Star Wars- In another Life.

Chapter 24 - The Throne Room

Ben sat cross-legged, breathing deeply, attempting to meditate to reach into the Force, to reach Rey, but his father was pacing the cell to his right. It was distracting him. With his eyes still closed, he followed Han with his head and spoke,
"Dad, will you please stop pacing." He heard his father's footsteps stop, and he opened his eyes.
"Sit down," he requested as he motioned towards the bench with his head.

Han held his hands up apologetically, "Sorry, kid, was I messing up your concentration?"

Ben turned his head back to the centre, clicked out the tension in his neck, took a breath and tried again, "I need to reach Rey."

He did; he needed to reach Rey and ensure the Resistance was evacuating the base on D'Qar. Ben was also hoping to channel whatever it was he and Rey had tapped into, just a little stronger, and he might be able to evade Snoke's mind probing. He reached out into the Force. What he found was familiar and cold; his eyes shot open. Opposite him, Han registered the look on his face as he stood up and came to crouch in front of him.

"It's too late. He's here," Ben gasped.

"Snoke?" Han asked.

Ben nodded, "Promise you'll do what I asked; you'll protect Rey."

Han looked at him sadly, eyebrows creased with concern, "Ben."

But Ben cut him off, "I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it."

Han's face broke into a reverent but wistful smile. He reached out and placed his warm, rough hand upon Ben's cheek, encompassing his son's face in his light grasp. Their eyes locked onto each other intensely.
"You do," Han assured him.

Ben realised he'd been holding his breath as he inhaled sharply through his teeth. The emotions he'd bottled up for years were fighting to be free.

"Dad," he barely got the word out before he had to stop to control himself from being overwhelmed. His father's thumb upon his face gently kneaded his skin, and he smiled, comprehending his son's unspoken words.

"I know."

Ben released the emotion in a burst of conceding laughter. A smile broke across his face that he saw reflected on his father's. His father had said that to his mother every time she told him she loved him, 'I know' had been his response every single time. He took a breath and briefly closed his eyes. The sound of the cell door opening made him reopen them. He and his father turned to see FN-2187 standing in the doorway, binders in hand.

"Is it time?" Ben asked.

The trooper nodded and held out two pairs of binders. The two Solo men stood. Ben stepped forward first, allowing himself to be bound, and his father behind him did the same.

FN-2187 led them along the corridors with another trooper at Han's side. Ben could sense the agitation in FN-2187, whom he could hear muttering inside his helmet.
"Quiet down, I can hear you. It would be best if you remained calm and collected. The Supreme Leader will sense something if you don't," Ben murmured quietly out the corner of his mouth.

"Right," the trooper acknowledged, and the whispering stopped.

Wherever they were headed in the base, Ben had not been there before. It wasn't the cave-like console room where he'd spoken with Snoke's projection; a grander place was clearly in store. Eventually, FN-2187 stopped in front of a pair of doors. They opened with a mechanical whirr, and the prisoners were escorted forwards into a round room caped floor to ceiling in red drapes. Without turning his head to look, Ben surveyed the room. Snoke's praetorian guards were around the room in red armour, each with their own vibro weapons. General Hux stood to one side of a large throne, and Trudgen Ren stood to the other, Kylo's lightsaber attached to his belt. Seated centre stage upon a sizeable angular metal throne was Snoke clad in golden robes. He leaned on one side of the seat, and Ben wondered to himself if it was because the throne was uncomfortable or if one of Snoke's many physical impairments was troubling him.