Darker the Night (A Star Wars Rebels AU)

Chapter Twenty-five

Caleb left the temple infirmary in a good mood. Depa was out of the bacta tank already and doing well. She'd been lucky to survive her relatively brief clash with Grievous, who had retreated in the face of overwhelming Republic forces- but not before leaving Depa with a serious abdominal wound. Caleb had been elsewhere at the time, commanding a flank assault, and she'd admonished him about feeling guilty on the trip back to Coruscant.

Now that the danger had passed, he was itching to get back to his room to try to contact Hera- he had already been back on Coruscant for twelve hours, but he'd wanted to make sure that Depa was in good condition before he went running off to do something he wasn't supposed to be doing. Even though she'd been preoccupied with her own healing and still under the influence of sedatives, she'd given him an odd, searching look that led to a concerned crease appearing on her brow. He hadn't expected to be able to keep his intention to meet Hera a secret from her. But, still- he didn't like not being open and honest with her. Until Hera, he always had been.

Depa felt responsible for him. They'd been master and padawan since he was 14 years old. He was letting her down.

Even so, he couldn't bring himself to choose between Depa and the Order, and Hera. Not yet, anyway. The Jedi often talked about the will of the Force, as if the Force was sentient. If the Force truly had a will or sentience, and the Force put Hera in his path, maybe the Force had a reason. Or...maybe it was some kind of test. Maybe it was something else altogether. You never knew, with the Force. But he did know, deep down, that waiting for the Force to point him in the right direction was not Jedi-like, or particularly courageous, either. He still had free will. It was his decision to make.

He remembered his talk with Sammo about not rushing things, but the knowledge that what he was doing was technically wrong put immense pressure on him to make an impossible choice. He knew what Sammo would say: don't sweat it, it's not like you're to marry her- it's okay to have some fun.

Being with Hera was fun. But it was more than that, too, and he desperately wanted to see her again- consequences be damned.

He took the least-traveled routes through the temple to his room, past hushed meditation chambers and empty classrooms, hoping to avoid interference. Giving the kid the slip was a factor, too- he just wasn't in the mood to talk to Ezra right then.

Sammo was away on Christophsis with Master Secura, so he had the room to himself. How long had it been since he saw Sammo last? Before Ryloth- and it felt like five years had passed since he left for Ryloth.

He dropped into a chair and rather breathlessly contacted Hera via holocomm.

He was surprised and pleased when she answered right away- and there she was, beautiful even as a small blue hologram.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," he said.

Her face lit up when she saw him. "So are you," she said, smiling. "It's so good to see you."

He was smiling, too- it would have been impossible not to- but he tried to keep it in check so that he wouldn't start grinning like a fool. "It's good to see you, too," he replied. "It's been too long. I'm sorry about that."

She laughed softly. "You don't have anything to be sorry about. You're only trying to save the galaxy, right? I'm just...glad you're safe.'

His heart pulsed in his chest. "Are you busy tonight? I'd...like to see you," he said, wishing he sounded a little more confident about it- he wanted to see her more than anything.

Her smile widened. "What did you have in mind?"

"Would you meet me somewhere?"

"Where?"