momslilassassin | Outside the Senate Building, Coruscant [Saturday afternoon, Fandom time] (Reply)

Ben stretched his arms up over his head as he exited the Senate Building, falling behind Jaina, his father, aunt and uncle and the gaggle of Jedi Masters in order to talk with Ender more privately. "I know I promised you boring, but I didn't think it was going to be that stupefying. I think the Bothan diplomat could be hired out as an insomnia cure."

"I think I died a couple of times during the speeches," Han agreed. "Leia kept poking me and starting my heart again."

"Like this?" Leia asked, jabbing him under the ribs with two fingers.

Ben grinned and flipped his comlink back on, smiling over as his father's began beeping to signify how many messages he'd been left. "Busy day to come."

Luke's attention has focused elsewhere. Four dark blue personnel transport speeders, traveling in a tight chain just above pedestrian head height. That in itself wasn't unusual; troops were often used for offer security. But they showed up before the event began, not after it ended.

"Ben." Luke kept his voice low. "Drop back, blend with the crowd. Call Nawara Ven."

Ender	"I didn't think it was that boring," Ender said. Of course, he wasn't familiar with the equations here - not fully - and the meeting, while boring from one perspective, had at least told him a lot about the way they interacted with one another. But he wasn't really paying attention to the conversation anymore either, seconds later. He was looking at Ben.
Ben	Ben's jaw had clenched, but he obeyed his father without question, reaching one hand out to stop Ender's progress and flipping his comlink open with the other. In front of them, the transport ships had boxed the Jedi and Han into a square. The sides of the ship opened out and deposited two full squadrons of Galactic Alliance Security, and several bounty hunters. "Nice timing," Ben muttered before his comlink connected. "Nawara? Hey, it's Ben. Daala did it. They're arresting Dad now." His voice sounded completely calm. Ender would know better.
Ender	Ender hadn't needed the last few sentences to figure out what was going on. He'd come to a stop, watching the transport ships with narrowed eyes. He'd known the political climate had been inching its way towards something here; he hadn't thought he'd be there to witness it. "Some of them are looking eager," he commented.
Ben	"This could get ugly," Ben said, clicking his comlink closed and letting his hand drift to his lightsaber. "Master Luke Skywalker," the leader was saying, standing two meters from Luke. "I am Captain Savar, Galactic Alliance Security." He held up a plastic black datacard. "This is a warrant for your arrest. I now exercise it. Please do not offer resistance." Ben bristled silently.
Ender	"Possibly," Ender agreed, reaching out for Ben's upper arm. All business, right now. "So let's not radiate anything they might perceive as a threat." They weren't inside the currently cordoned-off area, but this was a city full-up on technology - it was likely someone was surveilling the whole block.
Ben	Before them, Luke was wearing a broad smile for the same reason Ender had just pointed out. "I wouldn't think of causing you trouble, Captain," he said. "May I disarm myself?" He took his lightsaber from his belt, but as Savar stepped forward, Luke passed it to Leia. "That is not full cooperation," the captain said sourly. "Please turn and place your hands behind your back. I have instructions to shackle you." "This is poodoo," Ben muttered as Han took offense in a louder voice. "Are you under orders to treat him like a common criminal, bantha-brain?" "He's resisting!"
Ben	From that moment, things moved fast. Ben moved forward, but he didn't need to have bothered: five lightsabers, Luke's not among them, sprang to life. One security agent about Ben's age twitched and fired; the bolt sped towards Luke and was bounced straight into the permacrete by Jaina's lightsaber. Han fired and the shot sheared through the boy's rifle, throwing the ruined weapon from his hand. Savar whirled angrily on the Quarren. "What part of support role are you too stupid to understand? He wasn't resisting!" He turned back to Luke, who nodded at the Jedi to disable their weapons and then led Luke and Uncle Han--at Aunt Leia's obvious instruction--into the transport. Ben blew out a very shaky breath as the transport sped away.
Ender	Ender had reached to grip Ben's arm again when he moved, but everything had gone past in a blur. By now, the hand in question was hanging by his side again, and his eyes were trained on Ben. "Well," he said, "Now we're sure who's getting scapegoated."
Ben	"Yeah," Ben said. "And so soon after the initial discussions. Daala is sending a definite message to the Imperial Remnant and the Corellians about trying to get the Jedi under control." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Hopefully Nawara will be able to spring Dad pretty quickly. Dad's pretty sure this is about his leading the Jedi out of the Alliance and waging private war on Jacen."
Ender	This weekend was supposed to be a quiet, private goodbye from Ender to his best friend, but after this he could already see it was going to be a longer engagement than he'd previously thought. He blew out a breath. If Luke wound up going to court, he could see himself sticking around for even longer - knowing Ben's proclivity for dealing, or rather, the opposite of it. Grand. But dwelling on that wouldn't be useful, so he yanked his thoughts back to the things Ben had told him over the past year. "Or Jacen happening in the first place," he said, after a moment. "Going by what you've told me, it wouldn't take much to turn the Jedi into boogeymen, considering how isolated they've been from public accountability. And Jacen's dead, so he can't be brought to trial..." He trailed off.
Ben	Ben's eyes went wide as his mind spun through the laws he'd learned during his time with GAG. "Holding Dad accountable for Jacen's fall? I don't think 'falling to the dark side' is in any legal documentation."
Ender	"No," Ender agreed, "But negligence tends to be."
Ben	Ben fought back a wave of anger. This wasn't Ender's fault and picking a fight with him would be absolutely useless. "I think this means I'm not heading back to Fandom tomorrow."
Ender	"We probably aren't," Ender agreed, his inflection on the first word gentle but audible. He was maintaining his calm, partly because Ben needed it, and partly because he did. "We'll see how long this lasts."
Ben	And for as weird as things had been between them over the last month, Ben was absurdly grateful to hear Ender say that. "Thanks," he said softly, chewing on his lower lip. "Guess we should head back to the apartment and wait for Dad."
Ender	Ender nodded, and cast another glance in the direction the ships had taken off in. "Let's," he said, "and we can check what's made it onto the news." He had a hunch that would tell them more.
Ben	Ben sighed again. "Great," he said. "At least no one was cheering to watch him go?"