Force Dyad

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

Chapter Twenty-Five-Levitating

Ben felt like he been knifed right in the heart. He imagined he could feel the harsh metal blade, cold and raw against his bare skin, but his numb body could not really feel anything but the excruciating pain of betrayal. He was forced to run away from the baying crowds and the cameras broadcasting his reaction on giant screens far and wide across the galaxy-the notoriety he had gained from winning the Five Sabers as well as being the son of the famed Han Solo and Leia Organa-everyone suddenly wanted a piece of him.

Now that his family's connection to Darth Vader had been so unceremoniously revealed to the whole galaxy, those who had been cheering him on as a hero only moments ago for winning the race, now saw him as a villain. How quickly the worm turned?

The crowd flowed down the wide avenue the same way a river always meets its banks. The mood of the people swirled in unseen currents beneath the dark surface of their faces as Ben fought his way through the maelstrom. The crowd continued to move like a multi-headed beast that shared only one brain, becoming ever more hostile. Ben felt like he was fighting against heavy water currents, he was tall and strong, but the weight of the angry people swarming around him kept pulling him off course as he desperately tried to reach the place where he had last seen Rey.

When he had won the race, the crowd had been so jubilant, singing the songs that belonged to the inebriated and joyful. But as soon as the news broke about Darth Vader, the atmosphere of elation had turned toxic. Then from nowhere came a throng of masked security guards with weapons drawn. They launched into the hostile crowd of racing fans, striking out at everyone who came within reach. Most fled, the chaos was immediate and the atmosphere transformed to one of terror. People ran helter-skelter down back alleys and through the main thoroughfare, only to find the exits blocked by more security. Some began to fight them and defend the fallen, but not enough to stop the bloodshed. The masked security guards fired on anyone who dared retaliate and soon the bodies began to pile up.

Eventually Ben was forced to draw his own weapon as he got caught up in the running battle between the masked security guards and the fleeing crowds. In that frozen second between stand off and fighting he got a brief glimpse of his assailant's eyes from behind his mask, before he attacked. Ben shut down his emotions so his own face was unreadable, he showed no fear, no invitational smirk as he cut the guy down with his saber before he even reached him. He moved forward, using the shimmering blue blade of his saber to deflect any blaster bolts aimed in his direction.

When it came to this type of fight there was no such thing as honour, no code. All that mattered was surviving and taking nothing for granted. Ben tapped into the force, reaching out, allowing it to guide his steps towards the only one that mattered to him.

The remaining shadows of the day were already dissolving into the night time darkness when Ben finally found Rey trapped amongst a group of the masked security guards in a back alley. She was totally in the zone, using her extensive training, and utilising everything he had taught her, as well as the inner strength the force provided to keep them at bay while she fought her corner. Ben had never felt prouder of her than he did in that moment at the way she was holding her own against men older and stronger than she was.

Ben stepped from the shadows; his shimmering blue blade gleamed like a warning signal in the cool moonlight. His expression remained impassive, only his eyes showing his fury as one of the masked men broke away from the others and charged toward him with a mighty cry. Ben barely glanced at him as his arm shot out and he used the force to freeze him in place, before closing his fist and sweeping his arm to one side and flinging the guy brutally against the opposite wall of the alley. Another one of the masked figures tried to creep up on him from behind, only to find the blaster he was holding yanked right out of his hand and land in Ben's opened palm. Ben used it to shoot the guy without even looking in his direction. Simultaneously he ran his saber through another without blinking an eye.

It didn't take long for Ben to dispatch the rest of them. He stood above the fallen bodies, his breathing coming rapid and fast. He felt no guilt about slaying the men, they had paid the price for daring to hurt Rey. He made eye contact with her and his breath stuttered in his lungs before he let it go, feeling the tension drain from his body as the adrenaline of battle ebbed away. His breathing returned to normal and he opened his arms to her. Rey ran toward him, flinging herself at him and clinging on tight as he lifted her clear of the ground.

"Sssh!" His voice was low and raw against her ear. "It's over now."


Ben and Rey fled Theron on Grimtaash. Exhausted from everything that had happened, Rey fell into a fitful sleep. She lay curled up on the co-pilots seat, letting out an occasional whimper as she dreamed. Ben wished he could do the same. He remained awake and in silent agony as he tried to stifle the voice inside his head. It was louder than usual, demanding to be heard, twisting the narrative and placing the blame for what had happened squarely on his parent's and Skywalker's shoulders. As much as he tried to shut it out, to concentrate on something else, he couldn't deny the fact that this time he agreed with it. He did blame them. All of them. Even Han was complicit, by keeping such a huge secret from him, it made him just as guilty as his mother and Skywalker.

Why hadn't they told him?

Why couldn't they have trusted him with the truth?

Why keep such a huge secret from him?

"Because they don't trust you. They think you have too much of your grandfather in you. They fear you. They fear your power. Your strength. They see you as a monster. You've seen it in their eyes when they look at you. You've heard it in their voices when they speak to you. You know it's the reason why they sent you away. You know it's the reason Skywalker was always so hard on you, why he was so determined to stifle your power, to control you. He's afraid of you, of your potential, of everything you could become…."

Ben squeezed his eyes shut and put his hands over his ears in an effort to drown out the voice. It didn't work, the voice continued to drip its poison, making so much sense, speaking so many of Ben's own private thoughts aloud, that it left him feeling raw and exposed. His breathing intensified and he let out a burning ball of air that was searing the walls of his lungs and opened his eyes again to find Rey wide awake and looking at him anxiously.

"Ben? What's wrong?"

Ben looked back at her, hating that she was so worried and knowing he was the cause. He was supposed to the strong one. He was supposed to be protecting her. "I've just got a headache. It'll go away soon." He struggled to smile to hide his pain from her. He didn't want her to worry about him, however the pain inside was becoming so unbearable, it hurt to even fake a smile.

Rey saw through him right away. She stood up and placed her hands on either side of his head. Her cool touch was soothing and Ben closed his eyes in relief as the voice inside his mind faded away into nothingness. "You need to sleep, Ben."

"I can't." He admitted.

"Maybe meditating will help." Rey suggested calmly. She took her hands away from his head and smiled tiredly. "Come on." She coaxed him gently.

Rey really was his light in the darkness. Ben watched her activate the autopilot and take the lead as she climbed out of the cockpit to the living quarters below.


"Meditation is about more than just forging a deeper connection to the Force… It is about gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves. It is a means of obtaining greater control over our thoughts and emotions. Peace. Serenity. Harmony. We must master ourselves before we can hope to master the Force."

Ben could almost hear Skywalker's lecturing voice as he settled down opposite Rey in a cross-legged position. By meditating, Force-sensitives could reach a deeper state of relaxation, making it easier to connect with the Force with a clear mind. The basics of Jedi meditation were to focus on whatever emotions were uppermost in one's mind, to be honest with oneself about the feelings one experienced and their effects. Then, one was to let each emotion go—the goal being to make oneself an empty vessel that the Force would be able to fill with peace and serenity.

Ben copied Rey and closed his eyes. He tried to focus his mind and find that inner sense of calm and serenity. He slowed his breathing, relaxing every single muscle in his body as he opened himself up to the Force. Ben sensed Rey doing the same, he could hear her quiet breathing, a sound that was soothing and peaceful. Ben matched his breathing to the pace of hers, his chest rising and falling with the sedative qualities of a lullaby. Everything was so quiet, Ben felt as light as air, the tightness in his chest was gone, the voice inside his head was banished and he could breathe with ease. A genuine smile crept onto his face and he simply let it sit there, letting himself enjoy the feel of it as he slowly opened his eyes to find himself and Rey levitating in mid-sir. He was so shocked that he let out a surprised gasp. The sound disturbed Rey. Her eyes flared open and she, too, sucked in a sharp breath, as they both tumbled back to the floor at the same time.

A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.