Five.

The grip around his neck tightened and Ben felt himself clawing at the steel-sinewed Wookiee arm that held him in its grasp. Chewbacca was glaring at him and howling what were definitely not greetings and he kicked and mentally clawed for the Force but it was still walled off by the drugs. All he could manage was a small gasp and realise that this must be what it was like when he Force-choked those annoying subordinates.

The Universe was definitely trying to repay him for all of his misdeeds…

"Chewie!" Finn's voice cut across the furious yowls and the Wookiee spared him a glance before continuing to strangle the former Supreme Leader of the First Order. Rolling his eyes, he took a deep breath. "Chewie! He's with me!"

The Wookiee stared at him, his hand still tight around the throat of the man who had killed his best friend. The son of his best friend. He gave an inquisitive growl. And even though he didn't understand Wookiee, Finn could gather the gist of the question.

"Okay, so I'm sort of...kidnapping him...but I need to get him off here-and fast," Finn offered, casting an apologetic look at the Wookiee. "Please. I think...it may help Rey." Growling, Chewie hoisted Ben a little higher...and then flung him hard across the passageway, the impact echoing through the ship with a resounding clang. Gasping for air and rubbing his throat, Ben slowly looked up.

Okay-I can really see why Hux hated me so much, he considered silently as he gradually levered himself to his knees. And the others. But then I sought fear rather than loyalty. Snoke wouldn't have suffered any other way. The young General had closed to a couple of feet from the Wookiee and was speaking in a low voice, offering an explanation. Absently, he listened in, having learned to understand Wookiee when he was much younger. There had been a time when young Ben had craved his father's love and approval, when he would have done anything if his father had shown he loved him, if he had stayed. So he learned Wookiee so he could understand Chewie, he learned the systems of the modified freighter and he certainly learned how to fly so one day, he could make his father proud. Except, of course, his father and mother had sent him away, rejecting him for the power that he had no say in inheriting.

Shoving the familiar black feelings aside, he rose and stumbled towards the cockpit, the way recalling all sorts of memories. He took a deep breath at the doorway before he moved forward.

And found himself hauled back by a roaring Chewie. His throat still bruising from the Wookiee's welcome, he raised his hands and allowed himself to be shoved back into the passageway.

"Okay," he conceded swiftly. "So who's going to fly?"

"Me," Chewie told him firmly. Ben rolled his eyes.

"You need two pilots for the Falcon," he reminded the Wookiee.

"I can manage just fine on my own," Chewie roared at him.

"Better with a co-pilot," Ben pressed.

"You are not sitting in his seat!" the Wookiee told him with finality.

"Then…"

"I am not sitting in his seat either. It's his seat."

"You're being ridiculous," Ben groaned.

"You killed him!" Chewie snarled. "He wanted to bring you home-to Leia. He still loved you. And you murdered him in cold blood."

"I know."

"He was my brother. Wookiee honour demands I kill you."

"Join the line," Ben retorted. "Pretty much everyone else in the Galaxy is ahead of you. And I recall you had a good shot at it on Starkiller Base."

"He was my best friend!"

"And he was a lousy father," Ben replied, his anger flaring for a moment. "Yeah, I know he was a great partner and smuggler and general scoundrel and sometime hero of the Rebellion but as a father, he was intermittent when I was very small-then he was arguing with Mom much of the time while he vanished more and more frequently. Until they decided they were scared by my potential and sent me away to Luke. And then he vanished completely."

Chewie roared in fury-and cuffed him hard. Still rigid with anger and unbalanced, he found himself on his knees again, his head ringing and teeth gritted against the blow. He looked up and forced himself to squash the anger down, looking up blearily at the Wookiee.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I know he was your friend. I did miss him when he was away...especially with Mom more and more busy with the Senate and the New Republic. But given the choice between doing what he loved or caring a damn about his only child...well, he chose you over me every single time."

There was a sudden silence and the Wookiee looked down at the bowed shape. There enough raw emotion in the voice to give him pause, to remind him of the black-haired child who had been scant regarded as his stubborn and wilful parents fought for their own interests, their own paths without once considering what their son would imagine or need from them. And the words reminded Chewie of why Ben Solo had become Kylo Ren, why the lure of revenge and power was so attractive to a boy who felt he was rejected and cast aside by everyone who should have loved him...including his father's best friend.

Ben stiffened as Chewie's hand grasped his arm and helped him up but the Wookiee's expression was as close to contrite as he could manage. His growls were soft but eloquent.

"I know," Ben murmured. "And thanks."

"But I'm still not allowing you to fly," Chewie finished.

There was an awkward pause, punctuated only by the sound of switches being flipped and the ignition of engines. Then there was a horrible grinding noise.

"Finn!" Ben realised and staggered forward again, reaching the cockpit door. "You don't know how to fly and you've just activated the hyperspace compressor while failing to align the sublight engines." There was another grinding noise which had him and Chewie both wincing almost in unison. "And everyone on the entire base will have heard that!" Chewie pushed past and squeezed himself into the copilot's chair, reaching across Finn to flip a dozen switches and grumbling in Wookiee.

"What's he saying?" Finn asked. Ben paused.

"I can't really translate," he admitted.

"I would have thought you understood him from how you were talking to him a few minutes ago…"

"No, I do understand him-but most of what he's saying is cursing at how you've messed up the power flow and definitely attracted unwanted attention," Ben explained. "We'll be lucky if…"

A flurry of beeps had him looking round and the familiar orange and white shape of the BB droid, BB8, came barrelling towards him. The noises sounded incredibly annoyed and the device slammed into his leg at full speed before bouncing off. He yelped and hopped away as the droid rolled forward again. This time, the little droid opened a small hatch and a welding torch spat a fierce flame straight at him, licking across the side of his knee.

"OW!" he yelped, backing away and slapping out the flames that were greedily licking his pants leg. "What the…?"

"BB8? What is it…?" The voice of Poe Dameron approached as he rounded the corner to see his droid attacking the fugitive. Instantly, his blaster was in his hand. "YOU! I knew we couldn't trust you!"

"Mutual," Ben snapped, still slapping his burnt leg. BB8 furiously slammed into his leg again before pulling out a circuit board probe and stabbing it into his leg. "OW! Will you stop this crazy droid attacking me!"

"Good boy, BB8!" Poe said obviously as BB8 rolled forward and jabbed Ben with another attachment, lancing a powerful current through his leg. He yelped again. "Now we're going back to your cell and this time, we're going to have you shackled, chained and doped to the eyeballs…" Shaking his head, Ben sighed.

"Until the firing squad arrives," he reminded the General. "I doubt they'll even bother with a trial…"

And then the whole ship lurched and both men were thrown to the floor as the Millennium Falcon roared up into the sky. Chewie grumbled and flipped up a switch, closing the main hatch as the blue sky around them darkened and the millions of points of light of the stars suddenly surrounded them.

"I KNEW IT!" Poe yelled. "I knew it. You've forced them to help you and…"

"Poe!" Finn called from the cockpit as the Falcon levelled out. "It's okay. I chose to help him…"

"What?" The former pilot looked up and glared at Ben who was picking himself up again.

"Maybe I should just stay down here," he muttered as Poe glared at the cockpit. "It would save time." Finn craned his neck to see his friend waggle his fingers.

"Are you sure? He could have done the Force mind thing like Rey did with those stormtroopers…"

"No-because he wouldn't have recalled me talking to him, trying to appeal to his better nature," Ben grumbled.

"SHUT UP!" Poe yelled and hit him over the head with his blaster. Ben folded as Finn's eyes widened.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"He's an escaped prisoner!" Poe told him. "It was discovered just when I came to see what was happening with the Falcon. I wondered if the two were connected-and I couldn't see where you were. Alarm klaxons were starting to go off. Everyone on the base will be looking for him."

"Pretty much everyone on the Base wants to kill him!" Finn pointed out. Chewie gave a long moan. "What?" BB8 gave a series of beeps.

"He says there are multiple launches from the Base," Poe translated.

"The droid speaks Wookiee? Of course the droid speaks Wookiee! Am I the only person who doesn't speak Wookiee?" Finn grumbled.

"Look, buddy-we have gotta go back," Poe said, holstering his blaster. He gestured to the unconscious shape of Kylo Ren. "You know we have to take him back." Slowly, Finn shook his head.

"Look-he says there is something wrong with Rey," he revealed, as Poe walked into the cockpit. "I checked with Rose: her body has gone. Vanished completely. Just as he said. And I can feel that there is something not right. I know he's telling the truth."

"That would be the first time," Poe commented. Chewie made a couple of yipping noises. BB8 whistled obediently.

"What?" Finn's voice was frustrated.

"He says that Kylo Ren-Ben Solo-is very truthful," Poe told him and frowned. "But the First Order lied and deceived and…" Chewie growled. "Okay-I was just saying." A beeping sounded. "And those Resistance ships are closing. We really should turn back…"

"Look-if there is any way we can help Rey, if she's in trouble, we have to do it!" Finn's voice was passionate. "You know she would do the same for all of us." BB8 gave a little whistle and then a pair of sad beeps.

"Okay, buddy-but only because you asked," Poe conceded. "So where are we heading?" Finn glanced to Chewie, who hit the lever and threw them into hyperspace.

"Dathomir."

-o0o-

I saw your potential. A New Vader. Now...I fear I was mistaken.

You have too much of your father's heart in you, young Solo.

You are no Vader, just a child in a mask!

Eyes snapping open, Ben sat bolt upright, Snoke's scornful words ringing around his memory as the echoes of the nightmare still shuddered through him. He blinked and forced the images down: the former Supreme Leader had been a ruthless Master, demanding perfection from his student and ruthlessly castigating any failure or perceived weakness. And he had completely failed Snoke's standards after he had slain Han Solo. The patricidal act had wounded his soul, weakening him when it should have made him stronger, confused him when he should have become more certain and the judgement in his scornful words had been shameful, humiliating and agonising after all the sacrifices he had made to become the creature Snoke wanted.

He leaned forward, breathing hard and briefly covering his face with his hands as he tried to reorientate himself. He ran his fingers through his hair as his eyes scanned the surroundings. Someone had placed him on a bed in a cabin which he recognised as being on the Millennium Falcon and a shiver of relief passed through him. At least he wasn't back in the hands of the Resistance-yet-though Poe had been on the ship… He raised his hand to the lump on the back of his head where the General had hit him and grimaced.

"Ow," he muttered to himself and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Automatically, he reached for the Force and found the way blocked once more. Grimacing, he stumbled up and checked the door.

It opened immediately and he frowned before deciding to run with it. They could have locked him up if they had wanted but Chewbacca was probably a better deterrent and in any case, they were going where he wanted. What he really needed was access to some of the ancient Jedi texts but Rey would have been the only person who would have possessed those and if anywhere, they were back on the Base. Maybe meditating would enable him to access memories, to dredge up a fragment of information he had heard or read at some time in the years since he started his training. But first...he needed something to drink, some food and about three shots of painkiller for his various bruises.

"Ren!"

He looked up to realise he had wandered into the communal area, with the three humanoids all sitting around the Chess Table. Chewie gave a challenging growl and moved a piece forward. Finn rolled his eyes.

"How come he wins every time?" he asked. "I looked up the rules of this game and that move...doesn't appear anywhere." Chewie gave a low howl. "Of course I'm not accusing you of cheating but it's just...your style of play is unique…"

"Very unique," Poe agreed.

"He cheats," Ben commented as he slumped down into a seat close by. Chewie gave him an unfriendly glare. "Dad was convinced-and he did catch you reprogramming the game once…" The other two men stared at him.

"WHAT?" Finn exclaimed, outraged. Chewie growled at him. "Hey…"

"Where are we headed?" Ben asked, still absently rubbing the back of his head. "And why did you hit me?"

"Finn is convinced that you are trying to help Rey and that we should at least try," Poe conceded, blanking the second question. "She helped all of us. She defeated Palpatine. And if there is a chance that she could come back-or needs our help, we have to try." Then he sat back. "And honestly, though we've defeated the Final Order and we're both Generals, I can't see life being anywhere near as exciting as it has been. It's already all meetings and trying to keep the peace…"

"I could go for a little unexciting," Finn put in as Chewie made another move and crushed his piece. "Hey!" Chewie loomed at him. "I mean-good move. Fair. Very fair."

"Generals aren't exactly my favourite people," Ben commented. His eyes flicked up to meet matching glares. "Present company excepted."

"Well none of us are fans of murderous First Order Supreme Leaders but we all got our little problems!" Poe shot back.

Angry beeps started sounding and the whole ship shuddered...then spun sideways, dumping everyone on the floor. BB8 gave a frantic stream of beeps and whistles as a conduit blew out and the whole ship shuddered once more and then dropped out of hyperspace.

"What's going on?" Finn asked as everyone dashed for the cockpit. Without hesitating, Ben slid into the pilot's seat, eyes flicking over the displays.

"The main hyperspace energy transfer system relay has blown," he said, expertly flipping a couple of switches. Absolutely nothing happened. "Someone messing around with the energy flow has overloaded the system." Finn rolled his eyes as Chewie squeezed into the co-pilot chair and slapped Ben's hands off the console. He roared angrily. "Yes, I know this is Dad's chair but I can't help from back there. And you are being ridiculous!"

"You mean we're stranded," Poe said.