I do not own Star Wars

Chapter 8

Luke was proving to be a very sly and intense opponent as both him and Rey dueled with the wooden staves. They both agreed to go straight into the fighting aspect of it all to see what skills she had acquired throughout her youth. It only took a few seconds for Rey to realize that Luke had no intention of holding back.

Bruises were already blossoming on her arms, legs, and torso from the blunt blows. To make it stop, all she had to do was land one hit, but she couldn't even do that. Luke's movements were so fluid and quick, that predicting his next decision was proving to be immensely difficult.

His age had made her underestimate him.

Rey went in to strike his shoulder, but he parried her thrust, pivoted, and struck her across the back. She fell onto one knee, grunting out in pain, twisting her face in anger.

"You must control your anger. You're becoming reckless and not efficiently thinking through your attacks." Luke circled Rey while keeping the staff pointed downward. He wore his traditional Jedi robes, but took off his cloak to move around more freely. "Focus on centering yourself in the Force. Let it guide you through the duel. The Force can help you anticipate your opponent's next move."

With her arm guards, she wiped away the sweat covering her brow, wondering how long they'd been fighting. It had to have been at least a few hours. The tremors in her arms had started to make gripping the wood more difficult.

Actual lightsabers are not even this heavy, she thought sharply.

"That should be enough for today," Luke declared, his breathing not even labored. "I was able to get a good feel for your fighting style." Rey slowly got to her feet, her body screaming at her to lie down for at least a week. But she needed to push beyond her limits if she was to become stronger.

"Lets make our way over to the huts," Luke suggested. "We can have some dried fish to hold us over till dinner. And I can teach you of the seven main forms of lightsaber combat. You already implement a few of them into your fighting quite well, actually."

Rey rubbed her back as she walked beside Luke, grimacing as her fingers massaged an incoming welt. "I couldn't even get one hit on you. I can't be implementing much of anything into the way I fight."

Luke smiled at her softly. "The Force helps a lot with being able to expect your adversary's moves. You also need to remember I've been practicing for decades. Don't be too hard on yourself." But Rey had always been critical of her capabilities. She'd fought hard to be the best scavenger on Jakku and to earn the reputation of being an arduous warrior. She had felt safer knowing her abilities were revered and feared.

Now, she felt small and unprepared.

She desperately needed to become more than capable of fighting with a lightsaber. Her life depended on it. Even if she had hope that Kylo Ren could turn back from the darkness, she wasn't about to lie down and let herself get lazy. Giving up was not her style.

Once Rey was able to eat some protein and sit down for a bit, she started to feel her strength return. Her arms started to make a comeback since she could now lift them without wincing.

After filling their bellies, the master and apprentice lounged on the grassy hill outside the hut, reveling in the clear, sunny day.

"So," Luke chewed and swallowed the last bit of fish, "lets go over the duel." Rey sat up, turning toward Master Skywalker. His fingers ran through his beard as he continued with the assessment. "As I said before, there are seven main forms of lightsaber combat. Eventually you'll want to master all of them, but usually, you gravitate towards the forms that fit you the best. I'm pretty sure I can tell which you prefer to fight with." Rey was hanging on Luke's every word. She needed to know in what ways she could improve herself as a fighter.

A soft breeze tousled the grass as it pushed passed them.

"You seem to fight more predominantly with forms three and five. Form three is mainly defensive, where you keep the saber close to your body. You implemented that one very well. You showed patience in waiting for me to give you an opening, and you did parry my attacks quickly." The bruises on Rey's body felt like they were contradicting that last statement. She didn't think she'd been doing much defending during their duel.

"Form five is based on manipulating an opponents attack and using their strength against them. In the process, the opponent exudes too much of their energy while you've been preserving yours. This gives you the chance to strike back and defeat them." A sense of excitement seemed to overtake Luke's demeanor and he smiled at her. "I think this is the perfect form for you. You already fight with it extremely well, and it fits into your stature."

Rey looked at the Jedi Master in confusion. "My stature?"

"Yes." Luke looked down at the ground and grinned sheepishly. "Every single Jedi has had to learn how to work with their own weaknesses. So, I don't want you to take what I say next the wrong way, but how lean you are can work against you." He paused, considering his words so his student would understand. "Throughout our duel, I noticed you'd try and implement another style. Form seven, which focuses on pure attack and no defense. It's all about ferocity and overwhelming your opponent to where they have no time to react. Trying to fight this way could have disastrous consequences for you. Especially if you end up fighting Kylo Ren again."

Thinking back to her fight with Kylo in the snow, Rey knew she defeated him by unleashing her ferocity while going on the offensive. She put all her anger and desperation into pushing him to defend himself, and it had taken him by surprise. She had savored fighting that way, of overpowering her opponent and watching him fear her. But just as fast as her enjoyment came, it left after she heard a sinister voice whisper in her mind to kill her unarmed enemy. She shied away from the thought, realizing how much hate had threatened to consume her.

"Form seven is mainly used by dark side users, isn't it?" she asked.

Luke nodded grimly, and explained how his nephew always wanted to implement the technique when training. Rey had witnessed first hand how good he was with attacking aggressively.

"Jedi have been known to use the form. However, it's rarely used because of the effect on the one using it. It can lead to the Dark side if you're not careful."

Rey recalled when the fight turned in her favor. She had teetered on the edge of the Dark side; felt how addicting it could be. Even now, she couldn't deny that she craved that power again so she could strike down her enemies. She knew that the Dark side had given her a false sense of security and safety when she was thinking about killing Kylo.

"If there is one thing I know that hasn't changed with my nephew, it's that he still holds himself to a rigorous training program. He's very well conditioned, Rey. And he's almost twice your size. Being aggressive with him could get you killed if you two ever come face to face again. You must manipulate him into tiring himself out. You have to resist using your anger and hate on him."

"I understand, Master." Rey gazed past Luke at the beautiful green trees swaying in the wind. She couldn't help being afraid at the prospect of meeting Kylo in battle again. Dreams were not reality, so she did not fear them. But if Kylo happened to be standing in front of her at this very moment, she would more than likely panic, forgetting all about the hope she felt for the man.

I need to learn more. Fast.

"Do not let fear consume you, Rey." Even though Luke couldn't feel her emotions, the fear and uncertainty was evident on Rey' face. "I'll be with you every step of the way. I won't set you up to fail. You have a natural gift with the Force that not many have had before." Rey glanced down at her hands resting on her knees. She wasn't used to compliments and reflexively shied away from them, but it did help her feel a little better.

"When we're training, I want you to push me hard. I need to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible." Rey lifted her head and stared hard at Master Skywalker, conveying the seriousness of her statement by hardening her gaze. "Whatever training schedule you've made for me, make it more difficult. I want it to be almost impossible to accomplish."

Luke studied her intently and agreed to her demands. "Well, I was going to have you run the island stairs a few times before dinner."

"I'll make it five."

This was going to kill her legs, but Rey believed it to be necessary. Her joints cracked and her muscles strained as she stood up too fast, but she accepted that she was probably going to feel that way for a while.

"My nephew may be physically stronger than you, but you'll be more than capable of keeping up with him in a fight." Luke pivoted, nodding at her to begin as he went in the direction of his home. Rey ran over to the steps, but paused as Luke called out to her to tell Chewie to eat with them later. She acknowledged the request before taking her first few steps down the island's many stairs.

I can do this. I can do this.

()()()()()

"Okay. You're doing great, Finn. Almost there." Dr. Kalonia stood at the end of parallel bars as Finn picked up his right leg to take a step. He gripped the metal rods as if they were a lifeline, intensely focusing on the doctor ahead. Poe's presence was close behind, ready to catch him if he fell – which was a lot. His upper body was already trembling with having to hold all of his weight for so long, but he refused to give up.

If he had his wish, he would make use of the parallel bars every second he was awake. But Dr. Kalonia advised him to rest for at least five hours a day.

They settled on two.

Finn strained to breathe through his teeth, willing himself to make it just a few more feet.

Keep going. Do not give up.

Once at the end, he collapsed as Poe caught him underneath the arms. One of the nurses brought over his hover chair and Poe helped him get situated, the whole thing making him feel weak and embarrassed.

Finn focused on controlling his rapidly beating heart as he wiped the sweat from his face. All this rehabilitation felt equivalent to hiking up the highest peek on Oosalon instead of trying to do something as basic as walking. Mood souring as it usually did, Finn wondered if he would even be able to run again. Just because he was progressing with walking, didn't mean he would gain back all functionality in his legs.

"Man, you're recovering so well!" Poe exclaimed. "Each day you get stronger and go farther. You'll be walking in not time. Guaranteed."

Poe's excitement was usually contagious, but not this time.

Finn didn't want to be going through any of this, didn't want to feel like a child taking his first steps.

He wanted to be walking. Right now. He wanted to be out there in the galaxy, fighting the First Order. Instead, he was trapped by the limitations of his own injured body. Every waking minute of every day, he was reminded of that horrific fight on Starkiller Base. Sleep didn't even offer much of an escape. That fight visited his dreams every night and in it, he saw the face of Kylo Ren, mocking him.

Dr. Kalonia handed him a glass of water, complimenting him on his amazing progress. "If you could just take off your shirt for a moment, I'd like to check your spinal implant." His hands and arms went on autopilot, because this was the protocol every time he rested after therapy. "If you could bend over slightly – perfect." Cold fingers brushed against the skin around the implant, causing him to shiver. The metal covering his spine ran from the base of his neck, all the way down to his tailbone, the thin alloy only sticking out of his skin by a few centimeters. It was mostly undetectable, the flexibility of the implant making it so it didn't obstruct his movements.

It was more noticeable at night when he was trying to sleep. But if it made the possibility of walking a reality, he'd gladly take a small amount of discomfort.

As he waited for Kalonia to finish, his mind was drawn back to when he first woke up after blacking out on Starkiller. He remembered languidly opening his eyes to the bright lights of the ceiling, feeling disoriented and panicked. He called out for Rey, thinking she was dead, thinking he needed to find her. Luckily Poe was there to keep him from immersing into a full on panic attack. His friend explained to him how Rey had defeated Kylo Ren and how Starkiller base was destroyed. Poe didn't try to hide his satisfaction in knowing Kylo Ren was officially dead, and Finn was openly relieved about it as well. But something in the back of his awareness kept scratching at him. It was the tiniest thought that Kylo somehow miraculously survived.

He figured the guy had a lot in common with a cockroach, but Finn kept shooting down those thoughts as being ridiculous.

When Dr. Kalonia came in, he was told about the implant and how detrimental it was to reestablishing a nerve connection. The lightsaber burned through the nerves just right of his spine. If it had directly hit his spinal column, he would've died instantly. After the initial shock of his prognosis was explained, plans were already starting to take shape in his mind. Not one to stay still for long, he vowed to do whatever it took to get his legs back so he could be a soldier for the Resistance.

"Okay. You can put your shirt back on." Dr. Kalonia grabbed Finn's chart and started to write down her observations while Finn covered his torso. "Everything looks in tip top shape. Your skin is healing nicely around the implant, and you're making great progress in such a short amount of time. Come back in the evening and we'll pick up where we've left off."

Poe clapped his friend's shoulders from behind, smiling at the doctor. "Okay, pal. I say it's time for some lunch. You need to keep your strength up, and I'm starving." Poe started to walk to the automated door, but stopped once he realized Finn hadn't moved.

"I want to go again." Finn kept his gaze straight ahead as he watched Poe slowly turn around.

Finn looked up at Poe, all the excitement from the moment before now gone from his friends face.

"No." Poe's voice was stern as he crossed his arms. Dr. Kalonia stayed off to the side, watching the two men interact patiently.

Finn switched on the operating controls, attempting to turn the chair around, but Poe grabbed onto the armrests to stop him. "Finn, you've been at this for four hours straight. You need to eat. If you keep going on like this, you could injure yourself more. Dr. Kalonia has explained this to you a dozen times already." Finn glared at Poe defiantly, not appreciating being talked to like an infant, but the pilot didn't back down.

And neither did he.

"I'm going again." Finn shoved Poe's hands away and tried to go towards the bars. Poe grasped onto his shoulder and something inside Finn snapped from being held back from his goal. He pushed against Poe's chest out of frustration, sending him toppling into a tray. Medical instruments crashed to the ground as Poe's arms shot out to catch his fall. Everyone in the room froze, the shock of the situation grappling onto the pilot's face.

As he slowly stood up, Poe's eyes hardened upon his friend.

"Poe-"

"Don't," Poe snapped at Finn. He straightened his shirt and jacket while trying to resist the urge to let out his anger. Hair disheveled, he made no attempts at brushing it back. "You want to injure yourself, fine. But I'm not going to stay here and watch." Poe strolled out the door and disappeared.

Finn sat in the chair, regretting the situation that had just transpired. He watched Dr. Kalonia and a nurse clean up the mess he made, hating his inability to help them. He despised feeling sorry for himself. It made him feel weaker than he already was.

"I think I'm gonna go get some air." He barreled through the exit, guiding himself to the closest balcony for a view of the outdoors. The chill of the air hit his face as he hovered out onto the little terrace. Stopping at the edge, he took in the beauty of the snow-covered planet. Unlike Starkiller base, Carlac had unique and twisted trees, with pink blossoms covering the wiry branches, giving the terrain an exotic look he'd never seen before.

He still found it ironic that he went from working on one snow covered base to living on another.

Every time he saw the snow, his mind would always think about that penultimate fight from before. He'd been so afraid when he came upon that demon in the snow, but somehow, he felt stronger knowing Rey was standing beside him. That strength was quickly taken as Kylo Ren sent her flying into a tree, his heart plummeting in overwhelming dread.

He'd heard stories throughout the years of how unstable and murderous Kylo Ren was, and now he was witnessing it first hand.

In that moment, holding Rey's small head and trying to will her awake, he'd accepted his fear and ultimate death at the hands of that monster. But he couldn't bear the thought of Rey being killed by that red lightsaber. So, maybe, he could fight him off long enough for Rey to wake up, flee, and find the Falcon. Once Kylo branded him a traitor, Finn was able to focus his anger and stand against him, accepting his impending fate.

The fight seemed to last forever, but Finn knew it was probably only a couple minutes. He could tell Ren was holding back and toying with him, but Finn actually was thankful for it.

It gave Rey more time to get away from that murderous man.

Finn touched his right shoulder, the scar of the lightsaber burn still hurting whenever he moved his arm. It probably always would. The wound went deep into the flesh and bone, and no matter how many bacta treatments, it didn't heal all the way. The pain had been excruciating and the smell of his own burnt skin had made bile climb up his throat, threatening to come out as he screamed in agony. He'd landed one hit on that bastard before finally being bested and blacking out. Ever since he woke a few days later, he'd been living in his own personal hell.

He couldn't walk, no one would tell him anything, and Rey was gone.

Finn rested his head in his hands as he thought about her. He missed Rey so much that thinking about her made him more depressed, if that was even possible. They'd been through so much together, a friendship forming out of their shared hardships. Now, she was light-years away, training to be a Jedi. He was proud of her for choosing such a noble life, but he just wished he could go down that path with her. He desperately needed to talk with her again, but since the base relocation to Carlac, the comms station was having problems setting everything up.

And to add more to the list, he'd hurt Poe by lashing out at him. He knew Poe didn't deserve to be treated that way. If it hadn't been for him, Finn would've gone insane by now. Poe was always with him when he did his physical therapy, and even moved Finn out of the medical facility to bunk with him. According to Poe, living in the med bay was not doing any favors for his mood, which was accurate. At least he felt a little more independent living away from the doctors and nurses. But he still relied on Poe's help more than he preferred.

Poe's been an amazing friend... and I screwed that up.

Finn knew he needed to apologize for his actions, but he didn't want to go to the mess hall where he would potentially be forced to make small talk with other people. So he decided to make his way back to their room, hoping Poe would be there.

No one stopped him as he went thought the halls, much to his satisfaction.

After the first day of being awake, he quickly grew tired of people calling him a hero for the role he played in blowing up Starkiller base and saving the Illenium System. None of them knew that the real reason he went on that mission was to get Rey out of there. Somehow, finding a way to obliterate Starkiller hadn't been at the top of his priority list. He just went along with Han's plans in the end.

Han…

He shut that thought down before it got any traction.

Finn slowed as he came upon the bedroom door. As he glided himself inside, he saw Poe sitting at the desk against the wall.

"I didn't think you'd come here so quickly." Poe's voice held no frustration or anger, only concern for his friend. "I thought you wanted to work the bars some more."

Finn shook his head as he looked down at his lap. "You're right. I shouldn't push myself too hard." He paused, neither of them saying anything to fill the awkward silence. Then: "Poe–"

"It's okay. I know." Finn lifted his head and saw a small smile play along Poe's lips. "Look, Finn. I can't begin to understand how you feel, but I do see how your situation has impacted you." Poe turned his whole chair around as Finn patiently listened to Poe voice his concerns. "I'm worried about you, man. You keep everything in and refuse to talk to someone about what you're going through. You refuse to talk about what happened on that base when I know for a fact it's bothering you. I hear you yell in your sleep... and I know you have nightmares about the bastard who put you in that chair." Poe took a deep breath to calm himself down, but he didn't stop talking. He wanted to get everything out in the open.

"I don't want you to be a slave to that fear you have against Kylo Ren." Finn opened his mouth to protest, but Poe cut him off. "I know that man has affected you not just physically, but mentally. Hell, I'm not gonna deny that the nutcase freaked me out too. I just… I don't want your circumstances to change you into a person I no longer recognize." Poe looked around the room, looking for the right words to end his ramblings. "I miss my friend." He let out a long sigh and looked straight at Finn. "That's it. That's all I got."

Finn didn't know what to say. He'd been letting his fear hurt him and drive him to be reckless – he could see that now. And he didn't realize how much of his demeanor had hurt Poe... that his friend knew about his nightmares. He honestly thought Rey was the only person he could talk to about his anxiety, but after Poe showed such concern for him, he knew he didn't need Rey to be there. He had another person waiting to help, and Finn decided he would let him.

"Have you eaten yet?" Finn asked. Poe shook his head. "Lets go down to the mess. I'm famished." Poe smiled as he jumped out of the chair and walked out of the room next to him. Poe squeezed Finn's shoulder as they rounded a hallway corner.

"You're gonna be fine, buddy. You'll walk on your own again, and I'm gonna help you get there."

()()()()()

"How are you feeling?" Luke asked Rey as he stirred the soup over the fire. Rey was resting on the dirt floor of Luke's hut, staring up at the clay ceiling, wondering if she was alive. Her clothes were completely saturated in sweat, but she didn't feel the need to change since they were just going to do some more training after dinner. Hell, she was pretty sure she smelled weird, but she just couldn't make herself care.

"Are my legs still attached to my body?" she asked him weakly.

Luke chuckled and glanced at her. "Yes, they still are. Can't feel them?"

"I can't decide if what I'm feeling is numbness, or immense pain. We'll see if I can even walk tomorrow." Rey had ran up and down the island stairs, just like Luke commanded her to do. When she was feeling weak, she pushed herself harder. When she wanted to stop, she ignored the pain and kept going.

"The food's ready if you want to grab a bowl." Rey grunted as she stood and walked over to the stack of wooden dishes on the table. Chewie entered to join them. He asked Rey how her day had been so far as he sat down and accepted a filled dish from Luke.

"It's been challenging, but that's what I asked for. Need to be ready for whatever comes next." Taking a heaping bite of the meaty soup, she reveled in the exquisite taste, wiping the broth that dripped down her chin. Any food that wasn't rations from Jakku still shocked her taste buds, but in a good way. So far, everything she's tried had tasted phenomenal, and as long as she never had to eat those bland provisions ever again, she wouldn't complain.

Rey swallowed before asking, "What are the plans for tonight?"

"Moving objects with the Force."

Her eyes grew wide and she barely chewed her food as she swallowed in eagerness. The only time she ever moved anything without touching it, was when she called the lightsaber to her. She recalled how she just knew that if she reached out for it, the saber would fly into her hands.

"Aaaaagh ragh aagh raaagh ragh." Communcations have been established with the new base, if you want to talk to anyone later.

"Mmmm." Rey put her hand up to her mouth, gulping down the food. "I would love to talk to Finn before going to bed." She turned toward the Jedi Master. "Were you wanting to talk to the Leia before I get on?" she inquired of Luke, but he seemed to not be listening to the conversation. "Master?" Luke's eyes snapped up at Rey.

"Oh. Yes. I can talk to my sister first." He went back to eating his food, seeming to be in a solemn mood. Rey decided to leave the matter alone, but Chewie wasn't going to let Luke wonder in his own thoughts.

What are you thinking about, the Wookie inquired.

"Just some past memories resurfacing. That's all."

Rey scarfed down the last of the food, placing her bowl in front of her crossed legs. She was curious as to what Luke had been thinking. Especially if it pertained to his nephew. Rey did want to know more about the kind of person Ben was, but she wasn't sure if it was rude to ask Luke more questions about him.

But she just had to know.

"Master. I was wondering... if you could tell me more about your nephew?"

Inquisitively, Luke glanced at her. The anticipation of his answer heightened Rey's heart beat.

"You want to know more about Ben?" Rey nodded, her eyes shifting over to Chewie. He was looking intently at his bowl. "What do you want to know?"

Rey fidgeted with her fingers, wondering if she really wanted to know anything. Before she thought too much about it, she posed the question.

"Why did your sister send Ben to train with you? What happened? Because the last thing he wanted to be was a Jedi."

Luke narrowed his eyes. Rey realized that she shouldn't know that Ben didn't want to be a Jedi. Was she caught?

"It's true," he hesitantly explained. "He never had the desire to follow the path of the Jedi. But after something happened, Leia felt it was necessary for Ben to come stay at my academy and learn how to control his strong propensity for the Force." Chewie placed his bowl on the floor, abruptly standing, leaving the hut in a hurry. Rey gawked at the empty doorway, guilt lurching her gut as she scolded herself for not thinking about how the subject might affect the Wookie.

She started to go to her feet, wanting to go after him to apologize.

"He'll be fine," Luke told her. "He just needs to be alone for a bit."

Rey relaxed back down to where she'd been sitting, knowing she'll need to talk to Chewie later.

"Ben did something horrible, didn't he?" Rey's attention returned back to her master as she questioned him. "Horrible enough to scare his own mother?"

Luke nodded gravely. "Yes, he did. But he didn't know how to control his anger at such a young age. He was only thirteen when Leia enrolled him at a training facility that taught teenagers and young adults Teras Kasi, a form of unarmed combat. Leia thought it would be good for him to focus his anger into some type of discipline." Night had descended on the island, the only source of light coming from the fire that was slowly dwindling in the corner. Rey watched as the glow danced across her master's face, illuminating his sad features. "One day, the kids were taking turns pairing up and dueling each other under the supervision of the instructor. During a short break, the teacher left the students alone to tend to something."

Luke hesitated, rubbing at his neck before continuing.

"You have to understand something about Ben. He's always had this effortless ability to control the Force. And because he was so in tuned with his ability, he was also unable to block out feeling other's emotions. This either made him be a very compassionate person, or very enraged. Leia would tell me how the other kids thought Ben to be a freak, that no one wanted to be his friend once he started exhibiting his abilities. But, for the most part, Ben had a way of acting like it didn't bother him. He still went to his classes at school. Even seemed excited that Leia enrolled him at the training center. He never cowered from the criticism of his peers. But, as you can imagine, anyone would eventually snap under such circumstances. And Ben did."

Elbows on her knees, head resting atop her knuckles, Rey became entranced by the story. She was finally getting a glimpse into Kylo Ren's younger life, the life he had as Ben Solo.

"I only know about what happened from what Ben had told Leia, who in turn conveyed it to me. Ben never talked about it to me and I never asked. Anyway, I guess the kids that were Ben's age started to antagonize him. He tried brushing them off, but one boy was relentless. He started to get physical with Ben by shoving him and eventually punching him so hard it broke Ben's nose." Rey's eyes widened, now getting a sense for where the story was going.

Luke kept his voice calm, like he was disassociating himself from the disturbing tale. "He couldn't control his anger or the need for vengeance. So while Ben was still on the ground, the boy rose into the air, gasping for breath before his head violently snapped to the side. He fell to the ground, not moving." Rey sat there in complete shock. She realized she'd stopped breathing as she took in a sharp inhale, her shoulders involuntarily shaking back and forth as her body trembled.

Luke wasn't even looking at her anymore, but watching his shadow flicker against the stone wall.

"Are you saying–." Rey stumbled over her words. "You're telling me he killed a boy at the age of thirteen?"

Luke locked eyes with her. "No. The boy miraculously lived, but never regained full function of his body. His neck never took well to the spinal treatments they administered." Rey instantly thought of Finn. "As you can imagine, the child's parents wanted Ben punished and imprisoned. But Leia somehow made a deal that if she paid for their son's medical bills and sent Ben off with me, then they wouldn't seek civil justice. They agreed, and now here we are."

"But he never wanted to be a Jedi?" Rey pressed.

Luke grabbed their bowls and strolled over to the basin filled with water at the far side of the hut.

"Not in the beginning, no." He started to scrub the bowls clean as he talked over his shoulder. "But he later felt like he didn't have any other options since he was naturally so gifted with the Force."

"What did he want to do with his life if he didn't want to become a Jedi?" Luke's arms froze for just a moment, looking at the wall in front of him as he thought about her question.

"I'm not exactly sure. Ben loved learning and he seemed to dabble in all sorts of subjects. Battle theory, mathematics, engineering, and before he left for the academy, he was studying chemistry and human physiology. He was a very smart young boy."

Jealousy tore at her.

Rey would've given anything to have had a proper education. All the data chips and books she'd found on Jakku never satiated her thirst for knowledge. She always wanted to learn more. And there was Ben, who had that opportunity to go to a school and then train under the most famous Jedi in the entire galaxy.

He had the life she always wanted, and he just threw it all away.

Luke placed the bowls and spoons by the dying fire before sitting down in front of her, making her come out of her train of thoughts. "Why all the questions about Ben?" he asked.

Rey shrugged, not wanting to go into all her reasons for being so inquisitive.

"It's just hard to fathom someone falling so hard into the Dark side. I guess I just want to understand why he did."

"The only person who knows the whole truth is Ben. I only know bits and pieces."

Rey nodded in understanding as her master looked at her compassionately, but there was also something else in his gaze. It was like he could see her true intentions for being so curious, but that couldn't be right. There was no way he'd now the truth.

"Now, enough talking about the past. Lets see how capable you are with moving objects."

Thanks for reading! Sorry there is no Kylo Ren in this chapter. He took up a good portion of the previous chapter and I wanted us to get a glimpse into how Finn was doing. Please, if you feel inclined, leave a review and follow the story! Thanks so much for the support!