AN: This chapter will cover everything from the time Sabine and Ezra met to just before "A Spark of Rebellion." There is a lot to cover, so expect a long chapter with a lot of skipping around. There's a nice surprise towards the end. C:

Edited 11/10/2023 for AO3 posting. Mostly fixed repetition of before/as usage.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars Rebels or any related material.

Prologue III: Jedi You May Yet Be

Sabine was casually walking down the streets of Lothal. Well, to any normal person, that is. Inside her helmet, her laser-focused eyes were scanning for one specific thing: a large Imperial shipment of meilooruns. The now teenage Mandalorian knew that the fruit could not be grown on Lothal, and shipments of the fruit to the planet were far and few in between. Plus, she and Ezra liked them. A lot. Three years have passed since Sabine met Ezra, and they've only seen meiloorun shipments a handful of times. They started wreaking havoc against the local Imperial garrison from the moment they met. In the past, Ezra would steal from anyone to keep himself alive. However, when Sabine came into the picture, she "convinced" him to only steal from the Imperials. Being kicked out of his own tower was a great motivator. Most of the time, they got plenty of what they needed, so they decided to give the extra back to the people. The pair have been raiding shipments of not just food, but building materials, tools, fuel, and weapons as well. So many weapons, in fact, that Sabine's shuttle could be passed off as a Republic LAAT gunship to a blind man. Oh, the symphony of destruction, what a beautiful sound!

Attached to the inside of each large wing of her Aka'jor class shuttle sat a large laser cannon, one powerful enough to one-shot most fighters and even significantly damage some smaller cruisers. A complement of heat-seeking missiles sat on the dorsal side of each wing, while a complement of light air to air rockets were installed on the ventral side. An EP-750X EMP missile launcher was fitted on top of the roof, and a ball turret with dual laser cannons was fitted towards the back of the roof. How Sabine managed to find this many weapons on a planet like Lothal was unknown to Ezra, but he knew by now to never step in between Sabine and her weapons. Sabine suspected that some of these weapons were going to be used on the project Ketsu mentioned years earlier, but she had never found any definitive proof. The pair retrofitted the last two passenger seats into a foldable bed while keeping the original functionality, mostly so they could talk face to face before going to sleep at night. Sabine thought about repainting the ship, but decided to keep the Clan Wren colors, not just for her family, but because they made it easier to hide in the tall grasses of Lothal.

The pair also managed to refit the top of the communication tower into a landing pad, though any ship larger than theirs would not be able to fit. They decided to renovate the interior of the tower after a certain incident.

Flashback

Ezra had just returned from a supply run after shaking the stormtroopers off his trail. He was tired, and all he wanted to do was to take a shower and go to bed. He parked his speeder next to Sabine's shuttle, too tired to even wonder where his best friend was. The boy was on autopilot, walking like a zombie to the refresher door.

Sabine had just finished her shower, preventing her from hearing the speeder pull up a minute ago. She was humming to herself while drying her hair when the door opened behind her.

A few miles away, a pack of loth-cats were chasing each other around when suddenly they all shot up a few feet in the ear, frightened beyond belief. "EZRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

They weren't able to look at each other without going red in the face for days, one due to embarrassment while the other had two black eyes. Their connection to each other amplified the problem, as they were able to hear each other's thoughts. After the incident, the pair decided to forget it altogether, also coincidentally deciding to add a bed and a refresher to the tower. Even though they now had an extra bed, both preferred it when Ezra slept on the shuttle. They were alone in a large galaxy, and being close to each other helped them quell their fears, allowing them to sleep without worry.

Ezra and Sabine were currently driving a stolen speeder with the meiloorun crate they were looking for attached to it. Ezra had the controls while Sabine was facing backwards, firing her WESTAR-35s at their pursuers. They were almost at their ship, when suddenly a stray shot from behind hit their engine. It started to sputter just as a squad of stormtroopers appeared in front of them to barricade them.

"Well, this is fun."

"How is this any fun? We're about to die!"

"I get to shoot at people, and shooting is fun!"

"THAT'S what you think about when we're surrounded by stormtroopers?" Ezra was panicking. They've never been caught before, and he was scared of what the Empire would do. Not to him, as he was a no-name street rat. He was afraid of what they would do to Sabine. He knew her story, and he knew that if they found out her identity under that helmet, he would never see her again. Meanwhile, Sabine was sporting a massive grin under her helmet, nearly picking off the entire squad barricading them before another squad showed up to take its place.

"Okay, maybe this is not so much fun anymore," Sabine replied, now slightly nervous as their foe's numbers continued to replenish. "Any ideas?"

The teens suddenly felt an odd calming sensation wash over them, and Ezra spoke up just as the presence vanished.

"We could s-WOAAAAAAAH!"

Their stolen speeder shot forward like a bullet, plowing through the row of stormtroopers and carrying its momentum all the way to the ship. The teenagers were grabbing on for dear life before suddenly, the speeder jerked to a stop right in front of the ship, tossing them both into the backside of their ship. The groaning teens got up slowly, by now realizing that the stormtroopers were too far away to catch up in time. Ezra noted that the engines were still dead.

"How did that happen? The engines are still shot, and I don't remember getting hit from behind by anything."

"Who cares? We can talk about it later. Let's get this crate on the ship and go!" Sabine responded quickly, grabbing Ezra's arm and pulling him towards the crate. They both lifted it onto the ship before Sabine took the controls and flew their way back to the tower.

Back at the barricade, a cloaked figure in a nearby alley slowly lowered his outstretched hand, turning around and walking away. There was only one thought running through his head. I need to find them, before it's too late.

Both teens released a huge sigh of relief. They flew the rest of the way back in silence and parked the ship on their landing pad before Sabine finally spoke up.

"That was way too close."

"You're telling me. Any idea how we got out of that? I thought we were goners."

"Nope. Although, I did feel something strange right before we were sent flying. Did you sense anything?"

Both were inside the tower now, trying to figure out exactly what happened to them.

"Like a large calming presence, before becoming quiet again?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I felt. What do you think that was?"

Their conversation was halted by the sound of a speeder approaching the tower. The teens tensed up and looked at each other in fear before the same calming presence washed over them. Suddenly, there was a noise right outside the door. Their calm quickly turned into panic as they internally wondered, How did they get up here that quickly? Both teens raised their guns and aimed at the door, ready to shoot whoever came in. However, when the door opened, there was no one there. The teens relaxed for a fraction of a second before realizing that their potential foe could be anywhere. Before they could panic any further, a voice came from outside the door. "I didn't come to fight."

"How can we trust you?" Sabine replied, still aiming her guns at the door.

"I came here to help you. Surely, both of you have felt my presence already, whether you know it or not."

The teens glanced at each other briefly before Ezra spoke up. "The large, calming presence?"

"Yes. I came here to talk to both of you about your special powers," the man said as he calmly appeared in the doorway.

The teens glanced at each other again before lowering their guns and sitting on the bed. The man took the opportunity to sit on a stool opposite of them. "Before we begin, I would like to know your names."

Ezra, not willing to introduce himself just yet, quipped back, "Isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?"

The man just chuckled before replying, "Of course. My name is Kelleran Beq."

"Ezra."

"Sabine."

Neither teen was very trusting, as trusting others too easily usually left them in more trouble than they asked for. They still didn't fully trust the man, so they opted to give him as little information as possible.

Beq rolled his eyes, realizing he was dealing with teenagers now instead of kids at the Temple. "Well, it's nice to meet you both. Now, how much do you know of your powers?"

Sabine, being the more knowledgeable of the two in the subject, responded, "We don't know much. We know that it's called the Force. It gives us abilities that most others don't have. We had the potential to become Jedi if they were still around, but they're all gone now. Ezra and I have some kind of connection. When my abilities surfaced, I had a dream that led me to Lothal and right to Ezra. We can feel each other's emotions at a much deeper level than those of others around us."

Beq thought for a moment before responding, "That's a good start. However, there is a lot more to the Force than what you described. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together. The two of you are strong in the force, stronger than anything I've felt in over a decade. And you, Sabine, are the first Force-sensitive Mandalorian to surface since Tarre Vizsla."

Sabine knew who he was. All Mandalorians were told of his legacy. She noticed Ezra was lost, looking at her with a clueless expression on his face. She sent him a look that told him she would tell him about it later. Sabine was still piecing Beq's words together in her mind when she realized something. "If you were able to sense us, are you a Jedi?"

"I am. I was trained in the ways of the Force at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant before it fell. I have seen and trained many Jedi over the years, yet I have only ever felt one presence in the Force stronger than both of yours. The connection you have to each other is the strongest I have ever seen. It feels more powerful than a normal Force bond, completely unique in its own way. I was able to sense both of you from orbit when I came here for a supply run. Luckily for you, there is no reason for any Imperial Force users to come to this planet. However, if your activities in the city continue and one of you slips up, the Empire will call for the Inquisitors."

Sabine and Ezra shuddered in fear at the thought for a few moments before Sabine recomposed herself and asked, "What do we do about it? Can you train us?"

Beq smiled and responded, "That is what I'm here to do. I cannot stay long, as I have a charge of my own to attend to. I will train you both in the basics of the Force. I will also teach you how to communicate with each other telepathically and shield your thoughts and emotions. Based on what I noticed earlier today, you can already hold conversations with just a glance, so that shouldn't take long. The most important reason I decided to train you is to teach you how to conceal your presence in the force. That way, if any Inquisitors come in the future, you can stay hidden until you are strong enough to take them on."

Sabine beamed at him while dragging Ezra with her out onto the balcony.

"Come on, let's get started!"

"Already? Wait, what are you doing?" replied Ezra as Sabine jumped over the ledge, his hand still in her grasp.

"WAIT SABIIIIIINE!"

Beq just chuckled to himself while taking the elevator down.

With Master Beq overseeing their training, the pair picked up on the basics of the Force extremely quickly. They had already been able to use many Force abilities without any training, but they lacked fine control. Sabine would usually be the first one to pick up on a concept, but she refused to move on to another until Ezra caught up with her. She would always spend her extra time helping him understand the concept while refining her own abilities. Master Beq somehow overestimated the time it would take for the teens to learn how to communicate mentally. He thought it may take them a few days. On the second day of training, he told the teens to practice while he went on his previously planned supply run. Imagine his surprise when he returned to the tower to see the teens already telepathically communicating. They had their eyes closed sitting next to each other at the bottom of the tower, but he could see their facial expressions changing constantly. He heard an occasional giggle from Sabine as he felt happiness radiating off the pair. After that day, he was convinced that nothing the pair could do could surprise him more. Boy, was he wrong.

It had been a couple months since the pair started training under Master Beq. He could only stay on a Lothal for another week or so before having to leave, so he decided to take his ship to the tower to help speed up the training. He arrived at the sight of the teens staring in awe at the Nubian yacht before running up to greet him.

"Hello, young ones. Care to fill me in on what you were doing while I was gone?"

Sabine snapped out of her previous trance and looked at him with stars in her eyes, shoving a datapad in his face. "Do you have one? Please tell me you have one! Can I see it? Please?"

Beq turned to Ezra with a bewildered expression on his face. "What is she on about?"

Ezra smiled sheepishly at him while rubbing the back of his neck while responding, "Sabine was reading a few of the Imperial files her friend had stolen and given her a few years ago on Force-sensitives. She was just reading about lightsabers, and uh… Mandalorians like weapons."

Beq chuckled in amusement before reclaiming his personal space. "Let's go to our normal training spot. I need a more open area to demonstrate."

Before he even took a step, Sabine was already gone. He thought to himself, Umm… is this a good idea?

It was a terrible idea. From a stormtrooper's perspective, at least. On the first day, Beq demonstrated the basics of Form I, Shii-Cho. Unfortunately, he left all his training sabers at the Temple, so he found a couple large sticks for them to use. He went back to the ship to look for a holocron containing knowledge of the other lightsaber forms. It had taken him two hours to get to the ship and back, but by the time he came back, the Sith lord had become a Jedi. Wait, what? Oh, thank the Force, it's just Sabine running through the forms and stances perfectly. Wait, WHAT? At least, for once, Ezra was improving at a normal pace, anchoring Beq's mind to reality.

Before he completely lost his mind, he walked up to the teens. "Hey, take a break. I found one of my holocrons containing all 7 forms of lightsaber combat. We will be using this for the rest of the week. Read through them all and tell me which one would suit you best. I'll give you my own thoughts based on what I know of the two of you."

Sabine, who was bursting with excitement at the prospect of learning more about how to use this new weapon, snatched the holocron from his hands before sprinting back to Ezra. She flopped down next to him, and they instantly started reading. He knew they would be using his own lightsabers instead of sticks to practice by the end of the week. I pray for the safety of the one who is destined to teach them after I leave. Poor soul.

Somewhere across the galaxy in the cockpit of the Ghost, Kanan Jarrus felt a shiver crawl down his spine. Hera Syndulla, sitting next to him in the pilot's seat, turned to him. "Dear, what's wrong?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Something didn't feel right. Sabine had gone through every form in the holocron perfectly, yet none of them felt natural. Ezra noticed her discomfort and asked, "Something wrong?"

"None of these forms feel right. I can perform them, but it feels like something is missing."

By now, Sabine had moved on to using Beq's lightsaber on a low setting to practice. She would have normally waited for Ezra, but he told her to go at her own pace and not let him slow her down. Reluctantly, she agreed, knowing that the time they had with Master Beq was limited. Ezra pulled Sabine along with him. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Bringing you to Master Beq. He can probably tell you what's going on."

Duh.

Sabine's annoyed expression morphed into one of embarrassment, a light pink dusting her cheeks. She quickly brushed it off as they approached their master. "What's the matter, young ones?"

"Something doesn't feel right about the forms. I can do them all, but something feels missing."

"Run through them again while I watch. Ezra, watch with me. Tell me if you notice anything."

While Sabine was going through her forms, Ezra was thinking about how Sabine normally likes to fight. She always liked using both of her guns. She never liked it when she had to give me one so I could fight with her. Wait. That's it! Hold up, do Jedi even dual wield? Ezra turned to his master, his eyes filled to the brim with curiosity. "Master Beq, did you know any Jedi that dual wielded lightsabers?"

"I knew of two, both of whom had left the Order by the time it fell. One was Pong Krell. He dual wielded double-bladed lightsabers. Unfortunately, he turned to the dark side before being executed for treason by the 501st."

Sabine turned her head to the two of them when she heard "the 501st". She remembered her mother telling her about their heroic actions during the Siege of Mandalore. Her curiosity got the better of her. "You knew the 501st?"

"I knew of them. I never fought alongside them, but they were the most famous clone legion in the galaxy. They were led by Anakin Skywalker, his padawan Ahsoka Tano, and the clone Captain Rex."

Sabine perked up at the mention of another familiar name. "Ahsoka Tano?"

Beq was surprised. Sabine was surprisingly knowledgeable about the former Republic. "How do you know her?"

"My mom fought alongside her and the 501st during the Siege of Mandalore. She would always tell me stories about their heroics."

Beq thought for a moment before responding, "I remember. From what Master Kenobi reported to the council, Ahsoka argued with him about the mission before Skywalker allowed her to take Rex and half of the 501st. Kenobi was not a happy man when he made that report.

"Ahsoka Tano was actually the other dual wielder I knew. She had a unique backwards grip on her lightsabers, and she utilized Form IV, Ataru. The later stages of Ataru's training regimen require the use of dual blades. According to others in the Temple, Ahsoka was already a master of Ataru when she was still a padawan."

Sabine, at that moment, picked Ahsoka as her new role model. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know. The Venator carrying her and Maul never made it back to Coruscant. Everyone assumes they're dead."

Sabine looked down sadly for a moment, thinking about the warrier her mother praised so much, before becoming excited again, a curious gleam in her eyes. "Do you think I could try dual wielding?"

Beq took out another lightsaber from underneath his robes, something that left both teens gaping at him.

Sabine's shock wore off quickly as she ran up to him. "You have another one?!"

Beq wore a sad smile on his face as he handed it to her. "I took it from a fallen comrade during the purge at the Jedi Temple. I have plans to give it to my charge in the future, but he is currently too young to wield it. It would be a waste to not let you use it now. Let me go find the more advanced Ataru forms." He walked back into his ship, appearing again a couple minutes later. "Sabine, you should be able to practice these on your own. I'm going to go help Ezra look for his fighting style."

Sabine grinned at him, chirping out a quick "Okay!" before running off in a random direction to practice.

Their week of lightsaber training had come to an end. Ezra had caught up with Sabine in skill as she had to learn how to wield a lightsaber in her left hand. When the two of them sparred, Sabine would have to wield only 1 saber, but it was good practice for her, as she knew lightsabers and their crystals were not easy to come by. She still remembered the conversation she and Ezra had with Master Beq a couple of days ago.

Flashback

"Master Beq, when would we be able to make our own lightsabers?"

"I honestly don't know. The younglings at the Temple would always go to the caves of Ilum with a padawan to get their first crystal, but the Empire currently has a massive blockade surrounding the planet. It would be impossible for even the best pilots in the galaxy to make it through alive."

Both Sabine and Ezra looked down dejectedly at that. Before they could get too depressed, Beq continued, "However, the Force works in mysterious ways. Who knows, maybe there are crystals on other planets waiting to be found. Be patient, young ones, and when the time is right, you will find your way to your crystal."

End Flashback

Sabine wasn't too confident in her master's words, but she had no choice but to trust him. It hasn't been a long time since the teens met Master Beq, but both of them trusted him and respected him greatly. It was hard for them to say goodbye. The pair walked up to the Nubian Yacht, where Master Beq was waiting at the ramp.

"Do you really have to go?"

"I have my own student that I have to take care of. My job here is finished, as I can't sense either of you in the Force." He took two holocrons out of his robe, the two that the pair have been working with for the past week, before handing them to the pair. "Keep these, and use them to continue your training. The connection between the two of you in the force is strong, stronger than anything I have ever seen. I don't know what it is, but you may find your answers at the Jedi temple on this planet. My last piece of advice for you is to trust in the Force. Neither of you are ready to face the trials at the temple. You will know when the time is right, but you must trust in the Force."

Sabine was confused. "How do we know where to find it?"

"Let the Force guide you. I am confident that the two of you will continue to grow stronger in your quest to follow the path of the Jedi. Let us hope that one day our paths may cross again. May the Force be with you, both of you."

"You too master," the pair chorused.

Beq gave them one last smile before turning around and walking into his ship, the ramp closing behind him. The teens watched as the Nubian starship climbed up into the upper atmosphere of Lothal before walking back to their tower, hoping that they would see him again one day.

Months flew by as the pair of Jedi hopefuls trained themselves vigorously. For hours on end, the teens would throw themselves into all the information they had available to them. They continued to raid Imperial shipments, but their increased abilities allowed them to escape with far less risk of capture. Most of the time, the stormtroopers and officers wouldn't even know what had hit them. The pair had also heard whispers of another group causing the Imps trouble. The other insurgent group started small, but Sabine noticed that their raids had started to increase in frequency over the last couple of months. It worried her, as Sabine knew the local garrison would eventually call for reinforcements, and she was definitely not looking forward to that day. Of course, her Mandalorian instincts longed for a good fight, but both her training in the Force and Ezra's presence prevented her from acting on them. If they weren't sparring, Sabine would spend most of her time doing research on the files Ketsu had sent her in the tower while Ezra meditated in her shuttle. While their Force training was going well, Sabine wanted to use something besides wooden sticks to train and spar with. She couldn't find anything around Capital City that could be useful to them. That is, until, Ezra spotted a shipment with an unusually large stormtrooper complement.

Flashback

Sabine and Ezra had split up for their normal supply run. Since they could mentally speak to each other, they would split up to save time, allowing them to train for longer hours later. Sabine was following a food shipment when she heard a voice in her head.

"Sabine!"

"What is it, Ezra?"

"I'm following a weird shipment. There are three times the normal amount of guards here than there usually are. Everything is being covered up by an armored troop transport. I saw them loading a long black box in there before leaving."

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. I think we should hit it. They obviously don't want us to know what's inside. I want to know."

"So do I. I'm on my way over to you now."

"Alright, I'll stay hidden."

They had found a way to make their Force signatures available to each other while still being closed off from other Force-sensitives. Ezra left his side of their bond open, allowing Sabine to track him.

As Sabine arrived next to him, she asked, "What's the plan?"

Ezra just smirked in her direction before pointing at the transport and asking, "How would you like to use that transport as a canvas for your next masterpiece?"

Sabine's amber eyes lit up with glee before nodding up and down multiple times in quick succession. Ezra turned and pointed at a stormtrooper who conveniently looked Ezra's size at the back of the transport. Maybe he was just short, who knows. "Help me get that guy's armor. I'm going to blend in with them to try and get close to the back of the transport. Make sure you hit me with your paint bomb as well. In all the chaos, the colors should be able to prevent them from noticing me sneaking into the transport. They only left one guard inside and I should be able to knock him out easily. You can steal the front speeder and I'll open the ramp in the back before joining you."

Sabine was impressed. His planning skills have increased greatly from when they first met. Sabine didn't know if it was because of the Force training or if he was just growing up, but she wasn't complaining. "Looks like your planning skills have improved, Ez'ika."

…

"Uhh, Sabine, you okay?"

"Yep! Letsgetgoingnotimetowastegottagobye!"

Ezra just stood there, dumbfounded. "What's up with her?" He could have tried searching through their bond, but he wouldn't do anything like that without her permission. Plus, she would be able to feel it. I guess I have to get that buckethead on my own.

Sabine had never put up her mental shields so fast. She felt very lucky to have her helmet on as the pink on her cheeks slowly turned red while she was moving into position, having only one word on her mind. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Where did that come from? Ez'ika? Seriously? Her face was redder than a meiloorun at that point. Thank the Force I never taught him Mando'a. She took a few seconds to recollect herself before thinking to herself again. Focus, Sabine. Whatever's in that crate could be very useful. More weapons maybe? That thought brought a smile to her face.

"Ezra, I'm ready."

"Almost there, thanks for the assist by the way."

Sabine was confused for a second before realizing he was talking about the buckethead they were supposed to take down together. She didn't respond, the red creeping its way back onto her cheeks. Luckily, before her mind was too far gone, she heard in her head, "I'm ready."

"Okay, I'm tossing the bombs now. Have fun!"

Noah Curacy and his friend Can Taim were posted at the back of the transport talking about life when the troopers in front of them started panicking.

"Do you know what's going on?"

"Maybe it's another dri-WOAH!"

All the troopers were now covered in multicolored paint, along with the transport and the surrounding ground.

The troopers wiped the paint from their visors and looked at each other before Taim spoke up. "I kind of like this paintjob. You think they'd let me keep it?"

"You idiot, they might kill you for that!"

While they were bickering, Ezra snuck up behind them and into the transport. I wonder what Sabine would think about a buckethead wanting to keep her paintjob. He mentally chuckled to himself before moving over to the large black box he saw earlier. He didn't see the guard, so he assumed the guard went outside to check on the others. Just to make sure, he contacted Sabine.

"Sabine, is there a buckethead that still has white armor out there?"

"Yeah, looks like he just came out of the transport. Is that the guard?"

"Probably, I wanted to make sure the transport was clear before I got the stuff. Thanks"

As he opened the box, he gasped in surprise at what he saw. Oh boy, Sabine's gonna love this. He realized he couldn't take all of them, or even two of them, so he had to settle for one. Oh well, better than nothing.

"Sabine, I'm ready for pickup. Did you get the speeder?"

"On my way, jump out the left side, too many bucketheads in the back!"

"Got it!"

He jumped onto the speeder as it zipped by and sat down behind her as she pulled the speeder into the nearest alley to make their escape. She looked back at Ezra for a second before noticing the item in his hands. She stared at it for a few seconds before asking, "Is that what I think it is?"

Ezra was about to reply before noticing a wall in front of him. Quickly, he turned the left handle, barely avoiding the wall. He sighed in relief before looking at her. "Your obsession with weapons is going to be the death of me. Literally."

Ezra didn't need to see under her helmet to know she had a grin on her face. She was radiating with excitement through their bond. "I can't help it. You actually got one!"

Ezra just snorted before turning her around. "Focus on driving, you can play with it when we get back."

"Of course, Master Bridger," she replied with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"Did you really just roll your eyes at me in your mind?"

"Yes, now be a good boy and shut up."

Ezra shut up.

End Flashback

That was a great day for both of them. The electrostaff Ezra had gotten his hands on made their sparring sessions so much more productive. Sabine had to cut it in half and modify the ends of each half, adding a basic handle made from scrap pipes and a low power setting. Getting electrocuted while training wasn't very much fun. It ended up working out as neither of them were comfortable wielding a staff yet. She still couldn't train in her dual wielding skills as the electrost-half, as Ezra liked to call it, would turn their wood sticks into ash, but it allowed them to progress much quicker.

Sabine was currently reading up on lightsaber components when Ezra slid down the ladder from the landing pad and nearly ran into her.

"Sabine, I know where it is?"

"Know where what is?"

"The temple! I saw it in a vision!"

Her face morphed from a confused expression into an excited one as she climbed up the ladder, Ezra just following close behind her. "Come on, slowpoke. Let's go!"

"Slowpoke? I'm right behind you!"

Sabine just stuck her tongue out at him before running to her shuttle and getting it ready.

While Sabine was sitting in the pilot's seat, Ezra was right next to her, guiding her hands to move the ship towards their target. She was just admiring the view outside when she absently thought, His hands are warm. And they feel nice. Wait, WHAT AM I THINKING? She quickly turned her face away from Ezra as a few shades of pink crawled up her cheeks. Luckily for her, Ezra was too focused on the temple's location to notice her predicament. Taking a few deep breaths, she slowly turned her head around just to see Ezra's eyes open.

"Eep! You scared me!"

"Sorry, we just arrived, you should probably take us down."

"I don't see anything though."

"I don't either, but I can sense it."

Sabine knew Ezra was stronger than her in the Force. She didn't meditate nearly as much as he did, as she was too busy looking for new weapons or information about lightsabers. Plus, according to Master Beq, Ezra had an affinity for the Force, while Sabine's strengths lied in combat. Probably her Mandalorian heritage. Either way, she knew she could trust Ezra's judgment.

As they stepped out of the shuttle, Ezra looked at a large rock formation that stood above the rest. Sabine looked at the same rock. "What's so special about a rock?"

"I can feel it. It's here."

Ezra walked up to the rock, Sabine trailing behind him closely. He closed his eyes and put his hands on the rock. Sabine, not knowing what to do, just asked him. "What do we do?"

"Follow my lead. Use the Force to listen to the stone and its story."

She did as she was told, and as she closed her eyes, she could hear the thoughts of the temple.

"It wants to admit us. It says, normally it would require a master and an apprentice, but it says we are special. I don't understand," she said, slowly opening her eyes and looking at her best friend.

"Master Beq said that the temple could give us the answers we seek. Maybe it will tell us why it considers us special. Come on, let's go."

The pair backed off towards a carved circle in the ground. As they lifted their hands and closed their eyes, the stone in front of them slowly started to spiral upwards before coming to a stop, revealing a doorway. "Woah." The teens just stared in awe at the temple before Ezra turned to her. "I can hear it calling to me. Let's go." As they walked inside, they could feel the temple shaking as the rock formation started to descend back into the ground. Sabine looked at Ezra with worry in her eyes. "Uh, was that supposed to happen?"

"No clue. I think it wants us to go in there," Ezra responded while pointing at a doorway that led to a creepy looking cave.

"What about these dead guys?"

"No idea."

"Thanks for reassuring me."

"What can I say except you're welcome~"

…

Ezra grinned sheepishly as he turned to look at Sabine's deadpan stare. "Uh, sorry. Let's just go, yeah?"

They approached a room with three doorways, one in the center, and one slightly off to each side. Sabine looked at Ezra and asked, "Which way do we go?"

"Loth-rat, Loth-cat, Loth-wolf, run. Pick a path and all is d-OW!"

He turned around to see Sabine glaring at him with her fist still above his head. "Really, that's how you choose?"

He was about to quip back at her when he noticed a familiar face behind her. "Master Beq?"

Sabine instantly turned around and jumped back into Ezra with an "Eep!" her reaction to Beq's presence knocking them both to the ground.

Beq just face-palmed, before speaking up. "We need to get going. No time to explain. Imperials could know this location, so we're on the clock." He started running down the middle door, the pair scrambling to their feet to try and keep pace. As they caught up with him, they saw Master Beq on his knees, a Pau'an with sickly yellow eyes holding a blade to Beq's neck. "Master Beq!" They both shouted.

"Run! Both of you, RUN! He's the Grand Inquisitor, you stand no chance against him!"

Sabine, despite the fear she felt, came to a quick decision. "We're not leaving you behind."

Ezra, just as afraid, decided to speak up. "You decided to train us in order to protect us. There's no way we're leaving you to die!"

The Grand Inquisitor chuckled darkly before revealing, "It was his choice to train you that doomed you all. I felt his presence briefly on this planet and followed him here. Now, I can kill three birds with one stone! Who wants to die first?"

The only sound that could be heard in the room was the eerie hum of the Inquisitor's blood red lightsaber. "No one's going to make a choice? Well, I'll make one for you!" he cackled before he stabbed Master Beq, dropping him to the ground. "NO!" Before they could do anything, the Grand Inquisitor Force pushed the pair off the ledge behind them, dropping them into… the Clan Wren stronghold?

The teens groaned as they slowly got back on their feet. As Ezra tried to get his bearings straight, he asked his best friend, "Where are we?"

Sabine was still in shock. After all, falling from a cliff into your old bedroom does that to you. However, that completely skipped her mind as she heard chatter outside her room in the throne room. The pair sneaked up to the door to listen to the conversation.

"Look at what Sabine did to us. The Clan is in shambles. Our reputation is gone. All because of that traitor!" a feminine voice spit out with venom in each word.

Sabine gasped silently as she started to shed tears. "Mother," she whispered sadly.

"I can't believe her actions. It is hard to believe she had any of my artistic talent. She would shame our clan all over again with her pathetic excuse for art."

"F-father, no. Please." She could barely get her words out as a steady stream of tears poured from her eyes. She took off her helmet and covered her ears so she didn't have to hear Tristan's harsh words. She wouldn't be able to take it. As Tristan spoke in the distance, Sabine felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She was slightly startled at first before feeling a wave of serenity wash over her. She relaxed into Ezra, slowly lowering her hands from her ears, as she heard him whisper, "It's okay 'Bine. It's not real. Master Beq, your home. None of it is. Remember where we are, the Jedi temple on Lothal. None of this is real. And even if it was, I will still be behind you, all the way."

Sabine cried even harder, turning around and wrapping her arms tightly around Ezra. Her mind was all over the place, yet her best friend kept her grounded. She didn't realize until now how much she relied on his presence to wash away her troubles from the years she spent away from her family. As she calmed down, the pair heard someone walk up to them. They turned around to see the Grand Inquisitor, staring at them with an evil grin on his face.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here, a family reunion?"

The three Wrens in the throne room turned to face the Inquisitor, who dragged the teens into the room. "Sabine, what are you doing here? You are dar'manda!" Ursa yelled.

Before they could say anything else, the Grand Inquisitor walked up to them. "How pathetic. All of you. I guess I should start the Mandalorian purge early with Clan Wren."

Sabine watched in horror as he killed her family in front of her. Ezra, still knowing it was a vision, grabbed Sabine and ran out of the room, scooping up her helmet on the way. "It's not real, let's try and find a way to get out of here!" She nodded at him before taking her helmet from his hands and putting it on. As they turned a corner, they heard a very familiar sound of a red lightsaber igniting.

"Going somewhere?" They were dropped again into an unknown void when the Inquisitor slashed at them, continuing to fall until they landed in a place very familiar to Ezra.

Sabine was the first to recover, taking off her helmet and asking Ezra, "Where are we now?"

"My old home," Ezra muttered out dejectedly. They were both in the basement when they heard voices coming from above, one sounding strangely like the Grand Inquisitor. Ezra realized quickly that this was the day that his parents were taken away. The basement entrance was locked as Ezra and Sabine listened to his parents being taken away again. However, this time, they heard a lightsaber ignite, then screams, then silence. "No," he whispered to himself. He couldn't take it. He knew what had just happened. Just as he was about to break down, Sabine took him into her arms. "Remember Ezra, it's just a vision. None of it's real. Like you told me earlier, I will always have your back."

"I know, but it still looks and sounds so real," he choked out as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Before they could do anything else, a red blade poked through the basement hatch, before cutting a circle in it and blowing it open. The Grand Inquisitor jumped down, looking at the teens with malice in his bloodshot eyes. "Well, children. Are you afraid now?"

Sabine spoke up first, steeling herself before responding, determination in her voice. "I'm afraid of a lot of things. Losing my family, losing my friends, losing Ezra. But I'm not afraid of you. You are just a vision, a trick of the mind. It may look real to me, but I know there is always someone I can count on to help me get through it."

Ezra grabbed Sabine's hand in a show of support before looking the Inquisitor dead in the eyes with a firm glare. "No matter what happens, we will always be there for each other. Nothing you do will change that."

The Inquisitor snarled at them before spitting out, "So be it." He then slashed through them as they both closed their eyes, hands still clasped together, symbolizing their unwavering support for each other.

After feeling nothing happen, they both slowly opened their eyes, finding themselves back in the Jedi temple without the ominous glow of a red lightsaber. They both collapsed to their knees and wrapped each other in a tight hug, still processing the events that had just occurred.

They heard a voice speaking to them, but they were too tired to move. "Big fears you have faced, young ones."

They both nodded, still wrapped in each other's arms.

"Hmm. For what lies ahead, ready are you?"

The teens looked at each other for a moment before nodding, a determined glint in their cobalt and amber eyes.

"Come. See more clearly what you could not see before."

Ezra looked around before asking, "Who are you?"

Sabine thought for a moment before blurting out, "Master Yoda?"

"Young one, know my name how did you, hmm?"

"Master Beq told us about you and some other influential Jedi. He said you were the Grandmaster of the Order before it fell, and that you spoke in riddles most people didn't understand. That's how I knew."

The voice, now identified as belonging to Yoda, chuckled before saying, "Intelligent, you are, young one," pausing for a moment, no doubt in thought. He resumed, "Hmm, Master Kelleran Beq, alive, he is. Good to hear, that is. Come, come, young ones." A cluster of yellow lights appeared in front of the teens as they slowly got up and out of their embrace, following the trail back into the cave.

The pair followed the cluster of lights back into the cave to the room with three doors.

Sabine elbowed Ezra, quipping, "You know, Ezra, I didn't forget what happened here."

Ezra blushed lightly and turned his head away from her while stuttering, "S-shut up!"

Sabine just giggled at his reaction before turning back to the lights. "So, which way is the right way?"

"The wrong question, that is."

The pair looked down as Ezra responded, "We don't even know why we are here."

"Hmm, a better question, that is."

"Master Beq said we would be getting some answers, but he never said what for."

"A rare bond you have, young ones. So rare it is, know of the phenomenon, Master Beq does not. Answers, you may not always have. Your path, you must decide, together."

The pair didn't even need to say a word to each other as they both started walking through the center doorway. They walked into a dark room with a large, dome-shaped roof, glowing blue lines and circles intersecting each other at various points throughout the dome. They gasped in awe at the sight when the Grandmaster's voice interrupted them.

"Tell me. Why must you become Jedi?"

The teens shared a look before Sabine responded, "To protect the people we care about. To protect those that cannot protect themselves. We see the damage the Empire has done to our homes. People are suffering, and I can't stand by and watch them ruin people's lives without doing something about it!"

Ezra continued, "The Empire took everything away from us. I don't want it to happen to anyone else. I will train until I am strong enough… until we are strong enough to finally bring them down."

"Do this, how will you, hmm?"

"Together," they replied simultaneously, their voices filled to the brim with confidence and determination.

"Very special, your bond is."

Sabine asked, "Master Yoda, you said that earlier already. Do you know what our bond is?"

"A dyad in the Force, you are."

"A what?" they chorused, clearly confused.

"Two individuals you are, yet one in the Force, you are. An unbreakable bond, you have. Talk to each other in your minds you can, hmm?"

The teens nodded as Yoda continued, "Talk to each other across any distance, you can. Always connected, you are. More abilities, the two of you have. Discover them together, you shall."

The lines slowly faded into darkness as the vastness of space replaced them, stars shining brightly all around the pair. A single dimly lighted blue circle remained below their feet. "Ahead of you a difficult path there is, young ones."

Two small glowing objects descended towards the pair, the amethyst one floating towards Sabine while the amber one settled in Ezra's palms.

"Jedi, you may yet be."

AN: Wow, that took me a while to write. If I see one more blue squiggly line under Yoda talk I'm going to lose it. There was a lot to cover in this chapter. For those of you non-Star Wars nerds, Kelleran Beq is real, go look him up. Pretty cool dude, cool nickname too, The Sabered hand. I used him because I didn't want to create a decently major OC, and he didn't have much lore on him past Order 66 so I had room to work with. He had a lot of holocrons with him because according to lore he trained children at the temple. I assume he would have taken the most important holocrons with him before leaving.

There are a lot of things in this chapter that will be used later on. See if you can spot them all.

To those wondering what their special bond is, you got your answer. I'll try to not make them too op off the start, but let's be honest. We all love seeing op characters wipe the floor with everyone. Still, I'll try to keep it reasonable. Well, as reasonable as it can get at this point.

I tried recreating the Jedi temple scene while adding a few twists to it. Ezra's original fears in the episode were not present, as he didn't really have a master to fail or a family to leave him alone again(outside of Sabine). Sabine, on the other hand, had a lot of fears. Fear of the Empire, what they would do to her family. What her family would think of her. I tried my best to depict how deep Sabine and Ezra's bond is while they were inside the temple. I didn't bother splitting them up since they could easily find their way back to each other with their bond. I felt it would be better if I kept them together while they showed unwavering support to each other while the other dealt with their demons.

Last note, yes Sabine will have a purple lightsaber and Ezra's will be orange. I do have reasons(kinda) that will be explained later, but you can't tell me they're not sick colors! c: