Invaders of Darkness

Chapter 13 - In Between

Author's Note: Yeah, skipping time again. Hope you don't mind :D I just felt like including this scene even if it feels pointless. :P

~ Tirana Sorki

You're getting this chapter a week early. Enjoy! :)

~ Amina Gila

After seeing his parents, Ezra honestly seems to be doing better, Kanan can't help but notice. Although they still have to be careful with what they say to him about the past, he seems to be slowly remembering more and more. And even if Ezra doesn't remember that much of them, he still remembers something... and Kanan's pretty sure that regardless, he's starting to consider them friends again. If not something more.

He's meditating in his room when he suddenly senses an approaching familiar Force presence... someone he hasn't talked to in a long time. Ahsoka. What's she doing here?

Standing up, Kanan heads outside the ship, walking down the ramp as her shuttle lands a short distance away from them.

"I've been trying to track down the Inquisitors," Ahsoka explains after a brief exchange of greetings, "And while I was at one of their former bases, I found something you might want." She withdraws a very familiar lightsaber, handing it over to him.

Kanan blinks in shock, then slowly reaches out to take the hilt from her. Ezra's old lightsaber, the one that he lost on that mission so long ago. And the Inquisitors had with them. What did they do, keep it as a trophy? Anger flares inside him. After everything they put Ezra through, they would dare to keep his lightsaber like that?

"Thank you for finding this," Kanan tells her gratefully, turning the weapon over in his hands as he studies it. It's hard to believe he's actually seeing it again. He'd never really given much thought to what might have happened to it – it was hardly important given that Ezra was gone – but he's glad they found it. It was the first one Ezra ever built, and he deserves to have it back.

"Figured you'd want it back," she says, waving away the thanks.

"Anything else?" he asks.

"How is Ezra doing?"

"He's getting better," Kanan replies, "I don't know how much he actually remembers, but when he first came here, he hardly knew how to... live even. He's... recovered a lot from that point." It's hard to even think about the state he was in when he first came here. It's changed so much since then.

Ahsoka hums in acknowledgement. "I know I don't have any experience with this kind of thing," she says finally, "But it would probably help him a lot if he actually had something to do... like the way he used to. Treat him more like he's... normal. Let him help you with things or missions if that's what he wants, of course. It would probably help him a lot."

He has to admit she does have a point. It's something he's been a little anxious about doing because he has no desire to put Ezra in a position that would get him anywhere even near the Empire, but they can't keep him at the base protecting him like this forever. "I've been considering doing that eventually," Kanan admits, "But maybe we should do it sooner than I was thinking."

"Maybe try it out, at least," she suggests, "But don't take that too quickly either." She glances around. "I should be going."

"Well, thanks for the advice. May the Force be with you," he replies.

"You too," Ahsoka replies, heading back for her ship, disappearing almost as quickly as she came. Like usual. She never sticks around for long, especially not since she started trying to track down more about the Inquisitors and Vader.