Chapter Twenty-One: The Ghost: Decisions

Ben hesitantly approached Kaila's bunk with a tray of food. Dameron had told them all she was awake and that she was insistent upon seeing him. He felt the dread in his stomach. Now he was going to get it.

He opened the door and saw Kaila sitting up in her bed. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "So... Got over your nervousness, did you?"

Ben cleared his throat and set the tray down on the desk. "I'm glad you're okay."

Kaila looked exhausted, but there was a fierceness in her eyes. "Sit. Down."

Ben grabbed the chair at Kaila's desk and pulled it out, sitting down by her side. "I didn't know what was going to happen. I don't even understand what-"

Kaila's hand was shaking as she brought it up, pressing thumb and fingers together to mime closing a mouth. "Sh... I'm going to talk. You're going to speak when I ask you something."

"Have a missed anything yet?" Dameron strode in. He looked absolutely exhausted, unsurprisingly. He'd hardly slept while Kaila was unconscious. He threw himself down onto the bed beside Kaila. "Where are you?"

Kaila turned to him. "You know, I can take care of this myself. It's a Master-Apprentice conversation."

Dameron shook his head. "Nope. It's affecting things in my crew so I'm going to be here. Got a thing for Rey, do you, Ben?"

Ben scowled. "I don't see how that's your business."

Dameron sat up. "She's a naive nineteen year old girl. You're a twenty-nine year old man who has helped destroy entire planets. Seeing as how she's under my command, I think that's my business."

"So you're forcing us to stay apart?" Kylo felt the anger swell inside him at Dameron.

"No," Kaila replied.

"Yes," said Dameron at the same time.

Kaila turned to look at Dameron. "Excuse me?"

"I've been having BB-8 keep them apart for the last three days."

"What?" Kaila tried to sit up, but cringed and slumped back down. "Poe, are you a complete idiot?"

"I just took care of you for three days!"

"Do you know absolutely nothing about teenage girls? Forbidding it just makes it more enticing!" Kaila turned her attention to Ben. "I know how you feel about Rey, Ben. And I think it's good for you. But there was a reason I thought you should be on your own. You two both need to discover your own paths."

"But we're on this ship together." Ben looked away. "Am I just supposed to ignore her when she comes to see me?"

"What?" Dameron snapped. "Rey has been the one who has been pushing things?"

Ben nodded. "I told her we shouldn't be together. Not yet. But she... Kept coming to see me. And I felt this... Draw."

"Ben, you must learn control," Kaila admonished him. "Your emotions have always been erratic. You can't let them master you. A slave to passions will be a slave to the Dark Side."

Dameron gave Kaila a sideward look. "Really? That's your advice to him?"

"You're the one who wanted to be here," she muttered. "I'm trying to have a talk with my apprentice."

Poe shook his head and sat back. He gestured with his hand for Kaila to continue.

"You know a Holocron will only open in the presence of the light and the dark side," Kaila said. "You were worried about that, remember?"

Ben sat up straight. He hadn't even thought of that. He had been so worried about that... But he'd been so distracted in the moment... "So I am hopeless."

Kaila shook her head. "No, Ben. Not all of the dark energy was coming from you."

Both Ben and Poe were looking at Kaila in horror.

"Rey is struggling as much as you are," she continued. "She's very confused, as are you. I won't tell you not to be together. Every time that has been demanded it ends badly... But you must make a choice, Ben. Your heart will tell you."

Ben looked down. He knew what the answer was. He had known all along. He closed his eyes tightly. His first instinct had been to push Rey away, to become the man she deserved. He had not become that yet. Kaila was right. He had no right to give in to the temptation.

He stood up. "Rey... She has the dark side within her?"

"We all have the Dark Side within us," Kaila replied. "But some give into it more easily. Rey is still young, still new to the Force. Now is not the time for her to let her emotions take control."

Ben swallowed hard. "Will we ever get to be together?"

"Complete your training. Find the light side." Kaila reached out a shaking hand and took his. "Ben. You know I'm right. You've said it yourself. You're tempted now because she is here. It is a test by the Force. You must resist it."

"I'm sorry..." Ben paused. "...Master. For nearly killing you."

"None of us could have seen that coming," Kaila sighed. She cringed. "Not that I want to know a lot about your sexual activity... But what were you doing?"

Ben looked at Dameron warily. "It wasn't... Sexual. Not really." He cleared his throat. "We were meditating. We were... Linking..."

"Your Force Bond," Kaila nodded. "You were engaging your Force Bond while you were in the same place. Doing it intentionally. I suppose that could get powerful."

Ben nodded. "I think I should just stay in my bunk until we reach Coruscant. I'll help where I can there. But... I should keep my distance."

"Ben, this ship is your home. You can go anywhere you want. But if you feel that's best for now..." Kaila leaned back in the bed. "Hopefully, I'll be up soon. We can start your training again. I think we've been a little slack lately."

Ben turned and walked out of the bunk. He heard the footsteps behind him. "Wait... Ben."

He turned to Dameron. "What?"

"I believe in Kaila. If she thinks there's something good in you... I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. But if you..."

Ben held up a hand. "Finn already told me if I hurt Rey he would kill me. I'm sure he meant it differently than you do, but I understand the threat well. I'll just assume the entire Rebellion feels the same way."

Ben left Poe and went to his bunk, closing and locking the door. He picked up his crimson kyber crystal, clutching it tightly in his hand.

Poe walked back into his bunk, shaking his head at Kaila. "You're just going to let him go with a warning?"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Kaila insisted. "The Jedi Order forbid things for centuries. It went terribly! It has to be a choice, not a command. I'm his teacher not his ruler."

Poe was exhausted. He threw himself back down onto the bed and curled up next to Kaila. He rested his head on her stomach. "So are they really in love?"

"I think so." Kaila glanced down at him. "Why? Are you jealous?"

"She's a kid," Poe sneered. "This is why you believe in him, isn't it?"

Kaila nodded. "Love is a very powerful thing. Love made Darth Vader kill the Emperor and it and freed the galaxy from the Empire. Love made Kylo Ren kill Supreme Leader Snoke." She reached a hand down and caressed his hair. "Love kept my spirit tied to this world when the power of the Holocrons should have killed me."

Poe sat up, swallowing hard. "We've never used that word before."

"Is it inaccurate?" Kaila slid her fingers over his jawline. " We're not kids, Poe. We don't need to keep dancing around it. I know how I feel."

"I know how I feel too," Poe whispered. He laid back down. Kaila draped an arm over him. "But if you think like that... And you know Ben and Rey love each other... Why would you suggest they stay apart?" He knew why he wanted Ben- when had he begun to think of him as Ben?- and Rey apart. But Kaila seemed hopelessly optimistic when it came to Ben.

"Love also made Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader in order to save his wife. Love is powerful, but without control it can bring ruin. My vision," Kaila replied. "It wasn't just your mother. It was a warning. Ben and Rey are destined to stand together. But it could be on either side. That's what my father, Master Skywalker and Master Yoda said."

"Dead Jedi warned you that Ben might pull Rey to the Dark Side?" Poe felt his stomach churn with worry.

"It was the opposite," Kaila sighed. "Ben is trying very hard. But Rey..."

"Luke Skywalker declared her a Jedi," Poe insisted.

"After training her how long?" Kaila asked. "She's powerful. They're both powerful. Too powerful. I've been training for thirty years and I'm nowhere near as strong. But strength doesn't make a Jedi... Training does. Rey is young and lovesick. I won't leave the fate of the galaxy up to her and Ben. Not yet. I've worked too long and too hard to leave everything in the hands of stupid kids."

"So are you going to train them both?"

Kaila shook her head. "No. After we're finished the mission to Coruscant, I'm going to find Ezra. I know he's alive. He's just... He needs me to find him. He's the only Jedi Master left in the galaxy."

"And what are we supposed to do until then?" Poe sighed.

"Ben knows the danger. I'm assuming you've already read Rey the riot act." She closed her eyes. "When I'm stronger, I'll begin to work with Ben again. We've still got a week until we reach Coruscant. For now, I think you need to get some sleep, Commander."

"I have a mission to take care of," Poe complained. But he was feeling the deep weariness of too many days awake. "A crew that is falling to pieces over relationships..."

"You worried about me for three days. Let me worry about you." Kaila nudged him. "Come up here."

Poe slithered up the bed and laid next to Kaila. She laid down with him. "I know you're worried. We can only tell them what they need to know and hope they'll do what is right." She gave him a quick kiss. "Go to sleep."

"You better know what you're doing and not just pretending to be a wise Jedi..." Poe closed his eyes, enjoying her heat against him. "This could go really badly..."

Ezra Bridger fought the urge to groan as the stormtrooper grabbed him by his grey-streaked hair, pulling his head up. He needed to control himself. He couldn't let his captors see the pain he was in.

The red haired man- Hux, that was what he'd called himself- stood straight, watching him with malevolent eyes. "This is the Jedi? You are certain?"

Thrawn walked in a slow circle around Ezra. "He has been a thorn in my side for nearly forty years now. I would know him anywhere." He paused in front of Ezra, kneeling down. He grabbed Ezra by his bearded chin. "The years have not been kind to you, Master Bridger."

Pure hatred of the man in front of him welled. "You won't win, Thrawn."

"I have already won. I have the entire crew of the Specter captive."

"And he has given you to me," Hux said with a smirk.

"Have I?" Thrawn asked mildly. He looked around the bridge of the Finalizer. "I believe I will keep them for myself."

Hux frowned. "But..."

"A partnership in good faith," Thrawn said to Hux. "The Ascendancy will be fine in my absence with their new ground troops. But I believe you require my... Assistance." Thrawn's red eyes seemed to glow. "General."

"Why I-"

While the two leaders were arguing, Ezra concentrated, reaching out with the Force. If he could just release his binding...

The binders fell free and Ezra reached a hand out, force pulling his lightsaber to him from Hux's belt. He ignited it.

Before he could strike down Thrawn, electricity lanced through him. He fell back, looking up at bucketheads wielding electric prods.

"You have gotten old, Master Bridger," Thrawn taunted. He casually kicked the lightsaber aside. He waved aside the stormtroopers. "We need him alive."

"What do you want?" Ezra demanded.

Thrawn knelt down. "The First Order is looking for some people you know. Your dear General Syndulla's daughter... And Ben Solo."

"I'll never tell you anything," Ezra spat.

Thrawn's tilted his head slightly. "I don't think you need to tell me anything, Master Bridger. You're a message."