Successor
Author's Note: I'm honestly a little nervous about posting this, given how controversial the sequels are and I put nearly all my headcanons about them into this fic, but hopefully you enjoy. :D
~ Tirana Sorki
This is a gift for Blairette for the 2023 May 4th Disaster Lineage Appreciation Exchange. :)
~ Amina Gila
"You found something?" the small hologram of Finn on the dashboard asks.
Rey shifts in her X-wing, almost nervously checking the charts again. "I found records of one of the most ancient... Force worlds out there," she replies. "I don't know if it has any direct connection with the Jedi. It's not on any galactic charts. I'm going to check it out, but I don't know what's there. I wanted you to know in case something happens."
Finn's expression tightens with obvious worry. "Be careful, Rey. Are you sure you want to go alone?"
"No, it's fine," she replies, giving him a slight smile. She misses being with him, Poe, and Chewie already, and the team they had. They all had their own separate paths to take once the battle against the First Order was over, and she's afraid of what that might mean for them... drifting apart, but at least Finn seems determined to make sure that won't happen. "If I do need anything, I'll call you."
"Alright," he concedes, "May the Force be with you."
She nods, returning the goodbye, before ending the call. Hopefully, everything will be fine, and she won't have to call him in. He's looking for new younglings to be trained as Jedi, after all, and they've already been discussing how they'll do it.
Rey knows there must be a reason that younglings are taken from their families so young and stay with the Order ever after. Luke's Order wasn't as strict about that as the previous one, but still, the rule existed.
At the same time, she also knows what Finn had to say about that, and she completely agrees. He knows what it's like to be taken from his home and forced to fight for something he doesn't believe in, and if he's going to be trained as a Jedi too, that's not how he wants to build the new Order.
They should have that choice, and they don't need to cut off contact with their family and friends. Obviously, any attachment would have to be controlled, but what would the point of life be, if she weren't close with people?
She knows what that's like – she spent years of her life all alone. She would never require that of anyone else. But she wants to make sure she's starting an Order that will last – not making random, important changes to the rules simply because she thinks she knows better.
Rey's fighter jolts out of hyperspace not long later, to reveal... nothing but empty space?
She can feel something pulsing in the Force, though, something very close by. But she doesn't see –
Wait.
What's that light?
Leaning forwards in her fighter, she flies a little closer. And then something seems to shift around her ship, the controls suddenly flickering off. The next thing she knows, she's being dragged towards the light, until it's so bright she can hardly look at it anymore.
And then, she wakes up face-first on the front of her fighter.
What?
What's happening?
Sunlight streams in the front viewport of the ship, grass and trees stretching out all around the ship. But the strength of the Force here is nearly enough to take her breath away. A sharp feeling of déjà vu rings through her, along with a sudden sharp aching longing for... for someone. Or multiple someones. But it's not Finn or Poe. It's someone else, and she doesn't know who it is.
That's something she's felt all her life.
The first time she started to feel whole in her life was around Ben. He's a piece of her now, but it's not the same as having his presence at her side. Maybe she hardly knew him, but sometimes, she misses him so much she can hardly stand it.
Rey's hands skim over the controls, turning on a life scanner. If there's someone here, this'll be the fastest way to find them. It picks up life a short distance away, and she directs the fighter towards where she's picking it up.
Up ahead on the horizon, there's a building that looks very much like a Jedi Temple. Wait, what is this? Is this an ancient Temple where Jedi are still living?!
She lands the fighter, hastily opening the top and climbing out, dropping onto the grassy ground.
Nothing feels dangerous up ahead, so she starts forwards, cautiously.
Rey freezes when she sees one of the figures stepping out the door. "... Leia?"
Of course, she saw Leia's Force ghost on her brief visit to Tatooine – what is it about that planet that calls to her so much? That it feels like... like she lived there in another lifetime even though she definitely didn't. It's not just that it reminds her of Jakku – but here, Leia looks real.
"Rey," Leia greets, smiling warmly. She looks younger somehow, even if her age is still obvious – or maybe it's just that the tired, pained way she always moved is gone now, replaced with something... happy. "I didn't expect you to come here."
"Where – what's happening?" she asks, gaze darting between her and the other person standing near her.
It's a young man with blond-brown hair, and – He's so familiar. She could swear she's seen him before. In holos – Anakin Skywalker?! What?!
And not just that – why does she feel such a strange... connection to him? His Force-presence is blindingly bright, yet so soft at the same time, but there's something about it that... feels familiar in a way nothing ever has before. It feels like she's looking at a reflection of her own soul, whatever that even means.
"This is Mortis," Anakin replies, a strange intensity in his gaze. Perhaps noticing their connection as well. There's something strangely soft and light about his presence that she's never felt in anyone before. But why does he feel so – so much like her, even more personally than Ben?! It's disturbing.
"Mortis?" Rey repeats, "What's... that?"
"It is a world within the Force itself," he explains, "A place embodiments of the Force once dwelled, until they became one with it."
"And now, it's where the Force ghosts remain. Mortals should not be able to come here, unless the Force specifically allows it," Leia finishes for him.
Oh. Wait, Rey's in the realm of the dead? Or... where life and death meet? That's – She has no idea what to think of that.
"So, you're... alive here?" she blurts, gaze darting between them.
Leia smiles softly, stepping closer, laying a hand on her shoulder. It feels like real human contact. Rey will never forget the moment she felt their bond break, and now, Leia is here in front of her again. The closest to a mother figure she ever had. There was always something deep about their relationship – when she first met Leia, it finally felt like she met some of the people she always wanted to know. "We are not alive, in the mortal sense, but we still dwell here." Rey moves without thinking, wrapping her arms tightly around Leia. She returns the embrace just as fiercely.
"I missed you," Rey breathes, shakily, feeling suddenly choked with emotion.
"I know," she says, softly, "And all this time, I was watching over you. But you can call us any time, and we will appear if you need it."
That's... good to know. She'll keep it in mind. Rey nods against Leia's shoulder.
"But now, I'd like you to meet the others," Leia tells her, pulling back. "I'm sure you have realized already, but this is my... father." She gestures to Anakin.
They exchange a glance, a lingering fondness in their eyes. "Leia has spoken much of you," Anakin says.
Rey almost instinctively feels bad for not being able to say the same – no one had spoken much of him. She hardly knew about him. The Old Republic times were something of the long-forgotten past. Sometimes, she wonders if that's why the New Republic fell – because no one learned from the old one.
"I... heard about you," she offers, lamely. Something about him had always been... she can't say what it is. Perhaps it has something to do with the Force-bond they shouldn't reasonably have?
"What's happening?" she asks, finally when no one speaks, "Why do we have this... connection?"
Anakin exchanges a glance with Leia. "Because we are one," he replies, bluntly.
Rey blinks. "What?"
"I was intended to balance the Force, and I did," he continues, "But the end was not as satisfactory as the Force desired."
Leia smiles, almost sadly. "The galaxy had already crumbled too far. There was still much to be done, and so the Force chose to send a piece of his soul back, in you."
Wait –
Wait.
That means...
Two halves of a soul. So that's why their bond is so strange.
"But I'm... a Palpatine," she splutters, shaking her head. It doesn't make sense. Why would the Force have made her –
"And I was his apprentice, his creation," Anakin replies, "We were made close to him, because he was the last of the Sith. And we were the only chance at truly bringing an end to the Sith in a way other than death."
She frowns. "What do you mean?"
"Death is not the way to bring balance to the Force, even if it... works. That is why the ending was not satisfactory. I killed Sidious before, but the Force allowed his return, if only to fully right the balance."
"But I did kill Palpatine," she argues. She hadn't wanted to, though. She's never wanted to hurt anyone. It's like she'd told Sidious then – he wanted her to hate, but she wouldn't, not even him. She couldn't even say why. Especially given that being around him reminded her of things she couldn't really place. He was familiar in a way she didn't really understand. Something about being in his presence made her want to – to back down and do whatever he asked, to cower in fear of him as though it was something she always used to do, even if she would obviously never give in to such nonsensical feelings.
But she couldn't hate him; she could only... pity, that he had fallen to such a level.
"You gave him the chance to stop – a chance I... could not have given him, because of the nature of our relationship," Anakin responds.
"Sidious made it impossible," Leia agrees, a shadow crossing her face, and she shifts a little closer to Anakin, something almost protective in her stance.
"You gave him the chance to stop, and he chose to kill himself. That was the only way to truly destroy him, and the Sith."
"Oh," Rey says, blinking. That's... good to know. None of it is anything she expected. Her and Anakin are one. The same person. Different souls, but still the same. At the same time, they're also not, but they... are. She won't bother to ponder it. Only the Force can truly understand what that means.
"I often... had impressions," Rey says, slowly, "Of things I didn't really understand. I... wonder if that was because of our connection?"
"Likely," Anakin agrees.
"Like the lightsaber," she adds, "Yours. It... it felt like mine."
"Because it was," Leia replies, simply, "Now come. There are still others who would like to know you're here. And I don't know how long you should stay."
"Why not?" Rey can't help her disappointment, even if she knows Leia is right. This isn't somewhere to go on vacation. Unfortunately.
"It is not a realm for the living. I do not know how long you could stay here without becoming one with the Force as well." Well. That... wouldn't be good.
She steps into the halls of the Temple, only able to marvel at the beauty of it. And the way the Force seems to flux around her, with such sheer intensity. "Be careful not to wander," Anakin advises, "For one who is mortal, it will be easy to lose your path."
"Why?"
"We can reach the spirit realm beyond from here, but you cannot. The halls will change as you walk them. This is not meant for the living."
Ah. Creepy and cool at once. She makes it down the rest of the hall, before stilling completely at the figure standing there.
"Ben?" Rey breathes.
She doesn't know how she didn't sense him sooner, except that she never thought she'd see him again – he never appeared as a Force ghost, but apparently, he must be one too. Somehow.
"You're here," Ben murmurs, staring at her with that same underlying look of affection he always did.
She remembers their last moment together, and... It wasn't truly how she felt towards him, but it was the only thing she could think of to truly express how much she cared for him, in that moment, when they were about to be separated forever.
"Yes," she replies, blinking back the tears suddenly stinging her eyes. Her Force-dyad with Ben is very different than the one with Anakin, in a way she can't quite explain.
Which is when another thought occurs to her.
"If we have a dyad, and I have one with Anakin, does that mean you do, too?"
"In a different way," a very familiar voice says from behind her, and Rey spins around to see...
Obi-Wan.
She's seen holos of him before also, and something about him always seemed so familiar.
It was his voice she'd heard, when she first picked up Anakin's lightsaber. Somehow, he feels the most familiar of all, in the exact same way Ben does. She doesn't understand it.
"What do you mean?"
"Anakin and I have a dyad, much like yours and Ben's," Obi-Wan explains.
"Because we are also the same," Ben interjects, a little grudgingly.
"Wait – you're a... part of him, too?"
"I am, if that's what it's called," he concedes.
Well. This is getting weirder and weirder, but it explains so much, now that she thinks about it. Especially if her and Ben were so close in a past life, that would be why they always called to each other so much, even if their relationship wasn't the same.
"Because we were raised with the entire Order, we were taught to suppress any attachments which is the very nature of a... dyad," Obi-Wan explains.
"I never knew of it, until now," Anakin says, approaching, "But we noticed the strength of our bond once before, on Mortis."
"You came here before?" Rey asks, surprised.
"Once," Obi-Wan replies, "When the beings of the Force inhabited it. They sought to determine if Anakin was truly the Chosen One, but I believe that is a story for another time."
Maybe that's why Mortis seemed so familiar when she was landing. But she'll ask more about it later. For now, she'd like to look around while she has the chance, and let some of the information that's been dumped on her sink in.
Thankfully, they give her a moment to just reflect, and she wanders off on her own, walking the hallways carefully to make sure she doesn't get lost. Can they seriously change form when she's talking through them? She'll admit that a part of her wants to see that happen.
Until it does.
Because she could swear there was a turn in the hallway when she came down it, but suddenly, there's a dead end behind her. All she can do is keep walking forwards, and the Force is too... muddled to really tell her what way to go.
She's sensing so much, and she has no idea how to tune any of it out. Fine. She'll have to find a way out on her own, somehow.
Except the deeper she goes, the more lost she's beginning to feel. Even if it's really cool to see this deep into the Temple. Although... she can't end up as a ghost if she goes too far, can she?
Uh oh.
Maybe she really shouldn't have gone this deep.
"What are you doing this far in?" an unfamiliar voice asks, and Rey looks up to see a man with shoulder length, greying brown hair approaching.
She blinks in surprise. "Who are you?"
"Qui-Gon Jinn," the man replies, "Obi-Wan's master."
Oh.
Her eyes widen. "His master?" Somehow, it's weird to imagine him as ever having one. She can't imagine him as a child. "You're a Force ghost, too?"
"I was the first to learn of this," he explains, "And I taught it to those who have come here after me."
"I... didn't know your name," Rey offers, lamely.
"It has been long, since my time," he replies, unconcerned, "That is the way of the Force."
She doesn't know why it fills her with a strange sense of longing for a moment, of things for the past. Of – but it's probably Anakin's memories that she's thinking of. "I think I'm... lost," she offers instead, to divert her attention.
"Yes," Qui-Gon agrees, "You should not be wandering in these parts. The mysteries of the Force are beyond what anyone can understand, and here, many of them are physical."
Whatever that means. It's as confusing as it is fascinating. "Can you help me get out of here?"
"Follow me," he replies, gesturing, and they start off through the halls. They're not shifting quite as much right not, at least, as she sticks close to him.
"Why do Force dyads form?" she asks, "I mean, I know that they're a deep soul connection, but why?"
"An interesting question," Qui-Gon murmurs, thoughtfully, "Perhaps not one that we can truly answer, but in my time, studying the mysteries of the Force, I have... one answer for that. As I'm sure you know, Anakin was born of the Force – he was made by the Force itself, and that is not entirely natural. The Force determined all Skywalkers to have a dyad with another, who was their opposite in every way, both positive and negative – a perfect balance. It was made so they would never truly be whole without the other, so they could always balance each other out, as needed."
"Oh," Rey murmurs.
So that... explains why she was that to Ben. And in a way, why Ben was that to her, because she could easily have lost her way, too. He may have been the only one who could've pulled her back.
Then another thought occurs to her. "What about Luke and Leia? Did they?"
"With each other, I believe, though the nature of theirs was different because they were both Skywalkers, and twins."
They finally reach the end of the halls, into the familiar part of the Temple, and Rey breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she tells him, gratefully. Now she really has a lot to think about – Qui-Gon's definitely right that she could never truly understand the mysteries and ways of the Force.
"Hey, Rey," a voice calls, and she turns to see a young Togruta – somewhere in her teens – standing there.
Wait, someone this young can be a Force ghost? What...
"I'm Ahsoka," she introduces, "Anakin's former apprentice. I imagine you have heard of me?"
"Oh." Her eyes widen. "I've heard of you. But why are you so young?" There's something about Ahsoka that screams of familiar, like she's one of the people Rey's missed constantly. At least she understands why now.
"We can change form," Ahsoka replies, lightly. There's something strangely happy and peaceful about all of them. The Force shifts suddenly, and the Togruta transforms, to look like someone middle-aged.
"That's... so cool," Rey murmurs.
"It is," she agrees, cheerfully, "But it's not the same as being alive. It's a different level of existence."
"Do you ever eat?" she asks, glancing out one of the towering windows. There are trees everywhere, but none of them look like fruit trees or anything like that. Now that she's paying attention, it's a little later in the afternoon right now, and the trees are looking far more green than they were before. And a few of them are starting to get fall colored leaves? How weird.
"We have no need here," Ahsoka says, following her gaze, "The trees change with the seasons. But it's nice outside right now. What do you say to having a sparring match?"
"Really?" Rey asks, brightening.
"Why not?"
"I'd love that!" she exclaims, "I've always wanted to learn more, but there's no one left to teach me. Wait – you have lightsabers here?"
"We do," Ahsoka replies, "Ghost-sabers, as Anakin likes to call them." She practically rolls her eyes.
"I like that word," Rey tells her, dryly.
"Of course, you would. You two are... similar."
"He said we were the same."
"On some level, yes." Ahsoka smirks suddenly, almost devilishly, "Which will make defeating you all the more fun."
"I don't think that's a fair comparison," Rey protests, but grins back, anyway. It feels like she's talking to an old friend, even if she doesn't really know Ahsoka.
She withdraws her own lightsaber, the gold blade hissing to life in her hands, as the Togruta pulls out twin white blades.
"Maybe not," Ahsoka agrees, "But I can never beat Skyguy unless he's distracted, so I'll still be able to wave this in his face."
"Skyguy?" Rey repeats, amused.
"His nickname," she replies, with a shrug, "Are you ready?"
Rey nods, and Ahsoka circles her slowly, waiting for her to make the first move. Finally, she does, swinging for her. The only one she ever had an extended duel against before was Ben, and something about the moves then had come far more naturally than they should have. Now, she wonders if it was because she was remembering another lifetime – a time when, as Anakin, he was one of the best duelists there ever was.
Her blades clash against Ahsoka's, a blur of gold against white. Ahsoka's good, and Rey can't help but think she's holding back a little. And Rey most definitely is not. She's using all the skill she's learned, and it's definitely not enough.
In a few swift moves, Ahsoka finally sends her lightsaber skittering from her hand. "That was Anakin's favorite move," she announces, cheerfully, offering Rey a hand to pull her to her feet, "I'll have to tell him –"
"I am well aware," Anakin says, amused, as he approaches.
"And unfortunately, I must agree with him that this doesn't count as beating him," Obi-Wan concurs, crossing his arms.
Rey has no idea when both of them showed up to watch – she was too focused on the duel. "I'd like to learn more," she tells them, "If you can teach me while I'm here."
"We can," Anakin says, "But you will not be here nearly long enough for... adequate lessons."
"Can you appear to me after I leave?" she asks, hopefully.
"We can appear for short periods of time," Obi-Wan offers. He's watching her, almost as though he already knows her. Likely because he does, through Anakin, and he's probably been watching her too, from... Force ghost land.
She wishes she'd have the chance to know all of them a little better.
"The time may have come for the Order to be rebuilt by something other than the ashes of the past," Qui-Gon interjects, approaching.
Yes, she's been thinking that herself, but she doesn't know anything about that. "I don't know where to start," Rey admits, "Luke and Leia didn't have long to teach me. I have so many questions."
"I'm sure we can answer some of them," Ahsoka replies.
"Like about... attachments?" she offers, "I know they're dangerous, but that – the strictness of the rules on that before is what led to both Orders falling. I..."
"There are others who should be present for this," Obi-Wan interjects.
"I will get them," Anakin offers, and he literally just blinks out of existence right in front of her.
"You can do that?" Rey asks, eyes wide. Even on Mortis? Is that like teleporting or something?
"We can," Ahsoka agrees, "We can go back and forth from anywhere here, to specific points in the living realm. Usually, only where our presences are needed or desired."
"The world of the Force does not have physical distance," Qui-Gon adds, cryptically.
A twinge runs through the Force again, and Anakin, Yoda and Luke? all appear.
"Luke?" Rey asks, heart leaping. She'd felt it when her bond with him broke, and it hurt even if... he'd died at peace, and she hadn't known him nearly as long as she had Leia.
"I expected you might find your way here eventually," he tells her, dryly.
"I – it's good to see you again," she offers. He'd still guided her, as a Force ghost, until the end, and she could never be more grateful for that. She doesn't know where she'd be, if not for that.
"A thousand generations live in you now, but this is your fight."
With everything she knows now, she thinks those words had even more meaning than she'd realized at the time.
"Mm, questions you had?" Yoda asks.
"I'm trying to rebuild the Order, but I... need to do it right. I can't let it fall again." She especially owes it to the galaxy after... after everything they went through because of Sidious, when she's a Palpatine too. Even if his actions aren't hers. "I know the rule about attachments led to the fall of both Orders, on some level, and I... I don't want to repeat that. But I know you had that role for an important reason."
The Force ghosts exchange glances.
"Dangerous, attachments are. Learn utmost control of the Force, those with its training must," Yoda replies.
"That's what brought Ben back. And... Anakin," she replies. Leia had spoken to her occasionally, about both of them, even if it was obviously painful for her.
"Yes," Leia agrees, quietly, "It was."
"It wasn't until too late that I realized I may have misinterpreted what the Jedi should have been following," Luke says, "There is a difference between... attachment and love, even if it's often hard to find the balance, with the kind of life Jedi live."
"Mm yes, attachment, selfish possession, these must not be allowed. But important to Jedi, compassion is."
Well... "So, I can let them have families, but they have to learn to control it?" Rey asks, uncertainly. There's always some level of selfishness to love, and it's not only Jedi who have to learn that. Leia had... spoken of how they have to be ready to let go when fighting, if it was entirely necessary, at times.
"Tell you what path to take, we cannot," Yoda replies, gravely, "Fell, the Order I lead, did. Guided Luke, I did, and yet the Order fell again. Follow the Force you must, to rebuild what will not fall."
"We can't tell you what path to take," Ahsoka agrees, "But with the Sith truly gone this time, the Order should be more likely to stand." Rey can only hope so.
"Perhaps the greatest problem the Order always had before was how detached they were from the people they helped," Qui-Gon speaks up, "You may need a centralized Temple, of course, for initially teaching your students, but living among the people will give you the best understanding of what they need. It will make the people more accepting, as well."
"I'll... give them a choice," Rey offers, finally. "They should be old enough to choose that it's really what they want, right?" That's really what throws her most. If people want to live the way the Jedi once did, that's their choice but it shouldn't be made for them, when they're so young.
"The Force will guide you," Anakin offers, solemnly. He's been strangely quiet, almost as though he doesn't feel comfortable sharing any opinion.
"Is there anywhere else I can go, to learn more of what the Jedi were?"
"There are still Temples that cover the galaxy, if you search for them, such as on Korduku," Qui-Gon replies, "If you want to learn more there, you can, but remember what I said. The galaxy has been transformed, and the new Jedi must be ready to adapt."
Rey nods. She has much to think about, and a lot of work to be done. But at least she feels a little more comfortable with altering the rules in a way that might be better. In the end, given the essence of Force dyads, she can't imagine how a bond that deep with someone could be wrong if the Force created them.
"Can I look around a little more before I go?" Rey asks. She should leave soon, even if she doesn't want to. The strength of the Force is becoming increasingly overwhelming.
"Sure," Ahsoka replies, "But you'd have to have a way to get around."
"I can fly in my ship... except there wouldn't be room for anyone else." And she doesn't think exploring the planet alone is a good idea.
"I can fly you," Anakin offers, suddenly.
She glances around. "You... have ships here?"
"Not flying of that nature."
What?
"Are you serious?" Ahsoka asks, dubiously.
Something about the look on his face is practically mischievous, as his form suddenly starts shifting and transforming, and the next thing she knows, there's a towering bird-like creature... that vaguely resembles how she might picture a dragon standing there.
Her eyes widen. "Whoa, you can do that?!"
"Only Skywalkers," Obi-Wan replies, flatly, "Luke and Leia have done it. Others have attempted, but they're the only ones who were able to."
"Other than the original Ones," Ahsoka adds, "I think it's a part Force thing."
"It's incredible," Rey breathes, approaching the... Anakin-bird. Its features are a strange swirl of black and... a goldish color, somewhat similar to his hair, but in feather form. "I'm... supposed to ride him?"
"If you want to go," Ahsoka replies, cheerfully, "I'll just phase along if you need me."
"I will go, as well," Obi-Wan offers, approaching.
"You're going to ride your former padawan?" she asks, dryly.
"Master Yoda did that constantly," Obi-Wan deadpans.
She throws a glance at the Jedi Master a distance away, suppressing a laugh. "I think that's a little different." She moves forwards almost awkwardly, climbing on the bird's back. It's a lot stranger when she knows she's riding a person – technically, another version of herself. Obi-Wan climbs on behind her with an ease that makes her wonder how often Anakin gives him ridiculous rides, before the bird cocks it's head, rising to its feet and spreading its wings, soaring off into the sky.
It's a very good thing she's not afraid of heights. If anything, she finds the flight exhilarating.
"It's amazing up here," Rey says.
"Just wait until he starts flying the way he does ships," Obi-Wan retorts, grumpily.
That sounds like a familiar complaint, and a laugh escapes her. It almost feels like her own amusement is looping with Anakin's, who's currently incapable of talking, but can definitely hear everything they're saying. "If it bothers you so much, why did you come?"
"Someone had to keep you from getting lost," he huffs.
That sounds like an excuse, but she opts not to call him out on it.
"What's that building over there?" Rey asks, gesturing to the towering structure on the horizon. Aside from that, the planet is covered in little but endless trees and mountains and... floating rock structures.
"It was the Father's monastery. Now it's abandoned," he replies.
"Why do those rocks float?"
"The currents of the Force flow differently around them."
She leans forwards to get a better view, letting out a startled yelp and tightening her grip on Anakin's feathers as she nearly falls when he suddenly swoops down a little lower.
"That is what I mean," Obi-Wan huffs.
"It's fun," Rey retaliates.
"You really are just like him."
She twists around, shooting him a grin, especially as he has to grab onto her to ensure that he's fully secure. "Am I?"
"The mirror image."
She can't help laughing – his annoyance is amusing, honestly. Especially when it seems mostly feigned.
"That's the Well of the Light Side," Obi-Wan comments, as they keep flying, finally going over a deep pit in the ground – water is rushing over the edge in a waterfall, and vibrant trees are growing in the meadow area below.
And the Force feels almost unimaginably Light here.
"Wow," she breathes, staring at it. "It's so... peaceful here." In a way that's different than the rest of the planet. "Is there one for the Dark Side too?"
"There is," he confirms, right as Anakin flies away from the pit, and she can sense the shifts in the Force, changing to something... darker.
She's admittedly grateful he's going there without being asked, because she's very curious to see it, but something about asking to be taken to a Dark Side nexus didn't sit very well with her. At least not when she's talking directly to a Jedi Master.
She can see into the well below, and... rivers of lava run across the walls of the cavern and all across the ground below. Despite the heat radiating all the way up to here, it sends an involuntary shiver through her. She doesn't know why, but she's always had something against lava, and the way the other two's emotions are suddenly fluxing as the bird hastily flies away from the opening...
Something flashes through her mind, perhaps transferred through their bonds. Something of fighting amidst rivers of lava, and pain, and –
"What was that?" Rey gasps, pressing a hand to her head, trying to keep her balance.
"We fought once, in a place like this," Obi-Wan replies, tone-clipped.
Fought.
Right.
Because they would've been on opposite sides like her and Ben, except the emotions Anakin and Obi-Wan feel over that are far more turbulent. Something must've gone... badly.
"Anakin, take us back," Obi-Wan requests, and the bird cocks it's head, circling around and heading back towards the Temple on the horizon.
"I'm sorry this... reminded you of that," Rey offers, lamely.
Obi-Wan doesn't reply, and something about the silence feels too heavy and strained.
"You said you came here once before?" she asks, finally opting to break it herself.
"Yes," Obi-Wan confirms, "It was then we first saw of the future, though... we did not understand it's meaning until later."
"What happened? I mean, if you're alright with talking about it."
"The Father tested Anakin, to determine if he was the Chosen One. He was able to free me and Ahsoka from the Son and Daughter, but before we could leave, the Son tried to stop us. He wanted to escape the planet. He kidnapped Ahsoka and possessed her, then went after the Father to kill him, while we tried to break the control," Obi-Wan explains.
The bird twitches, and Rey reaches out to run a hand across the feathers on his head – she has no idea how else to offer him comfort in this form, but she doesn't think it's an easy subject, even years later.
"How did you defeat him?" she queries.
"The Son killed the Daughter and the Father insisted we leave," Obi-Wan goes on, after a pause, "But Anakin was... insistent on stopping the Son before we left – perhaps wisely. But he was... possessed as well."
"Possessed?" Rey asks, almost incredulously. The literal Chosen One can be possessed? She is... very glad those Force beings aren't here anymore.
"I do not know what happened," Obi-Wan replies, "Except that he was Fallen when we confronted each other, in the Well of the Dark Side."
"Is that... what you were talking about?" The thing that they both obviously don't want to remember.
"No, that was later, in a place that looked much the same," he answers, curtly.
She probably shouldn't've brought it up again. "How did you break the Son's... possession of him?" Or however that works.
"We didn't. When I found Anakin again, he had no memory of what happened. He was able to kill the Son before we left. For a long time, we questioned if it was anything more than a vision The Council was... wary, of everything that happened there. They did not know what it meant."
"Oh," Rey murmurs, "That's... must have been quite the trip."
They finally arrive back at the Temple, and Anakin flies for the ground, landing easily and sitting down to let them both clamor off.
"You're back," Ahsoka calls, cheerfully, "And still in one piece."
"Surprisingly," Obi-Wan grumbles.
The bird shifts, transforming back into Anakin – it admittedly looks creepy.
Rey looks up at him, a silent question of if he's... alright, given everything she and Obi-Wan were discussing. His eyes meet hers, as though silently understanding the question simply through a look. Something about the way his presence flickers and burns softly seems to answer, that she shouldn't worry about it.
"You must leave soon," Qui-Gon cautions. Some of them are still milling around out here.
Rey can't deny her disappointment, even if she was thinking the same thing. "I'll be back," she promises, "... Sometime."
"I know you will be," Leia says, approaching her, "And we will watch over you. Always."
"Thank you," she tells her, sincerely, heart aching sharply. It's just... She wishes Leia was still alive. She wishes that she wasn't the only living Jedi left.
"I know you can do this. Let the Force guide you while you rebuild the Order," Leia instructs, touching her shoulder.
Rey leans forwards, wrapping her arms tightly around her again. "I'll miss you being here," she whispers.
"I miss you too, Rey. And whatever happens, never question if you deserve the name Skywalker. You are as much my child as Ben was."
Her heart clenches. Leia's never said that before, even if Rey knew it was true. She nods, firmly. "I won't forget."
She finally steps away from Leia, looking to the others still gathered.
Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon.
She wishes she could see Luke and Ben again, but they'll probably appear to her again... later.
It's these four that she never knew before, but really wishes she did, especially the younger three.
Err, technically younger.
Obi-Wan literally looks older than Qui-Gon. Why does he choose to look that old if he can look younger?
"Why do you choose to look like that?" Rey blurts.
"... What?"
"Obi-Wan, I mean, you look so old. Why do you want to, if you can look younger?" If she didn't feel like she's known him all her life, she wouldn't even ask something so rude, but seriously.
Anakin lets out a surprised laugh. "Yes, he really is an old man now."
Obi-Wan makes a seriously disgruntled noise. "It is my natural age. I see no reason to change it."
"Maybe that's because you haven't looked in the mirror recently," Ahsoka cuts in, snippily. She looks... younger than she must've been when she died. She seems to prefer that form.
"The disrespect," Obi-Wan complains dramatically.
Rey suppresses a laugh.
"I do not know how highly I can speak of the levels of respect you ever showed," Qui-Gon says, amused.
Rey really, really wishes she didn't have to leave. "I have to go now. So, I'll... see you later?"
"Good luck," Anakin tells her.
"There's no such thing as luck," Obi-Wan grumbles.
"If you need any 'saber help, I'd be happy to drop by," Ahsoka calls.
"I'd love to fight against a ghost 'saber again," she replies, grinning.
"Remember, when you look to the texts of the past, that the present is different than the time they were written for," Qui-Gon reminds.
"I won't forget. I... won't let you down." She will rebuild the Order, and it's going to be one that stands. It has to be. She can't fail the Jedi again, not after the last two Orders have fallen and so many suffered as a result.
"I know you will," Leia replies, firmly, "The time for a new beginning has finally come."
The Force sings with contentment, and Rey looks between all of them one final time. Somehow, in this moment, for as little as she knows about all of their lives, she thinks she can truly see why things had to... go like this. It was the most realistic path the Force could direct everyone on to achieve the point it needed to, without interfering directly and changing people's most likely choices – something the Force never does.
In the end, it was always Anakin who brought balance to the Force, but he wasn't able to stay to rebuild the galaxy. Even if he should've been able to, had... others helped him along the way.
In the end, the galaxy had fallen too far under the Empire to somehow transform it back into what the Republic was. Or perhaps, that was precisely the problem. Everyone was trying to make it back into what the Republic was, despite how that was where the problem arose in the first place.
It had to fall so completely, along with the Jedi Order, to the point they couldn't even be rebuilt from the ashes of the last ones. It was the only way for both to be able to stand anew. And she's been given a chance to live in that, this time as truly the last surviving Jedi, because all the others are gone now. She doesn't understand why that was necessary, but she won't question the ways of the Force.
And... at least she won't be doing it alone. She has Finn and Poe and Rose, and... her new Force ghost family, because nothing else could truly describe how she feels towards every single one of them, even if she doesn't know them well.
Yet.
It's something she really wants to correct. She memorizes their faces, Qui-Gon's mildly amused look as he watches, Ahsoka's snippy grin, Obi-Wan's... rather grumpy look that's obviously hiding his fondness, and Anakin and Leia's... peaceful happiness.
It's something none of them – or the others who aren't here right now – would truly have been able to find while they were alive. After everything they suffered trying to bring the galaxy to this point, they deserve the chance to rest.
And it's time for her to rebuild.
"May the Force be with you," Rey calls, as she climbs back into fighter, settling into the seat.
She hears an echo of the words from all of them, before she fires up the engine, flying into space.
And the next thing she knows, she's finding herself waking up face first on the dashboard again, in space.
She glances at the reading on her fighter to see how long she's been gone, and...
That's weird. Wait, hardly any time has passed? How's that possible?
Now, she can really see why Obi-Wan was saying that they thought it was vision. If she hadn't already seen Force ghosts elsewhere, she doesn't know that she'd believe it either.
But the sense of determination and calm filling her that she didn't feel before can't be questioned. She doesn't feel alone and lost anymore.
Rey calls Finn, as she prepares to make the jump to hyperspace.
"Hey, Rey," He greets, picking up the call immediately, "Is everything alright?"
"I found Mortis," she tells him, exuberantly. "It was incredible down there."
"You're already back?" Finn asks, surprised.
"Yeah, you wouldn't believe what I found."
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