CHAPTER 39
FULFILLING DESTINY

TWO stormtroopers walked ahead of Raena, guiding her to the back of the ship, where Snoke's throne room was placed. Raena swallowed hard as her mind ran with questions. Why did he need to see her? What did they mean by "business?" Did someone – somehow – find out about Commander Ren kissing her? She didn't have any answers for her thoughts, and she was left in the dark as her feet thudded against the floor.

They were nearing the elevator. Raena's breath quickened. She knew this wasn't going to end well, but she found herself momentarily distracted by the sight of a familiar brunette in tattered clothes. Raena glanced quickly to her left, eyes bugging out of her skull when she saw the scavenger girl, Rey, walking past her. She was surrounded by stormtroopers with her hands cuffed behind her. Raena didn't have time to stop and ask questions as she was ushered inside the elevator. The doors closed when Rey looked over her shoulder, locking eyes with Raena for a brief moment.

She stood in front of the troopers now. Raena's temper mixed with her confusion, causing both moods to sky-rocket. Suddenly, all she could feel was the blaster hanging from the holster on her belt. With a blast of adrenaline, Raena spun around and shoved one of the troopers into the elevator wall, completely shattering the glass. The other stormtrooper grabbed her arm, but she elbowed his helmet into the same wall. Glass covered the elevator floor. Raena then pulled out her blaster, tugging on the trigger without thinking and sending a blast into the first trooper's helmet. She did the same to the second trooper, but missed by hitting him in the leg when he tried to fight her off. After the scuffle, she sent another blast to his helmet, causing both of them to fall limp on the ground. As the scent of burning blaster bolts wafted into the air, Raena realized that was all for nothing. She couldn't get out of this situation no matter how many stormtroopers she killed.

As she tucked her blaster into it's holster, the elevator doors open, and Raena was gifted with the hideous sight of Supreme Leader Snoke. "I see we had an issue on the way here," Snoke bellowed, watching Raena walk over the dead stormtroopers littering the elevator's floor.

"You could say that," she muttered while entering the throne room. Guards stood in sections and within feet of the supreme leader. Raena eyed them with suspicion as she walked forward. Snoke still sported the same gold robes, accented with long, shiny beads and expensive fabric.

"Officer Nhagy," Snoke sighed in false happiness, "it feels like we haven't seen each other since you returned."

Raena's stare viewed around the room. "That's because we haven't."

Snoke grinned devilishly. "Ah, yes – you're right, and this left you a lot of time to mingle around with your peers again. Talk filters around this ship quickly, Raena Nhagy. How could you forget that?"

"What are you even saying?" She seethed with a shake of her head. "Did you just ask me to come here to waste my time?"

Snoke lifted a hand, and Raena watched a small spark flicker amongst his long fingertips. "Careful with your words, Officer Nhagy," he warned. "Remember that even with your newfound immortality, I am still your superior."

Raena frowned, pausing her statement as she looked around. Several Red Guards adorning their famous colors stood still, staring right at her. Raena turned back to Snoke. "Why was I called here, Supreme Leader?"

"As I said before, talk filters around this ship," Snoke began, "and from what I've heard, you've been doing a lot of talking."

Raena swallowed the lump down in her throat.

He continued with an odd grin, "Captain Phasma has told me of some things she overhead from you as of recently. There have been mentions of yourself allying with ... the Resistance?"

She was frozen in place. Raena's mouth pursed slightly. "That's preposterous," she lied through clenched teeth. "Did you have Captain Phasma spy on me?"

Snoke suddenly laughed, releasing a hearty chuckle that shook Raena to the bone. His laugh sounded like it came from the cracks of the earth; a sound that lifted from the most horrid places in the galaxy. "Of course, I did. You didn't actually expect me to trust you when you returned like the other fools on this ship?"

This was one of those moments where Raena really wished General Hux was there. Though the two were not friends, he would know how to handle this situation. He seemed to be the only person who thought Raena Nhagy was worth a great deal in this galaxy as a military asset, besides Kylo Ren, but he kept his care for the assassin silent.

Raena bit her lip. Snoke stared at her from his throne with his scarred mouth tugged upwards. His eyes knew her answer. She didn't even have to say it. Raena sighed before asking, "How did she find out?"

"Phasma's suit is accompanied by many technical features, including hearing through walls." Snoke spoke proudly, and it left Raena wondering why Phasma wasn't here beside him, smiling at her like she won. "I'm sure you can put two and two together."

Raena paused, waiting for the whole ship to crumble around her. She bit the inside of her cheek. She truly failed this time, but she'd never let her disappointment show. Raena Nhagy was more prideful than people thought. "So what are you going to do, Snoke?" She asked, venom laced in her tone. "Try to kill me? Surely, you're smart enough to know that won't do shit. I hope you're going to be crafty about this."

Before Snoke could reply, Raena felt a brush of air hit the back of her exposed neck. She turned around, furrowing her brow in confusion. Her eyes grew wide again with recognition when she saw Rey and Kylo Ren stepping out of the elevator and into the throne room. Everything that could go wrong was doing just that. Raena began to crack her knuckles as Kylo stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He pushed Rey in front of them, sending Raena a confused stare before turning back to their Supreme Leader. "Well done, my good and faithful apprentice. My faith in you is restored." Snoke commended Kylo. "Young Rey, welcome."

Though his presence made her fidget, Raena leaned over to Kylo's ear and whispered, "Something is very wrong. What's going on?"

"Yeah, something is very wrong," Kylo repeated in an angry tone, "and I understood that when you left me a few days ago and continued to avoid me."

Raena's mouth dropped. "Are you serious?" She whispered furiously. "Snoke calls me in for a meeting to discuss a huge problem, and you have nothing to say to me because I crushed your ego?"

"Excuse me, Officer Nhagy, Commander Ren," Snoke addressed by raising his voice. "I am speaking to a new recruitment."

After a short glare, the two positioned themselves back in front of the supreme leader, standing in line with each other. Raena's hands began to shake, and she found herself hesitantly biting her lip. Not only did Snoke ask to meet with her because he found out that she was technically working for the enemy, but now he had brought in Rey – yet another ally for the Resistance. Was he going to come up with a crafty way to kill all of them, or just Raena? Was he actually going to try and convince Rey to join the Order?

"Come closer, child," Snoke demanded with a wave of his hand. Rey's electronic cuffs immediately snapped off, but she stayed right where she was. "So much strength. Darkness rises, and Light to meet it. I warned my young apprentice that as he grew stronger, his equal in the Light would rise. I told Raena Nhagy, here, that though her family once worked for both sides, someone could so easily be cloaked in the Darkness. It's a selfish desire, really."

Raena swallowed hard. Why was he suddenly addressing her like nothing was wrong? From the grace of his hand, Snoke used his own powers to send the lightsaber on Rey's belt to his own fingers. "Skywalker, I assume? Wrong of him." Snoke laughed. "Closer, I said."

Rey refused to move, but she was then moving in the air. Her feet began to slide on the ground. Snoke used his own connection to bring her forward. Rey was very clearly trying to fight against his hold, though it was useless. "You underestimate Skywalker and Ben Solo," Rey spoke defiantly as she neared him, "and Raena Nhagy, and even me. It will be your downfall."

"Oh, have you seen something?" Snoke asked dramatically. "A weakness in my apprentice and officer? Is that why you came?"

"Yes, I've seen it." Rey defended harshly, leaving both Kylo and Raena's expressions to muddle. "I saw Ben Solo returning to where he belongs: the Light. I didn't even have to see Raena's future. She set it up for herself when General Organa sent word to me that she allied herself with the Resistance."

Kylo looked up from where he had been staring at his boots. His mouth parted slightly as he viewed to Raena, muttering, "What? Is this true?" Raena continued to stare ahead and didn't answer.

Snoke chuckled. "Young fool ... You only think you know of this because of me. It was I who bridged your minds. I stoked Ren's conflicted soul. I knew he wasn't strong enough to hide it from you. This was known to me when I discovered his lustful relationship with Officer Nhagy, but I thought maybe – just maybe – he would be strong enough. With Raena Nhagy, I know of this news, and trust me – she will receive her due punishment. Though dying for her is out of the option, torture is not." Snoke began to grin as he stared into Rey's eyes. "And you were not wise enough to resist my bait."

Raena instinctively stepped to the side, almost as if Kylo was hiding her. She grabbed his arm as a shield, but quickly released it upon realizing the meaning of this gesture. So many things were happening at once, and it was all becoming too much for her brain. The room was getting hot. Raena was sure that she was close to passing out. Kylo slowly wrapped the back of his hand around, pushing her behind him. His mind also swarmed with questions – from Raena's running away, to his Force connection with Rey, and to Raena's allegiance to the enemy – but he still kept her there. His heart condition would never falter.

Snoke breathed in deeply. "And now ..." He brought his hand forward, pulling Rey's frozen body closer and placing his large hand on her cheek. "You will give me Skywalker. Then, I will kill you with the cruelest stroke."

"No," she seethed.

"Yes," Snoke replied grimly before using the Force to send her backwards. Rey flew across the floor room and higher into the air. "Give me everything!"

Rey shrieked louder than they had ever heard. Her body shook in the air as she tried to fight off Snoke's powers, but he was strong with the darkness. Tears pooled from Rey's eyes, landing just below Kylo and Raena's feet. Raena's face twisted with hurt and anxiety, while Kylo's remained emotionaless. "STOP! STOP!" Raena screamed, but it did nothing. She was surprised at her own reaction, but her cracking had come undone. She had fully cracked, and her pieces were falling to the floor.

Raena Nhagy's mind was crumbling at the sight of Rey's torture. This wasn't her first glimpse of it. Raena, herself had tortured and killed many people in the past. But this ... seeing this was a game changer, and she didn't understand what made this moment so shocking to her. The First Order wasn't just made up by people who had no other choices, but also people hungry for as much power they could get. She couldn't do this anymore.

Everything was so real to her now. She hoped Leia would be okay. She hoped Indira and Poe would survive the battle. She hoped Finn and Rose and even that weird Codebreaker got out alright. She hoped that Gerardo and Pacey would live through this war. But most of all, Raena hoped that one day, she could sit back in her immortal state and tell herself that something made this all worth it. She wasn't seeing a future so good in this moment.

Snoke released a fresh breath of air, allowing Rey to fall to the floor. She landed on her back, and rubbed her head from the impact. Snoke laughed viciously. "Well, I did not expect Skywalker to be so wise. We will give him and the Jedi Order the death he desires. After the rebels are gone, we will go to his planet, and obliterate him and the entire island."

Rey stood up again, using the Force to grasp her lightsaber again, but Snoke caused the object to fly around her and knock Raena in the head. The other girl collided into Kylo's shoulder as the lightsaber returned to Snoke's side. "Such spunk," Snoke muttered. "Look here now."

He sent Rey to the side of the throne room, causing Kylo and Raena's heads to whip in that direction. Raena's grip on Kylo grew tight. Snoke positioned Rey in front of window, showing her the destruction of the Resistance's transport fleet. Rey felt tears well up in her eyes.

"The entire Resistance are on those transports," the supreme leader explained. "Soon, they will all be gone. For you, all is lost."

Raena didn't have time think about if she should start mourning, because Rey turned around, thrusting out her hand. She used the Force to send Kylo's lightsaber from his belt to her own hands. She ignited the weapon, feeling the bright red light tingle her cheek. The Red Guards point their weapons in her direction.

"Still that fiery spit of hope. You have the spirit of a true Jedi!" Snoke laughed, even as Rey charged for him. But the Supreme Leader was quicker, and he lifted the scavenger in the air by just a wave of his fingers. Rey fell to the ground, and Kylo's saber slid to his feet.

Raena's mouth was at Kylo's ear as Snoke laughed. His body radiated with anger, and she didn't know if it was because of the revelation that she had worked for the Resistance, or about what was happening in this moment. She tugged at his sleeve, whispering, "You need to do something." Though her voice was low, he knew it was an order. Kylo didn't respond.

"And because of that, you must die." Snoke continued, making Rey kneel on the floor, despite her new injuries. He spun her around on the floor to face Kylo and Raena, who looked at the scavenger with horror, while the commander's expression was forever blank. "My worthy apprentice," he addressed Kylo, "son of darkness, heir apparent to Lord Vader ... Where there was conflict, I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength emerges. Fulfill your destiny by killing the scavenger girl, and leading the first torture of your once lover, so she realizes the punishment she will now receive every day for the crime she has committed."

Raena immediately unlatched herself from Kylo, taking a few steps back. Kylo didn't hesitate from picking up his saber on the ground and then stared at Rey breathing heavily. "I know what I have to do," he muttered, feeling an odd presence at the back of his head.

"Like hell you do," Raena fumed from behind him. She held her blaster to the back of his skull, finger hovering impatiently over the trigger. This was it. This was the moment. Kylo Ren wasn't going to fulfill his destiny; Raena Nhagy was. "Put down the lightsaber, Ben."

Kylo's body remained rigid, even with the threat of a blaster behind his head.

Rey's still body began to shake as she whispered, "Don't do this."

He didn't move, only stared ahead at the supreme leader. Raena's teeth grit, and she found spit flying out of her mouth as she demanded, "Put down the saber or I swear to the fucking gods I will blow your brains out –"

"You both think you can turn him? Pathetic girls." Snoke asked with a gleeful expression. Raena's intentions weren't the same as Rey's; in this moment, all she wanted to do was kill him, even if that meant looking like the biggest ally of the Resistance in this moment. "I cannot be betrayed. I cannot be beaten. I see his mind. I see his every intent. Yes ... I see him turning the lightsaber to strike true ... and now, foolish Rey, he ignites it ... and kills his true enemy –"

That was when the Skywalker lightsaber, sitting right on Snoke's throne, ignited by its own and tore through the supreme leader's torso.

•••

A/N: To make up for this extra af chapter, have a meme (inspired by lunimous's new song for Raena)