Chapter Twenty-Three: The Ghost: Purpose

"This is Master Obi Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic, have fallen with a dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi. Trust in The Force. Do not return to the Temple…that time has passed. And our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust. Our faith. Our friendships. But we must persevere. And in time, a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you, always."

Ben leaned against his hands as he watched the figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi giving his final message to the Jedi Order. He wondered how many people had heard those words. Had any of them made it out alive aside from Kanan Jarrus? Did any of them have children now? Grandchildren?

"You know, that message is horrible and depressing... But Master Kenobi was really hot."

Ben looked back over his shoulder at Kaila. She stood in the doorway on slightly shaking legs. "Kaila... You're up..."

She smiled, stepping gingerly into the bunk. "First time in over a week. I was really getting sick of my bunk." She hooked her finger under the piece of leather around Ben's neck, lifting up the piece of red kyber crystal. "Nice fashion statement."

"I wanted to keep it close to me," Ben explained. "I thought..."

"Maybe if you kept it with you, it would become clear how to purify it." Kaila put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "You know that hologram is available on the holocrons. Why are you watching a holodoc?"

"Seemed safer than the holocrons," Ben admitted. "You have a lot of illegal propaganda holodocs."

"Careful. That's First Order talk." Kaila carefully eased herself down onto the bed with a groan. "Both the Republic and Rebellion actually think they're good for moral. As for why I have them..." She gestured. "Look at the author mark."

Ben looked over the Aurebesh writing on the disc. "Hope Dume. Wait-"

"Mm." Kaila nodded. "I love history and too much of it has been lost. Too many of these records have been destroyed or locked away so people can't see them. Keeping the truth from the populace is the first stage in controlling them. So I've recreated what I could using the Holocrons, private journals, first hand accounts, droid memory backups..."

Ben's brow furrowed. "But you're terrible at tech."

Kaila rolled her eyes. "I'm terrible at mechanics. Programming is different."

Ben paused the holodoc. "It's still surprising. You making holodoc in your spare time. Seems a bit... Well..."

"Everyone needs a hobby." Kaila swatted playfully at Ben. "And you used to do calligraphy!" She sighed and pointed to the paused hologram. "So why are you sitting in your darkened bunk watching a depressing holodoc on Order 66?"

"I was just trying to keep myself occupied," Ben looked down and swallowed hard, hoping he could hide the real reason. He wasn't sure he wanted to say it outloud. Not yet. "It was either one of your docs or a bunch of holorecords of racing events."

"Mm. Those are actually a present for a certain ship spotter." She pointed towards her own bunk. "I'm always trying to find him one he hasn't memorize the stats on. Ask him about any one and..."

"He killed younglings," Ben interrupted, unable to hold in his thoughts any longer.

Kaila blinked. "Darth Vader?"

"Anakin Skywalker," Ben corrected her. "The doc said that it was before the duel on Mustafar."

"The armor isn't what made him Darth Vader," Kaila said. "It was his soul. He was Darth Vader." She cocked her head. "Why are you so shocked? You had to have killed younglings yourself."

Ben shook his head. "Never younglings."

He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't help it. It was deep inside his soul. It should have been the first thought he had when he had been told they were coming to Coruscant. He'd thought their mission was just to retrieve information or an operative... But this...

"Ben, why are you really watching this?"

Ben's eye twitched. "Dameron gave me the mission briefing. Rey and I are to find Jedi Potentials on Coruscant. We don't have to look hard. I know where they are. Most of them have been extinguished." He stood up and began to pace. "My knights served the Supreme Leader like the Inquisitorius of old. They hunted the last of the Jedi and anyone who might become one. But Snoke... He had them... Do something different with the younglings. They were useful to him. There was a woman. An Imperial Dark Side User. I made her The Hand of Ren. She's been teaching the younglings the ways of the Force in the Undercity."

"Ben..." Kaila backed up slowly, her expression was one of utter horror and disgust. "You've been taking younglings and indoctrinating them?"

"Not me!" He insisted. But no... It was him. Snoke may have gave the order. It may have been the Hand that carried it out. But it was him. He was the only responsible for everything the Knights of Ren did. He shook his head. "Yes. That's what I did."

"And you say they're on Coruscant?" Kaila ran a hand over her lekku nervously. "A child's heart is quick to break... But can be mended. There's a chance for them. How many? How old?"

"I don't know." Ben shook his head. "Five... Maybe six. All under the age of eight."

"Good." Kaila nodded. "I mean, not good. Completely awful and kriff you should be ashamed of yourself. But that young... There is still hope. Instead of searching for whatever Jedi you can find, take Rey and save those younglings."

Ben had been worried Kaila would say that. "That's not what the mission is."

"It's the mission now," Kaila insisted.

"But Dameron said..."

"You're my apprentice," Kaila snapped. "And you brought this up because you know this has to be the way. I'll clear it with Poe, but if there are Force Sensitive children we can save then we are going to do it!"

"You're asking Rey and me to fight one of the Knights of Ren," Ben pointed out.

"There aren't two people in the galaxy better equipped," Kaila replied. "And I don't remember asking."

Rey reached to her side and touched the new lightsaber there. The blade had lit up true when she'd tested it. She only hoped it hadn't just been a fluke and it would work properly.

"All right!" Poe said, pacing in front of his team. "Kai's putting this bird down and we've got three airspeeders waiting for us. We're all heading to different sections of the city."

Rose held up a hand. "I have a question. Why do we look like this-" she gestured to her and Finn in Coruscanti maintenance jumpers. They were dirty and ill-fitting. "-They look like that-" Rose gestured to Ben and Rey. They were dressed for the seedy lower levels. Rey was in some of Kaila's clothes... The black top was a bit too big on her compared to the statuesque Twi'lek, but it was still low cut. At least the shorts covered her legs more than they did on Kaila. She tried to pull the black coat tighter around herself.

She glanced over at Ben. Instead of the vest he'd been favoring, he wore a beaten up coat and he'd switched to a dark brown shirt. His facial hair had grown out enough to be officially called a beard. He looked scruffy. Not at all like Kylo Ren. And he looked very, very attractive.

Rose then gestured to Poe. "And you look like you just stepped out of Canto Bight."

Poe's thick locks were slicked back and he wore a crisp and clean gaberwool tuxedo. "Part of the mission, Rose. We've all got to fit in where we're infiltrating."

Finn nodded. "Sure. Quite a coincidence that our fearless leader put himself on the mission in the Uscru Upper District with his girlfriend, while the rest of us are in the undercity."

Rey giggled softly. She glanced up at Ben. He twitched and quickly looked away.

"It's the mission," Poe insisted. "I'm not getting anything out of-"

"All right, I got us down." Kaila stepped out of the cockpit in a slinky black lace dress. She slowed her walk, frowning slightly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Poe was grinning. He shook his head. "No reason."

"See, this is where I have a problem with this plan," Finn pointed to them. "This seems like it's going to be a lot more fun for you too."

"If you want to wear this dress so badly, you are free to take my place, Lieutenant," Kaila sighed.

"It's not going to be fun," Poe assured Finn and Rose. "But we've got to blend in to the company General Calrissian's been keeping in order to find out where he is. What can I say? He's always liked the finer things."

"General Calrissian?" Ben repeated. "Wait, the operative you're going to bring in is Lando?"

Rey could see the panic in Ben's face. "You know him?"

Ben nodded slowly. "Yeah... I know him." He seemed lost in thought for a moment before he shook it off and scowled at Kaila. "Kaila can't even wear her lightsaber wearing that dress."

"I've got it." Kaila hiked up her skirt, showing the lightsaber strapped to her shapely thigh.

Poe looked down at the green flesh that Kaila exposed. "Okay, it might be a little fun." He looked back up quickly, getting back to business. "Keep your comms open. If you get into any trouble, emergency signal. We've got to work as quickly as possible. The First Order is keeping an eye on this sector. They might figure out we're here."

BB-8 whistled.

"You sure, Buddy?" He looked to Finn. "BB-8 thinks he should stay here and keep the sensor scramblers going. He can fly the ship to us in an emergency situation. Are you okay just working with Chop?"

Finn cast a wary glance to Chopper. "Why can't Chopper stay?"

BB-8 beeped again.

"He says Chopper will fit in better because he's so busted."

Chopper made a wild whistle and began to chase after BB-8. Finn stopped him with his foot. "Yeah, we'll be fine. Come on, Chopper."

Finn, Rose and Chopper were the first to leave. Poe knelt down by BB-8. "Take care of the ship, Pal. We'll be back soon." He got back up and looked to Rey. "Only bring your lightsaber out if it's absolutely necessary. You stick out. Now let's do this."

Poe put an arm around Kaila's waist and led her out of the ship. Rey held back. Ben started to leave. "Wait a moment."

Ben turned. "We should really be going. It will take a while to reach the undercity."

It was just them in the ship. There was no one there to get in their way. He couldn't avoid her. Rey felt the butterflies in her stomach. "I've missed you," she said quickly.

Ben averted his gaze. "I missed you too," he muttered quickly.

Rey took a deep breath. "Before we start this mission..."

"Dameron told you, didn't he?" Ben said firmly. "I told him about the kids. The Force Sensitives that I helped kidnap. We're going to be saving them. I kidnapped children, Rey."

Poe had told her. It had hurt to hear. But she had known Kylo Ren had done horrible things. Worse things. Were they worse? Rey was having trouble telling anymore... "You're trying to make up for it now."

"Stop looking at me like that!" Ben snapped.

Rey jumped back, shocked by Ben's sudden swell of anger. "Looking at you like what?"

"Like I'm worth anything!" Ben continued to rant. "We're trying to save children that I put in danger. You shouldn't... You shouldn't be looking at me like that."

The words wounded Rey. She didn't want to think about Ben as Kylo Ren, but he was pushing her to. She remembered how he insisted he was a monster. She was going to do everything in her power to dissuade him of that notion. "I have something for you."

Ben shook his head. "I don't want anything except to finish this mission."

"This will help with that." Rey reached under her coat and unclipped the lightsaber. "If it's possible we might fight a Knight of Ren, you shouldn't go in with just a blaster." She held the gleaming, repaired lightsaber out to him.

Ben reached a hand out, but stopped short. "That's... That's my grandfather's lightsaber. But you said it was destroyed."

"I fixed it," Rey replied. "I have your Uncle's. And we should both be armed." She held it out more insistently. "Take it."

Finally, Ben took the lightsaber in his shaking hand. "Rey..."

Rey smiled at him. "We have a mission. You have to be ready for it."