Revival- A Star Wars Story

Chapter 32- The Climatic Truth

In the First Order base medical room, Kylo lies unconscious. But suddenly, the Force begins to stir inside him once again. He sees himself in the darkness again, but this time, he's alone. Then a mysterious figure fades into his view. A cape droops down, but its entire body is masked by a haze. But though Kylo can't see its face, he senses that it is staring straight into him. Does he want him to speak? Does he want him to kneel down before it?

"What do you want?" Kylo asks it, standing upright. The figure has a familiarity. But one that is still too foreign, too obscured, to become known.

It speaks with a deep, booming voice: "I sense a great disturbance within you. You must resolve it."

"Disturbance?" Kylo looks within, and then, he remembers. "The crystal. I gave it to her."

"And now you will face its consequences."

The words send a tremor through him. "I am prepared. If the Resistance has captured me, then it is my fault alone. I should never have trusted her. I knew it from the start."

"Do not make such hasty assumptions," the figure speaks in a commanding tone, "You are being connected back to the Force. Awaken, and see."

Suddenly, a jolting pang throbs in Kylo's head. He feels himself pulled out of the darkness, falling. And then he opens his eyes. He's not in the Resistance base, but in the First Order. How? He sees a medical officer, who says, "How are you feeling, Supreme Leader?"

"Where is she? That girl from the Resistance?"

"We don't know. On Inimoni, we found your unconscious body, alone. We do not know what transpired in your battle, but we assumed she must have gotten away."

Kylo thinks to himself: She saved him? He thinks back to Nissidha- when he gave the crystal to her. When he took her hands in the jade light, and the energy surged through them both. He remembers her warmth, as they held together, their bond being the only thing keeping them alive against the shadows stalking around them. He whispers, "I was wrong." And then, upon their escape, she could've turned him over to the Resistance. But she didn't.

The jolt. He had to find what it was, and where it came from. He stumbles out of the medical bed, and into the open armory outside. Serei and Hailden spot him.

"Hey," Serei calls out, "Just woke up?"

Kylo groans. "I sensed an aching pain. Damn it, something's not right. Keep an eye on me. Don't let anyone else follow." Serei looks at Hailden and shrugs. The two generals follow Kylo into an isolated room.

"Damn it... the Force... what's happening?" Kylo mutters.

Then he hears a voice, "Hey, you there?"

Kylo shuts his eyes. And he senses it.

"Who is that... why... why are you here?" Then Kylo spots him. "The traitor!"

Finn turns around. "Kylo Ren? Rey gave me the coordinates to KYLO REN?!?"

"Rey. Rey gave you this?" Kylo seethes. He looks ready to kill his former soldier.

"Whoa, whoa, hold up!" Finn says, "I had no idea it was gonna be you." But then he pauses. His face grows solemn. In a serious, grim voice, he tells Kylo, "You have to see this."

"See what?" Kylo says, his voice growing more subdued. Finn apparates the spherical artifact, and says, "I'll have to open up a bridge to you so I can show you this. It's about Leia."

"Leia?" Kylo says, his voice almost cracking.

"Just trust me."

Kylo is thrust back into the physical world. Next to him, a dark rift in space is forming, and growing ever larger. A deep voice calls to him to touch it. There's a message he needs to see. Kylo reaches his hand out. His eyes close as he reaches in, to protect against the torrential darkness blasting against his face.