Bloodline [Star Wars]

Four

I marveled at the beauty of the planet as I walked back to my quarters. Trees towered over me on every side, with big strong branches that looked prefect for climbing. Tropical flowers grew on some of them and their scent filled the air. While I missed the glory of the ocean that engulfed  my home planet, there was something special about the life that abounded here. 

I walked up to my front door and pulled out my key. After letting myself in I took one look at the clock and decided to crash. My warm bed seemed more welcoming than ever, and I dreamed about what tomorrow would be like. 

~~~

I woke up at 05:30 the next day and took a deep breath. I had a good feeling about today. After debating whether I should wear Jedi robes or normal clothes for a workout, I chose the more conservative choice of the robes. There was no need to seem too edgy on my first day of training. 

A random instant breakfast was the only option for breakfast this morning, and today it consisted of an oatmeal dish. There wasn't much texture to the brown dish, but the dried fruits inside made it much more appetizing. While any food that only required water to be edible was never great, it would do the job of filling my stomach. I finished my food quickly and wiped my dishes clean. The budget of the Resistance was not large enough to grant luxuries such as service droids, which resulted in all of the cleaning being left to the resident. I had just finished placing the dishes back into the cupboard when a knock sounded at the door. 

"Coming!" I yelled, running to the door. I opened it to see my uncle and a girl that appeared to be around my age. She had brown hair that was longer than mine and pulled back into three buns. Small pieces of hair framed her face. Her brown eyes looked strong, but not unkind.

"Hey Amara, this is your cousin Rey. Rey, meet Amara." Luke said, offering a smile.

"Nice to meet you! I've been waiting for this for a long time." I said. 

"Yeah, nice to meet you too." We hugged briefly, but it was rather awkward as it seemed like neither of us were really the hugging type. 

"Wow, you two actually look pretty similar! I mean Leia and I never really did, but I can definitely see the resemblance between you two." Uncle Luke said. "Anyway, I found a good meditation place if you'll follow me."

I pulled my door closed after grabbing my shoes and slipping them on. The sun was just beginning to rise, and I breathed in the fresh air. Rey was looking around, an expression of wonder visible on her face. 

"What planet were you living on? Before you came here?" I asked her.

"Jakku, it's a desert planet in the middle of nowhere. I was a slave, collecting old parts off of old Star Destroyers that were brought down during the Battle of Jakku. In return I was given food portions. It wasn't an exciting, but I made it as you can see." She smiled, "This is much better though."

"Yeah, that sounds awful. I mean, at least I knew someone that was looking out for me. You literally had no one." I said with pity.

"Yeah, but now I have my Dad, Finn, you, and more people that are willing to be there for me when I need it. I wish that it could have been different, but I know that it was for the best. I won't be the one to interfere with what the force wants. Besides, it's probably better to focus on the future now anyway." She responded. I nodded at her wisdom, amazed that she had such a good perspective on things. 

"Well, we're here. Does this place look good to you guys?" Luke said. He glanced at us uncertainly, seeming to second-guess himself now that he had an audience. 

We had walked about a mile through the forest before encountered a clearing. There was a pond and waterfall falling into it. The fall extended upwards about 40 feet above the pond, and the water looked very clear, untainted by any human junk. Large trees stood around the water, but light still managed to penetrate to the forest floor.

"This is amazing Master Luke! Thanks for finding it for us!" I said excitedly. My exclamation probably sounded rather childish, but I was struggling to contain my enthusiasm. It was a relief to be training again, and it was an even greater honor to be training with Luke. 

"What are we going to do first?" Rey asked.

"I was thinking about doing mental work today, so meditation, working on force barriers, and maybe moving things with the force if you manage to succeed at the other things." Master Luke responded. "So find a place and work on your meditation for half and hour. Focus in on your body and how it feels today, your mental awareness, and the people and living things around you. Reach for peace."

I nodded quickly before walking off. A small hill and face of rock prevented me from reaching the top of the waterfall easily, but I was able to scale them both to reach my destination.  A large flat rock sat in the middle of the stream, and I leapt onto it. I sat down cross-legged and closed my eyes.

The time flew by, and before I knew it I felt Master Luke's mind presence reaching out for mine. My eyes flew open as I threw up the best mental barriers that I could. I suddenly heard laughter from below me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you! I was just coming to let you know that you could wrap it up if you wanted." He said, still laughing.

"Yeah, sure. I could tell that you were just trying to get me to go straight over these falls." I said, my face clean of emotion. 

I ran back down to the base of the waterfall to join back up with Rey and my uncle. Training was what I lived for, and the day had not disappointed. Even though very little of interested had happened, I felt relieved to be back into a routine that allowed me to improve my skills. I wanted to treasure this opportunity that I had, because there would likely not be many more like it. 

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This is my longest chapter so far! I hoped you enjoyed. A side note, I really like Anakin redemption stories, so if you are writing one or have one to recommend I would love to hear about it! Thanks again for reading!

-l.