Star Wars: Duel of the Fates

Chapter 52

Kylo Ren was marching through the darkness, his senses heightened by the strong presence of the force. You could feel it in the air as you breathed it in. Every step made him feel more powerful, stronger, closer to what he wanted.

He stopped, suddenly feeling uneasy and turned to find Snoke stood behind him.

"The traitorous Ben Solo," he said, his lip curling.

"You're dead: I killed you," Kylo said hollowly, reaching for his lightsaber.

"Yes you did," he said, a slow smile forming as he strode forward, "And you don't even have the honour of being the first of my apprentices to try."

Kylo ignited his saber.

"You think something like that can hurt me," Snoke said drawing closer.

"It did before," he mumbled slicing it towards his head.

Snoke's smile morphed into a malevolent grin as he stopped the unstable red blade and held it in his hand. Hot white glints crackled against his wrinkled skin, the intense light glowing through his claw like nails.

Kylo's eyes widened in shock as Snoke's grip tightened and began tilting it towards his face. He deactivated the lightsaber and took a step back.

"You were always a foolish child but this disappoints me," Snoke said stalking closer.

"You're not real."

Widening his flexed fingers, Snoke realised a bolt of force lightning that sent Kylo flying. He lifted the saber and it glided to his hand.

"Even this," Snoke said turning it on and studying the weapon, "is faulty. You couldn't even bleed your kyber crystal correctly...cracking it...compromising it."

Kylo unevenly got to his feet, the pain from the hit spreading through his body as his rage grew.

Snoke turned it off and tossed it at Kylo's feet, "Almost from the first you disappointed me. I wanted another Vader...not this pathetically poor copy. You were never worthy of your heritage. You did nothing but wear a mask...trying to fulfil his destiny. You're no Sith: you're nothing but a fallen Jedi. "

"It didn't stop me from killing you," he snarled.

"Yes...and what have you achieved?" he said, holding his hands either side of his twisted body, "Great Supreme Leader: what have you done? Have you ended the war? Have you snuffed out the Jedi? Did you kill your uncle or the girl? What have you done accept waste your time and leave your empire in Hux's greedy and eager control?"

Kylo's breath came out in a pant as his rage changed into hate.

"That's better," Snoke said, "You seem to struggle with focusing yourself and given that the girl has arrived she will stop you if you fail to get there first."

"I felt her presence."

"Of course you did," he said spinning and walking away into the shadows, "For once do something other than failing."

Time was beginning to slip away from Rey as she tried to think clearly. How long had she been here?

The going was becoming rougher and she had to begin climbing over huge rocks and boulders. Halfway up she shook her head, taking a long breath in and out. She allowed her many memories of clambering over wreckages in Jakku to swell in her mind. Smiling at the thoughts of dozens of times she'd almost fallen, only just catching herself before she plummeted to the sand beneath.

She blinked, seeing a hold in the stone above her she pulling herself up and onto the top of the ragged surface above.

The other side was thankfully easier going and she could see a simple enough way down.

"Rey," her mother's voice spoke from behind her.

She froze, unwilling to turn.

"Rey!"

She couldn't move, feeling paralysed by anger and grief.

"Rey, please!" it was her father who spoke now.

Slowly she spun around to see her parents, much as she remembered them except for an otherworldly glow.

Her mother was drawing closer, her face lit up with a tearful smile as she raised her arms to embrace her.

Rey held out a hand and took a step back, "...No."

Her father stared at her, looking as if his heart was broken by her answer, "But Rey...we're your family."

Swallowing with difficulty, Rey looked over her shoulder at the distant light of the monastery, "I don't have time for this."

She started climbing down the slope.

"But, we love you!" her mother called after her.

Rey paused, "And a part of me will always love you," she turned and looked at them one last time, "But my parents, my real parents...they abandoned me a long time ago. Now I have a new family who could never do that and they need me."

Turning with determination she walked swiftly away to the sound of her parent's voices calling her name.