Preparation

Poe, Finn, and Rose, all sat in a deserted mess hall staring at their recently reclusive friend stand before them, wondering why she had gathered them. Curiosity buzzed between the three. Rey looked at her faithful companions staring at her, knowing they had the same question that sat on each of their tongues. How is she going to ask them to risk their lives to save a man they do not even know? Omitting the whole truth from them felt like a betrayal of their trust. She wiped the thought from her mind trying to gather the right words to ask them on an unofficial mission that is not fully sanctioned by the Resistance. She knows that is a simple extraction mission.

"I asked you here tonight to join me in an extraction mission in the Raioballo sector. The mark is a man that is of extreme value to the Resistance. I can not tell you much more about it. This extraction is top secret and not to be shared with anyone. I realize that I am giving you much to go off of, but should you accept and come with me, more details will be given. I need your help." She stood there watching the three taking in what she asked, but the information only seemed to cause more questions. The three turned to look at one another all giving themselves the same look. Rey could not tell by their expressions if they were certain about what she had just asked them. "We will help," Poe said for the group. Rose, Finn, and BB-8 all hummed sounds of agreement. Rey looked at her friends, baffled by their enduring trust for her. Under any other circumstances, she would be proud of herself for rallying her friends for a cause, but she was lying to them. It made her heart beat hard enough that she was sure they could hear it thumping through her chest.

"Right, we leave at Zero-700 hours. Poe, I need you to find a small freighter that is nondescript and does not bear any affiliation to the Resistance. Rose, I need you to find us common garb. Finn, I need you to outfit us each with blasters and other artillery we can carry on our person. And BB-8, I need you to map the course to the Raioballo sector in the Outer Rim." They all nodded and dispersed at the order. Rey had never led a mission on her own before. This was all new to her, but if she let the Force guide her then each step she took on this mission is supposed to happen. No matter the outcome. As her friends left, she made her way to her bedchamber. Each step brought her closer to him. She knew that she had to go and get him to save him from himself.

Rey came to the ancient wooden door, her eyes fell to the metal handle as her hand reached to grab it. She pushed the door open and shut it behind her. The dark stone room was illuminated by the moonlight coming through the carved window. She took a steady breath to clear her racing mind. Letting go of all the worry, anxiety, and guilt. Stepping into the middle of the dark room, Rey summoned the quarterstaff that rested up against the north wall of the room. It hit her hand with a hollow slap. Rey felt the cool exterior of the staff as she twirled in her hands. She took it in both hands and spun it with ferocity. Taking sure steps towards imaginary targets, striking them with force. She pulled the weapon to the ground as she held in one hand, planting it there. She spun around on the ball of her right foot, taking her left leg and extending it high above, causing her body to lean into the steady sidekick. She brought her left leg down as nimble as she raised it. In the same action, her staff came around in a violent strike to the invisible target's side. A blow that surely would have caused broken bones. The sweat beaded and fell down the Jedi's focused features, not letting it slow her down.

Her staff came down in a crashing force on the opponent's head. Rey felt her body moving in fluid movements as she turned her attention to behind her, imagining that another adversary approached. Rey raised the staff in both hands in a defensive pose in front of her body. Holding strong as the long staff lay horizontally to block the attacker's blow. The unseen challenger's stance corrected and went in for another attack, steering it towards Rey's ribcage. She tilted the bottom section of the staff downward, causing it to go vertical in order to block the hit. The blow rippled through her quarterstaff as she turned the force back on to the antagonist, pushing them and causing the figure to fumble backward. Rey did not waste time for them to recover. She spun the quarterstaff, lining it up with her arm as she felt the cool metal against the exposed flesh of the posterior of her arm. The weapon became an extension of her right arm. She dove forward, striking the opponent's sternum, imagining the crack from impact. She pivoted back to spin the staff, catching it in her left hand. With both hands, Rey swung the weapon hard against the attacker's skull.

They went limp and fell to the ground. Rey lowered the staff to the floor, leaning her body weight on weapons length. She almost collapsed from exhaustion. Rey shifted her body weight to her feet as she began to walk to the north wall behind her to set the staff back in its place, leaning it against the stone surface. A metal clunk sounded through the hollow weapon as she set it down. She turned around, stripping her body of each sweat-drenched layer. She left a trail of clothes leading to the attached bathroom. She stopped in front of the vanity and saw eye to eye with herself. She was breathing onerously, her mouth was parted allowing the hard breaths to escape her lungs. Her hooded eyes looked black in the dim light. The shadows creating contours on her body. She knew her anatomy but never being educated on the application. Abashed, she turned away. Her eyes shifted to the shallow tub in front of her. Rey's muscles shook with adrenaline from training. They called for more action, but Rey did not think she could go for another second. She needed a bath to calm her muscles and to wash the sweat that clung to her light olive skin.

Turning the aged metal cross handles with her right hand as she leaned over the tub, her left arm supporting her weight. The cold water spilled out of the faucet. Rey turned the handle to summon hot water. She waited for the water to heat as it filled the small tub. Her thoughts began to drift to her mission tomorrow. Will she be able to be strong enough to see it through? Does she have the confidence to look in her friends' eyes if they discover Ben's identity? Rey pushed the thoughts from her mind as she turned the running water off. Stepping into the warm bath, her quivering muscles seemed to settle when she submerged them. She let her head sink underneath the surface of the water, her knees jutting out from the water. The cool night air latched on to the exposed skin. Pushing the cold away, Rey took in the serenity the water provided. Her eyes closed, she let the peace fill her. Letting her slip into a meditative state. She felt as if she were in the womb, the sounds from the surface became muffled. She could feel her hair drifting weightlessly in the warm water.

Rey drifted off to that place of the between. The familiar soft glow of light surrounded her. She did not feel the tug of the bond. It was not Ben calling her here. Why was she here? What summoned her here? She walked forward, looking around, but it as if she was not going anywhere. She just was. This place was an infinite plane of soft light. She reached out her hand. She could feel something brush her fingertips as she moved her hand around the invisible object. It was soft and warm like a body.

"Rey turn around." A voice echoed around her. She turned to meet a man dressed in ancient Jedi garb. A young man with short hair with a single braid that hung from the right side stared at her. Hooded blue eyes on an angular face looked at her. The man in front of her had his arms tucked into flowing sleeves. His expressionless features bore into her. She had no idea who this man or why he summoned her.

"Rey, my name is Anakin Skywalker. It is a pleasure to meet you, finally." His voice was soft and friendly, but it was well known that Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader. Taken aback by the Force Ghost of the former Darth Vader standing in front of her. Rey's words escaped her. All she could do was nod at the ghost.

"I realize that this must be strange to you. But it absolutely necessary that we talk, Rey." Anakin spoke with a soft determination in his voice allowing Rey to relax. It is as the Force wills, she reminds herself. She swallowed as Anakin Skywalker stared her down as if waiting for her to catch up.

"Where are we? What is this place, Master Skywalker?" Rey asked in earnest. She is still reeling from the fact that the former Sith summoned her here. She is not even a full Jedi, her power is still raw and unrefined.

"This is the Force. We are in the Force's body, so to speak. It is an infinite plane of existence. But that is not why I called you here. I must speak to you about Ben Solo, Kylo Ren, my grandson. I know of the responsibility you have taken on to balance Kylo Ren and Ben Solo. I can feel your doubt in your abilities that make you unsure whether you are even able to save him without sacrificing yourself. I see your call to the Darkside. I implore you to embrace that. I only mean that you balance it within yourself, not truly Dark nor Light. Grey. Mace Windu is a prime example. He was the only Jedi who was able to harness power from both sides. He was trained in the seventh form, Vaapad. The trials of learning this form are dangerous. Mace Windu is the only Jedi to not fall to the Darkside from this practice,"

"The point I am trying to make, Rey, is that you can balance the Force within and still be a Jedi. Do not let the fear of the call encapsulate you. Fear is a virus that thrives in the dark. Don't make the same mistakes I did." The information Master Skywalker laid out to Rey was dumbfounding. She was stricken in awe.

"But, Master Skywalker, how? I am so confused about how I am to do this." Her honest question echoed in the infinite plane.

"It is as the Force wills, Rey. It will guide you. Let it flow through you. You must go. You are running out of air." Anakin's Force Ghost started to fade away from her. A tugging motion ripped her from her feet and she could feel herself falling back to herself.

"May the Force guide you, Rey." the voice seemed so faint.

Rey's eyes opened under the water as she shot up, breathless. Her lungs were gasping for air. Her breaths were so short, her body was trying to suck in as much air as possible. Rey forced herself to stop breathing for a moment. Calming her body, she took deep breaths to slow down. The water was now cold and made her shiver. She slowly rose from the shallow bath, stepping over the tub's short wall. She summoned a towel that was folded on the vanity to her hand. The towel came to her hand unraveled. She took in both hands and began to dry her body. Exhausted from training and her discussion with Anakin, she listed off lazily to her small bed and collapsed. Thoughts of his words drifted in her mind as she fell asleep.