Chapter 11
Ben watched the curious stranger from the corner of his vision as it skittered around the corpse of the Eilupine, as if looking for some secret. He was busy tending to Rey, as he helped her stand up. The antidote they had been offered had yet to take effect. He put a strong arm around her waist, and hoisted her arm across his shoulder, steadying her to walk. She continued to stare into the distance, occasionally closing her eyes and breathing deeply as if sleepwalking. She looked rather content. Had the circumstances been different, Ben might have laughed at her drunken behavior, before helping her find a bed or chair where she could relax and sober up, but such minor luxuries were not present now. Instead, the bitter wind sliced at their skin, the cold had numbed their fingers and toes, and the overwhelming stench of the slain Eilupine assaulted their noses and eyes. Rey's incapacitation was not the result of a few too many drinks, but a mysterious and concerning poison, of which Ben had no experience to draw from. All he could do was trust this deadly stranger.
The creature drew a sickle-shaped dagger from its belt, slicing into the Eilupine's hide with ease. What was once a disagreeable smell had become absolutely nauseating as the stranger exposed the beast's colorful insides to the open air. Ben spent every ounce of mental fortitude he had on not vomiting. Quickly but carefully, the stranger pulled a small, green sac from the belly of the Eilupine. It then retrieved an empty container from its robes, placed the sac inside, and hid it away once more. Attaching the dagger to its belt, it looked to Ben with a curious expression. With Rey in tow, he refused to come any closer to the carcass and its assaulting odor but looked to the stranger for directions.
"Lead on then," Ben said.
The creature's antennae twitched, its mandibles grasping at nothing. It adjusted the heaving weapon on its back before it turned and began walking along the same tracks it made from the forest. Ben followed in silence, as they were once again swallowed by the trees, leaving the putrid carcass to be consumed by the planet.
They walked for some time, Ben and Rey following a few steps behind, and the stranger never once looking back. Ben could not decide what he found more concerning: Rey's condition, or that he was willing to follow a strange creature to an unknown destination. He could not bring himself to outright say that he was indeed right, in that they should have just stayed on the ship, but the thought seemed to cross his mind with each new development. In some sense, he was grateful Rey was in such a pitiful state rather than fully conscious, because it meant he could focus on feeling sympathy for her rather than irritation at the situation she had encouraged. Every few minutes he would look at her expression, to see if her cognition was improving; sometimes it seemed as though she was coming around, and other times it made him question his own judgement. Yet, with his aid, she was walking relatively well, and showed no indication of distress, which were optimistic signs in their own right.
They trekked for what felt like an hour, making very few turns and stopping for nothing. The creature made no attempt to speak to either of them, although it did begin to occasionally look over its shoulder to confirm their presence. Ben observed the weapon strapped to the creature's back, unable to discern exactly what it was supposed to be. At first glance, it looked to be a crossbow, but lacked a few basic characteristics. The bolts it used for ammunition had no obvious qualities of the typical arrow either. It also reminded him of a simple harpoon gun, used by primitives all over the galaxy. Yet, it was not simple. In fact, the intricacy of the weapon's design made it difficult to determine what material it was even made from.
It lacks the luster of metal, but it's too angular to be wood. Stone? No, it's not heavy enough…, Ben thought to himself.
He sighed, tired of guessing.
"Can you speak in Standard?" He asked the stranger, raising his voice to compete with the wind.
The creature turned to look at him, but gave no response, looking forward again. Ben furrowed his brow.
"Can you understand what I am saying?" He asked again.
The stranger looked over its shoulder, eyeing him for a few seconds longer than before, then faced forward again. Ben closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. Suddenly, he felt Rey's weight shift, as she removed her arm from around his shoulder. He continued to hold her waist, carefully assessing her status, but she walked on her own, showing no signs of weakness. She looked towards him with a dazed expression, not quite looking at him, but through him like a window.
"Where…where are we going?" She asked.
Ben gestured to the stranger a few steps in front of them.
"I'm not sure, we're following him, er, it. How do you feel? Are you in pain?" Ben asked, concerned but trying to appear relaxed so as to not scare her.
She slowly shook her head.
"Pain? No…I just woke up," she said.
Ben frowned. He could not decide if this was an improvement in her condition or not. She gave him the smallest smile, but he could not be convinced it was an intentional or conscious action.
A noise caught their attention. Ben stopped and looked eastward. The stranger stopped too. A high-pitched hum, approaching rapidly. Ben recognized the unmistakable sound long before he saw the ship on the horizon. The stranger stepped under the low, thick branches of a pine tree, and gave a hurried gesture for Ben and Rey to do the same. Ben pulled Rey along, hugging them close to another large tree. Rey was off in her own world, staring at the snow, but Ben and the stranger looked to the darkened sky as the hum slowly filled the quiet forest, breaking any inkling of serenity.
In the blink of an eye, the shadow of a TIE fighter raced overhead. Within seconds, the deafening noise had begun to wind down as the ship lowered on the western horizon, until vanishing from view completely.
Ben looked to the stranger, who beckoned them to follow. He gently ushered Rey along and looked to the sky once more. The unmistakable feeling of dread itched under his skin with each step.
"What do you know about the First Order?" Ben called out to the stranger.
This time the stranger stopped, looked Ben in the eyes, and gestured to itself with one stubby arm. It spoke with a rough, broken voice that was clearly not designed to communicate like a human.
"Empire—hurt," it said.
The stranger appeared to think for a moment, as if searching for more words, but said nothing else and turned around. As they walked, Ben tried to make sense of such a vague statement.
Empire? He questioned.
Did it mean the First Order, or did it still believe the Empire was in control? Did it mean the Empire was hurt? As in, the creature had heard news of the First Order's defeat at Exegol and around the galaxy? Or perhaps it meant the First Order had hurt him personally? Maybe the First Order was going to hurt him in the future? Ben wished he could ask for clarification, but the brief exchange suggested that would be impossible. So, they kept walking. He did know one thing for sure: there was no way the TIE had not spotted the downed Falcon. They were officially working with borrowed time.
Tucked in a small clearing among the trees, the camp was unassuming and well hidden. Small fires and smoldering embers scattered the scorched ground, leaving no place for snow to accumulate. The smoke from the fires rose high into the air, being slowly swept away by the steady breeze. A tall rock face shielded the camp from the worst of the windstorms, yet a stiff draft poured from the hillside, as a wide cave was cut into the rock wall. Small, disheveled huts spotted the clearing, though they seemed to hold little value, as some were empty, and others looked to be filled with seemingly useless piles of old pine needles and sticks. Ben and Rey looked around curiously as the stranger led them through the camp.
They soon came upon a small circle of six individuals, seated and communicating amongst themselves in an indiscernible language. A small flame glowed at the center of the group, illuminating their grotesque expressions in the otherwise shadowy world. They looked much like the stranger Ben and Rey had been following, though their armor plating was thicker and deep cuts suggested they had all seen battle. The robes they donned were various shades of purples and oranges, with intricate patterns painted across the backs in white. Some of the creatures held onto small, wooden bowls filled to the brim with a thick, black liquid. The rest gestured calmly with all four limbs, speaking in intermittent chirps and buzzes. Oddly, only one of the six creatures seemed to acknowledge their presence; the others carried on as though in their own worlds.
This one was different, and he caught Ben's attention the moment they stepped towards the circle. He was a hulking creature, roughly three times the size of the others, and looking as though he might stand a whole meter taller than Ben. His wide shoulders were covered in large, grey plates, much like the others, but adorned with metal that appeared to be melded to the natural chitin. He did not wear a full robe like the others, but a simpler set that wrapped around his lower half. The plating on his torso was reminiscent of a knight's cuirass. Instead of two sets of arms, he had three, with the main set ending in crude, three-fingered claws. His most striking feature was the plates that made up his skull, branching out into thick horns like that of two anvils. His brooding expression matched his fearsome appearance, and it was clear to anyone that this was the chieftain.
The stranger that had saved the lives of Rey and Ben hailed the chieftain and communicated something in a short burst of chirps. Rey perked up at the strange sounds, as her attentiveness was returning to a normal state. Still, she was unusually quiet. Ben tried to mask his anxiety with curiosity.
The chieftain looked between Ben and Rey from where he was sitting, then gestured with one massive arm.
"Imperials! What business have you?" He called out.
Imperials? Ben thought.
Ben and Rey exchanged a look, before Ben stepped forward, squaring his shoulders.
"We are not with the Empire. We are stranded and in need of help," Ben said.
The chieftain regarded them for a moment, then gestured to a place on the ground, closer to him but outside of the circle. The other five creatures went on communicating amongst themselves as if they had not noticed Ben or Rey at all.
"Sit! Sit! You sit!" The chieftain said in a gruff but welcoming voice.
The two sat as they were told, with the stranger sitting beside the chieftain.
"My offspring say you were attack by the freezing beast. Where the cut? Let me see," the chieftain demanded.
Both took a moment to absorb and process the broken Standard before Rey slowly turned and revealed the cut in her thigh. The clotted wound was now stained with the mysterious silver venom. The chieftain nodded a few times before raising his head, making eye contact with one of the five creatures in the circle. No sounds or words were exchanged, but the smaller of the two stood and walked to one of the huts near the cave.
"A small meal you are for freezing beast, but you interrupt my offspring hunt ceremony. Now he must repeat," the chieftain said.
He gestured to the smaller creature beside him, who nodded before whispering something back to his father. The chieftain looked to Ben and Rey again.
"Was freezing beast kill with honor?" He asked.
Ben furrowed his brow.
"Yes, I believe so," Ben said in return.
Neither Ben nor Rey had a full grasp on what was happening, or what they were talking about, but silently decided to keep the cultural miscommunications to a minimum. If that meant agreeing to whatever the leader said, then so be it. The chieftain nodded again, before the circle member returned with a cup of steaming liquid. It handed it to Rey with a quick bow before returning to its spot in the circle.
"What is that?" Ben asked the chieftain.
"Your female must drink! Warm the blood, burn out venom," the chieftain said, gesturing strongly for her to drink.
Ben made a perplexed expression at the phrase "your female" but dismissed it. Rey was not quite lucid enough to process it. Ben felt if she was in her right mind there was no way she would have let that slide—cultural miscommunications be damned.
"Will it cure her sickness?" Ben asked.
"Yes! Yes! Drink warms blood, breaks sleep state. Offspring only give extract, not cure," the chieftain explained.
Without another word, Rey downed the steaming drink, then set the cup on the ground beside her. She made a face of tasting sourness, then relaxed. Ben watched her for a moment, then looked to the chieftain.
"You must have seen the ship fly overhead. What is the First Order doing here? Have you had contact with them?" Ben asked.
"Empire been here many seasons. They take: take my kin, take my seer, take food. Our generosity and trust they take advantage. You have come to do same?" The chieftain asked in a low tone.
"No, we're not with them."
"Then why here?"
"Our ship crashed. We need supplies to repair it so we can leave. Are there any cities or shipyards in this area?"
"No ships here. No supply. Empire have ships in Wit'gaami."
"'Wit'gaami?'"
The chieftain pointed west, towards the ominous mountain tops that pierced the horizon like black blades.
"Wit'gaami—dark. Home of freezing beast and dirku'ga. Planet voice come from there," he said.
Ben struggled to understand what he was hearing, slowly losing track of what the chieftain was saying, or whether he was supposed to understand these words or not. He suddenly wished he had inherited more of his mother's talent for communicating with non-human species.
"Alright. You're saying there are no places nearby that will have ship parts?" Ben asked.
"No. Scavenge maybe. My kin scavenge Empire transceiver; is why I speak like you," the chieftain said, gesturing to Ben and Rey.
"You taught yourself Standard by listening to a transceiver?"
"Yes, yes. My kin no understand, but I listen long time. I learn."
Ben nodded, quietly impressed. Perhaps, he had underestimated these primitive creatures.
"You said the First Order, or Empire, has been taking your people. Where are they taking them?" Ben asked.
The chieftain pointed west once more.
"To Wit'gaami! For why, I don't know. Take seer first—his power speaks with planet," he said.
Ben shook his head.
"Who? Power to do what?" Ben asked.
"To speak! Like freezing beast! Planet speak to him, he heal illness and move object. He speaks to freezing beast, stop it from hunting us," the chieftain said.
The offspring whispered something to him, pointing to Ben. The chieftain looked at Ben, his beady eyes quite narrow.
"My offspring say you speak to freezing beast like seer, you tell it stand still. Truth, yes?" The chieftain asked.
"Speak? No, I didn't—," Ben paused, finally understanding, "You mean the Force? Is that what you mean by speaking?"
"Force, speak, yes. You and beast—same power," the chieftain said, bumping his fists together.
"You're saying the animals here can use the Force?" Ben asked.
"Planet speaks to them. Planet speaks loud. Beast listen, like us."
Ben thought for a moment. Such an idea made him question everything he knew about the Force. The idea that a non-sentient creature could learn to use the Force seemed revolutionary. He wondered if this was an accurate revelation, or if the language barrier was giving him a false shock.
"Then your 'seer', he had the Force too?" Ben asked.
The chieftain gave a solemn nod.
"Yes, yes. From same brood, he grow with me. He speak to planet and try to resist Empire, but they take him. Never again see him," he said.
Ben was quiet for a moment as the chieftain seemed to reminisce.
"Is there anyone else in your tribe who has shown these powers?" Ben asked.
"No. Seer special to us. Only one of his kind," the chieftain replied.
Ben nodded. Next to him, Rey stirred and shook her head like she wanted to get up. She turned to Ben, blinking a few times.
"Ben, what's going on? Where are we?" She asked.
Her voice sounded normal but as if she had just awoken from a deep sleep.
Ben put his hand on her back, then looked to the chieftain.
"Excuse us; we won't go far," Ben said.
The chieftain merely nodded. Ben stood and offered Rey his hand. They ambled away from the group of creatures, just far enough to where they could hold a private conversation. Rey held her cloak tight across her body, her teeth clacking as she shivered.
"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Ben asked.
"Weird. Cold. What the hell happened? I remember the Eilupine and you…and then everything just kind of faded away," Rey replied.
"You're not in pain or anything? Do you know what planet we're on? Your name?"
Rey gave a puzzled look, furrowing her brow.
"Yes? Of course. Why are you asking me all this? Are you okay?" She asked, slightly irritated.
Ben gave a small, relieved sigh.
If she can insult me, she must be feeling better, he mused to himself.
"I believe you were poisoned by the Eilupine at some point. You were acting weird for the past couple hours. I was really…worried," he said.
He swallowed hard as he realized how anxious he had become over her condition.
"Oh. How did we get here?" She asked.
"The chief's son, or whatever it is, killed the Eilupine, then led us here. I think he saved our lives."
"But you saved mine—I remember that clearly."
"I—," Ben paused, looking deeply into her eyes, "I just wanted to protect you."
Both were silent for a moment. Rey could not help the burning she felt in her cheeks.
"Well, thank you, Ben. Really. I'm fine now though, so you can stop looking so worried," Rey said.
Ben relaxed his shoulders, letting out a silent breath.
The severity of the situation had suddenly dawned on her, as she realized Ben had not only risked his life to protect her while she was incapacitated, but also brought her to safety and found her help. All the while, she had been as helpless as an infant. She maintained her strength and composure, but part of her wished he would just embrace her or that she would have the courage to embrace him. But in front of these strangers, she just could not bring herself to do it, for fear of making a scene. After all, she was feeling quite vulnerable as it was. She breathed.
"So, what is this place? Who are these, um—?" She asked, gesturing to the circle of individuals.
"I don't really know who or what they are, but I'm certain they are the locals we've been talking about. They seem to have a connection to the animals that live here, as well as the First Order," Ben said.
"They know the First Order?"
"Well, no. It sounds like the First Order has been detaining them for some time. I think the chief thought we were with them."
"Oh, well they're not mad at us, are they?"
"No, not at all. In fact, he's been quite hospitable. He said there's no ships or supplies around here though, so, for that—"
"Don't you dare."
"I told you so."
Rey sighed as she gave the smallest smile. Ben saw the glimmer of amusement in her eyes, and that relaxed him, yet he could tell she was still uncomfortable.
"You look cold," he said, his voice flat and soft.
"I'm freezing! Like, my bones feel cold. I don't know how to explain it," she said, her teeth rattling again.
Without hesitation, Ben put one arm around her, letting his cloak shroud her from the elements. Rey leaned into him, glad that he was braver than her when it came to public displays of affection.
"I'd give you my cloak as well, but I really don't want to freeze out here. You'd have to pull me back to the ship on an ice sled," he said with a chuckle.
Rey giggled at the image.
"No, we wouldn't want that," she yawned, "So what now? If they have nothing for us, I guess it's time to leave?"
"I don't think it would hurt to stay a little longer. They seem to know something about the Force; from what I understand they had a tribe member that could use it before he was taken by the Order," Ben said.
"Taken where?"
"West."
"You don't think…?"
"Yes—those pins we saw on the map."
"This is starting to get weird, Ben. A planet that shouldn't be here, mysterious building sites, kidnapping Force users. I just don't get it."
"I know, I've been thinking about it a lot. Just outside the camp, a TIE fighter flew overhead, going west."
"A TIE fighter? That means they saw the crash! We can't stay here; we need to go back before they reach the ship!"
Rey was getting riled up, looking as though she might bolt. Ben raised his hand in a pacifying gesture.
"Relax. We'll see if there's any more information we can get, then we'll head out. Besides, you still need to recover, and there might be more medicine they want to give you," he said.
"Look, I'm really grateful you've taken care of me, but I'm fine!" Rey whined.
"Well, I need to recover. I'm old, alright?"
Rey rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please—don't start with that," she said.
They made their way back to the circle, taking their spots near the chieftain. In the brief time they were gone, two thick rugs had been laid out for them to sit on. The open generosity of the tribe made Ben nervous, but he was determined to keep his composure. Besides, he knew Rey would have mocked his paranoia. The chieftain regarded them and gestured with one hand, his other arms quite relaxed in his lap.
"Ah, she has awake. Strong enough to eat, you are?" The chieftain asked.
Rey tilted her head, unsure what to make of his words. Before either could talk, two more of the tribe members emerged from the cave behind the circle, carrying bowls. They were smaller than the circle members, and their colorful robes lacked the intricate designs. They handed the bowls to Rey and Ben, shared a few hushed sounds with the chieftain, then disappeared into the cave again. Rey sniffed the dark green sludge, surprised to find it smelled of warm bark and grass.
"I insist! The chieftain barked.
Rey and Ben exchanged a glance. Neither were particularly fussy eaters, and with a shrug, Rey took the first sip. Years of constant food insecurity guaranteed she would never turn down a free meal, regardless of how alien it appeared. Ben, on the other hand, was cautious and skeptical. His time as a military leader meant he was conscious of all kinds of assassination attempts, poisoning being one of the easiest to execute. These creatures had clear disdain for the Empire, and therefore the First Order, yet it seemed as though he believed Ben when he said they were not affiliated. Ben watched Rey as she sipped on the bowl, appearing to enjoy the unique slurry. He glanced at the chieftain, who stared at him without shame. Ben took a sip.
There was a pause as the contents passed over his tongue and he tried to gauge the taste. Finally, he raised his eyebrows in unceremonious approval. The soup was surprisingly mild and tasted of nondescript vegetables, having been boiled down into a porridge texture. Most importantly, it warmed his frozen bones. Both him and Rey gave pleased sighs.
"Tell, where from if not Imperials?" The chieftain asked, sitting back.
Again, Ben and Rey looked at each other.
"We're from Jakku," Rey answered quickly.
Ben eyed her for a moment. Something deep in his heart was pleased at her tone. The words came out as though they were true—as though they were both nobodies from nowhere, having always been together. The chieftain seemed to consider the words.
"Jakku. Have heard Jakku through transceiver. A battle there, yes?" He asked.
"Um, yes. We had missed the battle, but we are returning now that it's safe," Rey said.
Ben watched the creature closely, quietly assessing if he was buying her simple lie. The chieftain simply nodded.
"We thankful war has not come here. Ships pass, but no land here. Empire bothers us, but not often. Sad, I feel you, to be ran from home planet," he said.
Rey nodded and gave a sheepish look to Ben, hoping not to press the issue further.
"I thought I heard you mention the animals on this planet can use the Force. Would you mind talking about that?" She asked.
"I not have power to speak like seer, I know only what he say. This planet, strong power lives here. Live in plants, beasts, my kin. Ancients come here long ago to draw that power."
"But that doesn't explain how the Eilupine can use it," Rey said.
"Freezing beast smart—our distant kin. Not smart enough to see power is sega."
"Why do you call it a 'freezing beast'? I thought the local word for it was Eilupine?"
Beside her, Ben shook his head.
It's a translation, Rey, of course they don't call it that, he thought.
"Imperials give it Standard name. Our tribe call it what it is: the 'beast who freezes'. Freeze your blood, you have seen for yourself, yes?" The chieftain explained, pointing towards the wound on Rey's leg.
"What is 'sega'?" Ben asked, finding the earlier statement more interesting.
"Your word, I don't know. Sega mean 'cut across brood skin'—the power to hurt your clan," the chieftain replied.
"The dark side. You're saying this planet is a kind of reservoir for the dark side of the Force?" Rey asked.
The chieftain shook his head.
"Dark side, I am not familiar," he said.
"The side used for evil and manipulation. It corrupts Force users through weakness and emotion," Rey said quite confidently.
Ben gave her the briefest, subtle look of displeasure, to which she did not engage. The chieftain shook his head again.
"Seer never speak of this 'dark side,' but corrupt, yes. You use this power, yes? My offspring say so," The chieftain said, pointing to Ben.
"Yes," Ben replied.
"We both can," Rey added.
Ben gave her a look, this time more serious.
Just because they are being so open with us doesn't mean you have to reciprocate, he thought.
Rey glanced his way, as though she had heard him. The chieftain nodded again, eyeing them for a moment. His voice took on an ominous tone.
"You leave from this place soon. Empire will steal you, like my seer. They want power for themselves. They no different from freezing beast," he said.
"You said there's no way to get supplies for our ship. How can we get to the other side of the planet?" Ben asked.
"To Wit'dahar? Empire lives there too. They transport there, from Wit'gaami. Catch transport only way."
"Where can we find the transport?" Rey asked.
The chieftain pointed northeast.
"Rail line—only fraction of planet rotation. For when carrier go through, I can't say," he said.
Rey looked to Ben.
"We should go," she said.
Ben nodded.
"We need to go back to the ship first," he said.
"For what?" She asked.
"To pack up anything else that could be of use. It might be the last time we see that ship," Ben said.
"You don't think we'll run into the First Order by the time we go back? They already know we're here; we might as well keep moving," she said.
"Rey, we don't know how long we'll be waiting for that convoy. We need to regroup and think this through, you know, like a plan?"
Rey nodded but with a reluctant sigh.
"Maybe you're right," she said.
"Before leave, let my healer look at cut," the chieftain said.
Rey looked to her thigh, suddenly aware of the dull throbbing from the site of the wound. Dried blood mixed with dried venom had since stopped it from leaking. Another figure emerged from the nearby cave and beckoned Rey to follow to one of the empty huts. Rey thanked the chieftain and dismissed herself from the group. Ben watched her walk off with the tribe member, as he himself was stuck in quiet thought. Finally, he turned to the chieftain with a serious expression.
"Thank you for all that you have done for us: taking us in and giving us food. Your son alone saved our lives, so for that we are in your debt," Ben said.
The chieftain gestured and appeared to do something like a chuckle.
"No hold debts, that concept we don't know. I wish we give more to you," he said.
Ben nodded in acceptance, but his mind could not help but to come up with more questions.
"Forgive my rudeness, but why have you been so welcoming to us? Our species has not been kind to you, yet you let us in without question, and tell us everything we want to know. You can understand why I'd question your motives," Ben said, sitting tall.
The two leaders looked each other in the eyes. After a moment, the chieftain's body language changed; he leaned forward, lowering his head. He seemed to recognize something that Ben did not.
"I believe I know you," the creature began.
Ben's breath hitched.
"A truth-seeker, this one. Is one answer: seer tell me many seasons ago that two tiiga, male and female, would arrive in a ball of flame, with power to speak like planet—the Force you say. He say they are to be cherished, and that together they are manifestation of our low world. That they hold power of creation."
Ben exhaled, wholly relieved his fear had not come to fruition. The chieftain had not identified him, but his spirit.
"Creation? Of what?" Ben asked.
"The Universe."