This is how it will end, several months from now:
The lights flickered and died, plunging them into darkness.
Ahead, Luna could see the grey light of the world as Anayah held the blast door open for them.
Beside her, Hoshi ignited her lightsaber, bathing them in its purple glow, showing them the way. The sound of the snap-hisss echoed around them - but it sounded strange. Warped. Twisted. And that was when Luna realised. It wasn't an echo. She turned and saw, behind them, barely twenty feet away, was the flickering red blade.
Kylo Ren had found them.
She and Hoshi shared a look. They both knew what this meant.
'Hurry up!' Anayah yelled at them from the blast door. Behind her, flashes of red flickered as the battle raged on beyond.
'Go!' Luna yelled.
'But-'
'Just go! We'll cover you!' Luna raised her blaster to her shoulder and took aim. The finger over the trigger tensed, but she couldn't pull the trigger. She couldn't move her arms. She couldn't move her head. She couldn't move.
Kylo Ren stalked towards them, and Hoshi leapt into action, taking him by surprise.
A shot erupted from her blaster. It missed Kylo Ren, but the act itself told her that she was no longer in his grip, and she stepped sideways, working for an angle, taking a shot when a window presented itself, but her shots never landed. Every time he anticipated her attack and either stepped away or deflected it with his own blade, even as he fought off Hoshi's attacks.
Hoshi, for her part, fought ferociously. She was brutal, she was dangerous, she was perfect. But it like a Nexu howling at a mountain. The mountain did not give.
That was when Kylo Ren made a mistake.
Or rather, Hoshi forced him into it. She lunged hard at him, pouring all her speed and strength into the thrust, but he merely sidestepped her - and in so doing, Ren turned his back on Luna. She raised her blaster. She didn't aim, but she didn't need to. He was so close, and her muscle memory kicked in. But before she could fire, Ren twist to face her. There was a flash of red in front of her eyes and she hissed in pain as molten metal landed on her hands as his blade cut through the barrel of her blaster. She flew backwards through the air and landed hard on her back, her head hitting the durasteel floor.
When she opened her eyes again, Hoshi and Ren were embattled once more, their blades connecting in brilliant flashes of light. As Luna regained her feet, she watched as Hoshi delivered a powerful overhead slice. It was a thing of beauty. Hoshi could not have delivered a more perfect attack. Her blade flashed down towards Kylo Ren's head.
And hit nothing.
Kylo Ren stepped sideways and with a lazy, arrogant flick of his blade, sliced through Hoshi's wrist.
She screamed and fell backwards as her hand, still holding her lightsaber, fell to the floor.
It fell to Luna's feet.
Luna knelt down and reached out for it. It felt so wrong. Her hand was still warm, but lacking the warmth of her touch. The ring on her finger glinted in the red glare, catching her eye, and she looked up and saw Kylo Ren descending on Hoshi.
It was madness. It was hopeless.
But Luna took up the blade, ignited it, and charged.
The blade flew wildly about her, her attacks formless, Luna giving no thought to her actions. Just pure rage and a need to get him away from Hoshi. She screamed at him, but he was emotionless behind his blade. He just looked at her as one would an ant.
'That's enough,' he said at last and reached out. Once again she flew to the floor and landed beside Hoshi.
Luna tried to stand, but, once again, she couldn't move.
Most of her. She felt her hand move - but it was not her choice. Her arm raised up, lifting the blade above her head. And then, slowly, inexorably, down to her throat.
She struggled to move away from it. She fought her own hand, but there was nothing that she could do to stop it. She could feel the heat of the blade. The thrum vibrated her own skin.
'Ben,' said a voice from above, hidden in the rafters. A shadow flew down and landed beside her. A purple blade came to life, wrapping the figure in its glow. It was Mara Jade.
'You,' Kylo Ren snarled at her, as if the word itself was a curse. You. You traitor.
'Leave my daughters alone, Ben' she said. Her voice was sad. The name almost a sob on her lips.
'Your daughters?' Kylo Ren snarled, then looked down at Luna and Hoshi, recognition dawning on his face.
Mara ignored him and turned to Luna. 'Go. Get Hoshi out of here.'
'But-,' Luna began, then looked at Hoshi. She knew in that instant that she had no choice in the matter. She realised that she could move and, turning off her blade, grabbed Hoshi under her arms and began pulling her to the blast door.
'I'll handle this,' Mara said, her voice still sad, but mixed with a grim determination. She turned back to Kylo Ren. 'Hello again, Ben.'
Hoshi slipped into unsconciousness as she and Luna reached the blast doors. With one last look inside, Luna saw Mara brace against the full force and fury and wrath of Kylo Ren.
'May the Force be with you,' Luna prayed. Please come back to us.
The blast doors closed.
