Old Friends

Authors Note:-

I know I know I should be doing something else, but come on… After a fantastic first season I just had to throw this out there.

Bit of back story, I was a massive Star Wars fan growing up. I had the tapes, the classic figures, even the expanded universe novels. Hell I was ten years old and reading Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy. One of the things that inspired me to become a writer was Stackpole's X-wing series. While not my favourite author (for that you have to look to David Eddings) I loved Stackpole's characters and the way he embraced the Star Wars Universe.

Then George Lucas had to go and make the prequel trilogy just as I was beginning to appreciate both writing and film theory. Perfect timing there. I was so disillusioned that I pretty much gave up on the saga completely. I still watched the parodies and Red Letter Media's reviews, but I threw my books into the cupboard and moved on.

Then I decided to give a few episodes of Star Wars The Clone Wars a try. I heard good things and gave it a chance. I liked them, but as I couldn't find a channel showing them in the UK so I shrugged and moved on. Star Wars Rebels is what's brought me back to the universe. I can't forgive Lucas for the prequels, but I can try and forget them.

Star Wars Rebels goes a long way to helping to do that.


Disclaimer:-

All characters belong to Disney. (I can't wait to see what they do with them!)


Kanan popped his shoulder and grimaced. Days of the Inquisitor's tender mercies had left their mark. The restraints, the electro-probes and the interrogation droid was more than enough to break a normal man. Somehow he had survived, it hadn't broken him. He even felt stronger. More connected with the Force after his ordeal.

For the first time in his life Kanan had called on every shred of training he'd received. Now, at long last, he understood why Jedi teachers had the rank of master. Only in teaching did you truly understand what you learnt. He owed Ezra for that. For years he'd felt like a failure, leaving his master to die. She'd sacrificed herself so that he could survive and no matter what he did he never could shake the feeling he could do more.

The Inquisitor could sense Kanan's fear, but he'd zeroed in on the wrong thing. It wasn't a fear of dying that had held him back, but fear of failure. Of failing the others. Letting down those people that counted on him, that needed him. His doubt came from that fear. That doubt clouded his connection to the Force. Limited him. When he was alone, when he knew he couldn't let anyone else down, then he could see it. He could focus in a way he couldn't before. Now he had to see if he could do that again.

Pushing aside all his physical aches and pains he embraced the Force. Focussing on his breathing Kanan let his conscious float. He could feel the Force, It's scope. This was what the Sith couldn't see. The wide, all encompassing strength that it represented. Not just rage, or raw power, but the strength of balance. Anger and laughter, not one side or the other but both. Every part together as a whole. That was the light. The Dark was blinded by one aspect over the other, the Light wasn't.

Now, now for the first time he could call himself a Jedi. Now he could do so without pride, but humility. He was a servant of the Force, of life itself. A guardian of justice and a seeker of peace.

Kanan felt a flicker of a smile tug at him as an almost forgotten memory floated to the surface. He was stood at his favourite window in the Jedi Temple. He was always there, same time every week. Watching the delivery of cargo, dispatches and supplies. He wanted to be out there, on the edge. A pilot, a Jedi ace attached to one of the explorer ships out on the Galactic Rim.

'Hey, daydreamer! When you've finished come back down to us simple mortals and share the wisdom will ya?'

Kanan laughed as his friend lent lazily against the window support. 'Anakin, what are you doing here?' Anakin was slightly older than Kanan but the two of them had hit it off easily when they first met and become fast and very good friends.

'I was just asking myself where my sparing partner would be, then I remembered it was delivery day and you'd be here, watching that Twi'lek pilot you like so much.'

'What… I just… It's the view. Good view of Coruscant' Kanan back peddled unconvincingly.

'Over the Temple's cargo docks, yeah sure.' Anakin laughed. 'Come on, your master sent me. You're late.'

'What?' Kanan looked at his Chrono and swore 'Kriff, I didn't realise.'

Pulling himself up Anakin kept smirking. 'She'll be back next week, but you have training.'

With one last glance out at the docks Kanan saw the cargo ship's landing ramp closing and nodded. 'Alright, but go easy on me this time, alright?'

'Is it my fault I'm apprenticed with one of the greater duellers of our age?' Anakin put on a tragic expression

'Really, is that why Master Windu regularly defeats you at open challenge?'

'Oh come on, he cheats. He has to, I am younger and faster after all.'

Kanan shook his head. 'Whatever happened to the idea a Jedi should be modest?'

Laughing Anakin threw his arm over Kanan's shoulder. 'You don't want me to lie, do you?' Together the pair of them, Padawans in training laughed easily, walking down the hall.

Snapping his eyes open Kanan came back to the present. Awake in his quarters on the Ghost but he could still hear the laughter echoing in his ears. 'Oh Anakin, he chuckled. 'Wherever you are old friend, I hope you're giving the Empire hell.'


Across space, that which had once been known as Anakin Skywalker felt the briefest of flickers in the Force. He looked down at the datapad in front of him and snarled. On it was two images, one was of the Padawan. A child. Obviously he had no idea what he had began. The other he recognised. The idea that his old friend and sparing partner, of all people, was the cause of all these difficulties enraged him.

'Lord Vader, we are approaching the Lothal System.' His aid informed him politely.

With a sharp motion he crushed the pad in one hand and rose from his seat. 'I will be on the bridge.' Cloak billowing behind Vader left his sparse quarters and headed to meet with Tarkin.

End Old Friends

Authors postscript

Quick note, you may notice a slight edit here. I've removed the reference to Kanan's name in Vader's section. This is because it was pointed out to me that Kanan changed his name after the fall of the Jedi order. That was my fault for lack of research and I've tired to fix it. Thanks to everyone who pointed that out. Also there is a significant age difference between Kanan and Anakin. I thought it was still possible that they could be partnered up and I still do. Training with an older student at lightsaber combat could easily have been part of Jedi Practice. I might be stretching it but I never let realities get in the way of a good story. It's why I'm a hack!