Star Wars Episode IX: Force Link ✔️ (Editing)

66 | Embace The Light

The stormtroopers changed at them. Two stormtroopers ran towards Ben, he swung his lightsaber in an arc, striking them both down. Then he moved towards the group of stormtroopers. One of the stormtroopers threw a punch at him. He ducked quickly beneath it, sweeping his lightsaber low as he did so. The lightsaber cut the stormtrooper in the legs.

Another stormtrooper was holding an electric axe, about to smash it down on him. Ben rolled out of the way and the electric axe smashed into the floor. Ben stood quickly to block the stormtrooper's next strike with his lightsaber. The stormtrooper pushed hard against the lightsaber with his electric axe. But Ben stood his ground and pushed back just as hard. With their glowing blades locked, they were both trapped. Ben ducked and spun quickly, swinging his lightsaber and striking the stormtrooper.

Five stormtroopers fired on Rey at once. She twirled her lightsaber in front of her, spinning it in swift circles like helicopter blades and knocking away the rapid fire. The stormtroopers saw that their blasters were doing little good against her. They charged towards her. With the extra long hilt of her new lightsaber, Rey lunged and stabbed one of the stormtroopers before he could get close to her. Then she pulled her lightsaber back and swung it to the left, striking down another stormtrooper.

Two more stormtroopers came at her, one from the right and the other from the left. Rey glanced at one, then turned to glance at the second. She stabbed the one on the left with one end of her lightsaber, then pulled it back, stabbing the second with the other end.

Just then Finn, Rose, Poe, Kaydel, BB-8, BB-9E, R2D2 and Chewbacca caught up with them. They watched as Rey and Ben fought side by side. They didn't get in each other's way, in stead they worked together, fighting almost as one.
Ben kicked aside one stormtrooper, while Rey stabbed one who was coming up behind him. Ben sliced two stormtroopers, but four more moved to surround him and Rey. He ducked quickly as Rey spun her lightsaber over her head, taking out three of the stormtroopers. Ben quickly struck the last one with his lightsaber.
Then he charged at another two stormtroopers. He managed to defeat them easily, but didn't see a third stormtrooper come up behind him. The stormtrooper kicked Ben, sending him to the ground and knocking the lightsaber from his hand.
Rey watched as the stormtrooper stepped on Ben's back to keep him from rising. Ben reached out and called for lightsaber with the Force. Rey watched as the stormtrooper aimed his blaster at Ben. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it to him in time. So, she threw her lightsaber like a spear. The long hilt struck the stormtrooper in the head, knocking him unconscious.
"Wow, they fight really well together." Said Finn, he watched as Ben grabbed Rey's lightsaber and tossed it back to Rey, who caught it in the center, then ignited it. Ben reached down and pulled his own lightsaber into his hands with the Force.
"Well are we just going to stand here, watching and talking about how well they fight together, or are we going to help them?" Poe asked.
More stormtroopers came into the hall, and the small group of Resistance fighters began firing at them.
Another stormtrooper came up behind Rey, but he was armed with an electric axe. She turned quickly to face him.
Ben was surrounded by three stormtroopers. He kicked one of them to the floor. Then he turned slashed the second with his lightsaber, fallowed by a quick stab to the third. He turned to look at his surroundings. There was another group of stormtroopers coming towards them. "Where's Rey?" He thought, worried for her safety.
He turned to see her facing a stormtrooper who wielded an electric axe. She blocked his strikes easily with her lightsaber. She seemed to be handling herself well. But there was another threat, her back was facing the main battle. Ben turned quickly to see a large group of stormtroopers open fire on her. He dove quickly between her and the stormtroopers. He swung his lightsaber quickly to deflect the blasts.
Rey swung her lightsaber in a high arc, hitting the stormtrooper in the head and sending him to the ground. She stabbed him. Then she turned to look at Ben for a second. "Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," He answered, a little weakly.
"Are you alright?" Rey asked, her voice full of concern. She could not only hear the pain in his voice, but also feel it through the Force. She could feel a throbbing pain in her side, but she hadn't been hit.
"I'm fine," Ben answered, but Rey looked down see that he was holding his side. She gasped as she saw a small drop of blood fall to the floor.
But she had no time to tend to him as the stormtroopers opened fire on them again. Rey closed her eyes and focused with all her strength. She held up her hand and more then twenty bolts stopped mid flight, frozen in the air. Slowly Rey opened her eyes to see the blasts in the air in front of her. She pushed her hand forward, sending the blasts back at the stormtroopers. All of the stormtroopers fell from the blasts they had sent out.
Rey turned to see that all of her friends were staring at her in awe, with their jaws dropped. Rey looked at Ben, he was also staring at her in amazement. "I love you," He said.
She blushed slightly, then moved to look at his wound. One of the blasts had hit him in the side. "It looks pretty bad." She said.
"I'll be fine," he answered.
Rey took a piece of cloth and pressed it on the wound. "That should stop the bleeding until we're out of here." She said.
"Thank you," he replied.
"No, thank you for saving me." She said.
"You saved me first," he whispered. "You brought me back to the light."
She smiled at him. "The light was already inside of you, it's always been there. You just needed the courage to embrace it."
"And you gave me that courage," he whispered, embarrassing her. To him she was the light.
The others hurried over to join them, and Ben awkwardly released her.
Finn saw that Ben was injured. He had seen him risk his life to save Rey. Maybe there was good in him, after all. Maybe he had changed.
Ben held his hand over his wounded side. Rey wrapped her arm around Ben and helped him down the hall.
Poe kept his blaster pointed at Ben, as they walked down the hall. Rey saw him doing it. "Poe." She said.
"I still don't trust him." Poe answered.
"He almost died saving my life." Rey answered. "What more proof do you want?"
"I think she's right," Finn told Poe. "Rey would have died if it wasn't for him."
Finn went over to Rey. "I'll help him, you go a head and make sure the way is clear." He said.
Rey looked at him in surprise, then nodded.
Finn grabbed Ben's arm and helped him down the hall.
"Thank you, FN-2187." Ben said weakly. He preferred Rey's company, but was glad that one of Rey's closest friends was giving him a second chance. Ben didn't have any friends and he wasn't used to people doing nice things for him, he was truly grateful for the kindness that the former stormtrooper was showing him.
"Actually, it's Finn." He said.
Ben nodded. "Finn... I like it." He said slowly.
"Listen, I saw what you did for Rey, and thank you. She's a good friend. You risked everything for her. I can't thank you enough." Said Finn.
Poe lowered his blaster and came over. He grabbed Ben's other arm to help him down the hall. He realized that what Finn said was true. "I'll give you a second chance." He said.
Just then Rey looked back and smiled at the three of them walking side by side. Poe realized that if it wasn't for Kylo, Rey would probably be gone. "Thank you, for saving Rey. And for helping us escape." He said. "And I'm Sorry I punched you." He added.
"That's alright, I deserved it." Ben answered.
Poe nodded. "Well when you put it that way, I'm not completely sorry. That was just pay back for capturing and torturing me."
"Sorry about that." Said Ben.
"That's okay," Said Poe. "If you didn't capture me, I wouldn't have met Finn."
"And if I didn't meet Poe I might not have left the First Order." Finn added. "And I wouldn't have met Rey."
Rey looked back. "If I didn't meet Finn and BB-8 I wouldn't have left Jakku." She said.
"And if Rey didn't leave Jakku, I wouldn't have turned to the Light Side." Ben added.
"Maybe it was a good thing you captured me then." Said Poe.
"Well, anyway thank you for saving Rey." Finn interrupted. "I don't know what I would do with out her."
Ben nodded, but he began to wonder if Finn had feelings for Rey.
Finn was thinking the same thing about Kylo. He had seen the way Kylo risked his life to save Rey. And he had seen the way they looked at each other.
"Rose, the woman I love, saved my life." Said Finn. "Then she told me that we can't win by destroying what we hate, but by saving what we love."
Ben nodded.
"I think that's what you just did." Said Finn, looking at Rey, as she walked ahead of them.
Ben looked at Rey then looked down, a little embarrassed. He wasn't used to expressing his feelings, except to Rey. But she was Rey, these were people he had met only a few times, and those encounters had not been good ones.
Poe noticed the way Kylo looked down. He nodded to Finn noticing the same things Finn had noticed. He wanted to point it out farther, but decided to wait until later. They had just met, as friends at least, and he didn't want to push things too quickly. So, he decided to change the subject. "I'm Poe by the way." He said.
"Nice to meet you," said Ben.
"It's Kylo Ren, right?" Finn asked.
"Actually it's Ben." He said. It was the first time he'd given his real name to anyone in years. But he enjoyed Rey calling him Ben, and he had decided that it was time for Kylo Ren to die. Snoke had made him believe that he had killed Ben Solo, but Rey had brought Ben back. She and Anakin Skywalker had helped him defeat Kylo Ren. He decided it was time everyone else knew him as Ben too. "I'm Ben Solo. Kylo Ren is dead. I killed him,...with Rey's help."
"So you're Ben!" He said. "I keep over hearing Rey saying "Ben" in the other room. Sometimes she'll just be looking off at nothing talking, saying "Ben." I had been wondering who this Ben might be. All I knew was whoever he was Rey seemed to care about him."
Ben blushed a little in embarrassment.
"I kept asking her who Ben was, but she wouldn't tell me. Now I know why." Said Finn.