I do not own the Star Wars franchise.

Not at all canon-compliant when it comes to how the Force and Force ghosts work. Also, liberties taken with the characterization of the past Jedi, because this is meant to be half serious and half humorous.

Learning Curve

When Rey entered the dining room, it was to see her Padawan levitating the clay dishes onto the table with the Force. Temiri Blagg's eyes were narrowed in concentration, his hand stretched out and his forehead pinched. When the bowls and cups were in position, he dropped his hand and they all smashed against the surface. Temiri yelped as the clay shattered, pieces scattering across the room.

"I asked you to set the table, not break it," said Rey in amusement.

Temiri turned around to face her, fear in his brown eyes. "I'm sorry! I'll pick it all up, I promise!"

"It's okay!" soothed Rey. She approached him and her heart swelled with grief when he flinched instinctively. She lowered to her knees and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "It was just an accident."

Temiri let out a slow breath. He sometimes forgot himself, after years of enduring Bargwill Tomder's abuse and rages. "I'm sorry," he repeated, shame-faced.

"Don't be," said Rey strongly. "It's fine. I'll get the broom."

"I got it!" Temiri looked towards the broom stashed in the corner and motioned for it to come to him. It soared into his hand and he quickly got to work sweeping up the pieces.

Rey smiled fondly and ruffled his black hair. "Good job."

"Do you think I could try using your lightsaber when I'm done?" asked Temiri pleadingly.

"Well…" Rey hesitated. It was a question he had asked many times before, and she didn't think he was ready to begin lightsaber training. But maybe there wouldn't be anything wrong with satisfying his curiosity. "I suppose so. After lunch. It won't hurt for you to get a feel for it."

"All right!"

She got to her feet and went outside to check the moisture vaporators. It had taken a while to get the abandoned machinery up and running, but the combined efforts of her, R2-D2 and C-3PO, and with D-O's encouragement, they managed to successfully repair the moisture vaporators. But they were known to sputter out of commission, and they've done so three times over the last two weeks since they moved in to the old Lars farm.

Rey shielded her gaze from the harsh sunlight and squinted across the desolate, sandy landscape. There was no one in sight, which was a relief, because it meant she didn't have to deal with Sand People or the Jawas. She could see the three droids tinkering with the weather monitors and motion detectors off in the distance.

She cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted, "Any luck?"

"I'm afraid not, Master Rey!" returned Threepio. "They're simply not responding!"

"Very busted, very busted!" said D-O, rolling around Artoo as he tried fixing the broken devices.

"I'll be over in a bit to see if I can help," promised Rey.

She crouched next to the vaporator and studied it intently. It was still humming away, which was a good sign. She supposed they would die out eventually, but the fact they were still working was a miracle she was very grateful for, especially since she had no money for replacements.

"You got sand in my old house."

Rey straightened with a scowl. "If you make that joke one more time I'm going to—"

"Kill me?" interjected Luke, his Force ghost a blue haze against the scorching heat. "I'm afraid I beat you to it."

The last time he appeared to Rey was just over two weeks ago, when he informed her that a Force-sensitive child was living on Cantonica. Rey had been delighted by the news, for it never really occurred to her that there were children out there with potential to continue the Jedi traditions. Luke refused to give her any more details besides the boy's location, and Rey promptly went to Canto Bright with Finn and Poe.

It had come as a surprise when Finn seemed to know exactly where the boy was. It turned out to be the same child that helped him and Rose escape the authorities during their Canto Bright mission. Temiri had been shocked when Rey offered to train him in the ways of the Force. He had been reluctant to leave his friends, the other abandoned children forced to be stable hands in order to survive.

They weren't technically slaves, and as such didn't have slave chips. They had been left behind by their parents as they either escaped their gambling debts or because they suffered such losses that they were no longer able to take care of their children. This made it much easier to smuggle the children onto the Millennium Falcon and ensure they were dropped off somewhere they would be safe and cared for.

Rey instantly knew she wanted to train Temiri on Tatooine, the home of both Anakin and Luke Skywalker. It just felt right, and Finn and Poe were still on their mission to help planets recover after the invasions of the First Order. Rey took Temiri, Luke's old X-Wing, the three droids and some possessions before returning to the Lars moisture farm.

Rey was immensely grateful to Luke for bringing Temiri to her attention. The ten-year-old was so sweet and smart, and eager to learn not just about the Force but all the legends of the Jedi. They were still navigating the waters of their relationship, but Rey was quickly getting attached and she could feel the beginnings of their bond forming in the Force.

"Where were you when I needed help fixing these things?" she demanded, setting her hands on her hips. As grateful as she was, it didn't mean she couldn't be a little annoyed.

"Do you know how many years I spent dealing with moisture vaporators?" asked Luke with a scoff. "I barely wanted to deal with them in life, let alone death. Besides, it looked like you, Artoo and Threepio had it covered." He paused for a moment, looking around his childhood home, and he said gruffly, "You did a great job cleaning this place up, kid."

"Thank you," said Rey with a warm smile. "But there's still lots of work to be done."

"I don't know why you chose to live here." Anakin's Force ghost came into view and he regarded their environment with disgust. "I hate sand."

"So you've mentioned, Father," said Luke with a roll of his eyes.

"You can't even feel it," chided Rey.

"It's not pleasant to look at."

"I just felt it would be the perfect place to train Temiri. It's where you two came from, after all."

"I try to forget about that," said Anakin flatly. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

"Are you really going to let the boy use your lightsaber?" asked Luke with a frown.

"To practice, yeah." Rey's brow furrowed. "Why? Is…is that wrong?"

Luke opened his mouth but Anakin smoothly intervened. "Each Master is different when it comes to training their Padawan. So long as you stick to the Light, you'll figure out the methods that work best for you both."

"Which means you probably shouldn't take advice from him," said Luke.

"I was a great Master before I turned to the Dark Side," said Anakin with a scowl.

"That's a gross exaggeration," said a sing-song voice.

Anakin snapped his gaze around, but Ahsoka did not join them—she settled for communicating through the Force verbally. "You want to show yourself, Snips?" he demanded.

"Nope! I'd hate to embarrass you in front of Rey."

"I wouldn't mind," said Rey with a grin.

"Master Rey! We could use some help!" called Threepio.

"I would love to hear you bicker more, but I better get going. If I don't get those motion detectors working it might get ugly during the nights."

"You lose my droids and I'll haunt you forever!" warned Anakin as the girl walked off.

"You already are!" retorted Rey.

She crossed the sand and peered at the technology. "I am afraid Artoo isn't able to pinpoint the problem," said Threepio solemnly. "I think they just might be too old."

"If we can get those moisture vaporators working, we can figure these out," said Rey firmly. "Did you try turning them off and turning them back on?"

"Oh. Um, well, in order to do that, we'd have to be able to turn them on to begin—" Artoo made a series of beeping noises and Threepio paused. "What do you mean she was joking?"

"Very funny!" said D-O, rolling around her feet.

Rey grinned and patted his cone head. She would have to try and instill a sense of humour into Threepio. She was sure Luke and Anakin tried, but to be fair, they weren't all that funny. She removed her quarterstaff from her back and gave the motion detector a few hard whacks. "You will cooperate!"

Bzzzt!

"You did it!" exclaimed D-O.

"I did!" said Rey, just as shocked. "I guess primeval techniques are needed on primeval technology."

"Very clever, Master Rey!" said Threepio cheerfully.

Artoo made a disgruntled noise and Rey laughed. "Don't be upset, Artoo. You were the one who solved the problem with the vaporators." She handed her quarterstaff to Threepio. "See if you can get the other sensors to work."

"Will do, Master Rey!"

"I want to hit!" insisted D-O, nudging Threepio's ankles.

"You don't have any arms!"

Rey shook her head and jogged back to the homestead. She entered the dining room to see fresh dishes on the table and Temiri setting down the pot of soup. "The soup is probably cold now," she lamented. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," said Temiri. "I don't mind."

They spooned some soup from the pot into their bowls. It was lukewarm, which allowed Temiri to raise his bowl to his lips, tilt his head back, and drink the cream of Womprat soup at a rapid speed. Rey took a sip of her own, eyes glimmering as she watched Temiri set his empty bowl on the table seconds later and fold his hands together, his body shifting with excitement.

Rey unclipped her lightsaber from her belt and slid it towards the boy. "Go on, then."

"But what about cleaning up?" Temiri asked, even as his fingers eagerly stretched towards the lightsaber.

"I'll take care of it. But be very, very slow with your movements," instructed Rey. "Remember, this is to let you get a grasp of what wielding a lightsaber feels like. It's not combat training."

"I'll be careful!" promised Temiri. He seized Rey's lightsaber and sprang to his feet. "Thank you so much, Master!"

"You're welcome."

Temiri left with a wide grin on his features. Rey finished her lunch and, as she was carrying the dishes back to the kitchen, a voice said behind her, "He's eager."

Rey beamed at Ben. "He is."

"You've been teaching him well."

"I wouldn't go that far. It's only been two weeks." Rey retrieved a small container of water and a cloth and started to scrub at the food-encrusted bowl. "He's having trouble meditating. But he's just a kid, and kids get distracted. I'm just not sure how to help him connect with the Force, to become one with it."

Rey's brow furrowed in frustration and Ben said softly, "Each Jedi has their own path when it comes to being one with the Force. His struggles will be different from yours."

"But how do I help him through them?" The dishes forgotten, Rey aimed her troubled expression at Ben, who watched her intently. "I don't want to fail him. I don't want him—"

"To turn to the Dark Side," said Ben knowingly. "Like I did."

"Not just you. Anakin. And I too was tempted." Rey gripped the edge of the counter. "And I can understand why. The choices we make can impact a hundred others. And we're humans who make mistakes, but I don't want to…I don't want to do something that turns him away."

"Don't dwell on it. All you can do is your best, and just acknowledge that sometimes that won't be good enough."

"That's not exactly comforting," muttered Rey.

"Don't let my past taint your own experience," said Ben softly. "Otherwise you'll be setting him up for failure."

Rey took a slow, deep breath. She focussed on the Force, which flowed through her, and the tension eased from her shoulders. "You're right. Thank you, Ben."

"As for how to help him, you could try reading the sacred texts. They ought to have some guidance for you."

Rey pulled a face. "I'm sure they do, but they're so boring. Why were the Jedi so bland in their storytelling?"

"Because then it wouldn't be torturous or take self-discipline, and what would be the point?"

Rey rolled her eyes as Luke appeared. "Are you still angry I stole the sacred texts?"

"Yes," said Luke in irritation. "I was going to burn them. In a very dramatic fashion."

"But you couldn't bring yourself to do it," said Ben in amusement.

"Master Yoda had to make you think he burned the sacred texts and give you a pep talk so you would overcome your own confliction," said Rey with a grin.

Luke scowled. "I was there, thank you."

Temiri's sudden, startled shriek caused Rey to immediately sprint to his aid. She came to a halt in the coarse sand, her eyes widening at the sight of a broken vaporator. A portion had been sliced off and it lay in the sand, smoking slightly. The lightsaber, still active, was a few feet away. Temiri whirled around, tears building in his eyes.

"I'm sorry! I got carried away! I lost my grip. I didn't mean—"

Rey knelt in front of him and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, Temiri. The vaporator can be fixed. I'm glad you're not hurt." Rey eased back and gently wiped his tears away. "What did you think? Of wielding a lightsaber?"

"It felt…it felt cool," said Temiri with a sniff. "It felt right. Like I was always meant to use one."

Rey smiled. "I know the feeling. Why don't you go inside and try to meditate? Calm your mind and emotions. Feel the Force."

"Okay," said Temiri. He looked at Rey with grateful eyes. It had been so long since he'd been treated with kindness and care by an adult. As far as he was concerned, Rey was a gift from the stars—a gift from the Force. "I'm so glad you came for me, Master Rey."

Rey cupped his face tenderly. "Me too, Temiri."

He beamed at her and scampered back into the homestead. Rey collected her lightsaber and regarded the damage with a dismayed expression. "I think it's going to need more than soldering to repair this."

"What were you thinking by letting that boy use a real lightsaber?"

Rey glanced over her shoulder and recoiled in surprise at the Force ghosts gathered. "What?"

"How limited is your judgement?" continued Mace Windu with a sharp frown. "He hasn't proven himself nearly ready to wield a lightsaber."

"Results in disaster, letting Padawans use lightsabers too early in training," said Yoda, his eyes glimmering.

Rey spun around and glared at Luke and Anakin. "You didn't tell me!"

"He stopped me," protested Luke.

"I believe it's important to learn from your mistakes," deadpanned Anakin.

"But you're supposed to be guiding me! What's the point in coming to me if you're not going to be helpful?" asked Rey crossly.

"I'm afraid to break this news to you, but Anakin is rarely helpful," said Obi-Wan with a smirk.

"He likes to think he is, though," added Ahsoka.

Anakin glared at them. Rey set her hands on her hips and said, "Well, what did you use when you were training to be Jedi?"

"Practice lightsabers," answered Qui-Gon. "Not proper ones."

"Practice lightsabers don't…you know, amputate," explained Ahsoka. "They just make mild burns. All younglings in the Jedi Order trained with practice lightsabers."

Rey was floored. "But…but Master Luke and Master Leia didn't use practice lightsabers."

"That's because we were adults, and being children of Anakin Skywalker, we had more affinity towards the Force," explained Leia.

"Do you think Obi-Wan would have given me a lightsaber if I were ten-years-old?" asked Luke with a snort.

"Absolutely not," said Obi-Wan feelingly.

"Well, what am I supposed to give him to practice with?" asked Rey in bewilderment.

"A practice lightsaber," said Anakin. "Aren't you listening?"

Rey gave a frustrated huff. "Did you know about this?" she asked Ben.

"Yes," he said in bemusement. "But I thought you did as well."

"Of course not!"

"There's a whole section on training Padawans in the sacred texts," said Luke. "Are you skipping sections?"

"I didn't read all of them yet!" She stormed off towards the droids, who she would need to assist her in repairing the vaporator. "None of you are any help at all!" she snapped over her shoulder. "Useless!"

"That's no way to talk to your father, Rey Skywalker!" shouted Luke.

"Or your grandfather!" added Anakin.

Leia shook her head. "Don't come complaining to me when she disowns you."

"Feisty, she is," said Yoda. "Much like the rest of the Skywalkers."

"It's an inherited trait," said Ahsoka with a grin.

"Perhaps it would be in our best interest to tell her how she can build a practice lightsaber," mused Qui-Gon.

"Of course," said Luke sagely. "But only if she completely fails in her attempts."

Qui-Gon sent him a flat look. "You just want to see her struggle."

"It's my favourite pastime."