AN: The second part of the chapter before...
Chapter nine - Game over
"Are you...Kylo...Ren...?" asks his father in a hollow voice, where Ben keeps staying in the grating area, despite it being one of the worst places aboard the Falcon, to stay too long in and to make matters worse, feels terrible for wearing the uncomfortable gas mask for so long, as it feels suffocating and is so hot under it.
My feet hurts...my brain hurts...everything hurts...
"Former," adds Rey quickly as if that would make all the difference and steps determined in front of Ben, since she has no trouble staying forever in small cramped spaces, thanks to her survival skills.
"Yeah, former. Sorry, forgot to say that," pipes Finn inn, who stands beside Poe and adds: "He's not dangerous anymore."
Poe shrugs and BB-8 chirps while Chewie looks intently between father and son.
"I'm asking you, are you...or used to be Kylo Ren?" asks his father again, in firmer voice this time.
KR: Well, this was a "fun" game while it lasted. But, wow are you in big trouble now...
"I was...but that's only because we are all named Kylo Ren in the knights of Ren, full name Knights of Kylo Ren. I was Kylo Ren...the fourteenth, because I'm not the master of them," lies Ben and if he didn't wear a mask, his father would see through him right away.
KR: Huh? What are you doing?
All of his gang plus Chewie look surprised over his words.
His father looks so disappointed. "Oh...sorry I thought you were someone else...or think...I don't know his...number. But, that would be impossible. He's never coming back..." His father stares sadly ahead.
Impossible?! I'm right here!
KR: You're impossible...
"Really? I thought at least one of you guys were named Ren Ren," says Finn surprised.
Gagh...didn't except a lowly trooper to know anything about the knights!
"That's the only exception..." replies Ben quickly, while sweating profusely under the gas mask.
KR: Ren Ren must hate me now...
Isn't that good for the darkside..?
KR: It's good to hate...but I don't like people hating me...
"And I thought you were only seven," says Finn suspiciously and Ben replies: "We used to be seven..."
"And that you were their leader." Finn frowns at him and Ben shouts: "I'm not! That's Kylo Ren...the first...I'm just a nobody..."
"Huh, news to me." Finn looks thoughtful, as if he missed an important briefing meeting in the First Order where Kylo Ren got demoted and everything in the Knights were changed.
KR: Nobody!? I'm the freaking master of them and you are calling me a nobody! If I weren't stuck in your head, I would be kicking your ass right now!
"And to clear something else up. I was not afraid of them...but their cargo," says Ben and points accusingly at his father.
Han looks at Chewie, as he had forgot what they were transporting and then it dawns on him.
"Our cargo...oh...yeah they are monsters..." His father nods and Finn's panic skyrockets again and he shouts: "Monsters..?!" He jumps and hugs Poe again in fright, while looking in every corner as he's excepting some slimy things to crawl through a crack.
Poe smirks and claps his back in comfort and BB-8, who looks scared as well and leans up to him.
"What kind of monsters?" asks Rey curiously and a tiny bit afraid. She grabs Ben hand and looks at him, like she's saying: Whatever it is, I will protect you!
KR: It should be the other way around...but I don't blame her for not trusting YOU to keep her safe...
I don't mind...
"It's better if you didn't know," replies his father, as if they knew they would get nightmares for weeks and judging from Finn's reaction that would happen, who still hangs onto Poe.
I knew it. He's smuggling some monsters as usual, yeah that's why I was afraid...
KR: Liar...you didn't even think of their presence until now...
"So you see, I had to use gas. It was for our safety, it comes first," lies Ben convincely and most of the gathering seems to buy it, except for Chewie who frowns at him and Poe who shakes his head, with Finn still wrapped tightly around him.
"Fair enough. We smugglers have to be prepared for anything." His father shrugs carelessly, with the same carelessness that annoyed his mother so much and would without doubt still do today.
Thankfully, mom has not been able to contact him about me coming back to the light or we would be having a very different conversation...
"Hey, since he's smuggler just like your dad, maybe he knows where your dad is," says Rey excitedly and turns to Ben, who doesn't share her excitement in least and if he didn't wear a mask, she would see how he miserable he really felt, though she should be able to tell through the force.
I been very wary of what she thinks is an unknown smuggler and she thinks I wants to meet my dad? Can't she make the connection?!
KR: You clung to his back, asking him not to leave you. Obviously you have some daddy issues, so maybe she just trying to help you in her own way...
OR...what I really think...
NOBODY understands how your stupid brain works...STUUUPID!
"What's your name, kid?" asks his father, eager to help.
"Ittle...En...?" growls Chewie with his sore throat and his father perks his ears. "What, did you just say? I can't hear you."
"My name is Ken, Ken Rolo," lies Ben coldly, startling Rey who had no idea he had done nothing but lie to this man.
KR: That's your fake name...?! That was my idea...and why do you keep lying to him? Chewie already told him the truth! Or well half of it...you are making everything worse! Stop this game!
"What are you doing...?" Ben covers Rey's mouth before she can say anything more and says to her through forcelink: "Let me deal with this..."
To his surprise she shouts back at him through the forcelink. "Ben! What the hell?!"
KR: She can use a force link all ready! I'm a little jealous over her powers...
Ben turns off the link, uncovers her mouth and she glares at him, but doesn't say anything.
"Why is he lying to this man?" whispers Finn to Poe, who has let go off him and thanks to the forcehearing, Ben can hear every word they are saying. "Why is he so afraid of him? I thought it was only the cargo that scared him."
Poe shrugs. "Beats me..."
BB-8 chirps something and Finn stare at Han Solo as if he is expecting him to hide some super weapon under his jacket.
"Rolo...I can't say that is ringing any bells, sorry. Though that's a bit surprising considering how I know every scoundrel around..." says his father and looks to Chewie for help, who still can't talk.
KR: Poor Chewie, I hope he didn't lose his voice for good.
Yeah...that would suck.
"Maybe Chewie knows where he is, aren't they like best pals?" asks Poe and has big trouble in keeping the laughter in.
POE!
"Best pals? Beside me...Chewie, you're full of surprises." His father grins, but Chewie doesn't think anything of this is funny and points quickly between Han and Ben.
"No, Chewie, I already told them. I don't know his father," says his father tiredly and Chewie facepalms himself.
KR: Chewie is so going to kill you for lying to your father.
Well, he was going to kill me anyway...
"Doesn't matter. I don't want to meet him, I'm on my way to the resistance to mom and that's it," snaps Ben at his father and Rey glares at him. Shame, shame.
Chewie growls something at him and Poe shakes his head with BB-8 while Finn looks confused.
"Your mom is in the resistance?" asks his father surprised.
Oops...
Ben looks desperately around the ship for inspiration. "Yeah...she's...a...umm...a x-wing...pilot...Poelina?" He looks at Poe, who frowns at him for using him like that.
KR: More lies...really?
"So your dad is a smuggler and your mother is a part of the resistance?" asks his father, as he tries to add something together in his head.
"Yes..." answers Ben warley.
KR: The first truth you spoke...this would be perfect opportunity to just you know, say you are...
"Huh...well, maybe your dad wants to meet you, had you thought of that?" His father frowns at him and Ben retorts with: "He abandoned me."
KR: Ah...the second truth...and maybe the key to everything...
Rey looks doubtful while his father gets a sad look into his eyes. "I'm so sorry to hear that Ken, was it? Before you leave..."
"Abandoned you? Hardly, didn't leave you with your cool Jedi uncle?" snaps Rey at him, as she has had enough of his lies, though this was no lie.
Shut up...I mean quiet...my dearest Rey...
KR: Even she has turned against you...
"Jedi...uncle...?" asks his father bewildered and Ben shrugs and replies: "Everyone called master Luke that..."
KR: Haha...no one did...not even us...
Rey glowers at him, while his father looks curiously at him and asks: "You were one of his padawans. How did you escape the slaughter?"
"Umm...I was one of the slaughters..." replies Ben, as he has no other answer for that, but telling the truth.
Rey gasps, as she's only one in the room who has very little idea about Ben's dark past, while all the others glare at him.
KR: You keep falling from her graces...
I was darkside...what did she expect? That I was picking sunflowers all day?
"That was not nice. If you were my son I would put you over my knee for it," his father scowls at him.
Okay...I'm definitely never telling him the truth now...!
KR: Please tell him the truth! But come on, it wasn't naughty...it was evil!
"I know it wasn't...nice. I making amends for it..." replies Ben shamefully and wants to sink through the floor under his father's disappointing gaze and his father scoffs: "How? Luke's missing..." He frowns at him and Chewie does as well.
Great...Chewie was mad enough at me all ready...
"Why do you care about that?" asks Rey and his father replies: "Luke is a dear friend of mine."
"Oh..." Rey looks between Ben and his father, as if she had found out their connection though she is still far from the truth.
Finn looks thoughtfully and then questioningly at Poe, their leader, who says: "We have the map, that's why we are going to the resistance." He pats BB-8 who chirps happily.
Han's head snaps up. "You...found the map." He smiles sadly. "That's really good news. Kid...I'm sure your father regrets leaving you with your...Jedi uncle." He turns to Ben, who is surprised over his words as he must be speaking the truth.
"He does?" he asks in a small voice and his father nods. "I'm sure of it."
"It's too late for regrets," growls Ben at him.
I will never forgive you...ow!
Rey slaps him upside the head and glares at him for not wanting to meet his father again.
"Why are you hitting him?" asks his father. "Are you his sister?"
Nooooo!
KR: Ahaha, that would be so funny...
"No, I'm not," replies Rey curtly.
"Girlfriend?" ask his father. "You are awfully protective of him."
It suddenly got a lot hotter under the gas mask.
"No, he told me he was going to meet his family again and I intend on bringing him safely home," says Rey and glares fiercely at Ben who gulps under glare.
KR: Haha, she doesn't consider herself your girlfriend...
I...I haven't told her how I feel...
"Please stop hitting him, but she's right...you should at least meet him..." pleads his father.
"Look, why can't you just leave me alone?" snaps Ben, who rubs his head, that still hurts even though is hidden under gas mask and moves away from Rey, so she can't slap him again, as she had intended to, despite his father's wish.
His father sighs. "I can't leave you alone...because you remind me of my son."
I AM YOUR SON! Why can't you kriffing see it?
KR: Why can't you just...tell him?
I don't want to...I told you...it's complicated...
KR: Everything with you is...
"Where is he now?" asks Rey and his father exhales sadly. "I don't know..."
Right in front of you, you stupid, stupid, old man!
KR: Sigh...you are the idiot...
"But what I do know, is that I would do everything to get him back." His father stares right at his son, who stares coldly back at him through the mask.
Give me million credits and hundred really cool lightsabers and I might consider it...might...
KR: You're so evil...
"He will be back," says Rey, the one always hoping for her own family reunion and has no idea that there is a (very bitter) family reunion happening right in front of her eyes.
"I hope so..." says his father, that has no idea that his son is so close to him that they can nearly touch.
You think I would come to my senses on my own...oh wait, that just what happened! No thanks to you!
"No, what am I saying...he's never coming back...he's lost forever..." says his father and Rey looks sympathetic for the stranger and says. "That's awful to hear."
No! You gave up on me...you didn't even try!
KR: You're so angry, wouldn't just be easier to go back to the darkside and stop this drama?
No...I'm never going back.
"Fine...I will meet my father...after I've delivered the map..." snarls Ben and Rey smiles relieved despite the coldness of the words.
I will never return to him...
"That's good kid..." His father smiles sadly, happy to be able to at least guide one prodigal son home, although he wishes most for his own to return.
Okay leave us now in peace...
"Before you leave...do you have any news of your leader...not Smoke...Kylo Ren...the first, I think...or does he have a another number? Or do you have a new master?" He scratches his head in thought.
Oh come on...just go already! You lost the game. You lost me and therefor you have no right to ask anything about me!
KR: But he cares...
It's too late...
"I thought you weren't from the First Order," snaps Finn at him, from behind him and who is making a new theory about why Kylo Ren was scared of the old man and has been watching them whole time, while Poe is playing a nurse to Chewie along with BB-8, by trying different mixtures and lozenges from Chewie's pouch.
"I'm not, I just happen to know their leader...personally...or I think he is their leader..." says his father, without taking his eyes of Ben, who glares at him through his mask.
I'm tired of this game...go away...
"Their leader...? Personally?" Rey looks between Ben and him, deep in thought.
Glurgh...I hope she won't figure it out...
"So you do work for the First Order?" Finn glares at him as he trusts nobody.
"I work for nobody...but myself. Any news of him?" asks his father, Ben in a firm voice.
"Why are you so obsessed with him?" asks Finn suspiciously. "Are you working for the Knights of Ren?"
"None of your business, I'm asking him, as he was in direct contact with him." His father points at Ben, who answers in a clipped voice that would make Captain Phasma proud: "You are talking about former Ben Solo, who is Kylo Ren the first and the master of the Knights of Ren."
KR: Ok, you are not calling me a nobody. Sorry I snapped earlier...but you are still stupid...
"Yes...how do you know that? I thought you gave up your birth names when you went to the darkside..." Han looks at Finn as if he seemed to know everything about the First Order, but Finn just shrugs as his knowledge about the Knights seems to be way outdated.
Rey looks more confused than ever while Poe and BB-8 looks intrigued. Chewie glares at him for not telling the truth.
"Do you want to know how many he has killed...tortured...maimed?" replies Ben with another question, ignores everyone around him and focus only on his father.
KR: Three Thousand and twenty three...twenty four if you had allowed me to kill the old coot...that started all this mess!
The wombat rats and control panels don't count...
KR: Oh...then only twenty three...
"I'm not interested in that..." His father looks disappointed and shocked to be reminded of that Ben's life with the Knights doesn't contain rainbows, lollipops or unicorns.
KR: That life would suck...
I thought you liked cuteness..
KR: Just some, not everything...and just so I can destroy it...
"Then what? Do you think he has come back to his senses or something?" snarls Ben at his father, who looks taken aback by that question, but then he shakes his head with sad face. "No...that can't happen..." His father exhales tiredly.
"Why do you think that? It could happen...it happened to me..." snaps Ben at him and a spark of hope comes into his father's eyes who ask: "It could? How...?"
"He needs help. Did you ever thought about that? Did you ever try to save him?" keeps Ben snapping at him.
"Save him...? I can save him...?" His father looks like he's about to sprint right to the First Order to do just that.
KR: What on Jakku are you doing?
"Did you ever stop to think that maybe he has been waiting forever for you...to bring him home?" says Ben.
KR: You..really really should stop talking now...
"How do you know this? Did he tell you this?" His father looks a bit skeptical.
KR: Yeah, because we talk about emotional stuff like that in the Knights and braid each other's hair...
Ben shrugs. "I just know it."
"How can I save him...?" His father looks at him, desperate for answers.
KR: Do you want your dad to go to the First Order or something and ask after you when you are right in front of him? How cruel are you?
"It's too late now," snaps Ben without mercy making all hope die in his father's eyes. "So...I lost him..."
KR: That was so mean...
He lost the game...
"Yes, you did and I'm a traitor now so I'm never returning. You can have the Falcon back..." Ben at last climbs out of the grating area and gives his devastating father, a curt nod on his way to the exit.
Goodbye forever...father...
"What do you mean by back...? I thought it was your father's ship," snap Rey at him who climbs after him and is annoyed over being kept out of the plot.
I said too much!
KR: You've done nothing, but that...instead of just telling the kriffing truth!
"Yeah, I thought so too..." say Finn, who looks to be as equally as pissed, as he still doesn't understand fully what Ben's panic is all about.
Only Poe and BB-8 seems to be having fun at his expense and Chewie stands up as if he's ready to grab him if he decides to bolt.
"No, it's mine. I've been looking for ages for it. Why are you lying to them, kid?" growls his father at him and is about to grab his shoulder to interrogate him further, but Ben manages to get away in nick of time thanks to his force reflexes.
"I will just go in the next escape pod. Thanks for the ride..." Ben gives him a curt nod again and sprints away.
Gotta get out of here and fast!
"BEN, where are you going?!" shouts Rey after him.
"Ben? I thought his name was Ken...wait, father's ship...Ben...? Not...my...Ben..Ben?! Stop right there!" yells his father after him.
"Your Ben...?" says Rey surprised.
"His Ben...?" asks Finn and him and Rey look at each other as the realization sinks in. "No way..." They both facepalm. "We are idiots..."
Chewie who has had enough of this farce, captures him in mid run and growls at him: "You're not going anywhere." Chewie looks surprised and glad to have gotten his voice back at last, while Ben feels his whole world just crushed.
No...
KR: Game over...
Chewie turns him around, forcing him to face his father at last, who says in an authoritative voice: "Take...of your mask..."
Ben hesitates, but knowing there really is no escape, as the growling wookie holding his shoulders makes a convincing argument, he takes it off.
He won't recognize me there have been too many years, that there is just no way...he's not even forcesensetive, mom would know my forcesignature, the stupid security questions were just to be extra safe, but he will say, this is not Ben. This is an imposter...send him away. He even gave up on me a long time ago...so I better just disappear from his life forever...
"Ben..." says his father in a hollow voice when at last he sees his face.
Force...how can I answer that...I'm not ready for this confrontation. I believe I will never be ready.
"Yes, this is little Ben...all grown up..." growls Chewie and nods thankfully to Poe and BB-8 for curing his sore throat.
Poe gives him a thumbs up and BB-8 does that with his electric arm by shooting small spark of electricity into the air.
"Yeah, it's Ben Solo." Poe grins deviously. "Your son."
Why you...I will remember this!
KR: Your "cover" had already been blown...
"His son!" Rey and Finn exclaims in unison, as the truth has finally been brought to light.
"So you are Han Solo, the smuggler," says Rey.
"I thought he was a war hero," say Finn.
"And my hero." Poe grins. "He's one of the reasons I became a pilot...well he and my family of pilots."
Even BB-8 chirps something, but Han Solo is not listening to any of their ramblings and only mumbles while staring at his prodigal son. "What...why...how?"
A torrent of emotions goes over his elderly features, while Ben is frozen in place. He is hoping to able to sink through the floor, disappear into space and not having to answer all these questions. This is his hardest test yet...
"Ben, you didn't have to panic this much, it was just your dad...wait...was that what was worse than the First Order?!" exclaims Finn, when realizing at last what Ben panic was really all about. He turns to Poe and BB-8 who snickers and says: "So that's what you were laughing about..."
They nod while Rey stalks to Ben with vengeance and shouts at him: "Did you just try to kill your...?!" Ben covers Rey's mouth again where she stops in front of him, but this time she bites him.
"Ouch!"
A flash of life comes into his father's eyes for a brief moment when hearing Ben hurt himself, but then it's gone again and he stares frozen at his long lost son.
Ben withdraws his bitten hand in shock and gazes stunned at murderous Rey.
She bit me!
KR: I told you she was dangerous.
Just a love bite...
KR: No...she's really, really mad at you for trying to kill your father, one of her heroes and to have her as an accomplice. And for lying to him and trying to abandon your family again...which is a big NO NO in her book!
She whispers at him. "You're in so so much trouble..." Ben sees her death glare and is thankful that her staff is safely tucked away in a corner in the cockpit or he might get a real concussion this time.
Yikes...!
"Yeah, he's scared of his daddy. You know, he tried to kill you with poisonous gas...," says Poe while smirking, as if he's an older brother telling on his younger one.
"Shut up, Poe! Don't get me into more trouble!" growls Ben at him.
Oh, I said that aloud. Didn't I?
KR: Yebb...
Force...
But Han only keeps staring at Ben, still unable to move because of the shock.
Did he get frozen again?
Chewie is the first of the reunited family to make a move. He grabs Ben in a bone-crushing hug and growls happily: "Little Ben is finally back!"
"Ah, Chewie... I can't...breathe!"
Hearing his son's voice in great distress, finally snap Han Solo back to his senses. "Chewie, let go of him. Let go of my son!" When Chewie doesn't obey, Han tries to pulls his hands he away from crushing his son in an all too familiar hug, probably like the one he gave Han when he was unfrozen from the carbonite. Ben's return to them must be akin to that.
Chewie finally releases Ben, who coughs violently. He stiffens when he sees the fuming and piercing gaze of his father.
"Umm...hi...father..."
Help me!
KR: Oh, no you are on your own. You rejected me and my good advice and YOU got yourself into this stupid mess. You deal with it...
But, he's going to kill me!
KR: Not my problem...
I'm so doomed!
Next up: Family time...
