Chapter Text
When Ben awoke it was to the soft chatter of his mother and his uncle – which was weird. He didn’t open his eyes yet and just listened.
“Can you do it for him, too?” Leia asked. Her voice sounded depressed.
“No. Maybe, but it would be highly invasive and most definitely damage his brain on the long run,” Luke answered in the same hushed, serious tone.
“And this net will be secure?”
“It should last long.”
“I wished you wouldn’t go.”
Ben had hardly ever heard his mother plead. It wasn’t her strategy, she was always commanding or negotiating, always using leverage, never just…asking for something.
“I’m of no use here anymore.”
“That’s not true –“
“You know it is. I’m no politician, and I clearly failed as a teacher. I can’t bring Kylo back, and I can’t fight Snoke.”
What?
Where was his brother? Why wasn’t he here? Ben cracked an eye half open and looked around: He wasn’t in his hut on Ahch-To. He was in a spacious bedroom with high windows, plush carpets and stucco on the ceilings. The walls were paneled with white wood. His mother and his uncle stood with their backs to him at the double wing door, one of three exits out of the room.
How did he get here? And why wasn’t his brother with him?
Leia and Luke left. Carefully Ben raised his head and a dull pain had him wince and touch his temple with one hand – which was bandaged, he realized. With increasing confusion and worry he lifted the comforter and saw that he was wearing unfamiliar pajamas. The motion had caused his left shoulder to hurt, and when he touched it with his fingers, he found it wrapped in bacta. There was some on his right leg too.
What had happened?
Ben frantically dug through his memories: The last thing he knew was going to bed. On Ahch-To, in the small hut he shared with Kylo, his brother. Then – nothing. He didn’t remember getting hurt. And if he’d gotten bruised this badly, how was Kylo doing?
With some difficulties Ben got up. His feet were bare and there were no shoes waiting for him next to the bed, but the carpet was plush and warm. The wooden floors weren’t, though, when he limped further, and neither were the marble tiles in the hallway. It must be a villa, this place. Maybe the house of another senator. He made it down the stairs into a spacious foyer, and followed Leia and Luke’s voices to the living room, whose door stood slightly ajar.
He didn’t recognize this room either, it was tastefully furnished with what were probably antiquities and looked unlived in. His mother and his uncle hadn’t sat down. Leia wore something practical for once, what she’d normally wear at home, not for Senate meetings, and Luke was in his usual robes, but they looked dirty. Luke never got dirty.
They stopped talking when he entered, looking kind of shocked and concerned.
“Ben!” his mother exclaimed. “You’re not supposed to be up yet. How are you feeling?”
“Where is Kylo?”
Luke and Leia both looked at him, silent and with an unreadable expression.
“What do you remember?” Luke finally asked.
“What should I remember?” Ben countered.
“How you got here.”
“Where is here?” Ben was getting increasingly frustrated. “I don’t remember anything, there you have it.”
Luke sighed.
“That’s for the best probably.”
“Well I disagree,” Ben shot back. “Where is Kylo?”
He saw his mother clench her jaw and look away, and if he wasn’t mistaken, there were tears in her eyes.
“We don’t know,” Luke admitted.
“How can you not know?”
“Snoke took him,” Leia whispered.
He knew. Somehow he’d known right away when he’d woken up alone. It had to happen eventually. One day he had been bound to wake up with his brother gone, or himself gone.
“How? I was sleeping right next to him! Why didn’t Snoke take me too?”
Leia started crying softly.
“I was checking on the two of you last night," Luke said. "Kylo woke up and attacked me, brought the ceiling down on us. He must’ve thought we were dead.”
“Why would he attack you?” Ben murmured.
“I don’t know. Maybe he thought I was someone else, and got scared.”
“It was Snoke,” Leia chimed in. “He must’ve possessed Kylo somehow…”
“He’s not that powerful,” Ben objected. “And I should know that, he’s been in my head, too.”
“But you’ve taken it better, you always seemed less affected –“
“That’s not true!” I was certainly good at hiding it, he added silently.
“Ben, do you really think your brother would willingly attack me?” Luke interrupted.
Ben just stared at him, furious. He himself wouldn’t, and Kylo wouldn’t either.
“And what happened then? How could he just disappear, the others must’ve heard something!”
Luke gave him that serious look again.
“He killed them. Some of them are still missing, he might have taken them with him.”
The blood rushed in Ben’s ears and a coldness had crept into him that had nothing to do with standing barefoot on the floor.
“No. Why would he take them and not me?”
“I told you, he probably thought you were dead –“
“Then why didn’t he check?” he almost yelled.
“Ben, I don’t know,” Luke said softly, but Ben could sense his annoyance. “I firmly believe he was in no conscious control of his actions at that point.”
It was plausible, Ben knew that. It must’ve happened like Luke said, Snoke must’ve managed to take over Kylo’s body. Whatever. It didn’t matter how it had happened, only that Kylo was in danger right now.
“What are we going to do now? How do we get Kylo back?”
Luke and Leia exchanged another look.
“This is out of my hands now. I don’t think Kylo would talk to me ever again, and Snoke is too powerful for me,” Luke said.
“You’re giving up?” Ben stared at him, incredulously.
Luke shook his head.
“There’s nothing I can do.”
“We have to find him!”
“What if he doesn’t want to be found?” Leia said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Ben…a lot of people died last night. Kylo will have to face a trial, and our chances of proving that he didn’t kill them are slim.”
Ben snorted.
“Why do you both want to give up on him so badly?” he hissed.
“I haven’t given up!” Leia’s voice had gotten louder. “But I need to think about a plan first!”
“Then I’m going to find him on my own!”
“You’re not going anywhere. Snoke might use Kylo to kidnap you too.”
“You’re putting me under arrest?” Ben didn’t mean it, he knew he was being petulant, but he was exaggerating on purpose. Out of anger.
“I’m keeping you safe here,” Leia said, steel in her voice and her eyes. “You’re presumed dead, and I have no intention of denying that any time soon.”
Ben recoiled, more out of surprise than out of being genuinely appalled.
“You are putting me under arrest!” While he knew his mother could drive a hard bargain if she wanted, this had still come as a shock.
“I don’t want you to go out there head over heels and put yourself in danger –”
“I have to do something!” Ben screamed.
“– and if you don’t see that, then yes, you’re under arrest!”
Ben breathed hard. They were in a staring contest, him and his mother, and he was determined to win.
“You can’t keep me here. I can easily take this whole house down,” he pressed out between gritted teeth.
“There is a force suppressing net spanned over it,” Luke said.
With a dramatic twirl Ben turned to him.
“Luke! I had completely forgotten you’re here! What do you have to say about my mother’s plan to imprison me?”
Luke looked away.
“It’s your mother’s choice first and foremost –“
“Ah yes, I forgot you’ve exempted yourself from any sort of responsibility. What are you going to do now? Retiring somewhere nice? You could stay here with me.” Ben spread his arms, encompassing the luxurious living room. “We could play dejarik and cook together.”
“Ben! It’s only temporary.”
Ben was rapidly going out of options.
“Does dad know yet?”
Now it was Leia’s turn to look away.
“I haven’t reached him yet.”
Of course. Only the Force knew where Han Solo was bumbling about.
Ben pursed his lips, admitting his defeat. For now.
Leia didn’t look victorious either, though.
“Great,” Ben said, willing his voice to stay steady. “Do let me know when you’ve come up with a plan to save your other son, or in case you, I don’t know, want my help.”
And with that he stalked out of the room.
He should’ve made a run for the main door right this moment, screw his wounds and bare feet and pajamas. He should’ve tried to escape before they were able to turn this place into a fortress; maybe they had lied and they hadn’t spanned the net yet, he should’ve tried it.
He should never have believed his mother.