A/N: Hello all! Welcome to my first published fanfiction! It's going to end up being short-ish, maybe like 30 medium sized chapters when it ends. Sorry for the short chapter, chapters will increase in length as the story progresses. Please leave a review if you have the time! Thank you and happy reading!
Chapter 1
Rey's hand is getting tired.
It's been more than a minute. It's got to have been.
She tries not to show that she's frustrated.
Can't you see, old man? This stupid Lightsaber has been through the galaxy and back for people to get it to you.
"Who are you?"
She looks up. His voice is rusty, as if he hasn't used it in a long time.
Neither has Rey. She clears her throat before speaking.
"I'm Rey, sir. Um... is this yours?"
Her words do as intended and bring attention back to her Lightsaber.
Luke extends his hand, but doesn't pick it up. Rey tries not to cringe at his very visible robotic joints.
She tries to look happy, vibrant, even energetic, none of which she currently is.
"Rey?"
Take the Lightsaber and let's go!
"Yes, Sir?"
"Are you Force sensitive?"
The million credit question.
"I think so."
"Yes or no?"
Well, I've never had any training before, but I did beat your idiot apprentice in a Lightsaber battle. Does that count?
"Um... yes. I am."
I hope.
"You want training."
Less and less.
"Yes, Sir."
"You."
Ouch.
"Um, yes, Sir."
He stares her down. She tries to look intimidating.
"I shall think about it."
And I shall stand here for another ten hours waiting.
"Yes, Sir."
Rey turns her back so he doesn't see her eyes roll. She climbs back down the mountains, up to the old Jedi huts, chooses one, and determinedly sits down.
I can wait.
I'm used to waiting.
But this kind of waiting is different. She knows she has a deadline. She knows the First Order is rebuilding their forces right then and there, and she knows that Luke knows too.
It seems like hours pass.
Rey thinks she's heard footsteps multiple times; it's turned out to be nothing.
That's it. I'm going crazy.
All Jedi are crazy.
All Force users, you mean.
Rey opens her pack and pulls out some food, as well as a dusty lantern she found on the Falcon. The food is in bigger quantities than she was accustomed to on Jakku, but it's equally bland.
Ugh.
She shakes her lantern, hoping against hope that it'll light up. When it doesn't, she slams it down on the dusty floor and leans against the wall.
Great. Just great.
She should've known that a lantern sitting in a supply closet for forty years wouldn't light up.
Life on Jakku was so much simpler.
And I haven't even started training yet. Yikes.
There are definitely footsteps outside now. She peeks outside the hut, curiosity going against her better judgement.
"Hello?"
"Do not speak to me out of turn."
How fun.
The lantern chooses that exact moment to spark and explode. Rey shrieks; Luke dashes in. There are burn marks on the walls, and a small fire in the corner.
Rey goes red. "I didn't—"
"Is it because you were angry?"
"What? I don't—"
He stares her down.
"Look, there are better ways of getting out your feelings. Anger leads to the Dark Side. I honestly thought..." His voice trails off, and he exits the hut mumbling.
What the Force? What just happened?
Well, I'm certainly angry now.
Furiously, she kicks out the fire with her foot. Luke's still mumbling. Trying her best to not do a cruel imitation of the crazy old man, she leans against the ancient walls and tries to sleep.
Smashing the mask was a mistake.
He knew it would be.
But of course he did it.
Kylo knows he's in trouble with Snoke, too.
Stupid scavenger.
But she was far from stupid. For fifteen years on Jakku, she was rather intelligent.
And now she's messed things up with him and Snoke even further.
Without even knowing it.
She is a walking disaster.
And now she's in training to become even more of a walking disaster.
A trained walking disaster.
Oh, Force.
Kylo wishes the Supreme Leader would see eye to eye with him on this. If not anything else.
Spitefully, he imagines exactly he'd say to Snoke if he was positive there was no chance of being tortured after.
First of all, I'd just gotten done with murdering my father. Your orders.
Then, Han's stupid Wookiee shot me with his ultra-powerful bowcaster. Not my fault.
Then the untrained scavenger decided to try and kill me. Sort of my fault… but also yours. You were the one who ordered me to do all those things that made her hate me.
It's been two days after the explosion of the Starkiller Base. Kylo has been tortured three times by Snoke, and his scar hasn't gotten any better.
Worse, he's been hearing random explosions when it's been totally quiet.
That's not good.
He's not going to tell the Supreme Leader. He'd be done for.
It's just the aftermath from Starkiller. I was on the ground longer than I probably should've.
Plus, he's exhausted. The Supreme Leader has been paranoid the scavenger will show up at any moment with dual lightsabers, the power of Yoda, and the wit of Obi-Wan.
It's day two.
She won't show up for at least another month.
Hopefully.
It'd be better for the both of them. Better trained, hopefully one of them not brutally wounded...
I could've beat her if I hadn't been shot.
Sorry excuse.
He ignites his red crossguard Lightsaber. It's stayed with him for this long. It will have to do.
But it is unstable.
It crackles in his hand, and if he isn't wearing a glove, the sparks might burn his hand.
I think it's time to complete it.
He stands up. It'll be good to get away from the Supreme Leader for awhile anyway.
"Hello?"
Rey's eyes open. She squints at the sudden sunlight. She's not surprised to see Luke ducking under the low doorway of her hut.
"Hmm?"
A second passes when Rey realizes her mistake.
"Oh. Sorry, Master Luke."
"I have decided to train you."
Rey bites her lip.
"Thank you, Master."
She hastily jumps out of her cot and bows to her new master. How pathetic.
Don't think that! He might be able to read minds!
"No, I cannot read minds."
She jumps.
"I can, however, sense your inner conflict."
Rey gulps. "I..."
She bows her head.
"Sorry, Master."
"No need to apologize. Come along."
What fun.
She tries not to smile too broadly at her own remark. On Jakku, her inner voice was her only friend. Even if her inner voice was cynical and sarcastic.
Along their way up the mountain, Rey puts up her hair, and ties her boots. She tries not to show that she's out of breath: she allowed herself to take breaks on Jakku. Abruptly, Luke stops. It takes all of Rey's willpower not to crash headfirst into him.
"You met him."
What?
"Who, Master?"
"My nephew."
Ugh, the Skywalker bloodline.
"Sir, I still don't know—"
"Ben Solo."
Rey frowns. Where has she heard that name before?
"Who?"
"He calls himself Kylo Ren."
Ah! I should've known! A Skywalker!
"Oh. Yes. I met him."
And it wasn't happy.
"Ah."
Preparing herself for more questions, Rey is surprised. "Um... is that all?"
"I suppose so."
Rey looks down. Surely he knows.
"He killed his father. Didn't he?"
Yes.
I don't want to deliver the news! This isn't fair!
"Sort of...?"
Rey cringes.
Life isn't fair, Scavenger.
Rey gasps. She must've jumped three feet in the air.
Luke turns around, his eyes filled with tears.
"Is something... is something wrong?"
Yes!
"No. Nothing's wrong, Master."
Just heard your psycho nephew in my head. No biggie.
Luke sits down. He's going to need a minute, Rey realizes. I guess I can just.. sit here, then. Don't mind me.
Oh, Force! This isn't good! Did I really just—?
What if he can find my location?
What if I'm putting Luke in danger?
He's the last Jedi!
She has to get out of here.
"Um... Master Luke?"
"Yes?"
His voice is heavy. Rey sees guilt in his blue eyes, still clouded with tears.
She looks down.
"I need to leave."
If she was looking up, she knows he would've struck her.
I know I'm your only hope. But I'm a danger to this island.
"Whatever for?" His voice is masked with what she knows is hurt.
"It's... it's important. I'll be back soon. I promise. It's just... I've been hearing voices and think I'm going crazy and..."
She tries for an uneasy smile.
To her surprise, Luke smiles back.
"Ah, that's just the Force ghosts."
No, I don't think so.
"It is?"
"Yes, it's your ancestors giving you advice. That's what they were saying, right?"
No. "Life isn't fair" isn't advice.
"I think so."
Luke's smile is almost... fatherly. "Here," he says, handing her her Lightsaber back. "Travel to the island on the far side. There, you may converse more freely with those Jedi we have lost."
"T-thank you, Master."
Oh, no!
She tries to smile guiltily at Luke as she descends the steps.
I'm the worst Jedi trainee ever to walk the galaxy.
Well, except for Kylo Ren, of course.
Rey allows herself a small laugh as she scrambles down the mountain.
What made him do it?
He was piloting his spacecraft, looking for the planet that had the most and best Kyber crystals, when he'd heard the scavenger's voice.
I don't want to deliver the news! This isn't fair!
And, like the hot-tempered idiot that he was, instead of contacting the Supreme Leader, he'd responded:
Life isn't fair, Scavenger.
If it ever went through, Kylo was sure he'd given the scavenger a heart attack (and by doing that, given Luke one by default: Kylo's sure he's watching her like a hawk).
Now she knows.
He remembers what happened when Snoke first read his mind. Snoke was always able to access his thoughts, his emotions, and best of all, contact him after the fact.
He's taken extra care not to inflict the same effect on his prisoners. Not that he's a prisoner.
Apparently not enough care.
As a matter of fact, Kylo feels freer than he has in a long time. He's finally where he wants to be, piloting his own spacecraft, and for a worthy cause, too.
He's actually pretty excited to go to Crait, the home of the red kyber crystals. It's a weird, almost magical planet that's almost always empty.
Maybe he'll be able to find what he's looking for and complete his Lightsaber.
However, it's taking a while.
He huffs.
What news would she deliver to Luke, anyway?
Deep in thought, he fingers his crossguard Lightsaber. Then he pauses.
Oh.
Sure, he regrets it. It was probably the worst life choice Kylo's ever made.
And it turned the scavenger against him even more.
The scavenger he was trying to turn.
No wonder.
He knows he can't afford to think thoughts such as these, for Supreme Leader Snoke can access his mind whenever he chooses.
He shakes his head to clear such rebellious thinking.
A beeping on his radar informs him he will soon have much more to do than think.
He's arrived at Crait.
But the usually low life reading is now off the charts.
Kylo frowns. He wonders if, somehow, the scan had malfunctioned.
He's about to refresh the scan when his sensor informs him of something much more pressing.
According to his sensor, a short-range missile is being launched from Crait towards his ship.
He moves to dodge, when—
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I've already written a lot for the next few, so expect an update daily until I finally catch up. Make sure to leave a review and follow/favorite if you'd like!