"Do you want to go with me to the airbase tomorrow?"
Erinn had not left Ben's home for the past week. She had barely moved from his bedroom and he was growing concerned for her. He would spend as much time as possible with her, but most of the time she seemed distant and lost in her own thoughts. She had done nothing but stare out over D'Qar most days, curled up in his wicker chair on his balcony.
Leia and Han had noted. They had seen how she was struggling to come to terms with what had happened. She preferred the comfort of Ben and her own solace. She came down to dine with them and dressed in fine flowing dresses which Leia had leant her. Leia could not help but note that the girl held a regal air about her.
Whilst Leia preferred to be known as a General, she had been a Princess. She still was a Princess, but she never felt like one. She had been taught the airs and graces of being a Princess, and Erinn often held the same airs. Of course, she was clumsy, but Ben found it endearing. Leia had noted when the girl had almost tripped over the leg of the table.
Ben had caught her by the waist and the pair of them had looked at each other with such an intensity that it seemed as though Han and Leia were not in the room. Of course, that had changed when Han had coughed awkwardly.
At eighteen, Erinn was still a young girl. Leia envied her for how she felt. She remembered the feeling of being new and in love. Ben was merely a few months older and she was glad that her son was so courteous to Erinn. There had been a time when she had worried that he would never find anyone for him, but she was wrong. Ben had found a girl who was his equal in more ways than one. Yes, she was not as physical as he was, but she had brains.
And that was why Leia had urged her son to get Erinn out of the house. She needed to exercise her brain. She needed something to distract her from everything that had happened. The airspace was quiet and Leia sensed no imminent attack.
"Why?" Erinn wondered.
All she could think about was what had happened in that airbase. Her mother had been taken away from her. Why would she want to return there?
"Because you were working on a droid," Ben reminded her. "And it may be good for us to look at something other than these four walls, Erinn."
"I am fine here," Erinn lied and Ben inhaled a sharp breath before shaking his head at her.
He moved slowly to where she sat on the wicker chair and took hold of her hand. He hauled her to her feet and Erin wondered what he was doing before he took her place in the chair and pulled her back down, watching her fall into his lap. Erinn said nothing as she moved her head to his shoulder and his hand found hers as he looked out to the sunset.
"You cannot hide in here forever," Ben whispered and Erinn closed her eyes, knowing that this conversation had been due for a while. "You are safe on D'Qar, Erinn. Just come with me and we can work on the droid."
Shifting against him, Erinn felt his thumb move over her knuckles and she knew that he was still trying to soothe her. She moved her free arm to rest over his broad shoulders and Ben pressed his chin to the top of her head as he let her think over his proposition. He had been trying to get her to come out of her shell, but he needed her to work with him. He could feel the pain she was in. It was not easing up. She worried constantly. She only slept when he put her to sleep, and she was barely eating. Her every thought was consumed with her mother.
She put on a brave face. She tried to smile and joke, but there would be times when he could not get through to her. Those were the times that scared him the most. She knew her mother had sacrificed herself to make Erinn happy, but Erinn could not be happy. She tried, but all she could feel was guilt for feeling that way.
"Fine," Erinn finally spoke and Ben felt a smile tug on his lips once she had said the words. "But you are not touching it. You have no idea how to make a droid."
"It's a promise."
…..
Erinn stood in her lab and Ben remained there, his own mind focused as he did whatever Erinn asked of him. He had started using the Force to hand her the tools she needed and she looked at him with that less than impressed glance she often wore on her face.
"Why would you make it spherical?" Ben suddenly wondered as Erinn continued to poke around in the ball, doing her best to fix the electrics as she did so.
"I'm making a BB unit," Erinn told him. "I have never seen a spherical droid. Besides, it makes it quicker for movement if they can move like a ball. Hopefully, once I have finished its head, it will move quicker than any droid we have on D'Qar."
"Ambitious," Ben declared.
"Well, I may as well try," Erinn mumbled, still gazing into the ball as Ben prodded at the circuit board beside her. She looked up and glowered at him. "Don't touch."
Ben held his hands up in defence and Erinn watched him move over to the other work stations. Her harsh glare softened as he went and she smiled at his curiosity. Ben had the intelligence to learn about this, but he chose not to. He preferred not to help Erinn.
"Erinn."
Leia's voice entered the small lab as the whooshing of the metal doors opened. Standing straight, Erinn turned around, wiping the back of her hand over her forehead and leaving a black mark there as she did so. Leia smiled but said nothing as she noted her son stood to the other side of the bench Erinn worked at.
"General," Erinn greeted her.
She barely noted the man who followed her. He was shorter than Ben and wore a orange jumpsuit. A helmet was tucked under his arm and a confident smile remained on his face as he looked between Erinn and Ben. His hair was perfectly slicked back and his face handsomely chiselled. Erinn couldn't help but note that he had that classic swagger about him. His features were well defined and his eyes wide and seemingly glistening.
"Erinn, this is Poe Dameron, he is one of our best pilots," Leia said. "I have him going from planet to planet to make sure that peace still remains between planets."
"Pleasure, Miss…" Poe trailed off as he moved to Erin and took her hand inside of his fingers.
Erinn froze as she realised she could hardly give him her last name.
"Warsem," Leia quickly made up and nodded. "Erinn here is one of my new and upcoming engineers."
Poe moved to kiss the back of her hand and Erinn had to resist the urge to scoff as he winked at her. She could already tell that Poe Dameron was not someone she wanted to spend much time with. The arrogance of him was written all over his face and in the way he walked. Erinn had known too many men like him during her time at home.
Pulling her hand away from him, she barely registered Ben move to stand behind her, his hand resting on the small of her back.
"How can we help?" he decided to ask.
Leia resisted the urge to laugh at her son's defensive attitude, but she could hardly blame him. His love and protection for Erinn was not being challenged, yet he did not like the threat of another man showing her attention. He reminded Leia of Han whenever another man looked at her.
"I am in need of a droid," Poe declared. "My old one is…well…I have put him into retirement. He is now spending the rest of his days wandering the airbase to help instead of flying with me."
"Perhaps he just needs some tender love and care?" Erinn suggested.
Poe moved his thumb to his mouth and Erinn wondered what he was doing as he moved the tip of his thumb to her forehead and she caught his wrist in her hand before he could make contact with her. She glared at him as Ben did his best not to snap at the audacity of the man.
"You have a smudge," Poe said with a nod of his chin.
He already liked the girl. She was spritely. Of course, he was ignoring the man by her side. It was clear that the two of them were involved by the glower Poe was receiving and the possessive hand on the girl's back. It almost made Poe want to continue his pursuit.
"I can get it, thanks," Erinn said and turned her back to Poe and moved her own hand to her forehead, knowing full well that the smudge was still probably there, but she didn't care. "Anyway, if you want a new droid then you might have a bit of a wait. I'm nowhere near finished with the one I am working on."
"And what are you working on?" Poe asked her.
She wandered towards the BB unit and Poe followed her. Ben was about to storm in front of Poe, but Leia grabbed him by the arm and urged for him to calm down before his anger became apparent. She smiled to her son and he did his best not to glare at his mother for bringing this stranger into the workshop.
"It is a BB unit," Erinn said. "But it is spherical. I'm hoping that it will gain speed quicker by being spherical."
"Clever," Poe said, noting that it was nothing but a plain white ball with wires hanging from it. "And I trust it will have a great memory capacity?"
"Of course," Erinn almost sounded insulted. "It will know where are you going at all times."
"And weapons?" Poe asked, prodding at the unit.
Erinn moved her finger to a button and a small taser protruded from it. The shot moved against Poe's arm and he jumped back, cursing lowly as Ben snorted and placed a hand over his mouth to hide the chuckle which threatened to escape his lips. He looked to Erinn as she shrugged nonchalantly.
"Just a taser with enough power to help him escape if he has to," she declared.
"Powerful sting it has there," Poe declared.
"And when do you think it will be ready, Erinn?" Leia asked from the girl.
Erinn turned to look at Leia and she shrugged again. "I cannot say," she said. "If I work on it for the next couple of weeks then it should be ready, but it might take a bit longer if things do not go to plan."
Ben understood fully what she meant about not going to plan. He didn't particularly want to spend the next two weeks in her workshop before he left for his training. He was happy that she had left his house, but he did not want to spend so much time in the damp room. He had other ideas which did not involved building a droid for some cocky pilot.
"Poe is on rest for the next three weeks," Leia said. "If it is done by the time he returns then that would be amicable."
"Yes," Poe agreed. "I look forward to seeing what other tricks you install in it."
Erinn ignored his comments as Leia held her arm out to the door, inviting Poe to leave Ben and Erinn alone. Erinn turned back to her work and Ben watched his mother and the pilot leave before he moved over to Erinn and she turned to look back to him as she continued working on the droid.
"I don't like him," Ben declared, folding his arms and resting the back of his thighs against the worktop.
"But you hid that glare so well," Erinn said sarcastically.
"I'm not the one who tasered him," Ben said in defence.
Erinn's lips quirked up as she looked back to her circuit board. "He was too arrogant for my liking. Besides, he was questioning my ability."
Ben chuckled as he noted the smudge still on her forehead and he moved his own thumb to it. This time she didn't complain as Ben grabbed her waist and pulled her away from her own work. She laughed softly as he made the motion and he removed the smudge, looking at the mark it made on his own thumb.
"And do I not get hit for helping you?" Ben wondered from her.
"I make exceptions for men I spend the night with," Erinn said and Ben chuckled.
…
"You need to promise me something," Leia spoke as soon as she had managed to get her son and husband to sit down together in the same room. Erinn had gone off to bathe before retiring for bed, her arms were covered in grease and oil whilst her pantsuit had gone the same way.
"And what is that?" Ben asked from his mother as she gripped onto Han's hand.
Ben was sat on the chair across from their chaise longue in the small sitting area, his legs folded over each other as his hands held the sides of the chair.
"You will never forget who you are," Leia whispered. "I know the power of the Force, Ben. I know the things it can do, but I have faith in you to train and come back. Think of what you have to come back for, Ben…us…Erinn…"
Ben resisted the need to roll his eyes as he listened to his mother and Han looked down to the ground, coughing once and Ben turned his stare to his father, wondering what pearls of wisdom he had to impart with him.
"Your mother's right, Ben," Han said. "We have not always seen eye to eye, but I love you, kid. You're my son and I don't want to lose you."
"Why would you lose me?" Ben wondered. "I told you that I can do this. Do you still think I might go over to the Dark Side?"
"No," Leia said instantly. "Of course not, Ben, we just worry for you. We're your parents. You will know what it is like when you have children of your own."
"But not until you're married," Han pointed his finger. "I don't feel like becoming a grandfather just yet."
Rolling his eyes, Ben looked between his mother and father and leaned forwards. "Is that it?" he wondered from them, not even bothering to tell them how much he would miss them when he was gone. That was if he even would miss them.
"No," Leia whispered and moved from her seat.
She wandered to the cabinet by the fireplace and pulled down the drawer, picking up the wooden box inside of it. Slowly, she clutched it to her chest before sighing and looking to her son. She handed him the box and Ben hesitantly took it from her fingertips, peeling open the wooden lid to look at what sat inside.
He almost looked shocked as he picked it out of its cradle.
"It is blue," Leia declared. "Your Uncle Luke had it sent here for us to give to you before you start training. Of course I would ask you not use it in the house…"
Leia's voice trailed off and turned flat as she saw her request was ignored. Ben had already pressed the button and the fluorescent blue shone through the room as he held it inside of his fingers with fascination. Sighing to herself, Leia shook her head as the familiar buzz echoed through her ears.
"Just keep it safe," Han said. "And no decapitating certain pilots who take a shine to your girl."
Ben placed the lightsaber back in the box before he looked to his father with pursed lips as the man smirked and motioned to Leia. "You told him?" Ben asked.
"Ben, we are adults and we do talk. He is your father," Leia pointed out and Ben shook his head.
"I was the same at your age," Han promised his son with a smug grin. "Besides, your girl does have a certain charm about her. Of course, I doubt Poe sees that now that she tasered him."
"Good," Ben all but hissed. "I didn't like him anyway. He was arrogant, overly cocky and too familiar. I don't know who he thought he was talking to Erinn like that."
Han froze and went silent, chewing on his lip as he heard his son speak in such harsh and uneven tones. Even Leia looked slightly concerned. Was her son spending too much time with her? Sometimes she wondered if he was too possessive over her. She was more than capable of standing on her own two feet.
"Erinn loves you, Ben, no harmless flirting from Poe will change that."
"I know," Ben spoke. "That doesn't mean that I like what he said or did."
"Lighten up," Han urged him with a nonchalant shrug as he folded his legs. "He meant nothing by it, Ben. Erinn doesn't need you getting all miserable over this, does she? She knows how to take care of herself."
"Lighten up?" Ben repeated. "Do you have any idea…no…it doesn't matter…you don't care. You never have cared."
"Ben," Leia warned her son.
"No," Ben snapped back. "You have no right to come back here and talk to me as though you even know me. You go away for days and weeks and you think that everything will be fine when you return? You hardly know me."
"I know that you are being ridiculous," Han said and Ben felt his anger take hold of him at hearing that. "We are trying to joke with you, Ben. You need to calm down."
"Han," Leia warned her husband.
"No, the kid has been miserable and upset with me for years, Leia," Han said and finally stood up.
"Because you leave us!" Ben roared. "You leave us and come back and think everything will be fine when it is not. It is not fine."
"Please," Leia urged the two men in her life. "Do not argue."
Ben said nothing more, but he could not control how his hands moved in front of him and furniture toppled over. Ornaments fell from their position as everything in the room crashed and shattered. Han watched on in horror at his son's power as Leia moved to him, grabbing his arm before he did damage to anyone.
"Ben," she spoke sternly. "Stop it, Ben."
Her grip caused him to loosen his hands to his sides as Han looked around the room, wondering how he could have created this much damage. Ben said nothing as he inhaled sharp breaths and Leia looked shocked. Her son had done this. His anger had wrecked an entire room. What more could he do?
But Ben had surprised himself. He looked at the smashed glass, broken wood and torn fabrics which littered the room and stepped back. His mother and father watched him, both of them seemingly too scared to come towards him. But he could not control it. He looked at his father and the anger was uncontrollable.
And so he ran. He didn't look at his parents as he ran to the only woman he could seek comfort from.
...
A/N: So I have the next five chapters written up, and by the end of them Ben Solo will become Kylo Ren and we move forwards slightly. Anyway, thank you all so very much for reviewing. It is so lovely to know so many people are interested in this story. Once again, do let me know what you think thus far!
Also, I see that there is a troll who seems to be disliking my story, rest assured, the abuse I receive barely bothers me. I have better things to think about...
