Into the Fray

Chapter Three

 As much as Ben had enjoyed being in his Silencer ship again, he also desperately needed restful sleep. He had been piloting himself back to base for a few days, dozing here and there when he could. Truthfully, he had barely been able to sleep in Cloud City. Intrusive thoughts of worry and self doubt had kept him up. If his mother or Rey had noticed the dark circles that had developed under his eyes after the four days he was there, they hadn't said anything.

And now he slept, his ship on autopilot towards the only place he had considered home the past few years. It wasn't an ideal space for sleeping, having to sleep upright, but he needed it. And as always, his dreams were littered in nightmares.

Ben dreamed of the night Luke had betrayed him. In the four days he had been with Leia, he hadn't told her his side of things. He wasn't sure if she had heard it already from Rey, or some variation of it. He knew how deeply his mother cared about her twin--how she believed he could do no wrong, like everyone else in this blasted universe. Truthfully he didn't want to tarnish that for her.

Besides, what did it matter now? He was dead. He had felt it, a huge ripple in the Force, a surge of Luke's energy everywhere, and then nothing. Radio silence. Absolutely nothing. He was sure his mother knew, was sure Rey knew too. They both had to have felt it. The past was now closed, stuck in time forever.

Ben whimpered delicately in his sleep, re-living when he had slaughtered his peers. The people who followed him in his rage--those who would become his faithful Knights--fanned out around him. He headed towards a hut, spinning his lightsaber in a circle in his hand.

He paused. There was an incessant beeping. Ben looked towards the hut he had collapsed on top of his uncle. In this dream, a dream he had often, he continued into the other hut, killing its inhabitants. However, as he took a step, the beeping seemed to get louder. He looked again; R2-D2 was standing in front of where his master was buried under rubble, rocking back and forth, beeping incessantly.

Ben was confused. This wasn't what had happened. Annoyed, he lifted his hand up, ready to permanently silence the stupid droid with the Force.

Instead his eyes flew open. Startled he jumped, hitting his shin against the control panel, hard. He swore and lurched up, hitting the top of his head. Enraged, he held out his hand, ready to destroy something, anything, but stopped when he realized where he was. That annoying beeping...

Ben focused his attention to the outside of his Silencer. The Finalizer loomed before him. He quickly checked the time--he had been asleep for hours. The beeping was the Finalizer hailing him.

"Shit," he said, and then flipped open the channel. "This is Be--" he forced himself into a coughing fit, hopefully covering his slip. "This is Kylo Ren of the First Order. "

"Are you alright, Sir?" the concerned voice on the other end asked. "We can have a medic droid waiting for you in the hangar. We had been trying to comm you for a long time."

Shit. "No need. I was sleeping."

"You sleep?" came the surprised question, clearly before the person on the other end could catch themselves. "Er, excuse me Sir. I--I mean giving you clearance. Welcome back Sir."

Ben nearly laughed. Instead he flipped the comm switch down, focusing on landing his Silencer.

The ship's hinges whined as the ramp extended. For a moment Ben stood at the top, drinking in the hangar. As much as he hated to admit it, he was happy to be back. Well, maybe happy was too strong. Relieved.

No longer fearing being tracked, he opened himself to the Force. Not using it for a few days had an unexpected side effect; he was overly sensitive. Everything around him buzzed, seemingly to be alive and overflowing with energy. Truthfully he felt a bit overwhelmed.