Venus & Mars

Chapter 12 ~ Love Is A Battlefield

It was finally the day. The Battle at Hoth. Kylo and I were striding down the hall together, our hearts beating in time with one another, breath shallow and footsteps brisk, the sound echoing around the wide corridor. His mask covered his face, but I could feel the combination of anger and anticipation coursing through his veins. I swallowed thickly, trying to get rid of the lump in my throat. This would be the first time I'd be fighting on the side I didn't believe in. I was betraying everyone I cared about. My hood covered my face, shrouding my eyes in shadows. "Are you ready?" Kylo asked softly, turning to face me. I nodded, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. "I have to be." I replied. Our gazes locked for a brief moment, and it was then that Kylo saw the uneasiness on my face. "I've trained you well. You will do fine." He spoke confidently, obviously trying to get me out of my head. I gave him a slight frown in response, appreciating his public praise yet feeling my inner bitterness still cloaking the recesses of my heart. He knew I wasn't into this, but neither of us had much of a choice in the matter. If the mission failed, Snoke would surely kill us both. Turning his gaze away from me, Kylo nodded once as if to reassure himself. Then with a wave of his hand, he was leading Captain Phasma and I down to the lower deck of the ship where we would be exiting from.

Stormtroopers were lined up behind General Hux, awaiting their orders as we landed on the ground. "Now!" Kylo shouted as the door dropped, exposing all of us inside to the harsh cold. The frigid wind ruffled my dress and cloak. Even through the heavy fur, I was freezing. Shivering, I followed Kylo as he led us out and into the darkness. Being the first on the battlefield, we hid in the snow, bodies low to the ground. "Andromeda! Stay with me!" Kylo said, looking my way. I nodded again, moving across the frozen ground to stand at his side.

We didn't have to wait long for The Resistance to arrive, seemingly completely unaware of our presence. The whole idea had been a sneak attack, since the First Order would have the numbers. Little did they know that the Resistance expected something like this and had brought their own forces. Kylo growled in frustration, but signaled for the troops to attack anyway.

Chaos and war broke out immediately. Rebels versus the First Order. Orange and white engaged in laser fights and airship battles. It was total mass destruction. There was no way either side would win this battle. That much was obvious. Kylo jumped into the fray of battle, with me following close behind. Though I fought as hard as Kylo, I refused to kill anyone. I knocked them out or away, but never hurt them in a deadly way, though I had been trained in the most lethal blows known to man. Kylo, fueled by his anger toward Rey and Skywalker, was simply spurred on, slashing men open without mercy. But I could sense power from somewhere in the heart of the battling people. Exchanging a thought with Kylo, we made our way into the very center of the fight.

Then Kylo stopped suddenly, and I felt shock radiating off of him in waves. "Skywalker." He said, staring straight ahead. I followed his gaze, my own eyes landing on a man and woman dressed similarly, each holding lightsabers that shined through the dark. The man was apparently Luke Skywalker, and I resisted the urge to bow, though I had a strong desire to. The woman had to be Rey. She was just as Kylo had described. A warrior, strong, beautiful, ready to die for her beliefs. I swallowed and stared at them. Luke seemed calm, as if he knew it would come to this. Rey on the other hand was glaring daggers at the both of us. I could feel the hate in her eyes from where I was standing. "Hello Ben. So good to see you." Luke called. "I suppose this is Miss Kalane? She's quite a woman wouldn't you say?" He continued. "Hello Uncle. I can't say the same for you, but yes, my apprentice is very strong with the Force. Can we say the same about yours?" Kylo taunted back. Luke shrugged. "It doesn't have to be this way Ben. Come home!" He called. "Never." Kylo replied. The four of us were gradually getting closer, moving subconsciously across the icy ground. "Then so be it." Luke said. Rey suddenly surged forward, charging Kylo, and I kept my eyes on Luke. The man had so much more experience than me. I wasn't stupid. I wasn't going to fight him unless I had to. He came closer. "Stay back!" I warned, eyes wide. I held up my lightsaber, spinning it in my hand. But he didn't listen. Instead, the Jedi master stood directly in front of me, hands up in reassurance. He finally got close enough for me to make out every detail of his face. He was scarred, battle worn, but his stormy blue eyes were full of fire. The light brown hair atop his head and face was mostly graying, contrasting the youth that still seemed to resonate within each powerful stride he took. I felt a tremor of nervousness travel up my spine as I watched him with a caution I've never felt before.

Luke Skywalker stared into my own eyes, as if he were hypnotizing me with a Jedi mind trick. "Your mother is worried sick about you Andromeda. Leave with us. I will train you to be a Jedi. Ren is a fool." He pleaded. This was surprising, this turn of events. My eyes watered and followed him as he stepped ever closer to me. I hesitated. The offer was unbelievably tempting. I probably should've taken it. But something stopped me. Kylo. I couldn't leave him behind, or Orusa. Neither of them deserved it. Kylo could be helped. He could be better. Be truly good. But only if someone put in the effort. And at the moment, I was the only one willing to do it. Deep inside, I knew Orusa was right, about everything she said. I felt something strong, some sort of affection for him that made me want to help him, yet it didn't prevent me from seeing the wrongs he had done. I knew what crimes he had committed. The terrible deeds he had done. But I also knew that there had to be some way to redeem at least a little of the lost innocence. "I can't! Don't you see? It isn't that simple anymore!" I replied helplessly, meeting the Jedi Master's concerned gaze. "Of course it is. You can do what's right. You have the perfect opportunity to come with us and leave all of this pain behind. Right now!" Luke argued. "But what's right isn't always what's easy! I can't just leave him. I know I can help him get better. I've been in his head. He doesn't want this, any of it! Tell General Organa I will bring her son home. I will bring Ben home!" I told him, trying to make him understand my position to the best of my ability. He looked taken aback as he continued to stare at me, as if the fact that I knew who Kylo really was was something he could not quite grasp. I gave him a small reassuring smile, but it quickly fell as I heard Kylo yell out in frustration. I reeled, eyes widening as I saw Rey holding Kylo against a tree by using the Force. Anger rushed through me, and just as she was about to strike with her lightsaber, I used my own powers to send her flying into a mound of thick snow.

Kylo fell to his feet, surprise radiating off of him. I ran over to him. "You okay?" I asked. He nodded before looking over my shoulder. "Andromeda watch out." He warned.

Hearing Rey charging me, I turned and caught her lightsaber with my own. She gasped and blocked my attack. Sparks of red and blue flew around us. "We're on the same side." I told her. "Doesn't look like it." She argued, slashing at my feet. I jumped back, then did a front flip over her head. "Then why don't you go ask your master?" I growled when I landed, swinging at her lightsaber again. I didn't want to hurt her, but I wouldn't let Kylo get killed. "I will when you tell yours to stand down!" She spat.

We continued to fight, attacking and defending effortlessly. She was good, really good, but nowhere near as skilled as Kylo, and he had taught me well. I almost had her. But the sounds of the other two lightsabers buzzing caught my attention. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kylo and Luke engaged in a deadly battle, both fighting mercilessly. But Kylo sent Luke skidding across the frozen ground, and Rey turned her attention to him. "How dare you!" She screeched, jumping around me to land behind Kylo. Just as she swung at his torso, I took a running leap to block the blow.

The sickening sound of a lightsaber slicing through flesh filled the air. I hardly registered the hot tearing as the weapon slashed my torso open below my ribs. Everything slowed down around me. My eyes widened in astonishment and I stood rigid, back to back against Kylo. But the smell of my own skin burning made me finally come out of my shock. Rey had struck, but luckily she hadn't impaled me. Though the wound had been cauterized on impact, I was somehow still bleeding heavily. Looking back up at Rey, I started panicking. Frightened, I stumbled through the snow beside me, landing on my back in the white ice a few feet away. I tried using my cloak to clot the bleeding, heart racing. Was I dying? Was Kylo alright? What if I never got to say goodbye to anyone? Was this the end?

My mind spun with questions as I felt the cold seeping through my dress and cloak. Eyes closed in pain, I vaguely heard Kylo call my name before he was suddenly at my side. His gloved hands grazed my face softly, making me open my eyes a bit. I could feel him radiating with concern and anxiety. A small smile played at my lips. Who knew the great Master Ren could truly care about anyone other than himself? "I'm sorry Kylo... I did...my..best." I whispered faintly. Then, everything dimmed and went black.