Chapter 13;

Soleil had no idea what to expect when she met Ahsoka Tano.

She'd never heard or seen the woman before but, judging from the reverence and respect in both Kanan and Ezra's voices when they spoke of her, she was strong, powerful, and wise. She was held in high regard within the Rebel Alliance.

Soleil felt butterflies in her stomach while she, Kanan, and Ezra waited for Ahsoka to reach the Ghost. They waited alone in the cockpit while the others did their own thing. Jedi only business, Soleil guessed.

This was the first big-deal person in the Rebel Alliance she was going to meet. Soleil hoped she made a good impression.

She checked her clothes and hastily smoothed out a few creases, though that did nothing to change the fact dust and dirt covered them after the fight on Garel.

More often than not, Soleil's mind drifted back to her homeplanet. Her world spun whenever she thought about it too much. It definitely wasn't a pleasant memory, but it was now a part of her. 

Soleil still struggled to believe she had a sister. She had lived all her life believing herself to be an only child. Then, out of nowhere, an Inquisitor approached her and declared herself to be of Soleil's blood.

Britta, Soleil thought. Now she reflected on her life, she knew that was her sister's name. She had heard her parents talk lowly about someone named Britta before - that had to be her sister.

She couldn't run away from this – she was going to have to learn to face it, and fight it, head on.

That's why she needed Ahsoka.

It didn't take long for Ahsoka Tano to reach them. When she did, Soleil instantly realised why she was held in such regard by the Rebels.

An aura of strength and wisdom radiated from the Togruta woman. She held herself regally, but there was something compassionate in her eyes: they were like a summer afternoon sky, warm and bright.

Soleil instantly knew she was someone that could be trusted.

Ahsoka greeted Kanan and Ezra like old friends. Then she turned to Soleil and smiled. Her smile was like the sun.

"You're the girl I've heard so much about?" she asked. Her eyes crinkled up slightly when she smiled.

Soleil nodded and stuck out her hand. "Soleil."

Ahsoka returned the gesture. Her grip was hard – a warrior's grip. "Ahsoka Tano."

They sat down on the four available chairs, and wasted no time explaining the situation to Ahsoka. She didn't interrupt once, just listened in silence. The most reaction she displayed would be to hum under her breath, or furrow her eyebrows in thought.

"This sounds like quite the predicament," Ahsoka said with a heavy sigh, once the story was complete. She turned to Soleil. "I'm sorry, Soleil. This is quite the situation to land yourself in so soon."

Soleil shrugged. "I'll adapt."

She'd heard the phrase so often that she was beginning to believe it herself.

Ahsoka's eyes lingered on Soleil's hair, and her eyes glittered mischievously. "I can see that."

Soleil flushed. Somehow, she didn't think Ahsoka was just referring to adjusting to the Rebellion.

"Ahsoka, do you have any idea how we should proceed?" Kanan asked. He leaned forward in his seat, fingertips pressed together. Ezra sat on the edge of his seat, eyes flicking between everyone in the room.

"That depends on Soleil." Ahsoka inclined her head toward Soleil. "Which path do you want to take, Soleil?"

Soleil bit her lip.

She had to make a decision so soon? With such odds against her? Soleil was vaguely aware of the taste of blood in her mouth, but didn't think much of it.

What path was for her?

Where did her destiny lie?

"Don't feel pressured," Ahsoka said. Her voice was soothing, like a light breeze against blistered skin. "Which is your path?"

Soleil closed her eyes and drew in a breath, blacking out any distraction in the room. She cast her mind out, weighing the pros and cons of each decision.

It was true that she just wanted to be normal. She didn't want to be a prisoner in her own home, or even someone privileged. She hated to see suffering, and hated the pain the Empire inflicted on innocent civilians. It was why she'd left – so she could make a difference.

So far, she hadn't done that much. Fired a blaster, had some lucky shots.

But had she actually helped anyone?

Soleil recalled seeing Kanan and Ezra in battle: Ezra on Garel, cutting down all those Troopers... Kanan on Lothal, taking down an AT-AT with just his lightsaber.

Now that was the sort of power she could put to good use. She might be able to do something to help that may.

She opened her eyes.

She'd made up her mind.

"I think... my sister's an Inquisitor. I'll be facing so many adversaries... I think that becoming a Jedi is the best path for me."

Ahsoka smiled.

Kanan leaned back in his seat. "So that's decided. How are we going to fit in the training you need in such a short time? It's taken months for Ezra to get to the level he's at now –

"Hey!"

Kanan ignored his Padawan. "- Which is where you need to be in weeks, Soleil, if you're being targeted."

Ahsoka sat up straighter. "What if I trained her?"

Soleil blinked.

Even Kanan appeared taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"I know you need to continue missions. At the moment, I'm mostly monitoring transmissions from Mustafar, which I can trust to some good friends." Ahsoka gazed at Soleil evenly. "If I take Soleil and we work on her training... She'll be ready in no time."

Kanan and Ezra exchanged a look. Soleil's heart slowed. It was a good idea, but...

"What about the others?"

"They'll stay on the Ghost."

Her heart dropped. "I'll have to leave them?"

The mere thought gutted her more than she thought it would. It hadn't been long, but she felt so comfortable and at ease around the crew of the Ghost. They'd become a surrogate family – they family she'd been craving all her life.

To have that taken away so soon after she'd found it...

Ahsoka must have sensed her distress, for she leaned over and rested a hand on Soleil's knee. "It won't be forever. You'll be back in no time."

Kanan grinned. "I bet you'll have surpassed Ezra."

"Hey!" Ezra exclaimed, for the second time that meeting.

Soleil stifled a laugh behind her hand.

I won't be leaving them, she realised. I'll be coming back. I'll always belong here – no matter how long I'm away.

So she nodded. "Okay. I'm in."

+++

It was strange, saying goodbye.

Soleil wasn't extremely close to the crew yet, but she felt like she was leaving a part of her behind on the Ghost. It was a completely different experience to when she left Garel. Back then, she couldn't wait to leave. She felt like she was about to become herself, become whole, by leaving.

Soleil knew she was only going to fit together more pieces of the puzzle that was her life by training with Ahsoka.

Yet to do so, she was going to remove a piece and leave it behind.

Ahsoka told her she wouldn't need many belongings. "We'll be training all day, every day," she'd teased. "You won't have much free time."

Soleil didn't know how serious she was being.

So Soleil took only her favourite pieces of words and art, and the clothes most suited for training. Once she had all her belongings on a bag around her shoulders, she left her room to meet the others.

Hera embraced her, and surprised Soleil by placing a kiss on her forehead. Zeb laughed, and pulled her into a hug so tight that he lifted her off her feet. Kanan clasped her on the shoulder and offered words of encouragement. Ezra playfully scowled. "I'm jealous," he bemoaned. "I bet Ahsoka's a nicer teacher than Kanan is."

To this, Kanan reached out to grab Ezra's head, but the younger boy laughed and ducked out of the way.

Sabine wasn't there. There was something soft in Hera's gaze when she told Soleil that Sabine was waiting for her in the next room.

Soleil's breath caught in her throat at that news. Nonetheless, she thanked Hera and hurried to where Sabine was waiting for her.

For some reason, she was more nervous than she was before her first battle.

Sabine leaned against the wall, staring intensely at the wall. Soleil coughed to alert Sabine of her presence.

Sabine raised her head, and smiled as Soleil ambled into the room. She only stopped when they stood in front of each other, toes of their shoes almost touching.

The corner of Sabine's mouth crooked upwards. "So. You're going to become some powerful, mystic Jedi."

Soleil laughed. She ran a dark hand through the hair Sabine had dyed for her.

"I can hardly believe it myself. Not long ago, I'd never left Garel in my life. Now..." She spread her arms out. She didn't have the words.

Who was she becoming?

Someone she had only dreamed about, and was only now having the courage to pursue.

"You're becoming more than you ever were." Sabine squeezed her hand. "You're becoming you."

Soleil nodded. "Yeah. I am."

They lapsed into silence. Soleil wondered if Sabine was feeling the same tension in the air as she was: tight, and sparking with electricity. She could almost see the lightning bolts form out of the building static.

"We'll send holomessages as often as we can," Sabine said. "We won't let you get to lonesome wherever it is Ahsoka takes you."

Soleil smiled. "I'm counting on it."

Sabine hesitated, and then threw her arms around Soleil. "I'm going to miss you, Lei."

Soleil held her friend tightly back. "Me too, Bean. Thank you, for being such an amazing friend."

Sabine laughed and disentangled herself from Soleil's arms.

"Soleil? Come on. We have a long journey ahead of us."

Ahsoka stood in the doorway behind Soleil. Soleil hitched her bag more securely around her shoulder and made to follow her.

Before she left the room, she gazed back at Sabine and smiled.

"It's not forever. I'll be back before you know it."

She didn't know why she had to say that – but it was more like a reassurance for herself. She had to remember that this time, she wasn't leaving for good. She had a reason to return. Sabine was her anchor, keeping her rooted, wherever she was in the galaxy.

Sabine winked. "I know."

They stared at each other for a time that was probably longer than usual. Flushed bright red like the most vibrant of Sabine's paints, Soleil walked toward Ahsoka.

It was time to discover everything she was really capable of. 

**********

IF ANYONE ELSE IS HYPED AFTER THE S3 MIDSEASON TRAILER RAISE YOUR HAND AND FREAK OUT WITH ME