Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is chapter nineteen of "Not So Far." It is likely Poe and Finn will make it to D'Qar in the next chapter or so. I can't wait to have Leia meet Finn. Stay tuned for chapter twenty.
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Chapter 19: Beach Discussion
Rey walked along the shoreline. She felt her hair move sideways a little bit along with her white dress that went just past her knees. She felt the waves come up around her feet. They retreated out to sea with more coming in. They slipped past her slightly before going back out. She spotted a green parrot flying overhead. It went up, down, and sideways before leaving.
Rey slipped locks of hair behind her ears. She hated it when she couldn't sleep, especially when it came to her pregnancy. She remembered all the times she would twist and turn in trying to find a comfortable way to sleep, but she'd fail miserably. She would go out for a walk in hopes of getting very tired, so she could fall asleep easily when she got home. It worked most times, which made her quite happy. She would sleep for most of, if not the entire night.
She started thinking about Han, Chewie, and Luke. She never thought they would come looking for her husband. She was astounded Han and Chewie had been searching for him for six years and were joined by Luke four years into the search. She was glad they cared that much, though she didn't wish they had crashed into their lives the way they did. She was grateful to them for being so polite during dinner, even if the exchange was a little tense. She sensed uncertainty in all three of them, especially Luke.
Her thoughts shifted to Ben. She sensed much conflict in him. She knew he didn't want to leave their sanctuary, yet he missed his family very much. She was glad he was going to think about it. She was prepared to accept whatever decision he made. She was determined to stick by him, no matter what. She was aware he would have been the same way if she had been in the same situation as he was. She saw him as her home. She always had and would.
Rey shook her thoughts out of her head. She pushed her hair out of her eyes when a gust of wind hit it. She sensed Luke's presence not far from her. She came upon a hill that came close to the shoreline. She went around it, finding standing on the sand directly. He had his eye on the ocean. He turned to see her, his eyebrows raising.
"Hello, Rey," he greeted.
"Hello yourself, Master Skywalker," she responded, coming up to him.
"Call me Luke," Luke said, chuckling to himself. "I am not fond of being called Master Skywalker."
"Okay, Luke," Rey said, nodding at him. "Ben told me that Threepio had a habit of calling you Master Luke."
"He called me Sir Luke when I first met him. He settled on Master Luke. I wanted to correct him again, but I didn't have the heart to do so," Luke explained, giving a shrug. "It stuck. Then I learned he had a habit of referring to men as master and women as mistress."
"Oh," Rey murmured.
"It's true. Threepio's big mouth often gets him in trouble. He will go on and on until someone tells him to shut up," Luke commented.
"I see," Rey replied, a small smile crossing her face. "Anyway, you couldn't sleep either?"
"Old habits. The night's quieter. It's easier to think," Luke admitted and gestured toward the sand. "Why don't you sit with me?"
Rey nodded and went over to Luke's side as he sat down. She seated herself beside him. She laid her hands on her stomach, feeling the baby shift a little bit. He glanced at her, amazement showing in his eyes.
"You're strong, Rey," Luke said. "You are stronger than I realized. Ben's lucky to have you."
"He's the lucky one?" Rey asked with a raised eyebrow. She laughed softly, shaking her head. "I was a scavenger, Luke. He gave me a purpose—showed me what I could be."
Luke shifted his attention to the horizon. "He's found his own purpose here. It's with you. I almost took that from him years ago. When the temple fell…" He looked down, a frown crossing his lips.
"Ben told me you probably went into exile after that. What happened?" Rey wondered.
"I lost everything—my students, my faith. I couldn't face Han, Leia, or Chewie. I decided to run to the first Jedi Temple on Ahch-To," Luke whispered in dejection. "I thought I'd find answers in the old texts and silence. I stayed there four years. I mourned for my lost students and nephew. The Force was my only company—well, that and the porgs."
"Porgs?" Rey asked, her brow furrowing.
"They are pesky little birds," Luke said, a small smile forming on his face. "They are noisy, but they kept me grounded. After four years, I couldn't run anymore. Yoda came to me one night. He told me to stop wallowing and go back, so I did. Found Han and Chewie after they'd come back empty-handed from another trip looking for Ben. Leia was with them, still hoping. We patched things up. I started fighting again."
"Ben said Yoda spoke to him about growing beyond masters. I think he's afraid of losing what we have, but he knows we can't ignore what's coming," Rey explained.
"You're right," Luke said, looking at her. "The Force brought you together for a reason. A dyad is rare yet powerful. Whatever happens, you'll face it as one."
Rey smiled while brushing sand from her hands. "I hope so. He's out there with Han and Chewie now. He is probably brooding."
Luke chuckled while crossing his arms. He looked toward the ocean, seeing two pink dolphins leap out of the water in almost perfect unison. They twirled in midair before going back in with small splashes.
"Skywalkers brood. It's in the blood, but he's got you to pull him out of it," Luke commented.
"There are times where he spends hours on the porch by himself, especially at night. I try not to bother him, but I can't help but join him sometimes," Rey pointed out matter-of-factly. "He admitted he thought of his family often."
"Even when family hurts you, you can still miss and think of them," Luke admitted. "You are lucky. In the Old Jedi Order, you were told not to miss or mourn your friends or family when they passed into the Force. You were told to let go of them completely."
"That doesn't sound like the best way to live," Rey said, sadness showing in her voice.
"I actually attempted to follow the no attachment thing. I wanted Ben to address me as master instead of uncle. He tried his hardest to do so, but he would slip up and call me uncle. I hardly ever fussed at him. It wasn't worth it. The thing is I did grow attached to my students. They meant so much to me. I took on too much at once. I should've taken it one step at a time," Luke explained solemnly. "I won't ever give up on the Jedi. They need to be here to keep the peace."
"When will you take on a new student?" Rey wondered.
He eyed her. "I was actually going to take on a new student if this search turned out to be unsuccessful in locating Ben. Han and Chewie were disappointed, but they understood. I sense I will have a new student very soon."
"Before I left Jakku, I never realized there was so much green, water, and beach in the galaxy. I only saw them in dreams," Rey admitted.
"My father revealed to me he told Qui-Gon that he wanted to be the first person to see all the star systems in the galaxy. He did get to see many while he was in the Jedi Order. I don't know if anyone will ever do such a thing," Luke commented.
"Anything is possible—" Rey started.
"With the Force," Luke said, looking toward the ocean once more. "It took me a while to learn that. Yoda told me we were luminous beings, not crude matter. We had to feel the Force around us. It was between the tree, the rock, and even the land and ship. I totally dismissed it. Then he lifted my X-wing from the Dagobah swamp. I couldn't believe it. He told me that was why I failed."
She exhaled. "There is so much to learn."
Luke and Rey heard cawing. They spotted two gray macaws flying overhead. The macaws landed on a medium-sized boulder not far from them. They scratched their heads with their feet.
"Leia and I saw gray macaws on Ajan Kloss when I was training her to be a Jedi," Luke said.
"Your sister had Jedi training? Ben never told me that," Rey whispered in much surprise.
"I told him about it. Only her closest friends know of it," Luke admitted. "She ended her Jedi path because she had a vision of Ben's death. He was in her womb at the time. It seems it will never come to pass."
"You shouldn't have tried to kill him," Rey whispered sternly. "That would have made the vision come true."
"I regret what I did every day, Rey. I wish I could take it back, but I can't," Luke said, his voice tinged with much guilt. "We all make our own choices. We carve out our own destinies."
"Do you think Vari will—" Rey started.
"She could," Luke admitted firmly. He knew she was talking about her baby. "I sense the baby's power. It is raw and untamed just like yours and Ben's. A child with such a thing would be very dangerous in the hands of evil."
"Yoda and Obi-Wan have told Ben and me that we must protect our child at all costs. That's what we will do," Rey said, shaking a bit.
"If Ben decides to come back with us, we will do whatever it takes to protect the child as well," Luke declared. "Whatever he decides, Han, Chewie, and I will support it."
Rey laid her hand over her heart. She and Luke listened to the cawing of macaws and roaring of tigers.