Third Person's POV
Lightning. Black clouds covered the skies of Exegol as the Supreme Leader's ship landed, him storming out in quite a hurry. Igniting his red crossed saber, he marches towards the thunder and lightning strikes, going between the space of the ground and the rock above.
He's found what he's looking for. With the sith wayfinder strapped into his ship, he knew that Emperor Palpatine, the one that ruined his grandfather and uncle's lives and reunion, resided here.
He stopped himself on the circular platform that brought him down into the center of Exegol where huge stone statues of all the sith in time surrounded him. Blue light still screamed through the underground as Kylo Ren took in the sights before him with a look of indifference. That is, until a voice filled the room.
Kylo Ren cautiously walked towards it with his ignited saber ready for use if needed.
"At last. Snoke trained you well," a raspy dark voice praised him for his arrival. Kylo swung his sword once as he continued his way towards the voice.
"I killed Snoke. I'll kill you," Kylo spat at him as two hooded figures were tending to something a little ways ahead of him.
"My boy, I made Snoke. I have been every voice you've ever heard inside your head," Palpatine revealed as his voice changed from his, to Snoke's and then Darth Vader's. This made him stop in his tracks. The already conflicted boy has just discovered that his whole life has been a lie and a pawn in Palpatine's game all along. His whole life's 'purpose' had been a lie. He lost everything because of it. He really had no purpose other than to be manipulated. He was manipulated once again.
"The First Order was just the beginning. I will give you so much more," the emperor continued, which seemed to snap Ren out of his downward thoughts. Anger, betrayal and sadness ripped through his entire being.
"You'll die first," he threatened. Kylo clenched his hand around his saber as his steps increased.
"I have died before. The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural," the emperor explained as Kylo lifted his saber to his eye level, making his way around the corner to come face to face with a badly shaped emperor hanging from a crane, which Kylo suspected to be his life support.
"What could you give me?" Kylo asked as he rounded him with a saber raised.
"Everything. A new empire. The might of the Final Order will soon be ready. It will be yours if you do as I ask. Kill the girls. One has just barely escaped death after your saber ripped through her body. You must succeed this time. End the Jedi. And become what your grandfather, Vader, could not. You will rule all the galaxies as the new emperor. But beware, she, along with her sister, are not who you think they are."
Kylo Ren had yet another internal battle. Killing Rey, a possibility even though Thea would be hurt, but it broke him when Thea almost died at his hand. He couldn't do that to them again. They needed to be together. So, he racked up a plan on how to accomplish just that. And, even though he's working with Palpatine, he wasn't ready to admit to himself that this plan was for the light side and for the love of his life.
He hid all thoughts and intentions from Palpatine as his interest seemed to peak, causing him to ask the important question that everyone's been wanting the answer to:
"Who are they?" Ren asked with impatience which caused the emperor to smile.
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Thea's POV
"I didn't finish the training course. I got distracted. I'm just not feeling myself. I know it looks like I'm making excuses," Rey explained to Leia as I stayed behind a few steps.
"Don't tell me what things look like. Tell me what they are," Leia demanded. She was a strong teacher.
"I think I'm just tired, that's all. Besides, something a little more important came up," Rey said and pointed to me, causing Leia's eyes to more in my direction and she smiled.
"Had enough beauty rest, sleeping beauty?" she laughed as she pulled me into a hug before pulling away slightly and giving me a stern look. "Seriously though, you do that again and I will hide your saber." I laughed.
"Of course, Leia. I'm sorry. Catch me up on what I missed?" I suggested and she shook her head at me with a smile.
"Just got out of a coma and already ready to get back in the game, huh? Typical Thea," she commented and I shrugged innocently. I turned to Rey and she nodded.
"I will earn your brother's saber, one day," Rey stated as she handed Leia back Luke's saber, earning a few beeps from BB-8. "No, you can't do it for me."
"Never underestimate a droid," Leia commented.
"Yes master," she nodded and I smirked.
"Don't you mean, masters?" Causing both of them to smile.
"I was wondering when you were going to offer that to your sister, slowpoke," Leia laughed and with that, they led me to the landing area where the falcon was currently being hosed down to put out the flames. I saw a frustrated Poe, and decided against conversing until the meeting.
"I'll-uh, meet you guys inside for the meeting. Good luck telling him about BB-8," I stated and started to walk away when a shout stopped me in my tracks.
"Yeah, nice try Thea! Get over here!" Poe yelled and I turned around with a smirk before tackling him and Finn in a hug to the floor, followed by a few groans on impact.
"Jeez, Thea, I missed you but ow!" Finn stated and we laughed before getting up.
"I knew you'd pull through, champ," Poe said and ruffled my hair causing me to glare at him.
"I'll see you dorks inside. In the meantime, go take care of BB-8," I said and his eyebrows furrowed.
"What's wrong with him?" I looked over at Rey and mouthed 'sorry' before running off.
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"We've decoded the intel from the First Order spy, and it confirms the worst. Somehow Palpatine returned," Poe said and everyone gasped and voices scattered. "He's been planning his revenge. His followers have been building something for years. The largest fleet the galaxy has ever known. He calls it the Final Order. In sixteen hours, attacks on all free worlds begin. The Emperor and his fleet have been hiding in the unknown regions, on a world called Exegol."
Exegol? Why did that sound familiar? I looked over at Rey and we shared a look before realization crossed my face.
The Jedi Texts.
My sister and I met on the side and scoured through the book till we found what we were looking for.
"We know how to get to Exegol," Rey spoke up and everyone snapped their heads in our direction. Wow, we really have become those people.
"Tell me," Leia demanded.
"Luke searched for it, for a long time. He nearly found it," I explained. "There are cyphers here I can't read. But, he said to get there, you need one of these. A Sith Wayfinder."
"They're compasses that lead the way to Exegol, to stop what we both know is coming. We need to finish what Luke started. Find Exegol. Find the Emperor," Rey finished, but I saw it in our vision.
"And, Kylo Ren already found him. We need to go. NOW," I noted.
"No," Leia responded and my sister and I looked at her as if she was crazy.
"We don't want to go without your blessing, but we will," Rey pointed out. Leia just gave us a look. I nodded, agreeing with my sister.
"We will. It's what you would do," I argued.
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Rey and I prepared the falcon before Poe, Chewie and Finn come up to us.
"We're going with you," he stated as he made his way to the ship. "Chewie, did you get that compressor fixed?" Receiving a growl in response. I'll take that as a yes.
"We need to go alone," Rey stated and I raised an eyebrow at her. I realized she was right. Especially if I am to protect her from the dark side, I don't need our friends getting hurt along the way.
"Yeah, alone with friends," Finn stated like it was obvious and I had to hold back a laugh.
"It's too dangerous, Finn."
"We go together," Finn finalized, earning a roar from Chewie and a beep from BB-8.
"I wholeheartedly agree," C-3PO stated causing all of us to smile. I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.
"You heard them sis," I said and locked arms with her. "We do this together."
As the rest finished boarding, and Rey was done talking to Leia, I made my way over to the General.
"She'll make us proud," I commented as we looked at a retreating Rey.
"I remember when you were like that. Jeez, you used to break my lamps with your practice saber dueling with Be-" she stopped and cleared her throat and looked up at me with a smile. "I'm so proud of the woman you've become, Thea. You're so headstrong."
"I learned from the best," I said, talking about her, and we shared a laugh. "But seriously, please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. I feel something and just.. I can't lose you too."
"How can I when you're taking all the stupid with you?" We laughed. "I'll be fine. You look after each other and we'll talk when you get back." I pulled her into an affectionate hug, never wanting to let go, but Poe and everyone was calling my name. I pulled away, and hesitated to leave her. "Go, Thea."
I nodded with tears in my eyes, turning and making my way towards the falcon, not looking back.
I should've looked back.
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Guys I'm crying. I just finished planning how I'm going to finish the story and I just want to say... TISSUES WILL BE NEEDED.
Good luck, folks!