AN: I decided to divide the chapter again and in four this time...so the story is now about twenty one chapters (could be a bit more or less)...
Thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favorites! You guys rock so much! I can't thank you enough! I will try to update as fast as I again.
Flowergirl, thanks for the reviews! Happy to see you are still enjoying this story. Of course he will be encouraging about Rey, as soon as he realize how his son feels and how good she is for him... ;) For now he's bit wary of her...
Chapter ten - A father's lecture
Well, the good news is that I don't have to hide anymore behind the suffocating gas mask or down in the small grating area...
KR: The bad new is...you are doomed...!
I'm so doomed!
After the truth came out, his father started pacing in small circles as Ben remembered he only ever did, if something was worrying him deeply or if he was fuming mad or if Ben was in deep trouble, as is the case now and he has no idea where to even begin scolding him.
But, thanks to his force sensitivity, he can feel his father's feelings instead of just trying to guess them from his behavior and to his bewilderment, his father is both furiously angry and seemly delirious with happiness.
Is it possible to be both at the same time? Why should he even be happy? My brain must be playing tricks on me...it wouldn't be the first time...
KR: Don't you feel the same?
No...or well I don't understand my feelings...I don't understand anything...
KR: If I were you I would never trust my brain...trust me instead...
That's never going to happen...I mean...again...but I've to get out of here, before my father comes to his senses!
KR: You have no sense...
Ben looks quickly for an exit, but there is none as his whole gang has him surrounded and to make matters worse, his father isn't the only one mad at him, but his whole gang is staring angrily at him, even BB-8 is hopping mad at him for lying to his father, despite being one of the few in the room that knew the truth the whole time, thanks to his owner who had whispered it to him before the survival game began.
Poe doesn't seem be enjoying this so much as he did or maybe he just pretending not to, where he is staring sternly at him along with the others, Finn is angry over having been panicking over nothing and having been made a complete fool, but Rey is probably the angriest of them all for having been used in Ben's long plot of not meeting his father ever again, a big sin in the eyes of the one who has been waiting forever for her own family to return. She seems to be very tempted to retrieve her staff from the cockpit to teach Ben a harsh lesson in not leaving his family ever again, but thankfully, she along with everyone else is waiting for his father to make the first move.
KR: Checkmate...
Ben feels even more trapped than when he was down in the grating area, so he is very tempted to jump back down there, but this time with the grating over, preferably bolted in with the force so he can't get out and no one can get in...without a least a crowbar or a lightsaber...
Chewie, who follows his eye movements, puts the grating back on and sits on it, cross legged and growls at him, as if he knows what he was thinking. "Don't even think about it, little Ben."
Damn...I'm really trapped now...
KR: And you can't blame anyone but yourself...
I will blame you...
KR: Hey! That's so unfair! And I doubt your dad will buy it...he never did.
Huh...what's that supposed to mean...?
KR: You will find out...
"So...that's what you were trying to tell me this whole time..." mutters his father to Chewie, who at long last has come to some conclusion and stops his endless nerve wrecking pacing.
Chewie nods and wiggles a finger at Ben sternly. "Naughty Ben."
Ben gulps audible under the wookiees stern gaze and his father starts pacing again furiously, while mumbling all the time. "Everything makes sense now...the stupid mask...why he couldn't come up...everything he said...all his...lies...why he tried to run away...from me...even the poisonous gas..."
His father stops in front of him and Ben stiffens under his stern gaze. He glares dagger at the gas mask, which Ben is still holding in his hands and Ben quickly hides it behind his back, as if that would make everyone of his lie go away.
"Give me that!"
Ben throws the mask to him, as he doesn't dare to come near him in this mood and his father catches it with ease and throws into a wall behind his gang, who jumps up in fright.
His father stares after it as it falls to the ground with a breaking noise, which startles his gang even further and they all share the same look, "Now we know where Ben's got his temper from!"
Mom's gots a even worse temper...and that's saying a lot...and I got the temper from both of them...no wonder I'm a mess...
KR: I'm so glad that wasn't our helmet...he might have broken it...
Or my head...
At last he turns back to Ben and thunders: "YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"
KR: He's so angry with you...
Thank you captain obvious!
KR: He's a good darkside material...too bad he isn't forcesensetive...
You leave my father alone!
"Go find a corner and think about what you did."
There is not a single hesitation or quiver in his voice any more and Ben is stunned to see how his father could change his whole demeanor from what was before a complete stranger into his strict father, once again.
"What!" exclaims Ben and stares in disbelief at his dad.
KR: He asked you to find a corner...
I know what he said...but he can't be serious...I excepted a horrible lecture...not...a corner time!
"You heard me, I'm too...upset to deal with you right now. Find a corner now," his father points at the appointed corner so Ben won't even have to waste time to find one and yet Ben denies to give up yet and succumb to that childish treatment.
"I'm not going..." begins Ben angrily, but his father stops him by staying in a threatening voice: "You will go into that corner now or I will drag you on the ear to it."
Ben grumbles and stomps on his way to the dreaded corner, while passing by his furious gang, who all think he deserves this childish punishment for acting like a stubborn fool.
Ben's brain is still in escape mode, whereas he stares into the corner, despite having lost the survival game and how on Corusant, did he manage to end up in a corner twice the same day...?
Or is this another day...what time is it? Is it night-time? Everything seems to have gone both so quickly and slow at the same time...or am I trapped in some timeless loop...how did I get myself into this...this mess?
KR: By not listening to me...
But, I can still escape this stupidity...I just have to ignite my saber...no one would dare to stand in my way then, not even dad...I just have to kidnap Rey and BB-8 on the way, to take them with me to the resistance!
KR: Kidnap Rey...you? Yeah, right...
Then I will just ask her very nicely...
KR: Rey hates you now and...BB-8 will shock you if you come near him...
Fine, then I will just go alone to the resistance, with no map...and no Rey...at least mom will be happy to see me...
KR: That's a horrible, horrible plan...have you forgotten about what your mom said?
Mom...? What she said...? MOM! You're right...if she hears about anything about this...she's going to kill me and break my saber!
KR: You tried to kill your father...and Chewie...
I'm so screwed! I've to convince my dad...and Chewie not tell on me!
KR: And Poe, don't forget he's the one reporting directly to your mom...
Damn...I've to be nice to Poe...I'm not sure I can do that...he was enjoying this way too much! And what's up with that guy? One minute he super overprotective and annoying and the next he enjoys seeing me in misery and even laughs about it! Like an...older brother... a mean older brother...
KR: He loves to torment you...just like Rey...
Rey doesn't love to torment me! She just...punishes me...for being bad...
KR: And you...like that? No, please don't answer that!
Okay, I won't...
KR: Thank you...for doing something right...
Ben rests his aching and sore head on the cold wall. He is thankful that he got some time to think over his plan to kidnap Rey and BB-8 before trying to execute it, as it would've just ended horribly and got him into even more trouble, than he already is.
KR: Maybe you should always go in a corner to think before you do stuff. It sure would save me a lot of a headache...
Deep down Ben has to admit that he prefers this situation over what he had few minutes ago, as
it was killing him inside that his father didn't recognize him despite all the obvious signs and at the same, that he was for some reason, mentally unable to tell him the truth. Now, things aren't any longer in his hand and things don't feel like they are spinning out of control, as his father has taken control of him and even though Ben will never admit it aloud, that is what he had wished for...for a very long time.
Someone to help him get his life back...on track, but of course not without a fight...as he's too stubborn to admit he's wrong and last, but not least he still furious with his father for leaving him behind in the first place...and demands an explanation for it...a good one...
At last we can move forward...whatever that means...your move...dad...
"Did you all know about this? Were you keeping me son away from me?!"
Behind him, Ben can hear his father scold his gang harshly as if they were all his accomplices in his horrible prank gone all wrong.
Well, at least I am not the only one in trouble...
KR: I feel a bit sorry for them to be taking the fall for your stupidity...kind of like how you always did to me...
Huh...what are you blabbering about...?
"No, sir! We had no idea who you really were! I would never, ever break a family apart!" shouts Rey, angry that anyone would think that she out of everyone would do that, and Ben can feel her murderous glare on his back.
KR: She hates you...she really, really hates you now...
Everyone does...at the minute...and what did you mean by you always taking the fall...?
"He made a fool of us all...really Ben, your father...I expected more from former Kylo Ren. Afraid of your dad, like a naughty little kid," says Finn and Ben can hear him shake his head. "I expected way more..."
KR: The defected soldier is lecturing us...I feel so ashamed...it's all your fault!
I feel the tiniest a bit guilty for making him panic so much...but at the same time it was nice to get him on my side again...though only temporary...and it was also a good revenge for trying to steal Rey from me...and you still haven't answered my question...
KR: You know by like acting like a fool, you might have lost Rey to him.
What no! I will explain to her...I have a good reason for what I did! And can't Finn just have Poe instead...? And what about my question...?
"What about you? You kept snickering a lot...you knew, didn't you?" snaps his father, that can only be directed to Poe and Ben can hear how Poe gulps audible, which gives Ben a little revenge for his treatment.
"Yes...I knew...I'm sorry sir...and Ben, I'm sorry too..." says Poe shamefully, as if it was indeed only a prank gone way too far.
He said sorry to me?!
BB-8 chirps something that sound as sorry as well.
KR: Hmm...maybe he isn't such a jerk after all...even though he's in the resistance...at least general Hux would never say sorry to me...
Or you to him...and my question...?
KR: Maybe after I killed him...grandpa style...except grandfather never said sorry, just accepted apologizes after having killed the wrongdoer...but I would put my own spin on it...
You are not going to answer my question about you taking the blame...are you?
KR: Nope.
Jerk...
"And you thought it was funny...I haven't seen him since he was ten years old!" growls his father at Poe for that unfunny joke on his expense and even though, Ben gets the slightest enjoyment of hearing him scolding annoying Poe, he can't let this go, so he turns away from the corner and snaps at his father: "And whose fault is that?!"
KR: I thought you were in enough trouble already...
A silence follows Ben's world, all his of gang plus Chewie, stare speechless at his audacity of daring to leave the corner, while his own father seems to age about years, because of his question.
"My fault. Now, turn back to the corner," his father at last says sternly and Ben obeys even though he's far from satisfied with that answer.
His fault...I need more that that. Why did you abandon me...?!
"I'm really sorry, sir..." says Poe in a contrite voice.
"As long as you are sorry..." says his father.
Haha! Poe got so scolded by his hero! In his face!
KR: He said he was sorry...and you know, I know someone who is going to get a way, way, way bigger and worse scolding when he leaves the corner...
Oh, o...
"But, to be frank I didn't think it was right of me to interfere in family matters. Ben had to have a very good reason for why he was lying, hiding and trying to run away from you, sir...not to mention tried to kill you..." says Poe and Ben can just see him smirk, even though he has his back turned.
"Shut up Poe, don't remind him!" shouts Ben at him and turns around without thinking, as shouting at Poe to shut up, has become a daily habit of his, but when he meets his father's furious gaze, he turns straight back to the corner.
KR: You could just tell your father it was all a survival game, I'm sure he would appreciate that...
No, he wouldn't...
"Ben, come here!" barks his father at him, as he knows he can't keep Ben in that corner for too long.
"No, I'm fine here..." says Ben as if he thinking about camping out forever in the corner.
KR: Seriously...don't make him madder than he already is...
"Now!" shouts his father at him and Ben can hear him move behind him, as if he going to remove him physically from the corner.
"Aren't you still mad at me...?" asks Ben in a much smaller voice than he intended and he can hear his father stop behind him.
That was his logic behind sending me in a corner in the first place...
KR: He said he was upset, not mad...
Not mad? He threw the mask in a violent fit befitting of a Dark Jedi!
His father gives a long suffering sigh and says in much milder voice: "Of course I am...but not at you...but at what you did. Now, come, son," he adds the last part so softly, that Ben can't do anything except leave the corner and face his father in round two.
His father stares him down the minute he steps out of the corner, unnerving him like he hadn't felt since in the ever-imposing presence of Snoke.
But this is different, this is personal and Ben is beyond annoyed to see that his gang plus Chewie are still in the room, watching everything that happens between him and his father.
Don't my "friends" and Chewie have anything better to do than to watch me get scolded? Can't they go play chess or feed the monsters that my father and Chewie is apparently transporting or watch the navigation system...or take a nap? Why are they even still here..?
KR: They want to watch...they got scolded because of you...they need their revenge...
When you put it like that...I can't really I blame them as I would do the same...
KR: And Rey wants to scold you too...and Poe probably wants to record this so he can laugh about it later or worse, show former Kylo Ren getting scolded to the resistance...
Poe is a jerk as usual...but Rey will get her turn...
KR: And she wants hit you...so hard with her staff that you will see stars.
We are in space, of course I will see stars...
KR. You know what I mean...
"Son...what do you have to say for yourself?" rebukes his father him and places a great emphasis on the word son, as pretending not to be his son, is one of the reason he's in great trouble. One of many...
Is he talking about turning to the darkside and joining the First Order? Or just what I did to him now?
KR: If he was talking about all the darkside stuff, you would never leave the corner...
"I'm...sorry...?" says Ben to do some damage control and his father just shakes his head with a deep frown as he's not buying that sorry for a minute.
"You have grown...you're not a little kid anymore," says his father after another unnerving inspection.
"Yes," replies Ben.
What did he expect after so many years?
KR: You have grown...but not matured...
He looks so old all of sudden...he didn't have gray hair last time I saw him...
KR: Each and every gray hair is your fault...
We don't know that...a lot can happen in twenty years...
"Well, you are my kid. That hasn't changed...and never will." Han gives him a stern look.
Not sure, what he means by that...is that a threat? Does he plan on keep treating me like one...? Like mom...? Like Lor San Tekka...? Like Poe...okay more like everyone...
KR If he will..I suggest you scream...
Why?
KR: I just want to see you get into more trouble...
You're so evil...one minute you are giving my advice and the next you want to see me fail...
KR: Let me get one thing straight, I will always contradict everything you say and do, as it is my job to confuse you and destroy your self esteem so I can take over again...Oh, no I shouldn't have said that!
No, you shouldn't have...
KR: Pretend, you didn't hear that...
Okay, fine..I will...pretend I didn't hear that...
KR: Thanks, much appreciated...I don't want to be fired...
You make no sense as usual...but, if I understood you correctly...if I would suddenly turn into a model son...you would still lecture me for it...?
KR: I might...remember, I'm not your friend...
I know that...it still hurts to hear you admit it.
KR: But, as your frenemy...
So you are my friend...?
KR: Enemy...and a friend...if you would've just come forward right away, your dad might have been proud of you for turning to the light on your own...
Oh...I didn't think of that...
KR: You never think...but, now he is so angry with you for lying to him and trying to run away...
I can still fix this...and don't we agree on Darth Vader?
KR: Of course, Darth Vader was cool...you still agree with that...?
Absolutely...
KR: Good, then you have some brain left...
"Now, I ask you again. What do you have to say for yourself?" asks his father him.
Didn't he ask me that already...? Are we going back in time? Deja vu?
KR: No, you just didn't give him a satisfying answer...
"I'm...back...?" Ben gives him an awkward smile.
KR: Is this a sit-com?
However, those two simple words seem to crumble something inside his father, whose knees buckle under him as fall onto the floor with a shocked look.
Woah...what just happened to him...?
KR: You really have to ask...?
"Are you alright, mister Solo?" asks Poe and helps him sit up on container, while all the gang plus Chewie and Ben look worried.
"Back...he's back...I nearly lost my son again...I can't believe it...he was right before my eyes...this whole time..." mumbles his father like a deranged man and rubs his face, as if he's trying to wake up from a dream. "I got my kid back...finally I got my kid...back..."
Kid...? I'm not a kid!
KR: Could've fooled me...
But what's going on with dad...I've never seen him like this...
KR: Congratulations, you broke him. You got your petty revenge...
I didn't mean for it go this far...I...how can I fix this...? Wait...why am I asking you?!
KR: Just shout daddy, hug him and asks for his forgiveness. You know you want to...
I can't...not in front of them...I mean! No, I don't want that...I'm still mad at him for leaving me! He has some serious explaining to do!
KR: And you as well...
"Ben! How could you treat your poor father like this?!" shouts Rey at him and points at his still shocked father. "You know better!"
All of his gang plus Chewie nod in agreement with her and she takes a threatening step towards Ben, but his father, who has recovered somewhat, stops murderous Rey by stepping in front of her and putting a hand in between her and his son.
"Let me take care of him," he pleads.
"But...?" she asks puzzled, as if the only way to teach him a lesson in not to abandon family, is to beat him over his stubborn head, repeatedly with her stick.
"He's my son," says his father with finality.
Rey nods in understanding and gives Ben a look. "Obey your father or else..."
KR: You better do as she says...if you want to life...
"Let me see your hand." His father waves him to come to him.
"Hand...?" asks Ben and all of the gang plus Chewie look puzzled over that question.
Ben looks at one of his bare hands.
Come to think of it...where did my gloves go?
KR: You must have lost them on your way here, just like when you were a kid...
Well...a lot has happened...I must have left them behind in the old coot's shuttle that got blown up...
"The one...she bit." His father points at Rey behind him, who stiffens in outrage.
"I only did that, because he tried to kill you!" shouts Rey defensibly and rest of the gang and Chewie, agree with her reasoning.
"That's none of your business. It's between me...and my son." His father gives him a hard look, that would make the most hardened Sith shake in their boots.
KR: I know that look...he's going to spank you for it...
No, he is not...shut up Kylo...!
"Come, here Ben. We don't have all day," commands his father and points a spot in front of him.
"This is nothing...really," says Ben, who is not too keen on going near his father when he's still far too angry with him.
"NOW, BEN!"
Ben jumps over to him, as he as has never been able to disobey that tone and his father takes his wrist in his hand.
"Why do you always have to get bitten by wild animals?" His father tsks, while looking at the small, white mark on his palm and shakes his head sternly.
"She's not a wild animal...just a scavenger..." says Ben and looks at Rey and when he notices on her frown that she is far from happy with him or that description, he adds: "A beautiful scavenger."
Rey lifts her eyebrows in a surprise.
KR: You can do better than that...don't just comment her looks...
"A beautiful, clever and powerful scavenger," says Ben while looking straight at her and Rey's eyes widen in shock.
KR: A bit over the top...
Rey turns to the others for answers, Finn look defeated as he sees he can never beat that, Poe chuckles and BB-8 chirps in surprise.
"He's a player just like his dad," growls Chewie and grins teasingly and Rey just shakes her head puzzled.
"Chewie," says his father, who asks for something with his hand and is not paying the slightest attention to Ben's wishful love life, only the wound on his hand and Chewie digs into his pouch and hands him a small bottle and a cotton.
"It will burn a little first," says his father warningly as he puts Ben's hand under his arm and pours the liquid into a cotton, before cleaning the wound.
"Ow, ow, ow..." ows Ben as the burning pain of the disinfection starts.
KR: This can't seriously hurt...
Well, I'm not used to disinfect my wounds...I just keep them the way they are and hope for the best...
"How dare you lie to me, repeatedly and to make matters worse, tried to run...away...?" growls his father at him as he cleans his wound carefully.
KR: He looks hurt. You should be ashamed of yourself...
You are telling me...?
"Umm...I panicked...?" replies Ben and tries to get away from him, but as he holds his hand in a deadlock, he can't go anywhere.
"That my son...was really naughty..." His father frowns at him as he hands the used cotton to Chewie, who growls in agreement and throws it into a waste basket in the other side of the room.
Naughty?!...No, it was self defence...!
KR: It was naughty.
"Sorry..." Ben dips his head and Rey and the rest of his gang plus Chewie shake their head sternly.
Chewie then hands his father a band-aid from the pouch and his father puts it over Ben's wound with a surgical precision.
"There good as new." His father claps lightly on the band-aid and lets go of his hand, which Ben lifts up into the light to see his father's work.
He sees a colorful kiddies band aid with a picture of Ewoks playing drums around Threepio who sits in a high seat.
"Umm...thanks...?" Ben smiles awkwardly and his father and Chewie nod seriously as if they had just performed a life-saving surgery on him.
KR: He just bandaged your wound...after you tried to kill him and lied to him. Don't you have any shame?
Why are you lecturing me...? Oh, right, you will always say the opposite...but, I thought you, at least wanted me to kill...
KR: Yes...but not right now. You have a very bad kill timing...
What's that supposed to mean?
KR: You will see...
No, because it won't happen.
KR: It will. You just don't know it yet...
You are bluffing.
KR: Maybe...
It won't happen...
KR: Oh, it will...
It won't, now shut up!
KR: Shutting up..for now...
Next up: The lollipop and the lecture of doom...?
