When he was a member of the First Order, Ben often called upon the Force to sense fear in his rivals. Extreme distress left a trail, almost an emotional stench, when Ben was within close proximity of the issuer. This Force-sensitive trait was not a quality all Jedi or Sith were privy to, but it was one Snoke found highly useful when Ben was under the influence of the Supreme Leader.
When searching for victims, Kylo Ren had treated the situation like a hunt. Now, as he searched for the missing Padawans, Ben could feel his own sense of fear mixing with that of those around him.
Fear leads to hate, hate leads to anger, anger leads to suffering. This was a phrase Ben knew all too well, yet he could not fully suppress his own fear. What if we arrive too late, he thought, or are overpowered by Stormtroopers? Uncle Luke had worked diligently these last five years in an attempt to rebuild the foundation of Jedi. If those lives and dreams were torn apart by the First Order, it would crush the Jedi Master all over again.
And what of Rey? She loved Luke like a father. Han and Leia's deaths had grieved her greatly. Ben couldn't begin to imagine the loss Rey would feel if she were to lose her Master.
Then there were the Padawans Rey had trained with. She'd often regaled Ben with stories of their friendship, from quests laid upon them by the Resistance to times when they'd grappled with the Force and failed.
Rey would never admit to it, but Ben was consistently struck by the longing in her eyes. Her loyalties were constantly being torn between the man she loved and the Resistance. Ben had encouraged Rey to personally check in on the Rebels, and sometimes she did. But Ben knew once she returned to the Resistance she would begin to miss him, and so the cycle would start all over again.
There were times Ben wondered if he was selfish for wanting Rey all to himself. No matter what he did or how many lives he saved, the Resistance would never accept his return. Sure, there may be some who would welcome him with open arms, his uncle included. But to many Ben and Kylo Ren were the same, merely a name and face attributed to the deaths of their loved ones. As Hux had said, there was no place for Ben in the Resistance. To think otherwise was foolish.
As such, Ben was already in a compromising situation. While making their way to their ruins, they'd only encountered Stormtroopers. But once the buildings were in clear view, Ben could see the orange and white jumpsuits of Resistance pilots. It was only a matter of time before they realized the grandson of Darth Vader was among them.
Keeping his head low until they'd entered the crumbling domain, Ben and the small group were hit by immediate darkness upon entering. Popping out his little lighter, BB-8 took the lead while Rey used the glow from Ben's three-pronged saber. This was mainly for the droid and Poe's sake; the other two would be using the Force.
Ben wrinkled his nose. The ruins smelled of earthly decay and blood. No doubt a fight had taken place where they stood.
With a surge that made his head spin, Ben was suddenly hit by a new and strong wave of fear.
Ben placed a gloved hand on his forehead to keep his world from spinning. "Somebody's here," he said through gritted teeth. Hearing the pain audible his voice, Rey gripped Ben's arm as a gesture of support and reassurance. From the faint red glow Ben could make out the worry lines on her face.
"I'm fine," Ben said. "The Padawans, or some members of the Resistance, are nearby,"
Rey loosened her grip, but continued to hold onto his arm. "Do you have an idea which direction they may be?" Ben motioned to his right.
"Can you walk?" Poe asked.
"Yeah,"
Giving Ben a look that suggested she didn't trust what he'd just said, Rey and BB-8 lit the way to the right. Finding a crevice in the walls, Rey ran her fingers the indentation. "There's a door," she said, "but no handle," Clearing her throat, Rey spoke in a louder voice. "I'm going to cut my way through the door,"
"Why didn't she just ask if anyone was in there?" Poe wondered aloud as Rey ignited her lightsaber.
"Padawans are taught that Sith can manipulate voices through the Force," Ben replied. "Even though a Jedi may hear a familiar voice, it could be a twisted echo,"
"Wow," Poe whistled. "Force-sensitive people have so many tricks up their sleeves it's insane,"
Careful running the tip of the blade along the doorframe so as not to hurt anyone on the other side, Rey gingerly cut her way through the old stone. After burning a perfect rectangle, Rey turned to Ben.
"Can you help me pull this back?" she asked.
His head was still fuzzy, but now was not the time to complain. "Certainly,"
Calling upon the Force in unison, Poe watched, fascinated, as the large rock began to vibrate, and then inched itself forward.
"Let's pull it down," Ben suggested.
Gripping the sides of the stone door with invisible hands, Rey and Ben tugged at the object. Rocking unsteadily, there was a large crash as the thick door lost its balance and smashed onto the floor, revealing the four sets of small, terrified faces behind it.
