So, mind and words didn't want to work together, but I think I managed. Keep in mind this may not be cannon, but...my story so...I am going with it. I was listening to alot of Tommee Profitt and Hidden Citizen while writing this, specifically Tommee Profitt's version of Cant help falling in love. It was the soundtrack in my head for all the fights. I have a few more good chapters in me but we are reaching a tipping point. Thank you for you support! And I promise to leave u all with some thing better than a fade away and a couple of tears!
Thank you again to all who have reviewed! I love to hear what you all think as I write and I have responded in messages, so please...keep those reviews coming! If you all want more...let me know and I might just keep going ;)
As per usually, I only wish I could own this story, but...all rights to Disney.
Chapter 28
Rey shifted Jek in her arms, "Ben, no. You can't do this. I'm not leaving you." Her tone was firm and insistent, edging with the beginnings of panic as she felt the call from the shadows.
Ben's eyes scanned the smoke-filled field, sensing the presence was there, but unable to see it before looking back at Rey and Jek. His whole being flooded with worry as he looked at them both, for the first time in his life he had something to lose and he couldn't and wouldn't let that happen.
He reached out, squeezing her arm a little, his eyes burning into hers, "Rey, you have to go. You have to make sure Jek and the others are safe." He insisted, his eyes flicking back up to the field, growing more and more concerned for the unknown presence that was approaching.
"Absolutely not. I am not leaving you." Rey said forcefully, her face hard, shaking her head as if it would change his mind, Rey knew it was putting Jek in danger to stay, but she couldn't leave him to face whatever was coming alone.
The pull reached out again as something in the mess hall exploded causing Rey, Ben and Jek to flinch. Ben leaned in urgently and kissed Rey, Jek blushing and burying his face in Rey's neck at the tender moment he was suddenly witnessing.
Ben shifted his mouth to Rey's ear, "GO….please!" he said, pushing her with the force, causing her to stumble back a bit, eyes widening with hurt. I love you, floated through the bond ever so softly.
Rey regarded his face for a moment, seeing his pleading and his fear at the surface when he was usually so composed and calm. She felt the presence moving closer and that he knew who it was, but he was blocking the information from her. She backed up slowly, angry, a feeling of betrayal clutching at her heart, clinging to Jek in her arms. With a last tearful look to where Ben was slowly being swallowed by the smoke, she turned, finally to take off towards the landing pad.
Ben sighed with relief and straightened his shoulders, closing his eyes he reached down inside of him and gathered the darkness to him. When he opened his eyes, he slid into the calm stoic poise of Kylo Ren before he strode out into the haze of the field. The presence grew and he narrowed his eyes searching to find the source, moving slowly, his steps cautious. The force honed in and a shadow started walking lithely towards him, a saber igniting bright blue, cutting through the smoke.
A voice drifted on the wind to him, "We have finally come full circle." It said as the source of it finally came into view.
Ben's heart gave a tight squeeze as he regarded the ghost from his past, "It's been a long time Voe." His voice calm, yet the edge of his power lacing through his tone.
Voe took a few more steps forward, her saber out at her side, pointed towards the ground, she was in dark tan clothes, like she would have worn at the temple, her leather belt that held her saber tinkling a little as the clips moved with the sway of her hips. Her face was older, edged with the lines of a hard life, her hair braided as he remembered, but much longer, hanging half way down her back.
Her eyes flashed with hate, and Ben thought he saw them glare red for a moment in the flickering fire light. She had a puckered scar that ran from her left temple in a half circle to the corner of her jaw, pulling the corner of her mouth up in a slight sneer. He knew she had seen hardship since they had last seen each other and a part of him filled with regret.
"The mighty Ben Solo, heir to the Skywalker Jedi legacy, traitor and murderer. Does this feel familiar?" She said her eyes narrowing, remaining in a taught defensive stance as she gestured to the burning huts around her.
"Am I to assume, this is all your doing?" Ben voiced, already knowing the answer. He folded his hands in front of him, his posture relaxed and unafraid, despite how he was on the edge of raging on the inside. She was trying to taunt him into attacking and he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.
"I hunted you for years, years! You destroyed my life in every single way! My home, my friends, my FUTURE!" She spat at him vehemently, nearly shaking with her anger. She took a few more steps forward, her pull of the force reaching forward as she did.
"Then you became untouchable as Kylo Ren and I was forced to hide, and scrape, as you and the First Order ruled with an iron fist." At this her mouth did sneer taking another step closer, the smoke finally clearing a bit.
Ben saw her eyes were rimmed with red, seeming to glow and he narrowed his at her critically, assessing her with the force, blocking her from his mind. The hate rolled off her in waves, but underneath, there was something. Something more sinister that was pulling her puppet strings as he had done to him for so long. He tested and shifted his control trying to see the thing behind the curtain of her mind, but unable to work his way through.
"I am not Kylo Ren anymore." He said calmly stating the fact plainly and she laughed, a high, almost hysterically bubbling laugh.
"And that wipes your ledger clean, does it?!" Her scar tugging at her cheek, distorting her smile in an eerie manner.
"Not at all." His voice was low, dangerous as he tried to remain calm, keeping a tight rein on his own darkness that thrashed inside, clawing at him, whispering to him to grab his saber and end this banter. He thought of the others and Rey, reaching out to brush against her light, pulling on it for strength. Until he could figure out what was behind Voe's attack he couldn't destroy another innocent person, and he reached for the light in Rey to give him the strength to do that.
Rey lowered Jek down to Tsaro, everyone clamoring and speaking over each other at her arrival but she couldn't hear any of them as she looked back up the hill towards where she left Ben. She reached out and felt him still tethered to her, but closed off, wound tight, his darkness curled around him protectively. She closed her eyes for a split second and felt it, the tug on her lightness and draw of her strength.
Turning back to the group she silenced them all with a raise of her hands, "Everyone needs to stay here." She ordered, eyes scanning the group, counting.
It dawned on Rey that not everyone was in the group, "Wait, has anyone seen Ann?" She demanded urgently, searching through the faces of the group to find her hut mate.
Finn, Nelo and Sordi crested the hill, all panting and coughing as the wind had shifted, blowing all the smoke over the crest and slowly down to the group.
"Finn, Nelo, Sordi! Did you see Ann? She's not with the group!" Her panic peaked again as she felt Ben's anger spiking with the person he was talking to. Rey's frustrations doubled as he had built a wall, purposely keeping her away and she wanted to bash against it.
Ann's hut-mate, Nikto moved around a few people, getting Rey's attention, "Master Rey?" She called, immediately doubling over in coughs. Her one forearm and hand were wrapped in bandages already, her clothes splotchy and burned in a few places. She had a pair on Lanai hovering as she made her way forward gingerly, obviously in pain.
"I barely got out of the hut in time, but Ann hadn't come in for the night yet. I didn't think much of it, as it hadn't be the first time." She informed Rey blushing a little as she aired Ann's behavior.
Rey addressed the girls injuries first, "Are you alright?" And the Nikto nodded, face full of thanks for the concern. Rey gave her a small, relieved smile, and shifted to look at the rest of the group.
"I need you all to stay here. I'm going look for her and I know the island better, and can move quickly." Rey said, locking eyes with Tsaro, then Finn in silent communication of passing the leadership duties.
They both gave her a nod and she turned on her heal, sprinting up the hill and back down towards the huts. The fires were starting to burn out in the main hut area, but the large mess hall was still fully engulfed, its flames slightly diminished but still putting off a large amount of heat and light as she neared the edge of the cliffs. She decided to head around the back of the huts first, putting the most distance between her and Ben.
Skirting to the edges of the compound first, she hoped Ann had sought refuge somewhere else, getting disoriented in all the smoke. She just prayed that Ben was alright, as she struggled with her mind and heart warring over where she should be at the moment. She was almost desperate in her need to be with him and helping with whatever he was facing, but she knew her responsibility to the others had to come first at that moment. She reached out through the bond, sensing his anger to this person and the things they were telling him.
Voe side-stepped a little, Ben countering her movement without even thinking, "I spent every last credit I had on those mercenaries to intercept you after Malastare. I should have known better." She said as if she was thinking out loud, more than telling him.
"You don't deserve this, any of this! Especially her!" Voe finally snapped at him, waving her hands around her encompassing everything, causing Ben to scramble to maintain his calm at the mention of Rey.
"You are going to take it all away from me?" Ben managed to finally get out in a smooth and arrogant tone, surprising himself, considering the rage that was burning.
"I will, very shortly. I would have preferred to deal with her first, give you a taste of the loss I have had to go through, but I couldn't keep up the blocks to hide from you anymore." Voe said and took another step in a slow circle around him, wind whipping up ash and smoke again in the field.
"Ahhhh, a taste of loss," he drawled out casually, "I have known more loss than you can ever show me." The bitterness edging his voice, while trying to keep her focus away from Rey.
"You know nothing of loss Kylo Ren!" She screamed at him, eyes wild with fury, hands shaking as she gripped her saber in front of her, the light of it casting warped shadows across her features.
Ben's composure cracked a little, "I am NOT Kylo Ren!" He snapped back yelling at her before taking a deep breath, reigning the darkness that threatened.
"Kylo Ren, Ben Solo, it matters not. You will pay for the loss at the temple, of those who called you a friend!" Voe growled at him, unaware of the power that was building around Ben.
Ben's voice dropped to match her, his cool detachment back, but he began to pace in front of her. His smooth features in contrast to the way he moved like a stalking predator.
"I am tired of carrying the burden of that day," Ben ground out, loud enough for just Voe to hear as he spotted the whole of the sensitives and the Lanai, moving through the pathways between huts that were either burned out or still intact.
With the shifting of the wind the group had been unable to stay on the landing pad and Tsaro, Finn, and Nelo hurried everyone toward Rey and Ben's and the wash hut. Tsaro had figured that they could move things out of the way and at least get those that were hurt into the wash hut for the time being, while they assessed the other huts near that for damage.
The group came to a break in the huts revealing the edge of the field and everyone froze at the sight of their Master, unarmed in the haze, being faced by another with a light saber. Their conversation wafting on the wind towards them.
"You are tired of being carrying the burden of being a MURDERER?!" Voe screamed, her hysterics taking over, unaware of the group hearing her in the shadows between the huts
Ben could feel the stares on his back, knowing all of their trainees had heard what she had said and he snapped, his anger flashing hot and red, "Tired of being blamed for a LIE!" He roared back his posture almost doubling over as he yelled the word lie.
"Master Luke tried to kill ME! When I stopped him and got out, the temple was destroyed, burning. I tried to SAVE them!" His pacing increased, the fury, and anger over that moment rising like a tidal wave to the surface.
"LIAR!" Voe screeched and charged, saber raising as she came at him with a leap, aided by the force, giving her extra height and distance.
Ben waited till the last moment before grabbing his saber and bringing it up to meet hers, the force of her blow deflecting to the side as she rolled with her landing and finished upright, their positions reversed.
Voe's eyes widened with surprised fury as she regarded the golden blaze of his saber and she shook her head in disbelief before a mask of distain smoothed over her features.
"And just who, did you kill for that?" She hissed, repositioning her stance, her saber swinging around in an arc at her side to end up parallel with the ground at shoulder level, legs wide and balanced, "Maybe your little lover got it for you." She taunted with a grin.
Rey edged along the rocks of the cliff calling for Ann as she went, only half her mind on where she was going and the other on the battle in the field. She had felt the power surge through their bond as Ben had ignited his saber and it nearly cost her, as she lost her footing on some rocks.
She reached out with the force, searching for Ann's presence in the dark, the wind coming off the ocean blowing the smoke in the other direction. She was about to give up when she felt the light touch, cowering in the alcove of the cliff wall.
"Ann!" Rey yelling over the wind and crashing waves, finally spotting the lighter shades of her clothes amongst the large black lumps of the rocks.
"Master Rey?" Came her pitiful voice that was immediately swept away by the wind and the crashing of the waves.
"Ann! Thank the stars, I found you! I was so worried!" Rey was truly honest with her sentiment. For all of the annoyances the girl seemed to cause her, she was still a part of their group, and Rey cared about her safety as deeply as the others.
Ann stood, and stepped out between the rocks where she had been crouching, "I truly don baleave you'd be da one ta come find me." She crawled out, her face tear streaked and dirty, her clothes covered in ash and mud.
"Of course I would come find you! Come, let's get you back safe with the others." Rey said reaching out for her and Ann made a small choking noise.
She collapsed in sobs, "Da litt'l uns…" she choked out between her heaving gasps and Rey froze trying to understand why she was so upset.
She frowned and crouched down, sensing deep and tumultuous guilt flowing from her, "They are with Tsaro. They are all okay. Everyone is okay." Rey hushed her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She shuddered as her mind connected with Ann's and saw her creeping from hut to hut, torch in hand, lighting the fires that ravaged their community. Rey gasped and snatched her hand away as Ann lifted her eyes, guilt, pain, relief, reflecting across her face.
"I dinna want any'um ta get 'urt." She sobbed shaking her head and covering her face with her hands.
"Ann….why?!" Rey said rocking back on her heals, standing, taking a step back in horror. She couldn't believe that after a month with everyone she would do such a thing.
"She came ta me. Told me, she be gittin me out. An she did. But I had'ta come away wit you all, an wait fo whad'she ask'n payment." Ann fell into another fit of sobs, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her face in her knees.
"Ann, who is she?" Rey asked, her voice firm with anger, and demanding answers.
"A damn ghost!" Ann wailed, hiccupping to catch her breath, refusing to lift her head and look at Rey.
Rey took a step forward and towered over the girl, "Who. Is. She!" Rey demanded again, feeling Ben's anger mix with her own.
Ben blocked and parried Voe's savage attacks as she launched debris at him with the use of the force from one of the crumbled huts to the side. Ben moved effortlessly, fluid in his defense while restraining his desire to go on the attack. He couldn't let himself be pulled into her hate, as it would be to easy sink back into his old persona. This was his moment to prove to the eyes watching him, and the woman who loved him that he truly was Ben Solo now.
She obviously had been training since the last time they had met, as she fought with a singular purpose to destroy him, exacting her revenge. Dodging another barrage of rocks from the opposite direction that she launched at him, one clipped his cheek and he stumbled with a grunt, blinking at the pain and feeling the blood trickle down his cheek.
Voe didn't hesitate in her attack and launched again at him, with a flurry of blows, their sabers meeting with sparks and cracks, their whirring and vibrations cutting through the night air in a fantastic display of blue and gold while the group in the shadows watched in mesmerized horror by the sight.
Finn found himself flinching as Ben stumbled, taking a step forward, wanting to intervein, as a small hand stopped his movements and he looked down to see Tsaro shake her head at him, a grim look in her eye. His eyes returned to the battle and scanned to see if he could see Rey, starting to get worried she hadn't returned yet.
Rey walked in seething silence with Ann trailing behind her as they made their way slowly back along the cliff's edge to the main path. A sharp pain laced across her cheek for a brief moment and she stopped, sucking in her breath in a hiss as she reached out to Ben again.
His ability to fight and keep her out was waning, and she felt shadows of what he was experiencing, his effort as he moved and breathed, drawing on the force in small pulls to sustain him as he moved and spun, blocking Voe's attacks. She swept for his leg, and he backed up, stepping out of her reach as he blocked the saber following her movement and he drew a little more from Rey's strength.
"Master Rey?" Ann said softly, her hand hovering in the air in hesitation before she placed it on Rey's shoulder.
Rey snapped to the present and turned, frustration plain on her face, "If anything happens to him..." She ground out between tight lips, before she stopped herself watching the girl recoil from her anger.
Rey looked away, taking a steadying breath as she saw her the fear in Ann's eyes, "I'm sorry Ann. I know you didn't mean for any of this, but you know what is at stake." She said softening her tone and continuing to make her way as quickly as she could to the path.
Once on the path they picked up the pace, jogging around the back of the huts until she made it over the crest of the hill, skidding to a stop, Ann hot on her heals, to see an empty landing pad.
"Kriffing hells! I told them to stay here!" Rey cursed looking around, then slowing her breath, reaching out to feel for Finn with the group, coughing as another waft of smoke trailed over the hill. She felt the group of people over by the wash hut and took off, Ann, following quickly behind her, the faint sound of sabers clashing in the air.
Voe was beginning to tire, her attacks slowing as she paced Ben in a slow circle, her rage even higher, her eyes flashing. She grunted with her thrusts and Ben blocked her easily, needing to draw less on the reserve power of the force.
"You, murderer, were the only one left when we arrived at the temple!" She yelled at him, throwing rocks again as she huffed, while he deftly batted them away.
"Voe, we have been through this! I don't know how it happened, but I did not burn the temple!" Ben yelled back, the pleading in his voice apparent to all the sensitives watching.
Finn blinked at his words, feeling the truth behind them while Ben moved, gracefully sliding away, always on the defensive, never attacking this woman who was hell bent on taking out her revenge, unknown of the cost it would have on the whole galaxy.
Suddenly, he caught movement on the path coming down to where the group was huddled, watching the display. Rey was jogging towards them with Ann close behind, both muddy and sweating, shadows flashing over them from the fire in the distance.
"Rey! You need to help him." Finn called as she neared, sensing she was already headed that way now that Ann could see the group.
Rey cut through two other huts and out onto the field, igniting her saber in a flat out run, everything happening so fast after that point.
Rey saw the woman turn her head, spotting her approach as Ben hollered at her to stop. One minute she was running and the next she was being tossed sideways at the back of the hut where the group was wedged. She briefly heard Ben's roar of frustration before she slammed into the stone of the hut, her world going black.
Ben saw Rey running head long at them, headless to Voe's abilities and he swore under his breath before yelling for her to stop. Voe, lobbed another stack of rocks and bricks at Ben, so he had to divert his attention to that while he saw Rey tossed like a rag doll into the back of the hut, slumping down, eyes closed.
"NO! Voe!" He bellowed, shaking off the debris as if it were dust on the wind, the very ground under their feet rumbling with his rage. He turned his head slightly, seeing Finn crouching over Rey. Finn met his look with a slight nod of his head indicating she was alright and he had her.
Ben turned back to Voe, his fear for Rey like gasoline on the fire of his darkness, "This is between US, Voe, and I am done with it." His voice was flat and firm, sharp and unbending as his patience was gone, the ground shaking as he stalked towards her while she skittered back momentarily, eyes wide.
Voe recovered her composure and smiled again, her scar pulling her mouth up, "Finally!" She laughed in triumph, barring down on him again, headless to the full strength of his power being brought to bear on her.
They were equally matched to start, her arrogance of the surprise attack on Rey giving her strength again. It didn't take Ben long to start to anticipate her movements, just as he had done when they were sparring as children. Ben pressed her attack, counter, and spinning, until he had her backed up within fifteen feet of the group.
She spun, shifting him to the side as he raised his hand stopping her blow and she spun back, Ben anticipating her move, catching her saber low in his cross hatch, yanking his wrist through the rest of the movement and disarming her as she stumbled back to the ground, her saber clattering as it bounced off a few rocks before coming to a stop near the group.
Ben huffed a final breath, standing over Voe, saber pointed menacingly at her chest, "This is finished." He stated as she glared at him with unveiled hate.
Ben took a brief second to glance over, realizing to late it had been a mistake. He turned his head ever so slightly to see Finn and Rey, on the ground at the base of the hut, not catching Voe's shift as he did. Her leg snaked out, slamming into his knee, buckling it, causing him to fall back to the ground, his head hitting first, causing a brilliant flash of white stars to burst through his vision.
Voe screeched in victory, launching herself on him, pulling a knife from her boot as she did, her white hair flying around her face like a halo in his vision. He saw the flash of the knife coming down at his chest and his breath caught, his eyes closing, Rey's face in his mind, time slowing, as he heard a scream.
He opened his eyes to see Voe livid, pushing on the frozen blade with every ounce of strength she had, being so close to her victory, but still not succeeding. Ben turned his head sharply to the sound of the scream, thinking it seemed so high a pitch for Rey's voice.
There, standing in the dying fire light, Jek stood in the open, eyes focused, both hands outstretched to Voe, his lips pinched together as he focused on what he was doing.
Ben snapped back to the moment, time returning to regular and he flung Voe from him with the force, seeing Jek collapse in a panting heap, Tsaro rushing to his side.
Voe tumbled in a heap, coming to a jarring stop at the base of a far hut, unmoving and Ben rushed to Jek's side, "Jek?" He whispered in wonder as the boy lifted a weary head.
"I listen good to lessons." He whispered weakly, with a small, tired smile playing over his face as Tsaro gathered his upper body in her lap.
Ben broke into a full grin, chuckling, "Yes Jek, you did very good. Thank you." He said and leaned down to place a soft kiss on the boy's hair, swallowing the lump of emotions in his throat.
"Jek be fine with me. Check Master Rey, please." Tsaro said quietly with an encouraging nod, stroking the boy's white hair and turning to murmur her praise to his actions.
Ben got up and rushed to Rey's side where Finn had moved her, cupping the back of her bleeding head in his hands with a piece of cloth from the caretakers.
He turned worried eyes to Finn, nodding thanks while scooping up her hand in his dirty one, Rey? He said reaching through their bond.
There was no response and he closed his eyes, following along the tether between them to her. Moving slowly he followed her, slipping into the grey where she was curled up in a ball in the mist.
Rey? Please...Rey. Ben said again, crouching down near her, placing his hand on the side of her face.
Rey felt the warmth of a hand she knew so well, and her eyes fluttered open, Ben? She replied and could feel the relief wash through her as if it were her own.
Rey?! Are you okay? He said low, his voice purring through her and she shifted, the world tilting and coming into focus in the field.
Rey blinked seeing Ben's dirty and bloodied face in the dark, hovering over her. "Ben?!" She said snapping awake and tried to sit up, immediately regretting it. The ground seemed to tilt under her and she slumped back into a soft lap.
"Easy Rey." Finn said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder to still her, concern filling his eyes as he met her gaze.
"Oh, hells! My head." Rey said and shot Ben a look, "Ben, where is she?" Rey said quickly and Ben looked over behind where she could see.
"She is unconscious, but otherwise alive." Ben said in an emotionless tone, before turning his face back to hers.
"I think we need to have a talk." Rey said softly, knowing Finn could hear everything that they were saying.
Ben's face filled with shame and he nodded slowly, "Let's get everyone settled first and you looked at." He finally stated firmly, discouraging any further discussion.
He scooped her up in his arms and stood, her head spinning with the movement and she closed her eyes against the wave of nausea that threatened with a small groan.
Ben glanced at Finn, "We need to find a secure place for her." He said nodding his head in Voe's direction. "See that the Lanai tend to her too….please." Ben said realizing her was ordering Finn around and softened his tone for the please.
Finn shot a look at Rey, his mind working on something, but managing to keep it to himself for a change, before he nodded and headed off to speak with Tsaro.
Ben headed off towards the huts that were still standing and in good condition, "Those of you whose huts are okay, you will head back in a minute. Tsaro," he directed as Finn finished talking with her and was heading to Voe with Nelo and Sordi in tow, "Set up what you can for anyone injured in the wash hut. Those who are not injured, need to be distributed into the huts with the others."
Ben saw the shifting looks as everyone realized it meant cramming five to six people per hut, and he paused, his look to the group softening, "I know it's been a long night, and you all have been though a lot. Let's work together to make it through till we can get help."
The group moved and parted, groups forming with Lanai appearing, stocks of bed rolls and blankets coming out of every possible place, while others helped those who needed medical attention to the wash hut and got settled.
Ben caught Tsaro's attention, "Tsaro, bring Jek and the little ones to our hut." He said noting how all of them seemed asleep on their feet.
"Ben, are you sure?" Rey asked, her eyes still squeezed closed as her head pounded, while her heart squeezed at his suggestion.
Ben shifted her weight carefully, as to not jostle her, "It makes the most sense." He stated matter-of-factly.
He turned, satisfied that all had a job and headed to their hut, Tsaro trailing after him with five little ones in a line, eyes drooping with fatigue.
