A/N: Here it is, the grand finale!
Chapter 22 – Rey
As soon as they entered the throne room, Rey took off running towards the Emperor. Ben called out to her, but she ignored him. She dodged past the Sith Knights advancing on them, leaving them to Ben to contend with. Being such an accomplished fighter, she knew he could handle them. Plus, she wanted to put some distance between them so Palpatine would be less able to suck the life out of them together.
Her sight zeroed in on Palpatine, who smiled maliciously as she neared him. She completely ignored the crowd of Sith covered in black robes gathered on the other side of the cavernous room, even though they stirred into activity with this new development. She hadn't been prepared for the amount of power he'd wielded last time, but this time she was ready. She fired the blaster at him repeated until it ran out.
He deflected every shot, as she expected. Then he raised his hands up and her feet left the ground. She squirmed a bit for effect.
"You think a blaster could hurt me, you foolish child?" He laughed at her.
Gritting her teeth, she dropped the act and unleashed her blue lightning on him. Before, it had only come to her reflexively when her anger overwhelmed her control. Now she'd figured out how to use it as a weapon. She growled as she put all her energy into the attack.
He convulsed as it hit him. His fingers curled into claws and his head thrown back. Foam formed around his mouth. Rey delighted in his helpless state of electrocution.
His hold on her fell away and she landed on the ground in a crouch. Without stopping her assault, she glanced around to make sure nothing heavy landed on her head again. She saw Ben still fighting several Sith Knights. He'd somehow positioned between them and her to give her the freedom to do what she wanted with Palpatine. She silently thanked him for it.
He fought them with the expertise that came from years of Jedi training. As she watched him slash and thrust his purple lightsaber at them, her love for him engulfed her entire being. Everything that changed had been because of because of the love and trust he'd put in her since he was nine years old. They were meant to be together, not on opposite sides of the Force, but with those two sides mixed and balanced within both of them.
Then he stumbled. The Knights pounced on top of him.
Panic
Rey's gasped, her heart practically stopping. She ceased her attack on Palpatine, pleased to see him slump into unconsciousness. Smoke curled up from his singed robe. She ran several steps toward Ben.
Several Knights at the back of the crowd on top of him turned at her approach. It seemed like they just noticed her for the first time. They swung their weapons menacingly.
Using the Force, she yanked the closest one off his feet. She managed to hold the next two back, but two more crept towards her. She huffed in frustration at not having any other kind of weapon.
Rage
Ben burst out of those piled on top of him, throwing Sith bodies across the room.
Rey dismayed at seeing him bruised and bloodied, holding his left arm tight against his body. How dare they hurt him! He swung the lightsaber, hitting one, but Rey could tell he was tiring.
Suddenly, out of the doorway behind Ben, Alkos and thirty other Jedi from the Temple rushed into the room. They had their lightsabers ignited and engaged the enemy without reservation. The cavalry had arrived just in time! Of course this was the back-up Ben had promised his mother.
"Took you long enough!" Ben shouted at Alkos.
"You know I like to make an entrance!" Their blue-haired friend smiled back at Ben. Then he unhooked an extra lightsaber from his belt and lobed it at Rey.
Relief at having a weapon washed over her as she caught it in the air. She gave Alkos a nod of thanks. Two other Jedi brought the fight to the Knights that had been advancing on her so she turned back to Palapatine.
He seemed to be just waking up from her previous assault. His breathing rasped horribly from his heaving chest. He coughed several times and black, tarry liquid sprayed from his mouth to coat his lips.
Rey ignited her lightsaber as she stalked towards him.
"Yes, granddaughter," he wheezed out. "Strike me down. Accept your birthright as the next Emperor."
Rey stood beside him, her saber's blue light reflecting off his pale, sickly skin.
"Never," Rey whispered. Then she raised the lightsaber and struck the machinery attached to his back instead. The blade cut through cleanly, severing his support.
He cried out as his worthless body crashed to the floor. His breathing grew harsher.
Rey hoped destroying his life support system would be enough.
A great roar echoed through the space. The black-cloaked Sith in the stands had previously seemed content to watch the fighting from afar, but the fall of their great Emperor spurred them into action. Hundreds of them poured out into the fray and engaged with the Jedi. Their sheer numbers overwhelmed them despite the fact they carried no weapons.
Slashing as fast as she could with the lightsaber, Rey fought all the Sith around her. She watched in horror as two of the Jedi near her collapsed under the onslaught.
Alkos leapt up on a piece of suspended equipment. He pulled up another Jedi and together they used the Force to knock back a significant portion of the Sith.
Exhaustion
Ben's fatigue was palpable. He'd been fighting all the Sith Knights while injured. Now the huge numbers of Sith attacking drained him further.
Rey drove through the Sith in a desperate attempt to reach him. A sea of black seemed to separate them.
A Force push from behind knocked her to the ground. Her shoulder hit hard, momentarily shocking her. Feet stepped all over her like she lay under a stampede. She curled her body up to protect herself. A sense of hopelessness descended over her as her arms tried to protect her head, but the crush of the feet continued.
"Rey! Keep fighting. I'm with you!" Ben screamed through the crowd. No doubt he sensed her distress.
Then, in the midst of so much chaos, the sweetest melody drifted through the air. The wordless tune blocked out all other noise. Everything seemed to slow down and no more feet walked over her. A sense of calm enveloped her and she took a deep, cleansing breath. Her tense muscles relaxed almost involuntarily. The song suggested sleep, that rejuvenating rest would fix all the turmoil around her. Yet, she knew she couldn't slumber now. She fought against sleep, and found it wasn't too difficult to overcome it. Looking up, she saw the most glorious sight.
Mirabella Solo stood at the very top of the now-vacant Sith gathering stands. She sang so incredibly that her voice projected through the vast throne room. She still wore her bathing suit covered by Rey's robe. Han, Poe and Chewie stood behind her, their fingers jammed in their ears.
Both Sith and Jedi collapsed to the floor in sleep around. They all breathed in the same slow rhythm of peacefulness. Alkos and a few of the other Jedi, probably the stonger ones, remained awake but smiling. A few Sith and Sith Knights also remained standing, but they seemed more confused than euphoric.
Suddenly, Ben was there, pulling Rey out of the sleeping bodies surrounding her. He clutched her to him protectively. She put her arms around him, never wanting to let go.
"Make that horrible racket stop!" screeched Palpatine. He hovered a few inches off the ground with his deformed hands clamped over his ears. Then he lashed out at Mirabella.
She toppled backwards, her song abruptly cut off. However, her suggestion of sleep appeared to have been very powerful as almost none of the fallen figured regained consciousness.
Poe caught Mirabella before she fell. He glared at Palpatine.
The wraith growled and pointed a clawed finger at Rey and Ben. "You two may survive this time, but I will never stop haunting you!" A coughing fit exploded out of him. More black liquid spewed from his mouth and dripped down his chin. But he still spoke again. "One day, you will have a child. A. immensely powerful child with all the gifts of both the Palpatine and Skywalker lines. More powerful than any being that has ever existed!" He bared his teeth at them, coated in black. "I will steal your child and turn it to the dark side! It will take the Sith legacy and become the greatest ruler the galaxy has ever seen! Then I'll-"
His words ceased as the glow of a green lightsaber emerged from his chest. Palpatine looked down at it in shocked surprise.
The lightsaber pulled back out of him in one swift move. Before the Emperor could even turn, the lightsaber swung and chopped off his head. The grotesque head bounced away as the body crumbled to the ground.
"No, you won't." Luke Skywalker stood tall behind where Palpatine had hovered. He extinguished his lightsaber.
All the Sith and Sith Knights still awake fled out the doorways.
"Master Skywalker?" Rey's eyes widened.
"Just finishing something I thought had been done with years ago." He retrieved the severed head and tossed it unceremoniously onto the prone body. "Sorry it took me so long. Got stuck fighting a rancor." He snorted, "Again." He extended his palm out towards the remains of Palpatine. It all burst into bright, green flames.
Rey swore she heard distant screams coming out of the fire. "What about the ghosts of past Sith masters possessing whomever struck him down?"
Luke shook his head. "It was never a risk for me." He walked over and embraced both Rey and Ben. "You are safe from him. Any children you have will be safe from him. There will always be evil in the galaxy, but this is gone." He went back to check the body.
Joy
Ben's happiness mingled with her own. Rey laughed as the shadow of Palpatine's power over her faded. A cheer of elation erupted around them from all those still remaining awake.
Ben laughed too. Then they were kissing, enraptured with each other.
"Get a room!" Rey heard Alkos yell in the background. They ignored him.
The enormity of their success filled her. Everything she'd done in the past two years had come down to this moment. A moment of absolute freedom. No more threats from a time long past stood in the way of their happiness. With Palpatine gone, the endless possibilities for the future blazed in front of them.
Rey couldn't wait to explore them with Ben at her side.
A/N: Don't worry, I've still got a little epilogue coming tomorrow :)