Disclaimers: All right reserved of the originals "Star Wars" Characters, Names, Places, etc., to George Lucas / Disney. I pledge to return all characters after the story is complete.

Warning: Major Spoilers of TRoS.

Note: This is a Reylo FanFiction (slow-burn)

Author's Note:

Please allow me to post this chapter to give a more acceptable closure to the battle on Exegol. We will find out what happened to Ben Solo in the next chapter.

「Act 15: Exegol 」

「The Downfall of the Last Order」

Exegol, 35 ABY

Ben Solo was no more, but Rey was alive. Alive but half. A part of her had gone with him too. Even if her body was there, it was like something broke inside her. Something was missing. Their dyad. She had felt connecting with him even before their last embrace. She had felt it during the first moments of his interrogation of her on Starkiller Base. Even before that.

Even while he claimed Kylo Ren as his true name, her encounters with Ben made her feel lightheaded, as though she was moving at light speed and in slow-motion all at once. Even during the moments, she had loathed him most. There was always something connecting her with him.

But not anymore. She reminded herself. Rey couldn't explain if their dyad's loss was because of her weakened state or cause Ben was gone. That line was repeating inside her mind again and again. She didn't get any response, nonetheless.

After a long time, it felt like an eternity; she moved. It was not her choice. The ruins had started to collapse and brought Rey back to reality. It was a hard reality, a reality without Ben Solo.

Rey took a deeper breath lifting her eyes towards the Resistance fleet. The dark army fought on, regardless of the Emperor's death. Many ships still fought in the sky. She couldn't help but wonder how many friends she had already lost in the black smoke.

Weary from the battle she strode towards the path she had entered. Her trip to the temple was much easier than getting out of it. But she found her way up and into Luke's spaceship. The vessel shot into the air rushing to join the remaining battle.

Her friends needed her.

She exited Exegol's dark atmosphere and joined the battle. An incoming Ship drew nearer to her, pulling up at the last second to merely graze the canopy of her craft. It fired towards her bringing her back to reality. Rey was spacing out frequently. It was not only because Ben was gone or because she couldn't feel their connection. The sorrow was wrecking her own actions. She turned left causing two of the enemy fighters to collide. She never was the fastest when it came to command a spaceship. But she was deadly. Her fingers hovering the trigger as she went after the other one fighter.

Enraged, Rey growled again, whipping her ship around to fly to the next target. Her actions on point and lethal. She didn't seem to care about the outcome. If it would take her life while bringing down the First Order's last crafts, so be it. Her eyes were still in tears and red. Her body shaking from what had happened. And her denial to accept that Ben was gone started seeking in. Another fighter followed her and fired against her. But she easily evaded the fighter and flew deeper into the battle.

Poe noted Luke's craft from a distance and welcomed Rey. Her return brought hope to the Resistance. However, she didn't respond. It was like her body was soulless. Her mind acting upon to take down the enemy and aid her friends. But her inner world was crushed to ruins. How strange?

The moment Rey came back, Finn knew. He had sensed her death earlier. The awareness of her death almost costed his life. Finn hadn't told her yet; that he was Force-sensitive and how important she was for him. He launched himself out of the turret seat and leaped for the cockpit.

"Chewie, I felt Rey. She is alive!" Finn told, with a big smile on his face. Rey was alive. They were winning the battle. Hope had risen again.

Chewie roared, something about Finn thinking positively. But he would only accept that Rey was alive after seeing her with his own eyes. He also pointed out that Finn should be back at the turret station watching their backs.

Though Finn was too enthusiastic about Rey being alive, he ignored that part. "I'm certain of it," he responded, scanning the horizon from the viewport. Scattered fragments were falling everywhere. Exegol was going to be a wasteland after this. Not that it had been heaven, to begin with. But all those Star Destroyers were going to smolder for years.

Finn couldn't, though, spot her. Chewie and Lando continued to insist that Finn should leave the cockpit and return to the turret station. But Finn stayed, and both gave up in the end.

"There!" Finn yelled, pointed at her ship. Then he repeated into his wristlink, "Look. Rey is alive. Red Five is in the air!"

"That's her." Poe acknowledged as he had already seen Rey's ship joining the battle a few moments ago.

"People are rising all over the galaxy, Poe," Finn informed him, "Victory is near!"

He heard the smile in the pilot's voice as he said: "We did it."

Rey kept her fingers grasping against the gun as she kept herself as alert as she could be. The resistance had almost cleaned out the fleet of the First Order. Ships were burning and falling, uniting with the ruins of Exegol. Trying to fire against another ship, she was taken back as it exploded next to hers. A black X-Wing flew around her trying to earn her attention.

Poe's signal didn't reach her earlier, but now she could clearly see him. He got a small reaction from Rey. Then she by-passed him and went haunting the remaining crafts. And after a while, the sky was filled with burning units. The rebellion had won this battle. In this battle, they had lost too many. However, this was the only battle that united everyone to fight against the First Order.

Only one thing stood out to Rey as her ship dropped from hyperspace. And that was the crowd. There were hundreds of crafts lined through the atmosphere, all heading towards the surface. As Rey followed them, she began to notice most of them were actually just old, not in any way related to the war. And even without those standards, they had still managed to wipe out the First Order and the Sith. It was time to feel proud and happy. She was following back to the base. The same base she thought she would spend most of her life defending. The same one that Ben had tried to destroy. The rebellion that was built by his own mother, he had tried to illuminate it. She shook her head as her thoughts were only dragging her down making her weary.

She had finally reached the base and landed Luke's ship as far away from the base. She had arrived, but she didn't move. She sat there inside the craft, spacing out. The adrenaline of the battle had slowly decreased, and the pain rose once more. Her only image drawn in her mind; was Ben's face. And the moment he vanished. She punched her fist against her legs. An action she followed many times. She could not adjust to a world without Ben.

A few minutes later, the scavenger from Jakku stood up from the pilot's seat and leaped down. The crowd was cheerful, yells of hope were feeling the area. Friends and Family were united. Some were hugging; some were talking. It was a celebration. Their faces were bright and happy. Only Rey seemed to have a painful expression. She still was coping with Ben's death.

She ignored the cheers and the people around her. She walked wearily towards the base unit. She was seeking a place to sit or lie down. She didn't try to connect with the force. Ben was not around any longer. And she didn't want to have anything to do with it. In her grief, she seemed angry and lost.

She took one step after the other until she crushed against something. She dropped her gaze as she heard a loud beeping. She watched BB-8 welcoming her. Rey smiled and petted the droid's head. "Beebee-Ate! You made it!" she said, bending down, checking his antenna and his port covers. He came out of the battle with hardly a scratch. Rey wandered through the base, taking strength and joy in everyone's happiness but feeling vaguely alone. BB-8 started following as she aimed to reach the unit.

Finn jogged down the Falcon's access ramp into the jungle base of Ajan. Most of their ally ships had returned to their own system and planets, but a few had decided to follow the surviving Resistance ships home. Their base was going to be fuller and busier than ever.

Everyone was hugging, rejoicing at the being alive. Finn passed Beaumont, who clapped him on the shoulder. Next, he caught sight of Poe, stepping away from his X-wing and heading towards Zorii. The two stared at each other for a long moment, then exchanged a friendly nod. Then Poe arched an eyebrow, a question in his eyes, but Zorii shook her head 'No.' Poe smiled and walked away; they would have this talk again later.

Chewie was lifting Rose off her feet when Finn and Maz interrupted. "This is for you!" Maz gave Han's Solo Medal of Bravery to the Wookiee. "Han would want you to have it," she added.

Poe joined them next, and though the pilot had been celebrating along with everyone else, Finn sensed some hesitation. "General Leia thought they had destroyed the Emperor at the Battle of Endor. But he returned more powerful than ever." Poe said.

"You think he might come back again?" Finn asked him.

"Maybe," Poe answered, staring off in Zorri's direction. "Some of the First Order's fleet are remaining along with the galaxy. The battle with the Final Order was won. But we still have a few side battles left."

Of course, Poe would worry about that. He was the acting general now, and like any good general, he was anticipating what fight still lay ahead. "or some other evil will rise. We still don't know if Palpatine has left any surprises for us."

"Naw," said Finn, "Not for along time, anyway." He was wrong.

Poe gave him a questioning look. Finn was always too optimistic. But today, they could relax and celebrate because they had managed the impossible.

"Just like General Leia did with Solo and Skywalker. Just one small group against incredible odds," added Finn proudly.

"General Leia untied a whole galaxy. This time, it's for real." Poe grinned, and Finn wrapped his friend in a hug.

Poe, Finn, and Chewie were waiting for her. People clapped on her back as she passed through. Word had already spread that the Emperor was dead. Poe and Finn asking her what happened back on Exegol. More questions followed, but she didn't answer. She tapped their shoulders and shared a look with them.

Rey burst into tears seeing her friends and family alive. Suddenly, they were wrapped in a three-way hug. Rey felt the wetness of Finn's tears against her own cheek, and Poe squeezed so tight it was hard for them to breathe.

"Rey," Finn said happily, "I wanted to tell you..."

Rey smiled and cut him off. "I already know Finn." she told him, "You can connect with the Force."

Finn nodded happily, "But there is one more thing..."

"Well, all know now!" interrupted them, Poe. And Finn never managed to tell Rey how he felt about her.

Finn asked her about Ren. She only seemed to react to Ben's previous name. The reaction was painful to watch. Finn seemed bothered about what had happened that made her so lost and sad. But after what she was through, it could be the weary state she was in.

They decided to enjoy the moment. After all, they knew it would not last. There was so much work to do. Dead to mourn. The remaining First Order to fight. A galaxy to get up and running. But for now, the celebration continued all around them, and they kept hugging.

「 Upcoming Chapter: Act Sixteen」

More than anything, thank you for taking the time to read this!

Feel free to Review and Follow!

hereisaredeemer: About the former Jedi's death, researched about their deaths, and my source could be not well informed. I think Darth Vitiate lived for 1500 years. (That's a long time for a Sith to be alive.) Now about pointing the POV of each character, like Rey's POV, I personally avoid it. I have used it in one or two of my stories. But there the character has a POV of multi paragraphs and in the first person. I totally agree they were a dyad their whole lives. Chapter 3 when I wrote, "Some nights she even felt she wasn't alone. Like a present was there, and if she tried to reach out she would find him. But the unknown scared her." that was supposed to be a hint of their dyad that occurred in the early years. I didn't want to drag the story. I don't mind answering any questions. So feel free to ask. Again thank you for going through this. It means a lot.

amyunder: About your question, if other characters like Poe, Finn, Chewie will appear during this Fanfiction. The answer is yes. I cannot wait to write more about them. Poe will be playing a huge part in the story. Of course, Finn and Chewie will have their moments as well. I also want Anakin to be part of this FanFiction. And I will have side characters involved with the main. Yet, it cannot happen all at once. As if it makes sense that Leia became a Force-Ghost. Honestly, I don't mind it. She was using the Force before, and she had been training as a Jedi. Honestly, Leia being a Force-Ghost and the way she vanished really aids my story. Lol Anyway, thank you for reading and liking the story.