"From what Cid's sources told us, the Empire has stationed troops here, but it's not a proper planetary occupation. We should be able to sneak past their scanners and find the Jedi cave." Tech summarised.
The Batch and Ahsoka were crammed into the cockpit of the Marauder, staring at the icy planet of Ilum. Their ship was attached to the underbelly of a larger Imperial cruiser, a trick that made Ahsoka chuckle. After much debate and reassurances from Ahsoka and Cid's people, they had unanimously agreed to let Omega undertake the trial, although Hunter was still worried.
"So, what do I have to do exactly?" Omega asked.
"Once inside, you'll find the kyber crystal that matches your Force signature," Ahsoka explained.
"What if I can't complete the trial?" Omega whispered.
Ahsoka knelt down and met her eyes. "It's natural to be nervous. I remember when I underwent the trial and after the initial excitement, I was scared of failing too. But I trusted in myself and the Force, and I succeeded. You have nothing to be afraid of."
Omega gave her a brave smile and a small nod. Satisfied, Ahsoka rose back up and the young clone scampered back to the two former Padawans. Seeing the three of them together after Order 66 made Ahsoka's heart burst with happiness. Kanan and Cal surviving the massacre was a joyous sight and watching them embrace clones, even though it was their brothers who'd killed their masters and turned their lives upside down, was heart-warming and reminded her of all the times she'd spent with clones, whether they were fighting together on the front lines or playing pranks in the rare spare time they were granted.
Her train of thoughts was brought to a sudden halt when Hunter pulled her aside. Rex had prewarned her that the Batch were very protective of Omega, but Hunter saw her as his daughter and therefore was the least likely to put her in any dangerous scenarios.
"I want you to promise me that she won't get hurt doing your Jedi trial," Hunter threatened.
"I swear, she won't be." Ahsoka promised. "Thousands of Jedi younglings have gone through the trial at her age and survived unscathed. Omega will be okay."
Hunters' worried parent expression softened to a relieved parent face. "Thank you."
"Your welcome," Ahsoka smiled. "Can I ask you something about Omega?"
"Go ahead."
"How is she Force sensitive? I've met scores of clones, and none of them have had her abilities."
Hunter's relieved face shifted into an emotion Ahsoka couldn't quite identify. "We don't know. None of us have asked Omega about it because she hates talking about her childhood on Kamino. Echo mentioned a while back that she spoke about being hooked up to the Kaminoans' machines. Tech's had multiple theories and his best bet is that the Force sensitivity is the result of their experiments. It's possible that she was intended to be the template for the next generation of clones, Force-sensitive ones."
Stunned, Ahsoka discreetly glanced over her shoulder. Omega appeared excited and happy to have her abilities.
"Do you think she knows that she has her powers through experimentation?" Ahsoka murmured.
Hunter shrugged. "Can't say for sure. Either she doesn't and is happy to have them or she does and she's hiding it for some reason."
"If she knows, perhaps she's scared that the boys will think differently of her if she tells them."
"Maybe. Don't bring it up with her though. Omega will tell us when she's ready,"
"Of course."
The ship suddenly detached from the Imperial cruiser and descended through the blizzard that shrouded the planet's surface.
"I can't see anything!" Tech cried, panicking. "The blizzard's blocking the sensors!"
Ahsoka approached Tech. "Let me land the ship."
Tech gave her a sceptical glance.
"Tech, listen to her!" Echo yelled.
"Alright, alright." Tech relinquished control of the ship to her.
"Thanks." Ahsoka sat in the pilot seat, held the controls and closed her eyes, embracing the Force. The panicking sounds from the clones faded away. With the Force guiding her, Ahsoka knew how and where to land. The ship hit the surface with a gentle bump.
Opening her eyes, her senses returned and it was deadly quiet. Glancing around, Ahsoka noticed that all eyes were trained on her. Everyone, except Echo, he just smiled, had impressed expressions on their faces. Ahsoka recalled Rex saying that the Bad Batch didn't work with Jedi during the war, so they weren't as used to their tricks as Echo was.
"Nicely done, Commander," Echo grinned.
"Thanks. We landed just outside the Ilum Jedi Temple. Since the Empire is here, we can use the storm to our advantage. I hope you all have winter coats."
~
Bracing herself, Ahsoka pushed the button that opened the door to the Marauder. With Cal and Kanan's smaller hands clamped in hers, she led them down the steps and into the blizzard. Ferocious winds threatened to whisk her off her feet and a constant barrage of sleet didn't help her concentration. The two Padawans clung to her, wrapped up in thick coats that the Batch had bought for them. Sensing their proximity to the Temple, Ahsoka halted, tentatively let go of Cal's hand and reached out her own towards the cliff of ice before them. She leant into the Force, feeling it embrace her once again. Whilst she'd been in hiding, Ahsoka hadn't relied on her abilities as much, so it relieved her when the Force answered her after she'd neglected it. She felt Kanan's hand drop from hers and she remembered that they had been here before, like her. A crash alerted her, forcing her eyes open. The Temple was revealing itself, the giant columns of solid ice falling down to clear the doorway. A burst of childlike excitement warmed Ahsoka inside. Retaking the boys' hands, Ahsoka led them and the clones into the Temple.
It looked completely unchanged from the previous time she'd visited. The intricate designs on the walls, the columns that supported it and , at the back, the icy gate that guarded the entrance to the Crystal Caves.. Smirking, Ahsoka recalled the group of younglings she'd escorted here and the joy she'd experienced when they all succeeded. Completing the trial was one thing; watching it was another.
"Woah!" Wrecker gaped at the Temple's interior. "It's beautiful!"
Ahsoka glanced over at Omega sitting on his shoulder who, as usual, was in complete awe of the Jedi Temple. She reminded Ahsoka of the younglings she'd taken care of, everything being so new and exciting. A pang of sadness resonated through her as she recalled their likely fate.
"Hey, you okay?" Cal asked.
Taking a deep breath, Ahsoka gave him a smile. "All good."
Releasing their hands, Ahsoka stepped forward and looked upwards at the large crystal hanging above them.
"Do you want some help with this?" Kanan enquired.
"No, it's okay, I've got this." Ahsoka assured him, trying to imitate her master's confidence. Letting the Force flow through her, Ahsoka raised her hands and slowly pulled them apart, mimicking the movements she saw Master Yoda perform. The circular hatch shot open and a beam of golden light hit the crystal. Ahsoka then moved her hands around in a circle and the crystal began spinning, sending smaller beams of light to hit the walls. When a miniature crystal was in the optimum position, Ahsoka halted the bigger crystal and the light travelled through the smaller one to hit the stone embedded in the archway. The ice wall rapidly melted, transforming into a cascading waterfall. Feeling more relaxed, Ahsoka caught the clones' faces. All five of them (Tech had reluctantly stayed on the ship because they would need a quick getaway) resembled children who'd just been told the best news ever. They were the very first clones to witness the trial. Chuckling, Ahsoka approached them.
"Omega, it's time."
With a squeal of excitement, Omega was helped off Wrecker's shoulder, who proceeded to give her a bear hug.
"Good luck kid!"
"Thanks Wrecker." Omega grinned, her tiny arms barely going halfway around him.
Echo gave her a quick hug. "You'll do great Omega."
"Thanks."
When she came to Crosshair, he wordlessly raised a fist. Giggling, Omega copied and they bumped fists. Crosshair's emotionless expression fractured slightly.
"Good luck." He said gruffly.
Omega nodded, giving him a bright smile. Hunter scooped her up in a tight hug and pressed a kiss on top of her head.
"Anything happens, you contact us, okay?" Hunter murmured.
Gradually pulling away, Omega bowed her head in agreement. "Promise."
Giving her family one last grin, Omega took Ahsoka's hand and together they approached the gateway, which was now cleared of ice.
"Once inside, you'll have until the door freezes back over to find your lightsaber crystal." Ahsoka explained.
"But how will I know if it's mine and I'm not taking someone else's?" Omega asked.
Ahsoka laughed. "Only you can see your crystal. You'll know that it's yours."
"What if I get lost and can't find my way back in time? How long will I be stuck in there for?" Omega was panicking now, her initial joy drained out of her.
"Hey, you will be perfectly safe. Besides, I doubt any of your brothers or Hunter will let you remain in there any longer than necessary. Trust in yourself. Trust in the Force."
Taking a calming breath, Omega appeared at peace again. The pair of them reached the foot of the stairs that led to the dark icy caves.
"Ready?"
Omega looked up at her. "Yeah."
"Wait!"
Cal and Kanan ambushed Omega in a tight embrace, making her laugh.
"Good luck in there." Kanan spoke as they backed away.
"Thank you." Omega beamed at them before turning away and ascending up the stone steps. With a final worrying glance at the ice door that was being reincarnated at the top of the archway, Omega walked inside the caves, soon disappearing from sight.
Ahsoka felt a tap on her shoulder and was a bit surprised to see Crosshair standing behind her.
His face was etched with worry, something she hadn't expected him to express. "Is she going to be alright? I heard what you told Hunter earlier, but I want you to tell me."
"Omega will be fine. Thousands of younglings have completed the-"
"Yes, but she's a clone. We don't know if her powers came by naturally or experimentally. Will that affect her chances?" Crosshair interrupted.
Ahsoka's mouth opened, but she couldn't form words. He had a point. "Honestly, I don't know. We'll see for ourselves when she emerges."
*Author Note*
Hey guys! Apologies for the long breaks in between chapters, life's been pretty hectic recently. I plan on being more focused on Reunion during the summer to make up for it though! Next chapter will see Omega face her past (I have a head cannon for how she got her Force powers and why she hasn't spoken about it) and I may include some Force ghosts, so comment which ones you'd like to feature!
I also wanted to say thank you for over 1,200 views on Reunion, it's way more than I imagined and I really appreciate it! Thank you all so much! May the Force be with you!