Everything throbbed when he came to, the pain that plagued his body was unbearable. He shoved it down using a Jedi technique Luke had taught him once upon a time. He scrambled to his feet in the wake of forcing down his pain, wincing as he tried and failed to keep it down.
Something was broken, he knew, probably several things after a fall from that height. But he had no time to catalogue his injuries. The loud explosions emanating from the battlefield that had formed around him spurred him to action. Rest was not a luxury he could afford at present.
His legs were shaky and uncertain as he wandered back towards where he believed the Millennium Falcon to be. He was disoriented, delirious, and consumed by pain. A pain he could barely escape even using Luke's technique to force it down and away from his body and mind. Now pain relief meditation was just another useless Jedi trick he vaguely remembered how to perform.
He needed to find his father and Chewbacca. He couldn't wander around the battlefield forever. He was an easy target with little armor, no weapon, and the heavy injuries he had sustained. His only saving grace at this moment was that the ground troopers had their hands full with the resistance airstrike, but it wouldn't keep them occupied forever. Not to mention he needed to warn his father and uncle of B—Karyan's involvement it what was happening here. Of what she had done to him and what she had done with Rey.
The ground shook beneath him, explosions that rattled him down to his bones. The air strikes continued, but now the resistance was on the ground as well. He saw storm troopers battling against the resistance troops and what was left of the people from Maz's castle. He struggled along between them, unarmed and desperately trying to get away from where he could be injured further. If the resistance was here then he could get help, if only he could make it to one of their shuttles before they make their escape from Takodana.
The chaos around him didn't do much to prevent him from feeling his pain. If anything it made him feel it deeper and more profound than he would have if he could concentrate on something other than his fear. He felt so out of place, naked without his saber, and without his backup blaster. He was in no condition for hand to hand combat, he knew. If he could just find his father, this whole situation could be remedied.
Bolts from blasters whizzed past him as he tried to move at a quick pace and stay out of the way of any ongoing battles. Nothing had hit him yet and he thanked his lucky stars for that. He had usually been lucky, especially when it came to escaping with his life.
"Traitor!" He heard someone yell from a few feet away, and he turned his head to see the non-resistance companion of Rey falter in step. The other man, Finn, whirled around to the stormtrooper who had addressed him, and Ben watched as he lifted his grand father's lightsaber and ignited the blade.
He almost cried out upon seeing Finn. He would have to teach him proper lightsaber techniques later, he noted, as he took in the way he struggled against the storm trooper's riot baton. He let his gaze wander for a moment, searching for his father and Chewbacca, as they would hopefully be near Finn.
He spotted them several feet away in cover and sighed in relief. The two of them stood back-to-back, firing at storm troopers. And despite Finn's lack of proper training with a saber, the three of them seemed to be holding their ground without much struggle.
He moved faster, if it were possible in his state, towards his father and his uncle. The two of them were watching Finn battle against the trooper, both of them firing wildly to drive the other storm troopers back and away from their corner of the battlefield. His father still had the bowcaster, he realized, leaving Chewbacca with his backup weapon, though the Wookie didn't seem to mind. The two of them worked in harmony as they always had.
The closer he got, the more Finn seemed to struggle in his fight. Under normal circumstances he may have wondered what had transpired between Finn and the stormtrooper he was fighting, but currently the only thing he could think about was getting to his father. He didn't want to be left in the open any longer, an easy target for these ruthless First Order operatives to slaughter.
Finn was on the ground, beneath the other storm trooper who swung its weapon around like a person deranged. His father was out of cover in an instant, rushing to Finn's rescue and firing the bowcaster directly at the troopers center of gravity. Ben was lost in his own pain again as he watched, a blaster bolt grazing his arm as he whirled around, a roar escaping his throat as he fell.
It was fun while it had lasted, he supposed. It was only a matter of time before he would have been hit anyways. In all actuality, he'd lasted longer than he thought he would.
He heard the panicked roar of Chewbacca in his ears as the Wookie finally spotted him. He could hear his father and Finn's voices laced with concern as they all drew closer. He struggled to keep himself conscious, reaching for his father desperately as he heard a ship land nearby.
The ground shook beneath him again, as the ship made contact to land. It would seem much of the battle was already over, there were still explosions, but they were far off now. He trembled on the ground, the pain in his body subsiding and fading into shock. He didn't have a lot of time left.
He heard the hiss of the nearby ship's doors opening and the footfalls of troops heading into the fray. His father looked up and away from him, his breath caught in his chest as he stared at something not-so-far off. Ben struggled against the blackness that swam on the edges of his vision.
"Leia," his father said, almost breathless as Ben gripped at his hands. Leia. His mother? His mother was here? His head was spinning, pulse pounding in his ears. He wondered if he would die here, forcing his eyes to stay open as he watched his father's face contort in several different emotions. Then, he found himself staring into the eyes of General Leia Organa. Eyes that looked so much like his own.
"Mother," he croaked out, body still trembling wildly. She looked sad, almost pained to see him in such a state. She gripped one of his hands in hers as he struggled to speak to her. The pain was almost a distant memory now. He was suddenly cold, why was he so cold?
"Ben," his mother whispered, her fingers brushing lightly against his face. Her own face twisted from anguish to fear, she looked terrified for him and he felt bad for her. After all these years, he imagined this was not how she wanted to be reunited with her estranged son and husband. He felt even worse when he saw her pull her hand back slowly, and saw his blood staining her fingertips.
He watched her hand tremble slightly for a moment before she lowered it back to his chest, using both her hands to grip one of his own. His father held his other hand, the two of them exchanging sorrowful glances at the state of their son.
"I saw her," he said in a panicked whisper, he needed to say this, to warn them before the blackness overcame his vision and he passed out, "she was here." Leia looked confused for a moment before he continued, straining against the sudden weight in his chest, "Bea. My sister. She took Rey."
He realized that name would mean nothing to his mother right now, but the girl definitely meant something to him. She was strong in the force, untrained, but so much stronger than she knew. If The First Order got their claws into her, if Karyan swayed her to the darkness, she would be a force to be reckoned with.
"We have to save her," Ben and Finn pleaded at the same time. Leia looked at Han for guidance, and he searched her eyes for a moment before shrugging gently. Neither one of them understood the gravity of this situation, his father may have suspected that there was something within Rey, but he had never been one to understand The Force. His mother would understand.
"Please," Ben choked out. "She's strong in the force." His throat felt like it was being crushed, like the air was being forced out of his lungs. He could no longer keep his eyes open, the blackness overcoming his ability to see. His eyes stung with the effort of continuing to look at his mother's face, her expression dissolving into surprise before he can no longer look at her.
"Are you certain?" Leia asked, trying to confirm that this woman was indeed a force user.
"Yes," Ben said, his voice strained. Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult, his body was almost warm now. He could feel himself becoming more relaxed, letting himself fade away. He can no longer form coherent thoughts.
"She's in my head," he breathed, "and she's beautiful."
"Ben?" His mother tried, gripping his shoulder to pull him back to them, but all he can do his force a pained smile and allow himself to slip away into the darkness.
She had used a mind trick, she realized as she found herself freed from the restraints Karyan had left her in. It had taken her a few tries to get it right, but ultimately the stormtrooper bent to her will and she was freed from her restraints. Now she was free to escape, or at the very least explore the base she was being held prisoner at. The entire place was a maze, she didn't think she had ever been inside a building so large in her life. There was no way she would ever be able to find any sort of exit.
Every turn led to a number of hallways, all unfamiliar and seemingly endless. It was eerily quiet, with no one in sight. She hadn't run into anyone since she left the interrogation room, something about this felt wrong. She shook it off, but it still weighed heavily in the back of her mind.
She wondered what would happen if someone were to find her in one of these endless hallways. She decided that it wouldn't matter much if she had been discovered, force suggestion—a phrase she had never once uttered in her life, but somehow knew was the correct way to describe what she had done—seemed to come easily to her. Somehow she didn't find that fact very surprising. It was as if something or someone was guiding her, leading her through the force. It made her uneasy.
"You've escaped, I see," a cruel voice said from behind her, echoing through the dark corridor. She stopped suddenly, hair on the back of her neck standing up. The distortion from the mask Karyan wore had made her uneasy, but now without it, Rey thought she sounded even more terrifying. Before, she had been able to write Karyan off as a monster, but now she was so human.
Rey immediately tried to run, fear tugging at her, bringing out her base instincts to flee from her captor. But now there was no escape. Her body being held against her will and no matter how much she struggled the monster held her fast. She took in a startled, shaky breath, Karyan was strong.
"Tell me," Karyan began, circling around to the front of Rey, her maskless face coming into view. "how did a little scavenger like you become so strong in the force?" She was untrained, of course, but she was still strong. Rey didn't answer, pushing against the invisible restraints, trying desperately to break free.
"Oh, by all means scavenger, struggle," Karyan watched her, circling like a Ganjunko stalking it's prey. "You won't escape me, because no matter how strong you think you are, I'm stronger."
Rey screamed in frustration as she finally tore free from the force hold and whirled to face Karyan. Rey lunged forward at the other woman, using her momentary surprise as leverage to grab at Ben's saber that was still being held on the sash at her hip. Karyan's face showed fury and surprise before she schooled her features to stare at Rey almost coldly, trying her best to look impassive and apathetic at the scene unfolding before her.
"Careful scavenger," Karyan chastised, finally regaining her composure after several long moments of stunned silence. She sounded almost afraid as Rey eyed the saber in her hand, but her expression gave away nothing, her eyes cold and unfeeling. "Do you even know how to use one of those? Wouldn't want you to take your hand off, would we?"
Rey growled at her, feeling the saber staff in her hand. It was light and pleasant, almost as if it were singing against her skin. She didn't know how to exactly describe the feeling, but it was almost similar to how she felt on Takodana when she had touched Ben's Grandfather's saber, but still somehow entirely different.
She flicked the button on the side suddenly, watching in awe at the saber came to life in her hand. The blue and red blades cast an eerie glow over both her and Karyan. She smiled almost cruelly at the monster who stood across from her, her own saber still sheathed at her hip. Karyan was silent for a long moment, watching Rey in silence, sizing her up for the inevitable battle the two of them would have.
She let the silence draw out, the hum of Ben's lightsaber and their breathing the only sounds between them. Then she reached for her own blade, drawing it and igniting it with a woosh of energy. Rey could feel the air change around them, almost as if she could sense the destruction Karyan's gnarled blade had wrought. It was an uneasy feeling, but Rey tried to shake it off as best she could, eyes narrowing as Karyan fell into a fighting stance.
"Come on then," Karyan finally taunted, breaking the silence that stretched between them. She raised her blade above her head and twirled it with ease. "Fight me, if you're able."
Rey stared at her, raising Ben's double bladed saber between them. She had seen Ben fight with it and knew it was somewhat similar to how she used her staff in battle. Though now there was also the added benefit of losing a limb if she so much as touched the beams of plasma emanating from either end of the saber. She steeled herself against the fear that she would become dismembered and tried to prepare herself for this strange, but somehow inevitable battle.
"Fight me!" Karyan screamed, growing impatient with Rey's preparations. Rey tensed, almost jumping at the harsh sound of the other woman's voice. She watched in fear as Karyan raised her blade again and brought it down in an arc over her head, meaning to strike Rey's shoulder. Rey struggled to block her, Karyan's saber hitting against Ben's and dragging the blue blade down with it.
Rey let out a shout of surprise and frustration, feeling the way Karyan's blade almost stuck against Ben's, pulling it as if the two were glued together. She jumped back to free the saber staff from the red gnarled blade and twirled it between her and Karyan. The monster evaded her attack almost effortlessly, waiting a beat before she advanced on her further, twirling and swinging and stabbing. The gnarled red blade twisted and twirled between them, sparks and light filling the corridor. Rey was almost struck by how beautiful Karyan fought before she remembered the woman was trying her best to kill her.
"I'm not trying to kill you, Rey," Karyan admitted with a low hissing chuckle. "And I'm almost appalled you think this is me trying my best. If I didn't absolutely need you alive, I would show you what I can really do."
Rey looked shocked, struggling against Karyan's blade as the other woman pushed it against the blue blade of Ben's saber. She needed her alive? For what reason?
"Why do you need me alive?" she asked curiosity getting the better of her before she could bite her tongue. Karyan jumped back, advancing on her again from a different angle to throw Rey off. Karyan swung her saber between them, the red light almost hypnotizing. Rey blocked it with extreme effort, sending violet sparks flying between the two of them. She was trying desperately to keep Karyan back and out of her space.
"I can teach you the ways of the force," Karyan said, her saber colliding with Ben's, her unmasked face inches away from Rey's own. She sounded so sure of herself, eyes dancing with promise as she pushed against her, "I can teach you the ways of the dark side. All you have to do is say yes."
"Never!" Rey screamed, pushing hard against Karyan and forcing her back. The woman moved back slightly and laughed. In Rey's haste to force Karyan back she had foolishly left herself open for an attack. The monster before her twirled her saber down and around, hitting Rey in the hip with ease. She cried out in pain, attempting and failing to brandish Ben's saber against her assailant.
Karyan reached out then, gripping the hilt in Rey's hands and deactivating her brother's saber as Rey floundered. All it took was a touch of her fingertips against the activation switch. Rey continued to struggle, despite herself, but Karyan forced her down to her knees with a swift kick. Rey glared up at her, eyes filled with rage.
"Oh we'll see about that, little one."
Rey's gaze turned from one of rage and defiance to one filled with fear, as Karyan held her gnarled blade next to Rey's throat. The monster's lips curved slightly upwards at her victory, relishing in the way Rey feared her. Rey's heart pounded in her ears, nearly drowning out the buzz of the saber next to her skin. The heat from the blade was almost scorching as Karyan moved it as closely as she could to the exposed skin of her throat.
"We have plans for you yet." Karyan waved her hand, pushing for Rey to succumb to her suggestion once more. Rey was too tired, too filled with fear to listen to the presence trying to guide her. She felt the tug of sleep and the need to forget as she began to fade away as she had on Takodana.
"That's it, scavenger," Karyan insisted, "you will forget everything that happened here, and you will go back to sleep." Rey was lost again, the command weighing heavily on her psyche as she doubled over at her waist dropped the rest of the way to the metal floor.