Revival- A Star Wars Story

Chapter 15- Bridges

A clay-like, opaque sky looms over a rainbow landscape filled with a variety of peculiar plants. It is morning. In this meadow, Rey is reading through the Jedi texts again. She whispers to herself, "It's starting to make sense now."

But she hits a roadblock. So she closes her eyes, and tries to re-connect with the Force. As she tries to search for it, she starts speaking, "Tell me where you are hurting. Let me help you."

A voice answers her: "You could never help me."

Rey opens her eyes, and in front of her, a few feet away, is Kylo Ren.

"It's been months. Why are you back?" she asks, exasperated.

"You think I want to be here?" he answers. Then, Kylo becomes alert, and stares at her. He notices she's hiding something from him. A serious expression dawns upon his face. "I sense someone powerful near you. Luke is alive?"

"He's the one who will stop the Force disruptions."

Angrily, Kylo says, "He thinks he can stop them?"

Rey snaps at him, "So you've noticed. The anomalies ripping through the universe? The Force that's spiraling out of control? There's something more important at stake than this war. Once that is dealt with, we will go after you and the First Order."

"A distraction. That's what those anomalies are. Crushing the Resistance is far more important."

Rey retaliates, saying, "You'll never win." She tries to walk away, but there's nowhere she can go. Kylo asks her again, "So you weren't talking to me. Who were you trying to talk to?"

"It's none of your business."

"It was the Force, wasn't it?"

Rey stops, then asserts, "Don't be ridiculous. The Force isn't some living thing." She lets out a short, faint laugh. "What, do you think I'm crazy?"

Kylo replies, "No, I think you're bad at hiding things."

Rey turns around and walks up to him, "Then tell me. What do you think the Force is?"

"Perhaps it has a soul."

Rey walks back. No, she thinks to herself. It can't be.

Kylo calls out, "I feel it deep within you. Somehow, you know that place, too."

Rey remains silent.

Kylo continues, "I remember the games I played there. The languages made, the words I hid." He pauses, and looks at Rey, who trembles at what he is implying. And he speaks again, "They never left my thoughts. I used them to encode my deepest secrets. There is only one other person who would know them, too."

Rey finally shouts back, "And she wants nothing to do with you ever again!"

They are covered by silence. And then Kylo, in a hushed tone, speaks again: "So it is you."

"You knew Anakin," Rey yells, her heart pounding rapidly, her breath short. "What did you do with him?"

Kylo shouts back, "Why are you asking me? You know the answer already!"

Rey whispers, "No..." She tries to deny it as much as she can. "It couldn't have been you." She regains her composure, "Stop this. I don't want to hear about it again. I've moved on, and the only thing I want to do is to help the Resistance defeat you."

Just then, Rey feels herself fading away. Kylo feels it too. They are leaving this non-physical world.

In his parting words, Kylo tells her, "It's either Luke, or me."