Chapter Twenty-Four: Coruscant: Best Laid Plans

Coruscant was the most unbelievable planet Finn had ever been to. Over twelve thousand kilometers around, with absolutely every inch covered in urban sprawl. That sprawl was built up over five thousand levels separating the ground from the sky. Rumor was that the human species had originated there, but Finn wasn't sure he believed that. The climate of the city-planet was uninhabitable without artificial control. However, that may have been due to the pollution and sprawl destroying the natural ecosystem.

Rose looked out of their airspeeder, watching the megascrapers go by as they moved on their pre-programmed flight course towards the transmission hub.

"Sorry about this," Finn apologized. He reached out a took her hand, squeezing it gently. "I bring you to the core and we're going to end up in maintenance tunnels."

Rose turned back to look at him and smiled. "It's okay. I like maintenance tunnels. And I'd rather be here than where Poe and Kaila are. They're going to be dealing with people even worse than we saw on Canto Bight. Only they'll have to talk to them." She gave a small shiver. "And I wouldn't want to be going to the undercity. Maintenance tunnels are fine by me."

Finn narrowed his gaze on her. "Why were you giving Poe such a hard time then?"

"Because he's my friend and I wanted to tease him." Rose smiled broadly. "I mean I've never had many friends other than Paige. That's what I did to her. Is that okay?"

Finn put an arm around Rose and drew her close to him. He kissed her on the forehead. She crinkled her nose. "What's that for?"

"Just... Being you." She was still shy, but Finn was starting to understand how she developed friendships. If there was someone she trusted, if they brought someone into her sphere, she automatically accepted them. Not only that, Rose treated her friends as her family.

Finn felt a gnawing sensation of guilt. That was why Rose was treating Ben so unbelievably well. He was sure if she knew the truth she would not be so forgiving. The First Order had ruined her life. But Finn wasn't allowing her to make the decision to accept Kylo Ren into her life.

He tried to remind himself that he was under orders. It was Leia's call. But Finn had gone against orders before, taking it to the highest level of disobedience. Why was he so reluctant to ignore his commands now, when he cared so much for Rose?

He pushed the thoughts out of his head. He needed to concentrate on the mission. He could deal with Kylo Ren later.

Chopper whirred and pointed his pincer at a large tower, higher than all the others. Jutting from the top was a complex series of antenna and satellite dishes.

The Communications Citadel was the hub of all of the transmissions on Coruscant. While some smaller networks existed around the planet, the Citadel served as the primary transmitter around the planet. If the Rebellion wanted to disseminate any messages, it was the best place to do it.

"Bring us down there, Chopper," Rose said, pointing out towards an airspeeder pad. "That will put us on Level Twenty. We'll have to take the turbolift to the Communications relay, but that's the main entrance."

Chopper beeped and the airspeeder veered along the skyways to come to a stop on the airspeed pad. Finn, Rose and Chopper all got out. Finn fumbled into his jumpsuit, taking out the forged security chip, plugging it into the terminal. He stared at the screen, hoping the price the Rebellion had paid was worth it for their credentials. The terminal turned green and Finn sighed in relief. "We're good. We can go in."

As they walked towards the entrance, they passed a very pretty Theelin woman, her vividly red hair coiffed in neat curls around her horns. An acrid smoke wafted from the stick in her hand. She looked imperiously down on a cowering human. "I'm a star," the Theelin snapped. "I don't understand why I have to come all the way out here when I need a tabacc break. You're going to go talk to management about this today."

The human held out a datapad. "Miss List, can please just look at this... You need to report on it..."

Miss List waved her hand, more smoke drifting from her tabacc stick. "I'm not going to report on a bounty being offered by those tyrannical dictators. No one on Coruscant cares if they've lost one of their commanders. It's just going to whip up the scum in the undercity. But the little sithspawn wouldn't dare come to Coruscant. There's no point."

Finn nudged Rose along away from the reporter. Coruscant had held a position of neutrality in the Cold War, one they'd just recently reaffirmed with the destruction of the Hosnian System. The Orbital Control system around the planet was almost entirely dedicated to keeping back the First Order. That was why they had to sneak around so much. Finn knew this caused the First Order no small amount of anger. The Coruscant System was to be the third target for Starkiller Base.

At the entrance, they were faced with a second security clearance. Finn plugged in the security chip. He hummed with nerves as he watched the spinning wheel as the computer checked the credentials. Why was it taking so long? The armed security guard eyed them warily. Finn touched his chest, where his blaster was hidden beneath his jumper.

The siren whined as the terminal turned red.

CLEARANCE DENIED. CLEARANCE DENIED.

The guard lifted his blaster rifle and pointed it directly at Finn and Rose.

Located in the Entertainment District, the Sky Skimmer Hotel was one of the most opulent places on Coruscant. The city-planet's uppercrust were frequently found in the large ballroom, in a seemingly endless party, flaunting their wealth and prestige. Lando Calrissian had been a fixture of that party for nearly a year, occupying a state room on the top floor of the hotel.

Poe had been surprised that the Rebellion would have an operative in such a place. However, Leia's reasoning was sound. Politicians drifted in and out of the Coruscant nightlife. They were unafraid to share their positions, due to the lack of the First Order's presence on the planet. Arms dealers also frequented the establishment, enjoying their ill-gotten gains and always willing to make deals in shady corners over glasses of Daruvvian champagne. There were plenty of connections to be made amongst the revelry. From Leia's description of the General, it was well-suited to Calrissian.

As they walked into the ballroom, Poe glanced up at Kaila, sighing deeply. "You had to wear high heels, didn't you?"

"You're short, come to terms with it," Kaila replied, rolling her eyes. "You know that no one is going to judge you for walking in with a leggy Twi'lek on your arm. I'm the one who is going to have to deal with everyone thinking I'm an escort."

"Why would they think that?" Poe asked, furrowing his brow deeply. "Are you saying I'm not good looking enough to bring a beautiful, tall woman?"

"You're gorgeous and you know it." Kaila leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. "It's just stupid assumptions people make about my species. It's happened to me a million times before."

"Here." Poe slipped his fingers beneath his collar, drawing out the chain around his neck. He unhooked it and slipped the ring off. He took Kaila's hand and slid the ring onto her finger. He hissed in a breath at how well it fit her finger. "Escorts don't have wedding rings."

"This is your mom's ring," Kaila whispered.

Poe smiled softly and shrugged. "Well... We're undercover." He slipped his arm back around her waist. "Well come on, Missus. We have a General to find."

Maneuvering through the throngs of well dressed partiers, Poe directed Kaila towards a small group of people. One of them- an overweight human with a bald head a bushy moustache- laughed heartily. "I told him I don't care what his position in the Ascendancy was, we were booked for the next six months," he spoke with a refined Coruscanti accent.

"I hear he shouldn't even be on Coruscant," a woman in a silk gown spoke in a faux-whisper. "Rumor is that he's getting involved with the Order. He's not going to be able to get on this planet easily."

"Oh, it's just ridiculous," Poe said, shaking his head. "What nerve."

"Indeed," the bald man replied. "I'm sorry. I don't believe we've met."

Poe held out a hand to him, putting on his most charming smile. "Sorry. Kes Dume. Pleasure to meet you." He gestured to Kaila. "This is my wife, Hope."

"Hope Dume the documentarian?" A Quarren turned to Kaila. "I just saw your Holodoc on the Battle of Scarif."

"Oh." Kaila shook his hand. "I do hope you enjoyed it."

The Quarren clapped her hand. "Good, good... Your holograms of Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia could have used some work. I knew them both when I was still in the Imperial Senate. You were a bit off."

"You do your best with what you have," Kaila replied. "Records from that era are badly damaged."

"And what do you do, Kes?" The woman asked Poe.

"I own a Swoopbike Racing team," Poe replied quickly. "In the Outer Rim."

"Outer Rim is a dangerous place to be this days," she tsked. "Did you hear what happened on D'Quar?"

The bald man shook his head. "The Resistance had it coming. They're going to keep striking against each other until one of them wipes out the other."

"Oh yeah." Poe forced himself to keep smiling, pushing down the anger he felt as these snobs discussing the fate of the galaxy as if it were a minor disagreement. He wanted to get things over as soon as possible. "Say, while we're on planet, I was hoping to play some sabaac. High stakes. I heard rumor that the finest player in the galaxy likes to frequent here."

"You're talking about General Calrissian," the Quarren replied. "He was definitely here tonight. He usually gets a game going in his room by 0200."

"It might be a bit rich for a Swoopbike Team Owner," the bald man jeered. "You might have to bet your wife."

Poe tightened his hold on Kaila. He was smiling harder now, really suppressing the urge to knock the sithspit on his ass. "Oh, don't worry about me. Come along, Hope. I believe I need something from the bar. I'm sure we'll run into General Calrissian."

As they walked away from the group, Poe's smile disappeared from his face. "I'm really missing shooting people in my X-Wing right now. How are you doing?"

"I'm a Jedi," Kaila whispered. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me..." She took a deep breath. "And if we'd stayed there a moment longer, I would've skewered him on my lightsaber."

"At least we know General Calrissian is somewhere around here." Poe scanned the room. "But that doesn't explain why he hasn't been communicating with Leia. He's been loyal for over thirty years. He'd never desert."

Poe felt Kaila's back go rigid. "We might have bigger problems than the reason for General Calrissian's radio silence." She nodded her head. "At the entrance."

Poe glanced over to the door. A man had entered in dark robes. He had dark brown hair peppered with grey. "He's cute," Poe commented. "What's the problem? He an ex?"

"Actually yes," Kaila replied. "But that's not the problem. I dated him when we were both at the Jedi Temple."

Poe's eyes widened as the man stalked into the ballroom. "But that means he's a..."

"Yeah."

"But the only Jedi that weren't killed..."

"Yeah." Kaila nodded. "That's one of the Knights of Ren."

Ben had never been so low in Coruscant before. The few times he'd gone to diplomatic functions along with his mother- which was not often- it was in the upper levels. The First Order has stayed clear of so close to the Core, except when the Knights of Ren brought the Younglings to the Hand. Still, Ben had never done that himself. The Knights went undercover. Ben hadn't wanted to risk anyone discovering his identity.

Or maybe he didn't have the stomach for it.

Still, he knew where the Hand resided. Level 1312. It was a world of perpetual darkness and grime. Was that part of Snoke's plan? Deprive the younglings of sun, so their souls blackened?

Rey walked alongside him down the street. She looked up at him, her face filled with worry. "So what is the Hand doing with the children?"

"I don't know," Ben replied honestly.

"You were part of this plan... But you never asked anything about it?" Rey shook her head. "Why would you never ask about it?"

Ben turned to face Rey, leaning in close. "Because if I did, Snoke would have told me."

He didn't want to know. It was easy to put it out of his mind if he didn't ask questions. Deep down, he was sure he knew. It was the same thing Snoke had done to him.

Snoke had been powerful. He was able to reach across the galaxy and penetrate his mind, letting hatred and resentment seep into his soul. It had started so slowly, he didn't know when the drops of poison had flooded his veins.

"Here." Ben approached a ventilation shaft. He placed a hand onto it. "We're getting close. This ventilation shaft leads directly to the old Imperial Palace. That's why she lives here. She was able to quickly reach the Emperor, while remaining out of the way."

"Who is she?" Rey asked. "The Hand?"

"I found her during the Purge, but I felt the Dark Side within her so I let her live. She told me she had served the Emperor during the Imperial era. A covert assassin against the Dark Side users who served him. If they got out of line or they were no longer of use... She stepped in. She never told me her name and I didn't care, as long as she served the Knights of Ren. She said she'd do anything I wanted, as long as I let her kill Luke Skywalker. I think she actually believed me when I said she could."

Rey shivered. "And this woman has been left alone with children?"

Ben nodded. "Yeah."

He felt her presence before he saw her. A wave of the dark side washed over him. Then he saw her, face covered in a black scarf. The artificial light caught her emerald green eyes. She pointed a red lightsaber at him. "I felt you coming," she hissed. "But you're not Talzin Ren."

"It's been a long time," Ben said, channeling Kylo Ren as best he could. "You've only seen me in a mask, but I couldn't wear that to Coruscant."

"Who are you?" The Hand demanded.

The Hand worked independent of the rest of the Knights of Ren. They only bothered her when they had another Youngling. With the events of late, perhaps they had been too preoccupied. "I am Commander of the Knights of Ren."

The Hand disengaged her lightsaber. She pulled off her scarf, revealing her golden-red hair and a pretty- but mature- face. "Kylo Ren. You've never come here."

Ben nodded. "Things have changed. I needed to see you personally. Supreme Leader Snoke is dead."

"Unfortunate," The Hand said, not sounding like she meant it. "Who killed him?"

"Luke Skywalker," Ben lied. "He's come out of exile. I've come to fulfill my promise. My apprentice-" he nodded to Rey. "-will take over with the younglings. Are you ready?"

A smile curled the Hand's lips. "I have waited thirty years for this day." She strode towards Ben. "I just have one question for you, Kylo Ren-"

Her lightsaber was up in an instant. Ben didn't even have time to breath. He snatched his own up, blue blade meeting red.

"-Just how stupid do you think I am?"