because i gotta violently assault u ig

[vaderstan]

[ Man. Luke Skywalker had thought today was gonna be decent.

He caught dinner early, a great haul too. If he preserved the meat correctly. He didn't get hit with some clogged milk duct goop from milking the local fauna, and the porgs hadn't decided to nest within his hut. Didn't even get shouted at by the lanai.

You know.


Until he did.

It's confusing at first, he'd been doing his best to root around the small piece of land for any extra provisions when suddenly there's a ruckus. One he hasn't seen the intensity of since he first landed on this planet. There's pushing and shoving and tutting. He's exasperated when he attempts to calm the flock by insisting he's coming as fast as he can--

And that's when he hears the noise of a ship entering atmo. And there's even the faint smell of fuel. Sharp, acrid, so inorganic in such contrast to the salt and moisture filling his lungs and the air around him.

At first he has the self serving thought that his time has come. That 'they've' finally found him and his journey ends here. It's so selfish, ridiculous, and self serving ath he is able to roll his eyes at himself in exasperation and brush it off. He still finds himself wanting to be what the universe thought he was, important enough to hinder the balance of good versus evil upon-- and he wants to give that title up with out so much of a fight. He hasn't even attempted to dip back into the well of the force since he cut himself off years ago.

But fortunately, there is no huge brigade. Up beyond atmo he can see no other ships appear, First Order or otherwise. It's very plausible someone just got very lost and is using this as a temporary pit stop. He can lie low and continue to rot in the privacy of his own self-loathing.



You know.

That is until he hears a tell tail trilling call of a wookiee.

And sees one (Older) Han Solo marching up towards him with purpose. What looks to be very Red and Angry purpose.

The scene is so surreal he can't even process that it's happening at first. It's been... maybe about a decade. No, possibly more than that since he spoke with Han. Hell, the smuggler's been MIA longer than he has. An impressive feat, to be sure, but he and Han had always been competitive little shits with one another and Han always seemed to have the upperhand. It was really starting to get aggravating.

It's just around the time he has that thought that he sees Chewbacca in a light job behind Han and then...



Han clocks him.


Hard.

Yikes.

There's cursing. Lots of cursing. Luke couldn't be more confused if he tried. He's literally having to wrestle with Han Solo and it's just so many level of Old Man Fight and Chewbacca attempting to pull them apart and screaming at them to grow up.

Luke isn't catching a word Han is saying, it's all mushed together into a red hot rage he hasn't seen before and
































Wait.

Yo.


But why is there a girl struggling to crest over the hill, tho?

The lanai are all crowding at her and squawking like harpies, a few porgs keep landing near the girl and she, in turn, violently shouts, kicks, and waves her arms about like a mad woman and


Is she dragging a corpse?


No.


No.. that is the unconscious body of his nephew.






............................................ oh.


Is that why Han's mad?

Okay that's his bad tbh ]

Comments

[purpose]

Get out of the way.

[ The calm of that demand is due, in part, to the heaving gulps of air she has to take as the Lanai crowd her path. He's heavy — heavier than most piles of scrap she's had to drag back to Niima Outpost, solid muscle that refuses to cooperate in its drugged, weighed down state — and the bunching muscle in her biceps is straining, burning. The other part is due to her distraction, staring down at his unconscious form, single-minded in her purpose.

It will be worse for all of them if Luke Skywalker interrupts. And Han — he's hardly in the right state of mind. Her eyes dart down the hill, to the blurred figures in the distance. Han is still shouting, words she can't discern, and shaking his fist — but Luke ...

He's seen her. She can tell, from how his head stays trained in her direction. She scowls, despite knowing he can't possibly see her, and looks down to Ben. He's covered, coated in dirt from dragging; she inhales another deep breath and squares her back, her shoulders, her legs — distributing her weight as she hauls him by the arms, pushing past the Lanai into a hut that certainly does belong to them.

It doesn't matter that it looks inhabited and lived in, from the strewn blankets and rows of cots. There's a fire crackling in the corner, a pot of water hovering above it; the added heat makes another bead of sweat gather across her hairline. She turns her gaze back to Ben, lugging him up and over to one of the piles of blankets to deposit him there, inelegantly. Like dropping a sack of potatoes. ]

[vaderstan]

[ Time for another episode of "Naima doesn't actually play the character she actually plays for a while". It's great. It's fine.

Kylo is in a land of smeared colors and disembodied voices. There's comfort in the hovering energy of Rey but-- he's out. Very out. And no help whatsoever. Even the Lanai squawking and porgs nipping at his heels doesn't bother him.


Han, however?


Really bothered. Super bothered. He hasn't attempted to start a brawl like this for years. He'll feel bad later, leaving Rey alone to his son, the fucked up thing he'd become. He feels as though he's been burned at both ends, who the fuck could he trust if what happened with Luke--

'Stop!' That's Luke's voice. And, to his credit, it seems to work.

Chewbacca is fretting over Han, because of course he is. Trying to reel the man back from beating his brother-in-law and friend to a pulp. This is a fucking mess. Chewbacca is actually also worried about Rey and Ben because he can get his head out of his furry ass for a second. It looks like he's the only one capable of that at this moment, because-- This is all some weird dick waving contest tbh. A ridiculous one at that.

'You brought him here?'

No. There are no hello's or apologies. Just the exasperated annoyance (And somewhere deep down fear and regret) of a man who broke his entire family apart. And may have doomed the galaxy for his own weakness. Luke Skywalker cannot afford to be openly regretful, especially in light of what he's created. It takes him long enough to get to his feet to let Han digest that flippant response and--

Honestly, Chewbacca and Luke don't think they've ever seen Han this angry before.

'You better karkin' believe I brought him here you--' This is censored so that we can keep our monetized status.

Han tears at the wookiee's arms, a man possessed and feral. How did this happen? How did this happen?

'I trusted you!' Here's where sorrow starts to cut through Han's tone. He trusted Luke. Trusted him with his life, with his wife, with his son. He trusted him like a brother, he was the only family he had.

Luke can't even look at him. Eyes cast down to his knees as he tries to brush off the dust and straighten his robes. All of this just serves to piss off Han more.

'You saved my dumb ass when I got captured,' Gosh he's just


Airing this out for everyone.

'All I'd done was run away and murder and steal from people, you knew that and you came to save me,' Han is working through his thoughts so quickly he trips over his words and is kinda along for this line of thought just like everyone else. 'And even after your DAD tried to kill me and blew up your sister's planet after torturing her-- you went after him too! You wanted to save him!'


Yikes. Years Of Therapy All Laid Out Here.

'Ben--' Han loses his breath half-way through, emotion clogging up his throat and stealing the air from his lungs. He goes slack in chewbacca's arms and it takes him a moment to gather the courage to look at Luke again, 'What'd Ben done Luke?'

The question cracks open like an egg. Grief and realization and hurt and realizing the family they'd built had crumbled apart right under his nose. He hadn't been there because he was a coward and maybe if he'd stayed. Stuck around. Maybe-- just maybe this wouldn't have happened. ]

[purpose]

[ The Lanai leave them to it.

She can hear them, still, squabbling just beyond the door. Two stubby birds have taken their place on the windows, staring with wide, quizzical eyes — but she ignores them when she trudges through to the pot of water.

To busy herself, if nothing else. Her experience with illness is limited, maladaptive; any cold she has acquired, she has pushed through. Jakku never allowed time for sickness, to wither and sniffle in it, even at her most feverish and aching. But this isn't Jakku, and Kylo Ren looks pallid. Wan, perspiring from the drug coursing through his body. She dunks the nearest rag into it and comes back to settle it over his cheek.

Incapacitated as he is, he won't be any use. More importantly, he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. She should leave him, march outside, to understand why there's continued yelling. She can hear Luke's muttering, and Chewbacca's cries to herd two ornery old men into calmer behavior, but ...

Kylo had asked her to stay. She shouldn't even consider it, but stays rooted to the spot as she crouches and finally sits on the cold stone, leaning back against the wall. ]

[vaderstan]

[ He's uncomfortable, he vaguely realizes. Not something he's entirely unused to, but his mind is swirlling with the air and, you know, maybe Leia could have come along on this trip to make sure they didn't give him too many drugs. Again. But that is neither here nor there. As it stands, there's soft leaks in his mind, flashing swirling and bright. He doesn't understand it, he doesn't understand why he can see two parents exchanging their daughter for booze. He doesn't understand the image of her kneeling in front of him and begging.

It hadn't been like this, not in a while. He doesn't know to connect the lack of Snoke's influence to the sudden deluge of visions. He feels Rey's apprehension and his father's grief and Luke??

It's infuriating and horrifying how apathetic and detached he feels.

Kylo tries to say something. He's not even sure what. It blends together into a slurring syllable and he's lost in the current again. The bond is blown so wide she may feel that flicker of appreciation.




It's not too long after that when Han shouts something particularly venomous. The ground shakes with it, literally. Luke hadn't tapped into the Force for years, but whatever Han had said was enough for that burst. There's a sudden silence and the sound of someone walking away. Chewbacca trills from a distance and the Lanai


Just start SQWAKNG and shaking their hands at Luke who is walking passed the hut now.

'What ever it is I don't car--' The lanai scream louder. Not pleased with his response.

There's a long suffering sigh and he lets himself be led to

the hut that Rey and Kylo are in.


Wow. Awkward.

There are a few things Luke realizes from the brief look in.

Han had miscalculated the dose and now this is his problem (The Lanai may not entirely like the FauxSithLord but letting someone suffer on these sacred grounds was a no-no), he'd have to talk to Chewie to figure out what the hell they'd given him. He may have something for it here.

The other thing? Even with that small and short use of the Force, he can see why they brought this girl here. As Luke works to cut himself off again, he can see the bond between them, burning bright and strong. She... had a lot of potential. And was somehow connected to his nephew.

Maybe not quite enough to pull him from retirement, but it is interesting.

'Looks like you got the short end of the stick,' He says that to Rey, because there's no time for introductions and she's just been thrown into their shit with no explanation. Introductions would have to wait until later.

'Han, did you give him a rancor tranq? He looks like sh--' His voice fades off as he goes off to figure this out. A shaky truce is struck as they have to solve this issue first.

(Ignore the gossiping lanai. They are definitely crowding around and gossiping)

Kylo's just gonna. Lay here and feel awful. He kinda prefers the cell tbh. ]

[purpose]

[ It isn't how she pictured Luke Skywalker.

Up close, his age is more apparent in the weary lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes. But it isn't his weathering of the years he's experienced that shakes the image she'd had of him, large and mythological — a representation of hope. It's the attitude, how he has resigned himself to this as though it were a chore. Worse, he doesn't have the decency to be solemn about reuniting with the same nephew he had turned again, lost faith in, with how flippantly he regards her.

She bristles. ]

Han wouldn't have had to tranquilize him at all if it weren't for you.

[ He wouldn't be this way if it weren't for you. Luke's mouth hardens, but she can see the flash of grief in his eyes. It only serves to agitate her further — that he would dare look so sorry for himself after what he's done. Han doesn't interrupt her to disagree, only stands silently in the doorframe. The Lanai titter behind him, but he doesn't move, too absorbed in observing his son.

Even after all of this, he seems to trust that Luke knows what to do. ]

Fix it.

[ 'Everyone's a critic. I know what I'm doing,' he tells her, firm and weary instead, and places his palm flat against Ben's forehead. ]

[vaderstan]

[ This is gonna be complicated. More complicated then "I accidentally fell for my sister while she was falling for someone else and you know that should make it kinda simple to toss aside those feelings but it turns out that shit isn't so easy". And he can tell that with one look. The bond between them, the wariness that's settled over everyone, trust is low here. For good reason. He's not sure what his nephew has done in the years that have passed, but he got a sense for it. Which is what led them all here.

It takes a moment, he's done this too many times for himself before. Caught behind enemy lines and half drugged out of his mind. Or. You know. When you have a hangover from stupid drinking contests you try to have with a wookiee.

The Force obliges him and Ben. Even after all this time. Some color returns to his face and tension leaves his shoulder.

Luke looks over the whole of him. Swathed in black and the dark well within him growing deeper. It mirrors the girl with him. And it's more than damning that Ben seems to try and reach out for her. This wasn't going to get more simple.

'There's some plants around which can help settle him more,' He sounds a little more winded then he'd like to admit. 'He'll be fine.'

Luke glances up towards Han who looks, begrudgingly Fine with that. And then his eyes flicker to Rey. Hm. She doesn't seem to want to admit that she has investment in Ben. Which means what ever story he's about to get is going to be much more awkward than he cares to hear.

Chewbacca senses Luke's plan on leaving this behind for some goddamn plants and trills he'll go grab them with the help of the caretakers.


So.


Wow. Cool. Thanks Bud.

It's a little late now but...

'What's your name?'


Guess we'll start there. ]

[purpose]

Rey. [ Before he can interrupt to ask, to question what right she has to be involved in any of this, she adds, defensive, ] Just Rey.

[ Luke snorts. Understandably, it does little to improve her opinion of him. 'Alright, Just Rey.' His lips press together. 'So,' he starts, innocent enough. 'Does he know about the connection between you two?' He jerks his head toward Han, then. Rey's face flames, mortified, but it's Luke's addition of, 'did my nephew do this to you?' that pushes it closer to indignation. ]

I don't know what happened. Neither does Ben.

[ She snaps out. Han only looks between them awkwardly from his corner. The Force has never been his strong point, after all. ]

Shouldn't you be able to tell me that?

[vaderstan]

[ Prickly. Understandable given what she's just gone through. It is interesting that she seems so defensive on his nephews behalf though.

'The Force doesn't like to speak in full sentences most days,' Even Han seems to huff out in frustration at that answer. 'It's the truth.'

But this is interesting. The link between them is strong and clear. Nearly tangible. He can make out some of the bond to Leia and it's worn so bare in comparison. Hm. But it seems as if someone had tried to tamper with it, wasn't able to rattle it the way they wanted to. Most probably Snoke. Of course it's snoke. But Luke doesn't know enough to draw clear conclusions yet.

'This thing start recently?' Might as well start there. If only because he's really reticent to hear the response to "How did you both meet?" ]

[purpose]

That's just a pretty way of admitting you don't have any more answers than we do.

[ At its basest translation, at least. Rey isn't one for deciphering riddles, lacks the patience to hear Luke present it as wisdom; the sharp, disbelieving look she gives him nearly mirrors Han's (amused, though resentfully so) exasperation with all of this talk of the Force.

Their fascination with this connection, Rey thinks, seems to be the only trait he shares with his nephew. She casts a glance back to Kylo's face, scrunched up in his addled state — refusing to be peaceful, even in sleep. ]

A few days ago. [ She admits. Luke's lips have pinched, but he grunts and nods, as if he knows something she doesn't. She doubts he does, really, from the looks of it. ] When he found me.

[ 'Found?' Luke says, skeptical. ]

Took me.

[ She confirms, shooting him a sharp glance. It shuts Luke up for a moment in his discomfort, but she won't shy away from admitting what his nephew had become. What he had pushed him to become. He's run from the truth for so long; she won't let him get away with it now. ]

[vaderstan]

[ Luke's eyes dart over to Han briefly and that guilty look. Ah. That guilty look. It's terrible really, Ben had become the monster he saw in that vision. The briefest of touches has left him with the impression of it. The pain-- screaming, bellowing pain. He's seen flashes of what he's done intermixed with flashes of what Snoke's done to hi--


'Hm,' Luke's head perks a bit. It catches Han's interest. He takes a few steps forward as if he's missed something on Kylo's form.

'What's goin' on?' Gruff, distrusting, tired. That's the general theme.


Luke hums low in his throat. Feeling, tugging, pulling in the Force. It takes him a while to find what he's looking for-- Snoke's hold on Ben. It's thin. Thinner than his connection to Leia. That doesn't mean it's gone or that he should completely discard Snoke as a thread but this...


This is new. It gives the claw marks in Just Rey's and his nephew's connection context. He's not entirely sure what the hell it means yet.

'Nothing,' Ah. Luke with all the answers.

Han looks baffled and frustrated all at once.

'Do I want to know how you managed to bring him back here?' That seems to be an important question and the way Han immediately looks away from him gives him all the answers he needs. 'Never mind.'

Another sigh as Luke pulls at his own hair briefly, getting it out of his face. He knows what they're here for. What ever brings Han to him beyond when they really needed him. The Resistance needs him. His sister needs him. Snoke and his nephew are.... were/?? looking for him because they believe he's the largest threat.

And he is looking at a connection between two force users so strong it's managed to wear the dark hold Snoke had had on his nephew for... His entire life.

He doesn't like to admit this, but neither Han nor Rey or even Chewbacca seemed qualified to give the answers that he'd need to piece this shit together. (Watch this turn into the AU of Wow if Luke and Kylo had worked together they would have figured out the plot before EVERYONE.)

'Look, I know why you're here,' He sounds old, tired, weary. 'Honestly, It's probably better we discuss this later.'

Han bristles. Feeling brushed off and just-- mad. He's really ready to grab for his blaster at his hip and--

LUKE. PEOPLE SKILLS. DO YOU STILL HAVE THEM.

'He complicates the narrative and you know it, Han,' He gestures to the slumbering Kylo Ren.'I doubt we could make any move without his consent.'

Because, Really. Luke Skywalker would love to have the confidence that he could take on Kylo Ren on his own and ensure the safety of this entire island and the galaxy. But he's not That dumb.

'What are you gonna do? Try to kill him in his sleep?' Yikes Han. He just WENT there wow. 'Again?'

BABY ANAKIN SKYWALKER HAN. WHY.

'That's where she complicates things,' Cane pointed firmly at Rey. And before Han can jump to any conclusions (That Luke is seeing that maybe he really should be jumping to because things are Weird in the way things were Weird with Han and Leia),'A force bond this potent could mean that if he dies, she dies.'


He lets that settle over the present company. Han is just. Baffled. What the fuck is with this Force shit. WHY? HOW?????? He actually gets ready to open his mouth and start screaming again when Chewbacca and the caretaker return with Plant Remedies in hand.


And Chewbacca quietly moans like.


What the fuck you guys were supposed to talk things out and now it's all weird and awkward in here. WTF. I want my money back. ]

[purpose]

No one is killing anyone!

[ Han may have been silenced, but Rey isn't. She interjects it quickly, just over the noise of Chewbacca's rumbling noise of discontent. It isn't only self-preservation at work; much as she'd like to keep her own head — will fight to ensure it stays attached to her shoulders — executing Kylo Ren would be a waste. All fo Han's efforts to save him, all of Leia's attempts to spare him an uglier fate than imprisonment, squandered — and for what? Luke Skywalker's continuing cowardice? ]

She is right here, and she can speak for herself. Stop talking about me — about us — like we aren't here.

[ Like their fates are Luke's to decide. She glowers, but Luke only sighs out an exhausted breath — the type of a weary old man who thinks himself inconvenienced and bothered by the arrival of others in his space. More than likely, he simply doesn't want to hear it anymore.

That had been one perk of his island, at least.

'Bring those here,' he says, impatient, waving Chewie over. Meanwhile, Chewbacca and the Lanai seem relieved to have the focus shifted to this task rather than addressing the tense atmosphere that's settled over the room. Wary, Han watches with a skeptical look as Luke takes it from them and drops the herbs that have been gathered into the boiling pot of water above the fire.

'It won't taste very good. Not enough seasoning,' he comments, wry. 'But it's going to do the trick.' ]

[vaderstan]

[ She really can't take a joke. That's what Luke is thinking. Like as if that was an actual formed joke that was any level of funny. Wow. Kinda seein' where Kylo got his humor from. But she is defensive and... stubborn. Aggressively stubborn. Any sane person would want the man who tortured them and murdered a Decent number of other people dead. That isn't really to slight Ben, but just the fact of the matter.

That kind of disposition could mean a few things, many would argue he got into her head and is manipulating her. Plausible, but he's knocked out cold and she's Still doing this. Force tricks seem unlikely.The second is that this bond that he can see is intertwining them so tightly, that she has some how seen not just Kylo Ren, but into Ben Solo. Which is another point for "oh no but what the fuck does this bond mean are you kidding me?". The last of the most likely scenarios is the most frightening, however.

Rey is just entirely like him.

She doesn't seem to care for Ben in the same way he had implicitly believed that Darth Vader could be turned back to the light. But she was stubborn, willing to watch over him with fierce loyalty, and--- Honestly, it seems as though it's only time that's holding her back.


Shit.


Chewbacca, the ever smart and decent wookiee he is, recognizes that Han may need time to cool off. He's not ready for adult conversations because all that is going to involve is him screeching incoherently at Luke. Chewie warbles something about repairs and rations, any excuse to get Han out of this mindset before another emotional bomb is dropped.

Han, in turn, seems reticent. Edgy, annoyed-- but with a sigh there's a crack into the sad weariness beneath that. How could he explain this to Leia? And then, beyond that-- did Leia know?

This family, his family, was a mess. A terrible mess and Han regrets leaving as he did so many years ago. Maybe things could have been different, maybe he could have pulled Ben to be a pilot. Maybe he, Luke, and Leia could have all rescued him together.

A pipe dream now.

He gathers his wits back, he can't collapse in on himself here. Not with Rey around... and not in front of Ben either. Even if he's a little delirious at the moment.

'Watch him,' Han shoots a sharp look over from Rey to Luke.


Like. As if Luke is the murder monster following the orders of a fascist playboy wanna be dictator.

As Chewie and Han amble out of the hut (taking the Lanai with them. Dunno how. Maybe they think Chewie's hot???) Luke takes a long look to his back, processing the micro-interaction he just witnessed.

It's not Han treating him like a monster that has his eyebrows perked, like honestly? That evaluation is deserved right now. But it's the fact that both Chewbacca and Han trust this girl enough to leave her to watch Ben while he is still in close proximity.

He won't voice his thoughts out loud, but it's cementing his thought that Rey doesn't know enough about her potential and the history of Force users to comprehend any signs that maybe she's been connected to Ben Solo for a lot longer than she can comprehend.

Luke's tempted to shake Ben awake and demand answers at this point. But you know.


There's Rey.

Looking at him like a viper.

He'll take his time and sit down across the way from Rey, and further away from Kylo. Because. Again. Viper eyes.

'So,' Great start so far, better just end it there Luke, 'Where are you from, Just Rey?'

Please don't tell him it's a desert planet or he is just gonna be So Mad about how there is a NEW HIM???? ]