DUSK

Chapter 1: Tatooine

"You said you could sense the shadow in all of us—that's right. We've all got it. But you know your apprentice does too, right? Powerful. Can feel it. Better be careful, Jedi man."

Ben woke up disoriented. There was no light in the window, meaning the suns were still set. It's the middle of the night. Great. He'll most likely have to get up in a few hours anyway. Not enough time to fall asleep again now.

The Night Buzzard had landed on the outskirts of Mos Eisley the night before. "Business", as Ren put it, wouldn't happen until the morning. That meant the knights sought out a cantina to have a few drinks and maybe pick up some women. Then they would stay at an inn for the night. Maybe "business" was quick and they would be off Tatooine by the end of the next rotation. That was all Ben knew. He wasn't as anxious about the group killing him anymore. He had soon realised, not without the help of the eternally, omnipresent Snoke, that if they had wanted to kill him, they wouldn't string him halfway across the galaxy to Tatooine of all places. Not that Tatooine had an outstanding citizenship reputation, they would without question get away with it, but the back alley of the cantina on Vanrak would've done the job just fine.

    He sat with the group, huddled into a big booth in the corner of the Mos Eisley Cantina, a drink in his hand. He had learned their names now, and faces. Vicrul was in fact the guy who had declared they had arrived at their destination. That much Ben had picked up right. Vicrul was nice. Even while drunk he remained respectful. That much couldn't be said about Ushar. Ushar, who had kindly informed Ben that the trip had taken seven hours, had decided to only call Ben by his last name.

    "Solo!" Ushar was basically singing it. After that, he would ask some silly question.

    Like, "Do you know why you're named Solo?" (It was a name his father had come up with. He had never bothered to ask what it meant.)

    Or, "If your mother was a princess of Alderaan, why are you from Chandrila?" (Because Alderaan was blown up by the Death Star by his grandfather's order. Chandrila is just where his parents decided to "settle".)

    And even, "Who shot first? Your father or Greedo?" (He didn't know, it wasn't something his father talked about. It wasn't his most proud moment.)

    Was he psychic, Ben thought, because that was the exact name he hated the most, and yet that is exactly what Ushar kept calling him. Ben's temper had started to kick in a little bit, and he considered putting the blade of his lightsaber to the soldier's neck, but the other men started to get the hint. It was Kuruk who told him to shut up. Kuruk was a typical soldier, always serious. He didn't even order any alcohol, only mineral water. Seemed almost pretentious since the only water sources on Tatooine were black melons. But Ben didn't want to bother him too much, Kuruk already seemed too bothered by the atmosphere of the cantina. Cardo sat next to him and tried to engage in pleasant conversation. He wasn't very successful, though. Mainly because he was brooding—they all were but Cardo especially—and otherwise quiet. He moved through space and took what he wanted, when he wanted. Ben wanted to live like that, wished he had the self confidence to live like that. Maybe that was something he could learn from Cardo. The be more confident. To take what was rightfully his. Like his grandfather's palace on Mustafar. That was his, right?

"It can all be yours, my child." Snoke said to Ben.

"I know." Ben thought back.

"No, Ben, you don't know. Because you haven't realised your full potential. You don't have the passion to conquer what is yours because you don't know what you truly desire. You want to avenge your grandfather? Start small. Learn about him: his life, as Anakin Skywalker as well as his reign as Darth Vader. Study the shoes you might want to fill so that when the time is right, you can step in. Your time will come, of that I'm sure, my child. Whether you take back Mustafar or the entire galaxy, your time will come."