2 BBY - TWO YEARS EARLIER...
3rd person POV...
She ground her teeth together and squeezed her eyes shut. The pain was tremendous, greater than anything she could ever recall feeling before.
A metal hand held her own, cold and hard, yet surprisingly comforting, while a warm flesh one covered her own. He looked at her with a reassuring smile on his face when she paused to gasp for breath, inhaling and exhaling quickly.
A spike of sharp pain hit her again and she cried out in agony, pressing as hard as she could, the pain only getting worse...
The faint whimpers of an infant reached them.
At once it's as if the pain vanished completely, and she gasped in a breath of air. She looked forward and saw one of the healers holding a newborn baby.
The baby, swaddled in a blanket, looked as fragile as it was, eyes still closed while it flailed its tiny arms, whimpering.
"It's a girl," the healer said.
She gave the baby to Jarik, who in turn brought the infant down for Ahsoka to see. A rush of intense emotion fills them as they gazed down at the baby: their baby. Tears began to well up in their eyes, and they hold each other's hands to share the moment.
The newborn infant's eyelids flicker open, not particularly focused on anything, but seeing all the same.
Her whimpering finally bursts into loud crying; the promise of new life.
In their temporary home, set at the edge of a forest, they had a perfect view of the setting sun behind the ridge of a distant mountain, making the nearby lake glimmer with orange light.
In her arms she held her infant daughter, gazing down at her with great love equaled only by the man who stood with her.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to get over this," Ahsoka whispers.
"She looks just like her mother," Jarik says softly.
She smiles faintly, noticing another detail.
"And the eyes of her father," she says back.
Jarik wraps an arm around her with a smile on his face, the two of them more than content. The baby squirms briefly in her blankets, her mouth opening wide as she yawns, then quietly settles.
"So...?" he starts, lingering on the question.
It was a difficult question, but they've discussed it many times already.
"How about... Talia," she replies, looking down with a smile. "Talia Barriss Shan."
0 BBY - PRESENT DAY...
Knight Hawk - Hyperspace
3rd person POV...
Hurtling through hyperspace on their way to Ahch-To, Mara, Rylla, and R5, were all in the cockpit of the Knight Hawk. while Mara was giddy with excitement and anticipation, Rylla was still confused.
"There's one thing I still don't understand," she starts to say. "If Jarik is still on Ahch-To, then how did he get your dragon all the way to Lothal?"
Partially lost in her thoughts it takes a moment for Mara to register the question, after which she frowns, shrugging when an idea comes to her.
"He probably got a loth-wolf to take her," she deduces.
"Loth-wolf?" Rylla asks, furrowing her brow.
::Those giant furry four-legged―:: R5 answers.
"I know what they are, R5, I was there," Rylla deadpans.
::Whatever. They're weird.:: he beeps dismissively.
"If you mean how they are connected to the Force, then yes," she sighs.
"There's a lot more to it than just that, actually," Mara comments offhandedly, before pausing.
Rylla turns to look at her, a wary expression on her face.
"In what way?" she asks carefully.
"Would you believe me if I said they can..." Mara slowly replies, sporting a sheepish grin. "Well, to simplify it... teleport?"
Rylla scoffs in amusement, a small smirk on her face at Mara's answer. When she notices the look on Mara's face, how she's twiddling her thumbs, the smirk slowly fades away and is replaced by an expression of bewilderment.
"You're not joking are you?" she asks with wide eyes.
::If I hadn't been taken through by one of those beast, I would've refused to acknowledge such a notion!:: R5 beeps incredulously. ::It defies all sense of logic!::
"Mom and Dad always said the Force works in mysterious ways," Mara shrugs helplessly.
"I suppose you're not wrong," Rylla murmurs.
::But, Mistress Mara, what does that mean?! How do you define "mysterious?":: R5 demands.
"I don't know, something I can't explain?" she answers sarcastically.
"Works for me," Rylla nods in agreement.
R5 beeps in disbelief and incredulity when the Knight Hawk's sensors start to beep, signaling their approach. Mara pulls back the lightspeed lever and the smokey blue tunnel transforms into a patch of elongated stars before quickly becoming stable, the blue planet of a binary star system sitting in front of them.
"Home sweet home," Mara comments, unable to contain her smile.
Temple Island, Ahch-To - Unknown Regions
Jarik POV...
"DAADDDYY!"
I let out a small sigh as Talia repeatedly yells in an effort to get my attention, being as persistent and unyielding as a 2 year old could be.
"Daddy daddy daddy!"
She starts adamantly tugging on my sleeve, all the while continuing to call out for me. It's only been a few quick seconds since she started yelling at me, but those short seconds feel like a lifetime. Swiftly averting my attention to her I gently take her hand in mine to get her to stop tugging on my sleeve.
"What is it sweetheart?" I ask her.
"Why does mommy sleep sitting up?" she asks, her eyes wide in baffled curiosity.
I glance over at where Ahsoka is currently meditating at the edge of the courtyard with the ocean in full view in front of her―at least, it would be if it was super cloudy today. Sitting cross-legged on the rock with her hands resting on her lap, Ahsoka just about represents the physical look of peace and calm.
"Oh," I say with a small laugh. "She's just meditating, not sleeping."
Talia tilts her head in confusion.
"What's... me-duh-tut-ing?" she asks in confusion.
"Med-i-tat-ing," I correct her.
"Med I Tat?" she tries again.
"...close enough," I concede with a slight grin of exasperation.
She beams at me joyously, but her confusion swiftly returns.
"What is it?" she asks.
I hesitate for a moment, unsure of how to answer in a way that she would understand at her age. As far as I can recall we never had to explain meditation to Mara when she was younger due to not doing it that frequently.
"Well, Talia, meditation is something your Mom and I do when... we want to relax," I carefully explain.
"To rwee-lax?" she frowns.
"Yup," I say, popping the 'p.' "If we feel like things are getting hard, we do it to stay calm and focused."
Talia looks over at Ahsoka and then back at me with an intense look of concentration, her tongue sticking out slightly while thinking.
"...so not sleeping?" she asks.
"That's right," I confirm with a nod.
"That's weird," she comments.
I let out a sigh.
"Yeah, I never liked it much either when I was your age," I shrug my shoulders in defeat, and she giggles.
A chorus of bird calls echo through the air, signaling as a flock of porgs soared overhead on their way to their nests at the top of the mountain, above the Jedi Temple. Talia follows them with her eyes, awed by the sight, and I smile fondly at her.
I momentarily lose the smile when I pick up the faint sound of a ship's engine in the air, slowly but steadily growing louder. Likewise, Ahsoka also opens her eyes at the noise, coming out of her meditation.
"She's here," she states calmly.
I relax at hearing that, more than trusting of her word for it. Talia, however, is looking at us both in confusion.
"Who's here?" she asks.
Mara POV…
I was expecting to find the island's usual landing spot already taken by whatever transport that Mom and Dad took to get here, though miraculously there didn't seem to be a ship in sight––maybe I just couldn't see it because of all this fog and cloud cover.
Either way, not having to seek out another landing spot works well enough for me.
"Alright, Zenna, alright! Get outta here!" I let out a sigh and wave at her to take off.
She squawks anxiously in response and dashes out of the ship the moment the ramp lowered enough for her to fit through. I cross my arms over my chest and shake my head in exasperation while Rylla moves up with a perplexed look on her face.
"She really hates ships, doesn't she," she remarks.
I make a face.
"Actually, she had to go and use the… uh… 'facilities,'" I explain in a deadpan. "Trust me when I say you don't want a dragon doing their business in your ship."
"Oh…" Rylla says quietly, raising an eyebrow. "I guess that has happened before?"
"Force no! She's rarely ever allowed on the ship anyways!" I exclaim, shaking my head. "Honestly, I don't want to ever take the chance of that happening."
::Says you, Mistress Mara:: R5 grumbles, rolling past us. ::If you ever let that happen, I am not cleaning it up.::
I roll my eyes at him and step out of the ship myself, Rylla following close behind. I close the ramp back up once we've left and the three of us make our way over to the stone pathway. As he was physically incapable of traveling up the stairs R5 begrudgingly uses his rocket boosters to take flight, grumbling to himself about wasted fuel.
"Earlier before, you said there's something I'd really want to see here," Rylla says, glancing at me. "Mind sharing?"
"I'd like to keep the surprise, if you don't mind," I smile back at her.
::I logically cannot understand what the fuss is about. Sure, they're prob—:: R5 starts to say, but I kick him lightly to shut him up.
She merely regards me with a suspicious look, humming in response. We soon reach the top of the stairway and make our way over to the village, which comes into view soon enough. And can barely contain my excitement as we get closer, which is threatening to burst out in a smile so wide it hurts, something Rylla doesn't fail to notice.
The moment we enter the village Dad appears in front of us, looking momentarily surprised before a smile stretches across his face.
"Glad to see that it's you and not someone else," he says as a way of greeting.
Rylla lifts an eyebrow at him and places a hand on her hip, unimpressed.
"Is that really the best greeting you could come up with?" she asks.
"As a matter of fact it is," he retorts, frowning at her. "My mind has been rather preoccupied lately."
Bad greeting or not, I don't really care, and rush forward to hug him tightly.
"Please don't vanish again," I mutter.
"You weren't too lonely, were you?" he asks me, smiling.
::I wasn't:: R5 chirps.
"Liar," Dad shoots back.
Despite pretending to be annoyed, a hint of a smirk on Rylla's face betrays her true feelings and she moves closer to us.
"Jarik, would I be correct in assuming that you…" she then falters mid-sentence, her eyes going wide.
From behind Dad and I, Mom also makes herself known by stepping into view just around the corner of one of the stone huts, looking cautious but also very happy. I can't help but stare for a moment too, as her outfit has changed quite a bit.
Instead of the typical Jedi armor she's now wearing a dark blue sleeveless robe with a skirt of the same color, a brown belt with an ornate buckle––from which I think her padawan braid is hanging from––loose gray pants, and armored boots and gauntlets colored a dark silvery blue. Above all of that she's wearing a simple, but elegant creamy-white robe that falls down to her ankles.
If I didn't know any better I'd say she looks like royalty; even better than Princess Leia, in my opinion. Not to mention definitely cooler.
"Ahsoka…?" Rylla murmurs in disbelief.
"Hi Rylla," she greets softly in reply, smiling. "It's been a while."
Rylla lets out what seems to be a mixture of a laugh or a sob, shaking her head, and approaches her. They both hug each other, Rylla doing so rather fiercely, and my smile widens even more. I vaguely notice Jarik slip away from me and around the corner, but don't pay it any attention.
"You kriffing Togruta, I just knew you were still alive," Rylla murmurs, sounding exhausted.
"Trust me, I'm a lot happier about it than you are," Mom laughs in reply, then turns to me. "I'm guessing you didn't tell her on your way here?"
"Was that a bad thing?" I ask innocently in response, and she rolls her eyes.
"Come here you," Mom says, pulling me into a hug.
I happily accept her embrace by burying my head into her chest, grateful that she's finally back and here to stay.
"Your robe smells nice," I mutter, immediately feeling rather dumb.
"Well thank you," she replies, her calm and gentle voice washing over me.
"So, are there any more secrets you'd like to disclose?" Rylla asks her once we separate.
Mom seems to shift on her feet, for once a bit nervous, not to mention slightly anxious and giddy at the same time.
"...Sort of, yes," she admits.
I'm about to ask what she means when a small, timid voice makes itself known from around the corner.
"Daddy...?"
I turn to look at it and see Dad walking back over to us with a toddler held in his arms. The little girl in question has light orange skin and cream-white lekku with think cyan markings, and is wearing a white onesie. She's covering her face with her hands, peeking out at us between her fingers.
"It's okay, Talia, they're friends," Dad tells her gently.
It slowly starts to dawn on me what... or rather, who, I am seeing. My eyes slowly go wide and the smile drops from my face as I gape at the toddler in stunned silence.
When... how did that happen? Since when did they have a baby? Why don't I know about this?! W-what?!
"Umm... who is...?" I vaguely here Rylla ask, apparently just as stunned.
"This is Talia, our newest addition to the family," Jarik informs her, smiling. "Talia, can you say hi?"
I stare wordlessly between Jairk, Ahsoka, and 'Talia.' My mind is just going blank, I... what?
"Mmmm..." Talia buries her face into Jarik's robe.
"She's shy," Ahsoka tells us.
The baby is shy... their baby is shy. I swallow the lump that's forming in my throat, feeling slightly pained by the motion.
They have a baby.
Why do they have a baby? When did they have a baby? Why did they never tell me? I don't understand how this could've happened! Do they... did they not... no, they couldn't have thought like that, right? But then why...?
"Mara?" Ahsoka asks, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.
I glance around between them to see Jarik and Ahsoka both look at me in concern and a little bit of worry, as is Rylla. My gaze lands on Talia again, who is peaking out once more to look at me. I shake my head and swallow another lump in my throat.
"I, uh... I need to go do something," I say feebly in response, my voice cracking a little bit.
Without another word I turn around to keep them from seeing the tears in my eyes and take off at a brisk walk, a flurry of thoughts plaguing my mind.
"Mara?" Jarik asks, confused.
"Mara, where are you going?" Ahsoka calls out in concern.
I don't answer their calls and only move a little bit faster, unsure of where my feet are taking me. Anywhere away from there is probably good enough. But I still can't get over the idea at the forefront of my mind.
It's not the first time something like this has happened without me knowing about it. They didn't explain why they had to go back in the World Between Worlds, they didn't want Ezra to tell me what he was doing, and now they suddenly show up with a new baby of their own.
Was I not their daughter anymore?!
Jarik POV...
I helplessly watch as Mara rushes off at a brisk pace, very clearly upset about something. She was excited and happy not even a minute ago and only ran off in upset after I revealed Talia to them... is it something to do with her? And if so, what is it? She can't be upset at the baby, can she? I share a baffled and worried look with Ahsoka, who is about as speechless as I am.
"Where is Mawa going?" I hear Talia murmur, looking fearful and sad. "... did I do sumting wong?"
I swallow the lump in my throat and adamantly shake my head, gently bouncing her in my arms and patting her back with a reassuring smile on my face.
"No, no of course not sweetie," I tell her softly. "She's just... surprised, that's all."
Talia nods, still a bit uncertain, and sticks her thumb in her mouth. Ahsoka sighs with a troubled look in her eyes.
"I'll go talk to her," she tells me, and I nod in acknowledgement.
As she heads off after Mara the rest of us remain in uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Rylla clears her throat, adopting a kindly smile on her face that oozes of warmth and awe.
"So... your name is Talia, right?" she starts to say.
"Mm hmm," Talia nods shyly.
"I think that's a lovely name," she says, pointing to herself. "My name is Rylla."
Talia furrows her brow and pulls her thumb out of her mouth, and I withhold a small sigh; she's going to have some trouble pronouncing the name.
"...Rey-lla?" she attempts to say.
"Ryl-la," Rylla corrects her. "Pronounced like R-i-ll-ah."
"Rah-lla?" Talia tries again.
I smile helplessly at Rylla and look down at Talia with a grin.
"Don't worry kiddo, you'll get it," I assure her, and she frowns in disappointment. "For now though, you can call her 'Ryl Ryl.' One of her friends uses that name."
"Ryl Ryl?" Talia curiously tests it out.
"What? Hey!" Rylla protests.
"Ryl Ryl!" Talia giggles, starting to liking it.
Rylla crosses her arms over her chest and glowers at me, to which I merely give a small shrug of innocence.
"If it makes her happy," I say.
"Well lucky me," she rolls her eyes. "So anyhow... when did you two decide to... uh, y'know... have a kid? Like, a real kid?"
Rylla gestures at Talia for emphasis, who is still giggling at the nickname. I falter at her question with a slight grimace, a bit hesitant to respond to it.
"Uhh... well, funny you should ask..." I fumble with my words, feeling my face heat up a little bit. "We, um... it was actually unplanned."
Rylla furrows her brow in confusion.
"Unplanned?" she repeats, widening her eyes in realization. "Oh... you- you actually..."
As if a dam just broke loose Rylla doubles up in a fit of laughter, surprising Talia―who stares incredulously at her with wide eyes―and annoying me. I stare at her with a neutral expression, unamused.
"You're laughing," I deadpan.
"Are you kidding me?!" Rylla manages to say after calming down somewhat, still snickering. "Back at the Temple, we all knew that you two were all lovey-dovey with each other, but to do that by accident?!"
She holds her hands to her abdomen, caught up in another fit of laughter.
"What would the others say?" she asks in between giggles.
"In our defense we were stressed about having to go to Malachor," I point out, only to cringe straight after.
Too late.
"Guess you needed a release," Rylla smirks, even more amused.
"Oh my―" I cut myself off, remembering Talia is still with me. "When did you get so nasty?!
Rylla finally manages to calm herself down, wiping a tear from her eye and sighing.
"Ah... Hayden must be rubbing off on me," she remarks, scoffing in amusement.
"Clearly," I dryly respond.
"Where are your horns?" Talia suddenly asks.
Rylla frowns in reply, momentarily confused.
"My horns?" she repeats the question.
I now focus on Talia instead and take notice of how she intently she's staring at Rylla, pointing at the Twi'lek's head.
"Mommy and auntie have horns," she states, pointing at her own head. "I have horns! Where are yours?"
Understanding dawns on Rylla and she shakes her head.
"Oh, my species don't have any," she explains. "I'm a Twi'lek."
If possible, Talia was even more confused.
"Tee-lick? What's that?" she asks.
"That's what I am," Rylla replies.
I suppose it would be a little confusing for a child at Talia's age to understand the difference between humanoid species in the galaxy, especially considering how she's a mixed person due to Ahsoka and I hailing from two different species. And Togruta's are undoubtedly similar to Twi'lek's, the only major difference between the former possess montrals.
"Your mother and aunt are Togruta's, so they're a little different, sweetheart," I explain to Talia.
"Aunt...?" I vaguely hear Rylla mutter, perplexed.
"But yourrrree..." Talia tries to say, unable to find the correct word as she looks at me with narrowed eyes.
"I'm a human. So is Mara," I inform her. "That means you're a mix between a human and a Togruta."
Talia stares at me for a long while and I can see the gears turning in her head as she thought about it.
"I don't get it," she finally says with a blank expression.
Rylla contains her chuckles into a single snort, and I let out a sigh of exasperation.
"That's okay. You will soon," I reassure her.
3rd person POV...
As Mara storms her way up the pathway, barely paying attention to where it was taking her, she struggles to maintain her composure. Her eyes are watering up a bit and she rubs at them with her hand, only feeling worse. The more she dwells on the idea that she was replaced as a daughter, the more it consumes her mind. She kicks at a loose stone as she moves by, vaguely taking notice of the fact that she's now inside of the Jedi Temple's main chamber.
"They had a kid?" she growls to herself. "Since when?"
She starts to pace around the chamber, unsure of what to do. The only thing she can think about is Talia's existence and the sudden lack of interest or care about the girl they've already helped to raise.
"What was her name, Talia?" she scoffs, groaning. "Ugh! Whatever! Having another kid..."
Frustrated, Mara drops down to sit on the edge of the Prime Jedi mosaic, holding her head in her hands and letting out a few barely audible sobs. She knows it's stupid of her to act like this, and she's probably overreacting over nothing, but she can't help it. What if she's right? And how else is she supposed to react to that if it's true?
Slowly heavy footsteps enter the room and Mara glances up slightly when Zenna gently prods her head with a soft whine of concern, prompting a small smile out of her.
"At least I know you're still with me," she murmurs gratefully, scratching the dragon's neck.
Zenna purrs with content and nuzzles Mara's side, though after a few moments she notices a faint glow out of the corner of her eye. Turning towards the source of it Mara spots a long white staff leaning against the far wall of the chamber―the top of the staff ends in a plain circle, and settling right in the middle of that circle is a small Stone glowing with purple light.
"Huh..." she murmurs to herself. "Where'd this come from?"
Becoming curious, Mara stands up and starts to approach the white staff, her gaze fixed on the gleaming purple Stone set into the circle. Stretching her senses out to it in the Force she gasps faintly in astonishment at what she felt―immense, concentrated power, like nothing she's ever felt before. Not even the Emperor himself felt as powerful as this tiny Stone does. It's almost overwhelming, and yet the way that energy emanates in a continuous hum feels somewhat intoxicating. Though slightly cautious, Mara slowly reaches a hand out to touch it...
"MARA!" someone screams.
Startled, Mara rapidly pulls her hand back and whirls around to see a white and orange blur before Ahsoka is quickly hauling her away, putting herself between Mara and the staff.
"Kriff!" Mara exclaims with wide eyes. "What the heck was that for?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Me? You almost gave us one too!" Ahsoka shoots back, looking her up and down. "What were you thinking, trying to touch it?"
"What, do you have a problem with me touching some fancy kyber crystal?!" she scowls irritably.
"That is NOT a kyber crystal!" Ahsoka angrily berates her. "You haven't the faintest idea how close you came to getting blown to a crisp!"
Mara stares at her for a few moments as she contemplates what was just said.
"What?!" she shouts incredulously.
Ahsoka grips both of her arms firmly, making sure Mara can see just how serious she is.
"Mara, please listen. That stone is extremely dangerous. If you were to touch it, it's power would overwhelm you in seconds. It would kill you, Mara. There wouldn't even be a body left to find."
"Wh- what? Then what genius part of your kriffing mind decided to just leave it laying around like some stupid tablet?!" Mara exclaims in disbelief. "Where'd it even come from!?"
"It was in Vader's fortress. Jarik and I took it from him the same day you were captured," Ahsoka explains, sighing. "It killed the Third Brother when he tried grabbing it. That's why I know it will kill you too."
Mara stares at her in disbelief, only vaguely acknowledging the cause of the Third Brother's death. Instead, she's more focused on how her time-traveling parents apparently decided to go fetch some stupid death-inducing rock instead of trying to rescue her.
"Okay, sure, I get it," she sarcastically replies. "Anything else you two found that I should know about?!"
Ahsoka frowns in confusion, her anger at Mara's reckless move no longer needed, and regards her with concern.
"Why are you so mad at us?" she asks worriedly. "Is everything alright, Mara?"
"Oh gee, I haven't got a clue!" Mara laughs mirthlessly, pulling away from Ahsoka's grip. "Why don't you tell me instead?"
"I'm not sure I understand what you're implying," Ahsoka says warily.
"Well you know what I don't understand? How you could go on and on about how much you care about me and then somehow not be bothered to suddenly get a kriffing replacement," she exclaims, turning around so as to hide the angry tears. "You didn't even explain why you couldn't come back with us!
Ahsoka stares at her with a shocked expression, realization and guilt seeping in.
"Mara..." she says softly.
"You know what, just forget it," Mara then says dismissively. "It's not your kid's fault."
She walks past Ahsoka and out of the Temple and Zenna follows her, whining somewhat in disappointment.
"Mara, wait!" Ahsoka calls out.
Mara doesn't pay her any attention though, and Ahsoka lowers her head with a heavy sigh, shutting her eyes. Reaching out through their dyad, Ahsoka shares the interaction and Mara's anger with him, a process which took a second. After seeing the memory Jarik was silent in her mind for a while, unsure of what to think.
"When... how did we screw up so bad?" he finally asks.
"...I don't know," Ahsoka replies, just as lost.
Ahch-To System - Unknown Regions
A small starship emerges from the black void of space beyond the orbit of a blue ocean planet. The occupant of this vessel, which the galaxy's criminal underworld knew of as the Slave One, took a moment to observe the planet before checking his armored gauntlet. His quarry was on the surface, parked, and completely unsuspecting of his presence. Even better, the area they were in is obscured by fog and ocean mist, so while they'll hear his approach, they'll have a difficult time seeing him coming.
He isn't the most pleased about this task he's given himself, but his determination doesn't waver for even a moment. He doesn't back down from anything, not even a fight with Jedi.
Temple Island - Ahch-To
Jarik POV...
Ahsoka's surprising realization about the source of Mara's anger has left both of us baffled, and right now I'm honestly not sure what to think. How either of us could've somehow managed to be so oblivious, or so misunderstanding of Mara is beyond me. Ahsoka and I, we practically raised her, she's as much our child as Talia is. So what happened?
I try not to think too terribly on the topic right now, promising to resolve it later once we're settled again. Talia is currently napping in her crib, giving Ahsoka a chance to say goodbye to Rylla before I take her back to Lothal. I'm still not sure where Mara is.
"You two always did have a way of showing off," Rylla was saying to us.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Ahsoka asks her with a wary expression.
"I'll let you be the judge of that," she replies, smiling.
Despite the troubling feelings in my head I can't help but smile just a little bit as Ahsoka and Rylla hug each other, though the positivity fades somewhat when Rylla looks at both of us in concern.
"Will Mara be okay?" she asks.
"I hope so," I let out a heavy sigh. "I never thought that there was a possibility that she might be upset by this."
"She missed out on two years you had to live together, and with another child at that," Rylla tells us in response. "I imagine it must be a real shock for her."
I share an uneasy look with Ahsoka at hearing that, starting to understand a little bit of what Mara might be feeling.
"When you say it like that... sounds kind of like we were replacing her," I murmur in astonishment, feeling guilty now.
We really suck as parents if we made our daughter feel that way.
"I know that was never your intention," Rylla says, placing a reassuring hand on both of our shoulders. "I'm sure she knows that too."
"She's a good kid," Ahsoka remarks.
Rylla smiles at us, dropping her arms.
"If someone had told me a few years ago that you two had a baby together, I would've laughed," she scoffs, and we smile as well. "Things certainly change."
"That they..." I start to say before pausing.
A new sound is cutting through the otherwise consistent noise of the ocean, this being quite distinct in that it isn't natural. And it is getting louder.
"Do you hear that?" I mutter faintly.
Ahsoka and Rylla take notice of the sound as well, and a chill runs down my spine. This sound... it's the unmistakable growl of a starship engine.
"A ship?" Ahsoka whispers in disbelief. "That... that can't be!"
I whip my head around and search the sky for any sign of an approaching ship, the other two doing the same. It doesn't do us much good though, thanks to the kriffing fog obscuring the island today. However, a small silhouette makes itself visible through the mist, coming from the North―I can't make out any details, but the shape of the startship is tall and oval-like in appearance.
"Guys!" Mara's voice cries out, and we look over to see her and R5 rushing towards us. "R5 just found a tracker on the Knight Hawk!"
I widen my eyes in horror and turn towards Ahsoka, who is equally panicked.
"It's Fett!" Rylla then shouts, and we turn towards her.
"Fett?" Ahsoka asks, face dawning with recognition. "Boba Fett?"
"You mean Jango Fett's son?" I ask her, and she nods in confirmation.
"I'd recognize that ship anywhere," Rylla states, looking at Mara in alarm. "He must've tracked us here!"
"When could he have put a tracking device on us?!" Mara asks incredulously.
"On Lothal," she murmurs, her eyes full of guilt as she turns toward me. "He's got to be after you. He's the only one I'd expect to be confident enough to take a bounty on your head."
I release a heavy sigh of acknowledgement and resolve to steel my nerves. Accidents happen, and right now isn't the time to focus on how they happened. Fortunately it seems to be only a single bounty hunter so far, so there might still be a chance of keeping Ahch-To's location safe.
"Hopefully, he hasn't brought the Empire with him," I voice my fears, knowing there's no chance of hiding if that is the case.
Ahsoka shares a look with me and we come to an agree over our dyad―even though it's not foolproof we still have planned somewhat for an event like this after the surprise of Ar'alani; Ahsoka will safeguard the Staff―and the Infinity Stone it carried―and the village while I hunt down Fett. Normally, Talia would be Ahsoka's top priority, but thankfully Mara is now here with us as well.
We may have unknowingly hurt her, but I'll be kriffed before I ever think she's not responsible enough to look after both herself and her sister. I nod in agreement, and Ahsoka quickly turns to Mara.
"Mara, I need you to watch Talia—keep her safe," she says anxiously.
Mara looks at her for a few moments.
"I will, Mom," she says, her determination unwavering.
I can't spare the time to feel overjoyed by that, keeping my gaze focused on the Slave One as it traverses across the sky. Soon enough it starts to lower itself down and out of sight, once more obscured by the mist. My best guess is that he's landed on one of the other islands closest to us, seeing as there wouldn't be another suitable place here without compromising himself. If I can intercept him before he makes his way over to here, then those are favorable odds.
"R5, go back to the ship and disable the tracking beacon. I'll intercept him, see if I can throw him off your trail," I state firmly.
R5 beeps in acknowledgement and rushes away just as Ahsoka and Mara take off together as well. I'm about to move ahead myself when Rylla grabs my arm to stop me.
"Boba's the best bounty hunter in the galaxy for a reason. You'll need help," she warns me.
"Well, he's never fought me," I point out confidently.
"But he never underestimates his opponents," she retorts. "I'm going with you. With any luck, I can throw him off your trail."
"If he really is the best, then he's not going to be fooled," I argue in disagreement.
Not that I'm against her helping, I just don't see the point in her trying to mislead him.
"Just let me at least try first," she pleads. "Boba and I aren't friends in the slightest, but we still know each other."
I let out a heavy sigh, deciding there's no point in arguing, nor is there any time to do so.
"Have it you way," I concede. "Come on."
3rd person POV...
Because of where the Slave One had landed, Jarik and Rylla needed to traverse to the opposite end of the island in order to intercept the bounty hunter's path. They were almost there when they caught the sound of a Mandalorian jetpack soaring through the air and then falling silent, indicating Boba had already made his way across the water.
"Looks like he's here," Rylla says, speaking softly.
Jarik also keeps his voice low.
"I can sense him up ahead. Do you?" he asks, and she nods. "Good. You try your peace talking while I flank around."
"Sounds like a plan," she readily agrees.
With a plan in mind Jarik dashes off to the left and quickly disappears from sight while Rylla presses on, keeping a hand close to her holster just in case. She soon finds herself on a relatively flat area with very little slope, in which a small grove of about eight small, but wide leafless trees are set. Rylla senses Boba close by now and moves silently through the grove. Just then a sudden burst of three red laser bolts hit the ground less than a foot away from her, and she swiftly jumps for cover behind one of the trees with her blaster pistol in hand.
"I wasn't expecting to find you here, Tann," a familiar gruff voice calls out.
Carefully, Rylla peeks her head around the tree and spots the armored bounty hunter standing on a rocky ledge not far from her. Though he seemed to be relaxed in his stance, Rylla knew from experience that he could unload his EE-3 carbine rifle in the blink of an eye with pinpoint accuracy.
"I could say the same," Rylla remarks, slowly stepping out with her blaster in hand. "Mind if I ask what your business here is?"
"Once you tell me yours," Fett responds.
"Simple," she shrugs. "Hayden and I use this planet for our business. I don't like the fact that you're here."
Boba doesn't make any sudden movements, but from the brief pause she could tell he wasn't happy with her answer.
"You know what I don't like? You trying to play me for a fool," he sneers, glowering at her through his visor. "You are not the one I tracked here, Rylla. Tell me where he is, and I'll leave you to your 'business.'"
Rylla hardens her gaze, anticipating a firefight. She doesn't look forward to that, but she's not about to give up her friends either.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she states firmly.
"Really?" Boba inquires, lifting up his rifle. "Well, I imagine we'll find out in about three seconds."
Just then, Jarik appears from behind Boba and ignites a brilliant gold-bladed lightsaber, holding it to the bounty hunter's neck. Boba goes stiff in surprise and glances sideways at him through his visor, taking note of his quarry
"Or zero seconds," Jarik sarcastically comments, raising a brow at him. "Looking for me?"
"You might say that," Boba replies.
In a moment of speed and expert precision Boba extends his arm to disarm Jarik of his lightsaber and then sends him tumbling with a dropkick. Both of them go down, but Boba blasts off on his jetpack before hitting the ground. Rylla doesn't hesitate to start shooting at him, to which Boba weaves around in the air to avoid her fire. He takes a few shots at her with his rifle and she rolls out of the way while Jarik jumps forward.
Hurtling through the air he reaches his hand out while Boba aims his arm, the former using the Force to pull him down at the same time the latter fires a concussion rocket. Jarik cries out in surprise, dropping his lightsaber and pressing both hands tight against his head from the painful disorienting feeling of the rocket. Boba on the other hand let out a few grunts of pain as he tumbled across the ground, his motion halted by a tree trunk.
The pair are slow to get up from their disorienting impacts, but Boba manages to recover first. He spots Jarik making a grab for his lightsaber but before he can do anything a blaster bolt hits the back of his helmet with a sharp ring, making him stumble forward. Boba whirls around to see Rylla sprinting toward him, whipping out her staff. She takes a swipe at him but he ducks to avoid it, deflecting her next few swings while countering with swift jabs of his own, though she finally manages to get a strike in on his helmet.
Boba stumbles back with a pained grunt, growling to himself in irritation. She moves forward with a follow-up attack but he raises his gauntlet to block it and then knees her in the stomach, making her stumble back with a breathless gasp, before knocking her down with a swift backhand. He takes aim with his gauntlet's twin blasters, but whips around at the sound of a lightsaber ignition. Just in time he raises his gauntlets to deflect a horizontal saber strike, the plasma blade colliding with the beskar steel head on. Jarik furrows his brow in surprise, and Boba takes the opportunity to head-butt him.
Caught off guard by the hit he stumbles back and swings his lightsaber out in a wide arc. However, Boba manages to disarm him by kicking his hand whilst simultaneously using his jetpack for a brief boost—he catches the lightsaber midair and lands on his feet again, brandishing the blade. Jarik narrows his eyes and holds an arm out, his second lightsaber flying from his belt and into his hand, the golden blade igniting.
Boba quickly moves forward to get the first blow, but is casually deflected by Jarik and then knocked back by a kick to the chest. The Jedi Master twirls his saber once and advances, striking with two swift blows that are barely deflected, following by a third jab that disarms Boba of the saber. He curses and arms his flamethrower, but is barely able to let out a small burst before a Force push slams him against a pillar of rock. He groans quietly, dazed, and fumbles around for his fallen blaster only for someone's boot to step on it before he could grab it.
"I don't think so," Rylla says, blaster pistol aimed at him.
"Just try it, Twi', and you're out of the guild," Boba scoffs, calling the bluff.
"And what about me?" Jarik challenges, pointing his lightsaber at him. "Boba, is it? If anything I've heard about you is true, then I don't expect you to give me a proper answer. Still, I would love to know which of your employers wants me dead."
"I don't have one. Not for this, anyway," the bounty hunter says.
How convincing," he scoffs disbelievingly.
"If you don't believe me then check my puck list," Boba calmly replies, looking at Rylla. "I don't mind."
Rylla narrows her eyes, glancing briefly at Jarik.
"Show me," she says.
Nodding once in acknowledgement he gets to his feet, Jarik following his movement with his lightsaber, and takes a small bounty puck off of his belt which he tosses to Rylla. She catches it and then turns it on to read his list.
No active bounties.
She furrows her brow in surprise and unease as she turns it back off, looking at Jarik.
"He's telling the truth," she admits.
"Lists can be fabricated," Jarik argues, eyes narrowed.
"Not ours," she replies. "Not if he wants to stay with the guild."
Jarik narrows his eyes, still skeptical.
"I am many things, Jedi, but I am not dishonest. And neither was my father," Boba states, voice full of conviction.
Jarik regards him for a few moments longer and then sighs, lowering his golden lightsaber. Rylla can't help but glance at it for a second, intrigued by the new color.
"If that is true, and you're here of your own volition, then what is your interest with me?" he questions suspiciously. "And how did you find this place?"
"It's taken me months to determine where to locate your ship, but after that you'd be surprised how easy it is to leave a tracking device," Boba admits with a small scoff, giving him a look underneath his helmet. "Honestly, I would've expected a bit more from you."
"How about I show it right now?" Jarik retorts, gesturing with his lightsaber.
"I've got something better," Boba responds, reaching into his belt.
The Jedi Master and former Padawan tense up in anticipation of a weapon, only to ease up when the only thing he pulls out is a tiny metal object.
"What is that?" Rylla asks, confused.
"A ring," Boba explains, holding it up between two fingers. "One that bears the mark of Clan Ordo."
Jarik lifts his eyebrows in surprise and looks closely at the ring, noting the marking Boba referred to. He then stares intently at the bounty hunter, getting a feeling of the true purpose behind Boba's visit.
"And what is the significance?" he asks carefully.
"It once belonged to your father, Marcus Sohl," Boba reveals.
Not too long after retrieving the Staff of Morai and its Infinity Stone, Ahsoka made her way back to the Jedi village. Along the way she decided to utilize a technique she's learned in the last two years, Similfuturus. After concentrating for several seconds she looks at the end of her staff to see the Stone no longer visible and smiles in content―illusions are by no means an easy trick with the Force, but while holding the Staff in hand she has more than enough energy to supply her.
Once back at the village she seeks out the hut she and Jarik use to sleep in, and where Talia's crib is currently set up as well, and finds Mara inside. She's sitting on the bed, next to the crib, observing Talia as she slept.
"Everything okay in here?" Ahsoka asks.
"Yeah, it's all good," Mara replies, noticing the staff. "Hey, where's the...?"
"Still there. Just hidden with an illusion," she explains.
Mara merely acknowledges the response and silently returns her gaze to Talia. Ahsoka regards her with some worry for a short while and opens her mouth to respond when voices nearby get their attention.
"Stay here," Ahsoka says, to which Mara nods.
Ahsoka steps outside and apprehensively approaches to source of the voices, only to ease up upon seeing Jarik and Rylla. A look of surprise washes over her face when she sees Boba is also moving with them, his body language suggesting he's just as uncomfortable as Jarik is.
"Fett?" Ahsoka remarks, regarding him curiously.
The three pause in their movement and Boba looks over at her with a small scoff.
"You're still alive? Hmph," he remarks.
Rylla looks between them with some confusion.
"You two know each other?" she asks.
"We met during the war," Ahsoka explains.
"Is that what you call sending me to a prison?" Boba says icily.
Ahsoka frowns at him and crosses her arms, Staff still in hand.
"Well... you did destroy an entire cruiser, if I recall," she points out.
"I don't need to explain myself to you," he scowls in reply. "It's not like a Jedi would understand."
"If you really believed that, then why did you seek me out?" Jarik argues with a doubtful gaze.
"If you're insinuating I think of you as being any different, Shan, then don't flatter yourself," Boba scoffs. "I'm only here on behalf of my father, Jango Fett."
Ahsoka lifts a brow in surprise and turns toward Jarik, who glances at her before responding.
"And what does Jango have to do with me?" he demands.
Boba ponders the question for a few moments and then reaches up to remove his helmet, holding it by his side. Underneath is a face all of them are familiar with, the face of a clone. However, something in his face specifically―be it the faint scars on his face or the hard look in his eyes―made him more distinct than any of the others. His hair was short and curly, but not military style, and he sported a faint beard; more stubble really.
"When he was still alive, my father spoke to me often of Marcus. They were the best of friends," Boba tells Jarik, looking at the visor of his helmet. "One of the greatest regrets my father ever had was not being there the night you were taken."
"The night my parents died?" Jarik asks with a furrowed brow.
"The only thing that Jango recovered from the scene is this ring," he says as a way of response, holding the ring up in his hand. "When your mother and father married, they had it crafted as a symbol of their love for each other. Now, it is yours."
He holds the ring out and offers it to Jarik, who stares between it and him for a long while. Ahsoka walks up behind him and places a hand on his shoulder, understanding the many emotions running through his mind. Finally Jarik slowly reaches out and takes the ring into his own hand, holding it closer to his face to see it better.
"You spent months searching for me, risked your own personal success... just to give me this? Why?" Jarik asks softly, looking at Boba in disbelief.
For the faintest moment, a look of what seemed to be sorrow and sympathy broke through Boba's otherwise stone-cold expression, though it quickly vanished before anyone could ponder it.
"It's what Jango would've wanted," he answers truthfully.
Jarik looks back down at the ring, swallowing a lump in his throat as he thinks about the tragic story of his own parents, who sacrificed their lives to ensure that he could live his own. He glances at Ahsoka, who rubs his back comfortingly and smiles at him.
"Thank you," Jarik finally says, looking at Boba with sincere gratitude. "Truly."
Boba nods his head once in simple acknowledgement.
"Our business is now concluded," he states.
He turns away from them and moves to head on back to his ship, putting his helmet back on. Before he could leave, however, Rylla quickly jumps forward and into his path.
"Hold on just a minute!" she exclaims.
"You got a problem, Twi'?" Boba demands, turning to look at her.
"This has nothing to do with the ring, just so you know―that's actually quite sweet," she admits, before hardening her gaze. "How do I know that you won't still sell them out to the Empire once you leave?"
Boba lets out a low growl of rage and turns to face her fully now.
"You dare to question my sense of honor?" he furiously demands.
"I might, especially when it comes to the safety of our home," Ahsoka chimes in, still somewhat cautious.
"You've got nothing to fear from me," he scoffs, eyeing her with contempt. "I'd rather die than put anything else before the memory of my father."
"And what if someone else takes the information from you?" Rylla argues.
"I'd like to see them try," he retorts.
"Or you don't need them to try at all," Ahsoka says, holding her staff up in hand. "I want insurance; you allow Jarik to wipe your navigation records of any trace of this planet."
"I'm not letting you tamper with my ship, Jedi," Boba scowls at her.
"It's only fair," she replies, not intimidated.
Jarik, who remained mostly silent throughout the tense exchange finally spoke up.
"Boba... I'm truly grateful you went out of your way to do this for me, but please just let me do it," he requests with a soft tone. "If it makes you comfortable, you can watch me the entire time. Take it from the new Mand'alor―I also have a sense of honor."
Boba regards them all for a very long time, but eventually he concedes to their request.
"Very well," he gruffly replies.
Jarik POV...
The entire time I've been inside the cockpit of the Slave One, Boba has been watching me more closely than a hawk would watch its prey. Which I'm not complaining about, seeing as I said he could do as much to put him more at ease. True to my word I searched through his ship's navicomputer log and flight history to wipe it clean of any trace of Ahch-To―I also made sure to clear the tracking beacon.
Afterwards I programmed a hyperspace route that would take him back to a known planet in the galaxy―which he selected―and then erase the route from his computer as soon as it was complete. He couldn't exactly travel back to known space without keeping the route to Ahch-To intact, which is why that step was necessary.
"It's done," I finally say, stepping back from the main console.
"And you didn't touch anything else?" Boba gruffly asks, still suspicious.
"No," I tell him.
"Good," he grunts in satisfaction.
He moves up to sit down in the pilot's seat while I turn around to leave the ship, though after a few moments of contemplation I glance back at him with a wary gaze.
"About your father..." I start to say, and he goes still. "I'm sorry about what happened to him."
Boba slowly turns around in his chair, undoubtedly glaring at me.
"An apology doesn't the injustice you Jedi committed!" he sneers.
"That was the action of one man, no one else," I point out. "And trust me, I wasn't on good terms with Mace Windu either."
"Hmph," he replies, still somewhat tense.
I furrow my brow as I look at him; though unable to see his face, I can sense something on his mind that's giving him conflict. Something related to me.
"Still, I just have to know... Jango may have been a friend of my father, but what made his connection to me so special?" I ask earnestly.
"You believe I have an answer to that question?" he inquires.
"I can sense it grating on you," I tell him.
Boba heaves a heavy sigh, his chest rising and falling as he ponders the question for a short while. He then turns back around in his chair but gives me a side-glance through the visor of his helmet.
"Jango wasn't just a friend to Marcus," he says softly. "He was your godfather."
I blink in surprise at the sudden reveal, perplexed and unsure of what to think. Jango Fett, the man who served as the genetic template for the clone army and bounty hunter who partnered up with Count Dooku... was my godfather? I'm as baffled as I am saddened by the revelation, though I don't know if I should feel any grief or not given that I don't have any memory of Jango.
Boba faces forward once again and starts to turn the power on to his ship in silence, which I take as my cue to leave. After stepping off the ship's ramp it closes, and the Slave One lifts into the air. As it goes my thoughts remain focused on Boba's statement, and how it adds much more to my past.
Once again I can't help but wonder what my life could've been had Maul never come for me that fateful day.
THE NEXT DAY...
After Boba's departure I gave Rylla a ride back to Lothal in the Knight Hawk, where we exchanged farewell for the time being. The trip to Lothal and back took nearly a full day, which can honestly be a rather exhausting experience.
Not to mention boring.
Right now, Ahsoka and I are standing at the edge of the Jedi village courtyard and looking out at the ocean view, in which the binary suns are setting on the horizon. Having just shared Boba's revelation with her she found it quite baffling, understandably, but then a small bit of amusement as well.
Apparently the idea of me being Boba's 'brother', from a certain standpoint, seemed funny to her.
"It's a little strange, seeing Boba again. He doesn't seem to have changed," she was saying, glancing at me with a smile. "You know, I could see you two being great siblings to each other. You've both got the edge for it."
I let out an exasperated sigh, not bothering to argue with her.
"I'll take your word for it," I deadpan.
"Uhh... Mom? Dad?" Mara meekly calls out.
We both turn around to see Mara awkwardly carrying a sleeping Talia, looking at a loss of what to do.
"What do I... uh..." she mumbles nervously.
I refrain from laughing at her expense and simply adopt an amused smile. Ahsoka grins with subdued laughter and holds her arms out.
"I'll take her off your hands," she offers.
Mara doesn't hesitate to deposit Talia into Ahsoka's arms, the toddler only stirring slightly at the movement. Once her hands are free Mara shakes them out with a relieved sigh.
"Thanks," she exhales.
I gives her an expectant look.
"So?" I ask her.
"So what?" she asks, frowning at me.
I continue with my question, albeit slightly apprehensive.
"Do you... do you like her?" I ask carefully.
Mara pulls back with an uneasy look, though from the faint glance she sends Talia's way I can spot a hint of fondness in her eyes. I nearly cry out for joy at that, but remain composed.
"I guess," she hesitantly answers. "Does this mean she's my sister now?"
"Of course it does," Ahsoka immediately says. "You're still our daughter too, aren't you?"
"Well... I think so," Mara murmurs, looking between us both.
"Then she is your younger sister," I happily confirm.
Mara looks back at Talia again, her expression becoming more gentle as a smile spreads across her face. Zenna quietly walks up behind us to stand beside Mara, gazing at her with a happy expression.
"I guess that's not too bad," Mara finally says.
As if all of the guilt and sadness felt yesterday were being washed away, I share a wide smile with Ahsoka and then Mara, putting an arm around the former's waist and the latter's shoulders. They both accept the embrace and Ahsoka leans her head against my shoulder, Talia held in her arms, while Mara reaches out to pat Zenna's head. We all stand silently together and watch the setting suns of Ahch-To, feeling nothing but joy at being together as a true family.
I close my eyes for a few moments, ensuring I remember this moment for the long term.
There's still danger that lies ahead in our future, which is unavoidable. The Empire still rules with an iron fist, Darth Sidious and Darth Vader stopping at nothing to destroy all of us in their quest for power, while enemies beyond our gaze fester and grow in the dark. It will not be easy, and may still be many years before it reaches a conclusion, but moments like these serve as the greatest reminder of what we're fighting for. And there is always hope out there, no matter how bad things may seem.
I'll never forget that, not even with my dying breath.
~ TRACK: Star Wars Main Theme - Samuel Kim (0:00 - 3:28) ~