Across The Stars // Star Wars (Sequels)

✰Chapter 36✰

I wake up with a jolt. My breathing quickens when I discover I am no longer on the Millennium Falcon. Instead, I'm in an unfamiliar room, lying on an improvised bed with a leather jacket covering me. It's Poe's, I quickly realise. 

I sit up, running a hand through my messed up hair, wincing at the pain in my body. Slowly, the memories start pouring back in. Ben, Rey, Snoke, the Dark Side, Master Skywalker, Mom. The list doesn't stop and my head starts to pound. A shiver runs down my spine and I put the jacket on after noticing I'm still wearing my Dark Side outfit. Even though it's linked to some very negative memories, the robes are incredibly comfortable.

I push myself to my feet and perk my ears when I hear voices outside that I didn't notice earlier. I move the improvised piece of canvas to the side and step out into the sunlight. I shield my eyes and once they get used to the brightness, I discover I'm standing in the middle of a settlement. 

Trees surround me and the energy flowing from the soil under my feet feels peaceful, calm. I inhale deeply and a soft smile makes its way onto my face. 

A pair of arms wraps itself around me and I jump slightly, only to melt right into Poe's embrace once I realise it's him. "Hello, you," I chime softly. 

"Hey," he purrs. "Sleep well?" 

"I think so," I answer. "Where are we, exactly?" 

"Ajan Kloss. It's a jungle moon in the Outer Rim," he says, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek before taking my hand. "Come on. Your mom said to take you to her once you woke up." 

Overwhelmed by the information he shared with me, I let him lead me to the other side of the settlement, only to realise it's actually a base the Resistance is setting up. Several people are working on creating shelter while others are setting up equipment. A few X-Wings are parked on a clearing in the woods and all around us, piles of crates line the base. 

"One question," I start. "How did we get here?" 

"We escaped the First Order and flew for a few hours until we decided to go here. We've been building up a base ever since," Poe explains. 

"And how long is that? How long was I asleep?" I ask.

"About a day and a half. You fell asleep on the Falcon so I left you there for a bit while we set things up out here. And then I took you to that hut you woke up in," he says, lightly shrugging. 

I smile. "Thank you," I say softly, squeezing his hand that is still holding mine.

We arrive at a larger area with a canvas hanging over it, sheltering the many computers and monitors. "General!" Poe calls and my mother turns around, greeting us with a smile. 

"Raven." She releases a breath of relief, greeting me with a gentle hug. "How are you feeling?" 

"Better, I think. I mean, my whole body feels as if it's on fire, but other than that, I'm okay." I say, nodding softly. 

"I'm glad to hear that. If you're up for it, I think Rey really wants to see you," she says, pointing over to the woods. I frown but Mom just nods. I remove my hand from Poe's and walk into the forest. I turn a corner and find Rey sitting in the middle of a field, a small rock hovering in front of her. A circle of rocks is laid out around her. I tilt my head to the side slightly as I feel her Force-presence fully focussed on keeping that one rock in the air. 

I reach out with my own Force-presence and call her name. Her eyes shoot open and the rock drops to the ground. "Raven!" she beams, rushing to her feet to lock me in a tight hug. I involuntarily wince at a stinging pain in my side and Rey draws back. "Sorry, are you okay?" she asks. 

I nod. "Yeah, just a bit bruised from yesterday," I say with a chuckle, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," she says. "Did you see what I did?" she asks giddily. 

"You mean lifting that rock?" I ask and she nods. "Yes, I did. You did well." 

"Thanks," she beams. "I thought I'd get started because you were still asleep, but now that you're awake, I would love to get started as soon as we can." 

"Alright, let's do it," I say, crossing my arms. "Ready?"

"Yes," Rey says, although slightly unsure.

I roll my eyes. "You'll be fine. Just sit down again and close your eyes."

She does as I say and sits down cross-legged in the centre of the circle. "Now, focus. Send your consciousness into the Force," I say quietly as I circle around her. I can feel her presence fading slightly as she focusses. "Lift the rock again." 

Her brows furrow as one of the rocks begins to tremble, but it doesn't rise off the ground quite yet. Just as it starts to rise up, I send my own Force-energy toward it, ordering it to stay down.

"Focus, Rey," I tell her.

"I... I can't do it," she mumbles.

"Yes, you can. You already did it once, you just have to do it again. Focus."

I remove my energy and the rock launches into the air. Rey's eyes shoot open and I hold up a hand, catching the rock as if falls back down. "Very good," I say with a smile.

"What happened?" she asked, breathing heavily.

"You lifted the rock." I shrug, throwing the rock into the air and catching it again. "Think fast." I throw the rock toward her and she catches it right before it passes her. "Okay, let's do that again."

Rey closes her eyes again and sends her Force-energy at another rock. It slowly lifts off the ground and hovers a few feet above the ground.

"Rey, can you hear me?" I ask and she nods softly. I continue, "Imagine that you have an invisible shield around you. Nothing can get through, no matter how hard they try."

I pick up another rock and throw it toward her. It bounces off something invisible and I smile, nodding to myself. "See if you can lift another rock while keeping the other in the air," I tell her then. She doesn't reply and no other rocks start to move, but the one that's already in the air starts to tremble. "Rey?"

"I'm trying," she gruntles through gritted teeth.

I watch her carefully. I can feel her presence growing beyond her physical form and search for the rocks, but she can't reach them.

Then, one of the rocks begins to quiver in its place. Slowly but surely, it rises up, but the other rock starts to lower itself. "Rey, watch the other rock," I warn her quietly. "Focus your thoughts. Think of nothing but those two rocks."

After a few minutes of trying, Rey drops the first rock to the ground and she opens her eyes. "I can't do it. I can't focus," she says, exhaling softly.

I nod. "That's okay. You're just getting started," I tell her. "Here's what you're gonna do. You're going to spend a few hours meditating. While you do that, explore the Force and your energy. You're not going to try to lift more rocks, we'll get to that tomorrow morning. Got that?"

She nods, smiling softly. "Yes, Master."