Chapter 23


Rey woke up earlier than she had anticipated. She'd set her alarm to go off at 6AM, yet she was wide awake at 5, just staring at the plain walls of her room. Her nerves came back, rattling her somewhat, so Rey distracted herself by working through the plan in her head:

First, they will land near to the villages and the team will travel to the First Order plant at a low altitude. Once there, the team will infiltrate the stock and Rey will sabotage the plant room. When Captain Cypress gives the order, they will blow the charges and escape the planet, Poe giving air coverage as they go.

Rey rubbed her face several times before sitting up and sliding off her cot, deciding to jog on the spot for several seconds before sitting on the solid ground, preparing herself for meditation. Rey fell into the habit easily, thankful that months of training had knocked out any difficulties with falling into the state.

When she finally opened her eyes again, it was because there was a knock on her door and Delina was looking inside. 'I've been told to collect you,' the younger woman murmured.

Rey nodded and Delina closed the door as Rey prepared to dress. She removed her sleep wear and glanced in the mirror attached to the wall across from her cot. Her shoulder length hair was loose and she considered tying it up in the usual three buns, but decided on one, intending to just move her fringe from out of her face.

Her hand slipped against the fabric of her new clothes and she smiled as she unfolded them, first putting on the trousers, then the tunic and the tabards. She'd already attached her Lightsaber staff to her belt and she easily attached it to her waist and carefully adjusted everything in the mirror.

She looked different. At least she believed she did in new clothes and without all her hair tied up. Rey truthfully wanted to feel different. Every day she got closer to being a fully-fledged Jedi and now that she had a place, not only with the Resistance, but within a tightknit group of people, she wanted to be different. A part of Rey wanted that difference to descend into every facet of her being. To the extent that she'd be someone who felt nothing for Ben Solo, that he was just another enemy to fight.

Rey wasn't foolish, though. Even as she adjusted her belt in the mirror and pulled on her boots, she could feel him pressing delicately at her mind, Ben likely sensing the excitement in her heart. The gentle prodding was an addictive feeling that she could probably easily fall into. Rey could imagine being preoccupied by the connection all day, tentatively pressing against it, trying to figure it out and trying to feel more of Ben than she did now. She knew he could, why couldn't she?

Just as she was about to leave, Rey looked about her room and questioned her surroundings. Her eyes stopped on the Skywalker Lightsaber which lay atop a small cabinet and she felt automatically drawn to it. As she put her hand against the hilt, she could feel the light pulsing of the crystals inside and she found herself grabbing it and attaching it to the holder at the back of her belt. It couldn't have been a terrible idea to carry a spare, she thought. The fact that it had helped her in a time of need was not lost on her and she thought imagining it as the presence of her master was calming.

Before Delina knocked again, Rey opened the door and slipped through, allowing the younger girl to lead her outside.

The ships were all being loaded and fuelled and most of the base was outside preparing, even if they weren't being involved in the mission.

Rey found herself slip in between Jess and Finn who were talking about Loth-cats. Jess seemed to want one as a pet and Finn didn't think it was a great idea. Rey was honestly rather thankful that Finn had decided against going on this mission and she felt that at least she only had to worry about Jess and Poe, who were far more capable than even she was.

Rey looked up just as Nadiya waved at her and she hurried over to her team, who were decked out in a lot of weaponry. It seemed that the shuttle had already been loaded and all they had to do was wait for orders. Boril handed her a blaster pistol without a word and Rey nodded her thanks as she tucked it into the detachable holster hanging from her belt.

'You're all decked out now, we shouldn't have any problems,' Takada commented, seeing the second Lightsaber at her back and her new outfit.

Rey smiled. 'Let's call it my amulet of good luck. Can't help to have a backup either.'

'I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one,' Jorr said with his arms folded.

'There's not supposed to be any hand combat for us, Jorr, or have you forgotten?' Nadiya said.

He blinked and waved her away. 'Sometimes it is unavoidable.'

Rey chuckled and then felt the weight of silence as the senior officials exited the base and stood together on the tarmac. Poe caught her eye almost immediately and sent her a wink and Leia gestured for her to come over.

Once she was in the middle with them all, standing beside Captain Cypress, Leia began to speak.

'Now we've worked through this plan several times already. Use your communicators, more so if necessary and keep everything in time. We don't know how long it will take the First Order to react to our actions and therefore we want to be in and out before they bring any war ships in.'

Admiral Ackbar seemed to be nodding enthusiastically at that. 'Let me rest for once,' he murmured.

'You all know the go signals, so keep us and each other informed, understood?'

They all nodded. 'Yes ma'am,' was said in unison and they all began to break apart, going to their respective ships.

Rey felt a hand on her shoulder and it was Poe with a wide smile on his face. 'I'll be watching Captain, so keep sharp.'

She saluted him with a grin and nodded.

As everyone began to board the ships, Rey looked around the freeing space for her master, hoping to see him before they set off. He was standing to the side with Finn, a small smile on his face as he stood with his hands in his sleeves. He seemed to be smiling at Rey's new ensemble and she hurried over to him, a beaming smile on her face.

'It suits you,' he began.

'I'll make sure to make you proud, master.'

He nodded. 'I expect nothing less.'

'Try not to ruin your new clothes,' Finn said simply, looking at his fingernails as he said it.

Rey narrowed her eyes at him, hoping he hadn't jinxed her, and she hugged them both quickly, before hurrying over to the shuttle and running up the ramp after her team. Sorting through the plan again, she sat down in the co-pilots chair and prepared for Jorr to take off.

XxX

The landing was smooth as Rey had expected. They had touched down on one of the planet's expanses of semi-arid savanna and it allowed for some cover for the ship among the grass and spiny trees. It was quite different from the marsh lands that had surrounded the villages where Captain Cypress and his evacuation team had set down on, despite the distance being a mere twenty miles.

The one hundred miles they'd travelled at low altitude had been somewhat helpful in seeing the landscape of Lothal and the various terrains that were condensed into small areas. They'd even passed a small mountain range as they flew.

Rey closed her eyes briefly as she heard the others unbuckling and got up, her hand falling casually on her Lightsaber and she followed several of the others out of the ship and onto the hard dirt.

She had to will her hands not to tremble for what felt like the first time in her life. Even the remarks of her team in her ears, and Captain Cypress and Poe at her hip, did not help stop the shaking. They did their best to hide the ship among the fauna and got set to quickly get to the facility, which sat a mile away from their landing spot.

They began their hike, Rey particularly aware of their surroundings as they walked. She tried to close her eyes to sense where not only her friends were, but where her enemies may be. It helped calm her nerves by concentrating on something.

The bond between herself and Ben, which had settled mostly to a low hum since she had arrived on D'Qar, felt almost numb and strangely she felt that numbness in her heart. Rey was embarrassed to think about it, imagining that she missed him, or worse, that she was heartbroken. She wasn't well versed in love to even begin to contemplate what she could be feeling, thinking it was something emotional rather than physical or Force-related. It had been weeks since she had felt something so poignantly, and she was annoyed that it would happen now, of all times.

Rey willed the Force to fill her as they hiked, to drown out extraneous senses and feelings, so she would be able to focus better.

They approached an incline and the six of them stopped at its precipice, peering over the top towards the facility. Whilst the land had been mostly arid as they walked, the facility was surrounded by less dry conditions and the dust and dried grass that filled the area with a yellow film, dissipated from the air. The facility itself was bustling with guards and Stormtroopers alike, much more than they had expected to be there. Rey counted at least ten on each entrance, of which there were five and she bit down on her lip, considering a new strategy.

'I think it's better for me to go in alone,' she murmured to the group.

There were sounds of protest and she glanced between them all. 'Any other suggestions?'

Nadiya spoke up and readjusted her blaster in its holster. 'You could be a diversion. It would be quicker if us five could set the charges, and they'd be more likely to mobilise if they knew it was you.'

Rey looked back at the guards patrolling and then at Nadiya again. 'I'm just worried that they'll figure out our plan if they see me. I wouldn't just randomly be here, would I?'

The others seemed to understand that and they were silent for a moment, before the radio went off and Rey took it from her side, hearing Captain Cypress over the line.

'Captain, we've just received intel that there may be several villagers imprisoned within the facility. If team two see an opening for extraction, you have the authority, over.'

Rey's eyebrows furrowed and she clicked the radio on transmission. 'Roger that, Captain, is there any intel on why they would be keeping prisoners? Over.'

She glanced at Takada, who was clicking the safety on and off his blaster. Rey wasn't blind to his nerves, nor to the others, who tried to keep as still and silent as possible.

'It's not clear yet, but there is a suggestion that they are the skilled labourers from several villages. Their last known location was on transit to the facility. If they are held, it is likely that they were placed in a makeshift holding chamber. Over.'

'Roger that Captain,' Rey responded, clipping the radio to her hip again and looking to her team.

Takada spoke up first, putting his blaster away. 'So we have to get through fifty Stormtroopers patrolling the outside, set the charges and find the prisoners?' His sarcastic tone filled with frustration.

'The five of you will concentrate on setting the charges and attracting as little attention as possible. I will distract the Stormtroopers without giving away my identity and I'll try and deal with as many as possible. When I gain access to the facility, I'll look for the prisoners because it will be faster if I do it.'

'Then what?' Delina started. 'Will you just lead them all out on your own?'

Rey felt her hand gravitate toward her Lightsaber. 'We have to confirm first and if I have them, we'll swap. I'll blow the charges and you will escort the prisoners out. Remember I still have to find the processing plant and sabotage that too. If I don't radio to you, leave without me and blow the charges within 15 minutes of you setting them. Do you all understand?'

They nodded, however reluctantly. It was foolish to rely so heavily on Rey being able to have the upper hand of the Stormtroopers and the others thought it was a death wish to try and find prisoners too. Even if it was the right thing to do, it would be a waste for them to die trying.

Rey looked out over the incline again and pointed towards a loosely guarded entrance. 'That's the best way to enter. I'll distract the guards and pull them towards the west side of the facility.'

'You'll need this,' Jorr said, removing his backpack carrying some of charges from his shoulder and handing it to Rey.

She nodded with a brief smile and pulled it onto her back. 'Be careful, I know you all have much more experience in missions than I do, but there's something about the amount of personnel that tells me we might not know everything about this facility.'

'You be safe too,' Nadiya said, reaching out to take Rey's hand. 'You've only just been made a Captain.'

Rey smiled and squeezed her hand. 'Make sure you guys blow the charges like last time.'

The five of them nodded and Rey stood, slipping over the edge and descending the hill with speed, trying to avoid being seen until she had reached the base. She decided on knocking out as many Stormtroopers as possible before she reached the building itself and there she would begin the racket.

As she ran towards the first grouping, she sensed the others moving out too and Rey removed her blaster, running at the Stormtroopers and shooting several before they could shoot their own weapons. The sound of blaster bolts and the shouts of some of the troopers led to more arriving and Rey did her best to shoot at them and guide their shots away from her without them realising she was doing so. She shouted as loudly as possible as she did so.

Rey began to make her way to the furthest entrance from the one that her team was going towards, shooting at the door control and running in to get away from the hail of blaster bolts. Several had grazed her, but they did not faze her.

She ran down the hall way, spraying her blaster and ducking behind consoles. It seemed that a majority of the Stormtroopers had been alerted to her presence and Rey could sense more of their footsteps and so she continued to move through the facility, trying to avoid being attacked by too many at a time and all the while looking for some sort of prison as well as the processing plant.

The processing plant came first. It didn't have a door and it was just a giant room off a hallway. There were workers milling around and Rey slipped inside, ducking under one of the large machines to hide as she went about looking for a flaw. The machinery was old and it wasn't hard to find small rust spots or fissures which should have been looked at. She jostled the metal, breaking pieces apart and removed nuts and bolts as quickly as she could, counting down how long she had been inside as she went. When she deemed her sabotage good enough, she set the bag of charges in a small feeding compartment for the unprocessed grain and then slipped out of the plant.

'It's done,' she murmured through the radio as she broke off into a run again. 'I'll tell you if I find any prisoners. Over.'

'Roger that Captain,' Jorr sounded in reply.

As Rey rounded a corner, she paused. It was as if the atmosphere had changed completely and she knew something was different. Her fingers touched the cool metal walls and she felt them vibrate lightly. A large transport was landing, she was sure of it. It could only be more First Order Stormtroopers.

Rey considered taking her Lightsaber out, but she continued running, putting the majority of her energy into sensing for the possible prisoners. She almost tripped when she felt him then. It was like his Force signature was calling out to her making her heart skip and her head begin to throb.

He was here. Why was he here?

Then there was an explosion.

Rey glanced at the time, noting that they were early, incredibly early. The explosions shouldn't have happened now.

'Captain Rey, do you copy?'

Her radio went off and she clicked the transmission. 'I copy. What's happening out there, Cypress?'

There was another explosion that shook the facility and then Rey was knocked off her feet as the wall behind her exploded inward. She held a hand out in front of her, narrowly avoiding getting hit with shrapnel.

'They've sent in a convoy of First Order soldiers, our transports are still evacuating villagers, and Poe's leading Blue squadron on a strike. You've got to get out of there as soon as possible.' Captain Cypress responded.

Rey wiped soot from her face and looked around her and saw scrambling Stormtroopers, seeming as if they were redirecting their efforts from chasing her. 'What about the prisoners?' Sirens began ringing and Rey imagined that the workers were being evacuated.

There was a pause as the transmission line remained silent and then Cypress breathed out. 'If you can get them, get them, if not, come out. Jorr has just told us he blew the charges early. There's something we're missing here.'

'Understood.' Rey responded.

She couldn't think for a moment. He was here. Why was he here? Could he feel her too? Rey took her Lightsaber from her waist and flicked the button on for one blade and began running, seeking the prisoners. They would surely be surrounded by guards, wouldn't they?

Her feet led her down through entryways as her mind concentrated on finding them, her body defending her against onslaught after onslaught. It was messy, she was messy. Her energy was being exerted on sensing out for distress, and her body slashed and blocked without the help of the Force. She continued still, trying to ignore the fact that she knew Ben was here on Lothal.

There was nothing, though. There was no grouping of life forms and Rey sensed she had ran the scope of what was left of the facility. It frightened her that she could be missing something and she feared that perhaps she wasn't as attuned to the Force as she thought she was. The connection that she felt had been affected the last few weeks was her biggest obstacle now. There had to be something else here that was important. Ben was here. If he was here, perhaps Snoke or the Knights of Ren were here and Rey couldn't just let them go.

The bond seemed to fidget in her chest; feeling his proximity and yearning to reach out to him. Rey wanted to follow it, but she couldn't be blind to what was happening around her, to the utter destruction taking place on Lothal: The sound of TIE fighters against X-wings was not lost on her, nor was the constant shuddering as machinery continued to explode throughout the facility. Soon enough the charges that she had left in the processing plant would reach the end of their twenty-minute timer.

Rey's Lightsaber was light in her hands, but her arms were beginning to feel heavy because of the prolonged fighting. Though Rey was utilising her training in Form III, useful especially against the Storm Troopers, she did not know what would happen when she reached the end of this run. Would she have the energy to defend any of the prisoners?

She held the Lightsaber out in front of her, the green glow illuminating the passage ahead of her and she sped up again, her ears quirking to hear anything other than the gun fire reverberating off the walls and the sound of X-wings in a battle overhead.

Rey paused mid-run when she felt a steady heartbeat along with a breath and she knew it was Ben. It felt as if he was right beside her. She hadn't considered before arriving in Lothal what it would be like to be close to him when their exchanges had been through their dreams. They could feel each other's emotions so easily at such a great distance, that now when they weren't even miles apart any longer, it was like they were two pieces in a puzzle.

Stay away.

I can't.

Powering down her Lightsaber, Rey leant against the stone wall and closed her eyes, pulling herself into a trance, not only to heal her sore muscles, but to reach out for Ben, to know where he was. It was like finding a pulsing heartbeat, the closer she got, the more she could feel it; until she could feel his Force signature; until she was in his mind's eye. He wasn't happy and pushed at her, frustration colouring his thoughts.

Rey pulled back, opening her eyes and her hands tightened on the hilt of her Lightsaber. The blades erupted from the emitter and she trudged forward, following her instinct, determined that she would get to him and face the enemy that lay before her.

As she moved through the building, her steps took on a light jog until she neared a large metal door, sealed shut from the outside. Her fingers glanced across the weld and she lifted her Lightsaber to it, forcing the blade into the metal of the door and using all her strength to rip through it, melting the metal and allowing the door to swing open.

She stepped through, wondering what the dark chamber held but she could feel nothing. The room was devoid of the Force altogether and it made goosebumps form on her arms as she walked through it.

'You have made a grave error.'

The reptilian voice was unfamiliar to Rey and she ultimately stepped back, holding her Lightsaber out in defence, trying to channel her Force abilities into strengthening her sight in the dark. Several moments passed and she made out a figure in front of her, dressed in black. They wore a helmet and Rey sensed they did not wield a Lightsaber, but saw the hilts of two blades, poking from over the person's shoulders.

'Do you wish to fight me?' Rey questioned, analysing her location as her eyes warmed to the darkness.

'No.' It was a woman, Rey was sure of it. 'I wish to kill you.'

Rey almost missed it. The second in which the creature had both thrown a knife at her and unsheathed two vibro-swords, immediately attacking Rey. The speed in which she had knocked Rey for a moment meant only her use of the Force was quick enough to stop the knife before it tore through her chest. The swords were dealt with a split second later, when Rey brought her Lightsaber staff up above her to defend against the downward attack.

She hopped back then, holding herself in a defensive stance as she analysed her opponent.

By the helmet that donned her head and the cloak she wore, Rey could only guess she was a Knight of Ren and she could not dwell on why the Knight was sealed away in a chamber.

The woman ran at Rey again, her movements wild and her swords swinging simultaneously, not ceasing. Rey was immediately reminded of her master's moves when he had taught her Form IV. Every move bled into another until the speed and fluidity in which she did it seemed beyond human comprehension.

'Will you just defend yourself and not fight?' the knight questioned, thrashing at Rey with the two swords held high.

Rey defended herself, keeping her Lightsaber always in front and above her, facing the woman side on. She tried to read the patterns in her fighting style, though Rey was not quite adept at Battle Precognition just yet and she relied on her senses as she tried to tap into the mind of the knight.

'Your tricks won't work on me,' she mocked as a stray sword went low, causing Rey to jump and rebalance herself across the room. 'I'm not so pathetic.'

The young Jedi grit her teeth together, solidifying her stance. The door still remained open behind her, though Rey was under the impression that by opening the door, she had unleashed something meant to be trapped.

'Yet you were welded into this chamber?' Rey questioned. The knight swung at her again and she deflected the blow with a swing of her staff and Force pushed the woman back. Just because she couldn't use a mind trick on her, didn't mean she couldn't use the telekinetic elements of the Force.

The knight screamed and her fighting grew more intense and Rey's eyes, now accustomed to the darkness and with the help of the light of her blades, saw deep etchings on the walls. The woman had fought the solid metal and Rey was surprised her blades were still intact.

'If you were kept here against your will then I am not your enemy.'

Rey stopped, flinging her hand out in front of her to leave a trail of flames that separated her from the knight. She still had her Lightsaber powered, though she stood in a passive stance, her Lightsaber held to her side.

'Everyone is my enemy,' the woman spat out. She took her helmet off then and behind the tattoos that covered the lower half of her face, her green skin seemed pale. Even the black of her hair looked dull and Rey frowned when she threw the helmet at the wall. The sun-shaped tattoos beneath her eyes, the small triangles that dotted her chin and the geometric lines that led from her ears to her mouth looked familiar to Rey.

There was a brief twinge of fear in her mind as she looked at the Mirialan and Rey realised it was Ben, his defences slipping and he was feeling out for her, his uncertainty filling her mind. It distracted Rey momentarily, enough that she was a millisecond too slow and her staff only defended her against one blade, whilst the other sliced through the skin and muscle of her stomach.

Rey parried still, working through the pain and trying to avoid Ben's rage and fear bursting through her and she struck at the Mirialan, deciding to attack despite having reservations about who this woman was in the first place.

The fire was dissipating, so Rey bled the Force into it, feeling it roar as it grew, encompassing much of the room. The Mirialan screamed and Rey felt a flash of pain from her, as if her control over her emotions had grown lax for a moment.

Another knife flew at her and it skimmed Rey's fingers as she caught it. Throwing it to the side and twisting her staff in the air, she jumped and struck down at the knight. The vibroblades held against the force of the attack and Rey kicked the knight, knocking her to the floor briefly, before she had to jump backwards to avoid a haphazard attack.

The pain grew duller as Rey fought, though she could feel the heaviness of her clothing as it grew soaked with her blood. She needed to close the wound or she would lose more energy than necessary. It did not help that Ben's mind did not cool and as she fought closing him off, his own emotions threatened to pour themselves into her. The proximity was far more of a hindrance to her fighting than Rey expected.

She could feel her strikes grow heavy and she pushed at him, begging him to contain himself. It was difficult fighting two opponents on two fronts and she messed up her footwork at her lack of concentration, the Mirialan able to land a blow with her elbow to Rey's chest, winding her and possibly cracking a rib, leaving Rey to take a knee.

The woman cackled and Rey felt herself reach out with her hand, her Lightsaber dropping to the floor and looking without reserve at the knight. Her hands went to her throat as she struggled to breathe and Rey squeezed tighter. Even as she stood, her anger did not pass and the woman was led to the closest wall, Rey lifting her higher as red filled her mind.

No Rey. This is not the way.

Rey froze at Luke's voice in her mind and the loss of concentration led to the Mirialan dropping unconscious to the ground. It wasn't him, it couldn't have been him. He was too far. Despite still hearing her heartbeat, Rey looked at her hands, them shaking as she realised what she had just done.

The pain in her chest and stomach snapped her from her conflicts and she knelt down again, closing her eyes to heal as best as she could. It was difficult at first, the Force stubborn or perhaps wary to give her access to the Light and Rey grew sombre.

Why had she choked her? Her master hadn't taught her to use such violence, so why had she gotten so angered out of pain and frustration?

Ben was still there, his fear overtaking his anger and Rey could sense him, closer still and she wanted to reach out to him, feel him close to her. All she wanted was for him in that moment to take her in his arms, for her to stay like that with him.

Rey stumbled up, reaching for her Lightsaber and powering one side up, holding it out in front of her as she stumbled through the facility again. Her wounds were not fully closed, blood covered her tunic and her chest still ached with broken ribs.

Panic rose in the bond and Rey wanted to scream for Ben to leave her be, to keep his emotions to himself.

'Captain, where are you?' the radio went off sharply.

It was Nadiya and her voice was tinged in worry. Rey hoped they were all okay.

'I'm still in the facility,' Rey responded.

'Forget the plan, you need to get out of there! The First Order are readying their cannons to destroy the facility. General Organa thinks they are preparing to bury something.'

Rey bit her lip, frustrated. She had to run to wherever the nearest exit was and the minutes dwindled.

She bent down, taking a breath and then took off into a run, trying to avoid any fire from Stormtroopers that remained, taking a few scrapes as she went. There was an opening that she could see sunlight coming through and she ran for it, attaching her Lightsaber back to her holster. As she ran, the whole facility began to shake and as she beelined for the exit, she was propelled forward, being thrown through the entry way and being hit with debris from the explosion.

As the ringing in her ears settled, Rey turned over, trying to open her eyes, but feeling liquid slip across her face. She rubbed at her eye with the back of her hand, feeling the warm blood against her wrist. Her eye was beginning to swell and Rey touched her brow painfully.

Rey crawled, trying to speed up her healing as she knelt, so that she could do something more than drag herself across the hard dirt. Her head felt swollen with the pulsating thrum of Ben's fear and it tipped her over, until as she tried to stand, she felt her legs give way and darkness descend upon her.


Thanks for reading. This was a gift for the last 2 short chapters :)