CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
--Mandalore--
Kadar stared as his brother landed before him, wielding the weapon that was their clan's heirloom. Brandishing the Darksaber's ebony blade, Tral Vizsla started to circle Kadar, who did the same to him.
"I'm surprise you came," Tral said darkly. "I always had you pegged as someone who ran from the responsibilities of life."
"You weren't entirely wrong," Kadar admitted. "But I'm no longer the man you once knew. I have changed, Tral, and for the better."
"I see." Tral paused in his pacing for a moment, as if considering something. "You know... it doesn't have to end like this. There's still time for you to join our cause."
"I can say the same to you," Kadar replied. "What has Atinar and his cause done for you, Tral? What has it done for anyone?"
"It's created a better world for Mandalorians."
"Has it?" Kadar gestured at the battle happening all around them, Mandalorians firing upon each other. "Is this really the world you want? The world he promised you?"
"It... once we win, it will be," Tral retorted, although he hardly sounded sure of what he said.
"Win what? This display of bloodshed? This slaughtering of your own people -- your brothers and sisters? This is the world you want?"
Tral did not reply. Kadar pressed on, gesturing this time at the sky.
"And what about the Sith? After so much history of the Sith using us as pawns -- Exar Kun, Vitiate, Darth Maul -- you continue to side with them? Do you not see what game they're playing at? That they are deceiving you?"
The silence persisted. Tral's gaze no longer seemed to even be on Kadar, who was not sure if his brother was even listening.
Kadar sighed. "Look, if you want to keep fighting for what you believe is right, then I won't try to persuade you not to. But please -- only do it if you truly believe in it."
"Oh, I'm sure he does, Kadar."
The white Mandalorian spun on his feet and swore under his breath. Hovering before him was a Basilisk war droid and mounted atop of it was Atinar Cabur, clad head to toe in gold and red armor, with a scarlet cape cascading from his back. Brandishing an axe, the ruler of Mandalore glared down upon Kadar.
"The question is: do you?"
--The Resurgent--
"You cannot hide forever, Taral!"
Kylo Ren's voice echoed as he reached the end of the corridor he had followed the Sith down, coming to a set of three doors. Behind his mask, the Knight of Ren scowled as he swung his blade at the air, scratching the ceiling.
"Coward! Come out and face me! Prove to me that you're the Dark Lord! Prove to me your worthy of the mantle!"
No response. Kylo breathed heavily with anger, his face feeling hot within his mask. His body was screaming at him to take it off but his mind refused. He could not take it off, for the face it concealed was of a man who did not exist. A man he had destroyed.
Suddenly his head snapped up, the pace of his heart quickening. Someone was behind him. Someone he knew, or at least recognized the presence of. But it couldn't be... how could she be here?
Why would she be here?
"Ben?"
All around him, time seemed to freeze. It felt like forever as the Knight of Ren slowly turned on his heel, coming face to face with a visage he never thought he would ever see again.
Never wanted to see again.
"Mother?" he spoke, immediately hating himself for doing so. He sounded so weak. So pitiful.
Leia Solo inhaled sharply at the sound of his voice. Although amplified by his mask, she clearly recognized it -- even though it had been over thirty years since she last heard it.
"Ben," she said again, her difficulty in saying the name plain to him. "What's happened to you....?"
"Ben Solo is dead." Kylo found the words remarkably easy to say. "I destroyed him."
Leia opened her mouth to say something until another voice came from behind her. Another voice Kylo knew....
"Leia? What's going on? What have you--"
Han Solo appeared from behind Leia, accompanied by four others: Starkiller, a Wookiee Kylo felt familiar with, and two Jedi he remembered encountering on Ossus. Upon seeing Ren, Solo froze as he stared at the masked man.
"Ben," he started to say, only for Kylo to cut him off sharply.
"That is no longer who I am. Your son died when you abandoned him all those years ago."
"Abandoned you?" Leia repeated, incredulous. "Ben, we never--"
"Don't lie to me!" Kylo roared. "You know full well what you did. A true parent would have never lost sight of their child."
"Ben...." Leia was starting to choke on her words. "We would never...."
Han stepped forward, his eyes staring hard at Kylo. "We searched everywhere for you. We went planet to planet, system to system. We even had the entire fleet scouring the galaxy for you, capturing Imperial vessels thinking they had kidnapped you."
"But you stopped," Kylo said, his voice low. "You must have, for you would have found me had you kept searching."
Han let out a long sigh. "Because we did find you. We found a boy that looked just like you. The doctors confirmed it was you. And your mother could no longer feel you in the Force."
"Lies," Kylo snarled. "You expect me to believe something like that?"
"Yes, we do." The male Jedi Kylo recognized from Ossus stepped up from behind Han and Leia, staring at the dark warrior. "Search your feelings, Ben. You know it to be--"
"You." Kylo pointed his saber at him, glaring furiously behind his mask. "Who are you? What are you doing with them?"
The man opened his mouth to speak but Leia cut him off. "Don't," she said sternly. "Don't tell him."
The man frowned at her. "He has to know, Mom. He--"
"What," Kylo growled, "did you just call her?"
The Jedi's face went white as realization dawned on him. He turned back towards Kylo and gazed into the Knight of Ren's black visor. Swallowing, he answered him.
"My name is Anakin Solo. I... I am your brother." He then gestured to the female Jedi he was with. "This is Jaina Solo. Your sister."
Kylo stared at the both of them in silence. Emotions waged within him, unsure of which one he should act on.
After a moment, Leia took a small step forward and looked at him steadily. Taking in a deep breath, she said, "Ben, take off that mask. You don't need it."
"You don't know that," he bit back.
"I do. Please... look at us with your own eyes."
Every part of Kylo's mind screamed at him not to remove the mask. Somehow that didn't stop him from putting away his lightsaber and raising his hands to his helmet, undoing the front clasp of his mask. Pulling it off, he almost felt liberated, feeling the fresh air -- or as fresh as air could get on a starship -- on his face and filling his lungs. He took in a deep breath, just to enjoy it for only a second, before laying his dark eyes on those who stood before him.
He let the mask fall from his hands. It landed with a resounding thud.
His parents nearly gasped as they gazed upon the narrow face of their lost son. Anakin and Jaina stared in shock as well while Chewbacca made a soft, rumbling sound. Starkiller simply remained silent.
The Star Destroyer shook from attacks outside but no one payed any heed. After a moment, Leia spoke, her voice no louder than a whisper.
"Come with us," she said. "Come back to the light. It's not too late to turn away from this path you've gone down."
"It is for me," Kylo said softly. "It is much, much too late."
He paused, unsure of whether to say what he was about to. He didn't know if the words were coming from him or from the minuscule trace of Ben Solo that was still within him. Regardless, he said them anyway.
"Please... go. It's... it's too dangerous for you to stay here. Leave now while you still have a chance."
Leia shook her head. "No," she said firmly, taking Han's hand in her own. "We're not leaving you. Not this time."
Kylo gazed at his family before slowly inhaling. "Then you will die."
With a snap-hiss, his lightsaber came back to life and he started to slowly stride towards his family. The four Solos remained in place, prepared for what was to come. They would not fight him. They had no desire to bring harm to someone of their bloodline.
Starkiller did not have such reservations.
The former Sith jumped out in front of the Solos and unleashed a barrage of lightning from his fingertips. Kylo raised his blade to block the attack, although it was still strong enough to send him back a few steps.
Looking over his shoulder at the others, Starkiller shouted, "Go! I can only hold him off for so long!"
"We're not leaving him!" Han protested.
"You have no choice! If you stay here, you'll all die!"
"If he dies, so do we," Leia said defiantly.
Starkiller closed his eyes and sighed. "He won't die. I promise. Now go."
At first it seemed like none of the Solos would comply. Then, Anakin sighed.
"He's right. We should leave. There'll be another time."
His parents looked reluctant at first, until another blast from outside shook the ship even harder than before. Without any other options, the four Solos and Chewbacca turned to head back the way they had came. Leia looked one last time at her son, meeting his eyes through the blue storm of lightning.
"I love you," she said quietly before following the rest of her family back down the corridor.
Kylo Ren watched her leave, not realizing he had answered her. Once the lightning had ceased, Starkiller stared at him inquisitively.
"What did you say?"
Kylo was silent as he stared back at the former apprentice of Vader. Then, in a low voice he said, "I know."
Starkiller slowly nodded, the ghost of a smile on his face. "So he's not truly dead then. Somewhere in there, Ben Solo still lives."
Kylo snarled as he raised his blade. "Not for long."
Starkiller laughed. "We shall see," he said as the blade came down. "We shall see...."
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