I do not own Star Wars in any capacity.

Enjoy chapter 60!


T-8 days until Kyber Shipment

The Imperial Complex, also known as the Dome, was a massive structure that had been brought in by the Empire just a couple years ago. Ezra remembered when it happened, watching its arrival on the local holonet broadcast. It had flown in, giant rockets at the bottom of the structure guiding its movement. It was an impressive sight as it slowly lowered and settled into the heart of Capital City on a pre-made foundation.

Impressive, but also sickening. The Empire had cleared out a large swathe of slums in order to make room for the gigantic building. Most of the homeless living in those slums had either been killed or displaced out to a far out exclave now known as Tarkintown.

After the arrival of the Imperial Complex, Kanan and Hera had decided that they shouldn't go into Capital City anymore. The Imperial presence in the city had increased a hundred fold. If they had continued to operate in the area, the Empire would eventually catch on and send in more serious security reinforcements from the Imperial Security Bureau.

It was sad, but they could still go to Kothal and Jalath City. They could still do all their supply shopping in those cities, and that's where all their friends like Mr. Somar and Usar were anyway.

And after the mission at the Spire, it was even more imperative that Kanan and Ezra avoid any and all Imperial detection.

But now Ezra was about to go into the heart of the Imperial operation here on Lothal. The complex was crawling with soldiers and officers who would turn Ezra in to the Inquisitor in a heartbeat if they caught a whiff of who he was, of what he was capable of.

Ezra had only gotten a couple hours of sleep. His stomach was upset, leaving him tossing and turning and making frequent trips to the bathroom. And of course, his shoulder kept bothering him. It might be getting better like Sabine had promised, but he honestly couldn't tell. He was too distracted. By morning he was pretty sure it was back to normal, but he could swear there was an unusual twinge when he moved it in the wrong way.

"Hey Dev…" Jai whispered to him as they walked. "You okay?"

Ezra nodded, forcing himself to stop fidgeting. "Fine," he murmured back tersely.

Jai frowned slightly at the harsh dismissal but couldn't reply as Aresko stood in front of them and began to speak.

"It is an honor to introduce you promising young cadets to Lothal's very own Imperial Complex. Its presence here is proof that Lothal is a valued member of the Empire."

It was almost painful for Ezra to keep from rolling his eyes. He was just a kid, and even he knew that was bantha fodder.

"And here to set you off on your day is our esteemed minister, Maketh Tua."

Ezra recognized her from the holo Sabine had showed her. She was shorter than Ezra had imagined, pride shining through her slight frame as she walked up to them with a smile. It wasn't nearly as harsh or conniving as the smiles other Imperials usually gave. Her's almost seemed… genuine.

"Hello, cadets," she said, smiling down at each of them. "It is my understanding that you have all excelled in your studies in just a short amount of time. Commandant Aresko has seen promise in each of you. It is also my understanding that a few of you are natives of Lothal. And as a fellow native, it is so gratifying to see you standing here knowing that the future of our Empire will be led in part by representatives of our world. So it is with my utmost pleasure that I begin you off on your tour of Lothal's crowned treasure."

Ezra internally winced, his stomach squirming at her words. This complex wasn't a treasure. Why would a Lothal native think of it that way? He had heard other people talking in Jalath and Kothal. The arrival of this dome marked an increase in civil forfeiture, leaving farmers homeless, jobless, and with little other option than to live in the slums outside Capital City or work for the very Empire that had left them penniless. The idea of this place being a 'treasure' was nauseating.

But he had to keep his feelings hidden. Why was he so sensitive to these types of comments today? The last week of Imperial propaganda being drilled into his brain hadn't affected him like this. He had easily ignored it, knowing it was all kark.

Maybe it was because Tua was - or at least claimed - to be Lothalian too. After seeing everything the Empire was doing to their planet and their people… how could any Lothalian possibly take the Empire's side?

Ezra didn't pay much attention as they were given the tour. It was more important that he focused on the structure of the complex. Sabine had given him a general idea of how these sort of domes were usually laid out, but they weren't necessary identical. He knew where Lyste's office should be, but he needed to have to make note of where the vents were so he could navigate the duct system. Every now and then his attention to would be pulled back to the speaker - Tua or some other officer - and every time it made him uncomfortable to listen.

The tour was four hours long, and it was clear by the end that all three of them were bored out of their minds. It didn't matter how much you might have liked the Empire. Having half a dozen officers explain the details of their days and how they managed to climb the ranks was repetitive and forgettable. Ezra's feet were aching from standing and walking around for hours with no chance to sit.

Thankfully, they were given instructions on where to report after lunch before they were dropped off at the commissary. Ezra was able to relax, knowing that they wouldn't have Aresko or any of the officers breathing down their neck.s

"Well that was a waste of time…" Revo grumbled.

"I-I thought it was kind of interesting," Jai said.

"But it was all stuff that's pretty obvious," Revo said. "We didn't need to spend four kriffing hours being told all that. We would have learned about it all anyway when we pass the Officer's Exam. We could have spent the day doing actual lessons or training instead."

"But just being here means we've got the officer's attention," Jai pointed out. "And now we've met Minister Tua. Maybe that means we'll go further because they'll promote us…" Jai turned to Ezra. "What do you think?"

Ezra shrugged. "It was okay." Frankly, he had found it boring and pointless as well. Looking around the touring the structure itself was important, but listening to a bunch of people talk about themselves was exhausting. But right now, Ezra wasn't in the mood to make conversation. He was tired, and he needed to be on guard for the mission he was about to pull off.

They sat down at an empty table away from other officers. "Hopefully these assignments they give us will be more interesting," Revo said. "Maybe we'll actually learn something important."

"I think it's just delivery stuff," Jai said. "But that means more chances to talk to some officers one-on-one!"

Revo let out a disgusted sigh as he rolled his eyes. "The last thing I want to hear more officers talking about themselves…"

The two of them continued to debate about the merits of today's trip while Ezra just focused on his food. He wasn't really eating any of it. His stomach felt permanently clenched. If he put anything into it except water that he would probably just vomit it all out again.

There was a hand on his arm, making him jump as he looked up at Jai. Jai immediately pulled his hand back. "Are you sure you're okay…?"

"Y-Yeah…" Ezra said. "Just tired." Which wasn't untrue, but it was insignificant compared to his sickening anticipation. In fact, being tired made him feel even sicker. He had to get this mission right. He knew they had a back-up plan if today didn't work out, but it would be cutting it dangerously close to the wire. At that point, they risked missing the kyber shipment altogether. The thought of having to resort to it made him dizzy. He couldn't fail. He just couldn't.

"I might lose the next challenge on purpose…" Revo said, finishing up his lunch. He eyed Ezra's basically untouched tray. "You gonna eat that?"

Ezra wordlessly pushed the tray over to him. He could practically hear Kanan scolding him for skipping a meal, but Ezra just couldn't force himself to eat anything.

"Maybe you should ask to go back and rest," Jai suggested. "You might be getting sick."

"I'm fine," Ezra said insisted, ignoring the spike of anxiety that stabbed his chest at the mere thought of abandoning the mission. "I just… need to drink some more water." He got up with his empty cup to refill it.

He let out a shaky sigh as he watched the water pour into his cup from the bubbler. It was all starting to get to him. From the mission, the legacy of this place, the cut throat attitude of all the officers, to what Sabine had said about Jai… he was just on edge and desperate to get out of here.

Closing his eyes, he counted slowly in his head as he tried to relax and just listen to the Force. It would guide him. As long as he remained calm and kept his head, he could -

Cold water suddenly spilled over his hand, and Ezra yelped in surprise as his eyes snapped open. He jerked his hand back only for even more water to spill over on the ground. He started to shake as he looked around and saw several pairs of eyes directly staring at him.

He was panicking. He was going to panic, right here, right now, in front of all of these Imperials…

He quickly walked away, tossing his half filled cup of water in the waste receptacle before making a straight line to the refreshers. He practically ran inside, going to the furthest stall and locking himself in. Only then did he collapse to his knees, his breathing coming in short wheezing pants.

Kriff. Kriff kriff kriff kriff! This couldn't be happening to him. Not now. He couldn't even remember the last time he had panicked like this. What was wrong with him? He wanted to reach out to Kanan, just to feel his calming presence and help him to stop panicking…

Except he couldn't. If Kanan sensed him like this, he might think Ezra was dying and he wasn't. His brain was just being stupid. But that didn't matter if Kanan thought he was actually in danger. He would try to call off the mission, and they just couldn't do that.

Ezra forced himself to sit up, trying to force himself to take longer breaths. He took a big wheezing inhale, held it for a second before blowing it out violently. He took a couple more short pants before he managed to do it again. And again. And again…

Finally he slumped, his breathing shuddered as silent tears were rolling down his face. "Kriff…" he mumbled, wiping his face off. He rubbed his arms and legs, trying to get their tremor under control. He was still on edge and raw, but at least now he was back under control. He closed his eyes and traced along the threads of the Force around him. For just a moment, he let himself float among them, bringing himself back to his center.

When he opened his eyes, his trembling had ceased and he felt more or less back to normal. He blew out a long sigh. He was okay. He stood up and wiped his face again before walking out of the stall. He went over to the sink and turned on some cold water to splash onto his face. After he dried it off he forced himself to look in the mirror. He had to make sure he looked presentable to avoid drawing even further suspicion.

His gaze only lingered for a few seconds before he quickly looked away. Even after all these years, he hated looking at himself in the mirror. The sight of his face, particularly his scars, always reminded him of his relatives. The faintest whisper of his aunt's voice would rise up and haunt him.

But he had a mission to carry out. So he focused on that. The next thing he needed to do was come up for a decent explanation for anyone who just saw him freak out at the bubbler. What was a good excuse to explain his panic?

Well, he was a young cadet in the Imperial complex. Maybe people would believe he was just nervous being here. He could pretend to be star-struck around all these Imperial officers and pass his nervousness off as that instead. The idea made him internally cringe but it was the best idea he had.

Feeling more self-assured and with the physical effects of his panic attack gone, Ezra walked back out to meet up with Jai and Revo. Jai was standing at the far end of the commissary when he caught sight of Ezra. "Hey," he said as Ezra walked up. "I was just about to go looking for you. It's almost time for us to get our assignments."

"You could have just gone without me…"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Jai looked Ezra over with a frown. "Where were you anyway?"

"In the refresher."

Jai's frown deepened. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I-I think I'm just nervous. You know, being around all these high ranking officers..."

Jai nodded, his frown fading. "That's fair. We even got to meet Minister Tua…"

Ezra relaxed slightly as Jai went on about all the Imperials they had met. Unlike Ezra, he really was a bit starstruck with these people. After talking to the other cadets, Ezra realized that they really had no idea about all of the horrible stuff the Empire was doing. Not just to the galaxy, but to their own planet. It was… disheartening for Ezra to listen to.

They caught up with Revo in Aresko's office, where the Commandant gave them their assignments for the afternoon. As Jai had predicted, it was simple tasks such as deliveries. Ezra could sense Revo's annoyance and Jai's low thrum of excitement as they all read through their list of tasks. Meanwhile, Ezra was mostly concerned with where these tasks were. He couldn't help a small smile when he saw that one of his deliveries was on Level Fourteen, not too far from Lyste's office.

The three of them split off as they went to work. Ezra went through the tasks on the list in order. Thankfully he didn't need to talk much while he was working. The officers seemed to have very little interest in engaging with the cadets. Jai would probably be disappointed by that.

But Ezra found that he was getting excited the closer he got to the delivery job on Level Fourteen. A new found confidence was rising up in him. He was almost giddy, like when he managed to use the Force to open up the hanger door at the Spire.

The job was to take a datapad for the most recent shipment of speeder parts to Lieutenant Tanza's office in room two-twenty-seven on the fourteenth level. As Ezra walked towards Tanza's office, he saw that Lyste's office number two-thirty-one was only a few doors down from Tanza's. As he walked alone down the hallway, he made a note of the vent locations.

Standing in front of Tanza's door, he hit the buzzer and waited patiently. He could feel the presence of someone in the office, so he knew that the lieutenant was there.

The door opened a moment later, and Ezra straightened and saluted the way he had been taught. "Lieutenant Tanza, sir: I have the manifest for an order of speeder bike parts for you."

"Ah yes, very good." The lieutenant took the datapad from Ezra, barely sparing him a glance. "As you were, cadet," he said almost bored as he turned back into his office, the door closing behind him.

Ezra remained standing there, making sure the lieutenant had no intention of leaving his office any time soon. Then he took a step back and glanced over at Lyste's office. Quickly reaching out, Ezra confirmed that his office was empty. He took a deep calming breath. This was perfect. He could easily hack the lock and walk right inside. He would just have to leave via the ducts to avoid setting off any of the alarms.

Looking around and making sure the hallway was completely empty, Ezra pulled out his modified manipulator and confidently walked over to Lyste's door. He made sure to keep his senses relatively open and alert for anyone approaching as he worked. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the lock to click and the door to open. Ezra quickly slipped inside and let the door close behind him.

It looked like any other Imperial office he had seen in the Dome; every surface was clean and pristine durasteel with no sign of any personalization. He turned and looked up, seeing the sensor Sabine had warned him about. Beyond that, there was only the desk with a chair, a computer sitting on top, and a vent opening in the ceiling above.

Biting his lip, he walked over to the other side of the desk. He knew what he was looking for: a small rectangular disk about five by ten centimeters length. Sabine had showed him a picture of a generic one. He started by tracing his fingers over the edges of the computer, feeling for any catches or releases. The few buttons he pressed revealed nothing, so he moved on the drawers. The first one he opened had a black box pressed against the front edge. Ezra picked it up and opened it, grinning at the sight of the decoder.

Brimming with excited energy, Ezra took the decoder out before snapping the box back shut and replacing it into the drawer. He tucked the disk into his pocket then quietly climbed up onto the desk. Reaching up to the vent with the Force, he focused on the latch. With a small ping, the latch came undone and the vent grate swung open. With a smile, Ezra jumped up into it, easily fitting inside. It was relatively clean, probably regularly cleaned with droids. He turned around and closed the grate.

He let out a shaky sigh, unable to completely suppress a nervous giggle. He did it. He got the decoder. Everything had gone exactly to plan.

But he couldn't just sit here. The mission wasn't actually over until the decoder was delivered. So, moving slowly and carefully, he began to crawl along the vents, mentally mapping out where he'd have to go to have the least conspicuous exit.

"As usual, the assessments have proven quite illuminating."

Ezra paused, recognizing Commandant Aresko's voice. He looked down and peeked through the slates of the grate, seeing the pale man speaking to what looked to be a holo.

"I believe we have identified two students who have met your special criteria, Inquisitor."

Inquisitor.

The world swayed, and the air was knocked out of Ezra's lungs. It was probably a good thing, otherwise he might have gasped in horror. The horror was still there, but it had paralyzed him.

Aresko kept speaking. "There is an eye-see-see cadet, Dev Morgan…"

So he had given himself away. He had been so careful, but even that hadn't been enough. Ezra had a hand over his mouth as he tried to calm his breathing. Maybe it would be okay. It would take time for the Inquisitor to get here. He just had to leave before then and everything would be okay.

"... and an eye-ess-see student named Sarah Bemming."

Ezra went numb. All of his thoughts vanished like smoke to the wind. His panic had frozen. It felt... inconsequential. The back of his head began to ring.

Ezra flinched back, rubbing the sore spot on his arm. "P-Please stop…"

"Oh? How are you going to make me~?" Sarah pinched his other arm and twisted it hard.

Ezra yanked himself back, getting up from his chair and stepping away from her. "Sarah, please"

"I'm bored…" she moaned. She shoved him up against the wall, putting her hands into his shirt and pinching his skin. She laughed as Ezra yelped and squirmed. "And you're fun to play with."

Hot tears ran down Ezra's face as he shrank against the wall, completely at her mercy. He couldn't do anything more than beg. If he tried to fight back, his uncle would belt him again. "S-Stop…!" he sobbed.

"Stop~" she mocked, pinching his nipples and yanking them.

"Stop!" Ezra screamed, pushing her back.

Sarah was launched across the room. It didn't look real. She was just… not in front of him anymore. She didn't scream. She didn't have the chance to. Her body struck the opposite wall, and she crumbled to the floor.

"Excellent work," the Inquisitor's voice rang, sounding far away. "I will be there in a fortnight to conduct my own evaluation. If the tests are conclusive, I will take them into custody."

If you were to ask him later, Ezra would not be able to describe what happened next. All he knew was that he was standing in front of Chopper at the rendezvous. Chopper was saying something, waving his manipulators around. Whatever he was saying, it didn't really register with Ezra. He knew what Chopper was probably asking about, but his mind refused to translate his questions into something his brain could understand. He blinked slowly at the droid. Then he let out a long sigh as he made a decision.

"I couldn't get the decoder."


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