Just to add that since making this story I've started writing people in a third person PoV so i'll start gradually putting this story in third person.
(Ezra's PoV 4 years 34 days ABY)
I woke up and instantly banged my head on the roof of The Mantis. This was the dozenth time I did this, I was getting sick of it.
To recap, myself and Barriss were ambushed by Chiss soldiers on our new home, we then met Cal, Greeze, Merran and Cere and truth be told I'm confident theres something else living in this ship like a stowaway or something.
The Mantis was ridiculously small but we managed to get by.
Cal took us to a moon on Dathomir which I couldn't remember the name of for the life of me. It was inhabited by wild life we try our hardest to avoid them. Though Merran seemed to do a good job of scaring them off.
Anyway, on this moon is a little base of sorts, it looked like a Separatist recon base. Cal guesses that Dooku never really trusted the Nightsisters very well, Merran backed that claim.
Though Cere acted as if she knew more about Dooku's lack of trust in The Nightsisters but kept it to herself.
Myself and Barriss were getting comfortable in the recon base, though the power is limited. Cal's BD-1 droid could only do so much for turning back on the emergency generators and the power lines were badly damaged after years of storm damage.
Myself and Barriss have been listening out for word on Thrawn but so far we have gotten nothing.
I never forgot the betrayal, I've been analysing the situation, Barriss and myself only left because Thrawn purposely made her feel upset and then he used my empathic nature to make sure myself, Barriss and Grey were gone. Thrawn knew that he could attack while the three guardians were out, and we fell right into his trap and because of that people… kids are dead and it's my fault.
I moved out of bed and move down towards the drivers seat of the Mantis, I notice Greeze and Cere talking, I decided not to test my luck with eavesdropping on their conversation and just walked in.
I got their attention immediately as I walked in.
"Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to know how far out we are." I asked. I joined Cere on a trip out to an unknown planet called Bogano she said she wanted to teach me something, what ever that means.
"We'll be there in less then an hour Ezra." Cere replied while monitoring something on the Mantis's screen.
"Oh great." I replied. "May I ask Master Junda, what is it your trying to teach me? The force has already thought me all I need to know." I decided to ask. Cere took a deep breath and looked back at me. She stood up and guided me towards the chairs where she sat me down, also taking a seat.
"Ezra, the force thought you many things, how to wield it's power, how to fight in harmony with it but it did not teach you how to lead, how to be a Grand Master to teach and guide others, for that is something you must learn yourself."
"Cere, I'm only the Grandmaster until someone much more qualified takes over." I say quickly. She glances at me with curiosity in her eyes.
"Why don't you want to be the Grand Master Ezra?" Cere asked me. I looked at her for a few seconds before I answered, I had this answer prepared.
"I never wanted this, I wanted to protect Lothal from The Empire, I never wanted to be a Jedi, I just wanted the power it would bring, so I could save my home from the Empire." I explained to Cere.
She looked at me with a small smile on her face almost like she understood.
"Did you know I don't know what Planet I'm from?" Cere asks.
"Umm no, no I didn't." I say a little confused as to how to reply to her odd question.
"We were taken from our homes very young we never meet or remember our parents, it's easier that way, easier to teach us to be disconnected when we have no experience being connected to anything… or anyone." Cere says, a small tear rolls down her cheek. "Some of us are lucky, some have distinct looks like Twi'leks and Togruta's, but for those of us that have human forms we aren't so lucky." Cere says sadly.
I had no idea how to respond, I just sat in awkward silence.
"I understand your want for protecting your home, the Jedi order was my home and I failed to protect them and that regret has lived with me for years after. But you protected your home from the Empire and now you have the ability and responsibility to make sure that other worlds have Jedi like you to protect them." Cere explains.
I sit there thinking more on what she said. Cere stood up and returned to the cockpit where Greeze was sitting.
I decided to wait quietly while considering her words.
Sabine's PoV (4 years 34 days ABY)
It's been a tough few weeks. For a quick recap, about twenty days ago we landed on a planet we assumed Ezra would be on, the co-ordinates we were given by Leia had been old information from the looks of it.
When we got to the planet and tracked the village down we found it ablaze, weird creatures were smelling and checking the situation out, they were huge creatures that looked vicious, but thankfully they ran away when the ship got closer.
We landed in the centre of The Village my hands on my blasters and Ahsoka's on her Lightsabers.
The village was destroyed, it looked like everybody left, or worse.
Myself and Ahsoka had a quick look around and that's when I found them, the graves.
I called Ahsoka over and she nearly gasped when she saw them, each grave had an individual helmet placed above their respective owners grave, but some didn't have helmets, and those were smaller then the other graves though I tried not to think about that.
"Ezra did this, he buried them." Ahsoka muttered. I looked at her, she seemed to have the beginning of tears rolling down her cheeks.
"How can you be sure?" I asked. She looked at me as I said this. She took a deep breath to help and composed herself.
She explained about how she buried her fellow Clone battalion and how she told Ezra what she did.
I was relieved, if Ezra buried them then theres a possibility he's alive, just somewhere else on this lousy planet. I looked around, there seemed to be ropes going out into the middle of nowhere, maybe they lead somewhere, maybe we could get answers.
"There's a rope, maybe it leads to Ezra?" I say to Ahsoka. I look back to her but she's not paying attention to me, instead she's looking off to a distance where there seems to be a clearing made by a large object and a man made path that was clearly made by continuous use, meaning something big used that path way, a lot.
"I need to go this way, you follow the rope." Ahsoka ordered, I was about to argue but she was already running back towards her ship ready for take off.
I decided to stick to the plan and follow the rope. Hopefully Ahsoka would meet me back here in an hour or so.
=======================Ahsoka's PoV=======================
It didn't take me long to get where I needed to go, but when I got there I was filled with more questions then answers. This place was destroyed, there was a temple here once I could sense that, but there was something off about this place.
When I landed my ship I stepped out of it. I could sense a strong force signature, a Jedi was here I know it.
I noticed a figure standing on the one of the slabs on marble that was on the floor I was convinced it was Ezra.
"Ezra?" I ask walking closer cautiously, I often glanced behind me to make sure I wasn't going to get ambushed just incase I was wrong.
The figure had their back towards me, but they seemed off. It was almost like I could see through them. When I realised I stopped walking. Was I hallucinating, was I being tricked?
The figure turned to face me.
My blood went cold, my face went pale and my heart picked up ten fold.
"Hey Snips. How have you been?"
Hera's PoV (4 years 62 days ABY)
"Lindon! I need you to fall back, now!" I order through comms.
"I'm sorry Hera but I see an opening and we need this ship." Fearless captain Lindon Javes responded. I had sent him on a mission to retrieve a Imperial light cruiser but the Empire struck back with too many reinforcements and I know I need Lindon and his troops for Project Starhawk.
"Red Squadron can take them, I need Vanguard Squadron back here now!" I ended up yelling. There was static in on the under end for a few seconds before he responded.
"Yes ma'am." Was all he said.
Next thing I know he's given the order for Vanguard to fall back.
I decided it was probably best to call Wedge. I ended up contacting him via the comms.
"Wedge, this is Hera, just figured you should know that I'm pulling Vanguard squadron back, but I'm sending in Anvil Squadron in there place."
"Affirmative General Syndulla, waiting for reinforcements now."
I noticed Vanguard fell back and made the jump to hyperspace. Anvil Squadron was quick to take there place.
When the ships landed back in the docking bay I left the command centre and walked down to the Hangars. I knew Lindon wasn't going to be happy but I needed them back here immediately if I want to continue with the part of my plan.
When I reached the Hangar Lindon was as I predicted pissed off.
"General what was that!? We had them!" He yells from his side of the Hangar while I walked towards him, he's lucky I'm a nice person not everybody would get away with yelling at there superior especially the superior that is in charge of the entire capital ship he was currently standing on.
The Spirit, Commanded by myself and a crew of loyal men and women, I decided to stick to the familiar theme of naming my ships, I am still a Spector after all.
The spirit was a capital ship, the same size as Home one commanded by Grand Admiral Akbar. It commanded an entire fleet of ships, including Frigates and Medical ships and an arsenal of Phoenix Squadron and thanks to the destruction of Lindon's Fleet now I'm in charge of Vanguard until they can send them off somewhere else, but Caption Lindon Javes wasn't use to a General questioning his piloting, but he never had General like me and he's never even flown with me yet.
As he stormed up to me enraged I stopped in my tracks.
When he opened his mouth to speak I raised my hand up in the air.
"At the start of all of this, I lived in a small ship, with a Jedi, a teenage Jedi who was sharing a room with a full grown Lasat and a Mandalorian teenage girl and thats not even starting with Chopper yet, so Lindon tell me what are you going to say to me that Two hormonal Teenagers a full grown Lasat and my droid haven't already said to me on a day to day basis." I speak calmly leaving him no room to interrupt. Once I was finished I lowered my hand and looked him dead in the eye.
He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, no words just the sound of him opening and closing his mouth. When I knew for certain he realised he lost this argument before he even said a word I moved on.
"Vanguard Squadron, please follow me to the command centre, let me show you the reason I called you back here." I say turning to walk back towards the Command centre, the squadron including Lindon followed quietly behind me.
Spectators (Ezra) PoV (4 years 34 days ABY)
Ezra looked out the window of the Mantis, he could see a dozen or so small islands and on each island a different species of alien lived.
When the ship finally landed Greeze opened the ships door and both Cere and Ezra walked out.
Ezra quickly looked around getting the lay of the land while Cere talked to Greeze for a few more seconds. Ezra decided to meditate for a few seconds so he could get a small grasp on the wildlife here.
When Cere finally finished talking to Greeze she turned back to Ezra, by now he was familiar enough with the land, and he could sense most of the wildlife in the area.
"Are you ready Ezra?" Cere asked him. She was standing in front of him with a backpack strung around her shoulder and her new lightsaber attached to her belt. Ezra was relieved she'd be joining him on his hike since he preferred the company.
"Yes Master Junda, I'm ready." Ezra replied confidently. Cere smiled and walked past him. She immediately jumped on a wall that was technically the floor of another island then she jumped of the wall and landed on another island all together. Ezra sighed and copied her actions, though he knew it was going to be a long day.
When he landed next to her nearly stumbling and falling off may I add, she started walking again. Ezra followed her trying to make conversation. He tried talking when suddenly he felt the floor leave him as his foot fell through a massive crater like hole in the ground. He started falling when he suddenly stopped. Not only that, but he floated in the air for a few seconds before being lifted out of the hole and placed gently on the floor next to Cere.
When he finally stood back up and caught his breath he got a good look at Cere, she was tired from that action, he could tell it's been awhile since she had to do something like that .
He was about to ask her if she was ok when he heard a loud beast like growl which took him completely by surprise.
"What was that!?" Ezra asked surprised by the sound. Through heavy breaths Cere responded.
"That thing... is what you nearly fell on, Cal ran into him a few years ago when he first joined us, fell in just like you did."
As she said this he quickly glances down and spotted him, he was looking right at Ezra.
"Kriff he smells worse the Zeb!" He say looking away from the beast. Cere laughed a little as she composes her self and pushes forward with the walk to the Jedi Temple.
When they finally arrived at the Temple Ezra was already tired from the long walk and exerting his Force powers just to get here. Cere casually walks forward towards the entrance of the temple which is a hole in the ground.
Ezra followed her through the hole, it was cold and damp, Ezra had mud all over his pants and shoulders from where the mud hit his body.
When they got out of the hole Ezra realised he was in a large open area. There was symbols on the floor and a mirror like walls.
Cere stood in the centre of the Temple and closed her eyes, almost like she was embracing the strangely strong force signature in this Temple.
"Cere, what is this place?" Ezra asked. He knew they were going to a Jedi Temple but this place is much much different.
Cere began to explain about the people who lived here, the Zeffo. They were an alien race who used the force to build cities on different planets, but something went drastically wrong, the Zeffo ended up getting wiped out with no trace of their existence. But Cere's master, Eno Cordova was obsessed with the Zeffo, so Cal, Cere and Greeze continued his research after his… execution.
"This place is strong with the force and the best part, the Empire came by once and sent a squadron of troopers but The Emperor saw no interest in the Zeffo Temple." Cere says at the end.
Ezra nodded.
"And this is the place you want to train me how to lead?" Ezra asked.
"As I said Ezra, I won't be training you I'm just carefully watching you. The force will show you what you need to see." Cere explains.
Ezra wanted to role his eyes, the Force had possessed Barriss and trained him over the course of years and they never trained him how to lead or teach just how to fight and master his force abilities. So why would it train him now!?
Cere seemed to sense his hesitance. "Its ok, Ezra. Trust in the force and it will show you what you need to know." Cere says reassuringly. Ezra nods and looks around the temple.
He did what Cere had done before and closed his eyes trying to embrace the Force.
He could sense a strong tug, it seemed to guide him towards a specific side of the Temple, he approached it as he did the tug got stronger and stronger until he reached the wall, then the tug stopped, as if nothing happened before hand.
He reached his hand out and placed it on the wall, he tried to become one with the Force like usual but nothing happened. Ezra was about to give up when the tug came back stronger then ever and the next thing Ezra knows he's been pulled into the wall.
Ezra was now in a pitch black room. But he could sense a stronger presence in the room with him. He knew he had to stay calm and let the Force guide him.
The room was lit up in a bright blinding light, it took a few moments for Ezra's eyes to adjust to the now bright room.
The room appeared to be a dojo of sorts.
"Ezra Bridger!" A loud dominant female voice screams out. Ezra turns and comes face to face with a woman in a hood. He couldn't see her face because of the hood, she seemed young enough maybe about Hera's age. She seemed to have black ash like holes in her Jedi robes.
She drew out an elegant green lightsaber and held it to her side.
Ezra instinctually reached for his lightsaber but much to his horror it wasn't there. He quickly looked around and saw lightsabers hung on the dojo walls. He quickly reached out with the Force for a lightsaber, one of them flew out and landed in his hand, he activated it on impulse, a blue blade emerged from the hilt and he got into position to play defence.
The woman seemed to sigh. "A Jedi 'Grand master' who impulsively draws his blade. How odd." With that final word she lunged at him, he blocked her attack and quickly kicked her in the gut sending her flying back a few feet.
Ezra decided to attack her this time, he lunged for her but she was quicker she blocked his attack with inhuman speed. He tried again, she was now playing defence while he attacked her.
She blocked every single attack without even flinching. It was like she knew his every move.
She parried his final attack sending his Lightsaber flying. He was now defenceless, she lunged at him in his desperation he used the force to repel her, which to his surprise worked, she went flying back and he summoned the lightsaber back to him, he ignited the blue blade again, he lunged for her while she was down, but before he landed the strike another person appeared in thin air, and the blade went right through them and not her. The random person burst into smoke and the woman rose again.
Ezra had no idea what was going on at this rate, he couldn't beat her, it was impossible.
"What is a Jedi?" She asked. Her voice unlike last time was calm, she asked like even she didn't know the answer.
Ezra was unsure how to answer. Was this a test the Force designed, Ezra decided to answer to the best of his knowledge.
"A protector, a being so pure they will stop all threats to the peace." Ezra replied. The woman tensed up.
Her lightsaber flew back into her hand and her green blade once again emerged. "Close, but also wrong."
She lunged at him again, this time Ezra was ready, he blocked all of her attacks, she was relentless but magically Ezra blocked everything, it was like the force was shielding him and that's the moment he realised. He couldn't win while he was attacking her, all he could do was defend himself.
"They are a shield, they protect those who cannot protect themselfs. They don't keep the peace they are the peace."
"What else Ezra?" She asked him while they were locked lightsaber to lightsaber. Ezra thought about it, he couldn't kill her, her defence was to good, but there was a moment when she was defenceless and another Jedi took her place and aloud themselves to be killed.
"We must be willing to sacrifice ourselves for peace, for those who cannot defend themselves. We are the shield, not a sword, we do not fight in wars we remain neutral."
She stopped her attack, she backed away turning off her lightsaber.
"Those were the lessons of the Jedi, Ezra. Now for my final question, what was I trying to teach you?" She asked. Ezra was confident in his answer.
"How to lead the future Jedi." This sentence received a rock being thrown at him.
"No! No one can teach you how to lead, but you can teach by learning! Learn from our mistakes, during the Clone War the Jedi were so thorn during the war we either gave into the dark side or got killed! We continuously went back and forth about wether or not we should be fighting in this war or not! We were so distracted by the war and our moral dilemmas that the Sith snuck in and took us all out, if we just made up our mind we either would have given the war one hundred percent and stopped the separatists months before we actually did or we wouldn't have gotten involved at all!" The woman ranted.
"I brought you here to teach you that how you teach is just as important as how to teach." The woman finished.
"I thought the Jedi stood for peace, they were peace keepers!" Ezra argued back.
"That was just what it looked like, the Jedi were war heroes during the clone wars, and during the Sith war they were much worse, the Jedi have been the centre of most wars in our galaxy, we even got involved with Mandalorian's at some point, whether it be us destroying them or Revan and Malak helping them." She explains.
"So what? I'm just meant to teach the future Jedi to ignore all wars?" Ezra asked.
"That is not up to me Ezra, that is up to you, during the Clone Wars Yoda spent so much timing arguing with the others that exact same point, you can either train your Jedi to Police the Galaxy or how to protect the Galaxy. You can train them to only protect the defenceless or you can train them to stop people like Palpatine and the Empire."
"So the question is, are we peace keepers, or peace makers?" Ezra guessed. The woman nodded.
"To protect The Republic you have to be more then just a shield, you can't just defend them you have to fight for them, sacrifice for them, be their war heroes. Or you can be their shield defend them when you can, kill when you have too and never engage the enemy." The woman says.
Ezra was thorn between which way, The Republic needs protectors that was obvious, but how to protect them. Ezra was raised as a Jedi to fight and protect the rebellion. But Kanan was raised to protect The Republic. Ezra was the sword and Kanan was the Shield. It made Ezra think, what would Kanan do?
The woman appeared to know what he was thinking.
"Kanan would be happy for you, but he couldn't make this decision if he was in your shoes." The woman says.
"How would you know?" Ezra asked. He looked surprised that she knew what he was thinking.
The woman smiled, she lowered her hood revealing her face to Ezra.
"Because Caleb Dume was by Padawan, and Kanan was the man Caleb was destined to be." The woman said.
The woman was Jedi Master Depa Billaba. Ezra was shocked, he was talking to his masters master.
"Mater Billaba I-I don't really know what to say!" Ezra says in shock. The woman only smiled.
"Kanan was like a younger brother to me, or maybe he was a son, it's been so long… Ezra, you need to make this decision yourself, your problem isn't that you don't know how to teach, but you continuously look for others to give you the answers. Kanan, Cere, Cal even me. You need to learn how to make your own decisions, how to be your own Jedi and not Kanan Jarrus's Padawan."
"I don't see myself like that, I see myself as a Jedi, not just a Padawan." Ezra says defending himself.
"Ezra, look at you hand, look at the lightsaber that came to you." The woman says. Ezra looked down and saw Kanan's lightsaber. He was surprised that this whole time he was wielding his masters lightsaber and never noticed.
"As a Grand master you are everyone's master, even the Jedi master's look to you for guidance. But that means you need to stop relying on Kanan to answer all you questions for you, you should have the choice of any of the lightsabers on that wall."
Ezra quickly looked at the wall, on the wall was his first lightsaber that was destroyed on Malachor, there was also his other one that Sabine currently carries, speaking of Sabine the Darksaber was also on that wall.
Along side those three was Cal's, Cere's, Obi Wan's, Maul's, the inquisitors, Ahsoka's, Barriss's and Lukes.
Ezra looked down at Kanan's lightsaber.
"But only his came to you, because to you, he's the only one who trusts your judgement, he's the only who you knew you could talk to, because in many ways you saw him as a father, and you knew that if he agreed with you then you were right!" Master Billaba explains.
"I need to have faith in others…" Ezra begins.
"No, you need to have faith in yourself, even your own lightsabers didn't come to you, nor your students Lightsabers not even Sabine's. Kana told you the hard truth, he was a rock, your anchor, but now you have to let go off him and trust that you can guide yourself through all this with out him."
Ezra was hesitant.
"I see, I'll give you two a minute." She says as she evaporates into smoke. Ezra was shocked at this action.
'What the hell was she talking about' Ezra quickly thought.
"She always was quite vague." A voice said behind him. Ezra turned and saw Kanan Jarrus standing right behind him.
Ezra gave up on all logic and ran to hug his master, thankfully he didn't go right though him and Kanan hugged him back.
The two stayed like that for a minute or two before Kanan pulled back.
"Ezra… I came here so I could show you something." Kanan says as he waves at the main door of the dojo, as he does this a bright blinding white light fills the doorway and Kanan walks through. Ezra quickly ran behind him also going though the door.
When he arrived on the other side we was back on the planet he crashed landed on, the village was still destroyed the people were still dead.
"Why are we here Kanan?" Ezra asked.
"I wanted to show you, the repercussions of your choice. The only choice you ever made with out my guidance."
Ezra looked around, the village was destroyed, the people were dead and Thrawn was still out there.
"I messed up, and people died for it." Ezra responded sadly.
"Yes, but in the end you made the right decision, you were put in a lose lose situation, you either let this happen or let all of Lothal die. In the end you let these people fall in love with each other, you let them redeem themselves for the prior crimes, you saved them."
"I got them killed."
"Who's to say they wouldn't have died anyway, at least this way they died as humans, not brainwashed soldiers."
Before Ezra could respond a rustling in the bushes alerted him, he looked at it, his time on the planet gave him certain mind set and that one sound instantly put him in that mind set again like he was right back on the planet.
It was big enough, so not a smaller creature, but it was too small for a Land Terror, process of elimination means it's a person. Ezra was filled with hope that maybe someone survived so you could imagine his surprise when a very familiar Mandalorian emerged from the bushes.
"Bine!?" Ezra said in disbelief saying her nickname instead of her full name.
She looked around the area, for something but when she didn't find anything she walked over to the graves.
She seemed to feel a great deal of sympathy for the troopers. But thats when a loud growl was heard and Ezra's entire body went into fight or flight. He turned and saw a Land Terror and it was looking right at Sabine.
By now Sabine had also turned and saw the beast, she reached for her blaster but Ezra knew that was futile their hides are way to thick, and Sabine didn't have her helmet on which meant she had less protection and no aim assist.
The beast lunged at her, in desperation Ezra reached out with the force and with all his might he called out to the creature, this had proved futile before but he had no other choice he had to try.
He reached out, the memories of his time on Lothal flooded his mind, his memories of Kanan teaching him how to connect to the creatures, the time Kanan and himself ambushed the Grand Inquisitor with the creature in the Clone's base.
He had done this with creatures bigger then this, he was stronger the he let on, he was stronger then he thought and right now he had to be, other wise Sabine would die.
He reached into it's mind, he saw all it's thought, to kill, to feed and much darker thoughts. But Ezra wouldn't let this go, he filled the creature with warm thoughts, happy thoughts, a warm feeling spread into the creature as he calmed down, Ezra spread his emotions into the creature, he told the Land Terror how Ezra felt about Sabine, the creature stopped dead in its tracks, it looked at Sabine for a few seconds, she still had her blasters drawn and Ezra was silently praying she wouldn't fire at the beast.
Thankfully it ended up running right back into the woods with out hurting Sabine.
The scene faded and Ezra was back at the Dojo. He looked around quickly and saw Kanan standing looking at the lightsaber rack. Once again his lightsaber was held on the rack.
Ezra walked over to him.
"You need to let me go Ezra, you can't save me, all you can do now is protect my legacy."
"Your legacy?"
"You, Jacen, the Jedi and much more. You have the power to restore order to the Jedi, to save lost souls, and make sure the Empire never comes back. Can you do that Ezra?"
Ezra was hesitant, but. "Yes Master, I can."
"Thank you Ezra, I'm proud of you. You can and will do amazing things, but always remember, this is a lonely life, but it doesn't have to be, teach the Jedi a new way, not the old ways, the old ways doomed us, evolve the Jedi. Trust in yourself and trust in the Force, it will never abandon you. And neither will I, I'll be in your heart and others, I'll watch over you Ezra." Kanan says this and pulls his lightsaber out of the stand and hands it to Ezra.
"Take it, you'll know when you need to use it." Kanan says and walks towards the Dojo door, which was still lit up.
"Goodbye Kanan."
"Goodbye Ezra."