Summary:

Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and the traveler follow the loth-cat.

The traveler gives Ahsoka a message to Jinn and sends them out of the between worlds.

A rebel crashes the Father's test.

The team goes to ask the traveler for help.

.

24.

"Meow."

The woman turned to Obi-Wan and said, "What is that?"

Obi-Wan said, "It appears to be a loth-cat, but what is it doing here?"

Ahsoka was curious about the loth-cat. She followed it along a path. She had a feeling that the Force was telling her something. There was no other explanation for the loth-cat's presence. She remembered that there weren't any animals on Mortis besides the Ones. Obi-Wan and the woman weren't far beyond her. They watched as the loth-cat meow again and sat beside a portal.

Ahsoka bent down to pet the loth-cat's head and said, "What are you trying to tell me, little guy?"

Suddenly, the portal in front of her swirled and revealed a horrific sense. There were Imperial ships hovering in a sky over a distant world. It was Lothal. Massive flying creatures were attacking the ships with their purple tentacles. Ahsoka recognized the creatures. They were purrgil. They were destroying the fleet.

The image changed, Ahsoka saw the bridge of one of the Imperial ships. Ezra was there. Ezra was in trouble. He was hurt. He was holding Thrawn captive. The purrgil were about to jump into hyperspace. She had to do something. She had to do it now.

The woman stepped forward and used the Force to grab hold of Ezra. Obi-Wan raised his hands to help her too. Together they pulled Ezra out of the portal just as the purrgil jumped into the darkness of space on the other side.

"Ezra!" shouted Ahsoka.

She ran to the young man as he lay on the ground. He groaned and grabbed his head as Ahsoka slowly helped him to his feet. He blinked and looked at his surroundings.

"W-What happened? Thrawn!"

Ahsoka steadied him and said, "Whoa, hold on. Ezra, it's alright. Thrawn isn't here."

Ezra noticed that Ahsoka looked different. He narrowed his brow and said, "Ah, you look a lot younger than I remember, Ahsoka. What happened?"

She sighed and said, "It's a long story."

Obi-Wan approached them and said, "Are you alright, young man?"

Ezra was shocked at the sight of Obi-Wan. He turned his head to whisper to Ahsoka while he kept his eyes trained on the Jedi Master. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming.

"Ahsoka, is that Master Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

The Togruta teen smiled and said, "Yes, Master Obi-Wan this is my friend, Ezra Bridger."

Obi-Wan politely extended his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ezra Bridger."

Ezra smiled and took Obi-Wan's hand in greeting. He was struck by just how young Obi-Wan looked. It was hard to believe that he was the same old man he met in the desert on Tatooine. He had no idea his hair was red. Yet, that didn't explain where he was or what had happened. It wasn't like he was complaining. He was glad Ahsoka and Master Obi-Wan saved him. Though, he did notice the strange woman staring at him.

"Ah, hello? And who might you be?"

The woman marched up to him and turned him around. Ezra was startled by her manhandling and was about to protest when he suddenly felt the warmth of her hand on his injured shoulder. She was healing his blaster burn. He winced at her touch at first, but slowly the warmth seeped into him and gradually the pain went away.

She then guided Ezra to turn around to face her. Ezra noticed her strange red eyes. They reflected light like a loth-cat. He didn't want to get caught staring at her for too long and looked away. She smiled at his unease and gently placed her hand under his chin to turn his face to meet her gaze.

"You remind me of Jinn."

"Who?"

The woman smiled mischievously and patted Ezra on the head before she turned to Ahsoka and said, "It's time that we parted ways. You need to find your friend."

Obi-Wan said, "How do you plan to send us back?"

She said, "Not all things are complicated, Sir Knight." She then drew her black sword from her sheath and pointed it towards the ground again.

"Wait," said Ahsoka. "Why don't you come with us? We find Jinn together."

She turned to Ahsoka and said, "I've search for him for a long time. I didn't know if he was alive or dead but knowing that he has friends puts my mind at ease. When you see him again, please tell him that I love him."

She then thrusted her black sword into the ground. A flash of light appeared and when it was gone. Ahsoka discovered that she was back in the cave on Mortis. Obi-Wan was sitting next to her like before, but this time Ezra was sitting on side them. Ezra jumped when he opened his eyes and looked at the fire and glowing crystals around them.

"Okay, what just happened?"

Thunder roared and lightning flashed outside of the cave. The storm was still raging. By Ahsoka's estimation, not much time had passed since they went on their journey into the world in between. She crossed her arms and rubbed her chin.

"Ezra, we were in an in-between world that exist in the Force."

"Yeah, I get that. I've been there before. How old are you?"

Obi-Wan said, "What do you mean you've been there before?"

Ahsoka frowned and said, "I'm older than I look. I'm a time traveler just like you. Expect I traveled back into my younger body. I made the trip with Rex and another man named Jinn."

Ezra narrowed his brow and said, "Wait, so you're really from my time?"

Ahsoka sighed and said, "I think so. You look the same was I remembered, but I don't ever remember you ever coming across a group of puurgil before. I doubt Kanan would approve."

"Kanan?"

Suddenly, Ezra had a good idea where Ahsoka was in his timeline. It was sometime before Kanan's death. He narrowed his brow and said, "You don't remember being in that portal world before now?"

"No, that was the first time I've ever been there."

"Then I guess you're from my past because my Ahsoka has been there before. Wait, you said Rex and some other guy traveled with you. Is Rex here?"

Ahsoka said, "No, Rex isn't here. Master Obi-Wan, Anakin and I were on a mission to investigate an old Jedi distress signal, but instead we ended up on Mortis and got separated. Obi-Wan and I were actually trying to use the amplified Force on Mortis to help us locate our missing friend, Jinn."

Ezra said, "But instead you ended us rescuing me."

Ahsoka placed her hand on Ezra's shoulder and said, "I think we were meant to rescue you, Ezra. When I was in the portal world, I saw a loth-cat. It led me to your portal."

Ezra rubbed his short-cropped hair and said, "That's-weird. Not that I'm complaining. I appreciate being recused, but how do we get back?"

The Togruta teen replied, "My missing friend Jinn would know more about that than me. He's the one who transported Rex and I here. However, he's been kidnapped by a Sith."

"Then, I guess that lady was right. We need to go rescue him."

Obi-Wan said, "First things first, we need to find Anakin and find a way out of Mortis."

Ezra said, "Right, find Anakin, leave Mortis, find this Jinn guy and then time travel back home."

Ahsoka suddenly realized that she never asked Jinn about finding a way back home. She was so focused on trying to fix the past that she lost sight of her present. She never even thought about going back. The possibility of changing the past was too tempting. She didn't want to lose her friends, not if she could help it. Yet, she wondered if maybe she was being selfish. Maybe what happened couldn't be changed and she had to accept the way things were, but it didn't feel right.

She wished she had more time with Jinn's mother. She wanted to ask her about time travel. She wanted to know if what she was doing was worth it. She wanted her to come with them to save Jinn, but she didn't come back with them. Instead, all she wanted was for her son to know that she loved him. Somehow it didn't seem like enough.

Obi-Wan said, "I am going to try and get some rest. I suggest you two do the same."

Ahsoka watched as Obi-Wan laid down and turned his back away from the fire. However, Ahsoka couldn't sleep. She walked over towards the mouth of the cave and stared out into the storm. Ezra joined her and listed to the thunder and the rain.

"Ahsoka, what's wrong?"

"Since I got here, I never once thought about going back. I thought that if I stayed and changed things then everything would be different, better."

Ezra hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't know what would have happened to me if you haven't saved me. In my time, I saved you the same way you saved me. You were fighting Vader on Malachor. If I hadn't pulled you out of the portal, then you might have died."

Ahsoka said, "Strange, I did fight Vader, but I escaped Malachor with everyone else."

Ezra narrowed his brow and said, "I don't understand. Why do we remember things happening differently?"

"Maybe we're both from different timelines."

XXX

The next day, Ahsoka woke as the Son snatched her in his claws. She tried resisting, but he grabbed both of her arms. She saw that Obi-Wan had been taken by the Daughter in her griffin form. Ezra was trying to free her. He ignited his lightsaber and swung at the Son. Though, it wasn't enough. The Son and the Daughter were about to fly away towards the Father's fortress.

Ezra Force-jumped onto the Son's back. The bat-monster shrieked as Ezra wrapped his arms around the Son's neck and held on for dear life. He tried shaking him off, but Ezra wrapped his legs around the Son's waist.

"No, you don't!"

The bat-monster shrieked again. He had no choice but to carry both Jedi to the arena. Ezra was amazed at that the size of the arena. He had never seen anything like it. It was open with a strange circle in the middle representing the Darkness and the Light. Two men were there. He assumed one of them as Anakin. Ezra jumped off the bat-monster after he got close enough to the ground. He tumbled rolled and ended up in front of Anakin.

Ezra smiled and raised his hand and said, "Hello, I'm Ezra. You must be Anakin. Come on, let's go get these guys."

Anakin was stunned at first, but then he smiled and ignited his lightsaber. He headed towards the Daughter to free Obi-Wan. Meanwhile, Ezra ran to help Ahsoka.

The Father wasn't pleased and said, "No, this wasn't the plan. I wanted you to choose between saving your Master or your apprentice."

Anakin was able to free Obi-Wan from the Daughter's griffin-monster talons. Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber and together he and Anakin used the Force to shove her into the stadium walls. The two Jedi then went to help Ezra free Ahsoka from the Son.

Anakin smirked and said, "I never did like playing by the rules."

The Jedi Knight raised his hand and used the Force to free Ahsoka from the Son's claws. Ezra helped Ahsoka get to her feet after the Son dropped her. They watched as Anakin used the Force to shove the Son into the stadium wall as well.

The Father said, "This is not as I had foreseen."

Ahsoka ran up to the Father and said, "Please stop this. You don't need to do this. If you do then your family will be in danger. If you don't believe me then you can read my mind."

Anakin narrowed his brow and said, "Ahsoka, don't. He's dangerous."

"No, Anakin. I have to believe that what I do will make a difference."

The Togruta teen looked up at the Father with a challenging gaze. The Father was intrigued by her and what she was suggesting. However, he had no objections and reached out to place two of his fingers against her forehead. Ahsoka closed her eyes and felt the Father search her memories.

In a flash, the events of Mortis from her timeline unfolded. It started with the test in the arena. Then, the Daughter's death at the hand of the Son with the dagger of Mortis as she tried to protect the Father. Then, the Father's death at his own hand and at last the death of the Son by Anakin. The Father withdrew from Ahsoka's mind. He placed his hand over his face at the tragic loss of his children.

"Such terrible deeds. How did you come to know such things?"

Ahsoka placed her hand over her chest and said, "I'm a traveler."

Then, overhead in the arena, the group heard hooting from one of the platforms. The Father looked up and saw a female convor perched on the ledge. He stared at it bewildered for a moment, before it flew off and out of the arena.

Ezra turned away from the convor and approached Ahsoka and said, "Hey, isn't that Morai?"

The Father interrupted Ezra and said to Ahsoka, "I believe you, but the coming of the Chosen One was foretold. The balance will be in jeopardy if the Chosen One doesn't fulfill his destiny."

Ahsoka said, "I don't know, but this isn't the answer."

She then lowered her head and narrowed her brow. She wished she had an answer for the Father. It had been many years since she considered herself a Jedi. Balance was always elusive. She never met a Jedi who didn't have a hard time dealing with their feelings. The only Force-user she ever met who seemed to have true acceptance of all their emotions was Jinn.

She remembered how his power felt. The Darkness and the Light. They clashed and swirled like fire. It created a ring. A perfect balance between the Darkness and the Light. Jinn said he had learned to accept his darker impulses. He described it in a way that reminded Ahsoka of her predator instincts. Yet, Jinn explained that what kept himself true to the Light was his desire to someday return to his family with head held high.

Ahsoka said, "Maybe your children need to learn to balance each other."

The Father said, "Perhaps, but I cannot change the nature of my children. Now, leave us. I wish to speak to the Chosen One alone."

XXX

After everyone had cleared the arena, the Father approached Anakin and said, "Only the Chosen One can tame my children. Do you feel your destiny? You must see it now. I am dying and you must replace me."

Anakin said, "Replace you? I can't stay here."

The Father said, "But this is yours. It has been foretold. The Chosen One will remain to keep my children in balance."

Anakin replied, "No."

The Father was disappointed, but it was as he had seen in Ahsoka's memories. Solemnly, he said, "I cannot force you to do this. The choice must be yours but leave and your selfishness will haunt you and the galaxy."

XXX

It wasn't long after that Anakin and his friends returned to their ship. However, Anakin was troubled by the Father's words. He didn't want to leave his wife or his friends. He couldn't give them up for anything. However, once he was inside the ship, he saw that Ahsoka was at the helm.

"Snips, you're in my seat."

Obi-Wan said, "Ahsoka has just informed us that the Son hasn't given up on you yet, Anakin. She said he'll attempt to kidnap her after we're airborne. Right now, we're strategizing a plan."

Anakin crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Well, if he wants a fight then I'll give him one."

Obi-Wan raised his brow and said, "Maybe a plan that doesn't involve fighting."

Ezra said, "It's too bad we don't have that lady's sword. She seemed able to travel through worlds pretty easily." The three turned to look at Ezra. The teen nervously lifted his hand and said, "What?"

Ahsoka put her hand under her chin in thought and said, "That's not such a bad idea. Maybe we can get in contact with her again. I think it's worth a shot."

Anakin said, "What are you talking about?"

Obi-Wan explained, "Ahsoka and I tried to find Jinn's location through the Force the night we were separated. We shared a vision where we encountered a powerful Force-user with a sword. She brought us to the portal world to help us discover Jinn's location and save Ahsoka's friend, Ezra. She also returned us from our quest."

The Jedi Knight frowned and said, "What? You mean she's like the Father?"

Ahsoka shook her head and said, "No, I think she was Jinn's mother."

"What!" exclaimed Obi-Wan and Anakin.

Obi-Wan said, "Ahsoka, how can you know that? She never even told us her name."

The Togruta teen said, "I thought it was obvious. She recognized you when we first met. She has a sword just like Jinn. She said she was looking for Jinn. She also called you a pet name. In fact, I'm pretty sure Jinn has her personality."

Obi-Wan didn't know how to response. He wanted to deny that the woman in the portal world was Jinn's mother, but the facts the Ahsoka presented made it clear that it was true. Another fact that Ahsoka missed was the woman's eyes. They reflected the light like an animal just like Jinn's eyes. However, they weren't amber, they were red. She felt more Sith than Jedi. Yet, her parting words to Ahsoka were heartfelt and sincere. He wondered what sort of woman she was. He wondered how much of her was in Jinn. It was strange to realized he had met his alternate-child before his alternate-wife. Which made him wonder, if his alternate self was even married. He wondered if maybe Jinn was a product of passion rather than love.

Ahsoka said, "Come on, let's sit down. We can try contacting her here."

Anakin shook his head but joined Ahsoka on the floor of the ship and said, "I don't know if this is going to work, Snips."

Ezra sat down next to Anakin and said, "Trust me, the Force can be really weird. This is normal."

Obi-Wan saw that he was the last one still standing. He sighed and joined the others on the floor. He sat between Ahsoka and Ezra. They made a nice circle between them and joined hands. They each closed their eyes and let the Force flow through them.

Suddenly, they were back in the darkness again. Obi-Wan turned to see a light in the distance. He got up to go investigate. The others followed him. He found a strange green circle of fire swirling in the darkness. Tentatively, he reached out to touch it.

Anakin said, "Careful, Obi-Wan. You don't know what that thing is."

Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment before he gently caressed the flames. However, instead of flames, he saw that he was caressing the woman's face. Her bright red eyes stared up at him like binary stars. Her skin was smooth and flawless. She didn't look old enough to have a grown son, yet her gaze was sharp and wise. He felt her presence sweep over him like a warm balm. He felt her mind caress him in a way he had never felt before. He closed his eyes as the sensation nearly overwhelmed him.

"Why are you here, Sir Knight?"

Obi-Wan withdrew his hand from her face and said, "We need your help. We need to leave Morits."

"I'm not sure what I can do."

Ezra stepped forward and said, "Can't you use your sword to teleport us out of Mortis?"

The woman said, "My powers to teleport only work in the spiritual world. I don't have the ability to teleport anyone physically."

Ezra said, "I don't get it. If you can only teleport people's spirits, then how did you send me to Mortis back with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan?"

The woman said, "The portal world and this Mortis are nexuses in the Force. They overlap the physical and the spiritual world. It's the difference between energy and matter."

Ahsoka said, "What about the Ones? They're archetypes of the Darkness, the Light and the Balance of the Force."

The woman scuffed and said, "The Force aren't people. They are spirits. Spirits only have power through dreams and lies. Perhaps, they are strong spirits, but they are not gods. Gods do not die."

Ahsoka said, "I don't want anyone to die. I just want us to leave Mortis. The Father thinks Anakin is the Chosen One who can tame his children after he dies. The Son and the Daughter represent the Darkness and the Light."

The woman said, "In the story I know of Mortis, all three were slain by the Dagger of Mortis. If the Father can't control his children, then perhaps death is their destiny." She then turned to Anakin and said, "Last I heard, young Skywalker was a mortal man. How does this Father expect a mere mortal to control his specter children? Not unless, he expects Skywalker to tame his children not only in his life, but in his afterlife as well. Which I believe to be a crueler fate then death."

Anakin frowned and said, "I hadn't even considered that. The Father said if I choose to leave then my selfishness will haunt me and the galaxy. What if he's right?"

The woman approached Anakin and placed her hand over his heart and said, "Chosen One or not, you're a man. You're not an archetype. It's normal to be selfish. Tell me, what do you want?"

Anakin looked away from her. It had been a long time since anyone ever asked him what he wanted. Normally, others demanded things from him. Sometimes he was just so frustrated. "I don't want to be stuck here. I never asked to be the Chosen One. I don't even know what that even means. I want to leave this place."

The woman said, "Then if that is your wish then I will help you."

Bewildered, Anakin said, "So, you don't think I'm being selfish?"

She smiled mischievously and said, "Of course, your being selfish, but I'd rather you be honest about it then to lie about being selfless. Here." The woman drew her black sword and handed it to him. "Take it. It may not be the Dagger of Mortis, but my sword has been at my side for I was a disciple. Over eight times your human lifetimes. I've drawn it for only two reasons, to slay worthy opponents or to defend my people. It's a symbol of my honor. The blade is black, not because it is imbued with Darkness, but to honor the passing of those I've slain. I don't know what good it will do you, but use it to defend yourself against those that would try to use you."

Anakin said, "I can't accept such a gift. Don't you need your sword to get back home?"

She stepped away from him and said, "I never left my home. I don't like goodbyes, so until we meet again, young Knight."

The woman raised her hand towards the group and a green circle of fire surrounded them. In a blinding flash, the fire rose and when it was gone, the group found themselves back inside the ship. The black sword laid across Anakin's lap.

XXX

Ezra examined the sword and said, "Whoa, it's really here. What's this bird design mean?"

Ahsoka said, "Jinn told me it's his maternal family insignia. He said it pretty much means the same thing as the rebel insignia of the starbird. It's a bird that rises from the ashes and never gives up."

Ezra gave the sword a test swing and said, "The sword feels almost alive, but the traveler is right. I don't see how this is supposed to help us."

Anakin took the sword away from Ezra. The ship was too small for swordplay. He turned to Obi-Wan and said, "So, tell me, what did Mrs. Kenobi do in order to activate it?"

Irritated, Obi-Wan said, "She's not Mrs. Kenobi, Anakin. And she didn't do much to activate the sword. She simply held it over her head with the blade pointed down and struck the ground. A light emitted out from the blade and we were teleported out."

Anakin said, "Well, I think I'll give it a try."

Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest and watched Anakin grab the sword with both hands and said, "Please, Anakin. It can't be that simple. There must be-"

Suddenly, Anakin raised the black sword over his head and struck the bottom of the ship with the end of the black blade. A rush of blinding white light flooded the ship's cabin. In an instant, Obi-Wan blinked and saw he was sitting at the co-pilot seat of the ship next to Anakin just as he was at the start of their journey. Ashoka was seated behind them and Ezra was unconscious on the floor.

"-more to it than that. Force, what just happened?"

Anakin smiled and said, "Apparently, it is that simple."

Obi-Wan said, "I can't believe that worked."

Ahsoka got up and said, "Where's the sword?"

Anakin looked around the ship and said, "It's gone."

XXX

TBC

XXX

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