The Raddus
Leia and Ackbar watch as the Resistance Fleet gets hammered from all sides. Star destroyers rain down with turbolasers, while TIE fighters swoop to slice chunks off. The X-wings do their best to hold back the onslaught, but there are only so many of them. Leia winces with the destruction of the fighter. Even Ackbar looks disturbed by the carnage.
"There's just too many!" A pilot shouts over the commlink.
Two TIEs swoop in, firing at him. He forced into evasive moments. Another TIE cuts the figheter off, and they close in.
Before any can fire, Poe swoops in, and blows all three TIEs away.
"Don't let them surround you, stick with your squad. No risky moves."
"Yes sir!" The pilot replies.
Poe flies away to assist another X-wing taking fire.
In spite of everything, Leia smiles. "That kid is single-handedly keeping this fleet in one piece."
"But for how long?" Ackbar asks.
The Supremacy's cannon's fire. A Frigate is immediately destroyed in the blast.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Ackbar shouts.
All of the Resistance ships scatter, flying in all directions. The Supremacy fires again. Another frigate barely avoids destruction as it passes under the laser blast. The third volley grazes a corvette, splitting it in half. The two remains of the destroyed ship, plummet back down into Crait's atmosphere. Leia stares out at the falling wreckage, and closes her eye, looking solemn.
"We have a few minutes until those guns fire again." She says, opening her eye. "Let's make them count."
***
The Supremacy
Rey ducks and weaves around a relentless series of swings from Tabo. Finally, she is able to block and shove him backwards. But the man rolls into the push and cartwheels back into a standing position.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me." Rey says, exasperated.
Tabo rushes her. He lashes his blades together and drives them towards Rey in a scissor motion. She throws her blade in between his two, blocking them. With Rey's blade locked between his, Tabo starts to move forward. Rey digs her heels in, but he continues to apply pressure, inching her backwards. As her heels slide across the floor, Rey looks behind and sees that the energy field at the edge of the hangar is not far behind her. Her eyes widen in panic and she throws her weight against the other Force-user.
It only serves to slow the inevitable.
***
Lorn dodges one of Cad's swings, and kicks the man in the side. He grunts and tries to chop her in half. She shuffles back out of the blade's range, firing both blasters. He knocks the bolts back and charges while she dodges. She raises her blasters, but he slices the barrels off with his saber. She throws up her arm ejecting her palm blaster. He grabs her by the hand, and tears the blaster from her grip. She checks his other arm with an elbow, keeping him from spitting her in two, then shuffles back out of reach.
"Enough running around." Cad growls.
He makes a pulling motion, and Lorn flies towards him. The Red blade swings down toward her head. She cannot dodge. The moment before the red blade strikes, Lorn throws out both hands. Cad, shoots back, and slams into a TIE fighter. He blinks in shock, staggering to keep his feet under him after the impact.
"I really didn't want to have to do this..." Lorn says, tiredly.
She, reaches to the small of her back and pulls something out from under her armor.
"...but what the hell? It's be a while since I had some fun."
Lorn activates the lightsaber. A magenta blade hisses out.
"Wh...who...are you?" Cad manages to get out.
"Just a merc."
Lorn charges.
***
Kylo Ren slams his lightsaber against Luke's, white flashing out across the hangar. The Jedi shuffles back, and Kylo makes as if to strike from above, but its a feint and he swings diagonally. Luke sees through the trick and catches the blade along his own.
"Your student isn't doing so well." Kylo nods over to Rey.
Luke almost turns his head back, but stops himself.
"She'll be alright." Luke smiles. "I trust her."
Kylo snarls and tries to shove his crossguard into Luke's face. Luke catches Kylo's fist and shoves the crossguard back at him. The blade sparks violently as it makes contact with Kylo's helmet. His breath hisses out painfully, as he stumbles. Luke does not advance.
He simply stands there, holding his blade out, watching Kylo. Kylo tears the helmet off. His face has a small burn mark, just below the eye, where the blade pushed through the helmet. He looks down at the mask angrily, then tosses it aside.
"I'm ready to continue when you are." Luke says.
Kylo growls and pounces at him.
***
Finn sneaks down the hallway with Chewbacca and R2 in tow. He peeks around a corner to see a pair of stormtroopers approaching from the far end of the hall. Finn pulls his head back before they notice him.
"Got a couple of stormtroopers coming up. Don't think I can risk just stunning them with blasters. If one gets away, we're adrift without propulsion."
Chewbacca hefts his bowcaster. Finn shakes his head.
"Nah, I got a better idea."
Finn pulls off his bag and, and lays it on the ground. He does the same with his jacket, leaving him in black shirt and pants. only the stun baton on the back of his belt remains. He turns and walks around the corner, marching towards the troopers with outstretched arms.
"Hey guys, very funny! Hiding my armor? Who did it?"
Both troopers aim blasters at him. Finn raises his hands, chuckling.
"Woah, getting jumpy guys? Come on someone played a prank and took my armor out of my locker. Was it you guys?"
Slow, they relax their grips.
"I don't recognize you, are you from this quadrant?" One asks.
"Just got transferred last cycle." Finn explains.
"What's your callsign, trooper?" The other asks.
"FN-218...8" Finn says, catching himself. "This some kind of newbie prank?"
The troopers lower their blasters entirely.
"It was probably TX-4123. That guys always pulling stuff like this. Can't stand him."
Finn shakes his head. "Hate being a new transfer."
"Did you say you were in the FN Corp.? Funny, I thought they all got wiped out. I actually had a buddy in there-"
"Is that Phasma!?" Finn exclaims.
The stormtroopers whirl around. Finn whips out his baton and knocks it across the backs of their heads. The two drop to the ground in a heap. Chewbacca and R2 peek around the corner. Chewie and R2 growl and chirp in approval.
Finn shrugs, then reaches down and pulls an ID badge off one of the trooper's belts.
"Let's hope these guys down wake up for a while."
Chewbacca growls in agreement. The wookiee hands him back his jacket and bag. Finn puts them back on, and the three resume their trek down the corridors.
***
With every moment Rey is pushed closer to the energy field.
She splays her fingers out at Tabo, in an attempt to Force-push him. Tabo does the same, negating her push. Her heels are almost to the field now.
Her eyes dart around frantically for something, anything that can be of use. Then she focuses on Tabo, with realization. Her fingers curl back in, and instead of a push, she Force-pulls him. Unprepared for the sudden increase in force, Tado stumbles forward. Rey ducks down, and deactivates her lightsaber. His shoto sail over her head, and Tabo flails above Rey. She falls to her back, and kicks out, throwing Tabo over her head. He flies through the energy field.
There is a moment of panic, as Tabo thrashes around in the cold vacuum of space. Ice grows over his body, and the flailing stops. Both shoto deactivate, and the hilts freeze to his hands. Rey looks away, disgusted as his body floats out into empty space.
Her gaze turns to Luke and Kylo.
***
Lorn savagely attacks Cad's guard. She swing overhead blow after overhead blow, and it's all the big man can to keep her at bay. He catches her blade along his own, and strikes out with the crossguard. She ducks under it and kicks him in the gut. Cad stumbles back wheezing. Lorn starts to advance again, but stops short. She takes a breath and seems to calm.
"Can't let myself go too far. Might loose control..." She explains to a confused Cad.
Cad looks back down at his greatsaber and seems to come to a decision. He charges.
Lorn sighs.
Moving with rage, he brings the blade down against her block. Before she can reply, he smashes his blade against hes from another angle. Then another and another.
Their blades lock together and using his rage and size, he shoves Lorn backwards. But this time she slides back gracefully. Nothing in her eyes betrays an ounce of concern. rather, there is predation.
He rushes towards her, raises his weapon up for one more swing. Lorn moves in. They both swing. They come to a stop several steps apart, backs to each other.
Lorn holds her magenta saber in both hands, blade outstretched. Cad Ren's greatsaber deactivates, as the handle falls apart, cleaved in two. He looks down to see the strike passed not just through the handle, but all the way into his chest, leaving a glowing orange trail.
He collapses, the light leaving his eyes. Lorn looks down at her lightsaber, as if considering deactivating it. Then she notices Luke still fighting Kylo and thinks better of it. She runs towards the two.
***
Luke and Kylo's blades are locked again, sizzling white, reflecting in both their eyes. They pull apart and circle one another. Rey runs up to Luke's side. A moment later Lorn steps up to his other side. Luke glances at her magenta blade, and his eyes go wide. Lorn doesn't meet Luke's gaze, though and the helmet conceals most of her expression. Luke shakes his head and turns back to his opponent. Kylo glares at all three of them.
"Cad Ren and Tabo Ren...useless." He spits.
"You're the one that led them down that path, Kylo." Luke points out. "So who's the useless one here?"
Kylo sneers. "You think I'm scared of you three? An old man, a fresh trainee and...who are you again?"
"Just a mer- oh what the hell, can we just kill this guy?" Lorn says to Luke.
Luke raises an eyebrow towards her, but says nothing.
"Please..." Rey says softly. "...It doesn't have to be this way. When we talked, I know there was something there. A glimmer. A small piece of hope that you never fully snuffed out."
"You're imagination." He replies coldly.
"Did I imagine you refusing to kill Leia?" She asks.
He doesn't reply.
"Kylo...Ben...you don't have to do this." She says, earnestly.
For a second, his anger almost seems to falter. It returns a moment later.
"You shouldn't be worried about me Rey...you should be worried about Finn."
"Rey..." Luke warns.
"There were four of them left, Luke." Kylo says. "Four students that remain of the ones that joined me. Two of them just died. Where do you think the other two are?"
Rey's eye widen.
"Do you think we didn't expect you to try to shut down the cannons? Ador and Valto are waiting there, along with a contingent of stormtroopers."
"Luke I don't think he's bluffing..." Rey says, swallowing.
Luke stares down Kylo Ren, silent at first.
"...can you find Finn?" He finally asks.
Rey closes her eyes and concentrates. She opens them.
"Yes."
"Go. Both of you." Luke says.
Lorn decativates her saber, and turns to Rey nodding. Rey deactivates her own saber, but does not move.
"Luke...what about you?"
Luke holds his lightsaber out at Kylo.
"I, am going to have a long talk with my nephew. GO!" He orders.
Rey shoots Kylo one last look, then she and Lorn run off to the side. Luke and Kylo Ren are left alone.
"You got me all to yourself," Luke says.
"Perfect." Kylo stands up straighter. "Can we stop this feather fooling around? I can only hold myself back for so long."
"Alright." Luke says, spinning his saber around. "Show me what your new master has taught you."
***
Finn, Chewbacca and R2 stand just behind a corner. There are four stormtroopers guarding a heavy metal door. They are alert, blasters at the ready.
"R2 show me the map again." Finn whispers.
R2 projectes the map again. Finn traces a finger along the line.
"Yep, looks the core is just behind those doors."
Finn takes another peek around the corner.
"Don't think we're gonna be able to bluff this one." Finn explains. ""We're gonna have to shoot these guys."
Chewbacca growls in agreement. R2 beeps a confirmation. Finn nods.
"When I say go..." He pulls out his blaster, and takes a breath. "...go!"
Finn and Chewbacca leap around the corner, blasting. Finn stuns two of the stormtroopers. The other two go flying by back by shots from Chewbacca's bowcaster, smouldering holes in their chests. Finn and Chewbacca run up to the door, and R2 rolls out after them. Finn looks sadly at the two troopers Chewbacca killed, but shakes his head and turns away. Finn tried the ID badge on the side-panel. It blinks red. He frowns. He looks further down and notices a data port in the wall.
"R2, can you get this door open?"
R2 rolls over to the door and plugs into the port. R2's probe spinns for several seconds. R2 bobs up and down.
"You can get it open?" Finn asks.
R2 bobs again.
"...will it take long to get in?"
Another bob.
"Great..." He sighs.
Chewbacca growls in agreement. There is the clatter of boots on the ground. Finn and Chewbacca spin around to see stormtroopers march towards them from every corridor. In moments they surround the trio, blasters raised.
"Guy's I'm glad we found you," Finn says. "There's some Resistance soldiers running around on board. If you go now, you might be able to catch them."
***
The Raddus
The Supremacy's cannons fire again. Another frigate is blown into burning scrap metal. The Resistance fleet repeat their evasive maneuvers. A second blasts a frigate into oblivion. The third cannon blast narrowly misses another frigate, and streaks down into Crait's atmosphere.
"How many did we just lose?" Leia asks.
"At least a hundred." Ackbar says, not tearing his eyes away from the battle.
Leia sighs, and sits down, laying her head in her hands.
"Another frigate is going down!" An officer reports.
Leia looks up confused. She takes a look out the viewport, to see a frigate being torn apart, not by the Supremacy's cannons, but star destroyer turbolasers."
"The captain's hailing us!" The officer reports.
"Put him through." Ackbar orders.
"General, Admiral...it's been an honor..."
The line goes dead, and the frigate explodes entirely. Leia stares at the burning wreckage. Then her gaze shifts to the Supremacy.
"Hurry up, we won't last much longer..." She whispers.
***
The Supremacy
Rey and Lorn race down grey corridors, footsteps echoing through the ship. Rey tries to stare forward, but keeps glance down at the lightsaber hilt clutched in Lorn's grip. Lorn catches her looking, and forcibly meets her gaze.
"You got something you wanna say?" Lorn asks, as they round a corner.
"I was just wondering...where'd you get that?" Rey nods to the lightsaber.
"I bought it off the black market. What do you care?" Lorn replies, looking back ahead.
"I just thought-"
They round a corner to face a pair stormtroopers, blasters raised. Lorn throws a hand out and both troopers are flung backwards. They slam into the back wall and collapse in a heap. Both women are silent for a moment.
"...just bought it off the black market?" Rey repeats.
"Shut up. Back in my day, kids didn't sass their elders. Now do you wanna keep asking me questions, or do save your friend and take down this ship's guns?"
"The latter." Rey agrees.
They resume their dash down the dark halls.
"Do you think Luke will be alright?" Rey eventually asks.
"He's Luke Skywalker." Lorn replies. "There is no one in the galaxy more equipped for that fight."
***
Kylo Ren swings his lightsaber down with all his might. Luke, swings back, meeting Kylo's blow. Red saber meets Green. The resulting clash cracks the floor beneath them. Kylo's eyes narrow. He pulls away from Luke, leaping a dozen feet back. He crouches low and flings himself towards Luke again, swinging his blade horizontally this time. Their blades clash once more, and Luke slides back several-dozen feet.
Kylo advances. He thrusts, slices and chops at Luke. Luke meets each blow in turn. The last attack he parries and slides his own blade at Kylo. Kylo leapes back, just barely avoiding the strike. Luke follows up with an underhand swing that comes close cleaving Kylo in two.
"Fighting like you mean it...how un-Jedi-like of you." Kylo says.
"I doubt you'll respond to anything else." Luke replies.
"I won't." Kylo says, eye blazing.
He rushes forward, unleashing a flurry of slashes, red blade arcing so fast it can barely be followed. Luke spins his saber in reply, meeting each of Kylo's relentless blows. The shocks from each collision reverberate through the hangar bay. Kylo slams his blade against Luke's once more, and the show shoves the Jedi master sliding backwards. Luke nods in modest approval.
"Well you've got plenty of power."
"I didn't think you would find my strength lacking." Kylo replies.
"Oh you're plenty lacking. For all your bluster, you're still just the kid that couldn't grasp a few of the basics."
"Like what!?" Kylo hisses.
"A finer touch."
Kylo leaps at Luke again, swinging savagely. Rather than block, Luke angles his blade so the attack is deflected to the side. Luke then leans in at Kylo's exposes chest, and lightly taps him in the chest.
Kylo Ren rockets backward, careening across the hangar. He smashes into a TIEfighter, the cockpit half-collapsing around him. The entire fighter slides back from the impact. Kylo looks up with fury. He rips himself out of the TIE, dragging chunks of the fighter with him.
He raises his hand. The TIE-fighter rises into the air behind him. Luke raises an eyebrow at the move. Kylo throws his hand out, sending the TIE fighter hurtling through the air. It races towards Luke. The Jedi master throws his lightsaber. The blade spins at the TIE, slicing it in two, down the middle. The two halves fly past Luke, sailing out out of the hangar bay, into space. The lightsaber swings back around, and lands in Luke's hand.
"That all you got kid?" Luke asks.
Angered, Kylo raises up both arms. Two more TIEs rise into the air. He throws both at Luke. Luke puts both hands out. The TIEs slow to a stop in front of him. Ge moves his hands apart and both TIEs fly off to opposite sides of the hangar. Kylo lifts another TIE fighter, but this one stays in the air above him. Then Kylo makes a twisting motion with his hand. The laser cannons on the TIE fire at Luke. Spinning his saber into a green arc, Luke deflects the laser bolts into the floor. The TIE continues to fire at him, so Luke gestures with his free hand. Another TIE slides along the floor, in front of Luke. The laserfire from the other TIE starts tearing it into scrap metal. But Luke raises a hand and the metal shards fly at the other TIE. Kylo's TIE is shredded, exploding a moment later.
The orange flare lights up both their faces.
Kylo, not wasting a moment, swings his arms up and down, lifting TIE after TIE into the air. Soon all of the TIEs in the surrounding area, dozens of them, are floating in the air above them.
"How is this for lacking!?" Kylo shouts.
Luke gestures with a come-hither motion. Snarling, Kylo swings both arms forward. All of the TIE fighters rocket towards Luke. The mass of TIEs engulf Luke, smashing together, seeming to crush the Jedi.
A moment later the mass of TIEs explode outwards. Luke stands in the middle, a bubble of the Force expanding outwards, forming a wave of broke TIE chunks. kylo has to slice a half-dozen pieces out of the air, lest he find himself impaled. As the remaining pieces scatter across the bay, Kylo glares at Luke. Then he shifts his gaze to look around, thinking. His eyes focus on Luke's X-wing. Kylo and Luke are equal distances away from it.
"Don't do it." Luke warns.
Kylo makes a pulling motion. The X-wing slides over to Kylo. Luke pulls with his own hand, and the X-wing begins to slide back to him. Kylo tugs on it again, and the ship rises into the air, as the two struggle for control. After he sees Luke is solidly pulling, Kylo ceases his pull and shoves it at his former master. The X-wing spins through the air towards Luke. Luke puts out both hands, gently stopping it. Kylo Ren, launches himself through the air. He swings his lightsaber, slicing the X-wing in half, carrying his swing down towards Luke. Luke swings his lightsaber back up, and meets Kylo's blow. Brilliant while flashes through the hangar. Kylo is knocked back, tumbling through the air. But managed to flip around and land in a crouch.
"I just fished that out of the ocean." Luke says, shaking his head at the destroyed X-wing.
Kylo bellows in in reply and thrusts at Luke. As Luke blocks, Kylo throws his hand out to the side and leaps back. Luke turns, a little too late, to see a transport shuttle rush at him. The shuttle slams into Luke, sending him flying across the hangar. He lands on his back and skids to across the floor. Kylo is already hurtling through the air towards Luke, bringing his saber down in an attempt to pin Luke to the floor. Luke rolls out of the way, and Kylo's saber buries itself in the metal. Kylo tears the blade out and looks at Luke with seething hatred in his eyes. He takes a step forward.
"Don't look now, but..." Luke says.
Another shuttle crashes into Kylo, flinging him across the hangar.
"Not so fun is it?"
***
Finn and Chewbacca stand in the hallway, surrounded by stormtroopers. On one end of the hallway, the troopers parts, admitting two dark-clad figures. Ador Ren and Valto Ren. They walk past the troopers to loom before Finn and Chewbacca.
"Throw down your weapons." Ador commands.
Finn and Chewbacca look at each other. Finn drops his blaster, and Chewbacca, his bowcaster. They raise their hands. Ador actually looks disappointed.
"Very well, I suppose we can take you alive." Ador sighs. "Now, you will tell us every Resistance secret you know, starting with where the rest of your infiltrators are. I will get the information even if I have to flay it from your mind. I'd actually prefer it that way."
R2-D2 beeps excitedly. Ador turns to the droid, looking confused.
"What's that droid doing?" He asks.
"Are you in?" Finn whispers, from the corner of his mouth.
R2 bobs a yes.
Finn smiles. "Hit the lights."
The entire hallway goes dark. For a moment there is only the sound of the shuffle of boots. Then, Finn's baton crackles with electricity. The blue plasma flashes in the dark, as he strikes out at Valto. The baton jabs her in the gut, and she goes flying back, crashing into a pair of stormtroopers. Chewbacca charges. He lifts one trooper up, and throws him into a another, who crashes into a third.
Ador activates his lightsaber, filling the hallway with a flickering red light. Finn swings his baton at him. The electric plasma crackles against the saber, sending sparks flying. Ador thrusts, but Finn knocks the blow aside, then spins his baton back around at his opponent. The baton smashes into Ador's face and he stumbles back. Finn leaps at Ador, bringing the baton in a downward swing. Ador looks up, with fury in his eyes. He throws his hand out and Finn rockets back into the far wall. He remains there, held up by the Force.
"Did you think a little surprise is all it would take to best me?" Ador says coldly. "I am a Knight of Ren. A wielder of the the dark side! Did you really think you could bestme?"
"Maybe not..."Finn says, tilting his head to look down the hall. "...but she can."
Ador whirls around to see Rey and Lorn charging down the halway. Rey throws both hands out, sending Ador flying across the hall, crashing into stormtroopers. Rey then swings her arms to the side, throwing all the stormtroopers in their path against the walls. She dashes up to Finn.
"It's a trap!" She informs.
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Finn jokes.
Rey smirks but keeps her eyes on Ador, who drags himself out of a pile of stormtroopers. He points his blade at Rey.
"I'll take care of him, you worry about that power core." Rey says.
Finn nods, and turns away as Rey rushes Ador. Chewbacca retrieves his bowcaster and starts shooting at the recovering stormtroopers. White clad troopers go flying with every blast of the wookiee's weapon. Velto pulls herself off the ground and activates her saber pike. She looks at Finn, lowering her weapon towards him. He holds up his baton ready to defend. But Lorn slides in between them, activating her magenta lightsaber.
"Does everyone around here have a lightsaber but me?" Finn asks, with disbelief.
Finn turns towards R2 as the two women clash.
"Open the door." He says.
R2 spinns his probe and the door opens, but only partially. It only has about a foot of space open. R2 beeps in frustration.
"Good enough," Finn says. He tightens his bag so its close against his body then, slips through the door.
The sounds of battle dulls as Finn steps into the next room. It is a massive gray chamber, cylindrical, reaching up both incredibly high and incredibly low. Finn stands on a platform set into the wall about halfway up the chamber. Past the platform is a several-hundred foot drop. Running down the center of the chamber is a much thinner cylindrical beam made of a clear material wrapped with metal supports. Blue energy flows dully beneath the glassy surface.
The Core.
Halfway down the beam is a circular platform, a couple dozen feet across from the one Finn stands on. A ring of control consoles is built around the core in the side of the platform.
A being in chrome stormtrooper armor stands on the platform.
"Hello FN-2187."
Finn flashes a joyless smile. "Hello Phasma."
***
Luke advances on Kylo. Kylo rushes to meet him. They swing, and the two blades meet.
The resulting shockwave, sends out cracks spider-webbing across the floor. Kylo pulls back and circles his opponent. Luke mirrors the motion until his back is towards the energy shield, and Kylo's is to the far wall. They are in the same positions they started in. Kylo glances around the hangar-bay as if looking for something.
"Got anything else you'd like to throw at me?" Luke asks.
Kylo's eyes settle on one ship.
"Just one last piece of junk..." He says, raising his arm slowly.
Besides them, the Millennium Falcon begins to rise into the air. For the first time in the fight, Luke looks genuinely angry.
"Put. It. Down." He says, coldly.
"No."
Kylo pulls his arm back and the Millennium Falcon swings backwards, stopping just hitting the wall. Then Kylo throws his arm towards Luke. The Falcon hurtles back across the hangar-bay, towards Luke. Luke closes his eyes and gestures lightly. The Millennium Falcon diverts its path and flies past Luke, sailing out through the energy field, into space. Then, Luke tightens his own hand into a fist and swings it at Kylo. The Falcon flings back into the hanger, sailing towards Kylo. He has a moment of horror, before the Falcon's side slams into him. Kylo rockets back, and crashes into the far wall. He slides down to the floor, and wobbles, unsteady.
"Sorry Han." Luke says, lowering the Falcon, gently to the floor.
Luke turns back towards his former apprentice. For a moment, Kylo hesitates. He almost looks ready to give up. Then, the anger, the hate surges through him. He sees images. Snoke electrocuting him. The Knights beating him. Luke Skywalker arguing with him. Han turning his back and walking away. Leia crying.
Kylo Ren screams and charges at Luke. He raises his blade high above his head. Luke holds his own out saber, firmly. Kylo Swings. Luke blocks. Kylo swings again. Luke blocks again. Kylo swings harder and harder. Overhead, diagonal, thrust, lunge. All of them battering against Luke's defense. All of them throwing out every ounce of raw emotion he has in. Screaming, Kylo pumps ever last ounce of anger, hate and rage into one final rage.
White light fills the entire hangar-bay as the sabers meet.
Luke blocks.
"....you done?" Luke asks.
Kylo stumbles back, saber held in an unstable guard. Luke dashes forward and swings. Green meets Red. The force of the blow sends Kylo flying back into the far wall again. The wall cracks under the impact. Kylo Ren slides down to the floor, and struggles to get up. He pulls his saber up, holding it in a shaking grip out towards Luke. Luke strides forward, unperturbed. Kylo makes a vain attempt to stab Luke. Luke slaps the blade aside.
"You killed your father..." Luke says in a low voice.
"He never cared about me!" Kylo snarls, raising the blade again.
Luke slaps it aside again.
"...your own fellow students..." Luke continues.
"They were weak!"
Kylo makes another attempt to bring the blade up. Luke strikes it so hard the lightsaber flings out of Kylo's hand. It hits the ground with a clatter, and deactivates.
"...tried to kill me..." Luke has only pity in his eyes.
"You held me back at every turn!" Kylo yells.
He reaches his hand out towards the saber. It starts to rattle on the ground. It rises up and flies towards them.
"...all just for power."
Luke catches Kylo's lightsaber.
"What would you know about it!?" Kylo shouts. "You never cared about me! You just cared about how I could help you rebuild the Jedi! It was always about your precious Jedi Order! You didn't even notice that the galaxy was crumbling around you!"
Luke is quiet for several seconds. He takes a breath.
"...Ben."
Kylo quivers at the name. Luke looks him directly in the eye.
"I'm sorry."
Kylo is stunned.
"I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention to what you were going through. Sorry I didn't see the path you were going down. Sorry by the time I did, it was already too late. For all of those things, I am truly, deeply sorry."
Kylo doesn't reply. His eyes soften.
"...But. I won't apologize for everything else. I won't apologize for the things you've done. The people you've killed. The destruction you've wrought. All of that is on you. No, I wasn't a good enough master to keep you from turning to the dark. But you are the one that stepped down that path in the first place."
Kylo's eyes harden again. "You think I need this? Your pity!?" He spits. "I don't need it, just like I never needed you! I'm doing what you never could! I'm fixing this broken galaxy!"
"Is that what you call this?" Luke says sweeping his hands across the hangar full of destruction. "You aren't fixing anything. All you've done is destroy! Tear down. Rip apart! Even now, you're trying to destroy even the people that care the most about you!"
"I just!..." Kylo's voice cracks.
"What Ben?" Luke asks.
"I-I.." Kylo stammers.
"What is this really about Ben!?" Luke demands.
"I just wanted to make a galaxy my mom could be happy to live in!" Kylo shouts.
He pants, exhausted. Luke looks down at her former pupil. His eyes are full of sadness.
"...look at where you are Ben. Your mom's out there fighting a war you helped start. So tell me, how exactly are you helping her now?"
Kylo doesn't reply.
"How Ben?"
Silence.
"HOW!?" Luke's voice thunders.
"I DON'T KNOW!" Kylo shouts back.
"I don't....know." He repeats himself quietly.
Luke looks at Kylo, shaking his head. Then he looks down at the Kylo's saber he holds in his hand. The green saber in his other hand is still activated.
"W-what are you doing?" Kylo stammers.
"Ending this."
He raises the green saber. Kylo shrinks back, fear in his eyes. Luke cuts Kylo Ren's lightsaber in half. The two pieces clatter to the ground, sparking. Kylo looks in shock at the pieces of the broken lightsaber. He slumps down, defeated.
"I'm going to leave you now, Ben." Luke says. "I have friends that need my help. When I come back here, I'm going to bring you home. Then maybe we'll see if there's any hope for that soul of yours."
Luke turns to leave, but pauses. "...don't go anywhere."
Then he walks away. Kylo Ren is left dejected, staring down at the broken broken halves of a lightsaber.