Chain Reaction

Chapter 18 - Usurper

Paige

The trio had entered the throne room with Rey leading the front, Kylo lagged behind and knelt on the floor, and Paige stood behind him, she glared at Snoke, her anger starting to boil inside her again. She watched as Snoke spoke to Rey, Paige took a step forward as she watched Rey float upwards and advanced towards the throne, stopping right in front of Snoke, Kylo held his hand back, blocking Paige's way, she turned to him in disbelief and saw him ever so subtly shake his head, she clenched her fists, watching as Snoke conversed with Rey.

"It was I who breached your minds."

Both hers and Kylo's head moved to look up as Snoke said those words, Paige felt her anger rise as he claimed to do what she had done back at Starkiller base, but then again, she thought maybe it was for the best that Rey and Kylo did not find out it was her that established the mind-link.

"I stoked Ren's conflicted soul, I knew he was not strong enough to hide it from you, and you were not wise enough to resist the bait."

Just as Paige was starting to feel relieved that Snoke took responsibility for her actions, her jaw clenched as she heard the next words that echoed across the room.

"I, of course, have you to thank, my wayward project. It was you that established their mind link."

Paige bit her lip as she glared up at him, stepping from behind Kylo and into Snoke's view, she felt Kylo's eyes boring into her, but she did not look back at him.

"You always were useful to me, oftentimes even more than my own apprentice. Still, it has come to my attention that you have not been reconditioned, a setback we shall get to later. Now..."

Paige stared in horror as Snoke began to speak to Rey once again, and then pushed her back with the force, Rey screamed and Paige realized that he was now probing her mind. Her knuckles were white as she clenched her fists harder, begging to be free, her head ached again for a minute as she attempted to use the Force, but it was futile. She watched as Rey fell to the floor with a thud then scrambled upwards to stand, and Snoke started laughing.

"I did not expect Skywalker to be so wise. We will give him and the Jedi order the death he so desires. After the rebels are gone, we will go to his planet and obliterate the entire island."

All of a sudden, Rey held her hand out and used the Force to summon the lightsaber Snoke had taken from her, but instead of it reaching her hand, it spun around the room and hit her in the head before resuming its place on the arm of Snoke's throne.

"Such spunk, look here now." Rey was then directed towards a round screen in the side of the room, it then showed her the scene that was currently happening, Paige also looked, realizing Poe was probably there, but she then looked away as she saw one transporter shot down, and then another.

"The entire Resistance in those transports, soon they will all be gone. For you, all is lost."

Rey surprised them all in the room as she used the Force yet again, but this time, it was not to summon her lightsaber, she summoned Kylo Ren's, she clasped her hands around it as it reached her and then activated it, facing Snoke, the guards around the room readied themselves for battle but Snoke raised a hand to halt them.

"You have the spirit of a true Jedi!"

Snoke used the Force and threw Rey backwards and onto the floor, disarming her, Kylo's lightsaber sliding towards him.

"And because of that, you must die."

Paige looked up in alarm, looking from Snoke to Rey who was now on bended knees and dragged in front of Kylo Ren.