Chapter One: Goodbyes

"Ezra? Are you ready?" Kanan's voice interrupted the young padawan's thoughts, and suddenly Ezra remembered where he was. They were about to leave for Malachor. The feeling of fear and uncertainty returned to him, and his stomach tightened at the notion of leaving the rebellion. He swallowed it down, clearing his mind with the techniques that his master had taught him. Turning to the person in question, he nodded, flashing a confident grin at the older Jedi.

"Of course I am master." He forced out, almost choking on his words and feeling worried by how calm he sounded compared to how he felt. Kanan sensed his padawan's unease through the Force, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder for comfort. A couple of months ago, Ezra would have pushed his master away at the contact, maybe even flinched a little, but now it helped him. After coming to peace with his parent's deaths, Ezra had finally come to accept the Ghost crew fully as his new family.

Both master and padawan turned at the sounds of footsteps behind them, upsetting the sandy surface of the planet. Ahsoka Tano stood there, watching the two with an odd expression on her face.

"What?" The pair questioned simultaneously, causing her to smile.

"Nothing," She sighed. "The two of you just remind me of how it used to be, that's all. You're exactly how my... My master used to be with me." Kanan sobered up at that, and even Ezra's smile was dulled, but then it brightened again.

"Well, you have a new chance at that now." He declared boldly. At her confused look he added. "While we're not exactly your master, we're still your friends, and friends are only one step away from family when you think about it." Kanan smiled proudly at his padawan, for once not upset with the youth's outbursts. Ahsoka shifted uncomfortably, and Kanan could see the young padawan that she used to be, before she stood up straight with a small smile adorning her features.

"Thank you Ezra, that means a lot. Are you ready to go?" The Togruta asked. Ezra glanced up at Kanan before turning back to Ahsoka.

"Um, can I go say goodbye to everyone first? I know I should have said it earlier but I kinda felt like if I put it off then we wouldn't have to..." The blue-haired teen cut himself off and stared at his feet.

"Wouldn't have to leave?" Ahsoka finished for him. Ezra merely nodded. "Go, but don't take too long." The padawan nodded and raced off without a word.

Ahsoka then turned to Kanan.

"Have you said goodbye to Hera yet?"

The Jedi Knight met her query with one of his own.

"Have you said goodbye to Rex?"

She frowned at the turn around but answered anyway.

"That's different. Rex is a friend, a very good friend. Hera is clearly something more than that to you. And if there's one Jedi teaching that I never agreed with, it was the attachment one. You need to speak with her." Kanan nodded and left, but not before adding over his shoulder.

"You know, someone very young but very wise just said that friends are only a step away from family."

He left then, wondering why Ahsoka disagreed with that one most of all. Did she love somebody too? Who could it have been? At the temple, they had all heard the rumours of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, and then there had even been some that her master's influence had led to something between Ahsoka and Lux Bonteri, but Tano herself had told the younglings during one of her classes that she was merely his friend, and apparently later confided in Barriss Offee that she held no feelings of romance towards him. Before Barriss was sentenced for the bombing of the temple, she had done her best to quell the rumours about her friend, meaning that Kanan had gotten more than just quiet whispers.

Kanan was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't realise he was at Hera's door until she opened it.

"Kanan. Aren't you supposed to be going somewhere?" She asked, with a hint of coldness and accusation in her voice. Despite his words to her last night, she still felt some anger towards him for leaving.

"I am, but I came to say goodbye first." He said, as evenly as he could manage. He took a step forward, but she just took a step back.

"Don't make this any harder on us Kanan." She warned. "It's bad enough that you're leaving, taking both Ezra and Ahsoka, the only other Jedi we have, but you insist on reminding me by trailing around trying to apologise. If you're going, just go." She shut the door in his face, but not before a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

Kanan just stood there, dumbfounded. He sighed.

"I'm sorry Hera, I truly am." He whispered. Before turning away.

Behind the door, Hera just sobbed.

He was right, Ahsoka realised. She did need to talk to Rex. The old clone wasn't particularly happy with her decision to just up and leave with all of the Jedi in the rebellion, even though that number was only three. She sighed and made her way to Rex's quarters.

The old captain wasn't in the best of moods when she arrived. But at least it wasn't her that he was angry at.

"Damn sand. Gets everywhere this blasted stuff!" He ranted to himself, not noticing the Togruta in the doorway. "And now I've got to clean my armour out, again! There's a reason we never had bases on planets like this in the old days" He muttered.

"Yes, because the clankers never came out this far." Ahsoka reasoned, using the clone's favoured term for the droids from the Clone Wars. Rex straightened and turned his glare on her, but it was softened, and there was a twinkle in his eyes.

"I was wondering if you were gonna turn up, Commander." He said gruffly. "Off gallivanting around the galaxy again, leaving me like the Wars?"

"It's not like that, Rex, and you know it." She argued calmly. The clone gave in, rubbing his beard.

"I know, but I wish I could go with you Commander, that's all." He sighed.

"Stop with the 'Commander', Rex, that's not who I am anymore. Besides, your best use is here, to train any new recruits with the Old Republic standards." She smiled.

He scoffed. "Don't even get me started. They don't know a thing about weapon maintenance, reparations, base construction. How I am going to try to work my magic on this lot?"

"That's for you to find out, not me." She teased, moving for the door.

"What? No words of Jedi wisdom for me?" He poked back, grinning. Ahsoka stopped and paused, thinking of a suitable reaction. Deciding upon one, she responded.

"Do, or do not, there is no try." She said mysteriously, grinning back.

"Oh great, that one's useless!" He moaned.

"See ya round, Rex." The ex-Jedi called, walking away with the old spring in her step that the captain hadn't seen in years.

"See ya round kid." He said softly.

Ezra went to Zeb first. The Lasat was in the same place as yesterday, his set up on the edge of the cliff that looked over the horizon.

"Hey big guy." He said tentatively. Zeb tensed slightly, before turning round to face the young apprentice.

"Hey kid, you not gone yet?" He grumbled, acting as if he was annoyed that Ezra was still here. He reached out when the boy's face dropped slightly, as if he had expected to be unwelcome.

"I'm messing with you Loth-rat, brighten up a little." He chuckled, attempting to relieve the tension by giving Ezra a soft punch on the arm. Ezra relaxed, smiling a little.

"So, we're going soon." The teen began, and Zeb nodded, guessing where the conversation was headed. "And, I... I wanted to say goodbye."

"It's not goodbye forever kid." The Lasat said, his ears flattening a little, portraying the emotions that he was usually so good at hiding.

"I know, but I still need to say it." The boy sighed before continuing. "Will, will you still want me when I get back? Will Hera want us back?" Zeb saddened, seeing what was eating Ezra up.

"Let's think, will I want the smelly Loth-rat that always plays pranks on me, gets on my nerves, and is the general bane of my existence, back as my bunkmate when he returns?" He pondered aloud. "Wouldn't miss it for the galaxy kid." He said, smiling as Ezra's face lit up. And for the first time since they had met, the Lasat hugged the street kid, and the teen hugged back.

"Now go on kid," Zeb grunted, pushing Ezra off of him. "You need to go see a certain artist, or my name isn't Garazeb Orrelios." Ezra nodded, getting the message.

"Thanks Zeb, but you will forever be a 'rare, hairless Wookie' to me!" He called, running away. And for once, Zeb didn't chase him.

His trip to Sabine's cabin was far scarier than talking with Zeb, given that the artist had some new prototype miracles in her hands when he approached her.

"What do you want kid?" She demanded, snapping at him in a manner that was most unlike her. Ezra gulped. He didn't want an angry Sabine to turn on him. Those miracles were looking a lot less like miracles now. More like a death sentence.

'Huh, she hasn't called me kid in weeks, there goes my good standing with her.' The teen thought, cogs whirring in his brain.

"Look, Sabine, I..." He started.

"Oh save it Bridger!" She snapped, losing her temper. "I get it, you're going. You and Kanan and Ahsoka are leaving us on some stupid Jedi business! You don't know when you'll be back and you're as good as leaving us for dead!"

"I don't know if I'm coming back." Ezra stated calmly, using every technique the aforementioned Jedi had taught him to remain in control. "It's not a 'when', it's an 'if', Sabine. And you're acting like we're being selfish and leaving the rebellion altogether. We're trying to help. And if helping means leaving for a while then, so be it."

"I can't believe you're doing this." The Mandalorian said exasperatedly, in utter disbelief. "You're really going through with this. Walking out on us. On Hera. On Zeb. On Chopper. On Rex. On me." The last part stung. And it made him mad.

"You know what Sabine? I'm not surprised you don't understand. I'm not surprised that you feel the way you do about this. But what I am surprised about is that you think we're walking away. Did you forget about the inquisitors? Because I sure didn't. Not when I see them in my head every night. I live unimaginable hells because I know that they are still out there, until we have a way to beat them." Sabine ignored him.

"Don't expect a big welcome back party." She said tonelessly, turning her back on the Jedi-in-training. That was it for Ezra. Eyes stinging with tears, he stalked away before she could do anymore damage.

He found himself in his room on the Ghost before he stopped walking. The blue haired teen sighed heavily, and picked up his backpack that contained all of the belongings he would need for the journey to come; the holodisk with his parents on, a few energy bars, his extensive toolkit and a datapad that Kanan had given him with all of the lightsaber forms on them, amongst other things. His lightsaber hung at his belt, ready for use. Wiping his eyes, Ezra took a last look around the cabin he had shared with Zeb for what felt like an eternity. Then, he left.

In that same room, standing alone on the desk, was a picture of the crew. The whole crew. They all had the same one. Taken after they had met up with the rebellion and had taken a short vacation to a tropical island. Ezra sat on Kanan and Zeb's shoulders, with Hera and Sabine to either side and Chopper down in front. They were all smiling in front of a picturesque tropical coastline; palm trees and a strip of pure, white sand before the deep blue ocean. The picture could have been mistaken for Zeb's copy. But Zeb had his under the pillow, although he'd never admit to it, so it wasn't the Lasat's. It was Ezra's.

The three Jedi gathered in the small, make-shift hangar on the east side of the base. Ezra and Kanan were both considerably subdued, resorting to sitting in silence until the final member of their group arrived. Soon enough, she did.

"Is everyone ready?" She asked cautiously, fully aware of the conversations that had taken place between the two and their crewmates. Kanan roused himself and glanced at Ezra before speaking.

"Ready as I'll ever be. You up for it Ezra?" He asked his padawan, who was perched on a crate, staring at the floor forlornly. The padawan shook it off and jumped to his feet.

"I'm ready." He said confidently.

"Then let's get going." Replied the Togruta, already climbing aboard the ship that the rebellion was lending them for the journey. It was a small, light craft, larger than the Phantom but far smaller than the Ghost. The Phantom would have been preferable but there were no sleeping quarters, and no storage. There was also the fact that Hera would have never let them use it in the state she was in.

Outside the base, Hera, Zeb, Sabine, Chopper and Rex were sitting together. There wasn't much conversation, and each member was there purely to see the Jedi leave as a form of personal assurance. They had been holding on to a small hope that the three would stop their preparations and would come back to them, but as the small craft took off and sped away from the surface, that hope vanished. Slowly, the group dispersed, each member would get over it in their own way. It would just take time.