The Star Wars Nutcracker, Part 4

When she awoke, she was in total darkness. Not a sliver of light broke through the thick rock walls around her. “Where am I?” she muttered to herself. “How did I get here?”

“Hello?” A feeble but familiar gruff voice seemed to come from the other side of the wall. “Rey? Is that you, kid?”

“Han?” Rey tried to lean her ear against the wall, which wasn't easy when she was chained to the one alongside it with heavy iron manacles. “It's me, Han! They caught me in the woods outside of Mother Maz's house.”

“Kid, I'm so glad to hear from you.” His voice was hoarse and cracking. “I don't know how long I've been in here. I'm too damn tired to move Can't even fly. They still have the iron on my wings.”

“I'll get you out of here.” Rey struggled wildly with her chains, but they were held fast to the wall. “I promise.”

“It wouldn't surprise me.” Han chuckled. “I saw you take on Kylo Ren and his army. Hell, I was scared of you.”

She leaned against the jagged wall. “Where are we?”

“The Pit of Nightmares.” Han's voice became cranky. “Yeah, it's a nightmare, all right. It's dark as hell in here, and it smells like wet mouse fur. When I get my hands on that son of mine...”

That was when she heard the door open in Han's cell. The raspy breathing gave away Kylo Ren's arrival well before she heard his voice. There were other footsteps as well, ones that clanked loudly.

“Hello, Father.” The footsteps moved closer to the wall. “Ready to tell me where Mother and the Candy Army are hiding now?”

Iron manacles rubbed against the wall. “I wouldn't tell you in a million years, son. Besides,” there was a shrug in his voice, “I have no idea. I haven't seen your mother in nearly a week. I was leading the soldiers stationed near the Snowflake Meadows.”

“Why did Mother marry you?” Kylo Ren hissed. “A fairy thief with weak nature powers and no position in the government or influence at court? She could have married any fairy she wanted...”

“I love her, Ben,” Han insisted. “I always have, and I always will. Did that ever occur to you?”

Rey's eyes widened. Ben? So Kylo Ren is his son. I knew there was something familiar about him. He's a lot like my brother!

“Love doesn't matter, Father.” Kylo Ren stepped closer to the wall. “Power matters. Love is for fools.”

“Then you're the fool, kid.” The hiss in Han's voice made him sound very much like his son. “What are you going to do with all that power? Who will you share it with? Snoke? He doesn't care about you. He's using you to get to your mother and her title. When he's gotten what he wants, he'll kill you, like he's killed most of the other fairies in the Land of Sweets.”

“No! He'll find a place for me in his plans!” She winced when Kylo Ren slammed his gloved fist against the wall. “You're afraid of me! I'm stronger than you are! My powers are five times stronger!”

“Ben, I know you're in there somewhere.” Han's voice softened. “You don't belong here. You're not one of them, and you know it.”

“Might I suggest a way to eliminate this nuisance?” She heard fingers yank against silken wings and Han's angry yelp. The voice was familiar, a smooth, spoiled accent. “Cut off his wings. Perhaps at the Gingerbread Town Square, just outside the castle? Hold him up as an example of what happens when supposedly powerful beings defy the Land of the First Order. I heard Vader executed many fairies that way. He had a vast collection of wings he'd cut himself.”

“Yes.” Kylo Ren's voice became a smirk. “You'll finally have some use, Cavalier. Your execution should bring Mother flying to her precious husband's welcome. Snoke is very interested in her. Once he offers to make her his queen and merge their lands, she'll be putty in his hands. They'll make these lands as mighty as they were when King Vader ruled them.”

Chains rattled hard against the walls. Rey suspected Han was trying to angrily lunge for his captors. “Never! Leia would never give up her throne to Snoke. It's not hers to give. It rightfully belongs to the Trooper family. Besides, she hates Snoke. He's killed too many fairies for her to agree to this!”

“The Trooper family is dead.” Kylo Ren's voice got very close to the wall. “As you will be soon, Cavalier.” The feet moved away from the prisoner. “Take him to the Gingerbread Castle dungeon. Make sure you cover all sources of light in his cell. Officer Mitaka, announce to everyone in the Land of Sweets that the coronation for King Snoke and his new bride will be dawn on Christmas Day. We'll have Santa Claus himself officiate it. Hux, go to Phasma and have her bring the army to Gingerbread Town. I'm going to question the girl in the next cell. She seems to have powers she's unaware of, very strong, familiar powers. I want to read her mind further.”

Rey's eyes widened. They were coming to her cell! She could hear Han's feeble attempts to struggle with the guards. They must have ignored his protests, since his gruff voice and their steps in perfect time faded out quickly.

As soon as they were gone, the door was flung open. Her eyes adjusted to the weak light as Kylo Ren stepped in. “Girl,” he rasped. “I've been looking forward to this.”

“It certainly took you long enough.” Hazel eyes glared at his gleaming black helmet, with its silly fake mouse ears and whiskers. “If you're going to interrogate me, could you at least give me the honor of taking that blasted thing off? It'll be a lot easier talking to a real face.”

“Very well.” She had no idea what to expect as he tugged it off, but it wasn't...her brother. It was her brother. He had the same long face and pale skin and big dark eyes that reminded her of their mother's. He even had that thick, black hair that was really the only thing he was vain about. Rey liked to joke that he fussed with his hair more than any woman ever did.

“Benjamin!” She couldn't help her shocked squeak. “What are you doing here?”

“That's not my real name anymore.” He raised an eyebrow. “And I've always lived here, girl.” He walked around her. “How did you know my real name?”

“You look like...like someone I know.” She clenched her fists. “I heard everything you said to Fa...your father in the next cell. I think it's horrible, wanting to kill him just to show how powerful you are. He's our...your father! Doesn't that mean anything to you?”

“You don't understand!” Ben matched her glare. “How could you? You're just a girl. You've never lived in anyone's shadow.”

“Yes, I have. Yours!” Rey frowned. She didn't mean for the words to come out like that. “My brother is the one our tutor likes. He's smart and good at everything. I'm good at mechanics and dancing and not much else. Not to mention, he's the heir to Father's business.”

Ben put a hand – a slender white human hand – against her forehead. “You're telling the truth.” He ran his fingers along her temples. “You're from the Mortal Realm, but there's something...something in the back of your mind...you're more powerful than you know.”

He gave her such a familiar grin, her stomach dropped. “How would you like to join the Mouse Army? You'll finally get a taste of real power. I could teach you how to use that new magic of yours.”

Rey yanked her head away. “I'd rather eat smelly old cheese. And get your hands off me. They're like ice.”

She decided it was time to return the favor. Her eyes closed, and she concentrated. Probing his mind was actually easier than she thought. He made his desires so obvious. “You...you're afraid to be like Han. You think it'll make you weak, as you were when you were a fairy child. Snoke's filled your head with a lot of rubbish about how powerful your grandfather was.” She raised her head high. “You may think you're so high and mighty, Kylo Ren, but you'll never, NEVER be as strong as King Vader!”

Ren raised his hand to slap her, the way he had very likely hit his father...but after a few second, he lowered them. “Leave her.” He shoved the helmet back on his head. “Perhaps a few days in the Pit of Darkness will quiet that feisty little temper of hers. I'll come back for her after I've seen to the King and Queen's coronation.”

“No!” The girl struggled wildly as he left. “That won't happen! I won't let it! You'll see!” She thought he seemed a bit rattled as he stumbled out, but that might have been her imagination. He was so hard to read under that helmet.

There was no way she could stay here that long. She noticed he left one guard at the door to her cell. She might be able to do something with that. “Hey out there! I'm terribly hungry. Could you maybe get me a bite to eat?” The mouse didn't respond. “You don't want me to turn into some poor, starved bag of skin and bones, do you? King Snoke wouldn't like that.” She concentrated. “I want you to bring me food. A four-course meal, if you can.” It wasn't really a lie. She was starving. She hadn't eaten anything since at least that morning.

To her surprise, the mouse did everything she asked. He brought her a meal of the finest cheese she'd ever seen! There was every kind of cheese in the world, from Cheddar to Gouda to blue cheese. After she'd had her fill, he even wiped her lips and took the tray.

“You're going to hand me the keys and your candy cane bow and arrows.” The mouse did so, his button eyes completely clouded over and vague. “And then you'll take a nice nap on the cot here. When you wake up, you'll remember none of this.”

“I will remember none of this.” Rey couldn't help giggling when the mouse just lay right down in the cot and started snoring almost immediately. It worked! It really worked. She tip-toed out of the cell, making sure to lock the door behind her.

She grabbed the first torch she saw to light her way. This “pit” was really more like a dungeon. Not a speck of light shined through. She saw heavy doors that likely lead to other cells. If only she knew where they'd gone with Han, or even how to get out.

Something small and sharp dropped on top of her head. “Ouch!” She rubbed where it hit. “Now, where did that come from?” Her fingers picked up a sharp rock candy crystal pebble. It was reddish, not black like the walls of the Pit. Hazel eyes rolled upwards, towards the ceiling.

Only there wasn't a ceiling. There was just...light. It really was a pit, after all. “And if there's a pit,” she murmured to herself, “there has to be something on top.”

She put the torch back in a bracket and reached for one of the rock candy crystals. There were indentations in the crystal, holes carved from years of use and mice trying to nibble at them. She'd always been a good climber. There was a huge old oak tree in her family's backyard she could shimmy up in less than five minutes. It drove Ben crazy. He was terrible at climbing. He'd get up a limb, then get tangled and fall back out again. He could never catch her.

Climbing a rock wall was a lot different than climbing a tree. She closed her eyes and concentrated, swinging the bow and quiver of arrows over her shoulders. One hand, then one foot. Her dainty human feet slipped at least three times, sending little candy pebbles to the pit bellow. Her arms ached, and her legs wobbled, but she held on. The light at the top of the pit kept beckoning to her. There had to be a way to warn Leia and the others and tell them about Han and the trap. There had to be!

One hand, then the other...one foot, then the other. It felt like it took hours to climb that rock wall. As she got closer, her ears picked up voices. They were unfamiliar and rather squeaky. Probably mice, she figured. Most of the army may not have left for Gingerbread Town yet.

As she reached the top, she finally heard a voice and a growl she knew. “Easy, Chewie. I'm sorry. This was the only way we could get into the Castle.”

Rey grinned at another familiar, more masculine voice. “Are you sure this was a good idea, Your Majesty? You know that evil Kylo Ren can see through any magic...”

“He can,” said Leia, “but most mice can't. It'll be enough for us to get through the castle and down into the pit.”

“Leia? Nutcracker? Chewbacca?” She wiggled her fingers. “Could someone give me a hand here?”

“Rey!” The Nutcracker's excited voice bounced off the black rock walls. “Hold on! We're going to save you!”

“I've already done a pretty good job of that.” She looked up with a grin. “I just need a hand getting up there.”

Furry paws thrust themselves in front of her face. She took hold of them with both hands. Chewbacca caught her just in time. If she'd been there a moment longer, the ledge would have crumbled out from under her feet, sending her hundreds of meters to the hard floor below.

“Thank you!” She threw herself into the outstretched, fuzzy brown arms. “That was a close one, Chewie!”

A pair of wooden arms folded around her. “I'm so glad you're ok, Rey. I missed you.”

Rey leaned against his hard shoulders. “I missed you too, Nutcracker.” She finally pulled away long enough to see what he was wearing. “Why are you painted to to look like a mouse?” His uniform was now gray instead of red. He had mouse ears on his hat and scratchy wire whiskers sticking out of his face. The blue rock candy sword from Mother Maz's home rested by his side. A very, very tall and furry mouse held a candy cane bow and arrow next to him, his eyes searching for any sign of movement.

“It's a temporary spell.” A female mouse in a lavender gown waved a wand behind them. “We had to blend in somehow.”

Rey couldn't take her eyes off her beloved Nutcracker. “What are all of you doing here?”

“The plan, remember?” The Nutcracker managed to give her a big smile, despite his broken jaw. “We came after you and Cavalier Han.”

A shorter mouse wore a black velvet cape and had thick whiskers on his chin. “Rey, did you see Han in the Pit of Nightmares?”

“No, but I heard him.” She turned to what she suspected was her uncle. “They're taking him to Gingerbread Castle. Kylo Ren will cut off his wings at the first light of Christmas Day. He wants to use his execution to bring the Candy Army into the open.”

“I won't let him do it!” Leia's paw curled around her purple crystal wand. “I did feel them take him away. His light is faint, but it isn't here. We have to get him back.”

“Wait, there's more.” Rey turned to Leia. “Ren is using Han to lure you to Snoke. His master is going to try to force you to become his queen and merge your lands.”

Chewbacca let out an angry roar that filled the halls. “No way!” The Nutcracker drew his sword. “We'll stop him before then!”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Santa Claus would never sanction this. He knows Leia wouldn't be happy with Snoke, and it wouldn't be good for the Land of Sweets or Christmas, either. The Land of Sweets provides many of the toys his workers don't make themselves.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “No one is going to sanction anything until we get moving.” She started down the hall. “We're going to need a fast getaway. We have to be at the Gingerbread Castle, wherever that is, before morning.”

The Nutcracker pulled them all into an alcove as a platoon of mouse troops marched by them. “And I know how to do it. Leia, change us back. I want this...er, mouse...to recognize us.”

“All right.” She waved her wand. Soft, glowing purple lights surrounded the group. When they subsided, everyone looked as normal as they were going to. “That's better. I never was the biggest fan of cheese.”

“Shh!” A tall figure in shiny silver and black armor, with pale gold ears sticking out of the top, stomped by them. The Nutcracker pointed at it and whispered something to Chewie. The stuffed bear's furry paw shot out and yanked the mouse soldier into the alcove.

“What in the name of the Land of the First Order is this?” To Rey's surprise, the voice was deep, but very female...and strangely familiar. “Unhand me, you gigantic dust mop!”

“Take off that mask, Captain Phasma, so you can see me!” The Nutcracker pushed her. “I'm in charge now, miss. I'm the one giving the orders. Who's the better soldier now? You're going to do everything we say, or this bear's going to start looking for honey in your rear end!”

Luke sighed and pulled the Nutcracker aside. “Calm down. I think she gets the point.”

The mouse shook her head and finally pulled off her helmet. Somehow, Rey wasn't surprised to see the lovely face and pale blond hair of Gwen Phasen underneath. The only difference were her whiskers, pale beige ears, and slightly longer nose. “Nutcracker,” she snapped, “I knew you'd come back. Decided to stop being a coward and return to our employ? I might be able to convince Snoke to go a little easy on you. He'll only burn part of your wooden hide.”

She didn't even jump when Luke narrowed his eyes and pressed his green staff against her back. “Captain, you are going to sneak us onto the sleigh carriage with your men. Better yet,” he grinned, “we'll go in style. Get us on General Hux's private carriage.”

Rey smirked. “Or our bear friend Chewbacca will decided you look like a very tasty silvery fish.” Chewie sniffed at her, perhaps deciding if he could peel off that armor and get a taste of her furry insides.

“All right already!” She lead them to a large room at the end of the hall. It looked like a war room, with lots of wax paper maps and globes made of popcorn balls. Another mouse, a tall, thin one with ginger red fur, was already there. She waved the others behind the door. “Hux,” she said, “I'd like to request for my men and I to join you on your private sleigh going to the Land of Sweets. There's more room for us to train.”

“I'd rather not listen to the troops jumping about.” Hux rolled his eyes as she reached for his neck. “Oh, fine. On second consideration, it might not hurt to have bodyguards at my disposal. The transport leaves in less than ten minutes. Get your men on it as quickly as possible. The Sugar Plum Cavalier's execution and King Snoke and Queen Leia's coronation will take place promptly at dawn.”

“I'm already in charge of one world,” Leia snarled, her brown eyes suddenly filled with fire. “There's no way I'll marry that dirty cheese-snatcher!”

Luke put a hand on her shoulder. “We won't let that happen.” He turned to Chewbacca. “You and I are going to go down to the mines to gather the remaining Candy Army. Poe and the others are freeing the toys and candy who were enslaved in the Mortal Realm. We'll contact them and send them along to Gingerbread Castle.”

“Please be careful, brother.” Leia gave him a fierce hug. She had to fly to Chewbacca to be able to give him an equally large one. “You too, Chewie.”

Rey frowned. “Uncle Luke...”

The small magician gave his niece and the Nutcracker a big hug. “Watch out for Kylo Ren. He's determined to get rid of both of you.”

The Nutcracker shuddered. “I hope we never see him again!”

She made a face. “I have the feeling we more than likely will.”