Journey of a Padwan

Chapter Eight - The Truth

Within the blink of an eye, my thoughts were disrupted but a voice interrupting us and waking the others.

"Stop!" My head snapped to the side. Luke stood in the doorway his hand was held out and the he used the force to destroy the hut and my concentration completely breaking the connection. There was a small scream, Hattie ran over and took my waist, but my focus was on Luke.

"Is it true? Did you try to murder him?" I questioned my former Master.

"Rory, what's going on? What happened." Rey wondered as the rain roared down on us.

"Take Hattie." I tell her not answering the question. She did as I asked.

"Leave this island now." Luke ordered me and stormed away.

"Stop!" I shouted but he carried on "Stop." he continued to ignore me. I held my hand out and summoned Reys staff that she brought with  her and hit Luke making him stop. He grunted hitting the ground and turned back as I loomed over him.

"Did you do it? Did you take him away from me and create Kylo Ren?" he  shuffled back getting up and I went for him again. He summoned a pole to his defence, leading to the two of us fighting much to the pleas  of Rey and Hattie. During our fight, Luke gained control of the staff and threw it away, but I summoned his lightsaber and ignited  it, threatening him, he stumbled back, he stopped himself from any serious damage and I deactivated the humming light.

"Rory!"

"Mum!" Rey and Hattie ran over as I stared down at him

"Tell her." I ordered and he glanced to Hattie "Tell her what you did to her parents, to her father. The truth this time."

"I saw darkness. I'd sensed it building in him. I'd seen it in moments during his training. Then I looked inside of him, your influence wasn't working. It was beyond what I ever imagined. Snoke had already turned his heart. He would bring about destruction, and pain, and death, and that everything I love because of what he will become. And for the briefest moment of pure instinct I thought I could stop it. It passed like a fleeting shadow. I was left with shame and with consequence. And the last thing I saw were the eyes of a frightened boy whose master had failed him." he finally admitted the truth to us.

"You failed him by thinking his choice was made. It wasn't. There is still conflict in him and  between the death of Han and you, I've been blind to it. If he would turn from the dark side, it would shift the tide. This could be how we win." I  look down at Hattie

"This is not going to go the way you think." Luke rebuffed me and I knelt in front of him

"It is. Then and now you underestimate the most important thing. You never believed in it, what made you restrict us in every way you could." I smile happily

"What Mum?" Hattie questioned and I turned back to her

"Love. Our love. It saved me, saved you. He loved us, he still does but outside forces keep us apart. Your father was convinced that I would believe in my master more than him. That Luke would twist him into the bad guy and in a way he did, the block that was in my mind was created by Luke is restricted my connection because then i wouldn't feel what it was trying to tell me." I returned to Luke

"Just now when we touched hands,  I saw his future, as solid as i'm seeing you. If I go to him, Ben Solo will turn." I told him not going into how it removed the mental block I had for these past six years.

"Rory. Don't do this." I rose back to my feet offering him a chance at redemption in the form of his lightsaber. He didn't take it.

"I won't fail him again, Luke. He's our last hope." I turn away and take Hatties hand "We're leaving." I tell them, we grabbed our things and went back to the Falcon.

"Chewy, let's go!" I call out he came from his room "Enough stalling, we're leaving." he roared out. He and Rey and went to the cockpit.

"Mum, what are you going to do?" Hattie asked me and I took her into the into the main hold to sit down and warm up.

"Listen, do your remember when I told you, why I go off on missions?" I ask her kneeling down.

"Because its the only way you know how to keep me safe." she answered

"Yeah, what I learned on the island was that we keep each other safe and that while I was protecting you, I forgot that your father also needed protecting. It's not going to be easy, it never is with him but I have to make it right. I have to get your father back, for everyones sake. I will come hell or high-water." I vowed to her

"You are hell and the high-water." she smiled softly and I kissed her hand

"You bet I am, what I'm gonna do is dangerous and reckless, but hey, it's our way of doing things. You stick wth Chewie and Rey. Promise me. Hattie." she clutched onto my hand.

"I promise Mum."