Hearts of Rebels | Star Wars Fanfiction

Chapter XXVI

When she awoke, it was to the sound of the old Jedi instructing his stubborn apprentice. She got up just barely avoiding hitting her head and crawled to the window. She watched Luke standing on his hands with Yoda perched on one of his feet. A few rocks levitated around them.

She couldn't help but smile at her friend. Then she heard R2-D2 frantically beeping about the ship. She looked past the droid to the swamp, seeing Luke's X-Wing sinking.

"Oh no," She crawled out the hovel and ran across the swamp, her feet slapping loudly against the mud.

She skidded to a halt by the shore, R2-D2 rolled beside her and began rocking back and forth, trying to gain Luke's attention. The ship creaked as the mud beneath it gave way, and with one loud groan, it sunk deeper into the swamp. Splashing the two onlookers with water.

"Concentrate!" Yoda yelped.

Rhea looked behind her to see Luke on the ground. The rocks smashed to the ground as he scrambled up, rushing to the shore. Once he got to them, the ship had sunk far enough that only the tip of its nose showed above the lake's surface.

"Oh, no. We'll never get it out now," He complained.

"Maybe... we can pull it out once I get my ship flying? If Artoo's cable still works," Rhea suggested.

"As if that'll work," Luke scoffed.

"So certain are you. Always with you, it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?" Yoda stomped his foot in irritation as he joined them by the shore.

"Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different," Luke threw his hands up in exasperation.

"No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn, what you have learned," Yoda poked Luke with his gimer stick, as he had done with Rhea.

"All right, I'll give it a try," Luke looked at the ship hesitantly, outstretching his hand towards the ship.

"No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try," Yoda stamped his gimer stick into the ground, trying to get the young man to pay attention.

Luke closed his eyes and concentrated on the ship. Slowly, the X-Wing's nose began to rise above the water. It hovered for a moment before sliding back into the murky water, disappearing once again.

"I can't. It's too big," Luke panted, he dropped his hand from the ship and sat down on a root, giving up.

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hm?" Yoda lectured, hobbling over to his apprentice. Luke shook his head, excessively.

"And well, you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we..." Yoda pinched Luke's shoulder Then pointed to everything, waving his hands to signify everything around him to get his point across his stubborn student before continuing.

"...not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you... me... her... the tree... the rock... everywhere! Yes, even between this land and that ship!"

"You want the impossible," Luke retorted. He jumped up from the root and stalked away, snatching his jacket while muttering complaints to himself.

"Wait, Luke," Rhea chased after him. He sat down with his back to her as she caught up to him. "We can still pull..."

She stopped hearing a rattling noise grow louder and louder. R2-D2 beeped terrified as he scooted over to them, hiding behind her. Luke finally glanced at Rhea confused then saw the scene unfolding behind them.

Yoda stood at the shore, his eyes closed, and his head bowed down. His arm was raised, pointing towards the lake, and he was slightly shaking from the strain.

The X-Wing, to both of their amazement, was rising above the lake. Water streamed off the starship crashing back into the lake as the ship slowly moved forward. Yoda raised his head and moved his arm, guiding the starship. The ship floated majestically until finally, it settled down on the ground.

"I don't... I don't believe it," Luke walked over to Yoda and stared in astonishment while Rhea stood stunned, her mouth open failing to find words. Yet Yoda only shook his head in bewilderment.

"That is why you fail," The little Jedi tottered away from the ship leaving the two rebels alone. Rhea walked up to Luke and touched his shoulder, but he shrugged her off.

"I'm sorry for failing. I'll never be the Jedi everyone wants me to be. Even Yoda said it," He muttered. Rhea stood silently for a moment before realising what to say.

"Failure is our greatest teacher, without it we would never succeed,"

"You sound like Master Yoda," He sighed, not meeting her eyes.

"Actually, it's something my Uncle used to say," she smiled at him, but he only turned away. She knew he was still hurt by yesterday's argument. She rubbed her head and shoved her pride down.

"Luke, I'm sorry... I can't understand what this is like for you," He didn't answer her. He stayed quiet looking in the direction Yoda had left.

"Master Yoda told me you went into the cave," He mumbled. "What did you see?"

"A lot of things..." She whispered, hating how the roles had reversed. "...It made me relive bad memory's. Biggs death, my squadron. When the Imperials captured me. It showed me Dax dying, I couldn't save him..."

"That's not the whole truth is it," He muttered sternly.

"No," She bluntly replied, she knew she couldn't lie to him.

"Rhea, please tell me," His voice had returned to the kind tone she knew. He finally looked at her, the corners of his eyes glistening with tears despite his efforts.

"In the cave, you turned to the dark side. You killed... everyone. You told me it was my fault just as you were going to kill me, then Vader... killed you. Just when you came back to the light," She barely spoke above a whisper, hoping he hadn't heard but the way his face fell told her he did.

"You feel responsible for us," He realised. "You still blame yourself, don't you?"

"How can I not? I lost nearly the entire squadron because I was a young, arrogant fool," She grumbled, she so badly wanted to deny him and walk away.

"You didn't know it was a trap, Rhea. You can't keep blaming yourself for their deaths and everyone else's,"

"Luke it was my fault! If I had just realised it... thought it through... I could have prevented-" He cut her off as he seized her arms, yanking her into a hug.

"It was never your fault Rhea. They knew the risks, we all do. Because of them, you're still here. With me," He held her tighter, hoping his words got through to her. "And I won't fall to the dark side, not when I have you, Han and Leia at my side. I promise."

She rested her head against him. The two stood silently for a while, embracing. Not wanting to let each other go.

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