Stargaze [Star Wars Sequel Trilogy] ✔︎

L. Be with me

I was falling. I then felt something grab my good arm as it snapped out of place. I screamed in pain. "Sorry." Ben's pained voice spoke as he pulled me up to the outcropping he landed on. I glanced above us as lightning moved through the sky, shooting down the resistance fighters and heroes that showed up with Lando. I should be with them but instead I was here, lying half dead in a pit all because of who I was. I then screamed in pain again as my arm was snapped into place. Ben collapsed up against the wall. I could see the tear in his pants, a bit of a bloody white sticking through. I gagged.

"We can't get out of here." I said looking at his leg. "Correction." He said. "You can. Rey needs you more than me." "Don't say that. You're her other half, of course she does." I said. I laid my hand on his leg, force healing him enough to where he bone was back in and he could at least stand for a moment. "Stop, Lillian. There's no hope." He said. "There's always hope. It's what we're built on." I said. He sighed. I then froze.

"Be with me." Rey begged. "Be with me." And they were.

"I'm with you." I said. Ben just looked at me oddly. He didn't hear it. The voices of all before.

"These are your final steps, Rey. Rise and take them." The young voice of Obi-Wan said. "Rey." Our grandfather, Anakin said. Ben shot up, he heard that. He stood as I helped him. Rey's name continued to be spoken by Ashoka Tano and Kanan.

"Bring back the balance, Rey, as I did." Our grandfather said. Ben and I gripped the rocks and gained our footing. We ignored our pain and began to climb. The voices only got more prominent.

"In the night, find the light, Rey." Luminaria spoke. "You're not alone, Rey." Mace said. "Alone, never have you been." The clear voice of Yoda spoke. I could sense Rey begin to stand. "Every Jedi who ever lived lives in you." Qui-Got said. "The Force surrounds you, Rey." Anakin said. "And us." I gritted continuing to climb.

"Let it guide you." Aayla said. "As it guided us." Ashoka continued. "Feel the Force flowing through you, Rey." Mace spoke. "Let it lift you." Anakin said. "We stand behind you, Rey." Qui-Gon said. "Rey." The old voice of Obi-Wan said. "Rise in the Force." Yoda added. I let out a grunt as a waited for Ben to catch up. His leg was still badly broken. "In the heart of a Jedi lies her strength." Kanan said. "Rise." Obi-Wan and Qui-Gan said.

"Rise." Another voice said. It was much closer now. Ben and I glanced over our shoulders to see a man. Our grandfather. And older dark haired woman was at his side holding a small blonde boy in her arms. Our great grandmother Shimi Skywalker. A woman appeared at his other side. Our grandmother as a little blond boy and a brunette girl ran up to them. Luke and Leia. "Rise my grandchildren." Anakin said as his force spirit looked us in the eyes. "The Jedi live in Rey but all the Skywalkers live in the both of you." The spirits faded as we looked at each other with a newfound strength. We climbed faster and faster.

"Rey, the Force will be with you, always." Luke finished as the voices stopped. The strongest sense of force seemed to live in Rey as we reached the top of the chasm. We had began to hear them.

"You are nothing! A scavenger girl is no match for the power in me." Palpatine said as he shot lightning at her. She deflected it with Leia's saber, groaning as she got closer. I soon realized as our hands smacked the top that she was absorbing the lightning, and shooting it back through the saber. "I am all the Sith!" Palpatine shouted. "And I." Rey began. She stretched out her hand as the Skywalker saber began to move to her. Ben grabbed it and ran to her side and activated the saber. I walked by his side.

"And we." He added. "Are all the Jedi." I said laying my hands on both of their shoulders as they crossed their sabers, shooting the lighting back at him. We got closer and closer to him. The light was blinding. The lighting began to melt his skin. We pushed forward as he began to fall apart. And then one final push littered his body to nothing but melted skin and bones. Rocks around us began to fall as the cathedral broke. The cults screamed as the debris crushed them. Lightning sparked around us. One particular bolt threw us back in 2 separate directions. Above, the star destroyers began to explode. We won. Through the hazy smoke and dust I saw Rey. Something was wrong, very wrong. I then felt her push images into my head.

We were children in this. It was right after Mother died. I walked back to our home in tears. I then looked to a 9 year old Rey with tears down her cheeks. I went to hug her, pushing down my own grief for hers.

"Don't worry Lilly. When my parents come back, we can all go on adventures together." Rey assured. "Yeah. We will." I said rubbing small circles on her back.

...

Another image was shown of me hugging her close as she shook after a bad and dark dream when she was 13. She had told me that morning that she felt an odd cold chill. I now knew that Ben was 23 when he fell to Snoke. I was there for her during all those years. Then a voice rang out in my mind. It was Rey's.

"You were a great big sister Lillian. I love you both.

...

It only took seconds for me to comprehend what was happening. Leia's saber fell from her hands as she smiled at me and Ben weakly before her knees gave out beneath her. Rey was gone.

...

I had felt it. Finn had felt it. And worst of all Ben did too. Beside me he pulled himself to his feet. I got up and stood by to help him walk. I hooked myself under his arm and we struggled to move to her. At some point, he collapsed taking me down with him. One look at Rey's body lying among the only beacon of light shining in, make us get up and move on. Once we got to her we both fell again and separated as Ben crawled to her, running his hands along her arms. He then pulled her into his lap, cradling her body in his arms. Her eyes were wide open, almost accusing us of her death.

He brought her up to his chest, crying into her cold shoulder. I allowed my tears to fall. She was gone. My sister, my best friend. All because of Palpatine. He had ruined our lives even further because of this. I ran my hand up to where her arm band was. I pulled it off, she didn't deserve to go to the force like this. I was fully prepared to see Rey disappear forever as I then felt a snap of resolve in my cousin. He nodded ever so slightly. I realized what he was going to do as he pulled her away.

"Don't" I begged. "Don't kill yourself." "Is she not worth it?" Ben asked. "Oh she is." I said. "I can't live without either of you." "Lillian, please. Let me do this. Let me give her back to the galaxy, to you. I can't live without her too. And it's better me than her." He said. I decided to remain quiet as he wrapped his hand around her abdomen and began to push his life into her. He was distracted. I needed to do this. Ben deserved to live. If anything, I'm the one that should go away. My mother was the reason Palpatine lived. It would be better if I wasn't here to remind them of that. I warily reached up my hand on Ben's shoulder. I felt my life fleeting now as I pushed the life he gave back into him. As he poured, I gave. This tug went on for agonizing seconds until he stopped. I looked to see Rey's eyes blink in confusion and her hand lay on top of Ben's. I let go of him and I fell from my upright position to my back. Neither one of them seemed to notice as she sat up. The only sound in the cathedral was our baited breaths. Then she spoke.

"Ben!" She said as the brightest smile I had seen on her. "Ben, Lillian. Your family would be so proud." She said. Ben smiled slightly as she caressed his cheek. Rey grinned and glanced at his lips. She smiled and leaned forward and kissed him.

On the ground I smiled. They were happy. They could be happy together. I closed my eyes and allowed the force to envelop me and welcome with open arms.

...

Lillian Skywalker was dead.