Visions

Twenty: Jedi Trials

Sabine sat in the Phantom the evening after they found out Arene was gone, thinking. The girl had been so young, and she'd lived such a short life. It wasn't fair that she'd die. Not that the spiders would care, or even know the difference between a child and a full grown woman.
She sighed. Death is no respecter of persons.
And Ezra, oh, Ezra was taking it hardest of all. After Kanan went and talked to him, he didn't seem to blame himself as much, but she was his friend. He had been the only one aye trusted, really. Well, she'd trusted the others, but only because Ezra did. And now she was gone.
"Sabine?"
Sabine turned her head to see Ezra standing in the airlock, a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay?"
She smiled slightly and nodded. "I was just thinking about..." She hesitated, not wanting to bring up the sore subject. "Some things."
Ezra clearly understood anyway, because his face portrayed his sadness. He looked almost vulnerable right then.
He motioned to the seat next to her. "Can I join you?"
"Yeah, 'course." He sat down, and was silent a few seconds.
When he finally spoke, his tone was full of sadness. "Do you remember...what it was like before the Empire?"
Sabine was puzzled. Was he mentioning his vision again? "Not really. I was only about two, at the time."
"But Mandalore. Was it very effected by the Empire?"
She slowly shook her head. "No, I guess not. At least, not as much as the other planets. You see, Mandalore has never really been part of any 'Alliance' or anything. Well, not for a long time."
Ezra looked down. "I lied to you."
Sabine wasn't sure she heard right. "What?"
He looked at her. "I lied to you. I was given a choice--I could have given you a life without the Empire. And not just you. Kanan, Hera Zeb, all of us. But I didn't."
Sabine didn't know what to say. Her ears were ringing, and all she could hear were his words. "I could have given you a life without the Empire...but I didn't."
"W-why?"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
"But...but why?" She didn't even realize she'd asked twice. "I could've had my mother, my whole life back! I would be a Protector! How--how could you?"
She a stood up, and stared at Ezra, and he put his head in his hands, not meeting her eyes.
"You know why."
She blinked, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"You were the one who told me why."
He looked up, his shockingly blue eyes piercing her with their intensity. "You wouldn't trade this-" he swiped his arm out towards the Ghost, "for your old life. That was what you said."
He looked back down. "Obviously you didn't actually think that."
Sabine didn't answer, taking a step back. She turned around slowly, about to walk away, but something stopped her. She she turned her head slightly. "Is that why you didn't?"
He didn't answer right away, but when he did, his voice was scratchy with emotion. "I don't know."
Sabine didn't wait any longer, moving quickly towards the airlock, and leaving him there in the empty ship.
~//~
"Master?"
Kanan turned his head towards Ezra's voice. "Yes, Ezra?"
He could sense much conflict and pain in the boy. "Is this a good time to talk to you?"
In reality, it wasn't. Sato was expecting him to come to the CC, and he'd been about to leave, but this seemed more important. "Sure."
Ezra sat down on the ground beside him. "When I was on that op...and you couldn't track me..." He stopped.
"What happened, Ezra?"
Ezra sighed. "I had this vision. Master Luminara Unduli was there, and she gave me a choice. She told me that if I wanted, I could make things be as they would have been without the Empire."
Kanan scrunched his forehead, remembering something from his past. "And you chose this?"
Ezra paused before answering. "Yeah."
"What did you feel?"
Ezra shifted, and Kanan heard the sand move. "I felt...like it was wrong. Like accepting what she offered would be going against your teachings. I don't know..."
Kanan stayed quiet a moment, thinking. Ezra's choice couldn't have been an easy one, seeing how he'd been so close to his parents. "Didn't you feel tempted to accept her offer?"
Ezra sounded surprised. "Of course! To have my parents again...for you to be with your master again."
Kanan felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach. "What?"
"You would have all had your lives back. How things could have been. Would have been, if I'd just said yes!"
Ezra was getting agitated.
"Calm down! Now tell me the rest."
Ezra seemed to relax slightly, and Kanan removed his hand. "When I said no, Luminara seemed to get upset. Like if I said no, I--I don't even know! It was just...weird."
The realization hit Kanan so hard he couldn't breathe for a moment. "Master Yoda!"
"What?"
"Master Yoda went through the same thing! I remember him saying something about it to Mace Windu.
He said it was Adi Gallia that came to him. But he chose not to accept her offer. I always wondered why."
He turned to Ezra, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Ezra, this may have been your Trials."
~//~
The Sith stood on the rise, staring out over 'Chopper Base', as the rebels called it. There were only a few soldiers guarding the area, but there were sensors. It would not be difficult to get inside.
The master and apprentice were weak. They could not stop him. And when he had killed them along with every other person on this base, he would be strong again. Strong enough to make his former apprentice pay.
"Just a little while longer."

It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
~Jedi Proverb