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Ben opened his eyes.
An endless sheet of black soared far above him. His legs felt whole and his side didn’t hurt anymore, which was delightful.
By the stars, he’d done it. Rey had been dead, and now she wasn’t. He had saved her, and even been rewarded with a kiss.
Sitting up, he gave a small sigh. Wherever he was, whatever awaited him next, seeing her bright eyes and happy smile had made it all worthwhile.
“C’mon, time to get up.”
His mother’s voice.
Clambering to his feet, Ben turned - it was not only his mother, but Luke as well, who was standing beside a tall blonde man, with the same piercing blue eyes.
Rushing forward, Leia clasped him tightly round the waist. “Oh, my boy.”
Mom. He tried to respond, but suddenly his throat was too filled with emotion to speak.
Ben wanted to tell her…. Where would he even begin? He’d been such a fool, he needed her to know how much he regretted everything - not just killing his father, but the years he’d wasted on hate, following the wrong path.
“Mom, I’m sorry," he forced out as the tears rolled down his cheeks. It had been so long since he’d been hugged like this, much less by her.
“I know. And none of that, not right now.” His mother’s voice was far less gravelly than he remembered, but still distinctly hers.
An overwhelming wave of love, forgiveness, and joy swept over him, all coming from Leia. He was surrounded by her presence, and it felt like the best holiday morning, swept up in her arms as a small boy, surrounded by love and safety, knowing that nothing could ever hurt him.
For just a moment, he ignored everything else and simply leaned into her embrace, grateful to be reunited with her.
Over her head, he saw the blonde man smile. “Grandfather?”
Anakin nodded. “Now you see me. I tried time after time to reach out to you, but could never manage it. The only thing that seemed to cut through Palpatine’s grip was Rey because of the connection you share. It saved you both.”
Ben had been so fixated on following in Vader's footsteps for so long, he had never given a thought to Anakin - who he had been before taking on the mask. The Jedi who built the saber he craved so dearly. He had so many questions to ask.
Stepping forward, Luke gently laid his hand on Leia’s shoulder.
"Well done, Ben. No one else could have done for Rey what you did.”
Despite the source, Ben felt a brief surge of pride.
Leia finally released him. “I am so proud of you.”
Han’s red illumined face appeared in Ben's mind, frozen in agony. “But I - “
“I’ve seen what happened. Your father felt exactly as I did. You came back to the light. It was worth it. Han would forgive you. Just as I have.”
Reaching up, she pulled his face down to match hers and kissed him gently on the cheek.
“I love you very much, but you can’t stay here.”
Oh.
“Right.” He swallowed down the swelling disappointment, and tried to simply accept whatever was to come. Things would happen as they were meant to. He remembered the gleaming space he had seen, filled with Jedis. Obviously he hadn’t done enough to redeem himself before his death. Not with a single act. He didn’t belong there…...
“I’m sorry to have presumed. But I died, so where am I going?”
He didn’t want to go back to the dark. Nor did he desire oblivion, not any longer.
Leia’s eyes watered as she watched the thoughts cross his face and realized what Ben believed was happening.
“Oh, my darling, no. You returned to the light. You are redeemed. You’re just not done yet.”
She placed her palm flat on his chest and pushed.
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
The Force will be with you, Ben.
Now go find her.
Ben opened his eyes and flinched.
When had he closed them? Why was everything so bright and blurry?
Something cold and metallic gripped his skin and pulled on him, setting him roughly on his feet. Taking a ragged breath, he realized he was flesh and bone again, but nothing would respond properly to his wishes. Without the grip on his arms, he would have collapsed. Shaking his head, he realized he was naked.
“Supreme Leader - can you hear me, sir?” It was a young man, a large gray towel spread wide between his hands.
Ben clumsily grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist. Another thick towel promptly appeared before him. He wiped at his eyes and face, trying to focus.
“What? Where am I?”
“Deep in the Unknown Reaches, sir. At a cloning facility. Welcome back.”