Star Wars: Fall of an Empire - Part II

V - Ben

Ben's TIE silencer led the attack over Kuat. He couldn't sense his mother here as he expected and was filled with dread as he tried to focus on the battle ahead of him.

"Is Ushar in one of these TIE fighters?" Finn asked from Vantage's command bridge.

"Yes," Ben said from his cockpit. "I can sense that he is the one chasing me."

Ushar was following Ben who kept turning sharply to shake him off his tail. He tried to get behind him and within shooting range, but it was impossible while he was alone. He wondered when Ushar managed to gather all these deserters and make an army out of them. Maybe he had help from Hux or maybe he sided with Rey. The TIE fighters that fought alongside Ushar were painted blue so it meant they belonged to the Resistance.

When the rest of the Empire's TIE fighters came out of the Vantage, Ushar seemed to be frightened off. His TIE fighter turned away from Ben's pursuit and all the rest followed him. They run away from Ben's TIE silencer as he lined up to strike them and jumped to light speed.

"Coward," Ben said and steered towards the Orbital Drive Yards.

He flew quickly to the military space station and landed in the port. Then came three of his TIE fighters that landed with their laser cannons pointed at the entrance of the station.

Ben went down wearing a basic TIE pilot's black uniform. He walked towards a gathering of Kuat security. He walked unbothered by their presence even though their blasters were pointed at him. He simply walked by them and inside towards the gathering of people in the assembly. They all looked frightened and shuffled in their seats as he entered.

"We did what we had to," one of the director's said.

"I understand your betrayal," Ben said.

"We're a corporation," the director protested.

Ben raised his finger to him to be silent and the director stopped talking as if he lost his voice and was struggling to breathe. "I don't want to hear anything else. Everyone leave the room, except for the engineers."

The directors and officers all did as was asked, moving quickly out of the room.

"Do you have the design of the new silencer?" he asked the engineers.

"We built ten new ones based on your feedback," one of the engineers said putting the images up on the projector.

Ben looked at the schematics. "Did you fix the flight control?"

"Yes, we also reduced the size of the shield generator. Now we're able to fit the proton torpedoes more compactly. We expect you to test and improve it of course."

Ben nodded. "The need for a high turning input at great speeds was the most important flaw. In a battle most pilots won't be able to navigate with the Force."

An engineer looked down. "I expect no one will have a problem with the new steering system."

"Good. I will send my ten best pilots to take them," Ben said matter of factly. "Now, about the Dreadnought you have docked here."

They all seemed unsettled. "This was given as a payment by the Resistance."

"I know that you aren't the ones that made the deal. This is why I didn't want to talk to the bureaucrats and businessmen," he said to relax their fears.

"Do you want us to hand it to you?"

Ben shook his head. "I want you to unman it and then destroy it."

"We are scientists. We have no place to," the engineer started to say.

"You make weapons that kill entire planets," Ben interrupted him. "You're as much responsible as the rest of them. Now do as I say or you'll share their fate."

Ben turned to leave and as the door opened there were stormtroopers outside. All the members of the assembly were lying dead in front of them. The engineers looked on in fear.

Ben passed the line of stormtroopers who parted for him to pass. He walked back till he saw Finn coming. He was in a stormtrooper uniform, but he could sense it was him under there. He didn't question his decision to come in that uniform, guessing that he probably didn't want to be recognised from anyone from the Resistance.

"I dealt with them. We now need to find Lando," Ben said to him.

Finn nodded looking at the murdered directors behind him. It was foolish to think Ben would change his ways so easily. This authoritarian man would never forget a betrayal. Finn was silent as he led him to Hangar 7 where he expected Lando to be.

There were a few Resistance soldiers there and when they saw the Emperor and a stormtrooper walking towards them they were expectantly surprised. They pointed their blasters at them, but Ben kept on walking unbothered. Finn was nervous despite having his lightsaber on his belt, he didn't want this to be the first time he used it.

Ben stared at them calmly and made a motion with his hand to lower their blasters.

"Lead us to Lando Calrissian," his voice was low, but had the expectant tone of a command.

The soldiers lowered their blasters, turned and walked inside.

"That saved us a lot of time," Finn said under his helmet.

Ben smiled, as he hadn't tried this Jedi mind trick for quite some time. It was a power that came once you were in harmony with the Force. He felt serenity as he let go of darkness even though it happened slowly. He had to stop seeking power for it to be revealed to him.

Inside Hangar 7, Ben spotted the Millennium Falcon. They walked towards it and then he saw Lando under it. Ben dismissed the soldiers of the Resistance who obediently left as he approached him.

Lando eyed Ben with sadness and then at the stormtrooper next to him curiously. "I wouldn't take you for one to need a bodyguard."

Finn removed his helmet and Lando chuckled.

"Where is my mother?" Ben asked.

"She is in Ahch-to," Lando said.

"She doesn't have much strength left. I can feel it," Ben said sadly.

"You should go to her," Lando said and Ben nodded. Lando looked at him struggling for what to say next. "You have chosen to use the name Skywalker."

"To honour my mother," he said lowering his eyes.

"Is that the reason? Or does Solo remind you too much of your father and of what you've done?"

Lando's words cut a wound in his heart. It drove the light out of him and swirled his mind into a darkness he couldn't escape. His eyes rested on the Falcon. The ship of his father.

Lando noticed it. "Do you want the ship kid?"

"No, I can't have it," Ben said.

"It was your father's and it belongs to you," he said and smiled playfully. "I'm sure Chewie wouldn't mind."

"How is he?" Ben asked worried.

"He was injured when Ushar's men attacked us. He is recovering," Lando said. "But he is Chewie. He'll live."

Ben forced a smile in his pained face.

"You should visit him."

Ben said shook his head. "I can't see him."

"Because he knew your father," Finn said with realisation. "You avoid anyone that knows what you've done."

Ben said nothing. He doubted Chewie would ever forgive him. "I have to go to my mother. I can't waste any more time."

Lando nodded.

"What about me?" Finn asked. "Do you expect me to fight Ushar on my own?"

"I won't take any starfighters with me. I'll go to my mother alone," Ben said. "I'll leave the Vantage to you as well as the rest of the army. You'll have the whole might of the Empire behind you. And with the new TIE silencers I doubt you will meet any resistance."