A/N Don't get too excited about all the new chapters. I have no idea how long inspiration will stick with me. LOL Cheers.
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Ben doesn't like this part of the plan.
He sits anxiously with his feet up in the cockpit of the Falcon flipping switches while Chewie rattles around, fixing something behind him. It's been almost three hours since Rey took a small sand speeder across the desert ridge to Toshe Station to talk to the junk trader and Ben waits impatiently for news.
Glancing out of the cockpit viewscreen, Ben sees Rey's speeder coming towards the ship and he jumps up to meet her at the loading ramp. His apprehension starts building as he watches the approaching speeder in the distance being followed closely by another.
"Chewie, we might have company!" Ben yells over his shoulder as he palms his lightsaber.
Ben, Kato is with me. I'll explain in a minute.
Ben relaxes only slightly at Rey's warning, but he doesn't replace his saber on his belt as he walks down to wait for them on the sand.
Rey arrives first, parking her speeder next to the Falcon's ramp and hopping off just as Kato comes to a stop in front of a formidable-looking Ben.
"Ben, it's fine. Kato was there when I arrived at the trading post."
Ben watches every move that Kato makes as he swings his leg over the speeder and walks towards them. He turns to Ben with a resigned look and a mocking bow in Rey's direction.
"Actually, Lady Jedi, I may have misled you slightly." Kato says with a small smirk as he straightens again. Ben glares at him as he feels a trickle of trepidation seep through the force bond. Rey takes up a place at his side, saber in hand.
Kato's smirk blooms into a grin and he chuckles.
"You land here in the most recognizable ship in the galaxy and wonder why you're instantly spotted?" He says condescendingly and Ben's jaw clenches.
"YOU are the one that made sure we all knew that ship on sight and the fact that you parked it out here, suggests that you are doing recon."
Rey huffs in annoyance and Ben waits for Kato to finish gloating as Chewie shuffles up behind them, bowcaster at the ready.
"Let me save you some time." Kato says with a chuckle in the Wookie's direction as he addresses Rey.
"All the Knights are here, and the Acolyte numbers are in the three hundred range. We are all ensconced inside the old Hutt fortress beyond the Dune sea."
Kato's smile fades as he slides his gaze back to Ben's stony face.
"Your Mother is restrained in the main audience chamber and she is sedated twice a day, morning and night. It starts wearing off about mid-afternoon and she has already staged two escape attempts. One of which was almost successful until we caught up with her in the desert."
Kato finishes with a look of impressed respect.
Ben stares at his old compatriot for a few moments.
"How can we trust your information?" Rey says through gritted teeth and Kato smiles again.
"Trust that I want Zara and the Acolytes gone." He says snidely as he backs towards his speeder.
"There's one last piece of information I'll give you and then I need to return." He says leadingly and Ben and Rey watch as he climbs back onto his speeder and starts the engine.
"Zara has been informed by the Acolytes about the existence of your daughter."
Chewie growls lowly and Ben feels terror creeping through the force bond as he focuses on Kato's suddenly sombre face.
"The child of two of the most powerful force-users in the galaxy… Zara's end goal may be shifting…" He says ominously with a pointed look at Ben and then Kato revs the speeder's engine and zips away in a cloud of dust as Chewie roars in anger.
When Kato is a small spot in the distance, Rey turns to Ben with fear-filled eyes.
"Ben…" Is all she says and it's all she needs to say as he pulls her in tight.
"Let's get back to reconvene with the others." He says in a haunted voice as he leads Rey up the ramp of the Falcon.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ben has Hanna out of Maz's arms and into his within seconds of landing the Falcon on Takodana and Rey is right beside him as they surround their daughter in an involuntary force shield.
They hear Chewie nearby, grunting an explanation to Maz and her, in turn, explaining what happened to their friends that come walking up from the castle to greet them.
After several moments of staring into Ben's eyes and speaking volumes without words, Rey works at slowly dissolving the shield around them and turns to address their friends, leaving Hanna in the strong arms of her father.
"The information we received was that both the Knights of Ren and the Acolytes of the Beyond may have changed their intentions from Ben to Hanna."
Rey's eyes go hard, and she glares at everyone present in turn.
"Let me make this extremely clear… our daughter will not be used as any sort of bait or negotiations with these people."
Everyone is on edge under Rey's cold gaze and with Ben behind her, letting a bit of his former persona shine out through his eyes, no one so much as considers the idea of putting Hanna near harm.
Maz steps forward tentatively with a raised hand.
"I don't think anyone here would be so foolish, my dear. Let's get inside to discuss the options we do have."
She says as she ushers everyone towards the castle, Rey and Ben following stiffly.
I scanned all of their minds and no one seems be considering using Hanna as bait or worse.
Ben says unapologetically through the bond to Rey and, just this once, she is completely at ease with Ben's ability and willingness to intrude on the personal thoughts of others.
She catches his eyes as they walk towards the castle and exchange a worried, but determined look.