Danger Zone

Chapter 10: Demons and Angels in the Forest

After only a few small minutes of scrambling through the trees and telling each other which direction our awaiting ship is in, our trio comes to a dead stop in our tracks; our path blocked by a lightsaber-wielding, injured Kylo Ren. The crackling of his unstable lightsaber blade, although a bit of a dull volume, seems to echo in the otherwise eerily hushed closely packed-in trees; causing me to question myself if it is the sound bouncing off the trees or if it is the impending danger the lightsaber poses that's causing it to sound like there's multiple. Either way, I don't like it.

"We're not done yet," the wounded villain in front of us comments like as if he has unfinished business with all three of us.

However, there's a conundrum: what unfinished business could he have with me if this is the very first time we have met?

Rey glowers, before I can even properly think of the enigma, "You're a monster."

"It's just us now. Han Solo can't save you," Ren continues, either acting like he's disregarding her insult and/or one or two of us or actually disregarding.

My heart aches at the recent occurrence of Han Solo's death, especially the fact that it was at the hands of his own blood child. My knees feel like they are going to buckle from the amount of grief that plunged itself into my heart, but I refuse to show weakness in front of this fiend....who's playing with my feelings.

Again, before either Finn or I can react, Rey pulls out her gun....only to be thrown back into a tree like a ragdoll. Kylo's hand is extended but falls to his side as both Finn and I scramble to Rey's aid. Finn gently cradles the upper half of her torso, resting her head on his knees. I softly grip Rey's arm, worry and fear flooding my body.

Behind us, a piercing and full of rage "Traitor!!!" shrieks so threateningly that it causes me and Finn to tense up and our hairs to stand on end.

Obviously directed at Finn, I look at him with glimmers of distress and dread as the sound of the unstable lightsaber being twirled very slightly. Finn's expression is dead serious and calm as his eyes focus on the lightsaber on Rey's belt.

"Stay with Rey," the ex-Stormtrooper orders in a kind yet stern whisper as he grabs the lightsaber.

Not pausing at all, Finn stands up while turning around and activating the lightsaber in a ready, defensive stance. I move closer to Rey and gently nudge her closer to the tree she had collided with, both to protect her unconscious form and to try and keep the both of us females at a relatively safe distance from this duel.

"That lightsaber -- it belongs to me," the Dark Sider bitterly claims, with a hint of surprise intertwined in his tone, just as soon as I look up in time to see the red crossguard being menacingly pointed at the Resistance's new ally who is the First Order's rogue.

Courageously, the former Stormtrooper challenges "If you want it, come get it."

Kylo Ren makes the first move, swinging at a quarter intensity at Finn. Finn blocks the strike with ease and try to counter, only to be blocked himself. I just sit there in the frozen watery powder beside Rey, frozen in dumbfounded horror like the snow that covered the entirety of the planetary weapon's surface, and watch the duel play out. Subconsciously, I find myself unable to pick the person I am rooting on when, consciously, I hope that the one wielding the blue blade would win.

But Finn's outmatched against the Force Sensitive. Through the Force, Kylo can anticipate Finn's next move. My heart pounds hard and fast against my chest as the tides turn on Finn in one swift motion. Kylo, clearly starting to get bored with his undertrained and less advantaged opponent, disarms Finn and slashes his back, leaving a massive cut going from his shoulder to his waist on the opposite side. No!!