" and you, my father, there on that sad height,
curse, bless me now with your fierce tears i pray.
do not go gentle into that good night.
rage, rage against the dying of the light "
blood runs thicker than water.
| dying of the light by kona |
|...
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HALO COUNTED THE HOURS UNTIL SHE LEFT.
leia had wanted her to stay at the rebel base longer, in order for her large and dangerous wound to heal. but halo protested. and she did not stop until the general gave in. she didn't care how painful it was, or even how little she could move independently with it. she wanted to see her old master so badly that none of it mattered.
she went with rey on the last day to see finn. the ex-trooper was in critical condition. he was silent where he laid, no signs of life in his blank face. but his heart was still beating. and halo was sure she would see him again.
she said all her goodbyes that day. to BB-8, the little droid who had become a fast friend in jakku, to poe, who had saved her life on the starkiller base, and to leia.
the general had walked with them to the falcon, helping rey to support halo as she walked, very slowly. every movement sent daggers into her core. but she could manage. pain is different when you have something to look forward to.
when they got to the ramp, leia let go. the general looked as calm and collected as she ever had, but there was something else deep in her eyes. a kind of sadness that didn't fully emerge itself on her countenance. it was dull, but it was poignant.
"may the force be with you."
halo smiled. it would be.
rey's arm tightened around her as they turned and made their way up the ramp. once inside, halo eased herself down onto a bench in the main hall, allowing her head to hit the solid surface gently. her breathing was quick with uncomfortable pain, but even still, her heart was cloaked in happiness.
the journey was long. but halo had anticipated that. she should have suspected that luke would have chosen ahch-to as his place of hiding. the temple was there, the sacred texts were there, and it was on the edge of all known mapping systems. undetectable, unnoticeable. the perfect place to disappear.
when at last she felt the falcon landing, nerves tangled in her stomach. rey hurried over, an unmatched smile plastered on her face.
"we're here."
the young scavenger helped halo to stand, supporting almost the entirety of her weight as they walked from the falcon.
all around them, there was sea. the smell of salt hit halo's nose. the air was fresh and clean, blowing at her warm skin comfortingly. moss and foliage covered the mountainside that they stood below. the sky was a stormy grey, the water a crystal blue. the exact color of halo's eyes.
she could not help the smile that stretched across her face.
it was beautiful.
they made their way slowly up the rocky surface. the sound of the crashing waves played like a lullaby in halo's ears, the perfect backing to such a view. the island seemed to stretch on forever, reaching its stony fingers to the heavens, stretching its vast legs to the sea. the force was so strong here, so powerful and balanced that it formed a lump in halo's throat. she felt clean. like all the pain and sorrow of the past was falling away into the rocky seas below. here, the force embraced her as an old friend. it calmed her excited mind, comforted her aching heart. she knew why he chose to come here. after everything that happened, it would allow him to heal.
they reached the top of a rocky hill, and emerged onto a cliff. the grass swayed calmly here, mimicking the rise and fall of the ocean tide below. halo breathed quickly, with great effort. she could feel the blood from her wound sleeping through the clean bandages about her waist.
her light eyes traveled to the top of the final hill. on it, she could see a figure. overlooking the sea, back turned to the women below.
her heart swelled to her throat.
"rey," she whispered, gesturing to where luke stood on the mountain top. "go. i'll wait here."
the scavenger nodded eagerly, helping halo to sit on the edge of the cliff before taking off toward the man she heard of only in myths.
halo calmed her breathing, and pressed a firm hand to her stomach. she could feel the wetness of her own blood, but the pain became only a dull throb.
with her eyes on the sea, and her mind on her jedi master just moments away, she could hardly feel it.
a deep breath left her lungs. her warm eyes looked out to the horizon, her skin welcoming the soft spray of the sea as it hit her face.
after all that had happened, all the terrible things, all the suffering and tears and heartbreak, she could finally breathe. easily. freely.
now, she was free.
now, she was home.
END OF BOOK ONE.
[ okay, i know i could have written this book a lot better, there are many confusing parts and errors and the overall quality is nowhere near perfection.
but this is the first book i have ever finished.
ever.
and i am so proud of myself. i probably updated too quickly and didn't write with enough detail with a plot that lacked creativity, but i made it through. my first book.
i'm so excited. i seriously can't believe it.
if you read this, thank you so much. from the very bottom of my heart, with everything i have, thank you so, so much.
every time i get a comment, my heart skips a beat. all your kind words and votes and reads mean the world to me.
i'm still learning as an author. i have so many things to improve on. and finishing my first book was something i had to do. i learned so many things, and have many more to learn still.
if you were with me until the end, thank you. i love and appreciate you. ❤️
