Chapter Seventeen;

Soleil didn't know how the next morning was going to fan out, but she wasn't expecting to wake to Ahsoka cooking a large breakfast, a warm smile on her face.

"Eat first," she'd said, pushing the bowl into Soleil's hands. "We'll talk after – you'll need your strength."

Soleil barely tasted her meal as she ate. She had to admit, she was a little nervous. A part of her wondered if she was ready. Two months seemed like a really insubstantial amount of time, compared to the many years that the old Jedi spent training.

When she finished, Ahsoka took the bowl from Soleil's hands, and activated a map. Soleil gazed up, entranced, taking in the numerous different planets that shone like a cluster of blue stars in the cave.

I could go to any of them, Soleil realised, eyes wide. It was possible. She wasn't bound anymore. Any of those planets was free to her – apart from ones under heavy Imperial control, that was. She doubted she could slip into Coruscant unnoticed.

"This is how I found my crystals," Ahsoka said softly. "Close your eyes. Reach out with the Force. The crystals want you to claim them – they'll call to you."

Soleil frowned, a little unconvinced, but nonetheless did so.

What if her crystals were on the other side of the galaxy? Would she still feel them?

Don't doubt the Force. Kanan's voice echoed in her ears. It is with you. It will call out to you.

Soleil reached out.

For a heartstopping few seconds, she felt nothing, only the dark emptiness of space and the despair of those suffering under the Empire. But she had learned how to push past that with Ahsoka. Ahsoka had admitted she'd had difficulty meditating directly after the Empire took over, for the emptiness and coldness of the Force. But she'd overcome it, and taught Soleil how to leap that hurdle as well.

Soleil sunk deeper and deeper into mediation, until she felt a yank of something in her gut, like someone had secured a hook to her stomach and was reeling her in. Soleil gasped and followed that line, until she stood before something that hummed with life – a second part of her.

Her crystals.

Soleil opened her eyes, and instantly turned the map around until a planet jumped out at her.

"I found them," she declared, as a single planet came to rest between them. She raised her head triumphantly. "Devaron. The Temple of Eedit."

Soleil didn't know any of those places, but somehow the words slipped easily from her tongue, and she knew them to be the right names.

She grinned, immensely proud with herself. It felt right, going to this planet, she could already feel it. This was where her future as a Jedi awaited her – that was the place she was going to turn everything around.

Ahsoka, however, was frowning. "Devaron?"

She sounded cautious. Soleil bit her lip and took the bait.

"What's wrong?"

Ahsoka sighed. "It was taken over by the Separatists during the Clone Wars – by Dooku and his apprentice, Savage Oppress. We must be cautious."

Soleil had to press her lips together to refrain from groaning aloud. Seriously? she wanted to scream at the universe, but knew that would accomplish nothing but make her throat hurt.

Instead, she grimaced. "Right. Because when were things ever easy?"

Ahsoka laughed. "Right indeed."

+++

For a planet hosting a Jedi temple, Soleil had hoped that Devaron would be a beautiful, intricate world, full of the Force, full of life.

She wasn't let down.

Devaron was a beautiful, wild planet: a planet of jungles and gurgling rivers. The Force thrived there. Soleil could feel her crystals down there, with a strength that was like a heartbeat.

They wanted her, and she wanted them. They wouldn't be complete until they were united.

Ahsoka flew down and landed in front of the Temple. It was a stunning building: old in design, but melding in with the environment. Soleil's mouth fell open in awe as she and Ahsoka walked toward it. She wondered if this was what insects felt like, constantly overshadowed by something bigger, older, more formidable.

Soleil could instantly tell the building was ancient, but it looked to be nowhere near a state of wanting to collapse. That only made it that much more awe-inspiring.

"We must be quick," Ahsoka said as they walked through the entrance. Soleil was instantly captivated by the numerous large columns, and markings on the walls. This place felt fit for royalty, or to hide an ancient tradition. "This temple may be under surveillance."

She pointed out the door through which Soleil would have to enter. Soleil tried not to scowl. She wouldn't have minded a tour of the temple – and hearing its backstory. It was a fascinating piece of architecture.

Soleil raised an eyebrow. Beyond the door was only darkness, and she was getting a very bad feeling from it.

"So... What am I supposed to do?"

"Go in. Trust the Force." Ahsoka smiled. "I'll be out here."

"There aren't... Inquisitors in there, right?"

"Worse. Your worst fears."

That's reassuring. Soleil forced herself to swallow past her thick, parched throat.

"Are you sure I'm ready?" she squeaked.

Ahsoka shook her head. "Don't doubt yourself, Soleil. You can do this, and you will."

Soleil bit her lip, but nonetheless nodded. She turned to face the entrance and drew in a breath.

The old Soleil would never have been able to go through there. But she'd changed. She was a new person – or rather, she was the person she had always been born to be. She could handle this. She knew it.

Soleil squared her shoulders and marched right on through.

Instantly, the door closed behind her, with a sickening boom of finality. Soleil suppressed a flinch and instead blinked, adjusting to the dimmer light. It took some time, but she was able to make her way through the caverns without constantly running into the walls.

Three different paths were offered in front of her. For a moment Soleil panicked, wondering if she'd end up lost in a maze, but remembered the Force. She breathed out and reached, allowing it to communicate with her and connect her to where she needed to go.

Her eyes flew open, and she faced the east path. Bingo. She ran down it.

She ran halfway down until she sensed another presence. Soleil slowed to a walk and paid greater heed. She could hear footsteps echoing against the stone.

Her muscles tensed, and she was instantly on the defensive. An enemy? Soleil didn't have much at her disposal – the Force, her fists, and her wits.

It would be enough.

Soleil pressed herself against the wall, breathing shallowly. The footsteps came constantly closer. Soleil closed her eyes, steeling herself with the Force, preparing her muscles to enter combat.

I'm ready.

She could just make out a dim shadow before her. With a yell, Soleil flung herself forward. The figure turned, frozen in shock, and could do nothing as Soleil's body collided with their own. They tumbled to the ground, rolling over the rough, unforgiving ground. Soleil forced the other person to flip onto their back and pressed her knee to their chests. She raised her fists, preparing to defend herself if necessary.

She didn't look at the person's face, until a time that was only too late. When she did, she almost fell off the lithe body beneath her in shock.

"Soleil?" Sabine exclaimed.

Soleil spluttered. "Sabine! You can't be here – how –"

"Ahsoka contacted us. She thought you might appreciate the support." Sabine smiled that dazzling smile of hers, and offered her hand. "Come on. I told you I'd always have your back, right? I'm not going to stop now, crazy Jedi mumbo jumbo or no."

Soleil's spine tingled, but the smile Sabine was giving her melted Soleil's heart. She couldn't help but grin back and take Sabine's hand, allowing her Mandalorian friend – her crush – to lead her through the tunnels of the Temple. They were still running in the direction of her crystals. If she sensed anything even remotely off, she could always insist she and Sabine change directions. Sabine might not be a Jedi, but Soleil was sure she would understand.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"We split up. Kanan and Ezra know temples can be tricky. We thought it would be more efficient this way. I've contacted them, and we have an agreed rendezvous. Hurry!"

They sped up.

They ran, somehow always managing to stick to the path that led to the crystals. Maybe her friends had already discovered them, and wanted to lead her to them? Kanan and Ezra would have recognised them instantly.

She and Sabine ran into a dim cavern. The ceiling was low, but it was round and spacious so it didn't feel even remotely claustrophobic.

Standing together in the middle as the Ghost. Sabine instantly ran to their side, but Soleil slowed. She savoured in the sight, hardly daring to believe her eyes. A grin slowly spread across her face.

These were the faces she had missed the most.

"Kanan, Hera! Ezra, Zeb – it's so good to see you!"

She almost cried in relief. Her chest caved – she hadn't realised just how much she missed them until now, when they were standing in the same room together, breathing in the same air.

She expected smiles, calls of welcome, maybe even hugs. She'd at least expected her new family to be happy to see her.

What she hadn't expected was for all of them to turn, scowls on their faces.

She hadn't expected them to pull out their weapons and turn them against her.

Soleil stepped back. She was trembling, her heart threatening to break into a thousand pieces. The ears were still in her eyes, but they were no longer happy tears – they were tears of despair.

She was vulnerable again, so suddenly, like the little abandoned girl in Garel who had no idea about the universe, or what love truly was.

She had to be dreaming. There was no way this was real. She was nervous before she test, and was having a nightmare about it as a result. Yes, that had to be it.

To make sure, she pinched her skin, hard.

When she looked up, the scene still existed. Soleil's heart broke all over again.

"What?" she croaked. "Why are you all – why are you turning on me?"

"Your time away made us realise something, Soleil," Kanan said evenly. There was no trace of affection whatsoever in his voice. It felt inherently wrong to see that blue blade turned against her. We were happier without you."

"What -"

"You've only hindered us," Zeb growled. "You're a threat. We can't trust you, and you're no use in a fight."

"But..." Soleil clutched her head. "You wanted me!"

That surely couldn't have been a lie, right? They'd offered her a place, a different opportunity. They were happy when she joined. Kanan had been so proud when she said she wanted to become a Jedi.

"Because we realised how useless you were," Hera said sharply.

Sabine rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Soleil. You were an Imperial." She spat on the ground. Soleil clutched her heart, the wounds like a fatal stab. Sabine... her world had ended. Sabine may as well have already shot her.

"Who would like you? You're no better than your parents."

With that, the group parted, revealing two familiar figures bound and gagged behind them. Both were knocked out cold; Soleil could see the bruises on their heads that must have done it.

Her stomach fell through the floor. "Mum? Dad?" She sounded like a little girl again, scared and unsure. 

"How did you -"

Ezra smiled thinly. "Thought we'd make a scene."

He gestured down one of the corridors. A red glow suddenly illuminated, and a masked figure in black appeared.

Soleil didn't need to see the figure's face to know it was her sister.

"No – you wouldn't conspire with her -"

"We don't have much in common, but a shared hatred for you." Sabine smirked. Hatred consumed every feature in her body. "Choose, Soleil. Your family, or your life?"

She kept her guns trained on Soleil, as did the Ghost, but Britta walked behind them and rested her twin blades against the throats of both her parents.

Soleil choked. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The crew of the Ghost had always been so kind to her.

"This isn't real," she realised.

Sabine snorted. "Of course it is. I dragged you along here."

"It can't be. I know the people on the Ghost. They would never treat anyone like this! This is fake!"

Her voice echoed throughout the hall. The more she spoke, the more convinced she was. She had come to know everyone so well throughout the course of the time they'd spent together. From the missions they'd told her about and the experiences they shared, Soleil knew that acting so coldly was just not possible for them. Everything was a lie.

This was her biggest fear – that she'd be abandoned again, that she was a failure as a daughter.

She wasn't going to let it consume her.

"Soleil, really," Hera sighed – or, the figure that looked like Hera. "Stalling won't help anyone."

Soleil lifted her chin.

"Yes!" she yelled definitely. "I'm afraid of being abandoned! I'm afraid I failed as a daughter! But I found new family, and I trust them. I trust who I've become." She met each figure in the eye. "You're a vision in the Force. Begone!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Silence hung thick in the air. No one even breathed.

Then, the figures dissipated into thin air, having never existed. In their place resided two colourless crystals – yet Soleil instantly knew that was the reason she had been brought here. Those were her crystals.

Now they were so close, the crystals were practically screaming at her to take them. Soleil walked over and bent down, scooping them up like you would a newborn child.

Instantly, her hands flooded with warmth, a heat that spread up her arms until it encompassed her entire body. She gasped, and couldn't help the laughter that passed her lips.

Alive. She'd never felt more alive. She was finally complete – a Jedi, with the Force and two kyber crystals. All she needed now was to place those crystals in her lightsabers, and she'd be ready for anything.

"Well done, child," a voice echoed in her ears. It sounded old, and wise beyond its years. "You have done well. But that was just the beginning. The worst is yet to come..."

+++

When Soleil exited the tunnels, Ahsoka was kneeling, her eyes closed. Soleil recognised that pose: Ahsoka was mediating.

Ahsoka opened her eyes when Soleil neared. Soleil spread open her palm to reveal the identical translucent crystals in his possession.

A wide smile spread across Ahsoka's lips. "Congratulations, Soleil. You're ready to make your own lightsaber."

"How?"

Soleil had realised the problem not long after the crystals came into her possession: she didn't even have any materials to construct a lightsaber. So how was it going to be possible to conjure them from nowhere?

Ahsoka clambered to her feet. Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

"I have something in mind. An old... friend, who might just have everything you need..."