5
Finn didn't know how much longer he could hold on. The monster was plunging down to Exegol, for some reason having chosen Jannah as the most desirable thing to eat. He'd already nearly fallen when he pried loose a scale and fired his pistol-the only weapon he still had with him-into the gap. The creature writhed in pain and almost managed to throw him off, but wasn't hurt otherwise. The only possible way to kill it required getting to the head. He climbed up along its back, but apparently, the electric tentacles on its head had a sensory apparatus, since as soon as he got close enough, they twisted back to shock him.
Red bolts rushed past him, and he held on tighter, knowing that if it got hit, there'd be more writhing. That came in the next instant; Finn pressed himself closer to the monster's back. Then the serpent stretched out its wings slowed down the descent, and resumed horizontal flight.
"Finn!"
Jannah's voice shocked him. Now that the flying was less erratic, he lifted himself up, careful to always keep the grip on the scales with both hands. He saw an X-Wing, flying backwards on repulsors, with Jannah in the opened cockpit. "Since when do you know how to fly?"
"I'm not! Artoo is!"
The blue astromech beeped from its slot behind the pilot. "I can't use my bow from this seat, and Artoo says he can't shoot the cannons." There was a correcting chirp. "He doesn't want to hit you!"
"What do we do?"
"Jump, and we'll fly off and blast it!"
But at this point, the snake turned and struck with its electric tail. The X-Wing fell away, and with a last, desperate beep, something flew out of Artoo. Then the beast plunged down again, forcing Finn to grab on tightly.
He watched the object Artoo shot and extended his hand, trying to summon the Force. The thing changed its trajectory, but not accurately enough, and whizzed by when Finn lost concentration from a stream of raindrops they flew through. He focused again, closing his eyes to filter out as much as he could, the way he sometimes saw Rey do when she concentrated on the Force.
The metal thing smacked into his hand. Opening his eyes, Finn saw that it was a lightsaber. Not one he'd ever seen before, and he briefly wondered where it came from.
Repulsor engines roared again nearby. Finn saw the X-Wing, but it was almost fifty meters away, keeping the distance from the monster.
Artoo must have made some repairs, the thought. Then he put everything except the snake out of his mind.
Holding on with one hand, he bent his legs and with push, thrust his torso forward, into the range of the head tentacles. They swung forward and Finn activated the lightsaber at the last moment. The green blade sliced through the electric tips, and the serpent roared in pain, buckling to try to throw Finn off. But he pulled up, climbing forward further and further, and finally reached the base of the head. He drew the lightsaber again, placed the emitter to the spot he judged would be the closest to the monster's brain, and pressed the activator.
The writhing was powerful, instant, and directionless. Finn fell, and barely managed to avoid slicing himself before he turned the saber off. A second later, he hit something with his back and was pulled into a sitting position with a pair of powerful arms.
"Let's get out of here, Artoo," Jannah said, and they turned away after flying past the monster the last time, watching it fall in death throes.
"What do you mean, no fuel?"
Artoo produced a string of text on the readout display. The shock damaged the lines. I plugged, but not perfectly. Atmosphere alright. We're not spaceworthy.
"Then I guess we have to land."
"On Exegol?" Jannah asked.
"No choice. Where did this X-Wing come from, anyway, Artoo?"
It's Rey's.
"Then let's go back where you found it and help her."
Finn extended his lightsaber and peered down. "It's fine," he called to Jannah, who was climbing after him. "Four meters." He took a breath and leapt.
Pain pierced both his feet on impact, but he kept his balance and didn't break anything.
"Come on, Jannah."
In the next instance, everything around them shook with great force. Walls broke, rocks splintered and flew through the cave as projectiles. The ledge Jannah stood on cracked and she fell with a yelp.
Finn reacted to catch her, and they huddled together, compacting themselves under the barrage. It felt like it lasted forever, though when Finn glanced at his chrono, not even a minute passed. He rose and winced in pain, feeling heavy bruises in several places.
"You alright?"
Jannah nodded and coughed up a mouthful of stone dust. There was a bleeding gash on her forehead, walking appeared just as painful to her as was to him, but she did it. Finn handed her a canteen.
"Oh, no," she murmured.
"What?"
She picked up the pieces of her bow and showed to him. "I don't have the tools to repair it here."
Finn unstrapped the holster with his pistol and gave it to her. "You need a weapon."
"What about you?"
He tapped the lightsaber. "This is is odd," he said as they resumed the track through the cave.
"Anything here that's not odd?"
"The moment we entered that inverted pyramid, we had to start whispering, and even then, it felt better not to talk."
She nodded and voiced what they both had felt. "Those echoes were creepy. Magnifying the gloom all around, even when it looked impossible."
"We're not whispering now."
She considered and managed a smile. "Something happened."
"Something good."
"Though I doubt it's because of that."
The chamber they were in still had a few fires burning, but it was strewn with corpses. Finn recognized the armored, masked figures and the misshapen weapons. "Knights of Ren."
"Even back in the First Order, I never liked them."
"Never met any besides Kylo," Finn said.
"Lucky you."
Jannah poked at a few bodies, but didn't find any suitable weapons. "Let's go."
"Whoa."
The next cavern was enormous, and opened up to the skies of Exegol where the battle was still raging. The stadium seating at the distant edges was covered in rubble, deep cracks plowed through the rock from the center-from the throne carved out of jagged black stone. And at the base of the throne-
"Rey!" Finn rushed across the floor, past corpses of Sith bodyguards and dropped to his knees besides her. "No!"
His friend lay there motionless, staring up with lifeless eyes. Each hand still gripped a lightsaber, but Finn needed barely any effort to unfurl the fingers. He felt for the pulse on one wrist, then, holding out for hope, the other. Nothing.
"No."
"Why?" Jannah asked. "None of the wounds look-"
"I'll tell you later," someone declared from behind.
Jannah whipped out the blaster and Finn activated the lightsaber. Ben Solo looked as haggard as they felt, and said nothing more as he approached Rey.
"What's he doing?"
"Force healing," Finn recognized the motions as the former Supreme Leader held his hand over Rey's body and closed his eyes to concentrate.
"You can do that?"
"You give away some of your life force. But if she's dead-"
"What?"
"He's going to give it all."
"He'll die?"
"For her."
"Can we help him?"
"Do you want to?"
Jannah stumbled. "Do you?"
"Listen, if there's anything I know about the Force after a year around Rey, it's that intent matters. You need to be committed, or it won't work."
Jannah took a deep breath. "I uprooted my life because I refused to be an executioner. I will not become one now."
"Then remember how we linked together to project to the Talon."
Jannah nodded and went forward. The two of them each grasped one of Ben's shoulders, backing him up in the effort. Then, Finn opened up to the Force.
When he came to, it didn't feel any different at first, though once again, he was breathing heavily and his clothes were wet with perspiration. Jannah was equally sweaty and tired, barely shaking on her feet.
Rey and Ben Solo were in front of them lips locked together in a kiss.
"You got to be kidding me," Jannah drawled.
"Let them," Finn shook his head.
The kiss ended and something painful jolted through the Force, causing Finn, Jannah, and Rey to all wince. Ben drooped away from her and lay on the floor, eyes closed.
Rey gasped in horror, but then stared in surprise.
"He's not dead?" she looked at them questioningly. "I can feel him. He's just sleeping. But what was that feeling?"
"Me, probably," a bemused voice spoke to them. Finn and Rey leaped in recognition before a shimmering figure with a presence far stronger than any hologram appeared in front of them.
"General Organa."
"Leia will do. Now that your life force and my son's have mingled, naturally, you have felt my passing."
"You're dead? Master," Rey added hastily.
"I'm afraid so, my apprentice. And you are quite right," she told Finn. "This effort would have killed Ben. Thank you."
"What will we do?" Jannah asked.
"Trust in yourselves. Trust in the Force. It's your galaxy now. I will be with you. Always."
She leaned down to give her sleeping son a kiss on the forehead and faded away. Rey, still seemingly disbelieving, touched Ben's neck to feel the pulse. Then, rising, she met Finn and Jannah's eyes.
"You gave him your life force."
Jannah nodded.
Rey pulled them both into a hug and squeezed tightly. "Thank you," she choked through pouring tears. "Thank you. Thank you."