On one of the rooftop gardens of the old, once grand Jedi Temple in Coruscant, Luke Skywalker sat silently on a low wooden bench.

In appearance he was meditating, but beneath the surface his thoughts were churning.

Many unexpected things have happened since that girl first arrived on the island, he thought, but this perhaps, is the most unexpected of all. And yet, there was a part of him that hadn't been surprised. When he had seen Rey and Ben on the Millennium Falcon on the way to Coruscant, it had been immediately obvious to him that a shift had occurred between the two, that they were bonded in a way that was energetically irrevocable. Of course they'd be drawn together, I was a fool not to anticipate it.

The shuffle of a footfall behind him distracted him from his thoughts, and as he turned to see his nephew making his way into the garden courtyard. Ben Solo's hair was a dark curtain across his forehead, long enough for the oft-sullen man to hide his eyes behind. Today, he smirked as he surveyed the disrepair the garden was in. Weeds

choked the beds which had once held fragrant flowers and edible herbs for the kitchens, and the pathways were crumbling, requiring Ben to step carefully in his worn leather boots.

"I guess the Jedi order has seen better days, has it not Uncle?"

Luke quelled the anger that threatened to rise up in him at his nephew's provocative words. It was indeed true that the once-grand Jedi Temple was a sorry sight to behold. In the first days after the collapse of the Empire, he had moved to quickly restore some of the essential elements of this holy place, removing the worst violations that Emperor Palpatine had visited on it. His hopes for full reconstruction had been brief; as the First Order has risen, the need for a more secure, secret location for his Jedi training academy had become clear, and so he had reluctantly left the Jedi Temple behind. His intention had always been to return here and establish it as the headquarters of the Jedi Order, but in the devastation of his nephew's betrayal all of that had been forgotten. Now, back on Coruscant, it made sense to return here to continue Ben and Rey's training, but he couldn't deny that seeing the building in such disrepair made his failures feel even more present. And Ben's smirking attitude didn't help.

"You're late," he said sharply to the younger man, rising from the bench.

At the scolding remark, Ben Solo slowly lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. But his eyes flashed dangerously at Luke, and the Jedi Master sensed at once that his nephew was at his edge. There's something of the pacing tiger about him , Luke thought, reading the force signature emanating from the young man as much as simply noticing what was right in front of him. He feels trapped, cornered. Even though he came here of his own choice.

Luke walked to the eastern edge of the courtyard, leaning against the balcony and turning to take in the impressive sight of the spires of the Jedi Temple soaring above. After a moment, Ben followed him, placing one hand on the balcony and gazing out at the city with a scornful look on his face.

"As I recall, you never liked Coruscant," Luke said, examining Ben's face. "I was surprised that your mother was able to entice you to come here."

His nephew looked at him levelly, well aware of what Luke was trying to draw the conversation towards. "I like to think I am full of surprises, Uncle."

No, of course he wouldn't make this easy. Luke tried again. "Your mother tells me that you insisted Rey come. That you refused to come here without her, in fact."

Ben's face was a mask of innocence, but his eyes were full of mocking humor as he returned his Uncle's stare. "Of course. She's my apprentice. I'd never abandon her training."

Luke narrowed his eyes, realizing that his nephew was taunting him, dangling his new connection with Rey in front of Luke like a trophy. "She can't be your apprentice, Ben. You do not have the right to take an apprentice."

A thin smile played on Ben's face. "I may not be a Master of the Jedi, Uncle, but I'm a Master in other areas. I've many things to teach Rey. Some I learned from you. Some, from others. And many I learned entirely on my own." The tone of his voice was quiet, but his words hinted at a depth of knowledge that he fully intended to be menacing.

"I believe you," Luke said soberly, his face as open and guileless as his nephews was closed. "That's why I've made the decision to take over Rey's training. She'll be learning only from me from now on," Luke said, crossing his arms over his chest, sinking his hands deep into the wide arms of his robe.

Ben's eyes narrowed in fury and surprise at these words, and he advanced a few steps towards his Uncle. His voice was an angry hiss. "I am sure if you care to ask for an exhibition, you will be more than pleased at her progress."

Luke shook his head. "I do not doubt it."

The younger man stared at him in silence for a moment, as if waiting for Luke to say more. "Then why ?" he snarled, his heavy brow drawn together.

Luke studied Ben's face for a few moments before responding, deciding to be truthful. "Because you already have too much influence on her. And I don't know yet whether I can trust you with that."

Ben's face went blank at those words, until after a few moments a cruel smile formed slowly on his lips. "If you wanted to curb my influence on Rey, Uncle, you might have done something about it months ago." He laughed, a short harsh sound. "You do realize you're far too late."

Luke's eyes were full of regret as he watched his nephew storm away. I could have handled that better, he thought, but Rey is too important to put at risk. Still, he suspected this was far from settled.

Rey was nearly speechless with excitement as she made her way towards the imposing entrance of the Jedi Temple. Anxious, she glanced back where Leia still sat in her speeder, waving at the older woman as the General left the dock and directed the vehicle into the skylanes that wound all around Coruscant.

She looked back towards the building and swallowed thickly, reaching down to her belt to feel the lightsaber clipped securely there. Steady, she told herself. You've been invited here by Luke Skywalker himself. Stop acting like a nobody from Jakku! At her own admonition, she straightened her back and lifted her chin, holding herself with a modicum of pride.

She was about to head into the building when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure crossing the plaza. Recognizing Ben's forceful stride, she started to call out his name, but the words died in her throat when she saw him look over his shoulder and then duck down a dark alleyway. That's strange, she thought, her brows knitting together in confusion. She was due to meet him in just a few moments for their training session. Where could he be headed? Uncertain, she hesitated at the door of the temple before dashing across the empty plaza to where he had disappeared into the shadows.

She had to blink her eyes several times before they adjusted to the dim light in the deserted passage. Pressing her body along the cover provided by the walls, she crept closer towards where she could only just make out Ben speaking to a man she didn't recognize. The slim stranger was, like Ben, clad in all black, wearing a long was of slim build, and wearing a high-collared asymmetrical coat that reached down to his tall leather boots. He was leaned against a beat-up speeder bike. He had dark hair gathered in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his eyebrows were straight and dark under a broad forehead. His mouth was set in a grim line under a straight nose.

On Jakku, Rey had become an excellent judge of character. When you were on your own in the world, it was essential to learn how to read people, and to ascertain their intentions quickly. Smugglers, slavers, bounty hunters, arms dealers, deserters-all sorts of criminals had come through Niima outpost over the years, blind to the fact that Rey was hungrily observing each and every one of them, reading their movements, watching how their eyes and hands moved. Deciphering them.

She knew immediately this stranger was dangerous, and from the way his eyes carefully darted around, checking the corners, she could tell he didn't belong here on Coruscant.

She didn't dare draw closer, knowing she would be likely to give herself away if she did. She retreated back down the shadowy alleyway silently. As she crossed the plaza and approached the Jedi Temple a second time, she caught sight of her face in the great beaten metal doors. Her mouth was twisted with anxiety, and her eyes beset with worry.

Guilt flared in her heart. I look like a woman who doesn't trust her lover, she thought, berating herself silently. She pressed herself against the stone wall of the building, feeling her heart still beating too hard. Pausing, she took a moment to bring stillness to her mind, until her face was arranged in a neutral expression. I'll ask him about it later, she resolved. As soon as I see him, I will ask him straight out. Of course there is a simple explanation.

But she never had a chance to ask for the easy explanation.

When she saw Ben later, at home, he was sullen and resentful, still furious as he told her about what his Uncle had said to him earlier that day. "He doesn't trust me," Ben growled, his hands clenched into fists. "He doesn't trust me with you."

She could see that behind the anger he was hurting, and that the powder-keg of self-loathing he carried around was in danger of igniting. Ben's eyes were full of dark memories as he paced in front of her, his body all sharp angles and edgy, liable to explode at any moment. "My Uncle has no appreciation for the position I'm in," he ranted. "He doesn't understand what danger I've put I'm in by simply being here. And then he has the gall to doubt me. "

"Ben," Rey said desperately, "Sit down. Please. Sit down."

He threw himself down next to her on the sofa, and she took one of his trembling hands in hers and stroked it gently within her hands. The motion calmed him, and he sighed as some of the tension drained out of his body. After several silent moments, he looked at her, a rueful smile touching his lips, though his eyes were still bitter.

"As long as I know you trust me, it doesn't matter to me what he says," he declared, bringing her hand to his lips and solemnly kissing it while gazing at her. She nodded, feeling her guilt from earlier twist deeper as the questions she had planned to raise died on her lips. His eyes were so hopeful as he looked at her trustingly, and she found herself suddenly ashamed that she had doubted him. She saw now that to question him would only convince him that she didn't trust him. And she did. I do, she told herself firmly.

There must have been a good reason he was talking to that person, she told herself stubbornly, even as the seed of doubt planted itself between them.