Losing the Force (6/?) - Six Prompts
Jun. 18th, 2018 08:19 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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puzzlepromptsTitle: Losing the Force (Part 6 of ?)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wicked_jester
Fandom/Universe: Star Wars: The Sequel Trilogy
Characters: Kylo Ren, Rey, General Armitage Hux, General Leia Organa, Poe Dameron
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1,896
Summary: While training as Luke Skywalker's apprentice, Rey is haunted by dreams of Kylo Ren. She turns to her master, and learns the truth about his exile: the discovery of a relic that enables its wielder to steal energy, rendering a Force user powerless. As Kylo and his Knights of Ren close in on their objective to destroy the last Jedi, the time to invoke this ancient power becomes imminent.
Prompts: Power Hour: Telepathy, Creature Feature: Dragon/Reptile/Snake/Dinosaur, Adulting Sucks!: Juggling work and personal/family/romantic life.Classified Section: Spy! Espionage/Deception/Intelligence Gatherer/Saboteur, Geology Rocks: Caves/Caverns/Tunnels, Random Descriptor: Metal/Metallic. (See: author's note.)
Chapter VI: The Stars Below
General Leia Organa collapsed.
She had been overseeing the scurrying efforts of technicians in the main operations room, her attention focused on nothing except the data reports on the consoles, when an overwhelming sense of pain and urgency overtook her without warning. Droids and humanoids alike were startled by the general’s sudden fall to the ground.
“I’m all right,” she assured the technicians that had rushed to her aid, and the general was back on her feet almost at once. “Ensure that these loose cables on the floor be secured immediately. They’re a trip hazard.” She strode quickly away from the bustling center of the room.
I must remain strong, Leia admonished herself as she used her comlink to request the presence of the one she needed to speak to most right now. Hope is scarce in times of war.
The unexpected sensation of anxiety and suffering had not abated. It was a relentless surge of raw emotions, crushing and terrible; however, she felt a responsibility to not openly reveal any hint of what she was feeling. It would inspire nothing but panic among the Resistance forces, she knew.
Commander Poe Dameron responded to the summons within moments. He was off duty and it was clear from his somewhat ruffled appearance that he had rushed to comply with the request. “General Organa, has something happened? Is it the Order?” Leia knew that she must have looked unwell, judging by his look of worry.
They had a familial bond. Poe often reminded her of someone she had lost many years ago, someone she had wished would one day come back. Tears stung her eyes; she did not try to put on a false display of confidence in front of him. The feeling of an approaching doom was upon her, but it wasn’t for herself that she feared.
“My son,” she managed to say.
Poe Dameron simply nodded. He knew about Ben Solo; he also knew of the new name that her son had taken, having personally met Kylo Ren — but he did not seem to have yet made the connection between the two. It was common knowledge that Luke Skywalker had disappeared after the destruction of his temple; for years, she had encouraged the rumor that Ben had vanished along with his uncle.
“I know where he is,” she continued after several heartbeats. “And we need to go to him, now.”
*****
The underground chamber with the lake now opened before Rey, and as before, the monstrous creature took no notice of the young woman as it descended on the wounded and dazed Kylo Ren, whose lightsaber had been knocked from his grip and out of reach.
She saw as he tried, without avail, to summon it. Blood oozed from numerous cuts and gashes where his black robes and armor had been rent apart as though by rows of knives. The man who had been so willing to mete out death was now fearful and unwilling to accept his own fate as he tried still to evade the oncoming beast that had cornered him.
There was no thought nor hesitation as Rey summoned the crossguard saber from where it had fallen, igniting it – the long crimson beam was emitted first with the crackling hum of its turbulent power, followed closely after by the emergence of two lesser vents that threatened to scorch the fingers of the unwary or unpracticed wielder. She could feel its raw wickedness coursing through the length of her arm, this sword of living flame that had executed the guilty and the innocent alike.
There could be no dwelling on the resonant evil that pervaded the weapon, nor on the volatility that made it considerably harder to control, for there was simply no time left; she merely tightened her hold on the quivering hilt with both hands and swung the blade against the unguarded side of the wyrm crouching over its prey.
The powerful strike left a searing wake across the undefended flank that scarcely damaged the armor of gleaming black scales and sent an unsettling rattle through the weapon as most of its impact was deflected, but the attention of the monster had been successfully diverted from Kylo and onto Rey. She stumbled backward with the red lightsaber poised to defend as the wyrm abandoned its former pursuit for her.
She rolled to narrowly avoid the strike that she had seen coming with the Force only in time, the jaws bristling with fangs missing their intended mark and clipping the empty air. The efforts of the creature were rewarded with a vicious slash to the underside of its throat from the fiery blade that would have slain another wyrm of comparable might, but merely glanced off its nearly impenetrable defenses. Climbing onto the armored back of the towering beast with a nimbleness and dexterity possessed by few, she raised the crossguard lightsaber high above her head and plunged it downward into the curvature between spine and shoulder with all of her strength and with the Force that flowed through her.
The wyrm crumpled onto its side with an eruption of hisses, its serpentine form writhing in agony as the weapon had at last pierced through its protective exterior of obsidian scaling to become embedded in the more yielding flesh underneath. Rey released the hilt and drew away in alarm as strong tremors ran through the lightsaber, its unstable center now shattering and fragmenting within the punctured hide of the creature’s body.
An ancient evil that had never before known intimidation and defeat, the monster sought the darkness of the depths in which to heal from its severe and potentially fatal wounds. It crept for the sanctum of the abyss; yet, even as the broken crystal shards ravaged its vulnerable insides, it would not release the prey that had disturbed its rest and caused such hurt. Rey, believing the fight to be finished, noticed too late the long, lashing tail that whipped toward her and around her waist, dragging her below.
The struggle beneath the surface was desperate as Rey attempted futilely to loose herself from that deadly grip. The light above was rapidly vanishing as beast and prey plummeted further into cold nothingness, locked together in combat. As the breath in her lungs became strained and her movements weakened, she was astonished to sense a vengeful triumph bloom within the creature as it anticipated her drowning death.
Rage took her and renewed strength filled her limbs. She reached out a hand toward the middle of the wyrm’s long and slender body, where the center of its life pulsed and throbbed — then closed her fingers into a crushing fist. The reptilian tail that had held her captive with steely strength fell loose at once; she had stilled the creature’s wicked, gloating heart with the Force.
Had she called upon the light side or the dark, it was unclear, and for now she was unrepentant. The lifeless form of the wyrm dropped away into the unfathomable depths and vanished.
Rey had survived the harsh and arid wastes of a desert world; she knew how to read signs of an impending windstorm, and how to find shelter quickly when the sun became too fierce. The endless blue waters of Ahch-To were an amazement to her, and she had taught herself to swim in the ocean on days when the waves were calm. She moved her arms in sweeping, downward strokes to propel herself upward, but she was far below the surface, and losing strength rapidly.
Her consciousness was fading. She seemed to see the twinkling of stars in the darkness around her as she slipped further into unawareness. There was a blissful tinge to that loss of sensation, as though all of her troubles would soon reach a permanent end.
Rey.
She stirred slightly at the voice that seemed familiar and yet totally foreign at once. She’d heard it before, in a dream so faraway that it no longer mattered.
Rey. You must come back.
Why? she thought back, unwilling now to turn away from the eternal peace that the glittering stars seemed to promise.
We need you.
‘We’? asked Rey mentally. What about you?
I need you.
Suddenly the stars swung away, and awareness returned to her in a disorienting explosion of pain as she coughed water from her burning lungs. She looked around wildly as she took in deep drafts of life-giving air; she was drenched, lying in a puddle of water at the edge of the underground lake that had nearly become her tomb. How had she returned to the surface when it had still been so far away at the point that she lost consciousness?
There was nobody else around, but on the cavern floor beside her was a length of tangled fabric. She picked it up and unraveled it.
Kylo Ren’s cowl, soaking wet.
*****
General Armitage Hux gazed on the oceanic world through the expansive viewport on the command bridge, considering what actions his father, Brendol Hux, might have taken in this situation. Probably seek out any intelligent life or valuable resources that the planet had to offer for the expansion of the First Order. The organization was a living, growing machine that was constantly searching out new places to colonize or strip clean of any usefulness before moving on to the next.
The planet of Ahch-To looked indomitable with scant few areas of dry land that protruded from the bluish-gray waters covering nearly all of its surface. Despite its close proximity to the Unknown Regions, where the Order had gathered the remnants of the Empire and replenished its forces until it emerged again in vast numbers, this world had somehow escaped detection. With the probe droids in deployment, he’d soon have all the information he’d require.
He strode by a series of consoles with flashing monitors and asked the attending technicians about the receipt of new data.
“Sir, we have received preliminary reports,” replied the chief technician, a severe woman with her dark hair wound into an immaculate bun. “The probes’ scanners have picked up strong electromagnetic currents encircling the planet, disrupting any signals or transmissions being sent out or in. Readouts also show traces of primitive life on the islands. Communication with the probe droids was lost after their passage through the atmosphere. We will have a detailed report on their return.”
Hux knew that the presence of an underdeveloped civilization would have meant little to the New Republic had it still existed. His thoughts turned fleetingly to Captain Phasma — it was from such backward societies and empty worlds that the First Order had gleaned some of its fiercest warriors and most cunning strategists. He would, of course, prioritize his mission to find Kylo Ren, but the natives of Ahch-To should be analyzed as well for potential usefulness.
There also remained the matter of that girl, a scavenger from Jakku that had somehow flustered and defeated Ren in spite of his powers. She was a subject of great interest. There was little doubt that Leader Snoke would have been pleased had he managed to capture both her and the treasonous stormtrooper on Starkiller, but there was no time as the planet had been collapsing into itself. Perhaps this was meant as a new opportunity.
The general smiled with vindictive pleasure as he surveyed the bright blue orb within their grasp.
A/N:
Power Hour: Telepathy: Leia senses her son; Rey communicates mentally with someone.
Creature Feature: Dragon/Reptile/Snake/Dinosaur: Aquatic cave dragon.
Adulting Sucks!: Juggling work and personal/family/romantic life: Leia struggles with family concerns at work.
Classified Section: Spy! Espionage/Deception/Intelligence Gatherer/Saboteur: Probe droids.
Geology Rocks: Caves/Caverns/Tunnels: Cave.
Random Descriptor: Metal/Metallic: Metallic dragon scales.
Author:
wicked_jesterFandom/Universe: Star Wars: The Sequel Trilogy
Characters: Kylo Ren, Rey, General Armitage Hux, General Leia Organa, Poe Dameron
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1,896
Summary: While training as Luke Skywalker's apprentice, Rey is haunted by dreams of Kylo Ren. She turns to her master, and learns the truth about his exile: the discovery of a relic that enables its wielder to steal energy, rendering a Force user powerless. As Kylo and his Knights of Ren close in on their objective to destroy the last Jedi, the time to invoke this ancient power becomes imminent.
Prompts: Power Hour: Telepathy, Creature Feature: Dragon/Reptile/Snake/Dinosaur, Adulting Sucks!: Juggling work and personal/family/romantic life.Classified Section: Spy! Espionage/Deception/Intelligence Gatherer/Saboteur, Geology Rocks: Caves/Caverns/Tunnels, Random Descriptor: Metal/Metallic. (See: author's note.)
General Leia Organa collapsed.
She had been overseeing the scurrying efforts of technicians in the main operations room, her attention focused on nothing except the data reports on the consoles, when an overwhelming sense of pain and urgency overtook her without warning. Droids and humanoids alike were startled by the general’s sudden fall to the ground.
“I’m all right,” she assured the technicians that had rushed to her aid, and the general was back on her feet almost at once. “Ensure that these loose cables on the floor be secured immediately. They’re a trip hazard.” She strode quickly away from the bustling center of the room.
I must remain strong, Leia admonished herself as she used her comlink to request the presence of the one she needed to speak to most right now. Hope is scarce in times of war.
The unexpected sensation of anxiety and suffering had not abated. It was a relentless surge of raw emotions, crushing and terrible; however, she felt a responsibility to not openly reveal any hint of what she was feeling. It would inspire nothing but panic among the Resistance forces, she knew.
Commander Poe Dameron responded to the summons within moments. He was off duty and it was clear from his somewhat ruffled appearance that he had rushed to comply with the request. “General Organa, has something happened? Is it the Order?” Leia knew that she must have looked unwell, judging by his look of worry.
They had a familial bond. Poe often reminded her of someone she had lost many years ago, someone she had wished would one day come back. Tears stung her eyes; she did not try to put on a false display of confidence in front of him. The feeling of an approaching doom was upon her, but it wasn’t for herself that she feared.
“My son,” she managed to say.
Poe Dameron simply nodded. He knew about Ben Solo; he also knew of the new name that her son had taken, having personally met Kylo Ren — but he did not seem to have yet made the connection between the two. It was common knowledge that Luke Skywalker had disappeared after the destruction of his temple; for years, she had encouraged the rumor that Ben had vanished along with his uncle.
“I know where he is,” she continued after several heartbeats. “And we need to go to him, now.”
*****
The underground chamber with the lake now opened before Rey, and as before, the monstrous creature took no notice of the young woman as it descended on the wounded and dazed Kylo Ren, whose lightsaber had been knocked from his grip and out of reach.
She saw as he tried, without avail, to summon it. Blood oozed from numerous cuts and gashes where his black robes and armor had been rent apart as though by rows of knives. The man who had been so willing to mete out death was now fearful and unwilling to accept his own fate as he tried still to evade the oncoming beast that had cornered him.
There was no thought nor hesitation as Rey summoned the crossguard saber from where it had fallen, igniting it – the long crimson beam was emitted first with the crackling hum of its turbulent power, followed closely after by the emergence of two lesser vents that threatened to scorch the fingers of the unwary or unpracticed wielder. She could feel its raw wickedness coursing through the length of her arm, this sword of living flame that had executed the guilty and the innocent alike.
There could be no dwelling on the resonant evil that pervaded the weapon, nor on the volatility that made it considerably harder to control, for there was simply no time left; she merely tightened her hold on the quivering hilt with both hands and swung the blade against the unguarded side of the wyrm crouching over its prey.
The powerful strike left a searing wake across the undefended flank that scarcely damaged the armor of gleaming black scales and sent an unsettling rattle through the weapon as most of its impact was deflected, but the attention of the monster had been successfully diverted from Kylo and onto Rey. She stumbled backward with the red lightsaber poised to defend as the wyrm abandoned its former pursuit for her.
She rolled to narrowly avoid the strike that she had seen coming with the Force only in time, the jaws bristling with fangs missing their intended mark and clipping the empty air. The efforts of the creature were rewarded with a vicious slash to the underside of its throat from the fiery blade that would have slain another wyrm of comparable might, but merely glanced off its nearly impenetrable defenses. Climbing onto the armored back of the towering beast with a nimbleness and dexterity possessed by few, she raised the crossguard lightsaber high above her head and plunged it downward into the curvature between spine and shoulder with all of her strength and with the Force that flowed through her.
The wyrm crumpled onto its side with an eruption of hisses, its serpentine form writhing in agony as the weapon had at last pierced through its protective exterior of obsidian scaling to become embedded in the more yielding flesh underneath. Rey released the hilt and drew away in alarm as strong tremors ran through the lightsaber, its unstable center now shattering and fragmenting within the punctured hide of the creature’s body.
An ancient evil that had never before known intimidation and defeat, the monster sought the darkness of the depths in which to heal from its severe and potentially fatal wounds. It crept for the sanctum of the abyss; yet, even as the broken crystal shards ravaged its vulnerable insides, it would not release the prey that had disturbed its rest and caused such hurt. Rey, believing the fight to be finished, noticed too late the long, lashing tail that whipped toward her and around her waist, dragging her below.
The struggle beneath the surface was desperate as Rey attempted futilely to loose herself from that deadly grip. The light above was rapidly vanishing as beast and prey plummeted further into cold nothingness, locked together in combat. As the breath in her lungs became strained and her movements weakened, she was astonished to sense a vengeful triumph bloom within the creature as it anticipated her drowning death.
Rage took her and renewed strength filled her limbs. She reached out a hand toward the middle of the wyrm’s long and slender body, where the center of its life pulsed and throbbed — then closed her fingers into a crushing fist. The reptilian tail that had held her captive with steely strength fell loose at once; she had stilled the creature’s wicked, gloating heart with the Force.
Had she called upon the light side or the dark, it was unclear, and for now she was unrepentant. The lifeless form of the wyrm dropped away into the unfathomable depths and vanished.
Rey had survived the harsh and arid wastes of a desert world; she knew how to read signs of an impending windstorm, and how to find shelter quickly when the sun became too fierce. The endless blue waters of Ahch-To were an amazement to her, and she had taught herself to swim in the ocean on days when the waves were calm. She moved her arms in sweeping, downward strokes to propel herself upward, but she was far below the surface, and losing strength rapidly.
Her consciousness was fading. She seemed to see the twinkling of stars in the darkness around her as she slipped further into unawareness. There was a blissful tinge to that loss of sensation, as though all of her troubles would soon reach a permanent end.
Rey.
She stirred slightly at the voice that seemed familiar and yet totally foreign at once. She’d heard it before, in a dream so faraway that it no longer mattered.
Rey. You must come back.
Why? she thought back, unwilling now to turn away from the eternal peace that the glittering stars seemed to promise.
We need you.
‘We’? asked Rey mentally. What about you?
I need you.
Suddenly the stars swung away, and awareness returned to her in a disorienting explosion of pain as she coughed water from her burning lungs. She looked around wildly as she took in deep drafts of life-giving air; she was drenched, lying in a puddle of water at the edge of the underground lake that had nearly become her tomb. How had she returned to the surface when it had still been so far away at the point that she lost consciousness?
There was nobody else around, but on the cavern floor beside her was a length of tangled fabric. She picked it up and unraveled it.
Kylo Ren’s cowl, soaking wet.
*****
General Armitage Hux gazed on the oceanic world through the expansive viewport on the command bridge, considering what actions his father, Brendol Hux, might have taken in this situation. Probably seek out any intelligent life or valuable resources that the planet had to offer for the expansion of the First Order. The organization was a living, growing machine that was constantly searching out new places to colonize or strip clean of any usefulness before moving on to the next.
The planet of Ahch-To looked indomitable with scant few areas of dry land that protruded from the bluish-gray waters covering nearly all of its surface. Despite its close proximity to the Unknown Regions, where the Order had gathered the remnants of the Empire and replenished its forces until it emerged again in vast numbers, this world had somehow escaped detection. With the probe droids in deployment, he’d soon have all the information he’d require.
He strode by a series of consoles with flashing monitors and asked the attending technicians about the receipt of new data.
“Sir, we have received preliminary reports,” replied the chief technician, a severe woman with her dark hair wound into an immaculate bun. “The probes’ scanners have picked up strong electromagnetic currents encircling the planet, disrupting any signals or transmissions being sent out or in. Readouts also show traces of primitive life on the islands. Communication with the probe droids was lost after their passage through the atmosphere. We will have a detailed report on their return.”
Hux knew that the presence of an underdeveloped civilization would have meant little to the New Republic had it still existed. His thoughts turned fleetingly to Captain Phasma — it was from such backward societies and empty worlds that the First Order had gleaned some of its fiercest warriors and most cunning strategists. He would, of course, prioritize his mission to find Kylo Ren, but the natives of Ahch-To should be analyzed as well for potential usefulness.
There also remained the matter of that girl, a scavenger from Jakku that had somehow flustered and defeated Ren in spite of his powers. She was a subject of great interest. There was little doubt that Leader Snoke would have been pleased had he managed to capture both her and the treasonous stormtrooper on Starkiller, but there was no time as the planet had been collapsing into itself. Perhaps this was meant as a new opportunity.
The general smiled with vindictive pleasure as he surveyed the bright blue orb within their grasp.
A/N:
Power Hour: Telepathy: Leia senses her son; Rey communicates mentally with someone.
Creature Feature: Dragon/Reptile/Snake/Dinosaur: Aquatic cave dragon.
Adulting Sucks!: Juggling work and personal/family/romantic life: Leia struggles with family concerns at work.
Classified Section: Spy! Espionage/Deception/Intelligence Gatherer/Saboteur: Probe droids.
Geology Rocks: Caves/Caverns/Tunnels: Cave.
Random Descriptor: Metal/Metallic: Metallic dragon scales.
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no subject
Date: 2018-06-19 04:45 am (UTC)I am so happy to see you've continued this! Is it hard to write it since TLJ came out? Or it makes no difference?
Once again you've created some beautiful, vivid scenes with your awesome descriptions. Especially with Rey and the wyrm, and then that lovely "I need you" is the icing on the Reylo cake, d'awww. But I like that you're getting the whole cast involved here... like you have epic plans? Hmm! Aaaand you have excellent timing, posting this now. You have no idea how excellent. So thank you for that :D Nice work!
no subject
Date: 2018-06-19 05:16 am (UTC)Well, I consider my fic AU now and there's still a story I'd like to tell even if it's not exactly canon. I did struggle with this chapter, but I met my objective as far as getting everyone where I need them to be.
I intend to have Kylo as a POV eventually; he has some internal angsting to do. Also, Finn has a role coming up. So, the party is really just getting started! Hehe.
Thank you! Once again I appreciate your feedback very much. I had a lot of doubts about how I'd written this chapter. I'm thinking the next one should go a bit easier.
Believe it or not, the part about Rey using Kylo's lightsaber was written in late 2016. I wanted so much to see something like that but never expected it to happen in the movies. TLJ really delivered.
And why is my timing excellent? Are you writing SW fic? :D
no subject
Date: 2018-06-19 12:54 pm (UTC)Finn already has a role in this part, too, in my head canon if not the actual fic canon -- cuz I know why Poe was all less-than-presentable when he came to see Leia ;) But it will be nice to see what you do with him. And internal angsting coming up? Yesssssssss!
TLJ felt like Reylo fic in several places -- just not with the ending we would've liked :( I suppose there's still hope in the next one, but it sure looks like they're not going down that road now.
For my mental health, it was excellent, lol. No SW fic. But I want to get back into SW fandom at least as a reader -- this week in TLOU fandom reminds me why -- and I SHOULD already be there, but my damn muse decided I had to write a sequel to my story that was nicely wrapped up back in 2016, so it's taking longer to remove myself. I know in theory they should be able to overlap... but I'm kinda weird about it?
no subject
Date: 2018-06-20 06:59 pm (UTC)Rey's parentage for example? I am good with the explanation that we got in the movie, it makes plenty of sense to me, although that's not the backstory I personally came up with for her. There will be a reveal in my fic, and I might not go with the canon version. We shall see.
Finn has been busy while Rey's away! I will get more into that for sure.
TLJ did feel very much like a Reylo movie to me too, and so does TFA now in hindsight. Rian Johnson truly does seem to ship it judging by his interactions with fans. I think there is hope! The novelization makes it clear that Rey has not given up on Ben Solo - it's his persona Kylo Ren she has rejected.
I'm happy that my writing has helped you in some way. By all means, let me know anytime if you'd like me to write something Star Wars-related for you. I plan on continuing this fic but would be glad to write a separate piece on the side as well.
no subject
Date: 2018-06-21 01:03 pm (UTC)Awwww that is such a sweet offer! I'll try to come up with some really weird shit to request from you... LOL nah, I kid, I kid. Working on this story is good!
no subject
Date: 2018-06-28 09:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-06-28 09:09 pm (UTC)Volume One Hundred Sixty, Issues Eighteen & Nineteen
Date: 2018-06-20 03:53 am (UTC)