Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

Analysis

Author's Note: So...originally I was going to go through and explain every tiny little detail I put into this series, but I doubt anyone really cares at this point and I'm having trouble finding the time to write it all. I've decided to post what I have and if anyone wants a specific explanation that I left out, comment and I'll add it in later. I did put in my reasoning for Ahsoka's death though, so scroll down to the bottom and you'll find it. 

If you decide that you would like to read more in-depth about the decisions I made along the way, please take a look at my discord server. I plan to write about nearly every chapter and why I wrote it the way I did, starting all the way back in Book 1. The link is in my bio 

Caleb Dume and Ahsoka Tano:

Those of you familiar with Star Wars: Rebels know that the Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume eventually grows into the Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus. Especially in Season 2, Ahsoka and Kanan use their common experiences from the Clone War to aid the Rebellion, but little to no details are given about their relationship with each other. A post from Dave Filoni gives some insight into their past, that they trained together at times, but I wanted to strengthen their relationship, despite already knowing that Ahsoka Tano would die during Order 66 and Caleb Dume would not. I added a lengthy arc about Caleb's first real mission as a Padawan, and how Ahsoka became a mentor to him in his first year of apprenticeship. I felt that it would give Kanan some more personal context when he eventually meets other associates of Ahsoka's in my Rebels series. There were, of course, other benefits to this. It provided a convenient way to pull Ahsoka back to the Jedi Temple in Season 9, offered an outside perspective of Ahsoka's trial and decision to walk away, and gave her a way to demonstrate her new opinion of the Jedi Code without disrespecting it. It also provides a connection between Caleb, O-Mer, and Jinx, which I will elaborate on later. 

Caleb Dume parallels with Ezra Bridger:

On Pinterest, I saw a comic that showed Caleb talking with his Master, Depa Billaba, and he was very hyper and asking a lot of questions. She tells him she hopes he has a Padawan that is just like him one day. The next panel of the comic shows Ezra asking Kanan Jarrus (Caleb's persona) a ton of questions just like he did. Depa's ghost appears in the background, and Kanan blames her, saying "You did this." I just thought it would be a cool thing to implement in young Caleb's personality. I also figured it would be a cool thing to reflect once I started the Rebels series. He manages to tone it down as the books progress, but in the 4.1 arc, Caleb is definitely asking all of the questions and has a ton of energy. 

Ahsoka's reputation among the Younglings/Padawans:

Caleb knows who Ahsoka is by the time he meets her in the 4.1 arc. After her experience with the Younglings she took to Illum, I imagined that word about her had spread quickly because of them, and also, she's kind of the Padawan of the Chosen One. When something like that happens, other people tend to hear about it. Later, when a reader requested that I write about how Ahsoka became Anakin's Padawan, I wrote a mini-arc in Season 9 (1.1.1). In that, we get to see Ahsoka interact with other Younglings and see their perspective of her. In my mind, it gives some context to why Ahsoka told Anakin that she wanted to prove that she wasn't too young to be her Padawan. The other Younglings gossip about how she's still a Youngling even though she could be a Padawan by now. Anakin is her one chance to prove that she's worthy of the title, and to prove all of her fellow Younglings wrong. Actually, now that I think about it, Caleb was probably in the training group mentioned in 1.1.1   XD

Padawan Mentorship:

Before Barriss went Dark and betrayed Ahsoka, I thought it was cool to see Barriss working with Ahsoka and trying to guide her in her studies. It's pretty clear that Barriss is older than Ahsoka, because we see her in Attack of the Clones. Since she's been a Padawan for longer, I decided to transform that relationship into a regular practice among the Jedi. I don't know what the rest of you have experienced, but in my high school, upperclassmen will adopt a freshman as their 'apprentice'. This is supposed to be something similar. It's just nice to have a role model to follow, and that's what Barriss used to be for Ahsoka, and what Ahsoka still is for Caleb. Kudos to Ahsoka, because she managed to be a good mentor despite her own mentor going off the rails.