Purpose

Ahsoka's recording fell silent for a moment before resuming. "I'm taking…let's say a nine hour break. I need sleep. If you don't, sleep anyways. I have a lot left to say, and it's important that someone hears it."

The hologram of their fallen mentor flickered out, but the holocron still issued sporadic bits of noise as Ahsoka prepared for bed.

"Kanan, Ezra," Hera's voice crackled through Ezra's wrist comm. "The recon team is back. Commander Sato wants you both at the debriefing."

"Got it. We're on our way." Ezra switched off the communicator and headed to the door. "How's that for timing, eh Kanan? Ahsoka says 'take a break' and boom! There's Hera calling for us. Kanan?"

Ezra's master hadn't moved. "You go ahead. This has given me a lot to think about. I want to see what I can learn about this Asajj Ventress woman."

"Okay…" Ezra said. "But Hera sounded like this might be important."

"All the more reason for me to be absent then," Kanan said. "No one want to explain the holograms for the blind man."

"Kanan, I…" Ezra opened his mouth to speak twice before turning off the lights and leaving Kanan behind.

"You're here. Good," Kanan said. "I think she just woke up. Sounded like she rolled out of her bed. Did you know that there isn't a single mention anywhere on the HoloNet of Asajj Ventress? I knew the Empire has been censoring everything to do with the Jedi for the past decade, but I would have thought they'd leave the Separatists out of it. And Ahsoka made it sound like Ventress was some kind of big shot war criminal or something. You'd think that would play into their story about all the Jedi being power-hungry. So they've got to be hiding something important with her."

Ezra closed the door behind himself. "The recon mission was a failure. Thanks for asking. Commander Sato says—"

"Shh! Shh. Shh." Kanan said, bent over the holocron, one ear bent towards the table. "I think she just turned on the shower. It must be, it definitely sounds like—"

"Are you serious? Do you even care about the Rebellion anymore?" Ezra demanded. "Should I tell Hera that she's Spectre-1 now?"

"If you want to, go ahead," Kanan said. "Probably more trouble than it's worth though, renaming everyone. Better to just leave the slot open until you find someone to fill the slot."

"You think we could just replace you?"

"Look at me Ezra," Kanan said. "Wait, maybe you already are. I don't know because I. Am. Blind. I can't fight like this. I can't be a fighter anymore. So I'm trying to be helpful in the only way I know how. No matter how much aid the Rebellion gets, there are still two Sith that will hold up the Empire by themselves if they have to. You remember the fight above Lothal. One fighter against our entire squadron and he made us look like children. Infants. Do you think it would be any different if we had a fleet? A fleet of fleets? And Sith always come in pairs. If we can't find a way to deal with them, then all of this, everything we've fought for will come to absolutely nothing. And if Ahsoka thinks that what she has to say is important, then what could be more important than killing the Sith? You said Ahsoka said she isn't a Jedi. Maybe she knew a stronger way to use the Force, something even stronger than the Sith."

"If Ahsoka knew a way to defeat the Sith, why did she die fighting one on Malachor?" Ezra winced at his own words, but pressed on, "I miss her too, but she wasn't perfect, she wasn't all-powerful, and neither are the Sith. They are just men, and will die like anyone else if we can get a blaster behind their back. We don't need her secrets about the Force right now, we need military advantages. And I don't need you searching for secrets, I need your ideas, your teaching. And if I can't get them from you—"

Ahsoka's form flickered into existence and began to speak without preamble, "My next memory was in the cockpit of the Banshee, hurdling through hyperspace…

End Act I