Leman Russ, also known as the "Wolf King" and the "Great Wolf" during his lifetime, is the currently missing Primarch of the Space Wolves Chapter of Space Marines. He led the Space Wolves Space Marine Legion during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy and is famed in Imperial history for his hatred of psychic powers and sorcery, whose use in battle he viewed as dishonourable and unworthy of true warriors. After receiving a disturbing vision in 211.M31, Leman Russ disappeared with the warriors of his bodyguard, his destination and fate unknown.
Russ, along with his brother Primarchs Angron and Vulkan, were considered to be the greatest warriors one-on-one amongst the Primarchs. Known for his fierce and sometimes barbaric personality, Leman Russ considered himself the Emperor of Mankind's most loyal son and executioner. he viewed his role as unquestionably carrying out the punishments requited by the Master of Mankind. Among the forces of Chaos he was known as "the Brawler."
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Relieved that they had seemed to approve of her words, Rey began to relax a little and actually enjoyed herself as the evening went on. Eventually she noticed that Russ was trying to get her to follow him, and she politely removed herself from the table before following in his direction. As they entered the other chamber Rey was in awe as she took everything in. What was most noticable and obvious was the giant gold statue in the middle of the room.
As Russ spoke, Rey stood still and quiet as she listened. Only now did she feel like she finally had a proper understanding of his role in his galaxy and how he had sacrificed everything to fulfill the wish of his Father. She couldn't possibly imagine being responsible for that many deaths, all of which could have been avoided if circumstances were different. Rey still did not approve of the idea that humans and "Xenos" could not live in harmony, but right now her opinions didn't really matter.
Upon hearing his promise, Rey smiled gently and nodded. "Thank you, Russ...I can't tell you how much that means to me, to Leia...to the Resistance. The fact that you would want to spare us from that fate, despite your Father's wishes..." she paused. "I can't imagine that's an easy decision by any means."
After hesitating for a moment, Rey would perk up again and take a couple steps towards Russ. "There's...something I have to tell you...about Kylo Ren. He's not just someone who is strong with the force...he's also...Leia's son," she finally admitted, her expression turning quite seriousness, but there was sadness in there too. "He turned to the dark side a few years ago, and then, more recently, he killed his own Father," she said, her voice trembling slightly as the memory was still quite traumatic and fresh in her mind. "Leia still holds onto hope that he can be saved, that he can still come back. But I'm not so sure anymore. I tried to turn him back to the light, but I failed...and now he's more rageful than ever," she said, her eyes full of concern.
At first she spent some time just wandering and looking around the great hall. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't this. You could easily fit the entire Resistance in it and probably have room for more. Soon, Rey's eyes fell on Russ who was gesturing for her to come over. She smiled and made her way over to the table that he was sitting at, and she gave a polite nod to the other Marines at the table.
Upon hearing his first comment, Rey smiled sheepishly before sitting down. "He exaggerates," she said with a small chuckle, although in all honesty she wasn't entirely sure what Fenris was referring to. After taking a couple bites of food, Rey then glanced between Russ and the others as he asked the question. It wasn't exactly an unusual request, but the atmosphere and vibe of the table was very different from when the Resistance would share stories about missions. It had less to do with honour and the fire of battle, and more to do with what they had accomplished and if everyone was safe.
"Um, well..." Rey started, hoping that she would be able to give them what they wanted. "It was a very challenging fight...one of the hardest I've been through in many months. When everyone started firing at Russ, I thought for sure that we might lose him. I didn't know what was going to happen. But somehow we pulled through, and we did it as a team. And I am forever grateful for the assistance of your Primarch, and the Marines. For the first time in a long time...I think we have more than a fighting chance at stopping the First Order." She then smiled and raised her glass, prompting a toast. "For peace! For freedom! For the fall of the First Order!" she cried.
After listening to Russ, Rey started to feel a little differently about the situation. Perhaps it wasn't a failure after all, although it seemed grim on the outside. The more she thought about it, she realized just how many Troopers they had taken out, and that it was likely they had destroyed a significant portion of the regime. Perhaps this meant the next fight would not be so hard. Either way, it soon dawned on her that she would need to tell Russ the truth about Kylo eventually.
"You're right...I'm not sure what's gotten into me. I think I'm just exhausted," Rey said with a sigh as she reached up to rub the side of her head. She certainly had no qualms about going back with Russ to the ship. Some rest and care was certainly needed after all that. As she and Russ parted ways, she gave a nod before turning and heading off to her own quarters. "Thank you. Take care," she said quietly before leaving.
It turned out that Rey's injury was not as bad as she initially thought. After applying a healing ointment and wrapping it in a bandage, she felt comfortable enough to get some sleep. A few hours later, Rey woke up and realized what time it was. It was probably time to go to the Great Hall, as Russ had mentioned earlier. She soon left the room and was on her way, although she did not know what to expect.
"I-I can walk...I think," Rey said before lifting herself up on both feet. She winced as she stood but found that she was able to manage okay. "I'm sorry, Russ...I couldn't stop him..." she said, sighing heavily as she took a couple steps forward. "If it hadn't been for you...and the Marines...I'm not sure what would have happened." She paused and glanced at Pedra, whom she hoped would be okay. The Jedi apprentice was suddenly overwhelmed with a great sense of guilt. "Maybe it was a mistake to come back here...it feels like we did nothing today...nothing but wound ourselves," she said wearily. Perhaps it was the fatigue, or the deep sense of pity that she felt for Ben Solo, but this type of negative thinking was unusual for her.
The battle in the hangar had erupted into chaos once more, but it seemed as the minutes ticked by that Russ's warriors were quickly winning the fight. Even with all the blaster fire at their disposal, the Stormtroopers were not nearly as skilled or highly trained. Their mental resolve was fragile, and their armor even more so. Many disobeyed orders to flee into the desert, knowing that their chances of winning were over.
Although his Troops were surrendering and dying all around him, Kylo Ren did not give in. He continued to draw from his anger as he fought Rey, but she was skilled, nimble and strong with the force. This is exactly what she had been training for this whole time. As some distance came between them, the pair circled each other, not daring to look away for even a second. Suddenly, the two rushed towards each other, as if their thoughts were combined. Kylo gave a yell as he slashed at Rey and she did the same to him. As they passed each other, it became apparent that they had both suffered lightsaber injuries in different places.
Rey winced and cried out as she staggered back; glancing at the deep, cauterized wound on her arm. However, when she looked at Kylo she saw that his was much worse. She had got him in the side, and he had buckled down onto one knee as he held the gash with his free hand. Breathing hard, Rey stared at Kylo...and she almost pitied him. "Why, Ben..." she said solmenly, taking a couple small steps towards him as he refused to look at her. "Why are you doing this? Your Master is gone...and Leia grieves for you...why can't you come back to us?"
A couple Stormtroopers came over to him and lifted him by the shoulders. Rey raised her lightsaber but it seemed they were more interested in taking him to safety than trying to hurt her. Kylo looked at Rey, and she couldn't possibly imagine what kind of expression he was making underneath that mask. "I...will never go back..." he said lowly, but for once there was no anger or malice behind the words; only pain.
Now it was Rey's turn to collapse to her knees. The wound on her arm was still stinging immensely, and she was also exhausted from the fight. As much as she wanted to follow after him, or to stop Kylo's shuttle from leaving...she had no more strength to give. She simply knelt there and watched the fight around her as it seemed the battle was nearing its end.
After fighting for a good while, Kylo would jump back a bit using the force to put some distance between them. Even from under his mask one could hear him breathing hard as he was clearly exhausted already. Anger consumed him further as he began to pace impatiently back and forth, finding it beyond frustrating that he had not yet killed his opponent. How could he be blocking his force abilities with such ease? He couldn't understand it, and it vexed him to no end.
"Do you really think...I care about their lives?" he hissed between pants. "They mean nothing to me. All that matters is killing you...and killing her!" He shouted, his rage peaking as he began to look more and more unstable. Kylo had to admit to himself that he was no match for the Primarch. He had severely underestimated him much to his own, extreme annoyance. He thought his power in the force would be enough to give him an advantage, and he was clearly mistaken. But he still had one more card to play before this was over.
Kylo would shout again, only this time he was clearly speaking into his own communication device. "Concentrate all fire power on the Primarch. I repeat, ALL fire power! DO IT NOW!!!" Within two seconds, suddenly all the Troopers in the room, including the AT-ATs who were still active would then turn their sights towards Russ and begin to mercilessly shoot at him from all angles.
While that was happening, Kylo then turned and set his sights on Rey, still seething. "The Scavenger is MINE!" he yelled before rushing straight towards her. If he couldn't kill Russ, there was at least a chance he could kill Rey. Fortunately, she had been paying attention to what was happening and had not let her guard down. As soon as Kylo approached her she immediately held her saber up and began to engage in a quick and fluid battle between two opponents with a clear history. Neither one had advantage nor a disadvantage as it seemed their powers were equally matched. As much as Rey wanted to help Russ, she knew that she had to keep all of her focus and attention on this fight.
As Russ asked her to hit the button, Rey had almost forgotten about the reinforcements that he had mentioned earlier. She pressed it and watched in awe and amazement as the Warriors materialized and began to crush the Troopers around them like they were mere ants. But that wasn't even the whole of it. She could see from the opening of the Destroyer that ships had flown down from the Hrafnkel and were already firing at the AT-ATs and stopping them in their tracks.
Rey smiled bright as she felt a renewed sense of hope reinvigorate her. This wasn't the end, far from it in fact. They were going to make it out of here. "Come on!" she shouted to Pedra with confidence as she rushed headfirst into the battle, swinging her lightsaber and using the force to knock her opponents back and stop their blaster bolts from hitting her.
Meanwhile, it was difficult to tell if there was any fear behind Kylo's mask. The change in circumstances did not appear to deter him, and he stood firm as ever. Russ's words didn't appear to shake him either, but there was no denying the ever-present anger burning within the Supreme Leader. "Very well. We'll see who's pride will be their end," was all he would say before starting the fight. Although similar in some ways, Kylo's fighting style was quite different from Rey's. His moves were slower and more powerful. And although he was not as fast as her, his mastery of the force allowed him to dodge many attacks, even at the last possible second. As he fought, Kylo harnessed the dark side and fed into his rage to make him even stronger.
The young Jedi watched as Russ quickly scaled the AT-AT with ease. Rey's jaw dropped in horror as she watched him rip apart the Trooper inside like he was made of paper. This was definitely a touch too violent for her taste, but then again...did things like that even matter right now? As long as they got their victory, was the method even important?
Even so, Rey found herself slightly shaken at the sight, despite the fact she knew that Russ was on her side. She certainly wouldn't have wanted to be on the other end of that blade at the moment. It didn't take a Jedi to sense that the remaining Troopers were scared out of their minds. They kept looking to each other and their Captains for orders, but they were equally baffled and didn't know what to do.
It was then, all of a sudden, that Rey sensed a familiar and foreboding presence nearby. "No..." she gasped, and was about to call out to Russ. However, she was too late, and he would then be at the mercy of an extremely powerful force push, knocking his body off the top of the AT-AT and sending Russ crashing down onto the hangar floor. All looked towards the back of the room, and saw the defined outline of Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leader of the First Order.
Behind him was another full army of Troopers, and a couple more AT-AT's climbing over the dune towards the ship. Only now did Rey realize what was truly going on here, and why she had been filled with such a bad feeling from the start. "He knew we were coming, this was a trap all along," she said to Pedra, her voice weary with dread as she struggled to see how they were going to make it out of this.
Meanwhile, Kylo sauntered towards Russ as his saber ignited; crackling with a fiery, unstable energy. As he spoke, his voice was made lower and slightly distorted from the mask he wore. "I've been watching you, Primarch. Your strength is admirable, but your overconfidence will be your downfall. Thank you for leading me right to you and the scavenger. In exchange, I will be sure to give you a warrior's death." As he said this, all the Troopers in the room seemed to regain their confidence, and the fight broke out again with everyone targeting Rey and Pedra. They seemed to instinctually know that Kylo wanted Russ all to himself.
Rey would have preferred a little more time to prepare, but as she saw Russ charge in she realized that it was now or never. There was no sense prolonging the inevitable; they needed to do this and do it quickly. "Be careful!" she cried to Russ as he charged in. She then gave Pedra a nod before running in too. Unlike Russ, she didn't plough through the army like a speeding train. Rather she stayed on the outskirts of the ranks and tried to pick off as many as she could.
With many of them recognizing Rey, a dozen Stormtroopers turned and began shooting at her. Rey was skilled and successful in blocking their shots with her lightsaber, some even ricocheting right back and killing the Trooper who aimed. Always aware of her environment, Rey tried to keep Pedra in her sights, while also trying to figure out where Russ was. He moved so fast, it was hard to tell, but all she had to do was follow the screams and sounds of violence.
Then, to her surprise and fear...one of the AT-ATs started moving. It began to lumber towards Rey and Pedra at an alarming speed with each giant step. It also began to shoot lasers towards their general vicinity. Rey tried to block one of them, but it was so powerful that doing so nearly knocked her off her feet. "Damn it!" she cried and waved for Pedra to keep her distance. "Stay back! Don't let it near you!"
After making sure she had run out of range of the lasers, Rey then reached out with the force and gave a mighty pull. She was able to rip off the AT-AT's turrets so that it could no longer fire at them. But if it came close enough, it could still squish one of them with a single step. Meanwhile, there were still at least a hundred or so Stormtroopers left, and Rey was starting to feel the pressure of the fight get to her. Unable to visibly locate Russ, Rey used her free hand to grab the comm device and she shouted into it. "Russ, help me out! Try to get some damage on that AT-AT!"
"214?" Rey repeated, judging the true weight of that number. That was a lot of enemies to fight, even for her and her skills. "Well, I suppose we've come this far, we might as well see if we can get the advantage," she said with a nod, trying to hold onto optimism as she always did. When Russ spoke of the Comm device, she nodded and made sure it was securely fastened to her belt. "I will," she promised before looking towards the darker end of the tunnel.
"Well, shall we?" she asked, taking in a deep breath and trying to muster her courage. As they made there way through the tunnel, it became very clear that no one had used this for a long time, possibly decades. The air and walls were quite dusty, making it a little hard to breathe at times. Eventually the tunnel would lead out into a massive hangar, or what used to be at least. Using some crates for cover, Rey peered out and could now see the enemy force ahead of them with her own eyes.
They were now looking at the back of a Storm trooper army, complete with a few TIE fighters and even a couple AT-AT walkers that seemed to be powered down, for the moment at least. "Why are there so many of them?" Rey whispered quietly as she stared in awe. "This is just an outpost, but they look like they're ready for a war." She looked at Russ and Pedra. "What's our plan?"
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