Two figures stood atop the ruins of the first Jedi Temple.
Rey held out her arm, clutching the cold metal in her hand, staring Luke down as he looked at her with pain gently folded into his features.
His beard moved as he spoke.
"You're endangering yourself by coming here."
"I have brought you this lightsaber" She spoke, still clutching the weapon in her outstretched hand, offering it to him as proof she deserves to be heard. "It should look familiar, shouldn't it?"
He looked from her face to the handle of a lightsaber in her hand.
"It does," is all he said.
"I have questions. Will you answer some them? Will you to train me to use the Force? Until a couple of weeks ago, I only thought you to be a legend, Luke Skywalker." Rey smiled, "You won't believe what I have learned! Er, well I guess maybe you would."
"Yes, I suppose I would." He tried to return the smile but couldn't. "I feel it within you. The Force is indeed strong with you. As long as you know the dangers and know the risk you have taken, come along. Let's talk."
He moved past her and down the hill a little way, past a few stone steps and walls. Slowly, Rey followed, feeling her way along the broken, mossy stones. Luke lead her into a gray stone building that looked like it had once been in shambles but skillfully and precisely assembled again. However, in these newly rebuilt walls there was no moss, but some mud in between the cracks to help keep the place together and shield the inhabitant from the wind and rain. Luke opened the wooden door for her as she crossed the threshold and looked around. Candles were lined in every little crook in the wall and a mess of cushions and blankets lay in a heap around a wooden table towards the edge of the room near a fireplace that looked as if it hadn't been cleaned out in years.
"You… live here?" She asked, still taking in the sight of an old hermit's quarters.
"Well, I was hardly expecting to entertain many guests, you can imagine." He replied, closing the door behind him, making for the fireplace and grabbing the kettle. He filled it with water and set it back into the fire, stoking the embers to give it life again He added a few logs into the fireplace and turned around.
"Sit… please." His voice was hoarse from what was assumed many years of not speaking.
Rey chose a soft, clean looking cushion and sat down by the table. She couldn't take her eyes off the wonder in front of her. Luke Skywalker! Here! She looked around at his walls, his bed, his fireplace, trunks of things and clothes scattered about, taking in every detail about this man.
"Yes. Ah, well, I can't even imagine where we should begin." Rey said with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Honestly, with everything that has happened where SHOULD she begin? The very beginning? Cover the important stuff first? Kylo Ren, the lightsaber, Han…
She looked down in front of her, still brutally aware of the loss of her friend she knew only too shortly. Luke looked at her, standing still and silently. The only thing that broke the long silence was the whistle of the kettle.
He took the kettle form the fireplace and poured two cups of tea. "Drink this, it'll make you feel better, I promise" With a small smile, he handed her a cup of hot steaming liquid that smelled a little bit like camel hair and a hint of jasmine.
"I… know about Han. You don't need to tell me." Luke said, staring out the small window.
This surprised Rey. "Wait you do? How? Is it the Force?"
He looked away from the window and sat down opposite the table. "When you're deeply connected to the Force, as someday you may be, you can feel things as they happen, especially when someone is very close to you. I felt Han's death the moment it happened. Painful as these feelings are, it is critical for a Jedi to hide their feelings or else they may betray you to others. I feel the pain of Han's death from you. You would do wise to hide feelings like these." Luke was staring intently at Rey.
"Hide my feelings? You want me to pretend he never died? That he never meant anything to me? That his death was meaningless?" She looked up from her tea and stared right back into his eyes, trying to burn into them with her pain. It really didn't seem to affect Luke, it seemed.
"Please, you misunderstand me. You must feel, but you cannot use these feelings with the Force. And you can't show these feelings to any others. From what I sense, they are very real and Han must have meant a lot to you." He broke off, not meeting her eyes, and looked again out the window. He thought of the last time he saw Han…
After a moment he looked back to her and said, "These feelings can be used against you in even the subtlest of ways. I'm sure your meeting with Ben has taught you that much at least."
"Ben...? You mean that awful demon Kylo Ren?" Rey asked. "He used the force against me, penetrated my mind, and tried to force me to give away the map leading to you. I resisted him, of course, but I really didn't know what I was doing at the time. I need you to train me to use the Force so I can go after him!" She squared her shoulders and tilted her chin up, challenging Luke to tell her he wouldn't train her.
Luke stared into her eyes, he could feel how strong she was with the force. Strong like…
"I will have to think about it. I cannot give you an answer now. I realize you need training, but I am sure you have heard of the last time I trained a Jedi." Luke answered.
"I don't want to be a Jedi, what do you think I'm here for? I just want to know how to use this Force thing. I mean, I can already use it but I need to learn more. It's just purely instinctual at this point! Even Kylo said…said I need someone to train me. He offered to do the job but I'd much rather gouge my eyes out with his lightsaber!"
Luke smiled and gave a halfhearted laugh. "No doubt you are very strong with the Force. There's no doubt at all. However, I will still consider your request. It is getting dark out, I suggest you return to your ship and we will meet again in the morning." He stood up and made his way to the door to let her out.
Feeling frustrated Rey got up quickly and just stood in her place, staring fiercely at Luke. He returned her gaze and dared not break it. What was minutes seemed like hours until she quickly walked to the door and jerked it open. "You will train me. You must." She looked at him.
"Give my regards to R2 for me." He smiled at her, the corners of his mouth not daring to meet the pain and sadness in his eyes.
With that she walked out of the door and started her journey to the shore, where her ship and droids awaited her return.
