THE HUNT

Nineteen

"Bazzra!" I yelp, falling forward. She reaches out to catch me just in time. "Why are we here again?" I ask, swallowing thickly as she pulls me back over the edge.

"Because we need to get to the throne room before Rey." Kylo says, using the force to launch himself across the yawning gap in the old machinery. He holds out a hand, and Bazzra sends me across the chasm as well. He grabs my wrist and pulls me up onto the ledge he's on.

"Wasn't the Death Star supposed to only be dangerous when it was, oh I don't know, in space?" I hiss, looking down at the angry water below us.

"I won't let you fall, sweetheart." He says, chuckling.

"Oh, would you cut it out?" Trudgen groans. "All this sweetness is making me sick."

"You're just upset because you don't have what they do." Bazzra laughs. Kylo uses the force to lift me upwards, and Bazzra grabs me, pulling me to the next ledge. Kylo leaps upward, nearly tumbling backwards. I gasp, lunging for him, but Bazzra keeps me back. "Stop teasing her, Ren."

Kylo laughs, setting himself steady again, and I scoff.

"I hate you." I point a finger at him and he laughs.

"Of course, dear." He rests his hand on my shoulder for a moment before walking past me and leaping to the next level. The moment he steps off, the ground shifts. Bazzra and I gasp, and I grab onto her arm. Ap'lek pauses his ascension to glance down at us.

"You girls okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Bazzra nods, and I let her go. "We have to be careful. This thing isn't steady." She finds a foothold in the metal, and begins to climb upwards. I follow her, stepping exactly where she does as we slowly scale the innards of the Death Star.

"We have a surface up here. Everyone can fit." Kuruk calls from above. He's the fastest, having no extremely heavy weapons or a certain non-force-sensitive team member to carry.

"Give me an hour." I sigh, lifting myself higher. Bazzra laughs from above me.

"It won't take you an hour to climb up to him, much." She says, heaving herself up and over a ledge. "Here, take my hand." I do, laughing as she pulls me up. She's strong. They all are. "Look, we're almost there!"

"Sorry." I groan. "I'm slowing you down."

"Nonsense. It wouldn't be any fun without you." She grins, and I return the expression. "We're here, see?" She gestures upwards to Kylo, who lifts his hand. The both of us begin to float upwards until we're on the platform with the others.

"Don't feel bad." He angles his head, taking my hand and guiding me away from the edge. "Bazzra's always been the slowest climber."

"Well that's just rude." She crosses her arms with a grin, lekku twitching.

Then there's a crack.

And the piece of metal she's standing on breaks off.

And she falls.

"NO!" I lunge forward, but Kylo grabs my wrist before I can follow my friend over the edge. "Bazzra!" I scream, fighting my lover with everything I have. He pulls me to the ground, my back pressed against his chest.

"Chava!" He shouts. "Stop!" I shake my head, hot tears streaming down my cheeks as I try to kick away from him. The rest of the Knights are frozen, which somehow breaks my heart more.

"No!" I sob, feeling him use the force to still my body. "No!"

"She's gone, Chava," Kylo whispers, holding me tight.

"We- we need to go after her!" I cry, leaning into him.

"She's gone." He says again. "I don't sense her."

"No." I shake my head.

She can't be gone.

She's too big. Too colourful. She can't just be gone. It just doesn't work like that.

It shouldn't.

One by one, the knights kneel, removing their helmets and placing them in front of them. They each mutter something, then stand again, donning their helmets once more.

"Push it down." Kylo says, helping me to stand. "We can mourn later."

"I don't think I can." I whisper, wiping my eyes.

"You have to." He removes his own helmet, bending down to meet my gaze. His own eyes are red, and he takes a deep breath.

"Help me." I plead. His expression softens and he nods, pressing a hand to my temple.

Almost immediately, I feel a dark hole grow in my lungs, spreading down my chest and down until it reaches my toes.

"Chava-"

"Thank you." I breathe, emptiness covering me like a blanket. His eyes soften, and he takes my hand. He leads me to where the Knights of Ren stand, waiting for us.

"We need to move." Ushar says quietly, watching the spot where Bazzra disappeared. I nod, turning away.

"Where to?"