Star Wars: Episode 9: Light Paths

Chapter LXII

Queen Trios was a benevolent Queen, apparently. She'd given refuge to the entire Resistance within her palace grounds.

Rey had never been to such a place as the Castle of Sho Turun. It seemed to be an endless series of magnificent halls and rooms. Even the private gymnasium, where she stood now, was richly adorned, well lit, and clean.

Training could get dirty.

She'd met Otto and Zula, both from New Aldeeran. And she now knew Crispen, a native of Sho Turun. Crispen had never left this planet. These three were each sensitive to the Force. They'd been patiently waiting for Rey to come out of her hiding.

"Shall we begin, master?" Zula asked. She was formal, patient, measured. Rey saw in the teenager a maturity that every Jedi should probably have, one which Rey herself didn't think she'd achieved yet. Zula reminded her of Kenobi. There was vigor behind her restraint, a thirst for the ways of the Force.

Rey looked to the gym doors. "There is another. We'll wait."

"Can we play ball?" Otto asked. There were goal posts at each end of the large room.

Rey smiled at him, "In the evening." She looked at Zula, "We will start now." She sat, crossed her legs. The students followed. "Until your classmate gets here, we will meditate." She remembered Luke Skywalker, ached for his presence again. "Breathe."

She heard the three inhale deeply.

"Let go of it, whatever makes you anxious, whatever makes you afraid, flow away from that." Rey's eyes were closed. "Think of the most peaceful you've ever been."

She heard the squeaky little voice of Otto. "Is peaceful happy?"

"Shhh!" Zula hissed.

"It's all right." Rey felt herself getting lighter. "You can say it out loud if you want, or keep it to yourself. Yes Otto, peaceful is happy." She thought of what would make someone like Hux happy, "Peace is happiness, if you're not causing harm."

Otto said, rather triumphantly, "I'm peaceful when I get to play with Zula."

And Zula responded, without patronizing, "So am I."

Crispen then spoke up, "I'm peaceful at the fire, at home, with my parents."

"Hold on to that, forever." Rey was thinking of her own peace. She saw an ocean, an island beach. Finn was lying on the sand with her. Her parents were there too. This was an imaginary place. She'd made it up a long time ago, modified her view of it every so often. This setting that brought peace to her was only a fantasy. In real life, she had never been at peace. Not once.