The Dark Side

~23~

A question that had been bugging Neri'el for a while found its way into her mind.

'Did you contact Master Skywalker?'

Ben's voice seemed cold as he answered.

'No.'

'Ben, we need his help. We didn't expect to fail our first mission but-'

'Who says we failed? Once I save you we can go back and complete it,' he sneered back.

Neri'el could sense his frustration leaking through the connection. He better not fly off the handle...again.

'Neri'el, I'm still in your mind so please keep your thoughts in check.'

* * * * * 

Ben watched her carefully before nodding at the door ahead.

"Let's get out of here."

"Don't have to tell me twice," she muttered following him out.

They raced out of the building and back into the barren desert; kicking up dust with their heels. Sand slowly began to fill Neri'el's boots but she ignored it and kept jogging after Ben.

'Curse his long legs.'

"Neri'el, you really have to start closing your mind!"

Neri'el swore violently in her mind.

* * * * *        

"Do you remember Ben Solo?" the masked man asked suddenly whilst trying to jab his lightsaber into her ribs.

Neri'el parried easily and attempted a jab of her own. A pang shot through her at Ben's name.

'Is he here? Or is he dead too?'

Her eyes stung at the thought and she slammed her lightsaber into her opponents ruby one with a shower of sparks.

"He was pathetic. The weakling is indeed dead," the masked man snarled, "Just as you feared."

"NO!" Neri'el screamed pulling back and slamming her saber into the man's over and over. "NO! NO! NO! HE CAN'T BE! YOU'RE LYING! YOU'RE-"

* * * * *

Ben was alive.

He had been this whole time.

He had been in front of her all along.

The shock left Neri'el unprepared and Kylo was able to pull out his lightsaber and raise it above his head, fully prepared to strike the girl down.

That was when the engines of the T.I.E. fighter ignited.

The sound awoke Neri'el to reality and she forced herself backwards. Her feet inched back towards the ramp and her metal foot gently brushed it, causing a clink.

The shock wave sent the cloaked menace backwards slightly. He stumbled, his lightsaber shaking. The red light flickered like lightning, sparking dangerously.

Neri'el took another step backwards, her metal limb's noises getting lost in the sound of the T.I.E. fighter's roar. She was a third of the way up the ramp.

Then Kylo Ren took a step forwards.

Neri'el cast one last look behind her, towards her great escape, then turned away.

There was no hope. If they stayed a moment longer, Ren would overtake and kill them all.

She faced Kylo Ren and slowly descended the ramp. Her heart pounding, palms sweating and her breathing ragged. Sweat cloaked her body like a mist, sticking to the back of her neck like dew on early morning grass.

Poe's screams for her to stop were faint, echoing from the cockpit as she stepped onto the floor of the base.

Neri'el raised her hands above her head, the universal of surrender. Her eyes slid shut as she waited for the proper moment.

Kylo Ren took a step towards her and she thrust out her hands, sending the entire crowd beside him flying backwards. Everyone soared a good twenty feet back, leaving Kylo alone and unscathed.

He didn't even flinch.

Instead he raised a hand, freezing her in place. A pointless gesture, she was not going to run.

The T.I.E. fighter suddenly rose behind her began to shakily move upwards. Its wings scraped horrendously against the floor, creating a shower of sparks and dreadful scratches as the ramp was drawn in.

Kylo Ren's eyes flicked towards the pitiful ship and he nearly smiled. They were going to die for their attempt to rescue his prisoner. Especially that traitorous storm trooper, FN-2187.

The T.I.E. fighter struggled to its full height before turning towards the only port. It shot towards it but was dragged almost immediately backwards by the cables it had been tied to. The ship flew backwards and jerked horribly, nearly taking off several officer's heads.

"Pathetic," Kylo muttered as he rolled his wrist, fully prepared to deal with this issue himself. He glanced down at his lightsaber and slowly raised it.

"NO!" Neri'el shrieked, as she fought free from the man's hold. She flew forwards and latched onto the handle. Her hands overlapped the black gloves holding the device in place as she attempted to pull it free. "BEN NO!"

Kylo Ren growled in anger and used his free hand to grab her by the waist and pull her away.

She fought fiercely against him but her fatigue was showing. She was weak and Kylo easily broke her hold on his weapon. He held her against himself, his forearm across her throat.

"That is not my name," he snarled in her ear.

"I-it, is t-t-the name o-of the b-boy I-I knew," she croaked back, her face turning red from lack of oxygen, "N-not t-the m-mons-ster he b-became."

Kylo Ren snarled and tightened his grip.

The girl's lips turned blue and her eyes bulged as she struggled to breathe. Her toes scraped the floor beneath her but gave her no leverage.

"You are mistaken. You are the monster," Kylo Ren finished in a low voice.

The girl struggled for a moment more before slowly weakening. She sagged in his grip and he released some of his hold on her neck. Her body arched forwards but he held her against him, his arm lowered to across her collarbone. Neri'el's breaths were ragged as she tried to refill her empty lungs.

Kylo Ren stared around the docking bay and felt his anger surge through him.

Neri'el may have failed in her escape.

But her distraction had succeeded.

Poe Dameron and the traitor, had escaped.