Rey felt the Falcon jolt her awake, nearly throwing her out of her bunk. She groaned as her elbow collided with the wall panel. She gripped her limb in her hand, cursing herself.
"Graceful." she muttered.
She rose her head, shaking the cobwebs of slumber from her eyes. The Falcon must have been coming out of hyperspace, which usually meant an abrupt tug to the old piece of garbage. Rubbing her neck, Rey looked around the ship, anxiety bubbling to her stomach.
It had been a full year since she had seen anyone from the Resistance. A full year away from Finn, General Leia, and the others. A full year training with Master Luke. An unexpected event that seems like only yesterday.
Rey had returned Master Luke's lightsaber to him as a plea to return him to the Resistance. He accepted the lightsaber, but used the Falcon to contact General Leia to delay his return. He informed her that he would be training Rey for as long as he seemed fit. In his words... "I will come home with the power of more than one."
It didn't make sense to Rey at the time, and still didn't make sense to her now. He was far and away more powerful than she was.
Rey stood up and wandered into the cockpit. The sight of Chewie sitting alone broke her heart. The thoughts of Han Solo flooded her mind. A future of a rag-tag family lost.
He offered me a job.
She moved herself next to Chewie, who greeted her with a friendly growl. Her eyes scanned the black space in front of her. A very blue and green planet began to slowly emerge.
"Is that Kepler?" she smiled at Chewie, who merely nodded.
"I don't think I will every get use to seeing green...or blue for that matter."
Rey rested her head in her left hand, dreaming out the window. Her excitement and anxiety growing. Jakku briefly crossed her mind, but she batted it away. Unpleasant thoughts were not welcome on this day.
The Resistance had moved its main base to Kepler after the destruction of the StarKiller Base. Relocating, Re-enforcing, and Re-energizing the rebellion was General Leia's main goal. Reposition the Resistance in a galaxy closer to other systems that needed the most support, protection, and able fighters against wandering First Order destroyers. Rey was dismayed when Master Luke informed her that even though the destruction of the First Order base was a huge blow, it was easily countered by other systems support.
"A rebirth from ashes is always a threat, Rey. Always." His words ringing in her head.
Kylo Ren isn't rising from ash. All he is now is ash.
Rey felt a storm of anger enter her mind. Flashes of rage and regret stormed her. She could have easily destroyed him on that base. His laid at her feet, wounded and defeated. She wasn't quick enough.
Rey gritted her teeth, thinking of all the horrors the First Order had committed against thousands.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her from her thoughts.
"Rey, your anger flows off of you in large waves. It awoke me."
Master Luke sat behind her, his face filled with concern.
Rey felt a wave of embarrassment and turned to her Master. He motioned to her to follow him. They slow walked through the aging hallways of the Falcon, when Rey finally broke her silence with him. Confessing a secret that had plagued her for six months.
"I'm sorry, Master Luke. I am struggling to control my anger in regards to the First Order. The training you have given me has brought great strength, abilities, and knowledge...yet the more in-touch with the Force I become the more I can sense. The more I can feel. I become more in-touch with thousands of lives...sometimes millions of lives through mediations. The Force feels as if I am wrapped in a blanket of warmth, cold, light...and dark. I can feel joy, but I can feel the pain they cause. It has started to bleed into my dreams."
Master Luke watched her during her confession, playing with his beard slowly. He stopped pacing the hallway with her.
"I knew of a Jedi...who once felt the loss of an entire planet...very similar to how you have felt, Rey. He seemed to be stunned by the loss, but anger was not his first retreat. It was compassion. Do not feed to the darkness. Find the light, care for those who are need in help. Ignore the ones who cause it. Inflicting pain upon those who inflict pain...will just create an unbreakable cycle. Which as you know, my padawan...is already one we are embedded in."
Rey took in his words, nodding her head.
"I will work on it, Master Luke."
He smiled at her.
"You must be excited to see your friends. We will be entering the atmosphere shortly, ready yourself. I expect that our welcome will be long and overly-indulged."
He had a mischievous look in his eye that Rey could sometimes spot a younger version of the old Master. A jokester was hidden within all the wisdom.
She nodded and bolted to her bunk to gather her things. She had a small bag, but changed out of her gray tunic and leggings. She had left her friends in this outfit, she needed to change into her one of her new ones. Rey pulled out a white tunic, with black leggings. Her new combat boots trailed up to her mid-calf.
Master Luke had requested a pit-stop on some side system to gather a new outfit as well. "I must not have my sister see me in these rags. I'd never hear the end of it."
Rey was able to obtain a new outfit as well. One more fitting to match Master Luke. He surprisingly picked a gray outfit, with a tan robe. Simplicity was an order she needed to follow now.
Rey adjusted her much longer hair into a long braid that traveled just below her collarbone.
The Falcon landing protocol begun, and Rey sat on her bed, curling her braid in her finger. Her emotions filling her up. Once the ship had finally landed, Rey hastily met Master Luke at the exit of the ship. R2-D2 beeping happily behind him.
He looked at Rey, as she patiently waited for ramp to lower.
"Rey, I want you to know...that you are coming back to your friends as a Jedi in-training. They may not understand the discipline, the time, and control required. Enjoy them...for family, friends...they give us peace. But We must also remain separate to embrace our code."
Rey nodded her head, feeling uneasy that Master Luke felt like he needed to remind her of the Jedi Code. He had made her recite and discuss it with her for 3 months straight before doing any other Jedi training.
The ramp began to slowly drop down, and Master Luke moved first down the ramp. Rey followed her Master slowly.
A massive crowd had formed at the edge of the ship. Hushed voices of excitement, curiosity, and even bits of fear floated towards them.
The base lay at the base of a large mountain, several miles below the summit. It was covered with a small patch of snow, but the body of the mountain covered in vast greens. Rey felt a wave of gushing wind push at her...and she looked behind the Falcon to find that they were not at the lowest part of the mountain, but at the mid-point, half-way to the summit. Kelper was extremely mountainous, making it a great hiding spot. Aerial attacks could not easily come in the mountainous range, unless you were a skilled pilot.
Rey grinned to herself, secretly hoping she could challenge her piloting skills.
The crowd became silent, all of their worn faces, parting for the General to pass through the crowd. General Leia strolled with power and compassion, a trait that Rey envied her for. Master Luke lowered his hood and met his sister half-way.
The two stopped in front of one another.
"Aren't you a little short to be a Master Jedi?" General Leia smirked out.
A laughter, that Rey had never heard before, erupted out of Master Luke and the two were hugging one another. It warmed Rey's entire being. It was a hug...years in the making.
The crowd erupted in cheers. A weight had seemed to lift from them by the simple sight of Master Luke.
Rey quietly thought to herself how she had learned from him. He had pushed her physically, mentally, and spiritual. His guidance was fatherly...yet distant all at once. He always allowed her to express herself freely, but rarely gave her a glimpse of his past.
Maybe that was how a Master was trained to be.
We must remain separate.
Rey found herself embraced by General Leia, and she soaked in the warmth.
"Rey, We are so happy to have you back with us."
Rey smiled.
"I am ready to aid you in anyway, General."
"You can call me, Leia, child. You know that."
Rey nodded, but soon was distracted by loud voices pushing through the crowd.
"Rey! REY!"
Finn's head bouncing up and down towards her. Before she could stop him, Finn had wrapped his arms around her. Breath knocked out of her body. It was emotional for Rey. She had never been hugged so much in her life. A friendly face of Poe popped up next to Finn, giving
Rey a quick hug as well. BB-8 squealing and twirling behind him. Rey felt Master Luke's eyes upon her, she quickly postured herself in her training. She created an aura of warm distance, a move only Finn really noticed.
"It is wonderful to see you all, truly. Finn, you look like recovery has done well for you."
Finn stood up a bit taller, his muscle build a bit more pronounced since she last saw him. He was lying in a medically-induced coma when she had whispered her goodbyes to him in person. They were able to only communicate twice while Rey trained. Orders of Leia and Luke, for fear of the First Order finding both whereabouts. He smiled at her, his eyes flirting as ever.
"Rey, you look...different."
It pained Rey to hear that from him, it faltered her smile.
"Amazingly different...in a good way. Not that you were bad before..but now its like a different good way."
Finn stumbled over his words, while Poe chuckled at him. He cut off Finn's rambling.
"What Finn is trying to say is, that We are happy you are back, you look gorgeous, and lets get out of here. This crowd is making me claustrophobic."
Rey blushed at Finn and Poe, but looked to Master Luke, who had been watching from a distance. He nodded his head in encouragement and she happily followed the pair towards the sleeping quarters. Master Luke headed toward the main control center in the depth of the mountain with General Leia, flanked by a cluster of advisors, itching for his advice. Rey thought to herself if she'd become a Master Jedi, assuming that type of role.
After showing her bunk area, Finn and Poe gave her a tower of the control center, dining hall, and landing area. The two talked away, telling her stories of their escapades, battles, and developments against the First Order. Rey engaged them silently, laughing at points, but listening above all else. It was a comfort to hear more than just her voice or Master Luke's for once.
They had placed themselves at a look-out point near the summit of the mountain, overlooking much of the base. The chatter had died down when the trio looked out.
Rey took in the landscape, her breath was taken away by the sunset. She closed her eyes feeling herself invoke the Force, feeling every life form on the planet. From the tiny grass to the shifting mountain..a wash of connections came over her. Peace washed over her.
Rey opened her eyes to see Finn staring at her. His eyes were so pure, and she could tell he was evoking emotions she couldn't return. Poe was still looking out at the sunset, unaware of Finn and Rey's exchange of silent words. Finn realized that Rey had a look of restraint in her eyes, and decided to exchange real words.
"How have you been, Rey? Us blabbering idiots have told you every story probably twice since this morning. What have you been doing with Luke Skywalker?"
Poe turned back, his charming smile and curious eyes bore into her.
"I've been training...to be a Jedi." Rey said hesitantly. Unsure if they knew this about her.
"So it is true...General Leia was mum on details...probably afraid of spies finding out. Rumors were heard of course."
Finn's face looked a bit shocked.
"A Jedi? That is quite..."
Rey broke her Jedi stance for a moment. A jumble of thoughts flowed out of her.
"CRAZY. I can't even explain the training...a lot of it really boring, tedious, but then it becomes this mass of connections...then the next thing you know I can lift things with my mind...and I can feel energies...people." The rapid pace of words tumbled out. "I can fight with a lightsaber...that I built myself." She pulled her lightsaber from her side, showing it off like a kid with a toy.
She paused, as the two stood silent.
Poe chuckled breaking the silence.
"Rey, this is a big deal. I am so happy for you. The First Order won't know what hit them...when We have not one...but TWO Jedi."
"Well. Jedi-in-Training. It isn't official."
Finn remained quiet, smiling in a restrained way. Rey picked up on his energy waves. He was suddenly very unsure.
"Finn, are you ok?"
Finn nodded, not looking at her.
"Yeah, no this is great. The First Order couldn't handle you before you were trained...now what are they going to do? My proper training with Poe with the X-Wings...You with Master Luke."
Poe smacked both of them on the back, startling them both.
"Let's go get some grub, all this catching up. I gotta eat."
He made his way down the look-out post, leaving the two alone. Finn's face dropped once Poe was out of sight. He turned to Rey, inching closer to her.
"Rey, does this mean you follow the Jedi code?"
She bite her lip, unsure how he would react to her.
"Yes, it is apart of my training. I have to follow it."
Finn nodded, defeated.
"I had always had hopes for us...something. But you chose your path, it is the right one. I know that certain type of relationships are not really allowed. It was better you told me now, than later."
Rey felt a wash of guilt, embarrassment, and tinge of anger. She hated some of the rules of the Jedi code. How could certain types of relationships and friendships be forbidden...weren't the Jedi codes about love? Rey had thought of Finn like that in passing, but since her path of being trained many of her hopes were squashed by the code.
"Finn, I can't explain-"
"Rey, you are doing the right thing."
He reaffirmed by gripping her shoulders tightly.
"I am just happy to have you back, with us. Now lets go get some grub."
The two followed after Poe, Finn cracking a joke at his expense.