The Healer

A.N: Timeline setting: After 'To Take Down An Emperor'.

Every time Ezra flew an A-wing, he seemed to crash. Every single time he was either shot down, or suffered some kind of catastrophic engine failure of some kind, no doubt engineered by Chopper as a practical joke.

This time round it was the former. The sudden appearance of what appeared to be a modified TIE Defender was not something an A-wing could best, and in an attempt to outmanoeuvre it, Ezra had been shot down.

He had been on a simple relief mission. Apparently there was someone on the planet below that needed help, and wanted some in exchange for information about the empire.

But now, now it smelled like a trap.

The crash had been rougher than his previous one. Normally the only lasting damage was a knock to the head, as well as some bruising. Nothing that wouldn't clear up in a few days.

This time however had been different. Climbing out of the wreckage of the destroyed fighter, Ezra grimaced in pain. During the impact something had come loose in the cockpit. A shard of metal had broken free and imbedded itself into his shoulder. On instinct Ezra had pulled the shard out, before dressing the wound with the emergency supplies Hera forced him to carry as best he could.

It would hold for now, but he was in serious need of a healer of some kind.

The only problem was that he was now stuck in the middle of nowhere.

And Mirial was not exactly the most hospital place for someone who was unprepared.

The planet was cold even on its warmest of days. Not quite a tundra, but close enough that one had to wrap up warm to survive.

In his current state, it was unlikely that Ezra would survive the bitter wind that blew upon him.

Yet in all directions, all he could see was an open expanse. There was no sign of any settlement, or tracks to indicate a route to one.

So that left him both stranded and lost, that was until he felt something.

Through the force he could feel something, almost like a signature, but one that was hidden.

But one that was also indicative of life.

Grasping in his mind where the signature was coming from, Ezra set off on foot. Hopefully he could find someone.

It turned out that there was a settlement nearby, even if it was out of the way, hidden amongst a cliff edge.

A small town was before him, and whilst it wasn't teeming with life, there were a fair few individuals around. Scanning their faces he saw most of them were Mirialans, which made sense since he was on their homeworld.

Ezra had never really encounter many Mirialans before, with the exception of the Seventh Sister, and she was just plain creepy!

Still, from what he had read they were generally a welcoming species to outsiders.

He only hoped that today they would help him.

Walking around what appeared to be a market square, Ezra approached what appeared to be a stall, one occupied by an elder Mirialan male. When said male spotted his approach, he smiled warmly.

"Don't see many humans around here. Usually can't handle the wind. What can I do for you friend?"

Ezra was glad that the welcoming was friendly, even if it had an element of humour in it. He cleared his throat to speak, but found himself unable to. A sudden lance of pain ran through his shoulder, leading to him groaning aloud and removing his hand from the wound to inspect it briefly. The makeshift bandage was holding, but he needed help.

And he needed it now.

The stool owner clearly spotted the wound, as he gasped and moved around his stool to help the young traveller.

"By the gods, are you ok young man?"

Ezra groaned again, before regaining his composure, throwing a smile of gratitude towards the stool owner.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Does this town have a healer I can see in an emergency?"

The stool owner nodded his head, before pointing towards what appeared to be small building down a street.

"Absolutely. Salvia is the best around. She's a spiritual healer, one that can heal any wound no matter how grievous. You don't even need to pay her. She does everything for free. I went there last week for my hip."

"Spiritual healer?" Ezra enquired. How could that help him?

The elder Mirialan nodded again, a smile on his face.

"Our people are deeply spiritual. To an outsider it may seem like religious nonsense, but trust me. She can perform miracles. The gods herself have blessed her it seems."

In any other situation, Ezra would have continued to question the legitimacy of the person he was about to see. This 'Salvia' seemed to be some sort of divine individual. He wondered if everyone in the town felt the same.

But he was in no position to argue, not with the state of his shoulder.

Giving his thanks to the old man he began to move towards the building that supposedly contained this spiritual healer.

There was no door, rather an intricate covering made out fine fabric.

Shrugging his shoulders, and wincing from the pain, Ezra entered.

Stepping into the building, Ezra's senses were overwhelmed by various smells. Thick, fragment herbs seemed to float around the room, instantly welcoming him. Ezra found that the smell as pleasant, and already he felt soothed and somewhat healed.

And then a voice sounded from above him. It was gentle and kind, full of compassion and love.

Glancing up, Ezra found himself looking at an upper balcony like area, one that was clearly used as an office of some kind. Standing up there, peaking down over the railing was a Mirialan woman.

"Welcome young man. I've been expecting you."

Ezra wasn't usually suspicious of people, but there something about this woman. She was warm and welcoming, but he could tell she was hiding something.

The Mirialan woman began to descend the steps that led upstairs, coming to stand before him. She was not much taller than he was, and unlike many Mirialans he had seen outside, she seemed more lax. Her long black hair was not covered by a headdress of some kind, but rather flowed free, as if a symbol of her uniqueness. Her facial tattoos resembled diamonds, giving a sort of mystical look to her face. No wonder she was considered to be a spiritual healer. The look of her alone sold that image.

"My name is Salvia. How may I help you?"

Her voice continued to be serene and kind. Ezra found that he wanted to trust her, but deep inside he still felt that something was wrong.

Still, he had come this far, and he had to take a risk now.

"I was told you can help me." Ezra spoke, showing his wound to the woman.

Salvia began to inspect the wound, removing the makeshift bandage in the process, and gently running her hands along the wound.

"A nasty injury indeed. I can certainly help you though. Come, this way."

And then she turned around, gesturing towards what appeared to be a bed.

"Lay on your front and I shall heal the wound. You will need to remove your shirt however. Is that ok?"

Growing up a street rat, Ezra cared little about modesty, unless Sabine was around of course.

Not that he would ever admit that to anyone.

Nodding his confirmation, Ezra removed his top, exposing his back to Salvia, and proceed to lay on the table.

Numerous questions ran through his head. Salvia had said she was going to heal him. How?

"Excellent. Now, relax." Salvia's voice continued to be gentle, even as her cold hands suddenly made contact with his exposed back.

Ezra simply laid there, allowing the so called spiritual healer to work her so called magic. She began by simply massaging his back, a treatment he had not expected.

He also found he was not as yet impressed by whatever it was she was going to do.

And then he felt it. A sudden surge of power, one that was indicative of the force, flowed through his mind.

It was then that it struck him.

Salvia was force sensitive!

They were certainly a rare sight these days, and from the control that Ezra could feel she had through the force, she was most certainly training to some extent.

Had he somehow stumbled across another Jedi survivor? Or was she perhaps a Sith?

Clearly oblivious to Ezra's internal strife, Salvia continued her work. Ezra could feel the force being manipulated around his shoulder now. The ache and pain began to withdraw, and a few moments later ceased to exist altogether.

"There, you are healed my young friend."

Salvia's voice was still as calm and collected as it had been when he first entered. Shifting his body weight, Ezra moved to sit of the side of the bed, his blue eyes locking with Salvia's.

The Mirialan woman simply smiled back at him, no sense of hostility in them.

Perhaps she could be trusted. She had just healed him after all. Glancing at where the wound had previously been, Ezra saw that his skin was fixed, and all trace of the wound, minus the blood staining his skin, was gone.

Looking back at Salvia, Ezra spoke.

"You can use the force?"

Salvia's eyes lowered to the floor for a second, and her eyes became plagued by something. Ezra would almost call it guilt.

"I can. As can you it seems. I sensed you when you crashed on the planet, and I felt your pain."

Now it made sense. Salvia had been the signature he had detected through the force. She had led him to her to help him.

"Are you a Jedi?" Ezra asked, wonder in his voice.

Salvia seemed downtrodden at the mention of the Jedi, as she quickly took a seat on another nearby bed, burying her face in her hands.

"No, I'm not worthy of holding that title anymore."

Looking around, Ezra found his shirt not far away. Picking it back up and putting it on, he stood from his position and moved to stand before the Mirialan woman.

"Why do you say that? Are you a survivor from Order 66?"

Salvia looked up at Ezra, shame in her eyes before she spoke.

"In a way. I was in prison when it happened. Lucky for me a riot kicked off and I managed to escape before getting killed. I ran here, in hopes of redeeming myself for my past crimes, and all the while my friends, my family died. They died, and I lived."

"What happened? Why were you in prison?" Ezra inquired. He had never heard of a Jedi being sent to prison before. Whenever the empire tried to capture and hold either him or Kanan, it usually ended badly for them.

But from how Salvia was acting, it was clear she had been held.

The Mirialan stood from her position and began to move upstairs, clearly not interested in continuing the discussion. As she ascended the stairs, Ezra could have sworn he heard whimpers coming from her.

In that moment, he resolved to follow her.

After climbing the stairs, he found Salvia staring out of a window, up at the night sky. Darkness had come quickly it seemed. Ezra would no doubt have to find somewhere to stay the night.

But right now that wasn't his concern.

"Are you alright?" Ezra asked, his voice soft and compassionate, hoping to repay Salvia's kindness with his own.

The Mirialan seemed to sniffle lightly, before turning to face Ezra. Her eyes held traces of water, clear evidence that she had been crying.

"I betrayed her. My closest friend. I framed her for a crime and then tried to murder her. And then, rather than turn myself in, I let her take the blame for everything. I was prepared to let her be executed to prove a point, and to cover my own back. I'm a horrible person. I thought that by coming here, by helping people, I could redeem myself. But I was a fool to think so. There is no redemption for someone like me, not when everyone I loved is dead."

Ezra felt his heard go out to the woman, even if it sounded like she had committed some serious crimes. It was clear that she regretted it, and was suffering daily. That much warranted his compassion.

Then Salvia broke down again, curling up in a ball in the corner of her office, crying to herself.

Ezra began to move on instinct, coming to sit beside her, his arms trying his best to wrap around her in comfort.

His action helped to soothe the Mirialan somewhat, but the shivers present still showed she was crying, just not allowed.

And then something twigged in his memory. Something Kanan had told him years ago.

'"In the end, it was one of Ahsoka's closest friends that had framed her for the attack."'

Ezra's mind went into overdrive. Surely not? Surely this woman who had helped him, and was now collapsed on the floor in grief could not be the same person that was responsible for Ahsoka's decision to leave the Jedi order?

But everything Salvia had told her made sense, and all the facts lined up. She has framed someone she considered a friend and had been willing to let them take the fall. That was exactly what had happened to Ahsoka!

Pulling away from Salvia slightly, Ezra braced himself to ask the question.

"This friend you framed, do you know what happened to them?"

Salvia shook her head. Through the force Ezra could feel her regret.

"By any chance was she a Togruta?"

Salvia's head suddenly lifted up, her eyes locking onto Ezra's in shock.

"Yes, she was." Her voice was timid and frightened.

Ezra allowed a smile to come to his face. Even if she had betrayed Ahsoka in the past, it was clear she felt remorse. Maybe, just maybe, he could reunite some old friends, and repair both a broken heart, and a broken friendship in the process.

"Then it would appear the force brought me here for a reason. If the person you refer to is who I think it is, then she is very much alive and well." Ezra spoke. He didn't want to give direct answers. If there was thing he learned about being a Jedi, it was to be as cryptic as possible.

But clearly his words had the intended effect.

"Ahsoka's alive? She's really alive?" Salvia's voice was full of hope and merriment, one that Ezra was looking forward to seeing expand.

"She is. She may no longer be a Jedi, but she had been helping us. It's thanks to her that the empire has mostly crumbled."

Salvia broke down again into tears, this time tears of joy.

"Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you. I thought that she… I didn't want to think about it. Is she ok? Is she happy?"

Ezra nodded in reply, eliciting further tears of joy from Salvia.

"I can take you to her if you want. I'm sure she'd love to see you."

And with that, Salvia seemed to freeze, dread coming to her face.

Ezra had to wait a few moments before she shook her head.

"No, I don't think that is a very good idea. I betrayed her. She should kill me for it. I'd welcome it in fact. I can't face her, not yet."

Ezra understood. Ahsoka's reaction to Anakin's betrayal hadn't been forgiveness of any kind. More of concealed anger and hatred, covered by acceptance and the willingness to do what must be done.

There was no telling how she would treat Salvia.

Ezra could only hope that it would be with mercy. Salvia clearly regretted what had happened.

"Ok, but I'll give you my comm details in case you change your mind. Ahsoka has lost an awful lot Salvia. I'm sure she'd accept you back in time."

The Mirialan nodded, before whipping her eyes clear of tears and standing back up. She moved across her office, extracting some spare bandages she had and offered them to Ezra.

"Here, take these in case you need them. I'll come see her one day, when I am ready."

Ezra smiled on return, graciously accepting the offered supplies.

"No problem Salvia. I won't even tell her I saw you."

The Mirialan nodded in gratitude, a warm smile returning to her face.

The young man, young Jedi had left shortly afterwards, in search of somewhere to rest the night. Salvia had pointed him in the direction of a good inn, one that she knew from experience catered to everyone's needs.

But right now she had bigger issues on mind.

Ahsoka was alive. Ahsoka was happy.

She had long since thought about that day, the day that had changed everything.

Barriss Offee had only ever wanted to send out a message. To prove that the Jedi had fallen from their path. It was never her intent to frame Ahsoka, to let her take the blame for everything. It had just been a matter of both bad timing, and her friend being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Everything has spiralled out of Barriss control, and she regretted it.

So when everything had gone to hell, she had ran, as far away as she could. She had renounced Barriss Offee, and become Salvia, a healer who dedicated her life to helping those in need for nothing in exchange.

She had hoped that both Ahsoka and Master Luminara would be proud of her, would forgive her, if they still lived.

And now she knew. Ahsoka was alive. Despite everything she had suffered, the Togruta girl that Barriss had admired had survived, and prospered.

And from what the young Jedi had told her, Ahsoka was happy for once in her life. If there was anyone who deserved happiness, it was Ahsoka Tano.

Perhaps one day she would work up the courage to visit her old friend. Maybe she would forgive her, maybe not.

And maybe, just maybe, Barriss would be able to forgive herself.

She didn't know. Only time would tell. So for now she would continue her own path, trying to seek the redemption she desperately sought.

She had always wanted to help people. To make them feel safe.

As Barriss Offee she had failed in that regard.

But as Salvia, she hoped she was succeeding.

One day, she would find out. Of that she was sure.

Author's thoughts

Oh hi Barriss... what you doing here?

Since we still don't know what happened to Barriss in canon, I decided to do a one shot with her. I know some people expected her to be fully darkside after the Wrong Jedi arc, but in my opinion I don't think that is the route she would go, hence why I had her trying to achieve her own redemption here. I wanted to make it clear that she feels guilt over what she did, especially in regards to Ahsoka.

As for the new name she uses, it doesn't necessary mean anything, it just kinda sounds like salvation. I wanted to go with some sort of foreign word for redemption or salvation, but I couldn't find one that fitted. Salvia however sounded slightly spiritual, which fits with the Mirialan culture and all. That being said, Salvia is also a type of plant, so I don't really know where I was going with it. Nevermind huh.

Oh and before anyone asks, I have seen the rebels finale, and I loved it, especially the epilogue scene. I won't talk about it yet, as it avoid any spoilers for those who haven't seen it yet. That being said, I will probably do a final thoughts of rebels as a one shot of it's own at some point, once I have collected my thoughts completely. :)

Next one shot is an interesting one. I call it, "Five Times Kanan Jarrus sparred with Ahsoka Tano." Hope you like it.

As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:

Maliwan: Glad you liked the looks at the pets of these characters. Thrawn might not be outwardly sentimental, but inside he is, and Eli made quite the impression on him, hence the naming of his pet after him. As for Morai and Kaeden, glad you liked it.

xxTheTruMan196: Thanks, glad you liked the stories. They are fun to write and my favourite part is seeing the responses to them. The season finale was awesome, I agree.

SLE's fave guest: Loth-wolfs are pretty awesome too, I'll agree. Best thing about season four in my eyes (aside from that other thing... the one I am somewhat bias about... you know what I mean).
That being said, I don't think one would fit in the house. :(

Cranky Paws: Adorable was what I was going for. Glad I succeeded. :)
Pryce was thrown in there so we could have a bewildered character in the Thrawn section. She made the most sense in my eyes.
As for Morai being the daughter, I think she is probably what remains of her presense watching over Ahsoka, rather than the daughter herself. Could be wrong though. I don't think anyone can predict what Filoni has in mind these days.

LukeDude: Thanks, glad you liked both one shots, even if the tone of them was very different.
I wanted to include Cody in the main stories, but I ran out of time for a confrontation between him and Rex, hence why that one shot exists. Ahsoka's rather dark entry into that one was indictive of her use of the sith holocron, as well as Sidious' manipulations of her.
But back to Cody, I wanted him to feel some sembalance of guilt over what he had done, but at the same time he feels he is stuck where he is, as you said. Lucky for him, Rex has given him a chance.
As for the Pets one shot, I'm glad you liked both sides of it. Kaeden's mind would probably be blown if she knew the truth about Morai. How the hell would Ahsoka explain Mortis to her?
As for Thrawn... I wanted to again explore a different side to him. Glad it worked. :)

FossilQueen1984: Glad you liked both one shots. The Raiders and Doctor Who references were hard to miss really, so I'm not surprised we share the opinions.
Cody being with the empire is based off his legends counterpart, where he stays loyal to them (because he is stupid!)
That being said, I gave him a chance in this AU. Let us hope he doesn't waste it.
As for the pets, yeah, it certainly does happen to everyone. :)

Chiara Polairix Edelstein: Thanks, glad you liked it. Morai certainly is cute. :)
And yeah, Thrawn would totally name his pet after his first real friend.

Travis Middleton: Glad you enjoyed the one shot, even if it wasn't what you expected. (out of interest, what were you expecting to see?)
I imagine they will use Morai again at some point in the future. You don't introduce a character like that to never use her again.
Thrawn being overprotective over his pet is fun to write. He has a soft side after all.
Ahsoka's apartment has appeared before in this AU at the start of "A Tale of Two Fulcrums". I decided to bring it back for fun.
Eli will appear in the flesh at some point. :)
As for your idea, it's a great one, however I have already explored Palpy's reaction to Vader's death. It appeared in the epilogue chapter of "The Former Apprentices". :)

Mysterious Guest one: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the meeting between Kaeden and Morai. As for an appearance of Ahch-To... possibly in the future, if I can figure out a way to include it. :)