Tentatively, she reaches out again but encounters a dense mental wall that allows only pain to seep through like water flowing through small crevices in a mountain. She is unpracticed and has only touched the mind of an enemy before, but she tries anyway to send comfort and reassurance. She waits until the sun sets, but he does not return. Not even long after the fiery glow on the calm sea fades and is replaced by the silvery threads of moonlight.
Rey curls up on the bed, finds that his scent still clings to it and tries to sleep. Finally, she can't stand the waiting. Her entire life has been waiting. And there are the lingering questions: What if he leaves or abandons her again? What if he is injured somewhere? What if she has done too much damage? When dawn comes, she rolls out of bed, picks up her staff and seeks him out. Despite all of his suffering, his presence still beckons her, warm and bright like the feeling of sun on her back. Even in his silence, he seems to be imploring her to give him solace, to find him. After climbing some stone steps and crossing a stream, she reaches the cave where he sits before a dying fire, legs crossed and head bowed, meditating. She watches him for several long minutes, not wanting to disturb him. Eventually, she places a hand on his shoulder. "Father?" Rey can feel how cold he is even through his cloak.
He raises his head at the touch and the blue eyes that regard her are wide and haunted, but beneath all that she can see that they are also kind and wise. "Rey?"
"Yes, I'm here." She crouches beside him and stirs the embers, then takes his hand in hers, warming it. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."
The Jedi Master shakes his head. "You're right to be angry. I am a failure in every sense of the word. I failed to protect my students, my family. You deserve better than a broken, exiled hermit for a father." Still, he holds hope deep in his heart that if he could forgive and love his father that somehow Rey can forgive him.
She shakes her head violently. "No. My father is a wise Jedi. A survivor."
Luke doesn't speak for a long time, and she rests her head on his shoulder in the silence. Finally, he says. "Kylo Ren was more than just my apprentice. That boy was Han and Leia's son and my nephew. I was there the day he was born."
"What happened to him? How did he fall?"
"He was always troubled, always wanted to learn faster, to be more powerful. He was drawn to the Dark Side by Snoke and he betrayed me. He led a group of warriors in an attack on the temple. Everything I had worked to restore was destroyed in a few minutes."
His daughter holds him tightly. "Not everything. I'm not going anywhere."
"You are my last hope for the Jedi, Rey. You have amazing power and light within you. If you train and learn to use that power, you could defeat Smoke and bring an end to the First Order."
She lets go of him abruptly, shaking her head. "How can I face Snoke? I'm no one. Just a scavenger."
He tips her chin up. "The Force is strong in our family, Rey. I will train you, teach you everything I can, but it is your decision. I want you to have a choice, and I promise I won't love you any less no matter what you decide." He remembers bearing the hopes of the galaxy on his shoulders and how that weight almost broke him.
She looks at him steadily, unblinking. "I want to train with you. I want to fight."
"The life of a Jedi isn't an easy path, Rey. It requires the deepest commitment. You will face trials, temptation. You may be injured in battles."
"I understand your concern. I'm not afraid." She dusts herself off and stands, offering her hand to him.
Accepting her hand, he stands. "You will be a Jedi, Rey. And one day, we will return."
They make the journey back together, and the first thing Rey does is to build a proper fire, and sit him down in front of it. "I wish you would take better care of yourself," she says. "Now that I've found you, I couldn't bear to lose you again."
"You won't." He smiles faintly, and for a moment, she glimpses the young man, the farm boy he once was, in the hopeful expression.
Rey decides to make breakfast for them, combining some of her dehydrated rations with leftover fish. Unlike the other meals they shared, she makes sure he eats today and won't let him sneak his portion onto her plate.
Once they finish eating, they climb the hill looking out over the ocean, and Luke gestures for her to sit down. She notices the slight wince when he sits opposite her and crosses his legs. "The Force is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us, binds the galaxy together. A Jedi draws their strength from the Force." Her father's face assumes a serenity she has rarely seen from him as he shares one of the first lessons from his own mentor. "When you are calm, at peace, you will feel it flowing through you and all around you. It is your strength when your own strength is failing. It will guide your actions, heighten your senses and allow you to do incredible things."
She listens quietly at first though her mind is buzzing with a thousand questions. "I felt it when I was on Takoda and again when I faced Ren. Somehow, I was able to feel him approaching and drive him out of my mind. Then, I called your lightsaber to my hand and even beat him in fight."
His eyes widen, and she thinks she sees a flash of pride. "That was the Force. You have so much potential, Rey. You are only limited by your mind."
"So, when do we start training?" Rey asks impatiently.
"You're training has already begun. Your first lesson is to clear your thoughts, stretch out with your unconscious mind." He watches as his apprentice stretches her neck, closes her eyes and concentrates.
On Jakku, Rey rarely had time to rest, and the only time she wasn't working was a short time between eating dinner and going to sleep. The concept of sitting still was completely foreign and almost made her feel guilty. The young apprentice found herself hyperaware of a slight itch on her shoulder, the discomfort of a spot where her foot rubbed against her ankle, every rustle of clothing and buzzing of an insect. Each time she would begin to think her mind was clear, a stray thought seemed to enter it, and she would have to refocus. Finally, with a frustrated growl, she stands up and paces. "I can't sit here any more. I thought you were intending to teach me how to fight."
Luke's expression is infuriatingly patient. "And I will. You must have patience. A Jedi uses the Force for defense, not for aggression. We fight only when there is no other choice. That is the difference between a Jedi and a Sith. Now, this time try to find me-not by sight or your physical senses-but by using the Force. Close your eyes."
She sighs, but complies, focusing again. She finds it is easier to sense the Force with a goal in mind. The familiar presence seems to call to her, and she locates him without great difficulty. When he praises her, she replies wryly, "I know where you are."
He laughs softly, warm and rich, and Rey realizes that it is the first time she has ever heard his laugh. "Yes, but you found me through the Force. I wanted you to start with a familiar presence before you try to sense others. This island and the waters around it are full of life. Each living thing is part of the Force, and each death diminishes it. I want you to stretch out and find some of the animals in the air, on the land, and in the sea and tell me about them."
"All right." She still feels that the exercise seems a bit pointless, but she doesn't argue as she seeks out the living things. "There are birds...on a high cliff building a nest….There's something...large..some sort of sea creature..no..two of them that are hunting."
"Good," he replies. "What else do you sense. Try to stretch out as far as the other side of the island. Remember how you found me earlier?"
"Yes, but this is different. I'd recognize your presence anywhere." She cracks open an eye and smiles.
He returns her smile. "Jedi can often recognize other Force sensitives, especially those they share deep bonds with. Each person's Force signature is different." His expression darkens a bit. "The more skill you gain, the more cautious you must be with searching for others. You can easily find a Dark Presence and alert them to your location."
She shivers, remembering her encounter with Luke's fallen apprentice. The young Sith's presence had been vile, dark, and cold. "How do I keep that from happening?"
Luke takes a deep breath. "By developing the ability to shield your presence and build mental defenses. This is not something easy to master."
Rey remembers the terror and the pain of Kylo Ren's mental intrusion, how it had left her head aching and brought tears to her eyes. She had fought back and won, but she never wanted anyone to have that power over her again. "Can you teach me?"
The old Jedi nods. "But that is a lesson for another must be patient. Now, back to the island and its residents."
Rey continued to focus on various creatures, telling Luke about their activities and the differences in their minds. When at last she opens her eyes, the sun is setting.
"Good work, Rey." Her father smiles and offers her a hand. "You should get some rest now."
As she pulls herself up, he notices the slight furrow of her brow and the shy sideways glance. "There's something you want to ask. What is it?" He gives her a small smile.
"Would-would you stay until I fall asleep?" The words tumble out before she has the chance to stop them and she presses the back of her hand over her mouth. Surely, her father will think she's far too old for such a childish request.
Instead of scoffing at her, she thinks she sees an unshed tear in his eye. Regret for the lost time, sadness, and hope seep across the tenuous connections of their bond.
"Of course," he says, nodding. "Just tell me when you're ready to sleep."
She finds him later, eyes glazed, staring into the distance. In another person, this expression might be seen as aimless daydreaming but she knows in her father's case, he is searching or focused on an important task and so she waits.
He acknowledges her with a nod and follows her into the small room, pulling a chair up to the side of the bed. He tugs he covers up and then, abashedly turns away. "Sorry. I know you're grown up now. I didn't mean..."
She tugs his sleeve and smiles. "Don't be sorry. It was perfect."
Luke sits down and watches as she settles down. Her breathing gradually evens out as she falls asleep. She wakes once, and her hand reaches out, seeking his. He takes it and holds it until she falls back asleep. Then, he carefully tucks her arm back under the blanket so she'll be warm enough. Before he leaves, he brushes her hair back and kisses her forehead, whispering, "Goodnight."