Kanan couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. Ezra was some kid who still needed a lot of training and discipline, not some grown man with dulled eyes and a scar across his face.
No, this wasn't Ezra. How could it be?
The man only rolled his eyes and sighed. "You're confused. I can tell." He tucked his helmet under his shoulder. "What was that thing you were always saying? Trust the Force? Try doing that."
The Force? Why did this guy know about The Force? Kanan thought as he looked him up and down. And the more he gazed, the more he saw differences between this guy and his padawan. Ezra might have been rough and smart-mouthed, but he attacked any challenge with a sly grin and cocked eyebrow, as if to say 'No problem'. This guy's body language was held none of that energy. His posture was slumped and his lips pressed into a thin line, even when he tried to joke, he seemed too tired to fully commit.
'Ezra' rolled his eyes again. "Okay, you don't believe me. Fine. But how about you examine me when we're further away from those Stormtroopers, okay?"
Well, Kanan thought, he did have a point. And he could always get to the bottom of it later, when they weren't being hunted.
"Let's go."
They ran back into the catacombs, through the sewers, and out into the streets of Lothal, as far and as fast as their feet could take them, and it wasn't until Kanan and his "friend" were well into town that he felt safe enough to slow down and breath.
"Okay," 'Ezra' said, "I think we-"
Before he could finish, Kanan grabbed hold of his shirt and slammed him against a nearby wall.
"Who are you?" Kanan asked, his teeth clenched into a tight ball. He couldn't take any chances, if this guy was some kind of a threat to his team or his mission, he wanted to know.
"Same old Kanan, all business. Look," he said, "We're already making contact." He gestured to Kanan's arms that were currently barred against his throat. "Just concentrate. Listen to the force inside of me. Padawans and their Masters have a bond, don't they? You're the one who taught me that."
Kanan had told Ezra about that…once, and frankly, he wasn't even sure if the boy was paying any attention. When it comes to a bond between Master and Padawan, or any two force users, that bond is forever formed. Just about nothing can break it, and even if it is broken, pieces of it still lingers like a scar or a bruise.
If this was Ezra, Kanan would be able to feel it…and he did. For a split second. There was a familiarity there, one Kanan felt whenever he had to fix Ezra's meditation position, or show him the proper way to deflect a blast.
A fondness Kanan felt during mealtime with the rest of the Ghost Crew, or the chilled tenderness he felt the night before when he realized his Padawan was under the weather and had cancelled training for the day.
"Do I seem familiar yet?" Ezra asked.
Kanan slowly backed away…this was Ezra. His Ezra. His Padawan…but this guy was nearly as old as him. What was going on?
"I can tell you're confused," Ezra said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible, but the boy…the man was out of breath himself. Brought on by exhaustion and a grand sense of panic. What did he have to be panicked about?
"Look, kid" Kanan said, "How about you and I find some place to hunker down for the night and you can start explaining what's goin' on."
Ezra smiled. "No problem Master."
They had found a hotel somewhere in the middle of town. Not too big on accommodations, but they didn't ask any questions and the rate was cheap. Perfect. Kanan flung his pack against a wall, and Ezra placed his helmet down on the old coffee table.
"Spill."
Ezra sighed and collapsed onto the bed. "Don't you want to get a little food first? Maybe check on the Ghost, tell them you're alright?"
"Now kid."
Ezra just sighed and sat up. "I'm from the future."
Kanan only stared blankly at the man's eyes, so much like his Padawan's.
Ezra continued, "You're on a secret mission trying to destroy WMD's the Empire hopes to manufacture, that part's legit. But the cannon's they were just a front to keep the Rebellion from discovering the real weapon." Ezra leaned in forward, the shadow from the light covering his face like a cowl. "The Empire is developing Time Travel tech, something that could reshape the very fabric of reality itself."
"And how do you know all of this?"
Ezra just cocked his eyebrow, as if to say "Hello? I'm from the future."
Kanan just rolled his eyes, "Right. Go on."
"In my time, the Rebellion didn't learn about the time weapon until it was too late, and now it's pretty much complete. At the time of my departure, they were testing the thing, which is why I'm here now. I managed to sneak in, disrupt the testing and come back to this period to try and change things."
Kanan could tell Ezra was telling the truth, The Force told him so at least, but there was also something he wasn't telling him. Something that itched at the back of Kanan's brain.
"Okay, so this weapon is still in its development stages?"
Ezra nodded.
"And they're building it here on Lothal?"
Ezra nodded.
"Did any of your people from your time period happen to know where?"
Ezra shook his head, "No, apparently during its developmental stages they moved it around every so often so that no one was able to get any good intel on it. They really took it seriously."
"So, we've got nothing to go on?"
Great, Kanan thought. Back to square one.
"Well, no necessarily, we've got two Jedi here and together we should be able to figure something out."
"Fine." Kanan plopped onto the next bed and stretched out. "There isn't any use in trying to do something now. We'll rest up and get started in the morning."
Ezra sat up like a bolt, "Right now? I was hoping we could go to a bar or something. I mean it is pretty early." Ezra rubbed the back of his neck…did he sound disappointed?
"No." Kanan said, "We'll get some sleep, and regroup in the morning. Besides, you're not old enough to go to a bar."
"Sure I am."
"No," Kanan corrected, "You're not, because in this time period you're fourteen, and fourteen year olds don't go to bars. Now sleep."
"At least let me take care of that shoulder," Ezra said, "You took a pretty bad hit back in the catacombs."
"Good night Ezra."
Same old Kanan, one track mind all the way through.
"Alright," Ezra said as he tucked himself into his comforter. Was Kanan asleep? Could he sense the anxiousness swirling within Ezra like a dust cloud? Ezra swallowed hard and hoped not. There were somethings his master didn't need to know. Not yet.
He took a deep breath and whispered, "Good night Master," too soft to hear.
