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sonoftatooine · 3 years ago

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Whumpay 2021

DAY 31: ALT DAY - SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Shaak Ti

Summary: When Anakin makes the decision to go and save Palpatine from Mace Windu, his lack of sleep over the past week chooses the worst possible moment to catch up with him. Shaak Ti attempts to intervene.

***

It was said that the Force, in the hands of a competent Jedi, could do many things. It was also said—with greater and greater frequency over the course of the war—that in the hands of Anakin Skywalker, it could do the impossible. Right now, however, Anakin himself was of the opinion that this was a bold-faced lie, for the one thing he could not make it do, as he staggered unsteadily yet imperturbably toward the main doors of the Jedi Temple, was have it chase away the fog that was threatening to take over his over-tired mind and send him spiralling into the deep, impenetrable darkness of forced rest. He had been fighting it for days, drawing on the Force to fend off sleep as he searched desperately for a solution to save his wife from the awful fate that plagued his dreams whenever he tried to rest. And now, only now, when he was so close to finding the solution that the Jedi had denied him, when a moment's delay meant that he could lose that knowledge for ever, did his reserves finally run out, and the ability to stay awake and moving start to slip through his durasteel grip like sand.

Sand. Sand. His head felt like it was full of sand. Scratchy and grainy, lodged in unlikely places, disrupting all the whirring mechanisms that governed his thoughts. He'd had the same problem with Threepio when he was building him, without his coverings to protect him from the ravages of Tatooine, and he'd spent hours cleaning the stuff out of his servos just as he had with Watto's junk at the shop. He wanted to shake his head to dislodge it, but nothing he did made it—

He had been so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that he barely realised when he collided full on with a tall, slim figure standing directly in front of the door. The world swam before as one of the frequent waves of dizziness overcame him, and he felt strong, slim fingers circling about the flesh of his biceps to keep him upright. Dazed, he blinked, trying to chase away the strange blur that had overtaken his vision, and the smudge of red and white and purple before him coalesced into the face of Jedi Master Shaak Ti. Her hairless brows were drawn into a frown, and she looked very concerned.

“Anakin,” she said. “Are you alright? Where are you going?”

Anakin wished he could dislodge the sand from his brain, but his thoughts wouldn't come coherently, and all he could force out from his lips was a garbled, “the Chancellor— I need—”

Shaak Ti's frown deepened.

“The Chancellor?,” she asked. “But the Masters have already gone to confront him. You need not worry—the situation is already in hand.”

Anakin could only shake his head wordlessly, immediately wishing that he hadn't as his vision swam once again at the sudden movement. She didn't understand. The situation wasn't in hand because Windu might kill Palpatine who was the only one who knew how to save Padmé and he couldn't let Padmé die, he couldn't live without her -

“Shaak Ti,” he gasped out. “Get out of my way.”

He had to get to the door, had to— If he could just get to the door— He tried to pull out of her grasp, but Shaak Ti held on, the press of her fingers on his arms gentle yet firm.

“The Temple is sealed,” she reminded him. “The door is code-locked.”

Oh. Yes. They were expecting retaliation from Palpatine should the Masters fail. Windu had put Shaak Ti in charge of the Temple's defence as a precautionary measure when he had ordered Anakin to wait like a good little Jedi in the Council Chambers while he marched off to kill the man who had always been kind to him, had lied to him, had been the only one to offer to help him save Padmé— But what did it matter? He was a Jedi himself. He had the codes, and Shaak Ti couldn't keep him here when he needed to go—

“And you're in the way of the pad” he snapped.

He jerked back, and this time, he managed break free, but the force of the movement had unbalanced him, bringing on another alarming wave of faintness. His vision blurred, the world spun, his head throbbing painfully with exhaustion and hunger and fear. Hands shot out to catch him once again, and he pitched forward, forced to lean against Shaak Ti to keep his knees from buckling.

“You're not well, Anakin,” the Jedi Master's soft voice spoke somewhere in the vicinity of his ear, but despite how close she was, she sounded distant, muffled, as if she were talking over a bad comm connection. “You should be in the Halls of Healing.”

“I— No. I can't—,” Anakin stammered desperately. He couldn't afford distractions, not with Padmé's life on the line. He had to get to Palpatine now, before Windu— “I'm fine,” he added, trying to push himself back upright again. “I need to go—”

Shaak Ti shook her head.

“What can you possibly do?,” she asked. “Master Windu and the others will handle it. You have done your duty. Let yourself rest.”

Yes, Windu will handle it, Anakin wanted to shout. That's precisely the problem. Padmé was going to die because he couldn't get away, because he couldn't get there on time. His head swam again, and to his horror, he felt tears of fear and frustration pricking at his eyes.

“You don't understand!,” he babbled. How could she understand? How could he explain it to her after he had broken the Code so badly? “There's no time. I have go! I have to do something! I can't just—”

“Anakin, please,” Shaak Ti cut across him. She looked deeply worried. “Let me take you to the healers. You are in no state to be fighting battles against a Sith Lord. You will get yourself killed.”

Anakin shook his head.

“He...he won't kill me,” he murmured, more to himself than to her. “He wants—”

Realising exactly what it is he was about to say, Anakin cut himself off abruptly. He wants me as his apprentice, he thought. That's the price of Padmé's life. My life in service so she and the baby can live. He knew this deeply, instinctively, with all the knowledge of the little boy on Tatooine who had spent his life at the mercy of his masters, even though the part of him that wanted to think not of the Chancellor's lies but of their long friendship tried to tell him that there wouldn't be a price for his help. He couldn't tell Shaak Ti that. Couldn't tell her that, as much as the prospect alarmed him, there was a tiny spark in him beneath the furious insistence that all he wanted was to make sure that Palpatine wasn't killed that was actually considering it. Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face, however, for a look of severe alarm found its way into Shaak Ti's violet eyes.

“He wants what?,” she said, and there was a note of urgency in her tone that he had never heard from her before—usually, she was the very epitome of Jedi calm. “Anakin, what does he want. What has he told you—?”

But before she could demand anything further of him, and before he could even begin to think about evading her questions, four lights blinked out of existence, and the Force screamed. Both Anakin and Shaak Ti staggered under the weight of it.

“What—?” Anakin gasps. He knew those lights. Windu. Fisto. Kolar. Tiin. Where were they? They couldn't just be gone. They couldn't be— There had been four of them and only one of Palpatine. He couldn't have—

“It cannot be,” Shaak Ti breathed, her eyes wide with horror. “Four Jedi Masters... How could he have—?”

She shook herself, as if she could rid herself of fear the way an akk dog did water after a swim.

“We must see to the Temple's defences. I fear he will come for us next, and without—”

But she never got to finish, as Anakin took advantage of her distraction to dart around her towards the keypad. Another wave of dizziness overcame him, and he nearly crumpled in a heap on the floor, but he flung out an arm to break his fall. Bracing his right arm against the wall, he raised his trembling flesh hand to the pad, intent on typing in his code. If only he could stop it from shaking so violently, let alone shift the sand in his head to remember what the damned code was—

A hand circled around his wrist, and he froze.

“Anakin, no,” Shaak Ti said sternly, even as her voice shook at the feeling in the Force of four Jedi Masters dead. “I cannot let you go to him. Whatever he wants with you, it will bring you nothing but harm.”

Harm. Harm. Palpatine had harmed Windu and the others. Had killed them. He should want to kill him, as he had for one short moment in the man's office when he revealed to him that he was the Sith Lord behind the war. Did he want to kill him now? No, he needed him to save Padmé. He needed that knowledge, that power. Who cared if it harmed him as long as it helped her? A small voice in his head whispered to him that if Sidious had the power to defeat four Jedi alone, then surely being able to save Padmé would be nothing by comparison. Oh Force, he felt sick.

“Please,” he begged, appalled to hear his voice tremble and break as he spoke. He wanted to cry, wanted to rest, to fall asleep in Padmé's arms knowing that she was safe, that he would no longer be plagued by dreams of her death and that he wouldn't have to turn to the Sith Lord that had just killed four Jedi Masters for help. But he couldn't have any of that. All he had was one possible way to save her life that Shaak Ti wouldn't let him take. “Please, it's not me, it's— She's going to die! Padmé's going to die and I have to...”

Shaak Ti's eyes widened in sudden realisation, but he could barely see her through the blackness that was encroaching on his vision. She tilted sideways or—no, he tilted sideways, tumbling to the floor and what was that? Was the door opening? Had she opened the door? No, it was someone coming in—many someones with heavy booted feet and blue and white armour and weapons pointed—

There was a click of many weapons being primed, a shout, the snap-hiss of a lightsaber being ignited, and then the darkness consumed him amid a hurricane of blaster fire.

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elmidol · 4 years ago

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Armageddon

Three Blind Tooke Part Three Death is an Art

Read on Ao3

Three Blind Tooke

Part Three: Death is an Art

Chapter Sixty-Five: Armageddon

And on this day I was afraid

That my actions would come too late.

Why did we hear the trumpet’s call

Far too close to the curtain’s fall?

In the end it had taken four shots to fulfill your mission of destroying the jamming tower. This was not due to you missing your shot, because you hadn’t. Once you had succeeded in hitting the area of the weak spot that you had known about, you noticed that what you had eliminated was a reinforced casing. It, along with the shields and Walkers, had been the First Order’s quick fix with the limited amount of time that they had had before the Order of Ren’s arrival. With your comrades continuing to cover you, you had at last cut through the final barrier and blasted through the transmitter. Broken wires crackled, sparking, and you searched for additional shields that might be raised.

One of your stormtrooper allies lifted their comlink, which they had done periodically as a means of testing if the signal remained jammed. Static burst through. It caused the muscles in your arms to jump; it was good that you had removed your finger from the trigger. The signal was no longer jammed, however there were clear interruptions that prompted you to scan your surroundings. That was when you noticed First Order reinforcements emerging from portions of the facilities that remained guarded by AT-M6 Walkers that had not abandoned their posts. You now understood why that was. The soldiers that were joining the battle in full had to be one form of the terror troopers that you had been anticipating. The mecha soldiers that walked behind them--in sync with them, you noticed immediately--were a surprise. You gnashed your teeth together and placed a steadying hand on the stormtrooper’s arm. Their thumb depressed the button on the comlink, ending the stream of static.

“Change frequency,” Cardo instructed. There were four frequencies that had been discussed, that were capable of working while the scrambler was in use. The stormtrooper cycled through the three other frequencies, testing each one, and settled on the third due to receiving a response from another soldier. You adjusted your own comlink, as did the others around you who were in possession of such a device. Two of the comlinks within the group remained on the original frequency in case the issue was remedied; the pilots above might not know to switch, and this was one method of informing them of the change. It was unlikely in your opinion. Droid companions would advise them. Regardless, it would be foolish to not take such precautions.

The group that you were a part of worked together to head in the direction that you had desired, nearer to where Kylo Ren had last been seen. The appearance of the terror troopers meant that splitting up would be unwise. It would be far too easy for them to pick you off one by one. Although remaining too bunched together would yield a similar result, albeit in a shorter time frame.

Maintaining a set distance between each of your allies as they accompanied you, you targeted the regular First Order stormtroopers. They were acting in defense rather than offense now that the terror troopers were more freely roaming the battleground. Many were gathered together around damaged shield projectors, their goal obvious to you. You refused to allow them any leeway. They could not regain any sort of upper hand that they had lost. Homefield advantage would only go so far, and taking out the shields had eliminated much of that.

The storm raged on overhead along with the dogfights, and after a second of not staring up at the sky you were unable to tell what sounds were man made and what were natural. There were too many pawns on the battlefield for you to watch the skies, however, and so you selected a route as well as a target then shouted to your comrades so that they would be able to follow your lead. Once more, it was not one of the terror troopers--you were too far away, and you had not yet deduced what shields they possessed. They were alone, unlike the previous groups that you had targeted. No need to waste time and firepower until you had a better assessment. On top of that, one of the other squadrons had messaged in on the comlinks to reveal that they were engaged with similar forces. They were coming from the opposite side, and if you could converge upon the enemy that would increase the odds of success.

I wonder how Finn is doing. As you thought this, you found yourself searching for Rey. A part of you hoped that locating her would reveal Kylo’s position, as you were having difficulty spotting his red blade. He might have it deactivated for the time being. If he was focused on temporary stealth as a means of drawing nearer to his destination with limited obstacles, it would be his best bet. Should Rey be with him, it would mean that she would have her lightsaber deactivated as well if he did. Which meant that you would not want to see them spark to life, an indication that they had met enemies the Knights of Ren were unable to quickly defeat.

An akk dog drew up to your side, pausing and pushing at your leg with its snout. You glanced at where you had been touched and discovered that there was a tear in your pants that exposed flesh. You did not see any blood, no visible wounds. The dog stuck by your side, which you appreciated due to a sense of calm that enveloped you with its presence. You could not recall ever having fought beside such a creature in the past. The new experience instilled in you a need to protect it, which heightened your ability to focus. Along with this was the sense of comfort that it would be aware of injuries you might miss. That held the potential of saving your life. You waggled your fingers before the dog’s nose. It pressed its snout to your palm.

Cardo, three paces ahead, stopped walking and checked on your location. His mask shifted as he considered the akk dog. It was another life to care for on the battlefield, and you were plenty willing to take on that responsibility without hindering the Knight of Ren’s ability to keep you safe. For the akk dog to be there, you suspected that its original handler had perished.

Cardo said nothing, turned around, and resumed walking towards a terror trooper that was linked with one of the mecha soldiers. The machine stood at the height of three average men stacked atop one another, which would have caused you to wonder if there was a pilot inside had the soldier’s movements not been in such sync with the trooper. Cardo drew out his blaster. He gestured with the weapon at the terror trooper’s right arm and left leg, on which there were two blinking lights that correlated with the identical flashes on the mecha soldier’s chest. There would be a third transmitter in the terror trooper’s helmet. That would be more difficult to target, which had you taking aim for the trooper’s leg while Cardo sighted the arm.

An officer that had joined your group from another squadron as well as two stormtroopers mimicked your actions. Together the five of you shot at the terror trooper, whose limbs were obliterated one by one in a shower of sparks and blood. The mecha soldier jerked in response, shuddered, but did not collapse nor stop. Its movements became sporadic, lagged, however it was not out for the count. That was an enemy that the X-wings and Order of Ren TIEs would be best suited to pick off. You turned to the next terror trooper in unison with one of your allies. At the same time, you noticed that Cardo had transferred his attention to a different one.

The akk dog’s more calm demeanor in the face of battle caused you to wonder how long the Resistance had been training them for. Or else they may have discovered a breeder with some already fully trained and ready for battle. Whatever the case, it kept pace with you as you moved from target to target, slowly weaving your way nearer to Cardo until the two of you were practically touching.

Two of the mecha soldiers stretched out their arms in accordance with the movements of their assigned terror troopers. New shields spread out before them and deflected the blaster fire that would have damaged those now hidden behind their protective barrier. The First Order’s attacks were less inhibited. One of your nearby allies caught a bolt to the chest that was swiftly followed by two more. Their armor did not save them. The hole went from their chest through their back, a steaming wound that unfortunately had not delivered an immediate death. Thankfully, it had not been overly prolonged either--if that had been a possibility, it was eliminated when an officer momentarily pointed down their weapon and fired at close range through the helmet. The stormtrooper’s movements ceased. Beside you, the dog scented the air.

Clicking your tongue against your teeth to summon the akk dog to follow, you shuffled forward before heading in a more diagonal direction. Cardo had murmured to you that he had located Kylo prior to starting to shift away. You kept contact with a portion of his body--his shoulder against yours or else his hip on yours--in order to let him guide you while not tearing your gaze away from your enemies. They were still growing in number. As one mecha soldier fell, another came to take its place. There were far more terror troopers as well, and they were proving difficult to kill. Their limbs scattered the battlefield yet they walked on, seemingly oblivious to pain.

What was worse, the comlinks jammed, which was proof that there was a secondary tower or portable jamming device that the First Order was using. You growled low in your throat. Dameron had just been reporting in when the signal had cut out. He had spotted a new variation of TIEs that the First Order was using. They had no shields but did possess improved weaponry that had taken out one of the Order of Ren’s AT-M6s with ease.

You felt torn between ignoring the growing need to locate the new jamming device and flinging yourself towards Kylo. Cardo could sense your unease. He nudged his hip into yours, shoving you in the opposite direction than where your heart screamed for you to go. Lightning flashed in the sky, spiderwebbing outwards. It failed to catch any ships. It did succeed at illuminating the area enough that you were provided with a clear view of an antenna on a First Order AT-M6 that you had previously failed to notice. You brought it to Cardo and a stormtrooper’s attention. Cardo grunted, grabbed one of his grenades, and readied to throw it. You scanned the path it would take for any allies. Not that you could do anything to help them, you thought while your heart thudded painfully in your chest. He had already lobbed the explosive. He threw a second, arcing it a little differently so that as the enemy prematurely activated the first by firing on it, they missed the existence of the second.

“I’ll take care of whatever remains,” an officer said, and you recognized them as the one that had argued with you earlier due to wanting more air support. “You go to the Supreme Leader.”

You patted the officer on the shoulder in the quickest display of gratitude that you could muster, one that emphasized your uttered thanks as you pushed away from him and began to run towards Kylo. The akk dog chased after you, releasing a noise to let you know that it was there. Cardo took an extra few moments before he rejoined you; you assumed that he was giving some of his grenades to the squadron that you were leaving behind. Anything to give them whatever advantages he could. You scanned the stormtroopers and officers that were closest to Kylo Ren, noting how they were using themselves as a barrier that would hold up even when their shields failed; they would protect them until their dying breath.

They parted enough for you to slip into the center as a way of joining Kylo then immediately converged, sealing off any hole that had been created to make way for you. There was a separate collection of soldiers that surrounded Rey. In this way, the pair of Force users were together without clashing. Cardo joined Rey just as you had joined Kylo. The two groups were focused on separate targets. In doing so, they prevented the First Order from sandwiching them. Chewbacca’s squadron was within view now as well, mostly from the damage they were delivering.

With Kylo and Rey in close proximity despite being divided into two groups, you were nervous that the First Order might target them as one. A single attack could cripple the Order of Ren. It might not be a complete defeat, however it would lower the chances of success. They must have realized this. Rey began to split off towards the right. Those surrounding her followed suit, meanwhile the soldiers that were around you and Kylo remained in place. On the other side of the battlefield, Chewbacca’s squadron split into two. Thus three became four, and the Order of Ren went on the offense anew.

Finn was cutting across the land from another direction. You caught sight of his lightsaber in the corner of your eye as you scanned for weaknesses in the First Order’s defenses. You were unsure how to tackle the AT-M6 that was closest to Rey’s group. Chewbacca released a bellow as he hefted his crossbow and fired off a shot. You tracked the blast from weapon to target. He was not targeting the Walker directly, but instead focusing his attention on a nearby mecha soldier that careened into the Walker’s leg. As you turned back to consider Finn, you saw the Force user downing another mecha soldier with his plasma blade. Due to their actions, Finn and Chewbacca were further dividing the First Order’s forces; this lessened some of your previous concerns.

The akk dog circled you protectively. Kylo looked down at it again, gesturing with his hand. “Are you wounded?” You shook your head in unison with answering verbally. He grunted in response. “It can sense your unease.” You narrowed your eyes in suspicion. There was not much time at all to think about what he might be sensing through your bond. Chewbacca had shot once more at a mecha soldier that slammed against the AT-M6, which toppled over.

An X-wing that you assumed was Poe based on its maneuvers dropped low, rolled, and fired on a squad of terror troopers that had begun to pour from the Walker’s belly. He--or whoever the pilot was--was joined by three more ships, each of which focused on a different AT-M6 or mecha soldier. Two other X-wings swept past to target enemy TIEs and one of the shield generators. The pilots had little fear of lightning; the storm was travelling away, the electrical bursts less frequent.

“Can you sense him at all?” you asked Kylo after observing the starfighters split apart from one another to provide additional cover. Beside you he curled his hand into a tighter fist around the lightsaber’s hilt. You waited for the red blade to emerge. It did not. “Kylo?” You already had a decent idea as to what the answer was based on his reaction, however you wanted the verbal confirmation. This was partly because you just wanted to hear his voice.

It was only after Chewbacca released a wookie roar that your group could easily hear that Kylo responded. “No. there are no voids either--he is using a taozin amulet, as expected.” You heard no traces of bitterness. He simply spoke facts, was detached emotionally though you strongly suspected that this would change the moment Armitage Hux and Kylo Ren stood face to face. In the meantime he was levelheaded, which was the best state for him to be in at the time.

He looked once more to the akk dog, this time appreciating its presence for a reason other than the potential it had to protect you. Not that you had any item on your person that would help the akk dog track down Armitage. That would have been very convenient. Kylo ignited his blade in his right hand while extending his left towards the akk dog, which moved forward to nuzzle his fingers just as it had done to yours. The contact was prolonged in comparison, as though they were communicating via the Force.

You made yourself jerk your gaze away, lifted your blaster rifle, and worked to pick off regular First Order stormtroopers that were mixed in with the terror troopers. Rey’s squad was angled to where it would merge with Finn’s if they both continued on their path. The group that you were in would meet up with the portion of Chewbacca's that contained the wookie. You kept note of their various positions while also shooting at your enemies. There was a nearby Walker that had been cut in two and was collapsed on its side; Kylo ordered the soldiers around you to head in that direction.

Air support drew attacks from the AT-M6s as well as some of the weapon turrets. There were bodies and ships dropping, the carnage growing on both sides of the battle. You heard comms going, ground and air troops speaking to one another in order to coordinate attacks. Kylo extended his left arm. One of the ships wobbled, clearly under the influence of the Force. You smiled to yourself, watched the ship hit into an ally, and felt a burst of pride knowing that the man you followed had eliminated two more enemy vessels.

You began to move as if on autopilot; many of the sights and sounds of battle were stored in the back of your mind to be processed--to be acknowledged--later, should you live. Your finger pulled the trigger. You knew that the power level on your blaster was being drained, however you had the pistol and vibroblades if and when it became useless. On top of that, you could pick weapons off of corpses. A morbid thought to have, perhaps, but not one that you hadn’t been forced to contemplate in past battles.

Kylo Ren had Leia’s lightsaber clipped on his belt while he wielded the one he had made. At one point he had asked if you wanted to use the weapon. Hesitation had caused you to sway in place, to go over your previous experience with the blade. You could and would use it if it became necessary, yet your overall inexperience with it dictated your answer at the time. Originally you had believed that the lightsaber would be burned or buried with Leia Organa’s body. Maybe Kylo would bury it after her murderer was killed.

The soldiers surrounding you began to fan out, creating a break in the shield that had thus far assisted in keeping you from injury. There was no way around that. The AT-M6s, mecha soldiers, and terror troopers continued their assault; and your allies did not cease in their counterattacks. Kylo, the akk dog, and you began to slip away from them toward a visible entrance that would take you underground. A quick glance over your shoulder revealed who was following. Chewbacca, Rey, and the nearby Knights of Ren would not be abandoning you to this mission of locating Hux. The narrow doorway meant that all would temporarily be lined up, ready to be skewered with a single shot.

Though Hux was using a taozin amulet, that did not block Kylo from using the Force as the ysalamiri had. It was more a cloak for himself. This was preferable, emphasized now that Kylo was headed through the entrance. He flicked his lightsaber in front of himself, both lighting the way and as a means of defending himself from any attacks that might come. Two Order of Ren soldiers walked behind him then you, followed closely by the akk dog. Next came Rey, more soldiers, the Knights of Ren. You worked to judge the identities of those in your group that ventured underground based on their footsteps.

Light gradually dwindled until you were eclipsed in darkness aside from the red glow of Kylo’s blade. Rey ignited hers, increasing the amount of light. Its color mingled with the red, casting new hues along the walls and faces of gathered beings. You tapped at the side of your helmet to activate the night vision that Cardo had ensured you would be equipped with. You spotted silhouettes in the distance, a large gathering of them as the hall expanded at an intersection. What kept the First Order from attacking outright was the lightsaber that would deflect their blows, and the fact that firing too soon would lower the amount of targets they would have in comparison to if they waited. Prompting a retreat was not what the First Order did. They wanted death, not prisoners.

Within moments lightsabers glowed in the darkness, illuminating the soldiers that relied on blasters and claws as well as those in possession of the plasma blades. The sheer number of terror troopers at the First Order’s disposal summoned an invisible hand that wrapped around your heart. It sent an icy chill throughout your body. There would be more in the corridors beyond; not one of them in sight due to an absence of lightsabers. Armitage Hux had been wise in positioning the soldiers in stages. The limited amount of entrances had already been a successful deterrent for the plan to attack from both sides. Hux was relying on his army to either kill Kylo Ren or else tire him out. Anything to gain an advantage over the Force user. He truly was playing a game of holochess, always had been.

You wracked your brain to remember what plays he tended to make. There were specific pieces that he held onto, and it was those that you would not yet have seen. You moved forward, nudging Kylo with your hip. Rey stepped up to join you. Together, the two of you were blocking Kylo from your enemies and thus from needlessly exerting himself. In these cramped quarters, you would be able to pick off the terror troopers with greater ease than you had up above.

The thrumming of the lightsabers grew in volume as two more activated. You swore aloud and asked Rey if she believed the others were hiding any more on their bodies. A pause, which was in part from her seeking an answer and also because your adversaries had charged. You dropped down onto one knee, genuflecting and firing the pistol after slinging your rifle’s strap across your back. You had one of the vibroblades in your hand, firm against your pistol’s grip and ready for use. Kylo swung his lightsaber over your head. The bolt that would have killed or wounded you ricocheted off his blade and into the throat of a nearby terror trooper. They lost an arm but did not stop walking forward. This was what they were designed for, you reminded yourself. It was no different than the ones that you had fought above ground save for the fact that you were closer to them.

Armitage better be in this area, you thought as you took aim at a terror trooper’s head. That would be the swiftest means of defeating them. Rey realized this as well. Her lightsaber sliced in an arc, decapitating one of her opponents mere moments before she twirled to avoid injury from a second. The difficulty here was that there was less room to maneuver. You had to duck so as to not be caught by Rey’s blade. This resulted in you missing an opportunity to attack one of the clawed troopers with your vibroblade. Instead they caught your arm, fine pointed tips burrowing into your flesh after shredding part of your sleeve. Without missing a beat, you thrust your vibroblade forward into the soldier’s throat. A gurgle erupted, the claw giving a spasm, and the terror trooper yanked backwards to disengage. It took your blade with it, eliciting another curse from you.

You went for one of your other blades with one hand, the other preoccupied with the pistol you had managed to keep hold of. Your aim was off, which meant you clipped the terror trooper’s cheek instead of penetrating the center of his face. Scowling, you fired twice more in rapid succession. The trooper jerked backwards, righted himself, and lurched forward as gore spewed from the hole in his face. Blood showered you, momentarily obscuring your vision.

A hand on the back of your collar stopped you from surging towards another soldier. It yanked you backwards, temporarily choking you while also keeping you from being impaled on a clawed hand that had sought your hip. Trudgen maneuvered so that you were behind him. He held his second blade, also large, and sliced through the soldier’s throat. There was not enough room for him to use his vibrocleaver without risk of harming an ally. It had to be frustrating for him, however he did not act as though he was hindered in the least from what you had observed. You recovered from being placed behind him, angled your body and extended your arm, and shot at one of the lightsaber wielding terror troopers.

Your blast hit the soldier’s wrist but to no avail. There was no loss of momentum on their swing, which was caught on the edge of Rey’s lightsaber. Had she not gone for that, the enemy’s blade would have sliced Trudgen’s weapon in half. You shot again. This blaster bolt also did minimal damage. Aiming higher up on the terror trooper’s arm, you managed to catch a bit of flesh. The soldier’s arm gave a spasm, the lightsaber falling to the ground--or towards it; another of the troopers dropped down and caught the hilt, reactivating the lightsaber and attacking one of the Order of Ren stormtroopers. Growling, you fired at this other enemy and again managed to get the lightsaber to drop. This time it clattered noisily to the ground and, when it was picked up, was retrieved by an ally of yours.

Chaos erupted around you, the flurry of motions making you unable to fully distinguish friend from foe. You dropped down lower, felt a welcomed hand on your shoulder that was accompanied by a buzzing to your left, and were grateful for the red lightsaber. You watched with interest as some of your shots arced unnaturally. Kylo cupped his hand, three fingers shifting towards his palm as he directed the shot towards the right. A flick of his finger separated the blast into two, which pierced different terror troopers. One crumpled towards the ground, twitching, and the other was thrown off balance enough that Rey easily stabbed through their chest before thrusting her blade upwards, slicing through the merged flesh and technology.

Together Kylo and Rey thrust their hands forward, sending multiple terror troopers flying backwards. Some were impaled on the blades of their comrades’s lightsabers, others on claws. There were a few that hit the wall or else simply were unfortunate enough to pull the trigger and end the life of another. Not that any of them reacted to the losses. They stood if possible, rolling forward like a wave that existed solely to cause devastation. You shook your head, shooting over and over again. As you did so, you shuffled forward along with your own allies. You were further into the intersection, almost to where you would have to choose a direction to travel once the enemy was defeated.

Everyone dropped back as you each noticed Trudgen stepping forwards. He was able to swing his vibrocleaver, breaking through multiple terror troopers as though they were mere dolls. It was not an inaccurate thing to refer to them as, you thought whilst piercing the arm of a clawed soldier with one of your own blades. Kylo swerved around you. He, Rey, and Trudgen were fast at eliminating your enemies. Chewbacca provided as much cover for the three as you did. Despite the high stakes, you were not as stressed as you might have been without the wookie’s presence. Likewise, the fact that Rey and Kylo were able to use the Force to aid in protecting your group gave you some peace of mind.

The intersection split off into three directions aside from the path you had taken to get there. Directly ahead, two soldiers stood sentry. They were clad in darkened gear and wore masks that prevented you from knowing if these were terror troopers or some other form of elite soldier. Their visages reminded you much of Darth Vader, of the mask that Kylo Ren had worn when you had first hunted him. Their lightsaber blades were orange, one slightly darker than the other and nearer to a reddish hue. Amulets swung from their throats. Given how Kylo’s lips pulled into a frown, you guessed that these were the taozin amulets that Hux also used. It could not protect them from a pistol shot--no, that was what their quick reflexes and lightsabers did. The two sentries twirled their blades in a similar fashion to Kylo’s fighting style, the blasts forced backwards. One hit the wall to the right of your head. The other went left, striking a stormtrooper in the thigh. It scorched the red armor, chipped a portion of it, but thankfully failed to pierce flesh.

You did not fire a third time, although many of your companions did shoot more. It was only when Kylo roared for them to cease fire that they stopped. As one, the two sentries fell into fighting stances that could swiftly alternate between defense and offense. Rey and Kylo stood side by side with their blades raised. They advanced in unison with their enemies. Turning away, you pursued those you stood a chance against, the soldiers that might otherwise search for weaknesses in Kylo’s defense while he was distracted by the other warriors.

Footsteps from behind alerted you to reinforcements arriving. You listened for their identity, to know if they were friend or foe, and released a heavy sigh of relief through pursed lips when you heard Finn’s voice. He drew up level with you, the akk dog directly behind your legs and his. “I’ll need to return to the surface,” he said, sounding breathless, as though he had just been running. “They have more Force sensitives on their side. Maybe experiments. I can’t tell.” You nodded, bobbing your head in acknowledgement the entire time he spoke.

“I’m just glad you’re here now. I’ll be shocked if he isn’t down one of these paths.” Finn took on one terror trooper that attempted to rush you, meanwhile you shot at two others. “If there are other entrances, they all are connected.” A sort of web, the spider somewhere at the center or perhaps even at an outer edge that you had not visited. “They’re trying to seal us off in here?”

The reply you received came in the form of a grunt that preceded more fighting behind you. That was enough to elicit a growl from you, to increase your dedication towards defeating these enemies in order to take on the others more quickly. As he fought, Finn commented that communication with your squad had been lost. That coupled with witnessing other First Order troopers pouring into the entrance--these Finn and other Order of Ren soldiers had taken care of--had prompted the fast agreement to go underground and ensure that your group was not injured or defeated.

Another set of armored sentries came from a second entrance at the intersection. These did not have lightsabers, instead wielding execution axes that were reinforced by plasma. “It isn’t just Hux that they’re protecting,” Finn said. “A transmission was intercepted--they have something that is amplifying the powers of their soldiers. It’s down here. You need to target that more than you need to kill Hux.” He spoke those words while stepping to the side so that Trudgen could aim an attack that put the two sentries on the defense. Finn utilized this alteration to his advantage, cutting at an exposed wrist.

Frustrated bubbled within you anew. He was right, and that was what provoked your ire. The war extended beyond Armitage Hux. He could be killed after his army was defeated.

You stopped seeing colors, stopped seeing faces. Your finger tugged on the trigger time and again as you switched from one target to the next. Your job was to provide support, and that was what you did as your mind raced through potential sources that would be increasing your enemy's power. It might well be Force related, however you assumed it was, at least in part, based on technology. A combination was not unlikely either; kyber crystals had been used to power the weapon that had destroyed Naboo.

“Kyber,” you whispered, keeping your voice low so that you did not distract your allies. It was nothing more than a guess. You had no tangible evidence to support your theory as of yet, however you kept glancing around for signs. There remained a necessity for proof of Hux’s location as well as proof of which direction this source might be. “The Empire had other experiments. More blood from Palpatine and Vader?”

The sentries that Finn, Trudgen, Kylo and Rey fought were superior to the other terror troopers that you had yet faced. Their reaction time was improved. They were hitting harder without evidence of fatigue. Here a third set started down the final path. Order of Ren soldiers moved past you to confront them. You were in the center of the intersection, away from any enemies. The rest of the terror troopers, those with claws and with lightsabers, had fallen. You took a moment to peer around the area and tally up the losses from your side.

So many dead. You held your breath, looked down the three corridors as best you could. Darkness swallowed the secrets that each one held. Guide me. I don’t know where to… To Hux… To the power source… But I can’t stay still.

Of the first set of sentries, the pair blocked the path that you would have to take to get anywhere. Those that Finn faced were farther into the intersection, leaving you more room. As for the final pair, one was lingering in the entryway to the path and the other had just stepped closer to your location.

Please don’t let me die, you thought, twisting fast on your ankle and launching yourself in the direction of the first two. You ducked and rolled. Felt air sweep past you. Hissed in pain at the sensation of something biting and burning the flesh of your shoulder. Not deeply--you could move your arm, were able to support your weight when you caught yourself on that hand. You shoved yourself back up to your feet and turned to face your enemies. Witnessed them spinning to attack you--and thus you were able to see Kylo and Rey shove their lightsabers through the sentries. Kylo scowled, his expression almost completely concealed by the darkness. It was Rey’s lightsaber, which she drew back, that lit his face.

Rey joined Finn to fight the other pairs of armored sentries. The screams of lightsabers echoed throughout the intersection, their violent meetings ringing in your ears. Kylo pointed a finger at you similarly to how one would scold a pet. You glowered at him in return, saying nothing and wiggling your fingers for the akk dog to sniff as it arrived beside you. Keeping it safe was one of your priorities. Noticing this, Kylo nodded in what you took to be a display of praise. He then resumed fighting.

One by one the sentries fell, each of the three paths open for travel. Finn repeated the news he had given to you then rushed towards the exit so that he could report back to the ground troops on the surface. A few Order of Ren troopers followed after him, though most remained behind so that your group could divide into three.

Chewbacca released a rumble that prompted Rey to place a single finger against her lips, hushing the wookie. His next sound was softer. He did not want to leave Kylo’s side, was refusing to do so. The Knights of Ren that were present nodded their agreement. Rey, too, voiced her refusal.

“You will do as commanded.” Though he said this, Kylo gestured to a set of officers and stormtroopers then thrust his hand in the direction to his right. They headed that way without protest, their progress slow. Another group was sent in the second direction. As for the path that you were waiting at, the rest joined you.

It was easy to understand why Kylo Ren had not fought the others much in regards to splitting up; another intersection meant that it became necessary to divide again. This time everyone came to a standstill. Everyone, that is, except for you. Your feet carried you in one direction of their own accord. You had not paid any attention to where you were walking. Became conscious that you were moving only when your name was called and the group moved to catch up with you.

Susurrations slipped along your ear like delicate caresses from a tender lover. You paused midstep, cocked your head to the side, and held your breath as a means of eliminating any potential obstacles that would hinder your ability to hear. The words--if that was what they were--remained nonsensical. The sounds were not ones you often heard. Given an opportunity to pause, you realized that you had only ever experienced their presence when interacting with Rey or Kylo. These were related to the Force, and it was likely due to your bond and Kylo’s close proximity that you heard them in that moment.

Chewbacca released a low rumble that you took as indication he, too, heard the strange whispers. The wookie took a step backwards, albeit not in retreat so much as to make room for Rey, who in contrast had started to push forward. Kylo held out an arm to block her and the others. You utilized this pause to take stock of everyone’s behavior. The other soldiers, Force sensitive and non, held perplexed expressions. The Knights of Ren were less fazed by the noises, a fact that did not surprise you given what you did know regarding their history as well as their more recent missions. As for the akk dog, it began to pace back and forth as though agitated. Chewbacca repeated his previous rumble, and you half-wished that you better understood wookie beyond the fraction of the language that you had managed to learn during the past few years.

Kylo gestured for part of the group, including Rey, to proceed back to the intersection and to go in the direction that they had originally been assigned. She glowered at him, ready to protest, however he cut her off. “Do not enter the room. Keep a distance.” You bit down on your bottom lip, considered what he wasn’t saying. This might be an ambush of some sort, could be Armitage Hux working to use an experiment run by the late Emperor that allowed him to properly weaponize the Force. Everything that you had been thinking since Finn had explained the reasoning of his appearance. “Take the dog.” You again looked at the creature. It was difficult to know if it was excited or nervous or both.

“Fine,” Rey bit out, reaching out her hand to summon the akk dog nearer to her side. It obeyed, slinking behind her and watching the direction from which a new set of whispers erupted. Your heart stuttered in your chest, the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. “Are you going alone?”

“No,” you hissed before Kylo could reply. He considered you, a frown on his face. He could use the Force to compel you to remain behind; that was the only way you would obey such an order aside from the Knights of Ren seizing hold of you. That would be foolish. It would busy their hands, prevent them from being able to easily use their weapons should another attack occur. “I won’t get in your way.” His eyes pinched in the corners. His mood you could read; he was annoyed and amused all at once.

He preceded you down the path, which you knew did lead to a room. How he was able to sense these things always astounded you. You held your pistol at the ready while walking behind him. Kylo had his lightsaber’s hilt in his hand, yet his blade was deactivated. He was curious more than he was apprehensive. That was not different from his normal demeanor, and you allowed yourself to take comfort in it. That did not mean that you dropped your guard. You listened to the whispers. Inaudible. Foreign. A mixture of hisses and gentle murmurs.

The room was farther up enough that, when you turned around, you could no longer see Rey or any of the others. You did not call for them. Instead you twisted back, faced forward, and entered a dimly lit room with Kylo. Its center was bare, however the entirety of the wall shimmered. This room had been carved from the planet itself rather than being installed with durstaeel walls. There were some tanks that appeared to you to be filled with bacta and the remains of experiments. These did not hold your attention. The shimmering, on the other hand, did. Crystals were embedded in the walls. They pulsated, at times in unison and at other points in a pattern that you could not place.

You walked to the right, hand outstretched and making contact with the cool stone and one of the crystals. It felt strange on your hand. Neither hot nor cold, a kind of lukewarm feeling that reminded you of touching another living being. “Tooke.” You hummed at the sound of his voice without turning around. He said your name next, and this did cause you pause. You started to turn--and then you felt it.

You felt the intense heat that wanted to consume your entire being. Your body and spirit alike were being assaulted. It hungered for you in ways that you had not known before, or at least had never been conscious to experience in full. When you had perished that first time, you had been under the sway of Kylo’s power and medications that Miovtha had delivered into your system. This time you were conscious and could feel it all. The flame, the teeth, the metal biting into the flesh of your back. You were thrust forward.

Strangely, he was as well. Kylo Ren’s body collided into yours, and the inferno swirled around the pair of you, wrapping around your limbs. As though it were fusing the two of you together into one. It was difficult to tell where you ended and he began, if the two of you were a single being or separate entities.

The whispers quickly turned into screams; each of the kyber crystals that had been embedded in the walls exploded, widening the blast radius. It might well be swallowing the entire planet. It could take down all of your allies and enemies. Perhaps it would result in the planet’s destruction--but that would not end the war. Such was your thought as metal dug from your back and punched past your chest, into Kylo’s, out of his body.

This can’t be real, one part of your mind screamed. Another portion was too focused on the pain to care. The pain of your physical injuries, but also the pain when you considered that Kylo was going through this with you. That he might die. Don’t let him die. Not again. Please, not again.

Your hands, bleeding and mutilated, found his robe. You clutched desperately onto the material, tried to tilt back your head, and realized that you could not breathe. His eyes were locked onto yours. Then Kylo’s head jerked up as another whisper entered the room. This one grew in volume, in clarity, and gained a gender. It was a male speaking. A man that knew Kylo’s name and so spoke it as if in greeting.

“And where were you last time?” An accusation, one that would come from the lips of a hurt child. Yet that was not Han Solo’s voice that you were hearing; it was one that you did not recognize.

“Last time you were drowning in Darkness,” the voice said. “This time you have chosen balance.”

#three blind tooke #death is an art #kylo ren x reader #kylo x reader #kylo ren fanfic #kylo ren x you #kylo x you

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