Ezra was helping Chopper with some adjustments to his arm when both of them noticed Skywalker approaching the Ghost. Chopper buzzed as they both turned to watch, but Master Skywalker had walked up to Kanan.

"This is unexpected," Kanan noted, descending partially down the ramp. "Don't get me wrong. It's always good to see you, but usually, it means there's trouble."

"You're going to like this one," Anakin grinned, although Kanan was absolutely right. "This is Jedi trouble."

Kanan smiled. "Then I guess I qualify."

Following him into the Ghost, the Jedi Knight smiled. "Good to see you own up to it now."

Ezra watched them leave, thinking. If it was Jedi trouble, then he qualified too, right? After waiting a moment, he boarded the Ghost and followed them. He didn't want to miss what Master Skywalker had to say.

~

Once the two of them were in a cabin alone, Anakin crossed his arms. "I've been monitoring transmissions from Mustafar. I've been hoping that if we can get any information about Offee, it would come from there."

"And?"

Anakin shook his head, not pleased with himself. "Nothing. I guess Offee is on the same track because I still can't pin her down. She's censoring documents, making sure that her movements and her business are redacted almost everywhere. What I do have is dirt on the Inquisitors: something about a secondary mission. They're retrieving something."

'Something' didn't really narrow it down. "We know they hunt Jedi, so what else are they after?"

"Anything," he sighed, pacing a little bit, "but it has to be something at the set of two coordinates I managed to decode. I'm about to head out to investigate the first one."

"And you want me to check out the second," Kanan guessed, nodding. "I'm in."

Gesturing toward the door, Anakin teased, "Are you going to bring Ezra with you?"

"He's already briefed on the mission," Kanan explained, pounding the door control panel and stepping back. Sure enough, Ezra fell through the door as it opened.

He tried to right himself before anyone noticed. He did not accomplish this. "Hey!" he greeted them, but he saw pretty quickly that neither Kanan nor Anakin was buying the act. "He did say this was Jedi business."

Smiling, Anakin did not comment on his eavesdropping. He wasn't shocked by it anyhow. He did have another suggestion, though. "I think Zeb should tag along, too. He can handle himself against them if it comes to that."

Kanan nodded and looked to Ezra, who was still trying to act innocent. "So, where are we going?"

~

Anakin didn't bother to take the Rogue with him on this one. He probably wouldn't need Artoo with him, so he left the astromech with his ship and borrowed an A-wing fighter for the job. When he arrived at the coordinates he was looking for, he saw something else first: a civilian transport floating in free space. He didn't need to be there to know what happened: whoever had what the Inquisitors were looking for had tried to run, but the Inquisitors had arrived before that had been possible. No need for the coordinates anymore. Answers were going to be on that transport.

He docked with the nearest hatch and stepped inside, but the ship was barely operational. The life support was barely hanging on, and most of the lights were out. The only sound Anakin could hear was his own footsteps as he crept into the hallway.

The ship was a mess. The Inquisitors had not been very tidy about their mission, apparent by the appliances and crates knocked over next to his feet. Laser burns in the wall caught Anakin's eye, a tell-tale sign that lightsaber-wielders had been here. It kind of reminded him of when the Sister would burn her mark in the wall of ships and bases she raided back during the Clone Wars. This wasn't anywhere near as significant, but the odd memory did bring a sense of nostalgia to the Jedi Knight. Here he was again, running after Inquisitors. Apparently, not much had changed in fifteen years.

As he kept walking, the rest of the ship resembled Anakin's first impression of it. More startling than that, though, was how empty it was. For a civilian transport, there were not a lot of civilians on board. Where had they gone? Had they been killed and disposed of, or just relocated? Anakin feared they had suffered on behalf of whoever the Inquisitors had tracked on board, but he couldn't help them now. He didn't even know where they were.

Ahead of him, an older woman gathered the strength to raise her arm and call out to the person she heard approaching. "Help," she strained, trying to speak as loud as possible. "I'm here!"

"It's alright," Anakin assured her, coming to her side and reaching a hand to her. "You're safe, now."

The woman wasn't worried for herself, though. "Help me. Help my grandchild," she begged, taking Anakin's hand.

That wasn't good news. "Your grandchild?"

"They took her," she remembered, the memory causing her to panic again. "The red blades, they knew that she has it."

He rested a hand behind her head, supporting her neck. She kept speaking. "Find her. She has it..."

Even without an explanation to what 'it' was, Anakin knew what she meant. "Shh. Rest, you have to save your strength. I will find her," he promised, trying to help this woman relax. He needed to move her somewhere safe, but she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Though he was making sure not to worry her, internally, Anakin's mind was churning. Younglings, the Inquisitors were after Force-sensitive Younglings. He had no way to communicate this information to Kanan and the other rebels, but he hoped they would quickly figure it out. If the Inquisitors already had this woman's grandchild, they would be on their way to collect the second Youngling already.

Anakin was just glad that neither of the coordinates had led to Naboo. He didn't doubt that Obi-Wan would protect Luke and Leia, or that the twins were strong enough to make a stand of their own if needed, but he was a parent too. He knew and understood the desire to protect your children, or in this case, grandchildren. Though he didn't know these new Younglings, he did know that it was his job to protect them now.

After a minute, he helped the woman to her feet. "What's your name?"

"Darja," she answered, leaning on the Jedi for support. "Please, how did you find me? Who are you?"

"My name is Fulcrum," he explained, guiding the woman toward the escape pods. "I'm an agent of the Rebellion, and when we realized that Inquisitors were coming here, I came to investigate why. I saw this transport and docked to find out what had happened."

Darja shook her head as she stumbled along. "I don't know what your plan is, Fulcrum, but you can't just fight those... those monsters. They have the same thing Alora has."

"Alora?"

"My granddaughter, the one they took," she clarified. "It's... it's this thing, I don't understand it, but they had it too."

Looking down the hall, Anakin saw that there was one pod left. It was enough for him. He held Darja's shoulders, smiling reassuringly. "They're not the only ones, Darja. I promise you, Alora will be safe. When I find her, I'll bring her back to you and explain more, but I need you to return home. Now that Alora's not with you, you won't be a target of the Empire. You'll be safe, for now."

She stepped into the escape pod tentatively, then looked at Anakin again. "How are you going to get her back?"

"I'm not alone," he told her, stepping to the control panel. "My friends are already there, and they'll know what to do when they find her. We're not going to let the Inquisitors hurt her."

"Thank you. Thank you, but be careful," Darja warned him. "They'll kill you if they realize what you're doing."

"They'll certainly try," he grinned, setting the coordinates for the pod. "Good luck. I'll see you in a few days."

He closed the hatch and ejected the pod, assuming Darja hadn't had much experience with escape pods and wouldn't know how to operate it. As soon as she was clear, Anakin darted back to his A-wing and fired up the engines again, entering the same coordinates he had given Kanan. If he hurried, he could get there before the Inquisitors left and help.

~

It wasn't comfortable running with a baby in his arms, but Ezra made it back to Bay 12. Unfortunately, the doors were sealed shut. "Let me in!" he yelled, pounding on the door. "Let me in, Chopper!" The banging didn't help. There was no answer. He activated his comlink. "The door is locked, Kanan. The door is locked!"

"I'm a little preoccupied at the moment!" the response came, but not from the communicator. Ezra turned and saw Kanan and Zeb running in his direction, followed closely by the same two Inquisitors from before.

While the Jedi drew his lightsaber, Zeb pulled his blaster out and started shooting. The Seventh Sister deflected the fire with her spinning blade, and the Fifth Brother used the Force to push him back. Kanan was standing alone.

The Sister launched into the air and crashed down on Kanan, pushing him back with quick strokes. She was like a spider: agile, nimble, and fast, and unfortunately, she wasn't alone. Kanan could have handled her if she didn't have the Brother there, adding in a slash or two. He reached out, lifting and squeezing the Jedi. The Sister jumped and aimed a kick at his chest, knocking him back by Zeb.

That left Ezra. He grabbed his lightsaber and activated it, holding it in front of him and Pipey. The child reached out to grab the bright blue blade, which wasn't a good idea, but babies didn't know that. He probably just thought it looked cool.

On the other hand, the Sister certainly didn't. "I don't have time to waste on you, child," she sneered, pushing Ezra into the door.

Ezra wasn't too disappointed. He didn't really expect to accomplish much with that, especially not with Pipey in his arms. He was just glad he hadn't fallen on top of the kid when she pushed him. The Inquisitors' footsteps came closer, and Ezra wondered if there was anything else he could do.

Maybe not, but he felt hope. He could sense something, someone. Master Skywalker!

A second later, the door finally opened, and a tall figure walked through the blinding light inside. Ezra looked up, and sure enough, Master Skywalker was standing above him, his eyes trained on the two Inquisitors.

Anakin took a good look at the Inquisitors before he made any sort of move. He had seen them before on the Balance, but that didn't show him everything. Now that they had met in person, he could feel them through the Force. What he felt didn't impress him.

Lying on the ground, Ezra expected him to pull out his lightsaber and go full Jedi Knight-mode on the Inquisitors, but that's not what happened. Not exactly, anyway. Master Skywalker reached behind him to a pack on his belt, pulling out two hilts that Ezra had never seen before. Tossing one of them into his other hand, he activated the new lightsabers, but instead of blue blades, these shone purest white.

Both Inquisitors drew their own weapons. The idea of fighting Skywalker had once appealed to them, but at the moment, it had them shaking in their skin. There was a heartbeat around him, a pulsing aura that could only be felt through the Force. He was protective and safe to the Jedi, if not a bit humbling, but the Inquisitors felt no such reassurance. He was strong, powerful, and skillful, which only inspired fear in them. This was Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, the Chosen One, the Hero With No Fear. The Inquisitors began to fear that they didn't stand a chance.

"Ezra," Anakin said evenly, "get the Youngling to the ship."

He nodded but didn't move. Anakin gave him a mischievous wink before striding confidently towards the Inquisitors. "A bit more than you bargained for?" he taunted, holding Ahsoka's lightsabers out to the side. This was going to be fun.

The Inquisitors weren't even trying to hide their fear now. They were taking steps backward, all but retreating. That wasn't enough, though. Anakin needed to give the other rebels a chance to get out. Lunging forward, he attacked first, targeting the Brother first. He had less endurance and would wear out faster than the Sister.

Ezra was on his feet as soon as he was in the clear. "Come on, guys!" he called to the others. "Guys! Get up! Get up, we gotta get moving!"

From behind them, Anakin pushed the Sister off of him and threw the Brother back with the Force. He went flying through the air and landed not far from where Ezra, Kanan, and Zeb stood.

Kanan glanced back at the fight. "What about Master Skywalker?"

"He's doing fine," Ezra pointed out, and he sprinted for the Phantom without hesitation.

Anakin took note of the Sister's fighting style while they danced around each other. She made fair use of her rotating weapon and her flexibility, but she was overconfident. Well, she usually was, but her face suggested otherwise at the moment. She stepped back and used her lightsaber as a shield.

"You should know better than to kidnap children," he admonished her.

"Well, who doesn't want to be a mother?" the Sister asked, striking again, but Anakin wasn't amused. This woman was an insult to every mother he had ever known. With his blades, he forced her hands to the side and spun low to the ground, tripping her up and bringing her down. He noticed the Brother trying to attack again and pushed her away for the time being.

The Fifth Brother was a lot like him, in some ways. They capitalized on strength where they could, but the Inquisitor wasn't strategic about how he did so. Brawn with no brains was a waste. Tightening his grip on his lightsabers, Anakin flipped backward and drew the Brother farther away from his colleague. The Inquisitors had never been trained to fight as a team, and it was showing painfully.

He dodged the Brother's first few strikes easily, then made his move. He tossed Ahsoka's lightsabers up in the air, and the light drew the Inquisitor's attention. Only too late did he notice that there was no Jedi holding them, and by that time, Anakin's fist was already making contact with his jaw. The Fifth Brother fell and landed on his face, knocking him unconscious.

Anakin caught the lightsabers just in time to deflect a strike from behind. He crossed the white blades behind his back and hooked one end of the Sister's lightsaber in a lock. Just for a moment, then he swung them out and created space between the two of them. The Sister hesitated, and that was her mistake. Anakin picked her up with the Force, held her still for a second before throwing her into the nearest pillar as hard as he could. So hard, in fact, that the impact cracked the stone structure.

As quickly as that, he was the only one left standing. As he was in no rush, he stood still and watched the Sister try to recover. She coughed and tried to rise again but yelled out in pain as soon as she did.

"Don't move," Anakin told her. "You'll break your ribs."

She glared at him, but her gaze quickly shifted to the white lightsabers still in his hands. The Brother was still unconscious, and there was no one to save her from the Jedi now.

He didn't try to kill her, though. Instead, he deactivated the weapons and put them away, back in the sheath he kept them hidden in. "No one else is dying today," he declared, crossing his arms as he stood above her. "Enough damage has been done, thanks to you, but I'm not going to kill you. Sending you back to your masters empty-handed is punishment enough."

The thought clearly scared the Sister, but she caught a glimpse of movement behind the Jedi. A smile managed to creep onto her face, despite the pain she was in. "We won't be going back empty-handed," she corrected, coughing again. "Your capture will please Lady Jadis."

Jadis. So that was the name he had been looking for. Good to know. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the reinforcements the Inquisitors had called for earlier. Still, it didn't scare him. "You think you can capture me?" he teased, not able to resist the opportunity. "Your older sister would be disappointed in you."

He jumped up to the nearest rooftop and glanced back at the spaceport. The Phantom was already rising into the sky and speeding toward him. With another calculated jump, he flipped on top of the Phantom and rolled to the back, clinging to the hatch door as it opened. Looking back down at the ground, he mock-saluted them. "Tell your master I said hello!"

Knowing that would infuriate them, he slid into the Phantom and brushed his hair out of his face. The door closed, and Kanan, who was in the pilot's seat, flew them out of danger.

Anakin wove his way to the front of the shuttle and watched fondly as Pipey reunited with his mother. Zeb, who was holding Alora, wrapped his arm around Ezra. "That was crazy, but worth it."

To Kanan, he explained. "They're Force-sensitive. It looks like the Sith are recruiting again."

"Have you seen this before?"

"A few times," he answered. "Sideous and the First Sister have attempted the same thing in the past, but the Jedi Order stopped them."

Kanan nodded. "And now there's no Jedi Order to protect them." He paused, glancing at the reunion happening behind them. Chopper had taken both children and was spinning them in circles.

He grinned. "Okay, I guess that task falls to us now," he decided, turning back to prepare to jump to hyperspace. Behind him, Anakin continued to watch the little ones play.

Some days, Anakin was so busy that he didn't have a lot of time to meditate or reflect on his past, and there were some days where it felt like the spirits of people he had lost were engulfing him. This was one of those days. He was sure Ahsoka was watching them, probably mildly amused by the events that had transpired that evening.

It really was a little ironic. Ahsoka had once been a Youngling who was nearly kidnapped, and later she had gone with Anakin to rescue Younglings from danger. Then she led a group of Younglings on their first steps to becoming Jedi, and then she had tried to kidnap one as the First Sister. Now her 'siblings' were trying to copy her. Indeed they had, as neither of them had been successful, but Anakin knew that the First Sister's failure was more planned than this one.

Anakin could hear Ahsoka's lightsaber crystals humming a little louder than they normally did. He smiled a little wider, just to himself. Not bad, huh Snips? He glanced up into the corner of the shuttle. He didn't know why, but he knew she was somewhere around there. He knew it. Looking back at the others, he whispered, "Tell your alter ego to get her disciples under control, will you?"

"Did you say something?" Kanan asked, but Anakin shook his head.

"I just wonder what the First Sister would say if she saw this."

Kanan smirked and returned his attention to the controls. "Probably something sarcastic, if I remember right."

"Yeah," Anakin agreed, his gaze drifting back up to the corner. "Yeah, probably."