Chapter Nine: The Monster
Chapter Nine: The Monster
Finn's POV
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A door opened to reveal Stormtrooper FN-9330.
"Hey!" He said he fumbled with his blaster but Chewie shoat first, the trooper flies back dead. Chewie dragged him out of sight. Han and I peered around the corner, wary.
"The longer we're here, the less luck we're going to have. The shields?" Han asked. I looked around for a moment and shrugged.
"I have an idea about that," I concluded, moving down the corridor, Han and Chewie quickly followed me. I lead them down a corridor and waited as I heard familiar heavy footsteps. I jumped out and T-Boned hard and fast against Plasma's head, Chewie grabbed her and shoved her out of the corridor into another with me pointing a blaster at her.
"Remember me?" I said snarkily.
"FN-2187." She coldly replied.
"Not anymore. The name's Finn, and I'm in charge. I'm in charge now, Phasma. I'm in charge." I said in her face. Han tapped me on the shoulder.
"Bring it down. Bring it down." Han insisted. I nodded and smiled at my former Captain.
"Follow me."
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Rey's POV
Inside the inner workings of the base, tiny by comparison, I climbed with Bini among the infrastructure, a drop to infinity below us. Bini grunted as she strained her injured arm straining. I helped Bini climb onto a platform and looked at the exit in the distance.
"We are almost there, Bini. Almost there."
I stumbled as the sound of X-wings rumbled overhead and started firing at the planet, followed by Tie Fighters.
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Finn's POV
Plasma sat at the workstation as Han, Chewie and I had blasters pointed at her. Plasma hesitantly and reluctantly works controls on the workstation.
"You want me to blast that bucket off your head?" I threatened. "Lower the shields."
"You're making a big mistake." Plasma replied coldy.
"Do it." Chewie moan talked causing Phasma hits a few more buttons "SHIELDS DISABLE INITIATE" the words flash on the workstation.
"Solo, if this works, we're not going to have a lot of time to find Rey and Bini."
"Don't worry kid, we won't leave here without them." Han insisted, the controls beeped and the flashing words "SHEILDS DISABLED."
"You can't be so stupid as to think this will be easy. My troops will storm this block and kill you all." Plasma barked at us.
"I disagree. What do we do with her?" I asked.
"Is there a garbage chute? Trash compactor?"
"Yeah, there is..."
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General Hux's POV
Alarms blared as large explosions were seen atop a distant oscillator seen through the large command windows.
"Dispatch all squadrons..." I ordered.
"Yes, General."
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Finn's POV
Han and I took cover as Chewie started pulling out some explosives from the duffel and attaching them to the mainframe.
"We'll use the charges to blow that blast door. I'll go in and draw fire, but I'm gonna need cover."
"You sure you're up for this?"
"Hell no, I'll go in and try to find Rey and Bini. The troopers are on our tail. We have to be ready for that. There's an access tunnel that'll leads-" Han started pointing up with his chin to something behind me.
"Why are you doing that? Why are you doing this? I'm trying to come up with a plan." I turned to see Rey climbing out from inside the wall, carefully climbing back up to the main level with Bini. I opened my mouth, unable to believe it as Chewie murmured in relief.
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Rey's POV
I helped Bini up the wall and brought her into the nearest corridor, I saw something flash on her belt. It looked like a...Lightsabre? No, no, I am seeing things. We got up and turned a corner to see Han, Chewie and Finn there all of a sudden.
"Finn! Han! Chewie!" I exclaimed. Finn and Chewie pulled me into a bear hug then pulled Bini into one. She stepped back with a grin and looked down where droids should be.
"Where is my droid?" She demanded.
"Safe at the resistance base." Han replied.
They pulled me along and we spit-up.
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Han's POV
We arrived at one of the maintenance area of the Starkiller base. Chewie and I quickly shot three guards causing an alarm to start blaring. I opened a hatch that would normally be locked as power shut down in the maintenance junction. Thanks to Rey. That girl knows her stuff.
We walked into the main oscillator room, I gestured Chewie to take the top and I the bottom as we spread out the bombs. I reached the bottom level and heard a loud door open to reveal Kylo Ren...Ben...My son. He walked into the oscillator room with storm troopers dividing out across the ranks.
Han and Chewie divide the explosives. Talk in hushed tones. I hid as I watched him walk across a bridge. I looked up to see Rey, Bini and Finn enter the building at the very top to see out progress. Stopped by a railing. A stream of sunlight rain across the area.
Leia's words echoed in my head as I took a step onto the bridge. I need to save our son.
"BEN!" His old name echoed across the area.
"Han Solo. I've been waiting for this day for a long time." He muttered. Turning to face me on the bridge. I walked slower and closer towards him.
"Take off that mask. You don't need it." I snapped at him. He tilted his head slightly.
"What do you think you'll see if I do?" I moved towards Ben.
"The face of my son." Ben took off his mask. I flinched. Seeing the face of my son for the first time as a man.
"Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish, like his father. So I destroyed him."
"That's what Snoke wants you to believe but it's not true. My son is alive."
"No." He barked. "The Supreme Leader is wise."
"Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you. You know it's true." Ben hesitates. Somehow, he does know it.
"It's too late." He said softly.
"No, it's not. Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you." For the first time, Ben seems truly conflicted. Tears flood his stoic eyes...
"I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain." I took a step forward hesitantly.
"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?" Ben said, his voice was strained, pained and vulnerable.
"Yes. Anything." Ben unholstered his lightsaber and slowly extended it to me, within a foot of my chest. I almost can't believe it. The moment seems to last forever. And just then, the last beam of sunlight streaming through the open hatch vanished. I smiled and reached out for the dark weapon. But with the light now gone, his eyes filled with darkness.
He ignited the lightsabre, the fiery blade shot through my chest and back.
"Thank you." He said softly as I put my hand lovingly on his face. As Finn and Rey screamed in horror above and Chewie let out a loud roar in horror and sadness. My knees buckled as he turned it off. I slipped off the catwalk as everything slipped into darkness.
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Bini Filters's
I let out a strangled gasp of horror as Han fell off the catwalk to his death. Finn and Rey screamed in horror. Ben stumbled back, horrified at what he had done. My feelings were massively conflicted. Chewie cried out in agony and fired a shot at his side.
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Chewie's POV
(Flashback)
Ben Solo, ago 9, looked up at me as we travelled through space at night. Han was fast asleep beside me. Ben tugged on my arm and I looked down to see his small kid face looking up at me.
"aaaaahnr huuguughghg uuh raaaaaahhgh aguhwwgggghhh?"
"I heard the voice again. Snoke is hurting me again." He whimpered. I patted him on the head and let him sit upon my lap in the cockpit of the falcon.
"uughghhhgh huurh raaaaaahhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh!"
"No!" He cried out. "No, no telling Mommy or Daddy. They already think I am a monster! You know that."
"uughguughhhghghghhhgh wuuh."
"Thank you, Chewie. You're the best!"
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I had my bowcaster pointed at his head. I couldn't kill Ben now. Even if he did kill...kill...my best friend. That is...Was his son. I aimed my bowcaster at his side instead and shot him in the side. He fell to one knee and glared up at me in hatred. That isn't little Benny anymore.
We set up the rest of the bombs quickly as stormtroopers fired at us.
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Bini Filters's POV
"The Falcon's this way." Finn managed to crock out as he grabbed our arms and we ran into the snowy forest, as we ran along I am sure we were all overcome with emotion. Suddenly we all came to a sudden stop out of breathe. I looked up and saw Kylo Ren...Ben standing in front of us. Looking broken, angry and heartbroken.
Oh, this can't be happening.
"We're not done yet." He growled.
"You're a monster!" Rey yelled.
---End of Chapter Nine---