[h3]Ben Solo[/h3]

He had been lost in thought while eyeing the quickly fading Nexu. What had seemed a pointless glance had become an objective study. Removed from the world around him he forgot about his current situation and quickly fell into some weird trance. What was it about watching the doomed Nexu? 

For a moment he believed the answer would come in the form of some Force-hint. Master Luke had taught him to trust in the ethereal patchwork and so he had begun to fold himself, countless times over in the Force. Until not only had he found it troubling but a struggle had ensued. Deep in the sac of universe, the beginnings of a tug-o-war had stirred. The Dark Side and Light Side. 

If not for Odette he would had still been fighting it. 

The melo sounds of the starship, the still calmness inside the cool husk felt binding. But it always did when he was with Odette. She had a way of making him feel choked up and restricted. As if he needed to be even more careful about what he said, did, or thought. Ben loosed his hold on the Nexu, letting the Force go wherever it went when not in use. He stepped in flow with Odette's strides, though his were a bit more tense and powerful. Whatever he had experienced in the temple, he observed, had brought out an aggressive posture. 

[color=red][I]If only that was all,[/I][/color] he mumbled. 

As she went to executing the Nexu, Ben turned his sights from the unsavory moment and looked off towards the polluted sky above. The laserfire echoed for a moment, provoking Ben's fist to clench under the cover of his wide-sleeves. Once she was done, he finally built up the nerve to speak, though it was with finality, and without a opening for response. 

[color=red][b]"You didn't give it the chance."[/b][/color] His eyes remained on the path ahead. 

Half a standard-hour later, Ben was wiping a skin of sweat from his forehead. The argous task of both physical exertion and Force-manipulation had weakened him, leaving little room for facading around Odette. So once they were done, he sat down on his bottom, pulled his sleeves up to the elbows and looked at their handy work. The starship was looking more or less the same. 

The air kinda got heavy and he expected as much. She hadn't said anything about his little explosion or about the Dark Side that infected him. He wondered if she would reject him. That made him look away as she took his hand. It would be appropriate, he told himself. She was like some flag-starship of the Light Side, it [i]shouldn't[/i] want anything to do with him. 

[color=red][b]"You don't have to say it, I already kno-"[/b][/color] 

He started but realization quickly grasped what she was saying. Ben felt, immensely happy and immensely foolish at the same time. Of course she wouldn't turn her back on him. She was after all... the girl he loved. Ben stood up from his spot and refrained from smiling. [color=red][b]"Beaten by a girl with the power of the Force backing her up? There's no shame in that,"[/b][/color] he told her, hitting her with his signature half-smirk. [color=red][b]"However, if we did battle, I'm certain I'd have you begging for mercy,"[/b][/color] He crooned.