

"Unknown sir."

"What the hell do you know then Commander?"

The man swallowed dryly, removing his hat to swipe at the sweat beading at his temples. He fidgeted with the hem of his hat before gathering the courage to continue.

"I don't quite know how to say this, sir. But it seems that Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and his Knights are leading the team."

Hux stared at the man with eyes that seemed ready to pop out from their sockets.

So soon?

He had expected Ren to have taken at least a few more weeks to discover the First Order's layabouts.

General Organa and her filthy network of rebel spies. Of course.

He didn't know how long he remained frozen in his seat staring at his Commander like a fool but when his brain started regrouping, he was already out of the sliding doors and hurrying down the glass corridors of his residence in Kuat, in search of Aryn.

He hated to admit it but the Knight needed to be notified. And if he were lucky, the man would be willing to intervene and stop Ren's progression.

Eventhough…

Hux paused momentarily, catching his mirrored idol on the duraglass. He relaxed his shoulders and curled his lips.

There would be nothing wrong with the two men conveniently eliminating each other in this last and final stand.

In fact, it would be ideal.

Metal screeched and fire erupted as the Gorrilla Walker came crashing down on the concrete ground of the landing bay by Ben's powerful pull in the Force. Stormtroopers scurried to break away from the war machine's deadly fall only to be savagely thrown across the bay by Neesha.

Nyxx barely had enough time to appreciate her beautiful snarl and long platinum waves of hair flowing around her black ensemble when a DLT-19 blaster beam flew next to his head, grazing a dreadlock from his head.

Nyxx glanced at the deep scorch mark on the wall behind him, gripping the hilt of his blade a little tighter.

Damn that was close.

He really had to try and keep his head in its proper place.

"Keep those heavy-armed Stormtroopers at a distance," Ben roared at Noah over the commotion, pointing at a group of Troopers sporting DC-17m Interchangeable weapons. "And cover our rear." His former captain nodded crisply, waving at his team to fall back behind the Force-users

Lightning split the evening sky, electrifying an already charged atmosphere. A light drizzle had already set in, sizzling on their ignited lightsabers and evaporating on laser beams. Scattered in the distance and over the unique metal and glass buildings of Kuat, Nyxx could see the faint lights of the shipyards flickering in the violet haze.

Nyxx swiped his new lightsaber at a barrage of incoming beams in a series of fluent moves, its purple blade bending to his will with a lot more ease then he had initially thought. Kyber crystals rarely obeyed anyone else than their original master, but this one was turning out to be rather friendly.

Maybe because it hasn't seen any proper action in decades.

Nyxx couldn't help but conclude with a grimace to himself.

"Ben, to your left!" Rey shouted, as the shimmering green Force-shield she had conjured to protect their front, wavered.

"Shit!" 'Ben turned, raising his arm to stop an incoming cluster of beams in midair. "Nyxx, you're supposed to be covering our side!" He growled. "Quit staring at Neesha's legs."

Excuse me?

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nyxx objected, feeling rather insulted. He was perfectly concentrated on his task at hand. It wasn't his fault if they were surrounded by three battalions of Stormtroopers and the landing bay's heavy artillery all aiming their fire at them. What was he supposed to do? Turn into some intergalactic superhero with a flying cape and an immaculate hairdo and blast their enemies away in a single blow?

A Gorrilla Walker sent another blast their way and it ricocheted off Rey's shield with an ear-piercing crack. She gritted her teeth and grunted, barely holding it up as her boots skidded on the ground.

"We're sitting ducks, Ben!" Nyxx yelled, wondering if his voice could even be heard over the pandemonium. "We've got to get outta here."

He could see his friend clenching his teeth and a muscle twitching on his jaw. Which was good. At least he seemed to be contemplating his words.

Another crash resounded in the landing grounds as Rey brought down a metal structure on a group of Stormtroopers firing at them behind two of the fallen Gorrillas. A loud blast went off, shaking the ground and sparks filled the air as whatever bombs were gathered there erupted.

"Baby, I won't be able to hold up the shield much longer," she coughed over the grey smoke that started enveloping the area. "We've got to move inside the buildings where it will be…"

"…narrower. I know." Ben nodded in agreement.

"I still haven't been able to sense Aryn," she said fixing her hazel gaze on his sharp profile. She seemed worried.

"He's near. I can feel him."

He locked eyes with her for the span of a breath. His gaze purposeful against the dark sky as be brought down the third Gorrilla Walker with his outstretched arm. He reached over with his free hand, curling it around Rey's waist and stealing a moment to pull her in for a kiss on the temple. They remained wrapped together, her white cotton outfit merging with his charcoal shirt and black pants, light chestnut strands tangling with the ink of his hair. Their lightsabers angled loosely to the ground. They seemed to almost forget there was a battle raging around them.

Nyxx shook his head to himself.

Those two idiots were bat shit crazy.

Come to think of it…

Another sugar-coated couple also sprang into his mind. Currently tasked with the most imperative of jobs. To insert the cyber virus in Kuat's systems.

What was taking them so long?

Nyxx ran his blade through a Stormtrooper's armor and sliced off the arm of another, mumbling to himself.

With this rate, the First Order would eventually have an epiphany and decide to finally fire up the Tie fighters strapped in the Star Destroyers. And use them to obliterate the Resistance team before any of them had a chance to step foot anywhere near Aryn.

Nyxx felt very close to vowing that if he were to ever make it alive out of this hellhole he would quit his smokes.

For good.

"All right you two!" He grumbled pointing the tip of his purple blade at them. "You guys can get a room when all this is over. In the meantime, I say we get movin'."

Rose peeled off the black constricting fabric from her neck her attention glued on the large screen in front of her. Blue schematics blinked on her face in the darkness of the room.

"BB-8 I can't stay inside their systems much longer," she stated, her fingers flying on the holoscreen in front of her. "Their Defenders are too powerful. You have to slide in the cyber virus now!"

She could see the droid's domed head twirling and its lens focusing on her before a series of aggravated beeps followed suit but she couldn't stay hacked in the power distributor's system much longer. They were bound to be discovered. Soon.

"I know you don't want to catch the virus by accident but if we don't do it now, the team doesn't stand a chance."

Its outstretched metal hand which was connected to the server gave another small turn as BB-8 whined configuring more data. She had never seen this little droid more agitated before.

"Maybe Chewbacca was right," Finn piped in. "Artoo has far better experience in hacking enemy computers. Maybe we should have brought him in instead."

Seriously?

Rose's eyes widened just as an offended beep came off the orange and white droid.

Talk about picking the worst time ever to comment on BB-8's efficiency. They wouldn't hear the end of it when they met up with Poe.

"Don't get him mad," she hissed at Finn. "He'll insert the virus in the wrong system, and the next thing we know life support will be down."'

"Yeah, but if he doesn't do it now then Rey and Ben and the rest of the team will probably end up being blown to bits by some latest technology First Order fusion bomb!"

A snapping sound resonated in the room and all lights died out instantly. Rose could hear her and Finn's harsh breathing in the darkness before BB8 gave out a beep of satisfaction.

"I think we're in," Finn said.

The black crystal was beguiling and treacherous. Its power humming just out of reach from him. Teasing him. Questioning him if he were strong enough to wield it.

Aryn curled his fingers into a fist around it, feeling its heat scorch his skin.

Too many hours had he spent meditating within his chambers. Pleading with the crystal. Threatening to grind it into dust or coaxing its powers out with promises of grandeur. The kyber crystal mocked him. Asked him if he were the One.

Yes.

He'd said. In a futile attempt to crack it into submission.

Aryn had found himself kneeling on the floor with blood dripping from his nose, and his head pounding painfully from yet another vision.

He watched a man with big blue eyes and blond short hair raise his blue blade defiantly against a red one. The figure of a black-armored man in a mechanical mask breathing ominously down at him. A shriveled old man gleaming with sinister laughter under a dark hood.

I do not need to be of lineage to wield your power.

Aryn had objected vehemently.

These men had been weak. One immersed in Darkness but craving the Light. The other promised to the Light but being tempted by the Dark.

The vision shifted.

It revealed a handsome young man with tousled brown hair and eyes burning with determination. He was kneeling in front of an older man dressed in a politician's robes. Swearing allegiance to the Darkness. But in the name of Love.

I do not have emotions binding me to anyone but myself and the Darkness.

He had protested, sensing the young man's heart tainted by affection for his beloved wife.

Aryn had never cared for anyone but himself. He had always been devoted to the Dark side. The Light had no place in his black heart.

The vision shifted again.

Two men fought on a stream of burning lava. Their lightsabers crashing into each other in a fight to the death. They had been friends but were now mortal enemies. "You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you." One of them shouted moments after slicing his opponent's hands and legs from his body.

Aryn stood frozen in his chambers watching horrified as the mutilated body caught on fire from the lava. The burning man dragged himself against obsidian stones yelling in excruciating pain.

He jumped back, trying to get away from him.

Will you?

The stone asked him.

Aryn hesitated, swallowing dryly. Realizing that these weren't just visions. These were events of the past that he was being shown, and they felt as real as if he were right there. A living, breathing part of them able to interact and alter their progression. Not just a stale witness.

Time flow…

He thought.

Will you give your life to the Darkness if asked?

The stone repeated its question.

Yes.

Aryn answered, wondering briefly if Snoke had gone through the same trials.

We shall see…

The black kyber crystal burned.

The visions evaporated, leaving him alone in his empty, dark chambers. Reality started settling in as he slowly felt his senses returning.

There was a disturbance in the Force. Powerful entities approaching him, slicing a deadly path along their way. The time had arrived for him to face the first of his trials.

To overthrow the man whose bloodline stood between him and true, unlimited Power.

Ben led the progression. Merciless in his strikes. A true Force not to be reckoned with.

Rey could barely see his stark figure cutting through the laser beams in the darkened sleek corridors of the strange buildings. Finn and Rose had managed to cut off power to a vast part of the shipyards from what she could see, judging from the complete absence of twinkling lights in the far distance. Only streaks of lightning remained, cutting through the bruised colors of the sky and and shedding occasional light into the glass compounds.

And the lightsabers.

Rey swung her blade at a Stormtrooper's legs severing them in a clean cut.

Those poor men didn't stand a chance. It was unsettling to watch. Rey could feel the unease emanating from her own team just as strongly. Former Stormtroopers were within it and their opponents had once been their comrades after all.

She kicked an attacking man running her blade through his chest, easily piercing through armor and flesh and blending the burned material into one nauseating smell. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ben next to her slam his own opponent to the ground one-handedly before stepping over him to run his crackling blade through another. Neesha behind them finished the job with a single experienced strike.

They must have been a sight to behold.

Humming lighsabers in the dark casting an eerie light in the charcoal metal and duraglass walls of the compound. They sliced through the air in swift precise strikes, grazing steel and white armor and ricocheting laser beams back to the First Order Stormtroopers. Rey could sense those men's terror and confusion. They were not trained to go up against Force-wielders. How could they have ever been prepared?

Havoc rained around them.

Metal cracked and armor was split, the anguished cries of dying men covering the high pitch sounds of beams and the deadly thrum of lightsabers. The blended sounds resonated in the corridors and pounded painfully in their heads.

Rey knew that the terror would have been reflected in their opponent's wide eyes. But their pristine white and black armor hid it well.

But nothing hid the burning amber in Ben's fierce gaze. His jaw was set in a clench. His emotions resolute. He wanted nothing more than what lay behind the First Order's defenses.

Ben had once said it was Aryn. But Rey knew it was more.

He had promised it would not be Kylo Ren again. But Rey could see him spreading Death right beside her. Without a flicker of hesitation.

Have I been dreaming this whole time?

Had any of it been real?

Or had the monster been lurking under the surface only to be woken at the slightest smell of spilled blood?

Her strike faltered.

An electroblade razed her side and she groaned, clutching the crimson wetness that started coloring her white garments. She lifted her saberstaff to stop the deadly strike coming down upon her but came across empty air instead.

"Don't lose focus!" A voice roared and she looked at the man towering over her. He removed his sputtering blade from a Stormtrooper's chest. His face was bathed in red light, casting sharp shadows on the angles of his face. The softness of his gaze was no longer there and neither was the boyish smile that lightened her heart. He stared at her with wide eyes. "Are you hurt?" His voice rumbled in the space between them. The familiar sound almost comforting.

Almost.

She wished she could wrap herself around it.

"Just a scratch."

"Are you sure? Let me see."

Rey shook her head. "I'm fine."

She channeled everything she had in her from the wild beat of her heart to the pain on her side to raise steel walls against the inspection of his heavy gaze. It seemed to last forever.

"Stay behind me," he relented in the end. "I'll cover you."

She nodded. Falling back and staring at his broad back with trepidation.

His powerful arms continued their work, muscles that she knew by heart rippling under his shirt. She had been in their tender embrace just a few moments ago. How could they belong to the same man?

She took another step back.

Neesha came into view parrying incoming beams with her red blade. She was ruthless with her sword her flawless features pulled into a menacing snarl. A true daughter of the Dark Side.

The former Knight of Ren passed her, following her Master's trail.

Her shoulder was shoved as one of the Troopers in their team strode past her in a hurry as well. And then another. And another.

"Are you OK?"

It was Nyxx's voice that pulled her from her thoughts, bringing back the stinging ache on her side along with it.

"Yes, I'm just catching my breath. I'll be right with you," she said.

"Don't fall too far back," he advised her, studying her face under the purple light of his saber. "Are you sure you're all right? Maybe I should tell Ben to…"

"No!"

No.

Ben was not there.

"Don't break his concentration. Go on. I'll be right behind you."

Nyxx hesitated for a moment before pressing his lips tight and jogging to catch up with the Force-users.

Rey stood still in her spot, watching the team pass her by. A few quick glances were cast her way but no one asked what it is that she was doing standing in the middle of the corridor. They had always been skittish around her and Ben anyway.

Ben…

She swallowed. Eyes stinging and heart clenching as painfully as the slash on her side.

This all felt like an ugly nightmare. One that she would surely wake up from and would find Ben's arms wrapped protectively around her. Just like every night. Driving the pungent remains of her haunting past away.

Rey curled her fists.

But Ben had no place in this fight. He belonged in murky jungles. Jumping fearlessly from waterfalls and laying under starry nights. Raking his hair away when he was nervous, and smirking boyishly down at her when he felt embarrassed. Ben belonged in twilights. And rippled lakes.

He belonged in dreams…

Rey felt her chest constricting. Crushing her breath into nothingness.

And a thought that she had been suppressing these past few days was once again finding its way to the forefront of her mind.

What if…

She glanced to the side. At the short corridor leading to a dark empty turbolift. Power was out and would probably stay that way for an indefinite amount of time thanks to the cyber virus. But she could work her way through the inner dwellings of the ship all the way to…

She bit her lip.

Ben would be furious.

But it was the only way to protect him from the Darkness that throbbed in the Force around them, waiting and craving to dig its claws back to his healing soul. Undo all that she had so carefully put back together.

Rey couldn't allow it.

She brushed her hand on the pocket that held the white kyber crystal. It felt warm and comforting. Urging her to find its counterpart. If she followed its lead it would bring her to the black crystal. Rey was certain. And to the man currently in possession of it.

Aryn.

If she could face the Dark Power that called to Ben so enchantingly… If she could defeat the man behind it and toss that cursed black stone back into the abyss it had come from.

Then maybe Ben wouldn't be so vulnerable to the Dark calling anymore.

Rey rubbed her forehead in frustration.

It was childish of her to think that way. Darkness was not confined to a small stone. And it had taken residence within Ben for too many years. It held Power over him. Rey could just feel it.

There is no passion. Only peace.

Rey's breath hitched. She swirled in her spot wondering what those words were. Or where they came from.

Are you the One?

They said.

Rey darted a glance at her pocket.

A child fleeted through her mind. With hair the color of sand. Tinkering with a golden droid in a desert world.

Rey tilted her head curiously at the boy. She found herself relating to the child very much. Being very drawn to it. And suddenly she knew why. It all made sense.

I am not the One.

She admitted.

But I know someone who might be.

The words never came back, leaving her alone in the shadows.

She nodded to herself, her decision made. There was only one thing she could do. Protect the spark of Light within the man that had come to mean the world to her and give him a fighting chance to fulfill his destiny. Whatever that was.

And that meant she would have to face Aryn and the Dark Side.

Alone.

"What do you mean you lost her?" Ben roared inches from Nyxx's face, fists clenched on his side, barely containing himself from unleashing his rage within the metal and glass hall they had managed to slip in for a break. His voice reverberated in the grand room.

"I didn't lose her," Nyxx cocked his head to the side glaring back at him. "She fell back. How was I supposed to know she'd disappear on us?"

"She was injured!" Ben threw his arm out, pointing at some vague direction. "You were supposed to keep an eye on her."

"I was… What? Are you delirious? Do you have any idea how difficult it was trying to keep our asses covered? I didn't have time to babysit for Rey."

Ben felt heat crawling up his neck, spreading to his face and all the way to the tips of his ears.

"I will personally rip your spleen out and shove it down your throat if anything has happened to her!"

Nyxx would be extremely lucky if he came out of this alive.

"Yeah, yeah you've said that before," Nyxx dismissed him, stepping aside but Ben was far from being done with him. He grabbed him by the shoulder pulling him back. Nyxx's eyes narrowed dangerously at him.

"She might already be in the hands of our opponents," Ben spelled out icily, sounding a lot more composed than what burned and simmered inside him. "They might use her to…"

Fuck!

Ben couldn't believe this was happening. How could he have been so careless and stupid? He could have sworn she was right behind him. Had felt her next to him throughout the whole fight. How the hell did she disappear on him without him realizing it?

His vision blurred and ears started throbbing. And something ugly unfurled within him.

"This is your fault," Ben gritted out, pointing an accusing finger in the face of his friend. "You should have stayed with her."

"My fault? Why the hell is it my fault? She's your girlfriend!"

"I was clear with you before this whole mission even started. Don't give me this shit!"

"Rey is perfectly capable of fending for herself, you asshole! You never gave her enough credit. And don't you blame this on me when you were too preoccupied slicin' down your own men to pay attention to what Rey was doin'!"

"Nyxx. No!" Neesha exclaimed, coming to stand between the two men. But Ben brushed her aside. He fixed Nyxx with a cold and hard stare.

"What did you say?"

"You heard exactly what I said you stuck-up, arrogant prick."

Ben grabbed Nyxx by the lapels of his trench-coat shoving him to the nearest wall nearly blinded by rage. In a split second his crossguard was ignited and set on his friend's throat. He thought he heard a few gasps around him but all he could hear and see was Nyxx's silent bobbing of his throat and the widening of his charcoaled green eyes. It wouldn't take much to silence the rebellious nature of the man before him.

In fact it would only take…

Just. One. Strike.

"I don't know what's happenin' to you, Ben," Nyxx said barely above a whisper. "But whatever it is, you'd better get a hold of yourself, you fuckin' idiot, before everythin' spirals down to hell."

Ben remained still, his breath coming out in small quick puffs through his flared nostrils. He could feel his eyes burn and throat constrict painfully. The fingers of his hand grow numb because of how tightly he grasped his lightsaber.

He was suddenly so aware of how easy it would be to take away the life of his friend. And even wondered how he had allowed himself to get to that point.

Ben blinked, feeling very confused.

His hand fell away from Nyxx's throat but held the crossguard ignited.

A hand clutched his bicep and he turned to look at who it belonged to. It was Neesha. With her long hair the color of white gold catching the crackling of lightning outside the window.

"Kylo?"

"Yes."

"Is everything all right?"

Ben. My name is Ben.

He ran his hand through his sweaty strands, looking at the frightened men gathered around him. They were looking at him as if they had seen a ghost.

Shit.

"Yes. I'm fine." He disengaged his lightsaber, feeling his mind a bit hazy. "Quit staring at me like idiots. We have to find Rey."

Leia had always admired the elegant, intricate architecture of Naboo for as long as she could remember. Its earthly toned buildings blended beautifully with the thick forests and misting great waterfalls. It was a serene and beautiful planet. Very similar to her beloved Alderaan and it brought forth nothing but loving memories of her own young life. But there was more to Naboo than beauty. It was Padme Amidala's home planet and part of Leia's heritage.

My bloodline.

Leia stood in the middle of a grand hall. Two lines of intricately carved columns supported a series of elegant domes, all artfully decorated with images of nature, while tall windows stretching from floor to ceiling offered their own delicate support to the ornate domes. Colorful mosaic and polished white marble reflected the blinding daylight the generously filled the Throne room.

And the fragrances that drifted inside, carried by the light breeze…

Those fragrances…

If the heavens had forgotten a piece of them in this crude galaxy than Naboo would be it.

Leia shut her eyes inhaling the aromas and letting the melodious singing of the birds lift her heart. She pushed the murmuring voices and hushed words that filled the Hall to the back of her mind.

The Force couldn't have chosen a better day than this.

A loud gong echoed in the Throne room signaling the beginning of the hearing, and Leia opened her eyes. She could see C-3PO whirling restlessly in his spot just a few paces away with his round droid eyes fixed on her. Louise was standing next to him looking at her equally concerned. But there was not much that the poor girl could do anymore.

Leia filled her lungs with a fragrant breath, gathering the Force around her for support now that her frail body was giving up on her.

I have to do this.

It was her last fight after all.

Rustling of fabric was heard as the Queen and her entourage entered the Throne room in all their glory. The young woman was quick in her movements, despite the heavy embroidered dress that she wore, and she set on the throne gracefully, brushing away the ripples of silk crimson garment that draped around her legs. She glanced around the room at the gathering of Leaders and Senators from around the galaxy, eyes clever under her heavy black lashes as she assessed everyone's intention.

Finally Leia saw the Queen's white face turn to gaze at her, stern and elegant with just a stripe of red running down the middle of her lips and a dot signifying the wisdom of her status between her eyebrows.

Leia remained straight and still looking back at the woman steadily. She could feel a bead of sweat run down her temple, her fluctuating fever doing its best to weaken her.

"You have been charged with treason, Princess Leia Organa," the young woman began, her sweet voice ringing harmoniously within the marble of the Throne room. "You have hidden Kylo Ren amongst the Resistance and collaborated with him against the Republic. How do you plead?"

Leia felt a touch on her shoulder just then. Almost featherlike, as if it didn't come from this world. A blue glow seeped into her vision but no one seemed to notice apart from her. She blinked lightly, trying to clear the tears that were already pooling in her eyes.

Of course, he had to wait till the last moment to come to her.

But it's good to know I'm not alone.

Leia straightened her back.

"Funny. Every word that you have just said is a lie," she said. "Kylo Ren no longer exists and I have not conspired against the Republic."

Murmurs filled the grand room. Some in protest, others in support. As expected in a trial of this magnitude. For it was not her fate that was at stake here. But that of her son's and the future of the galaxy.

The Princess raised her chin and gathered her breath. And spoke loud enough for the heavens to hear.

"I plead innocent."

Author's note: I was so blown away by the ep. IX trailer that I just had to insert little elements in this update! And Palps laughing at the end... Damn... It nearly made me go back and rewrite half the story.

Also I have set this story on hiatus for a while, due to the fact that I have started another WIP. It turns out, sadly, that I am incapable of writing two stories at the same time. I have given too much effort and love to Silence to wrap it up quickly and unattended so I won't be updating until the other story is complete. Hopefully before TROS arrives. Thank you for your love and interest! I will come back to it. I promise!