Chapter 63 – Return to Onderon

Author's Note: Enjoy the familiar faces (as well as cameos)! :)

To Guest: I honestly don't know exactly how strong Theseus is – but I don't think he's quite as strong as Revan. FYI, I don't believe the claim that Vader isn't as strong as Palpatine. Anakin was a literal demigod. Palpatine is just an ordinary Force-sensitive. Vader might've lost some of his power, but that wouldn't make him not a demigod. The only ones how could potentially rival Vaderkin in terms of power is the combined forces of Luke and Leia. If Sidious were really stronger than Vader, he wouldn't have been so obviously terrified of him.
And ikr? That's insane. Obi-Wan was at his best on Mustafar, and Anakin had literally every single thing against him that could be – he's been fighting for hours, he hasn't rested, he just Fell and the Dark Side is overwhelming him, he's been on an extremely hot planet for hours, and from personal experience, that can be extremely energy draining, not to mention he hasn't been able to breathe properly for hours already, and on top of that, he didn't want to kill Obi-Wan – so yeah, he had everything against him that could've been.

To Jayden: Well, Athea being an Inquisitor doesn't mean she's gonna be a lame fighter like the rest of them ;) But I know what you mean, and don't worry, we have an interesting story arc planned out for her, though I'm not sure if everyone's going to like it. XD
I kept Satine alive because it didn't make sense for her to die before, and honestly, I hate her death in the Clone Wars. She deserved far better than dying to make Obi-Wan sad or whatever. XD At least here, her death will actually have a purpose and galactic consequences. ^-^
Truthfully, there is absolutely no other way to describe Mustafar. Everything Obi-Wan did there, he did because he was trying to inflict pain on Anakin, and he left him, because he was trying to hurt him. If that's not 'torture', I don't know what is. And what he was doing to Vader when they fought in OWK was quite similar – Vader was already injured and hardly able to walk, unable to breathe, but Obi-Wan kept hurting him anyway, again and again, until he finally left. It was exactly the same as it was on Mustafar. ;-;

Thank you all so, so much for reading and reviewing! 💖💖💖

~ Amina Gila

Marr stands shakily and re-enters the hold, images from his vision still swimming through his mind. It shakes him to the core, more than words could ever say, to see the destruction of his home planet in such a manner, and he knows what he needs to do, even if it will hurt.

"Well?" Bo asks, looking up at him.

"I need to get into contact with the rest of the Rebellion. Mandalore cannot go up against the Empire alone. It will only lead to its destruction," Marr replies.

"... Mandalore could never be destroyed," Anastasia scoffs.

"I saw it," Marr answers, voice level.

"What did you see?" Bo asks, warily. She certainly has more faith in his Force abilities than his sister does, or maybe it's just that his sister still prefers being antagonistic about everything.

"The planet... in flames," he replies, quietly, "And they sent in droids to destroy what was left."

Vizma looks at him with wide eyes, and he really wishes she didn't have to be dealing with all this right now. She's far too young, but he can't shield her from it anymore. That's exactly what he was afraid of. Vizma wasn't supposed to be like him. She was supposed to be raised as a warrior, not dragged into the fight he was supposed to be fighting until she was old and skilled enough to handle it. None of this should have happened, would have happened if he'd been more careful.

"What are you saying we do, then?" Korkie asks, "I'm not leaving."

"You can go back," Marr replies, "I can do this on my own. It'll put you in needless danger if I'm there." And speaking of which...

"But Daddy, you can't leave again!" Vizma protests.

He crosses the room, sitting down next to her again. "I don't have a choice, little one. But..." he looks to Bo, "I don't know if it's safe for Vizma to stay on Mandalore, either."

Bo frowns. "What are you saying?"

"It would be safer there than anywhere else. She'd be with us," Anastasia objects.

Marr shakes his head. "Her training is a complete secret among us, but if the Inquisitors know I'm a Jedi now, they'll at least want to check and see if she's Force-sensitive. They know she's there, so it will be riskier. If she comes with me..."

"I can go with you?!" Vizma asks, brightening a little.

"Maybe," he concedes.

Bo frowns. "Where you're going will be dangerous," she replies bluntly.

"I won't take her with me into battle or anything," Marr says, ignoring Vizma's pout, "For now, I'll be working in the shadows. I think she'll be safer with me, and I can keep training her. I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"If you think this is best, then do it. Good luck," Bo decides finally, though her unhappiness is obvious. He knows what he's asking of her. She just lost her sister, and now she'll be apart from both him and her own daughter. It will hurt her, it'll hurt all of them, but it's what needs to be done.

He can't believe this, that he's about to be separated from them. And something tells him that this time it isn't going to be as short as it was when he left for Dathomir. Still, this is the only course of action he knows how to take.

"Will you... be alright?" Marr asks, looking between them, what's left of his family. He doesn't know when he'll see them again.

"When am I not? You're the trouble magnet," Anastasia retaliates.

"I should be asking you that," Bo replies.

"I'll be fine," he promises, "Make sure you are, too."

Bo nods. "I'll get as many supporters among our people as I can. When you're ready, we'll be ready too."

Marr nods. Finally, it seems, everything is starting to fall into place, even as it falls apart at the same time. He'll be back to fighting again, but at least this time, it's not a pointless war. He won't let it be one. "I don't know how long it will be, but when the time is right, I'll contact you again."

**w**

Vizma watches out the cockpit viewport as her father flies the ship away from Mandalore again, leaving her mother, aunt, and Korkie behind, then makes the jump to hyperspace. They're leaving. She can't believe it. They'd spent a few more days on Mandalore making preparations in hiding, before her and her father left.

But now that they're gone, she doesn't know what to feel. It's the first time she's ever been off planet, so yes, she's excited! But she can't imagine being somewhere for so long without seeing her home. Her father was implying it could be way longer than when he was gone before, and she can't imagine that.

"Daddy, how long will we be gone?" Vizma asks, looking up at him.

"I don't know," he murmurs, "But it's going to be a long time. Are you ready for this?"

"Of course, I am!" she insists, firmly. She's scared, but her father is here, and he'll protect her. "Where are we going?"

"A planet called Onderon," he replies, "I know there's some rebel groups there. I might be able to get into contact with them, and we'll see from there."

"I wanna help!"

"You will," her father promises, "Just like you did when you brought the ship in to save us."

Her mood promptly drops to the bottom of her boots at the mention. Satine is dead. It's... it hurts so much; she didn't realize something even could. It was an honorable death, though, as a warrior, her mother had told her. It still hurts, though, because she's never going to see her again.

It doesn't feel real. How could she not go back home and find her aunt waiting for her?

Tears sting her eyes again as she thinks about it.

Her father stands, stepping over to rest a hand on her shoulder. She reaches up, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I miss her," Vizma whispers shakily, burying her head against him.

"I know," he says softly. "I miss her too, but she died with honor. In the end, all we can do is keep going, knowing it's what she wanted of us."

**w**

Onderon looks much like it did the last time Marr was here. He's hit by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu the moment he and Vizma get off the shuttle and start making their way through the trees. He'd considered leaving her on the ship in case it was safer, but at the same time, anything could find the ship, and it's probably best if she's with him so he can protect her.

The last time he was here, it was with Anakin and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, and Rex and... It was when he'd finally talked to Ahsoka about his feelings on everything. Really, it was one of the last missions where all four of them had been together. For a heartbeat, he longs for the past so badly it's enough to take his breath away.

He misses them so much. But... Ahsoka and Rex are still out there. (Assuming something hasn't happened to them over the past thirteen years.) And if he's getting in contact with the Rebellion, it's not impossible that he's going to find them again, even if he's not going to get his hopes up. The galaxy is a huge place, after all, and there's got to be a lot of secrecy in the rebellion in order for it to even operate.

Slowly he walks through the trees, keeping his guard up at all times, even as the memories won't stop burning at the back of his mind. It feels like his past is finally coming back to haunt him, and he hates it.

"Where is everyone?" Vizma wonders, looking around.

"Hiding. If it was easy for us to find them, it would be easy for the Empire to find them too," Marr replies. He can hope that the rebels will realize that they're on their side before they attack them.

It takes a lot longer than Marr was expecting – although he isn't exactly surprised, at the same time – for them to find traces of anything. The forest covering the planet is huge, and they have to avoid running into any stormtroopers.

They're combing through a completely different part of the woods several days later when Marr suddenly senses something nagging at the edge of his senses.

A branch snaps somewhere very close by, and he instinctively knows that it's not an animal.

All at once, people are jumping out of the trees around them, aiming their blasters. "Stop where you are," one of them snaps.

"We're friends," Marr promises, though he raises his hands anyway.

"Who are you?" demands a familiar voice. He looks different, but Marr still would recognize him anywhere.

"Saw," he greets, reaching up to take his helmet off. He doesn't know if the other will recognize him, but...

Surprise flashes across Saw's face. "Theseus Shan?"

His heart skips a beat at the mention of his old name, of the person he used to be. Sometimes, he forgets that everyone he used to know will still call him Theseus. It's the first he's heard someone call him that in so many years. "Yes," he confirms, "But I go by Marr now."

Saw nods. "I'll take you to our camp."

The group of rebels with Saw who are in the lead, escort them a further into the trees, to an area mostly concealed from sight unless someone is actually looking for it. It's... a smaller camp than the one they initially had, back in the Clone Wars. He isn't really surprised about that.

There's people milling about here and there, but the woman approaching them catches his attention instantly. "Steela?" Marr asks in surprise. It's good to see them again, that they're still alive. It's been so long since he met anyone who knew him before everything fell apart.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, after Saw introduces them.

"I wanted to join up with the rebellion," he explains, "I didn't know where to start, but I knew you two would be fighting back here, so I figured it was the best place to start." Vizma starts to wander off as the adults talk, and he lets her. It should be safe enough here, after all. Even at first glance he can tell she's far from the only child here as is.

"We're happy to have you here," Steela says.

"Any help is appreciated," assures Saw. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Mandalore," he replies. It shouldn't hurt to let people know that much. It's not as if his presence there is a secret anymore. "But the Empire found me. I escaped and came here." Another wave of grief washes through him, as he thinks about Satine. It's still hard to accept that she's really gone. He can only hope that Bo and his sister are alright back there.

"Is she your daughter?" Steela wonders, eyeing Vizma where she's chatting to someone a short distance away.

Marr nods. "I figured it would be safer to keep her with me. What's the situation here?"

"The Empire isn't giving any ground, but we're making trouble for them," Saw replies, which... is kind of what Marr expected. That's why he was reluctant to start fighting what felt like a pointless battle in the first place.

"There is a larger rebellion, isn't there?"

"We aren't part of it, but yes, there is," Steela confirms. "We want to help more than Onderon, but there's only so much we can do with our limited resources. It's worse than when the droids were in control."

Marr grimaces. "I imagine." But maybe, he can help them make a difference. Hopefully. And now for the question he's been wondering this whole time... "Have you by any chance run into Ahsoka?" He practically holds his breath as he waits for the response.

"Years ago," Saw replies, "She and Captain Rex were around here for some time shortly after the Empire formed."

He can't quite ignore the wave of disappointment that hits him, but... it was expected. He didn't actually think he'd be able to find Ahsoka that easily. It just didn't feel like he would. "You don't have any way of contacting her?"

"No," Steela replies.

He expected it, but it still hurts. He's been without Ahsoka for so long, though. He's used to it, even if he was hoping.

"Well, I'll be more than happy to help you," Marr decides, finally. He doesn't know that he'll stay here, but it's a start.

**w**

This place is absolutely nothing like Mandalore, but Vizma finds that cooler than anything right now. She's never been to a place with so many trees and wildlife everywhere before. On Mandalore, they always stayed in the domed cities, and the rest of the planet was completely abandoned.

Are they going to be staying here? She really wonders what that would be like. She's always wanted to fight against the Empire and flying the ship had been fun – until what happened – but maybe she'll get to again. They killed her aunt, and she will make them pay for it.

"Hey," a girl's voice calls her, and Vizma stops, looking up to see someone who looks maybe a few years older than her, staring down at her. "You're new here?"

"Uh-huh," she agrees, "I'm Vizma. Who're you?"

"Jyn," the girl replies, "Jyn Erso. You're Mandalorian, aren't you?"

"Yup!" she confirms cheerfully, "I'm here with my father."

Jyn eyes where he and the other two adults are talking. "Did he used to know them?" she asks.

Vizma shrugs. "I think so. Why?"

"Saw isn't usually... the friendliest with strangers until he knows their loyalty," she explains.

Oh, it makes sense. Vizma wouldn't be either, but her father seems to trust these people. "Are your parents here too?" she asks curiously.

Jyn's expression closes off instantly at the mention. "No," she replies, stiffly, "Saw and Steela... they raised me."

"Oh," she mumbles gaze dropping, "What happened to your... family?"

"Empire."

It's not really a surprise. Why else would she be here? It's like how Vizma lost Satine. Likely, most everyone here has lost someone or something because of the Empire, and Vizma will do everything she can to stop that from happening again.

**w**

Marr gets to work on helping the Gerrera's group of rebels almost immediately. For now, at least, he and Vizma are staying on their ship which they're keeping right near the rebel camp.

He's been training her in between times, but generally, only on the ship or when no one else is around. He'd prefer to keep down the number of people who know that she's training to become a Jedi. It will put her in too much danger, especially at this age. She's still too young to defend herself if something were to happen.

The camp should be fine while he's gone, so Marr leaves Vizma behind with the rebels – along with his lightsaber hidden with her in case anything happens; she's old enough to somewhat know how to use it by now – as he heads into the city for his next mission, to meet up with one of the rebel contacts giving them information.

The identity of the contact took him by surprise, but he supposes it's not really a shock.

Marr reaches the designated meeting spot, and only has to wait a moment before a familiar figure steps into view.

"Lux?" Marr greets, almost eagerly. It's been a very long time since he saw the other boy. They weren't friends, but they weren't not. It's good to see him again, even if continuously seeing people from his past as he thinks about the ones he won't see again isn't easy.

"Theseus?" Lux exclaims, eyes widening.

"Marr," he corrects, "But yes. It's good to see you."

"I – it's good to see you too!" he replies, "I didn't even know if you were alive, after what happened. Ahsoka told me you survived at the time, but..."

"You spoke to her?" he asks, forcing himself not to get his hopes up again.

"Years ago, when she was briefly on Onderon," he confirms, "It was too dangerous for us to talk much, since I can't risk anyone seeing anything suspicious."

"I can't imagine that's easy, while being an Imperial Senator," Mar states dryly.

"It's not. They already are suspicious of me," Lux replies, with a sigh, "But I've found I can do a lot more to fight against the Empire when they think I'm a part of it, than if I left to join the Gerreras."

"Yes, I can see why," Marr agrees, "Any idea how many other Senators are doing likewise?" He knows Senator Amidala would be, if she was still alive, but it's likely that some of her formerly close friends in the Senate still are. Not that it matters. It's probably better if he doesn't know. The fewer who know anything about things like this, the better.

"There are others. I don't know specifically myself," Lux admits.

"It's probably better that way," Marr replies, "How have you been?" They don't have much time for this, but he's just glad to see him again. At least someone else he used to know is still alive and alright.

"Busy with Senate work, mostly," he replies, "So basically about the same since we last met."

Marr smiles faintly. "I've been on Mandalore," he tells him. "I... have a family now."

Surprise flickers across Lux's face. "I'm assuming you mean with... someone other than Ahsoka."

Marr nods, a pang running through him again as he hears her name. "I haven't seen her since we first separated."

"I wanted to settle down myself," Lux admits, "But I can hardly be around Steela with the way everything is."

"I can imagine. But... perhaps this war will be over sooner than we know."

"We can hope," Lux agrees, "Here. I shouldn't stay long." He holds out an information disk, which Marr takes. "Good luck."

"You too," he replies, "See you later." He wants to stick around longer, but it's best not to linger any more than he has to, for both their sakes. Throwing a final glance at Lux, Marr walks away back the others.

There's much to do.

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