Anakin opened his eyes, looking around for movement or some sign of life. He didn't see any, but the wind was still there. He held a hand up to feel it, and slowly, it began to swirl. This wasn't an ordinary wind; there was something intelligent about it.

It was always warm, too. It felt like the fires Anakin would build on missions in the wild or sunlight on a chilly day. Now that he thought about it, this wasn't the first time he had felt it. All those times he had thought there might have been something wrong with the heating system on the Rogue... had it actually been something in the Force?

What was it? It had already exhibited a certain intelligence... was this a spirit? Some kind of Force-being that had been watching Anakin? He thought of the Father, the Son, and the Daughter, and he wondered if maybe this was one of them or all three, or none of them. Maybe there were more transcendent beings out there that he hadn't met yet.

After curling about his fingers for another moment, the wind flew over his shoulder, behind him. Anakin turned and looked and saw the Jedi temple on Coruscant as he had last seen it: destroyed.

Smoke was still billowing from the heart of the building. Columns had been knocked down, and entire floors had been caved in, including the ones that had nearly killed Anakin. It was so lifeless, so dead. Even Coruscant inhabitants were missing. There was no air traffic flying around them, no people going about their business—just Anakin.

Standing, Anakin faced the main foyer of the temple and walked in. He didn't move quickly because he didn't know what he was here for. If there was something he was supposed to see, he didn't want to miss it.

Even though there were no living Jedi, there were dead ones. Corpses were still strewn across the floor. Most of them had blaster holes in their chests or back. A few others were buried under rubble. Anakin's memory of this place had faded over time, but seeing it again brought images from the back of his conscious he didn't realize were still there.

He found himself wondering what this place looked like now. Surely, it couldn't be the same after nearly sixteen years. Anakin wouldn't have been surprised if Tyrannus had demolished it by now. Maybe he had built a Sith temple in its place, or maybe there was some shrine to Sidious. That would be the perfect way to dishonor the memory of the Jedi, which would certainly appeal to the Sith Emperor.

"It's not quite what it used to be," a voice called out to him. Anakin turned and saw a Jedi standing near the staircase that led to the Council room. Qui-Gon! Of course, he would be here. He had appeared to Anakin not long ago, after all.

Grinning, Anakin walked up to him. "It's been a while since I've seen you," he remarked, coming in for a hug. Despite his ghostly, transparent appearance, he was still quite solid to the Jedi Knight. "How are things in the Cosmic Force?"

Qui-Gon shrugged with a sly smile. "Oh, dead as ever. I've had a few good conversations with Obi-Wan, though. Perhaps he'll tell you about them when you return home."

"I'm sure he will." Looking around, he asked, "Is anyone else here?"

"Many are, actually. The Council is waiting for you."

Anakin wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. "What did I do this time?"

"What haven't you done?" Qui-Gon teased, resting a hand on his shoulder. "That's not why you're here, though. It's alright, Anakin."

Together, they climbed the stairs silently. Anakin wanted to ask about others in the afterlife, others he knew were dead, but he knew that was a conversation for another time. There would be other chances to ask, but how often was this going to happen? Leaning over, he asked, "Why am I here?"

Shaking his head, Qui-Gon grinned quite infuriatingly. "Oh, no. I'm not going to spoil it. You can be patient and find out for yourself."

"Worth a shot," he conceded, continuing to climb. "Are Ezra and Kanan here too?"

"No, they are speaking with others. You won't find them here."

At the top of the stairs, the doors to the Council chamber waited for Anakin. "Here goes nothing," he sighed, but behind him, Qui-Gon was still smiling. He would wait outside for the young man to come back out.

The doors opened, and nearly the entire Council was waiting for him. A few notable figures were missing: Yoda and Obi-Wan, to be precise. Many others who had died before Order 66 were present, though, as well as those who had fallen during the Jedi Purge. The seats that usually circled the room had been abandoned. Instead, they were all standing facing the center. Anakin walked to the middle and bowed his head slightly. "Masters."

"Anakin Skywalker," Mace Windu greeted him. "It seems fit that the Chosen One would survive the Jedi Purge."

Depa Bilabba stepped forward, smiling warmly. "I must thank you, Skywalker, for looking after my apprentice. Though I cannot do it myself, I am glad that he is no longer alone. That is in no small part because of you."

He nodded, glad he had Depa's approval. Kanan was her Padawan, after all. "It's the least I could do. I'm just glad he's safe."

"He's not the only one," Plo Koon reminded him. "You have taken action to protect every Jedi and Youngling you have found hiding in the Empire. Kanan Jarrus is not the only survivor of the Jedi Order."

Mace Windu affirmed his statement. "There are still Jedi alive, but few Masters. Master Kenobi is protecting the children of Senator Amidala," at this, he looked pointedly at Anakin, who pretended not to notice, "And Yoda has abandoned the Jedi. Neither is fit to lead the Rebellion."

Adi Gallia looked to the rest of the Council, who nodded at her, before looking to him. "Will you, Anakin Skywalker, accept the responsibility of Mastery? Will you lead the Jedi and all others who might follow you to find peace and protect life as you see fit? Will you protect the Light and follow in its ways?"

"I will," he answered, hesitating before adding, "although we all know I do not see the same way you do. 'As I see fit' may compromise the traditions you carried."

"We have considered this," Windu assured him, "And while we disagree on many things, it is you who has survived long enough to rise from the shadows, not us. We can no longer influence the galaxy as we once did, but we still believe that you are the Chosen One. We believe you will bring Balance to the Force."

At that moment, Anakin realized that they, as a Council, had never spoken those words aloud. Perhaps it was out of necessity more than actual belief, but they had finally accepted him as the Jedi of the prophecy, as Qui-Gon had years ago.

"There is work to be done, Master Skywalker," Mace warned him. "Though the Jedi have survived, many of them are alone and scattered across the galaxy. One day, they may yet be reunited, but the Jedi must never fail in the way our Order did. The seeds of corruption planted by Sidious cannot be allowed to endure."

No pressure, Anakin thought, but he kept this to himself. He knew better than anyone how important this was. He had been Sidious's primary target.

Windu looked around at his fellow Masters before speaking again. "This is out of our hands, now. Maybe in time, a new order of Jedi will rise, but we cannot interfere again. We must not. In whatever way the Jedi will be reborn, we will not be a part of it."

"I understand," he assured them. Anakin had the freedom to begin in a new direction, but he was responsible for that direction. He had the Council's trust, and now they were handing off leadership to him. This was the last act of the High Jedi Council; no more help would come from them.

"Go, Anakin Skywalker," Windu named him, "Jedi Master. May the Force be with you."

He bowed slightly and turned, walking out of the room and leaving the Council behind. He didn't know what would happen to them, but he hoped it was something peaceful.

Still grinning, Qui-Gon was waiting for him outside when he came out. "Master Skywalker," he said, half teasing and half praising.

"You knew that was going to happen?" Anakin asked, shaking his head and laughing. "Is that why I saw you earlier?"

"More or less," he admitted as they descended back down the stairs. "I may or may not have had a hand in organizing this."

That didn't surprise Anakin. He didn't comment on it any further, though, as his mind was still repeating the warning Windu had given him. There is work to be done, indeed. "Do you know what Ezra and Kanan are seeing?"

Qui-Gon considered it for a moment, then concluded that it wouldn't hurt to answer. "Kanan is receiving a surprise of his own. I'll let him explain it to you, but he is alright. It's Ezra that I fear might be where he shouldn't be."

"Where is he?"

"Speaking with Yoda, unless I'm mistaken."

Well, Yoda certainly wasn't acting on behalf of the Council anymore, further sowing doubt in Anakin's mind that what he had to say was good. "Is he dead?"

"No. Not yet."

"Where is he?"

"In hiding, Anakin," Qui-Gon explained, "so that no one may find him, Jedi or Sith. He fears that he will harm more if he gets involved."

"Then why Ezra? What is so important that he keeps coming back to him?"

The two Jedi were back in the lobby, and Qui-Gon stopped walking and sighed. "I don't know. Whatever Ezra reports back from their conversation, I would take with a grain of salt. Yoda's mind is no longer as clear as it once was."

He didn't really want to know exactly what that meant. Letting his gaze wander, he asked, "What do I do, then?"

"What you have always done: trust in the Force. It will not lead you astray," he advised. "You have grown strong and wise and kind since the day I met you. The Force will guide you as a Jedi and your humanity that will guide you as a Master. Both of these things together will see you through."

Anakin nodded. It was rather vague advice, but it was good advice. There wasn't a right path forward, but there might be one better than the others. Discerning which path to take was no longer the decision of the Council. No one was going to tell him what was best anymore.

Beside him, Qui-Gon looked troubled. "Many things are coming to the surface. The Force is stirring. I fear some secrets may soon come to light, and not all of them will be pleasant."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

The old man laughed, clapping Anakin on the shoulder. "Good luck, Anakin. May the Force be with you."

Smiling, Anakin began to walk away. Out of the temple, toward the steps that led to the rest of Coruscant. This vision was almost over, he predicted.

Once again, the warm wind spirit flew around him, alerting Anakin to its presence. "Hello, again," he greeted it. He didn't know why, but he was almost sure the spirit could understand him. Maybe Qui-Gon knows who they are. "Hey, do you know anything abou-"

He was gone. Qui-Gon had disappeared from where he stood, and the foyer was empty.

"I guess it's just you and me, then," he realized, looking down at his hands. The spirit circled around him, then flew out of the foyer toward the front steps-

-to Ahsoka.

His eyes went wide. She looked exactly the same way as she had the last time he had seen her, right down to the blaster wounds in her abdomen. Ahsoka was standing on the top of the staircase, exactly how she had when she left the Order, but she was facing Anakin and smiling.

"Congratulations, Skyguy," she told him, glancing up at the Council chamber. "Took them long enough."

He wanted to say something, though he wasn't sure if he should say 'thanks' or if he should hug her or if he should ask a question, or somehow do all three at once. He didn't have time, though. The vision was over.