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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Hopefully, this will take your mind off of things," Obi-Wan tells him as he leads him up the steps of Luke's island on Ahch-To. Mentioning the fact that he had things to take his mind off of was not the right way of going about making him forget, but he appreciated the effort. He allows himself to focus instead on the ache of his legs at the numerous steps he's being forced to climb, and tries to think of a plausible way to hide this from the Supreme Leader.

As far as the First Order and the rest of the galaxy knew, Kylo Ren was still on his desperate search for the missing piece of the map to Skywalker. Word had it that the remainder of the map was in fact on Jakku, but Luke had disclosed his location privately to Ben merely a few weeks ago, with the added explanation that he was ready to meet and speak to Ben face to face.

It has been five years since Ben last saw Han Solo or Poe Dameron, seven since he last saw Leia Organa, and a scant three months since he had last seen Aodhan Hux. Luke? It had taken Ben fifteen years to see his former master again. He had no doubt that Luke had forsaken him as an apprentice, and chose instead to regard Anakin and Obi-Wan as his masters. They had taught him far more than Luke did, but that doesn't mean Ben appreciates his teachings any less.

Ben has been working for the Resistance for the past twelve years, but not a single day in those dozen years has Luke Skywalker bothered to give him any acknowledgment. When Ben requests to speak, Luke leaves the channel open for Ben to talk, but there isn't any indication that he is listening nor that he wants to respond.

Far be it from Ben to question why Luke wanted now, finally to speak, but he was undoubtedly confused. Growing up, Luke had always been there, and Ben recalls taking refuge in Luke's hut whenever his parents' fighting grew too much for a small child to handle. It was through Luke's omnipresence that Ben had been allowed to regard Rey as the little sister he'd always wanted in the first place.

But that wasn't to say their relationship was rocky. Luke had begun his career as an uncle being the favorite, one who visited the infant Ben rarely but readily captured his attention every time he did, much to Chewbacca's endless dismay. As Ben grew older, he'd become the protector, the confidant, stepping in whenever Han and Leia refused to make up and demanded that they did, if only for the sake of their child. Luke became a mentor figure in earnest once Ben began his training at the Jedi Praxeum, but had become resented after his inability to appease Ben's piqued interest about his grandfather, and his failures at repressing Snoke's influence.

Ben's resentment only grew after the Massacre, where Luke had fled as his pupils were slaughtered by the fledgling Knights of Ren, even leaving his own daughter behind. Anakin had only reverted Ben's anger so much by revealing that the original plan was for Mara Jade to take Rey, as Luke believed he would be the foremost target, but it was that plan that resulted in Ben leaving Rey on Jakku alone. Only when Ben had wanted forgiveness for himself had he allowed himself to forgive Luke.

And thus, steady correspondence happened. Although Anakin had gotten them to speak first, Luke remained withdrawn and reticent, not even giving off pings of acknowledgment or agreement any time Ben spoke. Twelve years later, Luke asked for an audience.

Well, it was more like demanded than asked, given that he had announced suddenly and rather startlingly his location and the time at which he wanted to meet.

Who was Ben to say no? Luke was the remaining member of the Galactic Triumivrate that he had yet to reunite with. Glad that he reconciled with his parents (and they with each other) and tormented by his continued affection with both Poe and Hux, Ben found that seeing Luke again was a welcome, if painful, respite.

It takes him far too long to make it up the stone steps, but he had given himself two hours in advance for him to make his way up. Luke must've sensed the stolen ship when it entered the planet's atmosphere, but Ben didn't care. He'd gotten to the top of the island on time.

His mouth runs dry when he sees his uncle again. He'd remembered him as being rather fastidious with his appearance and fashion forward, but the Luke Skywalker that stood before him now was old, scraggly, and haggard. His beard was the biggest shock to Ben, used to the memory of his uncle's cleanly-shaven youthfulness, and the black suit he had worn throughout Ben's childhood, now replaced with large Jedi robes barely harkening back to the Praxeum and its dress code.

He feels as though he should say something first, but he doesn't. They stand there in silence, staring at each other, both unwilling to be the one who relents first. Ben suspects they will be there all day, until Obi-Wan appears and looks between the two, giving a resigned sigh.

"You two are not going to waste a perfectly productive day doing nothing but looking at each other."

"Uncle," Ben begins to say, but Luke holds his hand up.

He shakes his head. "No, Ben. Let me go first." He inhales sharply. "Let me begin by saying that I still do not trust you. But I am sorry for the events that brought us to this place. Your parents entrusted you to me when you were a child, begging me to help you to contain your power. What none of us had realized was that it was not your skill with the Force that we ought to fear, but the voice that spoke to you inside your head and continued to mislead you throughout your entire childhood.

"I should have seen him, Ben. I failed you. That does not change the fact that you took my daughter from me and hid her from the world. I have no doubt your search for redemption has brought you as much valor and as much turmoil as the redemption of my father had brought him, but Snoke is also capable of playing an equally long game. He spent the first fifteen years of your life molding you to be his perfect soldier, the leader of his Knights.

"Perhaps he spent the next fifteen pretending as though he was unable to pick through your head."

It was a possibility that Ben considered, had entertained. He had no backup plan in the event that it was true, but Snoke would have surely worked equally to subvert his subterfuge, probably through the avenue of newly-made liaison Hux. But no matter how fabricated Aodhan could be, especially given his ready hamminess for his speeches, even Hux could not be such a good actor. Ben had presumed his secret was safe for the moment. Still, he could not fault Luke for being prudent.

"The reason I called you here, revealing my own location and leaving myself vulnerable to the First Order is because even despite my mistrust, I feel as though you are capable and deserving of forgiveness. I came here searching for the first Jedi Temple, hoping that the eminence of the Force would be enough for me to fully utilize in order to find Rey. This very island is where that Temple once stood, thousands upon thousands of years ago." Luke gestures to the collection of stones behind him, impressions of columns and stone floors, if Ben squinted and tilted his head far enough.

"I wanted you to see what the Jedi Order was built upon. The foundations of our learnings," Luke continues. "We teach ourselves not to be overrun by passion, emotion, that attachments and desperation make us weak. As you and I both know, I don't wholly agree with that. Attachments, when healthy, are what make us strong. Desperation, when well-placed, make us strive to be better. Emotion, beyond giving us individuality and depth, is the ichor that runs through our veins, the ichor that gives us the capability to be good.

"Passion, like desperation, is out motivator. It gives us a want, and the great goal of one's own existence is to satisfy their wants. It took me many years of soul-searching to realize, but I have found my passion. My passion is family, it is love, and, above all else, it is forgiveness."

Ben is startled as Luke moves toward him, footsteps quiet and gliding. He's not sure what to expect, but the hug that he's pulled into has him pressing his face into the crook of his uncle's neck. He's not sure what he expected - probably a punch in the face - but he isn't disagreeing with this line of action. He hugs Luke back, struggling not to cry into the tan fabric.

"I thought," Ben whispers, pulling away to look at his uncle's red eyes, "I thought you hated me. You never spoke back to me once, so I just... I assumed you wanted nothing to do with me - with any of us, and all of that was my fault."

"Oh, Ben," Luke says, reaching up to cup Ben's cheek, "I could never hate you. You are my nephew, like a son to me. I could never." He wipes a stray tear. "Well, I suppose it's your turn to say something."

"Oh, I could never come up with such a grand speech," laughs Ben, trying to rid the atmosphere of its unbearable weight. He's rewarded by a slight smile from Luke. He catches traces of tenderness, of a broken healing heart as he skims his uncle's mind. A far cry from the freezing topography when Ben had contacted him twelve years ago. "Thank you, though. Thank you so much for forgiving me.

"I guess out of everyone else, I wanted you to forgive me the most. Even if I hated you at first, for abandoning Rey. But everything was my fault. I tore down everything that you built - the New Jedi Order, your family, your whole life. I allowed myself to be mislead into thinking that there were things that I could accomplish on my own, and that my family was holding me back from completing my quest.

"It was... it started when I was twelve. Poe's parents died, and I just... I saw what happened to him because of it, and I wanted to stop it - death. I remember the stories you told me of Darth Plagueis, of how he had the power I so desperately craved, and Snoke told me that he could help me find it within myself. You certainly wouldn't have taught me something created by the Sith, but Snoke had no such predilections.

"I should have known something was wrong when he demanded that I dig up my grandfather's helmet and his ashes, and then when he forced me to murder the Padawans, but I... I was young and stupid and I thought he was right because at the time, he was the only one on my side. When I saw what I had done was wrong, I thought it was too late, until grandfather came to me. He offered me a second chance, and I leapt at it.

"Everything I did, everything I am doing and will go on to do, I'm doing it both because I want to be better, and because I want to be forgiven. I know that everything I've done has torn down everything you built, but now I'm working as hard as I can to build it back up. So it means a lot to me that you invited me here, that you told me where you were and that you forgave me."

Luke shakes his head. "I would have forgiven you no matter what you did, Ben. I knew there was still Light in you. I was simply so angry for so long that I refused to believe it."

Ben cautiously decides to broach the topic: "About Rey..." Luke instantly perks up. "I've been struggling to tell you, but, seeing as she's in good hands, I thought you should know."

"She's alive?" Luke breathes. Ben knows that Luke had been looking for her, but, judging by her continued presence on Jakku, he had been wholly unsuccessful. Unsurprising, given Ben had sealed her away from the Force to protect her. Consequently, the only reason Ben had been able to find and read her was because he knew exactly where she was. And, given his visit, he knew where she lived, too. "Rey's all right?"

Ben winces. "She's... taking after you and grandfather. In the respect of her living on a sand planet and performing labor?" At Luke's wide-eyed look, Ben quickly explains himself. "She's on Jakku. She's working for Unkar Plutt as a scavenger, but really, I don't think she's going to have any problems since there's a lot of junk on Jakku that she can get for goods and other such things, and honestly, she's way more competent at it than I was when I visited her last. But that was, like, a decade ago, so I'm sure she's even more accomplished."

"She's alive," Luke repeats, his hands squeezing Ben's shoulders.

"Yes," Ben says quietly, "she's alive. Rey's alive, and she's okay."

A thousand emotions emanate from his uncle - relief, forlorn sadness, regret, happiness, all of them swirling in a vortext inside of Luke's mind. Ben's hand twitches in sympathy. If only Luke had known earlier, maybe he would've jumped back into the fray. With his involvement, the war would be that much closer to being over, and while Ben felt joy at th prospect of being able to return home, he wasn't looking forward to confronting the matters of his own heart.

But this wasn't about him. This is about Luke, about how he finally learned that his daughter was alive, and although her Force-sensitivity was being suppressed, she was still alive, which is a thousand times better than dead.

Ben flinches as Luke suddenly looks up at him, eyes fierce. "Stay," Luke says forcefully, but not unkindly. "Stay, and tell me everything."

(OP) Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Awww, poor Luke. Poor Ben. I'm so happy to see them try to make amends. (And bonus "done with both your shit" Obi-Wan! Yay!)

"You're sure about this?" Hux's lips rest gently on the back of Ben's neck, arms nestled comfortably around his waist. Their embrace is warm, loving, but they're approaching their destination soon. He doesn't want to leave, but he'll have to. "The map's on Jakku?"

Ben shifts, turning so he can rest his head on Hux's shoulder. Over it, he can see the pedestal his helmet sits upon, washed in white light. He tries to ignore the helmet beside it, almost as if avoiding his grandfather's own gaze. When Rey had come of age, Anakin left her to return to Ben and more pressing matters - the rise of the First Order and its first super-weapon. Ben still quakes when he thinks about it. "Vaelo Ren tells me it's so."

"So then it must be true," Hux says. Ben can't pick up any traces of sarcasm, but he also can't find sincerity in his words. It troubles him - it means Hux is hiding from him, and that someone taught him how. One would think that after seven years, one's partner would only be more open and accessible. Hux had been the complete opposite, hardening with the momentum of his rule. Hux takes a step back, his touch on Ben's shoulders light. "Well, then. I wish you good luck, Lord Ren."

(He doesn't call you Kylo anymore, Anakin notes, and Ben feels the distinct prick of agreement from Obi-Wan. That's... worrisome.)

Ben could argue everything about this was worrisome. Now that his Knights had pinpointed the remainder of Luke's map, Kylo Ren was obligated to retrieve it. It was his duty as the Supreme Leader's faithful Hound. But how was Ben Solo to retrieve it and preserve both the appearance and truth of his allegiances intact? He knew Luke should've taken his advice and taken the fragment back.

(You knew going into this that it wasn't going to be easy, reminds Obi-Wan. Hold your ground, and you'll figure something out.)

It occurs to him that perhaps it was too late to start formulating a plan while he was in the cockpit of his command shuttle, the fire pits of the small village where Lor San Tekka dwelt guiding his way. The minds nearby are blearily empty, with flares of free thought he can only assume are attributed to Captain Phasma.

Ben has never looked forward to spilling blood, civilian or Stormtrooper. Bright blinks of awareness shine up at him as he lowers the ship onto the ground, pressing the command to open the doors with a heavy hand. His hands reach up to his cowl, adjusting it so that the hood fans around his head.

It'll billow around him as the jets of the ship cool down, framing the helm in shadow. He got rather lucky with his height, imposing and frighteningly tall. He even surpasses his grandfather. His muscle mass, carefully curated, has also added to his intimidation factor. Ben and Obi-Wan had spent the ten years maximizing Kylo Ren's fear-mongering, but that didn't mean that Ben was still comfortable with it.

Ben forces himself to ignore the fading lights of dying villagers and First Order troops alike. He flips the vocoder on, schooling his breather to give light impressions of Darth Vader's iconic wheeze. He doesn't look out of his heavily truncated periphery to watch the townsfolk be rounded up like nerfs.

Ben puffs up his chest, squaring his shoulders. Lor San Tekka glares up at him. Defiance, outrage - he doesn't know. His ignorance only serves to make Ben's act more convincing. Kylo Ren tilts his head up imperiously. "Look how old you've become."

"Something far worse has happened to you," San Tekka snarls. Hatred, disgust, betrayal roll off him in waves. San Tekka's eyes graze him from top to bottom. Something else swirls within him, drowning out old patches of sense. He feels pity.

"You know what I've come for." Kylo Ren stretches his mind across the village, coating the people lightly enough to probe without notice. Everyone but Lor San Tekka is confused. They know nothing - they are expendable.

San Tekka bristles. "I know where you come from. Before you called yourself Kylo Ren."

Ben only calls himself Kylo Ren at times like these, where he must be the terrifying revenant of the First Order. Born out of the ghosts of the Sith Empire, Scion of Revan, Hound of Supreme Leader Snoke, and Avatar of the Dark Side - that is who Kylo Ren is meant to be.

(Hux had joked that he would keep all these titles upon his Ascension - with the addendum of Emperor's Consort. Ben had shuddered at how pleased the thought made him feel.)

Otherwise, however, he still calls himself Ben. Ben Organa-Solo, the heir of Skywalker, the proud son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Padawan of Luke and Anakin Skywalker, a boy seeking redemption. What Lor San Tekka thinks isn't true. Ben is still Ben - Kylo briefly, sparingly, but still always, eternally Ben.

San Tekka will never find out. "The map to Skywalker. We know you've found it, and now you're going to give it to the First Order."

"The First Order rose from the Dark Side... you did not."

Pfassking hells, old man. Make this easy. "I will show you the Dark Side." It's a line his grandfather would've used. He notes a few witnesses shrinking. They do not want to be shown the dark side. Ben would rather not carry out his threat, but Lor San Tekka will not back down.

"You may try, but you cannot deny the truth that is your family." Rejection balances firmly in the old man's eyes. I reject your judgment, he seems to say knowing what will be coming. You will not find anything.

(You're impatient, Anakin commands, the ever-present acting coach. He won't talk, you know this. What do you do?)

Kylo Ren's lip curls into a snarl, despite being hidden away. Ben finds that making the expressions allows him to slip into the emotions easily. He unclips the hilt of his saber from his hip and raises it above his head in one swift move. He ignites it, the sparks unlooped by the saber singe his back and cloak, impressing coils of angered smoke rolling off of him. He sees the flinches, hears the gasps. He stares into and memorizes the hint of fear in Lor San Tekka's eyes.

"You're so right."

Kylo Ren brings the saber down, squashing Ben Organa-Solo's horrified cry. What has to be done must be done. The body hits the ground heavily. Dead.

A sharp shout alerts Kylo Ren to his right. Poe Dameron charges at him, but his finger is off the trigger of his blaster. How had Ben not noticed him - furthermore, what is Poe doing? - Oh no.

He doesn't want to hurt me.

Ben swings Poe's arms out with the Force, making him fire a bolt. He raises his hand, catching the plasma in mid-air. He freezes Poe, who looks horrified by his forced action. Ben can only hope that this horror will be misconstrued as being out of alarm at Kylo's ability.

Before Ben can drag Poe forward, another heart-stopping display of Kylo Ren's power, two Stormtroopers surge toward him and yank Poe forward. They pat him down quickly but roughly and shove him on his knees before Kylo.

Ben stoops down to look at him. Poe's careful not to meet his gaze, at least until Kylo Ren gets up into his face. His visage is lined with a sheen of sweat. He peers up at Kylo almost sheepishly. "So who talks first? You talk first? I talk first?"

Ben almost laughs, but Kylo comes crashing down on him like a hydraulic door. "The old man gave it to you."

"It's just very hard to understand you with all the..." Poe makes a gesture around his face; Ben's heart seizes up when he realizes they haven't bound his hands, but Anakin quells his concerns with a wave of peace and reassurance.

"Search him," Kylo commands. He tries not to wince as the Stormtroopers roughly grope Poe.

"...apparatus," Poe finishes. His hands are held pinned behind his back after the search. He looks vaguely disgruntled, but Ben supposes it's better than outright relief. Besides, Poe isn't stupid. He wouldn't blow Ben's cover like that.

The Stormtrooper reports that he's found nothing. "Put him on board," Kylo commands. Poe cranes his head to look back at Kylo as he's led up the ramp of the troopers' shuttle. Kylo doesn't look back at him, focusing intently on his boots. He catches a brief insight into Poe's loud thoughts. Kriff, Kylo's scary. If I didn't know any better... Ben quickly shuts down this light of thought. Poe's not supposed to know any better.

A glint of the firelight on chrome armor catches Kylo's eye as Phasma approaches him. They've never communicated much outside of work, but there's a mutual respect there. She's a capable and dependable leader with a tight grip on her men. He, as far as she knows, is an overgrown man-child whose space magicks just might be worth all the trouble that he's caused. Plus, as far as she knows, he's never done the Order any wrong, aside from an endless repair bill. "Sir," Phasma says. "the villagers."

(What has to be done must be done, Anakin reminds him. I'm sorry, son... but you know what to do.)

Ben looks at the villagers, staring at him with wide, pleading eyes. A little Rodian child weeps, held close by a human woman. There are children in the crowd. Innocent beings, like the ones he'd slewn at the Jedi Praxeum. He hates having to kill the children the most.

Ben inhales. Kylo exhales. "Kill them all."

He turns swiftly on his heel. He feels Poe's panic, making him hyperventilate when combined with his own and forcing him to turn off the auditory output on his helmet. As Phasma yells, "Fire!" he feels dozens of lives flickering out of existence. He turns off the auditory input too, unable to bear hearing the screams. Just as he's about to take a step, a brief, muted cry of defiance halts him in his place. He turns slowly, meeting visors with a frozen, bloody Stormtrooper. He hadn't shot Ben realizes, feeling the coolness of the trooper's blaster. Ben traces over the Stormtrooper's mind lightly, gleaming his designation. FN-2187. He stores the information for later.

(OP) Oh man oh man oh man oh man, everything's coming to a head, isn't it? And oh man it's not going to be good for Ben, I'm thinking. D: I can't waaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiit.

(Just, please - keep Han alive? Please?)

haha, no promises ;))

"I trust your mission was a success?" Hux asks him, stopping in the threshold of Ben's quarters. The door closes behind him with a wearied exhale.

"Obviously," Ben responds, his speech muffled by the removal of his helmet. Hux doesn't approach him. Ben has learned that Hux likes to be approached. He likes the game of cat and mouse. But recently, he's been less than enthusiastic. More rigid, less pliant. "Why? Did you doubt me, General?"

Hux inhales sharply, always aroused when Kylo mentions his title. Even after seven years, he relishes it, the perch he lords over his cousin. ("Jagged is still merely a colonel," crowed Hux triumphantly. Ben felt bad for Jagged Fel, whoever and wherever he was). As Ben sidles before him, Hux puts his hands lightly on Ben's waist. "Of course not. I was just... concerned."

"How sweet," says Ben coquettishly. He lays his cheek on Hux's shoulder, lips finding his pulse point. He desists when he sense Hux's mind is elsewhere. "Come back to me," he murmurs petulantly, pressing up against Hux. Any time he starts thinking this hard, it rarely bodes well for the Resistance.

"I'm here," Hux says, fingers threading through Ben's hair. The words bring to mind a certain pilot being violently interrogated elsewhere on the Finalizer, his cries of pain ringing in Ben's skull. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about Starkiller."

"Ugh," Ben snarls, twisting away quickly. He glimpses a sense of bereavement from Hux and knows his bratty lover act is at least doing something. "You know how I detest it when you talk about that thing."

"That thing is going to win us the war," Hux hisses. The sense of emptiness fades, replaced by exasperated yet determined irritation. He still thinks he can convince Ben to come around on Starkiller. He doesn't know the horrors Ben has seen in his visions. "Really, Ren, I thought you'd understand. You of all people should know that destruction breeds action."

Kriff, Hux is getting angry. Anger leads to suspicion. He has to steer this conversation around somehow. Not a brisk change of topic - that would alert him too much and he'd just get even angrier. "I just think there are better ways of getting to the finish line without causing a galactic catastrophe. The Empire had already failed with two Death Stars. What makes you think this third will be any better?" He moves back to Hux, cupping his cheek gently. "Besides, I don't want to see you become another Tarkin. You're much too young for that."

Hux scoffs and moves away. "Rich, coming from the Second Coming of Darth Vader. " Hux spits Anakin's title with derision, tongue heavy on the first half as though his own grandfather wasn't called Darth Sidious. "And please, don't disrespect my magnus opus by comparing it to the Empire's failed projects. Starkiller is my life's work, Ren. The culmination of years of engineering education, which I'm sure you never received, given the emptiness and vacancy of any adult figures throughout your life. But I suppose you wouldn't understand. You break everything you touch."

Ben reels back, stricken. Hux had never spoken to him that way before, though he had sen his barbed tongue lashing out at disobedient or otherwise incompetent officer. But he had been... not kind, just a smidge below affectionate... Tolerant of Ben. Rough when they had first kissed, but Hux hasn't otherwise been particularly cruel. Ben has thicker skin than this, but the Ren he's cultivated is a wild fireflower - quiet and beautiful at night, vivacious and flaring by day. Ren wouldn't have brushed off the words; he would've been hurt. His beloved Hux, lashing out at him. "I..."

"Kriff, I..." Hux moves to take Ben's face into his hands, but Ren steps away. "I'm sorry. I've... had a lot on my mind. Starkiller demands most of my attention, and I... I've not had much time to relax. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

It wasn't the best idea to have gotten into an argument with Hux before Ben had fully cooled down. Every time he partakes in a massacre, he usually takes an hour to compose himself. The vacancies in the Force, holes in the tapestry of the universe, and the ensuing sadness, the unraveling threads of said tapestry, drains him far more than others are allowed to see. Hux's appearance was unprecedented, but Ben had assumed that he wouldn't have a conflict on his hands. "I need space," he breathes. Wails fly at him from Jakku. He doesn't feel more than a twinge of pitied sorrow, accompanied with a flash of sympathy from Rey, which is good. He needs to get away, to find some place to calm down.

Hux's face twists in consternation, torn between giving Ben what he needs and demanding forgiveness. Eventually he relents. "Very well, Ren." Ben allows Hux to kiss him, chaste, but slightly longer than the kiss should be. "I shall see you... later."

Ben waits for the door to give its customary click before putting his helmet back on. He takes a few deep breaths, two shallow ones, then sits down on his bed. A weight settles on his shoulders - hands, comforting. He allows himself to lean back and pretend as though he's resting against his grandfather's chest as the hands turn into arms that wrap around him, offering respite form the hammering outcry of agony the universe expelled.

This was the effect of the destruction of a small village - Ben didn't dare imagine how it would feel should Starkiller finally be used.

"You need someone," Anakin says, and Ben nods stiffly.

For all that his grandfather can offer, he needs the touch of a solid body. Formerly, Hux fulfilled that requirement apparently believing he was the deliverer of post-victory coitus. But he had told Hux that he needed space, which would inevitably lead to him burying himself back into his work again. There was a new presence on board, but... oh, he wouldn't dare. Would it be too suspicious? Under the guise of interrogation, perhaps not. Ren had a reputation for roughing up Resistance personnel. The only question was if Poe had already given anything up.

But of course he hadn't. He was Poe Dameron, poster boy of the Resistance. Not a single word would've left his lips, which left room for Ren's personal brand of 'mental persuasion'.

"You always waste time convincing and unconvincing yourself," Obi-Wan says, because he knows Ben so well. "Just go."

He's already started walking even before Obi-Wan tells him to, and his breath catches just before he enters Poe's cell. The camera, right. He constructs the barbaric wildness coiled in Kylo Ren's gut, the lithe predator-prowls of his step. When he goes inside, Poe is still asleep. With a little nudge from the Force (and a bite of guilt) from Ben, the pilot's eyes slowly open.

Poe looks tired, making Ben feel even worse. The troopers really did a number on him, if the split lip and trickle of blood from his temple are any indication. But Ben can't show sympathy yet. Poe levels him with a distasteful, almost disinterested stare. So Dameron does have acting chops after all.

"I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board." Kylo steps forward slowly, like a hunter toying with his prey. "Comfortable?"

Poe huffs breathily. "Not really."

"I'm impressed." Kylo cocks his head. "No one has been able to get out of you what you did with the map." By Poe's almost sleepy eye roll, Ben assumes his approximation is correct.

"Might wanna rethink your technique." Poe blinks owlishly as Ben extends a hand to his face. What are you doing?

Ben almost recoils in alarm. Poe has never been able to converse with him mentally before, not even when they were children. He had always complained when Ben probed his mind. But here he was, projecting well enough for Ben to hold a conversation. He wonders who taught him. Luke?

Pretend like it hurts. "Where is it?"

Poe flinches, straining forward. The vines bulging in his neck and forehead are very convincing. He snaps his head back into the metal chair, and Ben suppresses a wince at the clang. "The Resistance will not be intimidated by you."

Kylo edges closer, fingers curling into claws. He's close enough to brush away the stray curls falling over Poe's forehead. "Where... is it?"

Poe starts to yell, Kylo gets closer, and finally the security holocam in the corner of the room explodes in a flash of sparks. Ben yanks his helmet off, barely waiting for the hiss of decompression. "I am impressed." He grins wolfishly. "You're good."

"I know," Poe pants. Ben combs his fingers through Poe's hair, careful not to disturb the grime and blood. Kylo Ren is also notorious for breaking prisoners without having to touch them. "Couldn't wait to see me?"

"No," Ben admits. "Oh!" He uses the Force to undo Poe's shackles, eliciting a chuckle form the older man. It's strange to think of them as men, but they're both far past their twenties. They've seen too much to still be 'boys.' "Sorry."

"No worries," Poe says, rubbing at his wrists. He pulls Ben into a hug, squeezing him tight. "Kriff, I missed you."

"It's only been five years," Ben hums, allowing himself to be held. He's already feeling better, having been amused by the charade. It's never fun playing by himself, but playing with a partner - and an enthused partner no less - was priceless. "How's that bump on your head? You hit it hard, yeah?"

"Regrettably." Poe winces, and Ben laughs. Ben catches Poe's head in his hands, tilting it forward to brush his nose against the top of his dome. Hux would be bothered by all the sweat, but Ben has never cared. "I missed you," Poe repeats.

Ben kisses him. "I missed you too."

When he pulls away, Poe makes a face, all scrunched up. Ben arches a brow. Poe asks, "Have you been drinking?"

"What? No."

"You taste like wine," Poe continues.

...Pfassk. Hux. Well, at least it explained why he was so irritable. "Huh. That's weird. Did you bite your tongue?" Ben ignores the loud 'WHAT' from Obi-Wan.

Poe blinks, successfully deflected. "Um. No?"

"Oh. Okay." Ben nestles in his arms. His heart races as he skims Poe's mind for any traces of doubt. A slight pin-prick, but easily erasable -

(Don't you dare, Ben, Obi-Wan thunders in his head.)

He wouldn't have done it, even though he entertained the thought. With his gift and his lovers' relative lack of awareness of the powers of the Force, he could switch intermittently between them without any consequence. Which is, of course, technically what he had been doing so far, but he's not going to admit any wrongdoing at the moment. He's hurting, and he needs comfort. His wrongful manipulation can come later.

Poe brings his fingers up to card through Ben's locks. Ben can feel every rise and fall of Poe's chest, acutely grateful that Poe doesn't take his newfound freedom of movement to mean that Ben was here for something distinctly more carnal. He's not sure where Hux got the idea that when he asked to be held, what Ren really meant was to be held erotically, but the non-sexual moment he's having with Poe fills the void just as well.

It is bliss, being here, comforted by Poe's steady breathing. Ben listens carefully for a rattle in the pilot's chest, grateful when he hears none and finds that every one of Poe's ribs are intact. He hasn't been able to sit in someone's arms like this for a long time. With finishing touches put on Starkiller, Hux had been working himself ragged to make sure his pet project eradicated the word 'failure' from its vocabulary. Without him, Ben felt vacant, lost. Hux was his anchor in the First Order, a focal point he could always return to when feeling conflicted. It's a bit strange for Poe to be the same haven, but it's something Ben could definitely get used to.

Poe is content for them to lie there timelessly, but he eventually nudges Ben. "As much as I like having you here," he says, pausing to kiss Ben's proffered lips, "I think it's a bit... suspicious for Kylo Ren to be spending any extended amount of time here with a prisoner. You should probably get back."

Ben makes a big show of huffing out a sight. "All right, all right," he says, splaying a hand on his chest. "You want to get rid of me, I understand." He climbs off of Poe, locking him back into the chair. "But you've got to give me something. Good intel - don't fake it or they'll think something's up. Especially with that." He jerks a thumb at the busted holocam.

Poe considers this for a moment. "I... The map is... It's in BB-8. But I sent him away, so I think it has a good chance of getting back to your mom before the First Order can get to him." He closes his eyes as Ben leans forward to press his lips to his forehead.

"Thank you," Ben says, and puts Poe to sleep.

Ben is three-quarters of the way done in adjusting his cowl when he starts and nearly has a heart attack at who waits for him outside of Poe's cell. "There was an issue with the security imager," Hux says. Are you all right? The question is unspoken, but there.

Kylo tips his helmet. "It's in a droid. A BB unit."

"Well then. If it's on Jakku, we'll soon have it." Hux looks like he wants to say more but doesn't. He won't, not in front of his men, even though Ben's pretty sure they all know about their commanding officers and their 'recreational activities.' Ben thinks of his own parents, of Han's anecdotes about their wartime courtship, recalling how he and Leia had argued in a busy hallway on Hoth only for troops to walk between them.

Kylo nods. "I leave that to you."

He marches off, knowing Hux won't follow. Ben is disoriented by the sudden flash of animosity Hux exhibits, and realizes that he hand't responded to Hux's mental query. He's never done that before, always eager to demonstrate his ability with the Force. I'm fine, he quickly sends off. Nothing I couldn't handle. By the way Hux straightens and turns to look at Kylo, he's received the message. But the crease in his brow is still there. The damage has already been done.

(OP) *chinhands* I really like this update - I was really taken with the differences between Ben and the Kylo Ren persona, with Ben's own observations of things even as he acts like Kylo. Also, the brief scene with Anakin was equal parts sweet and heartbreaking - made the hug with Poe sooooo much more adorable (and painful, of course).

And the more you write, the more convinced I am of Impending Doom, and that it's probably going to be coming from a Hux-like direction. *bites nails*

Ben walks quickly to Reconditioning to collect his new requisition. Pinpointing him pressed against the wall, eyes darting around in anxious disquiet and helmet cradled in his arms like a child, Kylo crooks a finger at him. FN-2187 visibly jumps, gulps, then follows. As far as he knows, Kylo Ren is going to kill him - it's his choice whether he wants to die in front of his fellow troopers or in private.

FN-2817 follows at a respectable distance until he reaches Kylo's quarters, whereby he freezes, sweat beading at his forehead. "Sir, permission to speak?"

"Granted."

"W-what exactly is it that you are doing? What am I doing here?" FN-2187 swallows hard, and Ben tracks the frenetic movement of his Adam's apple.

Ben chuckles, then regrets manifesting his amusement - FN-2187 has misconstrued the emotion and is now scared. "Do not be afraid," he says, though that only serves to make FN-2187 even more frightened. "I have a special mission for you. I would like to administer the details in a... private setting. It is classified - beyond Captain Phasma and General Hux's jurisdiction."

Even General Hux? FN-2187 thinks loudly. Ben watches as the trooper fights to urge to widen his eyes in bewilderment. "I... Yes, sir." He follows obediently into Ben's quarters. He tries not to look like he's staring at everything. "Um, Lord Ren, sir, my reconditioning papers."

"I'll take care of it. Drinks? Ah, I'm afraid all I've got is water." He contemplates removing his helmet, but decides it's better that the trooper doesn't know what he looks like just yet.

"With all due respect," FN-2187 says, emboldened by the intimacy of their location and a brief moment to collect himself, "I'd rather know my mission details and get started as soon as possible." He shifts on his feet, widening his stance. The attempt at machismo doesn't fly over Kylo's head, but he still towers over FN-2187 nonetheless.

"You know we have the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron in custody," Ben begins. "You were there on Jakku last night. Although given the command, you didn't fire. You disobeyed Captain Phasma."

FN-2187 falters, the whites of his eyes growing in size. He's regretting talking back to Kylo Ren, thinks he's going to die.

Ben continues, "Did you think your little display of defiance would go unnoticed? You harbor feelings of dissension." Wisely, FN-2187 does not attempt to justify himself. "That is just the quality I am looking for."

FN-2187 blinks. "I'm... I'm sorry, sir?"

"FN-2187, I need you to do something for me," Ben says. "A favor, if you will. Thought I'm sure you'd be glad to reap the benefits of this particular mission - freedom from the First Order and, if you're lucky, a brand new family."

The trooper is clearly not getting any of this, and begins to protest.

"What I want from you, FN-2187," Ben says, holding a finger up to his helmet where his lips ought to be located, "is that I want you to help Poe Dameron escape." And then he's sent off with little more than a thumbs up, that turns into a thumbs down, and then a finger drawn across his throat.

As the alarms blare and troops shuffle to and fro in front of his door not even an hour later, Ben puts on Kylo Ren's best angry walk. He struts to the bridge, footfall heavy and imposing and making officers jump. He stops short as Hux barks orders at Lieutenant Mitaka. "General Hux. Is it the Resistance pilot?"

Hux gives him a wary look and grits his teeth. "Yes, and he had help." He stares at Kylo hard. It's not a good sign. "From one of our own." He blinks once, then turns away, evidently satisfied by a lack of response. "We're checking the registers now to identify which Stormtrooper -"

"No need," Kylo says. He straightens his posture, looking at a slightly elevated angle out the viewports. A classic 'he's probably using the Force, but I'm not sure' pose. "...The one from the village. FN-2187."

Hux gives him a sidelong look, but doesn't stop him as he walks off. Where are you going?

To meditate. I'll find the droid. Hux doesn't reply so Ben assumes he's satisfied with the explanation.

From the slowed pace of the officers milling about as he reaches his quarters, it seems the firefight hadn't lasted as long as he'd hoped. He overhears something about the stolen TIE fighter having been shot down, and hopes the ended lives he'd felt were First Order pilots rather than Poe. And FN-2187, he adds as an afterthought.

To his and Anakin's dismay, he ends up not meditating for long. Hux requests his presence on the bridge, cutting short a riveting conversation about how they were going to get down to Jakku and help Poe find his droid. Instead, Kylo Ren finds himself stalking the length of the bridge, struggling through his uncooperative attire not to trip on the overly-shiny, overly-slippery material. "I hope you're not disappointed that I haven't found the droid yet," Kylo says dryly, as if he had actually been looking. "It'll take a lot longer than twelve minutes to find it on a planet such as Jakku."

"How hard is it to find a ball on an empty desert planet? For that matter, can it even traverse sand?" Hux scoffs, though he's not incensed - not as incensed as he was earlier, at least. He's stuck in that negative zone of not-forgiveness, but takes the fact that Kylo was the one to initiate conversation to be a good sign.

"It's orange," retorts Kylo. "And clearly, seeing as it somehow was able to evade the fate of its master. What is it that you wanted, General?"

"Only to relay to you my orders," Hux informs him. Ben has a feeling that they're not ones that he will like. "Supreme Leader Snoke was explicit. Capture the droid if we can, but destroy it if we must."

He throws the name around like it has weight. It did once, to Ben, and still should for Kylo Ren, but it falls flat. Instead, Kylo regards Hux with a critical eye. "How capable are your soldiers, General?"

"I won't have you question my methods." Hux bristles, and as Ben casts a glance down to their feet, he notes that the general is moving at an abnormally lethargic pace. He's slowing down for Kylo. It means he wants to 'talk.'

"They're obviously skilled at committing high treason," Kylo responds. "Perhaps Leader Snoke should consider using a clone army."

He knows that the Stormtrooper program is the pride and joy of Hux's family, passed down from father to son. If Starkiller wasn't Aodhan Hux's finest work, systematic indoctrination was certainly it. He also knows that he's hated it from the beginning. Ben knows first hand what it's like to be a brainwashed child. But Hux doesn't know that.

"My men are exceptionally trained - programmed from birth -"

"Then they should have no problem retrieving the droid. Unharmed." Kylo is fully aware that Hux hates being interrupted. He does it anyway. Ben's poking Hux with a stick, testing him. He wonders how angry Hux will get.

Hux snarls, clearly not liking the direction that the conversation is going. "Careful, Ren," he warns. "That your 'personal interests' not interfere with orders form Leader Snoke." He comes to a stop in front of Kylo.

Kylo glares down at him. "I want that map. For your sake, I suggest you get it." An empty threat, and both of them know it. Kylo attempts to head off, but is halted by a hand that snaps out and grabs his wrist.

"Ren," Hux says as he drags Kylo off, "what has gotten into you?" Ben notes that Hux's idea of privacy is a nearby storage closet, which is inordinately more suspicious than any other location he could have chosen, with some amusement.

"I don't know what you mean." A perfunctory form of evasion, and it's unfortunate that Hux doesn't buy it.

"Don't," he says. "Do not attempt to pretend that there's nothing wrong. You've changed, Ren. I'm concerned."

"I should be the one saying that to you," Ben snaps in return. "You're gone all the time. You're buried up to your eyebrows in work and you rarely look at me. More often than not, I hear less of your feelings and how your day goes and more about what rhetoric you believe that your mindless slaves will eat up more - and newsflash, Hux - they're brainwashed at your command. They will accept anything you say. You could write an entire speecn in Shyriiwook and they'd salute you just as enthusiastically.

"Worse yet, you actually think Starkiller is a viable option. How exactly do you expect to rule an empty galaxy - that is, if Leader Snoke will allow you to rule? I am deeply concerned, Aodhan, because I see you getting swallowed up by this war, and I can't lose anyone else to this."

Hux doesn't say anything, instead letting Kylo pant out his frustrations. He reaches his hands up to remove Kylo's helmet, putting it on a nearby shelf, before moving to cup Kylo's face gently in cold, leather-covered palms. "Are you done?" he asks lowly. Ben worryingly can't discern the tone from threatening or comforting. It's disconcerting how Hux can blur the line so easily.

"Do not trivialize my feelings," Kylo protests, turning away. "I've had enough of that."

"I wasn't," Hux says firmly. He takes Kylo's hands into his own. "You've really been angry, haven't you?" He bites his lip, lifting slightly on his feet to nudge Kylo's forehead with his own. "The reason I have so much put into Starkiller is because, yes, I do realize that it'll sooner murder everyone in the galaxy than save it. But if that's what it takes to end this war, then so be it.

"I've waited years and years for conflict to be over. My entire life has been dedicated to warcraft. I've never had a day in my life where I hadn't needed to worry about the First Order's defenses or whether I was going to be able to come home to my father. I want it to be over, Ren. And when this is over, you and I will become the rulers of the galaxy. We can dilute our duties with bureaucracy and retire to a villa on Naboo, start a family together - kriff, I might even abdicate for Jag. I've never wanted anything else more in my life, I swear to you."

Ben doesn't want to look into Hux's eyes, to stare into the deep honestly reflected in icy blue. He doesn't have the heart to face Hux, and that does not bode well for him. The Force ghosts buzz with anxiety, picking up on Ben's own lingering feelings - if he can't bear to break Hux's heart in his own mind, how could he be able to do so when the time came?

He had made up his mind long ago that he would do anything to bring down the First Order, even if it meant sacrificing his life. It was his fault that it had been able to grow to such a large size, have claimed so many victories. One could argue that if it wasn't Ben, then some other Knight of Ren would've gotten the job done. But none of them were nearly as powerful in the Force as Ben Organa-Solo. Everything that Snoke had built, he'd used Ben as a bricklayer. So the only thing that he could do to atone was to tear down everything he had been forced to construct. Hux would end up being collateral, joining the Resistance out of the question. It was a fanciful dream - after all, the dashing general of the First Order and his not-quite-Sith lover running away, somewhere they could be safe from the galaxy's peril and eventually coming together to stop the evil they had once been a part of? Something out of a holodrama. But reality never quite worked that way.

"You never call my Kylo anymore," Ben whispers, hoarse.

"I'm saving that," Hux tells him, shifting so that their lips brush. "For when you become my consort. Then I'll call you Kylo."

Ben ends up being the one who initiates the kiss.

(OP) *stares with wide eyes* Ooooohhhhh my god. Ben. Ben, you are so fucked.

Also, I don't know whether it was your intention or not, but Hux's last lines here kind of made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and warning bells go off in my head. Hux's talk about starting a family or even possibly abdicating in Jagged's favor didn't really assuage the worry about him from his previous updates (especially since Anakin also was getting worried), and Hux suddenly stopping calling Kylo by his first name and then saying he's "saving" it for when Kylo's his consort? That doesn't sit well with me - and is just kinda further convincing me a potential spanner in the works will be due to Hux and/or Ben/Kylo's relationship with him. Again, I don't know if any of that is your intent, but it's how I'm interpreting things at the moment.

I am also sitting here wide-eyed and anxious and hoping things work out for Ben and his family. D:

"I hope you're as concerned as I am," Anakin whispers, although it isn't as if Hux, who sleeps beside Ben curled up on his side like a small child, can hear him.

I am, Ben murmurs. It's only at Obi-Wan's pointed stare that he realizes he's been drawing his fingers back and forth across the pale expanse of Hux's back. He fears stopping will rouse the light sleeper, so he continues sheepishly. Starkiller is complete, merely waiting for the command to begin testing...

"To think there might be a catastrophe as great as Alderaan several times over...," Obi-Wan says, stroking his beard. "I fear it may devastate you, Ben." He casts a glance to Anakin, whose eyes bear a glimmer of guilt.

Anakin hums in thought, fingers clenching and unclenching the hems of his sleeves. "I wonder... would you be able to get the schematics of Starkiller to the Resistance? The Rebels were able to destroy the Death Star because they had stolen the plans. I don't suppose you're familiar enough with its design to relay to them its weak points."

Admittedly, Ben had presumed Snoke's preoccupation with the Force and molding Kylo Ren to be his perfect apprentice had meant that Starkiller would be shafted for the Knights of Ren's growth, but clearly he was wrong. I'm afraid not. Hux has the original blueprints, but any that were on the Finalizer drives were erased for fear of the Resistance's access to them, especially in the wake of FN-2187's defection. He looks over at the datapad lain on top of a meticulously uniform.

It takes a bit of finagling to reach over Hux without disturbing him, but Ben manages to Force-pull the datapad to him.

"You think he'd carry it with him?" asks Anakin. "The general's not that much of a workaholic, is he?"

He'd be working while screwing me silly if I'd let him, Ben mutters, scrolling through Hux's files. He catches himself, hoping he doesn't blush too hard as he looks up to meet Anakin's amused gaze. Sorry - too much.

"Quite," agrees Obi-Wan.

As expected, everything on Hux's datapad is carefully sorted, categorized by priority and even, to his childish glee, color-coded. "How convenient," Ben chuckles. He then realizes his voice cuts through the serene quiet, devoid of the ship's constant soothing hum.

Hux stirs, rolling over to butt his head into Ben's ribcage. "What are you doing?" he slurs. He sits up slowly and blinks. "Is that my datapad?"

Ben quickly opens the newest report from the bridge. Luckily for him, it's a feasible five minutes old. "Just doing your job for you," Ben whispers fondly. He reaches over to brush his fingers through Hux's hair, making the ginger scowl. "Go back to sleep."

"I have to work," Hux grumbles, snatching the datapad from Ben's open hand. "Pfassk, I can't believe you let me sleep that long." He starts to get up, but Ben pushes him down firmly. "Ren -"

He's shut up with a kiss as Ben straddles his chest. "No, you need to sleep," he mumbles against Hux's lips. "I'll go down to the bridge, run things myself."

"You?" Such incredulity. Ben's almost hurt.

"My mother is a general, you know. I was an Endor baby. I've seen people running ships my whole life." He pecks Hux's protests away, holding the general down with the Force. "Ah-ah, too late. I'm already getting up and, unfortunately, getting dressed." He wriggles his pants on playfully, earning him an exasperated by amused chuckle. "Remember, Hux - sleep."

The sound of his door sliding shut is accompanied with Hux's laugh. "Yes, mother."

Stalking around the bridge is simultaneously his favorite and least favorite thing to do. His childhood megalomania shrieks with joy any time he gets the opportunity to scare the Finalizer's officers, but his adulthood maturity makes him feel sympathetic towards those he frightens. Without Hux around, the general atmosphere of fear spikes immensely.

He paces back and forth, working up a frenzy with his movement. He feels Datoo's eyes on him, shifting glances from Unamo and her neighbor, and when he stops in front of a console, a sole presence dares to approach. Kylo Ren offers only a turn of his head as acknowledgment. The man is small, shaking. He clearly dreads his task. Kylo's helmet limits the use of his peripheral vision, but he catches the lieutenant's name as he mentally chants it and his serial number in preparation for the likely unfavorable news he must deliver to the Knight.

"Sir," Lieutenant Mitaka begins, "we were unable to acquire the droid on Jakku."

Kylo Ren remains wordless as he looks at Mitaka.

Chin quivering, Mitaka continues, "It escaped capture aboard a stolen Corellian YT model freighter."

It couldn't be... Ben had been forced to loan his father a First Order freighter in place of the one he'd lost. The thought of the bureaucratic and logistical nightmare it had been to give a First Order freighter to Han Solo in secret was enough to give him a headache. Instead, he settles for sarcasm. "The droid... stole a freighter?"

"Not exactly, sir. It had help>"

Help on Jakku. FN-2187, surely, but Poe? Dare he even think it - Rey? She'd certainly be old enough. Kylo Ren does not deign to say anything, knowing his silence speaks volumes.

Mitaka clears his throat. "We have no confirmation, but we believe FN-2187 may have been helped in the escape -"

(Anakin raises his arms like a conductor.)

Kylo Ren ignites his saber and slashes away at the console. All that resounds in his section of the bridge is a chorus of creaking metal and sparks flying around him, smoke billowing from the poor machinery. He doesn't know what the console is for, but the giant holes in it now make it clear it's not going to do anything else from then on out.

(More, hisses Anakin. Try to split the hull!)

Nothing is left of the console but red lines scored into the melted metal. A few buttons blink painfully, but the apparatus remains otherwise unresponsive. Five year-old Ben is greatly satisfied at the breadth of his destruction - living up to the name of the ahistorical Darth Caedus indeed. Kylo halts his huffing, giving a slight incline of his head. "Anything else?"

Mitaka audibly gulps. "The two were accompanied by a girl."

Rey. It has to be. It isn't even a conscious decision of Ben's to have Kylo Ren Force choke Mitaka, but Anakin seems to think otherwise, giving his triumphant applause. Kylo's shockangersurprise is genuine, and he squeezes the struggling Mitaka's throat even tighter.

Part of him is overjoyed at the confirmation of Rey's existence, but he's also deeply concerned. How did she even get the Falcon, let alone be able to pilot it alone? Little Ben always had Uncle Chewie and his long arms to help out, but FN-2187 had to be the gunner - there was no way they'd be able to evade an Order TIE fighter squadron alone - they had to shoot some down, and even piloting the freighter skillfully enough to get a number of clear shots? Alone? Impossible.

"What girl?" demands Kylo Ren. Ben just wants to be sure.

Mitaka is dropped on his feet, clutching at his throat as he fights to take in air. "A-a scavenger, we believe," he wheezes, "we can't be sure, sir -"

Kylo hoists him up, resting a firm hand on his throat and pooling energy into it. Ben knows his healing Mitaka will destroy the effect he'd spent the last five minutes creating, but he considers this a reward for him giving the correct answer. No officer that Kylo Ren has assaulted has lived to tell the tale. Mitaka will be the first.

To Ben's immense luck, Hux steps onto the bridge just in time to witness Kylo Ren's act of mercy. His brows pull together in consternation, but he makes no comment on the uncharacteristic kindness. Ben is sure that Hux has noted it. "Ren," Hux calls, like an annoyed owner hoping to cull his pet, "we have an audience." He casts a glance to the nearest communications officer. "Is the holochamber prepared?"

"Yes, sir."

At the cocksure turn of Hux's head, Kylo follows. He doesn't look back, but senses Mitaka's gratitude and files it away in his memory. Hux remains silent as they walk to the assembly chamber.

I wish you'd tell me what you're thinking, Kylo says quietly. He notes with dissatisfaction that Hux ignores the sensation of hand-holding Kylo attempts to impress upon him. Aodhan?

I'm thinking that we may be in trouble. Hux peeks at him through his periphery. The fact we let a simple droid get away with the single most important piece of information in the galaxy will not be lost on Him. As he reaches forward to key in the code for the assembly room, Ben sees that he's shaking. Let's just hope I'm not as expendable as you like to say I am.

Aodhan -

Shh.

Kylo bows his head in respect as he trails behind Hux. His death was nothing to joke about - they'll discuss the black humor later. "Supreme Leader," they greet in unison. Snoke's gaze is heavy on Kylo's shoulders. They have not spoken often - not since the days Kylo has been on the Finalizer and his search for Skywalker began in earnest. Any correspondence they'd had featured Hux's presence. Ben hopes that Snoke is not bothered by the absence of Kylo's requests for guidance.

"Raise your head, Kylo Ren," Snoke commands. Kylo dares to look up at Him, and sees a mixture of disappointment and interest. It is never a good look on Him, and it's probably a good thing that Kylo behaves so nervously. "The droid will soon be delivered to the Resistance, leading them to the last Jedi. If Skywalker returns, the new Jedi will rise."

Kylo opens his mouth to protest, but Hux cuts him off. "Supreme Leader, I take full responsibility for th -"

"General!" The Supreme Leader's voice echoes around the chamber, earsplitting and thundering. At Hux's wince, Ben reaches out clandestinely through the Force to rub gentle circles on his back. "Our strategy must now change."

Hux steels himself, eyes flicking quickly to Kylo then back to Snoke. "The weapon. It is ready. I believe the time has come to use it. We shall destroy the government that supports the Resistance, the Republic. Without their friends to protect them, the Resistance will be vulnerable, and we will stop them before they reach Skywalker."

Ben freezes, not daring to look at Hux and display the incredulity and fear storming inside. Both Snoke and Hux were well aware that Kylo Ren had despised Starkiller Base from the very beginning, and for a while it seemed as though Snoke was on Kylo's side. But Ben knows that death-like consternation well. Snoke passes the threshold of consideration, is about to set foot into agreement.

(I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.)

After seeing how profoundly great loss of life had affected Ben, Anakin and Obi-Wan had added something new to his curriculum - sensory dampening. They'd have to speed it along, if Snoke were to give the okay for Starkiller's destruction of the New Republic. If Ben had his way, he'd destroy Starkiller himself.

"Go," says Snoke, and Ben shatters. "Oversee preparations."

"Yes, Supreme Leader." Hux's look is nothing more than a petulant, childish 'in your face.' If only he knew the devastation he was going to enact on the galaxy. Kylo doesn't watch his general exit.

Snoke huffs through His deformed nose, a loud sound. "There's been an awakening. Have you felt it?"

"Yes," he says. Rey, he means.

The Supreme Leader's eyes flash, tentatively poking at Kylo's mind. Kylo opens up, tossing aside his previous thought, but is disconcerted at the near softness by which Snoke demands entry. "There's something more. The droid we seek is aboard the Millennium Falcon. In the hands of your father, Han Solo."

Kylo grits his teeth. "He means nothing to me," he insists.

"Even you," Snoke says, "master of the Knights of Ren, have never faced such a test."

"By the grace of your training, I will not be seduced." Ben lays his eyes on Anakin, who sits squarely in the middle of Snoke's head, illuminating the Supreme Leader's face with blue. Anakin nods at him.

Snoke mirrors the action unknowingly, seemingly convinced. "We shall see. We shall see."

Kylo Ren spins quickly on his heel and exits the chamber. Hux waits for him outside and moves to take his forearm. Ben steps away, refusing to look at him. Traitor! his posture screams.

"Ren," Hux murmurs, grabbing hold of him. "Just remember, this is for us. When the Resistance and Republic are crushed, you and I will be given leave to do as we please as rulers of the galaxy. The war will be over. Our galaxy, our empire will belong to its rightful monarchs."

Kylo glares at him, all venom through black transparisteel. "Your galaxy, your empire, would sooner be dust."

(OP) Oh my God this is a hell of an update. I FELT A LOT OF THINGS DURING THIS CHAPTER. But before that, one thing I think I forgot to mention in one of my last replies is that I really love how you weave the on-screen moments together with the off-screen ones; they flow together extraordinarily well, and that's still going strong here!

Anyway.

So admittedly my first thoughts during the first part of the chapter were, "this is going to end so badly, Ben my darling, oh God." I am just soooooo apprehensive about how Ben/Kylo's relationship to Hux is going to throw a spanner in Ben's double agent activities. (If it hasn't already somehow.)

And then I started giggling over Ben's inner six-year old being petty and easily delighted with the terror of the officers.

AND THEN YOU WROTE THIS:

(Anakin raises his arms like a conductor.)

I legit started laughing like a hyena. That line is probably my favorite thing in the entire fill so far. Oh my God, I love it. I fucking love it.

(Also, Mitaka. I have such a huge soft-spot for him. Poor darling.)

AAAAAaaaaaaaaaand the meeting with Snoke. My sense of foreboding doom immediately lit up and started shouting, BAD THINGS COMING BAD THINGS COMING OOOOHHHH BOY WE GOT BAD THINGS COMING FURTHER DOWN THE LINE. I am a ball of anxiety over what's going to happen we get deeper into the events of the movie.

That last, though. OUCH. It's Kylo talking, but it's definitely fueled by Ben's own horror, too, I think. Hell of thing to say, still, and I'm more than a gleefully delighted that Kylo got the last word in on that particular subject.

As always, an awesome update, and I look forward to the next one!

Ben soundly declines when Hux asks him to be on Starkiller during its inaugural speech. He has made it clear time and time again that he wants nothing to do with Starkiller, but Hux still hasn't gotten the message. Rather, he's trying to rewrite the message in his favor, Anakin hums quietly. He squeezes Ben's shoulders as he stands on the Finalizer's observation deck. They've spent the morning working on sensory exercises, and only time will tell if they actually work. All that Obi-Wan and Anakin have to work with is the destruction of Alderaan - devastating in its own right and sending Ben into a panic attack, but with Starkiller's beams trained on the Hosnian system, such pain was going to be magnified tenfold. Truth be told, Ben wasn't ready. But he was going to suffer through it. He had to.

The main viewport has held far too many memories of Hux, but this is where he finds himself gravitating towards anyways. The screen, upon which he used to watch the colors of Arkanis's moon dance, comes down slowly. Hux's speech will be broadcast throughout the galaxy - from First Order territory to Starkiller's own targets. It pains Ben to know that Hux's crazed gloating will be the last thing they ever see on a holoscreen.

"Lovely day, sir," says Mitaka, stepping beside him. Ben wonders what duties the officer has shirked to commiserate with him.

"For some," Kylo replies. Mitaka jumps, surprised that the Knight is being so talkative. "Not for many."

"Yes, I suppose that's so."

The screen flickers to life, the first shot sweeping over the assembly area on Starkiller. The camera comes close on Hux, his posture proud and self-righteous. Ben's heart aches at the cold, triumphant expression on his face. Oh, how he loves this man - this bright, witty, snappy, courageous, selfless man. And oh, how this man has turned so cruel, become the evil that Ben must eradicate.

"Today, is the end of the Republic. The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder!"

Mitaka straightens, shuffling on his feet. Ben wants to turn off the auditory input, but this is as much Kylo Ren's victory as it is the First Order's, so he can't, not without arousing suspicion. In spite of his protests, by the decree of Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo Ren agrees with the assault. He clenches his jaw and watches.

"At this very moment, in a system far from here the New Republic lies to the galaxy while secretly supporting the treachery of the loathsome Resistance," bellows Hux. "This fierce machine which you have built, upon which we stand, will bring an end to the Senate! To their cherished fleet! All remaining systems will bow to the First Order!"

Ben lowers his head, then catches Mitaka watching him. Kylo tips his head up, making the movement look more like an aborted nod rather than one of disheartened pain.

"And will remember this... as the last day of the Republic!"

In the wake of Hux's silence, thousands of Stormtroopers raise their fists in salute. Ben can sense the absorption of the system's sun before he sees it, the tendrils of warmth and vicious heat drawn into the super-weapon's core. The bright orange reminds him of the copper of Hux's hair under his quarters' maximum lighting. Mitaka inhales sharply at the sight - beauty, the harbinger of destruction. The illumination of the Hosnian system lasts for a brief second, before the sun is sucked into nothingness. Space is an eternal night, but now it is even more so.

There is a pause. Nothing happens, but Ben is assaulted from system-wide confusion - five planets worth of doubt questioning the validity of the First Order's audacious claims.

Then Starkiller fires. An angry beam erupts from the base, spearing the sky with rage and fury.

All at once, the confusion and uncertainty morphs into fear. It threatens to cave Ben's chest in. His palms grow sweaty in his gloves, his heart thunders in his ears. His legs tremble, impelling doom all to evident as crimson acrimony streaks across the viewport.

(as if trillions of voices suddenly cried out in terror)

The beam hits. He sees a mother's stricken fear - an older brother shields him with his body, but it's not enough, the flames burst through him and heat races up his arms - a spouse struggles to hold on as they crumble to dust - oh, gods, oh, gods where is his baby?! - please, gods, don't let him die like this; he was going to get married - the ground splits apart beneath him, sending him hurtling into the darkness below. He is empty, lifeless, floating in the void. The planet he once stood on is a new star, bright, mocking. The family he once loved is gone, nothing but particles drifting in open, vast space.

"Sir? Sir!"

(and were suddenly silenced)

Ben comes to on the floor of the observation deck. Mitaka cradles him gently, and he realizes that he is helmetless. Ben pants, never able to get enough air. His chest hurts, his limbs still remember the blaze. He rolls over to heave, nearly vomiting on Mitaka's immaculately ironed pants.

"Oh, Maker," Mitaka gasps, rubbing circles on Ben's back soothingly. Any earlier traces of fear he felt towards Kylo Ren are dissipated by an overwhelmingly good-natured desire to comfort him. "If I may ask, what happened, sir?"

Ben spits the taste of bile from his tongue and grunts, sitting up. He shrugs Mitaka's arm off. "The Force... I felt. I felt all of it. Everyone in the system, they..." He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to blot out the screams. Starkiller had wrought destruction far more than either Anakin or Obi-Wan had anticipated. It had to have been at least ten minutes since it fired, and Ben was still reeling in secondhand agony.

Once he's able to rise without his legs buckling, Kylo leaps to his feet and paces around the room, punching his gut. The concentration of pain will keep him grounded. A Sith technique learned from Snoke, but it serves better than Obi-Wan's demand that he clear his mind.

Mitaka clears his throat, still kneeling near the puddle of Ben's innards. "Sir, we've received news of the droid's location." While you were having your fit, Mitaka thinks but doesn't say. "It and the Millennium Falcon are on Takodana."

In Maz Kanata's castle, no doubt. Ben scoops his helmet up, already moving toward the door.

Wait. Wait! Anakin insists. Are you all right? Ben, you can't push yourself -

I have to. What has to be done must be done.

Ben almost falls to his knees planetside, but Anakin's Force-hold keeps him upright. Obi-Wan channels strength into him, and Ben feels his limbs get lighter already. Mind cleared, Rey's presence slaps him clear in the face. She's here.

And it's so strong. Something she touched has awoken her, removed Ben's mental block. But it wasn't a job well done. It was torn out of her head, releasing both her Force sensitivity and her memories. The latter is incomplete, a flood of images and feelings tinging the Force. She's conflicted, confused, and hasn't seen the full picture. Ben has to get to her.

He moves through the forest as quietly as he can, choking Stormtroopers along the way. He can't have any witnesses of his interaction with Rey. She leaves a thick trail behind, her power oozing from every pore. Ben hopes that she'll follow the trail of dead Stormtroopers back to him.

But he's closer to her than she is to him. When he rounds the tree, he senses the Stormtrooper approaching her and ignites his saber. He freezes mid-step when he finally lays his eyes on her.

She's gotten so big, nearly doubling in size in the last ten years. She clutches his father's blaster in her hand, BB-8 nowhere to be seen. At the sound of his saber, however, she whirls and fires.

Kylo instinctively raises his saber to block the bolt, an action that only invites her to fire some more. Suffice to say, this encounter is not going as planned. He pins her down with the Force. "The girl I've heard so much about," Ben breathes. "Rey, I -"

She's afraid. Rey is struggling not to cry and only now does he realize that it is him who is causing her distress and fear. "Rey," he murmurs, "let me explain." He dips into her mind, seeking to be gentle, but he comes to find a durasteel wall. Rey's blocking him out.

He panics. Searching through the exposed memories drifting through the Force, he realizes some are missing. Their first goodbye on Jakku, when he'd first left her there, their reunion four years later. There is nothing of her childhood on the Jedi Praxeum. She doesn't know who he is. "No," he says quietly.

X-Wings soar overhead, firing at the battle at Maz's castle. He doesn't have much time - the troopers will soon be outnumbered. "You know me," he pleads, voice groaning and low through the vocoder. "Rey, search your feelings. You know it to be true."

She's not listening, continuing to strain. Her fight-or-flight instincts are running wild, drowning out any words that come out of his mouth. He touches her face, and her eyes squeeze shut. Rey recognizes nothing but the agony in her head of him forcing memories into her mind. He wedges them in there, but in her anguish, they slip right back out.

"Sir, the Resistance fighters! We need more troops!" Kylo Ren flings the Stormtrooper aside, his neck snapping as he slams into a nearby tree. He reaches up to comm Datoo.

"Pull the division out. Forget the droid. We have what we need."

Ben flicks his wrist and Rey falls into his arms. He refuses to let go of her unconscious body even as he climbs into his command shuttle. He one-handedly activates the autopilot, and sits in the co-pilot's chair for the rest of the ascent to the Finalizer.

There is extreme and obvious incredulity and anger from the Force ghosts, but he chooses to ignore them. He has the excuse that she's seen the map, glimpsing it when he tried to restore her missing memories. He commands that they put her in his quarters, refusing to take his eyes off the stretcher First Order personnel wheel her away on.

He barely registers Hux beside him, hand squeezing his upper arm. "We finally have the map?" he says breathlessly. He's taken aback by the victories granted to them that day. Even though they'd lost the Battle of Takodana, they'd destroyed the Republic and retrieved the map to Skywalker in one fell swoop. "I'm impressed."

Hux clearly goes for a kiss, but Ben sidesteps him, offering a cheek instead of his lips. He forsakes Hux's warmth for the cold of his antechamber. He squats in front of Rey's chair, watching her sleep. She looks as peaceful in her rest as she had when she was nine, despite the circumstances that brought her here. The serenity in her expression is a dissonance Ben can force himself to accept.

He's letting his dreams run wild, he knows. The scions of Skywalker joined together to destroy the Supreme Leader. But he has been waning in loyalty, and here Rey is - the key to overpowering Snoke and a display of fealty all at once. He can 'drag' the information out of her, but knowing where Luke is won't help the First Order when both Rey and Ben appear at his side, ready to take on the Order as Anakin's legacy. Then it will be over. Now that Starkiller has destroyed the Hosnian system, bargaining for amnesty on Hux's behalf will be incredibly difficult, almost impossible. But if he can convince Poe to help, he's sure he can swing his mother around. His heart races in anticipation, never once considering the fact his dream might actually fail.

How long are you planning to wait? Anakin asks.

Ben puts his helmet on. As long as I have to.

(OP) Oh, Ben. D: I am so terrified right now, you brilliant, devious demon.

"You'd better have a good plan," Obi-Wan grumbles. Finally, Ben has snapped out of his trance and let the ghosts in. They wasted no time in expressing their disapproval with his reckless course of action. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Ben opens his mouth to reply, but is cut off when Rey wakes with a start. She swings her head left and right, struggling to take in her surroundings. "Where am I?" she demands.

Ben stands up, ignoring the protests of his knees. He doesn't know how long he's held that position. "You're my guest."

"Where are the others?"

"Han Solo? FN-2187?" He walks around her, seeking to release his frenetic energy through his pacing. It never occurs to him that he's circling her like a predator his prey. "I have no idea where any of them are. Not even the droid." He pauses, gleaming a prevalent thought in her mind. "You still want to kill me."

Rey scowls. "That happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask." She truly doesn't know who he is. She refuses to accept the memories she doesn't have, and it pains him.

"I was never a creature to you, cousin." Ben removes his helmet. "We used to be the best of friends."

Her eyes widen in surprise and disbelief. Them? Cousins? A ten year age difference isn't unheard of, but now she's wondering why he never came for her if they were really family. All that time, waiting for parents who wouldn't come, and here was a cousin who knew who she was and where she was. It can't be - no one who claimed to share her blood would ever be so cruel as to leave a child like her behind. "I don't know what you're talking about." She doesn't want to know what he's talking about.

"You've been a scavenger on Jakku ever since you were four. Your mother is dead, and your father is in hiding. My mother is your father's twin sister. Ergo, we are cousins." Realization dawns on her face before being quickly shut down by distrust. She refuses to accept a single word he says. "If you'd let me show you -"

She flinches at his raised hand, shrinking as her mental wall adds another row of bricks. He probes gently, only to be stopped by a stormy, dark cloud. No, Ben thinks, no, it can't possibly -

He crams his way in, breaking down the walls with enough force to make her cry. He has to root out the darkness, preventing it from taking hold. The very fact she was considering killing him spoke volumes. "You're so lonely," Ben whispers, stepping closer. "So afraid to leave..."

He sees Ahch-To in her mind, though Luke isn't present. She has seen the map - perhaps Anakin had even showed her Luke's location. The landscape morphs into a face. "And Han Solo. You feel like he's the father you never had. He would've made you proud, even if he was never there.

"I have to say, though, your real father - my uncle - was an altogether better influence than mine." Kylo smiles sadly. "No wonder you turned out so much better than me."

Rey cringes, shaking her head furiously. "Get out of my head!"

"I know you've seen the map. The missing piece of your father's puzzle. I know where he is. We can go to him. Together," Ben says. She doesn't believe him. He presses back into her mind with fervor. "Rey, please - listen to me. Now that you've regained your powers, you and I can end this war -"

"I won't give you anything," Rey snarls. She slams back with full force, pushing him out of her mind and back into his. It feels as though a spear rips through his skull, splitting his head open. Ben can't bite back the scream.

He fights back, but won't win - he knows this immediately. Pent up for fifteen years, her powers need an outlet - she'll find it through tearing Ben's mind apart. She dredges up his memories, ones he isn't strong enough to bury.

A loving hug with Seka and Qebru, turned into his cradling of their corpses after he'd killed them. Poe's gentle first kiss, tentative and sweet, then Poe's head slamming into the interrogation chair like the one Rey is strapped to. Han's goodbye to a ten year-old Ben, and then - no, that's not a memory - Han's face framed in red, his hand reaching up to touch Ben's cheek -

Go! Anakin thunders. He surges up through Ben and against Rey, forcing her out. Ben's head rings with emptiness, and Obi-Wan shoves him out the door. He stumbles, whimpering pathetically straight into a pair of arms.

"Ren?" Hux says, running his hands up and down Ben's arms. "Are... are you all right? What happened?" He looks at the closed doors to Kylo's quarters. "Ren, what happened? Is it the scavenger girl?"

"She's stronger than I realized, I - I got in over my head, Hux, she..." He struggles to get his breathing under control, allowing Hux to hold him to his chest. "I need to tell the Supreme Leader."

"I was about to collect you," Hux whispers into his hair, threading his fingers through his locks. Ben won't forget that Hux has the blood of trillions on remorseless hands, but he needs now to be held. "The Supreme Leader has demanded an audience, now that we have the girl and the map."

"I'm afraid we will not be getting it out of her any time soon," Kylo gasps. It doesn't take him long to get ready, collecting himself in an impromptu meditation. Whatever Rey did, it'll leave scars. It was messy, and altogether too esoteric for his liking. Ben is fractured, barely able to hold himself together. It's better to be Kylo for the time being, at least until Ben Organa-Solo is fully healed. The person as a whole doesn't agree with this, but Ben's safety comes first.

Hux splutters in disbelief. "She's just a child. She bested you?"

Kylo remains silent until he reaches the Supreme Leader, whose gaze is heavy with disappointment. He knows.

"The scavenger girl resisted you?" Snoke hisses. For some reason, His accusatory tone provokes Kylo more than Hux's did. It must be the lack of self-preservation that Ben had always pinned to him.

"She's strong with the Force, untrained, but stronger than she knows," Kylo protests. Hux senses his agitation, and it's his turn to provide mental comfort.

"And the droid?"

Kylo hesitates. Ben had been reckless, so swept up by reckless passion that he hadn't bothered to get a back-up in the case that Rey rejected him - which she just did. He opens his mouth to speak, but Hux steps forward instead.

"I believed it was no longer valuable to us," he says. Kylo stares at him, eyes wide. Years ago, Hux would've never taken the fall for him, no matter how much time they'd spent in each other's company. "The girl was all we needed. As a result, the droid has most likely been returned to the hands of the enemy. They may have the map already. It was my fault, Supreme Leader."

Snoke's rage is palpable, fervent. Hux steels himself, and Ben musters enough power to put up a temporary shield around his mind. Still piecing himself together after Rey's assault, he can't promise that the wall will be strong.

"Never," snarls Snoke, "in your career have I ever seen you so careless, general. The Resistance must be destroyed before they get to Skywalker."

With no further retribution forthcoming, Ben withdraws to lick his wounds. "We have their location," Kylo interjects. "We tracked their reconnaissance ship to the Ileenium system."

Snoke eyes him, already-mangled face twisting into a deeper scowl. "Good. Then we will crush them once and for all. Prepare the weapon."

What? No. That wasn't what he meant - how could he ever save them from Starkiller? Eager to appease the Supreme Leader, he'd doomed the Resistance. He had to try again, had to change His mind. "Supreme Leader, I can get the map form the girl. I just need your guidance."

Snoke doesn't look any closer to reneging on His command. At His nod, Hux marches off, briefly pausing to look at Kylo. Snoke leans back in His chair, steepling His bony fingers. "If what you say about this girl is true, bring her to me." Without further ado, the hologram promptly dissipates.

Rather than following Snoke's orders, Kylo instead follows Hux to Starkiller. If you can hear me, he sends to the ghosts, you have to get Rey out. The Supreme Leader is aware of her powers. He wants her.

Already done.

Hux gives him a worried look. Kylo Ren has never shown his face to anyone but him and the Supreme Leader. Kylo suspects that Phasma knows that he is human, but as far as everyone else is concerned, Kylo Ren might well be a droid. Hux doesn't comment on his missing accessory.

Kylo feels Ben resurfacing, and is almost too relieved to switch off personas. Kylo is often draining in his incessant anger, but the conflict within Ben leaves a frequent desire for escape. Ben blinks, adjusting his control. Holding multiple identities was a dangerous game, and while he was able to compartmentalize Kylo and Ben's idiosyncrasies, Rey's brutality had left him rattled and winded, the barriers of separation in his mind broken and allowing shelved thoughts to mingle wildly.

He can only watch as Hux gives the command to start charging up Starkiller, inputting the target coordinates. Ben needs to warn them, fast, but he doesn't know if they can evacuate the entire system before Starkiller fires. He isn't privy to the information vital to the escape - the numbers of the Resistance or their ships and capability. Even if he were able to warn them, there's no guarantee everyone would make it out of the destruction alive.

But wait - he's not the only turncoat they have. FN-2187 had been on Takodana with Ben's father and BB-8. With Rapier Squadron's timely rescue, he must've gotten back to D'Qar and was helping them mount an offensive against the First Order.

His parents have dealt with Death Stars before. They'll know what to do.

"Lord Ren, sir," Rodinon calls, and is startled when both Hux and Kylo turn to look. "The scavenger girl has escaped."

I knew it was a mistake, having her moved, Hux thinks. Kylo rounds on him - he'd wanted her on the Finalizer in the event of an escape. If she somehow was rid of her restraints, she'd have nowhere to go. There was no FN-2187 to provide cover. "You did what?" Kylo snaps.

Hux says nothing, only looks at him expressionlessly.

The sensation of a ship's engine roaring hits him. Anakin is trying to tell him something. Fury crackling in every fiber of his body, Kylo stalks toward Rodinon, shouldering past him when the bewildered officer fails to move out of the way. "Put every hanger on lockdown. She's going to try to steal a ship to escape."

(Something's coming, something's coming, something's coming.)

A ship lands on the planet, having broken through the shields. It holds three presences - two human, one alien. The alien has fur, the ship carries explosives, and is a freighter. Ben inhales sharply, turning to look at the sun being absorbed by Starkiller. Hux is still watching him, eyes now hinting at curiosity and apprehensiveness.

"He's here," Kylo Ren says. "Han Solo."

(OP) *whimpering and rocking back and forth* Oh god oh god it's so good and terrifying and heartbreaking oh god oh god oh god please don't kill Han I think I will break oh god oh god oh god oh god

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PROMPT POST #1 - CLOSED

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FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (2f/?)

Re: FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (2f/?)

FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3a/?)

Re: FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3a/?)

a!A - Re: FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3a/?)

FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3b/?)

Re: FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3b/?)

FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3c/?)

Re: FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3c/?)

FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3d/?)

Re: FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3d/?)

FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3e/?)

Re: FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (3e/?)

FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (4a/?)

Re: FILL - Ben/Poe, Hux/Kylo - Kylo Ren is a double agent for the Resistance - (4a/?)