And I became a legend

    The things he’d done to try to find his uncle and Artoo had the damn map the entire time. BB-8 only had a portion of it, he assumed. “No, I didn’t and I don’t think you have to worry about Rey telling anyone. She’s not like that.” At least, Kylo didn’t think she was. So far, he knew there were things she kept hidden, even to herself.

A slight smile found it’s way on his face. Of course Rey would have taken those books, he wasn’t surprised by that. Maybe she’d find something in them that he hadn’t been able to, something that would help her. “Maybe they’re not but she might find them interesting. Who knows.” He certainly didn’t.

Called out yet again. He couldn’t say he was surprised to find that Luke was able to do that to him, to point out the things that needed to be said. The second part was what made him finally turn his head toward Luke. “Something hanging over the back of my neck, like it’s breathing over me and doesn’t want to back up. Before, I thought it was Snoke but… I think I was wrong. Whatever it is, it’s like that old quote about looking into the abyss and it looking back into you.”

He couldn’t say how powerful it was but some part of him wanted to put himself between that darkness and Rey. Kylo reached up to touch his own face and almost scowled. For the first time in a while, he wasn’t thinking about that damn scar. “Rey and I fought on Starkiller base before it collapsed and she got a hit in on me. It was after I…”

His throat tightened and he glanced away once again. Han Solo, his father. Watching him fall into Starkiller’s core and then dreaming of him for the months afterward. “After I killed dad. Chewie got a good hit on me too - haven’t been the same since, didn’t realize how much damage that bowcaster could do to someone until afterward. My side hasn’t been the same since. Can’t say I didn’t deserve it. …Why are you so desperate to bring me back?”

“I’m not worried about Rey. Though I believe she took those books because I was a pretty awful teacher and not the guide she needed. It is likely she took them with her to learn from and to the only other person who she knew could teach her.” 

His nephew was finally looking at him. At least that meant they could truly have a conversation. He sighed, knowing that even without the scars, his nephew was haunted by what he had done to Han.

“My father cut my hand off with his lightsaber before telling me about our relationship. I have a cybernetic, but it’s not the same as the hand I once had. My wrists aches sometime from the replacement.” Luke knew all about how injuries impacted someone. 

He managed to stand up, needing to stretch out his stiff position before he returned his gaze to Kylo.

“Why am I trying to bring you back to light? You’re my nephew.” It was a simple but true answer. “Your mother tried to protect you from the beginning and I wanted to help. I love you, Ben. I always have. Even though I failed you.”

“Before I began your training, I had one other student, your mother. Leia managed to find a balance between her training and raising you when you were just a new born. Even when she was pregnant with you, Leia knew you would be strong in the Force. She told me you felt like a ball of warm light shot through with veins of shadow in the Force during her pregnancy. She wanted to protect you and she thought for some time that she would be the one to train you when you were old enough.” He began. “It was the last night of her training when she had a vision about you and she knew that if she kept on the path of being a Jedi, her vision would come true. So she gave me her lightsaber and put it behind her for you. I’m not so willing to put her or Han’s sacrifices in vain.”

He swallowed and now he looked away from his nephew.

“As for what you feel, I felt it too that night when you destroyed the temple. It’s true that I was worried about you, Ben. But I never wanted to kill you.” The uncle confessed. “You might think this to be some excuse, yet it’s the truth. It was like I was possessed that night by a shadow of a darkness I had only felt once before. It felt like I was watching my body move and unable to stop it until it was a moment too late. And I noticed the ability for the same darkness as that shadow in Rey.”

    A simple, basic life in that hut. He remembered the days when all he had to worry about was his training and making sure his clothes were clean. Now, it was a whole host of different responsibilities that he’d brought onto his own shoulders.

Ben took the invitation to sit at the bed and  put his elbows on his knees, hands clasped in front of him as he stared at the ground. A soft snort of a laugh left him. “Yeah. A stray thought of hers gave me the name of the planet, I didn’t press more than that. She must not have realized that she did it.”

No, he couldn’t say that he’d even thought of bringing up the force bond. It was the furthest thing from his mind but he supposed that Luke knew more than he let on.

“No, that’s not what I’m here for. I…” He clenched his teeth, jaw straining. Why was he there? A million questions and potential answers came to mind but all he could think of was the disappointing during the fight, knowing that he wasn’t worth anyone in his family facing him with their own physical self. Even his mother had stayed in the safety of the old base.

His shoulders slumped and a sigh left him. “I don’t know why I came. Answers, I guess. There’s a million different things I want to ask but I don’t fu-… I don’t know if I want to hear what might come.” Even then he stopped himself from breaking Luke’s rules without even thinking about it. “Snoke is dead. I’m leading in his place now.” But he wasn’t proud of it, it felt like an empty title to call himself Supreme Leader.

“It’s not exactly like it was a secret. Artoo has the map to this planet in his memory and the name appeared several times in some old texts. Of course, it was also written down in my journal, but I doubt you have gotten your hands on it. Though I suppose I should be grateful that Rey didn’t intentionally tell the galaxy where I was.” He said. 

Luke looked at his nephew once the boy had settled himself on the bed. He noticed that his nephew was still avoiding looking at him.

“This island is the location of the first Jedi temple. There was a library here and a tree. Unfortunately, the tree got burned down recently and Rey took the ancient texts, to study I assume. Not that it matters. Master Yoda told me that they are not exactly page turners. I didn’t even read much of them.” Luke went on.

He appreciated Ben catching himself in the language. 

“Facing fear is the destiny of a Jedi. You won’t always want to hear the answers to questions you have. I know that better than most. But the questions still must be asked.” At least he could give those words of wisdom to his nephew. 

     It was irritating to hear that same old tone and it took him back to when things were… relatively peaceful, before the First Order and— Ben couldn’t continue the thought. He cut it off as soon as it made his chest ache and turned to face his uncle. Of course, he wasn’t stupid, Kylo could tell that Luke was injured but he didn’t know how. 

“My language and manners are fine, thanks for asking.” Dry, sarcastic. At least that part hadn’t changed. With a sigh, he finally started toward the hut and walked inside. From what he could tell, it was similar to the hut he’d lived in while under Luke’s teaching. He couldn’t stop thinking that this was a stupid, foolish idea but he still found himself waiting expectantly.

He reached into his pocket and took out something he’d been holding on to. There were several sitting in his medpac on the Silencer but… Either way, Kylo held it out to Luke. “A health stim. It should help a bit.” Of course, while they weren’t expired, he couldn’t be sure how long it would take for it to heal any of Luke’s wounds. 

But he couldn’t meet his uncle’s eyes. Between his dreams, Snoke’s whispering, and fear of the unknown, Kylo kept his eyes downcast to the man’s feet. He’d made a fool of himself on Crait and, even with the Supreme Leader dead, there was still more he needed to do.

Sarcasm. There was no doubt the young man was Han and Leia’s son. It was a nice to have for even a moment back to the time before the First Order rose and he had lost his nephew to the dark side. 

Once Kylo step inside the hut, Luke closed the door behind them. Sunlight poured into the hut from the windows, showing off the simple furnishings of the place that the Jedi Master had called home for some time now. 

He didn’t back away when Kylo reached into his pocket to retrieve the health stim. He could sense that his nephew wasn’t here to fight, at least not at the moment. He reached for the stim carefully, holding it. Perhaps this was a peace offering. He could only hope it was the end of them being pitted against each other.

“Thank you.” He put it on the table, intending to use it later. He limped slightly and pulled out the teacher to the table and sat in it to face his nephew, those fierce dark eyes that the boy had inherited from his mother were looking at the floor. “Sit on the bed. You’ll have to forgive me. I didn’t expect many guests and yet you’re the third guest I’ve had here in a short amount of time. I assume you figured out where I am from Rey. It appears you two have a very special Force bond with each other, even I could see you where you were holding hands from across the galaxy. But I presume that’s not what you wish to talk about is it, Ben?”

     @becamealegend​

     Not long after the Battle of Crait, Kylo took to his Silencer and then to the skies. Hux wasn’t pleased but he’d been happy to tell the General where he could shove his displeasure. Being Supreme Leader had it’s perks, he supposed. But that wasn’t the point. Force Projection. 

He refused to put a name to the gnawing sensation in his gut as he started for the planet - Ahch-To. He’d only briefly caught the name from Rey’s mind, a stray surface thought, but it was enough to give him a place to investigate. Of course, coming up on the blue planet and descending quickly, Kylo carefully pulled the TIE into a graceful arc as he landed. 

He could already feel the other man’s presence.

Stepping out of the ship, he headed straight for the collection of huts on the island. He stood in the middle of them and glanced around, patiently waiting. Kylo didn’t see Luke immediately but he did speak up. 

“You know I’m here and I know you’re here. I have all the time in the galaxy. So let’s talk.”

He had only a short amount of time to be by himself. He had survived the Force Projection for which he had thought he had nearly lost himself in. It had been far too long since he had used the Force. He had closed himself off from it for too long out of fear and his need to repent for his failure, for not keeping the darkness that night out. 

He hadn’t escaped from it unscathed from the Battle of Crait. A wicked ring of red scar now circled around his middle from where his nephew had sliced him with his lightsaber. There had been some blood and pain, of course. He needed some time to heal before he knew what he had to do.

It seemed, however, his time of healing was at it’s end. Even though he hadn’t seen the ship break through the atmosphere of the planet, he could feel the dark presence of Kylo Ren in the Force. A great shadow with pain and still some light in it, despite what his nephew would want to believe.

Luke heard the call from the middle of the caretaker’s village. He stood up from his seat in his hut and opened up the door, poking his head out to see Kylo. He looked at his nephew and adopted the tone he usually used when he had been the young man’s teacher. “Come in here, Ben, and we’ll talk. But do watch your language. This is a sacred island, after all. I assume that you do remember the good manners Han and Leia taught you.”

“No I’m not particularly fond of them. So the tooka is that allegiant general you were talking about. She seems sweet. Though I can’t see why she would like me.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the cat toy placing it on the table. “She left this for me this morning. Guess the huntresses wanted to leave me a gift.”

Mara finally looked up into his eyes as he spoke. They had definitely dulled since they had last seen each other, but a spark found its way into them as he spoke. All his ideas were definitely the Luke she had known all those years ago and it made her chuckle lightly. “You are the absolute most Jedi Sith I’ve ever seen Skywalker.”

He paused once more in his eating and looked at her. A come back was resting on his tongue when he saw Mara pull out Firedust’s cat toy. 

“That’s her favorite toy. You should consider yourself lucky. The only other person she’s ever warmed up to so quickly besides myself is my nephew.” Luke told her. “But yes, before you ask, I gave her titles. It’s just sort of made sense in my mind. She’s with me a lot and sometimes listens to me practice speeches and has laid herself in the middle of projected star maps to get my attention. I’m sure she’d love to play with you after lunch. When I last saw her, she was sleeping on my bed.”