They were at an impasse, the grey cloaked Jedi master and the beautiful young Padawan, poised for a fight.
"No!" she replied, her hazel eyes flaring with anger. "I cannot face that murderer, you know I'd do anything for the Force—on the light side. But this is impossible, and you know it!"
Luke Skywalker drew a deep breath and stared down at the beautiful blue ocean, thinking about how old he felt. "Rey, you need to do this to complete your training," he said softly.
She glared at him. "You know, I bet that is exactly what Snoke told Kylo Ren, so that he'd kill his own father."
"Rey…!"
"I'm sorry," she turned her face up to the light, closing her eyes before taking a calming breath. "It's just the last time I saw him, he'd killed his father, hurt Finn and tried to kill me. Now, you want me to save him."
"My young one, I understand your fear of him, but you must contain your anger, otherwise you'll be lured by the dark side." He leaned on his staff looking over her strong, young body, thinking of how much stronger she'd become since she'd started her training with him.
"He can't really hate you," he thought aloud. "He didn't get to know you and your powers weren't strong enough at that point."
"Master, I pushed against his mind, saw his thoughts, escaped his interrogation, used the Force against him, slashed a mark across his face and escaped the First Order." She rushed out the list of why she'd be one of the top names on Kylo Ren's list of who he hates.
"You saw into his mind? You forged a Force bond without trying!"
"Kylo Ren hates me and is ruthlessly hunting me down, I can feel it, and he's searching for me everywhere."
"You can use that Rey, you can bring him back to the light through your bond. Bring Ben Solo back to the light side."
She looked at him curiously. "You really do think after all the harm he's caused that he can come back to the light?"
"We need to try," he persisted. His blue eyes focused on his hut in the distance. "My father, Anakin Skywalker did it."
"I've never heard of him."
"You know him as Darth Vader."
"Wow!" she said in astonishment, and her eyes went huge. "So Kylo Ren's grandfather was Darth Vader, is that why he looks up to him? Does he know that Anakin turned back to the light?"
"He does, but he chooses to ignore the part where Anakin returned to the light side. But you must see, that if Darth Vader could turn back to the light so can Kylo Ren."
She was still doubtful. "We need to bring him back, for the sake of the Resistance and to bring peace to Leia."
"I know." She said thinking of all the pain the General had gone through. "I had to come back without Han after-"She broke off with sad memories. "If I agree with this, how do I even contact him and get him to see me without him killing me?"
"What stopped him from killing you on sight on Starkiller Base?" He questioned.
"I suppose he could feel that I had the Force and he kept claiming that he could be my teacher."
He smiled, "That is your way in, claim that you've grown frustrated with me not showing you all that the Force has to offer, and that you need him as your teacher."
"He won't believe me, he'll only be suspicious and he won't have gotten over me winning our last fight."
His eyes narrowed. "Rey, can you hear Ren's thoughts all the time?" he asked her curiously as she spoke about Ren as if she knew what he was thinking about her.
"Yes, but I've managed to block most of them out as soon as you taught me how to meditate."
"He's been showing you disturbing images and what he's going to do when he finds you? I'm right, aren't I?"
Rey cast her eyes to the floor not wanted to share the details of the images Ren had been sending her. "Yes, but I've been blocking those out after the first couple of visions. I realized he was trying to intimidate me, but I stopped him."
"Rey, you're so powerful and you haven't even completely opened your mind yet."
"We'll see if I'm powerful enough to complete this task!"
Late that night she sat on her pallet in front of the fire long after Luke had gone to sleep, staring into the flames. Her eyes were glazed over as she was picturing Kylo Ren in her head: Tall, angry and solemn. Long dark hair that she'd wanted to run her fingers through and dark eyes that held equal parts anger and hurt. Rey felt her heart racing at the thought of seeing him again.
If only there was a way out of this mission. If only she could call on Finn and Poe to help her escape to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. She knew her friends would help but it wouldn't help the Resistance.
Rey opened her mind and felt Ren creep into her thoughts.
Ah, little scavenger, there you are, on Achoo-to, with that fool.
She closed her eyes and let him probe her mind deeper
I've searched nearly everywhere I could think of and now you've let me know where you are. I'm going to come get you and there are going to be consequences for what you did at the base.
She lay down on her back and sent warmth and soothing through their bond and the words she knew he wanted to hear:
I need you to be my teacher.
She felt his anger recede and feelings of acceptance were felt on both sides.
A/N: I don't own Star Wars, this is just written for enjoyment.
