It's been two months. Phoenix Squadron has a permanent base on Atollon now, and they haven't heard so much as a whisper of ISB Agent Kallus.
Zeb goes there a lot, in his mind. Back to Bahryn. Back to that little slice of reality they carved for themselves. Sometimes he wonders if it even happened, or if he dreamt the whole thing. All he has are the memories and that feeling he gets when he thinks of the man. A feeling of emptiness and want.
The phrase 'I may be able to slow them down' echoes in Zeb's thoughts, and he mulls endlessly over what it means. What did it mean then, and what does it mean now? Today? What is Kallus doing at this very moment? What is he thinking? Is he thinking of Zeb? And most importantly, is he the man who revealed himself to Zeb on that moon? Or is it possible he could have reverted back to the imperial who'd chased him into the pod? Zeb has a feeling that's not the case, but he can't know for sure. And he hates not knowing for sure. Without some kind of clue, this limbo of uncertainty will drag on.
"Something on your mind, Captain?"
Zeb hadn't even noticed Ahsoka standing in front of him. She, Kanan and Ezra are about to leave for Malachor.
He clears his throat. "Just make sure you all come back in one piece, eh? The Rebellion needs the Jedi."
"That may be true, but it survives because of those willing to throw off the yoke of the empire. And some have much heavier yokes."
Ahsoka gives him a wry smile. Zeb has no idea why but it makes his stomach feel light.
"Plant seeds of hope in the most barren of places and there you'll find the strongest growth."
His blood turns to ice in his veins. Most barren of places? She can't just be uttering meaningless Jedi proverbs at him. This is Fulcrum, for kriff's sake. Everything she says has a purpose, has meaning. There's no one else within earshot, so her words must be for his ears only.
"What are you… What do you…" He doesn't even know what to ask. None of it makes any sense in his head. It's all feeling.
Ahsoka steps closer and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Even if I don't return, Phoenix Squadron will still have its Fulcrum."
With a final knowing smirk, she turns and makes her way onto the Phantom. Hera says her final goodbyes to Kanan, Ezra and Chopper and within seconds, the Phantom is gone. This all passes in front of Zeb's eyes without him even seeing. He's frozen to the spot, paralyzed in body and mind.
He's about to burst from within when a voice asks, "Hey Zeb, you okay?"
Sabine is looking at him with one eyebrow quirked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Tired is all. Gonna get some rest."
He stalks away as fast as he can without looking suspicious and heads straight for his room on the Ghost. Once inside, he lets out the lungful of breath he'd been holding for the past few minutes. He starts to pace. Back and forth, back and forth, as he replays Ahsoka's words in his head.
Seeds of hope…strongest growth…most barren of places… Most barren.
Bahryn.
Ahsoka wouldn't have bothered to be cryptic if she wasn't trying to tell him something. Something she couldn't come right out and say. Something secret that she believes Zeb has the means to decipher.
As far as Zeb can tell, there's only one thing this equation adds up to. And it's the clue he's been waiting for. The answer to the most important question.
The Lasat chuckles loudly and collapses onto his bunk. These have been two of the longest months of his life, and all this time Kallus has been busy. Busy contacting rebel intelligence from inside the empire. Busy getting himself through all the right channels until he reached someone who would listen, someone he could show his cards to.
Ahsoka knows about Bahryn because Kallus told her. He told her enough to earn her trust, and that means he told her everything. Everything as he saw it and felt it. If it was anything like what Zeb experienced, it was a convincing story.
Ahsoka isn't the only Fulcrum now. Zeb wonders how many others there have been, and if there has ever been one like Kallus. One who lived his whole life in service to the empire until the night he ceased to do so. One who's under cover as the man he used to be, the man he's trying to move away from.
Kallus is Fulcrum, and there's nothing Zeb can do to help him.
But that's a whole new can of worms Zeb is too overwhelmed to open at the moment, so he lies down. Goes right to sleep and dreams of glowing meteorites and the cold.
