CH.10: Fights on many ground
Kanan and Ezra square off…the two of them circling one another as they grip their weapons. Ezra faces him with a one handed stance while Kanan faces him with both hands gripping the weapon. There was a silence that went beyond speaking…it spoke deeply within as the roiling emotional tide threatened to overwhelm them. All that time spent training…and it had led here of all places…in a sewer. "You can still turn away from the Dark Side Ezra…it is never too late."
"It is too late Kanan…my entire adventure, if you can call it that on this planet has set me on a path I can't walk away from. I have killed…and Jedi are supposed to be disciplined warriors fighting for good…not evil." He swung his lightsaber in a high arc and Kanan brushed it aside but the anger behind it sent him back a pace.
"Ezra you were only following orders from your Master…he is the true villain. A Master must know the character of his Apprentice…see through the training as one would a friend or family member. I realize that as Jedi we must distance ourselves from our Apprentices so they won't ever hurt us…but…I've grown to know you and understand you Ezra and I am too deep to walk away."
Ezra struck again and the two parried as blue and red clashed. Kanan was drowning in Ezra's hate and pain…it was almost too much to bear. Switching to one hand he goes to force push him but Ezra matches his hand and as they push against each other there is a strain on the both of them. Kanan looks into his former Apprentice's eyes seeing the turmoil within…this went deeper than their falling out.
"I have no choice…I have to fight…don't you get it?" The two then were thrown across the room with Ezra crashing into the wall and Kanan throw into one of the gears. Hearing a rib crack he bit down on his tongue tasting blood. Holding his chest he slowly rises and sees Ezra close to losing consciousness, likely a concussion from the force of the wall.
"No I don't get it Ezra…and don't shut your eyes…take out all your hate on me…I can take it." Kanan was fighting his Apprentice on two levels, one was to keep him awake and the other was to get to the bottom of all this.
"I can't say…all I can say is you must die…there is no way around it." Ezra raced at him using his force speed and Kanan barely had time to flip away as he saw the red blade dance and cut into one of the gears. The room began to shake violently and the groan of something bad was coming.
"Ezra…I have to come to learn there is always a choice…it doesn't matter if you are up against a wall with no way out…long as you one person in your corner things don't look so bleak." Kanan was pushed on the defensive as Ezra swung his blade at him. The room was filled with the hiss of their blades making contact and Ezra looked confused.
"Kanan…I'm sorry…sorry for everything. I should never have gone to him…should never have sought out another means to the truth…running away from the fact that I was upset that Sabine was getting married." Ezra shot out some force lightning and Kanan flinched as pain shot through his body from his broken rib and he was sent to his knees as lightning built up deep within him and his bones.
"Ezra…just talking about it…you are already starting the healing process…" Kanan saw Ezra standing before him with his blade dipping just under his chin.
"I buried everything and everyone that meant the world to me when I became his Apprentice…lost myself to the darkness and the hate that came with it. There was only cold and isolation and I began to forget about who I was before…lost all sense of any light that ever touched my very existence. I was lost among the stars and when I was given my first mission I gave it my all…but that wasn't enough."
Kanan had blood running down his lip and as he saw Ezra take a swing at his head he threw his lightsaber above his head and watched it cut through one of the pipes and sewage water came down right on top of Ezra. Ezra managed to pull his weapon away but he still got most of the smelly water all over his clothes.
"An Apprentice is never to get a solo mission till they are good and ready. You can be trained for months and still not ready for what is asked of you. I remember with my Master she was there for me through it all…keeping me grounded and secure till I was ready to be on my own. What the Inquisitor did to you…it was wrong."
Kanan caught his weapon as it came back to him and he held it outright in challenge. He was getting to the bottom of Ezra's fall from the Light Side and it was clear his emotional state of mind had a great deal to do with it. Sabine getting married was a trigger but it was also a sign that Ezra was not processing the change correctly…he was like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum. After having pursued Sabine for so long to be rejected each way…that amount of pain did not leave. While none of this excused him for killing another Jedi…it did show a thing or two about his character.
"I was supposed to track down a Jedi and kill him. I had no luck in finding him though; the Inquisitor didn't give me much to go on. Still when I saw him in the bar…I got reckless, I revealed I was a Jedi without knowing it and alarmed him of my presence. I chased him and he saved me…we fought on the roof and when I killed him all he wanted was for me to look after his daughter. I found out from the Inquisitor that the entire planet wanted me dead…that no one was allowed in or out till it was carried out and it didn't take long for them to find me.
"I eventually found the girl I was meant to protect, Elicia, and while we started off on rocky terrain I grew to like her as a person and someone I wanted in my life. Things just went down from there after being saved by a Bounty Hunter then finding out this guy was hired to give me a weapon…and…ugh…I came close to killing him when the Inquisitor showed and told me I had to kill you if she was to be saved!"
Kanan nodded his head then realizing the true intent of this. Of course it did little to protect him as he left himself vulnerable and Ezra shot him with another force lightning sending him onto his back writhing as the pain rode all over him. Hearing footsteps he looks up as he sees the Inquisitor holding a girl up in the air in a force grip, though from the looks of it the girl was barely conscious.
"Now Ezra…shall we try this again…and this time no hesitancy." Kanan glowered at the man but saw Ezra raise his weapon and closing his eyes he heard the lightsaber swing.
It was all down to this. Sabine waited for the ax to fall and just as it was about to fall down she saw a circular like device roll between his legs. Finding some reserve energy she rolled out of the way and leaped towards Hera who had little time to react as their bodies collided and the room lit up in an explosion of body parts and shrapnel.
Sabine landed atop her girl and looked down at where her hand landed and grinned. "At least things are still exciting huh?"
"Uh huh…if you don't mind I'd like that back please," Hera quipped back and Sabine let go of her chest then looked in the direction where the thermal detonator had came from.
"Hello ladies…and Zeb…don't mind the intrusion just thought I'd stroll in and try out the hero thing." Sabine saw the dust clear and standing there with a heavy blaster was Lando, his crooked grin making him a poster of the Rebellion if any.
"And how does it fit?" Sabine called out rather relieved to have some reinforcement…even if it was just Lando.
"I'll let you know after we get out of this alive. Shall we even the numbers then?" Lando fired at a recovering alien and shot him in the back then dove for cover as several shots came his way.
Sabine nodded her head as she joined in firing off her own shots and forgetting about the pain that worked its way through her body. Hera was up against her back as they took care of both sides of the room keeping each other safe. She imagined it would be like this when they were married…though likely less messy and the whole stranded part. She was through being stranded.
"Care explaining why you are here?" Zeb inquired as he managed to turn the table on his foes and thrashed about as he leaped through the air bringing his fist down on a Rodian.
"Oh that…well…I couldn't let you guys have all the fun now could I? I found Kanan and offered my services but he turned me down instead throwing me in your direction. He went after Ezra…that was the last I saw him. Whatever happens that is on his end…what we need to do is get out of here and to the extraction point…soon."
"Why the rush?" Sabine asked. Turning with Hera she shoots a human wearing body armor between the eyes and watches as he crumples to the floor.
"Bail received a message…seems a Star Destroyer is heading this way. If we don't pull out not only will be stranded but…it is a good probability we'll be captured by the Empire." Lando was grabbed from behind and he slammed his elbow into the guy then threw him over his shoulder and fired down at his body.
"Let's hope Kanan finds Ezra fast then…cause we're not leaving without him," Hera told everyone as she spun her body over to a guy trying to grab at Sabine and disarmed him then kicked him in the crotch and hit him in the face with the butt of her weapon.
"You are crazy Hera…it is bad enough dealing with these thugs but the full might of the Empire is no joking matter. Oh sure we can hide for a while without being found sure…eventually though friendly faces will turn on us looking to make good with the largest presence out there. I don't know about you but I don't want to see this Emperor-."
"Do what you like Lando…but this crew is going to be brought back together…and even if I have to put off my own wedding…it will be done. Right babe?" Hera asked her and Sabine smiled.
"You took the words right out of my mouth. I love you." She pulled her to her body as she made out with her kissing her deeply as she runs her hands over her body.
"Do they always do this?" Lando asked as he got hit across the face and pinned to the wall as he found himself losing air.
Zeb pounded the guy in the back then threw him into some of his friends coming to help. "Let them have this moment…they are putting their very lives on the line to see their family reunited, and yeah…this happens now and then…you get used to it."
Sabine pulled back from the kiss and went to finish off someone when a blaster was heard. Sabine at first looked down but saw it wasn't her. Zeb appeared fine and so did Lando…but that meant…
"Hon…I feel cold…" Hera then fell down and Sabine's heart stopped. Standing in the doorway was a green armored man with a broken helmet.
"Will the real Boba Fett please stand up…cause he is royally ticked off!" He stares out at them and Sabine feels tears spring to her face.
"Hera…Hera babe no…no!" She rushes to her side holding her body as Lando and Zeb are held at blaster point.
"Whose next?" Boba Fett asks.
Authors note: A double cliffhanger as lives are in the balance. Things are not getting easier for the Rebels and as the final parts of the story are told will they or won't they be stranded remains to be seen. Stay tuned.