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

The Wrath of Maul

Aboard the Ghost, rebel base, Atollon, 1936, 3276 LY

The stars twinkled from where Kanan lied. It had been so long since he'd seen them. He regretted taking all the beauty of the world for granted. Now he knew how quickly it could be taken away. As he lied peacefully, watching the stars shine above him, a rustle caused him to sit up, alert.

A tall feminine figure walked towards him from the shadows. As she got closer, silver light illuminated her. Kanan gasped, ''Ahsoka.''

''It's good to see you again, Kanan,'' she murmured, sitting in front of him. Her blue eyes shone with seriousness, and he listened to her with an open mind. ''The Children of the Jedi are rising. Be ready. Three will come with unique gifts, each different. The strongest of them will be able to control anyone's actions with any command.

''This is all according to ancient Jedi prophecy. It does not say when they will come or who they will be, but I can feel something stirring within the Force. Things will change quickly, Kanan. None can stop it, for all is as the Force wills it. Keep this in mind, and be prepared to do what you must. The hierarchy is changing. The Children must rise. Even if the Jedi must fall.''

With a sad smile, Ahsoka rose and disappeared into the shadows. Kanan realized how much he wanted to stay, to feel so at peace. And yet...he had to be prepared. He had to prepare his students.

Blinking open sleep-filled eyes, Kanan found himself in the darkness of blindness. He felt numb, strange. A little sore, but numb. His left arm felt strangely awkward, but he couldn't figure out why. His left leg right below the knee and on the back of the thigh was where it was sore. But why?

Sensing the area around him, Kanan felt the presences of Kanera, Sabine, and Snow. But where was Hera? Ezra, Zeb, all three were absent. And why in the blazes could he not figure out where he was and why?

He had just had a dream. It was important, but what was it about? There was some sentimentality in it as well, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was wrong. Where was Hera, Zeb, and Ezra? Where was he? Why did he feel numb and sore?

Apparently, Kana had noticed Kanan's distress because he sensed her turn to him. She breathed out a sigh of relief and turned to Snow, whispering something in a low voice. Snow nodded, and disappeared out of the room, wherever he was. She asked him, ''How do you feel? You've been asleep for three days.''

''Numb,'' he admitted, startled and confused at how long he slept. ''Sore. What happened?''

Kana looked at Sabine, rubbing her neck. Sabine shrugged, then shook her head. Kanan was confused. Nothing made sense and everybody was acting strange. About as strange as the sensation in his left arm. He lightly touched it. It was bandaged. He didn't remember hurting his arm. He remembered going to sleep he guessed three days ago and...waking up here.

In his room. Maybe that's where he was at. Yeah, that made sense. No, no it didn't. If his arm was bandaged, he was hurt. If he was hurt, then-. Kana inquired, ''Do you know where you're at?''

''No, not really,'' he muttered. ''I'm guessing the medbay.'' Kanan sensed his daughter nod.

''Um, Kanan,'' Sabine began, ''I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Fulcrum and Sato are on their way. The bad news, prepare yourself for.'' Kanan took a deep breath, readying himself for the worst. But he wasn't expecting what was next. ''Hera and Zeb are...dead.''

He went numb. Completely numb. Maybe it was the shock and the grief. He forgot how to speak, how to feel, how to breath. Suddenly, it didn't matter. Two of his friends were dead. They were dead, and he couldn't save them. He couldn't save any of them if he wanted to. He was helpless. Lost.

Sabine gently shook his right shoulder. ''Kanan? Kanan, are you okay?'' But the Knight had blanked out. He was still conscious, aware of everything yet nothing. ''Hey, Fulcrum's here.'' Kanan looked over to the new male who entered the room. He recognized the presence. From...his childhood.

Suddenly, Kanan remembered. The lightsaber battle, the Lightkiller, his Padawans in danger, Hera's and Zeb's sacrifice, the Shadow Protector's help, his dream, Fulcrum being Jason Dume. His father. Alive. Old, but alive. That still didn't clear up why his arm felt weird, why he had a headache, or why he couldn't remember anything.

Blinking, Kanan decided not to tell Jason. Better for him to think his son is dead than to know that he's blind. Yet somehow that didn't feel right. He wanted to tell Jason. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he questioned, ''Why does my arm feel weird and why couldn't I remember anything?''

They all exchanged looks. Kanan knew that it wasn't good, whatever it was. Eventually, after a minute of dead silence, Kana murmured, ''You were firing at the TIEs. Well, when we had jumped, you hadn't joined us in the common room. We were worried, and Snow said you were in danger. I went to get you, and, uh...you fell from the top gun. You hit your head on the ladder and fell on your left side.''

It didn't sink in. Kanan was too shocked, too numb. Sabine added, ''Kana thought you would feel it, but you didn't utter a sound. Your left arm is broken and you got a pretty nasty concussion-''

''-which means no missions,'' Sato finished, entering the medbay. Kanan sighed in defeat. This was not his year.

A week later, Kanan sat bored just beyond the base. The Ghost crew, well, what was left of it, had went on a mission. He wasn't with them because he still couldn't go on a mission until his arm was healed. And it wasn't anywhere near healed.

Closing his eyes, he began to meditate, but didn't get far before Sato came up. The commander stood silent and still for a minute. Kanan, knowing that Sato had no idea what to say, spoke first. ''Have they gotten back yet?''

''No,'' Sato replied, ''but there's an incoming transmission for you from the Ghost.''

Startled, Kanan followed Sato, who pulled up a hologram. A voice murmured, ''Hello, Master Jedi.'' Maul. A small pause from the Sith before he continued. ''I see you got hurt, hmm?'' Dang his broken arm. He mumbled a curse low enough that Maul couldn't hear it. ''Doesn't matter.''

Sato let a gasp escape him, then chocked it down. Kanan heard it, though. Something was wrong. ''I have your friends. They are my guests and will remain my guests until you give me what I want. The holocrons. The one my apprentice and I retrieved and yours. Fail to do so and everyone dies.''

As a warning, he activated his lightsaber. He growled, ''And as extra motivation, Caleb Dume-'' He was cut short by gasps from everyone. None had known his real name, and now more than half a dozen knew. ''-your father will die.''

No one had a chance to do a thing before the sound of a lightsaber meeting human flesh filled everyone's ears. ''Comply,'' Maul snarled, ''or everyone faces the same fate.'' The transmission ended.

Kanan and Sato were silent, what just happened sinking in. Eventually, Sato murmured, ''Caleb Dume? I thought your name was Kanan Jarrus.''

''It is,'' he informed in a low tone. ''I changed it to hide from the Empire and anyone who wanted Ca---me---dead.''

Sato nodded. ''I understand,' he muttered. Silence. ''Are you going to give him the holocrons?''

''What choice do I have?''