Frustration. It flowed through Rey this morning during her morning run. She huffed up the dangerous mountainside of the base, carefully stepping on the safest steps that she had memorized for months.
The months that had passed since Master Luke and herself had returned to the Resistance were the happiest months of her life, yet she found a stir in her. A feeling plaguing her gut, slicing her silently. Her powers were growing every day, her focus unchanging...but a disconnection seemed to be forming as well. The disconnection to her friends stirred her feelings of frustration on this morning. It didn't help that the early morning physical training was now even more rugged with this new terrain. Master Luke ensured that it was followed by studying of Jedi stories of the past. A task that she look forwarded to usually, but today she felt uneasy. Restless. A two-hour long meditation session before dinner seemed like the last thing she wanted to do on such a beautiful day on Kelper. It felt like a Rinse and Repeat cycle.
Rey had expected Rebellion missions, covert missions, or even help the simple repairing of ships.
Master Luke and General Leia kept her separate from most of the activity.
She respected their wishes, respected them, but the restless feeling she had watching Poe and Finn fly off to fight the battle with the First Order made her feel useless. Master Luke had even left her to have a few missions of his own. Her feet moved quickly as she came closer to the top, sweat dripped down her back. The air became slightly thinner, but the exercise helped release the restlessness in her bones. Once she had made the top, just below the summit, she reached out for some snow. She slurped it up as she sat on the last step, looking out onto the Mountain Ranges. Her thirst disappearing as she ate the snow. Her hands became slightly numb, and her mind wandered back to her moments on the First Order base.
The cold had whipped around her different there. The snowy base had a different kind of cold than space. The snowflakes hitting her face, the thousands of lives living within the snow, and the waves of hate that pulsed within her. The images of seeing Finn's body in the snow, blood pooling around him. Han Solo being killed in such a brutal manner.
Her entire life altered, out of her control now. Her family truly will never find her again.
Rey found herself scowling, and felt the frustration build up reach its peak.
Kylo Ren's face of victory over her popped into her mind. She screamed as if all life was being taken from her. The pain, the suffering in the galaxy seemed to never end. The yell came deep within her gut.
She began to punch against the stony steps and walls that had curved along the mountain.
Rey felt her rage consume her. After a few moments, a eerie silence fell across the valley. No wind, no birds, no animals made a noise. Her mind began to tug, remorse falling over her for losing her patience. She sat, elbows on her knees, face in her hands. Rey began to clear her mind, relax herself.
Closing her eyes, she resumed her meditation position. Wiping her mind clear, letting in thoughts of nature and being. Start with the wind, let it take its course. Her mind roamed the landscape, the valleys she hadn't seen, and up into the atmosphere of Kelper. The stars in the system shining brightly at her, as if it were nighttime. Just as Rey began to clear her mind, her demons leaving her...was when she heard it.
At first, she thought it was in her mind, but quickly her eyes snapped opened at her realization.
I've found you.
The words rang in her head as whisper and as a yell, all at once. Rey jumped to her feet, moving at her fastest pace down the mountain. Panic growing, disbelief trying to push into her mind.
He is dead. He is dead. I left him there.
Her mind chanted that mantra. The mountain trail zig zagged, making it difficult for Rey to increase her pace. It took an excruciating amount of time to make it to the main part of the base, and not without Rey from catching herself with the Force to not stumble down half the mountain.
Rey honed in on her Master, who was thankfully in the main command center with General Leia. They were looking up at a map of a solar system that Rey had never seen before. C-3PO made a squeak of a noise at the sight of her. The control room was empty except for the two droids and the twins.
"Master Luke...Master Luke-"
Rey cut him off and nearly collapsed into a table. Master Luke rushed to her side, forcing her to seat. "Rey, breathe deep before you begin. Clear your mind."
Rey tried to slow her breathing down, closing her eyes. After a few moments, she started to begin. The twins staring at her with concerned eyes.
"I was training, at the Summit, my usual run when-"
"When your emotions consumed you, even Leia felt it ripple through her."
Rey blushed, always forgetting that the General was Force-Sensitative.
"Master, I lost control...yes, but that is not the reason. I felt him. I heard him."
Master Luke's concerned eyes flashed. His mind instantly in another place. Rey felt him pushing his mind out, searching for him. The General sat down, across from Rey. Shock in her face.
"I have not felt him since-"
Master Luke turned away, eyes closed. Rey felt him pushing deeper into the Force. Searching for Kylo Ren. "General, I didn't mean to contact him. I thought he was dead."
Master Luke turned back and looked at Rey with the most intense eyes.
"What was the connection? What was said?"
Rey suddenly felt a fear come over her. Fear of punishment from Master Luke, or from the Resistance.
"This is all my fault, I should have controlled my emotions."
She threw her face in her hands. Master Luke met Rey at her eye level. His eyes becoming soft.
"It-He said that he found me. I was meditating, composing myself...connecting the nature within my mind. He must have read the connection, saw what I saw."
Master Luke shared a look with General Leia, who looked to be in a place of relief and fear.
"Anger, hate can be a strong beacon. I have tried to give you the tools to control it, Rey, but I fear sometimes that because of your age it would take longer for you to learn. I place no blame on you, but I want you to realize the lesson before you."
" Rey nodded, unable to make eye contact with either. She punished herself in her mind. "If Kylo Ren knows our location, he is surely on his way here now. A massive fleet of the First Order as well. We must begin our evacuation of citizens, and prepare a defensive operation."
Master Luke turned to R2-D2, who had been quietly waiting behind C-3PO.
"R2, I need you to contact surrounding Resistance systems to prepare for First Order presence. Evacuation and Defensive actions must be in place, and hastily." General Leia had snapped herself out of her shocked daze, stood up. She rushed the control panel as R2-D2 whirled around the room to the intergalactic communication panel.
The General Leia's voice boomed over an intercom.
"Attention, Protocol Omega is in Action. Repeat Protocol Omega is in Action."
Alarms sounded, Rey could feel panic spread through the base. Footsteps came storming towards the Control Center. Master Luke turned to Rey.
"Rey, I need you to prepare yourself. Change into your Jedi outfit, lightsaber. You and I will protect General Leia. A ground force will be needed."
Rey nodded and turned to the direction of her bunk. Her heart pounded. Her thoughts floated to Finn and Poe. They were probably already suited up for their incoming Space battle. Commanders rushed past Rey, into the control room. Their fear choking her.
Rey changed as fast as possible, grabbing her own self-made lightsaber from underneath her bed. Her hands gripped it tightly. Rey had never used it in a true battle. A wash of excitement flooded her. A feeling she pushed down. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that hundreds could die because of her loss of control.
Rey made her way to the X-Wing hanger, her eyes searching for her friends. Chewie was busy arguing with a Droid over repairs to the Falcon. She hugged him in a quick passing.
"Be careful up there."
Chewie growled a similar sentiment.
He turned back to the Droid, growling even louder. Rey spotted Finn and Poe, next to their X-Wings. Their faces worried. Panic rushing around them as fighters started up their Fighters. Chaos consumed the base. Several X-Fighters took off to patrol the skies. She hustled up to them. Their faces filled with concern at her change of apparel. Rey was wearing a darker outfit that matched something that her Master had worn in his early years of becoming a Jedi. An all black outfit without a robe.
"He's back." Her words tumbled out. Finn gritted his teeth, looking away from her. His fear growing ten-fold. Poe was in disbelief. The subject of Kylo Ren was avoided by the three, the damage he had caused to each of them created a mutual pact of silence.
"I don't know. He knows where we-I am. He is coming."
"He won't be alone. We know that."
Rey looked at her friends, her emotions of fear for them bubbling.
"Be mindful. Be patient. If you encounter him, think clear. Don't take him on alone." Finn met Rey's eyes.
"Same to you. Rey, I know you have grown as a Jedi, but he is probably at his full strength." Rey nodded.
"I will be with Master Luke, protecting the General, so He will have two to face." Her confidence in Master Luke radiated from her.
A voice boomed over the intercom.
"TIE Fighters have entered the Atmosphere. ATTENTION ALL FIGHTERS DEPLOY."
Finn grasped Rey, quicker than she could react. He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.
"Goodluck, Scavenger."
Poe followed suite with a quick hug.
"We won't let them come near you."
Rey smiled a weak smile at them. Dread flooding her. They both jumped into their X-Wings and were booming out of the hanger before she could respond with her good lucks. Rey turned back, rushing towards the command center.
"I have a bad feeling about this."