Okay so this is my first fan fiction so any and all critics and things you like about it would be greatly appreciated to know what I can improve and change to make my writing better and more enjoyable to read. :) So please, feel free to leave me feedback (but please be nice :P).
So as the description stated this is a complete reimagine so some of it will follow parts of the films but the majority will be different from the movies...
Light and dark. Good and evil. Life and death. All of them opposites, but is the force that holds the universe together; a yin and yang, one can't survive without the other. A balance more unpredictable and unstable than the tip of a blade that a war has raged on since the beginning of time; and, at any moment, threatening to waver and tear the whole galaxy apart. Rebels and the Empire, Jedi's falling to the darkness and being blinded by the light. A war, fiercely raging on within each and every being in the universe. A never-ending battle expanding over the vastness of the galaxy; tearing generations apart: a father against his son, a mother fighting her daughter, generation after generation falling into the trap of being forced to choose between the light and the dark.
Earth, a small insignificant planet in the system of the universe, is home to one of the many sub-species of the human race. A planet with little advancement in technology compared with other planets, with little resources worth exploring; a planet in which one half feared the existence of "aliens" and the other keen to learn but are kept blinded. Not due to the rest of the galaxy but down to the powers of the planet that want to keep their subjects in the dark; this being down to the fact that this sub-species of humans had always ruled their planet and, to find out that they weren't the most powerful beings out there could have catastrophic effects on their fragile self-centred minds. Of course, this limited the chance of the Earth expanding into a power of the galaxy one which shared it with other human ruled planets such as: Hapes, Coruscant and Naboo, among many others. However, in an attempt to stay secluded from the rest of the universe, the Earth did lend some support to the Empire when they needed it. In fear that the Empire would drag the planet out of its remoteness and being thrust into the war which, had rapidly expanded across the galaxy.
But hidden deep within the planet on a small but influential island was a key factor in the war, a key to the balance of the light and the dark. A force user with no real training. Her story didn't originate on this peaceful planet and by no means will it end on it. A figure with hidden beginnings buried so deep within herself she had no clue and others who did never wanted the truth to be revealed...
After the war had been won, Leia and Han had settled down in a declared resistance camp with other survivors, ones who shared Leia's fear that the war would return once again and they would be called upon to protect the galaxy. It was a relatively small base in an abandoned, mostly uninhabited, Halbara. After a while Leia and Han had a son called Ben that they loved dearly. Han struggled to open up to his son with his own abandonment by his father echoing within him, torturing his mind; Han managed to overcome this with the help of Leia and became an extraordinary father who doted on his son. Leia loved her son with all her heart but always feared the darkens that lurked in the depths of his heart, she prayed that it would never boil over and take control of him.
On this night, whilst the rain hammered on the roof of the house like pellets shattering a target. The monsoon blazing on outside with a force so great that it felt like the sky had been ripped apart and the ocean was flooding through. Her choice would change their lives.
She was expecting a guest as a four-year-old Ben sat in the corner of the sitting room playing with his toy shuttles, his father playing alongside him. The visitor was in grave need of her help which she was all too happy to give; but what she didn't know in that moment was that this night was one that would change the course of the lives of all those involved and the course of history.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. The door clattered as Leia stood and hurried to the door, Ben stopped playing and curiously watched his mother dash off, like a hurricane that had just stormed through. "Alright Ben let's move the fun into the other room, your mums got an old... acquaintance visiting her." Han spoke in a gentle yet commanding voice which left no room for arguing. As Ben exited the room he watched as his mother was rushing a figure, dressed from head to toe in a clock, into the hall. "You must be freezing, please let me take that." Leia said as she gently helped the woman out of her black hooded cloak. Her hair was a shimmering blonde colour which fell freely down her shoulders a few drenched strands clinging to her cheeks. She was dressed in a white, long-sleeved, cross over top and black pants. As he was rushed into his room, Ben caught a glimpse of a bundle of white blankets being hugged protectively to her body before she disappeared from his sight.
"Thank you, Leia, for agreeing to helping us on such short notice." The woman said as she bowed her head slightly in respect and appreciation. "The Princess... She's just sorry that she couldn't make it here personally.; unpredictable circumstances prevented her from making this journey." The woman sadly added.
"Please don't tell me. He's found her already hasn't he." Leia questioned praying in my heart that she had hopeful escaped, somehow.
"Unfortunately." Her eyes casting down at the bundle in her arms, tears threatening to overcome her. "The Princess knows how much she's asking of you and Han and she understands if the two of you cannot take this child on."
"Of course, we're willing Sanda." The two women twisted their heads at the voice. Han continued to talk as he closed Ben's door with a soft click. "We wouldn't have agreed for you to come here if we were just going to turn you away." Han walked over to Leia placing his hands around her shoulders loving "After all she done for us and the Resistance how could we refuse." Hans voice glistened with a ting of sadness as he continued "We're just sad that we couldn't have helped her more than this."
A sad silence passed over the group for a moment. "Mmmm" the baby stirred in her arms as she began to wake up.
"Please, let's talk more in the warmth of the living room." Leia said with warmth in her voice. Sanda nodded as she followed after Leia and Han into the warmth. Once they were all seated Sanda uncovered the soft white blanket slightly from the child's face. "The Princess has asked that I warn you of the two visions she's seen of this child before you continue to take on the task of raising her in secret."
Han and Leia both exchange a knowing look. "Sanda we appreciate the Princess's concern but nothing could change our minds from doing this." Leia smiled a heart-warming smile which she hoped would put an end to Sanda's worry however, it done the exact opposite. Sanda's face contorted slightly with pain and a twinge of sadness.
"That's the problem Leia, the Princess isn't concerned for the child, she's concerned for the both of you and your son..." Sanda glanced flickered between Han and Leia who both looked slightly confused; so she continued. "The Princess's visions of this child entwine with the future of your son. She doesn't want to get your child mixed up in this." Leia and Han both looked at each other and nodded before turning back and looking at Sanda with warmth in their eyes.
"Nothing in our lives has ever been that simple, neither ours or the Princesses. There's always a threat of the Empire regaining its strength. There was always going to be complications with what we've chosen to do by taking on the child." Leia stated with confidence then looking down at the bundle on Sanda's lap with a loving smile glistening in her eyes. "But, the Princess should never worry about our decision it will stay the same no matter what you tell us." Sanda smiled, a smile of relief knowing that this child would be safe no matter what she had to tell them.
Ben had been dying to find out what his parents were talking about to this stranger and, for the most part, had resisted the urge to wander out of his room and listen in to the conversation. He had tried to distract himself by playing with the shuttles. However, curiosity had got the better of him, so he, ever so quietly, opened the door, a slight squeak escaped echoing down the hall. He froze waiting for the repercussions. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... He counted down in his head but nothing happened, the door to the living room remained firmly shut. Gaining courage from his success he tip-toed over to the shut living room door opening it a crack to listen into what was being said. He listened intensely as the woman who he had found out was called Sanda lifted the bundle of blankets handing over what appeared to be a child to his mother. "Her name is Rey."
Rey was a happy child always smiling and laughing; she had become a ray of light and warmth within the Solo family and they all loved her dearly. It had been five years since that fateful day and the Empire had just started to move once again putting Leia and Han on edge wondering what would happen to their perfect little family. Ben and Rey were inseparable a bond between them so strong that the words Sanda had spoken that night rang in the back of Leia's head like an infection starting small, overshadowed at first by the warmth and affection she felt for Rey. But, like any infection, it spread throughout her mind like a cancer until one day her fear got the better of her...
"Rey, come on!" Ben shouted as he ran on ahead of her. Rey giggled as her little legs carried her faster following him towards their secret place. They had been so full of light and hope that day. Leia and Han were walking slowly behind them with a picnic in tow. A warm summers breeze gently filled the air as the two children ran further into the rainforest aiming for the sun lit hill, both were strong with the force Leia knew it and their bond was forever growing. The trees sprouted into the sky majestically arching into the air, gaining as much sun light as possible. The vines which were entwined with the branches hung free cascading down to the ground. The ground was a mixture of rock and a bushy moss clinging to the edges of the gentle stream which ran beside them. Rey and Ben, both dressed for an adventure, clambered over the rocks racing the stream as it hurried away; every so often Ben would stop to flick water back at Rey as she bounced along behind him the two growing increasingly out of sight, not that Leia or Han minded as they had taken this route a thousand times before. The pair happily watched as the two children disappeared and they had a moment alone to talk.
"Sigh. I'm getting slightly worried about Ben being drawn into the darkness like... my father was." Leia started a hint of worry and sadness clouding her voice. Han stopped causing Leia to stop as well "What's wrong?" she started as Han took her hands gently in his.
"Leia, how many times have we been over this. Ben... He's a good kid and so is Rey. They won't be dragged into the darkness, especially by someone like Snoke." Leia smiled, although the smile didn't quite reach her eyes which still held their prior sadness. "But..."
"Leia, the vision... It's hard to ignore I know. But there are two of them remember. So try to focus on the positive one, not the negative one." Han smiled stroking her cheek with his thumb. She sighed, she knew he was right but that didn't stop her heart from worrying, but she put that aside for now. Smiling a smile that finally reached back into her eyes she replied
"You're right." Han smiled back at her "I love you." she whispered.
"I know." he replied kissing the top of her forehead.
"HELP!" Leia and Han broke apart as they heard Rey scream.
"REY! WHERE ARE YOU?" Han shouted out panic lacing through his voice. Him and Leia both shared a glance before taking off into the tropical forest at full speed, forgetting all about the picnic basket "REY!" "BEN!" They both shouted as they raced on.
Rey was trembling beside Ben, the sight before them scaring her. A male Coynite towered over them his wild nostrils flared either out of anger or exhaustion, Rey didn't know. The Coynite's black hair covered him from head to toe, whilst his eyes were a sunken grey colour further adding to the children's fear of him. Coynite's were renowned for their war like culture and that terrified Rey even more. The Coynite obviously couldn't understand what they were saying and neither could they understand him; but the war like axe in his hand commanded Rey's full attention. Her usual rationality gone left with nothing but bing in a hysterical state. "HELP!" she screamed. The Coynite, maybe not in the smartest of moves, took a step closer to them raising his hands to show he wasn't there to hurt them; forgetting that doing so included lifting his axe. The move had frightened Ben and he had somehow, with the little training he had already received from his uncle, forced the Coynite back. As the Coynite was flung backwards he dropped his axe in the spot he had only seconds ago, stood; striking the tree behind him his rage festered under his skin matching that of Ben's rising darkness that was starting to blind him of his senses. The Coynite stomped heavily back over to where he had previously stood retrieving his axe and continuing his march towards Rey and Ben; the darkness that sat in the depths of Ben had began to boil over, in an attempt to protect Rey and himself. As the Coynite gained ground he once again forced him back against the tree, this time holding him in place with his force...
After running through the thicket of the rainforest the sight before them shocked them both to their cores. A male Coynite forced against a tree, the life slowly being choked from him. Leia looked at both Rey and Ben who were stood a couple of meters away from the Coynite. Ben's hand was outstretched fingers slowly coiling in, she had seen this stance before, once in Darth Vader and she knew in that moment that the darkness was consuming him; gripping his heart, dragging his soul into the darkest of corners and it terrified her. She wanted to pull him out of the darkness somehow, anyhow, by any means. "BEN! STOP!" Han shouted in a demanding voice trying to compel Ben out of his trance. "BEN!" Leia screamed in reply. "PLEASE, BEN! LET HIM GO!" Desperation seeping into her voice. Extending her own force she lightly pushed Ben, the smallest of jolts ran through Ben's body as he lost concentration for a split second, enough for the Coynite to break free and run back into the darkness of the forest, coughing as he did.
Ben watched in frustration and anger as the Coynite vanished, turning to his parents Ben's eyes hardened showing signs of extreme rage; blinded by the darkness. His power running rampant, the little training he had received hadn't prepared him or anyone else for the shear power that was burning in his veins, expanding past his control. The force was pulling trees down towards him, his power turning inwards on itself. The tree tops that once stood high and mighty were slumping over, contorting in an unnatural state, curling in on themselves, bowing down to Ben's power. The force Ben was exerting was so strong that the stems of the trees began to snap; as spikes of the tree tops whirled towards Ben like arrows trying to find their target. Rey had been stood there motionless in fear until, the trees started to hurtle themselves towards Ben. Her little legs took off into a sprint faster than her brain could process, effortlessly flying to where Ben stood, time felt as if it had stopped just for her, she reached her right arm out and pushed Ben out of the way. As Ben and Rey fell into a pile on the floor Rey felt a rush of violent power flood into her body through her hand, sending a horrific, bone shattering pain throughout her small frame. Rey screamed as she collapsed further away from Ben clutching her arm viciously to her chest, nails clawing into the skin that held it in place. Tears streamed down her face falling freely like a newly formed waterfall trying to find the quickest route to the ground below, everything fading into a black as she collapsed into a colourless slumber.
Leia and Han had stood frozen in shock at the scene that played out in front of them. They were snapped out of their trance by Rey's blood curdling scream, startling them both into action as they teared through the ground, rushing to Ben and Rey's side. Leia rushed to Ben who had collapsed out of shear exhaustion, whilst Han crouched next to an unconscious Rey who had drastically paled in colour- her face was contorted in agony. The two of them scooped up the children and rushed back to the house as fast as they could...
Once Ben had awoken, he felt drained, physically and emotionally although, he had no idea why. Lifting his aching body from his bed he shuffled slowly into the hall, desperately trying to find the centre of his weight again, like an infant taking its first shaky steps. Once he was out in the hallway, he heard hushed voices in the living room so, leaving one hand on the wall for support, he walked slowly towards them.
"Ben's becoming too powerful." He could hear his mothers voice "I'm afraid he's turning to the darkness and I'm scared that Snoke's going to find a way into his mind and manipulate him..." she paused before painfully stating "Turn him to the darkness." The words that were spilling from her lips confused him, his heart drop a sudden heaviness weighing it down causing it to beat faster; he didn't understand where her worry of him turning bad had come from. He peered through the crack of the door fame to see his mother and father sat together on the sofa with his uncle Luke resting in the armchair in the corner. The fire, that the chairs were seated around, was blazing an intense heat poring out- keeping the room free of the chill that was filling the air.
"Leia, I understand your concern. But Ben is good and, at the moment, his goodness outweighs his darkness." His uncle Luke stated his voice soft, comforting but his words weren't there to comfort him they were aimed at his mother. "But I'm planning on rebuilding the Jedi Order I could take Ben with me and train him with others who are force sensitive... Like Rey." Ben watched as his parents exchanged a look, a look he knew meant that they were seriously considering sending him to another planet with his uncle. He knew he shouldn't, but in that moment he felt abandoned; he felt like his parents no longer wanted him. His thoughts also turned to Rey and at least she would be there with him. He knew that if she was there as well then he wouldn't be truly lonely.
Leia looked back at her bother "Ben.." she hesitated she didn't want to send him away but she knew she had to, for his own good. "Yes. But Rey... In her current state... I don't know if she'll even wake up." Leia's eyes fell to the ground "And the vision... Is it better if they were apart?..." The two visions she was told had always weighed heavily on her mind.
"Leia, I don't have the answer to that one." Luke replied uncertainty plaguing his voice. Ben heart sank further, the darkness seeping into it, not that he realised. Her current state? Whats happened to Rey? Keep us apart? A thousand questions raced through his mind, each concerning Rey, she was his only friend, an ally and he treasured her. "But what I can say is that Rey is only alive now because of her connection to both Ben and the force. But she's got to battle against the wave of darkness that was thrust into her when she touched Ben, as painful as it maybe be she's either going to overcome it or be overcome by its strength." Luke continued, his words jolting Ben out of his thoughts and back to what was being said.
He raced to Rey's room not caring for what they said anymore. His heart, concerned. Thrusting the door wide open, Ben looked in at Rey; she was led motionlessly on her bed, hair dark brown hair drenched in sweat, trickles of it dancing down her face. Her face pale, eyebrows scrunched up in pain, but the rest of her face looked dead. Her hands were folded over her chest, her left hand clutching her right so tightly that a small trail of blood tricked down where her nails had pierced her skin. "Rey?" he whispered slowly compelling himself to move to her side. I did this? The thought racing his mind was half a question but the other half of him, deep down knew it was him. THINK! He screamed at himself tracking his mind back through his memories of the day before. The images of what happened suddenly flooding his mind like a wave over powering the sand of the shore that tried to hold it back. "Rey..." he whispered again this time, sadness drenched his words. He wanted to take her hand in his but he couldn't he sat frozen by her side. He'd done this, guilt swam through his heart.
"You know how to fix this." His head snapped around the room trying to track the source of the voice. No one was there. Just him and Rey. But he knew he'd heard a voice. "Pull your power back out of her. You're weak without it and she's overpowered by it." He peered at Rey's face knowing that the voice was right. "Feel your power. Feel it course through her." He closed his eyes letting the voice guide him. "Good. Now place your hand on top of hers and pull it out of her." Ben followed the voice placing his right hand on top of hers feeling his power flow out of her small hands. Concentrating he compelled his power back into him suddenly feeling the rush of his darkness returning to him. "Yes. Yes. That's it. Darth Vader would be proud..." Darth Vader? Ben didn't know who he was so he decided to ignore the comment and continued to draw his power out of Rey watching as the colour slowly returned to her face as he did. Power ignited his blood, coursed through his body, strength returning to him once more. The voiced had vanished now, but Ben didn't care Rey had undug her nails from her hand, her body had lost the tension that had plagued it, her face no longer showing any trace of pain.
What Ben hadn't realised was that Leia stood in the doorway to Rey's room and watched most of the exchange. Although she hadn't heard the voice. Watching Ben pull the force out of Rey and return it to himself, she knew he was powerful. But watching as a darkness swam in his eyes made her decision for her. Ben would go with Luke and Rey... Well, she needed to be hidden. For both their sakes...
Okay so Rey's real parents will be a major part of later decisions she makes and I know I kept teasing two vision's but all will be revealed later on...
Also I know that it was basically all in third person but this is only setting up the story so there will be more first person in the near future...