Many years passed since Ailsa made her first true friend. She thought of Ben often, and she wrote him even more. The universe was large, but messages were easy to send. Ben's mentor and uncle, Luke Skywalker was not overly impressed with the secrecy of such correspondence but friendship was not discouraged. He was glad that the young Jedi had someone with whom he could talk. Ben was easy to like; as he grew into himself he became more a man of passion than a boy of intense curiosity.
Ailsa grew too. She grew fast and into her features, but not quite into her limbs. She was always a little willowy, a little taller than the other girls, a little more likely to trip over legs that seemed to have a mind of their own. As she grew with The Force she grew in patience. The people of Skye taught a vastly different doctrine to that of the Jedi. To them The Force was part of who they were, part of their world and galaxy. It was a connection to all, and with it came everything. There was so much to learn, and none of it good nor evil. They were taught to, above all else, never use their power to harm another, but only to maintain balance.
Myths had come from the people of Skye of Grey Jedi – of a middle ground between light and dark that never considered itself to be anywhere between.
Ailsa spent her days with her people, with other Force Users and their aging mentors. Each individual was selected for a skill that they could use. They were called Skylanders, a little guild that could be hired. A mercenary group to those of rough tongue, artisans to those who knew better. Ailsa was selected for stealth and reconnaissance, learning from an old man who looked as if he had been made of wire. Meditation became a leading part of her journey, as did Jar'Kai – the art of weilding duel lightsabers. She and her peers would go hunting, climbing, swimming – they used The Force in their day-to-day life, embracing it so completely that it felt like breathing. It was their life.
And yet, it was a lonely one. Despite being of use and not being as segregated in society as most Jedi seem to be, they were not very well understood. Ailsa had a few friends, and she had sported a handful of crushes, yet nothing seemed to stick as well as it had with that boy and the yellow kite.
He was growing as fast as she by the sounds of his correspondence. He was powerful with The Force; his bloodline assured it and his talent enhanced it. He boasted many a skill; his accuracy with The Force surprising even Skywalker. There were not many to teach after Order 66, and not many young ones with The Force to find. Even on Skye the pupils ranged dramatically in age and ability, with most of the older students moving on into the universe as the younger were guided by elders whose bones were no longer able to keep up with the wind and the enthusiasm of youth.
Thus it came to pass that Ailsa was sent to the Jedi Temple. Luke Skywalker knew of the girl from Ben, and he extended his hand for her to come and learn. In return she would bring the knowledge of her way with The Force, and perhaps even help open a new method and range of skills for the young padawans.
The brunette landed with a supply drop, the air around her feeling hot and damp compared to the breeze of Skye. The trees grew closer, and the wind smelled of freshwater and pine, not of salt and rain and sea-grass. She was greeted by the leader, by Skywalker himself. The welcome was warm and so kind, so positive and light. He seemed to glow the same colour that his lightsaber did; a blue that inspired and brought hope all at once. Ailsa liked him immediately and was open with her thanks for his care.
"The teachers on Skye are…" Her gaze flitted up to Luke, words hanging as she tried to find a structure without insult "The teachers on Skye are aging. The knowledge of The Force is waning with them."
"I fear such knowledge has waned throughout the universe." Was the measured reply, his robes so typical of the Jedi and his eyes piercing – the colour of a clear day and incredibly telling. He had stories in him, that much she could feel. That much she loved about him already.
"You have knowledge though, and you have a great deal of life in your bones." Ailsa mentioned, little smile crooked.
"Yes." Luke laughed. "Yes and no. You know a side to The Force that I do not. I should like to learn from you as I take you under my wing."
"I should like that." A pause, a slight teen awkwardness. "Is…does Ben know I am here?"
Skywalker let out a sigh before shaking his head. "If he had known he would have been here. I set him a task."
"May I interrupt it?"
Another laugh. Luke had been through such youth; he knew of the energy that puberty brought with it, and he knew of its brightness. He also knew that Ben could use a close friend. He was the nephew of the leader of the Jedi Temple, and a child to Leia Organa. Such titles bore a weight that saw his dearest connections draw thin.
"Yes. Please use a training saber – I do not wish any harm to either of you just yet."
Ailsa nodded, her bags left where they were as she followed the path that Luke set out before her. Ben Solo was doing as Luke himself had done many years prior – standing with a lightsaber, blinded by a helmet, as a floating droid shot sparks at him.
He was very skilled. The young woman watched him for a moment. He had the reflexes of a Jedi for sure, and he blocked even the fastest onslaught that the droid could bring. She could not see his face, but he wore the same airs about him; stubbornness, humor, mischief. Skywalker nodded the girl on, handing her a training weapon to match Ben Solo's before speaking to the boy.
"I'm sending in a partner, Ben."
He had barely registered the change in circumstance when Ailsa brought her weapon to his. The man stumbled back a step before striking back with a defensive blow. She reached out to him every time he tried to lift the helmet, laughing musically at his attempts and almost immediate frustration. Barely half a minute had passed before Ben pushed his opponent away with the Force and finally flung his blinders aside.
Before him stood the little girl his childish days remembered so fondly. She was taller, her hair was longer and waved by years of sea air. Her eyes were still grey, her smile still just a little crooked and worn by lips that were a breath too big.
She was sizing him up with her grin, gaze alight. He'd grown into his ears and his nose, but he still had some filling out to do. His shoulders sat a bit heavy on a still growing frame, his hands and feet still too large for the skeleton they had been set upon.
Time and space may have set them apart, but it took barely a moment for them to be together again. Ben wrapped Ailsa up in a hug as innocent as their childhood, her laugh fuller but still one he remembered.
"Did you know about this?" He called to his uncle, the girl half in a headlock, half in an embrace. Lightsabers lay on the ground, discarded and forgotten for the moment.
Luke nodded and had to smile as Ailsa pinched Ben to get loose before wrapping him a newer, more comfortable hug.
"You got so tall!" She exclaimed, finally holding him at arm's length to better survey their differences. "Same eyes though."
"Well, I don't think my eyes are going to change much." He chastised such an obvious observation. "I was not the only one to get tall. You must be a giant on Skye."
"Oh no, our giants are far bigger and far uglier than me."
"Bigger…sure. Uglier…"
She pinched him again, this time getting a decent response before he once again tried to put her in a headlock. They were so young and fresh, so eager. They stuck back together easily, as if they were made from the same cloth but had sat on opposite ends of the table for many years. Ben was the one to take her to her room; a small suite with a proper window to afford the breeze.
"I figure that you will not get cold in the room that gets the most wind." He mentioned as he leant on the doorframe, watching as girl set her bag down.
It was a simple room; plain with a single bed, a chair and table, and door to a shared bathroom that other female Jedi would share.
"It is so hot here!" Ailsa exclaimed. "Is it just me?"
"Yes. You'll acclimatize." Ben himself wore long pants and a long shirt with a vest. The material was light, but it was by no means designed for an immensely warm climate.
Ailsa, on the other hand – she owned clothes made of thick fabric to combat a chill. Fortunately the other Skylanders had heard of her trip and many who had been abroad had brought her appropriate attire. Lighter pants, lighter boots, and a shirt that felt like air. She wore pale blues and creams, soft yellows; colours of the sky and of a winter sun.
"So – how long did you and my uncle plan this?" Ben sat upon her bed and promptly began to go through her bags, doing so as a friend might and not a stranger.
"A few weeks." Long fingers snatched a book off him, setting it on the bedside with a teasing glare. "I was told not to tell you – apparently you are easily distracted."
"I am." He confessed airily.
The brunette laughed. She had laughed more in the hour since her landing than she had in many weeks. Her form sat beside her friend's, her shoulder bumping his in a familiar way. They had been mere children when they parted, and they had grown through the voices of droids and across universal connections. Now they were together it felt as if they had not been apart. Such a bond had been formed by two little folk on a little planet lashed by the wind.
"I'm glad to be here." Ailsa confessed.
"I am glad too. I will admit that I needed a little light."
Such a statement did not raise concern in her. It was a saying, a little phrase, a passing sentence, a quiet compliment. "Beware this little light then, Ben Solo. I trained very differently to you – I think you'll find me a challenge."
"Tell that to my Uncle. You may put radical thoughts into my head."
"Radical thoughts? Oh – yes. I am made from wild folk. I could definitely make you a rebel."
"More so than I am?"
"Oh, don't pretend to be a badass. I know you still have that kite. I see in the background whenever you message me."
Ben shook his head humoredly as he rose. "You unpack. Get used to the heat. Pray I don't leave a womp-rat under your bed as a prank."
"You wouldn't dare." Already she wanted to check the room for such pranks, but then she remembered that he had not known she was coming and could not have prepared anything just yet. "Whatever you do – I will return it tenfold."
"I'll take you up on the challenge."
"Please don't."
"Want your kite back?"
"Brought my own." She pulled out a smaller disk, heavier this time and coloured grey. It was made to be harder to control and easier to lose. A training tool and a toy; mind games for those with The Force.
Ben rolled his eyes. "Find me at dinner. I'll show you around."
"How do I find you at dinner if I don't know my way around to get there?"
"If I cannot be a badass, then you cannot be a smartass – got it?"
"Yes sir."
"What did I just say?"
She threw him a lopsided grin and a promise to find him. Luke Skywalker waited for Ben in the hall, arms crossed and mind both glad and concerned. He had found his pupil a friend, but perhaps he had also invited trouble. Mischief ran in them both, as did youth; two such things made teaching hard. He would watch them carefully, and he would have to remind Ben Solo that he was on the path of The Jedi, not the path of Skye. Ailsa was here to learn – perhaps she would join them, but it was certain that her knowledge would help at least.
What else lay beyond that could only be seen with time, and with a great deal of patience. Training with The Force was one thing, training life beyond that was something entirely different.
A/N: Hi all. Finally thought I'd drop my voice in and say hello. I used to write a lot on Fanfiction and had a rather wonderful, supportive following. It feels good to be writing again after so long not doing it.
Please let me know if you are enjoying the story so far. Constructive criticism is always welcome!
Drop me a review, say hello. I'd love to know if you're reading.
-WL.