Across The Stars // Star Wars (Sequels)

✰Chapter 39✰

Uneasily and unsure what to expect, I sit down between Connix and Commander D'Acy. Poe sits across the room, sending me glances every once in a while. While Mom and BB-8 know about our involvement, and I'm pretty sure Poe told Finn, we decided to keep our relationship to ourselves, thinking it might not send the right message to the other commanders and admirals.

"Good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here on such short notice," Mom starts. "I would like to start by saying that our tracer on the First Order was a success. We located them on Kuat, presumably for new Star Destroyers and TIE-Fighters. This is something we'll have to take into account if they ever manage to find us." 

I haven't attended many meetings, only going to a few in the beginning of this base, but they barely added to the knowledge I already knew through Poe and Finn. 

"Our second subject is the appointment of new rankings. As many of you know, Poe Dameron has promoted to commander again. Temmin Wexley has been promoted to major. And finally, Master Raven Solo has been promoted to our first Jedi General." 

My eyes go wide as applause fills the room. Mom sends me a broad smile and nods assuringly. A smile makes its way onto my face and I feel a blush creep up my neck. 

"I will see you all tomorrow. Thank you for your time." The group rises up and disperses out of the room. I stay seated, unable to remove the smile from my face. Mom comes up to me and sits down next to me. "Happy?" she asks. 

"Thank you, Mom. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for something like this," I say. 

"I know you have, and I want you to know why I kept you waiting," she says, turning toward me. "You struggled a lot with yourself when you first got here. The loss of your brother, your mentor and all the friends you had ever known weighed on you and I didn't want to add to that. I think you found your place within this Resistance and I believe you can really help us move forward." 

I nod. "I understand. Thank you." I lock her in a hug and she runs her hand up and down my back. I inhale her familiar scent and for a second, I don't have a worry on my mind.

"You deserve this, Raven. You've worked so hard to get here," she says, pulling back. "We'll sit down later today to discuss your duties."

I nod and we leave the room, but before I can step out into the sun, I am pulled aside into a narrow room. 

"Congratulations on your promotion, General," Poe smirks down at me. I giggle. 

"Thank you, Commander," I say with a grin. He chuckles before drawing me in for a kiss. I pull back, catching my bottom lip between my teeth. "Wait. Technically, I outrank you now, don't I?" I ask.

"You already did, sweetheart," he says, adding a wink for good measure. A deep red blush covers my cheeks and he laughs. 

"I hate it when you do that," I say with a pout. 

"No, you don't," he says. 

I smile up at him. "No, I don't." 

***

Weeks pass. My days are spent with meetings with my squadron of pilots, teaching Rey, keeping Poe out of trouble, meditating, and reading. Where the Dark Side used to be loudly screaming in my head, it's now just softly humming in the background. Over the weeks, Anakin has taught me ways to keep resisting the pull to the Dark and I am more than grateful for it. Without Luke, I thought I didn't have anyone to turn to in times of struggle, but luckily, a Jedi is never alone.

"So the Council just threw a Padawan in your lap?" I ask Anakin. The two of us are sitting by the lake where I like to come to meditate or just relax. It's the only quiet place in the base and most people know not to disturb me unless it's absolutely necessary. 

"Yeah, I thought they meant to assign her to Obi-Wan considering I had just passed my final test, but no, she was definitely my Padawan." He chuckles to himself at the memory.

Fighting back the Dark meant I had to draw energy from the Light Side. Since Anakin has become my Light Side beacon, he comes to visit more often. 

"What's her name again?" I ask. 

"Ahsoka Tano," he says, a soft smile lighting up his face. "She was, besides Obi-Wan, the best friend I've ever had. She knew me better than I knew myself." 

"Do you think I could meet any of them someday?" I question.

"What? Am I not enough?" he jokes and I chuckle, rolling my eyes. "I suppose you can. It'll take some time because you've never met them, but I think you can do it." 

I smile, nodding. My fingers twist around the long blades of grass on the ground. 

"How's your Padawan?" Anakin speaks up after a few minutes of comfortable silence. 

"She's doing well. I think I'm going to have her construct her own Lightsaber soon," I tell him and he nods approvingly. 

"You're a pretty good mentor, Raven," he comments. 

"Why, thank you," I chime. "Speaking of my Padawan, I should get going. Rey and I are gonna do some meditating." I push myself to my feet and brush off my robes. I send Anakin a joking salute and he chuckles before disappearing. 

I take a second to breathe as I look out over the lake. The sun is starting to set in the distance, its rays reflecting on the water. I dig my hands into the pockets of my robes before heading down the trail, back to the base where I am greeted by several of my squadron's pilots, a few commanders, and Poe himself. He sends me a wink before heading in the opposite direction, probably on his way to work on his X-Wing. 

I find Rey in the Temple, her nose buried in a thick book that I don't recognise. She looks up when I approach her. "Raven! I was just about to come find you," she greets me. 

"What's going on?" I ask, sitting down in the seat next to her.

"I found this book on the bottom of one of the crates, hidden by a pile of old texts. I started reading and I found this chapter on Force-Healing. Do you know anything about that?" she asks, holding out the book to me. I take it from her with a frown, quickly scanning the page.

"No, I don't," I mumble.

"Do you think we can do that?" she asks eagerly. "I mean, if that's okay with you, of course." 

I chuckle. "I'll have to read about it, but I suppose we can look into it," I say. "But first, we're going to continue yesterday's lesson." 

"Yes! I've practised all morning and I got really far," she says, standing up and putting the book back in a crate to protect it from the humid air. 

"We'll see about that," I say with a cheeky grin, causing her to giggle softly. We travel to the clearing in the woods and she sits down in the middle. I place the rocks back in their starting position and Rey closes her eyes, diving into the Force. I can feel her presence focussing and softening as she finds the rocks and lifts all of them up. They start circling around her at a slow pace. Rey's forehead wrinkles as she slowly lifts off the ground. The rocks never slow down.

I smile, feeling pride rise in my chest. I sit down on the ground as well and close my eyes, jumping headfirst into the Force and joining Rey in her meditation, occasionally stealing control over one or two of the rocks just to tease her. Even though I'm fully focussed, I can hear her laugh.