Rey sat on a stone bench inside of the dilapidated Jedi temple, squeezing rainwater out of her vest. She continued to mull over the information she had received. When she had first recognized the Force bond between herself and Kylo Ren, she had just wanted him to go away. Then, she wanted answers. Was it right to now exploit the bond for intel?
Of course it is. As much pity as she had for lost Ben Solo, the First Order would spread a reign of cruelty across the galaxy if they were left unchecked.
There was a chasm in her mind between the pained man and the empire he now commanded. Even as he had seized control of his dead mentor's legacy, it had felt unreal. How could the wounded boy who'd shared her search for belonging allow himself to be twisted into exactly what Snoke would have wanted? She had been so sure he had only wanted as escape...
Rey's brow furrowed. She had been doing her best to not think about Ben right now, but that was easier said than done when she couldn't keep his face from her mind.
She was being haunted.
There was now a puddle on the rock tiles beneath her dampened vest. Across the great hall, there were looming carvings, vague swirls of light and darkness, representing the teachings of the Jedi order.
Rey peered up at them, as she had many times by now, trying to gain some meaning out of them - but as far as art went, it was meaningless to her. Lazy interlocking circles, winding trails of wind or water, the clay paint long chipped and faded, leaving a colorless mass in its wake.
She nearly jumped when an ancient stone door creaked open nearby.
The stern, petite Lieutenant Connix stepped out, trailed by the General in a draping purple shawl. Connix was gesturing at a holopad, in the middle of a debriefing session.
"We've been able to contact the base back on Kashyyyk, but they're going to need to do a supply run before they can get to us. I'll keep you posted."
Leia nodded, her elaborate updo the very picture of refinement. "Thank you, Lieutenant." As they passed Rey, Leia glanced down, narrowing her eyes. "Don't you have a change of clothes?"
Rey shrugged, sheepish. "Yes. They're wet, too."
Connix gave a slight, amused smile as Leia sighed, gesturing for Rey to follow her. "Come along."
Rey stood up, giving her vest a final shake. The Lieutenant returned to her post in one of the many rooms of worship, and Leia led Rey down to the priory the Resistance had been using as their barracks. She pulled open a nearby trunk, businesslike and brisk.
Rey peered over, curiously, as she rummaged through an assortment of gowns and cloaks, most of which were either white or black. "Where did those come from?"
"Ceremonial garb, back from when the temple was open."
"But some of those look..." She trailed off, unsure.
Leia arched a brow. "Black, morose, and like they belong in a Sith lord's closet? I know. I have a theory that some of their festivals must have had participants representing both sides of the Force. Or perhaps they didn't strictly color code their morality. Luke always liked wearing black, you know." A moment of uneasy silence settled over them. The two of them had both felt Luke pass on shortly after his confrontation on Crait. It had been as if a vast, yawning void had pulled at the Force, only to quickly be filled with a burst of energy.
Somehow, Rey knew it had been peaceful, and that he had embraced the end with a sense of relief. If Leia were half as intuitive as she thought, she knew she had felt the same. However, it had been difficult to look her in the eye. She had suffered so much loss, and though the General remained wry and stoic, it must have been yet another blow to lose her brother.
Finally, Leia spoke.
"Thank you for finding him."
Rey swallowed hard. Her last conversation with the old master had been punctuated with lightsaber blows, as she had been struck with the knowledge that he'd failed Ben, but even she had felt the momentous blow of his light snuffing out. It seemed to be the end of an era. The last Jedi.
"I barely even had a chance to know him," she admitted. He wasn't what I expected. Maybe there were no wise elders who could guide your way. Wherever her fate would lead, she couldn't rely on teachings or scrolls. Just herself.
The thought was terrifying.
Leia said nothing, putting out a simple brown tunic and leggings. "Here we are." They looked as though they must be for training.
Rey took them, shooting Leia a grateful smile. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it, kid." With a pained sigh, Leia rose to her feet. There was a strength in the brittle old woman, a fire that had kept true, marking her as one of the last heroes of the Rebellion. "Don't forget to take care of yourself. I know it's tempting to abandon your worldly comforts on your grand spiritual quest, but you're still a person." Her lip quirked, sardonically.
Rey nodded, and Leia brushed off her voluminous skirts, turning to leave. "General Organa-" She looked back. "Luke had another lightsaber, didn't he? After he lost the first one?"
Leia paused, thoughtful. "He did. At this point, I'm not sure where it is, but it must be still out there."
It was the last thing Rey wanted to look for. Picturing its light shining on his student's face the night of the massacre gave her an instant rush of nausea. "How did he get it?"
"He built it himself."
Rey gawked at her. Alone?
"All the Jedi did," Leia continued. "From what I've heard, it's not hard, once you find a kyber crystal to channel the energy. If I'd ever had any need for swinging a blade at anyone, I would have done it myself, but it never felt like the right fit." Her smile turned nostalgic. "Reach out to the Force, Rey. Don't overthink it. You'll be armed again in no time."
There was more to be said, with the shadow of Ben Solo looming over both of them, but it was left hanging in the air as the general departed.
Rey awoke late in the night, overwhelmed with the realization she wasn't alone.
Her room was scarcely larger than a cell, containing only a sparse cot intended for teaching a Padawan humility, but Rey had never known a soft bed, so it suited her just fine. She pushed back her bantha wool blanket, sitting upright.
He was sitting up in bed, staring back at her.
"Couldn't sleep?" Her words had more an edge to them than she had intended. She blinked, groggily, and registered that he was shirtless again. A flush crept over her face, and she averted her eyes. Fortunately, his own sleek black sheets obscured most of it, his heavily muscled arms crossed over his chest.
He ignored her mocking question. "Could you sense I was here?"
"Yes." After a moment's pause, she asked, "How long have you been here?"
"Not long." His answer was short and businesslike. As if it were purely a professional curiosity that they were both encountering one another in bed.
There was an awkward pause, and although Rey was still wearing the training tunic from earlier, she pulled up her sheets self-consciously. There was an unnerving intimacy in all this.
When she had seen Kylo Ren remove his mask for the first time, he seemed impossible to understand. A monster in the guise of a handsome young man. Now, the thought was laughable. There was an agony etched in the set of his features, his hooded eyes turbulent with years of sorrow. She could see his disappointment in her now.
I'm the one who has a reason to be disappointed, she thought, and, straightening her shoulders, returned the stare with a defiant tilt of her chin.
"You should go to bed," she stated.
"So should you."
An impasse. As always. "You look like you need it more." He scoffed, and for a moment she thought he would laugh. She couldn't imagine how it would sound. There was a silence between them, but not an uncomfortable one - shocking, considering their awkward circumstances.
Biting her lip, she hesitated. It seemed almost like a risk to attempt to learn anything from him at this point, but she did it anyway. He watched her carefully as she spoke. "You made your own lightsaber."
"Yes." There was a nearly imperceptible furrow of his brows.
It made sense, now that she thought about it. A fizzle of raw, crackling energy, split off in multiple directions... Powerful, but unpredictable. It suited him. She mulled over this.
"I could help you."
Her head snapped back up. "You could," she stated simply. "But I'm going to do it myself." She was beginning to feel almost as confident as she sounded.
He gave her a slight nod. Only a short time before, she could have picturing him arguing with her, proclaiming she needed his guidance.
So much had changed between them, and so little, all at once. They were still stars apart, in a Jedi temple and a First Order ship. She had a hundred questions for him, but there was a rift, and it was hard to tell what could be said. His own time in a Jedi temple had ended in pain and ashes. Where was there to go from there?
Finally, she laid back down, rolling over. From here, she couldn't see him anymore, but his presence was still a tangible energy, humming around her.
I came back for you. I wanted to save you.
She blinked hard, pulling her sheet tighter over herself. He said nothing more, but she continued to feel his presence near her long after she'd fallen asleep.
