The night's on Ahch-To are silent. Peaceful. The only sounds you hear are distant birds during the day and the echoes of the vast ocean's waves slamming against the rocks at night.
Rey bites ferociously into a cooked bird as if she hasn't eaten in years. She's hunched over a small fire to keep her warm. Luke eats at a much slower pace next to her. On the other side, Chewie eats his own bird while Artoo stands in the corner, dark and silent after he's powered down for the night.
Rey finishes and licks her fingers. She's reluctant to speak. Very few words have been spoken, if any at all, since she convinced Luke to let her stay a night.
"How long have you been on this island?" She asks curiously.
There's tension between the two. Luke is unsure whether he wants to answer. "Fifteen years," he finally says while setting down the meatless bones.
"Fifteen years?" Rey's jaw drops. "You don't get lonely?" You have to get lonely, she thinks to herself, especially on an island like this with nothing but birds and fish.
"Many times," Luke sighs." But when you've been searching for something, loneliness doesn't matter," he continues.
"What have you been searching for?" Rey already knows, Han told her, but she asks anyway.
Luke hesitates to answer. "After a young apprentice of mine killed my other Jedi students, I set out in search of the first Jedi Temple to revive the Jedi Order. I traveled nearly the entire galaxy looking for it."
"If you settled here, you must have found it," Rey says with enthusiasm.
"Not exactly. I didn't find the Temple. But I found something else." Luke stops in the middle of his story. Rey looks at him, waiting for him to continue.
"What was it?" She hurries at him.
"They're known as Kyber crystals."
"They power the Jedi's lightsabers," Rey cuts in.
"Yes, but they are also attuned with the Force. These crystals are what help power the Jedi's. They're scattered among the galaxy on various planets. But this display is different. When these crystals finally glow, the Jedi Order can be restored."
"I take it that hasn't happened yet," she says sincerely.
"No." Luke's responds disappointed.
They both sit for a moment, mulling over what they discussed in their minds. Luke is uncomfortable in the silence and eventually gets up from the stone he was seated on. He places his plate of empty bones aside. "You better get some rest for your trip back tomorrow," he says as he ducks from under the hut's entrance and leaves.
Rey sees that Chewie has already made himself a not-so-comfortable sleeping spot on the ground. She looks to the opposite side where the empty cot sits. Why not, she thinks and slips under the thin blanket.
Rey is disturbed in her sleep. She stirs as if she's having a nightmare. Her breathing becomes harsher and then her eyes are wide open. She finds herself lying on the ground. She sits up, looking for Chewie and Artoo who are no longer there. Rey notices the walls, they're different. The have carved hieroglyphics covering every square inch. This is a different hut. How did she get here?
Rey stands up, confused. She studies the unfamiliar hieroglyphics, trying to make sense of them by turning 360 degrees to see them all. As she turns around she notices a stone formation, like a podium. On top sits something reflective. Rey moves towards it to get a closer look.
It's the Kyber crystals.
They're beautiful, Rey thinks. She kneels down in front the stone podium so she can study them. The sight of them takes Rey's mind to a different world, one much calmer.
Rey reaches forward and touches the crystals when they suddenly light up. The entire hut glows blue. She pulls away fast with her eyes wide in surprise. She senses something behind her and turns around to see Luke standing in hut's archway. His face shows not even a bit of shock or surprise, but more of curiosity. He takes a few steps towards her and stops.
"Was that-" Rey begins to say.
"-what I've been waiting for for fifteen years," he finishes for her.