Chapter 11: The Infamous Tent Incident

28 ABY – Six years before the events of The Force Awakens

With the Correlius family of Thad, Sara, and Diop, all on their own separate perilous journeys, the events of 'The Last Jedi' came into play on one fateful night in Ossus.

The night was still, the air thick with anticipation and unease. Luke Skywalker moved silently through the camp, his steps measured and deliberate. The stars overhead sparkled brightly, but they offered little comfort. The weight of his responsibilities pressed heavily on his shoulders, and tonight, something felt particularly wrong.

Luke approached Ben's tent, his heart heavy with concern. He had sensed a growing darkness within his nephew for some time, a darkness that seemed to deepen with each passing day. Tonight, he felt compelled to confront it, to understand it. The Force guided his steps, and he trusted in its wisdom, though it led him into the unknown.

As he entered the tent, Luke saw Ben lying peacefully, his face serene in sleep. For a moment, Luke felt a pang of regret. This was his sister's son, a boy he had trained and loved. But the Force whispered to him, urging him to look deeper.

Taking a deep breath, Luke reached out with the Force, gently probing Ben's mind. Almost immediately, he was overwhelmed by a torrent of visions. At first, they were familiar—visions of a possible future filled with destruction and chaos, atrocities Ben could commit if he fell to the dark side. But then, deeper memories surfaced, and Luke's blood ran cold.

He saw a small child, no older than three, being taken from his home in the dead of night. The child's wide, terrified eyes were hauntingly familiar. Diop Correlius. Luke's heart shattered as he realized what he was seeing. Diop, the son of his former padawans, Thad and Sara Correlius, had been abducted by none other than Ben.

Scenes of the past flashed before Luke's eyes. He saw Ben, younger and more reckless, orchestrating the abduction with cold precision. He watched as Ben manipulated First Order agents, ensuring that Diop was taken and hidden away. The cruelty of it all was staggering. Luke saw the anguish of Thad and Sara, their desperate search for their son, their heartbreak. And he remembered his own bond with the child, the joy he had felt in Diop's presence, the laughter they had shared.

Diop had been a light in their lives, a symbol of hope and innocence. Luke remembered the nights he had spent at the Correlius home, playing with Diop, teaching him simple lessons in the Force. The child's laughter echoed in his mind, a stark contrast to the horror he was witnessing now.

Rage and sorrow welled up within Luke, a storm of emotions threatening to consume him. How could Ben, his own nephew, commit such a heinous act? How could he betray their family, their trust, in such a cruel manner? The vision shifted, showing Diop in captivity, scared and alone, his bright spirit dimmed by fear and confusion. Luke's heart ached with a profound sadness. This was a child he had loved, a child he had failed to protect.

Luke's thoughts raced. He thought of Thad, his ingenuity and kindness, his unwavering dedication to the Jedi Order. He thought of Sara, her strength and resilience, her fierce love for her family. And most of all, he thought of Diop, the innocent child caught in the midst of this darkness.

The visions were relentless, showing Ben's potential future atrocities, but it was the past, the reality of what Ben had already done, that cut the deepest. Luke saw the anguish of Thad and Sara again, felt their pain as if it were his own. He remembered the conversations with Sara, the tears in her eyes as she spoke of her lost son. He remembered Thad's silent, stoic suffering, his determination to find Diop no matter the cost.

The storm inside Luke grew fiercer, and he found himself standing over Ben, his hand reaching for his lightsaber. The anger, the betrayal, the sheer injustice of it all was too much to bear. He thought of Diop, the little boy who had called him "Uncle Luke," who had trusted him. Luke had promised to protect him, to be there for him. And he had failed.

His lightsaber ignited with a snap-hiss, the green blade casting an eerie glow over the tent. For a moment, Luke stood there, the weapon raised, his heart pounding in his chest. He could end it here. He could stop Ben before he caused any more harm, before he destroyed any more lives. The thought was both terrifying and strangely compelling.

But then, Ben's eyes snapped open, and in that instant, everything changed. Luke saw the fear in his nephew's eyes, the confusion and betrayal. He saw the boy he had trained, the boy he had hoped would bring balance to the Force. And he saw his own reflection in Ben's eyes, the horror of what he was about to do.

Luke's heart broke all over again. He deactivated his lightsaber, the weight of his actions crashing down on him. How close he had come to committing an unforgivable act. How easily the darkness had almost consumed him.

Ben's shock turned to anger, and in a flash, he summoned his own lightsaber, igniting the crimson blade. The tent exploded into chaos as Ben lashed out, his rage palpable. Luke barely managed to deflect the attack, his mind still reeling from the revelations.

"Why, Ben?" Luke shouted, his voice filled with anguish. "Why did you take Diop? He was just a child!"

Ben's eyes were wild, his face contorted with fury. "You don't understand. You never understood. The power, the destiny that awaits me—it required sacrifice. Diop was a means to an end."

Luke's heart ached with sorrow and fury. "He was a child, Ben! An innocent! How could you justify that?"

Ben's face twisted in a sneer. "Innocence is a luxury we can't afford, not in the path to true power. You taught me that, in your own way."

The words cut deep, a painful reminder of Luke's own failings. The battle that followed was a blur of clashing sabers and raw emotion, each strike a testament to their shattered bond.

In the end, Ben fled, leaving Luke standing alone in the ruins of the tent, his heart heavy with regret and sorrow. The visions of Diop's abduction, Thad and Sara's heartbreak, and his own near-fall to darkness played over and over in his mind.

As he sank to his knees, tears streaming down his face, Luke knew that he had to find a way to make things right. He had to find Diop, to bring him home, and to heal the wounds that had torn their family apart. But the path ahead was uncertain, and the weight of his failure would haunt him for years to come.

The night was still again, but the peace Luke once knew was forever shattered. He had seen the darkness within himself, and it terrified him. But he had also seen the love and hope that still flickered within him, and it was that light he would cling to as he moved forward, determined to set things right.

After this incident, Luke felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and responsibility for Ben's turn to the dark side. Believing he had failed as a teacher and a Jedi, he chose to go into exile on Ahch-To, cutting himself off from the Force and retreating from the galaxy, hoping to prevent further harm.