Force from the Other Side

Chapter Eleven

Ben was away from the jedi temple a while. Amethyst had her children off planet. When they came back, their children were both one years old and two months. Luke and Mara greeted them both with open arms. They were so glad to see them again in person.

"This is Anakin." Ben introduced his son to Luke, who carefully took him.

"This is Sapphire." Amethyst said as she held a half sleeping child in her arms.

"They both look so healthy. Just like you said." Mara said, happy for them. "Why don't you come inside. You both must be starving. We made up a room for you."

"Thank you" Amethyst smiled shifting the child in her arms. Anakin frowned.

"Beard ugly" Anakin pointed at like chin.

"Ani" Amethyst scolded. "I'm sorry Luke."

"Completely understandable. Mara keeps telling me to cut it."

Sapphire yawned and stretched a little. Amethyst put her on the ground. "Daddy."

"Yes sunshine." He smiled down at her.

"Where are we?" She asked

"The training center." He answered her

"Are they force sensitive?" Luke asked Ben.

"Yes. Both of them" he nodded.

"That's fantastic" Luke was proud.

Amethyst watched as her husband's family chatted away about the twins. She stood aside knowing she wasn't needed.

Finally though Ben decided to stop talking. "I should take Amethyst and the twins inside. They're both tired." Ben said to Luke. "Excuse me."

"Rest." Mara told them and watched them go inside.

Luke sighed. "Children grow too quickly."

Mara stroked his shoulder.

"Or they end up not being your children.... I suppose the first one is a better option."

"You're envious of Ben for having the chance that you didn't? Of raising his children?" Mara asked.

"No I'm happy for him." Luke replied.

"I never said you weren't. Do you regret now, not having any more children after Rey?"

"No. I just wish Rey would come back to us. Properly. She's using the old jedi code to keep her grounded and it's keeping her away from everything. She barely eats, she's always fasting. She's always in that forest in isolation. I don't want other children Mara. I want my daughter back and she's not back. She's not even acknowledging us as our parents because it's not in the jedi code."

Mara sighed. "When I met you. Moving to the light... it was the easiest and most rational choice. But I had embraced the dark side fully. I was Palpatine's Hand. Or one of them. That's before I knew everyone else. I mean you didn't know he had anyone other than Vader."

"Yeah." Luke replied.

"Rey didn't embrace it. She was a scared child. Every friend she made died. She gave up on compassion because it hurt her in the end. The only way she knew of stopping it all was to take down Snoke one day at a time. The only people Rey hurt was criminals and imperials. Except Ben. Because Snoke was in her head. She did that because she was scared. Scared of him. She doesn't tell me much but I hear her making recordings some nights. There's too much pain for her to want to feel. The jedi code, the old one.... teaches us not to feel pain or love or grief or have family. It takes away the things that are tearing her apart."

"They're tearing me apart right now." he replied.

"Let's go make sure that Ben and Amethyst are going to get a nice dinner. We should give Rey more time."

He sighed and walked with her inside.

*

Rey was in the middle of the forest in the meditation position, chanting the jedi code to herself. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the force."

She repeated that to herself until she felt someone step up behind her. "Rey." Luke's voice uttered. "Dinner will be soon. Ben has returned."

"I could sense his presence." stated Rey and turned to him, standing up and bowing. If she didn't bow, she'd hug him, and hugging was expression of emotion. There was no emotion there was only peace. "I'm afraid I cannot join you for dinner. I'm fasting currently."

"Rey you're always fasting. Please stop this. I love you."

Tears rolled down her cheeks and Luke blinked. "There is no emotion there is peace. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the force."

"That's the old code and it's a lot of crap!" Luke let out an outburst. "You don't need to follow the jedi code. You just need to not do bad. Everyone has light and dark in them. Rey you have more light than dark. please stop this. You're forgiven for the things you've done. Always and completely forgiven!"

"I'm not forgiven. This is my penance until I die. Please. I'm feeling very stressed just now."

"Good! Feel something!"

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance there is knowledge..." she began to chant.

"What about your mother and I? Don't we deserve you?"

"No. You deserve better." Rey responded and turned away.

"Please." Luke begged.

"I don't understand. What exactly i'm supposed to do." Rey uttered.

"Be my daughter."

"Well I don't know how."

Rey sat back down and sighed, tearings running down her cheeks.

Luke went to walk away.

"Master Luke..." she uttered.

He turned back. "Yes Rey?"

"I would die for you. You should know that." Rey told him.

"Tell me that again when you're not already willing to die. When you're ready to live. Then it might mean something."

He turned around and walked away, leaving her.

*

Luke was later to dinner. He had to go for a walk to calm down. "Are you alright Uncle Luke?" Ben asked him.

"Yes. I'm fine." Luke sat down close by to Mara. "How are the twins?"

"They both passed out." Amethyst said. "They haven't slept well in days. They were overwhelmed by all the travelling on the ship."

"They'll get used to it though." Ben added and smiled at Amethyst. He was so happy to be surrounded by family. All he needed was his mother and father to be there and it would be perfect. Well with Amethyst there it might as well have been perfect.