In a Kingdom Far, Far Away
REY I
This was everything she had ever dreamed of, so why was she lying here awake, unnerved? She had thick stone walls around her, the softest, sweetest smelling straw she'd ever lain on, and a full belly. It wasn't even for one night only--they'd offered her work, a home. In a castle! It was more than a serf girl could hope for.
What kind of fool could be homesick for the barren wastelands of Jakku? It was a poor province, scarred by the war that had torn the country apart years before her birth. Her home was barely more than a shack on the outskirts of Niima village. She somehow scratched out just enough of a living on the strip of land she had rented from the foul local landowner, Unkar Plutt, which had been worked by her parents before the plague struck leaving her an orphan.
Rey had spent hours in Niima's market place, listening to the stories told by the old men and women of the village who seemed to take personal pride in the fact that the final battle had taken place on Jakku soil...or alternatively had never forgiven either faction for the burned villages and fields, the blood spilled. War decimated the common folk, they said, dying when they found themselves in the path of those that history would remember.
The occasional minstrel had passed through with their songs of glory, brave heroes and dastardly villains. From what Rey understood, the beautiful young Queen Amidala had been forced to marry wizened old Lord Palpatine to secure her rule and fortify her armies against separatist factions. They said that the Queen was good and would do anything for her people, and that under her rule there had been peace and prosperity. The marriage changed that.
The Jedi Order of holy knights had been torn apart when the greatest, most famous knight, Sir Anakin Skywalker, had fallen in love with the Queen and she had become his secret lover. Sir Anakin had gotten her with child. They said he had eventually been driven mad with jealousy at not being with the woman he loved openly, finally snapping and killing most of his order save for those who went into hiding. It was said that he killed his royal love in a fit of rage, leaving the country in the grips of King Palpatine and his dark knight, Lord Vader.
There had been a rebellion led by Princess Leia, who was as caring and dutiful as her mother, and as brave and daring as her Jedi father before he fell. She had been rescued from the Royal dungeons by the famous highwaymen, Han Solo and Chewbacca, and Sir Luke Skywalker, her twin brother. Sir Luke had been hidden, protected and raised as a simple farmer by old Jedi Knight, Sir Obiwan Kenobi, Sir Anakin's closest friend and mentor, when the Order fell to keep the young Prince safe from the King and his father.
The story went that during the siege of Endor, Sir Luke had been captured and held hostage. He had fought the King's right hand man and vicious enforcer, Lord Vader, and won. When he had unmasked the black knight he had been stunned to discover that Lord Vader was none other than his father, Sir Anakin, warped, twisted and tortured by the King until he had become little more than a bloodthirsty beast. He had spared his father's life and redeemed Lord Vader by together tearing down the King, bringing an end to his tyranny, although Lord Vader had succumbed to his injuries moments after.
The King dead, there had been a scramble for the crown amongst all and any with a claim to the throne, however tenuous, including Queen Amidala's bastard twins, who in the end prevailed.
They said when the war was finally won, that Sir Luke had renounced his rights in favour of his sister, saying that she would be the better ruler of the two. He then swore an oath to restore the Jedi Order and work to restore the wrongs of his father.
It was stories like that that had inspired Rey to practice with her staff. That and the unspeakable risks to a young girl living on her own. She imagined herself to be someone,here to defeat the dark and defend the light. She never sought to be Queen or a long lost princess in the stories, more of a female Luke or a particularly worthy hedge knight.
It was a compelling story but one in a sphere so far above the world in which Rey lived it felt unreal. Maybe that was why she couldn't settle in this fairytale castle, set by a lake in the fresh green lands of Takodana? She didn't belong here. This wasn't her simple, lonely life of toil and hardship. Adventures didn't happen to people like her. People like her died with not even a footnote.
Rey thought of the path she had taken.
It had been a crazy few days, all starting with finding a young boy lost alone in the rolling hills in the middle of nowhere, not far from Niima. In his strange tunic, orange and white, he said he was a Page to Sir Poe Dameron, Queen Leia's young, brave favourite knight. He had been given a message for the Queen but Sir Poe had been captured in the North by the black clad scourge, Sir Kylo Ren, who had sworn allegiance to Lord Snoke, a would be usurper and leader of the First Order. The scroll contained a map to Sir Luke Skywalker, who had disappeared when his attempts to restore the Jedi Order had failed. If it fell into the wrong hands…
Rey had agreed to show him the way to Niima village, but there she had gotten caught up in more excitement there after meeting Finn, who had helped Sir Poe escape only for the knight to be pierced by an arrow and fall. She had felt an affinity for Finn, who seemed equally as overwhelmed by it all. Although they both agreed to get the Page, Beebee Ate, to the Queen, Finn wanted to get as far away from any potential song or tale as possible. Over an intense few days they had become fast friends.
Then as soon as they reached Takodana Finn had admitted that he was a foot soldier for Lady Phasma, of the First Order. She had tried to convince him that where he came from didn't matter, that they should stay together, but Finn had said that war was coming and he wanted no part of it. He had been given the name of a ship that would transport him to the continent in exchange for work.
Rey thought about her brief friendship, the situation she was caught up in. And however brief the friendship she mourned the loss of a rare human connection. Her spirits were low.
They didn't make songs about nobodies. Nobodies had to fight everyday just to survive, and woke up the next day to do it all again.They didn't steal Unkar Plutt's best horse, Falcon, and leave the only home she'd ever known to get caught up with queens and lords and knights. They especially didn't get held up by highwaymen on the road, only to find out that the thieves that stopped them were none other than rebellion heroes Han Solo and Chewbacca, who agreed to help take Beebee Ate to a safe place.
It was all so much bigger than her. Rey expected to wake from a dream any moment. But how could she go back home now? Unkar Plutt would string her up!
Eventually Rey gave up on her attempt to sleep and decided to explore, hoping that familiarising herself with Maz's Castle might help quiet her mind, or perhaps make it feel more like home. And so that was how she came to find herself in the bowels of the keep, staring at the curious sword in the stone. It flickered silver in the torchlight, a bright blue stone set in the pommel. So beautiful, Rey had thought, and had lifted it out of its scabbard of rock to examine it further.
Rey turned to find elderly Lady Maz herself behind her, staring in shock.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be down here,"
The old noblewoman came closer. "That sword belonged to Luke Skywalker and his father before him, and now it calls to you?"
Surprisingly Lady Maz was not angry, seemingly startled by the fact Rey had removed the sword at all, as if it hadn't slipped from the stone like water through fingers.
Famous swords were another step too far. Anakin's famous sword was called Lightsaber, any child knew that. Rey handed the sword to someone more worthy. Lady Maz smiled and balanced it on her palms reverently but held it out for Rey to take once more, as if it should be hers. "Luke placed it here in the stone before he fled, saying that it could only be claimed by one who would succeed where he failed. Many have tried, but only you, Rey of Jakku, have been able to pull it from the stone."
"I have to get back to Jakku."
"Han told me." Smiling Lady Maz stepped closer, taking Rey's hand. "Dear child, I see your eyes--you already know the truth, you cannot go back. Your destiny does not lie behind you, it is ahead. I am no Jedi, but I know a good heart. It's always been there, the light. It will guide you." Her face became serious. "The sword--take it!"
"I'm never touching that thing again. I don't want any part of this." Rey backed away and bolted for the door. Her feet carried her through the stone corridors, down the steps, to the gate, under the portcullis. She blindly sprinted into the forest as she noticed the first lights of dawn. A young boy's voice called out from the battlements but she stopped for no one.
For how long she ran she didn't know, but the sun was up and winked at her through the leafy canopy above. Footsteps and panting behind her alerted her to the fact she wasn't alone.
Beebee Ate had followed her.
"You have to go back." Rey looked down at the round faced boy who was looking at her like a kicked puppy.
A few moments of silence were interrupted by numerous feet in the distance. Curiosity got the better of them both and they investigated, only to find soldiers in red, black and white livery marching towards the castle Rey had just fled.
"They've come for the map!" Beebee Ate choked.
An arrow hit the tree trunk Rey was trying to hide behind. "Run!"