Ben Solo

XXVII

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

Ben sank into his thoughts.

They swirled around him, and he could feel the Force from everything around him.

His awareness expanded to the surrounding countryside, each detail standing out to him, more than it would if he stood in front of it.

Ben Solo.

The voice almost jolted him out of his meditation.

He tried to distract himself from the voice by lifting a stone in the corner with the Force.

Ben Solo, I know you can hear me.

Ben lifted another thing, a cloth.

Stop ignoring me.

"Who are you?" Ben asked through the Force.

My name is of no importance.

"It is to me."

My name is of no importance, but you are of much importance, to me.

Ben dropped the rock and cloth, though he was trying to focus on his meditation.

He focused on lifting something else, his lightsaber, out of his belt.

I have many plans for you.

His lightsaber hung suspended in front of his face.

He tried to ignore the voice, but he wondered what the plans were.

The owner of the voice must have read that thought.

They are to train you.  To make you greater than you could ever imagine.

Ben focused on trying to lift himself into the air.

He levitated a few inches above the ground.

I can train you in ways that Luke Skywalker never could.

"What ways?" Ben asked, intrigued.

How do you think I am talking to you?  Your Master could not teach you.  Only I know how to infuse my thoughts into yours, and I can teach you.

"What else?"

I can teach you how to pull on the minds of all but the strongest.

"How will I learn?"

Make me your other master, and I will teach you.

"What do I call you?"

Just call me Master.

The door opened, and Ben dropped to the ground, feeling slightly guilty, even though no one but he and Master knew about the conversation.

His saber clattered to the floor and he picked it up.

Standing in the doorway was Poe.  "Your father is here.  I have to leave."

Ben nodded and walked over to his friend.

They walked out to where Han's SSP was sitting.  He didn't see Jess or Haasa, and he assumed they were already in their X-Wings.

Ben was disappointed.   He wanted to say goodbye to Jess.

He hugged Poe goodbye.

"See you next time I'm in the area," Poe said with a grin.

"Hopefully it won't be so eventful."

"Really?  I thought that was fun."

Ben slugged him.

Poe pushed his shoulder and walked up onto the SSP.

Han came and hugged his son goodbye.  "I'll say hello to your mother for you."

He ruffled his son's hair and walked up the gangplank.

Ben watched as his father and best friend left him, again.

He turned and walked back into the academy so he wouldn't have to watch the SSP leave.

Averann followed him.

"Hey, 'you okay?"

Ben shrugged. "I'm fine. I shouldn't be upset about seeing someone go. It's not the Jedi way, to be attached to people."

"I don't think it's against the Jedi way to love someone. I believe that most of what the Code says tells us that we should love our families, and the people closest to us." Averann sat down on a bench.

"But it says that we are not allowed to love, in general, in a romantic way, or possessive. But isn't wishing your father or your best friend would stay possessive love?" He sat next to her.

She shrugged. "I'm not certain. But it is hard not to love people. Many Jedi loved someone, and some of them were the greats."

"My grandfather loved my grandmother," Ben mused.

"Well, I don't think I count their relationship as successful, seeing as Anakin turned to the Dark Side to try to save Padmé, and ultimately killed her."

Ben clenched his lips together. What was it that Master had said earlier? I can make you greater than Darth Vader? Something like that.

If he were greater, would he be able to defy that part of the code, and actually love someone?

He sat, staring at the wall, until a little girl ran by. "Ben, dinner is ready!"

Then he realized that Averann was no longer beside him, and he stood and walked to dinner in the kitchen.