I touched darkness

Chapter thirty-seven

Rey kicked the man in the stomach. He landed on his knees in front of her, but quickly got back up. His hand was on his stomach, trying desperately to soothe the pain before another fight would begin.

"Tell me the truth!" Rey's mind was instantly reminded of the time she had told Luke the same four words. Her arm burned, she couldn't keep fighting for much longer.

"Just after the Republic had fallen and the Empire took its place, Palpatine, your grandfather, created your father to keep the family name, in case something were to happen to him. To make sure it would work, he didn't just create your father. He also created me."

Trying to catch her off guard, he lifted his weapon towards her, but she quickly blocked. Centimetres away from her face, Ohanso continued.

"Something had malfunctioned, wrongly calculated, in the replication process, and your father wasn't given the Force like he should have, but I was, but it just wasn't discovered until much later on. Your father was always first in everything and I was always casted aside." His foul-smelling breath tickled Rey's face. He removed his lightsaber and struck again, only for Rey to block once more. "We were sheltered from the world, nobody knew of our existence. We didn't have a mother, we barely saw our father. Droids were usually the ones who raised us. The times we did see our father, it was your father that got all of the attention, yet it was clear he wanted to leave. He eventually confirmed my suspicions. He came to me one day, we were, I don't know," he looked up towards the ceiling, trying to think back to that time, "maybe 20 years old. He told me he was leaving. I wanted revenge, all I wanted was revenge, ever since we were able to walk, I wanted revenge for the attention he was given.

"So, I went to our father, your grandfather, and told him your father's plan. I thought I would finally be treated right, but I was wrong. He called me a liar, put me in an escape pod and left me for dead."

Rey moved her blade, trying to strike where his blade wouldn't block, but alas, it was no use. They stayed in a standstill, as Rey practically held her breath, trying not to smell the malodorous stench.

"I somehow landed on this planet with practically no inhabitants. Your grandfather soon discovered that I was right, he tried desperately to find me, transform me into the next emperor, but I wanted nothing to do with him. I changed my name and disappeared. I heard rumours about your father being found or having a child. I believed none of them, but I guess they were true." His grin sent shivers down her spin.

"There was one rumour I enjoyed hearing so much, the death of your father, but then I met you." His eyes pierced through her. "I thought my revenge was complete with the death of my brother, if he can even be called that, but the only way I will be willing to die is when you're dead."

"That's not going to happen," she said for the first time since Ohanso began talking.

~/~/~

Ben's fight with this droid seemed to be going on forever. Occasionally, another droid would try and join the fight, only for Ben to cut off their head with his crimson lightsaber.

The droid didn't speak. The most it would say was a few occasional beeps, which Ben translated into nothing much of interest. Although Ben was exhausted, the thought of his soon-to-be wife and children kept his eyes open and his will to fight strong.

As Ben struck again, trying desperately to aim anywhere where the electrostaff may not be able to reach in time, the electricity moved up both blades. As Ben slightly looked around, he realized that they weren't where the fight had initially begun.

He recognized the marks he had made from the bullets and it seemed like the droid had as well. In the small amount of seconds the droid's interest was somewhere else, he struck his lightsaber and cut off the arm that had been holding the staff, but the droid wasn't going to give up that quickly. It reached for its weapon with its arm that still worked, but Ben quickly slashed that one off as well and kicked the staff away.

Before the droid could do another move, Ben struck his lightsaber one more time, however, this time, he aimed for its neck. The droid's head fell on the floor and its body did as well.

Ben made his way towards the staff and slashed it a few times, making the weapon beyond repair.

~/~/~

Rey kicked Ohanso's knees with extreme force and the man fell on his stomach. He quickly got up, but Rey was ready. She hated killing, but there was no way she would let this psychopathic man leave with his life. As soon as he lifted his chest, her yellow blade pierced through his chest.

Before the man fell to the floor, he slashed his saber towards Rey's leg. She quickly moved her legs, but she hadn't moved quick enough. Ohanso's red blade had burned much of her skin. She removed her blade from his chest and placed it on her belt.

"Scum," was the last word Ohanso ever pronounced. As soon as his body laid limp on the floor, Rey's adrenaline stopped pumping and pain began to take over her body. She tried desperately to walk back to the ship, but she fell on the floor after a few steps.

She reached out and somehow found enough strength to get up. She made it pass the corner and found Ben striking some sort of staff that lay on the floor. As soon as he saw her, he rushed over.

"What happened to you?" He immediately asked, looking at her injuries. He didn't wait for her to answer, he picked her up, bridal style, and carried her back to the ship.

He placed her down carefully in her seat and pressed a few buttons to start the engine. It started, only to stop a few seconds later. He tried again, but to no avail.

"Get out of the seat," Rey told him.

"No, you need to rest. I can fix this!"

"Just get out of the seat, Ben!"

He knew Rey. When she set her mind to something, she wouldn't stop, so he got out of the seat and let her take his place.

She pressed a few buttons, her left arm tucked around her waist. The engine then started for good.

"How?" Ben asked in disbelief.

"Woman's touch," she smiled at him.

Their ship docked off the other ship and Ben gave The First Order the signal.