Star Wars VII - Revised and Redacted

Chapter 18: Kylo Ren

Rey and Finn exited the blast doors from the life support regulator they'd rigged up with explosives. They paused at the railing when they saw Han and Kylo down below.

"Ben," Han pleaded as he took another step and closed the last of the distance between them. "Whatever happened between you and Luke, your mother and I want you to know we still love you. We want you to come home."

"I can't," Kylo denied. "The Republic isn't my home anymore. It's weak and corrupt, like him. The only thing to do is sweep it aside and start over with a stronger foundation."

"The First Order?" Han assumed.

"Yes," Kylo confirmed. He put back on his helmet, his voice becoming distorted again by the internal mechanics. "Join me."

"I'm sorry, Ben," Han said, backing slowly away. "I already found something worth fighting for."

"So be it," Kylo growled as he reached for his lightsaber only to find the weapon wasn't there. He looked toward his father.

"I said I love you, son," Han said, holding up the lightsaber he'd secretly lifted from Kylo's belt. "But, I'm not dumb enough to trust Kylo Ren."

Kylo threw out a hand and seized the weapon with the Force, taking it from Han's hand and into his own. The blade activated with crackling energy, but Han was already running for the exit, scooping up his blaster as he went. Kylo's attempt at pursuit ended when Chewie fired on him from the upper level, and only Kylo's connection to the Force allowed him to react fast enough to block the incoming shots.

Stormtroopers saw the attack on Kylo and followed the bowcaster bolts back to their source in order to target the Wookiee, retaliating on Kylo's behalf. Finn and Rey used their own blasters to fire on the stormtroopers before they could kill Chewie. Red pulses of energy shot like angry insects between levels, and explosions, sparks, and clouds of smoke burst out wherever they made contact with anything. Rey and Finn ran as they fired, not trying to hit anything but simply keeping the enemy forces too distracted to aim properly.

Han shot a trooper blocking his way to the exit. As he reached the blast doors, another trooper emerged, but Chewie grabbed the soldier by the shoulder and slammed him up against the left hand wall before tossing him hard against the right side. The trooper fell to the floor and stayed there.

"Come on!" Han shouted to Finn and Rey, but they were several levels above him, and Kylo Ren was much closer.

"Get out!" Finn screamed down to Han and Chewie. "We'll meet at the ship."

Finn tapped Rey on the shoulder, and they departed from the room by a door on their level.

Han looked back toward his son, and Kylo jumped up from the lower deck with a speed and power impossible for anyone without the Force. With a grimace of regret, Han looked to Chewie.

"Hit it," Han ordered.

Chewie pressed the detonator, activating the planted explosives around the chamber, one of which was only a few feet from Kylo Ren. The demolition charge made a slight beep a second before it exploded. Kylo heard the noise and turned in the direction, holding up a hand toward the device when he spotted it. The charges went off one after another, damaging internal components, vital systems, and the overall support structure for one side of the base.

The blast near Kylo was held in a partially expanded state. He had one hand out toward the burst of fire, restricting it as best he could with the Force, but the detonation was continuing to grow in size and push back against him. As the strain became too much, Kylo's boots began to slide on the smooth floor. Realizing he wouldn't be able to stop it, Kylo jumped to a different level of the chamber and dashed through an access hatch. The walls blurred around him as he sprinted with Force enhanced speed, keeping ahead of the fire chasing after him.

   ***   

Finn and Rey emerged into the sunlight. Because of the pull of Starkiller base, the incoming solar energy turned the entire sky the brightest shades of orange and red. The snow covered forest looked molten in the fiery light.

"The Falcon's this way," Finn said as he ran ahead of Rey.

The two of them halted in their tracks as they heard the crack of an overpowered lightsaber being switched on. Standing directly in their path was Kylo Ren.

"We have unfinished business," Kylo told them.

"No we don't," Rey denied. "You turned against your own father. Don't you have a heart?"

"Haven't you noticed something about the galaxy?" Kylo asked. "The heartless survive. Weaklings don't."

Finn tried to raise his blaster to fire, but Kylo pulled the weapon from his hand and chopped it in half while still in midair. When Finn switched on the lightsaber he carried, Kylo threw his open hand out and catapulted Finn backwards against the upper part of a tall tree. Finn was unconscious before he fell to the ground.

"Finn!" Rey shouted, running over to check on him.

The lightsaber flew over and landed in Kylo's open hand.

"It's just you and me now," Kylo said calmly.

Rey stood up, but she lacked a weapon to fight.

Kylo held up the captured lightsaber once belonging to his former master, Luke Skywalker. It hovered above his hand.

"Can you take this?" Kylo asked. "Close your eyes."

When Rey didn't comply, Kylo stepped closer and put his lightsaber near her throat.

"If I wanted your life, I would've taken already," he told her. He repeated the order with an edge of menace tracing into his voice, becoming an instruction as well as an unspoken threat. "Close your eyes."

Rey hesitantly did what he wanted.

"You have a connection to the Force," Kylo said as he slowly circled her. "Its energy is all around us and through us. I can sense your presence because of the ripples it creates in the Force. Can you sense mine?"

"Yes," Rey confirmed with a modicum of confusion.

"You can manipulate those ripples by accessing the energy of the Force," Kylo went on. "Can you feel my grip on this lightsaber? Reach for it with the Force."

Rey still had her eyes closed, but she turned toward Kylo and extended a hand. The lightsaber floating above his palm quivered slightly.

"Concentrate," Kylo insisted. "You have the power. Use it!"

The lightsaber sprang from his hand and into Rey's. She opened her eyes and stared at him.

"Very good," Kylo praised. "Let's see what you can do with it."

Without warning, Kylo lunged forward and attacked.

Extra info: In the altered and full version, the crosspiece on Kylo's weapon is explained as being not an actual crosspiece but vents releasing excess energy as his blade is overpowered to the point of being borderline unstable.