"Ezra!" Jacen calls out to me. "Ezra! Look! Sabine's back!" Jacen says, smiling from ear to ear before he points behind him to where Sabine's crouched and holding Mira.

Sabine's here.

That means the Council—

Slow down now…Slow down, Ezra. That doesn't mean anything. You're not done being Master Bridger yet.

Feeling Lisa, Liam, and Ari's parents looking towards Jacen and Mira, I smile at Jacen before turning back to where the conversation with Ahsoka seems to be wrapping up.

I left kind of abruptly, I need to double-check. Make sure Ahsoka got everything settled down.

"Sorry I got distracted. Is everything okay over here?" I ask the group.

Liam's mom looks at me, while Ari's keeps looking towards Hera and her kids. "Yeah. Go be with Mira, She sounds happy."

"Is she a friend of yours?" Ari's mom asks, turning after she finishes asking.

Casual.

"Yeah, from school." I smile.

"At USC right? The really, really big school?" Liam pipes up, getting almost everyone to peer down at him as he's evidently been listening.

"I thought you were in high school." Lisa's mom confesses.

Ari's mom adds "Me too!"

Ahsoka just smiles, leaving the talking to me. "Nope. Going into my sophomore year."

"Sophomore?" Liam's mom blurts out.

Ahsoka nods. "Moved here to LA a year ago next week." She then smirks at me before adding. "Drive home safely, all of you. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow." Lisa's mom replies.

"Bye Masters!" Ari says, then waves. Ahsoka's expression softens before all three Padawans are waving at us.

Ahsoka returns the gesture and I smile and wave goodbye before Lisa's mom grabs all three of their attentions by saying something.

I follow Ahsoka's lead and begin drifting back towards the doorway back to the Temple where Kanan's in the doorway, exchanging words with somebody out of sight. In front of him are Hera, Jacen, Sabine, and Mira all slightly huddled together as Mira is occupying most of Sabine's attention.

"I know you like plans, structure. So here's the plan Ezra:" Ahsoka begins, and I move to give her my full attention. "Zeb's taking your buddy Matt back to his house. You and Sabine are going to Hera's for dinner."

"Okay." I nod, trying to keep my face even and emotionless before Ahsoka rounds to face me.

Her expression is blank before she says "And at some point, you won't be able to run from her anymore."

My stomach knots up before I reflexively answer. "I'm not running from Sabine."

Ahsoka gives me a sympathetic look. "It was partially enforced. And partially you two not communicating."

That's—

"And the rest of it is you just not wanting to talk."

"I don't like to talk." I confirm for Ahsoka.

And Sabine's been on a rampage since I lost her beskar. Why would I voluntarily open the lines of communication, only to get yelled at?

I've done enough of that in my life!

"Making both of you nineteen-year-old with relationship issues. Congrats Ezra, you're normal." She quips, a laugh in her voice before starting toward Hera and Sabine. "Now c'mon."

"Bee!" Mira calls out as I exit the car. "Bee!"

"Bee's coming." Jacen pacifies his sister just as I open his door.

"Bee!" Mira exclaims as I catch her pulling on her seat belt.

Mira's door opens as Sabine pulls open the backseat of my car. "I'm right here silly…I gotcha."

The Force surges with energy as I free Jacen with the push of a button, and Jacen frees himself while I catch footsteps rushing towards us.

It's one of Jacen's neighborhood friends.

I bet—

Jacen spots his friend and immediately the two leap into an excited conversation in the front yard. Closing the door behind Jacen, I emerge to see Sabine holding Mira as behind them, Hera's SUV is being unloaded by Kanan.

"Mommy?!" Jacen hollers for his mom. "Can I play with William and Hailey?!"

Hera only hesitates for a moment. "Yes honey. But not for too long, we're about to start on dinner."

"Okay!" Jacen replies, already racing away with his buddy down the driveway and out towards the street.

And adventure.

Mira talking to somebody pulls me back to reality, and I turn in time to see Hera smile and Mira waving her hand at her mom.

"Yeah! I know Sabine's back! Finally! Do you like her new hair?"

"I was afraid she wouldn't recognize me." Sabine confesses.

Hera makes a face before shaking her head. "Of course not dear, never. I mean, you heard her…"

Kanan hits the button for the garage door, and everybody files into the garage as the door raises noisily only for it to be lowered as soon as the action is complete.

As that goes on, Kanan ushers Hera and Sabine forward. "Incoming call for you. Being rerouted from the Temple, here." Kanan drops his tone. "Go down to my study, and lock it behind you."

"Who is it?" I follow up.

That would necessitate locking the door behind me to the study.

Kanan doesn't reply as Hera leads the way thru the laundry room and to the kitchen, where Mira immediately veers off towards the large window and the backyard.

Ghost barks once then rushes for the door before Sabine, happiness in her voice calls out "Ghost!"

Mira mirrors her immediately, and Sabine grabs the door before Hera rounds the corner. "He can come in Sabine, I trust he's gone outside…"

Now.

Ghost rushes to Mira and immediately is being loved on by both girls as I hug the stairs until I can find the small handle to slide open the passage under the stairs and vanish inside.

Locking up behind me, I take the stairs two at a time as the lights automatically come on with every step before the entire study is engulfed in light. A persistent, blinking red light on Kanan's holo pulls me towards it though.

That light indicates either an incoming or missed message from the Temple.

I activate Kanan's holo with the push of a button, then sign into the Order's secure mainframe to tap into the call.

I need Twos.

"T, you there?" I say absently as I navigate my way towards where Twos' program can be activated.

I can feel my lack of focus. I can't stick on one thing. I need somebody to record whatever this call is, and somebody to be able to pull the info I need at the drop of a hat.

"Activated. User: Bridger, Ezra." Twos' voice connects thru the speakers. "Hello Ezra."

"Hi Twos."

"I'm detecting an increase in stress levels in your voice. Are you feeling alright today Ezra?" Twos volunteers.

"Fine, it's just been a long day. Listen, I'm expecting a call to Kanan's holo from the Jedi Temple. Can you parse thru all the messages today, find out what that's about?"

"On it Master."

Stress levels in my voice…

The holo's display goes fuzzy as Twos starts her search. Looking on as she works, I stick my hand in my pocket, where it immediately collides with my phone.

No. You don't need to check and see what people are saying about last night. Their opinion isn't the ones that matter.

"Looks like there's a holo overseas that's trying to hail you. I'll stratify my search." Twos declares her intentions while I rotate my phone in my hand.

Great. Overseas.

That could be anybody. Could be Master Skywalker calling from Ilum, could be Master Stella, or somebody from the European Council that wants to speak with me and Kanan.

Maybe he asked Master Billaba to straighten me out. Or someone else. It could literally be anybody.

And focusing on who isn't going to change that. Breathe…

A distraction while Twos finds who is looking for me is okay.

Peering at the holo for an instant, I unlock my phone with my thumb and traverse to a blue bird icon.

"Found it, Ezra."

"Go." I look up from the loading screen.

"The holo hailing you appears to have been given this holo's IP address and corresponding code as it hails you. Shall I put it through?"

That means that the information was shared by the Order.

"Yeah, go ahead. Thank you Twos."

"—just doing my duty." Twos says, voice almost clipped before the holo's display changes to begin functioning as a holographic video call.

My eyes drop back down to my phone and—

United States Trending Topics:

1. Darth Vader

Trending with: Jedi, Maul, Vader

2. Sidious

Darth Sidious is the father of the captured (for now) former Sith Lord Darth Vader, who—

3. #abolishthejediorder

4. ARREST HIM.

5. Palpatine

Trending with: Organa—

"There you are." A very familiar voice comes thru the speaker.

No, that can't be—

IT IS.

Something that's half sigh of relief, half-laugh comes out of me before Cayle's expression widens to a bigger smile. "You didn't know it was me?"

NO!

I shake my head then start to explain. "Kanan just told me I had a call, right after we all drove home from the Temple today."

"Fair enough. How was the drive?"

Awful.

The traffic had a few spurts of stop and go, which gave me time to put a little more thought into last night.

I have to review all the intel we have tonight.

I am so dead.

"Heavier traffic again. Gave me time to think."

Cayle exhales then crosses his arms. "I was going to get to that. But I haven't talked to you in what, three weeks?"

Basically.

"Yeah, does anybody know you called me?" I counter.

I know he's not supposed to and I'm not putting his Trail in jeopardy.

I can weather this storm on my own.

I just need some airspace…and some intel.

"I cleared it with Ahsoka and the Council. I think a part of them wanted me to call you. So here I am. First things first… Are you okay?" Cayle tees me up.

"Fine." I shrug. "Traffic was one of the first times things have stopped for me since I woke up."

"In the containment cell. Zeb's report said that you beat Vader."

I can't stop a rude, disrespectful swear before I turn away from the holo.

I did NOT beat Vader.

"That's not what happened."

"I can tell." Cayle fires back. "I saw the video. Everything comes to a stop, they're de-escalating things, then you say something wrong to Zeb that gets everyone's attention, then they all shoot you."

"There's video?"

I'm done.

"It'—no. It's alright. An international hacker group stole all the footage from last night's dashboard cameras—"

"How is that alright?!" I snap at Cayle.

What on earth are they seeing…?

"Because! The mask worked! The whole reason why the Council stuck to your old persona is to hide you behind and disguise you! The fight's the fight. You—" Cayle hesitates. "You know how people are going to see that fight."

A butcher.

"But—" Cayle raises his hand before I can argue. "They're focusing on details. Like the letter the White House put out supporting you as well as the joint intelligence community covering for you—"

WHAT?

My expression must have changed because Cayle stops himself. "Have you gotten to look at anything today?"

"No, it's a Thursday. And they kept me busy today. Dooku tested me too."

"Let me guess." Cayle smiles. "He hated last night's fight and made you display that you're committed to the changes in lightsaber combat."

I laugh once, then give him a look.

He knows this better than I give him credit for.

"Something like that." I smile. "I still don't think he's very happy with me."

"How'd that display go?"

"Fine." I shrug. "They didn't constrict me or limit my options with the Force. Dooku was more focused on my footwork and staying on one plane."

Cayle takes this information in then replies. "A lot of your attacks did come off-platform. Because you're you and you have so much natural power it didn't matter, but that's probably it."

"You saw it?!"

How much of this is online?

I guess I'll take him at his words about the off-platform strikes. Dooku does hate those, even though I can get away with it.

"I think almost all of it. There's multiple clips online. A lot of it is black and white security footage taken from people's houses."

My stomach flips so hard I almost feel nauseous before putting my head in my hands and pressing my face into them.

Yeah, I beat him.

"Talk to me. This isn't your fault. You won—"

"Yeah, but at what cost Cayle!" I snap at him, then pace a step or two away from the holo.

The video's completely online. I'm the top news topic in the entire world. There's no way the Council just lets this go without punishment.

I'm not supposed to be visible to the entire world!

"You were told to act if that's what it came down to." Cayle's tact changes, turning more matter of fact. "Like I said, I've spent most of my day today reading everything I could before talking to you Ezra. It's not as bad as it sounds, can I explain why?"

Sure.

I make a dismissive motion towards the holo while maneuvering over to Kanan's small mini-fridge to grab a water bottle.

"I saw the text Palpatine sent to you thru your Intel buddy's phone. He's made good on that promise. The entire intel community, and the Jedi Order put out a statement about 12-1 Eastern saying basically that you, Vader, were acting on what everybody, CIA, FBI, Palpatine, Thrawn, Tarkin, the Order, everybody thought was good intel on Maul. And it was, clearly."

Clearly.

"So you've got a lot of people taking up your side on this one. That, plus the statement plus the press briefing today, and things have found some kind of stability. They've circled back to another one of their favorite nits to pick."

"Lemme guess, the word's out that Palpatine hasn't talked to me?"

Cayle cackles he laughs so loudly, and I roll my eyes while unscrewing the lid to my water. "See! You are well informed!"

He's trying to lift my spirits.

"He can be mad all he wants, but I went from that cell to a meeting with Master Dooku, Kenobi, and Kanan, to Dooku's training. Then after that I—"

I haven't gotten to tell you about Matt.

"Oh. By the way. What's at the end of those dashboard cameras?"

Cayle makes a face at me. "Uhh, nothing. They all end rather abruptly after you get shot by the dendrotoxin. Why? Is this about your buddy?"

"You already know about that?"

"You really aren't all here." Cayle smiles. "It's—it's okay…" He pacifies me.

"I am listening Cayle!"

"I just told you I read everything that we had. Personally, I'm more curious as to how he got out of that house and snuck his way to even see you. But I'll ask that when I come back into town." Cayle switches up the train tracks on me. "Let me guess, you had to keep tabs on him today too."

"He stuck with me and the younglings." I confirm for him.

He sat in the back of the room, beside Mira's crib and just watched me teach and be Master Bridger today.

I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it, his Force Signature seemed to suggest that a few times.

"You're not lying. They did keep you busy."

By design I know. And now I'm through the day.

I exhale, then sip my water before multiple heavy sounds reach my ear.

Stairs.

"What?"

"Somebody's on the stairs. Probably Mira—"

But I locked the door and she can't reach it.

I reach out through the Force and turn, just in time to see Sabine come off the landing and peer around. "Ezr—oh hey. There you are."

"Hi, sorry. Kanan said I had to take a call." I explain as Sabine approaches me and smiles before peering behind me and—

Oh, Cayle.

"Hi Sabine." Cayle warmly greets her. "I'm glad to see that you're okay."

Sabine doesn't initially say anything, then looks away from Cayle. "Thank you, yeah. Ezra, uhh, Ezra saved me. He really did."

"Great idea, calling the Uber by the way." Cayle quips at me.

He's trying to loosen the tension.

"Thanks."

"No, don't 'Thanks.' me." Cayle scowls for a moment. "Again, you flashed why you're here. Critical thinking applied fast. Getting a suspected target out of the line of fire so that we can live to fight another day. And look." He gestures at Sabine and I. "We're fighting another day."

Before I can say or do anything, Sabine crashes into my side and hugs me tightly.

Wha—

"Thank you…" Sabine mumbles, head laying on my shoulder. The holo flashes and Cayle seems to lean out of the camera view, giving at least the illusion of privacy as I instinctively pull her in to hug her back.

"I'm just glad it worked. Sorry I was mean." I whisper.

I…

He saw her.

Vader was in charge. In control. And he had Sabine within his grasp.

…

And he went after Maul.

Thank the Force.

"I deserved all of it." She whispers back.

"You weren't supposed to see that." I blurt out. "Any of it. My job, it—"

Sometimes you have to pull the trigger, cut down your man.

Sabine makes some sort of squeaking noise before I see that she's trying not to cry but failing. Immediately I alter my grip and fully hug her. "Hey, it's okay…" At those words, Sabine just crashes into me and starts crying.

I…

All I can do is tell Sabine it's okay for a minute as she just sobs into my chest, trying to muffle the sound. Cayle's face pops into view for an instant, before he dips back out of sight. "so glad you're okay. I woke up and—"

Sabine buries her head closer to me again and I give her a squeeze before I hear. "I'm sorry. I know you're supposed to be working."

Cayle and I both laugh, which causes Sabine to turn in my arms just before Cayle reappears in the frame.

"Sorry." He raises his hands apologetically. "I, I didn't know you guys hadn't talked yet. I went to get a drink, I didn't hear anything." Helpfully, Cayle raises a non-standard issue Jedi mug before adding "See?"

Sabine's scowl breaks into a reluctant smile before she giggles. Cayle smiles back before the Force loosens a touch.

Okay. That's…good. I think?

"I know it's not my business? But wait another day to talk. Both of you are worn out and exhausted—"

"I'm fine." I cut Cayle off.

Cayle counters right back. "You were just telling me right before she came down here how your day started early and never stopped once all day. Spare me your bullshit. Now—

Sabine turns to me—"it's been a long day. Emotions are frayed and everybody's tired. There's nothing that'll help more, for both of you, than some real sleep. Sabine, I texted Hera. Apparently you're coming to Jacen's first soccer game on Saturday?"

"Yeah." Sabine smiles and nods.

"When'd this happen?" I ask.

I knew the game was on Saturday but—

"Just now, Hera asked me upstairs before I asked where you were."

"How'd you get in? If I know Ezra, he locked it." Cayle asks Sabine.

The Force surges with pride before Sabine speaks. "I am a Mandalorian. I know how to pick a lock."

Wait WHAT—

Cayle seems to take this in stride. "So I do have to worry about you asking for him on a combat mission. I thought that application was odd."

"All Mandalorians can. But no…I'm not putting Ezra in danger like that." Sabine turns to me. "Yesterday…I think that was enough for me."

"I'm fine." I try to ease her worries as she gazes at me.

"Who scratched you?"

Dammit.

"One of Maul's people I fought. I'm fine Sabine, seri—"

Sabine shuts me up by grabbing my cheeks and forcing me to look down so that she can get a better angle before—

OW!

Pulling away from Sabine, I wince and shake my hand as my finger pulsates and throbs piercingly.

At some point last night, I tore the nail right off my ring finger.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Your finger…" Sabine winces, looking very apologetic.

"They didn't give you any bacta for that?" Cayle asks.

Sabine turns right to him. "What's that?"

"A patented Jedi formula that can help heal some wounds a little faster." Cayle explains laisse faire before Sabine cuts him off again.

"Don't you think there are some people that maybe could use that to help? Why haven't the Jedi shared it?"

Because it's in precious short supply and being mined from the bottom of the seafloor while we try to synthesize it.

"A.) It's in short supply. B.)—" Cayle rattles right back. "We're on the cutting edge of medical science. The side effects aren't entirely known and—"

"Then why do you want to give it to Ezra?!"

"And it's really hard to talk…when you cut me off." Cayle finishes lamely. Before anybody can move, the Force rings with embarrassment.

"I'm—"

"It's fine." Cayle replies gently to Sabine. "I know, you just care about Ezra."

Sabine opens her mouth to reply, only for her to think better of it and say nothing. Cayle gives the moment time to breathe, then looks to me. "How far out are we from dinner? You probably need to go soon don't you."

"No. I don't think so."

"Well, in any case, I do. It's 5 AM here." Cayle says wearily. "And I'm supposed to be at least pretending to be normal here. So I'll have to go. But first…I have to pass along something Sabine. I'm sorry."

"Oh!" Sabine straightens up. "Right, uhm, I'll get out of here…Bye!" She calls back, already thoughtlessly retreated halfway towards the stairs.

"Bye!" Cayle calls back, half sarcastically before peering at me. "What? No bye to Sabine?"

"You never said you were calling in the middle of the night. Am I even allowed to know where you are?"

Stay on target.

I'll see Sabine in a minute.

"I asked Ahsoka today and she said yes. But I'm going a step further than she wants to, in the interests of transparency—"

"Cayle, don't—"

"Too late!" He overrules me. "I've already decided. I'm in Turkey, at a temple near Pergamon."

A Jedi Temple…in Turkey?

"They sent you to Turkey for your Trial?"

Cayle shakes his head at me. "You know the process, there are multiple actual trials."

"Yeah yeah yeah…" I urge him along.

The Trial of Skill, the Trial of Courage, the Trial of the Flesh, the Trial of Spirit, and the Trial of Insight.

"Well, I think this is probably Insight, or maybe Spirit. What I'm over here actually doing is pretty boring." He says, a laugh in his voice. "I'm translating some ancient runes and texts."

"Sounds like a boring Jedi Trial."

What would be important enough to—

"It's not about that, it's about the runes themselves!" Cayle chastises me.

"I know that, I was getting there!" I defend myself. "What do they say, what are they?"

"That's why I'm here." Cayle laughs. "And this is…"

The Force goes still for a moment as Cayle peers around him. "It's what was on the holocron Maul stole. All of our translations and copies, wiped off the Archives."

"Just like the sewers."

Somebody's in the Temple Archives.

When I look back to Cayle, he's got his finger over his mouth, miming 'shhh…' before adding "They sent me here, along with a Rakatan linguist specialist to translate everything and figure out why Maul stole it."

"Rakatan?"

The name doesn't ring a bell.

"They're a highly debated, never really confirmed human ancestor." Cayle replies. "There's…accounts and minimal proof. And that's about it. The holocron that Maul stole hadn't been accessed in sixty years, Ezra."

Sixty years?!

"Why that long?"

"Don't know." Cayle shrugs. "I know they're digging into why even that Master, a Beth Allusis accessed it. But yeah…that's what I'm doing. And I wanted you to hear it from me, I'm sorry I'm not there right now. I asked Ahsoka if I could get leave, or bring these runes back with me—"

No, you don't need to do that.

"—but Ahsoka shut me down. So…to answer your earlier point. Yeah, it's 5 AM. I'm tired too. I'll be fine."

"You don't need to leave. I'm fine here Cayle. I'm just going to keep my head down again, and whenever the Council wants to yell at me, they'll yell at me."

"They're not going to yell at you." Cayle shakes his head. "You did the job. Yeah, not perfectly but it got done! Maul lost and is captured. I know he's not talking but he will. Or his people will."

I'm not so sure about that.

"Either way, we just have to let this play out. I'm trying to translate this gibberish and figure out what they're talking about as fast as I can so that next time, you can keep your cover and I get to be famous and kick Maul's ass." Cayle jokes, eliciting a smile and a laugh from me.

"Being famous is overrated."

Cayle makes a face, then shoots back "You're not famous. You're infamous. Big difference. I—"

"EZRA!" Hera's voice echoes down from the stairs. "Dinner's here!"

"—you gotta go." Cayle sums up my predicament. "Bye."

"Be safe. Ask if you can text me."

I…I haven't liked not having him a text or call away.

It has bugged me.

"I'll ask again. Oh, and on Sabine—"

"Cayle—"

Cayle powers right on through my objections. "Remember why you two like each other. Okay?"

"Ezra!" Jacen's voice now calls out. "Did you hear Mommy?!"

"I'm coming Jacen!" I call back, just before I can turn back to Cayle.

All Cayle does is wave, then click off his connection.

Call Ended. Duration: 45:03