#but kylo ren is lightning in a bottle in that sense

[communistkenobi-archive]

the ST sucks and tRoS does severely weaken the point I’m about to make (and has been made by countless people already), but those movies were at least a step up from the OT in its depiction of fascism. like Star Wars isn’t a revolutionary text by any stretch of the imagination, and it shouldn’t be treated as an “important” teaching tool for the public re: politics (or any subject, really), but a big “issue” with the OT was that they made the Empire cool. Vader was cool, their ships were cool, the Death Star was cool - they were clearly the bad guys, but their aesthetic was intoxicating enough to be aspirational for audiences. they were still very effective as a bad guy in those movies, but if the intent of explicitly drawing Nazi comparisons to your villains is to paint them in a bad light and offer at least some critique of fascist empires, making them all really mysterious dudes with cool mind powers does a lot to undercut that point.

the ST does away with that in the form of Kylo Ren. he’s childish and intemperate and sulky and petty, driven by a desire to be a much cooler fascist ideal (ie Vader) and sees himself as such when he looks in the mirror, which is exactly how fascists behave because fascism is all of those things at its core. the New Order still uses all of those old OT-era Imperial aesthetics in their fleet and equipment, but the people leading them are a lot more honest about who they are as people: whiny entitled brats that are deeply incompetent and bad at their job. the New Order is still just as terrifying because its goals are inherently destructive and oppressive, but that doesn’t preclude them from also being deeply stupid and incompetent.

and again like, my reason for pointing this out isn’t to say that the ST is more radical or important or whatever compared to other Star Wars movies, and it’s still a deeply confused trilogy with no coherent emotional core or point, but I think one of the interesting things about it is that its portrayal of fascism is more honest. no amount of cool aesthetics or dramatic music can hide the fact that Kylo Ren is an infinitely more accurate commentary on fascism than Vader ever has been or will be.

[myimaginesandrp]

The will of the Force

Kylo Ren x Reader

A/N This one is written by me and is full of gramatical errors. Please be kind. Also! Thanks to everyone that takes the time to read this :) This is part 3 of “Midnight in the Forrest” (But you can read it as a stand alone too)

:(Repost because Tumblr isn’t showing it in the tags feel free to repost :)

Summary: You wake up from a nightmare on Star killer base and realize you need to make a big decision.

The night was covered in thick dark smoke as far as the eye could see. Something terrible had happened. The temple was attacked and now it stood before you as nothing more than burning ruins. The ground beneath your feet felt like it would crumble with every step you took. You called out into the void wishing he would answer back, only to be met with silence. The flames grew taller with each passing second. Despite the dismal scene ahead of you, you pushed forward until the heat of the flames became too hot to bear. The heat expelled hot rocks into the air, making you jump out of the way more than a few times. Suddenly the wind picked up, it pushed against you with such a force you could barely stand. Ben, you had to find Ben. He was in danger , you could feel it. Suddenly a gust of wind flew past you. It carried the moans and screams of the fallen and injured. They made your skin crawl as they got louder and louder. Blasts of lighting in the distance echoed through the ground. You had to leave, you had to move now. The crystal around your neck stopped glowing and you couldn’t accept what that meant. He was gone. You pushed your body forward, running as fast as your legs carried you. Through the smoke you could feel it. A dark presence was close behind you. You were running out of time. You looked around endlessly, looking for a place to hide. Suddenly a cliff opened up ahead of you and you dragged your feet to a stop, missing only inches from the abyss below. Another blast of lightning made you jump. A shadowed figure stood before you. Through the smoke you could only see they were wearing a long cloak. You took a step back, your foot nearly slipping underneath you.

“Please” you begged at the figure. “I have nothing to give”

The shadowed figure spoke in a slow deep voice. It was so unnatural, breathy and it sent chills down your spine

“Then your life will have to do”

With that he lifted his hand toward you and a blast of lightning threw you over the cliff. You reached in vain towards the emptiness, hoping to find something to hold on to. All you could hear were his wild cackles of laughter as you feel into the darkness.

...

You woke up with a jolt, nearly falling off the bed. A loud gasp escaped you as your body began to shake from the nightmare. You looked around in the darkness unable to focus on anything. Your hands reached out, until you felt the soft feel of the sheets below you.

Kylo sat up from his side of the bed, startled by your sudden flailing. He turned the lights of the room on and reached for you to try and wake you from your dream completely. No one knew the terrors the night brought more than him.

You were still shaking when a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around you. The action made you scream out in fear. You jerked your body away, trying to free yourself from his hold. The sudden movement caused the wound you had on your abdomen to tear. A small cry of pain escaped your lips.

“Y/N” he spoke quickly trying to gain your attention. His arms hugged you tighter, trying to keep you from thrashing around.

“You’re okay, it was just a dream” He lifted one of his hands and cupped your cheek. Your forehead was beaded with sweat and your heart pulsed as if it were to jump from your chest.

“Y/N” he began again, tilting your chin towards him. “Look at me”

You followed the sound of his voice and after a second, you meet his eyes. He was here with you. Ben was here with you. No, not Ben. It was Kylo Ren. You pushed the thoughts away and focused your attention on your breathing. You ran your hands over his and held on to him tightly as the world around you finally came into focus. He tangled his fingers with yours and buried his face in your neck trying to comfort you.

You were on the ship, in the same room you were in the night before. The long panel of medical supplies was gone, in its place was a table with a tray of food on top. With a few deep breaths in you, you finally relaxed into his embrace.

“Just a bad dream” he assured once more.

He was with you, you were safe. You lifted your hand to wipe away a few tears that had escaped during your awakening. He ran his fingers through your hair, gently brushing it away from your face. You sat there with your thoughts for a moment.

That was the third nightmare you had this week. Each one of them seemed so real, and the voice was so clear in your head. You could’ve sworn you’d never heard anything like that voice before. The though made you shudder. A sharp pain pulsed through your side in response. He lifted his head to look at you, sensing your discomfort. Your hands left his to clutch your wound. You both looked down at your side and found your bandages glowing red. The blood from your injury had seeped all the way through your shirt. He cursed under his breath and stood up quickly.

“Don’t move” he ordered as he searched around the cabinets in the room for medical supplies.

Your eyes trailed behind him. He was wearing dark clothes, but not the same you’d seen him in before. This time there weren’t any capes or masks, just the man you remembered with a disgruntled look in his face.

After a moment he returned with his arms full of gauze pads and strange bottles full of colorful liquids. He dropped them on the bed beside you and began his work. He lifted your shirt gently, removing your bandages and began to clean your wound. His eyes would dart to meet yours now and again, frustration growing with each passing minute. You winced every time he pressed his hand into your skin, the blood not stopping its steady flow from your wound.

After a few minutes of this, you could feel your vision start to blur.

“Ben” you called out in a haze reaching for him. He took your hand and studied your face for a moment as if debating wether to say something or not. Maybe he couldn’t help you. You decided. There were worse ways to go than a blaster shot.

You wanted to tell him it was okay, but your words failed you. After all this time apart, you were just happy to have see him again, regardless of the circumstances you’d found yourselves in now. You gave him a weak smile before you tilted your face up to meet him and pressed your lips to his softly. He was stunned for a short moment, but melted into your kiss.

His hands reached up to cup your face and when you pulled away, he stared back at you with a bright smile. With a newfound determination he moved the supplies away from the bed and sat down close to you.

“Hold still” he ordered as he steadied you on the bed. Again you felt his hand by your abdomen.

“What are you doi-“ you managed to blurt out before a sudden pull of energy took your breath a away. You closed your eyes then, unable to bear the sudden sensation inside you. Your whole body was alive and the spot where his skin touched yours was on fire. It wasn’t painful, just incredibly intense. In that moment you felt connected to him. You were both as one.

A moment later he lifted his hand from you. You looked down at your wound and you found nothing there. You ran your hand across your side looking for any sign of the tear that was just there. There was nothing, no pain, just your body healed as if nothing had happened at all.

You looked up at him, stunned into silence and trying to understand what he’d just done. He examined the spot where your wound had been with a satisfied look in his face.

“How did you do that?” You muttered in disbelief. He shrugged and stood from the bed.

“I’ve told you before. I had to use the force” he said as he discarded the gauze pads he’d used to clean your wound. The bloodied contents of the trash now the only remnants of the blaster shot you’d gotten.

“I...” You breathed out still in awe of what had just happened. He sat back on the bed looking you over.

“I’ll get you some clothes to change into” he said.

You nodded, your hand still skimming your side.

“Thank you” you whispered as you met his gaze.

“You’re welcome” he said as he brushed a strand of hair from your face. You smiled at him, perfectly content with him there beside you. An abrupt thought crossed your mind bringing you back to reality.

“Ben... Kylo...” you said “I don’t know what’s gonna happen now.”

He nodded, sensing the conflict inside you.

“The resistance thinks you’re dead” he said. “They stopped looking for you a few days ago.”

You looked down at you hands. Of course your friends and everyone back home would’ve thought you were dead. It had been weeks and no one had heard back from you. But you were here alive. All the people suffering throughout the galaxy...

“Y/N” he said taking a deep breath. “I can’t loose you again” he said choking on the last word.

But what will I do? You thought, unsure of what he was getting at.

“You will stay here with me” he answered out loud. “And rule the galaxy by my side.”

You shook your head at his words. You both knew you couldn’t agree to his ethics, but the thought of loosing him again broke your heart. You examined his features, every line and every curve just as perfect as the day you lost him. In that moment you decided you missed him, you missed and him and you never wanted to be parted from him again.

“It is the will of the force Y/N” he assured “That’s why it has brought us together again”

You thought about his words for a moment. He’d done many terrible things, but there was still light in him. He wasn’t Ben anymore, but that didn’t stop you from loving him. You loved him more than anything.

You’d never been more conflicted in your life. You thought about all your friends back home, all you’d worked for. Leia, who was always looking out for you. How could you leave it all behind?

He offered you his hand, his eyes pleading you to take it. You looked at it for a moment, knowing in the bottom of your heart that you were unwilling to let it slip from you again. Maybe it was the will of the force that you two were together. You made your resolve and after a deep breath, you took his hand. If no one was going to help him come back to the light, at least you’d try.

Part 1

Part 2

[benandreyship]

Chapter 6 - Traded

Rey came to while being dragged on the ground between two Stormtroopers. Her thoughts felt jumbled, and her head throbbed where the blaster had hit her. She took a few seconds to steady herself, and suddenly jumped to life. She ripped her arms from the trooper’s hands, and whipped her arms back against their legs to topple them. Both troopers immediately dropped in the dirt, completely bewildered. Rey took advantage of their surprise, and used the force to smash a large rock into both of their heads. She jumped up on her feet, and was immediately knocked over again by another trooper. There were at least 10 of them all around her, but that didn’t stop her. Rey got back up, and pulled a large stick to her hands. She immediately began whacking troopers in the head, chest, and legs. Two fell over, as the others were crowded together trying to contain her. Curiously, none of them shot their blasters at her, and were only attempting to recapture her. They were a short way into the jungle from the cave, and she sensed that Ben was still in that cave. She didn’t understand what was going on, but she didn’t have time to figure it out at the moment. She spun through the air with the stick, doing as much damage as possible. She leapt onto the shoulders of a trooper, struck him on the head, then flew with the force and hit the feet out from under another. By this time, she had knocked out four troopers, and wasn’t slowing down. As she twirled, and swung the stick she heard a familiar hum of a lightsaber turning on behind her.

Rey slowly turned around, and faced the man in the black cloak. He held a double-bladed lightsaber with a bright red beam. He looked to be in his late thirties with short dark brown hair, and a neatly trimmed goatee. Rey’s mind was whirling. ‘Where the hell did this guy come from?!’ She thought. Ben had never told her of another force wielder in the first order, and she had certainly never seen him before. Getting over being stunned, she reached out her arm and her lightsaber flew into her hand from a knocked out trooper’s belt. She planted her feet in a readying stance as her saber came to life. 

She was about to make the first move, when the cloaked man held up his hand. “Rey.” He said. She stopped, but did not let her guard down. “I have a proposition for you.” The man signaled his troopers, and two of them ran back to the cave. They came back dragging Ben between them, and they shoved him next to the cloaked man. “We made a deal with the rebel scum you call your friends.” The man said. His voice was deep and gravely, it reminded her of Snoke. “In exchange for him, we won’t attack your base…For now.”

“You can’t have him. I don’t care what kind of deal you’ve made.” She said calmly.

“You really think you can get rid of all of us, and drag your little boyfriend back to your base?” He laughed at her. Determination was displayed all over her face, as she dug her foot into the ground and readied for a fight. He held his hand up again.

“Hang on, hang on. No need to be hasty. I said we have a proposition for you, remember?” He leaned his saber down until it almost touched Ben’s cheek. She clenched her teeth, and waited.

“Luckily for him, a prize such as you would please our supreme leader far more than this traitor.” He kicked Ben hard in the ribs. He was doing this on purpose, trying to get Rey to lose control. But she didn’t. “Here’s what I propose. You come with us, willingly, and we’ll leave your little boyfriend and your rebel friends alone.” When she didn’t respond, the cloaked man burned Ben’s shoulder with his saber. When she still didn’t respond, his anger and impatience rose. His eyes flashed yellow, and his saber began to shake. “Hmm? What do you say?” He burned Ben’s other shoulder when she didn’t respond. “I say…” She said. The man stopped and looked at her expectantly. “I say that neither of us is going with you.” She immediately swung her saber straight for his head. He blocked her, and their dance began.

The Stormtroopers backed up, and watched their sabers swing and dodge with lightning speed. Rey had never fought anyone with a double bladed lightsaber, and it was throwing her off. His attacks needed a much wider berth, and had much more range. He blocked every attempt, as she stabbed and swung her saber. They were both jumping off of trees, and flinging through the air. Rey cried out as his saber burned up her arm. She used the force to stop him from cutting off her leg in the same swing. The cloaked man appeared to be only trying to wound and tire her, not kill her. He mostly just blocked her attacks. He backed her into the jungle. They toppled trees, and sliced ferns as their sabers danced. “Come on Rey…I was sure he would have taught you better than this.” He goaded. She was about to take another swing at him, when suddenly, she couldn’t move. Her saber flew away from her and into the hand of the cloaked man. She was paralyzed with the force. The cloaked man stepped towards her. “I want to show you something girl.” He said. He gently pressed his fingers to her forehead, and a vision took hold. It showed Ben lying on the ground in the cave, cut in half. It showed the resistance base on fire, with Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose, Jannah, Beaumont, and more all dead. It showed cities burning to the ground, Stormtroopers firing on crowds in the snow, entire planets being blown apart, and the cloaked man standing in the shadow of another. She couldn’t make out what this figure looked like, but she knew it was the new First Order supreme leader. The vision ended, and the cloaked man took a step back. “You see? That is what is going to happen if you don’t come with us. I’ve seen it, and now so have you. So what do you say, young Rey? Will you come with us, or will you lose everything you love?” He took a few steps back, and released the force hold he had on her. She stood there, staring at the cloaked man, trying to decide what to do. The vision had absolutely terrified her. She couldn’t allow the First Order to kill Ben or her friends, she had to do something. But she was just one Jedi, in a sea of Stormtroopers and a powerful force-wielder. She looked up at the cloaked man having made her decision.

“Okay. I’ll come with you if you leave Ben and the resistance alone.” The cloaked man smiled.

“Of course. Now come along.” He gestured for her to walk in front of him. He kept his lightsaber at the ready just in case, but he felt confident that should wouldn’t try anything. When they reached the crowd of Stormtroopers, one of them opened a pair of handcuffs. She reached out her hands, and let them place the cuffs. They led her towards a transport. She gave one last look at Ben, lying on the ground, before they closed the transport door and took her away.

Ben awoke to a world of pain. His head pounded against his skull, his shoulders burned, his ribs ached, and he felt black and blue all over. When he attempted to open his eyes, the light sent a streak of pain into his head. He groaned, and rolled over. Now facing the ground, he opened his eyes again and was staring at the jungle floor. ‘Where am I?’ He thought. “Rey?” He received no response. He carefully got to his knees, and then stood up on shaky feet. He clutched his aching ribs, and shielded his eyes from the light at the same time. “Rey?” He shouted. He looked around, and didn’t recognize anything. The last thing he remembered was Rey going to an emergency meeting, and he took a nap after dinner. He was standing near a cave covered in vines and orange flowers. On the ground were many boot prints, and one set of prints of someone with small soft shoes. Several trees had been cut, and ferns sliced. Rey had been here, and she was in trouble. Ben knelt down, and placed his fingers on the ground. He channeled the force into the shoe prints, and saw a fleeting image of feet quickly moving about, and a blue saber crashing into a red one. He gasped and quickly removed his hand from the dirt, as if it had burned him. “It’s not possible…” He whispered. The only other First Order force-wielder that he knew of was long dead. His name had been Gramek Viatru. He had been wounded during an epic battle many years ago, and had died of his injuries. Kylo Ren had risen to power shortly after his death. No one else could wield the force, so who had been here? And what did they do with Rey? He stumbled towards the cave, hoping to find some clues. All he found was a bottle of green sludge, and Stormtrooper boot prints. Panic was welling up in him, as he considered the possibility that Rey was taken by the First Order. He closed his eyes, and reached out with his feelings. He felt her, she was off of this planet and on a ship. He used the force-bond connection and was suddenly in a black room with a familiar restraining chair in the center. He walked around the chair, and there she was. She was asleep. Her arms and legs had been strapped down tightly, almost cutting off her circulation. Her forehead had a dribble of drying blood going into her hair with bruises on her cheek and chin. A long burn mark went up her arm, and he recognized it as a lightsaber burn, much like the one Rey had once given him. Anger surged through him, seeing his love in this condition and in the hands of the enemy. It made him want to smash something. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Anger and fear would only lead him astray. He opened his eyes and reached for her hand. “Rey? Can you hear me?” He gently shook her shoulder, but she was out cold. Ben loosened the grip on the restraints, but did not open them. He knew if he did while she was sleeping, someone would notice and may hurt her in retaliation. He wondered why she didn’t just escape, like she’s done before. He gave her a brief tender kiss on the lips before breaking the connection.

Ben painfully exited the cave, when suddenly 6 blaster shots came straight for him. He reached out his hands and halted them all in mid-air. “STOP!” He shouted. “It’s me!”

“All the more reason.” Poe said as he came into view. He pointed his blaster at Ben with a look of pure loathing on his face.

“Where’s Rey?” Poe asked.

“She’s with the First Order.” Gasps sounded in a semi-circle around the cave, and more people came into view.

“You gave her to the First Order?!” Shouted Finn.

“NO! Of course not! Please, let me explain.”

“Better make it quick.” Poe said as he tightened his aim. At least 10 rebels surrounded him, all pointing their blasters at him.

“Okay, there’s really not much that I know. The last thing I remember is having dinner with Rey in her room, when Chewie came and told her to come to an emergency meeting. She went, and I took a nap. When I woke up, I was here.”

“Is that it? You expect us to believe that?!” Finn shouted.

“How do you know she’s with the First Order?” Rose asked. Ben hesitated. He didn’t want to tell them about their force-bond connection, that was something private between them.

“I saw boot marks, and saber cut trees. I knew the First Order had been here. I have a…a feeling. I know she’s off planet, and with the First Order.”

“From a feeling? Right.” Said Jannah.

“Did Rey never express that she knew things due to a feeling? It happens with the force.” Ben explained. Only untrusting stares met his, but he could see that at least Poe and Finn seemed to understand what he was talking about. A short sandy haired fellow then stepped in front, and turned to the others.

“What he says is true.” Everyone’s eyebrows shot up, including Bens.

“What are you talking about Beaumont? You believe this scumbag?” Asked Finn.

“I don’t know what happened with the First Order, but I do know they were here and Ben was unconscious. Rey came to me yesterday showing me some food that had been dosed with altsome, a sleep serum. She said Ben had been taken, so we came to find him. When we arrived, this area was crawling with the First Order. She told me to run and get help if it came to a fight. When I heard the blasters, and lightsabers, I ran back to the ship and went back to base.”

“But did you actually see Kylo unconscious? Maybe he was faking it.” Poe asked.

“No-” Beaumont started to say, but Ben whispered something under his breath.

“What’s that? What did you say?” Poe asked.

“I said, my name is Ben. Not Kylo.” He replied. Many of the resistance shook their heads, and Finn merely sneered at him.

“We’ll call you whatever we like.” Said Poe. “Beaumont, what were you saying?”

“I didn’t see him unconscious myself, but Rey said she could feel him. She said there was some sort of block with their connection, but she knew he was alive and asleep.”

“Hmm. So what the hell are we supposed to do now Kylo? You say the First Order has here, so what do you propose we do?”

“Well get her back, obviously.” He replied.

“Really, you don’t say?” Rose said sarcastically.

“And how do we do that? We don’t even know where they are!” Finn said angrily.

“We’ll find her. Come on, let’s get back and get to work.” Ben promptly limped his way past all of them and headed for the ship nearby. The resistance fighters just stared agape at him, and simply followed.

When they got back to base, the people there were abuzz. All of the comptrollers were being used, and people were bustling to and fro. They had sent out a distress message to their allies, and informed them that the First Order had taken Rey. Hundreds of messages had been sent, and hopefully someone would know something. They were also attempting to track the transports that had landed, and to detect any vessels that may still be on the planet or within its orbit. Ben slipped away from the group, and went back to Rey’s room. He sat on the bed, closed his eyes, and connected to Rey. He was back in the room with the restraining chair. This time, she was awake. 

“Rey!”

“Ben!” They said simultaneously. He strode forward and kissed her with all of the longing and love he could muster. Tears sprung from her eyes and fell on both of their cheeks. When he pulled away from the kiss, he held her head in his hands, and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. “I missed you so much.” She whispered. “I was so worried when I woke up and you were gone.”

“Me too.” He said. “We need to know where you are. I’m going to release you, and you need to find the control room to get the coordinates, it’s prob-”

“No Ben.” He pulled back.

“What?”

“I can’t leave. Not yet.”

“What are you talking about, of course you can.”

“I can’t. Someone in the resistance made a deal with the First Order. They were trading you to keep the order from attacking. Then at the cave, there was a man. A force-wielder with a double-bladed lightsaber. He…He had paralyzed me with the force, and touched my forehead. I had a vision. You were cut in half, the base was obliterated, and everyone in the resistance was dead. Planets were destroyed, families were shot down with blasters. The man said if I gave myself up in place of you, that they would leave you and the resistance alone. I can’t leave, not until we’ve moved the base.”

“Rey that’s crazy! If that man is who I think he is, he lied. He will hurt you.”

“Who is he?”

“I thought he died a long time ago, but I think its Gramek Viatru. He used to have my job, and now he does again. He’s powerful in the force, but we’re stronger together than he is. We can get you out of here. Right now the rebels are trying to find your location. I just need you to get to the control room-”

“I can’t! I won’t put you all in danger. I won’t.”

“You don’t understand. You remember how I was as Kylo? He is 10 times worse. He will torture you.”

“I’ve been tortured before. I’ll be fine.” Ben closed his eyes in exasperation. “I’m sorry Ben, I can’t leave.” Suddenly Ben was back in Rey’s room. She had effectively ‘hung up’ on him with the connection.

Rey laid her head back on the restraining chair and closed her eyes in exhaustion. She had been in this chair for days. She was allowed to be released from the chair twice a day to use the restroom, but the rest of the time it was in the chair. The cloaked man, Gramek Viatru, had visited her twice. Both times he attempted to extract information from her for hours at a time. Each time she fought against him and gave him nothing. 

His eyes would flash yellow whenever she defeated him. As she became more and more fatigued, her will to fight him was waning. The light was always on, and someone would come in and wake her every hour on the hour. She knew this is exactly what he intended. Tire her enough and she won’t be able to resist him. So far, he had not physically harmed her while on the ship, but she knew it was coming. She only hoped the resistance would move their base as quickly as possible.