Disclaimer: Still not mine. Having fun playing with them, though!
Sorani scowls at me while I continue to pack more supplies into the large green tote. Her hand flexes slightly over her distended abdomen and I know she worries I will not return.
"Relax, Sorani. You act as if I will be gone forever."
"Won't you? I see how you look at him, that off-worlder. I see how he looks at you too. What if..."
"I told you," I interrupt. "I'll be gone a week, or even less. He needs to go to a different planet in our system. We're not even entering hyperspace."
"And you are not going to stay with him?"
My heart pangs at this, but I keep my voice firm. "No. He has … work to do." This is an understatement. If what the specter of his past said is true, he is about to engage in something larger than all of us.
I shake my head slightly to remove those images from my mind. Sorani is still peering at me, so I gesture, sweeping the store and tap café with my fingertips. "So do I."
"I see. You will leave him there, alone, on this other planet, and then what ... you become a space pilot overnight and fly back here, all safe and sound?"
I sigh, a tad dramatically so it appears that I'm downplaying the risk. "His ship has an autopilot and a homing device. It will return me right back here." My words are infused with a confidence I do not feel. I definitely do not know how to fly any type of spacecraft and despite his assurances that I'd have 'help' if anything went awry, I am still very unsure how this little mission of his will play out.
The entry chimes of the front door distracts us from our quarrel, and the cause of their activation drives us into a stiff silence. Sorani's scowl deepens as she acknowledges our visitor. She does not understand - she wasn't there that night. She didn't see the Force, the power, the storm within him that has now finally passed. I didn't tell her of it either, as I still can't quite make sense of it all myself.
I meet his smiling gaze as he walks towards me. There is lightness in his step and a sense of purpose about him. The Eyes are only a flicker of grey within his now-bright aura – the beautiful blues and golds I craved as a teen are once again returning to surround him in their glow. He said afterward that he would never be able to purge himself completely from what he calls the Dark Side. That a little of it will live within him forever – the price he must pay for his sins. I disagree with him. I did so then and silently I do so now. Wisdom I didn't have a mere two days ago has flooded me with insight. The last traces will disappear once he fully opens himself up to forgiveness – from others and from himself.
He peers nosily into the tote, bristling with energy. "This is perfect. Anything else you can think of to add?"
"Just a few more things I think you'll need," I tell him calmly. "You'll just have to patient for a little while longer." His eyes darken slightly and I turn from him quickly to hide the rising heat on my cheeks. I didn't mean it that way!
Sorani sighs loudly, a hint of a growl in her voice. "Well, if you need me I'll be behind the counter. You know, the one you normally stand behind. In your store."
He raises an eyebrow in unspoken question and I give him a lopsided grin in reply. When she is out of earshot, I whisper to him, "She doesn't approve."
"Really? I thought I'd be a pretty good catch for a woman someday." He winks and I bat at him playfully.
"She doesn't know who you are." My tone grows serious. "I don't plan on telling her either. Heck, two days ago, I didn't even know who you really were either!"
His words are flecked with disdain. "No. I guess you didn't."
I approach him slowly, and take both of his hands into mine. "I knew you were kind, and hard-working, and sometimes, even charming." I squeeze gently against his good hand and he returns the gesture, the happy grin from before slowing re-appearing. "What I didn't know was the depth of your strength, your courage, and the size of the burden you seem to have obligated yourself to carry."
I step back, making a point to study him. "It was impressive then, and it is still impressive now." I lean in and gently kiss him on his cheek, right above those prickly whiskers of his.
"You are quite an exceptional man, Luke Skywalker. Try not to forget it when you are off on those islands, okay?"
He grows quiet and I watch him carefully. He was so full of guilt and regret that it seems habit to him to continue to assume responsibility for everything that goes wrong in the world.
Honestly, if that's what it means to be a Jedi, I'm not having any of it, no matter what he says.
~~~~/*\*/*\*/*\~~~~
My knuckles are pale as I grip the small seat within the spacecraft's cockpit. There is a stale odor of unused electronics and dust-laden oil. The controls have been wiped down but bits of unrecognizable debris lurk within the small cracks and crevices. The glass has been cleaned – I managed that myself – and for all intensive purposes, Luke's ship is worthy of flight.
He is fussing with the controls as we glide across the land towards the stars. I can still see my village, but is rapidly becoming a mottled smear along the landscape. The Losatian Cliffs loom ahead, jagged knives that slice into the skyline. A whimper escapes from my lips at the sight of the cliff's edge at the highest Cavity. Twice I've faced death there, and the memory from just days ago leaps to the forefront of my mind.
Luke hears and perhaps even senses my distress. He clasps my hand in his, the cool metal somehow soothing against the heat and sweat radiating from my palm.
"It is not a place to fear," he says softly. "You'll need to return there with your people to set up the equipment – like I showed you before we left."
"I know."
"Don't be afraid – anything that remains of the Dark out there will not hurt you. Obi-Wan saw to that."
I think back to that night and shudder. For him, it may all be normal. Not so for me – that night changed my world forever…
~~~~/*\*/*\*/*\~~~~
Predictability brings safety and builds trust. Reinforcement breeds strength and time encourages growth. It was inevitable that my man in black and I would become friends. The attraction remained, but somehow we'd reached an unspoken agreement not to act upon it. Perhaps the constant interruptions of patrons at the store and tap café, in combination with Sorani hovering around every shelf corner, are what kept us in check. I did eventually learn his first name, and he mine. He struggled with the audible subtleties of my nickname, calling me 'Jazz' instead of 'Jasz' - repeatedly.
His name was odd to my ears as well. 'Luke' isn't quite what I expected. I had fantasized a much more daring name – one that suited my idealistic image of him. Over time I got used to saying it, although I used it rather sparingly.
His presence in the village grew in parallel to our friendship. He began to help us. He showed us different irrigation techniques for our crops, and different ways to construct our homes. He had a casual but worldly air about him – that demeanor combined with the hidden depths of his intelligence charmed the Counsel immensely. They never quite recovered from the loss of Josel and Luke's guidance and engineering were most welcome.
I was content with life and for the first time, felt a glimmer of happiness and hope for what might come. I had respect, I had stability, and I was quickly gaining wealth. No longer was I viewed as a bad-luck charm or an outsider. I had rebuilt myself, just as the store was rebuilt. The people in my village spoke kindly of me now, many times likening my skills to those of my uncle, and oftentimes showing appreciation for what I now offered that he did not.
I also had Luke, and he was becoming more the man I remembered from my teens as each day passed. The pale cast of his skin was soon colored into health by days spent outdoors under our suns. His body filled out – mostly due to my cooking, I assume – but there was strength within him as well. Gone was the pallor of sickness and frailty. However, the Eyes remained. I chose not to speak of it, yet I wondered why they still clung so tightly to his soul. Rarely did he go to his refuge up on the Cliffs now. If he did, it was to bring something down into the small flat one of the Counsel members offered to him as thanks for his wisdom in resolving a dispute with an off-world trade organization. He did keep the dun-colored robe, much to my chagrin, but overall he took on a more formal and stately air. It suited him.
The day of the storm was like any other for me – open the tap café, chat with Luke and the other patrons over breakfast, prepare for lunch, help Sorani, serve and socialize with the townsfolk the remainder of the day. Unbeknownst to me, Luke was spending the day with the Counsel on a tour of sorts, examining the cisterns with the intent of building a smaller version within each individual home. Rain had been scarce this season; water was becoming a concern.
It was along the return road from the cisterns that Luke and the men from the Counsel ran into the two boys. Both probably weren't more than eight or ten years of age, and they clashed and hollered loudly in their swordplay – swinging staffs of Iola wood at each other for all they were worth. One wound up knocking the other to the ground, causing the fallen youngling to cry and cower in fright.
That night, one of the most severe storms we'd had in decades began.
Mohten braved the deluge early the next day to come to my tap café, looking for Luke. He told me of the incident with the boys, and how Luke's demeanor changed; he just walked away from the Counsel and disappeared into the streets. The counselman who lived next to Luke's flat comm'd Mohten in the morning to relay that Luke never came home. Mohten was worried for Luke's safety in the storm. I grew concerned as well, but didn't want to distress Mohten.
"He's lived here for many years. He is intelligent and knows how to protect himself from the storms. He is helping us to protect ourselves better, isn't he?"
"Yes, that is true." Mohten's aura seemed to relax a bit. "I know you and he have a … relationship of sorts. Please keep me informed if you hear from him. He has become important to our community these past few months."
Despite the flush that crept up my jawline, I kept my tone casual. "He'll be fine. Who knew you'd become such a worrier in your old age, Mohten?"
With no further words and a narrowed brow, Mohten left my counter and returned to the raging winds and rain. Once he was gone, I decided to close the store for the day and wait out the rain upstairs. I comm'd Sorani and told her not to venture out, but she had no intentions of doing so anyway.
I stared at the tiny rivers coursing down the large window within my bedroom for many hours that day, watching the lighting crackle between the rooftops and the thunder shake the buildings to their core. I was waiting, but I knew not what for. Something about this storm was different, and fear grew within me as the hours passed. Something was very wrong, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what.
When the muted daylight finally receded into darkness, I gave up my vigil at the window. Visibility was muted at best; as the panes of glass were washed so clean there was only a blotchy smear of the village apparent through them.
With a slight rumbling from my stomach, I turned and headed to the kitchen to prepare myself dinner. In my worry, I had neglected to eat all day. When I crossed the threshold of my bedroom door into the open living area, I ran smack into it. A ghost.
My scream was loud enough to raise the dead, and it certainly startled the glowing blue figure standing near my table. He leapt a good 6 metres into the air, passing through my settee and landing near the kitchen counter.
"My stars!" it said clearly. "You certainly have a significant vocal range! Do you normally speak so loudly?"
"No," I rasped, "normally I talk like this."
"Oh, well that is good to hear. I don't know if I could have handled our conversation with shouting like that."
The ghostly man was rubbing at his ear rather vigorously, the dark brown sleeve of his cloak shaking slightly at the effort. I gaped at him for a few moments while he went about composing himself, straightening his shirt and adjusting the cloak and hood until he was satisfied with his appearance once more. His attire was eerily familiar - it was nearly the same style as Luke wore.
I felt the mental gear click. "You are here about Luke, aren't you." It wasn't a question.
"Perceptive, I see. Yes. I am an old friend of Luke's."
"Clearly you are very old, given that you are dead. How is it that you are here – are you and Luke part of a race that lives on after death?" The concept was fascinating – humans that could live forever as ghosts!
"No, no. Well, not quite. Sort of. Hasn't Luke told you about the Jedi yet? About what happened?"
Um…no he had not. "I'm afraid you'll have to enlighten me. I've heard of Jedi though – mystical creatures with magic, right? Are you one of those?"
"Oh dear," the ghost replied with a slightly wispy sigh. "This is going to take a little longer than I had hoped, and we really do not have time."
"Time for what?"
"You need to go to him. Now. I'm here to help you so you can help him. He needs you."
My eyes narrowed so drastically I felt my brows touching. "I need to go to Luke in the middle of one of the worst storms ever … to do what?" Panic hit me. "Is he hurt? Why didn't you come to me sooner if he was hurt! Tell me where he is – now!"
"Calm yourself, my dear. He is not physically hurt. It is his soul that is suffering, but you already know that, don't you?"
The Eyes. "Yes, I know."
"Come here," he said, reaching towards me. "You'll need this."
I stepped towards him. His weathered, intangible hand made actual physical contact with my forehead. The brightest and most intense Light I'd ever seen exploded across my mind, bringing with it a sense of peace and rightness that made me gasp at the beauty of it all.
"That is the Light Side of the Force," I heard in my mind. "The Eyes, as you call them, are the Dark Side of the Force. Luke has both within him, and the Darkness is winning today. Luke witnessed many a great evil during his lifetime, but there is one particular event that has scarred his soul. Guilt, fear and anger have festered within him for many years now, allowing the Darkness to permeate and linger within him. Yesterday he witnessed something that triggered those memories and emotions to flood his senses. I fear he may be lost if he is not reminded of the Light."
Images accompanied his words: a dark figure striking the old man down. Then a young Luke, coated in sweat and screaming in pain. Another: the dark figure is dead, and Luke lights the funeral pyre. A woman and a man smile at him as they hand him a tiny infant. Children run amongst a cobblestone garden, playing happily.
The final image was cast in shadow. Rain, as thick as that which fell that day, flooding a grass-filled field. Bodies laying in the mud and a tall, masked figure in black stands over them, wielding an angry red glowing blade. The blade slashes again and again through more bodies…many of them children.
The ghostly hand retreated and I blinked myself back into reality, tears streaming down my face. There are no words for what I felt in that moment.
"He is a Jedi," the ghost told me. "He is Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and one of the last remaining Jedi known today. A long time ago, the galaxy needed him. Soon, the galaxy will need him again – to usher in the age of peace and prosperity that he is destined to bring forth."
The ghost paused before saying, "You are integral to this. It is unexpected, but true just the same. You must bring him back to the Light, and you must do it soon, or Darkness will rule us all, forever."
My tears were scratchy on my cheeks and I shivered at his final words.
"I am nobody," I told him with a sob. "I can't possibly be what you say."
"Are you now?" he asked in a chiding tone. "Are you certain?"
Light again flared in my mind and I saw myself before a figure surrounded in white-hot energy, bolts arching from him in random, sharp contrast against the blackness around us both.
"It's him. I see him." A large ripple of fear sent me into shivers again. "How can I approach him? He'll kill me."
"That is something you must figure out on your own. I've helped you all I can and I must go now." His last words trailed off as I saw him start to recede and fade away.
"Wait, where is he?"
"Look inside yourself – you know where he stands."
He was right. I knew exactly where Luke was and I needed to borrow Sorani's scooter if I was going to make it to him in time.
I raced to my closet and put on the warmest jumpsuit I owned as well as the water-repellant overcoat and matching boots. Even if I got soaked, at least I'd be warm. On a whim I grabbed the lined gloves I used when re-building the store and put them on.
The rain blasted me when I opened the back door and made my way to Sorani's home. I didn't even ask, I just entered into her vehicle shelter and took her scooter. My jumpsuit's hood flickered in the wind as I flew up the trails towards the Cavities on the Cliffs. Lightning crackled around me, scorching the open ground and shattering small boulders into sand. Fear was lumped in my throat as I eased the throttle forward. The sooner I got to him, the sooner this will end.
When I could go no further on the scooter, I climbed the remainder of the way on foot, my gloves and boots helping me to find traction on the slippery rocks and mud of the Cliffs.
My trip took hours, and I was soaked to the core when I finally cleared the last hill to the highest edge of the Cavities. It is the same ledge I stood upon over a year ago, and I saw his silhouette in almost the exact same spot.
He was naked to the waist, great scars I never knew existed marring his back. They pulsed with an unholy light as wave after wave of energy originated and then exited his body – the arcs of lightning directed by his outstretched hands into the clouds and mist beyond the Cliffs.
I realized it was no longer raining – there were the blinding swirls of wind and a bitter metallic taste to the air, but no rain.
I can't explain how, but in a single instant I finally understood what, or to be more accurate, who, brought the rains to our region. The knowledge dropped me to my knees with a keening cry. It was his fault that my uncle is dead. His lighting destroyed my home and forced me into the Eyes of the Damned. His storms killed many people within my town. If he hadn't come here, none of the tragedies of the past years would have happened at all. We wouldn't have the lightning towers, nor the cisterns, because we wouldn't need them…and Josel would be alive. It was the memory of Josel's death that sent me into a frenzy. I screamed at his tortured inhuman body, the raging wind choking my words in my throat. "Why? Why did you do this to us?"
He heard me. I don't know how, but he did. He lowered his hands and turned to face me. What I saw before me redefined the meaning of horror. His eyes glowed with a deep, evil red and his aura was nearly black. His body was coated in the sickly blue-white light of the toxic energy emanating from him. It crackled loudly and I saw the arcs flickering between each metallic finger of his right hand. Fear froze me, leaving me kneeling on the ground before him.
He said nothing, but his waves of guilt and despair wracked me to my core. They mingled with my own and I gagged on the filth and stench of evil. The Darkness within him rippled with power and anticipation as I whimpered beneath his gaze. I could not look away as he stood before me, an unholy demon of a man.
Time ceased to move forward. It was me and him, and it was a battle of Light and Dark.
The Light gifted to me struggled to shine – it was clouded by my own anger and sorrow at what I'd lost. I heard the ghostly man's voice within the fading white glow, "… but … what have you gained?"
Gained? I'd lost so much... Unbidden memories come to the forefront of my mind. The day of the ribbon cutting is clear before me. It fades to bring forth the day I asked Sorani to work for me and she hugged me in sheer joy. Images of examples of Mohten's and the Counsel's respect. Tobiaz chugging the milky stimcaf each morning. The people of my village and their patronage of my store – laughing, talking, living.
And Luke. The aura of blue and gold, the poise and grace of a man who was once one with his world. That day on this same cliff, Eyes within us and binding us together as one. His Light driving the Eyes from my soul. His fingertips entwined with mine…yes, I had gained a great deal since his arrival.
"No…" I growled as I struggled to stand. There was a cackle of evil; a weight pushing down on me that seemed impossible to overcome. The Light flickered and I wondered if it was strong enough…until I realized that it was not a gift of Light that was given to me, it was awareness.
The Light was my own. It was me and it was always within me. I felt my courage flare and I although I could not see myself, I truly felt as if I was drowning in my own power. I stood easily then and faced the blood-eyed demon that had consumed the one man I'd always loved.
"You can have him no longer," I told the Darkness within him. "I am here to return him to the Light."
I cradled his head in both of my hands, the toxic blue-light energy searing through my gloves into my bones, but I did not let go.
I did as he did and brought his forehead to mine. The connection was instantaneous and I saw myself shine in his mind. The Darkness cowered and retreated when I released my Light, every corner of black within him fading to grey and then to nothingness. The process took but a second but seemed to last a lifetime. The emptiness that remained was vast, with a tendril of the slightest light remaining. It was familiar, and I knew how to fill it.
I spoke to him aloud and in his mind. "You are not evil. All that has happened – good or bad - was meant to be. You blame yourself for things that were never within your control. Your life is intertwined with thousands of others - a giant web of interconnectivity that no one thread can possibly control. Let go and live the live you deserve - a life full of love and forgiveness. I forgive you, Luke. And I love you."
I felt him reach for me, so I pulled his entire body close to me and steadfastly refused to let go, no matter what might happen next. The evil blue-white glow burned but faded rapidly in my embrace. The snarling of the wind quieted and left the Cliffs peaceful and still. I watched the faint tendrils of dawn begin to glow along the eastern horizon as I held him in my arms. He lifted his gaze to mine, eyes clear of crimson and rimmed with blue once again. I sighed instinctively before pressing my lips to his. Finally acting on our attraction was intoxicating for both of us, and we were lost in the moment until there was a slight cough from within the nearest Cavity.
Luke clearly wanted to ignore it, but I turned my head and Luke wound up with a face full of my ear and the damp spikes of my hair. I quickly learned he had a penchant for improvising when he nibbled on the very sensitive spot along my neck. I growled and turned to face him, until I heard the cough again, a tad louder. I turned again and saw my spectral visitor standing slightly inside the cave opening.
"Look, it's your ghost friend again."
Luke finally snapped out of whatever stupor he was in and noticed our visitor. His reaction was immediate and tinged with disbelief. "Obi-Wan?"
"Hello Luke. Apologies for interrupting, but please trust me when I say there will be time for that later."
"Obi-Wan..." Luke stood and walked over to the glimmering image. "I...I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Obi-Wan replied. "Did you not listen to your friend here? Things are in motion that are beyond your control. I must say I am greatly pleased that you have decided to return to the Light. Forgiveness is crucial to the path you must follow. As is love." He nodded respectfully towards me. "Thank you, my dear - for showing him both in such an eloquent fashion." Focusing back on Luke, he continued, "What you need to do now is return to your original goal."
"The First Jedi Temple?"
The ghost nodded. "You are closer than you might know - it is on Ahch-To, a planet within this system. You need to go there, and I'm afraid you will need to hurry. An Awakening within the Force is coming - you will know it when it occurs. The individual responsible will come to you, and she will be the key to the final restoration of balance."
"She?" Luke glances at me, but I shook my head vehemently. Helping Luke heal is one thing, restoring galactic peace and serenity is something else entirely.
"You will know her when you see her. She will not be unfamiliar. Go to Ahch-To and find the largest island. Remain there and wait for her. She will come, and she needs you."
Luke wraps his hand around mine. "I need to go alone, don't I." The resignation in his words is crystal clear, but Obi-Wan nods confirmation anyway.
"You two have little time left together, I'm afraid. I will leave you now but don't hesitate to call on me again." The ghostly figure begins to fade away exactly as he did in my home.
"How?"
"Ask your friend," he replies before disappearing into the dark shadows of the Cavity.
Luke sighed heavily, a long, drawn out affair. "I hate it when he does that."
"I'm not too happy about it either," I tell him. "I have no idea how to make him reappear again."
~~~~/*\*/*\*/*\~~~~
My thoughts return to the present as we cross the planet's atmosphere and head off into the dark vastness of space. I look down at the kaleidoscope of color that is my home planet, and my heart soars at its beauty. No wonder people visit for rest and relaxation.
"Years ago," I murmur softly "I dreamed you would fly me away into the stars and take me with you on your many adventures."
Luke lifts his head from the controls. "Really?"
"Yes, when I first met you - as a teenager."
He studies me carefully. "That must have been a very long time ago. Before...well, everything that happened."
I nod, feeling wiser about him than ever, yet burdened by the weight of his story. He and I talked for hours that morning after the storm. It was a cleansing of his soul, in a way. He told me everything - from the time he met Obi-Wan until the time he came to live in the Cavities. It was a long and difficult story to tell - the murder of his students by his nephew clearly the most painful. I cut him off before he went into great detail - I knew enough and had seen enough from Obi-Wan to know what that kind of betrayal and cruelty meant to him. Intriguingly, I found that with each word he spoke, the Light within him grew and the aura of gold and blue returned. I didn't share this observation with him, and I wonder now if I should do so. Somehow it just doesn't feel like the right time.
I redirect his attention back to my planet and the surrounding stars. "However, now that I'm here, I really want nothing more than to go back home. Odd isn't it? How what we think we want isn't really what is meant for us."
"You've grown wise," he murmurs softly. "The Force is with you."
I swat at him from my seat. "Knock that off. I told you, I am not a Jedi, nor would I make a good Jedi. You can be all the Jedi for both of us."
He grins knowingly and I'm again taken aback by his casual charm. "Whatever you say, Jazz."
"Enough of that. Remind me again what I need to tell the Counsel to do to continue the rains? I want to make sure we can survive now that our primary water supply is off to save the galaxy."
The engineer within him chirps to life. "First," he intones, "they need to purchase an electrostatic generator. It cannot be one of the common ones, it has to be configured for hydrodynamics..."
I let him drone on while he carries us into the stars, allowing myself to relax and enjoy his company. I will myself to live in the moment, as the thought of losing him might tear me apart.
Sadly, the time passes quickly and we land on a large, deserted island within the vast ocean of the planet Ahch-To. I help him to unload all the foodstuffs and supplies and offer to assist him in carrying them up the narrow and winding stair path, but he declines.
Emotion hovers in the damp mist and I know it is time for me to leave.
"Must you do this alone?" My words choke in my throat and tears well within my eyes.
"Jas'kah," he says, pulling me close. "I will be with you soon. You have my word."
"I'll miss you."
"I know." He holds me tight and I lift my face to him and we kiss as if we will never do so again. I can feel his need, the passion for me and the hints of genuine love interspersed within. It is a moment I know I will recall many times in the future.
When we break apart, there are tears in his eyes as well. He reaches into his pocket and hands me something. It is a small metal data storage unit. "A man is going to come for this. He will be older and go by the name of Lor San Tekka. But when you meet him, he will say only that he is a disciple. When he arrives, give this to him."
I study the small drive in my palm. "What is it?"
"A way to stack the sabbac deck in our favor. This should help to ensure that this new Force user will find her way to me. And..." his voice lessens to a murmur. "... it might be a way for me to rejoin my family. Just in case."
"I'll keep it safe until I see this man of yours."
He pulls me tight to him again. "I will send a transmission through the ship's computer if I need anything. The ship is rigged to follow two separate homing devices - one here and one on your planet. You remember what I showed you on how to activate the computer within the ship to track to them?"
I nod.
"Good. I don't expect to need anything - I don't anticipate being here all that long." He pauses and takes a long, ragged breath. "You need to leave now," he says quietly. "Because the longer you're here, the harder it is going to be for me to let you go."
I say nothing, I just let the tears stream down my face. My man in black...gone.
"Go," he says sternly. "Go now." He turns away from me and I can feel his anguish. But I know it is time, so I do ask he asks.
The ship has already been programmed and I do little more than push a blinking yellow button before it lifts itself into the sky and carries me away. I cry for the majority of the two days it takes to return to my planet, finally reaching a state of emotional acceptance somewhere amongst the stars. I tell myself that I will see him again, and I feel the pull of confirmation within the Light he calls The Force. I repeat this mantra until I believe it to be true. I resolve myself to remain true to who I am - Luke wouldn't want me to do any less. I have my business to run, and Sorani's first child is on the way. There is also the arrival of this strange Lor San Tekka. Maybe he can fill me in on what this Awakening is and what it means for the future of our galaxy.
For now, I will wait. And I will hope.
Author's Notes:
Occasionally when I write, a story will get away from me and I'll spend a great deal of time running my fingers through my hair and murmuring, "Wow, this is a helluva thing..."
That is what happened here. This is one helluva fic. I don't have much more to say about it - other than I hope you enjoyed it. All mistakes are mine - please let me know if you see anything glaring. I am lacking a beta for this fandom.
On a positive note, if all goes well in my writing world, we'll see Jas'kah again in a future fic I have planned. Luke and Rey need to get off that ridiculous island.
The $50,000 Question Of The Day: "Is Jas'kah human?"
Don't ask me because honestly, I don't know. She's clearly humanoid, but...a human? Let me know how you interpreted her - I'm curious what you readers believe her to be.