13. Chapter 13

It's on the short side, but who doesn't love a good cliffhanger-eh?

Chapter 13

Rey reported to the Council about both her meetings with Kylo, and was promptly dismissed. Obi-Wan had defeated the Separatists easily. A new, non-sith, chancellor was in place. It actually seemed like they were going to take a break from the life-or-death insanity.

They allowed Anakin to continue training Rey, saying that 'minimize number of attachments we must. Bond with relative they already have. Remember this, we shall." Honestly Rey didn't really get what Master Yoda was talking about, but she didn't care all that much. The galaxy was at peace. She was training properly. Rey even had made a friend in Achyls. Things were good.

Except for the fact that Anakin still avoided Luke. Rey had taken to meditating with Obi-Wan and Luke over Anakin, who was terrible at teaching meditation considering he never relaxed. Every day Anakin would greet his former master and Rey, ignoring Luke. Luke wasn't bothered by it, no he was infinitely patient, the model Jedi (which everyone found so ironic considering). Rey and Obi-Wan however had taken to berating Anakin over it.

"You know you're really a giant hypocrite," Rey finally told Anakin, done with his lame excuses. Anakin was being a baby, and he was the patriarch of the family. "You made me talk to Luke. Why won't you?"

Anakin ignored her, and Rey wanted to scream. She liked him, honestly, but he was so infuriating. "You need to not get so upset," Anakin lectured as his saber ignited. "Don't let your emotions control you."

Rey ignited her own saber, and carefully began sparring. " Don't let your fear control you. Talk to Luke."

Anakin didn't reply, but instead swung his saber. Rey was too busy defending herself and trying to get one offensive move in to bug him about it more, which was probably the point.

When they were done, Rey was sweaty, disgusting, and still annoyed. She had planned on going and trying to get through to Ben, but was too exhausted and on edge to risk it. As she tempted him towards the light he continued trying to pull her to the darkness. It was a battle of wills between Skywalkers-a terrifying prospect.

"Hey Rey," Achyls came running up to Rey just as the padawan was drying her hair. (Rey still wasn't used to how wonderful showers were. So much water.) "You know how to pilot a speeder, right?"

Rey knew how to fix and pilot the Millennium Falcon first try. Yes she knew how to fly a speeder, even if everything was some 50 years old. "Yeah, why? Where are you going?"

"Oh it's nothing big. There's a child with a high Midichlorian count I need to evaluate. It's a girl too, which just makes it more fun." It did not. Rey hated that the Jedi took Force Sensitive children the same way the First Order took Finn. It just seemed wrong. She understood that an untrained person using the Force was ripe pickings for the Dark Side, but still. There had to be better ways.

Rey didn't know what that better way was though, so begrudgingly accepted reality. And it wasn't Achyls fault that the rules existed. Plus, it being a girl was sorta exciting. No one could explain why the Jedi order was so predominantly male. There were definitely female Jedi, but theoretically there should have been the same number of females as males. There wasn't though, and Rey didn't get it. (Though, she did wonder if perhaps families hid their force-sensitive daughters more than their force-sensitive sons, thinking the life of a Jedi too violent or dangerous for a woman.)

"Yeah, I can fly you there. We better not get pulled over though I don't think the dates on my license would match up."

Achyls laughed and Rey smiled. The padawan was fairly sure she'd never had a female friend in her life. Her friends did sorta consist of BB-8, Finn, Han and Chewie though, so perhaps it wasn't that odd that none had been female. She needed more friends.

And Rey had one in Achyls. The knight was only a few years older than Rey and had just passed her trials a few months back. She was perpetually bored now that the war had ended, and found Rey's talk of the future fascinating. Rey just liked knowing that someone she wasn't related to wanted to hear what she had to say. Plus Achyls had a wonderful sense of humor, one worthy of a Jakkuvian scavenger.

"So how are things with your dad?" Achyls asked a few hours later. Rey was in a great mood because the child really wasn't strong enough to become a Jedi and would be properly raised by her family. Achyls figured this was the only time she'd get an honest answer. "I mean that whole thing has to be weird right?"

It was weird, but Rey had stopped thinking about it. "I just wish Anakin would grow up and talk to Luke… That is weird isn't it? Most people don't need to tell their grandfather to grow up." Achyls didn't need to say anything for Rey to know that yes, that was odd. "Also I just wish Kylo would stop being so stupid. I don't get why anyone would want to use the Dark Side when it obviously doesn't work."

"I mean I think it would work if the right person used it, but that person clearly hasn't come yet," Achyls admitted with a shrug. "You really care about Kylo Ren, don't you? Didn't he kill his father?"

Rey nodded. She still thought of Han's death all the time. "And so many others but… I don't know how to explain it to someone who has never had a family, but it's just different. Giving up on them isn't an option."

Achyls didn't respond and Rey didn't know how to explain it. Family was odd. It was an immediate bond that nothing could break, no matter how much you might want it to.

Rey almost crashed into a building as a sickening feeling crept up her spine. Without hesitation she rose above the other speeders and flew top speed back to the Temple. She didn't know when the Force-bond was created, or why, but Rey knew Ben was about to die.