The Pivotal Moment

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A/N-thank you for reviewing this story!

Chapter Twenty-Three-The Prophecy

"Do you remember our journey to Elphrona, Ben?" Luke asked after a while.

All Ben could do was nod. During the early years of his apprenticeship with his uncle, Lor San Tekka, a traveller noted for his expertise on the Jedi Order, informed Luke about the discovery of an ancient Jedi outpost on the planet Elphrona. Embarking on a mission to investigate San Tekka's findings, Luke brought Ben with him, knowing that, like himself, his nephew was interested in discovering Jedi artefacts. It was during this time that Ben was telepathically contacted by Snoke without Luke's knowledge. Ben hadn't trusted his uncle enough to tell him about this communication. He wondered now how different things would have been if he had.

"I know this is bringing up difficult memories for you, Ben." Luke said sympathetically when he saw the troubled expression on his nephew's face. "Do you want me to stop?"

"I'm okay." Ben mumbled. He felt Rey squeeze his fingers gently and he was reassured.

Luke's gaze lingered on his nephew's face for a moment before he resumed speaking, his attention now on Rey. "What I'm going to say next might be troubling to hear." He paused, his tone turning serious. "It was while we were on Elphrona that Ben was first telepathically contacted by Supreme Leader Snoke."

A small gasp left Rey's lips as she felt Ben jerk beside her. She used her other hand to rub the top of his in an attempt to soothe him. She could only imagine how devastating this was for him to hear. Even in this universe his counterpart hadn't managed to escape Snoke's manipulations.

"Ben was so alarmed at the voice whispering in his head that he immediately came to me." Luke revealed.

Ben's eyes went wide with shock. Each new revelation was chipping away at the hurt burning inside him. In this world Skywalker was attentive, empathetic and completely focused on helping his family. There appeared to be a deep trust between master and apprentice. This Ben wasn't isolated the way that he had been.

"What did you do?" Rey whispered.

"I decided to abandon the search for the artefacts and resolved to leave Elphrona immediately and return home. But we had trouble along the way. We ran into a group of marauders affiliated with the dark side. They called themselves the Knights of Ren and claimed that the jedi outpost and its contents belonged to them."

Ben sank lower in his seat as his mind drifted back into his own dark past when he had encountered Ren and his men. The confrontation had gone down slightly different to how Skywalker was describing it now. Ben had watched as his uncle drew his green-bladed lightsaber while rejecting Ren's claim to the property of the Jedi Order. Luke had also introduced himself as the last Jedi, and therefore, the rightful owner of everything that belonged to the Order. It was a status he did not intend to hold onto for long, however, and with that he had looked in Ben's direction-a Jedi-in-training. Ben remembered activating his own blue-bladed lightsaber, but remained out of the ensuing fight, as Luke instructed him to protect San Tekka.

Despite Ben's concern for his uncle's safety, Skywalker prevailed against the Knights, none of whom were able to harm or overpower him in the Force. Ren conceded the battle, accepting Skywalker's offer to leave with his Knights injured but alive. He did, however, turn his attention to Ben who was not only strong like Skywalker, but also possessed an inherent connection to the dark side, not unlike Ren and his Knights. Luke issued his final warning when Ren attempted to convert Ben to the dark side, but as the Knights departed in defeat, the dark warrior told Ben to seek them out when he was ready to learn their ways.

How Ben wished that the Luke Skywalker from his universe had been like the one from this world. Things would have turned out so differently. He fell into a dark mood as old hurts began to haunt him. His bitter feelings were like old scars that had been ripped open. Every one of those scars was like some terrible pain.

"Don't dwell on old hurts, Ben." Rey pleaded through their force bond when she felt his dark mood filter down to her.

Ben looked her way and became lost in her compassionate gaze. Those painful memories, they were just the same as nightmares. They vanished when he was awake, when he was right there in the present moment, with her. He focused all his attention on her lovely face, letting the wonderful feel of her love surround him like a comforting blanket.

If Luke was aware of what passed between them, he didn't comment on it. Instead he continued talking, his voice deep and even. He described the battle that had ensued with the dark side users. "With us both fighting side by side, we soon overcame them." He said with a small smile. "They were no match for us. I knew then that it was no co-incidence that we had crossed paths with them as soon as Snoke started to drip his poison into Ben's ear. After we defeated the marauders, we left Elphrona and went straight to Han and Leia."

Luke stopped talking as he reached for a glass of water to soothe his dry throat. He offered refreshments to Ben and Rey but they were too worked up to eat or drink, so both refused.

"Han and Leia were devastated to learn how much Ben was suffering, but we now had an answer for the darkness that we'd been sensing around him since before he was born. It had a name…and its name was Snoke." Luke's face turned hard when he mentioned the Supreme Leader's name. "He had made his move, but what he didn't know was that we were very much aware of the game he was playing. And there was no way we were going to stand for it!" Luke's hand curled into a fist.

"What happened then?" Rey asked because Ben couldn't.

"Our priority was Ben. We needed to quieten that insidious voice in his head. He was doing his best to fight it. He's strong with the force." Luke looked at Ben with pride. "Through meditation he was able to strengthen his mental barriers. By day the voice was like a whisper in the wind and he could ignore it, but the night was a different matter."

Ben hung his head. Luke was right. The nights had always been the worst. He craved sleep, but he could never rest. He could neither run from the voice or hide from it in his tormented dreams.

"It was the night where we had to focus our attention. Ben was suffering terribly with lack of sleep. It was taking a huge toll on him. The only time he could relax was when the girl haunted his dreams. She was his light in the darkness. I told him to focus on this…on you." Luke revealed, his expression softening as he looked at Rey.

Rey felt Ben's fingers lace through hers. They turned to look at each other, their eyes mirroring the same thoughts and feelings. "Oh, Rey." He whispered through their force bond. "Rey."

"The connection between you was something that hadn't been encountered before. We resolved to find you so we could explore this connection further, to try and understand it. I decided to consult the ancient jedi texts while we searched." Luke revealed. "But it wasn't going to be easy. We were working with very little information. Ben only had glimpses of your life. You could have been anywhere in the galaxy, on any desert planet. The easiest way to do this was to split up. Han and Chewie went one way while Ben and I went another. We cast our net wide, but the search proved fruitless. War was brewing. The New Republic Senate refused to take the threat of the emerging First Order seriously, so that had to become my new focus. Leia and I formed a band of soldiers-the Resistance. Ben's exploits, the heroism he showed in battle, soon became known far and wide. He became our figurehead, rallying much needed allies to our cause."

"I think that would be you. You're the famous Luke Skywalker." Ben said gruffly. The picture that his uncle painted of the Ben Solo of this world was so far removed from who he was, that it was like he was listening to Luke describe a total stranger.

"I'm an old man now." Luke chuckled darkly. "You have your father's heart and your mother's fearless determination. It all makes for an intoxicating mix. I think the roguish charm doesn't hurt, either."

Ben felt his skin grow warm at the veiled compliment from his uncle. "I don't think so." He muttered.

"I think your young companion would agree with me." Luke said with a hint of amusement in his tone. "What do you say, Rey?"

Rey felt a faint blush bloom on her cheeks when Luke's amused gaze fell on her. She shrugged helplessly; afraid her voice would give her away if she dared to answer.

Luke didn't seem to expect a response. His expression turned serious again as he settled back in his seat. He returned to his story. "Even though my focus had shifted I never stopped researching. Any free time I had was spent studying those old books. Privately Ben was still suffering, but he hid it well. Only those closest to him-me, Leia and Han-knew about the secret burden he was carrying. You remained his only source of comfort during his darkest hours, but still your whereabouts eluded him. And then two things happened-first, Ben and Han lost the Falcon when they went to visit one of our contacts, Maz Kanata. One of her associates, Gannis Ducain, was left to guard the Falcon. But Ducain stole it. Secondly, I came across some interesting information in the one of the ancient texts…a prophecy."

Rey and Ben tensed simultaneously. Their nerves were on a knife edge. They were already beginning to suspect what this 'prophecy' entailed.

Luke was watching their reactions very closely. Their synchronised movements seemed to confirm something for him. An eager light shone in his blue eyes as he sat forward in his seat, his intense gaze focused on Ben and Rey. "A prophesized dyad." He said succinctly. "The pairing of two force sensitive individuals, making them one in the force. It stated the power of a dyad was as strong as life itself, and the individuals who formed a dyad would share a connection that spanned across space and time. It was foretold that this dyad, unseen for generations, would be realized during a time of great crisis. I knew instinctively then that it was realised within you both. I knew your unique bond would draw you together during a pivotal moment, and that will be the key to winning this war."

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