Chapter Text
Queen Padmé Naberiee-Skywalker and King Anakin Skywalker sat on their thrones as they announced that their daughter, Leia, would be ascending the throne the following year with her husband, Han Solo. Princess Leia and Han stood to the side in their finery, their son, Ben, was behind them, shifting awkwardly. He hated being in front of crowds and would much rather have been off tinkering with the engineers in the hangar. Duty demanded he should stand here, as his mother was declared the future queen. He glanced at his grandfather, who was staring at him, encouraging him to stand straighter and lift his head, to stop shuffling his feet.
He loved his family, but he adored his grandfather. They were kindred spirits; his grandfather had taken him for his first flight, and helped him take apart and rebuild his first engine. Under his grandfather’s scrutiny, he would do his duty. He knew his grandfather disliked these ceremonies as much as he did, and if he could cope, so could Ben.
When Leia and Han began the dancing, Padmé stood to mingle with the guests, leaving Ben and Anakin alone. Anakin waved him over to his side.
“I know you hate these events, but you will learn to manage. I did.” His grandfather said. “But we will not be noticed if we disappear for a while. Follow me.”
Anakin stood, took the boy’s hand and led him onto the balcony.
“I want to give you something, to remind you of who you are.” He said as they looked over the city. He undid the knife from his belt and gave it to him. Ben’s eyes widened as he took hold of it and drew it out, looking over their family coat of arms on the hilt.
“Your grandmother had it made for me when I was struggling to fit in here. She had the coat of arms redesigned to include me. This is who you are. You’ll find your own way, but if you’re ever in doubt, hold this dagger and know I have felt that way too.” Anakin squeezed his shoulder.
Ben looked into his grandfather's eyes, tying the scabbard around his waist.
“Thank you, grandfather.” He said, wrapping his arms around his waist and squeezing.
“Come now, Ben. We must get back.”
They returned to the party.
The next few years passed quickly, with Leia stepping into her role as Queen, and Padmé and Anakin stepping away into a peaceful retirement.
Until the Revolution came. It started with strange ships landing, and their leader Snoke coming to profess friendship to the planet. Leia had been unsure, so she had sent Anakin to Coruscant to see if he could learn more from their old allies.
Ben had thrown a tantrum (most unbecoming of a prince and something he must learn to control, his mother told him) in his room that he was forbidden from going with his grandfather. It was his twelfth birthday, and surely that meant he should be able to do what he liked, including accompanying his grandfather wherever he went. Anakin had tried to calm Ben down, explaining that one day he too would be big enough to go with him, but for now he had to remain on Naboo. Anakin called from the doorway of Ben's room where he was throwing an epic tantrum. "Ben I was not going to show you this until your eighteenth birthday." Ben stopped throwing furniture around and listened. “Give me the dagger.”
Ben screamed a final time, then he relented and removed the belt, handing it to his grandfather.
“See the hilt? Push down on the right edge.” The boy took the dagger back and did as his grandfather said. The end popped open.
“That is a hiding place, but I want to give you something more to keep in there.” Anakin removed a small ring he kept on his hand. This was not his wedding ring, or royal ring, but a simple band of iron.
“This ring was made from my chains, before I was freed from slavery. I will want it back, but for now I want you to keep it, so you know I will come back. But it must stay our little secret.” Anakin placed the ring in the hollow hilt, and gave the dagger back to Ben, before enveloping him in a hug and leaving.
Ben watched his grandfather stride away. He knew he only wanted to help him and show his love, but he still felt the anger and frustration boiling within him. Instead of putting the belt back around his waist, he took the dagger back out and threw it somewhere into the mess he had made. It could stay there until his grandfather came back as far as he was concerned.
Two days later, the true invasion began. Ships started streaming from the skies, armour clad warriors disembarking and ushering people back into their homes. Some fought back, but they were shot down immediately. Ben and his family could only watch from the windows as their city was overrun. Their guards had never had any real threats to protect the family from in years, and their lack of experience was showing now as Snoke and his armies ransacked the palace. Leia thrust Ben towards Luke, her brother.
“Take him. Get him out. Please, Luke” she begged “you’ll be much quicker.”
“No, please. I want to stay with you!” Ben begged, tears in his eyes.
“Come, boy. I didn’t give up the throne to train for years to protect this family just to let you all die now!”
Luke pulled him away, down the back and secret corridors of the palace as they heard Snoke arrive in the throne room.
“Kill them” they heard, and the sound of shots filled the air. Ben fell to his knees, but Luke just picked him up and kept them moving.
They arrived in the palace hangar, filled with the troops rounding up the pilots. Luke managed to sneak Ben into one of the smaller ships, when they heard laughter behind them. Snoke’s right hand man was waiting with more troops.
“GO!” Luke shouted, shutting the canopy of the jet, leaving Ben alone, to give him one last chance.
Ben took off, deciding to head for their hideaway in the mountains to figure out what to do next, but the ship was hit. He started leaking fuel. He headed over the forest to try and land safely, but he crashed and knew no more.