Gazing out over the silvery white city of the capitol from the governor's palace on Lothal Ezra Bridger sighed contemplating the recent turn of events.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Ezra?" Sabine said from the chair behind him.
"We can't just stand by and let a new empire take over the galaxy." Ezra retorted.
"I know that, but you do have a responsibility to the people of Lothal. What happens when the First Order finds out we're harboring the Resistance? I just don't want Lothal to go the way of Alderaan or Mandalore." Sabine said coming over to stand next to her husband. Putting his arm around her shoulders, and resting his head against her helmet.
"I know the loss of your family is a wound that will never completely heal, Sabine." Ezra said turning her to face him so he could gaze into her visor. "But I promise you I will not let Lothal fall."
"I hope you can keep that promise riduur." Sabine said melting into his embrace.
"So have either of you ever been to Lothal?" asked Rey.
"Luke and I went there once years ago looking for a possible jedi." said Mara
"Did you find them?" asked Rey.
"Not exactly." said Luke.
"It probably didn't help having an imperial agent with you." said Finn.
"Be very careful with your next words trooper." said Mara.
"I just need to know what your intentions are." said Finn.
"My only intention is to keep my family safe." said Mara.
"I don't need anyone to keep me safe. Excuse me." said Rey getting up from her seat and rushing out of the cockpit.
"I should go check on her." said Luke.
"No, let me." said Mara.
Entering one of the cabins Rey slid to the floor, dropping her head to her knees she began to cry.
"Who am I?" thought Rey to herself. "Am I a desert scavenger, the daughter of a jedi master or the child of an imperial agent?"
"Rey? Can I come in?" Mara said warily from the other side of the door.
Opening the door Rey stepped to the side to allow Mara to enter.
"Finn called you an imperial agent, is that true?" Rey asked quietly, fearing the answer.
"Yes, I was. Though I was born into a mandalorian clan I never knew my birth family and I was raised and trained under Emperor Palpatine, In a way you could say he was your grandfather." said Mara.
"Both my grandfathers were sith lords?" Rey gasped out, staggering backwards Rey knocked over a small bowl and spilling the contents all over the floor.
"I'm sorry, I'll clean them up right away." Rey said kneeling down and beginning to gather up the small beads that had rolled everywhere.
"You need to be more aware of you surroundings." Mara said gently, righting the bowl then getting down to help her.
"Silka beads." Rey murmured, running her fingers across the green-gray and silver beads.
"You remember them?" Mara asked incredulously, putting her handful of beads back in their proper place.
"Sort of, I seem to recall a woman, I think she was a togruta, braiding my hair with these beads when I was younger." Rey said quietly.
"Yes, her name was Ahsoka Tano and she was your grandfather's jedi apprentice back in the Clone Wars. So you see, at least one of them wasn't always evil." Mara said gently.
"A jedi survivor?" Rey asked.
"No, she left the jedi before their fall. She still remained strongly in the light and she actually helped me find my own path in the force." Mara said.
"Do you think you could . . .?" Rey asked softly, holding out the beads to Mara.
"Of course." Mara said as she settled herself on the bunk. Rey shifted around so that she was facing Mara. As Mara began to run her fingers through Rey's hair on either side if her face and beginning to braid her hair, weaving in the silka beads with practiced efficiency.
"I was wondering if I could ask your help with something?" Rey said softly, reaching into her satchel she pulls out the kyber crystals she found. "I found these on Ahch-to and I was wondering if you could help me build my lightsaber?" Rey asked, holding out the crystals to Mara.
"Making a lightsaber is a very personal step in becoming a jedi." Mara said.
"Then will you at least guide me?" Rey asked.
"I would be honored." Mara said with a soft smile.
"So what are your intentions towards my daughter?" Luke asked, glancing at Finn out of the corner of his eye.
"I-I don't have any intentions towards Rey." Finn stammered nervously.
"Are you sure about that, because she likes you." Luke said with a chuckle.
"Rey likes me?" Finn asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Luke asked back. "Just so you know you have my approval." Luke said gently to the young man.
"You're going to need a strong casing. Other than that it looks just fine." Mara said looking over Rey's handiwork.
"I have just the thing." Rey said reaching out with the force, pulling her staff into her hand and running her fingers over the weathered metal. "It served me well back on Jakku, I would like to use it moving forward." Rey said handing it to Mara.
"This is an old electrostaff, it's made of phrik alloy, a lightsaber resistant metal. Where did you find this?" Mara asked studying Rey's staff.
"I scavenged it out of a super star destroyer." Rey replied.
"You have quite an eye for quality, I think it will do just fine." Mara said handing the staff back to Rey with a proud smile. As Rey settled down, levitating the components of her lightsaber and fitting them together into a saberstaff.
"Very good." said Mara. "Now all you need to do is activate it."
"Okay, here it goes." said Rey getting up and pressing the activation switch. As two sky blue blades shot forth.
"Well done." said Mara with a smile. "You're well on your way to becoming a fully fledged Jedi." she said as her comlink chirped.
"We're coming up on Lothal." came Luke's voice.
"We'll be right up." Mara replied.