"Where did the lead take you?"
She rubbed a hand over her face as she leaned over, her elbows resting on her knees, "Abafar." She sighed out.
Luke raised his brows in surprise as he gazed at her for a moment. Sage nodded to once more confirm the situation, her head feeling so as she manipulated it. After a moment of consideration, he hummed lowly in understanding. His hand rubbed absentmindedly over his chin as he watched his Padawan in her rounded seat in the old council chamber. "You know, it is strange…" He murmured quietly, "How often Force-sensitives are found on these desert planets."
Sage let out a soft puff of laughter through her nose but the older man could tell that it was strained because of her exhaustion. "I've had similar thoughts." She mused, her shoulders drooping as she then sighed. "I suppose that the Force finds a way to flourish were there typically is none."
"Perhaps…" He stared of blankly in thought for a long moment before he released a deep breath, "Well... Given the lack of a new student, I need to ask... What happened, Sage?"
The female hesitated a moment, "There were three of them."
"Three Knights?"
"Yes… and they just… took her out from under me." Sage's hand that wasn't holding her face up curled into a fist. She then shut her eyes tightly and shook her head. "I should have stopped them. I could have. It wouldn't have even been hard. And the galaxy would have a potential, new Jedi and three less Knights of Ren to worry about."
"If you would have done that, though, - killed them and taken the girl - you would have had garnered the attention of the rest of the First Order and their hunt for us would only hasten more than it already has." Still, Luke could feel the disappointment radiating off the young female. "Attacking the Knights and killing them would have called for further investigation as to who was responsible. You would be exposed and... and Ben... he himself would be the one spurring the search along. You made the right decision, Sage." He sighed softly. "It's within our best interest if the galaxy still believes you are dead."
He would stop at nothing to find you if he knew you were alive. Luke knew but was careful to keep his thoughts to himself, filtering them out of the bond that ran between his Padawan's mind and his own.
She bowed her head humbly. "Yes, Master." For a brief moment, her voice shares the same accented timbre as her father's.
"You need to learn to trust yourself. You too readily question your own actions."
"Only this one." She responded quietly. "On the trip back, I meditated for a long while and still, there is conflict inside me."
"Only with time can we tell if you made the right decision. Now…" He relaxed further back into his seat, his change of tone causing the woman to raise her head slightly and look at him through the cracks between her fingers. "Go to sleep before you pass out. You're not as small as you once were and I'm in no mood to carry you back to your bed." The older man couldn't help but smile softly at her.
Sage released a small snort from her nose but nonetheless rose, a hand rubbing over her face, "Yes, Master." The Jedi climbed to his feet as well and the woman took a step towards the door to leave but instead, she paused and eyed Skywalker who was watching her with softened eyes.
Blinking at him tiredly and offering her own slight curl of her lips, she turned back towards him and crossed the council chamber in a few strides until she lowered her head and didn't stop walking until she collided with his shoulder. His smile widened as he accepted her with open arms and wrapped her in a tight embrace, her own hands having circled around behind his back.
This was were Sage felt safest.
The two Jedi remained like that for a moment with his chin resting atop her head, the Master having been worried about his Padawan. He always worried when she left Ahch-To.
The Force around the two of them was warm and seemed to almost purr in contentedness.
After a moment, Luke drew back but his hands held fast to her strong shoulders. He gazed at her a moment, his eyes roving over her features a moment before he was raising his hand and touching it to her cheek very briefly, "Now. Off to bed with you."
The blonde nodded her head slowly, her eyes showing her fatigue, and he dropped his hands so that she could go. She turned to leave through the arching entrance of the room but paused when she was just beyond the threshold. Remaining there for a moment, Luke could tell that she was rolling an idea around in her mind, trying to decide whether or not to speak about it.
She took a step back and braced her hand against the frame of the entrance. "Master?"
"Yes, Sage?"
The blonde turned back to face him and her jaw clenched in further consideration. "When will the Jedi return to the galaxy?" When will you let me return to the galaxy?
He regarded her carefully for a moment, mulling over her spoken question in his own mind for awhile. "You will know when the time is right."
"I will?"
"Yes... this I have foreseen."
Absorbing this new information, the female nodded slowly, her eyes holding Luke's gaze as upon accepting this revelation. She knew to not question the Force. For it never was one to deceive. "Very well, Master."
She disappeared into the darkness of the catacombs then, her Force-signature dulled slightly with her exhaustion. He allowed his eyes to slide closed as he traced her path back up into the dwelling, her pace slow and relaxed. Her tired body was in no rush to get to her bed, although, sleep was already casting a haze over the back of her mind.
Finally, he felt her enter her own room and she paused a moment to remove her boots befire she immediately collapsed onto her bed, the normally turbulent flux of her mind evening out within milliseconds of her head hitting the pillow.
The Jedi Master remained in his seat a few moments longer, his own mind a whirl of thoughts and emotions caused by the report Sage had given him.
First, there was the relief that his old Padawan had returned unscathed despite being unsuccessful in her mission. Yes, he was disappointed but he would rather have Sage be safe than have lost her and gained another pupil to teach. However, what bugged him the most was the issue with the Knights.
The three Knights of Ren.
The First Order is fearful of the return of the Jedi now that they think I have a pupil, he surmised. If they only knew.
Sage was ready, that he was already aware of. She had been ready to return to the galaxy, as far as training and discipline went, for a long while now.
It truly was a shame to keep her secluded on the lonely ocean planet for so long. She belonged out where she could do things right by people. A Jedi like her should not have been reigned in as she was, kept hidden and tucked away from any dangerous, prying eyes.
She deserved to be free.
Biting her lip nervously, Rey's eyes trained themselves upon the lump beneath the worn covers on the bed, debating the situation carefully.
Currently, her Master was sprawled upon her small bed, both bare feet sticking out from under the covers. She still wore the clothes that she had returned in, save for the green drape that she had thrown across the room in her haste to get to bed. Her hair was a rumbled mess, the bun nearly having fallen out, only to flop uselessly against the pillow beside her head.
The brunette quietly walked over and prodded at the sleeping Jedi with her index finger. A low, slow hum could be heard coming from the pillow wedged beneath the woman's head, her face entirely hidden as it was buried the fluffy mass.
Rey couldn't help the twitching of her lips. She prodded again. There was a second, low groan in response.
I'm awake.
The words were thrust into her own mind, catching her off guard for a moment. She took a half step back.
I've been awake since you walked in the room… The voice growled. What do you want?
"You've been sleeping the whole day, Master."
I know. I'm tired.
"Master Luke said that I should let you sleep later into the later afternoon… And… now it's... the later afternoon." There was a long pause that filled the air.
Fine.
She shifted on her bed, her toes popping as she curled them while her legs stretched beneath the blankets. Her head rose from her pillow, the unruly locks of her hair falling into her face, momentarily hiding her bleary eyes.
Sage cleared her throat as she rolled herself onto her side so that she was facing her Padawan. She brushed the offending strands out of her eyes.
"I'll be out in a minute."
Rey left with a slow nod and keeping to her word, her Master was stumbling out of her room to join her in the hall, a clean set of clothes adorning her person except that she wasn't wearing a Jedi tunic like she normally did. Instead, she was wearing a familiar, navy blue under shirt and a normal pair of off-white pants that bunched and stopped right below her knee.
She wasn't wearing boots.
Wordlessly, Sage began walking towards the set of stairs that led down into the catacombs and training room, her lightsaber and leather belt carried uselessly in her arms.
Rey only followed her, her amusement directed towards the female's disheveled state evident in the air around them.
It startled the young brunette when she registered the low grumbling that she felt coming from her Master's mind in response to her own mirthfulness. She had just registered the other woman's emotions.
Two weeks ago, she hadn't been able to do that. And, now, she was reading the woman like an open book.
That's new.
After trudging down the steps, Sage led her into the cavernous training room. Stepping further into the room, the Jedi deposited her things on the edge of one of the large mats, freeing up her hands to yank the hair elastic from her messy hair. Shaking it free and running her fingers through it, she then secured it back once more with the tie so that the silky strands now sat in a high, floppy bun.
Sage took a moment for herself then, arching her back and stretching her arms out behind her. Her mouth stretched into a yawn as she turned her head and opened her palm towards a rack of staffs, all of them varying in length. A moderately sized one easily leapt from the stand and flew across the room until it connected with the Jedi's palm.
Rey felt her brows rise in amazement at the small display of the Force. It was an impressive display no less.
"Why don't you-" The blonde yawned once more, her sentence having to halt for the interruption. "Why don't you jog two laps to warm yourself up?" The younger girl nodded in understanding and was off, her legs carrying her around the perimeter of the vast room.
As she was running, she cast her gaze upon her Master who was blearily looking down at the staff in her hand. She allowed it to slip between her fingers until she was holding it more towards one end. She seemed to heave a heavy sigh and gazed up at the light streaming in through the transparisteel high upon the gym walls, her wrist rotating absentmindedly, causing the rod to swing elegantly through the air around her.
Rey only glanced away for a moment as she had to focus once more as she rounded the corner of the room but when she looked back, Sage was suddenly on the floor and was doing push-ups, her pace and technique impressive. Though, being a hermit on a hidden planet no doubt gave her a lot of time to practice.
The next time she looked back, the blonde had changed and lifted herself into a handstand and once more, her posture was impeccably rigid and her feet were sharply pointed. She didn't seem to be struggling at all to hold herself up.
Instead, her eyes were still blinking the haziness of sleep from themselves and if anything, Sage looked rather bored with the situation.
The brunette was only breathing heavier when she finished her second lap and came to stand before her Master once more who had since closed her eyes as she continued to hold her handstand.
"Go pick out a medium-sized staff." She instructed her as she remained as she was, entirely unfazed about everything.
The younger woman approached the rack and allowed her hazel eyes to dance across the various sizes of the staffs in the middle before she picked one up and held it in her hands. It had a nice weight to it and seemed to fit well enough into her palm so she deemed it fit enough for use for... whatever it was that they were going to do.
When Rey made her decision, she turned back around and watched as Sage returned her feet to the floor, only to straighten up a moment later. Her nose scrunched up slightly as she once more arched her back and swung her arms back and forth to help loosen her shoulders.
"What are we going to be doing today?" The brunette watched as her Master hooked a toe under her own staff that lay discarded on the mat and tossed it into the air so that she could catch it in her hand.
Sage lazily swung the weapon around for a moment as she allowed her neck to roll out in another stretch before she focused once more on her student, "Lightsaber training."
She opened her mouth to respond but no words left her lips. Instead, she tilted her head to the side slightly as she gazed at the other woman, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to comprehend her words. "What?"
"Lightsaber training." She repeated more slowly, pushing some stray hairs out of her face. Sage raised her gaze and allowed her eyes to hold her student's when she found that the girl seemed absolutely stunned. "This is what you wanted, wasn't it?"
After a moment, Rey seemed to find her words, "Well... yes, but..."
"But what?"
The brunette glanced at the staff in her hand for a long few seconds and licked her lips nervously as she began to organize her thoughts. "But... What about the Force?"
Sage placed the end of her staff upon the floor and rested both hands on the end of the "pommel", "What about it?"
"Well..." She paused once more, her lips pressing themselves into a line as she steeled herself. "When I asked Master Luke about... what I did wrong... he explained that you've been through some... trying times in your life and that the Force was sometimes all you had. And, that I had taken it completely for granted and... how it was wrong and inconsiderate for me to do so. I wish to apologize for my behavior. I'm... sorry that I upset you."
The blonde regarded her silently for a moment before she was shifting in place, her bare feet depressing the mats beneath them. "There's no need for you to apologize, Rey. You were never in the wrong." Sighed and shook her head a few times. I was the one who... reacted badly. Childishly. And I shouldn't have done so. For a moment, I forgot that you had not been raised to be so... invested in the Force." Raising one of her hands, she ran her it back over her hair and shook her bun out, fisting her fingers in the silky strands for a moment. She released a heavy sigh and allowed her eyes to lift back to the hazel irises that belonged to her student. "Plus... being a mentor is hard." Her lips spread in a slow, sheepish smile and her voice took on a stay lilt. "I am trying, though. And... t's proving to be rather difficult. It's just frustrating sometimes because we have to go at this in steps, you know? Sort of like... having to be able to walk before you can run."
"And you've only ever been running...?" Rey nodded slowly in understanding, the confusion about the whole situation still clear on her face, "Well... what made you change your mind? About the saber training, I mean?"
Lifting her arm, Sage dropped her staff so that it lay across her shoulder. Her eyes directed themselves at the distant wall where the Jedi Code was etched and remained there for a moment. Should she tell her?
"There were things I saw - people I saw - who are dangerous. Ones who are working against our cause and would see us kneel in the shadow spreading across the galaxy. It had been a long time since I had left Ahch-To... I had forgotten how treacherous it can be." The blonde looked back to her Padawan. "So, while the Force is important to the Jedi, it cannot always protect you in the way that you need it to."
She swung her staff back down and simply held it in her palm, taking a moment to consider Rey's own weapon.
"Now, judging from the fact that you carry around your own staff, it's safe to assume that you are more comfortable around long, duel-ended weapons. You've probably used one your whole life." Her eyes wandered over the younger girl simply in innocent observation. "I'm assuming that you would typically favor a saberstaff over a regular lightsaber but for now, we'll just focus on the basics considering we don't have any duel-ended weaponry lying around."
"Uh... Saber... staff?"
"Now, this is wrong but just picture two lightsabers just-" Sage but her staff between her legs to hold it and raised both her fists before her so that she could knock them together. She looked up at her student for understanding.
"Oh." Rey's eyes lit up at the idea and her lips curled upwards slightly. The blonde woman herself grinned slightly. Well, evidently that was explanation enough. "That does sound interesting."
"Yeah, it is. A little dangerous, considering there's another blade which means there's a pretty high chance that you'll loose an arm once or twice but if wielded correctly, it can be pretty formidable."
The young pilot couldn't help the loud laugh that escaped her lips at her Master's words. She immediately felt her cheeks redden and she slapped a hand over her mouth but nonetheless, her lips were still curled back in a wide smile behind her palm.
Just... the image of some poor bloke just wielding the saberstaff and spinning it in a series of elegant twirls and twists and then just... his arm flopping onto the ground. And just the way Sage had said it. So nonchalant, as if it were the most common thing ever. Like it was a normal, everyday conversation.
For some reason it just struck her as absolutely hilarious, so much so, that she was struggling to keep herself in check.
Evidently, Sage noticed this. "It's okay to laugh, Rey...?" The blonde shook her head slightly but was slightly smiling herself nonetheless. "We're not all just gloom and doom here."
Upon being given permission, the girl lowered her hand and closed her eyes, her head hanging itself as her shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Sage couldn't help but feel warmth in her chest as she watched her student. For some reason, she got the impression that the scavenger never had much of a reason to laugh in her life.
There was once a time in her life where the young Knight herself had laughed. Quite often, too. And not the quiet little snorts through her nose that were rare even now. No, this had been full blown, side-splitting, nose-wrinkling, teeth-baring, tear-inducing laughter.
But, that Sage, the one who laughed and smiled widely, had been murdered long ago with her fellow Padawans.
Sobering after a moment, the Jedi frowned softly and waited for the brunette to quiet down before she began to speak once more. "Now, there are a number of different techniques utilized in lightsaber combat, the most common and basic technique being Shii-Cho. It's more often called just Form l. And, I suppose, it's as good a place to start as any."
The blonde raised her staff and held the "hilt" in both her hands. Rey copied her actions and lifted her weapon, mirroring her mentor.
"Form l...? Is there more than one?"
"There are actually seven different forms that were developed and recognized by the Old Jedi Order, each one focusing on different strengths and utilizing different parts of the Force." Sage took a step towards her student. "Now, a lot of lightsaber combat comes from the Force itself. Typically, any normal person would think that this is simply 'instinct' taking over. But, with Force-sensitive people, we know that's not the case." She rocked back on her heels and jerked her head, her knees bending in a relaxed, fighting pose. "Come at me."
The younger woman hesitated for a moment, her brows slowly raising towards her hairline.
"You lost your chance."
Rey's eyes widened as her Master suddenly swung at her but, instinctively, she raised her staff so that the two pieces of wood clacked together. Her widened hazel eyes gazed at their locked weapons for a moment before they directed themselves back to the other female who allowed her lips to twitch upwards. Dislodging her weapon, she swung once more and again, Rey snapped her weapon over to meet Sage's when it moved to strike her.
Stepping back, the blonde twisted her wrist, twirling her staff and nodded her head a few times, impressed, "Good."
It was strange to be praised but nonetheless, the young Padawan returned the quirk of her Master's lips and licked her lips, her own eyes alight as she adjusted her grip on her weapon.
Lunging forward, Sage jabbed and Rey swung her saber to the side, effectively deflecting the attack. However, her Master recovered just as easily and reared her arm back for another strike that was blocked again by her student. She then rocked back on her feet and made a low swing, her wrists twisting her "saber" so that it would strike Rey's thigh. But, amazingly enough, the younger girl's own staff was there to intercept the blow.
The blonde held her fighting stance for a moment before she nodded her head and straightened up, "Your instincts are strong. You trust yourself. That's good. That's going to make my job a lot easier." Twisting her wrist absentmindedly, the Knight paced in a circle before she turned to face her Padawan once more. "But, then again, I'd imagine that your instincts would need to be strong to survive in a wasteland like Jakku."
"Two. Six. Four. One." Sage's voice rang out in the cavernous training room. Rey's brow was furrowed deeply in concentration as she swung her staff in the air in the proper divisions of Form l. Her Master was just across the mat from her, hand on her own staff as she leaned against it like a walking stick, the end pressed into the mats beneath their feet. "Two. Four. Five. One. Seven."
The brunette paused for a moment and panted, her arms still raised to make the last strike. "Seven...? what's seven?" There were only six striking points in Form l.
The Knight shrugged and then stepped forward towards her student and raised her staff to swipe it across the girl's stomach. A faint smirk pulled at her lips. "One that I just made up."
Rey leveled her with a dull look, "Wow." Both women straightened up and the younger of the two smiled widely and shook her head in disbelief at her Master's antics. "Can you just do that? Just... change the Form? I thought they were highly traditional, protected things?"
Sage looked thoughtful for a moment before she was crossing her ankles and taking a seat on the worn mats. She tapped her palm a few times to the space beside her. Her student sat down beside her, the back of her hand raising to wipe the sheen of moisture from her brow.
"Once upon a time, maybe they were." She shrugged again, her lips pursing momentarily. "But, then again, Form l was originally supposed to be the only form but... There are seven of them now. And they all hold the same, basic ideas. However, each one was improved and developed because certain fighting styles worked better for certain people." The blonde shrugged. "For instance, Form ll is very similar to Form l... with the single exception that it's movements are more controlled and precise, more... refined."
Rey frowned softly. She wanted to be... refined. "Why aren't you teaching me that one instead, then? If it's better?"
"Everyone starts with Form l." Sage folded her legs before her and leaned back so that her palms rested on the mat behind her. "I did... Master Luke technically did-"
"Even Kylo Ren?" The younger girl asked, interrupting her Master.
She just watched the blonde for a long moment, how her blue eyes held her gaze for a long moment before they were falling away, looking down and off to the side. Rey watched with fascination as the tendon in Sage's jaw flexed beneath her tanned skin. A strange cloudiness seemed to hover over her person and it felt like in her own chest, an icy hand was closing around her heart.
"Everyone starts with Form l." She said as she sat forward, her eyes still avoiding her student's gaze. Licking her lips, the Knight was suddenly rising to her feet. She stooped down to retrieve her staff so that she could replace it in the nearby rack. "Come on. We're going for a run."
"Run?" Rey frowned softly and began to climb to her feet.
"You have been keeping up with your physical training in my absence, haven't you?"
The young scavenger hesitated, "Well... yes. For the most part."
"Good." The Knight drew her belongings to her with the Force and clipped her belt around her waist so that she could hang her lightsaber from it. She then raised her head and leveled her gaze on her Padawan, her stare steady and unwavering once more. "Then, prove it to me."
Sage was mildly impressed as she came to a slow stop, her boots crushing the golden fronds of grass beneath her boots. She took a moment to gaze out at the vastness of the ocean that stretched outwards in front of her, the cool breeze kissing against the sweat-moistened skin of her face as she admired the sight.
Turning back, she watched as her Padawan came trudging down the last few steps of the Jedi path before she was slowly jogging across the wheat field towards her. Her cheeks were red as she breathed heavily but, nonetheless, she followed in the crushed path her Master had created in the foliage and finished the run relatively strong.
The Jedi Path was certainly never an easy task to complete when assigned to run it.
Sage remembered how she herself had struggled for about two and a half weeks before she was able to run both up and down it without keeling over. But, again, she'd had previous rigorous physical training that she'd undergone before they came to Ahch-To.
Needless to say, the Knight was impressed with the progress her student had made. Especially since she'd been gone for so long.
Rey was proving to be stronger than she had originally thought.
When she came to stand only a few feet from the blonde, she dropped down to her hands and knees, her chest heaving as she struggled to regulate her breathing.
"You did well." She said, absentmindedly wiping her forehead with the back of her hand once more. Rey looked up when she heard her Master compliment her.
The younger girl simply shrugged her shoulders and continued to breath heavily, her hair sticking to her sweaty face, "It wasn't-" She panted. "It wasn't... that bad."
"The truth?" One side of Sage's mouth pulled upwards for a moment, "It will only get harder before it gets easier."
The scavenger simply bowed her head once more after she nodded and continued to focus on her breathing instead of attempting to speak further. Just then recalling her Master's words, she began to cycle the Jedi Code in her mind like a mantra. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force.
Peace. Breathe.
After a few minutes, she was able to breathe more easily but her clothes were still damp. Taking in a full, deep breath, she let it out slowly and then sat back on her rear, the golden grass around her swishing as it rolled in the seas' winds. She raised her head and looked up at her Master, her eyes burning as they tried to focus on her silhouetted form that was seemingly engulfed in the sun.
She turned to look back over her shoulder at her student, "Are you ready to meditate?"
Rey swallowed nervously, her eyes wide, "Yes, Master."
Sage lowered herself to the ground and crossed her legs before she tucked her feet behind the opposing knee in the lotus position. The younger girl copied her actions and was able to sit comfortably in the same position.
She had always been rather flexible naturally.
Rey watched as her Master closed her eyes and straightened her back out, her hands intertwined as they rested in her lap. She bowed her head slightly.
Focus.
And she did.
Her brow furrowed softly a moment after she allowed her own eyes to slip closed. It was easier now, to reach out and feel the pull of the Force. The perpetual push and pull, the give and take of the Universe.
Rey had worked diligently for hours by herself in an effort to strengthen her tie to the cosmic energy, especially when she learned that the Knight was no longer on the same planet. For awhile, she had felt horribly guilty; had assumed that she was what had driven Sage away because of her... incompetence. Her selfishness.
But, it was different now.
She understood more now about what her Master spoke about, how the entire Universe was ultimately tied together. She was only just beginning to understand the Force and its cosmic existence but still.
When she sat and allowed her mind to clear of all else so that she could only feel the Force, she felt that at times, she could weep. Because she felt so utterly whole. Like she was apart of everything. And she'd never felt like she was apart of anything before.
When she allowed the Force to curl and churn around her, there was a part of herself that whispered you will never be alone. And there was not a single lingering doubt in her mind that those words were true.
It felt like they were the most certain thing in her entire life, now.
And now that Sage had returned, the feeling was so much stronger in her own person. The Knight's presence in the Force, her signature, almost brought forth a conditioned response of... belonging? Or was it attachment? Maybe something more?
Either way, the Jedi's presence was no longer a nuisance like it was before their spat. It was now a comfort, if anything. Like a beacon of light and warmth and promises of a better future; of a life of smiles and laughter. Of a life where she never again went to bed with hunger pains in her stomach.
Don't think, Rey. Just... feel.
She breathed in deeply as the words trickled into her mind. Instinctively, she straightened out her back and bowed her head. Yes.
Grounding herself, she struggled for a moment to fully empty her mind but eventually succeeded and allowed the full brunt of her connection to the Force swirl around her, brushing by her mind, playfully dancing around her own signature. She could almost physically see Sage's own massive inferno of an aura through her eyelids as it flickered and twisted both around and through her person.
She wasn't entirely sure how long they sat there, immersed and relishing in the grandeur of the Universe but when she next opened her eyes, the sun was significantly lower in the sky. It painted the sky in different hues of red and orange, casting the once cool blues and greens of Ahch-To in golden light.
However, her Master wasn't looking at the the sunset and was only continuing to face back toward the distant slopping path that winded up the mountainous island. Her brow was set in a soft furrow and she was relaxed back so that her hands propped her up as they rested on the ground behind her. Her lips twitched in thought.
"It's a metaphor."
Rey hadn't realized that she had been staring at the blonde until she spoke out loud. She blinked rapidly as she struggled to right herself, "What?"
"The Jedi Steps," she nodded in their direction. "They themselves are a metaphor." When her student leveled her with her intent, hazel eyes she found that she was allowing her obvious, unspoken question hang in the air between them. "It is sort of... representative of the path one must take on their journey to become a Jedi. It's tasking and winding, a test of perseverance."
The brunette turned her body slightly so that she could follow the older woman's line of sight. She lifted herself onto her knees and crossed the grassy ground, the golden fronds surrounding them gently kissing against her skin as she moved. She seated herself beside her Master.
Sage simply continued to speak. "You must draw on the Force for the strength to get you to the summit if you are not strong enough." She paused for a moment, a shadow of sadness wavering in her pale blue eyes. "And... the descent is much easier than the climb, just as it is with the path to the Light." Her brow furrowed further in what Rey read as pain and suddenly, her voice was suddenly so soft, "It's so easy to fall."
However, when she realized her Padawan was watching her, the blonde swallowed thickly and cleared her throat. She also sat up straighter and unfolded her legs so they stretched out in front of her. Her fingers absentmindedly pulled at the grass they found on the ground.
"This... metaphor would probably be even more applicable back to the original Jedi Order." She gestured absentmindedly to the mountain and then looked at Rey, "You know how gravity works, right?"
She nodded, "It's a force always pulling us towards the core of the large mass." Sage blinked a few times and didn't bother to hide the mild amazement that contorted her features.
"I was just going to simply say 'it pulls us down' for the sake of the lesson but, nonetheless, you're right." Rey snickered at her and the blonde turned to face forward once more. "Anyway, being a Jedi and the ascension. Anyway, the old Code speaks of the suppression of emotions and feelings but these... these are just the nature of living things. We feel. We feel things every second - every millisecond - of the day. It's impossible to escape." Sage nodded back to the Jedi Steps. "Climbing those steps is fighting against gravity, is it not?"
Rey nodded.
"Just like becoming a Jedi, a Jedi of the Old Order, was to fight against our basic living instinct. They were going against the basic laws of sentient beings and opposing them just like when you climb the path, you're battling the laws of gravity."
For a moment, the scavenger girl looked away from her Master and back towards the stairway. Her mind clouded with worry, "And... when you start to feel emotions again... when you start to slip... you can only fall to the Dark side...?" She looked to the other female for confirmation.
She pursed her lips and slowly nodded, "That's what they believed, anyway."
It was quiet for a moment between the two females, the waves crashing against the rocks behind them and the wind rustling the tall grass the only sounds filling the void.
"What about now?" Sage looked over at her student when she spoke. "I know that you... feel emotions...?" I've seen it. Rey wanted to say. I've seen you smile. I've seen the sadness in your eyes.
"Master Luke didn't have proper training from the Old Jedi Order. He was mostly self taught, self disciplined." One corner of her mouth curled upwards slightly for a brief moment. "He was quite a bit like you." The brunette blinked in surprise and was suddenly so intent on her words once more. "He was older when he began his training and look how far he's come all by himself." The Knight looked back towards the distant mountain. "For a long while, he taught the suppression of emotion but... not like the old Jedi used to do. We were allowed to feel but just... not in excess. Emotions like anger... or fear." She allowed her eyes to drop and she began to rub her thumb along the leather of her boot, wiping away a bit of mud. "Emotions play a large role in the use of the Force."
Rey frowned softly, "How?"
The blonde was quiet for a moment, her lips pursing and her eyes becoming distant once more, "Emotions can make you weak. Vulnerable. Or..." She swallowed thickly and her eyes fell to the ground, "They can make you so, so strong."
Silence filled the air between them once more and it was fraught with curiosity and the further want to question the Knight. Rey refrained from speaking for a long while, wanting to preserve the fragile tranquility between them. Eventually, however, her curiosity got the better of her.
"Master Luke spoke of the Sith one morning in class." The young scavenger spoke quietly, her arms resting atop her knees as she brought them to her chest. She rested her chin on her forearms. "He spoke of how they... embraced their emotions." She looked over at the woman beside her, "You just said that are now allowed to feel emotions. So, what does that make us then?"
Sage paused, "Those Codes were the ways of old and are outdated. Remember how I spoke of the different Forms and how they were improved upon?" Rey nodded slowly. "We've learned from past mistakes, from the flaws, and are now compromising. We're a new... breed of Jedi. A hybrid, of sorts." The blonde sighed quietly through her nose, her shoulders sinking as she did so. "You don't need to be afraid of your own emotions. You don't need to be afraid of yourself. Not anymore." She reassured her student as she turned to look at her. "Do you understand?"
The girl simply nodded once more.
"Good. I'll end the lesson with that." The Knight patted her thighs and suddenly seemed to return to her normal self, the somber air around her person disappearing almost instantaneously, almost as if it had been switched off. "We should probably head back. We'll be late for dinner."
She rose to her knees and was about to stand but was startled slightly as a small hand closed around her wrist. Her head instantly snapped over to her student, her eyes wide in surprise at the sudden contact.
"I have one more thing to ask you, Master, before we return."
For a moment, Sage frowned softly and for a brief moment, glanced back at the mountain behind them, wondering why the sudden seriousness on her Padawan's face. The blonde gave a slight nod of her head, prompting her to continue out of her own curiosity.
Realizing what she had done, Rey released the other girl and her hand curled itself into a fist before she replaced it in her lap with its twin. She began slowly, "Today, in class, Master Luke lectured more on the old war between the Empire and the Rebellion and how it came to an end... but..."
Sage arched one of her eyebrows, "But?"
"Well, I found that something was very… strange. I mean... I've heard people talk of the war and what happened but… Master Luke hardly mentioned Darth Vader. Why is that?"
Sage's brows rose in surprise. "You know who Darth Vader is?"
The brunette shrugged and wrinkled her nose slightly, "Everyone knows who Darth Vader is."
The Knight opened her mouth to reply but she found that it was a hard point to argue against. He was no doubt a man whose name would live on for eternity in the galaxy. "Fair enough." She nodded noncommittally, "What do you know about him?"
"I've heard that he was one of the most fearsome and powerful Force-users to ever walk the galaxy. That he was cruel in his ways but nonetheless, his methods brought forth... results."
The blonde couldn't help the sadness that circled around her heart and she allowed her head to bow slightly.
Rey noticed this and frowned softly over at the other woman. "What?"
"It's... You're not... wrong." She shook her head, her disappointment obvious. Not disappointment in her student... but in the galaxy itself. "Master Luke tried to get word out... tried to redeem his name but... people wouldn't believe what they heard. Nineteen years as Palpatine's apprentice makes for a hard case when you're trying to restore his name and honor."
"What are you talking about?" The brunette shook her head in confusion.
"Rey, before Vader succumb to the Dark side... he was a Jedi." Her brows rose in surprise. "And his name was Anakin Skywalker."
Her hazel eyes must have been the size of saucers for how wide they suddenly were. "Skywalker?" She breathed out. After a moment, she blinked rapidly as realization struck her, "You mean... like...?"
"Yes... Anakin or, alternatively, Darth Vader, was Luke's father."
Rey found that she could really just continue to openly gape at her Master, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. "But... How-How is that even possible? Master Luke is so kind and good-hearted! Vader was a ruthless, sadistic killer who very rarely spared anyone…?"
"Remember how I said that he grew up on Tatooine?" The brunette slowly nodded, unsurely. "Luke was not raised beneath his father or the Empire, for that matter. Children don't always follow in their parents' footsteps… and even still, it's virtually unknown that Anakin was the one to kill Emperor Palpatine and save Luke on the second Death Star after he was captured. However, to do so, he had to sacrifice himself to save his son. He was able to bring balance to both the galaxy and the Force, just as it was long ago prophesied that he would do."
"So... That means that... General Organa is also... Wow." Sage watched as her student raised a finger and began tracing it through the air in an ambiguous path as she began to map out the Skywalker family tree. "And, then... that means that... Oh." Rey's brow furrowed more deeply. "That explains quite a bit, actually."
It was now the Knight's turn to be confused, "What do you mean?"
"I-" She began but when she turned her head to gaze at the other woman and her eyes held the cool gray-blue irises of her Master's she found that she couldn't speak. Or rather, she wouldn't.
Because, no matter how hard she tried to hide it, Sage had a trigger. And Rey had picked up on it almost immediately.
Besides the topic of the cosmic power of the Force, the only thing - the only thing - that seemed to draw raw, open emotions from the young Jedi was Kylo Ren. And it was always pain and a lingering sadness that she saw.
She did not wish those feelings on her Master at all.
"Nothing." She shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the woman and she was climbing to her feet to avoid the Knight's piercing gaze. "Never mind. It doesn't matter."
The brunette turned back to face the slowly setting sun and the endless body of water behind them for a brief moment. There was then the rustling of clothing a moment later before Rey briefly glanced back and found that her companion had risen and was still rooted in place, her cool eyes calmly watching her.
She was half expecting a prod at her mind, a forceful push into her thoughts. She knew that Sage could no doubt plunder her mind if she so wished to sate her own curiosity but was amazed when the woman simply turned and began heading back towards the distant stairway, allowing her thoughts to remain her own secret.
"We best start heading back. The sun will set in an hour and it takes us two to get back if we're running." She called back to her Padawan over her shoulder. "Think you can handle it?"
Rey fought off the groaning and whining that wished to spill forth from her lips at the thought of running once more so soon after their last endeavor. Not to mention that it was uphill. Nonetheless, she sighed and hung her head for a brief moment as she trudged along behind the Jedi.
"I mean... I can try."
"'Do or do not.'" She glanced up at her Master and found that the girl allowed a one corner of her mouth to curl upwards slightly for a brief moment. "'There is no try.'" She then turned and began to run, her bun swaying from side to side with each stride she took.
Rey took a deep breath and resigned herself, allowing her eyes to momentarily close as she basked in the cool winds that danced across the island.
There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force.
There is only the Force.
With that, her body was flooded with a renewed, addictive strength and she sprang forward. Once more, she raced along through the golden field, the wind and sun at her back and the empowering aura of her Master before her.
Here you guys go.
Sorry that this again, took awhile. I've recently started a new job and have had very little time to actually sit down and write something. The job is very tasking and every night, I come home and am exhausted. Still, I've written a little everyday at night and on my few days off.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.
There wasn't any Kylo in it. Instead, we got a lot of further development between Sage and Rey. Their relationship will come to be very important in the future. They are going to be very important to each other in a huge way. And I mean, huge.
Also, this chapter was filled with some of my own personal theories and ideals when it comes to the Force. The metaphor with the Jedi Steps was immediately in my head after I watched Episode VII the first time. Later that day, I told my cousin, who is also a huge Star Wars fan, and he was like holy shit. You're right.
I also couldn't resist quoting Yoda. Had to throw that in there sometime and I had been waiting for the opportune moment to do so.
I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. Again, it's going to be more of Sage helping Rey to grow and learn all the things she didn't as a child. She's helping her to experience life. Remember... this fic is going to be a slow burn but eventually, the final reward will be plentiful! Just hang on until the juicy bits!
Eventually here, though, (maybe in the next chapter, who knows) we should be introducing a lot more of the actual canon characters into the story. And Sage's return to humanity ;)
We might even get a little bit of action from the Hound in there as well! Who knows?!
Anyway, I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed/kudoed/followed/favorited/subscribed! You guys are the light of my life! The wind beneath my wings and I love you all because of it! Especially all of you lovely people who leave comments. I swear, every time I get a notification about a comment, I scream at my phone and then end up sobbing like a child at your lovely words. I love you all so very much.
I have to go now, my children. So, YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, READ AND REVIEW!
Love,
Blue