A/N: Hello ! Sorry for the delay, I was on holiday and taking a break from writing has been very helpful, I hope to return to the previous publication schedule, thank you for your patience and encouragement!
Chapter 27
The journey back to Ohma D'un had been sinister. Not a word had been spoken, not a glance exchanged between the members of their group. Everyone felt the weight of the revelations on their shoulders.
Zorii had been captured.
After recovering from the initial shock, Poe had rushed towards the Eghalist, but the crowd of fanatics had vanished into darkness and quickly disappeared. Once inside the ship, he had rekindled the hologram and gazed ten times, then twenty at least, at the silhouette of Zorii, captive among their new enemies. Each time he turned it on again, a cold, terrifying voice rose before stating the terms of the ransom.
The smuggler in exchange for the Jedi. Zorii for Rey.
The latter had eventually closed her eyes and covered her ears, unable to bear the guilt and responsibility for what had happened to their friend. Ben took her in his arms and she curled up against him, her face hidden against his chest. They had exchanged no words, no soothing thoughts, not even in the bond. For at the moment, neither of them had words of comfort to offer each other. They felt the same guilt, though for different reasons, and it was crushing them. So they just hugged each other. For if words couldn't soothe their minds, maybe their bodies would.
The rest of the trip and the night had gone by in a trance for Rey, as if she had dissociated and contemplated herself from the outside. She remembered nothing but cries, suffering and blaming.
On their return, another sphere awaited them in the General's office. Sent by a probing droid, no trace, no clue told them the identity of the kidnapper, but there were the conditions of the exchange. If they wanted to see Zorii alive again and unharmed, Rey would have to surrender herself, weaponless, with no backup, handcuffed, to a planet in the Outer Rim, Lianna.
Although Poe was ready to take off immediately, the threats contained in the message made him hesitate. They were still in his office where he paced back and forth, alternating between rage and despair in the face of this inextricable situation. Connix took advantage of a moment of calm to remind him that they had duties towards their new allies. The UGS charter was still waiting to be finalized and they should return to Naboo as soon as possible. Poe reacted badly to this wise suggestion.
"We have to make sure this alliance succeeds," she added, seeing the outraged look on his face.
"Fuck the alliance!" Replied the General, making her jump at the vehemence of his words. "Zorii's been there since kriff knows when! She has been captured, tortured for all we know! And you want me to go back to eating pies and buttering up those rich bastards on Naboo?"
"Exactly! You're the leader of the Resistance, Poe! You can't just drop everything to jump..."
She stopped, seeming to realize what she was about to say.
"Yeah ? Go on?" He taunted her. "Finish what you were going to say? Jump in an X-Wing and blow something up? That's it?"
"Yes," sighed Connix, "that's exactly what I was going to say."
"You're not Leia, for fuck's sake! How dare you say that to me?"
"Because someone has to! It's terrible what happened, believe me, we'll do everything we can to save her, but you can't leave now! You have to learn to delegate Poe! You're no longer a captain, you're a general! Things are expected of you, you can't give up everything to go back and save the galaxy, let others do it!"
"In the meantime, Zorii did it! Zorii is the one who took the risks! When we've got real fighters out here and doing nothing!"
At his words, he glanced behind his shoulder, and without needing the Force, Rey understood that it was addressed to her. She had no time to defend herself because Ben threw himself on him. Walking the distance that separated him from the General, he grabbed him by the collar of his ceremonial jacket and lifted him off the ground. Connix and Rey shouted together. The first out of fear, the second out of anger. Poe grabbed his hands and tried to make him let go, but Ben resisted.
"What's that supposed to mean? Repeat, Dameron, just repeat it," he challenged him.
"Get off me, Kylo," Poe growled, insisting on the name.
Ben dropped him like he'd been burned. Poe had fallen heavily on his legs, but straightened up immediately.
"I swear, if you touch me again..."
"I could kill you before you've had time to think, you idiot! Don't you dare pick on her!"
This time Rey couldn't allow it. Still stunned by his outburst that she hadn't seen in a long time with him, she rushed to join him.
"Ben! Stop it! I don't need you to defend me!"
"Then do it! Stop letting your friends treat you like this!"
"Enough!" Finn shouted as he joined them too.
Placing himself between the two men, he raised his hands to separate them, but that didn't stop them from continuing to stare at each other. Challenging the other to look down first, a great tension grew between them.
Rey was devastated. She glanced worriedly at Finn, silently asking him to help her resolve the situation, before turning her attention to Ben and Poe. At that moment something strange seemed to happen between them. As if they were talking without exchanging loudly, Poe nodded his head towards Ben. The latter seemed confused and surprised, then nodded his head in turn, and grabbed him again by the collar, pushing Finn away, and began to shout at him:
"It's your fault! You're the one who was awful to her! You're the one who left her alone there, your stupidity made her chase after that spy!"
Rey opened her eyes in surprise. What the hell was Ben talking about? If he wanted to push Poe over the edge, he couldn't have done it any better. Especially since he himself was one of the ones who sent Zorii to Coruscant. To her surprise, Poe didn't take the bait.
At first.
Then with a sharp movement he broke free from Ben's grip, before taking the momentum and punching him in the jaw.
Rey screamed as Ben retreated from the shock. She could feel the pain through the bond as if she'd been hit too. But why didn't he avoid it, she wondered. She herself had seen it coming long before Poe raised his fist, the Force had warned her, and she knew Ben had been too. Then why had he let himself be hit? There was such tension in the office now. How could things have gotten so out of hand in such a short time? Twenty-four hours earlier, they had all gotten together and had had a good time. Now both seemed to be wondering how they would fight. And unlike Poe, Ben would be far more dangerous. She couldn't let that happen.
With the Force she pushed a chair between them just before they threw themselves at each other. They turned to her, annoyed by her intervention.
"Stop it!" She shouted to them.
But they ignored her.
Stop, she repeated, but this time in the bond. You're ridiculous, I don't need you to save my honor or whatever you're doing right now.
He pushed away the chair still hanging between them, though with difficulty, his anger making him less concentrated, and grabbed Poe again. Not knowing what to do, Rey drew her saber and lit it. Everyone except Ben was startled by the familiar noise and blue light illuminating the room.
"Ben! That's enough!"
"Go on, listen to her," Poe whispered. "That's how it works now, isn't it? A well-tamed Supreme Leader!"
Desperate by their behavior, Rey swung her saber into the ground. The stone and tiles exploded in a flurry of sparks around her. This unexpected gesture at least had the effect of stopping them, and everyone turned towards her this time. Finn took advantage of their confusion to get closer to the fighters and took out his blaster. He looked at Ben, not angry curiously, but full of resolution.
"Let go of him."
Ben seemed to weigh the choices for a long time. He hadn't turned his eyes away from Poe for a second. And after raising an eyebrow, he tilted his head to the side, seemingly questioning him. Poe closed his eyes, then nodded his head. Ben let him go immediately. Rey wondered once again what was that silent conversation that seemed to be going on between the two of them.
"What the hell..." a little voice cried out.
Rose and Jannah had just arrived in the office, steaming cups of caff in their hands. They looked anxiously at the scene unfolding there. Ben and Poe facing each other, Finn with his blaster out and pointed at Ben, Connix at the other end of the room, looking horrified and helpless, and finally Rey, her saber still in her hand, the ground in front of her completely destroyed.
"We're having an inspiring discussion," Finn mocked before putting his weapon in a holster on his leg.
"And you think now's the time to do that?" Jannah exclaimed. "Our friend has been kidnapped, she's in danger! Don't you think we've got better things to do than fight?"
"That's exactly what I was saying! But..."
"But what Poe ?"
Rose had come forward and put her arms around her girlfriend to comfort her, and then she went on:
"You and Kaydel must take care of the UGS ! This alliance is our future, you can't risk being captured, or worse, by going after her!"
"So you're suggesting we leave her?"
"I never said that!" She protested indignantly. "I'm just saying that someone else has to take care of it. You can't care about one member of the Resistance because you love her Poe, you have hundreds of people waiting for you to do the right thing and you're responsible for them, you understand?"
"And you," she said, turning to Finn and Rey.
"We should already be making a plan to go and save her! So I suggest that you go change," she glanced insistently at Rey's dress, several sections of which hung miserably after the events of the evening, "get some rest and let's plan together first thing in the morning. When we are rested and rational."
"We can't wait!"
"Poe," replied Rose, with a patient tone. "They've asked for ransom, they're not going to hurt her now. They've just played their hand, it's our turn now, and believe me, we'll all make better decisions after we've had some sleep."
They nodded their heads, albeit reluctantly. Poe continued to protest, but wanting to set an example, Rey put out her saber and took Ben's hand and dragged him along with her. He didn't resist, his face was completely blank. Before they reached the exit, Poe hailed him.
"Ben?"
He turned around.
"Thank you."
Rey shook her head, annoyed by their puzzling behavior, and dragging him out of the office before he could respond, she snapped him dry into the bond.
What the kriff was that about? What were you thinking?
He desperately needed to get angry, and so did I.
He's the one who... he asked you to do this?
Not exactly, but he hated himself as much as he hated me at the moment, so it was easier for him.
That's ridiculous, you're completely stupid for doing that, you're both stupid! I thought Finn was going to shoot you! Don't do that again Ben!
I'm going to bed, I'm tired, he said.
And without waiting for her to answer, he cut himself off from the bond and walked away into the dark corridors, leaving her alone.
/
/
While all her friends had gone for a rest before thinking about a rescue plan — Rey doubted that anyone would be able to get any sleep — she was relieved, however, that none of them mentioned the other possibility of saving Zorii.
It was the most obvious and simple one.
They wanted her, didn't they? She wouldn't let her friends, especially Ben, risk their lives when she was solely responsible.
It was foolish, and stupid, she knew that, but she also knew it was the right thing to do. With new resolve, she finally felt the tension in her muscles loosening. She now had a goal. She would go out and face her enemies, find out what they wanted to do with her. No one would die in her place. Poe was right. She was a fighter. She was a Jedi. That was her duty.
She went back to her chambers, she packed what little she had and what she would need, in her purse. Her long windbreaker poncho that she hadn't put back on since her trip to Ach-To, a few bacta capsules, and her sabers.
She may be surrendering, but she was planning to fight until she knew Zorii was free and safe.
Like a shadow, she sneaked into the hangars, taking advantage of the night and using the Force to move about unseen. She made her way into the command center to enter the security codes that disabled the shield and defense systems that protected the base. To her surprise, it looked like someone had already done it. Who could have done such a thing?
Worried that one of her friends might surprise her or get ahead of her plans, she ran to the corner of the huge hangar where the Falcon had been landed. She stopped abruptly, cursing. The door of the ship was open, and light was coming out of it, dimly illuminating the surroundings.
Someone was about to take her ship!
She grunted in rage when she saw a figure coming out of it. Rey unclipped the two sabers from her belt and turned them on, the blue lights adding new glow to the hangar. Her growl increased in intensity as she recognized the person. A man she was very familiar with.
"BEN?" she shouted.
She couldn't believe it, Ben was standing there in front of the Falcon, ready to take off. Wearing the jacket she had given him, a blaster holster on his thigh, he looked very much like his father at that moment.
"Rey?" He said, looking as surprised as she was.
She turned off her sabers, and only the ship's light made them visible.
"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were tired."
Ben winced at her dry tone.
"I could ask you the same question."
His dark gaze, slipped from his face to her hands, which still held both weapons. Rey felt herself blushing, like a child caught red-handed, before pulling herself together. She approached him and stared with all the dignity she had left. They both refused to rekindle the bond, although she could feel their minds searching for each other unconsciously, too accustomed to being connected together by the Force. Their two bodies also seemed to be on the verge of cracking and hugging each other, but their pride prevented them from doing so.
A strong tension was escaping from their silhouettes facing each other, Rey was now so close to him that she could smell the fabric of his jacket, as well as his own scent. The need to touch him became so strong that she almost broke the remaining distance and threw herself into his arms. But something seemed to break in Ben as he looked at her sadly.
"You were going to turn yourself in..."
He grabbed her by the shoulders, his fingers clinging firmly to her skin.
"Rey you're out of your mind!"
"What about you?" She retorted, releasing from his grip. "Weren't you about to sneak out too?"
She ran a trembling hand over her face to straighten her hair and her thoughts, when she realized something.
"You... you were going to leave me... How dare you do this to me?" She slapped his chest. "Do you know what will happen to you if you're captured?"
"You're kidding me? You're the one they want! If you think for one second that I'm going to let you go!"
"Ben... It's my fault... she's in danger because of me, I can't leave her."
He closed his eyes as if her words had hurt him terribly.
"It's not your fault, I'me the one who sent her there ... Because I couldn't go myself, because I was a prisoner ... Because I couldn't protect you ... It's my fault. I have to go save her..."
They wouldn't get anywhere that way, Rey realized. They both wanted to protect themselves, but when would they understand? They were a dyad, they shouldn't separate.
"Together... We'll do this together."
"I can't risk putting you in danger, Rey! Stay here, please. For my sake."
"You can't ask me that ... Don't you trust me? Or my skills?'
"Of course I do! But..."
"But what? You can't stop me from doing what I believe in Ben! I'm tired of hiding, I'm tired of running away from the fight, I have to be a part of it!"
"Is this because of what Dameron said? Don't listen to him Rey, you can't go, you have no idea what they'll do to you!"
"Because you know? Stop trying to control my life!"
"That's not... that's not what I'm doing, Rey, I'm trying to protect you."
"Ben..." she cut him off.
She took his face in her hands. He closed his eyes and tried to free himself, but she held him down. Shyly she reopened the bond and he could not resist her call to the Force. She could see in his eyes and mind, his fear, his hesitation. It was too dangerous, he only wanted to protect her, he couldn't bear to lose her, no matter if he had to die. She shuddered as she felt him consider the possibility of his death. Why, after all this time, did he still think like that?
"You won't always be able to protect me, I need to try and make mistakes. But most of all... I need to live. Everything will be fine, trust me. Together, nothing will stop us."
In turn he took her face in his hands and crushed her lips against his own. They kissed for a few moments before Ben let her go, seemingly out of breath. He put his forehead against hers, and whispered in a voice so low that she couldn't understand the beginning of his sentence.
"...will never forgive me if anything should happen to you... Rey... I promise you, I'll kill every one of them if I have to! I'll..."
A loud crash startled them and they hid behind a transport crate. An early-morning mechanic had just entered the hangar.
"Let's go," Rey told him. "Before she notices the shields!"
He still seemed to hesitate, but she had already rushed towards the Falcon, and he ended up following her.
/
/
They arrived on Lianna late in the afternoon. Placing the Falcon outside the town, they hid it behind a droid dump, the decayed appearance of the ship blending easily with the forgotten carcasses.
Before stepping out, Rey put on her poncho, loosened her eternal buns, and added some fabric to hide her face. Ben did the same, and soon they mingled with the city crowd.
If Zorii's whereabouts hadn't been revealed to them, they suspected that she would be imprisoned in a neighborhood or place of importance to the Eghalists. They soon realized that the entire capital seemed to belong to them. Rey huddled up against Ben as they advanced among the fanatics. The crowd ignored them or nodded their heads to those who were chanting at every corner. Several holos and banners hanging on the walls showed her face, or the masked one of Kylo Ren, but also other people who were unknown to them.
Rey was starting to get scared. Through the bond she could feel Ben's anger, but also his worry. Hadn't they made a big mistake? But it was too late to back out. Not knowing where to begin their search, they followed several hooded groups, which were heading towards the center, which was noisier and more crowded. Lianna was known as a place of activity and games. Casinos and other gambling establishments were located there, and the biggest one caught their attention.
Thousands of people flocked there, full of hope, and came out of it in despair. This human and alien tide did not help them to concentrate, the Force was stirring all around them as they were overwhelmed by all these intentions and thoughts. By mutual agreement, they decided to find a quieter place to meditate and hunt down Zorii's presence in this city. The exercise would not be easy, since the smuggler was not in harmony with the Force, but they knew that together they would eventually make it.
Rey spotted a hotel not far from the huge casino, and they entered it, keeping their heads down. They soon realized that this wasn't necessary, as the hotel was full of suspicious people, but they preferred to be careful, as Rey's face was plastered all over the city. They asked for a room, and Rey pursed her lips when she saw Ben waving his hands discreetly as he leaned over the reception counter. The man who was taking care of them didn't notice anything and immediately asked their names to register their reservation.
"Ben S..." he started without thinking.
Rey's alarmed look silenced him and he seemed to hesitate for a few moments. The receptionist, under the influence of the Force, didn't seem to notice, luckily.
"Ben Kenobi," he resumed.
The receptionist thanked him, enter down the name and invited them to follow him.
Rey had heard the name somewhere before and asked him about his choice. He then gave her the image of an old man in a Jedi dress, she couldn't make out his face but the outfit was recognizable. Eventually she remembered the echo of a conversation with Leia.
It was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke's Master, whose nickname Ben had inspired Leia and Han for their son. The man who reunited them with Luke. Leia's last hope.
Ben never really liked his name, he once told her. Everything about him, from his history, to his ancestors, to that name, never ceased to remind him that he belonged to a great family, to a legend. And that he would never be worthy of it.
Their name and origins being a painful subject for both of them, Rey didn't want to expand, but she was still surprised that he chose this name more than any other. He shrugged his shoulders and explained that he had spent too much time denying his identity, and that he didn't want to change his name again, even for a cover.
You still could have avoided using the Force, what if someone had seen us?
Did you have any credits on you? Ben commented sarcastically.
She grumbled but couldn't answer anything, he was right.
After climbing up several levels, the receptionist had them take a private elevator and lead them to the end of a long corridor with dual doors. He opened them with a passkey, which he handed to Ben, and asked if there was anything he could do for them. Ben waved his hand, reminding him to forget that he had seen them, and that their room had been well paid for the night. Rey entered and sighed in exasperation.
"You had to get something so luxurious? We're going to be spotted, this must be the best room in the whole hotel!"
"You deserve the best," was his only answer.
She turned around, ready to get angry, when she met his eyes. She had offended him.
"Ben, I've slept in an ATAT shell all my life, I would have settled for a tent outside if it had been necessary."
He looked down and Rey didn't insist. She took a few steps and started to visit, Ben following her silently.
The suite — since it was more than just a room — was huge. There was a living room, a large bathroom and two bedrooms. She explored each one with an air of indifference, because after all, they were not there to enjoy, they were on a mission. Yet when she stopped in the second bedroom and saw the bed in the middle of the room, her critics died in her throat.
Perhaps because of the oversized mattress, or the soft blankets that invited her to snuggle in, or the carpets under her feet that made her want to run her hand through the soft texture, or perhaps because for the first time in a long time she and Ben were completely alone.
There was no danger of being disturbed, no guard on the horizon, they were not limited by the bond, they were truly alone.
In a room.
Her annoyance had now disappeared and she felt blushed at all the things she was thinking at the moment. She didn't need the bond to know that Ben was thinking the same things, his dark gaze revealed it to her.
In one movement they dropped their stuff on the floor and rushed at each other.
They couldn't make it to the bed, but without ever letting go of their lips, they knelt down on one of the large, thick woolen rugs. It was as soft and comfortable as Rey had imagined. The urgency, the tension of their situation gave her courage, and she wasted no time in taking off his jacket and the worn-out black sweatshirt he was wearing underneath. Ben was now shirtless in front of her.
She couldn't help but bite her lips as she looked at him. He was handsome. She had him all to herself. She tried to feel guilty for her friend who was waiting, trapped, she really tried, but she was too selfish. She had been dreaming about this moment for so long, it was very likely that they were about to fall into a trap. There might not be another moment. So she stopped blaming herself and offered her full attention to the man in front of her.
With hasty, slightly awkward gestures, she continued to kiss him, then sat astride him. She slid her hands over his chest, clawing him very lightly, enjoying the tension in his muscles as he shivered under her touch. He broke their embrace and kissed her neck and then her throat. Rey yelped with surprise and pleasure as he held her against him, one hand on her waist, the other lower down. She wanted him so much, and from what she could feel against her, so did Ben.
She wanted to offer him everything, her spirit, her soul, her hea... she had given them to him long before, tonight she was going to offer him her body.
Ben grunted with pleasure at the thought, a grunt that caused many spasms throughout her whole being. She grabbed the sides of her tunic and with a trembling gesture she began to pass it over her arms, but Ben stopped her. He did it for her, then threw the garment to the ground, and caressed her now naked back with his long hands.
Rey shivered as he began to undo the cloth that held her chest tight. Very slowly he untied the strap and then unrolled the long strips of fabric once, then twice. As he did so, Rey feverishly kissed his face, his lips, his jaw to hide the discomfort she was feeling. Ben had almost finished undressing her when they both stopped.
Rey stepped back to meet his gaze, he had the same expression of shock as she did. For the Force had just given them a warning. A wave of fear that deposited a thin film of cold sweat on the back of their necks, as they felt an unhealthy presence in the flow of energy that united all living beings. A terribly familiar presence. Ben recognized it immediately and passed on his revelation in the bond. It was the presence he had once felt in her mind, he could never have forgotten it.
Rey's tormentor was on this planet. Very close to them. She shivered with fear and threw her arms around his neck for comfort, burying her head in his hair. He held her tightly against him, whispering to reassure her.
"Let's go get that son of a bitch."
/
/
Finn woke up with a start, with the sensation of being chased, sticking to his skin. Feeling restrained, it took him a few moments to realize that he was in bed, his body tangled in his blankets. He closed his eyes again, trying to remember his nightmare, before jumping again when he heard a scream to his left.
"FINN... Get up!"
"AH!"
He suddenly opened his eyes, and Jannah's face appeared above his own.
"Sorry, you were agitating in your sleep."
"What time is it?"
"It's early in the afternoon, you were sleeping so well I didn't want to wake you, but now we have to go!"
"Kriff! What'd I miss?"
"Poe and Connix went back to Naboo."
Knocks on the door startled them.
"What's going on?"
"It's Rose, go and get dressed, she's waiting for us."
Half an hour later, they joined the mechanic in the General's office where she, the two droids BB8 and C3PO, and Chewbacca were waiting for them. Rose seemed worried, noticed Finn, as her friend walked back and forth across the room. She stopped when she saw them enter.
"At last! What took you so long?"
"Someone had a hard time waking up," Jannah taunted.
Finn ignored her and walked towards Rose.
"What's going on?" He asked her.
"We've got a problem. The Falcon is missing."
He closed his eyes and sighed. Somehow he already knew what she was about to tell him, he wasn't even sure if the Force had anything to do with it.
"Let me guess..."
"Rey and Ben left."
"Run away you mean."
"They disabled the Falcon's tracking system, but I was still able to recover their destination. I think they went to Lianna."
"You mean they're..." started Jannah, unsure. "They went to make the exchange? Rey's gonna turn herself in?"
"I doubt Ben will let her," Rose said. "No, I think it's a rescue mission."
"What a bunch of idiots," Finn spat out. "She's the one they want, she'll fall right into a trap!"
"What should we do Finn? We can't let her get captured!"
"Of course we can't, but..."
"Wait," Jannah tells them. "They're Jedis, I mean, if there are any who can get out of this, it's them!"
"Can you imagine the bloodshed if Ben or Rey got captured? Or worse... we have to go help them!"
"First we'll calm down and contact Poe. Rose, I'm surprised you haven't already told Kaydel."
"She's got enough to worry about... the negotiations are so important! What happens if the Queen of Naboo finds out we let Ben escape? What about the other systems? They hadn't addressed the captivity clause in the treaties yet..."
"It's a risk we'll have to take, we can't go headlong into this."
He surprised himself with his own words. How far away he seemed the time when he would have gone, without thinking, to Rey's rescue.
"Why did they do that," despairs Rose. "We were suppose to think of a plan together."
"I have no idea. But I hope they know what they're doing."
/
/
"Rey, no."
"We'll draw less attention that way."
"I am not okay with it."
"I don't care."
She kissed him on the cheek before blending in with the casino customers. Ben sighed in annoyance as he lost sight of her after a few minutes.
Relax, I'm still here, she reassured him in the bond.
I don't like that.
Then let's hurry up and find some information.
Unconsciously he put his hand on his mother's saber hanging at his waist, well hidden under his clothes. After separating and reluctantly dressing up, he and Rey quickly resumed their primary mission, finding Zorii.
But Rey — and he couldn't understand why he'd agreed to this — had managed to convince him to do some snooping. They didn't know where their friend was anyway, she had told him, so if they could find out who was trying to catch her, now was their chance. When had he ever been able to deny her anything?
Yet he could hardly understand the sense of excitement that had replaced the young woman's fear. Rey seemed almost eager to face her tormentor. He, on the other hand, stood on guard, ready to stop anyone who wished to harm presence of this mysterious person on the planet had at least given them a lead. Something seemed to be happening.
All the fanatics in town had disappeared, and had probably joined for an assembly, or some other important reason. Rey and Ben had to find out now.
It was her idea to start with the casino. Dressing up in a more elegant outfit, putting on makeup, and covering her hair with fabric, she no longer looked like the wild Jedi they all seemed to hate.
There were so many people, so much excitement that night, the establishment was the best way for them to learn more. And in the midst of it all, a lonely, curious woman would attract less attention than a couple. He knew she was right, but he couldn't bear to have her away from him in this hostile environment. So he decided to let her go and just observe the surroundings, looking for something or someone to lead them to their enemies.
He could feel her a few yards away, playing on a gambling table, her amusement was almost not feigned. He himself couldn't help smiling at her winning, before he realized that she had helped his luck a little by using the Force.
It's so easy!
Be careful. That's how they're spotted.
Who?
People like us.
His comment stopped her immediately and, collecting her winnings, she left the table.
He stared at her as she walked to the bar and ordered a drink. Wanting to leave as soon as possible, Ben imitated her and joined a gambling table as well. Many drunk customers were already there, and he easily joined in the discussion.
All his childhood memories of playing with his father and Lando came back to him, and he closed his eyes for a few moments to repress the grief that assailed him. Then he began his game, and it was as if his father was at his side, telling him which move to play, which opponent to watch out for. Ben won the first set. He quickly ripped off the other players, while keeping a close eye on Rey. He almost got up and ran out of the room when he felt a man sitting next to her, offering her a drink.
"Sir? Sir, it's your turn."
Ben grunted before he rolled the dice.
What the hell are you doing?
Calm down, I think I'm finally onto something.
Don't take anything from him! Maybe he put some spices or...
Ben, it's all right. I know what I'm doing.
He couldn't replied back. He had to calm down, he was smothering her, he was going to scare her, but he couldn't help himself. Why couldn't she understand that she was the most important person to him, that he could never forgive himself if something happened to her, if ...
Kira? He asked her when he heard the name she had just used.
Yes.
In his mind, two little girls were walking through sand dunes, then hanging from huge destroyer carcasses, picking up small metal parts and stuffing them into a bag.
Who is it?
An orphan like me, we worked together for Plutt for a while.
What happened to her, asked Ben as he felt sadness invade his thoughts.
She fell. We were exploring a dangerous part of a dreadnaught, a platform collapsed and our ropes broke. I barely survived. At the time, I didn't know it was because of the Force, of course. She didn't make it. We were a lot alike, except for one thing. Over the years it came very close that I ended up like her.
Rey...
He would never stop feeling outraged by the indifferent tone she always used about her miserable childhood. How could she doubt her abilities for one moment when she had learned how to survive from an early age?
You heard that, Rey thought, pulling him out of his reflections.
I'm coming.
He left the game he was about to lose and joined her at the bar. Standing behind her, he kissed her on the cheek before placing a possessive hand on her waist.
"Kira," he told her. "I've been looking for you."
"I was chatting with..."
She waved her hand to the man who seemed unhappy with Ben's arrival.
"You don't need to know my name. I think I'll go."
"Wait," shouted Rey, holding him by the sleeve.
A strange collar appeared on his shirt, and the man hastily closed his jacket.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"We saw the banners outside, but no one could tell us, something is happening, and we want to be a part of it."
"Who. Are. You?"
"We lost everything because of a Force sensitive, they say this is where we get justice," lied Rey.
Immediately the man seemed to calm down and gave them a little smile.
"If you will follow me."
You're good at improvising.
They are not difficult to convince.
/
/
"THEY DID WHAT?"
Finn jumped at the outburst of the Resistance leader and worried about his hearing. Sitting across the desk, he had just contacted by comlink his friends who had returned to Naboo to continue negotiations on the United Galactic Systems Charter.
"Hush Poe, everyone is looking at us," Connix calmed him down.
"Why didn't anyone stop them?" He replied, lowering his voice.
"No one noticed," Finn grumbled.
"We leave for a few minutes, and that's what happens when I give you command?"
Finn closed his eyes, trying to control the anger that threatened to come out after his friend and co-general's comment. He was surprised at how easily he was able to push it away. He tried to convince himself that it had nothing to do with the exercises their runaway prisoner had been making him work these past few days.
Poe seemed to realize that he was becoming rude, and he apologized in a small voice before whispering again:
"Wait before you do anything, if we leave now I think we can be back in a couple of hours."
"Poe!" Connix's voice came out of Finn's comlink, quite angry. "We've just arrived on Naboo, we can't leave until the negotiations are over this time!"
"Zorii is still out there, prisoner! If they've gone to rescue her, they're going to need help! We've got to get back!"
"Poe don't worry, just focus on the negotiations, we'll handle this."
"You what?" cried Connix, forgetting her discretion. "Rose, no! You're not going there!"
"Our friends are in danger! If you think I'm going to sit here and do nothing!"
"What happened to all your talk about us having to think and make the best decision? I won't let you take that risk!"
"Let's try to stay calm," said Jannah, trying to ease the tension. "We all have responsibilities, and we all want to save our friends, okay? So if we could..."
"You're not a fighter, Rose," Connix said. "It's not your role!"
"Then what is my role? To wait quietly while others take their chances? I may not be a commander, but you can't take that away from me! We all fought on Exegol together, I know how to fight!"
"I forbid you."
"You... what?"
"Calm down! Finn, I didn't want to have to do this, but don't do anything without us. It's..." Poe hesitated. "That's an order."
"We have to go back, they're waiting for us. Rose, I need your promise that you won't put yourself in danger. Please."
"You're negotiating for peace but what good will it do if..."
"Rose wait!"
She cut off communication angrily. A heavy silence stretched across the office. Jannah broke it first.
"So uh... what do we do now?"
"We get ready. And we join those two idiots on Lianna. We're gonna save our friends."
/
/
Without a sound they followed the man through the casino. He greeted many people, and doors were opened in his path. Finally he led them to a turbo-lift that had nothing to do with the one in the hotel where they had been a few hours earlier.
Rey could feel Ben's disagreement radiating into the bond. They were making a mistake, they should have used this time to find Zorii, instead they were running headlong into the lion's den. But Rey felt it was the right thing to do, they needed to learn more about the people they were fighting, the people who feared them. As they descended into the depths of the casino, the light was fading, and the pressure on their eardrums increased. But most of all, it was the Force vibrating within them, alerting them to the growing presence of enemies. And the mysterious and terrifying one that was chasing Rey.
When the elevator stopped, she didn't know at how far underground they were, but when she looked up at the ceiling, she couldn't distinguish the floor they had come down to.
Before they could continue moving forward, they were searched and they had to use the Force discreetly so that their saber could not be felt. Then the man who had led them here made them follow him again. They rushed into a dimly lit tunnel, seemingly dug into the rock. The ceiling was so low here that Ben almost had to bend over so as not to hit his head. He seemed very uncomfortable, and it didn't take long for Rey to figure out what was bothering him. Ever since he'd been in prison, Ben had hated narrow, dark spaces. She saw his fists close several times as he took a deep breath to keep his calm. She took his hand in hers and sneakily kissed his knuckles.
At last they reached the end of the tunnel and came out on a metal platform. Rey leaned over the railings to contemplate where they were.
A gigantic cave. Over a hundred meters, both in depth and width, a space seemed to have been dug according to the rocky surface. Huge sections of pointed rock were rising and falling from the ceiling, looking like melted wax. All over the walls were banners representing a large broken circle reforming itself. The emblem of the Eghalist. Small light probes illuminated the place and made them aware of the human tide which was just below.
Kriff, how many are they?
Rey we should never have come here !
It's too late now...
With feigned enthusiasm, they descended metal stairs and mingled with the crowd that gathered in front of a stone platform.
"This is the first time I've seen him in real life!"
"He gives me the creeps, but he is impressive, you'll see!"
Ben and Rey stood behind several women who whispered to each other. Several long minutes passed before the probes reduced their glare. Multiple holocams began scanning the cavern, filming all the participants. At last the murmurs of conversation turned into a growl, as some shouted or tapped their feet. The deafening din stunned Rey, and when she was jostled by excited groups, she whimpered in terror. Ben grabbed her against him and put his arms around her, protecting her with his massive body. He put his chin to her head, reassuring her as best he could. Her curiosity now completely gone, Rey turned her head several times to try to find another way out than the one they'd entered, but the darkness of the cave didn't allow her to see anything.
At the first opportunity we'll get out of here, Ben warned her.
She couldn't help but approve.
The surrounding sounds became louder and louder and then stopped abruptly. Several silhouettes appeared on the side of the stage and rose among the crowd, one of them moving forward.
At last he was there.
For it was indeed a man. The presence in Rey's mind, that signature so characteristic in the Force belonged to a man. Tall enough, as far as she could tell from that distance, he was wearing a dark hooded tunic, unbuttoned at the front, revealing a bare, whitish torso, as if he had never seen the sun in his life. He lowered his hood, and long blond hair emerged from it. Ben held her tighter against him, and she clung to his arms, which anchored her in the present.
The chief had raised his arms in a sign of greeting to the congregation, and cries of joy and excitement echoed against the walls of the cave. He opened a piece of his tunic and a microphone escaped from it and floated before his face.
"My friends," he began. "What a pleasure to see that there are more of us every time."
New cries greeted his words. Rey shivered. There was something disturbing and creepy about his voice.
If we keep a low profile they'll have no reason to unmask us. There are at least a thousand of them!
But Rey didn't share Ben's optimism.
It's my fault we're here, I'm sorry.
Don't worry, nothing will happen to us.
"Each of you stands here for your own reasons, each of you has suffered from the tyranny of the Force and its chosen ones. You seek justice, and I propose to offer it to you tonight."
"For millennia the Galaxy has been ruled by these sorcerers, these manipulators of this magic. They have convinced us that we need them, that we are inferior to them, that the Force is good for us! They proclaimed themselves our saviors, our protectors, but their Force was responsible for all the wars and conflicts that ravaged the Galaxy!"
"If they had only fought within themselves, perhaps it would have been possible to live in harmony, but no! We have been mixed up in their quarrels for power and domination! They made us adhere to their belief and religion. They enslaved us. They even nearly destroyed themselves, what a pity that so many of them survived. We are still suffering the consequences today. But all that is about to change. Tonight, we take our destiny into our own hands."
Explosion-like blows rang out and Rey jumped violently in Ben's arms. The lights on the stage dimmed as they lit up an empty space in the crowd. Everyone pushed each other to let several hooded figures pass, holding a man in handcuffs.
What the...
Ben, the Force... Do you feel that?
Yeah. I don't like this.
His strange calm disturbed her, as Rey struggled not to run away and leave this dreadful place. There was an excitement in the crowd around her that made her blood run cold, more so than the man who galvanized them all.
The leader of the Eghalist, for there was no doubt as to his identity now, welcomed his men and the prisoner warmly, always in that sweet and terrifying tone.
"We have a special guest with us tonight. Would you mind introducing yourself, sir?"
The man was thrown to the ground by one of the guards, and got up with difficulty because of his shackled hands. He tried to stand up but the leader shook his head to stop him.
Rey already hated him.
Then the prisoner stammered out his name in a small voice that was covered by the conversations of the crowd, which had resumed as soon as the leader fell silent. He started again in a louder voice but was cut off.
"No wait. We do not care about your name."
Immediately there was silence. He controlled the assembly with such authority and charisma that it was disturbing.
"Let's look at your actions instead. My dear friends, here is an honest man, a serious entrepreneur and business leader. In appearance."
"His company extracts and refines minerals... What is less well known, however, is that it also specializes in the manufacture and sale of weapons. There is nothing illegal or immoral about it. No, of course, the weapons trade is above all a business, I agree."
"But what's interesting, is the way this man conducts his affairs. You see, not content with the demise of the First Order and the Empire, our comrade here had to switch to smaller customers. Defenceless, pacifist systems. Bandits, bounty hunters, all that, it wasn't enough money, was it? You chose to create demand, because after all, there's nothing more expensive for an arms dealer than peace."
He circled around the man, and from time to time gave him disgusted glances, while the silent crowd seemed to drink his words.
"You invented conflict. You played on both fronts, providing victims and executioners, convincing them to continue to fight when peace was possible. My friends!" "This man," he pointed his finger at him, "is responsible for thousands of deaths. He has on his hands the blood of thousands of innocent people whom he manipulated to buy his weapons and fight among themselves. Thanks to the Force," he spat.
The man had curled up on himself. Humiliated, he looked pathetic in that moment.
"The Force allowed you to do this, this abomination convinced you that you could take control of these people, that you could control their lives. You convinced yourself that you were superior, that you were better than them, THAN US!"
The crowd shouted with him loudly.
"It's time to restore the balance."
"No I didn't... I never wanted to, I didn't know..."
The man yelped as the speaker grabbed him by the collar of his garment and lifted him up.
"You didn't know? You knowingly used the Force to drive these people to kill each other. That's the kind of man you are. The Force gave you that power and this is what you've done with it. Profit."
He let go of him and the surprised man fell to the ground at his knees.
"You disgust me. I am disgusted by the Force sensitive beings. Convinced that they are above us, above nature and its laws."
He spat at his feet.
"What will your Force do to stop me from killing you? Nothing. You feel it, don't you? The magnificent power you hold, can you feel it warning you of danger? You're not even trying to use it against me, because you know it's futile. How ironic. You're going to die by your own weapons."
A blaster was brought to him and he pointed it at the man in front of him. The latter began to cry, begging for his life.
"Look me in the eye, you scum."
The crowd in front of him fell silent at once.
Rey was revolted. They couldn't let the man be shot down like that. Something had to be done. She wanted to come forward, but she was being held by Ben.
There are thousands of them. What are you going to do?
It's awful, we can't let him do this!
He's no saint.
Ben!
Between him and us, I won't hesitate for a second. Please hold still.
She nodded silently, but she could feel Ben's body clinging more closely to hers, trying to comfort her. He didn't approve either, but it would have been foolish to try anything. The man placed the blaster barrel on his victim's forehead, and only a morbid silence accompanied his gesture. Finally, he turned to the assembly and spoke once again in his deep voice.
"You may wonder what right I have to dispose of his life, wouldn't I be exactly like him in this case?"
A few murmurs were heard, but no one spoke out loud. He lowered the gun.
"Let me tell you a story. My story."
"When I was a child, my family and I belonged to the Church of the Force. From the time I was old enough to think, I was taught to worship the Force, to worship and protect those who could feel it and use it. My father was very ... invested in our role as guardians of the secrets of the Force, very protective of this religion. My family was poor, peaceful. An ideal, defenseless target. And that's when they arrived... One day, a group of warriors calling themselves the Knights of Ren..."
The crowd was frightened by the evocation of a well-known threat.
"... came to our home. They had heard about our small parish and my father's efforts to gather followers. It had caught their attention. And excited them."
"You see, they weren't there to rob us, or just kill us, no. They were there to have fun. They lined us up, none of us thought of resisting, because after all they were using the Force, even in an evil way, our creed required us to obey them! One of them raised his hand and took possession of my mind and body."
He took a deep breath before bowing his head.
"I killed them all. My father, my mother, my sisters, my grandparents. My whole family perished that night. I wish I could tell you that I had no memory of what they made me do, but that would be wrong. After that, they almost left me for dead, driven mad by my actions. But I was very much alive. And it wasn't long before I was spreading the terror of their deeds."
Rey shook Ben's hand in hers at the horror of what he'd been saying.
Ben... tell me you didn't... she told him safely in the bond.
Of course not! It must have been before I joined them, under my command they would never have done such a thing!
Rey could hardly refrain from sighing with relief, but a terrible weight had been lifted from her, and she knew that Ben had felt it. He tried to hide from her the sadness he felt that she thought he was capable of such a thing, but she sensed it anyway. As she apologized for her lack of confidence, Rey suddenly felt like the leader was looking directly at them.
He had paused in his speech, and he couldn't take his eyes off her, a strange glow illuminating them. He resumed his story, but the uneasiness did not leave her.
"When I managed to join the other worshippers, it was not my surprise to see that they all already knew about the massacre. The voices of the Force are impenetrable I was told, when I recounted to them the terrible acts I had been forced to commit."
"I was only ten years old, but they tried to explain to me that I had to accept the death of my parents because a mystical power had decided so. I had to venerate it, to thank it for the massacre of my family. It was a good thing, they themselves had returned to the Force, they were at peace. I understood that night that the Force was nothing but cruelty. A unnatural abnormality that leads to the inequality of life. My friends. It is time for this to end. What do you think of this?"
This time everyone started screaming with their fists up.
"DEATH!"
"NO TO THE FORCE!"
He rotated the blaster between his fingers, before pointing the gun at the man again, this time at his belly.
"I want you to understand that I am not your leader, I am not a superior authority, I will not rise to dominate you. Tonight this power over this man's life is not mine alone, it's ours, all of us. Tonight we take power over those who have tried to oppress us."
Rey was about to scream, but Ben stopped her by shouting in the bond.
Close your eyes but don't look away, we are being observed!
She tried to calm down, to clear her head, but in vain. Moved by a morbid curiosity, she finally opened her eyes. The shot rang out in a deafening roar in the cave.
Blood splashed across the stage, and the torso caught slightly on fire. The man stood still for a few moments before falling backwards.
He was dead.
The silence that had accompanied him did not last, and the crowd began to shout and clap.
"The Era of the Force and its followers is over! A new era of equality will now begin! We must stop being afraid of the Force, the Force and its believers will have to be afraid of us!"
The crowd was delirious, shouting their joy and excitement.
Rey and Ben did not share their excitement, and she herself felt as if she was about to faint. Never before had the Force sent her these unsettling sensations. Oppressing her, almost suffocating her, it was vibrating, stretching through her and Ben, as if someone was begging them to help it. So many people hated it, so many people seemed ready to destroy it, but how could they destroy something that was within them, even if they were not aware?
But already the leader seemed to resume:
"We were isolated my friends, we believed their lies, they were fewer in number but stronger. That's what they wanted us to believe, that's what made us easy and fun targets. That's what made bloodthirsty warriors approached a child to make him kill his parents."
"As you know, these warriors have long been led by the infamous Kylo Ren, who until not so long ago had taken over the leadership of the First Order."
Ben and Rey hugged each other even more, suddenly very worried, while the assembly of fanatics began to shout and jeer.
"Kylo Ren is at this very moment safe and protected by this clandestine group called the Resistance, and by none other than the last Jedi."
The screams grew louder and louder.
"DEATH TO THE JEDI," shouted one man in the crowd, and all rushed to repeat his cry.
What do you say we leave, suggested Ben, while clapping at the same time to keep up appearances.
She nodded sharply. Both of them felt danger, the Force was howling inside them, and they kept themselves from running away as they felt cold sweats and shivers in all their bodies. Clinging to him, she implored him in the bond to forgive her curiosity. Ben grabbed her by the waist and held her tight. No matter what happened tonight, they would stay together.
"At least, he was until tonight."
The leader smiled with a grin on his face, and Rey's fear reached a whole new level. Why was he provoking such a reaction in her? They had killed the Emperor, a monstrous man, much more dangerous than this lunatic. Yet she was trembling at that moment. Maybe because they were outnumbered, they didn't want to fight, they didn't want to prove them right. Unable to wait any longer, they began to move quietly to the side.
"But I'm failing in all my duties. Excuse me, we have distinguished guests this evening, I must introduce them!"
Ben and Rey stopped. The man raised his hands and Rey could have sworn he was greeting them now.
"Kylo Ren and the Last Jedi are among us my friends!"
He motioned to a light probe, and pointed his finger at it. The device floated quietly, illuminating surprise heads, which turned as it passed them. Then stopping above them, Ben and Rey could feel the warmth of the light and the piercing eyes of a thousand people staring at them.
Fuck, Ben thought.