Chapter 1: Searching

Rey stopped in her tracks. She crouched, checking the jungle floor for any signs of movement.

Breathe.

Rey closed her eyes, letting her other senses take hold through the Force.

A broken twig. A rock shifted from its natural position. Trampled leaves…

Crashing sounds broke Rey out of her concentration. She could see her friend Finn tripping over a bush, moving through the jungle as if he were battling it with every step.

"I'm gonna say it. I miss Jakku."

Finn stepped out from the bush, straightening his jacket. Rey smiled and playfully rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she encouraged. "Try to keep up." She jerked her head in the direction of the tracks. With a sigh, Finn continued.

Rey could at least understand where he was coming from. They've been trekking through the jungles of Ajan Kloss for the last three days. After returning from Tatooine, Rey had discovered strange tracks near the old Resistance base. Although "tracks" might've been the wrong name for them. They looked more like wide grooves in the ground, almost as if someone had dragged a large, metal cylinder through the mud and leaves. Everyone else was ready to write off the strange marks when Rey returned, but she felt something more. Through the Force, she felt a strange echo emanating from the area.

Someone had been watching them, and Rey wanted to know who.

Finn offered to tag along, and not just because he was her friend. Before she left for Tatooine, Rey had discovered that Finn was Force-sensitive like her. She wasn't exactly surprised; she had her suspicions ever since they had met. Since they'd known each other, Finn had always shown a keen sense of intuition and empathy. Those weren't traits exclusive to those with a strong connection to the Force, but it was different with Finn. Like her, Force allowed him to know things he had no possible way of knowing. How others were feeling, even if they weren't nearby. It helped him to break free from the brainwashing the First Order put him through, and through that act he has saved many lives.

Now that this was out in the open, however, it presented a new challenge. Finn wanted to learn more about these abilities. He had asked her to train him how to be a Jedi. While Rey had initially agreed to train him, she was beginning to have her own doubts. Finn was one of her oldest friends. She had faith in him as a student. But could she be a teacher? It's a question that's gnawed at her for several days with no answer.

Rey was broken out of her line of thinking by a sharp noise cutting through the jungle floor. She and Finn stopped in their tracks. They looked at each other, silently confirming they both heard it. Rey closed her eyes and reached out through the Force, letting her other senses take over.

Breathe.

Their quarry has been on Ajan Kloss for a while. Ever since the main leg of the Resistance set up their base on the jungle moon, there have been no ships in the system that have gone unnoticed by General Organa nor Rey. Their lookout points on the other moons haven't picked anything up either. Either an exceptional pilot managed to evade both scanners and Jedi despite all odds, or this individual has been here for much longer than them.

"I think we're good," Finn whispered to her.

"I think so too." Rey untensed and sat on the jungle floor. "Let's take a moment."

Grateful, Finn sat down on the jungle floor next to her. He was covered in sweat and dirt. Rey figured First Order training didn't cover long, arduous treks through a dense jungle. Admittedly Rey had taken some time to get used to the humid terrain when they first settled on the planet. It was a far cry from the arid deserts she was accustomed to on Jakku.

Finn took his canteen from the satchel slung across his back and took a swig before offering it to Rey, who graciously accepted. The water was lukewarm, but her spirits lifted somewhat as the soothing liquid trickled down her throat.

"Thanks." Rey handed the canteen back to Finn, who returned it to his satchel. They sat in silence for a minute before Finn spoke again.

"How was Tatooine?"

Rey shrugged. "It was alright. I took the lightsabers to Master Luke's old farm. No trouble to speak of."

"Oh. That's good."

They were silent for another few seconds before Finn spoke again.

"So, training."

"Training." Rey wasn't sure how else to respond.

Finn hesitated before continuing. "Yeah. I was wondering if, you know, we might start that soon? But only if you're up to it!" Finn added that last part a little too quickly, as if Rey was going to respond with hostility. Instead, she gave her usual response.

"Soon, Finn. I promise."

Finn sighed. "That's the third time you've said that. If you don't want me to be a Jedi, it's fine. I get it."

"It's not that." Rey tried to choose her words carefully. "It's just…there's a lot of work that will go into rebuilding the Jedi. And I'm worried that if I'm too focused on trying to rebuild the Order, I wouldn't be able to give you the attention you deserve."

"Oh." Finn seemed braced for a response such as that. "That's alright."

Sensing his disappointment, Rey elaborated. "It's nothing to do with you, I swear. It's just…Luke was careful. He worked hard for years to rebuild the Order. But he made mistakes. And those mistakes built up until Kylo Ren destroyed everything. I know where he went wrong, but how do I prevent the same thing happening to me? What if I make some other mistake that costs everything?"

"Rey, you're one of the strongest people I know," Finn replied. "If anyone can rebuild the Jedi, it's you. But you haven't even started yet. Why are you dwelling on past failures when you haven't even started?"

"I have to prepare for any possibility. And you deserve the best. I can't bear the thought of letting you down most of all."

Finn smiled. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I doubt you could ever let me down. I don't want to train to be the best Jedi in galactic history. I want to be a part of your world."

Rey smiled. "And I want that too. But you still deserve to have a good teacher, and I don't think that's me just yet."

"Fair enough." Finn started getting up. "Still, even if I'm not your apprentice or anything, I can at least help you out. Maybe you can teach me how to track? If I'm gonna be tripping over everything out here, I might as well make myself useful and clear a pa-AAAAAAAAGGGH!"

"Finn!" Rey immediately shot up, lightsaber already in hand. Finn had been snagged by a snare trap, and was currently dangling upside-down from a nearby tree. Rey pushed aside the confusion she was feeling at this turn of events, and prepared to ignite her saber to cut him down.

"Hold on now," an unfamiliar voice said from behind her. "I think we ought to have a chat."

With one last swing, Oliver's wooden staff hit the side of his opponent. His third direct hit. The sound of clanging metal signaled the end of the match.

"We have a winner!" Gormy grabbed Oliver's arm and forcefully pulled it up in the air. "For the fifth straight match in a row, Oliver is our champion!"

The majority of the crowd booed at this outcome. The only one in the crowd who was cheering for Oliver's victory was a fourteen-year-old girl called Tai, Oliver's sister. Despite her smaller stature, Tai had enough energy and enthusiasm to cheer at the top of her lungs every time Oliver won a match. She'd been doing it for several years now, even though her father Tryst had forbidden it.

He didn't approve of the tourney in general. Oliver felt a pang of guilt every time he remembered. Tryst had taken him in as a young boy with no one else in the galaxy. He was the closest thing Oliver had to a father. But every year he beat all the other boys in their farming community in their annual melee bouts, where they'd play at being Jedi like in the old stories the merchant shared when he visited them. It was one of the only times he ever earned a modicum of respect from the others in the community.

"Anyone else think they can challenge Oliver's throne? Or does his reign continue for another year?" Gormy, a portly young man, always preferred to mediate and encourage the matches each year. Oliver and Gormy didn't know each other well, and never had a reason to spend time with outside of the annual tourneys. But no one could ever make him feel on top of the world like Gormy could (except maybe Tai), and for that he would always appreciate him in moments like this.

Just when it looked like it would be the end of this year's challenge, a voice called from the crowd.

"I challenge him."

Oliver rolled his eyes as Taro walked into the ring, removing his shirt.

"Hello there," Oliver said, wearing a disingenuous smile to feign excitement.

Pale-skinned and fair-haired, Taro had spent the majority of their childhood tormenting Oliver for one reason or another. But Taro's favorite insult always found its way back to him.

"Pod-boy." Selecting a staff, Taro began pacing around his side of the makeshift ring. "I've been waiting for a moment like this. After what you did to my sister, you've had this coming."

Taro's twin sister, Taylin, was his exact opposite. Other than Gormy, Taylin was the only other person Oliver grew up with who was nice to him. They were hardly friends, although as the only boy who didn't gawk and shout at her every time she walked by (while she was still around, Tryst's wife Cassa had taught him such acts would earn him nothing but ire when he was grown), she thought he couldn't be that bad. They had occasionally fooled around, but Oliver wasn't sure he felt any romantic attraction to her, nor did he sense she felt any for him. Regardless, they both found it nice to be spoken to cordially, which was a change from what they usually faced from the others their age.

Hearing Taro's threat, Oliver laughed. "Figured you'd be jealous. Your family finally produces a decent person, and you come attached like a festering boil."

With Oliver's retort, the crowd crooned in anticipation. Taro's knuckles whitened in anger against his staff. "You're dead, Pod-boy."

A clang of metal sounded, and the round began.

Taro went for a few basic strikes, which Oliver easily blocked. Taro swung upwards, and Oliver side-stepped the blow, returning a hard one against Taro's right leg. It left him wincing in pain.

"Point Oliver!" Gormy shouted. Tai was the only one clapping.

Oliver moved back to his starting position. Another reason the other young men in the village disliked him was because he always had a…natural sense of intuition. He wasn't sure how to describe it. But somehow he knew things. He knew things about others without them saying. He always had a sense of what they were feeling from just a look, and sometimes not even that. And he always excelled against the other boys, even as a child. He always ran faster, jumped higher, and worst of all in their eyes, he was a better stick-fighter. The problem only got worse when they got older, and that merchant who came to Zularsa gave them all primitive weapons. Once again, Oliver was better than the other boys, and they couldn't stand it. Taro most of all.

The clang sounded. Oliver and Taro resumed their bout. This time, Taro went on the defensive. Oliver lightly tapped his staff against Taro's, trying to goad him to counter-attack. He feinted towards the same leg he hit previously, and Taro instinctively stepped back. Only instead, Oliver hit him in the side, just underneath his left arm.

"Point Oliver!" Gormy repeated. "One more hit, and Oliver wins."

"Cheater!" Taro looked livid as he clutched the area Oliver just hit. "You went for my leg again, not my side! I don't know how, but you're cheating!"

Oliver sighed. Another thing that made him different in the eyes of the others. He was very, very good at deceiving them. It's almost as if he could make them see what he wanted them to see. It only ever worked on the other boys. His attempt to try it on Tryst once as a boy in order to get out of his chores. His knuckles ached for the rest of the day when that didn't work.

Gormy shook his head. "Now now, Taro. There's no honor in being a sore loser!"

Taro spat on the ground, and readied himself for the third round. His face and chest were now coated with sweat, and Oliver didn't need to have, well, whatever it is he had to know that Taro was out for blood. He did not take humiliation well.

The clang sounded again, and Taro charged at Oliver. They locked staffs, but while Oliver was focused on maintaining his grip, Taro kicked his leg out from under him, sending him to the ground. Oliver barely had time to get his bearings before he saw Taro swing downwards towards Oliver's head. Oliver just managed to roll out of the way, leaping back to his feet with grace that nearly everyone present could only dream of.

"Cheap shot," Oliver snarled at Taro.

Taro whipped around and swung wildly at Oliver. Defending himself from Taro's frenzied attacks, Oliver mistimed one of his blocks, sending his staff flying into the crowd, all of whom thankfully dodged out of the way.

"You lose, freak!" Taro swung hard at Oliver's head. Oliver reflexively put his hand up to cover his face and closed his eyes, waiting for the shattering pain in his hand.

Only it never came. Oliver opened one eye and saw that, mere inches from his hand, Taro had stopped dead in his tracks. He remained stationary in that position, almost statue-like. Upon closer examination, it looked like he was struggling, as if he was being held by some invisible force. Oliver tilted his head in curiosity. Was he…?

After getting up and taking a few steps back, Oliver put his hand down. Taro completed his swing, but because he had swung with such force without making contact with his target, he lost his footing and fell face-first into the dirt. The other guys laughed.

"Huh." A puzzled Gormy dropped his act. "That's unusual. Well, since no one technically got any hits off, no points awarded this round."

Taro shot back up, covered in dirt, sweat, and a small trickle of blood from where Oliver hit him in the side. He threw down his staff in rage.

"Don't bother," Taro said, his voice full of contempt. "I yield. The freak can have his victory."

Taro stalked towards Oliver, getting right up into his face.

"You're nothing, Pod-boy," Taro muttered, exuding hatred with every syllable. "You're only here because your parents dumped you like the useless scrap that you are. The pod had more value than you. The only reason you're our problem is because the blowhard who runs this dirtball didn't cast you off in the wilderness like he should've. I shudder to think what happens when he finally dies off, and he either leaves you in charge, or that idiot brat of his-"

Whatever further insults Taro would've uttered were cut short by Oliver's fist connecting with his face, knocking him to the ground. Oliver got onto his knees so he was above Taro, and hit him in the face again. And again. And again.

"Oliver, stop it!"

Oliver barely heard Tai yell as he hit him again.

"Oliver, that's enough!"

And again.

"Oliver, please!"

And again.

"OLIVER!"

"That's enough!"

Oliver's next blow was interrupted by someone holding back his fist. He looked up and saw the familiar angry face of Tryst.

"Get off him, boy!"

Tryst pushed Oliver off Taro and checked on him, helping him to sit up.

"You okay?"

Taro spat out some blood and glared at Oliver.

"That maniac needs to be locked away. He's sick."

"You're fine." Tryst helped Taro up.

"He's a threat to all of us! He could've killed me!"

"Nah, he wouldn't have." Tryst picked up a discarded staff.

Taro hazily lifted his arm to point at Oliver. "He's a monster."

"Ah, he just roughed you up a bit. Knowing you, you probably deserved it."

"Why you-" Whatever ill-advised threat Taro was about to make towards Tryst was cut off by Tryst gently but firmly pushing him away with the staff.

"Go home, Taro," Tryst advised.

"This isn't over, Pod-boy!" Taro looked back to shout at Oliver. "I will get you for this!"

Without even looking, Tryst whacked Taro's backside with the staff, which encouraged him to finally stalk off. Tryst turned his head back towards the rest of the boys.

"Show's over, nerf-herders! Get lost before I tell your parents what you were doing."

The rest of the boys all fled. As he approached, Tryst motioned for Oliver to show him his hand, which was already starting to bruise. He examined it, noticing how Oliver winced slightly when his thumb brushed one of the afflicted areas.

"Hurts?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah. A bit."

"Good." Tryst smacked Oliver's tender knuckles, causing an intense burst of pain.

"Ow!" Oliver shook his hand as if it was covered in water, trying to numb the pain. "What the hell?"

"I could ask you the same thing, you moron!" Oliver noticed Tai was trying to slip away while Tryst was facing Oliver, but without even turning he pointed towards her. "You stay there. I've got words for you too."

Tai froze, looking terrified.

"Let me make sure I have this right," Tryst continued. "Not only did you disobey me and participate in this nonsense again, you also let my daughter watch you idiots, and then you nearly go and kill Daih's boy. Did I miss something, or is that about it?"

Oliver couldn't bring himself to respond, so he just shrugged.

Fortunately, Tai put herself between the two. "Ollie didn't invite me! I snuck out. He didn't notice me until the third match, honest!"

Tryst gave his daughter a dark look that immediately silenced her. She shrunk away, quietly moving back behind him.

"You know Daih's not gonna let this go. He's going to yell at me now once that boy sputters out everything you did. So now I have that to look forward to tomorrow."

"He's a bastard," Oliver muttered just loud enough for Tryst to hear.

"I know he is!" Tryst snapped back. "I've known him since his bastard father first showed his ugly, crying self. Daughter's the only damn decent one of the bunch, far as I'm aware. But that's still no excuse to kill his idiot son!"

"He started it," Oliver said bluntly.

Tryst looked almost offended at that statement. "He started it? That's your excuse?"

"Yeah." Oliver let the anger wash over him again. "And it's not because he insulted me, either. I'm used to that. I only attacked him when he started saying stuff about you and Tai. And I'd do it again."

Tryst looked like he was about to yell again, but stopped himself. He took a deep breath and put his hand on Oliver's shoulder.

"Oliver," he said, "You're a good boy. You drive me crazy, but you have a good heart, even if your head doesn't work as well as it ought to."

This got a chuckle out of Oliver. "Thanks, Tryst."

"I just want you to think twice about this kind of stuff. I won't be around forever to keep you from doing something stupid. And it's not just me your choices affect."

Tryst motioned towards Tai.

"I know, Tryst."

"Go get yourself washed up. I have to speak to Tai."

Oliver nodded. "Just go easy on her. There really isn't anything to do after your chores are done for the day. She only came because I was there."

Tryst sighed, and gestured at Oliver to leave. Oliver shot Tai a wink before he went back towards the farmstead.

Oliver: Jack Lowden

Tai: Olivia Rodrigo

Tryst: John Acrilla

Taro: Gregg Sulkin

Gormy: Nik Dodani