••••The Familiar Tug••••

"Leia, there's no need to worry-"

"No Luke, you don't understand. I'm losing him."

Luke looked around, searching for support from a familiar face,

"Where's Han?"

Leia gave a small weak smile,

"I've long lost him, Luke... Am I doomed to lose all the men in my life? First father, then Han and now... Ben."

Leia covered her face in her hands and wept. It hurt Luke to see his sister like this and it hurt him even more to see her be put in a situation that made her feel this way. Only within himself, could Luke reveal that what actually hurt him most was that he knew of course, that when she said father; she ment Bail Organa. Never had she seen or would she see Darth Vader as a father and even less Anakin Skywalker, the ghost of a man that to her— never lived.

Now Han, had she really lost him? She'd more than anything let him go, she often watched him wonder off into the galaxy in the Millennium Falcon next to his best friend Chewbacca. He'd return, he'd come back, he always did but what Luke feared the most was that he might come back as he often did, too close to the point of no return, maybe even too late for his nephew, and Hans son.

Luke had felt Ben's force signature disappearing, and only a greater power grow in darkness. He'd feared the worst but forbid himself to believe it. The dark side of the force was hard to see, just like it's name, it shed darkness and cast shadows. Ben was good, Ben was still a kid and Ben couldn't be turned, Luke had said this in his head over and over again, trying to convince himself that he wasn't letting his emotions cloud reality, but he was. He often more convinced himself that Ben was good than he did anything to stop it because trying to stop it would mean acknowledging it was there and Luke could not do that yet.

"I should of never left Luke. The fleet, the republic, I've given my life up for it— my son... Han's afraid that we won't be able to control it... He doesn't think I should send Ben off but Luke you've got to-"

"Aunt Lei, don't cry."

Luke and Leia had both been wrapped in their own emotions that neither had felt or even seen Rey watching them. Luke watched his sister wiped her tears away and fake a smile to calm Rey.

Leia turned back to Luke, desperation in her eyes,

"Promise me you'll bring my son back to me."

Luke nodded his head before flashing a genuine smile at Rey and getting up from his chair.

I will Leia. I will bring Ben back.

"Rey why don't you stay here with Leia. I'll go talk to Ben."

Rey nodded and watched her father disappear out the door as she took a seat next to her aunt.

Leia took a deep breath trying to calm down, she wondered at what point she'd gotten so weak, at what point had she turned so fragile. She never used to cry watching Han leave, but when he'd left soon after Ben was born the tears had been inevitable, after that crying seemed to be her response to everything when it didn't have to do with the fleet and it embarrassed her. Now, her son hadn't left but somehow, all the same she felt he was long gone, just as his father.

Rey watched the tears well up in her aunts eyes once more and decided to turn away. Her aunt seemed on verge of tears whenever she saw her, that was the person she'd gotten used to calling aunt, a women much different from the one her mother had often talked of. She brushed off the familiar tug at her chest,

"Ben is confused, he is in... Pain."

Leia looked at her niece, intrigued by what she had said.

"I don't know why but... So many emotions... So many negative emotions make him angrier."

Leia was surprised to say the least how her neiece seemed to know what her son was feeling. Was it because of the force bond? Luke had once told her that Ben and Rey shared a bond like the one she herself had with Luke. She had smiled the fact away and moved on, never actually thinking it could be a ray of light shone in the darkness.

"Father told me about grandpa who lost his way too. Who was so lost in fear ... lost to darkness he couldn't find the light."

Anger washed up against Leia,

"Did he compare Ben with your grandfather?"

Rey was startled by the abrupt interruption and quickly shook her head,

"No, but to me the stories... The feelings seem very similar..."

Leia breathed in and exhaled, trying to calm her anger.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you angry... Or weep. I've made Ben feel the same so many times too."

Leia shook her head, upset with herself,

"I'm sorry sweetie,this isn't your fault."

Rey began to say something and then said something else entirely,

"It isn't your fault either aunt Lei. You were serving the republic, what you believe to be right, don't go back on that."

Leia smiled at the child that sometimes seemed to surpass her in age and placed her hand on top of Rey's,

"Thank you Rey."

"I know you never tried giving into your powers in the force but you should know that even the best of intentions could lead to a dark pathway... Even when Grandfather wanted to save grandmother..."

Leia looked at Rey more startled than before.

"What?"

"When Grandfather wanted to save grandmother... It led him into darkness."

Leia looked at Rey, still confused,

"Sweetie, how do you know this?

"Grandfather told me. He said-"

Rey wanted to take back her words as soon as they were spoken but realized it was too late.

Leia shivered at the thought, at the cold realization that if Vader had been communicating with Rey, there was no doubt he could communicate with Ben too, she rememebered he'd even tried talking with her but she had gone to Luke just to learn to block him off.

"What else did he say?"

"A man told him he'd save grandmother if he committed terrible crimes ... But even after the man didn't help him save her... He didn't even know how to. After grandmother Padmé died, he often felt sad and confused and his emotions all got mixed up so much that he just started feeling angry over every other feeling... He said that was the power of the dark side."

Leia connected the dots as Rey spoke, the Emperor must be the man who'd seduced Vader into the dark side but even so how very much like Vader to make himself victim of his own crimes. Grandmother... Mother Padmé, yes that sounded right, the Nubian name fit the kind face she'd remembered all her life. Her own name was of Nubian origin... Leia was snapped out of thought as Rey continued.

"I felt everything as he spoke, as he showed me it..and all those emotions the troubled mind and aching heart... It's just as what Ben feels. I don't want Ben to be lost in darkness."

Leia watched frustration crawl onto her neieces expression as she continued to speak.

"Father won't listen to me he's afraid I might turn to the dark side if I look too deep into Bens emotions... He doesn't know how far I've seen into Ben but... Grandfather says someone is calling Ben. Someone is pulling him away from the light... I can feel it too, how they tempt him."

Reys fingernails were digging deep into her cloths in anger as she spoke, she couldn't feel it as she recalled her cousins emotions, they were far beyond in comparison to the pain she could ever inflict on herself.

••••Author's Note••••

Welp just wanted to tell you guys that all that about each chapter being about a year after is out the window :)

This was me making up for the fact I missed about three nights of posting. I already had most of this written down, chapter 6 is the one that was really throwing me off but I did it!

May the force be with you lovely.