30 ABY
Lor San Tekka should be dead by now, if the laws of logic applied to him. Rey is convinced the spirits watch over the village leader. He insists on being just to all men, courteous to all women. Shares his food and water with strangers. No one's ever fought him, his presence is surprisingly calming. Even Unkar Plutt seems to soften around him. Compassion is a surefire way to get killed out here. The desert is mercilessly blunt in its dealings. It renders no favors, strips you of all vanities. The stupid die first, followed by the reckless, the meek and the generous. Those under his command, or guidance as he prefers to call it, call him a strange title only they understand.
Force listener, they say reverently in cautious tones, almost like a prayer or a blessing in disguise. No one knows where he came from, making him subject to many a rumor. The most popular of these puts him as one of the last imperial admirals at the Battle of Jakku. According to this version, Lor San Tekka went back to his starship for a member of his battalion, there after witnessing the horrors he had imparted, he swore to dedicate the rest of his life to peace and teach others to spurn war. Some have proclaimed him a messenger sent by a benevolent God. Others claim he's a demon in beggar's clothing waiting for the right moment to slaughter them all. As far as Rey is concerned, he is a humble man leading a humble people.
She's never met the man in person but his settlement is well-fed, educated and clothed. That says a lot about the man in her opinion. The village offers the best medical care on the planet. Quick, uncontaminated and most importantly, free of charge. If she'd been aware of his hospitality since the beginning, then her body would be less scarred. The usual healer is dead. Apparently there's an unwritten rule condemning physicians who fix prosthetics to death. As a result, Rey will be attended by Lor San Tekka himself. Her first reaction to the elderly man is fear. She's never seen a humanoid male older than 40 except the shadow and that's not a good start for any healthy relationship! Screw this, she's fifteen: a woman fully grown, she'll set her fractured ribs back herself.
He walks noiselessly, assessing the situation before coming closer. Ever so slowly, he places his hand on her shoulder. She's filled in a way she'd never imagined by a peace unlike any other. This is what the shadow pretended to be. How he wanted me to see him.The shadow's comfort was a well placed illusion made to shroud the depths of his gruesome desires , Lor San Tekka's is the reality. Alright then, sir. I'll give you a chance (if he starts resembling the shadow in even the tiniest bit, her staff goes through his heart, consequences be damned.) He tends to her wounds methodically, his touch never lingering more than the necessary. When he's finished he views her, not with pity, stars she hates pity, but as if he believes no living soul should endure her plight. So that's what empathy looks like...
By the end of the week, a new healer arrives. She asks to be always be attended by Lor San Tekka. He catches her reading his manual and takes it upon himself to teach her as many languages as possible. Her upbringing presents a challenge, something he can't wait to overcome. Rey grows increasingly fond of him. When most people look at the scavenger they see a burden, a nuisance. The old man sees someone he can't quite place. "Like a dream, or the dream of a dream. At any rate I'm not qualified to uncover your secret, my child. My specialty lies in books. I hail from a world of ponderous tomes more than the present day. Someone more adept at reading people will be the one to decipher your code, little one." he tells her while eating his gruel. "I'd rather you stuck to your books. Dreams are a joyless affair, my friend. Be wary of them, please". Okay, maybe she sounds a little desperate but it's not like friends are easy to find here! Thankfully, he takes her advice and never mentions dreams again. To make up for it, he bring her to the village storytelling. Their oral history opens her mind in ways she'd never imagined. She has something to look forward to. Her inner child rejoices at the thought of Darth Revan and Bastila Khan defeating Malak, the Battle of Alderaan, Mandalore's pacifist reform, Master Yoda's wisdom, Lady Padme's lament. Of the rebellion forged by Amidala's dying breath and the lives of Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Galen Marek and Ahsoka Tano. That's where she hears his name. Luke Skywalker, she thinks, is the greatest story ever told for he is hers. She's certain that he belongs to her as much as her angel. More than anything except her family, she wants him to be real. At night, just after counting the markings on her AT-AT she whispers his name, in an effort to will him into existing.
Some of the travelers mention him in passing. Every opinion regarding him is absolute. Sithspawn, trigger-happy conjurer the lost Inner-Rim pleasure cruisers label him (she punches that captain in the jaw), Criminal scum, mass murdering cultist the stormtroopers call him (Lor San Tekka stops her from knocking the bucket off his face).Savior, comrade in arms the middle-aged pilot declares him ( she hugs *Wedge Antilles who thanks her for defending what Luke represents). Whether or not he's a myth is irrelevant to all of them. They've taken a farmboy, shaped him to fit their point of view, determine who gets to play God, paint a War black and white. They picture Luke and see Empires topple, good versus evil, an endless cycle of "justice's pursuit." All she sees is Luke, that's why most of the galaxy will never understand the way she loves his story.
Notes: *Wedge Antilles: the most underappreciated character of the Original Trilogy. The only person besides Luke to attack and survive both Death Stars. Han comes in at the last minute, he gets the medal, the girl, the cosplay and a horde of fangirls. Wedge was in ANH, ESB & ROTJ. Lando was only in ESB & ROTJ but everyone knows him. Wedge led Rogue Squadron while Luke was on Dagobah, deserted the Empire to join the rebels and got tortured by Isard in the EU but never spilled any secrets. What does Wedge get? No mention whatsoever during TFA. Anyone agree with me when I say this is unfair?