For Jase and Andros, the revelation hits them both hard. Jase had always known Anakin to be head-strong and arrogant, but he had never imagined this boy who was supposed to fulfill the prophecy could have ever turned to the Dark Side. Andros was a little more accepting of the facts, given that he had seen anger in Anakin, and his constant rival had only been a member of the Order since he was nine years old. For Andros, he grew up in the Order, so the Jedi were his only attachment. But when Anakin was admitted, it caused a strain during the two of them on their initial meeting, a strain that was intensified when Anakin became a Knight first.
"The Chosen One fell to the Dark Side? How did it happen?"
"As it could happen with any other Jedi, Jase. Anakin was befriended by Palpatine in his youth after first arriving on Coruscant. You know that as he grew older, his abilities with the Force grew stronger. Anakin began to take risks, he defied my teachings. And in his arrogance, his fall truly began. You had left on your mission when we were called back to rescue the Chancellor. I wouldn't know it at the time; but the War, the Separatists, even the blockade of Naboo, all of these events tied themselves back to Palpatine. It was while I was away on the hunt for General Grievous that Anakin ceased to exist and Darth Vader was born. I don't know the details, but it was Anakin who decimated the Jedi Order at the Temple, he killed the younglings. I learned all of this from a security hologram."
Even as Obi-Wan continues to relate the events that led to the Jedi fall, he can't hide his own anger at himself when he gets to the battle of Mustafar.
"I tried to convince Anakin that he was on the wrong path, that Palpatine had tricked him. But my friend was too far gone at that point."
"Palpatine was a politician, a remarkable one, but how did he convince Anakin to fall to the Dark Side?"
"Palpatine naming himself Emperor was not a coincidence. He was the Sith Lord we had been looking for. He was able to convince Anakin that the Jedi wanted to take over the Republic. Anakin told me all of this while we battled. In the end, I defeated him, and left him for dead on Mustafar. But he survived; I shouldn't have left without truly ending it. The Galaxy is paying for my mistake."
"You couldn't have known he would survive. But you have the chance to set things right. Come with us, together we can defeat Vader, and the Emperor."
"I cannot leave. Master Yoda and I made the decision to disappear until the time was right."
"The time is now, Obi-Wan. We can bring hope to the Rebellion, free the Galaxy from the oppressive Empire. What more reason do you need to leave this desolate planet? What is keeping you here?"
"Anakin's son."
Those two words catch Jase and Andros off guard more than anything else they have heard so far. Obi-Wan isn't even sure he should have revealed that secret, but there was only one way the other two Jedi were going to understand his reasoning.
"Anakin had a son?"
"Yes, you missed out on quite a lot in that last year of the Republic, my friends. He broke the code and had any of us known he would have been dismissed from the Order."
"Then he would have become one of the Lost Twenty. Or twenty-one as it were."
While Obi-Wan continued his story up to the present time, light-years away Ahsoka was meditating in her quarters. A Jedi is never supposed to fear, but she can't help being afraid of what she learned about Anakin being the Sith Lord. Even if she wanted to, she could never tell Kanan or Ezra. The pain of the revelation was too great. But even as she tried to focus his voice entered her mind.
"Come on Snips, I know you can hear me."
"No…You're not Anakin. Anakin was a good and decent Jedi. You'll never be him."
"Snips…Snips…SNIPS!"
Ahsoka snapped of her meditations in a cold sweat. The three times she 'heard' the voice shout Snips she watched Anakin dying. Each way was different, but torturous for her former Master. When she felt the first shaking of the ship, she knew it was an explosion. She knew it even before Hera called over the intercom.
"Ahsoka, we need you on the blasters! We're under attack!"
Gathering her emotions together as quickly as she could; she darted out of her room for the weapons bay. She arrived at the same time Kanan did, and one word from him told her of the threat.
"Imperials."
"How far away from the fleet are we? Tell me help is on the way."
Before Kanan can respond a TIE-fighter crosses in front of the ships view-ports. As it circles back to resume firing, they notice it's alone.
"A short-range fighter? How did it…"
Another blast rocks the ship, and Ahsoka climbs into the gunner's seat. She's already returning fire as the fighter comes around for another pass. Through the Force, she senses her opponent before her companion.
"He's adept at the Force, Kanan. It's…"
"Is it the Sith Lord? He couldn't have tracked us so quickly."
"No, the Force signature isn't strong enough. It's another Inquisitor."
Instantly Kanan is in the other gunner's seat and helping Ahsoka fire at their enemy. The pilot is clearly skilled, but not enough to evade the dual blaster bolts being fired at him. With a last ditch effort he makes the jump to hyperspace, a feat uncommon for TIES, but this one seems to be well equipped.
"Kanan, did that TIE just make the jump?"
"Affirmative, Hera. Can we track it?"
"Sensors were knocked out. He's gone. And the rest of the Fleet is arriving."
Minimal damage was done to the Ghost and Chopper was already at work assessing and making repairs. Zeb and Sabine were also working on repairs as Kanan, and Hera discussed their next moves, while Ahsoka sat silently.
"They know who we are now, Kanan. They know we've joined the Rebel Alliance."
"They knew that when Ezra and I were confronted by the Sith. You remember I was injured in that encounter."
"All the more reason for us to stay with the Alliance. There is greater safety in numbers. Ahsoka, what do you think?"
"I think the Inquisitor will be back. I saw into his mind. This isn't over."
Without another word, Ahsoka stood and walked away. Kanan and Hera were both confused at her sudden departure, While they both chalked it up to the loss of her Rebel cell, they decided not to press her. Not far away, the TIE fighter has docked at an Imperial Space Station, and its occupant is delivering a report to Darth Vader.
"There can be no doubt, Lord Vader. There are at least two Jedi on that ship."
"You insist on telling me things I already know Inquisitor. I want that ship. The Jedi must not escape again."
"But Lord Vader, I was one ship against…,ah...ah…"
"I want those Jedi, not excuses."
The Inquisitor wasn't able to continue his line of speech as the Sith Lord began using the Force to choke the life away from him. When the pressure eased, it took a few moments for him to regain his breath.
"Then we will need more than one TIE Fighter. I was only able to make the jump to hyperspace shortly before the rest of the Rebels arrived."
"Then I will send more to accompany you. That is, if you were able to secure the tracking device with your feigned attack."
"My Lord, I was not…,"
Again Vader began force choking the Inquisitor for his failure to complete the mission. This time the pressure did not cease, and the man fell to the floor, dead.
"You have failed me for the last time. It is clear that the faith the Emperor had in you was misplaced. I shall have to appoint a new Inquisitor to the search."
Each time a new Inquisitor was sent on the search, it seemed each of them was destined to fail. The Rebel Alliance continued to grow stronger, and the Emperor was beginning to lose patience with each passing month. The final time one came after The Ghost, he was nearly successful. This time Hera, Kanan and Ahsoka were in conference, hoping to find a way to avoid the next. It was then that Ahsoka revealed what she had learned.
"They're never going to stop coming for us. Other than being a part of the Rebel Alliance, they seem to be pursuing us exclusively, yet leaving other rebels unchallenged. I have to wonder why."
"I wish I could provide an answer for that Hera. I really do. But I can't figure it out either."
"You both should stop trying Kanan. The answer is mind numbingly simple. The Empire isn't after you. They're after me."
"That doesn't make sense Ahsoka. Why you? What makes you so important?"
"The Sith Lord, I know him. I know his identity."
"You do? Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because I wasn't sure I was correct at first. I didn't want to believe what I had discovered."
"And now you're sure? How long have you known?"
"Since the Siege of Lothal. When you and I were joined together in the Force, it's how I found out."
"You've known for that long?! Ahsoka, that was months ago! How could you keep this a secret from us for that long?"
"Kanan, this isn't helping. Can't you just give Ahsoka the benefit of an explanation? She hasn't even told us who the Sith is yet."
"You're right Hera. So tell us Ahsoka, who is he? How do you know him?"
"He's Anakin Skywalker. My former Master."
Kanan was angry at first, now he's downright furious, even if giving in to his emotions is counterintuitive and goes against his Jedi training. Ahsoka revealed this so calmly, he doesn't know what to think, but he does feel betrayed.
"Hera, we need to turn her over to the Rebellion. We brought a traitor on our ship."
"Kanan, that's crazy! She's been helping us for so long! As Fulcrum, she provided us with information on the movements of the Empire, even helped us escape some tricky situations with her knowledge. You can't seriously believe after all that; that she's a traitor?"
"I don't know what to believe."
"Then listen to the Force; Kanan. Let it guide you like you did in your training. Better yet, read me through Force. See if it's telling you I'm lying."
He stretches out with his feelings, and Ahsoka doesn't resist. He can see her memories of Barriss, the truth that she helped reveal of her innocence when she was expelled from the Order. But most of all, he sees a belief that he wouldn't expect.
"You think you can save him."
"I have to try."
"Ahsoka, it's suicide to risk it. Anakin is not who he was. He's a Sith, twisted, evil. You asked me to read you through the Force, and the Force is telling me that he can't be saved."
Ahsoka heard Kanan's words, and even though she knew he was right, she didn't change her mind. Anakin was the only one to believe in her when she said she was innocent of the murder charges, and she would never stop believing in him. Granted she didn't know what he'd done to precipitate his fall, but her feeling was that everyone deserved a chance to prove themselves worthy of redemption.
"Ahsoka, I shouldn't have gotten angry with you. It's not the Jedi way, but I'm asking you, don't do this. Don't leave and try to confront him."
"I don't plan on leaving. We're all in this together. If Vader is to be confronted, we all confront him."
She decided to stay for the foreseeable future, but Ahsoka knew she was only delaying the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before another Inquisitor came for her, or even Ana-Vader himself. When they landed the ship on Corellia, any hope she had of not being recognized was thrown away when a Bounty Hunter looking for his next payday caught sight of her. The crew had to flee Imperial blaster fire when Kanan and Ezra arrived to help her evade her pursuer. When they were safely in open space, she had Chopper record a message before she left in Master Togar's left behind shuttle. A knock on her door by Kanan the next morning went unanswered, and after searching the ship, he could find no trace of her.
"Hera, have you seen Ahsoka this morning?"
"No, she must still be in her quarters. That escape from the bounty hunter left her worn out."
"She's not in her quarters. I was there, the room was empty."
"Did you search the ship?"
"Zeb and I did, twice. She's nowhere to be found. And Master Togar's shuttle is gone as well."
"You don't think she…?"
"What else could she have done? I know we'll be deviating from returning to the Alliance, but we have to find her."
As Kanan was running through a list of possible places Ahsoka could have gone, Chopper rolled in to the cockpit, and with his customary manner of communication began the recording.
"Kanan and Hera, I'm sorry but I have to leave. I can't continue to stay on your ship and put all of your lives in further danger because the Empire is after me. If I stay, they will kill you all just to get to me. Leaving is the only viable option, and without me there, you have a better chance of making it back to the Alliance. Believe me, I wish there was another way, but there isn't. I only hope I can find a planet somewhere in the Outer Rim, where the Empire has no presence. May the Force be with you all."