The Final Battle

The Final Battle is a chapter in When the Cold Breeze Blows Away.

In this chapter,

Transcript
SEPTEMBER 1st, 2045 -- CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA, USA

SEPTEMBER 2nd, 2045 -- EXEGOL

Alexander Pepper's Xi-class light shuttle exited hyperspace. The planet Exegol was finally before him, shrouded with dark clouds that flashed bright with lightning. The instruments on his console beeped warnings about the approaching atmosphere.

His shuttle dipped below the cloud line and he gasped. The Immortal Armada spread out before him, even more vast than his vision had led him to believe, shining bright in relief against the perpetual storm, stretching as far as his eyes could see. The vessels were based on older models of various classes, from the days of the Galactic Empire, but all of them had red accents along the hull of their vessels. Planet-killing antimatter weapons attested to a much greater ordnance capability than his Alliance friends were expecting.

"He's on approach." said the unnamed Female Sith Officer.

"All ships rise to deployment altitude." Lord Commander Reginar Albrecht ordered as an emergency siren can be heard wailing. He’d been out in the multiverse for his whole career, only communicating with Exegol rarely.

His ship wobbled a little—gravity well! He compensated quickly, and cruised to an altitude considerably below the Sidiousist Sith fleet. Exegol was a horror of a planet, but its atmospheric anomalies might confuse the Destroyers’ sensors and keep them from noticing his tiny shuttle. In fact, he was counting on it.

Moments later he was on the ground. The air was hot, the soil fissured with dryness. A dark building breached the clouds ahead of him, and for the briefest moment he considered giving in to terror. Such malevolence radiated from the building that he knew exactly what—who—he would find inside. Even more terrifying was the fact that the presence was familiar. As though some form of it had been watching him, maybe his whole life.

Confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi.

Pepper pressed on. He stepped beneath a massive monolith that seemed to hover in the air. He would trust his own lightsaber to light his way.

Meanwhile, I could only gasp in pain as I tried to pick myself back up, noticing my battle armor was now severely damaged. Still functioning, but now completely jagged.

Now the flat desert sands of Exegol looked like as if it was D-Day in Normandy. It's now filled with trenches, sandbags, barbed wires, Czech hedgehogs, anti-tank batteries, anti-aircraft batteries, machinegun nests, bunkers, searchlights, floodlights, distress flares, defensive bots, sea mines, landmines, anti-tank mines, dragon's teeth fortifications, sniper towers, civil defense sirens, communications towers, field hospitals, ammo depots, pillboxes, cheval de frise, watchtowers, and defensive walls in and around the surface.

I looked over to Steve Rogers and Tony Stark; who were both knocked out, then to Victor Nevarez, his uniform barely took any damage and he had a scar on his face, before turning back to me. "In all my years of conquest– violence– slaughter– It was never personal." He paused as he glanced over the land once more. "But I'll tell you now– what I'm about to do to this stubborn, annoying little universe– I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much." He ended with a cruel smile.

As if it were a signal, the Immortal Armada hovering above Victor showed the ground with light, before out stepped his allies.

Thanos' "children", The Black Order.

And the leader of the Legion of Evil, Quintessa; who could only give a cruel smile as she held her hand up to signal their army to rally behind them.

The roars of the Jurassic Park dinosaurs (except Blue), Outriders, Chitauri Gorillas, and Leviathans echoed.

The screeches of the B.O.W.s, Beetle Drones, Parademons, Xenomorphs, Vrils, Nazi Zombies, White Walkers, and Feral Ghouls (from Fallout) followed after.

The Decepticons, Nobodies, Heartless, remnants of New Group P365, Black Changelings, Evil Toys (from Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots), Romulans, Buster Baxter's aliens (from Alien: Assembly Required, a Flash game for Arthur), Mordor Orcs, Dol Guldur Orcs, Gundabad Orcs, and Uruk-hai all hungered for blood.

The People's Liberation Army, the Russian Armed Forces, the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Korean People's Army, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, the Empire of the Rising Sun Armed Forces, the Wehrmacht, the Confederate States Army, the Sinestro Corps, the Black Lantern Corps, the Red Lantern Corps, Terminators, Stormtroopers, Dai-Shockers, Enclave Soldiers, Stormcloak Rebels, Thalmor Elves, Card Soldiers, Sidiousist Sith Troopers, Combine Soldiers, the Covenant loyalists, the Helghast Army, Metro Bandits, Raiders, Battle Droids, the Haradrim, Easterlings, Dunlendings, Variags, Chitauri, and Sakaarans all marched in anger.

And all of them had one goal in mind:

Destroy the Grand Alliance.

The Supreme Leader's cruel smile turned into a nervous look. "Oh darn. I knew they were just slacking out," snapped Nevarez to himself as I panted quietly for a few moments, before I willed my body to lift itself back up, as I rose to defiantly stand against the Supreme Leader's massive army, all by myself.

If needed to be, I was willing to take on their army alone if I had to.

For our world. For our friends.

I was willing to face the end.

Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, former wireless operators for the RMS Titanic (now serving for the Ministry of Communications for the Republic of Avalon), saved me, and now they're using the newly-restored Marconi telegraph system, now also upgraded to communicate with so many heroes across the multiverse.

Suddenly, the voice of Arthur Maxson said, "Hey, Sarge, you read us?" as I froze mid-step before confirming that I had heard a voice among the brief sound of static on my earpiece.

"Sarge, it's me, Col. Miller. Can you hear us?" said the voice of Colonel Miller as I was shocked by the familiar voice that I could not answer, nor noticed the orange glow behind me.

"On your left." Soon, the voice of Sam Wilson became clear to me as did the portal behind me before I turned to it. The bright glow of the portal obscured my vision briefly before I could see three figures walk through.

The brave form of T’Challa; the Black Panther and the King of Wakanda stood forward, followed by his sister Shuri, and Okoye of the Dora Milaje standing beside him. No words were needed as the King gave me a brief nod before the flying form of Sam Wilson, the Falcon flew above us as more portals opened around us. Victor took notice of the orange gateways opening on his foe’s side of the battlefield, alarmed.

From the portal of the ruined planet Titan, Doctor Stephen Strange levitated to the ground followed by Drax the Destroyer with his knives drawn, Mantis in a stance while Peter Quill the Star Lord flew beside them, his mask receding before the two swinging forms of Peter Parker, Spider-Man and Edward Brock, Venom landed on the ground, their own masks receding as they looked over their reinforcements with smile and smirk respectively.

I smiled with relief as more of the portals continued to open and with T’Challa standing firm before he shouted a familiar chant.

"Yibambe!" T'Challa chanted through a brass megaphone. His fellow Wakandan soldiers also chanted the same word. Even their King had to chant again, and again, and again. Even his soldiers had to do the same.

"Yibambe! Yibambe! Yibambe!" they said respectively.

Soon enough, fleets of aircraft appeared above them from not just Wakanda, but from the various Ravager factions of the multiverse and the remaining Asgardians.

Below them, Bucky Barnes; the Winter Soldier, stood armed with Groot by his side along with Wade Wilson, Deadpool and Dante with his companion Trish. M’Baku followed with his own tribe, the Jabari ready for battle.

The Asgardians marched forward as Valkyrie lead them, now riding her horse with Korg and Miek as Wanda Maximoff, Scarlet Witch landed beside them, her body covered with a red aura.

The Masters of the Mystic Arts led by Wong all proceeded to ready their own spells for battle while Thor could only grin with pride as he called Stormbreaker back to his hand.

Tony Stark, Iron Man could only gap in surprise while Steve Rogers, Captain America held a huge smile as he watched all their friends appear before them. Both of these expressions doubled when another suit of armor appeared and revealing Pepper Potts who gave her husband a smile.

Doctor Strange looked over their forces before turning to Wong with a smile. "Is that everyone?"

"What, you wanted more?" Wong said with exasperation getting a chuckle out of Baroness Von Bon Bon; who is carrying an XM29 OICW and is now wearing a black combat uniform plus a red beret with a skull on it.

They were all interrupted when a loud stomping sound echoed before-

CRASH!

The giant form of Scott Lang, Ant-Man stood tall and proud as he walked outside a giant portal before he uncurled both his fists, revealing Bruce Banner, Professor Hulk who grunted as he landed on the ground with his fists ready. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes in his War Machine armor flew beside him with Rocket Raccoon on his arm, grinning as he readies his gun.

SpongeBob, wearing his army outfit from "The Krusty Plate," a SpongeBob SquarePants episode, spoke to me, "You know what I'm thinking, J.H.?", followed by his hearty laugh of a dolphin chirping.

"We are ready. Definitely ready," I said.

As their armies marched forward, their ships flying overhead and their leaders prepared, the war cries let out by them could be heard across the land, perhaps even the world itself as the fate of the entire multiverse hanged in the balance.

I stood firm and proud as my friends rallied next to me as we glared at our foe. Victor's glare came back in full force as he and his allies realized that the real fight was just beginning.

As the heroes took their places, their powers, weapons and forces ready, the Avalonian High Captian, E.J. Smith, blew a Titanic officer's old whistle to give a huge, yet short announcement I'm going to make.

"Heroes of the Multiverse!" I shouted through Captain E.J. Smith's old brass megaphone, just as I was about to summon Thor's hammer, the Mjolnir, to my hand. Then I said again through the megaphone in a soft-spoken voice, "Together."

Thor's thunderous battle cry roared throughout our side as Optimus Prime yelled "CHARGE!", with Godzilla, Gamera, and Kong roaring in unison while Clifford the Big Red Dog howled loudly, just as whistles blow louder to signal the start of the battle, and then we charged forward, the ground pounded from our footsteps shaking the dark desert planet itself as our air forces flew along with us!

Nevarez, not wanting to be undermined by all of this, simply growled and held his Darksaber up towards the enemy, signalling his villainous forces to charge towards their foes, followed by Quintessa shouting "Get them!", General Steppenwolf raising his axe and yelling "FOR THE DARK EMPEROR!" and King Ghidorah roaring, before he joined along with them.

The heroes continued to charge forward as they began what was perhaps their final battle.

The Battle for the Multiverse.

They were truly in the endgame now.

Once, the heroes were simply universes apart, but now, they were together, to fight as one.

Up above, Captain Chesille Sabrond stood on the bridge of the Deathshead, looking through the viewport at the rest of the Sidiousist Sith fleet. They held formation slightly above everyone else, as the only Destroyer to have already made the climb.

Lord Commander Reginar Albrecht had tasked her crew with observing the ascension and reporting any anomalies. The fleet was a beautiful sight to behold. Together, they were going to conquer the entire multiverse, and Sabrond was going to play a major role in the Immortal Armada.

She’d have to continue distinguishing herself. Sabrond was under no delusion that captaining a Xyston II-class Star Destroyer would be enough, as every ship that comprised the Immortal Armada were unmanned and fully automated. Somehow, she’d make sure that Albrecht and the Supreme Leader saw her as one in ten thousand.

Sabrond could do it. Somehow. She had come this far. And she was just getting started. "Incoming transmission on a fleetwide frequency," said her comms officer, flicking a switch to open the channel.

"Captain!" said one of her technicians. "We have Alliance craft incoming." Captain Chesille Sabrond of the Deathshead smiled. She’d been drilling for this moment for years. "Commander Albrecht?" she asked, though she knew what he would say.

Albrecht appeared on the bridge holo. "Use everything you've got to stop them!" Albrecht said. "Yes, Commander." She turned to her crew. "Ready the defense cannons!"

As Poe’s X-wing exited hyperspace, and he finally caught his first sight of Exegol. "Look at that fleet." said Poe. What a dung heap. It was the deadest, ugliest thing he’d seen in a long while, and he wondered if it had always been this way, or if building a colossal fleet of Sidiousist Sith Star Destroyers and Dreadnoughts here had killed the place. Beside him, his tiny squadron popped into view—the Tantive IV, Finn’s lander, and several more fighters. Suddenly, the Sidiousist Sith armada's antimatter weapons start to fire at them.

"Dang it! Welcome to Exegol!" Poe said drily. They dived into the cloud cover, and nearly collided with the Sidiousist Sith fleet. Someone gasped into their comm. Their triangled hulls were enormous, but they grew ever smaller as their number stretched into seeming infinity.

"Watch your starboard, Wexley!" said Seftin Vanik as he flew his A-wing around and warned Temmin Wexley to watch the starboard of his X-wing before flying by him. "Whoa!" said Temmin Wexley.

"Great dark seas," Aftab Ackbar said. "Look at that!" He angled his Y- wing closer to Poe, determined to keep his new acting general alive at any cost. "No sign of the Falcon or allies," Tyce said from her own Y-wing. ""Just find that navigation tower," Poe ordered. "Help will be here by the time we take it down!"

Please be here by the time we take it down.

"Carlos - Communications Officer, and In-Flight Entertainment."

"Good morning, Devastator!" Carlos spoke on the PA system. The Coalies in that Xyston-class Star Destroyer are a bit distracted.

"Huh? Who's speaking on the PA system?" said Captain Günther Lindemann of the Devastator.

"For God's sake, Carlos! Don't distract them!" shouted Tim at Carlos. "Just cancel the rollcall now! And you don't need that in-flight entertainment. This is war!"

"Ah, crud. Well, I guess that rollcall has to wait. Don't try to haul up on someone else's ass," Carlos advised to everybody.

"Forget it, Emperor Zuskelgar II. You made Emperor Palpatine himself look like a charming hero, y'know," D.A. slapped Ralphie in the face, calling him "Emperor Zuskelgar II," just as what Nevarez referred to Pepper. "Too bad you didn't get a rollcall, buddy. It's cancelled, 'cause you're just A BUNCH OF MALARKEY!!!" She slapped him harder in his other check.

"¡Hija de puta! Mistress Dorothy Ann Hudson," said Carlos, "What are you doing!? You slapped Ralphie in the face!"

"Guys, that's enough. Let me speak through the PA system with a fake grownup voice. And a British accent. I can handle this so I can pretend that I'm the captain of this spacecraft. That way, I can hijack this son-of-a-gun Star Destroyer as fast as I can. Don't get attention on 'em," said Arnold Perlstein. "This will be the final test of my redemption from being to blame for the How Can I Help Make the World Great essay competition that Vlahović had done to me by framing myself up."

He then clears his throat and began to speak in a faux and deep British accent voice on the PA. "Attention crew! This is your captain speaking."

"Everyone, please report to the bomb bay immediately for a historical occasion that's something special today. We have some slices of birthday cake and pints of ice cream prepared just for you, because we also have a big and very special birthday celebration to commence in a few moments. Thank you very much."

"Happy birthday," said a Chinese general to a Russian officer while swimming on a lake in the other side of Exegol with a frown on his face.

"Just do the rollcall again, Hudson! For God's sake! Let us all do it! And you, Ramon! Don't do that so-called 'in-flight entertainment' thing, for the love of the Ancients! And you too, Tennelli! Don't forget to be on your rollcall, damn you!" Keesha angrily shouted while she shoots a Webley Mark VI revolver at the air as a warning shot.

"Oh fine. Let's get on with it, Franklin," said Hudson.

"Thank you. Anyways, let the rollcall recommence."

"Whatever."

"Commander Keesha Franklin - reporting for duty."

"Wanda Li - Science Officer."

"Jyoti Kaur - Flight Engineer."

"Dorothy Ann 'D.A.' Hudson - Mission Specialist."

"Tim Wright - Robotics Specialist."

"Arnold Perlstein - Security Officer," said Arnold, back to his normal voice of a child. "Everyone safe?" Liz nodded in agreement. "Good. Job's done." He left out, yet D.A. said with the words, "Goddammit. I hate rollcalls."

"Carlos Ramon, Communications Officer," Carlos said. "And... In-Flight Enter--" Tim interrupted Carlos before he can pick up where he left off.

"For's God's sake, Ramon," said Tim. "You don't need in-flight entertainment. This is war! Be careful with the PA system please."

"Sorry," said Carlos. "There's really nothing else more to say for myself."

"Thank you," said Tim. "Now please let Ralphie do his rollcall."

"And who the hell's behind me, you guys?" questioned Ms. Frizzle.

"Ralphie Tennelli - Chief Maintenance Officer."

"Goddamn right, Tennelli," spoke Carlos. "We did made a good rollcall. Plus I know what it meant."

"I see that, Ramon," replied Ralphie. "I didn't know that not all CMOs are janitors. Most of the time, they direct maintenance managers and supervisors and coordinate all property maintenance functions."

"Huh. Damn straight," said Keesha.

"I told you, you stinky diaper. Even though no one can forget about you since you finally got your rollcall, I am NOT in the mood of rollcalls at all," D.A. said to Ralphie angrily. "I don't care if you did."

"Can it Hudson. We're gonna do another rollcall with Ms. Frizzle first. The Master Defenders, the Klassixes and the Original Defenders are gonna follow suit later on," spoke Keesha. "And now it's time to bring Darth Trethium to justice. Once and for all, dammit."

"Whatever, Franklin," sarcastically spoke D.A.

Now that the rollcall for the eight kids is complete, it seemed that Arnold isn't just the security officer. He's also the captain. Now he's filled with more confidence than ever before.

"Supreme Leader Victor Nevarez of the Coalition of the Red Star, here we come," Arnold declared to his fellow classmates, his teacher Ms. Frizzle, and all the Master Defenders, the Klassixes and the Original Defenders, just as he was about to go full steam ahead for the Devastator.

Inside the Lord Trethium's Wrath's command bridge, Albrecht frowned as more spacecraft popped out of hyperspace all around them, even more than the Deathshead had initially reported. The Alliance had managed to cobble together a small fleet, one he wouldn’t underestimate. Their ships were like bloodsucking insects. Tiny and annoying, but relentless until they’d been properly squashed.

"How did they manage to get here?" Admiral Piett said. Albrecht muttered under his breath, considering. The short-range defense cannons wouldn’t be enough against this swarm of flies. Then he addressed the bridge. "I need another transmission channel to the fleet!"

It took a few seconds. Exegol’s atmosphere made fleet-wide transmissions tricky. It also messed with their sensors, which meant they’d need visual confirmation to eliminate the Allied threat. And that meant scrambling fighters.

He would do whatever he had to, use whatever resources at his disposal, to end this final, futile act of democracy. "You’re on, Lord Commander." said Masir Trach; his communications officer.

Albrecht cleared his throat and said, "Nothing will stop the Immortal Armada from ascending! Scramble all fighters! Cannons: Fire at will!"

Poe banked hard as thousands of simultaneous cannon blasts lit up the sky like a nova. To his left, a fighter was stripped of its hull, debris flying off in all directions, until it finally exploded into a fireball.

A quick glance around showed that they’d lost several fighters in just that first volley, and with sensors so unreliable, he had no idea who. This was the price of leadership.

Poe did not have the luxury of grief or regret. Finishing this mission was all that mattered. "Get to their altitude!" he yelled into his headset. "They can't fire on us without hitting each other! Don't give up! Help is coming!"

Following Poe’s lead, the squadron dived hard, dodging blasts all the way, toward the endless sea of Sidiousist Sith Destroyers. They swooped into the corridors created by the ships’ hulls, almost daring them to fire.

"Heads up!" shouted the pilot as a structure rose before them in the distance, tall, silvery, and imposing. "There it is!" Finn yelled. "Poe, I see it. I've got a visual on the nav tower." "Lander," Poe responded from somewhere high above. "Prep to unload the ground team at the base of the tower."

"Incoming TIEs!" Wexley warned, and Poe was glad to hear his voice. That was one survivor confirmed. His relief was short-lived. Hundreds of Sith TIEs screamed toward them like giant predator birds, with wicked red and black lines across razor-sharp wings. "I see 'em! I got you, Finn!" said Poe.

Finn stared through his quadnocs as his team piloted the lander Fortitude toward the planet’s surface. He’d used this ship for a few missions before; it was sturdy with decent shields and lots of space for quick crew transport—even if that crew was a bit unconventional.

A Sidiousist Sith TIE fighter dived toward them, and Finn flinched, but the Fortitude’s guns blasted it out of the sky.

He glanced across the crowded cabin at Rose, and their eyes locked. "I’m sure glad someone made time to add a defensive arsenal to this troop carrier," he said.

"Only because I knew I’d be on it too, as part of the ground team," Rose said, completely deadpan. "I mean, if it were just you." Finn laughed in spite of himself. "Uh huh." Rose turned away to hide her smile. Truth was, Finn had a lot of friends on board, and Rose had just saved all of them.

Albrecht was pleased. They’d already destroyed numerous Allied fighters. The remaining ships were a skeleton squadron, incapable of mounting any real offensive.

"They're targeting the navigation tower, so the fleet can't deploy." said the unnamed colonel. Admiral Piett gasped. "We need to get those unmanned ships out of there."

Fortunately, Albrecht always had a backup plan. "Then we won't use that tower. Switch over the source of navigation signal," he ordered. "To this ship." His modifications were going to come in handy even sooner than he’d hoped. "We’ll guide the fleet out ourselves."

A light flashed atop the tower as Finn and his crew approached in the lander. Then the light went off and stayed off. Watching it through his quadnocs, Finn got a bad feeling.

Jannah approached his shoulder. "Finn, we’re good to go," she said. "Thanks for doing this," he told her. She started to say something, but an alarm beeped in the cockpit. Tyce’s voice filtered in over the comm. "The navigation tower," she said. "It’s been deactivated!"

"What?" Finn exclaimed. "They’re not transmitting from that tower anymore," she clarified. "Those ships need that signal," came Snap’s voice. "It’s got to be coming from somewhere." Finn’s gaze was inexplicably drawn upward, to the side. The Mega-class Star Dreadnought, the only one not part of the Sidiousist Sith armada. The Lord Trethium's Wrath.

"They figured out what we're doing. Call off the ground invasion." came Poe’s order, which was a smart move, because if the fleet had transferred the signal, it meant they knew Finn and his team were coming. Except... "Wait," Finn said. "The signal's coming from that giant flying wing above." "How do you know?" asked Jannah. They locked eyes, and Jannah nodded. "A feeling," he confirmed.

Finn spoke into the radio: "The nav signal's coming from that massive command ship. That’s our drop zone." "You want to launch a ground invasion on that Mega Star Destroyer?!" said Tyce, unbelieving. Finn would have atmosphere, gravity, and a plucky unit of former stormtroopers ready to take the fight back to the bullies. What more did a fellow need?

Luck, he supposed. Or maybe the Force. "Well, I don’t want to," Finn said. "But we can't take out that ship's nav system from the air. Give us cover. We got to keep that fleet there till help arrives." He leaned over the pilot’s shoulder and pointed. "The command ship. That’s our landing zone."

As he and Jannah hurried toward the rear hold to explain the plan to the rest of the landing team, he heard Poe’s voice over the comm: "You heard the General. All wings, cover that lander!"

Albrecht watched through the viewport, perplexed, as the bulky Allied craft dived toward the ship. Was this a suicide maneuver? If so, it was folly. An impact would avail them nothing. The Fortitude careened into their hull and kicked up sparks as it screeched across. It came to a rough stop against a communications array. The ramp began to descend.

"Sir," hollered Admiral Piett. "They’re invading our ship; they’ve landed a troop carrier!" "Jam their speeders!" Albrecht commanded. "I can’t," said Masir Trach; his comm officer, even as his fingers flew across the console, trying everything he could think of. He looked up at Albrecht, confusion writ on his face. "Why not?" said Albrecht. "They're... they're not using speeders." said Trach again.

Finn and Jannah led the cavalry charge of nearly two dozen orbak riders down the ramp of the lander and onto the hull of the Wrath. "Not bad for one lesson!" Finn shouted to Jannah. "You had a great teacher!" she hollered back. "Keep going!" yelled Beaumont. The orbaks had been cooped up for hours, and they ran with joyful abandon, eating up distance at a dizzying speed. BB-8 kept pace, rolling so fast his markings were a blur, head canted forward with determination.

"You're doing great, buddy! The tower's up ahead!" Finn called down to him. He tossed a quick glance over his shoulder to check on his team. Behind Jannah’s company of riders came the rest of his friends, pouring from the lander on foot: Rose, Connix, Beaumont—anyone who could hold a blaster. So far, so good.

Ahead of them, multiple Sidiousist Sith troop carriers landed and spit out dozens of crimson-clad troopers. They spread out in formation and began firing. Finn’s rear team fired back, providing them some cover. One Sidiousist Sith trooper went down right away—Connix, no doubt, who was a crack shot.

He reached into the munitions bag hanging from the saddle. Homemade explosives, cobbled together with what the company could find on Kef Bir, but effective nonetheless. Finn sighted a squad of troopers, took aim, and tossed the bomb, allowing it to arc just as Jannah had taught him. It exploded into fire and black dust, knocking several Sidiousist Sith troopers backwards.

They were almost to their destination. Finn and Jannah grabbed their bags of explosives, jumped from their orbaks, and sprinted along the hull. BB-8 kept pace at their heels.

Another Sidiousist Sith troop lander touched down on the surface nearby. The ramp descended and out poured a company of crimson stormtroopers, who immediately began firing. Several of them engaged red jetpacks, which lifted them into the air so they could fire from a superior vantage.

Finn was really tired of jet troopers. He fired back, most of his shots going wide, as he and Jannah pressed forward. They had to make this happen fast. More trooper carriers would come. They would be overwhelmed in minutes. Or worse, the ship would simply leave atmo, instantly killing them all.

The orbak riders deployed around them and aimed a barrage of covering fire at the jet troopers. Finn and Jannah reached the nav deck. Ahead was a bunkerlike structure, built out from the hull to prevent interference from interior ship frequencies.

Back on the surface, Victor finds himself in an encounter with a furious Scarlet Witch.

"You took everything from me." said Wanda. "I don’t even know who you are." said Nevarez as he took the Darksaber off his back. "You will." said Wanda again before she picks up some debris on the ground and tries to kill Victor with them.

"Those thrusters are hot. How are we doing?" said Poe over the comm. "We're going to blow our way in, and take out that nav tower!" said Finn. "All hatches are blast-proof!" said Jannah, whipping up her makeshift bow. "Alright, BB-8, you're up!" said Finn as the little droid extended a pilex driver and unscrewed a panel. "I'll cover you!" said Jannah as Finn began placing explosives with Jannah firing shot after shot with her bow and arrow, covering them. One shot hit a jet trooper, who spun up into the air, missiled into an oncoming TIE, and sent it crashing onto the Wrath's surface.

"Almost there," Finn said, working as fast as he could.

Finn was not so caught up in rigging the nav bunker to explode that he did not notice how, one by one, the Star Destroyer thrusters began to glow blood red.

Finn then gave Jannah the signal, and they both ducked, hands over their heads, as Finn triggered the explosion. Boom! His ears rang with the blast, and pressure hit his back. Lights across the surface of the Destroyer went dark.

"Navigation beacon’s shut down," a technician yelled. "Repeat, navigation beacon down. Immortal Armada, hold position. No deployment! Resetting all systems!" Now Albrecht was angry. These allied gnats were proving unexpectedly vexing. The Sidiousist Sith Star Destroyers/Dreadnoughts all powered back down to standby mode.

They were vulnerable now, but only for a few minutes. Their hulls were strong; the gnats’ mission was futile. The Wrath would have to reset its nav systems to regain comms, but it wouldn’t take long. The gnats had bought themselves so little time, he couldn’t see why they’d bothered. Albrecht was going to enjoy destroying the last remnant of the allied strike team.

R2-D2 beeped in celebration as engine lights dimmed all across the fleet. "There it goes!" shouted Finn. "Nice one, Finn!" Poe yelled. "Nav signal's down, but not for long!" He swooped towards the Wrath, catching a glimpse of Finn and Jannah racing toward their orbak mounts, BB-8 at their heels.

"We're offline, sir!" shouted Masir Trach. "Reset the navigation signal! I want the armada deployed!" Albrecht demanded. "Ships coming back online in just a few minutes away, sir," said a technician.

Finn, Jannah, and BB-8 raced after the orbak company toward the lander. Blasterfire erupted all around them. But Finn came to a halt, realizing that every shot aimed at them was coming from a blaster. The deck cannons had gone silent with the reset.

BB-8 kept rolling after the orbaks, but Jannah turned. "Finn! Let’s go!" "No, no, wait, listen." he said. "The crown cannons have stopped. They're resetting their systems." "So?" She looked toward the lander, back at Finn.

"So before they do..." Finn stared at the cannon. This had to be the worst idea he’d ever had. "Maybe we can do some shifty stuff." Yep, definitely the worst. He turned back to Jannah and said, "Jannah, go. I gotta do something. "No. I’m staying with you." He’d learned better than to argue with a determined woman. He nodded his thanks, and together they sprinted for the cannon.

"Still no Falcon or backup,” came Snap Wexley’s voice. R2 beeped a question to Poe. Off comm, he answered, “I don’t know, Artoo. Maybe they didn’t find any allies. Maybe nobody’s coming.” He stared out at the fleet, his own words echoing in his head. Maybe nobody’s coming...

What would Leia do? He turned his comm back on and said, “We gotta hit them ourselves.” “What can we do against those things?” Tyce asked. “Just stay alive! Whatever we can! Be fast, be precise, hit those cannons. You with me?” “We’re with you,” Tyce responded without hesitation.

“Right behind you, General,” said Snap. Poe started flicking switches. “All wings, arm torpedoes! Attack formation!” He paused. Took a deep breath. “May the Force be with us.” Led by Poe, their tiny squadron phalanxed toward a stalled Xyston-class Star Destroyer, firing on its vulnerable underbelly cannon. The hull lit up with explosions.

On the surface, as Nevarez tries to kill Maximoff with his Darksaber, Wanda manages to overpower the Supreme Leader by knocking the Darksaber off his hand, she then lifted Victor in the air, peeling off his armor and slowly tearing him apart.

"RAIN FIRE!" yelled Nevarez as he was being outmatched by the Scarlet Witch. "What?!" "What did he just say?!" said Lord Shen and Starscream respectively. "But my lord, our troops!" Corvus Glaive protested, pointing out that their own troops will suffer in the bombardment. "JUST DO IT!" shouted Victor as he grunted.

Up above, the Deathshead's weapons begin to charge up and start to bombard the battlefield below, and Maximoff then tries to shield herself, only to be knocked back by the blasts, sustaining only concussive force. As the lasers fall, Wong and the rest of the Masters of the Mystic Arts summon Tao Mandalas to protect their allies from the bombardment.

Across the field, I spot Spider-Man; who is on the verge of being overwhelmed by Outriders. "I got this. I got this!" said Peter as he's trying to fend off the Outriders. "Okay, I don't got this. Help! Somebody, help!" cried Peter.

"Hey, Queens, heads up." I said before I hurled Mjølnir over the throng, and Peter shoots a web and glides along, letting the hammer pull him out of danger. A laser blast knocks Spidey out of the sky, but Pepper Potts manages to catch him. "Hang on. I've got you, kid." She drags him above the fray, then tosses him to Valkyrie flying past, Peter perches atop Pegasus.

"Hey! Nice to meet you– OH MY GOD!" hollered Peter as Valkyrie spurs into high gear, dodging laser fire, but not fast enough, as the cannons knock Peter off the Pegasus and to the ground.

Rocket and Groot dive for cover. Groot wraps his branches around them both. "At least we’re going out together this time." said Rocket.

The villains laugh in joy as the heroes are supressed by the relentless laser barrage, but they turn to face something in the sky as all the cannons stop firing at the heroes and start shooting at the sky.

"What the hell is this?" said Sam Wilson as he flies overhead. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., what are they firing at?" said Tony as he's searching upwards. "Something just entered the upper atmosphere!" said F.R.I.D.A.Y.

Rocket looks up at...a comet heading straight for Exegol. "I am Groot." said Groot in a nervous tone. Rocket grins, knowing what’s coming. "Just wait for it." said Rocket. Suddenly, the bright light of thundering energy comes veering towards the Deathshead.

Boom! The comet tears through the Deathshead's command bridge; disabling all of its weapons and killing both Milon Lenwith and Captain Chesille Sabrond onboard, it comes right out the other side, revealing...Carol Danvers! I was surprised to see it while I was holding Mjølnir.

"Oh, yeah!" hollered Rocket as Carol flew up towards the Deathshead's axial superlaser from below and smashing through it, resulting in an explosion and the ship crash-landing in the ground. This ended the airstrike while a bewildered Nevarez looked on in shock, not long before sensing Pepper through the Force, he retreats back to the Sith Citadel.

Framed by the Wrath's viewport window, the wreckage of the Deathshead now lays burning on the ground as Carol swooped out of range of it.

Albrecht grimaced. There were bound to be casualties, and the Deathshead had been commanded by a mediocre captain with no real potential—that ship had been designated expendable after all. But he hated for the gnats to claim any sort of victory.

"Danvers! We’re gonna need an assist down here!" I said to Carol in my comms. "Roger that, Sarge." said Carol in her comms.

Meanwhile, the aerial battle is taking its higher intensity than ever before as Snap’s console beeped. "Fleet’s locking onto a navigation signal," he warned anyone who was listening. "They’re gonna split!"

"Snap, they're on your tail!" yelled Poe. He looked over. "Yeah, I see ’em!" But he didn’t see the other TIE, the one that came out of nowhere. "No, no, no," Poe yelled. "Snap, Snap!" A blast rocked his cockpit, and he screamed as he heard Poe yell, "NO!" Temmin Wexley was about to die... again. For real this time, I think?

Poe stared in despair as the burning wreckage of Wexley’s X-wing slammed against the hull of an Imperial III-class Star Destroyer. Cries of terror and despair were lighting up his comm. They were getting torn apart.

"Alpha 3 is down! They're on my tail! I can't get... AHHHH!"

"They're everywhere!"

"Delta Leader's hit!"

"Losing altitude!"

"General, what's our next move?!"

"Poe, what now?!" Tyce called.

His people—his friends—were dying all around him. "My friends," Poe said, his voice tremulous. "I’m sorry, I thought we had a shot. But there’s just too many of them." He’d learned nothing from Crait. Instead, he’d just gotten people killed again and again and again, but...

A familiar voice broke through on comms: "But there are more of us, Poe. There are more of us." It was Lando. He was back! But had he brought anyone with him? Poe’s heart leapt in his chest as he flipped his fighter around, swooped over the hull of a Destroyer to get a visual on the atmosphere above.

He gasped. Ships were popping into sight all over the place. Freighters, fighters, medical frigates, longhaulers, from every corner of the multiverse, from every era Poe had ever heard of or not. Hundreds. No, thousands. The Free Worlds Fleet has arrived. "Look at this!" Poe hollered, "Look at this!" as Lando laughed and laughed. "The allies," Aftab Ackbar said. "They’re here!"

"Lando, you did it. You did it!" screamed Finn as the comms erupted, as ship after ship began calling in. Thousands of resolved voices, crying out, refusing to be silenced.

"Millennium Falcon, standing by for orders," said Lando.

"Mon Calamari fleet, standing by," came another voice. "Phantom Squadron, standing by."

"Ghost, standing by."

"Anodyne Two, standing by." Poe was not the crying type, but as everyone called in, one after another after another, liquid pooled in his eyes. They had done it. The spark of the Alliance had become a fire.

"Alphabet Two, standing by."

"Zay Versio with Inferno Squad, standing by. Look at all these ships!"

"Fireball, here. Hi, everyone!"

"Cut the chatter, Kaz," a deep voice responded.

"Oh darn," sighed Nevarez worringly with deep regret. "I know I should've treated a lot of citizens from every Coalition-occupied territories better than that earlier today..."

As the Free Worlds Fleet finally stepped into the skies, the congressmen and congresswomen of the Republic of Avalon, such as Chief Officer Henry Wilde, First Officer William Murdoch, Second Officer Charles Lightoller, Third Officer Herbert Pitman, Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall, Fifth Officer Harold Lowe, Sixth Officer James Moody, Thomas Andrews, J.J. Astor, Bruce Ismay, Benjamin Guggenheim, Archibald Butt, Molly Brown and Master-at-Arms Thomas King, are leading the way in front of the more-than-28,000 spaceships from across the multiverse. That's twofold than that from The Rise of Skywalker that Lando's fleet can be counted upon.

"Alright everybody," Congressman Thomas Andrews, "Now it's time for our first order of business: to hit those weak spots; the underbelly cannons. Remember what General Poe Dameron said, every one we knock down is a world saved!"

"Roger that Congressman Andrews," said General Dameron.

Lando whooped as he and Chewie charged ahead, and a thousand fighters, frigates, and even well-armed freighters swooped after them. Within seconds, the Millennium Falcon had taken out one of the Sidiousist Sith Star Destroyers. That ship made everything look easy.

"Nice flying, Lando," came Wedge Antilles’s voice, and Poe realized the old Rebellion captain, and his former flight instructor, was operating one of the Falcon’s turret stations. He wished Leia could be here to see this.

"Hell, I've never been flying on that spacecraft before," spoke First Officer-turned-Congressman William Murdoch with a smile. "In my era, there wasn't any spacecraft at all, and I've never heard of that since it's just the early 20th century, but now the Infinity Project guys knew what it can mean."

Finn threw his fist into the air. "I knew Lando would do it. I knew it!" Jannah was gaping at the sky, forgetting for a moment that she was supposed to be laying cover fire.

"Finger to trigger, Chewie," came Lando’s voice on the comm. People had come from everywhere to help them. The whole multiverse was here. Finn watched as they swooped among the Destroyers, laying waste to the hapless ships trying to fight back. He shook off the moment of triumph with effort. Jannah resumed firing, while Finn got back to work on his shifty stuff. — For this, Albrecht had no backup plan.

"Where did they get all these fighter craft?" Lord Commander Reginar Albrecht demanded. "They have no navy." Admiral Firmus Piett was gaping. The light had gone out of his eyes. "It’s not a navy, sir," the admiral said, and his voice shook a little. "It’s just, people."

The tide was turning. Poe’s patchwork navy pummeled the defenseless fleet. One Destroyer listed sideways, smoke rising from its hull. It collided with another, and both dropped to the surface, helpless in Exegol’s gravity. Another dropped after a pair of proton torpedoes hit it in the gut. Soon Destroyers were falling away all over the place. But the Sidiousist Sith TIEs remained viciously relentless, and they were still targeting Poe specifically. One threatened him head-on, but he was hemmed in between hulls. He gunned the accelerator, firing. Poe wasn’t sure if he’d destroy it in time, or if he should wing away.

A Y-wing slipped into the assist position beside him—a precision move. Together they gunned the TIE, which exploded into a satisfying fireball. "So long, sky trash!" came a familiar female voice. He turned in his cockpit as the Y-wing screamed past.

"Who’s that flier?" he muttered. "Take a guess, spice runner." It was Zorii! Poe’s relief was so huge he almost choked on it. "Hah! Zorii, you made it!" Someone warbled at him in Anzellan, then added, "Hey, heyyyyy!" "Babu?" Poe said, disbelieving. This day just kept getting better and better.

Back inside the citadel, Pepper and Ruby Ramirez lay collapsed on the floor as Victor stepped out of the cloud of smoke. His kakugan eyes now glow with red power as he stood straight and strong now. Invincible. The Supreme Leader raised his voice to the throng.

"Look what you have made..." he said. Their chanted response was thunderous, and he stood, hands slightly raised, as if absorbing their worship as power. Ramirez forced her near-lifeless body over onto her hands and knees. Pepper remained limp beside her as she struggled to get to her feet and faced her enemy.

The Supreme Leader was not impressed as he telekinetically lifted Ramirez with no more than a thought, exclaiming revenge for his first defeat at the hands of the Kids Club.

"As once I fell, so falls the last Preschool Girl!" said Victor in a deep, monotone voice before casting her away with such force that she tumbled end over end through the length of the arena, then disappeared into a flashing abyss. Pepper would have screamed, but he could barely draw breath.

"And maybe the last Inkwell Isle Girl, I don't know," he said in a high-pitched, nervous and normal voice.

"I hope they're not dead. They're just... well, imprisoned," talked Nevarez to himself in a more normal voice. "I knew Darth Sidious made a mistake that he did kill the last Skywalker family member -- Kylo Ren, or Ben Solo -- to hopefully end the Skywalker bloodline permanently, but hey. I'll just hide them instead while giving a few holes for some ventilation and some passage of food to them to keep them away from distraction."

He looked at the Disciples who were still chanting while cheering, roaring, whistling and applauding for him.

"Aw, shucks," he said to the Disciples in an affectionate voice. "You guys are so kind. Maybe a round of applause can be music to my ears, eh?"

"Everybody climb!" shouted Congressman Andrews as he commanded the Free Worlds Fleet to retreat to high altitude. "Congressman Ismay, count down from ten to one! This is a ten-second warning, because I can calculate that Nevarez's Force lightning storm will be unleashed later on!"

"Do not fear their feeble attack, my faithful." the Supreme Leader said. With Ramirez already forgotten. His lips spread apart into a nightmarish grin, and he lifted his face to Exegol’s sky with the words, "NOTHING WILL STOP THE RETURN OF THE DARK EMPIRE."

"Ten!" Ismay counted nervously as the Free Worlds Fleet was climbing into high altitudes so that they can be safe from the Supreme Leader's Force lightning attack while Ms. Frizzle, her class, the Master Defenders, the Klassixes and the Original Defenders are still keeping the Coalition roundels on the Devastator to know that they're on the Coalition's side at the same time, "Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! C'mon, five! Four! Three! Two! Hurry up, one!"

Nevarez began to raise his hands as though reaching toward the air battle overhead. Even through his haze of weakness and exhaustion, Pepper could sense him draw on the Force. The Supreme Leader’s power was staggering now. No, their power. His and Ramirez’s. Tears streamed down his face as he used their stolen power to create a conduit of Force lightning. Writhing, crooked tendrils of light shot from his black leather glove-covered fingers, coalesced into a thick stream of red light that burst into the sky, flooding the Allied starships.

"Watch out!" shouted Congressman Butt as the Force lightning was being unleashed, the Allied starships that didn't make it were sparked helplessly against the onslaught, tilting on their axis.

Poe watched in horror as raw power shot up from the planet like a massive geyser, devouring everything in its path. Several fighters were suddenly adrift, their controls no longer responding. The Tantive IV trembled, as if fighting a tractor beam. It listed to the side, began to drop. Poe wanted to look away.

Leia’s ship... he clenched his jaw and stared anyway. He would bear witness to this. The trembling intensified. One of the engines detonated. Explosions spread out along the hull, and suddenly the Tantive IV was dropping like a meteor, past the Immortal Armada and out of sight. Poe had just lost a lot of friends. He’d known Nien Numb his whole life.

Suddenly, the console of his own fighter was sparking, shocking his hand even through his flight gloves. "Artoo, my systems are failing!" From the droid socket of his X-wing came the sound of R2 screaming. Poe punched his comm. "Does anyone copy?" No response. Beside him, a sleek Nubian yacht trembled in the throes of wicked lightning, then dropped out of view.

Meanwhile, in the Devastator, Ms. Frizzle and her class, including the Master Defenders, the Klassixes and the Original Defenders, are witnessing a Force lightning storm.

"Whoa, that's a lot of Force lightning," said Wanda.

"Sweet Jesus," exclaimed Keesha.

Just as he was still unleashing an even more powerful Force lightning storm than ever before, he's overheating! Just then, he's jammed and frozen, playing a live-streaming Lance and Janice episode.

"Oh Lance!" spoke Janice to her lover Lance, just as Nevarez's jammed body was broadcasting a Lance and Janice episode with his soundwaves. "We've been in a honeymoon inside a jungle planet where so many aggressive animals and fairytale creatures live in harmony together."

"I know Janice, but we both came a long way through together," said Lance with an offscreen kiss as sad, romantic music plays. His butler, now wearing some 70s/80s rocker costume, was shocked about his master's malfunction.

"Oh, is this important, sir? It's almost time for my bass guitar recital."

"Gee, thanks Jonathon," Nevarez said with a normal half-chuckle.

"You're welcome, sir."

"Oh, that's just gonna hurt really bad," said Nevarez with a slightly nervous look. "Well, at least I can free myself from Torvivum soon. Hey, at least my Force lightning is designed to decimate only half of almost all the large Alliance spaceships that are still in low altitudes while stunning some of the others' crew members, but again, half of them. Because killing a lot of people is pretty bad."

"Damn, that was close," said Congressman Benjamin Guggenheim. "Looks like we made it to higher altitudes."

"And also, we are approaching near the Vanessa Hudgens," stated Congressman J.J. Astor. "Stand clear, Captain Quirino. We're ready for refueling."

"Roger that, folks. Captain Juan Miguel Quirino of the BRP Vanessa Hudgens, serving for the Philippine Space Force, reporting for duty," said Captain Juan Miguel Quirino of the Vanessa Hudgens in a pompous voice.

"That's right Captain Quirino," said Congressman Andrews. "I've designed this spaceship just for you long after some Infinity Project guys saved my life from the sinking of the RMS Titanic on the night of 15th of April, 1912, over a century before the end of the world as everyone knew it came along."

"Hmph, so you are the crew and first class passengers of the former RMS Titanic, huh? Well, you came to the future to help us after that nuclear war almost screwed us up. At least you're helping the dying human race up."

"Wilco, Captain Quirino. This is Molly Brown -- Mike Bravo speaking," spoke Congresswoman Molly Brown, "We are on standby, preparing for another run almost promptly after refuelling."

"Much obliged, you guys."

Then a fly landed on his head and said, "Oh you darn fly! Get outta here!" He was using his Force lightning when he tried to kill the fly, but he unintentionally unleashed another Force lightning storm.

"Ah phooey. I'm overheating again," said Nevarez. "I didn't mean to do another round of Force lightning, and I--" He suddenly froze when an episode of Lance and Janice is broadcasted again from his malfunctions.

"I love you so, now and forever, Lance... and even your diabolical twin brother, Engelbert," said Lance.

The crew of the USS George W. Bush, like so many large Alliance spaceships, is now halved. The survivors are wide awake.

"Where am I?" said the captain of the USS George W. Bush. "What the heck is going on?"

Later, Frizzle was using her binoculars to keep watch on Alexander Pepper.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Ms. Frizzle.

"It's Alex! He's back!" answered Keesha in excitement.

"Hot damn! He's still alive!" shouted D.A.

"Damn, now this is some in-flight entertainment we're looking for," Carlos stated.

"Hm. You mean Alex and Vic?" asked Ralphie.

"Hell, yes."

"I know. But--"

"No buts."

"Forget it, gents," said Arnold. "We need to do something first."

"Hard-a-starboard, lads!" commanded Carlos through the PA system.

"Hard-a-starboard, sir!" responded Wanda.

Back inside the citadel, the Supreme Leader would not stop laughing as he took his throne, light still shooting upward from his fingertips. Pepper hated the sound—grating, smug, oddly familiar. He was near death; he knew it with certainty. He didn’t want his laugh to be the last thing he heard.

He could hardly move, but he managed to roll over onto his back. His vision blackened with the effort. He reached for Ramirez—nothing. Their connection had weakened when the Supreme Leader stole their life-force. He’d vaguely sensed Ramirez falling, but it was like she’d fallen out of existence itself, leaving him carved out and broken. Pepper’s limbs refused any order to move, much less stand, so he stared at the battle above. Not that it was a battle anymore. Explosions peppered the sky. Black debris rained down everywhere, trailing smoke and fire. The Tantive IV listed, then plummeted.

He had failed so utterly. The Supreme Leader’s true power was a beautiful sight to behold, reaching ever higher, spreading out like a flower of light. In a way, he and Ramirez had made that. But the Supreme leader was using it for unspeakable evil. And now he was helpless. Dying. What would Leia do? The answer came to him gently, like a soft morning breeze. He had to give. He had to give everything. Pepper remembered his training, and he reached into the Force.

Steadied his mind. "Be with me," he whispered. His true power would always come from oneness. "Be with me. Be with me." The battle above disappeared. Instead, Pepper saw a perfect sky, vast with stars. Peaceful. Light-filled. It was like he was staring through a window to somewhere else, a place between places. "Be with me." His body relaxed. He embraced peace and calm, the way Romulus Augustus had taught him.

Through the calm, came the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi: "These are your final steps, Alex. Rise and take them." Then the voices of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, her son Ben Solo, and Rey Skywalker joined.

"Alex,"

"Alex,"

"Alex."

"We're here for you, Alex."

He didn’t recognize them all, but somehow, she knew them the moment they made themselves known to her. They’d been with her all along; she just needed to learn how to hear them. Like Leia had promised. More voices came at him fast but gentle, as though he lay at a confluence of the Force, possibilities, futures and pasts all stretching away from him, or maybe leading toward him.

The cosmos, time, energy, being—nothing was the way he’d thought it was.

"Bring back the balance, Alex, as I did." said the voice of Anakin Skywalker.

"In the night, find the light, Alex." said the voice of Luminara Unduli.

Presences filled his awareness, some recent, some ancient, some still anchored to the living in a strange way. Pepper didn’t understand. But he accepted.

"Alone, never have you been." said the voice of Yoda.

"Every Jedi who ever lived, lives in you." said the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn.

"The Force surrounds you, Alex." said the voice of Luke Skywalker.

"Let it guide you." said the voice of Aayla Secura.

"As it guided us." said the voice of Ahsoka Tano.

"Feel the Force flowing through you, Alex." said the voice of Mace Windu.

"Let it lift you." said the voice of Ben Solo.

Zuskelgar had wanted Pepper for himself. But he chose to be their conduit. Their vessel. He was a Jedi. Peppper moved an arm. Then a shoulder. He let the voices surround him, fill him, strengthen him. He turned over, placed a palm to the ground, pushed up.

"Rise, Alex." said the voice of Adi Gallia.

"We stand behind you, Alex." said the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn again.

"Alex." said the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi again.

"Rise in the Force." said the voice of Yoda again.

He got a knee beneath him, leveraged herself up onto his toes. Pepper paused, crouched, gasping for air. His muscles didn’t want to obey. Every movement turned his very bones to knives of pain.

"In the heart of a Jedi lies his strength." said the voice of Kanan Jarrus.

The voices were becoming louder, even more powerful.

"Rise." said the voice of Rey Skywalker.

"Rise!" said the voice of Ben Solo.

Romulus Augustus' voice became deep and insistent, rising above all the others. A well of power from which to draw: "Alex, the Force will be with you. Always."

He finally rose. Summoned his own lightsaber, which skidded across the stone and smacked into his hand. The blade ignited, and Pepper stood, full of strength freely given to him by those who had come before. The Supreme Leader gasped.

"Hey, what the heck is that?" questioned Nevarez with his head tilted like a curious dog. Even then, the spirits of the Jedi masters and mistresses, and even the spirits of the past Avatars, such as Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, etc., appeared behind Pepper in anger.

The avalanche of light from his fingertips ceased. He rose from his throne and stepped forward. His eyes still glowed with red lingering power, yet still nervous and scared.

While the spirits of all the deceased Sith lords and ladies appear behind Victor, he turned at his back at Palpatine in so much annoyance. "Except you, Palpatine. As the most evil Sith lord you are, you failed your Galactic Empire on purpose for doing those villainous acts that're beyond redemption and myself." Later, he uses his Force lightning to get rid of Palpatine's ghost, because he hates the latter for being a devil-in-person. This is the last time we get to see Palpatine as a spirit.

"DOGGONE IT. YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" he screamed, then he cleared his throat again and turned his back, calling his butler guy Marple. "Jonathon? Jonathon!? Joooonathon!!" he called. A holographic call for Jonathon Marple began with the words given from the butler, "Oh, tally ho. How can I be of assistance?"

"Well don't just stand there, Jonathon. Can you kindly annihilate this little bug, please and thank you?" the evil Supreme Leader said politely.

"Bah, just kidding!" the butler on the hologram said, "Because you've reached my holographic voicemail. Please leave your name and a brief message. Ta-ta!"

The butler disappeared and Nevarez said with a slight chuckle, a normal half-laughter and a sigh.

"Fine, guess I'll have to do it myself then." he said, just as he rolled his kakugan eyes and to Pepper.

"Now, let your death be the final word in the story of the Alliance." Nevarez reached with his arms, sent purple-colored Force lightning zagging towards Pepper. He whipped up his lightsaber and blocked it. The impact nearly knocked him from his feet, but he reached for the Force, and stood his ground. His attack intensified.

"D'oh, bugger me sideways," whined Nevarez a bit cowardly. "Why can't my butler come here in person to help me!? How did that happen!?!?"

Then I ran inside the Sith Citadel and saw Nevarez unleashing an already-redoubled Force lightning attack on Pepper, yet he's just super afraid, just as if Courage (the Bagges' pet dog) was screaming at villains, Arnold Perlstein getting nervous on field trips, Marshall the Fire Pup afraid to go to a parachute training exercise, and I was afraid in the woods on a dark night.

"Oh, darn. Well, YOU ARE NOTHING!" he yelled in a much angrier, demonic, yet a bit nervous voice one final time. "A FRENCH BOY IS NO MATCH FOR THE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE! I AM THE LORD OF ALL VILLAINS." Pepper's wrist felt like it was going to break. But it wouldn’t. Not today.

He cleared his throat, and his demonic voice slowly dwindled back to his normal voice while looking more nervous than ever.

"And maybe some bullies, those who were laughing at anyone inferior, mischievous guys, strict parents, snobbish rich people, criminals... and/or grumpy neighbors, I guess? Right? Right!?" he said with a nervous chuckle. As Pepper looked angrier than what he looked, his face moved down in shameful defeat. "But it was all of Amattaken Rahaim's idea!"

"Oh darn it for real, that's it. I give up all my evil plans. I surrender."

"Oh, right. I see you could be like that," stated Alexander curiously. Now his voice is now in an angrily, more demonic-ish voice similar to Nevarez's. Oh, nevermind. Actually, it was the voices of a thousand Jedi masters, like what Aang was saying to Ozai with the voices of a thousand Avatars before him.

"And I," he said, reaching for more strength, for Augustus' lightsaber. It clicked into his hand. "I am the Lord of All Good Guys." He brought the second lightsaber to bear, crossing its blade with the first, creating an impenetrable shield.

Well, guess what? Pepper's using his double-wielded lightsabers, one of them was once belonged to Romulus Augustus!

"What the--!?" Nevarez said in a slightly scared tone while still using the last of his Force to unleash a redoubled lightning strike on him in vain, just as Pepper is deflecting it.

"Darn!" he said in a normal, mildly angry tone... nervously. "Help! I can't deflect Alex's lightsabers!" The villains didn't want to listen, because they want to officially accept a surrender to us later on.

"That was just a freaking joke! What the heck am I supposed to do against a double-wielding lightsabered French boy?! On my own!?" he said even a bit more nervous and scared with his Force running out even faster while Pepper continued to step forward, pushing back against his onslaught. Then again. Every step was anguish. It was taking everything the Jedi had given him, everything he had.

Now his Force lightning got weaker, quieter and smaller. "Mommy!" he cried out with a dog-like whimper. "Have mercy on me! I have to surrender like everybody else! You're making a mistake! I've made a lot of mistakes! I'll give you everything! Money, fame, fortune, popularity, and even infinite power! I'm just a single man!"

Then his Force finally ran out. His lightning is no more, and Pepper is still unscathed. He stopped deflecting it, and he's free to finish him off with a final blow.

He gave his final speech in front of us, confessing to all of us that he admitted defeat... with a single tear in his kakugan eye.

"Oh, alright," he said. "You folks caught me. Well, you know what? I failed myself. Palpatine failed everybody else with the most evil intentions he had done to the Galactic Empire. I kinda acted out like that good-for-nothing devil-in-person crybaby named Sheev Palpatine. I admit, I was indeed the true grand mastermind of the Third World War, but not the Jedi-Sith conflict thing, but you're right. Like that doofus madman Tomislav Vlahović of the Belkan Grey Men who was the true mastermind of the USRAC War, the true mastermind of the Last Day, a full-scale biological/chemical/nuclear war between the two alliances we fought each other against is one of your generals, is actually a young lady named Maxine Dunwell, the female American attaché serving for the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia who ordered all the newly-built Saudi nuclear weapons to be launched at Iranian major cities, responsible for killing countless quintillions of people, and I hated this idea. Well, you're just gonna have two choices, Alex. Either you kill me, or you spare me. If you kill me, then I'll be free from Zuskelgar and I'll be on my way to heaven with all my fellow comrades who fell before me, and when you pass away, I may have the right to forgive you, no matter what. And if you spare me, then I'd rather be called Alexander Pepper II, just like you, rather than to call you as Emperor Zuskelgar II, which is rather insulting I admit... or maybe I can be your servant as punishment for my own insolence. Please choose which fate can you choose to do this to me. Either way, I surrender and I'm accepting this somber fate from now on."

"Sure. Whatever you say, Alexander Pepper II," Alex said, "But I think killing you is better if you don't want me to fall for your tricks again."

"But I -- I don't do tricks at all! I'm just a normal villain who avoids being a complete monster, just to avoid those mistakes that jerk Palpatine had committed so long ago, and I swear that I--" This is another time (and not the first time) we all get to see his scaredy cat face. Just because of Pepper who was hesitantly about to kill Nevarez for these so-called 'tricks,' he was more scared.

"Uh-oh," the Coalition's Supreme Leader said in great fear, just as Pepper's dual lightsabers are fully-charged with tripled Force lightning, more powerful than his.

"Well, this stinks," he said. I will not forget his last words too, before he got badly wounded. Even though he said these words of fear, he seemed to accept his own fate now.

The lightning began to feed back on the Supreme Leader. It ravaged his face, and he tossed back his head in agony, and in denial of what was happening. Pepper pursued mercilessly, one foot in front of the other, absorbing power from the Force.

Finally, Pepper was ready. He gathered his strength, his faith in the Jedi past, his love of his friends, and he thrust it all at the Supreme Leader. He staggered backward, his own power reflected against him. It knocked him out and left a large electric wound on his stomach, just as he screamed in horror as he was disintegrated by his own lightning.

But before the Supreme Leader is no more, the dying Nevarez, mortally wounded, stopped screaming in agony when Zuskelgar's spirit was released from him, and so followed the spirits of all Sith lords, except Darth Sidious (the cold-blooded ruler of the Galactic Empire whose actions failed the Sith) so he had no choice but to commit his final act of his life: ultimately decimating the most man we can fight against: Tomislav Vlahović of the Belkan Grey Men. He used the last of his Force to finally get this nearly pure evil madman off the face of the Earth instead of killing his opponent, Pepper. Looks like he finally chose to free himself from the evil master whom he possessed, putting him under his duress.

As Zuskelgar was suffering from Force lightning, his last words were, "You caught me. Now, remember this: not all Sith are evil! Mark my words if you can." He disappeared without a trace, leaving only his empty Sith robes. Nevarez sighed in despair and sadness, knowing that he and Torvivum Zuskelgar does indeed have a tragic backstory and his honorable personality like him. I will not forget him either.

And like collapsing stardust, what remained of Zuskelgar's soul coalesced into a single point, which then exploded with a massive shockwave that threw Pepper and Nevarez to the ground. The Sith throne shattered. The ceiling bouldered down around them, crushing thousands of disciples in the amphitheater. Anyone who survived are arrested for ten year imprisonment and/or a US$5,000 fine.

"Vicky!" I shouted. "Let's get the hell outta here!"

Up above, the Sidiousist Sith jetpack troopers were not letting up. Jannah was doing a great job of keeping them off his back, but Finn couldn’t help getting distracted. Focus, Finn. Pepper or Rose would have had this thing rewired in half the time. One more splice, there.

"Okay, we’re hot!" he yelled to Jannah. He jumped down from the cannon, yanking a handful of wires with him. He was almost sure he had the right ones. He handed two of them to Jannah. He would aim; she would fire. Finn touched his wires together, and the giant cannon barrel swiveled until it was pointed directly at the  Lord Trethium's Wrath's command deck. He looked up at Jannah one more time. This was it.

They weren’t coming back from this one. "Never another kid," he said. "Not even one," she agreed. And with that, she touched her wires together. They sparked, and a split second later the cannon fired a massive pulse blast. Finn and Jannah waited, breathed. Had it worked? Maybe Finn should have aimed for a different— The hull came apart beneath them.

Albrecht wasted the few precious seconds he might have had to reach an escape pod in frozen disbelief. The floor of the bridge shuddered as though urging him to run. And he did, finally, only to discover that the corridor leading away from the bridge was buckled and impassable. Allegiant General Enric Pryde, Admirals Frantis Griss & Firmus Piett, and Jonathon Marple met Albrecht at the door that led nowhere. They exchanged a panicked look as an officer rushed toward them.

"Comms are down everywhere!" he said. "There are attacks on Destroyers and Dreadnoughts in all occupied systems!" said another bridge officer. "Overwhelming numbers of small craft!" This wasn’t happening. It wasn’t possible. His Supreme Leader had foreseen everything. The floor began to slant sideways. Several explosions drew Albrecht’s gaze to the viewport.

He dashed forward, as though getting a better look might present him with a solution. The hull of the Wrath was dangerously tipped, and the Allied ships were recovering from the strange energy that had held many of them in its grip. It seemed as though all was lost. For the first time, Albrecht considered that maybe the Supreme Leader would not restore the glory of the Dark Empire.

He let that possibility wash through him, absorbed it, examined it. He was forced to conclude that he didn’t care. It didn’t matter to him one bit. In his last moment, Lord Commander Reginar Albrecht finally understood that the return of Sheev Palpatine was meaningless -- nor will Tomislav Vlahović -- if he were not alive to see it. All his efforts, his sacrifices had not been worth it. Torvivum Zuskelgar, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and the other Sith lords and ladies? Well, they don't need Palpatine anymore.

It seemed the centuries-long Sith Reformation is complete. A true Sith cannot do any heartless actions like that bastard Palpatine himself.

The bridge exploded, claiming the lives of Albrecht, Piett, Pryde, Griss, and Marple.

Finn and Jannah clung to the Wrath 's hull together, ducking as flaming debris from the bridge tumbled past them. They couldn’t hold on much longer. They’d lose their grip and missile to the planet’s surface—if the Wrath didn’t come apart first. He looked to Jannah. He was so glad they’d found each other. Two former stormtroopers, together and doing the right thing in the end. "You know what?" he yelled over the sounds of destruction.

A smile like the sun broke out on her face. "I’m not sorry, either!" she hollered. The ship jolted. Pieces of the hull broke away, and suddenly they were sliding down the length of the Dreadnought. How long could you slide down a ship this size before finding open air? A couple minutes, maybe. As Finn slid, he held Jannah and breathed. He had no regrets. It had been worth it.

Someone tried to patch through to Poe from below, and he flipped his frequency to take the comm. "Finn didn’t board the lander," came Rose’s voice. "What?" "They’re still on that massive command ship!"

All his relief at getting the fleet back online ebbed away. He could not lose Finn. He would not. He peeled his X-wing away from the attack and dove for the Wrath. The command ship was now pointed tip-downward, ready to spear the planet’s surface. His buddy had done that. Scanners were near-useless in this atmosphere, so he could only do visual sweeps. There was a good chance the bridge explosion had taken Finn with it.

But Poe wouldn’t give up, not until he had to. He’d just lost the Tantive IV and everyone on it. He needed to save as many of his people as he could. He buzzed by a comm tower, now thrusting parallel to the ground, and he almost missed the two figures huddling together on top of it.

"I see them!" he said. "I’ll double back." "You won’t make it, General!" Tyce warned. "Trust me, I’m fast!" he insisted, already turning his fighter around. "Not as fast as this ship," came Lando’s voice. "Hold on, Chewie!" The Falcon meteored toward the Mega-class Star Dreadnought, then angled to come up from below.

Finn almost lost his grip when he saw the Falcon’s hull rise below him. "Jannah!" he yelled, surging with hope. "I know!" They would have to time this just right. They’d have a few steps of running room along the side of the comm tower, and then nothing but air. They gripped hands. Not just yet.

Now! They took off running as Lando guided the hull closer. With all their might, they leapt, just as the Wrath finally succumbed to gravity and dropped toward oblivion, before it crashed into the surface of Exegol.

They landed hard on the Falcon’s hull; Finn’s ankle twisted. A hatch opened revealing Chewbacca, who waved at them to hurry. They sprinted across the top of the Falcon, Finn’s ankle screaming with each step, and finally dropped into the hold.

"Chewie, you got the kids?" Lando hollered from the cockpit. Chewie roared confirmation, and the Falcon sped away. Finn collapsed against the wall. He couldn’t believe they’d survived.

Back inside the citadel, the Dark Emperor was no more. Pepper gazed at the tumbled wreckage of the arena around him. He couldn’t feel his arms and legs. Vaguely, he heard the clink of his lightsabers hitting the ground—when had he let go of them?

He reached for the Force one last time. Some of his friends were surely still up there somewhere. He sensed, Finn! And, Jannah? Giving absolutely everything was no big deal at all—compared to saving her friends. He reached for Ramirez too, but his legs gave out, and he crumpled to the ground.

Finn was running for the Falcon’s turret stations, Jannah on his heels. Something rent his very soul, and he staggered, barely catching himself on the wall of the corrider. "Alex, no..." he whispered. Pepper has fainted. He had just begun to understand how his presence could weigh so strongly in his mind. He should have told him. He’d meant to. Now he’d never have the chance.

"Finn?" Jannah prompted, as agonized tears streamed down his cheeks. Chewbacca asked what was wrong. But Finn’s breath had left him completely, and he couldn’t respond.

Suddenly, Ramirez's fall had been caught on a jagged outcropping. Her ankle was twisted, and she was pretty sure she’d broken at least two ribs. But she had to get back to the throne room. Because she couldn’t sense Pepper at all. The climb up was agonizing. Each time she reached for a handhold, a hot knife of pain stabbed her left side. Dizziness threatened to send her tumbling back into the abyss, but she kept on, one hand over the other, until finally her fingers grasped the top.

She hauled herself over the side. Paused a moment to catch her breath. Dragged herself to her feet. Ramirez made it only a few steps before she crumpled, forced herself to her feet yet again, limped forward. She could see Pepper and Nevarez now, both collapsed on the floor, and the pain in her chest was suddenly so much worse than that of a couple of broken ribs.

Ms. Frizzle, her class, the Master Defenders, the Klassixes and the Original Defenders watch the collapsing Sith Citadel in horror.

"A prayer. We ought to say a prayer from different religions," spoke Ms. Frizzle.

"Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thou will be done, on Earth as it is in Heav'n--" she prayed.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over..." prayed Carlos in grief, sadness, nervousness and worry.

Before he died, he finally smiled at Pepper, showing forgiveness that it wasn't his fault, but it was indeed Tomislav Vlahović all along. This had to be another and last time to see Nevarez smiling at Pepper. But not in an evil way. His smile is just normal. Not looking cruel. The Sith lords and ladies, and the Jedi masters and mistresses, looked regretful for the mistakes of all sapient species committed for almost all time.

"Alex. I'm sorry. I'm must confess that I'm actually not the lord of all villains at all. I'm just inevitable, like Thanos said," stated Victor. "Monsieur Pepper my boy, it doesn't take a lot of war crimes in one's mind and body to know that's a bad idea. You saw I'd become a monster like Vlahović and/or Palpatine himself, and you stopped me like a man we both are to be to this very day, on this final hour of my entire life. I'm proud of you." Pepper agreed with a half-hug on the dying Supreme Leader.

"But... before I die, please, Alex. Please... just remember: tell the Alliance officials that you were right. I'll always be posthumously known as Alexander Pepper II in your book, and you are not Emperor Zuskelgar II at all," groaned Nevarez. "So, remember: there is no reason to ultimately destroy any two sides of the Force, whenever it's light or dark. They must be used together while handling with care at the same time as long it's only used for the good of all life in and around the multiverse. And... when your time of passing comes, well, I can forgive you at the very first moment there in the afterlife. Now please, do your best. Au revoir, Alex."

Pepper smiled at him back as he died with his eyes half-closed, only after he stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating. Later, he felt despair and frowned quickly as he stared at Victor's bloodied uniform, still worn on his lifeless body, now laying over a slowly-growing, yet small-sized puddle of blood he was standing, kneeled, heavily breathed and screamed loudly while mourning the loss of his opponent, just like what Superman was screaming after defeating General Zod.

He cried, and I stepped near him, showing how guilty his near-pure good life would've been, showing guilt that he chose to kill him instead of sparing him. A sad mistake indeed! That's why, I had to start cremating him when we return to Earth.

"Pepper, you're not supposed to kill a surrendered enemy leader like this," kindly scolded Bradford to Pepper for that murderous act. "He just surrendered, and now you did the wrong thing to murder him rather than to take him in custody."

"I'm so sorry. I just felt a bit more stubborn than what I did about the Eiserne Zitadelle," Alexander said. "Even though he did destroy Yavin 4 as an extreme measure. I did the same on that too."

"That's okay, Alex. At least this war's over now."

Pepper did not mourn Darth Trethium. He would never mourn Darth Trethium. But he dearly would have loved the chance to get to know Nevarez. It felt like half of him was missing, and he supposed it was. And just when he’d discovered that precious connection, that incredible oneness, it was ripped away.

And Vlahović? Well, we hated him. I admit I liked Nevarez. But I hated Tomislav even more than him. Even the Serbs hated him a lot for failing him and being too nationalistic. Unlike Nevarez and Vlahović, the Serbian madman's uniform is more bloodstained than Nevarez's, thanks to the Force lightning unleashed from both Sith and Jedi masters' spirits, including both Nevarez's and Pepper's.

"Curse you, Pepper! You foiled my plans, even though I am dead, thus cutting my own strings on Arnold Perlstein as my puppet for failing the fulfillment for the How I Can Help Make the World Great essay contest long ago, but now -- now, you will all pay for this with all your blood! Soon, even though I am dead, I'll strike where Ruby couldn't protect you all, Rubyists -- in your dreams!" screamed Vlahović's even more demonic voice (than what Nevarez spoke many moments ago) as it echoed and echoed loudly, then his voice laughed evilly. This is ringing my own ears so badly. I kneeled and grunted in agony as I felt like Tomislav is still haunting me to this day. Even for all generations yet to come. His spirit is reduced to ash. He's much worse than Freddy Kreuger in my book.

If only the Sith and Jedi are to work together to battle against the haunting nightmares created by Vlahović. Well, at least he's dead. It seemed that Grimm Vlatovi is gone. We mourned the loss of Nevarez, but not our greatest enemy yet, the said leader of the Belkan Grey Men from the USRAC War of long ago.

Well, at least people can now sleep and dream well -- as long as Nevarez's spirit is redeemed as it was like Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) and Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) would've been -- and as long as we never listen to the evil Tomislav Vlahović at all. I hated him a lot more.

As we cremate Nevarez's dead body into ashes (even his bloodstained uniform and hat) on the same pit where Ramirez was trapped in, we were sitting down in sadness, when suddenly, a voice came to Pepper through the Force, clear and strong. "I will always be with you," Victor said. He smiled. Let the truth of it wash over him. "No one’s ever really gone," he whispered. He retrieved his lightsabers and sprinted from the ruined arena. I'll never forget what he said.

After his words' echoes faded away, thunder roared loudly, and the last of Force lightning disappeared. Soon, heavy rain began to fall on the ruins of this desert planet. That is the symbol of how the Sith and the Jedi are no longer enemies, but are indeed friends to each other. Light did not prevail over darkness. Both sides combined into good, something of which that prevailed over evil.

The Coalies finally laid down their arms, and some of the finest raised their white flags, showing mercy and surrender - also their absolute will to submit to us -- the Alliance. They rose their hands up, knowing that they finally threw in the towel. Now, nobody ever wanted to throw their own hats in the ring.

The job's done. We don't need to discuss about Victor Nevarez and/or Torvivum Zuskelgar's return. They're just different people with the same story as us. Not the same as Vlahović himself.

I felt like the late Emperor Hirohito was right about weapons of mass destruction, only a century late. He said that the overuse of any kind of these weapons can bring end to a sapient species like myself. I can't believe we were caught in a nightmare much worse than the worst criminals - Palpatine, Vlahović, etc.

"Let's go home, lads," said a British medic as carries his stretcher to bring myself home. He and his medical team are sad about how Nevarez was just Vlahović's slave, even though the latter was his puppet.

The Devasator landed in front of us. Landed to the ruins of the amphitheater that once stood. Carrying a badly-wounded Arnold Perlstein are Ralphie Tennelli and Jyoti Kaur. That's because of his broken leg. He, even though his right leg broke, thus his shoe was removed and bandaged, smiled and he shouted at us in joy, "Son of a bitch, you did it!"

I smiled at him back.

"You should've seen yourself, it was damn amazing!" wooed Arnold.

8 DAYS LATER -- TITANIC CITY, AVALON

It's September 10th, 2045. It's been eight days since we returned to Exegol with Nevarez, along with many other Sith lords, freed from Palpatine's solitude (and even finally, we ultimately destroyed Vlahović) as a posthumous and honorary hero he is long after his evil days are numbered (while Vlahović isn't). The official surrender ceremony for the villains of the Coalition of the Red Star to the heroes of the Grand Alliance was held in Titanic City. Held in the frontyard of the Astor House with all the Congress of the Republic of Avalon standing beside of us. The former passengers and crew members of the RMS Titanic and the survivors of the Last Day, including those coming from the spared worlds, also attended the event, other than the heroes and the surviving villains.

High Captain E.J. Smith, Chief of State Nathan Bradford, the spirit of Victor Nevarez, Alexander Pepper, Bluey Heeler, and so many other Grand Alliance leaders and generals either finished doing their speeches or are awaiting for their turn to speak are sitting on first class dining saloon chairs. At the time, Congressman Thomas Andrews of the Republic of Avalon (who led the Free Worlds Fleet), is giving a speech for us all.

Even Arnold is holding his crutch with bandage still worn while still in his jumpsuit from his field trip to the International Space Station from "Kids in Space." He smiled at me while sitting in front of us, and now he's more decorated than his own classmates, more decorated than Ms. Frizzle herself. A brave hero despite his pessimism and fears of going to extraordinary field trips. This now-fearless 10-year-old boy now has two new medals added: a World War III Victory Medal and a Purple Heart. Now he's proud of me. I'm proud of him too. His redemption is finally complete. Being even more decorated than any other Grand Alliance member made the nearly-all-Japanese-American 442nd Infantry Regiment from World War II look like a penal battalion without any honors at all.

Even though High Captain E.J. Smith co-presided the event with so many Alliance officials doing so since Titanic City is the host venue for this ceremony, I was the main presider for this event. Right now, Congressman Andrews is speaking in front of the brave men, women and children of the Alliance, including the surrendered Coalition forces and officers, including the villains who were summoned earlier. I knew I defeated both Nevarez and Vlahović.

"When history called, you answered. From all walks of life, you came to defend peace and freedom," spoke Thomas Andrews on the lectern with a microphone, standing on the stage in front of all of us Alliance heroes, soldiers, generals and officers with the high-ranking ones behind him. All heroes are wearing the same exact Battle for the Multiverse outfits -- all cleaned up and repaired with their wounds dressed for the big day -- while the soldiers are wearing service dress uniforms and/or full dress uniforms. I smiled at Congressman Andrews with the war finally over. "I thank you. And the multiverse thanks you, and wherever your path takes you, know this: You will always be amongst a brotherhood and sisterhood of heroes and heroines."

Hours later, it was almost time for all of us to go near-separate ways. The war is finally over. Even we found out that Nevarez and Zuskelgar are right all along. They are just innocent souls, trying to rival those who fight for freedom, just for conservatism. Not like the purely evil Sith lord Sheev Palpatine at all. Neither would be like the other pure evil madman -- Vlahović.

"Ah," said Arnold. "This is it, fellas. And I'm sorry for that sadistic How I Can Help Make the World Great ceremony. I believe Vlahović is to blame for this kind of action. He framed me for this evil idea since that madman mind-controlled me."

"Well Alex," said High Captain E.J. Smith. "We've done our duty. We cremated Nevarez, and his ashes are scattered in and around the Hudson River in Titanic City to say goodbye to him. And Vlahović? Well, we'll never forgive this evil man. Even the Serbs hated him for his incompetence. Now our job's done. And I told you, you don't want me to live in a post-High Captain Smith Avalon yet. That'll be too cruel."

"Gentlemen," said Molly Mabray with a pat on my back. "Qyah! Your prodigal daughter returns!"

Trivia

 * The rollcall conducted by Ms. Frizzle's classmates in the Devastator is reminiscent to that from "Kids in Space" whilst in the International Space Station.
 * The death of Victor Nevarez is actually succumbing to a large electric shock wound on his stomach, just as Rey's final blow on Palpatine with his Force lightning seemed too grotesque and/or to be subject to copyright infringement from Lucasfilm, the creator of Star Wars.
 * Instead, he would be cremated by the Grand Alliance medics during a surrender ceremony.
 * The last words spoken by Tomislav Vlahović is reminiscent to Groundskeeper Willie's last words from "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace" (a Treehouse of Horror VI segment) before being burnt into ashes and dust after suffering extreme heat from a furnace that Homer turned itself up.
 * The post-war speech delivered by Avalonian congressman Thomas Andrews is reminiscent to the final speech given by Colonel Davis from Call of Duty: WW2.