Star Wars: A dyad in the Force Chapter 53: Imperial Palace - Sith's Soulstone, a star wars fanfic

Warning: Major Spoilers of TRoS.

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

「Act 53: Imperial Palace」

「The Sith's Soulstone」

Imperial Palace, Galactic City, Coruscant 37ABY

"Don't touch the stone," shouted Ben. "We cannot touch it; let us look around. We might find any instructions on how to take this new devilry." Everyone stepped back, with their gaze still pinned against the Black Stone.

Unfamiliar voices in Sith language filled the wreck chamber, which correctly was Palpatine's secret temple; those voices ringed the Sith's Soulstone. Their drowsiness faded away as the voices got more vigorous as they approached closer to the Sith's Soulstone. This did not feel right. Ben and Rey felt the force bent around it, pressing around it but never through it. Something felt altogether strange. 'Don't panic,' Ben's thoughts echoed into her mind, 'there has to be an explanation for this. There is always a logical solution, and together we will figure it out.'

Closer and closer they came and with them the alertness that they couldn't touch the Sith's Soulstone. Rey was the one who had found the Emperor's Temple on one of the outings, as she went after Dark Rey. Ben was disappointed and a bit angry with her for going after Dark Rey alone without informing him, but he hadn't said anything; they had found the Black stone. There, it was almost guaranteed they would find information about the Sith's Soulstone and maybe how they could take it with them.

For decades and more, the Temple of the Sith had remained a place of quiet, forgotten in time, only for Palpatine to use. It was a place of learning and worship, a temple offering many secrets of the Sith. In a way, a haven to Palpatine could connect with previous Sith and set his plans in action. It was overcome by nightmarish noises, dark hounds, and unknown stalking in the years to come. Those ancient walls seemed inhabited by shadows forgotten through time. But that time was already over, as the Temple had once again lapsed into the silence. Like the Imperial Palace, it fell to its ruins; most of the secrets had been not only forgotten but vanished.

They only thing standing, the Sith's Soulstone and a few ancient wooden trunks that were spread around and locked. The silence was now their ally as they spread around the Temple, searching for any information they could. The time was pressing, but this was their mission. They had to figure out the truth behind this Sith's Soulstone and what its purpose was. Why was it so crucial to Dark Rey and her master? Why did Palpatine never use it?

The sounds grew around them, a thunderclap that followed by bewildering, blinding images. Ben's felt a flame spring and hunt him. He knew he only imagined it. He accepted the feeling, denied through the power over him, the darkness that the Sith's Soulstone freely offered seemed like a trap. A will that had been silent by the Sith, trying to awake once more.

However, a familiar sense of warmth and belonging reached out to him, it was endless, and there he felt his connections with Rey, like a shield protecting him. Rey felt it too, the same warmth and belonging, keeping her safe from the darkness that the Sith's Soulstone attempted to seduce them with.

Ben was more confident now; he stretched out, touching the strange energy surrounding the Stone, his awareness slipping lightly through the room and towards one particular chest. Rey found it too instantly, burning so bright like it was calling them there. Nothing was meaningless when it involved the force. That chest was calling out to them, a dim awareness over the Force.

Rey's gaze fell on it, and uncomfortable silence settled in. One had chosen them, like a gift waiting to be found and opened. Why was it calling to her, she asked herself. And Ben answered, 'I feel it too.' His reply made her feel at ease. She continued onward; the rest were watching her with open eyes. The chest almost seemed to vibrate.

BB-8 beeped nervously, Rey ignored the droid, but the rest jumped terrified. "Buddy, don't scare us like that," came Poe's voice struggling to remain focused. BB-8 beeped a few more times, complaining.

There was a seal, a lock on the chest. She reached out, only to draw back her hand when it open before she could make contact. It was dark still in the room, and she had to bring closer her lightsaber and look inside. Tarps and cloth-covered much of the collection that was inside the chest. She slowly pushed them aside, and objects of obvious value sat side-by-side. Hidden secrets were kept inside them.

Though curious about their functions and origins, she ignored them all; moving deeper into the chest, she found something made out of wood. As her hand was slowly reaching out to grasp it, the darkness closed in. Behind her, was BB-8 anxious, keeping close to her. A massive, slow, deep breathing filled the room.

She touched it, and suddenly she found herself looking down an impressive brightness, its architecture reminiscent of an Old Empire. Peering harder, she saw in the distance a section of Sith's Soulstone, placed inside a wooden box. A figure gazed at her from a distance; it spoke her name: "Rey!" She froze but started towards the constitution, and the world turned inside out, causing her to trip and fall. And as she fell, the voice told her, "None alive can touch it! The Sith's Soulstone must be destroyed! It can only be undone in North Unknown Regions, Eanor, deep down in the frozen coven of Fate."

A hand appeared and caught her before she dropped and steadied her back on her feet. "Rey, what did you see?" Ben asked her as he sensed her worries but didn't hear the voice or see the images she had seen.

Putting a hand to her mouth, she rose and turned facing the rest. As she turned, she found herself holding the wooden box in her hands. She looked at Ben. "We have to keep the stone inside here; I think it's the only way for us to be safe," she explained as the previous vision filled her mind again.

"Come guys; we have to hurry," Finn suddenly reminded them as they had spent hours inside the Imperial Palace.

Rey stopped opening the box to examine it; it was empty with a few unknown symbols she couldn't read. "We have to place the stone inside it, but no living thing... can touch it," she repeated a few times.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Poe said, "We have to go now!"

Chewie complained that he would die there hungry, and the droids seemed to agree that it was time to leave that forsaken place. BB-8 beeped again louder, this time, wanting as well to go.

Ben paused, his dark eyes spacing out as he was trying to read through the lines. And he did; it was easy, too easy. "We cannot touch the stone," Ben said and turned around, walking over it. "No living thing with flesh and blood can." He looked at the Sith's Soulstone and then at C-3PO. "See-Threepio, touch it!" he suggested, "You are a droid, made not from blood or flesh!"

"Sir, this is madness!" the protocol droid complained, "I don't want to die!"

Ben stepped closer and tapped his shoulders. "Trust me, just reached out and touched it, Rey bring the box!" Ben said this time he sounded sure about his decision. He knew he was asking too much for C-3PO to trust the former Kylo Ren, but the time was limited.

Rey rushed over, and she nodded, ensuring that the droid would be OK. What Ben suggested made sense. C-3PO, scared, reached out slowly and touched the Sith's Soulstone. Suddenly, the room rattled, and the Black stone stopped orbiting, dropping down, and the droid caught it. Rey's chest was pounding as if something terrible had happened. But as she took a second look, she found C-3PO holding the Sith's Soulstone and being fine. Rey gave him the wooden box, and they placed the Black stone inside and secured the package.

Ben breathed again and tapped C-3PO shoulder. "Told you!" he offered, although for a moment, he was not all the way sure. "Now, you keep this safe! Until we figure out the rest."

The droid felt that he died a slow death; R2-D2 beeped him to encourage him. Then he opened a slot that fit the wooden box perfectly, and they hid it there. It should remain there until the day it would be destroyed.

"We have to destroy the Sith's Soulstone; it's the only way to get rid of this and the darkness it could bring!" Rey informed them, "But it can't be undone here, the voice told me it must be shattered in the North Unknown Regions, Eanor, ..."

"Do we trust the voice?" Poe questioned, alerted, "And how are we going to find the North Unknown Regions or Eanor?"

"I believe we can trust the voice; it was coming from the Force," Rey assured them. "And we know we can't keep it with us; Dark Rey is already looking for it."

Ben could hear himself breathing, slowly and raggedly. Then his breathing quickened as he realized he listened to the voice as well. But did he trust the voice as Rey said? He was not sure; everything seemed like a riddle to him. The Sith's Soulstone, the way it had to be undone, and what their next move should be. He turned his head and looked around as if he was searching through the darkness to find an answer.

"But how do we know the way to the North Unknown Regions?" Finn asked her suddenly, "And even if we are lucky enough and find it, how do we find the coven?"

Rey faced him. "I know how we can go there; it's everything in Luke's texts. Maps details everything. I read it when I was looking to reach Exegol; it seemed as he was looking for Exegol. He found a way only to the North's paths."

"I suppose later is better!" Poe said, "I mean since we have what we need, we should return to the Falcon and figure the rest there."

Rey nodded; there was no point any longer to remain inside the ruins of the Sith temple. The droids rushed out first, followed by Finn, Poe, and Chewie. Rey was next, and she followed in line behind them. Ben turned, ready to do the same but stopped.

Breathing hard and staring at the large dark room one final time, he felt uneasy. Everything was given to them too quickly, the stone, what they should do with it, and even how to reach the North Regions. He stood in front of the door, gazing into its depths. Something inside made him questioned for a second if that was what they were supposed to do or if they were tricked doing so.

Though his thoughts were interrupted as Rey returned and rested her hand against his shoulder, she pulled him out of that awareness and led him with her back in the corridors. It was time for them to escape.

The company strode through the dark corridors, with Ben and Rey's lightsaber bringing some brightness to the darkness. They didn't wait to talk about what had happened down in the underworld; they would talk about it when they reached the Falcon. Soon they stepped back in Palpatine's chambers and rushed out of it. It took them a few more minutes, but they arrived in Falcon on time.

As the Falcon departed from Coruscant, dawn was upon them, and life was slowly returning to the sleeping planet. They were lucky enough that they returned alive with a few minor wounds and Ben's severe scar, who was almost forgotten as they were in the underworld surrounded by darkness.

Poe sat on the pilot's seat and, with Chewie, flew the Falcon away. Rey dragged Ben into the medical unit and started to clean and take care of Ben's injury while reminding him to be more careful. True be told, she was not precisely reminding him; she was stressed and angry with him, not taking care of himself.

Now they had to figure out what came next...

「Upcoming Chapter: Act Fifty - Four」

Okay, guys, that's all. I hope you enjoyed reading the 53rd chapter.

Thank you all so much! Stay awesome! Stay sweet!

And be nice to each other, see you soon, in the next chapter!

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