Hearts of Rebels | Star Wars Fanfiction

Chapter IX

Rhea sighed with relief as the Stormtroopers walked past her. She left the maintenance closest, gripping her blaster pistol she rushed over to a blast door. Sensing a life form approaching it, the blast door whizzed open, making her flinch.

She leaned around the corner, scouting for Imperials. Instead, she only saw a power terminal and to her surprise, Ben Kenobi. He whirled around, expecting an enemy.

"Rhea, what are you doing here?" He whispered, looking for the others.

"I came to help," She held her hands up innocently.

Ben sighed but accepted her help. They made their way onto the small ledge of the terminal that hung over an abyss, edging closer to the control panel.

Ben pointed out a few levers and buttons to Rhea, she nodded and began turning the power off. Before he could turn the last lever, she stopped him nodding to the other door of the room. Seconds later it opened a patrol of stormtroopers walking through it.

"Secure this area until the alert is cancelled Give me regular reports. All but two of the Stormtroopers leave," An Imperial Officer ordered, marching back out the blast door. All but two of the troopers following, as ordered.

"Do you know what's going on?" One of the Stormtroopers asked. Ben quickly pulled the lever down, a whine echoing down the abyss.

"Maybe it's another drill?" The other Stormtrooper shrugged.

They shuffled back across the ledge hopping onto the pathway. Ben flicked his hand at the Stormtroopers causing something to fly down the other hall, distracting them.

They rushed out of the room and back down the hallway. To their dismay another patrol of Stormtroopers turned into the hall, Ben hastily pulled Rhea with him into a narrow passageway.

"So you made it from the control room to the terminal without alerting any Imperials. You must have great intuition then, the Force is with you," Ben rubbed his chin, looking curiously at her.

"Or great luck," She dismissed his thoughts as they jogged down the other hallway. Ben hummed, knowing that wasn't the truth.

Rhea peered down the next hall, spotting the Falcon in the hangar she waved an all-clear to Ben. They stepped out into the hall, instantly, a cold shiver going down both their spines. Ben stopped her and held her shoulders before they went any further.

"Rhea, stay hidden. Run when you have the chance, he will be distracted by me,"

Rhea frowned not understanding what Ben was on about until a dark figure approached down the hall.

"Go. Hide!" Ben ordered.

She rushed over to the narrow passage they were previously in and watched from there as the armoured man approached, ominous breathing filled the hall.

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master,"

"Only a master of evil Darth,"

The two simultaneously pulled out silver hilts. Rhea recognised the dark blue light of Obi-Wan's, but the dark figure cast a red glow across her face as he ignited his lightsaber. She ducked back scared, realising the dark figure was Darth Vader.

"Your powers are weak old man," Darth Vader snarled.

"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine,"

Rhea poked her head out the passage. The two of them went back and forth lunging, blocking, parrying yet they were wary of each other.

She frowned as a garrison of Stormtroopers in the hangar noticed the duel, all of them gathering outside the doorway to watch. Past the Stormtroopers, she spotted Han, Luke and Chewbacca along with the Princess, all bolting to the ship.

She stood up, nervously stepping out of the passage, Darth Vader spotted her immediately but returned his gaze to Ben, unable to be distracted. Ben looked at her from the corners of his eyes, knowing Darth Vader wouldn't be able to get her.

"Rhea run! Now!"

She forced herself to run instead of spectating the fight. She whipped her blaster pistol in front of her, firing two shots at the garrison of Stormtroopers. They found their mark and two Stormtroopers crumpled to the ground.

She looked back at Ben only to see Vader finishing a powerful strike, Ben's cloak floating to the ground. She froze from shock, staring at the cloak. She didn't understand that strike should have killed Ben, but there was his cloak with no Ben, how could he be dead?

She snapped back to reality when she heard a painful cry from Luke just as a blaster bolt ripped past her, burning her waist. She shrieked, grabbing her side and bolting away from the Dark Lord.

"Come on!" Han yelled at her as Chewbacca and the Princess ran up the boarding ramp into safety.

"Give her some cover fire, Luke! Shoot the door!" Han screamed at Luke as he ducked, having a close call with a blaster bolt.

The last Stormtrooper fell as Rhea ran into the hangar, she looked back at the closing blast doors, her eyes widened in fright seeing Darth Vader walking furiously towards her. Han waved at her to hurry as he rushed up the ramp.

"Come on, Luke!" She yelled. He stood frozen, staring at the blast doors just as she had.

More Stormtroopers filled the hangar, she let go of her side flinching and grabbed him, yanking his arm. He snapped out of his trance and ran with her to the ramp.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Han shouted as he closed the door behind them.

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