╔═══════ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄
'𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲' ═══════════╝
━━ -ˋˏ★ˎˊ- ━━
...TAKODANA, WESTERN REACHES
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑..
Compared to the hum of the Force, it was a dull sound. There were only echoes of voices instead of shouts as she rushed past, vision tunneling as she exited the castle doors. She felt like she had been dipped in an icy river and set out in the sun to dry. Distracted, she almost missed the last step of the entryway and stumbled.
She was awake, finally. The colors were more vibrant, and the air shimmered with the Force. It was like she was little again, choked with the belief that she could hold the universe in her bare hands.
However, present Lyra was running out of time to find Rey and her droid.
Her stomach was twisting in knots, hyper-aware of imminent disaster. Her hands were shaking from the adrenaline and her body was shot through with chills. Sunlight shone through the trees, illuminating every crevice of the stone castle. When she turned to face the wide, open sky, she heard the sound. It marred the pale blue without mercy.
TIE fighters.
Every part of her body was electrified, fortified with new knowledge and memories. She ran, combat boots hitting the ground hard as she tore through the castle's courtyard. The only thing pointing her in the right direction was the far-off beeps of Bee, who must have gone in search of Rey.
Suddenly, the breath was gone from her lungs.
Her ears rang.
A searing hot pain shot straight through her. She cried out, falling to her knees on the rough stone. It was pointless to try and stop the blood-boiling noise, so she put her calloused palms out on the ground to stabilize herself while her body heaved with grief. A grief that wasn't her own, but the Force passing through her. The sharp sound of a thousand screams all crying out at once.
And then silence like a candle snuffed out with two fingers.
In the smoke that remained, she looked skywards. There were stars in the daylight, explosions of distant planets that she knew well. It was Hosnian Prime, the New Republic, all gone in an instant.
The entire sprawling room of the ill-fated Senate. Friends to the Resistance, even if they weren't quite allies. All of the people like Kor Sella who still believed in the spark of hope that the Resistance wanted to ignite. Those rare people who had shaken her hand, taken her for what she was and said, thank you. How could she have even known that looking out over the Senate chamber a few weeks ago, the minutes were already marked?
It was all gone, the whole system up in flames. Eden's home planet of Cardota, a place she still talked about going back to when the war was done. Aliyah was from Hosnian, Reeve had grown up on Hosnian Prime. The Flight Academy, the schools, the democracy and the heart of the New Republic. The people and all of the families.
Gone.
Bile rose in her throat. Blood roared like a siren before a storm.
How was this possible? Was the Resistance dead?
Was D'Qar their next target?
All questions faded from her mind as a strong hand on her shoulder pulled her back to reality. It was Han Solo, looking down at her with comforting eyes. He was standing with Chewie. They had been looking for her. His mouth moved, but she couldn't hear the words. For a moment, it was just a ringing sound. TIE fighters were closing in, and a squadron of troopers was climbing over the ridge to the north. She couldn't see them, but she could feel them.
"It was the Republic," Lyra said, her voice the only sound in her ears. Behind them, the patrons of the castle were spilling out, filling the courtyard with anxious fear.
Han helped her to her feet.
"The First Order!" Finn panted, coming from the direction of the jungle. "They've done it. They did this. They've been talking about it for so long–I didn't think it was possible." Panicked, he scanned the group.
Chewie, Han, Lyra, and no Rey.
"Where's Rey?" Finn asked them.
"Go find Rey, we have to go," Han said to Lyra, and finally she understood what he had been trying to tell her before.
She took off, eyes blurred with tears unshed. She tore up the jungle path and into the trees. Don't look up, don't look up.
But she had to. She had to see it, she couldn't look away. She was a little kid again, not understanding what was going on above her. It was all red, like the lightsaber in her vision, the dark side that underscored all her nightmares. They had done it, they had done the impossible. The First Order had surpassed its predecessor with a vengeance, leaving nothing but ash and smoke in its wake.
She found Rey in the trees, darting around and trying to conceal herself. Lyra was about to call out to get her attention when Bee rolled up in front of the girl. He chirped at Rey, and she jumped with surprise.
"What are you doing here?" Rey asked, surprised they would come after her.
Looking for you! Bee squealed in an accusatory binary, rolling back and forth with disbelief. We need to leave!
Rey shook her head. "You have to go back. Both of you."
"You have to come with us, Rey. There isn't much time," Lyra said, but she was already too late.
From above them, a squadron of TIE's flew in the cloudy sky, right over their heads. There were shuttles, too, meaning a ground squadron would be upon the castle in no time at all.
All three of them turned and ran back the way they came.
They had to take the clearest path so Bee could keep up as he rolled through the leaves. It led them down into a valley, past moss-covered trees, and then back up the ridge. Now in clear view of Maz's castle, Lyra's worst fear was confirmed.
Mercilessly, the TIE's fired, destroying centuries of history in an instant. There was no opponent there to fight back. Rock towers cleaved off the side, and the ground shook from the blasts. The statue of Maz, the one that might have stood forever, burst into a million pieces.
And then, cutting gracefully through the sky, came the shuttle of Kylo Ren himself.
"Shit," Lyra muttered. Lyra looked to Rey, who was looking to her with wide, expectant eyes. They had to get back to Han.
"FN-417, hold position." The voice was coming from a radio attached to a nearby stormtrooper.
Faster than Lyra could duck, the trooper fired a blast from his rifle. It narrowly missed, passing cleanly between Rey and Lyra and hitting a tree. Even faster, Lyra raised her arm and fired one shot from her own blaster, straight into the chest of a murderous stormtrooper.
There were more coming, picking their way through the wreckage to get to them. No doubt they had spotted Bee. Rey finally got the safety off on her blaster and fired at them as they came closer.
"Okay, new plan!" Lyra decided, directing their little group back into the cover of the trees.
It was futile to run back into the action, not when the thing the First Order desired the most was rolling at her feet.
Rey yelped as shot after shot hit the trees next to her. Lyra took up the rear, spinning backward and firing on the troopers. She hit her mark, and the trooper fell with a pained groan. The troopers were closing in, getting more confident with their shots. Rey fired, helping Lyra with the defense as they foraged onwards. They ran parallel to the rocky beach, staying out of sight of the main battle.
They couldn't run forever. There was no where else to go.
Breathing heavily, she kneeled behind an outcropping of rock. "Bee, you've got to get back to Han. Keep heading west, we'll keep the attention off of you."
Bee looked uncertain, and his chirping became more solemn. I don't want to leave you.
"I promise I'll meet you there. Now, go!"
Reluctantly, the little droid pressed on, leaving Rey and Lyra alone in his wake.
"We need to get back up to the castle," Rey said. "They aren't going to stop."
Oddly, there were no new noises of stormtroopers. In fact, as Lyra picked up her head, she heard something else. The familiar, shattering roar of X-Wings cutting across the water. A lot of them, coming in fast.
Threepio's droid network had done its job. Someone had told the Resistance where to find them.
"It's the Resistance," Lyra whispered. "Come on, now's our chance."
They kept their heads low, trying to pick a path that wasn't covered in fallen logs as they made their way back out of the jungle. She could see daylight again at eye level, the glimmering blue of the lake, it was all so close. She could see distant X-Wings darting about not too far away taking out the First Order troops like it was nothing. An audacious ship that she didn't recognize cut low in a dive, taking out TIEs in a beautiful arc. Whoever was flying it must have been insane.
A sickening noise cut through all hope. The sound of a crackling lightsaber igniting, the telltale sign that they had not yet escaped.
Kylo Ren himself had come to make sure he got what he wanted.
"Shit," Lyra hissed under her breath.
Rey dashed left and ducked behind a tree, firing her blaster at the cloaked figure. He deflected it easily, even as Lyra added her own shots to the fray. It was useless. No weapon could equal his, and she had abandoned the lightsaber with Maz.
Kylo held out a hand to Rey, paralyzing her. Her blaster was still held straight out, arm glued to her side. Lyra was left free to move, but she might as well have been paralyzed, too. She just stood and stared. This creature in a mask was a phantom in black hidden away behind a mask.
Still, his emotions were left unrestrained. Triumph, a taste of fear, and then recognition as he took her in.
Like the rest of the galaxy, he had been left in the dark. He too thought that Lyra Endellion was an anomaly, a girl with no roots and no connection to the past aside from the First Order. To be proven wrong now only added to his festering contempt.
A sardonic laugh echoed from his mask.
"Hello, cousin."
"Hi Ben," she dared to answer, her breathing haggard. Ben Solo, Kylo Ren, one in the same. Somehow, this was the easiest thing to accept.
He lowered the saber. What was he expecting? Denial, for her to turn and run? To cower in his presence like he had tried to teach an entire galaxy to do? "You have something I want," he told her, returning to the subject at hand.
"Everyone wants it." Fury burned red in her vision. "Get in line."
He stepped forward, leveling the saber with her throat. "Brave words, Lyra. You've been lucky so far, protected by your own ignorance. Oh, they tried to save you. ND11-EN, Commander Endellion, whatever name you use, you just can't stay out of it."
"No, I can't." In the corner of her eye, she saw that Rey had stopped struggling. If she could distract him enough, they would both be able to make an escape.
But there was a voice snaking out of her darkest thoughts telling her that there was a different opportunity here. An opportunity to kill him.
"You were better off existing as a piece of rebel scum. Now that you know the full truth, you'll never be safe from this doomed legacy again. Not so long as you fight with the Resistance," he spat the words, like it was foul in his mouth.
"I was never safe," she retorted, taking a step to the right as he began to circle her, narrowing in like a predator. "You would have to be a fool to believe that."
He switched tactics. "You think I can't feel that? The unrest in you, the lack of resolution. You hate them, don't you, for keeping it all a secret for so long? The entire galaxy thought you were dead and they wanted it that way. I can feel your anger."
"I am angry," she told him evenly. "I'm angry at you and your pathetic cowardice. You hide behind every mistake you've made and call it strength. I've already vowed to destroy your entire First Order–" she drew her songsteel batons "--I wouldn't mind starting by cutting down the head."
She felt the heat of the lightsaber as it came closer to her face. It crackled and sparked, almost as unstable as the man wielding it.
"Of course," he continued, his voice muffled from the breathing regulator of his mask. "Your loyalty will be your downfall."
"And your stupidity will be yours."
Lyra had felt the pull of the dark before. She walked the line, she knew what lurked in the shadows. He had nothing to use against her, no mind tricks existed that would work on her now. Every memory had been stolen, electrified time and again, and then restored into an impenetrable wall. Whatever he wanted to say to her was rendered dull and ineffective.
But still, it was high time they had a good, honest fight.
Lyra kicked out into his stomach, taking advantage of how distracted he was keeping Rey silenced and still. It worked, and she successfully released Rey from Kylo Ren's hold. For a second, it looked like she might make it out.
But he recovered too quickly.
Lyra, with the only defense she had, blocked the swing of his lightsaber at the hilt with her batons. He parried her swing, and she jumped back a second too slow. She saw it coming from the corner of her eye. The saber sliced straight through her jacket and into her forearm.
She cried out in shock. Tears of pain threatened to blur her vision, but she just blinked and dug her feet in a steadier stance.
"Ready to give in?" Kylo said.
She gritted her teeth and pressed her mouth in a thin line. It stung like mad. "You really don't understand what's going on here, do you? You aren't getting that map."
He swung again, and she ducked. She crouched low, low enough to take a swipe at his legs. It didn't work, but it put her in the perfect position to block the hit from above. She slammed her batons into his knuckles. He yelled, swiping at her with a messy swing. He wasn't in control of his fighting. It was wild and unpredictable, and she danced out of the way just in time.
"This is ridiculous," he seethed, pointing the saber at Lyra. "Where is the map?"
"I have no idea," Lyra grinned breathlessly. Her cheeks were smeared with sweat and dust and her arm was dripping blood, but she felt better than she had in weeks.
Her grin melted as he lowered the saber, instead lifting up his free hand. With the Force, he pulled. She felt memories rushing past. He was sifting through, searching for the map without any regard for her.
Sand, walking for miles.
She was tired and thirsty, exhausted.
No.
She pushed back before he got any further, using the sheer force of her rage to expel him from her mind. This was a vengeance unlike anything she had known before. This creature had ripped apart a family, slaugtered Jedi and was part of the group that authorized the assassination of Cora Grené.
This time, Lyra stretched out her own hand, sending a shock wave of dirt that sent Kylo Ren flying flat onto his butt. He grunted as his back smacked into a tree.
Rey was at Lyra's side, standing tall and without apprehension. "You'll never find Skywalker," Rey told him, keeping her blaster leveled with his idiotic mask. She was scared for her life but still she stood, braver than anything else.
Kylo Ren faltered as he struggled to stand. "You've both seen the map, haven't you?"
Lyra glanced to her right. Below the ridge, the First Order troops were nearly gone, any that were left had been pulled out in retreat. The Resistance had won. Their first true battle, and the First Order had lost.
So why did this not feel like winning?
"How perfect," he said, a light chuckle escaping from behind the mask. "Goodbye, Lyra."
"What--"
She couldn't move. Both Rey and Lyra were frozen in place, unable to do much more than breathe. She struggled and strained, to try to get away as he moved closer and closer to them.
"You're useless to me," he told Lyra with disdain, turning his attention to Rey. "But you, the girl I've heard so much about." He waved his hand, making Rey collapse into his arms without so much as a word.
All Lyra could do was watch. A silent scream remained trapped in her throat. As soon as Ren was out of her line of sight, the bond was severed and Lyra was free to run.
Her heart was pounding, her arms ached. She jumped over a log, and got whipped in the face by several twigs as she sprinted through the jungle. When she got back out to the open landing field outside of Maz's castle, she hopped over the crumbled rocks, pushing her body faster and faster to get to the ship.
Kylo Ren was already carrying Rey inside. Lyra stumbled to a stop, knowing it was too late.
Finn was running up next to her and yelling with all his might, watching with anguish as Kylo Ren's ship left with Rey inside it. It was all echoes of noise. She had failed to keep Rey safe.
"Rey," Finn said one more time, his voice quiet now.
They looked at each other, and a silent understanding was reached. Both First Order defectors, they shared a common goal now. It was useless to do anything but cooperate.
"We'll get her back," she assured him. This wasn't the end for Rey.
Finn nodded, looking to the sky with the same stoic expression. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Poe's jacket suited him well.
"C'mon," she told him, brushing the dirt off of her cheeks. Her sweaty hair stuck to her forehead, and the cut on her arm felt like a wildfire dancing across her skin. But she bit her inner cheek and pressed on. Forward was the only way left for her to go. "We need to go find Bee."
Through the carnage, they made their way over to Han and Chewie. Finn jogged up to them, and Lyra realized Finn was now holding the lightsaber. The light caught on it, drawing her eyes like a magnet.
"He took her. Did you see that? She's gone," Finn explained, his voice considerably more calm.
Behind them, a Resistance shuttle was landing. Leia's ship. It caught Han's eye, and he pushed past Finn with a determined expression.
But when Han saw Lyra, he stopped. Incredibly sorry and terribly confused, he still said nothing.
"Do you have my droid?" Lyra asked. She leveled her gaze with his, and he inclined his head. The map was the only thing they had left going for them. Hosnian Prime was reduced to nothing but ash and memories. The Resistance would die if she did not return with the map.
Bee rolled up behind him, and Lyra sighed with relief. Finally, Bee was back with the Resistance once and for all, and Lyra's job was complete. The wave of nausea came back because now that it was all over, Lyra knew she would have to go back to base and face it all again.
Han continued toward Leia's ship, standing and waiting for her to exit.
As the first of the ground crew walked by, Lyra waited with bated breath. Leia stepped out and looked around before her gaze landed on Han. Leia just shook her head, smiling with disbelief.
And suddenly, Threepio poked his metal head right in the middle of all of it.
"Goodness! Han Solo! It is I, C-3PO. You probably don't recognize me because of the red arm."
Han rolled his eyes as Threepio whipped around to face Leia. "Look who it is! Did you see--? Oh, excuse me Princ--General, sorry. Come along, BB-8."
They walked away. Through the ash and smoke, the sunlight seemed surreal. Really, none of it felt real. Not after what she had just seen and what she now knew was the truth.
Lyra hung back. They deserved a reunion, and Han Solo deserved to finally understand that Leia Organa did indeed want to see him again.
After giving them a moment alone, Chewie walked over and pulled Leia into an affectionate hug. A short distance away, Bee was talking to Threepio, no doubt telling him of his adventure. It was all so bittersweet.
And she was caught right in the middle of all of it because of her family.
Finally, she walked over to them. One arm was still bandaged, spots of blood seeping through. The other was raw and angry with a fresh cut that had sliced the leather of her jacket. She looked like hell and she felt like she had been dragged across the landscape of every planet in the galaxy. But she was still standing, and for now, that would be enough.
Han and Leia faced her. She didn't want their sympathy, their pity. She wanted this to all be fake, but the memories no longer lied. She saw herself as a toddler, standing and peering out over the balcony of the Senate while they watched Cora deliver a speech. Her Aunt Leia had held her up so she could see all of the activity below. And then there were the times the Millenium Falcon had made appearances on Naboo, and even Han would wade out into the waters when Lyra wanted to try and catch fish. It made her feel whole and broken all at once to know the truth of that little girl's fate.
In this new light, the stage behind the scenes was different. It was brighter, steeped and saturated and altered.
It made Lyra feel sick, so she started with what needed to be said.
"I have the map," Lyra began, giving a brief report to her General. "It's intact in BB-8. Kylo Ren took Rey, he knew that we had both seen the map. He's going to try and get it out of her head."
Han only nodded, answering for both of them. "I know."
Now that it was settled, there was really only one thing left to discuss.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice broke with hurt. "You had years. An entire fucking decade, and you said nothing. I just want to know why."
Han looked away, and Leia opened her mouth, searching for the right thing to say. She stopped looking like the General and became Leia Organa in an instant.
"Lyra," Leia began. She was supposed to be strong, a constant source of unwavering inspiration. But right now, she had been reduced to an aging woman who had made a disastrous mistake. "There is no easy or short way to explain this."
Lyra didn't want this. She didn't ask for this. All adrenaline drained from her body as the reality set in with its full weight. She would have to carry the legacy.
"So you were just going to wait for me to find out on my own? To have Maz Kanata hand me a lightsaber and let me figure it out for myself? This whole time, you sent me out looking for my--my dad, without even telling me? You accused me of being a spy!"
"She has a point," Han said, earning a swat on the arm.
"If you aren't going to help, go sit with Threepio," Leia hissed.
Lyra crossed her arms across her chest. Her fingers found the fresh hole in her jacket and threaded over the torn leather. She was upset with Leia, more than anyone else. The one person she thought she could trust until the bitter end. All these years, all this time of fighting the darkness all on her own could have been allayed with a single conversation.
Lyra shifted, digging her boot into the packed earth. Blood dripped from her arm and stained the soil. For a second, she looked up and blinked her wide-open eyes, trying to hold herself together.
"Just tell me that it's true," Lyra pleaded with her, vision blurring with tears. "I need to hear you say it. Who were my parents?"
Leia had never looked more sorry in all the years Lyra had seen her. "Cora Grené–" a shaky, unstable intake of air "--and Luke Skywalker."
━━ -ˋˏ★ˎˊ- ━━
a/n a h !!
she's a skywalker! and a grené! AH! the big reveal is finally here and AH!
this chapter is still the best 'twist' I have ever written, it just makes me so so happy and I hope this was worth the wait!!
I do want to allay any confusion that might be going on here. Lyra does not yet know Poe is alive, folks. His ship is indeed the one that Lyra sees, but since I cleaned up the continuity issues of the film, Poe isn't actually flying in a recognizable Black One.
--nat