AN: This is a reading the book type of fic, the original story is 'Alone' by hadesgirl015 (Thanks for letting me use it!) Disclaimer: I own nothing!
3rd Person POV
It was Kanan who found it. On one hand it probably shouldn't have freaked him out so much, it was just a single file. He was going through his DataPad when he saw something that shouldn't have been there. It was a file, of course it was possible that someone (like Hera) had put it there (wouldn't be the first time), but for some reason he doubted it. So, as any curious person would do, he clicked it. Which was stupid, what if it was a virus? Or some kind of hacker? But it was neither, in fact it was worse (in his mind anyway).
He quickly scanned the document before calling the rest of the crew. They slowly filed in disgruntled from being ripped away from their sleep (except for Hera who was already up), what was so important that Kanan needed them here now, in the middle off their beauty sleep time?
"Come on Kanan, why are we here?" Ezra groaned.
"Yeah, it is way to early to be up yet," Eric rubbed his eyes.
"I found this file on my Pad, it wasn't there before-" Kanan started.
"So? Hera probably put it there or something..." Sabine cut him off.
Kanan glared, "Let me finish, Hera didn't put it there, it's a file about..."
"Abou'? Wha' did ya wake me for?" Zeb asked impatiently.
"It's about Ezra!" Kanan blurted.
Ezra tensed a little, "Just read it already, that's what you called us for right?"
"Erm, Yeah, I'll just start then..."
Seven year old Ezra sat on the couch next to the secret hole.
Ezra sat up straight eyes wide, Emma, Eric and Elaine froze. They moved closer to Ezra, they knew the story already, Ezra had told them.
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.
The crew looked at each other confused, doing what?
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.
Realization dawned on the crew, of course! Ezra had already told them his parents had done broadcasts against the Empire!
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.
Worry, pity and realization shone in the crews' eyes. Ezra averted their gaze, he didn't want pity, he didn't need pity. Emma rubbed his back comfortingly.
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.
"Anyone would..." Zeb muttered
"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.
"Smart.." Hera commented.
Sabine snorted, "Who? Ezra or the Troopers?"
Hera's lips twitched, "The troopers," she joked.
"Aw, Hera you wound me," Ezra cried dramatically.
"They're down here." the trooper called out.
"Hey," dad said.
"Hey? Just wow..." Kanan muttered.
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.
"Rude." Eric sniffed.
Ezra stayed frozen in place for maybe five minutes. He decided he better put the house back together.
"Of course, putting the house back is totally your priority right now..." Elaine's voice dripped with sarcasm. Ezra rolled his eyes.
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.
"I only wish," Ezra sighed
"No offense dude, but you were an ignorant 7 year old," Eric told him bluntly.
"I knooowwww! But I was a 7 year old who barely encountered the Empire, how was I supposed to know that whoever got in the clutches of the Empire never got out?"
"Well..." Elaine began
"Rhethorical question Maze." Emma cut her 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.
"Noooo, they would want you to starve to death like any other good parents," Elaine said sarcastically.
Ezra shoved her.
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.
"Harsh, you'd think they'd be kinder 7 year olds." Eric winced.
Ezra looked at him humorlessly, "I'm pretty sure no-one would think that."
Eric shrugged, "Meh."
"Yes they are!" Ezra stomped his foot. "They wouldn't leave me!"
"Kiddie tantrum!" Elaine yelled.
"Denial!" Emma sung.
"But you were right, they wouldn't have left you on purpose..." Eric helped out his bro.
Ezra mock glared at the other two, "Betrayal! You have turned against me, excpet Eric cos' he's my bro."
The two guys did a handshake, while the girls rolled their eyes. The crew watched them in amusement.
"They're dead Loth-scum. Move along." the trooper said.
"H-"
"HARSH! WE GET IT!" Everyone yelled at Eric. He huffed and crossed his arms. Ezra patted him on the back sympathetically.
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.
"It took you 2 days?" Emma asked incredulously.
"Cut him slack, he was in shock," Sabine told her.
"Yeah! Thanks Sabine.."
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.
"Woo hoo!" The kids said without an ounce of enthusiasm.
"So kiddies, enjoy story time?" Ezra asked.
"Ezra, that was the saddest speech I ever heard leave your mouth," Sabine stated.
"Technically, it came from my mouth," Kanan interjected.
"An' those were his thougths so they neve' lef' his mout' anyways," Zeb put in.
"You know what she means," Hera rolled her eyes.
"Well now you read me my backstory, which wasn't necesary cos' I was actually in it, I shall go to bed, I do need my beauty sleep," Ezra strectched up and moved towards the door.
"True that bro," Eric followed him.
"I second that statement," Emma trooped after them.
"What they said," Elaine marched out with them to retire for the night (or day).
"Well... that was interesting.." Hera trailed off.
"I'm too tired to think, good night," Sabine annouonced as she left the room.
"Me too," Zeb marched towards his room.
Hera and Kanan looked at each other, they shrugged and got back to what they were originally doing. I was porobably going to hit them later in the morning, and Ezra would probably get a talk about him not being alone anymore. But that could wait until everyone was actually fully awake, it was after all way too early for a serious talk.
AN: So I'm not sure how that was but this was supposed to be published ages ago! But then I had camp and a looot of homework, I know, I know excuses, but what can I say? Better late than never right? Review! Thx - miss_sarcastix