The Remnants of Emperor Palpatine

Jumpstarting Ben Solo's Heart

Picture taken from The Rise of Skywalker

Ben Solo POV-

My arms burn as I pull myself up. It's only because of Snoke's extensive training that I was able to catch myself on a ledge. He had me go through rigorous obstacle courses that would normally make this look like child's play. But because I have already been dealt major injuries and am close to collapsing, this feels 10 times more strenuous.

I try to place my foot in a small indention on the cliff, but it crumbles underneath my weight. Shit. I kick air as I try to regain my balance, but I end up almost slipping off. There's nothing to cling to. I sigh, I'll just have to fix that. Bracing myself, I kick a hole into the cliffside and put my foot in it.

I have to do this the rest of the way up, and multiple times I have to stop and wait for my energy to go back up before climbing again. My forearms and thighs burn as I overuse the muscles and if it weren't for my gloves, my hands would be twin rivers of blood. Endurance is one of the things you have to have to survive in the galaxy and if you don't have it, you don't make it very long.

Just when I'm almost ready to give out, I grasp air. I slam my hand down on the rock and hoist myself up. I lay there on top for a couple of minutes, just concentrating on breathing. Needles stab my lungs as I gasp uncontrollably and my limbs spasm sporadically. I probably look like a fish out of water.

I roll over onto my stomach and push myself up. Dark spots try to hide the world from me but I repeatedly blink until they're gone. My head starts to spin and I can't concentrate on anything but moving. Only the simplest thoughts register in my brain.

When I take my first step, pain jolts up my leg. My leg goes numb and I have to drag it behind me to keep moving. I barely put any pressure on it when I alternate feet and take large strides with my other one. A rock skids in front of me and before I realize that I tripped, I am staring at the ground. It's like the earth is mocking me, damn rock.

I need to get up. Rey needs me. It tore me apart listening to Emperor Palpatine belittling her when he's been hiding here on this shithole planet. If he actually did something himself, he wouldn't have had to use my grandfather and Snoke as his puppets. But that doesn't matter right now, I need to get to Rey.

Internally kicking myself for taking so long, I rise up again. After a few steps, I see Rey. I speed up until I'm almost tripping over myself, trying to get to her. I fall unceremoniously when I do, but I fall next to her and that's all that matters.

I pull her cold body into my arms. Her blood mixed with mine as I wrap myself around her. I set my chin on her shoulders and her hair tickles my cheek but I barely notice it. Breathing in the faint scent of her buried under all the sweat and blood, I close my eyes. I start to relax until I notice that she is completely limp in my arms.

Pulling back, I look Rey over frantically and note all of her serious looking injuries. I grab her wrist and gently push down, searching for her pulse. All I can hear is my own heartbeat in my ears. I press harder but still don't feel anything. I look into her eyes trying to think of something when I notice that they are glassy and empty.

No.

No, no, no, no.

I won't believe it. It can't be true. She can't leave me. I won't allow it.

What do I do? What do I do? Damnit, think, Ben!

How do I bring her back to life?! How do I heal injuries that have already taken her life?! Wait... heal. I can use the Force heal on Rey! I remember when she Force healed me on Kef Bir, the ocean moon, even though I destroyed her Wayfinder. I don't want to live in this galaxy any longer if she isn't in it!