DYAD

TWO

"You have to hide." Poe decides, turning back to us. His gaze meets mine, grief flashes in his eyes. Too soon, he's leaving too soon.

"You have to leave. Go! Take Luella!" Tekka pushes me towards Poe.

"But-" I start to protest. I can't leave him. He places his hand on my shoulder.

"Luella, I've kept you safe for six years." He steps back. "You're like my daughter. Please, I need you to leave." I break away from the shock holding me in place, throwing myself into his arms. We stand there for a few precious seconds, saying what we both know is a final goodbye. "Now go!" He pushes me away. "I'll try my best to keep them away from you."

"Lu, come on." Poe grabs my wrist, his grip comforting, an anchor in the chaos.

And it is chaos. Villagers are running around, hiding their children and loading their blasters- ready for a fight. The feeling in my stomach plummets.

"Poe!" We skid to a stop.

"What is it? What happened?" I point to the biggest ship, so massive that the village itself seems like its shadow.

"It's Ben." My voice cracks as white soldiers stream from the mouths of other ships.

Stormtroopers.

"Luella, no." Poe pulls me along. "He's gone. He's not the Ben we know. He tried to kill you!" I shake my head frantically.

"He sensed me alive, I felt him. He felt me. If he wanted me dead, I would be dead." I duck as the stormtroopers begin firing at anything they can see.

"Can we go?" He shouts over the blaster-fire. I glance toward the ship where I sensed Ben, a masked black figure is standing at the top of the ramp, surveying the scene. A stormtrooper with chrome armor accompanies the figure. "Luella!" Poe's pulling on me.

"Fine, let's go." I give one more glance toward where I sensed him, guilt threatening to consume my heart. We run the last few hundred feet to the black and orange X-Wing fighter.

I yelp, tackling Poe to the ground seconds before the engines are hit with blaster-fire. We exchange a look, then turn to the droid, who chirps nervously.

"Here, you take this." Poe takes out a small pouch, pulling out an old map. Luke's map. He drops it into the droid's multi-reader. "It's safer with you than with us. You get as far away from here as you can, I'll come back for you!" He climbs into the cockpit, pulling out an ion blaster. "Go!" The droid whistles sadly at his command, but rolls away obediently. I double over, clutching my stomach as another wave of unease hits me. Poe grabs my shoulder. "Lu?"

"It's Tekka." I gasp, crawling toward a sand dune, peeking over the top to see the black figure standing over Tekka, mask glinting in the fire now engulfing the village. Engulfing my home.

The two men exchange a brief conversation before the tall dark one pulls out a lightsaber. It pops red, and a cry catches in my throat as he rips is across Tekka's chest.

It's as if I feel the blow myself. The cry breaks on my tongue, unintentionally drawing the figure's attention.

Can't go back now. I draw my silver-hilted lightsaber, leaping over the dune despite Poe's protest.

He killed Lor San Tekka.

I thrust my hand out, pushing half a dozen stormtroopers back with the Force. Fifty feet away.

Closer, closer.

I ignite my lightsaber, the icy blue blade cutting through the night. As I move to bring my weapon down on the figure's head, my body freezes, an intense pain buzzing through me.

"Well, this is a surprise." The figure says through the mask, voice distorted and dark through a vocal modifier. I  glare, curling my lip at him. "I haven't seen you in years."

"Monster." My voice is strained.

"Creative." He hums, gesturing to the chrome stormtrooper. "Hold her. There's another one."

I close my eyes, fighting the tears threatening to spill across my cheeks as my mind races.

No, not Poe.

What are they going to do to me?

I'm so stupid.

Tekka is dead.

"Yes, my Lord." The chrome trooper grabs my elbow, but the creature continues to watch me.

I look up, gaze catching on Poe, who aims his blaster towards the man.

I want to shout at him, tell him to stop, but it's too late. The blue bolt of plasma cuts through the night air towards the man.

He holds up a gloved hand, and the blaster bolt freezes in the air, cracking angrily.

"Take him." He orders. Several stormtroopers chase my friend up the dunes, grabbing him roughly, quickly dragging him before the man in black. I shout in protest as two of the stormtroopers kick his legs out so that he's kneeling. The figure crouches before him, saying nothing.

"Hey, Ben." Poe winces. "Fancy meeting you here."

My heart drops.

Ben.

No.

No.

"The old man gave it to you." He angles his head, almost an animal-like gesture. "Search him." The soldiers roughly pat down my friend.

"Nothing, Sir." One of them says. The man, supposedly Ben, huffs through his mask.

"Put him on board." He gestures to me. "Her too." The soldier holding Poe grabs me too and the silver-skinned stormtrooper approaches the man who murdered Tekka.

"Sir, the villagers?"

"Kill them all." He doesn't even cast a glance backwards at the small village before giving the order. His mask turns towards me as I erupt, letting lose my power.

"No!" I scream, reaching out frantically with the force, but a damper is quickly placed over my mind, and I can't move.

"Be calm, little Luella." My eyes fill with tears as my struggle becomes more futile.

It's him.

It really is him.

"Ben, please." He turns away as the soldier drags me further into the ship. "Ben! Ben no!"