Darkness Rises

Chapter 14 The traitor.

"Finn!!" Rey yelled. She felt the relief fill her momentarily before it was replaced with absolute horror.

"Finn!!" She screamed as she watched as her best friend stopped mid step, his eyes wide with fear before he toppled forward and landed with a loud thud.

She turned to see that behind her , Hux had regained his footing and held a blaster. He shot Finn, his face twisted into a wicked grin.

"Good riddance traitor" He spat before turning the blaster to Rey.

"No! you bastard" Rey screamed. Furry boiled in her veins. She could taste the blood in her mouth and her vision was suddenly crimson. She could feel the tips of her fingers begin to tingle and she pushed that rage she felt to her hands. Hux's eyes widened and his face scrunched in pain. Rey felt the burn before she saw it.

Chains of electricity shot from her hands it bounced wildly off the metal walls of the ship.
"Now General, you will die"

She focused her anger on Hux and the electricity surrounded him. He screamed in agony it was bloodcurdling, but she only pushed more power and hatred to her fingers.  She wanted to hear him scream in pain. Wanted to watch him die. He needed to pay for all the death and pain he had caused.

"Rey don't do this" Ben was behind her his hand on her shoulder. "Rey don't let the darkness consume you" She felt him try to ease into her mind, but she was beyond furious, there would be no mercy for anyone. Not even the man who was trying to stop her.

He was the reason for all of this, the reason the was so divided to begin with. She turned to face that man behind her. He is B.B. the reason her best friend was dead.

"You! This is all of your fault, I should never have saved you, you never should have found me on the island." she brought her hands up, her fingers itching to release her power.

Hff He didn't back away, he just stood there staring. He turned off his saber and placed it before him, kneeling as he went. "Rey, I am sorry, you're right, it is my fault. But please do not fall into darkness, do not go down that road."

"It's too late" she sneered, and she turned back to Hux and sent all of her power into the pathetic man's body. He squealed and writhed in pain and she could feel his life leaving his body. 

"Rey, don't do this" she turned to the sound of her name. It was Finn, he was trying to stand, to move towards her.

"Finn!" She dropped Hux who was almost beyond recognition. The heat of her lightning had all but melted his clothing leaving second and third degree burns across his body. Rey was pulling Finns head into her lap. He coughed up blood as he tried to speak. "Shh, Finn don't try to speak, I'm so sorry this never should have happened to you." Tears were pooling in her eyes blurring her vision. Out if the corner of her eye she saw Ben turning to face the Soldiers that were rushing towards them.

"Rey, it's ok, you're my best friend and you would have done the same for me." He lifted his hand to wipe away her tears. "This is really a lame way to die. I finally get out of the First Order, make new friends and then that asshole shoots me" Finn coughed again. Rey could feel his life slipping away through the force. She pulled him closer trying to send her own energy into him.

"Finn you just need to keep your eyes open ok. We will get you back to the resistance, you're gonna be fine!" But she knew he wouldn't make it. Ben was keeping the soldiers back, but he was beginning to tire. She watched as a swarm came racing towards him. It didn't matter now her best friend was dying. She glanced back down at Finn, his eyes began to close.

"Be good Rey" he whispered. "Take care of Poe he's gonna need you."

"I will" she promised she brought her lips to his forehead. Finn slipped away, and his body became limp in Rey's arms. She felt her world shatter. The first person who had ever cared for her was gone. Finn was the reason she had joined the Resistance, the reason she didn't go back to Jakku when she had the chance.

"Rey I need your help." Ben called to her over his shoulder.  She didn't answer him didn't move to help him. It didn't matter anymore. She was beyond furious, beyond the point where her life even mattered. This war had cost her so much and would continue to do so unless it ended. She watched as the troopers surrounded Ben, he couldn't hold them back and he finally surrendered and let his saber fall. He as giving up and she just sat as one soldier stepped forward and picked up the discarded saber.  Another put his blaster to Ben's head, and that was it. Rey had already watched her best friend die she wasn't about to watch Ben die too. Ben was all she had left. No one in the resistance knew her pain like he did, and she couldn't let him be destroyed. She gently moved Finns body to the ground and stood up. The soldiers turned to look at her and she stepped forward.

"Let him go, or you, all of you will die" she spoke clearly, her voice filled with fury. No one moved, and she took a step forward. "I will not ask again" she raised her hand and brought Ben's saber to her hand.

"Drop the weapon or we will kill him" the one holding blaster to Bens head spoke. His finger itched toward the trigger.

"Rey" Ben stared at her. She felt him press at her mind, but she shoved him back again.

"Too late" she whispered. She rushed towards them using the Force to propel her forward. Ben ducked at the last second and his saber pierced through the soldier behind him. Rey spun around removing the head of the two next to her and slashed the blade though another advancing forward. Still more were coming, Ben was standing now, he had picked up a discarded blaster and was firing shot after shot into the incoming wave, but it was doing little to stop them. Rey was losing her patience. She wanted more than anything to be off this ship, but she knew if something didn't change soon she and Ben would be fighting a very long time. The soldiers continued forward forcing both of them back. She shoved back against them with the Force, but they kept coming. She used the Force to pull pieces of paneling off the wall throwing them towards the soldiers taking out several at once.

"This isn't working we need to get out of here" Ben shouted to Rey who was blocking now shots as fast as possible.

"Thanks captain obvious I hadn't noticed that" she hissed at him. He was right however, and she knew they were running out of time. One solider who's aim was surprisingly accurate fired and Rey felt the shot graze her thigh. "Arrgh" she screamed as she stumbled backward trying to regain her footing. Ben glanced down at her, worry etched on his face. She felt his fear surge and he ripped the saber from her grasp and threw out the Force around him. The remaining soldiers fell backwards, and Ben gave one last glance at her before he rushed forward. She watched in fascination as he cut through one after the other moving precisely as he went. She was transfixed, couldn't take her eyes off of him as he moved. It was like watching predator attack. All that power and anger made him exceedingly beautiful and Rey felt herself drawn more to him, to his power, now than ever before. This man was a mystery to her, so powerful and dark, yet he fought to keep her safe, to bring her back to the Resistance. As the last trooper fell Rey managed to regain her composure enough to move towards him. The pain in her leg radiated with every step and she finally had to stop moving. Ben was at her side in an instant, his saber clipped at his side. He reached for her trying to steady her.

"Can you walk" he questioned, his voice was cold, she could still feel the raw dark energy that emanated from him.

"Yes, but I can't move too quickly, where are we going" she questioned.

"Poe is in the hangar waiting for us, I'll carry you if I have too, but we need to get there now." Ben moved around her to where Finn lay on the floor. Rey watched as he gently removed a communicator from Finn's utility belt. She limped towards him. Her best friend was gone and finally the enormity of it all came crashing down on her. She sank down to him, tears flowing freely down her face as she placed a hand to his cheek. He was so cold. She knew she couldn't leave him here. He hated the First Order more so than anyone she knew, and this retched place would not be his tomb.

"Ben I can't leave him, we have to take him with us" She turned to Ben was staring down at Hux. He was unconscious and would hopefully be dead soon.  "Ben, I need you to help me" He turned to her his eyes flicked to Finn and back to her.