(A/N: Hey you guys. This chapter has spoilers from the recently released episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars named "The Bad Batch". They're on the Star Wars website if you would like to watch them for yourself. I'm still working to get everyone perfectly in character, particularly Sabine and Ezra's dynamic. If you have a question, feel free to ask it in a review or PM me. Thanks for reading.)

…

That's the air kicking on.

Seconds later, I hear the climate control open the vents, and cool air poured in.

And Zeb's snoring.

The cool air hits my face, and I slightly jump, which fully wakes me up.

I don't want to know what time it actually is.

Keeping my eyes firmly closed, I feel around my nightstand for my datapad.

…

…

Crap.

I forgot.

Sabine has it.

I sigh and just lay here for a second.

I don't think I'm going to be able to go back to sleep.

Using the Force I probe around to feel if anyone else is awake.

…

…

Ahsoka's moving.

…

Kanan is too.

And I think Commander Rex and Echo are too?

I open my eyes and sit up.

Hopefully it isn't a completely ridiculous hour.

I throw on a shirt and some pants, then walk out into the hallway.

They're in one of the meditation chambers on the other end of the station.

I sigh, and start that way.

At some point, I see the time.

2:22 GST.

Good going Ezra.

Slept for a solid 3 hours before waking up.

I've had a couple of nightmares about my parents while I've been here. Usually they don't bother me. I've been having them for years.

But add in that lady's screams that I heard back when Senator Organa and the Princess came, and I've been sleeping terribly.

…

I finally find the correct meditation chamber and open the door.

The room went silent as I walked in, then Hera and Kanan hopped to their feet.

"Ezra?" Kanan asked.

"What are you doing up?" Hera demanded softly, walking over.

Rex, Echo and Ahsoka are all looking at me strangely.

"The climate controls woke me up, and I couldn't get back to sleep. I sensed you guys here so I decided I'd take a walk." I say.

Hera softly wrapped her arms around me. "Well grab some warm blue milk and—"

"Actually, hold on Hera." Kanan said softly.

"Why? It's too early. He needs to go back to sleep."

"He's been sleeping badly. I've felt him awake super early ever since we got here. And I think he needs to hear this." Kanan countered.

"Hear what?" I ask him.

Everyone turned to Ahsoka.

"If you think he can handle it." She told Kanan.

"I think he can, but he's also going to get a facefull of it eventually. Might as well hear it from us." Kanan argued.

"I would like to tell our side. I imagine usually we're the villains." Rex said.

"One of them, yeah." Kanan said.

Hera frowned and put her hand on Kanan's shoulder.

"Fine." Ahsoka said.

I move to sit by her and next to Rex across from Kanan and Hera.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Clone Wars." Kanan said.

"Weren't you both padawans or something?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"You two didn't know each other though. Unless Echo or I missed something during a mission." Rex said.

"Wouldn't surprise me. I spent most of the last part of the war being turned into a cyborg." Echo scowled.

I whip around to look at him, while Kanan and Hera leaned forward.

"What?" Hera asked matter of factly.

"I…" Echo started, then stopped and turned to Rex.

"Maybe you should tell the story? The details are a blur now."

"Sure. Jump in if you have a comment though." Rex said, then shifting in his seat.

"During a key mission…Echo was hit by a laser cannon. The shield he was carrying didn't help. His helmet rolled away from the blast. We all, General Skywalker, the other clones, Commander Tano everyone thought Echo was dead. Until after the Commander had left the Order, that a signal from Skato Prime containing Republic battle strategies had Echo's signature on them. We went to find out the source. What we found…wasn't what we were expecting."

…

"He…was in a stasis chamber. Hooked to more computers than I could count. Legs gone. One arm too. Looked dead. But he was alive."

"I don't really remember anything until you said I never stopped being a soldier." Echo shook his head.

"How do you have arms and legs then? Like normal ones?" I ask.

"Cybernetics kid. They've made a bunch of progress in the last few years. They can match your skin color, make them respond like the real thing, hot and cold, pretty much everything." Echo smiled.

"I've never been more proud of a solider than I was of you. You were the reason we were able to get off that slimeball and win Anaxes." Rex smiled at Echo.

"What did the Separatists use you for?" Kanan asked, looking concerned.

Echo looked to Rex.

"I…had a battle algorithm. It was extremely effective in creating general strategy and anticipating flaws. Echo had it on him when he got blasted. We think that the Separatists captured him, found the algorithm and thought of a way to use it."

"A disturbing, sick way." Hera said darkly.

"It wasn't completely terrible. I've been able to eradicate all copies of the algorithm from the Empire's databases. And I've modified it for our own uses." Echo replied.

"So it was you, plus two Jedi?" I ask.

"No. We had a special clone battalion named "The Bad Batch" alongside us." Rex told me, as Echo laughed.

"Those guys…they're something else." Ahsoka said with a smile.

"You know them?" Kanan asked. "I've never heard of them."

"Black ops. They were clones that went wrong, but in interesting ways. Like super strength, extreme accuracy, unparalleled technical abilities, and so on. They didn't even all look alike."

"Were you there?" Hera asked Ahsoka.

"No. That was shortly afterward."

"After what?" I ask.

"I...Well I left the Jedi Order." Ahsoka said.

WHAT

"What?" I say, hopping to my feet.

Ahsoka shrugged.

"You know how everyone calls her General Tano? That's why." Rex said.

"Why'd you leave?" I ask her.

"Ezra!" Hera snapped at me.

"Ezra, I'm sorry. But that's my business. It…wasn't a fun time." Ahsoka said, not meeting my eyes.

That's weird.

She always looks me in the eye.

"It's not our business anyway. I don't even know. I just know the shockwaves that came after that." Kanan said firmly.

"Same. The next few missions felt like we were missing an arm." Rex said.

Ahsoka however, was looking at Kanan.

"Aftershocks? I've never heard about what happened right afterward."

Kanan looked surprised.

"Well, uhm word spread like wildfire. Apparently some people saw you and Master Skywalker talk just outside the gates, and you walked away. Rumors flew around, and after about a week the Council didn't have to tell us what had happened. We just knew." Kanan said.

"Where were you at the time?" Echo asked.

"With my Master on a diplomatic mission to Omereth."

"I thought Omereth was a water world." Rex stated.

"It was. Not much there. Pretty much a wild bantha chase." Kanan replied dismissively.

"Who is this Skywalker guy? I heard you say his name earlier. Is he a part of a cell?" I ask Kanan.

…

"Not to our knowledge. No more questions about Ahsoka's past. It isn't easy for her kid." Kanan said forcefully.

I turn back to Ahsoka and see that she looks calm.

"Sorry." I say.

"It's alright. But your Master is right." Ahsoka said simply.

"I told you he wasn't ready for this." Hera smacked Kanan in the ribs.

I nervously turn back around to look at them.

I've already lost this round.

"I thought that—" Kanan started.

"Hey Ezra. How's the wrist?" Rex asked, gesturing me to come over.

I get up and sit next to him and Echo.

"It's alright. The ice and stuff really helped."

"Good. No stiffness?" He asked.

"A little bit. Nothing too bad. I did everything fine today."

Echo still grabbed my arm and started testing how flexible it was.

He did two or three tests, then let go of my hand.

"Seems fine. No lingering tendon damage or anything." Echo said to Rex.

"Alright Ezra. Time to go back to bed. We're leaving tomorrow after all." Hera said.

"We are?" I ask.

"Yup. Going to Onderon, with a short pit stop to pick up supplies." Hera told me.

"Will anyone else be coming too?" I ask.

"I'll be with you." Ahsoka shrugged.

"We'll catch up in a day or two. No big deal. Your training isn't done yet." Rex smiled.

Good.

I feel like I really just started.

"See you tomorrow kid." Kanan waved.

"Night." I say, trying to hide my disappointment.

I let my head hang when the door shut and I'm out of their sight.

I don't know anything about the Clone Wars.

I had 4 veterans of the Clone wars in the same room as me. And all I learned about is how one of my masters might not actually be a Jedi. And the other is part robot.

Good going Ezra.

Instead of going to bed, I grab a drink and a snack from the kitchens, then go to the room Kanan had me deflecting blasters in.

I'm not tired. Might as well do something.

I force pull the droid to me, and set it to emit 1000 bolts at me.

That should be enough to get me to a reasonable time.

I walk over to the wall, where my helmet is in my assigned space then put it on.

3…2…1.

I activate the probe droid first, then my lightsaber.

And then try the tough part.

Kanan and Ahsoka don't want me to focus on the probe or the blaster bolts. They want me to use the force and sense them, and then act accordingly.

Trust your instincts. You'll have them and your training in the heat of battle. Nobody will be able to help you.

Ahsoka.

She's a powerful Jedi. Stronger than Kanan. I can just feel it.

That's probably because she was trained longer than Kanan.

I think.

Kanan usually follows her lead during our training sessions.

Ahsoka's always positive and reinforces me, even when I'm constantly screwing things up.

Kanan is usually my sparring partner.

My lightsaber training has mostly been footwork. They've been running me thru what basically are dance moves as I swing my lightsaber like I'm attacking.

Also I've been running thru these ladder things that they lay on the ground. I have to step into, and out of each one. If I'm too slow, I have to do two more.

Ahsoka, Kanan and Echo have turned down the power to my lightsaber so that if I do hit Kanan it will only shock, not cut him and cauterize right away.

I've done okay. I just keep reacting. Ahsoka keeps telling me to think.

You don't need to win every strike. It's a check. A block. Don't be afraid to stretch the battle out.

Kanan said it another way. I'm merely stopping their progress. A temporary blockade that allows me to make a move or give ground.

It's all defensive based so far. And it's driving me crazy.

When I talked to them about that, they both got onto me.

Said I wasn't looking at it right.

Lightsaber combat isn't a method to kill Ezra. When properly displayed, it's an impenetrable defense. It can be used offensively, but the defense is more important.

I just know that if given half a chance, the Inquisitor would have finished me. If I was given ten chances, I might have finished him once because of pure dumb luck.

When I'm not doing lightsaber training with them, they've been working to teach me how to shield my thoughts.

That's been fun, except for the headaches that they keep giving me.

Can't do anything about that though.

They are messing around in my head.

…

No more bolts?

I pull my helmet off and cautiously approach the droid.

"It's me kid."

I jump and turn to see Kanan, Hera and Ahsoka standing in the doorway.

"Oh. Sorry. I'll go to bed." I say quickly, hurrying to put my stuff away.

"No…you'll want that on Onderon. Take it with you back to your room." Ahsoka said.

"Are you okay Ezra?" Kanan asked.

"Yeah. Just not tired." I shrug sheepishly.

I feel like they've caught me breaking a rule or something.

Ahsoka steps farther inside and lets the door shut behind her.

"Are you sure?" Kanan pressed.

"Yeah. Just not tired."

"Or is this about Sabine?" Hera asked.

I frown at her.

"It's about her." Ahsoka said quickly.

"It's not about Sabine!" I reply quickly.

"You guys have been fighting. It's okay if it is." Hera said evenly.

"This isn't about Sabine guys. I promise."

"What about you avoiding her Ezra?" Kanan asked simply.

…

That I am guilty of.

I've been working pretty much around when Sabine has been eating, and instead worked out or some other sort of training.

I haven't seen her in about a week.

"I just don't want to see her. She'll find another way to insult me." I say darkly, turning to the containers in the wall.

"Ezra…she talked to me about you guys talking last week. She didn't mean to upset you about your training with Rex and Echo. She just doesn't…she wants you to be ready." Hera said softly.

"Well she isn't good at saying that." I tell her.

"Ezra, Sabine's a year older than you, but she's not perfect. Remember that." Kanan said.

"I know she's not perfect, but she keeps on finding ways to dismiss what I've been doing. And it makes me angry."

"What did I tell you?" Ahsoka asked, sounding like she was smiling.

"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." I reply.

Suddenly, I can feel her happiness thru the Force.

I answered correctly.

…

Might as well tell them.

It is true I guess.

"I'm tired of being dismissed by her. That's the best way I can put it." I say, then brace for their reply.

…

"That's perfectly understandable Ezra." Hera said after a moment of silence.

"I know I'm not supposed to like her. It's not the Jedi way." I say.

"The Jedi way doesn't matter anymore Ezra. The Code used to forbid attachment, but we were supposed to be emotional and compassionate. It was a double standard that did nothing but harm. That doesn't apply to you Ezra." Ahsoka said.

"I…" Kanan began then stopped and sighed.

"For what it's worth kid, I'd just focus on your training. If it works out with Sabine, then great. But you can't sacrifice your training for her."

"I'm not. I've been doing more training because of her." I counter.

"Is that what you've been doing?" Hera asked.

"Yeah. When I know she's eating or something, I've been doing something productive. Just like she wants me to."

"Ezra, she does care. I promise you that. That's not the issue." Hera told me.

"It might just not be time. I…yeah. Maybe it needs time." Ahsoka said.

That sounded weird.

"And…keep this in mind. Not every girl you like is the one. I fell for a lot of girls before I met Hera." Kanan said.

"And we don't talk about them, now do we?"

"Nope." Kanan said cheerfully.

Maybe that's it.

Maybe it's not meant to be.