Ben raced through the trees, his troops in perfect combat formation behind him aimed at the Sith troopers and Knights heading their way. Ap'lek Ren with his blackened Mandalorian executioner's axe was ahead of the others, and the first Ben came into contact with as he swung his lightsaber to the side and without allowing his pace to slow charged straight into the Knight. Pile driving him, catapulting Ap'lek off his feet and searing his armour and flesh with the hilt of his lightsaber. He drove Ap'lek to the ground, Ap'lek's helmeted head striking the scorched earth hard. Ben's saber cut through the body to the red ground beneath as he bent beside Ap'lek's corpse. The dead woodland around him was alight with laser fire and blaster bolts. Fires burned the dry earth as white First Order stormtroopers fired at the crimson Sith troopers.

Kuruk Ren charged at a group of Ben's stormtroopers, bolt after blaster bolt penetrating his clothing apparently without incident as Kuruk fired his sniper with devastating accuracy. The odds, however, were not in Kuruk's favour and as he became riddled with fire, he eventually fell face first upon the ground. Kuruk, however, was not merely a sniper but carried an arsenal of other weapons. As he fell to the ground, the grenades upon his belt exploded and troopers white and red garbed alike flew into the air in an eruption of red dirt and dead trees.

Before Ben, Cardo Ren and Ushar Ren were fixedly walking in his direction. Ben took a breath standing and removing his lightsaber from Ap'lek's corpse. Ben recovered his footing swinging his lightsaber in his hand, reading himself for the onslaught. Cardo Ren's wicked spiked mace propelled sideways at him, and Ben spun under it slashing at Cardo's back as he stood upright behind the Knight. Now Ushar was heading for him his double-ended club poised. Ben swung at Ushar, striking the Knight in his left side and he heard a grunt and saw the black clothing spark and burn. Ushar turned from him, touching his bleeding ribs indifferently. Behind him, Ben could sense Cardo had recovered though not entirely. Ben leapt over Cardo, grabbing the Knight by his shoulder and plunging his lightsaber deep into Cardo's chest, spearing him. Ushar was advancing on Ben now, and Ben surveyed the situation from behind Cardo's dying form, using his fatally injured Knight as a shield. Within the Force, he could foresee Ushar's intention his every move before he started to make them. Ben threw Cardo's slumped body from his lightsaber and then lowered his position spinning on his foot, sweeping his saber out towards Ushar's legs. He cut through one of Ushar's legs with his saber severing it from his body and Ushar fell to the ground; his balance faltered. As Ushar lay on the floor attempting to get himself up, Ben pierced his Knight's back through the top of the shoulders with his lightsaber. Ushar leaned back on his arms and quaked with pain, the intensity of his shuddering increasing until he suddenly stilled, arms giving way, and his helmeted head struck the floor. He never made a sound. Ben removed his lightsaber from Ushar's corpse.

Only Trudgen and Vicrul remained. Turning his head to the side, Ben could sense their impending approach. Trudgen raised his broad sword above his head intending to sever Ben's head from his body, but Ben managed to block him. As he did, Vicrul's staff caught him across the face, and he spun onto his knees. His jaw stung, and he could taste blood in his mouth. No time to consider further Ben immediately had to block Trudgen from splitting him in half. Ben growled through gritted teeth straining to stand back up. Vicrul struck him in the legs with his staff and Ben fell onto all fours, and Trudgen used this opportunity to slash up Ben's back with his sword. Ben strained backwards in pain and roared. Ben tried to centre himself, letting the Force calm him; he must use the light, not just the dark. Pain, suffering and patience these feelings feed him, feed the Force, he was its weapon. Harnessing the Force Ben held Trudgen in place, he could sense Vicrul behind him. He extinguished his saber to spin it quickly in his hand to face behind him, holding the hilt to this side he reignited it, piercing Vicrul behind him through the stomach.

Ben stood his lightsaber still embedded within his Knight behind him, a sickening sound of flesh tearing followed. Ben extinguished his lightsaber now he was fully upright and heard the clatter of Vicrul as he dropped to the ground. Trudgen still stood frozen in place, motionless as a stone, before him unable to move under Ben's hold. Ben made him drop his weapon. Hands shaking with the unbridled pain burning in his back, Ben channelled the Force, his hand became a claw, and he slowly clenched his fingers inwards as if grasping something invisible in the air. In front of him, Trudgen Ren's helmet began to crumple in on itself, crushing the skull beneath. Arms and legs were folding in on themselves unnaturally, and bone shattered. Ben could hear the crunching sound of the skull and bone splintering mixed with a sickening gurgling sound as Trudgen's lungs and throat were filled with his green life fluid. Green blood seeped out through his broken helmet and ripped clothing. Ben's hand eventually clenched fully shut, before he allowed Trudgen's mangled carcass to fall to the floor.

His Knights were gone, all of them. For a moment, he stood, allowing the flow of the dark to abate. The fight around him was ebbing what Sith troopers were still alive wouldn't be for long. Ben looked up through the grey sky; the space above the immediate atmosphere was lit with blue lightning, an unnatural fire in space. The weapon had worked the Imperial fleet was no more. Ben walked towards where those still shooting and defending themselves were positioned holding his hand out palm outwards, and the red garbed troopers froze in place. His stormtroopers walked back towards his position, reforming their lines.

"Sir," his commanding officer queried.

"Kill them all, no prisoners, no mercy."

His troopers opened fire, and the Sith troopers went down.

"Return to the Finalizer. This isn't over," Ben commanded as he and his remaining troops returned to his shuttle.

-X-

From the control room of his Dreadnought, General Hux stood and watched as Kylo Ren's shuttle boarded the Finalizer. Allegiant General Pryde's Dreadnought drifted in the space before him, Letan Nex had sensed something of great importance apparently, and Pryde had called upon Hux to join him here. Pryde would be viewing as General Hux did, the blue explosion engulfing the Emperor's fleet of Star Destroyers. It was incredible. There had been no laser fire from the planet, no destructive beam; the ships had combusted in on themselves. They were exploding with mesmerising cold blue light which seemed to have a life all of its own as it leapt from one vessel to the next. Ren had been successful in powering up the Super Weapon it would seem. The debris of mechanical engineering now glittered as particles of space dust. The end of that obsolete religion and the past was nigh; a new age was dawning. Now the odds were more in their favour. Hux couldn't feel too optimistic yet; the acolyte of the Emperor was with Pryde, and his retribution for the destruction of his fleet would be severe at best. For now, they would not know the part Ren had played, but Hux saw no way for that to continue to be hidden. Ren was good at hiding his intentions, but nothing he said now could avoid the Emperor's wrath, and so their position here was about to be revealed. Though until Endor the other First Order defectors would be secret and must remain that way if they were to maintain the element of surprise. General Hux was here at Pryde's request but also to ensure the Finalizer was not destroyed; he merely had to wait for Captain Peavey to inform him of when to target Pryde's Dreadnought. Auto-cannons were charged; all they had to do was wait.

For a moment, Hux considered what it was he was about to do. He could change his mind and allow Ren to be destroyed. The thought of Ren's destruction twitched the side of his mouth as he fantasised about the brutal death Ren might endure at the hands of the Emperor. The moment's fantasy faded as quickly as it had occurred and the minute smirk on his lips disappeared as if it had never been there. No, no he wanted to be a crucial part of the future ahead, no more Sith, no more Jedi and that could only be accomplished if he turned on the Contingency. That was the only way to ensure the legacy of the First Order, for everything he'd worked for and strived for to mean something. For General Armitage Hux to take his rightful place in the Galaxy this was the only way.

-X-

Captain Peavey watched the monitor as Kylo Ren and the remnants of his company departed the shuttle battle-weary and bloodied within the Finalizer's hangar. Peavey announced through the hangar's communications that Allegiant General Pryde had made contact and would be on board shortly.

Ben, however, wasn't listening to the Captain; he didn't need to. Ben's head was tilted looking into the distance, seeing what no other could see.

"Sir?" one of the troopers with him questioned, "what should we do?"

"They're already here," Ben muttered turning to see an Imperial shuttle entering the hangar. Ben turned to meet the advancing shuttle, and the inhabitants he knew were on board. He knelt, and a gesture of his hand commanded his troopers to follow his lead. Ben lowered his head, his back burned with pain from the wound Trudgen had inflicted, but for now, his pain would feed his power within the Force. He heard the clicking of Pryde's footsteps down the walkway of the shuttles gangplank. The creature at Pryde's side was silent his footfalls making no sound, but Ben didn't need to hear him or see him to know he was there- Letan Nex. Darth Sidious's spectre within the Force caused that creeping cold feeling to spread across his mind and across the hangar. He could feel it affect the troops kneeling around him- fear.

"Kylo Ren, you kneel before your Master, but it would appear the depth of your betrayal knows no limits."

Ben raised his head, no more hiding; he would show this dark acolyte, who he was.

"My name is Ben Solo. I am a Skywalker, like my mother and uncle before me, and my grandfather before them. My destiny as their's was is to ensure your defeat."

Within the depths of the cowl and helmeted body of Letan Nex, came that cackle.

"You will no longer wear my face; the galaxy will see you for the evil corruption you are," Ben stood and stretched out his hand towards the creature before him. He knew that helmet intimately. He clicked the mechanism on the side and removed the mask from the imposter who wore it, willing it to his hand.

Within the Force a surge of malevolence spiked. The cackle stopped, and Letan Nex raised his hideous face. It might have been a young face once, the features of which might even have been considered handsome; the broad jaw, straight nose, but no more. The red-rimmed eyes burned with fury, and the pupils themselves were fiery pits hideously yellow. The skin was translucently pale, mottled and grey as though it was rotting. Cracked with red, purple veins and the flesh was grotesquely distorted by the evil that simmered beneath. Letan Nex extended both his arms and a surge of energy threw everyone within the hangar, everyone except Ben who attempted to become like a rock against the wind. Around him, his troops flew into docked ships and hangar walls. Ben gritted his teeth as he struggled against Letan Nex's will.

"Captain! General Hux now!" Ben managed to growl.

Ben couldn't move his head, but through the exposed hangar, he saw Captain Peavey from this ship and General Hux's Dreadnought fire upon Allegiant General Pryde's ship. Shields were up, but the message would not be misinterpreted. The Finalizer was not the only traitor within the First Order. Letan Nex spread his long fingers; arms spread wide willing his power upon Ben. Ben managed to not succumb to the surge that had caused his troops to the ground, but now Letan Nex focused all his will upon him, the fury in his eyes burning. Ben could feel the wound in his back, screaming.

"You will die for your treachery!" the apparition wailed as Force lightning flew from his hands.

Ben fell to his knees in renewed agony and slid across the floor crashing into an engineers storage chest. Letan Nex had not used the full extent of his strength before, and the power coursing through his flesh now was tortuous.

Behind Letan Nex, Allegiant General Pryde stepped forwards he was desperate but managed to maintain his years of training. General Hux was supposed to be the heir to the Contingency, destined to join its ranks in greatness, faultless with stiff formality his unflinching drive was everything they needed to bring the galaxy to tame. What was he thinking?

"My Lord our ship is under attack and our ships outside Endor inform me the Resistance is there. If you are to rise, we need to leave."

Ben did not hear any of this interchange his ears were filled with his blood screaming, but he felt the pain subside. He didn't hear the acolyte and the Contingency leave in their shuttle, but he felt the dark presence in the Force diminish as Darth Sidious's spectre departed the Finalizer. Slowly Ben got to his knees along with the troopers from his squadron.

"Sir?" a trooper knelt at his side, and Ben allowed him to help him rise to his feet.

"Captain Peavey, head to Endor," Ben ordered as he attempted to stand alone.

"Sir, you need medical, you're no good to the cause if you're wounded."

Ben surveyed the trooper surprised, he could see nothing of the man behind the helmet but could hear the concern in his voice and feel the comradery from this commander. Ben had not felt the like of it before; this man wanted and needed his survival. He nodded and allowed the trooper to take him to medical. This unknown soldier was right, he needed to be at full strength, the most significant fight was to come, but at least he wouldn't be alone.