FLARES 🌠 The Force Awakens

07. Some Unholy War

A hand touched her arm. Jysella woke with a jolt and a throbbing pain behind her eyes. The red cleared from her vision. The sounds of terrified screams echoed in the distance. She shot up and looked around for the source. Hearing nothing but the dulcet beep of computer and murmur of resistance members, she exhaled slowly. She rubbed at her temples. The terror that she felt in the dream was overwhelming. Another feeling was brewing at the surface. Anger. Anger for all those lost lives.

Someone grunted.

'Sorry, thought I'd put you out of your misery. Whatever you were dreaming about didn't sound too good.' Jysella groaned and sat up. She rubbed at the crick in her neck and wiped the drool from the side of her mouth. It took her a moment to recognise the voice.

'Han?' Her eyes were wide.

'Hey kid.' She turned to look at him. As expected, the man looked much older than when she last saw him. He now had a full head of grey hair and a new collection of lines along his face.

She stood up to stretch out her limbs.

He had that same look behind his eyes from all those years ago when Jysella told him and Leia what became of their son. 

She and Han didn't end on great terms before his departure, but that was the case with most people in the smuggler's life. It was never said outright, but she knew that part of him blamed her for not doing more to help Ben. 

She has always believed that Ben was lost to the dark side long before anyone had the chance to notice.

'Never thought I'd see you again,' she admitted.

'You don't know the half of it,' he scowled. Jysella set her mouth into a straight line and looked up at the ceiling. She leaned back on the edge of the table. The edge dug into her lower back. She winced slightly as she put pressure on bruise there.

'So you got the Falcon back huh? Thought that thing was gone for good... sold into spare parts or something.' Han looked affronted.

'Yeah well you thought wrong. ' He pouted and began muttering under his breath. 'Got pulled into this mess by two fugitives and a droid.' Jysella perked up at the comment. Han confirmed the names of the fugitives as Finn and Rey.

'The galaxy just keeps getting smaller and smaller.'  Jysella mumbled. Han concurred with a grunt. 'If you were with them and Beebee- ate, you saw him then right? Kylo Ren. You saw him take her?' He nodded in reply.

She ignored the clench in Han's jaw as she used his chosen name. She refused to call him Ben. Ben Solo was dead and buried.

She got up from her position and stood in front of him. 'That's why you're sticking around then. Because of him.' Han breathed out slowly, the contempt in her voice was clear. 

'There might still be a...'

'What? A chance for him to return from the dark side. To atone for things he's done?' Jysella shook her head.

She didn't want to believe that Han could even entertain the thought of trying to bring him back. Even if he was the man's father.

'What about the people he's tortured. The innocent lives he's slaughtered in the name of the First Order. He murdered my friends.' Han tensed his jaw.

'I know that!' Han shot back at her. 'If there's even a slight chance that Ben could come back, Leia would never forgive me for letting it slip away.' He huffed. 'Kriff, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.' Han muttered.

Jysella clenched her teeth. She took and breath and spoke softly.

'He's too far gone. Nothing can bring him back. Maybe there was a chance when he first came to the temple. But not now. He was lost to us before any of us realised and Snoke took advantage of that.  And my friends paid the price for it.'