Chapter Text
Something’s wrong.
Rey felt the sudden imbalance take hold of her, threatening to swallow her into the abyss. Like being sucked into the unforgiving sinking fields in Jakku, Rey collapsed in a heap and tried to remain calm, dragging air into her burning lungs.
“Why?” and “What?” Kept playing across her mind as she tried to maintain a grip over her frazzled state.
She rubbed her carotid on her neck, attempting to physically slow her heart down and stop the panic coursing through her.
She dragged her eyes up, eyeing her surroundings warily. Everything was as it were in her room. She was meditating after dinner, having excused herself from the tedious socialising that Poe and Finn tried to coerce her into. The cracked kyber crystal remained set on her table by her bed, with the split saber staff and Jedi texts resting next to it.
Something out there’s wrong.
Instinctively, Rey let her mind clear, allowing her mind to disentangle from the darkness seeping into her. She traced it back, as it stretched out into the universe off and beyond her own. And then suddenly, she sees him.
Something’s horribly wrong with him.
She saw his handsome face, carrying her scar proudly. He stood there, staring at something beyond her view. She held her breath, waiting for the moment that he would realise she was there with him; only that it never came. He looked up, and stared straight through her, just to simply train his eyes back to what he was looking at.
Pain radiated through her. This wasn’t her Ben.
Something is terribly wrong.
“… Ben…?” She murmured.
When he didn’t even so much as acknowledge her presence, the panic she felt earlier returned ten folds.
“Ben! I’m right here, Ben, please look at me!”
But nothing. She screamed and yelled, tears spilling down her cheeks as she ran towards him, only to stumble as she ran straight through him. She looked back in horror, as she realised that the bond between them has changed, somehow, weakened and corrupted. She can feel the darkness walling him off from her, preventing her from reaching out towards him.
It wasn’t until then that she realised how much he meant to her. Since the events in Crait, she had shut him off from their bond. He had tried to reach out to her everyday, begging her to let him talk, to hear him out. To just see her and feel her presence. She had seen a glimpse of his distraught face, pain etched over his beautiful features as he pleaded for her to let him in. But she was too angry. She couldn’t reason with her own emotions, the sense of betrayal too fresh. She knew she would lash out at him, and say something she would regret. If there is anything that she had learnt, calling names and throwing anger tantrums aren’t going to do her or him any good in the long run. So she closed the bond off, forcing him away from her, at least until she could keep herself in check.
As she tried to make sense of it all, she felt a dark presence push into her, slamming her out of the bond. She yelped in pain and fear, throat hoarse from her screams of desperation as Ben’s presence disappeared in front of her. The silence became deafening, the lack of Ben’s presence weighing down on her. She felt herself sink, as if a weight has attached itself to her legs and is pulling her down into an ocean of darkness. She struggled and thrashed to no avail, a riot of emotions enclosing onto her fragile mind.
What is going on? Ben, what’s happening to you? I have to get to him, need to save him…
Her mind kept flickering back to Ben. Even within the chaos and darkness she was in, she needed to reach out to Ben.
The desperation mounted as the darkness continued to engulf her, a voice she seemed to have heard before whispered to her, malice dripping into her sub consciousness.
Let go. You are holding him back. Why do you think he would choose you? You ARE nothing. A speck of dust in this magnificent universe. You are worthless and insignificant to this world, let alone to him. Even your parents knew that.
She felt her grasp on Ben loosen, and the darkness pushed into her, surrounding and consuming her light. She was so tired of waiting. All she ever did was wait. Wait for someone to turn around and acknowledge her, find her, show her her place in this world. Maybe the voice is right. She is nothing- a nobody who isn’t worth anything to this world.
Just as she felt the darkness take hold of her, a blinding flash of light speared through, chasing away the shadows. She fell forwards, hands lifted above her eyes as the light shone onto her, lighting up her surroundings. She heard the voice scream in rage, followed by a gust of wind that blew across her face, ruffling her loosened strands of hair. And then, all was still.
She blinked, gulping in deep breaths as she attempted to calm her racing heart. As her eyes began to adjust to the light, she realised it was coming off of two figures. She squinted, attempting to make out who they were. The shorter of the two stepped towards her, peace radiating from her frame, and she relaxed slightly, feeling the heavy weight lift off her.
“Rey. Breathe. Focus on the light. You are safe now.”
Rey let go of the breath she didn’t realise she was holding. As the light softened, she couldn’t help but stare at the regal beauty in front of her. She noticed her hazel eyes, so piercing and intense, as if she could see into her soul. Her hair framed her face, cascading down in waves with flowers scattered throughout its midst. She smiled gently, a hand extending towards Rey’s face, sending another roll of energy and peace through her.
“My child, you are a beautiful soul. You have so much love to give, so pure and good in a world of chaos and hate. Do not for one second think you are worthless.”
Rey blinked again, mesmerised by her voice.
“Who are you? No. What are you? Wait. How’s Ben? Why-“
“Slowly child.” The female laughed. “To answer your first question, my name is Padme Amidala. And this-“ She said, turning towards the tall man standing silently next to her, “This is the love of my life, Anakin Skywalker.”
Rey turned to her left, eyeing the other figure stood quietly throughout the ordeal. She frowned, trying to figure out who they were.
And then, her face drained of the little blood that had returned earlier.
“You are Ben’s grandparents?!”
Padme chuckled. “My child, there is nothing to be scared of. If anything, we are in debt to you for showing Ben the light which he has believed lost.”
Rey swallowed, pondering her words. Then she sat up straight, eyes wide with fear as she remembered the look of distance and darkness on Ben’s face. “ What happened to Ben? He’s not right. I can’t reach him, can’t touch him through the bond. It’s like something is closing him off to me.” She took a breath, trying to still the tremble in her voice. “Something’s wrong. That wasn’t my Ben.”
Padme signed, sadness filling the room. “Ben was lost. He couldn’t bear losing you after you shut him out. At first he tried to seek you through the bond, but when he realised that wasn’t going to work, he… decided to take things into his own hands.”
She paused, eyes downcast and in pain. Anakin pulled her towards him, holding her tightly as silent tears rolled down her face. Rey, terrified of what to expect, starred silently at Padme as she slowly collected herself.
“You see, Ben knew of a family heirloom, one that was extremely close to my heart.” Padme said slowly, projecting an image of a japor snippet to Rey. “ Ani gave it to me when we first met, and I kept it with me ever since. You see, it was supposed to protect me and give me good fortune. What I didn’t realise, was that it later sealed the downfall of our family.” Padme looked up at Anakin, her eyes locked with his. “Someone wanted Ani for his selfish use, so he corrupted our love to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, he lives on through the japor snippet, and continues to haunt our bloodline.”
Rey, still unable to completely process the information, asked silently, “Who is he?”
Anakin’s eyes darkened. “His name is Sheev Palpatine. Best known as Darth Sidious.”
Rey’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Darth Sidious?! But he’s gone! How can he have anything to do with Ben?”
Padme closed her weary eyes. “ You see, my children thought it was Snoke who influenced Ben, when in fact, Sidious was the one who whispered, and continues to do so even now. Sidious once summoned me to his office whilst he was chancellor, and at one point casually asked to see my japor snippet. What I did not realise at the time was that he would channel a part of his soul into it, in turn cursing me and sealing my death.” She looked up at Rey, anger reflecting from its depths. “He tainted what is pure, twisted it into his sick use, and continues to manipulate my family through it. Even in death, he made sure that it remained buried with me, ensuring that dark hold remains on Ani- that he will continue to be fuelled by anger and never learn to accept my passing. Through the necklace a part of him remains, preventing happiness for my children and grandchild. He is the reason Luke never found love. He is the reason Han kept leaving Leia. And now, he is trying to take you away from Ben.”
Rey started at that comment. “Take me away from Ben? What do you mean by that?”
“You and Ben belong together, just as how I belong with Padme.” Anakin stated. “Chaos ensured after I lost Padme, with darkness enshrouding my thoughts and actions. Sidious wanted me for himself- a weapon to hone and exploit. I was no good to him with light within me, so he did everything he could to sabotage that. After his death, a part of him remains dormant in the japor snippet. He continues to influence my bloodline, but he finally got what he wanted when Ben got his hands on it.”
Confused, Rey frowned. “Why would Ben want the japor snippet? Isn’t it simply a necklace to the rest of the family?”
Padme turned and looked away. “Ben knew of the japor snippet, and had always known the significance it held to me and Ani. He went to retrieve it from my grave, hoping to give it to you as a sign of his love and devotion to you. What he didn’t realise, was that that was exactly what Sidious wanted- once Ben held the japor snippet, Sidious took control of his mind, slowly draining him and taking over his body. By the end of the week, Sidious will return in full force, and Ben will cease to exist.”
The world froze to a stop as realisation hit Rey in full force. She looked up at Padme and Anakin, anger taking hold of her.
“No. He does not get to kill Ben!” She yelled. “Only I get to kill him. He owes me that much.”
Padme snickered, “I told you she’s feisty Ani.”
Rey closed her eyes, trying to clear the red that has filled her vision. Hands balled, nails digging in, she took several minutes to calm her raging heart.
“How do I destroy the bastard?” She simply stated.
Anakin turned and looked at the split kyber crystals sat on her table. “By an act through true love.” He stated. “The kyber crystals here have been split by your equal determination and love for each other. It may not make sense to either of you at the time, but it is love that you shared in that moment.” He lifted them off the table, placing them into Rey’s hands. “Let them guide you to make your own weapon- one that can destroy the japor snippet, and through that Sidious.”
Padme took Anakin’s hand as they both stepped back. “We will try and protect you from Sidious, but he is getting stronger by the minute. You must hurry- create your saber, and destroy the japor snippet.”
As they shimmered and began to disappear, Rey looked up in desperation. “What if I fail?”
She felt Padme’s lips briefly on her forehead. “My child, we have faith in you and Ben.”
Just as the last flicker of light dissipate, Rey heard a whisper.
May the force be with you, always.
And then, all was still again.