Sulit [ Ben Solo ]

XVII.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
[ don't let me down! ]

Asteria whirled around, expecting to find Ben there. She had heard his voice, thought she felt the bond snap into place, but he wasn't there. She deflated a little, saddened that she wouldn't get to see him. Rey called her name, and she was forced to tear her eyes away from the spot she thought he was going to be.

Once on the ship, she stood behind Rey and Poe in the pilot and co-pilots seats as they took off toward the menacing Star Destroyer in the sky. Zorii had given them. . . something, she hadn't paid attention to what, but it got them onto the ship.

They split up once inside, Asteria telling them to find Chewie and that she'd go find his things— including the dagger. Even though they had the coordinates to where the wayfinder was— one of the moons of Endor, Kef Bir— she felt that they still needed it for something.

She searched the ship, looking for the dark pull of the dagger. She found it in a room of all white, laid out on a table with Chewie's bow and bandolier. But it was what sat on a white podium on the other side of the room that caught her attention.

A black mass of charred metal, crumpled and nearly unrecognizable. But she did recognize it. It was the mask of Darth Vader.

"Anakin. . ." she muttered, getting closer and letting her fingers graze the cold metal. "Help him find the light, old friend, as you did. I know that he can."

A blinding pain burned in her head suddenly, and she knew that Ben was forcing the connection. When he appeared, the pain went away, only a whisper in her mind.

"Ben," she said, her voice hoarse. "Please don't try that again."

"Sorry." He had his mask covering his face, the red cracks evident in the white room. His eyes flicked down to her hand, still on Vader's helmet. "So that's where you are."

"No," she gasped, tearing her hand away. "Ben, please, five m—"

"Palpatine wants you dead," he interrupted. "The girl, too."

"And he tasked you with doing it." Her heart ached. Would this never end? This horrible cycle of needing to kill or defeat each other?

"You know that I'd never do it."

"I know." She nodded her head.

"But I can't let you go to Exegol."

"I know," she repeated. "But I will get there. And I will finish him."