Star Wars Rebels: Come In, Spectre Six

Epilogue

The future becomes the present.

"EZRA!" Sabine Wren called. "It's time for Jacen's training at the Temple! You're late!"

Ezra Bridger rushed through the eating quarters of the Ghost hideout on Lothal, grabbing a piece of bread and a bookbag and kissing his wife before he stalked outside. The air was fresher and crisper than it ever had been now that the Empire was gone. Of course, their retreat was nearly forty years ago.

Although so much time had passed without him, he loved his new life. When he got back, his friends greeted him with a stampede loving embraces... well, all except for Hera, who just gave him a long look and walked away with a little boy.

Jacen Syndulla was the child of Kanan and Hera. He'd found that out shortly afterward. When he was around eight, his mother caught him levitating his figurines. Later, she'd dropped him off with tear-stained cheeks and told them he was a Jedi.

He wasn't quite a Jedi yet... but he was more powerful than Kanan was.

Sometimes, Ezra wondered if the seventeen-year-old should obtain such power.

As Ahsoka's former ship, the Trillion, came out of hyperspace, he saw a red blotch on the surface of Ahch-To where Master Luke Skywalker's Temple should have been.

That's strange, he thought.

Instantaneously, Luke's voice was calling to him desperately through the Force, stabbing his brain...

Calling for help...

"Ezra... the Temple... it's..."

"Master, what is it?" Ezra transmitted back. "Master Skywalker?"

He swiftly started prepping for landing, even though he was still in space and urged his ship to go faster. Once he landed, he saw what Luke had been speaking of...

A horror flashed before his eyes. His precious Temple was up in flames, burning to the ground in a red inferno of heat. And in front of it all sat Luke, his face swollen, a metallic hand placed on his dear droid for moral support. R2-D2 sounded a few chirps at Ezra's arrival.

Luke didn't look up at him when he said, "It was Ben." He paused, probably to let the words settle on his tongue. "He killed them. All of them. Except for..."

Ezra kneeled to look his poor fellow Jedi in the eyes. "Except who?"

Luke was reluctant, but he finally said, "Jacen."

Ezra nodded. "They turned, didn't they?"

"It was my fault."

"No," Ezra said, "How could it have been?"

"I tried to..." his voice trailed off in the crackling of the fire as he choked down a round of fresh tears.

"Who else did he take?" Ezra asked after a long pause.

"Mella, Dior, Phyliss, and possibly Urmid. I thought I saw others, too, but..."

Ezra nodded, too scared to ask the next question. "Did anyone else escape?"

Luke didn't say anything for a long time. But Ezra already had an idea as to what he was going to say. "No."

Ezra nodded again. 

Luke stood. R2 chirped in confusion. He started towards his X-wing, which wasn't too far off from where they were standing. He climbed inside and started to charge the hyperdrive.

"Master Skywalker," Ezra called after him, "where are you going?"

Luke's eyes met Ezra's, tears spilling down his ash-covered cheeks as his X-wing started to seal itself closed. "To bring an end to the Jedi."