Star Wars: Son of Skywalker | Book II: The Last Jedi

Chapter XX: The Plan

Rey stood in front of Jacen, who sat at the Holochess table in the main corridor of the Millenium Falcon, trying to process what Rey just said. Chewbacca sat next to him, with R2 resting.

"Alright, let me get this straight." Said Jacen, thinking that he has it all processed in his head. "The Force somehow connected you with my Cousin, and you want me help you save him."

"Yes." Rey answered.

"Are you okay?" Jacen asked. "I mean, the last time you and him were in the same room, you nearly sliced his face off."

"It's a long story." Said Rey, as Chewbacca groans his thoughts on the subject.

"I'm not getting this either Chewie." Jacen responded.

"Jacen, you have to help me." Said Rey. "I think Ben can be saved, You've seen what Luke tried to do to him."

"I'd rather not talk about what I saw." Said Jacen standing up from the table putting his hands on his head stressed out, as Rey knows how upset he is, now knowing what his Father almost did.

"He failed him Jace, you didn't. If we can get to Snoke's ship, we can find him and help him turn back." Said Rey.

"I want to help Ben, more than anything, but I don't think it's that simple." Said Jacen, as Rey then senses the memories in his head. Jacen closes his eyes, knowing that Rey saw the memories of he and Ben when they were younger.

"You two were close. Weren't you?" Rey asked, looking at the sadness in Jacen's eyes.

"He's like a brother to me." Said Jacen, remembering what it was like back then, what if what Rey said was true, what if Ben was in there? "I'm going with you. If it means saving Ben, then so be it. What's the plan?"

"I was hoping you could come up with something." Said Rey nervously, knowing that Jacen is a clever strategist.

"Snoke's ship must be heavily secured." Said Jacen. "We'll be executed before we can get on board. So I only have one option." Jacen explained. "We have to turn ourselves in."

"I don't like this idea." Said Rey.

"Me neither. But it's the only way we can get on board." Jacen explained. "Chewie, you're going to be our way out of there." Said Jacen, as Chewie groans, accepting his role as the getaway.

"No I'm not making a mistake!" Rey yelled at the wall, leaving both Jacen and Chewbacca confused. "We're going over there, like it or not."

"What the hell is going on?" Asked Jacen.

"I don't care how dangerous Snoke is, I'm going over there, now please put a shirt on." Said Rey, as she turns to the both of them. "You were saying?" Rey asked, as Jacen and Chewbacca briefly look at each other.

"You're not high on death sticks are you?" Jacen asked, as Rey rolls her eyes, and focuses back on the strategy.

"The escape pod might not be enough for both of us." Said Rey.

"I'll use my ship." Said Jacen. "Looks like we're gonna have to turn ourselves in one at a time."

"Let's try not to get killed then." Said Rey, as Jacen then walks to the boarding ramp, and turns back, noticing something different.

"Your hair is down." Said Jacen. "It looks good that way." He finished as he walks down the ramp. After looking at her hair, she notices how damp her clothes were still. She remembers the Jedi robes she stored in the drawers of the ship. She had to switch clothes before she could make it to the ship.

Jacen walks across the platform, walking to his ship as the Falcon starts rising from the ground, heading towards Snoke's ship. As Jacen almost steps in the transport pod, he nearly stops, and senses his father's presence behind him. It was another connection happening.

"Jacen." Said Luke, as Jacen turns to him. "You have to stop Rey, she doesn't know what she's up against."

"We need to talk." Said Jacen, as the lava rivers kept flowing, and the volcanoes kept erupting.

"What did you see?" Luke asked.

"Enough." Jacen replied.

"I know you're angry, and you have every right to be." Said Luke.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jacen asked.

"I couldn't." Said Luke. "I know how much he meant to you, but he's too strong in the Dark Side, I couldn't let you live like that, knowing what I've done. I had to protect you."

"From what?" Asked Jacen. "From Snoke, or from you?"

"Jacen please." Said Luke. "Don't let her do this."

"...goodbye Dad." Said Jacen, as he ends the connection as Luke disappears. Jacen steps in the transport pod as he sits on the pilot's seat, rising the ship from the platform as the cockpit closes, and flies out of the dark orange sky and into space. He then jumps the ship into lightspeed, heading to Snoke's ship. He just hoped what Rey said was true.

Luke stops near the steps and ignites the torch, using it to light his way to where the sacred texts were. Luke holds the torch and walks to the tree, with Rey heading to Snoke's ship and Jacen not speaking to him, he had no other choice, it was time for the Jedi to end. Just then he senses a familiar presence, a presence he hadn't felt since Endor.

"Master Yoda." Said Luke, seeing the spirit of his master standing behind him.

"Young Skywalker." Yoda greeted, as his blue glow surrounded his spirit.

"I'm ending all of this." Said Luke. "The Jedi, The text. I'm going to burn it down." He said as he walks to the tree, about to throw the torch at the tree, and destroy it with the sacred text inside. But he couldn't. He has been taking his failure on the Jedi for so long, he realizes that he was making a terrible mistake, so he lowers the torch, looking down at the torch in his hand. Suddenly a cloud of lightning forms above the tree and strikes it, as the fire ignites, covering the tree in flames before Luke's eyes. Luke turns to Yoda, laughing in celebration. He did this.

"Oh Skywalker, missed you, have I." Yoda chuckled, as Luke runs to the entrance of the tree but the flames pushed him back to the ground. Luke lays there, watching the tree burn as Yoda teleports in front of him.

"So it is time." Said Luke. "For the Jedi Order to end?"

"Time, it is..." said Yoda, holding his cane to walk toward the Jedi. "...for you, to look past a pile of old books, hmm?"

"The sacred Jedi texts!" Luke yelled.

"Read them have you? Page turners, they were not." Said Yoda, walking to Luke, still watching the tree burn. "Yes, yes, yes. Wisdom, they have. But they don't contain nothing that the girl Rey, has already possessed." Yoda said, as Luke kept watching the tree. "Hmm. Skywalker, still looking at the horizon." Yoda then hits the stick on the ground. "Never here now, hmm? The need in front of your nose." Said Yoda as he gently hits Luke on the head with his cane.

"I was weak." Said Luke. "Unwise. And I lost my Son because of it."

"Lost Ben Solo, you did. Lose Jacen, you haven't. Lose Rey, you must not." Said Yoda.

"I can't be what they want me to be." Said Luke.

"Heeded my words, not, did you?" Asked Yoda. "Pass on, what you have learned, strength, mastery, hmm. But weakness, folly, failure also, yes even failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is." Luke looks down as he ponders on his old master's advice, as Yoda sits next to him. "Luke, we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters." Said Yoda, as they both watch the flames of the tree, as it kept burning, like a bonfire on the island. Smoke started rising from the fire, and into the sky. Maybe there was still hope left, not a lot, but it was there.