The Remnants of Emperor Palpatine

Falling Into The Jaws of Darkness

Picture taken from The Rise of Skywalker

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo POV-

It burns like I was thrown into an inferno from hell. It feels like a wookee is sitting on top of me, forcing all the air out of my lungs. I can't breathe. I can't move. All I can think about is the pain.

It clouds my brain and tries to incapacitate me of any other thought, but I have to be stronger than it. There's something on the edge of my mind, just on the fringes. I need to push the pain away into my subconscience so I can focus.

I calm down and steal very shallow breaths. I release all the tension in my body and become one with the ground beneath me. I let the flames of pain wash over me and take back control of my thoughts. I stop feeling the world with my body, but with my mind instead.

I feel a nonsubstantial tug that pulls one thought out of this ocean of pain. It springs up and slams into me, forcing me to open my eyes in desperation. My eyes immediately start to water and everything is blurry, but I blink rapidly until my vision focuses on what is in front of me.

Rey.

I need to see if Rey is alive. Rey, Rey, don't leave me. I'll fight for you, just hang on. Hang on for me.

I take control of my body and instead of forgetting the pain, I shape it to my will. I transform the pain into anger and hatred. I let the heinous feelings boil and bubble over until all I see is red. Then, I direct all of it towards the Sith standing before his throne.

Emperor Palpatine.

I slowly use my arms to push myself up and get my legs underneath me. My left leg is numb and I can't feel anything below my thigh. I almost fall to the ground again when I try to put some of my weight on it. Tensing my legs, I stand up as straight as I can and look Palpatine straight in his eyes.

I look at the cloaked Sith with all of my desperation and anger. Mentally, I gather the Force into my body and tense my muscles, preparing to go at him with all I have. I will not let him corrupt Rey. She is mine.

No longer will I fight to destroy what I hate. I will fight to protect what I love. I now understand why the Resistance fights as hard as they do and win. They fight for each other and not just for what they believe in. They follow their leaders not because they are more powerful, but because they respect and look up to them.

I take a deep breath, inhaling as much air as I can. Shoving the air back out of my lungs, I charge Emperor Palpatine. My legs beat at the ground at a frantic pace. Sweat pours down my face as I exhaust myself trying to strike Palpatine with the Force because Luke's lightsaber is somewhere to my left. Palpatine used the Force to push Leia's and Luke's lightsabers away from Rey and I.

I still can't believe how much she trusts me. I don't even trust myself yet she passed a lightsaber to me while her back is turned towards me. I could've easily stabbed her in the back yet the thought never crossed my mind. She might've just been cornered and picked the less risky decision: passing me a lightsaber behind her back and hoping I chose to help her, not hurt her.

Emperor Palpatine's hands are high above his head and lightning, Sith Lightning, is erupting out of them. It crackles and pops as it shoots up into the sky, destroying dozens of Resistance X-Wing ships. The harsh blue light that it emits, light up the shadows in Palpatine's hood, showing me his face. His eyes glint as they slowly turn towards me and I involuntarily shudder, but I don't stop running.

He stops the Sith Lightning by curling his fingers into a fist, suffocating the sparks. Palpatine brings his arms down to his sides as he gives me his undivided attention. He looks down his nose at me like I'm just a minuscule, harmless bug about to be squashed down mercilessly under his foot.

Then, as quick as a viper snatching his prey, he shoots his arm out towards me. Palpatine's fingers are splayed apart as he uses his will to shape the Force. His hand starts to tremble right before a wall slams into me.

It hits me hardest where the Force is strongest inside of me. The wall presses against that pressure point and almost throws me off guard. I start to gather the Force inside me to fight back like Rey did when Snoke tried to throw her during their first and final meeting.

Just when I'm ready to release it, another wall throws itself at me. I lose my grip on the Force and it sputters out like the dying breath of a fire. The unrelenting wall pushes me up into the air despite my efforts. I scramble for purchase on the ground, but I uselessly kick up dust.

As I arc up into the air, time seems to slow down and I look up at the sky. Great, big explosions light up the sky as TIE Fighters shoot at X-Wing Starfighters. The black, shadow-like Final Order ships and Stardestroyers contrast so sharply against Restistance ships. It's almost comical.

I wondered if I hadn't been so naive as to believe that it was my birthright to follow in Darth Vader's footsteps, that none of this would've happened. If I had blocked out Palpatine's voice and listened to Master Luke. If I hadn't turned to the Dark Side and disappointed Leia, my mother.

If I had just believed Rey when she told me I could still change for the better, she wouldn't be laying here on Exogol in a puddle of her own blood.

Time speeds back up again as I lose sight of the sky and the battle raging on. My body starts to fall back towards the rocky ground as gravity yanks my body back into its pull. Instead of hitting the ground besides Rey, I fall into a pit. I reach out and try to grab the ledge, but my fingers slip and I spiral into darkness.

The sight of Rey motionless burned into my brain.