As they entered Ezra walked Aayla straight to the medical bay inside the Ghost, which for a moment confused Jacen Syndulla.
"Uhm, hi-" He said putting his hand on the man's shoulder.
"Jacen, I haven't been on this ship for decades but I still know it like the back of my hand." He replied with a hearty laugh. "This girl had her hand cut off by a lightsaber, she needs medical care."
"How do you know my name?" Replied Jacen.
Behind them stood Kanan, holding his younger brother's hand, keeping him close by, both lightsabers that had appeared from the ground within Tatooine clipped on his sides. He walked over, following Ezra.
"Who are you?" Asked Kanan.
"His name's Ezra." Answered Ben.
Jacen was silent for a moment, turning slowly towards the old man. Looking him over for a moment, as his mouth slightly began to drop. "Hey, kid."
"Ezra?" He smiled slightly, seemingly getting emotional. "How-"
"It's a long story, and I'll be happy to explain it once we help the girl." Replied Ezra.
Kanan turned to Ben, telling him to sit down while he followed the older men to the med bay, as they sat Aayla alone. She was taking it like a champ, she seemed in pain, she seemed horrified at having lost her hand.
They began to clean the wound and work on it, bandaging it. Kanan watched, feeling like an utter failure. His sister had almost died, he had been in charge, and now they were on the run from people who wanted to kill them with a bunch of strangers.
Korbin Syndulla's voice would sound through the speakers. "Hey, dad, where should I set course to?"
"Dad? Man, have I been gone a long time." Ezra muttered to himself. "Tell him to set it to Coruscant."
"Got it!" Korbin's voice sounded through the speakers once more.
"You two know each other?" Asked Aayla, looking at her now bandaged arm, trying not to dwell on the fact that she had lost her hand. Considering she had known people who had gotten replacement limbs after losing them, she wasn't too worried about going handless, she just would've never expected her to be someone who lost their hand. .
"I used to travel on this ship with Jacen's parents." Ezra replied. "His old man taught me how to be a Jedi."
"Our parents are the last Jedi." Replied Kanan, skeptically.
"If you really believe that then you're not as smart as you look." Replied the self-proclaimed Jedi.
"Hey, Ezra. Guess what this kid's name is." Jacen said chuckling. Ezra turned to face the eldest sibling who raised an eyebrow.
"It's Kanan Skywalker." The boy said. Ezra stopped for a moment as he looked at the boy, a small grin on his face.
"Any idea why your parents named you that?"
"My mom says she named us after Jedi that appeared to her in her time of need."
Ezra and Jacen faced each other, regarding each other. It was as if they had been told some welcome news they hadn't been expecting.
"I think we all have a lot to talk about." Said the Old man once more.
Sitting around a table, Kanan sat in between his sister and younger brother. The lightsaber he had first picked up, the one with the small black pattern at the bottom was. He had given the other one back to his sister. Meanwhile, BB-8 and Chopper were engaged in their own back and forth.
"We can definitely get you a new hand once we get to Coruscant." Jacen assured.
"So, what's the deal with the old man, Pops?" Korbin said, he sat a little bit near the siblings, but also keeping about a foot of distance. Ezra sat at the edge of the table while Jacen stood.
"Korbin, this is Ezra Bridger. He was your grandfather's Padawan, and I guess now he's a Jedi Knight in his own right." Jacen said.
"He's the Ezra?" Korbin said, raising an eyebrow. "I was starting to think he was just an imaginary friend you and grandma made up."
"Far from it, my boy." Ezra said with a chuckle. "And I was a Jedi Knight long before my hair went gray, Jacen."
The trio chuckled, while the siblings sat. "And what were you doing with those Sith guys?" Aayla asked.
"Let's take it slowly." Ezra said, turning to look at the group in its entirety. "I used to travel with Jacen's father, a Jedi Knight, the one you're named after," he said pointing at Kanan. "-Kanan Jarrus. Born Caleb Dume. He was a padawan during the Jedi Purge, he escaped, and trained me. We went on a number of adventures together, but he died saving us."
"There were more Jedi out there after the Purge other than Ben Kenobi?" Asked Kanan.
"Ah, Ben Kenobi." Ezra smirked. "That's a name I've not thought of in a long time. Is that who you're named after, my boy?" He said looking over towards Ben Skywalker, who nodded in return.
"Mom says he was the first Jedi who ever spoke to her." He added.
Ezra grinned in approval, the kid was already on his good side. "The last time I saw everybody, we had to fight Grand Admiral Thrawn, and to finally defeat him and his goons, I sent us deep into Unknown Space. It was there that we landed on a planet called Thanatos."
"I've never heard of Thanatos." Korbin replied.
"Kid, there is a three planet system in the Unknown Regions that we don't even know about." Ezra replied. "As for what I was doing in the Unknown Regions, and in Thanatos, well… That's a story for another time. However, about twenty years ago, I felt the battle of Exegol. I witnessed a crashing light shoot through the sky and straight into the Heavens of the Unknown Regions."
"Mom." Aayla said, looking at her brothers.
"Precisely," Ezra told the younger girl. "What you may not have known is, after that, there was an immense darkness that began to surround the Unknown Region."
"An immense darkness?" Kanan asked. "Like… The Dark Side?"
"The only darkness there ever was, Kanan." Repeated to old Jedi. "It was something I'd never felt in my life."
"Like what?" The eldest boy asked again.
"Like the pure embodiment of evil, my boy." He replied. "I went to Exegol to investigate it. What I saw was simultaneously both the scariest and most wonderful thing I'd seen… A rift in the sky, as if someone had cut right through it. I knew whatever was attempting to breach the rift, it was not going to be good. I took my ship and I followed your mother's presence off the planet. I believe whatever was trying to come out knew my intentions, because on my way out, a bolt of lightning struck and I was sent crashing straight into Wild Space… Right into Kesh. A place that almost felt like a magnet for darkness."
Kanan's eyes widened. Kesh? His parents had just gone to Kesh, it was why the homestead had been defenseless.
"What happened in Kesh?" Kanan asked, grabbing both Aayla and Ben's wrists under the table, giving a tight squeeze as if to let them know not to mention Kesh before he said they could.
"I went from one darkness, into another… Tell me, have you ever heard of the Lost Tribe of the Sith?" Ezra asked. The three kids shook their heads. "Thousands of years ago Naga Sadow led the Sith Order -much different to the Sith we know- during a large scale conflict, one of the ships in his Armada crash landed on the planet of Kesh. Sith- Every last one of them. They tricked the Keshirians into believing they were their Gods, they stayed, they started their own Sith Kingdom, the planet under their rule, unable to leave… Until twenty years ago, when I crash-landed there."
"And then what happened?" Asked Ben.
"I felt the strong presence in the dark side, in my hazed state, they captured me. Tortured me on information to the outside world, until I told them about the rift and how we had to stop it. They seemed to know what it was. Shortly after, Thrawn's Star Destroyer landed on Kesh with no one piloting it. The Sith on Kesh began to reverse engineer the technology and build an armada and weapons of their own with old ships that kept appearing on the planet."
"Are you saying they just appeared like that? Out of thin air?" Kanan asked.
"I wasn't saying that." Ezra said. "Whatever that darkness is, it's aiding the Lost Sith. They quickly found out that the Sith had fallen in the rest of the world over the last thousand years. And now they want to finish what Naga Sadow started."
"So… Why attack a group of kids?" Korbin asked.
"These aren't just any kids." Jacen said. "They're Skywalkers."
"From what I gathered, they were after your mother and father, the last Jedi, they believe they, and myself, are the only ones capable of stopping them. They kept me prisoner and they planned to wipe out any resistance, they used me because they needed information I had, that's why I was on the ship."
"What kind of information?" Asked Jacen.
"The location of Ziost." Said Ezra. "The old Sith homeworld, hidden for centuries. I saw it when I was in the World between Worlds."
The siblings looked at each other in confusion. "It's a long story." The Jedi said. "Once we landed near the homestead, I felt a powerful force presence." He motioned towards Ben. "Enough that I could muster some energy to warn him, and get him to help me." Looking back at Kanan, he cleared his throat. "Now, since your parents aren't at the homestead, do you know where we could find them?"
"Kesh." Kanan replied.
Ezra's mouth dropped, in shock. He looked at Jacen and Korbin. "We're going to need the Republic's help."
Within a while, The Ghost entered Coruscant. A ship that had not only participated in the Battle of Crait, and Endor, but as well as had been at the Battle of Exegol, the Republic military base recognized it.
The Republic Military base on Coruscant was just a mere block away from where the ruins of the old Jedi temple used to be. The place that had become the Imperial Palace during the age of the Empire, then a New Republic base after it's fall, only to be retaken by the First Order, and now once again belonged to the Republic. Instead, however, they rebuilt the old Jedi temple, keeping it as a monument in remembrance of the Jedi of the past.
The military base was covered by a domed energy field. Two large towers, various hangars, and a large U shaped building that seemed to be the HQ for the Republic Military. The kids had never been here, but they recognized it when they saw it.
As the group exited The Ghost, followed by BB-8 and Chopper, they were welcomed by an armed group of about a dozen or so Republic soldiers, led by a woman with blonde hair and a confident smile on her face. She was rather skinny, but held her chest up high. "Syndulla, we weren't expe-" Her thoughts vanished when she spotted the Skywalker children. "How did you find them?" A voice of relief.
Kanan raised an eyebrow. "Do we know you?" He asked.
"No, but I'd recognize Finn and Rey's kids anywhere." The woman said. "I'm Commander Kydel Ko Connix, I'm the Senior Controller on this base. I fought with your parents in the war against the First Order."
"Nice to meet you, Commander Connix." Ezra said. "I'm Ezra Bridger, Jedi Knight."
"Jedi K-" Commander Connix turned to Jacen. "Is this guy serious?"
"It's a long story." Jacen said.
"How'd you come across the children?" She asked. "We sent out a team to pick them up, bet when we got there, all that was there was rubble."
"There was an attack on our homestead." Kanan said. "My sister lost a hand." Motioning at Aayla, who just sheepishly showed the stump on her arm. Connix looked at the injury, a clear face of empathy, that was something no child needed to go through.
"Take her to our med bay and see about preparing a replacement hand for the young lady." Said the Commander. Aayla looked at Kanan, who nodded trustingly. She then followed a soldier into the left side of the HQ. "Who attacked them?"
"Sith." Ezra replied.
"Sith?" Connix repeated, not believing a word.
"It's true, ma'am. I saw it with my own eyes." Said Jacen. "Ezra here was my father's Padawan, he was a prisoner on Kesh for years."
Connix looked at the two of them, as well as Korbin and the Skywalker brothers. "Follow me."
They followed her into the building, long white corridors of soldiers shuffling around, running and seemingly getting ready. Something was going on, and Kanan was beginning to fear the worst.
"What happened to our parents?" Kanan asked.
Connix looked back as she walked, particularly eyeing Ben. "Can someone take the little one somewhere?"
"What?" Asked Ben. "I'm not going anywhere! I want to know what happened to my mom and dad!"
Connix stopped and looked at Kanan, pleadingly. This told him it was something serious. There was a moment of hesitation from him.
"Ben-" He began, but he was cut off by his younger brother.
"No, Kanan!" Argued Ben.
"Listen!" Exclaimed Kanan, trying to get his younger brother under control. He leaned down, putting a shoulder on his hand and running a hand through his curly hair. "I promise you -as soon as I figure out what's going on- I will tell you. But right now I need you to listen to the Commander and go to the Quarters."
Ben looked at his brother for a moment. "You promise?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" Replied Kanan.
"Remember that time you said you had a girlfriend but instead you were just going out in the desert to tug on your-"
"AlrightBenOffYouGo!" Kanan said, pushing him towards the Officer, waiting to take him somewhere.
"I'll go with the kid." Korbin said, looking over at Kanan with a grin, and then at his father. "You wanna hear a story about how we met some giant space squids?"
"Yeah!" Ben grinned as he followed Korbin and the officer.
Connix turned to Kanan, Jacen, and Ezra, as well as the remaining soldiers she had with her. As they continued to walk, they would enter a giant control room. A holographic map the size of a house, maps all around, communications systems. Droids every, causing BB-8 to get excited at the prospect of making new friends, while Chopper stayed behind with Jacen.
In the center was a large circular table with the insignia of the Republic on it. Around the table stood leaders. There were two empty spots, Kanan assumed those were his fathers and Poe's. There was one meant for Connix, as she quickly took her place.
Three more people stood there, Dathomirian Zabrak with the name Commander Besalisk. There was a blue Twi'lek woman, her name being Captain Lek. And at the very age of the table stood a human woman, tall and strong, she was beautiful. Black raven hair and piercing green eyes, she stood seriously.
"Commander Connix, why have you brought strangers into this meeting?" Asked the woman.
"President Law," She began. This caught Kanan's attention. So this was Solana Law, the president of the Republic. "This is Jacen Syndulla, he's a mercenary."
"Except I get hired to steal things and occasionally fight bad guys." He smirked.
"And with him is Ezra Bridger, he claims to be a Jedi."
Ezra rolled his eyes. Even in his old age, there was still some youth to him. "There's no claim to be made, President Law. I am a Jedi."
Solana Law watched him for a moment, as if she was willing to believe he was a jedi, just for the moment. "And the kid?"
"Rey and Finn Skywalker's eldest son."
Law stood up from her seat, eyeing Kanan. "Have they been told already?" She asked Connix.
"Told what?"
There was a silence in the room, it seemed no one wanted to say it. For a moment, Kanan began to suspect the worst. "A few days ago, the Republic received a distress call from Kesh." Connix said. "Yesterday, your parents, along with General Dameron, as well as Commanders Calrissian and Tico went to investigate it and the Republic fleet was shot down and sent crashing into the planet. Some of the people on board made it out in escape pods, but those five didn't."
Kanan's heart sunk to his stomach. It was hard not to immediately imagine the worst had happened to his mother. Hell, the last thing he had done was all but ignore his father's attempt at a goodbye and now he was worried he'd never see him again.
President Law stood up, walking over to the young boy. "Now, Kana-"
"What're you going to do about it?" Asked the boy.
"We're sending one of our best teams tonight." Law replied.
"A team?!" Asked Kanan, outraged. "They took out an entire fleet with my parents on it and you want to send a team ?!"
"The kid's right, a team won't do you much good against what we're facing." Replied the old Jedi.
"And you know what it is we're facing?" Asked Law.
"Hundreds of Sith Lords and an army of billions that have been convinced for thousands of years that these people are their Gods."
"Sith?" Asked Law, laughing. "This old man cannot be serious."
"I'm afraid he is, ma'am." Connix confirmed. "They attacked the Skywalker Homestead attempting to assassinate Finn and Rey, except they weren't there. They were on their way to Kesh."
Law looked shocked. "Sith?" She asked. "Hundreds?"
"Now you see why you can't send in a measly team?" Said Kanan.
"No. If anything, this makes me want to stick to my plan even more." Replied Law matter-of-factly.
"Well here I was thinking we made some progress." Chimed in Jacen.
"They clearly want us to send more people so they can trap us. If we send a fleet now, we might be playing into their plan." Said the President.
"Or you doom two of the last Jedi left and the leader of your military." Said Ezra.
Law looked at Connix and they took each other in momentarily. "Call in Admiral's Crano and Kin, we're going to need a new plan." Law said, Connix nodded and went off on her way. "You three," She said to the men. "Stick around."
"You're not going to let us help you with the plan?" Jacen asked.
Law laughed as she exited the room with the other Commanders in tow.
"I guess that's a no." Said Ezra.
Jacen Syndulla had gone to check on his son and Ben Skywalker, meanwhile Kanan was walking straight towards the med-bay to see his sister, who was in the process of receiving a robot hand implant.
As he walked, the old Jedi Ezra Bridger followed closely behind. "So what's the plan here, Mr. Bridger?"
"It's Ezra." He said. "And the plan is to wait and see what Law says. I have to help put a stop to the Sith, and right now, with the unclear status of your parents, I may be the only thing that can stop them."
"That sounds pretty arrogant, Ezra." Kanan replied.
"That's Mr. Bridger to you." Shot back the much older Jedi Knight.
"If you haven't noticed," Kanan said, motioning at the black belt of his black, slightly torn around the knee's pants. There hung one of the lightsabers that had been buried near the homestead.
"Yes, I have. I meant to tell you to be careful with that, you could really hurt someone,"
"Hurt some- Are you serious, right now?"
"What?"
"I can help, Ezra. I can fight." Kanan assured.
Ezra looked at him for a moment and chuckled. "You're a kid, Kanan. These Sith… They aren't like anything we've faced before. An order of Sith, not just two like there have been the last few thousand years."
"I think we held our own during that fight, I mean, at least I did." Replied the young boy.
"You gave a beating to an apprentice and a master toyed with you when he could have killed you at any moment. Your sister lost a hand to the other apprentice." Said Ezra.
Kanan gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, angry. Yet another person who didn't believe he had what it took. What was it that made everyone think he would be a tremendous disappointment.
"Then teach us." He said, stopping in his tracks, just slightly a ways from where Aayla would probably be testing out her new hand.
Ezra looked at him for a moment, only to let out a hearty laugh, and then he stopped. "No."
Kanan was starting to get frustrated. "I've never wanted to punch an old man in the face so much in my life."
"Trust me, kid, I can make you hate me a whole lot more." Said Ezra.
Kanan shook his head. "Tell me, wasn't it my brother who freed you from your little prison?"
"Yeah? That kid's incredibly powerful in the Force, I've never seen anything like it. I'm both sad and happy that I'm probably not gonna be around to see him grow up with that." He chuckled, then looked at Kanan. "Hell, I can sense all three of you are really strong in the force, the little one more than usual, but that doesn't mean you're ready to be Jedi."
"Our parents have been training us to be Jedi."
"Exactly. To be. "
Kanan opened his mouth one more time to protest, but Ezra put his hand up. "Save it, kid. I'm not changing my mind."
Ezra continued forward and Kanan, grit his teeth in frustration, anger building up. And then he took a deep breath, bowing his head in defeat, following the Jedi.
They would then enter the Med room that Aayla Skywalker had been in. The middle child was stood up, swinging the golden cylinder lightsaber that she had picked up, the second buried outside their homestead.
"Oh please don't tell me I have to have this talk again." Ezra said.
"What?" Asked Aayla in confusion.
"I'm not going to train you." Said the old Jedi.
"But I didn't even ask-"
"No is no. Final answer."
"Hey-"
"Anyway," Ezra interrupted. He looked at her hand in approval. "How is it?"
Aayla looked at him for a moment, but then shook her head and accepted what had happened had actually just happened. She turned the lightsaber off, clipping it back to her belt. "It'll take some getting used to, but it's good." She turned to look at her older brother. "What's the matter with Sour-Bantha face over there?"
"He's mad because he can't have what he wants," Said Ezra. Kanan opened his mouth to protest but was ignored by the other two parties. "And also because… Your parents crashed on Kesh, we believe they might be there."
Aayla's eyes widened. "What? So the Sith have them?"
"We don't know that yet, that's what we're waiting on they're-"
And suddenly they were interrupted by a noise. All the lights had gone off, and it had been pitch black for a moment. And then the emergency lights came on. The red hue that covered what had been once piercing bright white rooms showed the confused faces of the three.
And then almost as if out of nowhere…
An explosion.