Till there are no stars left in the sky

Part 12

The jarring collision of the cargo ship with the hangar coupled with the presence of his old master ripped Kylo Ren from his meditative state. He sat with gloved hands gripping his knees, head bowed down. The deformed and destroyed mask of his grandfather's helmet rested on the pedestal before him. He pleaded with the twisted and melted form in front of him. Looking up with his unmasked faced his deep brown eyes rimmed with redness and unsettled emotion he spoke out loud. "Grandfather, I beseech you. Show me the absolute power of the Dark Side. I am tormented by the light." His head fell once again, his chin resting on his chest. "It is said to be my undoing. I have sacrificed and given everything and held nothing back, yet I still feel the call deep within me to return to the light." Lifting his head once more, with a tear streaming down his cheek, he begged, "In this hour consume me, and I will overthrow my enemy and smite every drop of light from existence. I will not fail. Today, the light shall be extinguished!" He stood and strode to the metal door and gazed on his reflection that appeared on the shiny surface. In his face he saw weakness, the likeness of the self he killed to become what he was. The resemblance of Ben Solo and his father, Han, brought anger and hatred to burn deep within him. "How weak they were indeed." He reminded himself, he would not grieve their deaths for they died to birth even greater power than he had dreamed of. The striking feature in the form of a scar that marred his face reminded him of his failure, a parting gift from the scavenger. She too was on this ship with Skywalker, and she too would perish. He would make her suffer for the humiliation she subjected him to. She eluded him once; he did not plan on letting it happen again. Promptly he thrust a hand out, summoning his helmet to him. He placed it on his head, not waiting for the front plate to lock into place, and hastened in the direction of the docking bay The Resistance had infiltrated.

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In the landing bay the crews emerged from the two foreign ships that had survived the drop from hyperspace just beyond the ship's main shield. Each crew of roughly ten Resistance soldiers followed the two Jedi who had safely piloted each of the vessels. They regrouped near the main entrance, huddled behind supply crates. "Rey" The older Jedi addressed his companion "We must move swiftly, I am counting on you and your team to deactivate the shields. We can no longer rely on these ships being our only route of escape. This bay will be flooded with stormtroopers in a matter of minutes. Do not face Kylo Ren alone should you encounter him. I will find the girl and meet up with you. Chewbacca," Luke glanced to his left to see his large, furry wookie friend. "Stay close to Rey with your team as backup, but find us another plan of escape for when I find the girl." The wookie growled and nodded his head in acknowledgment. "And, Rey... May the force be with you." He placed a reassuring hand on her upper arm turning his focus to her once more.

"And with you, Master Luke." Rey replied with a smile. Then she, with Chewbacca and their teams, turned and jogged off, determined to complete their mission.

Luke heard blasters fire as they disappeared down a nearby hall. He wasn't concerned, however, for his new padawan. She was strong with the force and was a natural leader. He had to trust her to do her part while he did his. He would find Aurora and bring her home. He rushed off in the opposite direction of the two ground teams following the soft presence he felt in the force that was undoubtedly the girl he sought.

Aurora crept around each hall hugging every crevice hoping to remain unnoticed by the preoccupied stormtroopers who undoubtedly lurked around each corner. She began to feel lost as each hallway began to look the same, and every turn seemed to lead her down the exact hall she had just left. She felt she knew the general direction of the hangar, but she had no solid proof it would take her to the Jedi who was coming to save her. She paused every so often to close her eyes and reach out to feel some bit of the warm and bright energy that had filled her at their first contact. So far she had felt nothing, but she was determined to press on. She stood from behind the desk she took cover in and made toward the next corner. Her heart froze as she felt the dark presence brushing her senses. He was here! She held her breath and shielded her mind as best she could as she struggled frantically to find a place to hide. She slid behind two consoles on a nearby wall. Mere seconds passed before she heard the heavy footsteps of Kylo Ren. He turned the corner that lie just ahead of her original path slowing only briefly as he passed her hiding spot. She trembled and focused harder to push any thought down and just erase her presence from his senses. Her heart pounded in her ears as dread crept in her mind. He tilted his helmet slightly as if adjusting and honing his sensitivity. She quickly cleared her mind again, desperate to remain undetected. She thought her heart may fail her just has he resumed his quick pace, setting off with certainty in each step. Fluidly she shifted part way away from the console peering around the corner to watch him leave. She decided to take the hallway across from her position, hoping to keep herself far from his presence.