Force Dyad
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A/N-thank you very much to everyone who kindly read and reviewed the last chapter.
Chapter Eleven-A Friend in Need
The sound of emptiness in Ben's mind and heart was disrupted by the loud gregarious boom of thunder. The cold icy rain pierced his pale and wet skin as he finally began to move. He ran across the slippery path, his posture weakened by the weight of his soaked clothes. The quality of darkness shifted in the sky but the rain kept pouring down, mixing with the salty tears travelling down his face. After all his promises to Rey to give her a safe and secure life, he had let her down in the worst possible way. He was completely devastated. The guilt already gnawing at his consciousness, dragging him down into the depths of despair.
When he arrived back at the inn, he found Magda in the midst of giving Tai a severe dressing down. Angry tears were glistening in her eyes as she spoke, Tai's head was slightly bowed, he wasn't even bothering to defend himself.
"Since when have the Jedi been in the business of kidnapping children!" Magda demanded. When Ben staggered into the kitchen, she stopped ranting and looked in his direction hopefully, expecting to find Rey with him. When she saw that he was alone, her face fell. "Where is she? What happened?"
"I was too late. She's gone, Mags." Ben's facial expression revealed the extent of his anguish. He fell into an empty chair and slumped at the kitchen table, his brows creased and face tense.
"They won't hurt her, Ben." Tai finally spoke for the first time.
Ben's jaw tightened as his fingers curled into a tight fist. He was so close to hitting Tai. It took an enormous of self-restraint to remain seated. "They forcibly took Rey against her will. And you expect me to believe they won't hurt her." He accused.
Tai's face flushed with shame. "I'm sorry, Ben. I never expected Voe to do something like this. I know she can act rashly at times…"
"Don't you dare defend her!"
"I'm not." Tai mumbled.
For the first time in a long time, Ben allowed the darkness he felt swallow him whole for a little while, in a desperate attempt to numb the pain of Rey's loss. Old voices, ones he had hoped had been buried forever, began making themselves known, dripping the same old poison in his ear. "The Jedi did this-Skywalker planned this; he wants you to fail. You can't trust any of them."
Anger boiled deep in his system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction, and it was too much for him to handle. The pressure of this raging sea of anger pushed him back on his feet. And the target of his ire was Tai. It was only Magda stepping into his line of sight that stopped Ben from following through with his intent to…to what?
Ben blinked in confusion, slowly emerging from the anger that had briefly possessed him. Having the anger dissipate allowed him to breathe, to think clearly for the first time since Rey had been taken. The voice was wrong about one thing, there was still someone he could trust-he focused his gaze on Magda. "Will you help me?" He asked.
"Yes. Anything."
"I need money to finish fixing my ship."
"Oh, I can do better than that." Magda said with as she motioned for him to follow her.
"Ow, the feral little rat bit me." Hennix complained as he attempted to buckle Rey into her seat. The long tentacles hanging from his face quivered with annoyance as he examined the blood welling on his hand.
Voe looked over her shoulder at the male Quarren and glared. "What did you expect? I told you to be careful. The kid has been hanging around Solo for too long. She was bound to pick up his bad habits."
Hennix was beginning to regret listening to Voe. He wasn't so sure that Master Skywalker would be too forgiving when they turned up with the child and without Ben in tow. He wouldn't look too kindly on them leaving Tai behind, either. Everyone knew that Tai was the Jedi master's favourite and most trusted apprentice. It was why he had been put in charge of the mission.
"Now just be a good little girl and stay there." Hennix warned Rey. His reward was a fierce scowl from the little girl. He muttered an oath under his breath about 'kriffing kids' before settling next to Voe in the co-pilots seat. "I think we've made a mistake leaving Tai behind. We should go back for him. It'll soften the blow with Master Skywalker if he's with us."
"Don't be stupid, Hennix." Voe snapped. "If we go back, Solo will be onto us."
"So? There's three of us and one of him. We can easily subdue him if he gives us trouble." Hennix boasted.
Voe pursed her lips and frowned slightly. "I think you've forgotten how strong Solo is with the Force."
Hennix gave Voe a sly glance. "Afraid your old rival will best you again?"
"Shut up, Hennix." Voe shot him a death glare.
Hennix shook his head at her bad-tempered expression. He would be glad to get back to the Jedi temple. Whatever Skywalker's reaction was going to be, he was determined that he should be absolved of all blame. If it was anyone's fault, it was Tai's for being such a poor leader, and Voe for being such a hot head. He was simply following orders…
"I want to go home now." Rey's small voice broke through his introspection.
Hennix sighed and twisted around in his seat so he could look at the little girl's anxious face. Her eyes were glassy, her skin pale, with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Hennix turned back around to the console in front of him. He felt sorry for the girl in a way. The poor kid had lost her parents and had been hauled around the galaxy by Solo for the last few months. It was no wonder the frail little thing was terrified. It reaffirmed his belief that he and Voe were doing the right thing.
"I forgive you for biting my hand, kid." Hennix looked over at his shoulder in Rey's direction again, only to find her seat empty. The straps buckling her in place had been pulled apart and she was gone. He climbed hastily out of the co-pilots seat, knocking into Voe as he did so.
"Watch what you're doing, Hennix."
"She's gone."
"What are you talking about?" Voe scoffed.
"I'm telling you the kid's gone." Hennix insisted.
Voe clamped her teeth together and let out an exasperated sigh. "You didn't strap her in properly. Do I have to do everything?" She grouched. She scrambled out of the pilot's seat and stood next to Hennix, her eyes scanning the cockpit in confusion when she couldn't see any sign of Rey. "This is ridiculous…she has to be hiding in here somewhere."
Hennix grumbled under his breath as he began to help Voe search the rest of the cockpit but to no avail. There was no sign of the kid. It was like Rey had simply vanished into the ether. He tugged on his long tentacles in bewilderment. "Maybe she snuck out through the doors."
"The doors are sealed, stupid." Voe retorted.
"Instead of wasting time calling me names, perhaps we should search the rest of the ship. She's definitely not in here, Voe." Hennix countered irritably. He slammed his hand on the door's controls, unlocking them. They slid open with a faint whoosh and he stormed out of the cockpit and reached for the ladder leading down into the belly of the starship.
Voe frowned as she scanned the cockpit one last time with suspicious eyes. "I see Solo has taught you a few tricks, kid." She muttered under her breath. "Just don't think you can outwit me."
With one last glance around the cockpit, Voe switched the ship onto autopilot before following after Hennix. As soon as the doors slid closed behind the Jedi apprentices, one of the panels in the floor began to slide open. Rey's head popped up and she used her hands to haul herself out from the small hiding space underneath the floor.
Ben didn't think he would ever be able to express enough gratitude towards Magda and the other Mon Calamari who had come to his aid in his hour of need. Even though most of them had already spent the day toiling on the docks, they had selflessly worked alongside him during what remained of the night to help get Grimtaash into some kind of working order. Tai had also offered his services, Ben had refused his help, but Tai pitched in anyway.
Dawn sent shimmering rays over the placid ocean, bestowing a golden path from the shore to the horizon. Ben blinked toward the sun that brought with it a renewed sense of hope. He let the moment sink in, soothing his burden as the nascent rays touched his skin. He felt Magda come to stand beside him. "I wish there was something I could do to thank you, Mags." He said huskily.
"You can thank me by finding that little girl we've all grown fond of." Magda replied with a small smile. Then to his surprise the female Mon Calamari reached up and pulled him into a motherly hug. "Rey isn't the only one we've grown fond of. Stay safe, Ben. I don't think this old woman's heart could take it if anything happened to either of you."
Ben blinked back tears as he returned Magda's hug. He tried to remember if his own mother had ever hugged him this way. It was with great sadness that he bid Magda and the other Mon Calamari goodbye, promising to get back in touch when he found Rey.
As Ben fired up Grimtaash's engines he glanced to the side at Tai. Despite his continued animosity toward the young Jedi apprentice, Tai had still insisted on coming with him. "Just don't get in my way." He warned.
"I just want to help." Tai replied wearily.
"I've heard that before." Ben responded sourly. He was about to initiate take off when he received an incoming hail from another ship. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tai's eyebrows shoot up in surprise at who was trying to make contact. The signal was coming from The Verity.
Ben quickly flicked a switch on the console to open the comm. It crackled for a minute until he managed to clean up the signal. Then through the speakers he heard Rey's timid voice come through loud and clear. "Ben? Is that you? Please help…"
A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.