Star Wars: A Bond Awakens
Chapter Eleven: A Voice Taunting
The droids had the small girl stabilized. Everyone visited the child when they found out she was Leia's granddaughter. They all prayed to the Force she would find her strength and grow strong again.
Ora found it amazing and amusing all at once that despite how many babies were being born on that base, everyone wanted to hold her little boy. Right now, she had let Poe hold him. It was interesting to see how brightly a person's eyes light up because of a child. The only other time she saw Poe's eyes that bright was when he greeted Finn for the second time after believing he was dead.
"He's so cute! Have you guys thought of a name? I think he deserves a strong name," Poe said.
She shook her head. "I do know I want his middle name to be Han, though. He has Han's and Ben's beautiful eyes."
"I'm sorry about Han," Poe said seriously. "I know how much of a father he was to you all those years."
"He died trying to save his family, the Resistance. I know he wouldn't have asked for any greater sacrifice."
Ben walked in. He looked at Poe, then avoided the pilot's eyes with everything he had. Ben cleared his throat. "Um, sorry, can I have him?"
"Well, you don't have to ask, good sir. You are the father." Poe smiled up at him, handing the boy over.
"Where are you taking him?" Ora asked.
"I can feel Illia wanting her brother next to her," he said bluntly.
She smiled widely. "Is that her name? It's beautiful. I love it. Illia Rey. Brilliant!"
Ben carried him to the infant medical section. He walked cautiously and slowly to Illia's crib, laying her brother down next to her gently on his stomach. He was now fast asleep, having wrapped an arm around his sister. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. The droid doctors and visitors walked over, cooing over the scene. They had never seen anything like it.
Even Finn and Poe rushed down to the infant section to see what the fuss was about. The two pushed their way through the crowd right next to Ora.
Ora smiled at the two men. "You see? Love is the best medicine."
Finn gave a quick glance at Ben then turned back to the babies in the crib. Poe didn't know. Finn knew Kylo tortured Poe and Poe did not know it was him. He didn't like lying to Poe. He had to tell him.
"Have you thought of names, Mr. and Mrs. Solo?" the droid asked.
Ora smiled. "Her name is Illia Rey."
Finn lit up at that.
Ben thought for a moment, looking at his son who loomed over his sister with protection. "His name is Tarrin Han."
Everyone clapped. Ora wasn't looking around at all the wonderful people who were so excited over her children, but she was looking up at the father who looked around at everyone as if there was hope in each and every individual. Ora wrapped an arm around him, giving him a smile.
She couldn't have asked for anything more.
That's when the darkness got the best of her... She thought about Han and how greater it would have been if he were still here to see the love in the twins. She looked down at her feet, trying to push the negative thoughts out of her head. If she wasn't careful, the darkness could not only consume Ben, but her as well.
"Are you alright?" Ben asked.
She started to look up at him, but stopped her vision on Finn who stared at her.
"Yea. Yea, I'm alright," she managed to say. Think positively, that was her only feat now. And raising twins...that was going to be a huge job in it of itself.
xxxFinnxxx
"Poe!" Finn yelled at him as he made his way to find Poe working on his X-Wing. "Poe! I need to talk to you."
Poe stopped and dropped his tools, running to Finn. "You look concerned. What is it?"
"Look, you can't tell anyone else. I just felt like I should let you know that Ben isn't who you think he is."
Poe furrowed his brows. "He isn't Leia's son?"
Finn shook his head. "No, no. I mean, he is, but-what I mean is that Ben is actually Kylo Ren."
The pilot wasn't convinced. "The guy who killed Han Solo-Ben's father? The one who tortured me and Rey with the Force? The one who murdered all those Jedi including almost killing Ora whom Ben loves and has children with? Are you sure? That Ben Solo is Kylo Ren? That Kylo Ren?"
Finn rolled his eyes impatiently. "Yes!"
"Ah, I see. Well, I'm very happy for Leia especially that her son has come home."
Finn stopped for a moment. "What? You're okay? This information that I have risked my behind to give you...you're okay with it?"
"Well, I trust the general's judgment. And Ora's for that matter."
"That begs the question. You think he is using the Force on her to convince her she loves him or something?"
"Nah," Poe said nonchalantly. "He may have tortured me, but I know he is too...timid...no, wrong word. I don't think he has the heart to do something like that. I don't even know if a half-trained Jedi could even manipulate someone who is the product of the Force in such a way."
"The heart?" Finn said stupidly. "A heart?"
Poe placed his hands on Finn's shoulders. "I understand you are very protective of Rey and know how torn up she was when Han died and how she had to fight Kylo Ren on her own, all because of Kylo Ren. She has been traumatized by the guy. But have you seen the way he looks at Ora...moreso at those twins? No way he is turning dark ever again. Not unless something happens to his family. I think we should give him a chance. He seems like a cool guy...when you get passed how socially awkward he is in a conversation."
Finn was deadpanned. But he nodded. "Right. Yea, yea. You're right."
"Course I'm right. Want to get a drink?" Poe asked.
"Hell yea!" Finn said, grinning.
xxxOraxxx
She was in the infant section quite often. She had to feed both of them every two or three hours. And Illia sometimes required more. She was growing stronger and stronger every day. Ben kept putting Tarrin with her whenever they fell asleep. The droids took note that her heartbeat was evidently stronger when he was there next to her to where she could feel him.
Surprisingly, Ben held them quite often. More than she did so it seemed. He was always around the twins. She believed it calmed him whenever he got angry. To avoid the darkness, he held them close seeing them as a brilliant light.
Ora watched him hold Illia this time outside of the infant section. She liked watching him without his notice. He was more focused on them and less focused on impressing, keeping a strong stature when it was just him and the infants.
Leia walked up beside her. "You have no idea how grateful I am that you brought him home."
Ora laughed. "I didn't. It was those two."
Leia looked through the window admirably.
Ben was bouncing the small child, trying to ease her crying. When she didn't stop, he tried singing softly to her. She began to fall asleep.
"You want to know what I think, Leia?" Ora asked, keeping her eyes on Ben.
"Anything you have to say is worth listening to, I know."
"I think," Ora began, trying to find the correct words. "I think that no one in the whole galaxy is perfect. Every single person has their flaw. That's why I believe Ben had to become Kylo Ren and fall to the dark side. If he didn't, he would have been perfect, but nobody can be such."
Leia smiled, rubbing her back lovingly.
"Sometimes I think he has a closer bond with them than I do. Did you know how we decided to keep the two sleeping together? He said that he felt in the Force Illia wanting her brother by her side. I didn't know that."
"You have a different kind of bond with them; a more natural, human bond that Ben will never have with them. Every one is different. We just have to accept who we are and what we have and do the best we can with both."
"Hey, Ora," Finn said.
She turned to look at him. He tossed her the Marksman combat remote with some tinted goggles. "Rey thought you might want that when you came back. I thought I could practice with you...and Ben."
"Really?" Ora said with a huge grin on her face.
Finn smiled. "Yea, really."
"Force-sensitive, I see."
Finn smirked with pride. "You bet I am!" He suddenly felt the need to look past Ora and into the infant unit. He found it so strange that the dark sider who took the life of his own father, slashed his back in ruin, and killed nearly all in the Jedi academy was standing now amongst a bunch of babies and singing one of them to sleep. It was odd.
"Yea, that's just weird." Finn shook his head dramatically. "Yea. Really weird."
Ora suppressed her laugh.
"I don't know if I can handle that much weird," he said, still shaking his head. "Yea, I'm just going to be outside..."
"Where's Maz at?" Ora asked after Finn left.
"With Chewy."
"Oh, Maker."
"Yes. Maz is quite the character." Leia turned her attention completely on Ora. "I sent a message to Luke about Ben being back and also mentioning the twins. He and Rey will be arriving tomorrow just before dinner. He would like to train Rey here and he wants to finish yours and Ben's training as well."
Ora lit up like a firecracker.
There wasn't much else that could be said or done in that moment to have made her any happier.
xxx
The Falcon landed smoothly on the ground, not like anything Maz had managed when they arrived.
Right as the ramp hit the ground, Rey ran out embracing Finn and Ora.
"I thought I wouldn't see you again for ages!" Finn said.
"I thought you would never wake!" Rey replied. "And Ora! I am so sorry for abandoning you! I should have never-"
"Hey, we can call it even, yes?" Ora smiled. Luke walked off the Falcon. He wore a long tan robe that dragged across the ground. He had his hood up, but when he spotted Ora, he immediately took it off. "Luke!" She ran to him and nearly knocked him over with her strong embrace. "I never imagined I would see you again."
Everyone was staring now having heard her shout the lost Jedi's name. The Resistance surrounded them with some distance, but stared intently just the same.
All of a sudden, Han flooded her mind. She let go of Luke and looked at him. The last time she'd seen him, Han was just stopping by to pick her up and keep her safe. That's how she first met the infamous smuggler and that's how she got to see what a father really is. She just wished she would have seen it in him wholly sooner. Tears streamed down her face. "The last time I saw you, you sent me off with this strange man whom I didn't know. But you gave me a father Luke. I couldn't have asked for anything greater from you." She hugged him again.
Rey frowned at her words, feeling the pain rush back again from that day on the Starkiller base.
Chewy groaned at Ora as he came up behind Luke.
"Of course I hadn't forgotten about you, Chewy," Ora said, greeting him with a hug. "How could I forget my best furry friend? Now, come on," Ora said, wiping the tears away. "I have two little Jedis I'd like you all to meet."
They took a few steps forward, but Luke and Rey and Chewy stopped when Ben walked out of the shadows. He was solemn, his expression only slightly appearing sad and sorrowful.
Rey's breathing began to pick up pace. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as she scowled at the man before her. "You! You monster!"
Everyone appeared to be listening closer to Rey's strange reaction. To all but a few, she seemed to have gone insane as she beat at Ben's chest like a child. He didn't move. No matter how much harder she began to beat him, he stood there and took it with no reaction but a clenched jaw. "You are sick! And twisted! You heartless bastard! I will never-"
"Rey," Luke warned.
The scavenger gave one last cry out, giving him one final punch in the side. He staggered slightly, but regained his tall stature.
She backed up, her eyes still watering.
Ora felt for both Ben's and Rey's pain. They both could not hide it from the Force. She walked up to Rey, taking her hand.
"Come on, now. Let's go," she said to her. Rey obeyed and left Luke to speak to Ben privately.
They walked the first half of the way silently, the scavenger trying to calm down again. When they got closer, Rey decided to speak.
"I'm sorry. How..." she began, struggling to find words. "How is he here? The one time I face him, he grabbed hold of you, made you go unconscious-and I know how Force Sleep sucks-he injured Finn so greatly, and worse, he killed Han. How is he here? Why are you letting him in? Why is the general not doing anything about it?"
Ora figured in her head where to begin. "First, you should know that he is just Ben. Ben Solo, the general's son. No one else can know for now. It would lead everyone into a pan-"
"No one knows?" Rey hissed with wide eyes."
"No. And we must keep it that way for a little while. Listen, Rey. Finn isn't much different from Ben. They were both victims of the Order and they slowly and finally got their way out."
"No," Rey said firmly. "Finn is not like Kylo Ren. Finn was taken as a baby. He-he had to grow up with the Order. He knew no different. Kylo knew different and murdered his own father. He knew what he was doing. He was with the light before, he knows what's right and wrong. They are not the same at all!"
He killed Han...killed your father. The voice was wraspy and overpowering in her head. She didn't know where it came from or who it was, only that he his voice seeped with desire to hurt and tear apart.
Ora looked away from Rey, unable to answer her. She began to doubt now. She began to doubt why she had so easily forgiven him... Then again, did she actually forgive him or just repress the memory of what he did?
He's still Kylo Ren. You will see...in time.
She shook her head, trying hard to get the voice out.
"Are you okay, Ora? I'm sorry for not being able to forgive so easily...I just..."
"No," Ora said, shaking her head. "It's fine. Come on, we're here."
They walked into the infant unit and Rey was happy again immediately. She stared at the babies who were sleeping, squirming, laughing, and hiccuping. Rey had a huge smile, beautiful teeth showing and all. She was amazed at every tiny creature in every tiny crib. She walked over to where the twins were laying. They were awake, holding each others hand, rolling slightly about.
Rey's smile softened. "It's obvious he is his child. He had the thick black hair on him."
Ora nodded. "Yea, he's been growing that out for the past couple weeks."
Rey moved to pick up the small girl. "She is so tiny," she noted.
"She was born very small, yes. She's had some trouble, but she's growing a lot better now."
The scavenger tried to hold the child but couldn't quite get the position right. Ora walked over and laid her down in Rey's arms with Illia's head against her breast. "She liked to be held this way best when I hold her."
"It's different for others?"
Ora nodded. "She likes her forehead against Ben's neck. She also seems to enjoy when she is being held in only his hands and swinging her back and forth."
Rey turned away at his name.
"You know, I was always effected by his name. It was like whenever someone mentioned him, I would turn away and either walk away or completely block out what they were saying."
Rey turned to look at her blankly. She looked down at the little girl, still looking so small even when held by the petite scavenger girl. "What are their names?"
"His name is Tarrin Han and hers is Illia Rey."
She immediately grinned showing her sparkly whites. "Really? After me?" She had so much excitement twinkling in her eyes.
"Yes, really."
Rey looked down again. "You were named after Auntie Rey and believe me when I saw I will show you the Force in a brilliant light."
xxx
Ora was now alone in the infant unit. Illia was alseep, but Tarrin woke up feeling his mother's presence. He reached up for her, and she picked him up. She rocked him back and forth, bounced him a little. When she looked into his eyes all she saw was Ben.
She started to worry.
A droid interrupted her thoughts. "Mrs. Solo, you may take them out of the unit. She has grown strong enough to be on her own. We just need to check on her once every week for the next few months."
Ora was ecstatic over the news. Leia walked in just in time.
"Oh that's great news! In the nick of time, too. Ora, I wanted to show you and Ben your new quarters. It has a room inside just for the twins."
Leia picked up Illia careful not to disturb her sleep. Ora wondered where Ben had gone off to, but decided to ask later. Leia led her to their new quarters where it was almost out of the way of everyone else's room and in a completely different section of the base. Leia opened the door and gestured her in first, still holding tight to Illia.
Ora walked in. It was much bigger, the bed was able to fit three grown people, the ceiling was higher, the lighting was much brighter. It was grand.
The young Jedi opened another door that led to a smaller room with two cribs and a couple of dressers. It was great, and Ora was thankful for it, but she started to feel quite embarrassed and uncomfortable.
"Where shall I sleep?" Ora asked.
"In here of course," Leia said chuckling.
"And Ben?"
She softened as she realized what the young mother was talking about.
Ora explained. "Ben and I have always been separated. No matter how many times we...um...made love," she said, her cheeks burning bright red, "we were always separated. Luke made sure of that. I've never...shared-" She stumbled on her words and decided to just leave it at that, not wanting to stumble further.
Leia laughed. "It's quite alright, Ora. You will each have your separate rooms still in the main hall with the rest of the single Resistance members. You two should talk about it first. Let me know if you need anything else. I think I need to talk to Luke further about rebuilding an academy. There seems to appear there are some Jedis being born in another system of the galaxy."
"Wow. That's amazing!"
Leia nodded. "I'll leave you to it."
The general laid Illia in one of the cribs and left. Ora found Tarrin also sleeping, so she put him in the crib, finding a monitor on each of the cribs they slept in. She walked over to the dresser with two similar devices on top. Taking them, she turned one of them on. A screen appeared with one section showing a sleeping Illia and the other a dozing Tarrin.
Convenient.
Ora hesitated at first, but eventually walked out, closing the door to let the babies sleep. She kept both devices in hand, making her way down the hallway. First things first, she was going to find Rey and see if she knew when they could all start their training again. Ora zigzagged her way through the corridors, suddenly running into Ben when she turned a corner.
He grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her balanced. "Sorry. You okay?"
She nodded.
"Where are the twins?"
"They are sleeping in their room-"
"You left them alone? Why would you do that? Illia needs to be monitored," he said ranting, appearing irritated at her.
There will always be Kylo Ren in him. You cannot be rid of the dark side. The voice started torturing her through her mind. She struggled to hold the emotions back. Ora gritted her teeth, ignoring the low voice taunting her. She slammed one of the devices in his hand. "Here's your damned monitor."
She stormed off, trying to calm herself as she looked for Rey.
He killed Han.
"Leave me alone," Ora whispered, her voice cracking.