Author's Note: Hello readers! For those of you who are completely new to me, I would strongly suggesting going to read the 'Legacy of Jarik Shan' series of books on my profile first before reading this, as I have no clue how well people who haven't read my stories before would be able to follow along with this. For those that are avid readers of my series, and have just come here from 'Volume 5: Rebirth' then you know exactly what is going to happen in this story! 'Sun and Moon' will follow Jarik Shan and Ahsoka Tano's side of events during Rebirth that take place in the background. I'm so excited to get started!
But first, here's a prelude just to start the setting of where exactly we are in the story right now...
LEGACY OF JARIK SHAN - VOLUME 5: REBIRTH
Chapter 68: Wolves of Dume - Part 1
Temple Island, Ahch-To - Outer Rim Territories
Jarik POV...
I remain at the door of my own, staring out at the ocean in complete befuddlement. I'm almost certain I heard a howl, made by some sort of canine animal... I wasn't hallucinating, was I? Maybe I'm just tired–
...
I heard it again. I know I heard a howl.
The Force seems to be thrumming with energy, my senses tingling. I feel a slight tug pulling at me and turn to look in its direction, baffled at the sight. Standing on a rocky outcropping some distance away was a large wolf with black fur. Even from this distance I could tell it was staring right at me, its eyes tinged a shade of blue... a surprisingly familiar shade of blue.
But for the life of me I can't figure out why.
I remain standing in place and maintain eye contact with the wolf for a while, unsure of what to think.
LEGACY OF JARIK SHAN - VOLUME 5: REBIRTH
Chapter 70: Wolves of Dume - Part 3
Temple Island, Ahch-To - Outer Rim Territories
Jarik POV...
I collapse onto the hard stone floor with a grunt of pain, splashing through some of the water that collects on the Prime Jedi's mosaic. I lay there for some time, groaning in a bit pf pain, but more so shocked by what just happened. The sound of footsteps and breathing next to me reaches my ears and I slowly turn myself over onto my back to see the black wolf sitting a few feet away, no longer looking angry as it gazes down at me.
"What was that?" I demand, scrambling to my feet.
She doesn't respond, and I narrow my eyes in quickly rebuilding frustration.
"I'm not taking silence for an answer this time!" I exclaim. "Just tell me!"
The black wolf exhales heavily through her nose as she narrows her eyes at me.
"...SUN..."
I feel a strange sensation wash over me all of a sudden, and the wolf gives the faintest of nods of her head, gesturing elsewhere. I turn my head around to see a familiar green and white colored convor perched on a piece of rock outstretch from the wall, gazing down at me with intelligent eyes: Morai.
"...MOON..."
The strange feeling overcomes me again, a rush of energy from the Force, and I widen my eyes in realization. All of my anger, frustration, bitterness, and grief fades away as I listen to the call, filling my with ease... and for the first time in what feels like ages, the emptiness I've felt in my heart slowly seems to fill in. I return my gaze to the black wolf and incline my head in acknowledgement.
"What must I do?" I ask.
*:*:*
During the Clone Wars I was haunted by the shadow of Darth Revan for nearly a year, following the events on Mortis. His ghost tempted me, plaguing me over my fears in an attempt to push me to the dark side, and when I finally overcame him I had felt a much clearer sense of purpose for myself.
That feels like a lifetime ago. I didn't know it then, but that was only the beginning.
Is it really chance that I was led to discover the World Between Worlds all those years ago? For the longest time I thought it was just so that I could learn the truth about my heritage: Snoke revealing himself to me was simply by chance. But now... now I'm not so sure that was quite it. There's was a lot more too it than that, so much more for me to learn that I simply haven't understood until now. Learning about my family was important, yes, but there was another reason as well: it was to help me understand the true significance of the World Between Worlds, so that I would be prepared for what was meant to happen in the future―what has already happened, and where I am right now.
I know what needs to happen now. The wolf is right. Kanan's death isn't the event that leads to our doom, it's the event that leads to our reclamation. Kanan knew this, which is why he made the decision he did: he knew that despite his loss, his selfless act is what would set us on this path. And I won't let his actions be in vain, just as I know the others won't... Mara, Ezra, Cal, all of them.
LEGACY OF JARIK SHAN - VOLUME 5: REBIRTH
Chapter 72: World Between Worlds
World Between Worlds
Jarik POV...
We come to a small intersection and turn left, approaching the triangular portal. The edges were covered in ancient Sith writing, exactly the same as the writing that covered the temple on Malachor. Up on top of the portal sat Morai, who looks down at us with bright eyes.
"Morai..." I murmur in recognition.
"Morai?" Ezra asks, before noticing the convor as well.
'I am Daughter.'
"Is that the bird's name?" he continues to ask.
"It is," I nod in confirmation.
Morai hoots once more, fluttering her wings.
"Morai..." Mara says slowly, looking at me. "Who is she Dad? She... she's followed you and Mom around before, right?"
"She's an old friend," I explain with a small smile. "She saved Ahsoka's life once, and has been a guide ever since."
"Is that how she got here?" Ezra asks, and I nod my head.
"Morai..." Mara repeats again, testing the name. "Can she help us?"
"She has to, right? That's got to be why she's here," Ezra suggests hopefully.
I remain silent for a moment while gazing up at Morai, who gazes back at me with a knowing glimmer in her eyes.
"Can you help us?" I ask her.
Morai flutters her wings with an acknowledging chirp and directs her gaze down at the portal, which begins to emit a red glow from the center. I take a cautious step back, my heart pounding with dread and anticipation at what I think is about to appear. The other two are similarly uneasy, confused by what's happening.
"What is this?" Ezra asks warily. "What is she showing us?"
The red glow fades into a shadow of dark purple mist, a few flashes of lightning arcing through the portal before it clears up into the scene of that fateful day: the cold breath of Darth Vader sends a rush of fear through me as the Sith Lord himself appears, igniting his blood-red lightsaber with a vicious hiss. His back was turned towards us as his focus was instead directed in front of him, where Ahsoka stood a few feet away. Mara gasps, tears welling up in her eyes and she covers her mouth with her hands, trembling in horror. Ezra widens his eyes in disbelief, a stunned look on his face.
"No..." he murmurs.
On the other side of the portal I can see myself just beyond the chamber of the temple, holding back a panicking Mara. Kanan was similarly preventing a younger Ezra from also rushing into the chamber.
"Mom!" Mara cried out in terror.
"Ahsoka!" Ezra yelled.
"It can't be," Ezra says in present-time.
"Dad...?" Mara whispers, looking up at me in anguish.
"No! Noooo! Mom!"
I shut my eyes to prevent myself from succumbing to the aching sensation of grief, Mara's screams of desperation pulling at my heart. Forcing myself to open my eyes I watch as the obelisk chamber's door slams shut and Vader brings his lightsaber down on Ahsoka, who raises her blades just in time to block it. He turns around and parries his next two swings, deactivating her sabers briefly to roll past him and then pops up on her feet and reignites her blades, her back facing us. Vader presses forward, striking down at her with unrelenting fury, and as if she'd never left I can easily analyze Ahsoka's movement, recognizing that she's near exhaustion. Morai chirps insistently, jumping up and down on top of the portal.
"What? What can we do?" Ezra asks incredulously.
"We- we've got to do something!" Mara says, panicking, desperately looking at Morai for answers. "What're we supposed to do? Please, tell us!"
I quickly shift my gaze between the duel and Morai multiple times, also unsure of what to do. I know that I can just jump through the portal right now, but as much as I desperately want to do so... there's still the lingering hesitation of whether or not I'm supposed to. Morai hoots once more, gazing at me with complete urgency and frustration, demanding that I do something.
I look back down at the portal to see Ahsoka raise her lightsabers just in time to enter a blade lock with Vader, directly in front of the portal: a foot closer and they'd fall right through. With a slight tremble I hesitantly hold an arm up as if reaching out to her, trying to reconnect to her through my shattered Force bond... her head tilts to the side, as if sensing something. I let out a quiet gasp.
For the first time in over two years, I can feel something through our broken bond.
*:*:*
Within a second I cross through the rift of time and jump into the past for a second time. The ethereal energy of the World Between Worlds is instantly replaced by the dark and ominous environment of Malachor I―the tremendous power of the temple's Infinity Stone also surges to the forefront of my senses. The moment I cross the time barrier, Ahsoka suddenly collapses on her hands and knees with a cry of anguish, and I immediately realize the cause for this: my very presence here is what caused our bond to snap apart. Vader also pauses in his step, gaping at me in shock.
I guess anyone would be the same if someone appeared out of thin air right in front of you.
With a fierce yell I jump forward and swing my lightsaber at him, causing him to raise his own blade just in time to catch mine. Before he can adjust to my surprise attack I disengage my blade from his and thrust my arms forward, throwing him back with a Force push. I take a moment to glance at the ceiling at sensing a deadly spike of energy from the Infinity Stone, and recall that the temple exploded after we escaped. Deactivating my lightsaber I turn around and sprint back over to Ahsoka, who weakly looks up with a hand held to her head, widening her eyes in shock.
"...Jarik?" she whispers incredulously.
"Hey Sweetie Horns!" I grin in response, too exhilarated right now to feel as emotional as I normally would.
"YOU!" Vader roars.
I glance back to see him charging straight for us at a complete sprint, his visible eye glowing bright yellow with seething fury. Beneath us, the floor was also cracking immensely as a result of Ahsoka stabbing her blades through it.
"Time to go. Now!" I shout, grabbing Ahsoka's hand and reaching out with the other where I know the others are watching.
"What―" Ahsoka starts to ask.
A pair of hands then appear from the air to grab mine, cutting her off as we're yanked through the portal. And not a moment to soon, because just as they did Vader swung his lightsaber through the space we both occupied only milliseconds before. The floor then collapses underneath him and Vader falls through while a deafening noise blasts through my ears as the temple explodes.
Ahsoka, Mara, Ezra and I are tossed through the air from the force of the explosion, Ahsoka and I going farther than the kids. We tumble across the ground several feet away from the portal, and my vision goes black.
*:*:*
I let out a quiet groan of exhaustion as I feel myself leave the realm of unconsciousness and emerge back into wakefulness. My head is pounding with a dull throbbing headache, and I place a hand on my head in an effort to dispel the feeling. Shaking my head I start to pull myself up from the ground, vaguely noticing as Mara, Ezra, and Ahsoka do the same. The soft hoots of Morai then echo through the air and I look up at her in momentary confusion― wait...
Ahsoka.
Suddenly alert I burst up into a sitting position and get into a crouch, turning my head around desperately in search of her. My heart stops in astonishment, a rush of emotion flowing through me when I see her, looking no different than she had over two years ago, wearily pulling herself up from the ground in clear exhaustion. She holds a hand to her head for a moment, blinking her eyes several times to try and gain a sense of her surroundings.
"Ahsoka?" I ask softly, almost unable to believe my eyes.
She slowly turns her head in my direction and meets my gaze, her eyes lighting up with surprise and recognition.
"Jarik?" she murmurs in reply.
A sob threatens to escape me and I immediately pull her into a tight embrace, shutting my eyes to prevent the tears from flowing. Ahsoka hesitantly returns the hug, still a bit confused, but I don't care and keep hugging her tight, refusing to ever let her go.
"I thought I lost you..." I whisper in joyful relief.
*:*:*
"Look at you... You all look so..." Ahsoka murmurs, amazement starting to change into confusion, then panic. "Wait... what happened? Where am I?"
She gets to her feet and looks around with wide eyes, another rush of fear and pain then passing through her as well when she looks at me.
"Jarik, our... our bond," she realizes with a horrified expression. "What―"
"I know, Ahsoka. I know," I quickly say, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I felt the same when it happened. It's... a long story."
Ahsoka stares at me with an intense gaze, her eyes searching mine desperately for answers. I can feel her trying to reach out across our shared bond, trying to figure out what's wrong―I'm reaching out to her as well, seeing if there's a way to repair it now that we're in each other's presence again―but with the connection still broken all I can sense from her is a faint tug, just a small sliver of her presence. Mara looks up at her worriedly, happy that Ahsoka's back but also concerned by her panic.
"What happened?" Ahsoka asks, looking around at us.
"You were fighting Vader," Ezra starts to say.
'Kenobi and Tano once thought as you did.'
"We saw you in there. He was going to..." Ezra continues, gesturing over to the portal. "So Jarik jumped in and, well, we grabbed you and pulled you out of there."
Ahsoka glances at me questioningly, her eyes slowly widening in realization. She then looks down at the ground while I glance up at the stars, feeling a pang of hurt at the echo of Vader's voice.
'You don't know the power of the dark side.'
"Anakin..." she murmurs in despair.
I meet her gaze and shake my head with a regretful sigh, knowing how much she wanted―wants―Anakin to be back.
"I'm sorry Ahsoka," I tell her.
She looks at the ground again with a mournful expression, sadly acknowledging that even she isn't enough the bring Anakin back from the shadow of Darth Vader. There's likely no one left who can.
Mara and Ezra both share a worried look with each other and I sense their confusion at the mention of Anakin. Fortunately, the possibility of being questioned by them passes when Morai starts hooting once more, prompting Ahsoka to look up at her in pleasant surprise.
"Morai? You're here?" she asks with a smile.
Morai flutters her wings and chirps happily, taking flight and dropping down to land on Ahsoka's outstretched arm.
"She led us to this portal, Mom," Mara explains happily. "She helped us save you."
Ahsoka's smile falters momentarily at her words, glancing at Mara before turning her gaze to me, the question burning in her eyes all too clear: why would I break the laws of time by doing this...? Why would Morai want us to? Isn't this something that no one is supposed to mess with, no matter the reason?
Truthfully, I'm not sure of the answer to that either. I don't know if there are consequences as a result of this, or why I've been instructed to do this exact thing that is supposedly very much wrong in any other case scenario. I avert my eyes from Ahsoka's gaze, unsure of how to answer that.
"Then I guess I owe my life to her twice now," she cautiously replies, not pressing the issue for now. "How did you all get here? And where's Kanan?"
Ezra's smile vanishes and he glumly stares down at his feet, grief flooding back into him. Mara and I look at him sadly and she places a hand on his shoulder to offer a bit of comfort, small it might be.
"You've missed a lot," Ezra says.
Ahsoka furrows her brow in confusion, concern filling her gaze when she notices his sorrow. Mara and I also share an uneasy glance with each other on how to respond, considering there's so much that has happened since then.
*:*:*
"The others will be so happy to see you," Ezra says optimistically.
However, Ahsoka shakes her head in reply.
"I can't go with you," she says.
"What?" Mara asks in surprise.
"Neither can I," I also admit.
She and Ezra both stop in their tracks to gape at us, and Ahsoka looks questioningly at me. I stare back at her, attempting to convey a message with my eyes. She frowns in reply and I sense that she has a vague understanding of what I'm trying to tell her, but she's still very confused. Before anyone could ask us about what we meant a dark, chilling voice permeates the air, freezing me in place with fear.
"If they won't join you, then perhaps I can."
The four of us whirl around in surprise at the sound of the voice and see none other than Darth Sidious standing inside the portal, a cauldron of blue flames placed in front of him. I widen my arms in alarm, Ahsoka and I quickly rushing forward to place ourselves between him and the others.
"Ezra, Mara, stay back!" I warn them.
Even from this distance the Emperor's gleaming yellow eyes were still quite visible, peering out at us from the darkness with sinister glee.
"Ezra Bridger, and the Shan family! Mine at last!" he declares triumphantly.
Gleefully, he starts cackling, his groveling voice grating at my ears. His laugh quickly fades though and is replaced with a vicious glare while his face morphs into a snarl of pure, unrivaled hatred.
*:*:*
Ahsoka narrows her eyes and takes out her second lightsaber, dashing forward as well while I get back to his feet. More fire blasts surge forward to intercept her, but Ahsoka manages to evade the first few by rolling along the ground and then jumping into the air, blade held high to cut through the rope around Ezra's foot. Unfortunately she's also struck down by burst of fire, but this was intentional so as give me the opportunity to throw his lightsaber, cutting Ezra free.
Sidious yells in pain as his hand starts burning, forcing him to withdraw his arm back through the portal. Furious, he thrusts both hands outward to resume his fire attack while Mara helps Ezra to his feet, which she does so just in time for us to continue running before the fire could reach them. I toss Ahsoka's lightsaber back over to her, spotting the Malachor portal up ahead as well as the Lothal portal a little farther away down the other fork in the pathway.
"Keep going you two! You can make it!" I tell Mara and Ezra.
"But what about you guys?!" Mara asks worriedly.
"We'll be fine! I promise!" Ahsoka replies. "We'll see you again soon!"
"Good luck!" Ezra nods in reply.
With that being said we split up into two pairs, branching down either side of the fork, and the fire moves to follow them. Morai follows Ahsoka and I to the Malachor portal, the fire right on our tail as we do so. Thankfully we reach the portal in time and jump through just as the fire touches its frame.
Sith temple, Malachor I - Outer Rim Territories | 3 BBY |
Jarik POV...
For what seems like the third time today I wake myself from a moment of unconsciousness, blinking my eyes to adjust my vision to the new environment I'm currently in: or rather, an old environment. Black, ash-covered stone from the ruins of the Malachor Sith temple surround me every which way I can see. Beside me, Ahsoka was also pulling herself off of the ground with an exhausted groan while Morai stood on a stone beside us, chirping insistently.
"How many times have you been in there now, Jarik?" Ahsoka asks wearily. "Because I don't want to go in there again."
"That's certainly relatable," I say in agreement, helping her to stand up.
Morai chirps, fluttering her wings to get our attention, and we both look at her.
"Jarik... why did you come back?" Ahsoka asks me. "Should you not have stayed in the present?"
"I had to come. There's a lot that we have to do," I tell her, looking back with unease. "I just hope the others made it out okay."
Ahsoka follows my gaze with a sigh, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sure they did," she reassures me.
I look back at her, feeling her sense of steady calm and certainty, and allow myself a small smile of nostalgia, having missed that feeling. She holds a hand to her side though, a bit hurt from Darth Sidious' fire attack, and I help her to walk.
"We should get going," I say.
With many thoughts in mind for us to ponder over, we both start walking down the stone steps of the ancient ruins, following Morai as she leads us to a triangular doorway of the Sith temple.