The Underrateds: Genesis

Towards the end of 2018, with Bohemian Rhapsody on its regrettable way to box-office and awards-season success, my good friend and fellow Cinema Joe Justin Mancini took to Facebook for a run-down of the entire discography of Queen. Specifically, he highlighted and praised a specific track from each album that he felt was underrated, stuff that tends to get overlooked when people talk about the band in favor of "We Are The Champions" or "We Will Rock You."

This is an absolute gem of an idea and it got me thinking- why not do the same with my favorite band of all time, Genesis? Spanning three decades and 15 studio albums (not to mention a number of live albums and EPs), Genesis has one of the most varied and unique ranges of musical work out there. I religiously maintain that every single person, regardless of the specifics of their musical taste, can find at least one Genesis song that suits them. That's how far the band was able to cast their artistic nets over the years they were together. And this is to say nothing of the five different (and equally unique) solo careers that each main band member went on to have both during and after their Genesis tenure. It is no exaggeration to say that Genesis literally spawned 6 lifetime's worth of great music, something pretty much no other band can lay claim to.

And so, in conjunction with a new podcast project that I, along with Justin and my brother Luke, launched on The Pop Break earlier this month called Pod on the Rooftops, here is my definitive list of the top 15 underrated Genesis songs, one from each of their official albums.

From Genesis to Revelations (1968)

Underrated Track: The Conqueror

For this album in particular, I could pick literally any track, since practically no one talks about it and none of the songs ever survived as part of the band's live repertoire. Even the band members do not speak fondly of their first time in a recording studio, which I think is a crying shame, because I find a lot to like on it, especially one of the middle tracks, "The Conqueror." Featuring driving piano chords, this is an early taste of the aesthetic Tony Banks would bring to his keyboard parts throughout the band's history and that defines so many of their greatest hits. This track was the first indication to the world of what was to come.

Trespass (1970)

Underrated Track: Dusk

Though a noticeable advance from their first album, ultimately only one song from this album broke through as a mainstay- the concluding power ballad, "The Knife." Which is a shame, because as great as "The Knife" is, the rest of the album is just as solid. My personal favorite is "Dusk," which is almost the exact opposite of "The Knife" as far as sound and tone is concerned. "Dusk" is far quieter, more finely-crafted, with a gentle, almost meditative feel to its melody and chorus. It's an amazing mood piece and one of the album's best tone-setters.

Nursery Cryme (1971)

Underrated Track: Seven Stones

This album is one of the odder ones. The first and last tracks, "The Musical Box" and "Fountain of Salmacis," are titanic musical masterpieces, two of the definitive tracks of Peter-Gabriel-era Genesis. The rest of the album.....isn't. The other songs aren't bad of course, but they just aren't on the same level.

Nonetheless, I do retain a certain affection for Seven Stones, which has a nice, contemplative flow to it, quietly building to a nicely emotional middle section. I don't think this song would have worked as well in a live setting, but the studio recording is just lovely.

Foxtrot (1972)

Underrated Track: Can-Utility and the Coastliners

Like Nursery Cryme, this album starts and ends about as majestically as possible. "Watcher of the Skies" and "Supper's Ready" were centerpieces of Genesis' live sets throughout Gabriel's time, with "Supper's Ready" in particular still standing as one of the most astonishing musical creations Prog Rock has ever produced.

Often lost amidst the well-earned hype, though, is "Can-Utility and the Coastliners;" though comparatively short by this album's standards, it packs just as intense a musical punch as the leading tracks, with a resounding instrumental section in the middle and an absolutely hair-raising finale; the effect of Peter Gabriel's voice and Steve Hackett's guitar effectively bleeding into a single sound, underlaid with Tony Banks' keyboard chords, is so guttingly effective I can't help but feel a bit disappointed that none of the later albums tried something similar.

Selling England by the Pound (1973)

Underrated Track: After The Ordeal

Many fans, myself included, consider this album to be the gold standard for early-era Genesis. It is packed from start to finish with many of the band's greatest long-form musical compositions, like "Dancing Out with the Moonlit Knight," "Firth of Fifth," and "Cinema Show," plus "I Know What I Like," the first song of theirs to inch towards the pop charts.

Though often neglected, the shorter middle songs work as a perfect counterweight to the bigger, heavier stuff around it, often serving as quieter interludes between the album's biggest musical moments.  My personal favorite out of these is the all-instrumental "After The Ordeal," a quasi-epilogue to "The Battle Of Epping Forest" that acts as a segway between that and "Cinema Show."  Funnily enough, this track was not very well-loved by the band members themselves, and there was a bit of an argument over whether or not to cut it from the album entirely.  I shall always be grateful they didn't, because the album wouldn't quite be the same without it.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)

Underrated Track: The Chamber of 32 Doors

This concept album is one of the most unique parts of the band's discography, a strange and wandering journey that, for reasons known only to Peter Gabriel, center around a Puerto Rican immigrant in New York. The opening track, "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway," is an instant classic, and later songs like "Carpet Crawlers" and "Into The Cage" have had excellent shelf lives on the live tours over the years.

My favorite song on the album, though, is this short work in the middle, where the main character sings of his indecision and struggles with choosing from the paths and choices laid before him. A song about the ever-uncertain nature of the future, it manages to pack a lot into a short amount of time. It's also unusual for having a very pronounced (and very catchy) bass line, which is not something Genesis was usually known for.

A Trick of the Tail (1976)

Underrated Track: Entangled

Phil Collin's debut as the lead singer following Gabriel's departure, given it's very trial-by-fire-nature, fittingly begins with the explosion of sound that is "Dance On A Volcano," which, alongside "Squonk," "Ripples," and "Los Endos," all help making this one of the strongest albums in the band's discography.

When I first listened to the whole thing, though, I found myself especially drawn to the second track, "Entangled." Beginning with the soft, dueling guitars of Hackett and Rutherford and ending with Tony Banks' haunting epilogue on the Mellotron, this song about a man being treated (or, possibly, trapped) in a mental health hospital offers up some really rich imagery to contemplate while listening to the song. Plus, the lyrics end with one of the funniest punchlines Genesis ever put into a song. They were no comedians, but when Genesis went for humor, they did not hold back.

Wind & Wuthering (1976)

Underrated Track: All In A Mouse's Night

Even if it is not as well-remembered and its predecessor, the final studio album to feature Steve Hackett has some of the most unique creations in the bands' history, with a much bigger emphasis on instrumental pieces than in most of their other albums. The concluding track, "Afterglow," was the one that endured the longest as a standard in the various "old school" medleys the band would do live in the 80's and 90's, and is that rare song that works even better live than it does in a studio.

For me, though, the definitive work of the album is the insanely-epic "All In A Mouse's Night." This, for me, is quintessential Genesis; taking something as small and, quite frankly, as silly as a mouse just looking for some food and weaving an Iliad-esque saga of danger and daring out of it, replate with insane Tony Banks power chords and thundering Phil Collins drumming. It also has that classic Genesis dialogue, where perspective and tone shift between characters- in this case, the mouse, the human couple, and their cat- with each new verse, with the final one featuring the cat's pathetic attempt to massage its own ego at being bested by a mouse. Plus, the lyrics include the single greatest metaphor for eating someone I have ever heard or read.

...And Then There Were Three... (1978)

Underrated track: The Ballad of Big

Genesis had been knocking on mainstream's door for awhile now- "I Know What I Like" and "Your Own Special Way" had come close to breaking through popular consciousness- but it wasn't until after Steve Hackett left and the remaining trio began to produce a far more focused sound than before that the band finally hit the charts with "Follow You, Follow Me," the concluding track to the very aptly-named album that announced definitely that the band would remain a trio.

As great and sweet as that song is, though, I tend to prefer the more bombastic-sounding songs on the album, my personal favorite being "Ballad of Big," a subtle dig at both the cowboy fantasies we've wrapped the history of "The West" in and at arrogant, pride-driven masculinity in general. The refrain is a real head-bopper, bouncing in on these jubilant chords even as the lyrics paint a picture of a man who's ego and rashness ultimately result in his own, gruesome end.

Duke (1980)

Underrated Track: Cul-De-Sac

After a brief hiatus, during which all three band members began to branch out into solo projects and Phil Collins in particular struggled with a messy divorce, the band returned with a definitive statement that Genesis was on the charts to stay. The heavies from this album- "Behind The Lines," "Duchess," "Turn It On Again," and "Duke's Travels/End" are some of the defining tracks of 80's Genesis and remained a huge part of their live repertoire right up until the end.

Between these classics, though, the album is suffused with hidden gems from start to finish, many of which continue Genesis' grand tradition of perfecting the power chord. Revisiting the album recently, I found myself most surprised by "Cul-De-Sac," one of the later songs on the album I had never really given much thought to before. So much of the album revolves around things like love, fame, and power being transient things that can disappear in an instant, leaving you empty and embittered in its wake. "Cul-De-Sac" fits perfectly into this miluie, with a grand, resounding reframe and crashing symbols accompanying Collins' desperate-sounding vocals.

Abacab (1981)

Underrated Track: Me & Sarah Jane

This is an especially frontloaded album, where the first half is one excellent track after another, while the second album drops off in its intensity by the end. As much love as "Abacab," "Keep It Dark," and "Dodo/Lurker" (rightfully) get, I wish more people appreciated the masterful subtleties Tony Banks builds into the album's third track, "Me & Sarah Jane." This song builds from a quiet, very underplayed beginning into a soaring ending, going on an incredibly structured musical journey along the way. Is this about a breakup? Lovers who go against the grain of society and are shunned as a result? Something else entirely? I have heard this song more times than I could possible count, and I still feel like I've only scratched the surface of its mysteries.

Genesis (1983)

Underrated Track: Silver Rainbow

Sadly, this is one of the band's weakest albums. The two main tracks, "Mama" and the two-part "Home By The Sea," are phenomenal mood pieces that stand as two of the best Genesis songs of all time, but nothing else on the album is able to measure up to their standard. The sense of drop-off is not helped by the fact that the Sea tracks are followed by "Illegal Alien," which I can, without reservation, officially title The Worst Genesis Song Ever.

It's not all bad, though. Though no masterpiece, "Silver Rainbow" provides a fun, up-beat tune to liven up the album's second half. It won't find its way onto any "Best of" compilations, but it's worth a listen.

Invisible Touch (1986)

Underrated Track: The Brazilian

By far the most commercially-successful album the band ever produced, this represented the absolute height of 80's era Genesis, led, of course, by its immortal title track. And it is a packed album, a joy to listen to from start to finish, even if it doesn't make my personal Top Five list.

And yet, there still aren't too many people who remember the all-instrumental final track, a funky mish-mash of keyboard and synth noises tossed together by Tony Banks that sets a new standard for quirkiness in a discography defined by being as damned quirky as possible. Not that it's all Banks though; Mike Rutherford comes crashing in at the end at what is easily one of his all-time best guitar licks.

We Can't Dance (1991)

Underrated Track: Driving the Last Spike

The final Phil Collins album (and the penultimate of Genesis as a band, though no one knew it at the time) doesn't hit quite the same heights that its predecessor did, but it's still frontloaded with several of the band's most well-known hits, most notably "No Son Of Mine," "I Can't Dance," and "Jesus He Knows Me."

And yet, even though it featured prominently in their subsequent tour, I get the sense that "Driving The Last Spike," the bands long-form and incredibly moving tribute to the workers whose lives and safety were sacrificed to build the West's mighty railroads, has faded from people's consciousness. Which is a shame, because my God, is this song good. It combines the best of old and new Genesis in taking us on a journey both lyrically and musically, while still having the relative tightness of the band's later work.

Calling All Stations (1997)

Underrated Track: The Dividing Line

This final effort by Rutherford and Banks to keep the lights on ultimately landed with a dud, effectively ending Genesis for good. And I won't be so bold as to claim that the critics missed something; this is not a strong album by any measure. It hits a decent stride around the middle, but the disjointed beginning and downplayed end don't make for very satisfying listening. Nonetheless, there are a few tracks that shake out fine. "The Dividing Line" stands out in particular for me, largely because it's the track that feel most like an old-school Genesis tune, thanks to an extended and engaging instrumental section and its big power chords. If the rest of the album had matched it, I think it would be remembered far more favorably than it is.

Well, there you have it. The results of my massive revisitation of the entire Genesis discography. There is something immensely rewarding in returning to great works of art, time and time again. I think I'll do this again at some point. Maybe for Billy Joel.

-Noah Franc

Star Wars, Duel of the Fates: Chapter Three- The Training

**for previous chapters, please refer to the Table of Contents**

               It had been a week since the raid on Kuat. Rey sat, cross-legged, immersed in the Force. The air around her was filled with an endless variety of sounds, the chirps and squawks and cracks of the jungle. This particular planet in the Talrezan system featured a number of rocky plateaus that each played host to a thick jungle, growing over and around the odd and twisting stone formations of the planet's surface. As strange a sight as these half rock, half plant landscapes were, they provided ample nooks and crannies to hide a considerable number of starships from both physical view and from a great many types of sensory equipment.

               Because of this, Talrezan Four had served effectively as a primary base for the Rebellion in the months since the disaster at Crait. None other than the legendary general Lando Calrissian himself had led them there. Encountering them mid-flight from Crait's airspace, he'd later explained that he'd heard the initial sending of their message and had been in a nearby system, but that it was soon cut off by some strange new jamming technique. He figured that most of those who had heard the start of the message were simply too afraid, at that point, to risk flying into what may have been a trap. When he himself flew in, he soon realized that he stood alone against an entire fleet, and had flown under the radar to the other side of the planet when he and the Millenium Falcon were able to establish contact.

               It had been slow going ever since. Ship by ship, recruit by recruit, the Rebellion had been able to piece back together something resembling a fighting force, but it was still not nearly enough to seriously challenge the First Order. With the new jamming system apparently being used across the entire galaxy, they could not coordinate with any other sympathetic systems, and had to rely on the very occasional rogue transmission or direct personal rendezous to carry out even the smallest of missions, from supply-gathering, to recoinnasance, to attempted sabatoge like at Kuat. But it wasn't enough. It all wasn't nearly enough.

               All this weighed on Rey as she sat on a small, exposed rock surface out in the jungle, meditating. It weighed on her every minute of every day, but it was especially pressing now, with her body sweaty and sore from another morning of training. The dense, humid heat of the place didn't help things either.

               Her "training grounds," such as they were, were set off a ways from the main camp, set up on a prominent rise overlooking a valley clear enough of vegetation to allow most of their main ships, the Falcon included, to settle there. Using bits of the Jedi texts as guides, she'd soon established a regular series of both physical exercises and Force meditations to help her continue to hone her abilities as best she should. As frustrated as she was with the state of things, she had to continue on, somehow. She was the last of the Jedi, and it was on her to forge a new way forward, alone.

               Well, not entirely alone.

               I see you're still dwelling on Kuat.

               At the sound of the voice, Rey turned her head. Luke Skywalker, her late master, now a blue-tinged, translucent figure one with the Force, stood on the other end of the clearning, observing her.

               "Master Skywalker," she responded. "....yes. I can't help it. I can't help but feel that I failed. I sensed the danger far too late, and we couldn't carry out our plan as a result. If I can't even get a simple sabotage mission right, how am I to take on the First Order? How am I to stop Ben?"

               Luke opened his mouth to respond, but Rey cut him off by continuing, "And yes, I know, it is not proper of a Jedi to regret, or dwell on the past, or whatever, but..." she cut off, unsure of how to continue. Luke stood silently, waiting.

               Finally, she stood so as to keep her thoughts flowing; her body needed to move, and she began pacing around the clearing.

               "There's just so much darkness. All around me. I think of all the horrors that have happened...all the loss....how many people are willing to accept something like the First Order....and I wonder what I can possibly do to push back against...against all this...evil. It's....it's all so much."

               Luke began to walk across the clearing towards her;

               The path of the Jedi is never an easy one, Rey. Especially in your case. You carry the legacy of the Jedi in your person now. I had my chance to rebuild the Order and failed. So believe me, I know what regret is.

               "And what even is that legacy, then?" Rey snapped back at Luke, "You keep saying things like that, but I can't even begin to imagine what it means. If you failed- if Luke Skywalker failed- what hope do I have? This endless cycle of Sith, Jedi, Sith, Jedi, on and on again. If all light casts a shadow, then how can balance ever truly happen?"

               Luke was silent for a moment before responding.

               I understand your anger. If I knew all the answers, I would still be alive. My new Jedi order would have succeeded. So I can't tell you what, exactly, you can or should do, Rey. All I can do is teach you what I know. And remind you to open yourself to the Force. I believe that, soon, when you least expect it, a door will open for you.

               Rey opened her mouth to respond, to ask what in the hell sort of door she could hope for, but the figure was already fading. She could practically taste her annoyance in her mouth.

               Kriffing Force ghosts, she thought. Never come when you really want them there, and leave when you still have questions. Glancing up at the sun to note the advancing hour, she turned, grabbed her lightsaber and satchel, and turned back towards the main camp.

               Rose and Finn sat under one of the small overcrops of rock on the edge of the landing plateau, drinking caf and watching the tech crews on shift go about their work. Since Kuat, Finn had been in another one of his more somber, withdrawn moods. When he went very still, and very quiet, not saying much of anything, you knew something was really eating at him.

               This, at least, Rose had learned over the past few months. Finn had clearly matured from the flight-happy, go-it-aloner she'd encountered in the pod bay of the Raddus; it had meant worlds to her to see him so proudly call himself rebel scum while staring down Phasma. That was the moment her heart had opened itself in a way she never expected, and she found herself falling in love with Finn.

               And yet, he could still be so reserved, so unwilling, or reluctant, or unable, to share much of himself. She could feel, deep down, that he loved her too, even though he hadn't said it yet. As frustrating as this had been for her, she knew that she had to be patient; after all, he'd been kidnapped and brainwashed for nearly his whole life by the First Order. She understood all too well that that sort of trauma would need time- lots and lots of time- to heal; her dreams were still, so often, filled with the memories of her dear sister. So for now, she was willing to wait, and to just be what he needed her to be right now. What else is love for?

               Not that she wasn't willing to prod him every so often- this, too, he needed, as much as he needed patience.

               "Alright, what's up?"

               "Hm?" he almost shook his head a bit, coming out of his reverie. "What? What's supposed to be up?"

               She rolled her eyes while laughing at the same time. She seemed to be doing that a lot, lately.

               "You, dummy. I can tell when something's bothering you. C'mon, what is it?"

               "Mm....." Finn stared off across the landing zone for a bit before, "It's....kinda hard to explain. Like....after Cait, I felt, well, more confident that I think I've ever been. Like I'd figured it out. I'm part of the Rebellion, I'll help put things in the galaxy right again. That's what I can do, and I'll do it. You know?"

               Rose nodded, sipping at her caf. Finn continued.

               "Before that, I'd had so much fear, so much...uncertainty, just eating away at me. That's one of the reasons I tried to, um," here he cast his eyes to the ground briefly, "to run away, back then. But suddenly that was gone, and it was like I could see a way for my life."

               "But, since Kuat, that weird feeling is back. I don't know how to describe it, it's like some strange itch that I can't get at. I don't know if it's good, or bad, or...I just don't know."

               He fell silent. Rose pondered this for a bit.

               "I think I get it," she finally said. "In the middle of a war it's pretty easy to just focus on the next job. But what if we win? What happens next? What do I do with my life after that? That's what I've been starting to think about, in those times when I let myself believe that we will, somehow, pull this off. About how to live afterwards. The people I want in my life afterwards."

               Finn finally met her eyes then, and for a moment, they just looked at each other, contemplating the same thought. Finn seemed to want to open his mouth when a call came out from his sergeant across the way;

               "FINN! Get your butt over here man, drill time!"

               Finn glanced back at Rose, and smiled in a rather sheepish way, "Thanks, Rose. See ya later."

               "Later," She could only shake her head as she watched him jog over to the drill grounds on the other side of the base. How in the galaxy was she going to reach that boy?

               Rose then heard the sound of movement behind her and turned around to see Rey emerging from the pathway back to base from her own training spot, deeply breathing and covered in sweat. Rose hopped of the ledge she'd been sitting on and trotted over.

               "Hey," she said, catching up with Rey, "How'd it go today?"

               Rey stopped, and was silent for a minute before starting to walk again, responding, "Frustrating. I spoke with Luke again."

               Rose was still not wholly able to wrap her mind around some of the stranger things that the Force seemed to cause, like dead-and-gone legends appearing like ghosts out of thin air, but she'd spoken with Rey about this before, so she didn't feel the same level of awe she'd felt the first time she'd heard of this.

               "And? Any more guidance from the Jedi master?"

               "Nothing he hasn't said before. Be open to the Force, trust in yourself, the legacy of a thousand generations, blah blah blah. I've been opening myself to the Force. I've been going through the texts, over and over and over again. I train every day. And...nothing. No idea how we can around this blasted jamming system, much less rebuild the Rebellion afterwards. And even after all that, how do I build a whole new Jedi order?"

               She stopped walking suddenly. Rose waited.

               "Even after all that's happened, I still feel like just a simple scavenger girl. Like this is all just too big for me."

               Rose thought about this a moment. "Have you tried talking to Leia about this?"

               Rey shook her head, "Not yet. She has way more important things to worry about than me."

               "That's not true Rey, and you know it. Leia knows that you need succeed every bit as much as the rest of us do. And she might be the one person left in the entire galaxy who really understands what you're struggling with."

               Rose moved in and placed a comforting hand on Rey's shoulder. "Talk to her. Today. If anyone can help you out, she can."

               She stepped back to go, draining the last of her drink, "I gotta run now. Poe wants help on a specs test he think might help us break the jamming. Need to make sure he doesn't blow himself up."

               Rey had to laugh in spite of herself. A bit- just a bit- of the worries surrounding her heart began to lighten up. "Alright. Thanks Rose."

               Rose grinned one last time, then turned and jogged around the corner. Rey didn't know how long she stood their, her grin slowly, fading, lost in her thoughts. Then she too a deep breath, stretched her shoulders back to loosen up her sore muscles, and decided to take Rose's advice. But first, she desperately needed a shower, and a change of clothes.

               Rey found Leia later that afternoon at her personal work desk near the command consols. Approaching the general from the side, Rey was struck by the lines of worry and care in her face that only seem to have deepened in the past months. If she'd been fully honest to Rose earlier, she would have admitted that another reason she felt too nervous to talk to Leia until now was her awareness of the intensely personal nature of Leia's burden. Rey was looking at someone who had just lost her brother, whose own son had killed both her husband and the Republic she'd literally spent her entire life trying to create and defend. The loss of family and friends she had felt over the years had to be an immensely painful burden, and the few times she dared think on it, Rey felt that she couldn't justify adding to this burden by so directly asking Leia for what, in effect, was help in defeating her son and only remaining family member, Supreme Leader or no.

               But Rose really was right about this, and Rey knew it. They'd all chosen to be here. Leia could have given up or turned away or even embraced the Dark Side any number of times throughout her life. But she hadn't. She was still here, head bent over the papers on her desk, deep in thought over her next move. If Leia Organa Solo could summon that sort of strength, Rey knew she had no excuse.

               Once Rey had moved to about 2 meters shy of the desk, Leia slowly raised her head to look at her. Suddenly, the cares that seemed like deep gouges in stone in her face seemed to drop away, her smile radiating warmth.

               "Rey. How you doing, kiddo?"

               Rey had to smile herself, "Mixed, I guess. Do....you have time to talk?"

               "For you? Of course. Take a seat." she gestured to one of the simple chairs scattered at other work stations around hers. Rey selected one that looked at least marginally comfortable and sat down.

               "So. What's on your mind?"

               Rey took a deep breath before responding, "A lot. I spoke with Master Luke again, while I was training earlier."

               She thought she saw a flicker of emotion and loss in Leia's eyes, but her voice held steady. "And?"

               "And....I finally asked the question thats really been eating at me this whole time. We're here to stop the First Order. To make a new Republic. And I'm the last Jedi, so it's on me to somehow recreate the Jedi order. And I've been wracking my brains over it. Training. Speaking with Luke. Meditating. Reading the Jedi texts. And I can't think of anything. I don't know what the right way forward is for me, or for the Jedi. Even if we beat the First Order, what do I do after that? If even Luke Skywalker..."

               She hesitated before saying this next part, unsure if it would hurt or offend Leia, but if she'd already said this much she might as well finish it.

               "...if he....failed, how can I hope to succeed?"

               She felt a rush of gratitude when Leia smiled and seemed to really think over it; she took it as a sign that Leia hadn't taken that last part about her brother the wrong way.

               "You know, Rey, I was effectively born into this life. My father was a Senator involved in the Rebellion who personally knew many of the old Jedi, like Obi-Wan and Yoda, even my real father, Anakin. Politics, diplomacy, military strategy. The fight between the Sith and the Jedi. The roles that my husband, my brother, by son have all played. We were all pulled right into old structures and conflicts we had no part in starting, without ever having much of a choice. It's been my whole life. And," here she leaned towards Rey, "that's fine by me; I wouldn't choose another life for all the galaxy."

               "But you're different. You have no history, no connection with any of this. You're not from some noble family on Coruscant or one of the Core Systems. You're not like my father, or my brother, or even my son. You're something new. And therefore, you have a freedom to think of something genuinely new for the galaxy that the rest of us aren't able to see. Luke knows that too, which is why he's insisting on sticking around to help you out."

               "But that's just it," Rey responded, "if a whole universe is open to me, how do I pick a way? I feel so afraid when I think about making the wrong choice. But then Luke or the texts say that that isn't the Jedi way, or that it leads to the dark side, and then I start doubting myself all over again..."

               Leia pondered this for a moment, "Well, remember: the old Jedi are gone. Luke is too. You define the Jedi order now, not a thousand generations of dead warriors. Maybe you pick a path that the old Jedi would never have taken, but that doesn't make it wrong. And if one path doesn't work out, you try another. A lack of flexibility was a big reason the old order could be fooled and manipulated by Emperor Palpatine. Maybe a fresher, more pliable philosophy, open to interpration and error and redemption, is exactly what the new order needs."

               As Leia spoke, Rey began to feel even more of the cares that been draining her emotional stamina loosen and retreat from the grips they'd had in her head. A warmth, a deep appreciation for her and for the other people that the Force had brought into her life, began to fill her. For the first time before Kuat, she felt somewhat at peace again.

Blinking back tears that suddenly threatened to squeeze out of her eyes, Rey looked back up at the general, "Thank you Leia. I think...I really needed to hear that."

               "Anytime, kiddo. And one more thing you should never forget; it's ok to feel fear, or to worry about doing the right thing. That isn't dark side or light side, that's just being alive. As long as you don't let it overwhelm you; dwelling in fear, now that's a surefire way to lose everything important to you."