Too late
They barely get off his black shuttle when the Secretary of Council approaches them hastily on the landing bay, with his robes flailing in the crisp, winter wind and his round belly bouncing in step. Ben next to her halts expectedly and leans over to hear what the shorter man has to say.
What little color Ben has drains from his face.
"What's wrong?" She asks when she sees him clenching his jaw. The wind has really picked up, whipping at their cloaks and ruffling Ben's mane of hair. Heavy clouds have rolled in taking over the city.
"Intel is stating that the weapon on Starkiller Base is aimed at the Hosnian sector. It started powering up this morning." He states flatly. But Rey can sense there is more troubling him in the Force. "Come. The infiltration team has already begun its work. I hope it will be enough."
The Government building is in turmoil when they enter and reports are already handed to him the moment they enter the Council Conference room. A few of the members are already there and holonet connections to Hosnian Prime and other major worlds are already being established.
Ben takes his seat in front of a holoprojection of the Republic's High Chancellor, who is currently in the Hosnian sector. He loosens the buttons of his collar which Rey considers a worrisome sign on its own.
"A mug of caf," he says to Kaydel before he begins. "Black."
"Let's hope this isn't the last time we speak, Governor," the older man states with a sad smile on his lips.
"I hope not either, Sir. You have promised me a week's vacation on your personal resort in Hosnian Prime. I would hate to miss the opportunity."
The old man chuckles with a shake of his head.
"Have the X-wings been dispatched?"
"Yes. And the bombs are being set by the infiltration team as we speak. We had a recent message from the Millenium Falcon stating that it's bringing in a new shipment of them, just to be on the … safe side."
"Isn't your father getting a bit old for this?"
Ben snorts. "Try telling him that. He's the one setting the new bombs on the weapon's oscillator."
Rey studies Ben out of the corner of her eye. The dark circles under his eyes, the nervous fidgeting of his usually very composed gestures, the restlessness and plain flat out fear that emanate from him.
His father. He must be concerned about his father.
There's a pause while the two men, the High Chancellor with his white hair and neatly trimmed beard and clothes of pale greys, and the young Governor of Coruscant in his dark ensemble and jet black hair, regard each other solemnly as equals for a few moments.
"May the Force be with you, Sir."
"Thank you my boy, we can only hope for the best. My regards to your mother."
Time passes. People come and go within the Council. Ben converses tirelessly with his peers through the holoprojector. Or paces the grand room coming to stand every now and then in front of the large wall to wall window that overlooks the city of Coruscant. The weather is catching up and snow has begun to fall on the ecumenopolis. But nothing slows the city's busy life as shuttles continue to zoom back and forth in the airlanes, and people fill the streets, despite the promise of a blizzard that will soon be upon them.
In every sense.
The Republic fleet stationed in the Hosnian sector is on red alert, preparing for immediate jump to hyperspace. Sadly enough, only a certain number of ships will be making it out since the hyperlanes will not be able to withstand a mass influx of warships.
This decision, amongst others, has fallen on Ben and the Minister of Defense.
There's a strenuous effort taking place to evacuate civilians from the Hosnian sector. It is, of course, just as pointless.
Ben has removed his stifling robes and is on his third cup of caf when Rey decides that there's nothing for her to do here. The building's security has been enhanced by bringing in a squad of Coruscant's Security Force, heavily armored police officers normally tasked to patrol the dingier, crime-infested Lower levels, while numerous police Force airshuttles are guarding the airlanes. It's as safe as it can get, considering the circumstances.
It's also the opportunity Rey has been looking for.
"Have you seen Jeff anywhere?" she asks Mike, one of Ben's most trusted bodyguards, currently standing at the entrance of the room with his hands clasped behind his back.
He shakes his head negatively. Rey is not surprised. She hasn't seen him or sensed him either.
"He sent in his resignation this morning. Kaydel said something about him being fed up with the Governor's behavior," he answers back.
"How convenient," she mumbles.
"What did you say?"
"Never mind…" No need to explain the coincidence of Jeff's sudden departure from Ben's staff and Starkiller Base powering up in the same day. "I'll be gone for a little while, alright? Keep an eye on the Governor."
"What? No." His eyes widen comically. "You're not supposed to leave his side."
"I"ll only be gone for a couple of hours the most. He probably won't even notice. And even if he does, just tell him I went out to grab a bite to eat." Rey shrugs. He'll believe that.
"Miss Rey, if he finds out I let you go, he'll have my liver for lunch. Tell me what you have in mind and I'll have a team assembled to do it for you."
She looks up at the beastly looking man. He can be such a sweetheart at times. "Mike, I'm the only one who can do this. I'll be back soon. Don't let anyone I haven't already cleared enter the Conference room until I'm back, ok?"
She watches him as he nods completely crestfallen. He knows that he can't stop her. Rey pats him on his thick shoulder and slips out of the room.
She weaves herself through the rushing personnel and down the main entrance of the Government building that's by now swarmed with reporters and holonet coverage. She keeps her head low and covered with her cloak's hood, easily blending in with the crowd that's comes and goes down the main steps, and nudging curious glances away.
But Rey feels aggravated with herself. She has put the pieces together too late.
It's not long before she lands the shuttle she has conveniently borrowed on a small landing bay that belongs to a small apartment building close to the Lower Levels. The sleek, shiny architecture is not prominent in this part of the city and its streets and airlanes are crowded with shuttles that seem to be dated as far back as the Old Republic. Rey frowns, making a mental note to discuss the city's less fortunate living conditions with Ben at some point, and see if he has any plans on rectifying these ailments.
There's a few curious glances cast her way from humanoids as well as aliens, as she makes her way in which Rey nudges away with the Force once more. Soon enough she's standing outside Jeff's door, pressing on the door's ringing mechanism. After the second ring resounds and Jeff doesn't come to the door, she decides to just override it.
When she sets foot inside all her suspicions are verified. Jeff is in the process of fleeing.
He's aiming a blaster in her direction, hand trembling lightly from the tension. She stills.
"You can't stop me."
Rey believes otherwise. He's not Force sensitive himself. Just very well trained in dealing with them.
"Who are you giving information to?"
She takes a step in his direction and he takes one step back. "Stop where you are!"
He looks horrible. Sleepless and unkempt in a way she has never seen him be. She wants to feel sorry for him. Only she doesn't. These are stressful times, spiraling out of everyone's control.
"Who is it, Jeff?" she says, tries to drown the urge to rip out what she wants from his mind. He will not be able to stop her. "Who's betraying the Republic?"
"If I tell you I don't get to live another day!"
"If you tell me I'll make sure you're guarded by the Jedi."
He chuckles coldly and grips his weapon. "No one can protect me from the First Order, Rey. Don't fool yourself."
She unhooks her saberstaff and stretches her other hand to him. "Hand me your weapon, Jeff," she says calmly using the Force to enhance her compulsion. But his walls are up and her compulsion disperses into thin air. She'll have to be a little more aggressive with him and Rey hates it.
"Don't take another step, Rey. I'm warning you!" He's aiming at her head, as he stands just a few feet away from her, and she really doesn't want him to take that shot. It will just make things worse for him.
Her fingers curl. Asking for his weapon.
"I need to know the information you've given out," she states firmly, holding on to his gaze. He's scared and his eyes dart all around the room. "Put your weapon down and let's talk calmly. You know I can take whatever I want."
"I'm not giving you anything!" He grinds through clenched teeth.
The blaster goes off.
The lazer beam is suspended in midair with a quick gesture from Rey, followed by his blaster being ripped from his grasp. She's done playing nice.
Jeff gapes at her.
And then she does it. Digs fingers in his thoughts, clawing for the information she needs before he can push her out of his powerful mind.
Before she questions her ways…
He screams, clutching his head in pain and falling to his knees, as she tears through his mind heedlessly. Desperately. She needs to know who's betraying Ben and consequently the Republic.
When she stumbles across the memories her grasp falters. It's the opportunity Jeff had been waiting for because he immediately raises himself up, looking at her with wide green eyes. There's a devastation and resolve behind the look he gives her that runs like cold water down her spine. His face is streaked with tears and his hair is matted to his face with sweat.
"You deserve him," is all he says. "You're just the monster he is. Goodbye, Rey."
The truth of his words feels like a punch in the gut. She blinks and that's all it takes to lose him from her sight.
She expects him to go running through the open door behind her in an attempt to escape. She doesn't expect him to rush towards a window. It slides open.
Jeff jumps off before she can stop him.
Rey stumbles to the open window, grasping its metal edges and searches for him. The cold wind that sweeps in the apartment stings her face and chills her to the bone. She finds his body on the ground far below, broken beyond recognition and with a pool of blood spreading in a halo around him.
She pulls away horrified and staggers to the closest chair. Hides her face in her hands and tries to quench the convulsions of her stomach.
Too late…
Luke has taught her that each person is responsible for his own actions. That one must not carry the burden of another man's decisions. But she knows that Luke has struggled with that knowledge himself too many times.
Rey still can't forgive herself for figuring out Jeff's shady presence in Ben's team so late.
She wipes at her teary face with the back of her hand. Tries to get her emotions in check like she has been taught to do. But they are wild creatures these days. Unrestrained.
Rey had liked Jeff.
I should have been more aware…
Ben might be strong with the Force but his abilities are coarse like the edges of an uncut diamond. He has not been able to develop any refinement in wielding his powers. It comes to not surprise that he had not picked up on Jeff's betrayal.
Rey however...
She rubs her forehead in frustration and wills herself to get up.
Enough of this.
She searches every corner of Jeff's place for the littlest clues that might have been left behind, and hacks the computer system for forgotten files. He's been very thorough wiping all evidence of his existence from his apartment. In the end, she decides to rip out the computer's hard drive from the wall and take it in for further analysis before the police appears. She might even be able to salvage some of the files that Jeff has probably deleted if she gets lucky enough.
She leaves the apartment just as the incoming snow blizzard hits the city. There's a disturbance in the Force that has Rey feeling very, very restless.
"Where have you been?" Kaydel hisses at her when she finally arrives at the Government building late in the evening amidst the raging blizzard. The assistant's nails dig into her cloak. "Do you have any idea how worried he's been?"
"Will you take it easy?" Rey blurts out when Kaydel starts dragging her down the long corridors, heels clicking furiously on the floor and with her two usually tightly wrapped buns on the side of her head, bouncing out of their holds. Rey doesn't believe she's ever seen Ben's assistant in such a state of disarray. "I had a very good reason to be gone for so long. Trust me. And when I inform the Governor about what I've discovered then…"
"Rey, with all due respect, nothing you've come across matters at the moment. I just want to take you to him before he has my head. I have never seen him so livid before."
Rey halts pulling back the bewildered assistant. "What happened?"
The girl's eyes are wide and the color of her face sort of pasty-looking when she turns to face her. She licks her lips.
"Starkiller Base was blown to smithereens but not before annihilating the Hosnian sector and a good part of the Republic's fleet."
Rey's heart stops.
Kaydel presses on with a quivering voice. "The Governor has just been appointed to be the High Chancellor of the Republic for the time being since he's the one who has been organizing a defense strategy against the First Order to begin with. But he's not happy about it, Rey. Not happy at all." Her hand squeezes Rey's forearm. "Please, let's just go… His father's ship is missing and you've disappeared for hours and he's losing his kriffing mind!"
Shit.
"…will get back with…losses… No news yet on…"
The communication feed cuts off just as Rey enters the Conference room. The urgent voice over the speakers reminded her of Poe Dameron, Senator Organa's personal pilot. But she's not sure.
There's a strange crackling intensity reverberating within the chamber and its lights seem to be flickering dangerously in accordance to the fluctuating energy.
Rey barely recognizes the Governor when she sees him.
Ben stands amidst a chaos of people and droids, audio static and bright holonet screens. A layer of datapads cover the polished surface of the Council's table. He looks absolutely ragged in his rumpled black shirt and disheveled hair and there's a sinister expression etched on his face that Rey has never seen before.
Her chest clenches at the sight of him.
Ben looks terrifying.
His eyes meet with hers and something in the Force just snaps.
"Where the hell have you been?" his deep voice booms, silencing every single sound in the room. Multiple heads turn to look at her. The sadness and fear and despair over what has transpired earlier is almost palpable in the air.
He tosses a datapad on the table which collides with a heap of other datapads and sends them all crashing on the floor.
"Where the hell have you been?" he repeats himself, his eyes burning with near madness. "I specifically ordered you not to leave my side today and you disappeared on me without a single word of notice."
Rey presses her lips. He's in no condition to discuss anything at this point.
"Answer me!" he roars, slamming his hand on the table top. The datapads rattle and people flinch and the lights flicker for a moment with a sickening buzz. It's an unsettling scene, and it's only made worse by the pounding of the blizzard on the windows and the howling wind ripping through the city.
Rey crosses her arms in front of her chest and straightens her back.
"I was searching for some valuable information that concerns your safety."
"My safety at this point does not matter! Coruscant was Starkiller's next target. I had to dispatch a fucking Police unit to search for you, Rey, in case we had to evacuate the damn planet! And you were off playing hide and seek in the capital's streets?" He gestures furiously out the window.
"Jeff is dead!" She yells at him fisting her hands.
He scrunches his brow as if she speaks another language "What?"
"Jumped off a building so he wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of his betrayal to you. He was the informant behind your assassination attempts, Ben. And he's not the only one involved. "
He looks at her stunned for a heartbeat or two.
Then he rounds the table, storms at her in quick, heavy steps. Comes to loom over her in all his Dark glory. She stares up at him.
"You went out on your own looking for my killer?"
"Jeff was not your…"
"Do you have any idea the kind of danger you were up against? Do you have any idea how worried sick…" he grits his teeth trying to reign in his next words. He shuts his eyes in an effort to seemingly compose himself. And that's the thing. Rey knows. She understands how worried he has been. She sees it. But he would have never let her go after Jeff if she had come clean with him.
When he opens his eyes, there's only ice fury simmering inside them. "This is the last time you disobey a direct order from me." He turns to address two of his security men. "Escort the Jedi to my apartment," he dictates.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"You will do as I say! Or so help me Force you will be out of Coruscant by daylight, and will never set foot on it again."
Rey presses her lips trying to will back the tears of fury blurring her vision.
Not a single breath is heard within the walls of the Council.
"But beware," he continues darkly, addressing his men but staring at her. "My Jedi is a slippery little thing. Make sure she remains there until I come."
The warning directed at her is unmistakable.
"Get her out of my sight." He commands and turns his back to her.
Rey shrugs off the hand that grasps her arm, leveling the guard with a cold glare. He doesn't insist but remains in back of her along with two other men as she walks out of the Conference room. Ben has gone to stand at his spot by the window, with his fists scrunching the pockets of his pants, and his back rigid with pent up rage.
He doesn't spare her a single glance.
Just a head's up warning for next chapter. There's dubcon. You can all imagine why