For genprompt_bingo
Aug. 15th, 2020 08:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: (I Need You) Here With Me
Summary: Ben and Poe find Rey, and Ben reunites with an old “friend” from Elphrona.
Prompt: Badass
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Title from “Here With Me” by Marshmello ft. Chvrches.
Ben hadn’t expected to find the girl they were looking for — the girl the First Order was targeting — in a rundown AT-ST, but he supposes that now is full of surprises.
“She lives here?” Poe says in disbelief.
“Apparently.” Ben can’t imagine it being a particularly pleasant place to live, actually.
The girl confronts them. Her staff, pointed at them both — at least until Poe holds out his Resistance medallion and says that they mean no harm.
She lowers her staff cautiously. “You’re with the Resistance?” she says.
“Yeah,” Ben says. “The First Order’s looking for you. You have to go.”
A flash of conflict comes across the girl’s face before she nods. “If I have no choice.”
***
It’s just out in the desert of Jakku that Ben actually senses it. Him, come to think of it. Poe stands in front of him. “Ben,” he says, “That look in your eyes...”
“Yeah, I feel it too,” Rey says. “Is that what cold feels like?”
Ben nods.
The Knights of Ren are coming. Ahead of them is Ren himself — he’s unmasked, and so Ben can only assume he’s trying to make himself look more approachable to Ben. That or he left his helmet behind on Elphrona. Even as they approach, Ben draws his lightsaber.
“The others,” Rey whispers, “They don’t have lightsabers, do they?”
“No,” Ben says. He still doesn’t know why.
Rey faces them, glaring at them with the determination of a fierce warrior. Poe braces his blaster — Ben knows he’s only going to shoot if necessary. He’s that kind of man.
Ben still can’t get used to Ren’s face. How normal it looks. It could have been the face of somebody’s father, he thinks. White hair. Blue eyes. A face that’s almost like Ben’s own father — almost.
“Hey, kid,” Ren says. “Didn’t think we’d meet up again. Not like this.”
“You were looking for Rey?” Ben says.
“Half for Rey, half for you.” Ren sighs. “I asked you on Elphrona if you really thought this was the life for you. You’d really go back on that, after everything?” A beat. “Are you really happy here, kid?”
Ben meets his eyes. “I am where I belong,” he says. That he’s certain of.
“Are you, kid? Snoke told me about you.”
“Who’s Snoke?” Rey whispers, and Ben wonders if she’s really been that sheltered on Jakku.
Ren continues, ignoring Rey. “Snoke told me about your mom. Your uncle. Your dad. How they just didn’t give you the credit you deserved. And your pilot...did he?”
“You don’t know anything about Ben,” Poe says softly.
“And you do?”
Ben can already sense Poe, wondering how to put all of this, any of this for that matter. Like fire and durasteel and power, and the burning suns across every galaxy... That’s what he can pick up of Poe’s thoughts.
"He’s strong. He defied you, all of you. He’s kind — even with Voe, he never really got angry with her. He’s strong and brave and...he’s three times the man that you could ever be. More than that, actually.”
Damn Poe. Damn him for believing in him, even when Ben still isn’t sure he believes in himself.
“That’s a hell of a confession,” Ren says. “I think we’ll make it easy on you, pilot. You’ll die first. Ushar?”
“No!” Ben shouts, and flings himself into the fray.
The Knights of Ren are surrounding him, and he’s not as skilled as Uncle Luke, but he would say he’s pretty good. Poe shoots at them, Rey also leaps into the fray to fight off the Knights of Ren while Ben fights against Ren.
“Feeling’s mutual, isn’t it?” Ren says. Against Luke, Ren was outmatched. Against Ben, he’s more of a challenge. “It grows in you, doesn’t it, kid? Like a cancer.”
“Don’t,” Ben grits out, “Call it that.”
Their lightsabers clash together. Blue against red. In a moment of inspiration, Ben presses down on the bladelock — but the sizzling mark fades into the morass of scars on Ren’s skin.
Ren seems to be completely unaffected by it.
He also seems unaffected by the nicks Rey leaves on him with her staff, or Poe’s blaster bolts.
“How...?” Ben sputters.
“You’d be surprised,” Ren says, “By what you can live through.”
Ben continues to attack him. Attacks...until by some lucky accident, he severs Ren’s hand.
It’s ironic, he thinks. One would think he would get his hand sliced off...
It incapacitates Ren long enough for Ben, Poe and Rey to run.
***
They get back on the Falcon, head back to D’Qar. While Rey’s talking with Han and experimenting with fixing the Falcon (apparently this thirteen year old girl has a brain like a supercomputer), Ben sits in his quarters, applying bacta to the wounds he got from Ren and his Knights.
“Was it true?” Ben says. “What you said on the battlefield?”
“Ben,” Poe says softly, “How can you think otherwise?”
“I just didn’t think...I mean, there are times when I doubt even myself...”
Poe’s hand reaches out to take his. “Ben. You’re a good man. You shouldn’t doubt yourself. Not once, not ever.”
“True. Sometimes, though...”
“I know. You live with a voice in your head long enough and you start to believe it.” A squeeze of Ben’s hand. Damn that touch, how it makes his heart start to race...
“But you believe in me?”
“I do. I always have.”
There’s hardly a word for how Ben feels. Hardly anything that will suffice. He could write it out in calligraphy and it wouldn’t be enough. I need you. I love you. I couldn’t let Ren kill you. I love you.
“If Ren had killed you...” And Ben can’t help but find it harder to breathe. What he needs — he needs Poe here, by his side, with him.
“I’m here.” Poe’s smile looks more beautiful than usual. And that says volumes.
They sit beside each other, and Ben lets out his breath that he’s been holding, thankful for the Force for this gift it’s given him.
Summary: Ben and Poe find Rey, and Ben reunites with an old “friend” from Elphrona.
Prompt: Badass
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Title from “Here With Me” by Marshmello ft. Chvrches.
Ben hadn’t expected to find the girl they were looking for — the girl the First Order was targeting — in a rundown AT-ST, but he supposes that now is full of surprises.
“She lives here?” Poe says in disbelief.
“Apparently.” Ben can’t imagine it being a particularly pleasant place to live, actually.
The girl confronts them. Her staff, pointed at them both — at least until Poe holds out his Resistance medallion and says that they mean no harm.
She lowers her staff cautiously. “You’re with the Resistance?” she says.
“Yeah,” Ben says. “The First Order’s looking for you. You have to go.”
A flash of conflict comes across the girl’s face before she nods. “If I have no choice.”
***
It’s just out in the desert of Jakku that Ben actually senses it. Him, come to think of it. Poe stands in front of him. “Ben,” he says, “That look in your eyes...”
“Yeah, I feel it too,” Rey says. “Is that what cold feels like?”
Ben nods.
The Knights of Ren are coming. Ahead of them is Ren himself — he’s unmasked, and so Ben can only assume he’s trying to make himself look more approachable to Ben. That or he left his helmet behind on Elphrona. Even as they approach, Ben draws his lightsaber.
“The others,” Rey whispers, “They don’t have lightsabers, do they?”
“No,” Ben says. He still doesn’t know why.
Rey faces them, glaring at them with the determination of a fierce warrior. Poe braces his blaster — Ben knows he’s only going to shoot if necessary. He’s that kind of man.
Ben still can’t get used to Ren’s face. How normal it looks. It could have been the face of somebody’s father, he thinks. White hair. Blue eyes. A face that’s almost like Ben’s own father — almost.
“Hey, kid,” Ren says. “Didn’t think we’d meet up again. Not like this.”
“You were looking for Rey?” Ben says.
“Half for Rey, half for you.” Ren sighs. “I asked you on Elphrona if you really thought this was the life for you. You’d really go back on that, after everything?” A beat. “Are you really happy here, kid?”
Ben meets his eyes. “I am where I belong,” he says. That he’s certain of.
“Are you, kid? Snoke told me about you.”
“Who’s Snoke?” Rey whispers, and Ben wonders if she’s really been that sheltered on Jakku.
Ren continues, ignoring Rey. “Snoke told me about your mom. Your uncle. Your dad. How they just didn’t give you the credit you deserved. And your pilot...did he?”
“You don’t know anything about Ben,” Poe says softly.
“And you do?”
Ben can already sense Poe, wondering how to put all of this, any of this for that matter. Like fire and durasteel and power, and the burning suns across every galaxy... That’s what he can pick up of Poe’s thoughts.
"He’s strong. He defied you, all of you. He’s kind — even with Voe, he never really got angry with her. He’s strong and brave and...he’s three times the man that you could ever be. More than that, actually.”
Damn Poe. Damn him for believing in him, even when Ben still isn’t sure he believes in himself.
“That’s a hell of a confession,” Ren says. “I think we’ll make it easy on you, pilot. You’ll die first. Ushar?”
“No!” Ben shouts, and flings himself into the fray.
The Knights of Ren are surrounding him, and he’s not as skilled as Uncle Luke, but he would say he’s pretty good. Poe shoots at them, Rey also leaps into the fray to fight off the Knights of Ren while Ben fights against Ren.
“Feeling’s mutual, isn’t it?” Ren says. Against Luke, Ren was outmatched. Against Ben, he’s more of a challenge. “It grows in you, doesn’t it, kid? Like a cancer.”
“Don’t,” Ben grits out, “Call it that.”
Their lightsabers clash together. Blue against red. In a moment of inspiration, Ben presses down on the bladelock — but the sizzling mark fades into the morass of scars on Ren’s skin.
Ren seems to be completely unaffected by it.
He also seems unaffected by the nicks Rey leaves on him with her staff, or Poe’s blaster bolts.
“How...?” Ben sputters.
“You’d be surprised,” Ren says, “By what you can live through.”
Ben continues to attack him. Attacks...until by some lucky accident, he severs Ren’s hand.
It’s ironic, he thinks. One would think he would get his hand sliced off...
It incapacitates Ren long enough for Ben, Poe and Rey to run.
***
They get back on the Falcon, head back to D’Qar. While Rey’s talking with Han and experimenting with fixing the Falcon (apparently this thirteen year old girl has a brain like a supercomputer), Ben sits in his quarters, applying bacta to the wounds he got from Ren and his Knights.
“Was it true?” Ben says. “What you said on the battlefield?”
“Ben,” Poe says softly, “How can you think otherwise?”
“I just didn’t think...I mean, there are times when I doubt even myself...”
Poe’s hand reaches out to take his. “Ben. You’re a good man. You shouldn’t doubt yourself. Not once, not ever.”
“True. Sometimes, though...”
“I know. You live with a voice in your head long enough and you start to believe it.” A squeeze of Ben’s hand. Damn that touch, how it makes his heart start to race...
“But you believe in me?”
“I do. I always have.”
There’s hardly a word for how Ben feels. Hardly anything that will suffice. He could write it out in calligraphy and it wouldn’t be enough. I need you. I love you. I couldn’t let Ren kill you. I love you.
“If Ren had killed you...” And Ben can’t help but find it harder to breathe. What he needs — he needs Poe here, by his side, with him.
“I’m here.” Poe’s smile looks more beautiful than usual. And that says volumes.
They sit beside each other, and Ben lets out his breath that he’s been holding, thankful for the Force for this gift it’s given him.
