Never Going Back

INTERLUDE: It's Over Now

-----

Naught but a shadow lay over the ruins of the Temple on Malachor. Black smoke rose from the ashes and the rubble.

Captain Rex had already flown The Phantom around its remains at least six times, holding onto the hope that Ahsoka Tano was maybe still alive down there.

"No one could have survived that explosion, Rex." Noelle's voice was hollow.

The elderly clone captain shook his head. "Maybe just one more-"

"Put the ship down," she whispered.

Rex sighed. "Yes Commander." He pulled the controls, angling the shuttle downwards towards the front entrance of the Temple.

As her feet hit the cracked, obsidian, dusty ground, Noelle swallowed. She glanced upward at one of the stone structures that remained and could have sworn she saw something small and white perched on the top.

But perhaps it was just her eyes playing tricks on her.

Now what?

She dropped to her knees in the rubble. She wanted to cry for Ahsoka, but no tears came. She felt Rex's hand on her shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault you know, kid."

"I know. But why does it feel so empty without her, Rex? She gave me hope- she inspired me. She wasn't a Jedi herself, but she was what a Jedi should have been."

"Well..." Rex began slowly. "Maybe it's up to you now to continue what she wanted to see completed."

Noelle shook her head. "I can't see myself with the Rebellion. My days of fighting as a soldier are over for me. I am my own master, my own agent now. Yes, I will fight the Empire when necessary, but I want to learn the truth about the Force, and I want to learn the truth from Maul."

She could sense Rex's astonishment.

"Maul! What in the blazes does he have to do with this?"

Noelle sighed heavily. "He said something about 'the Endgame.' I don't know what it means, but I intend to find out."

"You don't have to do this Noelle..."

Noelle stood up and turned sharply to face the old clone Captain. "What if it is important Rex!" she snapped. "Last time ignoring him was a mistake! I can't afford to be wrong again!"

Turning away, she covered her face and sank down to her knees again, this time the tears flowing freely. She knew she shouldn't have lashed out at Rex out of emotion, but it was true. She couldn't afford to be wrong a second time. The first mistake had already cost her everything in this galaxy. Obi-wan was gone. Anakin was gone. Ahsoka was gone. She didn't have much left in this life, but the people she did still love: Gandalf, Bern, Legolas... She couldn't let anything touch them, even if she was light-years away from them.

Suddenly she heard singing.

Her head shot up. "Rex," she whispered, turning around. "Did you hear that?"

Rex shook his head. "I didn't hear anything. What is it?"

"It's like a song..."

Noelle only ever heard that sound under one circumstance: when there was a kyber crystal nearby- one meant specially for her. Was it possible her old lightsaber was still down there?

She didn't wait to find out. Jumping up, she tried to follow the source of the sound, racing into the midst of the ashes and smoke. But the sound was constant no matter where she went, and although pleasant, deafening to her ears.

Panting, she stopped. She must have looked like a crazy woman running in circles after something she couldn't hear.

"Commander?" Rex asked, catching up to her.

"I... can't... find it!" she breathed.

Screeecchhh!

They looked up. A green and white convor was circling the area above them. Noelle frowned. Something seemed oddly... familiar about that bird, but she couldn't place what. But she had a good feeling about it.

Rex saw her expression. "What's it saying?"

"She wants us -me- to follow her." Dropping her clenched fists to her sides, she relaxed and breathed outward calmly and stepped in the direction of the convor, who was heading deep into the Temple.

She broke into a jog as they headed into the darkness. Noelle couldn't see, but she could sense the bird was still up ahead.

"Commander!" Rex crashed into her from behind.

Noelle held up her hand to shush him, even though he couldn't see her.

"Where are we?"

"Inside the Temple," Noelle whispered. "I'm just... not sure why."

"Do you think Ahsoka lives?"

Noelle closed her eyes and swallowed. She knew the answer to that already. Ahsoka's Life Force was nowhere to be felt- she was gone.

She heard the cry of the convor up ahead. As her eyes slowly adjusted, she was able to catch a quick flit of white shooting past them.

Then, the singing started up again, this time more quietly and melodically. But which direction was it coming from?

Noelle moved forward and the tip of her boot kicked into something. Losing her balance, she stumbled onto her knees. Suddenly, she saw a bright glowing light buried beneath the rock and ashes in the ground.

And the singing grew louder.

Noelle dug into the ground, picking the pieces of rock away to find the source of the light and the sound, hoping to find the lightsaber given to her by Gandalf buried down below.

Until she realized that she could sense the presence of two kyber crystals instead of one.

"What the-" she whispered, holding up two thin, silver, and slightly curved sabers that did not belong to her.

"Ahsoka's lightsabers." There was a tinge of awe and grief in the Captain's voice as he echoed Noelle's thoughts.

"Why are they calling to me?"

"I don't know the answer to that one, Commander. But you should take them if it is the Will of the Force."

Her blue, tear-filled eyes met Rex's warm brown ones.

"I am nowhere near worthy to carry her lightsabers, Rex." Noelle shook her head. She was only disappointed in herself over all this and began to bury the lightsabers back in the ground.

"Noelle," Rex said softly. He knelt down beside her. "What if Ahsoka wanted you to have them?"

Noelle stared at her hands. She hadn't considered that.

Do you trust me? It was the last thing Ahsoka had ever asked her.

And Noelle had replied that she did.

"Ahsoka knows what she's doing," Rex said. "The Force knows what It's doing."

Swallowing, Noelle nodded. Removing the lightsabers from underneath the ground where she had placed them, she brushed off the traces of dirt and clipped them onto her belt, one on each side of her hips. She wiped away her tears.

She couldn't guarantee the future. Neither could Rex nor any of the leaders of the Rebellion, but one thing was certain: she was going to keep fighting evil in her own way. She was going to protect the innocent, the people she loved, and she was going to discover the truth about the Force and the fate of the universe- before it was too late. She had seen too much and had had too many visions. The pieces were still unclear.

Now it was time to put them together.