Star Wars Episode IX: Force Link ✔️ (Editing)

64 | Don't Be Afraid

Rey looked up at Ben, then she ignited her new lightsaber. Ben ignited his own lightsaber.

The charging stormtroopers came to a halt as they saw the two of them blocking their path.

"General Hux ordered us to stop you no matter the cost," said the leader. "Blast them!" he ordered.

The stormtroopers aimed their blasters at them. They opened fire.

Rey and Ben moved their lightsabers quickly to block the rapid fire. Ben held up his hand to stop a blast mid flight. He redirected the blast towards the stormtrooper who had fired it. The blast hit the stormtrooper in the chest and he fell over backwards.

Rey swung her lightsaber saber quickly, sending a blast back at the stormtroopers.

"You must teach me how to do that," she said.

"What, this?" Ben asked, stopping another blast and sending it back to the stormtroopers.

"Yes, that was amazing!" Rey answered.

"I thought you didn't want me for your teacher?" Ben asked.

"Well that all depends, is kissing your teacher allowed?" Rey asked.

Ben smirked. "If you want to."

"Then why wouldn't I want such a handsome teacher?" Rey asked.

Ben continued to stop the blasts being fired at them. "Use the Force. Focus on the blasters. Feel the power within them," he said.

Rey concentrated on the blasters.

"Can you feel it?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"When you feel the blaster about to be fired, hold up your hand and stop it. It's just like moving anything else with the Force," he said.

Rey could sense one of the blasters about to be fired. She held up her hand in an attempt to stop it. But as she saw the blast coming towards her, she became afraid and lost her focus. She had to duck at the last minute to dodge the blast.

"Don't be afraid," said Ben. "I know you can do it."

Rey tried again. She could feel a blast coming towards her. She raised her hand and with all of her strength, used the Force to stop the blast. Then she waved her hand and sent the blast back the way it had come.

"You did it!" said Ben. "I knew you could."

Rey smiled. But there was no time to talk further, as more stormtroopers approached.

Finn unlocked the cells. Chewbacca and R2-D2 were in the first cell. Then he found lieutenant Kaydel, and finally Rose.

Rose hugged Finn as she emerged from her cell. He hugged her back, then he kissed her.

Rose looked at him, surprised.

"I'm just doing what you told me," he said. "Saving what I love." He hugged her tighter.

"I knew you'd get me out," she said.

"Don't thank me," he said. "It was them." He pointed to Rey and Kylo Ren, who were still busy fighting the stormtroopers.

"What is he doing here?" Rose asked. She started towards Kylo, with her fists clenched, and an angry expression on her face.

Finn grabbed her arm to stop her.

She looked back at him, and her anger faded slightly.

"Apparently he's Rey's friend," Finn said gently.

Rose smiled as she watched them fighting the stormtroopers. She noticed how Kylo Ren seemed to be protecting Rey. In fact, now that she thought about it, he had been protecting her from the stormtroopers on the shuttle. He cares about her, she realized.

"As much as I would like to clobber him, we could use his help to get out of here. But after that, I can't make any promises."

Rose nodded. But she thought that he deserved a second chance. She had grown up hearing stories about how Luke had saved Darth Vader and brought him back to the Light Side. She knew that Rey had done the same for Kylo Ren.

Just then, Ben grabbed one of the fallen blasters. "FN-2187," he said.

Finn looked up at him.

Ben tossed him the blaster, and Finn caught it. There was an angry expression on Finn's face. "When we get out of here, I'm going to stun him."

Rose smiled. She knew that Kylo Ren had hurt Finn in a battle once, and she wanted to stun him for it to. But she knew that the Force had a reason for everything. If Finn didn't get wounded in battle, she probably wouldn't have met him.

Rey and Ben grabbed more of the blasters and tossed them back to the others.

Together, they fought off the stormtroopers. With all of them armed, they quickly overpowered the group of stormtroopers. Then they made their way out of the prison area.

Ben led them through the halls.

Suddenly a black BB unit rolled out in front of them. It was BB-9E. She had been sent by Hux and Phasma to find Kylo and the girl.

"BB-9E?" said Ben.

She looked up at Ben. She didn't want to turn him into Hux. After spying on him for so long, she had become fond of him. And he was much nicer to her than Hux and Phasma.

She looked over at BB-8. She remembered him from when Finn and Rose had snuck aboard Snoke's ship. She noticed how the little droid stood next to Poe. The Resistance pilot bent down to pat the little droid's head. They had something that the First Order had never given her, friendship.

She had seen BB-8 with Finn and Rose, but hadn't reported him because she hoped that they could become friends.

The droid looked at Ben and let out a series of beeps.

Finn looked at Poe for translation.

"She said that Hux sent her to find Kylo and Rey," Poe explained.

"Please don't turn us in," Ben told BB-9E. He didn't want to have to destroy the droid, she was the only one in the First Order who had offered him any kind of friendship.

The droid beeped. "Hux and Phasma sent me to spy on you," she said.

"I thought you were my friend," Ben answered.

The droid looked down, ashamed. "Not at first, but after watching you, I realized that there was more to you than Kylo Ren. I saw your compassion for her." She gestured to Rey. "I know how it feels to not hate someone who is supposed to be your enemy." She looked at BB-8.

Poe, Ben, and Rey all looked at the little orange and white droid.

BB-8 beeped: "Thank you for not turning me into the First Order."

"Can we be friends?" BB-9E asked in a series of beeps.

BB-8 beeped happily. Then he turned to Poe. "Can we take her with us?" he asked.

Poe nodded.

"I'm glad you decided to turn," Ben told the droid.

"You taught me that it was possible to change," she answered.

Ben smiled down at the little droid. "You have Rey and my grandfather to thank for that."

"Darth Vader?" Finn and Poe both asked at the same time.

"It's a long story," Ben answered. "I'll tell you all about it. But first, let's get out of here."

Finn and Poe both nodded.

Ben began to walk down the hall and the others followed him.

"Where are we going, if I may ask?" Poe asked.

"We're stealing some ships," said Ben. "Well, we're not really stealing them, because some of the ships belong to me."