The search for an identity is crucial to any life. To want to understand your purpose and place in the universe is what anyone would crave. Rey wanted that more than anyone else. Abandoned on Jakku by her parents at a young age, discovering she had incredible gifts, and joining the Resistance to fight the First Order and the evil Kylo Ren. But what if that identity wasn't enough for Rey? What if her heritage proved most important?

Rey paid no mind to the Dark storms that surrounded Exegol. Her thoughts were all on this one moment and the decision in front of her, which was all she could think about since she was told the truth of who she actually was.

She was a Palpatine, that's why she had such great power. Her purpose in this galaxy was to continue on the work that her grandfather had started. Luke had tried to steer her away from those dark feelings, she saw that now. He knew what she was, and tried to pull her away from that life.

But he didn't tell her who she was.

The only one who did tell her was Ben, who by all accounts should be dead on the wreckage of the Death Star by now. The lightsaber to the stomach was about as kill shot as anything could get. She looked at his red lightsaber she had taken with her and felt a pull towards it. Like it was calling to her.

She had read that the crystals inside the lightsaber were as much living creatures as she was, and their emotions all depended on who they deemed worthy to feel them. And that crystal inside of Ben's lightsaber felt almost...relaxed. Like it was finally with someone where it felt like it belonged.

The crystal in her other saber however was feeling something much different. It felt like it was in pain, like someone had beaten and bruised it, cut it. Like it was bleeding. Rey closed her eyes as she tried to sort her feelings and all of the emotions that were bubbling up. Her sense of purpose was finally clear, it was right in front of her to take.

But could she do that? To Poe, to Finn? To Chewbacca? They had been by her side, and were struggling in the same fight against the First Order. She knew the one person that could help her, and that was Leia.

But she was gone. Leia had left her to this world alone. With no guidance on what to do, just like Luke had. Maybe Leia even knew about who she was and didn't say anything as well. It would track for the family.

As she opened her eyes, she caught a hint of yellow in her reflection in front of her and blinked quickly to look again to see it was gone. She shook it off and prepared the landing sequence, still unsure of what she was going to do.

Kef Bir

Ben Solo just laid on the wreckage of the Death Star, clinging to life and looking up at the sky. He had been bested again by the girl, but at least he knew why this time. She was a Palpatine, and that type of power couldn't be matched. After she stabbed him, she just took his saber and ship and left, no doubt headed to Exegol. The further she was away, the further from the light she was drifting.

"Hey kid," a voice said to his left.

Ben turned to look and standing there was his father, Han Solo. He had a sad smile on his face as he looked Ben over.

"I miss you son," Han said.

"Your son is dead," Ben said stubbornly and shakily.

"No," Han said, moving over to sit across from Ben. "Kylo Ren is dead. My son is alive."

"You're just a memory," Ben said, shaking everything off.

"Your memory," Han countered. "Come home Ben."

"It's too late," Ben said.

"Nothing is too late," another voice said, causing Ben to look to his left where his mother stood.

He was surprised to see his mother standing there. He felt her die and he knew Rey did as well. But instead of talking to Rey, she was here.

"She's gone," Ben said to his mother, already knowing the answer. "Isn't she?"

"Nobody ever is really gone," Leia said, coming over to cup his cheek. "My father came back, and you came back. Now you have to bring her back."

Leia hovered her hand over Ben's stomach and he watched as his flesh began to mold back together and heal. He could already feel himself getting stronger and no longer dying.

"Your mother might be gone," Han said. "But what she stood for hasn't died yet. You'll have to make Rey see that again."

Ben nodded and looked from his mother to his father.

"Mom," Ben said. "Dad, I…."

"Shhh," Leia said with a smile. "We know. Go to Ach-To. You'll need something there. I'll show you the way."

Before Ben could say anymore, they both vanished. He sat there for another couple of minutes until footsteps ran up to him and he was face to face with the barrels of three blasters, one from Finn, one from Chewbacca, and one from another woman she didn't know.

"Where's Rey?" Finn asked him.

"Going to a dark place," Ben said. "Exegol. Where the Final Order's fleet is massed. She's fallen to the Dark Side."

"Liar," Finn said and Chewbacca growled as well.

"You have no reason to believe me, that I know," Ben said, getting a bit of knowledge from his mother through the force. "But I can show you. Bind me, knock me out, whatever you need to do. But your fleet that's going to attack there is walking into a trap and the only way to save the resistance is to call it off and take me to Ach-To."

Finn and Chewbacca looked at each other, pondering what he just said. He wouldn't have known that there was an attack on the fleet, he could have guessed, but wouldn't have known. But he definitely wouldn't have known that planet unless something had happened.

Exegol

Rey descended into darkness on the planet. The dark side of the force was so strong here, and it felt so good. Visions of herself in the Throne room kept flashing through her mind, and each time that she saw it, it felt better and better.

She reached the ground and started walking where she felt what was right. Through dark corridors and past ancient looking machines.. She finally found her way into a large cavern, filled with dark beings all around. There was a large throne in the middle of the area. She moved over to it and was about to touch it when she heard explosions high overhead.

She looked up to see a battle going on above, the Resistance must have arrived, following the trail she left. She couldn't remember why she did it though. Was it to help her destroy Palpatine and the Final Order, or to get them there for her to destroy.

Her mind was so conflicted that she was distracted and unprepared for the voice that came from behind her.

"Long have I waited," a sinister and evil voice said. "For you to come to me, granddaughter."

Rey turned and was face to face with what remained of Emperor Palpatine, and her eyes met his. He was disheveled, deteriorating, and dangerous from what Rey could send. But she could feel their connection through the force. One only through blood could be felt.

"I sense you yourself wonder why you have come," Palpatine said. "After all, you've joined the other side. You're supposed to want to kill me."

Rey struggled with this. The betrayal of Luke and Leia to her seemed so much more enhanced now.

"I should," Rey finally said.

"But you don't want to," Palpatine said. "I feel the conflict within you."

"It's just," Rey said, not knowing why she was saying any of this, but it was just feeling right. "All this time, I've wanted to know who I was, to have a place in this galaxy. I thought it was with the Resistance and the Jedi, but it just never felt right."

"Because they didn't trust you," Palpatine said. "They knew your power and who you were, and they tried to suppress that."

"And what?" Rey snapped. "You won't manipulate me?"

"My dear," Palpatine said in an almost gentle voice. "This is all for you. You can control them how you wish."

Just then a huge explosion could be heard overhead and one of the Star Destroyers exploded and Rey had a slight panic attack. One of her ships was destroyed.

One….

Of….

Her…..

Ships….

She turned back towards her Grandfather and a tear rolled down her cheek. Palpatine waved his hand and a droid rolled forward with a long cylinder held. It was the hilt of the lightsaber she had seen in her vision. She looked down at her belt where the two lightsabers hung, and knew the choice was upon her. To stay in her usual course, fight this, and maybe die. Or become something more.

She fell to her knees and closed her eyes and knew what she was going to do. When she opened her eyes again, they were the yellow of the Sith.

"Show me my place," she pleaded with Palpatine. "I will do anything you ask."

"Of course," Palpatine said, a smile on his face. "Place the crystals from the sabers you brought and claim your weapon and your throne."

Rey nodded and took the sabers off of her belt and placed them on the floor. She concentrated on the force and found her access easier than it had ever been. She felt more powerful and comfortable. She actually smiled at the feeling, how easy and natural it was. She turned towards the sabers and dismantled them, piece by piece until the two crystals were floating in the air in front of her. She moved them to socket them in the new lightsaber that was waiting for her. She felt them sink into place perfectly, and slid the covers closed.

She stood and pulled the blade towards her, igniting it and watching the two crimson blades spring out and feeling the power that ran through her body.

"Well done Empress Palpatine," Palpatine said. "Now take your rightful place and claim what is yours."

Rey looked up at the throne and walked up to it. She took a seat and a great surge of energy went through the cavern. Lightning crackled across the area as the brittle body of Palpatine laughed and the rest of his Sith energy was transferred into Rey, his old body decaying and dusting away. After everything was done, Rey still sat on the Throne and an evil smile on her face. She could feel the presence of her Grandfather with her, and she finally knew who she was.

At that point, a man walked in, flanked by a couple of red armored Stormtroopers and the Knights of Ren. Her brain filled in the name before he could introduce himself.

"General Pryde," her voice said, a sickly dangerous voice that was not her normal. But her new. "What is the status of the launch?"

"Our fleet is almost in the outer atmosphere, Empress," Pryde said, knowing what Palpatine had told him and in awe of the power that was before him. "The Resistance is giving us little trouble. The one ship we lost is mainly because of the focus of one fighter."

"Dameron," Rey said. "It's no matter, they can't stop what's coming. Prepare a shuttle to take me to the command ship, and prepare new clothes for me."

"Yes ma'am," Pryde said. "Things have been prepared for your arrival and hopefully to your liking. If not, we can change that right away."

"Very good General," Rey said, standing up and looking to the sky. She focused all of her force energy and reached out both of her hands and shot a lightning blast into the sky. She targeted all resistance craft and destroyed them one by one, only crippling Dameron's ship.

It was an awesome display of power, one that no one had seen before. Rey barely broke a sweat in doing in and soon the Resistance fleet was no more.

"Dameron is grounded," Rey announced after the power subsided. "Bring him to my ship alive."

Rey walked out at that point, flanked by the Knights of Ren.

"Yes Empress," Pryde said, bowing with a smile.

The Final Order had finally begun.

Ach-To

The small hut was lit by firelight as Ben Solo stood in the center, reaching out with the force to find what he was looking for. Finn, Chewbacca, and Jannah stood behind them, on edge and in mourning. On their trip here they had tried to warn the fleet not to go, but they were too late. They then received reports of a huge surge of energy and then the fleet being wiped out.

Ben had confirmed that Rey had fallen to the Dark, and the three had no other choice but to believe him. The Resistance was working on fleeing Ajan Kloss before the Final Order's fleet arrived and needed to find a brand new base, since Rey would know about any of their backups. They would send word when it was located and they would head there along with the other stormtroopers that left with Jannah, who were joining the fight to help save the galaxy.

After another couple of minutes, Ben found what he was looking for and removed a stone from the wall. Behind it was a small cylinder wrapped in white fabric. Ben went over to grab it and unwrapped it to reveal the hilt of a lightsaber. After touching it with his own hands, he found it to be his mother's lightsaber, and he could feel her energy coming off of it. He ignited the saber and the crystal blue sprung from the hilt.

"Good," a voice said, causing the entire group to turn and see the ghost of Luke Skywalker standing in the doorway. "We have a lot of work to do."

Darkness has risen and plunged this galaxy further into darkness than it has ever been. Taking the one true light and hope it once had and using that power to drive them deeper. But as darkness rises, light rises to meet it. This band will not forget about their friend, but the question remains, is she too far gone?

To Be Continued...

A/N

There you go, one of my favorite 'What Ifs' to think about out of the sequel trilogy. Who knows how much Rey's power will grow. Guess you'll have to wait and find out. Up next, one of the more interesting ideas I've had, and just in time for spooky season too *wink*

As always reviews are greatly appreciated!