"Wait you did all this... for fruit?" The Stormtrooper asked momentarily stunned, staring down at the boy in front of him, hands outstretched holding the meilooron like a shield.
"What?" Ezra asked, snatching back the hands and drawing the fruit close to his chest "No!"
The Stormtrooper stares, slightly lowering the gun as though as to give the Kid a stare that clearly said 'Suurre' from behind the helmet.
"Okay maybe a little" Ezra lied, tossing the beloved fruit at the Stormtrooper. Ezra ducked to the side, avoiding toppling over the edge of the speeding cruiser. He bent down on one knee skilfully flinging electric gold spark bombs from his makeshift slingshot. To the boys delight they hit their target and the white suited adversary was sent sprawling off the edge of the cruiser and tumbling to the sandy ground below.
"All for fruit!" Ezra saluted, regaining his balance and clambering back up the ladder to the Trooper Transport.
The Trooper had ceased rolling and stood up. His mind was raging at him to follow the transport and capture the boy but his legs were frozen to the way the child that couldn't have been any older than fifteen had held the fruit so protectively against his chest, how he risked his life all for the sake of one little product refused to leave his mind.
It made him wonder. What were these Rebels true intentions? Was this there way of getting back at the Empire? For so many wrongdoings? Freeing the prisoners as a distraction to get what they really needed? Food? The very essence needed to live off in order to survive before people like himself- the Empire ripped everything away?
These thoughts plagued the young trooper as he returned the Imperial base with the other clones for the debriefing their leaders would present them found himself asking the question without even realising "Sir, with all due respect, why do we hunt these Rebels?"
Silence deafened the room.
"Who said that?" The voice high of authority asked. His golden-blood shot eyes scanned the crowd of white suited men in matching helmets.
"Agent Kallus, find the disruptor" The order was sent out and in no less than a minute was the confused trooper brought to his knees in front of the very man he asked.
"Trooper. State your name and reason for your distain"
"I am Trooper 17600 and I apologise for my actions. I did not realise I had asked the question" He stumbled over his words quickly, wincing at how weak and pathetic he sounded.
The Inquisitor looked at him and a twisted smirk spread over his lips "You side with these Rebels do you? Do I sense a change in allegiance?"
"No-No Sir!" The trooper was quick to answer.
"Do not speak out of turn!" The Pau'un snapped unamused. He began to circle the man like a shark, with both hands behind his back and nose high in the air.
"Where has this idea come from?" The Inquisitor asked stopping in front of him.
"No-no where Sir…" The trooper stuttered, even Kallus was beginning to find remorse at the pitiful sight.
"Oh really? Because I believe I just asked you a question and I expect an answer" The Inquisitor spoke, his voice a warning.
"Of course…Sir" The trooper relented. His hand gestures and mumbles under his breath suggested his nervousness. The Inquisitor grew impatient.
"Go on" He pressed.
"Right… I saw the Rebel child…" He began with a swallow. The Inquisitor's head snapped round to meet his, staring through the helmet and locking eyes with the man.
"The Padawan?" He asked an air of uncertainty in his tone.
"Yes Sir" The Stormtrooper bowed his head before resuming his speech "He was involved in the prisoners escape…I thought that was what he wanted…but it was all for fruit"
"All for fruit you say?" The man before him scoffed.
"Yes Sir. I just thought perhaps we-"
"-You think because the child was supposedly doing this 'all for fruit' that they are somehow innocent? That they are not leading a rebellion but are finding ways of survival?" The pale being cut over. He paused before continuing enjoying the look of fear in the trooper's wide eyes. "Well as that may be correct I feel I need to put your worries to rest"
"This boy" He produced a holographic image of Ezra Bridger, the young boy he had seen cradling the fruit on top of the transport not a few hours ago.
"Is part of this Rebel cell" The image changed to one of the entre Ghost Crew consisting of; Kanan, their leader, Hera their pilot and Sabine (The Artist), Zeb, Chopper and their newest recruit Ezra.
"Who have done nothing but ruin spectacles, destroy our plans and above all" He paused to flip the image again. This time it was just a hologram of Kanan and Ezra "These two I hunt. They are Jedi and Padawan and if will not be swayed to the dark side. Shall be dead. Do I make myself quite clear?" He questioned, steely gaze daring the quivering trooper to challenge him.
Nevertheless, the Trooper resigned and with a short nod agreed. The Inquisitor clapped his hands together in silent victory "Good now-"He was cut over by the Troopers voice again. His eyes flashed dangerously and hardened at the man's next choice of words.
"But you said so yourself…that they needed the fruit to live off so if all the boy wanted was some fruit to-"His next words were shortened quickly by the Inquisitors rage. Agent Kallus took a few steps back urging others to do the same.
There was no turning back from this.
"Silence! I will not have this amount of disloyalty. I must thank-you for presenting this matter to me. But there are consequences for your actions that must be dealt with" He insisted, unsheathing his twin blade.
"But Sir-"The man was cut off by a whirring of a twin lightsaber. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as the heated sword was sliced through his body- directly over the heart. His body hit the ground with a soft thud.
"Let that be a lesson to you all" The Inquisitor spoke in a tone of warning before he resumed his speech.
The crowd of loyal followers listened to their instructions but in the back of their minds were tearing themselves apart in wonder as to how the topic of something as trivial and innocent as a fruit…became one man's downfall.
I wrote this a few days ago after one of my friends asked me "What would they do for fruit?" and so this fic was born! Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story