It is an unremarkable planet off the major hyperlanes. It is terraformed with humans in mind and boasts forests, lakes, oceans, rivers, animals and plants. It is not particularly well inhabited. It has probably been colonised, abandoned and resettled as a result of the wars that periodically sweep the area. On one of the oceans is an unremarkable island sporting one of the planet's tiny communities. The locals, if they are being civil, call it 'home'.
The island had a visitor. It was an old, single seat spaceship that should of belonged in a museum. It landed on one of the few open and flat areas of the island. The occupant stiffly got out of the tiny cockpit, grateful to finally be outside again. He looked about at the bleak surroundings.
Was this where it had all began?
"No." came a voice. Harsh, bitter, tired and also annoyed. How someone could convey all that in a single syllable astounded the visitor.
The visitor regarded the speaker. It was a human woman, dressed in a simple brown robe with a hood which concealed most of the wearer's features.
"You, you can hear my thoughts?" said the visitor.
"I have no need for such mummery to tell what you were thinking." sneered the woman. "It is evident in everything about you."
"Who, who are you?" said the visitor.
"It appears that the Force is not without a sense of humour. Since I was present at the beginning, so must I preside over the end. Your name." said the woman. It was not a request.
"Luke. Luke Skywalker." said Luke. What the hells?
"Hmm. Names have not got any less ridiculous. Very well, Luke. You may call me Kreia. Now come. Tell me why you are the Last Jedi."
Luke followed the strange woman to a collection of stone huts. Dour, simply clad aliens regarded them silently. The woman walked to one of the huts opened the door and shooed the occupant out. The alien left after pausing to pick up a few personal effects. The woman sat down.
"Sit and I will answer." she said.
Luke looked at the departing alien and then back to this, Kreia?
"This isn't yours!" he said.
'Jedi are supposed to disdain material attachment. So what does it matter?" she said.
"But this was that person's home. You have no right."
"No, right? Such righteousness. Such surety. Who, are, you Jedi that you dare judge me? What do you know?"
Luke deflated a bit. "Nothing." he said.
"Know this then. This island exists as a sanctuary for us. It is a place to come and consider our place in the greater Galaxy. It is ours, Jedi. These others are those who maintain it. They are the tenants, we are the owners, Jedi and Sith." said Kreia.
"Jedi, and Sith? Which are you? What are you?"
Kreia deflated. "One of the first questions she asked me, We have come full circle indeed. Go now. I am tired. Go and find your own place. If it pricks your conscience say 'please'"
Kreia half heartedly waved her arm and the door closed in Luke's face. He noticed that the wind was picking up and it began to rain. Thoroughly confused he made his way to one of the other dwellings.
Luke awoke. He was in a small stone hut on a small island on an unremarkable planet tucked away from the hurly burly of the Galaxy. He had come here to, what?
Be alone? He could do that practically anywhere.
Get some answers? But why here? Yes, some ancient, vague hints had mentioned this remote world. His younger self would of said he had come here on a hunch but he knew now that such things did not exist. He had been drawn to this place. Why?
Outside he could hear the wind howling and rain battering at the small settlement. Luke sat down and waited for the storm to ease.
As always his thoughts drifted to that night. One moment of weakness, and everything he had worked for was undone in an instant. He had driven Ben to the Dark Side and now there may be no way out for that troubled young man. Was this the way of things? Were the Jedi supposed to be constantly on guard lest the smallest thing send them spiralling into insanity and darkness? How was that fair! Luke's hands balled into fists, he wanted something to strike out against, something to punish.
Outside, the storm picked up in intensity.
Kreia awoke. Where was she? Why was she alive?
Kreia had died. Impaled on, her lightsabre. Slain by her apprentice, as was the way of things. She remembered giving her a blessing and then welcoming oblivion.
It had therefore come as a shock to awaken on an island. Kreia had never really believed in the Jedi mumblings of an afterlife, becoming 'one with the Force' even when she had been one of them. She had expected nothing. For death to be an end. That had been a surety she had clung to, knowing that.
It was very disappointing to be proven wrong. It was even more aggravating that the next life was in fact the same one. It was infuriating that her back still hurt. The Force would pay for this insult!
Still, as Kreia listened to the storm outside she smiled. It seemed the Jedi was also unhappy about his place in the greater scheme of things. She could wait. She was very good at waiting.
Eventually the storm abated. People arose from their tasks indoors to attend to those outdoors. As did the Jedi and Sith. Opening their doors they regarded one another.
"You."
"You."
"What do you want?" said Luke.
"Normally, that is my question. I want the same thing most do. To make things right. To bend the universe to my will. To be proven right! What do you want?" Kreia stalked out into the small space between buildings.
"Does it matter? It just repeats again. All over again."
"So?"
"Did you hear me?"
"I assure you my ears work fine. I heard you. My question remains, so? The universe is unfair. I must say it is rather late in life to learn that."
"You don't know anything about me!"
"I may not know the specifics but I know the shape of things. There was a great crisis. Someone powerful in the Dark Side was terrorising the Galaxy. You battled. You grew, both as a person and a Jedi. You tried to redeem your enemy and succeeded. You won. And then, life went on. The Galaxy at large resumed it's nonsensical squabbling over trivialities and after an interval a new being strong in the Dark Side emerged to make mischief."
"Did, this. Did this happen to you as well?"
Kreia laughed. An empty, hollow laugh.
"You have listened but not heard. Happen to me? In my time I was the cause of it all. The prime mover of events. I was Darth Traya!"
Kriea's laughter rolled over the island.
Luke stared at the cackling old woman. Traya was a wicked witch out of ancient stories. 'Eat your dinner or else Traya will come to eat you' was a half hearted threat across planets and cultures. She was the monster under the bed and would come to eat you if you were bad. A hundred young heroes had struggled against her in a thousand stories. Loved ones stolen, riddles, wicked spells and here and there aid to those pure of heart were the staple ingredients of such tales. She was said to inhabit the Karkoon Wastes on Tatooine. In a manner of speaking, Traya was The Wicked Witch.
His hand went to his belt. To where his lightsaber had been. It was, of course no longer there. Kreia noticed him.
"I see my reputation preceeds me. Tell me, who is Darth Traya to you." Kreia moved over to a low stone wall and sat down.
Luke told her. He even recited two of his favourite stories. Throughout Kreia remained silent. When he had finished.
"There is nothing left but tales of a bogeywoman, stories to frighten children?" she said. Luke nodded.
"Afraid so." he said.
Kreia stood up. "Well then. Your control codes for your ship." she held out her hand.
Luke just looked at her. "No." he said.
"Why not? People have forgotten me, reduced me to bedside tales. I will remind them of what it means to have a Sith baying at the gates."
"I won't let you."
"Why? Won't it all just repeat again? Isn't it all in vain?"
Luke folded his arms "No."
"So, there is something of a spark left in you after all. I think I like you Skywalker. Come, tell Baba Traya of the great evil that thinks it terrifies the Galaxy these days."
They were talking. Luke wondered why he was telling his life story to someone who sounded like a female version of The Emperor. Of course, if this really was the Traya of legend, causality would be the other way round. She was the template for every dark side schemer and plotter who worked from the shadows. So why was he humouring her? Occasionally the mad old woman would chuckle or agree with some point. At other times she would cluck disapprovingly or scoff at his foolishness. But she drew him into telling his tale. As it wound down she turned to him.
"And what do you plan to do now?" she said.
"Why must I do anything?" said Luke.
"Because while you shackle yourself in this self-pity and blame you are no Grey Jedi. Inaction ill suits you. And if you wanted to just sulk there surely must be somewhere more pleasant than this." said Kreia.
"A what?" said Luke. What was a Grey Jedi? And why did this strange woman have such hate for them?
"It is the babbling of fools seeking an excuse for their cowardice. You are a Jedi, or at least identify as one. Having heard your tale I am not so sure." said Kreia.
"Yoda said..." began Luke.
"The little goblin? I would not be so quick to trust that one. Ever they have been trouble makers. Do you know his species? Their history? Their origins? No? Let me tell you a truth. No one knows. They appear from time to time, always cryptic and interfering. They weild formidable mastery of the Force and always, they work mischief."
"Yoda trained and advised me. Without him I would never of been able to face Vader and the Emperor."
"And just when was he planning to reveal to you who Vader really was? Before or after you had killed him? Why did he not go with you? Either time?"
"He was 900 years old and near the end of his life. I was there when he passed on."
"Who said he was that old? Again, what do you know of his species? Their life span? Normal or aided by the Force? You know nothing! These creatures always appear as little wrinkled goblins. There is simply nothing anyone has to go on. Nine, ninety, nine hundred or even nine hundred thousand. It matters not. Think. What did that creature tell you that is provably true?"
Luke stood up." No. Yoda was wise. He taught me so much. You, you are the liar! " he pointed at Kreia.
The witch sighed. She inclined her hood towards Luke.
"Is that so? What have I said that is a lie? I do not know anything of that species, only that they are trouble. I do not trust them. I advise that neither should you. I tell you that you should examine and question anything they have told you. So. Where is the lie?"
Luke stared at her.
"You say you're the Darth Traya. How can I trust you at all? Why should I trust you?"
"Good. Are we thinking yet? The process may be painful at first."
"You're impossible!" said Luke. He stormed off.
Kreia watched the man walk off. She looked about the settlement. Who did she have to threaten to get some breakfast?
Luke strode across the small island. That woman! Yoda had helped him. He had trained him. He had taught him how to control the Force. About him it began to rain. He paused.
Yoda and Ben had neglected to tell him about his father. And when he had confronted them about it they had palmed him off with that 'a certain point of view' nonsense.
No. That was Traya talking. They were planning to tell him. He just needed sufficient training to control his reaction, like they had said.
They had also said that everything would go to darkness if he rushed off. That hadn't happened either. It had been hard, but they had won.
Luke stopped. The wind and rain whipped around him. Then everything had gone wrong. The Republic that reformed was a shadow of it's former self. Most systems had had enough of being told what to do. Too many of the Alliance leaders were dead or broken, those that remained were not enough.
Old Ben had said the Jedi were the guardians of the Old Republic. How did that work? Was it something he was supposed to know? Was it his fault the Republic had not reformed? Was there something else needed beyond the deaths of Vader and Palpatine? He would never know.
He also clearly did not possess the knowledge for training new Jedi and keep them from falling to the Dark Side.
Luke paused. Where was he. His meanderings had led him to a small hollow on the island. At the centre was a tree. Luke felt drawn to the tree and noticed the opening. He went inside.
For a first meal in a new life Kreia decided this was distinctly underwhelming. Such a meal should be a mighty feast she felt, not some roasted avian, tubers and legumes, However she did take note of the taste of the food, something she had not done in a long time. Kreia paused, juice dribbling down her chin.
They were doing it again! The subtle, insidious, poisonous influence of the Jedi. Why should she care what food tasted like? She would be wasting her time with meaningless civilities next.
It was then she felt the call of the Dark Side. That seductive lure and promise of power, to shape the universe in her image to bring revenge on her enemies.
Kreia told it to bugger off.
The Dark Side, whispered. It cajoled. It made promises.
"Oh very well. If I go will you shut up." she said.
The Dark Side showed her a location on the island.
Kreia finished her breakfast. Then she calmly rose and walked in the opposite direction indicated.
Kreia realised she had been tricked as she entered the gap in the tree. The peace, serenity and call to balance sang from the place. All lies of course. Naturally the Jedi was here too. She recognised the tome he was reading. She had seen that aura only in one place. Her last apprentice.
"Give that book to me." she said holding out her hand.
Luke looked up from the book. "Don't you ever say please?"
They remained motionless for a moment.
"Give that book to me. Please." Kreia ground out. Damn all Jedi!
Luke returned her stare. "Why?"
"I believe that book to be the work of my apprentice, after she slew me. I would like to know what she wrote."
"A Jedi was your apprentice? And she killed you?" said Luke incredulously.
Kreia nodded. "What of it?"
"Perhaps you should tell me your story. And then I will give you her book." said Luke.
Luke listened as Kreia related her tale. There were several highlights.
"You, you were a Jedi?" he had asked near the start.
"Yes, why is that so surprising? It is not uncommon for the strongest among us to embrace both aspects of the Force and then choose which they favour." said Kreia.
"But once you start down the dark path..." Luke began.
"Do not bother me with any witticisms from the goblins. Besides, you know better. Or were you making up the part in your tale about Vader?"
"Well, okay. If you put it that way."
"In my experience those who excuse their continued psychopathy on the so-called 'Clutch of the Dark Side' are simply justifying their continued atrocities and absolve themselves of responsibility. Equally there are far too many who cling to an ideology that demands they sacrifice themselves rather than wonder if they should."
"What do you mean?"
"Was what you fought for worth the cost?"
"Of course it was? The Empire, Vader and the Emperor had to be defeated!"
"Did they? Oh, I imagine the Empire was senselessly brutal as if these Sith thought they were plumbing new depths but I doubt there was anything new." Kreia paused. "Was the cost to you, Luke Skywalker, worth the brief lull?"
Luke paused. Here he was, spent, broken, alone. A new darkness was spreading. And yet.
"Yes." he said at last. "I did what was right."
"What was right? According to who?"
"According to me."
"Good. It is the most satisfying thing to prove yourself right, is it not? But as I was saying. I was a Jedi."
Kreia continued her tale. Luke listened as she told of her deeds, her students and,
"You fell in love?" that was unexpected, to say the least. That the Wicked Witch had fallen in love.
"What of it? It is something done the Galaxy over with a regularity slightly below breathing. May I continue?"
Luke decided to keep quiet as the tale wound on. It eventually reached the conclusion.
"I told her how the Force manipulates us. She said no. I told her how the conflict would never end. She said she would fight. I told her the Force would take everything and give nothing. She said that did not matter. I asked her why. She said she was following my teachings. She said it was because she chose to do so. And so, I died, slain by my apprentice. "
"And then you woke up here."
"Yes. I am most unimpressed. Now. Her book. One always wonders if the lessons truly stick."
Luke handed her the book.