Chapter 4

Rey smiled at Finn as they showed Keira and Sky around the site. "Here's the fire pit where we cook and eat dinner outside," she said, pointing to the logs nearby. "There's also a shelter with wooden benches and tables next to it, where we usually gather for dinner. During the day, though, we're pretty busy, so you'll have time to yourselves for breakfast and lunch."

Rey continued, her enthusiasm clear. "You'll each have your own stone huts, and I've brought extra blankets for you both. I even added wood floors to those two over there to make them more comfortable."

Sky, eager to speak with Rey privately, shot her a playful smirk. Meanwhile, Keira was captivated by the surroundings. She was fascinated by the Force and the old Jedi, and she already felt a connection with Rey. Being on Ahch-To thrilled her, especially with the beautiful water and trees that surrounded them.

"Well, we'll leave you to it," Finn said, nodding at Rey as they began to walk away. Sky gently grabbed Rey's arm. "Can you show me something in my room? I just want to check if I have enough bedding and storage," he said with a sly grin.

Finn shot Rey a protective glance. "I can go; only the male Jedi Master is allowed in the boys' area, and Rey can only go into the girls'," he added.

Sky laughed and followed Finn. Rey turned to Keira with a smile. "We won't be having dinner tonight; I'm sure you're both tired. If you need anything, I'll be in the hut up there," she said, pointing to a large stone hut that had a real window and a solid door, perched atop a hill. "And Finn sleeps in that hut right below the hill."

"Alright," Keira smiled. "Thank you! We'll start tomorrow afternoon," Rey replied, returning her smile.

Ben stood on a long glass platform, shimmering with undulating waves of energy beneath him. His heart was weighed down by a relentless pull, a burden he could not shake. It had been eight years since his sacrifice for the galaxy, yet he felt trapped in limbo. His mind raced with relentless flashbacks from his time as Kylo Ren. He replayed the moment he killed his father, vividly recalling the instant he ignited his saber and thanked his father. The horrific look on Han's face as he reached for his son, only to fall from the platform to his death, haunted Ben. "No!" he cried out, as if reliving the moment that occurred a decade ago. Tears welled in his eyes as the memory looped endlessly, forcing him into a fetal position on the glass. Ben clasped his hands over his ears, squeezed his eyes shut, and gritted his teeth, desperately trying to block out the excruciating pain.

That night, Rey dreamed of Ben again, but this time it felt different. Ben looked more solemn and regretful, his face much paler than in previous dreams. "Ben," Rey said, "what's wrong?" He paused, his voice filled with distress. "Rey, please help me," he begged. "The pain is overwhelming." Rey, confused, asked, "Ben, what do you need?" Ben remained silent, his heart weighed down and feeling lost, trapped in another dimension.

Luke appeared to Ben, kneeling beside him and gently placing a hand on his shoulder to offer comfort. "Ben," Luke said softly, "you need to confront and seek forgiveness for your past actions. You must address the harm you caused, including the death of your father, Han Solo, and your role in the First Order's tyranny."

Luke's gaze grew more serious as he looked into Ben's eyes. "Ben, Rey needs you. She needs you to help restore balance."

"But how?" Ben asked, kneeling on the platform and looking up at Luke. "You need to aid in rebuilding the Jedi Order," Luke replied firmly.

Ben's eyes dropped to the ground. "I only remember Rey and bringing her back. I don't know about a new Jedi Order."

"That's a good start," Luke said with a stern nod.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked.

"You remember your final moments," Luke explained. "That means you have a chance—a chance to return."

"Ben," Rey cried out in her dream, her voice trembling. "Ben," she called more softly. As she sat up in bed, shaking and sweating from the nightmare, she pulled her legs close to her body. "It felt so real," she whispered sadly to herself.

Rey tried to calm herself. "I can do this," she said quietly, using the words to ground herself in the present moment and find some peace. Desperately, she focused on their Force bond, hoping to strengthen it and better understand Ben's emotions and pain.

Rey realized that exploring the Jedi Temple grounds might help her connect with Ben. As dawn approached, she rushed out of her quarters, eager to uncover more about Ben's pain before her training session with her new student. The Force guided her to a small area of land where she discovered a stone slab—remnants of what seemed to be the foundation of a large quarters. Here, she felt Ben's presence more intensely than ever. The Force suggested he had been here before, and she remembered that Ben's quarters had been destroyed in a desperate attempt to stop Master Skywalker from killing him.

Rey focused on her meditation, attuning herself to the world around her—embracing both life and death. As she meditated, she sensed the elements of nature: the wind rustling and new life emerging from the ground. "Ben," she whispered, trying to reach out to him, seeking answers. "I need you," she cried out, her voice filled with desperation.

In her meditation, she felt a surge of darkness, a cold, black presence that reminded her of the ominous force she had sensed before deciding to rebuild the Jedi Order. The threat was shadowy and indistinct, a vague menace she couldn't fully perceive. Despite her fear, she continued to call out to Ben, determined to find him.

Eventually, she connected with him. Her vision revealed him lying on a glass platform, pulsating with energy. "Ben," she cried, "it's okay, I'm here, my love." Ben's eyes opened, and he gazed into the vast, empty expanse surrounding him, marked only by surges of energy and a horizon of muted blues, grays, and whites.

"Ben!" Rey pleaded louder, desperation thickening her voice, hoping he would hear her. But he didn't respond. Her frustration and guilt began to cloud her mind, and the darkness around her seemed to grow stronger.

The dark side whispered insidiously, wrapping around her thoughts: "You can bring him back," it coaxed. "You need him. Don't let him suffer. It's your fault he's there. He sacrificed everything for you."

Rey cried, feeling herself cracking under the weight of her guilt and sadness as she struggled to reach Ben. Finn found her, confusion on his face as he saw her with her head buried in her hands. "Rey," he said gently. "Rey," he repeated, "we need to get ready to train the padawan's today." His words were an attempt to pull her back to reality. Rey swallowed hard, fighting to compose herself and nodded.