Losing Order

Chapter 15

Alder's eyes cracked open as he felt someone move him off the cold muddy ground and found himself looking at Rey's face as she walked beside the person carrying him, blurred by his eyes as they struggled to stay open. He gave a weak cough, feeling blood flow into his mouth as he did so, before closing his eyes again. He wasn't sure how long his brother had left him there but it was a miracle he'd survived until the end of the battle, or at least wasn't disturbed by anyone else.

"Don't leave me." Rey's voice pleaded him as she took one of his hands in her own. "You can't, not after everything that's happened. Alder, I'm sorry I doubted you... Just don't die."

He didn't have the strength to respond as he forced his lungs to keep taking in air... Alder knew he'd be dead soon, that force lightning had been so powerful. They started moving him again and it took all he had left to keep himself from screaming out every time he was jostled until they got him to the Falcon. Alder flinched at every needle poked in him to stitch his wounds and every dab of the cloth they were using to clean his injuries and feel for broken bones but knew they were doing everything they could to be gentle.

"Alder, can you hear me?" Rey's voice was by his ear again. "Please answer me."

He forced his eyes to open once more and stared at her. "Rey..."

"Guys, he's awake!" Rey shouted over her shoulder.

The others came into the room, minus Chewie, Finn, and of course Poe who was flying in his own ship most likely, and Alder gave them a weak smile. "Hey... guys..."

His brother came to his side with a slight frown and probably a wish to strangle him. "By the Force, you are one of the biggest idiots in the galaxy! You're more dead than alive and all you can do is say 'hey'?"

"Kylo!" Skurn smacked him slightly with the arm that wasn't bandaged. "Be nice... he doesn't have long."

Alder did his best to scowl at her. "I... I'm not going... anywhere!"

"Of course you're not." Rey comforted him by sweeping loose hair from his face and shooting Skurn a look. "We're taking you to a hospital to get some more treatment, you'll be fine."

He relaxed under her touch but knew it was Skurn who was correct and not Rey, even her voice hadn't sounded completely convincing.

His brother gave a sigh but stood up from where he'd been kneeling. "Good bye Alder, I'll be back..."

Alder grabbed him weakly, his muscles protesting as he moved. "Ben wait..."

"What?" His brother moved closer, pity in his gaze, and Alder didn't fail to notice his brother hadn't corrected Alder with his name.

He waited to get his breath back before speaking again. "Remember... my plan?"

"Alder now isn't really the time to take over when you're like this."

Alder tightened his grip on Kylo's armor. "It is!"

"...What about it?" His brother finally sighed.

"Make sure to pick the right leader when the time comes..." He gave a small coughing fit before regaining his breath. "A-and... teach the next generation what it means to be... A K-Knight of the F-Force, not a-a Jedi... or S-Sith... t-teach them t-to be both..."

"Alder?" Kylo's voice was laced with confusion but Alder merely shrugged it off.

After a few minutes of silence passing between the two, he saw his brother walk away while being joined by Skurn who whispered something in his ear that sounded a lot like 'it was my fault'. Alder looked away, he had to trust that his brother would train the next force users to be passionate like the Sith and noble like the Jedi... true heroes with the best of the dark and light. Real knights, not his brother's Knights of Ren. His eyes closed and he felt Rey silently sitting beside him in comfort in his last few hours, though he could also hear BB-8 beeping quietly nearby somewhere.

"Did you know this was going to happen when you told me you loved me on Kamino?" Rey finally asked, breaking the silence. "Was it true?"

Alder gave a small nod, no longer trusting his voice but he never heard if Rey responded as he finally caved back into unconsciousness for possibly the last time. He hoped she responded though, at least then the truth was out there,even if he couldn't hear it. Allowing the darkness to take away his pain and let him rest, and hopefully recover, Alder lost all sense of feeling and his surroundings... an abyss.