AN: Not covering every chapter. More details at the bottom AN.

Edited 11/11/2023 for AO3 posting. This chapter was mostly fine, just a few grammatical mistakes.

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

Rise of the Old Masters

The Ghost was currently hovering over the clouds of Lothal. Kanan and Ezra were on the hull of the Ghost with Zeb and Chopper watching in boredom.

"So, Ezra, you've already told me you've been trained by Master Beq. What do you need me to teach you?"

"Well, when training with Master Beq and even after he left, I always trained myself in the Force. Sabine is the better duelist between the two of us, while I am the stronger Force user. At least, that's what Master Beq told us before he left. While I could always improve on those abilities, I want to shore up my weaknesses. I can duel with a lightsaber well enough, Sabine makes sure of that when we spar. However, I have trouble deflecting shots. I was lucky on Kessel. You and the rest had already thinned out the numbers before you got hit, so when I took over, it was manageable. I don't want to risk failing a mission, or worse, lose someone, because of my inability to block a shot."

Kanan thought for a moment, his hand stroking his beard. "Your choice is a good one. Being able to deflect projectiles is arguably more important than blade to blade combat right now, as we have been facing mostly bucketheads (oh, how wrong that statement would turn out to be). Come on, let's get started."

"Finally, we get to do something fun. Hehe." A grinning Zeb and Chopper moved over to a crate of empty cartons while Ezra stood at the front of the ship in ready position, his ignited amber blade in his grasp. Kanan instructed, "Close your eyes, Ezra. Feel the objects coming toward you. The Force will guide your movements. Ok, Chopper, let him have it!"

Chopper acknowledged the order with a series of beeps before launching a carton at Ezra. He could feel the projectile and moved to intercept it with his blade. He heard the sound of his blade cutting through the object just as Kanan spoke up again. "Good Ezra. Remember to keep your blade up. Keep up that pace Chopper." Ezra managed to keep up with Chopper's projectiles for a few minutes as Kanan slowly ramped up the speed. Zeb quickly got bored of just giving Chopper one projectile at a time. Ezra could hear his chuckles as he dumped the entire crate on Chopper's dome, the astromech spinning as fast as he could. He then heard the astromech beep out,

"This is for my powercell, you thieving meatbag!" *Evil laugh Chopper noises*

Sometimes, Ezra regretted learning Binary. After their mission to Garel to steal T-7 disruptors, he asked Sabine and Tristan to teach him a couple new languages. He figured that it could help him out of a sticky situation in the future, but having to hear Chopper's incessant comments every single day was becoming tiresome. Especially when most of them were aimed at him. For some reason, he never targeted Sabine. Ezra thought the droid was just afraid of her. He was literally knocked out of his thoughts by a large wave of cartons. "WOAAAAAAAAAH!"

Sabine and Tristan were catching up on their time away from each other, sitting together at the nose gun. Every time Sabine asked about how Tristan escaped the academy, she could see the pain and regret in his eyes. She was curious, but she left the topic for another day, wanting their conversation to be a happy one. Sabine had just finished telling Tristan about one of their more eventful raids, the meiloorun raid that led Master Beq to them. She didn't tell him about her calling Ezra "Ez'ika," but Tristan noticed the light blush that appeared on her face when she thought about the moment. There were a few seconds of silence between them as a large grin gradually appeared on Tristan's face. Sabine internally shivered. I have a bad feeling about this. "So, big sister, is there anyone you like?"

Her face flushed red as she responded, panic evident in her voice, "NO! Where did that come from?"

Tristan gave her a mock look of confusion, his falsely innocent voice singing out, "Really, not even your roommate that you so adamantly wanted to stay with?"

Sabine's face couldn't turn any redder. When Hera originally offered the pair a room on the Ghost, she suggested that Sabine and Tristan share a room while Ezra could bunk with Zeb. Both teens vehemently refused, wanting to stay together, on the Cavalry if they had to. Hera had been reluctant initially, but they cited that they've already been living together for four years. She had turned to Tristan for support, but Tristan looked at the pair with an odd smile while stating that he didn't want to move his stuff. Finally, Hera gave in after Tristan assured her nothing bad would happen. Sabine had a feeling that Tristan wanted this to happen. She gave her brother a weak glare, her face still flushed red. However, before she could respond, they both heard a thud on the glass above them. They looked up to see Ezra sprawled out on the window, giving them an awkward smile, before fully sliding off the edge of the ship. "EZRA!" Sabine bolted towards the ramp with Tristan right behind her. When they arrived, they saw the ramp already open with Zeb balancing on it, extending his arm out towards a floating Ezra. However, just before Ezra could grab Zeb's hand, he started falling again. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" Sabine wasted no time, activating her jetpack and diving after him.

Ezra thought he was going to die. He appreciated the effort from Kanan and Zeb, but it wasn't enough. He then thought about how this all happened. I'm going to die because of an outdated circuit-damaged astromech droid. He chuckled out loud at that. I just wish I could see Sabine one more time. He could see the ground getting closer, bracing himself for impact. He closed his eyes, but instead of feeling the ground, he felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around him as he heard the sound of her jetpack blast them back into the sky. "Your wish is granted, Ez."

Ezra flushed in embarrassment. "Wait, you heard that?"

Sabine giggled at his red face. "No, but your shields were down in those last few seconds. I could hear your thoughts." Her happy expression then morphed into anger. "When I get my hands on that good-for-nothing rustbucket I'm going to tear that waste of space apart bolt by bolt." Ezra chuckled at her reaction. It was appropriate for her Mandalorian heritage. He then turned to see Sabine looking at him with a serious face. "I know this wasn't your fault, Ez, but promise me you'll be more careful. I can't afford to lose you. I don't know what I would do without you."

Ezra sighed. "Alright, I promise I'll be more careful." They hugged each other tightly as Sabine's jetpack took them back above the clouds. They were taken out of their own world when they heard the engines of the Ghost approach them, seeing Zeb and Tristan waving at them from the ramp and motioning for them to get on. As the pair touched down onto the ship, Tristan sent a cheeky smile Sabine's way. "Sooo… No one, eh?"

Sabine immediately released Ezra, her face flushing red. She hit her brother on the shoulder, huffing, "Di'kut," before storming away. Ezra looked on in confusion. "Uh, what's up with her?"

Tristan grinned at him. "You'll figure it out in time."

As they walked back into the ship, they saw Kanan yelling at Chopper in the hallway. "What did you think you were doing? That stunt you pulled could have gotten him killed! It almost did, we got lucky!" Honestly, Kanan blamed himself more than Chopper for what happened. If only he was more competent, he could have fully pulled Ezra up into the ship. If it wasn't for Sabine, Ezra would be dead. He didn't know what to do with his emotions right now, so he took out his anger on the droid that started the entire mess. His outburst attracted the attention of the rest of the crew as they gathered around in the common room. Hera looked at Kanan with mild annoyance. "Alright, what happened for you to get so angry at my droid? I know he can be annoying, but I've never seen you yell at him like this before."

Kanan glared at her briefly before sending his glare back the droid's way. "Your droid almost got Ezra killed." Hera looked at Chopper in surprise, narrowing her eyes at the droid, but before the conversation could continue Sabine pressed a few buttons on the dejarik table. "Hey Ezra, you made the holonet!"

"The stolen TIE fighter was later used to attack a transport full of innocent workers."

Zeb yelled in outrage, "You liar! We set 'em free!"

The broadcast suddenly started to fizzle out before being replaced by the image of an older man.

"Citizens, this is senator-in-exile Gall Trayvis. I bring more news the Empire doesn't want you to hear."

"What's a Gall Trayvis?" Ezra asked. Tristan facepalmed. This is the guy my sister likes?

Hera was the one to finally respond, "The only member of the Imperial Senate with the courage to speak out publicly against the Empire."

"One of the Republic's greatest peacekeepers, Jedi Master Luminara Unduli, is alive."

The three Jedi and Hera shared a look with each other before turning back to the broadcast and focusing on the it more intently.

"She has been imprisoned unlawfully somewhere in the Stygeon system. As citizens, we demand the Empire to produce Master Unduli, and grant her a fair trial before the entire Sen-" the broadcast fizzled out again and returned to the standard holonet, leaving the crew to ponder the ex-Senator's words. Sabine turned to Kanan, asking, "Master Beq didn't tell us much about Master Unduli. Did you know her?"

Kanan, while stroking his beard, thought to himself sadly, We need to go save her. She can train those two much better than I can. I'm not good enough to train them. They have so much talent, and that requires someone much more skilled than me to handle. He responded out loud, "I met her. Once. She was a great Jedi Master. Brave, compassionate, disciplined. She would have a lot more to offer the two of you than I do. There were always rumors that she survived the Clone Wars, but they never came with a specific location before. We can't pass this up."

Hera put a hand on his shoulder. "Was hoping you would say that. I'll set course for the Stygeon system."

Of course things had to go wrong. They always do. Wait, where have I heard that before? Ezra and Kanan were staring at the corpse of Luminara Unduli, contained in a case at the side of the detention room. "What happened to her? I don't understand."

The pair of Jedi heard a voice come from behind them at the entrance of the room. "No? It doesn't seem complicated. Ezra froze momentarily as he turned to the voice and muttered, "It can't be."

Kanan turned to him and asked, "You know this guy?"

"He's the Grand Inquisitor. You know, the one from the visions in the temple I told you guys about?"

The older Jedi nodded in recognition as the pair turned to face their foe. Kanan ignited his lightsaber while Ezra mentally contacted Sabine.

"'Bine, it's a trap!"

"I know, we figured it out when the comms were jammed. Master Unduli?"

"Long gone. How are we going to get out?"

"We're looking for a way out right now. They're going to be waiting for us the way we came in. Wait, I have an idea. Head for the landing platform!"

"Got it."

He cut their link as he refocused on the Pau'an in front of him, who decided to speak up. "So, you've heard of me already. Welcome. Yes, I'm afraid Master Luminara died with the Republic. But her bones continue to serve the Empire, luring the last Jedi to their ends."

Kanan had enough, deciding to charge at the Inquisitor. The Pau'an only had one blade activated, and it seemed like he was toying with the older Jedi. "Interesting. It seems you trained with Jedi Master Depa Billaba."

As their blades locked, Kanan asked in shock, "How… Who are you?"

That name sounds familiar, Ezra thought to himself. He managed to sneak around to the door and put a detonator on it as the other Force-wielders' duel carried on.

The Pau'an continued to speak as he slowly pushed Kanan back. "The temple records are quite complete. In close quarter fighting, Billaba's emphasis was always on form three, which you favor to a ridiculous degree."

Kanan charged recklessly at the Inquisitor, who simply flipped over him and kicked him to the ground in front of Ezra. "And clearly, you were a poor student."

Ezra knew it was only a matter of time before the detonator went off. He fired a few shots at the Inquisitor to give Kanan time to refocus, but the Pau'an lazily dispersed the shots with a smirk on his face while taunting, "Is that all you've got, my boy?"

Ezra smirked back at him. "Well, I've got that," pointing towards the detonator.

The Inquisitor looked behind the boy to see the door get blown off the wall. The pair of Jedi took the opportunity to escape from the detention room with the Inquisitor hot on their tail. He activated his second blade as he caught up with the two before charging at Kanan. The rusty Jedi was barely able to deflect the Pau'an's aggressive barrage of attacks, continually being forced on the defensive. The Inquisitor turned his head to look at Ezra as he locked blades with Kanan, pinning the older Jedi against a wall. "Are you paying attention, boy? The Jedi are dead, but there is another path, the dark side."

Ezra was paying attention. Something was off. He noticed that all of Kanan's movements seemed off-balanced today. He was worried about his friend, but he would have to talk to Kanan about that later. Ezra also knew exactly what his foe was referring to. Master Beq had lectured both him and Sabine on the dark side and its consequences. Ezra had taken that lecture to heart, for the most part. He never understood the rule of no attachment. It was his bond with Sabine that made him stronger. The memory of his parents that made him fight harder. His attachments fueled his drive to fight against the Empire. He would do whatever it takes to protect his friends, to vindicate his parents' decision to speak out.

"I'll never go down that path. No matter how much you try to sway me. Nothing you can tempt me with will ever get me to join you."

The Inquisitor chuckled darkly. "It will not be me who draws you to the dark side, my boy. I am only introducing you to a different path. No, it will be you. You, and you alone, will be the architect of your own fall to the dark side. It is only a matter of time. I can see the anger, the fear in your eyes. Your mentor can't protect you forever." The dark side warrior then turned back to Kanan. "Do you really think you can save the boy? For his sake, surrender."

The older Jedi glared at the Inquisitor in contempt. "I'm not making deals with you."

"Hmm, then we'll let him make one, shall we?" The Pau'an released his saber lock with Kanan and Force pushed him down the hallway. He turned back to Ezra, looking down on the boy menacingly. "Your mentor cannot save you, boy. And, you cannot save him. Not without the power of the dark side." He then charged at Ezra as the boy ignited his own saber, leaving them in a lock.

The Inquisitor noted the rare color of his foe's blade, grinning widely at the color. "Orange, how interesting. It seems like you're on the right path already."

They clashed blades again as their first lock was released. Ezra was struggling to keep up with the dark side warrior's ferocious onslaught. He was slowly being backed into the hallway where Kanan was lying, knocked out. He was afraid. Not of losing to the Inquisitor, but of losing his friends. Ones he had just made. Ones that he had just started to call family. I will not lose them. I will protect them, no matter the cost! His fear morphed into anger as he struck back with reckless abandon. The Inquisitor chuckled again while taunting, "Like I said before, boy. You are the architect of your own fall. Give into the anger. The fear. You fear losing your friends. You fear not being strong enough to protect them. Well, the dark side can give you that power. The power to protect your friends."

Ezra's resolve was slowly slipping away. His moves were getting sloppier and more erratic as the Grand Inquisitor continued to taunt him. However, before he could fully slip off the edge, he felt a mental nudge. Sabine.

"Ezra, snap out of it! This isn't you! I know you're stronger than this, Ez. I don't know what's going on with you, but you have to fight it!"

"I can't… I'm scared… of losing the crew. Of losing you. Of being alone again."

"Ez, remember our conversation at the temple? We faced down those challenges together. We've done everything together for the past four years. Have you lost me yet? I already told you once, but as long as I live, I will make sure that you are never alone again."

Ezra jumped away from the Inquisitor, giving himself a moment to calm down and recollect himself. Sabine has always had a calming effect on him, no matter the situation. He mentally sent her a genuine smile. "Thank you, 'Bine. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Always, Ez. Just focus on getting to the landing platform. We've been waiting here for a while already. What's going on over there?"

"The Grand Inquisitor's here. The Empire set this trap here to lure Jedi in to die."

"The one from the temple visions?"

"Yeah, that one. He knocked out Kanan already. I have to stall him until Kanan wakes up. I'm not leaving anyone behind."

"I'm coming to help!"

"Wai-" before he could even get a word out, Sabine had cut the link. He could already sense her signature move towards him. He turned his attention back to the Inquisitor, who asked, "So, what will it be, boy? Embrace the darkness. Let it consume you."

"Never. I will never allow myself to become like you!" Ezra took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, remembering back to his training with Master Beq.

Flashback

"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.

Master Beq turned his attention towards Ezra as Sabine gradually disappeared from his sightline. "Now, Ezra, before we get started, we need to talk about something. I can feel a small amount of darkness in you. Yes, there is darkness present in every living being, as the light cannot exist without it. However, yours feels much stronger than most I've felt. I won't ask you for details, as I know that it can be painful. However, I must ask you to let go. You cannot let the past rule the present."

Ezra responded shakily, "I-I can't. I can't let go. M-my parents. They were taken from me when I was seven. Every time I think of them, it brings me pain, sorrow, regret. But it also gives me strength. It gives me a reason to fight the Empire."

"So, you seek revenge?"

"NO! I mean… maybe? I want to see the Empire fall, so what happened to me can't happen to anyone ever again."

Beq nodded in satisfaction. "You seek justice. A noble cause. Come. I might have the perfect form for you."

Master Beq and Ezra were facing each other in an open area in the plains. The older Jedi began to explain, "I don't have all the pieces to this form, as it was only ever taught to a select few. I consider myself lucky to even know a portion of it. It is enough knowledge to fight with, but not enough to master the form."

Ezra asked curiously, "If so few know this form, then how do you know it?"

Beq smiled in remembrance. "Master Depa Billaba, a good friend of mine, was taught the form by her master, Mace Windu. She showed me what she could without getting in trouble. Because of its nature, the Jedi Council was very selective in choosing those allowed to learn it."

Ezra didn't hear anything past "Mace Windu." He excitedly asked, "The Master of the Order, Mace Windu? That one? The one with the cool purple lightsaber?"

Beq smiled again. "I see you've been paying attention to my history lessons. Master Windu was the creator of this variant of form seven. You see, Juyo has one inherent flaw. It is an aggressive style that requires the user to draw upon their anger and negative emotions without restraint. Many practitioners of this form fell to the dark side before the Council banned its use. Master Windu sought to correct his own weaknesses by creating this new variant. In his own words, 'it channels my own darkness into a weapon of the light.'

"The memory of your parents being taken away brings many negative emotions to the surface. Anger. Sadness. Regret. However, for you, it is also your source of strength. That is why I suggested this form. You already have what it takes to convert your negative emotions into your own weapon of the light. The one thing you lack is your control over fear. Fear is a direct path to the dark side. Everyone is afraid at some point in their life, but it is how one controls those fears that prevents them choosing the wrong path. To truly master this form, you must learn to not fear the dark side, while not letting it gain control over you.

"This form is more a state of mind than just another form. It allows the user to redirect their opponent's power back at them through the Force. However, you will be required to constantly exert the Force. It will be very taxing, both physically and mentally. Learning to continuously wield the Force will take practice. We have a lot of work to do, so let's get started."

Ezra, who by now was mentally bouncing up and down in excitement, asked one last question. "What did he call it?"

"Vapaad."

End Flashback

Ezra slowly exhaled, opening his eyes as his fears gradually evanesced from his mind. I remember now why the name Depa Billaba sounded so familiar. I wonder if she taught Kanan anything? I'll ask him later. Thank you, Master Beq.

The Grand Inquisitor snarled at him. "So be it. Ready to die?"

Ezra looked back at him in defiance, a glint of determination shining in his eyes. Unseen by the Inquisitor was Ezra's underlying fury, rapidly reaching its boiling point. "Try me."

The two glared at each other as silence reigned supreme, only to be shattered by the ignition of two lightsabers itching to clash. Quickly losing his patience, the Inquisitor made the first move, slashing down at Ezra, who parried the blade to the right with his own before spinning around and slicing at the Pau'an. The Inquisitor jumped back, avoiding the blade, before moving back in, attempting to slice the boy through the waist. Knowing the boy would block his move, he used the momentum from their blades clashing to bounce his blade off of the boy's, allowing him to swiftly redirect it at the boy's legs. Ezra hastily jumped over the blade in a front flip, using his own momentum to slash down at the Inquisitor, forcing the dark side warrior to block high. He took advantage of the Pau'an's open core, breaking the lock and spinning around, throwing a back kick into the Inquisitor's chest that knocked him back a few feet. The Inquisitor growled, not happy that he was being bested by a boy, before charging back in, this time more recklessly. Ezra noticed another small gap in the Inquisitor's defense. As the dark side warrior struck down at him again, he jumped to the side, bouncing off the wall and striking quickly with his saber.

Kanan was gradually becoming aware of his surroundings. W-where am I? What happened to me? His mind then cleared up, remembering the events of the past few minutes. EZRA! He propped himself up on his elbows, hoping to catch sight of his hopefully not dead not-apprentice. However, nothing could prepare him for the sight he was about to witness. As he fully shook off the cobwebs in his head, he saw Ezra bounce off the wall and strike the Inquisitor, forcing the Pau'an to go on the defensive again. Ezra is actually winning? Wow, he really doesn't need me at all. His brain was still processing what his eyes were seeing when he heard a voice behind him, followed by heavy steps. "Kanan? Are you okay? Where's Ezra?"

Kanan weakly pointed down the corridor as Zeb helped him up to his feet. Sabine immediately started down the hallway, but Kanan stopped her by grabbing her arm. Turning to the older Jedi, she was about to yell at him when she saw the stern look on his face. He then spoke calmly, "Just watch closely, Sabine. Ezra is winning, slowly but surely. Any move we make can completely wipe out his progress." Sabine nodded, not liking the idea of sitting out, but not having much of a choice. She watched as the two dueled, the Inquisitor losing ground after each engagement. The two Jedi could feel frustration and anger rolling off the Inquisitor in waves, getting stronger by the minute. "Kanan, he's getting more frustrated each time they separate. His form is getting sloppier, leaving more holes in his defense. What exactly is Ezra doing?"

Kanan, still watching in slight awe, responded, "Ezra is making use of Vapaad, a variation of Juyo created by Master Windu. He was able to channel his opponent's power back at them with the Force. Only a few at the Temple ever knew the form, one of whom was my Master. She was Master Windu's apprentice, so it made sense. How Ezra learned it I don't know."

"Did she ever teach you?"

"I know a little. Not enough to fight with, however. She taught me more about the state of mind of Vapaad than anything else. She didn't have the chance to finish training me as the Jedi Purge happened soon after."

Their conversation was cut short as Ezra sent the Grand Inquisitor flying into the opposite wall down the hallway. He turned around and ran to them while shouting, "Go! Get to the landing platform!" Kanan unwrapped his arm from Zeb and the four took off through the hallways, Sabine in the lead. Kanan spoke as they ran, "Thought it was impossible to get out that way."

"Well, let's hope the Empire thinks so too," Sabine responded. "Tristan is already there working on the doors."

They then heard the Grand Inquisitor's voice over the comm system. "Secure the facility. Full lockdown."

The blast doors at each hallway intersection started to close, forcing the Spectres to move with increased urgency. The Inquisitor was right on their tail, leaping through the gaps in the doors before they fully closed on him. A door was about to close in front of the small group until Zeb jumped in between the moving parts to hold it open with a grunt. "Can't do this all day!" The Spectres quickly filed through the gaps left by Zeb, who jumped out of the door's way as it fully closed. Just as he sighed a breath of relief, a red blade poked through the door, nearly decapitating him. He made his way back to the group as they hastily moved into the landing platform, where the bay door was closed. They found Tristan working on the door's control panel, but nothing he seemed to do worked.

"You guys finally made it! I can't get this door open. Tried everything. Any ideas?"

Kanan had an idea. "Ezra, Sabine. Together. Picture the locking mechanism in your mind."

It took a lot of effort, but the three had managed to get the bay door open, only to see a squad of stormtroopers waiting for them. They each pulled out their blades, deflecting any shots coming their way. Zeb took cover behind Sabine, pulling out a detonator and preparing to throw it. "One last miracle here." He then tossed the detonator at the feet of the bucketheads. The resulting explosion gave the Spectres a beachhead to begin their assault on the awaiting squad. Once they were out of the bay, Tristan immediately contacted Hera. "Spectre-5 to Phantom. We're on the landing deck, ready for pickup."

"On my way, Spectre-5. And I'm bringing the fleet."

"We have a fleet?"

"We do now."

The Spectres quickly made their way through the rest of the bucketheads, making a beeline for their ship. The Inquisitor, who had finally made it through the blast door, threw his lightsaber at the Phantom, hoping to disable it, but Kanan managed to deflect the blade back to him. The small ship rapidly made its escape once all its occupants were safely on board, leaving the Grand Inquisitor to look on in rage.

"Master Luminara?" Hera asked.

"Gone. We'll have to find a way to spread the word," Kanan replied dejectedly.

"How are those two taking it?"

"Not as bad as I am. I guess they're both stuck with me, for now."

Both Ezra and Sabine had overheard the conversation, subtly nodding to each other to have a private conversation with the man later.

Kanan was meditating in his room over the events of the past day when he heard a chime at his door. "Come in."

He opened his eyes to see both Sabine and Ezra looking at him in worry. Ezra spoke up as the door closed behind the pair. "Kanan, what's going on? I noticed you were off the entire time you were facing the Inquisitor. And what did you mean by 'they're both stuck with me?'" Kanan sighed. I guess this is where the truth comes out. "Truthfully, I don't think I'm good enough to train you guys. You both are extremely talented in the Force. With less than a year's worth of training, you have nearly caught up to me in strength and ability. My saber skills are rusty, and I haven't used the Force very much since the Purge until recently. I don't have much left to offer to you, if anything at all."

Sabine quickly replied, "That's not true at all! You have something both of us lack: experience. You survived a war, and you've been fighting the Empire for much longer than either of us have. Remember, back at the prison? It was your idea to use the Force to unlock the bay door. I doubt either of us would have thought of that idea. Your skill in the Force is still lightyears ahead of ours. I know I'm more of a duelist, but you still have a lot to offer Ezra in learning about the Force." Ezra nodded in agreement with Sabine's comment before chipping in with a grin, "Plus, if your saber skills are rusty, you can just spar with us. We only ever spar with each other, so we don't have any experience facing the other lightsaber forms. You can teach us how to fight against those forms while regaining your own skill."

Kanan stood up and wrapped the teens in a tight hug, unshed tears in his eyes. In an attempt to lighten the mood, he joked, "Thank you both for making an old man feel useful again."

"No problem, dad," they quipped simultaneously with a laugh before hugging him back.

Ezra suddenly remembered something from the prison. He pulled his arms back and squirmed his way out of Kanan's grasp. "You trained under Master Billaba right? That's what I heard from the Inquisitor."

"I did," the older Jedi replied. "Is this about your lightsaber form?"

Ezra nodded excitedly. "Master Beq taught me as much as he could remember from Master Billaba, but she couldn't teach him everything due to the strict rules around the form. Did she teach you anything?"

"She did. She focused mostly on Vapaad's state of mind. We didn't have time to start on the form before everything went downhill."

Ezra's eyes lit up even more than they already were. "That's the part Master Beq couldn't teach me. Teach me, please?" Ezra gave Kanan his best puppy eyes while Sabine giggled at the sight. So cute! A light blush was painted across her cheeks, but she couldn't bring herself to look away.

Kanan groaned. "Now?"

"Of course!"

"Fine. You're welcome to join too, Sabine."

Sabine nodded enthusiastically before a mischievous grin planted itself on her face. "Hey, Kanan! When I spar with Ezra, could I borrow your lightsaber so I can dual wield?"

"Uh…"

"Please?"

Oh no, not those eyes again. *Sigh* What have I gotten myself into?

"Ugh. Fine."

Ezra chuckled at her copying his move. So cute! However, his chuckles ceased immediately when Sabine turned to him, a way-too-sweet smile gracing her face. "Oh, Ez~! When I spar with Kanan, you're giving me your saber too, 'kay?"

"Uh… Y-yes, ma'am!"

AN: I won't be covering every episode in the series. Since the story revolves around Sabine and Ezra, I'll be skipping some of the fillers that don't relate to them. Some episodes that do have plot significance still won't be covered because there's not much to change. For example, Droids in Distress. I would just be writing a worse version of the script + Tristan. I won't waste your time, or mine, doing that. Just assume any episode I skipped went as it did in canon with the exception of Tristan tagging along. He will mostly be playing Sabine's original role in the show as Sabine has another role to fill in this story. Obviously, there are some things Sabine can do that he can't so those will still be done by her.

Kanan isn't exactly Ezra's master this time around, as I stated in the last chapter. So, his struggles as a mentor will be different as well. This is my first time writing a story, as I've mentioned before, so any tips on how to develop characters properly are very appreciated.

Things are starting to get interesting between Ezra and Sabine. Hehe. Also, third wheel Tristan?

Next chapter's gonna be a big one. c: