The Rise of Solo

Chapter Fourteen - Facing Palpatine

-Rory-

I made my final approach to Exegol and landed a couple of minutes later. Knowing that the others would be behind me with some sort of plan. There before me was the ground of rock with a slab of rock hovering above it. In the middle a chasm of darkness with the height for you to just walk in, which I did. There was no map to this place. Not that I needed one, I could feel him drawing me in.

My friends, family and comrades were close, they had their own battle ahead of them and I had faith that they would be successful. I hover having to concentrate on mine, I was taken further down on a floating lift into the heart of the Sith temple where over bearing statues loomed over me. Further down there was a flickering blue light. I presumed that was where I needed to be so that was my direction.

A dimly lit room with lightening flashes greeted me. On further inspection I stumbled back seeing the throne from my nightmares. Then came the whispers making me turned round slowly, behind me were a arena, well I had stepped into a arena or a throne room whatever it was, it wasn't good. They weren't whispering, they were chanting, chanting and then nothing.

"Long have I waited..." I turned round hearing the haunting voice of a voice that should have been long since gone. Palpatine or what was left of him wired up and barely surviving. "For my eldest grandchild to come home. I never wanted you dead. I wanted you here...Empress Palpatine. He gestured to the throne.

"You will take the throne." I backed up has he moved closer "It is your birthright to rule here. It is in your blood. Our blood."

"I didn't come here to lead the Sith. I came here to end them." I retort back.

"As a Jedi?" he questioned

"Yes."

"No. Your hatred, your anger. You want to kill me...that is what i want. Kill me and my spirit will pass into you. As all the Sith live in me. You will be the Empress, we will be one." my jaw slackened in shock and horror. "The time has come." I looked back as the spirits of the sith took the knee figuratively speaking.

"With your hatred, you will take my life. And you will ascend."

"All you want is for me to hate but I won't. Not even you. I don't hate you, I pity you." I sneer back at him.

"Weak. Like your parents."

"My parents were strong, they gave up a life with me and my sister, to protect me from you. So that we would grow in the light." I smile accepting them and their choices, at peace with the ghost of them.

"Your mentor, Luke Skywalker was saved by his father. The only family you have here, is me." I laughed, laughed in his face.

"You say I'm alone when thanks to the fear of you I have the biggest family of all. I'm not alone, I never will be." I stood proud of the fact, even though I pushed them away in fear, they have been and always will e my family. I will love and protect them till the end.

"Let's see about that shall we." the roof above me opened and the scene presented itself. There above was the biggest battle we would face, what was left of the resistance vs the final order and the final order were winning. What was worse is that I felt the presence of my sister and my daughter amongst them. "Your sister and your daughter are amongst the fighters and they don't have long. No one is coming to help them and you are the one that led them here. Strike me down, take the throne. Reign over the new empire and he fleet will be yours." Images of the fight above, hit me like a wall.

"Only you have the power to save them. Refuse and your family dies." I lost, in that moment to save my family I had to become what I fought so hard not to be. I turned back and gave a small nod. "Good." my shoulders sagged in defeat.

"The ritual begins." Palpatine was lowered down even further "She will strike me down and pledge herself as a Sith." Disciples of the sith chanted

briefly 3rd person

Ben had shed his Kylo Ren clothing now simply just in a black jumper, pants and boots. He had stole a TIE fighter and landed right beside the x-wing. Ben needed to find her, he had to, Ben was back and she brought him back. Rory and Hattie. Running inside he took the hard way down which was a struggle, not that he minded as long as he got to her. There were guards that stood in his way be he took them out.

That was till he was surrounded by the knights of Ren.

-Rory-

"She will draw her weapon." I removed my lightsaber and ignited it. "She will come to me." I did as I was told and made my way over.

"She will take her revenge. And with a stroke of her saber the Sith are reborn. The Jedi are dead!" he declares. I took a deep breath and raised the lightsaber above my head. I focused on my breath I could hear it in my ears when time stopped. It stopped for a moment the image of Palpatine was replace with the face of the man I loved.

My eyes bore into his and his bore into mine, it wasn't the gaze of Kylo Ren, no this was the gaze i fought so long for to return. To come home to me. The love that Ben always silently gave me in our time together, the gaze that made everything stop and made me feel safe. He was home. He nodded to me and he didn't need to say anything, we were as one, once more.

"Do it. Make the sacrifice." Palatine ordered breaking our sight of each other but not our connection. My lightsaber went back as if I was going to do it. and for the briefest of moment it felt like he stood right behind me, his hand touched mine as he took the lightsaber I held. My hand came back into view empty as i took Leia's, a small smile couldn't help but cross my face as it ignited and I fought the goons that surrounded me once waiting for me to become empress now becoming my prey.