Nightmare Come to Life
Summary: While the Ghost is making minor repairs in deep space, Ezra starts feeling a weird presence outside and on board the ship. A presence that strikes fear into someone's very soul. A Halloween fic. My first attempt in writing a horror fic too so bear with me.
Ezra sat in his cabin. He hated times like this, stuck in deep space while Hera made minor repairs on the Ghost. He mostly hated it because he was confined to the ship, and the fact that Kanan was too busy helping Hera with the repairs to train him.
He sighed and slumped against the wall. Without even realizing it he stretched out with the Force. He felt Hera and Kanan in the cockpit, Sabine was in her room, and Zeb was in the common room with Rex.
Then he felt it, something else, something completely unfamiliar, he sat up with a shock and focused it on it better. It seemed to be outside the ship. But how was that possible? They were deep in the vacuum of space.
Ezra shook his head. He must be wrong. After all, he was just learning. He was probably just sensing things that weren't there.
"Okay guys, to make the last of the repairs, we have to switch off everything except life support. So no lights and no shields. Just thought you should know." Hera warned over the comms.
"Okay," Zeb sighed.
He was probably just winning his game with Rex, Ezra mused.
"Aw," Sabine complained. "I can't paint if I can't see."
Ezra didn't respond to the call.
"Ezra?" Kanan questioned.
"I heard." Ezra responded. "Are comms going to be down too?"
"Unfortunately," Hera responded.
"Okay." Ezra said, before the comms buzzed with static and the lights flickered off.
Ezra sighed and went back to stretching out his Force. The crew stayed pretty much in place. But then he felt it again. The unfamiliar signature that pulsed off fear.
Ezra stood and started to walk towards the gun. He stared out at space. There was nothing out there, no other ship. But then what did he feel?
He tried one last time. It was much closer to the ship.
"Kanan?" Ezra tried to call on the comm to see if his master felt it too. He got static it return. "Right, no comm."
Ezra started to walk through out the ship. He hoped to clear his mind of this.
"It's nothing to worry about. Nothing can be out there or get on the ship." Ezra comforted. "Unless."
He remembered the old stories some of the deep space pilots told in bars while he lived on the streets. Stories about the Starweird. No one has seen one and lived to tell the tale. Only bodies of the people they've killed and holovids of them murdering them are the only proof that they exist.
They supposedly lived in the vacuum of space, and could use powers similar to the Force, according to the most likely drunken pilots. He took a quick glance behind him, but couldn't see two feet away due to the darkness.
Ezra shook his head. Starweirds were just and old tale. Something in the Force shifted.
"Really wish those comms were working." Ezra muttered. He took out his lightsaber and activated it to use as a light.
Every time Ezra reached out the odd signature seemed to be closer.
"I must be going crazy." Ezra muttered. "It's just my nerves."
Ezra stopped. He felt it right behind him. He bit his lip. He remembered from the stories that the Starweirds hated to be looked at, and that was what would make them kill you.
What was he to do? He was at a near dead end. He took a deep breath. He turned around. And what he saw made him glad he had recently used the fresher.
The Starweird was only two feet in front of him. It had bony arms and legs, and was even scrawnier than him. Its white hair floated around its head like it was underwater or in zero-gravity and it was floating a few inches off the ground. It had razor sharp teeth and eerily glowing eyes.
But what happened next sent even more fear into his body. His mind was overwhelmed with a scream. The Starweird was literally screaming inside his head. A scream that sent his body into panic.
Ezra's instincts took over. He ran. He ran and hid in his room.
He couldn't believe it. The stories were true. And Ezra knew that he was screwed, because there was nowhere to hide. The Starweird could travel through walls, see in the dark nearly perfectly, and they hated Force-sensitive people. It was going to come after him and Kanan first, before most likely finishing off the rest of the crew.
Something brushed his mind, Ezra was hesitant at first but let it in when he recognized it was Kanan.
"Did you hear that?" Kanan asked through their bond.
"Yes," Ezra answered back. "It's a Starweird."
"I thought those were a myth!" Kanan replied in shock.
"Well considering I just saw one in the hallway." Ezra said before he disconnected with Kanan out of fear and panic as the Starweird floated through the closed door.
The Starweird floated towards Ezra and held out its bony arm and clenched its bony fist. All of the sudden Ezra couldn't breathe. It was like he was being choked by an invisible hand. It felt just like when the Sith Lord fought him and Kanan back on Lothal. Then not only was Ezra being drained of his breath, he could practically feel the life flow out of him.
Ezra lashed out the only way he could think of. He used all his might to push the Force from out of him. Good news, the Starweird stopped whatever it was doing to him, bad news, it was pissed.
It stretched out both hands towards Ezra and lightning sprouted from its fingertips launching it at the Padawan.
Ezra withered on the ground screaming in pain. It hurt so much!
The door opened and Kanan ran in holding his lightsaber.
"Ezra!" Kanan screamed.
The Starweird refused to acknowledge the new arrival, being too occupied with killing the teenager.
Kanan slashed at the Starweird with his lightsaber, only for it to pass right through without harming the creature. "Damn," He reached out with the Force and started to squeeze the Starweird. It stopped its lightning attack as Kanan squeezed tighter. Until the Starweird poofed away, hopefully dead.
Kanan sighed in relief and ran over to Ezra, who was still lying on the ground. Ezra didn't seem to be breathing.
"No," Kanan murmured, he knelt on the ground and cradled his Padawan's head in his hands. Ezra made no response to the movement.
Kanan touched his face gently like he did back on the asteroid that felt so long ago. "Ezra," he whispered and gently brushed his Force signature against Ezra's.
"Kanan," Ezra moaned and opened his eyes slightly, staring at his master. "Is it gone?"
"Yeah, it's gone now." Kanan reassured. "Just hang in there, Hera will have the power back on soon and we will get you in the MedBay."
"It hurt, so bad." Ezra groaned. "It hurts."
"I know." Kanan responded. "But you're going to be okay." He reached out with the Force and started giving some of his strength to his hurt Padawan.
Ezra curled in closer to Kanan's chest, seeking the comfort and strength his master was offering. "I was so scared." he admitted.
"It's okay," Kanan comforted, running his hand through Ezra's hair. "It's gone now. And Hera will have the shields back up soon so no more can get on board."
Almost instantly the lights flickered back on. "Okay, everything is back online." Hera confirmed over the comm.
"Get the shields back up." Kanan ordered. He picked up Ezra, who had passed out again, and headed over to the MedBay.
"What's the rush mate?" Zeb asked.
"We don't want any more Starweirds getting on board." Kanan replied.
"A what?" Sabine asked.
"I'll explain later." Kanan promised. "It hurt Ezra."
"Is he going to be alright?" Hera asked.
Kanan had reached the MedBay at this point and laid his Padawan down on the bed. "Yeah," Kanan breathed. "I think he's going be fine."
Kanan scanned Ezra over with a device that let him check his vitals. His pulse was a bit spotty and he had some minor nerve damage but should be fine with a little more Force healing.
He sat down next to his Padawan, placing his hand on the teen's chest and focused on steading his pulse. Once the monitor confirmed that Ezra's pulse was back to normal, he took a break.
"It's all over now Ezra. It can't hurt you anymore." Kanan comforted the boy, even though he knew it would be left unheard.
After about a minute of focusing on getting his strength back Kanan moved onto trying to heal the slight damage to his Padawan's nerves due to the lightning.
Ezra was healed by the top of the hour.
Kanan brushed some hair off Ezra's face.
"Ezra, can you wake up?" Kanan asked. He offered some encouragement through their Force bond, that seemed stronger than before, if only slightly.
Ezra slowly opened his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Kanan smiled.
"Better than I was." Ezra offered. "Tired."
"What did that thing due to you before I came in?" Kanan asked, his voice full of worry. "It felt like your Force was slowly leaving you."
"It was chocking me with the Force like the Sith Lord did." Ezra explained. "And it felt like it was draining me of my life and Force. I pushed it away. But that is when the lightning started."
Kanan sighed. "We'll you are okay now. Get some more rest okay?"
"Okay," Ezra said. Kanan moved to leave and turn off the lights. "Wait."
"Do you need something?" Kanan asked.
"Can you leave the lights on, and stay with me?" Ezra requested. "Please, I'm scared." And he was terrified. Terrified that the monster would come back.
"Sure thing kid." Kanan smiled and returned to his seat next to Ezra.
"Thank you." Ezra said.
"No problem." Kanan said, running his hand through the boy's hair in a comforting manner. "Get some rest. I'll be right here."
Ezra closed his eyes and leaned into Kanan's comforting hand.
"It's all over now Ezra." Kanan said. "And as long as I'm around, I'll keep you safe."
The End