In all her journeys — from Jakku to the farthest reaches of the galaxy — Rey never imagined she would come face to face with the ultimate symbol of evil: Darth Vader himself. Apparently, Vader was trained by the greatest Jedi in history, and after his fall, an Emperor Palpatine in his prime. On Jakku, she would listen to the stories of this Sith Lord cut down entire legions of soldiers, armed only with his lightsaber. His Jedi kill-count also ranked near the top of all Sith throughout history. Only Luke could bring him back, and she was obviously not Luke.
Her first instinct was to attack, but she stopped herself. Maybe she could appeal to his humanity first. These Skywalker boys liked nice words.
"Anakin Skywalker, I know you are in there," she said, not moving any other muscle. "Please, let me pass."
"That is not my name," Vader answered. "You are not a Jedi, but are powerful. You have learned much, but not enough."
Rey nodded. "You were once a Jedi. The greatest of them all."
"And like all Jedi, Anakin Skywalker was weak. I destroyed him."
"No, he's still alive," Rey retorted.
"He is dead," Vader responded. Rey flinched. "Just like my pitiful grandson."
"No!" Rey screamed. She sprinted at Vader, pushing her yellow lightsaber out in front of her like a spear. Flipping his lightsaber downward and moving it across his body in defense, Vader redirected Rey's charge away. She spun around, slamming her saber onto his. The two lightsabers made electric noises against each other, causing bright flares of color. She continued the attack, lunging forward to strike downward, then at his legs, then at his helmet. Rey was used to Kylo, who would block her attacks with a tough, two-handed fashion. Instead, Vader blocked with terrifying ease using only one hand. Somehow, it still felt stronger than Kylo using both of his.
As his respirator quickened, Vader stopped her onslaught with a swipe at her legs. She dodged with perfect timing, moving backward a few feet. This gave him exactly what he needed: an opening. Trucking forward with unparalleled speed and strength, Vader struck downward with full power, which made Rey buckle. Swinging his burning red lightsaber again, he rotated his wrist and stepped into another strike. It shoved Rey to one knee, and before she had time to gain a bearing, Lord Vader swung upward into an uppercut, which Rey barely blocked. The force of it kicked her onto the strange, soft ground. In no way was he going easy.
"Ah!" Rey shrieked. She turned over, looking up to his ominous, massive presence.
"You have no master, no Skywalker to save you," Vader stated. "Your destiny lies with me."
Her expression tangled in fear, anger, and shock, Rey tried to get up onto one knee. Out of nowhere, a voice spoke into her mind. It was not Nihilus, as his mind's fingerprint was easy to notice.
Fight, it said. Fight, Rey.
Furrowing her eyebrows in rage mixed with focus, Rey got up fully, channeling the Force with every step.
"Good, now, release your anger," Vader instructed. "Only your hatred can destroy me."
"Fine!" Rey returned. She did a Force push, which shoved Vader back only a few yards. His cape flapped. When he stomped forward, Rey tried freezing him in place — a move she learned from Kylo Ren. As a result, Vader ceased movement. He seemed to be staring at her, almost in surprise. Yet, soon enough, he broke out of the restraint. Angling her hand, she tried inhibiting his motion again, but to no avail. He kept moving. "What?"
"You could only stop my master with the Jedi's help, but you cannot stop me," Vader mocked. "Pathetic. The Dark Side consumes the galaxy!"
"You're not even real!" Rey shot back.
"More real than your Ben Solo," Vader replied. "In a few short moments, you and he will be reunited in death."
Rey's eyes watered and welled up. Her lips quivered. A tear fell to the ground at the notion. Never had she dueled someone with such ferocious hatred. Vader really was evil, right up there with Palpatine. He had no remorse whatsoever. A true Sith Lord.
Her anger boiled as she advanced to meet her enemy. Swinging her lightsaber, the yellow blade contacted Vader's red for a brief instant. Vader moved sideways and swung across. She ducked, then shifted her weight and attacked his chin, but Vader brought his lightsaber down to block it. Keeping her energy flowing, Rey spun into a strike aimed at his stomach, but Vader blocked again just before Rey spun once more, striking his back. Vader dashed backward, evading just in time. Yet, her saber burned off the edge of his cape.
Vader growled, dashing forward like a tank and gripping his lightsaber with both hands. Rey stood in a defensive position, ready and waiting for his next move. Her hands shook under the stress and fright.
Lunging almost seven feet, Vader swiped across with his right hand. Rey blocked. He followed with a swipe in the opposite direction, but still used his same hand. After she parried, he rotated his wrist and slammed his saber downward, sparking a clash. Pushing all his weight into her, Rey fought to maintain balance under his seemingly unending strength and endurance. Their lightsabers clashed and made loud, electric lock-up noises as supernova flares of light exploded off the blades.
"Ah!" she shrieked again, looking into Vader's red-shaded eye portions. She could feel his rage. It was more than anything she sensed from Kylo. A wave of sadness overwhelmed her. I'm sorry, Ben. I couldn't do it. He's too powerful. I'm so, so sorry.
Pushing down more and more, Vader leaned into her. She elicited a cry under the pressure, but in a last desperate act, turned her saber off. When Vader fell forward, Rey reignited it and slashed his helmet, shredding a gash into its right-eye portion. Then, she used the Force to execute an uppercut that sent him flying into the air as if punched. He crashed into the ground with a low whimper.
Barely able to catch her breath, Rey stepped closer. Just when she thought he suffered a terrible blow, Vader stretched out his hand, curving two fingers together. Suddenly, her breath was yanked away. As he made his way to his knees, Vader began to lift her up into the air with the Force. She was frozen by focused rage as he choked the very life from her lungs.
Tears began to form as the oxygen continued to be deprived. For the first time since her first meeting with Kylo, Rey was petrified. Looking back, she realized she always tried to appear fearless, but Vader had revealed the true vulnerability that lied beneath. All those years on Jakku, the fear of death kept her company — it was the only thing that did, actually.
"You are afraid," Vader said. "Your life ends." He paused, releasing her from the choke before throwing her twenty feet away. Rey tumbled on the ground, in no way ready to fight again. Taking an enormous, pained breath, she was stunned she was still alive. She glanced at Vader. He towered over her, even from a distance. "But only with a lightsaber through your chest," he finished.
Light-headedness overtook her. This must be the end, as Vader proclaimed. This time, she did not even get up. She just wanted it to be over quickly.
As she lay there, almost drained of all energy to carry on, Rey shifted onto her back. It was the same position she was in when she cried out for the Jedi to be with her on Exegol. She stared into the blackened sky. It was like a nightmare.
Nihilus had told her to be fearless. She couldn't. She failed.
Conquering fear is the destiny of a Jedi, she recollected. They were Luke's words. Your destiny.
As Vader's stomps came closer, Rey realized the entire point of this. It wasn't to beat Vader in some duel. It was to conquer him. To defeat everything he stood for. Kylo was afraid he could never live up to Darth Vader's legacy because he was too scared to leave his own.
Rise, Rey, the same voice from before commanded.
She obeyed, pushing herself up. Vader stopped and cocked his head in interest. When he did, she saw the cut she made on his helmet. A single orange eye revealed itself. "Impressive. Most impressive."
"You can't harm me!" Rey exclaimed, turning off her lightsaber. "You're not real. You never were. You're just a test. A test to help me conquer Kylo's greatest fear. You terrorized him for years, but you can't terrorize me."
"You don't know the power of the Dark Side!" Vader retorted, balling his fist. The moment he said it, Rey remembered hearing those very words in a dream whilst sleeping on Tatooine. Had she foreseen this moment?
"I do!" Rey replied. "And it's nothing near the power of the Force." She paused. "You've already almost killed me. I don't need to be afraid anymore."
"Good, then use your anger," Vader beckoned. "Destroy me."
"You first," Rey replied. She turned on her lightsaber and closed her eyes.
Breathe.
Be with me.
Be with me.
Be with me.
Moving forward as always, Vader sliced diagonally, but the attack went straight through her body. He slashed again, but was met with the same outcome. Opening her eyes, Rey stared at Vader. The Sith Lord backed up, feeling the Force emanate like a dagger from her body.
Stepping forward fearlessly, Rey narrowed her eyes and swung her Jedi weapon. It cut off left arm. His lightsaber turned off and fell to the ground, disappearing.
"You do not fear me?" Vader asked. His form was now drenched in a golden color.
"Not anymore," Rey replied. "You are not real, and even if you were, conquering fear is my destiny. Without it, you have no real power over me."
Vader used the Force and caught his lightsaber with his other hand. "You no longer fear death. Then you will die braver than most."
Rey nodded. "I've died before." She struck with a fierce wave of speed. He barely blocked it in time. Clearly, he was weaker. His grip over her had faded. Yet, she maintained concentration.
Mid-attack, Rey reached out her hand, pointing it toward Vader's head. He froze. She gracefully lowered her hand, pushing him onto a knee with the Force.
"Kill me," Vader begged. "Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way."
"No," Rey replied. "That is not what we do." She gripped his helmet with both hands and lifted away the crown portion. Pressurized air escaped. Pulling away the mask, Rey saw his face for the first time. White. Afraid.
Overcome with sympathy and compassion, she knelt onto one knee and stared into his vicious orange eyes. "Whatever projection of the Force you are, you were never truly real." She held the side of his head gently. "Anakin Skywalker has been saved. He is a legend where I come from. He ended the Sith." Suddenly, his eyes shifted to those of a human. They shimmered. "Now, rest." Vader looked down and away from her gaze. His head collapsed into itself before the entire body turned into a mist and passed into the wind. Rey looked on. The pain in her neck and lungs also vanished.
Standing up strong and steady, Rey slipped her lightsaber on her belt. "Go in peace." She smiled, grateful to be alive.
Rey set off to resume the trek into the Veil of the Force and World Between Worlds. She conquered Kylo Ren's greatest fear. Only one fear remained: Ben Solo's. Whatever it would be, Rey promised herself that she would overcome it. Because that's who she was. All-powerful? No. The greatest Force user ever? No. But if she was anything, she wanted to be remembered as someone who never gave up — as an overcomer.