RUHLSAR000 Here! Sorry this is a day late. Had something to do yesterday morning that came to nothing. Hope you all liked the special! Back to plot! Those it's a plot thread we haven't seen in a while. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! GIVE IT UP FOR THE MOUSE! I apologize for error, delays and long-winded author's notes. Enjoy!
Talia stretches getting ready to meditate as instructed. Unfortunately, it is not the quote-on-quote "active meditation" she gets to do when she practices her archery. Just regular mediation. But hey, she wanted to be a Jedi, so she better just suck it up.
She sits down on her knees and begins to open her mind. "Today's meditation is going to be a little different." Moana's voice instructs her. Talia cocks her head to the side. "You are going to look for something."
Talia waits a moment for Moana to elaborate. "So, what are we looking, Teacher?"
Her master smiles at the title. After hearing her past, they had agreed to change the traditional title which had negative condition in the taken culture. They needed each other, like any great master-padawan teams. Only time would tell if they are one. "Not we. You. And you will know it when you find it."
"Did all Jedi speak in riddles?" Talia asks.
"Only the good ones." Her teacher fights back a chuckle. Her master annoyed her when she was a padawan. Her master was annoy by his master when he was a padawan. She annoyed Zara when she was a padawan. And by all that is good, she knows Talia will do it in spades.
Talia nearly bursts into laughter, "I just got an image of a Jedi speaking in riddles while ordering out."
Her master smiles at the image. Hers was extra funny due to the Jedi in question being Master Yoda. "Come Padawan, focus." Their hour of meditation passes and Talia finds nothing.
Sonya looks up at the profile. She has been spotted not to long ago. And promptly trounced the butts of all three inquisitors who found her. Not surprising. Her master went up against her three... no, four times and lost each time. Of course, he didn't know his apprentice's connection to the Jedi Master. So, she is going by Moana now.
The only inquisitor who even got close to capturing her was Offee. And that had mediating circumstance.
"You're smirking." Chance's voice comes out of nowhere. She doesn't glance up as he sits down to her right. Sonya told them all to meet in a conference room for their next practice. Chance had arrived early, knowing she'd be early and he could get some alone time with her. While he did like his team, they did cut in on time they could sneak away alone.
"So I am." She acknowledges.
"Who is she?" Chance asks looking at Moana's picture.
Sonya glances down at the most resent development. A padawan. Inanna Syndulla. A twi'lek "Moana" rescued from being taken to the training station for inquisitors. Her brother had called her Talia during their confrontation. But there is more than enough records for her to confirm, that Talia the Taken and Inanna Syndulla are one and the same.
Sonya is cursing herself for not realizing Talia was Force sensitive. She put another kid in danger of being sent to that...
But another thought fills her head. A rather darker thought. Has this girl replaced her? "Moana" was suppose to train her not some stranger... Sonya shakes it away. There was nothing to replace. Sonya had shattered their relationship a long long time ago... While Sonya may still see her as... she doubts that the woman views her as anything more than a mistake.
She feels a hand on her cheek. She looks over to Chance. He knows she's not crying, but he also knows she needs support. He scoots his chair over to her and wraps an arm around her. She leans into his chest, keeping her sense extended for their team.
Chance looks at the woman. She makes Sonya happy yet can make her sad just as easily. Who is she?
Sonya sigh, "I'll tell you some day. But... not today..."
"Take your time." Chance reassures. "So what brings us here today?"
Sonya smirks, "You need to know your prey if you are to catch them. I'll be showing you the information we have on the Jedi we know are alive."
Chance glances up at the photo. So, this woman is a Jedi... He files that away for later, instead enjoying her presence.
Talia sighs before entering a meditative state. She's been looking for who knows what for the past month. And she has found nothing. Now, she isn't impatient. When it is necessary, she can be very patient. But that is when she feels like she is doing something.
She sighs, after fifteen minutes, giving up on searching and instead just letting the Force guide her. She'll look with fresh eyes tomorrow. The Force causes her skin to tingle.
Her eyes opens. But Talia didn't open her eyes... But how else can she explain looking at... What is she looking at? It isn't her room or her teacher's room or where ever she decided to meditate. In fact, it looks like...
Talia stifles a gasp. This is Lothal. The rock hills she had grown up climbing. The grasses she hunted in. There is even a tooka mewing in the grass. She mindlessly takes a step forward, looking around. Then she is moving fast, without taking a step. She is flying across the ground, without her feet leaving it. Across grasslands, passing mountains, over water, she moves.
She approaches a mountain but unlike the others she doesn't avoid it. She's going to HIT IT! Talia flinches. But she doesn't feel an impact.
She looks around. She is in a dark tan room. She flies through a doorway. Then, she is surrounded by dark. Is she still moving? Or has she stop? Does it even matter?
There isn't up. There isn't down. She doesn't even feel the ground. There is nothing here. Yet... She feels peaceful here, connected. She feel everything. There is everything here. Nothing, yet everything.
Slowly, stars blink into existence. Each a different color, colors she couldn't even imagine. She is surrounded by the stars, by the universe, by life. By the Force itself. Then two yellow stars approach her spinning around themselves. They are the color of the Lothal sun after a harsh storm. That sun always filled her with happiness.
They come closer to her. They aren't stars. They are crystals. Kyber crystals. Her crystals. Talia smiles, as she returns to darkness, to up is up and down is down. She opens her eyes and is back on the ship, in her room.
Adrenaline and excitement fills her. She springs up. "Teacher! Teacher!" She races through the ship, heading for the cockpit. Her teacher is in the captains chair, hyperspace racing across the windows. "Teacher!" Her teacher smiles in amusement. She knows. Talia smiles, breathing as she tries to quell her excited exterior. "I found where my Kyber crystals are."
They exit hyperspace. Talia blanches at the planet. Lothal. "You knew."
Her teacher waves it off. "Call it a hunch. I was looking through the bowels of the holocrom for possible places to find kyber crystal as the most common place, Ilum, is..."
"Being farmed by the Empire using child slave labor." Talia offers, shaking her head.
"I was going to say impossible to get to unless you like wearing buckets." Her teacher smiles. "I was quiet surprised to find a temple on Lothal. Lived there for seven years. Never once thought to check."
"But how did you know there are kyber crystals here?" Talia asks, clearly that hadn't been recorded or there would be a greater trooper presence on Lothal.
"Lothal is quiet literally the middle of nowhere in the the outer rim. It is so out of the way that it wasn't colonized until the last years of the republic. Only really gaining a population from refugees trying to escape the war and later the Empire." Her teacher begins piloting the ship to the planet.
"That didn't work out so well..." Talia sits down in the co-pilot seat. "But how does that prove kyber crystals on Lothal?"
"Why would the Jedi, who only had ten thousand at its height, divert resources to maintain a temple here long ago?" Her master smirks. "The Jedi did have multiple temples but the locations had significance. Early on, Kyber crystals were found across the galaxies, with several temples built where the were common. By the fall, all padawans were going to Ilum for their crystal. So, that leaves one question. What happened to those temples?"
"They were forgotten..." Talia says, unable to deny the irony. A girl that the galaxy forgot is getting her crystals, in a way a reflection of herself, from a temple the Jedi forgot.
Sonya sighs, sitting down in the meeting room shoving down an arm full of datapads. "Well, I think it is official. The Lothal rebels are no longer based on Lothal."
Raff looks up from his meal. "They are the ones we are looking for, right?" A few of the others look up as well.
"The ones we are primarily after, yes. They often make supply runs to Tarkintown. And the padawan's messages are still being heard. But their activity on Lothal has all but vanished and they are now seen on other systems far more often." Sonya explains, looking at one datapad. Chance shoves her tray of food at her, moving some of the datapads away. Sonya goes to grab another datapad, only to find her hand in something yellow on the food tray. She shoots a look at Chance, who shoots a look back. Sonya rolls her eyes, unfolding the napkin and wiping her hand off.
"So what-" Raff begins asking, but is cut off by Sonya standing.
"A Jedi just entered Lothal's atmosphere." Sonya says. "We leave now."
Everyone scrambles up. Chance asks, stepping closer to her, "Jarrus and the Ghost crew?"
"No," Sonya says. She only felt it for a second before it was cloaked, but... "Someone who is far more of a threat. I am afraid you guys won't have much to do as it is only a Jedi and her padawan."
"How do you know it is her?" Chance asks, not sure who her is.
"I'd never mistake this Force signature." Sonya say. Yeah, she'd never mistake this Force signature that wraps around her and makes her feel safe warm and loved. She misses it so much.
"We should hurry." Her teacher says, as they enter the temple. "Even if this is a forgotten temple, the Empire may still have it on record. And we've already been here longer than I'd have liked."
"Sorry." Talia winces.
"Hey, this is your journey. You take as long as you like. Very few padawans could have been any faster. I just wasn't anticipating an inquisitor or an inquisitor in training on Lothal..."
"Her?" Talia asks. Her master nods. Talia looks to the side, not sure what to say. "Kriffin' huttslime of a nerfherder's stick!" Talia jumps at the sight of a dead body. The door slams shut behind them. Talia rubs the back of her head. "Oops."
"Don't swear. We're in a temple." Her master rolls her eyes.
"R...right..." Talia nods. "How old is this place?" Talia looks around. She feels her master's wonder.
"That over there is a symbol of the Light side. It fell out of fashion about five thousand years ago." Her teacher points out. Talia swears in her head. That number is far beyond her imagination. She's never seen five thousand of any thing. "And that is a symbol of the Dark side. They were portrayed together and used each others design to portray the interlacing of both sides. But that practice fell out of favor long, long ago... Even before these symbols fell out of favor." Talia looks around astounded. Her teacher sighs.
Talia nods, "We had better get started." Her teacher smirks at her. "Right, my journey... I'm going into alone."
"Smart girl." Her teacher smiles.
"So, may the Force be with you." Talia says.
"Trust in the Force. It is will be with you, always." Her teacher nods, sitting down into a meditative position.
"The corpses..." Talia asks, though she already has an idea.
"Teachers who padawans did not return..." Her teacher answers. Talia doesn't like that answer. "Trust in the Force and yourself and you'll be fine."
"Did you have to do something like this?" Talia asks.
"No, the challenge on Ilum came from the frigid environment and nasty predators... I do not know what await you down there." Her teacher sighs.
"You wouldn't tell me if you did. My journey, my test." Talia shakes her head. "See you soon, Teacher." She turns and walks through the door. The door closes behind her.
Her teacher sighs, "Be safe."
"Any idea how long we'll be driving?" Raff asks, leaning against the top of the driver's seat. Said driver, Sven, rolls his eyes.
"We'll get there when we get there." Chance looks at Sonya. She is sitting across from him, eyes closed and that weird collar from their time on the jungle planet is back on. While she is physically here, he doubts she's here mentally. She went into that state shortly after telling Sven to head them North and has only surfaced a few time to change the direction. This Jedi has to be that Jedi that is going by Moana...
"We've been driving for hours." Raff groans.
"We will get there when we get there." Torence says, harshly.
"Let's all calm down." Chance says, trying to keep the peace. "We are all a little bored, but snapping at each other does nothing but give flash backs to long road trips we took a children. So let's try and keep it professional."
Sonya's eyes snap open. She stand suddenly and walks to Sven. "Stop." Sven does as instructed. Sonya steps out of the transport, everyone follows. Sonya looks straight at a large mountain surround mostly by water. "Of course, they would come here..." Sonya holds out her hand, eyes closed.
"Su..nya" Chance asks, from behind her. She doesn't answer for a good few minutes.
"The Master and padawan have entered the Jedi Temple." Sonya's eyes snap open.
"Temple?" Torence asks.
"The mountain. Jedi records show it contains a Jedi Temple." Sonya explains
"So we go in an flush them out?" Grace asks.
"No, this temple only let a master and their apprentice in." Sonya says.
"So what? We call Offee?" Torence groans.
"Offee may insist on me calling her master, but she is no teacher to me." Sonya glowers, sitting down on the ground. "There is only one entrance. They have to come out some time." Everyone resists the urge to groan. Sonya rolls her eyes. "Helmets off. We are alone out here and I won't have you shooting so horribly for no reason."
Talia enters a room with three possible door ways. "Well, this is great. Hm... the middle is unlikely, no room for possible turns without burrowing really deep. Everyone tends to go to the left... So... right?" Talia sigh, "Right, and I am walking into a trap." She walks into the right doorway.
A few steps in, Talia freezes midstep. Her head snaps to the left. Ezra is leaning against the wall in that same ratty orange jumpsuit she had last seen him in. "Always so logical. Never trusting anything."
Talia flinches at the venom in his voice. "What are you doing here, Eb- Ezra?"
"What's it matter to you? It's not like you care about anyone but yourself." Ezra says harshly.
"What- That's not true." Talia defends herself.
"Then why did you leave me to die, Twi'lek?" Ezra growls.
Talia flinches.
"Hey Twi'lek. Did you see any trappers out there?" A eight year old torgurta asks.
"No, I think we are in the clear for tonight." The eight year old purple twi'lek huffs. While her scouting brings good news, she was unable to snag any food meaning she is going hungry tonight, again.
Axle nods from his perch. Seriously, she wanted nothing more that to smack him and that condicending look, but he is also the best fighter among the tribe of nine and the oldest, so that would go so well. "Give the noob a hand with the fire. I, for one, have no desire to be cold tonight."
She rolls her eyes. The noob got picked up a week ago and despite his lack of ability to do much, he was able to keep up while dragging a starving fourteen year old taken who is so likely to die that he isn't even considered a member of the tribe. He hasn't yet realized he has to look out for himself, cause no one else will yet.
She kneels down next to him. "Ebby." She growls. He looks up. She grabs the sticks he is rubbing together. "This." She mimics his actions. "Isn't going to do anything." She grabs a stick with a loose string tied to both ends. She wraps the string around a stick and start making a fire. Ezra watches intently. The fire lights up quickly. "Thanks." Ezra smiles. The fourteen year old groans. Ezra leans over and wipes his forehead.
"Why bother?" She asks. "It's not like he is going to survive. And if he does, he won't do anything for you." He can't honestly be a taken for six months and not realize that.
"I know. But if I don't help, who will?" Ezra smiles.
"But what do you get out of it?" She asks.
"I don't. But he needs help." Ezra says. She's gobsmacked. Just who is this kid? "So, what's your name?"
"Those who bother call me anything, call me 'Twi'lek'." She crinkles her forehead.
"That's not your name, though. I've been here a week and no one's used it." Ezra says.
"If I had one, I don't remember." She rolls her eyes. It's not like it matters.
"Oh..." Ezra says sadly, "Then, I'll give you one! Hm... Talia! I'll call you Talia."
Talia? The twi'lek looks surprised. That's the name of some high class girl, a real lady. Not a street urchin. It just doesn't fit.
"See you, Talia. I have to get some fresh water." Ezra says.
"Wait a minute! I never-" Talia starts, but he is already gone.
Later, Talia sits by the fire for a while, watching other takens eat and trying to ignore her hunger. She feels a hand on her shoulder. She looks up to see Ezra. He sits down next to her, with a smile. He pulls out a ration bar. She turns back to the fire, sighing. She feels Ezra nudge her again. "Talia." She ignores him. He nudges her, again. "Talia." She ignores him again. He nudges her. "Talia." She turns to snap at him. The swear word freezes in her mouth as she sees him holding out half the ration bar. She stares at him.
"Here, Talia." Ezra smiles at her. She hesitantly takes it.
"Um...Thanks..." She mumbles, stunned. She takes small bits, savoring it for as long as possible. For some reason, this bar tastes delicious. It is the bet thing she has ever tasted. Talia... If he keeps feeding her, he can call her whatever the kriff he wants. Within the week, that fourteen year old was dead. Talia for what ever reason felt the desire to comfort Ezra. She didn't see any harm, so she did.
Talia stares at Ezra. Why would he... He never... "What's going on, Ezra?"
"You may have fooled everyone else but I know the truth. You just a selfish kid who only looks out for number one. You'll never be more than that. You proved that when you shot me." Ezra kicks off the wall. He holds up a blaster and points it at her.
Writer's Corner: MysteriouslyDeep. They are a very new writer whose only story is a very cute young Ezra story under the regular Star Wars category. Check it out.
Thank You Time! Thank you Crimsom-Wyvern for following and favoriting. Thank you HarmonyGirl567 for favoriting. Thank you Paint the Fangirlng UniWolf for reviewing. Glad you liked the special. Thank you Jedi Jelsa777 for reviewing. Yay! Someone agrees with me. I think Yoda has more than enough reason to lie through his teeth considering even Lucas didn't even know if Luke would stay on the Light Side. Maybe Leia lost contact with the Ghost crew and thought they were dead. Thank you Delta General 42 for review. Long time no see. Thank you EmilyBridger for reviewing. Thank you Midnight Luna for reviewing twice. Inner fangirl, is Midnight Luna revived or is she still in a coma from the special? Hey, I warned her. Inner fangirl, why are you the sane one? Normally the fangirl is the crazy one.