CHAPTER ONE
( UNDERESTIMATE ME. )

THE CASTLE SANG under the soft caress of a gentle breeze, the silent stone monolith standing resolutely despite the millennia of ice that encrusted it's attenuated pyres. At some point the planet it's stood upon had been a refuge of rain-drenched valleys and forests, but after the death of its nearest sun the planet was reduced to an abandoned tundra, any remnant of its former occupancy forgotten amongst the snow.

Maybe that was why the gangsters who called themselves the Wildling's had chosen the barren planet to shelter on, for it's sheer misery. Typically, this wasteland was an unorthodox refuge, and they relied on the fact that nobody cared enough to follow them this deep into the outer rim. But they'd forgotten to account for one variable; Ahmonti Arcas wasn't nobody. 

The doors to the castle throne room slammed open with an overzealous thud, a gale of cold wind sweeping down across the stone floors. Instantly, one hundred pairs of eyes swept to the entrance, their attention captured by the cloaked intruder who now so eloquently stood before them. The Wildling's were every bit as intimidating as she'd imagined, their scarred bodies hunched over pitchers of crudely brewed alcohol, illegally modified blaster's strapped to every spare inch of their patch-work armour. But if she was intimidated at all by their gnarled exterior, she put on an excellent show of hiding it.

Gently, the Jedi apprentice pulled back the hood of her cloak, letting her dark hair fall across her shoulders. "I'm here to speak with Mardos," her voice carried across the room like a pitching bell. "He has something that doesn't belong to him."

The crowd stirred and shifted in front of her like a tidal sea as a lone figure dared to approach the woman who stood in front of them. The new stranger was a gnarled and scarred twi'lek woman who went by the name Rhea, with a reputation as one of the most notorious guns for hire inside the mid rim. At some point in her life Rhea might have been considered beautiful, but an accident had long since since left half of her features marred into an unrecognisable knot of skin and scar tissue, the end of her lekku tapering into a premature end by her shoulder. Ahmonti knew her by reputation alone.

"Mardos is dead," the criminal woman told her in a sharp rasp. "That old man was weak and foolish. I lead the Wildlings now."

"In any case you are holding someone important to me," the brunette went on. Her voice was as soft and cold as the winter breeze that had followed her in. "And I've come to bargain for his release."

Rhea's eyes narrowed, her sharpened nails drumming against the body of her blaster. "What makes you think that I would make a deal with a Jedi?"

The cloak of the Jedi's pale cloak drew back and she extended a dark leather pouch in the space between them, letting it fall into the grasp of the woman outlaw. Rhea tore open the satchel, a cluster of golden credits glittering in the winter sun. "I don't usually trade with criminals," Ahmonti told her. "But I'll avoid a fight where I can."

Rhea's yellow eyes narrowed as she inspected the woman in front of her, who barely looked old enough to be an adult, let alone a formidable opponent. The twi'lek turned to the man standing behind her. "Fetch the prisoner," she ordered, turning her glowing yellow eyes back to the woman in the white cloak. "Then we will see how much you truly want to trade for the release of Ben Solo."

=⊚=

     WHEN BEN WAS sent to the Western Reaches to gather intel on an illegal weapons trade, he didn't expect to end up chained, beaten and sixty feet under the bitter snow in a literal dungeon. But then again, none of the fun missions ever started with a good plan.

A cold draft trickled down the hallway and settled like ash over Ben's newly earned stone cell, sinking beneath his skin and invading deep into his bones. But as torturous as it was, he was determined to make it more so for his captors.

"Waric," Ben gripped the bars of his cell and called out to the thug who'd been unlucky enough to act as his guard. "You know for a gang of hardened criminals your prison standards are exceedingly tolerable. My bread was hardly even stale this morning."

"I'll give ye somethin' less tolerable in a secon' lad if ye don' shut up," Waric threatened Ben for what was probably the thirteenth time since he'd arrived for the morning shift.

Ben opened his mouth for another reply when the sound of boots against stone echoed filtered down the stairwell, following the arrival of a group of new gangsters. "Rhea wants the Jedi boy in the throne room," one of the front runners rasped at Waric, swinging a set of electro-cuffs around as he approached Ben's open cell and bared his sharpened teeth. "His friend is here to bargain for him."

Ben let a faint grin tug at the corner of his lips at the mention of the only woman he knew who had the patience to track him this deep into nowhere; Ahmonti Arcas. Waric fumbled with the ancient security panel by the door, and Ben held out his hands as the door slid open for the thug to secure the cuffs over his wrists.

The man tugged at his arm, jolting him into the hallway and marching him up the stone-cut stairwell. At some point the castle must have been something to behold, with ancient synthstone worn smooth by millennia of life and colossal wooden doors now scored by decay and frost. The remnants of crimson-threaded tapestries hung from the vaulted ceilings, falling into jagged and premature ends mid-way down their descent. Once upon a time this castle had housed royalty. Now it only harboured criminals.

Ahead of them the halls opened into the vast throne room, and Ben could hear the muted whispers from behind the towering doors. The wooden monoliths opened without a worded command, and Ben was led like a prize animal into the thick of the fray, the Wildling's parting like the sea before him.

Risen up on a platform against the far wall, Rhea sat on a solemn stone throne. The light spilt over her, catching the scars on her face and washing them in twisted shadows that danced across her the pale blue of her skin. But Ben was more interested in the brunette girl standing sentinel at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Wildling throne, her dark eyes watching him with stifled amusement, and if the situation weren't as it was he could imagine the mocking she would have given him. Ben flashed her a grin as he passed her, one which she barely returned.

Rhea's scarred features melted into a sardonic grin as her thugs dragged Ben up the stairs and kicked in the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel before their fallacious dictator. "He's well trained now," Rhea told the Ahmonti, her glittering yellow eyes still on him. "He doesn't bite back like he used to." Ben tried not to gag as the gangster's finger glided across his cheek bone.

"I'm impressed. I've been trying to get him to behave for the last decade," Ben didn't need to see Monti's face to know the smile that was playing on the corners of her lips like it always did when she teased him.

"So you see why it would be a shame for me to part with such a hard earned prize," the thug said, "Unless you were able to provide generous compensation."

"I thought I already had," Ahmonti gestured to the bulging pouch of credits now hanging from Rhea's belt.

"Two-thousand republic credits?" The twi'lek laughed bitterly. The sound ricocheted from the high-ceilings and across the silent gathering of criminals. "I've sold three-limbed fathier's for twice that when I'm in a charitable mood. I wouldn't even pick my teeth with your credits, Jedi." She spat the title like it was poison.

"A trade then," Ahmonti said. "You let Ben and I walk free, and I'll spare the lives of you and your crew." This time there was no amusement in her tone, her words rolling like frost across the crowded room.  

Forgetting Ben suddenly, the twi'lek pushed herself out of her throne and locked eyes with the umber-eyed woman below her. "Arrogant little witch aren't you?" She hissed. "I'm a merciful woman, little Jedi. I haven't killed you yet because until now you've amused me. But I don't tolerate threats under my own roof. Try it again and you'll learn exactly where I gain my reputation."

The brunette met Rhea's eyes with unfaltering conviction, and Ben could tell that there was more at play here than Ahmonti was showing. She'd always been the one to hold her cards close to her chest until the final move. It made her dangerous and unpredictable, exactly how she liked it. "My deal stands," she said lowly, "Like I said, I'll avoid a fight where I can. But I warn you not to underestimate me."

Rhea unholstered her blaster and levelled it with Ahmonti's head as the sound of hundreds of drawn weapons echoed from the crowd behind them . "You shouldn't have come alone, little one," murder burned in the twi'lek's eyes as she stepped forward and pressed the barrel against the skin between Monti's eyes. "I'll enjoy breaking you."

A ghost of a smile flickered so briefly over the Jedi's lips Ben wondered if it had just been a trick of the light. "Who said I was alone?"

BOOM!

The explosion came from nowhere and everywhere all at once as the far wall once housing the rows of frosted windows erupted with enough intensity to send half of the Wildling brigade flying across the room. Rhea let out a guttural roar and pulled the trigger on her blaster, but Ahmonti was faster, the bright ruby bolt deflecting harmlessly off of the surface of her emerald lightsaber.

The thug fired again, making the brunette duck to let the bolt sail overhead and into the chaotic crowd behind her. The far wall was nothing but an open chasm now, the floor a litter of snow and shattered synthstone. Outside, the frosty winter sky was punctured by a single freighter, it's monochrome hull printed a striking red that stood out like blood on snow against the dappled winter sky. It's cannons still smoked from the missiles that had now destroyed half of the Wildling retreat as it turned back around to circle back toward the castle.

Rhea didn't pay any attention to it as her thugs scrambled out of the firing line, any sense of comradely lost as anarchy took hold. Instead the twi'lek fired at Ahmonti rapidly, advancing her step each time and forcing the brunette to retreat down the steps of the throne where Ben was still knelt. "You'll burn for this, Jedi scum!" She bellowed.

"Maybe," Ahmonti gripped her lightsaber closely and shrugged. "But not today." In the second it took for Rhea to register the Jedi's words Ahmonti stretched out her arm and the throne at the top of the platform broke away from its synthstone base and collapsed beside of Ben to form a tall stone barricade. The Jedi then launched herself into a high spring over Rhea's head and landed behind the makeshift wall just as a barrage of ruby bullets exploded against the wall above her.

"Quite the plan you've got going on here," Ben told her once she'd landed beside him. "But a little warning would be nice next time you decide to blow up a castle with us inside."

"I'll remember to send a copy of the plan next time I have to rescue you," Ahmonti replied sardonically as she grabbed Ben's cuffed hands and cut them apart with the base of her emerald blade. "Here," she handed Ben a blaster from the side of her belt.

"No lightsaber?" He asked, testing the weight of the pistol in his palms.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Solo," Ahmonti reminded him. Another bullet sparked dangerously close to the lip of their blockade, making both of them shrink a little lower. "Okay, ready?" Apparently, Ben's answer didn't mean much, because Ahmonti didn't wait to hear his reply before propelling herself back over the lip of their stone hideaway, leaving Ben to follow her.

The throne room — or what remained of it — was a wreckage of smouldering stone and snow, the bitter wind biting at Ben's exposed limbs as he pitched himself over the edge of the crippled throne. He ducked as a duo of scarlet bullets sailed overhead, firing back toward the one-eyed thug who aimed at him. The bolts found their home, one in the gangster's shoulder and the other in the centre of his bulbous forehead, falling him instantly. At the bottom of the stairs Ahmonti was deflecting a myriad of gunfire, and Ben moved to follow after her, shooting toward the Wildling's as they tried to organise themselves enough to return a proper attack.

"Duck!" Ben grabbed Ahmonti and pulled her out of the way as electric blue bullets poured through the open wall from their comrade freighter outside, the attack exploding into the crowd and sending maimed and dead men scattering. Ben moved his body in front of her, shielding her from the debris.

"Come on!" Ahmonti didn't pause to thank him as she grabbed his shoulder, pulling him along the wall, deflecting any stray bullets that came their way. Ben expected her to lead him toward the exit, where the towering doors were thrown open by stampeding Wildings. But Ahmonti breezed past them and continued toward the open wall, where the stone fell away into hundreds of metres of empty winter air, a sharp, mountainous slope at its base.

He pulled on her hand, slowing them down and forcing the young brunette to look back at him. "What are we doing?"

A flickering smile traced her lips. "Getting out of here." She said vaguely, "You coming?"

Ben suppressed the desire to roll his mahogany-coloured eyes, but followed after her anyway. Ahmonti hadn't gotten them killed so far, and judging from experience that was enough to motivate him to trust her. But the Jedi duo hardly made it another two steps before a well-placed shot sparked against the wall an inch in front of Ahmonti's face, shocking the girl enough to send her back a step into Ben's chest.

A second shot deflected off her lightsaber, which she had the better sense to bring up after barely being missed by the first. Ben looked over her shoulder to see the snarling, furious face of Rhea as the twi'lek aimed her blaster level with the Jedi couple. He didn't need to use the force to feel the waves of fury radiating like shockwaves from the gangster, her slitted gold eyes seething with unbridled hate. "Leaving so soon?" The blue-skinned woman hissed.

Ahmonti shrugged, leveling her sabre in front of her. "Parties aren't really my style."

"Shame, we were only just getting started," the twi'lek released a barrage of fire onto the pair, which Ahmonti deflected. But the longer they spent there the more the Wildling's were organising themselves, and the Jedi were still grossly outnumbered.

Despite the ever mounting odds against them, Monti seemed unfazed as she shouted over her shoulder toward Ben: "Do you remember the hostage crisis on Florrum?"

Ben frowned as he attempted to fire at the twi'lek, who was turning out to be frustratingly evasive. "It's hard to forget," he replied, "and I hope you aren't suggesting what I think you are."

"You know me well enough by now to know that's exactly what I'm suggesting," she retorted. Their duel with the Wildling leader had drawn the attention of the gangsters still mobile in the room, and with one lightsaber between them Ben doubted Ahmonti would be able to cover them both for much longer. "On three then?" She asked.

Ben swallowed dryly, raking his brain for any other options. Florrum had left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he wasn't eager to recreate that day at all. "I think we should just —"

"Three!" Ahmonti didn't let Ben finish his protest before she set her boot against the wall and propelled off of it into a backward flip, leaving Ben with no choice but to take her cue, folding himself into a crouch. When he felt her hands press down onto his shoulders he launched himself upright, giving her momentum enough to vault high across the room and land easily behind the row of Wildlings lined up like a firing squad. She had hardly even landed before she unhooked Ben's lightsaber from Rhea's belt and ignited it, the green and blue blades reflecting turquoise in her dark eyes as she drew them into a near arc that cut the thug's gun in two.

Ben took the opportunity that her distraction had given him, using the force to send the rogue collection of criminals flying across the room as Ahmonti kicked the twi'lek in the chest with enough force to send her flying into the wall beside Ben with a bone-shattering crack. Ben didn't spare a glance at her body as he ran across the room after his companion, both of them skidding to an unsteady stop at the edge of the hole opened up in the wall.

Ahmonti let both lightsabers retract into their hilts and handed Ben's to him. He took it and reattached it to his empty belt, feeling the familiarity of its weight by his side as he looked over the edge of the gaping hole and into the foggy abyss below them with his heart thumping uncomfortably hard in his chest. Heights had never favoured the black-haired boy, but he didn't need to voice that aloud as Ahmonti's gentle fingers curled around his shaking hand comfortingly.

"I hope you don't want me to climb down there," he told her.

"No," she gave his hand a tight squeeze. "I want you to jump."

The last syllable had barely touched her lips before she used her weight to pull them both off of the edge, the shock collecting in the back of Ben's throat and choking the shout that was building inside his chest. The fog swallowed them both eagerly as gravity snatched at them, Ben's hand still in Monti's as they fell. The biting cold was nothing compared to the yawning fear that swallowed Ben's stomach, giving him the sensation he might vomit mid-fall. But just as he thought Ahmonti had finally led them both to their deaths a streak of red rippled through the fog, and the battered chrome hull of their freighter emerged like an avenging angel from the gloom, its ramp opened wide like the hungry jaws of a beast waiting to swallow them.

It manoeuvred itself so that it's gaping boarding ramp was open to the rapidly falling duo, and Ben barely heard Monti shout "brace yourself!" over the roaring wind before they both hit the ramp and rolled into the safe interior of the ship. The ramp slid closed behind them as hey hit the floor and rolled, the jarring shock jolting through Ben's body and leaving him winded.

"That..." he panted, rolling onto his back as he struggled to regain the breath from his deflated lungs, "was the worst... plan... you've ever... had..."

AUTHORS NOTE

me: i should probably write a first chapter with some context and introduce the characters

also me: have the main couple jump out the side of a castle yeah that'll do it