Thanks to OechsnerC, V and Spectre6 for the feedback!

Spectre6: Good. I'm glad that you're still here with us. As for Ezra the Bridge, that was a connection I myself never made. But it makes sense, when you look at it from that angle.

V: Yes, kinda. See, the Empire has tried everything to erase Jedi from public knowledge, so Ezra was going to use that to disappear. And then Fallen Order came out, and here we are.

Everyone seems excited to see Anakin fulfill his destiny as the Chosen One, but ask yourself: what does it mean for the Force to be balanced? The Jedi had the thought that meant the eradication of the Dark Side, but you need both Dark and Light for balance. I don't feel that the Dark Side is evil. The Sith are, certainly, but from a certain point of view, the Son on Mortis was actually trying to save the galaxy from Vader and the Emperor.

I may get flak for this, but think of it as a debate. Start a dialogue. What if Anakin did balance the Force in Episode III? Think about it. By the end of the movie, there are two Jedi, and two Sith. Some would say a balance of Jedi and Sith. Then in Episode VII, Vader dies, leaving the Emperor, a Sith, and Luke, a Jedi. Balance. From that viewpoint, the Force at the end of Episode IX is out of balance, because all that remains is Rey, a Jedi.

Once you think of it that way, the Force becomes very fascinating. But that's the thought I want to leave you with today, what does balancing the Force truly mean?

Enjoy!

. . . . . . . . . .

Ezra stumbled onto the Ghost and accepted a hug from Hera. "Thank you for coming back for me."

Hera smiled. "As if we'd leave you behind." She returned to the cockpit. "Where are we headed?"

Ezra looked at Rex, who was talking with Echo. "Captain? Thoughts?"

Rex stood and headed to the cockpit. "I have a few suggestions. Planets the Empire has forgotten about."

As he left to talk to Hera, Ezra lifted his comm. "Spectre Six to Mantis One, we're taking off." He was silent for a moment. "I owe you my life."

"Think nothing of it, Six. You'd have done the same for me."

Ezra smiled. "Yeah. We'll contact you when we have a new base set up. Stay safe."

"You too. May the Force be with you. Mantis One, out."

Ezra sat down with Sabine as the Ghost lurched into hyperspace. Smiling, he leaned into her. "I'm going to be glad when all this excitement dies down."

Sabine smiled and wrapped an arm around him. "I know. I'm excited to call Mother and see how Cale's doing."

Ezra grabbed his comm again. "Hera, I just had an idea." He locked eyes with Sabine. "One I figured I'd talk to both of you about."

Hera appeared from the cockpit. "What is it?"

Ezra gave a sad smile. "Right now we can't see Cale. Not with everything happening. Especially not with Vader maybe on our tail. And I know you haven't seen Jacen in a long time."

Hera slowly nodded. "I-I know."

Sabine frowned. "You want to move Jacen to Krownest?"

Ezra nodded. "I do. Figured he may as well do with family nearby." He smiled at Hera. "Besides, I imagine Krownest if far more secure than Ryloth."

Hera couldn't help the grin that spread over her face. "I imagine." She grabbed her comm. "I'll see if Father can't help with this." Heading towards the cockpit, she stilled for a moment. "Thank you, Ezra."

. . . . . . . . . .

One Month Later:

. . . . . . . . . .

"Spectre Six, this is Mantis One." Cal glanced over at his crew. "We're arriving."

The comm responded instantly. "Copy that, Mantis One. Welcome to Kamino" There was silence for a moment. "Any sign of him?"

Cal sighed. "Nothing. Cere's been keeping track of Imperial messages from Mustafar. Nothing regarding you or Vader."

"See you down here. Six, out."

Cal nodded and looked at Cere. "You okay?"

The former Jedi nodded. "I'll just be glad when this business with Vader is over." She chuckled morosely. "I kinda liked our life in obscurity."

Cal turned and looked at the planet of Kamino. "That's no way to live. That's who I was on Bracca, and I'm glad we're done with it."

. . . . . . . . . .

Sabine activated Kanan's lightsaber, swiping at Ezra while she rolled under his legs and brought the blade to bear behind his neck. "Yield!"

Ezra grinned and flipped over her head, using the Force to off-balance her. When she turned around, he threw the lightsaber, but missed her by a few inches. While the blade was out of his hand, Ezra rushed her, ducking under Kanan's blade and putting Sabine in a headlock. Before she could get out of it, his blade returned, and Ezra held it under her neck. "Yield."

After a moment's struggle-in which Ezra used the Force to freeze the hand that held Kanan's lightsaber, Sabine nodded. Letting go, Ezra returned his lightsaber to his belt and smiled. "You did far better that time."

Sabine rubbed the back of her neck. "I didn't realise you threw your lightsaber as a distraction. I really thought you had missed me."

Ezra chuckled and accepted Kanan's saber from her. "If you were an Inquisitor, I'm not sure that move would have worked. By throwing my lightsaber, I became defenceless. If someone was trying to kill me, all they would have to do is throw their saber too, and actually hit me."

"Really?" The duo turned to find Cal leaning against the side of the Mantis. "Care to test that theory?"

Sabine smiled and took Kanan's lightsaber from Ezra. "I'll return this to his room." She pressed a quick kiss to Ezra's cheek. "Don't be too hard on him."

Ezra chuckled and activated his lightsaber, circling his opponent. "You know, this would have been fairer if I hadn't spent half an hour training in the rain with my wife, right?"

Cal shrugged. "Try facing an Inquisitor then Vader a few seconds later. Not fun." He activated his own saber. "Are we going to talk or train?"

With a roar and a lunge, Ezra leapt at Cal, swiping quickly at his defences. Amidst blocking, the other Jedi frowned. In the half-dozen duels Ezra and Cal had shared, the former Jedi had always been a defensive fighter, something he had picked up from his Master. Ezra's style was to wait for his opponent to make a mistake, then go on the offensive.

Never before had Ezra gone into the offence immediately into the sparring match, seemingly with an intent to kill. It was something-

Eyes widening, Cal rolled away from Ezra, slowing him down with the Force while he went down that train of thought. It was something that a Dark Sider would do. And Ezra had been captured down on Mustafar, the place where Jedi go to die. Granted, he hadn't been down there long, barely a day, but the Force moved quick. Maybe that was why Vader didn't interfere. Maybe-

Blocking another attack, Cal inflicted slowness on Ezra again. Maybe some of the darkness from Mustafar was still inside Ezra.

Suddenly switching off his lightsaber, Cal Force-Pushed Ezra to the side of the Ghost and closed his eyes, straining to hold him there. After a moment, Ezra stopped fighting, and Cal let go. "Something's wrong?"

Ezra nodded, picking up his fallen lightsaber. "I feel it too." He locked eyes with Cal. "It's the Dark Side."

Cal scowled. "But that doesn't make any sense. The Dark Side has to be let in. It can't take control of a person. It can't-"

"I let it in."

Cal stopped and stared at Ezra. "What?"

The other Jedi smiled mirthlessly. "A few months ago, I thought Sabine had been killed. So I went on a rampage, killing anyone who I thought was a part of that mission. I did some pretty bad things, and I gave in to my anger."

Cal scratched his beard. "And the Dark Side was amplified on Mustafar." He eyed Ezra warily. "You can't go on any missions."

He nodded. "Agreed. I'd be putting the others at risk." He glanced down at his saber. "No more sparring sessions either. I'd rather not kill you."

Cal nodded. "Appreciated." He started towards the Cloning Centre, where everyone was for the time being. Rex had suggested Kamino as a temporary base, seeing as the Empire had no use for it. "Come on, we have to tell the others."

They stepped into the base to find Sabine pointing her pistols at someone sitting in one of the chairs. "I was just about to call you."

Ezra regarded the prisoner. "Who are you?"

The man lifted his head, sadness evident in his eyes. "Anakin Skywalker."

In the same movement, Ezra activated his lightsaber and looked at Sabine. "Get Hera." He pointed his saber at the fallen Jedi. "Why are you here, Vader?"

Anakin lowered his head. "I cast off Vader." He smiled mirthlessly. "I was warned about this a few decades ago, but that time was erased. If it wasn't, I might never had become Vader."

Cal activated his own lightsaber. "So why come to us, knowing we'd be the last people in the galaxy to believe you?"

Anakin looked down at the lightsaber in hands and lifted it towards Ezra. "You can kill me if you want. I won't offer any resistance."

Ezra took the saber and studied it. "This…this is Luke's!"

He nodded. "My son's." He lowered his head, and Ezra could swear he saw a tear roll down his cheek. "The Emperor killed him while I was fighting Han Solo. The Emperor claimed he saw a vision where Luke turned me back to the Light."

Ezra clipped Luke's lightsaber to his belt and shifted to the side as Hera and Sabine ran up. "He gave us permission to kill him."

Sabine scoffed and unholstered her pistols. "As if we need it."

Hera sat down opposite the Jedi and narrowed her eyes. "You must have known what would happen if you came here, so why come at all?"

Anakin was about to speak when Rex walked in. Simultaneously, both of them flinched, and Rex lifted one of his pistols. "General?"

Anakin swallowed and nodded at Rex. "Rex. I-I wanted to thank you. You helped save me." He looked back at Hera. "I came here to fix some of my mistakes."

Sabine laughed bitterly. "You have a long way to go before that's finished."

Anakin looked at her. "I know. And I am sorry. I tried to kill you on Lothal. If your armour was anything but Beskar, you'd be dead."

Ezra looked at Anakin. "You blinded me."

Slowly, the former Jedi nodded. "I did." He lifted his hand. "I'd like to make it right, if I can."

Slowly nodding, Ezra shifted forward, wincing automatically as Skywalker's gloved hand cupped his broken eye. Anakin closed his eyes, and Ezra could feel something enter him, and gasped as long dead nerves began to tingle.

After a moment longer, Anakin removed his hand and smiled. "Open your eye."

Almost daring not to breath, Ezra slowly opened his right eye, blinking several times as information that had avoided the eye for months was now being processed, overwhelmingly at first. Softly, Ezra looked at Anakin with tears in both his eyes. "Thank you."

Anakin smiled and stood, gesturing to Rex. "Captain. Looks like you've seen better days."

Rex chuckled, rolling his shoulder and grimacing at the audible cracks. "Getting old, General." He scoffed. "Anakin."

Skywalker smiled. "Can't be having that." He gestured to a lone room off to the side of the cloning chamber. "I asked the Kaminoans to prepare something else, something I think you'll like."

Both Anakin and Rex stepped into the room, and the door closed. An audible exclamation of excitement from Rex was heard, and then silence for twenty minutes.

Finally, Anakin walked out alone. "Rex will be with us in a few minutes. He just wanted to get some things ready."

Half an hour later, Rex stepped out, resplendent in the armour he had worn during the later half of the Clone War, his face looking what it had been decades earlier. He smiled at Ezra. "Reporting for duty, Commander."

Everyone stared at Anakin, who smiled. "Something I learned is that the Dark Side isn't inherently evil. The Sith are, they twist the Dark Side to their own purposes, but the Dark Side is necessary for balance." He gestured to Rex. "I transferred his Life Essence to an unaltered clone."

Hera looked at Ezra, then at Rex, and holstered her pistol. "I can't say I trust you, or that I'll trust you for a long time, but you've gone a way to prove that you are genuine." After a moment, she held out her hand, which Anakin accepted. "But know that we'll be watching you."

Anakin smiled gratefully. "I understand, General Syndulla. I won't fail." His eyes hardened. "Not again."

. . . . . . . . . .

Chapter Notes!

I). Thanks to V for suggesting it in a comment, but Ezra's experience on Mustafar has changed him. If we go back further, the Blue Spirit started the change, and it's going to become a recurring factor in this next arc.

II). I do wonder why the Empire stopped using clones. Apart from their awesome uniforms, they had just proven they could be controlled to take out their Jedi Generals and friends. Why change it? Could it be that the Emperor didn't want any reminders of Anakin for Vader?

III). Anakin may or may not buy into my philosophy on the Light and Dark Side. At least he puts it to some use.

IV). So, Rex is young again. If I'm being honest, that was something I was hoping for in Rebels. I could even picture it. They had introduced Dathomir in the show, and Mother Talzin had once healed Maul of similar problems.

V). Ezra's eyesight is something I may get yelled at, as there were several approving commenters when I blinded him. But, if I think about it, I can't name a story where Ezra gets blinded, then gets healed from that blindness. Besides, Force Healing is a thing, as Baby Yoda has shown us. And how else am I to get you all to trust Anakin? This is the way.

I'm serious about that dialogue bit. I'd love nothing more than to have a discussion with some of you about how the Force works. I don't claim to know all the answers, but I do find it fascinating.

Thanks for reading!

Judge