Ben Solo

XX

Ben and Poe recounted their adventure the next day.

They had locked C-3PO out, to avoid his constant commentary. R2-D2 was in the corner, beeping softly to himself.

After they had finished, Luke put his head in his hands, thinking.

"They were on Dantooine?" Onya asked, for clarification.

"Yes, and we were almost captured, but, fortunately, we were able to escape," Poe said.

"They were kidnapping more children," Ben said, almost a whisper.

"Those..." Averann sputtered violently as she stood up.

"Sit down, Averann," Luke said.

She did.

"Han has to find a way to get back to Dunov, from Tatooine. But how is Poe going to get there?" Ben asked.

"We need to send a message to General Organa, and we'll ask her for advice on getting him there." Luke stood and sighed. "I'll do that now. Ben, I want you to take Ilia out for a lesson in the X-Wings."

The dark-haired girl followed Ben out to the X-Wings. He handed her a helmet.

"Do you know anything about them?" Ben asked.

She nodded. "I flew one, once. On Naalol."

"When you were eight?"

She shook her head. "I'm a year older than you. I learned when I was nine."

He nodded. "Well, if you need any help, I'll be by you in this one. We're going to go and check out the village, but we'll have to fly low. It messes with their sensors."

They climbed into their cockpits.

Ben watched out of the corner of her eye as she put on the helmet, and flipped the switch to fire up the engines.

They flew low over the fields. A few farmers waved up at them, and Ben tilted slightly to acknowledge them.

They came up to the village. The fires had stopped without spreading to the woods, but smoke was still rising from the charred ruins.

Ben landed, and Ilia landed somewhere behind him.

They climbed out.

Ilia looked upon the scene in disbelief. "Why would they do this?"

"They are the Dark Side," Ben replied. "They have no explanation."

Ilia walked through the ashes, small grey clouds drifting up around her boots.

Ben wandered to a hut and glanced inside.

The light was filtering down through the holes in the roof, shining in patches around the one-room hut.

He gasped.

In the corner, was a charred skeleton, clothed in burned clothes. He walked over.

It was female, he could tell by the long hair that was disintegrating slowly, sliding off of her skull.

In her arms was a small child. Dead.

She must have been trying to save him, and then was trapped in the flames.

Ben's heart ached.

He didn't know the villager, but he felt a strong anger towards the Dark Side, and the First Order, and Supreme Leader Snoke.

"Ben!" Ilia yelled.

He ran out, thinking she was in trouble, and drawing his lightsaber.

She was fine. He sighed in relief.