Blurb
Star Wars Episode X Beneath the Light is a fan fiction novel written by Lindanchen. It is set in the Star Wars Universe and follows the events of Star Wars Episode IX. Rey is then the legendary Rey Skywalker and feels lonely in her role. Ben's Force Ghost meets her and they work together on a Jedi training for a Force Sensitive child that shall be sent to Rey. Without Ben's agreement or understanding Rey brings him back to life what puts her very close to turning to the dark side. She is beneath the light, as Ben puts it. A state of mind he knows well from his past. Ben, Finn, Poe and the Force Sensitive child called Alex try to bring Rey back and also to stop the First Order from regaining strength. Ben here uses mind control on Finn and Poe and he tries to win his battles by cunning and deceit. Alex gets a Jedi training according to Luke's Jedi course and wants to learn how to be safe from turning to the dark side. But is Ben a good teacher for this?
Also the tragedy of the first raise of the First Order and the destruction of the core planets of the New Republic is told from the old stories Ben shares. It is told how Master Luke and his nephew Ben failed to team up for preventing this.
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Note by the author to Reylo fans: This is not a love story. I can promise the story will have interesting aspects also for Reylo fans but please don't expect much romance. I would say it's comparable with Star Wars VIII.
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Note by the author to Luke Skywalker fans: Luke is just a side character here. He is a very important side character as the misunderstandings between Luke and Ben play an important role for the story. The story might also be interesting for fans of Luke Skywalker. However, Fanfiction lists him first in the character list and I can't put the characters in the order I would want to. This might give a wrong idea of the story.
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Part I: The Friend's Wedding
In a wedding ceremony with the finest decoration and a noble wedding society, stood Zorii in what tried to look like a beautiful wedding dress. It could have been a decent wedding dress in a less noble event. That could not be said about Poe's clothes. A clear and loud "Yes" was the only thing that made Poe recognizable as the groom. All the wedding guests started to do circle dances around the bride couple. Many circles were formed and especially in the inner circles, a few more Resistance fighters spoiled the picture of, apart from that, a perfectly styled wedding party.
After the dances the buffet was opened, and the fine wedding guests started to gather around the few Resistance Fighters. The biggest crowd gathered around Rey, who looked like she hadn't changed clothes for the event. She tried to smile and give nice replies to the compliments. A few of the younger guests just stood in front of her and stared, overwhelmed. Poe and Zorii fled to a part of the hall exclusive for the bridal couple. Poe complained, "I told you it was not a good idea to take the offer by that ambassador to celebrate here."
"But it is still much better than what you had prepared in that hangar. And no, ration packs on a table is not what I call a wedding buffet."
"But it was clear they would use that event to bring attention to their dispute with the people from their neighbor planet. All about the mining rights on a moon, that should just be big enough for both planets."
"You'll have to deal with that any way. There's nobody else they could ask. And please get some money out of that problem. Or the Resistance will soon not be able to interfere anywhere anymore with that scrap you call a fleet."
"Then we'll run into problems with their neighbor planet."
"Can we just stop the politics for one minute and can you just kiss me?"
Poe and Zorii kissed, and Rey watched them from some distance. Then she continued with the small talk.
Finn was also gathered by the wedding guests but pushed his way out and ran to Rose. Finn whispered, "Tell Poe I had to leave early. I can't handle this. They all try to talk me into favors, it would be nice if the Resistance could. No, we can't, we can hardly manage to keep the First Order out of the major systems. We don't have enough ships to get involved in their businesses too."
"It's your best friend's wedding, you can't just leave. Just let everybody know you are not in the right frame of mind to remember your promises."
Rey again watched from far. She saw Rose and Finn drinking fast and laughing. From Rey's perspective they seemed quite intimate. Rey had problems to get away, but finally managed to. She took an early leave unnoticed by her friends.
The next day Rey found a note. She left the Resistance camp while her friends were still asleep. Rey flied her space shuttle to the temple island of Ahch-To. The place looked just as it looked when she went there for the first time. She looked confused at her stone cottage. Only a few cracks in some stones were notable from its full destruction. She wandered around calling for Luke. Then she heard a familiar voice coming from her cottage and she opened the door.
The Force Ghost of Ben stood in the same spot of the cottage where they once had touched hands through the Force Bond. He called, "Rey, Rey, can you hear me?"
"Ben."
"Can you see me?"
"Of course, I can see you."
"There's no of course. You are the first person that can see me or hear me. I can't even see myself. Do I have clothes on?"
"Yes, you wear clothes."
"Good. I had the impression I kind of didn't take them with me. What do I wear?"
Rey frowned and replied, "I'm looking for Luke."
"Great, I'm wandering around for years without being able to talk to anybody and you prefer talking to Skywalker. At least tell me why you look so distressed."
"There's a child, he is able to lift things, on his planet they feared him for that, called him an evil mountain troll and now they send him to me; I shall teach him; what shall I teach him? What do I know?"
"You know he is not an evil mountain troll - A child, I thought a new death star was built - Yes, you will need a plan what to teach him. You'll need some idea of who is to come and what he needs to learn. And then when you meet him you will notice that it doesn't work exactly as planned, and probably that you are worlds apart. But he will like you and feel safe with you and that's more important than anything he could learn from any wise old Jedi master."
The Force Ghost of Luke stood outside the stone cottage and listened to the conversation. He seemed impressed by what his nephew said and decided not to go into the cottage.
Rey replied, "How do you know that he will like me?"
"I know you."
"And where do I get a plan what to teach him? All I have is some Jedi texts from Luke's library that don't really give answers, and they're written in old languages."
The Force Ghost of Ben replied excited, "You have the sacred Jedi texts! Can you show me?"
In the next hours Rey started to prepare some fighting lessons with wooden sticks and light sabers, while Ben sat in front of the books, complaining for Rey to turn the pages. They soon also managed to talk over the Force Bond. Rey was a little annoyed by having to return again and again to turn the pages. After a while, Ben realized that Rey was annoyed. He stopped bothering Rey. First, he learnt the current page by heart. Then when Rey still seemed busy, he focused on turning the page with the Force. And finally, he succeeded.
Luke's Force Ghost stood next to the Force Ghost of Ben who was not able to see him. The Force Ghost of Luke then said, "It seems some people have to die to learn patience."
The Force Ghost of Ben couldn't hear him. After the Force Ghost of Luke had said that, he vanished.
After being able to turn pages with the Force and slowly getting better at it, Ben read in a totally different manner. He rather skimmed through the book. And then read chapter wise rather beginning at the end of the book.
When Rey returned, they kept talking over the Force Bond until she was back. They didn't stop talking through the Force Bond even when Rey entered the cottage. In the end she talked with him simultaneously over the Force Bond and to his Force Ghost. Focusing on the Force Bond, Rey realized that she could make Ben's Force Ghost less pale. Rey got curious and reached for his hand by an instinct. She was able to send him some life energy. Then they were able to touch hands like this and the Force Ghost of Ben now was able to follow her on the island and was even able to walk a few feet beside her. He floated through Luke's cabin, what seemed very strange to Rey.
At night they returned to the stone cottage and the Force Ghost of Ben sat next to her and they talked about a lot of things. When Rey talked about Poe's marriage, her mood darkened. Ben noticed that and asked her what was wrong.
"Nothing is wrong. It's just, I only have Poe and Finn. With most people I meet, they have this picture of that perfect Jedi Rey Skywalker. But for Poe Zorii is now most important and that's good for him. With Finn, well, we rather got closer. I had wondered if we could be more than just friends. But I saw him now with Rose, they will fit well together. I should feel happy for them." replied Rey.
"But you just feel very lonely." Rey nodded and Ben continued. "According to the old ways a Jedi was not supposed to have a partner and marry. Maybe it just wouldn't work. Jealousy or grief is nothing a Jedi might feel. That's not much comfort, I know."
"What were the new ways?"
"Skywalker allowed that. Well, but he didn't live to that concept. And his students, well they didn't live their loves very long, well they didn't live very long, you know."
Rey nodded and showed that she knew what he meant. The Force Ghost of Ben sat next to Rey, and she soon fell asleep.
The next day, Rey asked the Force Ghost of Ben what he had learnt from the books. He replied, "I could only read two of them. I can turn the pages, not the carton. One was a really interesting study on how on many planets, the people using the dark side and the light side of the Force coexisted in the same tribes. That was in a time before there were sophisticated weapons, and long before the Jedi and the Sith. And it continued with a very gloomy prognoses for the planets. Interestingly that was written over a thousand years ago. The other was about powerful nexuses and how a smaller equivalent can exist within a powerful nexus."
Rey frowned and Ben admitted, "It will not help you with the classes, especially for a boy with questionable education as a mountain troll. - I wonder if they even have writing skills on that planet? Where is he from?"
"Wrachnork"
"Well, that was a long journey and we're not talking about a boy then. I think education is not good there. I could give you some of what I have learned from the Sith lessons about the light side. The Sith had put everything in real simple words. But as you came here to find Master Skywalker, you could also take the old training plans of him, as they are hidden in his cottage."
They went there and the Force Ghost of Ben persuaded her to open the door with the Force. Rey was incredibly happy with this training plan. The Force Ghost of Ben however sighed a little with everything she raved about and was rather cynical. "Yes, you know all about patience when you are stupid enough to hold a pencil for 10 minutes without complaining, without asking for the sense behind that. - Well, if you have problems with the handwriting of Skywalker, I can assist. I know the course by heart, heard it often enough. But don't ask me about what it means or the sense behind those lessons."
At night, Rey put the sacred Jedi texts in Luke's cabin and closed the door.
While the Force Ghost of Ben accompanied Rey to the cottage, she managed to lend life energy to the Force Ghost of Ben, and they could have physical contact. They got closer and kissed. When they entered the cottage, the Force Ghost of Ben said, "On the other hand wearing clothes also has bad sides. I don't think those can be moved an inch."
"It's fine." Rey replied and tried to embrace him but just walked through him. That irritated Rey. She soon lied down to sleep. Ben sat down next to the bed and kissed her on the forehead.
The next day the Force Ghost of Ben watched the sleeping Rey, the first sun beams shining in her face, some grey hair shimmered in the sun light. The Force Ghost of Ben had a serious expression when Rey woke up. "This lending life energy, it has some bad effect on you."
"Good morning to you too," Rey replied and kissed him on the cheek. Again, she lent some life energy.
"Seriously, something is wrong, you get grey hair."
"Thank you, just what a girl wants to hear."
"This is also totally against the way of the Jedi. I'm dead and I was here to guide your way to the Jedi course and not to distract you. Farewell, Rey."
"Don't just leave me alone."
The Force Ghost of Ben just vanished into thin air.