A/N: The second chapter is ready. To answer a question posed in a review, everyone will most likely make an appearance including Finn, whether in flashback or present day. Just to reinterate, Star Wars is not, nor will it ever be mine. The only thing I own related to Star Wars is a bluray box set. Italics denotes flashback sections or character thoughts. Without further ado...
Chapter Two
As she looks around the house, Rey can't help but wonder more about this man. There is very little one could consider personal artifacts: a simple table and a few chairs, one of which she sat in now, a kettle which was half rusted that sat boiling away as the man fiddled with his back to her, simple beige colored walls devoid of any kind of adornments and two or three windows covered with heavy brown curtains that shaded out most of the light except that which was provided by a nearby set of candles. "How long have you lived here?" It's a simple question, but she sees his back stiffen, his shoulders drop.
"A long time." His answer is short, but the words are drawn out into a sigh. He turns again to face her holding a mug which he places in front of her. Luke sits in the second chair across from her. "The first thing you need to know is that the Force is not something to be controlled. It is a part of life itself, and just as unpredictable as any being you have ever and will ever come across." A shadow crosses Luke's face, but just as quickly it is gone. "It isn't something you should fear. It's our job to respect and understand it."
Rey sees Luke looking at her, but his expression is further away. Clearly he is elsewhere. "Luke…"
His eyes are glassy as he blinks. "Sorry." He shakes his head before getting to his feet. "Do you want to come for a walk?"
The question catches Rey by surprise, but she stands as well following Luke silently out the door. She would confront him later.
Luke watches Rey out of the corner of his eye as they walk side by side. Saying those words again was something he never thought he would do. He never thought he would take another student again, much less Rey. His heart aches as he watches her keeping perfect pace with his own much longer strides. The Force had given him a second chance, so why wasn't he taking his own advice? You won't be able to stop it. The voice in his head sounded so much like him, jeering, mangled by the darkness as he had stood in the center of that great hallway holding one of the children at lightsaber point, saying the exact same words. Luke steadied his breathing, reaching out to the Force, feeling its presence, feeling her presence as the voice dissipated. This planet held so many ghosts, demons reaching out with precision knowing exactly where to strike. "Come, this way." Luke continues forward, taking the familiar winding path he had taken so many times before.
"You haven't said where we're going." Rey says. "Are you going to tell me anything?"
He allows himself a small secretive smile, letting her see it before he shakes his head, moving aside a pile of tall grass so that she can get through, and her face when she does see what's in front of them says it all. The expanse is great, and the ruins practically glitter. The stone arch that was once the entrance to the temple has somehow survived, and as Rey steps forward, Luke can feel the questions running through her head, almost as surely as he can feel his own memories, long buried, surfacing.
He remembers the day Leia called him, as if it were yesterday, back when he was working on resurrecting the Jedi. Back then, he had only about seven students with more coming every day.
"Luke, I need your help." Leia's voice came out tired, more tired than he had ever heard her. Parenthood could do that he knew. He watched his little girl playing with a toy ship. Sensing her father's gaze, she looked up with a grin.
"What's wrong?" Luke turned back to the comm. "Are you guys okay?"
"It's Ben."
"What's going on?"
"He's upset."
Luke could hear something in his sister's tone. Was she… afraid? "Leia," He started.
"Please, just come!"
Just like that, the room was silent as the connection broke. Luke sighed as he rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand.
"Daddy," Luke heard Rey's voice, felt the tug on his tunic. "Why are you mad?"
Luke laughed in spite of himself. "Daddy's not mad Princess." He lifted his daughter onto his lap.
She pointed to his forehead which was wrinkled in concentration. "Yes."
"No." Luke poked her in the chin, letting his finger wiggle underneath as she burst into giggles.
"Stop!" The girl protested.
Luke shook his head as her tiny hands wrestled with his larger one trying to stop the tickles. He relented as they both recovered catching their breath. "Come on, we're going to visit Aunty Leia."
"Yay!"
"Why did you bring me here?" Rey turns to him.
"It's only right." He sits cross legged. "This is where it all began."
"The First Jedi Temple." She sits beside him. "But… it's just a bunch of old ruins."
His mouth quirks as he hands her the lightsaber, the lightsaber she had refused to take before they left the hut. "Sometimes history is just as important as skill."
"Alright." Rey smirks taking the weapon. "So, what history do I need to know?"
Luke shakes his head. So much more than I can tell. Aloud he says, "You know about the Jedi." As Rey gives a small nod he continues. "The Sith Lord Darth Vader ensured they were all but extinct. In his youth, he played a role in the Great Jedi Purge. He was instrumental in wiping the Jedi from the face of the galaxy." Luke struggles to keep his face neutral as he remembers his father.
"But, then, how were you trained?"
"Some survived." Luke said. "Hiding in obscurity. The point is… Kylo Ren sought the very same as Vader, seeking to carry on his legacy. His goal is to eliminate every last Jedi, but…" He shut his eyes taking a deep breath before opening them again. "He is headstrong, still unbalanced. His knowledge of the Force is as a weapon not as…"
"A part of life itself." Rey repeats his earlier words back to him. "So, Kylo Ren isn't trained?"
Luke doesn't answer as his gaze locks onto a point in the distance. Rey sighs remembering what Kylo Ren had told her during their fight. He had offered to train her. Of course she had ignored him, ignored it completely, but if he wasn't trained why would he have said that?
"His training is incomplete. That's your advantage."
"So, where do we start?" Rey starts to get to her feet. She'd already beat him once. If she could convince Luke to come back after he trained her, the First Order would crumble right along with Kylo Ren.
A/N: So... what do you think? More will be answered I promise. As for Rey's age in the flashback, I imagine she's around four years old. Same goes for Ben. Any suggestions, questions, thoughts on the Force Awakens. Drop em in a review. I'd love to hear from you. And may the Force be with you.
