Chapter 2
"You're sure about this?" Hera said over the comm.
Kanan finished up a long swig from the drink Hera had made for him. "I'm sure you guys will have fun without me," he said.
Sabine's voice piped up over the comm, "Oh we'll have fun alright. I was up extra early cooking up something special." Kanan opened his mouth but was cut off by Zeb's low growl.
"Karabast...we were all up early thanks to you." Kanan rolled his eyes at the sound of Chopper's angry squawks. He could hear the bucket of spare parts rattling off incoherent feedback.
Apparently Sabine understood it, and said "Chopper, when is he not in a bad mood. Trust me Zeb, you wont even remember this morning when you see these little miracles make that imperial shipment disappear!" The squabbling continued but faded off into the background.
Even over the comm, Hera's voice couldn't hide her fatigue."As much as I'd like some help with these guys, I'm glad you and Ezra are getting some one on one time." Kanan glanced over his shoulder to check on Ezra, asleep in one of the phantom's fold down chairs."He went back to sleep didn't he?" Hera asked, and Kanan could hear her grin.
"Kid needs his beauty sleep." Kanan said with a smirk.
"I'm glad he finally is." Hera said warmly. Kanan laughed, always surprised at how keen Hera was when it came to her crew."You wouldn't happen to have had anything to do with that, would you?" She said, and Kanan stifled, unsure how to respond to Hera's gentle teasing.
"Stay safe Specter two, and send me a message when you're ready to meet back up." Kanan said.
Her grin still audible, Hera said "Roger that Phantom, Ghost out."
Kanan reclined and finished off his morning drink. He inhaled the warm nutty scent of the empty cup before stowing it next to the pilot seat. The small flier rumbled a bit when Kanan took manual control and he heard Ezra stir behind him. The boy's yawn filled the shuttle as Ezra stretched. The Phantom jostled a bit, nearly tipping Ezra out of his seat. He nimbly scrambled to hold himself in place, feeling the shuttle vibrate through his hands. The pattering of raindrops hitting the hull grew louder as Ezra stood up and walked up to the cockpit. "Whoa..." Ezra said when he saw the storm front that filled the front windows. "Where are we headed?" he said.
Kanan flipped some of the overhead switches as he said,"From the map I was looking at last night, its a small town almost on the other side of the planet."
Ezra looked sideways at Kanan."Were you up all night?" he said a little timidly.
"Don't worry, it wasn't just me." Kanan said with a good-natured shrug. "You'd think Sabine's bomb making would be a much...gentler process."
Ezra laughed and said, "I couldn't tell if she was making them or setting them off."
Kanan chuckled "Actually, after you went to sleep, I did some meditating." Kanan's tone of voice peaked Ezra's interest. Eager to hear more about the Jedi's secrets he leaned against the wall to get comfortable. "I was meditating and I came felt a presence, a strange one." Ezra tilted his head in interest, feeling uneasy. Kanan said, his voice now very serious. "When it connected with me...I had the same dream you've been having."
"Wait, what?" Ezra blurted, rising off the wall. "That means you...watched yourself die? Hold on, how does that work?" Ezra stared off into the sheets of rain the Phantom passed through, his nose scrunched up in confusion.
"No, not that kind of same." Kanan said, glancing at his padawan. "I...dreamed about when my master was killed, the same way you kept dreaming about my death."
Ezra's confusion started to clear, "Oh...OH!" he said as the realization of what Kanan was talking about sunk in. "...oh." he said a little subdued. Kanan checked one of the screens and dipped the shuttle down slightly, enough to make Ezra's ears pop.
"Its ok Ezra, we shouldn't forget the things that happen to us, good or bad. We should let those memories teach us, make us better." Kanan said. The shuttle was quiet for a while as Ezra looked at the dark rain clouds. The noise of the rain hitting the hull seemed dim for a few moments. Ezra looked back at Kanan, who seemed to be in a serious thought of his own.
Ezra said, "Even that time you almost beat Chopper at Holomonsters, and he tased you under the tabl-"
"That!" Kanan said with a jump, closing his legs involuntarily. "That one I wish we could all forget." he felt, as much as saw, Ezra's impish smile in the corner of his eye. Kanan tried to remain stoic but felt himself start to crack. Before he could give Ezra the satisfaction of breaking, he jerked the Phantom downward, lifting Ezra off the ground with a yelp. Kanan pulled back up and the startled boy dropped. He grasped frantically and barely managed to latch on to a hanging strap. Kanan started to dip again.
"Ok! Ok!" Ezra said and Kanan leveled the Phantom again. The boy's chest heaved a little faster and he said playfully, "I see that's still a...sensitive topic." This time Kanan managed to keep control of his legs. He glanced over at his padawan and they exchanged a look that a suggested a truce. Kanan smiled as he looked forward, flipping a switch to turn on the outside flood lights. Ezra grinned as he finished pulling himself into a stable position, resting a hand on the pilot's chair.
Despite the heavy rain blurring the bright flood lights, Ezra could make out a landing pad. As they approached, the comms panel buzzed and what sounded like a droid asked for identification. Kanan said, "Uh yeah, this is the 'Petite Huttling', requesting a place to refuel and maybe grab a bite to eat." While they waited for a response, Ezra got a good look at the large structure the landing pad was attached to. It rose clear above the trees, massive beams of light aimed up into the sky, silhouetted what looked like a huge communications dish on the roof. It looked like Imperial designs, so it had to be rather new, even though there was a lot of moss and rust patches on the surface. Ezra paused as he felt a ripple in the force. He didn't know what it was, but it felt unnatural and dark.
"I know, I felt it too." Kanan said. Ezra looked at his master and saw him gazing down into the forest. Ezra felt a chill as another ripple hit him. A gentle force nudge from Kanan let Ezra feel the older Jedi's calm. He was surprised it actually helped a little, and pushed the chill to the side. Ezra was grateful, but still unsure how he felt about Kanan's help.
"What's causing that." Ezra said, trying to focus in on the source of the ripples. It was there, near were Kanan had been looking. "It feels like its...moving." Ezra said. The comm buzzed and startled Ezra, who jumped a little. He thought he saw Kanan jump a little too.
"Petite Huttling, you are cleared for landing pad six. We don't get a lot of visitors out here so you should be for a while if you need the rest."
Kanan leaned into the mic and said, "Acknowledged tower, I'm getting the telemetry for pad 6 right now. Thanks for the warm welcome." A stiff rainy gust clipped the Phantom as she came in for landing and pushed the little shuttle around. Kanan's grip on the yoke clenched a little and he felt Ezra tense a little next to him. Kanan muttered to himself, "Well, maybe just thanks for the welcome."
Kanan waited for a break in the wind, then landed the Phantom. The shuttle jostled its two occupants before the magnetic clamps could lock in. As Kanan started to shut down the engines Ezra loosened his grip on the pilot seat. Vibrations from the engine were replaced by the gusting winds that surged up from the forest below, occasionally rattling the shuttle. With the flood lights still on, the storm seemed to rush at the cockpit windows and gave the illusion of turbulent hyperspace. Ezra felt Kanan's hand pat his shoulder and Kanan said, "I get the feeling it never stops raining here." Ezra scoffed with a lop sided smirk and followed Kanan to the back of the shuttle. Kanan opened one of the storage compartments and pulled out a cloak and handed it to Ezra. It was grey and slightly worn, with a few frayed threads along the bottom. Ezra held it up and turned it around for a quick inspection before swinging it around himself. There was a little waft of some odd smell as it settled around him but it didn't linger.
"How long has this been in there?" Ezra asked, feeling the surprisingly smooth fabric, much smoother than it looked. Kanan pulled another cloak from the locker and quickly flung it around himself.
"Since I came to the Ghost," He said. He checked his gun before drawing his cloak all the way around in front. "It was my old cloak," he said with a hint of fondness. Ezra held the cloak open and noticed some faint singe marks on the inside. Old plasma burns he guessed. He'd seen the same marks from imperial rifles dozens of times.
"You're old Jedi cloak?" Ezra said, gingerly drawing the cloak shut.
"Yep." Kanan said as he looked Ezra over. "I think it suits you, padawan" Kanan said as he pulled up his hood. Ezra smirked as he drew his own hood up.
"Does that mean I'll get my own lightsaber soon?" Ezra said. The older Jedi turned and pushed the door release. The hydraulics were instantly drowned out by the howling wind that rushed into the Phantom and started pulling at their legs. The wind sucked out the cabin air and flooded the shuttle with a fresh, moist smell that made Ezra shiver. Kanan grabbed his cloak and folded his arms, wrapping the fabric tightly around him. Ezra quickly copied him as the door finished opening and rain began to blow into the shuttle. Through the downpour Ezra could just make out the walk way that lead to the building. There weren't any railings and the grated floor allowing the wind to rush straight up through.
A strong gust tipped Kanan, who crouched to stay balanced. He turned toward Ezra with an eyebrow raised. Ezra had a smirk on his face when a another gust pushed him. He couldn't help but take a step towards the edge and nimbly lowered himself. Looking through the floor he saw the tops of the trees bending violently below. With a nervous grin, Ezra looked up in time to see Kanan's lop sided smile. The two crouched low and walked cautiously until they were both inside the elevator. Kanan drew back his hood with a whistle.
"That," he said "is probably why they don't have a lot of visitors." The elevator started moving down more gracefully than Kanan anticipated. Ezra pulled back his hood and shook out the water that had blown into his hair. He caught sight of the blaster burns inside his cloak and wondered if he should ask Kanan about them. There was still a lot about Kanan he didn't know. Ezra remembered the calm he had felt from Kanan when they both felt the disturbance in the shuttle. It had been a small thing, but Ezra realized how much it had bolstered his thoughts and allowed himself to focus. He pondered the idea of actually dropping his guard, but pulled away from the thought. How could he let himself get attached to someone he knew so little about. The elevator began to slow down, breaking Ezra out of his introspection.
The doors slide open to the sound of the wind, but muted by the surrounding trees. Tucked under the vast canopy was a surprisingly well lit village. A couple streets, little more than walk ways, wove through a few dozen buildings. Ezra noticed the moss and rust was about the same amount as the tower and guessed the whole town had not been around very long. A mix of species walked the streets, most with light coverings for the rain. The storm might have been extreme up on the tower, but down here the canopy had reduced it to a drizzle of thick and heavy water drops.
When he stepped out of the elevator Ezra felt the ripples again, much closer and more invasive. It seemed to fill the whole town in a white noise that made his connection with the force hazy. He checked to see if the disturbance would hinder his connection with Kanan, and was relieved, and a little embarrassed, when he felt Kanan reach back with reassurance.
Kanan looked down at Ezra as he felt his apprentice tentatively draw on their bond. Ezra was trying to keep his guard up, but slow progress was still progress. There was still a lot of fear and mistrust inside the boy. He thought of Master Kenobi's final message to 'trust in the force' and Kanan hoped he was doing the right thing by training the boy. Kanan exhaled slowly, push his doubts aside and focused on finding the source of the distortion. Feeling the unnatural distortion up close, Kanan subconsciously rested his hand on his lightsaber hilt.
"Kanan, its everywhere," Ezra said as he looked around. "What is this?"
"Its...it feels like a wound in the force," Kanan said, his furrowed concentration broke momentary in surprise. "But..." Kanan said, "Wounds like this are suppose to be locations, fixed places were the force has been made unstable."
Ezra furrowed his brow and said, "But I felt it moving from the shuttle." he said, his uneasy feeling returning despite his efforts. "What does that mean?"
Kanan frowned and said, "I don't know."
"Oh well that's...comforting." Ezra said after hearing his mentor's surprise. He watched Kanan's brow tighten as the older Jedi continued to concentrate on the disturbance. Ezra noticed someone across the street point at Kanan and whisper to their group. Ezra hooked his arm around Kanan's and gently tugged him a step forward. "Alright Dad, that's enough fresh air for now." he said, loud enough for the pedestrians to hear. When Kanan looked at Ezra, the boy subtly jerked his head to the side, sending Kanan's gaze over to the whispering folks across the street. Kanan exaggerated a long, dramatic inhale and stretched his arms.
"You're right, you're right...I just get so tired of that recycled ship air." Kanan said with a loud exhale. The people across the street lost interest and went back to whatever they had been talking about. "Thanks kid." Kanan said, quiet enough for just Ezra to hear. The two walked away from the tower and headed down what looked like the main street. The forest canopy completely covered the ground and the temperature was much cooled enough for Ezra to see his breath. While they walked Ezra tried to block out the hazy effect of the disturbance but without much success. It felt like it was beginning to stick to him. The longer he stayed in it the less he wanted to be there.
"You never did finish explaining why we flew all the way out here." Ezra said. A shriek from above made him skip half a step and he looked up in time to see a feathered lizard glide past. He folded his arms tighter with a shiver and said, "I think I'd like to know about any plans you might have." Kanan placed his hand on Ezra's shoulder and stopped.
"In here, we might as well be warm while we talk." Kanan said and walked through the well-lit doorway. Ezra followed Kanan inside the cafe, and was pleasantly surprised. It was actually kind of cozy. The strong spices and sounds of conversations did as much to keep the air warm as the large fire pit in the room. Ezra stared at the fire as he followed Kanan up to a second floor balcony. It was sparely occupied and blocked some of the downstairs commotion. They sat and a service bot attached to a ceiling track took their order before it clattered off.
"Lets get you up to speed." Kanan said. He leaned forward, rubbing his hands together to warm them. Ezra pulled a knee up to his chest and rested his foot on the seat cushion, leaning his whole body into his leg. "A wound in the force is a disturbance caused by lose, usually the lose of life." Kanan said, adjusting his feet. "It isn't so much a place physically as it is a destabilization of the natural flow of the force."
"So how did it find us then?" Ezra said. "its just a place. I mean, it isn't alive, is it?"
Kanan shook his head and said, "I've never heard of a wound being able to do that. But something here was drawn to me as I was meditating about the death of my master, and I'd bet it was drawn to you when you dreamed about my death." The noise from the main floor grew louder, and Ezra scooted closer to Kanan to hear better. "A normal wound in the force can't pick and choose, it simply is. Whatever is here, its more than a distortion."
"You think whatever it is, is doing it on purpose?" Ezra said, doing his best to squash the uneasy in his gut.
"Not exactly." Kanan said. "It might have been a dark presence, but it wasn't malicious. It responded only when it felt my own dark memories. Even just a nightmare was enough to draw it in." Kanan said and watched as Ezra mulled the information over. The young padawan looked up at Kanan slowly, an idea dawning on his face.
"It moved. We felt it move," Ezra said. "Is there a chance its, a person?"
"That would be my guess. I mean I've never heard of it, but I'm pretty sure that it could happen." Kanan said. He saw Ezra raise an eyebrow and tilted his head in doubt. "Look this wasn't exactly a common topic back in the day so I'm doing the best with what I've got." Kanan said with a shrug and a cocky grin. Ezra glanced down at the burn marks on his cloak at the mention of the old Jedi order. Ezra knew that Kanan had been about his age when the Jedi had fallen. But feeling Kanan's old cloak fit him the same as it had Kanan, back when the burn marks happened, made it real. Ezra remembered his dreams from the last few days and wondered how Kanan had dealt with losing his master.
Kanan stiffened slightly as he felt Ezra's fear growing. Fear of lose, and pain from past abandonment. It haunted the boy, and Kanan could feel the nature of the disturbance being drawn to Ezra. It pulled at the boy's suffering and made it fresh again. Kanan tried to reach him, but there wasn't much room left in the boy's mind.
"Kanan," Ezra said in a hushed voice. "What if it is a person?" Ezra felt tired. Tired of the fear and lose, and seeing it all around him. The Empire had created so much suffering, and he could feel the weight of it all breaking him. The darkness seemed so vast, what could he do against it? Dragged to the edge, the disturbance resonated with him and returned him to his nightmares. This time the vision was far clearer than ever before. He saw Kanan, motionless at the Inquisitor's feet. Ezra could barely feel Kanan as their bond begin to go cold. It wasn't fear he felt anymore, but terror.
"No!" Ezra said as he closed his eyes and reached out, but this time he didn't feel Kanan die, he sensed the older Jedi somewhere past the darkness. He was surrounded in a haze but he knew he was there. As the Inquisitor stalked towards him, Ezra dropped to his knees and said, "Kanan...help."
It was a bittersweet compassion that embraced Ezra, the kind that came from someone who shared his lose without ignoring his suffering. Through their bond Ezra felt Kanan's concern for him. As Ezra let Kanan in he felt the disturbances's hold weaken and the nightmare tore itself apart. Ezra embraced his grief and lose, and instead of anger, felt compassion.
Ezra felt the droning of the distortion around him fade as its ability to use his fear weakened. His connection to the force become clearer, more focused.
Relieved, Kanan felt his padawan's mind grow peaceful, and rested a hand on Ezra's head. Ezra opened his eyes, a little shocked and embarrassed, and looked around to make sure no one had noticed. The din of conversation and music remained the same, as if nothing had happened.
"I uh...guess I kind of had a moment there."Ezra said, blushing slightly. Kanan chuckled and pulled Ezra into a tight side hug while ruffling the boy's hair. Ezra squirmed and playfully fought to get Kanan to stop, his face turning more red. "Come on! This isn't helping." Ezra said. Kanan let go and Ezra let out a sigh of relief.
"You might just become a Jedi after all." Kanan said. Ezra shrugged and smiled.
"I do what I can...master." Ezra said. He looked down and rubbed the floor with his foot. "Thanks Kanan." he said.
"You did good kid." Kanan said, leaning forward to be more at Ezra's eye level. "But there's still the matter of the distortion to attend to."
"What's the plan?" Ezra said.
