Chapter 26.

Back at his main ship, Kylo Ren paced the halls that lead to main meeting room, having been told just moments ago that Vicar Ren had been trying to get ahold of him while he was away.

Kylo of course noticed the smirk that came along with the message, setting off a chill of rage at the general, knowing his plotting was still continuing.

What it had to do with the powerful Knight of Ren, Kylo did not know.

Hissing through his teeth, Kylo opened the door to the room, taking a seat at the head of the large table that sat in the middle and simply looking in the direction of a few stormtroopers that were guarding the area. Taking the hint, they left Kylo alone, shutting the door behind them.

Clearing his throat, Kylo Ren sent out a holo ring to Vicar, and only seconds later, the hologram of Vicar Ren filled the space in front of him, the man's large stance faced expectantly towards Kylo.

"Ah, Kylo Ren! I have been trying to get ahold of you for some time now. Where have you been?" Vicar asked, his lids squinted towards Kylo as he studied him.

Kylo returned his gaze, his look however, was very irritated. The last thing he wanted was Hux and Vicar scheming together, and Kylo knew that if anyone would challenge him for the title of Supreme Leader, it would be the knight that stood in front of him now.

"None of your concern. What is it you need, Vicar?" He asked, his tone was cold and hard.

Vicar bit his cheek before he spoke. "We had word of a resistance base on Excora."

For a moment, Kylo wanted to shut the communicator off right away, but knew if he made any such movement, Vicar would pick up on it. Instead, Kylo kept his expression bored.

"Yes, what of it?" Kylo bit.

Vicar's eyes widened with amusement. "So, you knew of it?"

This time, Kylo's eyes narrowed, frustration pricking the back of his neck with tension. "Yes, nothing came of it."

Vicar stared at him for a moment, silent before he smirked. "I see. Well, with no word from you, I sent some of our troops to assist Hux with taking their base down, however we were all quite shocked to see that it was abandoned only hours before we arrived. Curious, isn't it."

Kylo lifted a brow, moving to the edge of his seat as rage set in. "Vicar, are you suggesting something?"

Vicar returned his glare, nostrils flaring. "I find it odd, you leave your own base, alone may I add, with no word of where you are going, just as the entire resistance base is fleeing the moment we hear of it. According to General Hux, Snoke did mention your soul being split to the bone from the death of Han So-"

Before Vicar could get the words out, Kylo Ren stood from his chair and walked over the hologram, hands balled into fists as he spoke with his teeth clenched.

"Let me remind you, Snoke is dead. And one thing he did before he died was ensure that the rightful man took his throne, and as I recall, out of all the Knights, he chose me. I will not be questioned, Vicar. Don't forget that."

Vicar glared at Kylo, and Kylo glared at Vicar, both men absolutely silent with Kylo's words hanging between them.

Vicar licked at his lip. "So be it, Supreme Leader. Challenge Day falls upon us soon, only months away, and the galaxy will truly be yours." he said as he reached for to end the call.

Kylo lifted a palm to him to stop. "One last thing. You will not speak with Hux," Kylo paused and moved his head slightly to catch Vicar's gaze. "Your loyalty and allegiance lies with me. answer to ."

Silent for a moment, Vicar's stone cold eyes did not leave Kylo as he gave a single nod to the man before he disconnected, leaving Kylo alone in the room.

Shaking, he unclenched his fist and ran his hand through his hair as he hated the thought the flew through his mind.

'Too close... I need to stay away from Rey for a while...'

( x )

"This damn rock!" Rey yelled.

She sighed as she fell to the floor in her new room on Pyron, shoving the kyber crystal and broken pieces of the lightsaber away. She had been at it for three days trying to get it to fit together, hoping that the force or some sense of magic could make it all repair itself. She made sure to remove all pieces of the crystal that previously took her kyber's spot, but it was still off, refusing to mend.

She had the jedi texts out, laying inches away from her so that she could study them to help take her mind off of the failure with her lightsaber, but at the moment, she was too frustrated to focus on them.

"If only I were on Jakku, bet I could just gather random rocks and rubble, that would work better than this awful th-" Rey quieted her muttering as the force hummed around her, this time, however, was much different as the hum was softer than ever before, and her skin warmed as if the sun was right on her.

She knew for certain it wasn't him... But, it felt familiar...

Slowly, Rey turned to look behind her, and gasped as Anakin Skywalker sat casually behind her on her cot, his back to the wall. He was watching her with such amusement that Rey nearly smiled at him.

"What are you doing here! I thought... Well, I'm not sure what I thought." Rey trailed off as she moved to face him, still sitting on the floor as the lightsaber rolled away. She glanced at it, and back to Anakin. "Is that why you're here? I was told my master would appear to me in my time of need... Are you here to help with this?" She asked, eagerly grasping that lightsaber and offering it to him, wanting nothing more than to be done with the damn sword.

Anakin grinned, but made no move to take the lightsaber she offered.

"Nope. I'm afraid that frustration is all yours, m'lady." He said and laughed as he watched Rey's eager smile fall into a grimace.

For a moment, they both eyed one another.

"Well... Why are you here? Why do you appear to me, and not Master Luke?"

Anakin sighed. "My son will return to you one day, just not on this one."

Rey's brows furrowed as she glanced to the floor, unsure of what to make of what he said.

He smiled once more and held his hand out. When Rey offered the lightsaber again, he moved his hand back and shook his head. Sighing, Rey took it back and removed her kyber, feeling that this is what he was wanting.

With two fingers, he gently grasped it, and Rey watched as he admired it.

"Remarkable." he muttered.

"How so?"

Anakin turned the kyber crystal over in his hand. "You've created kyber with the perfect mix of dark and light."

Rey looked at him curiously. "Has that not happened before?"

"Not quite... You took Leia's kyber, something old." He reached for the two pieces of his lightsaber. "And Sano's kyber, which is something new. And now..." Anakin trailed off as he took a piece of his own kyber crystal that she shaved off from the broken saber and held it out to her.

"It seems, little Rey, that you have all the pieces you need. You just need to figure out the puzzle."

His words rang in her ears, and she felt a sense of calm wash over her, taking the stress and tension right off of her shoulders. She sighed.

Rey took the kyber pieces from him and held them in her hands, eyeing him for a moment, and he did the same.

"Ben seemed upset that you appear to me." she stated, and Anakin nodded.

"Yes, I hear his pleas and requests for guidance. However, he is not asking the right questions." Anakin stood, and Rey peered up at him, confused again, however she was not able to ask her questions since he spoke again.

"Take apart the lightsaber, make it your own. It is a strong friend, you will know it." With that, Anakin stood, and began to walk away. Rey watched, surprised to see him walk straight towards her wall, disappearing into it without hesitating, and just like that she felt the connection drop.

Shaking her head, Rey turned back to the pieces of her lightsaber, setting aside the kyber crystals and began to take the rest of it apart.

She worked well into the night, keeping herself locked away from the rest of the base as they settled onto their new home.

Her mind drifted to the face of every friend she has made this far, and remembered the battle they all fought, and their purpose. Among the faces in her mind, Ben Solo's seemed to be included in that.

Rey was tired of fighting the war that is Ben Solo, and Kylo Ren. No matter how mad he made her, and she him, she was determined to always have hope in him.

With her mind elsewhere, Rey did not realize that her work was done, only snapping out of it once she heard the snap of her own kyber crystal forming around a piece that Anakin had left. She watched in awe as light rose from the lightsaber, heating the metal and bending around the kyber crystal she made with Leia, Sano, and now Anakin's kyber crystals.

'Light, dark, and balance...' she thought.

The lightsaber slowly lifted from her desk, and Rey stood, stepping back to watch in shock as the saber growled, hummed, and roared. The light grew so bright that Rey had to turn her head, shielding her eyes.

As the lightsaber quieted down, so did the light. Hesitantly, Rey opened one eye, and the other when she saw a white and vibrant purple light reflecting off the walls of her room.

Gasping, she looked at the lightsaber that was standing at full attention only a foot away from her, waiting for Rey to take it.

It was tall, and wide, and it seemed to Rey that strands of electricity where emitting from it, whipping the air around her. Her hand reached for it before she thought to even move, and the saber swiftly moved to her, fitting to every curve of her hand. The power would have been overwhelming, if it hadn't felt so familiar.

It was just as Anakin said.

As if she was greeting an old friend.

( x )