Ben, Sakiah, Jax, and Tanut stood around an orange fire in the woods of Kaller. Almost a year had passed since Ren and Darren had died. It was just before dawn, and a fire lit their dark faces. Each was clad in body armor—armor they were wearing for the first time this night. Their helmets rested at their feet.

Ben stood up and addressed the others. "You know, this is the place Ren saved us from the bounty hunters a year ago," Ben started. "A fitting place for us to restore the balance that Skywalker had broken when he killed Ren and Darren. Since then, he has shown his guilt. You all know, how he has removed himself most of the time, seeking longer and more frequent retreats to who-knows-where. Are these not the behaviors of a man that knows his guilt?"

Ben walked back-and-forth a few steps with quick and angry strides. "We have given the rest of the Padawans ample time to come to our side, but none other than ourselves have seen the truth. Instead, they decided to support their guilty master. For that, they deserve to be wiped away with him."A flash of red passed over Ben's eyes as he said this. "This is what Darth Vader began. This is what we will finish."

As he said this three other figures exited from the dark forest. A tall dark man with an electro-staff; a beautiful dark-haired woman, whose purple eyes lit brightly even in the firelight; and a broad-shouldered man with a dirty complexion emerged.

"Who are they," Jax asked.

"These were friends of Ren," Ben said. "They were trusted by him and so are trusted by me. They will be useful to do what is needed."

Ben held out his lightsaber and ignited the green light. Jax, Sakiah, and Tanut did the same, lighting their blue and green lightsabers.

"This ends an era of our lives," Ben said. "Let us take control of our destiny."

There was a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder. He extinguished his blade. The others did as well. They tossed the lightsaber hilts into the fire. Each picked up their helmets. Ben donned his black helmet with the silver lined face mask. Jax, having obtained green Mandalorian armor and jetpack through the black market of Plateau City, fitted himself with the Mandalorian helmet. Tanut had a hooded helmet, and Sakiah a lean faceplate. Lura, Gabo, and Kiam put on theirs as well.

With that Ben, Tanut, Sakiah, and Jax then produced new blades. Jax and Tanut's were silver-handled lightsabers. Sakiah's was a baton-like lightsaber, and Ben's was a cross-bar blade. Red blades emerged from each, which they raised above the fire and touched each other. Lura, Gabo, and Kiam stood behind them. Rain began to fall.

"We start a new era. You all are no longer Jedi Knights but are Knights of Ren. Ben Solo is dead. Kylo Ren is born. Now let us go this night, and finish what Darth Vader started."

….

"Balance. Balance to the Force," Ben said to the seated Yoda and Maz. They were sitting high in a tree on a platform made from living vines and vegetation. Boughs of the tree and vines were woven together into a small hut-like structure at one end, their leaves overlapping in such a way as to be water resistant. A small pad of rocks was in between them, with a meager fire on it. Over the fire was a hanging pot of boiling water.

"You asked me what my purpose was, and that was it," Ben reiterated. He hung his head. "But I have failed. I have failed to use the dark side, and I cannot return to the light after what I have done. Now I have nothing, and nowhere to go."

"Lie to yourself, you do," Yoda answered. He removed the pot and poured some into a few small cups. "Palo gourd tea?"

Ben and Maz each took a cup.

"Balance, your quest is, and the quest of all descended from Anakin Skywalker," Yoda continued.

"But I cannot achieve balance," Ben said.

"With the dark side, you cannot," Yoda returned. He took a sip and puckered. "Ooo, strong this gourd was."

"Remember the past, you must. Before the dark time." Yoda walked around to him. "Balance, you had within you. Forgotten, you have. The same had I." Yoda looked at Maz. "But two there must be, to return."

He smiled at Maz.

"But I thought I must master both the light and the dark to bring balance and peace," Ben interjected.

"And that has brought you peace, has it? And to the galaxy?" Maz questioned. "Anyway, the truth is you have abandoned trying to seek both the light and the dark long ago in favor of only seeking the dark side. But the light will not surrender you so easily, will it?"

Ben did not answer.

Maz continued. "The dark side always seeks to gain control and power. It must be resisted, not embraced."

"Resist the dark side you must, or master you it will," Yoda added.

Ben tossed the rest of his cup of tea into the fire. The steam hissed and rose into the air, but the fire persisted. "And what does this all matter? There is no purpose to it all. Shouldn't I just disappear into the waste of the galaxy somewhere?"

Yoda returned to his seat, closed his eyes, and remained silent for a few minutes. The silence was uncomfortable, but Ben was afraid to speak. Finally, Yoda spoke as if to the air, "Hope, he has lost. Return, he will not."

A voice answered. "Hadn't I also lost hope? But hadn't I returned?"

"Yes, but a purpose you had. Your grandson, no purpose has he."

Ben's eyes widened. He could hear the voice but saw no one.

"Grandfather!" he cried out darting his gaze around hoping to see a glimpse of him. "I have tried. I have tried! But I cannot do it!" His voice had become suddenly desperate.

"You have tried," the voice replied. "And you have failed like I did for much of my life. But there is still hope. There still is a chance to make things right. You are my grandson, and your destiny is the same as mine. But you have been working against our destiny and not for it."

Ben was quiet and thought before replying.

"I understand," Ben said in a low voice. "But what do I do now?"

"Finish what I have started. That has always been your destiny. Bring balance to the Force."

Ben narrowed his eyes and gazed into the darkness beyond the fire. "You mean Snoke." Then with a second thought said, "That's impossible."

"It is not impossible," Maz said. "We have defeated him before."

Ben looked in astonishment. "You?"

Yoda stood up and moved closer to Maz, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Defeated him we did. But a high cost, there was."

He looked as Maz tenderly. She placed her hand over his and leaned into him.

"But here he is again. What good was your fight?" asked Ben.

"Just because evil returns, does not mean that there is no use in fighting it," Maz said. "Yes, he returns every thousand years with a new form, but every time, someone is called to stand against him."

Ben seemed to think of something at that comment. "Every thousand years, and a new form . . ." he whispered to himself, contemplating an idea.

"So, you beat him before. Why can't you do it again?" Ben then said.

Maz looked sad and lowered her head.

"They can't," Anakin's voice said. "They have paid a great price for fighting him, one that will last through the millennia-and you, too, may pay a great price for fighting the dark side. It has always been that way. Whoever stands up against the greatest evil will suffer loss."

"If you told me that a few weeks ago, I might have been happier with that idea." Ben looked at Maz.

"So, I just go to Coruscant and fight him," Ben stated as if it was an easy quest.

"No," Maz said, "you cannot do it alone."

"Two of like kinds, there must always be," Yoda said.

With that Ben looked at Maz and Yoda standing by each other. Behind them he could see a glowing shadow that seemed to become brighter, his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker; but he was not alone. Next to him, shoulder to shoulder was Luke Skywalker. Then out of the shadow, two more figures appeared that he did not recognize, but he somehow knew their names, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Beyond them in the shadows a man Kiffar with a yellow band over his nose and a woman with short hair, and then even more pairs emerged, two at a time.

Ben stared with a sober face.

"I understand," he said. Hope returned to him. "I know who I must find."

….

Rey completed carving a hole in the transport door. It fell away before them as a few drips of molten metal dropped.

"Snoke!" Finn exclaimed. "He's here?"

She stepped through the hot metal hole. "Yes, he arrived yesterday. Careful when you step through."

He managed to move through. They stepped out from the side into a long hall. The corridor shook again and the metal warped.

"We need to hurry!" she said back to him and pointed down the hall.

"I'll try," Finn responded and began to walk with as fast a gait as possible, but he could not run. Rey put his arm across her shoulder and helped him quicken his pace down the hall. Behind them, forty yards away, four stormtroopers emerged and began firing. Rey moved Finn on faster; but the corridor shook again, and they lost their footing. The stormtroopers behind them gained.

"They are going to catch us," Finn said. "They aren't carrying someone like you are."

"I'll fix that," Rey said as she got up and left Finn on the ground. She blocked a few blasts with her lightsaber and then held out her hand with clenched fingers. The stormtroopers stopped and cried out. She then closed her hand into a fist. The legs of the stormtroopers broke, and each of them fell to the ground screaming.

"That should do it," she said.

However, beyond them, an image walked around the corner, hooded and dark.

Rey looked at Finn. "We need to go, now."

She helped him up and rushed forward. The ground began to shake so violently it became difficult to manage, but they were not far from the loading bay. The floor began breaking at the opening to the loading bay and lifting up as if to close the opening.

Rey and Finn dove for the opening as it closed behind them. Finn rolled over and held his head.

"Come on," Rey ordered and got up quickly.

Finn did not complain; he just tried to make his body rise up.

"That's my ship, the Vigilance," she pointed to a pursuit craft with dorsal wing stabilizers and two rotating engines. The front faced them, and the entry ramp was already lowered in the rear.

Rey again helped Finn to move and they hurried to board the ship. They hobbled up the ramp and took their seats in the cockpit. In front of them the metal from the loading bay door bent outward to open, and the dark figure stepped through with ease.

Rey rushed to start the engines and close the ramp. She handled the control arms, and the ship began to lift off the ground. She angled the engines in reverse and moved back toward the docking bay port. It was not far behind them on the floor, but as they approached the ship began to slow and then stop in mid-air.

Rey punched the engines until they were at full power but could not budge the ship.

"What is that?" Finn asked. "They can't have a tractor beam inside the ship."

Then he looked ahead of him at the dark cloaked man approaching, his hand held out toward the ship.

"Quick take the controls," Rey said.

"What?" Finn returned. "I can't fly a ship. I don't know how."

"Here." She put his hands on the controls and gave him a quick instruction. "Up, down, left, right. Forward and backward. Aim us toward space, then hit the hyperdrive."

"Where's that?"

She huffed and pointed to the hyperdrive controls.

"You aren't going to like what I'm going to do, but just keep flying, whatever you do."

"I don't like much of what you do, but okay."

The ship jolted and started to move toward the dark figure.

Rey closed her eyes and raised her hand toward Snoke. The ship began to give slightly from his grasp but continued to move toward him.

She opened her eyes, now red and yellow in the rage of the dark side. The ship jerked in reverse then stopped. Anger grew on her face and she raised her other hand toward the cockpit window. Snoke began to walk toward them. Rey shouted out loud with a guttural scream. She withdrew her hands back and then pushed forward again. Her hair began to rise, and small electric sparks arced between her fingers. Snoke's hold on the ship was loosening.

Finn was able to move the ship some and tried to reverse, but the pursuit craft lilted to the side and hit the side of the loading bay with a crash. Rey shot an angry glance at Finn. "Okay, Okay, I know!" he replied and angled the ship back over the opening of the loading dock beneath them. He struggled but was able to angle the ship downward to face open space.

The ship jolted to the port and then to starboard as Rey and Snoke tugged at it. The ship swept over the spaceport as Rey pulled it. Finn went to hit the hyperdrive, but Snoke dragged it back over the floor before Finn could punch it. Finn restrained and wait for the next opportunity and would try again to fly back over the open port only to get shifted off again. He could barely keep the ship aimed downward, let alone stable, with one hand on the control arm and the other hand poised over the hyperdrive controls.

Stormtroopers filed in and began to fire on the ship with blaster cannons.

"Shields?" Finn called out.

Rey just yelled out, "Go!"

The ship angled over the port again. A blaster fire knocked it to the other side. Finn held his hand ready to hit the hyperdrive. With a sudden shock, the pursuit craft was whipped back by Snoke.

Finn slammed the controls and the ship's hyperdrive engines erupted in blue plasma energy. The ship disappeared into light speed.

Finn settled back into his chair and breathed deeply for a moment with his eyes closed in relief. Suddenly he was lifted out of his seat and slammed against the rear control wall, Rey's hands clasped around his neck, and her eyes blazed with the red fury of the dark side.

"Rey," he coughed. "What are you doing!"

There was nothing but anger on her face for a moment. Then looking at him, her red eyes lessened, and she released him slowly. Her shoulders fell, and she softened a little. A look of horror came over her. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she said. She touched his neck and the back of his head. I didn't mean to—I can't control it. Please forgive me. Are you all right?" she spoke rapidly.

"I'm starting to think you are womp rat crazy," Finn said rubbing the back of his head. "But I'm fine."

"Thank the stars," she said in a huff and hugged him. After a moment's embrace, she returned to serious thoughts again.

"We need to get as far away from Snoke as possible. Where should we go?" Rey asked.

"Nowhere in this ship," Finn said. "The First Order likely has it tracked."

Rey looked concerned.

"We are close to Nar Shaddaa. We can swap the ship out there, and then we will need to contact the General."