Chapter 20 - Explanations

Rey didn't know what was happening to her. She saw Ben Solo. Heard him speak to her. But there was no way he could've been there. She'd been locked in the Falcon for hours, installing an upgrade to its Sublight Engines when he appeared to her. Am I going crazy?

Then she remembered the recent mission. She had seen him then too. It surprised her because she thought he was upstairs, but then he seemed to walk away and he and Luke returned from a different direction a moment later fighting off the last of the scoundrels at the Bar. Rey had originally assumed she was just confused in the chaos of the fight. But then… Was that another occurrence? He asked why the force keeps connecting us. Is it the force doing this?

Ben had asked her a favor. If he was real… He felt real, she thought. She ran out of the falcon and through the hanger. Out of breath she arrived at the door to the General's quarters and knocked.

"Rey, It's getting late." Han observed when he opened the door.

"Leia. Message for Leia." Rey was still panting, and found it hard to talk.

"Let her in." Leia ordered from inside.

Rey stepped past Han and ran to where Leia was sitting up in the bed. "Ben said to tell you to go to room N-233. Luke's in trouble."

"What?" Leia didn't wait for an answer though. She got up and walked into a refresher to prepare.

"Ben said this?" Han questioned.

"Yeah, I think… Kind of." Han sat down and eyed Rey for more of an explanation. "It looked like Ben, so yeah."

"Looked like Ben?" Han inquired.

"I was still upset about things, so I went to the Falcon to work on those upgrades we started. Working helps me through stress." Han nodded understandingly. "Only I'm sure I locked the ship up before I started. Didn't want anyone drunk from the party wandering in and stumbling over the wrong cable and getting electrocuted or something. But then Ben was there and talked to me. He seemed as surprised as I was at first, but then he gave me that message for Leia."

"Oh." Han nodded. "That's what you mean."

"So, you know what this is. How he appeared to me." Rey interpreted from the way Han nodded.

Han opened his mouth to speak. Just then Leia emerged from the refresher and walked past them. She and Han exchanged a few pointed glances. Leia seemed to be encouraging Han to say something, and he seemed hesitant to.

"I'll go see what Ben means by Luke's in trouble." Then she left the room, having the last wordless word in whatever argument they were having.

Rey looked back to Han who had put on a funny expression trying to think what to say next. The expression on Han's face reminded Rey of the time she asked Palpy where babies come from. Of course to make matters worse for poor Palpy, there was a force-ghost he'd called Master Windu who appeared just then and had a similar wordless conversation with Palpy as he stumbled on his words. But she and Han weren't having that conversation now, so he should be able to continue. Rey waited patiently for him to find his words.

"Where's that force-ghost when you need him," Han sighed. "I am really not the best one to explain it to you. You'd be better asking Leia or Luke to explain it to you." Han brushed his fingers through his hair, and looked away. Rey just stared at him. When he was sure she wasn't going to go away he continued. "Like I said I'm not very knowledgeable about force stuff. Now spacecraft, that is a topic I can go to depths on. For instance, in a hyperdrive, the lateral turbo belt and the ignition coil belt are two parts that don't get much credit. Now, I've often been debated on this, but I'm of the opinion that the hyperdrive runs more efficiently with both parts installed."

"Okay," Rey said slowly.

"The thing is, the lateral turbo belt is prone to snag on occasion, and without it the ignition coil belt is prone to snag as well, which makes frequent repair jobs necessary for the Falcon. But there's an old piloting trick, one that's saved my butt a time or two, and it wouldn't be possible without both of them. You see, if you are running short of fuel, but need to make a quick getaway, just on fumes. If you wait to ignite when both are lined up you can get double the power out of her." Han paused and looked at Rey expectantly. She was still not getting his point, but nodded along anyway. "Of course you do have to worry about it blowing. Oh, baby! But with a few proper safeties installed, that can be prevented." Han lost eye contact as he went off on his tangent.

Oh poodoo, we are having that conversation. "I see." Rey nodded, and Han smiled.

"Oh, good. Like I said, Leia or Luke can explain more about how it works. If you have any questions." Han stood up.

"I think I'll go now." Rey stood up too, and Han opened their door for her. On her way out she thought about staying to ask Leia. I'd probably understand her answer more, but what if she, too, thinks I'm asking about that… The conversation would be doubly awkward. Maybe Luke… Or, you know what! I'll just tell Ben to ask them. They're his parents after all.

It wasn't long after Rey left that Leia led Luke back to her quarters. Luke looked sad, and his face was run down and tired. Han pitied him, and wondered if it was caused more by whatever trouble he'd gotten into, or if he'd received a scolding from Leia for whatever it was.

Leia went to her dresser and picked out a change of clothes. "Luke's going to stay here with you. I'll go stay with Vice Admiral Amilyn tonight."

"What happened?" Han asked.

"I…" Luke started to say.

"He's had another of his panic attacks." Leia answered for him.

"Another, I thought they'd stopped." Han responded.

"Apparently, they never stopped. He's been hiding them from us," Leia again answered.

"Oh, Luke. Why would you hide something like that? You know we'll always be here for you," said Han. "It's nothing to be ashamed about. I get nightmares too."

Luke sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down. "Wait," he said right before Leia walked out. "I need to talk to you. It's about Ben. That night."

Leia and Han stepped closer to Luke. Han's arm went up across his wife's back, and she pulled closer to him. Luke looked up to them with tears of shame in his eyes. "I-I had a panic attack, and I pulled my saber and almost." Luke cried. "I almost struck Ben. It's why he ran away that night. Why he joined Snoke."

Leia turned into Han to cry angry tears. Han tightened his jaw and glared at the man he considered a friend mere minutes ago.

"I'm sorry. I stopped immediately, and pulled back, but it was too late. He'd woken up and thought I was…" Luke choked. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry." Luke cried there for several minutes.

"No, it's not your fault. Not entirely." Leia turned back to Luke, tears still in her eyes. Her husband and Luke both looked at her with shock. "Snoke had been effecting my boy since he was in my womb. Remember when I asked about sensing a powerful darkness in him? I realize it now, that was Snoke." She said the name like it brought a bitter taste to her mouth. "He seduced Ben to the dark side. Was it partly because of what you did, maybe. But I also sent him away. I still blame Snoke, and that will never change. But we can do something about it now. We will get our son back." Leia looked up at Han, who nodded. "And we'd like you be a part of that." She turned back to Luke.

"Thank you, I really am sorry," Luke said.

Rey decided to leave the upgrades on the Falcon until another day, and headed back to her quarters. There she was surprised to run into none other than Ben Solo. "Whaa!" she exclaimed.

Ben's eyes became very large too. "I'm sorry." He moved away from her bed, towards the wall opposite her door. To her at least.

"No, I don't suppose you're really in my quarters." Rey sat down on her own bed with a sigh.

"No, I…" The light was dim, but Rey was almost sure Ben became a few shades redder.

Rey sighed again. "Whatever this is, I think your father knows what it is."

"Hmm?" Ben looked at her with surprise. Then he took a few steps closer to Rey.

"I tried talking to him about it, but ended up getting what I think was a very confusing sex talk, only with hyperdrive parts."

Ben laughed. "The ventral coil and the spark plug?"

"No, the lateral turbo belt and the ignition coil belt," Rey corrected.

"Hm, not one I've heard before." Ben's eyes squinted in confusion. "I'll have to ask him about it tomorrow."

"Or try asking Your mom or Uncle. He kept saying they'd know more."

"My mom I can understand, but my Uncle. He was pretty dry on the topic, last time it came up. And I can't imagine he's had a lot of experience in exile."

"Oh well, you never know." Rey said with a chuckle.

Hello,

I got a case of the sillies while I was writing this one, but I never can predict if you'll all enjoy it too. So if it does make you laugh please leave me a note.