Chapter Fourteen

"I come from a family of spies, you see." Jango leaned back in a chair. "My father captured Han Solo for the Hutts and General Leia for the Empire. My grandfather served as the basis for the clone army."

"A noble heritage," Hux said icily.

Jango smiled at him. "You pride yourself on your superior heritage, being the son of a cowardly commandant who fled when he should have fought."

Hux's eyes narrowed. "He saved the lives of many loyal Galactic servants. He helped establish a new life for them on a nearly desolate planet. So, pardon me if I don't think a family of turncoats quite matches my father."

"He never loved you, did he?" Jango blinked, barely concealing his relish. "My my, you have gone white with rage."

"It's called loyalty, you traitorous bastard," spat Hux.

"Now, that's uncouth. And here I thought I was the brutish one." Jango smiled again.

His boots were on the table. The table! Hux could hardly stand the sight.

"It's been a month. Is there a reason for your continued presence?" Or existence?

"The wishes of our Supreme Leader." Jango licked his lips. "Why are you here, General Hux?"

"The wishes of Supreme Leader Snoke," Hux parroted.

Jango's eyes glinted, and alarm exploded in Hux's stomach.

"Of course, ever repeating what you were taught. What a good little soldier," sang Jango.

Feigning control, Hux leaned closer. "Tell me, is that why you turned in your daughter – she wouldn't do what she was taught?"

Jango froze, hatred flashing through his face. He had no desire to hide his feelings.

"She was no longer mine. Someone corrupted her," he seethed.

"Besides you?" Hux smirked.

Jango leapt to his feet. "Our conversation is over."

Hux stared after him, feeling like a lost child. He felt mean, like the bullies who used to taunt him in the academy. He felt like his father, the father he'd defended, the father he could never please.

He also felt certain there was another reason to Jango's visit.

"One month," complained Finn. "One month and we've come up with nothing! What are we even doing here, anyways?"

"Developing a plan," sniped Ben.

"We've developed nothing," Zaira pointed out.

"Training, then."

"You and Rey and Finn, maybe," she tossed back. "But Poe and I?"

"And don't say the Codex brought us here; your interpretation did," Finn added.

"Stop sniveling because you're impatient, Finn." Maz strode in, and Rey with her. "And you, Zaira, shouldn't you know better than to rush?"

Zaira was hot and tired and pregnant. So, no, she didn't quite feel like she did know better, but she at least had enough wits about her not to say it.

They'd been journeying around Tatooine, visiting Luke's decrepit old moisture farm – which had been transformed into a holy temple – a cantina boasting that it'd been a popular stop of Han Solo – at which Ben had pretended not to cry – and a memorial to Jabba the Hutt – which Ben and Poe had promptly transformed into a memorial for Princess Leia's bravery using Rey's lightsaber. But they'd spent the most time hunting down Obi-Wan Kenobi's old dwelling with little luck.

"He's not telling us something," Zaira argued. "Why do we absolutely need to find Kenobi's old hiding place?"

"I feel like we should," said Rey softly.

"We're tourists," Zaira said. "I don't see how this is helping us."

"I do," said Maz. "Do you trust me?"

Zaira hesitated. "Yes."

"No, you don't, child. You don't trust any authority," Maz said.

Zaira flushed.

"And neither do you, Finn."

Finn stared at the floor. "I spent 23 years of my life being lied to. How can I just start believing what people say?"

Rey hurried over to put a hand on his shoulder. A sharp glance at Ben inspired the last Skywalker to follow suit, albeit awkwardly.

"We'll help you," Rey promised. "Just please, trust us. You told me I was the first person to see you as human – trust me."

"Hey, no, that was me! What kind of pick-up line were you weaving, Finn?" cried Poe as he burst through the door, BB-8 right behind him

Finn gaped at his lover. "You needed an escape, though, and she didn't."

Poe chuckled. "I'm just teasing you, buddy. But, hey, uh – I think I found someone who knows what we're looking for."

A sandperson scuttled in and glared at them solemnly.

"He's going to guide us," Poe said brightly.

"To death?" Rey's hand was on her lightsaber.

"You know, not all Tusken Raiders believe their traditions. And they prefer the term 'Tusken Raider,' which might be important if they're going to be helping us." Poe crossed his arms. "Are you coming or not?"

"We're coming," Maz said.

"Excellent." Poe felt nervous. His mouth had catalyzed many relationship implosions before. He smiled hopefully at Finn. "I was just teasing you, I promise. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm so sorry, buddy."

"I know. Don't be so nervous, buddy." Finn shoved Poe playfully. "Nice that we're exploring a desert together at last, right?"

"Guess I'll have to change our honeymoon plans," Poe said as everyone froze. "What?"

"Phasma." Hux swept into the captain's quarters.

"General?" She looked up in surprise.

"I suspect Jango Fett of high treason."

He was not expecting Phasma's exasperated sigh. "You don't believe me?"

"Have you any evidence?"

"It doesn't make sense for him to train his daughter and then abandon her. Something more's going on. Likely they're both working together," Hux fumed.

"I think you're still emotional over Zaira Fett and tormented by a lack of sleep."

"I rarely slept before, thank you very much."

"Yes, but for other reasons," Phasma said sarcastically.

Hux turned beet red. "Captain!"

"Yes?"

"I have good instincts. How else did I get this position?" Half of Hux had always believed the answer was his heritage. He couldn't simply be good enough. "Something is not right about him."

"What do you need, sir?"

"I need all records of him. And timelines. And an ear into his private sessions with Snoke, though I doubt that's possible."

"Or within my jurisdiction," said Phasma dryly. "Jealous?"

Hux bristled. "How dare you."

"You sent my best troops to reconditioning," Phasma pointed out.

Hux shook his head. "I did not! Snoke ordered it."

"It's never your fault, is it?"

"I've always taken responsibility," cried Hux. From the time he was three and he'd lied that he was responsible for stealing his mother's jewelry, when the culprit was truly his one friend on Coruscant. His father discerned the lie and beat the lies out of him. "There, I admit it: I was jealous of Kylo Ren! But Jango? That cretin? Never."

Phasma cocked her head. "I'll see what I can find on Jango Fett. You might also ask Mitaka; he's easy to manipulate. But if you ask me, General, you need to let go."

A lump caught in Hux's throat. How could he, when he dreamt of her nearly every night, and when he didn't he dreamt of Hosnian Prime?

"Please don't cry."

"I'm fine," Hux said shakily. "Just get me the information stat."

Rey wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but a small sandstone hut at the bottom of a ravine wasn't the destination she had in mind.

That being said, she also hadn't had a month of wandering and wonder in mind, or fear at Ben's sudden distance.

But as soon as she stepped into the hut, a sick feeling overtook her. "Oh!"

Zaira grabbed Rey's arm to keep her from falling. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing – nothing." Rey felt emotional as she surveyed the unmarked house, filled with thirty years of dust and lost memories. "It's just a shame that Obi-Wan lived here for so long and no one cared to remember him."

The Tusken Raider let out an angry storm of words.

"He says the Tuskens did," Poe translated.

"So I gathered," Rey said dryly.

The Raider's voice became more high-pitched.

"They remember even more," Ben said slowly.

Zaira felt his discomfort so strongly her stomach turned. "What aren't you telling us?"

"Let's follow him." Ben gestured at the Raider, who was already tottering out, up the ridge.

Maz's meaningful glance to Ben said everything to Zaira.

Over the ravine were at least a dozen huts. Damaged from the sandstorms, long abandoned. Some had collapsed in on themselves.

A crack startled the still air; BB-8 squeaked and rolled back. Poe bent down and examined the unsettled sand.

The Raider bent forward and dug. Less than a foot down rested a dagger, with a few brown streaks not yet worn away.

Zaira's eyes flew to several dozen sand lumps not ten feet beyond the empty village.

"Everyone died," she said quietly, almost reverentially, toward the graves.

The Raider nodded at her tone.

Goosebumps crept down Rey's arms.

Ben sank to his knees. "I killed them."

"Sorry, what?" Poe was stunned.

Finn took a step forward. Odd how in these little moments, his stormtrooper training – eliminate the threat! – overrode his emotions.

Rey knew. She felt like she'd always known. "The full story?"

Ben knew she knew. He gazed up at her, dusty face streaked with tears. "You must have been four."

Rey caught her breath. Her hand covered her mouth as she choked back a sob. "My family."

"We were teenagers. Snoke called us the Knights of Ren, made me their Master. We were all friends, all force-sensitive. And I thought we were doing good," Ben gasped.

"By killing?" Finn exclaimed.

"No! We were looking for something that contained the entire power of the Force. Snoke told me about it," Ben cried. He nodded towards the Codex in Rey's hands.

"The villagers – the clan – were direct descendants of the Jedi before the Sith began. The people who created the Codex," Maz explained. "That's why you're so strong, child."

Rey shook her head. Betrayal was more agonizing than loneliness. "Why did you kill my family?"

Because the clan had caught them sneaking into a home. And because hothead Tyro Ren had brandished a lightsaber, and even though Dasten Ren had cried out "No!" it hadn't been soon enough.

And then Tyro was on the ground with his throat slashed, and he was already dead, and Kylo hadn't had a chance to save him.

Then he was screaming and drawing out the Lightsaber he'd made for himself just a week before, and because he was their leader, the other seven Knights followed suit.

The clan leader fell dead, and the entire village, it seemed, came upon them.

When it was over, he was the only soul in sight.

"You slaughtered them all?" Poe was aghast.

Zaira wasn't surprised, not at all. What moved her was her pity. Hux had slaughtered so many more than the weeping man before them. They were still capable of good, and suddenly she knew she would give her life for them if she could.

"Luke found me," whimpered Kylo.

"I want to die," he'd told Luke. "I'm just like Darth Sidious, aren't I? I'm a murderer."

Get up and stop crying, snarled Snoke's voice in his ear.

Where were you? Why didn't you stop me? Kylo thought furiously.

Where was I? I've been here your entire life, more than your family, and you ask where was I?

Luke fought for control, keeping his face blank. "I won't let you go. I'll help you. We can make this right."

"No, you can't – I murdered them!" Kylo screamed.

Stop blaming your uncle for your actions, Snoke growled.

"I want to die."

Fine, betray me. Murder me too.

Luke shook his head. "Even a murderer can come back."

So he was gone. Kylo doubled over. And he knew he would obey Luke no matter what.

"Then Luke sent me home, and stayed behind – he must have found you then. And put you on Jakku, another desert planet. He also encouraged my mother to send me away to him, so he could school us in his new academy."

"And he took my memories and left me in the hands of Unkur Plutt!" Rey exploded. She'd met the myth years ago, and he'd stolen from her, stolen more than Ben Solo ever could.

"I'm sorry," wailed Ben. "I'm so sorry."

"Did Snoke also tell you that you were repeating Anakin's actions?" Maz inquired.

Ben hiccupped. "You know?"

The Raider burst into speech.

Maz gestured at the Raider. "They all know. They never forgot, and neither did the galaxy. Not Anakin, not you."

"Good. They shouldn't forget," said Ben. He stared at the sand, sand that fifteen years ago had been stained with blood. And stained he still was.

He'd thought he could hide, then he thought he was destined to finish Anakin's work. And he never could.

Rey was sobbing gently. With shaking hands, she stepped towards Ben. Her palms landed on his shoulders.

"I forgive you," she gasped.

She sank down and sobbed alongside Ben Solo.

"You were the Chief's daughter," said an unfamiliar voice.

But Rey recognized it. She'd heard it once before, when Maz's lightsaber had called to her.

A translucent, bearded man smiled down at her.

"Obi-Wan."

Hux poured over the files on the Fett family. All married young, all died young – except for Jango the Second, apparently.

The clone army. Hux bristled. His father despised the clones as a military device. No more creative than a regular human, numbers were their only advantage. They aged too quickly to be any real use.

The son, Boba, dead at the hands of Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. Really, Hux should have seen that coming.

What he hadn't seen coming was that Boba was actually Jango the First's clone, not a son.

So Zaira was descended from a clone. He should have found that repulsive, but if she hadn't been a traitor he was sure he'd find it intriguing, possibly attractive.

"General Hux." Phasma marched in.

"Yes, by all means, don't knock," Hux grumbled.

"It's urgent, sir."

Hux's head snapped up. "What?"

"Zaira has been spotted on Tatooine – with the scavenger, FN-2187, and Kylo Ren."

Hux's mouth hung open.

"It appears Kylo Ren is now working for the Resistance," added Phasma.

"Naturally," snarled Hux. "It just figures!"

"Snoke has ordered me to confront them with a squadron. I thought you should know."

Hux felt like vomiting. "I should have been alerted to this!"

"We all know what you're more upset about."

"How could she do this? I gave her her life!" Hux wiped his brow. "And now – now she's good as dead!"

"They might escape," Phasma said in a low voice.

Hux stared. "That's treason, Captain."

"We're already traitors," Phasma said wearily.

"How?" Hux flinched. "Don't look at me like that! I made a judgment, one act of mercy!"

"As did I." Phasma shrugged mysteriously.

"What will you do?" Hux was torn. To be loyal, to earn back Snoke's favor, to earn it as never before! Snoke was like his father; he could always be plied with enough supplications.

Yet, to satisfy his own sentiment…

I'm so unfit.

"I don't know yet. But I deploy in ten minutes." She turned around to face the door. "I've assigned Lieutenant Mitaka to recover the rest of your files."

"I can't take this anymore. Not a trace in the whole galaxy? What did they do, exit the universe?" Leia growled.

Not to mention that the First Order had carried out no moves in weeks. Life was boring. War was boring.

Lando strode in. "Rumor has it Maz hasn't been on Takodana for over a month."

"Did she say where she was going?" Luke asked.

"Not a word, and no one knows where she is." Lando leaned against the door.

So Maz was missing. Zaira was missing. Ben and Rey were missing, along with her best pilot and Finn. Leia felt in her bones this was not a coincidence.

"Well, I've had it waiting around. I waited around for six years while Ben was in Snoke's clutches. Then I sent Han after him." Leia's voice broke. She pounded into the other. "I should have gone myself."

"No, then you might be dead," Luke said hurriedly.

"Not helpful," replied Lando.

"Well, Luke, now's your chance for redemption. I'm heading after them, and you can join. Ackbar can be in charge while I'm gone. I trust him." Leia squared her shoulders.

"Heading where?" Luke shook his head. "Leia, we just don't know where they are!"

"I'm aware of that," Leia said hotly. "First stop will be Jakku. Maybe Rey needed something there. Then Takodana, just to be certain."

"Takodana's on the way to Jakku."

"Then Takodana first, Luke." Leia scowled. "You're afraid, aren't you?"

Luke hesitated. He's been a coward far too long. He didn't remember what true bravery looked like, other than dusty memories of pleading with a dark Sith in a breathing mask.

"Good," Leia shouted at his silence. "Because at least that means you care."

C-3PO tottled in, with R2-D2 right on his heels. "Dear me, General, word has it there's a First Order ship heading for Tatooine."

"Tatooine, you say?" breathed Luke.

Leia met her brother's eyes. "I think we have a different first stop to make."

She strode out. "Nien Nunb, prepare the fleet!"

A Wookie groaned.

"Chewie," she called across the grass. "Prepare the Falcon?"

Chewie roared.

"You're here," Ben breathed. His namesake. He felt so ashamed.

"I've never not been." Obi-Wan smiled at him, then at Rey. "I met your grandmother taking shelter at the hut on your right, during a great sandstorm."

"My – grandmother?" Rey stammered. Her palms felt more sweaty than normal for the heat.

"Her name was Peya. Your mother was Edel, your father Dar."

"Where are they?" Rey's voice shook.

Obi-Wan waved a hand around him. "All around you."

Three people – a broad-chested man and a small, ruddy woman, and a lanky, blonde woman by Obi-Wan's side.

"Hi," squeaked Finn. Poe beamed at the ghosts.

Maz looked peaceful; Zaira, terrified. Ghosts were too real – she was seeing the Force as a real thing, as something that could affect even her, and she was terrified.

"My family." Rey reached out a hand, only to have it pass through the ghosts. "Oh!"

"You can still feel us in your heart," Peya said, wrapping an arm around Obi-Wan.

"She looks so much like you," Edel said to Dar, who was too overcome with emotion to talk – until, that is, he noticed Ben.

"I'm sorry," he said then. "For that day. But now you know: the Force is a precious and dangerous tool."

Ben scrambled to his feet. "I ended your village, and so many more. Every time I did, I thought I was maybe, this time, excusing what I did to you." He was babbling; to Rey or her father, he didn't know.

"Well, now you can learn," suggested Dar.

"You'd better," Peya said, eyeing Rey.

A rumble shook the ground. The Tuscan Raider shrieked and fled as Zaira jerked her head towards the sky.

"That would be the First Order?" remarked Obi-Wan as a ship came into sight.

"They're here for one of us," Ben said to Zaira.

Had Hux already changed his mind? Please, no. Zaira swallowed. "Then we won't let them catch us."

"They have wonderful timing, don't they?" Obi-Wan tilted his head. "By that I mean, your Codex is tantalizingly close. We might feel a bit more powerful than normal. Just powerful enough for a sandstorm to mysteriously arise."

"Get to your ship," Peya urged them. Dar was already using his eyes to lift sand in the distance.

Finn grabbed Rey and began pulling her after Maz and Poe.

"I love you!" Edel cried out suddenly, just before they disappeared over the ridge.

The village exploded behind them.

No one spoke, even as Poe switched to hyperspace and took them far from Tatooine.

"So, uh, guys, where are we going?" he finally asked.

"Somewhere to formulate a plan?" Zaira suggested.

"They need time." Finn pointed to Rey and Ben. He felt lost, unable to comfort them, the one person who still didn't know his family.

"No, I need to act. To make a plan," Rey said fiercely.

"I'm s-sorry," Ben said.

"You didn't have to show me. I'm glad you did."

"Rey, I took so much from you." Ben looked at her with red-rimmed eyes.

"But you're so much more than a thief," Rey said, throwing her arms around him.

Zaira wrapped her arms around her stomach to soothe herself. Hux might hate her, but at least a part of him was in her.

There really weren't many places where they could hide from both the First Order and the Resistance. Except – oh no.

"Not to break up the sexual tension, but I do have an idea," she said.

BB-8 beeped in horror.

"What would you call it?" she challenged the droid.

BB-8 looked between Poe and Finn.

"Tension…" began Finn.

"…of a sexual nature…" finished Poe.

"Please tell me you're teasing," said Ben.

"Child, even I've noticed," Maz said.

"What?" shrieked Rey. He'd killed her parents – oh, but life was so much more complex than that. "How did we get from ideas to this?"

Zaira leaned forward. "My bad. Anyhow, Poe, I was thinking, if we need to hide from the First Order and a certain Resistance, there might be only one place we can go."

"Where's that?" asked Finn.

"You won't like it. None of you will, but I assure you I hate it most of all."

"Where's that?" repeated Rey.

Zaira met Maz's eyes. "Anyone ever heard of King Prana?"

Sleep. Sleep was for the weak, Hux told himself, as he finished combing through the meager files. Mitaka hadn't contacted him, so he supposed he could read what he had over again.

Something was off with Jango, more than his status as scum.

Hux, well, he felt it. Intuition was something he'd never listened to before Zaira, but a few months with her had convinced him of its value. Even if she was a liar and soon to be dead – that wasn't why he was awake, mind you – he would keep whatever lessons he'd learned.

Perhaps I should be sent to reconditioning.

Hux choked back a laugh as a sharp knock rang out from his door.

His heart pounded. Zaira was dead, wasn't she? "Yes?"

"Colonel Datoo, sir."

Hux whipped open the door. Everyone knew Datoo typically slept more than most citizens.

"What?"

"Sir! Dopheld Mitaka has been arrested and charged with treason for trespassing into private archives!"

I estimate there will be about 20 chapters total in this story, so things may be far closer to concluding than they appear. ;)