Chapter 6 – Echoes of the Past

Author's Note: In which... Theseus has a vision. :)

~ Amina Gila

Force-visions are a rare occurrence, but that doesn't mean he never has them. Theseus had been thinking about his crystal again when he fell asleep, wondering exactly where it could be. He knows it's time for him to get it. There's only so long he can keep using a lightsaber that isn't his own. Besides, green feels wrong for him.

Even as a distinct image of a planet forms in mind, Theseus knows he is dreaming. The terrain is covered with forests and fields, and he's pretty sure he's seen it before, probably during some of his studies at the Temple, because he knows he's never been there before.

The scene shifts again in front of him, showing a cave where crystals rise out of the ground before finally fading.

Dantooine, he realizes, jolting awake. That's the place it was showing him. So maybe that's where he's supposed to go to find a crystal for his lightsaber. After so long, he was beginning to wonder if he could ever find the place.

**w**

"Are space snakes really that interesting?" Ahsoka finally can't hold back the comment any longer. Really, how long has he been staring at that same page?

Theseus jumps at the sudden noise, knocking the record he's reading straight onto the floor with a crash. "What?" he huffs as he leans down to pick it up. She can't quite smother a giggle.

He gives her a mock glare. "You know, it's un-Jedi like to laugh at other people's misfortunes."

"Well, you've literally been staring at that page for the past fifteen minutes."

"I was just –"

"Daydreaming?"

"Thinking about stuff," Theseus finishes, ignoring the interruption.

"What sort of 'stuff'" she asks, a little curiously this time.

"I had a vision... I think," he answers, shifting a little uncomfortably. "I think I'm supposed to go to Dantooine to get my lightsaber crystal."

"Oh!" she exclaims. Of all places in the galaxy, that would not have been one of her guesses. "Have you spoken with Master Obi-Wan about it?"

"Not yet," he admits.

"Well, you should soon. Before we're sent off to the fronts again."

Theseus nods, briefly eyeing Qui-Gon's lightsaber, which he's still using, before he stands up. "We should probably be going now anyway. It's getting late."

"Well, I think we still have about ten more minutes before Master Anakin gets out of that class of younglings he's with, but yes, we probably should get going," Ahsoka agrees, standing up and following him over to the shelf to put the records they were reading away.

"I was wondering what happened to you," a familiar voice suddenly speaks up from right behind them. Ahsoka looks up to see a Mirialan girl who's been in many of the same classes as her and Theseus over the years, walking over to them. She's someone neither of them has ever gotten along with, and definitely not someone Ahsoka feels like dealing with right now. She doesn't need her ruining the first surprisingly good day she's had in a long time.

The girl snickers about nothing apparent, gaze focusing on Theseus. "I was beginning to think Master Kenobi got rid of you like Master Yoda did."

Ahsoka's eyes narrow angrily, and Theseus stiffens ever so slightly – probably only visible to her since she knows him so well. Seriously, she knows that's still a sensitive topic for her friend and if she was younger, she might have punched the Mirialan for bringing it up like that.

"You ever wonder why he got rid of you?" she smirks, going on before either of them has a chance to say a word, "'cause he knew you'd never amount to anything with the way you are. It's not going to be long before Master Kenobi realizes the same thing."

The Jedi Council doesn't really have time to deal with all the internal fighting. It's sad, but it's something Ahsoka learned a long time ago. At a young age, she's learned to fend for herself. "You've made it clear you're jealous," Ahsoka cuts in, interrupting the girl. "So why don't you leave?" Someone like her will never make it to becoming a proper Jedi, not that Ahsoka would say that to her face. It would make her no better than the Mirialan herself if she did.

A cruel smile twists the girl's lips as she looks over at Ahsoka. "You're too wild and uncontrolled to ever be a proper Jedi. That's why no one ever wanted you in the first place. You should have been sent to the AgriCorps," she sneers. "Your Chosen One too will realize how useless you really are. Wait to see what he thinks of you then."

"I'll be waiting," Ahsoka growls back, bristling. She had been too old when she was taken. If Anakin hadn't agreed to take her, she would have gone to the AgriCorps. It had been her greatest fear back in those first days, letting Anakin down and him deciding he didn't want her anymore.

"Neither of you are good enough for them," the girl insists. "Eventually, they'll see it, too." Which basically confirms Ahsoka's suspicious that all this is about petty jealousy. Anakin is the alleged Chosen One and everyone around her aged worshiped him. Of course, there will be some people like this.

Theseus eyes the girl, somehow managing to keep a more or less even expression although Ahsoka can sense his growing anger. "There is no emotion," he chides, "There is peace." The girl glares at them a moment longer before stalking away. "Finally," he grumbles. "I really don't understand why no one stops those people."

"The Jedi do have other, more important matters to deal with," Ahsoka reminds. "Now, maybe you should go tell Master Obi-Wan about your vision? The sooner you get your crystal, the better."

"What's this about crystals?" a new voice asks, making Ahsoka jump and turn.

"Master! I thought it would take you longer."

"I guess it's a good thing I managed to get off earlier." He seems mildly exasperated but cheerful at once, and it makes Ahsoka wonder exactly why he doesn't spend more time teaching. He's a great teacher, and it helps him a lot.

"I think I know where to get my crystal, that's all," the other padawan says, "I'll probably be going to get it soon, and then I'll have my own lightsaber." He sounds like he's in a rush to leave, as he usually is whenever Anakin is nearby. It irritates Ahsoka that the two of them don't talk to each other, but she knows Anakin is having a difficult time, even if it's hard to understand why. She knows, logically, that everyone has emotions, even him, but it's hard to think of him that way. She's thought of him as a hero more than a person, she realizes that now.

"That's nice," Anakin comments, and though his response is delayed, she thinks he genuinely means it.

"Anyway, I'll go find Master Obi-Wan now. Bye, Ahsoka!" Theseus calls and hurries off. She watches him leave with a slight frown. He's always so quick to leave.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything?" Anakin asks.

"Not really, no," she replies, deciding not to mention anything about the girl who passed by. "I'm glad for him. He's never used his own lightsaber before." She can't even imagine what that must be like.

"Yeah," he agrees thoughtfully. "It... will be nice when he doesn't have to use Master Qui-Gon's anymore."

That immediately reminds Ahsoka of the million questions she really wants answered, so she jumps on the opportunity. "Did you know him?" she inquires.

His expression darkens slightly. "Yeah." There's a hint of pain and longing that burns in his eyes, enough to remind Ahsoka that his past is a topic she's not supposed to ask about, but she's curious. "He's the one who brought me to the Temple, so I guess the way I feel about him is the same as you and Master Plo."

Ahsoka isn't sure why the thought of him looking at anyone like a father figure other than Obi-Wan is strange, but it is.

"Oh, so you knew him for several years... before?"

He shakes his head. "Only a few days. I was brought late." He turns away from her. "Come on. We should go." Wait, that means Anakin wasn't brought to the Temple until he was nine? Well, there's definitely a lot of things Ahsoka still has to learn about her master.

**w**

You should talk to him. Padme's words echo in Anakin's mind. Yes, he knows he should, but he still can't bring himself to do it. He doesn't want his former master to know exactly how upset he is about everything. He doesn't want anyone to, especially not the man who hurt him. It's really not Obi-Wan's problem Anakin can't control himself, anyway, so why burden him with it? There is no time for it, anyway. Not with the war going on and with a new padawan. He needs to focus, so he's been doing his best to go about pretending nothing's wrong.

So, he's been maybe a little too cold around Rex, trying only to focus on the war. For Ahsoka, it's easy. She hardly knows him, and she has so much to deal with herself; it makes him feel much better focusing only on her whenever she's around. With Padme, he dodges the topic altogether. And he's been avoiding Obi-Wan as much as possible, which has been working, especially since Theseus seems to have realized Anakin isn't ready to talk to them yet.

But still, Padme's words won't stop ringing in his head. Shortly after Obi-Wan and Theseus leave Coruscant, Anakin goes to talk to Palpatine. It seemed to be a perfect opportunity, and he's really the only person Anakin can turn to now, the only place he doesn't feel like he's needed to be someone everyone looks up to.

"It's Kenobi's loss," the Chancellor insists once Anakin pours out what happened. "You're the best Jedi I've ever known. They don't deserve to have you, I'm afraid. As I have said many times before, you will become far more powerful than Yoda, in time."

And it's true. Anakin can feel his power, his skills growing bit by bit every day, every battle. Though he can't say he agrees with the rest of it, it's a relief to know there's still someone out there who supports him.

**w**

Theseus can feel the strength of the Force as he slowly makes his way into the dark cave on Dantooine in search of his crystal. A faint multi-colored glow is emanating from around the corner as he continues on.

He can sense the faint echoes of the Force signatures of those who were once here, a long time ago. There are many, but one seems to stand out the strongest, the most powerful of them all. A presence of both light and dark. Probably someone well-known of a different time, Theseus muses as he keeps moving.

Dantooine isn't used much for crystals anymore since pretty much all Jedi get theirs on Ilum. Why was his not on Ilum? What if he doesn't find his here either? The vision was clear enough, he supposes, but he can't help but worry anyway. What if he's not meant to have his own lightsaber because he'll never succeed as a Jedi anyway? He knows he has a lot of darkness in him, and besides, he's technically breaking the Code every time he talks to his mother.

Trying to suppress the thoughts, Theseus keeps walking through the cave, finally turning another corner. Sparkling stalagmite shaped crystals – green, blue, and even yellow – jut out of the floor of the cave only a little further on. Now for the next question. How is he supposed to find his crystal? It's been so long since he heard it explained, and it wasn't really something he was thinking about when he came here, either. All he remembers for sure is that if he sees his, he'll know.

It's then that he hears a sudden movement behind him. Theseus spins around, hand automatically reaching for Qui-Gon's lightsaber, only to remember that he didn't bring it in here with him. He'd left it outside with Obi-Wan.

A dark robed figure stands behind him, a hood pulled over his head though he's wearing a mask. He's clothed in armor, but what stands out the most is the mask. It's black and red, and Theseus knows who it is almost immediately.

Darth Revan.

What?! That's impossible. This doesn't make sense. Either this is a vision, or he has gone completely mad from spending too much time researching his ancestors, because he distinctly remembers his mother telling him one time that they're descendants of Revan, and later, Satele Shan. Revan, the Jedi turned Sith, who fought during the Mandalorian Wars. The most powerful known Force-sensitive until Anakin.

"What?!" Theseus gasps. "You can't be here! That's impossible."

"If you remain among the Jedi, you will never see your destiny," he warns ominously, completely ignoring all of Theseus's unspoken questions.

"What destiny?" he demands, immediately on edge. He doesn't like the sound of this.

"Young one, the Force has existed long before the Jedi and Sith divided it into sides. To achieve balance, you must master the Force in its entirety."

He's asking Theseus to use the Dark Side? "I don't think so," he retorts. "I'm a Jedi, like my master." And his family. That won't ever change. It's what he's spent his whole life working for.

"You must be prepared," Revan warns, "It is foolish to believe there is only one way."

"If you're trying to tempt me with the Dark Side, it won't work," Theseus insists.

"You still have much to learn about the Force," the former Sith Lord replies. He suddenly disappears, leaving the padawan somewhat shaken. What was that? He knows it was a vision, but that doesn't mean it isn't seriously bothering him.

He's snapped out of his thoughts at the sudden sound of lightsabers clashing sounds through the cave. What? What is happening? He immediately follows the sound, heading deeper into the cave, only to freeze at the sight in front of him. A hooded Sith is fighting with his mother and Ahsoka, the red blade moving in a deadly blur, forcing the two of them to back away.

Where is his lightsaber when he needs it?! Maybe he should have brought it with him. Wait. What are they doing in here anyway?

The Sith suddenly swings higher than his mother's next blow, blade slashing through the hilt of her lightsaber, before it promptly impales her.

"No!" cries Theseus in horrified denial. Someone tell him she didn't just – She can't be. She can't –

The Sith picks up Ahsoka with the Force, throwing her hard into the wall and she collapses to the ground, motionless. Theseus reaches out with the Force, grabbing his mother's lightsaber and igniting it. Whoever this person is, he's not going to get away with what he's done.

The robed figure slowly turns around, and now that he's facing him – even through the darkness of the cave – Theseus can make out the identity of the figure. His own face stares back at him, yellow eyes practically glowing in the darkness.

"W-what?" he stammers, freezing mid-move about to attack the Sith.

"They'll always leave you," hisses his other self. "So why bother protecting them?" Then all at once everyone disappears as though they were never there, including the lightsaber in Theseus' hands.

Okay, seriously, enough of this. He needs to get his crystal and get out, because if he runs into one more Sith, he might go insane, except he almost doesn't want to go any farther. He wants to get out. He's completely shaken up from the last vision. Seeing himself kill his mother and injure his best friend has disturbed him deeply.

The Force is calling to him, though. Theseus raises his head again, almost not daring to but still risking it. One crystal stands out especially brightly against the darkness of the cave. He approaches slowly, almost expecting something else to happen, but nothing does. When he carefully takes it, the crystal feels cool on his hand, but he can feel the extreme Force-concentration in it. Hurriedly, Theseus heads back outside. There's no need to stay any longer than necessary.

"You found it?" Obi-Wan asks when Theseus finally arrives back at the waiting ship.

"Yeah," he says, grip tightening slightly on the purple kyber crystal.

"Time to leave, then," Obi-Wan decides, "You can get to work on making the lightsaber now."

Theseus nods, wasting no time in heading to the cabin to get to work. He brought all of the parts with him, so he'd be able to construct it on the way back to Coruscant. He scans over them as he prepares to get to work. The main metal he plans on using in it is beskar – something his mother gave him. It's one of the strongest metals, enough to resist blaster shots and a brief blow from a lightsaber. His mother apparently got some during the extended period of time she was on Mandalore. She decided to keep it with her.

Theseus doesn't know much about it because she never really talks about it, but he does know that that's where he was born. Is his father Mandalorian? Who even is his father? He has no idea. He's never asked before, and after so many years it would seem almost strange to bring it up now. At times, he really wants to know more than anything, but... Well, more than likely, it's someone he'll never get to meet anyway. Maybe it's better if he doesn't know. As a Jedi, he shouldn't even care to know anything about his family.

Sometimes, he still can't believe the Council allowed his mother to stay in the Order after he was born. They do believe in second chances, he supposes, and it's not as though he knows all of the details of the situation in the first place. It would be plainly weird to ask her about it. Still, he's quite certain that they have no idea how close she is with him, because if they did, they'd probably make sure they weren't able to keep on communicating – except when required in Council meetings.

Anyway, he has things to be doing right now, like making his lightsaber. Not reflecting on things from long ago, though he still can't get the vision of Revan out of his head. Forcing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he focuses on beginning to assemble the pieces.

He loses track of time as he works silently, getting all of the pieces ready to slide into place. Finally, he uses the Force to lift all the pieces and secure them together. The crystal is extremely strong with the Force, and he can already feel the bond they have.

The saber is a relatively simple design. The hilt is curved, with a leather wrap. The emitter barrel is lined with radiator grooves. It's not until it's done, that he realizes how much it resembles Dooku's, but he thinks it suits him anyway.

Finally, he pushes the ignition button, a purple blade hissing to life. He can't believe it. After so long, he finally has a lightsaber of his own.

Final Notes: If you want to join our Discord to receive updates or just hang out, here's the invite link, and please delete the spaces! :) discord . gg / nqSxuz2

We also have a tumblr account (and delete the spaces): fanfictasia . tumblr . com

And! We have a YT channel for tributes! Please delete the spaces in the link. :D youtube channel / UC_g1M5rSCxJUzQCRS29B6pA

Finally, if you're interested, you can submit a SW gift fic request via the following form (delete the spaces): forms . gle / rmXWtRomMMaULuPa6