For trope_bingo
Jul. 3rd, 2019 05:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: They The Doomed
Summary: The evolution of Kylo Ren and scavenger Poe’s relationship.
Prompt: Free Space — Role Reversal
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
The flight to Ach-To leaves a lot of questions for Poe, he knows that much. Even as he struggles to get to sleep, he can’t help but see Kylo Ren — no, Ben Solo — looking up at him in shock after he’d carved a scar into his face.
Poe knows he was defending Finn and Rey, and he doesn’t regret that. He just wishes he hadn’t had to go against his childhood friend. He’s grieving, he supposes, for Han, for Ben...for just about everyone. Everything that was lost.
The Falcon’s on autopilot until it gets out of hyperspace. Poe knows that much. He’s relieved. He needs time. Time to think.
And then hyperspace gives way to one of the most beautiful and frightening sights Poe can imagine: the oceans of Ach-To. Chewie grunts in concern even as Poe looks out, and Poe turns to look at him. “It’s beautiful!” He exclaims. “I never thought I’d see so much water in my life...”
Chewie groans mournfully.
“I might have seen water when I was a kid, but...that was a long time ago.” Back when Rey and Ben were siblings, and not enemies.
***
It’s on his first day of training that Poe feels Kylo in the Force. It’s just a stirring, but it’s enough to make Poe fire his blaster. It doesn’t do much except leave a hole in the hut. He’ll have to apologize to the caretakers of the islands later on.
Kylo tries to get him to bring Luke to him. It doesn’t work. He seems just as confused about appearing in front of Poe as Poe is, which means Kylo’s either lying or couldn’t have possibly pulled this off. Poe’s thinking the latter. Ben’s good, but he’s not that good.
Luke asks him about the hole in the hut. Poe is crappy at lying, even as he says he was cleaning his blaster and it went off, but he has to admire his own steadiness even as he outright lies to Luke. Flawless, Dameron. Flawless.
It’s after his meditation lesson that goes awry that Kylo appears to him again, once Luke has left him on that rock. “He devalues you,” he says. “If you were mine, I’d hardly treat you that way.”
“I’m not yours,” Poe says. He can mourn what happened to Ben, but he can’t join him.
“We’ll see,” Kylo says, and vanishes. Poe’s left staring at thin air where Kylo used to be. Like a ghost.
***
Kylo appears again after Poe tells Chewie to ask about Finn and Rey. “Why is the Force connecting us,” he says, “You and I?”
Poe snorts. “So you didn’t pull this stunt.”
“Do you really think I’d be capable of that?”
Poe thinks. There had been nothing like that in the interrogation room, he can’t help but think.
“Then again, you think I’m capable of anything, don’t you?” Kylo says. “Like I’m a monster.”
“No arguments there.”
And then Poe regrets it, because Ben didn’t start out a monster, Ri’ia willing.
“Yes,” Kylo says. “Indeed.”
He vanishes, and Poe is left with the rainfall on Ach-To.
***
Their third interaction (Poe can’t help but think of them like the equivalent of Force comm calls), Poe lets loose. “You didn’t have to do any of that!” he says. “You has a father who loved you, a mother who loved you. You had your sister, Rey. You had...me. Unless I wasn’t enough for you.”
“Everything I did, I did for you.”
Poe definitely wasn’t expecting that. Kylo continues. “The night I destroyed the Temple — did Skywalker tell you why?”
“Yes." That’s a lie and Poe knows it. The way Luke tells it, it’s like Ben randomly snapped.
“No. Take my hand.”
Poe hesitates.
“If I wanted to kill you, we’d be fighting right now."
“Point.” And Poe does need to know.
When he sees Luke ignite his lightsaber over a sleeping Ben Solo, Poe swears that he feels like he got kicked in the chest by a happabore. No. Luke couldn’t have done this. His childhood hero —
But he feels it as keenly as he can through the Force. Ben — Kylo — is telling the truth. And he hates it.
***
“Why are you here?”
That’s what Kylo asks when they’re in the turbolift. Poe’s been captured, after he’s left Ach-To — he feels bad about the blistering rant he gave Luke before he left about how much he failed, but Poe doesn’t regret leaving to try to help Ben.
“You don’t have to do this, Ben,” Poe says. “I feel the conflict in you. It’s tearing you apart.”
A bitter laugh from Kylo. “There is none.”
“It’s always been there, hasn’t it?” Poe says. “But it doesn’t have to be this way. I saw your future, Ben. When we touched hands, I saw it. Clear as you’re standing in front of me right now.”
Silence.
“You aren’t doomed,” Poe says. “You’ll turn. I can help.”
“I saw something too,” Kylo says. “You’ll be the one to turn. We’ll be together, Poe. As we were meant to be.”
Even the idea frightens Poe. Could he ever stand beside Kylo and willingly commit the sorts of atrocities he does?
He doesn’t know.
He knows he doesn’t want to.
***
It’s after they kill Snoke’s guards (after Snoke’s death, avenging Kes Dameron and Shara Bey) that Kylo ultimately, Poe can only assume, snaps.
“It’s time to let all things die,” he says. “Snoke, Skywalker, the Sith, the Rebels, the Jedi, let it all die. Poe,” and he holds out his hand. “I want you to join me. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy!”
“You can’t be serious.” Poe says.
“I’m more serious than I’ve ever been. Snoke, Palpatine,” and here, Kylo sounds like he believes his own lies so badly, “They were psychopaths. I’m not. You’re not. We can shape the galaxy the way we want it to be.”
Silence.
“You don’t understand, do you?” Kylo says. “They separated us. We don’t have to be separated again. I love you, Poe, more than I could ever love myself. And I know, somewhere, you love me too.”
Kriff, but he wants to be reunited with Ben so badly. Because Kylo’s right. He does love him, even after all this time. Even after everything he’s done, including to his mind.
Poe’s hand shakes. He doesn’t know what he’s reaching for until he tries to summon Anakin’s lightsaber to him. Kylo tries to summon it to him. The lightsaber struggles between them, until —
The ship shakes, trembles, and all goes black.
Summary: The evolution of Kylo Ren and scavenger Poe’s relationship.
Prompt: Free Space — Role Reversal
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
The flight to Ach-To leaves a lot of questions for Poe, he knows that much. Even as he struggles to get to sleep, he can’t help but see Kylo Ren — no, Ben Solo — looking up at him in shock after he’d carved a scar into his face.
Poe knows he was defending Finn and Rey, and he doesn’t regret that. He just wishes he hadn’t had to go against his childhood friend. He’s grieving, he supposes, for Han, for Ben...for just about everyone. Everything that was lost.
The Falcon’s on autopilot until it gets out of hyperspace. Poe knows that much. He’s relieved. He needs time. Time to think.
And then hyperspace gives way to one of the most beautiful and frightening sights Poe can imagine: the oceans of Ach-To. Chewie grunts in concern even as Poe looks out, and Poe turns to look at him. “It’s beautiful!” He exclaims. “I never thought I’d see so much water in my life...”
Chewie groans mournfully.
“I might have seen water when I was a kid, but...that was a long time ago.” Back when Rey and Ben were siblings, and not enemies.
***
It’s on his first day of training that Poe feels Kylo in the Force. It’s just a stirring, but it’s enough to make Poe fire his blaster. It doesn’t do much except leave a hole in the hut. He’ll have to apologize to the caretakers of the islands later on.
Kylo tries to get him to bring Luke to him. It doesn’t work. He seems just as confused about appearing in front of Poe as Poe is, which means Kylo’s either lying or couldn’t have possibly pulled this off. Poe’s thinking the latter. Ben’s good, but he’s not that good.
Luke asks him about the hole in the hut. Poe is crappy at lying, even as he says he was cleaning his blaster and it went off, but he has to admire his own steadiness even as he outright lies to Luke. Flawless, Dameron. Flawless.
It’s after his meditation lesson that goes awry that Kylo appears to him again, once Luke has left him on that rock. “He devalues you,” he says. “If you were mine, I’d hardly treat you that way.”
“I’m not yours,” Poe says. He can mourn what happened to Ben, but he can’t join him.
“We’ll see,” Kylo says, and vanishes. Poe’s left staring at thin air where Kylo used to be. Like a ghost.
***
Kylo appears again after Poe tells Chewie to ask about Finn and Rey. “Why is the Force connecting us,” he says, “You and I?”
Poe snorts. “So you didn’t pull this stunt.”
“Do you really think I’d be capable of that?”
Poe thinks. There had been nothing like that in the interrogation room, he can’t help but think.
“Then again, you think I’m capable of anything, don’t you?” Kylo says. “Like I’m a monster.”
“No arguments there.”
And then Poe regrets it, because Ben didn’t start out a monster, Ri’ia willing.
“Yes,” Kylo says. “Indeed.”
He vanishes, and Poe is left with the rainfall on Ach-To.
***
Their third interaction (Poe can’t help but think of them like the equivalent of Force comm calls), Poe lets loose. “You didn’t have to do any of that!” he says. “You has a father who loved you, a mother who loved you. You had your sister, Rey. You had...me. Unless I wasn’t enough for you.”
“Everything I did, I did for you.”
Poe definitely wasn’t expecting that. Kylo continues. “The night I destroyed the Temple — did Skywalker tell you why?”
“Yes." That’s a lie and Poe knows it. The way Luke tells it, it’s like Ben randomly snapped.
“No. Take my hand.”
Poe hesitates.
“If I wanted to kill you, we’d be fighting right now."
“Point.” And Poe does need to know.
When he sees Luke ignite his lightsaber over a sleeping Ben Solo, Poe swears that he feels like he got kicked in the chest by a happabore. No. Luke couldn’t have done this. His childhood hero —
But he feels it as keenly as he can through the Force. Ben — Kylo — is telling the truth. And he hates it.
***
“Why are you here?”
That’s what Kylo asks when they’re in the turbolift. Poe’s been captured, after he’s left Ach-To — he feels bad about the blistering rant he gave Luke before he left about how much he failed, but Poe doesn’t regret leaving to try to help Ben.
“You don’t have to do this, Ben,” Poe says. “I feel the conflict in you. It’s tearing you apart.”
A bitter laugh from Kylo. “There is none.”
“It’s always been there, hasn’t it?” Poe says. “But it doesn’t have to be this way. I saw your future, Ben. When we touched hands, I saw it. Clear as you’re standing in front of me right now.”
Silence.
“You aren’t doomed,” Poe says. “You’ll turn. I can help.”
“I saw something too,” Kylo says. “You’ll be the one to turn. We’ll be together, Poe. As we were meant to be.”
Even the idea frightens Poe. Could he ever stand beside Kylo and willingly commit the sorts of atrocities he does?
He doesn’t know.
He knows he doesn’t want to.
***
It’s after they kill Snoke’s guards (after Snoke’s death, avenging Kes Dameron and Shara Bey) that Kylo ultimately, Poe can only assume, snaps.
“It’s time to let all things die,” he says. “Snoke, Skywalker, the Sith, the Rebels, the Jedi, let it all die. Poe,” and he holds out his hand. “I want you to join me. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy!”
“You can’t be serious.” Poe says.
“I’m more serious than I’ve ever been. Snoke, Palpatine,” and here, Kylo sounds like he believes his own lies so badly, “They were psychopaths. I’m not. You’re not. We can shape the galaxy the way we want it to be.”
Silence.
“You don’t understand, do you?” Kylo says. “They separated us. We don’t have to be separated again. I love you, Poe, more than I could ever love myself. And I know, somewhere, you love me too.”
Kriff, but he wants to be reunited with Ben so badly. Because Kylo’s right. He does love him, even after all this time. Even after everything he’s done, including to his mind.
Poe’s hand shakes. He doesn’t know what he’s reaching for until he tries to summon Anakin’s lightsaber to him. Kylo tries to summon it to him. The lightsaber struggles between them, until —
The ship shakes, trembles, and all goes black.
