The Chosen One: A Reylo Story

Chapter 4: Capturing the Crystal of Aantonaii

Chapter 4: Capturing the Crystal of Aantonaii

The resistance fighter runs, panting, down the long white hallway. He's moving as fast as he can, but with blaster wounds on his leg, shoulder, and hip, that's not very fast.

He's slowed down by that, and the heavy metallic case he's clutching to his chest. It's sealed shut—he doesn't even have the access code to it. All he knows is that it contains something the General desperately wants to keep away from the First Order. That fact alone motivates him onwards...through his pain... and fear.

As he struggles forward with a slight limp and with quick, labored breaths, he hears them behind him.

*click, click, click*

The pace of his heart quickens as he can hear sound of their thick, black boots on the pristine white floors coming gradually closer.

*click, click, click*

Three, no four, pairs of footsteps are following behind him. They are walking briskly but not running. They don't need to. They have him, and they know it. The resistance fighter knows it too; they're just playing with him now. Like predators with their prey...

The fighter gives a jump when he suddenly hears a loud electric crackle pierce the near silence then settle to a low, steady hum.

He hears another crackle.

Then another, then another.

The electric humming behind him grows louder as they get closer.

He knows what that sound is... lightsabers.

He's only seen one once before, a few years ago on Yavin 4. But he remembers it with perfect clarity... the imposing, black clad figure with a mask, the long, red blade with two tiny flames jutting out each side at the base, the steading electric hum interrupted only by the screams of his fellow fighters, his friends... how easily he deflected their blasters and cut them down with cold precision.

The resistance fighter knows he shouldn't but he can't help himself. As he stumbles forward, he slows down just a moment to glance briefly behind him.

His head snaps back in front of him.

It's him. And three others just like him. All of them in black robes and masks.

That's when the reality sets in.

This is the day. His last day. He will never see his wife and little girl on Corellia again. A deep longing crushes down on him. He wishes he could hold them in his arms one last time...

Kylo Ren leads the others with strong, purposeful strides. They follow behind him closely—Mei Ren, Silo Ren, and Baal Ren.

They've found it, finally, thanks to Silo. The Crystal of Aantonaii, Darth Sidious's prized possession. It's said that every dark lord since Darth Bane has channeled its power, inevitably infusing it with their own as a consequence. This one artifact contains the raw power of a hundred Sith Lords... it is absolutely essential to their mission.

It hadn't been on Deveron. He sensed that the moment he walked off the ship. Rey must have given it to the General a few days earlier.

He had betrayed her location for nothing.

The rebel outfit on Deveron was small, so he saw no utility in chasing after them. Capturing the crystal was more important than snuffing out the lives of a handful of rebels. At least, that's what he told the commanding officer.

Several days later, they got lucky. For the past two years, Silo has been posing as a resistance pilot, feeding the First Order valuable information about the rebellion's plans and locations. He received intel that an important item retrieved by the Jedi girl had made its way to a tiny rebel base located in an out of the way fuel port in Bespin, on its way to a more secure location. He had to break his cover to reveal this to the other Knights, but it was worth it. Necessary. They need that crystal.