Darkness At Dawn • Kylo Ren [1]

Ⅲ

"Through the force, things you will see. Other places. The future...the past. Old friends long gone."

∫

Ben peered over a sand dune, his head ducked low and his lightsaber in his left hand. His hands clenched the hot sand to keep himself positioned but he slowly slid back down to the other Jedi. "It's guarded alright."

"By Gamorrean's no doubt." Luke muttered to himself, reliving old memories of the hideous green pigmen. "They can easily be persuaded."

"Mind trick?" Vega piped up, her ginger hair falling over her shoulders like a waterfall of sun.

Luke nodded. "Stay here, you'll know when to come out."

"Uncle-" Ben interrupted but Luke was already over the dune. "Honestly sometimes he is worse than my mother."

"Relax Benjamin, you're his star pupil." Dez chuckled, watching Luke slide down the sandy dune.

"Don't call me that again." Ben turned to him, glaring at him angrily. "It's just Ben, we've been over this."

"Would you two stop bickering like a married couple?" Palace snapped. "Come look at what Master Skywalker is doing."

Vega, Dez and Ben eagerly raced up the sand dune to watch whatever tomfoolery Luke was doing to Geil's guards. They weren't surprised when Luke's hand was pointed in a direction away from the palace and the guards began to walk in the direction like goons.

"Does this mean we come out now?" Dez questioned.

"Let's find out." Ben leaped over the sand dune, sliding down with his lightsaber ready in case he was wrong.

The four took off in a running sprint to Luke, pulling off their backpacks full of explosives they had been carrying. They began placing them everywhere and anywhere, being wary with their time as the guards began to slowly walk back. A shudder ran down Ben's spine as he realized that they could go off at any moment. His faith in Elara was strong but was it strong enough to tell her that now wasn't the time to set them off?

"Is that all of them?" Vega spoke up.

"Yes, let's go before Elara kills us all." Dez added.

"You have little faith in your ally and companion young ones." Luke shook his head. "Learn to put your trust in people you know can keep it."

Ben ignited his lightsaber when he noticed the guards slide down the dunes of sand.

"Put that away Ben, we mean them no harm." Luke told him, walking away from the Hutt palace.

"Uncle they tried to kill us." Ben shouted in defence.

"The bounty hunters tried to kill you, not the henchmen of a gang member we are trying to negotiate with." Luke was oddly calm, this scared Ben since he hadn't learnt the patience of a Jedi yet and his trials would be coming up.

As the sun began to set, the group of Jedi made it to the north side of the palace. In the distance, a loud explosion went off and the sky bursted into orange and red. Elara had done it exactly at the right time.

"Hoods up and keep your lightsabers hidden." Luke covered his head with the beige robes.

The smell of liquor and dust intoxicated Ben's nose as they entered the Hutt's palace. Guards began to run over to the east wing as they slipped into the throne room of Geil the Hutt. His green, sluggish body lay limp in the couch he never seemed to move from. His beady eyes peered out of his face as he examined the Jedi in front of him. His deep laugh echoed the chambers and he shook his large head.

"Achuta Luke Skywalker"

"Hello to you Geil, it's been a very long time."

"Joppay Kyotopa?" He questioned, his tongue slurping up whatever drink was in his glass.

"Why are we visiting?" Luke laughed. "You know exactly why."

"Elara Jane's shags."

"They aren't salves Geil, they are people and you sold them."

"Tagwa." He nodded indicating yes.

"To whom?" Luke lit his green lightsaber.

"Dopa-maskey jujiminmee." Geil sent a wink to Vega, causing her to make a sickened face.

"A two-faced kidnapper?" Ben spoke up. "You sold them to a kidnapper?"

"Hees che copah." He replied, studying Ben Solo.

"He bought them off of you?" Ben walked toward Geil, pointing his lightsaber close to his neck. "Tell me where I can find this two-faced kidnapper."

"Ben." Luke yelled sternly.

"Tell me now!" Ben shouted.

"Naboo uba schutta!" Geil cowardly cried.

Ben took away his lightsaber from the Hutt's neck. "Thank you for your time. We have what we need, let's go."

Luke watched Ben leave, his eyes clouding with disappointment. "He's right, we should leave now before we are bombarded with bounty hunters and guards."

∫

Elara swung her purple lightsaber at the practice droid, dodging a small shot the droid gave off. She thrashed her lightsaber over her head to protect herself from another shot before slicing the practice droid in half. She didn't need rest, she was perfectly fine.

The anxiety filling her mind was distracting her from her task ahead and that was becoming the greatest Jedi Knight she could be but something filled her heart with darkness. She couldn't help but worry that she had blown up her friends, that she wasn't strong enough with the force to trust herself.

Her parents had to be safe, Geil was a low living piece of scum but he would not sell them away to someone who could kill them. The new era of Jedi would be allowed to have attachment but Master Skywalker said it could possibly get in the way. Elara tried her best to try and detach her parents from her life but gave up, making an oath to herself to let that be the only attachment she had.

The ship's doors opened and she quickly stood into a battle stand but it was just Ben, followed by everyone else. She found herself thinking about how she would of hugged Ben if it was just him and he smiled because he was always peering into her mind.

"They are on Naboo."

"Safe?"

"We don't know." Ben explained. "I could only get out a little from him."

She didn't dare question his methods, instead she turned to Master Skywalker. "Thank you so much for allowing this mission Master."

"It isn't a success until we find them Elara." He spoke softly.

Elara placed a hand on her forehead and groaned miserably, trying to adapt to the patience of a Jedi. "Until we know they are safe."