1 | Star Wars Rebels: Fallen Hope: My Only Jedi

The Ties that Bind

Star Destroyer, presumably orbiting Scarif, 3276 LY

     A Star Destroyer flew lazily by. One of the prisoners, Caleb, sat meditating. It must have been hours. He couldn't know. Feet passed by occasionally, but no one entered the room. He assumed he was above Scarif, but who could be sure? 

     After the Imperial bucketheads had captured the Padawans, they were separated. Caleb didn't know where Kana and Ezra were, but he tried to sense their presences. They were clouded by distance, Ezra's more than Kanera's. On occasion, Caleb felt a spike from one of them, but who, he didn't know. That's what scared him.

     A feminine voice, silky, whispered, ''Caleb. Open your eyes.'' When he did, he couldn't see his surroundings. He did see a woman. The woman had brown robes and braided dark brown hair pulled out of her face. Her soft brown eyes looked into his, and he could see. Truly see. It kind of freaked him out. 

     A memory came to him. ''Your  nephew needs you, Depa!'' a woman growled. She had dark brown hair pulled back into a single braid and deep green eyes. ''He's blind, Depa. He needs you to teach him to see with...with the Force.'' In her arms was a baby boy that Caleb recognized as himself. 

     He was Depa at this moment. He knew that. Her voice whispered, ''The Jedi need me. This war we're fighting, it's for him. It's for everyone. When we win, there will be peace. Peace for him, peace for all.'' 

     ''So you're abandoning him,'' the other woman whispered. The other woman--Kaitlyn, Caleb's mother. Depa's sister. Now he remembered his last name. Billaba. His mother's idea. ''When he needs you, your protection, you're abandoning him.''

     ''I'm not his mother,'' Depa retorted. ''I'm his aunt. I'm not leaving him. If he's strong in the Force when he's older, I will take him to the Jedi.'' Kaitlyn scowled, then turned away. ''Kate,'' Depa Billaba, the Jedi Master, whispered. ''I will be here. Always.''

     The memory ended, leaving Caleb with his identity as well as the woman's before him. ''Depa,'' he breathed. ''Aunt Depa. It's good to see you.''

     ''Not in here it isn't,'' she growled, looking behind her. ''We need to find your friends and get out of here. The Third Brother is a Sith Inquisitor bent on the destruction of all surviving Jedi much like the Grand Inquisitor was. He hates the Jedi because they killed his father and took his home away from him. He found the Sith as a ten-year-old orphan.'' 

     Caleb nodded; that explained the hatred. Depa continued, ''I suggest you get your weapons back as well. Presumably, there is a room where the weapons of prisoners are kept. You can sense your lightsaber from the kyber crystal contained within, which is attuned to the Force, and you are attuned to it.'' She used the Force to unlock the door, then peeked out. ''When you sense your lightsaber, you will find the weapons room.''

     ''First, I'm getting Kana,'' Caleb stated, following his aunt out of the cell and into the hall. ''I need someone who can see to protect behind me.'' He sensed her nod as they rounded a corner. Caleb reached out with the Force, smiling as he sensed his sister's presence, strong and lively. Her aura spiked as she figured out where he was and his intent. 

     The door of cell 2187 swished open, revealing a teenaged blue-skinned Twi'lek ready to get out of there. ''Who is that?'' she snapped, gesturing to Depa. 

     The ten-year-old grinned. ''That's my aunt. Jedi Master Depa Billaba.'' Kana's aura spiked in surprise, then simmered down. Of course, she was the niece of Jedi Master Aayla Secura. It made a little sense as to how they both had Force sensitivity. ''Call to your lightsaber. The kyber crystal is in tune with the Force and you're attuned to its nature.''

     Kanera nodded, then the siblings reached out with the Force. Caleb imagined the pale yellow blade, the hum of the lightsaber when he brought it to life, the feel of its grip in his hand. Then he went deeper, to the feel of the cold crystal in his hand and its special call to him. He sensed it at room K2SO, which wasn't very far away. 

     Opening the door, the siblings grabbed their lightsabers and Ezra's weapons as well as their comms while Depa made sure no one came. Once they got their weapons, Caleb searched for Ezra's presence. Clouded, but fairly close. Caleb lead the way until they reached a cell where Ezra's presence was strongest, yet still clouded. After opening the door, they figured out why.

     Kana saw something that made her curse under her breath. Caleb sensed Ezra fully restrained, presumably because the bucketheads figured out that he was the strongest of the apprentices. She had cursed because he was exhausted. Tortured. He felt bad for the teen he looked to as a brother. Ezra seemed unconscious until he stirred, blinking weary blind blue eyes. 

     Caleb hurried to undo the restraints while Depa kept an eye out on the halls. When the restraints were opened, Ezra collapsed into Kana, who set him down gently. He seemed asleep as Caleb growled, ''We're trapped. Ezra's exhausted and neither one of us can carry him.''

     Ezra stirred again and gave a weak smile. He rasped, ''Go on. I'll be fine.''

     ''No, you won't,'' Kanera stated, assertive. She sounded a lot like their adopted mother as she took charge. ''They'll kill you once they figure out we're gone.'' She turned to Caleb's aunt. ''How can we get Ezra back up to par?'' At this point, it seemed as if Ezra had fallen unconscious. With a quick check, Caleb sensed that he did. 

     The Jedi Master murmured, ''There's a Force ability in which energy can be transferred from one being to another, but if you are not careful, it can be exhausting. Ask your adopted father. He knows.'' 

     Once again, Ezra blinked open his eyes and whispered, ''I can help you do it. Kanan and I transferred our energy to each other long ago. I'll be careful because I know how dangerous it can be. At least for me,'' he added with a touch of normalcy. Kanera closed her eyes, opening herself to Ezra and the Force.

     The two teens were okay about ten seconds later. Kana looked a little tired, but Ezra was more alert and perky. As to be expected, however, he was still a little weak and needed support. Caleb called to Kanan through the Force. We need your help. Things went...wrong.

     Alone in the cockpit sat a blind young human male, lost in his thoughts and the stars. The pinpoints of light seemed small and cold, but Kanan knew that wasn't so. There was more than meets the eye to many things, including space. Well, with space, there's not a whole lot more than what met the eye. He just wished-

     We need your help, Caleb called in the Force. It sounded blurry from distance, but it was Caleb. Things went...wrong. That...wasn't good. Kanan pulled out his comm. ''Hera,'' he muttered, ''we need to go to Scarif.'' Caleb was sugarcoating their danger. Kanan had a feeling, one he knew better than to ignore. 

     ''Copy that, Kanan,'' Hera answered. ''Jumping in three, two, one.'' Then they were off.

This is so long and I couldn't leave you guys in case you leave me. Um...well, next chapter!

The Lost Padawan, over and out.