Family by Heart - REWRITE(a Star Wars Rebels story)

Purifying Crystals

When Athena finally reached the top of the ladder, she was met with the wide eyes of Ahsoka and Hera.

Athena felt like a seal as she attempted to turn around and get off the ladder and onto the cockpit's floor. She crawled across the floor and grunted in exhaustion.

She looked to Hera and gave an awkward wave. "Hi, Space Mom."

Ahsoka came over to her Padawan and picked the girl up - Athena once again being held up by a bear hug. Her back against Ahsoka's chest.

"What are you even doing?" Hera looked to the girl. She saw the girl's ankle was swollen and purple, but at least it wasn't bleeding.

Kanan's head popped up from the ladder and he looked to Hera. "She wanted to be stubborn, so she dragged herself all the way up the ladder by only using her arms."

"I made it, though!" Athena cheered in exhaustion. Her upper arms burned.

Ahsoka looked down to the girl in confusion, "You couldn't use the Force? Or your right leg?"

Athena froze as she realized that. She let out a sigh of defeat. "I hate myself sometimes."

Kanan chuckled as he stood in the cockpit now. He looked to his side to see the streams of space swirl by them as they sped through the galaxy. He looked to his pilot.

"So, where exactly are we meeting up with the rest of the fleet?" Kanan asked. "Are all of them recovered yet?"

"A good portion, but we're the first to complete our 'mission', so everyone else won't be able to meet with us for at least two rotations."

"We had a mission?" Athena questioned.

Ahsoka looked back down to the Padawan she held up in her arms, "Yes, to keep you hidden from the Empire and the Inquisitors."

"Uh..." Athena gulped.

"It wasn't your fault," Hera looked to Athena, still sitting in her pilot seat. "I should have made sure there were no Imperials on the planet still before you guys went to the city."

Ahsoka walked over to the green seat behind Hera and carefully sat her injured Padawan down in it. She stepped back and looked down to the girl. "You may have been injured but you escaped. That's all we care about."

"I'm actually amazed you were able to take them on," Hera admitted. "You're pretty darn new to this stuff, yet you managed to live an attack of two Inquisitors at the same time. No lightsaber either."

"I had my lava," Athena shrugged. "I think I severely injured two Stormtroopers, burned the ugly guy Inquisitor's arm, then got a little lava on the creepy woman Inquisitor's foot."

Kanan chuckled, "That's better than what I could do on my own. Especially with no weapon." he looked down to his belt and took off the circle saber that once belonged to Fifth Brother. He held it out and gave it to Ahsoka. "Speaking of, here's Fifth Brother's lightsaber. At least we got this from him."

"The Empire will supply him with another, I'm sure," Ahsoka took it into her hands, examining it. She turned to her Padawan. "But, it is invaluable to us."

Athena confusedly and nervously looked to her Master, "What?"

"Did I ever tell you how I got the kyber crystals for my lightsabers?" Ahsoka asked.

Athena shook her head.

"I took them from an Inquisitor. Sixth Brother."

"But aren't yours, like, white? I thought an Inquisitor's crystals were always red."