Slinging her bag up higher onto her shoulder, she sighed and shifted slightly on her feet as she waited patiently as the ramp to the Millennium Falcon hissed as it began to open. She was just about to step down the ramp when there was an animalistic cry from behind her.
"Stay with the ship, Chewie." Rey told him and he responded with a roar of protest, "I'll be back in a little while. If I've been gone for more than four hours, come looking for me."
He just whimpered quietly and tilted his head, looking all the world disappointed. And yet, he obeyed.
With a final glance around the old interior of the ship, she descended the ramp and was immediately hit in the face with a cool blast of air. The climate was much different than any planet Rey had been on, but, then again, she'd only been on about three planets in her entire life. Four, now, including Ahch-To.
When they'd entered the atmosphere, she'd been utterly amazed. For as far as the eye could see, ocean stretched from one horizon to the next. She'd never seen so much water, never even dreamed of anything like she was seeing before.
With a little luck and what she assumed was a draw from the Force, they'd found the island that they were searching for.
It was one of the larger ones that they passed by as the Falcon soared over the seas and there seemed to be stable clearing of open field where they could land for the time being so that an investigation could take place.
She decided that perhaps she should head to the higher ground, to the distant cliffs on the side of the mountain. It looked like perhaps a temple could be found there; the perfect place for a long lost Jedi hermit to live.
However, before she began her venture, she took a moment to gaze out at the sea and was amazed how the sun seemed to sparkle like a million diamonds on the surface. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore was soothing, she decided, and helped to calm the nerves she felt.
Then, the brunette turned and made way for the lost temple and the Jedi Master that was hopefully living there.
It didn't take her long to cross the field of tall, dry grass and the closer she got, the more she could see the evidence of habitants, or perhapsprevious inhabitants, as arching doorways began to appear in the cliff face. Rey soon found herself at the base of the cliffs and stared upwards, the sun burning her eyes so she used her hand to block some of it out. There were steps, stone steps, buried in the rough, uneven ground that led up the winding trail for what felt like forever.
And yet, something was calling to her from the very top. The Force was urging her to begin the climb, gently prodding her along.
So, with a resounding sigh, she did.
Up and up she went, one tireless step after another. It felt like she'd been climbing for decades and the top never seemed to be getting any closer. And then, a terrible thought occurred to her.
What if he'd just left? Flown off to some other star system because no one ever came searching for him? That this entire search and war over the piece of the map had been all for nothing?
No, he wouldn't have done that. He couldn't have done so. The Force would have warned him to stay put, she reasoned.
Still with weariness lingering around her, she continued up the winding path. And, after a long while, it did seem as though she were making progress. The summit wasn't nearly as far away as it had first been.
She would rest, she decided, on the next break in the road which was just up the slope a ways. Her pace increased slightly, now knowing that her burning legs could take a break only a handful of steps away.
She was breathing heavily by the time she reached the next abandoned cave dwelling, rivets of sweat running down her face and along her spine. It was wholly unpleasant but long ago, she'd grown used to the ever present dampness of sweat from living in the unforgiving deserts on Jakku. She herself had been walking in the shade of the mountain for most of the day and had been somewhat grateful for the added chill.
Placing her rear down onto a nearby boulder, Rey let out a quiet, blissful sigh as her legs were allowed some relief. Reaching into her pack, she retrieved a canteen of water and took a few sips from it, all the while, glancing down at the land far below, only just then realizing how high she was getting.
The view was much more mesmerizing up here than it had been on the ground; the way the the sea winds gently tossed the tall grass and the spray of white foam as the waves charged in and crashed against the island stones.
The Falcon was a speck in the distance, a barely-there glimmer in the sunlight. It put everything into perspective, how large the universe was while she was so small.
However, she was suddenly brought back from her mind's wandering when there was a presence that suddenly made itself known behind her. Instinctively, she reached for her staff and and she whipped around, ready to protect herself, as a scavenger always was. She held the cool metal tightly in her hands, ready to strike if the need arose. She momentarily contemplated Luke Skywalker's lightsaber but then dismissed that thought immediately. If anything, she more formidable with her trusty staff and, while the lightsaber was certainly more deterring in nature, her staff had never once failed her.
The manifestation seemed to be located in the cave dwelling behind her and if she narrowed her eyes, she could make out the faint outline of a figure sitting inside.
Still suspicious of this new character, she reached out slightly into the Force, grasping at it really, with her inexperienced consciousness, and found that instead of acquiring a feeling of dread and foreboding like she'd before with Kylo Ren, there was an unexpected benevolent and gentle sort of aura that hung around the figure.
Her arms lowered almost against her own will, her shoulders slumping as the alarm she felt before vanished.
All at once, the figure was rising smoothly and turning towards her. When it stepped from the darkness, a heavy, dark gray cloak was all that could be seen. And then, hands were emerging from the sleeves and pushing the deep hood back to reveal a human.
A female human.
"Hello there." The newcomer greeted her, snapping the young pilot from the slight daze she had been in.
And suddenly, her mind was once more engrossed in the vision she had witnessed at Maz Kanata's castle when she'd first picked up Skywalker's lightsaber, the gunmetal blue eyes holding her own pair and thrusting her mind back to the old storage room.
It was down pouring rain, hard and stinging one's skin like needles. The night was dark and the air crackled with tension a half moment before blue lightning sliced through the sky, illuminating the battlefield and reflecting in the glossy finish of the terrible helmet that gazed out across it.
Bodies lay scattered on the ground, some of them whole while others were terribly disremembered; the students studying under Skywalker. The Knights of Ren stood gathered around their Master, his terrible red lightsaber crackling as it ate at the water droplets that rained down upon the bodies of the fallen like tears the heavens themselves were spilling.
The saber illuminated his mask further, the surface of it clean and unscratched, and bathed him in an eerie scarlet glow.
Turning her head to the right, Rey caught sight of the lone figure who stood opposite Kylo Ren, blue lightsaber purring as it too lit up the face of its almost ethereal-looking owner, those same gray-blue eyes seeming to glow in the weapon's light. The woman's clothing was sodden and soaked through, her blonde hair darkened and plastered to her head but she was nonetheless intent on the fight.
A series of bodies lay at her own feet, figures clothed in black and gray armor, no doubt a number of Ren's fallen men that had succumb to her saber skills.
"You have one choice." Kylo Ren's voice was distorted through his mask as he took a half step closer, his men at his back. "Join us or meet the same fate as the others."
Rey was sure that there would have been tears of betrayal streaming down the already rain-drenched cheeks of the woman whose eyes shown with pain, her jaw locked as she steeled her nerves. Her gaze briefly flickered to the bodies lying scattered around his black boots, the hardness in her eyes wavering for a moment. She swayed slightly in place, turmoil churning in her gaze before another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rolled. The rigidness returned in her gaze and her fingers constricted on the saber hilt in her hands.
"How could you, Ben?"
And then it was gone, leaving the two of them to gaze at each other for a moment, the vision fading back into her memories, the desperate voice of the young Jedi fading out of existence.
"Hello."
She was entirely breathless when she responded, her mind taking a moment to realize that the face before her was the same one she saw in the vision, a few years old than she first saw perhaps, and projecting entirely different emotions on its features. Yet, it was the same woman. The same eyes.
She was pretty, Rey decided then, in a quiet and natural sort of way. Like she wasn't really trying to impress anyone, nor that she really needed to anyway. It was sort of an effortless elegance that retained itself in her soft features, light eyes, and fair hair.
"We've been expecting you."
She was pulled from her thoughts, blinking rapidly as she did so to allow herself a moment to consider the other woman's words. When she did, her eyebrows nearly shot into her hairline, "You've been… expecting me?"
Blue eyes steadily held a set of hazel ones. "Most definitely. We foresaw your arrival here. We could feel you coming."
We could feel you coming?! Wow. Her lips twitched slightly before she pursed them into a hard line. She decided to play the naive card, figuring that, if anything, it was the safest solution. "I'm just going to make a safe assumption here and say that you are not Luke Skywalker?"
She could feel the mild amusement the woman was feeling through the force and her own lips twitched into a brief smile.
"No, I am only here to intercept and guide you."
Rey snickered at that, her lips twitching upwards a moment, "So... you're like the security protocol then?"
The woman just folded her arms, her hands disappearing into the dark fabric of her gray cloak as a small smile flashed across her face. "I suppose you could say that…"
Gesturing up towards the path, the younger female gathered her supplies and the two began to ascend the stairs once more. The older woman glanced back at her, "Though, I've been told that I am a great judge of character. We just wanted to be certain of your intentions."
It was quiet after that then, the two of them climbing in silence. It felt almost appropriate, for the younger girl felt no need to truly talk. There was just something about the woman that put her mind at ease like she was in the safest place in the universe.
The entire island radiated that feeling, she had noticed. It was just so serene and tranquil, soothing to her mind and every single one of her frayed nerves that had never had a chance to truly heal.
And she could feel how strong the Force was here, could almost imagine how it was swirling and churning around and through her. That afforded her a little peace as well.
Strangely enough, Rey didn't feel as tired as she had been before, as if some driving determination in the back of her mind continued to prod her to keep up with the cloaked female easily climbing the steps before her.
She hadn't been on this island even a day yet and she didn't want to start showing weakness already.
All at once, they were suddenly at the top.
The sky opened up once more before them, the mountains no long obstructing the azure heavens from view. However, there were still some towering pillars of stone that jutted higher still, seeming to grasp at the clouds above.
The path ended abruptly, giving way to soft green grass that stretched into another open field atop the mountain. And, then there was suddenly another figure, the brown cloak contrasting starkly against the bright sky.
Rey expected the other woman to say something, anything, really, to greet the second cloaked being as she approached to stand beside it. But, she didn't and stood in silence.
He turned then and it was all Rey could do to not openly stare.
He looked wise beyond words as he stood there, hair and beard lightened with age. Even still, he was just as magnificent as she had imagined. They both were, she decided, the two of them standing there in all their glory, looking just as regal and noble as the image of Jedi Knights that she had formed in her mind ever since she had picked up his lightsaber.
This is where she belonged, she decided.
For a moment, she considered what to say to him, to either of them, really, but she found it hard to string together an explanation. So, instead, she retrieved the lightsaber that was hanging at her side and held the cool cylinder aloft, her arm outstretched towards him.
He gazed at her for a long while, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side as his own blue eyes sparkled with recognition. However, she found that she could not hold his gaze, something about the Jedi Master causing her to flush with nervousness as her eyes flitted down to her boots.
"I've come to return this to you."
Stepping towards her, he reached out in return and accepted the old saber from her, his fingers carefully grasping the hilt as he took it into his palm. He gazed down at the cylinder for a moment, his lips curling upward and when he looked back at her, his eyes shown with gratification, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She said quietly, holding his gaze a moment before she shyly looked down at her boots.
"Evidently, you found the missing piece of the map and somehow managed to wake up my R2 unit."
When he mentioned the little droid, she couldn't help it when her lips bloomed into a smile, "I think he believed that it was time for you to be found." Her hazel eyes sparkled with mirth, "He's quite the character you know."
"Yes," When he smiled, it was a genuine one, "I am very much aware." His own eyes danced for a moment as he watched her, "What is your name, young one?"
"Rey, sir." She said quietly, her eyes briefly flickering to the woman who still remained silent behind the Jedi.
"Rey?" He asked, wanting to make sure that he heard her right. She in turn nodded and without thinking much, her hand shot out, her fingers locked perfectly aligned and presented to shake. The Jedi Master only looked down for a moment, a bit amused by her formalities but nonetheless reached out and shook her hand, her hazel eyes momentarily lingering on his mechanical hand before they looked back up at his face.
"I'm not sure Rey what exactly…" She mused out loud, her lips twitching with uncertainty. "I never learned my last name."
"It's nice to meet you either way. As you are no doubt well aware, I am Luke Skywalker."
"I have waited so long to hear you say that." She breathed, so much relief washing over her once she finally heard the words come from his own mouth. "You have no idea the journey that I have been on to find you."
"Well… You'd be surprised how much we do know." He turned back then to the woman who continued to remain obediently quiet, having been watching their entire exchange with interest. "Rey, I would like for you to meet my Padawan, Sage."
The older girl stepped forward, sending her Master a sidelong look of mild mirth laced with a hint of annoyance and for a moment, Rey could almost see words passing silently between them.
"Indeed, it is nice to officially meet you, Rey." The female bowed towards her head slightly and was suddenly surprised when she herself was offered a hand to shake. So, Sage did, her own strong hand wrapping around the scavenger's smaller one. For a moment, there was a strange sensation that passed between the contact of their skin. Rey looked up, her eyes wide but the blonde hadn't seemed to acknowledge it.
"I assume you have other intentions besides coming here to return my lightsaber." Luke watched their exchange with interest. His Padawan looked at him meaningfully, her hand still holding Rey's, "You are Force-sensitive." He observed.
"That is the other reason why I am here…" She cleared her throat and pulled her hand away before awkwardly getting down on her knees in an act that she hoped to appear humbling to them. "I wish to learn the ways of the Force, if you would have me, sir."
He pursed his lips for a moment before glancing momentarily at the female at his side whose own eyes shown with intrigue before she felt his gaze on her. Blue eyes held each other for a long moment, more silent words drifting between the two Jedi.
Luke sighed and turned back to face Rey, "I need to discuss things further with my council. However, until we come to a conclusion, you are more than welcome to stay in our dwelling as a guest."
The young brunette felt the hope shrink in her chest, having watched the silent exchange and had taken note of the fact that the female Jedi held mistrust and mild trepidation in her gaze, her brow having been set deeply the entire time they wordlessly conversed.
Or, perhaps it was through the Force. She wasn't sure entirely but it was a good bet.
"Thank you, either way." Rey said quietly, hoping her face didn't show too much of the disappointment she was feeling as she rose back up onto her feet.
"Sage, will show you to your room."
The Jedi Master turned to walk back across the field to a cliffside with a wide doorway laid into the stone, the older female waiting for her to rise so that she could follow her inside.
"Oh! Umm…" Rey mused, taking a few steps after them but paused when she remembered Chewie on the Falcon. "Would you mind if I briefly returned to my transport and made sure my co-pilot knew that I was okay? I told him to come find me if I wasn't back in a few hours."
"Very well," Luke nodded and looked to Sage, "Take her back to her ship and show her the cove." He looked back at the younger brunette. "It's not wise to leave your transport out in the open, even if so few know our location."
Master Skywalker turned then to head back towards the gaping entrance, leaving the two girls alone.
Rey could feel herself groan internally when she glanced back across the island, gauging the distance between their coordinates and that of the Falcon. It was frustratingly far. It would take her hours to get back to the ship and even more so if she had to walk all the way back up the stone steps to reach the Jedi's dwelling. She should have brought some sort of communication device, she reasoned.
Sighing, she looked at the blonde, "I suppose we should start walking then?"
Sage just nodded before she shrugged out of her heavy cloak and set it aside on a nearby boulder, leaving her in an off-white tunic. with a series of light gray tabards over the top, secured in place by an obi belt of the same color. Beneath her tunic, there was a hint of a deep blue, high-necked shirt that was snug against her throat. A black, leather belt was fastened around her waist over the obi and the silvery gleam of a lightsaber caught her eye.
Rey did the same with her heavy bag of supplies, setting it down on the same rock as she allowed her eyes to linger on the silver cylinder, partially wondering when and if she would receive her own saber.
Then, the blonde began walking down the steps once more and it took Rey a moment to realize she was leaving before she scrambled after the Jedi.
The younger was internally grumbling under her breath, her feet dragging when she thought about the long journey laid out before them, her eyes casting themselves out across the stretch of land far below where she could faintly make out the tiny shape of the Falcon.
They walked for awhile in silence, Rey continuing to complain internally, not wanting her new companion to already see her as weak but she was still dreading the gruesome trek either way.