Ahsoka stood on the bridge of the head Rebel cruiser, staring out into hyperspace. Since the Emperor has been killed, the order in the galaxy was beginning to crumble. Regional governors were beginning to realize that they had almost unlimited power over their regions now, without anyone holding their leash, and local governors were trying to manage the uprisings against stormtroopers happening in all the major cities.
Ahsoka had never been one for politics, but she felt somewhat obligated to fins a solution to this political mess. She played with the ring on her finger, still not used to the sensation of having jewelry there.
"Hey, Snips," her master said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "How are you holding up?"
She sighed. "I could be worse." She turned to face him and crossed her arms. "How am I supposed to fix this, Master? Whenever we solve a problem, another project replaces it."
"Let me worry about that. For now, Darth Vader has stepped in and assumed control of the Empire. The Imperial Senate is holding an emergency session in tomorrow, and we'll figure out a solution then."
"There's going to be backlash from the loyalists, and the Rebels are going to push for control. The Imperial Senate is just as corrupt as the Republic Senate was, and I'm not sure giving them the power to decide the fate of the galaxy is a good idea."
Anakin smiled. "We'll figure it out, Ahsoka. If it means that the Jedi have to take over until we create a long term, stable government, then we will. The Republic wasn't built in a day." He paused a moment. "Honestly, between you and me, I have no idea what I'm doing, either. Thank the force I have Padme."
For the first time Ahsoka could remember, he could sense Anakin's love for her radiating off of him without bounds. She had sensed it before during the Clone Wars, but she had been too naive to see that he was hiding it. "You're going to make a great father, Anakin. Luke and Leia are lucky to have you."
His face lit up. "Thank you. Your future children are lucky to have you, too." He gestured to the ring on her finger. "Congratulations again on your engagement. I'm really happy for both of you. Have you talked about when you're going to announce the news to everyone?"
She nodded. "We have something planned. I want you to be surprised, though, so I'm just going to leave you in suspense."
The door to the bridge opened, and Ahsoka sensed Obi-Wan's presence. "Here you two are," he said sarcastically. "The meeting is about to start. Everyone is there except you two."
"Sorry, Obi-Wan. You know how much I hate meetings," Anakin joked, walking toward the door.
Ahsoka followed him to the conference room, where all of the commanders and leaders important to the Rebel cause were seated at a circular table. She took her seat between Obi-Wan and Anakin to represent the New Jedi Order. Lux sat across from her, next to Padme and Saw Gerrera.
Mon Mothma, the official leader of the Rebellion, stood up from her seat at the head of the table. "Thank you all for being in attendance. There are a few important things to discuss before the Imperial Senate meets. Senator Organa, you have the floor."
"Thank you," he said, standing up. "As a founding member of the Delegation of 3000, I would like to congratulate everyone on our success in achieving the goal we set for ourselves at the end of the Clone War. With Palpatine dead and the war over, we may begin reconstructing a peaceful galaxy." There was a brief applause. "To celebrate our victory and promote our cause, I propose we hold a banquet for anyone who has been impacted negatively by the Empire. The first one will be invitation-only, of course, but as we continue to grow in size, I would hope that we can hold a gathering on every planet for those who have suffered at the hands of the Empire."
It sounded like a good enough idea to Ahsoka. Though fancy parties weren't really her style, she knew the bureaucrats would love it.
"As a statement of our promise of peace and democracy, it would be held at what is now called the Imperial Palace."
People gasped and began to murmur amongst themselves. The Imperial Palace? To everyone in the room, it would forever be the Jedi Temple. It was bound to be crawling with Imperials right now, which Ahsoka supposed Vader could fix easily. Ahsoka hadn't set foot in the Jedi Temple since her trial toward the end of the Clone War. It had been years, and she had never even considered going back. Was she ready to face her past?
"Master Jedi, what do you think?" Bail Organa asked, silencing the sidebar conversations and putting the spotlight on Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan. "I don't want it to be taken as an offense to your customs and history in any way."
"I don't get a vote on this," Anakin said. Even though he was no longer affiliated with the dark side, Ahsoka didn't disagree.
Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "It won't be taken as an offense. There would be a great deal of cleaning up to do and a lot of redecorating. And remaining members of the Order would need time to go back and reflect first." He turned to Ahsoka. She could sense his uncertainty.
Ahsoka didn't want to go back to the Temple, but it was time. She saw the white wolf from Lothal in the back of her mind, and she allowed herself to picture the Temple in her mind as it had been when she left. Light flooded the hallways from the large windows, and Jedi roamed the halls. Even though there was a war going on outside, inside, it felt peaceful.
"I think it's a good idea," she said. "A good way to pay homage to the lives that were lost to get us to where we are now while still looking ahead to the rebirth of the New Jedi Order."
Anakin nodded. "I agree. I can have it cleaned up and emptied in a few rotations."
Ahsoka glanced across the table to Lux, who tapped his finger nervously on his arm. He wanted to talk to her about something, but she wasn't sure what. She smiled at him, and he smiled softly back.
She didn't pay much attention for the rest of the meeting. There was nothing immediately pertinent to her or the Jedi Order that couldn't be answered by Obi-Wan or Anakin, anyway. After the meeting adjourned, she stood outside the door and waited for Lux.
He was one of the last to leave, of course.
"Hey, n'anya," he said, kissing her cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay, really. I don't know why everyone keeps asking me."
"Well, you did just overcome irreversible paralysis. And dueled the most powerful being in existence. You deserve a break."
She rested her head on his chest as he hugged her.
"I'm okay, really. The worst part is over."
"Are you okay with this whole Jedi Temple thing?" He asked. "I couldn't tell what you were really thinking, and I didn't want to contribute to that conversation without having your full support."
"Yes, I am. It's good for everyone to move on and start over. It's a new dawn now, a new beginning. I can't keep living in the past."
He rested his chin between her montrals. "Neither can I."
"Are we still going back to Onderon for your annual party, though?"
"I was planning on it, if you still wanted to go. You still have to meet some of the others in charge of the system before they trust you as their queen, you know."
She kissed his cheek. "I know. I hope they don't hate me."
"They won't," he reassured her. "After all, you did help liberate their planet from the Separatists."
"I suppose." She could sense his happiness, but there was something nagging at him. "Lux, is there something else going on?"
"A lot of things, actually. As the Empire crumbles, someone is going to need to step in and take over, and I don't want it to be anything like the Republic or Separatists. I'm just nervous that we'll get it wrong and cause another war."
"Hey," she said, taking his hand and squeezing it gently, "you're not going to cause another war. At least not if we learn from the flaws of the Republic and the Separatists."
"There are just so many pieces to pick up. What are we going to do with the Banking Clan? How are we going to get rid of the Empire across the rest of the galaxy? Where do the Jedi fit into all of this?"
"You're absolutely right." She paused and rested her head on his chest. "There's one thing we know though. This Jedi fits in right here with you."