"I'm so sorry," Ben breathes to Finn as he uses the Force to freeze his friend. His friend. "I have to," he tries to explain. "It's the only way to save Rey. Maybe. If I go, Snoke will take us both—we might be able to escape together." He shakes his head. "I can't let her suffer any more. I'm sorry. Tell my mother I love her."
Finn's eyes smolder, but Ben breaks away, heading towards the nearest starfighter. He carries his own lightsaber, cracked and flawed, but he leaves Rey's. He can't risk Snoke getting his hands on that.
You're pathetic, Ben tells himself as he climbs into the starfighter, staring at the controls. He's never flown one of these before. Maybe there's a tracker? If there is, he won't protest. That could lead the Resistance to Rey, to him, and they could be rescued...
Don't count on it, he reminds himself.
"What the blazes are you doing?" Admiral Ackbar squawks.
Shit.
A scrawny red arm tears him out of the starfighter and thrusts him against the side. His head bangs against the metal.
"Traitor!" shouts a pilot, a woman with dark hair.
"I knew it," says another.
"I'll get the General," says Ackbar. "Hold him there!"
Ben could use the Force to send them all flying, and he sees that they know that as well. But he can't. Rey would never forgive that. His mother would never forgive that. He slumps against the starfighter, head hanging.
"I knew we shouldn't have trusted him," growls a creature with blue skin.
"That wasn't—I mean, I was—"
"Smart of you, wasn't it? Got all our plans and everything!" shouts the girl.
Fear prickles up Ben's spine.
The blue creature punches him across the face, and before Ben can think about it, he retaliates, sending the blue creature toppling to the ground.
"No!" screams the girl. "Help! Help!"
"I didn't—are you okay?" Ben gasps out. They're not going to believe me.
More pilots, a dozen, maybe more, swarm, all dressed in orange. When they see their friend on the ground, a collective howl rises even as the blue creature gets to its feet.
"You manipulative, sneaky—" One of them hits Ben across the face with a blaster. Salty, bitter blood fills his mouth as a boot flies into his ribs.
Use the Force—no, don't—
"What the hell are you doing?" Another voice, his salvation, rings out. Poe Dameron soars into the fray, shoving the blue creature aside.
"He was trying to escape!" yells the girl. "Ackbar caught him! He was going back to the First Order!"
"That's not true," Poe scoffs, and his words fall on Ben like acid. "Hey!" Poe grabs another pilot who kicks at Ben's face.
"You're just as bad," snaps the girl, and she punches Poe.
Chaos erupts. A Wookiee snarls, and Ben sees Chewie's enormous legs plant in front of him.
No. No. It's a lie, you're fighting for a lie! "Stop!" Ben screams, leaping to his feet and shoving against the sea of orange. Get away from them—get away from my friends—don't make them suffer for me! He doesn't use the Force, or his lightsaber. Screams and curses reverberate through the air as allies tear each other apart.
Poe gets a blaster smashed against his face and goes down. In less than a second, he's back up.
"Stop it, Poe!" Ben shouts, grabbing his friend. Chewie roars and sends a pilot who was about to take a baton to Ben's knee flying into the next starfighter. "You don't—"
Another blaster crashes into Poe's skull. "Poe!"
The girl pilot shoves herself at Ben, slamming her elbow in his stomach and digging into his belt. She pulls out the lightsaber. Ben sees Poe stagger to his feet and lunge at her, only to be knocked down again. BB-8 arrives, squealing and stinging, under someone kicks the droid.
"Let's see how you like it," she seethes, switching it on. Heat sears Ben's face. "Or how you look with another scar."
Behind her, Ben sees Finn running and guilt erases the dread from his own lightsaber.
And the lightsaber tears out of the girl's hand, flying into Finn's.
"What the—?" The girl whips about, and Chewie uses the opportunity to knock her to the ground.
"What in the hell is going on?" shrieks Mother's voice.
"Oh, shit," mutters Poe, wiping at the blood streaming from his nose.
Finn looks at the lightsaber in his hand and looks at Ben. He raises his eyebrows as if to ask, you?
Ben shakes his head.
YOU ARE READING
•LEGACY - A Reylo Story•
Fanfic*WRITTEN PRE-TROS, POST TLJ* When a ship crashes near the Resistance base, Finn and Poe are shocked to discover Kylo Ren. What does he want? And where is Rey? And as for Kylo, he must decide how much he can trust them with what he knows about Snoke...
