A small boy, no older than 8 ascended the stone steps towards the temple, his mop of messy brown hair bouncing with each one. He was panting with the effort of taking the stairs quickly, in such a rush to find his uncle and complete the task he'd been given. It was a clear, sunny day under a blue sky and Ben Solo was looking for his uncle to return something at the instruction of his mother. The problem was his uncle was proving very difficult for a little boy to find.

"Uncle Luke?" he called, looking out towards the see over the ramparts of the temple walls. The other young padawans were enjoying their daily free time. Many of them were down in the courtyard below, practicing dueling with the wooden sticks they used in the absence of their Master. Others were likely down in the kitchen eating, and some might have also been down at the beach taking advantage of the free time to have a swim.

Ben Solo however, was trying, and failing, to find his uncle.

"UNCLE LUKE?" he called out in exasperation, climbing the last set of stairs to the topmost level of the Jedi temple.

Upon cresting the final step he turned and found his uncle sitting crosslegged on the stone floor, his eyes closed and his familiar mechanical hand, as well as his remaining flesh and bone one, were resting on his knees as the wind up at this higher altitude swept through lightly and tousled his graying hair.

"Uncle Luke?" Ben spoke softer this time.

Luke Skywalker opened one eyes warily and looked at his nephew. Though Ben would never have guessed it, Luke had sought refuge and meditation in this place specifically with the aim of consulting with the Force about his nephew. The temperament that had begun to display itself at odd moments was becoming disconcerting to him, and he had needed the time to be alone with his thoughts on the matter.

"Come Ben, sit here," Luke told him, patting the stones next to where he was sitting.

Ben looked from his uncle's face to the floor, then obeyed. Sitting down and crossing his legs, Ben rested his hands on his knees and closed his eyes, trying to feign calm when he was anxious to deliver the parcel he'd been sent with. Luke sensed this in his young padawan, and spoke to the matter directly, "What troubles you Ben?"

Startled, Ben opened his eyes to look at his uncle gazing calmly back at him, "What do you mean uncle Luke?"

I can see your frustration young padawan, it calls out to me through the Force Ben heard the whispered voice through his head, something his uncle had never done before.

This both excited and angered him. Excited, because he liked the idea that he might be able to read other people's thoughts, to know what they really thought about him and his lineage, his talents and progress. But it angered him too at the notion that someone could peer into his mind at will and discover anything they might like to know. There were places, even in an 8 year old's mind, where dark, unswept corners had begun to fester and grow, threatening to reach out and sully the other parts. Ben did not want anyone to see this, and so in an attempt to distract his uncle, he answered, "Nothing is wrong, my mother just wanted me to give you this."

Ben handed the package to him, hiding the tremble in his hands at the anger from having his mind invaded, even if only by his uncle.

Luke sensed this too, and it worried him, but he put the thought in a box and tucked it away for the moment, another thing to ponder later as he consulted the Force about his nephew's future.

"What is it?" he asked teasingly, reassuming the role of good-natured uncle.

Relief clouded Ben's face that his uncle had not pursued the subject, "Open it," he said with a smile.

He watched his uncle undo the wrapping and pull out a new set of robes from Leia.

"Ah," Luke said, "Your mother has been pestering me to buy some new robes for awhile now."

Ben twitched slightly at the mention of his mother pestering anyone. He didn't like anyone thinking they had the right to talk about her like that, even her own brother. A shadow seemed to cross over his face but it was gone just as soon as it had appeared, and he forced the familiar smile.

"No note?" Luke asked, sensing the momentary increase in Ben's heartbeat and looking to his face for answers.

The smile he met with was extremely convincing though.

"No note, she said to tell you not to show up to our house in those old ragged things again."

Luke chuckled, "That does sound like your mother."

Ben looked away to the doorway, relieved to be released from the conversation, but Luke noticed the way his nephew's eyes gravitated towards the exit, and he pressed on.

"Ben, I want you to meditate with me."

"Right now?" Ben quipped, surprised and uninterested in the notion when all the other padawans were enjoying their free time.

"It won't take long, I want to try something new with you I've never tried with anyone before," Luke's eyes crinkled up in a small smile, "It will be like a game almost."

Now Ben was intrigued, and his curiosity got the better of him as he found himself saying, "Okay."

They both reassumed their rigid meditation poses, but this time Luke reached over and placed the palm of his remaining hand on top of his nephew's.

Uncomfortable, but unwilling to admit it, Ben tried to quiet his thoughts and delve into the place inside himself that his uncle had long ago taught him to find. It was as if he felt another presence there too though, and he sensed his uncle both physically next to him and wound around his psyche in that moment, their spirits seeking out the force together as one unit. In their meditation, this time visions began to take shape, which was new for Ben.

Does this happen often? he found himself asking.

Sometimes his uncle replied, When the Force has something extremely important to show us.

Satisfied with the answer, Ben concentrated harder on witnessing the vision at hand.

An infant, with red-cheeks and chubby legs, lay in a basket beside a woman hanging clothes to dry out in the middle of a forest. The woman was beautiful to be sure, and she looked down at her child so lovingly, cooing and singing strange, sad songs of a time long past. A man appeared behind her, wearing a uniform of some importance, though Ben didn't know what. The baby gurgled as both looked down at it, the man kissing the woman on her shoulder, "She looks just like you," he said.

Another scene, the baby had now grown into a small girl, barely older than 3, but she dangled on her mother's knee and playing clapping games while her mother's animated face laughed and held her close to her. The little girl wore a short sleeve dress and from the corner of his eye Ben noticed a small brown birthmark on her right shoulder, almost in the shape of a crescent moon.

The scene dissolved and showed her now much older, a young woman, as beautiful as her mother and now taking her turn hanging clothes out to dry. The house looked shabbier than in the first vision, but the thatched roof and stone walls stood firm, a small tendril of smoke escaping from the chimney.

The last vision was the most perplexing, the same girl, now a bit older, but not much, round with child and holding her stomach to her, cradling and rubbing the bump with a smile.

This will all come to pass a voice totally unfamiliar to Ben resonated in his eyes, terrifying him, you now know the girl's face. It is up to you to find her. Together you will finally bring balance to the Force young Solo.

The terror that seized Ben broke his concentration and his found himself back in the tower, eyes wide open and looking over to his uncle for answers. Luke could only stare back at his nephew with a look of mixed confusion and surprise.

"What does it mean?" Ben asked frantically.

Luke shook his head, "Your guess is as good as mine young padawan, but I'm sure that in time, the Force will reveal itself to you and you will find the answer to the riddle it has placed before you."

Author's Note: So their paths probably won't cross until chapter 6 or 7, but hang in there with me please! I wanted to make sure I do a good job setting up the story line.