Temptation Of Grey

Chapter 27 - Encounter

Rey and Ben had spent the rest of the evening actually ensuring the warding off of the mutual unfiltered streams of thought. After the exhausting exercises both fell asleep immediately.

In the morning, Ben woke up from a deep, dreamless sleep. He was awakened by something that was bothering his head. No, not something...but someone. His subconscious tension dissolved instantly when he realized what or who it was.

Rey was awake too and very closed cuddled on his back. She had buried her left hand in his hair. Lost in thought she gentle stroked again and again through the thick curls. He stifled a satisfied sigh and didn't move, afraid she could stop. 'She should never finish that', he thought.

"You know that I can feel and hear that you are awake?" She asked him surprisingly. He froze .... 'Caught!' ... he thought. "You can move quietly, I will not stop this if you want that," she said in a warm voice that showed her little smile. He felt like a jerk for a moment, but he slowly turned his body 180 degrees to face her.

He decided that he should not be embarrassed anymore, that Rey could read in him like in a book, and when he had decided he felt her approval. He looked her in the eye and sent the next words directly in her thoughts:

'A few weeks or even a few days ago, I would never have come to the idea that a person could stand so damn close to me. I was prepared to be a lone fighter forever. I was convinced that I didn't deserved it otherwise ... and then you came into my life.' He stretched out his hand toward her face, stroking back some of the brown strands that had stolen out of their braids in her sleep.

'I can't wait until we have completed the last development step, because I just want to be closer to you than it already is. We should get started as soon as possible, because that also means we are getting stronger and that's the only thing that can calm me down at the thought that something might happen to you.' His eyes darkened at the thought.

Rey answered him wisely: 'Yes, we should do that. I also want that we both have the greatest protection imaginable. I am afraid that the fear of losing the other one is blocking us. Actually, the Jedi's philosophy is that of not having close relationships, so that no dependencies or vulnerabilities can arise ....' She frowned and silently shared her thoughts with Ben:

'However, I believe now, that this has been the fundamental flaw in the teachings of the Jedi so far. That the love to others, the close bond with others is a weakness, to be understood as danger and dependency, because it is always this bond with others that - including the previous Jedi - has driven force users to peak performance and incredible deeds. See only Luke and your grandfather: without her strong bond, your grandfather would never have found the strength to save his son.'

Ben thought for a while about her words and came to the realization that he held the same opinion. It could not be otherwise, why else would the development to a gray Jedi require such intimate closeness and attachment to another force user? Only then did everything make sense.

Rey had not stopped stroking his hair. She did it unconsciously and without steering it and he liked that fact very much. Now she spoke directly to him in a low voice: "I read the book again yesterday and the explanations of the last stage of the transformation, leaving behind old conflicts and injuries, accepting, processing and letting go of them. I think we have to empathize deeply with the force we both have in common and look for the peace we both need."

Rey again quoted the last lines from the book:

"light and dark
must make freedom with the past
that is the only way
to make this bond forever last"

She made a short break and then went on: "The explanations in the book speak only of making a "deep" connection to our force and finding the key to completing the development there ... whatever that means."

Ben sighed obediently: "Whatever that means ..." both looked deep into each other's eyes and he completes the phrase, "we'll get through it together." She smiled and he closed his eyes for a moment to pull himself together.

Her smile had already distracted him from their intentions and made him think of other, more sensual things. Rey blushed slightly and he knew that she had felt his excitement. He shrugged his shoulders and said,

"We have to get up and think about how we're going to tackle it, maybe it would be good not to start it all out here in the cave, the last time we completely wiped up the water and some boulders, who knows what will happen next time. "

He hesitated for a moment and then reluctantly straightened up, forcing himself to relinquish contact with Rey's fingers on his head. The physical separation displeased him and he felt to his joy that she felt the same way.

Rey also got up and adjusted her clothes. For a while, they spent cleaning and checking their equipment. Then Rey suggested, "Let's try it on the platform we did our training on, and I think it can withstand the temperatures if we put on all the traveling clothes we chose for the way out," she hesitated a moment, "even if that means I have to wear this huge jacket again."

He could not resist a slight grin when he replied, "In this jacket, I do not know if I'm going to find you so terribly scary, Scavenger, in there you look like a little bug in a fluffy jail."

Rey suppressed a laugh and said in mock seriousness: "You should make sure that the "little bug" does not suddenly and painful spank your butt, Supremeleader!" As she did so, she quickly flung her arm in his direction and with a short motion gave him a quick force shock, which let him stumble a little.

He caught himself again, came dangerously close to her and had to laugh. "Well wait, my revenge will come unprepared and inexorable!" His eyes flashed mischievously. Rey looked at him and suddenly her heart jumped, then continued to beat unchecked quickly. He was now standing right in front of her and had become very quiet. Then he said, "Do not worry, I feel the same way" and kissed her sweetly and tenderly on the mouth. It was fascinating and scary at the same time that their two souls were now one and words almost superfluous.

With all her might she broke away from him and said: "Come on, let's get going before it gets too late." He nodded and they both dressed quickly, with a smiling Ben, rolling up Rey's long sleeves. Then they took their lightsaber and went towards the cave exit.

Outside, it received bright sunlight and the temperatures were pleasant. They climbed with quick steps to the plateau above the cave entrance. On the edge of the ledge, on the border with the denser coniferous trees, lay some tree trunks and formed a rough circle.

"We can sit there." Rey said and they headed for the weathered trunks, which were still strong enough to sit on. They sat opposite each other in meditation posture and looked at each other. "Close your eyes and focus?" suggested Ben. Rey nodded and they began to meditate, to feel and let the force flow as they had learned in their short training time.

For some reason nothing happened. After a long while, she opened her eyes in frustration, also because she had already felt the same feelings in Ben, who also looked at her uneasily and impatiently. "What are we doing wrong?" he asked.

Then he opened his eyes and shouted: "Of course, a deep connection!" and both said: "We have to do it together!" Rey shook her head. "I just can not get used to the fact that this symbiosis exists between us and that we have to use it." Ben nodded slightly and gave up his position to come to her. The two sat on the thickest trunk directly opposite and Ben reached out to her hands: "May I ask?" She smiled and put her hands in his. Instantly the atmosphere changed around them both. The air was filled with an invisible but tangible energy.

An energy that seemed to swell steadily and also changed the light around them. Where they squat together, it was dusk and light fog came up. Even a steady wind began to tug at their hair and clothes that had not been there before. Ben and Rey kept their eyes closed, focusing all their combined power on one goal: a deeper connection.

Then, all of a sudden, everything around them came to a standstill and a deep voice behind them said: "Finally we meet again!"