Power

26.

I walk back to Galen, soaked from the waves and freezing in the cold temperatures. He wraps his arms around my shivering body and leads me inside the Falcon, wrapping a blanket around me after I change. He kneels in front of me and takes my hands.

"I felt it too." He says, leaning his forehead against mine. "She is one with all of us now."

"I thought we would be able to leave after this mission. But now I know we have to finish this, for Leia." I tell him, he looks up to meet my eyes and I take his face in my hands. "We find a way to kill the Emperor, and then we go home." He nods and kisses me.

...

"It's Rey, she's sending us her coordinates." Poe says as I walk to the command table.

"She's going to Exegol, we need to leave now." I tell him, running off to find Galen. "We're going to Exegol now, the Emperor will be waiting." Galen quickly stands and gathers his things. "We need to fly separate and find Rey at the temple. She won't be able to face him alone."

"She won't be alone." Maro says from behind me. "Now come on." The three of us run to a ship and begin our flight to Exegol, following in the steps of Rey. We arrive on the planet covered in the sea, a massive temple standing among hundreds of Star Destroyers.

"Poe and the others will go after the ships. Head for the temple." Galen says, I fly down and land on it. I hear the flashes of lighting within, but another ship sits beside Rey's. Who else has come to her rescue? I close my eyes and let the force guide me, feeling the presence of someone I know all to well, an apprentice I will have to confront alone. I suddenly turn to Galen and Maro, who stand ready to follow me.

"I need to do this alone. I killed him once, and I have to be the one to help that girl do it again." I take both Galen and Maro's hands. "You both need to help the fighters above us, they need all the assistance they can get." Galen goes to argue, I meet him with the palm of my hand. "I will see you both again." Galen studies my face before finally nodding. The door to the ship slowly closes, Galen watching me the whole way. When they take off I walk inside the temple, igniting my saber to offer a small amount of light to the void around me.

"Darth Verloren." I hear a disembodied voice say as I float down inside the temple.

"That's not who I am anymore." I call out, looking at the massive statues of Sith Lord surrounding me.

"The Dark Lord of the Sith is who you will always be." The voice says. I watch around me as ghosts of the Sith Lords of the past surround me. Revan, Traya, Bane, Plagueis, Malak, and finally Darth Maul comes to stand in front of me. He walks to reach me, standing only a few inches from me.

"Father." He stares at me, not uttering a word.

"I watched as you became a powerful Sith, one who could battle Vader himself and win. I had heard of your heritage, your relation to Traya, and by the Emperor's orders was told to train you to he apart of the Empire." He studies my face. "You were meant to be the new Dark Lord of the Sith, it was prophesied from the day you came to exist." He begins to shake his head. "But all I saw was a little girl. A little girl who had finally shown me what it was like to feel compassion, to feel love. And I took away that life you could have lived, I have never forgiven myself." He suddenly throws his hands out to his side, every other Sith flies back and disappears. He places a hand on my face, although it is nothing but force energy, I can still feel the weight of them. I cover his hand with my own. "You have finally become who you are truly meant to be. Not the Dark Lord, but a hero. And I am so proud of you, daughter. Now go save her, before it is too late." A tear falls from my eyes and I nod.

"I love you, father." I say, he smiles.

"I love you, my daughter." He disappears and I let out a shaky breath. I run down the hall to see Kylo battling the Knights of Ren, but he holds a blue saber. I run and slice the last of the Knights as he takes the other.

"Master." He says, looking at me in surprise.

"Hello apprentice, I see you've chosen a side." I say with a smile. "I was once told that we all deserve a redemption." He nods, his face finally free of conflict and pain. "Now go help her." He runs off as two more Knights come to greet me. "Hello boys."

I swing my saber at them, deflecting their own attempts to hit me. They fight well, better than the average opponent I have faced. I finally break their weapons, slicing one's head clean off and cutting the other's legs from his body, spinning around to stick my saber through his chest. I run through the temple to finally find the Emperor's chambers. He hits Rey with lightning, she struggles to deflect it with her single saber.

"Rey!" I shout, tossing her one of my red sabers. It soars through the air and she just barely catches it.

"I did not believe you would still be alive, Grand Inquisitor." Sidious says.

"I killed you once, and I will see to it you stay dead this time." I say. He suddenly pulls a hand from the two trained on Rey and aims it towards me. Before I can pull my saber out, the lightning from his palms reaches my body.