Prejudice

By Sapadu

A/N: I know that you guys are waiting for an update on my other fics, but they're hard to write. Seriously, YOU don't write the story- the characters do. And, right now, the characters for Prince and CMC are on strike. Or they're fighting with each other. In the meantime, I was reading the Star Wars tales comics, so THIS happened.

"I think I need a new life/ I think I'll start it over/ where no one knows my name... I think I need a sunrise/ I'm tired of sunset/ I hear it's nice in summer/ but some snow would be nice"

- "Boston" Augustana

Ben first noticed the stranger on the ledge of the roof. It was a large ledge- one that Ben could have walked around the roof, completely out of sight of anyone unless they were flying an airspeeder, and not worried about falling off. It was also, therefore, the ideal hiding spot when he wanted to get away from his parents and the other Masters. Now was such a moment- today had been tough for training, his mom was away for her Jedi duties, and his dad was also apparently under a lot of stress, because he'd reverted to his old habit of trying to smother Ben with affection to stop himself from worrying so much.

The stranger was sitting right on the spot Ben usually occupied. His legs were folded and crossed and his hands were on his knees, almost like he was meditating. Ben frowned for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"Um... sir?" Ben asked. He almost felt resentful of this stranger, as if he'd stolen Ben's hiding spot, before the man turned around. His clothes were a plain, civilian gray, but his face was smooth and almost young, except for a few wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead. His hair was dark brown, but streaked with lighter strands and even a few that were already gray, matching perfectly with his misted over eyes.

"Oh, am I in the way?" The stranger asked. Ben's feeling of being usurped was replaced with a feeling of intruding- he couldn't say 'Yes' like he planned to, but he couldn't lie and say 'No' so he settled for shrugging.

The stranger pushed himself to the side, as though inviting Ben to sit next to him. Instead of doing so, Ben leaned on the duracrete railing, frowning as the stranger continued to stare straight ahead, as though watching something in the sunset.

"Um... sir?" Ben asked. Again, the stranger turned, "Um... do you mind... if I ask what you're doing up here?"

The stranger blinked for a moment, but turned away again.

"I just needed a place to sleep." He said, simply. Ben blinked for a moment, before he climbed over the railing and sat down on the ledge next to the stranger, legs stretched out. Indeed, right next to the man was a knapsack with stitches and patches all over it.

"Um... the ledge of a roof isn't exactly the best place to go." Ben pointed out, "Why don't you go to... I dunno... an inn or a transport station?"

The stranger smiled. His left cheek wrinkled and scrunched up into a ball, but the right half of his face just barely twitched, resulting in a lopsided smile that Ben could have sworn he'd seen before.

"This is the Jedi Temple. I can't think of a place in the galaxy that could be safer." The stranger returned.

"...Dude, how did you GET up here, anyway?" Ben asked, ignoring his point, "The only way to get to the roof is to climb the stairs, and you're not allowed past the first floor unless you're a Jedi or something like that."

The stranger sat up straighter- Ben saw something flash on his chest, like a medal or a buckle or something.

"I'll leave if that's what you want- I'm not here for trouble." The stranger offered. Ben resisted the urge to snarl.

"I didn't SAY that..." He muttered, sullenly, before changing the subject, "Hey, if you need a place to sleep, why don't you just come inside?" The stranger tipped his head to the side, "I mean... this is a Temple and stuff- nobody's gonna turn you out, 'cuz that be... um... you know... like..." Ben fumbled for a word before the stranger supplied,

"Uncharitable?"

"Yeah... I mean, everyone's a Jedi in there, so it's not like they'll just make you sleep on the streets." Ben finally managed to finish his thought, risking a glance over at the stranger.

For a moment, Ben could have sworn he saw the stranger look surprised, or possibly even smile, but it changed into a scoff at the last moment, as though Ben had said something funny.

"What? What're you laughing at?" Ben demanded. The stranger's upper lip remained curled in a sneer.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to talk to strangers?" He finally asked. Ben could feel his face and ears turning red- seriously, he was just being NICE and someone MOCKED him for it? Didn't THIS guy's parents teach him manners?

Ben's hand shot out, fingers outstretched.

"My name's Ben. What's yours?" It was really more of a command than a question, but it seemed to appropriately rob the stranger of any snide comeback. Instead, he started to snicker, a hand coming up to cover his mouth, "WHAT?"

The stranger recovered. Ben could see a real smile from between his fingers, and it reached his eyes this time.

"Our names rhyme." The stranger explained, pointing to himself, "My name is Ken."

Ben stared at Ken's grin crept back, then started to smile himself, dissolving into snickers at the same time as Ken. It only lasted a minute, as they both made twisted faces.

"...Not that funny, is it?" Ken asked, looking thoroughly disgusted with himself for laughing. Ben nodded.

"Not really." He agreed, before pulling himself over the railing and back onto the roof, "C'mon- Dad said it's supposed to rain tonight." Ben heard the rustling of a bag being picked up as his feet hit the rooftop.

"Is your father a Jedi, too?" Ken asked, more than just a hint of confusion in his voice. Ben sighed and prepared himself for the inevitable reaction that he STILL didn't like when people heard his last name.

"Yeah... I'm Ben Skywalker. Dad's the Grand Master." He explained, then waited for the gasp of shock or the squeal of delight followed by 'YOU'RE the son of LUKE SKYWALKER?' that people always gave.

"Oh. I didn't know Luke had gotten married." Was all Ken said. Ben paused for a moment, waiting for something more, before it occurred to him that Ken wasn't going to elaborate. Ben looked back over his shoulder as Ken climbed over the railing.

"Why're you calling him Lu-AUGH!" Ben forgot his question as Ken straightened and hoisted his knapsack over his back. On their feet, Ken was easily twice Ben's height.

"What?" Ken asked, before he looked down at himself, then back at Ben, "Yeah- I get that a lot. Don't worry- my father was tall too. We got used to it."

Ben pulled a face.

"Lucky jerk."

Ben woke up to a warm, aluminum can being pressed to his forehead. His eyes opened to see Ken sitting on the wall over him, holding a can of his own and keeping the second steady on Ben's face.

"Hey."

Ben blinked.

"Hi." He reached up and took the can from Ken, sitting up enough to read the label. Cafe with blue milk, "Um... This for me?" Ben finally managed, brain still half asleep. Ken nodded as Ben kicked off his covers and scooted over on the mattress, "Could you..." Ken remained in place, staring at Ben, "... NOT sit on the wall?"

Ken cocked an eyebrow and looked around the rest of Ben's room, from the dirty clothes on the floor to the overflowing trash can and mess of other personal possessions.

"Seriously- you look like a spider just sitting there without holding onto the wall to stay put or anything." Ben insisted, smacking his pillow as though there were a cockroach on it or something. Ken smirked, but did as he was told.

"You know, most boys your age would be wary of a creepy old man sitting on their bed while they're still in pajamas." Ken popped open the lid to his can of cafe with a fingernail, completely ignoring the disgusted look Ben gave him.

"Okay, seriously- how do you GET up here, anyway- there was yesterday, and I KNOW I locked my door..." Ben vowed to hit Ken with his own can if he didn't get an answer this time. Ken lifted his other hand and reached over his head to point at Ben's window.

"That wasn't."

Ben stared at Ken for a few moments as the older man kept sipping his own cafe, eyes closed.

"...Dude... did you scale the Temple?" Ben pointed at Ken, whose eyes were still closed.

"Mmmm..." Ken stalled, before finally saying, "Yeah... sure... why not?"

Ben continued to stare before he finally popped open his drink and took a gulp. Almost immediately, he spat it back into the can as the cafe nearly took the roof off of his mouth.

"So... you can sit on the wall like a spider, you climb the outside of the Jedi Temple to get to the roof... AND you knew without even asking that I like cafe and blue milk..." Ben finally mumbled, before cocking an eyebrow at Ken, "...Are you a Jedi, too?"

Ken's eyes slowly opened, but he didn't meet Ben's gaze.

"...Your father was rather interested in why YOU weren't with me when I went in to ask for somewhere to sleep for the night." Ken finally said, chugging the last of his cafe. Ben made another face.

"Oh, yeah, because I was just supposed to go into his meditation and say 'Hey, Dad- some strange homeless man was trying to sleep on our roof. Can I keep him?'" Ben asked, sarcastically. Ken shrugged and crushed the can between his two fingers.

"You should have- technically, you had first dibs, since YOU were the one who found me." Ben started sipping his much cooler cafe again, but kept his eyes on Ken, frowning, "After the Council meeting to decide my 'Official status', Luke asked me to teach a class on healing techniques for the younglings."

Ben stopped himself from spitting out his cafe, but some of it did backfire into his nose.

"Wait... you're TEACHING?" Ben asked. Ken gave him a Look.

"You find a homeless guy sitting on your roof, but there's not so much as a scratch on him? Either he crashes at a medcenter and is really good friends with a nurse, or he knows how to take care of himself."

"Well, you've got a point there... But I MEANT, like, Dad just offered? You just walked in and he asked you if you wanted to teach?" Ben kept frowning.

"Oh no- he asked me to have a seat, first." Ben gave Ken a dirty look, "It's a perk that comes from being an old apprentice."

"Oh." Ben muttered, but perked up as the realization set in, "So... you gonna stay, then?" Ken was busy crunching the can into a ball.

"Seems that way." He said, before standing up and opening the door with a wave of his hand, "See you this afternoon if you're in the class."

Weeks went by with Ken either popping through Ben's window at the worst moments just to annoy him, or Ben retaliating by showing up at classes in obvious disguises just to act obnoxious. Either incident was usually resolved over canned drinks from a machine somewhere.

"Ken, something I've been meaning to ask..." Ben finally mentioned as they sat on the stairs with juiceboxes. Ken unwrapped the end of his straw and blew the wrapper at Ben before he stuck the straw into his drink.

"Mm?" Ken didn't even seem fazed as Ben repeated the gesture with slightly more venom.

"Is there something about my dad that you don't like or something?" Ken's eyes snapped open as he frowned. Ben scooted away a little, in case he'd said the wrong thing.

"...No. What gave you that idea?" Ken finally replied as Ben relaxed.

"Well... when we met on the roof and I mentioned my dad was Luke Skywalker... you didn't... y'know, freak over it, or anything." Ken's eyes swiveled over in Ben's direction and his straw went flat as he sucked, so Ben quickly added, "I don't WANT you to, or anything, but it just... kind of threw me off."

Ken was quiet for a long time before he finished his drink and crushed the box. It had taken him a minute and thirty seconds, and Ben hadn't even opened his yet.

"I don't see any reason why I SHOULD have, if that's what you're asking." Ben poked his straw through the box lid, still focused on Ken's words.

"But why?" Ben pressed. Ken frowned a little, before he answered.

"Well... he's your dad, right?" Ben started sipping his drink, "But that's all- he's just your dad. It's not like that changes who you are... I didn't see why I should treat you differently just because your dad's a famous Jedi, even if he WAS my old master... you're still you, right?" Ken didn't look in Ben's direction, the wrinkles in his forehead growing deeper as he kept frowning. Ben released his straw from his lips, cocking his head to the side in something of amazement.

"So... wait... you didn't flip out over who my dad was... because you didn't want to treat ME unfairly?" Ben clarified, slowly. Ken shrugged.

"...The way I see it... it doesn't make a difference who our parents or grandparents are... so Anakin Skywalker was a Dark Lord of the Sith and Luke Skywalker's a famous Jedi war hero... Ben Skywalker is Ben Skywalker... you're still your own man."

Ben kept blinking, before he started to grin.

"That's really cool of you."

All in all, Ben admitted, it wasn't too bad having someone to talk to who didn't talk down to him because he was a kid, but also didn't treat him specially just because he was Master Skywalker's son. It was even cooler that Ken seemed to actually enjoy it when Ben came to act up in class and cause him trouble- almost like he understood that Ben was only doing it because he wanted an excuse for their daily canned cafe on the roof or steps or wherever.

Later, Ben realized he should have known it was too good to last.

As much as Ben tried to ignore it, the Jedi Temple was also home to the other Masters and students of the Jedi Order. He avoided them the best he could, but Ken, being one of the instructors, did not have that happy privledge, which also meant he could not avoid confrontations and arguments with the other Masters, especially when it came to teaching methods.

"My point is that dissection labs are not appropriate for Jedi Apprentices, even medical students, of that age range. You should be focused more on their control of the Force for healing purposes." Ben didn't know the other Master's name, nor did he really care- they all mostly looked the same to Ben, because they all mostly treated him the same way.

"Teaching them how to use the Force is pointless if they don't understand basic anatomy and physiology, first. That's the way all medical liscenses start, from pharmacology to psychiatry." Ken pointed out. Maybe it was bias, but Ben was in Ken's corner- the dissection lectures were cooler than the old Force exercises.

"It's unsafe." The Master argued.

"I never let students handle the dangerous instruments and ensure everyone is wearing gloves and masks during labs." Ken refuted.

"Not that- it's not healthy for developing Jedi to be exposed to something dark like that."

"There's nothing dark about it- the organs were all donated by terminal patients who specifically asked their bodies be given to the Jedi Temple for healers in training to study."

"Of course YOU say that- why don't you tell all the students why you don't want them to address you by your last name like they do all of the other Masters?"

Ben saw Ken's nostrils flare a little and his pupils dialate, but his voice remained calm.

"That's not the issue here..."

"The ISSUE is that one of our instructors is inherently biased towards the Dark Side Arts because his grandfather was the late Emperor."

The silence was so thick that Ben could almost drink it up. He didn't- it tasted foul.

"...That has nothing to do with it." Ken finally said. How he managed to speak without his voice cracking, Ben would never know.

"It has EVERYTHING to do with it- how are we supposed to trust you with the learners when we know about THAT?"

Ben had never seen so much red before.

"Hey, SHUT UP!" Ben felt his voice crack and go up an octave, but he didn't care- his ears were hot and buzzing and his nails were digging into his palms so hard that he could feel the bruises. It also was enough to shock the Masters into complete and utter silence.

"What do YOU know about it? What's it matter that his grandfather was a Sith or whatever? He's still a Jedi- he's still one of us!" If Ben could have seen his face at that moment, he would have laughed at himself- his ears and neck grew redder and redder until they were the same shade as his hair, and the corners of his mouth kept going down and down until they almost went off his face completely.

"...Th-that's not the point... the fact is he still has an inclination towards..." The Master wasn't shouting at Ben, but that just made him angrier that he wasn't even being listened to.

"INCLINATION, MY ASS!" Ben's voice cracked again, "Ken is STILL Ken. He's NOT this Emperor guy and he's NOT his father, he's KEN. He's still HIS OWN MAN!"

All of the Masters were gaping at this point as Ben took a breath to go on, but a hand on top of his head stopped him.

"That's enough, Ben. They've heard all they're going to hear." It was Ken, "If it's the wish of the entire Order that I change my course, I will do so. May I assume it's unanimous?" The stunned silence of the Master's faded as they all agreed. Ben heard Ken sigh, "Then, I shall respect the wishes of the Order."

Ben remained frozen in his spot, still trying to recover from his outburst long after the hall had been abandoned.

Ken didn't wake Ben up with the usual unwelcome-yet-welcome wake-up call from the window the next morning. There weren't any classes for Ben to go to to annoy the older man. If Artoo wasn't such a vigilant security watch, Ben would never have known that Ken was leaving the Temple until weeks after Ken had disappeared.

As it was, however, Ben caught Ken as he was going down the steps.

"Hey! Ken, wait up." Ben called. Ken didn't wait, but he did pause long enough for Ben to trip and fall all the way down the steps much quicker than he would have walked down.

"...Hey... where're you going?" Ben panted, still trying to catch his breath. Ken didn't look back.

"Whereever my next home is, I guess." Ken shrugged. Ben took a deep breath through his nose- it smelled gross.

"Your home is HERE- you're a Jedi, this is the Jedi Temple, seems pretty obvious to me!" Ben snapped, "Come on- those Masters are just jerks. The students think your classes are astral and DAD was the one who wanted you to teach- that's gotta count for SOMETHING." Ben could hear the smile in Ken's voice, as well as how fake it was.

"Ben, there's something in medicine called 'Rejection'- when an organ is transplanted into a body and doesn't work with the rest of the body, the body's immune system attacks the transplant so it can't do any damage. The organ then needs to be removed before the body's own immune system kills itself." Ken said, softly, "As long as I keep getting rejected, I have to keep leaving, before I cause any damage."

"You WEREN'T causing damage- it was THEIR fault! THEY'RE the guys who have a problem with you- you HAVE to stay!" Ben shouted. It was getting harder to breathe through his nose.

"Ben, it's time for me to move on."

Just that one little statement, and Ben didn't know what to say.

"...But you CAN'T leave." Ben kept repeating, "You're the only one who GETS it. You're the only one who UNDERSTANDS- all the other people here are full of crap. I WANT you to stay..."

Ken finally turned around. Ben could tell- it could only be Ken's hand that was on his head and mussing up his hair.

"You're a good kid, Ben." He said, softly, before the hand was gone, "Go show 'em who's boss."

Ken turned and walked away, leaving Ben staring after him and sniffing as he tried to hold down tears in the most manly way possible. After a few moments, a second hand appeared and smoothed out the hair Ken had mussed up. Ben looked up.

It was his father. Unlike Ben, he was making no effort to hide his emotions.

"I missed him the first time he walked way, too." Was all his father said.

Ben started crying as hard as he could. He could taste the bitterness of losing his first, real friend.

A/N: Yes, Palpatine had kids. And that kid had a kid. For details, go check out 'Princess'. No flames, please.