Steel Beauty

I love you

Published: 6/4/20

Rey and I took up our own physical training while on the island. She continued with her staff and I with my dagger. Well, I trained with my dagger until she convinced me to make a staff of my own, just so I wouldn't keep getting my ass kicked by her. But, afterward, I convinced her to make her own dagger out of some spare parts on the Falcon.

We sparred for hours. She would get a few blows in, I would block a decent amount. I would get a few blows in as well, she would also block a few. Once we had finally gotten tired of giving each other bruises, we laid on the rocky ground. We just lay there, staring at the sky, occasionally seeing a bird fly over us. I felt the gentle breeze wrap around my body with the blissful and cool air. It reminded me of the last normal day Rey and I had. The last day we were on Jakku, me at the top of some old ship wandering about my father. Now, I had met him and I didn't know what to think.

I abruptly sat up and told her I needed to clear my mind, that I would go for a walk. My walk turned into an exercise around Ahch-To. I felt restless, like if I stopped moving, so would the entire galaxy. I found myself sitting at a cliff, meditating and relaxing. I watched as the sun began to set, the rings of color falling behind the sea horizon.  The air around me changed, just as it had when I was in the dome temple. And I knew Anakin had come to visit once more.

"You know, you may be my grandfather, but I really hope you don't watch me all the time, that would be veeeryy creepy," I announce.

I heard a chuckle next to me," No, I don't watch you all the time, just on occasion when your emotions are high. You miss them. You miss him. Don't you?"

I shuffle my hair around to attempt to hide my face, even though he could just as easily read my mind. Of course, I missed them. I missed Cressida, Leia, Poe. But, after having seen all the good times I thought were missing from my life, I missed Ben. I wanted him back and I knew that Leia did too. I needed to help our family get him back.

"Yeah, I do. I know that all of my memories were blocked away...by myself. But, once I got them back, I just felt like more of me was missing." I rubbed my eyes from a lack of decent sleep, "And I can't help but think that I should go back to the Resistance and help them. I'm between staying and going, like I'm being ripped apart."

"You have already made up your mind, dear Stella. You just don't want to admit it.," I turn further away from my grandfather's force ghost, "Look, due to being seduced by the dark side of the force, I missed out on so much. I know it's different roles, but don't miss out of getting to know your father,Stell. Stay just until Rey leaves and go with her. You know what to do. Just go for it."

I nod and look up to see clouds gathering for a storm. As Anakin left and I began to get up, it started to pour down. It felt like I had been transported to the sea below me. I pulled up my hood from behind my neck and tried to find my way through the storm. Lightning struck on the other side of the island, creating flashes of light. Thunder followed soon after like drums of anger in the sky, the sound ripping through my body, causing me to shudder.I could very distantly hear my name being called my father, Rey's name being called out soon after. I stumbled through the rocky terrain, but to no avail could I find my way back. I found short shelter under a rock that dipped over in a hook. I sat down, hoping to wait out the storm. Everything seemed to shift and a shock waved through my very soul. A disturbance in the Force. I've felt something similar happen before.

I quickly forgot the fact that it was raining and I began running through the sharp arrows of rain. The pellets snapping me across my entire body. Panic continuously flowed through me and for a good reason, too. I found the tops of the huts we had been calling home. My body slid down the slope, mud pasting itself to the right side of my leg. I felt a dull pain in the thigh as I got up and continued to run. I then found myself in the middle of a fight?

The hut Rey and I shared had been forced apart, chunks of it thrown everywhere in piles. My father was lying on the steps, Rey stood over him with a blue saber humming in her hand. I rushed to the pair and inserted myself into the conversation.

"Tell me the truth, did you create Kylo Ren?" She shouted over the roaring thunders and crashes of waves below us.

My father spoke," I saw darkness. I'd sensed it building in him. I'd seen it in moments during his training. But then I looked inside, and it was beyond what I ever imagined." I could practically see the scene in front of me as he spoke, "Snoke had already turned his heart. He would bring destruction, and pain, and death and the end of everything I love because of what he will become. And for the briefest moment of pure instinct, I thought I could stop it. But, it passed like a fleeting shadow. And I was left with shame, and with consequence And the last thing I saw were the eyes of a frightened boy whose master had failed him."

I gripped my hair," Dad, you only failed him by thinking his choice was made."

Rey spoke from beside me, "It wasn't. There is still conflict in him, if her were turned from the dark side, that cool shift the tide."

Realization flooded through me, "This could be how we win."

My father below added, "This is not going to go the way you two think."

She crouched below, "It is. Just now, when we touched hands, I saw his future. As solid as I am seeing you. If Stella and I go to him, Ben Solo will turn."

"Rey, don't do this." He said, pleading.'

She stood and held out his saber, offering it to him and he easily turned away from it. "Then this is our last hope. Come on, Stella. We need to pack up."

I went to turn away from my father, but he quickly stood to stop me. He pressed a cool, solid object into my hand. It was a saber.

I looked into his eyes, with tears pricking around the rims of my own. It was my saber. The one he helped me make when I was just a little girl. The cool metal was a solid black with a little silver around the sides. It was a double blade, that way it would detach into two smaller sabers. I ignited it and let the purple saber glow against our skin. I hugged my father deeply and closely as if it was the last time I was going to see him," I love you, Stella."

I buried my face into his neck," I love you too, Dad."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got a tad emotional at the end there... *wipes away stray tear*

As usual, I really hope you few readers enjoyed this chapter. This is so far one of my favorites: I feel like Stella is finally letting herself open up to her own emotions wholly and FINALLY accepting who she is as Luke Skywalker's daughter. My baby is finding herself!!!

I love you guys, I hope you loved it as much as I did.

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