I had a strange sense of déjà vu as I raced towards the platform, doing everything within my power to reach Ben in time. I extended my arm with my lightsaber, swinging it upwards just in time for it to connect with Snoke's and curve the path of his swing so that it just barely missed Ben.
"Calia, get out of here!" Ben hissed, taking the split second of time that I provided to scramble to his feet.
I didn't have time to respond before I was dodging an attack from Snoke. Despite his elderly appearance, he moved with a dangerous grace, and I knew that he was as deadly as any opponent I had faced. He did not seem fazed by the prospect of facing Ben and I simultaneously; the three of us fell into a dance of blazing blades, the three different shades of red seeming to bleed into each other.
Blood pounded in my ears as I sidestepped another attack, swinging my blade in hopes of corralling the older man into Ben's striking range. He seemed to know what I was doing, though, and easily stepped out of reach of both of us. There was a slight pause where all three of us fought to regain our breath; I kept my saber raised defensively, but it seemed that there was an unspoken armistice, no matter how brief.
"You fight well." Snoke stared at me with snake-like features. "It would be an honor for you to join me at the top of the First Order."
"Don't talk to her!" Ben snapped.
Snoke's eyes snapped to his other opponent. "Why? Are you afraid she might choose to leave you? Join the better side, where she'll be welcomed and handed power freely?"
"She's better than that. She's better than you." Having regained his breath, Ben stood tall and addressed Snoke evenly.
"Then why do I sense doubt in her mind?" Snoke's lip curled into a smile. "Do you not sense it also?"
Ben slowly turned to face me, his eyes dark.
I shook my head feverishly. "Ben, don't listen to him. He's lying. I have no doubts about where I belong. With you, remember?"
A slight frown creased Ben's features. "But he's right. There's doubt in your mind."
My eyes widened. "I—"
"Are you actually considering rejoining the First Order?" Ben turned to face me completely, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a cruel smile cross Snoke's face.
"No! You have to believe me, please—"
"How could you do that?" Ben looked like he was in pain. "How could you even think about coming back to this place, the place where you lost everything?"
"I didn't lose everything." I murmured.
It was the wrong thing to say. Ben's eyes widened, and he took a step back, shaking his head in disbelief. His lips parted, but no sound came out.
"Ben, please!" I begged. "It's him! He's playing with your mind, putting things there that aren't real. There are no doubts in my mind at all. I know where I belong, and so do you."
Ben's expression mirrored the conflict that was raging inside him. I took a step towards him, sheathing my lightsaber and raising my hands defensively.
My allegiance is with you.
The transfer of that single thought seemed to snap Ben out of a trance. He lunged forward, lightsaber blazing, just in time to intercept an attack from Snoke that was clearly intended for me. The two reengaged in a brutal battle, Ben's anger fueling his every action.
I took advantage of the lapse in fighting to glance around the room. Finn and Rey were huddled in the corner, with Finn desperately trying to bandage Rey's leg to stop the bleeding. Her face was contorted in pain, her hands grabbing at his jacket as pressure was applied to her wound.
Luke had taken care of the last guard, and was approaching the platform with a grim expression. With a wave of his hand, he broke apart the dueling pair. I rushed to Ben's side, checking him for any sign of injury. His forearms were marked with light burns, but there was nothing severe. I let out a sigh of relief and embraced him quickly before turning to face Snoke and Luke.
The two masters stood opposite each other, the intensity of their opposing powers almost overwhelming as it radiated in waves around the platform.
"It's over, Snoke." Luke spoke at last. "You're outnumbered. You've lost."
"Those are two very different observations." Snoke snarled, lashing his scarlet lightsaber.
In an instant, the two became a single entity. The two ends of the spectrum of the Force met in the middle, and the result was astounding. Flashes of green and red blinded me temporarily, and I felt Ben tug me backwards, towards the edge of the platform.
"You need to get out of here." He murmured in my ear, his eyes wide as he watched the two masters duel.
"But—" I started to protest.
"No. You need to go. Get Finn and Rey and take them to the delivery pod. Get as far away from here as you can, understand?"
"Ben, I'm not going to leave you here."
"I'm not giving you a choice."
"Then it's a good thing I don't take orders from you!" I pulled his face close to mine so he could see just how serious I was. "I'm staying here, with you. We're going to see this out to the end."
His eyes burned intensely into mine, and for a second I wondered if he was going to physically force me from the room. But then he turned towards Finn and Rey.
"You two, get to the roof! There's a delivery pod waiting—Poe will get you out of here."
Finn stared at us with wide eyes before nodding and slinging Rey's arm around his shoulder. He was half-carrying her as they quickly left the training room. Ben and I turned back towards the battle raging beside us, squinting as we tried to figure out which side was winning. It was nearly impossible to tell; the two figures seemed to be perfectly matched as they moved across the platform.
Ben gave me a sideways glance and lit his lightsaber. "Let's end this, then."
My lightsaber sprang to life in my hand, and I matched Ben stride for stride as we advanced towards Snoke and Luke. Together we entered ourselves in the fray, giving Luke a chance to recover.
I channeled all of my anger into the fight, knowing that Ben was doing the same. We worked efficiently as a team, alternating strikes seamlessly so Snoke was given no time to recover in between defensive moves. He was rapidly growing weaker, but for some reason that made him seem more dangerous. I gritted my teeth and aimed another swing at him, experiencing some slight satisfaction as I felt it singe the edge of his robe.
Luke rejoined the fight, and Snoke's snakelike face twisted into a frustrated snarl as he found himself facing three skilled opponents at once. We had pushed him to the edge of the platform, and his movements were growing desperate.
With a swipe of his hand, he released a Force wave that was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It sent Ben and Luke stumbling backwards, skidding towards the opposite edge of the platform. I must have been just outside its impact zone, though, because suddenly I was facing Snoke individually.
It was clear that alone I was no match for the dark master. He quickly transitioned into the offensive, and suddenly I was doing everything within my power to defend myself. It wasn't enough. I dodged one swing but did not anticipate the next, and suddenly Snoke's lightsaber pierced my stomach.
It was strange: I didn't feel much pain. It wasn't like the times in training when Ben—Kylo, then—had burned me or when Rey's inadvertent strike had swiped across my face. There must have been enough adrenaline in my system to cover the pain, or maybe it was shock. Either way, Snoke was quick to rip his lightsaber from my body and I fell to the ground, sliding off the edge of the platform and landing heavily on the floor below.
A ragged scream split the air, and I frowned as I realized it wasn't me—I hadn't made a sound. My vision was starting to cloud, and my breathing was quickly becoming erratic.
Dying is strange, I thought.
Then there was a figure crouching next to me. No matter how much I squinted, I couldn't make my eyes focus on their features, and for some reason I was disappointed. My mind was becoming disoriented, and I couldn't remember who it was that I wanted to see. I blinked, feeling a tingling sensation in my torso, and then, feeling that it was the simplest thing to do right then, I gave into the blackness.