Chapter 8 – Rebirth of the Jedi

Luke Skywalker flew across Coruscant with Ahsoka Tano sitting next to him, giving him directions. He still had no idea where she was leading him. In time, however, he was able to see a lone building in the distance. As they flew closer, Luke was able to make out some of the details. Generally, the building was shaped like a steep-sloped pyramid with the top half sliced off. Later, he saw that it was made of stone. When they were close enough, both Jedi were in awe. They had arrived not at a building, but at a ruin.

An automated alert program on the speeder beeped furiously and a recorder voice said, "Attention: You are entering a dangerous area. You are advised to turn back." Ahsoka told Luke to disregard the warning. Luke landed the speeder at the base of the ruin and he helped Ahsoka out. They walked away from the speeder, taking in their surroundings. The building was made out of stone, but it was cracked and broken in several places, and then smoothed down by years of erosion. There were some places where the stone had fallen away completely, revealing a scorched, metal infrastructure. On top of the building were five wide, broken columns, indicating collapsed spires. Dust filled the air and covered the ground.

As perplexed as Luke was, he couldn't help but notice the anguished expression on Ahsoka's face. It didn't take long for him to piece everything together. "This was the Jedi Temple, wasn't it?"

Ahsoka nodded and said softly, "They didn't even bother to clean it up."

As they walked, they came across a clearing where patches of the ground were completely black. Large chunks of stone lay scattered about in a circle around the clearing. On the dark patches were pieces of tattered and burnt clothing and small fragments of what could have been bones. Ashes were wedged between the stones and the ground.

Ahsoka whispered, "This is where the clones burned the bodies of the Jedi." As she looked at the remnants of the pyres, Ahsoka couldn't help but think that she was looking at the graves of many of the Jedi she had known. Any of the bone fragments, clothing pieces, or ashes could have belonged to someone she had known well. The thought made her feel sick.

Luke looked around and noticed something crushed beneath a large stone. He pushed the stone away and picked up the object that was underneath. It appeared to be the upper-right part of a white mask. Above the black polarized lenses were blue markings.

Ahsoka gasped when she saw the mask. "This was Rex's helmet!" She took the helmet piece from Luke's hands and gazed into the helmet's remaining "eye." She explained, "Rex was the clone who sacrificed himself to help me escape. They must have put him on the pyre with the Jedi, as punishment for his treachery against the Empire." Ahsoka remembered Rex well. He had been one of her closest friends during the Clone Wars. His sacrifice was the most honorable Ahsoka had ever known. Thinking of this, she began to cry.

Luke placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are you okay? We can leave if you want to."

Ahsoka shook her head and stood up straight. "I'm fine. Let's go inside." She led Luke up the steps leading into the Jedi Temple. The large doors lay broken against the main entrance. Inside the temple, pillars and walkways had collapsed, causing the ceiling to cave in in places. The carpet on the floor was burnt, and scorch marks from blaster bolts peppered some of the surfaces. Windows had shattered, leaving glass shards sitting in the dust. The temple was mostly dark, except for the places where sunlight came in through holes and broken windows. Dust hung in the air.

One of the places Ahsoka wanted to stop at was the Archive Library. She explained, "The Jedi Archives used to house the vastest expanse of information in the galaxy. When the temple was attacked, most of that knowledge was lost." When they arrived at the library, they saw that it was in as poor shape as the rest of the temple. Bookshelves lay on the floors, tables were upturned, computers fried, and holobooks broken. The bronzium busts of the Lost Twenty, the only Jedi to leave the Order in all of history, were strewn about the room. Ahsoka continued, "When your father left to join the Outer Rim Sieges, I spent most of my time here, reading. The librarian was like a grandmother to me."

Next, Ahsoka and Luke went to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. It had been designed to be a natural environment with streams, paths, and plants from throughout the galaxy, some of which were extinct. Now, there was nothing but ashy soil, dry streambeds, and decaying logs. Ahsoka said, "This room was used for meditation. Many of the plants here were the last of their kind. Now, they're gone forever."

Ahsoka and Luke worked their way up through the Jedi Temple, stopping to observe points of interest. Living quarters were dark and ransacked, hangers were filled with the wreckage of old ships, and works of art were destroyed. Ahsoka recounted some of her fondest memories of these places, giving Luke more and more insight into life as a Jedi. The more he listened, the more he was saddened by the ruins that surrounded him. The Empire had destroyed such an ancient and important piece of galactic history.

The two Jedi reached the roof of the temple just as the sun was beginning to set. They watched as the sky slowly turned from golden-orange to deep purple. The busy air traffic died down a little and the skyscrapers were illuminated. The Jedi Temple itself was soon bathed in darkness. Luke and Ahsoka knew it would soon be time for them to leave.

Luke said, "Thank you, Ahsoka, for showing me all this. I know it must be hard for you."

Ahsoka nodded. "But I knew I had to do this. I spent twenty years running away from my past. It's time I learned to face it."

A new voice spoke, seemingly out of nowhere. "Well spoken, Ahsoka." Three figures materialized in front of Luke and Ahsoka. They were the Force-ghosts of Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan continued, "You have proven yourself to be a true Jedi Knight."

Ahsoka smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Master Kenobi." Luke bowed also, and the three ghosts returned the gesture. For a while, Ahsoka stared at Anakin, having mixed feelings about seeing her old master again. On one hand, she was glad to be remembering times filled with happiness, friendship, and compassion. However, she couldn't forget that he had nearly succeeded in killing her twice, nor that he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Jedi and thousands of innocent beings.

Anakin must have understood this, for he said, "I know I've done terrible things to you Ahsoka. I don't expect you to forgive me, but at least know that I'm truly sorry for everything."

Ahsoka nodded and said, "I know. And I understand why you turned. If it weren't for Luke, I would never have recognized that there was still good in you."

Yoda spoke. "Yes, great Jedi you have both become. In good hands, the future of the Jedi Order is. Rebuild this temple and pass on your knowledge, you must."

"We will," answered Luke. "And we will remember your teachings."

Yoda turned to Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, my blessing, you have, to be Grand Master of the New Jedi Order."

Ahsoka's eyes widened in surprise and her jaw dropped. She was the grand master! Yoda was actually entrusting her with his own former position. She hid her surprise as best she could. She bowed and said, "I will not let you down, Master."

Anakin said, "I know you won't. I have great faith in you."

As the ghosts faded away, Obi-Wan said, "Remember, the Force will be with you, always."

With the ghosts gone, Luke and Ahsoka made their way back to the speeder. As they walked, Luke said, "Now that the war is over, we can rebuild the order in peace."

Ahsoka agreed. "I sense that an era of peace and prosperity is upon us. If only we were certain that it will last."

"Don't worry," replied Luke. "We're Jedi. We'll overcome any obstacle we face. I'm confident in your leadership skills."

Ahsoka laughed. "I don't plan to be your superior in any way. We'll work together, as equals. I sense that, someday, you might make a good Grand Master yourself."

Luke was surprised by this statement. But he didn't argue. He would trust Ahsoka's judgment. He knew that in the years to come, the Jedi Order would be as proud and mighty as it was in the old days. Perhaps even greater.

That night, Ahsoka slept soundly in her bed on Home One. Deep in slumber, she dreamt of the Jedi Temple. It began with her standing inside the ruin, but then, the temple magically transformed into its former appearance. After that, eleven people stood in a circle around her. Luke was one of them. These were the members of the future Jedi Council, and they were bowing to their Grand Master. Within moments, hundreds of Jedi were walking through the halls of the temple.

The New Jedi Order had begun.

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Special thanks to everyone who has read and supported my stories! I have enjoyed writing, knowing that my stories would be enjoyed by hundreds of Star Wars fans! Oh, don't worry; I will continue writing. I have a large Star Wars writing project that I have been planning for years. In fact, its origins begin around the time Episode III was released! I will be employing new characters, new situations, and new writing techniques. That being said, it may be a year before I begin posting my next story, but I will provide regular updates on my profile page.