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Much of this story was originally written by MaybeImARebel. I'm just giving it a facelift and then continuing where she left off. :D

This story will float between the Rebels, Clone Wars, and Star Wars pages depending on which one is most appropriate to the last chapter uploaded.

A/N: Hi Everybody! Happy Star Wars Day! This prologue is a new addition to this story that I found way back in chapter 49 of the original story by MaybeImARebel. She wrote it as a coping mechanism to deal with the ending of Jedi Night and I thought it was beautiful and some of her best work.

It just didn't belong that far back in the story. In fact, I thought it would make a perfect Prologue. About half of this is from the original story that a few of you may remember, and the other half is my edits and additions.

Please enjoy.

Good Intentions & Happy Ever Afters

Prologue - Nightmares and... Visions?:

D363/6 BBY, Mandalore

Sabine woke up swallowing a scream, not wanting to wake up the other girls in her room; the echoes of blood curdling cries of anguish and pain ringing in her ears.

Tears fell down her cheeks unheeded as she curled into a ball and shook with silent sobs of remorse.

The Empire had done it. They had used the Duchess on real people yesterday. Her people. Just insignificant nobodies to the Imperials; streetrats and homeless veterans picked up from the dregs of the big cities and stuffed into Mandalorian armour.. People who wouldn't be missed. And they gave her a bloody commendation for her work. Within a day, every Clan in the Mandalore systems would know that Sabine kriffing Wren had invented an abomination that could kill her people in seconds.

It was the last straw in her growing disillusionment with the Empire.

Sabine determinedly wiped the tears off her cheeks and forced her body to stop shaking. It wasn't supposed to be like this. What had she done? She had to destroy the Duchess. All of her hard work, wasted. Used against her wishes. It had to go. It was too powerful. And in the Empire's hands, it meant the end of her people.

I can't let that happen. Ever.

Sabine didn't close her eyes again for days. Not until it was done and she was free, thanks to Ketsu's help.

But the nightmare wasn't over.

Her mother had refused to let her go home to Krownest. Ursa Wren's hologram had looked stone cold when she said her daughter was dead to her and that all would know that Sabine Wren was Dar'manda.

Ketsu had been kicked from her home, too, just to add to the fun.

Sabine had never felt so lost. And the title of Dar'manda sat heavy on her shoulders, but she felt like she had earned it. She WAS a dishonourable traitor to her people and she doubted she would ever be able to live that down.

Sleeping at night became something she rarely did. And even then, as soon as she closed her eyes, the cries of terror came back to haunt her.

They would haunt her for the rest of her life.

D278/5 BBY, The Ghost

Flames engulfing the night sky. Electric oranges and yellows, almost to white. Paralyzing fear. Kanan's eyes. The vibrant teal green trying to tell Ezra something, flames reflecting within them. Extreme heat hit him in a wave, self preservation instincts making Ezra turn away. Looking back. Gone. Kanan was gone, nothing but flames where he had been standing.

Ezra woke choking on the fear that had his heart in his throat. His body was covered in goosebumps and cold sweat. Out of desperation, he reached for his bond to Kanan.

Needing to know he was still there.

Needing to know it was just a dream.

A bad dream.

Kanan's eyes popped open and he sat up abruptly, sensing Ezra's distress, disturbing Hera from her spot on his chest. Almost instantly, Kanan sent reassuring feelings back down the bond.

Ezra was soothed. A little. But it wasn't enough. He needed to see that Kanan was really all right.

Kanan rushed off his bunk and slid his legs into his pajama bottoms in record time, waving a 'later' hand at Hera at her confused, "What's happening?"

Ezra jumped off his bunk, shaky legs almost not holding him up. Desperately smacking the button to open his door, he tumbled out into the hallway.

Kanan was already there, bond wide open between them. Kanan gathered Ezra into his arms and held the shaking boy close, hand rubbing soothingly up and down his back. "It's okay, Ezra. It's okay. It was just a dream."

Ezra looked up at his Master, tears welling in his eyes. "But it was so real, Kanan. You died. I know you did," he all but wailed before sagging into a forlorn whisper. "You can't die, Kanan. I can't lose anyone else."

Kanan held Ezra by the shoulders and made him look up at him, staring into the wide sapphire eyes that were trying to break his heart. "It was just a nightmare. I'm still here," he reassured. "And I have no plans on dying anytime soon. Hera would kill me if I did." Kanan half smiled, hoping Ezra would get the humour.

His smile grew wider as Ezra relaxed and snorted, swiping at his face with his pajama sleeve. "Yes, she would." Ezra took a deep breath. "Okay. Just a dream. I can live with that. Just... don't go playing with fire anytime soon. Okay?"

Kanan chuckled. "I think I can manage that. Making things burn is more Sabine's job anyway." Kanan nodded towards his room. "Come on, kid. Since we're up anyway, why don't we go meditate? Ease your mind a little more. You can give the Force all of your emotions. It will make you feel better."

Ezra nodded eagerly. He didn't want to go back to sleep now anyway; afraid the dream would come back.

D184/3 BBY, Atollon

A crippling sense of foreboding. A man with short hair holding back the flames. Hera's voice screaming "Kanan!" echoing over and over in Ezra's ears. The flames engulfed the night sky. Electric oranges and yellows, almost to white. Paralyzing fear. Kanan's eyes. The vibrant teal green trying to tell him something, flames reflecting within them. Extreme heat hit Ezra in a wave, self preservation instincts making him turn away. Looking back. Gone. Kanan was gone, nothing but flames where he had been standing.

Ezra opened his eyes to the dim light of the room. Goosebumps and cold sweat once again covering his body.

The dream was back. The one that haunted him. Showing up two or three times a year. One tiny new detail every time.

He didn't know how much more of this he could take. There had to be a way to stop this. Ezra was sure the Force was trying to show him something important.

The boy's violent shivering woke up Sabine. She could actually feel it vibrating the mattress. She rolled over and saw him curled into a ball. Reaching over she rolled him over with a hand on his shoulder and sucked in a breath from worry; Ezra's haunted eyes looked almost black in the dark, shining with unshed tears, and his bones were stark under the gaunt shadows of his skin.

Sabine ran a comforting hand through his shaggy hair and cupped his face, searching his eyes. "What is it, babe? Is it that dream again?"

Ezra just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, needing the comfort of her presence.

After a long time, the tension finally drained from his body and they both breathed easier.

Sabine's soothing fingers running through his hair over and over helped to distract him from his nightmare. Ezra breathed in the wonderful floral scent of her hair and basked in the curves pressed to his body. It was enough. More than enough, just to hold her; his beautiful cyar'ika.

Finally feeling like he could speak without losing it, he sucked in a breath for courage, staring up at the ceiling of her room. "I don't know what to do, Sabine. I've tried talking to Kanan about the dreams, but he thinks they're just nightmares. I'm sure they're not. One day, I don't know when, Kanan is going to die in a fire. A really big fire. The Force must be showing me this for a reason. I must be able to prevent it, or save him, or something. I have to. I could never live with myself if I didn't."

Sabine hugged him as best as she could, heart breaking for Ezra and the fate of Kanan. "It's okay, Ezra. We'll figure it out together. We won't let Kanan die. I promise. Hera would kill us if we did."

Ezra cracked a small smile at the running joke. Thank the Force for my warrior goddess. I don't know what I'd do without her.

They spent the next couple of hours just talking. Not wanting to fall back asleep and waste any of their stolen time together. (Kanan and Hera had taken the Phantom up into orbit for some alone time and Zeb was too busy snoring to notice that Ezra was missing.) Tomorrow he was going to Malachor with Kanan and Ahsoka. Maybe he would find some answers there.

Master Yoda must be sending us there for a reason. Right?

Same night, above Atollon...

Kanan made his way through the ship, wondering why it was pitch black with not a hint of light to be found. His hands reached out in front and to the sides, feeling his way along the hallway until he reached the door that opened into the center of the ship. He felt for the ladder that led to the top gun turret and then walked around it, feeling for the door to the common room. He heard the hiss of the door as it opened and tentatively stepped into the main gathering place of their family. A few more careful steps and he'd reached the door of the galley. He stopped with his hands on the door, but didn't open it yet, because he could hear crying.

The Jedi rested his forehead on the door as the sound of Hera's quiet sobs broke his heart.

He heard soothing sounds from Sabine. "It's going to be okay, Hera. They're strong. They'll both get over this sooner or later. All we can do is be there for them until then."

Hera choked back a sob and Kanan could picture her wiping the tears off her cheeks. "I know they will, Sabine. It's just so hard. Ezra's a mess and Kanan won't come out of his room. I'm sure they haven't talked to each other since they came back. I wish I could have stopped them from going to...

"Kanan. Kanan," he felt himself being shaken. "Wake up, love." Kanan groaned and opened his eyes to see Hera's concerned face looking down at him and noticed that his cheeks felt wet. He reached up and felt the tears. "Are you okay?" Hera asked.

Kanan shook his head as he sat up on the air mattress they'd laid on the floor of the Phantom and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I was having a vision, I think. Something bad is going to happen to Ezra and I, I just don't know what or why or when." Kanan sighed and pulled Hera into his lap, needing the comfort of her body against his. "You woke me up before the vision could finish."

Hera wrapped her arms around him and pressed her forehead into his neck. "I'm sorry, Kanan. But you were shaking and crying. I thought you were having another nightmare about your Master's death. I know you don't like those."

Kanan kissed the top of her head and hugged her tighter. "No. It's not your fault. I'd rather you wake me up then let me have a nightmare." He closed his eyes and thought back through his vision, but there was nothing in any of the words spoken that gave him any hint as to what could possibly have happened to make Hera so sad. "I don't know what to do now, Hera. What if it's the trip to Malachor tomorrow? Is the search for knowledge really worth it?"

She looked up at him with sympathetic emerald eyes, fingers combing through his long hair. "I can't answer that for you, love. But you know what I'd prefer you do."

He smiled wanly and kissed her forehead where worry lines were taking up residence. "I know, darling. I'm sorry." His gut knew he was going to Malachor tomorrow. Now he just had to wonder if he was going to regret it.

D185/3 BBY, Malachor

As Maul struck him across the eyes, the red lightsabre was the last thing Kanan saw.

As the pain sent him to his knees, Kanan knew two things:

First, he knew what his vision was about the night before.

And second, he was going to have to break the promise he'd made to Hera just before leaving Atollon this morning.

"We'll see each other again, I promise," had never sounded so much like a curse as it did when put on repeat in his mind on the flight back home to Atollon.

Kanan cradled a weeping Ezra in his arms, who in turn cradled a Sith holocron in his hands. Kanan's face was screaming in pain, but it had nothing on the pain in his heart that bounced from him to Ezra and back again as they mourned the loss of Ahsoka and Kanan's sight.

D187/3 BBY, Atollon

Dark. A neverending set of stairs that ran the length of a pyramid that rose into the abyss of the black crust above them. Red blades everywhere. Fighting for his life. For Kanan's and Ahsoka's life. Trusting Maul. Leaving Kanan behind for Sith knowledge. Maul attacking Kanan with his red blade. Kanan dodging at the last moment. What should have been a killing strike went across Kanan's eyes instead. Kanan's scream of pain. Ahsoka fights Maul. Kanan finds a mask. Puts it on. Faces Maul again. Kanan flows with the Force. Maul goes over the edge. Darth Vader. Evil. Cold. So Cold. Even worse than the Inquisitors. Lightsabre gone. Destroyed. Ahsoka fights the Sith Lord in black. The pyramid closing. Ahsoka left behind to die. Noooooo!

Ezra shot up from his bed, gasping for air, feeling like he'd been dipped in ice water and thrown out into space.

Why did I trust Maul? Why didn't the Force warn me about what would happen to Kanan's eyes?

Ezra knew that everything that had happened was his fault. All he wanted was a way to protect his family, to stop the dream of Kanan dying from happening, and it had all gone so very very wrong.

It was his talk with Yoda that had led them to Malachor. It was his trust in a stranger that had led to Kanan's loss of sight. He that had gotten Ahsoka killed by Darth Vader when she saved his useless butt.

The distraught teenager hugged his legs to his chest and glared at the source of his self hate, hidden in a helmet, the hint of red mocking him from the eyes. Ezra tried to connect to Kanan again for the hundredth time since they got back from Malachor, but the bond was closed from Kanan's side. Closed tight.

Kanan had removed himself so far from his connection to the Force, Ezra could barely feel him on the ship only a room away.

And that is my fault, too.

He desperately wished he could hold Sabine right now. But he didn't feel worthy to even be in her presence, least of all hold her so she could warm him up.

So he stayed in his bunk by himself, almost wishing for Zeb's snores below him so he'd feel less alone. Icy tears ran down his cheeks as Ezra felt frozen to the very soul.

D290/2 BBY, Atollon

The screams were haunting her again.

Picking up the Darksabre had brought it all back.

Sabine lay sleepless in her tent in the ebony night; a fitting reflection of her heart right now. Why had she agreed to this? To save a Mandalore that had rejected her for what she had done?

Going back was a really bad idea. Probably suicidal, but Rau did have a good point. With the Darksabre, maybe she could make things right again. But her whole being was whimpering at the very thought of facing her people again. Facing her family again.

Not able to stand being alone anymore, she squiggled out of her sleeping bag, pulled on her boots, and crawled out of her tent. She hadn't even bothered to get undressed aside from pulling off the armour plating; knowing that sleep was a bad idea right now.

Walking silently along the short line of tents, a glimmer of moonlight illuminating her way, she stopped at Ezra's tent. It didn't surprise her at all when he opened the flap and crawled out within moments of her arrival. He always knew where she was. It had freaked her out at first, but now she thought it was perfect. It made things a lot easier for them when they were stealing moments together. Somehow, he always knew when she needed him near, and he would just be there. Sometimes even when she thought she wanted to be alone, he would appear anyway.

Like earlier this evening when she'd stormed away from training.

She felt terrible for brushing him off, when all he was doing was trying to help. But he never blamed her for her bad moods. Ezra must be the most understanding guy in the galaxy to deal with her, and she knew it. She'd never find a man who suited her better.

Sabine held out her hand and twined her fingers with Ezra's as they walked silently through the camp and back to the rock where she had a breakdown earlier. After they sat on the rock with Sabine sideways in Ezra's lap, arms wrapped around each other in comfort, Sabine finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Ezra."

She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head and then lay his cheek on her hair again. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, Sabine. I understand this is hard for you. I wish I could take all your pain away and make it all better."

Sabine pulled back a little so she could see the gleam of his eyes. "Just having you hold me is enough. Thank you. With you by my side, I think I can do this. But I really wish I had never joined the Academy in the first place. My life would be so much different now." Then her eyes widened as she realized something. "No, I take it back. I never would have met you if I hadn't gone through everything I did first." She held the back of his head with one hand and cupped his cheek with the other. "You were worth all of it," she whispered.

"Sabine," Ezra choked out, before lowering his mouth to hers and exchanging a meltingly sweet kiss. He pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you, cyar'ika. And I'll wait for you, forever if I have to, while you fight for your planet. You keep me in the Light. I'd have been lost without you. I..."

Sabine stopped him from speaking once again about how perfect he thought she was with her mouth. She didn't think she was perfect, and right now, she really didn't want to hear it. She just wanted the comfort of his arms and lips and body. Pulling back just enough, she whispered against his mouth. "I love you too, babe. Now kiss me, everywhere."

Sabine felt his lips curl into a smile. "Gladly, my warrior goddess."

D3/1 BBY, Mandalore

Sabine struggled out of her sleeping bag, and slipped out of the tent. Hers was surrounded by a whole village of tents, where the gathering of clans had converged to prepare to destroy the Duchess. She couldn't sleep. The imagined screams of her dead Clanmates were mingling with the very real ones she had heard years ago. Sabine wandered silently towards the edge of camp. She'd almost lost her mother and brother. All because she'd thought she was such a genius, building new weapons for the Empire. The remembered whine of the Duchess powering up was enough to make her cringe in self loathing.

Walking aimlessly in the dark, over the barren earth of Mandalore, she eventually just came to a stop and sank to the ground. Wrapping her arms around her legs, and burying her face in her knees, she cried silently. Wanting desperately to scream her rage at the sky, but knowing that would draw attention and wake the others, she held it in. As she always had.

When Ezra's arms wrapped around her, and pulled her into his lap, she cried harder, grateful for his Jedi senses that always knew when she needed him.

They never said a word that night. Ezra just held her until it was time to get ready for battle.

It was enough. It was everything.

And then they finally freed Mandalore from the grasp of Imperial tyranny and her from her nightmares.

And Sabine found the Mand'alor she'd been searching for.

She thought it fitting that it was the sister of the original Duchess.

D7/1 BBY, Saw Gerrera's U-Wing

A crippling sense of foreboding. Hera in prisoner orange, embracing Kanan in the dark. The squeal of blaster fire from a Walker. A short haired, clean shaven Kanan runs to stop the flames with the Force. Hera's voice screaming "Kanan!" echoing over and over in Ezra's ears. Hera runs to stop him or help him or die with him; he doesn't know. Kanan stops her, dividing his attention between her and the fireball. They share an endless moment before he throws her back towards Ezra and he catches her.

The flames engulf the night sky. Electric oranges and yellows, almost to white. Paralyzing fear. Kanan's eyes. No longer cloudy. In his moment of sacrifice, the Force heals him, so he can see one last time. The vibrant teal green focused on Hera and Ezra, trying to tell them something, flames reflecting within them. Ezra screams down their bond, but Kanan's closed it, not wanting Ezra to feel him die. Kanan pushes the gunship away from the fire with everything he has, turning his back to the explosion. Extreme heat hit Ezra in a wave, self preservation instincts making him turn away. Looking back. Gone. Kanan was gone, nothing but flames where he had been standing. Ezra yells at Sabine to, "Go! GO!" determined to save what was left of his family. He slumped to the floor, holding Hera in his arms as she sobs, the space where Kanan used to be inside of him empty. So Empty.

Ezra woke with a jolt, and almost fell off the bench he was sitting on, in the galley of Saw's ship. He was shaking and freezing and tears were running down his face. Ezra reached for his bond to Kanan, sighing in relief when he felt it there, faint but sure, because of how far apart they were right now.

Wiping the tears off his cheeks, he looked over at Sabine, asleep with her head on her arms, on the table, sitting beside him. He was loathe to wake her, but he needed to tell her. Every little detail he could remember might be important, the one thing that might make the difference.

"Sabine," Ezra said quietly, as he gently shook her shoulder.

Sabine sat up with a gasp, one of her blasters magically in her hand and pointed at him.

Ezra tried to grin, but really didn't have the heart for it. "Hey, it's just me. Please don't shoot me."

Sabine sighed. "You know better than to wake me like that when we're on a strange ship, Ezra." She put her blaster away and raised an eyebrow at the half eaten food they'd been too tired to finish. "What is it?" she asked, noticing the tear tracks on his face.

"I had the dream again," Ezra said solemnly. "I need to tell you. We need to be ready. I feel like this might happen soon. What I know for sure now is that the day Hera wears a prisoner uniform and Kanan cuts off all of his hair is the day we need to start being extra careful." Ezra's voice broke and he trembled as he continued in a barely audible whisper. "It's horrible, Sabine. You have no idea how hard it is to see Kanan die over and over. I am not going to let this happen. Whatever the cost."

Sabine reached for Ezra and pulled him into her arms, not caring if Saw or his pilot came in and caught them embracing. Ezra needed her. She rubbed his back soothingly as he cried quietly into her shoulder.

She was almost looking forward to the reality of Ezra's nightmare coming to pass just so she didn't have to watch him break like this anymore.

D20/1 BBY, Lothal

When Kanan came out of the cave with his hair shorn off and his face bare, Ezra had to hide his fear from Kanan.

This was it. This was the day he'd been dreading for years. It was actually coming true.

He exchanged uneasy glances with Sabine. She knew what Kanan's new look meant. It was do or die time. Literally. They were either going to save Kanan from sacrificing himself or die trying.

As Sabine flew up to the giant fuel pod in their appropriated gunship, she saw the scene Ezra had described: Kanan and Hera embracing, Hera wearing a prisoner uniform. Her heart leapt into her throat. This was it. THE moment they'd been anticipating for years. "Ezra!" she called back to him.

Ezra knew what she meant. Everything was the same. Just like in his dream. Vision. Whatever.

He set his chin and shoulders in determination.

He wasn't losing Kanan. He'd already lost one father; there was no way he was letting his second father die too.

"Hey! Enough of that. Time to go!" he called to them. He watched anxiously as they walked far too slowly towards the gunship. "Come on, come on," he encouraged them.

"What's the hurry?" Hera asked as she put her kalikori on the floor and started to climb in.

Ezra didn't get the chance to answer.

The expected crippling sense of foreboding hit him. Ezra fought past it and grabbed both Kanan and Hera with the Force while yelling at Sabine, "GO! NOW!" As Sabine turned the gunship away, the shot from the Walker hit the fuel pod, and Ezra dragged a very surprised Kanan and Hera into the trooper bay with every bit of concentration he had.

The millisecond they were in, he turned his attention to the flames roaring towards them. Even though he'd only had a little practice with the skill, he raised a Force shield and wrapped it around the gunship. After seeing Kanan use a Force shield on the flames in his dreams for years, he knew it was possible, so he just did it, desperation and determination helping him pull on the Force as needed.

When Kanan stood and added his strength to the shield, Ezra knew he'd done the impossible: He'd beaten a vision that had plagued him for what felt like an eternity.

After they cleared the blast radius of the fuel depot, Kanan turned to Ezra. "How did you know that was going to happen?"

Ezra grinned, exuberant that Kanan was still with him. "You know that dream I tried to tell you about all those years ago? The one where you died in a fire?" Kanan nodded, curious. "It wasn't a dream. It was a vision. And I saw it over and over and over again through the years. The Force was doing its best to tell me that I could save you. So I did."

Ezra umphed and almost fell over as a Hera shaped missile launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you! I don't think I could live without Kanan. Survive, yes. But live? No."

Ezra knew exactly how she felt, as he glanced towards Sabine at the front of the transport. The months she'd spent on Krownest was exactly that. Surviving. But not living.

Kanan wrapped his arms around his Padawan and his soulmate, hugging them both and thanking the Force for how much he had been blessed.

He sent a little bit of his joy down the bond to Ezra because he couldn't help himself and felt Ezra send some back, making him smile. He had his Hera back from the clutches of Thrawn and Price, and he had the best Padawan ever; one who was willing to die for him to save his life.

Kanan had been having feelings of foreboding for months, finally coalescing into semi concrete visions of his family coping without him while feeling waves of grief. He had accepted the fact that he was probably going to die today. All that mattered to him was that Hera, Ezra, and Sabine survived. His life meant nothing without them; his soulmate and his kids.

And Hera, she was carrying their child. Not something they were planning on, but he had rejoiced anyway the first day he'd felt the new life force after waking up to a dream of an adorable young boy with emerald green hair and Kanan's skin tone.

He'd been trying to tell her before she left for Yavin 4 with the Defender's flight recorder, but they'd been interrupted, and she'd had to leave. He'd tried to tell her again not even half an hour ago, but he was once again interrupted by the Noghri assassin.

Now that he had a moment, he focused his senses on Hera and the tiny life within her.

Oh. No. No, no, no.

Perhaps there was a reason I never had the chance to tell her, since this would devastate her if she knew.

The flicker of a life signature within hers was dying and then was no more. Feeling helpless at the loss, Kanan wanted to rage at the Empire for torturing his woman to the point of killing his child, but instead he closed his eyes and drew the Force and Hera closer to him for comfort.

He told himself the time wasn't right to raise a child anyway, with the war with the Empire getting more intense every day, even as his blind eyes stung from the nonexistent tears he couldn't shed due to scarred tear ducts.

Kanan drew comfort from the knowledge that they could have more children someday.

When the time was right.

D26/1 BBY, Lothal

"If you truly wish to save Lothal, Commander Bridger, the only term I'll accept is your immediate and unconditional surrender."

"I shall demonstrate my power. Open fire."

"Enough! I surrender!"

"Come alone. If you attempt any... heroics, I will resume the bombardment and destroy your city, and then your friends."

"Looks like you lose, Thrawn."

"Whatever happens next, happens to both of us."

"That's the idea."

"The purrgil! Is this you?"

"They're about to jump into hyperspace!"

"Ezra, get out of there right now; that's an order!"

"I can't do that."

"And remember, the Force will be with you. Always."

"Oh, hells no," Kanan growled as he opened his eyes from his morning meditation, feeling anything but relaxed.

Even knowing he wasn't getting the full picture, just snatches of Thrawn's, Ezra's, Sabine's, and Hera's voices and their accompanying images, he knew there was no way he was letting his Padawan go out in a blaze of glory like that.

If Ezra is allowed to save me from sacrificing myself, then I'm bloody well allowed to save Ezra.

Kanan strode back to camp in time to hear Ezra say, "I had a vision. The Emperor's sending Thrawn back to Lothal. It's now or never."

"Then it's never," Ryder started to say.

But Kanan cut him off before he could get into the rant Kanan could sense building inside the older man. "No. Ezra's right. His plan is solid. It will work. I can sense that Hera's on her way back, so that part's taken care of. And you don't need an army to get into the Dome, you just need Price."

Ryder huffed and glared. "All right. I'll make the call, but kriff, Jarrus, you two better be right about this."

"We are," Ezra and Kanan said together, sharing a quick smile after at the unplanned unison.

Ezra's plan worked like a dream.

Price was captured with the help of a few more friends and some lothwolves and Kanan had his Hera back after she'd been gone for two days on a recruitment run.

Unfortunately, there wasn't time for more than a quick kiss and a very brief explanation of what he was about to attempt as everyone prepared for their roles in the upcoming liberation of Lothal. But Kanan was pretty happy to get that.

When everyone was loaded in the appropriated gunships, Kanan lingered behind, getting confused looks.

"Aren't you coming?" Ezra asked.

Kanan shook his head, still missing the sway of his ponytail as he did so. (Hera was right; he definitely needed to let it grow back. But she did like his clean-shaven jaw, so that was something.) "You're not the only one who had a vision this morning. There's something else I need to do."

Ezra studied him for a moment before nodding once. "Alright. Be careful. I'll see you later then?"

Kanan smiled. "You will," resolution firmly set in his tone. Kanan nodded at Hera through the transparisteel window, sharing a look for a second, before she nodded and took off. Her transport was quickly followed by the second ship that was being piloted by Ketsu.

Kanan turned around and found Mart, Vizago, and Wolffe giving him identical 'what the kriff?' looks.

Kanan just smirked and then walked away, out into the grassland, heading north.

Within a minute, a lothwolf was walking beside him, one of the darker signatured ones.

Kanan stopped walking and faced the wolf.

"I'm guessing you know what I'm going to ask of you," Kanan thought to the wolf.

"Yes," came back a very clear reply in his mind.

"Thank you."

The wolf nodded once, regally, and then knelt down so Kanan could climb on its back. It rose to its feet in a fluid motion and started walking again.

Within moments, Kanan could see the portal building within the Force in the ground in front of them. Kanan marvelled once again at the power that these wolves wielded so effortlessly. They were perhaps more the children of the Force than the Jedi could ever claim to be.

A flash and a dizzying ride later, the wolf was standing in the World Between Worlds and Kanan was dismounting and pretending he wasn't more than slightly nauseous.

This was now Kanan's fourth trip into the portal land, even if he was the only one who actually remembered where the wolves had taken them so many times. (The others all had hazy memories that involved voices but no details.)

The first was when the wolves had used the portals to transport them from one side of the planet to the other just after Hera flew away with the TIE Defender data.

The second was when the wolves used the portals again to transport them to the Jedi Temple so they could save it from the Empire.

The third was when he, Ezra, and Sabine had figured out how the mural in the Temple worked and it opened yet another portal to the World Between Worlds. And... Ezra saved Ahsoka, making Ezra's day, even though she ended up going back to Malachor. At least she didn't die at the hands of Vader.

One of Hera's side trips over the last couple of days had been to Malachor, to see if Ahsoka was still there, but she couldn't find her. Kanan could only assume his friend had found her own way off the dreadful planet and that he'd see her again soon enough.

Now, Kanan had a new mission.

He started walking up the pathway of light, trusting in the Force to help him.

That's when he heard the voice he'd been waiting for coming from a portal that activated just as he walked past it.

"Ezra? Ezra, get out of there right now; that's an order!"

Kanan froze at the sound of Hera's voice and whirled back to the portal.

"Hera, I have to see this through to the end."

Kanan honestly couldn't be prouder of his Padawan right now, he was showing such maturity and an incredible willingness to sacrifice himself for the planet and his family. But he still wasn't letting him do it.

"Ezra, please, get out of there!" Sabine's voice was heartbreaking in that moment, yet another reason Kanan couldn't let Ezra do this.

He stepped halfway through the portal, ignoring the immediate dizziness that besieged him and held out his hand to the fiercely glowing signature of his Padawan.

"I can't do that," Ezra said, tone full of determination as he built a Force shield around the bridge of the Chimaera with his willpower alone.

Kanan was impressed. "Yes, you can."

Ezra's head turned, and his signature flashed with shock as he took in what had to be the sight of only half a Kanan. "Kanan!"

Thrawn, wrapped in the tentacles of the purrgil, seemed equally as shocked. "I hate Force Users," he muttered, struggling to get free even as the purrgil and the Star Destroyer jumped into hyperspace.

Kanan smirked at Thrawn, giving him a quick one fingered salute, and then smiled at his Padawan and waved his hand in a 'hurry up' motion. "Come on, kid. You've got better things to do than got lost in space with Thrawn, trust me."

Ezra glanced at their enemy. "What about him?"

"Just turn on the emergency shielding. He'll be fine."

Ezra laughed. "Why didn't I think of that?" He looked around the bridge that had dozens of consoles in it with wide eyes and then stared at Thrawn expectantly.

Thrawn nodded his chin at the control panel by the bridge door, barely suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. Emergency shield controls are standard by every doorway in an Imperial ship. How does Bridger not know that?

"Right," Ezra muttered, still concentrating on his shield as he backed up over the bodies he'd made. He glanced behind him and pressed the button with the right marking on it, causing a blue shield to shimmer over all the broken windows, flowing around the purrgil tentacles seamlessly.

He then give Thrawn his own one fingered salute as he mentally reminded the purrgil to take Thrawn as far away as possible before letting him go. "Good luck, Thrawn," he called as he grabbed Kanan's waiting hand and was pulled into the World Between Worlds.

They woke up to a massive black nose sniffing at them.

Ezra stroked the muzzle fondly, smiling, before he rose to his feet and helped Kanan to his. Having stood in the portal for so long, Kanan was still woozy looking and kind of pale.

The wolf knelt down and they climbed on.

Ezra gave the wolf a pat. "Take us home, buddy," he said out loud. To our girls.

Ezra couldn't wait to see Sabine's face when he returned from his apparent trip to who knows where. He could almost guarentee she was going to punch him for scaring her. And then, when they got a minute alone, she was going to kiss him senseless.

He was very much looking forward to it.