Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter. Sorry this one took a while. My wife and I are moving this week and we've been busy getting ready for the move, so I've been distracted with that. Hopefully once we're settled in our new place, I can write without distractions like that.

Let's get to it.

Rico: No, Janna is not in this.

Chapter 91- Duels of Titans

In an open space a distance from the throne room of the Sith, the space is filled with the sound of clashing lightsabers as Jaina continues her duel with her brother.

Kylo Ren was very surprised as their duel has gone on at how skilled with a lightsaber his sister was. She had always been better with her Force powers than her saber. But with her years of training as a Mandalorian, and the time she'd been training with Boba Fett, has greatly increased her skills at combat. On top of that, she's been using the features of her armor and her Mandalorian weapons to her advantage.

Jaina ducks under a blow from her brother before she takes to the air with her jetpack. She fires a series of darts from a wrist launcher, but Kylo stops them in the air with the Force. However, Jaina also throws out some grenades, and the explosions knock Kylo tumbling. Jaina then dives down towards him, her lightsaber returning to her hand and its blade springing to life. Kylo just manages to bring his saber up in time to block her blow.

As the two struggle against each other, Kylo says, "You've certainly gotten better."

"Being a Mandalorian will do that to you," Jaina says before she tries to bring her foot down to stomp on Kylo's knee. Kylo sees the move coming and rolls out of the way before springing back to his feet.

Jaina charges at her brother, her blade flashing in front of her as she slashes at him relentlessly. Kylo blocks her strikes as he tries to find an opening in her attacks to strike back. However, as he's looking for that opening, Jaina crosses blades with him. Then, to his surprise, she twists her saber around his and uses their locked sabers to force it down. Then, with one hand, she lets go of her saber, keeping hold of it with the other hand, and then deploys a blade from the vambrace on her free hand and slashes at her brother's head with it. Kylo is completely caught off guard by the move, and the blade, which is made of a part beskar alloy, cuts right through the material of his helmet, cutting a deep gash across the front of it and completely ruining it.

Kylo growls and lets out a Force wave, knocking Jaina away from him. As Jaina steadies herself, Kylo reaches up and removes his ruined helmet, finally exposing his face to Jaina. As she looks at the face of her brother, Jaina sees a mix of emotions on his face, but hate is not one of them, and maybe not even anger.

"Jaina…" he says, his voice trailing off.

"You're not my brother anymore. Kylo Ren is not my brother," Jaina states firmly before charging at Kylo Ren again.

Kylo raises his saber to block Jaina's first blow, but quickly realizes that Jaina is switching up her fighting style, getting even more aggressive. Kylo tries to press back, aiming for her legs in hopes of getting a lucky strike that can disable her, but she is keeping up the pace of her attacks with no relent.

Finally, getting frustrated with the attacks, Kylo physically pushes her back after their sabers clash, then lets out a powerful Force push that sends Jaina flying back against a wall of the chamber.

Jaina struggles against Kylo's hold as he advances slowly towards her. "I don't want to fight you, Jaina. But against the power here in this fortress…we cannot stand against it," he says, in a voice of almost regret.

"We can't?"

Kylo freezes at that voice, and a surge of anger floods through him. Turning around, he sees Luke Skywalker standing behind him, wearing his robes, and his lightsaber held out in front of him. Luke smiles at his nephew as he says, "Always so stuck in your mind, Jacen."

"I no longer answer to that name!" Kylo Ren shouts, but with a look on his face that suggests he is losing a bit of his nerve. Then, he charges at Luke.

Luke grins as he raises his saber to block Kylo's. However, to Kylo's shock, his saber passes right through Luke's, and then through his body like it's nothing. Luke smiles even more as he says, "You are distracted too easily, Jacen." His face then falls a bit as he says, "I'm sorry it had to end like this." And as he says this, his image fades away.

(Naboo)

Luke falls back slightly from his spot on a meditation pedestal, but Kelly, already holding his shoulder, steadies him. Luke had been using a Force technique that he had been perfecting for years during his time on Ahch-To, with Kelly using her Force power to strengthen Luke to prevent Luke from getting overly exhausted from the effort.

"Did it work?" Kelly asks.

Luke smiles and nods. "Yes, it did. And I think it gave Jaina the chance she needed."

(Exegol)

Kylo freezes. A second later, he feels several darts pierce through the back of his right leg, and he growls out in pain as he collapses to one knee. He forces himself to turn around in time to see Jaina flying at him again, saber extended and ready.

Kylo tries to ready himself, but with the wounds to his leg, Jaina is on him too quick. She aims her first slash at his shoulder. Kylo blocks it, but Jaina follows up with a strike aimed at his waist while also letting out a burst of flames from one of her vambraces. Kylo blocks the blow, but only partially evades the flames, which set the outer parts of his outfit on fire.

As Kylo stumbles away, trying to hold up his defense while away trying to bat out the flames on his suit, Jaina presses her attack. As she continues to slash away at him, she reaches out with the Force and starts summoning objects lying around to batter him. Kylo desperately tries to keep the objects away from him, but Jaina seizes the opportunity. She stabs her lightsaber at Kylo's left shoulder, and the tip of her saber drives deep into the shoulder.

Kylo cries out in pain as he stumbles back, clutching at the wound in his shoulder. Jaina sees the opportunity and lunges after him, slashing her saber at Kylo's arm. Kylo tries to bring his saber up to block it, but with the wound in his shoulder, he is a fraction of a second too slow. With a searing sound, Jaina's saber cuts right through skin and bone and cuts off Kylo's arm completely. As his arm, and his lightsaber, fall to the ground, Jaina draws back her lightsaber before driving it right through the center of his chest.

Kylo gasps as the purple blade enters his chest. Jaina holds her saber firm, and finally finds herself looking her brother directly in the eyes. In that moment, Kylo looks back at her, and Jaina sees a change in his eyes. "Jaina…" he gasps out.

Jaina looks back into his eyes, and she can see the change in his eyes. At that moment, something awakens in her that had disappeared after hearing of Kylo killing their father. She feels emotion beginning to well up in her as she whispers, "I had no choice."

Her brother is silent as the life ebbs out of him. Then, he speaks again as he says, "I…I never wished you harm. I only ever…" And now, at last, regret begins to cross his face. He looks deep into his sister's eyes as he says, "Jaina…why did it have to be this way?"

A spark of hope rises in Jaina. "Jacen?" she says in a cracked voice.

In response, he says, "I'm sorry, Jaina."

Jaina feels a tear come to her eyes, feeling that maybe, just maybe, her brother is starting to return in his final moments, just like their grandfather. "I didn't want this to happen, Jacen. I wanted us to be siblings, not enemies. But you chose your path."

"I know, sister. And I've started to see my mistakes. The Dark Lord's deceptions…I truly realize the depth of his madness now," Jacen responds.

Both of them now feel the last life fading away from Jacen. Jacen looks deep into her eyes as he says, "I know you will remember me for my deeds as Kylo Ren. But please, try to remember me as your brother as well."

Jaina now really feels the tears come to her eyes. Jacen then says, in his most broken and exhausted voice yet, "You must know. The Emperor is not Darth Sidious. He is Darth Bane." As shock floods through Jaina, Jacen whispers, "He is strong, stronger for all the centuries of Sith he has possessed. But he is not invincible. Ben and Rey will need your help. And I know how to hurt him." He then leans forward a bit and whispers quickly in her ear, conveying his advice for how to overcome Bane. As he finishes, he mutters, "Goodbye, Jaina." And then he slumps forward and finally dies.

Jaina looks down at the body of her brother as the magnitude of what has just happened hits her, and she begins to cry as she holds the body of her brother.

For several moments, she continues to hold and cry over the body of her brother. Then, her veins seem to fill with fire, and she turns her head away, in the direction she can feel an overwhelming dark presence. Her cousins need her, and she's going to help them.

(Throne room)

In the throne room, the chamber is illuminated by the storm of Force lightning that Darth Bane has summoned. His terrible, cackling laughter echoes through the chamber as he maintains his attack. And in the stands around the perimeter of the chamber, members of his cult watch in dark pleasure.

Meanwhile, Ben and Rey continue to lie on the floor of the throne room before the throne, consciousness returning to them. However, both of them are very drained. Only the strength of their bond as a dyad has saved them from being rendered completely unconscious or killed from how much Bane has drained from them.

The two slowly turn their heads towards each other, looking each other deeply in the eyes. Unable to speak yet aloud, they can feel each other's thoughts. Rey is beginning to feel a sense of despair, while Ben tries to reassure her.

Suddenly, they begin to feel their strength returning, and they feel a presence surrounding them. "These are your most important steps, my young Jedi. Rise and take them," they hear the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

And then, they begin to hear the voice of more Jedi. Jedi they met on Mortis, and others whose voices they know. Revan. Satele Shan. Bastila Shan. Lord Hoth. Qui Gon. Plo Koon. Meetra Surik. Anjar Alcara. Vodo Siosk Baas. and of course, Anakin. All speaking their names as they call out to them.

Then, they begin to hear the voices of the old Jedi speaking encouragingly to them. "Bring back the balance, you two, as I did," Anakin whispers.

"In the night, find the light," Bastila whispers.

"You're not alone, young Jedi," Lord Hoth whispers.

"Alone, never have you been," Yoda says.

"Every Jedi who ever lived lives in you both," Qui Gon says firmly.

"The Force surrounds you," Anakin says again.

"Let it guide you, as it guided us," Satele Shan says.

"Feel the Force flowing through you," Revan says.

"Let it lift you," Anakin says again.

"Rise!" Meetra Surik declares.

Ben and Rey turn to look at each other again, as they feel strength surging through them, as well as determination. They fix each other with a firm gaze, and nod once to each other, before they manage to turn themselves over and begin to struggle to their feet, bringing their feet under themselves and pushing themselves upright.

"We stand behind you, Skywalkers," Qui Gon declares.

"In the heart of a Jedi is where their strength lies," Vodo Siosk Baas says.

More of the voices of the Jedi call out their names. And then, they feel another presence, and in their heads, they hear the voices of Luke and Kelly, saying together, "Ben, Rey, the Force will be with you. Always."

Ben lets out a cry, and together, he and Rey surge to their feets as the Force floods through them. Then, from across the throne room, their lightsabers fly back towards them and into their hands, and in sync, the blades of all three sabers spring to life. The glow of the blue and purple blades light up Ben and Rey's faces, their determination clear on their faces.

Now, at last, they have Darth Bane's attention again. Realizing the greater threat, Bane ceases his lightning attack against the fleets. He returns his gaze to the two young Jedi, the yellow glow of his eyes shining even through the mask of his helm. "You think you can stand against me?" Bane demands.

"I know we can," Rey responds with determination, gripping the hilt of her saber as tight as she can.

Bane laughs as he slowly stands up from his throne. "You are nothing before me. It will be a great pleasure to bring an end to the Skywalker line at long last," he declares.

"Wanna prove it?" Ben sneers at the Dark Lord, his sabers held ready at his side.

Bane is silent and unmoving for a second. Then, without warning, a crimson lightsaber blade springs to life in his hand from a hilt reminiscent of his old lightsaber from his first life. His new saber had been forged by his followers for him during his exile here on Exegol, and now, at last, he is ready to use it.

"Let your deaths be the final word in the story of rebellion," Bane snarls. And then, with incredible speed, he springs from the throne, flying towards them with his saber extended.

Bane comes crashing down against Ben, who brings his sabers up to block the blow, only to almost be knocked to the ground by the sheer force behind Bane's attack. Ben somersaults away to keep some distance between him and Bane as Rey charges the Sith Lord, swinging one of the blades of her saber down towards his head, but Bane blocks the blow with ease.

Rey leaps away as Ben gets back to his feet, and together, the couple charge, ready to put a final end to Darth Bane.

And, I'll end there. Hope you liked this one.

Next chapter will be entirely the duel with Darth Bane. It should be up soon, and it'll be a good one! Until it's up, please leave a review, and stay tuned!