Rebuilding (COMPLETE)

*Episode 12 (6)

Anakin was flying through hyperspace again with Artoo when an unexpected call came. It wasn't on his Fulcrum frequency, and only a handful of people had the code to call his ship directly, so he knew it was important. When he checked the call, it was Senator Organa. That was concerning. He always communicated via the Fulcrum frequency. Always.

He answered the call, and the senator's image appeared above the projector. Bail didn't seem distressed, which was good news. "Senator, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Skywalker, thank you," he assured the Jedi. "I'm sorry for the unprecedented call, but this is years in the making, and I didn't see a reason to delay it any longer. There's someone who wants to speak to you."

Bail stepped out of frame, and Anakin heard some low chatter in the background before a door opened and closed. The senator was gone, and someone knew appeared. It was someone Anakin hadn't seen in a long time, but he still recognized him.

"O-Mer?"

"Master Skywalker, I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you earlier," he apologized, saying what he had rehearsed a hundred times before agreeing to this call. "I ran into Kanan when Senator Organa sent my partner and I to transfer supplies to the rebel fleet. He said I should reach out."

Anakin grinned, taking a seat and trying not to cheer in celebration. "I'm glad he did. I'd ask if you're okay, but if Senator Organa has been protecting you, I assume you're safe."

He nodded, smiling a little bit at the mention of his boss. "As safe as I can be these days. It's... kind of nice being a senatorial representative. I guess no one in the Empire remembers me anymore."

"I'm glad," he told the ex-Padawan, nodding. "From what I've heard, the Empire doesn't take too kindly to the Jedi they get their hands on. I wasn't sure if you had made it out."

"I did, and I got the Younglings out too," he reported, swallowing hard. "We escaped to Thabeska, but an Inquisitor showed up nine years ago and found us. I think they were coming for Lura. They didn't get her, or any of us, but I... I got separated from them. The Empire came after me, and I ran so they wouldn't hunt down the little ones."

The Jedi Knight saw the weight of the words on O-Mer's shoulders. Still, he did his best to keep his chin up as he kept talking. "I know you wanted me to keep them safe, and I did what I thought would protect them. I thought it was better if the Empire blamed the Inquisitor's death on me than for them to blame all of us. I thought that hopefully, the Younglings could get away and might have a chance to stay safe."

"O-Mer, I'm not mad at you," Anakin told him, wishing he could give him some kind of physical reassurance. As it was, all he could do was try to make eye contact through the hologram. "When I told you to protect the Younglings all those years ago, I didn't realize everything that was happening. I had no idea how much this would escalate, that the entire Order was about to be destroyed. You should never have had to take responsibility for the Younglings, especially not for so long. The fact that you were able to protect them for six years is incredible, alright?" He sighed and shook his head, smiling. "You did well. It's okay."

He didn't say anything, but Anakin thought he saw a tear fall down his face. A weak sort of smile escaped him, and he bowed his head. "I just... they were so scared at first. They don't have anyone else to help them."

"They had you, and now they have each other," he reminded O-Mer. "You did so much for them, so much more than you ever should have had to. Not to mention, taking down an Inquisitor is no easy feat either."

"It was a group effort," he explained, laughing a little bit. "I never could have done it alone. I was lucky I had help."

"Isn't that how it goes?" Anakin asked, looking around. "If we didn't have people willing to trust us, willing to keep us on our feet, would we be here?"

"Probably not," O-Mer answered, smiling a little bigger. He didn't realize how much of a burden his guilt had been until now, until Master Skywalker was trying to convince him that he hadn't done wrong, and the burden began to lift, even just a little. The release gave rise to some pent-up emotions in him, and he was trying to diffuse them by laughing. It wasn't really working yet.

He finally looked up, but he didn't expect Master Skywalker to be smiling so much. "What?"

Master Skywalker just smiled wider. "Have you heard from any of them since you saw them last?"

"No, I don't even know where they are or if they're alive," he confessed.

"O-Mer, I found them in the first year I started being Fulcrum. They're alive, and they're safe. They made it."

He didn't even try to hide his relief when he heard those words. O-Mer buried his face in his hands, not caring that Master Skywalker could see him. Tears poured down his face, tears of joy that he hadn't completely failed the Younglings he had tried so hard to protect for six years. It hadn't all been for nothing. They were out there, somewhere, and they were okay. Bright, shining hope chased the darkness out of the pit that had nestled in his mind for so long. They were okay.

Off to the side, Granger had been standing by for emotional support just in case O-Mer needed it. When he saw him break down in tears, Granger assumed his services were no longer required. He snuck out of the room quietly, where Senator Organa was standing outside the door.

"How is it going?" he asked as they walked together. "Is O-Mer alright?"

Granger grinned, looking back. "I think he just heard the best news of his life. I don't know what Kanan said to him that finally convinced him to call Fulcrum, but I'm glad he did. He's going to be fine."