"Ezra!" someone called from across the Bridger's house.
Eight-year-old Ezra Bridger looked up from his book and slipped off the couch. "What is it, Mom?" he yelled back.
"Can you two please stop yelling?" Ezra's father yelled from the basement they transmitted messages from.
Ezra giggled and made his way to the kitchen. His mother worked inside, stirring a pot of frosting for Ezra's cake on the stove. The boy reached a finger into the pot before Mira slapped it away.
"What do you think you're doing, Birthday Boy?" she asked with a smile.
Ezra stared up at her, giving his best innocent smile.
Mira grinned and held out a spoon. "Happy Birthday, Ezra Bridger."
Ezra smiled and happily licked the icing off of the spoon.
Ephraim watched his son as he licked the icing. He seemed so happy. So content. So unaware that the Bridger family were currently breaking Imperial law for their son. Oh well, he thought, Ezra's worth it.
"Ephraim?" Governor Ryder Azadi yelled.
Ephraim groaned. "I told you not to yell!" he yelled back.
Ryder climbed up the ladder and turned to face him. "The transmitter is fixed. Should work. Don't you think it's dangerous to broadcast on Empire Day?"
Ephraim shrugged. "Lothal needs us now more than ever. If we speak up against the Empire now, more people will be listening."
Ryder shook his head in bewilderment. "You know you're putting your family in danger, right?"
Ephraim shook his head. "I'm not putting my family in danger, just those who choose to take a stand." He turned and climbed down the ladder into the small basement and started tinkering with the transmitter.
Ryder stood next to him and watched his work. "What made you do this?" he asked.
Ephraim stopped to look at the governor with sharp blue eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally sighed defeated. "When I served in the Clone Wars," he began, "I saw friends—brothers—shot down without a thought. I wondered why we fighting, what the Republic hoped to gain from it, and how many innocent people were hurt during the process. I learned that war is pointless. It is like a monster wanting to devourer people and clones alike. The more you feed it, the hungrier it gets. Yes, they silenced the Clone Wars. But I have a feeling that there is another monster amidst us, waiting to be awakened. I don't want my son to grow up in a war. If I can do something to stop it, then I will do it. No matter what it takes." Ephraim turned back to his work, hoping to hide his tears.
"I'm…sorry," Ryder finally told him after a while. "I dint know that the fighting affected you that way."
Ephraim shrugged. "That was then, this is now."
Ryder was about to say something when transmitter started to give a low whirring noise. Ephraim smiled and climbed back up the ladder and into the kitchen.
"The transmitter is fixed," he told his wife and son. "Did you want to say something to Lothal, birthday boy?"
Ezra's eyes lit up and he grinned. He nodded enthusiastically.
Ephraim gently lifted his son onto his shoulders and took him to the basement. Tseebo was waiting there along with Ryder.
Ezra's eyes lit up. "You invited Mr. Tseebo?" he asked his father.
Ephraim nodded. As Ryder tinkered with the transmitter, Ezra's father got down to Ezra's level. "What did you want to tell Lothal?" he asked his son.
Ezra's face scrunched up in thought. "I think I want to tell them not to give into the Empire and to stand up for what they believe in," he finally decided.
Ephraim smiled and petted Ezra's hair. "That's my boy," he told him with a grin.
Ezra grinned back.
"All finished," Ryder announced.
Ephraim and Ezra took a step towards the transmitter. Ephraim sat on a stool with Ezra on his lap.
"Fellow citizens of Lothal," he began the transmission, "I am speaking out against the Empire because I can. You all have the right to your own economy. Stand up for your rights! Don't let these bullies push you around! You all can make a difference. Don't waste that chance!" he stopped to catch his breath and turned to his son. "And now I have a very special announcement. It is my son, Ezra's, birthday. He is the future of this planet and he has a very special thing to say." Ephraim moved out of the way as Ezra stepped up to microphone.
"Um, this is Ezra Bridger," Ezra started nervously, "I think that we should not give into the Empire and that we should stand up for what we believe in."
Ephraim smiled as he shut off the transmission. "That was amazing, Ezra!" he praised.
Ezra beamed as everyone praised his transmission.
KNOCK KNOCK!
Ephraim turned when he heard someone knocking on the door. "I'll be right back," he told the others and climbed up the ladder. It was probably just another citizen that had something to add or wanted to say happy birthday to his son. He reached the door and opened it a crack. He peeked through…and stopped short. He did not expect to see five to ten stormtroopers, blasters raised, staring back at him. He slammed the door shut and locked it. "Mira!" he shouted. "Ryder! Get up here! Tseebo, stay down and keep Ezra out of sight!"
Mira and Ryder were up the ladder in seconds and Ryder pulled the cover over.
"What's the problem, Ephraim?" Mira asked worriedly.
Ephraim glared back at the door and fingered his lightsaber hilt. "Bucket heads," he bit out.
Mira gasped slightly. She pulled out her own lightsaber and Ryder grabbed a blaster.
No matter what, they wouldn't let the Empire get to their son. Even if it meant going to jail.
"NO!" Ezra shouted as he woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around the room, his parent's screams still echoing in his head. he tried to tell himself that it was just a dream, but deep down he knew that it was not true. He was remembering a piece of the past that he had tried to forget. Tried—and failed.
Sighing, he crawled out of bed and walked towards the door, careful not to wake up Zeb. The door slid open and he walked out into the empty hall. The metal felt cold on his feet. He walked to one door then the next, gently sensing each sleeping mind. When he came to Hera's room, though, he couldn't sense her sleeping. He opened the door.
Hera wasn't asleep. If anything, the opposite. She was busy folding some laundry. A bag of chips and a holoprojector rested on a desk. A holodrama was playing. Hera looked up when the door opened and her expression softened. She paused the drama and faced Ezra.
"What are you doing up this late?" she asked.
Ezra shrugged and wiped away a tear. "Couldn't sleep," he admitted.
Hera frowned. "Was Zeb snoring again?"
Ezra shook his head. "Just had a bad dream, that's all." Another tear slipped down his cheek.
Hera held out her arms openly.
Ezra didn't struggle when Hera enveloped him in an embrace.
"Did you dream about your parents?" she asked.
Ezra nodded, more tears running down his cheek.
Hera smiled and held Ezra's shaking form. "Shh, it's okay to cry."
Ezra's sobs continued, forming wet splotches on her flight suit. Eventually, the sobs slowed and he drew in a shaky breath.
Hera guided him to a couch and helped him sit down, not trying to break his hold. "DO you want to talk about it?" she asked.
Ezra shook his head.
Hera reached for the remote and switched on the holodrama. She grabbed a second plate and a mug of hot chocolate she had been saving. She offered the mug of chocolate to Ezra.
Ezra looked up when he smelled the drink. He shakily took the mug and sipped the warm drink. Hera cleared a space on her lap and patted it. Awkwardly, he sat down half on Hera's lap and continued to sip the hot chocolate.
"Feeling better?" Hera asked.
Ezra nodded.
Hera smiled and gently rubbed his back. "No matter what happens, you will always be my son." She smiled at him awkwardly sitting on her lap. "And you'll never be too big to sit on my lap."
Ezra grinned and snuggled closer to the twi'lekk. "Thanks, mom," he whispered before falling asleep.
Hera smiled. "Anytime," she whispered back before falling asleep herself.
Hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE REVIEW!
Thanks for reading and may the Force be with you!
-Spector7