The Call to the Light
Chapter 10 complete
Five minutes ago:
The moment Rey senses Ben is gone, the smell of engine grease and something musky, like nervous sweat, becomes impossible to ignore.
She's just about to turn the conversation with the boy to the First Order. It's a pretty good set-up, and even though she's trying to get information from him, it feels nice just to talk to someone new for a change.
"Some of those men scare me," the humanoid, Terric, is surprisingly forward with the conversation. "I mean, those Ren knight fellas – I heard that they're tortured to within an inch of their lives, and then train when they're bleeding to remind themselves of what pain feels like. It's fucked up, isn't it? Sorry, I'm probably depressing you, but seriously – "
"No. No, it's all right, I mean – " Rey stumbles, too easily imagining Ben's seeping self-injuries under her hands. "It's just…I've seen footage of…some of them. But there's one. He was wearing a mask – "
"Well, they all wear masks," he tells her with a patronizing chuckle as their drinks arrived.
"Right. Well, I mean – " she takes a deep breath. Hurry up. "I mean, I saw one. I was on Takodana. I don't even know how I was conscious, but I saw this red – he had this - his lightsaber," she imitates holding one in her fists.
"Yeah, with the messed-up points on the ends. There's footage of him."
Rey grimaces. "Kriff. I forgot. He's scary as Vader, isn't he."
"Not really. I think he's trying too hard."
Yikes; Ben would kill this guy if he heard that. Time to start on that drink, now. "Really," she says in forced interest.
"Yeah. Nothing original about him. Although, it looks like even he got bored of his own game. I can't wait to see his face when he's delivered to his mother."
The drink halts on Rey's lips. She froze. "What?"
"Yeah! Some story was leaked on how the top leaders in the Resistance believe he's one of the 'good guys'." He says with exaggerated sarcasm. "Leia Organa had disappeared for about a week and suddenly she returns with this batshit story about how that freak Kylo Ren saved her life. Then she says it's her son, the one that fucking died in the Second Purge. Seriously some fucked-up shit right there," Terric concludes with a long pull of his drink.
Rey swallows her shock and gains composure. "That sounds absolutely bogus."
"Well, either way, the First Order seems to be treating it as legit," Terric quips. "Not that it matters, because in any case that monster is on the run. He hasn't been seen in his little campaign footages, and neither is that Jedi the Resistance keeps talking about."
Oh, right. Not that she's ever had to be part of the Resistance's meager campaign spots (compared to the Order's), but her existence has been widely communicated throughout the galaxy. Luckily the Resistance has kept her appearance a secret. At first, they didn't even know she was a woman.
"Maybe that Jedi's got his hands on him," she jokes after a beat of silence.
The way Terric's eyes linger on her as he lifts his drink make her go cold. "If that's the case, that Jedi's doing a horrible job of keeping an eye on him."
Anyways, that's how she ends up rushing outside, desperate to follow Ben's strained presence with the other bounty hunter.
Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Now, bleeding and fighting off nausea and a migraine, she stares at the masked bounty hunter with the muffled voice.
Everything out in the alleyway is cast in indigo and moonlight that she can't see the remains of the other man's face. Ben's molten temper makes Rey lose focus even more. But the smell…the heat from scalding sand, and something else. Musky.
It is a Coruscanti accent. She's heard a few more of those, similar to her own, since joining the Resistance.
She doesn't know this man. And he's weakened Ben. He could have hurt or killed him out in this alleyway, and Rey wouldn't have known it.
She doesn't want to trust him, or Terric behind her (if that is his real name). But the Force, ever providing and confusing at the same time, is telling her she has to.
She blinks sluggishly at Ben, who's pinned the smaller man. His eyes are wild and dangerous, and she feels something uncurl in her because of it.
He offers only a small nod, having considered her thoughts.
She glares at the blond. "Where's your ship?"
He looks to the masked man for guidance.
"Tell us!" Rey spits out urgently.
He glowers in defeat. "Hanger bay five, in a docking station called the Sunset Garage."
"We'll split up. Bria – take him to our ship," Ben tells Rey. He comes over and removes her scarf, wrapping it around her shoulder and securing it in tight movements. "We'll meet you there."
Rey hesitates. Normally she'd find a reason to protest, sensing he wanted her out of trouble. But there's a hole in her and it's on fire.
"All right."
The bounty hunter shakes his head. "We'll need cover from you guys. Any chance you can bring the ship over to us for a quick escape?"
"Fine," Rey bites out.
Behind her, "Terric" is hauling something from behind a few garbage bins. It looks like a really thin and compact hoverbike. "What about you two?" he asks Ben.
"I can hold my own," he snaps his assurance.
"Ben, wait – " Rey pulls him back. "Lightsabers might not be a good idea."
Impatient, Ben glares at her. His last gesture before he parts from her is a hand placed on her hip, on the scarf her own lightsaber hides under.
Then he's off with the masked bounty hunter, the one who is unexplainably familiar.
"You coming or what?" The blonde is already on the bike.
With a huff, Rey straddles behind him and holds on with her good arm. "Head for the condemned buildings by the mining hills."
sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Ben and the bounty hunter keep a quick pace as the two flee through narrow side streets and markets. There is a blaster inside Ben's jacket, though he can't remember the last time he used one.
When they reach the cheap hanger bay, Ben memorizes each facet of the building. The place is packed with disorganized and dirty ships.
"Back here," the bounty hunter mutters.
Instead, Ben shakes the hair out of his face and strides to the entrance. A pig-faced alien saunters over in attendance.
"Need to see your pass – "
" – You're letting us through and you will forget ever seeing us," he says cooly. He doesn't wait for the monotone reply.
The bounty hunter follows with an unimpressed shrug. He takes out his blaster, prompting Ben to do the same.
There are sounds of security guards lazily walking down the walkways, and a few shouts between patrons and fueling personnel. Wordlessly, Ben extends his ability to conceal himself amid the shadows and large ships.
"Anything I should know about your former comrades?" he asks the bounty hunter.
"Just that they're a bunch of arseholes. A Cerean, a Barabel, two Bothans and a couple Dugs that are fast as hell." A clicking sound alerts Ben that he's finally taken his visor off. "There," he says, his voice now clear. "The blue striped beauty on your right."
It really is a beauty. The ramp is closed, and there's a Barabel stationed at the front, casually smoking with a rifle held across his chest.
"Where is the woman?"
"Korla. She's a Tholothian," he hinted. "The package is a Bothan named Rumley. He's the younger brother of a high-ranking something-or-other. The rest can be torched, I don't care."
Ben scoffs. 'No lightsaber' be damned. He turns back to the bounty hunter.
He's all human, from his sky blue eyes to his broken nose. His looks are so lightheartedly smug that he reminds Ben so much of Han Solo.
"Distract the Barabel. I'll enter through the front."
"The front?" the bounty hunter repeats, but Ben's already slinked away into the shadows. As the Jedi circles the starship towards the cockpit, the bounty hunter emerges from the cover of the other ships and shouts, "Hey, Vorlo! What happened, everyone out for drinks or something?"
Blaster fire emerges. Ben concentrates on the Force and makes a giant leap, landing on the nose of the ship. He takes out his lightsaber and cuts through the window, stepping through.
There's a Dug waiting for him, cursing and climbing up from the controls to Ben's legs. No longer under anyone's supervision, Ben rounds his saber to cut at any limb hoping to knock him off his feet.
One down.
He steps in and observes the controls for the ramp release. When the metal creaks in protest, he strides out.
A few life-forms are onboard. Swiftly Ben turns through to the main cabin, not even blinking or turning off his saber when the next foe, a Cerean with a vibro-blade, turns to face him.
He briefly registers a gold-skinned woman gasping in terror, and a brown-furred, rodent-faced alien cowering nearby. The Cerean is harder to subdue, but Ben's practiced in deflecting with his saber. He finishes the fight with the Cerean's tall skull lopped off his head.
"Holy shit!" the woman screams.
Ben turns around, wiping blood off the front of his jacket.
He looks between her and the short Bothan, promptly ignoring their unabashed looks of terror. Outside, the bounty hunter must still be dealing with the Barabel and the other Dug.
Instantly he senses their nervousness and suspicion. Force manipulation is a necessity for them at this point. "I am taking you to safety. You will follow me and stay out of harm's way."
Their faces complacent, he leads them to the ramp. The bounty hunter is in the middle of an unmatched knife-fight with the Barabel, and the Dug. Well, nearly unmatched. In each arm is a blade similar to the vibro-blades, and he moves with efficient, quick skill.
We're here.
Ben perks his head up on instinct. It's Rey, though she sounds faint. Soon enough, he hears the roar of the Falcon.
Time's up. He zeroes back on the brawlers, freezing the two aliens' movements.
The bounty hunter's eyes blaze in surprise.
"Leave them! Our ride's here," Ben explains.
Expertly, the Falcon swerves over and neatly hovers above them. Rey holds herself against the frame and holds out her arm.
"Get on the ship!" he yells over the engine to the two strangers.
His hold over their minds has broken from distraction. The woman screams her protest, finding herself outside. "No way! What the hell's going on!"
"Korla, for cunt's sake, do what he says!" the bounty hunter shouts.
The woman, Korla, looks at the bounty hunter with pleading eyes.
"I'll be right behind you, sweetheart. You too, scruffy," he says to the Bothan.
The two turn to the Falcon, and Ben sends them up in a graceless leap up. Rey pulls them in, though he senses her lapse in strength and wants to get to her, fast.
He looks back at the bounty hunter and his still-frozen opponents. He can smell their distress and primal flight instincts.
He's already killed twice, just after Rey had urged him not to. He lingers on the heinous creatures, hesitating.
"Cut them both up," the bounty hunter tells him. "Trust me. They don't deserve to live."
It is a small relief to hear that. Still, he braces himself against Rey's oncoming reaction. As a trade-off he does so cleanly, quickly; snapping their necks.
With that, he pulls on the other man's jacket and lifts them both into the Falcon.