Halo
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A/N-thank you to everyone who kindly reviewed the last chapter.
Chapter Twenty-Eight-Han and Luke
There was blood on Han's knuckles as he jerked his fist back into Luke's face. His blood hummed in his veins as determination and anger took over. He ignored the pain that blazed up his arm as his fist connected with Luke's jaw. It wasn't until his third attempt that Skywalker finally decided to evade his punch. Crimson leaked from both his nostrils as he stared at Han in complete shock at the unprovoked assault.
Luke's chest gently rose and sank with each shallow breath he drew in. He finally met Han's angry glare with one of his own as he nursed his bruised jaw. "I see you've fallen back into your old habits, Han. Hit first, ask questions later."
"It's better than being a craven coward!" Han spat through clenched teeth. "Hiding out here just so you can avoid the consequences of your actions."
Luke's blood ran cold at the tension and intensity of emotion in Han's tone. He immediately became defensive, believing that Han was there to confront him about exiling himself and leaving Leia to fight the war against the First Order alone. He was completely oblivious to the real reason behind his sudden animosity. "I don't have to explain myself to you." He snapped as he turned his back on Han and began to walk briskly away in the opposite direction.
Incensed by Luke's dismissive attitude, Han ran to catch up with him. But unlike Skywalker he wasn't familiar with the rough terrain. In his haste he tripped several times when his boots snagged on the hidden potholes and crevices, while Luke circumnavigated them with ease. Soon he fell behind, but his boiling resentment toward his brother-in-law kept him moving forward. By the time Han made some headway, Luke had already reached his hut. Secluding himself inside, Luke locked the door against Han's pounding fists.
"COWARD!" Han yelled through the thick wooden door. "YOU CAN'T HIDE IN THERE FOREVER!" When there was no response from Luke, Han's mouth curled up in the corners into a grim smile. He might not be able to get inside, but he knew someone who could. Han pounded on the door one last time as a final warning before heading back to the Falcon to fetch Chewbacca.
Kylo descended the opened ramp with BB-8 following close behind. Rey was already waiting for him at the bottom. She had her back to him. She wore a charcoal coloured poncho to ward off the chill. Ahch-to's tumultuous weather system had taken a turn for the worse. The icy grey sky restlessly grumbled. The thick blackened clouds were dragged down by the heavy rain which it held in its delicate frame. Kylo paused halfway down the ramp as he watched Rey tilt her head back, her eyes closed against the burst of water erupting down on top of her. Water washed over her skin so strongly that it felt more like the quick flow of a river rather than a rain shower. Her skin glistened as the heavy water droplets ran down her cheeks. She was revelling in it.
After living her whole life in such dry and arid conditions like those on Jakku, Ahch-to's rainstorm was like a touch of heaven. Kylo watched in silent fascination as Rey spun in a slow circle, her head still tipped back, her hands outstretched in front of her as she let the torrent of water bless her parched skin. Her eyes opened; her thick black lashes fluttered under the onslaught of water as they tried to shield her eyes from the downpour. Her lips parted and her breath condensed in front of her as she spun around again, her mouth curved into the most delicious smile.
Kylo felt his heartbeat quicken as he continued to watch Rey enjoying her first ever rainstorm. She was so devastatingly beautiful in her innocent joy. He daren't move, he daren't even breathe, he was frozen to the spot. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. The hairs on his arms stood to attention, as a militia of chills marched down his spine. Was there something there or was is it just his imagination? The beating gets louder and louder, surely if there is something there, he can hear this cacophonous thrumming rhythm as the bond opened and her happiness communicated itself directly to him. His breathing got deeper and deeper by the second as he found himself sharing her exhilaration.
A low whistle of warning from BB-8 snapped Kylo out of his daydream. Through the thick, icy sheets of rain, he saw Han striding toward the ship. His eyes were blazing with anger. Kylo's mood plummeted as he stood with the water running freely down his face and onto his already soaked clothes for his father to reach him.
Rey encountered Han first, her joy fading as she noticed the grim look on the older man's face. She shot a nervous glance over her shoulder toward Kylo, searching for his reaction. What she saw saddened her. "It didn't go well then."
"That's an understatement." Han muttered. "Where's Chewie?"
"He's servicing the environmental controls." Rey answered as she followed him back up the ramp.
"That can wait." Han halted in front of his son. "Luke's locked himself inside his hut like the coward he is. I'm going to get Chewie to break him out."
Kylo had arranged his features into an uncaring mask. "Did you really expect anything else?" He said, shrugging. "Why bother?"
The empty sound of his voice was disrupted by the loud gregarious boom of thunder. Han glowered at his son; his forefinger raised in front of him in a silent gesture of frustration. "I'm not giving up so easily. And neither should you. I'll knock the blasted hut down around his ears if that's what it takes to flush him out."
"You mean Chewie will knock it down." The beginnings of a rare smile touched the corners of Kylo's mouth.
"Why do you think I made friends with a Wookie. They come in useful like that. Just trust that your old man knows what he's doing." Han replied with a lopsided grin as he patted Kylo on the shoulder before leaving him to hunt down Chewbacca.
Rey ran her fingers through her wet hair and shook it out. After feeling revitalised by the intense downpour, she was now feeling reflective. Kylo had fallen into a brooding silence ever since Han had left with Chewie, which nothing could penetrate. Rey watched him discreetly out of the corner of her eye as she fiddled with the antenna on top of BB-8's head.
"Ben Solo is sad." BB-8 beeped at her quietly in his binary language.
"I know." Rey agreed as she finished straightening the antenna. She brushed the pads of her fingers across the top of the little droid's dome head tenderly. "He'll be okay, BB-8. I'll go and talk to him."
BB-8 let out another low whistle as he rolled away to give them some privacy. Rey pushed herself back onto her feet and slowly walked over to join Kylo at the Dejarik table. "Do you want some company?" She asked cautiously.
Kylo nodded at her bleakly. Rey's hazel eyes were filled with gentle concern as she settled down beside him. She laid her hand lightly on his shoulder and he was immediately soothed by it. Rey left her hand there as she tried to coax him to open up to her. "You know you can talk to me." She urged him.
The light of her compassion made his eyes moisten. Kylo knew he didn't deserve it, but she continued to bless him with it nonetheless. Words continued to fail him, he had so much to say, but struggled to express himself. "I want to." He admitted huskily. "I just can't."
"Are you afraid I'm going to judge you?" Rey asked. "I promise you I won't. You can tell me anything."
Kylo knew her compassion was the bridge; it was just taking time to trust his weight to it. She took her hand away from his shoulder and extended it toward him. Kylo stared at it, his eyes glimmering with suppressed emotion as he tentatively extended his fingers in response. Rey emitted a slight gasp when their fingertips brushed. It was like touching a livewire. Their bond grew stronger, raw in its intensity as it thrummed between them like a steady heartbeat. Kylo was hiding nothing from her, he let her share his hidden emotional scars, his fears, his aching loneliness. Rey moved closer, letting her fingers glide along his. Kylo's breath hitched at the enormity of the trust he was placing in her.
"Can you show me what happened with Skywalker?"
Kylo's heartbeat echoed in his ears at her request. He didn't think he had the strength to relive that harrowing memory. He felt like the firing squad was approaching, a grim reminder of his own mortality. His heart continued to beat so loudly that it seemed to want to escape his chest, to flee the horror of that particular part of his past. His eyes locked with Rey's and she saw his trepidation and fear.
"You don't have to." She backtracked quickly.
"No." Kylo breathed deeply and grasped her hand fully in his. "I want to. I need to."
"You're not alone." Rey promised. "I'm right here."
Kylo's heartbeat was steady like a drummer, keeping rhythm, keeping beat. He kept his gaze trained steadily on hers as he went back to that fateful night in his mind and took Rey with him.
Luke's eyes were glassy as he looked down at his old jedi robes. He hadn't worn them since the night he had decided to probe his nephew's mind as he lay asleep. He had been sensing the darkness growing inside Ben for a long time, had even gotten hints of it during his training. His hasty decision to go to Ben's hut that night to confront him had far reaching consequences he could never have imagined. When he delved into his young apprentice's mind he was devastated to learn that Snoke had already turned his nephew's heart to the dark side, and that knowledge was followed by a brief dark vision, he saw that Ben would bring nothing but death and destruction and leave his loved ones in anguish. In a flash of defensive instinct, Luke thought he could stop that future and for a brief moment raised his lightsaber to destroy him, believing that it was the only way to halt his descent into darkness and prevent the end of everything he loved. This instinct was gone almost the second that it came, and he had been immediately filled with shame.
But by then it was already too late. Ben had already awoken to see him standing over him with his lightsaber raised. Confused and angry, Ben pulled his own lightsaber to him in self-defence and attacked Luke, despite Luke's entreaties for him to listen. Then using the Force to pull down the hut on top of him he had left Luke for dead. When Luke came around, he emerged from the rubble of the hut to find his temple destroyed, with his other apprentices either killed or vanished with his nephew. Left deeply traumatised and mentally broken by what he believed to be his ultimate failure, Luke lost faith in himself and the Force. He believed he had failed to protect his students, and also failed to save his own flesh and blood from his family's dark legacy. Fleeing into self-imposed exile, and vanishing from the galaxy at-large without a trace was his only coping mechanism. He planned on living out the last of his days in reclusive exile…but now Han was here bringing the past back with him.
Luke squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to bury his shame and guilt and shove it deep down inside him. Just like he had buried his connection to the Force. He had deliberately cut himself off from it, even though it continued to call out to him, tormenting him every waking minute. Luke took a deep, shuddering breath and folded his old robes carefully, intending to put them put away in a locked box, but before he had a chance to do so the door to his hut was busted open and he got the shock of his life when Han stormed inside, followed by an enraged Chewie.
"I've already told you, Han. I have nothing to say." Luke muttered after he had recovered his composure.
"Well I have plenty." Han growled as he motioned for Chewie to grab hold of Luke before he had a chance to run off again. "And you're gonna damn well listen."
Luke was outraged. He began to struggle as the tall Wookie encased his arms in a tight grip. "I'm not coming with you, Han. If its your intention to drag me back to the Resistance by force, it won't work. Tell Leia I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do."
"Oh, you'll be saying more than sorry, Luke Skywalker." Han accused. "You're going to tell Leia to her face why you tried to murder our son."
Luke stopped struggling as his complexion turned deathly white. "What?"
"Don't even dare deny it. Ben told me everything." Han growled.
"You've spoken to Ben?" Luke exclaimed in horror.
"I've done more than that. I've brought him with me." Han revealed.
"He's here?" Luke's brain stuttered for a moment as the shocks kept on coming. Being cut off from the Force had prevented him from sensing his nephew's presence. "He can't be." The rest of the words failed him as he forgot how to speak, he was totally stunned as Chewie pushed him roughly out of the hut and dragged him toward the Falcon.
A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.