He was originally aligned with the New Jedi Order after his own Cousin, Jacen Solo, drew him out of his young shell to embrace the Force in it entirety. It was hinted that in approximately mid-43 BBY, Jacen took the sixteen year old on a trip of the Galaxy in which he introduced him to the Embrace of Pain and taught Ben the lessons that Vergere had taught him and Anakin during the Yuuzhan Vong War. With the "Lessons of Pain" under his belt, and no fear of the Force or the Dark side, Ben was considered a Gray Jedi and like his cousin he sometimes came into a disagreement with Luke Skywalker and the Jedi High Council.