Crait
The corvette touches down inside the hangar. The landing pads drop down with a hiss and Resistance fighters pour out. Among them is Finn. He takes a wincing stride away from the ship. Rose walks out after him. She bits her lip, hesitant.
"Um...Finn!" She calls after him.
He turns, eyeing her curiously.
"I uh...I didn't know about the...stormtrooper thing..." She says, with uncertainty. "I'm still not sure how I feel about that but...uh thanks for saving me back there. I'll tell Ackbar what you did."
Finn stares back for several seconds, then nods slowly. He turns and walks away.
Across the hangar, Poe's X-wing pops open, and he climbs out. He is met with a crowd of cheering pilots. Poe grins, and accepts the handshakes and hugs they offer. Finn cracks a smile at the display but doesn't approach. Instead he walks further into the base.
He passes down several white hallways, before coming to a door. It opens admitting him to a small, dark room, with a bed. The door closes behind him and he sits down on the bed. He sits in the dark room. After a moment. He slowly reaches up to his collar, and pulls it down. There, tattooed on his chest, is "FN-2187".
He stares at the collection of letters and numbers, unblinking. Suddenly, there is a pinging from Finn's commlink. He lets go of the the shirt collar, and activates the commlink. An image of Rey appears.
"Hey Finn," She says with a smile.
"Hey Rey," He replies, putting on a smile himself. "You alright? Last time we talked, sounded like you were gonna do something nuts."
"Yeah..." Rey says sheepishly. "That wasn't a great idea..." Her eyes light up suddenly. "But long story short, Luke is training me now!"
"Really? That's great!" Finn says.
"Yeah. It is kinda slow going, though. I don't think he trusts me very much...but I do think he's really trying to help me! Luke wasn't exactly what I expected, but now I think maybe that's okay. He isn't the hero he used to be but I think a part of him might still want to be. I don't know. I just have to keep training, and learn what I can."
"Well whatever happens, I think you'll make a great Jedi." Finn says.
Rey smiles. "Thanks Finn."
He shrugs.
"So how are things with the Resistance? The war going any better?"
Finn hesitates. "...I was actually just in a battle."
"Really?" Rey asks, with interest.
"Just as a medic..." Finn's voice trails off.
"What? Did something happen?" Rey asks.
Finn doesn't reply at first.
"Finn..." Rey prods.
"...Kylo Ren was there." Finn eventually says.
"What!?" Rey exclaims.
"I'm fine!" Finn says quickly. "At least better than the last time I met him..."
"What happened?" She asks, seriously.
"It was at the end of the battle. We were leaving, when he grabbed me and dragged me around with the force. I was helpless, he could have killed me but...he hesitated."
"Hesitated?" Rey says, confused.
"He said that he hadn't decided to kill me or not yet...because of you."
Rey bites her lip, and looks away.
"Do you know something Rey?" Finn asks.
"I think...he wants me to join him. Or...help him or...I don't know. I'm not sure he knows. Look Finn, I just...I'm just glad your alive."
Finn starts to say something but she cuts him off.
"Hold on." She says, turning to look at something out of view. There is a distant, unintelligible voice.
"I'll be there in a second!" She turns back to Finn. "I've got to go. Jedi training."
"Alright, see you later, then." Finn gives her one last smile.
"I'll talk again when I can. Bye."
The comm clicks off. Finn is left again in darkness. Eventually, he sighs, gets back up, and walks out of the room.
***
Ahch-to
Luke and Chewbacca stand on a flat circle where the island's grass has been cleared away. Both watch as Rey runs up from the Falcon parked below.
"Done talking to your stormtrooper buddy?" Luke asks.
"He's not a stormtrooper...anymore."
Luke only grunts in reply. "Well, now that you're here I think it's time you learned how to defend yourself."
"I already know how to defend myself." Rey says with definance.
"Not like a Jedi."
"Does that mean you're gonna show me how to use a lightsaber?" Rey asks.
"No." Luke says firmly. "It's too early for that."
Rey pouts.
Luke sighs. "Lightsabers are among the most dangerous weapons ever to wield. If you don't know what you're doing you can easily lose a hand." Luke raises his prothstetic hand for emphasis.
"So what are we doing?" Rey asks.
Luke motioned towards Chewbacca. "Chewie, if you would."
Chewbacca is holding a pair of carved wooden sticks. He throws one to Rey. She catches it, looking confused.
"What's this?" She asks.
"A practice blade." Luke explains.
"What do I need a practice blade for?"
"Sparring." Luke takes the other blade from Chewbacca.
"You're gonna spar with me?" Rey asks, surprised.
"I am." Luke says, swinging the wooden saber, experimentally.
"But aren't you..." Rey's voice trails off.
"Old? Out of practice? Cut off from the force?" Luke offers.
Rey shrugs. Luke chuckles.
"Then it should be easy to beat me."
Luke smiles confidently, and extends the blade out towards Rey. She looks uncertain.
"What's wrong? Scared of an old man?"
Rey sets her jaw, and shakes her head.
"Good."
Chewbacca steps outside the circle, and Rey and Luke are left facing each other.
Rey raises her wooden blade, taking a step forward. Luke shifts his stance, crouching slightly, and holding his blade in a guard. Rey, hesitantly takes another step forward. Luke makes no move.
Rey narrows her eyes and launches into motion. She thrusts her wooden blade at Luke's gut.
Luke deflects the blade aside with effortless grace. Rey shuffles back, but Luke does not follow. Rey advances again, and swings her blade once more. Luke deflects it again, and again Rey falls back. Luke raises an eyebrow. Looking frustrated, Rey charges. She swings her blade, once, twice, and a third time. Luke bats away each of the strikes without any visible effort. Rey tries for a thrust at Luke's head. This time when he deflects the blow, Luke follows up by smacking Rey in the forearm with his blade.
Rey hisses in pain and stumbles back. Luke smirks. Rey frowns. She moves towards Luke again, this time wielding her blade more defensively. Luke doesn't wait for her to attack, this time striking out himself. She clumsily tries to block his attack, but the blade slides past her guard, grazing her shoulder. Rey winces in pain, and starts to retreat back, but Luke follows. He advances, knocking her guarding blade aside. She stumbles to the side from the force of the blow. Luke strikes Rey on the inside of the leg, causing her to fall to her knees. Luke holds the wooden blade against her neck.
"I win," He says, with a satisfied expression.
Rey looks up disbelief on her face.
"I thought you were cut off from the force."
"So?" Luke replies.
"So how come you were able to beat me so easily?"
Luke chuckles. "Rey, it's a little thing called experience."
Rey pouts. "I've been in fights before..."
"Kid, I've been fighting in wars since before you were born. Since I was your age. Don't try to get too bothered that an old guy like me can beat you. Now come on, get up."
Luke offers her a hand, and she takes it, pulling herself up.
"Now you did alright, but you aren't using your blade like a lightsaber. Granted It is just a piece of wood, but it's supposed to represent a saber. You don't need to put so much energy into your blows when you swing. A real blade will cut through almost anything no matter how hard you swing it, so don't tire yourself out."
Rey nods. "Softer strikes. Got it."
"Also, you don't need to meet every blow with one of your own," Luke continues."Let me show you. Try and hit me, just once."
Rey nods. Luke raises his wooden blade. Rey brings her blade up, and swings it downward. Luke angles his weapon diagonally, and her attack slides off the guard.
"A simple deflection will serve you better than a complete block. You don't need to destroy your arms trying to take every hit."
Rey nods.
"Ready for another go?" Luke asks.
"Yes." She replies, determinedly.
Both raise blades, and take stances. Luke makes the first attack this time. He swings an overhead strike at Rey. She deflects the blow to the side, like Luke showed her.
She looks surprised, but Luke nods, approvingly. He strikes out again, and she deflects again once more. Luke steps back, and Rey swings a light diagonal strike. Luke blocks it, but Rey follows up with a thrust. Luke knocks her blade aside, and strikes Rey in the wrist.
"There goes your hand." He says. "Remember not to over-commit. If you leave yourself open in a lightsaber duel, you're dead."
Rey nods, rubbing her wrist.
"Again!" Luke orders, raising his blade.
"Hold on..." Rey closes her eyes, concentrating. She feels the grass, the critters, the ocean around the island.
"...Alright." She raises her blade.
Luke waits for Rey to attack this time. She swings her blade sideways, at his midsection. When Luke deflects, she pulls back and attacks again from the other side. Luke knocks her blow aside, and goes for her wrist again, but Rey is able to pull back and block the strike. Luke swings his blade at her neck, and Rey ducks beneath it. Luke continues the assault, speeding up the tempo of his attacks. His blade becomes a blur as he swings at Rey from every direction. Rey moves backwards blocking each attack carefully.
A look of controlled concentration is on her face the entire time. After blocking another of Luke's strike, Rey replies with a swing of her blade. Luke blocks it. Looking frustrated she tries again. Luke counters this, and strikes Rey on the arm. She retreats back, his next strike knocks Rey's blade aside, and Luke taps her lightly on the head.
"I win again." He says.
"Damn it!" Rey swears.
Luke raises an eyebrow. She sighs.
"I was trying to connect with the force and use it to help me fight. I've done it before but it just didn't seem to work as well this time."
Luke looks intrigued. "When did you last try this?"
Rey hesitates.
"...back on Starkiller base...when I fought Kylo Ren."
"You fought Kylo Ren?" Luke says, shocked.
"He caught up to me and Finn as the base was going down," Rey explains. " He knocked me out, and Finn did he best to hold him off. Finn couldn't keep it up forever, though. I managed to get the lightsaber, but I couldn't even touch Kylo at first. He started trying to get me to join him, and he said something that made me think to reach out to the force. After that I was able to beat him."
"You...beat Kylo Ren?" Luke says with disbelief.
"Well..."
Chewbacca growls something from the side.
"You shot him? With your bowcaster?" Luke says back.
Chewbacca growls confirmation. Rey shrugs. Luke laughs but there is no mirth in it.
"It's a miracle he could even stand, much less fight."
"Well I did still beat him...kind of." Rey says quietly.
"Is it a victory to beat a man who's half dead and bleeding out?" Luke says, pointedly.
"Well when you put it like that..."
"Rey," Luke says seriously. "Kylo could have killed you. The next time you face him, I doubt he'll have such a handicap."
Rey doesn't say anything, looking down.
"I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I'm just trying to show you how serious this is. I'm training you now, so I need you to understand what kind of danger that will come with. If you are going to become a Jedi, you will face Be-...Kylo Ren again, and you need to be ready."
Rey looks up, a fierce expression on her face. "Alright. How can I do better this time?"
Luke looks at her thoughtfully.
"You were connecting with the force at first, but seemed to lose it as we went on." He points out.
"Yeah..." Rey admits. "It's just hard to focus on connecting with the force, when you're trying to fight someone at the same time."
"You're over-complicating it." Luke shakes his head. "Instead of trying to focus on the force while also fighting, you should be letting the force guide your hand as you fight. It's not about control, it's about feeling, and reacting." Luke says.
Rey sighs. "That's easier said than done. Kind of hard to stay focused on the force when someone's swinging a stick at your head."
Luke cracks a smile. "Rey, I thought you might say that."
Rey looks on, as Luke pulls a strip of cloth out of his belt. He hands it to her.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" She asks, confused.
"Tie it over your eyes." Luke says.
Rey blinks.
"What?"
"So you can't see." Luke clarifies.
"Why would I want to do that?" Rey asks, still clearly confused.
"Sight can be a distraction. When you are fostering a connection to the force, trusting in what you feel is more important. So, put on the blindfold and just feel where my attacks are coming from."
"And...this will work?" Rey says, skeptically.
"Worked for me, when Ben Kenobi started my training." Luke says, shrugging.
Rey considers the blindfold, then puts it on. After securing it tightly to her face, she takes her practice blade in both hands again.
"Ready?" Luke asks.
She nods.
Luke takes a step forward. Rey's head cocks. He takes another step forward. Rey takes a wary step backwards. Rey's head tilts at every noise around her. After a moment she focuses on the sound of his steps. Luke's next step seem to slow to a crawl.
Then, he swings. Rey's sword, moving as if its on its own, blocks Luke's attack completely. Rey gasps. Luke smiles and attacks again. Rey blocks it like before. He swings again, and rather than dodge, Rey ducks beneath it, and thrusts with her blade. Luke manages to deflect the strike, but is forced to take a step back.
For a moment, neither make a move. Then, Rey attacks. Her blade becomes a blur as she swings it at Luke's head. He deflects, only just in time. She follows up with a thrust at his midsection, which is blocked. She moves faster, attacking Luke at all angles. He retreats back, just barely holding out against Rey's onslaught. She moves gracefully, swinging her sword about, as though it is a part of her arm. Then, as Luke is retreating back, it happens. Luke attempts, to counter one of Rey's swings, but it is a feint. Her blade sails towards his unguarded head. Luke shrinks back from the attack. But then, it's Rey's turn to be moving in slow motion. Luke's face is shocked for a moment. Then his blade moves in the path of Rey's.
Her attack is knocked aside. Rey looks confused. Luke wastes no time. He kicks her in the shin. Rey yelps, and Luke shoves his shoulder against her. She tumbles to the ground in a heap. Luke breathes heavily. He stares at his blade, looking troubled.
"Hey!" Rey exclaims, tearing off the blindfold. "That was dirty!"
"Did I ever say there were rules?" Luke says, distractedly.
"No..." She admits.
"Then don't expect any."
Rey sighs, and nods. "I really thought I had you there for a second."
"So did I..." Luke whispers.
"What was that?" Rey asks.
"Nothing." Luke replies.
He turns away and walks out of the circle.
"Where are you going?" Rey asks.
"I need to take a break for a minute. Don't worry though, Chewie will make sure you keep getting practice." Luke says turning back.
Chewbacca takes this opportunity to step into the dueling circle bearing a wooden staff, much bigger than either of the practice blades.
"Uh..." Rey says, worriedly, stepping back.
"He's big sure, but you've got the force. So I'd say it evens out. Besides, Chewie will go easy on you. Won't ya, Chewie?"
Chewbacca replies with a wookiee growl.
"Is that a yes?" Rey asks, with concern.
Luke shrugs.
Rey tentatively holds up her wooden blade defensively. Chewbacca smacks her blade aside and jabs her in the gut with the staff. Rey flies back, hitting the ground. She lets out a groan.
Luke turns, leaving them behind. Once out of view of Rey and Chewbacca, he leans against a cliff wall, and lets out a breath. He looks down at his hand. He stares at it for a moment. Then his view shifts to a small stone, sitting nearby. Hesitantly, he reaches his hand out towards the stone. The stone does not move. His face contorts with concentration. The stone still remains motionless. Luke closes his eyes, and sucks in a breath. After several seconds, he opens his eyes. The stone has not moved. Luke, looking defeated, turns and walks back towards the sparring ring. As he walks away, the rock remains, unmoving. '
Then a half-dozen much larger stones drop from above, hitting the ground with a clatter.