"Ben, you're going to get us killed." Rey was complaining about their plan, that they've been discussing for weeks.
"Oh, have some faith!" Ben answered resentfully.
"Okay, okay calm down guys." Liv was the most collected of them. "Ben tell us again calmly and slowly, what you exactly want to do."
"It's simple. Rey, from the inside will somehow manage to get a meeting, saying they have something important to discuss. Then we'll walk in, gaining the attention, and with the notes we have already written announce the New Empire."
"So you just simply want to walk in?" Liv was troubled, but she knew that she can't loose her mind now. "I hope you realized that every person in the Resistance will try to kill you."
"Yes. Exactly." But Ben was unstoppable. Once he decided something, he didn't let go of it.
"And you don't even want to tell about this to Leia?" Liv thought that at least he'll inform his mother about the plans.
"No. We need the power of surprise."
"It's going to be a shock or trauma, but not a surprise." Liv hissed with blaming.
"Shock or surprise, same thing." Ben seemed like he was starting to get bored, and he didn't mind showing it.
"Okay, let's assume that we'll walk in. How do you want to protect yourself?" She was afraid that Ben will use his lightsaber.
"Well of course, I don't want to use my saber, but it depends on your friends." He said friends so sarcastically that it was imaginable that Rey will try to choke him. "I think I can evade myself from the blasters, if there's too many I can stop them with the Force."
"That may work." Rey hummed.
"Sorry Rey, would you give us a minute?" Liv asked, pulling Ben out of the spaceship while awkwardly smiling at Rey.
It annoyed Ben that his little sister just grabbed, and literally tossed him out of the ship.
"So," Liv began with crossed eyebrows and a spiking look. "why don't you want to face Mother?"
"Why do you think that?" Ben asked, like he had no idea what she meant, even though he knew that Liv was somewhere right.
"Oh, Ben," Liv's face softened, as she switched into a calm and understanding sister. "you should know, that she has already forgiven you. There is nothing to be afraid of."
A sad smile appeared on her face.
"Listen, I know, but" He didn't dare to look into her eyes. "it's going to be my entrance." He has always been stubborn.
"Okay, it's your choice, but I hope you know, that you can't run away forever." She just couldn't be angry at him.
"Come on, let's go back." Ben recommended after a moment of silence.
"There's something I want to tell you." He started in the ship. "I think you two have the right to know it. Especially if you really want to collaborate with the First Order." He was noticeably nervous.
"But we have already decided." Rey didn't understand this. "We are going to unite."
"Maybe you would like to rethink that, after my confession." He said that with a so cold and unemotional voice, that it froze Rey.
"What do you mean? A confession?" Liv wasn't frightened anymore. She learned that Ben is still young and not that scary.
"I'm going to tell you my life story. And yes, you may be sure that you know it, but you don't." He paused and stared at Liv. "Not even you." He collected his thoughts and cleaned his mind. He hoped he was ready. "That night at the Temple was different than you think. The original plan was that me and a handful of other students would leave, vanishing into the night. I was the one who's work was to open the gates and let Snoke's men in. But there were too many ships for no reason. I wondered what they are for, but I soon found out. Both the men and my 'friends' started to cut down those innocent children, like butchers. I didn't want to kill, but I had to fit in, if I didn't want to join the unlucky ones. I didn't want Snoke or anybody to notice. I was surprisingly good at killing, I always did it efficiently and quickly, because it ended faster that way. I knew that after what I've done I couldn't go back to Mother. My only place was the First Order. So I stayed and tried to fit in. I knew I had to pretend to be like them, but it was hard." He paused to take a deep breath and noticed that Rey's and Liv's eyes were wet, but he didn't stop. "I thought my training would soon began, but I was a disappointment. Snoke told me that he won't waste his time on someone so weak and pathetic as me. The following months were the worst, they locked me into my cabin and left me alone. I didn't meet any human beings for... I don't even know if it were weeks or months, I lost my sense of time. So I only saw the droids who brought me food. I wasn't sure why he did it, but after some time I understood. He was right, I was weak and unviable. It was a relief when they released me, but the real challenge only came after that. Snoke said he'll train me if I prove him, that I'm worth the effort. They led in a little boy. He was captured in the destroying of the Temple, and now he thought I'm going to save him, that I will defeat the bad guys and take him home. There was hope in his eyes. Snoke gave me a lightsaber and ordered me to kill him. He said If I couldn't do it, I'm not worth his attention. But I had no choice. My only excuse is that I always did it fast and painlessly. So my training began. It was the usual Sith training routine, everybody did well." He looked down at his shoes in embarrassment. "Except me. Yes, I was the hopeless one, always the last. My true powers only showed when it wasn't me anymore. When I stopped fighting and became Kylo Ren, The Master of the Knights of Ren drunk in the Dark Side." He finally looked up with regret. "You know the rest. Snoke began to trust and stopped beating me. In the end I became his right hand, his most loyal executor."
The room fell into a deadly silence. The girls were traumatized and it was imaginable that one of them will faint. Ben was waiting for his death sentence, but something unexplainable happened.
Liv stood up with tears flowing down her face. She went to Ben and put his face in her hands, making him to look at her. "Oh, Ben." It was weird. She was crying, yet smiling at the same time.
"No. Stop it. This is not right!" He pushed Liv's hands away and stood up angrily, but mostly confused. "You two stop it!" Liv backed away a few steps, she was scared and didn't know what to think. She thought that people need compassion and consolation.
"I killed thousands, I killed my own father. You should scream and yell, hit me, shoot me or even kill me. Anything, but not this."
"So," Liv's voice was so small. "if I would stab you with a knife would you fight back?"
"No." His answer was calm, but cold. "I would deserve it."
"Ben," Rey's hard voice cut the conversation in half. "What he did to you was mental and physical torture." She looked at him with sad compassion. "And you were only fifteen years old."
"I could have been stronger or smarter. I could have escaped or something, but I was too weak. That's it!" He still didn't understand that. Why are they so kind?
"No one can take something like that. No one can escape from Snoke." Rey still believed in him.
Ben sat down between his sighs and tried to calm down a bit. The two girls were still looking at him with compassion.
"Can't you see?" Rey managed to open up Ben's eyes. "We have already given out our rage. And that is the past. We need to concentrate on the future."
"And we're making sure that no one else will ever have to live like that. No on else will ever have to feel that pain."
Ben didn't know what to say, or feel. It was just so bizarre for him, and he needed time to understand it.
"Liv it's really late we should go." Rey faint-heartedly recommended. "Leia must be nervous by now."
"You can go, but I'm staying." She didn't want to let go of Ben. Not ever.
"For how long?"
"I don't know. Maybe a few hours." But in her mind she has already decided.
"Right." Rey didn't want to leave either, but she knew that they need some time in private. "Goodnight." And from the door she sent another gloomy smile.
Liv didn't say a word, instead he shyly and slowly went to Ben and sat in his lap putting her head on his shoulder. Ben responded with gently stroking her hair.
"Why?" She was weeping.
"I don't know, but at least you can see why I don't want to face Leia." For the first time his voice was tiny.
"I told you she has already forgiven you, and she wants you back."
But Liv was too tired and shocked. She quickly cried herself into sleep and spent the night there.
_____
"Rey come to my office. You've got ten minutes." Leia's creaking voice woke Rey up through her radio.
Rey needed a minute to come round, but she started to get ready. Suddenly yesterday's memories came to her mind. Oh, Ben. But there was no time for mourning, the General sounded quite serious.
Rey took a deep breath and entered the office. "Good morning General." Rey tried to smile, but a strange feeling got over her. It was weird that Ben's mother was standing in front of her. She was the woman Ben talked about so much. Rey tried to imagine her younger with little Ben on her arm, but it was impossible.
"You didn't come back until midnight. And I don't know where Liv is" Leia didn't sound angry, but her everyday cheer was missing. "I would like an explanation."
"Well, we were." She was stuttering. "We trained. But. But it was longer than we expected." She felt incredibly uncomfortable and the fact that Leia knew she was lying didn't help.
"Rey." Leia's calm voice cut her explanation off. "Tell me the truth." She looked a bit disappointed about the lying.
Rey looked down at the floor in shame, then into Leia's eyes and decided that there's no point of equivocate.
"Leia, I can't tell you where she is, but I can assure you that she's in the safest place in this galaxy." Rey was waiting for a big scold, but Leia just raised her eyebrows.
"You won't tell me then where she is, but be honest. Is she there by her own free will?" She knew that her daughter is a grown up and can protect herself, but she was still keeping an eye on her.
"Yes. Actually I was there too, but when I asked her she resisted and wanted to stay at all cost. Believe me she'll be back, she would never leave her mother." Oh, no. She said it. She put her hands on her mouth. Why can't she just shut up sometimes?
Leia froze too. She thought she heard it wrong.
"She told you right?" She managed to stay surprisingly calm, like she trusted her.
Rey couldn't speak a word, instead she nodded with fear in her eyes.
"Oh, my dear don't be so frightened, it's not the end of the word." Leia put one hand on. Rey's shoulder. "Everyone needs someone to share their secrets with."
"Yes." Rey agreed shyly.
Rey was confident now, but couldn't think of anything else, just the announcement that will shock the Galaxy. She was afraid of that change and couldn't imagine what will happen. On the other hand she was glad that Ben and Leia can be together again. But only if Ben won't get himself killed in the Resistance Base.
"She told me everything she knew." She felt like she had to inform Leia about that.
"I already knew that, but it's okay, you're good at keeping secrets." She was definitely back in her form again. "Now go and make sure Liv gets home today." A smile appeared on her face.
"She'll be here." Only if Leia could guess who else is coming home.
_____
"What the..." Liv sat up still half asleep, wandering around the room. She was in a bed, in a room she never saw before, but the interior was familiar, it seemed like Ben's shuttle. "Ben?" She started to figure out that she has probably fallen asleep.
"Oh, you're awake." Ben's smiling face appeared at the door. "You've overslept a bit."
"How much?" She got up and started to get ready.
"It's okay, but be quick. Today is the day."
"Yeah, today" Liv hummed while checking herself in the mirror. "Today." She was tasting the word as she looked at Ben. And then her eyes widened. "Ben, today's the day!" She cheerfully jumped into his arms, not letting him go.
"I already spoke with Rey and she wants a word with you." He was lost in Liv's eyes.
"Just give me two minutes." She was suddenly full of energy. "Actually," She slowed down. "is this your bed?" She looked at him with unsure curiosity.
"Well," He hoped she wouldn't ask. "this ship was created for one person, so yes." He tried to avoid eye contact. "But don't worry I changed the sheets and everything."
"I was sure of that." Her voice came from the bathroom. "But where did you sleep?"
"Can't you guess?" Ben was starting to get a bit tired of hir sister. "And by the way Mother always taught me to give my seat to the younger ones."
Liv decided not to force the topic as she stepped out of the bathroom, ready to go.
"Come on, Rey's a bit impatient." Ben hummed as he switched on the communication panel.
"Liv, Ben!" A rather nervous looking Rey appeared.
"Rey, what's so important?" Liv asked.
"Well this morning Leia called me. Of course, she noticed that you didn't come back last night and asked me where you was." She paused.
"Please tell me you didn't tell her." Liv asked pleadingly.
"No. I told her that you're in the safest place in this galaxy. And she responded quite calmly, but she still wants you back."
"Why was she so calm?" Ben didn't understand his mother.
"I've got no idea, but I also have some bad news."
"I thought these were the bad news." Liv was quite scared now.
"I accidentally mentioned that I know that she's your mother." She breathed in sharply.
"How did you told her that accidentally?!" Liv became angry.
"I'm sorry, but wait for her reaction. She said it's okay and everybody needs someone to share their secrets with." Liv was shocked while Ben was just deep in his thoughts.
"It doesn't matter." Ben's calm voice broke the silence. "We're going now. Rey start coming here, we're going to meet halfway." While on the outside he tried to remain unemotional, in the inside he was scared. He had always been scared about that moment, when he'll face his mother.
There was only one thing he needed to get. His mask. His plan was to appear in it and then dramatically take it off. He hoped it would work. He looked into the eyes of it. Many people looked into the eyes of that mask before they died. He hated that helmet, that's why he broke it, but there's always a spare one, isn't there?
_____
"Is that the mask Rey always told me about?" Liv asked on their way to the Base.
"Yes." He kept looking into the never ending open fields before him.
"You sound weird in it." She unwittingly giggled.
"Well, you need something to make them take you seriously."
"And did it work?"
"Partly. The choking did better." Liv heard a bit of a glee in his voice. He made her smile again.
"Hey, I can see Rey from here." Liv noted.
"Hurry, you two!" Rey didn't mind the greeting. "The whole Resistance Base is waiting in the conference room. By the way why are you wearing that ridiculous mask?" She asked as they went on.
"When I take it off it's going to be." He stopped, searching for the best word. "Symbolic."
"You just really want to show off." Rey answered with sarcasm.
"He's always been a drama queen." Liv added, and glanced at Rey with a secret smile.
"That's not true." He was really getting tired of those two, Liv must have felt this because she shut up.
"Ben, I know I told you this before but," Rey's voice faltered. "be careful. They are angry, and they want revenge more than anything." There was real worry in her voice.
"It's going to be okay. I can protect myself." He more likely hoped that, than meant it.
They noticed the Base. Ben's heart was pounding faster than ever.
"Everyone, even the guards are in the conference room." Rey informed them. "We should have a smooth way there."
She opened the massive doors, and entered the hangar. Ben was surprised by the quick work those rebels done. But this shiny base was just a mask, on the inside the Resistance was still broken and Ben knew that.
Rey's biggest fear was that Ben would get hurt. He has already been hurt so many times. He deserves something much better by now.
Liv was afraid of nearly the same too. But it wasn't physical hurt she thought about. She was unsure about the Galaxy's reaction and opinion. She didn't really think that this plan would work out so easy. This is too fast and big. But we're already here, and we don't have anything to lose.
And of course, Ben's fear was his own mother. Even though he knew that she has already forgiven him, but he killed her husband. And that just couldn't fit into his mind. I killed her husband, my own father and she doesn't hate me. She still loves me. But his philosophizing was interrupted by the opening door.
The noisy crowd in the room shut up as one being. As Ben approached the podium he took a closer room at the hall. Continuous stairs started from the three sides of the walls, like it would be some grandstand. In front of the audience there was the podium, which was a bit bigger than the usual, like a table.
The room was in a shock, Rey was quite grateful for that. At least no one has the composure to fire a shot. Ben stopped, the two girls slightly behind him. He slowly pulled of his mask, which came of with a hiss. Now everyone could see his face. He slammed the mask on the desk. Not too loud, but he made sure that is was impressive enough. And then it started, the one thing all three of them was afraid. An officer fired the first shot, which started a chain reaction. Ben and the girls found cover behind the podium, fortunately none of them was shot. The room was full of shouting, yelling and of course, shooting. Rey managed to peek out, but her head nearly got shot off.
"I'm sure they don't even know who they are shooting at." Rey panted.
And suddenly the room was ghost-quiet again. Ben and the others wandered what it was, they got up. Ben put his hands on the podium, he wanted to show that he's unarmed. He realised the cause of the silence in shock. Leia stood up. But she didn't say anything, she was waiting for the effect.
"Everyone," She finally started. "put your guns away and sit down! Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?" The crowd obeyed and sat still.
She looked at Ben, no she looked into his soul. Calmly and slowly she started to approach him. The whole room hold it's breath back as one and watched the scene with tense. Now Leia was in front Ben. Liv noticed how small she was compared to her son. Ben looked back at her with regret, yearning for the forgiveness he already got.
"Hello." She said quietly, yet somehow the whole room could hear it.
"Hello." Ben somehow managed to say that without shaking.
Leia looked at Ben. "You've grown."
"I know." He said with his unmistakeable voice.
Leia didn't hesitate, and threw herself into Ben's arms. She hugged him tighter than ever, while digging her face into his chest. Ben got a bit of a shock, and had no idea what to do.
"Liv what do I do?" Liv at first was surprised. Ben said that without opening his mouth, he was talking to her through the Force.
"Just hug her back." She was talking through the Force too. She didn't believe she could do that.
He slowly enclosed his arms and put his chin on the top of her head. Just like with Liv. It's okay. He tried to calm himself.
"Everything's going to be okay." He whispered to his mother.
Leia stepped back and Ben discovered a tear running down her face.
"You've came back." Her lips curved up a bit.
Ben didn't say anything, just gently smiled.
"The stage is yours. Make them believe." Leia shot a final encouraging look at them, then turned around and sat down.
Ben was facing at the audience again. Liv and Rey regained their consciousness, and stepped a bit closer. They could see that everyone's hand was on their gun. They needed to prove themselves really well.
"I've came with peace. Please, listen to me, but before I say anything," He looked at Liv. "Liv, I think you need to clarify yourself." He stepped back, giving his place to his sister.
Liv's heart was pounding in her throat, she never spoke in front of an audience before. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.
"I know you don't trust me. But you're right, why would you? A mysterious and antisocial girl with Force-sensitivity just pops up on an undiscovered planet, and I think you also wander about my parents. But to make myself clear I'll tell you everything." The tension in the room was palpable. "My father is Han Solo and my mother is Leia Organa, therefore Ben Solo is my brother." She was waiting for an another gun fight, but everything remained the same, so she continued. "It's a long and complicated that how I got here, but I will tell it you sometime." She didn't know what else she should say, so she cut it short. "That's all I wanted to tell, thank you." She gave her place to Ben.
"Now listen, I'm sure that you're tired about this never-ending war. That's why I came with an offer. I'm ready to unite with the Resistance. But of course it's your choice, we can either continue this pointless war or finally bring a golden age to the Galaxy."
"The war would be over," Rey took over with passion. "the economy would rise and the people would be happy." She quickly glanced at Ben. "We already made the plans for the change."
The room was in silence again, until a brave officer asked. "But who would be the head of it?"
Liv thought they would never ask that question, but they couldn't have any secrets.
"The form of the government would be constitutional empire, that means that there will be an emperor and a prime minister. It's quite complicated, but we're sure that General Organa would make the best empress." Oh Maker, she knew that she should have been more fine, but there was no point of explanations anymore.
Liv secretly glanced at Rey and Ben, asking if they want to say something, but they finished their speech.
She took a final, nearly begging look at the audience. "Please. It's for everyone's sake"
Leia felt that they finished and got the situation in her own hands. "Every Major or higher ranking officer go to the other conference hall, the others are dismissed and don't do anything until further notice."
The room emptied and the higher rankings left too.
"You were great." Leia said with proud in her voice. "But be prepared, you know they are hard to convince."
"Don't worry Ben, we can do this." Rey encouragingly put her hand on his shoulder and took a deep breath.