Chapter 3: Truth

They were back on Ahch-To and throughout the incredibly long journey it took them to get there, Luke hadn't said a word.

Deep inside, Ben was fuming, but he continued on as if nothing was amiss.

Luke had disappeared for fuel for so long on Corellia that he had become worried, a fleeting feeling that had upset him even more based off the current circumstances. Worry or any sort of sympathetic emotion was the last thing he wanted to feel for his uncle.

Just as he thought he'd have to venture out and find him, Luke had returned and apologized. After they'd sat down and had begun lifting off, Ben just barely touched the edges of Luke's mind to see if he knew about the news.

He had.

There had been a whisper of a thought flitting through his mind that pertained to it. Distracted as he was with taking off, Ben was able to pull back immediately without detection. He knew he was gifted when it came to his ability to manipulate the Force, but Luke was still more powerful and highly attuned. He would have sensed him — even when distracted — quite fast unless he'd made it as brief as he had.

The conversation died soon after they safely left the planet. This was nothing new. As Ben had gotten older, their relationship had deteriorated... not that it had ever been great in the first place. Luke hadn't been around much for fear of detection on Hosnian Prime, their permanent residence. When he had been around, it was for fleeting moments that never lasted more than a day or so. Ben had seen Lando drop by far more than he ever did. And so, when his mother announced he would be sent to train with an uncle he barely knew against his will, the foundation for the poor relationship between them had been laid and the one with his mother had fractured.

This information about Vader would no doubt ruin whatever was left of them both.

As the island came into view, Ben shifted in his seat, feeling even more irritated, but thankful to finally be out of this confined space and away from Luke. This planet was the last place he wanted to be, especially now, but he would much rather be anywhere else than in this kriffing ship.

Luke glanced at him, sensing his dark mood, but instead of commenting, just sighed. As Ben had gotten older, his dislike of Ahch-To had merely grown. The only bearable place on the island was the temple. The view and the near-palpable connection to the Force drew him there everyday, helping him forget just how lonely he was here.

He could see two familiar figures — Voe and Tai — as they walked over to the now-parked ship. They were the only two force-sensitives he and Luke had found on their many expeditions throughout the galaxy, seeing as they hadn't been too keen on venturing out often for fear of being caught. The Empire had pretended to relinquish some control — after the rebels had been snuffed out, of course — by reinstating the Senate, but it was done in an effort to look as if they were compromising with the people. Underneath it all, it was obvious the Senate held no true power. With the Death Star II fully operational and intact — the loss of Mon Cala and Chandrila proof of that — it was obvious that fear was their strongest tool to ensure obedience. His mother and uncle had been fools for ever thinking differently. Perhaps if they hadn't, both worlds, Alderaan, and his father would still be around. He grit his teeth at the thought, hands clenching into fists as he walked off the ramp and towards the temple.

Tai approached him in an attempt to be civil. He and Voe had elected to remain on the planet, interested in exploring some of the other islands dotting its vast ocean with an old T-47 airspeeder that barely worked. They'd both wanted to come here and train of their own volition, and as such, their interest in the planet was untainted... unlike his.

"Ben!" he clapped him on the back, a warm smile on his face. Tai had shaved his head at some point after they left, and his normally pale skin was tanned from exploring the planet. As his blue eyes assessed him, the happiness in them left as abruptly as it came. Tai had always seemed to instinctively understand him better, and they'd gotten along as well as they could have because of that — very unlike his borderline volatile relationship with Voe. She was comprised of a potent mixture of extreme pride over her strong connection to the Force and arrogance. An interesting combination for a Jedi. One that had immediately pushed them against each other. He was positive there had never been a moment where they had gotten along. "How was it?" his voice decreased in volume as they moved away from the ship, sensing something was wrong. Ben could feel Luke's sharp eyes on him — as they always were — and worked his jaw.

"Fine," his reply was curt, and Tai got the message. He was sure his poor mood hovered around him — nearly tangible in the Force — but he couldn't bring himself to care this time. He wanted to be alone. Knowing he was in a mood, Tai said nothing and simply let him go. It was a relief.

Ben felt him before he heard him. He would recognize Luke's presence anywhere, likely even in his sleep, considering how accustomed to it he was.

He had been sitting on the rock just outside the temple, meditating since they returned — time passing in a blur — as he sought answers. He knew where he wanted to go. What he wanted to do. He'd made that decision on their way back here. However, he still felt conflicted, far more now than he did before. Meditating had helped him control his emotions and had given him some peace. Despite that, the Force, as attuned to it as he was the many instances he'd come here before, provided him with no support or answers this time.

He opened his eyes, taking in the turbulent waves as they crashed against the jagged, rocky cliffs of the island and the cloudless, midnight sky. The moon was shining brightly — a beacon of light in the darkness.

"You know."

Luke's words were more a statement of fact than anything. Ben's eyes lingered on the waves before following their movements to the island and then the cave, its gaping mouth lit by the moonlight. He had explored it long ago in the middle of the night, his darkness drawing him to it almost as soon as he had been brought here to train. That was back when he'd been scared of it. The cave had provided him with no answers, merely his own reflection staring back at him. That had been one of the main ideals drilled into his skull as a child — the dark side could tempt you, but it would never be able to offer you the answers you seek. It could never offer enlightenment.

But that had been over a decade ago. Many things had changed since then. He'd learned to walk with his demons instead of run from them. He'd had no other choice.

He wondered now...

Ben's eyes glinted, and he got up slowly before facing his uncle.

"Know what?" he countered, wanting to hear him say it. The last vestiges of his peaceful meditative trance evaporated as soon as he turned around and saw Luke's green eyes staring at him so impassively. He could feel the disappointment, as if it were his fault for not saying anything on their long trip back when it was Luke and his mother who had decided never to tell him the truth. It burned him.

"You saw the news," he stated, coming closer. His gaze faltered, and Ben could feel the guilt now. It fed his anger. "Ben... We didn't say anything to—"

"To what?" his voice dropped venomously, "To protect me?" He spat the word out like it was poison, his lips curling. "Did my grandfather know?"

Luke's eyes flashed to his, and Ben could tell he had rattled him.

"The reason you were kept a secret was specifically so he couldn't find you," retorted Luke, frowning. "We wanted to keep you away from him and the Emperor. Prevent you from being used as a pawn... like they tried to use me."

"Just like you and my mother are using them?" he snapped, referring to Tai and Voe. "Don't think I don't know that you've been training us for the eventual day when the Rebellion will be reignited again." Luke's lips pressed together, and it was vindicating to know he'd been right in his assumptions. The war had never truly been over for any of them, it had just been relegated to the background until the right moment passed for its torches to light once more. His voice became louder and more angry. "Surely, that's one of the reasons mom sent me here? She's free to reignite the only thing that mattered to her now without me as a fucking liability."

"That's not what she thinks of you, Ben," he countered swiftly, determination in every inch of his voice. "You're not a liability. You never have been. We both love you and everything we ever did was to keep you safe."

Ben moved closer to him until there was barely a foot between them.

"You're twenty years too late," he hissed, moving around him and to the entrance of the Jedi temple.

If he couldn't find answers here...

His eyes flickered to the mouth of the cave once more and a steely resolve settled in him.

Luke stood in front of the small pool in the middle of the temple, his eyes fixed on the combination of light and dark depicted within. Moonlight filtered in from the crude opening that led to where Ben had been sitting minutes before. His meditation had been quiet and peaceful, and Luke knew this was the one place he truly enjoyed being on this planet.

Once Ben had sensed him, his emotions had devolved into a chaotic swirl of anger and betrayal, a dark cloud hanging over his head as he spoke with such vitriol. Luke wished he had done something sooner, having sensed his power a handful of times before, but had believed he wouldn't make the same mistakes as so many of the Jedi before him had. He had been so clearly wrong, and that realization stung... but not quite as much as the realization that he had been severing the relationship he had with his nephew, indirectly, for fifteen years.

He should have done something sooner.

He wondered if this is how Ben Kenobi had felt, upon witnessing his closest friend's betrayal. Luke took in a deep breath before leaving the temple, just in time to see his nephew's dark figure jump into the cave.

Rey sat, stiff as a stone, as one of the officers from high command — Lieutenant Mitaka, his name tag read — walked into the room.

They were seated at a long table made with a deep, chocolate-colored wood. All the windows were open and sunlight seeped through the billowing curtains into the conference room. It was summer in Naboo — her favorite season due to all the greenery, flowers, and heat — and she would be damned if she couldn't at least enjoy it before she was forced to let it go.

It had been a couple days since her grandfather dropped by unannounced, and during that time, she'd had nothing but nightmares. Nightmares of him torturing her to death or torturing other people to death, all because of her. It was always Rose, Cardé, and a tall man with black hair whose face she could never remember upon awakening, but whose presence she knew with such familiarity that it terrified her all the same. She'd wanted nothing to do with anyone these past few days, she'd simply stewed in her room thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong in her life if she were a senator, directly under the iron fist of Palpatine, and a claustrophobic sense of fear had burrowed its way deep into her chest and throat. As the days passed, she panicked more, unable to stop thinking about it, and could feel herself beginning to unravel. Upon waking today, she decided she would end this. She would listen to what this officer had to say, and then make a choice. If it was as bad as she thought it would be, she would find some way to run, if the opportunity presented itself. It would be foolish of her to try and steal a ship on her own from the Empire and hope to make it out of her grandfather's clutches alive. No, she needed the perfect set of conditions to fall into her lap, and if they happened, she would take it and take Rose with her and never look back. She'd never been allowed off the grounds of the estate — let alone off Naboo — and her previous two attempts at escape had ended so horribly that she had never tried again. This, however... This gave her an out. She couldn't possibly be monitored all the time. At some point, someone would slip up, and when they did, she would grasp that opportunity by the horns and escape.

She was on one end of the table, and Lieutenant Mitaka was on the other. Her eyes flickered away from him and to the death troopers that followed him, marching into her ancestral home as if they owned it. She grit her teeth in anger, but said nothing. He was merely a messenger and did not deserve her ire, but it was hard to remember that when he was to be the harbinger of all bad news and developments to come. He had been assigned as one of her liaisons and would go back and forth between her, the Emperor, and whoever else needed to speak with her from higher up. She felt pity for him.

The lieutenant gave her a deep bow before quickly raising a hand to the neck of his military top and tugging on it. She could nearly feel his anxiety. He was scared of her.

"Lady Palpatine," he managed, his voice cracking on the last name as he sat down, causing her to wince. Two stormtroopers stood on either side of him.

"Please, just Rey," she corrected, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt.

He nodded quickly.

"Of course, Lady Rey," he amended. "I'm here to go over some of the changes that will be made to this estate until you are sworn in as a senator."

He paused, as if waiting for her to object, or perhaps yell at him. He was trying hard not to cower like a dog, and it was likely — based off his behavior — that both her grandfather and Vader had traumatized him.

"Go on."

He nodded.

"As you can see, we have upped security. Since you are the only heir to the family, it is important that you are adequately protected here with more than just the Red Guard," his eyes flickered to the two standing on either side of her — guards that she frequently forgot about, as accustomed to them as she was. She supposed he had far worse experiences every time he saw them. "We will be here for you in two days when you will be sworn in, and then a more permanent residence will be created for you on Coruscant. There, you will attend to the needs of Naboo, the Chommell Sector, and it's delegation. Your duties will be primarily talking to your constituents, advising, putting forth legislation, and..." he paused, and she immediately picked up on it, "maintaining the peace."

Her eyes narrowed. 'Maintaining the peace' implied that there was peace needing to be maintained at all, as if things were going south in the Chommell Sector. That didn't bode well for her. She had no idea how the outside world — let alone the galaxy, as a whole — was faring, considering she had been completely cut off aside from what her grandfather had chosen for her to learn.

Rey hadn't been allowed to learn anything about flying or geography — her initial choices as she'd wanted so badly to learn about how to leave and the rest of the galaxy. Then, in her desperation to please him, she'd chosen politics, thinking that would make him care about her. That endeavor had failed spectacularly, as well. He would never love her, and that realization had hurt her deeply as a child, but at least it was an area she found she had a knack for and was interested in. Perhaps if she'd never learned, she wouldn't be in this position. She silently cursed herself.

"If no one knows I'm here on Naboo, Lieutenant, why do I need extra guards? Certainly the Red Guard are more than enough?"

He began to sweat. They were definitely hiding something from her.

"Well?"

Mitaka cleared his throat, his eyes fixed on the table in front of him.

"It is for your protection, my lady," his voice became higher pitched in his distress, "We have... intelligence... that there are some in the galaxy who know where you are and want to... or would want to... send a message."

There was a short moment of tense silence in the room, and the lieutenant looked like he was going to faint. She could only imagine how she looked as anger began to simmer inside her. So in addition to everything else, she also had a huge bounty on her head. Disappearing off the face of the galaxy continued to be a far more appealing alternative than this farce of a senatorship. If she survived long enough to carry it out, that was.

"Continue," Rey finally ordered in a strained voice.

"Of course, my lady," he visibly relaxed, and the meeting resumed.

Ben stared at the three Jedi as they stood a good distance away from where he'd jumped up and out of the opening of the cave. The tension in the air was heightened as they watched him straighten up slowly at their presence.

His eyes flashed from Luke to Tai and Voe. Voe looked angry, much angrier than he'd ever seen her, while Tai simply seemed worried.

He knew what they were going to do. They were going to stop him. He could feel their resolve in the force, just as he was sure they felt his now. He had found his answers in the cave, and he knew what he had to do. He was also in an ideal position to do it, with the transport ship docked somewhere behind him.

That cave had given him the razor-sharp focus he needed.

"Ben," Luke's voice was cautious, "Tai and Voe know."

"I would have never guessed," he quipped. "You gave Voe the reason she's been looking for to fight me."

She scoffed, grey eyes narrowing. The moonlight glinted off her white hair, making it almost glow against her dark skin. To his disappointment, she said nothing back to him, instead she merely waited for his next move. Uncaring how she felt, he pushed forward into her head with one hard movement. Long enough for her to notice and throw him out with a gasp, but not before he'd seen and felt enough. She had already made up her mind about him, just like the rest of the galaxy had. Nevermind that she'd known him for nearly a decade. She immediately turned on her lightsaber in defense.

"Stay out of my head," she hissed.

He said nothing, turning on his own saber automatically, anger growing. If she was itching for a fight, he'd give her one, and thoroughly decimate her in the process. He'd had enough of her, the nuisance that she was, for the time he'd dealt with her.

"Turn it off, Voe," Luke's voice held a warning in it.

"Not until he turns off his!" she spat, pointing to him with it. The green saber lit her features, turning them into something sinister.

"Not a chance."

"No one is fighting anyone, Ben," Tai frowned, taking a step closer with his hands up. "We can always talk about this," he looked behind him at the girl, "Voe, kriffing turn it off!"

"There's nothing to talk about. Voe has already made up her mind, and so have I."

"Ben."

Luke closed his eyes and for the first time in awhile, truly looked worn out. The lines of his face and the wariness in his tone gave him pause. He seemed defeated.

"Don't do this."

"I'm not going to do anything," his tone was clipped as he took a step back and towards the ship. "As long as she doesn't."

"You're going to leave?" it was Tai now, a deep frown etched on his face. "You should stay here, complete your training here."

"I've never wanted that," Ben's reply was vehement, and for the first time, he finally spoke freely. It was liberating, and he could feel his body shake as he spoke of everything he'd never had the opportunity to say because no one was ever listening. "I wanted to get the fuck off this planet before I even came here. I never wanted to train with anyone else, I never even wanted to be around him," he snarled, pointing to Luke, who flinched. "I just wanted to make my own decisions, do something I wanted to do, and I'm going to do that now."

"Ben—"

"Oh and what's that?" Voe asked innocently, her stance changing in a subtle way. Her knees bent a little; her hand flexed. He clenched the handle of his saber as he glared at her, anger growing inside him. "Running off to your grandfather? In the middle of a war?"

"Voe, shut up!"

He remained quiet as his fury sharpened to a point. His lightsaber was still on as he slowly moved backwards.

"Don't follow me," he warned, his voice low and dangerous as his eyes focused on her. "Let me go."

"Luke?" she prompted.

He nearly growled as she asked him for permission.

Ben looked at his uncle, and in that split second, she made her move.

His eyes widened in shock, and his heart froze in his chest as his hand came up automatically — with every ounce of strength and anger he had left — and bent the Force to his will. The weapon halted mere inches before it could make contact with his skull. The heat of the blade nearly singed the skin of his face, and he stepped backwards dumbly.

He took in a deep, shaky breath as his body trembled. His brown eyes were glued to the lightsaber as his body grew cold with hatred. She had actually tried to kill him.

Ben ripped his gaze away and to them, and that was when he finally felt the Force tugging all around him. It was sharp and insistent, and he tightened his hold on it. In his haste and surprise, he had frozen them all. They stood still, their eyes wide with shock, and to his immense pleasure, Voe's were with fear. They had spent ten years fighting and trying to one-up each other, but he would have never believed she had the guts to do this.

"I never wanted to fight either of you," his voice faltered as he yelled it out across the space between them. "And I still won't. But you..." his voice trailed off as he glowered at her. It would be so easy to do it. He knew it. To utterly destroy her like he wanted for even trying. He could feel the urge grow inside him, as a dark voice in the back of his head urged him on. That it would be so easy; that she was weak.

His eyes moved from her to Tai and Luke and he found some control. No... Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to finish her off. Not here, with them. He would wait.

She might not want to play by the rules, but he would, and when he did, it would be a fair fight with no one to stop him.

Ben bent the Force to his will, feeling unnaturally stronger now — more than he ever had before. He could feel his darkness oozing like tar around him, feeding him with its power. His grip on it slipped fast, however, as they tried to push through his hold. Making use of this opportunity, he ran with everything he had to the ship. It was very close. He only needed to maintain control long enough to fly out at full speed, and he did.

He could never come back, and he wouldn't. Not after this.

Y'all knew this was coming. I think you'll like the next one ;)

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