Star Wars: Duel of the Fates

Chapter 17

Sitting alone in Leia's room was all Rey could do after hours of helping to repair the ship. Her clothes were soiled and her muscle ached to the core.

After the initial shockwave of Leia's death had passed, she'd settled into numbness.

She wrapped herself in a blanket and stood staring out the viewport at the planet beneath, Verig. It had oceans and various continents showing a mixture of lush greens and deep earthy browns. She stared at it blankly as she clasped at the blankets rough weave.

Poe had sent her to get some sleep before they were going to an old friend of his who might be able to help them with the parts they needed. He'd given her a time to be back at the Millennium Falcon. She kept telling herself that she would try to sleep after just one more minute.

On the table in front of her, the small chest containing Luke's destroyed lightsaber stood open. Leia must have left it like that. Rey placed her hand on the lid and slowly lowered it.

She felt his presence without even knowing how, the familiar joining of their force bond.

Rey didn't turn, "We haven't done this since Crait."

She could feel his gaze burning into the back of her head.

"You know?" she asked after a long silent minute.

"Yes," he replied after a pause, his voice perfectly neutral.

Nodding, she finally moved to find Kylo Ren stood in the room.

He looked much the same except for the darker circles under his eyes. There was no sign of grief on him: no tears, no poorly controlled anger. He was blank.

"Do you want to know how it happened?" she asked.

He continued to stare at her.

"She died saving us..." Rey hesitated, trying to smother down the wave of loss as it crashed into her, "saving others."

He nodded.

Rey could feel herself starting to get angry, "That's all? Your mother died today and you don't have a word to say?"

"What do you want me to say?" he said, the first flare of emotion.

"Anything to show that you feel something."

"Why?"

Rey shook her head, "I don't even know. I always thought that the dark side indulged in rage and grief."

"For a purpose...for power."

"Is that all you really want?"

"It is in my nature."

"And it was in your grandfather's too," she said stepping closer, "He gave into the dark side for years, decades! And then at the end he turned back to the light."

"We only have the word of my uncle that it even happened."

"No...I saw it."

His eyes narrowed, "A vision?"

Rey nodded, "I saw him die as Luke was trying to save him. He'd returned to the light. I saw it."

He didn't react as the moment stretched between them.

"...No."

She carefully placed the blanket down and stared at him, "You've had so many of us trying to help you...your mother, your uncle...your father."

He tensed at this last word, holding her gaze before looking away.

"But you don't want to be saved," she said, "You just want more power because Snoke filled your head with nothing but his lies and ambition."

"I hear my grandfather's voice," he insisted, "He guides me."

"That was Snoke."

"Then why has it continued since his death?"

"But..." Rey hesitated, "I saw Anakin Skywalker return to the light. He'd never want you to fall as he did."

"You know nothing of my family!" he shouted, his temper lost, "You know nothing of any family but the one that abandoned you! That sold you so that they could buy a bottle of ale before they left Jakku! And the saddest part, the most tragic part is that they returned less than a year later and they didn't once try to find you. Not once did they take the time to attempt crossing from the Eastern to Western Reaches. They choose to drink themselves into early pauper's graves. And all that time you waited, all those years of hope wasted on people who didn't give you a backwards glance!"

She expected tears to be in her eyes but they were oddly dry.

"I have a new family now," Rey said firmly.

"The murders, traitors and thieves?"

"They're my family and we'll never abandon each other."

"Wait, Rey, just wait. Eventually everyone you think that cares about you will turn on you."

"I'm not you and I won't make your mistakes."

"I am close to dominating this entire galaxy."

Rey stared up at him, "And wanting that is your greatest mistake."

She crossed the room.

"And trying to save it is yours," he said.

The connection dropped as she gently closed the door behind her.