Chapter 11: The Reunion

Ben Solo drifted out of a deep, dreamless sleep into a tentative wakefulness. His body was heavy, and his mind drifted through a distorted haze, leaving his thoughts to wander through mist and swirling lights. He had lost all sense of time, and in his disorientation, he felt a moment of panic as he failed to recognize his surroundings. He sat up gingerly and became aware of a dull ache in his right wrist. He looked down to see a shining chrome robotic hand fused to his wrist where his hand once was. A wave of disgust rose within him as he regarded the foreign object.

Repulsed by the artificial appendage now a part of his body, he pulled his focus away to his surroundings. A dim light shone diffusely against the walls, painted a soothing blue. He noticed the discrete monitoring panel against the wall providing readouts of his vital signs. An arcing window on the room's far side revealed a view of a city scape with thousands of speeders and ships streaming across the sky. Coruscant. A hospital; perhaps the city's main hospital given the severity of the wound. He scanned the room again and saw Kira asleep on a foldout chair, her robe draped over her body. Despite his disorientation and disgust, he was touched that she was there.

The monitor registered the shift in his vitals, and a 2-1G medical droid sprang to life from its standby mode. The light brightened slightly, and the droid addressed Ben in a halting, robotic voice. "Good evening, Master Solo. You are recovering from surgery." Ben noted wryly to himself that, for all the technological advances in the most recent iteration of the 2-1 medical droid design, its bedside manner remained as jarring as ever.

As the droid spoke, Kira stirred from her sleep. She looked up to see Ben sitting upright, with the droid assessing his condition. She smiled at Ben, but he did not return her smile. The droid continued to check his vitals, and Ben waved it off impatiently.

The droid responded to Ben's impatience saying, "You have been unconscious for three days, Master Solo. I must assess your condition."

Ben became alarmed at the news he had slept so long. "Three days?!"

2-1G responded, "Yes. Your assailant's weapon conveyed a neurotoxin. We kept you sedated until the toxin was cleared from your system. Then we attached your prosthetic." The droid assessed Ben as it spoke, taking vital measures and examining his wrist. It concluded its assessment and pronounced Ben healthy and recovered. Before leaving, the droid added, "You are welcome to consider options for synthetic skin." The droid gestured to a data pad with images of different skin tones. The droid continued, "We do not apply synthetics unless directed by the patient." After concluding its assessment, the droid glided out of the room.

Kira sat up and checked her wrist device, noting the time. She still had not adjusted to the different diurnal rhythms on Coruscant, and Ben could see that she was only slightly less disoriented than he was. She swung her legs down to the floor from her reclined position, then looked up with a faint, sleepy smile. She looked Ben over, then asked, tentatively, "How are you feeling?"

Ben looked down at his hand once more, fighting off his disgust at the mutilation of his body and his hand's replacement with a robotic contraption. He was determined not to show his disgust to his Padawan, and he settled for a joke whose humor he did not feel, holding up his robotic hand and responding, "Skywalker family tradition." He attempted a smile, but it never reached his eyes.

Kira responded gently, "I'm sure you'll get used to it in time."

Ben, eager to change the subject, asked about a matter that had begun pressing at his consciousness during his assessment, "Is everyone okay?"

Kira smiled, this time more confidently, before explaining, "Yes, Kit and I managed to kill that creature. We freed your dad and Chewie – they were okay; just disoriented. They took Jax – he's the one who helped Kit – to see Luke." She then added in response to Ben's confused expression, "Kit said he was strong in the Force. He might be a defector from a rogue army."

"Luke's back?" Ben asked.

"Yes," Kira said. "He met Jax on Yavin."

Ben nodded, confused about Luke's behavior, but aware that his uncle did not make it a customary practice to broadcast his activities, regardless of how much Ben wanted to be included. Ben knew he was not a Master yet, and he expected that when he achieved that milestone, his uncle would take a much greater role in mentoring him as the heir apparent to the Jedi Order. Ben chafed at the memories of Luke's determined impartiality, which stirred memories of Luke and his mother taking so much additional care with Kira upon finding her. The thought brought his focus back to his mother.

"And my mother?" Ben asked, brightening. "Has she been to visit?"

A shadow passed over Kira's face, and Ben could tell immediately that she was about to tell him something that would upset him. She explained, "She hasn't come. I'm not even sure she knows you're here. I asked the medical staff to notify her, and I even tried to see her myself. But, she's pretty deep into the Constitution thing."

Bitterness and anger settled over Ben. Luke had been gone for Kira's trial. His mother had not bothered to visit despite a life-threatening injury. Those thoughts mingled with unspoken resentment at his mother's constant political activity and absence. He had joined the Jedi Order to make her proud and carry on her family's legacy. His mother had risen to the ranks of Jedi Master and Chancellor. His uncle had resurrected the Jedi Order, defeated both Darth Vader and the Emperor, and avenged Alderaan by destroying the Death Star. His grandfather had been the legendary hero of the Clone Wars, most powerful of the Jedi Masters until his tragic murder at the hands of Darth Vader. Ben looked down at his metal hand again and bitterness and anger threatened to overtake him. But underneath it, he struggled to bury a more potent and toxic emotion: shame - shame at his recklessness, his injury, his failure. . . his weakness.

Kira observed the long pause and attempted to soothe the anger she saw festering, "I'm sorry, Ben. I was sure she would come."

"Well, it's not the first time they were too busy to care about what happens to us," he responded, bitterly.

"Ben. . ." Kira began an attempt to soothe him. He had voiced resentments about his mother and uncle before, and she found it difficult to hear, given what they had done to save her from her past.

"You'd think maybe just one time they would put their family ahead of the galaxy," Ben continued, his anger rising.

"Ben, please," Kira implored.

"They do it to you too," Ben spat, irritated. "Don't tell me you weren't angry when Luke wasn't there for your trial."

Kira hesitated, then spoke, as calmly as she could, "Not angry. Sad. Disappointed. Don't you remember what Master Tano always said? "Anger is the mask that deeper emotions wear."

Ben retorted, "Well, I'm not afraid, if that's what you're getting at."

Kira responded, gingerly and tentatively, fearing his state, "You know anger isn't the only. . ."

Ben erupted at her, "What then?! I'm the grandson of Anakin Skywalker, and I just got my hand cut off by an insect. I almost let you, my father, and Kit die. And they didn't even bother. . ."

"I'm here," Kira replied, a note of pleading in her voice.

Ben faltered, as the anger that was building sputtered. He did not know how long she had been there, but he had the sense that she had remained with him as much as she was allowed. A wave of shame that differed from the shame of failure washed over him. But in his anger, he was unable to tap into empathy. "It's always the same. My mother, my uncle, even my father. Too busy fighting a war that ended years ago."

"Ben, you know what kind of responsibility they have. . ." she began.

Ben cut her off, "I think I need some rest." It was a curt dismissal, and it stung. She stood up to reassure and comfort, but he turned away and trained his gaze out the window. Kira felt the wall rising between them, and she knew that no amount of reassurance would penetrate that wall right now. With a final glance of pain, sadness, and helplessness, she gathered her belongings and left the room.

***

Han Solo watched the timer tick down to the final seconds of the hyperspace run between Yavin-4 and Coruscant. He had sent a message ahead to Leia's office, and the response came instead from Republic Intelligence, which was incensed that he had taken Kit Antilles to Xarthax to interfere in Republic affairs as a private citizen. Han suspected Director Voon would be waiting for them with a security detail. He half expected to be arrested, and he was not certain whether the secondary message he sent to Leia via secure channel had met its intended recipient.

The timer reached zero, and Han pulled the hyperdrive lever back as the mottled space faded back into stars. The glowing orb of Coruscant, intricately laced by lines crossing the planet's shadow side, lay directly ahead. The planet's usual heavy space traffic zoomed about through barely controlled chaos, and beyond the constant stream of freighters, cargo ships, passenger vessels, and private craft, the massive form of a Golan III battle station held its place in orbit. The Golan III was one of five such stations orbiting the planet that defended the capitol from direct assault.

Han's memory drifted back two decades to the first major battle following Endor. The Golans had prevented the fledgling Republic from even considering a direct assault on Coruscant directly after Endor. Independent of the Republic's plans, the planet's citizens had arisen, overthrowing Imperial control from within. The Republic had commandeered the battle stations along with the remnants of the Imperial fleet housed there. It had been a surreal experience to witness the counterattack on Coruscant months later when Imperial ship faced off against Imperial ship. Had it not been for the battle stations, the New Republic might have died a premature death, leaving the galaxy in chaos. The Golan's had taken considerable damage, but now they appeared good as new.

As Han drifted through these reminiscences, Chewbacca uttered a comment about ships approaching. Han checked the scanner and saw a quintet of Republic X-wings approaching his position. As if on cue, the lead X-wing hailed the Falcon.

A crisp, hard-edged voice that carried military authority spoke through the Falcon's intercom. "Millennium Falcon, this is Commander Wex Antilles. You are ordered to lower your shields and deactivate your weapons systems. We will escort you to the surface where Director Voon awaits your arrival for debriefing."

Han had not noticed that Kit had entered the cockpit. She leaned over to activate the intercom, and before Han could stop her, spat out, "Hey cousin. Why don't you tell that three-eyed blurrg bilker that he can. . ."

Chewbacca roared over her comment, drowning it out, as Han cut the intercom, saying, "That's not gonna help. We need to get in front of Leia, and it's gonna be a lot harder if Voon throws us in a stockade."

Kit stepped back and shrugged apologetically before explaining, "Sorry, Solo. My cousin's head is big enough to need its own planetary defenses," as Chewbacca chuckled appreciatively.

Wex Antilles, incensed by the insult, responded, "Captain Solo, please inform my cousin that she is in enough trouble. Do not deviate from your present course, or we will bring your ship down by tractor beam."

"Copy, Commander," Han replied, barely concealing the note of derision. "Please note that we have an injured passenger, and he will need to be brought to medical immediately."

Wex did not respond, but Han took the lack of response for an affirmative. The quintet of X-wings took formation around the Falcon, and they guided Han past the incessant extra-planetary traffic, through a window in the planetary shield, and down into the atmosphere. A crimson sunset washed across the planet as the Coruscanti sun shone through the city's omnipresent haze. After the brief interlude on Yavin-4, Han felt his distaste for the planet swell. Chewbacca muttered, echoing Han's displeasure, and Han said, "You said it, Chewie. Let's get this over with."

The X-wings guided the Falcon into the city, leading it to a landing pad. A small contingency awaited, with Director Voon in the front flanked by a half-dozen Republic guards. A med crew stood idly to the side, waiting to assess the reported patient inside. The Falcon settled with a bump, and Chewie began the power down sequence. Han walked out of the cockpit into the galley. Kit was attending to Jax, who was semi-conscious due to the sedatives she had given him. She turned to Han and said, "He's gonna need a lot of help."

"Yeah," Han answered, before adding, "Try not to run your mouth with these guys. Remember we need to get in front of Leia."

"Fine," Kit answered, not bothering to hide her distaste for the idea.

Chewie entered the galley, and Han lowered the boarding ramp. The med team waited at the bottom, and Han directed them toward Jax. As the team set to work on putting Jax on a stretcher, the trio stepped down the ramp to find Director Voon and the guards waiting.

"Solo, you are under arrest," Voon barked.

"For what?" Han responded, indignantly.

Voon nodded, and the troops stepped forward, blasters raised. Han, Chewie, and Kit all raised their hands, but Han again asked, "What are we under arrest for?"

Voon nodded to his guards who began to search Han, Kit, and Chewie. Chewie bellowed angrily at being searched, and Han did not bother to assuage his anger. The commander explained to Han, "Breaking and entering a Republic facility. You aided and abetted Antilles." The Gran nodded toward Kit, then finished with a sinister smile, saying, "I'm going to make this as painful as possible for you."

"DIRECTOR VOON!"

A woman's voice carried across the landing pad, causing everyone to turn in the direction of the voice. Chancellor Leia Organa, flanked by her own guard and an assortment of assistants, was crossing the landing pad and approaching the commander. As she neared, Han could see the fury lining her face, and he knew from experience that Voon was in for a planetful of trouble.

The Chancellor reached the group and addressed the Gran with suppressed rage, "Director Voon, do you care to explain why you failed to notify me of the attack on Xarthax?"

"Madame Chancellor, I. . ." the Gran sputtered.

Leia did not give him time to answer, "And would you care to explain why you decommissioned Captain Solo and placed Officer Antilles on leave without my permission?"

"Madame. . ."

Leia continued, "And perhaps you can explain why you failed to report that my son, Captain Solo, Chewbacca, and Officer Antilles were attacked and that my son has been in the hospital, wounded, for the last three days?"

"Madame Chancellor. . ." the Gran sputtered.

"And while you're at it, can you explain why your security forces are failing to direct and control the protests at the Senate gates?" She demanded. There was a pause, and then she commanded, "On second thought, don't. Director Voon, you are reassigned. From now on, you will be overseeing sanitation in the Osarian Quarter. You are dismissed."

The Gran continued his attempt to explain, but Leia nodded to the security detail, which frog-marched the Gran off the platform and on to his new assignment. Leia turned to the uniformed officer next to her, a mild-looking man with the look of a career bureaucrat, and spoke, "Report to Republic Intelligence as Director Voon's replacement. Congratulations, Director Specks."

Specks saluted to Leia, then left the platform behind Voon, who complained indignantly as the security officers led him away. Moments later, the medical team brought Jax out on a stretcher. They stopped briefly before the Chancellor, who looked Jax over. Leia's voice softened immediately as she ordered the lead medic, "Take him to Central Medical and see to it that he is assessed at once. Notify the medical director that I will be arriving momentarily to see my son."

The medical team nodded an affirmative, and they rushed Jax to an awaiting speeder. With Voon, Specks, and the med team gone, it took a moment for Leia, Han, Kit, and Chewie to realize they were alone. Leia turned to Han, and her fury subsided. In its place was something far more ambiguous and inscrutable. Han had never been great at reading her complicated emotions, and he stood on shaky ground not knowing whether he was next in line for a tongue lashing or if he would receive heartfelt thanks. Leia held his gaze for a long, agonizing moment before turning to Kit, saying, "Thank you, Kit. It's my understanding that you killed the creature that attacked my son on Xarthax. I am in your debt."

"My pleasure, your Highness," Kit responded, sardonically mimicking a curtsey.

Leia raised an eyebrow, and Kit corrected herself, "I mean, Chancellor. Sorry. Old Alderaanian habits die hard," she said with a grin.

Chewbacca stepped forward to embrace Leia, and she returned his hug, her eyes closed in pleasure at seeing her friend. She then returned her gaze to Han, and he got the distinct impression that she was weighing exactly how to address him. He had seen this happen far too many times before, and it rarely turned out well. He decided to adopt an old strategy to circumvent her disapproval, and he spoke first, "Leia. . ."

She waved off his explanation, then said, "Thank you, Han." Her expression remained reluctant, and a long history of fiery exchanges left Han feeling wary, but receiving a "thank you" was a better outcome than he had expected. Leia continued, saying, "We have much to discuss, it would seem. I just found out from your transmission. Had I known..."

"They didn't tell you about Ben?" Han asked.

Leia frowned, then nodded, "No. We'd better go to him." She then added after looking Han up and down, "And you and Chewie'd better get looked at, too."

Leia turned, and the group followed her toward an awaiting transport bound for Central Medical.

***

Ben stood before the semi-circular window of his room, looking out across the city. His mother stood behind him looking crestfallen. He felt the satisfaction of unleashing his anger at his mother, but he felt shame burning in his chest having done so.

"Ben, I am sorry," she explained. "Director Voon did not share the information with me. I've since removed him from his post."

"You should have known," Ben spat, still refusing to look at her.

"Ben, you know I can't use the Force anymore," Leia explained, attempting to remain calm and patient.

Ben did not respond, but his attitude remained stony. Leia waited for a moment to see if he would respond, then she continued, "What happened?"

"You don't know about that either?" Ben asked, now as confused as he was hurt and angry.

"Director Voon appears to have been withholding a significant amount of information. He did not tell me that he reassigned your father and Kit. He did not tell me about Xarthax. He did not tell me about your injury," Leia explained.

"Why would he do that?" Ben asked, confused.

Leia thought it over for a moment, then admitted, "I don't know. I can't say that most people liked him, but he was never disloyal."

Ben was also lost in thought, thinking through the ramifications of a Director of Intelligence failing to provide crucial information to the Chancellor of the Republic. Leia took a seat on the bed that Kira had vacated only recently, and Ben could see that she looked strained - and worried. Concern crept in, nudging the anger he felt further to the side.

"Mother, what is it?" Ben asked.

"Han brought a message from Luke. I haven't heard it, but the clues are adding up to something genuinely concerning – an attack, a dangerous dark side Force-user, a fugitive from a military group we've never heard of. . . all coming on the eve of ratifying a new Constitution." Leia paused for a moment, then admitted her vulnerability. "I'm scared."

Ben's anger fought against his instinct to comfort her, but he set it aside and sat down next to her. Then, he thought of Luke's message, and he asked, "What did Uncle Luke say?"

"I haven't heard it yet. I came straight to you after your father came back," Leia explained.

"Can we hear it?" Ben asked.

Leia looked at him, and Ben could see the internal struggle. He felt annoyed and angry as he expected that she was about to exclude him yet again. But to his surprise, she agreed, saying, "Yes."

She withdrew the message disc and placed it into a data port on the room's communication console. After a burst of static, Luke Skywalker's form appeared. He spoke, "Greetings, sister. Han brought the fugitive known as Jax to me on Yavin. I read into his mind to determine the veracity of his story. What I saw disturbed me. Not only is he strong with the Force, but he appears to be part of a military operation overseen by a dark Jedi and several of the creatures that Ben and Kira fought. He called it the Order of Ren, a name that he shared moments before he experienced his seizure. I believe something may be interfering with his nervous system in an equivalent manner to the troops who conducted the Jedi decimation. I will be conferring with the Jedi council, and I wished to verify the information he might share with you, as I witnessed it first-hand." Luke finished his report, then concluded the message, saying, "As always, sister, May the Force be with you."

Ben looked to his mother, and she appeared old, strained, even fearful. Feeling guilty for lashing out at her, he said, "This sounds bad."

"Yes, it does," Leia admitted, the strain evident in her voice.

"Shouldn't you go address it?" Ben asked.

"I was going to stay with you," she said, turning to him with sadness evident in her eyes.

Ben was touched by his mother's desire to remain with him, and he told her so. "Thanks, mom. That means a lot to me." He paused, saying, "I'm sorry." He looked down at his hand, then back to her, "This is hard."

Leia took his metallic hand in hers, and she kissed him on the cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Ben. I'm proud of you."

The two rose, and Leia embraced her son, attempting to put unspoken apologies and sympathies into the hug. But even as they embraced, Ben felt the shame creeping back in as her words "I'm proud of you" rattled through his mind. As far as he was concerned, he had failed, and there was no pride to be felt until he could overcome that failure.

***

Jax lay face down on an operating table, anesthetized. A doctor, aided by a 2-1G droid, worked to remove an embedded object from his spine. The object had proven difficult to remove, as it had been severely damaged from an unknown trauma. It still emitted a faint transmission, and there had been concern about the impact on the patient's nervous system upon removal. However, once detached, the patient experienced no adverse effects. The doctor set the device aside and began the process of healing the incision used to access the spinal cord.

With a hiss, the door to the operating room opened, and a man dressed in a medical gown entered. A mask and a face shield hid most of his face, and his credentials indicated he was only a tech. The doctor looked up, startled, and he said, "Excuse me, we're in the middle of an operation."

The man waived his hand through the air and said, "It is okay if I enter."

The doctor's angry expression slackened, and he repeated obediently, "It is okay if you enter."

The man, satisfied, then turned to the droid. He attached a device to the droid's head, and the droid also became subdued. He reached for the device that the doctor had just removed, and he snapped it in two, taking half of the device and placing it in his pocket. The doctor stood idly by, his expression blank. The man turned to the doctor and pressed a new device into the doctor's hand and spoke a command, "You will implant this within the patient's hip."

"I will implant this within the patient's hip," the doctor repeated.

"You will notify nobody of your actions," the man continued.

"I will notify nobody of my actions," the doctor repeated.

The man nodded, which the doctor took as an order to continue. The droid continued to assist. The technician remained in the room, and he knelt to look at Jax's unconscious face. He removed his mask and face guard, revealing the face of Director Specks.

"Traitor," he whispered.