Force Dyad

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to their respective owners.

A/N-thank you to everyone who kindly read and reviewed the last chapter.

Chapter Eight-Out of Reach

When Ben left his old life behind, he hadn't anticipated just how difficult it was going to be to survive. He was a fifteen-year-old teenager who was now responsible for the welfare of a traumatised youngling. He had no money, no visible means to support himself, let alone Rey. Things he had taken for granted like food, drink and fuel for Grimtaash seemed suddenly out of reach. The first few weeks were a constant battle for survival as he moved from place to place in search of some kind of employment. He came up against a lot of prejudice, many saw him as just another privileged kid who had fallen on hard times. No one seemed to take him seriously, even less so when he insisted that any job that he took on needed to be child friendly enough for him to bring Rey with him. As the weeks passed and the supplies Ben had brought with him began to run low, he was forced to strip Grimtaash for parts in order to sell them in exchange for food and fuel.

As more time went by and they fell into more and more dire straits, Ben began to question what the hell he was doing and the guilt set in. He had left in order to provide Rey with a more stable and secure life, but so far, what he was giving her was no better than the life she'd had with the parents who had cruelly abandoned her. Rey never complained, she just accepted everything that came her way with quiet grace, seeming content to just be with him and have enough food in her stomach. She didn't sleep well, her dreams often tainted by the memory of her parents. Ben, not a great sleeper himself, would stay up with Rey, distracting her by reading to her or teaching her how to pilot Grimtaash just like he promised. He also taught her some simple meditation techniques that Skywalker had once shown him in an attempt to quieten her mind enough to sleep.

Ben's thoughts often drifted back to his parents during this time, particularly the stories they had told him about their respective childhoods. He recalled the jocular way Han used to joke about the 'princess marrying the scoundrel'- his way of pointing out to Ben that opposites attract despite their opposing backgrounds. Leia Organa had led the privileged life of a princess, while Han had lived a peripatetic lifestyle on the planet Corellia after being abandoned by his father, eventually becoming involved with the criminal gang White Worms, serving as a scrumrat. Ben wondered if he would have gone down the same route as Han if he was alone in order to survive. Probably, but he had Rey to consider, and he didn't want that life for her. He wanted something better for both of them, and was resolved to do so by legitimate means only.

Even during his lowest moments not once did he even think about going back home….

Naboo-a bountiful planet in the Chommell sector of the Mid Rim, close to the border of the Outer Rim Territories. Naboo's surface comprised a vast array of different landscapes, from rolling plains and grassy hills to swampy lakes caused by the water-filled network of deep-sea tunnels. The swamps acted as a gateway to the world's seas, where legendary creatures dwelt. Besides its natural features, Naboo was considered a world of classical beauty due to the aesthetics of its population centres. The porous crust's natural plasma was harvested for energy and building material, and was generally thought to be the key to many of the planet's secrets.

It was on this verdant planet that Ben managed to find his first gainful employment. After venturing into the Gallo mountains, he came across a farming community at the Dee'ja peak. It was fruit picking season and the local farms were hiring off-worlders to help harvest the ripe fruit. It was strenuous work but Ben didn't care about that, in fact he revelled in it. What made the job perfect was he was able to take Rey with him.

Rey flourished in the temperate climate. She wasn't the only child there, the other fruit pickers brought their families, too. In the waning days of the summer months, while Ben and the other adults worked, they were energised by the sweet laughter of Rey and the other children as they played among the fruit trees. During the day the sunlight conjured the most brilliant of mosaics, reflecting from each leaf and wisp of cloud. It was as if there was a pure joy in the light, as if it were happy to create art where it shone, warm and steady. It was as the smiles of friends, as fresh rain after summer sun, something to quench and soothe all at once.

At night fall the blue haze of day lifted to reveal the stars in all their magical glory. The fruit pickers would down tools and gather around several campfires with their families and exchange news and swap stories. Ben would sit and listen to the others talking in contented silence, with Rey sitting at his feet, drinking in everything around her. As the sun went down, the campfire became bright and vivid, as though someone had thrown a spotlight on it. The colours were brilliant reds, oranges, and faint yellows. It was a happy time, a time of tranquillity and peace.

But like all good things in life, it had to come to an end. As the fruit picking season drew to a close, so did the work. Ben collected his pay and he and Rey moved on. She was sad to go, but he promised they would return next season.

It was a promise he didn't get to keep.

It was on the dawn of Ben's sixteenth birthday when Grimtaash's propulsion system failed and he was forced to make an emergency landing on Trask-an estuary moon orbiting the gas giant Kol Iben. Trask was a black-market port, and its population consisted mostly of Mon Calamari and Quarren.

Ben managed to safely pilot Grimtaash onto one of the landing pads before the engines lost all power. He heard Rey let out a frightened whimper when the cockpit went completely dark as the starship experienced complete system failure. He reached for her hand, it felt so small in his, and squeezed it comfortingly. Even as he tried to soothe Rey's anxiety, he had trouble quieting his own. From a practical point of view, Grimtaash was dead in the water. He had been patching up the systems since he had left home. Now they had completely broken down, it would take a fortune to fix and he just didn't have the money to do it.

For the foreseeable future they were stuck on this desolate moon.

"Happy kriffing birthday." Ben muttered under his breath.

Depression set in- it began eating him up as he unclipped Rey's seatbelt and lifted her up into his arms. Her thin arms encircled his neck and she buried her face against his shoulder. As Ben carried her down the ramp he was met with a sea of grey. The galaxy no longer seemed like a magical place now his ship was grounded. The sky no longer seemed limitless. Trask's port was as dull as the dark grey skies looming overhead. He felt frustrated tears form in his eyes, but they were too stubborn to fall. His face wanted to grimace and contort into a painful expression, but he kept a fake smile plastered on his face for Rey's benefit.

When he reached the end of the ramp, he was approached by a Mon Calamari dock worker. "How much would it take to fix the ship?" He asked, even though he knew he wasn't going to like the answer.

"You got a thousand credits, son?" The dock-worker questioned sardonically.

Ben felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. He shook his head. "I've got a hundred at most."

The Mon Calamari shook his head in disbelief. "That would be enough to berth your ship here for a while and that's it. How did a kid like you afford a starship in the first place? Did you steal it?" His gaze turned suspicious.

"Considering the reputation this place has got, I can't believe you're even asking me that." Ben responded curtly. He passed the dock worker the hundred credits. "Is there anywhere to eat around here?"

"There's an inn over yonder." The Mon Calamari motioned vaguely over his shoulder. He had lost interest in Ben now he had his money.

"Thanks for nothing." Ben muttered under his breath as he adjusted Rey against his hip and left the docks to find the inn on his own.

As Ben stooped through the low doorway of the inn, he found it packed to the rafters with Mon Calamari and Quarren. He felt several suspicious eyes following him as he carried Rey over to one of the few free tables at the back of the inn.

Before he was even seated, a female Mon Calamari server approached Ben, her protruding eyes looking at him speculatively. "This really isn't a place for children." She said in a low voice. "It can get pretty rough in here."

"Where I go, she goes." Ben replied evenly.

"My advice was kindly meant." The female server said. She glanced over her shoulder at the many pairs of suspicious eyes. "Come with me." She lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "I'll serve you out the back away from all the prying eyes. The little girl looks exhausted." She looked with sympathy at Rey.

Ben relaxed a little. "Thanks." He murmured gratefully.

"My name's Magda by the way. I'm the proprietor of this inn. And you are?"

Ben hesitated for a few seconds before giving her his name. "I'm Ben and this is Rey."

"Well, it's nice to make your acquaintance, Ben and Rey." Magda gently patted Rey on the head, earning herself a tired smile from the little girl. "Welcome to the Traveller's Inn." She said as she returned Rey's smile with one of her own.

They had been on Trask for nearly four months, with Magda's help, Ben had found employment on the docks. The work was hard and arduous but at least he was earning money. And it was legit. Ben was still determined to avoid going down the same route his father had in his youth. He didn't want trouble if he could possibly avoid it. With a well-toned and muscular body and his height now reaching six-foot, Ben looked older than his years. He towered over the other dock workers and they knew not to mess with him. He could hold his own in any fight. While he worked during the day, Rey stayed with Magda and her numerous relatives who ran the inn. Like all Mon Calamari, Magda had spawned many offspring, her grandchildren numbered in the dozens.

"Ben!" Rey pushed her way through the throng of Mon Calamari children as she ran to greet Ben after he returned from another particularly arduous shift working on the docks. It was raining again and his shoulder length black hair hung in wet tendrils around his head.

"Hey." Just seeing Rey lifted Ben's mood. He picked her up and swung her around in a circle, making her giggle. He adored her sweet, joyful laughter. It meant she was happy and that was all that mattered. He set her down in a chair beside him. "So, tell me what you've been doing all day?"

Rey launched into a long monologue about what she had been doing. Ben loved listening to Rey talk. Just for a while, all his worries fell away. He lost the tightness in his chest. The muscles in his neck relaxed. After all that had occurred, he felt hope. And hope felt good. With hope came the thought that "things would turn around," that somehow, he would be able to save enough money to fix Grimtaash.

While Rey talked, the other Mon Calamari children joined in. Soon, Ben was surrounded by a sea of voices all talking at once. The loud noise attracted Magda's attention. She bustled into the back of the inn carrying a tray of food. "Hush, children." She scolded as she chased them away. "Give poor Ben room to breathe."

"Thanks, Mags." Ben smiled tiredly as Magda set the tray in front of him. He and Rey had a room above the inn that they rented off Magda, although often she refused to accept the money, knowing how much they needed it. Ben was eternally grateful that Magda had taken them under her wing. He was just about to dig into the food when he caught the serious expression on Magda's face. "Is something wrong?"

Magda settled down in the chair opposite him, worry clouding her voice as she spoke. "A young Jedi came into the inn asking about Grimtaash."

"What did this Jedi look like?" Ben felt his throat tighten. He had suddenly lost his appetite.

"He was male, human, dark-skinned. I think about your age. Who he is Ben? Why would a Jedi be looking for you?" Magda asked.

A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.