Rating:
PG
Pairings:
Rey/Poe, Finn/Rose, Han/Leia, Snap/Kaydel
Disclaimer:
The franchise belongs to George Lucas and the Walt Disney Company.
Once
upon a time, there were three young women named Rey, Kaydel, and Rose
who lived together in a small cottage in the D'Qar Woods, on the
borders of the Kingdom of the First Order. They weren't sisters, but
were as close as real sisters could be. Gentle and lovable Kaydel
tended to their clothes, cooked their food, and amused her sisters
with her ready wit and lovely voice. Sweet Rose kept their house in
order and repaired anything in the cottage that was broken. Spirited
and clever Rey watched over their gardens and studied the old books
on great knights she bought from an old traveling priest. She
practiced with her bow and arrow and sword every day.
It
came to pass that D'Qar was invaded by the Giant Snoke and his
Knights of Ren and the Kingdom of the First Order. The wicked giant
and his family raised the taxes, destroyed many towns, and demanded
that every family turn over their relics and heirlooms. Rey had no
desire to do any such thing.
“This
would be a good time to seek our fortunes elsewhere, sisters.” Rey
was already packing her satchel when the announcement came. “We
have nothing we can give this horrible creature. We've sold most of
our valuables to pay for his taxes as it is.”
“I
agree.” Rose gathered their last remaining fruit and bread from
their cupboards. “I heard he and his armies leveled the Kingdom of
Hosnia when they refused to pay him.”
Kaydel
brought out their woolen wraps. “We'll need these. It'll be getting
cold soon.”
The
trio departed from their cottage less than an hour later. They hiked
for days across the D'Qur forest and over the salty Crait Mountains,
to a dark castle on the edge of the hill. By this time, they were
tired and hungry. They'd eaten the last of their food the day before.
It was Rey who knocked on the back door of the massive old fortress.
“Hello?”
The trio were quite surprised when a short old man in ragged, dirty
silk robes opened the door. “May I help you?” His long silver
hair and thick beard and mustache were unkempt, and there were heavy
gold bands around his neck and wrists.
“We...we're
seeking shelter for the night.” Rey nodded at Rose and Kaydel. “My
sisters and I have been traveling for weeks, and we've run out of
food. We thought we might rest here and perhaps borrow some
supplies.”
The
older man sighed. “You can stay here, but not for long. My master
will be home soon. He's a giant, and he eats most humans, especially
the younger ones.”
Rey
couldn't help feeling sorry for the old gentleman. His bright blue
eyes held indescribable sadness. “My name is Rey,” she said as he
directed them to a large, heavy table in the kitchen. “And this is
Rose and Kaydel, my sisters of the heart. What's yours?” She
noticed that his right hand was covered by a black glove and seemed
to move more stiffly than the left, almost as if it was made of
metal. A beautiful old ring with a royal crest glittered dully on his
middle finger.
“Luke,”
he said, as if he hadn't heard that name in a long time. “I'm
Luke.” He gave Rey a wan smile. “I have a sister, Leia. I haven't
seen her in so long...”
“Oh!”
Rose handed Luke a rag from her pocket as tears sprang from his eyes.
She had a very kind heart and couldn't stand to see anyone in pain.
“You poor man. I know how you feel. My real sister died years ago,
before I came to live with Kaydel and Rey. I miss her so much
sometimes.”
“Thank
you.” Luke dabbed at his eyes, but quickly handed Rose her cloth.
“I need to get you girls fed now, before my master returns.”
They'd
no sooner finished their greenish milk and soft oat cakes than they
heard stomping and yelling outside the kitchen door. Luke started
hurrying them towards the back. “That's my master! He can't find
you here! If he does, he'll eat you for dinner!”
“Wait!”
Rey frowned at his collar and cuffs. “That collar...that's a slave
collar, isn't it? You're a slave here. We could help you. Help you
get back to your sister and your family.”
“I'll
be all right, lasses.” He flung open the door. “You must save
yourselves!”
“What's
this?” They were too late. Luke had barely gotten them across the
threshold when the door was flung open. “Hiding something from me,
Slave.” The girls gasped at the massive man before them. He was
tall, his head hitting the ceiling, and very old and dried. But his
limbs were strong and hard for his age, and presence was towering.
“You know all humans must be brought to me immediately!” He
swatted the old gray-haired man to the ground, leaving him groaning
on the floor. “You useless creature! I ought to skin you alive and
have you for my next meal!”
“No!
Leave him alone!” Rey threw herself over him, and the other girls
threw themselves over her. “He was only helping us out!”
Rose
nodded. “Rey's right. What did he ever do to you?”
“Please,”
Luke begged. “They're only young girls. Let them go. They won't
harm you. I swear it.”
“I
think we could use them for slaves, Master Snoke.” The slim, finely
dressed red-haired youth on one side was almost as tall as the giant.
“They might work well in the kitchen and chopping wood.”
The
blond girl on his other side was even taller and more muscular. Her
muscles seemed to bulge in her intricate silver armor. “They're too
thin for such work, Hux,” she sniffed. “I say we have them for
supper.”
“If
you try it,” Rey snapped, “I'll come back and haunt your
digestive system forever!”
To
everyone's surprise, the Giant Snoke doubled over laughing. “I like
that little one's spirit.” He turned to the taller of the two boys,
a muscular lad with thick, wavy dark hair and icy brown eyes. “Kylo,
take these lassies to your room. They'll sleep in the bed on the
other side tonight.” His hand waved at the girl. “Phasma, you
bring their things.”
Rey
frowned as she and her sisters helped their new friend to his feet.
“What about Luke?” She placed her hand on the older man's
shoulder. “Do you promise not to cause further harm to him?”
“He's
a slave. He obeys my command.” The giant only laughed as Rey glared
harder at him. “All right, little one. I won't lay a hand on him
while you're here.”
Kylo
and Phasma lead them to one of the largest rooms in the entire
castle. The Giant set the girls in one bed, giving them braided straw
necklaces and gold necklaces to his apprentices. “You sleep here.”
He set the girls in the bed to his right. “And you sleep here.”
He nodded at the bed to his left. “I hope you'll all have pleasant
dreams tonight, children!”
Rey
gathered her sisters in a corner, while the other three dressed in an
adjoining room. “I don't trust them.” She nodded at the changing
room. “The giant's planning something.”
“Well,
at least he gave us a place to sleep for the night and these pretty
necklaces,” Kaydel insisted brightly.
“I
agree with Rey.” Rose shook her head. “There's something going on
here.”
Ben
strode out first, wearing nothing more than black silk sleeping
trousers. “I know something you three don't know.”
After
they'd blushed and turned from his rather muscular chest, Rey managed
to stammer “What's that?”
“First
of all, I am a prince.” Kylo smirked. “And that giant is going to
help me take over my parents' kingdom.” He crossed his arms. “As
long as I bring him humans to eat and keep the treasures of the
kingdom hidden. You girls are going to be his first meal.”
Rey
thought fast. “You know,” she started as the other two came out
in fine silk nightclothes, “those gold necklaces look much too
heavy. Why don't you wear these straw ones instead?”
Hux
laughed. “Those things? They're just ordinary straw.”
“No!”
Rey grinned and took hers off. “They're magic! If you wear them and
wish on them, you'll have your fondest dream in the morning.”
Phasma
raised an eyebrow. “That sounds a little ridiculous to me.”
“Wait!”
Kylo yanked the straw rope off Rey's neck and turned it over in his
hand. “Is this true? I thought the Giant Snoke said he and I were
to have all the magic in the kingdom. He said we shared it equally.”
Kaydel
gave him a little smirk. “Well, most people do say that you can
never trust a giant.”
“I
don't like this.” Hux frowned. “Can we trust you?”
“Of
course!” Rose gave him her most charming smile. “We're innocent
peasant girls.”
“That
right. We wouldn't lie.” Rey took the gold necklace off Kylo and
put the straw on. “I think it looks very fetching myself.”
So,
that's how the three apprentices of the Giant Snoke ended up with the
straw necklaces, and the three lassies ended up with the gold. In the
middle of the night, Rey woke her sisters and managed to get them out
a window. They climbed down a vine, then sneaked across the shadowy
courtyard and across the narrow moat.
“I
wish we didn't have to leave Luke.” Rose shivered as they hurried
off towards the Crait Mountains. “He was so nice to us, and they
treated him so badly.”
“I
didn't want to leave him, either.” Rey wrung out her wrap, which
was wet from the moat. “And not just because I'm afraid of what
they'll do to him. Did you see his ring, and the way he held himself
like a nobleman? I think he may be a member of one of the royal
families.”
Kaydel
nodded. “He's probably a king or prince being held against his
will. Ooh, that really means we have to go after him! There may be a
kingdom out there that needs him badly, and they might even give us a
reward for finding him.”
“We'll
have to tell someone where he is in the next kingdom we come across.”
Rey poured the water out of her boots. “For right now, let's move
on, before the giant discovers our little trick.”
As
soon as the sun rose the next morning, the Giant Snoke came into the
room with his heavy staff and his magic. He beat the humans in the
straw necklaces with his staff...at least until they began crying out
in pain. Kylo thew the blanket off them, wailing that he was being
murdered. Hux curled up in a ball. Phasma held a pillow, ready to
spring out and beat their attacker senseless.
Snoke
vowed that he'd find those girls and wallop them into jelly on the
spot! But the girls couldn't be found. They had hitched a ride with
an old gypsy woman named Maz Kantana, who took them through the green
fields of Takodana to the beautiful mountain Kingdom of Naboo.
Maz
let them right off at the gates of Two Suns Palace. “King Han and
Queen Leia are good and just rulers,” she told them. “They're
kind to all people, including us gypsies. Han was a gypsy himself
once, before he helped rescue the queen from an evil sorcerer and she
took him as her husband.”
“Thank
you, Mistress Maz.” Rey reached into her pocket. “I should give
you something for driving us...”
The
old woman put up a hand. “I only ask one thing. Tell the King and
Queen what you saw at the Giant's castle, especially the part about
the old man. I think it'll help them more than you or they know.”
“But
how will we get in to see the king and queen?” Rose blushed. “We're
peasants.”
“Leave
that to me.” Maz winked at them. “I've been friends with the king
and his manservant for a very long time.”
Indeed,
it seemed like no time at all before Rey, Rose, and Kaydel were
brought into the royal family's audience chamber. Though it was
beautifully furnished and lavishly appointed, Rey thought the king
and queen were even more attractive. Queen Leia was the most
beautiful older woman the girls had ever seen, with her strong royal
bearing and fine, delicate features. King Han sat behind a desk on
the other side that was as messy as his wife's was perfectly
organized. His face was craggy and lined with sorrow, but it remained
handsome and rugged, with twinkly hazel eyes and deeply tanned skin.
“Maz
told us you bring us news from D'Qar.” Leia smiled and nodded at
three seats set up in front of the desks. “She says you came from
the Giant's castle there.”
“That
we do, Your Majesty.” Rey couldn't help squirming in her seat under
the queen's steady gaze. She handed her the three gold necklaces.
“We're pretty sure he was going to kill us and eat us. We just
barely escaped.”
“That's
right.” Rose nodded. “If Kylo hadn't believed what Rey said about
the necklaces being magic...”
Han
and Leia exchanged looks of sadness and shock. “Kylo? You saw Kylo
Ren?” Leia asked in a strained voice.
“Yes,
Your Majesty.” Kaydel tried keep her tone even under the queen's
steady gaze. “He was one of the Giant's apprentices. He was going
to let the Giant eat us!”
Rey
saw the king and queen exchange another sad look. “And there's
more. He said that he was a prince, and that he was going to take
over his parents' kingdom...and the giant would help him do it.”
Leia
pulled her chair closer to them. “Did you see anyone else there?”
“Yes!”
Rose burst out. “The giant had a poor old man chained up in the
kitchen. He wore gold bands on his wrists and neck. Snoke said he was
a slave. He told us his name was Luke.”
“We
think he was a prince, or a king, or someone royal.” Kaydel
continued. “He wore a ring with what looked like a royal crest on
his gloved hand, and he carried himself like a nobleman. Like you do,
Your Majesty.”
“He
had really pretty blue eyes,” Rey added. “They were so sad, they
broke my heart. His hair was long and gray and wild, and he had a
thick beard. His clothes were in tatters, but they were made of fine
silk cloth, like they'd been good clothes once upon a time.”
“Luke
said he had a sister.” Kaydel's big brown eyes widened. “Her name
was Leia. And your name is Leia. So you...”
“Yes,
I am. Luke is my twin brother.” Leia choked back a sob as Han went
to her side and rubbed her back. “We thought we'd lost him. I
couldn't...feel him...anymore...”
Han
looked up, his own eyes gravely serious. “You're right that he's
nobility. His actual title is Lord Luke of the Skywalking Clan, the
third in command of Naboo. He's the greatest wizard and knightu who
ever lived.” He wrapped his arms tenderly around Leia. “Until
Snoke and his armies leveled his new wizard's school. His apprentices
were fed to the giant, but we had no idea what happened to him.”
“I
have some strong magical ability of my own.” Leia dabbed at her
eyes with an embroidered handkerchief. “Luke and I used to be so
close, we could use our magic to feel each other's hearts beat.”
She leaned into Han, even as her eyes held the girls' sorrowful
faces. “All I knew was that he was taken to the giant's castle.
That was when I lost track of him.”
“Do
you think they did something to his magic?” Rey frowned. “He
didn't seem like a powerful wizard or knight when we were there. We
thought he was just a nice old man.”
The
queen nodded. “When Luke vanished, his blue-bladed sword and all
the ancient texts of his wizard order vanished with him. Those are
some of Naboo's most sacred relics.” Her eyes became thoughtful.
“The gold cuffs. That's what it is. The dark gold from the Crait
Mountains inhibits a wizard's powers. That's why he can't use his
powers or contact me, why he seemed so frail to you girls. The Giant
stripped him of his magic.”
“Mother?”
A dark, tousled head popped in. “Are you all right? We heard there
were visitors...”
Leia
smiled. “Yes, it's fine, Poe. In fact, I'd like for you boys to
come in.” Three handsome youths trooped through the door, each of
them dressed in the fine robes of royalty. “These are our wards,
adopted when other kingdoms were attacked and left barren. Prince
Temmin,” the strong youth with the mustache bowed, “Prince Finn,”
the dark skinned boy gave them a gentle smile, “and Prince Poe.”
He was the one with the curly hair who had addressed Leia. He smiled
at Rey, who blushed. In D'Qar, they could get into trouble for
looking at royalty, but things seemed to be different in Naboo.
“These are friends of your father's old gypsy clan.”
“Are
you gypsies?” Finn looked absolutely amazed. “I heard they travel
everywhere and tell the most wonderful stories! Or so Papa Han says.”
“No,
we're not. We're from D'Qar.” Rose grinned at him. “I've heard of
you! You were taken in by the king and queen when they found out you
were being used as a slave for the Kingdom of the First Order. You
were very brave to leave that behind.”
Now
it was Finn who blushed. “Thank you. I think you're brave too,
coming all this way.”
“Boys,”
Leia said more seriously, “these girls found out what happened to
your Uncle Luke.”
“They
did?” Poe's face darkened. “What happened to him? Did you see
him? We were told after the Battle of the Crait Mountains that he was
dead.”
“He's
not dead.” Rey shook her head. “He's a prisoner of the Giant
Snoke and his apprentices.”
Poe
squeezed his mother's hand. “Just like you suspected, Mama.” He
frowned. “I'd take my battalion after him, but they were decimated
the last time they went after Snoke. What his men and Ben...Kylo Ren
didn't destroy, he crushed on the rocks and ate bones and all.”
“We
can't send a whole army.” Han took Poe's shoulder. “I'd like
nothing more than to do that myself, son, but Snoke would expect
that. We don't need to lose more troops to that monster.” He turned
to the confused girls behind him. “Kylo Ren's real name is Prince
Benjamin of the Solo Clan. He's our son, and our only child by birth.
He ran away when Snoke promised him more power than we or his uncle
were ever able to give him.”
Kaydel
made a face. “That's not surprising. He practically bragged about
it when we were there.”
“He
wants to take over the kingdom!” Rose wailed. “He thinks the
Giant will help him.”
“We
need to send someone in to rescue Luke, Ben, and the magic artifacts.
One person will be able to get around Snoke faster and more nimbly
than a large group.” Leia sighed. “I just don't know who would be
willing to take on that kind of a mission. It will be terribly
dangerous. You girls saw what Snoke is like. He's killed hundreds of
troops with a wave of his hand and has destroyed whole kingdoms by
stepping on them.”
Rey
stepped up to the king and queen. “Your Majesties, I'll rescue Lord
Luke and Prince Ben and bring your treasures back.”
Rose
had calmed herself enough to exchange blushes with Finn. Temmin was
mouthing something to Kaydel that made her giggle. “I'll do it,”
Rey went on, “on one condition. That my sisters are allowed to
court your wards...and his Lordship trains me as part of his wizard
order.”
Leia
quirked an eyebrow, but Han was already grinning. “A most unusual
request.” Her husband nudged her, waving a hand at their sons. Poe
couldn't take his eyes off Rey. Finn had timidly gone over to Rose,
and the two were holding a stammering conversation. Kaydel laughed at
some joke of Temmin's. “But seeing how the young people are already
getting along so well, I think it's one I'll accept. Besides, it'll
be good for Luke to return to teaching after the defeat at Crait. We
could use some more magic warriors.”
Rey
left the next morning. Maz drove her back to the Giant's domain. This
time, she had nothing but her staff and some dried meat for the
journey. It was past nightfall when they arrived. This time, she went
right to the back kitchen door. Her eyes widened when Luke let her
in. His gentle face was badly bruised and battered, and he picked up
the pan for her porridge stiffly, as if his arm pained him.
“I can't let you stay long.” Luke rubbed his arm. “The Giant Snoke and his apprentices are sleeping upstairs. The Giant and Kylo Ren beat me when they found out you escaped. I don't know what they'll do if they catch you here a second time.”
“I'm
here to get you and your sword and books out!” Rey pushed her plate
aside. “Do you know where they're keeping them?”
“My
blue sword hangs over the Giant's bed. It once belonged to my father
King Anakin and it was passed on to me.” Luke frowned. “Rey, I
wish you'd leave. You seem like a nice girl, and I don't want you to
get hurt like I was.”
“No,
Your Lordship. Someone has to defeat this Giant. He can't just go
around snatching books and swords and wizards whenever he feels like
it!” The girl reached for her staff. “I'll be all right. And this
time, I won't let him know that you were involved.”
Rey
crept up the rocky, winding staircase to the Giant's room. It was so
stuffed full of odd assorted objects he'd stolen from the kingdoms
he'd attacked, thrown every which way on many bookshelves, she could
barely move around! It took a few minutes to find Luke's blue sword
over Snoke's bed. The brilliant sapphire blade glittered dully in the
room's dim light.
It
was fortunate that Snoke was snoring fit to raise the dead. The ugly
creature slept so deeply, he didn't hear her staff thudding against
the wall when she used it to knock the sword down. Unfortunately, it
dropped onto the hard floor with a very loud bang. Kylo Ren stormed
into the room, just as she'd scooped the sword into her hand.
“You!”
She couldn't help blushing at the sight of his muscular – and very
naked – chest. Her embarrassment ended quickly when he grabbed at
the sword. “You're a thief! I knew it! Snoke! Guards!”
“Oh
no, you don't!” Rey snatched one of the Giant's tent-sized tunics
from a pile of clothes. She threw it over Ren's head before dashing
out the door and back down the stairs.
Six
knights in armor met her as she swept across the main hall, but she
pushed them back with the blazing blue sword. The magic seemed to
glow with a life of its own as she swung it around. She was glad the
sword knew what it was doing, because she'd never used a weapon
besides her staff in her entire life. The girl sprinted for the main
entrance before they could pull up the drawbridge.
Maz
met her at the foot of the hill. “I got it!” Rey beamed as she
held out the beautiful weapon. “I got Luke's sword!” She slid it
into the finely engraved leather scabbard. “I didn't have the
chance to get the books or Luke out before Kylo Ren sounded the
alarm. I'll go back for them tomorrow.”
“You
be careful, Rey of D'Qar.” Maz moved over as she climbed into the
cart. “The Giant won't be so forgiving. He and his apprentices will
be more alert next time.”
Rey
gave her a lopsided grin. “Don't worry, Maz. I'll find a way.”
Indeed,
the castle grounds were crawling with soldiers when the girl returned
that night. It took much longer to hide in the shadows, ducking
behind trees and bushes whenever one looked her way. The moon was big
and white over the sky when she knocked on the back door.
“Rey!”
Luke looked much worse for the wear. His gentle face was a mass of
plum-colored bruises, and he barely moved his gloved hand. “You
can't stay here! You have to leave. Every guard in the entire kingdom
is searching for you!”
“There's
no way I'm leaving. Not without you and those books.” Luke gave Rey
her porridge. “You have to tell me where they are.”
“They're
in Snoke's room. The ancient leather-bound texts on the top of the
largest bookshelf.” The old wizard looked thoughtful. “I'll give
you my cloak. I'm not much taller than you are. You could disguise
yourself as me, at least until you get in his room.”
Rey
gulped the last of her snack. “But what about you?”
“I'll
be all right. They won't kill me, anyway. Snoke is holding me for
ransom.” He swept the dirty dishes into a pail of water. “He's
using me to force my sister and brother-in-law to surrender their
kingdom to him.”
“Not
anymore.” Rey took the cloak and pulled it over her head and swung
a burlap sack over her shoulder. “I'll be back for you, even if I
can't do it tonight.”
The
halls were far busier than they had been the evening before. Guards,
trolls, and orcs patrolled every staircase and passageway. They
barely gave Rey a second glance. She even managed to glide past Hux
and Phasma easily.
Snoke's
bedroom was guarded by six orcs. Kylo Ren himself snored in a smaller
bed placed next to his master's. The black-haired apprentice slept
right next to the bookshelf Luke had described. Rey could see the
sacred texts resting on the very top shelf, their old leather stained
and worn. She nimbly climbed the bookshelf, making sure not to knock
any books onto the floor or the slumbering apprentice under her.
She'd
just dropped the books into the burlap sack when Kylo Ren's big brown
eye popped open. “What's going on here?” He whined. “Can't a
man get any sleep?”
“Sorry,
master.” Rey tried to make her voice sound more like Luke's gruff
tenor. “I was taking some older books down to the library.”
“In
the middle of the night?” The tall youth squinted at her. “Wait.
There's something about you. Something familiar. You don't sound at
all like my uncle.”
“We
all sound pretty odd in the middle of the night, nephew.” She
hauled the sack over her shoulder. “Well, I'd better be getting
along. I have to wake up early to start breakfast. I'll see you
tomorrow.”
“Oh
no, you don't.” He grabbed her arm and pulled down her hood. “I
knew it! You're very brave, young Rey. It's too bad Snoke wants to
eat you. We might be able to use your talents here.”
“I'd
never work for a giant!” Rey yanked her arm from his grasp. “I'm
not like you. I'd never betray my kingdom and family for power.”
Kylo
Ren narrowed his dark eyes. “In that case, I'm going to have to let
my master eat you.”
“Oh
no, you don't!” She used the sword to swiftly knock down more books
from the shelf, letting them fall onto Kylo Ren. The girl ducked out
the window, climbing down a thick flowering vine on the side of the
castle. By the time Snoke was sending his best warriors into the
kingdom to capture the thief, Rey was half-way down the mountain.
“Maz,
I got them!” Rey set the sack in her cart, then leaped onto the
front seat. “I got the sacred wizard texts!”
“Then
let's get out of here.” Maz shook the reins. “Snoke will be mad
as a hornet that you escaped him a second time.”
“I
have to go back there tomorrow.” The girl watched as the mountain
vanished into the horizon. “I can't leave poor Lord Luke. I'm
afraid of what they'll do to him. That was his cape I borrowed.”
“There
may be an easier way.” Maz nodded in the back. “There should be
an invisibility spell in one of those texts. I don't know how well
it'll work for someone who's untrained in magic, but it should last
long enough to get you past the guards.”
The
next night, Rey cast the spell Maz mentioned right after the old
woman let her off at the gate. To her delight, it worked! Neither the
guards nor the trolls and giants stationed around the moat saw her,
and she walked out in plain sight. Even Phasma, who stood at the
ready while the rest of her knights snored away, didn't see her as
she ducked into the bushes and tip-toed around to the kitchen door.
“Luke!”
She banged on the back door. “Luke, let me in! It's Rey! I'm here
to rescue...”
The
person who flung open the door wasn't Luke. Kylo Ren stood, pale and
sober, on the other side. Of course, her invisibility magic chose
just that moment to flicker back in.
“Hello,
peasant girl.” Ren crossed his arms. “Expecting my dear uncle,
were you? He's not here. Snoke has him in his room, bound in a burlap
sack. He intends to kill him and drain his remaining magic after
Mother and Father pay him the ransom – their entire kingdom.”
Rey
reached for the sword she carried on her hip. “And you're going to
turn me over to him.”
“No.”
Ren's smirk looked a great deal like his father's. “Actually, I
want you to help me get rid of him.” He shrugged. “I'm tired of
dealing with a giant and feeding his appetite, both for humans and
power. I'd rather rule this vast wealthy kingdom than the tiny one my
parents have.”
Rey
made a face. “Your parents wanted you to come home.”
“They
don't need me there.” Kylo Ren's big dark eyes narrowed
dangerously. “They have those little idiots they adopted. They're
far more interested in picking up random cast-offs from the street
than in taking care of their own son.”
“Well,
maybe if their own son cared more about his parents and less about
power, they'd treat you better!” Rey finally burst out.
“Do
you know why I betrayed my uncle to Snoke?” Kylo snapped angrily.
“He banished me! Thought I was going to kill him, because Snoke had
offered me power in his land. Snoke destroyed his wizard's school,
but I helped him.” He sighed, his face falling. “I really can't
go back. Not anymore. Not after the things I've done.”
The
girl made a face. “If you help me get your uncle out of here, I'll
tell your parents you want to rule your kingdom separately, but are
willing to make a treaty.”
“No!”
He took her hand. “If I let Uncle go, you'll have to stay. I'll
need someone to help me rule. You may be a nobody, but you're
obviously brave and clever. We could use more of that here.”
Rey
gave him a smile. “If you get me under the bed, I'll help you get
rid of the Giant.”
“I
can't resist that sweet smile of yours.” Kylo Ren gave her his
cloak. “Put this on. I'll tell them you're a Knight of Ren.”
He
brought her to the Giant Snoke's room. It was surrounded by no less
than ten guards this time. Three stood around the windows, including
Phasma. Rey dove under the Giant's bed as Kylo rushed over to Phasma,
who stood with the rest of her men.
“General,”
he said angrily, “I saw that girl creeping around downstairs! She
must be trying to get up here and rescue the wizard! I'll show you
where I saw her!”
The
moment Ren lead them out, Rey sprang into action. Kylo Ren pointed
out a window, claiming he'd seen the girl run out the window. She
rolled the bag away from the corner and tugged it off Luke, then cut
the gold cuffs off his wrists with the sword.
“Are
you up to moving?” Her arms went around his waist as she helped him
to his feet. “We have to get out of here.”
“I
can try.” Luke stumbled, but he did stand. “I'd just woken up and
made breakfast this morning when Hux and Kylo Ren came down, asking a
million questions about if I'd seen you and how you got in. I tried
to tell them I knew nothing about you or what you were doing, but
they didn't believe it.” Luke rubbed around his scratched and
reddened neck. “Snoke tried to choke me into talking. When that
didn't work, he said he'd have me for his breakfast tomorrow, whether
he got my sister's kingdom or not, and dumped me in that sack.”
“Well,
I'm not going to let you stay here.” Rey got him to the window.
“Come on. I have your book. We'll use the invisibility spell to get
you out.”
A
cold hand yanked her back as Luke let out a yelp. “You'll be going
nowhere, little one!” Snoke's growl could be heard for miles. “I'll
put you into that sack and have you for supper, along with this dried
up old bean.”
Rey
looked at Luke, then grinned. “I'd love to go back in that sack. In
fact, we both would. Right, Luke?”
He raised an eyebrow at her nod, but finally gave Snoke a small smile of his own. “That's right. I cast a spell on that sack when I was in there. You wouldn't believe the things that are in there now!”
Snoke's
eyes glittered. “Gold? Jewels? More humans for lunch?”
“Piles
of gold!” Rey nodded. “If you'll get into the sack, you'll see
for yourself!”
“And
humans,” Luke added quickly. “Much fatter and smaller than me.
They won't be able to escape so easily.”
“All
right!” Snoke grabbed the sack. “Help me in! I want to see it for
myself.” He waved his bony finger in Rey's face. “But no tricks
now, girl!”
“Oh,
no.” Rey turned around and grinned at Luke when Snoke's back was
turned. He winked at her.
Rey
and Luke helped the massive man into the sack. Luke used his powers
to seal it up as tight as he could. The moment he was in the sack,
Rey grabbed Luke's hand and pulled him out the window.
This
time, Hux and several of his guards saw them as they dashed across
the lawn to the drawbridge. “Close the bridge!” The red-haired
general demanded. “Stop her! Kill her!”
“I
can handle this!” Luke sent blue beams over the trolls and orcs,
turning them all into harmless puppies and kittens. “That ought to
hold them long enough to get us out of here.”
Rey
held the blue sword on Hux. “You will open that bridge and let us
go, or this sword will go down that skinny gullet of yours.”
“You
won't get away with this!” Hux snapped. He still did as he was
told. The general did not want to deal with the sharp end of what
he'd heard was the most deadly weapon in the entire Force Kingdoms.
“We
already are.” She grabbed Luke's hand. “Come on! We have to get
out of here, before Snoke gets free.”
Luke
gave her his gentle smile. “I have a better way, little one.” He
waved his hand. The same blue light surrounded them before they
vanished from the main road.
Queen
Leia and King Han were overjoyed to have their brother and dear
friend back. Luke made Rey his newest apprentice, teaching her
everything he knew about magic and fighting. She eventually became
the Lady Rey, one of Naboo's greatest magical warriors. Rose and
Kaydel did court Prince Finn and Temmin respectively. Poe so admired
Rey's strength and cleverness that after she finished her training,
he announced their courtship.
As
for Snoke, Kylo Ren, Phasma, Hux, and several of their soldiers found
him in the sack in his room. Not realizing it was him, they beat the
sack as hard as they could. By the time they realized who was in it,
it was too late. Snoke was near death, and passed away a few days
later.
Kylo
Ren did take over the Kingdom of the First Order, with Phasma as his
head general and Hux as his adviser. Though First Order and Naboo
went to battle many times, Naboo always got the best of the deal. It
was lead by Lady Rey, who may not have been the strongest or tallest
warrior in Naboo's army, but was certainly the bravest and
cleverest...and Kylo Ren knew that, no matter how hard he tried, he'd
never get the best of that smart little nobody.
The
End
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