The skies above Coruscant darkened quickly. Strong winds made the skyscrapers sway at a dangerous degree. Rumbling waves of thunder pounded windows and echoed loudly across the sea of buildings. With each deafening clap, the rain came down harder. The former Galactic capital hadn't experienced a storm like this in centuries.
Flashes of lightning illuminated the vast city, including the ruins of the Jedi Temple. Once a proud beacon for Light and symbol for democracy, the Jedi Temple hadn't received a visitor in years. Under the Emperor's reign, the ruins were guarded and off-limits. Trespassers were executed on sight. After his demise, rumors persisted that the grounds were haunted. So, the temple sat for decades, waiting for the Jedi to return.
And on this stormy night, the Jedi had returned to the temple. But this wasn't the triumphant homecoming it should have been. A fight had erupted between three powerful warriors. Lightsabers engaged in a deadly dance, matching the ferociousness of the storm outside. Stone columns within the grand halls came toppling down. The ruins shook as the fight continued for hours.
Eventually, three silhouettes crashed through the outer walls, bringing their melee into the torrential rain. The warriors spread out across the old landing platform, ignoring the storm overhead. Meeting in the middle, the trio traded deadly parries and combinations. Flashes of crimson and cool blue connected with a flurry of emerald.
A bolt of lightning struck nearby, barely missing the legendary Jedi Master. But the blinding heat proved enough of a distraction and Luke Skywalker was quickly disarmed. In a heartbeat, he was struck down, falling onto his stomach in an ungraceful heap.
For a few moments, the temple grounds fell eerily quiet. The downpour never ceased, even as Luke Skywalker lay bleeding out. After a long beat, the old man opened his heavy eyelids. In a daze, he managed to pick his head off the tarmac. Fighting through the pain, Luke struggled just to make it to his hands and knees. His drenched robes weighed heavily on his broken frame.
A terrible cry came tumbling from the Jedi Master's lips; it sounded like a wounded animal, begging to be put out of its misery. Luke Skywalker was a defeated man.
Raising his shaky metallic hand, the old man tried in vain to reach for his student. The rattling and twisted joints had seized up. He couldn't hold a lightsaber with that hand anymore; he couldn't even make a fist. His padawan wouldn't be coming to his aid — not this time. Not ever again.
"Rey," Luke called desperately. His strained voice was barely loud enough to carry over the downpour.
The young Jedi stood tall, glowering at her former teacher. Breathing hard, Rey seethed. Her lightsaber burned hot in her hands. For Rey, the fight was far from over.
What a fool she had been.
"Don't," Rey warned, pointing her blade at the Jedi Master. The dark edge to her voice was enough to silence Luke.
The girl was beginning to shiver; she couldn't remember feeling so cold. Rey tried to ignore the painful sting from the freezing elements, but her bare shoulders were turning numb. The young Jedi didn't care if Luke noticed her trembling lips or voice, but she hated showing weakness in front of Kylo Ren.
Rey's fiery gaze shifted to the Darksider for a second, drinking in the Knight's shadowy figure. Kylo Ren had moved underneath his Command Shuttle, using the ship for cover. His dark clothes looked like they were starting to dry. The cape hanging from his shoulders was reduced to tatters, but that was the only evidence that he had been fighting. Rey couldn't help but linger on his wet tunic. The fabric soaked into his muscular chest and torso, framing his strong upper body in a tantalizing shimmer.
Returning her intense stare, Kylo Ren said nothing. He didn't seem to be out of breath either, a fact Rey found infuriating. She expected to catch him with an arrogant smirk right now, but to her surprise, Kylo remained stoic. Perhaps he was saving it for later.
"Rey," Luke said desperately again, drawing her attention once more. "Please."
"Please?" Rey hissed, gritting her chattering teeth at the prostrate man. Was he really begging for mercy? The sound of his voice was sickening. Side-stepping his reach, Rey moved the blade of her lightsaber behind the Master's ear.
"You can't trust him," Luke pleaded, shutting his eyelids. The heat from the sword singed his wild mane, but he hardly noticed. His metallic hand finally collapsed, landing in a puddle with a splash.
"All you've ever done is lie to me!" Rey spat. Her emotions boiled over. She hadn't been this upset since Starkiller Base. The young woman was on the verge of tears, losing the internal battle to keep them at bay. How the hell did it come to this? How could she have been so gullible and blind?
Kylo Ren could feel the anger radiating from the woman he loved. He had hoped for this day for years — for Rey to embrace her emotions. But now that she was giving in to the darkness, he found that it only made him upset. He hated to see Rey in so much pain. The First Knight clenched his fists and considered stepping in. What he wouldn't do for that woman…
Rey wanted to end Luke Skywalker's life. Maybe that would fill the gaping hole in her chest. She thought about all the lies and half-truths that he had filled her head with. When they first met, Luke told her that it was "time for the Jedi to end." She fought so bitterly against that statement, spending a full year trying to earn the trust of a recluse. Rey did everything to get Luke Skywalker back in the fight.
But his statement finally made sense. Standing over the fallen legend, Rey understood what the Jedi Master was saying. It was perhaps the only honest thing he ever told her.
"Rey…" Luke mumbled again, spitting up bubbles of water.
"You're a liar," she interrupted, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't trust a word you say." Another clap of thunder nearly drowned out her voice. Rey didn't want to hear his excuses; the old man couldn't talk his way out of this one. She had never felt so betrayed.
Rey's icy stare moved across the platform again, focusing on Kylo Ren. The Knight had moved a few steps up the ramp, but he never took his attention from the scene below. He calmly extended his hand, waiting patiently for Rey to come over and take it.
Kylo had asked Rey to join him on countless occasions. The Force insisted on bringing them together, and he had never wanted anything so badly before. Rey always resisted and found an excuse to deny her true feelings, but this time was different. It felt different. This time Kylo Ren wasn't asking.
Looking at his hand, Rey's pulse raced. The young Jedi may have been confused and lost, but she was certain of one thing: she needed to leave with Kylo tonight. She wanted to leave with him.
"This is exactly what he wants," Luke pleaded. He sounded like a beggar from the streets of Jakku, shouting to the heavens for a Maker that wouldn't answer. "Snoke will pit you against Kylo Ren. He uses steel to sharpen steel. You… both of you will be sacrificed, if it gives Snoke control of the galaxy."
"You murdered my parents!" Rey countered, slashing her lightsaber across the flooded deck. Sparks flew, burning the weakened man's scalp. "And for what reason, exactly? Was it for the Resistance? Or was it simply because of their last name?"
Luke closed his eyes and sighed. What explanation could he give his pupil?
"I trusted you!" Rey cried out, straining her voice in frustration.
Oh, how she wanted to end Luke's life. For all the nights she cried herself to sleep, hungry and alone. For all the times she worked her fingers to the bone, only to end up with nothing at the end of the day. She had been orphaned because of this man — denied a childhood because of him. Rey had to grow up alone because of Luke's actions, because he betrayed his vows and hunted down her parents. The Last Jedi had taken everything from her.
She wanted to take everything away from him, in kind.
Suddenly, the Jedi Master started choking. His windpipe closed in from all sides. Whatever pleas he made were replaced with strained, gagging sounds.
"Snoke will never be my Master," Rey continued, clenching her left fist into a ball. "I have no love for the First Order; I won't be their pawn or weapon. But at least I can trust Kylo Ren. He has never lied to me — not once. He warned me about you from the very beginning. And Kylo would move the stars so we could be together."
A sly smile crept across the Darksider's lips. Finally, he mused. Rey would finally be at his side. He would have an equal, a partner… someone to bring balance to the Force.
Shaking her head in disgust, Rey thumbed off the lightsaber. A second later, she released her hold on Luke.
"Go find a rock to hide under," she whispered, refusing to waste any more energy on the beaten man. "Better yet, go back to your pathetic little hut. No one will come looking for you this time."
"No," Luke gagged, falling flat on his stomach again. The old man watched helplessly as Rey stepped over his busted hand. In a last-ditch effort, he reached for her again, trying to grab onto any piece of her clothing. He acted like his very life depended on stopping his student — maybe it did.
"Your friends... Rey… they were counting on you."
Rey came to a stop just before the Command Shuttle. Swallowing hard, she waited a moment as an anxious feeling churned in the pit of her stomach. When it came right down to it, walking away was easy; it was easy to turn her back on the legendary Jedi Master. But leaving the Resistance and disappointing her friends was a terrifying, heart-wrenching thought. Leia, Finn and Poe had become her family. If she left with Kylo Ren right now, she might never see them again. Could she really abandon her loved ones forever?
From the sidelines, the First Knight scanned Rey from head to toe. He didn't want to interfere; he wanted to give his love a chance for vengeance. It was her right to take Luke Skywalker's life but to his dismay, Rey's shoulders fell. He could see the doubt forming in her watery eyes. The woman of his dreams was second-guessing herself.
No, Kylo wouldn't allow this to happen. He had waited too long for this day to come. At the very least, she was leaving with him.
Waving a hand over his head, the Darksider abandoned his dry perch. Taking several long strides, he came within inches of Rey, towering over the padawan.
Rey stared at Kylo's feet, avoiding his fiery gaze. It took a while before she realized that the rain had stopped — at least it came to a stop around the pair. Breathing a sigh of relief, she felt the warmth radiating from their Bond. It felt familiar, like the morning sun. The sensation brought the color back to her cheeks. She wondered if it would always feel this way, even years from now. Just thinking about their connection brought a smile to Rey's lips.
Overhead, Kylo Ren used the Force like an umbrella, shielding them from the rain. His fervent gaze roamed all over Rey's body. He couldn't help but appreciate the way the clothes clung to her tan skin. Taking note of her blushing cheeks, it became clear that Rey was admiring his toned form as well.
Rey giggled, releasing a bit of nervous energy. She took a moment to admire the suspended droplets of water. The scene was breathtaking. Hundreds of raindrops were frozen in place, creating a dome around the pair. Reaching up, her fingertips captured several beads.
"Thank you," Rey said softly, as the droplets danced across her palm. Kylo Ren's powers were an unexpected gift, brightening an otherwise miserable day. She was ready to leave, to put this day behind her.
As if reading her mind, he offered, "It's warmer inside the shuttle. I have a change of clothes for you on board."
"I'll bet you do," Rey said with a small laugh, finally returning his hungry gaze.
Kylo Ren smiled in a way that Rey hadn't seen before. The Dark Knight carefully inspected her face, trying to memorize every detail. He cherished her freckles and sparkling eyes. He adored the way her lips parted. Moving slowly, Kylo reached for her chin. Rey inhaled as his leather-clad fingers came up to her temples. Without asking, he gently brushed the wet tendrils of hair from her forehead.
Closing her eyes, Rey melted at his touch. She didn't know he could be so gentle. For one perfect moment, the padawan forgot why they were there. She forgot about her Master's deceptions and how painful it was to discover the truth. She forgot how it had felt to watch Kylo and Luke fight. She forgot the terrible sound that her lightsaber had made, when she chose a side.
Off in the background, Luke struggled to get to one knee. The old man wrestled with his cloak, finally freeing himself from the tangled garment. Rey was distracted and didn't hear the Jedi Master moving around, but Kylo Ren had a clear view. He could tell that his uncle wasn't about to give up. With great reluctance, the Darksider pulled his hand away from Rey's temples.
Kylo angled his body and moved nimbly past Rey. Reaching for his lightsaber, the First Knight had a determined look in his eye. He sought to end the war right here — once and for all.
"No!" Rey shouted, suddenly realizing what was about to take place.
She reached for Kylo Ren and her touch was enough to stop the powerful man. Kylo kept his head down, hoping that Rey would reconsider. When it became clear she wouldn't, he growled in frustration.
"Rey," Kylo snapped, refusing to keep quiet any longer. "This man killed your parents and left you without a family. Skywalker is the reason that you were abandoned on that desolate junkyard. He left you with nothing! He's kept us apart for years. I refuse to let that hypocrite off the hook… for any of it. For using you."
The last point seemed to hurt Kylo Ren the most. They had lost so much time fighting each other, it was infuriating to think about. Rey understood his frustration and gently let go of his wrist. Her fingers lingered, however, rubbing up and down his forearm. The show of affection seemed to calm the Knight's breathing.
"Leave him," Rey whispered, finally lacing her fingers with his. "The Jedi are over. It ends with me and Luke poses no threat to us."
Luke Skywalker made it to his knees, just as a Force Push slammed into his chest. The old man tumbled end over end, landing on his side. The Jedi Master never saw who attacked him. In the end, it didn't really matter if it was Rey or Kylo Ren. The pain from his injuries and the wounds he had sustained paled in comparison to what was about to happen.
Opening his blurry eyes, Luke's vision came into focus at the worst possible moment. Rey held out her arm and without saying a word, let the lightsaber drop from her grasp. The hilt seemed to fall in slow motion — and with it fell the last hope for the Jedi Order. The sword of his father, Anakin Skywalker, hit the deck with an unceremonious clank. It came to a rest near a grate, like a discarded piece of trash.
Luke's soul felt like it had been ripped from his chest. With blood dripping down the sides of his face, the beaten man turned away. He refused to watch as the Knights walked hand-in-hand, boarding the Command Shuttle together. Rey never looked back, not once. The ramp closed and the engines powered up. Luke could feel the heat from the ship's thrusters blowing the wet strands of hair from his face. It was the last thing he remembered before passing out.