Force Dyad

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

Chapter Fifty-Two-Request

Even though he had formally rejected the mantle of jedi, much to his chagrin, Ben still found himself the undisputed leader of Skywalker's few remaining apprentices. Tai and Hennix looked to him for guidance, with their own training cut short when Skywalker exiled himself from the galaxy at large, Ben remained the most knowledgeable and the most experienced of the group. As the heir to the Skywalker bloodline, Ben possessed raw strength in the Force and had the potential for limitless power. His only equal was Rey. She shared the same raw strength, but lacked the proper training to utilise it. Ben made it his mission to teach her all he knew, along with the others, he developed a training camp on D'Qar. Determined to sever all ties with his past, he developed a regime of his own that differed from Skywalker's, refusing to adhere to the Jedi teachings of old, he drew upon his own experiences as a young Padawan, thirsty for knowledge and eager to learn, but also careful to channel the anger that had always plagued him in his youth in a more positive direction. His struggle to establish his own identity apart from his famous family was just beginning….


In the heart of the forest, Rey sat by the side of the river, meditating. Large boughs sprouted from the trees above her and reached into the murky water as if trying to scoop up the swarming fish. Although the warm water was an olive colour from the swirling mud and algae, an observer could see the underwater wildlife flourish in the shallow part. Swamp-like vegetation and old, rotting trees crept into the river's edge and created slimy pools of debris from withered leaves and twigs. Above the mass of water, high branches wove a tunnel of green leaves like archways in a church to protect from strong sunlight.

The early morning brought with it the steady patter of rain, the fine droplets yet to scatter the nascent rays of the rising sun. The sound brought a calmness to Rey's mind, a soothing melody, a natural lullaby. With eyes at rest, she felt centred, revelling in her blessed moments of solitude. She was so totally relaxed and at peace that she imagined she could hear Ben's soothing voice in her mind as he instructed her. He had the kind of deep voice that was like an auditory massage to the ears. She could listen to him all day.

"Breathe in. Breathe out. Know your surroundings as you know yourself, Rey."

When he spoke, his voice was magnetic to the core of who she was, as if he was able to resonate with all of her, when others could barely achieve a fraction of it.

"Feel the feeling of breath entering and leaving your lungs. Feel the life circulating within and without, the energy of a calm breeze, a gentle sun, echoing through your heart-space, Rey."

Rey began to rise off the ground and ended up floating. Pebbles and small rocks from the river's edge hovered around her, like a field of asteroids orbiting their sun. The Force flowed through her, buoyed her, connected her to everything. The lush rain forest was teeming with life. She could feel every tree and fern, every reptile and insect….

"Woah, there!"

Poe Dameron's loud exclamation of surprise broke Rey's concentration and she tumbled unceremoniously to the ground, before quickly rolling to one side in an effort to avoid the small rocks and pebbles that had been orbiting around her. One hit her smartly on the back of the head and she scowled up at Dameron, who seemed highly amused by her predicament.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Rey demanded in annoyance as she rose gracefully to her feet to be greeted with Poe's familiar smirk. "This part of the forest is private. No one from the base is allowed on the training ground unless it's in exceptional circumstances."

"You know I've never been one for following the rules, my little Rey of sunshine." Poe countered cheerfully.

"You are so infuriating." Rey fumed as she began to gather her things together. "How did you even find me?"

"Ah…. I'm not one for divulging my secrets…"

Poe was interrupted by a rustle in the nearby undergrowth. Seconds later BB-8 burst out of his covering of ferns and rolled directly toward Rey. The jittery little astromech let out a series of high-pitched beeps and whistles in his binary language, effectively revealing exactly how Poe had tracked her down.

"You have a nerve, Poe." Rey snapped as she lowered herself so she was more on BB-8's level. "Using my droid to get to me." She did her best to calm BB-8's anxiety. "I'm fine." She assured the little droid. "He was using you. I wasn't in any danger. Its not your fault he used subterfuge to make you give up my location."

"Busted!" Poe laughed. He wasn't troubled in the least by Rey's angry stare. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying getting under her skin.

"I presume that you've gone to so much effort to track me down for a reason. What do you really want, Poe?" Rey asked through gritted teeth.

Poe took her anger in his stride. "General Organa wants to see you."

"And she sent you?" Rey said disbelievingly. "Why not Ben, Tai or Hennix? Any one of them could have found me easily without you having to resort to trickery to track me down."

"The General doesn't want any of them involved."

Rey was immediately on alert. She eyed Poe suspiciously. "Why not? Why would General Organa not want her own son to know what's going on?"

"You are so full of questions, my little Rey of sunshine." Poe mused, his smile turning playful. "I think you should save them for the General herself."

"Fine!" Rey muttered resentfully. She threw her backpack over her shoulder and took off at a fast sprint toward the Resistance base. BB-8 followed hot on her heels, though his trajectory was somewhat impeded by the lush undergrowth. This meant that Rey was forced to slow down so the little astromech could keep pace with her. To her annoyance It also meant that it gave Poe Dameron a chance to catch up. She was forced to endure his company all the way back to the base, so when they finally reached it, she was in a particularly foul mood.

"You can get lost now, Poe." She told him, desperate to be free of his irritating presence.

"No can do, I'm afraid." Poe answered cockily. "This meeting involves both of us."

Rey experienced a sinking feeling. She didn't say another word as she headed straight to the Raddus to find Ben's mother and get the meeting over with. Whatever it involved, if General Organa thought she was going to keep it a secret from Ben, she was in for bitter disappointment.


As Rey stepped into the main living quarters of the Raddus she found General Organa waiting for her. The older woman looked tired as if she had missed too many night's sleep. Her lustrous brunette hair, now greying at the edges, was wound in an elaborate braid around the back of her head. As Rey approached, she reflected on how diminutive Ben's mother appeared. The heavy burden of leadership had taken its toll on the former princess of Alderaan over the last few years. Leia had devoted so much of herself to the Resistance that it had put further strain on her relationship with both her husband and son. Rey secretly vowed never to put her future family before duty. In her mind family should always come first.

"You wanted to see me, General Organa." Rey decided to be direct.

Leia smiled warmly, easing the fine lines etched into her skin. "Poe found you quicker than I expected."

Rey frowned as her former irritation at the cocky pilot returned. She shot him a sour look and all she got was another infuriating smirk for her trouble. "He tricked BB-8 into thinking I was in trouble."

"Needs must." Poe said with an incorrigible grin.

"I suggest you wipe that smug smile off your face right now, Dameron." Leia said severely. "I brought you here on a serious matter."

Rey got immense pleasure out of seeing the conceited pilot knocked off his pedestal by someone he admired so much. The General wasn't prepared to put up with his bullshit, not when it concerned her precious Resistance. "What can I do for you, General Organa?"

"Please, call me Leia." Leia urged Rey gently. "We can dispense with formalities here."

Rey looked back at the older woman uneasily. "Okay." She said cautiously. "Poe said you needed to see me urgently."

"Yes." Leia confirmed. She offered Rey some refreshment, which she politely declined. "Will you at least take a seat?"

"I'd rather stand."

Leia sighed. "If that's what you prefer." She paused, touching her temple briefly as if it pained her. After taking a few seconds to compose herself, Leia raised her head and looked directly at Rey. "I have a mission for you." She said authoritatively. "We have traced Lor San Tekka, an old associate of Luke's…."

"I know who he is." Rey replied curtly.

"Yes…Ben would have mentioned him to you." Leia continued gravely. "As you already know, San Tekka holds a piece of the map that could lead us directly to my brother. After much investigation by Commander Dameron and Black Squadron he has been traced to Tuanul on Jakku."

"And what has that got to do with me, General Organa?" Rey felt more comfortable using Leia's formal title.

"I want you and Poe to go undercover and journey to Jakku to make contact with Lor San Tekka and retrieve the map."

Rey was incredulous. She couldn't believe that Leia was asking this of her. Ben would be extremely angry when he found out. There was no way he would want her to be a part of any mission to track down Skywalker. "I must refuse." Rey said abruptly.

Apart from the pain it would cause Ben, she couldn't believe that Leia would so unfeelingly send her back to Jakku, the very place she had so traumatically lost her parents. It was like a kick in the teeth and it made her temper flare.

"Why ask me?" Rey demanded, forgetting all pretence at politeness. "I have no interest in tracking Skywalker down. You could have asked anyone else-Tai, Hennix for example…."

"They are not as accomplished as you are. As well as being strong with the Force, you are an exemplary pilot and mechanic, Rey. I know you have a strong allegiance to my son, but sometimes you have to put those allegiances to one side and think of the greater good. You are almost eighteen now and have matured into an independent and strong young woman. It's imperative that we find my brother. I feel that if Luke could see you as you are now. See that you survived the attack on the temple, that it would refuel his determination to come out of exile and join the fight. We need him, Rey. As Ben refuses to– "

"To what?" Rey cut in scathingly. "To be the poster boy for the Jedi? You can't mould people into who you want them to be, General Organa. Ben was the one who stayed and fought, he's the one who has taken on the responsibility this last year and half of training the remaining apprentices, including me. He has done everything you asked of him so far. As have I."

"Hey!" Poe intervened.

"Shut up, Poe." Rey answered fiercely. "Stay out of it."

They had reached a stalemate. Leia touched her aching temples again and ordered Poe to go and find Ben. "General Organa?" He asked in confusion. "I don't think – "

"I'm not asking you to think, Commander. I'm asking you to follow orders." Leia said sternly as she locked eyes with Rey. "Okay, Rey, I had hoped you would have been mature enough to keep this between ourselves and not involve Ben in this until the time was right. I didn't want to dredge up painful memories of the past for him, not until I knew for certain that this map can definitely lead us to Luke. But you've forced my hand and given me no choice. I just hope for your sake he can be rational enough to approach this with an open mind."

A/N-thanks for reading!