Ben hadn't known that Lando had moved to Pasaana.

He didn't want to consider what Supreme Leader Kylo Ren would have done in the original timeline if he had known. His focus had been entirely on Rey when he had arrived on Pasaana, so he may have ignored Lando, but the more likely scenario was capturing or killing him.

Ben had too much to feel guilty about to add crimes he hadn't committed to the list, but it was difficult not to. Lando seemed happy to see him, which Ben knew was something that he didn't deserve. He was the same man who killed his father. It didn't matter that he was alive in this timeline. He was responsible for all of the actions he remembered. Being seen as a better man than he was made him feel like a fraud.

Lando's home was modest in a way that surprised Ben. It was a structure that didn't match the rest of the planet, so Lando must have had it built and then added to it over the years. The interior was filled with furniture and decor that was a mismatch of different styles and cultures, but all of it was in good condition.

It looked like it was the home of a man who didn't know who he was.

Lando had always been so confident, and he still projected that confidence, but there was a tightness to his eyes and a slump to his shoulders that Ben didn't recognize. This was a Lando who was tired.

Years ago, when Ben was still Luke's student, Luke had alluded to something happening to Lando, but he had never shared the details with Ben. All he knew was that Luke had a sad look pass over his face anytime Lando was mentioned.

Maybe he would finally learn what happened.

…

It didn't take long for Lando to cause problems. His comment that Ben left the First Order for Rey, which was more true than any of them knew, drew a wide range of reactions.

His father and Chewie had laughed, and even Luke had cracked a smile. Rey's friends had been a different story. There had been shouts of disbelief from Finn and Paige, and Rose had given him a knowing look.

He would respect Rose's wishes and give her time to approach him when she was ready, but he was incredibly curious about what she thought she knew.

Rey's reaction had been the most important to him. She had blushed and drawn in on herself a little, but she hadn't moved away from him. If anything, she had leaned in closer to him and had brushed his arm with hers. That she didn't want to distance herself from him – especially when it would have made things easier for her – meant a lot to him.

For the rest of their abridged explanation of recent events to Lando, Ben knew his face remained red. Thankfully, the explanation of the events on Ahch-To stuck to Luke's decision to join them and the Jedi texts. Nobody mentioned Rey's vision or anything that had happened between Rey and Ben.

Lando made some pointed remarks about everyone's appearance and told them to clean up while he got food ready.

Ben was ready to shed the clothes and the persona of Kylo Ren.

...

Ben found himself alone in a guest room. Similar to the other rooms he had seen, there was an odd assortment of styles. The bed had velvet blankets and some of the furniture was simple and wooden, while other furniture was ornately designed metal.

Lando had insisted that Ben wear the clothes he had selected, which should have made him wary, but he was far too distracted to pay close attention to the clothes he was handed.

The pants Lando had given him were a little short, but that was hidden by his boots. Lando had also given him a cape that he put aside – he had worn enough capes as Kylo Ren – and a light blue shirt that was made of a silky material. The shirt was tight across his shoulders, but otherwise, it fit fine.

Ben looked at himself in the antique floor length mirror and didn't recognize himself. He couldn't remember the last time he wore colour. During his time with Snoke, he always wore black. Before that, with Luke, he always wore neutral colours – lots of beige and brown. It had to have been when he was still a child.

Clothes had often been a shield, a way to keep others afraid and distant. This was something else.

Not wanting to inspire fear didn't mean he was free of fear. He took a deep breath and braced himself to face the others.

...

Ben found the others – minus Rey and Rose – in the dining room, which was dominated by a large glass table. He sat in the empty wooden seat next to Chewie and across from his dad. It was as far away from Luke as he could get.

His dad leaned forward. "Colour is a good look on you, kid."

"Looking every bit the prince you were raised to be," Lando said with a wide grin that didn't quite reach his eyes, leaning in the chair next to his dad.

Finn turned away from his conversation with Luke. "Prince?" he asked.

Ben snorted. "I'm not a prince." Other children had occasionally referred to him as a prince, but that had usually been to taunt him. He couldn't be the prince of a planet that was destroyed before he was born.

"Maybe not," Lando said, shrugging, "but your mom's a princess. I know you had some intense etiquette lessons."

"Really?" Paige asked, eyes lighting up. "Did you learn which fork to use and proper posture?" Paige asked.

"Among other things, yes," Ben confirmed.

Paige laughed. "You're a lot less scary now that I can picture you as a child learning to greet people and bow." She was still a little pale, but was almost completely recovered.

Ben was relieved to see how well Paige was doing.

"Ben hated those lessons," his dad said, "and I don't blame him. Kids need to spend time being kids."

His chest tightened at his dad's words. He had never felt much like a kid. There was always so much pressure to live up to his family legacy. Being Force sensitive complicated that legacy. His family, the public, and the voice all had expectations he struggled to meet. And even before he had embraced it, there was his darkness, which he had feared.

It was difficult to follow the conversation when his mind drifted. He tried to pay attention to what was said, hoping for a distraction.

"Han here," Lando said, pointing at Ben's dad, "disappeared whenever there were formal events."

His dad raised his hands. "I went to some. The important ones–"

"And hated every minute," Lando said.

Chewie roared with laughter.

His dad sighed. "I wasn't that bad."

Lando laughed. He left the dining room and went into what Ben assumed was the kitchen.

"Yes, you were," Ben said, leaning forward. "One time you took a bottle of wine and hid alone in a closet. You don't even like wine."

His dad shrugged. "But nobody caught me."

Ben gave him a pointed look.

"Nobody other than my son caught me," his dad said, correcting himself. He turned to Rey's friends. "I took Ben away with me when I could get away with it," his dad said.

Ben remembered those trips. They were adventures that hinted at the excitement his dad talked about in his stories. He had wanted nothing more than to be like his dad when he was older.

But that hadn't been a choice that had been available to him.

He remembered wishing his dad would take him away when his mom had decided to send him to Luke, but instead, his dad had let it happen.

Maybe it didn't matter that they sent him to Luke. The voice had been with him for as long as he could remember. Maybe it was inevitable that he would fall to the dark side and join Snoke.

Part of him knew it wasn't inevitable. He had fought against the darkness and had only given up when he was at his most hopeless.

Hope is what brought him back, and hope is what would keep him from falling again.

Rey and Rose joined them in the dining room, and Rey captured his full attention. Her hair was down, which was a rare sight. The subtle waves framed her face and drew his attention to her smile.

Rey said something to Rose before she came over and sat next to Ben.

Rose stayed on the other side of the table, sitting next to Luke and across from Paige and Finn.

"Interesting choice of clothing," Rey whispered, leaning close to him. He felt her breath against his ear.

"Lando's choice," Ben said in a low voice.

"Ah," Rey said. "I should tell him that I approve."

Ben nodded. "You should."

Rey leaned away. You look nothing like Kylo Ren, Rey said, projecting the thought instead of saying it aloud.

Good. He also gave me a cape . Ben projected an image of the cape Lando gave him.

Rey stifled a laugh. Kylo Ren wouldn't have worn that cape.

And Ben Solo won't wear it.

Rey tilted her head. You don't have the same flare for the dramatic as Lando?

I'm a different type of dramatic, Ben said.

Rey tucked her hair behind her ears.

I like your hair, he said, the words slipping out before he thought them through.

Rey raised her eyebrows. What?

Ben felt his face heat up. I've never seen it down before, he continued. It suits you.

Rey shrugged. It gets in my way when it's down.

Well, it looks beautiful... you look beautiful.

Thank you, Rey said. She looked down at her plate, but he saw a slight smile on the corner of her lips.

"Are you going to share with the class?" his dad asked.

Ben looked at his dad. "I don't know what you mean," he said, managing to keep his voice steady.

"I already told you that the two of you weren't subtle, communicating with each other through the Force." His dad shook his head. "We shouldn't be keeping secrets."

Everyone at the table was watching their conversation. Ben didn't want to give any of Rey's friends more reasons to distrust him. "We weren't–"

"Then what were you talking about?" his dad asked.

"Force healing," Rey cut in, saving Ben from having to answer. "We don't know enough about how it works."

Ben let out a relieved breath. He didn't want to share their conversation with everyone. It was private.

"I agree," Luke said, giving Ben and Rey a judgemental look that Ben didn't think they had earned. "You both took a dangerous risk."

Ben tensed. "It worked out."

"From what Finn told me, it almost didn't. If he hadn't stopped you–"

"Good thing he did," Ben said sharply. He clenched his hands into fists.

Luke looked at Finn with narrowed eyes. "How did you know to–"

"I wasn't expecting company," Lando said, interrupting Luke. He entered the room with a tray filled with an assortment of food. "So this is what I have."

Ben relaxed his shoulders.

Lando had brought bread, fruit, and dried meat. It was better than anything he had eaten with the Resistance or on Ahch-To.

…

Ben hadn't realized how hungry he was until he started eating.

Conversation had stopped as soon as food arrived, so he wasn't the only one who was hungry. Rey ate like it could be her last meal, which he was learning was how she ate most of her meals. He had never had to worry about food, so he ate at a much slower pace, even when hungry.

He wanted to promise Rey that she should never need to worry about food again, but he didn't know if he could keep that promise.

It was also more complicated than that. Rey's relationship with food had developed because of a lifetime of struggling to survive. It was part of who she was, and it wasn't up to him to heal her. She was capable of doing that herself.

…

As everyone finished up their meals, conversation resumed. They shared stories and got to know each other better.

Ben didn't add any stories of his own.

It was too much, being surrounded by so many people, doing something as benign as sharing a meal. With the First Order he had always eaten alone, and he hadn't socialized.

It was getting difficult for him to breathe. He needed space.

Ben stood up. "Excuse me," he muttered, heading for the door.

He found himself outside where the only light was from the stars. He slowly inhaled the cool evening air.

Some of the tension started to leave his body.

He focused his attention on the stars and put aside the thoughts that had been bothering him. Focusing on his surroundings helped.

…

The door opened. "Ben?" Rey asked.

"I'm over here," he said. He was sitting on the ground, near the door.

He couldn't see her very well in the dark, but he felt Rey sit next to him.

"What should our next steps be?" Ben asked. They needed to prepare to face Palpatine. It had been more difficult than he anticipated to kill Snoke, and Palpatine was a much more deadly opponent.

"I didn't come out here to talk about that," she said, softly.

"Then why are you here?"

Rey put her hand on his knee. "I wanted to see if you were alright."

"Me?" Ben asked, placing his hand on hers.

Rey sighed. "You've been through a lot."

"We all have," he said. Paige had nearly died, Luke was injured, Finn had to face–

"Yes," Rey agreed, "and I've already checked on Paige and talked to Finn, so now I'm here to check on you."

Ben's throat was tight. "You don't need to."

"Of course I do," Rey said, squeezing his knee. "I care about you. I'll always want to make sure you're okay, especially after you abruptly leave dinner to be alone outside."

Ben rubbed her hand with his thumb, taking comfort from her touch. "Being in there with everyone… it was a lot. I needed some time to myself."

"Should I go?" Rey asked, pulling her hand away.

"No," Ben said, taking her hand back. "You're different… I'm comfortable with you."

"Good," she said, her voice sounding lighter. He imagined that she was smiling.

"Can we stay out here for a while longer?" he asked, not ready to face anyone else.

Rey rested her head on his shoulder. "As long as you need."

…

Rey had fallen asleep on his shoulder, so Ben gently woke her up. "Rey, we should go to bed."

She mumbled.

"It'll be more comfortable and warmer inside," he said.

Rey let out a soft groan and lifted her head. "I was comfortable."

He was comfortable too, but it was getting colder, and they couldn't spend the night outside.

Ben helped Rey stand up.

"Wait," Rey said, "before we go inside…" She found his face with her hands and then pulled him down for a kiss.

Ben let out a startled moan.

Rey wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

Ben put his hands in her hair and kissed her back. He was still amazed that she wanted to kiss him. When she came to him on the Supremacy he had thought… but after that he assumed his affections were one sided. It wasn't until they were on Ahch-To together that he learned otherwise.

Her lips were so soft against his. He didn't remember why he had wanted to go back inside. He wanted to stay outside with her and keep kissing.

Sooner than he was ready for, Rey leaned back.

"What was that for?" Ben asked.

"I felt like it," Rey said, her voice low. "I'll show you the sleeping arrangements.

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"You're with Chewie, your dad, and Luke, and I'm with everyone else."

"Ah," he said, trying not to sound disappointed.

Rey laughed.

Ben followed her to his room.

"See you tomorrow," she said.

Ben pressed his lips to her forehead. "Goodnight."

...

Ben was surprised to find that Lando and Luke were already in the kitchen when he got there. He hadn't slept well last night and had assumed everyone else was still asleep.

"–found the blade?" Luke asked.

Lando shook his head. "I haven't been looking."

"Why not?"

"It seemed like a lost cause, and then when you disappeared, there was no point. What would I do with a Sith blade?" Lando asked.

Luke opened his mouth to respond, but then he saw Ben, leaving whatever he was going to say unsaid. "Ben, you're up."

"I am," Ben said. He ignored Luke and looked at Lando. "Is there caf?"

Lando nodded. "It's almost ready." He passed Ben a basket filled with breads and jams. "You take these out, and I'll bring out the caf soon."

Ben brought the food to the dining room, and Luke followed behind him.

"How much did you hear?" Luke asked.

Ben sat down. "Keeping secrets?"

"Deciding how much to tell you," Luke said, crossing his arms.

Finn walked into the room and yawned. "Is there caf?"

"Lando's bringing it," Ben said.

Finn nodded and sat across from Ben, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. He put a piece of bread on his plate and spread jam on it. "The food here is good."

"Glad you think so," Lando said. He placed a pot of caf on the table.

Finn poured himself a cup. "Anyone else?"

Luke declined Finn's offer to pour.

Lando accepted. He took his caf and sat next to Ben, lounging in his chair.

Ben gave his cup to Finn and thanked him when he gave it back. It was such a normal thing to do, but it wasn't normal for Ben. He would have to get used to poiltness and sharing meals with others.

Ben took a sip of his caf. It was almost too hot, but the flavour was good.

He started at Luke. "Have you decided how much to tell me?"

Luke sighed and sat next to Finn. "We were talking about the Blade of Ochi of Bestoon."

"Is that name supposed to mean anything to me?" Ben asked, knowing exactly which blade Luke meant, but wanting to find out how much Luke would tell him.

"It's a Sith blade that carries with it the location of a Sith wayfinder," Luke said.

Finn had stopped eating and was listening to their conversation. "What's a Sith wayfinder?" he asked.

"It's what it sounds like," Ben said. "It's a tool created by a Sith to travel through difficult parts of space."

Finn looked between Ben and Luke. "Why do we need it?"

Luke narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think we need it?" he asked.

"Other than the face that you two were discussing it?" Finn asked. He paused, thinking about his answer. "A feeling."

"Hmm," Luke said, "you're right. We do need it."

Paige and Rose walked in.

"Is that jam?" Paige asked. "It looks good."

"Please tell me there's caf," Rose said.

"There is," Lando confirmed. "Help yourselves."

Not long after Paige and Rose sat down and started eating, Chewie walked in, followed by his dad and Rey.

Rey smiled at Ben and sat next to him.

"Why the interest in Sith artifacts?" Lando asked.

Luke put down his bread. "I recently learned some troubling news."

"And you're looking for answers from the Sith?" Lando asked, raising his eyebrows.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut. "Palpatine is back," he said in a grave voice.

The reaction was stunned silence.

Rose wrinkled her brow. "How do you know?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Luke nodded at Ben. "Ask him."

Ben's jaw tightened.

What are you going to tell them? Rey asked.

The truth, he decided.

"There have been signs for a while – a dark presence I couldn't explain – but I ignored at first," Ben explained, thinking about the months he spent searching. At first he had foolishly thought it was his grandfather.

"Then what happened?" Paige asked.

"First Order records suggested there was someone other than Snoke giving orders." Ben grimaced. "I didn't suspect Palpatine until he made himself known to me."

Paige bit her lip. "How did he do that?"

Ben sighed. "I heard his voice in my mind," he said, knowing that they would doubt his word.

Paige shared a look with Rose and Finn. "Are you sure that was real?" she asked.

Ben's jaw stiffened. "I am."

"You could be mistaken," Luke said, sounding like he wished Ben was mistaken, but knew he wasn't.

"Ben's right," Finn said.

Ben's eyes widened. He didn't expect Finn to back him up.

"How do you know?" Luke asked, giving Finn an intense stare.

Finn shrugged. "A feeling."

Luke tilted his head. "Have you had this feeling before?"

"Yes," Finn said, pinching his brows together like he didn't know what Luke was hinting at.

Ben had a feeling of his own. He didn't think Finn would be happy about the outcome of this conversation.

"Describe the feeling to me," Luke said.

Rey's eyes widened. Is Luke suggesting that Finn…

I think he is, Ben said.

"I felt his sincerity. He believes what he said is true," Finn said.

"You're describing the Force," Luke said. "You're Force sensitive."

"What?" Finn asked, his eyes wide. "No, I'm not."

"I've suspected for a while," Luke said. "What did you feel when you stopped Rey and Ben from healing Paige?"

"A warning," Finn said in a quiet voice. "Danger."

"That's the Force," Luke said.

Finn shook his head. "You're wrong." He looked at Rey for confirmation. "He is wrong, isn't he?"

Rey winced. "I'm not sure."

Finn took a step back. He turned to Ben. "What do you think?"

"I think that you know Luke is right."

Finn gave Ben a nod. "I need to think about this," he said, and then he walked out of the room.

Rose stood up.

Paige touched her arm. "Give him some time to himself."

Rose sat back down. "You couldn't have found a better way to break it to him?" she asked Luke.

"He needed to know," Luke said.

"She has a point," his dad said. "You could have told him in private or talked to Rey and had her tell him. It would have been better coming from a friend."

Cheiwe groaned in agreement.

"It's done," Luke said.

Do you think Luke is right? Rey asked.

I do, Ben confirmed.

He had sensed something from Finn before, something he initially dismissed, but Force sensitivity explained a lot. It explained how Finn broke free from his Stormtrooper conditioning, how he held his own in a lightsaber fight, and how he knew to stop them from healing Paige more.

Another Force sensitive on their side could turn the tide in their fight against Palpatine, but only if Finn was willing to train. Ben knew he could teach him, but he didn't think that Finn would be willing to learn from him.