Daylight

37. Code: Daylight

Han's voice echoed against the metal walls as it continued over and over, no matter what level you stood on. You could almost swear you could hear it echoing in the abyss of the hole in the center of the room. The very word made him stop on the bridge as I now leaned on the railing with two hands, my knuckles turning white the more force I used to hold myself steady. Under the skin, I could feel the metal starting to bend with force being applied against it. On the third level, I didn't care enough to know that falling wouldn't hurt too bad as Ren turned slowly to face his father the moment Han began to approach him. Ren's fabric blew with the breeze that flowed within the center of the large room as he spoke Han's name in his mechanical voice. His clenched fists were a small detail that stood out to me as I leaned down in a way to rest my forearms on the railing while crossing one leg over the other. As if this scene would bore me to death.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time," Ren spoke as if it were true, and not several years since he saw his father. Anxiety yet curiosity rattled me to the bone as Han approached his son on the bridge now, getting closer with each step.

"Take off that mask. You don't need it." Han ordered Ren to the closer he got as a sudden white light appeared from above. The atmosphere changed in the room as I felt Rey's force next to Finn. I didn't dare to look up. The sight in front of me was too tempting to watch now.

"What do you think you'll see if I do?" Ren made it sound like he was curious to know what his own father would think; otherwise, why ask the question.

"The face of my son," Han spoke back as the near temptation to jump down to the ground level made it unbearable to listen to Ren's suggestion to stay where I was. The very thought of moving made me watch Ren's head turn slightly to the direction I stood as I wiped it from my head. Okay, can you hear me now? Great. Just. Fucking. Perfect. Hearing metal clacking, the hiss of his helmet being unlocked sounded like a bomb going off as the echo raced through the room as Ben's face appeared from under the mask.

"Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father. So, I destroyed him." He sneered like he hated everything that came from his mouth. I had heard these words too many times now since my first reconnection with Ben a week prior. Not once did I believe those stupid words. Otherwise, why treat me like he still loved and cared for me? His Dyad bonded lover.

"That's what Snoke wants you to believe. But it's not true. My son is alive." Han spoke, trying to convince Ren what he was doing, who he was, was wrong. But I couldn't see it yet. And obviously, Ren didn't believe it either.

"No. The Supreme Leader is wise." Ren spoke out as if sounding offending by Han's comments.

I hadn't had the chance to meet Snoke yet, but the feeling of sensing him in and around, Ben was hard to ignore, even during our time at the temple. I had the feeling I could always feel Snoke in my darkest hours, but thanks to my parents and their shields to protect me, Snoke never found a way to break through, to turn me against everything that made me a Jedi. A part of me thanked the reason I had parents like themselves. Parents that would do anything to keep their child safe from harm and pure evil. Turning my attention back to the two men on the bridge, enough time had passed as Han was now less than two feet away from his son, as my anxiety skyrocketed. Watching Ren's face, I felt his emotions change drastically. Like all of a sudden, he went from anger and rage to just torment and pain. I could feel him now, like as if I was punched in the face by two hands. I could feel the conflict that resided within Ben. It was if he was-

"I'm being torn apart." Ben's voice broke and with it, so did my heart. This was the very moment that made me swing my body over the railing as I landed gracefully on the ground floor, but Han's very hand was what stopped me from going further towards them. Han didn't have to move or turn around, knowing full well I would give anything to help Ben from hurting. So, I stayed at the edge of the landing, waiting for something to pull me towards them.

"I want to be free of this pain." He looked as if he were to cry, and it made my heart sink to the floor beneath my boots. By now, I couldn't tell if he was feeling all this himself or if he was feeling it come from me or both of us. Han's hand lowered from his side as I stayed my ground, to my displeasure.

"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?" He sounded like a broken doll, asking to be fixed but something in his intentions made it seem off in my mind.

Ben's head was cloudy, colors of red, grey, and black smoke swirling around, like my vision. But to me, these colors seemed to speak differently, like each color connected to an emotion. Red for love. Black for hatred. Grey for conflict. And very faintly in the back of Ben's mind, I could see white. White, to me, was hope. The longer Han hesitated, the shorter the light from above got as it began to vanish from the room. A clear meaning the sun was disappearing. 

Agreeing to help, Han and the rest of us watched as Ben glanced down at the floor for a few seconds before dropping his helmet, the object making a heavy thud against the grated bridge as he pulled off his crossguard lightsaber from his belt and held it between both men. I knew what was coming; I had the vision of it. And now, Ben was making it come true. I knew nothing left I could do to save Han except save his son when the time was right. Huffing out a sigh loud enough for both father and son to hear, a chuckle rang through my ears as I watched Han's shoulders rise and fall.

"Amara" My name fell from his lips in a way I couldn't comprehend as it made Ben glanced back at me with glistening eyes. Swallowing the aching pain in my throat, I took a deep breath in as I exhaled through my mouth.

"Solo"

"This will be the last time you'll hear me say this, but I need you to remember I spoke it, got it?"

"Your point?" I wanted to know what he was trying to say as if he knew I knew he would die, though I couldn't sense Han's intentions right now. Something was blocking me from knowing.

"Codeword: Daylight" The very words caught me off guard as my hands slipped off the railings on either side of my body as my expression went blank. 

Staring at his back, Ben's eyes showed me he, too, was curious about his father's words to me as I couldn't think straight. How could he be able to remember that? The song's faint melody from years ago lightly played in the back of my memory as my face hardened again. But now, I felt different. Understanding Han couldn't see my head nod; I did it anyway as I backed away from the bridge, a gesture that really caught Ben's attention as he hardened his gaze on me, yelling through the force and into my head to stay. This time, I wouldn't listen.

"Daylight"

I spoke the one word as peace and calmness washed over Han the second I spoke the magic word before that peace was ripped away from him. Out of anger from his only son. The bright red beam pierced through Han's body as Chewie's roar echoed through the room. Rey's scream was also heard from high above me as the sound and hum of his lightsaber echoed into my head, a never-ending sound that'll never fade as Han's body was thrown from the bridge from the last person he'll see.

 It was as if all emotions, his emotions, were turned off as my breath was taken away from me. His eyes didn't focus on anything as Ben stood there in a daze before I heard metal clanging above me. In a fit of rage for losing a friend, Chewie aimed his bowcaster at Ben and shot him right in the side as my reality set back in. The very shot would've killed Ben if I had not felt him use the force to take away the energy from the blast. More blasting came from around and above me as I faintly heard my name, and then suddenly, I felt his dark aura.

"Amara!" Finn called from above me, and the split second I had turned back to find an exit behind me, I looked back at Ben to see his face glowing red from the lights around us, eyes fixated on me, and only me. Picturing the door behind me, Ben shook his head from side to side, but only in a menacing way. As if taunting me not to move. I was right.

Stay. He spoke to me through the force as the word entered my head. We both leaned forward in a way as if ready to pounce on one another as predators would fighting for territory. Swallowing the spit in my throat, I moved my head down slightly as if threatening him to stay away as my eyes moved down to his saber before looking back up to his dark eyes again.

You will stay. He spoke again, but this time, it was a threat to me. It was more than just an order.

"Amara, run!" Finn and Rey both yelled this time as I did just that. Eyeing the door to my far left, Ben shook his head once more before he screamed my name, and I bolted like lightning.