Ahsoka hesitated for a moment, her fingers lingering over the door release button just outside Rex's room. She felt no vibrations of movement through the wall, but a white noise now filled the silence that she knew to be the ripples in the Force made by an unsettled mind. The hesitation only lasted a moment - Ahsoka felt her body respond to her quickened pulse, preparing itself for impact. Biting down on her lower lip, she refused to allow herself to dwell on what had happened. It was unproductive at best, and she knew very well that clouded judgement was something she could not afford. Crouching slightly, she settled into a defensive stance that she hoped she wouldn't end up needing and pressed the button on the wall before her.

The door hissed open and Ahsoka took careful stock of the room, easing out of her tense position. Rex was motionless on the floor, leaning slumped against the bed where he'd dropped in exhaustion. Still cautious, Ahsoka crossed the room and knelt at Rex's side, placing two fingers against the artery at his throat and checking for a pulse. It was there, faint but constant, and from her spot beside him, she could just make out the faint rise and fall of his chest. He'd lost consciousness, but he hadn't gone out without a struggle - he'd been fighting the binders, and his wrists were raw and bloodied from the unyielding metal. He must have been too frenzied to know what he was doing, and the thought unnerved her. Ahsoka rose, frowning. She had no real way of knowing how long he'd be unconscious, and her work would become much more challenging if he woke in the same state she'd left him. Moving quickly, she went in search of the medical kit and returned with the last of the bacta patches and a sleeping injection. The idea of having to sedate Rex troubled her, but it troubled her far less than the idea of having to fight him.

Removing the chafing binders, Ahsoka carefully patched up his wrists. The cuts weren't deep enough to be dangerous, but despite the fact that he'd asked her to cuff him, Ahsoka still felt guilty for leaving him this way. She only had one shot of the sedative, and given Rex's current state, she decided to save it, tucking the ampule into one of the deep pockets on her work leggings.

"I'm going to make this right," she muttered, crouching beside him and pulling one of his arms across her shoulders. He was heavy and her body struggled against the dead weight, but she felt the warmth of the Force's ancient fire in her limbs, and with its strength, she stood. Half pushing, half dragging, Ahsoka found her way through the darkness of the home they'd painstakingly built. She tried not to let the memories distract her, but all the same she saw them - Rex working silently in the fields, back bowed, eyes focused and impossible to read. Or maybe they hadn't been. Maybe she'd just forgotten how. Unconsciously, her back straightened a tiny bit further. The door to the hangar slid open, and the overhead lights hummed to life. Ahsoka froze, her eyes immediately scanning Rex for a change in breathing that might indicate the light had disturbed him. No change. Reassured for the moment, she took a moment to adjust her grip on Rex's arm. She would never make it back to the ruins in time carrying him this way, but the speeder was on its last legs as it was- it could barely make the trip in to Khoonda without falling apart these days, and the terrain that led to the ruins was uneven and rocky in places. Scanning the clutter of the hangar, her eyes settled on a small, metal sled in the far corner of the room. It was a repulsor powered sled that she'd seen Rex use to collect and transport damaged harvesting droids from the fields for repair. It was a long, concave surface, probably just large enough to transport a man, with a long bar at one end designed to enable the user to guide the device. It wasn't perfect, but it was going to have to do.

Ahsoka dragged Rex towards the repulsor sled, reaching out with the Force experimentally to switch the device on. The gesture was clumsy and unfocused but it did the job, and the sled rose silently, stopping in its ascent a few feet above the ground. Taking a breath to steady herself, Ahsoka halted beside it and let the Force dance across her fingers and around Rex. Cautiously, she guided it, allowing herself to release her grip on him as she felt the Force catch him. For a moment, it was all she could do to hold him, suspended. And then, the sparks within her catching fire, she lifted him gently and set him down on the floating platform's bed. Her hand trembled as she wiped sweat from her forehead, but she steadied it by grasping the sled's bar.

"Good thing... you're asleep, Rexy," she muttered, swinging the bulk of the sled around and guiding a Force push towards the door release switch on the opposite wall of the hangar. Still shaky, but the push found its mark slightly faster nonetheless. "You'd never forgive me for dumping you in this thing if you were conscious."

Ducking under the still-opening door, Ahsoka leaned against the sled, guiding it into the darkness. Despite her exhaustion, she felt a power in her steps again as her feet found the path again. The crisp morning surrounded her, and she was startled when she seemed to feel it breathe. It was so familiar, the way her consciousness seemed to extend beyond her. Her body was no longer the ferrocrete tomb she'd built for herself, but it was the echoes of the world that surrounded her that resonated within her again that left her breathless. Before her, the path wound its way up into the darkness. Ahsoka could feel ripples and distortions surrounding Rex despite his unconscious state, but the sensation was difficult to comprehend. She'd learned to sense the Force surrounding so many forms of life, and she'd become familiar with Rex's presence. Each of the clones she'd come to know had unique presences, but she'd come to appreciate his as she learned to work alongside him. It had always calmed her and given her focus, but the disruptions she felt around him now were foreign and chaotic. She tightened her grip on the bar, willing herself to move faster.

Rationally, the quality of the light as it dimly illuminated the approaching ruins indicated to Ahsoka that relatively little time had elapsed. She had made the round trip quickly, all things considered, and she was distantly aware that dawn was nearly breaking. She could have sworn that Rex stirred as she started her approach towards the silhouetted ruins, and she placed an uncertain hand on his forehead, wishing it could smooth the distortions away. It was probably useless, but it was all she could think to do.

"Exile?"

Her voice sounded hollow and distant in her own mind, as though it was being transmitted across the galaxy. The word echoed for a moment as it reverberated through the ruins, and then fell silent. No response. Biting her lower lip, Ahsoka closed the distance between herself and the pathway she'd taken to reach the stone circle, weighing her options. Something didn't feel right. She perched on a boulder to catch her breath for a moment and considered what she knew. The Exile had told her that this place was once a Jedi enclave, and that the stone circle had been a council chamber. That made sense, and given the Exile's connection to this place, it was unsurprising that she appeared so clearly. The Force was strong in these ruins, and it gave her form. Taking her eyes from Rex for a moment, she scanned the rubble for a moment, trying to jog her memory. The stories Master Nu had told her had been really only that - stories. This enclave had been abandoned for thousands of years, and that was enough time for any story to take on a mythic quality. Still, she mused, there were certain things which she could safely assume. The Exile had mentioned that the chambers in which the Prodigal Knight's mind had been reforged were somewhere beneath the remains of the council chambers. An operation of that kind would have required deep concentration and a reasonable amount of secrecy - the chamber would be somewhere protected, deep underground. The idea of dragging Rex through the catacombs of an ancient and unstable ruin didn't fill her with confidence, especially with her connection to the Force still healing, but it was her only choice. She would have to be good enough.

Are you ready, Little Exile?

The sudden voice startled her, but surprise faded to relief almost immediately.

"I am."

The Exile's ghost stood motionless over Rex, her face impassive.

His conflict is powerful, unnatural. If you are to restore his balance, we must move quickly. Come with me.

Ahsoka slipped away from her perch on the boulder and took up her place at the repulsor sled's bar.

"Lead the way."

Without another word, the Exile turned and glided around the outskirts of the ruins. Ahsoka moved quickly behind her, trying to keep her eyes trained to the faint blue form in the reddish light of daybreak. She still wasn't entirely certain she could trust the Exile. She'd been warned about the Dark Side, the way it corrupted those who were hopeless and desperate when they saw no other way. She still didn't know who the Exile had been in life. Why had she been exiled? And why had she returned? Dantooine's sun was just beginning to crest over the plains, bathing the ruins in a deep crimson glow. As Ahsoka rounded a corner, she could see the ghost of the Exile waiting for her ahead, barely perceptible in the light. Behind her, nestled in the rubble, was a narrow, dark opening. As Ahsoka moved closer, she could see that the opening was not simply a gap in the rocks. Its edges were too uniform, and despite the weathering they had taken over the years, Ahsoka could still make out faint carvings on the two slabs that were wedged a few feet apart. It had been a door once.

This door leads to the interior of the enclave. Follow me, and be vigilant. Those who built this structure were wise, but even the most innovative constructions cannot withstand time and weather forever. I will lead you as far as the chamber. The Force is still powerful there, and while I do not know the techniques to heal your Soldier, I may help you reach those who do.

"You mean... the old council? The ones who redeemed the Prodigal Knight? But... they're dead! How can they help Rex if they're dead?"

They are as dead as I am, Little Exile, she agreed solemnly, but I sense that this will not be the greatest obstacle you will face in securing their help. Now, come.

The spirit turned to go, and Ahsoka followed, giving Rex's shoulder a gentle squeeze even though she was well aware the gesture was more for herself than it was for him. Standing on the threshold of the doorway, she took one final look at the rising sun before returning her gaze to the gloom of the Enclave's interior.

"Exile... why are you helping me?"

The moment of silence that followed seemed deafening, but the response came through at last.

Because I share more than just a sentence of exile with you. I bore the wound that you bear once. They told me it was weakness, that it would destroy me. But it did not. I bore the pain of my injury alone for so long, but in the end, I was never truly alone. And neither are you.

If it was a trick, it was one she couldn't detect. Ahsoka felt no malevolence from the Exile, and at this point, she needed to believe the words the ghost spoke. Giving the repulsor sled a gentle nudge, she stepped into the darkness of the enclave, following the glow of the Exile. Reaching out with the Force once more, she sensed her way carefully through the cavernous hallway, using the power that flowed through her to amplify her echolocation. The reverberations caused by her footsteps were subtle, but they gave her a rough idea of where the walls rose around here, and perhaps more importantly, where they had collapsed. Ahsoka felt the gentle slope of the pathway beneath her, and the gradual drop in ambient temperature that suggested that they were moving deeper underground. There were traces of small lifeforms here are there: she could feel them flicker in the Force as they moved, but she sensed that they were harmless - probably just rodents that had found their way into the tunnels for shelter. She could no longer see Rex despite his position right before her, but his state remained the same. Absently, one hand drifted to the pocket she'd tucked the sedative ampule into, feeling reassured at its presence. If he woke, she would have just one chance to sedate him for the procedure... whatever that involved.

The Exile was waiting for her, and it appeared as though the ghost's faint glow illuminated another door. Ahsoka moved around the repulsor sled until she was standing right in front of the surface, and placed her hand carefully on the cool, smooth stone. It felt as though it was in one piece, although she couldn't be certain that moving it open would be safe for the structural integrity of the building. She had no idea how far underground they now were, and the way the rubble had eroded and shifted, the slightest movement could cause a cave-in. She could feel the Exile's gaze upon her, watching her without comment. Setting her jaw in determination, Ahsoka gave the doors an experimental nudge. She could hear the ancient mechanisms grind, and she blinked as a layer of dust dislodged itself from the seam of the door and stung her eyes. The doors certainly were heavy, but they'd moved. She only needed to open them wide enough to bring the repulsor sled through, no wider than her arms length. The Force eddied in her fingertips at her command, and extending outward, she found her mark, pushing the great doors slowly apart. She listened carefully to the sounds of the cavern, expecting at any moment to hear the groaning or cracking of rock and ancient metal under stress, but it did not come. Instead, she found herself squinting, her eyes struggling to adjust to a strange, luminescent glow that emanated from the other side of the doors.

"What in Space is that..."

The Exile smiled faintly and drifted effortlessly through the gap Ahsoka had made.

It is the Force made manifest. Approach and see for yourself .

Ahsoka returned to her place behind the sled and moved it through the door, letting her eyes adjust to the soft light on the other side. The walls and ceiling of the hallway beyond the door were encrusted with innumerable glowing crystals, each one giving off a distinct, shimmering glow. Ahsoka felt her breath catch in her throat for a moment as she took in the sparkling cavern, feeling a surge of warmth and life spread within her.

"Force crystals... there are so many of them..."

This place has seen little disturbance for thousands of years, but the Force has remained powerful here even so, nourishing these crystals. Some have grown simply from the ambient Force that resonates here, but others embody the essence of moments, events, individuals.

"How much further is it to the chamber, Exile?"

Ahsoka could sense Rex's Force distortions changing and becoming more agitated as the moved into the room, and she was eager to get him to the chamber before he came to. She couldn't imagine this place was soothing for him in his current state - even she was finding the presence of so many Force crystals unsettling. Not all of them were comforting presences, and some were making her feel particularly on edge.

Not much further now.

Glad she cleared that up, Ahsoka scowled to herself, following the Exile around another corner. The ground was sloping again, and in the light of the crystals, Ahsoka could see openings in the walls that branched away from the main corridor. Some of the smaller openings were barricaded with rubble, others continued on into darkness, and some simply terminated in barren little hollows that Ahsoka assumed had once been rooms. She wondered how large the enclave had been in its prime, what its students had been like. After thousands of years, she still felt the immense presence they had left behind, infused into the very foundation of the structure itself. Her mind drifted suddenly to the temple on Coruscant. She'd heard of the assault it had suffered. None had survived. Perhaps it would look like this someday. The thought chilled her, and she realised she'd been clutching the bar of the sled much tighter than she knew was necessary.

The branching tunnels and rooms had begun to thin, and with a final turn and downward slope, the hallway widened out, sweeping downwards and culminating in a pair of enormous metal doors. Unlike the rest of the architecture in the enclave's ruins, these doors appeared remarkably sturdy and unscathed, their Jedi design simple but effective. Large crystals spiked the walls and ceiling here, and in equal intervals along the sweep towards the doors, enormous crystal clusters erupted from what appeared to have once been stone plinths. Ahsoka realised that they must have grown from statues that once stood in their place. The Exile waited, suddenly seeming small before the large, dark doors, and Ahsoka picked her way down the slope until she stood just before the flickering spectre.

We have arrived, Little Exile. This is the chamber in which the Prodigal Knight was restored. There are echoes here that can guide you further than I can.

Ahsoka looked down at Rex, feeling the way his mind stirred and rebelled at the darkness he faced. He needed this. There was no other way now.

"I am ready."

Without a further word, the ghost bowed her head, extending a slender arm to indicate a sleek panel beside the door. Leaving Rex for a moment, Ahsoka moved closer to the panel, inspecting it carefully. It showed no signs of a switch or activation lever - a precaution she assumed was designed as an extra level of security to prevent intruders. The Holocron library at the Temple had a similar door locking mechanism, but it required a very skilled Jedi to open. Ahsoka had never learned how to unlock the door herself. Uncertainly, she raised a hand to try and sense the mechanism, the Force an extension of her fingers. She wasn't entirely certain she'd be able to understand such an ancient mechanism, but she did her best to silence the doubts in her mind and focus on the subtle feedback she was receiving. Her mind had been difficult to tame since the beginning - she remembered her old masters telling her time and again to be patient, to listen. Her own master had been as impulsive as she had been then, and in the wake of the war, she'd begun to understand that this hadn't always been an advantage. Still, he hadn't been her only source of instruction, and in the silence that followed the battles she'd known her whole life, she'd been grateful for the teachings of Yoda, Master Secura, Master Sinube, Master Plo, Master Kenobi... they'd often reminded her of patience, duty, and the strength that comes from the ability to be silent in body and mind. Fear never made a problem easier to solve - it clouded the mind and made solutions seem impossibly distant. She reminded herself of this almost forcefully as she felt her way through the lock mechanism. Somewhere down the line, she'd shut that wisdom out. Having her ties to the Jedi and to the Force severed really had been like losing a sense. She'd always had a strong sense of direction, but the futility that had followed the death of those who had guided her had thrown her from her course for a time. Nothing would ever be the same, but perhaps that was for the best.

Closing her eyes, Ahsoka gently nudged the mechanism with the Force, feeling the resistance of ancient sliding parts loosening from their grooves. A few of the device's parts trembled under her pressure, and she eased up, nervous that she might break the lock. One small, fragile pin seemed to be all that remained in holding the lock shut. Biting her lip in concentration, she gently encircled the part with the Force and slid it upwards. Something clicked, and Ahsoka held her breath, fearing that she'd applied too much pressure. Without the ability to see the parts, she had to rely entirely on a sense that was only just returning. For a long and painful moment, there was no change in the mechanism. And then, a soft hiss. Cracking one eye open, Ahsoka exhaled as she watched the lock shift, dust trickling from the grooves as it picked up speed. A final click. The doors did not open. She sighed, not entirely surprised that this should be the case. The rest of the temple was in ruins, nothing more than hollowed caves and crumbling thresholds. Somehow, these doors had been built more securely, and time had worn them less than the rest of the structure. Still, it would have been a long shot for the opening mechanism to have remained intact. Bracing herself, Ahsoka reached out one more time, pushing the Force into the barely perceptible gap between the halves of the door. They were incredibly heavy, but she knew she only needed an opening wide enough for the repulsor sled.

"Come on..."

The door rasped in its groove, and small pieces of rubble dislodged from the ceiling as it slid apart. The gap was still relatively small, but moving the stone slabs was causing vibration and damage in a structure that was thousands of years old. If anything dislodged a vital part of the structure, the entire chamber could collapse. Ahsoka frowned and stopped pushing, wrapping her arms around herself and making her way back towards Rex. He was still unconscious as far as she could see, but the crystals that lit the chamber illuminated a fine sheen on his forehead, and she could see his jaw clenching and unclenching with a considerable amount of force. Pushing the repulsor sled gently towards the opening she'd made in the doorway, she could see that the gap was slightly too narrow for the sled. She knew she could get herself and Rex through the gap, but she hoped she wouldn't have much further to go on the other side. Sitting on the edge of the sled, Ahsoka moved Rex's legs gently, pulling him up into a sitting position. She wrapped an arm around his waist and gripped one of his arms tightly across her shoulders, bearing his weight as cautiously as she could manage. His head rolled forward, and she heard him groan through clenched teeth.

"Almost there, Rex, hang on..."

Focusing on each footstep, Ahsoka crossed the threshold into the chamber, moving sideways through the narrow gap and bringing Rex through beside her. The chamber was dark, and she halted just within the doorway, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light. The walls and surfaces of the room were black and faintly reflective, and the crystals in this room emanated a cold blue white light. The air felt thick, and Ahsoka felt as though she was under water, surrounded by an invisible but nonetheless stifling presence. Beside her, Rex tensed, stirring weakly. Ahsoka frowned, feeling his mental state shift and become more erratic.

"Not yet... don't wake up yet..."

Something that felt like a breeze played over Ahsoka's skin. In the darkness before her she could just make out a long table carved from the same glossy black material as the walls and ceilings. Reflected on its surface, low hanging crystals shed an eerie light on what must have been an operating table. It was a sort of medical bay, but aside from the table and the light of the room, the room seemed vast and void. If she hadn't known better, Ahsoka would have guessed that the table had been an altar. The resemblance disturbed her, but she was at a loss for a better plan. Moving forward, Ahsoka brought Rex to the edge of the table, easing him down onto the cold, smooth surface. In the pale light, he looked pallid and lifeless, but his ragged breathing was indication that he was closer to consciousness than she needed him to be. Suddenly, Ahsoka sensed the thickness in the air condensing, forming. The Force here was powerful, and heavy with emotion, memory, pain...

"...'Soka..."

She jolted, refocusing on Rex. He was awake, his eyes wide and unsettled. His fists were clenched, and the perspiration on his forehead remained. She could sense him fighting for control, and the sensation pained her.

"Where... are we? What... what's going on...?"

She placed a hand over his and opened her mouth to respond, but as she did so, the cavern's swirling energy manifested before her, settling from chaos into a human silhouette. Immediately, Ahsoka knew that this was not the ghost of the Exile. This form was clearly male, and the force of its presence gave her pause. The Exile had been comforting, but this ghost felt different. She felt resistance.

This place has been sealed. Your presence is not welcome here. As guardian of this place, I must ask you to leave.

Ahsoka met his gaze squarely. He was the ghost of an older man with narrow eyes and a tight lipped scowl, yet by his dress, he'd been a jedi once himself, perhaps thousands of years ago. He was ancient and clearly powerful given his ability to appear to her this way, but she'd come too far to turn back now. Around him, in the darkness, she sensed other presences watching - less physically distinct, but no less powerful. They seemed to be speaking all at once, but their voices were difficult to discern. She focused on the man's ghostly figure, doing her best to ignore the growing murmur from the void.

"I am sorry to disturb you, but I need your help. My friend needs your help..."

"Ahsoka, what... what is..." Rex breathed, his voice hoarse as he struggled to focus. Ahsoka tightened her grip on his hand, hoping he'd feel comforted despite his condition.

I can sense what you've come for, but I cannot help you. Once this room repaired a damaged mind, but at unimaginable cost to the galaxy. The procedure, despite its perfect performance, ultimately failed. Where we were a council of masters, you are but one failed padawan. This power would overwhelm you and destroy him. That is an illogical risk to take.

Your estimation of others fails you in death as it did in life, Master.

Ahsoka turned to find the Exile had materialized at her side, her gaze fixed on the male ghost. The Exile's presence was calm, but just as unyielding as her Master's .

You assume this learner's motivation is power, as you once assumed was mine. You fail to see that it is compassion behind her actions, not greed.

What she seeks requires mastery of the Force's subtlest flows. There is a recklessness in her that cannot be tamed, and emotions are her weakness. She yields to them. This is the kind of weakness that the darkness preys upon. She is no Jedi.

Compassion is the heart of the Jedi, Master. In life you thought it a weakness. You saw it in me, too, but your condemnation was your own undoing. Her compassion is the crystal. This place must supply her with the blade.

The male Jedi did not answer immediately, his face drawn in an expression that mirrored one Ahsoka assumed he must have often worn in life. Her heart was pounding forcefully, and she kept her eyes fixed on him, hope aching in her chest. She could bear it no longer.

"Master... forgive me. I know I still have a long way to go, that I'm not really... even a Jedi anymore... but I will always be a learner, and right now, Rex depends on that. My use of the Force may not be perfect, but... but I've learned so much about silence. I am willing to still my mind and follow your guidance. I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Please, just... help me help Rex..."

The Exile stood beside her, her silhouette seeming suddenly brighter and more powerful.

Compassion, Master. The heart of the Jedi. Do not bar another from life because you refuse to see its strength.

The male Jedi's face changed almost imperceptibly, seeming to soften for a moment in silence. His gaze did not leave the Exile as he turned slowly towards Ahsoka.

Meetra Surik. Death has only made your essence stronger. Thousands of years ago, the Jedi council exiled you because we feared what we did not then comprehend. You defied us, fought in wars we did not agree with...but what you did, you did out of compassion. It was your strength after all. And now you bring before me another. Ahsoka Tano. Do you know who I am?

"I'm sorry, Master. I don't recognise you..."

He smiled, for a moment seeming satisfied.

That is just as well, perhaps. I was once Master Vrook Lamar, during the Mandalorian War and the Jedi Civil War. Meetra was once a student of our council, powerful in the ways of the Force. I felt her strength, but I did not understand it. She went to war to protect those who could not protect themselves, but my fear blinded me. All I saw was disobedience. We exiled her... she was not the first student I failed...

Feeling a sharp pressure on her hand, Ahsoka could see that Rex's eyes were glazed and clouded. His hand was cold, fingers pressing into her skin like durasteel. She could hear him starting to mutter again, but she tried not to hear the words, her free hand fumbling for the ampule of sedative she'd brought with her. She willed her voice to be steady.

"Master Lamar, please... show me how to help him..."

For a moment, the ghost was silent. The other presences in the darkness grew louder, whispering and muttering, their words swirling around them. Ahsoka reminded herself to breathe.

Administer the sedative.

Placing the device carefully on his neck, Ahsoka depressed the ampule, letting the fluid force its way into Rex's bloodstream. Almost immediately, she could see his jaw go slack, his eyes drifting slowly shut as his grip on her hand loosened. She'd seen it happen this way so many times before, but they'd rarely ever woken. This time would be different. It had to be.

"Don't worry, Rexy," she murmured, setting the empty container aside. "I'll be here when you wake up..."

Ahsoka and Vrook were alone now, the darkness of the chamber threatening to engulf them. The glow of the Force crystals seemed to pulse with life, and Ahsoka felt the Force within her respond, reaching out, connecting, intertwining.

The source of your friend's disturbance is organic, but it is not unprogrammable. I sense within him a presence that dictates the patterns of his brain. An organic chip. But this one seems erratic, unstable. Long ago, in this chamber, we re-wrote the mind of a Jedi with the Force. The principles are simple enough - the brain is a carefully calibrated device. With precision, the Force can be used as a scalpel to sever faulty neural pathways... and graft new ones. You will use the Force to break the neural pathways between the chip and adrenaline production, as well as halt the flood of inhibitor chemicals which are keeping him from rational thought. The chip will be rendered inert.

Ahsoka's throat suddenly felt dry.

"That's... that's just calculated brain damage... we're talking about a cellular level of precision... any lack of restraint on my part at all and I could... he'd be..."

You are the crystal, Padawan. Remember that. The blade comes not from you, but from the memories retained in this place. Your job is to remain still, and let the Force guide you. You must keep your mind silent. What you will see may make that task a challenge.

There was nothing more to be said. Ahsoka breathed deeply, forcing stray thoughts and anxieties from her body with each exhalation. They fought to return, but the reality of her situation left little room for doubt. Do, or do not. There is no try. Slowly, her eyes fell shut, the present dissolving around her in a blur of darkness. The chamber still surrounded her, but she saw it now in its former glory, its reflective surfaces bright with softly glowing light. On the table, another man lay unconscious, but despite her careful focus, his features remained shrouded and indistinct. He was surrounded, a council of Jedi enfolding him deep in meditation. She felt the power of their stillness empty her until she felt hollow, disembodied. She was a channel.

The Jedi surrounding the table worked in unison, their hands flowing smoothly and ceaselessly as the Force eddied tangibly at their fingertips. Their fingers hovered over the man's head, seeming almost to graze his broken, bruised flesh as tiny pinpricks of energy flickered across the surface of his skin. Somewhere distant, as though she was viewing an ancient holorecording, she could sense her own body responding, moving synchronously with the masters she was observing. She was distant, unattached, and yet she could feel Rex's consciousness, somehow malleable between her fingers.

The man beneath the hands of the masters lurched, and Ahsoka felt them recoil as his mind rebelled, searing resistance coursing through their bodies. Beneath her own hands, conduits of thoughts and chemicals pulsed with life, a perfect chaos. Somewhere in the darkness, her body had closed its eyes, but of their own accord, her hands adjusted themselves by degrees. It was as though her entire universe had narrowed to a microscopic scale - her Force crossed synaptic gaps and realigned cells, and she sensed each one as it moved and shifted. In this place, on the threshold of memory and reality, Ahsoka could not make sense of passing time. Her mind allowed the echoes of the past to resonate, and her body mimicked their patterns. Jolts of self awareness shook her as the memories played out - the man in the visions had suffered devastation, and she felt his searing pain alongside Rex's, threatening to shatter the silence in her mind. And suddenly, she sensed it.

It was as if it was the only thing in the universe that existed. In her grasp, a swirling mass of chemical energy surged, embedded in a mesh of neural connections that ensured its influence over the delicate piece of equipment it controlled. She watched the masters move in unison somewhere in the Force's echoes, feeling her own body respond distantly. Carefully, with the guidance of the masters coursing through her, she began to dismantle the connections that gave the chip its power. Each one gave, an imperceptible, quiet shift. The tangle seemed eternal, each connection demanding singular focus, until suddenly, without fanfare, the last connection shifted out of alignment.

Ahsoka waited. In the echoes of the Force, she watched the injured man stir, his eyes fluttering momentarily with disturbing innocence for one so scarred. The masters stepped back together, lowering their hands and falling out of unison, watching carefully as the man's expression softened into a peaceful smile. The masters were not smiling, but they seemed at last at ease. Whoever the man had once been, he was no longer. The echoes slowly faded, and in his place, Rex was motionless on the cold, smooth surface. Moving closer, Ahsoka's breath hitched in her throat, her heart racing as she reached out one more time. The searing chaos that had torn at his mind was silent, and in its place, a gentle ebb and flow of emotions surrounded him. Perching lightly on the edge of the table, Ahsoka took his hand, holding it tightly, as though everything depended on it.

"...'Soka...?"

Cautiously, she lifted her eyes to his. His eyes opened and he blinked slowly, illuminated by the soft glow of the crystals. They were alone. The dryness in her throat returned, but she pushed through with determination.

"Rise and shine, Rexy... how're you feeling? You've... looked better."

"I've seen worse," he responded, his voice strained, but calm. One corner of his mouth pulled into a crooked smile for a moment, and he let his eyes fall shut again, settling into stillness.

She smiled, feeling laughter and tears force their way through her exhausted body simultaneously. His mind had stilled, the surging waves settling into the regular presence she'd come to know so well. It was ragged and rocky, but it was Rex. She suddenly felt the weight of the exhaustion she carried fill her, but it was nowhere near enough to dim the glow she felt wash through her.

"Rest easy. You earned it. It's... gonna be alright now."