It had taken a moment for Ben Solo to realize that he wasn't on Hoth again. That was the good news. The bad news, of course, was that he still seemed to be in the snow. His arrival outfit had not been made to inspire warmth and his arrival health was not set at a level to create large quantities of resilience.
He looked around, trying to get his bearings. There was nothing that seemed to be of immediate danger - outside of the temperature - and there also wasn't a campus in sight.
That was new.
He reached out in the Force, taking a moment to try to draw on it and build his resilience back up just a little bit before something changed and he might need to do something.
It wasn't just his arrival outfit though. It had taken him a moment to realize that, but he had the daggers he'd carried when he'd been a Druid Tiefling tied to his waist as well as the cloak he'd worn that week.
Small blessings he supposed, as he noted the gem in his hand. It itched, and when he pushed at it, it didn't seem to move at all, but he didn't get any sense that it was dangerous in the Force so he just let it be for the moment as he sought some shelter that wasn't in the midst of a snowy field. It was just him, nobody else that he could see, so he reached out in the Force.
There were creatures nearby, he could feel them, but he couldn't sense any other humans - no. Wait.
That was familiar.
It was Rey, and she was nearby.
Rey hated the snow.
She woke, teeth chattering, as her arms immediately wrapped around her form with her hands rubbing up and down against her exposed arms. It was yet another reminder of how much she distasted the outfit she woke in every week -- it did very little to shield her from any of the elements and never felt very practical. Her thoughts were rushing, however, as her gaze moved around the locale around her. She couldn't recall waking outside of Derleth before; despite others having told her of instances where it had occurred. In the weeks she didn't remember.
She was pushing herself upwards now. She didn't move to remove her hands from her exposed arms but she could feel the weight of her saber and blaster against her hip. That was a relief at least. Casting her gaze around the terrain, she didn't see any immediately evident places to take shelter nor the shadow of the University. And with this thought? She tried to shut her eyes and to call out through the Force. If she could locate other lifeforms in the nearby vicinity? She could make her way towards them and hope that they had shelter.
But she felt nothing. It was as though she couldn't connect at all.
Her eyes snapped back open again and she had to take steadying breaths. Panic wouldn't help. Looking all around once more she sighed and chose a direction at random, moving more towards the trees in the distance, with hope that they'd at least assist in cutting down the windchill.
Ben had honed in on where he could feel Rey’s presence, but he was also careful of the other presences around, because they were there. He didn’t know if they were friendly or not, but if he reached in very far it seemed like instinctual hunting aggression wasn’t an inaccurate reading of the signature, and he didn’t really want to run into one of those.
For the one hundredth time he wished he had his lightsaber, because if he did there wasn’t much - short of something tremendously huge - that he wouldn't be able to handle.
His feet sunk into the snow, and he grumbled a curse in galactic basic, before he headed closer.
“Rey?” He took the risk of calling because he was pretty sure she was moving away from him.
Rey came to a halt. She could hear her name carried on the wind and she turned her head, forcing herself to rely on her other senses. She peered out into the semi darkness, where most of the light was being reflected off the snow, until she spotted a figure in the distance.
Relief pulsed through her.
"Ben!" She called out to reassure him she was out here; even if there were still some distance between the two. She didn't quite run towards him, because heading back in his direction was going against the wind, and it made her teeth chatter even more. But she picked up her pace, sliding down an incline as she went.
Ben breathed out, and quickly moved towards the voice and the presence. He was tired, but he could keep moving, and he figured whatever else was out there, it would be easier to deal with alongside Rey. She possibly even had her lightsaber, which would make their odds better. He could do damage with the daggers, but they weren’t going to be as easy to protect them with.
He reached out his hand, half picking her up in the Force as she slid so that she didn’t hit a rock. “Where’s the campus?”
She looked cold, and he pulled the cloak off of his shoulders to wrap it around hers. “I know we’re not back on Hoth, but…”
She closed the gap between them and positioned her body in such a way that she was using him almost as a way to block out the wind, as she hugged her frame tighter. Eyes flashed to him as he put the cloak around her as she conveyed a sense of gratitude that was laced with concern. Wouldn't he be cold now? Still, she slid her hand up to grip the cloak and pull it closer around her.
"We'd be dead if it was Hoth..." She murmured. It was night and they were out in the elements. It would have been the end of them for certain. Until the next reset, at least. She sniffled and looked up at him. "Did you see anything back the way you came from?"
Well, that would have been a real short week. And while Ben wasn’t certain Delerth cared that much about their well-being, it didn’t seem like it would be smart to kill everyone right off the bat.
“I didn’t see anything, but that was purposeful,” he told her. “There’s definitely something up there and out there generally. Possibly predatory. Do you have your lightsaber?”
He reached out in the Force, aware suddenly that when he reached for Rey there was no response in return. He looked at her sharply. “What’s going on?”
There was a raise of her brow at the statement of purpose but she didn't pry just yet. Instead, she glanced outward. She could hear the sounds of life, as one would expect, but she couldn't sense them the way she was akin to. It made her brows scrunch together in frustration that she didn't vocalize just yet. Slipping her hand down, she unfastened the saber and held it out easily for him. While she could utilize it without the Force to guide her? It would be of better use in his hands for the present.
She glanced back to him and frowned. She didn't have an answer. Her best answer was truly 'Derleth' and she felt this was conveyed wordlessly with a shrug of her shoulders. It wasn't that it didn't bother her, because it most certainly did, but she didn't know what she could say of it.
She only knew that she hadn't enjoyed being unable to connect with him the week prior and the trend was only seeming to continue. "Derleth wanted to present a challenge, it seems?"
Ben took the weapon with some hesitation. He could feel her frustration, or perhaps that was only his own. There were things out there, and the two of them working in tandem with the Force would likely be able to conquer. Without it - well, a challenge wasn't an unreasonable way to think of it. He clipped it to his belt, and removed his daggers to offer to her. "You won't be weaponless then," he added unnecessarily.
He glanced around their terrain. He was cold, and the fact that he wasn't at his best and he was the one with the Force wasn't his ideal set-up, but they'd just have to make it worse.
"I think we should keep going down?" He suggested. "We're on some sort of a mountainside, and it's nearly always colder the higher the elevation. I don't know that it'll be warmer down there, but it can't be worse, and maybe we'll have a better idea of where we are."
For not the first time he wished for his layers, the capes, jackets, and everything that he'd frequently worn as Kylo Ren. It wasn't that he needed that back, but he'd give a lot for his hooded cape at the moment.
"Keep your ears open, whatever is out there is large, seems to be predatory, I'll take the front." Since he had her lightsaber at the moment.
The daggers were accepted without any resistance and she gave a nod in agreement, despite his explanation feeling unnecessary. It was a comfort and reassurance when faced with the stark reality that she was more defenseless than she was accustomed to. If she'd have had her bowstaff, there'd have been a little more ease in her stature, because she had utilized that weapon long before she'd been aware of the Force or her connection to it. But the daggers were better than nothing and knowing she wasn't going to be trying to traverse the unknown frozen landscape on her lonesome offered an even deeper comfort.
She peered out ahead of them, watching as the slope continued to stretch downwards towards the unknown. "It can't be worse," she agreed, "And if nothing else? Perhaps we can brace against the chill somehow." Pressing against a mountainside to block off the wind coming from one direction, as an example. Though, ideally, a cave face would have been optimal.
Or the sudden appearance of a hot spring.
Huddling underneath the cape, she watched him. She wouldn't retain the protection for long. She just needed a few more minutes and she'd pass it back to grit her teeth against the elements. In doing so? She'd assure they both maintained a semblance of warmth until they could figure out other tactics.
"And in multiple," she noted. She'd picked up on the sounds of life and it was clear it wasn't one specific creature in the near vicinity. She just couldn't tell how many exactly. She gripped the dagger tight in her hand and waited for him to take the lead before falling in line behind him, eyes casting around their surroundings as they moved ahead.
Ben grunted an affirmation at her last statement. It didn't need to be said that he wasn't thrilled about it. Whatever Delerth had thrown him this time felt a bit as it had when he'd been thrown into the snow drift. He knew he still wasn't at his full strength in the Force and presumably Rey had none this week. It was difficult to not wonder if this wasn't just some giant social experiment to see how they would react to different things.
That would require someone to be behind it all, though, but was that any less likely than it being completely random? Ben rather thought not. He could see someone like Palpatine enjoying the notion of watching people fight through bizarre scenarios and circumstances and using it as a way to study human behavior.
"If we can find some place that's more protected we could also see about settling in with a fire in the meantime, especially while it's dark," he added, although he was certain she'd be looking for that sort of a place already.
"Have you seen any of the others at all?"
Finding shelter had already been a chief thought in her head and there was truly nothing she wanted more than to warm up next to a fire. It was simply a matter of finding the ideal location and being dropped down in this space before sunrise made it all the more difficult. So, she gave a noncommittal noise of agreement to his statement. They had a plan and a trajectory.
"No," she stated quickly. She could only assume that they were out there, somewhere, but she was unable to sense them as she'd have preferred to. "Once we find shelter, we can try to check the Network. See if anyone has attempted to communicate yet."
Ben nodded his assent, and then realized that she might not be able to see him or feel that in the Force so he added a verbal agreement as well before he continued moving forward. It was cold, and it didn't really seem to be getting much warmer, which did make him wonder if he maybe should think more seriously about seeking out shelter.
This line of thought distracted him just enough to reduce the speed of his reaction when he realized that there was something large rushing towards them through the trees. Large and reptilian looking, it had teeth that appeared like they could cause some serious damage, and Ben immediately pulled his lightsaber out.
“Rey!” He warned.
The lightsaber had at least given some pause, if not maybe as much as he had hoped for.
Her attention didn't go towards Ben at the sound of the warning. Instead, her focus snapped towards the direction of sound and her eyes widened much like they would have when she was first taken away from Jakku and encountering unknown creatures of enormous size. Only, this time she didn't have Finn to snag her hand and pull her down winding corridors of a ship. Only momentarily frozen, she gripped the dagger she'd been given by Ben and began propelling her steps backwards, traction poor due to the snow.
And quickly she was stumbling, falling back on her rear.
It was then that she remembered her less used, but equally treasured weapon, and her spare hand moved to snatch the blaster from her hip. A shot was sent out towards the creature immediately and it was at this point where she scrambled to get back up on her feet.
Ben's main thought was that Rey didn't have the Force. And while he wasn't arrogant enough to assume that meant she wouldn't have any abilities - she was a strong fighter regardless - it still gave her a disadvantage, and the creature felt too large.
But he could also feel it, and he had a lightsaber, and he'd dealt with more, and larger, and worse.
The blaster provoked and distracted it, and it turned towards Rey. Ben used the momentary distraction to dart closer, using the Force to increase the height of his arc as he jumped up to thrust the lightsaber upwards into what he hoped was the heart, but at least felt likely to damage internal organs.
He thought, before remembering he needed to speak aloud, and gestured towards Rey: "Move back!" while the beast partially yelped in pain, and growled in anger, and Ben landed several meters away to take a quick review of where the situation was currently.
On her feet now, she only managed to catch the sight of his leap towards the creature from the corner of her eye, with her retreating backwards from them both. "Yeah, I know!" She called backwards to Ben, casting a glance over her shoulder towards him. There was a worried expression conveyed over her features. Being unable to properly fight by his side and in sync with him, and unable to sense him at all, felt more like a disadvantage than she would have ever wanted.
Her gaze went back to being straight ahead of her and that's when she spotted another creature out in the dark, stalking towards them. "Oh, come on," Rey muttered to herself. With Ben's focus on the other creature, she gripped the blaster tighter in her head. "There's more, Ben!" She shouted because she could already tell the creature directly ahead of her had caught its sights on her.
The first of the pair, or pack, that part was unclear, had retreated slightly. Angered enough to want to push forward, but now slightly wary as what appeared at first glance to be easy prey turned out to not be. Rey's warning was timely, but it also meant that Ben would have more than one, and he swore under his breath at this. Not because he didn't think he could handle it - he probably could, especially if just the two - and especially if the two of them had lightsabers, but they didn't both have them.
He retreated, eyes on the one he'd injured. He didn't know if it was a fatal injury. It could be. Or he could turn it into one, but right now he was more interested in giving himself and Rey cover to find a space away from them.
He put himself between Rey and the two, and reached out in the Force. "There may be more coming in this direction," he told her. "Let's go," he nodded his head down the hill. "I'll follow behind you, keep your eyes open for anything there - we might be able to lose them."
Ben didn't need to tell her twice. There was a nod of agreement and then Rey was rushing down the hillside as quickly as she could. She kept an eye on their surroundings as best she could and in the distance she could hear what sounded like more creatures approaching. Hand tightening against her blaster, an occasional glance back over her shoulder to Ben was given, ensuring he was close by and that any of the creatures hadn't gotten too close.
It was once they were down a considerable distance that she noticed an opening in the mountain side. It was possible that venturing into it could prove to be a mistake but there wasn't any way they'd be able to outrun a pack of whatever these creatures were nor survive the elements for long. Deciding to take the chance, she veered in that direction as she shouted over her shoulder, "Come on!"
Worst case scenario? They'd have to find a way out of the cave if it was hostile, too.
Ben reached out into the Force. He wasn't as strong as he could be, but he used the strength he did have to tap into the power and with the Force he pushed the first creature towards the second. The creatures were large, and in his weakened state he wasn't strong enough to push them as far as he might have normally, but it was enough to distract and with that, he bounded after Rey.
He genuinely hoped that the cave she was heading towards was empty, because he was wearing out and he could feel it. This was more than what he typically could handle so early in a reset.
He followed, ducking towards the mountain side, and for a moment putting all of his strength into speeding after her, catching up as quickly as he could so that he could hold up the lightsaber behind them as they reached the side of the mountain. "I think it's empty," he told her as he approached, trying to reach out into the Force to check it.
Once she breached the entrance herself, she slowed down and bent to rest her hands against her knees as she pulled in shivered breaths. The cave was at least going to keep the wind chill at bay. Her head cast back towards him when he spoke and she was glad that he didn't sense anything thus far. "Good. We really don't have great options for alternate escape routes," she noted before she pushed herself up from the crouched position.
Shifting, she peeled his cape off of her shoulders and took a step towards him with it outstretched in offering. "I don't think they'll be able to get in, at least," she added, motioning back towards the cave's entrance. "Too small for them."
That wouldn't stop the creatures from hanging around at the mouth of the entrance in wait for the pair to leave but perhaps, if they were lucky, they'd lose interest sooner rather than later.
Ben nodded, and pushed back in further, the lightsaber offering some light to see anything that might be lurking in the shadows of the cave. He could feel the creatures sniffing around outside, and hear them growling frustrations at the loss of their prey. "I think we need to hope they're not smart enough to try to figure out something else." Normally he was pretty certain he'd be able to pull some rocks over the entrance in the Force, or Rey would have been able to, but she couldn't now, and he didn't think he had the strength, so he pushed back further so that they couldn't get accidentally swiped out by a claw or a foot.
"It's not a lot warmer, but maybe we can settle in together…"
He trailed off, not really certain what she'd want to do. But she didn't have the Force, and he needed time to recoup somewhat, and if they were both cold they had problems, and they didn't know if something was going to come in. It felt like it was essential. Maybe he shouldn't even feel weird about suggesting it. He closed his eyes and pushed away the over-thinking. There was a practical element of they couldn't freeze and it was dark and he needed to regain his energy and strength.
He lifted his hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it as he lifted the lightsaber with the other. "I think let's go back in a bit further, and hopefully they'll give up out there."
"Oh, I'm hoping that," she assured him. She glanced to the entrance with a yearning expression and a sense of uselessness. She let her gaze traverse around the opening as he lifted the saber in a fools hope that perhaps there'd be a boulder or any materials that could be shoved to block off the entrance. Just because these creatures couldn't get in? It didn't mean that others wouldn't.
Sighing, she turned her focus back to him. "Maybe?" She repeated, accentuating the questioning element of it. The practicality of the matter was clear to Rey. "I don't think there is much of a 'maybe' to the situation." Even with his cape, and the potential to share it back and forth between one another, she didn't think that would work as a long term solution.
Nodding her head, she turned to peer deeper inside of the cave. Relying upon the sense she did have, she tried to focus on the sounds that came from further back and was relieved that she didn't pick up on anything too concerning. She threw a glance over her shoulder to him before moving ahead to lead the way. Once she felt it was far enough in, she slid down the side of the cave to a sitting position, before she looked up at him. She motioned to the spot beside her as an invitation.
He nodded at that and followed her, keeping the lightsaber up to offer them both a bit of light. It wasn't likely to offer much warmth though, so as he sat down beside her he switched it off, feeling his way down beside her and settling in. If they had wood he'd start some sort of fire but he hadn't seen anything that would offer them that sort of fuel and going outside right now was out of the question.
"How long do you suppose it is before it gets light?" He mused out loud. He hadn't taken the time to notice if there was a moon, and besides which, not knowing where they were - who knew. It could be hours. Maybe this was as light as it got. The latter seemed unlikely though, considering that there had been trees - and that seemed unlikely to be able to work without some source of light. At least not on any planet he knew of.
He stopped reaching out so far into the Force, and instead Ben reached for her hand to put it in his. Practicality did sort of demand it and he wasn't going to over-think anything. He needed to give himself an opportunity to restore his strength so that when it was light, they could move.
"Our luck is going to lean towards hours," she murmured without much in the way of optimism. It felt difficult to be optimistic when this current reset felt purposefully stacked against them. The only true benefit she could see was that if it were to be hours before they could venture out? This allotted them time to regain their strength.
It was the only real benefit.
When his hand took hold of hers, she gave it a squeeze before offering him a reassuring smile. "We should take advantage while we still can of the dark." Sleep would probably be easily met for them both after the encounter outside of the cave. And once they'd gotten some rest? They could coordinate with how to move ahead.