For genprompt_bingo
Jan. 7th, 2021 12:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: From a Certain Point of View
Summary: The first lie Kylo tells Poe is what happens to Ben. Or, Poe and Kylo talk en route to the Finalizer.
Prompt: Conversation
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Trigger warning for mistaken inferences of suicide/suicidal ideation, mass murder, etc.
Call this an idea that popped into my head. After all, we never really saw the shuttle ride to the Finalizer.
Poe didn’t know how long he had been cuffed in the shuttle, the incredibly cramped shuttle, but Kylo Ren stalked over towards him, almost prowling towards him. There was something about it that seemed familiar, Poe thought. The way he walked. It almost reminded him of how Ben walked, with his fists all but clenched at his sides, his body tensed. It was one of those things that made Poe wish that Ben would relax his posture some.
Was that what he was reduced to now, Poe couldn’t help but think. Was he looking for signs of Ben in even the way that he’d jump at shadows? Little things, reminding him of this lost boy?
“What are you doing here?” he said to Kylo.
“Someone has to look after you,” Kylo said. “You’re my guest, technically.”
Poe sighed. “If you kidnapped me, am I still your guest?”
“ ‘Kidnapped’ is a harsh word.”
The other stormtroopers were outside. Kylo Ren’s pilot — well, they seemed preoccupied with just about everything.
“You were looking for him.” Still that uncanny scanning thing that Kylo seemed to be doing. “The boy.”
“Did you kill him?” Poe said.
Silence. Then, “It was a mercy kill. He thought his life was a lie. Relieving him of it...it was necessary. It was better than allowing him to live in pain, in a fraud.”
“You’re...” Poe struggled against his cuffs. Damn, he would have killed to have the Force. To wrench the cuffs off. “You’re saying that you...”
“Mercy kill, again."
Poe didn’t hate many people. It was rare that he’d actually hate someone. But this...he swore that he was so close to hating Kylo Ren.
“I do...regret the cuffs,” Kylo said. “Technically they’re unnecessary in my presence.”
“So you just put them on for...what? Fun?”
“Snoke’s recommendations."
A beat.
“I made sure to give Ben Solo a quick death,” Kylo said. “A moment of mercy for the boy who was more pushed into a legacy he didn’t want.”
Poe faltered. If Ben...if Ben was basically suicidal, why didn’t he just tell Poe? And why didn’t Han and Leia do something to help him? Why didn’t Luke, Qi’ra, Enfys, Lando, Tai, anyone?
Why didn’t I?
“It wasn’t your fault, Poe,” Kylo said.
“How do you know my name?” Poe stiffened even as he spoke.
“Who doesn’t? After all, Terex talked quite a bit about what a thorn in his side you were.”
Poe stiffened again, thinking of Terex. Terex was a drag, no doubt about it. He still didn’t deserve what Phasma did to him.
"Why are you here?” Poe said.
Kylo went still. If Poe didn’t know better, he would say that Kylo was running out of excuses.
“Why won’t you take the mask off?"
“You would be unhappy.”
“I think I already am. How could you order those villagers murdered?” Even as Poe spoke, he felt the first swelling of anguish coming back with a vengeance. For some reason, the stormtroopers hadn’t gone that whole force-the-enemy-to-watch thing. They hadn’t held Poe still and made him watch the villagers being slaughtered. Maybe it was a moment of conscience for the stormtroopers. Poe had no idea.
It didn’t really make things better.
“They were complicit,” Kylo said. His voice was suspiciously softer, almost like he was trying to rationalize things to Poe. Make him feel better? Poe had no idea.
“They were innocent people going about their lives!” Poe said. “How could you even suggest otherwise? They...” Why was he essentially pleading with a murderer and a monster? “They didn’t deserve that.”
“Enemies of the First Order...”
Kylo paused. It was almost like he was just catching himself, in an act of what could possibly be hypocrisy. Chatting with a First Order prisoner as opposed to leaving him be.
“And who am I?” Poe said.
“My guest,” Kylo said. “For the moment.”
Guest. That wasn’t what Poe would call reassuring.
***
When the shuttle Poe and Kylo were in pulled into the hangar bay of the Finalizer, Poe looked around, horror-struck at how big the First Order was, and realizing that things were going to get much, much worse.
Summary: The first lie Kylo tells Poe is what happens to Ben. Or, Poe and Kylo talk en route to the Finalizer.
Prompt: Conversation
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Trigger warning for mistaken inferences of suicide/suicidal ideation, mass murder, etc.
Call this an idea that popped into my head. After all, we never really saw the shuttle ride to the Finalizer.
Poe didn’t know how long he had been cuffed in the shuttle, the incredibly cramped shuttle, but Kylo Ren stalked over towards him, almost prowling towards him. There was something about it that seemed familiar, Poe thought. The way he walked. It almost reminded him of how Ben walked, with his fists all but clenched at his sides, his body tensed. It was one of those things that made Poe wish that Ben would relax his posture some.
Was that what he was reduced to now, Poe couldn’t help but think. Was he looking for signs of Ben in even the way that he’d jump at shadows? Little things, reminding him of this lost boy?
“What are you doing here?” he said to Kylo.
“Someone has to look after you,” Kylo said. “You’re my guest, technically.”
Poe sighed. “If you kidnapped me, am I still your guest?”
“ ‘Kidnapped’ is a harsh word.”
The other stormtroopers were outside. Kylo Ren’s pilot — well, they seemed preoccupied with just about everything.
“You were looking for him.” Still that uncanny scanning thing that Kylo seemed to be doing. “The boy.”
“Did you kill him?” Poe said.
Silence. Then, “It was a mercy kill. He thought his life was a lie. Relieving him of it...it was necessary. It was better than allowing him to live in pain, in a fraud.”
“You’re...” Poe struggled against his cuffs. Damn, he would have killed to have the Force. To wrench the cuffs off. “You’re saying that you...”
“Mercy kill, again."
Poe didn’t hate many people. It was rare that he’d actually hate someone. But this...he swore that he was so close to hating Kylo Ren.
“I do...regret the cuffs,” Kylo said. “Technically they’re unnecessary in my presence.”
“So you just put them on for...what? Fun?”
“Snoke’s recommendations."
A beat.
“I made sure to give Ben Solo a quick death,” Kylo said. “A moment of mercy for the boy who was more pushed into a legacy he didn’t want.”
Poe faltered. If Ben...if Ben was basically suicidal, why didn’t he just tell Poe? And why didn’t Han and Leia do something to help him? Why didn’t Luke, Qi’ra, Enfys, Lando, Tai, anyone?
Why didn’t I?
“It wasn’t your fault, Poe,” Kylo said.
“How do you know my name?” Poe stiffened even as he spoke.
“Who doesn’t? After all, Terex talked quite a bit about what a thorn in his side you were.”
Poe stiffened again, thinking of Terex. Terex was a drag, no doubt about it. He still didn’t deserve what Phasma did to him.
"Why are you here?” Poe said.
Kylo went still. If Poe didn’t know better, he would say that Kylo was running out of excuses.
“Why won’t you take the mask off?"
“You would be unhappy.”
“I think I already am. How could you order those villagers murdered?” Even as Poe spoke, he felt the first swelling of anguish coming back with a vengeance. For some reason, the stormtroopers hadn’t gone that whole force-the-enemy-to-watch thing. They hadn’t held Poe still and made him watch the villagers being slaughtered. Maybe it was a moment of conscience for the stormtroopers. Poe had no idea.
It didn’t really make things better.
“They were complicit,” Kylo said. His voice was suspiciously softer, almost like he was trying to rationalize things to Poe. Make him feel better? Poe had no idea.
“They were innocent people going about their lives!” Poe said. “How could you even suggest otherwise? They...” Why was he essentially pleading with a murderer and a monster? “They didn’t deserve that.”
“Enemies of the First Order...”
Kylo paused. It was almost like he was just catching himself, in an act of what could possibly be hypocrisy. Chatting with a First Order prisoner as opposed to leaving him be.
“And who am I?” Poe said.
“My guest,” Kylo said. “For the moment.”
Guest. That wasn’t what Poe would call reassuring.
***
When the shuttle Poe and Kylo were in pulled into the hangar bay of the Finalizer, Poe looked around, horror-struck at how big the First Order was, and realizing that things were going to get much, much worse.
