Across the Stars (Reylo fanfiction)

Constellations and Nebulas

Rey awoke to see that Heul was asleep beside her. Easing herself out so as not to wake the girl, she stood. Leaning against the wall for support, she walked down the corridor. Suddenly she stopped.

"Rey."

She inhaled sharply at the low, rolling sound. Turning, she faced him.

He stood before her, dressed in his characteristic robe. A black crown circled his head. He took two steps towards her, but then halted. "You're hurt."

"Thanks to you." She tried to stand up straight and use the wall for support as little as possible.

"Me -- how," he paused, "Cresta."

"You didn't sense her death?"

"Bonds of compassion are not within the dark side's purview." He clenched his gloved hand but then released it. "You forged a new lightsabre."

She touched the weapon at her belt then looked back at him. "You have a new crown."

"A necessary statement."

"Yes, it's very ... clear."

He took another step and almost closed the gap between them. Silence hung thick in the air for several long moments. She reached out her hand and held a finger an inch from his cheek, tracing in the air the thin line along it. "We match." Then a stabbing sensation shot through her side. She caught her breath and pushed her weight against the wall.

"Rey," he held out his hands as if to catch her, but before he could the image of his likeness disappeared from her sight.

The jedi stared at where the dark king had stood. The wave of pain eased in her side, though her chest was tight as a lump rose in her throat. She leaned her spine against the wall and touched the back of her head to the metal. Groaning, she slid down until her backside came into contact with the floor. She sighed.

"Still fraternising with the enemy, I see."

Her eyelids snapped open. There before her sat the last person in the entire galaxy she expected to see: Luke Skywalker, with a wry smirk on his face. His form shifted between solid and translucent and a blue aura flickered around him.

"What -- how -- where the bloody hell have you been?" she finally spluttered out.

"Oh you know, grocery shopping, filing my taxes, catching up on some long overdue father-son bonding. Spying on my naughty nephew with Obi Wan, Qui Gon, and Yoda."

Those names only left a vague impression on Rey. She glared at Luke's shimmering form.

He sighed. "It's weird being a force ghost. You're still you, but also bonded to this immense thing tying the whole universe together. There's this whole other world over here of all who have been, all in different states mind you, but us few force users crazy enough to reach for it still have a foothold in the world that is. And, since it's our problem, me and the rest of the clan as well as some, shall we say, family friends have been trying to figure out what to do with the great Skywalker legacy of royally throwing the galaxy into a trash compacter."

Rey crossed her arms over her chest, "And?"

"We've come to a decision regarding Ben: we don't know."

"What?" Rey almost spat out the word.

His eyes seemed full of sympathy. "We've come to the position that you'll have to figure this one out for yourself."

She made to stand. "You came all the way from the other side just to tell me you can't help?" she yelled.

"And that Han and Leia say hi."

A twinge of longing for what could have been slid through her gut. She sat back down.

"Be grateful it was me. Ben -- Obi Wan -- would have spoken in riddles, and Yoda would have set your spaceship on fire to just make a point, or made you run around with him as a backpack."

She bit her bottom lip and furrowed her brow. "Why wait 'til now to tell me this?"

He shook his head, "There are certain conditions that have to occur for a force ghost to be able to slip back into the realm of the living. I won't bother trying to explain the mechanics of it all; even for me it's difficult to wrap my brain around and I'm the one who's doing the coming back from the dead," he rubbed his brow with his thumb and forefinger. He sighed, "At any rate, time works differently over there. And with the fate of the galaxy at stake the debate was intense. You should have seen the dragon flames in Padmé Amidala's eyes as she orated about how hope remains to bring light and dark together in harmony."

"Padmé who?"

"My mother. Not a jedi unfortunately, but a woman powerful enough to bend and break the swirling tides of my father's heart."

Darth Vader. Luke had brought him back from dwelling deep in the dark. Could she do the same for Ben?

He seemed to study her face and guess what she was thinking. "I don't know if anyone can tear my nephew away from the fear and thirst for power that now consume him. So many people loved him, but the confusion in his soul was preyed upon so young and we did not see it until it was too late. Because of this he has felt alone his entire life. Still if anyone can bring him back, it's you." He paused, and his shoulders slumped. Her mentor breathed in deeply. Then he stared straight into her eyes, his gaze seeming to pierce to her very core, "But if you find you can't -- and this is coming from my father, Anakin Skywalker -- kill him. Either way, you're our only hope."

Every muscle in her body tensed. Could she actually kill Ben if it came down to it? "Why haven't you tried to contact him?" she said, her gaze narrowing.

"We've all tried. Anakin most of all. But darkness shrouds him like the heart of a collapsed star."

Neither spoke for several minutes.

"Nice sabre, kid," he finally said, before evaporating back into the force.

Rey stared at the space his spectre had taken up. Slowly, she stood, and resumed her walk down the corridor. It suddenly seemed like a year had passed since she had begun this stroll. Quoll had said that it would come down to her and Ben. She hadn't been able to turn the dark knight in Snoke's throne room. Even after she had raced across the galaxy to his side. Even after he had slain his master in her defence. Even after they had fought and vanquished the praetorian guards together. What made anyone think that she would be able to restore Ben from Kylo if it came down to it a second time? Still, Luke had travelled between life and death to inform her that she was the only one in the entire universe who would have a hope at accomplishing such a miracle. And that her failure to do it would require Ben's life as an atoning sacrifice.

Just as she was nearing the cockpit, the ship lurched. Rey fell to the ground, hitting her shoulder. Siren's blared. She heard Chewie roar from up ahead. The jedi didn't need her fluency in Shyriiwook to understand his meaning: we're under attack.

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