Chp.1

"Do it," the Emperor hissed as Rey held the lightsaber. Ben lay on the ground outside, surrounded by the Knights of Ren. Exhausted and close to death, he concentrated all of his force essence back into his body, breaking his attempts to reach Rey's mind. Rey knew that this was her destiny – she had seen it so many times in her visions. She stood next to the throne, wearing a dark robe and a hinged saber clipped to her belt. Her cheeks were hollow and her eyes were black pits. Rey's staff hung over her shoulder as she turned to look at the throne, seeing Kylo Ren sitting in it with a sinister look on his face.

I'm sorry, Rey projected to the galaxy, hoping Ben would hear her. Avenge me, Ben.

Rey raised the lightsaber as Palpatine closed his eyes. With a grunt she brought it down upon her grandfather. The cut that Rey had made began to spill a black mist. It reached out towards Rey as she stepped away slowly, looking in horror as it enveloped her. Darth Sidious disappeared as the rest of his body joined the dark fog that began to absorb into Rey's body.

She fell to her knees and dropped the saber, watching as her clothes began to morph into a long, black robe. Suddenly, her mind began to fill with memories and power. Her eyes rolled up until only the whites of her eyes showed as she heard her grandfather's cackles echo in her mind. The Sith loyalists bowed down as Rey stood up slowly, her eyes glowing yellow.

Outside the chamber, Ben grunted as he shot the last knight. He heard three words repeating over and over in his head like a broken record. Avenge me, Ben. Avenge me. His clothes were tattered and his face was covered in cuts and bruises. His leg was broken. Ben dragged himself into the chamber, crawling towards the stone throne. As he neared it, he saw a blue lightsaber flash in front of his face as he looked up slowly. Rey was looking down at him, her eyes burning like Anakin's once had.

"Rey," Ben whispered, backing away as she advanced with the saber held to his throat.

"You are either with me or you die," she said. Her voice was layered with every single Sith that had once lived. Darth Vader's voice came through along with Sidious, Snoke and many others Ben didn't recognise.

"Rey," Ben said again, his eyes brimming with tears. As he said her name, he said it again through their force dyad. For a moment, Rey faltered and her eyes flashed back to their brown. With a small snarl, her eyes blazed again.

"Until you decide, you will be held here," Rey said, beckoning over the Emperor's guards. Ben reached out his hand to summon Leia's saber before Rey took the hilt of Luke's saber and knocked him out.

Poe shot down the cannon on another ship as he whooped. He saw destroyers scattered on the ground, fires still going on some sections. The Final Order's fleet had been destroyed.

"All right, we're all clear," Poe grinned through the intercom. One by one, ships began to turn around with the Falcon and Poe in front.

"Let's go home," Lando said as Chewie roared in agreement. He pulled the hyperdrive switch and shot off through the stars.

Ben opened his eyes as he looked around the room. He was hovered in the air with his arms bound above him. He tried to shift his body but found himself immobilised. A guard clothed in red armour opened the door as the Empress stepped in. Her hair was in a single tight bun and a hinged saber was clipped to her belt. With a wave of her hand, Ben fell to the floor, his arms still handcuffed. A guard shoved him up and kept a tight grip on Ben's arm, which he leaned on for support rather than fought against.

"The fleet," Ben whispered, his voice cracked and dry.

"They have all been destroyed but this one which was still underground. The Resistance are back at their base," she said. They walked into a room which had a long, black table in the centre of the room. Officers sat along the lengths, and they stood and saluted as she walked in. Ben gulped as he recognised it. He had once stood in a replica of the room on the old destroyer when he was Supreme Leader.

"Release him," the Empress ordered. A guard took off the handcuffs and Ben rubbed his bruised wrists. "Officers, leave us. We will discuss matters after I am done."

The black-clothed commanders left the room with the guards following behind them. The Empress pushed Ben's body into a seat and he landed hard, with his back hitting the chair. Ben felt his leg and his face. He no longer felt the cuts and the bone protruding from his skin.

"Rey," Ben said as he felt his leg.

"Rey is dead. I have been given the name Darth Sethi by my ancestors," she snapped back.

"Who are you," she said, sitting in the chair next to him. Her cheeks, Ben noticed, were dark and almost looked collapsed. Ben knew what she meant. Was he Ben Amidala Solo Skywalker, son of Leia and Han? Or was he Kylo Ren, the merciless Sith Lord?

Ben remained silent. He didn't know. He had felt the pull to the light when his memory of Han came to him on the remains of the old Death Star. He had thrown his saber and left all that remained of Kylo Ren in the ocean. But he still knew that he was never truly a Solo. He flicked in and out of remorse for killing his father all the time. When he came to Rey on Exogul, he was Ben. But who was he now?

Rey looked at him. Her eyes were no longer yellow, but they were still darker than they had been before.

"Very well then," she said. "One more chance. You will come with me to the Resistance Base. If you join me then, you will pledge yourself as Kylo Ren. If not, then you will meet your fate as the last Jedi."