Hi! So, life... Umm... I've been busy. I don't know if I enjoy being busy, but I'm working through it.
Right, the Easter egg. To be honest, it was more of a slight reference to one of my past works rather than Star Wars itself... Sorry about that, Dunan is my OC for a different fanfic. EvilMindedZ got it, partly because I told her when I was plotting the chapter. It was not my most successful fanfiction (that honor goes to this one), but I had some followers, so I assumed a few people would recognize the character... Sorry again. Here's my apology: A New Chapter! Enjoy!
The thirty second preparation session hadn't been enough. Nothing would be enough to be prepared to see the condition Ezra was in. Nothing would be enough make them ready to know that some of the tubes under his skin were pumping suppressants and sedatives instead of just saline.
The true facts of what Ezra was seemed to sink in further than it had when they'd fought. Without a steady stream of drugs to keep him down, he'd kill. There'd been stories of people who had lost their minds completely after capture. It was actually possible that Ezra could join the ranks of those driven insane by the imperials.
His body was so still, as though he was a corpse. Every member of the Ghost felt a chilly shudder run through them.
Kanan clenched his fists. Thanks to the suppressants, he couldn't sense his own apprentice. The only way the Jedi could tell Ezra was alive was through the machines reading his vital signs.
Sabine's eyes involuntarily lingered on the metal limb. Zeb looked like he wanted to kill someone. Hera gently brushed a few stray strands from his face. They were all thinking the same thing: How could Ezra, their Ezra, look so broken?
Everything, aside from his leg, was intact. He had no expression on his face. Yet, everyone knew it. They all knew how broken he was.
It felt like hours. No one knew how long they'd been in that room for. Did it matter at all? Ezra couldn't hear them. He wouldn't respond to their words. He couldn't sense their relieved, but sad Force signatures.
…
It was probably 0300 when Kanan went back to the medical bay to see Ezra. The flow of sedatives hadn't stopped. Ezra was supposed to be off of them by now. An order must have changed. He'd be on the drugs for a while. How long would they be forced into his veins? The man didn't want to think about it.
He took a heavy breath in. Don't make me regret this, Ezra. He said through the Force to his padawan, despite the fact that he couldn't hear him. Carefully, Kanan detached the suppressant supply from the tube, making absolute sure that the sedatives remained in tact. Kanan glanced around nervously. If one of the medical staff caught him messing with the tubes, he'd be prevented from seeing Ezra for a long time.
The boy didn't stir.
A good sign.
How the mind worked wasn't a complete mystery to Kanan. He'd been trained as a Jedi after all. Focus. Concentrate. He thought, willing himself to calm down. He took a few deep breaths.
He focused on the bond. It felt buried and long forgotten, but it was there. Another bond overlapped it. Kanan shuddered, there wasn't much question of whose it was. The Force coursed through both like electricity through wires.
What have you done to him? Kanan demanded through the crossed bonds.
Only made him stronger. A cruel voice responded. How unfortunate that you shattered him.
Kanan glared, despite the fact that she couldn't see him. He glanced at his padawan, feeling no awakening in his Force signature. He'd be down for awhile longer, the suppressants were doing their job well.
You should have seen him practicing, Jedi. So full of hate and rage. You would have never guessed that he was already partially trained as a Jedi. The Seventh Sister said through the Force. Kanan released a breath to steady himself. She wanted him to get angry. Wanted him to fill with rage.
He could practically sense her smug, sadistic smile. You do not wish to hear about his training? Very well. There was a slight pause in her speech. Kanan could sense the nature of what she was going to say. He had the strangest habit of crying and muttering "I want to go home" before going to sleep. Kanan swallowed thickly. He stopped it later. I suppose he lost hope that you were coming for him. Quite disappointing-
Shut up! Kanan growled. It's over! He's back with us. You're not getting anywhere near him. Kanan would just have to break the bond that Ezra shared with the Sith.
That was the part that scared Kanan a bit. Breaking bonds was dangerous. There was no telling how much pain Ezra would go through if it happened or if he would get through it without permanent damage. He took a breath in, better he did it than the Seventh Sister.
Bonds were something sacred. If either side severed it, the damage would be worst than if an outside force broke it. Kanan steeled himself, preparing for the worst.
Karabast. Ezra's voice muttered through the Force bonds. What happ- He paused, piecing together what was happening. Absolute horror and panic rushed from his Force signature. No, this can't be happening. There was no way that whole thing happened! Kanan glanced at Ezra's face, it was still passive, asleep, and expressionless. It was a stark contrast to the storm of anger, fear, and pain within his mind.
The Seventh Sister's Force signature gave off a casual vibe. Unfortunately, Apprentice, it did occur. Do you know why? Ezra was silent, waiting for an answer. Because you were too weak. Too weak to join our ranks. Perhaps I should have allowed the Fifth Brother to kill you. Ezra's signature shuddered.
Get out of his head! Kanan demanded. It's over!
Both could sense a sinister feeling from her. Ezra's fear rose beyond what should have been capacity. Kanan reached for the bond, now totally prepared to shatter it, but the Seventh Sister got to it first. She put her Force signature around it, protecting it from any attack. Kanan gritted his teeth, ramming his Force signature into hers so it trembled with the impact.
No! Ezra's Force signature screamed desperately. No! Master, I'm begging you! Please don't leave me! He wasn't speaking to Kanan, which stung, but that was the least of the Jedi's concerns. What hurt even more was to hear him beg. The Ezra he knew wouldn't implore anyone in such a way.
You are not worth my time. The Seventh Sister's voice rang in his head.
Then, the bond that they shared snapped. It was perhaps the most terrible sound that Kanan had ever heard. It was like the sickening crunch of bones breaking or a resounding final blast of a gun, ending a life.
Ezra's cries of pain were almost worst. Within his mind, Kanan was only aware of the loud, agonizing screams. A sudden sob escaped Ezra while he slept.
Ezra, it's all okay. You're okay. You're safe. Kanan sent waves upon wave of comfort to Ezra, trying to pacify him, trying to stop the pain. His padawan didn't reject the comfort, but he didn't accept it either. They just seemed to surround him, but do nothing. He could sense Ezra's mindset, he'd been abandoned. That single snap had caused Ezra more pain than anything else ever could.
The boy moaned in his sleep, it was all he could manage with the sedatives in his system. Kanan pulled the sheets up to Ezra's chin. Sorry about this, Ezra. He thought with the bond as he reattached the suppressant tube. Ezra's screams faded slowly, getting weaker and weaker as the substance took effect.
He hated the suppressants, hated himself even more for administering them, but it was all he could do. With any luck, a majority of the pain would pass by the time Ezra was allowed off the suppressants.
It was a sad and desperate way of thinking, but it was the best he could do for the moment. Cutting his padawan off like that was the only way he could think to make him stop hurting.
So, this isn't looking too good for Ezra. He almost killed a member of the medical staff, he's down for now, and the Seventh Sister snapped their bond like a toothpick. I would feel bad, but I lost the ability to feel empathy for characters a while ago. I feel nothing. Strangely enough, I feel more when I read.
Thank you for all the support! 200 reviews, 123 favorites, and 172 follows, I could never get this far without the readers. you guys are the best! So, anyway... Please Review! May the Force be with you!