The effect of the destruction of Takodana continued to resonate in the Resistance for weeks. It fueled a new fire in the rebellion as people began to join the ranks and prepare for a war they knew would soon escalate. In the makeshift base they had set up in the cave, Finn sat cross legged on the floor as he meditated. These past few weeks since the destruction of Takodana, he had been training. It was hard to not have a Jedi master, but Leia helped him where she could. He sparred with his friends and even ran Rey's course she had set up. It always hurt slightly when he went there, remembering what his friend used to be like. He missed her-- dearly. She was his first friend. The betrayal he felt when she joined Kylo Ren hit him harder than most. In many ways, she started his journey to where he is now. He wanted to run away from this world after he left the First Order. He wanted to disappear. But the fire in her, the passion she held inspired him to join the Resistance.
Finn knew their battle was drawing near. Even if the Resistance wasn't ready, he was. He would not hurt her; he didn't need to. He had to get Kylo Ren's influence out of her mind. She was lost and he intended on bringing her home. Poe knew of his plan to go to Exegol. Late at night they would talk about going there and bringing her home to the Resistance. They had it all planned out; Poe even went as far as programming the coordinates in his ship. He was ready to go as soon as Finn made the call.
As Finn meditated, he visualized the Force all around him. He hadn't made the decision to go to Exegol yet because he didn't know if he was ready. Master Yoda's words floated in his head every time he meditated: he needed to trust in the Force and he would know when he was ready.
Finn continued to meditate for the majority of the day. For the first time in a long time, maybe the first time in his life, he felt peace. He felt weightless but connected to everything. He heard the laughter of his friends, he felt the molten lava deep below the surface of the planet. He heard the sound of chirping baby birds fresh out of their eggs yet he heard the sound of an animal being hunted by a predator. Between it all, he saw him. He watched his own body still in the cave, an aura of serenity around him as he sat there. As his eyes opened, he felt everything in himself connect. He stood and felt... strong. He felt ready.
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Rey, I need to talk to you about something when we get back to base.
You don't know anything about me.
Darkness rises and Light to meet it. Skywalker, I assumed wrongly.
Rey felt the shift in the Force as she stood outside of the Fortress, watching the new General Carden train the stormtroopers. She clenched her jaw at the realization she was ashamed to admit that she missed until this moment: Finn was becoming a Jedi. She remembered the words Snoke said to Kylo Ren when she fought for the Resistance. She was foolish to think that someone wouldn't have risen in the Light now that the scales shifted; she just wasn't expecting it to be her old friend. She felt a slight ache in her heart at the thought of fighting him. She didn't want him to get hurt, but she could not let him stop her plan. Why couldn't he realize that she was trying to change the Force? She did not want a light versus dark battle for eternity. She wanted it all to end.
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Nightfall brought quiet upon Ajan Kloss. The usual buzz of energy and murmur of voices was not present in the early hours of the morning in the Resistance base. Finn and Poe were being especially silent as they packed up his X-Wing. BB-8 was already in his compartment as he prepared for the flight. Finn sat in the rear seat of the small ship holding only Luke's saber in his hand. Poe climbed up the ladder into the ship and looked back at his friend with a small smile. "Are you sure you're ready for this? Once we leave, there's no going back, Finn. You'll be facing her." Poe asked softly. Finn's heart clenched. He knew Poe was right. It would be the first time in nearly a year that he would be seeing his friend. He didn't even know if he would recognize her.
"All of my life, I have been under control by someone. I know how it feels to be controlled, manipulated by those more powerful than you. I know the tyranny of Kylo Ren. She doesn't deserve that." Finn explained. He took in a breath and exhaled, calming his rising emotions. "I'm ready. Kylo Ren has been in power far too long."
----
Poe watched as the ropes and tendons of red cosmic matter passed around his ship. He was thankful for his skill in piloting-- this was no easy task to navigate. Not a word was spoken between the two as they traveled. Finn had fallen asleep at one point but they were nearing Exegol. Almost as if he could sense it, his eyes fluttered open to watch the miasma of red around him. "We're about to jump into hyperspace." Poe stated as he flipped a few switches above his head. BB-8 beeped as he triggered the jump. Their bodies jolted as the red tones turned to streaks of white light before disappearing into a blue swirl of galaxy around them. "We're almost there, bud. You ready?" Poe asked once again. Finn did not muster up an answer.
When the ship finally landed on Exegol, the entire planet felt alien. Lightning sprang from the ground, odd alien noises echoing around them as they stepped out onto the ground. "Stay here, BB-8." Poe commanded as he left the top to his X-Wing open. His eyes widened as they were brought to the sky. Star destroyers stretched farther than the eye could see. "That is one hell of a fleet." He said in disbelief. Finn followed his eyes, his heart sinking. He needed to put an end to Kylo Ren. "The First Order moved here but there are no guards." Poe commented as they began to walk to the fortress. "I know. He must have been expecting us." Finn murmured.
Rey felt his presence as soon as they entered the atmosphere. She immediately called any troopers away. She didn't want them to fight; she knew Finn was too strong to be stopped by a few soldiers. Instead, she left everything open to him. She was leading him directly to her and Kylo Ren as they sat in the throne room. She was dressed as sinister as always, black sheer fabrics draped over the length of her arms. The fabric wrapped around her torso, a few sheets flowing down her legs that were covered by tight black pants and boots. In her hand sat the silver handle of her saber which was currently connected and extinguished. Beside her sat Kylo Ren. His mask was placed on the arms of his throne as he looked to the woman beside him. She was tense and even a little afraid of her coming interaction.
Over the past few weeks, he had become more and more guarded from her. He dreamt of an island surrounded by the sea. He dreamt of a cave with a small pool of water looking over a cliffside, the horizon being the only thing beyond the rock. He dreamt of his family, of his mother. He was being pulled in too many directions and he did not know what to do. But he could not let anyone see his suffering-- especially not Rey. "He's near." Rey mumbled from beside him. She crossed her legs as her golden eyes darted to the doorway on her right as she saw two men she once considered friends walk into the room.
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A/N a bit of a filler, but I hope you're enjoying. It's about to get real. Please vote, comment and share!
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Star Wars Episode IX: Duel of the Fates
Fanfiction(AU) Luke is gone. Kylo Ren is the new Supreme Leader. The Resistance is all but decimated. Now, all responsibility falls on Rey to balance the Force and bring an end to this war. But as a relatively untrained Jedi, she will not be able to find bala...
