Sparks

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Chapter Seven-Cornered

Rey sat across the table from Poe and Finn and clenched her fists in her lap in an effort to keep her frustration under control. She had never been one to sit still for prolonged periods, and longed for fresh air. She felt suffocated being trapped inside the Tantive IV with the two men. Their conversation had been going around in circles, without any chance of a resolution in sight. They may be her closest friends, but they were asking too much of her.

"My answer is no." Rey stated firmly for the umpteenth time.

"After everything we've all sacrificed? After all the faith Leia placed in you, you're really going to shirk your responsibilities and just walk away?" Poe demanded angrily.

"Except my sacrifice was always greater than any of yours. I died, Poe. Or did you forget that? I've sacrificed enough!" Rey retorted bitterly. "If it wasn't for Ben risking it all to bring me back to life, I wouldn't even be here to carry on Leia's legacy."

"We're not pressurising you, Rey." Finn tried to act as mediator. "And its true, you have sacrificed the most, but Poe has a point. We may have won the war but the fight to rebuild the galaxy is only just beginning. Are you really intending to walk away when we all need you the most?"

Rey gave her best friend a blistering stare, very reminiscent of Ben when he was highly irritated. "When are either of you ever going to see me as a person and not just a vessel?"

"Rey, that's not fair. I see you. I always have." Finn protested in a hurt tone. "I've always had your back."

"I know you've looked out for me when you were able to." Rey's expression softened slightly. She didn't like upsetting him. He had been her first proper human friend, and she would forever be grateful for his support, but he didn't know her. Not really. His pleas that he understood rang hollow when he was complicit with Poe in guilt tripping her into getting their own way. "But you've got to understand…I'm not Leia. I'm not Luke. I'm just me."

"You're the last Jedi." Poe reminded her. "You're our symbol of hope. And we all need that right now. The galaxy's leaders, they are only willing to engage with us if you are involved. You are an integral part of negotiations to rebuild a brighter future for everyone."

"I said NO!" Rey snapped again, nearly overturning her chair in her haste to rise. She was desperate to escape. "All I do is give and give. I feel like I've nothing left."

"Don't be so dramatic." Poe sighed. "Please, sit back down."

"For the last time, I've given you my answer, so please respect that." Rey declared adamantly. "This conversation is over." She spun on her heel and abruptly left without saying another word.

Rey sat cross-legged; eyes closed. She concentrated hard and felt herself rising off the ground until she ended up floating. Pebbles and small boulders hovered around her, like a field of asteroids orbiting their sun. She had assumed this position many times when meditating. The Force flowed through her, buoyed her, connected her to everything. The lush rainforest moon of Ajan Kloss was teeming with life. It was like listening to the music of life, with its base-note greens, its drumbeat of rain, and the colourful flowers that trumpeted in vibrant highs. Rey didn't want to leave this all behind just to sit in musty rooms for hours on end trying to impress a crusty old bunch of politicians. She had no interest in politics, had never understood Leia's patience for it. But then Organa had been born into that way of life, whereas Rey was nothing but a scavenger, a desert rat born just to survive.

Rey inhaled through her nose and sent her awareness into the void. Peace and calm were key. Rey smiled, imagining Leia's calm voice instructing her to be patient, to take her time. She rolled her tense shoulders and straightened her back as she reached, searching for some kind solace, for the peace of mind she desperately sought to convince herself that she wasn't being selfish in putting herself first for once.

"Rey?"

Opening her eyes at the sound of Ben's voice coming from behind her, Rey turned her head to look in his direction. It always took her breath away at how handsome he was. He was so tall, head and shoulders above all the other men on the base. If this wasn't enough to make him stand out on its own, his striking looks only added to his attraction. "How did you know I'd be here?" She asked as she flipped herself to land neatly to land on the ground. Rocks toppled around her like heavy rain.

"I could feel your distress." Ben admitted. He gazed at her in sympathy. "The meeting didn't go well then?"

"It went exactly as I thought it would. They expect me to the be the new Leia Organa…. but it was never my intention to fulfil her role or carry on her legacy. Or Luke's for that matter. Leia devoted her life to the restoration of democracy by opposing authoritarian regimes such as the Galactic Empire and the First Order. I just want…"

"Want what?" Ben asked huskily when she paused.

"I just want to be with you." Rey admitted honestly. "I want to start living my life. But Finn and Poe think I'm being selfish. They call me the last Jedi. I mean what does the word 'Jedi' even mean anymore?"

Ben's face held a hint of a smile as he drew closer and reached for her hands. "No one is allowed to dictate your future but you."

"Am I being selfish for wanting to put myself first?" Rey pleaded. Her hazel eyes were bright with worry, she was desperate for reassurance from the one person whose opinion really mattered.

"I spent a lifetime trying to escape my family's legacy." Ben said quietly. "I'm descended from some of the most powerful Jedi and Sith in galactic history. Both the light and the dark wanted me for their own from the day I was born, I feel like I was doomed from the start…"

"And I'm the descendent of one of the evillest Sith in the galaxy-the Emperor's granddaughter. I wonder how Poe and Finn would feel if they knew that I was really a Palpatine. They would never look at me in the same way again. They definitely wouldn't want me to be part of their precious negotiations then." Rey cut in harshly.

"You're wrong. You would always be Rey to them. You are not defined by who your ancestors were, Rey. Not like I was. You had a hard life on Jakku, but you escaped the burden of the legacy of your birth for the majority of your life. You are a much stronger person because of it. You rejected all my attempts to pull you into the dark with me because I selfishly wanted you by my side. You resisted me and you chose your own path. You will choose your own path now. Your future is in your hands. And whatever you decide to do, I promise I'll be right by your side supporting you." Ben stated earnestly, his eyes bright and knowing.

Rey smiled at him; her eyes clear of anxiety for the first time that day. She bent down and grabbed her old blast helmet and leapt to her feet. "Right now, I feel like running my old training course. Do you want to join me?" She needed to run, to burn off her excess energy.

"Just try and stop me." Ben laughed as his eyes danced with mirth. "I bet I can beat you." He challenged.

"You can try." Rey called over her shoulder as she took off at a fast sprint. She ignited her lightsaber, the glowing blue blade lighting her way as she dashed into the jungle with Ben hot on her heels.

A/N-thanks for reading!