Rey fell to the ground, unconscious. She could faintly hear zapping and muffled laughter before she fell completely unconscious.


She woke a few moments later to a voice. A voice she heard before. But where. "Rey," it said. "Rey, wake up." She shuffled, moaned, then sat up, with a jolt. She looked around, to see a flat, silvery surface with the area around her dark, and empty. Unusually empty. Where is she? Wasn't she just fighting Palpatine? What happened?

"Don't worry," the voice said again. "You will understand soon enough."

"What...what happened?" Rey asked. "Where am I?"

A figure appeared in front of her, vaguely. She could see a man, faintly glowing blue, with dark hair and dark Jedi robes. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Anakin Skywalker," he said, walking closer to her, his figure becoming more visible. He has shaggy hair with a scar across his right cheek, to his eyebrow. He seems serious, but yet, joyful, at the same time. "This may come as a shock to you, but you are in the In Between Realm," Anakin said.

"The...In Between Realm?" Rey repeated. "What's that?"

"You are stuck somewhere between life and death," Anakin explained.

"I'm dead...but...not?" Rey asked.

"You got it," Anakin replied, a slight smile forming.

"So...what happens now?" Rey asked. "And...if you don't mind me asking, who exactly are you?"

Anakin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He muttered something, the adjusted his posture, his hands in front of him, inside the sleeves of his robes. "I am, as you know, Darth Vader. Or, at least I was. Luke helped me."

"Luke Skywalker?" Rey asked. "Where is he?"

"Oh, don't worry," Anakin said. "Luke is fine. He's here, with the rest of us."

"'The...rest of us?'" Rey repeated.

"You're jumping ahead too much," Anakin said, a slight hint of irritation in his voice.

"Sorry, continue," Rey replied. Anakin took a deep breath to calm himself down, then continued. "From here, you have a choice to make. You can finish the battle, or you can rest in peace."

"Rest in peace?" Rey asked. "How can anyone rest in peace when Palpatine is out there, killing people? How can I rest in peace knowing I'm related to that...that...monster."

"Hey, easy now," Anakin said.

"How can anyone even think peacefully when Palpatine just restored himself to the galaxy? He's going to destroy it, and I'm stuck here in the In Between Realm!" She paused. "Where's Ben?"

"Ben?" Anakin asked. "Ben Kenobi?"

"No, Ben Solo!" Rey cried.

"Oh, Ben Solo," Anakin said. "He's okay. He's recovering, and he'll be better shortly."

"Why am I here?" Rey asked.

"We're giving you a second chance, Rey," Anakin explained, calmly, at least, to the best he could manage. Rey is testing his patience. He just recalls what Obi-Wan Kenobi told him about his anger. He took another deep breath as Rey yelled at him some more. "Rey!" Anakin yelled. "Listen to me!"

Rey stopped, but she is still upset. Anakin could see it in her face. She wanted to punch him, but it's impossible to punch a Force Ghost. Well, technically, she is one, kind of, as well, but he decides to keep that information to himself.

"Rey, we decided to give you a second chance to defeat Palpatine," Anakin said, a little calmer than before. "Palpatine started this war, and we'd like to help you end it."

"Who is 'we?'" Rey asked, calmer, but still irritated.

"'We-'" came a different voice, this one deeper than Anakin's, "are the Jedi Council."

A figure of Mace Windu appeared, his Jedi robes brightly colored in the normal, pale yellow. More Jedis appeared, like, but no limited to, Ben Kenobi, Master Yoda, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Shaak Ti. There are many more, even those whom Rey hasn't seen, or remembered the names of. "The Jedi Council..." she whispered to herself.

"That is correct," Mace Windu said.

"We want to help you, Rey," Anakin said. "We want to help you defeat Palpatine, once and for all."

"Why can't I do it myself?" Rey asked.

Obi-Wan smiled, and shook his head. "You're just like Anakin," he said.

"You have tried, and failed," Qui-Gon Jinn said, appearing next to Obi-Wan. "And if you fail, you can try again. However, Palpatine is too powerful to defeat on your own."

"And as much as I like your confidence," Anakin continued, "Palpatine is something much bigger than you. Than us. That's why, if we all help you, we can defeat him."

"You just have to believe in us," Obi-Wan said.

"Or, you can chose to stay here," Anakin said.

Rey paused. She could take either end of Anakin's offer. She could stay here and not have to worry about how powerful the Emperor has become. She won't have to worry about how she is his granddaughter. She shuddered at the thought. It sounded nice, to actually be away from it all.

However, she made friends. Finn, Poe, BB-8. Even Leah. If she were to give up now, she would never see them again.

If she did go back and fight Palpatine, what if she lost? What if she was fated to have a life in the afterlife, with the rest of the Jedi Council? What if there is no escaping death?

The least she could do is try? Even Ben can't beat Palpatine on his own, and, as long as she's known him, he will try. And he can't do it on his own. And neither can she.

The Jedi Council is offering their assistance in Palpatine's defeat. She can't just turn it down. It would be rude. Besides, the fate of the entire galaxy depends on it. If no one is going to stop Palpatine, there will be nothing left, and he would die a cold, empty and lonely life. That doesn't sound too bad. After all, everything he's done, it seems fitting.

No. She's a Jedi. Jedi help stop evil and protect those who cannot protect themselves. If she let Palpatine rum rampart in the galaxy, there will be nothing left. No one left. The galaxy will be a cold, empty shell of what it once was. And Rey can't stand that. She can't stand to even think about it.

"Okay," Rey agreed, back to her normal demeanor. "I'll go back. We can't let Palpatine win."

Anakin smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Yoda nodded thoughtfully and raised his hands. "Remember," Mace Windu said as Rey closed her eyes, "you only have one chance. You shouldn't fail."

"We'll meet you at the other side, kid," Obi-Wan said, calmly.


Rey opened her eyes. This is it. It's time to end this war, once and for all. And, with the help of the Jedi Council, he wouldn't have a chance to live. At least, she hopes. If all goes wrong-no. It's not going to. She-they'll win. Palpatine will loose.

"Come on, Rey," Anakin's voice said. "Stand up." Rey couldn't see Anakin's spirit, but she didn't look too long. The longer she stalls, the more power Palpatine will gain from her and Ben's life force. And she can't let him win.

Rey stood, weakly. She hobbled over to her lightsaber. She picked it up and felt a surge of power go through her. The Force. She can feel it. The Jedi. All of them. All of the Jedi. They're lending her their power.

Rey moved the lightsaber close to her heart, closed her eyes, and whispered. "Thank you." She turned it on, the blue blade retracting from the hilt. Palpatine turned her direction when he heard the hum of the blade. "Ah, so you're not dead," he said in his gravely voice. "Intriguing. But you can't stop me!"

He pointed his hands at her, arching each of his fingers. The tips began glowing blue. "My power is growing!" he shrieked. "You can't stop me!" Sparks of lightning flew out of his fingertips. Rey pulled up her lightsaber, Anakin's lightsaber, and blocked the lightning.

"I am all the Sith!" Palpatine yelled, cheerfully. Rey stepped forward a few paces before being stopped completely by the force of his lightning. "And I am all the Jedi!" she replied.

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Mace appeared at Rey's side. Palpatine dropped his guard for a second, before quickly recovering and shooting more lightning at her, this time with more power.

Palpatine laughed. "You Jedi tricks can't stop me! I have fought all of the Jedi and all of them died!"

"Except for me," Rey said calmly, pushing her way through the lightning. More Jedi appeared by her side, the entirety of the Jedi Council, as Palpatine saw. He knew all of them. He's killed all of them. And Darth Vader. He turned on him. He threw him down the shaft of the Death Star II. But he died. All the Jedi he fights die. His power is too powerful.

"You and your Jedi can't beat me!" Palpatine laughed. "I'm unstoppable!"

Anakin lowered his head slightly at Palpatine. Mace frowned. Qui-Gon straightened his stance. Obi-Wan's became more powerful.

The Jedi glanced between each other, nodding in between glances, and doing the same with the others. Shaak Ti, on Rey's right side, put her hand on Rey's shoulder, not taking her gaze off of Palpatine. Ki-Adi-Mundi put his hand on Rey's shoulder as well, just the same as Shaak Ti. Palpatine stared at them, then growled at Rey. "Your Jedi can't intimidate me."

A few other Jedi, along with Luke Skywalker, put their hands on Rey, each one keeping their stares fixed on Palpatine. Each Jedi now had their hand on Rey, all except Anakin. "End this," he whispered to Rey. He put his hand on her left shoulder.

Each of the Jedi started glowing faintly. The lightsaber started glowing a little brighter. "I am all the Jedi!" Rey yelled. The lightsaber sparked brightly and Palpatine's lightning bounced off and hit him. Palpatine got zapped by his own lightning, and started burning. "I am the Sith! This can't be happening!" he yelled.

The Jedi removed their hands from Rey. They each payed respects to Rey, each bowing, and vanished. All but Anakin. He stayed.

"You can't win!" Palpatine yelled. "And you!" he pointed a scarred, burning finger at Anakin. "You shouldn't have turned! You could still be alive! Helping me! Helping your Master!"

"You are not my Master," Anakin said. "You are the Sith. You are the war. And once you're gone, the war will be over."

"NEVER!" Palpatine yelled. "I will live!" The fire started rising up his body. Rey felt like she should put him out. She felt like she should show him mercy. She shook the thought off. He's had mercy. Centuries of it. He's never shown any to anyone. Palpatine's days are over. He's lost. The century year old galactic war is over.

"YOU CANNOT DEFEAT THE SITH!" Palpatine screamed, through the flames. The fire completely engulfed Palpatine. The flames dies shortly after to reveal nothing there, like he never existed. This is it. They won. The war is over.

Anakin turned to Rey. "Rey, thank you," he said.

"No, thank you," Rey said, panting.

Anakin bowed, bending down as far as he could, rose, smiled, and vanished.

Author's note

Sorry this one is so short. I couldn't figure out how to drag it out, but I'm not sure that was a necessity.
Personally, I think The Rise of Skywalker (I think? Episode VIII) should've ended like this. All the Jedi, lined up behind the Last Jedi, giving her their power, and helping her defeat Palpatine. I think that would've made a WONDERFUL ending. But, we got what we got and can only hope. But that's what fanfiction is for! Anyway, this is my first Star Wars fic since I finished the marathon recently (everything but the tv shows I want to watch so badly), and I was instantly teleported to their world. I watched it before when I was younger, but I remembered nothing and I don't think I liked it much. Older, I love it, and I hope to make more, Star Wars worthy fanfics in the future! I'm still new to the fandom so apologies if I get something wrong!