*I claim ownership to the image: I edited the saturation myself and replaced Ahsoka's eyes so that they turned Sith-colored.*

The Rebel fleet flew through space at the speed of light, relief and hope buoying the spirits of all on board the group of ships.

The same went for part of the crew of the Ghost: Hera Syndulla, Garazeb Orrelios, Sabine Wren, and Chopper. Their two resident Jedi had docked safely, and it was good to see their faces again.

Hera was the first to approach them, gladness that they were all right and maybe even love for the elder of the two written in her eyes.

Kanan smiled, and took the last few steps towards her. "I owe you all a great debt of gratitude," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Even if what you did was rash, and reckless."

"You're welcome, dear," Hera said simply, and pulled him into a hug.

The scene was pleasantly heartwarming, but a series of bleeps and grumbles pulled their attention towards the newest arrival – their cranky old Astromech droid, Chopper.

"Wait," said Ezra, a confused expression on his face. "If Chopper was in this transport ship... then who was flying the Ghost?"

Everyone exchanged looks, checking one another's faces to see if the answer lay there. But none of them knew.

A few minutes later, the crew was back on board their ship. Passing a few guards, they watched as a life-sized hologram flickered to life before them.

"Hello, my friend," the image of a man said, a gentle smile on his lips. "It is good to see you again."

"I don't understand," Kanan intoned, assuming that he was the one being spoken to. "I met you once, for a few moments – I don't even know your name!"

"His name is Senator Bail Organa," Hera explained, going to stand next to the hologram of the Senator.

"And the crews of the blockade runners?" Kanan crossed his arms, his characteristic skeptical expression on his face.

"Members of other rebel cells," he replied.

Sabine's eyes widened in understanding. "There are other cells!"

"We're a cell?" Ezra said, turning to Zeb. "Wait, did you know we were a cell?"

"Um, no," was the reply.

Hera stepped forward. "We weren't supposed to meet. That way, if captured, we couldn't reveal the other Rebels to the Empire." She paused, apparently quite happy to finally be able to share all this with her friends. "That was the protocol."

"The protocol has changed."

The hologram of the Senator disappeared, but no one really noticed. Their focus had wavered to the man coming down a ladder from the cockpit.

He wore a pair of charcoal pants, a white shirt and a grey-mauve jacket. Although his belt was partially obstructed by the coat, two blasters were visible, half-hiding in their holsters. The two Jedi also didn't fail to notice the silvery lightsaber at his hip.

"Fulcrum!" Hera exclaimed, clearly surprised to see him.

"That's my codename – call me Teri," the man said with a smile, raking a lock of dark hair out of his eyes with the fingers on one hand. "My name is Lux Bonteri."

"Why did you come here?" Kanan asked, although the desire to ask if the man was a Jedi or not was burning on his – and Ezra's – lips.

"Because of you, and your apprentice," Teri said, and bent down to give Chopper a friendly pat. "Many in this system and beyond have heard your message. Hell, it even reached Onderon! And you have no idea how much of a commotion it caused there!"

After that quick outburst, the informant's tone sobered again. But the light at in his green-grey eyes from the mentioning of that planet hadn't left – the crew guessed that it was his homeworld. "You gave people hope in their darkest time. We didn't want that hope to die."

"So what happens now?" Ezra asked, looking at the man in front of him. Inquiries about the lightsaber and the man's odd presence in the Force could wait.

"I don't know," Teri answered, standing up to his full height once more. "One chapter has closed for you, Ezra Bridger. This is a new day – a new beginning."

-:-:-:-:-:-

A shuttle left the hanger on in the underbelly of a Star Destroyer hovering few thousand feet above the surface of the planet Lothal. It flew with deliberate slowness over the water and towards Capital City. It was following the Imperial speed limits on air traffic to the letter, as if trying to show the people who happened to spot it that the Empire didn't break its own rules.

It soon arrived in another hangar, this one overlooking the city, and started its landing cycle. Agent Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau, who had been waiting for the craft, stood to attention as it touched down.

The imposing figure of Governor Tarkin walked down the ramp to the waiting officer, nodded for him to report.

"We are getting reports of unrest all over Lothal... There are whispers from Mustafar," Kallus said, referring to the listening post that had been stationed on the fiery surface of that world. "Some people see the Empire as weak... vulnerable."

"Not to worry, Agent Kallus," Tarkin said, his voice serious but still unperturbed. "The Emperor has sent an alternative solution."

And suddenly, the agent heard something that would strike fear into the heart of any sentient being – even if they worked for the Empire. It was the ragged sound of a breathing apparatus, but it was so well known that it was impossible for it to be anyone else.

Slowly, trying not to show any fear, he let his gaze slide away from the Grand Moff and towards the new arrival: Darth Vader.

"Your fear of me is unwarranted, Kallus," the Emperor's second-in-command said suddenly, obviously having sensed the officer's emotions. "I will not be staying on Lothal."

"What?" Tarkin turned around. "But the Emperor informed me that–"

"The situation has changed. Onderon is in full-blown revolt, and my presence is needed there to assure that things return to normal as quickly and as efficiently as possible. At dawn I will depart for the Japrael system." Vader turned back towards the ship. "But I will be leaving matters here in capable hands."

As if on cue, footsteps were heard coming down the ramp of the ship, these ones lighter and more feminine than those of the two previous people to exit. Both Kallus and Tarkin turned to look.

The new arrival was a Togruta woman.

She was tall and willowy, with tan skin and striking white facial markings. Her body had been outfitted with a sleek black combat suit and boots, and a black headband with a small red stone adorned her brow. To accommodate her long blue-and-white-striped lekku, her double-bladed spinning lightsaber was hooked onto her lower back instead of the upper, unlike the previous Inquisitor the two men had known.

She was very beautiful, but it was a harsh sort of beauty. There was a sort of aura around her, one of darkness and absolute power, demanding respect and even reverence. She set fear in Kallus's heart, a sort of unease comparable to the presence of Darth Vader.

One could be ten thousand miles away from this woman and still want to increase that distance.

Tarkin's already pale complexion got even paler. He clearly recognized the Togruta, but he was shocked so badly that to Kallus it looked like he had seen a ghost – maybe he had. "But that's... This is impossible! She's..."

"I am Grand Inquisitor Sorena," she said. At the sight of the flabbergasted Grand Moff, a tiny, malevolent smile appeared on her lips. "Oh no, Governor. You're not wrong. I can read your thoughts."

No one said anything. For a moment, the only sounds in the entire hangar bay were those of the ship's engines cooling and Darth Vader's respirator.

The Togruta's smile widened, her sharp yellow-and-golden eyes glinting in the light. "I was once known as Ahsoka Tano."