Saga of the Bridgers-Year 2

Chapter 9: The future of the Force

The destruction of an Imperial experimental cruiser certainly drew the attention of the Empire onto Phoenix Cell. Analyzing radio traffic, Jinx informed Jaral and the commanders that the Sector Fleet of Lothal had received reinforcements and that the Empire was cracking down even harder on the sector and had doubled the patrols, forcing the rebels to reduce their activities for a time.

Despite the fleet's inactivity, the Bridgers were using the free time to train new abilities or refine some of those they already had.

Ezra turned his Jedi training up a notch, intensifying the fencing lessons and also reinforcing his Force abilities. However he also asked for flight lessons. Jaral started to instruct him on how to use her old A-Wing, since it was just sitting on the Liberator after she got her X-Wing. The boy had showed some promise and the siblings could already see themselves taking on entire TIE squadrons by themselves.

Ezra had also been learning with Sabine. Not just new ways to keep themselves busy in bed, but he also started to speak Mando'a with her, something that she really took at heart since she missed her home at times, and also started to help her paint. There were only some minor tasks, like repainting some faded colors or coloring the spaces she had already delimited.

Jaral used the fighter lessons with Ezra to keep her own abilities in that sector sharp. One week and a half after the Interdictor they went on their first flight together in orbit. Other than that, she spent most of her time on the bridge of the Liberator, every day learning something new about strategy. She took especially at heart to learn all the secrets of the art of logistic, since getting supplies was by far the biggest vulnerability of the Phoenix Cell. She and Ezra also spent a lot of time in the workshop of the corvette, working on new projects. During this time, they came up with a grappling hook for their armors, a project to which Sabine gave a pretty big input.

The elder sister spent most of her short free time with Darvos. The man had seriously impressed her during the escape from the Interdictor and now she felt her love for him reaching new levels.

12 days had gone. Ezra was in the cargo bay finishing a check-up on Chopper when Kanan came down and invited him to follow him down the ramp. As they did that, Ahsoka and Jaral showed up. The young woman was wearing her normal blue attire and Ezra noticed that she had two batons that seemed like the heads of an electro-pole. Though curious, he decided to let Kanan and Ahsoka speak first.

"This is unexpected." Kanan told Ahsoka in an amicable tone. "Don't get me wrong, it's always good to see you. But usually it means there's trouble."

"What I have to say is Jedi business." Ahsoka announced calmly.

"Then I guess we qualify." Kanan said, tapping the shoulder of his Padawan, who made a lopsided grin.

"You qualify more than I do."

Then Ezra looked at his sister. "Ok, I have to ask. If this is Jedi business why you brought her and sis, is that the new weapon?" he asked with genuine curiosity, pointing at the two batons.

"Let's step in, first." Ahsoka invited cordially.

From his sister's smirk, Ezra could already tell the answer to his second question.

As the four stepped into the cargo bay, away from curious eyes, Jaral picked the two batons, pointed the head to the upper side and ignited them. The two heads were covered in a bath of yellow plasma. Kanan was startled.

"Wait," he asked after his bewilderment was gone. "is that the staff of a Temple Guard?"

"Close enough." Jaral said with a smirk, waving the batons slowly. "The project is indeed the same, but we worked on making the heads a tad bigger and we built two plasma generators thanks to a project from the Milky Way."