After carefully setting Aubrie down on one of the many seats the cockpit had, Ben wasted no time jumping into the pilot's seat and setting the coordinates for Alderaan. Kay was hunched into a foetal position on the floor, and although she was still alive, she was extremely pale, and Ben could sense her slipping away as he launched the Corbelan into hyperspace.
As Rain knelt on one side, grasping Kay's hand, Ben quickly moved to kneel on her other side. As Kay continued to cough and splutter from what she had just been through, bleeding all the while, Ben placed his hand on her forehead and reached out with the Force. He wasn't nearly as good at Force-healing as Aubrie was, but he should be able to keep Kay alive until they got to Alderaan.
Fortunately, ten parsecs by hyperspace should not take much longer than ten minutes, which was a huge relief, because Ben did not think Kay had much longer than that. Then suddenly, the Harrison sister reached below her shirt towards her chest. When she pulled her hand out, it was covered in a black, sticky, gooish liquid.
Ben did not process where the liquid had come from, at first, but as he saw the outline of Kay's breasts between her shirt take on a darker hue, he understood, and struggled not to gag.
"Did you…" he heard Kay whisper.
"I did", he murmured back. "It… your baby is gone. I'm so… I'm so sorry."
Kay began to weep, and Ben saw Rain bow her head as she cried as well.
"What's going on?" Ben heard Aubrie groan behind him.
"It's okay", Ben said. "We will be on Alderaan soon. And we will get you both the help you need."
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When Bail Organa received a message on his holo-pad that morning, he wasn't expecting to be woken up quite so early, but the person on the other line was quite insistent.
"Begging your pardon, Senator, but you told us to contact you if Maxir or Amara Felian called us."
Senator Organa wouldn't have woken up faster if he had been thrown into cold water. Quickly scrambling out of bed, ignoring his wife's protests, he carried his holo-pad into another room.
"Put them through."
After hearing the line scramble, Bail heard Ben Obrin's voice come through the other end, and sagged with relief. Over the past six months, he had become increasingly worried about the status of the Jedi, and had even been considering visiting LV-410 himself to try and track them down.
But Obrin did not make it sound like he would be coming in with good news.
"Senator, I need you to prep whatever surgeons you may have on hand. We are coming in with two medical cases. My… my sister Amara has a concussion, and we have another patient who has suffered a miscarriage. I'm afraid the latter patient will not last much longer without medical attention."
"I understand, my friend", Bail said. "Land your ship at the palace. We will be there to receive you."
He did not need Obrin to tell him of the need for secrecy.
As he commanded the royal medical staff to prep themselves for surgery, Bail summoned his guards and travelled with them down to the landing bay as an old mining hauler descended from the clouds. As the doctors and nurses hurriedly brought two patient transport stretchers with them, the hauler opened its doors. Obrin, carrying a dark-haired girl, rushed straight out to place her on one of the stretchers.
The years fell away, and Bail Organa was suddenly reminded of Kenobi bringing Padme Amidala off her ship, after she had been strangled by her husband. He hoped, more than anything, that history would not repeat itself today. As he watched, he saw Marie Raines Carradine walk off the ship, followed by a dark-skinned man carrying Aubrie Wyn, who was looking about the platform with a dazed, confused expression on her face.
As the Jedi Padawan was placed on the second stretcher and wheeled off to the hospital, Bail grasped Obrin's hand with both of his own.
"It is good to see you alive", he said. "I was starting to worry."
"There is much to tell you, Senator", Obrin replied. "But first… I will need access to your incinerator. There is something- well, two things- on board the ship that must be destroyed. Immediately."
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Rain watched tiredly as Ben brought the pieces of the creature he had killed, along with the Z-01 serum, and tossed them into the incinerator.
Good riddance, she thought, though she could not help feeling bad for Kay. Her friend's reproductive organs had been all but destroyed when she pushed her mutated baby out of her, and Rain had barely been able to contain her horror when Kay had begun lactating that revolting black goo.
As Ben took her hand and led her towards the elevator, she wondered if they were truly safe. As they travelled upwards, the elevator looked out onto the horizon as Alderaan's sun began to rise, and Rain gazed at it in wonderment. After so many years, she was finally home… but were they safe? The Inquisitors Andy had contacted were dead, but Rain did not doubt the Empire would likely be looking for her now as well as Ben.
Rain had asked Andy to accompany Kay and Aubrie to the hospital to explain Kay's condition, so she and Ben were alone, now. Rain did not let up with her grip on Ben's hand, and she leaned further into him as she struggled to stay awake.
As the elevator stopped, Senator Organa's servants directed them to a room filled with food, water and various juices, and she and Ben gladly ate and drank to their heart's content. After being directed to a private bedroom, they stepped naked into the shower provided for them, where Ben pressed Rain up against the glass and made love to her again at her insistence, thrusting into her from behind as her breasts dragged up and down the cool surface.
Afterwards, they fell into bed together, wrapped in each other's arms and quickly drifting off to sleep. When Rain awoke a few hours later, she found herself wanting Ben again, so she took him in her mouth to harden him, then mounted him as he awoke and rode him as hard as she could, not knowing or caring who else could hear them as she mercilessly bounced up and down on top of the man she loved.
Collapsing onto Ben's chest as they finished, Rain knew she would want him again soon. As she turned her back to his chest, Rain was ecstatic to feel Ben quickly drape her leg over his hip, his face buried in her hair as his fingers drifted between her legs.
"Rain- can I- can I please-"
"Yes. Yes."
Rain's moan turned to a gasp as she felt him fill her again, his hips rolling into hers as his hand came around to squeeze her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers. It was over in no more than a minute or two for both of them, but Rain felt so happy and contented she didn't care, as their sweat-slicked bodies laid together. After everything that had happened to them, she was more than willing to ignore the world outside them, and just fuck Ben for the rest of the day.
Their next round together came after another short sleep, with Ben sweeping Rain's legs over his shoulders and pounding himself back into her. As they finished again, it wasn't long before they found themselves once more jockeying for position, their naked bodies twisting and turning like animals. As her eyes rolled back into her head, her mouth stupidly hanging open as she screamed and moaned and begged Ben for more while he thrust into her like a man possessed, Rain knew she had what she wanted in Ben Obrin, and she would never -never- let him go.
That was the last coherent thought she had before she climaxed yet again, the pleasure flooding her from her head to her toes.
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They were summoned to Bail Organa's office later on, where Ben told the Senator all that had happened, from finding Rain to telling her who he and Aubrie were, to their fateful adventure on the Renaissance space station only that morning, though it already felt like it had happened long ago.
Organa's face darkened as Ben mentioned the Inquisitors who had attacked them.
"I am glad to hear they are dead", the Senator stated. "But I do not doubt that the Empire will redouble its efforts in searching for you."
There was silence for a moment. Then-
"Fortunately, there is some good news we can share with you", the Senator stated. "Aubrie should make a full recovery. Her skull, and her brain, were found to be undamaged in the scans performed on her. The doctors estimate her concussion should subside in the next week or so."
"What about Kay?" Rain asked quietly.
Organa hesitated. "We are… not sure. She is stabilised, for now, but… the medical staff have not seen a condition quite like hers before."
Who has? Ben wondered.
"There is, however, something else you should know", Organa mentioned. "We have managed to locate Quinlan Vos. He is located with his family on a planet named Yvaga, in the Outer Rim. We have notified him of your condition, Miss Carradine, and he has stated he is happy to take you on as his apprentice."
His… family? Ben was so shocked he barely even heard what Organa said after that.
First Skywalker, then Vos… and now me as well, I suppose. When I visualised the return of the Jedi Order, this is not what I had in mind.
As Organa started to detail their plans to travel to Yvaga, Ben could not help but wonder how on earth things had come to this.
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When Lord Vader was in a bad mood, the Grand Inquisitor knew to stay out of his way. The sighting of Coleman Kcaj had proved to be a red herring, and Vader had been a dark pit of bubbling anger the whole way back to their base on Coruscant.
When they had discovered what happened while they had been away, Vader's anger had become a rage. All they had to go on was a hastily-made recording from the Tenth Brother, stating that Ben Obrin and Aubrie Wyn had been located on a space station above a planet called LV-410, which the Grand Inquisitor had never even heard of.
Vader had immediately set off on his own, but had returned shortly afterwards, and the anger coming off him was so vicious and all-consuming, the Grand Inquisitor feared for his life, and he knew all his brethren did as well.
Summoning all the Inquisitors they had on hand, the Pau'an stood next to Vader as they looked down together at the others, wishing desperately that he was not within striking distance of the Sith Lord.
"I do not doubt you have heard what has happened", Vader began. "Your fellow Inquisitors… are dead. There is no trace of Obrin, or Wyn. You are to travel to the planet below the station where they were discovered, and comb it for any trace of them. Leave no stone unturned. Do whatever is necessary."
The Dark Lord then turned to the Grand Inquisitor. "I expect two new Inquisitors by this time tomorrow. See that you do not fail."
"Yes, my Lord," the Grand Inquisitor bowed his head, and left the room, wasting no time in travelling off-world to the base where they were keeping all the Force-sensitives they had collected so far for Project Harvester.
Instructing the Purge Troopers to bring up a handful of their captives, the Grand Inquisitor stood on a platform above them. Unclipping his lightsaber from his back, he tossed it down to them, sensing their confusion.
"The last of you standing will assume the position of Third Inquisitor. Fight."
A minute later, only one of the captives, a young, dark-skinned human girl, stood shaking amidst a pile of bodies, holding the Grand Inquisitor's lightsaber, which he quickly summoned back to his hand.
"What is your name, child?"
"R-Reva, my Lord."
The Pau'an raised an eyebrow, and the girl straightened up.
"I-I mean- Third Sister, my Lord."
"Excellent", the Grand Inquisitor replied. After the girl was ushered away, he turned to the guards.
"Bring up the next group. We must see who will take the Tenth Brother's place, post-haste."
The Tenth Brother had been a Jedi Master before he joined their brotherhood. His loss was a blow to the Inquisitorius, there was no denying that.
His successor would be no true replacement. The Grand Inquisitor knew that, and he did not doubt Vader knew it as well.
But they had a job to do, and Jedi to kill. They could not afford to be picky.
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The doctors working on Kay were the very best Alderaan had to offer, and it was to Rain's relief that her friend showed signs of recovering in the week after they arrived, as the surgeons repaired her reproductive system. Kay was awake at times, but regularly slipped in and out of consciousness as the cocktail of medication she was on kept her alive.
At one of her most conscious moments, Kay had asked Rain and Ben about Tyler and Bjorn, then dissolved into tears when they had told her of the boys' fates. Her despair had given way to hysteria, and the medical staff had had to put Kay under again to stop her from screaming.
When Kay had woken up, Rain was taken aback to find she had no memory of the previous conversation, and had once again asked about Tyler and Bjorn. This time Rain sensed Kay's mood change from hopeful to anguished before she saw it on Kay's face. She was slowly becoming more in tune with her Force abilities, though she did not tell Kay this.
Nor did she tell Kay of her own trip to the doctors, which confirmed her own baby was healthy and strong. After what Kay had lost, Rain felt like it would be especially cruel for her to inform the other girl of this happy news.
When not at the hospital, Rain was enjoying herself re-exploring Alderaan with Ben, walking through the markets, seeing whatever films the cinema had available, to swimming naked at night in one of Alderaan's many waters, which in turn would lead to them making love in said waters, or on the shore.
They were leaving soon, but they would come back, one day. Although Senator Organa had assured them Yvaga was a beautiful, vibrant place to live, Rain was determined that one day, her children would know an Alderaanian life.
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As they reached a full week after their arrival, Ben was delighted to see Aubrie slowly come back to herself, though he sensed her regret at their failure to protect those they had lost.
When he told her of Kay's medical condition, he felt her regrets give way to her more familiar sense of determination.
Kay's reproductive systems were still being mended, and her breasts were still producing the black, sticky liquid caused by the Z-01 serum. At the moment, it seemed unlikely she would ever fully recover, whether physically or mentally.
"I will fix her", Aubrie declared one night, and to the disbelief of both Ben and Rain, she stayed up all night with Kay, working her force-healing abilities over the older girl.
Though Ben had seen Aubrie perform many miraculous deeds in their time together, it still came as a surprise when Kay was announced at being fully recovered the next day, with her wounds physically healed, and her body no longer producing the liquid. Ben did not know how Kay fared mentally, but her physical recovery was plain for all to see.
In any case, this led to Ben making his final decision in regards to Aubrie. A decision he hoped was the right one, though he knew he had no reason to doubt her.
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As Aubrie entered the darkened room, she wondered what on earth was going on. She had been summoned here for… what, exactly?
Then Aubrie saw Ben's lightsaber light up the room, Rain and Senator Organa standing on either side of him, and her heart began to pound as she knelt in front of her Master.
"Aubrie Wyn", Ben began. "By the right of the Council."
His lightsaber moved to one of her shoulders.
"By the will of the Force."
His lightsaber moved over to her other shoulder.
"I hereby dub thee Knight of the Republic. Arise, Jedi Knight."
As she rose to greet her now-former Master, Aubrie realised there were tears on her cheeks.
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They left the next day for Yvaga. All of them were going, at least until things died down for them. Ben did not doubt that eventually, Andy's message to the Inquisitors would lead the Empire to Alderaan sooner or later.
Before they left, they made sure to wipe any record of Maxir Felian or his sister, Amara, from Alderaan's databases.
Goodbye, Max, Ben thought. It was nice knowing you.
They also made the decision to destroy the Corbelan, though Ben could tell Kay was distressed by this. It was all she had left of her family, but they could not take any chances, lest the Empire come to Alderaan in search of them.
Instead, they quietly left in the morning on a simple, inconspicuous cargo freighter bound for Yvaga, while the Corbelan was taken somewhere they didn't know to be broken down and destroyed.
After a few hours in hyperspace, they arrived at their destination, making for the church they had been told would be their point of contact. As their little group walked through, Ben saw a hooded priest approach them.
"Can I help you, my child?"
"I hope so," Ben said, as he sensed the Force ability within the so-called "priest".
"All things are possible through the Force," he said.
He saw the priest smile beneath his hood, as he tipped his head back. But it was not Quinlan Vos Ben saw.
"Master Koth?" Ben gaped at the Zabrak.
Jedi Master Eeth Koth grinned at him. "Indeed. Though I would not be so loud if I were you."
"My apologies", Ben remembered his manners, and bowed in respect.
He introduced the others to the Zabrak Jedi, and he bowed at all of them in turn.
"So, you Knighted your Padawan, eh?"
"It was the right thing to do", Ben said firmly. "Aubrie is more than ready to accept the responsibility."
"I will trust your judgement. Come, then, Jedi Master Obrin. We have much to discuss."
Jedi Master? No, I'm still a Knight.
The words were on Ben's mouth, before he suddenly remembered. Frankly, he could not believe he had forgotten.
By successfully training Aubrie, and having his Padawan ascend to the rank of Jedi Knight, Ben was now, officially, a Jedi Master.
I hope I am worthy of the title, Ben thought, as he followed the others.
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The search on LV-410 had turned up nothing of use to the Inquisitors. After arriving on the godforsaken planet, it had taken them a week before they came across a mining colony (one of many, in this hellhole), where somebody finally directed them to a pair of siblings who matched the description of the Jedi. The "siblings" were identified as Maxir and Amara Felian, of Alderaan.
After reporting their findings, the spies the Empire had on Alderaan turned up nothing. No records of a Maxir or Amara Felian anywhere.
"This is a waste of time", the Ninth Sister growled. "I'll wager the Jedi have never been to Alderaan in their lives. They mind-tricked their way through and said they were from there- that's all. I'd bet my lightsaber on it."
The Grand Inquisitor silently agreed with the hulking Dowutin, but he knew they had to be thorough.
They sent salvage teams to investigate the wreckage of the space station where the Jedi had last been seen.
Nothing. The station had been torn to shreds in the asteroid belt, along with all its technology.
The only thing they found even remotely related to what they were searching for was the headless corpse of the Tenth Brother, frozen from drifting through space. There was no sign of the Third Brother's remains.
All it did was confirm what they already knew- their colleagues had gone to kill the Jedi, and had been met with death instead.
The Jedi were long gone… and there was no telling where or when they would turn up again.
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As Rain slowly adapted to life on Yvaga, she felt her abilities grow as Master Vos guided her through her training. Strangely enough, it did not feel as alien as she believed it would. It felt more like she was becoming… herself. More herself than she had ever been.
Quinlan Vos was a firm, but fair teacher, and one of the kindest men she had ever met. As Rain slowly improved through the passing months, her belly grew larger, and she felt her baby moving within, becoming stronger each day.
Eventually, the day came when Rain was to give birth, and as the midwives surrounded her, her hand squeezing Ben's, she threw her head back and screamed as they welcomed their son into the world, healthy and kicking like a mule.
As they placed the squirming infant in her arms, Rain felt more love for her baby boy than she ever had, for anyone or anything.
"Max", they both decided. "We will call him Max."
Rain could not think of any better name to symbolise how much her life had changed in the past year, as she pressed kisses to her newborn son's head.