The lone stormtrooper entered the throne room and Snoke looked up bemused, almost bored. “Why don’t you take that helmet off, can’t be comfortable for a woman of your age, Princess Leia.”
Leia yanked off the stormtrooper helmet and tossed it to the side, sensing the doors being locked. “I get around just fine for a woman of my age.” She peeled off pieces of the armor, tossing the pieces around the throne room. Snoke watched her littering without commenting on it.
“You think the blaster will help you?”
“I feel better with one in my hand. Old habit you understand.”
“Why did you come here Princess? There is no way out for you or the shapeshifter you are distracting General Hux with.”
“The shapeshifter is facing a death sentence on five systems and his health fails by the day. He wanted to do something noble at the end. So I offered him a chance to help me rescue my son.”
“Your son is dead, remade into Kylo Ren, currently the plaything of General Hux.” Snoke reached out and grabbed the blaster with the force and tugged. “When remade after his time with Hux he will be a much more obedient apprentice.”
Leia hung onto the blaster, “I will have you know that Ben is a stellar young man, someone worth fighting for.” She let go of the blaster.
Snoke set the blaster on the arm of his throne. “You must realize that Kylo Ren in no way resembles the son you lost to my tutelage.”
“Not what I’ve heard.”
“From the pathetic thugs known as the Knights of Ren?” he scoffed, “You should know better than to trust such low creatures.”
Leia smiled, “They’re my kind of people.”
“So I’ve noticed.” He studied her, “You are hiding something.”
“Let’s see, you already sussed to the fact I’ve come to rescue my son, you figured out the shapeshifter, the interrogation of which should tie up valuable resources, no I think you have it all.”
Snoke probed harder and the walls around her mind thickened and grew firmer, “What impressive shielding you have around your mind, I will get in to know the truth.”
She scoffed, “I’ve kept stronger and more talented minds out of mine for years. Compared to Darth Vader you are nothing more than a lucky amateur.”
Snoke seethed, “I stole your son from you using the power of my mind. Even right under Luke Skywalker’s nose. He came to me willingly, gave himself to me willingly, body and soul.” Snoke said, then noticed her serenity, “You don’t seem bothered by that statement.”
“I’m bothered, but the only thing that will save Ben is me being calm, trusting in the Force and not allowing a creep like you to upset me. I have a temper, much like my biological father’s, a temper poor Ben had the misfortune to inherit.” She said, “As for Luke, he still has an edge of naivety about him, and his life experience was different from mine. As for Ben, you manipulated a child, nothing a garden variety pedophile couldn’t do.”
Snoke growled and threw bolts of energy. Leia stood her ground, holding her lightsaber up as a shield. She only halfway lowered it when he finished, “Did I hit a nerve?”
Snoke raised his hands and threw more energy in her direction, Leia deflected these blasts as well. He stopped, enraged that the Princess was still on her feet, then he became aware of a stirring in the Force, a powerful presence very nearby.
Snoke scowled, “What have you done?”
“Made few deals, made a few plans,” Leia kept the lightsaber ready, “What I had to do to save my son.”
*
Hux looked at the readout on the bio scanner, ordered the interrogation room sealed until he returned and ran for his quarters. He ran past the guards on his door and straight to the bedroom and found it empty. He slapped the wall, swore and ran back to talk to the guards. “Where did he go?”
“No one has gone in or out.”
Hux didn’t like the robotic response, “Are you sure?”
“No one has gone in or out.”
Hux returned to his quarters and called up the security feed for the hallway outside his quarters, watched the shift change, then watched four stormtroopers come to the door, one of whom waved a hand in front of the guards and they were let in. After about half an hour later the stormtroopers left. Hux straightened up and began checking all the closets and finally found the armor-less stormtrooper in the refresher.
He headed for the bridge to have them check for any departures, but they don’t find anything other than a regular troop transfer.
*
Snoke tried to make sense of what he was sensing in the force, “You mean to kill me.”
“I mean to stop you, if that means your death, fine. If it means my death, fine. I have been fighting against foes larger than me for decades. Your General Hux called me a terrorist. So be it, even if he is my son’s other rapist.”
“You cannot defeat me with a lightsaber.”
Leia smiled and closed the lightsaber, securing it to her belt in the back, calling the stormtrooper’s helmet to her hand. “I don’t intend to kill you with a lightsaber. Terrorist, remember?” She put the helmet on as the room filled with explosions.
*
Hux had been on his way to the throne room when the alarms went off. Hux arrived in the throne room, where all but one of the praetorian guards were dead and Snoke himself was dead, torn to pieces from an explosion. Hux staggered from the implications when the sound of the escape vehicle being launched distracted him. He ran to a panel and shouted, “Stop that escape craft!”
The bridge tried but then reported, “It doesn’t show on our sensors, someone has engaged the sensor cloaking device.”
Hux sighed, “Summon the Generals, Supreme Leader Snoke is dead.”
*
Rey rubbed his back, “Ben?” he continued to retch and one of the Knights cracked open the door and handed Rey a bottle of cloudy fluid, she looked at it and asked, “What is this?”
“Rehydration fluid.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you.”
He fought her but eventually drank part of the bottle, but just couldn’t after a few swallows. She held him in her arms and they finally crawled out of the refresher and sat on one of the seats. Rey sat next to him and he slumped over, laying his head on her lap, and began humming softly. She stroked his scalp, gently twisting his hair between her fingers.
“You feel satisfaction.” He told her.
“I’ve always been impressed by your hair, wondering if it was as soft as it looked.”
“Ah.”
Poe kept his distance, watching Rey comfort Kylo Ren. He sighed and checked his chronometer. Ushar entered the cabin with a tray and set it next to Rey. “We’ve got about half an hour before her deadline.”
“Thank you.” Rey said to the knight, then asked Kylo, “Do you…”
“No.” he said sternly, then softer, “Thank you.”
Trudgen offered a water bottle to Poe who accepted it. “You’re suddenly very quiet.”
Kylo looked at the knight in question dressed in stormtrooper armor and asked, “Trudgen?” got a crisp nod of confirmation, “Trudgen can’t talk without the vocoder, a long time ago someone cut out their vocal cords. And the standby doesn’t fit inside a storm trooper helmet.” He settled back into Rey’s lap and she resumed her gentle stroking of his hair.
Trudgen moved their hands in what Poe recognized as a common signing language, “What’s he saying?”
Kylo didn’t answer right away, “No, I still feel swaddled.” He put serious disgust on that last word.
“There’s a ship approaching, no beacons, visual contact only.”
Kylo looked up and Rey gasped, “It’s the General!”
The docking port was extended and there was noise and fuss as they brought Leia on board.
“Go ahead and ditch that craft.” She ordered once on board, then brushed past Poe and the others to kneel in front of Kylo, still on Rey’s lap, “Oh Ben,” Leia reached out and touched his face, tears falling down her face.
“Please don’t cry over me,”
Leia kissed him on the forehead, then tucked her face in the crook of his neck sliding one arm around him, “You are my son, I’ll cry if I want.”
He returned the embrace as best he could. Then asked, “Is that your lightsaber?” He pulled back and looked at her, “You faced down Snoke with only a lightsaber?”
“Of course not.” Leia said, “There were explosives involved. Rey trade with me.”
Rey sized up the older woman, “You should get checked out first.”
“I’m fine.”
Kylo scoffed and said, “Do you want me to tell them about the times you’ve said that and weren’t?” When he saw she was going to argue he continued, “I can smell the explosive residue.”
Leia sighed and gave his face one more gentle caress. “Fine.”
*
Leia had finished explaining her part in the plan and paused to sip some water. Kylo was sitting next to her, at some point having drifted over onto her shoulder. “Wait, is this the same shifter that tried impersonating you on Ord Plantel?”
“The one you wound up biting? Yes.” Leia gently tousled his hair. “Ben saw through the shifter’s disguise and when the adults around him didn’t listen he took matters into his own teeth.” Leia let him slump over onto her lap so she could look into his face. “I’m sorry we didn’t hear what was happening, but we need your help, then and now. We can’t rely on the First Order ripping itself apart.”
“Can we wait until the drugs wear off? I don’t want to throw up on you.”
Leia leaned over and stage whispered, “Would not be the first time you have thrown up on me.” Leia accepted a rag from Rey, “But yes, we can wait until the drugs wear off. Get some rest, sweetie. We have a lot of work ahead.”
Re: FILL - Re: Leia and Ben - A Mother's Love
The lone stormtrooper entered the throne room and Snoke looked up bemused, almost bored. “Why don’t you take that helmet off, can’t be comfortable for a woman of your age, Princess Leia.”
Leia yanked off the stormtrooper helmet and tossed it to the side, sensing the doors being locked. “I get around just fine for a woman of my age.” She peeled off pieces of the armor, tossing the pieces around the throne room. Snoke watched her littering without commenting on it.
“You think the blaster will help you?”
“I feel better with one in my hand. Old habit you understand.”
“Why did you come here Princess? There is no way out for you or the shapeshifter you are distracting General Hux with.”
“The shapeshifter is facing a death sentence on five systems and his health fails by the day. He wanted to do something noble at the end. So I offered him a chance to help me rescue my son.”
“Your son is dead, remade into Kylo Ren, currently the plaything of General Hux.” Snoke reached out and grabbed the blaster with the force and tugged. “When remade after his time with Hux he will be a much more obedient apprentice.”
Leia hung onto the blaster, “I will have you know that Ben is a stellar young man, someone worth fighting for.” She let go of the blaster.
Snoke set the blaster on the arm of his throne. “You must realize that Kylo Ren in no way resembles the son you lost to my tutelage.”
“Not what I’ve heard.”
“From the pathetic thugs known as the Knights of Ren?” he scoffed, “You should know better than to trust such low creatures.”
Leia smiled, “They’re my kind of people.”
“So I’ve noticed.” He studied her, “You are hiding something.”
“Let’s see, you already sussed to the fact I’ve come to rescue my son, you figured out the shapeshifter, the interrogation of which should tie up valuable resources, no I think you have it all.”
Snoke probed harder and the walls around her mind thickened and grew firmer, “What impressive shielding you have around your mind, I will get in to know the truth.”
She scoffed, “I’ve kept stronger and more talented minds out of mine for years. Compared to Darth Vader you are nothing more than a lucky amateur.”
Snoke seethed, “I stole your son from you using the power of my mind. Even right under Luke Skywalker’s nose. He came to me willingly, gave himself to me willingly, body and soul.” Snoke said, then noticed her serenity, “You don’t seem bothered by that statement.”
“I’m bothered, but the only thing that will save Ben is me being calm, trusting in the Force and not allowing a creep like you to upset me. I have a temper, much like my biological father’s, a temper poor Ben had the misfortune to inherit.” She said, “As for Luke, he still has an edge of naivety about him, and his life experience was different from mine. As for Ben, you manipulated a child, nothing a garden variety pedophile couldn’t do.”
Snoke growled and threw bolts of energy. Leia stood her ground, holding her lightsaber up as a shield. She only halfway lowered it when he finished, “Did I hit a nerve?”
Snoke raised his hands and threw more energy in her direction, Leia deflected these blasts as well. He stopped, enraged that the Princess was still on her feet, then he became aware of a stirring in the Force, a powerful presence very nearby.
Snoke scowled, “What have you done?”
“Made few deals, made a few plans,” Leia kept the lightsaber ready, “What I had to do to save my son.”
*
Hux looked at the readout on the bio scanner, ordered the interrogation room sealed until he returned and ran for his quarters. He ran past the guards on his door and straight to the bedroom and found it empty. He slapped the wall, swore and ran back to talk to the guards. “Where did he go?”
“No one has gone in or out.”
Hux didn’t like the robotic response, “Are you sure?”
“No one has gone in or out.”
Hux returned to his quarters and called up the security feed for the hallway outside his quarters, watched the shift change, then watched four stormtroopers come to the door, one of whom waved a hand in front of the guards and they were let in. After about half an hour later the stormtroopers left. Hux straightened up and began checking all the closets and finally found the armor-less stormtrooper in the refresher.
He headed for the bridge to have them check for any departures, but they don’t find anything other than a regular troop transfer.
*
Snoke tried to make sense of what he was sensing in the force, “You mean to kill me.”
“I mean to stop you, if that means your death, fine. If it means my death, fine. I have been fighting against foes larger than me for decades. Your General Hux called me a terrorist. So be it, even if he is my son’s other rapist.”
“You cannot defeat me with a lightsaber.”
Leia smiled and closed the lightsaber, securing it to her belt in the back, calling the stormtrooper’s helmet to her hand. “I don’t intend to kill you with a lightsaber. Terrorist, remember?” She put the helmet on as the room filled with explosions.
*
Hux had been on his way to the throne room when the alarms went off. Hux arrived in the throne room, where all but one of the praetorian guards were dead and Snoke himself was dead, torn to pieces from an explosion. Hux staggered from the implications when the sound of the escape vehicle being launched distracted him. He ran to a panel and shouted, “Stop that escape craft!”
The bridge tried but then reported, “It doesn’t show on our sensors, someone has engaged the sensor cloaking device.”
Hux sighed, “Summon the Generals, Supreme Leader Snoke is dead.”
*
Rey rubbed his back, “Ben?” he continued to retch and one of the Knights cracked open the door and handed Rey a bottle of cloudy fluid, she looked at it and asked, “What is this?”
“Rehydration fluid.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you.”
He fought her but eventually drank part of the bottle, but just couldn’t after a few swallows. She held him in her arms and they finally crawled out of the refresher and sat on one of the seats. Rey sat next to him and he slumped over, laying his head on her lap, and began humming softly. She stroked his scalp, gently twisting his hair between her fingers.
“You feel satisfaction.” He told her.
“I’ve always been impressed by your hair, wondering if it was as soft as it looked.”
“Ah.”
Poe kept his distance, watching Rey comfort Kylo Ren. He sighed and checked his chronometer. Ushar entered the cabin with a tray and set it next to Rey. “We’ve got about half an hour before her deadline.”
“Thank you.” Rey said to the knight, then asked Kylo, “Do you…”
“No.” he said sternly, then softer, “Thank you.”
Trudgen offered a water bottle to Poe who accepted it. “You’re suddenly very quiet.”
Kylo looked at the knight in question dressed in stormtrooper armor and asked, “Trudgen?” got a crisp nod of confirmation, “Trudgen can’t talk without the vocoder, a long time ago someone cut out their vocal cords. And the standby doesn’t fit inside a storm trooper helmet.” He settled back into Rey’s lap and she resumed her gentle stroking of his hair.
Trudgen moved their hands in what Poe recognized as a common signing language, “What’s he saying?”
Kylo didn’t answer right away, “No, I still feel swaddled.” He put serious disgust on that last word.
“There’s a ship approaching, no beacons, visual contact only.”
Kylo looked up and Rey gasped, “It’s the General!”
The docking port was extended and there was noise and fuss as they brought Leia on board.
“Go ahead and ditch that craft.” She ordered once on board, then brushed past Poe and the others to kneel in front of Kylo, still on Rey’s lap, “Oh Ben,” Leia reached out and touched his face, tears falling down her face.
“Please don’t cry over me,”
Leia kissed him on the forehead, then tucked her face in the crook of his neck sliding one arm around him, “You are my son, I’ll cry if I want.”
He returned the embrace as best he could. Then asked, “Is that your lightsaber?” He pulled back and looked at her, “You faced down Snoke with only a lightsaber?”
“Of course not.” Leia said, “There were explosives involved. Rey trade with me.”
Rey sized up the older woman, “You should get checked out first.”
“I’m fine.”
Kylo scoffed and said, “Do you want me to tell them about the times you’ve said that and weren’t?” When he saw she was going to argue he continued, “I can smell the explosive residue.”
Leia sighed and gave his face one more gentle caress. “Fine.”
*
Leia had finished explaining her part in the plan and paused to sip some water. Kylo was sitting next to her, at some point having drifted over onto her shoulder. “Wait, is this the same shifter that tried impersonating you on Ord Plantel?”
“The one you wound up biting? Yes.” Leia gently tousled his hair. “Ben saw through the shifter’s disguise and when the adults around him didn’t listen he took matters into his own teeth.” Leia let him slump over onto her lap so she could look into his face. “I’m sorry we didn’t hear what was happening, but we need your help, then and now. We can’t rely on the First Order ripping itself apart.”
“Can we wait until the drugs wear off? I don’t want to throw up on you.”
Leia leaned over and stage whispered, “Would not be the first time you have thrown up on me.” Leia accepted a rag from Rey, “But yes, we can wait until the drugs wear off. Get some rest, sweetie. We have a lot of work ahead.”