Summary:

Ahsoka spends time with Rex.

Ezra and Jinn start their first day of Jedi training.

Jinn learns something shocking.

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26.

Ahsoka was disappointed that Rex and Anakin couldn't capture Dooku. Though, she was glad that Fives and Ventress were able to save Jinn. She was worried about her friend and wanted to ask him more about what he knew about time travel. However, he looked awful when he returned to the ship. He looked thin and worn out. She hoped he would recover soon.

Then, unexpectedly she groaned and rubbed her right montral. Lately her montrals and lekku had been hurting her. She knew it was probably growing pains. She didn't look forward to facing puberty again. She decided to go see Rex.

She went to his office and saw Vaughn was there. The two men stood at attention when she entered. She smiled and said, "At ease, gentlemen."

Rex said, "Vaughn, thanks for the report. Dismissed."

"Yes, Captain. Commander."

Ahsoka nodded her head in acknowledgment as he went to leave the office. Once the door was closed, Rex smiled as she moved to sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder. Rex didn't expect Ahsoka to be so cuddly, but he wasn't complaining.

"Is there something on your mind, Soka?"

"I missed you, Rexy. We didn't get a chance to spend time together after my mission."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I miss spending time with you too."

Rex reached up to caress Ahsoka's lekku, but she hissed and sat up. "Ouch."

"What's wrong?"

Ahsoka said, "It's my montrals and my lekku. They've been hurting me lately. Going through puberty again sucks. I remember going through a bunch of body pains while they were growing out."

"You never said anything about that before."

She turned to Rex and said, "I never told anyone. I was embarrassed about it when I was a teenager. I didn't want anyone to worry about me."

Rex said, "Well, you don't have to suffer alone now. I remember back when I was a cadet. My brothers and I had our share of growing pains. Accelerated aging wasn't easy."

Ahsoka frowned. She could only imagine what sorts of aches and pains Rex and his brothers had to go through while they grew up. Though, she did have an idea she thought Rex might enjoy. She got off his lap and pushed back his chair so she could knee in front of him.

"Wait, Soka. What are you doing?"

She smiled up at him and said, "You said I didn't have to suffer alone so how about a head massage?"

Rex looked around and said, "I don't know. Are you sure?"

Ahsoka's lekku flushed with embarrassment. She figured she should take precautions so they wouldn't get caught doing anything inappropriate. She turned to look at the door and raised her hand to use the Force to lock it. She then gave Rex a teasing look.

"Come on, Rex. Please give me a head massage."

The Captain sighed. He supposed with the door locked and no one saw them that it would be alright. It wasn't like they were doing anything provocative. A massage was innocent. Rex took off his gloves and leaned forward to touch the tips of Ahsoka's montrals. Ahsoka hummed with approval and closed her eyes. She nearly melted when she felt Rex gently message down her lekku with both hands.

"Oh, Rex. Right there. Harder."

Rex froze.

"Kriff."

Ahsoka opened her eyes and said, "Rex? What's wrong?"

Rex awkwardly rubbed his head and said, "Uh, it's just the things you're saying are distracting."

She said, "Oh, alright. I won't say anything then."

"Uh, right."

Rex sighed and put his hands back on Ahsoka's lekku and started to message them again. He knew it was a privilege to even touch them. Normally, head-tails didn't like people touching them. Rex understood personally space, but Ahsoka had allowed him to touch her lekku before. She always seemed to like it. He decided to see if she still had the mark he left on her neck on Lothal, but that was some time ago and it was gone.

It was nearly a year since they first time traveled. Ahsoka's body had grown a little. She was a bit taller, her lekku were a little longer and she was starting to fill out. He enjoyed watching her change right before his eyes. He had missed so much before. There was a lot he took for granted, but now with the cure, he could spend time with Ahsoka in a way he could only dream of.

"Mmmm."

Ahsoka moaned as Rex started rubbing behind her lekku at the base of her neck. Rex couldn't take it. She was killing him with her noises. He pulled away from her and sat back.

"Soka, I think we should stop."

She opened her eyes with the most satisfied look on her face that it nearly broke him. With a lazy smile, she said, "That was great, Rexy."

Rex blushed and turned away from her glance and said, "You're welcome, cyare."

"Now, I think it's time I made you feel as wonderful as you've made me feel on Lothal."

"What?"

She gave him a mischievous smile and started touching his armor below his waist. Rex's heart began to race. He suddenly wished he wasn't wearing any armor at all. He wanted to feel Ahsoka's touch on his body.

"You don't have to do that, cyare."

Ahsoka smiled and inched closer to him and said, "I want to. Unless, you don't?"

Rex reached out to grab her arms and said, "No, there's nothing I want more, but you're still so young. I don't want to hurt you. I told you, Soka. You're worth waiting for. I already waited years to be with you. We don't have to rush things."

Ahsoka's lekku darkened with a blush as she lowered her gaze. She reached out to play with the tip of her lekku before meeting his eyes and said, "I know but there's so much I want to explore about you. I love the way you make me feel."

Rex smiled and picked Ahsoka up and put her back in his lap. He held her close and said, "How about later tonight? We don't have to do anything, but you can explore me all you want. That way we don't have to rush. Though, I don't know what the fuss is about. Once you've seen one clone, you've seen them all."

Ahsoka said, "No way. I'm only interested in one clone, Captain."

Rex laughed and said, "Well, it better not be Cody."

Ahsoka giggled and said, "How did you know?"

Rex shook his head and rolled his eyes. He picked Ahsoka up in his arms and walked around his desk to drop her by the door. Once she was on her feet, he bent down to slap her backside.

"Hey! Rex!"

"Alright, Commander. I still have a few reports to review. I'll see you later."

However, Ahsoka's mood turned serious. She met his gaze and said, "Rex, do you ever think about going back? That maybe we don't belong here?"

Rex frowned and said, "I figured if it wasn't meant to be, then it wouldn't have happened. Though, I'd be lying if I told you that I wanted to go back. Why? What's this about?"

"Ezra."

"What about him?"

"He asked about going back, but I realized I never even thought about it. I never even asked. Are we doing the right thing by being here?"

Rex said, "I think we are. I don't know much about timelines, but I do know that what we're doing is righting. We're saving lives. It's our second chance and I'm not going to waste it."

Ahsoka smiled and reached up to give him a kiss. "Thanks, Rex. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Rex smiled and said, "Good, because you're stuck with me, Commander."

XXX

The next morning, Ezra went to Jinn's quarters to meet for morning practice. He had learned a lot during their short lesson yesterday. He was eager to learn more. He knocked on his door and waited for him to answer. When the door opened, Ventress answered it. She was wearing Jinn's long brown outer robe. She was completely covered, but Ezra had the uneasy feeling that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. She frowned and leaned against the door frame as she held the robe closed under her neck.

"What do you want, brat?"

Ezra awkwardly stepped back and said, "Oh-uh, sorry. I thought these were Master Jinn's quarters."

Ventress smiled and said, "These are Master Jinn's quarters. Now, what do you want?"

Jinn grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door and said, "Stop, intimidating my Padawan, darling."

The amber Jedi was thankfully dressed. He picked up his belt with his sword and saber and shut the door behind him. He then put the belt around his waist and fastened it outside in the hall.

He turned to Ezra and said, "Well, shall we get going, Bridger?"

"Um, okay."

Ezra had so many questions, but he didn't think it was right to ask. It wasn't his business. Ezra knew from Kanan that the Jedi thought attachments were forbidden. Yet, Kanan loved Hera and Jinn loved his girlfriend. Even Ezra loved his friends. They were all he had after he lost his family. His friends were his family.

"Master Jinn, did you love someone? I mean before your girlfriend, and is that why you don't consider yourself a Jedi?"

Jinn paused and said, "I don't consider myself a Jedi because I am a Jedi of the New Order. It just so happens that the New Order doesn't exist in this timeline. I don't follow the rules of the current Order, so it makes no sense to confuse people by telling them that I am a Jedi."

"Oh, so Jedi are allowed to form attachments where you're from?"

"Yes. There aren't many Jedi where I'm from."

"Why not?"

"They were killed during the Purge or by Inquisitors."

Ezra expression turned serious and he said, "So, your timeline was after the war like me."

Jinn smiled and said, "Technically, if our timelines were parallel then you'd be a few years older than me, Bridger."

Ezra raised his brow and said, "That's weird. Though, I have a few questions."

Jinn entered the Mess Hall and picked up a tray for morning meal. He handed Ezra a tray as well. He began quickly loading up the tray with more food then was normal for one man. Ezra absently watched him as he began putting food on his own plate.

"Of course. As your Master, feel free to ask me anything."

Ezra was surprised by Jinn's openness. He followed the amber Jedi to an empty table and watched as he ate with very formal table manners. He placed a napkin in his lap and neatly dined with a fork and knife. He remembered that Jinn said he was taught to be behave in a courtly manner. It was such a contrast to how Kanan and the rest of Ghost crew behaved.

"Did you grow up rich or something? Is that why you act so formal all the time?"

Jinn replied, "No, I grew up having very little, but my parents were very formal. My education was somewhere between finishing school and combat training. The point was to be able to adapt to any society."

Ezra said, "Yeah, I can see how would be useful. Though, I was wondering, if you can travel between worlds, why haven't you tried to go back?"

"Oh, I've tried many times."

"But don't you want to go back home to your family?"

"I did at first. Trying to get back home used to consume me, but I started to ignore the people around me. I focused solely on my goal. I became dark. I wasn't the same man I was before. I didn't like it, so I decided to change my perspective. I decided to treat all timelines as my own."

"What changed your mind?"

"I didn't help someone when I knew I could have. I dismissed them as insignificant. I realized that I broke a promise I made to myself a long time ago. I swore when my Padawan died that I would help those in need so I could spare them the suffering that I had suffered."

Ezra didn't know that Jinn had such a painful past. He felt guilty now for asking him, but Jinn didn't seem offended. Instead, the amber Jedi was eating his double helping without a care in the world.

"If I wanted to go back could you send me?"

Jinn stopped eating and said, "Do you want to go back?"

"My friends are back there. I don't want to leave them. If it's possible, could you?"

"I don't know if I can. It took my years to set up everything to travel last time. However, there are only a few points in the Force capable of such a thing, but in this timeline, it's in a dangerous place. You might be better off starting a new life here. Come, let's continue our conversation in the training room."

XXX

Once they were alone in the training room, the amber Jedi turned to face the teen and said, "Ezra, tell me. Are you sure you want to be my apprentice? If you're set on finding a way back, you need to tell me now."

Ezra turned to face him and said, "I don't know. I mean, I want to learn more about the Force, but I don't know if I want to stay here for the rest of my life."

Jinn nodded his head and said, "I understand, but becoming my apprentice will be a commitment. You know a great deal already, but it will take years for you to learn what you're asking me. Are you willing to agree to that? If not, I can't accept you as my apprentice. However, once your training is complete, I will help you return to your own timeline."

Ezra crossed his arms over his chest. Jinn was a fair man. He knew it wouldn't be fair to him if he just up and left. Jinn seemed set on staying in this timeline. He was also his only hope in ever getting back. Ezra figured he should take Jinn's offer and stay for however long it took for him to complete his training.

"Alright, I promise to stay and complete my training. Then, I'll figure out a way to get back home."

Jinn smiled and said, "Good, now please have a seat. We can start with setting up a training bond."

"A what?"

Jinn stared at Ezra perplexed. "You know, a training bond. This way we can feel each other's presence. It will make instruction with the Force easier. I take it you never had one before?"

"No. What's it like?"

Jinn sat down on the floor and Ezra sat in front of him. He folded his legs beneath him and reached up to rub his beard. He considered Ezra's question and said, "It's like feeling me in the back of your mind."

Ezra widened his eyes and asked, "All the time?"

Jinn laughed and said, "Suns and moons, no. That would be too much. It's more like a private com-link through the Force. We'll only use it during training or when it's an emergency. Now, give me your hands."

Ezra exhaled with relief. He then took Jinn's hands. He saw the amber Jedi close his eyes and he followed his lead and did the same.

"Now, Bridger. I'm going to drop my Force-shields completely. It may startle you. Don't be alarmed."

"Okay, whatever you say-"

Ezra suddenly found himself overwhelmed with a sensation of warmth and light. He turned around and saw that he was in dark place with no features or landmarks in all directions. He saw in the distance a ring of bright orange fire swirling in the air. It reminded him of the ring of green fire in the in between place where they spoke to Jinn's mother. He noticed how similar the flames felt.

"You have a spark within you too, Bridger."

Ezra turned and saw Jinn standing beside him.

"What is that?"

"That's my Force-presence. Take a step back. You'll be able to see yours."

The teen did as he was instructed and was amazed to discover when he took a step back that his spark remained floating in front of him. It was a blue ball that glowed in the darkness. Yet, it wasn't a circle like Jinn's and it wasn't as bright.

"Why is it different from yours?"

"That's because I'm harnessing both the Darkness and the Light. I formed them into a ring. They are opposite forces, so they try to repel each other. Instead, I make them dance. Now, imagine you're pulling a thread out from your spark."

Curious, Ezra did as he was told and used his hand to pull out an imaginary thread out from his blue spark. To his amazement, a thin blue thread appeared in his hand.

"Whoa, now what?"

"Now, go pull a thread from my spark and tie them together in the middle."

Ezra was nervous about touching Jinn's spark because it looked like a raging flame, but it wasn't hot. Instead, it was warm and soothing. He easily plucked a gold thread out from the fire and pulled it out till it was halfway between the two sparks and tied them together. The thread jumped to life and turned white. It shimmered like a spider's thread.

Ezra gasped. He never felt anything like it. It was like how Jinn described it. He felt him in the back of his mind. Jinn's presence was warm and soothing like the ring of fire.

"The training bond is now complete. Now, all you need to do is step back into your Force-presence to wake up and we can start the morning routine."

"Wait, what's that over there?"

Jinn looked towards where Ezra was pointing. He followed another thread that lead to another spark. Except this spark was white with pulses of red. Jinn rubbed his face with embarrassment. He knew who that spark belonged to.

"Please, leave that alone."

"Doesn't this mean you have another training bond?"

"It's not a training bond."

Ezra began examining the spark of the other Force-presence. It was strong, but red pulses felt dark. He wondered what it meant. He then saw that the other Force-presence had a tiny companion next to it. He frowned and turned to Jinn.

"Why does this Force-presence have a little friend?"

The amber Jedi shook his head and walked to stand beside Ezra and said, "What little friend?"

"There. What is that?"

Jinn looked at what Ezra was pointing at and exclaimed, "Seven rings of hell. Ezra, come on. I need to wake up now."

Ezra heard the urgency in Jinn's voice and did what he was told. He stepped back into his light and opened his eyes in the waking world. Jinn immediately got up and started for the door.

"Hey! Wait up."

Jinn ignored Ezra and marched through the halls of the ship. He brushed off the troopers that greeted him and walked back to his quarters. He paused when he got to the door. He anxiously rubbed his face before knocking.

"Darling, we need to talk."

The door opened and Ventress stared at him in confusion. "Back so soon?"

Jinn walked into the room and started to pace and said, "Darling, I have some serious news I need to tell you. You better sit down."

Ventress crossed her arms over her chest and sat down in a chair. She was dressed in black leggings and a well fitted sleeveless robe with long knee-high boots. Her lightsabers were clipped on her belt. She crossed her legs when she sat and waited for him to continue.

"Well, what is it?"

Jinn kneeled in front of her and took her hands and said, "Asajj, I think you're pregnant."

XXX

TBC

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