The Forest

Growing up she had no parents, or schooling or mentors. Her trade was self-thought, her food, while scarce, earned through hard labor. It took her some time, but through hearsay and gossip, both of which were abundant in the market, Rey understood what a civil war was.

She heard, while trying to make a living as a scavenger in the dessert planet of Jakku, about a smuggler who could do the Kessel Run in less than 14 parsecs (12 parsecs, she had been corrected), a clever rebel princess and a Jedi who could use the force like no other. Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker. These were all legends, myths, glorifications of the heroic movement that had destroyed The Empire and brought peace to the galaxy, or so she thought. But over the course of a few days she was proven terribly wrong.

These heroes were real; and the galaxy was certainly not as safe as she thought. From the remains of the Empire, a new threat had risen: The First Order.

It all started with a droid, then came an ex-stormtrooper who now was probably her closest friend. She had met Han Solo himself, a Wookie named Chewbacca, and even Leia Organa. She had felt a connection to the Force and held a light saber. But the most dramatical change in her life was that she´d now become a murderer.

A murderer and a liar. A little too good a liar.

Rey was far from home. Following a map had led her to Jedi master Luke Skywalker, who wanted nothing more to do with the Jedi, or the rebellion, or her. She had wanted to be trained, to understand the pull she had been feeling ever since the forest, to stop the urges that had been tugging at the weakest strings of her soul. But he did not share her goals. And now there she was, following one of the most powerful men in the galaxy as he lived the humblest life possible.

During the days, Rey followed Luke all around the recluse island where she´d found him, as she gathered food and milk and everything he needed. Usually she tried to keep a distance. To make sure they were both comfortable, and safe. She needed to be safe. Because as much as Rey wanted to become Luke Skywalker´s apprentice, she also wanted to keep her secrets, and every time he looked at her with his sharp blue eyes she felt dissected, as if he had the ability to tear her apart and see the darkness crawling inside her.

The thing about Skywalker´s gaze is that it always looked sad and a little bit angry. He had the eyes of a person who knew how good life could be but had also witnessed the worst it had to offer. Despite his unwillingness to welcome her, he had never been cruel. Sometimes she wondered if a part of him really did want to help the resistance, his sister. When he looked at her, his stare was intense and focused. Rey thought that maybe he could even hear the voices, even though Rey herself wasn´t sure who they belonged to or where they were coming from. She knew they wanted to lead her somewhere, although the where remained a mystery.

It was all a bit clearer when she dreamt. In her sleep she seemed to have a firmer grasp on what she was supposed to do and where she was supposed to go, but it slipped through her fingers every time she woke up.

….

Kylo Ren had felt uneasy for as long as he could remember, or at least a sense of uneasiness had crept inside all his memories, consuming them, gifting him with sleepless nights and long, stressful days.

He was incomplete. Incompetent. He had failed to complete the task Supreme Leader Snoke had given him; to kill his father, smother his past.

He comforted himself by remembering the fact that Han Solo was dead. Even if it hadn´t been by his hand, in a way it had been because of him, and he had taken responsibility for it. But was this supposed to happen? Would it jeopardize his future? Would Snoke find out? He told himself this questions were what kept him awake, even though his insomnia tasted a lot like remorse and, what he´d never admit, grief.

He did sleep that night, surprisingly, but it was the kind of heavy sleep that only makes you more tired. There were voices in his head, pleading, screaming. There was Han Solo, his Hazel eyes opened wide in surprise and his mouth shaped like an O. This moment, he realized, was the scene of the forest, he could see it clearly, just as it happened the day of his death.

Kylo Ren was relieving the day. Seeing his father, no, Han Solo, for the first time since joining The First Order to pursue his real destiny, talking to him, preparing himself to kill him, until the girl showed up.

Her name was Rey, he believed, and somehow, she´d known what he was planning before he could move a muscle. An untrained girl who had never used a lightsaber had stopped him, beaten him. She took him by surprise, ripped the lightsaber right off his hands and sent it flying out of his reach, made him look like a fool. He managed, of course, to get back his weapon, but it was too late, they were gone, and his resolve was faltering. Nevertheless, he followed them into the forest. The Wookie, that traitor Stormtrooper and Han Solo were nowhere to be seen but she was there.

She must have felt him coming behind her, because she reached for a lightsaber and struck. The problem was however, that before he could reach her, Han Solo had, and from behind Kylo Ren could see the blue of the girl´s lightsaber protruding from Solo´s back. As he collapsed the girl´s horrified face came into view. He remembered their eyes had met then, but now he was witnessing the scene from the outside, and all kinds of foreign feelings were assaulting him: shock, pain, confusion.

"I killed him" He heard his other self telling the girl. "I did this" and she did not say a word.

He knew somehow, that the hardest part for her had been going back to the resistance and telling Leia that her son had killed Han Solo. Lying to her face about the people that had meant the most to her, watching hope for her son´s return slipping out of her eyes. All the better for him.

"It was an accident" A voice to his left made Kylo Ren snap to attention. Next to him was Rey, a second Rey, wearing different clothes than the one that killed Han Solo. Her eyes were glazed over as she stared at the scene.

"I know" He said "It was meant for me." She appeared as surprised to see him as he was to see her.

"You were trying to kill us" She countered, now looking directly at him with defiance shinning in her eyes.

"Are you really here?" He asked, reaching out, but his hand just went through her.

"Where is here?" Asked Rey, but she was fading away along with their surroundings. Everything around Kylo Ren was being engulfed by darkess, surrounding him with cold nothingness.

And then a whisper, the name he longed to forget. A voice calling, both soft and desperate at once.

"Ben Solo"

…..

If anyone were to see Nia Meriet holding a blaster they would probably laugh. Her hands were barely big enough to hold it and her face to innocent ta be taken seriously. The thing was that nobody who Nia wanted dead would even have time to see her, and anyone who laughed at her would soon come to regret it.

"When will they be here?" She asked.

"Soon" Answered the cloaked figure.

"I want his blood" she stated while swing her feet, which she could still not rest on the floor. Of all the limitations that her age and height brought, this was the one she did not mind, at least it kept her entertained while she sat on the crystal chair.

"That is not one of our priorities."

The cloaked figure was always elusive. She loved them very much, but sometimes they could be mean and condescending. Nia knew it was out of love so she didn´t mind too much, but still it annoyed her.

"It is one of my priorities"

They patted her hair.

She was safe in here, but they wouldn´t be once they arrived.

-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-..-.-.-.-

Hello internet!

This is Kyber. As you might have noticed, parts of the story are very similar to cannon but greatly diverge, also, as a clarification, Nia Meriet is an OC.

This is my first time writing a fanfic (hope it didn´t turn out too confusing) so I would love to get some feedback or comments.

See you next chapter