He's right in some ways - they have changed. In the most obvious, Hannah's aged. She's going grey, the stress and exhaustion of the years show in the furrowed of her brow. Hannah had tried over the years to be a good mother, even when it went against her nature and her preference for sticking to herself. She was never perfect but after losing the children it felt like she didn't have anything to fight for anymore.
She picks up on his nervousness and stops mid-step. Hannah doesn't step back, just holds her ground. She knows what kind of power he's capable of and she fears doing something to trigger his anger. Ben has a hotter temper than either of his parents and she's not interested in seeing what that would mean now that he's a grown man.
"What's wrong, Ben?" she does her best to keep her voice soft and soothing, a tone she hasn't used with him since he was small. There has to be a way to reach him. Despite all the things that he's done as Kylo Ren she's convinced that her Ben is still inside of him, somewhere. "Let me help you. Please."
"I know what I have to do," he mutters trying not to look at her. "I don't have the strength to do it." He looks up, seeing the dimming light. "If the light goes out, the weapon is ready."
"The strength to do what, Ben? We can help you. You don't have to anything he tells you to do."
Her gaze follows his to the light briefly, and then back to him. "What if you help us stop it? Destroy it and get out of here. Come home with me. I've thought about you every single day and if I could have done something differently. I've never been mad at you, not for any of this. I've just been mad at myself."
There was a deep intake of breath, the feeling stretching across the Force of - just for a moment - him finding what had been asked of him to be far too heavy for him to bear...
He didn't think he could cope with it anymore. But her words confused him.
She nods. More than just mad, if she's really being honest. The regret and grief from losing both children tore a rift between Hannah and Luke. She didn't know how to handle her family falling apart and so she ran away from all her problems.
"Of course. I was supposed to protect you. From the the moment I knew you existed, I swore to myself I'd do anything I could to protect you from everything that could hurt you. I was afraid to send you away. It was supposed to be what was best for you... and you I know I don't understand the Force like your dad or Leia."
Hannah furrows her brow. She doesn't like talking about this - about the ways she failed her own children. But if it helps him understand and brings her son back... she'd tell him anything. "Maybe if I knew more or I asked more questions or if I'd just listened to you more I would have known Snoke was getting to you. But I didn't, and I'm sorry. I let you down."
The words made him stare. She... they didn't know, did they? Leia had said - Leia had promised - that she would tell them. That they would that he hadn't fallen to Snoke, that this was all part of a plan. She had promised and yet...
Ben put his mask back on.
"Run, Solo, there's no time for you left on this planet. Run."
Hannah holds her ground for the moment and pleads with him a last time: "Please, Ben. Come home."
It feels like she's failed him all over again. She can feel her opportunity to win him back slipping away and it's a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. Hannah knows she owes it to Luke to make it back home, even if she does so without Ben. She gives a cautious glance towards where she knows Jane and Chewie are waiting. Should she give up while she still has the chance to get out?
Unable to get a good read on Ben and refusing to expose her position with a deeper Force probe, Jane had been watching the exchange in confusion. It is a far smoother confrontation than expected. It even feels like when she’d confronted him in the Temple all those years ago, though without the nagging feeling of danger and desperation.
That doesn’t mean she doesn’t fear for her mother’s life when she steps even closer. And when Ben tells Hannah to run and she doesn’t move, instead glancing at her direction, she throws all caution to the wind. Dammit.
“Ben.” Jane steps out of the shadows almost soundlessly, carefully positioning herself behind Ben, opposite Hannah. Their parents had insisted this was a mission to get her brother back, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t feeling the urge to just kill him and be done with it. “Hello, big brother. Must we do this again?”
Granted, she (and Jon) had lost the last time. But she’s had years of experience since, and a score to settle.
The pleading feels too much, everything feels too much. Knowing that Leia had broke her promise - that she hadn't told them - Ben just feels like it was all for nothing. That somehow... they just wanted him out of the way. He knew he wasn't the most personable guy in the world, but was he so bad his Aunt wanted him to turn Dark?
(If he hadn't spent years with Snoke invading his mind at every turn, and being tortured in the name of training, his thoughts at that moment probably wouldn't have been so melodramatic, but it is what it is.)
Jane's presence spikes hard before she speaks and under the mask he can't help but roll his eyes. Of course she shows up, of course she does. Can't stick to her job of getting the girl - Rey - out. Has to come make a scene.
"It'll end how it always does," he said. "You don't have long till the light fades. Get off the planet."
She's thankful to have Jane as backup, though there's a palatable tension between her children. Hannah knew this mission wouldn't be easy but she'd secretly hoped that Ben could be easily swayed by the presence of his family. That hasn't worked as planned but he also seems to be giving them every opportunity to save themselves, so maybe that counts as a success of its own.
Her instinct is to do what she can to protect them both - that doesn't work here, not when both children are far stronger than she was at their age. She'll have to step back and let them handle what's between them.
'We didn't come all this way to give up and go home." Maybe he's right and they should run but she's not going to do that until she knows they've tried everything.
Hannah looks to her daughter and nods. It's all on Jane now.
While Jane’s temper has never been as volatile as Ben’s, she’s having a little trouble keeping herself together right now, torn between her own personal feelings of vengeance and retribution, and her parents’ desperation to make their family whole again. That and Jon’s practically glowering through their bond at her going off without him — for the first time in so many years, and in the very situation they’d promised to stick together no matter what — which in turn has put her on the edge too.
But when Hannah looks at her... kriff, she can’t fail their mother. Can’t put their parents through the same pain at having believed they’d lost both their children.
“Not this time.” Her voice is pure durasteel. Stubborn, determined. “Seven hells, I should kill you. After what you’ve done—” To Jon, she thinks, but she doesn’t say it, doesn’t want Ben to even know he’s alive too. “But you’re coming back with us, and if I have to kriffin’ drag you out of here, I will.”
There's a grim sort of humour to that. For a moment he just looks, and then the mask comes off again. He drops it to the ground, the thud of it echoing in the large cavern like hall. He steps forward on the walkway, not touching a weapon, not even drawing it. He looks his sister up and down, and there's no expression on his face.
"You could never manage it."
He looks down, and then glances at Hannah.
"Follow me."
He was done. With all of it. He wanted to be no where near the planet when Hux's inhumane project was ready. He was tarred by association, and that was already more than he wanted to deal with. Ben had made up his mind - he was going to find Leia and find out why she hadn't told them anything.
He was going to kill Snoke too, as soon as he got the chance.
His eyes glanced upwards, spotting the Stormtrooper who deserted, and the girl. Hm.
"They should follow, too. There's not much time left."
Hannah's not sure how to react at first, momentarily stunned into silence. Does she trust Ben? She did, in the past. He's still her son. Does she trust him enough to follow him, maybe to be led into a trap? On the other hand - this is what she came to do.
"Okay. We'll follow." She makes the decision for the group - if they disagree they'll just have to hold their complaints for later.
There's still a lot to work out between Jane and Ben and she hopes they can manage to tolerate each other long enough for them to return to the base together.
If Jane's nervous or worried or afraid of her brother, the only sign is the tightening of her jaw as Ben approaches. She doesn't reach for her lightsaber; she doesn't even turn her head to look at Kylo's mask as it hits the floor, only glancing at the object for the briefest of moments.
She meets his gaze, and from where Hannah's standing, the older woman can see just how not... Jane her daughter's expression is right now.
"You have no idea what I've become." It's a fact, and a warning. What happened in the Temple had changed her in ways her family's not fathomed yet, that only Jon really knows and understands at this point.
But then Ben is telling them to follow him. And Hannah's saying that they're following him. Fine. The sooner they're out of here, the better. She steps aside, nodding at their mother and comming both Chewie and Finn to meet them back at her ship. And fast. They don't have much time.
There's a mirthless smile at Jane's words. "Like you have any idea of what I am?" It's as much a statemtn as it is a question, and he's leading them all quickly through the base. His head jerks in odd ways, creating barriers to stop their path being intruded, and leading them out the fast way he can think of.
"What ship do you have?" His isn't here, but he knew they wouldn't be unprepared.
She knows putting her fractured family back together won't be easy, but now she's realizing it's going to be a longer road than even she could have guessed. Hannah opens her mouth to say something but changes her mind and decides she'd rather the kids fight openly rather than letting their anger with each other fester into something more.
"We took Jane's ship. You'll know it when you see it." Hannah still thinks of it as the Falcon, but it is Jane's now. "She can fly, you and I can talk."
feel free to skip me for a few turns unless, you know, there’ll be a chase or something lol
Glad to have practically been given permission to not have to talk to her brother, Jane follows Ben and Hannah, keeping herself alert without delving into the Force too much. The last thing they need is Snoke locking on to her presence — not that she'd be surprised if he already knows by now.
Once her ship comes into view, she breaks formation to get there first; Blackfyre's still shaped like the Falcon, but painted black with accents of red. She settles into the pilot's seat easily, like it's always belonged to her, and in a way it has, at least it's been (mostly) hers for last five years.
She quickly gets to work. They don't have much time.
WELL I THINK STORMTROOPERS WILL PROBABLY COME AFTER THEM 'CAUSE EXPLOSIONS
Oh, Snoke knows that they were coming. He was counting on it, it's why he gave Ben the order he did. An order that Ben was doing everything to avoid having to go through with completing - including coming up with reasons as to why holding off on compling with said order was important.
He follows along at the end, a looming shadow at the back of them. He's not surprised to see his sister's ship is so much like the Falcon - they had grown up there more than any planet. He watches at the ex-Stormtrooper and the girl are brought over by Chewie. The ex-trooper opens his mouth.
Hannah scowls at Finn. If that wasn't enough for him to realize that she thinks his question is stupid, she launches into one of her cranky rants. "Good thing we brought you along, I was hoping we'd have someone who could state the obvious."
She waves a finger at Finn. "I don't want to hear any more about it. He's my son. His name is Ben."
Chewie roars his agreement and throws a protective arm around Ben. Hannah nods. "Listen to him. You won't like what happens when he gets mad." Yes, she knows Finn can't understand a word Chewie says. He'll just have to figure it out.
They still haven't gotten to safety yet, so this really isn't the ideal time to argue. "Let's go. All of you!" Hannah shoos the young adults towards the safety of the ship, and then hurries up the boarding ramp herself.
"He's your son?!" The caeme from the girl as well as the ex-stormtrooper. The shock was clear on both of their faces and Ben wondered if his existence was even known among the Resistance. Or had his family hidden any knowledge of him after that night at the Academy?
He's still shocked by the protective arm Chewie throws over him, and looks up at the Wookie with a questioning glance. Had he known? Did he know?
"The stormtroopers will be coming," he said, looking away.
Hannah and Luke's closest friends know about Kylo, but she thinks most people believe that they lost both of their children - and in some ways that was true. Luke's ability to lead the Resistance depended on people trusting him. No one would have trusted him if they could question his loyalty based on his family. Hannah couldn't let that happen to Luke a second time.
They've kept plenty of secrets from everyone else but Chewie's always known everything there is to know about Hannah. She told him everything about Ben and who he'd become. Now he's glad to have Ben back.
"We can handle stormtroopers." You know, assuming everyone is okay with putting this discussion on hold until they've all escaped with their lives.
She can hear a flurry of footsteps in the distance, getting closer. "Ready?"
If he was to be completely truthful, Ben would admit that it was nice, having (Uncle) Chewie be on his side for this. The Wookie had always been someone that was steady and a good influence when he was younger - even with all Hannah had dragged him into. He gestures for the Wookie to continue forward, hand going for his saber.
”Guys, what the kriff is taking you so long?” Jane’s voice breaks through their comlinks. ”This place is gonna blow!”
The ship’s all prepped and ready to go, so why the delay? Yes, she can sense the approaching stormtroopers, but they don’t have to stick around for that. Unless—
She huffs in frustration, unstrapping herself from the pilot’s chair and rushing back out. “Mom!” Stopping beside Hannah, she draws out her saber from under her jacket. “You fly her. I’ll help Ben.”
She doesn’t even know why she’s doing this. Dammit.
Hannah's taken by surprise but they don't have time to argue about it. They've already missed their chance to just make a full-on run for it, and none of them should do something stupid like trying to hold off all the stormtroopers by themselves.
"Okay." she glances briefly to the others: Finn, Rey, and Chewie. "Come on They've got this handled."
She turns and hurries to the ship, stopping briefly to glance back at her children. There's just one more big hurdle and she can bring both her kids home. She has to trust them - both of them.
Hannah motions for Chewie to follow her to the cockpit, advising the two younger adults to make themselves useful while they wait for the moment they can take off.
no subject
She picks up on his nervousness and stops mid-step. Hannah doesn't step back, just holds her ground. She knows what kind of power he's capable of and she fears doing something to trigger his anger. Ben has a hotter temper than either of his parents and she's not interested in seeing what that would mean now that he's a grown man.
"What's wrong, Ben?" she does her best to keep her voice soft and soothing, a tone she hasn't used with him since he was small. There has to be a way to reach him. Despite all the things that he's done as Kylo Ren she's convinced that her Ben is still inside of him, somewhere. "Let me help you. Please."
no subject
no subject
Her gaze follows his to the light briefly, and then back to him. "What if you help us stop it? Destroy it and get out of here. Come home with me. I've thought about you every single day and if I could have done something differently. I've never been mad at you, not for any of this. I've just been mad at myself."
no subject
He didn't think he could cope with it anymore. But her words confused him.
"Mad at yourself?"
no subject
"Of course. I was supposed to protect you. From the the moment I knew you existed, I swore to myself I'd do anything I could to protect you from everything that could hurt you. I was afraid to send you away. It was supposed to be what was best for you... and you I know I don't understand the Force like your dad or Leia."
Hannah furrows her brow. She doesn't like talking about this - about the ways she failed her own children. But if it helps him understand and brings her son back... she'd tell him anything. "Maybe if I knew more or I asked more questions or if I'd just listened to you more I would have known Snoke was getting to you. But I didn't, and I'm sorry. I let you down."
no subject
Ben put his mask back on.
"Run, Solo, there's no time for you left on this planet. Run."
no subject
It feels like she's failed him all over again. She can feel her opportunity to win him back slipping away and it's a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. Hannah knows she owes it to Luke to make it back home, even if she does so without Ben. She gives a cautious glance towards where she knows Jane and Chewie are waiting. Should she give up while she still has the chance to get out?
no subject
That doesn’t mean she doesn’t fear for her mother’s life when she steps even closer. And when Ben tells Hannah to run and she doesn’t move, instead glancing at her direction, she throws all caution to the wind. Dammit.
“Ben.” Jane steps out of the shadows almost soundlessly, carefully positioning herself behind Ben, opposite Hannah. Their parents had insisted this was a mission to get her brother back, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t feeling the urge to just kill him and be done with it. “Hello, big brother. Must we do this again?”
Granted, she (and Jon) had lost the last time. But she’s had years of experience since, and a score to settle.
no subject
(If he hadn't spent years with Snoke invading his mind at every turn, and being tortured in the name of training, his thoughts at that moment probably wouldn't have been so melodramatic, but it is what it is.)
Jane's presence spikes hard before she speaks and under the mask he can't help but roll his eyes. Of course she shows up, of course she does. Can't stick to her job of getting the girl - Rey - out. Has to come make a scene.
"It'll end how it always does," he said. "You don't have long till the light fades. Get off the planet."
no subject
Her instinct is to do what she can to protect them both - that doesn't work here, not when both children are far stronger than she was at their age. She'll have to step back and let them handle what's between them.
'We didn't come all this way to give up and go home." Maybe he's right and they should run but she's not going to do that until she knows they've tried everything.
Hannah looks to her daughter and nods. It's all on Jane now.
no subject
But when Hannah looks at her... kriff, she can’t fail their mother. Can’t put their parents through the same pain at having believed they’d lost both their children.
“Not this time.” Her voice is pure durasteel. Stubborn, determined. “Seven hells, I should kill you. After what you’ve done—” To Jon, she thinks, but she doesn’t say it, doesn’t want Ben to even know he’s alive too. “But you’re coming back with us, and if I have to kriffin’ drag you out of here, I will.”
no subject
There's a grim sort of humour to that. For a moment he just looks, and then the mask comes off again. He drops it to the ground, the thud of it echoing in the large cavern like hall. He steps forward on the walkway, not touching a weapon, not even drawing it. He looks his sister up and down, and there's no expression on his face.
"You could never manage it."
He looks down, and then glances at Hannah.
"Follow me."
He was done. With all of it. He wanted to be no where near the planet when Hux's inhumane project was ready. He was tarred by association, and that was already more than he wanted to deal with. Ben had made up his mind - he was going to find Leia and find out why she hadn't told them anything.
He was going to kill Snoke too, as soon as he got the chance.
His eyes glanced upwards, spotting the Stormtrooper who deserted, and the girl. Hm.
"They should follow, too. There's not much time left."
no subject
"Okay. We'll follow." She makes the decision for the group - if they disagree they'll just have to hold their complaints for later.
There's still a lot to work out between Jane and Ben and she hopes they can manage to tolerate each other long enough for them to return to the base together.
no subject
She meets his gaze, and from where Hannah's standing, the older woman can see just how not... Jane her daughter's expression is right now.
"You have no idea what I've become." It's a fact, and a warning. What happened in the Temple had changed her in ways her family's not fathomed yet, that only Jon really knows and understands at this point.
But then Ben is telling them to follow him. And Hannah's saying that they're following him. Fine. The sooner they're out of here, the better. She steps aside, nodding at their mother and comming both Chewie and Finn to meet them back at her ship. And fast. They don't have much time.
no subject
"What ship do you have?" His isn't here, but he knew they wouldn't be unprepared.
no subject
"We took Jane's ship. You'll know it when you see it." Hannah still thinks of it as the Falcon, but it is Jane's now. "She can fly, you and I can talk."
feel free to skip me for a few turns unless, you know, there’ll be a chase or something lol
Once her ship comes into view, she breaks formation to get there first; Blackfyre's still shaped like the Falcon, but painted black with accents of red. She settles into the pilot's seat easily, like it's always belonged to her, and in a way it has, at least it's been (mostly) hers for last five years.
She quickly gets to work. They don't have much time.
WELL I THINK STORMTROOPERS WILL PROBABLY COME AFTER THEM 'CAUSE EXPLOSIONS
He follows along at the end, a looming shadow at the back of them. He's not surprised to see his sister's ship is so much like the Falcon - they had grown up there more than any planet. He watches at the ex-Stormtrooper and the girl are brought over by Chewie. The ex-trooper opens his mouth.
"Why is he coming with us? That's Kylo Ren!"
no subject
She waves a finger at Finn. "I don't want to hear any more about it. He's my son. His name is Ben."
Chewie roars his agreement and throws a protective arm around Ben. Hannah nods. "Listen to him. You won't like what happens when he gets mad." Yes, she knows Finn can't understand a word Chewie says. He'll just have to figure it out.
They still haven't gotten to safety yet, so this really isn't the ideal time to argue. "Let's go. All of you!" Hannah shoos the young adults towards the safety of the ship, and then hurries up the boarding ramp herself.
no subject
He's still shocked by the protective arm Chewie throws over him, and looks up at the Wookie with a questioning glance. Had he known? Did he know?
"The stormtroopers will be coming," he said, looking away.
no subject
They've kept plenty of secrets from everyone else but Chewie's always known everything there is to know about Hannah. She told him everything about Ben and who he'd become. Now he's glad to have Ben back.
"We can handle stormtroopers." You know, assuming everyone is okay with putting this discussion on hold until they've all escaped with their lives.
She can hear a flurry of footsteps in the distance, getting closer. "Ready?"
no subject
"I'll deal with them."
He'd been wanting to hit something for a while.
no subject
The ship’s all prepped and ready to go, so why the delay? Yes, she can sense the approaching stormtroopers, but they don’t have to stick around for that. Unless—
She huffs in frustration, unstrapping herself from the pilot’s chair and rushing back out. “Mom!” Stopping beside Hannah, she draws out her saber from under her jacket. “You fly her. I’ll help Ben.”
She doesn’t even know why she’s doing this. Dammit.
no subject
"Okay." she glances briefly to the others: Finn, Rey, and Chewie. "Come on They've got this handled."
She turns and hurries to the ship, stopping briefly to glance back at her children. There's just one more big hurdle and she can bring both her kids home. She has to trust them - both of them.
Hannah motions for Chewie to follow her to the cockpit, advising the two younger adults to make themselves useful while they wait for the moment they can take off.
no subject
"Small troop," he said. "No more than 12," a patrol group. "Keep a wary eye."
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
a little posting order change from here? jane/luke ➝ ben ➝ hannah/chewie ➝ jon?
seems fine with me!
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
oops sorry guess who forgot to keep tracking the thread
no worries! y’all know december ate me alive lol
There was a December? I feel like we're going from November straight into January... >.>
This whole year has jumped too fast
and then it's gonna be a new decade
we're traveling through hyperspace folks lol also warning for a little tros spoiler
I had my friend give me the cliffnotes. So I am good in terms of spoilers for tros
good if we're all good
i do love a good spoiler
the lovebirds are going off to their room now and will reappear for the brawl during dinner lmao