So...I know I said this was going to b the last chapter. It just flowed really organically the other night but it took me forever to get a chance to edit. My wireless keyboard likes to miss letters and spaces so I hope I caught it all.
Th at you for all the comments to the last chapter...it was really hard for me to write and when u see a scene play out in your head, sometimes it's hard to convey it in word form. The support and reviews have been amazing and all you who are new and stuck around since the beginning...thank you again!
As usual...I would have had a MUCH more relaxed quarantine if I owned these characters, but unfortunately all rights to Disney.
Chapter 36
Finn's head was throbbing like he had never felt before and his whole body was sore as the world slowly started to come into focus. He eventually became aware he was laying on the cold ground with the rain pouring down, soaking him to the bone. He rolled over with a groan, feeling as if he had been run over by a Dewback, his head protesting to any kind of movement, and he squeezed his eyes shut against the pain.
All he could hear was the sound of the rain on the increasingly soaked ground, and an odd hiss sound in the distance as if someone was pouring water on a hot conduit unit. He tried to wrap his head around everything as he lay on his back, raising a hand to shield his barely open eyes from the falling rain and assess the light grey clouds that hung low overhead. All the while his head pounding like there was a whole tribe of bantha thundering around inside of it.
His body started to feel more and more chilled as he tried to breathe through the throbbing once he got over on his side, taking note that it appeared to be getting lighter in all senses of things. It was almost like a heaviness had been lifted from the universe itself, and everything connected with the force was giving a collected sigh of relief.
A low, pitiful growling caused him to slowly peak one eye open to see a brown blurry mass moving slowly over a smaller blurry mass and he blinked a few times, fully opening both eyes and cringing at the pain that laced through his head before it eased off to intense waves. He focused and saw that Chewie was getting up awkwardly over, what looked like, Maz's crumpled figure, whining as he stroked her cheek.
"Chewie?" Finn groaned, his voice sounding rough, gravely as if he had been yelling at the top of his lungs all night and it was all together to loud in his ears. He attempted to get up, but his head exploded with pain and he resigned himself to crawling, army style over to where Chewie was now howling sadly.
Chewie lamented as Finn approached and it took him a couple minutes to translate the pitiful howl in the fuzziness in his head that was, "I tried..."
Finn frowned, "What do you mean you tri..." he said and took note of Maz's abnormally still form. She looked as if she was sleeping, her face still and serene, eyes closed behind the cracked lenses and he felt it. The unusual stillness of someone that was gone.
Chewie stroked her cheek gently, his humming purr filled with sorrow and Finn felt tears spring to his eyes and he laid a soft hand on her chest. It was still warm to the touch, but was cooling quickly in the rain that covered them. Finn could tell though there was no movement, and he sensed the light of the force had gone from the feisty woman.
Finn placed his hand on the Wookie's arm drawing his grief filled gaze, "I'm so sorry Chewie." He said softly, his head starting to clear a little as he noticed groans sounding from the group behind him.
Finn had been trained from a very young age about triage in a group situation and his brain kicked in as he tore his eyes away from Maz and Chewie to look back at Damia groaning and rolling on her side. He met Chewie's eyes for a moment before the Wookie nodded at him to check the others, managing to pushed back the grief of losing Maz as he turned to check on the rest of the group that was starting to rouse. He moved without thought and caught himself as a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over him at the sudden movement of rising after checking Sardi.
Moving slowly, he helped each person, one by one, checking them methodically as they moved and shifted back into a sitting position. Each one nauseous, complaining about severe headache and fuzzy vision before it slowly started to ease off to a burning throb that was relatively manageable.
The rain started to easy off slowly as the last few came around, and Finn quickly helped those who could walk to one of the huts nearby to start a fire and warm up assigning Nelo to that task. With each person who woke, he ensured they were coherent and had their kyber crystals tucked away safely before moving to the hut. Finn figured it was the least he could do since Maz had obviously risked her life to bring them the precious commodity. Even as a storm trooper he had heard of how the first order had tracked down all caches of the crystal, destroying all they could search out, so the fact that Maz had managed to get her hands on a whole bag of them was an amazing feat in itself.
At that thought he felt the emotions bubble up and he swallowed over a lump in his throat, take a breath before he moved on to the final person to come around.
He helped Ann up, as she was the last to finally come around and ensured that Nelo had a good grip on her as she wobbled with dizziness at the door of the hut before he turned to see Chewie scooping up Maz in amazing tenderness and turning to head in the direction of the Falcon.
With the immediate concerns taken care of, Finn snapped to the realization that Rey and Ben were nowhere to be seen and the last time he had seen her, she had plummeted back to the earth. He took off up the hill slipping on the wet mud and scrambling up with the help of his hands to the top, his head bursting stars of lights in pain with the bent over posture and he grunted as he stood on shaky feet at the top trying to clear his vision.
He scanned the field quickly, his eyes coming to rest on the crumpled figures of the pair, unmoving, soaked and muddy, visibly bruised and battered, Rey still folded over Ben protectively, sabers on the ground.
"Oh stars! No..." Finn murmured before he took off towards them.
Slipping and sliding down the hill, Finn tried to keep the nausea at bay as the dizziness caused him to stumble forward, the sun starting to peak through the clouds in places. A few rays filtered through and illuminated Ben and Rey, bathing them in golden light as Finn crumpled to his knees, tears springing to his eyes as he reached out to touch Rey, his hand shaking with dread.
Rey's hair was obscuring her face and Finn gently moved it out of the week, taking note of how pale she was, skin ashen, cuts and bruises seeming stand out on the translucent look of her skin.
"Rey...please..." Finn's whispered, his words cutting on in a choking sob before he closed his eyes and reached out to her with the force.
The sun seemed to hop and dance across the field, as Finn focused on the thin thread of his force. It seemed weak...as if it had been pulled to the point of breaking and he felt the sweat break out as he coaxed the light inside up, reaching out with it towards Rey's still form.
He could feel her, there, as if she was in the distance, a very small speck in his mind's eye. No matter how he pushed forward, he couldn't seem to get closer to her and he pushed until his grip on the force seemed to slip from his grasp. He opened his eyes leaning over heavily with his elbows on his knees, breath coming in short pants, his head feeling as if it were going to split open in two.
There was a horrific roar behind him and heavy thudding foot falls as Chewie came rushing over, surveying Finn, doubled over beside Rey and Ben.
He purred hesitantly and Finn caught his question, "Please...not dead?" as he felt Chewie's large hand rest on his shoulder as he dropped to his knees in the mud beside Finn.
Finn raised his head, eyes still closed against the throbbing pain and slowly warbled it back and forth, "No Chewie, I don't think so, but I can't reach her." Finn could only assume that if Rey was still there, somewhere, so was Ben. From everything she had told him before about their connection, she wouldn't have survived if Ben didn't.
Chewie hummed in a low tone and steadied Finn for a moment before he moved, with purpose, to scoop up Rey's slight form easily in his arms and strode off towards her hut. He rumbled for Finn to stay put till he was back.
Finn was powerless to move as the pain throbbed in a steady manner, finally causing him to succumb to the intensity and he shifted away from Ben's form to heavy uncontrollably in the burnt grass. He was surprised that he actually had anything left by the time Chewie returned with Nelo in tow.
"Come my friend, you extend past what even I could handle. There is nothing further we can do for our Master's save provide them with shelter and rest." Nelo stated gently in his ear as the heaving finally subsided.
Finn was able to open his eyes finally and looked up just in time to see Chewie heave Ben's large mass into his arms, grumbling lowly, "You weigh as much as a Tauntaun."
Finn begrudgingly let Nelo help him up and they followed Chewie slowly across the charred grass towards Rey and Ben's hut. Finn fought the rising despair that he felt making its way up from inside of him, as the adrenalin finally having ebbed away to leave him feeling hollow and spent.
"They are still with us. Take comfort." Nelo said gently to Finn reaching a bracing arm around him as he wobbled on the uneven ground.
Finn nodded and kept his eyes on the ground as lifting his head meant the return of the white stars that would explode across his vision. If he kept his eyes down and focused on each step, he seemed to stave off the severe pain for the time being.
Nelo steered him away from where Chewie was going and into another smaller, dark hut and it was all Finn could do to keep the sigh of relief from escaping his lips as he was plunged into the relative darkness of the hut.
Finn laid down on the coat with a reluctant groan, "Nelo, we need to contact Poe and let him know that it is safe for everyone to return," he stared, his mind running through everything that needed to happen. Rey and Ben couldn't make all the arrangements so he would be damned if someone else was going to step up in their place. They had trusted him during the battle to care for the group. He wouldn't let them down now.
"We need to start on repairs as soon..."He started again and shifted on the cot as if he was going to get up again and Nelo placed a restraining hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Rest, my friend. Sordi and I will tend to things," When Finn started at his words, he gave a soft calming smile and continued, "Only for now. When you have rested, we will do as you directed."
Finn slowly lowered back on the cot with a slight nod and reached up to give a thankful squeeze to Nelo's hand as it rested on his shoulder. With that weight off his shoulders, it seemed like Finn's body succumbed to the immense strain that he had exerted and pulled him under to a dreamless, healing sleep.
…...
It didn't take long for the rest of the ships to return once the message was sent out, with Poe leading the way and rushing to Chewie first to pay his respects and grieve over Maz's death. He made arrangements with Chewie to have her taken back to Takodana to be laid to rest in her home among those that she loved, having him leave with her the following day.
Poe's next stop with to see Finn, but was advised by Nelo of his state which had him jogging quickly to the hut that he was resting in. He slipped into the hut quietly to find Ann fussing over the fire and Finn.
"Uhhhh...Hi." Poe said a little stunned at seeing the Twi'lek scowl at his entrance to the hut before she brought a finger to her lips indicating that he should remain quiet.
She edged over to Finn's sleeping form and placed a cool dampened cloth on his head with a tender hand before she shooed Poe from the hut with a not so gentle shove with the force.
"He needs rest." She stated firmly, planting herself outside the closed hut's door, her feet squared and hands on her hips.
Poe raised an eyebrow at her behavior before giving her stance a once over, "As I heard, I was just coming to see how my friend is doing." He said flashing his most charming smile, hoping to gain a little leverage.
Ann tossed one of her lekku over her shoulder, straightening up as she stared down the general, "You came, you saw, he's restin. Come back laita." She said firmly.
Poe tilted his head at her, assessing his options, "As you wish." he finally relented and turned to head towards his third stop. He would need to ask Finn about his newly found body guard when he woke up.
His feet crunched across the gravel as he took in the buzzing activity of everyone working to repair the damage around the island. He had only been there for a few hours and they had already gotten most of the debris cleaned away from the field and were starting repairs on huts that had crumbled with the force of the earthquakes and winds.
He knocked gently on the door of Rey and Ben's hut before slipping in as quietly as he could. Nelo had told him of everyone's after Chewie briefly described how Finn had found them. Poe's eyes adjusted to the dim hut and he spotted as short Lania shuffling around the fire, prepping a pot of tea on the edges of the coals.
She turned at his entry and eyed him carefully, "All are back? Set to purpose?" Tzaro asked in her matronly tone.
Poe automatically felt self-conscious as if he was speaking to Leia again and he shuffled over to where Ben and Rey were laying, there clothes having been changed and injuries treated. He briefly wondered about how such a small thing had managed it, but pushed the thought aside.
"Yes, ma'am." He said respectfully as she nodded sharply in acknowledgement.
Rey was laying closest to the outer edge of the cot with Ben snug beside her against the wall. They both looked so still that if he hadn't been told they were alive he would have sworn that they were both dead. Their skin ashen in color, dark circles under their eyes and lips pale.
Reaching over carefully eyeing Ben's large mass he reached out and slipped Rey's cool fingers in his warm hand. He had always felt that Ben would pounce on him when he touched Rey in the past so a part of him was on edge waiting for the dark look and menacing presence to sit up as soon as he touched Rey.
"He girl," He said quietly, glancing over at Tsaro who was keeping herself busy and blatantly ignoring him, "I think you two have done enough saving...how about you wake up and start giving me heck for the estate of the fleet?"
Poe wasn't good at this part. He never knew what to say, what to do when his friends had been hurt. He felt awkward and unsure. He was much better when there was a fight or a quick retort was needed. This...one-sided conversation was hard for him and for the first time since losing Leia he felt alone in his leadership. Even when Finn had come here and they didn't see each other, he knew they were there to help if he needed.
He looked down at Rey's cut and scarred hand. It was so small in his, delicate, but he had seen her do things to a ship and in her training that showed just how strong she was, and now...now she was just so still. He swallowed a lump in his throat and cleared his throat, ducking his head self-consciously and blinking away the tears that sprung to his eyes.
"Urgm," his voice cracked on his emotions and he set Rey's hand down again, shifting to place a hand on her shoulder and glancing back at Ben, "I expect to see you up and around soon too, throwing me dirty looks for being her friend."
He blinked a few times as the his eyes welled with sudden emotion and turned to go, seeing Tsaro studying him, "You will let me know if there is any change...please?" Adding the please softly he ducked his head again to avoid her acute gaze and headed out of the hut.
Tsaro watched the General slip out of the hut quickly a small, knowing smile reaching her eyes. She had seen how he was, helping build the island, be there for his friends, and leading the charge for the evacuation of the island when he was called. He was a good man, who cared for his friends. He would be here till they woke up, she was sure.
At that thought, she looked over to the pair and frowned, shuffling over to where they lay. She had been on the first ship back as soon as word reached them that it had been safe to do so. It had been a great relief as she made her way across the island, seeing the destruction, but knowing the darkness had been banished, but when she made it to the hut, her heart had fallen at the sight of her young Master's.
She tended to their needs, muttering softly to them as if they were awake and present, hoping that her voice would bring them back to the present before Jek arrived with the other children in a few days and started to demand to see them. The little one would not understand why his Masters had not come to get him as promised.
Tsaro shook her head with a sad sigh and continued to fret about the hut, tidying up and cleaning areas already cleaned and tidied to keep herself busy.
…...
I took almost three full days for Finn to feel more like himself again, and as each day went by, he was more and more confounded by his new, constant nursemaid. Poe, of course had given him all the snide joke and humorous winks that he could handle and he finally decided to face the new development head on.
He had just gotten back from surveying the repairs to the Lanai structures, finally having to concede to the fact that he needed a break. He was feeling much better, but he was easily exhausted and it was frustrating that he couldn't jump back into things like he wanted.
He was angrily making a cup of tea, while feeling like he could fall asleep on his feet when the very shadow he had been mulling over slipped into his hut.
Finn sighed in frustration, "I'm fine, I just wanted some tea so you don't have to hover." He snapped sharply and immediately felt guilty for the stunned recoil Ann's body did and he wiped a hand down his face.
Ann turned to leave, and Finn could feel her hurt and anger filtering though the force and he stopped her, "Ann...wait, please." His tone soft and repentant.
Ann paused, her hand on the door before spinning back, her hurt and anger plain on her face, "What?" She snapped back.
Finn poured a cup of tea and rose, holding it out to her as a gesture of apology. She eyed him and the cup for a moment and he could feel the anger slip away in her before she accepted the cup and moved to the chair in the corner and settling in it, crossing her legs elegantly in front of her.
Finn got another cup and helped himself to the tea before he sat on his bed and debated on how to broach his question.
"You need more less'ns wit Nelo." She said with a wry grin at him over the lip of her cup.
Finn felt his cheeks get warm, "Not the first time I've been told that." He muttered into his cup, avoiding her gaze for a moment before peeking up at her curiously. "Since you know what I am going to ask...care to enlighten me?"
Ann's light attitude darkened and she seemed to hug into herself a little more in the chair, focusing on her cup before answering, "I owe a debt. Ta Master Ben n'Rey. You d'air friend, so I figrd I could ra-pay in part lookin afta you." Her lilt was soft and her tone quiet as if she was afraid, he would laugh at her explanation.
Finn just sat and thought for a moment at what she had said before he slid to the edge of the bed and regarded her with purpose, "Ann, you are part of the reason that we defeated the darkness, I am grateful for your tending to me, but...I'm pretty sure I could speak for, at least Rey, when I say you are square."
Ann blinked at him for a moment before a look of decisiveness settled over her face and she gave a sharp nod of her head in acceptance of his words. "Tank-ya Finn." She replied just above a whisper before offering a shy smile and looking down again at the mug.
Finn smiled and slid back on the bed again as the exhaustion closed in again. He tipped his head back and his eyes drifted closed for the moment in comfortable silence when a thought struck him and his eyes popped open again.
"Ann, can you feel them?" He asked carefully, watching her frown in her thoughts.
"I...I sense dey are far from us." She said continuing to frown as she struggled to find the right words before looking up to meet his gaze. "Da tread of dair force is dair. I's not strong enuff ta follow...I's tried." She said softly. Initially her voice was filled with disappointment in herself before the light of realization coming to her eyes, finally guessing where Finn was going to go with his question.
Finn felt suddenly invigorated and jumped out of his bed as Ann rose, "Get the others." He said as she immediately nodded.
"I meet'cha in da Masta's hut." She responded quickly, brushing her lekku over her shoulders as she bounded out of the small hut behind Finn.
He raced to Rey and Ben's hut, banging on the door before he entered, as Sordi had told him Tsaro was yet to leave their sides. Tsaro regarded him sharply in his excitement as he bustled around the hut.
"Tsaro, the others are coming. We are going to get Ben and Rey back." He said, his words clipped and hurried as he moved to make room around the fire pit for the whole group.
Tsaro gaped at him for a moment before she stopped him in his tracks, "Just what you up to young Master?" Her tone firm and demanding as if Finn were one of her charges that was getting into something they shouldn't.
Finn paused, a chair frozen in his hands as he immediately let doubt creep into his hastily thought up plan.
He moved to set the chair down and bent a knee to bring him to Tsaro's height, "Ann said something to me just now that had me thinking. She tried to reach Rey and Ben, but she said she wasn't strong enough to reach them. I will bet you all the credits I have, that each one in the group has tried and failed to reach them."
Finn paused in his explanation to allow Tsaro to make her own conclusions and watched her face as she worked it over in her mind.
"You think you all have power needed..." She surmised, her face filling with hope for the first time since coming back.
Finn nodded, his smile beaming as the door opened and the rest of the group filed in, chattering quietly as they respectfully each bowed their heads in the direction of where their master's laid.
Nelo approached Finn with Ann at his side, "Ann said you have a plan?" He said softly and the others turned their gaze to him expectantly.
Finn cleared his throat suddenly nervous, "Ah, well," he began and cleared his throat awkwardly before continuing, "Plan, no. More like an idea." He said cryptically.
He gestured for them to all come in closer around the fire before he continued, and Tsaro eased back towards the door, observing the group.
"Ann said something to me earlier and I need to know something. Who here has tried to reach Ben and Rey?" Finn asked, his eyes searching the group as eyes shifted slightly in understanding of his question.
Each one eventually raised a hand or acknowledged that they had tried to reach out through the force to their Master's. Finn's grin widened at the confirmation of what he had figured.
"Obviously no one has managed to since you all haven't said anything?" Finn asked, already knowing the answer as the whole of the group shuffled their gaze again to their feet.
Finn caught Ann's eye again and she smiled encouragingly at him to continue, "As an individual we aren't strong enough. As a group, we had the strength to help them defeat the darkness. As a group we can lead them back." Finn said with conviction.
Soft murmurs rippled through the group as they muttered to each other about the simplicity of what Finn was suggesting.
Nelo inched forward a little, "Master Rey or Master Ben has always guided us." And his suggestion cracked the first dark cloud on Finn's excitement.
Finn frowned and ducked his head for a moment trying to come up with an answer until Rey's words flitted through his mind and he repeated them, voice soft as he remembered the moment, "She will find me...I am home." He started before looking at the group more confidently and amending her words, "We are home cause we are their family. Because of that, they will find us."
…...
The pain had gone and there was a comforting nothingness that seemed to have Rey floating on. She wasn't asleep, yet, nowhere near awake, but yet, she was pretty sure she wasn't dead either. Time and space had no meaning where ever she was, and there was something important that seemed to tug at her memory.
BEN, where was Ben? He reached out, panicked, feeling the familiar thread of his presence in her mind instantly.
Ben?? She said through the force, briefly wondering how long it had taken her to connect that she was in this nothingness and not with Ben.
Rey? His soft baritone rippled through her mind, seemingly sharpening her focus and bringing her mind around.
Where are we? She asked, feeling like her voice was so small and weak in the moment as she tried to connect her mind to her body.
I don't know. I can't see you. I can't see where you are. His voice echoed in her head, the edge of panic creeping in on the edge of his tone.
Rey fought with her own panic and just took a second to center her mind and focus on their connection, now strong and secure as it had always been, giving her reassurance and strength.
I can't see where you are either, but I am here. Reach out to me. She said, feeling a small amount of surprise with the turn of their roles in the moment.
She focused on the bond, as if it were a strong tethering cord in her mind, leading to his and projected the thought of running her hand along it, moving forward slowly until her mental 'fingers' met his and her whole being seemed to jolt with the feeling of their meeting.
Thank the stars...she said, the relief totally unmasked in her tone as she felt if she was connected to her body she would have started to cry with relief.
I thought I lost you...she whispered with her mental voice cracking on the intense emotion of the thought of the last few hours.
Ben felt the immediate relief and completeness as he touched her mind through the bond and he took a moment to search every corner of his mind for any trace of the darkness left. He turned his attention back to her and she was there, and still connected to him as she had always been.
I...I thought that too for a bit. He admitted and longed desperately to hold her to quell the rest of his fears.
Did we...Is the darkness...Rey said, unsure and trying to piece together the final few moments before becoming aware in the nothingness.
I...I don't know. All I know is that it's gone from me. Ben replied, unnerved hat his memory is a blank from the moment that Rey broke through to him until hearing her call.
Rey's frustrations grew as she tried to go step by step through the battle with the darkness and remembered the meeting of the dyad pairs.
I think if we had lost then we would have been with the others. She said and shared her memory of the encounter with them.
Ben growled in anger as he reacted to what they had to say just as Rey had, with anger and recrimination for remaining bystanders when they had such power.
Maybe they don't want us now. He responded bitterly, but Rey caught his meaning that it was directed at the Dyad's and not at her response to them.
His anger simmered and the nothingness seemed to calm him as he floated along with no sense of anything around him. How long have we been here? He wondered to Rey.
Rey mentally shrugged as best as she could without a body to show him her response before adding, I don't really know...minutes...hours? Days maybe?
She could feel Ben hiding a thought from her and she pressed him gently till she felt him relent and speak it out loud.
If our minds are separated from our bodies...we won't last forever. He voiced softly, trying not to let a deep hopelessness wrap its grip around him again.
I don't know where to begin....Rey wondered aloud softly, griping tighter to the bond in her mind as if it were her only tether to a world that may not even exist anymore.
Ben pulled the tether tight as if holding her close and trying to be a reassurance when he had no idea as to how they were going to connect to anything again.