The Spark Of Hope And Fire

The Forest Moon

"Chewy, set the tractor beam to Ben's shuttle, and take us home." Leia ordered. Chewbacca growled in confusion.
"What do you mean 'which one is his'? It's the one with the First Order emblem stamped all over it!"
Another growl.
"No, he's staying on the Falcon with us. Look what happened last time I let him out of my sight."
A grumbling whine.
Leia sighed in frustration. "No, you can't fly along in Ben's shuttle. Stop being so childish! And don't hit that tree!"
Luke was staring at his sister with raised brows. "What!" She exclaimed.
"I've just never heard you argue with Chewy before. I thought only Han did that."
"After a long marriage, a couple tends to take on each other's traits." She said.

Ben Solo sat at the round game table in the Millennium Falcon, silent, tense, and trembling. He had no idea what the next few hours- or even the next few minutes would bring about. Ben had never really feared anything his whole life. Except his mother. She was the only person to ever put fear in him. Not even Snoke, with his relentless abusive tyranny, could incite fear like Leia Organa Solo could. After the events of the last several weeks, and his father's blood on his hands, Ben Solo was sure he would meet his own demise through her.
Leia wasn't alone, either. There were at least two others who probably held a similar opinion to that of her's. Luke Skywalker, jedi master, was on board- the first family member he tried to kill. And Chewbacca, Han Solo's best friend, who witnessed his dirtiest deed.
There was also Rey. She witnessed Han's death as well. Yet somehow she held a sympathy for him. However, Ben felt that it was a fragile sympathy, that could shatter with just the slightest careless word.
He kept making eye contact with her. But neither of them spoke. Not even through the force. There seemed to be a nonverbal understanding that they continue being nonverbal. The feeling was that any communication between Ben and Rey would break the barely held together atmosphere in the ship.

After Ben's shuttle was securely in tow, and all the preparations for takeoff were made, Chewy set the course for the rebel base. They went to lightspeed, and set the autopilot. Leia exited the cockpit, with Chewbacca just behind her. She walked directly over to Ben, who still sat, staring blankly at the nearest thing that wouldn't stare back.
"Ben." He looked up at his mother. Leia doubled her right fist, reared back, and slammed it into the left side of his jaw with a wet crack.
Ben knew he deserved it. He deserved that, and then some. There was no way to explain his way out. He might have been under Snoke's influence and control, but he still killed his father. There was no getting around it.
Leia walked off without another word, but returned with a med kit. She put it on the table, opened it and got out antiseptic spray and a small bacta patch. He didn't resist as she cleaned the fresh cut on his jaw, and put the patch on. When she finished, she sat down beside him at the table. Chewbacca had gone back into the cockpit.
"I won't ask you to explain yourself. I know why those evil things happened. I also know you killed Snoke. His influence over you is gone. What I do ask, is that you don't leave. You're all I have left of Han. Your father."
"I'm.... sorry, Mother. I'm so sorry!" Ben fell into his mother's arms sobbing deeply. "I won't. I won't leave."
Leia held onto him and stroked his hair. He was huge in her arms, but it didn't matter. Her son was home, exactly where he needed to be. After a few moments, Ben sat up and wiped his face with his hand. It was awkward to be in that position. He looked around. Rey and Luke were acting as if they saw nothing ot of the ordinary.
"Alright, back to business." The Resistance General spoke in her typical commanding voice. "We're leaving the Falcon on Endor, and taking Ben's shuttle to Coruscant. The Falcon would probably be shot on site. It's too well known."
"My shuttle will only hold two or three comfortably. Maybe we should take the Falcon. We could split up."
"Alright. Luke, you and Chewy can fly Ben's shuttle. Rey can pilot the Falcon. And, Ben. You're not leaving my sight. We'll be arriving on Endor in about an hour. Coruscant is a fairly long flight. We'll leave first thing in the morning."
No arguments were made against Leia's direction Although Ben would rather have piloted his own ship, he felt that it was best to not push his luck. So far, none on board have made any effort to actually kill him.

Of course, he had been here before. This was where he found Darth Vader's helmet while searching for relics of the past. Ben stood at the edge of the lake, and watched the sun set. It was spectacular. The thin white clouds drifting through the sky slowly turned pink, then orange, then a fiery red, and finally purple, as the sky behind them changed to shades of darker and darker blue. All the while, the swirling debris glittered in multiple pearlescent colors, catching and reflecting the last bit of sunlight from the horizon.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ben turned to see that Luke Skywalker had silently walked up behind him. "I remember that night. The night my father died. Do you know what happened, Ben?"
"Yes. You convinced Darth Vader- Anakin that there was still good in him, and he returned to the light just before he died" Ben said, only about half interested in the conversation. He wanted to focus more on his own thoughts.
"Yes. That is what happened.... Vader kept trying to fight with me. But I refused to fight him. I would not kill him."
"Is that why you came over here? To taunt me with how much better you are than me? How you refused to kill your father, and I killed mine?" Ben was getting a little angry.
"No, Ben. Not at all. I wasn't finished."
Ben sighed. "Finish then." Irritation soaked his voice.
"The Emperor had taken my lightsaber, and was provoking me, trying to get me to kill my father to take his place as Palpatine's apprentice. When I wouldn't give in, he used the force to try to electrocute me. Darth Vader was watching the entire time, as I was being tortured. He couldn't endure watching me suffer any longer. Vader picked up the Emperor, bringing the electricity from the force onto himself. He threw Palpatine into the core of the second death star to his death. The electricity caused Vader's life support suit to fail.
Ben, I did not save Anakin Skywalker. He saved me. He died in order to save my life.
This is what I wanted to tell you- The galaxy wants to call me a legend. I am no legend. I was a young man who barely made it out alive. My father saved me because, deep down, past all the hate and resentment, he loved me.
I never forgot that lesson.
That night at the temple, I failed to resist provocation, and was tempted by the dark side. By Snoke. I realized, as soon as you had left, how severely I failed. I vowed to myself I would not die until I found and killed Snoke. I wasn't searching for him out of vengeance. I was searching for him in the way that Anakin Skywalker sacrificed himself to save me."
The sky was dark now. Ben stood, staring at the ground, listening to Luke. Possibly for the first time ever. He had heard the story before, but not like that. Luke was always made out to be the hero. That legendary Jedi who defeated the Emperor and redeemed his father. But Luke was just a man. Just as he was.