Star Wars | Episode X: The Edge of Destiny

Chapter 19: The Journey

"New hairstyle?" Poe's left eyebrow raises as he tilts his head.

"What?" I question.  Poe keeps staring at my hair and slowly I reach my left hand up and notice that I forgot to put it in my signature top bun before I left. "Oh." I chuckle. As I run my fingers through my unbound hair from the top of my scalp to the ends.

"I told you that you didn't need to hurry," Finn says walking up to where we are standing on the landing pad. 

"I didn't hurry, I just forgot is all," I reply shortly.

"Do you need to go back?" Poe asks me jokingly.

"No, I'm fine.  You know the plan?" I look at them both in the eyes trying to change the subject. 

"Sure do," Poe replies.

"Perfect, then what are we waiting for?" I say as I walk over to the ladder next to Darth Vader's Tie Fighter.

I grab the railings and dash up the steps and jump into the open hatch.  I land softly and get myself situated in the chair.  

I can feel it...darkness.  It's all around me---in me.  

Hesitantly, I reach for the harness and pull them over my shoulders.  I lock them quickly at the three-point mark by the lower abdomen. I turn my shaking hands up and look at the palms.  I feel as though my hands are covered in something but nothing is there--something dark.  I am beginning to feel uncomfortable sitting here. It's as though the energy of the past lingers...

My trance breaks as Poe yells at me from the outside. "This planet is next to a black hole, Rey.  Be careful!" Poe yells. Finn walks past the Tie Fighter and makes way towards the parked Falcon. I watch as the two are followed by Chewie and the droids up the loading ramp.  My mind starts to drift and jittery nerves flutter in my stomach.

"You're at the edge of destiny, Rey. You can't stop now. Open your eyes."

Hearing his voice in my head, I shake off the nerves and flip the switches to close the hatch and ignite the engines for take-off.  "I'm losing focus."

***

We clear Coruscant's atmosphere and are preparing for light speed clearance from the satellite station ahead of us. I press my comm link and move the small device towards my mouth.

"Safe journey, be vigilant, see you on the other side." I release the button and hear Finn's response. "Be safe, Rey."

A robotic voice comes over my headset and the station is giving us clearance on the hyperspace highway. A small smile moves across my face.  The coordinates have processed in the navigation drive; as I flip the light speed button and watch as the stars bleed across the viewing window.  

I attempt to relax in the chair but fail to do so.  There is something sinister working in the galaxy right now and I feel like it's clawing at me constantly. "It wants me.  It's stalking me..."

Closing my eyes, I sit and try to make sense of the situation.  

"Am I losing myself and what I have stood for? I feel like I am.  Darkness is thrashing inside of me and wants to break free.  I can't let it win. Who knows what would happen.  Are those dreams even real? Is this whole thing a trap that I have ignorantly fallen into? Ben...is it actually him or has this whole plot been an act of deception?" 

Time passes and I open my eyes as the proximity alert buzzes below me.  I grab hold of the wheel and watch as the blurred stars break in front of me.