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All named characters with the exception of Risè the pretty Twi'lek are the property of Disney/LucasFilm.

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"Go With Me."

"Stay With Me."

Chapter 1

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On a new mission, the Ghost was in hyperspace, enveloped in its soothing, blue waves. This ship and this crew never seemed to get even a bit of R&R. Kanan was starting to get worried that he could not teach Ezra enough of the ways of the Jedi and the Force to make a significant dent in the boy's way of thinking. There was only one open, free space in the Ghost, not large enough to practice full bore with the light sabers, but at least big enough to meditate and to teach a few moves.

They were off to an area of the galaxy to rescue a spy for the rebellion who had been outed. The crew was gratefully complemented with Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi Padawan, to add an extra set of blades to the mission. She was so strong and, more to the point, steadfast, with the Force that she was an excellent ally. They never knew if she ever wavered from the Light side of the Force or the ways of the Jedi.

However, even with this, Kanan was starting to get a little worried about Ahsoka as soon as they heard where they were going and the area of the Galaxy they needed to operate in during the mission meeting. Both he and Hera were concerned for Ahsoka. This remembrance of the start of this worry brought him back to that meeting an hour earlier:

"All right, everyone, we have an emergency," Commander Jun Sato commenced the meeting, "We have an urgent evac needed."

"What happened?" asked the ever-anxious Ezra.

Hera then spoke out, "One of our spies has just recently been outed. It is only a matter of hours before the spy is captured and the intel goes with her."

Kanan, as usual, was concerned for the crew and the time they haven't had together resting, "Where are we going and why couldn't another unit have handled this?"

"All our available units, including the Phoenix squadron extras, are engaged in a mission elsewhere I cannot say," said Hera. "It seems, at this time, we are the only significant unit available. Our asset cannot wait for another squad to divvy up. We must go now or lose the spy and the intel forever. We also have Phoenix Five and Six assisting us."

"All right," retuned Kanan, "But you didn't answer my question, Hera. Where are we going?"

"To the Japreal sector." Once Hera said that she noticed a look on Ahsoka that told her she didn't want to go and, from this moment, signaled that if she was going, she was going under the greatest reluctance.

"The Japreal sector," Ahsoka said with a look of worry more to herself than to the others. Captain Rex looked at her with concern. Phoenix Five and Six, however, had different opinions.

"Japreal! Are you crazy?" shouted Phoenix Six, "That is dead center of No Man's Land between Ehosiq and The Ghost Nebula!"

"We have to go. It is imperative," answered Captain Sato.

"Nothing that goes into that sector, smuggler, pirate, slaver, or Imperial, ever leaves," added Phoenix Five, a female human. "The last anyone hears of them is a harried message about 'The Bonteri Fleet.'"

"We are none of these," replied Hera. "Perhaps that is our advantage."

"We can only hope it is. All right Ghost crew, buckle in. We are going for a ride," finished Kanan, "Hera, let's fire up the Ghost."

"Kanan," Ahsoka came in while the crew were assembling towards the Ghost, "I wish I could say more, but I think the mission will go more easily if I came along."

"You sound like you don't want to go."

"If it were not an important mission like this, I would not. But I think it may help in some way if I did."

Hera herself had also heard this exchange and was worried. The briefing over, the Ghost took off quickly and at this moment was almost out of hyperspace on their way to the Japreal sector. Hera could sense that Ahsoka was troubled. In the little time remaining in hyperspace, while Zeb and Sabine were in their own rooms and Kanan and Ezra were off meditating, she decided to talk with Ahsoka, maybe to help calm her. Rex was doing what most soldiers do before a mission—sleeping in his bunk. Hera went to Ahsoka's private room. She was allowed to enter but was surprised Ahsoka wasn't actually meditating, as she thought Ahsoka would be doing she seemed so distraught earlier

"Ahsoka, you have seemed troubled ever since we started this mission. Are you all right?" Hera asked as she got closer to Ahsoka, who was sitting on the edge of the bed like Kanan when he was worried.

Ahsoka looked up at Hera and then back down to the floor, deep in thought, "I wish I could say yes," Ahsoka sighed. "It's been such a long time." Then there was a long silence. Hera had no idea what Ahsoka was talking about. "I hope he has forgotten about me," she finished almost in a whisper.

So, it was a man she was worried about; apparently someone she hadn't seen in a long time. "Who, Ahsoka?" Then Hera wanted to assure her friend, "Your secret is safe with me."

Ahsoka looked up and smiled lightly. She needed that apparently. Then she got up, only to sit down on a small chair a few feet away inside the room. When she spoke next, she was looking at no place in particular. "Lux Bonteri. He is from this system, and, from what I hear, is in charge of the fleet of cruisers protecting the area. When I saw him last, he was on a leave from Admiral Ackbar's military academy. He had given up on being a Republic Senator—he had gotten fed up quickly with all the corruption and decided to follow his family's military tradition."

"The Bonteri Fleet Phoenix Six mentioned?" Hera asked. Ahsoka only nodded her head. "Do you think we'll get any trouble from him?"

"I don't know. I haven't kept the best contact with him since I last saw him and the knowledge I could get about him just before we left was scant. He probably hates me. He didn't like Jedi much to begin with and that got even worse later on."

"Were you with him, I mean, after—"

"After what the Jedi Council did to me? Yes," Ahsoka ended quietly, contemplatively.

Then they could hear some knocking on the door. Hera opened it to see Kanan. "I looked into your room, but you weren't there. We'll be coming out of hyperspace soon," he said. He couldn't see Ahsoka but could see the look of concern on Hera's leaf-green face. "Is everything OK?" he asked softly with eyebrows upturned.

Hera smiled. She was glad she was happy to be with Kanan. She felt very sorry for Ahsoka just now. What she has been through, she never asked for. "Yeah, we'll be all right. Just some girl talk."

"OK, then. I'll go get Ezra ready for disembarking. See you in the cockpit soon."

Then Kanan left as Hera looked after his disappearing form. He always seemed to walk as if he knew she were looking at him—which she usually was. She then turned back to Ahsoka after closing the door. Hera was silent for a time, looking at Ahsoka, who was looking at the floor. Then, "Well, whatever he did to you—"

"You don't understand, Hera, he didn't do anything to me. . . . . Except love me." There was a long silence. Then Ahsoka decided to fill Hera in on what was bothering her. "He was there at the bottom of the steps of the Temple as I descended them after leaving the Jedi and my master. How he got there or knew what was going on, I didn't know at the time. Only later was I told that he had been helping me in my case, gathering evidence."

Then there was a pause as Ahsoka got up and went to the closed door as if she was ready to leave the cabin. Hera followed her with her eyes. Ahsoka, however, instead of pushing the button to open the door, put her hand above the door panel. "He helped me back on my feet, expecting nothing in return. He took care of me, made sure I was safe. For the first time in my life I had someone not a Jedi doing that for me. I see now it was something I needed desperately then. I stayed at his mansion on Onderon and then, at the end, his flat close to Padmè Amidala on Coruscant."

"What happened, Ahsoka?"

She turned around to face Hera. "Some months after leaving the Jedi and being with him, he asked me—," Ahsoka seemed to stumble here, "He asked me to marry him." The silence between the two women was deafening. It was what most women wanted, but timing was important. It must not have been Ahsoka's time. "I walked away, Hera, and never gave him an answer. It was a first for me." Ahsoka looked at Hera deeply, then looked away again. "I ran because I didn't know what to do; to either follow what it meant to be with the Force and to not form attachments, or to follow my feelings for him. I didn't know what to do so I ran. I could just feel him looking after me, disappointed, perhaps, but dejected most likely, in not having an honest question answered in kind, but answered in that way.

"I needed some time to think things over. We were on Coruscant and I was wearing a pretty dress. I was walking on the upper levels so deep in thought that before I knew it, I was before the Jedi Temple. I looked at the Temple for a long, long time, perhaps looking for answers to my dilemma. I don't know how long I was there, but, when I came out of my trance, I could see many, many people were also looking at the Temple. Then, there before my eyes, I could see a high and vicious flames suddenly burst out of the main entrance to the Temple and the staging areas. The Temple was under attack. I didn't know it at the time, but the Jedi were being destroyed by the very soldiers they fought with. I could feel all the deaths of the Jedi and Clones, and even some of the Temple workers who died trying to protect younglings. My mind became a daze. And before the night finished, there was nothing left. Gone, everything was gone. All I knew; all I worked for during my time there—gone, just gone." Ahsoka was silent for a short time.

"The worst thing was that in the short time I ran, the Republic collapsed and the Jedi were destroyed. Within days, everyone I knew and loved were dead or gone—Padmè, Anakin, Obi-Wan, all—except for him. Then I was not running from a boy I loved who asked an honest question, but running to save my life." Ahsoka opened the door. Fortunately, there was no one around in the cramped ship. The two headed slowly towards the cockpit. There was a long silence until Hera put herself in the captain's chair, getting ready for exiting hyperspace. Hera looked towards Ahsoka, but she had already turned around in her consternation, facing away from the front viewscreen. Just then, the Ghost exited hyperspace. "I stayed away from Lux," she said his name with a minute smile and a pause no more than a trice, "Fearing what my presence would bring in danger to him, and he never went looking for me, at least from what I have heard. He must have forgotten about me. I hope he has."

Ahsoka ended that sentence quietly, looking away from the front viewscreen, holding on to the headrest of Sabine's chair. Just as she said that, a group of large ships exited hyperspace in front of the Ghost. Hera looked at them and had a smile on her face almost like she never had before. Ahsoka started to walk away without looking to the front. "No, Ahsoka" Hera said as Ahsoka walked away, "He hasn't forgotten about you." Ahsoka, however, never looked back at what Hera was looking at. Soon after Ahsoka had left the cockpit, the others went there to see where they were going. No one, except Hera, ever knew what passed between the two women. Kanan looked at the ships and then looked back to where Ahsoka had been, not knowing what to make of what he saw, but had an inkling. Zeb, Sabine and Ezra either didn't think much about or notice what Kanan did. Rex did notice, and was happy for Ahsoka. He was, after all, a guy.

Ahsoka was alone, sitting back in the common room with its holograph-communication station. She felt a little fragile, just then. Not too much later, Zeb, then Sabine, and then Kanan and Ezra together, and finally Hera, who had put the ship on auto; all assembled in the common room and sat on the long half-circle bench seat. In a matter of moments, Ahsoka found herself sitting in the middle between all the crew members, with Hera and Sabine on either side of her and Kanan and Ezra at the ends, respectively. Rex was standing at attention off to the side, as was Zeb. Ahsoka had to smile a smile of remembrance of how Hera and Kanan always seemed to be together. As expected, they were contacted by a representative of the group of ships before them. Soon, a face and figure familiar to Ahsoka appeared on the holocomm.

"Unidentified ship, this is Saw Gerrera, General of the army that protects this sector. Identify yourself immediately or be boarded. We hope you are something more than this fake ID you have sent . . . us." Just then he saw Ahsoka, assembled with the crew of the ship. He then gained a smile on his face; a smile of familiarity and remembrance. Ahsoka returned his friendly smile. He also nodded to Rex, which was returned. Suddenly, he put on a look of slight jocularity as he held up a finger as if to say, 'Wait just a second.' Then he turned round the holodevice. He turned it and soon Ahsoka could see Lux off in the distance in the hologram. It was an older one on the opposing ship, with no color, but that was all right to Ahsoka. She could see him clearly enough.

There he was, in the center of the command bridge, seemingly conducting a drill with the crew of another ship. Ahsoka could see that he had grown taller slightly and more muscular, without an ounce of superfluous weight. His hair was slightly longer than it had been, falling in short waves of chestnut, almost like her master from long ago. He also now had a mustache, small but neatly kept, that added to his already significant handsomeness. He was accoutred in white trousers and a white jacket with some insignia on it opened at the chest, showing a black, hi-neck tunic. Around the front neck perimeter of the tunic, Ahsoka could see some triangular pieces of what seemed to be metal arranged symmetrically. These pieces reminded her of her old Akul-tooth headdress.

"All right, Shaak Ti, you can do better!" Ahsoka heard Lux say in a deeper voice than she remembered to what apparently was another ship. "Do it again from zero. Let's see how much better you can get to your guns! Break a record for me!" The crew of the Ghost could hear an acknowledgement from the ship in question. Just after this, he turned to an aide at his side. "Take over the drill, Risè," he said to a pretty Twi'lek woman (aren't they all?) who seemed to be young enough to be an ensign or slightly higher grade, who saluted him. Then, suddenly, with a look of impatience, he started to make his way with a slight stomp of exasperation to Saw Gerrera at the holocomm table. The closer he got, the harder it became for Hera to take her eyes from him. Sure she was in love with Kanan; but that didn't mean she couldn't look at other men—especially someone this handsome.

Ahsoka would have escaped and she squirmed as if she was trying to; but she was hemmed in on either side and couldn't move. She was getting extremely anxious as Lux came closer and closer on the device. "All right, 'Tontine' as you code yourself, identify yourself now or— or—." He suddenly stopped. Stopped because he was looking straight at Ahsoka with a look to Hera that—if she didn't know any better, she would say this look, now, was a look of the deepest love. The crew could see the man grab onto the edge of the table on the ship holding the holograph device as if to steady himself. Then he said to her, very quietly, with a small, peaceful smile, "Ahsoka." Ahsoka was looking at him as well, noticing nothing of what was going on around him or even herself.

"He— Hello, Lux," Ahsoka responded. Hera, however, could see her fellow Twi'lek, whom the commander called Risè, look after the human male with a special look she understood. Then, noticing Ahsoka, the girl put on a big-eyed, surprised face from something she saw in the hologram about Ahsoka.

Suddenly, Saw Gerrera came in with an order since Lux didn't seem to be able to talk, "Gunners, stand down!"

"Belay that order!" came a quick countermand of the order—from Lux himself, relayed by Saw and Risè quickly throughout the various parts of the ship. The Ghost crew was both shocked and bewildered, as was Saw. What could have happened? Why were they still in the sights of the ship's gunners? They knew they could not withstand the capital ship's firepower in front of them for even a second. They were very confused. After looking at each other for a few seconds they came back to look at what was clearly the commander of the fleet. But he had never taken his eyes from Ahsoka. They found out later that he didn't like doing what he had to do and offered his apologies for doing it. But they understood. In a galaxy like this, no one should take any chances.

Then the commander said something straight to Ahsoka that the crew had no idea of what the meaning was, "Ahsoka. I knew you couldn't resist a good fight."

Now it was Ahsoka's turn. She knew that if she answered wrongly, the life of her and the crew would be forfeit. She tried to remember back to all the times she was with him. Never, at that time, was fighting even thought about—much less mentioned. He told her he owed her that. Could it be from an earlier time? The life of her and the crew was in her hands this very moment.

Yes! She remembered! It was a time from long ago and when they were both so young, with their lives ahead of them. It was a time of great happiness and freedom, even though there was a war on. Now she remembered. Then, with a tear in her eye for all that has been lost since then, she replied softly, "Am I becoming that predictable?"

This response was greeted with a look of great love. As he answered her code, he was blinking away the watery eyes that had formed that instant. "Only to me," was all he could say. Then there was a silent recognition between the two that lasted several seconds. The only noise the crew could hear were various beepings in their own ship. Even Chopper was completely silent. The commander broke the silence: "I see you got my message."

Then, after a few seconds, he very quietly ordered, "Gunners. Stand down." He said it so quietly that Saw and Risè had to repeat it more loudly to the crew. His next order showed his change of heart. "Honor Guard. Be ready to receive distinguished visitors at docking port number twelve. Full colors. Amongst them are Jedi." When he said this with a smile, audible gasps were heard through the area of the ship Lux and Saw were in. Lastly, while still looking at Ahsoka, he signaled, "Bonteri out."

Within minutes, as the Ghost was approaching the larger ship. Kanan was looking through the binocs at the crew of the ship 'atween decks.

"Mm," he started, "Whoever it is, whoever they are, they certainly aren't the Empire. I see many people, but few are the same species. There're even some Wookies, and a— and a—." Kanan stopped there and looked at Zeb with a smile. Zeb didn't notice it.

"And a what, Love?" asked Hera.

"Oh, nothing. Just something I've never seen before. We'll all find out soon enough."

All the while, though the crew were in the bow, looking out the front view screen, Ahsoka was alone, in her room, nervous but remembering the time she and Lux had together. How would Lux greet her now? She had a clue that it would not be bad, and even Hera, just before the transmission, said in some way that Lux hadn't forgotten about her. And what was that cryptic message about her getting Lux's 'message'? She supposed she would just have to be patient—not one of her strong suits—to find out.

She then went silently back to the cockpit as the Ghost was very close to docking, facing towards the stern of the big, old Separatist dreadnought. The port was exactly amidships; and aft of the docking ring, they could see a large, elegant and intricate symbol painted down the side of the ship.

"I wonder what that means," asked a curious Ezra, pointing to the symbol painted from the topside to the keel of the large ship.

"I don't know," said Sabine. "I've seen a lot of symbols for a lot of groups, but I have never seen this."

"I don't know either," added Rex.

"It's nice, whatever it is," finished Zeb.

"That," broke in Ahsoka, startling those there who didn't see or sense her standing beside them, "That is the symbol of the House Bonteri," she said solemnly.

"Oh," said Hera.

"How do you know?" asked Sabine.

"Trust me," was Ahsoka's answer. Hera was also looking at Sabine, telling her to cool it and not to go too far with her curiosity.

Then, with a docking noise and the opening of hatches, the crew of the Ghost, with their Jedi compatriots, disembarked. In the airlock between the two ships, painted above the door leading to the larger ship, before it opened, the crew could see some writing above the airlock door that made Hera smile and be filled with hope:

WELCOME TO THE PLO KOON

ONLY THOSE WILLING
TO DIE FOR THE REPUBLIC
IN A MOMENT'S NOTICE
MAY ENTER

As they went through the door leading to the Plo Koon, they could see its crew members of many different species as well as the honor guard that were standing at attention in two lines along the passage way past the entrance door. Further past the honor guard, Rodians, Duroses, Twi'leks, Humans and Togrutas and other species they didn't know existed had assembled eager to look at the Jedi. When Kanan came out, after being piped aboard while standing at attention for a second or two, expressions of praise were aimed at him for his lightsaber and bearing. Ezra as well, with his peculiar lightsaber, got some smiles as well. Then Hera, Zeb and Sabine disembarked from the Ghost. Lastly, Ahsoka appeared—and as soon as she did so, many gasps of surprise could be heard from the crowd that had gathered. Almost no one had noticed her lightsabers; they were staring somewhere else and they kept staring there as she slowly passed them.

The group walked the passageways of the large ship. As they were walking they were greeted by crew members, eager to look at a Jedi. Many said 'Hello' and 'Welcome Aboard.' But they all fell silent at the first look of Ahsoka; some in mid-greeting—even by the many Togruta men and women they happened to pass. They looked at her closely, but rather than seem to be angry, they seemed to be proud. It was hard to fathom these mixed emotions.

As they were walking, all but Ahsoka held their heads high; she, however, was looking down, as if thinking deeply of something. They had passed some viewports, but she didn't look out. Hera noticed her and came alongside of her and stopped her next to a large viewport so they could be alone.

"Are you worried about his reaction?" Hera asked quietly. Ahsoka just nodded. "Do you remember when I said that he didn't forget you; even before we got the call from Saw Gerrera?"

"I, I don't understand."

"Take a look outside," Hera said as she pointed out the viewport. Then Ahsoka looked out from the starboard viewport to see the port side of an old Separatist ship of the line, a part of the fleet they were traveling with. Then she saw the bow markings of the ship. There, there were markings just like those of her face. Her eyes became big. Lux had remembered her and honored her with these markings. To the starboard of that ship, traveling in the opposite direction, was another ship with the same markings on the bow. Then she smiled a big smile at Hera and felt relief as if she had never known it before. She then held up her head high, turned in the direction they were going with Hera, and continued to walk with the Ghost crew so everyone could see her, and know where they got the markings of the fleet from. After some minutes of walking, they made their way to the bulkhead door leading to the bridge. She hadn't been happier in a long, long time.

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Thank you for reading this. I wanted to get this up out of my head and onto my little publishing page before the current Rebels season ends. I hope you like the first chapter of the story. I would have gotten it up sooner but I really worked over the scene between Hera and Ahsoka.

What I am assuming to be the symbol for the 'House Bonteri' is what is carved on what Lux is wearing as a buckle in Heroes on Both Sides and the Onderon arc and in his knit cap in A Friend in Need.

'Tontine' seems to be the code name for the Ghost, according to Wookiepedia.

For the sake of this story, "Brothers of the Broken Horn," where Vizago calls in Ezra's debt to him, and "Legends of the Lasat," where we met remaining Lasans and were told there were many more, didn't happen. So this story is already AU, in that case.

No, Hera is not going to go after Lux in this story (Risè might, though). I thought Ahsoka over-reacted a bit when Lux was helping Steela in the early parts of the Oneron arc. (The later parts may be another story.) Just because a man looks at another woman or helps her doesn't mean he is going to go after her or that he doesn't appreciate the woman he is with. The same goes for women as well, so Kanan wouldn't mind Hera looking at Lux.

Thank you,

johnt

PS. As for Hera looking after Kanan? If you look at the last scene but one of 'A Forgotten Droid,' Kanan leaves the cockpit while Hera looks after him—turned all the way around AND all the way to the closing of the door. I don't think she is worried about the stupid AP-5 droid.