DYING OF THE LIGHT ➣ BEN SOLO

TWELVE

[ LESSONS ]

HALO HAD NEVER BEEN ABOARD AN IMPERIAL SHIP.

and it was something she was very glad for. all around her, there was only grey. some shades darker than others, but all in the same depressing manner. there was an air of despotism in the way the admirals walked, an air of oppression in the stride of every trooper. there was no color. it was dark.

halo and rey had been thrown into a cell that was even darker than the rest of the ship. the block they were in was completely vacant. no sounds could be heard from where they were. it was like being suspended in space, trying desperately to hear anything in a place where no sound could be made.

she sat with her head against the wall. the cool metal of her light saber was nowhere to be found. kylo ren had taken it almost as soon as they had entered the carrier vessel. she felt naked without it. uncomfortable and lost.

it had been easier to see him than she thought it would be. maybe because she couldn't see his skin, or his face, or his eyes. she wondered what would happen when she did.

a sound from the corner of the room drew her attention. rey's eyes fluttered open, her fingers pressing gently at her temples. halo was sure she had a headache. being tampered with by the force, and the dark side of it, was exhausting.

"where... halo?"

halo came closer to the girl, helping her to sit up against the wall.

"yeah, it's me, rey."

"where are we?"

halo swallowed, and looked into rey's eyes for a moment. she looked unharmed, but incredibly scared.

"we're on the finalizer. under imperial custody."

rey's eyes grew wide. halo could feel the memories of the few hours before coming back into rey's mind. the confusion, the fear, the pain. she felt sorry. if only she had stayed behind on jakku.

rey's eyes began to well with tears.

"listen to me," halo said softly, squeezing the young scavenger's hand. "rey, i should have told you sooner. when i first met you, i could feel it, and i should have told you then. the force is strong in you. stronger than i have ever seen."

rey nodded as if this was old news. halo's brows raised. had maz told her?

"i know," rey whispered. "at takodana, i went into the lower sectors of the castle. i found a lightsaber there. luke's lightsaber. and when i touched it, i had a vision."

halo's mouth fell agape. she did not know what to say.

"a force vision?" halo breathed. "what did you see?"

rey shook her head, brushing stray pieces of her inky hair away from her face. "i don't know. none of it made sense. but i understood why it called to me. in a way, i've always known."

halo wanted desperately to ask about her master's lightsaber, but for now, she let it go. she had little time.

"listen, rey. we have to move very quickly. i am going to train you."

rey's eyes lit up. all the agony that had been in them before seemed to melt away. it was as if it had never happened. as if, with just a few words, halo had made her entire life worth living.

"train me?" she whispered, her voice low and excited. "to be a jedi?"

halo nodded.

"we're starting right now. and you must pay very close attention. kylo ren is going to question us. both of us, but separately. he will try to enter your mind, and you must resist. we cannot allow him to see the map."

there were so many questions running through rey's mind that halo could not make sense of what she was feeling. but her resolve did not waver. maz's words were enough to convince her. this was her duty. she had to do it. for the fate of the galaxy, for luke.

halo's light eyes met rey's, and she smiled assuringly at the young girl.

"trust me."

rey nodded, and closed her eyes.

halo pressed her fingertips to rey's forehead. she could feel everything rey was thinking, could hear it loud and clear, as if she was speaking to her. all the pain and sorrow of her childhood, all the loneliness. it was all there. she would not allow kylo ren to see this

"breathe."

rey obeyed. and as she did, halo felt her mind begin to clear.

"good. now, clear your mind. think only of what is around you. feel your connection to it, reach out with your feelings, and touch it. it is warm."

halo watched closely, not daring to remove her fingertips from the girl's forehead. there was too much dark energy near.

"find me. my presence. when you do, you will be able to understand what i am feeling."

rey's brows furrowed somewhat, but halo knew she was successful. she could feel her probing her own mind.

"now, when kylo ren questions you, you must do exactly what we have just done. clear your mind. focus on the energy in the room. not on his presence, but on all the other things. the metal of the walls, the lights on the ceiling. anything. erase your memories for only a moment, so that they will be untouchable."

they continued the practice for hours. and rey improved far quicker than halo anticipated. she was afraid, so afraid of the idea of another jedi entering the world. but at the same time, she was excited. the parts of herself that she missed so dearly were coming back to her. the parts ben solo had murdered a very long time ago... they were being reborn.

again, she thought of luke, as she had done often since she met finn and rey. she wondered what he would say if he found out she was training a young woman. she wondered if he would be proud.

after all, the great jedi yoda had done the same for him long ago. and though she was no great jedi, she could teach rey enough. and maybe, this girl would be the one to save the galaxy.

there was something so important about her. halo knew that from the start.

there was nothing so important about halo. her life had become such a mess because of all the mistakes she made.

but rey still had a chance; to be the person halo wanted to be before ben solo ruined her.