ladyofleithian (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyofleithian) wrote2021-12-31 10:00 am
ladyofleithian) wrote2021-12-31 10:00 am
Entry tags:
For allbingo
Title: Linked
Summary: An unexpected incident during Taral Ren’s attack on the Raddus leads to an unexpected outcome to Taral and Ben’s relationship.
Prompt: explosion
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It all happens so very quickly. One minute, Ben’s running down towards the hangar of the Raddus, BB-8 in tow, about to find his X-wing and jump inside, only for the blast from Taral Ren’s TIE Silencer to blow up the ships in the hangar.
Including the pilots that are still in the X-wings in question. Ben is blown backwards, his back scraping the floor, and it doesn’t take being Force Sensitive to know that pilots like Tallie Lintra didn’t make it.
There’s a presence in his head, an all-too-familiar, unwanted presence even as Finn cradles Ben. Poe’s voice. Are you all right? Tell me you’re all right. Tell me…
“Yes,” he bites out, just about immediately. He doesn’t miss how Finn looks at him like he’s crazy.
Of course, General Organa is blown out the Raddus later on. Of course she is. And Ben already hates Taral Ren, despite himself. Then again, Poe was willing to kill his father, wasn’t he?
***
Vice Admiral Holdo takes over in Leia’s place. Ben has to admit she’s not what he expected, considering the stories that Poe told about her. For one thing, Ben didn’t expect the purple hair.
Or the coldness. Ben is about to broach the subject of the First Order being able to track them through hyperspace. She brushes him off — Ben can tell she’s angry, with him as well as Poe, her nephew.
He still remembers Paige Tico. Her, all but immolating thanks to his own cockiness and thinking he could take on a Dreadnaught. He…in some ways, Ben Dameron thinks, he deserved that slap Leia Organa gave him. And he deserves the icy look that Holdo gives him before she goes to speak with D’Arcy.
***
The first connection he has with Poe — well, he’s scared. Isn’t the torture bad enough? Poe doesn’t seem to like it either, so he still has some decency in him. Somewhere.
“Trust me,” Poe says, “I don’t like it any more than you do, Ben. I truly don’t. I…didn’t want to hurt you.”
“And you did it anyway,” Ben sneers.
“I did.” Poe takes a deep breath. “Even the fact it was an interrogation doesn’t erase the fact I hurt you. It…wasn’t your fault. For what it’s worth.”
Ben has to admit, he didn’t expect that, of all things.
"It’s…good you said that. I suppose.” Ben chooses his words very carefully; even he doesn’t know how he feels. “Thank you, Poe.”
He doesn’t miss the wince from Poe even as their connection dissipates.
***
Their connections continue, even as Ben works behind the scenes to sabotage Holdo, as Poe works behind the scenes to sabotage Snoke. He’s trying to take down Snoke, but he can’t do it alone.
“I served the wrong man,” Poe says. “The wrong Supreme Leader. He doesn’t care anything for the galaxy, for its people. Everything exists to serve him. He has to be relieved, for the sake of the galaxy as well as the First Order.”
“So you’re considering regicide?” Ben says.
Poe sighs. “It’s not like I have a choice. I need your help, Ben. I doubt that the scavenger’s up for helping me. And…I don’t think that Aunt Amilyn’s up for talking to me either.”
Ben nods. He knows he’s possibly insane. But Poe is his friend. He can’t just abandon his friend.
***
He sneaks onto the Supremacy, manages to save Finn and Rose in time. He tells them to leave. “I’ll catch up with you,” he says.
“Ben,” Rose says, “What exactly are you doing?”
"Helping an old friend.”
***
The meeting with Snoke goes wrong, quickly.
Snoke is already a blowhard in a gold robe, Ben knows as much. He’s a weak imitation of the Emperor, and somehow Snoke’s managed to subjugate Poe to his will.
Everything about this is wrong.
Snoke tortures him for information about Holdo. It’s fortuitous that Poe throws his lightsaber at Snoke’s head, decapitating him effortlessly.
Even as Ben falls to the ground and looks up at Poe, he’s still amazed that Poe did that, all for him. A monster wouldn’t do that.
There’s good in Poe. There always has been.
Even that knowledge is cut off by them having to fight off Snoke’s guards. Poe freezes them; it’s clear he has no desire to kill them.
“Can it — ” Ben says.
Poe nods. Then, “Ben…I think I’ve seen enough of the First Order. Nothing about serving them has shown me anything but that they care nothing about the galaxy, about its people. I…think it’s high time I turned myself in.
He takes Ben’s hand. Ben’s all but forgotten how good Poe’s hand feels in his. And he can’t hate Poe. After all, Ben Dameron was redeemed. Poe Solo can be too.
Summary: An unexpected incident during Taral Ren’s attack on the Raddus leads to an unexpected outcome to Taral and Ben’s relationship.
Prompt: explosion
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It all happens so very quickly. One minute, Ben’s running down towards the hangar of the Raddus, BB-8 in tow, about to find his X-wing and jump inside, only for the blast from Taral Ren’s TIE Silencer to blow up the ships in the hangar.
Including the pilots that are still in the X-wings in question. Ben is blown backwards, his back scraping the floor, and it doesn’t take being Force Sensitive to know that pilots like Tallie Lintra didn’t make it.
There’s a presence in his head, an all-too-familiar, unwanted presence even as Finn cradles Ben. Poe’s voice. Are you all right? Tell me you’re all right. Tell me…
“Yes,” he bites out, just about immediately. He doesn’t miss how Finn looks at him like he’s crazy.
Of course, General Organa is blown out the Raddus later on. Of course she is. And Ben already hates Taral Ren, despite himself. Then again, Poe was willing to kill his father, wasn’t he?
***
Vice Admiral Holdo takes over in Leia’s place. Ben has to admit she’s not what he expected, considering the stories that Poe told about her. For one thing, Ben didn’t expect the purple hair.
Or the coldness. Ben is about to broach the subject of the First Order being able to track them through hyperspace. She brushes him off — Ben can tell she’s angry, with him as well as Poe, her nephew.
He still remembers Paige Tico. Her, all but immolating thanks to his own cockiness and thinking he could take on a Dreadnaught. He…in some ways, Ben Dameron thinks, he deserved that slap Leia Organa gave him. And he deserves the icy look that Holdo gives him before she goes to speak with D’Arcy.
***
The first connection he has with Poe — well, he’s scared. Isn’t the torture bad enough? Poe doesn’t seem to like it either, so he still has some decency in him. Somewhere.
“Trust me,” Poe says, “I don’t like it any more than you do, Ben. I truly don’t. I…didn’t want to hurt you.”
“And you did it anyway,” Ben sneers.
“I did.” Poe takes a deep breath. “Even the fact it was an interrogation doesn’t erase the fact I hurt you. It…wasn’t your fault. For what it’s worth.”
Ben has to admit, he didn’t expect that, of all things.
"It’s…good you said that. I suppose.” Ben chooses his words very carefully; even he doesn’t know how he feels. “Thank you, Poe.”
He doesn’t miss the wince from Poe even as their connection dissipates.
***
Their connections continue, even as Ben works behind the scenes to sabotage Holdo, as Poe works behind the scenes to sabotage Snoke. He’s trying to take down Snoke, but he can’t do it alone.
“I served the wrong man,” Poe says. “The wrong Supreme Leader. He doesn’t care anything for the galaxy, for its people. Everything exists to serve him. He has to be relieved, for the sake of the galaxy as well as the First Order.”
“So you’re considering regicide?” Ben says.
Poe sighs. “It’s not like I have a choice. I need your help, Ben. I doubt that the scavenger’s up for helping me. And…I don’t think that Aunt Amilyn’s up for talking to me either.”
Ben nods. He knows he’s possibly insane. But Poe is his friend. He can’t just abandon his friend.
***
He sneaks onto the Supremacy, manages to save Finn and Rose in time. He tells them to leave. “I’ll catch up with you,” he says.
“Ben,” Rose says, “What exactly are you doing?”
"Helping an old friend.”
***
The meeting with Snoke goes wrong, quickly.
Snoke is already a blowhard in a gold robe, Ben knows as much. He’s a weak imitation of the Emperor, and somehow Snoke’s managed to subjugate Poe to his will.
Everything about this is wrong.
Snoke tortures him for information about Holdo. It’s fortuitous that Poe throws his lightsaber at Snoke’s head, decapitating him effortlessly.
Even as Ben falls to the ground and looks up at Poe, he’s still amazed that Poe did that, all for him. A monster wouldn’t do that.
There’s good in Poe. There always has been.
Even that knowledge is cut off by them having to fight off Snoke’s guards. Poe freezes them; it’s clear he has no desire to kill them.
“Can it — ” Ben says.
Poe nods. Then, “Ben…I think I’ve seen enough of the First Order. Nothing about serving them has shown me anything but that they care nothing about the galaxy, about its people. I…think it’s high time I turned myself in.
He takes Ben’s hand. Ben’s all but forgotten how good Poe’s hand feels in his. And he can’t hate Poe. After all, Ben Dameron was redeemed. Poe Solo can be too.