Hi, everyone!
I've always been a lurker - that is, I perused fanfics (Twilight, Harry Potter, Naruto, Claymore, Sword Art Online, and much much more) and only perused fanfics. Well, I've finally decided to take a step forward and write a fanfic of my own. This idea has been toying with me ever since one of my close friends introduced me to the Star Wars universe. I happened to stumble across a theory online that Rey will turn to the dark side, and thus, this story was immediately born. I wholeheartedly ship Kylo and Rey, and I enjoy toying with Rey changing ties. You bet your ass I'm going to watch The Last Jedi.
College is difficult, but finding a path to walk down after my undergrad is even harder. I will update, but please be patient. I cannot promise an update every single week, but I will strive to achieve that goal.
Lastly, I do not have the time to proofread and edit my chapters. If you find a grammatical error or something off/stilted, please let me know.
I hope you enjoy! If you read, please leave a review, favorite, favorite, or (hopefully and) follow!
Oh, and disclaimer: I do not own any characters. Star Wars belongs to Disney (Lucasfilm).
Chapter 1: Unlikely Reconciliation
"You need a teacher! I can show you the ways of the force!"
One year. One year since her battle with Kylo Ren.
Rey chewed her bottom lip, remembering the details plainly as if it had just happened yesterday. Surprisingly, she had taken the upper hand and managed to disfigure his untainted face. But that wasn't what bothered her. The more she tried to focus on what emotions were running rampant through her during the fight, the blurrier her recollections became. It was like trying to retain water in the palm of her hand.
Her symptoms became more profound as the months passed. She always liked retreating to her dreams; in fact, this was her go-to while spending countless amount of years by herself as a scavenger in Jakku. But even now, her dreams were not enough. She often found herself deliberately taking a trip down memory lane, always traversing down the road that led to Kylo Ren and his offer to teach her, no thanks to Luke.
Luke.
Something was wrong with him. When Rey went to the island with Chewie and met the legendary Luke Skywalker himself, hesitation was the last thing she had expected from him. But that, combined with the slow reveal of his face as he took his hood off, had divulged wary eyes that scanned Rey's frame and caused her exiguous discomfort.
She had then bridged their gap even more so by stretching out her arm. His blue orbs took their attention off her face and glued onto the offered lightsaber so desperately calling back to its owner. After a few more bouts of hesitation, Luke had clasped his hand around his possession.
"I want you to train me," Rey had said.
Luke had given a sharp dip of his head and taken an indefinite hiatus toward living the life of a recluse. They had walked back down the strenuous flight of steps, and Rey saw for the first time a real smile out of him as he saw the towering seven foot hairy monster stationed beside the Millennium Falcon roaring in delight.
Of course, that was one year ago.
As far as what she could see, everything was going smoothly. Luke had accepted her offer and became her mentor, teaching her all about the ways of the Force—how to properly wield a lightsaber (he lent her his since she didn't own one), how to harness the asset within her, and how to feel her surroundings and discipline herself to the point that she didn't feel like yanking out her hair after a mere hour of meditation. Her skills were far more cultivated and honed than they were during Starkiller Base. Her relationship with Luke grew, and as time passed, she saw him more as a brother than a teacher.
As quickly as they had become situated with one another, the two of them fell apart.
Three months ago, Luke had disappeared without a word, off to where no one could find him; not Organa, not Rey, no one. His departure threw everyone off. Without a mentor to properly discipline her, Rey became a bit lax, spending less time meditating in the forest, which was where she was now.
Rey groaned in frustration, swinging her legs off the tree she was cocooned in and jumping to the ground. She stood up and gave a few satisfied grunts while she stretched. Luke hadn't been the same since she asked to go kyber crystal hunting in order to forge her own lightsaber. At first, she'd thought she was imagining things, but his persistent excuses and steadily increase in distance he put between the two of them dissipated her initial thoughts.
It was nice being her own teacher for once, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried. No one had heard from Luke in months. She could still sense him, albeit faintly. It was almost as if he was deliberately hiding his aura from any Force-sensitive users. And not just any Force user. Her.
She shook the thoughts from her head and noted the time. On cue, her stomach growled. Although Resistance meal sizes were far from ample, one serving was still much more plentiful than a whole portion that she would seldom earn on Jakku.
The hurry through the heavy thicket passed in no time, and before long, the encapsulated bunker approached her eyes. An extensive fleet of X-wings lined side-by-side, their hulls slowly rusting from lack of maintenance. Only a few pilots cared to come out and polish and perform regular checkups on their jets now that real combat was notional. And one of them was Finn, who was currently operating with his back on a creeper.
"Finn!" Rey exclaimed, waving her arm in the air bunglingly as she recognized the familiar fighter jacket he wore.
She could see his feet slide him out from under the jet. "Rey!"
"Weren't you out here four hours ago?"
"Yeah," he said, clapping his hands to get rid of debris. "It has to be in top condition. You know, for when we fight again."
"It's been a whole year, Finn."
"Yeah. A whole year for them to plan." He drops his wrench in his toolbox. "It worries me, Rey. You know how dangerous the First Order is; you've seen what they can do. It's been one whole year of silence. No radio communications, rumors by word of mouth, nothing. When I was with them, Hux always had a plan. Hell, he had plans to his plans."
Rey settled her hand on his shoulder.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it," she said. "They suffered a crippling defeat on what used to be their home planet. Our resistance is that much stronger because of it. Striking now would be foolish of them; laying low would be the wisest option. Besides, last I heard, Hux was caught up in the explosion."
Finn's face turned dark and he scowled. "I doubt it. That man can squeeze his way out of any tough situation. He's one lucky cat."
Rey chuckled, but then stopped. "I'm stronger now. We all are. We won once; we can do it again."
"Speaking of stronger, did you hear?" Finn asked.
"Hmm?"
"Luke's on his way back. General Organa received notification this morning, right after you had left for the forest."
Rey's mouth dropped. "Did he give a reason?"
Finn shook his head. "Organa made it clear that he wanted to speak to you. Urgently."
Rey tapped into the Force and, for the first time in a week, reached for Luke. She honed in on the pulsing dot and located him. His bedchambers.
"You're doing that Force mumbo-jumbo again. Go."
Rey nodded and then left. She entered into the Resistance, dipping her head to acknowledge the greetings supplied to her as she wormed her way through the intricate maze. She traversed the hallways at a rapid pace until she reached a dark door. The door slid open of its own accord, and Rey stepped inside. And there stood Luke. Luke Skywalker.
"Rey." Nothing. His eyes were steely. Hardened.
"Master." She got on one knee and then stood back up. "Where have you been?"
Luke takes a calculating stare, and in this moment of weakness, Rey observes his features. He looked a little worse for the wear—not physically, but she could sense something inside. A sickness.
"It's not about the where, but about the why."
"Why, then?" Rey asked, snuffing away the small spark of annoyance. She was not expecting their first conversation in three months to be so cryptic. Then, in a smaller voice, she said, "I've missed you."
Luke walked up to her and placed both his hands on her shoulders. His mouth set into a grim line.
"I wanted things to change," he muttered, seemingly talking to himself now. "But I can no longer deny the truth. My young Padawan," he said. "I cannot be your teacher anymore."
The room seemed to drop a few degrees. Rey had to run his words through her head thrice before understanding them.
"What?" Rey realized her jaw was open and she snapped it shut. "I—I don't understand. Please explain, master. Did I fail you?"
"You did nothing of the sort. It is fate. Uncontrollable destiny."
"You're been marginalizing me for the past three months, and the first thing you do when you come back is telling me this? Don't you think it's time for a better explanation?"
"Rey—"
"Don't give me that tone! I'm not a child anymore! So you just want me to, what, forget everything you taught me? Forget the ways of the Force?"
"Stop the petulance, Rey. You must understand—"
"You're the last Jedi! If you're not teaching me, then who will?" she asked. "No, I refuse. You and I both know my training is not complete. I have yet to forge my own lightsaber!"
Luke shuffled his eyes to the floor, and she caught the gesture.
"You were never planning on allowing me to have one." Her voice came out muted. "You were never going to let me complete my training, were you?"
"You must understand, Rey," Luke said. "Do not feel betrayed."
"What am I supposed to feel then?" she hissed. Tears began to well. "Three months on my own, and then you just ditch me! I've had enough false lies. I waited alone on Jakku for years, praying my family would show. Or did you forget?"
Luke sighed. "Anakin Skywalker."
"What about him?"
"Think, Rey. Think."
Rey halted and racked her brain, pouring through bits and pieces of information absorbed through history. "You think I'll turn to the Dark Side?" Her eyes widened.
"Your anger has been growing. That much I know."
Rey wanted to tell him that it was because of his absence that she was this way, but she bit her tongue. How was she supposed to contain herself? She had never been a stoic character—her anger often got the best of her. It was something she had no reign over, especially given her circumstances. But before she could fumble for something else to say, the sirens rang.
Both their attentions diverted from the stilted conversation at hand and to the thought of what the alarms could symbolize. Rey swallowed the urge to look at Luke.
Then the two of them bolted into action and ran out into the hallways. There was already a large bustle of murmurs and excitement. It was blatant young resistance fighters who had been training for the past year were antsy and ready to see real action.
Rey arrived in the general assembly room right as a navigation panelist spoke.
"Our scanners have shown the First Order's ship in our system."
"Where?" General Organa demanded. The man zoomed in on the red flashing dot.
"Currently floating near Takodana."
Takodana. Why did that name sound so familiar?
"We were there," Finn appeared by Rey's side and turned to her. "Remember?" And then it hit her.
"Maz," Rey whispered. "Yeah. Maz's planet. He wants something from her." All the attention turned to her.
"There has to be a logical explanation for why they're returning to a planet they've already reduced to ruins."
"Takodana's renowned for their black markets," Luke said. "As Rey pointed out, it wouldn't come as a surprise if the First Order were looking for something. It could very well be the materials needed to create another Starkiller Base."
"The First Order sure are cutting it close," Finn stated. "For them to drop off the face of the galaxy for a year only to suddenly come up right under our noses, right near the Resistance Base. How can we be sure it's not a trap?"
"It does not matter what their intentions are," General Organa spoke. "What matters is that we stop them. We set up a strike team. Attack before they do, and stop whatever it is they are seeking for. I want every fighter pilot to report to Poe and Finn. Is that clear?"
A chorus of 'Yes, General' echoed throughout the room. What was a silent congregation was now filled with the buzzing of preparation.
"What about me, General Organa?" Rey asked, after a large portion of the crowd had dispersed. The only time she commandeered a ship was on the Millennium Falcon when Finn and her were on the run from the two TIE-fighters. Coordinated battle conditions in the upcoming battle were a complete opposite of her experience.
General Organa looked up from her battle plans. "Rey?" She then glanced over at Luke, who was still in the room. Rey caught the clandestine look they shared.
"I want you to stay here, Rey," Organa commanded. Rey was just about to open her mouth but the general continued. "No buts. You'll be safer observing from the sidelines. This battle is not one for you."
Rey's blood ran cold and her heart sank with disappointment. "What about Kylo Ren?" she said.
"What about him?"
"If—" Ren shook her head. "No, whenhe shows up, do you really expect me to just law low and do nothing? He is a dark warrior, and a renowned one at that. I don't mean to undermine your authority, but he is too strong for your fighters."
"That is why I am going."
Rey's head snapped over to Luke. "You?"
Luke nodded. "The First Order will not rest until the Resistance is extinct. It is time. I have made my decision." Then he walked up to Rey.
"This is the last request I ask of you, as your teacher," he whispered. "Stay with Organa. Stay here. Can I trust you to do that?"
Rey looked into his eyes. She began biting her lips again, a sign of her uncertainty. She couldn't refuse him, no matter how much she wanted to.
"Fine."
"Good," Luke declared. "Return to your chambers. The battle will be over soon."
And with that, he left. Organa followed shortly afterwards, and Rey found herself standing alone, wondering why Luke wouldn't give her an explanation for his actions. Shaking her head, she trudged her feet back to her room and collapsed on the bed.
The fact that Luke's eyes were filled with absolute certitude made Rey feel like an ultimatum was about to happen. He was going to clash with Kylo Ren, and what scared Rey the most was that she wasn't sure who would win. A small part of her even wished that one side—it didn't matter which, so long as it ended things once and for all—would win already.
She didn't know what to expect. Yesterday already felt like a faint memory. So much was happening. A normal day of meditation and self-training led to Luke renouncing his role of teacher and the First Order spotlighting their presence. There was no way this was chance.
Come to me.
Rey jerked out of her thoughts and whirled around her room. "Who's that?" A year...
You know you want to.
Her eyes widened when she heard the voice again.
I know you, Rey. I know your hate. You don't want to stay behind. You want to find me. Finish off what you started.
Get out of my head, Rey growled.
That is no way to treat me after a year of silence. You are taking after your mentor quite well.
The memories of Luke dismissing her made Rey ball her fists. Before she could retort, Kylo Ren spoke again.
I know of your little Resistance's plans. Do you really thinkLuke Skywalkeris enough? He is but a mere uncle. A fool. I know his power, and I know that he will not prevail. Years of hiding weakened him.
Rey hesitated. He is a greater man than you will ever be.
Why, because he is a Jedi? A pause.The world is not black and white. One of many things you will learn when you have a better teacher.
Kylo Ren's voice lowered into a dark, dispassionate tone and gave Rey the push she needed. Supreme Leader Snoke will be most pleased when I kill off the last Jedi.
Rey knew Kylo Ren was provoking her. She knew he was taunting her, forcing her to jump up to action. And she tried to restrain herself, but in the end, she failed.
She jumped off her bed and ran out her door into the hallway. Her fury was so palpable that she could see red. She gripped her staff tightly, pretending it was Kylo Ren's neck. How she hated him. If only her lightsaber ran just a little deeper. If only she had killed him when she had the chance.
Good. Come to me.
She wormed herself through the base, ducking her head down low whenever a few stragglers passed her. Running out into the open, she saw the X-wing she was looking for.
Come to me.
"Didn't Organa tell you to stand down?" Finn asked incredulously as she hopped into the passenger seat behind him. She noted that he continued preparing for takeoff, however, and took that as a positive sign.
"I can't stand down and do nothing, Finn." Rey buckled herself in and slipped on her helmet. "I can sense Kylo Ren. Master's going to need backup if we are to defeat him for good." Butterflies festered in her stomach. What she was saying only held partial truth, and she was scared because of it. Her rationale laid dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. She was betraying a direct order from not only her master, but the General. She was lying to everyone. All so that she could have a chance at defeating him.
The voice in her head retracted, and she was allowed to fully focus on what was in front of her. The X-wing, now fully prepped, flew up past the sky and into space.
"So you got a plan?" Finn asked her after he set the controls on autopilot.
"Plan?"
"Yeah, you know…like a strategy?" Finn cranked his head back and looked at Rey. "You don't have a plan," he sighed.
"No. No. Listen, Finn. I need you to sneak me on board the Finalizer," Rey spoke while channeling her inner peace in order to subdue the Force within her. That way, she would be almost undetectable by any Force users.
"What?! You're crazy, woman! Like, actually cuckoo!"
"Listen, Finn!" Rey grabbed him by the shoulders. Finn winced at the pressure. "You're the only one who can help me. No one knows the Finalizer as well as you do."
"Like I said, you're deranged."
"I need to be the one to end all of this. I can't let Luke get involved in a war that isn't his. Please."
She could sense Finn clenching his teeth. As much as he was her friend, she'd fly the damn thing over if she had to.
"Alright. What do you need me to do?" Finn asked. Then, sensing Rey was about to thank him, he interjected, "Nuh-uh! Don't thank me. I don't wanna hear any praise come out of your mouth until you get out of there unscathed, you hear me?"
"Just get me on board and stay put. Ditch the plane and hide if you need to. I don't doubt that there will be swarms of Stormtroopers guarding every possible entrance."
Finn nodded and turned the autopilot off. "We're here."
And they were. Even if someone was blind, they could still hear the sounds of the lasers and explosions. Hordes of TIE fighters swarmed around the Finalizer like hornets to their queen. On the other hand flew the X-wings, who were doing their best to break the First Order's defense. Rays of green and red clashed and exploded like a wide array of fireworks. Rey tried her best to steer her eyes away from all the destructive debris—the only physical remnants of good and evil themselves.
"These things have stealth modes, right?" She leaned forward and absorbed the absurd amount of buttons on the panelboard.
"Yeah, but the chances we make it through that warzone without being hit is slim to none."
"That's why we have Takodana," Rey said, pointing out the planet that was directly below the fight. We can circle around and approach from the back."
Their X-wing painfully crawled its way around the planet and to the other side. They had to go slow, otherwise they were risking exposure. The faster a ship went, the more susceptible it was to be picked up on radar.
"We're lucky," Finn breathed a sigh of relief after they finished half the trip undetected. "It looks like their shields are down now. We'll be able to enter through station port F." He pointed.
"Maybe it's fate," Rey said, absentmindedly echoing Luke. "Not luck."
Finn gives her a perplexed look before he inched the X-wing toward the ship bay. The bay doors opened on their own volition and revealed a cargo area void of any life. No signs of Stormtroopers or repair crew reached their eyes. The X-wing came to a grinding stop.
Rey scrambled to unbuckle her seat belt and exit the ship. Finn followed suit, placing his feet on the Finalizer for the first time in a year.
"Never thought I'd ever see myself here again," Finn muttered.
"Do you know where Kylo Ren's quarters are?"
"Sure. They're in the east wing. If you hurry, you can get there in—"
However, Finn didn't get the chance to complete his sentence. A loud rumbling noise reached their ears, and a split second later—so fast that neither had time to react—a surge of people suddenly roared into the room, seemingly appearing out of thin air. Dozens of Stormtroopers revealed themselves from their hiding places and pointed their blasters at Rey and Finn. A second later, all sound died away. Except for one.
The sound of the man's shoes clicking on the tile floor didn't mean anything to Rey, but she saw through her peripherals that Finn had started shaking. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her eyes, expecting to see Kylo Ren. But it wasn't.
"General Hux," she heard Finn whisper.
The mass of people present didn't suggest anything else than that of the enemy being forewarned the two were coming. They couldn't do anything. One tentative step and they would be blown to pieces.
"Or maybe," Finn breathed, and it took Rey a second to note he was talking to her. "It wasn't fate nor luck. We just walked into a trap."
Rey braced herself. Her hand itched toward her staff, but before she could bring it to use, a heavy blow struck her head. And just like that, she was out.