EPILOGUE
LUMINOUS

FIRST Order ships crashed into the ground. The Sith Citadel crumbled. Smoke erupted into the air, but hope had never been more alive. "We did it," Resistance members collectively whispered.

Rey's combat speeder soared through the air, headed for Ajan Kloss. There was just enough room to fit both females, and Raena's eyes went wide as she took in the destruction of Exegol. They zoomed past what would become the ruins of a historical battle, but as the Citadel became a mound of dust, Raena knew it wouldn't be the end. Another organization would rise from the ashes of the First Order and they would be ready. The devastation wouldn't end until their last breaths.

From the moment their speeder landed on the Resistance Base, Rey was surrounded by cheers and big smiles. People crowded around her, hugged her, commended her on a job well done, and she could only thank them and smile. None of them would ever know the horror she had to witness. She was soon engulfed into a hug with Finn, and then Poe, and even Indira, while BB-8 buzzed around them like a fly. Raena stood back and watched on, beaming as the Resistance continued their celebration.

"My child!"

Raena turned, recognizing that voice faster than a Tooka's reflexes. Maz was running towards her at full speed, and Raena fell to her knees, wrapping the creature tightly in her bruised arms. She was covered in dirt and blood and who-knows-what, but Maz nestled herself into the younger woman's hold like she was a fresh set of sheets. They cried onto each other's shirts. Raena thought she might never see her again. This was truly one of the best moments of her life.

"You're here," Maz whispered into the crook of her neck. "I can't believe you're here."

"And I'm free," Raena said, leaning back. She grasped Maz's face in her hands. "They won't hurt us anymore. He's dead."

The corners of Maz's lips lifted, but she didn't say a word. She could feel the tremors running through Raena; she could see the trauma and pain underneath that forced smile. So she kept quiet, continuing to hold her until her arms gave out.

"We have to let go someday," Raena chuckled under her breath.

Maz shook her head. "I'm making up for all those years you were taken. All that time he held you there against your will and made you do horrendous things."

Raena kept her mouth in a thin line as a tear dripped down her cheek. She didn't want to ruin a good moment by telling Maz she actually, at one point, desired to be there, just to be held by the man whose blood was on her shirt. But she, too, kept quiet.

"I won't let go until you return with me," Maz muttered, leaning away just to look into Raena's honey irises. She caressed the tears off her cheeks. "Come home, Raena. Come back to Takodana with me. You deserve to rest."

The blonde sighed, looking to the ground so Maz wouldn't see the hurt in her eyes. "I don't think it's my time to go back, Maz," she said, smiling sadly. "I don't know when it will be, but I can't rest now. I've been programmed not to, and that won't change, even after the war is over."

"RAENA FUCKIN' NHAGY!"

The two looked up, and a grin spread on Raena's lips at the sight of Pacey Blando and Gerardo Mason, waving wildly at her within a large crowd of people. Raena truly wasn't sure if she'd find them alive after this war. She was so glad to be proven wrong. A sob clogged itself in the base of her throat. Raena raised her hand and waved back, matching their infectious smiles.

"Perhaps," she continued, glancing at Maz, "I know two men that would love to go back to Takodana with you."

Maz patted her cheek a few times. "And you know I'd be happy to have them. As long as they do the work, that is."

Raena chuckled, giving her guardian one last squeeze before replying, "If you'll excuse me for a quick second ..." She jumped to her feet and skipped over to her friends, almost tackling them to the ground in a large bear hug. Maz simply shook her head at the exchange.

"Gods be damned, Raena Nhagy," Pacey muttered, lacing his arm through hers and his partner's. "You truly are something."

"You didn't think that you'd never see me again, Pace." She snickered. "I never go away. I'm like a plague."

Gerardo laughed loudly. "I love you so much," he muttered, kissing the top of her head. Raena hugged them tighter. "And I would marry you, but if it weren't for Pacey ..."

"Can you just shut up so we can have a nice hug?" Pacey asked, a hint of amusement in his tone. Gerardo punched his arm softly and brought them together again.

Raena popped her head up and looked from over their shoulders, spotting Rey engulfed in a large group hug of her own. Their eyes met, crinkles forming at the sides, and they smiled sweetly at each other.

They were going to be luminous.

•••

As much as Raena would've liked to return to Takodana, it wasn't in the cards for her just yet. Maybe someday, but not now, when she had so much more healing to do. Instead, Gerardo and Pacey traveled to Takodana with Maz, deciding to live out their days in the lush forests and lakes. Pacey liked to spend his time working with Maz at her castle, while Gerardo worked morning, noon, and night on a project that was most dear to him. He was writing a book about his adventures with famous-bounty-hunter-turned-assassin, Raena Nhagy, and planned to have it published within the next few years. Writing was his calling, and this was the first story he wanted to tell.

She was also given the option to settle on Yavin 4 with Indira, Poe, even Finn, but she declined. Raena still kept in close contact with the three. Indira frequently sent her letters through the holomail. After just a year of living on Yavin 4, both her and Poe already had their first child, and over the years, they came one after another. Indira was a good mother; Raena could feel it. They raised three children together – Nadia, Ashara, and Luka – while Finn did his best to act as their uncle.

In the end, Raena came to the decision to travel with Rey and BB-8 on the Millennium Falcon. Like she told Maz, it wasn't time for her to rest. It was time for her to live. For so long, Raena had abided by a strict set of rules and bound by a chain to the First Order. She was finally free, and she was going to use this to explore the galaxy with someone who cared for her as much as she did for them.

The past still haunted her like a ghost. It always would and she was prepared for it. She was constantly reminded of the blood that was still crusted underneath her fingertips, or of Kylo's kisses when she thought he cared for her and only her. Almost every night, she had nightmares of his corpse, watching the way his insides spilled out like running water, and she would wake up in a cold sweat. She hoped one day – one grateful day – she'd have a peaceful sleep, but that may never happen.

Immortality always did more harm than good.

During their trips to Luke Skywalker's first Jedi Temple on Ahch-To to even the remote swamps of Dagobah, the balance of both places helped Rey come to the conclusion that her traveling partner was Force Sensitive. Raena denied it at first, explaining that there was no way: "Doesn't the Force flow through everyone?" Rey had chuckled at her assumption. If there was one thing Luke had taught her, it was to trust her own instincts.

"That's true," she had told Raena, "but the Force only speaks to those who are sensitive. You've connected to it on a deeper level. You used it to bring me back on Exegol. You've been Force Sensitive this whole time, but it's been dormant within you for years." She smiled softly. "Just like me."

All those years ago, hidden in the tunnels underneath Maz's castle, the Skywalker lightsaber had called out to her for a reason. It all made sense now.

The rest was history. The two females wanted to start their own school for Gray Jedi on Tattooine, both deciding that finding a balance through the light and the dark was much more common than anyone thought. This was exactly what Rey wanted to do: teach like her masters before her, and it was even better with Raena by her side. Before they could start any plans, Rey decided they needed to mark the grounds.

In the ancient sand outside Luke Skywalker's childhood home, Rey buried two sabers, both once belonging to her masters. Raena kneeled beside her, one hand on her shoulder, as she took in the Force enveloping them like a blanket. She felt the immediate impact the second she stepped foot on Tattooine, and knew this was the perfect place to build their school. Her partner felt the exact same.

After wrapping the sabers in a thick brown cloth, Rey placed her hand on top of it and closed her eyes. Instinctively, Raena laid her hand on top, and Rey smiled softly. When they removed their hands, fingers still locked together, the bound lightsabers began to sink into the ground. Raena almost didn't believe her eyes.

Rey stood, bringing the blonde up with her, as the hole before them slowly resumed to its original state. "These two sabers will become ancient relics. Never to be seen again," Rey whispered, eyes flickering to Raena. "Except by the cleverest of our students."

"With you as one of their teachers, how could they not?" Raena chuckled. "Although, we should consider employing some serious instructors as well, even if they are Jedi that have abandoned the council. I've heard there are still Mystics hidden on Voss."

Rey nodded. A content sigh flew from her lips, and she carefully pulled out the double-ended lightsaber that she crafted all on her own from a side bag. The corners of her mouth lifted as she ignited the vivid, yellow blade, but it only lasted for a second. Sometimes, Rey needed to see it in order to remind herself that all this was real, that she had survived and ended up happy.

The two looked up, watching the twin suns gradually set over the horizon. Raena huffed and glanced at Rey. With a lifted brow, she asked, "What's next?"

Rey squeezed her hand and smiled. "A new world with good people."

Their lips pressed together softly for a mere moment, but it was enough to create explosions in the pit of Raena's stomach. The binary sunset continued to pull down across the high sand dunes of Tattooine. This was their future. A new era of balance in the Force would arise at their hands, and they were ready. This was only the beginning of a long and happy life.

It took fighting a war for them to meet, but it was all worth it.

THE END