Rey woke up with a massive headache. To call it just a headache was a gross understatement, but Rey wasn't the type to elaborate on her pain. If she tried it would have made her head hurt more.
She opened and closed her mouth several times, hoping that some movement would moisten the insides, but it didn't help. She was no stranger to dehydration, but this was new to her. It boggled her mind that she could have drank so much liquid the previous night and yet still wake up dehydrated.
Whatever Finn had given her to drink, it was strong.
She lay in bed for a while, motionless because even the slightest bit of movement made her world spin. Her gaze slowly fell to her side table where a pitcher of water was waiting. Rey narrowed her eyes.
Salvation was but a few steps away, and yet she couldn't even stand up to take it. Using the Force was out of the question, her concentration was shot.
A knock sounded on her door before it opened slightly. Master Luke peeked in to check on her. Seeing her awake, he smiled the room.
"Good you're up," he whispered, knowing how awful she must feel. "May I come in?"
Rey mouthed her approval, her throat feeling too dry to be able to make a sound. Luke entered, gently closing the door behind him. He poured her a glass of water from the pitcher and slowly helped her up.
"Small sips," he directed. "Take small sips or you'll only end up vomiting."
Rey gave a sound to indicate that she understood and sipped from the glass. She raised a hand to indicate that she was done but Luke did not yet let her lay back on the bed.
"Here's something for the headache," he said as he pulled something out from his cloak. "I know it helped me a lot back in the day.
He handed her a pill which she drank as quickly as she could. She had no idea what it was, but it worked wonders. Within a few minutes, her nausea dissipated and the headache was completely gone.
"Thank you," she whispered, her throat still dry.
"You're welcome," Luke replied, smiling at her.
"Did you need something, Master?" she asked, taking another sip of water. "You surely didn't just come here to help me with the hangover?"
"Can't a teacher care for his student without having an ulterior motive?" Luke challenged, his face giving nothing away.
"A teacher may," Rey granted. "But we are Jedi. There is always another layer to most of our actions."
"I taught you too well," Luke laughed. "Or maybe you were already cautious to begin with. Not all actions have an ulterior motive to them. But you're right, this wasn't a mere courtesy call."
"Sir?" Rey asked, waiting patiently for him to get to his point.
"You know that your training as a Jedi Knight is not yet complete, right?"
Rey nodded. She was fully aware that her crash course training was only enough for her to control the Force and use her abilities to stop the First Order. She was nowhere near any sort of mastery in any of her skills. Although Master Luke did say that she was naturally gifted in Jedi mind arts.
"Will you be willing to see your training through?" Luke asked, his demeanour serious. "Will you continue your training?"
"Of course," Rey replied.
There was nothing waiting for her back on Jakku. Jedi training, Master Luke, this was her future now. When she became a master, she would probably even help him train what younglings they would find.
Let it never be said that Rey was the type of person to start something and not see it through to the end.
"Good," Luke nodded. "We'll be staying here for some time. We can continue some of your training here. But we'll have to leave eventually."
"I understand."
And Rey did. Some of the Jedi training that Master Luke was teaching her was not meant for the general population to see. As much as the Jedi needed to become public knowledge again, they still needed to keep an air of mystery about them.
"You should continue practicing your stances," Luke instructed. "You don't have to use your lightsaber for that."
"Of course Master."
"Good," Luke approved. "Well, I'll be going now."
He turned to leave. Luke stopped at her door, she could read hesitation in his posture.
"Sir?" she asked.
"Ben might re-join us," Luke said, not turning around to face her. "I would not turn him away if he wished to do so. Just to let you know."
"I see," Rey replied, keeping the anger from her voice.
"He needs a place in the new order of things Rey," Luke seemed weary as he said so. Rey assumed that he would be given the massacre of younglings that his own nephew took part of. "He needs to know that he has a place with the Jedi, with us."
"I understand," she said, seeing the wisdom in giving Ben Solo a chance.
"I'm glad you do," Luke smiled at her.
He left her room after that, leaving her to think on what would happen once they would re-establish the Jedi Order. Would Ren be her teacher or her fellow student?
Master Luke told her that the Jedi did not take on two apprentices at once. But they have told her that Kylo Ren didn't finish his Jedi training.
She sighed. She should probably get used to calling him by his real name, rather than as 'Kylo Ren' or kinslayer as he was in her mind. She should also probably get out of bed soon.
Rey stood up and gave a stretch, still wondering at how much better she felt thanks to that thing Master Luke gave her. As she went through her morning ablutions she planned out what she would do with her day. Stances would probably be something she'd do in the afternoon, she figured.
After she was done washing, she settled herself on the floor and started meditating. It did wonders for her emotions and helped clear her mind so she could focus better. She spent several minutes just meditating, revelling in the ebb and flow of the Force.
When she was done, she stood and stretched again. Suppressing a yawn, she wondered what she was going to do, since Master Luke never gave her any other instructions. She shrugged to herself.
Maybe she should go find Finn and Poe and see what they were up to.
Ben woke up alone. Not that he was expecting to see anybody there. Only his parents and his uncle actually visited him. He knew that Chewbacca was still upset that he and his father faked the latter's death. Threepio was probably off assisting his mother or his uncle. Artoo would probably never come near him again, not after what happened with the younglings.
Ben shook his head, trying to get those memories away from him. It did not do well to dwell on the past, he knew that much. He may have already been officially pardoned for all the acts he committed as 'Kylo Ren', but there was a stain on his soul that no amount of forgiveness could erase.
He was broken and he knew it.
He reached out and touched the scar on his face. Ever since that girl- Rey, his mind supplied- gave it to him, he would touch it whenever he had his mask off. He thought about the lightsaber that gave it him, the lightsaber that belonged to his grandfather, which now belongs to her. Ben sighed.
Rey was strong with the Force, she deserved to keep the lightsaber.
He rose from his bed. The healers said that he could walk around if he wanted, even out in the corridor, as long as there was someone there to help him in case he fell down.
Ben scoffed at that thought. He was Kylo Ren, leader of the Knights of Ren and second only to the Supreme Leader in terms of rank in the First Order. He didn't need anyone.
Even as he was giving himself that empowering speech, he could feel his head gradually lighten. Still, he was his father's son and, if nothing else, he inherited the man's stubborn nature. He kept walking until he reached his door, but he was breathing heavily because of it. He leaned against the wall next to the door, trying to catch his breath.
Ben knew that he wasn't going to be able to make it back to his bed on his feet.
"Ben?"
A voice surprised him. He had been so caught up in catching his breath that he didn't hear the door open him. His mother's face swam into view.
"What are you doing out of bed?" she asked, quickly coming up beside him and helping him stand. "You weren't supposed to be standing without anyone else here."
"Like I need supervision," he mumbled, still grateful for her assistance.
"You and your father," she shook her head and helped him back into bed. "Hard-headed louts who think they know everything. And he calls me stubborn."
Ben gave a small smile at that, remembering the happier days of his childhood. His parents would always end up arguing about one thing or another. Tempers would then proceed to escalate, only to immediately dissipate when one of them would initiate a kiss.
Looking back, it was a miracle that he was an only child with all that passion between them.
"Thank you," he said in a small voice once he was settled on the bed. He wasn't used to thanking people anymore.
"I'm your mother," she reminded him. "If I don't help you, who will?"
Ben huffed. What she said was true. There weren't many in the Resistance Headquarters who would help him. Some probably wouldn't spit on him if her were on fire.
He understood them though. A lot of people died because of him. Those who joined the Resistance probably did so after losing a loved one. They probably lost family, lovers, or friends because of his actions in the war.
"Stop thinking," Leia scolded. "I know that look, and if you can't do anything about it now, what's the point in thinking about it?"
"But-" he tried, but she cut him off.
"But nothing," she said sternly. "We were at war. You were doing your job. If you didn't maybe the death toll would have been greater."
"If I did my job better maybe the war could've ended sooner," he countered. "Maybe we would have had lesser losses. On both sides."
"Oh Ben," she said, sitting on the bed and pushing his hair away from his face. "We can't know that for certain."
"Still," he insisted, staring right into her eyes. "If I-"
"No," she shook her head. "We were asking so much from you. But only you could have done it."
She pulled him into a hug. Her hand petting his head in a soothing manner, much like she did whenever he cried as a child.
"I had no choice but to send you," Leia's voice shook. "I sent my only son into the lion's den for the war effort. And here I thought that the days of sending loved ones off to die ended with the Empire."
"Mother…" he murmured, not really sure as to what he could say.
"But the war is over now," Leia continued. "It's time to rebuild. You could stay and help here."
Ben pulled away from his mother's hold and looked at her. War had aged her, war had aged them all. But underneath that he saw her firm resolve. She would rebuild things, make things better. That was just the type of person Leia Organa was.
"I don't know," he admitted.
He had no place here. If he had died in the final battle, he would have been lauded as a hero once his role was revealed. But how do heroes live past their battles? Would he vanish into memory? Should he go into exile as punishment for all of his war crimes?
"I told you to stop thinking," Leia chided. "You don't have to decide on everything at once. Just know that you have your options."
"Yes Mother," he replied dutifully.
"Good," she smiled. "Luke said something about rebuilding the school. Maybe you'd want to help with that?"
Ben blinked. If his Uncle gave him the chance, he could never bring back the younglings he killed, but he could help teach a new group. He could help them hone their skills so that they could never be slaughtered like animals.
"Maybe," Ben replied, causing Leia to smile.
"Think about it," she smiled. She stood, pausing only a bit to kiss his forehead. "Get some rest Ben. You're still healing."
His mother left soon after that. Once he was alone, he realised how exhausted he felt. One night apparently wasn't enough to recover from that last battle. He closed his eyes, fully intending to rest them for just a minute, but he soon slipped into sleep.
Inside the Millenium Falcon, repairs were being made. Han wiped the sweat from his brow. The galaxy was safe. Evil was vanquished. It was high time that this smuggler took his leave.
Too bad the Falcon didn't seem to agree with him.
He had no idea what the old girl went through while it was in Rey's hands. Chewie gave him a broad summary, but nothing from that retelling pointed out just why the Falcon wouldn't start when he wanted to.
Which was before dawn this morning so he could slip out without saying a word.
It was currently way past dawn, nearly lunch, and here he still was trying to get the darn thing to work.
"Going somewhere?"
Han glanced up to see Luke standing there. He quickly wiped the guilty expression on his face and assumed a more relaxed one.
"Hey kid," he greeted, resuming his work. "Needed something?"
"Are you running out on my sister?" Luke asked, getting straight to the point. Han appreciated that. "Again?"
"Hey!" Han protested, pausing just long enough to point a finger at the Jedi. "You walked away first, if I remember correctly."
"I did," Luke admitted, "And I'm not proud of it. But I'm here now."
"Well woohoo good for you," Han replied, returning to fiddling with the wiring on the Falcon. "But you know how it is Kid. I've got places to be, things to smuggle. Hand me that screwdriver will you?"
"What about Leia?" Luke asked, handing Han the tool.
"What about her?" Han answered. "Pass me the tape."
"She needs you to be here for her," Luke insisted, waving around the tape before giving it to Han.
"Pfft," Han replied. "She doesn't need me here."
"And why not?"
"She's going to be busy with politics, and you know how good I am at that," he wasn't, Luke knew how bad Han was with political niceties. "What would she need an old smuggler like me for?"
"You were there for her the last time," Luke reasoned.
"And look how well that turned out," Han said. He didn't need to elaborate because that statement quickly turned Luke on the defensive.
"This is not Ben's fault," Luke shook his head.
"I know," Han said. "Ben's a great kid. Selfless, brave, kind. He got that all from her, you know? My point is, what would she need me here for? Sometimes love just isn't enough, you know?"
Luke stared at his brother-in-law. The man was so used to acting cool, that he couldn't even express himself properly and tell Leia his concerns. He'd rather fly off without a word to anyone.
"Well I need a pilot," Luke said, changing the subject. If he couldn't help with keeping Han with Leia, the least he could do for her is make sure he knows where Han is.
"Last I checked," Han replied. "You are a pilot."
"I haven't flown in years," Luke reasoned.
"That girl," Han argued. "Rey, your apprentice. She's a pilot."
"Ah, but she doesn't have a ship," Luke pointed out. "And we'll need a ship."
"Fine," Han agreed. "What's the cargo?"
"Just two, maybe three people," Luke smiled, glad that his friend was accepting the job.
"Three?" Han clarified. "You, Rey, and?"
"Ben," Luke answered. "If he decides to come along."
"Fine," Han said. "When do we go?"
"I don't know," Luke shrugged. "Ben's still recuperating and I haven't gotten down the specifics yet."
"Right," Han scowled. "That's alright, I guess. This old thing doesn't seem like it's going to fly any time soon."
"Oh the Falcon?" Luke said, already near the exit. "I asked Chewie to make sure you were grounded. I had a feeling you were going to do a runner."
Luke exited the Falcon quickly, smiling as he heard, what he assumed to be the screwdriver, clang against the wall.
Things were in place. As he told Han, he didn't have any specifics yet, but he already had a general picture in his mind. He could feel Force-sensitive children in other places, he needed the Falcon in case some of them turned out to be slaves.
Leia wouldn't approve of stealing property, but she didn't approve of slavery either. She knew that some of Luke's students had shady backgrounds and she turned a blind eye to that.
It was better that they were trained up as Jedi rather than left alone to become Sith later on. But all of that had to wait.
Luke whistled as he made his way to the mess area. He was in the mood for lunch.
Chapter 2! Omg. I have no idea what I'm doing. I hope this didn't seem rambly to anyone!
I have to apologise now. I can't promise regular updates since school's coming back in session, but I will keep writing this!
Tell me what you thought of this? ^.^
