Categories > Movies > Star Wars > Love and The Force Know No Bounds
The once intense blanket of heat had receded back to the very place from which it came. Pillars of fire slowly dwindled and dissipated into brilliant gems carried away by invisible currents. Mounds of charcoal lay dying a peaceful death as their once pulsating canals began to drain away. Luke sat by himself admiring the simplicity of a dying fire. Rey had left a while ago, and his vision was blurring around the corners due to sleepiness.
The grave Jedi Master hadn't been sleeping much as dreams of Han stomped around his subconscious. He could feel the defeat that his brother-in law must have felt when he was stabbed through the heart by his only son. He watched the life drain from his friend's face and eyes, searching for a world less bitter than the one they had just left. Han's fall was perpetual, as Luke was meant to forever watch his best friend plummet to certain death. Luke would then look down to find the same lightsaber in the center of his stomach; completely undoing the complex patchwork that was the human body. The wielder of the weapon was the masked fiend that had murdered his own father: Kylo Ren.
Luke rose to head to his home, taking careful steps among the minefield of rocks. The blurry outline of his camp grew closer when a rush of ice surrounded Luke's head. Metal clamps bit into his skull and froze all coherent thought. Only one thing made it through the unwavering barriers: his former apprentice was on this very mountain. If only he could loosen the steel teeth a fraction, he might be able to sense what was happening.
His teeth ground together as he battled against the mental restraints that Kylo had imposed upon him. His former student was a prodigy when it came to screwing with one's mind. After a significant effort, Luke was able to break through Ren's hold.
Luke's sense of urgency increased as he felt Rey's cry for help through the force. The sense of paralysis that had fallen upon Rey was so strong, that it almost crawled through the echo and snaked itself around Luke's body. Deciding that running would take too much time, Luke decided to "lightning rod."
The sturdy feel of the floor beneath Luke's feet alerted him to the fact that he was on the Millennium Falcon once more.
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Peering around to study his surroundings, the dejarik game board, refreshment table in the corner, and the hint of familiarity told him that he had arrived in the common area for recreation. A choked scream tore away the calm, and gave Luke the information he needed as to where Ren was. Bolting through the adjoining hallway, he almost ran into Rey.
Ren's hold over Rey snapped as his attention drew to the arrival of his forsaken master. Before he could utter a single word, Rey had Ren pinned to the ground with her lightsaber to his neck. The look upon herself was one of pure disgust. "What the hell are you doing here? Have you come to finish the job, or am I just another name to add to your list of kills?" Kylo remained silent, only making Rey even angrier. "Well which is it? Giving me the silent treatment certainly isn't goig to give you any favors. What are you doing here?" The blade had shifted lower than Rey intended and began to burn the skin beneath.
"Rey! That is enough! Let him go!" Rey had never looked so astonished.
"Why would we let him go? He is a monster! For all we know, he has come to kill you. That would certainly be ironic, killing your own uncle over the very soil that he tried to help you. Well, I will not let that happen."
Ren only offered a sinister smile that made it seem as if he had planned the entire thing this way.
"Rey, I will not ask again. Drop the lightsaber now! I entrusted that weapon to you, to defend the light. Do not make me regret that."
Rey looked down at her hands and felt a sudden wave of nausea. What was she doing? She hated Kylo Ren; that was certain, but she was not going to throw everything away before it had even begun. Luke's pleading eyes gave her the resolve she needed to walk away from that scary line.
Rey disengaged her weapon and tucked it back into her belt. "You make one move, and I will not hesitate." Ren only responded with a cheerful hum. Rey removed herself from Ren's figure and backed away hesitantly.
Ren got up and dusted himself up like he had been rolling around in garbage. He turned and inspected the cargo hold.
"I see this place hasn't changed one speck. The hole that I inflicted upon that wall with my first lightsaber is still there. How sentimental."
"Ben what are you doing here?" Luke suddenly sounded exhausted.
"Must I tell everyone; do not call me that!"
Ren writhed in anger and lashed out in the direction of Rey. Fortunately, Rey was prepared and shielded herself from the telekinetic wall he threw at her.
"Fine, Ren. What is it that you want?" Ren faced his uncle once more.
"I want the girl. Or more accurately Supreme Leader Snoke finds himself in need of this wretch's talents. I have come to retrieve her."
Luke was repulsed by the way that his nephew regarded Rey as a mere object.
"Her name is Rey, and you will not take her. Kylo, I am giving you a chance, walk away. The light side has always welcomed you. I can promise you, that will always be true. Nothing has changed"
"But I have. You and my father are truly blind. I have spent countless hours conditioning myself to reject such pleadings. They have fallen upon deaf ears. Very well. I find myself looking forward to displaying how my master has succeeded where you failed. The dark side has made me more powerful than even you."
"Only in your head. I do not regret what has happened to you. Only that I failed your father. I hope that he is not watching you now. For it he is I can assure you, you would even have stolen his peace in death." Luke watched his nephew struggle to stay true to his convictions. Maybe. Just maybe he hadn't failed his best friend. "Ben, you forget; the two of us are connected. That means, I feel what you feel, and I feel the light."
"You truly are relentless. You would even sink so low to invade your nephew's head. I will be satisfied once I remove yours. A head for a head."
Luke glanced at Rey, "Run, find the others and get them away from here. His hold them should be broken. This is between me and Ren."
Kylo made a move to grab Rey as she started for the door, but found his path obstructed by a green blade. The blade that he had once cherished and looked upon in wonder, was now taunting him.
Ren flew at Luke, who parried the messy attack. Luke threw his blade using the Force and maneuvered it towards Ren. Kylo easily blocked the weapon and knocked it off course. He reached for the saber, but was beat to the punch by his uncle. Luke made quick work of obtaining his weapon, and was immediately forced on the defense as Ren slashed at his midsection. The fight waged on for several minutes. When Kylo swung, Luke caught the lightsaber with his free hand, and pushed it away as if it were a pesky insect. Kylo stood dumbfounded, which gave the Luke the opening he needed. "You will be redeemed. If I must die to see this realized, so be it. But, today is not that day."
Luke bunched his hands together, and once he released them outward, Ren had been sent back to where he had come from.
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Kylo landed hard on his knees, and groaned. He had been thwarted once again. Luke was still stronger than him, and Kylo hated him for that. He would end his uncle, and finally see the last of the Jedi wither. He would only have to buy his time. The confrontation had gone just as planned; as Rey had dropped all defenses and charged him with all of her might, which would have allowed for him to incapacitate her if he could have only caught her off guard. His mind manipulation was lacking, and he could only blame himself for that. He had underestimated Rey once again. The girl certainly had a special talent for pushing his buttons. Pursuing her might prove to be rather enjoyable as he foresaw the two of them making a game out of it. If only the girl knew the true extent of her powers. The idea of her unleashing her might on her master, was not only satisfying, but very attractive. He would find a way to reach that side of her. Already she had shown that she was capable of hate, although it was for him, it was a start. Turning her himself would guarantee his return to his master's good graces, and he would be the one responsible for denying the Resistance two invaluable allies.
The only challenge would be convincing Rey of the futility rooted in the Light Side, but he had a few things in mind to persuade her.
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Rey found Luke sitting with his head in his hands. Chewbacca had insisted on evaluating any possible damages that the ship may have sustained. Combined efforts from Rey and R2 had both proved in vain, so Rey decided to let Chewbacca do what he must. R2 was apparently displeased by his master's grave posture and took it upon himself to shake Luke out of his contemplations. Following repeated times that R2 drove himself directly into Luke's knee caps, Luke looked up from whatever thoughts had occupied his vision. Luke gave a small grin, and placed a loving hand on R2's dome.
"Thank you buddy. I can always count on you to beat me into attention. May I recommend other options of getting my attention than those which might irreparably damage my joints. I am not as indestructible as I once was."
R2 was obviously pleased with himself and didn't hide it. In fact, he made a point of letting out a set of whistles reserved for bragging alone. Rey chuckled and whispered to him in binary. The droid acquiesced and went to find the wookie in order to assist him.
Rey approached Luke with apprehension at her feet like quick sand.
"Rey, you can come here. I need to talk to you anyways."
Once Rey had come into conversational distance, Luke continued, "You had a close call."
Rey's face fell, and she radiated shame.
"Master I know. I am so sorry. I cannot express how disappointed I am in myself."
Luke mimicked his sign of affection previously done to R2-D2. Rey shuddered underneath his hand on her shoulder, and began to sob. She launched herself into Luke's arms. Her master was ready for such things, and welcomed her with gusto. "Master, it was dreadful. I cannot begin to describe how it felt. I just wish I had done things differently."
Luke nodded in understanding, "We all do. We cannot fix what has already happened, but we can learn and grow."
Rey looked shocked with Luke's honest response. "You are saying that you have felt this before too?"
"Yes I am. I was slightly older than you, and had been presented before the Emperor for the first and last time. He stripped me of all calm, and came very close to corrupting me by threatening the lives of my loved ones. I was dueling my father, Darth Vader, and I accessed the dark side. I became so furious that I lost control, and I wanted to just break my father. It was Darth Vader's sacrifice that taught me the beauty of the light. And the utter cruelty of the Emperor that solidified my rejection of the dark side."
"You met Emperor Palpatine?"
"And felt his wrath literally. I was close to being electrocuted by him. Let me just say, his lightning certainly packs a punch, and if anybody questions that; tell them that Luke Skywalker told you that himself."
"Wow, I couldn't imagine what that must have felt like."
"Trust me it wasn't fun, but hopefully you will never have to go through what I did. I understand what you went felt, and I do not hold anything against you. If you ever feel yourself slipping, just let me know. You can trust me." Rey smiled sadly and hugged her master once again. She unwittingly let out a monstrous yawn garnering a laugh from Luke. "Well nothing like a heated confrontation finishes off a night like that. I don't know about you, but I feel confident that tonight is the night that I get a full night's sleep for the first time in ages." Rey stood up and nodded. "I have much to ponder Master. Good night for real now." "Good night for real Rey. I am proud of you."
After Luke had left, Rey headed to her quarters. She went to climb into her bunk, but she couldn't relax. The image of Kylo and his smile wouldn't leave her. In a way, he wasn't that bad looking. And something about him was different. She may hate Kylo, but she really didn't know Ben. Maybe there was hope to return him to his family and the light. She groaned. It really was time for bed.
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Author's Note: Well here is chapter 2! Thank you so much! I know it is very cliché, but fight scenes really are a pain to write. I hope you enjoy it. Next chapter Rey continues her training, and learns about her past. And Kylo goes all mushy on us. I promise that he won't loose his coolness though! I hope that Rey flying off the handle wasn't too out of character, but she hadn't gotten a chance to blow off some steam and admit her anger at Ren, so she lashed out. Well, thank you!
The grave Jedi Master hadn't been sleeping much as dreams of Han stomped around his subconscious. He could feel the defeat that his brother-in law must have felt when he was stabbed through the heart by his only son. He watched the life drain from his friend's face and eyes, searching for a world less bitter than the one they had just left. Han's fall was perpetual, as Luke was meant to forever watch his best friend plummet to certain death. Luke would then look down to find the same lightsaber in the center of his stomach; completely undoing the complex patchwork that was the human body. The wielder of the weapon was the masked fiend that had murdered his own father: Kylo Ren.
Luke rose to head to his home, taking careful steps among the minefield of rocks. The blurry outline of his camp grew closer when a rush of ice surrounded Luke's head. Metal clamps bit into his skull and froze all coherent thought. Only one thing made it through the unwavering barriers: his former apprentice was on this very mountain. If only he could loosen the steel teeth a fraction, he might be able to sense what was happening.
His teeth ground together as he battled against the mental restraints that Kylo had imposed upon him. His former student was a prodigy when it came to screwing with one's mind. After a significant effort, Luke was able to break through Ren's hold.
Luke's sense of urgency increased as he felt Rey's cry for help through the force. The sense of paralysis that had fallen upon Rey was so strong, that it almost crawled through the echo and snaked itself around Luke's body. Deciding that running would take too much time, Luke decided to "lightning rod."
The sturdy feel of the floor beneath Luke's feet alerted him to the fact that he was on the Millennium Falcon once more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peering around to study his surroundings, the dejarik game board, refreshment table in the corner, and the hint of familiarity told him that he had arrived in the common area for recreation. A choked scream tore away the calm, and gave Luke the information he needed as to where Ren was. Bolting through the adjoining hallway, he almost ran into Rey.
Ren's hold over Rey snapped as his attention drew to the arrival of his forsaken master. Before he could utter a single word, Rey had Ren pinned to the ground with her lightsaber to his neck. The look upon herself was one of pure disgust. "What the hell are you doing here? Have you come to finish the job, or am I just another name to add to your list of kills?" Kylo remained silent, only making Rey even angrier. "Well which is it? Giving me the silent treatment certainly isn't goig to give you any favors. What are you doing here?" The blade had shifted lower than Rey intended and began to burn the skin beneath.
"Rey! That is enough! Let him go!" Rey had never looked so astonished.
"Why would we let him go? He is a monster! For all we know, he has come to kill you. That would certainly be ironic, killing your own uncle over the very soil that he tried to help you. Well, I will not let that happen."
Ren only offered a sinister smile that made it seem as if he had planned the entire thing this way.
"Rey, I will not ask again. Drop the lightsaber now! I entrusted that weapon to you, to defend the light. Do not make me regret that."
Rey looked down at her hands and felt a sudden wave of nausea. What was she doing? She hated Kylo Ren; that was certain, but she was not going to throw everything away before it had even begun. Luke's pleading eyes gave her the resolve she needed to walk away from that scary line.
Rey disengaged her weapon and tucked it back into her belt. "You make one move, and I will not hesitate." Ren only responded with a cheerful hum. Rey removed herself from Ren's figure and backed away hesitantly.
Ren got up and dusted himself up like he had been rolling around in garbage. He turned and inspected the cargo hold.
"I see this place hasn't changed one speck. The hole that I inflicted upon that wall with my first lightsaber is still there. How sentimental."
"Ben what are you doing here?" Luke suddenly sounded exhausted.
"Must I tell everyone; do not call me that!"
Ren writhed in anger and lashed out in the direction of Rey. Fortunately, Rey was prepared and shielded herself from the telekinetic wall he threw at her.
"Fine, Ren. What is it that you want?" Ren faced his uncle once more.
"I want the girl. Or more accurately Supreme Leader Snoke finds himself in need of this wretch's talents. I have come to retrieve her."
Luke was repulsed by the way that his nephew regarded Rey as a mere object.
"Her name is Rey, and you will not take her. Kylo, I am giving you a chance, walk away. The light side has always welcomed you. I can promise you, that will always be true. Nothing has changed"
"But I have. You and my father are truly blind. I have spent countless hours conditioning myself to reject such pleadings. They have fallen upon deaf ears. Very well. I find myself looking forward to displaying how my master has succeeded where you failed. The dark side has made me more powerful than even you."
"Only in your head. I do not regret what has happened to you. Only that I failed your father. I hope that he is not watching you now. For it he is I can assure you, you would even have stolen his peace in death." Luke watched his nephew struggle to stay true to his convictions. Maybe. Just maybe he hadn't failed his best friend. "Ben, you forget; the two of us are connected. That means, I feel what you feel, and I feel the light."
"You truly are relentless. You would even sink so low to invade your nephew's head. I will be satisfied once I remove yours. A head for a head."
Luke glanced at Rey, "Run, find the others and get them away from here. His hold them should be broken. This is between me and Ren."
Kylo made a move to grab Rey as she started for the door, but found his path obstructed by a green blade. The blade that he had once cherished and looked upon in wonder, was now taunting him.
Ren flew at Luke, who parried the messy attack. Luke threw his blade using the Force and maneuvered it towards Ren. Kylo easily blocked the weapon and knocked it off course. He reached for the saber, but was beat to the punch by his uncle. Luke made quick work of obtaining his weapon, and was immediately forced on the defense as Ren slashed at his midsection. The fight waged on for several minutes. When Kylo swung, Luke caught the lightsaber with his free hand, and pushed it away as if it were a pesky insect. Kylo stood dumbfounded, which gave the Luke the opening he needed. "You will be redeemed. If I must die to see this realized, so be it. But, today is not that day."
Luke bunched his hands together, and once he released them outward, Ren had been sent back to where he had come from.
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Kylo landed hard on his knees, and groaned. He had been thwarted once again. Luke was still stronger than him, and Kylo hated him for that. He would end his uncle, and finally see the last of the Jedi wither. He would only have to buy his time. The confrontation had gone just as planned; as Rey had dropped all defenses and charged him with all of her might, which would have allowed for him to incapacitate her if he could have only caught her off guard. His mind manipulation was lacking, and he could only blame himself for that. He had underestimated Rey once again. The girl certainly had a special talent for pushing his buttons. Pursuing her might prove to be rather enjoyable as he foresaw the two of them making a game out of it. If only the girl knew the true extent of her powers. The idea of her unleashing her might on her master, was not only satisfying, but very attractive. He would find a way to reach that side of her. Already she had shown that she was capable of hate, although it was for him, it was a start. Turning her himself would guarantee his return to his master's good graces, and he would be the one responsible for denying the Resistance two invaluable allies.
The only challenge would be convincing Rey of the futility rooted in the Light Side, but he had a few things in mind to persuade her.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rey found Luke sitting with his head in his hands. Chewbacca had insisted on evaluating any possible damages that the ship may have sustained. Combined efforts from Rey and R2 had both proved in vain, so Rey decided to let Chewbacca do what he must. R2 was apparently displeased by his master's grave posture and took it upon himself to shake Luke out of his contemplations. Following repeated times that R2 drove himself directly into Luke's knee caps, Luke looked up from whatever thoughts had occupied his vision. Luke gave a small grin, and placed a loving hand on R2's dome.
"Thank you buddy. I can always count on you to beat me into attention. May I recommend other options of getting my attention than those which might irreparably damage my joints. I am not as indestructible as I once was."
R2 was obviously pleased with himself and didn't hide it. In fact, he made a point of letting out a set of whistles reserved for bragging alone. Rey chuckled and whispered to him in binary. The droid acquiesced and went to find the wookie in order to assist him.
Rey approached Luke with apprehension at her feet like quick sand.
"Rey, you can come here. I need to talk to you anyways."
Once Rey had come into conversational distance, Luke continued, "You had a close call."
Rey's face fell, and she radiated shame.
"Master I know. I am so sorry. I cannot express how disappointed I am in myself."
Luke mimicked his sign of affection previously done to R2-D2. Rey shuddered underneath his hand on her shoulder, and began to sob. She launched herself into Luke's arms. Her master was ready for such things, and welcomed her with gusto. "Master, it was dreadful. I cannot begin to describe how it felt. I just wish I had done things differently."
Luke nodded in understanding, "We all do. We cannot fix what has already happened, but we can learn and grow."
Rey looked shocked with Luke's honest response. "You are saying that you have felt this before too?"
"Yes I am. I was slightly older than you, and had been presented before the Emperor for the first and last time. He stripped me of all calm, and came very close to corrupting me by threatening the lives of my loved ones. I was dueling my father, Darth Vader, and I accessed the dark side. I became so furious that I lost control, and I wanted to just break my father. It was Darth Vader's sacrifice that taught me the beauty of the light. And the utter cruelty of the Emperor that solidified my rejection of the dark side."
"You met Emperor Palpatine?"
"And felt his wrath literally. I was close to being electrocuted by him. Let me just say, his lightning certainly packs a punch, and if anybody questions that; tell them that Luke Skywalker told you that himself."
"Wow, I couldn't imagine what that must have felt like."
"Trust me it wasn't fun, but hopefully you will never have to go through what I did. I understand what you went felt, and I do not hold anything against you. If you ever feel yourself slipping, just let me know. You can trust me." Rey smiled sadly and hugged her master once again. She unwittingly let out a monstrous yawn garnering a laugh from Luke. "Well nothing like a heated confrontation finishes off a night like that. I don't know about you, but I feel confident that tonight is the night that I get a full night's sleep for the first time in ages." Rey stood up and nodded. "I have much to ponder Master. Good night for real now." "Good night for real Rey. I am proud of you."
After Luke had left, Rey headed to her quarters. She went to climb into her bunk, but she couldn't relax. The image of Kylo and his smile wouldn't leave her. In a way, he wasn't that bad looking. And something about him was different. She may hate Kylo, but she really didn't know Ben. Maybe there was hope to return him to his family and the light. She groaned. It really was time for bed.
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Author's Note: Well here is chapter 2! Thank you so much! I know it is very cliché, but fight scenes really are a pain to write. I hope you enjoy it. Next chapter Rey continues her training, and learns about her past. And Kylo goes all mushy on us. I promise that he won't loose his coolness though! I hope that Rey flying off the handle wasn't too out of character, but she hadn't gotten a chance to blow off some steam and admit her anger at Ren, so she lashed out. Well, thank you!
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