The Light is Coming | Kylo Ren

Chapter XVIII

Rain began to fall on the island of Ahch-To. The porgs quickly huddled up within their hiding places amongst the rock formations and within caves. On a cliff sat the Millennium Falcon. Hearing the patter of the droplets hitting its exterior, Finn and Rey stood within the ship.

"Hello, Leia," Rey began. "We hope this message reaches you in time. It's been days since we first arrived on Ahch-To and found Luke Skywalker. It seems it's far more difficult than we imagined to bring him home."

"We've spent our time here training when Luke doesn't want to be disturbed. He hasn't eased up to the idea of returning, he has been awfully quiet and distant..." Finn added.

"However, he took it in himself to help teach Finn and I the basics of the Force," Rey said as Finn nodded. "We hope he will open up and allow us in... We don't know how long this will take. We know we don't have much time... But we must have an alternate plan if and when it fails."

"The beacon is still blinking which is good, we hope all is well wherever you are with the Resistance," Finn spoke as he lifted the beacon in his hold. "Rey and I will reach out again tomorrow if we have any updates."

"For now, we leave you with this. May the Force be with you." At that, Finn and Rey settled the device as they hoped their holo message would reach Leia.

Overhearing their words, Luke stood at the end of the Falcon's ramp and broke his silence, "you have high hopes in convincing me. I will not be returning, no matter how hard you try."

Looking over as they quickly turned, Finn and Rey furrowed their eyebrows. "Master Skywalker—"

"I don't mind showing you kids the ropes. Training and teaching you all that I know... But my place is here. I belong here. I will not leave." Shaking his head, Luke turned. Before he left, he spoke over his shoulder. "It's up to you two to save the galaxy. You two can do what I could never."

Watching him walk away with a worrisome expression, Rey looked over at Finn as he reached for her hand and took a small step forward, "you don't know what the First Order is truly capable of. You don't know what I've experienced. What Rey has seen. What Leia has gone through. They only get stronger as the days pass. We need all the help we can get, including yours."

Eyeing Finn as her eyebrows scrunched up, Rey's mind shifted from Luke, to Chi... hoping she was okay. Wondering where she was. Deep down, Rey knew... if they couldn't convince Luke to come with them... they'd have to turn to Chi. The only other Force user they knew.

• • •

Unclipping her blades from her waist, activating the lightsabers at the same time, Chi began to move gently. She followed the motion of the wind, letting the swiftness of it guide her. She wasn't trying to practice her combat, rather, how to stay in tune with herself.

She kept her eyes closed, standing amongst the tall trees as she allowed the world around her to guide her. She listed to the leaves rustle with the breeze, the distant sound of animals chirping as she steadied her breathing to match her movements.

Slowly and carefully shifting herself, waving her arms and moving the white blades in the air, Kylo watched her from afar. He studied her, how her steps were precise. How the way her body moved was almost like watching water stream through a river. It was oddly calming. Her long, bright hair swayed with her in the ponytail she had put it into, using a ribbon to hold it together.

Keeping his eyes locked on her, jumping his eyes from her blades to her hands, the shifting of her back muscles to her hips, his eyes cane to a stop on her bottom. Quickly shifting his eyes back up as his heart skipped a bit, he bit down and looked away for a moment, collecting himself.