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[inimicus]

Ren. Leave a message.

Be sure it's worth listening to.

Comments

[inimicus]

I know of things you have done. Though I do wonder what it is you think you'll be doing here. There's no war to win or government to topple in this place.

[notimeforsorrow]

I'm sure. Your father still won't shut up about the trash compactor.

Holding up my end of the contract, obviously - same as you.

[inimicus]

Stop calling him that.

You make it sound like you're expecting a fight of some kind.

[notimeforsorrow]

He's your father so I don't see why I shouldn't refer to him as such.

Should I expect one?

[inimicus]

No he isn't, I don't recognize him as such. He may as well not exist for all he's worth.

Depends on what it is you want.

[notimeforsorrow]

You weren't born out of thin air, I'm sure. I can do a lot of things but certainly not that.

What do you think I want?

[inimicus]

He may have contributed but that was the only meaningful thing he did.

You want a son and that isn't something you'll get in this place.

[ Someone has had time to stew since they crossed paths.]

[notimeforsorrow]

Oh, he knows that.

[She did want him to return to her as a son, that much was true - but there was still so much she didn't know. Why did he hate her and Han so much? So much so that he all but told her he'd cut her down if he had to?]

Right now, what I want is to understand you and get to know you.

[inimicus]

I'm not even going to expect him to believe it in this place.

[ Ren hates simply because deep down, subconsciously, he knows they're both a threat and that there is no Snoke to reassure him here.]

What is it you even want to know?

[notimeforsorrow]

Everything.

But we could start with your name. The name that I gave to you when you were born.

[inimicus]

What a luxury.

I'd merely tell you that it's Kylo Ren but there are others here who heard someone shout it at me once.

The name I was given at birth was Ben.

[notimeforsorrow]

[Ben . . . ]

[Perhaps there was a pang in her heart that he could feel through the Force.]

It's a good name.

[inimicus]

[ He senses it, but Ren doesn't understand it fully.]

I'm sure there's some mundane reasoning for it. Either way, there's no significance now. It's the name of a dead person.

[notimeforsorrow]

Do you want to know the reason?

[She'll tell you anyway.]

I'm certain I named you Ben because you were a symbol of hope. My hope for a better future.

[inimicus]

[Almost recoils from his device at that one. Thankfully he doesn't need to talk; Ren would probably find words hard to get out with how hard his teeth are grit.]

How disappointed you must be. Obviously you'll be learning the long way that hope doesn't turn out the way you want it to.

[notimeforsorrow]

[She was disappointed, yes - but not in him, or what he'd failed to do. Not because of her expectations. She was disappointed for him. Leia wanted to build a better future for others, and also for her son - the son she had yet to have.]

[What she felt was beyond disappointment. It was sadness.]

Hope is not lost yet, Ben. No matter how much you want it to be.

[inimicus]

[ Ren is already starting to realize what a mistake it was to have given his old name out. But a small part of him didn't want anyone else to be telling that to his mother.]

It certainly isn't here. And I asked you not to use that name. Is there a reason why that name means what you think it means?

[notimeforsorrow]

[Despite her sadness, she couldn't help her little smile.]

I'll keep that a secret for now. It'll keep you coming back to talk to me.

[inimicus]

Keeping secrets when I'm giving information isn't exactly the most fair way to do things.

[ Aka but that's not fair!]

[notimeforsorrow]

You kept me in the dark about our relationship and your name for a while. I never said I won't tell you. I will. But in due time.

[inimicus]

But this is this and that was that.

[And when that doesn't work, time to try and goad it.]

It's probably something ridiculous anyway.

[notimeforsorrow]

[Ben "I Can Do It But You Can't" Organa-Solo.]

That won't work on me.

[inimicus]

[ Damn right.]

It was worth an attempt. Fine, you leave me no choice.

Han Solo will tell me.

[notimeforsorrow]

Sure, if you want to talk to him. He might not know the reason, though.

[inimicus]

I'll be certain to make it as painful as possible for him. He should know the reason.