A Shot In The Heart : Chaos

13

"Poe, how do you feel?" you ask, finally getting some small alone time after your meeting. He puts his arm around your waist, pulling you into a hug where he rests his head on your shoulder. A small, almost unnoticeable sniffle escapes him, and you feel your shoulder become moist. You hug him tighter, letting him feel the sorrow he hid for all of the flight time and landing. "You can stay here shortly, I'll go ahead and check in, alright?" you say after he finished, sending him to the bathroom to get rid of the puffy eyes.
"What happened?" you ask, walking into the room. "It's Kijimi. Destroyed by a blast from a Star Destroyer. A ship from the new Sith Fleet, out of the Unknowns" a woman says and you nod. "Exegol" you whisper and run off, leaving Finn and Rose to handle any of the war-planning until Poe comes back.

A sudden wave of fear and doubt hits you before you are able to continue to Exegol, forcing you to take a break and breathe. Something inside you is telling you to visit your old master another time, a last time. So, you change your course shortly, making your way to Ahch-To.
Once you land, you already notice a fire across the island and rush over to see if any animals might be hurt. The fire turns out to be the ship that Rey took, and you watch her throw something at it. Immediately you use the force, Luke's lightsaber landing in your hand instead.
"As your master, I don't find that way of handling a Jedi's weapon very honoring or appropriate. Do you?" you ask putting the saber away safely at your side. Rey turns around, shame turning her face red immediately. "I... I saw myself on the dark throne, master. I won't let it happen, I'm never leaving this place again. I'm doing what master Skywalker did" she tries to explain and you are confused. But before you can answer, someone else does. "I was wrong. It was fear that kept me here. What are you most afraid of?" the ghost of Luke asks, and you take a step back to smile at him from afar. He was someone you needed to see. "I'm most afraid of myself" Rey responds, pulling up the hood of her clothing. "Because of what? Because you are a Palpatine?" Luke continues. "Leia knew it too. And deep inside, your master knew too." "You didn't tell me- Why? Why did you still train me?" Rey asks and you take a deep breath.
"Listen, Rey. I honestly don't deserve the honor to be a master to you. I have left you on your own, I have forced you to change your training too many times, I haven't offered any support to you that I should have. I still saw you as my apprentice, not because you're a Palpatine. Because Leia and I saw your spirit and what you carry inside of you. It is why I will continue to follow you to Exegol and help you. Like I should have before."
"I would suggest you keep my lightsaber. But there is another one needed now, for Rey. Leia has something left here that she might want you to have" Luke orders and he tells Rey the story about Leia's training, leading her to his house. You stay standing and take a lot at Luke's lightsaber. It feels heavy in your hand and you miss your own saber, still stuck and confiscated somewhere in Kylo Ren's base. Rey leaves Luke's house shortly after, joining your side.
"Are you ready?" you ask with a smile. She returns it and nods, waving Luke goodbye. He fades away into the wind and you step into the X-Wing you brought.
"Okay we'll do it like this- at some point it might fall out, but we are gonna track our way and send it back to base, kind of creating a path for them to follow" you announce and set yourself into the cockpit. Rey agrees and begins to program it as you start up the ship, on your way to Exegol.

You escape the red cloud, right into darkness. After your eyes adjust, a fleet of more than thousand ships is expanded in front of you-
Palpatine's fleet. The final order.
"Rey, we're gonna land. Are you actually ready for this?" you ask, looking for an open spot to fly through and hit the ground. "Never will be ready. But it has to be done" Rey answers, tightening her leather strap around the waist. "This is the attitude we need" you say and sigh as you land. Running one hand through your hair you stare straight across. Death and fear linger in the air. Someone would loose their life tonight, wether for or against the Resistance.
The way inside was long, tiring and left you completely unnerved. Every step you take, the most silent crack or noise far away would make you turn.

Rey was shaking as you both slowly rise down further into the earth. You look at her from the side and take her cold, trembling hand. "Hey. Trust yourself. You've had great Jedi train you, so do your best to be the next great Jedi" you whisper and she smiles a little. "Thank you" she whispers back and keeps on holding your hand as you walk further through statues and a building almost ruin-like. In front of you were scraps and pieces, all illuminated by flickering, cold blue light. You enter a narrow passage and you have to go behind Rey, letting go of her hand. She looks back for a second- then goes forward herself.
Soon enough the passage opens up i to a big, ominous hall. In the middle there was a throne of some sort, huge and decorated with giant spikes coming out from the back, almost like a spider's legs. Rey stops and gasps at the throne, almost frozen in her stance. As a whisper starts getting louder and louder you turn around, only to see a huge tribune filled with people. Not a single spot was empty, and they were all chanting in a language you didn't understand. Their voices drill into your brain, you can't do anything but watch until a voice pulls you out of the trance.

"Long have I waited" someone says. Rey and you turn around, revealing Palpatine in front of you. He was hooked to some sort of machine, tubes and cables holding him and plugged into him and the machine.
"For my grandchild to come home. I never wanted you dead. I wanted you here... Empress Palpatine." He gestures to the throne and Rey's breathing speeds up. Without thinking about it you put yourself a little in front of your apprentice. "You will take the throne. It is your birthright to rule here. It is in your blood. Our blood" he continues. "You have no right to tell her what to do" you say, trying to encourage Rey to resist him. "I haven't come to lead the Sith. I've come to end them" Rey counters his offer.
"As a Jedi? Like they right there? Pathetic" Palpatine replies in a mocking tone.
"Yes" Rey says, but Palpatine shakes his head with a "no". "Your hatred. Your anger. You want to kill me. That is what I want. Kill me and my spirit will pass into you. As all the Sith live in me, you will be Empress. We will be one."
"No, she won't ever be like you. She is a Jedi like me, and not a single word you say will have her change her righteous path" you back up Rey, who's starting to shake again. You sense her fear, her shame for her blood. Palpatine snarls down at you.
"A Jedi yes? You're nothing. You have hidden away nearly all your life, that's no Jedi. A coward you are, yes."
It was the truth, you couldn't reply anything. Palpatine, satisfied with the silence, changed the topic again.
"The time has come!" he shouts out. "With your hatred, you will take my life. And you will ascend."
"All you want is for me to hate, but I won't. Not even you."
"Weak. Like your parents."
"My parents were strong. They saved me from you."
"Your master, Luke Skywalker, was saved by his father. The only family you have here is me."
"That's not true. Family isn't about blood. It's about support, trust and love. Poe, Finn, BB-8, D-O and I- we are all your family, Rey" you say and take her hand. Palpatines face sinks into a dark expression as he watches you. Suddenly, the roof opens up and you watch the fleet. It is hit by explosions, TIE fighters flying around everywhere. It was the Resistance. And they were loosing.
"They don't have long. No one is coming to help them. And you are the one who led them here.
Strike me down. Take the throne. Reign over the new Empire and the fleet will be yours. Only you have the power to save them. Refuse, and your new family dies."
You want to say something, but your
lips are shut- unable to even get a muffled sound out. Rey turns around and nods. "Good" Palpatine grins, looking over at you. Struck down onto one knee, you cannot move or say anything, having to watch Rey comply to Palpatine.

"The ritual begins" he announces. "She will strike me down and pledge herself as a Sith. She will draw her weapon."
Rey draws her lighstaber.
"She will come to me."
Rey starts walking forward her eyes locking with you. And suddenly you feel it. Someone else has come here.
"She will take her revenge. And with a stroke of her saber, the Sith are reborn! The Jedi are dead!"
A knight behind you pushes you down, putting a cold metal against your neck. Rey looks back once, then stares straightforward again, her saber held up straight.
"Do it!" Palpatine orders. "Make the sacrifice!"
She reaches out- and Leia's saber disappears behind her back. For a quick effect of confusion, you exchanged your sabers- yours previously hidden under your clothing. Now you take it out and slash across the chest of the knight behind you. Running up to go against Rey's back.
Back to back, you fight off the followers of Palpatine. It didn't take long for all of them to hit the ground, and you push the last one down to see Ben Solo, across you. Holding your own lightsaber in his hand.
He walks towards you and Rey, then holds out the saber towards you. "It wasn't destroyed?" you ask, taking it gratefully. "I kept it. It was useful" he replied and smiles as you hand him his mother's saber. "I think your mother's will serve you best, Ben."