Star Wars, "The Temple in Our Minds" Part 6, Rey, Kylo Ren | rated E

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Fandom: Star Wars
Title: The Temple in Our Minds
Parts: 6/8
Part 6 Title: The Temple of Our Souls
Rating: Explicit
Characters/Pairings: Kylo Ren, Rey, General Hux, OMC, Kylo Ren/Rey
Spoilers: Post-TLJ, Divergent before The Rise of Skywalker, though some elements are in this fic.
Notes: Part six, continuation of my Dying Light serial. Jelucan is the planet from the novel, "Lost Stars" by Claudia Gray. I definitely recommend it. I plan on finishing this story really soon, so updates will become more regular.

Links: AO3

Chapter Summary: Before they take on Aicsss, Rey and Ben meet a mysterious woman, Viddya Bo, who says she’s been following them in the Force because they are a rare dyad.

Previous >

Kylo Ren piloted the stealth Silencer into the Outer Rim territories and came out of hyperspace into the Quell system. Through the viewscreen, Rey and Kylo Ren gazed out at the blue-green planet coming into their view. The planet Quell was dusted with fluffy clouds, tinted with pastel colors.

Rey stared at the planet with awe, having never been in this system. She had grown up with so much sand and rock that when she encountered a lush planet such as this, she eagerly wanted to experience all of it to confirm that it was real.

Behind her, Kylo Ren was setting coordinates, running routines, and issuing commands to cloak their location. Once again, he masked their signal to identify their ship as an unassuming cargo ship. He created safeguards to deter anyone from thinking of stealing his ship, as Quell was a free planet – but free to the point that heavy criminal activity ran rampant here. The beautiful jewel-like planet was deceptive from space because once they landed on the surface, they’d see the sort of disharmony the planet possessed.

With his safeguards in place for the Silencer, Kylo Ren began running search commands through his computer to find any clues to where Viddya Bo was hiding on the planet. He had a lot of markers to search through, so he began batching the markers together, eliminating vague outliers, and grouping only results that showed signs of Viddya’s type of behavior. As he had known her well enough, he felt he could narrow down his results in good time.

“Search patterns indicate a cluster of her known activity in the Northern Hemisphere. A few local cameras and wandering reports between civil government officials have shown her whereabouts to be in this vicinity,” Kylo Ren said, gaining Rey’s attention as he narrowed in on satellite imagery and pinpointed a few recorded moments of a woman mingling in crowds in heavy winter gear. The pictures were blurry, but they all shared a commonality, and the woman in the picture was wearing the same attire of furs and thick wool.

“Looks cold there,” Rey said, looking down at her outfit that she wore to protect herself from the harsh dust storms of Jelucan. She was worried that her clothes weren’t going to be warm enough to withstand the harsh conditions of this winter location.

“Yes, but I have winter provisions in storage in the back,” he said, easing her worries.

“So… once we’re properly dressed and we’ve landed near this encampment, what next?” Rey asked.

“I will reach out to her in the Force. She might have sensed me already,” he said.

Rey watched him descend into the atmosphere of the planet and navigate to the northern winter landscape. Her gaze swept over mountain tops and natural ice formations, and as they came closer to landing, she could feel the winter chill already seep into her bones. The terrain outside was stark white, with the mountains and formations jutting sharply out of the ground. It all felt bleak and stifling, and she wondered if such a place had any worth it to people at all.

Kylo Ren maneuvered the Silencer behind a craggy group of mountains near the valley of inhabitants where Viddya Bo supposedly lived. When they landed, the blackness of the ship stood out like a jagged shape against the stark white mountains. Icy winds howled against the hull of the ship, and the bitter cold was already causing the ship's exterior to moan and shake.

He left the cockpit and ducked inside the back of the ship, opening a hatch on the floor, and pulling out the winter provisions he spoke up. He handed Rey a thick blood-red cloak lined with warm fur and wool. He brought out heavy scarves, gloves, boots, and head coverings that he split between them. They bundled up well enough that Rey was starting to sweat underneath the weight of the clothes, and she followed Kylo Ren out of the opening hatch.

Their boots crunched onto the packed snow, and Rey turned to follow Kylo Ren through the blinding winds, assured he knew exactly where they were heading toward the valley. Instead, she almost ran into his tall form as he stood still in the heavy bone-chilling air. She squinted out into the snowstorm and saw that a figure was already there, waiting for them.

It was the woman on all the feeds from their search of the planet. She had the same thick attire from before, even more so cocooned in extra layers of fur to weather the current storm.

“Viddya Bo,” Kylo Ren said, his voice almost disappearing in the screaming winds.

“I have been expecting you, Force Dyad,” she said, and Rey couldn’t see her face, but she did see her glowing blue eyes through a sliver-sized opening of her layers. She wondered if Viddya was smiling underneath those layers, but she did notice that her voice was calm and tinged with mirth as if she was elated to greet them.

“Viddya Bo, I require your help,” said Kylo Ren.

Her voice changed from mirth to defiance. “Oh? Are you now?” She clucked her tongue loudly. “Does the horrible and fearsome Kylo Ren come seeking my help, or is it the clever young Ben Solo that burned with passion and insecurity?”

Kylo Ren turned to Rey, who was interested in his answer as well. She nodded at him, and he let out a sigh.

“It appears that Supreme Leader Kylo Ren is no longer useful,” he said reluctantly. Rey could tell he did not enjoy admitting that his time as Kylo Ren was over, and that if he was going to join her in this fight, it would be as Ben Solo.

“I come to you as Ben, son of Han Solo and Leia Organa,” Ben said, and Rey felt her entire body surge with relief and delight.

“Well, then, I am happy to welcome you. I don’t get many visitors, least of all the rare and auspicious Dyad,” Viddya said, and she turned her back to him. “Come. Follow me. My place is not far, and it will shelter us from the cold.”

Ben followed the woman, but Rey had one burning question. “What is a Dyad?” she asked.

Viddya Bo did not turn around. She only chuckled and continued to lead them into the valley and away from the sharp mountains. “There is much to tell you both, but stories are much more exciting when you pair it with a warm glass of mead.”

Rey couldn’t argue with that, and she looked forward to swallowing the warm liquid to stave off the chill from this storm. They trudged behind her, keeping a quick pace so they could seek shelter soon. When they arrived at her small hut, it was covered with huge animal furs and cobbled together with pieces from old ships and bulkheads. She pulled back a thick metal door covered in fur and led them inside.

Once in Viddya’s dwelling, Rey already felt warmer, and she watched as Viddya hobbled to the center of her house toward a deprecated Droid unit whose only function was to produce heat. She banged at it with her wrapped hand, and it shouted at her that it was trying as hard as it could to produce heat, but its coils were worn out and several of its inner components were in dire need of technical service.

“I can fix your droid if you like,” Rey said immediately, unable to stand the cries and pleas from the overworked little unit.

Viddya waved her hand. “Bah! It’s fine. Just a complainer.”

Rey turned to Ben, and he shrugged at her. They watched as Viddya procured them some warm drinks, and she led them to a circular seating around the heating droid. They took a seat on a well-loved rug, also made of thick animal fur, and Rey ran her fingers over the soft hair.

Viddya began removing some of the layers of her clothing, and Rey finally saw her face. She had large eyes and a youthful face, and she wondered if she was a similar age to Ben. Her face had patches of frostbite that had healed improperly, and her hair was long and unkept, flowing in uneven dreadlocks of black, blue, and greys. She sat on her bottom around the circle and released a labored sigh, and then she took a long drink of the steaming mug in her head. She made a noise of satisfaction and then turned to them. She made a motion with her hand. “Drink! Drink!”

Rey didn’t need to be told twice. She sipped the hot drink and enjoyed the honey and spices that hit her senses. The alcohol seared against her tongue, and when she swallowed the first gulp, heat settled in her stomach and chased away the aching chill in her bones.

Viddya smiled warmly at them as they drank their drinks, and she stared with keen interest.

“I am honored to meet you, Rey and Ben,” she said, and they watched her with interest in her meaning. Obviously, she knew something more about them than they knew themselves.

“I never imagined that I would meet the prophesied Force dyad, a rare occurrence that I am sure you would agree with.” She turned to Ben and gave him a knowing look. “You must know about this from your studies, Ben Solo.”

Ben nodded his head once, and he took another sip of his drink before saying, “We learned about this, yes, from my uncle Luke. He told me that Emperor Palpatine had tried to make this connection with my grandfather, but he failed. There were many instances in the history of the Jedi recorded of failure between Sith and Jedi alike.” He looked to Rey, who was listening with extreme interest. “Moreover, the prophecy of a Force dyad was seen as a myth, but it was also a dangerous catalyst for extremists in their search for ultimate power.”

“The prophecy is no myth, as you both can see,” Viddya said. “You have been able to see each other across the galaxy through the Force bond, yes?” They both nodded, and Viddya continued. “You have also been able to be physical with each other over great distances as well. I am sure you can do many things as a Force dyad, things you haven’t discovered yet.” Rey and Ben looked at each other, though appeared somewhat embarrassed.

“Are you saying together, as this dyad, we have extreme power?” Rey asked.

“More than that, young Rey. You and Ben are a formidable power and when properly trained to harness this bond, you could even be unstoppable,” Viddya said.

“There is something else the prophecy of the dyad proclaimed,” Ben said, and he turned to Rey and took her hand in his. “It is something that can explain how we feel when we are apart from each other. The Force dyad is of one soul, two halves of one whole.”

“You are correct, Ben,” Viddya said. “You are soul mates in the Force, and once you found each other, you created a bond and awakened a power that has not been seen in the Force for centuries. As one soul, you fight as one, you die as one, and you love as one. If one is without the other, there is a deep yearning for the other that cannot be ignored. Your ability to visit each other over galaxies helps quell the ache of being apart. There is a string of fate that ties you both, and no matter the distance, you are close in your power from the Force.”

“Wow,” Rey said immediately. “If what you’re saying is true, then Ben and I can go against the First Order.” Rey’s eyes filled with hope. She turned to Ben excitedly. “Ben, we can stop all this pointless oppression. We could go against Lord Aicsss!”

“Rey, it’s not that simple,” Ben said, remaining grounded. “We are not properly trained together as a dyad. We need to be in sync, and the two of us alone cannot stop starships and fighter ships. We will need allies.”

“And you will have them, and I will get to that,” Viddya said, and she turned from them to refill her empty mug. “However, Ben is right about the training. I know you do not have much time, but you must learn to harness your bond as a dyad and fight, meditate, and learn to exist as one soul. Then, you should have limitless power, even the power to heal each other and give each other boosts of power.”

“How can we do that? It’s not like there is a training manual for a Force dyad,” Rey said, scrunching her nose.

“We don’t need a training manual, Rey,” Ben said. “We must train with each other and balance one another in skill and mental abilities. We need to train as one.”

Viddya nodded. “I can help you as much as I can, but I will mostly be an observer, and I can be the weight you need to bring you back if you get too far into the Force.”

She took another sip, and Ben and Rey watched her calmly, and they were starting to understand what they must do.

“It will not be easy,” Viddya said. “You will learn things about yourselves and each other that may hinder you from growing into your power. Bear in mind, that to obtain the full power of the Force dyad, you will have to come to terms with your demons and share them with your other half. Your darkness will be balanced by light, and your light will be balanced by darkness.”

Rey turned to Ben and searched his eyes, dark yet clear, in what he had to do. She nodded at him and grabbed his hand. “We can do this, Ben.”

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Yes, I believe in us too.”

“Well, it also helps that you are in love with each other too,” Viddya added with a chuckle. Rey blushed and Ben awkwardly cleared his throat. “But don’t confuse love for strength or power. Your love for each other is just one facet of what makes the Force dyad work.”

They watched Viddya swallow the rest of her second drink, and then she sighed, staring into her cup. “If you truly harness the power of the Force dyad, and you use it against the tyranny that plagues the galaxy, perhaps once again we can find peace.”

Viddya released a sigh and slapped her hands together. “Now, before we get to the training, there is something else you must know that may help you in your fight against the First Order.”

Rey and Ben watched her intently as she continued, “As you know, the Jedi are no more, but that does not mean others cannot use the Force. Raw, untrained people exist throughout the galaxy that are sensitive to the Force.”

“Like I was,” Rey said, and Viddya nodded.

“Some of these Force-sensitive people have the presence of mind to look into what skills they have, and they do their research and undergo their sort of training,” she said. “However, history books cannot train them on their own. They have the power, but they need the structure. They need someone to bring them together to harness their powers and use them for good.”

Rey and Ben looked at each other bemused and then back at Viddya, who was smiling. “I have encountered some of these people through the Force. I have shared what knowledge I can with them, and I have prepared them to use their powers to come together and resist the totalitarianism of the First Order.”

Rey gaped at her. “We have Force-sensitive allies all over the galaxy?” Rey almost couldn’t believe it, but then Viddya smiled broadly.

“They know who you are too,” she said. “I have told them about the power of the Force dyad, and how under your guidance, we can win this war and have peace again.”

“And they are willing to follow us?” Ben asked.

She nodded. “Yes, they are ready to help the prophesized Force dyad when we need them. We need to call out to them all within the Force, and they will come to you.”

“I can’t believe it,” Rey said, and then she turned to Ben and squeezed his hand in hers. “Ben, do you know what this means? We have more than just the Resistance to help us. We have… empowered people all over the galaxy willing to ally with us.”

He squeezed her hand in confirmation, but his expression still seemed skeptical. “It will all mean nothing if we’re not properly trained, and if we don’t go into the fight several steps ahead of them. Lord Aicsss is ruthless and unpredictable, and I do not know how much his power has grown since Snoke ordered him to go into hiding.”

Rey put a hand on his shoulder. “Ben, I get that you want to be practical, but we must have hope as well. We need to have faith and hope in others. Relying solely on ourselves as a dyad will not win this war alone.”

“Rey’s right, but Ben is wise to err on the side of caution,” Viddya added, dispelling some of the tension Rey was feeling between her and Ben. “These are all part of finding the balance in the dyad’s bond, and once you understand these parts of each other, then you will not only be formidable, but you may also as well be invincible.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Ben said, rising abruptly from his spot on the rug. He handed Viddya his empty mug and looked down at her, his fists clenched at his sides. “Let’s begin the training now. We don’t have much time.”