Star Wars Rebels: Come In, Spectre Six

Part Eleven

White fire rained outside the dark cave. Ahsoka leaned on a tall rock, studying the Lothcat symbol on the back of the enhancer, as Sabine sat down to clean her paint-splattered gun. Had she known how dangerous this would be, Sabine would have brought extra weapons to hide in her armor. She hated feeling so vulnerable while she was waiting here.

This place was strange. Ahsoka had told her many things about it, and most of it required not touching anything. But the thing that worried her the most was when Ahsoka told her not to believe anything she saw, heard, or was told by anyone but her, and that Mortis was a planet of manipulation and secrecy.

The stories Ahsoka told her about her first expeditions here sounded so surreal. The visions, the people, the power... none of it seemed like it happened. As Sabine nodded at Ahsoka's stories, she listened to the tones of her voice... the hurt behind her eyes... the truth inside her words... and decided that she told the truth. Why would Ahsoka lie to her oldest (and still living) friend?

* * * * *

"Ahsoka..." the voice bellowed, "Ahsoka..."

Ahsoka opened her eyes. Her first vision with Obi-Wan and Anakin was continuing, but instead, they resided the cave and not in the Trillion. Her first instinct was to look for Sabine, but she knew her friend wasn't there. Besides, she wasn't there in the last vision.

"Good evening, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said, "It's been too long."

"Yes..." Ahsoka's voice trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked.

"I don't know." She couldn't quite pin her finger on what was wrong, but she could sense something off about her current situation. "Something doesn't feel right."

"The planet is dying, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said. "Without the Ones, nothing is keeping it healthy."

She nodded. Now she understood why they were called here. "It's looking for new guardians."

"Partly," Anakin said. "Do you remember the crystal above the monastery?" Ahsoka nodded. "That's the core of the planet... well, at least it was before we shattered it."

Ahsoka rubbed her temples in frustration. Now she had a friend and a planet and The Force to save.

She was starting to wonder what other futures lie on her shoulders when Anakin said: "We also have reason to believe the Son has returned."

"So what do you want me to do?" Ahsoka exclaimed. "A lot has changed since we last came here. The only thing that seems to be the same is this cave and the freaky weather!"

Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a nervous look. "We were hoping you would stay."

"WHAT?" Ahsoka knew the Force had its ways, but this was extreme. "You want me to be here all by myself?"

"Well, no, actually," Anakin said. Obi-Wan gave him a "Don't tell her yet!" look as Anakin ignored him and explained. "We have our eyes on a new Son and Daughter, but they aren't ready yet. Obi-Wan and I have offered to stay here with you until their times have come."

Ahsoka had a lot resting on her shoulders. Stay here? Here? She honestly wasn't sure what to say. But now she had a lot more than lives resting on her shoulders: she had life itself hanging in the balance, and gravity was winning.

Now was not the time to be selfish.

Now was the time to give in. To trust in the Force.

"I'll stay," Ahsoka said reluctantly.

Obi-Wan nodded and glittered away. But Anakin stayed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't go with you on this journey," he said, looking at his feet. "If I hadn't been so stupid as to believe Palpatine..."

"He tricked you," Ahsoka said. At least she assumed he tricked him...

"But I still believed him." Anakin walked up to Ahsoka, kneeling to meet her eyes as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Too many mistakes were committed. Facing my past is too dangerous in this realm--" he gestured to the cave, which she assumed also meant all of Mortis, "--and now I can't save you. I can't keep anyone I love safe because of my wrongdoings."

"You never did anything wrong to me," she said. "I have nothing to be angry about to you."

He shook his head. "I still can't save you, Ahsoka. And I'm sorry."

As he, too, glittered away, a new realization dawned on Ahsoka: her life would never be the same.