Star Wars- In another Life.

Chapter 19- The Return of Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker sat in his peaceful, quiet home on Paasana, sketching and making notes as he often did in one of the many ancient Jedi texts in his possession. Outside the cave, he could make out the faint sounds of the celebration of the ancestors; he could hear the din of feet upon the sand, the singing and the explosions of coloured powder. He smiled to himself. Perhaps later, when night fell, he'd go and join the Aki Aki in their festivities.

 He was currently preoccupied with making notes upon his former home- the temple island on the planet Ahch-To. He missed the persistent roar of the ocean, but he did not miss the constant rain. Over the years, Luke made notes regarding the waypoint there, a powerful convergence within the vergence scatter that linked to other waypoints on planets in the Galaxy. Luke had made detailed records regarding the entrance to the centre of darkness- a cave beneath the island, and the centre of the light side- the temple embedded within the islands' mountainous heights. Annotations of the ancient Uneti tree where the library containing the Jedi texts, the Jedi order's foundations, had been kept safe from the blaze that had destroyed his school. His current sketch was that of the Prime Jedi, half light and half dark, a perfect balance of the Force's two opposing sides. The prime Jedi had been a mosaic of little pebbles embedded in the temple floor at the top of the cliff on the island. He sat silently engrossed in his task, that was, until the sound of footsteps disturbed him. Not the planet's natural inhabitants, these footsteps were booted. Not Lando, either. There were three booted companions and another whose footsteps were heavier and muffled as though covered in fur. The footsteps got louder and louder until they entered his home, where they stopped, and then a sound Luke hoped never to hear again made him put down his pencil and close his eyes with a sad sigh, a lightsaber.

Kylo, Rey, Poe and Chewie watched as the figure shifted its head to listen before sighing and turning to face the party who had invaded its home. The face barely visible beneath a wide hood was human. His skin was weather-worn and tanned, with a full-grown grey-streaked beard. He pulled back his hood to look at the group of invaders. The man who'd presented himself from beneath that cowl was the last Jedi, Luke Skywalker.

"Chewie?" he asked, and Chewie howled, "Where's Han?" The hint of anxiety regarding his brother-in-law's absence was noticeable.

"Back at the Falcon," Poe answered.

Luke Skywalker walked towards the procession slowly. He stopped in front of the Wookie first before smiling and warmly embracing Chewie's arm before he moved and stood soberly before his nephew.
"Ben."

There was no familial embrace here or even a civilised nod between the two men.

"Who are you?" Luke asked, turning to the pilot.

"Commander Poe Dameron. I'm with the Resistance. Your sister Leia sent us," Poe replied, but Luke was already onto the next stranger.

"Rey," Rey spoke without being asked. Luke took a step back from them.

"Why are you here?" it was said to the collective group.

Poe stared blankly at Skywalker, then looked to Ren to reassure him that he had just answered that question. Receiving no inclination from Kylo, Poe repeated his former message.

"I just told you. I'm Commander Poe Dameron with the Resistance. Your sister, General Organa, sent us," Poe replied, slightly annoyed.

Luke stepped towards his nephew, eyeing the helmet he held, "You're not with the Resistance. Why are you here?"

Kylo's stare was cold, practically glacial, his body rigid with over-exerted control. The air around him seemed frigid like the slightest movement or spoken words might fracture it, splintering it into thousands of tiny pieces.
"For her," Kylo twitched his head towards Rey, then back to stare down his Uncle. "The Force connected us."