Hey guys! I'm back with another one shot! I don't really know how this idea came into my head but it kind of stuck and I think that it would be really cool to put in a story form.
Just a word of warning this contains spoilers for events that happen in the Star Wars Rebels show. So if you haven't watched all of the first season of Rebels then don't read this story.
And also for the sake of this story, I'm pretending that Ezra's parents were killed by the Empire and this is also set after Obi-wan is struck down by Darth Vader. Which for the sake of this story, I'm pretending that that event happened a lot sooner than in the movies so that I can make sure that the characters are a little bit older not a lot.
Spoilers ahead!
This also uses my imagination on what was running through Kanan's head as he was being tortured with the inquisitor using the force to project something of Ezra in Rebels Resolve and then the ultimate use of Kanan's Master in Fire Across the Galaxy.
So please enjoy this story and if you do like it, please review to let me know! I thrive on y'alls feedback so please keep it coming.
Kanan's POV
"You were a coward to run when the Jedi Order needed you the most," The Inquisitor taunted me with his words as I was strapped helplessly to a table. All I could do was take the torment and the self-doubt that had been thrown on me.
"Your young padawan must learn eventually that you are not always going to be by his side whenever you need him, because you will run at the first sign of trouble. You won't be there to protect him in his most dire time of need, just like you weren't there for your master when she was struck down."
….Flashback to earlier…
"Pain, The Jedi still feels pain," The Inqusitor told Tarkin who stood in front of me just staring at me intently, "And pain can break anyone."
It was then that I felt the force wedge itself between my shields that I carefully placed and my now exposed thoughts. It was then that I began to see flashes of Ezra standing at the mercy of the Paa'uan looking at me as if I had betrayed him in the worst way imaginable. I remember angrily persisting the inquisitor to not use Ezra but that only encouraged him more.
I remembered in the brief moment I had opened my eyes, I could see the smug expression of the face of Governor Tarkin that made my skin crawl. I bet he was thinking that if he could get his hands on said person then I would break in no time.
The scene then moved to Ezra and I fighting the inquisitor on the catwalk of the engine room of massive Star Destroyer. My mind kept on flashing back to when Ezra fell off the platform and onto the other one seeming as lifeless as could be. The moment of dread that I felt multiplied and froze me in my position on my hands and knees. I was honestly surprised that the Inquisitor didn't attack me when I wasn't paying attention yet waited for me.
The words of the Inquisitor pushed forward into my thoughts.
"You see," He began, "You weren't there to save him and you will never be able to save him. I may be dead but that doesn't hide the fact that your padawan is in a great danger. You couldn't save your master and you won't be able to save him."
I bolted upright in my bunk on the Ghost as the images disappeared from my mind. I had to keep telling myself that it was all a dream and that I hadn't failed my master nor Ezra.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't convince myself that I hadn't failed anyone since Order 66. Although the fear that had haunted me since that time had long since passed, I couldn't help doubt myself. Would I run if confronted with that decision or would I stand and fight?
It had been a long time since my rescue from the hands of the Empire. Physically I was fine, but mentally I was not. The many taunts that the Inquisitor threw at me were still haunting my thoughts and my dreams. I hadn't told anyone in the ship about the torment the inquisitor had thrown at me and it was eating me alive from the inside out.
The fact that he tried so very adamantly to use Ezra against me was one of the worst things I had ever endured since the death of my Master.
And speaking of my master, I couldn't believe that the Inquisitor would stoop so low as to use the last image of my master Depa Bilaba against me in the way he did. Although it did achieve his goal of derailing me as I came so close to breaking right then from the fear that I was experiencing.
It was night on the Ghost and everyone was asleep. Or so I thought.
I couldn't fall back asleep because my thoughts kept on racing through my head. I couldn't stop thinking about the words nor quench the doubt to allow myself a peaceful rest. So I decided to head to the cockpit to watch the stars and to get my mind off of the turmoil inside of it.
I groped around the darkened halls of the ship, careful not to wake any of the others up by flipping on lights. I soon found myself in the cockpit and finding a seat.
"Couldn't sleep?" I was startled from my thoughts as the voice I heard rang into my ears.
I quickly sought the source of the voice. I found that it was Oni, our guest from our last mission. Come to find out that she was another survivor of Order 66. She was in a laid back position in the co-pilot's chair in the cockpit of the Ghost with hands folded neatly in her lap. The slightly older Jedi stared up at the stars of her home world of Stewjon before meeting my gaze; her blue-grey eyes looked into my blue-green ones searching for answers.
"No I couldn't. You?" I asked her. She was so beautiful as her auburn colored hair shone in the moonlight. If it wasn't for the fact that she was already married (Going to lay that out in another story) and I wasn't already in a relationship with Hera, I would jump at the fact of forming a relationship with her.
"I couldn't either," She confirmed shifting in the chair to where her elbows were not resting on top of her knees, "Got a lot of things on my mind."
I couldn't argue with her on that one.
"So what's bothering you?" Oni questioned me. Her gaze momentarily went back across the grassy like plains that came with the planet and then looked into mine once again.
I gave a big sigh, debating in my head whether or not to tell the one person that could probably help me what my problems were.
But I relented and decided to tell her as I turned my head away to hide the grief I was feeling.
"I have been haunted by something that was said to me years ago," I began reluctantly pushing the terrible memories to the forefront of my mind, "It was when I was captured by the empire before I knew anything about the rebellion. The Inquisitor taunted me with the last memories that I had of my master before she was taken by Order 66. He said that if I had just stayed with her instead of following orders that she gave, she might still be alive. I just can't help shake the feeling that there was something more that I could have done instead of running."
I turned back to Oni and saw concern written all over her face. She then turned her head away, back to the star filled sky. The silence still filled the cabin as we both took in the news.
"I also can't shake the feeling that in the end, I would fail Ezra, as a mentor and as a master. I almost lost him that day and the scar on his face is a constant reminder of what could have happened had I been strong enough to stop the inquisitor before…," I couldn't bring myself to say anything more,
We both let the silence linger as the revelation of the words that I just said passed between us.
"Kanan, I think that I know the solution to your problem. But know this, you should count yourself lucky that you at least knew what happened to your master. For years, I didn't even know if my master was even alive," She replied still staring up at the stars. But then she smiled and looked in my direction, "You know, you and your padawan are so much alike."
"Really?" I questioned Oni.
"He was just saying the same thing you just were about there being something more that he could have done to stop the Empire from taking his parents away," She explained to me.
I smiled. I should have seen that coming though.
"I need you to go wake him up for me so that I can show you guys something," Oni instructed me.
I nodded my head and then left to go awaken my young padawan learner.
Twelve minutes later…
Ezra and I met Oni in the small hanger of the Ghost. She had her cloak wrapped around her tightly. She greeted us with a tired and saddened smile.
"What I'm about to show you, no one can know about. If this place is destroyed, then the legacy of the Jedi will go with it," She explained.
"The legacy of the Jedi?" A curious Ezra questioned.
"You'll see," Oni replied with a smile.
She walked over to a larger than normal speeder bike and hopped on. She then gestured for Ezra and I to follow suit. With Ezra safely wedged between the two of us, we left for wherever she wanted us to go.
I marveled at Stewjon's beauty as the night sky glittered with stars. Although it shared many qualities that Lothal did, I couldn't remember being able to see the stars as well as I could here. The cool breeze felt amazing against my face as I watched the tall, tanned grass zip by us.
We must have been nearing our location because I felt the speed of the bike slow down considerably. Oni then stopped the bike and hopped off.
"We are here but we must go on foot from here," She replied.
"But won't it look weird that a lone speeder bike is just lying out here unoccupied?" I questioned her logic.
She smiled at me as she walked over to one of the storage compartments attached to the sides of the speeder bike. She opened it and pulled out a tan tarp that mimicked the ground that we were standing on and covered the bike making it invisible to the eyes.
I looked to Ezra as a wave of astonishment flooded through our bond.
Once she covered the speeder to her liking, she began walking away seemingly into nothingness. Both I and my padawan quickly made chase.
I then felt a weird sensation in the force as we drew closer to Oni and our destination. I thought for a brief second, I had seen something ripple past Oni. It only confirmed my suspicions when I saw the same thing happen to Ezra. But nothing prepared me for what I was about to see next.
Once the ripples ceased, I couldn't believe that, standing right in front of me was an exact replica of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Only this one seemed smaller and made out of a stone that was unfamiliar to me. It must have been here for centuries as vines climbed up and down the exterior.
It wasn't until I almost bumped into Oni that I realized that she had stopped.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" She asked locking eyes with me.
"I….I can't believe that this is even out here!" I stated in awe of the massive structure; a symbol of our past. Oni's words then clicked in my head. She really meant that the legacy of the Jedi would still live on as long as this structure would remain standing.
"I found it shortly after Order 66 and ever since then I have found solace in a world of hate," She marveled. She then reverted her gaze back to the stone structure not taking her eyes off of it again.
"How do you keep it hidden?" I asked still marveling at the temple.
"Surrounding us are pylons that create a shield that basically renders anything within its circumference invisible to anyone but those inside. But myself and a close friend have given them the ability to detect if you are a force sensitive creature or not. If not, even if you are within the circumference, everything will still remain invisible."
"That would explain the ripples," I thought to myself, "But why didn't I see any pylons when we were outside?"
"The pylons were buried that if incase of detection, they would be extremely difficult to destroy," She informed me.
"Would someone explain to me why this is so important to the Jedi?" Ezra questioned.
I mentally slapped myself for not thinking that Ezra would have no idea what we were talking about.
"Ezra, this structure is an almost exact replica of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. If the Jedi were still around, this would be where we train and is our home," I explained to my padawan.
"When Order 66 was initiated, the original temple was destroyed and with the almost full eradication of the order, it remains a beacon of what could have been if we were aware of it before it happened," Oni added.
"This," I started again gesturing to the towering stone structure in front of me, "is all of what remains of the legacy of the Jedi Order."
"But this isn't what I brought you guys here for," Oni stated, "For that we have to go into the structure itself."
I caught Ezra's gaze as we both stood there in disbelief at the whole ordeal. We then filed behind Oni following her into the belly of the beast.
The inside was just as amazing as the outside was. We wound our way through the vast hallways of the place, reminding me so much of the Jedi Temple I used to call home.
Oni led us to stairs that spiraled downward underneath the structure. The stairs seemed to go for miles around not stopping until we reached a small door at the bottom.
"When we enter, find a place in the center and begin meditating," Oni instructed us. I didn't have time to question her further as she used the force on a control panel hidden cleverly against the wall.
As soon as the door opened, I felt a strong wave of the force wash over me. I slowly walked in flanked closely by Ezra and tried to take in my surroundings as much as I could.
The interior wasn't grand yet with the power of the force filling this place, it felt majestic. The room was also massive. It was much like a garden as trees dotted the exterior walls. Flowers closely embedded themselves in the roots around it.
But what took me by surprise was a massive tree that sat in the center. A small fire pit sat around the base of the whole tree lighting up the whole room. The only other light that entered was the moonlight that filtered through a small hole in the ceiling.
I waited until Ezra had settled down to start my own meditation. It took me a little bit to calm my mind and let the force take over.
I could feel Ezra beside me quietly meditating himself and I could feel Oni settle into that state of mind as well. But what really threw me off was the presence of other force sensitive beings that surrounded us and helped us channel the force through our minds.
I then began to hear a small yet familiar voice seem to come out of nowhere. The voice shocked me so bad that I quickly opened my eyes to check if the source was around me severing the meditative state I was in. Not hearing the voice anymore, I quickly sunk back down waiting to hear that voice again. This time though, I touched the tree using the force that flowed through it to strengthen my connection with the force around me.
The voices began again except for this time, it wasn't just the familiar voice, it was the voice of the thousands of people that I had come into contact to over the years. The ones that stood out to me was Okadiah, my loyal friend back on Gorse, who allowed me to stay and work for him despite by attitude towards life. Another was that of my friends that I had made before the destruction of the Jedi Order. Although their names had been erased from my mind, their memory still lived on.
The one voice that took me by surprise wasn't even my own or the voices that were running through my head. Instead, I heard Ezra cry something in relief.
I opened my eyes to find that my young padawan was hugging almost hologram like figures of his parents. They looked like the flesh and blood versions of Ephraim and Mira Bridger except they had a blue hue surrounding them.
In the midst of investigating my apprentice's joy, I failed to notice a figure walking towards me. The feeling of a hand on my shoulder startled me out of my thoughts as the familiar voice greeted my ears by saying my name.
I reeled around to find my former master standing in front of me smiling like I had never seen her smile before.
"Master Billaba!" I exclaimed as I began walking closer to her not believing my eyes.
I would never forget her face. Her tanned skin seemed to glow with the blue hue that enveloped her. Her braided hair reminded me much of the padawan braid I used to brandish.
"Hello, Kanan," She said closing the gap between us and then giving me a hug. I was kind of in shock at this gesture because it was so unlike her, but it was so welcomed. I returned the hug, almost falling into the embrace. We then sat down at the base of the tree. I glanced back and forth between a still meditating Oni, and the enthusiastic movements of my padawan.
"How are you here?" I questioned my master still not believing what I was seeing as I took my eyes off the things around me and met her gaze.
"I am here because you are here," she replied placing a hand against my arm, "You have done so well. My only wish was to see your training through to the end."
You ran. All the while abandoning your master and the order, but you still did it. You are a failure.
I couldn't keep the inquisitor's words out of my head for long. I was honestly surprised they didn't surface sooner.
"No I failed you! I ran when I could have done something. I….." My master cut me short by placing her hand over my mouth.
"Those are the words of the inquisitor aren't they?" she questioned me.
I slowly nodded my head. She just smiled and then moved to face Ezra.
"Just think, if you would have stayed, do you think you would have survived?"
No I probably wouldn't have. No Jedi has the reflexes to deflect the amount of fire coming from the company of clones that were present.
"And think, if you didn't survive then your apprentice may still be out on the streets. He would have never learned his true potential in the force. And you would have never relearned what it means to be a Jedi even despite the times," my master explained. The truth in her words sank deep into my mind, "Kanan, know that you aren't a failure just because you run. Sometimes it takes the strongest of people to know when to step out of a fight. Even if that means sacrifice."
"But how do I know that I did the right thing?" I asked, still not totally convinced.
She pointed to Ezra and this time, I saw the face of freedom wash over my apprentice's face. He seemed at ease as he talked vividly to his parents. And his parents were eagerly taking in all of what their son had to say.
"I knew that there would be something greater in store for you," she explained, "Although, I never saw you adding on the responsibility of a padawan, I trusted in the force at that moment knowing that it would probably bring me death. You should know that my sacrifice was in favor of something far bigger than even I could comprehend at the moment. By training him, you have brought hope to the galaxy. You have also brought the Jedi Order back into existence one again. By training the next generation, we allow the legacy to live on. Much like this structure was built as a physical legacy, you and Ezra represent the physical as well as the living legacy."
The doubt that I had been feeling quelled considerably but it hadn't gone away completely. I just took in the words of my master letting them sink in.
"Don't let the doubt and misconception cloud what is right in front of you. The past is the past. Although it can never be erased or rewritten, it can help us move on and learn."
I smiled for the first time at Billaba. These words I would treasure for the rest of my life, now knowing that even though it hurt to leave and I could have probably done something, it was for the best.
Another person strode into the room. This one was a humanoid male, dressed in Jedi robes. His shoulder length brown hard was partially pulled back into a half ponytail. He made his way over to Oni who hadn't left the trance of meditation even with the conversations going on around her.
"So this place is so strong with the force, that whoever comes in can be greeted by old friends?" I inquired.
"Yes. This place is so amazing. More places like this are scattered across the galaxy, but only two have been found," She explained to me.
I quickly turned my head back to Oni, and saw that my master now had eyes on her herself. Oni had just greeted the male Jedi master in a similar manner to what Ezra did earlier.
"Who is that?" I pushed my master for information.
She just began to laugh.
"So full of questions now aren't we?" She questioned me amidst the laughter that shook her body.
"It's a legitimate question. I don't remember ever seeing him around the temple anywhere," I asked trying to make sense of the laughter.
Once she composed herself, she then gave me the answer I was seeking.
"That is Master Qui-gon Jinn. He was killed by a Sith before you were born," my master informed me.
That would explain why I never saw him around.
"Him and Oni have become great friends, since the death of Oni's master," Depa replied.
"Her master was killed like you?"
"No, he was one of the few survivors of the massacre, but he was just struck down by Darth Vader not long ago."
"How did she survive?" I continued to inquire of my master.
"Oni was on a mission that didn't require Clone Trooper assistance. To this day, I think that is what kept her alive," My master concluded.
"And her master, who was he?" I felt like I was prying too much into the life of this young Jedi.'
"Him," She replied pointing in Oni's direction. It was then that another male figure one that looked extremely familiar to me.
His greying red-gold hair stood out even amidst the blue hue that surrounded the deceased. He also wore the traditional Jedi attire and cloak. I watched as he gave Oni a warm hug.
"That is Master Obi-wan Kenobi," my master whispered in my ear.
I could feel my jaw go loose as I must have been gawking. Master-Kenobi was renowned for his skill as a swordsman and his negotiating skills. I had the privilege of meeting him once other than times in the Jedi Council chambers and I admired him.
"Master Jinn was Master Kenobi's master when he was around the age you were when Order 66 was initiated," My master began, "Oni was taken in young at the age of eleven a few years before the Clone Wars ended. Her and her master had one of the most revered bonds that anyone has ever seen. And it was right up there with Master Jinn and Master Kenobi's bind that they shared."
I couldn't help but grin at that. The bond between master and apprentice, especially in the Jedi Order was something that everyone cherished. I knew I did at least.
My master and I watched in Oni and Ezra in silence as they talked to their long lost friends and family. But as I watched Oni and Master Kenobi, I could tell that there was something more between to two. Master Billaba must have caught on to my curiousness.
"There are many factors as to why their bond was so strong, but unfortunately, I can't share it. It was so radical that only the members of the Jedi council knew about it. And it was to protect them both."
"Will I get the chance to know?" I questioned my master.
"Don't rush it, but I feel that with time, Oni will open up to you and let you in," my master explained as she rested a hand on my shoulder.
I then heard the rustling of the tree that was above us.
"It's time for us to go. Just remember this Caleb," my master explained using my real name instead of the other one, "I told you to run, yes to save your life, but also to give you a chance to see the bigger picture that was in store for you. You aren't a failure, in fact you are a hero, to the galaxy, to me, but most importantly your apprentice."
With those final words, we embraced once more and then she disappeared. I then watched as the faces of the Bridgers and the two Jedi masters disappear as well.
Oni walked over to me, as did Ezra, both with tears in their eyes.
"Oni," I began, "Thank you for bringing us down here."
"You are so welcome," she said smiling amidst the tears, "Let me know when you want to come back."
All three of us walked out of the building and back outside of the shield. We got back on the speeder bike but this time instead of the moonlight, it was a beautiful sunrise we were greeted with.
I will never forget this day as all of my doubt and fears were wiped away. I continued to think about what my master told me, now taking refuge knowing what my master thought of me in that crucial moment of the history of the galaxy.
I will never forget all of what my life has taught me up to this point. But most of all, I will never forget the amazing feeling of finding solace in a world of hate.