The five young Padawans sat defeatedly in a circle, their hands bound with tight fetters behind their backs. Three of the bounty hunters stood nearby, aiming blasters at them with vigilant attention. The two humanoid women and one of the Weequay men were chosen as guards being the most resistant to Jedi mind tricks; one of the human men had already learned the dangers of Jedi mind control with his life. He lay dead outside of the circle, a charred blaster wound in his chest after Sakiah had used a Jedi mind trick to attempt an escape.
The kyber crystal magnet was turned off, now that the Padawans were restrained, and the lightsabers collected in a pack, carried by the Rodian female.
"What do they want?" Darren asked Ben in a whisper.
"Apparently there is a bounty for us," Ben replied.
"Why?" Darren questioned.
"I don't know, Shorts."
The Weequay guard kicked Ben in the thigh. "Enough of that!"
Ben and Darren straightened up and became quiet.
The powered torches remained on, illuminating a small patch of the forest. The bounty hunters were apparently not worried much about being discovered, although the other Weequay, the Rodian, and one of the men were in the dark shadows watching as sentinels for any approachers.
"It sure is taking a long time for him to come," the pale white female said.
"I was sure he was coming right behind us," the Weequay said.
There was a snapping of twigs in the forest not far away.
"There, that must be him," the blue female said.
An electric hum could barely be heard as some more underbrush movement created a rustling in the distance. Shortly after that, a blaster shot rang out, followed by an alarming scream.
The three bounty hunter guards turned their blasters to the woods.
"What was that?" the white female asked.
For a moment there was silence. The Weequay wiped the sweat from his face and stared, eyes wide open into the inky black void of the forest. Another rustle of vegetation was audible. The Weequay reactively squeezed the trigger, sending a red blaster streak into the darkness. The pale white humanoid telegraphed a disapproving glance in his direction.
Just then the bounty hunter man ran into the light yelling, "It's him!"
A blaster from behind him in the shadows shot him in the back before he could say another word. The man fell dead at their feet.
The bounty hunters raised their blasters and fired blindly into the dark woods where they saw the shot originate. A green lightsaber ignited; the same electric buzz they had heard earlier radiated from the blade. A robed figure approached enwrapped in the pale light. He blocked the blaster fire with his blade. He without care, cast away the blaster that he had fired. Then the figure rushed forward, still blocking fire with the green lightsaber. He held out his arm and pushed the Weequay with the Force, his body flying back and impacting a large tree trunk. With a whipping slash, he blocked a blast that the blue woman had fired and deflected it back at her, striking her in the abdomen.
The robed figure then pulled out another lightsaber in his other hand, the lightsaber hilt having a circular knuckle guard. Its blade erupted red. He rushed the pale female, slicing the gun in half with the green saber and impaling her with the other.
The male Weequay just now catching his breath from hitting the tree, gathered himself and raised his quivering arm to aim at the assailant. His mouth dropped when he saw him in the light.
"You?" The Weequay said. "You—"
He did not get another word out, his throat closing as the attacker choked him with the Force. His life of bounty hunting ended with one painful agonal breath.
The hooded figure walked over to the dying blue female who was looking down at her bleeding abdominal wound and clutching it with both hands. She panted heavily with the pain and looked up at him, but before she could fully understand what was happening, the man made a final swipe with the red lightsaber and cut off her head. The small tree behind her fell with a splintered crack.
The figure extinguished his green and red lightsabers and removed his hood.
"Ren!" Jax blurted out.
The others were relieved at his arrival, but Ben remained aloof and observant.
"I'll say, you are all very lucky I was passing by," he stated. "Here let's get those bonds off of you."
He helped them free their hands, then produced the lightsabers from the sack that the Rodian was carrying.
"You all should be more careful with your lightsabers," he said. "Have you learned nothing these last few years?"
They all looked a little sheepish at the rebuke, but took their lightsabers back.
"Should we get back to the glade?" Tanut asked, "before Master Luke realizes we have been away."
"Oh, don't worry about Skywalker," Ren said. "I happen to know he has gone on a sudden mission and may not be back for a few days."
"What? Where did he go?" Darren asked.
"Haven't a clue," Ren said. "But in the meantime, there is no rush to return. I just wonder what you were all doing out here tonight. These woods aren't safe, obviously."
He picked up a spice burner that was nearby lying on the ground and looked at them inquisitively.
"I swear that wasn't ours," Tanut quipped. "I think the bounty hunters dropped it!"
"Maybe," Ren smiled. "I don't care. But why not take advantage."
The Padawans looked at each other first with confusion, then excitement.
"But let's get away from these bounty hunters, in case their employer shows up."
The rest agreed with that idea.
It was not long before they passed around a spice burner and laughed. Ben sat across from Ren and declined the spice burner every time it had passed. He had not taken his eyes off Ren. Ren had remained sober, too, and cast furtive glances at Ben. Darren cracked more jokes than usual, his antics more elaborate, uncoordinated, and loud as his inhibitions dissolved with the spice. The rest laughed at him and each other.
"Ren! I'm your man," Darren yelled out as he clumsily pointed at him.
"Look at him, claiming to be a man!" Tanut laughed.
"I mean," Darren said, "you saved my life. I owe you."
Ren smiled. "Owe me what you will, but it may well be that I need you someday—and I would be proud to have a Jedi knight like you at my side."
Darren's childish face beamed with pride.
Some time went on and the Padawans recounted the evening's events with greater heroic exploits than were accurate.
Ren stood up from the group and looked at Ben. "Come on, let's go for a walk."
Ben got up and joined him. The rest kept up their mirth and hardly cared for their departure. They walked into the woods a short way. "Something is bothering you, Solo," Ren started.
"You used the dark side back there," Ben Solo answered.
"Ah," Ren said. "I see."
"The others know little of the dark side, but I know. The way you choked out the bounty hunter—and that there." Ben pointed to Ren's red lightsaber hanging from his hip. "That's new."
Ren was silent for a moment then said, "Your grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was a great man."
Ben's mouth dropped slightly surprised that Ren would bring up his grandfather.
"What do you know of my grandfather?" Ben asked.
"Much actually. I had known of him as Vader when I was very young, but I didn't find out about his true identity as Anakin until much later. He was an honorable and powerful
man . . . though he had his faults."
"Faults? You mean that he had become Darth Vader. That's more than a mere fault," Ben countered.
Ren took a deep breath. "There is much about your grandfather that you do not know, Solo. Your grandfather was serving a purpose greater than himself. He was bringing balance to the Force and peace to the galaxy. Don't judge him for using the dark side to accomplish that."
"And why not, it is the dark side that brings suffering," Ben said. "And using it, my grandfather did as well."
"That is what you have been taught by your Uncle Luke, a man that has rejected the dark side. You must consider that it is not the dark side that brings suffering, rather lack of balance that brings suffering, either too far to the light or the dark."
"I don't agree," Ben said. "I have never seen my uncle bring suffering with the Force."
"Perhaps, but I am sure you will and soon. Then you will understand. Do you not remember what the prophecy about your grandfather was?"
"That he would bring balance to the Force."
"And did he?" Ren asked.
"Yes, he destroyed the Sith Emperor Palpatine."
"And so the dark side and the light side were then balanced?"
Ben thought for a second and furrowed his brow with a realization.
"Ah, you understand what I am getting at, don't you? But it is hard to accept the truth of it. Your grandfather did not bring balance to the Force. He had only destroyed the dark side in the Sith lord but not the light side in the Jedi."
"No, that can't be right," Ben said. "That would mean he should have killed Luke, too."
Ren did not respond to this statement and let Ben continue in his thoughts for a moment. He ignited both of his lightsabers and crossed them in front of him, green and red.
"Your grandfather had the balance of the Force in him. He was able to control both the dark and the light side. But he was not able to bring that balance to the galaxy. He strove to that purpose, but was cut short. So you wonder how I could use the dark side. I desire to follow your grandfather's legacy, both as Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. That is not something those who are unbalanced in the Force can understand."
"So you are going to try and kill Master Luke," Ben reasoned.
"No, No!" Ren exclaimed as if shocked. He replaced his lightsabers at his side. "He is my friend. I only seek inner balance. Bringing balance to the galaxy is for someone else to do."
He paused a moment after that comment as he studied Ben's reaction before continuing.
"But I am afraid that Luke will not understand; and someday he may want to destroy me, even if I am completely faithful to him. That is the problem with an unbalanced Force in a man. It produces suffering as I said before."
"I'm just not sure about all of this," Ben said. "I am afraid that I can't agree with you."
Ren put his hand on Ben's shoulder. "You don't have to agree with me. The fact that you have considered it and have kept an open mind shows what kind of man you are. It is a first step into a larger world."
Ben took the compliment with grace. "How do you know all of this?"
"I have had the fortune of coming across many Jedi in my life, and it is amazing what you can learn if you inquire in the right way." Ren smiled the smile of a man that knows he is only a few plays away from winning a game of Moebius chess. "But it will be morning soon. Let's get back to our knights."