Star Wars IX- Balance Of The Force

Chapter 30 - Prisoner Hux

Since Ben had taken Rey to the transports in the valley, the conflict outside the Supremacy had changed substantially. Ties were no longer screeching in the sky overhead, and X-Wings were not roaring after them either; the sky was quiet but filled with a mixture of orange flame and grey smoke. Vice Admiral Renor's dreadnought had finally come to rest the impact of its body's weight with the ground crushing and flattening vast sections. The air around its carcass rippled with heat, and smoke swirled about it. The metallic debris of X-Wings, Ties and ATs lay strewn about. No one on the ground was fighting any more, and vast swathes of white stormtroopers were standing in unfamiliar positions of surrender blasters down and hands above their heads. As Ben approached, he could see the pilot Poe Dameron, General Ematt, General Targo and Colonel Kramer meeting with General Kail and Valax. He stalked forward purposefully. As he neared the group, he could see Kail and Valax flinch away as if preparing to be struck down, no doubt. As much as it would please him right now to lash out, Ben contained that impulse. He was saving it all for Hux, not to mention if he did, it would undo everything they were trying to achieve. Patience, he told himself.

Poe spoke to him first on his arrival, "Solo. Where's Rey?"

Ben had to take a moment before he responded. The pilot had called him Solo and had asked about Rey; it was like a double punch to his gut. When he did answer, it was curt and direct, avoiding as much detail as possible and keeping his emotions in check. It would be alright; she would be alright.

"At the transports. Injured. FN... Finn is with her. Have they all surrendered?"

Now General Ematt spoke, "All but those still aboard the Supremacy. We are ready to advance when you are."

They were looking at him to lead them. How had things changed so much that he had gone from being their enemy, determined to destroy every last one of them and everything they stood for, to joining them and now leading them? Of course, Ben knew what had happened it was still unbelievable how something as simple as a shared dream had changed him completely and brought him back from the darkness to this moment. This was the right thing.

"Let's proceed then." Ben ignited his saber and led the way forward straight towards the surrendered troops. As they approached, however, the surrendered regiments moved aside, creating a direct path towards the grounded ship. There would still be soldiers and troops aboard, but it was good as over.

-X-

Aboard the Supremacy, Captain Peavey had watched the situation unfolding. There had been no support from the sky, Vice Admiral Renor had been killed, and his Dreadnought had since plummeted, colliding with the planet's surface nearby. He'd had communication from unknown Resistance leaders aboard Grand Admiral Skalick's Dreadnought informing him that the ship was under their command and that Skalick was also dead. He had watched their ATs become decimated heaps of junk, and to avoid any more unnecessary losses, he'd called the remaining Ties back after he'd seen a wave of energy knock all the troops fighting on the ground to the floor. Peavey didn't know the source of that energy, and he didn't care. Hux had barricaded himself in his quarters, refusing to leave until his guard Chromia returned, but as far as Peavey was concerned, he was in charge now, and that demon-ness bodyguard of Hux's was dead. Peavey had seen flashes of red light, but there was nothing since the crash of energy. Those were his men and women fighting out there, and he would no longer sacrifice for a lost cause. He now watched the remaining surrendered troops part into two halves, and an unstable red light was moving forward along with the Resistance troops, progressively getting closer. That was definitely not Chromia; that was Kylo Ren. This battle and, in fact, the First Order were as good as over.