Invisible Light

Chapter Ten

Luke was waiting for Rey at the foot of the temple, seemingly immune to the frigid sea air that whipped all around them. Rey stepped onto the gravelly beach, instinctively pulling her coat closer to her throat. Behind her, the Falcon's engines roared as Chewbacca brought the ship to full power.

"I'm glad you're here," Luke told her, unusually somber. "I have something to show you."

Rey's interest was piqued, though Luke's odd demeanor unsettled her. Suddenly all her stories about her last week with the Resistance were forgotten; there was only herself and Luke, locked on a tiny ocean planet floating deep in quiet space. She followed the Jedi Master wordlessly down the beach, her feet sliding against the gravel with each step. Her hair flew around her head wildly, and the late afternoon light was quickly fading behind the distant cloud cover. A storm was brewing, and would arrive to the tiny island not long after nightfall. Just as Rey considered asking where they were going, she spotted a narrow sandbar in the distance, leading to an even smaller island.

"The timing of the tide with your arrival was quite fortunate," Luke called to her over his shoulder. "It isn't much fun swimming through this ocean."

Rey glanced nervously at the sea before her; she had never been in water deeper than her shins, and didn't fancy the idea of learning to swim in the frigid waters.

Luke led Rey across the sandbar to the rocky island just as a bright ray of sunlight exploded through the dark clouds brewing in the distance. Overhead sea birds cried loudly, diving into the shallow tide pools for their evening meal. Rey had no idea what Luke could possibly be showing her, but knew better than to question him until they reached their destination.

The island's beach only extended on one side, gradually sloping up into the rocky cliffs that towered overhead. Luke led her up a narrow staircase carved into the island's surface, each step far more assured than Rey's; she clung to the damp rock wall the higher they got, terrified her footing would slip. Finally the steepness gave way to level ground, revealing a tiny meadow on the back of the sloping cliff. It was dotted with gnarled trees, though one in particular stood out to Rey immediately. It was bone-white, bleached from the salty air, and heavily twisted. The trunk was wider than any tree Rey had ever seen. It was leafless and bare, giving the impression of being little more than a petrified fossil.

Rey's eyes darted to Luke, but he had yet to explain what they were doing. He continued to lead the way and Rey followed, acutely aware of the story Maz had told her several nights ago.

Luke stopped several meters short of the white tree, examining it with quiet interest. Rey stood next to him, looking between her teacher and the tree. She could feel an odd electric charge about the air, but wasn't sure if it was due to the impending storm or some other force.

"Doubtlessly you will recall the story Maz told to you on your visit to Takodana," Luke began.

Rey's mouth opened in surprise. "How do you know about that?"

"I had intended to tell you the Origin Story myself, when the time was right," he said heavily. "But Maz is a better historian, so perhaps it was more appropriate that you learned it from her."

Her senses sharpened, a crease forming between her brow as she peered at the tree. "Is—this isn't—"

"For many lifetimes, this tree was the source of the Jedi power," Luke told her. "The temple we have been staying at was the second of its kind, erected deliberately out of sight of this little meadow. The first Jedi had incredible foresight, for the Sith erected a shrine of their own over the foundation of the temple many centuries later. You see," Luke continued, turning to look at her. "This is the true site of the first Jedi Temple. Our little fortress was a smokescreen."

A million questions were burning through Rey's mind; she had no idea which to ask first.

"For years I had meditated on the Origin Story… the promise of the return of the Jedi. You see, for almost a lifetime everyone believed my father was the Chosen One, born to bring balance to the Force. I myself took stock in this version of events."

"But now…"

"His lightsaber called out to you," Luke continued. "And R2 awoke from his sleep to reveal the rest of the map to this planet, a sleep I myself programmed until the Force awakened…"

Rey's mind was electrified. "No," she insisted, shaking her head at the insinuation. "There's no way—I'm no one—"

"The Force indicates otherwise," Luke told her seriously.

Rey took a step back, looking at the white tree warily. She couldn't deny that something about it called out to her, beckoning her in.

"The issue at hand," Luke continued, running his bionic hand through his graying hair. "Is that there are two of you… two possible candidates."

The crease between Rey's eyes deepened. "Who's the other?"

Luke peered at her sideways. "You already know."

A memory flashed through her mind's eye: a dark forest, enveloped in falling snow… a dark shadow stalking her between the trees…

"You can't be serious," Rey said weakly, looking once again at the tree suspiciously before turning imploringly to her teacher.

"I attempted to bring back the Jedi, and failed," Luke said, his tone unusually firm. "It was predestined. Only the Chosen One can bring back balance to the Force—bring back the Jedi in the rush of awakening darkness. I have meditated on it for a great deal of time, consorted with many historians throughout the galaxy… it's impossible to deny it. The Force has awakened in you, and in Ben… one of you has been chosen. Or perhaps both of you. There were two souls in the Origin Story, after all."

Rey's mind was reeling. "So—so if it's not me," she said, utterly convinced it wasn't. "And it's Ben… what does that mean?"

"He will bring back the Jedi," Luke replied.

This was absurd. Ben Solo had destroyed the fledgling Jedi, had turned to the Dark side… "You can't be serious…" she repeated, shaking her head.

"There are only two options," Luke told her sternly, taking a step toward the tree. "Either both of you have been chosen, or one of you… either way there is a connection between you two that no other Force-user can match. The only way to discover the truth is to find Ben, and bring you both here."

Rey's ears were ringing. She felt dizzy. "Maz said it was just a legend…"

"All stories have an origin in truth… I have been studying you closer than I've let on," Luke admitted. He was now so close to the tree that he had only to reach out to touch its branches. "I had to be certain of the signs, you see, before I brought you here."

Rey turned to look at the ancient tree before her. She stepped forward cautiously, steeling herself against an unknown force. Slowly, she raised her hand, her fingertips just inches from the trunk. A faint golden light emanated from the cracks in the bark, soft and inviting. Rey had only to touch it—to reach forward and accept whatever destiny the Force had in store for her…

Rey's hand dropped to her side slowly. She turned to look at Luke, who had been studying her.

"What do I have to do?"

"Ben will not be easy to find," Luke told her later that evening. They were back at the temple—the second temple, technically—seated around a fire. "Leia says there are rumors throughout the galaxy that he has disappeared from Snoke's side. Rumors that he has turned against his Master…"

"To gain control of the First Order for himself?" Rey suggested with only the faintest hint of malice.

Luke gave her a wry smile. "You will have to let your prejudice go very soon—especially if you are to persuade him to come here."

"I hardly think it's prejudice when I watched him murder his own father."

Luke sighed at that, a dark cloud passing over his careworn face. "What can I tell you that will open your mind?"

Rey shrugged stubbornly. In truth, she didn't want to change her mind.

"If you are to bring Ben Solo to the First Jedi Temple," Luke said. "Then you must learn who he is—where he came from."

Rey's eyes flashed up to her teacher. While she was content to hate Kylo Ren for the rest of her existence, she couldn't deny that a small part of her—a very small part—was curious.

"From the very beginning, it was obvious that Ben was Force-sensitive," Luke began. His eyes softened at some distant memory. "The Jedi didn't exactly exist at this point—a child with an adult's Force abilities was unheard of. The boy could hear every thought and feel every emotion of any living being within fifty feet of himself—and he had no way to block it out. He was prone to nightmares, fits of unexplained energy or sadness, explosive rage—no one understood it. Han and Leia were terrified that the galaxy would learn of Leia's true parentage, and target Ben. Everything was kept a secret.

"Well, Leia was consumed with her role in the Senate, and Han was always gone with one job or another—what little time they spent together was tumultuous. Ben used to terrorize his tutors in an attempt to get any attention he could from his parents... he was living in their shadow; a strange boy born to war-heroes and royalty, and yet was nothing like either of them. Ben never wanted to be special—he never wanted his Force powers, to be a Jedi, or have a famous parents… I think he felt quite alone as a child.

"Well, one day he snuck away and broke into the Senate building—they were living on Coruscant at this point. Ben was determined to lure his mother away from work. Unfortunately, there was a coup staged against the current senators from Lothal—the Senate building was bombed as a diversion. Leia was engaged in a private conference about a counter-strike, and a few mercenaries were hired to kidnap her. They never found Leia, but they did find her son hiding in the hallways."

Luke hesitated here. Rey was listening with rapt attention, oddly fascinated by this tale of her enemy's childhood.

"The official report is that the guerilla fighters died as a result of the bombing, despite being nowhere near the epicenter," Luke said heavily. He rubbed his brow with his mechanical hand, working away the headache that was forming. "The truth is that Ben's power overwhelmed him—he tried to run, but when his kidnappers dragged him down the hall, they were suddenly jerked away—an invisible force slammed them into a wall, and they were killed instantly… A terrible accident from powers too strong to control…"

Rey couldn't fight the horrific thought of a child killing armed adults with a single, panicked thought. How terrified that boy must have felt, desperately reaching out for anything to protect himself, and killing someone in the process… his lifeline a murder weapon… Rey shivered, snapping back to her senses. She forced the surge of sympathy to the back of her mind.

"Ben was sent to me the next morning. Leia was concerned that Ben's power would overwhelm him again, but all Ben saw was punishment. He was already afraid of himself, and now he believed his mother was afraid of him, too. Han was furious with Leia—he blamed her partly for what had happened. He had no intention of sending Ben away, but he was scared of ruining his son somehow, so he just stayed away…"

He would have disappointed you…

The words echoed softly in the forefront of Rey's mind, passing through her thoughts with delicate ease. "So he thought he had been abandoned."

"Eventually Ben saw Jedi training as enjoyable, rather than punishment," Luke continued. "He was extremely gifted, though nothing could be done about his nightmares. He barely managed to keep the voices blocked out long enough to focus on his studies. He was an outcast at first, but soon became very popular among the other students for his talent and famous name. Despite his success, a dark shadow always seemed to linger near him… and his Force powers, strangely, always seemed to bend precariously back toward the edge of the Dark side. We thought, perhaps, it was a lingering effect of his accident—trauma. None of us dared to even think it was the lure of the Dark Side, too afraid to discover it might be true… But it was never going to let him go…"

"And his parents?"

Luke hesitated. "They… hadn't changed much. There was talk of divorce, but each was too busy to actually draw it up. Han was involved in a new intergalactic trade route while Leia was running for re-election. They were confident their son was growing into his own, so to speak. They checked in from time to time, as all parents did, but Ben was driven from an overwhelming urge to impress them—to earn his birthright. Leia always cautioned him, which will drive any teenager mad, and Han just avoided the topic altogether… Ben especially wanted to impress his father, but the Force was just something Han didn't understand. He loved Ben, and was immensely proud of him, but he… he was Han," Luke added with a low chuckle. "He didn't know how to show it. He would tease to demonstrate affection, but his son didn't have his thick skin, and so Ben was convinced Han was embarrassed of him."

Luke fell silent for a moment, lost in some distant memory that hardened his features. When he spoke, it was in a voice much cooler than Rey was used to hearing. "When he was about sixteen, Ben learned through the other students that Anakin Skywalker—grandfather, famous Jedi, and harbinger of the Light—was actually Darth Vader. Leia's enemies in the Senate leaked the information in an attempt to discredit her—she was already unpopular with her warnings about the First Order... Suddenly everyone turned on Ben—his friends shunned him, whispered things like 'Dark Lord' behind his back, and accused him of being a Sith. They insisted Ben wasn't actually as talented as he was, that I was playing favorites because he was my nephew… But Leia refused to let him quit his training, and Han…didn't know what to do. Ben felt rejected all over again. He refused to listen to my guidance, afraid it really was just me playing favorites. I should have insisted…" his voice trailed off.

"So that's when he…" Rey said hesitantly, eager to hear the rest of the story.

"To understand Ben, you need to know about his Master," Luke said darkly. "Snoke was a member of the Senate during the time of the Clone Wars—an advisor to Emperor Palpatine, he knew my parents, and later my sister. He had a devoted interest in the First Order, and an even stronger one in Ben. It wasn't unusual for… patrons…to take an invested curiosity in protégés. The galaxy was in a state of post-war, scrambling to gain the upper hand. None of us realized just how invested Snoke was until Ben was gone—he had been in the shadows for years, possibly since Ben was very young. Ben was lonely and desperate for affection from his absent parents, and had begun to see Snoke as a sort of stand-in—someone who understood him and the darkness that warred inside him. In time, Ben trusted Snoke more and more, and Snoke manipulated that trust to ensure the Dark side was always just on the precipice of Ben's mind—and when he was rejected all over again, I imagine it was very easy for Snoke to take advantage of that."

There was a long silence following Luke's story. Rey's mind was swimming, transfixed by the tale of a young Ben Solo. Though her hatred still flared white hot, something like sympathy creeped into her heart when she thought of him.

"But why did he stay?" Rey finally asked, breaking the silence.

Luke gave her a strange look. "You would know better than I."

Rey was affronted. It must have showed on her face, because then Luke said, "You've seen into his mind… what did you find when you reversed his interrogation tactic on him?"

You're afraid.

"I think I should go to bed," Rey muttered lamely, getting to her feet.

"A welcome idea," Luke agreed, following suit. "We can discuss our plan in the morning, when we've had time to recharge."

The storm had arrived in full force—rain pelted the temple with relentless force, lightning frequently flashing through the windows. Rey lay wide awake in her private quarters, staring at the ceiling. She knew she should trust Luke—there was absolutely no reason not to—but a part of her, a vital part, was screaming at her to reconsider searching for Kylo Ren.

For months, a dark shadow tempted her with dreams of revenge; dreams so powerful that nothing else mattered, even the call to the Light. If faced with Kylo Ren once more, Rey wasn't sure she would be able to control the deep and dark desire.

Ren awoke slowly, his sluggish brain trying to kickstart itself back into activity. He blinked several times trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. He rolled his side slowly, stiffly, taking in his surroundings with a frown.

The room was dim and cramped; dingy drapes hung from the rafters, surrounding Ren and partitioning off his little cot. There were dulled voices on the other side of the room, chatting inanely in some obscure tongue. Further out, toward the village, was the commotion of a mid-afternoon at the market.

Ren lifted his heavy shoulders, swinging his feet to the floor carefully. His boots and heavier layers had been removed, piled neatly on a lopsided table nearby. Each stretch of muscle took a conscious effort. While his body protested the movement, Ren's mind was sharpening by the second, assessing his surroundings and analyzing for potential threats. Ren reached for his belongings, pulling his muddy boots on with great difficulty. His broken wrist was heavily bandaged, rendering his hand completely useless, but at least it didn't have the same distracting ache.

It was easy enough to slip out unnoticed when Ren could hear the thoughts of everyone around him. He passed other curtained-off rooms, dingy quarters that housed the sick and otherwise injured. His footsteps were silent, and he slid through the careworn hospital like a dark shadow, swift and unnoticed.

The world outside was much brighter, full of travelers trading goods, sharing news, and dropping off stolen shipments. It was clearly a pirate's trading post, a planet full of scavengers and thieves. The bustling activity churned, free swim in and out of his head with nothing to stop it, no dark walls to dictate what surfaced to the forefront of Ren's mind.

Was this how it felt to finally be alone in his own head? To exist without claws in his mind, guiding him blindly down a singular path?

Ren gathered his wits about himself, walking carefully through the crowds with his head down and injured hand tucked carefully against his chest, trying to remain unworthy of much notice. He wasn't sure if his paranoid was justified, but he couldn't fight the creeping sensation that someone—or something—was following him through the narrow streets. He needed to get off the main road, as he was too easily to follow.

Making up his mind quickly, Ren slipped into a dim doorway, stepping foot into a quiet pub. The barman and the regulars all turned to stare at Ren in quiet suspicion; Ren was acutely aware of the number of blasters in the room, and wondered how many he could take down with just the Force. He set his face into a careful mask of indifference and approached the bar.

"You got a 'fresher?"

The barman glanced in the far corner of the room. "The back, there."

"Paying customers only," grunted the patron closest to Ren.

Ren turned to look at him slowly, his eyes traveling over the Keshian. The man's oversized eyes were protected by grimy pilot's goggles, and a gleaming blaster pistol was holstered against his side. Ren was in dire need of a weapon and was tempted to take it, but it wouldn't do to cause so much commotion already. Instead Ren settled for fixing the traveler an icy look before slipping away from the bar, acutely aware of everyone watching him.

Once in the shadows, Ren passed the door that led to the 'fresher, choosing instead to make his way through the bustling and smoky kitchen and out the back door. The alleyway was narrow and cramped, littered with ancient waste receptacles and wires that criss-crossed in every direction between the towering buildings. Ren made his way carefully over the uneven path, stepping over exposed plumbing and aggressive-looking gutter Borcatu scurrying between the garbage.

The alley twisted sharply between buildings; once or twice Ren came to a dead end and had to climb over walls and up fire escapes toward the rooftops. The creeping feeling that he was being followed had increased, and Ren moved with more urgency. He slipped over gutter lines and darted across the narrow spines of the roofs, a task made far more irritating and arduous with his injuries. He was careful to keep low, zig-zagging and backtracking in an attempt to throw off his tracker. Ren slid down a rusted gutter pipe back toward the street surface, close enough to the shipyard that he could hear the engines roaring into life.

Stealing someone else's ship was one of the worst offenses in the galaxy, but Ren didn't have time to worry about that—he needed to get off this junk of a planet, and quickly.

Getting to the shipyard meant traversing the main road of the market for almost five-hundred feet, totally exposed. Ren grabbed the nearest garment to cloak himself—a well-worn utility coat about a size too big—and joined the crowds bustling through the road. It was much harder to tell if he was still being followed out here—there were too many voices to sort through—but Ren hoped that it was equally difficult for his tracker to find him in the chaos. Merchants selling fabrics, foreign foods, strange animals and contraband goods lined the street, were shouting into the crowds in half a dozen different languages.

Almost at the gate that led out of the confines of the market, Ren was sure he had finally lost his tracker. He fought the urge to quicken his pace; he need only make one more sharp turn before he reached the shipyard—

An armed, dark figure suddenly appeared before him. Ren reached out with the Force, his instincts reacting faster than his conscious mind could process who stood before him.

"Easy, Kylo!"

Darin's voice.

Ren searched the periphery of the Knight's mind, searching for any clue that Snoke had sent him here to kill him.

"Kriff, are you hard to find," Darin added, slightly breathless, removing his helmet. "I'm here to help you," he added, seeing the suspicious look on Ren's face.

"Where are the others?"

Darin looked around nervously. "Look, we can't talk out here—you know who has spies all over this shithole—follow me—"

Ren glanced over his shoulder, taking a wide step to the side so that he was in shadow. Darin did the same, leaning nervously against a pillar.

"It's treason to abandon the Knights of Ren…"

"Snoke isn't the Master," Darin replied sharply, his voice low. His heavily-lidded eyes and heavy brow were cast into shadow, making his face appear more sinister than usual. "He doesn't command us—though Judro was happy to be appointed Master in your place—"

In spite of the tension, Ren snorted at that.

"You have to trust that I'm here to help," Darin continued, his voice sharp and full of warning. "You won't get far with Snoke's spies on every planet—here," he added, reaching into his coat and withdrawing his balaclava. "That scar of yours gives you away—now come on."

Ren had a split second to decide. There was nothing in the forefront of Darin's mind to indicate he was lying…

Ren placed the garment over his head quickly, positioning the fabric over his face and pulling his hood up once more. He followed Darin through the cramped street, weaving between the throngs of people toward his escape.