Saving the Monster

Chapter 67

Rey heard her scream but it was like listening to someone else, it seemed far away and distant. Finn crumpled to the ground wordlessly, his hand gripping his chest.

What happened next was a blur.

More blaster shots coming from the trees. Rey deflected them with her saber, her eyes flitting back and forth between Finn and their attackers who were appearing now from the undergrowth. A quick count told Rey there were six troopers and a panic surged through her chest. If she died now, fighting them, not only would she leave Finn to die, but she would also never see Ben again.

With one quick glance at Finn, who was now curled up on the ground, his knees pulled to his chest, Rey marched towards the advancing troops, only just managing to avoid their blaster fire through her ability to block the shots through the force. When she was close enough she lifted her saber, which she swung now, cutting one of the troops down.

Five left.

Rey battled on, all of the time acutely aware that Finn could be dying on the ground behind her.

Four now.

Rey's arms were tiring and now the stormtroopers were almost right on top of her making the shots harder to deflect.

When two more troopers emerged from the trees Rey knew that she wasn't going to be able to do this. She was going to die in the dirt next to Finn.

Rey braced herself regardless, ready for the next attack. The trooper directly in front of her raised his blaster but he never fired. A crimson red blade appeared through the stark white of his armour and he fell, revealing Ben, her beloved, her Dyad, her soul mate. Their eyes met and he nodded once at her.

With renewed strength and determination they battled together, taking the troopers down one at a time, just as they had in Snokes throne room, until they were the only ones standing, sweat plastering their hair to their faces, their chests heaving from the exertion.  Their bond buzzing stronger than ever in the air around them.

Rey's eyes filled with tears.  If she had more time then she would have embraced the man in front of her.  He had come back, feeling her distress through their bond, he had come back.  And he had saved her.

A groan from behind Rey and she turned, sinking to her knees next to Finn and lifting his head onto her lap as her tears began to fall.  Ben knelt down next to her, his hand encircling hers where it rested in the dirt, his thumb brushing backwards and forwards across her skin.  Rey's eyes roamed over Finns face.  His body was growing cold.  She had to do something.

A sudden spark, an idea in her mind, a memory and she turned to look at Ben, her eyes wide, "I can save him....I've read about this.."

Bens brow creased, "Force healing? It's in the Jedi texts but I've never tried it"

Rey shook her head, "Neither have I, but I have to try"

Remembering what the Jedi text had said, Rey placed her hand squarely on Finns chest. He flinched and moaned weakly but Rey kept her hand there, pressing down, her eyes closing. She concentrated on her stricken friend, pictured his heart, his lungs and filled them with life. Next to her she heard Ben suck in his breath as he watched and then she felt Finns near lifeless chest rise strongly and he coughed!

Rey's eyes snapped open. Finn was staring up at her and Ben, confused, his brow creased, his dark eyes roaming between both of their faces.

Rey smiled down at him and Finn struggled to a sitting position, his eyes stopping on Ben. "You helped, I saw you, you fought off the troops, you saved Rey, and me. Thank you"

Rey turned to look at Ben and saw the surprise in his face. Through their bond she saw the cause of his surprise. He had been made to feel that Ben Solo would never be accepted, would never be able to change, not fully, Snoke had told him that over and over and yet here was a man who had every reason to hate him, and he was thanking him.

Rey watched Ben battle his emotions as he nodded at Finn and Finn saw the sincerity in Bens eyes and held his hand up to him. Ben hesitated and then reached down and pulled Finn to his feet, nodding at him once more before Finn embraced Rey and whispered his thanks to her.

"Come on, let's find the others" Rey said, dabbing at her eyes as Ben and Finn followed her away from the scattered bodies and off in the direction that Lando, Connix and Rose had gone.

"Hate to say I was right" Finn said as he fell into step with Ben and Rey,

Rey looked at him, frowning, "And how exactly are you right?"

"I told you that you needed to master the healing thing, that you could save a life if you did..." Finn said, pulling his shirt aside to study the smooth skin where the blaster hole should have been.

Rey smiled, "Thing is though.. I never studied it....I just did it!"

Finn stopped, his hands on his hips, "So I was your test dummy?"

"Well dummy's right..." Rey said, dissolving into giggles. Finn playfully slapped her arm.

"Finn! Oh thank god!"

It was Rose, running towards them, closely followed by Poe. When Rose reached Finn she threw her arms around him, kissing his cheeks, her hands cupping his face.

Poe approached Rey, pausing for a moment, before hugging her, "Glad you're safe"

Rey glanced over her shoulder at Ben, "I wouldn't have been if it wasn't for Ben" she said quietly.

Poe nodded and then sighed deeply, before offering Ben his hand, how difficult a move it was for him written all over his face, "Thank you for keeping her safe".

Ben shook it, his eyes lowering to study the tip of his boots just as Rose barrelled up to him, her arms circling his waist as she looked up into his eyes, "You helped keep Finn safe until Rey could save him, he just told me. Thank you so much, he means as much to me as I can see Rey means to you".  Ben just nodded and Rey watched as tears pooled in his eyes. 

This was more than he thought he deserved and the sudden acceptance of him shamed him, Rey could feel what he felt and so she walked over to him and hugged him tightly, his head dropping to her shoulder, his tears wet against her neck, "Let's go home" she whispered.  Ben nodded against her, sniffing and quickly wiping at his tears before he pulled away.  And then they followed the others to their ships and rose into the sky, leaving behind a ghost of a First Order base, wrecked, ruined and empty.