Spark of Hope

Chapter I

Light surrounded her, so bright that she couldn't see anything else. It felt like it shined through her, exposing every dark thought and action. Ashamed, Rey withdrew into herself, trying to hide from that judgement.

Feeling another presence, she lifted her eyes to see blackness. It looked so cold and lonely, but promised concealment. Unsettled, it writhed and jerked with anger.

Her eyes were drawn down to where the light and dark met. The sides overlapped and created a thin line of gray. Peace and balance radiated off it.

Rey stepped up to the line but didn't cross over. She hesitated before extending a hand. Neither overpowering like the light side nor smothering like the dark side, the gray line felt comforting as it conformed around her hand.

A black-gloved hand emerged from the dark side and gently clasped hers. Unbelievable power surged through her at the touch. Instinctively, she clutched the hand, not wanting to be alone again.

She looked up to see the owner of the hand. It took a while for an image to form—they blended in so well. Tall, they wore black, but something metallic on their face reflected the light behind her. Rey strained even harder to make out the shape of the mas—

The shrill cry right at her ear had Rey jumping hard. On impulse, she grabbed the controls—thinking they were in danger—but it took her a moment to see the blur of blue and white: the Millennium Falcon was still in hyperspace, safe from danger.

She had to recollect why she was back on the ship: she had convinced Chewie to let her go to the Supremacy—Supreme Leader Snoke's ship—alone, sure of her vision that she could turn Kylo Ren. At first, she believed she had gotten to Ben Solo, for he killed his master instead of her, and they killed all Snoke's Elite Praetorian Guards together. But then he had tried to persuade her to join him in taking over the Galaxy, and they fought. She escaped him once again.

Using Snoke's escape vessel, Chewbacca picked her up, and refocused on following the homing beacon General Leia Organa had given her to find the Resistance. The signal led to the mineral-rich planet Crait, where the First Order had their attention as well. She helped in the fight; through a projection of himself, Master Luke Skywalker delayed Kylo Ren as the remnants of the Resistance searched for a way out of the mountains. Rey also used the Force to open an escape blocked by boulders for the Resistance; they piled into the Falcon, and now they were headed to Akiva, hoping to regroup with rebel sympathizers.

Recognizing the weight on her shoulder, she looked down to meet Porg's concerned gaze. The little bird with big black eyes and white, orange, and black feathers was cute, but his cries could get annoying. He trilled again, quieter but with a questioning tone. Chewbacca in the co-pilot's seat echoed his small friend's cry.

"I'm alright; I'm just more tired than I thought," she said.

"You were using the Force," Chewie said. It hadn't taken her long to understand the Wookiee way of speaking through incoherent roars and warbles.

Rey looked over to see compartments open and small things usually tucked away on the floor. She needed to be more in control over her emotions when she fell asleep—the best way to do that was probably not nodding off.

"I'm sorry, Chewie." With her hand outstretched, she used the Force to lift all the things and place them back into their compartments and shut the doors.

As she did this, she noticed some black and orange feathers were loose on the floor. Rey looked back at the Porg Chewbacca had befriended back on Ahch-To. "Did I hurt you?"

He gave a sad cry, and his eyes turned pitiful.

She gave him a little hug. "Oh, I'm sorry, Porg. I didn't mean to. I'll get better control; I promise."