Chapter 12

Rey lost track of her time on the rebel base she spent most of her time following Leia around and learning how to be a general, not that Rey cared much for the job. Leia told her that Chewie was making up some repairs on the Millennium Falcon and when he was finished he was going to take her to Luke Skywalker who she learned was her twin brother.

Rey practiced using the force whenever she could but she found herself uncomfortable trying in Leia's presence. The former princess had developed quite the opinion of the ability and liked to explain Rey the importance of learning other things too. Rey didn't doubt that Leia was right, that learning about more than the force was important but she Leia's lectures often broke her concentration. Leia had also taken it upon herself to teach Rey the ways to be a proper lady, though if Rey was being honest she secretly liked those lessons. Rey often let herself imagine Leia was her mother and was teaching her in ways a mother would though Leia was quite strict.

When Leia was busy Rey would bother Poe and Chewie, the two were often placing parts on the falcon and Rey found it fascinating. She had learned a lot about parts and fixing things when she was on Jakku but the rebels had tools and parts she'd never even heard of, Chewie was a lot more patient with explaining things than Poe was he often became frustrated with Rey's questions, his groans in frustration always made Rey giggle.

As the day dragged on the time and distance from Ben made Rey impatient. She missed him and even though she loved her new friends here, she wanted to be back with him. She knew he needed her. Poe noticed a change in Rey after her third month on the base. He saw her happiness begin to falter. Rey had fallen asleep early in his bed and he decided to slip away to talk with Leia about his concerns.

"She's not same, it's like she's losing her spark" Poe expressed sitting across Leia's desk. The princess nodded in response.

"I've felt it. The light in her seems to be dimming" Leia admitted sadly. Leia didn't know what was going on with Rey but the light in her had been fluctuating severely.

Rey had been feeling more and more exhausted the past week, she questioned if it may have been the nightmares that came for her as she slept. Rey tossed and turned restlessly in Poe's bed.

She was running. Her muscles ached and her lungs burned but she couldn't stop whatever was chasing her wasn't far behind. She was too scared to turn and look, she already had an idea of what who it was. She was in a large grass field like the ones outside the base, she didn't know where she was going she just knew she had to get away. Whatever it was that was chasing her didn't plan on letting her escape again. She must have run all the way around the planet because before she knew it she was coming back on the resistance base, this thing must have chased her in a big circle. She came on the base but froze as she reached the large hanger, it was empty. She reached out and could feel the presence of anyone, there wasn't a single ship or person left. She fell to her knee's grasping her chest, between the running and the echoing loneliness she thought her heart was going to stop.

"They've left you child" She refused to look, just shook her head crying. Crying, when had that started? "Why would they want you? No one else does" A sob coursed through her causing her whole body to shake. "We want you though" Her head jerked up.

It was Snoke. She knew it would be, he had been stalking her dreams for weeks now but this was the first time he'd shown his face. He had been hunting her, looking for her. She knew that it was true, he did want her but not for anything other than the power she could hardly control.

"You don't want me" She denied pushing herself back to her feet backing away from him. "And I won't give you what you do want"

He chuckled. "What a brave little girl you are. I can tell that princess has rubbed off on you" His eyes darkened and he grew closer, he didn't step he seemed to just float his long robes barely grazing the ground beneath him. "She wants you for the same reason I do" Rey felt the darkness that followed him begin to shadow her. She couldn't help but feel like he was speaking the truth, she had come to think of Leia as a motherly figure for her but it wasn't hard to believe that Leia saw the same potential in her that Snoke did. Maybe that is why she hadn't sent her off to Skywalker yet?

"Yes Skywalker, you think he will make you stronger but only I can make you stronger." She backed away from him further looking away from him. "You know you're stronger when you use your emotions, all that anger, pain and even love" She looked back into his eyes at his last word. Love a word like that coming from a demon like Snoke didn't seem right. "Think what you want of me child, but Skywalker will take everything you feel away from you. Sure, you won't be lonely anymore but you won't feel love anymore either, that is the Jedi way" Rey refused to believe that.

"You're wrong, Luke Skywalker won't be like that" Her anger was flaring and she stepped toward the creature before her. "The only thing Luke Skywalker will do is make sure I have nothing to be afraid of" She took another step forward but Snoke only chuckled in response.

"Maybe, if you ever make it there" He was laughing at her now.

Rey nearly jumped clean of the best as a large crash woke her. She was setting and breathing heavy like she really had run miles. She looked around getting her bearings straight but felt a course of panic when she realized she was alone. Her bare feet patted gently on the floor as she went to the door, had they really left her? Another crash this one shaking the whole room knocked her off her unsteady feet. What was going on? Just then Poe barged through the door.

"You've got to go" He sounded panicked which made the anxiety in Rey scream for her to get up and run. Poe grabbed her by the arm and roughly pulled her to her feet and practically dragged her out the door and towards the base hanger. Rey struggled to keep up with the pilot, one of this steps was at least four of her own and he was running. If she hadn't felt his fear she would have complained that he was hurting her. As soon as they made it to the hanger Rey realized that everyone was rushing into different ships and she could hear X wings firing in the distance.

"Poe what is going on?" She yelled up at him over the sound of the hysteria.

"It's the First Order" Rey was sure that her heart stopped this time. She completely lost her footing but luckily Poe whipped around and scooper her into his harms holding her tightly to his chest. He was taking her to the Falcon. He ran up the ramp and set her down on the ship Chewie already in position to pilot them away, but Poe turned to leave.

Rey grabbed a tight hold of his. "Don't leave me" She was crying again. They were all leaving her just like her dream.

"Hey, hey it's going to be okay. My squadron needs me Chewie is going to get you to Luke okay. You're going to be okay" Poe kneeled down and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I don't care if I'm okay, what about you and Mrs. Organa? Finn And everyone else?" She wrapped her arms around his neck holding him. Poe could feel her tears on his neck and it pained him to pull her back off him.

"We'll be fine, we're pretty sure they're looking for you more than us. Chewie has a tracker it will lead you back to us okay. Work hard Rey we need you" With that he turned to leave.

"May the Force be with you Poe!" She yelled to him. Leia had taught her the saying and how it was important to those who believed it, it was like a prayer.

Poe just turned and gave Rey his signature smirk as the ramp closed. She felt the ship begin movie and she ran to the cockpit pulling herself up into the co-pilot seat. Chewie gave her a comforting growl and Rey tried to smile and be strong, everyone needed her to be strong.

It only took a minute before they were out of the hanger and making their way to break the atmosphere. It only took seconds for the First Order to begin targeting them. Rey watched through the windshield of the craft as tie fighters fired at X Wings and shuttles that were making escapes. A group of X-wings came to defend the Falcon and help them get away.

"Poe" The whisper escaped her lips as she saw his ship. She would recognize him anywhere. They'd spent so much time together that she didn't even have to try to feel his life signature in the force it just called to her. Rey watched in horror as the tie fighters fired at him and his squadron. "no" A group of tie fighters targeted Poe's ship and Rey swore she felt it coming before it happened but his ship burst into flames and went crashing towards the ground.

Fear, Anger, Love hundreds of feelings some Rey didn't even know she was capable of burst through her skin and she swore she heard screaming. A flash of white light ripped through the sky.

With a groan Rey sat up, she felt nauseous and light headed. Why was the room spinning? It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to her dark surroundings but she realized she was in a bunk aboard the millennium falcon. She made to sit up when a voice stopped her.

"I don't recommend getting up, you've been out for quite some time." It was a robotic voice and as her eyes adjusted more she saw a white eyed gold robot looking down at her.

"Who are you?" Her voice came out weak. "What do you mean I've been out for a while? What happened?" This droid wasn't making sense. She hopped off the bunk but sunk to the floor her knee's weak and refusing to support her.

"Forgive me, I am C3P0. Well we're not sure what happened exactly but you caused a bit of commotion with the First Order. We don't know exactly what happened, you went into hysterics and you had to be sedated." Rey looked up at the robot from the floor and thought back trying to remember what had happened. She only got flashes.

Poe was… Then a bright light erupted through the sky and the tie fighters all crashing to the ground.

A growl came from the cockpit door. He approached her slowly and offered her a hairy hand up, she took it.

"Do you know if the resistance is okay? If Poe" Rey hesitated taking a shaky breath in. "if we lost Poe?" It took all her strength to keep from crying. Chewie put a comforting hand on her shoulder and let out a series of growls and grunts. Rey felt her heart swell, the resistance made it safely away, no casualties. She covered her face with her hands not wanting her companions to see the tears that were falling from her eyes, tears of relief. Chewie let out another low roar and Rey looked up at him.

"Don't be silly, I didn't do anything" it didn't matter what C3P0 said she didn't believe that she had done anything that could have made a difference, they must have been mistaken. Another growl from Chewie let her know that it would take nearly a week before they would reach Luke Skywalker and she nodded understanding. They would go out of there way and do everything they could to ensure they weren't followed.

Chewie spent the week showing Rey the basics of flying, he was happy to see she was eager to learn everything he had to offer. They even took a little extra time so she could do some of the flying herself. He was proud of what she managed to learn in such a short amount of time. Her presence reminded him of when Ben was a small child. Chewie was able to talk Han into bringing ben along on their journeys every now and again. As he watched Rey drive them through space she would look to him to make sure she was doing alright it reminded him of when Ben flew the Falcon for the first time.

Ben looked even younger than Rey was now maybe at a peak of 5 years old as he sat in the pilot seat of the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo in the Co-pilots chair beaming with pride while Chewie stood in the cockpit behind them watching his best friend teach his son the basics of flying.

Ben kept turning to look at Han with a mixture of nervous energy and excitement. "Am I doing it right Dad?" His high pitched voice gave away a hint that he was looking more for his fathers approval than instruction.

"My son, you will be the best pilot in the galaxy if you keep it up" Han's eyes were shining with unshed tears as he watched his son pilot the ship through an empty part of space.

Rey didn't ask when she saw a small tear fall from Chewie's eyes, she felt nostalgia rolling off him and decided to let him have the moment to himself. She was so grateful for his patience with her she knew he needed this moment for himself. As Chewie returned to the present he kicked her out of the pilots chair letting her know they were approaching Ach-To.

Rey marveled at the planet as they approached. She had never seen an ocean before and the mountainous islands were an incredible sight to her. Chewie couldn't help but smile at her as he heard her gasp in excitement. The ship landed on a sandy beach near the sea, Rey was buzzing at the ramp ready to run off to see the beautiful island around them. Chewie lowered the ramp but growled to get her attention holding something out for her.

Rey was confused but as she went to retrieve it. Chew placed the light sabre in her heads. The weight of the weapon brought Rey back to reality a bit with the weight of the situation and why she was here. She smiled up at him and nodded then set off to find Luke Skywalker.

She looked up the stone steps of the mountain in front of her sparing a glance down at the light sabre in her hand with a deep breath she began the climb. Rey was exhausted and panting by the time she reached a stone cottage halfway up the mountain. She couldn't feel a presence inside so reached out further in the force.

She found him standing on a cliff looking over the sea, as she approached he turned to face her. He looked much older now than he had when she last seen him. Rey suddenly felt intimidated standing before the great Jedi, she doubted her worthiness of his teaching.

"Welcome Rey cast your doubts aside. Come sit" He sat himself as the crest of the cliff and motioned for her to join him, so she did. She held the light sabre out to him and he took it from her hands inspecting it.

"It was yours, right?" She was surprised when he shook his head.

"I have used this, that is true but the true owner of this sabre was my father Anakin Skywalker" Rey had heard of Anakin Skywalker but didn't know much. It didn't surprise her that the legendary Luke Skywalker was family to another Skywalker legend. "It seems like it has chosen a new home with you though" Rey's eyebrows pinched in confusion. It was a sword how could it make a choice. "Here" He took her hand and wrapped it around the hilt of the sabre cupping her hand in his. "Do you feel the presence inside?"

Rey focused her energy on the sabre and sure enough she could feel something inside, it didn't feel quite like life but it did at the same time. Rey swore she felt some kind of an emotional response. She looked up to Luke in shock.

"It is the crystal inside, in a way it has a mind and thoughts though not completely sentient like you and I." Luke kept his eyes on her watching to see if she would understand pleasantly when she nodded seeming to either feel or know what he was talking about. "When jedi are of age they go on a quest to find their own crystal. The crystals choose the jedi, it's an important ritual for padawans" Rey nodded quickly reveling in every word he said. He felt something within her, an eagerness but also a hesitation.

"Are you ready?" She looked him in the eyes and he saw the hesitation she felt. She was scared.

"Yes" He was impressed by her again, she would press forward afraid or not.

"We'll start with three lessons. Come" He stood and began walking briskly. Rey practically had to run to keep up with the long legged man. He led her through a cave to a stone table overlooking another cliff. The water crashing against the rock below spraying into the air. Rey wanted to look over the edge but the power of the sea below frightened, it was a strength she'd never known before.

"Sit" Luke instructed motioning to the raised stone slab before him. "the force is an energy between all things" He begins as she sits as he instructed. She doesn't seem to sit the way he wants and he grabs her ankles crossing them. "the tension, the balance that binds the universe together. Now close your eyes and reach out with the force" Luke placed her hands flat on the stone and does as he instructs, focusing on her energy and extending herself across the island.

Luke takes a step away from her. He knew she was powerful he'd felt it from light years away, but feeling her essence drips across the island was more than he expected. "What do you feel? What do you see?"

Rey takes a deep breath and focuses her energy. "Light, life, death and decay. It feeds new life. There's warmth and cold, peace and violence" her voice shook slightly at her last word.

"But between it all?" Luke spoke softly as to not break her concentration. He studied her reactions and her thoughts through the process.

"balance, energy, the force" Luke felt her pride as she realized what he was showing her.

"And inside you?" The same soft voice.

"the same force" She whispered subtle smile glowed about her expression.

"That is your first lesson, the force doesn't belong to you or to anyone. It just is" She gave a gentle nod without breaking her focus but she felt a shift.

"There's something else" Her tone changed growing deeper. "beneath the island, a place… A dark place" Her voice cracked slightly. She felt something in her being pulled toward the shadows that hid beneath the island.

"it's the balance, half in the light, half in dark" Luke's expression darkened as he felt her persist towards the shadows, or were the shadows moving towards her?

"It's cold" An involuntary shiver ran through her. She could hear voices now, whispering things she couldn't understand she didn't want to be curious but something magnetized her to them. "it's calling me" Her voice became panicked her breath quickened.

"Resist it Rey" Luke demanded but his voice didn't reach her over the screams that were coming from the dark hole at the bottom of the cliffs. She felt like she was being pulled under, the cold of the darkness surrounded her.

Luke felt the rock beneath her breaking. The energy she had was turning on her and beginning to cause destruction as she lost control. "Rey" He needed to pull her back to break whatever spell she was under. "Rey!" He gripped her shoulders and at the instance of his touch she collapsed. He stared at her for a time unsure of what he should do with her.

He wanted to send her away, get rid of her so she wouldn't cause anymore destruction, so she wouldn't cause him anymore pain. He knew he couldn't though, not with others out their others who desired her for the same power that had just crippled her.

"You went straight to the darkness" He whispered to the broken girl unconscious on the stone before him. He pulled her of the table and cradled her in his arms. As her and the darkness moved together he felt the light in her dimming to let the darkness in but now that the darkness had fallen away he surprised to feel her light shining again. Blindingly bright and warm, stronger than any power he'd felt before all but one. "I've seen power like this one before" He whispered to her as he walked back in the direction of his stone cottage. "it didn't scare me then Rey, but it does now" He placed her on his own cot so he could watch her rest. He wanted to keep and eye on her and see if the darkness would call to her again. She was intriguing, her light shined in a way he'd never seen.

He let his mind drift to his nephew. Ben Solo was just the opposite, the light called to him and as he captured it the darkness in him would recede but no matter how hard Luke worked him it would always return and the light would fade. Luke let the brief hope spark in him for a moment that maybe Rey would be the answer to Kylo Ren's darkness. Maybe her light would be bright enough to shine for both of them.

A/N: Alrighty! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I think this one is my favorite so far. A little more incite in how the force between Rey and Ben will become a balance something that I hope comes out in the future. I mean you can't have light without darkness, the brightest lights cast the longest shadows right? Plus I'm excited to give Luke Skywalker more of a positive hands on approach to training Rey, I think she deserves to be taught and I just wish Luke hadn't been so disconnected in the Last Jedi. I hope you like Luke so far there will be more to come!
I know y'all are waiting for the force bond between Rey and Ben it will happen but not yet. Next chapter will have a time jump so we'll finally get to meet older Rey. And no worries Poe is fine.

I didn't feel a way to include it in this chapter and it doesn't seem natural to bring it up again but I planned for him to like emergency evac out of his X wing and Rey's little fit bought him and the rest of the resistance time to escape. I hope you enjoyed this all more to come soon!