Chapter 33 - Complete Circle (2/2)

Even though he saw the dark side in him, he did not chastise him and tried to bring him back to the light. If his father who had been the most terrible and merciless Sith Lord was able to return to the light, then why wouldn't this young man who had not yet fallen, do the same. He passed more time with him and he followed his training with more attention but due to the war against the renmants of the Empire his attention had to deviate there. Kylo Ren also joined him in the war and Luke saw in horror how his padawan got closer and closer to the dark side with every battle becoming more bloodthirsty and merciless after every battle. The bloodthirst and violence he showed, had made Luke tremble many times and he had to personally stop him countless times but he realized that it was becoming more difficult.

- ”Why?”- had asked Kylo Ren in fury when Luke had forbidden him from going to battle.

- ”You know the reason”- had said Luke with a hardened expression- ”you're going into a path that is dangerous and if battle hastens it then you'd better stay and meditate in the academy.”

- ”You're just scared of my power!”- he had shouted before going in rage to his chambers.

It was a terrible and sad moment for Luke but he did not give up. He swore to rectify Kylo Ren. He redoubled his efforts and for a time it seemed to work. Kylo Ren apologized for his actions and he started to pass more time meditating in his chambers rather than training with his lightsaber. Luke was happy when he saw that Kylo Ren started to show more restrain and calm. After a time he had rejoined the battle along with Luke and now he did so in the Jedi way without commiting excesses. Luke was extremely satisfied and relieved and he even sent Kylo in missions alone and he always delivered perfect results. He made a name among his peers and the New Republic as a powerful warrior, an excellent pilot and an outstanding commander even though he had just entered his twenties.

It was all a farce. Luke did not know since when it had happened but Kylo Ren had been contacted by the Supreme Leader Snoke, a powerful user of the Dark side, who had been poisoning the young man's mind for years feeding him with dark secrets and ideas which twisted his former padawan making him go deeper and deeper into the dark path. His apparent calm and restraint had just been a ruse to deviate Luke's attention. He wanted Luke to lower his guard in order to give a decisive and merciless blow on the Jedi and the New Republic.

- ”I wish I could go with you, master”- had said Kylo Ren the last time they talked as master and padawan- ”you'll need me by your side”

- ”I know”- had said Luke smiling- ”I also wish you could be in this mission with me... but there are reports that an attack may be launched against this system while we are out. I can't trust any other than you to protect this sector in my absence.”

- ”I will do my best, Master”- had said Kylo.

- ”I know you will not dissapoint me”- said Luke while patting his padawan's shoulder- ”we'll have a talk after I return... there's something I must tell you.”

- ”Oh! what is it?”

- ”Patience, my young padawan”- said Luke grinning in secrecy- ”I can only tell you it is something you have been waiting for a long time...”

- ”May the Force be with you, Master”

- ”And to you as well, my young Padawan”

It was the last time he had seen not only him but all of his padawans. While the mission was taking place, Luke received an urgent message telling him that a massive attack had been launched in the academy. They realized it had been a ruse and returned. Luke only felt desperation when he saw the academy in flames and ruins and could only go on his knees. He cried and wept in sadness since he thought all his padawans including the younglins had died. The pain was even sharper when he discovered that the attack had been carried out by one of his own. Kylo Ren had commanded the attack and had mercillesly killed his former allies with the help of the knights of Ren and stormtroopers.

- ”Yes, it was me!”- had said Kylo Ren the next time they had met. He had changed his robes for a black armor and a helmet which ressembled the one of Darth Vader- ”how foolish of you, old man! You did not realize you were just dancing on my palm all the time!”

That time Kylo Ren had escaped since he knew that he was not yet ready to fight him directly but he had swore to return stronger to do so since as Luke knows, a Sith must kill his loved ones by his own hands if he wanted to get stronger and now they were in front of each other again after many years and Luke had to accept that the speed of growing of his former padawan was still extremely quick.

- ”I'm not your padawan anymore but your executioner”- said Kylo Ren with confidence and an agressive tone- ”you were right in fear me, old man. The Dark side has made me more powerful than you can possibly imagine”

- ”You and me know that is only an illusion”- replied Luke ȧssuming a fighting stance- ”unrestrained power will only destroy you in the long term.”

- ”Maybe so”- said Kylo Ren and quickening his steps- ”but in the short term it will destroy you!”

Kylo Ren swang his lightsaber agressively against his former master and Luke parried it with great skill making appear blinding sparks of energy when both energy blades touched each other. Kylo turned around and countered immediately since he kew that the only way to match Luke was using his younger body and boundless rage. Luke blocked the powerful and fast hit and returned the hit in order to break the young man's momentum but Kylo evaded his counter and advance to slash Luke's leg. Luke used the momentum of his previous attack to reposition himself in an angle that let Kylo's attack passed at just a centimeter of its objective. However, Kylo immediately adjusted the angle and used a wide arc attack that forced Luke to duck. Luke responded with a vertical arc from down aiming for his helmet but Kylo stepped back with a perfect timing evanding the lightsaber by milimiters and moving his own weapon upside down. Luke evaded side stepping and countered immediately. Both warriors used their best techniques against each other leaving traces of melted metal in the floor and walls through incandescent lines made by their lightsaber. The destruction they were provoking was massive they were seemingly tied with each other, but if one would happen to see from the sides, one would notice that Kylo Ren's technique was improving as the fight went on. Even though his attack displayed fury and violence, they were blind nor careless but calculated and precise and they seemed to be evolving with every second that passed.

- ”You have weakened, old man”- said Kylo Ren while attacking Luke mercilessly- ”leave your head behind so I can ascend once more!”

- ”You've gotten stronger...”- said Luke when they had taken distance from each other. His voice showed a tint of pride in his voice but it was also mixed with regret- ”It's a shame you had to use the worst method.”

- ”Your method was slow and innefective”- replied Kylo Ren looking for chances to continue his attack- ”The dark side is the best method to get unlimited power and change my fate.”

- ”The dark side is just one side of the coin”- said Luke ȧssessing how much had his former apprentice fallen- ”There are things in the light that you would never experience if you just stayed in the dark side.”

- ”Wouldnt the opposite be the same by that logic?”- sneered Kylo Ren thinking Luke's logic was hypocritical.

- ”Indeed”- said Luke and immediately Kylo Ren's countenance changed.

- ”You talk big, old man”- said Kylo Ren recovering from the idea he had just had- ”you make it sound as if you had studied the Dark side.”

- ”I did thanks to you”- said Luke and advanced again with his lightsaber but this time he was going on the offensive instead of the defense.

Kylo Ren tried to parry and block but to his surprise he noticed that Luke's strength, speed and reflexes had somehow increase and continued doing so by the second. He did not understand how this was possible. He wondered if he had been pretending to be weaker than he really was before but the sudden change of momentum sent Kylo out of rythmn and soon Luke easily took control of the fight while Kylo could only defend with great difficulty. It was just a matter of time before Luke managed to break Kylo's defenses so he had no choice than retreating using different corridors to try to recover the control but Luke was just too experienced to let him do as he wished. He cornered Kylo and pressed him down with his lightsaber.

- ”This is the power I offer to you, Ben”- said Luke using Kylo's original name after so much time- ”Theres still chance for you... return with me.”

- ”That name means nothing to me”- said Kylo but his voice seemed to have been affected by Luke's words- ”I need the power now...”

- ”Why are you so obsessed with power?!”- asked Luke- ”if you had told me... we would have found a solution together!”

- ”It would be meaningless...”- said Kylo and for an instant Luke could detect a tint of sadness and nostalgia in the young man- ”and it's too late now!”

Suddenly, two knights of Ren appeared from both sides of Luke in a pincer attack. Luke had been too focused on Kylo Ren to notice but he still managed to deflect one of the attacks while evading the other one. He then blocked the blow of Kylo Ren who tried to pin him in place so the other two attackers could finish him off. Luke, however, pushed back Kylo Ren and jumped backwards acrobaticaly using the force managing to put distance between them but immediately one of the knights of Ren used a Force push which desestabilize Luke on the air. He somehow landed but he saw a lightsaber spinning in the air in his direction. Luke rolled to the side evading the attack but immediately was attacked by Kylo Ren and the other kinght of Ren. They simply did not give him any space for a breather.

- ”Surround him”- ordered Kylo closing the distance with Luke and the two knights of Ren followed each at his side- ”today is the end of Luke Skywalker!”

The synergy among the three Sith Lords were perfect which showed him the long preparations they had done to face him and Luke noticed how they were always moving around looking for blind spots and openings which they exploited immediately. They also were using mental attacks which aimed to make him lose his focus and he had to divide his attention in three mentally while also fending his physical attacks. Their strategy was extremely effective and if other person were instead of Luke, they would have died many times already. It was only due to Luke's extremely high proficiency that he was able to last so much against their combined attacks, However, if he did not change the flow soon, Luke knew he would be overwhelmed.

(...)

Phasma did not hurry and let Finn stand up with all the patience in the world. By her actions it was very obvious that she did not put Finn on her eyes and she consider him no threat at all. She was only playing with him just as a cat would play with a weak mouse.

- ”How?”- he said not believing the lightsaber had not been capable of cutting trough the spear.

- ”My armor and spear are made of a material resistant to blasters and energy blades”- explained Phasma which made Finn understand why the blasters to the helmet had had no effect at all- ”its not completely immune but you will need a very good hit to penetrate... I wont give you that chance”

Finn stood up and attack in fury but Phasma easily parried and evaded each and every attack he managed to muster. The level of easiness that Phasma was using made Finn doubt everything he had trained for. The stormtrooper armor was already cracked and dented in many places and Finn had to accept that he was considerably below of Phasma's level.

- ”Your technique is swallow and deficient...”- said Phasma with a dissapointed tone and some sliver of anger- ”I've killed better warriors than you when I was a child and now I practice with Lord Ren himself... do you think you have a chance?”

Finn started to have doubts and his moves turned even clumsier. It that moment he remembered the words of Luke and realized that Phasma was toying with him so he lost his mental fortitude. He decided to focus and started to control his breathing.

- ”Why are you here?”- he asked himself and the image of Rey appeared clearly in his mind- ”what is your mission, soldier?”

He was here for Rey. She was waiting for him and she needed him. He would not abandon her this time and because of that he had to fight even if the opponent in front of him was vastly superior.

- ”Focus on the moment...”- repeated Finn and he placed the lightsaber in front of his face with the eyes closed- ”let the Force guide your instincts...”

- ”Commendable”- said Phasma feeling the change in Finn's attitude and in his eyes- ”but meaningless.”

She advanced again with her amazing footwork and Finn knew he would not be able to cope with her but in that moment, as if something had switched on in Finn's mind, he entered in a kind of trance.

- ”What exactly was the Force?”- he wondered thinking of what General Luke, Kylo Ren and the other knights of Ren had done- ”How did it affect our bodies and reflexes? Why did it make me feel as if I am a different person? How can I know where the hits are going to land?”

Finn did not understand any of that and probably would not understand for a long time but in that moment he stopped thinking and just let himself be filled by the strange energy surrounding him and he felt it running through his body in every cell, tissue, muscle, bone and fiber of his body. It was as if his body knew how to move and as if his mind knew exactly what was going to happen. Phasma in front of him became extremely slow and obvious in her movements and Finn knew what to do in less than a second. Furthermore, he also could detect some strange points made of light that were present all around him and also in Phasma's armor. He did not know what they were but he instinctively knew that he had to hit them if he wanted to achieve victory.

- ”Return to the floor, FN-2187!”- shouted Phasma using a combo that had always brought her victory in countless occasions but to her surprise, Finn's footwork changed and moved so fast that she could not follow his move and before she had noticed, the young man had blocked all her hits breaking her combo. Phasma could not help to feel confused, and more so when FN-2187 used her last swing to destibilize her and she found herself losing her equilibrium in a way that had not happened since many years ago.

- ”What?”- Phasma could not believe what was happening but her body would not be able to recover on time and she knew very well that in this moment she was full of openings that her opponent would use so she could only trust her armor while recovering her footing.

Finn immediately advanced and swang the lightsaber against the defenseless Phasma who received three powerful blows guided by the Force and the supposedly highly resistant armor of Phasma was cut open very easily like a can of fruits. Phasma did not understand what was happening until the moment she was sent to the floor by the powerful blows of the former stormtrooper.

- ”This is not possible...”- said Phasma looking in shock at Finn who in that moment looked more menacing and dangerous than any wild animal she had faced in her life- ”just who are you...?”