Author's note:
Thank you all so much for your wonderful feedback, it means so much to me!
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- hellostarlight (AO3)
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I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too :)
If only she could lay here, holding Ben's hand and getting lost in his eyes, forever. But the war is not over, the Resistance is in danger, and they have to continue the fight.
But how can they defeat Palpatine, a Sith who's capable of robbing them of their life-force to gain immortality, of disabling hundreds of ships with one single gesture? He's more powerful than anyone they'd ever faced. How are they supposed to fight him?
'Rise .'
Rey inhales sharply at the strange presence which suddenly invades her mind.
'You will not be alone.'
Another presence. From the parting of his lips, she can tell that Ben feels them too.
'Rey, don't be afraid of who you are. You are strong. Much stronger than you know … My son...I love you so much. '
At the sound of his mother's voice, Ben's eyes well up with tears and his hand tightens around hers. With her thumb, Rey slowly strokes the back of his hand and gives him a reassuring smile. She's trying to keep her own tears at bay, fighting to swallow the lump in her throat. Leia has become one with the Force, returning just in time to help them.
Another familiar presence touches upon their minds. ' Ben, I will not fail you again.'
Ben's hand twitches and a spike of anger reaches her through the bond. His eyes darken, like they always had when he talked about his uncle, back when the Force had first connected them. It's been more than a year since Luke had faced him, spoken to him, and admitted his guilt. But such wounds take time to heal.
'If you accept, I will stand beside you and Rey.'
Ben presses his lips together, knitting his eyebrows as conflicting feelings turn and churn in his mind. Rey watches him anxiously but doesn't dare to interfere. It should be his decision whether he forgives his uncle or not. After everything that happened between them, she wouldn't be surprised if Ben wasn't able to forgive him. Not yet. Or maybe not ever.
He chews the inside of his lower lip as resentment, fear, and hope battle in his mind. Rey can see images of Luke's blue eyes, full of shame and regret but also love and hope, washing over Ben. ' See you around, kid ,' he had promised. And Luke has kept that promise. He's here now, giving Ben the chance to choose for the first time.
The grip on her hand relaxes and the line between his brows disappears. ' I accept.'
Rey releases the breath she's been holding, and Ben's eyes focus back on her, the corner of his lips twitching as they turn into a reluctant smile. She gives him a small nod, then squeezes his hand one last time before she turns onto her stomach. She places both of her palms on the ground, groaning as she pushes against it. Her muscles protest and her arms tremble under her weight. Gritting her teeth, she pushes harder and rises to her knees.
'Rey, these are your first steps. The Force surrounds us...binds us…'
They are the same voices she heard so long ago. When she first touched the lightsaber in Maz's castle. She recognizes some of them now, but there are many more that she doesn't.
'Rise together. '
She slowly pushes herself up, her legs wobbling under her, and she has to concentrate to keep her balance. Next to her, Ben rises to his full height as well.
'Bring balance to the Force and peace to the galaxy.' The voices are in synchrony now, vibrating through her bones. ' Let the Force guide you. We will stand behind you. Rise.'
Rey and Ben turn towards Palpatine, who's sitting on the Sith throne ahead of them, wearing red and black robes. His arms are raised high above his head, two streams of electricity crackling out of his hands and meeting to form a giant tree of lightning. Its branches are clawing at the Resistance ships, shaking them like toys. Rey can feel the thunder more than she hears it, its power rattling her bones as the static makes the hairs on her arms stand on end.
Rey and Ben drop into a fighting stance, blades flaring to life with a hum as they raise their weapons in unison. Palpatine's head snaps to them and his yellow eyes widen. His sneer turns into a frown, then the lightning extinguishes and the room darkens. The silence that follows is deafening.
They stare at each other for several seconds, frozen in their movements. Above them, the rumble of explosions and thunder sounds so far away, as if time has stopped here but continued there.
Then Palpatine stretches his arms out, his face twisting into a horrifying mask. "Stand together, die together."
Lighting surges from his fingers with a sharp crack. It doesn't touch them, but instead it crashes into their lightsabers. The impact almost knocks Rey from her feet, and Ben staggers next to her. She hisses at the pain in her arm and digs her heels into the ground to keep herself from sliding backwards. Her entire arm feels like it's on fire and she groans, grabbing the hilt with her other hand. Then she loses her footing and begins to slide to the side, away from Ben. She tries to fight it, but Palpatine's attack is too powerful. Next to her, Ben is struggling, too, gritting his teeth, the knuckles on his hands turning white.
Rey risks a peek at the sky. The remaining Resistance ships seem to have recovered from Palpatine's attack, and they look like they've doubled in their number, but they are still hopelessly outgunned by the massive fleet of Star Destroyers. As long as Palpatine is alive, their chance to survive trickles away with every second that passes.
Rey inhales deeply and turns her attention back to the Sith. Her brows knit at the growing distance between her and Ben. Palpatine's attack seems to grow more powerful the further apart they are. Baring her teeth, she pushes against his power to get closer to Ben.
"Ben!" she shouts, panting, and desperately tries to reach him. She calls him again but her voice is drowned out by the storm, so she closes her eyes and reaches out with her feelings.
'Ben, we have to—'
The air is punched out of her lungs. She's hurled backwards and crashes to the floor, emitting a strangled cry. Her hand hits the floor hard and she nearly loses her lightsaber. Light flashes behind her eyes, then a crushing, stabbing pain courses through her arms and chest. She howls as her muscles contract involuntarily.
'REY!'
Panic and fury burns through her mind, then the loud buzzing decreases, enough for her to raise a weakened arm to block the tendrils with the saber. Then the attack ceases entirely.
Rey stands on wobbly feet, eyes immediately searching for Ben. He pushes his free arm forwards, fingers outstretched as he uses the Force to push back Palpatine. His roars echo from the walls, mixing with the cackles of the Sith. When Palpatine seems unimpressed by his attacks, Ben begins hurling rocks and debris at him, while continuing to block his lightning.
He's trying to distract Palpatine from her, Rey realizes. But he's also bringing more distance between her and himself, unwittingly allowing Palpatine to continue his plan: keeping them separated and thus vulnerable.
Rey's eyes dart back to the throne. Palpatine is raising another hand in Ben's direction, and with a clap of thunder, doubles the onslaught. Another fork of lightning pierces him and, with a sharp cry, Ben staggers back.
Rey growls and rushes towards the Sith, lightsaber raised high above her head, and baring her teeth. But before she can reach him, Palpatine turns to her, renewing his attack on her with one hand. It slows her down considerably, and she cries out in frustration, holding her lightsaber up to deflect the lightning.
Ben recovers quickly enough, yet his shoulders are heaving heavily and his posture is stiff. Still, he throws Rey a look over his shoulder, relief clear on his face.
Palpatine rises from the throne and slowly descends the stairs, eyes blazing. He steps between Ben and Rey and stretches his arms in opposite directions.
"Young fools," he bellows, his voice echoing in the cave, "you can't defeat me! You are too weak. This will be your doom."
Rey whimpers, beads of sweat running down her temples. Her entire body is aching, screaming at her to stop and give in.
'Rey. I can't keep this up for much longer ,' Ben's worried voice resounds in her mind.
She grits her teeth, ignoring the burning of her muscles and the energy waning with every passing moment. She forces herself to calm down and takes a deep breath.
'We have to stand together.' She forces her feet to the side, leaning towards him. 'Palpatine knows that keeping us separated will weaken us.'
In unison, they begin to circle around Palpatine and towards each other. The lightning crackling between them blinds them, so they reach out with the Force to let their bond guide them.
Another step.
A rogue tendril of lightning touches Rey's chest and she cries out, losing hold on the bond as the pain disorients her for a moment. She gasps, blinking away the stars in front of her eyes, then focuses back on Ben's presence.
She has to reach him before her strength leaves her, before it's too late. Tears are running down her cheeks. How long will she be able to resist until exhaustion finally overwhelms her?
That's when she feels a feather-light touch on her shoulder, then another on the other side. Two other hands support her back, and a fresh surge of energy flows through her spine.
'We are with you.'
More vigorously than before, she pushes against Palpatine's attack, painstakingly slowly approaching Ben. And then he's there, right next to her. The moment their shoulders touch, the Force hums and warmth blooms in her chest as their eyes meet. Then they nod at each other. They don't need to say anything. They know what they have to do.
Crossing their blades, blue against blue, they form a shield against the Force lightning zig-zagging towards them. The plasma beams brighten to a blinding white as the entire power of Palpatine's attack collides with their combined forms. The impact makes them sway, but Rey draws more strength from their bond and the Force ghosts behind them.
'Be with me.'
'I'm with you, Rey.'
Ben's consciousness reaches out to hers, their bond vibrating and glowing brighter and brighter. Their minds intertwine again, twirling around each other, thoughts and feelings mixing until they are one.
One mind. One body.
In unison, they breathe in and take a step forward, then another, pushing against the storm with their combined strength. Another agonizing step, and the lightning turns against Palpatine. He screeches as the tendrils eat at him, claw at his face, and rip skin from bones, tissue scorching black.
One last time, they step forward, and Rey focuses all of her pain, her strength, and her love for Ben and her friends into the shield.
She gives everything she has.
Palpatine opens his mouth but no sound comes out of it. His limbs twist and jerk grotesquely, then he crumbles into ashes. A blast rips through the room, and Rey and Ben hold on to each other, bracing themselves against the massive shockwave.
A crack forms in the rock, running to the throne, and it shatters into a thousand pieces. Behind them, the amphitheater is crushed by the falling debris, killing every one of Palpatine's disciples. Then, the presence of the Jedi behind them fades, leaving them alone.
Silence falls like snow. Rey and Ben expel a long breath, then turn to each other. Ben's eyes are wide open, his lips parted, as he stares down at her. Rey's breath hitches as the realization hits her.
They defeated him. Palpatine is gone. They did it. Together.
A chuckle escapes her lips, despite the pain and the fatigue deep in her bones. The sound echoes in the silence like a bell. Tears well up in her eyes when she looks up at Ben. His hair is tousled, raven locks soaked in sweat, and scratches and bruises coloring his skin. Another, softer laugh.
He's here. He's finally here. With her.
They extinguish their lightsabers and fall into an embrace. Their bodies collide as they envelop each other, and Rey closes her eyes, sighing when he pulls her closer to him, cradling her aching body. Her fingers curl around the fabric of his shirt and with her other hand, she pulls his head down to her, fingers burying into his hair. The tip of his nose brushes the crook of her neck, his warm breath tickling the tiny hairs there. Rey sighs softly.
Finally. She's home.
When Ben's hold on her tightens, Rey realizes she has slackened in his arms. Her head lolls to the side, too heavy to keep upright. Her arms fall from his body, and she moans weakly, trying to catch herself, but her limbs won't obey her.
"Rey ?"
She slides further down until he catches her, cradling her head. His skin feels incredibly warm against hers. His face appears in front of her, eyes wide open as they search her face.
"Rey." There's a tremor in his voice, and Rey wants to soothe him, tell him that she's fine.
If only she could move. Her lips part, but she emits only a strangled sound. If only she could say something, she would tell him…
...she would…
...what would she tell him?
An ever growing gravity is pulling at her. What's happening? She's cold, so, so cold. She can't feel her legs anymore. At least the pain is gone.
She's so weak and heavy. All she wants is to lay down and sleep, but Ben is still holding her up, shaking her and touching her cheeks. His mouth is moving, eyes full of fear. He's shouting but she can't understand anything. His voice sounds muffled but she can hear panic staining it.
Why is he so scared? They are together now, aren't they? Everything is fine. Everything…
Darkness envelops her and pulls Rey with it.
'Ben.'
Author's note:
U-oh...
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