/ First Person Protagonist POV /
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words would come out. My breath hitched in my throat, and my mind had stopped running in different directions trying to remember my old comrades. All of my thoughts were now focused on the short lady in front of me. Her long, aging hair didn't seem to be affected by the heavy snowfall, and her piercing black eyes were looking right through me.
" M- master." I stuttered.
A part of me still couldn't believe she was really standing there in flesh and bone in front of me. Like Pha Stett was a ghost from the past, but it was her. Her strong presence in the force was something I couldn't ignore either, there was no doubt, I wasn't hallucinating.
She walked until we were at arm reach of distance, on the other hand, I couldn't even move. My mind was still processing the fact the only person I remembered from my past, the closest thing I had to a parental figure was still alive, even after the destruction of the camp, which appeared to be built back.
Pha Stett reached her hand out, so it was just in front of my forehead, and closed her eyes. I closed mine too and slightly bowed as a sign of respect, like she had taught me to do when I was just a young kid.
" Y/n. You're home now." She smiled and opened her arms wide, inviting me into a hug.
Tears flooded my eyes as I fell to my knees on the snowy ground. Pha Stett wrapped her arms around me as I wrapped mine around her waist and cried onto her clothes. It didn't matter if the tears would freeze, I didn't care if Din or anyone would see me like this, looking so vulnerable. I didn't know I had missed my mentor as much as I had, even if I didn't remember her all that well, Pha Stett was the only person that didn't feel like a stranger here.
I didn't know for how long we stood there, but snow was falling heavily onto my hair and down my back through the neck of the tunic. Pha Stett patted my back and released me from the hug. I held me head low until the tears disappeared before I stood up.
" There, there. Stand up, young one." She instructed.
I got my emotions together and did as she said, rising to be a couple inches taller than my mentor. " Sorry master." I mumbled.
" There... is a lot to talk about." She cleared her throat, almost sounding uncertain. I nodded and walked back towards Din while Pha Stett joined the rest of my comrades, standing next to Aro.
" Din, will you be coming?" I asked him, wishing I could see the expression on his face so I wouldn't be so clueless about what he was thinking all the time. " I couldn't possibly, y/n. This is where you are reunited with your people, I have no place in that." He replied.
" Please stay? I know they're my comrades, Din, but you're the only one that's not a stranger to me. You're a real friend, and I think I need one right now." I forced a side smile.
Din was silent for a moment. " Very well. I'll stay. I'll need to get some things from the Razor Crest though. You go catch up in the meantime." I knew he was smiling back.
With one final nod of the head, I dusted the snow off the shoulders of my tunic and walked towards the crowd of apprentices and Pha Stett, standing in front of Aro and my mentor.
" You're right master. There is a lot to talk about." I replied to her words from earlier.
The crowd and I walked into the camp, but only me, Aro, and Pha Stett walked together, the rest of the apprentices had returned to their tasks, though their glances kept coming this way. The walk was silent, Pha Stett walked a little more in front of me and Aro, who walked by my side.
" Y/n, you should know that no one will take in offense that you don't remember us." He whispered. " That day, almost a year and a half ago... it was terrible. I wouldn't be surprised if your mind shut off as a method of healing."
" Aro, that's enough." Pha Stett claimed from in front of us. I was surprised she had even heard the words.
" Yes master, I apologize." Aro bowed his head slightly. " Y/n will know about it in rightful time. That day is not something to be talked about lightly as you walk." She added.
" It's alright, master Pha Stett. I feel well enough for it to be mentioned." I cleared my throat, feeling a bit bad for Aro even if he didn't look the slightest bit bothered by the scowl.
Pha Stett looked over her shoulder towards me, and I couldn't tell by the look in her eyes if she was angry I had said something, or if she was proud I had spoken up. " You always had a thing for bravely talking your mind, young one." She slightly chuckled under her breath.
The walk was silent from there on. Pha Stett and Aro were headed towards a larger hut that was further from the rest of the camp. The inside was cozier than the stone walls of the outside. The hut was floored by a large carpet, with big cushions resting on the walls. It was definitely different than what I remembered the other huts to look like, they allowed us to live the simplest ways possible, away from any object attachments.
Pha Stett and Aro sat down on the carpet, followed by me, sitting a little further from the two. " Master?" I hummed, since none of the two were saying anything yet.
" I can sense the torment in you, y/n. There's things you wish to ask, don't you?" Pha Stett said bluntly.
" Yes, there is actually." I replied. There was no point in hiding all my questions now, my mentor would know. She always knew. " How did you know I'd come back? How did you know I was even alive?" I asked. Pha Stett was a strong force user, but in my experience, I didn't know it was possible to feel someone's presence from systems away.
" I didn't know, y/n. But days after the destruction of the camp, the survivors, including myself, were rightfully mourning the apprentices that had passed, and we all felt it." Pha Stett answered.
" There was a change, a shift in the force. It was strong, and it was coming from far away." Aro explained. A change in the force? General Leia, Rey, and Kylo talked about that after I left Mesoriaam. I told myself.
" That was you, y/n. I can assure you now. Now that your here in front of us, you might not notice, but your presence is in some way affecting us. It is powerful. But you already knew that, didn't you, young one? You've been told that before." Pha Stett asked.
I nodded. " Yes master. But, how does that explain anything?"
'' I doesn't. And yet, you don't want to ask about that anymore, don't you? Your curiosity is satisfied." She answered.
I cocked one of my eyebrows. Pha Stett was surprisingly right. It didn't make sense, but my presence had been the way Kylo had found me, and somehow I understood exactly what Pha Stett meant when she just knew I was alive, with no explanation needed.
" Master, there is somethings you should know." I cleared my throat. " You're not the only reason I came to Carlac."
There was silence for some moments, before Pha Stett spoke again. " I know. Aro, leave us please." She instructed with a simple motion. " Yes master." Aro stood up and bowed at her, leaving us alone in the hut.
" I- I came here looking for guidance, master." I mumbled. " I've done horrible things in the past year, master. I have fallen into the temptation of the dark side, I have lost my grip of the light. I'm here to look for redemption, master."
Pha Stett stood up, looking down at me imposingly. " Redemption? Why are you searching to be redeemed?" She pointed at me with her staff.
" W- what do you mean? I- I felt it. The pull of the dark, I-" I didn't even finish my sentence. I didn't know why, but my words wouldn't come out.
" Your presence is conflicted, I can't deny that. But I don't feel the darkness in you, y/n. You've done bad things, that's for sure, but you didn't take the path of the darkness, but not that one of light either."
" Master?" I pleaded for answers.
" I had visions, y/n. They aren't very clear, but I can tell you one thing for sure: you aren't the one in need to be atoned. The time for redemption will come, and it's arriving soon."
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EeEeEeEeEeE... Me no like the chapter....
I finally have it ready though!!!! It took me some time because I forgot to save the chapter, and then it got deleted, so I had a mental breakdown about it, and then I wrote it again. BUT YEAH...
For those who will notice: I put in a typical Anakin Skywalker quote in there ;)
AND WELL, THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE CHAPTER. Y'ALL KNOW WHO WE TALKING ABOUTTTTT. GOOD BOI BEN IS ON HIS WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.
Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter, if so, I can't say I agree, but thank you for liking my crappy work :D
Best regards,
- Camille