Permanent Mark

Chapter One

Clear blue water

High tide, came and brought you in

And I could go on and on, on and on

__________________________________

Ben is pissed.

Why do they do this to me?

They never listen!

He trudges through the sand, the heat overwhelming him. It's miserable here. This dirty planet. What was it called? Jatoo, Jakuu? Yeah, that was it. Jakuu.

He kicks the sand.

He hates sand. He hates the heat too.

"Ben!! Son!! Slow down!" His father calls.

He'd lowered the ramp while they fought, needing to escape. Escape them.

They just never shut up.

It was either them fighting or them telling him he was wrong. He is always wrong, according to them.

That's because they hate you.

The thoughts come at him all the time, like blaster bolts. All.the.time. He knows he's wrong, he knows they love him. He doesn't know why he has thoughts that they hate him. It's like, the thought comes from somewhere else. It doesn't even sound like his own voice.

"Son!! Stop!!" Han hollers again.

"What???" Ben stops, turning. "Are you two done yet? Can we go?"

Han stops, breathing heavy in the heat. He hadn't even removed his leather jacket before he chased after his son.

"Son, I know you are 19 years old and grown but you just can't go running off. You don't even have a blaster with you! You scared your mom half to death."

Ben glares at him, angry that he's using his mother's emotions against him.

"Well maybe if you two would shut up I would stay on the ship! I can't even think. The Falcon is big but no matter where I go I just hear you two screaming!!"

Han hangs his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry son. It's okay. We stopped. She just didn't understand that we had to stop here. We didn't have a choice."

Ben rolls his eyes, throwing his hands up in anger.

"Well if you had brought Uncle Chewie with us he would've been able to fly that piece of junk while you repaired it! I told you to bring him!"

Han looks at his son pointedly.

"Son, if you'd let me teach you to pilot...."

Ben's hands are still waving around. How dare he blame him?

"Quit blaming me! I tried to learn but you just blow up at me over and over! You don't teach, you demand! I'm too old for this shit! You don't treat me like I'm an adult and I'm 18!"

Han's face turns red in anger.

"THEN ACT 18!!"

"See??? Screw this....I'm gone...."

Ben turns to go, trying to hold his tears back.

Han will just get pissed if he sees me cry. He'll tell me to grow up, be a man....

"Son, listen....Ben!!"

"WHAT???" Ben screams as he spins around again.

"Just, come with me. I've got to go speak with the local guy here. Maybe he'll have the parts I need. I've heard he's got just about everything there is. That's why I stopped here. Just, walk with me."