Star Wars VII - Revised and Redacted

Chapter 02: Guidance

Moonlight filtered through the trees of the dense forest as Rey's speeder pulled up and stopped in front of a dwelling built into the hollow trunk of a large tree. Climbing down from the speeder, Rey knocked once on the door of the house and walked in before an answer could be given.

The interior of the treehouse was brightly lit by hanging lamps, and their slightly orange glow complimented the color of the wood. The majority of the furnishings appeared to have been carved from the tree itself as they were still connected to either the floor, walls, or ceiling. Things like chairs and cabinet doors were a necessary exception as their movement required them to be separate from the tree. Single colored cloths draped over tables, chairs, and the floor while providing a comfortable and welcoming feel to the dwelling.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" asked a silver haired man tending to a steaming pot on a small stove. He wore a simple robe of sand colored cloth, but the look in his blue eyes showed he was far more than just an old man living in the woods.

"Yes," Rey confirmed, taking off her satchel and hanging it on a hook by the door. Her visor and face mask were placed on hooks of their own. "I almost ran into a group of scrap thieves on the way out."

"Scrap thieves," the man sneered. "Willing to kill and steal rather than work for what they want. It's utter stupidity when the wars have left so much to be salvaged. Why fight over scraps when they could simply gather for themselves and have plenty?"

"As you said, Sentis, utter stupidity," Rey agreed. "Unkar is as miserly as ever and refuses to bargain, but I managed to get enough for the power regulator."

"Very good," Sentis praised, never turning away from stirring the pot on the stove. "The ship is almost ready."

"When the ship's finished, where are we going to go?" Rey asked, taking a seat on one of the small wooden stools around a centrally located table.

"I don't know," Sentis answered. "Maybe we'll decide on the way."

"We've been doing fine here, so why do we need to leave?" Rey pressed.

"Don't you want to see the galaxy?" Sentis asked. "Ever since you were little, we've been planning to get away from here someday. Are you having second thoughts?"

"I'm not sure if they're second thoughts," Rey replied. "But, I will say I've been considering things."

"Such as?" Sentis prompted. He used a towel to pick up the pot and transfer it to an insulated pad on the table.

"This life is all I've known," Rey told him. "For as long as I can remember, I've been scavenging parts, dodging scrap thieves, training here with you, and bringing you parts for our ship. Leaving here and seeing the galaxy has always seemed like a distant dream, but now that it's so close, I'm not sure what to think."

"I understand," Sentis accepted. "It's disquieting to suddenly change from patterns and habits you've held to for so long, and venturing into the unknown is always a challenge as you don't know if you're prepared to face it. The only way to find out is to make the attempt and see what happens."

"I suppose you're right," Rey agreed.

"We don't have to leave immediately," Sentis offered. "We still have to eat dinner."

Rey and Sentis shared a laugh.

After their meal, Rey and Sentis went down a spiral staircase to a lower level. Unlike the first floor, the lower level didn't look like a house built into a tree but the corridors and metal rooms of a spacecraft. Bright and pure white light shone from the ceiling and illuminated everything in stark detail.

Turning left at the first door, Rey and Sentis entered a room covered in thick padding. Moving one of the gray, mattress sized pads out of the way, Sentis accessed a storage locker behind it and retrieved a pair of training weapons. He tossed a staff to Rey while keeping a wooden sword for himself.

"Are you ready?" Sentis questioned, and he and Rey adopted sparring positions in the center of the room.

Rey didn't say anything but she nodded, spinning the staff around herself before settling into a ready stance.

Sentis attacked first, striking at Rey with a chain of hits and forcing her back. Flipping her staff around, she blocked and parried the incoming hits, trying not to be pinned against the wall.

"Don't overextend," Sentis warned. He leaned to one side to avoid a thrust of her staff while using his wooden sword to deflect it further away. Before Rey could defend herself, Sentis struck with his free hand, his forearm hitting Rey across her collarbone and knocking her over on her back. "It makes you easily unbalanced."

"Thanks, I noticed," Rey muttered, getting up from the padded floor and into a combat stance to try again.

"Don't let frustration control you," Sentis warned. "Remember what you've learned."

"I know, I know," Rey dismissed irritably.

Sentis snapped down with his sword and caught the edge of her staff. The unexpected attack knocked the staff from her grip. The point of his sword flicked up to hover under her chin.

"I'm not telling you this to criticize, but to guide," Sentis told her in a firm but calm tone. He lowered the sword. "Just as incorrect footing can unbalance you physically, an improper attitude can unbalance you mentally. When frustration takes command, a person stops thinking clearly and acts strictly on emotion. You know the combat techniques I've taught you, but if frustration blocks your ability to concentrate, you won't be as effective, swinging wildly and without focus."

Sentis reached down and retrieved the staff at his feet, returning it to Rey.

"Your enemies will try to find your physical and emotional weak points in order to exploit them," Sentis continued. "Not allowing yourself to become unbalanced is essential to maximizing your potential, not only in combat, but in life."

Rey took a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering. When she responded, she was once more in control with no trace of her former irritation.

"I understand," she told him firmly. "Shall we begin again?"

Sentis nodded his approval, and the lesson continued.

Author's Note: In the movie, you never get to see Rey actually repair anything other than BB-8's bent antenna until she steps onto the Falcon. There's a scene where she's cleaning up some parts, but I could clean the carburetor on a car; it doesn't mean I could make it work if it was in pieces or installed improperly. Cleaning and repairing are totally dissimilar things and require different skills and levels of knowledge.

I also didn't want Rey to use the Millennium Falcon to leave Jakku. Han owned the Falcon and made a lot of special modifications himself over many years, and even he wasn't familiar with everything. When on Hoth, Han and Chewie were making repairs, and Han tells him which part goes where but then asks, "Right?" Rey steps onboard the Falcon and is able to instantly understand how everything is connected, what parts are where, and how to rewire things better than Han. Sure, that's believable.

By Rey and Sentis having their own ship, it allows for her skills to show in a more realistic manner. She knows where everything is because she helped put it together and has years of experience altering and wiring around components. It's not "garbage" owned by someone else; it's her ship.