Ben shot upright from a cold metal cot protruding from the wall. Startled by the increasing light that had woken him from his vision. Confused he tried to wipe the sleep from his face. He moved himself to sit at the edge of the cot, and when he removed his hands he found himself staring at the bars of a prison cell. Beyond that were two rebels who stood guard from the other side of the bars, in the forest of Ajan Kloss. Other rebels were even further beyond, celebrating. Still getting his bearings, Ben only made out part of the conversation is guards were having. One rebel boy passed something into the palm of the other. "Shoot! I totally thought he was dead!" The other rebel was a young iskalonian with a dome of water on his head, who laughed and said something in his language, which Ben couldn't decipher. "Could I get my money back if I shoot him right now?" Asked the first rebel. The iskalonian shrugged his shoulders and they both turned to look at Ben.

"Where is Rey?" Ben inquired. The guards were taken aback at the sound of his voice. Almost as deep as it was when he covered his face with a mask. They quickly composed themselves and aimed their blasters through the bars of the jail.

"You don't get to ask the questions around here dungcreeper!" The rebel spewed.

Ben briefly considered taking their weapons from them with his force abilities, but whether it was because he was still weak and tired or appeasing the light, he decided against it. He simply laid back on the cot. One hand on his stomach and the other supporting his head. He stared at the ceiling, and reached out with the force. Rey isn't on this planet. He thought. Panic began to rise in his chest, but he remained still. He figured he would have felt if she was dead. And he was being kept at the resistance base. He must have been brought here with her. The important thing was staying alive to see her again. He'd have better luck by not aggravating the young wannabe soldiers.

The guards turned back around at the disinterest Ben displayed. Ben explored his surroundings. Finally awake enough to comprehend what was happening. He was still wearing the same thing he had worn in Exegol. He felt sore, and limp. He could have easily fallen back asleep if he wasn't on guard against his guards. He decided to explore outside of his cell. He used the force to see into the minds of the animals. He knew someone would feel him if he probed their minds.

He saw a party. He had no idea how long he had been out, but it looked as if they had been celebrating for a while. Their exuberance became quickly disinteresting to him, and he withdrew back into his own mind.

"Did you tell General Dameron and General Finn that the prisoner was awake?" the first rebel asked the second. The iskalonian simply nodded just as Poe and Finn rounded the corner into the little cove where Ben's cell nested. Ben felt their presence, but out of shame and stubbornness he kept his eyes focused on the ceiling.

"Alright Ren." spat Finn. "Rey trusts you for some reason, but the resistance doesn't."

Poe chimed in. "You'll remain our prisoner until we decide what to do with you."

Sensing that these two were more competent than his guards, Ben got up from his cot again to look at them. Both Poe and Finn stood on the other side of the bars, with their arms crossed and stern almost angry expressions on their faces. Not surprising to Ben he simply set out to get the information he wanted.

"Where is Rey?" He asked.

"None of your business." Finn chastised. Ben clenched his jaw, but quickly swallowed his annoyance.

Ben tried a similarly important question. "Is she alive?"

"No thanks to you!" Finn replied.

Ben quickly turned his face to hide his relieved smirk.

"Rey left you a change of clothes." Poe added. "They are in the corner with a bucket of water. Don't expect any more special treatment."

And with that Poe turned to leave, and Finn with him after giving Ben one more resentful glare.

When they were gone, Ben shuffled over to the corner and grabbed the pile of clothes that was resting on the floor. It was a new black shirt, and a black vest with a large collar. Ben smiled at them. Touched by the fact that Rey selected black. His smile fell once he realized the other possible reason for the selection. Han Solo… his father. Did Rey think that just because he was on the light side, that he would simply step into his dad's shoes?

I used to idolize that man. Ben thought. And then I killed him just to please that puppet Snoke. Full of grief and regret he put the clothes aside and stared at his reflection in the bucket of water.

His scar was gone… He hadn't noticed. There were new wounds, but the scar had been such a prominent part of his face, that it was strange to see himself without it. His hair was long. It touched his shoulders. Ben decided to take his mind off of his emotions by cleaning himself up. He looked behind him at the guards, and then quietly uncliped the knife in the holster of the isklonian with the force. The Supreme Leader part of him was incredibly disappointed with how poor security was in this place. Drawing himself further into the shadows, so as to not attract attention, he used the knife to shear a few inches off of his hair. Cutting it down so that it fell just below his ears. After checking his reflection to make sure it looked decent, he cupped his hands into the water and cleaned the dirt and dried blood off of his face. He returned the blade, and reluctantly changed into the clothes that were given to him. When he was finished he looked at himself in the water once more. It startled him. He had hid behind a mask for so long, that he had forgotten what he really looked like… and as Ben Solo.

Not a Jedi…

or a monster...

Just the son of a smuggler…

and a princess general.

His thoughts fell on his mother again. He went and sat on the edge of the cot. His mother had saved him. She had saved him when he was about to kill Rey, and then again when he needed to save her. He loved his mother...so much. Tears began to well up in his eyes again. Willed away the second he heard someone approach.