Cold Heart - Book One

Chapter Thirteen

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. I seriously love each and every one of you. I appreciate all of the support you've given me throughout this entire story. I'm very glad to announce that this officially has over 20k words! (Including the epilogue) Might seem small, but it's a large achievement for me. If you want more stories by me, feel free to check out my profile (working on a poe dameron fic) or even give me a follow. ;) but it's your choice. Anyways, thank you again for everything, the reads, the votes, the comments. It inspires me to write even more. 

Well, here's what you've been waiting for.

Chapter Thirteen

"Snoke," Leia announced, standing high atop a podium with the entire Resistance army, minus Ben and a few other officials who stood next to her. "Is our main target. Without him, the First Order will be disorganized and messy. He is the center of it all. We get rid of him, this war is won."

She looked to Ben, her eyes filled with assurance, Snoke had taken away her child and now she was going to make everything right again. She was sure that Ben was going to bring balance to the force, just the opposite way that her father, his grandfather, had.

"Prepare for battle," she commanded to the troops. "We will leave immediately."

The soldiers saluted and then proceeded to march out. "Mom?" Ben asked, walking up to the General. It still felt weird for him to say that word. He hadn't said in at least 15 years before this and it felt unnatural. But not bad.

"Yes, Ben?" she responds worriedly. She had been having reservations for days, she didn;t know if Ben had the strength to fight his very own master. Snoke had trained him for years and had never completed the training. Who knew if Snoke would completely overpower him? Leia had just gotten her son back and she didn't want to lose him. She had lost enough.

"I love you," he said. "I'm sorry for everything that I've done in the past, I know it's unforgivable. If I don't make it back," he paused for a second and grabbed her hand. "I just want you to know that I love you and that I'm sorry."

She reached her hand up to his cheek and cupped it. "You will make it back, Ben," she assured. "I have faith in you."

He gave a small half smile. "Thank you, mom."

She nodded. "I love you too. Now, you have a mission to do."

He wrapped her into a hug and started to walk away, but Leia stopped him. "Ben," she called. He turned around, waiting for a response. "May the force be with you."

~~~~~

They were nearing the Starkiller. Ben took a deep breath, trying to sense the situation. Sadly, he could sense nothing but fear from the passengers on the ship he was boarding. He was feeling the same way, though.

"Kylo- uh, Ben, I mean," a soldier stuttered next to Ben.

"Yes?"

He looked at his feet hesitantly and bit his lip. "This is my first battle," he admitted. "Do you, I mean honestly, do you think this'll work?" The boy was obviously nervous. He looked to only be around 16 with curly blonde hair and green eyes. "I'm Larkin, by the way."

Ben leaned against his seat. "Well, Larkin, I think we have a chance. Someone once taught me something very important," he looked Larkin in the eyes. "You must always have hope. Even when it seems so very bad, there's always a chance." Ben smirked a little. "In all realistic honesty though, I believe that the odds are with us."

Larkin gave a small smile. "Thank you, Ben," he looked back up at him. "That's what you go by, right?"

Ben chuckled. "Yes, Kylo Ren is long gone. I'm Ben Solo now."

The lights began flashing inside, which cued the soldiers that they were arriving. Most of the Resistance would be attacking from the outside, but no one knew of Supreme Leader Snoke's power. Not even Ben.

Larkin flashed Ben a grin. "Good luck out there, man."

"You too, Larkin. You'll make it back," Ben assured, but didn't promise. He didn't promise anything to anyone anymore. The last promise he had made was to Rey. It wasn't kept.

Then, they were off.

~~~~~~

Ben followed behind a few soldiers down a narrow corridor. A few stopped and exited into different hallways, but Ben stayed going on the same way. Eventually, it was just him and two other soldiers.

Ben neared the door he had always feared to enter. He gave a slight nod to the woman next to him and opened the doors. The soldiers stayed behind to keep out any intruders while Ben faced the main target, Snoke.

The doors swiftly closed behind him and Ben stood facing the darkness.

"Ah, Kylo," a sinister voice sounded from a few feet away. "You've returned." Suddenly, a light flickered on, illuminating the large black room. Now Ben could see him clearly. In person, Snoke was a short man, about 4'0. But no one dared to make that a measure of his skill. He was a deadly.

"Yes," Ben answered, retrieving his lightsaber from his pocket. "But now, I prefer Ben."

Snoke laughed and moved closer to him. "Ben Solo," he snickered. "Quite fitting of you. You can become a coward." He pulled out his lightsaber in a flash. "Now you can die like he did."

Ben quickly flicked his on and blocked a strike from Snoke. With a grunt, Ben spoke. "My Father was not a coward," he charged at Snoke, trying to gain the upper hand. "If anyone is here, it is you!" He blocked it and went in for another.

"Jedi scum," Snoke spat. "You could've been great. You had too much Solo in you." Snoke's voice was not filled with hurt, forgiveness or any other sign that he was unhappy from Ben's departure. No, it was filled with utter rage.

Ben blocked more hits. "I am not the scum," he growled. "You hide behind the mask of the First Order. Using people to only get what you want. It's utter madness. The First Order will never rule, Snoke. There will always be light and no matter what you try and do, you will never be able to get rid of it."

"You will never be like that, Kylo Ren. You will never fit in with the light side. You will always be stained with this darkness," Snoke hissed. "You will always be Kylo Ren. You have done too much to ever be forgiven. That is what you don't understand," he snarled. "Just as the light called for you, the dark will too. You will rejoice it in it, Kylo. The darkness will devour you." Ben hit once more, knocking the lightsaber out of Snoke's hand.

"No," Ben stated, holding the lightsaber to Snoke's neck. "I will never return to the dark. It has cost me too much." He thought of Rey and the father he would never actually know.

"Kill me, then," Snoke laughed. "It is not the Jedi way to kill a defenseless opponent."

"You're not defenseless, though, are you?" Ben asked. He turned around to face the large piece of metal resting a few feet above him. He held a hand up, stopping it.

"You have died in vain, Snoke." And with that, Kylo swung the lightsaber at his former master, still levitating the metal.

It was over.