Your prison is walking this world all alone

[jedi_librettist]

Ben watched out the window as the ship dropped out of hyperspace. He took a shaky breath. It was time. He wouldn't burden his brother anymore. He walked back to his cabin. He didn't know how what he would do after he left. It didn't matter. This was the right thing.

Comments

[middleoftheforce]

"So you're just going to walk away?"

[jedi_librettist]

"This is what's best."

[middleoftheforce]

"No, it's not."

[jedi_librettist]

"You say that now. Mom won't agree. I don't even know if Dad will agree."

[middleoftheforce]

"They will." Ben didn't know how they had been all these years, missing their son. Nothing would make them not want him around.

[jedi_librettist]

"Mom won't." There was absolute certainty in his voice. "She'll wish she did just like she wished she could stay home with us. But she won't. I'll just keep her from being able to do what she needs to do."

[middleoftheforce]

"No, she won't think that." There was certainty in his voice - he'd been there to see how Leia had changed, how she blamed herself always being away for how Ben got taken. She still worked, of course, but she had been home more. A shame, really, that it was a bit too late, but points for effort.

[jedi_librettist]

"That will last until someone else finds out the truth."

He walked away. It'd be easier if he made it to the door first.

[middleoftheforce]

"You really think so little of them? That finding out that would make them ... what? Disown you?"

[jedi_librettist]

He shrugged. Ben couldn't blame them for it. It was what he deserved.

[middleoftheforce]

"That's not who they are."

[jedi_librettist]

"Dad, maybe but Mom..." His breath caught. "I'm a liability and I'm not the son they lost."

[middleoftheforce]

"Mom, too." He shook his head. "Neither of them would leave you."

[jedi_librettist]

"Just like they wouldn't stop looking for me,right?"

[middleoftheforce]

"They didn't stop looking for you." They were all looking, all searching. It's just that he had the luck.

[jedi_librettist]

"Then why weren't they there when you found Me? How do you know they weren't relieved to only have to deal with one of us?"

[middleoftheforce]

"Because as soon as I got hold of my own ship, I went off on my own. Figured if we all looked in different places, we had more chances."

[jedi_librettist]

Ben opened his mouth and stopped. He had no answer to that. Maybe his brother was right, at least about that.

"Are you going to tell Mom?"

[middleoftheforce]

"She'll know if I don't."

[jedi_librettist]

Ben bit his lip to contain a sob. He left to wait by the exit.

[middleoftheforce]

He wasn't sure what to do. He just watched as Ben walked away.

[jedi_librettist]

Ben leaned against the wall, waiting to land. He hadn't expected to feel a tiny hand grab his leg and a small voice to say "Dada, don't go."

He turned and knelt in front of the child. "I have to, Ani. You'll understand when you're older. I wish I didn't but..."

"Unca Bai says you stay."

[middleoftheforce]

Unca Bai

He hadn't expected the kid to talk up, he hadn't even noticed the kid hanging around. Vaguely, Solo wondered how much Ani had overheard, but supposed it didn't matter much - he was too young to understand any of it, really.

[jedi_librettist]

"Ani, I..." Ben hesitated, trying to find the words to explain to a toddler why he had to leave. "I wish could stay."

[middleoftheforce]

Well, there was no way the kid was going to accept that. He sighed.

"I've got to bring us in for landing," he announced, making his way to the cock-pit. Leia would be there as soon as the doors opened.