The white wizard retrieved his hand from the onyx globe, startled by the images of the Witch King's treasonous behavior. Kylo Ren, Snoke's trophy from the slaughter in the village, had somehow been manipulated to betray him.

And it was because of him that Ben Solo hadn't been a casualty during the arranged ambush on the elves.

Given the bloodline of his heritage, Snoke had kept a watchful eye over Ben for years, believing that he could be turned and serve in the footsteps of the former Witch King. The elements of his potential were already there, as Ben often regressed to violence and anger rather than compassion. With the proper grooming and additional abilities, the young elf had the potential to become more powerful than Vader. And claim a legacy far more epic than his grandfather's.

Being strong in both body and mind, the elf hadn't been an easy target to obtain and resisted Lord Sidious' lure into darkness. However, all that it took was the enactment on empathy and tend to the forsaken lives in the village. Ben had finally taken the bait, but it also nearly claimed his life.

With the help of a powerful and dark enchantment, his fragile body was set in tune with Sidious' growing strength as a Wraith and was given the name Kylo Ren. Now a hybrid of Wraith and Elf, Ren was able to resist the mortal effects of common blades and other weapons. He was created to thrive off darkness, a living weapon and the fiercest of immortals. His memories were erased, forgetting those who he once loved in his previous life and instead obsessed over the Ring. He would further hold second-in-command to Snoke's legion of a menacing new breed of orc known as Uruk-Hai, which had grown to reach numbers in the tens of thousands.

So how did the son of darkness fall under the control of a lowly Silvan elf? And what possessed the Witch King to give himself over to her in such a sacred way? She was nothing. A nobody. But she would clearly serve a purpose in the reminder of who Kylo Ren belonged to, and bring awareness to the fact that the Wraith wasn't as truly immortal as he'd always believed.

It was without to Ren's knowing that the wizard had also forged the only sword of its kind, its blade capable of maiming the Nazgul's immortality to Man should there ever be a need for its use. It would leave Ren mortally vulnerable while forcing him to choose between the life of the she-elf or keep to Sidious' cause.

Either way, one life would be taken and if not then both.

The sound of heavy footsteps moved his hardened gaze from the platform, supporting the black and spherical-shaped looking glass, and was met with the eyes of which belonged to General Hux when the fearsome pale orc entered the room.

The orc stopped at the doorway and stood with his shoulders squared, his chin elevated and proud of the news that he carried. His blue eyes were rigid and piercing, his smile sinister and uncovered its rows of sharp fangs. His broad shoulders and chest were concealed beneath thick-plated armor. The chest piece was marked by a white off-center handprint of the wizard who retained the orc's loyalties, the look of a soldier who was prepared for war.

"The weapons are finished and ready, my Lord," Hux growled the affirmation.

"Excellent work, General," Snoke praised, though his beard kept the full extent of pleasure on his lips hidden behind cascades of white hair.

With his sorcerer's staff in hand, Snoke slowly advanced past the orc in silence, showing the way to the Tower of Starkiller's lone terrace that overlooked the stronghold's charred landscape. Hux trailed not far behind. While the pair drew closer towards their destination, the roars and chants from thousands of orcs outside the tower's obsidian walls grew louder, anxiously awaiting orders.

"And you are certain the explosives will guarantee our breach of the mountain's fortress?" The orc scoffed, referring to their impending attack on Crait.

Ah yes, Crait, Snoke mused to himself.

The ancient fortress was the largest to have been built within the outskirts of Savareen, constructed into the side of a mountain whose interior halls dove deep into the earth and wound through an abundance of caves. Unfortunately, Savareen was only one of two kingdoms left governed by the few Free Men who resided in Middle Earth. The other was the kingless, great city of Coruscant.

No thanks to Savareen's ruler, King Jarrus, for his refusal to side with Sidious and Snoke, Crait was dubbed the first target in the war between good and evil, unaware that spies had informed Snoke of Jarrus leading his people there for refuge. Its massive stone wall had always been known to be impenetrable by outsiders, having withstood a great many battles throughout its history. But little did the king know that informants had also divulged a weakness in the fortress' design to their enemy: a small sewer channel located at its base.

"Abide by my orders, General," Snoke beamed cruelly with conviction, "and the fortress will fall. Jarrus' allies have dwindled over the years. You have the numbers, a victory is imminent."

Hux sneered at the thought and lowered his chin, nodding. "Yes, my Lord. I can assure you that no man will see the rise of dawn."

Oh, how it pleased him to hear that.

"I do not doubt your success, General," Snoke added assertively. "With that being said, there is a specific task that I would like to place in the hands of your captain."

The orc curiously raised his brows while the wizard encouraged them to halt, ignoring the thunderous sound of Uruk-Hai pounding their fists on armor from the open doorway further down the narrow corridor, expressing their impatience.

"And what is this task that I will be informing her of?" Hux inquired quizzically.

Snoke aligned his gaze with the orc's. "She is to ride to Mustafar and come to me with Kylo Ren; although, getting him to come so willingly is the challenge that I wish for her to be made aware of. He is strong and powerful. And for that, I have precisely what she needs to make him cooperate."

Hux curled his lips, again nodding briefly. "As you wish, my Lord. I shall inform her after the debriefing."

"Good." The wizard narrowed his eyes before he spoke next. "There will be a female with him also," he continued serenely. "An Elf. I want her alive - and unspoiled ."

**

After the assembly with Luke in Chandrila, a total of nine members stood in the company of the One Ring. Aside from the ring bearer himself, Poe, Bee-Bee, and Finn and the three additional hobbits had volunteered to escort Artoo on the long perilous journey. Ezra Bridger had also quickly offered his allegiance, along with the wizard Amilyn Holdo. However, even with the assistance of a powerful sorcerer, the excursion to Dathomir hadn't been any easier than if the fellowship had gone without her.

Rather than taking a route that would bring them dangerously close to Starkiller, the fellowship took to the snowy mountain trails of Jakku, leading them to a door that was the entrance to the ancient dwarven mines of Kessel. Unfortunately, the mine's dark and shadowy depths also housed a plethora of enemies.

After roaming through its maze of tunnels a large colony of goblins surrounded the fellowship, a cave troll held in their service as well. Amidst the ruckus of their battle, they unwittingly roused a fiery demon from within its plunging shafts, directly to the Underworld. Knowing that the foe was far beyond the fellowship's ability to defeat, Holdo sacrificed herself to the creature for the safety of those who were meant to continue without her.

After briefly mourning the loss of their friend, Finn suggested that they travel to the realm of Alderaan. It was known by many that no evil should ever be allowed to enter or flourish inside the Elven kingdom, its borders heavily secured by Leia's unsullied Ring of Power.

They ascended one of many staircases that coiled around the trunks of trees, ending midway near the forest's golden canopies, where Leia Skywalker-Solo and Padme Amidala obliged the fellowship with their presence. Both elves appeared as equally beautiful as they were kind.

It wasn't until the mentioning of Holdo's demise when the faint glimmer of happiness in their eyes faded to sorrow, yet another loss when they had clearly suffered many. Leia then granted the group shelter and food for the evening, assuring even though the Ring was present they would be safe. Before they left the next morning she gave each of the fellowship a small gift that withheld significance, all items different and guaranteed to serve them well throughout the remainder of the journey.

The adventure continued forward as they proceeded to travel further down the riverfront toward the falls, relieved to have not encountered the black riders though what they didn't know was the Nazgul were being assisted by a large clan of Uruk-Hai. It was at a small wooded area off-stream when the band of orcs finally caught up with them.

Poe, Finn, Bee-Bee, and Ezra strived to hold off what they could of the orcs while Chirpa and Wicket created a diversion. Feigning possession of the Ring the two hobbits lured the attention of the orcs from Artoo, resulting in their capture. Artoo and Threepio were then encouraged to escape and continue onward alone. However, Finn and all who were left hadn't discovered Chirpa and Wicket's abduction until it was too late.

Now that the Fellowship of the Ring was broken, their new mission was to find and save Chirpa and Wicket, while also empowering their friendship along the way. Though Poe wasn't ready to admit to having grown particularly fond of the dwarf just yet. With his perception keen on tracking the orcs, his nagging worry for Rey had surprisingly lessened.

With the four of them working together they finally came upon the orcs outside the kingdom of Savareen. At least, their corpses that is. They supposed that a fight had broken out amongst the horde, appearing to have saved them from needing to fight the Uruk-Hai as they had all perished to one another's blade.  Not only did they discover that the hobbits had escaped and fled into the nearby Forest of Kashyyk, but they also reunited with a resurrected Amilyn Holdo, clothed in robes that were no longer grey but white, astride a horse whose coat was as fair as snow.

Shortly after the reunion, they received word that the King of Savareen, Kanaan Jarrus, was in dire need for aid. After reports from scouts stated that an army of orcs was approaching, the king deemed it best for his people to travel to the great fortress of Crait, shunning the notion to call for the help of nearby kingdoms who he believed would never come.

Once they arrived at Crait the reality of circumstances finally settled into his thoughts, having neglected to believe that 10,000 orcs would be at their doorstep by the evening's descent when his army of men was roughly over 1,000. His niece, Sabine, was asked to lead the women and youngest of children into the caves, while every able-bodied man prepared for the looming battle.

Poe narrowed his eyes at Jarrus when the king left to acquire his own armor. He looked to Finn and Haldo at his left, both seeming as disgruntled over the king's stubbornness.

"He's a fool to believe this battle can be won on our own," Poe hissed. "Aside from what soldiers he does have, the closest thing to a weapon that half of these people have probably seen is a pitchfork. They're farmers, not soldiers."

"But they have hope," Finn sighed, his voice solemn. "That is something that no measure of darkness could ever take away."

"There are children amongst those so-called soldiers, Finn," Poe chided. "Are you sincerely okay with telling them that? Giving them hope when there is none? They're terrified! You can see it in their eyes if you hadn't noticed."

Finn shook his head. "There is always hope."

Poe grit his teeth. "Listen to yourself! All of these people are going to die."

"Then I shall die as one of them!"

The elf winced at the outburst and took a step back from Finn, unable to find words that were fit to counter. That sort of tension hadn't been between them since their encounter in Chandrila. Now, Poe had come to regard Finn more as a brother rather than an acquaintance who he had volunteered to journey with across Middle Earth.

Holdo cleared her throat softly, taking the moment as her queue to speak. 

"There are still those who reside in Middle Earth that will come to our aid," she assured with certainty. "If I ride out now I should return before sunrise."

Poe blinked. "Wait - so, you're leaving?"

Holdo smiled graciously, concerning the apprehension on both of the men's faces. "You have my word. And we need the help," she affirmed. "Just look toward the East at dawn for my coming."

Poe snorted and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "As if we weren't doomed from the start. Now we have the wizard abandoning us."

She rolled her eyes and shuffled closer toward him. She placed a comforting hand on the elf's shoulder, eyes knowing and laden with trust. "Hope is like the sun. If you can only see it during the day, then you'll never make it through the night."

Finn nodded at that, arms folded over his chest. "She's right you know," he said with a quick glance at Poe. "We have to give these people some sort of hope if we're to make it through this. Even if that spark is small."

Poe pressed his lips and nodded, exhaling through his nose. "Alright, you're both right and I'm sorry. Forgive me."

Finn shook his head, and what appeared to be a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Don't be. Your reason for worry is valid."

Bee-Bee waddled in at that moment, the jingling sound of his chain armor gained everyone's attention. He dropped the lower half of what was being held of the tunic in his arms with a grunt and looked to them with discomfort. They expected him to comment with something that was relevant to its length, which puddled into a heap at his feet but instead voiced a different complaint.

"It's a little tight in the chest," the dwarf grumbled, seeming confused when those who were staring at him dumbfounded, started to laugh.

**

Lightning flashed in the sky overhead, streaking over the evening's dark canvas like brilliant strands of webs. Its luminosity revealed the thousands who carried torches and spears, and flags bearing the image of a white hand, to the soldiers who lined the pathways above the walls of Crait. Thunder rolled then and was accompanied with heavy downpouring rain.

Poe stood alongside Finn and Bee-Bee, his bow held at an angle over his chest, hand clasped over the other. His eyes were set on the orcs that stood at the base of the fortress, awaiting the moment of which would begin the initial fight for Middle Earth.

Silence rendered heavily over the ranks of men; although, the sound of weapons being driven into the ground repeatedly by orcs compensated for their lack of words. They had known that Snoke's army would be large in numbers, but seeing the magnitude of its size in person was terrifying. The enemy torches appeared to be endless, spanning far and beyond the horizon.

"What's going on out there?" Bee-Bee mumbled. "I can't see anything!"

Poe smirked and lowered his chin, seeing the dwarf stagger on the toes of his boots to get a glimpse of the monstrosity that was blocked by the stone wall in front of him. The elf shook his head and sighed. His eyes returned to their previous view before speaking.

"Shall I describe it to you?" Poe offered, raising a brow. "Or would you like me to find you a box?"

With his hands gripping the edge of the wall, the dwarf paused and peered up at Poe. His silence was quickly broken by a cackle, regarding the elf's choice of words. "That's good, very good. Not bad for such an uptight elf."

Finn snorted at the banter, eyes fixed ahead. "It's good to hear you two becoming such good friends."

"Might as well make good use of what little time we have left," Poe scoffed, feigning to have not noticed Finn's scorn.

"Archers!" Kannan cried out from the partition at the rear to them. "Take your aim!"

Adhering to the king's command Poe and neighboring archers swiftly had their arrows drawn and raised, aiming at the first orc that their eyes settled on. Finn drew his sword from its sheath, prepared to face what chaos followed.

Poe closed his eyes and took a breath, aligning the projectile to strike the chosen Uruk-Hai's armor at its weakest point, of which he discovered after having endured a fair share of encounters with Uruk-Hai orcs.

"Aim for the neck and beneath the arms," Poe suggested to the archers nearby. "Their armor is weaker there."

"And show them no mercy," Finn added, tightening the girth upon his sword. "For they will show you none in return."

A few aiys sounded off from those that heard the comments. The minutes that followed in light of Jarrus' command to release the arrows were blurred by tunnel vision.

The arrows soared into the night, piercing their marks on every target. No sooner than the projectiles were issued more were quickly drawn in their place, and the orcs continued to fall with each shot delivered by man and elf. However, it wasn't long before those who stood upon Crait were met by the orcs' returned assault. For every arrow released a man and orc was struck, a vicious cycle that resulted in more lives lost.

Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Poe tallied the kills in his head, satisfied as the casualties amongst evil continued to rise. 

"I hope that you intend to save some for me!" Bee-Bee scolded Poe, growing bored and impatient from waiting.

At that moment the inevitable arrived for those anticipating hand-to-hand combat. Massive siege ladders were brought forth by the Uruks, of which were raised and propped against the stone barrier. The orcs hastened to ascend, each wielding a different form of crudely-crafted weaponry.

"Get ready!" Poe warned, stalling to release the drawn arrow before the first orc appeared. "Now's your chance to play catch up."

"Aiy, let them come," the dwarf growled, flexing his grip on the axe's handle.

Poe fired the arrow at the first orc head that emerged from over the wall. It struck the Uruk between the eye holes of its helmet, killing the creature immediately. Its grip on the ladder loosened and tumbled back into the swarm of bodies at the base of the stairway.

Bee-Bee claimed the next Uruk that revealed itself shortly after. Raising the axe over his head, the dwarf drove its blade deep into the Uruk's armored chest plate before the adversary had a chance to attack, causing a sickening crunch upon contact. He jerked the weapon free, leaving the orc to fall.

The dwarf quickly moved onto the next that clambered over the ledge, one that Poe had missed as the foes climbed faster than the archers could attack. It wasn't long before those of Savareen were overwhelmed by the sudden surge of orcs, leading to more men perishing by the malevolence of evil.

At one point in the action, a Uruk-Hai attempted to attack Poe from behind but was promptly stopped by Bee-Bee after the dwarf's timely notice. The elf turned and looked over his shoulder, noticing the dwarf was wrenching the blade free of his attacker's armor and gave Bee-Bee an appreciative smile.

"How many does that make for you now?" Poe asked, retrieving another arrow from his quiver.

The dwarf thought briefly. "Twenty-four."

"Not bad," Poe shrugged. "Thirty-nine."

Bee-Bee's mouth dropped. "Did I say 24? I actually meant 34!"

Poe chuckled, however, the moment of fun was sadly short-lived. The elf's eyes flickered over every face of those around him, searching for the one he knew to be calling his name. He discovered that Finn had made his way further back towards the keep, and was motioning wildly towards the furthest sector of the fortress.

"Poe! The carrier! Bring the torch carrier down!"

Poe searched frantically for the bearer and found the Uruk sprinting through a trench that was stationed at the base furthest to him, torch blazing bright and raised high in the air. The elf unleashed multiple arrows at the carrier, but none of which pierced its chest was able to hinder the orc from finishing its task. The orc disappeared into the entrance of the duct, followed by a massive eruption of stone.

Liberal chunks of debris were thrown in every direction, crushing those who were unfortunate enough to have been within range of its wake, while the initial concussion of the explosion flung bodies of those who remained. After centuries of adhering to its fame, the impenetrable wall of Crait had finally been breached. 

**

While the war had just begun at Crait another struggle raged on at Mustafar; however, this was one that neither swords or catapults or the strongest of explosives could ever wish to conquer. While making love to Rey was the greatest decision that Kylo had made, it also magnified the division of his heart. When he should have been living with his head amongst the clouds the Wraith was persistent in its yearning for the Ring.

Its call to him had begun to occur more frequent than in the past as if the object was physically capable of sensing his hurt. Every hour that its bidding went disregarded he could feel the compression on that side of his heart tighten, pleading that he not continue prolonging his absence. However, despite lacking what the Wraith desired, Kylo couldn't bring himself to leave her.

The nights that followed the consummation of their love were spent by the fire, lying on nothing more than discarded clothes with a thin sheet covering their waists. With every moment spent with her Kylo found that she no longer seemed to mind his difference in body temperature, though the inferno inside the hearth had more than made up for it.

Sleep never came to him as it did for Rey, so he simply watched her instead. He always started with her face, studying the dozens of tiny particles that powdered her nose and flourished greater over her cheeks. Whenever her eyelashes would flutter he wondered if she was dreaming of him, how he looked like as an Elf and not the monster he'd become. The wound on her shoulder had started healing faster, leaving a blemish that was lighter than the darker hue of her skin.

But just as he expected his peace never lasted for long, his remembrance of the Ring always washed away that single ounce of tranquility. His ears started buzzing and rose to a high-pitched tune in his head. The crackling of logs in the fireplace was no longer the room's leading source of melody, neither were Rey's innocent snores.

His eyelids grew heavy, laden with obsession, a craving that hadn't been quenched. From the ashes of his soul, darkness rose and swallowed what little light had made its way to the surface, which normally ended as he was being dragged further into its depths.

But this time was different, as the darkness had always been infinite he instead saw flames. There was death scattered across the world, blue skies were hidden behind dark clouds

Villages were burned, lives had either perished or were enslaved by chains. The images remained vague and slow-moving but ended with the lifeless body of Rey, lying in a field that was carpeted by those who belonged to men and many more who were women and children, with a magnificent city of white in the background that was left in shambles.

"Ben."

His eyes flung open, surprised to see Rey had already changed into the new attire that a servant brought for her earlier, a charcoal feminine-style tunic with leggings beneath her original armor, and was now standing before him. The last he remembered before the Ring had seized control over his consciousness, was the awe he felt when she allowed him to watch her dress in front of the fireplace.

Her brows were furrowed with concern, indicating that he must've slipped away longer than usual, with a hand placed upon his black leather coat.

Having decided to set aside the robes Kylo's appearance as a Wraith was now visible for all to see. The high-rising collar of the sleeveless jacket was embossed with studs, it's front secured by buckles and ended lower in the back than in front. Armored gauntlets in onyx stemmed from his wrists to his elbows while the remainder of skin was hidden by pleated fabric, hands wearing gloves. And black pants tucked into knee-high boots.

He could only imagine the sort of gossip that would spread if anyone other than Rey ever saw him.

"I'm sorry," he grimaced, unable to disguise the shame on his face.

She shook her head, slightly cocked to the side. "Don't be. I know that this can't be easy for you."

Being not easy was certainly an oversimplification of the truth, but he kept that to himself along with the visions he was shown. The fact that she was still with him, and still trying to gain some sort of understanding for what he was going through, was more than anything he could've asked for. He never expected her to fully understand, but it was enough to give him hope that a life together was still possible while enduring such torment.

He recalled what his father had told him, how visions were always in motion and could be changed. He needed to hold onto the life that he and Rey had seen. He had to believe that love could still rise above evil. But none of that could ever happen so long as they continued staying in Mustafar. Leaving would be one step closer towards breaking the restraints that bound him to his grandfather's legacy. It was highly dangerous indeed, but it was a decision not made by Sidious or Snoke or the Ring.

He grabbed her hand on his chest and brought it to his lips, kissing the base of her palm. "I want to leave - with you."

Shock overcame her look of concern at first. "And go where?"

His eyes lowered to the leaf brooch that was clasped at the neck of her tunic, knowing he could never return to where he wanted to go most. His connection to Sidious rendered him to be forever banished from Alderaan.

"I don't know," he confessed, eyes meeting hers again. "Somewhere, anywhere that's far away from here."

It was a good idea, in theory. The faster they could get away from Dathomir and Mustafar, the longer he believed it would take for anyone to find them. Rey said nothing at that but simply nodded within the place of words. His grasp constricted around her hand and she placed the other on his shoulder, rising on her toes she kissed him.

"Anywhere is fine," she whispered.

He kissed her again, deeper this time. His free hand spanned the width of her lower back, bringing her closer to him and broke the kiss long enough to speak. "Forever for us starts now. But they'll never stop hunting us. I want you to know that. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"No," she frowned. "I waited too long to find you. I will let nothing separate us again. And speaking of," she smiled, "there's something that I want you to have back."

He eyed her skeptically, not knowing what she meant at first until she revealed the bow and quiver that was returned to her earlier, lying on her bed amongst the other weapons she'd carried. How he hadn't noticed it at first eluded him, though many years had passed since he last saw it. It could've been because the elegant design that embellished a single side of the leather was hidden from view: a golden bird whose long tail feathers hung majestically toward the base. His bow was still the beautiful shade of cherrywood but weathered from excessive use at the grip, ornamented by the same golden coils that lined the top of the quiver.

"They were found when your father was brought home with the rest," Rey explained gently, her eyes glossing over at the memory. "Leia gave it to me, thinking that you were dead. But since you were never found I kept it because having it gave me hope that you were still alive. And that one day I would be able to give it back to you."

Kylo hesitated before he finally took it in his grasp. He skimmed his thumb over its coils, reacquainting himself with the elegant weapon that was with him when his father died, the day when his life irrevocably changed for the worse. While Rey assisted him with the straps of the holster he envisioned returning the favor to those responsible for taking everything from him.

Soon , he promised. Soon that revenge would come.

His eyes rose to the remainder of small weapons on the bed, noticing that the blades of her daggers were glowing a soft shade of blue. Quickly his elvish instincts reverted back to the days in which were spent helping his father clear the surrounding lands of orc groups, recalling how their swords elicited a similar shade whenever their kind drew near. Rey caught the drift of his attention and ceased from further movement when she turned toward the bed.

"Ben," she breathed with a warning in her tone.

"Get your things," he demanded sharply. "We're leaving now."

She quickly did as he had ordered and grabbed the pair of daggers, hilts firmly secured in her hands with a strong grasp. Having anticipated enough time to make a quick getaway their initial bit of optimism vanished when the group of Uruk-Hai orcs promptly greeted them outside the door.

Having an arrow already drawn and ready Kylo unleashed the first into the head of the first orc that stood at the door. It wavered then fell back into the few who were directly behind. Using it to his advantage Kylo kicked the fallen orc in its chest, driving those at the rear further into the hall to make room for his and Rey's escape.

A few Uruk-Hai immediately went to grab Rey when she appeared, but she was swift in her strides and ducked from their reach. Using her toes to pivot she came up behind one, stabbing the blade of her dagger into the side of its neck and allowed Kylo to take the other. She pulled the dagger free, blood oozing from its mortal wound, and hurled the growing limp body to the side.

With a corridor free from orcs Kylo motioned for Rey to follow him down the fortress' dimly-lit interior, leading her toward the shorter hall where the grand stairwell was located. Hopeful that a successful escape was near, he rounded the corner and collided into the chest of the largest orc in the horde. Taller than Kylo by several inches the orc was paler than most in its skin color, and very little blonde hair on its head. It glared at him with a single blue eye, the other clouded and blind on a face that was heavily scarred.

"Master Ren," she snarled with a voice that sounded too proper for an orc, "such a pleasure to finally meet the Witch King."

Before Kylo could react the orc seized him by the throat and slammed him to the wall with a violent thrust. The motion left him breathless at first but showed no signs of being hurt. Gritting his teeth he managed to land a blow to her face with a fist free of the bow. The orc grunted and loosened her grasp, allowing him to free himself when he jabbed her abdomen with his knee.

"Rey!" He bellowed, noticing for the first time that she wasn't with him.

"Ben!" Rey cried out from down the hall. The panic heard in her voice alarmed him, followed by the clanging of armor.

Before Kylo could turn to find her the large orc was on him again, wielding a sword that was similar to the Nazgul's in its hand. He dodged to the side when she made the first swing, exchanging his bow for the sword at his waist. Having temporarily cast aside the bow he parried the orc's powerful strikes.

With a forceful shove of his weapon against hers, he was able to put enough distance between himself and the orc, briefly taking offense in the skirmish. Kylo was quick in his movements though not fast enough as the orc managed to graze his side with the edge of the sword, immediately giving her the upper hand as Kylo was momentarily stunned by the pain. The orc drew her arm around his neck and forced him to his knees.

"Your she-elf looks utterly divine if I may so say myself," the orc sneered into his ear. "I would imagine she tastes just as well as she looks."

Kylo bared his teeth, gasping at the shortness of breath as the orc flexed the muscles of her arm and tightened her grasp.

"If you so much as lay a hand on her I promise you will suffer before I kill you," he seethed, hands failing to pry away her hold.

The orc chuckled at that. "Oh, I have orders to leave her - what was the term?" The orc briefly paused. "Oh yes, unspoiled was the word. Such a shame really. She would make a fine meal."

Rage boiled inside of him and he struggled to free himself from the orc. But the more his body writhed, the stronger her hold became. Just as his vision started to blur he began to see red. Then, everything slowly faded to black.