Alone

Summary: He was a normal child until the day the Imperials kidnapped his parents. A little one shot about the day Ezra's parents were taken away and what followed. Ezra was just seven when this happened, what could possibly be going through his mind during this. You will probably cry.

Seven year old Ezra sat on the couch next to the secret hole. His mom and dad were currently in the hole, speaking out against the Empire. He still didn't understand why they did it. His father said, "That we have to help others who can't help themselves." His parents' friend Tseebo told them a few times that they shouldn't be doing it.

Ezra didn't really know what to think, even though he was seven he had a pretty good life, the Empire did not bother him or his parents much, life was pretty ordinary, or as ordinary as it could be when your parents seem to be rebels. Or they liked to call themselves, "A light in the dark." Ezra never told anyone about what they did, but he knew the Empire was smart, they would figure it out eventually.

Today's broadcast seemed exceptionally long. So long Ezra fell asleep on the couch. When he woke back up, he heard his parents still in the hole. He sighed, they had promised they would do something with him today.

He heard a knock on the door, but he knew his parents wouldn't hear it. They had always told him was not to answer the door, especially if they were in the hole broadcasting.

Ezra did what they always told him to do, cover the hole back up with footstool and seem busy playing with his toy on the other side of the room. There was another knock. Ezra grew worried; if it was Tseebo he has a key and would've just opened the door by now. No one else on Lothal should be trying to get into the house.

Another knock on the door, "Maybe I should get mom and dad." Ezra whispered.

He didn't get the chance because at that point the door was forced open in came storm troopers. Ezra stared in a mixture of wonder and horror, but mostly horror.

"Where are Ephraim and Mira Bridger?" one trooper asked.

Ezra stayed silent. Just staring at them, he knew that Ephraim and Mira were the names of his dad and mom.

"Search the building." the leader said. Ezra stared in horror as the troopers searched everywhere in the house, knocking stuff over and messing with doors. They stayed away from the hole, but how long would that last. Sooner or later one of them may be able to hear one of his parents talking over the broadcast.

Ezra knew not to look anywhere near the hole, if he did a trooper could see him, and figure it out. But even with Ezra not giving clues a trooper found it, and went down.

"They're down here." the trooper called out.

"Hey," dad said.

Ezra was frozen in place as the trooper forced his parents up the ladder. They were cuffed and forced to start walking out the door.

"What do we do about the child?" a trooper asked.

"Leave him be." the leader said. "There is nothing he could do."

"Mom, Dad." Ezra said.

"It will be alright, sweetie." Mom said in a comforting manner.

"We will be back in no time." Dad said as they were pushed out the door.

"Don't bet on it kid." the last trooper condescended right before he walked out of the house.

Ezra stayed frozen in place for maybe five minutes. He decided he better put the house back together.

He picked up all the stuff the storm troopers had thrown on the ground and put them back in the right spot. He went down in the hole and saw that the broadcasting machine was still on.

"Um, if anyone is still listening, the Bridgers will be back soon." Ezra told the potential listeners before turning the machine off.

He went back up the ladder and pushed the footstool back over the hole. Everything seemed to be in order, so Ezra went to bed.

"They will probably be back in the morning." Ezra told himself as he crawled into his bed. His parents weren't back in the morning, or in the afternoon or by bed time.

"They will be back sometime tomorrow." Ezra told himself again as he went to sleep that night. He repeated this cycle for four more days, until he ran out of easy to make food in the house.

"Where did Mom and Dad keep the credits again?" Ezra asked. They wouldn't mind if he bought food, after all he needed to eat.

Ezra found the credits, and not knowing how much he would need he just took all of them and headed to the market. He bought some fruit, and other food he could easily eat without cooking, he was only seven after all.

But when he came back to his house there were Imperials marking on it.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Ezra cried.

"This house is off limits now." The lead trooper said.

"But it's my house." Ezra said.

"Do you own it?" the trooper asked.

"Well my parents do," Ezra said.

"If you are that Bridger boy just give up on your parents. They aren't coming back." the trooper said.

"Yes they are!" Ezra stomped his foot. "They wouldn't leave me!"

"They're dead Loth-scum. Move along." the trooper said.

Ezra carried his food and ran into a nearby alley way. He stayed in that alley way for two days before the words of the trooper came to be truth in his mind.

"They aren't coming back. They aren't going to save me. I'm alone, on my own." Ezra said full of despair. His face hardened in anger and determination, "I will survive, and I will make sure the Empire pays for what they've done." Ezra went up to an Imperial agent and managed to take off his communicator without him noticing. "This could be worth a pretty credit." Ezra said as he headed to the black market. That was the first time, but certainly not the last time he would steal from the Empire. And it started his time alone on the streets.