Ascendance

XII

"Dad," Murphy choked out.

I stared at the man with disbelief, my mind refusing to believe what my eyes were seeing.

The Knights of Ren sprung into a defensive battle formation, turning to face the intruder.

Poe stepped forward again, a slight smirk on his face as he held the blaster up. His eyes drifted to the space behind the group, where a purple saber ignited, illuminating the face of my mother, who stood solemnly in the shadows.

Ellis let out a high-pitched laugh, letting his head fall back in relief.

The Knights spun around, realizing they were surrounded. The team of six split in half, back-to-back as they faced the new arrivals warily.

There was a tense pause as the two sides faced off, the only noise in the room the whir of lightsabers and the howl of the wind outside.

I watched with wide eyes, pulling against my restraints as I sensed another presence.

The tension in the room grew as the two fronts of the battle approached each other, each refusing to be the catalyst of the seemingly inevitable battle.

Then a third figure dropped from the rafters and landed squarely between the two rows of the Knights of Ren.

My father ignited his blue saber, glaring at the Knights with a bone-chilling menace.

"Kylo Ren," one of them stammered. The others turned to face him, backing away somewhat nervously from where he stood.

"Dad!" Ridley cried happily. I hushed him again, desperate not to draw the Knight's attention.

"Traitor!" A Knight spat.

My father lashed his saber. "Let them go."

The Knights formed a semi-circle around him, still casting glances at Poe and my mother on their opposite sides. The tension in the room was radiating through us in waves, my pulse racing.

"The price for abandonment is high." A Knight spoke. "Your children's lives seem like a fair trade."

"We trusted you. You were our leader." Another piped up. "And you left us like we were nothing."

I exchanged a glance of alarm with Murphy. Leader?

"They're only kids." My father's eyes met mine across the room, and in that moment, I realized he was stalling, trying to give us time.

I stared down at the metal cuffs around my wrists, focusing on their mechanics and trying to locate the mechanism that would unlock them.

"This isn't about them, not really." A Knight took a step forward, and my father tensed. "It's about you, and how you deserve to know how it feels to lose everything."

"Good thing you brought your pet." One of the Knights cast a glance at my mother, who sneered back. "Guess you'll lose her, too."

My father gritted his jaw, battling back the rage that threatened to break free at any moment. "This doesn't need to end in a fight."

"You've lost yourself, Kylo Ren." I heard a Knight speak. "You're so much less than the man you used to be."

I located the locking mechanism on my cuffs. I frowned slightly as I focused my mind, willing them to open.

After a moment, there was a click. I was free.

Quietly, I turned and quickly did the same for my brother, Ellis, and Murphy.

"Get back to the Falcon!" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Stay there until we come out. Or, if things start to look bad, get out of here as fast as you can."

Ellis nodded, grabbing Ridley's wrist and pulling him towards the entrance without hesitation.

Murphy, however, lingered.

"I'm not leaving you!" she insisted. Her voice wasn't quiet enough.

One of the Knights turned. "They're escaping!"

The room exploded into battle.

The Knight who had noticed us was flung through the air by my father's outstretched hand, and my mother lunged to cut the others off, creating a space between us and the exit and giving us a chance to escape.

I shook my head feverishly, pushing Murphy in the direction of the exit. "Take my brother and Ellis and get back to the Falcon. Keep them safe."

She frowned.

I gritted my jaw. "Murph, please."

After another hesitation, she nodded. "See you soon." She grabbed Ridley's wrist and followed Ellis along the edge of the room towards the entrance.

I watched them go, making sure they made it outside before turning to the battle raging beside me.