Stargaze [Star Wars Sequel Trilogy] ✔︎

XI. Maz and Visions

MAZ'S CASTLE

It was loud. The music thumped as we moved past aliens and humans alike. Han then found the person, er alien he was looking for. I assumed this to be Maz. She adjusted her goggles and then yelled.

"Han Solo!" The room fell quiet. All eyes fell on our odd group. "Hey Maz." Han said putting on a fake smile and waving. The noise returned as Maz approached.

"Where's my boyfriend?" she asked. Boyfriend? "Chewie's working on the Falcon." Han said. "I like that wookie." she said. Her thousand year old eyes fell on us and then BB-8. "I assume you need something. Desperately. Let's get to it." Maz led us to a table.

...

"A map to Skywalker himself? You're right back in the mess." she said. "Maz, I need you to take this droid to Leia." Han said. "No." Maz said taking us all aback. "What do you mean no?" I asked. "Hush child." She sapped to me before turning back to Han. "You've been running away from this fight for too long. Han." She said something I didn't understand. "Go home." "Leia doesn't want to see me." Han said

"Please, we came here for your help." Finn begged. "What fight?" Rey asked. "The only fight; against the dark side." Her eyes oddly fell on me. "Through the ages, I've seen evil take many forms. The Sith. The Empire. Today it is the First Order. Their shadow is spreading across the galaxy. We must face them. Fight them. All of us." Maz said. "There is no fight against the First Order. Not one we can win. Look around." Finn said. "There's no chance we haven't been recognized already. I bet you the First Order is on there way right now." There was a click. Maz climbed up onto the table, crawling to Finn. Fin wondered why, growing nervous as she got closer, her eyes growing bigger each time. "Solo, what is she doing?" Finn asked. "I don't know but it ain't good." Han said, not looking concerned at all.

"If you live long enough you see the same eyes in different people. I'm looking in the eyes of a man who wants to run." Maz said. I felt as if she was right. "You don't know a thing about me. Where I'm from, what I've seen. You don't know the First Order like I do. They'll slaughter us all. We all need to run." Finn said while Rey sat beside him stunned. Maz ignored this and instead pointed to some pirates standing in one of the corners of the castle. "You see those two? They'll trade work for transportation to the Outer Rim. There, you can disappear." She said. Fin stood up and began to walk to him.

"Finn." Rey said. "Come with me, both of you." Finn urged. We were so close. "What about Beebee Ate? We're not done yet. We have to get him to your base." Rey said. "I can't." Finn said. Rey ran after him. I looked back at her then Han. "Go kiddo." he said. I ran after them. As I walked away, Maz spoke. "Who's the girl?"

...

"What are you doing?" Rey asked. "Don't leave without me." He said to one of them before they left to give us privacy. "You can't just go. I won't let you." Rey said. "He's not who you think he is." "She's right. I'm not resistance. I'm not a hero." He said. "I'm a stormtrooper." Rey and I were stunned. I had never expected this. Finn continued.

"Like all of them, I was taken from a family I'll never knew. And raised to do one thing. But at my first battle, I made a choice. I wasn't going to kill for them. So I ran right into you two." He smiled a bit. "And you guys looked at me like no one ever had. I was ashamed of what I was. But I'm done with the First Order. I'm never going back. Come with me." Finn said. Rey and I didn't want to. When you start something, you need to finish it. "Don't go." Rey begged. "Take care of yourself. Please." Finn said. He left. Rey turned to a stairwell.

"Do you hear that?" Rey asked. "What?" I asked. She continued when I did hear something. A child screaming. A little girl's that sounded too familiar. We moved down the stairs and into a vaulted room. In the room there was a table that sat a wooden box. I walked in front of her and opened the box. Inside there was a metal object. Rey and I recognized it as a lightsaber hilt. 

Rey reached to it. 

My mind screamed at me to stop her. But I didn't. Her fingertips brushed across is as a piercing sound echoed.

Rey and I stood back to back in a dimly lit corridor. We looked around as the corridor began to tilt, spin. We landed on the ground, dried grass that itched my exposed skin. I looked and saw Rey outside of the fire. I was in it.

"Lillian!" My mother's voice yelled.

"Stargaze." A man's voice said. A metal hand smacked against a blue and white droid.

There was rain. The scene before us was gone again as darkness filled the sky. Lightning struck. A creature dressed in black stood over us. Then a red beam struck through its chest. The beam was pulled out revealing the man I saw in visions. Kylo Ren, surrounded by his Knights of Ren. Ren began to charge at us. "Rey?" a warped voice asked as it suddenly got very bright. The rain halted. Rey and I immediately knew where we were. Jakku.

"No!" A voice cried. Unkar Plutt held her arm. Holding the child Rey as a ship flew off. "Let her go!" My mother said running to help Rey. "Quiet girl." Plutt said to her. It changed again. It was night. Snow fell. The only sound was Rey and I's panicked breaths. Then the sound of a lightsaber extinguishing. A flash of red, blue and green. Kylo Ren emerged from the forest that was around us. Rey screamed. We both fell to the ground and back in the castle.

Rey looked around panicked. I continued to stare at the space in front of us, expecting something to come from it. I could tell Rey was doing the same. Maz's light footsteps ran to us. "What was that?" Rey asked. We shouldn't have come here." Maz just shook her head. "That lightsaber was Luke's. And his father before him and now it calls to you." Rey was still in shock. Rey nor I had ever expected this. We were just scavengers from Jakku. I was ready to finish this mission and go home, wherever that may be. "I have to get back to Jakku." Rey quickly said. "Han told me." Max said motioning Rey to her level. They took hands. "Dear child. I see your eyes. You already know the truth. Whomever you're waiting for on Jakku, they're not coming back." But Rey was waiting for her parents, unless they were gone, like mine. "But there is someone who still could.""Luke" Rey said, realizing a destiny. Whether it be her's or someone else's.

"The belonging you seek is not behind you. It is ahead. I am no Jedi, but I do know the force. It moves through every living thing no matter what you may believe. The force is real and true. Something you both possess." I got to her level next to Rey. This is going to be hard to accept. The force is in me.

"Close your eyes. Feel it. The light. It's always been there. It will guide you. The saber. Take it." Maz said. I wanted to listen to her, learn it's power. But Rey suddenly stood.

"No. I'm never touching that thing again. I don't want any part of this." Rey ran off. "I wanted to run after her but the saber on the box kept me there. For reasons unknown.