Kylo's pov

I sensed his presence the millisecond that my rogue command ship entered D'Qar's atmosphere.

Snoke.

I had thought that if my life ever came to this I would be beside myself with nerves, but I'm not. Instead, I feel oddly calm.

Minutes after I'd admitted to committing treason, I stormed out of my former master's cavern, got past Hux before the news spread, and escaped on my command ship. Alone.

I set my sights on D'Qar to speak with my mother, but Snoke still sees into my mind. I am not strong enough to block him out. He knew exactly where I was going and he arrived here to destroy me.

It is obvious what I must do: find him. Before he can contuse another innocent soul. I can no longer afford to put my own life before others.

I might be strong, but I deserve it. To die, I mean. To suffer, in the wake of every faultless life I'd crushed in my greed for power.

I will accept my death gratefully, as long as it means Snoke will meet his own end. I would do anything to ensure Mali and my family's safety.

Anything.

Even if it means I must redeem myself; to listen to the voices deep inside of me, to give in to the call to the light.

My grandfather would be proud of me, I think.

I stride down the lowered ramp of the First Order vessel, feeling a sense of finality. My hand hovers over the hilt of my cross-guard, keeping my senses alert.

My all-black attire is a sharp contrast to the primarily green canopy. I am easy to pick out.

I know I've come closer with every footfall; I feel his inevitable suffering burning within me, like a tracker. I am on edge, ready for his attack.

A great force lands swiftly behind me, stirring the dead leaves littering the forest floor and the tree limbs all around it. It sends my dark curls whipping into my face, and my fists clench.

"Snoke." I murmur. I have only really seen the owner of the name once, when I was seduced. Every other time had been through hologram.

"Ben Solo. Surrender now and your death may be less torturous." The being speaks behind me.

I feel an instant shudder pulse through my body at the use of my real name.

I suppose, if I were to truly redeem myself, I must also shed the name of the dark being who is no longer who I am.

I am no longer Kylo Ren.

"I will never surrender to scum like you." I growl.There is no turning back.

I turn and narrow my eyes, closing in on his small, hunched figure. He reflects the size of the late Jedi Master Yoda. I can see the sorrow and hatred radiating off of him. He is everything that I was never fated to become.

"It is a shame that it must end in this way, Ben Solo. You truly did have the potential to be great. To be remembered."

"I still can be." I say, raising my weapon. My red lightsaber ignites, humming in tune with the power of the force surging through my body, enforced by my Midichlorians.

He mirrors my stance, the one I had learned from him, and his colorless saber roars to life.

His attack is graceful, elaborate, calculated. I go to meet his high blow, swinging my saber in an arc over my head to clash with his.

The blades hiss at contact and he presses forward, singeing stray curls over my forehead. I tear my lightsaber away and go in for a low blow, which he easily dodges.

"You're pathetic." He laughs, throwing his head back.

"At least I know my place." I accuse. I slash and cut at him continuously, to which he covers again and again. Snoke thrashes forward, throwing me backward with the force.

My back thuds against a tree trunk and the wind is knocked out of me, as well as the lightsaber out of my hand.

Snoke raises his sharp-nailed fingers and squints his beady eyes as he holds me in a force-choke.

My body leaves the ground and my face becomes bright red. I claw at my neck, trying hard to gasp and feeling a rawness in my throat. Snoke grins sadistically.

"I will not let you die so easily." He boasts, slamming me down. I gulp in breaths, the hold having disappeared. I do everything in my power to keep from turning my back on him, knowing he'd take the chance to strike.

I thrust my hand out, my lightsaber shaking with the strength of the force and the longing to be in my grasp. Snoke approaches slowly. He seems to be giving me a chance to take my weapon back in my hand; he's surely planning something.

The thought scares me more than a blow while I am weapon-less.

The hilt of my saber settles into my hand again and I ignite it right away. I don't go for the immediate attack, my leery eyes following my former master.

That's when I hear it. Mali's voice. In the forest.

Sheer terror strikes in my heart and I visibly pale.

I turn my head away from Snoke for only a second, focusing on her whereabouts. That is the second that I go wrong.

It was a trap. A fake. A set-up.

The burning of Snoke's colorless lightsaber impaling my chest only hurts for a moment before I'm overtaken by a numbness I'll never be able to describe.

"I should've killed you as soon as I'd sensed the weakness for that girl in your pathetic heart. You were as disappointing as every Solo and Skywalker had ever been." He spits, close to my face. He rips his blade out of me and shoves my chest, not even needing to bother with the force any longer.

I stagger backwards, my mouth agape. I slap my hand over the wound, which is gaping and hollow, but I barely feel it. Most of my vision is blurry and limited.

My body hits a tree behind me, colliding with my head in the process, and I fall, hopelessly, to the ground.

I will never stand again.

This is it.

Snoke watches as I suffer. He'd gotten exactly what he wanted.

Knowing I am near my end, I picture Mali's face and our unborn child in my mind. A tear slips out of my eye.

Then, the echoing of a clash of lightsabers is once again heard in the canopy.

I focus my dwindling vision only to see Snoke, brawling with none other than Rey and my Uncle Luke.

The pair of Jedi are quick to overpower him and despite his use of force-lightening, it is Snoke who perishes first.

They switch their lightsabers off, and glances at the fallen body of her sworn enemy, before the two knights appear at my side.

I blink my watery eyes and turn up the corners of my mouth, to signify my descent to the Light, the place I was always meant to be.

Then, I let the darkness finally consume me.

-

snoke's demise was quick

do you think kylo is dead??

and did it surprise you that it was rey and luke who came to his aid?

how do you think mali will react?

what did you think of the chapter in general?

ok, that's enough of my questions!

once again, thank you for showing my book some love. it means the whole world to me! i never thought condemned would ever make it this far, and i'm thankful for every single one of you loyal readers! i love you!!

here are my last side notes:

•please vote and comment because it helps me understand how you guys are interpreting and feeling about this book, i constantly worry that you might not like a chapter here in there! and, i'm sorry if that makes me sound rude or desperate:( but you guys are really what has kept this going!

•please go check out covet, my other kylo story that is not affiliated with this story but it's just as good, if not better! (at least i think so lol)

•only 3 chapters left

•i have an upcoming announcement close to or at the end of this story, so please stay tuned!

that was a really long a/n but i promise i'm finished now!

thank you!

ily all,

kait