Nothing is Ever Truly Over

Chapter Twelve

XXXXXXXXXX

"Come on, Finn! We need to hurry up!"

Finn and Rose were hightailing it to the main Senate chamber. They were running late.

That didn't really concern Finn so much, though, as he slowed down to say, "Rose, do you feel like something's wrong?"

"Of course something's wrong, Finn," Rose replied, as if it was obvious. "One of the Final Order's Star Destroyers just destroyed a densely populated planet and is still on the loose."

"Not that," he shook his head. "I just feel like this emergency meeting Rey's called…"

He couldn't quite explain it, but that part of himself that sensed Rey's well-being had gone completely dark. He couldn't tell anything about what was happening with her. It was par for the course for him to worry about Rey, but this type of worry he felt was different. It felt like the approach of something ominous and unpredictable, like a live thermal detonator. While Rey was normally pretty unpredictable, that unpredictability felt dangerous now.

"… well, I just have a bad feeling about it."

Rose looked back at him and raised an eyebrow, baffled. "You didn't feel like this before. What changed?"

Finn honestly couldn't place his finger on it. But the memory he had of seeing her again after her self-imposed exile – particularly that distinctly chilling cackle she let out after he told her of his possible Force sensitivity – was one he dwelled on heavily now, especially after recalling her cold interactions with the rest of the Resistance. His greatest guess was that his excitement over Rey returning had finally died down, and with that, he was seeing all of the problems he had previously ignored.

Namely, he was seeing that there was something really wrong with her, and that there had been ever since before Exegol. Probably even since Crait.

"I don't know. I'm just concerned about her."

"At least somebody is," Rose remarked, touched by how pure Finn's care for his best friend was. "She's been driving herself into the ground with how many responsibilities she's taken over."

Even though she had her misgivings about Rey and the direction she's taken the Resistance, that didn't mean she hated her, nor did she wish to discourage Finn from doing what he did best: caring for his friends. She loved that pure heart Finn had. She was only concerned that things could possibly turn ugly in the future and that pure heart may not end up making it out alive.

With that, Rose and Finn entered their platform of choice in the Senate Chamber. They could already hear Rey's distinctly powerful voice echoing throughout the chamber.

"It pains me to reveal that we are in grave danger right now," she spoke. "Our very way of life is at risk. I have received news that the former Emperor's Final Order is not as defeated as we previously believed."

She let that hang in the air for a moment, just to underscore the threat at hand. All her words were chosen very carefully.

"The Derriphan, which had been in hiding since the end of the Battle of Exegol, has at last revealed itself, and has wrought a most terrible destruction: thanks to them, the planet of Chandrila no longer exists."

An uproar rose in the chamber. Exactly as she predicted. Just like with Alderaan's destruction, the destruction of Chandrila would be the final straw, and the public would cry for war.

She patiently waited atop her podium for the wave of protest and outrage to die down. "These rogue agents now threaten the stability we've built as a galactic people. They must not be allowed to succeed. It falls upon us to defend our way of life from these oppressors, but in order to do that, I require the help of every single one of you, my friends.

"I need you to trust me. I know what must be done. I only ask that you grant me the power to do it."

The way the word 'power' came off her lips left a shiver throughout the air. One that even Poe felt. It made even him, historically the man always looking for a fight, pause at Rey's plea.

At first, he thought it was unfair of Zorii to stand so against Rey when she didn't even know her. But now, he didn't really know Rey, either. He was starting to think his former (okay, current as well) flame was onto something.

With that question firmly in mind, he spoke into his platform's microphone, "Could you elaborate on that?"

Her pair of golden eyes snapped onto him, and the look she gave made him jump back slightly in fright. She was terrifying.

Rey, however, was quite annoyed that Poe was making her explain further. Why couldn't he just trust her and not listen to that bounty hunter lady? She was sure Zorii had turned him against her. The Poe she knew was always looking for a fight, and now he hesitated to enter one, even when she gave as great a reason as any for going to war?

Well, it was just ridiculous.

"I'm asking to be granted additional emergency powers to allow me to resolve this crisis situation," she elaborated. It was a begrudging admission, but she did well to keep that masked.

The moment she mentioned emergency powers, the entire chamber fell deathly silent. Many of the New Republic's senators as well as those operatives most faithful to the Resistance, like Poe and many who were also in the former Rebellion, knew the story of how the Empire came to be. Simply put, it all came down to Sheev Palpatine convincing his contemporaries to willingly hand him more and more power, until he acquired so much power that he essentially controlled everything. At the time, it had seemed to be the best option, as there was no other realistic option that was better. But with the benefit of hindsight, it was easy to see why it was a bad idea to give one person so much power with no checks and balances in place.

"Forgive me, Miss Rey," one of the representatives interjected, "but there are those of us who believe waging war may not be the best way to ensure galactic stability. Shouldn't our priority be to establish a stable government first?"

"Oh, I already have a plan for that. No need to worry," Rey replied, growing a smug smirk. Oh, did she ever have a plan. "But answer me this, Senator: how can we establish a stable government if there are people out there waiting to destroy it?"

Some sporadic murmuring broke out as many of the representatives quietly argued over that question. That pleased Rey, knowing that there was not a terribly strong conviction to resist her will. She had left the people in a pinch, had manipulated events so they would have to cede to her demands if they wished to live.

"We establish a government by basing it in trust."

The interruption brought her out of her state of satisfaction, and it left her peeved. She immediately noticed one of the platforms move further forwards towards the center, capturing the attention of every single person in the chamber.

Her fists clenched even tighter.

"Trust that you have not earned, Miss No-name," Mika Bonteri pointedly remarked.

Rey did not miss the insulting tone he had when calling her Miss No-name. It infuriated her, and not for no reason. One of her worst memories was from the island on Ahch-To, when she found out she was nobody. She so desperately wanted her parents to be important, and it crushed her when she was forced to admit that wasn't so. It still did, even now when she found out that wasn't strictly true. The experience was too ingrained in her mind for her to simply forget it.

Being called a nobody still ate at her. It was at the point now, that she just wanted to openly brag that she was a somebody. She was the rightful heir to the Empire. Whether or not people liked that was still in question, but whether or not she was a somebody was now completely unquestionable. And, the way she saw it, it was better to be a somebody than to be a nobody. Because nobodies were remembered by nobody.

She lifted two fingers, and flicked in Mika's direction, using the Force to roughly push his platform back to where it came from.

"I don't appreciate your attitude, Senator Bonteri," she said with a massive warning underlying her tone.

"You mean you don't appreciate anyone resisting you," he countered unfazed, steering his platform back towards the chamber center. That steadfast, unflinching demeanor did not intimidate Rey, but it did anger her even more that she couldn't simply force him into submission.

He seemed to notice that, and he raised his eyebrows pointedly, as if he was right. "I'm right, am I not?"

He hit it right on the nose, Rey knew. Her lack of a response proved it.

But she was not one to simply capitulate without a fight, as she retorted, "I don't see why you're so opposed. Either way, the fact of the matter is simple: these people need me to protect them. I intend to fulfill that duty as best I can."

"By stripping us of the very democratic process we have all been fighting to restore?" he posed. "I don't think so."

They both glared intensely at one another. Their focus was nowhere else. Mika's expressive bright blue eyes held a steely resolve in their expanses. He was determined to not let Rey trample all over what he believed in.

But when he finally got a sliver of a look beneath that black hood, he realized with a start it would be so much harder to actually live up to that. When he saw those vibrant golden eyes, he remembered what his mother had once told him regarding them.

"If you see someone with those eyes, then they are not the same person they used to be."

It was part of a greater lesson that he learned regarding the man who by all rights should've been his uncle: Anakin Skywalker. And with all he knew about Rey, he thought it was safe to say she was a similar case. Whatever he had heard of the Resistance hero, the Jedi, Rey, this woman he was confronted with was clearly not that.

She was no Jedi.

Poe just looked back and forth between Rey and Mika like it was a ping pong match.

"Perhaps we could cast a vote?" he heard C-3PO's sometimes annoying voice interject.

Even though Poe generally tried to tune out the protocol droid – it was no secret that he found the golden droid annoying – this time he actually proposed a good idea.

"Perhaps we could cast a vote?" he asked to the entire chamber, taking the protocol droid's idea word-for-word.

Zorii stifled her giggle. He was just adorably hopeless outside his element.

"You know, that's a great idea," Mika remarked with a smirk of suddenly gained confidence. He was positive almost nobody would vote to give Rey that kind of power. "Let's let democracy do its work."

Rey's withering glare did nothing but make her immense displeasure known.

"Very well." The third person to be known as Senator Bonteri clapped his hands together, speaking to the entire chamber. "Let's get started. Everyone, cast your vote on whether Rey should be granted emergency powers."

Just before everyone could cast their votes, however, Rey crouched down and then slowly stood back up, raising her arms up and out to her sides, as she used the Force to lift and choke everyone in the chamber.

As everyone floundered in the air trying to breathe, Rey gleefully taunted, "I advise you think about your decision. Making the wrong one could have permanent consequences."

She hadn't hesitated to choke absolutely everyone in the chamber. Even Poe, Zorii, Finn, Rose, and those sympathetic to the Resistance were left dangling in the air helpless. For Mika, it was a calamity, as Rey's grip around his throat was just too strong for him to break out of. Even he, as well-trained with the Force as he was, was nothing compared to her. All his defenses were like paper compared to her sharp talons of darkness.

Thanks to her 'influence,' the vote quickly swung in her favor as most people just voted for her to assume emergency powers simply so they could get free from her death grip.

As soon as a majority vote came about, she released everyone.

"Thank you for your understanding," she said, sadistically smirking as everyone gasped for air. "In time, you will realize that this was the right decision."

Overwhelmed by Rey's incredible strength, Mika clambered his way using the railing to stand back up. Having been caught off-guard the way he was, it allowed Rey the opportunity to deliver a huge psychological blow to him.

"I'll protect all your families. All of your children can grow up in a safe environment."

She stared directly up at him with a poisonous smirk on her lips, knowing with that passive threat that she had already won against him.

Hearing the toxicity in her voice as she talked about children and families, Mika was frozen with panic. She must've gotten into his head as she was choking him and seen his family.

Her podium retreated down into the floor, yet all he could think about was getting back home. He could not allow his family to be in danger. Not again. It would destroy him to lose any more of them.

He walked out of the chamber in a daze. There, Jacen and Hera thought it was obvious that Mika looked haunted. It was very rare for the man to appear terrified, so they knew something serious had happened.

"You okay?" the younger Syndulla asked, concerned.

"I need to go home," Mika replied with a very uncharacteristic small voice as he continued on.

Jacen wanted to go with him, as he could plainly see that Mika was not okay. But other parts of him wanted to stay. He was aware of the very recent instability of the Resistance and didn't hesitate when Mika asked for his help. One part of him wanted to stay and see things through.

But, at the same time, his mother had also answered that call. It didn't surprise him. She had always been one for seeing justice, and nothing would ever change that. But he couldn't ignore that she was nowhere near as strong as he was. He had the Force on his side, whereas she didn't. Hence, another part of him also wanted to stay just incase anything happened so he could keep her out of harm's way.

"Go."

He whirled around on his mother, surprised she had said that, but he saw that look in her eyes, the one where she had already made up her mind and nobody could change it.

"He's only ever been like this once before. Last year," she noted. Her gaze was gentle. "You know what happened back then."

He did. He could never forget. Mika had lost both his parents within days of each other. His mother had perished whilst he was mourning his father, and it just compounded the sense of loss he had felt.

"He really needs your support right now if that's what's happening," Hera persuaded.

He briefly looked towards Mika, then back to his mother. He knew it was what was right, but he found it hard to just leave his mother alone.

"Go. I'll be fine," the Twi'lek gave him that one motherly smile that just made him feel like everything would be fine.

With that, Jacen was finally persuaded. He left her with one last embrace. He just hoped that everything would work out. As things stood right now, nothing was certain.

XXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile back in the chamber, Poe, similarly out of breath as everyone else, looked across from where he lied on the floor and saw Zorii, identical in situation to him. Rey had choked everyone in the chamber, including her. That fact gave him a newfound perspective.

"Okay, kriff this garbage-picking princess," he spat out as he got to his feet. He was absolutely done with the ridiculousness of Rey. Her hurting Zorii was the last straw for him.

Though he didn't see it, Zorii looked at him with a strange feeling in her as he helped her up. It threw her off, especially after he had been so adamant that there was nothing wrong with Rey taking the reins.

But a small part of her told her he had turned against Rey because she had hurt her. Though she normally wasn't one to care about such chivalry, it still tickled her pink to see Poe try to be a hero for her sake, even if he hilariously failed at it.

"I accepted her taking charge when she asked for it. She convinced me, fair enough. But now? No. Uh-uh. Something needs to change," Poe continued to rant as they both left the chamber.

"What needs to change?" Finn asked as he and Rose appeared.

Poe threw his hands up, frustrated. "I don't know, but something needs to! Clearly we can't trust Rey anymore if she's all too willing to abuse her Force magic or whatever just to get her way!"

Finn remained silent, but subconsciously rubbed his throat at the reminder of what his best friend just did. It was bad enough that it even happened at all, but what was worse was that Rey's actions didn't surprise him that much. After how disconnected from the Resistance she was, it felt almost as if it was inevitable.

Ever since she had returned, there was this ominous, electric feeling in the air that made his hairs stand up.

XXXXXXXXXX

That meeting did not go the way Rey wanted.

In an ideal universe, everyone, including the Resistance, would've fully supported her and given her the tools needed to restore order. That's exactly what she was aiming for when she sent the Derriphan to destroy Chandrila. She wanted the destruction of the planet to create a sense of unity among everyone to retaliate against the perpetrators, which she had also expertly orchestrated via ordering the Star Destroyer to come to Coruscant, effectively sealing them into a trap for the Resistance.

Unfortunately, that did not come to pass. That damn Senator Bonteri just had to stand up to her and sway everyone else away.

Why couldn't everyone see that the universe wasn't safe? Rey felt she knew better than anyone that a loved one could be taken away so quickly and so abruptly. It was the worst feeling she could imagine, hence why she wanted to stop such things from happening ever again.

She was never one to admit defeat. While her initial plan may have been a bust, she did have a backup plan in place. If she couldn't use the Resistance and its allies to fulfill her wishes, then she would just use the Final Order assets she had acquired instead.

She got out her communicator and immediately summoned Captain Sabrond's holographic form.

Chesille immediately stood to attention. "Milady!"

"Execute Plan S," Rey commanded.

Knowing exactly what that plan entailed, the Captain bowed her head in deference. "Yes, my Empress."

Satisfied, Rey ended the transmission.

Now that she was forced into taking this route, she realized that it was actually pretty nice to have a military force that would follow her commands without question. As experience had just proven, the Resistance would never be that loyal not just to her, but to anybody, including Leia. She recalled the story of how Poe tried to cause a mutiny just because he believed he was right and the admiral Leia trusted was wrong.

What an egotistic moron, she thought derisively. Though she didn't see the point in killing him, she wouldn't complain if he gave her a reason.

And from what she could feel, he was about to give her one. She could feel him and several others approaching her location, a large room she reckoned was once used as a ballroom or for other large gatherings.

The room layout told her two things: first was that there was a lot of space to move around which she found desirable incase talks devolved into battle; second, and a little less desirable, was that there were more ways in, and out, than she would've liked.

Whatever. She would deal with it as it came, she decided as the doors behind her burst open.

"What held you up? Did you have to wait on Dameron to do some touching up?" she taunted, still facing away.

It was brave of her, considering there was a platoon's worth of weapons aimed at her, one of them being the pilot's.

"Just shut up unless you want to be executed by firing squad," Poe spat. He was absolutely fuming at Rey's entire person. Even that little taunt was enough to set him off.

Rey slowly turned around, taking in with her eyes the amount of people who had joined him. There were the usual suspects, that being Finn, Poe, Rose, Zorii, Jannah, Kaydel, and Chewie. But there were several more who were so bold as to stand up to her. Some came from the former New Republic Senate, and some she recognized from various Resistance briefings she had attended before Exegol. The main two she recognized were Captain Doza – the captain of the Colossus – and former Rebellion General Hera Syndulla. All of them barring Finn had their blasters leveled at her.

But none of them intimidated her in the least. "You think they," she gestured to the numerous people who had entered with Poe, "scare me?"

She unleashed a haunting cackle. It was very demoralizing to the Resistance that they outnumbered her by dozens, and yet she didn't seem threatened at all.

Certainly it was to Finn. Even now, he still wasn't sure that it was the right move to confront Rey. To him, it was akin to adding an ember to a tinder box. In other words, a very dangerous game to play.

Rose herself was a bit on the fence, but still felt this was for the best. Everyone else, like Zorii, Kaydel, Jannah and many others, were determined to see Rey go down.

"I don't fear you, Poe," the dark-clad Empress proclaimed. "Why should I be afraid of someone whose nature it is to sow chaos and cripple his own allies? Or did Leia lie to me when she told me you were the reason her entire bomber fleet perished?"

Poe snarled and rushed forward, only seeing red. "Don't turn this around on me! We'd have no more problems in the galaxy if only you could put your broken heart away and do your job!"

He knew he made a mistake saying that as soon as he felt an invisible force grip him and yank him onto his knees right before Rey. The Resistance immediately retaliated by aiming their weapons and readying to fire.

"I ought to cut your tongue out for that kind of disrespect!" she hissed, her golden eyes glaring a hole into him.

"Whoa whoa, please!" Finn stepped forward, trying to deescalate things between both sides. "No need to cut out tongues, no need to blast into oblivion. Let's just talk peacefully. We can do that, right?"

Rey and Poe both looked at him, with their own variations of 'are you kidding me right now?' across their faces.

"I don't know," she returned. Then, she shoved Poe backwards with the Force, back to his comrades, where Zorii was quick to help him back up. "Can we?"

Her callousness made Finn pause. His instincts saw her phrasing as a threat, but his past experience and his optimism made him believe she could be reasoned with.

"Considering we're all friends, I believe so," he replied, with just enough confidence that it was believable.

Rey didn't share the same sentiment, giggling derisively at him. "Oh, you're so blinded by optimism."

"Yeah, well what's wrong with that?" he asked, noting how she just refused to stand still. She was like an animal, sniffing out her prey. "I remember you being the poster child when it came to looking at the bright side."

"That child grew up," she snarled. The ferocity in her voice was so strong it nearly made him jump back. "She realized the hard way that not everything is sunshine and rainbows."

Finn wondered if she was talking about what he suspected she was.

"So something actually is bothering you?" he pressed, playing it safe with his suspicions for now.

His question had come so out of left-field that it took her aback. She was used to being more or less ignored by the Resistance until they decided they needed her, so to hear that they were paying enough attention to notice something was up with her was a bit disconcerting. Had they caught on to what she was orchestrating?

"What are you talking about?" she slowly asked, letting through a hint of confusion.

"Something's clearly bothering you," he repeated. "Unless you're hiding something else, then the only thing I can think of it being is your name. Your true name."

Her true name? That's what he thought it was?

Once she realized that he meant it, she cackled. The idea that that's what he thought was wrong with her was so absurd she just had to laugh.

"Is that what you think?" she posed. "Haha, you're an idiot!"

Finn was caught off-guard by her response. Her reaction to his accusation made his confidence falter. Was that really the problem?

"Wait, wait, wait," she sobered up as a question came to mind. "How do you even know that?"

He didn't really know how to respond to that. Not because he didn't know, but more because he was scared of how she would react.

Rey saw, and harumphed. "You are a coward, FN-2187."

"That's not my name!" he blurted out, unable to contain himself. He detested the alphanumeric designation he was conditioned to answer to.

She noticed she had really struck a nerve there, and decided to dig into it a little deeper. "Isn't it? I thought we were going by our true names now. Go ahead and refer to me by mine."

Rey was daring him to expose her. If she was so reckless now that she legitimately didn't care about being public enemy number one by virtue of her name, then she had to be insane.

Once again, he didn't oblige, and she shook her head in disappointment. "Once a coward, always a coward, I suppose. But no matter." She then directed her attention to the Resistance. "If for some reason you've been living under a rock and have no idea what he's talking about, then it's pretty simple. My name is Rey Palpatine, and I am the granddaughter of the deceased Emperor. He died at my hand. Under the code of succession outlined by the Sith, everything that was once his is now mine."

A number of Resistance operatives were itching to pull their triggers, but Poe put a fist up, signaling them to hold their fire.

"… I'm sorry, what?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Rey gave him a withering stare. "You heard me the first time."

While true, Poe still found it impossible to understand. If this was what she had been hiding this whole time, then why was she upfront with it now?

"So what, you're an empress now?" Kaydel inferred, attempting to learn more.

Rey glanced at her for a moment. Though she was technically correct, she didn't dignify her with a response. Ignoring her was a clear sign of how little respect she held for her.

She turned to Finn instead. "You knew who I was yet you didn't think to tell me." A detached yet spiteful expression graced her face. "And you have the audacity to call yourself my friend."

That hurt Finn especially hard. He had believed he had forged a close connection with her over the year they've known one another, but to have Rey just spit on their friendship like it was dirt?

It kriffing hurt.

"Rey," he said gently. "There was a lot going on at the time. If I had told you, do you really think you would've taken it well?"

"Do you really think I care?" she bluntly returned. "That's not why I hate you. I know who I am, and I don't give a bantha's arse about it. What I do hate you for," her features shined with unbridled rage, "is for celebrating the death of the man I love."

Finn was stumped, a sensation that was unfortunately starting to become the norm when confronted with Rey.

But slowly, he realized that he was wrong about her. He didn't know her as much as he thought he did. Something did niggle in his brain about Rey losing someone very close to her, someone she apparently considered dear enough to upend the entire galaxy for.

"That goes for the rest of you, as well," she snarled at the Resistance, who together seemed just as lost as Finn. "How could I possibly be friendly with people who utterly detest the one person who gave up his life just so I could live on?!"

She was so passionate as she vented her frustrations. Though he didn't know who this mystery guy was, Finn could tell he was extremely important to her, and that she took his unintentional disrespect super personally.

"Rey…" he approached her.

In response, she turned her back on him.

He sighed, knowing he deserved her scorn but still insistent that she at least listen. "Rey, please. I know I've hurt you. I just want to say I'm sorry."

He waited for her reply, not expecting a positive response but still hopeful nonetheless. If there was one thing that was unshakable in him, it was his loyalty to his friends. He still considered Rey one of those friends.

Rose still couldn't believe how many chances Finn was giving Rey. She was not so forgiving. But even though she still thought this was a bad idea, she couldn't help but admire Finn's incredible loyalty.

All of a sudden however, the building rumbled. It made the Resistance jump in panic. They began checking all their angles, trying to find the cause.

Rey, however, remained calm. She knew what it was causing the rumbling.

Her army had arrived.

Next, the lights went out, momentarily pitching the room into darkness before the emergency lights came on, painting the entire room an eerie shade of red. As the room was revealed again, Jannah had noticed all the doors were in the process of being shut, each one slamming shut as if it was final. Each thud gave an unpleasant tingle through her nervous system.

The hand Rey had used to subtly close all the doors with the Force now reached for her lightsaber. She opened it to its staff position, the audible click of it locking into place echoing throughout the silent room.

"Sorry won't bring him back," she murmured darkly, loud enough for Finn to hear.

Then, in one smooth, rapid motion – too quick for Finn to react – she ignited her crackling red blades, turned around, and slashed Finn across the face.

XXXXXXXXXX

I know. I'm evil for coming back after many months and ending the chapter like that. But, to be fair, I had always planned on ending it this way, so yeah.

I think I may have said this before but I'm having so much fun writing Rey this way. It's so much fun, but it also feels like a natural progression of who I think she would become after everything that happened in IX. So it's a win-win. It feels natural to me because Ben has always been her balance. Without him there, there's nothing to keep her in check. In particular, I like the idea of her darkness being rooted in Ben's 'death,' and the trauma she would carry because of that. It's all a part of my objective in making her as layered and complex as Ben is. She can seem irrational, but in her mind she can justify anything. It's a bit like the saying, 'every villain thinks they're a hero.'

But I have to talk about The Mandalorian. Specifically Ahsoka Tano. Dave Filoni is a GENIUS. Before I saw the episode I was worried she would become too big a player and tear away from the focus of the show being fundamentally about the Mandalorians. But after watching, I'm seriously impressed with how she was handled. She was given prominence in the episode, but not enough that she detracted from the overall Mandalorian theme. Basically, she functioned like a guest star, which allowed her to retain her degree of mystery and kind of mimicked how she was featured in Rebels. I personally like that for the selfish reason that it allows my backstory for her to remain canon-compliant, but also because it makes sure she doesn't become oversaturated and lose her luster. She's still super special.

If you did enjoy, then be sure to favorite and follow and leave a review. I love a good discussion so don't feel like you can't start one.