Force Dyad
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A/N-thank you very much to everyone who kindly read and reviewed the last chapter.
Chapter Thirty-Six-A Friend in Need….
Skywalker's compassionate gaze swept over the distraught young woman in the hospital bed. Voe's white hair, released from her usual tight braids, spiralled around her face in soft tendrils as she cried. Her eyes glimmered with watery tears which glistened wherever they touched her brown skin. She was so distressed that she couldn't even look Skywalker in the eye as he gently questioned her about what had happened at the temple on the night of the massacre.
"I tried so hard, Master Skywalker." Voe sobbed. "I tried to get to the young padawans trapped inside the dormitory, but the heat from the fire was too intense." She lowered her head and covered her face with shaking hands in order to disguise her true feelings from the grief-stricken jedi master. "Then I saw Rey…she was running from Solo, frightened for her life…I jumped to her defence straight away, trying my best to shelter her from his uncontrollable rage. I guess…he…he…was angry that she had…had turned away from him." She paused, taking a deep quavering breath to steady herself, still making sure to keep her face hidden behind her hands.
"I'm so sorry, Voe." Skywalker said gravely as he gently rested one hand on her shoulder in sympathy. "If you feel you can't continue…"
Voe let out another choked sob. "There's not much more to say, Master Skywalker. When Solo saw Rey cowering behind me for safety, he used the Force to collapse part of the building on top of both of us. I did my best to throw myself over Rey to protect her from the falling masonry…. but I wasn't quick enough. I am so sorry."
"Please, Voe, don't apologise." Skywalker's lashes were wet with moisture as he pleaded with her not to distress herself further. "You did everything you could to protect Rey from my nephew's wrath. Your courage in the face of adversity is admirable and will never be forgotten by me or any of the others. I assure you. You are a true jedi."
Voe parted her fingers and peeked through them up at Skywalker's haggard face. "And how is Rey?" She asked cautiously, her voice slightly muffled from behind her hand. "Is she…?"
Skywalker's expression turned grim and he let out a shuddering sigh. "Her prognosis is…." He hesitated, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. "She's still in a coma, but stable for now. All we can do is hold on to hope, Voe."
"Yes, Master Skywalker." Voe whispered. Her shoulders shook slightly as she let out another choked sob.
"I'll leave you to rest now, Voe." Skywalker murmured as Voe's obvious grief affected his own to the point he had to leave abruptly.
As soon as she was sure that the jedi master had gone, Voe dropped her hands into her lap, revealing that her shoulders hadn't been shaking with grief but silent laughter.
"What more proof do you need to convince you, Leia?" Skywalker questioned his sister impatiently. "I've provided you with a first-hand account of what happened at the temple. Even though she was deeply distressed, Voe was brave enough to eloquently articulate what she saw happen that night."
"Yes, this young woman has painted herself as quite the hero." Leia retorted sarcastically.
"Voe risked her life to save Rey from your son's wrath. You should be thanking her!" Skywalker snapped.
"Forgive me, brother, if I don't take this young woman's word as gospel. She is a stranger to me; I know nothing about her or her intentions." Leia fired back. "I need more proof than just her 'word.'"
"Aren't the dead bodies of all my students proof enough!" Skywalker argued, his frustration growing. His twin's stubborn refusal to accept the truth about her son was infuriating.
Leia didn't flinch as she met Skywalker's ravaged gaze. "I empathise with your predicament, Luke. Believe me, I do. However, I refuse to condemn my son without irrefutable proof. I'd like to speak to this young lady and hear her version of events myself."
"Voe has been put through enough…" Skywalker protested.
"I'll be gentle. I promise." Leia cut in calmly. "I am set on this course of action, Luke. You can't change my mind."
"Fine." Skywalker agreed grudgingly. "But I want to be there when you do."
Tai had never felt so nervous in his life as he slowly sank into the velvet lined wing-backed chair opposite Ben's mother. He had been in awe of the former senator as soon as he had laid eyes on her. He was well aware of her history as a princess turned rebel leader, today her thick, luxuriant brown hair was woven into a long braid, nothing fancy, but still, it somehow managed to project her past royal status. Just like the simple white shift dress she wore, a thin golden belt circling her waist the only ornament.
Tai shifted awkwardly in his seat as he declined her gracious offer of refreshment. "I've already eaten." He apologised hastily.
Leia, noting Tai's awkwardness around her, smiled at him with a serenity that quickly put the young man at ease. She regarded him with her warm brown eyes, so like her son's, it startled Tai for a moment. "I've asked you here, Tai, for a specific reason. I understand you and Ben are friends. Han told me that Ben used to mention you on occasion. I was wondering if I can ask you a few questions about him."
"I'll help in any way I can." Tai said in a rush, his cheeks warming slightly when he realised, he was close to babbling.
"Thank you." Leia blessed him with another dazzling smile to express her gratitude at his co-operation. She leaned forward in her chair and looked at him speculatively. "Besides yourself and Rey, Tai, how did Ben get on with the other students?"
"Ben wasn't exactly the most sociable guy." Tai responded cautiously.
"I can imagine." Leia's smile turned wistful. "Ben takes after his father in that regard." She shook her head slightly as if clearing her head of old memories before focusing on Tai again. "What about Voe? How did he get on with her?"
"Um…" Tai fidgeted uncomfortably as he suddenly realised where this conversation was going.
"I need you to be honest, Tai. Its important." Leia urged him.
Tai melted under the sincerity of her gaze. "They were rivals."
"In what way?"
"Maybe rivals is the wrong word to use." Tai said apologetically. "The rivalry was mostly on Voe's side. As for Ben, I don't think he even noticed she existed other than as an irritant. I think she acted up sometimes in order to get his attention."
"I see." Leia said slowly. "Are you hinting that Voe may have had romantic feelings toward my son at one time?"
Tai cleared his throat as he lowered his eyes. "Yes."
"And my son was unaware of this?"
"He was until I pointed it out to him after Voe accidentally broke Rey's wrist during a training session."
"Tai, can you look at me properly, please?" Leia asked him gently. Tai slowly levelled his gaze to hers. "Thank you." She continued gravely. "I only have one more question and I need you to answer me honestly. Don't think you're betraying my brother's trust in any way by being sincere with me."
"Of course."
"Do you believe Ben was responsible for what happened at the temple?"
Tai swallowed thickly as he slowly shook his head. "No, I don't." He whispered.
After thanking Tai for his assistance - she asked one more favour of him -to guard Rey's room with Hennix, and to admit no visitors, unless it was one of the physicians treating Rey or herself and Han. Tai readily agreed, grateful for something to do to keep his mind occupied from dwelling too much on the traumatic events that had happened at the temple. He left to find Hennix, while Leia headed to Voe's room to meet up with her brother.
Leia found Skywalker already waiting for her. He expressed his disapproval once more at forcing Voe to revisit the terrible tragedy all over again. "Be gentle with her, Leia. This is not an interrogation."
"Don't worry, brother." Leia replied curtly. "I'll be on my best behaviour."
Skywalker totally missed the sarcasm in her tone. "Good." He said gruffly, opening the door to Voe's room and waving her in ahead of him.
They were barely in there for fifteen minutes before Skywalker was pulling Leia back outside the room. He closed the door firmly behind him, hoping to drown out Voe's loud hysterical sobbing. To his horror, his sister had been neither kind or sympathetic to the poor girl's plight, instead leaving Voe a trembling wreck as she coldly launched straight into her interrogation.
"How could you be so cruel, Leia?" Skywalker demanded. "You promised to be gentle. You've reduced the poor girl to tears. She's so distraught, she's shaking. I'm ashamed of you."
"She shaking with anger more like because she knows I don't believe her bullshit story." Leia retorted impatiently. "You're letting your grief cloud your good judgement. I was a senator, Luke. I've been around enough politicians during my lifetime to know when someone is being untruthful. That young woman is lying through her teeth."
Wrapped in his long black cape, his hood pulled down low over his head to better conceal his facial features, Ben adopted a suggestive tone of voice and used a distinctive hand gesture, waving it in front of his confused target's face as he used an old jedi mind trick on the hospital official in order to persuade him to give up Rey's location. It worked like a charm. The clueless official gave Ben clear and precise instructions, even going so far as to suggest a shortcut which would keep Ben away from any prying eyes.
Ben thanked the official, knowing that as soon as he walked around the corner the man would have forgotten they had ever encountered each other. He kept to the shadows as often as possible, avoiding contact with any other staff members, paying particular attention when he crossed paths with any droids, those couldn't be dealt with by a simple mind trick like the official.
The hallway leading toward Rey's room had about as much personality as the rest of the hospital. The floor was slate grey and the walls dove. Above the ceiling was made from wooden squares laid on a grid-like frame. The light was too bright for his eyes after the darkening gloom outside, he found it abrasive, he could feel a headache already forming. Or maybe his head was aching because of his distinct worry about being discovered with so many Force sensitive individuals roaming the corridors, it could only be a matter of time. He had to be as quiet and stealthy as possible. He certainly didn't want to risk another confrontation with his uncle if he could help it. His sole focus was on getting to Rey.
So far Ben had managed to traverse the hospital without incident, but when he turned the last corner in the direction of Rey's room, he sensed Tai and Hennix close by. Cussing under his breath, he knew it was pointless hiding any longer. They would have sensed his presence just like he had theirs. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Ben pulled his hood back, revealing his face, before boldly stepping out into their line of sight and striding confidently toward them.
Ben wasn't sure what to expect from either of them. He saw Tai whisper something to Hennix, before the Quarren took off at a fast sprint in the opposite direction. Ben tensed, suspecting that Tai had sent Hennix off to fetch Skywalker. This was not good and the worst possible outcome. He had not factored in that anyone would be guarding Rey's room. Still, it was too late to back out now. Ben continued forward, his long strides quickly eating up the distance. He soon reached Rey's room only to find Tai blocking the entrance.
"I don't want to fight you, Tai." Ben said in a low voice. "I'm here for Rey."
Tai's gaze wandered over his face briefly. "I don't want to fight you, either."
"No matter what Skywalker says, I didn't do it, Tai." Ben continued as he kept his gaze level with his friend's. "Like I said, I'm only here for Rey. I don't want any trouble."
"I know you didn't do it." Tai admitted, he glanced down the corridor in the direction Hennix had vanished. "I said as much to your mother." He saw the surprise register on Ben's face. "Look, Hennix is going to fetch your mother right now. I thought better her than Skywalker. You don't have long. So, whatever you're here to do, then I suggest you hurry." He stepped aside, allowing Ben clear access to Rey's room.
"Thanks, Tai." Ben said sincerely.
"Don't thank me yet." Tai muttered, glancing down the empty corridor again as Ben moved eagerly past him and stepped into Rey's room.
A/N-thanks for reading!
