AN: I was challenged by Harrypanther to create an alternate ending to EP9. (Squishes a Porg) Well…. Here goes…..
It's a Sith's show now
"I never wanted you dead, I wanted you here…. Empress Palpatine," Rey visibly shook as the old Emperor's voice penetrated to her bones. She wouldn't…. She couldn't, she convinced herself as she stood defiantly before Palpatine. Even in that decrepit body he still reeked of immense power. Rey glanced at the black throne he was indicating to and swallowed silently. Her unease was evident.
"You will take the throne," Palpatine continued causing Rey to step backwards. "You were always destined for it. It is in your blood."
"I won't!" Rey declared adamantly. "I won't! I've come to destroy the Sith! Not join them!" She felt a certain Force signature then, near the entrance of the structure, and relief washed over her. 'Ben' Rey thought. She wouldn't have to face this alone. Jedi shouldn't be afraid, she knew this but when faced with this particular enemy she could not help but tremble. The aura the old Emperor was emitting was formidable and she couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine. Above her the dome had opened and she could then see the large fleet of Stardestroyers that were ready to take off at just one order.
'Yes, it could all be yours. All that power. Think of what you could accomplish,' A sinister voice whispered in her head causing Rey to flinch.
"STOP IT!" She gritted her teeth. "Your honeyed words won't sway me!"
"My dear granddaughter," Palpatine chuckled. "That wasn't me,"
Rey's eyes widened and she didn't want to believe it. Those couldn't be her own thoughts. This place filled with the Dark side must be getting to her. "You have always yearned for power. You were just afraid to admit it. Now your destiny lies before you! Strike me down and let all the Sith who live within me flow into you! We will rule with no opposition!"
"You're insane! I said it once and I'll say it again! I will never be a Sith! Your plans for me will fail." Rey adamantly declared as the Imperial guards surrounding her placed their hands on their weapons as a warning. Palpatine held up a bony hand and the red-clad guards withdrew a step but Rey was sure they were ever vigilant.
"You seem to be having a gross misconception my dear granddaughter," Palpatine chuckled before using the Force to make her kneel.
Rey grunted as her knees hit the hard rock. She was so focussed on Palpatine and the guards that the sound of his minions was drowned out as a near unconscious Ben Solo was dragged onto the dias. The Knights of Ren that had previously served under Ben looked worse for wear and Rey knew that Ben went down fighting. 'But how could she not have sensed it?' She thought and then looked at the grinning Emperor.
"You… you blocked my senses!" She realized in horror as her eyes widened.
"You shouldn't have petty distractions," Palpatine stated. "Now is the time for you to claim your throne!"
"Never!" Rey was adamant and bit her lip as Ben was slammed to the ground in front of the old Emperor.
"Well, it's not like you have much of a choice," Palpatine gave a little shrug. "You set this as your destiny the moment you turned this one to the light."
"WHAT?!" Both now exclaimed.
"The Force is nothing if not predictable," Palpatine stated. "It will always strive for balance. You turned him towards the Light side so you must take his place in the Dark."
"Rey don't liste-" Ben started to say but one of the Knights slammed the back of his weapon against his face.
"Well….." Palpatine muttered as he stroked his chin with his bony fingers gleefully, completely focussing on the now very distressed Rey. "Why don't you consult my former apprentice then?"
Both Rey's and Ben's gazes turned to where a blue glowing figure stood watching them with a very sad expression. "G...Grandfather?" Ben uttered in astonishment as the hood of the figure was flung back to reveal a youthful but ultimately sorrowful face.
"Even my apprentice who turned to the Light knows what must happen!" Palpatine gave a wicked chuckle. "You either take the throne as Empress Palpatine and embrace the Dark side or Kylo Ren returns to life."
"Don't listen Rey! That Force ghost might be an illusion!" Ben shouted as he managed to send one of his captors flying backwards into a stone pillar. "Rey!"
"SILENCE!" Palpatine hissed and with a wave of his hand Ben was clutching his throat. "If you think your bond is strong enough to reach her boy, you are mistaken."
"She…. won't… giv-" Ben struggled which only caused more glee to Palpatine.
"Foolish boy," The former Emperor chuckled. "She already made the decision," Palpatine was then focused on something behind Ben when he said, "Isn't that right girl?"
The distinct sound of a lightsaber activating was heard and Ben was trying to shout for Rey not to do it but Palpatine was gutted by the blue plasma blade in the blink of an eye. The Emperor's limp body hung from the devices it had been attached through as Rey fell to her knees, the blue lightsaber fell to the ground as her hands hung limply by her side. Along the walls of the cave the old Sith's followers could be heard cheering as Rey started to clutch her hands to her heart.
Ben felt the Force choke holding him up dissipate and he rushed to her side only to be blown backwards by the swirling black mist that had begun permeating the air around her. He grunted as a particularly sharp rock was jutting into one of his open wounds causing it to bleed more. "Rey?" Ben asked with some worry as he saw her stand up like a droid.
"Rey?"
"Silence fool," Came out of Rey's mouth but not in Rey's voice. It sounded more like numerous voices speaking all at once. Ben reached out with the Force, hoping to get through to her but the connection rebounded causing him to spit out blood.
"Fool, weakling. How dare you!" Rey said as she now turned towards Ben. His breath caught when he saw that her eyes were yellow. The Dark Side of the Force permeated the cave and Ben nearly choked. He had never felt it this thick before. Not even when Snoke had taken him to the old Sith temples.
"Do you feel it? The power of the Dark Side? It's the only power worth living for!" Rey proclaimed as she walked up further towards the dias and took her place on the throne.
"Rey this isn't you!" Ben exclaimed as he wiped off some of the blood from his mouth. "This isn't you at all!"
"Isn't it?" The distorted voice that Rey now sported asked as the girl cocked her head to the side questioningly. "This power… is marvelous!" She laughed. "The old Rey is gone, I am Empress!" She proclaimed. "No more scavenging for scraps, no more getting jumped by slavers, no more getting pushed around PERIOD!"
Ben gritted his teeth as he tried to reach out through the bond again but Rey was having none of it. She used the Force to take hold of the bond and snapped it causing Ben to scream out in pain. "Weak," Was all Rey said as she watched ben clutch his head. "To think you were once a wielder of the Dark side."
"Don't…." Ben started to say but there occurred a blast in between where he and Rey were courtesy of the Falcon that entered through the opening in the cave ceiling. Ben thought he was imagining it but there might have been one of those annoying birds stuck to the window of the cockpit. He was flung a few paces backwards while Rey who still sat on the throne had simply put up a Forcebarrier.
"YOU GET AWAY FROM HER!" Came the shout and Ben saw Finn jump off the Falcon's lower ramp, blaster in hand and trained on Ben.
"It's not me you should be aiming at!" Ben shouted just as Finn was picked up by the Force and flung backwards into Jannah who had been following after him.
"The Kriff happened here?!" Finn shouted as he picked himself back up.
"Your friend's lost it," Jannah said as she aimed her blaster at Rey.
"Wait!" Finn shouted as he put his hand on the barrel of Jannah's blaster to get her to lower it. "That's Rey!"
"That's Rey after becoming a Sith," Ben corrected as he hauled himself up he looked at the lightsaber at the foot of the dias. 'It might be the only way' Ben thought though he didn't want to do it.
"What did you do you freak!" Finn growled as he looked accusingly at Ben.
"As much fun as this squabble is, I have an army to lead," Rey said casually as she stood up. "All of you will die now." With that she outstretched her hand causing Force lightning to engulf the room. Ben, Finn and Jannah all ducked for cover as the lightning impacted several stalagmites causing them to fall down.
"This isn't good," Ben mumbled from behind a boulder not so far from Finn.
"You think?!" Finn shot back. "I'm going to try and talk some sense into her!" he said as soon as the Force lightning stopped.
Ben tried to stop Finn but the former trooper had already stepped out from behind the rock they had been hiding behind. "He's crazy," Ben muttered as he looked on. His body was aching and he had barely any strength left to move. The woman Finn was with however gave him a look that clearly said that he would have to look in the mirror with the crazy comment.
"Rey…." Finn said as he held his hands up in a placating manner, showing her that his finger wasn't on the blaster trigger. Ben groaned, that was the first mistake. He shuffled a bit so he could move in case something happened as this guy was just courting death. "Rey…. I have something to tell you."
Finn, however, didn't get far as Rey reached out her hand and Force choked him while levitating him. "I have studied you, and found nothing but weakness." her distorted voice said. "The woman you knew as Rey is long gone,"
"No… no…." Finn struggled as he let go of his blaster to try and pry the invisible force off his throat. It was crushing his windpipe and he didn't know how much longer he would last.
"Foolish creature, an individual may die, but the Sith are eternal. The way of our Order is absolute." Rey spouted as lightning crackled along her right hand. "Your pitiful feelings matter not,"
"NO!" Ben shouted as he leapt forward, using the Force to summon the discarded saber towards him. Rey released the bolt of Force lightning causing Ben to intercept it with the saber. Finn belatedly realized as he fell to the ground just who had saved him from possible death or being crippled and stared with wide eyes as the blue lightsaber started overheating. The handle turned red and started cracking causing Ben to let out out a shout of pain. Both Finn and ben were flung back when the saber exploded. It just wasn't meant to take that amount of lightning.
Ben groaned and with bleary eyes looked around. Finn was unconscious and Jannah was trying to wake him up. "Go!" Ben told the woman as he indicated for her to drag Finn back to the Falcon that had been hovering. The ship had retreated somewhat due to the lightning but it was still there. He could vaguely make out Lando's figure in the cockpit and then looked at his hands. They were burnt and bleeding. He could hardly move them or any of his other limbs at all. In all accounts, he and the trooper should have been dead.
Jannah had been dragging Finn back to the Falcon and he heard the familiar ramp doors close. They weren't going to come back for him he knew that. This place might be his grave as he saw Rey motion to one of the Sith followers to give the order to the remaining ships in orbit. Ben's vision was starting to blur but he thought he could make out the faint outline of Anakin's Force ghost as it stood before him. Maybe it was this specter that had saved him and Finn from being completely blown up just then but what did it matter now. The Siths from all ages were now within Rey and the galaxy would feel their wrath. "Sleep Ben," The ghost whispered. "There is still a chance, a very slim chance to win."
Darkness overcame him sooner than he wished but he heard Rey order "Take him. His corpse will be put to use."
-The End?-
AN: Now my dear readers, this was supposed to be a oneshot but... do you all want me to continue?