For allbingo
Dec. 25th, 2021 10:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: Thinks He’s Happy (He’s a Liar)
Summary: Resistance pilot Ben Dameron makes a deal with fallen hero Poe Solo.
Prompt: The Same Only Different: Canon AU
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: I know this is a particularly ironic Christmas update. Let’s say that I really want to work on my writing skills.
Ben knows that Taral Ren has “just" incapacitated Tekka. Just. Even seeing the old man frozen in place, though, still awakes a certain fury in his chest, and he fires at Taral.
Taral blocks it. It’s one of his scarier moments — he’s a pacifist at heart, only resorting to violence if necessary. Ben dreads when he’s actually going to use violence. He also shows that, despite his mentality, he is far from someone to be trifled with.
The stormtroopers grab Ben’s arms. It’s Taral who speaks. “Now, now, boys — play nice. No need to manhandle this guy in front of the civilians. Let him stand. No need for this kneeling business.”
He sounds so…affable. So very cheerful. It’s truly unsettling to Ben. And there’s a strange sort of shake in Taral’s voice, like Ben’s presence somehow unsettles him.
Serves him right, Ben thinks.
"Ben Dameron,” Taral says, “Your reputation really does precede you, doesn’t it? The Resistance’s golden boy.”
"And you’re Taral Ren,” Ben deadpans.
He wishes he had something wittier, somehow, to say.
"Huh. Remarkable." Taral looks at Ben, his head tilting — and Ben’s already reminded of a TIE pilot’s helmet. Why Taral would model his helmet after that is something that Ben doubts he’ll understand. “So Tekka gave you the map. Thought he would.”
Ben already finds himself going rigid.
"Sir?” Captain Phasma speaks up just then, her filtered voice sending chills down Ben’s spine despite his better efforts. “The Resistance pilot?”
“Put him on board,” Taral says. “I’ll have a lot to talk with him about.”
“And the villagers?”
“Leave them. I think they’ve seen enough.”
Ben already doesn’t know what to think about Taral even as he’s escorted onto Taral’s shuttle.
***
Taral stays behind to look after Ben. “It’s not easy being away from the cockpit,” he says, “But someone has to keep an eye on you.”
“What kind of game are you playing here, Taral?”
A move from Taral that seems like a shrug. “Who says I’m playing a game here, Ben? It’s all me. I may work for Snoke, but I’m not pointlessly cruel.”
“Unpredictable is more like it,” Ben says.
“True. Very true.” Taral kneels down in front of Ben. Then, more seriously, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’m on a mission for the Resistance. I can’t afford to…not be.” Ben wishes, somehow, that he had something more eloquent to say than that.
Silence. Taral studies him, tilts his head again.
“Why do you care?” Ben says. “I’m your enemy.”
“Enemy, friend, frenemy…I don’t see a difference.” There’s a certain strain in Taral’s voice, though, suggesting that there’s something very, desperately wrong. Like something else is a lie behind his cheery façade. He thinks he’s happy but he’s a liar, Lor San Tekka had said when Ben had met with him in the tent.
And frustratingly enough, Ben is not getting any closer to finding Poe Solo. He wishes he could. Leia Organa’s been remarkably evasive regarding her own son, which makes no sense to Ben. After all, if his son was in danger, he’d do anything for them.
"Why won’t,” Ben says, in a clipped tone, “You take off that stupid mask?”
Taral shrugs again. “Where’s the fun in that?”
***
Taral outright refuses to torture Ben. Of all the things Ben expects when he’s led away by stormtroopers, an ordinary room with a table is not what he expected. He heard stories, of course. Terrible stories, where Taral tortured people. Then again, people made up so many stories about him that it was hard to see which was which.
“What exactly is this?” Ben says as he sits down — the cuffs are almost unnecessary. Taral could cut him down without a second thought if he so wished. “We’re not friends, Taral Ren.”
“That’s harsh. I mean, really,” Taral says. “If I recall correctly, we were friends, long ago. We’re still friends. I consider you a friend, Benji.”
Benji. That wasn’t an intentional slip of the tongue. Taral is a bad liar indeed. “Please,” Ben says. “Don’t. Don’t call me that. Just don’t…”
***
Ben never wanted to see Poe Solo when Poe unmasked. But here Poe is.
“It’s you,” Ben says. “I…I was looking for you…”
“You were? That’s…not what I expected.” Poe’s cheerful, affable façade is dropping fast. Then, “Then again, I guess I should have. You were always persistent when you wanted to help someone, Ben Dameron.”
“So were you.”
“I still am,” Poe says, patiently, like he’s trying to placate Ben. Ben doubts he can be placated, though. Not here, not now. “Snoke…he has ideas that are at cross-purposes with what I want, but that can be fixed.”
“He’s — ”
“ — a stupid, selfish oaf, I know,” Poe says. “He blunders his way across the galaxy with so much collateral damage in his search for Skywalker that it’s breathtaking. He has as much subtlety as a cartoon holovillain. The only reason I’m here is that Mom’s not looking for me, Dad’s not looking for me — ”
“I’m looking for you.”
Silence.
“Ben,” Poe says softly.
“Is he hurting you?” Ben says. “Snoke? You have this look in your eyes…”
“It’s not his fault,” Poe says. “It’s just…Dark Side training. A whole kriffing landslide of abuse.”
“You don’t have to participate in it. You’re not alone.”
Poe pauses. Then, “I know. I just…need your help, Ben."
***
Ben already feels like he’s made a deal with some sort of devil as he agrees to help Poe. But it’s all for a good cause, right? Taking down Snoke, all while making things, truly, better. He doubts he can trust Leia anymore. Not after she threw away her own son like garbage. Not after…everything.
Poe needs him. Now, here — Ben can at least do what he can to help.
Summary: Resistance pilot Ben Dameron makes a deal with fallen hero Poe Solo.
Prompt: The Same Only Different: Canon AU
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: I know this is a particularly ironic Christmas update. Let’s say that I really want to work on my writing skills.
Ben knows that Taral Ren has “just" incapacitated Tekka. Just. Even seeing the old man frozen in place, though, still awakes a certain fury in his chest, and he fires at Taral.
Taral blocks it. It’s one of his scarier moments — he’s a pacifist at heart, only resorting to violence if necessary. Ben dreads when he’s actually going to use violence. He also shows that, despite his mentality, he is far from someone to be trifled with.
The stormtroopers grab Ben’s arms. It’s Taral who speaks. “Now, now, boys — play nice. No need to manhandle this guy in front of the civilians. Let him stand. No need for this kneeling business.”
He sounds so…affable. So very cheerful. It’s truly unsettling to Ben. And there’s a strange sort of shake in Taral’s voice, like Ben’s presence somehow unsettles him.
Serves him right, Ben thinks.
"Ben Dameron,” Taral says, “Your reputation really does precede you, doesn’t it? The Resistance’s golden boy.”
"And you’re Taral Ren,” Ben deadpans.
He wishes he had something wittier, somehow, to say.
"Huh. Remarkable." Taral looks at Ben, his head tilting — and Ben’s already reminded of a TIE pilot’s helmet. Why Taral would model his helmet after that is something that Ben doubts he’ll understand. “So Tekka gave you the map. Thought he would.”
Ben already finds himself going rigid.
"Sir?” Captain Phasma speaks up just then, her filtered voice sending chills down Ben’s spine despite his better efforts. “The Resistance pilot?”
“Put him on board,” Taral says. “I’ll have a lot to talk with him about.”
“And the villagers?”
“Leave them. I think they’ve seen enough.”
Ben already doesn’t know what to think about Taral even as he’s escorted onto Taral’s shuttle.
***
Taral stays behind to look after Ben. “It’s not easy being away from the cockpit,” he says, “But someone has to keep an eye on you.”
“What kind of game are you playing here, Taral?”
A move from Taral that seems like a shrug. “Who says I’m playing a game here, Ben? It’s all me. I may work for Snoke, but I’m not pointlessly cruel.”
“Unpredictable is more like it,” Ben says.
“True. Very true.” Taral kneels down in front of Ben. Then, more seriously, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’m on a mission for the Resistance. I can’t afford to…not be.” Ben wishes, somehow, that he had something more eloquent to say than that.
Silence. Taral studies him, tilts his head again.
“Why do you care?” Ben says. “I’m your enemy.”
“Enemy, friend, frenemy…I don’t see a difference.” There’s a certain strain in Taral’s voice, though, suggesting that there’s something very, desperately wrong. Like something else is a lie behind his cheery façade. He thinks he’s happy but he’s a liar, Lor San Tekka had said when Ben had met with him in the tent.
And frustratingly enough, Ben is not getting any closer to finding Poe Solo. He wishes he could. Leia Organa’s been remarkably evasive regarding her own son, which makes no sense to Ben. After all, if his son was in danger, he’d do anything for them.
"Why won’t,” Ben says, in a clipped tone, “You take off that stupid mask?”
Taral shrugs again. “Where’s the fun in that?”
***
Taral outright refuses to torture Ben. Of all the things Ben expects when he’s led away by stormtroopers, an ordinary room with a table is not what he expected. He heard stories, of course. Terrible stories, where Taral tortured people. Then again, people made up so many stories about him that it was hard to see which was which.
“What exactly is this?” Ben says as he sits down — the cuffs are almost unnecessary. Taral could cut him down without a second thought if he so wished. “We’re not friends, Taral Ren.”
“That’s harsh. I mean, really,” Taral says. “If I recall correctly, we were friends, long ago. We’re still friends. I consider you a friend, Benji.”
Benji. That wasn’t an intentional slip of the tongue. Taral is a bad liar indeed. “Please,” Ben says. “Don’t. Don’t call me that. Just don’t…”
***
Ben never wanted to see Poe Solo when Poe unmasked. But here Poe is.
“It’s you,” Ben says. “I…I was looking for you…”
“You were? That’s…not what I expected.” Poe’s cheerful, affable façade is dropping fast. Then, “Then again, I guess I should have. You were always persistent when you wanted to help someone, Ben Dameron.”
“So were you.”
“I still am,” Poe says, patiently, like he’s trying to placate Ben. Ben doubts he can be placated, though. Not here, not now. “Snoke…he has ideas that are at cross-purposes with what I want, but that can be fixed.”
“He’s — ”
“ — a stupid, selfish oaf, I know,” Poe says. “He blunders his way across the galaxy with so much collateral damage in his search for Skywalker that it’s breathtaking. He has as much subtlety as a cartoon holovillain. The only reason I’m here is that Mom’s not looking for me, Dad’s not looking for me — ”
“I’m looking for you.”
Silence.
“Ben,” Poe says softly.
“Is he hurting you?” Ben says. “Snoke? You have this look in your eyes…”
“It’s not his fault,” Poe says. “It’s just…Dark Side training. A whole kriffing landslide of abuse.”
“You don’t have to participate in it. You’re not alone.”
Poe pauses. Then, “I know. I just…need your help, Ben."
***
Ben already feels like he’s made a deal with some sort of devil as he agrees to help Poe. But it’s all for a good cause, right? Taking down Snoke, all while making things, truly, better. He doubts he can trust Leia anymore. Not after she threw away her own son like garbage. Not after…everything.
Poe needs him. Now, here — Ben can at least do what he can to help.
