A/N: Hello ! I'm already late in my schedule, but here's chapter 28. Thanks for your reviews!
Chapter 28
South Hangar, Ohma D'un.
Rose was stamping nervously as she watched the time pass on the ship's control panels. Almost three hours had passed since she had made her decision, and two since she was waiting for Finn. Jannah, Chewie and BB8 had long since taken their seats, but the Co-General was late. Unable to leave the Resistance without command and instruction, he had gone around the base and set up orders until Poe returned. This was what worried Rose the most, that the General and her girlfriend would return before they had time to run away.
"What the kriff is he doing," she grumbled.
It shouldn't have taken that long to give orders to a few captains and commanders. Rose trembled slightly at the thought of one of them. She missed her, Commander Connix, her lover, the woman she cared for more than anything else and who was just a few planets away from her. And yet she had never felt so little desire to see her. After their argument, Rose hadn't taken the time to dwell on the words they had exchanged, there was so much to prepare, to organize for their rescue mission. Rey and Ben had been acting like fools, but they couldn't risk being captured, and she didn't want anything to happen to Zorii, or Rey, or maybe even Ben.
She had come to like this man their Jedi had grown fond of. He was unpleasant and annoying most of the time, but on several occasions she had been able to see the man behind the former Supreme Leader's apparent coldness. She wouldn't have thought of him as a friend, but she knew what he meant to Rey, and she saw the efforts he was trying to make, to make up for the mistakes and crimes he had committed. If she could never forgive the First Order for what had been done to her sister and so many others, it was possible that one day she might be able to forgive Ben Solo. But that would require that he and Rey escape from their foolishness. Alive.
For the tenth time at least, she wondered if she wasn't about to do one in her turn. Wasn't Kaydel right after all? Was she really a warrior? Or a simple mechanic who'd found herself in conflicts beyond her control ? She felt a twinge in her heart again when she thought of the commander. She and Kaydel had never fought like this before. She blamed herself for the way she'd reacted, but in the end she knew she was right. Zorii and Rey, her friends, were in serious danger and she would never be able to look at herself in the mirror if she didn't do something to help them.
Finn's silhouette running into the hangar made her come out of her thoughts, and she hurried to turn on the engines. But her friend didn't seem to hurry to get on board.
The shape of the ship and her small size didn't allow Rose to distinguish him completely, but he seemed to be talking to someone. Come on, we didn't have time for that! She climbed on the seat so she could see the whole hangar, but her friend was gone. Not far from reassuring her, she came down from her improvised perch and swung her seat towards the cockpit exit.
"What's going on?" she shouted.
No one answered her and she felt the annoyance coming on. She called out again, when Jannah's voice echoed from the back of the ship.
"Uh, Rose? Think you should come and see."
She got out of the seat, and took a quick step towards the door.
What happened now, she muttered to herself. All the annoyance she'd felt was instantly gone as she froze at the threshold of the ship. Finn was there, but he wasn't alone. Beside him, Poe and Kaydel were standing there, looking very angry.
Oops.
Poe walked forward first and faced her, with his arms folded over his chest.
"So you're disobeying your General?" he said.
The said General received no answer other than the silence of his friends caught red-handed. Yet Rose didn't let herself be intimidated for very long. Breathing in to give herself courage, she moved off to observe her partner.
"Kaydel, I'm sorry for what I said," she began. "But our friends are out there, we have to help them!"
The latter slowly approached her. Her face still closed, Rose felt her heart break. She had never wanted this. Oh how she blamed herself in that moment. When they came face to face, Rose lowered her eyes, unable to face the reproachful look of her partner. She still hadn't said anything, but suddenly, Rose was in her arms. She didn't take the time to analyse this strange situation and she hurried to hug the young woman's body.
"I know," Kaydel whispered in her ear. "I understand now. I'm sorry too Rose, I should never have told you that, I was awful."
She backed away, loosening her embrace slightly, before speaking aloud.
"We're coming with you."
Poe laughed at their surprised expression before making a hand gesture towards Finn. He nodded his head and activated the mechanism that closed the ship's door. The General gave Chewie an affectionate pat on the back and the wookie answered with a playful grunt, before crouching down in front of his droid.
"Hey buddy ! Were you going to leave without me?"
BB8 mischievously beeped as he performed a few rotations on himself.
"Poe listen, we had to..."
He cut Finn in his embarrassed speech, and put an arm around his shoulder.
"I would have done the same."
"And the negotiations?" Jannah inquired.
"Finished! The UGS and the charter just came into effect. There's still a few loose ends to tie up of course, but in the history of the Galaxy I don't think we've ever seen anything faster! You should have seen Connix!"
Followed by all, he left for the cockpit. Rose was left alone with Kaydel in the ship's hall. She took her face in her hands and kissed her gently. Rose returned the kiss with delight, before quickly freeing herself.
"But why?" she whispered.
"Because you were right. What's the point of negotiating and seeking peace if none of our friends will enjoy it? You were planning to go, and I won't let you put yourself in danger without helping you my love."
This time it was Rose who threw herself at her to kiss her.
"You finished? Asked for Poe's distant voice.
"Not to mention the fact that I'm the second in command of the Generals," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "And I can't leave them alone for two minutes without them getting into trouble."
"I heard that," Finn replied outraged.
"Me too," Poe said.
They joined the rest of the crew in the cockpit, and Rose sat in the co-pilot's seat next to Poe. He activated the sublight engines, and before he could get their ship off the ground, she heard him whisper:
"Hang on, Zorii, we're gonna get you out of here."
/
/
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.
Rey came closer to him, stepping forward to protect him. It was her fault, it was all her fault, she couldn't let anything happen to him.
Stop it, he told her.
Whispers were coming from all around them. Their leader had stopped pointing at them and his men began to follow him as he moved on. He stepped over the body of the prisoner he had just shot, without looking at him, and slowly descended from the platform. With a vague wave of his hand, he ordered holocam droids to keep shooting. The holocam moved up into the cave and positioned themselves near Ben and Rey. The leader began to walk and made his way among his followers. He seemed strangely confident, and the smile on his face terrified her. She felt Ben grab his saber, and light the blade. The whispers turned into insults, as they were obviously annoyed by his gesture. They were far too outnumbered to do anything about it, but Rey pulled hers out, too. After all they had been exposed, there was no point in hiding now.
The man was still moving forward, imperturbable and apparently very satisfied.
Ben ... I'm scared ...
I'm telling you, I won't let them take us without a fight!
They're too many, we're going to hurt people!
I don't care!
Oh Ben I'm so sorry, it's my fault ...
That's not the time, we're going to get out of this Rey, I promise you!
Dozens of fanatics, armed with blasters, surrounded them. One of them appeared on the side and tried to grab Ben by the arm.
"Don't touch me," he growled as he raised his saber.
Another caught him from behind and he pushed him back with the Force. The man was thrown away and fell heavily into the crowd of spectators. Cries of panic and anger rose all around them. The leader took this opportunity to speak out.
"You see. They are dangerous. They will not hesitate to kill us all."
He had continued to move forward and was standing right next to her now. Rey was terrified, she was looking for a way out, but couldn't find one. There were so many of them. She tightened her grip on her saber, but she didn't use it, she didn't want to play their game, that's what they all seemed to be waiting for, for her to defend herself, to hurt them. She mustn't do that.
"Rey!" Shouted Ben.
She turned around and saw him being taken away. She saw that he was holding back from making a massacre right now. He could have killed them all, he would have done it not so long ago. She jumped as the leader addressed her.
"Rey."
/
/
Much taller than she had imagined from afar, his eyes were as dark as Ben's, but his gaze was lacking the warmth she loved so much. His wicked smile raised the corners of his mouth in an sickly grin.
"The last Jedi."
A man with dark skin, much darker than Finn or Jannah's, stood beside her.S he had spent enough time with her friends to realize that he was his right-hand man. The man leaned over to his leader and whispered in his ear. The leader nodded his head and then turned his attention back to Rey.
"Who are you ?"
"If you knew how long I've been waiting for you Rey."
Behind him his second in command had just frowned but didn't say anything.
"Why? What do you want from me?"
A blaster shot rang out behind her and she jumped as she turned around. Someone had just shot Ben, and he had fired back with his saber. The culprit was dead, killed by his own gun. She was about to walk towards him, towards the other half of her soul, when something stopped her. The presence was familiar to her, as if she had met him before.
The crowd was getting closer and closer, and Rey felt more and more oppressed. She looked back into the leader's eyes and found herself strangely reassured. She concentrated on it. The Force had ceased its warnings.
As if all the sounds around her had fallen silent, she saw him smile all the more. Something was going on, she couldn't put her finger on it, the man looked familiar, but she didn't remember seeing him before. The bond also seemed more distant, and she could barely hear Ben calling her.
Rey ... What are you doing?
Wait, I've...
Stop it! We must escape!
I need to know, please Ben.
Don't ask me to see you executed in front of these people!
I just want to understand!
She closed the bond. She had to know.
The man had reached out his hand now. She wasn't supposed to do that, but it was too tempting. Flashes of light passed through her field of vision. She turned off her saber, then after a final hesitation, she took her enemy's hand in hers. The casino cave disappeared and she found herself under the cold light of Exegol in the Sith fortress. She turned around and saw a figure that had haunted her nightmares for too long.
The Emperor.
"Long have I waited... for my grandchild to come home."
But the Emperor was not alone. The blond man was there too. He couldn't take his eyes off her, he didn't even seem to see where they were, or that a legendary Sith was standing next to him. He only had eyes for her.
"What do you want?"
"You."
He motioned for her to approach and she did so. But as in her dreams, the vision changed and Rey felt that she was falling. Screams rang out, children screaming for help, she would have liked to help them, but she couldn't help herself already. She suddenly landed in a river, the same river in which she would always die in her nights. The current swept her away and Rey was tossed around. Yet for the first time since she had the dream, she was not alone.
Leia!
She was on the shore! Rey reached out her hand, imploring her to save her, but her former master was too far away. She lost sight of her, while the waves were still carrying her down. She recognized the surroundings, she would soon arrive on the rock that would stop her. But here again nothing happened as usual. Someone was sitting on the rock and reaching out his hand to her. It was the blond man! She refused his help, preferring to be dragged into the river. The waves became stronger and stronger, she had never been so far in her dreams.
"BEN!" Howled Rey, relieved that he was there.
He too was trying not to end up drowned, and although he was a better swimmer than she was, he was gradually disappearing under the raging swell. She tried to join him but the waves always prevented her from moving as she wanted. Then she screamed again when Ben disappeared, falling into what seemed to be the end of the current. She turned around, knowing full well what lay ahead. A last breath later, the huge wave that was always reaching her fell on her.
She opened her eyes again and was back in the cave.
The blond man was still there, in the same position, his whitish hand firmly holding hers and smiling with his wicked grin. What did this vision mean, what was the Force trying to tell her?
"What did you..."
"REY! "
A cry louder than those of the angry crowd resounds.
Ben!
She turned around, looking for him. But he had disappeared behind the spectators, she could no longer see him. Everything suddenly came back to her. The sounds, the light, the screams, the blaster shots, the panic. She tried to get her hand back but the leader wouldn't let go.
"Show them who you are," he whispered.
"Let me go!"
She tried to use the Force to free him but the panic of losing Ben distracted her. She couldn't breathe. She was scared. Her grandfather's voice echoed in her mind. He was back. Like every time she would lose control.
Rise, Empress Palpatine.
"NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
This time she got her hand back and the man in front of her started laughing. Oh how she hated him, how she would have wanted him to disappear at that moment.
You know what to do. He deserves it. He'll never stop chasing you. He wants to kill you. Defend yourself.
"No," she whispered. "I control it... I control myself..."
She backed away, getting hit by the panicked crowd. In the distance she could still hear shots and saber blows.
"Ben..."
He needed help, and so did she. They were separated. Already sparks were appearing on her fingers.
DO IT!
She screamed and lightning bolts came from her hands. Like a violent thunderstorm they climbed to the ceiling in a deafening din and licked the rocky walls. The sudden light blinded her and she tipped backwards, hitting the floor painfully. The discharges did not stop and they hit the small light probes. Soon the whole cave was plunged into darkness, lit only by the electric flows. Rey continued to scream in rage and fear, and as she tried to stop her power, the leader bent down and grabbed her by the arm. She reacted instinctively and the lightning hit him hard. He was thrown about ten feet away, screaming in pain. Immediately the lightning vanished. Rey found herself in the dark. Alone.
A blow to the side startled her, then someone stepped on her hand.
The crowd of fanatics were screaming and running in all directions, seeking protection and trying to escape. The darkness made their fear even more dangerous. She tried to get up, but she was getting hit from all sides. She was about to be crushed.
"Ben," she called weakly.
She looked for her saber with her hand, then with the Force, but nothing came. Using what she thought was a rock, she managed to get back on her feet. It was actually a group of people clumped together. No one noticed who she was, but how could they in that darkness? She herself could not make out any faces. A shot was fired next to them, the light from the laser illuminated part of the group for a few moments and she could see their terrified, huddled faces. She thought she saw a young girl who couldn't have been more than thirteen years old. She had to get out of there!
Once again, they saw shots go off, this time towards the ceiling. Pieces of rock, already weakened by her lightning, broke loose and then fell, shattering on the floor and causing panic among the crowd. The group began to run, mingling with the hundreds of people trying to escape. Rey was dragged along in spite of herself. She shouted at them to calm down, they would only manage to hurt themselves by doing so, but the end of her cry died while she was being suffocated. There was no way out, the wave of men and women bumped into the walls, blind and distraught. Yet they continued to huddle together, following a primitive movement dictated by their terrified instincts. Rey's was agitated too, but she could do nothing more. She couldn't breathe. Panting, she tried to hold on to everything she could. A hand, a leg, but the human tide was drowning her. She felt people falling with her, then others covering her. In a final effort, she shouted Ben's name. Then she disappeared under bodies.
/
/
"So?!"
"I'm trying!"
"Come on, focus, Finn!"
"I'd like to see you try! There are too many people on this planet I can't do it!"
"You mean the one time your powers would really help us, you don't know how to use them?"
"It's not a power, it's the Force!"
"Well what do you say you force yourself to hurry up a little!"
An hour earlier they had reached Lianna. Night had already fallen on the planet, making the capital shine brightly. After having landed their aircraft at a good distance on a high disused building, they went back down towards the city in search of Rey and Ben. When their comlink didn't respond, Finn had the bright idea — at least that's what he thought until now — of finding them with the help of the Force. He hadn't revealed to anyone that Ben had been training him for a few days in meditation and other uses of the Force, and despite his meager training, he had imagined that he could track them down without difficulty as their presence had become so easy to identify on Ohma D'un.
He was soon disillusioned when he arrived on Lianna. There were so many people, so many minds, so many sensations, he didn't know where to start. He had managed to spot the Falcon but since then he had made no progress. Poe was getting more and more impatient, and he couldn't blame him.
Rey! He called in his mind, feeling ridiculous to believe that it could work.
"Guys ... stop!" Connix calmed them down as Poe began to turn around and tease him again.
"Where is Jannah?" Rose suddenly asked.
"What's up?"
They were between two small alleyways and the noise hadn't helped him concentrate, and forced them to shout to be heard.
"She was here five minutes ago," Finn exclaimed as he got up from his meditation position.
"Kriff this is not the time!"
Chewie growled softly as he stuck his head behind a wall where the streets were much more crowded. The Wookie had spotted her, she was talking to someone. Their little gang discreetly observed the young woman chatting with two individuals animatedly. Finally the former stormtrooper nodded her head and returned to them.
Finn refrained from hugging her and preventing her from scaring him like that again. But she seemed very satisfied.
"You've learned something," Poe asked her, coming to the same conclusion as he did.
"Nothing about Zorii unfortunately, but something happened. Apparently the city is full of Eghalist. A gathering was held at the Quasar tonight."
"This huge thing there ?" He asked her, making a gesture towards the biggest casino in town.
It was so imposing that you could see it all over the capital. But at that moment, Finn noticed that he couldn't see the roof anymore. Thick black smoke was coming out of it.
"Are you thinking the same as me," Poe asked conspiratorially.
Instinctively, and without using the Force, Finn assumed that whatever had happened there, Rey and Ben were no strangers to it.
"Who' s up for a little game?
/
/
That' s not the time, we're going to get out of this Rey, I promise you!
She didn't respond to his mental promise, and Ben hoped he wasn't mistaken about this. He couldn't even blame her, he would never be able to. Dozens of fanatics, armed with blasters, approached and surrounded them. One of them appeared on the side and surprised him, but when he tried to grab him by the arm, Ben pushed him back and raised his saber.
"Don't touch me," he growled.
Another caught him from behind and instinctively he pushed him away with the Force. The man was thrown away and fell back with a satisfying creak into the crowd of spectators.
Good. Let them understand who they were dealing with. So the Force-sensitive were dangerous? That's what they all thought. They hadn't seen anything yet.
Cries of panic and anger rose up all around them. The leader took this opportunity to speak out.
"You see. They're dangerous. They will not hesitate to kill us all.
You bet I won't hesitate, he thought angrily as he tightened his grip on his saber.
That crazy lunatic who controlled this crowd of fools so well had kept moving forward and was standing very close to Rey now, too close for Ben's taste. She gave him a terrified look and he felt his heart break when he saw her like that. He wished that none of this would happen, that she would never have to go through this.
They weren't in the middle of a fight, against anonymous, masked soldiers, there were innocent people all around them, stupid, unconscious innocents, but they couldn't defend themselves without risking harm from them. He hated them so much for inflicting this on the person who mattered most to him. He saw her looking around in panic, searching, desperately looking for a way out.
A new group of men approached him, and this time he let them. Had he been alone he would have killed them already, but she didn't want to. Maybe he didn't want to either. After all these people were not to blame, they were suffering, they were afraid, the only one responsible was the one who was leading them. He couldn't help but relate it to his own experience.
You changed me so much, he thought.
But the men who had grabbed him didn't just immobilize him, they took him away from her.
"Rey!" He shouted.
Please look at me. I'm doing this for you.
He scolded in rage at the leader who had joined Rey now. He overpowered her by his height, and she gave him the look of a frightened little girl.
Come on! You have faced the Emperor, he is nothing in comparison! You are not the one he describes, you are strong Rey!
Why didn't she hear him?
The man spoke to her, Ben could see his vile lips stretching, but from where he was standing he couldn't hear him, and Rey was completely distracted, the bond was cutting and closing intermittently, like a crackling comlink. The leader was joined by his second, a severe black man. Again Ben could not hear what he was saying, but he stepped back just afterwards and waved to make room for his leader and Rey.
Ben elbowed a man a little too insistent. He had turned off his saber and was standing still for the moment but if they continued like this he would not be able to control himself for long. And as if his patience was to be tested, one of the men decided to taunt him.
"I hope you've said goodbye to your Jedi, you won't get out of this alive."
I hope you can breathe with a broken windpipe, he thought as he stood up.
The man misinterpreted his gesture and rushed to his blaster before shooting him. But even quick reflexes could hardly overcome the Force and those who felt it. Ben reactivated his saber in an instant and the shot ricocheted off it, killing the man he had initiated.
The shock of the explosion and the death of one of their members drew cries of rage around him, and he saw the crowd approaching. He was really starting to get in trouble. But this blow had made Rey turn around too, and crossing her gaze for an instant reassured him. Yet she was already turning her attention to the man in front of her. He could see that she seemed attracted by his presence. His beloved scavenger would never cease to be curious.
Please Rey, stop this. Lets get out of here. I'm not going to hold on for long.
She didn't answer, he didn't even perceive her thoughts correctly anymore. He concentrated for a moment, something he had never needed to do to talk to her before, and finally he managed to reach her.
Rey ... What are you doing?
Wait, I've...
Stop it! We must escape!
I need to know, please Ben.
Don't ask me to see you executed in front of these people!
I just want to understand!
And then it was black. She had closed the bond.
She wanted to be alone.
NO!
But it was too late. With horror he saw her switch off her saber and accept the leader's outstretched hand. The betrayal of this gesture more than any other broke him. She closed her eyes, and whatever she saw at that moment he could not help her.
But Ben wouldn't stand still. He had managed to move with the group of guards holding him to the stage, he was convinced that there must be a way out, dramatic entrances were always sought after by this kind of man, and what better way than to appear out of nowhere.
Keeping an eye on Rey, he saw him waving, his hand still in the other man's hand. At last she seemed to come back to herself, and when she opened her eyes, Ben thought they were yellow. A sign from the second in command earned him a blow in the stomach. He hadn't seen that one coming. Then one in his back. He was hit in the hand, but he didn't let go of the handle of his saber. They were coming more and more around him. Ben didn't know how long he would last without killing them all. He was no Jedi, he had the right to defend himself!
"REY!" he shouted. He hoped that this cry would make her react.
The human tide that separated them prevented him from seeing her.
"Let me go!"
This time he had heard her. Ben turned his saber back on and stuck it in the foot of a man who was trying to hold him down. He cried out in pain, and the blood and horror of his gesture, frightened the soldiers, giving him room to stand up.
"NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Oh that cry meant nothing good. Rey was about to unleash her power.
Resist! Don't give them what they want, they will use it against you!
He turned his saber in front of him, and he succeeded in making the men retreat, but they came more and more numerous, some approached with makeshift weapons that broke under the blows of his mother's old saber. They fired with blaster and Ben, surrounded, had to be more vigilant and agile to avoid being hit. A familiar jolt in the Force passed through him and instinctively he lay down on the ground as Rey's destructive power escaped.
Everyone stopped to look up at the lightning bolts that shot towards the ceiling. Like a thunderstorm blowing over their heads, they soon realized how dangerous the situation was. The light probes were hit and extinguished in a shower of sparks that fell on the frightened heads.
Ben could hear Rey's cries among the crowd. The cave was now only illuminated by her blue lightnings. Slopes of rock were beginning to collapse. Then after a last cry it was black. If panic had already seized the mass, it was nothing compared to the terror that took them when the cave was plunged into complete darkness. Ben was jostled from all sides as the thousands of people tried to escape from what they thought was a trap.
"REY! he shouted.
Where the fuck are you Rey ?!
He couldn't concentrate enough in the Force to find her presence. There were too many people, too many panic-stricken minds, it was too much. A huge man hit him and Ben fell. He managed to catch himself before he hit the ground violently and was surprised to find Rey's saber. The lights generated by the two blades allowed him to move faster, but he had to be careful not to hurt anyone. He had never seen so many people react this way before. It was as if they no longer looked like living beings. They looks like animals, he thought. Most of them weren't even looking ahead, they were just moving as fast as they could. Running, bumping, falling, crushing ... Rey!
At last he could see her. A few meters further on, she had been dragged into a group and she could not get out of it. He made large movements of sabers to make them clear his way and he did not blame himself when his uncle's saber burned an arm of a Twi'lek which was too close. Rey had disappeared under a pile of bodies that had fallen, and already new ones were climbing over them to escape. Ben shouted at them to get out of the way, but his voice was covered by cries of panic. He put out his sabers and struck with his fists, elbows and legs to make his way to the last place he had seen her.
"Rey ! Rey, please answer me! GET OUT," he shouted at a woman who was trying to climb up his back to get over the human tide. He pushed her away with his shoulder and he was about to stand up and use the Force when a small hand that he would have recognized between a thousand of them, sprang up between two strangled and suffocating bodies. He grabbed it and pulled with all his strength, using all that was left. His anxiety and fear for her sent him adrenaline rush that was welcome at this moment.
Finally he managed to pull her out and held her tight.
She sank into unconsciousness and he lost no time in escaping. The whole crowd had rushed to the exit they had taken when they arrived, but Ben knew there were others, he put Rey on his back and his heart missed a few beats when he saw that she wasn't holding on. He felt that she was alive yet weak.
With his right hand he lit his mother's saber to light up, while he made Luke's saber float in front of him. With his remaining hand he held Rey as best he could. Against the flow of terrified beings, he continued to be hit and Ben felt that he wouldn't last long, he needed to catch his breath. Finally, he arrived in front of a rocky recess that he had spotted a little earlier near the platform.
The entrance was small but he managed to get through without hitting himself or hurting Rey. Arriving in a dark corridor he ran as fast as he could and soon came to a crossroads of several directions, these tunnels had to go through the whole casino, and maybe even the city. Ben stopped behind a cavity in one of the stone walls, and gently laid Rey on the ground. Caressing her cheek, he tried to wake her up.
She suddenly opened her eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air. The light of the sabers made her eyes flutter but she eventually recognized him. She threw herself around his neck and he squeezed her close to him.
You scared the kriff out of me! Don't you dare do it again!
I'm sorry Ben, we should never have come ... it was horrible ... those poor people ...
They were ready to gut us, so excuse me if I don't feel any compassion for them.
"Come, let's not drag on any longer," he resumed, helping her to get back on her feet.
She staggered but he held her with his hand. He blamed himself for being so dry, but she had been unconscious, he could have lost her, he didn't want to imagine what would have happened if she had been hurt without him being able to do anything. Perceiving his reproach she looked down, overwhelmed with guilt. So he took her face in his hands and drew her to kiss him. He was not tender, the fear and the uncertainty of their situation made him desperate. She responded in the same way. In the bond she kept repeating excuses that he immediately swept from her lips. As he grabbed her hair, she ended the kiss and Ben took several breaths to regain his calm, seeming more affected than she was for once.
"Where are we now?" Rey asked as she stroked his cheek.
"There are tunnels everywhere, I think it's a maintenance network. We need to find an exit to the outside."
"We went down hundreds of meters, how are we going to manage?"
"Some damn big ladder?"
She retrieved Luke's saber and together they advanced carefully.
"We have to find Zorii!"
"We'll try to cover up first if you don't mind."
"We've been spotted Ben! How long will it take before they take revenge on her ? These were not the terms of the ransom!"
"They didn't get you, they won't do anything to her."
He was hoping he was right. They had just passed several junctions but no indication of a path to the surface appeared to them. Suddenly he saw her freeze to his right.
Ben, someone is coming.
Yeah, I felt it too.
They stood ready, their weapons raised, muscles taut. A small figure came running around the bend in a corridor. They let her come closer and soon the light of the sabers illuminated her. Ben recognized her immediately. Raising his free hand, he held it out and concentrated.
"YOU," he roared.
The woman was thrown towards him, lifted into the air by his will. She brought her hands to her neck, trying to breathe as he crushed her windpipe with the Force.
/
/
"GET HER!" Shouted the Eghalist leader to his men.
"Sir, we must get you to safety!"
"DON'T TOUCH ME! FIND HER IMMEDIATELY!"
He pushed away the fool that wanting to cure him. He who hated the heat now found his face on fire. Struck by the power of the Jedi, he had been unconscious for a while, in pain. When he regained consciousness, he found himself on the stone platform, next to the corpse he had killed earlier, with the feeling that every part of his face was being slashed. But even more than the pain, it was the disappointment that made him angry. He had missed such a great opportunity.
For months he had been waiting to face her, and he had been distracted. He knew what she was capable of and yet he had wanted to witness it. And now she had escaped.
He was trying to convince himself that it was better this way, that the images they had gathered would be the best way to continue what he was planning to do, but he couldn't help being angry with himself, which was worse than anything else.
The probes had been turned back on, and he could now see the extent of the damage. The panic caused by the Jedi had resulted in many deaths. This crowd, this livestock, because there were no other words to describe their behavior, had hastened to try to escape, without thinking or paying attention to their surroundings. Fear had motivated them, these individuals were terrified of her.
And yet they had not even seen the extent of her power. They didn't know what she was capable of doing, what he planned to make her do. But he would have to get rid of Ren first. He had underestimated the strength of their relationship, he had seen them hugging each other, he had seen the power she had over him, and conversely, he would have to take care of it quickly. Which would not displease his first ally.
Rising up with difficulty, he did not even make the effort to feign regret and sadness at the sight of the dead followers, crushed by the other disciples. He turned to his second, perhaps the least stupid of those who followed him, and repeated his command.
"All our forces on the ground are scouring the tunnels sir, but as you know, they're hundreds of miles away, it is not impossible that they will manage to escape."
"Alert Engell. Tell her to give me command of her nearest legions."
"Sir?"
"You must find her. Destroy the city, the planet if you have to, but find her before she returns to the Resistance!"
"But... there are civilians, families, we can't..."
He was about to rip his head off, but as he grabbed him by the collar of his garment, the terrified gaze of his second reminded him that he should not succumb to his anger.
"They must pay. It is their fault, all these deaths. They happened because of the Force."
He released him and his victim suddenly took the breath he had been holding.
"Broadcast everything on the holonet, every image, every video. Make them understand who the Jedi really is".
He turned around and walked slowly towards one of the exits. He placed a piece of his tunic over his burned face and growled in pain.
We'll meet again Rey, he promised himself.
/
/
"YOU," Ben roared.
The silhouette of a woman was projected towards him, lifted into the air by the Force. With her eyes rolled back, she put her hands around her neck and opened her mouth several times, looking for air.
Rey contemplated, in shock, Ben strangling a woman. She didn't stay still for long and grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Wa.. Wait..." tried to articulate the woman.
"I'm going to kill you. Slowly."
"Ben! Stop it!"
But he didn't let go of his grip.
Rey was shocked by the rage he felt at that moment. The bond was overflowing with his anger and she was careful not to get caught up in it. It didn't take her long to figure out what was taking him.
It was her. The spy. The one who had sold all those holos on her, who had given those lunatics something to hate her even more. The one that Zorii had chased and that had resulted in her capture. Rey looked at her panicked eyes, seemingly popping out of their sockets, her face turning blue and her fingers scratching her neck to remove the invisible grip that was crushing her throat. She looked young, perhaps not as young as she was, but under thirty for sure.
Ben, stop !
He didn't answer her, and she watched him gradually squeeze his hand tighter and tighter, exerting more and more pressure. But Rey couldn't stand another death today.
She pulled his arm out again but got no response from him. The Force was vibrating ferociously around him, this woman was going to endure months of imprisonment and contained anger. And this anger he felt, the murderous madness she saw in his eyes suddenly plunged her back as it had months before, when this rage was addressed to her.
No.
She immediately corrected herself, Ben had never wanted to kill her. But right now she was afraid that he would do it with this spy. Calling for help from the Force, she sent a wave towards him, and Ben was thrown backwards, just before the spy passed out. He did not protect himself, and went and crashed into the wall. She grimaced at the muffled sound his back made on impact, she had been a little hard on him.
Ben looked at her, shocked by what she had just done, but she did not dare to look at him. She rushed towards the woman, motionless on the ground, and put a hand on her neck. The pulse was weak but there. Then finally she walked towards him and put a hand on his knee.
"Ben ..."
"Why ... how could you ..."
"You were going to kill her."
"She deserved it."
"You're blaming her for things she didn't do."
He ignored her and tried to get up, but she stopped him. She didn't have to turn around to feel the illusion of Kylo Ren behind her back. Whenever Ben would get lost in his anger or as she suspected in the dark side, he would appear. She was saddened by this. He hadn't reacted this way in a long time. She blamed herself for doing this to him, but she didn't want him to fall back into his demons.
She was also worried about his overreaction to this spy, or the capture of Zorii. Could it be that ...
She had detected a special bond that seemed to unite them. Zorii was a smuggler, like his father, maybe he have felt close to her... Rey swallowed nervously as she felt the panic win her over. No... he's mine, she thought. I couldn't bear it...
Ben closed his eyes and sighed.
Stop that. You know there's only you.
He took her in his arms and she buried her face in his chest.
It's my fault what happened to Zorii, if I hadn't sent her, if I had gone there myself, if I wasn't who I am... Rey that spy ... she hurt you so much ... I want to make her pay.
I know you do. But she was only obeying orders, it could have been anyone, she's not the one pulling the strings! You want to take it out on her but you're not going to do it, you're not going to lower yourself to that, you're only going to feel guilty later!
He grunted to show his disagreement but Rey shut him up by kissing him.
What won't I do for you, he sighed.
Rey got up and offered him a hand to help. He grabbed it and rubbed his back painfully, she gave him a contrite smile in return.
I'm sorry.
You're not.
You're right, but I didn't mean to hurt you.
I know.
She went towards the spy still on the ground, and calling upon the Force, she woke her up. She took a deep breath of air while placing her hands on her neck, worrying that she could still feel his grip.
"I'm sorry," Rey said to her in a small, guilty voice as she saw her eyes enlarged with terror.
Don't apologize for that bitch... said Ben in her mind.
She ignored him.
"Thank you," whispered the spy. "I thought it was the end and ..."
"What are you doing here," cut Rey.
"I was looking for you."
"Why?"
"I can take you to your friend."
This time she used the Force before Ben. Projecting all the power of her mind against hers, she broke through the spy's mind, and set off in search of what she meant.
"She was transferred here, I know where she is."
Rey saw a silhouette in a dark room appeared in her mind.
A trap?
Certainly, she cannot be trusted! roared Ben.
He stood up and the spy retreated in fear of his imposing stature.
"You're going to regret it."
"Wait! I swear! I know where she is!"
"Why should we trust you? You betrayed the Resistance."
She couldn't answer because all three of them jumped at the sound of approaching footsteps. Rey instinctively took Ben's hand in her own, while the spy looked at them with a wince on her face.
"You have a few minutes to make up your mind. Know that I'm in as much danger as you are by staying here, so why would I come here if it wasn't to help you?"
"To betray us again. Our capture will pay you big, I imagine."
"Take me with you, I don't want to work for them anymore."
She made a gesture towards the end of the corridor where the sounds were getting closer.
"Ben," Rey whispered as she pulled him. Let's go.
"At the end of the corridor, on the left," began the spy at full speed, "we're going to turn three times to the right. There is an elevator there, you have to go up to level three hundred and twenty-five, there's a whole series of doors. Your friend the smuggler was transferred from the Requiem yesterday. She is in one of the offices."
"Really," Ben said sarcastically, "and as soon as we go, we're going to be ambushed, you really think we're a bunch of ..."
"Ben! We don't have the choice, that or something else, we finally have a lead!"
"At the slightest suspicious gesture, I'll destroy you."
For good measure, Ben patted the saber on his belt. Rey rolled her eyes up in the air and motioned to the woman to move forward. She nodded, and leaned over to whisper to her, conspiringly.
"He really needs to cool down."
Rey waved her hand and the woman fainted, then she pointed to her body, mimicking the gesture for Ben to lift her up.
"And what was that?" he said, laughing.
"I said we didn't kill her, I didn't say I'd bear her comments."
"We should leave her here."
"She can still be used as a hostage."
He grabbed her by the arm and put her brutally on his shoulder. Then they rushed towards the direction she had indicated to them.
/
/
If Finn had had any doubts about who was responsible for the fire that ravaged the Quasar — the city's largest gaming establishment, and for all he knew, the largest on the planet — he was now sure that Ben and Rey had been there.
"But how are we going to get them out of it?" asked Rose.
How indeed. As they had gotten closer, mingling with the anxious and curious crowd, the presence of the two Jedis had become stronger and stronger, as well as that of another, more diffuse, and above all totally unknown. Despite the circumstances, Finn could not help but feel pride in the progress he had made in his use of Force. He let his mind drift in the stream of sensations and intentions and let himself be entirely guided by it.
They were now in front of the building, and through huge bay windows they could see the extent of the damage. As if an explosion had taken place from the depths of the casino, the floor was pierced in the middle and sprays of flames escaped.
"You could say they know how to be discreet," Poe commented annoyingly.
"They may have caused a diversion," Jannah said.
It was impossible for them to get any closer to the entrance, because already a militia dressed in the city's colors was moving those who tried to advance, while others were evacuating the wounded.
"What do we do then? We still don't know where to go and we're wasting time!"
All turned towards Finn and he couldn't hold back the blush that set his cheeks ablaze.
"I only know they're in there," he stammered.
"Come on," Connix called them. "Let's try to find another way in."
/
/
"Look! She wasn't lying!"
"Don't get excited, we're far from safe."
Ignoring his pessimistic comment, Rey rushed towards the silhouette tied to a chair in the middle of the office they had just entered.
"Zorii!" she exclaimed.
She used the Force to undo the durasteel handcuffs that clutched her wrists and then caught her body before she collapsed to the ground, taking it against her. Zorii appeared weak, but had no sign of apparent injury. Her sudden change of position made her open her eyes, and she displayed an expression of pure disbelief as she came face to face with Rey.
"The Jedi," she whispered. "Rey? Is that you?"
"We're going to get you out of here," was her only answer.
"But? How ...?"
Without thinking Rey hugged her firmly. Her surprise at having been saved, that someone had come for her, moved her. Rey didn't dare to imagine what she had endured because of her. Zorii stood still for a long time before giving her back her embrace with the same strength.
"Thank you..."
Immediately afterwards she stepped back and contemplated her with big surprised eyes.
"But why did you come? It's you they want! Their leader is ... Rey it was a trap you must not get caught!"
"Don't worry about it."
She got back on her feet and helped Zorii get up. Ben was by her side in an instant and took her by the shoulders to relieve Rey of the smuggler's weight. The latter seemed even more surprised to see him here.
"You too Solo? You're both crazy! Why did you put yourself in danger for me?"
"You're part of the Resistance, you're one of us," Rey assured her. "It's my fault what happened to you, we couldn't leave you there."
"To tell the truth, it's her fault," Ben grunted, pointing to the silhouette of the spy who, after waking up when he tossed her down on the floor, had cowered over herself.
"Tyna?" Zorii wondered. "What are you doing here?"
"I told you I'd help you out the first chance I got. I've held up my end of the bargain, now it's your turn!"
"What's she talking about," Ben roared as he pulled his saber out of the hand that wasn't holding Zorii.
"She wants to join us."
"I'm begging you, you must take me with you, I am risking my life by helping you."
"That's your problem! You chose your side, it's too late to turn back. Can you walk," he asked Zorii as she clung to him and Rey.
"I think I broke my ankle trying to escape during my transfer," she replied with a wince.
Rey was going to heal her but Ben firmly opposed it in the bond.
Save your strength to get us out of here.
And without waiting for an answer, he bent down and ordered Zorii to get on his back. Rey ignored as much as possible the jealousy that suddenly took her. It was not the moment, they had to escape, and at least Ben had not offered to carry her in his arms, this honor was reserved for her.
"No way," Zorii replied.
She tried to take a few steps, but soon realized that she couldn't get very far that way. Reluctantly she accepted Rey's help and placed her arms around Ben's neck.
"No one must ever know."
They headed for the exit, but Tyna stood in front of the door, preventing them from moving forward. Ben, who had kept his saber in his hand, pointed it at her and threatened her.
"We had a deal Zorii," she exclaimed.
Tears came out of the corner of her eyes and Rey was touched by her distress.
"They're going to kill me for helping you."
"That's all you deserve," Ben spat.
"Solo, let her come. She's not lying, she helped me."
"To get you captured?"
"I recall that it was you who sent me to get her!"
"No way! Move over! Or you'll regret it."
"She gave me information on their leader, she can be useful to us."
While Ben still refused, Zorii gave him a little pat on the shoulder.
"Tell me Solo, where would you be today if someone hadn't given you a second chance? Let me be that person for her."
He faltered for a moment under the weight of her words and the truth they contained, and just when Rey thought he was going to accept, he shook his head and went on with rage.
"Hell no! She's not coming, we can't trust her!"
"Because we could trusted you? You forget too quickly what you did, and where you come from, Supreme Leader! Why should you be the only one who can redeem yourself?"
"No, I ... That's not ..."
"She made mistakes, we all made mistakes, you the first one, and much worse!"
"She made a choice! To ally herself with these terrorists!"
"In a perfect world, we make perfect choices, in the real world on the other hand, we do what it takes to survive, and that's what she did. She just wanted revenge. I think we all know what that is."
Rey who had refrained from intervening to defend Ben, understood then why Zorii was so keen to help this traitor. Did she feel close to her in some way? She did not have time to think longer because already Ben had turned to the former spy, and gauged her for a long time.
"Why? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
"I never wanted any of this, okay?"
She made a big hand gesture that covered the whole shabby office.
"I've seen what they're doing and what they're planning to do, I don't want any part of it!"
"Yet you hate the Force and those who sense it."
It was definitely not a question.
"I don't like them, it's true, but that doesn't mean that I condone assassinations. Let me come, I managed to glean some information that will be useful to you."
Rey, tired of it, placed herself in front of him and put a hand on his arm to drag him away.
"Ben please, let's go! We' re running out of time, there will always be time to advise afterwards!"
He hesitated again, then nodded his head and sighed. He left their new recruit in front before following her, while Rey closed the walk.
"If you make a single suspect move I won't hesitate," she heard him say.
"Is that all you have? Threats? If I had wanted to betray you I wouldn't have led you to your friend!"
"Shut up and move on."
So that's what she did and led them through the maze of tun.
"Stop," Ben shouted a few minutes later.
"What now," Tyna said, angrily. "I didn't do anything."
"Someone's coming," he said as he turned toward Rey. "And I think I know who it is."
/
/
Guided by the Force and using a map of the underground maintenance networks hacked by BB8, Finn led their gang to an entrance reserved for the employees. The six of them crouched behind a recess in a wall and waited until the way was clear to sneak in.
After a group of people passed by, Finn opened his mind once again to the Force and he was startled to feel Rey's presence more distinctly than ever. She was very close.
"They're here, let's go!"
He rushed but was suddenly held back by Poe. He slid backwards as the General grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. He was about to protest but he placed a hand over his mouth and motioned for him to be quiet.
"What's the matter with you?" Finn murmured as he pushed his palm back.
"Look."
He pointed to the entrance they were trying to reach and Finn didn't immediately see what he was pointing at.
"Oh shit," Jannah exclaimed.
He couldn't have thought of a better thing to say at that moment. Several armed troops rushed past them. Instinctively Finn and his friends drew closer, ready to defend each other if they were spotted, but they weren't. The stormtroopers continued to run without looking in their direction. Their outfits were unlike anything Finn had seen in his years of service to the First Order. At a glance he saw that Jannah was as puzzled as he was. Usually of a plain, immaculate color, their armor seemed to have been sprayed with black and red paint.
An insignia on their shoulder pad contrasted with the regular uniform of the First Order.
"Do you think those are her troops?" Jannah asked him. "To her? Engell?"
"Definitely."
"Let's go," Rose said after the last soldier had passed.
One by one, they walked the few meters separating their hiding place from the passage. Chewie elbowed the door down with a deafening blow and they slipped in quickly. They arrived in a long, dimly lit tunnel that led in several directions.
"Which way now?" Poe asked.
"There," he replied, focusing on Rey's presence.
They ran into what looked like a labyrinth, while BB8 displayed the direction they were going every time they turned or went back. Finally, at the bend in a corridor similar to all the others, Finn stopped, ignoring the annoying comments of Poe who had hit him head on. He couldn't hold back the smile that stretched his lips as he saw several silhouettes appear.
"Finn?"
/
/
"Rey?" exclaimed her best friend.
She ran to hug him and he almost suffocated her by holding her in his arms. In spite of the danger of their situation and the sound of their enemy approaching, all stopped for a moment to abandon themselves to the joy of finding each other. Rose and Connix pushed Finn to join the embrace, Poe helped Zorii off Ben's back before kissing her, the smuggler finally seemed to lose her coldness as she clutched the man, Rey even thought she saw tears of joy on the General's face.
"I'm sorry", she heard him whisper.
Chewie growled with contentment and all moved aside so that he could grab Ben and Rey in one of his tight hugs.
"Yes, yes, easy Chewie, I'm glad to see you too, old buddy," Ben laughed as he tried to breathe through the Wookie's huge hairy arms.
Rey was surprised to see them share this moving moment, Chewie had had a hard time reconnecting with Ben since his return to the Resistance. Han's death was still hovering in their every exchanges, but not tonight.
"But this is ..."
Rey suddenly turned around when she heard Connix's surprise.
"Good evening, Commander," cut her off the spy with a small voice as she was facing her former leaders.
"What is she doing here?" Growled Poe, while possessively clutching Zorii against him.
"Time is running out, we'll discuss this on the Falcon," Ben replied, freeing himself from the Wookie's arms and re-lighting his saber.
By mutual agreement they turned back and ran to the surface.
"How are we doing out there," Rey asked Finn.
"Oh same as always."
"That bad huh?"
The spy and the cards of BB8 were of a great help to them to reach again the small exit by which her friends had come. Ben was the first to open the airlock before closing it again when a blaster shot almost hit him.
"I think they spotted us."
"BB8," said Rose, "do you have another way out?"
The next one was too far away and the shots kept bouncing off the metal of the door, it would soon give way under the impacts. Faced with the uncertainty of their situation, a long silence stretched between the members of their group.
Rey, who had only wished to escape since she and Ben had gone down into the depths of the casino, wasted no more time in discussion, and making them all back down with an authoritative shout, she addressed Ben in the bond.
Together?
Always.
With the same gesture they called the Force and the door of the airlock was blown off. Hiding behind this metal shield, they advanced and sent back with their sabers the shots that passed them by. More shots rang out from behind and they saw their friends mingle in the battle that had just begun.
Rey knocked down one of the soldiers she had just heard asking for reinforcements. When the whole troop was put out of action they started running through the rubble trying to put as much distance as possible between them and that damned casino. Rey took one last look at the burning building. And to think that a few hours earlier she had had fun there, she now wished she'd never seen it again.
With Ben in the lead, Zorii on Chewie's back, and Finn protecting their back, they had almost reached the city limits when screams from the crowd froze them.
"Get them," screamed a voice behind them.
No one turned around to see whose it was, and they resumed their frenzied run, bending over to avoid the blaster bursts that brushed past them.
"There," Rey shouted out in relief as the Falcon appeared amidst the rubble of the droid dump.
She had never been so happy to find her old garbage heap again. Ben sprinted past her easily to open the doors and stayed there while everyone climbed aboard. Rey turned around and implored him to hurry. The last one to get on board was the spy and she saw him hesitating before agreeing to let her on board. He was about to close the doors when an explosion shook the ship.
Rey screamed in fear and pain as she ran towards Ben who had fallen to the ground on impact. Finn immediately closed the doors while another explosion sounded. Out of the corner of Rey's eye, she barely saw Connix and Rose hurtling towards the cockpit as she lifted Ben's body up to sit him on her lap. She took his face in her hands, ignoring the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.
"Ben? BEN!" she screamed, her voice breaking.
He opened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face. She plunged towards him but he immediately detached his lips from Rey's to cough a little dust.
"I'm fine," he reassured her between two coughing fits.
He did not seem to have been touched, but this wasn't the case of the spy, who was lying next to him.
Reaching out one of her hands towards Rey, she tried to stand upright while the other was resting on her belly, from which an alarming quantity of a vermeil liquid was escaping. Rey hastened to catch her, Ben moved to let her pass, and she covered her hand, which was soon stained with blood.
"It's going to be all right," Rey told her.
She began to call the Force within her to pass it on to the injured woman. As she pressed harder against the wound, she felt the tip of a metal bar under her fingers.
Rey... It's too late.
"I'm sor ... Sorry..." Tyna whispered.
The spy's hand fell to the ground as the life in her eyes faded away.
"She's dead," Rey said in a voice as cold as the body now resting in her arms.