Chapter 17 - I Believe You
"Wake up, Ben."
Someone lightly jostled him and a jolt of fear raced through him. But he was so exhausted and sore that he didn't care to strike out at them.
"Wake up. We're here."
Ben opened his eyes and saw the planet Takodana looming before them.
"We're not there yet," Ben said sleepily. He leaned back and closed his eyes. "Wake me up when we land."
"Why do you think I woke you up now?" Zari Hatalan asked sardonically. He'd become very reticent in the past few days of travel as he and Ben bickered non-stop. "I need you to land."
"Who the hell doesn't know how to land a starship?" Ben sighed and lurched up.
"I know how to fly. I just suck at it… especially at landing," Zari said sullenly.
"It's a wonder you thought you could escape the First Order."
Ben took the captain's chair and inputted the descent protocols. He flexed his stiff fingers before taking hold of the control stick. He had mostly recovered from the hypothermia of being unceremoniously thrown into space, but there were still a few unpleasant lingering effects. His broken arm was also going to need care from a proper medic. If he could find someone to properly bind it on Takodana, then he could focus better on the dyad and initiating contact with Rey. He was certain the dyad was healing itself. He could feel the loose ends reaching out into the unknown and binding tightly to something… or rather, someone.
"Hang on," he muttered as the starship descended into the gray clouds. Rain splattered against the windows, obscuring his view. The ship rocked as sudden turbulence affected it. "It's going to be a bumpy ride."
"Aren't you supposed to be some hotshot pilot?" Zari grumbled as he bumped his head on the overhead panels before he could strap himself into his seat.
"No, that's my father," Ben retorted. "But I'm not too bad myself."
"Could have fooled me," Zari said as the ship rocked from side to side. "You know that's not an inherited trait, right?"
"You try doing this with just one arm," Ben retorted as he struggled to keep the control stick steady. He thought he was doing pretty well considering this starship was decades old and the stabilizers were shot.
The clouds parted and the lush green forests of Takodana came into view, the colors still vibrant despite the gray pall cast by the weather.
"I'd offer to fly, but you asked me to let you land the ship," his nemesis argued.
"Yes, because I want to survive," Ben grumbled.
"You're a real pain, you know that?" Zari told him.
Ben could see him rolling his eyes in the nav comm's reflection.
"Well, so are you," Ben snarled in annoyance. He guessed old habits died hard despite one of them not having any memories of their tumultuous relationship.
"Stars, I don't know how I ever stomached dealing with you all those years!" Zari threw his hands up in exasperation. "Less than a day in the same space as you and I'm already losing my sanity!"
"Maybe this is a fever dream for the both of us," Ben snickered as his barbs got under the man's skin again. He made a mental tally of the win.
"I'll make sure you get the aid you need at the castle, but after that, we're done!" Zari jabbed a finger at him. "You can make your own way back to the Resistance."
"I thought you had something important to pass on to them," Ben couldn't help needling the man still.
"I'll give it to you after we meet with my contact," he muttered. "Now focus on flying."
"The ship is sort of flying itself right now," Ben told him, relinquishing the controls and turning around. "It's made for cruising."
"If you don't shut up, I'm going to hit you," Zari said stiltedly, each word a staccato filled with the promise of pain. His eyes flit to the front of the ship with growing panic the longer Ben stared at him without doing anything. "I'm not kidding. Focus on flying!"
Ben turned back to take hold of the controls again and smiled while suppressing a chuckle. It was odd, but he'd missed the man and their charged interactions. This felt wondrously normal. His life might have changed drastically in the past few months, but this man had stayed the same.
An indistinct collection of stones appeared on the horizon at the edge of a lake, rising out of the fog. The Pirate Queen's castle which served as a haven for smugglers and pirates had been destroyed during his last visit to the planet, but it had since been rebuilt. It was a busy hub of activity judging by the gleam of the starships in the landing bays. He flipped a switch to activate the antiquated landing struts as they crossed the lake. Ben aimed for a secluded spot beyond the landing bays. He didn't want to attract any unwanted attention with their stolen Corellian starship. They would have to hike a ways through the forest to reach the castle. Ben grimaced as he landed the starship with several bumps. Without the use of both of his hands, it was a rough landing. The starship's landing struts skidded across the dirt before gaining traction.
Zari muttered something incomprehensible under his breath but didn't voice a louder complaint. A pity, since Ben had come up with a pretty good retort. Ben flipped a toggle to open the ramp and his mood took a nosedive as a wall of humidity blasted into the ship. Zari made his mood worse by swathing him with that suffocating cloak that covered him from head to toe.
"You have got to be kidding me," Ben snarled. "You want me to hike a mile in this climate wearing this?" He shook the cloak in annoyance.
"Suck it up," Zari told him, putting on similar garb. "We have the galaxy's most recognizable faces and we're on a planet with people who won't hesitate to turn us in for the reward money." He threw up a hand as Ben opened his mouth to argue again. "If you think otherwise, you better think again. Kandia has no doubt spread the word about our betrayal and pictures of our faces far and wide and offered a substantial prize for our recapture. She has no incentive to keep it a secret anymore."
Ben snapped his mouth shut as a latent memory told him he was correct. Kandia would stop at nothing to get him back to please the mysterious woman she was working with. Until he's back to full strength – well, minus his Force abilities – he shouldn't risk the chance that the wrong person would recognize his face.
They trekked through the trees, their only method of navigation was the gray stones peeking up above the trees. Ben huffed and puffed as he pushed himself to keep up with Zari. He absolutely loathed those First Order officers and that sadistic woman Kandia for inflicting these injuries on him. It was completely inconvenient. Three-quarters of the way to the castle and his leg was killing him. They descended into a rocky trench covered in patches of green moss and he let out a slight moan of pain as his leg partially gave out. He managed to catch himself on the rock wall but scraped the palm of his good hand.
"Are you alright?" Zari asked despite his vow not to interact with Ben anymore.
"I'll be fine," Ben grunted and pushed himself upright. He clenched his hand and hissed as his palm stung.
"Let's take a break," Zari reached out to steady him.
"I'm fine," Ben insisted, moving around him.
"Stop being a hero and denying your pain. You're not fooling me," Zari said with a long-suffering sigh. "Come on, Ben. Stop for a moment."
Ben rolled his eyes, but he stopped walking. He leaned against the wall and swallowed back bile as he fought against the rising nausea. Perhaps walking so much hadn't been a good idea.
"So who's your contact at the castle?" he asked, wanting to know what to expect.
"You'll see soon enough," Zari replied.
"Just tell me," Ben insisted. "I'm going to find out in a few minutes anyway."
"I'd rather not say," Zari said secretively. "It might be difficult to arrange a meeting. I don't recall if there are passphrases necessary to initiate a meeting."
"Then what are we doing here?" Ben narrowed his eyes with growing irritation. "I didn't come all this way just to hit a dead end."
"I'll come up with something. I'm sure they'll remember me," Zari assured him. "It's just… for me, it's been a long time since they last helped me. I'm uncertain what our relationship is now."
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Ben pushed away from the wall and headed through the corridor of rocks.
He slowed as a feeling of déjà vu teased his senses. He turned around and smiled as he realized why this place felt so familiar. The memory of striding among these stones and stalking an upstart Jedi was fresh in his mind. This was the place he'd met Rey for the first time and they'd had their little battle. It was the first time he had become interested in someone else and their wellbeing since his time as a Jedi initiate. Much had happened since their initial meeting; it was dizzying to think about it.
"Ben?"
Zari's voice broke through his trance. He flicked his eyes up the trail to where Zari was waiting for him.
"We're almost there. The trees are thinning."
Ben nodded in acknowledgment and followed him. Sure enough, the dense cluster of vegetation thinned and hints of the Pirate Queen's domain could be seen through the branches. The sounds of people conversing replaced the twittering of the wildlife. He and Zari glanced at each other and made sure their hoods and masks were completely hiding their features before breaking from the forest. They joined the folks coming and going from the palace grounds, following the well-trodden path to the front steps. The doors to the keep had been redone with overly large wooden slabs woven into the Pirate Queen's sigil and stamped with an inscription in Galactic Basic.
All are welcome. (No fighting.)
Looking closely at the doors, Ben could see hints of force fields overlaying the panels. He bet the energy shields extended into the foundations of the castle as well. He admired the subtlety of the design. The main room was set up as a cantina and it had a cozy atmosphere with light music. It was clear the Pirate Queen expected camaraderie from all who enjoyed her hospitality. The high walls were covered with her mantra of welcome and expectations of no fighting, repeated over and over in every conceivable language in the galaxy. There was even a low throbbing underneath the music that Ben eventually realized was the Galactic Basic Morse code version to convey the message to lifeforms without sight. This subtle message was further emphasized by a security force of humanoids and droids she'd employed to keep order.
Ben expected to get a table to maintain appearances while Zari perused the room for his contact, but the former general headed straight for a bulky, heavily armed male guarding a side staircase. He was so broad in the shoulders that he blocked the entirety of the entrance. Ben would have told Zari that it was a poor idea to confront the guard if he could have moved quicker. The Pirate Queen guarded her privacy zealously from those she didn't know.
"I request an audience with the Pirate Queen," Zari said, craning his head back to what must have been an uncomfortable angle to meet the man's stone-faced gaze. "We have business to discuss."
"Her Majesty isn't seeing supplicants today," said the man, not budging from his spot in the doorway.
"It's a matter of some urgency," Zari said in a low tone. "Regarding the Resistance."
Ben had no time to get annoyed that Zari's contact was apparently none other than Maz Kanata.
"Irrelevant," the guard said in a steely voice. "Piss off before I feed you both to the leviathan."
"She will see us," Zari said confidently, reaching for something in his cloak.
In the blink of an eye, the guard had drawn his blaster and was aiming the barrel point-blank at Zari's eye. Zari was unfazed and produced one of his silver daggers, flipping the knife around and offering it hilt-first to him.
"Take this to her as proof of my identity," he ordered.
The guard hesitated long enough to make Ben think that Zari had made his last argument and that he should consider getting out of the splash zone, but the man finally lowered his weapon and took the dagger from Zari.
"Wait here." He disappeared up the flight of stairs.
"Maz Kanata?" Ben asked, taking care to keep the anger he was feeling from leeching into his voice. "She's your secret contact?"
"Yes," Zari said curtly, choosing not to look at him.
"I would have liked to have known beforehand," Ben said, looking around unobtrusively as his stomach turned over. The hairs rose on the back of his neck as he registered the interested gazes of several patrons. "I would have suggested finding a more subtle way to contact Maz. We're attracting too much attention."
Zari finally noticed the unwanted attention they were getting and his blue eyes narrowed slightly.
"They won't bother us," he said. "Maz's rule of no violence is law. Anyone can find sanctuary here, no matter what sort of trouble they're in."
"We shouldn't gamble our safety on an assumption," Ben tried not to stare as one person at the bar – who was heavily decked out with knives – meandered in their direction, probably trying to get a closer look at them and see if they were worth their time. "I have a feeling the bounty that Kandia put on our heads will encourage anyone to violate Maz's law of sanctuary."
Zari shifted his weight and turned toward him. Ben saw his eyes fixate on someone over his shoulder. His arm readjusted under his cloak and Ben could see the tip of another dagger poking through the thick material.
"Are you going to take all of them on?" Ben asked sarcastically.
"If I have to," Zari said calmly, a thread of iron in his voice. His eyes darkened with malice as he stared down the approaching threat.
Ben stilled and a shiver ran down his spine. He fully believed Zari would kill everyone in this room if they rubbed him the wrong way. Hux would have done the same.
"Her Majesty will see you."
Ben almost jumped out of his skin as the guard reappeared. For such a large person, he moved as silently as a phantom.
"She bids you wait in the lower levels for your safety." He gestured to a gateway around the corner, just behind the staircase. "She has noticed the extra attention your presence has garnered."
"We appreciate her thoughtfulness," Zari inclined his head.
"She will join you once she has concluded her business with another guest," he explained as he entered a long passcode into the panel next to the gate door.
Ben couldn't help commenting as several seconds passed. "That's a lot of security for a cellar."
"The queen doesn't want anyone wandering where they're not welcome," responded the man.
He finished entering the passcode and the gate opened, emitting a puff of cold air. Zari stepped over the threshold without hesitating and began walking down the steps, but Ben wasn't so trusting. He didn't relish stepping into the unknown; it had all the makings of a trap. For all he knew, this led to the leviathan's hungry maw.
"Ben," Zari said. He had stopped on the fifth step when he noticed Ben hadn't followed him. "It's alright. We can trust her."
Ben took a calming breath. He'd never known Maz to behave dishonorably. But if he was wrong, he'd exact his revenge. He stepped through the portal and the gate closed behind him, the locks snapping into place.
Their footsteps softly echoed off the walls as they descended. The moss on the walls glowed faintly, giving off just enough light for them to see where they were placing their feet. Ben could see his breath hang in the air and the smell of cavern water grew strong. His injured limbs ached as they continued downward with no perceivable end. He shivered as the cold air permeated his cloak and sunk into his skin. A wall of grayness appeared before them and Ben thought it was a dead end, but Zari was able to put a foot through it.
"It's fog," Zari said with a hint of confusion, waving his hand through the concrete-looking mass. "What's fog doing down here?"
"What's it doing in the middle of a castle?" Ben wondered.
It was abnormal and he wanted to question it further, but Zari shrugged off the odd occurrence and passed through it. Ben followed him despite his growing misgivings at the weirdness he felt as the fog encompassed him. Icy water droplets accumulated on his face where it wasn't covered by his mask and he shivered. The fog obscured his vision for several steps and then all of a sudden cleared. The walls were now lined with glowing stones that rippled with rainbow colors. Ben sighed in relief as he saw the staircase end in level ground leading into a tunnel. That relief quickly turned into concern when the indistinct murmur of voices sounded in the space ahead. He and Zari shared a stunned look.
"Maz wouldn't send us down here if they were of any danger to us," Zari said, but he didn't sound so sure anymore.
"If it was a trap, they wouldn't have given up the element of surprise," Ben said with certainty, although he didn't like this any more than Zari did.
"Don't let your guard down," Zari cautioned as he led the way.
The tunnel let out into a brightly lit space. It appeared to be a private, discreet bar. The bar itself was set up as a circular structure in the middle of the room to maximize space. Tables were spread out in the rest of the space, all occupied by people from all walks of life. No one was paying them any attention. Not yet, at least.
"Let's blend in. We'll get a drink to warm up while we wait," Zari suggested.
"Good idea," Ben agreed. He was a hair's breadth away from his teeth chattering like cannon fire.
They sidled up to the bar top, finding space between an Aqualish nursing a large mug of a murky brown alcoholic beverage and a woman dressed in white receiving a fizzy pink drink from the surly bartender.
"What'll it be?" The bartender curtly asked. He was an older gentleman with rugged features and dark hair. He'd be handsome if it weren't for the sneer stuck on his face.
"Jaffa cider," Zari told him, setting a few bronze credits on the bar top. "As hot as you can make it."
"The same for me," Ben requested, not caring what he drank as long as it chased away the chill that had settled into his bones.
The bartender made the drinks with the sure movements of someone who had been doing it for decades. He slid the first steaming drink over the top of the bar to Zari. As he began to do the same for Ben's drink, his eyes narrowed as he stared at him. Ben thought his mask might have slipped and he'd been recognized when the man pointed and shouted at someone behind him.
"Hey, we don't serve their kind here!"
Ben swiveled around to see another entrance opposite to the one he and Zari had used. An auburn-haired man with a handsome beard stood there in the shadow of the archway with an astromech droid at his side. He didn't take any offense and just nodded, patting the droid and gesturing for it to wait above. The astromech beeped sadly but obeyed and rolled back into the corridor. Ben wondered how the droid was going to make it all the way back up the stairs. For that matter, how had it gotten down all the stairs?
"Drink up. You're shivering," Zari prodded his shoulder.
Ben turned around to see his drink was in front of him. The rich fragrance of the beverage teased his senses and heated his nose. Zari popped a straw into the drink and lifted his mask slightly to sip the drink. Ben copied him and sighed happily as his insides thawed. He imbibed the rest of the cider in several gulps, relishing the feeling of wellbeing that washed over him. He laughed as he saw Zari had practically done the same. The man grinned and gestured for the bartender to pour them each another glass, sliding over some more credits. They were steadily working their way through the second glass of cider when an individual weaseled his way between them.
"Hey, do you wanna buy some death sticks?" He shoved the rolled tubes in their faces.
"Not interested," Ben told him harshly and moved closer to Zari, pushing the sleazeball away.
"Fair price. Only a couple credits each," he insisted, poking his head around Zari's broad frame. "Buy five and get one free."
"Beat it," Zari told him, stretching up to his full height.
The short peddler looked up at him, gulped, and decided to cut his losses. He moved to the woman dressed in white to ply her with his wares, but she was disinterested as well. The man worked his way through the bar customers with no success. Ben's gaze was drawn to his movements and he came to notice a woman on the opposite side of the circular bar with flaming red hair. The scarlet tresses were so similar to Zari's that he had to point it out.
"Hey look, it's your twin," Ben joked, nodding toward her.
Zari turned his head in the direction Ben had indicated and froze. His hand clenched on the glass of cider so tightly that it was in danger of breaking. The bartender huffed and aimed a glare at him, but Zari took no notice. His blue eyes were stricken and fixated on the woman as if afraid she might disappear if he so much as blinked.
"It… it can't be," Zari stuttered and left Ben to go to her.
Well, okay then. So much for sticking together. Ben wondered if he'd somehow been right, that the woman was his twin. If so, it was quite the coincidence they had both come to Takodana at the same time. Someone on his left tapped his shoulder and he ignored them in favor of watching Zari greet the woman. Her face lit up in delight as she saw him. The person adjacent to him was persistent and gave him a rough shove. Impatient and irritated now, Ben turned to put them in their place.
"Negola dewaghi wooldugger?!" growled the Aqualish mercenary.
He rambled on, obviously drunk based on how much he was slurring his words. Ben didn't speak Aqualish, so he settled for a withering stare and turned back to finish his Jaffa cider before it could lose its warmth. His shoulder was grabbed again and some insolent person turned him again. Ben scowled as his cloak ripped, revealing his torso. The fabric continued to unravel and Ben had to drop his drink to clutch the cloak fabric at his neck to stop it from falling apart and revealing his face. The glass shattered against the floor and cider splattered onto their boots.
"Hey!" yelled the bartender from the other side of the circular bar. "You're going to pay for that broken tumbler!"
Truly angry now, Ben turned his attention to the person who'd caused the accident and had almost revealed his face to a room full of mercenaries and bounty hunters. This time, it was a short, grubby man whose face could curdle blue milk. The Aqualish individual was behind him, his bulbous black eyes filled with loathing.
"He doesn't like you," the man explained in a belligerent tone.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Most people don't. How is that my problem?"
The man got in his face, breathing an unpleasant rotten egg odor that made Ben grimace and wriggle his nose in disgust.
"I don't like you either," he snarled.
"The feeling is mutual," Ben retorted, his temper rising.
His Aqualish friend grew agitated seeing Ben's indifference and yelled something. It didn't sound very complimentary.
"You just watch yourself." The human pressed a harsh finger into Ben's chest. "We're wanted men! I have a death sentence in twelve systems."
"Which ones?" Ben queried. "I'll personally escort you to one of them if it will get you out of my face."
The Aqualish man let out a guttural cry and both men drew a laser pistol. The people at the bar withdrew hurriedly, scuttling away with their drinks.
"I'd watch my back if I were you," snarled the man.
Ben merely looked at them with amusement. Laser pistols? Those relics belonged in museums! They might as well use sharpened sticks.
"I'll be fine." Ben could hardly keep from chortling.
"You'll be dead!" yelled the odious man, sending another waft of foul breath his way.
"Friends, this one isn't worth the effort."
All three of them turned to look at the newcomer who'd interrupted their spat. He was average in height for a human male, with auburn hair and blue eyes, and dressed plainly in a beige tunic that was partially covered by a dark brown cloak. But it was his demeanor that made them all stop and pay attention to him. He was something… other. This was a man who was confident in his abilities to defend himself and others despite not having a weapon drawn. Ben was intimidated just being in his presence. He blinked as he recognized him as the man who'd been reprimanded by the bartender earlier for bringing a droid into his establishment. The man winked at him as if sharing an inside joke.
"Come, let me buy you both another drink," he said, waving over the wary bartender and placing some silver credits on the bar.
The two mercenaries eyed the credits with greed, but the human shook himself free of the trance and slapped his friend's hand away when he tried to pick them up. The credits scattered to the floor.
"Your Imperial credits will do no good here," he said, raising his pistol again. "We've been insulted and this pile of bantha poodoo will answer for it."
"You'll need more than this paltry excuse for a blaster then." Ben flicked the tip of the pistol, amused when a flake of rust flew into the air.
The Aqualish howled again and stepped toward Ben, shoving his human friend aside. The auburn-haired man thrust a hand into his chest and stopped the Aqualish in his tracks by sheer force.
"Let's not do this again," he said, his voice lowering an octave. He reached for something at his hip. "You're being quite uncivilized."
"I couldn't agree more," chimed a lovely voice.
Ben turned and looked in his shadow. It was the woman in white who had spoken. She'd been there since he and Zari had first arrived and she hadn't walked away as everyone else had when the argument had escalated.
"Stay out of this, you b-"
The grubby human stuttered and stopped speaking as the woman in Ben's shadow lowered her hood. His jaw dropped as he stared at her, gobsmacked. Ben could appreciate his state as he fared little better himself. The lady was gorgeous, her beauty indescribable. She could be rated as the standard for loveliness by all the species from this sector to Coruscant. Her hair put the sleek mahogany coats of the Kolaran otters to shame and her eyes reminded him of the molten gold of a setting sun. But there was more to this woman than her attractive features. Her bearing was effortlessly regal and her presence was soothing and inviting. Ben couldn't remember why he'd felt so agitated and he doubted the Aqualish and his friend could remember why either.
"There's no need for violence, gentlemen," she said melodiously. "We're all travelers who've come to have a good drink and then be on our way."
The mercenaries hesitated as they listened to her reasonable words.
"I wouldn't like an accident to disrupt this pleasant afternoon. Would you?" she pressed on.
The Aqualish scoffed and petulantly pointed at Ben, muttering something.
"He started it," his human friend translated.
"Then let me finish it," she offered. "Allow my friend and I to buy you both a new drink." She nodded to the auburn-haired man, who scooped the silver credits off the floor and put them on the counter. She added some gold rectangular chips to the pile. "And then I'll take this lovely man off your hands." She smiled up at Ben.
The bartender gathered the credits in his hand, poking at the lady's gold chips with a confused expression. "These are Republic credits, ma'am."
But an expectant look from her had him quickly pocketing the money and pouring everyone a new drink. It all happened so quickly that the drunk duo couldn't come up with a new argument in that short time. They looked between the two newcomers and Ben and then scowled. Taking the drinks, they turned their backs to them without a word of gratitude or a parting shot.
"Please, join us," the woman invited, picking up her drink and Ben's and moving to an open table.
Ben followed, curious why the two strangers had leapt to his aid. He had to hold the edges of his torn cloak out of the way so he wouldn't step on the hem.
"That was nicely handled." The auburn-haired man complimented his lady friend as they sat down.
Ben situated himself in a seat to the lady's left so he could still see where Zari was. To his annoyance, it didn't look like Zari had noticed the brawl brewing from across the room. He was utterly fixated on the red-haired woman with the most vulnerable expression on his face that Ben had ever seen.
"I knew you could handle it, but I sought to resolve the matter more diplomatically," the lady said, giving her companion a sly look. "Your methods, while effective, do tend to get us in trouble more often than not."
"I object, Padmé. I recall a certain escapade on Geonosis," the man smirked.
"In which I attempted to de-escalate the hostilities before I engaged in aggressive negotiations." The newly named Padmé said primly, pushing her perfect nose up in mock disdain.
"The way you carry on, you'd think I was rash and irrational. I did earn the epithet 'The Negotiator' in my day," the man said, throwing back half of his drink in one gulp to Ben's admiration. He knew that particular alcoholic brew was very strong.
"Says the man who once leaped through my high-rise apartment window to chase after an assassin droid," Padmé confided in Ben, leaning in close to hide her laughter.
"It was the most logical action to take at the time." The man shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyhow, are you alright, Ben? There are always bullies like those two in these parts."
"I'm fine. I appreciate your help," Ben nodded his head politely. "But I'm curious why I warranted your aid. Most people would avoid a fight."
The auburn-haired man huffed a laugh. "We're not hard-wired that way."
"It's in our nature to help others," Padmé agreed.
She passed over the mug of steaming Jaffa cider and Ben attempted to pick it up, but he'd forgotten his broken arm in that moment and he grunted as the restrained limb shot a jab of pain up his nervous system.
"Your arm is broken," Padmé said with discerning concern, setting down her drink. "Please, allow me."
She brushed his tattered cloak aside and unhooked the crude restraints immobilizing his arm.
"That won't be necessary," Ben told her, trying to reclaim his arm and readjust his slipping mask at the same time.
"She's an adequate healer," the man said, staying his movements. "Let her. The longer that goes without treatment, the higher the risk it's irreparable."
Ben was instantly suspicious. "I don't have any credits."
"It's a sad galaxy when a genuine offer of help is regarded with such distrust," Padmé said sadly as she unwrapped the bandages.
The arm looked worse than it had the last time Ben had seen it. The flesh was every conceivable bruise color and there were red-purple veins of infection spreading from the areas of open skin. There was a hint of white among it, his broken bones. The smell underlying the strong scent of bacta was sour. Ben had seen a lot of injuries in his day, but even this turned his stomach and he turned his eyes away as his throat stun with rising bile.
"Regale us with the story of how this happened," Padmé encouraged as she prodded the wounds with gentle fingers. "And we will consider that payment enough."
Ben could live with that, though there wasn't much to tell. "I was captured and tortured by the First Order because they thought I had valuable information. I barely escaped by the skin of my teeth."
"The First Order," sighed the man, rolling his eyes and taking another sip of his drink. His leg shifted under the table and came into contact with Ben's leg. "They should have learned their lessons months ago when the Resistance fighters pulverized them."
"Their new leader is motivated to reorganize," Ben shrugged and readjusted his mask so he could drink the cider. A welcome wave of warmth entered his system, settling in his stomach before radiating into his limbs. "They're concentrating their efforts in the sectors just outside the Core, so be careful if you're headed in that direction."
"We appreciate the warning," the man inclined his head gracefully.
"Anyway, after escaping the First Order star destroyer, we came here to Takodana to seek the Pirate Queen's assistance," Ben continued.
"We?" Padmé questioned curiously.
Ben cursed his slip. He'd allowed himself to become distracted. These two strangers were very easy to talk to.
"I had help escaping the First Order's clutches," Ben grudgingly told them. "He used to be a part of their ranks."
"Ah, your friend," the man said knowingly, nodding at Zari who was still engrossed in a conversation with the mystery woman.
"He was a low-ranking officer," Ben hurriedly explained, not relishing the fight that would ensue if they somehow guessed Zari was also the former General Armitage Hux and responsible for multiple atrocities and the destruction of the New Republic.
"And you trust him?" Padmé asked, clinically brushing her fingers down his arm and bringing a rush of new sensation into it, which was nice after it had been numb for so long.
"Enough to get me here," Ben relayed as his arm tingled fiercely as if it had fallen asleep. "I have my doubts, but he's proven to be true to his word thus far."
"Time will always tell a person's true character and motives," she said wisely.
Ben had a sudden awareness that she was talking about him, not Zari. He wondered about her motives as he stared at her lovely face and earnest eyes. Her eyes… her gold-flecked brown eyes looked so familiar now that he was so close and staring directly into them. He turned toward her, accidentally knocking over his cider in the process. Ben reached out to steady the glass, instinctively tugging his dominant arm out of Padmé's grasp to grab it. The glass was tipping past the point of no return, but it suddenly froze at an impossible angle with the straw suspended in the liquid. Ben stared at it in amazement and then at the bearded man who had the palm of his hand subtly aimed at the tumbler, obviously exerting some invisible force to stop it from spilling its contents. Ben grabbed the glass and straightened it.
"How did you do that?" Ben asked quietly, his hand still on the tumbler. There was a sickening dread pooling in his gut that had nothing to do with his broken arm.
"You know how," the man said patiently.
"Who are you people?" Ben pushed his chair back and stood, getting ready to run. This didn't bode well for him.
"Wanna buy some death sticks?" interrupted the sleazy salesman. He'd made a full circle of the bar and was now bothering the other patrons in the room like an annoying gnat.
"You don't want to sell us death-sticks," the auburn-haired man said, not breaking eye contact with Ben to look at the peddler. His index and middle fingers on his dominant hand twitched slightly.
"Hmm, I don't wanna sell you death-sticks," the oily salesman said, pocketing his product in his overcoat.
The man moved his fingers again. "You want to go home and rethink your life."
"I wanna go home and rethink my life." The peddler bobbed his head enthusiastically and practically raced for the exit, eager to reflect on his life choices.
Ben swallowed heavily. Well, that confirmed his suspicions.
"You're a Jedi," he said, poised on edge.
"What gave me away?" asked the man, smirking as he downed the rest of his potent beverage.
"What do you want?" Ben asked, dreading the answer.
He didn't recognize this man from the Temple and he was too young to be a remnant of the Old Republic. But then again, perception of a person's age was never a guarantee in this galaxy. The man's ensemble was clearly the uniform of the old Jedi Order and it was obvious this man had Jedi powers and had been classically trained. What could he be here for if not for revenge against the Jedi Killer?
"I want to talk," the man said simply.
"I don't believe you," Ben said, his heart thumping madly. He pointed his right index finger at the man. "You want revenge… or to turn me in for a bounty… or… or–"
His words died in his throat and he brought his right hand up to his face for a closer examination. It was healed! It didn't hurt at all. His eyes weren't deceiving him. The grotesque wounds on his forearm had disappeared and the bones were reset. In fact, now that he thought about it, his leg felt stronger than ever. He brought his hand to his opposite shoulder to where Kandia had pressed the tip of her stolen lightsaber into it and only felt unbroken skin.
"We came to help you, Ben," the lady said, reaching out to touch his arm.
Ben sank back into his seat, put at ease by her touch.
"How do you know my name?" he asked in wonder and suspicion. He snapped a startled glance at the man as he remembered he too had also called him by his name earlier despite never having been introduced. "Tell me."
"Impatient and hot-headed." The man shook his head, a half-smile on his lips. "Why am I not surprised?"
"It's a family trait," Padmé said chidingly. "He can't help it."
"I suppose not, with spitfires like you, Anakin, and Leia in his lineage," the man sighed.
"Don't forget that nice boy, Han," she reminded him.
"I still think Leia should have gone for the other pilot," the man griped. "Then maybe this one wouldn't have turned into a hot mess like his grandfather."
Padmé tsked at him and thwacked his arm. The auburn-haired man bore it without complaint, merely smiling in the face of her disapproval.
"How do you know so much about me?" Ben asked hotly. "And I'm not a hot mess."
"Oh, honey," Padmé patted his arm. "Don't be offended. Obi-Wan means well, though he seems to have lost his silver tongue." She glared at her friend.
"Obi-Wan," Ben slowly stated the syllables as his memory of where he'd heard the name was reawakened.
Obi-Wan Kenobi. His uncle's tutor in Imperial times and an old friend of his mother's. His namesake. He'd heard all the stories about the wise Jedi Master. He'd been a general in the Clone Wars and fought beside Anakin Skywalker. After his grandfather's fall to the dark side, Obi-Wan had joined the Rebellion and saved his mother any number of times. Then when his uncle had come of age, he'd guided Luke in the ways of the Force so he could defeat the emperor.
As a child, Ben had been in awe of the stories and as a teen, he often wished his namesake would come to guide him as he had guided his uncle. He'd given up hope of meeting the man in this life when he'd joined Snoke and the First Order.
Ben swallowed hard. "You're Obi-Wan Kenobi. Old Ben Kenobi."
"I'll answer to either name," The Jedi Master inclined his head. "Though I object to being called 'old'." He smirked and stroked his full beard that didn't have a streak of white in it.
"And you," Ben pointed to Padmé, swallowing the lump in his throat. There was only one person she could be. "You're… my grandmother?"
"Yes," Padmé smiled beatifically. He could see traces of his mother in that smile. "I was the queen and then the senator for Naboo in the time of the Old Republic. I fell in love with Anakin and married him before the Clone Wars began."
Ben hungrily absorbed the information. His family hardly knew anything about her, only that she'd died around the time the empire had formed. It was difficult to find intact records from those times that weren't about the Clone Wars battles.
Ben was stunned these two had appeared before him. Why had they come?
"We're here for you, Ben," Padmé said, eerily reading his mind. "You called us here."
"I did?" Ben frowned. He didn't recall asking for help.
"Perhaps not in so many words, but you did, all the same," Obi-Wan said. "You're conflicted, young one, despite all the progress you've made."
"Ha! What progress?" Ben laughed mockingly. "I've tried to redeem myself, but my efforts have been met with distrust and disgust, and trouble follows me no matter what I do."
"Did you think your path would be easy?" Obi-Wan offered in return. "Did you expect accolades for just trading sides?"
Ben scowled. "No, of course not, but-"
"No buts, young Padawan," Obi-Wan raised a finger. "You believe you have a lot to make up for, and most of those expectations you have imposed on yourself."
Ben sat there, reflecting on his quest for self-discovery and redemption, and found little to congratulate himself on. What did he seek? When would he know he was redeemed?
"It seems to me you are on the right path," Padmé told him. "Taking responsibility, making amends. These small actions show you can be trusted by your new friends." She cupped his cheek. "Your path hasn't been an easy one, Ben. The legacy of our family is complicated, but there is no denying we have had and will continue to have a strong impact on the galaxy."
"I could never live up to their standards," Ben said, thinking of his uncle and his parents. "How could I?"
"None of us expect you to. That would be an impossible task," Padmé said sadly and sighed as if very familiar with how the burdens of the galaxy could weigh on one's shoulders.
"So you're here to guide me?" Ben snickered in amusement. "Don't waste your time."
His attempt to disparage himself was cut short as he saw the infinite sadness in his namesake's eyes.
"We want you to make your own path," Obi-Wan solemnly corrected his assumption. "I've been involved with the Skywalker family for three generations. I've watched you all carve your legacies into the foundations of this galaxy, for better or worse. While the journey has not always been smooth, Skywalkers always do the right thing in the end." He gazed steadfastly at Ben, everlasting hope shining in those dark blue eyes. "I have faith in you to continue on your path and do what is right."
"I don't know if I can," Ben slowly shook his head. That's what Jedi did. "I'm no Jedi." He absolutely refused to be associated with that identity again.
"Being a Jedi has nothing to do with this. Your journey is about being true to yourself and holding yourself accountable to your principles. What those principles are, you'll have to discover for yourself," Padmé explained patiently. "Take me for example. I grew up in a time of peace that quickly devolved into one war after another. I advocated for peace between the warring star systems. I found ways to provide aid to people impacted and displaced by the war regardless of what 'side' they were on. I fought when it was necessary to restore peace."
"Who is to say I'm on the right path? What if what I do doesn't matter in the end?" Ben worried.
"I asked myself those same questions for years after the Republic fell," Obi-Wan said, his eyes haunted. "I wondered endlessly what I could have done differently to save my best friend, to save Padmé, to save all my brothers and sisters who perished the night of the purge. I spent many years torturing myself thinking about what I could have done better, if I could have been a better teacher, friend, or warrior. But I came to understand that what matters is what I do in the present. It does no good to dwell on the past… or the future, for that matter. You ask what if what you do doesn't matter? I would argue you're asking the wrong question."
"I don't understand," Ben frowned. His head hurt as he tried to wrap his brain around the concepts Old Ben was talking about.
"He's saying that your actions do matter, regardless of what other people think," Padmé said simply.
"But do they? Do yours? No offense, but what do you think when you look at what this galaxy has become?" Ben asked curiously, feeling a twinge of sadness and regret knowing as he did that the Old Republic had fallen to the Empire. "To see all your good deeds wiped away? Your name lost in history? What good were your principles then?"
"Yes, I was forgotten, but my values and beliefs continue to influence millions, whether they know it or not." Padmé smiled sadly. "The point is that I tried. I persevered when it seemed all hope was lost. My actions and principles mattered to me. Ask yourself, what is it that you're willing to fight for, to defend to your last breath?"
"I… I don't have a good answer for that," Ben answered truthfully.
He knew he would protect Rey with every fiber of his being, but his life couldn't revolve around her. What did he stand for? All his life, others had chosen that for him and left no room for him to ponder this question and answer it for himself.
"Reflect on the question. Don't rush yourself," Obi-Wan coached him. "The answer will come to you in time."
Ben hoped it would. He wouldn't be able to redeem himself otherwise.
"Bartender! The man I was with, did you see where he went?"
Ben turned back to the bar, where Zari was finally taking an interest in where he'd gone. He was alone, his mysterious friend nowhere to be seen. Zari was frazzled with panic and twitching with impatience as the bartender took his sweet time answering him. Ben could tell by the man's gesticulations that he was relaying the tale of the almost-brawl that had occurred. Then he pointed at Ben's table and Zari whirled around and pinned him with that intense gaze. He stalked over, raking his eyes over him as if he were gauging his well-being after their brief separation.
"It's about time you remembered me," Ben told him, not even trying to keep the snarkiness out of his tone.
"Are you okay?" Zari asked worriedly, giving his formerly injured arm a slight touch when he saw it was free of the sling. He slid covert glances at Ben's table companions. His hand inched toward his waist for a dagger.
"Never better," Ben said dismissively, poking him in the arm to stop him from attacking his family. He gestured to Padmé and Obi-Wan. "They helped me out and we were having a chat."
"You have our thanks, sir, ma'am," Zari said gratefully. "Medics are scarce in these parts."
It grated on Ben's nerves to have Zari speak for him, regardless that he was indeed thankful for his family's help.
"Anything for our Ben," Padmé said, giving Ben a fond look.
Zari mouthed the words with a quizzical expression, but he didn't comment on it as the sudden tapping of footsteps on the stone staircase drew their attention.
"That's our cue to depart," Obi-Wan gave Ben a kind smile. "Look after each other. You're going to need each other's support in the coming days."
"We're not sticking together," Ben corrected him. "He decided-"
"To stay for the time-being." Zari cut in.
Ben stared at him, wondering what the hell happened to his emphatic declaration that he was sick of his presence.
"I'm glad you changed your mind," Padmé said with a smile.
They stood and Padmé wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug and he stooped to make it easier for her. It felt like a mother's embrace.
"You may feel like you're alone sometimes," Padmé whispered in his ear. "But know that your family is watching over you and we're proud of the man you're becoming." She leaned back and cupped his cheeks, smiling proudly. "I see so much of my Leia in you."
Ben beamed, taking that as a compliment.
The air crackled with energy and Obi-Wan and Padmé began to blur at the edges, their silhouettes taking on a blue tinge.
"Wait, Obi-Wan!" Ben called out, suddenly remembering another problem he was having. "These cuffs, they suppress my Force abilities and won't come off! Can you do something about them?"
"I'm afraid not, Ben," Obi-Wan told him as he faded. "That is not my battle to fight, it's yours."
Ben swallowed and nodded. It hadn't been the answer he wanted to hear.
"You already have the knowledge you need to release the cuffs," Obi-Wan said with a wink.
Ben stared down at the ever-present suppressor cuffs. He already knew how to take them off? Why did mentors always have to present solutions in the form of a riddle? He opened his mouth to ask for a clearer answer, but with one last rush of energy through the air, the room was washed with light.
When Ben's vision cleared, he was alone apart from Zari. The temperature had dropped substantially, bringing a chill to the air that made their breath appear in clouds. Their seats had transformed into old, overturned wooden crates. Most surprisingly, the bar and its patrons had completely disappeared as if none of it had ever existed. The dark brown cloak Obi-Wan had been wearing was lying in a heap on the crate next to Ben; it was all that had been left behind as proof they had been there in the first place.
Ben supposed he should have guessed these caverns were a hotbed for Force energy given his namesake and grandmother had appeared before him, but for it to manifest a whole scene with other people? Incredible. Had those people once walked among the living as well?
Ben ran his fingers over the mass of fabric of the Jedi cloak. Some heat still lingered in the folds. Ben discarded his torn black cloak and put on the new one. It was a perfect fit for him. He pulled the folds of his new cloak tighter around himself as cool air continued to waft through the room. It fit like a dream and was warmer than the previous one.
The echo of footsteps grew stronger and Ben looked up, waiting for Maz Kanata to walk through the archway. Zari was staring steadfastly at him. He'd lowered his mask and taken off his hood; his red hair was a bright beacon in the dull room. He had a strange expression on his face. He looked at peace and dare he say… protective?
"What are you looking at?" Ben shot at him, ready to resume their combative back-and-forth insults.
For the first time in almost two days, Zari didn't rise to the bait. He merely smiled. "Nothing is wrong. Nothing at all."
Ben narrowed his eyes. It wasn't like him to be this nice.
"So you did survive Exegol!"
Ben turned his attention to the Pirate Queen. He would let Zari's weird attitude go without comment for now, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they went back to their old ways.
Maz brandished the silver dagger that Zari had used to gain an audience with her. She skillfully flung it at Zari and he effortlessly reached out to catch it by the hilt.
"You know me, Maz," Zari sheathed the dagger and stood to greet her with a warm smile. "I always have a trick up my sleeve."
"Glad to hear it, young man. I have been thinking the worst these past few months," Maz clasped arms with him. "After all we have been through together, I'd have hated for you to meet such an undeserving end. Not to mention, you're my best informant."
Informant? He was a spy for Maz? Ben narrowed his eyes. Zari had neglected to mention that tidbit. How long had he been working against the First Order? Against him?
"Speaking of spying," Zari said with a wink. "Do you have a Level 4 decryption device on hand? Or at least the parts to make one? The data I stole from the Vespira was encrypted. Kandia overrode the security protocols I'd instituted during my command."
"You're in luck, Zari," Maz nodded. "The software you need came into my possession just yesterday. You'll just need a processor to utilize it."
"We would also appreciate any insight you have on where Poe Dameron will situate the next Resistance base."
"Yes," Maz turned her gaze to Ben and narrowed her eyes behind those goggles. "Who's your friend?"
Ben supposed there was no harm in removing his disguise. He figured if she drew a weapon on him – despite her mantra of no violence in these halls – he could defend himself now that he was healed. He tugged his mask down to fully reveal his face.
"Kylo Ren." Maz's expression didn't change, but there was a razor-sharp stillness in her form as she stared at him.
"It's Ben again," he told her.
"He's with the Resistance now," Zari explained. "Has been since Exegol, I believe."
"I've heard the rumors," Maz confirmed. "Wasn't quite sure if I should believe them."
"Believe them," Ben told her. "I've changed sides. For good."
Maz didn't dispute his statement, but neither did she express any relief.
"I believe him, Maz," Zari said as the silence dragged on.
"If you believe him, then I shall give him the benefit of the doubt," Maz inclined her head.
Ben flicked his eyes at Zari. Just what kind of relationship did they have that Maz Kanata would trust him at his word? How long had they been working together?
"I've seen a lot of things in my many years of life, but perhaps you will surprise me, Ben." Maz pondered.
"Will you help us?" Zari asked.
"Of course," Maz said. She pulled out a starmap of the galaxy and activated the holo-features. "The base on Ajan Kloss was compromised, as you know. My intelligence picked up readings of an armada of starships near Corellia less than a day ago. It could have been them."
"Damn it," Ben cursed. "We flew right past them."
"Can you get a message to them?" Zari wondered.
"All communications are locked down for now," Maz shook her head. "I can't even get in contact with the other generals. They may have moved their bases too as a precaution."
"Then how do we find them?" Ben asked.
"I have a homing beacon you can use, but it has short-range signal of only a few parsecs," Maz warned. "I could send out a transmission to let them know I have an emergency pickup, but it would be visible to everyone and there's no telling if the right people will see it."
"We don't want to attract that kind of heat. We'll make do with the beacon," Zari said decisively.
"We need to pick the right place to activate the beacon," Ben said, scouring the map for options.
Rey had to be in a nearby star system if they'd been traveling past Corellia. But where to go? He reached out to the dyad, fruitlessly trying to get it to reconnect faster. This would be so much easier if he could just feel her.
"You should take the Great Gran Run hyperspace lane towards Corellia," Maz traced the indicated route. "In order to react quickly to First Order movements, they won't set up base too far into the Outer Rim. You might need to roam about to get close enough to their base for them to pick up the signal."
"No problem," Zari said. "Can you spare a starship and the fuel?"
"That and some rations and supplies," Maz nodded. "I'm sure Poe had to leave the majority of the resource cache behind to facilitate a quick getaway."
"We'll be happy to take it to them. Thank you for your hospitality, Maz," Zari said graciously. "Wonderful, as always."
"My pleasure, Zari," Maz said and gestured for them to follow her out.
Ben paused on the threshold and looked over his shoulder at the room. He wished he could stay a while in the cellar and try to manifest other members of his family. In losing access to the energy circles on Ajan Kloss, this was the only other hotbed of Force energy that he knew about.
"What did you see?"
Ben looked up to Maz, who had paused on the staircase.
"What?"
"What did you see?" Maz asked again in curiosity.
"I saw my grandmother and my namesake," Ben said truthfully. "They were patrons in a bar that formed."
"A full-blown scene?" Maz asked, shocked. "You didn't just have a vision?"
"It was as real as you are," Ben said.
"I saw my mother," Zari spoke up.
Ben stared at him, finally realizing why Zari had acted so out of character, more than he was already. He'd said his mother had died years ago by a First Order officer's hands. It must have been a miracle for him to be able to speak with her again.
"I knew there were dense poolings of Force energy here when I chose this location for my stronghold," Maz said, still stunned. "It can sometimes convey visions or allow Force ghosts to manifest. Rey had a vision when she visited. But I've never heard of an entire scene manifesting before. There are powerful forces at work here."
She gave him a considering look, particularly at the new cloak he'd been gifted. Her eyes lit up in recognition. Ben fidgeted under the force of her intense gaze. Something unreadable flitted across her eyes and she nodded.
"Come, I will commission that starship for you," Maz continued up the stairs. "Zari, along with the supplies, there are a few items I'd like you to pass on to the Resistance."
"Of course," Zari agreed. "How would you like to be paid back for the starship?"
"No need," Maz waved off the offer. "I will take that old freighter off your hands as compensation."
"Are you sure? It was falling apart on us as we flew it in," Zari told her.
Ben jabbed him in the side. He was shooting them in the foot! They had nothing else of value on them.
"It belongs to that young upstart Thral Etrers, right?" Maz rubbed her hands together. "My people picked up some chatter about that young mobster throwing a hissy fit about one of his ships being stolen. He's offering a large bounty for the pilot's head."
"How much?" Ben asked.
"Why does that matter?" Zari asked him in exasperation.
"Just curious," Ben shrugged.
"100,000 credits," Maz told them.
Ben pouted. He was worth more than that!
"No one will accept the hunt though. Everyone knows he doesn't have the credit to pay the bounty." Maz scoffed.
"Then why do you want the ship?" Zari asked.
"These young mobsters are the foolish sort, Etrers in particular. He stole a shipment of goods from a top player recently," Maz confided. "The word is that some of their ships were a part of his haul. This might be one of those starships or it will have valuable information I can use. If not, then it will make good bait."
"Then we wish you good fortune on your hunt," Zari said.
They reached the top of the stairs in no time at all. Ben grumbled under his breath about how short the staircase actually was when the Force wasn't messing around and manifesting visions. Maz pounded three times on the door. It took a minute for the guard to enter the absurdly long sequence to open the door. Zari and Ben raised their hoods and masks again as the door creaked open.
"You may wait upstairs while I make the arrangements," Maz told them, gesturing to the side staircase that led to her private rooms.
"Thank you again, Maz," Zari said gratefully.
"Yes, thank you," Ben nodded his head.
"Stick together," Maz told them, staring more at him than Zari. "I have a feeling you'll be more important to each other than you think."
Ben doubted that, but he wasn't going to contradict the Pirate Queen in her domain. He couldn't wait to get going. Now that his body was healed and his spirit reinvigorated, he couldn't wait to get back to the Resistance… to Rey.
"What the hell do they think they're doing?!" Ben griped as he fought to stabilize the starship and keep his seat as they abruptly tumbled out of hyperspace.
The ship groaned and creaked from the unexpected deceleration, wreaking havoc with the artificial gravity system. The alarms were going off like crazy as they exceeded the maximum recommended shear force.
Some asshole had joined them in the hyperspace stream as they followed the Great Gran Run and disrupted the flow, throwing both of them out of hyperspace. It must have been personal because the starship had immediately fired upon them.
"Kriff!" Ben shouted in frustration. "Zari, I need weapons!"
"On it," Zari replied, but he sounded pained.
Ben chanced a glance back. Zari was grappling for a steady grip on the wall as he tried to stand and go to activate the weapons. There was a streak of red dripping onto his forehead. He must have been thrown into a console as they exited hyperspace.
"Are you okay?" Ben asked as he tried to keep the starship steady. He couldn't try a more evasive maneuver until Zari was buckled in since the anti-grav was glitching.
"I'll be fine," Zari replied, strapping himself into the chair next to the weapon's console and flipping a switch to activate the aiming grid. "Get us in position."
Ben immediately put the starship through its paces, twisting so the cannons were pointed straight at the enemy ship. Zari pressed the trigger button, hitting them straight in the underbelly. Ben kept the starship in their sights, giving Zari the best opportunities to bring it down. Maz's starship offered Ben better shields and maneuverability than the last ship he'd piloted.
The communications receiver lit up, indicating they wanted to talk. Ben activated the comms, thoroughly irritated by this new complication and it showed in his tone.
"Whoever you are, you're the worst kind of fool," Ben told them. "You have five seconds to leave before we blow you to smithereens."
"I want my starship. But since you gave it to Maz Kanata, I'll settle for your head instead!"
"Oh, it's that guy," Zari said dismissively. "What was his name?"
"The hell if I care," Ben grunted as he kept the starship going in a tight turn to keep the enemy ship in their sights.
"My name is Thral Etrers and you fuckwads well know it!" shouted the pirate.
"If you want me to pay attention to you, then you should put a decent price on my head," Ben told him bluntly. "Otherwise, don't waste my time."
"Listen, you putrid bantha fodder, that starship you stole belongs to Crimson Dawn. Maybe you were born under a rock, so I'll explain what that means. You're in deep shit. No one steals from us and gets away with it."
"You're the one who's in too deep, my friend," Zari cut off his diatribe. "Cut your losses before you lose your life too."
"That's it. Eat plasma!"
Ben cut off the transmission link and rolled the starship to avoid the oncoming plasma discharges.
"Wait! I was going to tell him to choke on our emissions," Zari complained with a straight face before breaking into laughter.
"What are you, fifteen?" Ben rolled his eyes at the lame comeback.
"I take my fun where I can," Zari chuckled.
"Just blast him, will you?"
"On it."
They exchanged blaster fire with Etrers and multitasked between evading the deadly blasts and racing for the hyperspace entry point. Zari was a good shot, but Etrers was a good pilot. They were pretty well-matched. Ben diverted power to the rear shields to buy them a few more seconds. He was using the gravitational pull of a nearby red planet to gain some speed when his senses went ablaze and he felt a presence. He turned, distracted as he tried to see who it was.
"Ben, fly!" Zari shouted.
Ben startled as their right side was hit and the impact sent them into a debilitating spiral. Shit, he'd never lost focus like that before when piloting a starship. He struggled to push the controls in the opposite direction of the spin to break out of it, but the ship wasn't responding fast enough as they barreled toward the red planet.
"Kriff, hold on!" Ben warned before he took drastic measures.
He overrode the safety protocols and inverted the engine direction. He vented the exhaust, halting the starship's motion with a suddenness that made their harnesses cut into their skin and threatened to rip the engines from the hull. Ben reversed the engine direction again and punched the accelerator, twisting the starship to vault them behind Etrers' starfighter.
"Ready?!" Ben shouted, straining to hold the ship in position as it wanted to roll.
"Ready!" Zari responded, firing their weapons.
It was a direct hit and Etrers' ship exploded. He'd feel bad for the pirate, but such was the risky life of a mobster. If you weren't competent, it was only a matter of time before someone got you.
They were too close to the explosion and couldn't avoid the charred hull that slammed into their engine. It became completely unresponsive and then the warning lights for the other engine flared up. The starship wobbled and drifted before gaining speed in the direction of the red planet.
"Fuck, we're burning in!" Ben cursed.
Zari let out a string of curses that Ben would have admired in any other circumstance, but he was busy keeping the starship's trajectory straight and trying to remember his training on how to crash safely. The planet's atmosphere tossed them around and sent unsecured items flying. Ben fired the backup thrusters as they approached the desert surface. There was just enough juice to bring the nose of the starship up before they touched down on the surface and skidded uncontrollably across the rocky landscape. With a screech of metal, they came to a halt. Ben immediately performed a systems analysis and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good news, nothing is on fire or about to explode."
"The bad news," Zari added on. "We're stuck on this planet."
He held up the homing beacon Maz had given them. It was crushed beyond all repair.
"Everyone is situated. Perhaps not comfortably, but everyone has been allocated a space." Rey made a note in her datapad as she walked through the caverns of Thyferra. "Larma just commed me with an update on the food gathering expedition. Any word on bedding materials?"
"Most everyone was able to bring blankets with them, but we do have a shortage," Rose replied. "Luckily, Thyferra is hot and humid, even overnight, so it shouldn't be a major issue."
"Donate mine to Tawna, Ava, and the new baby," Rey told her. She was concerned for the tiny family. Tawna's birthing routine had been completely disrupted by the evacuation. "I can make do without one. I'm used to hot planets and I'll be leaving soon anyway to track down Ben."
"Have you had any inkling where he is?" Rose asked.
"I had a vision of him in a major space hub," Rey said, recalling it in her mind. "I got a pretty good look around. When I gave the description to Poe, he said it sounded like Corellia."
"Is there any way to narrow down his location?" Rose asked.
"I'm hoping he went to the largest space port. We'll work forward from there. Someone must have taken note of him."
"Don't worry. You'll find him," Rose said confidently.
Rey nodded calmly, but inwardly was jumping with impatience to get going. Ben had escaped that First Order bitch's clutches, but he was grievously injured. However, her responsibilities to the Resistance had to take precedence over going after him. She reminded herself that Ben was a grown man and could take care of himself. She and Rose were almost finished securing the new camp. Poe and Finn would return soon from their diplomatic meeting with Thyferra's government officials to request temporary residence on the planet.
They came to the bluff just outside of the caverns and they breathed in the almost unbearably humid air. It was late in the day and the night wildlife would soon come out to prowl. Rey scanned the rainforest for movement. Their expedition teams were under orders to return to the caverns before dusk as a safety precaution.
Random spurts of shouting came from the trees directly below them and Rey smirked as the sound filtered up and startled some birds.
"It sounds like Baso is settling in," she chuckled.
"She wasn't too happy about the extra humidity," Rose told her. "When I ran into her earlier, she was grumbling about swamps and corrosion protection costing a fortune."
"The starships will be fine, assuming it doesn't flood," Rey replied. "It would take several months before any hint of corrosion makes itself known."
"You tell the chief, then," Rose smirked.
Rey winced. There was no way she was going to be the one to tell Baso to cool her jets. Movement in the forest caught her eye and she instinctively flexed her mind to extend her senses. The group of lifeforms was Mixa Ivin and the group he'd led on an expedition to find materials to replace the cots and mattresses they'd had to leave behind. They couldn't sleep on the bare stone floors of the caverns, now could they?
"Check in with Larma again," Rey asked Rose as she looked at the position of the sun. It was getting dangerously low on the horizon. The days were much shorter here. "I'll go see what Captain Ivin and his team were able to find."
She made her way back into the caverns and down the passageway that led to the base of the mountains. She met up with Mixa and his team as they were entering the mountain. He was beaming from ear-to-ear as he lowered a bulging pack filled with something green.
"Commander!" He waved a hand in greeting as he saw her. "Come see what we found."
"Give me the good news, Captain," Rey invited as she approached the team.
"Catchmoss," Mixa told her, taking a handful of the green stuff and placing it in her hands. It was very soft and springy. "There must be thousands of pounds of the stuff. We found it about a mile from here."
"Excellent find. This will be excellent bedding material," Rey complimented.
The vegetation that Mixa and his team had found would provide a decent mattress substitute to everyone here. The catchmoss had a delicate, fresh scent that made Rey smile as it teased her nostrils.
"We brought back as much as we could carry. We'll distribute some to everyone so they can be somewhat comfortable tonight. We can get more on the morrow," Mixa told her. "And catchmoss can also be used in a medicinal poultice or steeped in boiling water as an herbal tea."
"Don't tell Larma," begged one of the team members. "I don't want to drink my bedding."
The group chuckled as the lone member pouted.
"I'll leave you to it then," Rey laughed with them. She stuffed the catchmoss back into Mixa's back and gestured for them to continue.
Mixa saluted her and he led his group up into the caverns above them. Rey headed out into the space where they'd landed their starships. It was shielded by the dense canopy and the bluff overlooking the rainforest, so anyone who flew by the mountains wouldn't be able to see them that easily. Baso was still yelling at her mechanics and encouraging them to finish their duties faster.
"Chief, it's nearly sundown," Rey told the mechanic when she paused for breath between motivational speeches.
"We're almost done," Baso informed her.
"Is the Falcon refueled and ready to go?" Rey asked.
"Yes, and I gave the rear shields an extra boost," Baso said as she pointed one of her mechanics toward a Y-wing with an open engine port. "Do try to bring it and Skywalker back in one piece."
"Thanks, Chief," Rey said with a smile.
"WYAN! DO NOT STORE THAT THERE UNLESS YOU WANT IT TO EXPLODE DURING THE NIGHT!" Baso bellowed and stalked off toward the chastened mechanic.
Rey boarded the Millenium Falcon and did a onceover of all the systems and controls while she had a free moment. She was in the cockpit verifying the rear shield parameters when she was hit with a vision.
She was in space, orbiting a bright red ball. The entire planet was covered in red rock and looked as hot as a desert with the bright sun shining on it with no cloud protection. Her breath caught in her throat as a starship roared past her, avoiding the blaster cannon discharges of a pursuing ship. One shot made contact and put the first starship into a spin towards the planet. The pursuer closed in for the kill, but the spinning starship pulled out of the spiral with a surgeon's precision and executed a quick maneuver to move behind its attacker. A thrum of delight flashed through Rey. It was Ben, she knew it. There were very few pilots in the galaxy who could fly like that.
With one shot into the attacker's engines, a chain reaction caused the starship to explode. Ben's victory was short-lived though as he was too close to the explosion. One of his engines was destroyed and debris was being sucked into the other engine and damaging it. This close to the red planet, the starship couldn't avoid the gravitational pull without power from the engines and fell into the atmosphere along with the debris of the destroyed ship. It took a battering on the way down, but must have managed to land safely since Rey didn't see a fireball.
She urgently memorized the planet's features before she was thrown out of the vision. Excited, Rey secured the Falcon before running back into the caverns. She had to tell Rose what she just saw.
"Any luck on repairing the homing beacon?" Ben asked as he stepped back into the starship.
The red planet had a breathable atmosphere, but it was almost unbearably hot outside. Ben would have taken off his cloak to avoid heatstroke, but when he'd tried that as he'd assessed the engines, he'd gotten a wicked sunburn within a few minutes.
"Afraid not."
Zari shook his head and he sat back in his seat. He had pulled the homing beacon apart so he could tinker with it. He picked up a component with a set of tweezers and lifted it up for Ben to see.
"That's the frequency emitter, the part that sends the emergency transmission," Zari explained.
"It's unsalvageable, isn't it?" Ben guessed.
"Spot on," Zari nodded grimly. "The communications array is also out. It was damaged in the crash."
"Shit."
"It'll take some time to repair," Zari said, gathering his tools.
"If it can be repaired."
"Don't invite misfortune," Zari told him.
"Go for it then," Ben said, wiping his forehead free of sweat. Damn, this planet was scorching hot, like a perpetual fire was burning on the surface. He raided the emergency kit for a bacta salve and smeared it on his burning skin, soothing the sunburn in seconds. It reminded him of the wound Zari had sustained during the attack. "Do you need some bacta for your wound?"
"What wound?" Zari pulled his head out from under the comms array.
There was no wound.
"Your head," Ben pointed to his own forehead to illustrate where he'd seen Zari's injury.
"Oh, I already put some bacta on it." Zari returned his task.
Ben looked at the emergency kit. The bacta salve had been unopened until he broke the seal. Strange. Zari must have bacta of his own.
He grabbed a water flask and drained it in a few seconds, he was that thirsty. He sighed in relief as his tongue stopped feeling like sandpaper. He put a second flask next to Zari's legs and then went to sit at the ship's ramparts just out of view of the sun so he could think. Zari was confident in his abilities to repair the array, and Ben would be as well if they weren't in an isolated sector. When they'd been forced out of the hyperspace stream, they hadn't been near any inhabited star systems. Even if they got the communications array working again, there was no guarantee another starship would venture close enough to be in range for contact. That left only one option, for Ben to send a plea for aid through the Force. The only catch? The Force cuffs inhibiting his abilities. But he'd been able to do it by accident in the past and Obi-Wan had said he already had the knowledge to circumvent the cuffs, so perhaps he could figure out how to do it on purpose this time to save himself and Zari. Dyad or no dyad, he could do this.
Ben steadied his breathing, returning to meditation basics as he watched the sand swirl in mesmerizing patterns across the red rock despite the lack of wind. It reminded him of how he felt the Force move through him, ebbing and flowing in a rush of power just like the sands. Minutes passed as he focused on the sands and visualized Rey in his mind.
His nose twitched as he scented some sort of vegetation, which should be an impossibility on this desert planet where it was too hot for anything to grow. It reminded him of an herbal tea he drank once.
The power of the Force flooded his senses and Ben breathed evenly as he let the energy flow through him and guide him into a trance. He blinked and the sun was suddenly low in the orange-tinged sky. A dark fleck dimmed the sun's glow, growing bigger as it approached. Ben recognized the curves of the Falcon. Its position against the sun made it look like a firefly.
Ben flinched as water splashed against his face and he came out of the trance with a jolt. He glared at Zari, who was wiping water off his fingers.
"I did try calling your name first," Zari defended himself. "Your eyes were rolling back into your head."
"I'm fine. I just had a vision." Ben rasped. He coughed as the dryness in his throat made itself known. He'd been out of it for a while. He snatched the extra water bottle the man was offering up and guzzled down the cool refreshing liquid. "What's up?"
"The comms system is as repaired as it's going to get," Zari reported. "I might be able to boost the transmission strength if I strip the power cells from the propulsions system since we don't need it anymore. We could send out a message that'll emanate through several sectors. The drawback is that we would only be able to send a short phrase in Dadita and we would only be able to do it once before it burns out the power cells. The message has to be something that will catch the Resistance's attention so they'll know what planet to come to."
"What planet are we on anyway?" Ben wondered. He made his way back into the cockpit and pulled up the glitching nav system. There was a very limited entry for the planet they'd been stranded on, but at least it was in the system. "That doesn't look like Aurebesh," Ben said as he tried and failed to read the name of the planet. It was a single complex character enclosed in a circle.
"It's Protobesh," Zari said consideringly. "Likuryki."
"That won't translate well over the array," Ben noted. His vision surfaced in his mind's eye of the Falcon gliding across the sun, seeming to glow and grow wings in the mirage of heat. "Firefly." He didn't notice Zari jolt and look sharply at him. "That's what I saw in my vision. It was a message from the Force. That's the phrase we should transmit."
"Likuryki means 'firefly' in the old tongue. It's definitely a sign." Zari let out a short laugh. "Are you sure they'll know what it means?"
"They'll know," Ben said confidently, feeling it in his bones that he was right.
Rey found Rose overseeing food distribution in one of the larger caverns where they'd set up a canteen. She joined her behind the line to help hand out nutrition bars and what few water rations they had.
"I had another vision," Rey breathlessly told her friend. "Ben is going to be on a planet covered in red rock."
"Red rock?" asked a welcome voice. "Well, that narrows it down a bit."
"Finn!" Rey exclaimed with joy as she ran to hug her burly friend.
She laughed as he swung her around once before setting her back on the ground. She shared a fist bump with Poe while Finn greeted Rose.
"Is the dyad back?" Finn asked.
"Not quite, but it's not broken anymore," Rey beamed.
"So, red rock," Poe pondered the options. "It could be Mustafar. Did you see any lava?"
"Definitely not," Rey shook her head. "The planet in my vision was as dry and barren as a desert."
"Geonosis, perhaps?" Rose offered. "It's a planet of red rock covered in craters and with naturally occurring spire formations. Insectoid natives."
"No, the planet I saw had a flat surface. There were stripes in the rock expanses," Rey gestured with her hands to demonstrate the wavy pattern she'd seen. "It sort of reminded me of the badlands of Jakku."
Finn grumbled to himself. "We'll never be rid of the need to go to that wretched planet, will we?"
"All roads lead to Jakku," Poe needled him with a chuckle. "Haven't you figured that out by now?"
"Wait, didn't you say your first vision of Ben was likely on Corellia?" Rose cut in. "All of these options are too far from Corellia."
"We need another hint," Rey sighed. She wished the vision had lasted a little longer.
"General Dameron," Mosla greeted Poe as she bypassed the food line to speak with him. "We picked up a transmission on a broadband frequency. It doesn't appear to be anything of note, but I thought you might want to be informed. It was only broadcast once before it stopped."
"What is the message?" Poe asked curiously.
"It wasn't a message. It was a set of pulses of various lengths." Mosla crossed one set of her arms. "It was too rhythmic to be random noise, so we ran it through the Dadita translator. It was one word: Firefly."
"That's the codeword we told General Calrissian and Antilles we'd send when we're established on a new base and ready to reinitiate contact," Rey said, bemused. "Why would they send it first?"
"And why only send it once?" Rose asked. "And in Dadita instead of a more mainstream method?"
"It could be a trap." Poe's eyebrows turned down in concern.
"Or it's a message from Ben," Finn suggested intuitively.
"How can you know that for sure?" Rey asked.
"It's too soon for a transmission on broadband to reach us from Taris or Iridonia," Finn explained, naming their sister bases.
"So it could have only come from someone else who knew it would get our attention," Poe said, cottoning on.
"Ben doesn't know about Firefly, though." Despite her burgeoning hope, Rey had to point out the flaw in their logic.
"No, but think about who does outside the Resistance," Finn prompted.
"Maz Kanata. Firefly is her spy," Rey said, brightening up again. "Ben must have gone to her."
"But how does 'Firefly' tell us where to go?" Poe wondered.
"It must have some sort of double meaning," Rey suggested, wracking her brain for what it could be. Was it in code? Was it Firefly's last known location? Was it a subtle way for Maz to tell them to come to Takodana to get the location from her?
"Maybe it's literal," Rose proposed. She raised a hand to clutch her crescent necklace. "My sister and I had a phase in our teens when we were obsessed with obscure myths and legends. There was one we loved about a spirit creature called a likuryk. It glowed so bright and grew so large in mass that it became the first sun for a little planet, supercharging its evolution cycle. The denizens came to worship the creature as a god and they named the planet in its honor."
"Likuryki," Mosla snapped her fingers and pursed her lips. "It rings a bell."
She pulled a datapad from her belt and consulted the starmaps on it as Rey peeked over her shoulder. The entry for Likuryki was buried deep in the database, the name listed in an older form of Protobesh. Rey grinned as she scrolled to the geographical features section and found a picture of the wave-patterned rock features of the surface.
"That's it," Rey said triumphantly. "That's where we need to go to find Ben."
"Nice work everyone," Poe smiled and clapped his hands together. "Let's go get him."
"Do you see any sign of them?"
"Not yet," Ben shook his head. His gaze was trained on the sky above the setting sun, focusing on each winking star to see if it would turn into the Millenium Falcon. "Should be soon, though." He coughed as some sand particles drifted into his mouth.
Ben hacked out the sand as Zari sat next to him and handed him yet another bottle of water. He chugged a couple of mouthfuls down, thankful that it managed to wet his parched throat. Likuryki was beautiful with its layered formations of red rock and hazy orange skies, but it was drier than any desert Ben had ever been in. The sun was perpetually blazing hot even as it lowed beyond the horizon, and the sand was always shifting despite there being no wind. He'd hate to be here when a sandstorm came. At least his new cloak helped to keep some of the sand at bay.
Ben set the tumbler aside and noticed Zari giving him that weird protective look again. It sent a wave of goosebumps down his spine. He'd missed what had changed in their dynamic and it freaked him out.
"You're doing it again," Ben snarled at him.
"Sorry," Zari chuckled and looked away.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Ben asked. "It's like you don't care about our rivalry anymore."
"I don't," Zari shrugged.
"What?!" Ben yelled. "That's all you've ever cared about! Even now, when you've lost your memory. What changed in the last day?"
"Our rivalry serves no purpose now," Zari said calmly. "We're away from the First Order."
"That doesn't make any sense," Ben grumbled. "We hate each other."
"No, we don't," Zari argued. "We hate the idea of each other."
"I thought you vowed to avoid me for all eternity. What made you change your mind? Did someone hit you over the head on Takodana?" Ben asked suspiciously. This second change of personality was too much.
"In a manner of speaking, I suppose so," Zari said with a hint of a smile. His eyes flicked up, locking onto something in motion.
Ben followed his gaze and saw a gray-plated starship break free of the orange haze and cross over the sun. The reforming dyad tugged at his heart, desperately reaching out to someone on that ship. It brought a smile to his lips.
Five X-wings appeared behind the Falcon and stayed in close formation as they locked in on his position.
"Is it the Resistance?" Zari asked, looking a bit tense at the amount of firepower that had appeared in the sky.
"Yes," Ben nodded.
It only took a few minutes for the squad of starships to land. Ben and Zari shielded their eyes as coarse grains of sand swirled into the air when the starships engaged their stabilizers and touched down.
Ben stepped forward before the particles settled, drawn by a tugging force within him. The Falcon's ramparts dropped and a woman clad in a beige tunic burst out. Ben was hit with an intense awareness of his need to be in Rey's presence after their forced separation. Every fiber of his being was urging him forward. It seemed Rey was dealing with the same urge because she sprinted toward him. Ben caught her as she slammed into him and wrapped her arms around him, half laughing and crying. He crushed her to his chest and basked in the sensations of being able to hold her again. The healing dyad simmered under his skin.
"Wait, you're injured!" Rey shimmied out of his grasp and gently grabbed his arm.
Ben felt a stream of healing energy enter him and he smiled.
"I'm fine, Rey," he said, turning his hand over to cover hers and also cutting off the transfer. He cupped her cheek and wiped away a glimmer of a tear and leaned in close. "I missed you."
He pressed his lips to hers, gently coaxing her into a soft kiss. She responded hesitantly, still fearful of inadvertently injuring him. After a few moments, Rey relaxed against him.
"No more away missions without me, okay?" Rey teased.
"As you wish," Ben bantered back. "But I did accomplish quite a bit while I was away."
"Like what?" asked a new voice.
Ben looked up in annoyance to see Poe waiting for him and Rey to stop attacking each other with their lips. Finn was beside him, along with a worried Chewie. Ben nodded to his uncle, silently conveying he was fine. There were also a few other Resistance fighters he recognized from the base, including one Winn Bris, the annoying thorn in his side.
"How did you escape?" Poe asked curiously. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but Ben thought he saw a hint of relief in his eyes.
Chewbacca roared and added a few chuffs.
"I really am fine, Chewie." Ben nodded his head. "I had some unexpected help."
He turned around to see where Zari had gone. Time to watch them freak out. He was looking forward to it.
Zari had been hanging back near their small starship, but he came forward when he saw Ben looking for him. His bright red hair blended into their surroundings, but as he drew close, there was no mistaking his identity. Rey stiffened and her hand dropped to her belt. Ben quickly grabbed her hand as it wrapped around the double-hinged lightsaber. But there was no stopping the loose cannon.
"Motherfucker!" Winn yelled as he raised his blaster. "It's a trap!"
He opened fire on Zari, shooting two energy bolts at him. As quick as a whip, Zari snapped out twin silver blades and deflected the blasts toward the ground. Streaks of orange glass formed as the blazing hot energy hit the sand and transformed it in the blink of an eye.
"Stand down, Bris," Poe harshly told him, even though he had a hand on his own blaster. "You're wasting precious Dedlanite."
Winn reluctantly lowered his blaster when Chewie growled a harsh reprimand. Zari nonchalantly sheathed his daggers. Winn was twitchy, as if the slightest movement from Zari would trigger him to open fire again.
"Ben, what's going on?" Poe demanded through clenched teeth.
"It's a long story," Ben shrugged. "But the gist is that he saved me and wants to join our little ragtag group."
"Hello," Zari greeted with a small hand wave that made everyone bristle in agitation. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Hux. We thought you died on the Steadfast," Finn said bluntly.
"No, I was just out of commission." Zari shook his head. "After I saved you, I went to the bridge. Pryde shot me in the chest. I'm sorry to say I hadn't expected him to do that."
"Wait," Ben interjected, pinning Zari with a stern gaze. "You said you lost your memories."
"I did," Zari nodded. "I got them back when we were on Takodana."
"And you weren't going to tell me?"
Zari smiled. "You wouldn't stop trying to pick a fight long enough for me to tell you."
Ben gnashed his teeth.
"So you're miraculously on our side?" Winn spoke up, sneering derisively. "Rather convenient, don't you think? General, he's obviously working for the new Supreme Leader."
"Poe, I might have to agree with Winn," Finn said softly. "We know firsthand that Hux isn't the greatest actor in the galaxy."
"I beg to differ," Zari retorted, indignantly putting his hands on his hips. "You try being a triple agent on short notice and still maintain your cover. I think I did rather well given the amount of stress I was under that day."
"Why didn't you break your cover?" Poe asked.
"I had my reasons," said Zari. "None that I care to disclose."
"Then how can we trust you?" Finn asked him.
"Ah, yes," Zari nodded and turned to Poe. "The firefly flies at dawn."
Poe stared at him for several long seconds, stone-faced and unmoving. Ben was wondering if both men were suffering from heatstroke when Poe came alive and responded.
"Most fireflies only fly at dusk."
"This Firefly sparks the beginning of a new day." Zari recited.
"You're Firefly," Rey gasped.
"Leia left the passphrases to me, but I never thought I'd use them with you. You've been our First Order spy this whole time?" Poe asked, getting over his flabbergasted surprise and beginning to get angry.
"The whole time," Zari nodded. "I've been sending intelligence to Maz since I was twenty-five."
"No wonder Maz refused to tell me Firefly's identity," Poe grumbled. "Even if I'd believed her, I never would have trusted the information again."
"Can we trust him now, General?" Winn asked. He addressed Zari directly. "You've done a lot of shitty things during your stint as Kylo Ren's righthand man."
"He wasn't my righthand man," Ben retorted.
"I kind of was," Zari corrected him. "But to your point, Winn, I agree I've done some awful things in my time. A lot of it still troubles me when I try to sleep. But I considered it worth the price of my soul to be able to hand the Resistance the knowledge and tools to stop the First Order."
"What about when you gave the command to destroy the New Republic?" quietly asked one of the Resistance pilots standing off to the side. "You could have stopped it. I lost what was left of my family that day."
"If it hadn't been me, someone else would have given the order in my stead," Zari answered, a haunted look in his eyes. "I tried to delay the proceedings as long as I could. I'm sorry."
"He's telling the truth," Finn said.
"He is," Winn agreed grudgingly as he crossed his arms. "What do we do now?"
Poe stepped forward and waved a small device over Zari. It remained quiet.
"No listening devices or trackers," Poe said. He did the same to Ben. "None on him either. They're clean." He looked at them both consideringly. "We'll take them back to the new base for now. Ben is one of us, and as unlikely as it seems, so is Hux."
"He goes by Zari Hatalan," Ben told him. "Apparently, that's his real name."
They all turned to the former First Order general.
"I'll answer to either," Zari said agreeably. "Whatever makes you and your people more comfortable."
"I imagine we'd all be more comfortable if you had a different face," Poe sighed. "You're going to have a hard time of it, like Ben did."
"I understand," Zari nodded affably.
"Alright, let's get going," Poe gestured for all but a few to return to their ships. "We'll tow your starship and see if Baso has any use for it."
"Maz provided some extra supplies," Ben told him.
"Excellent, we could use it," Finn smiled brightly. "I'll stay behind to oversee the transfer."
Chewie growled and barked.
"Perfect," Finn nodded. "I'll go get the tow cables while you secure the ship."
Ben fell into step with the group moving towards the Falcon and the squad of starfighters. He wrapped an arm around Rey's waist and she leaned into him. Zari appeared on his other side.
"Last chance to bail," Ben said under his breath, nudging Zari.
"Not for all the credits in the galaxy," Zari muttered back with a smirk. "You're stuck with me."
Rey barely spared a second of her attention on Hux after learning he was the spy Firefly. As unbelievable as it was, she trusted Maz. Her concern was all for Ben. Her gaze kept slipping to him even as she piloted the Falcon back to Thyferra. Despite being severely injured by the Retribution's interrogators and tortured by Kandia, he was walking around like he was okay. He might say he was fine, but Rey wouldn't believe it until she could confirm it for herself.
Darkness had fallen by the time they landed at the coordinates of their new base. The massive fronds of the rainforest trees rustled erratically as they came in for a landing, but settled to cover them from prying eyes after the engines were shut down. Rey took Ben's hand as they exited the ship, eager to have some sort of contact with him in case his injuries relapsed. Ben accepted her touch, enveloping her hand in his larger one.
The sentry guarding the bottom of the mountain had some extra reinforcements. It seemed Ben's guards had stayed up for the past few hours to see if she would return with Ben. Captain Ivin craned his neck to see if Ben was with the group as they approached. Sertali was motionless except for her tail, which was twitching anxiously. Aarzio had his arms crossed and was nervously tapping his fingers against his arm. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they recognized Ben's tall form among the squad.
"Thank the Force!" Mixa exclaimed, coming forward to clasp forearms with Ben. "You're alright."
"Despite what you may think, Captain, I can handle myself well enough without you." Ben winked at the Zeltron.
"Huh, don't kid yourself," Sertali huffed, coming forward to thwap him on the arm. "You still need us."
Rey had to restrain herself from throwing the Selonian back. Ben was injured, for stars' sake!
"Give the guy some room," Aarzio lectured his fellow Resistance fighters. "He's been under the thumb of some torture-happy folks."
"Don't worry, I'm all healed," Ben thumped himself on the chest. "And I brought a new friend with me."
Hux peeked out from Ben's shadow and grinned at the shocked guards.
"Hello."
"Sith hells!" hissed Sertali, backing away, her tail held aloft and ready to attack.
Mixa and Aarzio held their positions, just staring at Hux.
"General?" Mixa asked, not taking his eyes off the former First Order general.
"He's on our side," Poe explained. "Always has been, apparently. We just didn't know it." He let out a long-suffering sigh. "I'll explain more on the morrow when the entire base is up and about."
"I see," Mixa said cautiously.
"Hux… Zari," Poe corrected himself. "I'm placing you in Captain Ivin's custody for the night. You'll both spend the night in one of the carriers. We don't want someone not in the know to come across you and think an attack by the First Order is imminent."
"That's acceptable," Zari nodded in understanding.
"Don't take out your swords until everyone is comfortable with you," Poe cautioned.
"Wait, you're not going to confiscate them?" Ben asked in a huff. "Why the hell is there a double standard where he's concerned?"
"Hux was only ever pretending to be our enemy," Poe told him snootily.
Rey had to suppress a grin as Ben shuffled his feet as he was scolded.
"Lead the way, Captain. I'd like to get some rest before I face the mob tomorrow." Zari winked at him.
Mixa blinked. "This way." He led the way back into the sea of starships. He turned back suddenly to look at Aarzio.
"I'll bunk with the other fighters for the night." Aarzio nodded in answer to his boyfriend's unasked question. But he didn't look happy about it.
Mixa gave him a reassuring smile and continued on with Zari at his side.
"You all should get some rest too," Poe addressed the rest of the rescue squadron. "Remember, not a word to anyone until the morning debrief."
"Yes, sir," they all responded and headed into the caverns.
Winn Bris aimed one last stink-eye at Ben before he was pushed into the opening by Sertali. Aarzio reluctantly followed them.
"You better report to Larma, Ben," Poe told him. "You know how upset she'll be if you don't."
"She can be a mother hen tomorrow," Ben shook his head. "I'm not hurt anymore, so there's no point in waking her up now."
"You should let Larma make that judgment call," Rey said sternly. "I saw what those people did to you."
"It's of no consequence anymore," Ben insisted and turned on his heel, following Mixa and Zari back toward the fleet.
Rey stared in disbelief at his back.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"The Falcon. I think it's best if I make my return at the morning debrief as well."
Poe rolled his eyes. "I'll leave it to you, Rey, to convince him. C'mon, Finn. Let's go get some sleep."
Rey ran after Ben, exasperated by his blasé behavior. Broken bones and lacerated muscles were nothing to dismiss so casually!
"Larma's room is on the ground level," Rey told him. "We wouldn't disturb anyone."
"We won't disturb anyone out here either," Ben said with a hint of suggestion.
His gaze raked over her body with a sizzling heat that made Rey's senses awaken and tingle. The bastard.
"Absolutely not," Rey told him, refusing to be distracted from her purpose. She darted in front of them and laid her hands on his chest to stop him in his tracks. "Larma's, now."
Ben smirked. "You're beautiful when you're worried about me."
Rey squeaked as she was swept up into his arms and carried into the Falcon. Ben used his elbow to press the button to close the ramp and continued into the ship.
"Stop it! Put me down. You're injured." Rey wriggled. He was going to tear something, she just knew it.
"I really am fine, Rey."
Ben chuckled and the vibrations channeled into her, doing funny things to her body. But he did set her down, keeping hold of only her hand. Rey sighed in exasperation and relaxed, knowing he would be difficult until he won their little battle. Fine, she would just examine him herself!
Ben led her past the cockpit corridor and through the lounge, clearly heading for the captain's bunk around the corner. When they entered the space, Ben twirled her around, bringing them together. He kissed her thoroughly, making up for the time they'd been apart. Rey couldn't help sinking into his embrace and responding in kind.
"I'm very glad you're okay," Ben murmured after he'd kissed her senseless. "You have no idea how afraid I was for you when I learned you'd been captured."
"I think those should be my lines," Rey said with a huffy laugh. "Seeing you being tortured in that vision… I don't know if it was better or not to have it confirmed that they were hurting you."
"It cost you the base, so perhaps not," Ben said. "But I was glad to have one last glimpse of you in what I thought was my final moments."
Rey gripped him harder upon hearing that. The situation had been that dire? She could have lost him forever? Her extreme worry must have crossed over their slowly reforming dyad because Ben pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I'm fine now," he reassured her. "No injuries except for a wicked sunburn."
"I'll believe you when I can see it for myself," Rey said firmly, pushing his brown cloak off his shoulders. "Clothes off. Now."
"As you wish," Ben said, eagerly pulling his shirt over his head and baring his powerful torso.
Rey went straight for his dominant arm. Examining it closely, she almost thought her memory was faulty. The last time she'd seen it, the arm had been shattered in multiple places and was in the process of becoming infected. But now, the smooth expanse of skin was free of damage and bruising and the red lines of infection had vanished. A cursory examination with her abilities showed that all the bones, muscles, and ligaments had been restored. All she could detect was some slightly inflamed cells from the sunburn Ben had mentioned. It was inconceivable that he had healed from such serious wounds so quickly.
"See?" Ben inquired as he held his arms aloft. "All good."
Rey wasn't so sure. She probed deeper with the Force, trying to see how the grievous injuries had been healed. She was sidetracked by Ben wrapping his arms around her again and caressing her back in an evocative manner that brought a blush to her cheeks.
"Stop distracting me," Rey said sternly, slipping away.
"Then stop being so breathtaking," Ben told her as he entwined their fingers.
"I want to examine you," she told him.
"I'm all yours," Ben said with a wicked grin as he sat down on the bed in the nook, reclining back against the pads.
Rey glared at him half-heartedly as he flexed his arms, being very obvious about trying to entice her. Well, two could play at that game. She crawled into the nook, dropped down into his lap, and laced her arms around his neck. She ignored her reaction to his hardness pressing against her pussy and leaned in close. Ben's smirk dropped and his breathing hitched as she traced her lips over his and then down his neck. He was easily maneuvered to lay flat on his back. Rey drew her fingers slowly down to his arms and then shifted them up. With a slight flex of power, Rey used the Force to pin his arms above his head. Ben's muscles tensed as he felt the invisible pressure bearing down on them.
"I want to examine you before we do anything… strenuous," Rey murmured against his lips, wriggling her hips once, then twice.
Ben's eyes grew dark with arousal and the smirk came back.
"Kinky. I love it," he said, still watching her with that intense gaze that made her breasts tingle and her pussy clench with need.
Rey started with his arms, drawing patterns over his skin with her fingers and sending searching tendrils of power to check for lasting damage. Through the Force, she could sense the new skin, muscle, and bone. She reached his shoulders where Kandia's lightsaber had punctured him. The flesh had filled in and the burns healed, but a memory of the injuries remained. She continued her examination downward, taking care to peruse every inch carefully. Ben shifted restlessly as her fingers glided over his stomach. She reached the waistband of his pants and dipped a couple of fingers into them to release the tab. His hard cock sprang out, a burning bar of heat against her hand. Ben yelped in surprised pleasure as her power briefly ran through the sensitive area. Rey grinned evilly, tucking that discovery away in her memory for use in the future, and moved on, dragging his pants and boxers off so she could check his legs.
"There's not even a mark where they hit you," Rey said with a note a surprise, kissing a spot on his leg where her vision had shown there was bad muscle damage.
He was in peak physical health. It should be impossible, but the reality of it was right in front of her.
"The worst of my injuries didn't come from the interrogation," Ben told her breathily as her fingers danced over his exposed skin. "It was from being drained of my lifeforce and then from the hypothermia."
"How did you get hypothermia?" Rey asked, jerking her head up so she could meet his eyes.
"I'll tell you later," Ben smiled and brought his leg up to caress her hip.
"No, tell me now," Rey demanded, crawling up his form to lay on his chest so they were face-to-face.
"I'm fine, Rey," Ben insisted, leaning up to kiss her.
Rey blocked him with her fingers, pushing him back. Hypothermia was serious. All her life, she'd thought extreme heat was the most taxing on the body. Well, she'd been proven wrong once she left Jakku. Her pinkie toe still wasn't right after it'd frozen on Starkiller Base.
"Tell me the whole story," she demanded, pressing a palm to cup his cheek. The touch helped remind her that he was here and he was alive. "Please."
Ben sighed. "Fine. After you escaped and I was captured, I was being tortured by a colonel who had become the highest-ranking officer on the starship after Trem's demise. Remind me to congratulate Finn about that, by the way. Kandia found out I was the captured fighter and decided to take over and had me transferred to the Vespira. She managed to hijack our dyad and power it to show your location on Ajan Kloss. I still don't understand how she did it. She's not a Force-sensitive." He gave a full-body shiver at the memory. "Our connection snapped as she drained me of my lifeforce. Lucky for me, she was interrupted before she could finish me off."
Rey gave a silent thanks to whoever had decided that was the right moment to interrupt the new Supreme Leader.
"She left it to the stormtroopers and officers in the room to 'dispose' of me. They decided to throw me out of an airlock."
"What?!" Rey shouted, unable to contain herself.
"I lived," Ben reminded her.
"Yes, but how?"
Rey vibrated with the need to fly to the Vespira so she could tear apart the people who had thrown Ben into kriffing space without a suit to protect him. The First Order liked to pretend they were high and mighty, but they were monsters like the lowest gutter dregs.
"They wanted to see me suffocate, so they left on the safety protocols that keep a pressurization shield around airlocks," Ben explained nonchalantly. "That's when Zari came. He fought off the squad and then helped me back inside. When the Vespira arrived to invade Ajan Kloss, we ejected in an escape pod and a defected pilot latched onto us. We were accelerating into hyperspace before anyone could stop us."
"You traveled all the way to Takodana in an escape pod?" Rey asked in disbelief.
"No," Ben shook his head. "We boarded the starship a few parsecs away when the pod lost structural integrity. We went to Corellia to ditch the First Order ship and stole a pirate's vessel to get to Takodana. And let me tell you, that starship was a museum piece, probably older than my parents." He laughed a little at the memory. "We flew that to Takodana and asked for Maz's help. She rebuilt her little castle, by the way. It's much nicer and better fortified."
"That's good," Rey said distractedly. Her heartbeat was coming down from its rapid beat after hearing the daring tale of his escape. "Where did you find a healer on Takodana?"
"Maz had us wait in the caverns below the castle."
"Below the castle?" Rey asked knowingly, remembering her own experience there with a shiver. "Did you have a vision?"
"Of sorts. It was more like a waking dream," Ben said in wonder. "There was an entire bar with patrons. The people there – Force ghosts – were able to interact with me on the physical plane. I drank a steaming cup of cider." He smiled. "My namesake and my grandmother came to my aid. They were the ones to heal me."
Rey could tell how much it meant to him. "They did a wonderful job."
"They said they believe in me," Ben confided. "That my entire family is rooting for me."
"Of course they are. You're their family." Rey distractedly ran her fingers through his hair. "They're always looking out for you."
"After meeting them, I think I believe it too," Ben said with a small smile. He looked rather introspective. Then he blinked and the vulnerable expression was gone. "Anyway, are you satisfied?"
"Oh, I'm far from satisfied," Rey said playfully, on board with pursuing more pleasurable pursuits now that the question of Ben's health had been put to rest.
"Then let me loose," Ben looked up at his restrained wrists. "And I'll take care of you."
"Oh, I don't think so," Rey purred as she slipped off his lap. "You still need to be punished."
She pulled her boots off and shivered as her feet came in contact with the cold floor. She unhooked her utility belt and placed it down carefully. Her clothes were discarded on the floor with less care.
"What for?" Ben's voice dropped an octave.
"For leaving the base without permission," Rey said as she pulled down her underclothes, fully revealing her naked form. She fought to keep a blush at bay as Ben's eyes raked over her with heat.
"Even if I didn't mean to be a stowaway?" Ben asked, his eyes following her intently as she moved towards him.
"Everyone has to follow the rules." Rey put in extra effort to be sensuous as she climbed back on top of him. Judging by his rock-hard erection, she was succeeding. "You broke them, so now you have to be punished."
Rey laid kisses on his face, moving slowly down his body. She paused when she reached his hips, where his cock was already leaking precum. Ben stared at her, panting harshly as she teased him. She grinned at him and lowered her head to nuzzle his cock. She kept her touches playful and light, but her effect on Ben was profound. He gasped as she took the tip of him in her mouth and laved her tongue over him. The feeling of power it gave her made her wriggle with delight. She'd never done this before or even wanted to do this with a man before; she'd never trusted any of her bed partners enough. But with Ben, she rather liked it.
She couldn't take his length all the way in her mouth, but her efforts didn't go unappreciated. He groaned and moved his hips in her grasp, silently begging for more as she experimented with what felt good for both of them. She rubbed her legs together to ease the ache growing in her loins as she stimulated Ben with growing confidence. When she deemed him suitably 'punished' for stowing away on the Falcon and following her on her clandestine mission, she sat up and admired her handiwork. His cock twitched in her hand as she jacked him slowly.
"Rey," Ben said, his voice deep with lust and need.
Rey reached down to grab her utility belt, pressing their lower bodies even tighter together and pulling a tortured moan from her lover's lips. She opened a pouch, hoping the item was still in there. She'd had to move it when one of the children discovered it in her knapsack. Rey sat up triumphantly, holding aloft the packet of birth control pills meant for the sperm-carrying partner. There were still a few left over after their marathon of sex that time the rains had poured nonstop. Ben happily swallowed the pill she offered him and playfully nipped her fingers, making her giggle. She mashed their lips together, kissing him ferociously as she got into position. Taking him in one hand and guiding him to her entrance, they both gasped as the tip of his cock made contact with her pussy and rubbed against her clit. She pushed his cock down a little and moaned as it slotted into her easily. Her pussy was so slick from anticipating this that it was just a delicious stretch as he flexed his hips and she pressed down onto him. They both held still as he bottomed out in her, savoring the connection and just feeling each other. It wasn't the same without the emotional connection of the dyad, but it was pretty damn good.
Rey shifted her hips and moaned as Ben thrust up and hit that special place deep inside her. He did it again and Rey flung her head back as the pleasure zipped through her. She rocked her hips forward, matching his rhythm. Their eyes met, fever-bright with lust and anticipation.
"Lean forward on me," Ben encouraged her, his voice husky.
Rey came down on her forearms, bracketing them around his torso. The position provided a new thrusting angle and Rey choked off a scream as Ben drove into her. She dove in for a kiss to muffle her screams of delight.
"You don't have to be quiet," Ben murmured wickedly. "We're alone out here. Let me hear you."
Rey snapped her hips down to meet his next thrust and hollered her pleasure as the wave of ecstasy rolled over her. Her attention wavered and her invisible hold on Ben's arms faltered. Ben immediately grabbed her hips with his large hands, but he didn't try to turn her over. He just held her firmly to get more leverage, helping her move on him faster and deeper.
"Fuck, yes!" Rey yelled, twining her fingers into his hair and tugging hard. "Harder!"
Something simmered between them, ballooning with growing urgency, and it wasn't their physical connection. The fabric of their beings was being weaved together as they rocked against each other. Rey clenched hard around his cock as she registered his scorching desire that mirrored her own. That warmth promised to radiate through her if she could just reach that peak and she chased the feeling. Ben's fingers dug into her hips, adding a delicious pressure that drove her to new heights. Their eyes met and the burning need she saw shoved her over the edge and she shouted incoherently as she climaxed. Ben continued to pound into her, prolonging her orgasm for several long seconds. Rey smashed their mouths together, kissing him deeply. Heat flared in her heart as their dyad reconnected, and Ben roared his pleasure and his hips rose high and stuttered as he reached his peak. The compounded feelings raced through Rey and she let out a sharp yelp as another orgasm overtook her.
They clutched at each other tightly, trying to catch their breath as the aftershocks of their climaxes zipped through where they were connected. They gradually relaxed against each other, but neither of them wanted to move and disrupt the full feeling of their physical and emotional connections. Rey luxuriated in the pleasure of being able to sense Ben's emotions again. It was like she'd grown back a lost appendage.
"I feel the same," Ben said, his chest rumbling under her. He sounded drunk on pleasure. "Stars above, I missed our bond."
"I was devastated when Kandia stole it from us," Rey agreed. "Thank the stars it came back."
Ben held her closer, wrapping her in warmth. "It's funny, because once upon a time I cursed its existence and wished for its dissolution." He laughed softly. "Those first few times we connected tormented me. I wondered why the Force would link us together when we were destined to be enemies."
"The dyad gave us a chance to come together, to understand each other," Rey said. "And I'm thankful it did."
"I don't ever want to be without it again," Ben said, staring soulfully at her. "It's a part of me. You're a part of me."
Rey was speechless. The intimacy of the moment devastated her. She leaned in close and kissed him, trying to convey with her touch how much she cared for him. In a short time, Ben had come to mean so much to her. Their relationship was reaching new heights and she was scared, but also eager to see what came next for them.
A/N: It's been a while, but my muse is back! Thanks for all the kind support.
