A/N below.
Chapter III: Dangerous Request-
She landed the small transport at the landing platform in the familiar island. She grabbed her things from the storage closet near the exit and made her way down the ramp. She looked up at the hill remembering the first time she had arrived here and how everything looked so lush, green, and exciting. She took a deep breath and made her way up the stairs that would guide her to the Jedi village.
As she climbed the stairs she starting thinking about what she hoped to accomplish during her stay at the island. There was something that was telling her she was in the right place even though she knew that as for as she was aware all the Jedi Masters were gone.
If she were honest to herself the one thing that was an upside to arriving to an island where she had no one to teach her or guide her was the prospect that Ben Solo would be arriving, soon. He was the last person that Rey knew that was trained by an actual Jedi Master and maybe he would teach her how to channel the power that was swirling around begging to be released.
As she came into view where she was going to be staying she took a glance at the door of what had been Luke's hut. She smirked as she remembered his expression when Chewie had broken his door.
Rey walked in her own hut and placed her belongings on her bed. She dug through her bag looking for the Jedi texts she had taken from this island. She retrieved her staff and made her way back out to the Tree library that was in the opposite side of the island.
She let her thoughts drift as she walked through the familiar grassy planes. She lightly touched her lips where just few hours ago Ben had given her the slightest of kisses. If you could even call it that. She couldn't believe how changed her relationship with Ben Solo had gone and couldn't pin point why it felt so right. Her instincts were telling her that this was good but she still felt guilty that she was….fraternizing with the enemy. But was he still the enemy if was fleeing from the First Order? She had made the mistake before in assuming where his loyalties laid. This time she wouldn't make the same mistake and she will ask him what his plans were.
"Hello Rey," said a voice that she never thought she would hear again.
She looked up the slight hill she was climbing when she saw him.
"Mas- Master Luke?" It was as if he really was still alive. She walked closer to him and realized that there was a blue hue covering his silhouette. She walked around him and upon closer inspection she noticed that he wasn't completely solid you could see slightly through him.
He looked younger easily a few decades she couldn't see any grey in his sandy blonde hair definitely in his prime and slightly taller, although nowhere near as tall as Ben.
"Good to see you're back on the island," commented Luke as he motioned her to follow him.
"Master Luke how is it that you're here?" she asked completely confused as to how was it that she was able to see him. She had felt him pass away; it had been a peaceful and purposeful passing.
"I am what you can call a Force Ghost. I may not be here in the physical world but every now and then, when I'm needed I can appear to those who need guidance. Oh! here we are," he said as we came around where the Tree library was.
The tree was completely charred. Rey walked towards it and placed her hand on the base wondering why the surrounding grass had not also caught fire.
"What happened? Who did this? We were just here a few days ago!" Rey felt relieved that she was able to remove the jedi texts before she had left.
Luke chuckled as he looked up the tree a few yards away from her, "I had the intention to do it but another Jedi Master beat me to it."
Rey shook her head this couldn't be happening. Jedi Masters burning their own properties? She was under the impression there weren't any Jedi Masters left!
"Excuse me, Luke, but what?" she couldn't articulate what she was thinking but Luke seemed to understand her reaction.
Luke took a seat on the grass and patted the spot in front of him, "come Rey take a seat and I'll tell you why I'm here. I can definitely sense that you have questions."
Rey took a deep breath and joined him, placing the texts and her staff next to her.
"I owe you an apology. I was too dismissive of you and should've in the very least helped you how to channel that power you have. So now, I, amongst others have been assigned to you and one more student, as Masters," he said offering her a bright smile.
Rey frowned, "Amongst others? Which other student?"
Luke nodded, " There's at least one more person who will join me in teaching you the ways of the force. And you know this other student and if I'm wrong I think he will be joining us in a few hours."
Rey felt her jaw drop. Surely Luke wasn't suggesting that Ben Solo become his student once again, there's no way that the after life had made this man so dense.
"Luke, I really don't think Ben — you know, the guy that burnt your academy to the ground because you helped create Kylo Ren— would ever accept to become your student. Ever."
"You're right, which is why I won't be the only one instructing the both of you. There will be others," he reassured.
"I can tell you right now Luke that he won't show," she muttered, looking down to the grass.
"He will if you ask him," suggested Luke
"Are you insane old man?! I can't get him to do anything! I've underestimated Ben Solo and Kylo Ren enough to know that. I'm sorry but I won't force him here," she crossed her arms to her chest.
Luke sighed, "Rey, you and Ben have been given a unique bond that if both of you don't study it and harness it correctly it can actually hurt you both. Just bring him tomorrow to the Jedi temple at sunrise and we could explain more. Here I'll even tell you who the other Master is, and believe me, Ben is a fan," he winked at her.
"Who is it?" Rey asked suspiciously.
He was surprised to not see the Falcon at the landing dock for the island when he arrived. He expertly landed his own slightly bigger transport next to Rey's ship. He grabbed his things from the co pilots seat and made his way out of the ship. As he walked down the ramp he looked up to the sky, it had been awhile since he's seen sunset, he took a second to enjoy the horizon.
He had been successful in escaping from the Finalizer without anyone detecting that he had escaped. He had sold and purchased a new transport in the planet of Coruscant where he disguised himself to avoid any type of detection. He had communicated to Rey after he had taken off with his new acquirement.
As he climbed the stairs he looked around the cliffs that surrounded that section of the island. To think this was the location that a month ago, would've been surrounded by the First Order hunting down his dear old uncle, Luke Skywalker, The Last Jedi, what a joke that was. And now here he was, a traitor to the First Order and in hiding with a scavenger from Jakku whom he just happens to share a force bond with.
"Hello there," said a feminine voice
He looked up and right in front of him stood Rey. He actually felt his heart skip a beat he internally rolled his eyes at himself.
"Nice island," he replied as he followed her up the remaining stairs.
She dimpled, "Yeah, beats staying at a massive ship in space."
He gave her a small smile in response. They came into a clearing with a few dome sized huts that appear to be empty. Rey escorted him to one that was slightly in the back and took him inside the hut.
"This is yours. For the most part the keepers of the place give you your space and don't get in the way. Just don't break anything," she instructed as she made her way out.
The hut was nothing extraordinary. It contained a bed which most likely he wont be able to fit in comfortably and one desk and one chair. He threw his bags on the floor and looked at Rey who was watching him, apprehensively.
He raised an eyebrow at her, "Everything okay, Scavenger?"
She was biting her lip thoughtfully, "I gotta talk to you about something and I don't think you'll like it," she answered truthfully
He made his way to stand in front of her, "Spit it out."
Rey shook her head, "Not now, I'm hungry. Come on I got a fish cooking," she turned around and walked towards one of the neighboring huts. Ben took a deep breath and followed her.
They walked into what he assumed at Rey's hut and inside she had a fire cooking a fish.
"Is this wise? Cooking inside your own hut?" he asked her skeptically, leaning against her wall as she started slicing up the fish.
She shrugged and offered him a plate which he politely accepted. He sat on her while she sat on her chair. They started eating in silence and every now and then Ben would catch her staring at him.
He didn't want probe into her mind and see what was wrong with her but he was tempted to reach out to their bond and see what was going on in there. He studied her face and noticed that her eye color was darkest he's ever seen it. There was no lightness in it which made him feel unsettled.
"Rey, I'm trying really hard to remain patient but you gotta tell me what's going on. Are you regretting inviting me here?" he leaned towards her, gaging her reaction.
"Absolutely not, I am incredibly glad that you're here," she clarified, she took a deep breath, "Luke reached out to me today."
Ben stared at her, "He did what?"
"He said he was now a force ghost. A force ghost that was going to help me and one other student here on this island," she said, avoiding eye contact.
Ben raised an eyebrow, "Another student?" He knew that light siders could manifest as force ghost, occasionally. What he didn't understand was why was he interested in training Rey now? And who else was he supposed to train?
"You," Rey whispered
Ben didn't feel himself standing up and making his way out of the hut. He also didn't realize that the sun had completely set and it was now pouring rain as he made his way back to the hut that belonged to him.
"Ben! Please let me explain!"
Ben entered his hut and turned around to face Rey.
"Is this a trap? Is this why you invited me here? To get tortured once more by Skywalker?" he roared as he backed away from Rey.
He could see that his reaction to her news had scared her but he didn't know what else to make of the situation. He sensed her invitation to join her here on the island had been completely genuine. But how was it possible that Rey would even consider that he would once again succumb to Skywalker. After what he had tried to do when he was his student back at the jedi temple.
"Ben, Ben please listen! I didn't even know what a force ghost was! I had no idea I would ever see Luke again! I told Luke you wouldn't come but he insisted I tell you! Look into my mind and you'll see everything!" She walked towards him and grabbed his hands and placed it on both sides of her face.
"Look inside, please," she whispered, her eyes pleading.
Ben took a deep breath and looked at Rey. He felt a pang of guilt when he realized that she had tears streaming down her pretty face her eyes desperately looking at his.
"No Rey, I wont invade your mind like that again," he whispered to her, wiping her tears from her eyes.
Rey started shaking her head, "Then through the bond, I"ll show it to you through there, please I hate misunderstandings," she closed her eyes and Ben could feel her calling him through their bond.
He sighed, kissed her forehead and closed his eyes and reached out to her.
He could see Rey and a younger version of Luke sitting down by a burnt tree having a discussion. He got a little closer to he could hear better.
" There's at least one more person who will join me in teaching you the ways of the force. And you know this other student and if I'm wrong I think he will be joining us in a few hours."
Ben saw Rey's jaw slightly sag as she shook her head.
"Luke, I really don't think Ben — you know, the guy that burnt your academy to the ground because you helped create Kylo Ren— would ever accept to become your student. Ever."
"You're right, which is why I won't be the only one instructing the both of you. There will be others," he reassured.
"I can tell you right now Luke that he won't show," she said….
"He will if you ask him," suggested Luke
"Are you insane old man?! I can't get him to do anything! I've underestimated Ben Solo and Kylo Ren enough to know that. I'm sorry but I won't force him here," she crossed her arms to her chest looking attractively defiant…
Luke sighed, "Rey, you and Ben have been given a unique bond that if both of you don't study it and harness it correctly it can actually hurt you both. Just bring him tomorrow to the Jedi temple at sunrise and we could explain more."
Ben opened his eyes to find Rey looking up at him nervously. Ben moved his hands from her face down to her neck. He gently placed a kiss to her cheek then moved to her ear and whispered, "Thank you for standing up for me," and moved to kiss her lower jaw. He felt her tremble. He took a step back from her and realized that she was wet, he looked outside and the rain had stopped.
"Lets get you back in your hut to dry you off," he let go off her but Rey grabbed his hand and they walked hand in hand to her hut.
As they entered the hut Rey and Ben sat on the bed facing the fire.
"I'm sorry for reacting the way I did," Ben mumbled, not accustomed to apologizing for his explosive reactions.
Rey shifted her whole body to look at him, "You don't have to go," she reassured him as she grabbed his hand with both of hers.
"I don't know Rey, if this force bond can turn dangerous I would want to know," — he sighed—"I guess it doesn't hurt to hear what he has to say," he mumbled. Tomorrow was going to be a taxing day but hopefully with Rey by his side things would turn out better.
Rey nodded still looking worried. Ben decided to change the subject.
"Well, turns out you can get me to things," he slightly teased as he grinned at her.
Rey shook her head hiding her eyes, "Not true, I can't get you to kiss me," she mumbled.
Ben was surprised to hear her say that out loud. His body reacted to her accusation and immediately wanted to rectify her complain.
He tilted her chin forward so he could look at her eyes, "You want me to kiss you, Rey?"
Her expressive eyes were clearly telling him that she did. Her lips were slightly open begging for attention, she nodded.
Ben raised his free hand and tucked a stray tendril to her ear, lightly cupping her cheek as he leaned in closer Rey closed her eyes and Ben changed his course and kissed her nose instead of her pouting mouth.
Ben pulled back and watched her reaction. Her eyes opened in surprise and when she saw him smirking he was pretty sure he heard her growl before she grabbed his face and pulled his lips to hers.
Their lips crashed together and the force surrounding them was humming approvingly. Ben kissed her back softly as she grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him towards her, moaning.
Authors Note: Thanks for all the support! Next chapter won't be up as quickly but it should be within 3-4 days