CHAPTER 40
LET IT ALL DIE

RAENA allowed a single gasp to float from her lips and into the air.

Snoke's mouth fell open in shock, and Rey was instantly released from his hold. She fell to the floor, choking on air as she turned to see the Skywalker lightsaber cutting through Snoke's torso. Raena's hand holding her blaster fell limp to her side, like she had completely forgotten that she was so close to killing Kylo Ren – like always. Snoke looked down at the saber slicing through him, and Kylo used the Force to slide the weapon out and into his hands. Snoke's sitting body was cut in two, causing the first half to fall off the throne completely. Dark blood began to pool around him.

Rey caught the saber in the air as Kylo sent it to her. She stood up, looking at Kylo with the same amount of disbelief as Raena. The assassin took a step forward, just enough so that her shoulder was almost touching his. Their eyes met, and for the first chance in a long time, they both held sincerity for each other. "What have you done?" She whispered.

"No time for questions," Kylo muttered before shoving her behind him. Raena felt the wind rush out of her as she was thrown in the middle of them. When Kylo ignited his lightsaber, she saw it all at once: the Red Guard, charging at them with the speed of a thousand suns. The three stood with their weapons out, waiting for the oncoming storm. Raena brought her blaster up again, though she wished she had her rifle in that moment.

The Red Guard came at them like lightning striking the sky. Suddenly, the room was filled with either blaster bolts, electricity, or saber sparks. Raena held her breath as she fought off the lethal Red Guard, kicking one out of the way with the heel of her boot before shooting at them. Rey, with her new skill set of training, was impeccable in her attacks, though it didn't take an idiot to tell that she was scared more than ever. Kylo dodged each attack without issue and punched every guard when he had the chance.

Raena felt a dark presence behind her after she sent a round of blasts towards a guard, and she turned just as another guard grabbed her. They lifted her into the air, causing her to shriek and kick out her legs. The Red Guard's Force pike encased her in their hold, and Raena felt the energy just inches from her face. She tried to move her arm to shoot him, but it was no use. Her immortality left her feeling useless, though she did not want to feel the pain of a Force pike stunning her. She screamed again, maybe she could –

A bright red saber came into view, shoving the tip into the guard's helmet. Raena was dropped to the ground and the guard holding her did the same, except his body was now lifeless. She looked up at Kylo with wide eyes and felt shock enveloping her as she witnessed him put out his hand. After a short moment of hesitation, she took it, allowing Kylo to hoist her up.

They stood back-to-back: Raena shooting blaster bolts like she was extremely trigger-happy, and Kylo slicing through the Red Guard's armor with his saber. Rey fought at the other end of the room, killing off yet another guard angrily. The throne room was now lit up in flames, droplets of Snoke's blood dotted the floor around their feet.

After witnessing Rey almost being decapitated, Raena's feet quickly pushed her over to the other side of the throne room. She grabbed the Red Guard fighting off Rey from behind, squeezing her long arms around him in a chokehold. Rey lifted her saber, ready to strike, as Raena's eyes glided over to Kylo. He was in the position, except it was him in the choke hold, a Force pike so close to his face that he could taste it. The selfishness inside Raena told her: Let it happen. Let them kill him, and then you can escape. But Raena wasn't thinking, nor listening. As time seemed to move in slow motion, she raised her blaster in her other hand and shot a round of bolts into the Red Guard holding Kylo, instantly killing him. Rey diced the guard being held by Raena quickly.

The room was now silent. Both lightsabers had dropped to the sticky floor, while flames still licked the ceiling above them. Smoke entered their lungs, but neither of them cared. Nothing could be heard but their breathing. Raena's hands shook with the blaster in it, and each time she moved her foot, it felt like a dozen pins were being shoved into her skin. She slid her blaster into the holster. The assassin slowly shuffled over to the throne, allowing her boots to be coated in Snoke's dark gore. She stood just below the steps and looked at the supreme leader's cut torso at her feet. Raena swallowed hard at the image.

Each time he was near her, she felt every memory they shared together all over again. Raena closed her eyes, feeling the urge to cry come on, as Kylo appeared at her side. He looked at Snoke's lower half, still sitting on the throne. He then looked around the room, rubbing at his chest from all the smoke. Instinctively, Raena grabbed Kylo's arm, and she held it tightly – like old times.

"Why did you do it?" She asked in a voice that only he could hear. Raena then opened her eyes and rubbed at her temples. "Why am I asking that? I know why you did it."

Kylo's narrowed eyes shifted to her. "And what is that?"

"The one thing you want more than my loyalty," Raena whispered. "Power."

Rey stared at the two with a crinkled brow. She waved her hands in the air, breathing heavily as she fast-walked towards the window to her right. "The fleet!" She alerted them with a pointed finger. "Order them to stop firing. There's still time to save the fleet!"

Raena nodded, quickly walking to Rey's side. "I know you don't trust me," she said, "but I will try to do everything I can to help save the people we care about."

A smile tugged at the end of Rey's lips. She grabbed Raena's hands, feeling the assassin's cold skin mixed with her warmth. She nodded in admiration, but then both females noticed they received no answer from Kylo. Raena looked over her shoulder at him. He was still staring at the throne when Rey called, "Ben?"

"It's time to let old things die," Kylo replied through shaky breaths. "Snoke. Skywalker. The Sith. The Jedi. The Rebels. Let it all die."

Raena watched him near them with a furrowed brow. She spun her body to face him fully, allowing Rey to hide behind her slightly-taller form. "What are you saying?" She asked him viciously.

"You know." He muttered, gritting his teeth as he spoke. His eyes were dark pools of blackness, and they stared at her with hope. "Let the past die, Raena. Let's put it all behind us, and we can start over again. You and me: partners, an outmatched team." Raena's whole body shook when she noticed his lip quivering. "I need you."

"Let it all die?" She snapped. Raena felt a vein pop out of her neck. "I didn't slip into a depression from my parents' death to let the past die. I didn't watch my uncle's murder to let it all die. I didn't fucking care about you in the first place to let it all die. And I, especially, didn't experience the pain of your saber being shoved through my chest to forget it ever happened and let it all die." Without a lapse in judgment, Raena pulled the comlink out of her ear, holding it up for him to see. "I didn't spy on you for months and became a Rebel scout to let it all fucking die!"

Kylo's nostrils flared with anger, and he knew that badgering Raena would do no good. His stared shifted to young Rey behind his old lover, who was shaking with fear. "Rey," he called out, "I want you to join me. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy."

Raena's eyes went wide. "Oh, fuck no –"

"Don't do this, Ben," Rey pleaded. "Please, don't go this way."

"No," he said with a shake of his head. Kylo's hand was out, waiting for one of them to take it, but he was now crushing it into a fist. "You're still holding on! LET GO!"

Raena shook her head and stepped forward. "Okay, I've heard enough." She thrust her hands out and shoved Kylo back. "All you want is a partner. You need someone to trust you so badly so you don't have rule this gods-forsaken galaxy on your own."

"You told me that I could've started a new world, one without the Supreme Leader. I'm doing that now." Kylo replied softly.

The assassin's face scrunched up. "You want to let the past die, Ben Solo?" She cocked back her blaster from its holster and pointed the weapon a foot from his forehead. "Fine, then let's kill it, starting with you."

Kylo's stare went to the end of the blaster, and he inhaled heavily. Rey reached out to advise Raena not to do this; that this was the wrong way, but she couldn't. "Raena," Kylo whispered, "don't do this." His hands slowly went up, and he silently wished he hadn't dropped his light saber at the other end of the throne room. He could use the Force to send it to his hands now, and then he could simply slice her in half, but it wouldn't do anything. She would come back. And did he want to do that? The truth inside of him said, No.

"Why?" She asked, clenching her jaw. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now. You were the one who said to let the past die."

"Because I'm your future."

Raena's hand vibrated at the answer. The blaster felt like it was slipping from her fingers, but she tried her best to hold on. Her mouth shook, and she didn't know if it was from the anger consuming her, or the actual worry that he was right. She flipped off the safety lock on her weapon. "Not good enough," she said. "Give me another reason."

"Because you care for me."

She laughed loudly to hide the truth, but it was there. In Raena's eyes, Kylo saw everything. He saw the truth in her deep, golden pools. He saw it in the way her lip quivered. He saw it when her eyes began to water, but she still settled her finger on the trigger. "Last chance," she warned.

"Because you killing me will give you instant satisfaction," Kylo paused, "but it will haunt you forever."

Raena bit her lip so hard she drew blood. Rey couldn't take the argument anymore. She placed both hands on the back of Raena's shoulders and added, "We should not be doing this right now. We have to help –"

"JUST LET ME DO THIS!" Raena shrieked, turning her face towards a frightened Rey.

When Raena looked back to Kylo, she noticed he was walking forward. She still kept her arm out, but as he neared, her arm was pushed backward and into herself. Kylo was now inches from her, staring at her with a pleading look in his eyes. Raena's gun was still hanging by her sweaty fingers. The end of the weapon touched Kylo's forehead softly.

After a moment of hesitation, Kylo put one of his gloved hands on her left cheek. The leather grazed her skin, and Raena closed her eyes at the sudden memory. "Everything will soon be set right," he repeated his words from a year prior. A shiver ran down her spine as tears pooled from her eyes.

Raena had fallen back into the pit again. She lowered her gun, allowing her muscles to go limp. She cried and cried and cried, falling into Kylo's shoulder. Exhaustion and pain racked her entire body, but she found Kylo's warmth to be her only constant source of life. Everything about this was wrong. She was going against everything she said she would do for a moment of relishing in her truth. Raena had cracked, and she was tired of keeping the pieces together.

Kylo grasped both sides of her face, bringing her back to his view. Rey held her breath, ready to tell Raena that this could be a trap, but she didn't want to believe that Raena Nhagy wasn't smart enough to know that. With one side of his mouth turned up, Kylo forcibly shoved his forehead into Raena's.

Her world immediately went black. This was her true punishment, wasn't it?

•••

A/N: THIS CHAPTER STRESSED ME TF OUT