Let the Light In

Chapter 11: Proximity

Chapter 11: Proximity

Rey greeted the first training day of many weeks to come with eager energy and healthy apprehension. She had full trust in Luke, and believed he would prove to be the teacher she needed. The data he had given her to read had only set her interest to concrete goal.

Rey would be a Sentinel. She was a scavenger by nature, and would prove to be just as efficient a reclamation Jedi. Sentinels were the ground troops and the infiltrators. They were the blank faces and the voices in your head. They were the smugglers and the politicians. And most importantly, they were the balance. Rey needed this balance beyond all else, and she was adamant in this pursuit.

Luke noticed her fuelled stride and acknowledged her decision.

He was happy that she had found something to fan the flames of her intent other than the emotion she felt towards his nephew. Rey was inclined to agree with him, but this did not diminish her disposition towards the darksiders in question in the slightest.

Then Luke surprised her again by taking his old lightsaber from her, and buttoning it up in a leather wrap. He insisted she use her staff instead, and Rey happily complied, still weary of the saber. The fact that he preferred she be more in practice with a double-handed weapon was just a convenient agreement to fall back on.

But Luke was not so easily satisfied. He warned her that while she would start preliminary training with the staff, soon she would move onto a double-bladed warsword to practice with blades that could actually hurt the handler. And she would not stop there. No, she would also become proficient in one-handed and dual-wielding, but she would start with what she was used to.

At her slightly nervous expression, Luke cited his promise to not let her leave unprepared, and she had to begrudgingly agree.

Then, they set to work. Luke outfitted Rey with some jury-rigged energy shields should his timing be off, and made sure they were fully operational. They picked a spot in the training yard, and that was the end of all preparation.

Rey did not quite know what to expect of training, but Luke just kept astonishing her. He did not grab her hands and put them in the correct hold, nor did he slowly step her through the lightsaber forms. Oh no, he fought her, and when she would fumble, he would correct her posture and poise as it happened.

When Rey could not quite get herself in position for an adequate block, Luke would tell her how to alter her footing to better whip back, her staff now easily following the lines of her motion. Thus he cited the Shii-Cho method, oldest of the forms, as well as Soresu. Adapted, naturally, to fit her use of a staff.

She struggled to get it right, often losing her balance and falling to the ground, but Luke was a patient Master. Even when Rey wordlessly yelled at herself in frustration, all Luke did was pluck her staff from her hands and sit her down along with him on the grass. Then he would try lead her through meditation. Rey was ashamed to admit her mind kept being drawn to her seeming ineptitude, but Luke would assure her it was only normal to struggle at first.

Rey took comfort in his words, but somehow she was sure Kylo Ren did not struggle as she did with simple footwork when he began. She would need to focus, she would need to calm herself. Luke only allowed them to start up combat again once Rey was unruffled once more.

This time, he spoke more to her, and introduced elements of the Ataru style, aiding with the acrobatic nature required for the double-blade.

Yes, Rey faltered a lot, but with this hybridised form she could feel the difference and knew that, finally she was falling into step. Oh, she made many mistakes, but never once did Luke get frustrated, and the shields remained unused. He never failed in his timing.