Chapter 12

"I'll be here when you come out." Sabine spoke softly as Ezra pulled her close. They stood forehead to forehead a moment before he leaned in and kissed her.

"It could be a while…I'm not exactly sure." Ezra replied as he took a step back, still holding her hand.

"Yeah, I know the Force runs on its own timetable. If it's more than a day though, I'm coming in after you." Sabine said.

Ezra nodded at that, turning to the two kids behind them. "Ready?"

Caleb and Phaedra nodded, and Ezra gestured to the rocky path in front of them that led up the hillside to the cave entrance. The two teens began the climb.

"I love you." Ezra said, looking back at Sabine.

"I know," she grinned. "Love you too. Now go—"

Ezra let her hand drop, grabbed his pack to shoulder it and turned to the path. In a minute, he was gone and Sabine couldn't see him at all.

Phaedra and Caleb looked around nervously as they made their way down a rough staircase cut into the side wall of a great chamber. They'd followed the path through the caves into a stone room, and then through several passages until they'd reached another huge open chamber.

She turned, holding out the white saber so that she could see the area around them. The floor was smooth rock with occasional pebbles crunching under her feet. Ezra and Caleb were using their own lightsabers to cast a glow around them. Caleb was setting out glow rods and made his way towards her, disengaging his saber.

In the light, the room seemed to be full of stars. Phae's eyes widened as she looked around, disoriented. Caleb reached for her free hand. "It's the kyber crystals glittering in the ceiling and walls, Phae."

"I thought…it looked like space." She extinguished her blade, since there was now enough light to see.

"I know." Caleb nodded. "Me too." They looked around, enjoying the effect. Caleb's eyes rested back on Phaedra. Her eyes were glimmering with the reflected light in the cave, and once more he was struck by her beauty. There seemed to be a curve to her lips that he'd never noticed before, he thought as she brought her eyes back to his own.

"What?" she asked, and he was amused as her mouth curved in a smile.

As an answer he kissed her. It was simple, just a brush of the lips together, the merest ghost of her breath on his skin before he leaned back, making sure he'd done it right.

"Nice," she breathed, her eyes searching his face.

He grinned cheekily as he realized he'd done it right after all. Then he remembered they were not the only two in the cave, and he looked around self-consciously for Ezra.

His master was standing in the middle of the room, his hands on something that glimmered. His head was downcast and his Force signature radiated a quiet, subdued sorrow. A furrow appeared on Caleb's brow. He glanced at Phae, and she motioned for him to go as she followed.

They drew closer, both of them now sensing a somberness in the air. "Master?" Caleb murmured. "Are you okay?"

Ezra nodded slowly, turning to face his padawan. "I am. I have something to tell you."

Caleb let Phae's hand slip from his own as he stepped forward. Ezra reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Your father. I never told you how he died…We usually only talk about how he lived."

"I…I know it's difficult for you all to talk about." Caleb said.

"I wanted to wait for you to be ready to hear, and now…you are." Ezra said, placing a gentle hand on the teen's head before reaching down to take Caleb's hand place it, palm side down, on the huge kyber crystal before them.

A small green spark began to glow in the heart of the fractured crystal. Caleb realized that it was the largest kyber crystal he'd ever seen. "What does this mean…"

"This room…this spot is where your father passed into the Force."

Caleb's startled eyes lifted from the green light to Ezra's face. "Was it…a redblade that killed him?"

Ezra shook his head. "Your father used this crystal to save Lothal. He placed his hands on it and used the Force to cause the green shockwave that disabled the Imperial's weapons, but…it had a high price. Saving Lothal cost him his life. He simply…vanished from the very spot you were in. He became one with the Force here where we stand."

Caleb shook his head in shock, his hands sliding away from the crystal's smooth surface. "Wait…are you saying using the Force killed him?"

"No." Ezra laid a hand on his shoulder. "Kanan made a choice to trust the Force, and do what was required to save Lothal. He trusted that I…Sabine and Zeb would rescue your mom and raise you to be the best you could be."

"I don't understand…" Caleb's eyes searched Ezra's.

"Caleb, a Jedi is called upon to serve a purpose greater than himself. We serve the will of the Force. Kanan learned that from Master Billaba, just as I learned it from Kanan. A Jedi has to be able to let go for the greater good. Being selfish and holding onto us all would have been the wrong kind of attachment. It would have led Kanan to the dark side. So, like a Jedi, he chose the path of light, even though it was the most difficult path of all."

"You…you know this for sure?" Caleb's head was bowed and there was a tremble in his lekku that told Ezra all he needed to know.

"Yes." The Jedi reached out and enfolded Caleb in his arms as the kid began to cry. "Let it go into the Force." He murmured into Caleb's hair. He glanced over Caleb's head to see Phaedra wiping her own tears away, and so he held out his other arm and she came to them, joining the hug.

They remained that way for a long time, until both kids had composed themselves.

"Sit here." He gestured to the hallowed ground around them.

They all sat. Strangely, letting out their emotions seemed to settle both teens' minds; Ezra could feel calmness radiating from them. "Close your eyes. Do not focus your mind on what you want from the Force. Empty your mind and the Force will be able to fill you, flow through you and make its will known."

Caleb and Phaedra closed their eyes and felt the pulse of the Force around them, flooding into them through their contact with the cave floor. It was a current of liquid light that swept both of them away immediately.

Ezra watched them in the semi-darkness and hoped they would find what they needed within the warm Force-tide.

Phaedra felt the air change around her; it slowly grew warm. She opened her eyes to find herself in a completely different room. This one was lit with blue and green crystals set into the walls. The floor was covered in blue and green decorative tiles.

She turned around, looking for a door; she realized pretty quickly there wasn't one. Her eyes widened as she heard a noise behind her. She turned.

The spiky haired young man that she'd seen at Hera's side—Caleb's father-was now sitting on the floor meditating. There were the scattered remains of dried rose petals on the floor that she hadn't noticed before. As she approached, they crunched under her feet and sent up a heavy, spicy fragrance.

She watched Kanan Jarrus warily. How could someone be so incredibly still, she wondered? The man sat, hands clasped the way Ezra had instructed her to do for deep meditation.

She was leaning in, trying to see if perhaps this was some intricately painted statue or if it was an actual real person when the man's blue-green eyes opened.

She gasped and jumped back.

"Don't be frightened," he said, an amused smile on his features.

"I…I'm not," she said defensively.

He nodded as if it wasn't important. "You know who I am, don't you—Phaedra Alata?"

"I…I think so. You're Caleb's f-father. Kanan Jarrus."

He nodded, getting to his feet. "We have much to talk about."

"O-okay." She nodded, almost afraid of him. However, the gleam she saw in his eyes, the look of mild amusement, reminded her so much of Caleb that her worries faded away.

"Take my hand." He held it out, and she complied immediately. She was surprised to feel that his skin was as warm as her own. They turned and she saw a circle carved into the wall, surrounded by strange runes that she didn't understand. As Kanan leaned forward, he brushed the wall with his fingers on three different places. He touched a Loth-wolf, a Loth-cat and then the circle itself.

And Phaedra's eyes went wide as the circle began to move. The Jedi placed his free hand on the wall and it went through. Phaedra froze. "Come on." He looked at her and gave a gentle chuckle. "I've got you."

Together, they stepped through the portal.

Voices spun through the air, coming close then moving far away and becoming impossible to hear. Phae opened her eyes and looked around.

She was on a path through a field of stars—one path out of many. "Woah," she said, seeing endless paths tracking through the darkness around them. The darkness was almost alive, with the voices of many different people. She thought she heard her mother's voice and turned to see Kanan standing nearby.

"Where is this?"

"A world between worlds," he said softly. "Here there are doorways to many places, and many times." He watched her as she approached the nearest portal. "This is a door to the past, Phae. You wished to see your mother."

Phae looked intently at the scene in front of her. Through the portal, clearly visible, was her mother. She was kneeling and an older man in Jedi robes was approaching her with a lightsaber. "Oh no!" She cried, reaching out a hand toward the surface of the portal.

A hand on her shoulder restrained her. "This is the past, when your mother became a Jedi Knight." They watched as the man moved his saber from one side of the woman's shoulder to the other and back.

Phaedra put a hand to her mouth. Her mom was so young. She had the same long blonde hair, caught back in a thick braid. "What…what's he doing now?" She watched as the Jedi lifted a smaller braid, behind her mother's right ear.

"That's her Padawan braid." Kanan said softly. "It is a mark of all her experiences as a padawan through the years of her training. It is typically shorn when one becomes a Knight."

"Is that…did that happen to you?"

The voices that had never stopped speaking grew a little louder.

Caleb we can not win this battle…you must run.

Do or do not, there is no try.

The voices ebbed and were quiet.

Kanan bowed his head and let out a great sigh. "No, my child. My master was murdered by her own soldiers. So, I cut my own Padawan braid."

Phaedra's eyes grew sad as she looked back at her mother, holding her Padawan braid in her hands and looking down. The portal went dark.

Phaedra surged forward. "No!" The portal was a swirl of murky greys. She turned to Kanan. "Can…can I talk to her?" Phaedra asked. "Please…"

Kanan's face grew serious and sad. "She has passed on into the Force, little one. I am sorry."

"But you're here…" she murmured.

"Most Jedi do not retain individuality after death. I…cannot tell you why some do and others do not. It is a mystery of the Force." Phaedra wiped at her tears, and the tall Jedi beside her laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What is it you wish to know, future Padawan?"

Her eyes gleamed as she looked up. "I….will I…should I become a Jedi like my mother? Will Ezra be my teacher?"

"This is the decision before you. Walk with me."

Caleb's father made his way along to another portal. This portal seemed to be made out of black wood, gnarled and twisted into knots. They looked in and a red glow turned into an image. A man. The silver on his helmet gleamed in the reddish light as he knelt in meditation, fists clenched tightly.

"Who is this?" Phaedra asked.

"This is the dark side rising again." Kanan turned his eyes away. "It is just one possible view of the future that may or may not come to pass, youngling."

"It's bad isn't it?" She looked at the figure through the portal and could feel the pounding waves of fear, pain and anger through the Force. Her stomach clenched in a knot.

Kanan reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, and those feelings faded. "If it happens, the children of the Force need to be ready."

"Children of the Force?"

"Those such as you, Caleb, Ezra…" Kanan said. "Your gift is a rare one. There are not many left that know or even understand the art of Force healing." The image in the portal faded. He gestured for Phaedra to return to the path and continue to walk with him.

"I didn't even know I could do it."

"But you were wise enough to allow the Force to guide you. With the right guide, it will continue to do so." Kanan continued walking with her until they approached a silver portal. In the portal, she saw an older man, kneeling like the darksider had been, but surrounded by younglings and Padawans of all ages.

She was struck by the gentle look in the man's blue eyes. "Who is he?"

"Luke Skywalker. He has searched out much lost Jedi knowledge. He will teach many the ways of the Force, but the future is…unclear…"

Phae felt the Force pulling her toward the blond man in some way. "He could…train me to heal others?"

"Yes." Kanan nodded. "He has acquired much Jedi knowledge and he could lead you in the right direction."

"I…I feel as if I already know him." Phaedra said.

"Do you?" Kanan asked, the faintest touch of a smile on his lips.

"If I go, will I get the chance to…come back here with Caleb?"

"It is hard to say what will be in the Force. Caleb will find his way like you will find yours. Some paths lead you toward each other. Some paths lead away. Whatever happens, you will make your own future, Phaedra." Kanan placed a hand on her shoulder and the world shifted around them and they were in front of the original portal that showed Ezra meditating.

"The path of light is difficult." Phaedra said, thoughtfully.

"It can be. But often, you may find it's the easiest path of all," Kanan said, pleased. He extended his hand and there was a brilliant golden crystal shining in his palm. "This is yours, child. May the Force be with you, Phaedra."

She took it. "And with you, Master Jarrus." He helped her step through the portal, and then she was on the other side. Alone.

And a wave of exhaustion swept over her. She took one, then two steps and fell to her knees.

"Phae?" Ezra's eyes opened and he came to her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Just tired."

Ezra nodded. "I know that tiredness." He helped her to her feet and helped her make her way to the kyber crystal. He rested her back against it. "Sit. Rest a little."

She opened her hand and looked up at Ezra in the light of the golden crystal. "I know what I'm supposed to do now…I know what path I should take."

Caleb was meditating when a change "awakened" him from his trance. He was sitting on a dark grassy plain. A cold wind blew his hair away from his face and his nose prickled with the scent of petrichor and burning as the grass whispered. He scrambled to his feet and immediately felt a presence behind him. He drew both sabers, turned and saw a figure in dark robes.

"Who are you?" He asked, scrambling to his feet.

"I'm you." Sick yellow eyes burned from within the depths of the hood. Whoever it was was older than Caleb was, because the shoulders were wider and the stranger was taller.

"I will never turn to the dark side!" Caleb said automatically, taking two or three steps back.

"You're a fool. There will be loss. Terrible loss, and you will crumble." The figure looked him up and down. "You are weak." The hooded man held out a hand and Force-threw Caleb to the ground, holding him there. "Let me tell you what will happen to you. You will follow the light and you will lose everything dear to you. Ezra, Sabine, Phaedra. And your mother. Then you will know the power of the dark side and you will understand what a fool you've been." He pointed and a shaft of sunlight illuminated Hera, lying in the dry grass near them. She'd obviously fallen in battle, a blaster in her hand. There was a burned bloody hole in her chest and her green eyes were lifeless.

"You love her too much."

Caleb felt as if he were losing his mind. To see his mom dead again, just like before, tore at something inside of him. "No." Tears began to stream down his face. "Not again…" he whispered.

"Feel that pain. Use that pain to become strong," the voice whispered beside his ear as the man drew close.

"No!" Caleb whirled, pushing the man away with the Force. The world seemed to whirl about them as he watched the darksider get to his feet, throw back his hood and draw two red lightsabers.

He was looking at his doppleganger, but an older one in his twenties, face ravaged by evil, and yellow eyes full of triumph.

"You have a lot of anger. Use it." The darksider settled his sabers into an opening position. "Only one of us will leave this place, Caleb Jarrus."

"Lies!" Caleb replied, readying his sabers for the first attack.

They fought as the storm surged around them.

Hopefully you are still enjoying the story. There is so little to go for this story to end and part three to begin.

Will Caleb be strong enough to fight the possessive love he holds for his loved ones? Will Phaedra choose to go study at Luke's school? Only time will tell. Seriously, though I hope you are liking the turn to the story! Let me hear from you.

Have a great start to the new year!